Aside from being a truly frightening sci-fi horror, ALIEN captured the imagination of audiences with its tremendously imaginative set designs and attention to detail - from the eggs inside the awe-inspiring alien spacecraft, the eerie interiors of the Nostromo, to the distinctive design of the Xenopmorph alien itself, created by legendary Swiss artist H.R. Giger. A virtual cottage industry has sprung up around the film, inspired by this wealth of iconic imagery, with everything from collectable figures to pens, patches, posters and prints to buy 40 years after the film was released. Things for around the house You can add some Alien-style excitement to mealtimes with these unique salt and pe
The Fog (Directed by John Carpenter) It might seem odd in retrospect given the director’s reputation since then, but this enjoyable chiller was only Carpenter’s 2nd bona-fide horror (“Halloween” being the 1st natch). It actually reflects the auteur’s love for atmospheric British horror, and was inspired by a foggy trip to Stonehenge as well as the film “The Trollenberg Terror” (alien eyeballs hide in clouds… look it was the 50s, ok?). Carpenter co-wrote the screenplay and also performed his regular (excellent) duties on the soundtrack, creating another appropriately creepy piano/electro riff. It was part of a two picture deal (along with “Escape from New York”) for AVCO-Embassy, although it’
Murder By Decree (Directed by Bob Clark) When filmmaker Benjamin "Bob" Clark died in a tragic accident in 2007, he left behind an incredibly eclectic filmography that included classics from several different genres. There was the perfect family festive romp with the much-loved “A Christmas Story” and the quintessential U.S. sex comedy with “Porky’s”. There were also several highly regarded genre movies, not least of which was “Black Christmas”, which is generally accepted as being a major influence on the modern Slasher film. Then there was this nigh-on perfect marriage of fiction and reality, as Sherlock Holmes takes on the case of Jack the Ripper in Victorian London. Differing greatly from
In the sensational zom-com musical Anna and the Apocalypse, a schoolgirl (played by Ella Hunt) and her pals must fight for survival as civilisation collapses around their ears. It’s left to the younger generation to pick up the pieces, battling zombie hordes, stopping for an occasional musical number, and trying to save humankind. If this all sounds a little bit too much like Brexit for comfort, here’s a handy guide for what will happen when we crash out of the EU, using a few pointers from Anna and her gang to help us navigate the coming months... What will happen to your neighbourhood? There might have been dire warnings in the papers about what is going to happen after Brexit - giant rats
Piranha (Directed by Joe Dante) The aftershock from “Jaws” and subsequent animal-horror copy-cats was still being felt in 1978, and there were plenty of aquatic and beastly horrors to savour (including a sequel to that very movie). But in terms of innovation, entertainment, and sheer nuttiness; Dante’s fun film stands head-and-shoulders above the others in the deep-end of the exploitation swimming pool. The production was a typical roughshod project from Roger Corman, and designed solely to cash-in on the sharky blockbuster. By all rights it should have been a forgettable exercise; the special-effects budget was just $50,000 and it was all shot in Corman’s usual style of guerrilla filmmaking
We've been treated to some full throttle Walking Dead season finales over the years but after the death toll of the penultimate episode, it always felt as if there would be a more subdued conclusion to season 9. And that's pretty much what we got. Another little time shift takes place between episode 15 (The Calm Before) and the season finale. Instead of focusing on the immediate aftermath and reaction to the deaths of Henry, Enid, Tara and the others - the writers instead chose to show us the more medium term impact it has had on the communities. It's something they have done in the past - most notably with Rick's departure. The decision to accelerate the timeline and to not dwell on things
