Hammer Returns with "Beyond the Rave"

Once the name in horror movies, Hammer Films had been dormant since the Eighties when they produced the TV series Hammer House of Mystery & Suspense. This would change come the Naughts. Hammer would establish itself on the World Wide Web and even maintains a presence on Bebo, Facebook, and MySpace. The studio, which has existed in some form since 1934, In May 2007 Dutch consortium Cyrte Investments (headed by Big Brother creator John De Mol) acquired Hammer Films and its catalogue of nearly 300 films. Hammer had previously been purchased in 2000 by a group which included ad man Charles Saatchi. This time around, however, it appears that the studio's new owners actually mean to make films.

Indeed, it was in September 2007 that the news broke that Hammer Films was making its first horror movie in 31 years (the last one being To the Devil a Daughter in 1976). In some respects Beyond the Rave has a lot in common with previous Hammer Films: beautiful women (Nora-Jane Noone, Sadie Frost), vampires, an English setting, and even an appearance by Ingrid Pitt. In other respects, it looks like it will be unlike anything produced by Hammer before. The movie is set in contemporary England, in which a soldier, about to leave for Iraq, searches for his girl friend after she attended a mysterious rave. What really sets Beyond the Rave apart from previous Hammer Film productions, however, is its means of distribution. It will be released in 20 parts on MySpaceTV beginning on April 17. Eventually it will be released on DVD.

Beyond the Rave is directed by Matthias Hoene (known for his commercials and music videos) and written by Tom Grass (who worked on the serial When Evil Calls). Its special effects are being handled by Tristan Versluis, who provided effects for Hot Fuzz and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Those who want to see the teaser trailer can go MySpaceVideos here.

I must confess that in some respects it looks more to me like something Hammer's rival Tigon might have done in their best years, but I must also confess I am still looking forward to it.

Richard Widmark R.I.P.

Richard Widmark, the actor who starred in movies ranging from Kiss of Death to To the Devil a Daughter, passed Monday at the age of 93. He broken a vertebra a few months ago and his health had declined considerably.

Richard Widmark was born on December 26, 1914 in Sunrise, Minnesota. He grew up in Princeton, Illinois. Widmark fell in love with motion pictures when he was only three years old, although he really wasn't interested in acting a child. He attended Lake Forest College, where he studied acting. He spent two years following his graduation teaching acting at the college before going to New York City in 1938. He soon found himself cast in the radio show Aunt Jenny’s Real Life Stories. As a radio actor Widmark found himself very much in demand, appearing in such shows as Big Sister, Life Can Be Beautiful, Joyce Jordan, M.D., Stella Dallas, and Inner Sanctum. He starred in the radio show Front Page Farrell and provided narration for Gangbusters.

Because of a puncture eardrum Richard Widmark could not serve during World War II. He made his debut on Broadway in 1943 in the play Kiss and Tell. He would go on to appear in the plays Get Away Old Man (1943), Trio (1944), Kiss Them For Me (1945), and Dunnigan's Daughter (1945). It was in 1947 that Widmark made his screen debut in Kiss of Death. His role as grinning, laughing psychopath Tommy Udo turned him into an instant star and earned him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. To this day Tommy Udo is regarded as one of the great screen villains of all time. He was signed to a seven year contract at Fox, where he made such movies as Yellow Sky, Road House, Night and the City, Panic in the Streets, and Pickup on South Street. Even in his early days as a movie actor Widmark defied typecasting. He played the villainous bandit Dude in the Western Yellow Sky, but also played the selfless physician Lt. Commander Reed in Panic in the Streets.

After his contract with Fox had ended, Widmark formed his own production company, and produced three films: Time Limit (1957), The Secret Ways (1961), and The Bedford Incident (1964). His career also continued unabated, as Widmark played in a diverse number of film genres, including Westerns (The Last Wagon, The Law and Jake Wade, Warlock, The Alamo, and Cheyenne Autumn), action/adventure (Run for the Sun, Flight from Ashiya), comedy (Tunnel of Love), film noir (The Trap). Prize of Gold), and drama (Judgement at Nuremberg). He continued to act throughout the Seventies and Eighties, his last film being True Colours released in 1991.

