Random Musings: The Devil's Rain

Recently, I watched THE DEVIL'S RAIN again for the first time in years. (I'm thinking the last time had to be back in the TBS Nite Flix era.) This time around, one particular aspect of the film grabbed me which, for some reason, I had never noticed before...

Okay, everyone knows the story of how Tommy Lee Wallace bought a Don Post mask of Captain Kirk, then treated it for the Shape's look in John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN. The mask was chosen due to it's expressionless / emotionless vibe, but I wonder if there could have been another reason. Honestly, I doubt that there was, but when I saw this striking visual of a bedeviled William Shatner (pale with empty eye sockets and a head tilt, no less) in THE DEVIL'S RAIN (released three years prior to HALLOWEEN), the comparison to that of Michael Myers was ghoulishly uncanny...

Also, if I didn't know better, in the poster art (see above), it looks like Ernest Borgnine is chatting on a cell phone. 911, perhaps?

Movie Tie-In Project, Part IV: Found Treasures

ALIEN - Alan Dean Foster [Warner, 1979]
BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES
- David Gerrold [Award, 1973]
BLACK SUNDAY - Thomas Harris [Bantam, 1977]
CHILD'S PLAY 2 - Matthew J. Costello [Jove, 1990]
DOG DAY AFTERNOON - Patrick Mann [Dell, 1975]
THE EXORCIST III: LEGION - William Peter Blatty [Pocket, 1990]
FLASH GORDON - Arthur Byron Cover [Jove, 1980]
FLETCH - Gregory McDonald [Avon, 1985]
THE PEOPLE THAT TIME FORGOT - Edgar Rice Burroughs [Ace, 1977]
THE SWARM - Arthur Herzog [Signet, 1978]



STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE
- Gene Roddenberry [Pocket, 1979]
STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE
- Gene Roddenberry (Re-issue w/Alternate cover) [Pocket, 1987]
STAR TREK (II): THE WRATH OF KHAN
- Vonda N. McIntyre [Pocket, 1982]
STAR TREK (II): THE WRATH OF KHAN
- Vonda N. McIntyre (Alternate cover) [Pocket, 1982]
STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK
- Vonda N. McIntyre [Pocket, 1984]
STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME
- Vonda N. McIntyre [Pocket, 1986]
STAR TREK V: THE FINAL FRONTIER
- J.M. Dillard [Pocket, 1989]
STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY
- J.M. Dillard [Pocket, 1992]

And, some titles that've been seen here before, but now tied with their paperback brethren.



DARK STAR - Alan Dean Foster [Ballantine, 1975]
DARK STAR - Alan Dean Foster
(Re-issue w/Alternate artwork) [Del Rey, 1978]
ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK - Mike McQuay [Bantam, 1981]
ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK - Mike McQuay
(Re-issue w/Alternate artwork) [Bantam Spectra, 1985]
HALLOWEEN - Curtis Richards [Bantam, 1979]
HALLOWEEN - Curtis Richards
(Alternate cover w/Poster artwork) [Bantam, 1979]
HALLOWEEN II - Jack Martin (Dennis Etchison) [Zebra, 1981]
HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH
- Jack Martin (Dennis Etchison) [Jove, 1982]
THE FOG - Dennis Etchison [Bantam, 1980]
THE THING - Alan Dean Foster [Bantam, 1982]



THE TERMINATOR
- Randall Frakes & Bill Wisher [Bantam Spectra, 1991]
TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY
- Randall Frakes [Bantam Spectra, 1991]
TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES
- David Hagberg [Tor, 2003]



Note: Title description contains the actual publishing date of the exact printing in my collection and doesn't necessarily reflect the initial date of either the novel or film.

Cinephemera, Where Art Thou?

I miss the days of movie tie-in memorabilia, not that it doesn't exist today, but it's just not the same. Nowadays, it's all about bangin' you over the head with an abundance of crap. (i.e. anything from the TWILIGHT series, HARRY POTTER or the emo-fueled resurgence of THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS.)

Theatrical promo items have been lacking for years. Gone are the days of the 40x60 heavy card stock posters, insert posters, half sheets and lobby cards. Gone also is the movie program. Some theaters offered these to patrons depending on the marketing of the film. Basically, you could buy your bucket o' caffeine, bucket o' eventual kernel slivers that embed themselves neatly between your teeth and gums (Sorry, not a popcorn fan, unless we're talking about the Jill Schoelen kind) and a program. Patterned after the Playbill, it served as a nice memento for when movie-going used to be an experience.

Along with programs, you'd be hard pressed to find those official movie magazines or poster books. I don't follow comic books, so I'm not sure if comic book adaptations still make the rounds or not, but they were quite the big thing, courtesy of Marvel and DC, in the '70s and '80s.

Production diaries were a big thing in paperback, back then...


Then you had those awesome Fotonovels...


Fotonovels made a slight return in 1999, with titles like THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT and CHARLIE'S ANGELS, but soon vanished once again. I say they should be brought back, but not for current fare... let's go back and adapt classic films. A Fotonovel for CHINATOWN, anyone?

As for movie tie-in paperbacks, don't get me started.
Too late! I already started. Here's a taste...



HALLOWEEN - Curtis Richards [Bantam, 1979]
HALLOWEEN - Curtis Richards
(Alternate cover w/Poster artwork) [Bantam, 1979]
HALLOWEEN II - Jack Martin (Dennis Etchison) [Zebra, 1981]
HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH
- Jack Martin (Dennis Etchison) [Jove, 1982]
ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK - Mike McQuay [Bantam, 1981]
DARK STAR - Alan Dean Foster [Ballentine, 1975]
THE FOG - Dennis Etchison [Bantam, 1980]
THE THING - Alan Dean Foster [Bantam, 1982]

(To Be Continued...)

John Carpenter's "Cigarette Burns"

To me, the best thing about Mick Garris' MASTERS OF HORROR series is the return to form for some of my absolute favorite horror filmmakers.

CIGARETTE BURNS is a great example of all the right elements falling into place and giving a great showcase for a director who deserves just that. Some will say this film is a return to form for Carpenter. I disagree, simply because I am a devout Carpenter fan and have appreciated all his films. SO THERE!

Norman Reedus is always good (even in the insane SIX WAYS TO SUNDAY). The plot itself is an obvious parallel to Roman Polanski's highly underrated THE NINTH GATE. Another connection I noticed was that the main character's mission in each film is assigned by a former Dracula, Frank Langella in THE NINTH GATE and Udo Kier in this film. Aside from these similarities, the story works quite well. I have to say that while the premise may seem ridiculous in theory, I've always followed the logic of trusting filmmakers and there are some who have betrayed that trust. Brings to mind my fear/fascination of certain films and/or the legends behind them and their filmmakers. SALO being a perfect example.

Without giving anything away, there's a particular moment where a character stabs himself in not one, but both eye sockets, with a seemingly six-inch-long instrument. That's fine. But to portray the moment as if the same instrument would not penetrate and kill the brain, instead leaving the character continuing to speak, is completely absurd and, for me, hard to overlook. That's my "oh well" gripe for today.

Note: Cody Carpenter (son of John Carpenter and Adrienne Barbeau) makes his film scoring debut here and it's a nice, subtle work.