There’s a scene in “The Rocketeer,” Disney’s big budget would-be blockbuster from the summer of 1991, that ranks among the most profoundly strange and transfixing moments in the studio’s storied history.
The scene, which takes place in 1938, unfolds right before the movie’s big, fiery climax at L.A.’s Griffith Observatory. Our hero, L.A. stunt pilot-turned-makeshift-superhero Cliff Secord (Billy Campbell) is in the office of Howard Hughes (a perfectly cast Terry O’Quinn). Hughes, it turns out, is the inventor of an experimental rocket pack that Secord has happened upon and utilized in a series of exciting action sequences. The FBI is there too. Hughes wants his rocket back, stressing how potentially dangerous it is, especially if it fell into the wrong hands. Secord wants to keep it.
To underline his point, Hughes shows Secord a film. “Keep watching, kid. It cost a man’s life to get this out of Germany,...
The scene, which takes place in 1938, unfolds right before the movie’s big, fiery climax at L.A.’s Griffith Observatory. Our hero, L.A. stunt pilot-turned-makeshift-superhero Cliff Secord (Billy Campbell) is in the office of Howard Hughes (a perfectly cast Terry O’Quinn). Hughes, it turns out, is the inventor of an experimental rocket pack that Secord has happened upon and utilized in a series of exciting action sequences. The FBI is there too. Hughes wants his rocket back, stressing how potentially dangerous it is, especially if it fell into the wrong hands. Secord wants to keep it.
To underline his point, Hughes shows Secord a film. “Keep watching, kid. It cost a man’s life to get this out of Germany,...
- 8/31/2022
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
Producer Charles Band discusses a few of his favorite films with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Re-Animator (1985) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
Citizen Kane (1941) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Puppet Master (1989)
Dollman (1991)
Trancers (1984)
Corona Zombies (2020)
Cannibal Women In The Avocado Jungle of Death (1989)
Frankenstein (1931) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Sixth Sense (1999)
The Wolf Man (1941) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Alex Kirschenbaum’s Wolf Man power rankings
I Bury The Living (1958) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
Face of Fire (1959)
Hercules (1958)
The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad (1958) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary
Jason And The Argonauts (1963) – Ernest Dickerson’s trailer commentary
King Kong (1933)
King Kong (1976) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Exorcist (1973) – Oren Peli’s trailer commentary
Star Wars (1977)
The Omega Man (1971)
Castle Freak (1995)
Tourist Trap (1979) – David DeCoteau’s trailer commentary
Laserblast (1978)
Crash!
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Re-Animator (1985) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
Citizen Kane (1941) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Puppet Master (1989)
Dollman (1991)
Trancers (1984)
Corona Zombies (2020)
Cannibal Women In The Avocado Jungle of Death (1989)
Frankenstein (1931) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Sixth Sense (1999)
The Wolf Man (1941) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Alex Kirschenbaum’s Wolf Man power rankings
I Bury The Living (1958) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
Face of Fire (1959)
Hercules (1958)
The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad (1958) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary
Jason And The Argonauts (1963) – Ernest Dickerson’s trailer commentary
King Kong (1933)
King Kong (1976) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Exorcist (1973) – Oren Peli’s trailer commentary
Star Wars (1977)
The Omega Man (1971)
Castle Freak (1995)
Tourist Trap (1979) – David DeCoteau’s trailer commentary
Laserblast (1978)
Crash!
- 3/22/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
A flash of lightning. An iconic red and gold costume. Weird sci-fi villains and blockbuster special effects. We could only be talking about the beloved The Flash TV series, right?
Ah, but this isn’t Grant Gustin and Team Flash from the CW’s The Flash. No, this is The Flash TV series from 1990, the one starring John Wesley Shipp and boasting a theme song by none other than superhero movie maestro Danny Elfman.
The Flash was an expensive gamble for CBS and ultimately only lasted one season, but its legacy lives on and it remains an important part of superhero TV history. The show has crept back into the pop culture consciousness in recent years, with every major cast member making appearances on the current show, and it was even acknowledged as part of official DC canon thanks to recent TV crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths, a fitting bookend...
Ah, but this isn’t Grant Gustin and Team Flash from the CW’s The Flash. No, this is The Flash TV series from 1990, the one starring John Wesley Shipp and boasting a theme song by none other than superhero movie maestro Danny Elfman.
The Flash was an expensive gamble for CBS and ultimately only lasted one season, but its legacy lives on and it remains an important part of superhero TV history. The show has crept back into the pop culture consciousness in recent years, with every major cast member making appearances on the current show, and it was even acknowledged as part of official DC canon thanks to recent TV crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths, a fitting bookend...