Widmark only appeared a few times on television. His 1968 detective drama Madigan was one of the rotating elements of the NBC Mystery Movie during its 1972-1973 season. He also appeared in the television movies The Last Day, Mr. Horn, and A Whale for the Killing, among others.

Quite simply, Richard Widmark was one of the greatest movie actors of all time. Throughout a career that nearly spanned five decades, he resisted being typecast. The reason for this was that Widmark could play a wide range of roles and be utterly convincing in all of them. He wholly believable as the psychopathic Tommy Udo in Kiss of Death, yet he was also believable as the heroic pilot Will Slattery in Slattery's Hurricane. He could play everything from the vilest mobsters to the noblest doctors. Widmark was also a private man who was very sensitive to the feeling of others. Playing the racist Ray Biddle in No Way Out, he apologised after every scene to Sidney Potier, even though Potier knew Widmark was simply playing a role in a movie! Widmark never appeared on talk shows, regarding himself as an ordinary guy rather than a celebrity. Indeed, Widmark was married to the same woman, writer Jean Hazelwood, for almost fifty five years until her death in 1997. In the end it can truly be said that Widmark was not only a great actor, but a stand up guy.

Neil Aspinall, The Beatles' Road Manager, Passes On

Another chapter in The Beatles saga has come to an end. Neil Aspinall, who served The Beatles first as their road manager and later managing Apple Corps for them, passed on Sunday night at the age of 66. The cause was lung cancer.

Neil Aspinall was born in Prestatyn, North Wales on October 13, 1941. His mother had evacuated Liverpool because of German air raids on the city (his father was in the Royal Navy at the time). His mother and he returned to Liverpool when Aspinall was a baby and the threat of the blitz had subsided. He attended West Derby School and the Liverpool Institute for Boys, where one of his classmates was Paul McCartney. He later met George Harrison at the Institute as well.

Aspinall had been working as an accountant trainee at a firm in Liverpool when Pete Best (then the drummer for The Beatles) asked him to serve as the band's part time road manager. In the early days his service as road manager for the band consisted of charging each member five shillings to transport them and their equipment in an old Commer van. By the time The Beatles had returned from Hamburg the group was making enough money that Aspinall could afford to quit his job as an accountant and become their road manager full time. There was only one time that afterwards that Aspinall would nearly leave The Beatles. Close friends with Pete Best, he was very angry when Best was fired as the band's drummer. Fortunately, Best assured Aspinall that he must remain with the band, while Lennon and McCartney were able to smooth things over with him.

Eventually Aspinall's duties would go far beyond that of a road manager, as at times he acted as a personal assistant to The Beatles. Along with Mal Evans, Aspinall wold check the band's gear for concerts, arrange meals and accommodations, and even decided which groupies were worthy to meet The Beatles. When George Harrison was sick with the flu, it was Neil Aspinall who stood in for him in rehearsals for the band's historic appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. It was Neil Aspinall who sought out the many photographs of celebrities The Beatles wanted for the cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. He even participated, albeit rarely, in Beatles recordings. He sang in the chorus on the song "Yellow Submarine." He played harmonica on "Being for The Benefit of Mr Kite" and tamboura on "Within You Without You." The character of Norm the road manager in the movie A Hard Day's Night was based loosely on Neil Aspinall.

Following death of Brian Epstein, the group's manager, it was Neil Aspinall who took over management of Apple Corps. So valued to The Beatles was Aspinall that when music entrepreneur Allan Klein was brought in to straighten out their finances, John Lennon told him "Don’t touch Neil and Mal, they’re ours (Mal being Mal Evans). Aspinall would see The Beatles' empire through the break up of the band, numerous lawsuits, and several important projects. Among those projects were the two disc set of The Beatles performances on BBC Radio (Live at the BBC), Yellow Submarine Songtrack (an album including every song in the movie), the Cirque du Soleil show Love, and his crowning achievement, The Beatles Anthology. The The Beatles Anthology ultimately became a six hour miniseries (the home video version being nearly 13 hours) and accompanying recording.

Neil Aspinall not only produced The Beatles Anthology, but also Let It Be and Hendrix: Band of Gypsys.

