Cinefantastique Online

Cinefantastique's Los Angeles Correspondent from 1987 to 1993 and West Coast Editor from 1993 to 1999. Currently the webmaster of Cinefantastique Online, I also run a website called Hollywood Gothique that covers Halloween Horror and Sci-Fi Cinema Events in the Los Angeles area.

Following up on the previous CFQ Spotlight Podcast devoted to Martin Scorcese’s HUGO, the Cinefantastique crew of Dan Persons, Lawrence French, and Steve Biodrowski – joined by special guest Andrea Lipinski – blast off into the fabulous fantasy world of George Melies. The special effects pioneer and cinema magician of the early silent era was the first to realize the potential of movies imbued with a Sense of Wonder, using the camera not to capture reality but to create dreams writ large on the silver screen.

STAR WARS is back again – this time on home video – and a look at the 1977 original reminds Cinefantastique Podcasters Lawrence French, Dan Persons, and Steve Biodrowski that, despite having been retitled A NEW HOPE, the first film still works best as a stand-alone original, not as part four in an on-going franchise [...]

This week’s Round Table focuses on  ”James Bond 23″ (a.k.a., the 23rd 007 film, titled SKYFALL, which began production this week) and on HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 2, which makes it home video debut on Tuesday, November 8. As always, Cinefantastique Podcasters Lawrence French, Dan Persons, and Steve Biodrowski offer their [...]

Join this week’s Cinefantastique Black Hole Ultra-Lounge Podcast. Steve Biodrowski and Lawrence French discuss news from the world of horror, fantasy, and science fiction cinema: Matt Reeves selection to direct THE TWILIGHT ZONE movie; the death of David Hess (LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT); and the debut of Season Two of THE WALKING DEAD. Also [...]

It’s a remake! No, it’s a prequel! It’s THE THING, the latest film derived from John W. Campbell’s short story “Who Goes There?” – which previously inspired the 1951 Howard Hawks production THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD and director John Carpenter’s 1982 remake THE THING. With regular Cinefantastique Spotlight Podcast host Dan Person missing in [...]

Unlike other Halloween attractions, Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights is closely tied in with the horror film genre – perfectly appropriate for company created such classics as DRACULA, FRANKENSTEIN, and THE WOLF MAN. Each Halloween season – which, for the major theme park events, launches in September – Universal offers mazes and monsters inspired by [...]

In honor of HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 2, the Cinefantastique Podcast crew takes a look at sequels that surpass their predecessors, including TOY STORY 2, DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN, and BATMAN RETURNS. Joined by special guest Andrea Lipinski (formerly of the Chronic Rift podcast), the regular CFQ crew of Dan Persons, Lawrence [...]

Carmen Electra is about to lose a breast implant in this scene from the R-rated SCARY MOVIE.
This time out, the Cinefantastique Round Table Podcast – the podcast of horror, fantasy, and science fiction films – devotes itself to two in-depth conversations. The first focuses on the subject of the MPAA ratings system and how it [...]

It’s the RETURN OF THE KING – along with THE TWO TOWERS and THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING – on this week’s episode of the Cinefantastique Laserblast Podcast. Headlining Tuesday, June 28’s horror, fantasy, and science fiction released on home video is the new Extended Edition Blu-ray box set of LORD OF THE RINGS: THE [...]

Tuesday, June 21 brings us another wonderful week’s worth of horror, fantasy, and science fiction films on home video, and the Cinefantastique Laserblast crew – Dan Persons, Lawrence French, and Steve Biodrowski – focus with laser-like attention on the details of THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU, the romantic science-fiction-fantasy starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, arriving on [...]

SUPER 8 – the highly anticipated science fiction thriller from writer-director J.J. Abrams and producer Steven Spielberg – explodes onto screens this week. Naturally, the Cinefantastique Round Table Podcast – the podcast of horror, fantasy, and science fiction films – is here to tell you whether or not to get your hopes up; CFQ regulard [...]

Christopher Reeve in SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE
Celebrating the arrival of the new SUPERMAN Blu-ray box set, this week’s Cinefantastique Laserblast Home Video Podcast takes a look back at the five Warner Brothers films: SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE; SUPERMAN II; SUPERMAN III; SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE; and SUPERMAN RETURNS. Guest Orenthal V. Hawkins joins CFQ stalwarts [...]

Prophetic messaging? The first few X-MEN films were entertaining; then came WOLVERINE…
In this week’s Cinefantastique Round Table Podcast – the Podcast with a Sense of Wonder – Dan Persons, Lawrence French, and Steve Biodrowski appraise the X-MEN film franchise: what have the mutants contributed to the world of comics-to-movies adaptations? Also up for discussion: remembering [...]