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The Unknown & The Haunted: Rare Screening

Steve Biodrowski — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 17:05:55 +0000

The UCLA Film & Television Archive presents a double bill of rare television pilots created by Joseph Stefano, the producer-writer of the classic series THE OUTER LIMITS. The screenings take place on February 25, starting at 7:30pm, in the Billy Wilder Theater of the Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90024.

At the end of the first season of OUTER LIMITS, Stefano (who previously had adapted Robert Bloch’s novel into the Alfred Hitchcock film PSYCHO), wrote a pilot for a spin-off to be called THE UNKNOWN. Although the pilot never aired and the series was never made, Stefano’s script became the final episode of OUTER LIMITS’ first season, retitled “The Form of Things Unknown,” with a science fiction element added to the storyline. This event represents an extremely rare opportunity to see the original version.

Also on the double bill is another pilot crafted by Stefano, THE HAUNTED (a.k.a. “The Ghost of Sierra de Cobre,” 1965), which Stefano also directed. Martin Landau stars; Landau had appeared in two memorable episodes of OUTER LIMITS, “The Bellero Shield” and “The Man Who Was Never Born.”

Admission is free. Marilyn Stefano will be in attendance.

From the website:

THE HAUNTED (a.k.a. The Ghost of Sierra de Cobre, 1965). Martin Landau stars as a Los Angeles-based architect-cum-paranormal investigator who specializes in assessing and exorcising old homes. Stefano here weaves together vengeance, hallucinogens and a “bleeding ghost” in a gothic telefilm that was deemed too frightening to air by network executives. Stefano’s only directorial effort, this extremely rare pilot never aired in the U.S. Producer: Joseph Stefano. Screenplay: Joseph Stefano. Cinematographer: William A. Fraker, Conrad Hall. Editor: Anthony DiMarco. Cast: Martin Landau, Judith Anderson, Diane Baker, Nellie Burt, Tom Simcox. 16mm, b/w, 52 min.

David McCallum and Barbara Rush in "The Form of Things Unknown," the OUTER LIMITS episode derived from the unused pilot THE UNKNOWN.

THE UNKNOWN (1964) Directed by Gerd Oswald. With nods to Psycho and Clouzot’s Diabolique, The Unknown unleashes sadism and madness when a wealthy playboy lures two unsuspecting women into a house of horrors. With its nightmarish tone and art-film cinematography, The Unknown pilot was considered too off-beat by ABC and was retooled as an episode of Outer Limits. The original pilot is being screened tonight from a rare 35mm print. Producer: Joseph Stefano. Screenplay: Joseph Stefano. Cinematographer: Conrad Hall. Editor: Anthony DiMarco. Cast: Vera Miles, Barbara Rush, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Scott Marlowe, David McCallum. 35mm, B/W, 45 min.

More info: Click here

9 – The Complete Original Short Subject

Steve Biodrowski — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:56:34 +0000

The original short subject 9, on which the new feature film is based, is a cryptic little gem. Without the time to develop its premise fully into a dramatic story, writer-director Shane Acker instead presents an eerie vignette that throws us into a seemingly post-apocalyptic world. Without dialogue or exposition, Acker’s film leaves us to draw our own conclusions based on what we see: gloomy vistas of empty buildings separated by dusty streets littered with refuse and rubble, inhabited by tiny humanoid figures, artificial life forms that seem stitched together from burlap. They search through the detritus for useful bits and pieces, their quest interrupted by some robotic-looking predator that literally sucks the life force from its victims.

What it all means is up to the viewer to determine, but the film succeeds because its novel visuals somehow manage to convey an impression of familiarity – as if we were reliving some ancient nightmare long forgotten. In a feature-length movie, the unresolved nature of the narrative might be a hindrance; audiences would have a right to expect some more solid explanation in exchange for sitting an hour-and-a-half. Shane Acker, however, cleverly uses the short form to his advantage, turning its limitation into a strength, offering enough memorable imagery to intrigue us while leaving the implications open to interpretation.

See a larger version of the video below…

Dressed to Kill – Watch for Free

Steve Biodrowski — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 22:25:05 +0000

Yesterday, we mentioned the website Fancast, which offers a variety of free movies and television epsidoes, including writer-director Brian DePalma’s 1980 giallo-style thriller, DRESSED TO KILL, starring Michael Caine, Nancy Allen, and Keith Gordon. Since Fancast has an embed function, we thought we would give you a chance to enjoy the film here at Cinefantastique Online.

Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) – Watch Free!

Steve Biodrowski — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:53:13 +0000

The remake of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL comes out on home video this week, and one of the nice features of the 3-disc Blu-ray set is that the third disc contains the 1951 original, widely regarded as one of the greatest science fiction flms ever made (a reputation in no way threatened by the 2008 version). Directed by Rober Wise and starring Michael Rennie as Klatuu, the alien who arrives on Earth to put a stop to mankind’s fliratation with nuclear weapons, the 1951 classic is more serious story-telling than spectacle – a clever, witty message picture that just happens to use an alien to deliver the message. Anway, you can view the entire film for free here, or if you prefer a large image (with an option for full screen on your computer), click here.

Frankenstein (1910) – Watch for Free

Steve Biodrowski — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 15:19:39 +0000

Produced by Thomas Edision, this is the first film adaptation of Mary Shelly’s novel Frankenstein- a ten-minute short subject written and directed by J. Searle Dawley, who takes a few key incidents and weaves them into an imaginative, mystical take on the story. (In keeping with the novel, this film has little to say about science; Frankenstein’s methods seem more magical than medical.)

Although old-fashioned and somewhat stagey in its presentation, this version of FRAKENSTEIN remains of more than historical interest, thanks to an interesting use of early special effects and a cleverly condensed storyline (prompting the Overlook Encyclopedia of Film: Horrorto label the film “an extraordinary effort for its time”). The creation scene is a stand-out, and the ending is like nothing seen in any subsequent film (although it does emphasize the doppelganger theme of the story, literally turning the monster into a mirror image of its creator).

FRANKENSTEIN (1910). Produced by Thomas Edison, Written and Directed by J. Searle Dawley. Cast: Agustus Phillipe (Frankenstein), Charles Ogle (Frankenstein’s creation), Mary Fuller (Frankenstein’s fiance).