Loyal to The Beatles to the end, Aspinall joked that he ever did write his memoirs, they would only be published after he died. It appears, however, that Neil Aspinall took whatever secrets he had about The Beatles to the grave, as he seems to have written no memoirs.

Neil Aspinall was perhaps the individual closest to The Beatles, closer than even Brian Epstein or George Martin. His association with them lasted decades, from the beginning until last year when he finally stepped down from Apple Corps. So valued was Aspinall to The Beatles that in 1988, when The Beatles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, George Harrison stated that Neil Aspinall should be considered the fifth Beatle. As a man who oversaw The Beatles' empire and who was their trusted friend for decades, it is very sad that he had to die all too soon.

Warner Brothers Cartoon Quiz

As regular readers of this blog probably already know, Beth of the lovely voice laid down a challenge for me at the first of the year. The challenge was simply this: I must create and post one pop culture quiz a month in A Shroud of Thoughts. The quizzes can have a single theme or simply be a collection of random things. At the end of 2008, the reader who has accumulated the most points throughout the year will win a pop culture related prize. For those of you curious about the prize, I decided that it will be a pop culture related key chain of the winner's choice, to cost no more than $5.00 (minus sales tax). The price limit is for the simple fact that I can't afford platinum plated key chains... I'll provide the answers around the end of the month.

Yesterday was the day Christians observe Easter, which brings to mind bunnies, which brings to mind Bugs Bunny, which brings to mind Warner Brothers cartoons. The theme of this month's quiz in then Warner Brothers cartoons....

1. In what year was the first Looney Tunes cartoon released?

2. What is the title of the theme song to the Warner Brothers cartoons (bonus points for the year it became such)?

3. In what year did Porky Pig make his first appearance?

4. What legendary animator created the original Daffy Duck?

5. What is considered the first official Bugs Bunny cartoon?

6. In what cartoon did Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny parody Wagner?

7. In what cartoon did Marvin the Martian first appear?

8. What is Chuck Jones's full name?

9. In what year did Warner Brothers first shut down their animation unit?

10. What famous sports figure co-starred with the Warner Brothers cartoon characters in the movie Space Jam?

Two Actors Pass On

Two actors died recently, both of whom made important contributions in their respective media. One was a veteran television actor who blazed new trails in the medium. The other was a veteran of the stage who was also well known for his few appearances on film.

Ivan Dixon, best known as Sgt. James Kinchloe on Hogan's Heroes, died last Sunday at the age of 76. The cause was a brain haemorrhage resulting from kidney disease.

Ivan Dixon was born in Harlem on April 6, 1931. He was introduced to acting at Lincoln Academy, a boarding school for African Americans in Gaston County, North Carolina. In 1954 he earned a degree in drama from North Carolina Central University. He went onto study at Cleveland's Case Western Reserve University and Karamu House, and at New York City's American Theatre Wing. By the late Fifties he had a career on stage, appearing in The Cave Dwellers in 1957 and A Raisin in the Sun in 1959. He made his first appearance in television on an episode of Armstrong Circle Theatre. He made his first appearance on film in the movie Something of Value the same year. In 1958 he was Sidney Potier's stunt double in The Defiant Ones.

Dixon would go onto appear in such films as Porgy and Bess, A Raisin in the Sun (in which he re-created the role he originated in stage), Nothing But a Man, A Patch of Blue, and Car Wash. Despite this, his biggest impact would be on television. From the late Fifties into the Sixties, Dixon guested on such shows as Have Gun--Will Travel, The New Breed, Perry Mason, The Twilight Zone, and The Man From U.N.C.L.E.. In 1965 Dixon began Sgt. James 'Kinch' Kinchloe on Hogan's Heroes. While Dixon said he did not enjoy the role, it was in many respects ground breaking. Kinoche was perhaps the first continuing African American character on an American sitcom who was not a stereotype, but who was portrayed as a competent, intelligent individual.