- 9/22/2020
- by Mike Cecchini
- Den of Geek
This week on Off The Shelf, Ryan is joined by Brian Saur to take a look at the new DVD and Blu-ray releases for the week of July 28th, 2015, and chat about some follow-up and home video news.
Subscribe in iTunes or RSS.
Episode Links & Notes Follow-up Vudu / Ultraviolet Update to the Hertzfeldt Kickstarter What have we bought / watched lately? Ryan: Barnes & Noble Sale / Amazon UK / Thief and the Cobbler doc / Lost Soul / Man From Uncle Season 1 / Brian: B&N / Best Buy $4.99 Blu-rays News Olive Films September Announcements Scorpion Releasing/Kino – The People That Time Forgot in November New Releases Cherry 2000 The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein Ghost Town Home Justice League: Gods and Monsters Miracle Mile Monte Walsh Mystery Science Theater 3000: Xxxiii Prime Cut White God Zone Troopers Episode Credits Ryan Gallagher (Twitter / Website / Wish List) Brian Saur (Twitter /Website / Instagram / Wish List)
Music for the show...
Subscribe in iTunes or RSS.
Episode Links & Notes Follow-up Vudu / Ultraviolet Update to the Hertzfeldt Kickstarter What have we bought / watched lately? Ryan: Barnes & Noble Sale / Amazon UK / Thief and the Cobbler doc / Lost Soul / Man From Uncle Season 1 / Brian: B&N / Best Buy $4.99 Blu-rays News Olive Films September Announcements Scorpion Releasing/Kino – The People That Time Forgot in November New Releases Cherry 2000 The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein Ghost Town Home Justice League: Gods and Monsters Miracle Mile Monte Walsh Mystery Science Theater 3000: Xxxiii Prime Cut White God Zone Troopers Episode Credits Ryan Gallagher (Twitter / Website / Wish List) Brian Saur (Twitter /Website / Instagram / Wish List)
Music for the show...
- 7/29/2015
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
April 14th Blu-ray & DVD Releases Include The Babadook, Class of 1984, Long Weekend, Tales of Terror
The second week of April is a big one for horror fans, as one of the most buzzed-about indie genre films of 2014—The Babadook—is finally coming home this Tuesday courtesy of Scream Factory and IFC Midnight. There are also a multitude of classic cult titles arriving in high-def on April 14th as well, including Long Weekend, Tales of Terror, the sequels to both The Toxic Avenger and Class of Nuke ’Em High, and Class of 1984.
Several new titles are also being released this week including Jinn, Roadside, and Echoes, and 20th Century Fox is unleashing their terror-filled sequel, The Woman in Black 2 Angel of Death, on both Blu-ray and DVD.
The Babadook (Scream Factory/IFC Midnight, Deluxe Edition Blu-ray & DVD)
Amelia (AFI Award winner Essie Davis, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, The Slap) is a single mother plagued by the violent death of her husband.
Several new titles are also being released this week including Jinn, Roadside, and Echoes, and 20th Century Fox is unleashing their terror-filled sequel, The Woman in Black 2 Angel of Death, on both Blu-ray and DVD.
The Babadook (Scream Factory/IFC Midnight, Deluxe Edition Blu-ray & DVD)
Amelia (AFI Award winner Essie Davis, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, The Slap) is a single mother plagued by the violent death of her husband.
- 4/14/2015
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
When someone says they're "surviving high school," it can usually be considered an exaggeration, but when it comes to the teachers and students of Lincoln High, there's a literal truth in the phrase. Sinister students stalk the school's halls and don't hesitate to teach their own warped lessons to teachers after the bell rings in Mark L. Lester's Class of 1984. Scream Factory is releasing the early ’80s thriller in a Collector's Edition Blu-ray on April 14th, and we've been provided with two copies to give away to a couple of lucky Daily Dead readers.
"Synopsis: The teachers at Lincoln High have a very dangerous problem… their students!
Andrew Norris (Perry King, Lipstick, Mandingo), an idealistic and naive music teacher, has moved into a new community with his pregnant wife, Diane (Merrie Lynn Ross, General Hospital), only to find his new job is an academic abyss. Appalled by the crime-infested school,...
"Synopsis: The teachers at Lincoln High have a very dangerous problem… their students!
Andrew Norris (Perry King, Lipstick, Mandingo), an idealistic and naive music teacher, has moved into a new community with his pregnant wife, Diane (Merrie Lynn Ross, General Hospital), only to find his new job is an academic abyss. Appalled by the crime-infested school,...
- 4/10/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Detention doesn't solve problems in Class of 1984. The atrocious actions of the unruly students call for a far more intense form of discipline that Mr. Norris is pushed to dish out in the early ’80s thriller from Mark L. Lester. Soon, you can experience Class of 1984’s extracurricular revenge like never before, as Scream Factory's Collector's Edition Blu-ray of the film comes out on April 14th. Ahead of its release, we have the trailer and two clips from the Blu-ray, giving us a look at a young Michael J. Fox and a gun-wielding Roddy McDowall.
