A Look Back at Discovery’s Shark Week and Wild Eye’s Space Sharks. Maybe It’s Better to Swim with the Selachii

There’ll soon be a lot of danger not only at sea but also on land when Shark Week Starts later this month with also a Space Sharks! We are sure this wasn’t planned, but fans will love it!

Discovery Channel Shark Week 2024When Discovery Channel declared that Shark Week is coming, I sometimes pay attention. It all depends on who’s hosting, and this year, they have John Cena! While he can help me feel safe near the ocean, I still have to wait and give my thoughts after watching everything that’s available to scream at! My favourites are Expedition Unknown: Sharks vs Nazis, Alien Sharks: Ghosts of Japan and Makozilla. That’s because what’s presented gets mixed up with some local legends and urban myth. And as a bonus, Wild Eye Releasing has Space Sharks, and that was enough for me to tune in!

This sci-fi action thriller shows off enough cheesy action to even make me think about swimming in the oceans again instead of staying on land to cool off. That’s because these bio-engineered versions have taken to attacking the surface world rather than return to the dark depths whence they came. It’s a man versus nature movie that works, especially when these natural predators are given tech to allow them to kill a group of campers with impunity!

This budget film feels more like an extended music video, with the soundtrack playing more often than not. This synth track plays loudly to fill the non-talking set pieces, and even in the moments of dialogue, it overpowers what’s going on. Despite this problem, what’s presented is campier than 60s Batman, and is still a joy to view. That’s because certain talents, namely Eric Roberts, Mel Novak, Scott Schwartz, Vida Ghaffari, and Brinke Stevens valiantly give their all for this work. Continue reading “A Look Back at Discovery’s Shark Week and Wild Eye’s Space Sharks. Maybe It’s Better to Swim with the Selachii”

Catching up with Brinke Stevens. From Scream Queen to The Night Jane Went Insane, and Director, She’s Doing It All!

In what get get to learn in part two of this look at The Night Jane Went Insane is in how it connects to Brinke Stevens personal interests.

Brinke Stevens and Ed SumBrinke Stevens really needs no re-introduction. I met her a long time ago, and when I heard she would return to Victoria, BC for another convention, I interviewed her. Because I’m a fan of scream queens from the 80s, I was more than thrilled when the opportunity was made available. Plus, when I see that she’s keeping busy with new projects, from more scary stories to even serious ones, I’m glad she’s showing no signs of slowing down. She’s a different kind of wonder woman.

She’s no longer that “nubile coed” from long ago and the reason is not about ageism in the entertainment industry. It’s about respect. These days, she’s getting offers to play characters whose profession is that of a doctor, lawyer or even a sheriff! The films might still be campy, and that’s okay. For her, “It’s really fun to be in roles that’s more about female empowerment,” stated this actress.

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Introducing a New Talent to the Horror Scene, Zach Lorkiewicz, and Why “The Night Jane Went Insane” in 2023/24!

What’s special about Zach Lorkiewicz’s art, music videos and short films is that he’s willing to put it all out for free on YouTube!

Zach Lorkiewicz and Brinke Stevens at The Night Jane Went Insane Zach Lorkiewicz may seem like a new name in the horror indie film industry, but when you look at his online profile, he’s been at it for a decade, and his prowess must be noted. According to Brinke Stevens, an icon in the horror film community, he has a solid work ethic. She’s seen him at work, and the fact he has a clear vision speaks volumes.

“And I also love art; It all started when I was young, making my own films and going to schools for it. I woke up to it,” said this filmmaker. Examples can be found on his Instagram page. “I enjoy making things outside the system. It allows you to have a lot of freedom, and that ultimately is the most important thing to realise.”

This talent is based out of Los Angeles, and to stand out is tough. He said that in this city it’s easy to meet folks in the industry, but he had to be cautious. “That’s because not all of them have my back. I’ve been very lucky. It is very difficult to find producers in the Indie world willing to commit to your project. I’m consistently making other [corporate] videos and random experimental things to put on display, to make ends meet.”

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Charles Band on the Remastering of The Lurking Fear & Upcoming Full Moon Titles

charlesbandFilmmaker Charles Band listenins to his fans, and in response, he is re-releasing his catalogue of old classics from his Empire/Full Moon days onto Blu-ray. The trend has been going on for a while now, starting with Doctor MordridCharles Band, and this producer will keep it going. C. Courtney Joyner’s The Lurking Fear, inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, is now available (released Jun 15, 2016).

Band kept the original 35mm prints of many of the films he’s either produced or directed. In what he gets done, there’s hardly ever any pixelation. Of course, there will be the usual dust and scratches, and to get all that fixed takes time. No Photoshop plug-in can do the job. Like a film projectionist, each frame has to be analysed and colour corrected for the best image possible. He notes that it’s really expensive to go back to the original negative in order to make an high-definition (HD) master, but unless you have fantastic technical talent who truly appreciates the work — to bring the product back to its original lustre — the thought of putting it out to HD for those collectors is a gamble.

“The key ingredient to any of these transfers is to have an excellent colorist,” noted Band. “We have a guy who has been doing most of our work for the last 4-5 years. When he’s busy, I wait because he’s the only guy I trust.”

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Brinke Stevens is still a Scream Queen and More! An Interview

This interview with Brinke Stevens shows just how beloved she still is. There’s much more to this talent than meets the eye.

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Brinke Stevens is certainly one classy Dame. In the movie world, she’d be one to kill for; as one of the few Scream Queens from the years of my youth (and is still working today) she’s certainly shown that she has the chops to last in an industry that typically favours youthful fervour. As each decade tends to introduce new talent and types of horror for fans to get fast and furiously rabid about, I’m not always going to fawn over what’s the latest. I’d rather stick to what was impressed upon me at an early age. When video movie rentals became widely accessible, that’s when Stevens work caught my eye. Perhaps moreso in magazine spreads than anything else, but I was like every other horror enthusiast at that time, consuming everything I could find.

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