Following Hogan's Heroes, Dixon would make a few more guest appearances on TV shows ranging from The F.B.I. to The Father Dowling Mysteries, although eventually he would shift is attention to directing. He started directing with an episode of The Bill Cosby Show in 1970. Thereafter he would direct many hours of television, including episodes of Nichols, The Waltons, The Rockford Files, and Magnum P.I. He also directed a few feature films, beginning with Trouble Man in 1972. Perhaps his most notable film was The Spook Who Sat by the Door. The controversial film centred on an African American CIA agent who becomes a revolutionary.

Ivan Dixon was a very talented actor who broke new ground for African Americans both on film and in television. His performances in Nothing But a Man and A Raisin in the Sun were nothing short of extraordinary. As Kinch on Hogan's Heroes he opened new doors for African American characters on sitcoms. Although he may not be the best known African American actor, Dixon was certainly one of the most pivotal.

Paul Scofield, the British actor most famous for his performance as Sir Thomas More in both the play and the movie A Man for All Seasons, died Wednesday at the ageo of 86 from leukaemia.

Scofield was born January 21, 1922 in Hurstpierpoint, Sussex. He took up acting early, performing in plays at Varndean School for Boys in Brighton. He also attended a school attached to the Croydon Repertory Theatre and the Mask School in London. Having deformed toes, Scofield was exempt from military service during World War II. He made his debut on stage in the play Desire Under the Elms at the Westminster Theatre in 1940. His big break came in 1944, when he joined the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. With the Birmingham Repertory Theatre he performed in everything from The Seagull to She Stoops to Conquer. In 1945 director Peter Brook arrived at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Brook and Scofield would collaborate on many productions in the next many years. Scofield became one of the most respected Shakespearean actors around, playing Hamlet in 1956 and later in 1962 playing in King Lear.

It would be A Man for All Seasons that would bring Scofield lasting fame. Debuting in London in 1960, the play would debut on Broadway in 1961 (Scofield's only appearance on the Great White Way). Over the years Scofield would have several other notable performances on stage: Government Inspector in 1966, A Hotel in Amsterdam in 1968, Othello in 1980, and playing Salieri in Amadeus in 1979.

Scofield attracted the attention of Hollywood early, being offered a contract in 1946 (he turned it down in favour of the stage). He would not appear on the big screen until That Lady in 1955, playing King Philip of Spain to Ana de Mendoza, the Princess of Eboli. The film was not particularly good, but Scofield's performance was excellent. Over the next few decades Scofield's appearances on film would be infrequent at best. He played Col. von Waldheim in The Train before finally bringing his role of Sir Thomas More to the silver screen with the film version of A Man of All Seasons in 1966. Scofield won the Oscar for Best Leading Actor for the part. Despite this, Scofield would not become a movie actor, with literally years between his appearances on film. He recreated his role as Lear for the 1971 film King Lear and appeared in the movie Scorpio in 1973. He would also appear in the films Henry V, the 1990 version of Hamlet, and Quiz Show (as Charles Van Doren's father, for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor). He did very little television, but his last role in either film or TV would be the voice of Boxer in the TV adaptation of Animal Farm in 1999.

Paul Scofield was undoubtedly one of the greatest actors of our time. He was extremely versatile. He could just as easily play Sir Thomas More as he could a drunk in The Power and the Glory. And his roles were often difficult, ranging from the brooding Uncle Vanya in the play of the same name to the whimisical Don Quixote to the bitter Antonio Salieri in Amadeus. He was an incredible talent with an equally incredible career. He truly was one of the greats of the stage.

Arthur C. Clarke R.I.P.

Well known science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke died yesterday at the age of 90. He is perhaps best known to the general public as the writer behind the movie 2001: a Space Odyssey.

Clarke was born December 16, 1917 in Minehead, Somerset. Even as a child Clarke was interested in science. He enjoyed looking at the stars and among his favourite toys was a a Meccano set (the British equivalent of the Erector set). He started reading American science fiction pulp magazines, such as Astounding, as a teen. He also joined the British Interplanetary Society, a small group of enthusiasts who thought that space travel would one day become reality. He attended Huish's Grammar School, Taunton. Unable to afford a university education, he took a job as an auditor in the pensions section of the Board of Education. During World War II Clarke served in the Royal Air Force as a radar specialist. By the end of the war he held the rank of Flight Lieutenant.