"Synopsis: The teachers at Lincoln High have a very dangerous problem… their students!
Andrew Norris (Perry King, Lipstick, Mandingo), an idealistic and naive music teacher, has moved into a new community with his pregnant wife, Diane (Merrie Lynn Ross, General Hospital), only to find his new job is an academic abyss. Appalled by the crime-infested school,...
"Synopsis: The teachers at Lincoln High have a very dangerous problem… their students!
Andrew Norris (Perry King, Lipstick, Mandingo), an idealistic and naive music teacher, has moved into a new community with his pregnant wife, Diane (Merrie Lynn Ross, General Hospital), only to find his new job is an academic abyss. Appalled by the crime-infested school,...
- 4/9/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
How we love getting news about long lost video obscurities resurfacing to find their fanbases! Two more weird titles are on their way from MGM as part of the studio's Manufactured On Demand DVD initiative, and we couldn't be happier!
Buyer beware - Mod titles come to you with full box art burned to a DVDr. If your DVD player has problems playing such things, you may want to skip these. Everyone else ... Have At It!
From the Press Release
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment’s “manufacturing on demand” (“Mod”) program continues to expand with the newest selection of films as part of MGM’s Limited Edition Collection. These releases will begin to become available through major online retailers starting on November 22nd.
Gog (1954) – A security agent investigates sabotage and murder at a secret underground laboratory, home of two experimental robots. Stars Herbert Marshall; Constance Dowling; Richard Egan. Directed by Herbert L. Strock.
Buyer beware - Mod titles come to you with full box art burned to a DVDr. If your DVD player has problems playing such things, you may want to skip these. Everyone else ... Have At It!
From the Press Release
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment’s “manufacturing on demand” (“Mod”) program continues to expand with the newest selection of films as part of MGM’s Limited Edition Collection. These releases will begin to become available through major online retailers starting on November 22nd.
Gog (1954) – A security agent investigates sabotage and murder at a secret underground laboratory, home of two experimental robots. Stars Herbert Marshall; Constance Dowling; Richard Egan. Directed by Herbert L. Strock.
- 12/2/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
In "Cowboys & Aliens," director Jon Favreau pits a posse of gunslingers against an extraterrestrial invasion force straight out of a sci-fi nightmare. In many ways, it's a new twist on an old classic, as those pesky creatures from outer space have been wreaking Hollywood havoc for years now, and gtheir efforts definitely haven't been confined to the Old West.
From the age of vikings to the far-flung future, alien invasions have been thwarted by a long list of unlikely defenders from Earth -- many of them even more ill-equipped than the "Cowboys & Aliens" cast. Don't believe me? Here are five examples of films that feature entirely unexpected saviors of the planet we call home.
"Outlander" (2008)
Pre-dating all of the gunslinging and dynamite of "Cowboys & Aliens," this 2008 film features a battle between Norsemen circa 709 A.D. and a monstrous alien that crashed near their village. While the movie didn't receive much attention,...
From the age of vikings to the far-flung future, alien invasions have been thwarted by a long list of unlikely defenders from Earth -- many of them even more ill-equipped than the "Cowboys & Aliens" cast. Don't believe me? Here are five examples of films that feature entirely unexpected saviors of the planet we call home.
"Outlander" (2008)
Pre-dating all of the gunslinging and dynamite of "Cowboys & Aliens," this 2008 film features a battle between Norsemen circa 709 A.D. and a monstrous alien that crashed near their village. While the movie didn't receive much attention,...
- 7/28/2011
- by Rick Marshall
- ifc.com
If you have Netflix and are a horror fan in need of something to watch this Labor Day weekend, one look at this gargantuan list I compiled of the new terror titles Netflix has added for instant streaming in just the first three days of this month should keep you busy until Labor Day next year. You'll find something for everyone, from older titles to recent releases, famous to obscure, classic to not-so-classic, monsters to maniacs - you name it.
For the record, I considered compiling this list in alphabetical order or by year of the film's release, but then I realized I had already spent well over an hour just sorting through the massive catalogue of titles Netflix has now made available for instant streaming and realized Labor Day would be over by the time I finished arranging this list in any kind of order. Ready? Here you go.
For the record, I considered compiling this list in alphabetical order or by year of the film's release, but then I realized I had already spent well over an hour just sorting through the massive catalogue of titles Netflix has now made available for instant streaming and realized Labor Day would be over by the time I finished arranging this list in any kind of order. Ready? Here you go.
- 9/3/2010
- by Foywonder
- DreadCentral.com
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