SAINTS & SINNERS * ICONS & IDOLS

Had a great time checking out Phillipa Berry's latest exhibition of shrines at the One Star Gallery in Melbourne today. As usual, some beautiful and amazing creative works devoted to a variety of (often neglected) filmmakers, movie stars, musicians, Mexican wrestlers and other cult celebrities.

Some personal faves were the Lee Van Cleef shrine (which is interactive and comes with a toy rifle to shoot the targets down, like an old carnival game!), the brilliant Albert Dekker shrine (paying homage to his notorious kinks), the Ron Haydock/Rat Pfink (which I would have dived on if someone hadn't beat me to it), and the Barbara Peyton shrine (which opens up like a classic old toy puzzle!).

Could have walked out of there with at least half a dozen to my name...in the end, I snagged the Bert I. Gordon shrine (Mr. BIG himself), which seemed appropriate as I had recently recorded an audio commentary track (along with Lee Gambin) for Kino Lorber's upcoming Blu-ray release of Gordon's FOOD OF THE GODS (1976).

Exhibition is only running until this Sunday, so get your skates on if you want to check it out...highly recommended!!

SAINTS & SINNERS * ICONS & IDOLS
IDEAL FOR IDLE WORSHIP
Created by Phillipa Berry
TURNING TASTELESS TRIBUTES INTO SINCERE CASH-INS
SINCE 1991
OPENING Thurs JUNE 27th. 6pm – 8pm
Exhibition continues until Sunday 30th June
Fri 3-7 pm, Sat 1-7 pm, Sun 1-5 pm.
ONE STAR GALLERY, 301-303 Victoria Street,
West Melbourne, VIC 3003.
shrine enquiries: initialspb@hotmail.com

SQUIRM/FOOD OF THE GODS Audio Commentaries Coming

Like Elvis, Lee Gambin may have left the building, but his work lives on. Kino Cult have just announced their upcoming Blu-ray releases of Jeff Lieberman's SQUIRM (1976) and Bert I. Gordon's FOOD OF THE GODS (1976), for which Lee and I recorded an audio commentary track just a week before he passed, and had a total blast doing them. Due in August.

SQUIRM (1976) KINO CULT #13

• NEW Audio Commentary by Film Critics/Authors Lee Gambin and John Harrison

• Audio Commentary by Writer/Director Jeff Lieberman

• Digging In - The Making of Squirm: Documentary with Jeff Lieberman, Actor Don Scardino and Special Effects Artist Bill Milling (33:11)

• Eureka: A Tour of Locations with Jeff Lieberman

• TV and Radio Spots

• Theatrical Trailer

• Limited Edition Reversible Art and O-Card Slipcase

• Dual-Layered BD50 Disc

• Optional English Subtitles

THE FOOD OF THE GODS (1976) KINO CULT #10

• NEW Audio Commentary by Film Critics/Authors Lee Gambin and John Harrison, Author of WILDCAT!: The Films of Marjoe Gortner

• Audio Commentary by Writer/Producer/Director Bert I. Gordon

• Interview with Actress Belinda Balaski

• 3 Radio Spots and 2 TV Spots

• Theatrical Trailer

• Limited Edition Reversible Art and O-Card Slipcase

• Dual-Layered BD50 Disc

• Optional English Subtitles

LEE GAMBIN 1979 - 2024

Plenty of tears and sadness, but also lots of laughs and an abundance of love and warmth at Lee Gambin's farewell today. I'm glad his love of horror cinema was not neglected. He will be much missed, but he will also be well remembered, and will long remain a source of inspiration to so many.

UNSUNG HORRORS HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE!

Received my contributor's copy of the latest WE BELONG DEAD book project, UNSUNG HORRORS HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE. Another mammoth and beautifully produced volume, for which I contributed essays on Jeff Lieberman's BLUE SUNSHINE (1977), William Grefe's DEATH CURSE OF TARTU (1966), Brian De Palma's SISTERS (1972), and Rod Hardy's THIRST (1979). Fabulous work once again by editors Darrell Buxton and Eric McNaughton, cover artist Paul Garner, and everyone else. Available in both soft and hardcover editions. Order UNSUNG HORRORS HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE Here!

CINEMA OF THE 70s No. 10

A little peek at my eight-page article in the latest issue (#10) of CINEMA OF THE ‘70s magazine, in which I take a look at rock and roll movies from that decade…from WOODSTOCK to GIMME SHELTER to KISS MEETS THE PHANTOM OF THE PARK and SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND! 100 full color pages, available from Amazon in most regions. Always a great read that covers a wide range of cinema from that milestone period of filmmaking. Great work as usual by Dawn Dabell and Jonathon Dabell and the other contributors.

RANSOM BLU-RAY!

New work announcement! I was thrilled to contribute an essay on the great English actor Ian McShane for the collector's edition Blu-ray release of the 1974 hi-jack thriller RANSOM (aka THE TERRORISTS), starring Sean Connery. Coming in April from Umbrella.

TANK GIRL BLU-RAY COMING!

New work announcement! Thrilled to be contributing an essay on post-apocalypse genre cinema for the 48-page booklet that will accompany the special collector's edition of Umbrella's Blu-ray release of the cult classic, TANK GIRL (1995). My essay will cover films produced in the 50 years between the first atomic bomb detonation of 1945 and TANK GIRL's release. Amongst the films I'll be discussing will be FIVE (1950), ON THE BEACH (1959), PANIC IN THE YEAR ZERO (1962), PLANET OF THE APES (1968), THE OMEGA MAN (1971), ZARDOZ (1974), A BOY AND HIS DOG (1975), THE ROAD WARRIOR (1981), CAFE FLESH (1982) THE DAY AFTER (1983), THREADS (1984), CHERRY 2000 (1987) and many more, not to mention all the great Italian exploitation films which followed in the wake of THE ROAD WARRIOR and ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981). Coming in April from Umbrella.

WES CRAVEN BLU-RAY SET COMING!

New work announcement! I provided the essay text to the 44-page booklet that accompanies this upcoming Wes Craven Blu-ray set from Via Vision Entertainment, which collects three of the horror master's mid-period films: DEADLY BLESSING (1981), THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW (1988), and THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS (1991). Coming 13 March in a 3D lenticular hardcase box with bonus art cards!

HAMMER HORROR TRIPLE SHOCK: VOL. 2

The second of Umbrella Entertainment's Triple Shock Hammer Horror box sets is now out, and includes my 16-page illustrated booklet (which is included in the standard retail version as well as the website exclusive collector's edition). Films included in this set are SHADOW OF THE CAT (1961), PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1962), and NIGHT CREATURES (1962, aka CAPTAIN CLEGG).