Following the war, in 1945, Arthur C. Clarke wrote one of his most important works, an article on the use of geostationary satellites in the field of communications. While Clarke did not originate the idea of artificial satellites, he may well have been the first to propose their use as relay stations for communications on Earth. The article was published in the British journal Wireless World. The following year he made his first professional sale of a work of fiction, the short story "Loophole" to Astounding Science Fiction. At the time Clarke also attended King’s College, London. He graduated in 1948 with a degree in mathematics and physics.

Over the next six decades Clarke would be one of the most prolific and successful science fiction writers of all time. His short stories would become some of the best known in the genre. "The Sentinel," which would provide the basis for the film 2001: a Space Odyssey, dealt with an artefact left on the moon millenia ago by aliens. "The Star" dealt with a Jesuit priest's crisis of faith when he learns the star of Bethlehem was a supernova which destroyed an advanced civilisation. "The Nine Billion Names of God" dealt with the efforts of a Buddhist monastery to find the true name of god.

While Clarke wrote many short stories, he was perhaps best known as a novelist. His first novel, Prelude to Space, was published in 1951. It was in 1953 that the novel which would put Clarke on the map was published. Childhood's End, which dealt with mankind's encounter with seemingly benevolent aliens. His following novels would meet with similar success, including Earthlight, The City and the Stars, and A Fall of Moondust. Among his most successful novels was Rendezvous with Rama, in which a thirty mile alien spaceship enters our solar system. Clarke would write three sequels to the novel.

Clarke also wrote a good deal of nonfiction dealing with science. Among his most popular nonfiction works were The Exploration of Space published in 1951, The Challenge of the Sea, and How the World Was One: Beyond the Global Village. Clarke also worked in television. He wrote episodes of both Captain Video and His Video Rangers and Tales of Tomorrow. His short story "The Star" would serve as the basis for an episode of The New Twlight Zone in 1985.

Of course, Clarke's most famous work on film would be 2001: a Space Odyssey. Clarke met Stanley Kubrick in 1964 and the two decided to make a movie based on Clarke's short story "The Sentinel." Clarke wrote the novel. Kubrick directed the movie. Both wrote the screenplay. 2001: a Space Odyssey would prove pivotal in getting greater acceptance for the genre of science fiction.

Arguably, Arthur C. Clarke may be the most famous science fiction writer of all time. And there is perhaps very good reason for this. While Clrke's characters were often underdeveloped, he made up for it with the depth of his works. Unlike many science fiction writers, Clarke was not content to examine scientific principles and technology, but their impact on humanity as well. And while the prose of many science fiction writers could be described as dry at best, Clarke often wrote prose that was almost poetry. While he may not have created fully realised characters, he more than made up for this with his examination of the effects of science on mankind and the beauty of his written words.

Director Anthony Minghella Passes On

Anthony Minghella, who directed such films as Cold Mountain and The Talented Mr. Ripley died from a haemorrhage yesterday at the age of 54. His latest film, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, is set to premiere in just five days.

Anthony Minghella was born January 6, 1954 in Ryde, Isle of Wight. He attended the University of Hull, stopping short of receiving a doctorate. He started out as a playwright, with his first piece that was produced being an adaptation of Gabriel Josipovici's Mobius the Stripper in 1975. It was his 1985 play Whale Music that was his first big break. He began directing plays with two pieces by Samuel Beckett, Play and Happy Days.

In the Eighties Minghella started working in television. He wrote episodes of the series Maybury, Boon, The Storyteller, Inspector Morse, and Grange Hill (on which he was also the story editor). In 1990 he directed his first feature film, Truly, Madly, Deeply. From the Nineties into the Naughts, Minghella directed such films as The English Patient, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Play, and Cold Mountain.

While I must confess that I never did care for The English Patient (in fact, I think it is Minghella's worst film), I have enjoyed Minghella's other films. While The Talented Mr. Ripley does depart from Patricia Highsmith's classic novel, it is still an entertaining thriller. I lso enjoyed Cold Mountain a good deal, finding it one of the better romances released in the past several years. I will not say that I think Anthony Minghella was a great director, but he was a good one. It is sad that he had to die so soon.