March 30, 2007 (Thomas K. Arnold / Chicago Sun-Times) - Elite Entertainment, a 13-year-old independent supplier known for restoring and distributing horror, science fiction and cult DVD titles, is about to unmask some of the horror genre's most despicable villains.

The company is turning the cameras inward with the upcoming release of two documentaries, "The Fearmakers Collection" and "Creature Features."

"Fearmakers," a triple-disc set featuring 10 half-hour episodes spotlighting the works of such directors as Tobe Hooper, Roger Corman and Roman Polanski, is due out May 8. The program is based on the book The Fearmakers by John McCarty.
On June 12, Elite will release "Creature," a documentary that explores the history of monsters in cinema through three installments: "The Beasts," "The Machine" and "The Dead." Each features an assortment of film clips from appropriate movies; "The Dead," about killers who come back from the dead, has clips from such classic films as "Nosferatu," "The Mummy" and "Night of the Living Dead."

"Creature" originally aired on Bravo.

Elite Entertainment president Vini Bancalari said it is a natural progression that a DVD company known for its horror movies should venture into documentaries about the genre.

"I think that due to the vast amount of special effects usually involved in horror films, fans are very curious about how they did it," he said. "There is also the history behind the genre, which fans find very interesting. Everyone has their favorite movie monsters, but to learn about their roots is quite amazing."

Bancalari said "Creature" in particular is like a class on the history of horror movies.

"You can learn so much about their history and evolution over the years," he said. "For example, everyone knows 'Frankenstein,' and we all associate that character with Boris Karloff. But to see scenes from the 1915 film 'Der Golem,' you come to realize that this creature was the original Frankenstein monster, just as 1922's 'Nosferatu' was the very first Dracula."

Bancalari said that the horror genre is enjoying one of its periodic bursts in popularity, thanks in large part to the theatrical success of such edgy slasher films as the "Saw" trilogy and "Hostel." He considers those types of films -- in which the killer is a human being -- much scarier than traditional monster movies.

"These are people who could live in the house next door to you," Bancalari said. "Think about that. When you see a horror movie that features this type of monster, you can't help thinking that this could really be happening ... somewhere."

Accordingly, Bancalari said, "as these documentaries gain in popularity, I'm certain that you will be seeing more volumes that delve into the bloody and disturbing world of the slasher film."

The Hollywood Reporter

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Posted by Vladimir Tue, 04/03/2007 - 22:06

 

Chapter 20

They were sitting in a little Italian restaurant where they had often, in the old days, lingered late into the night over a glass of Lacrimæ Christi. But no pale ghost of the past rose from the wine. Only a wriggling something, with serpent eyes, that sent cold shivers down her spine and held her speechless and entranced.

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The Fearful Vampire Killers

The fate of one "vampire killer" was determined in Arkansas recently, while three people in Guyana still await their chance to prove in court that they acted rationally...if they can.

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Il Fascino Discreto del Vampiro

"Io vivo tra piu' paesi, piu' lingue, piu' culture. Mi ritrovo sempre negli interstizi, nei luoghi di passaggio. E' l'unico modo di agire in questa vita noiosa." Traggo queste frasi da un singolare (e assai interessante) romanzo, Il diario di Dracula di Marin Mincu.

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"Bloodlust" Blamed For Stabbing Of Scientist

March 5, 2002 (The Telegraph Group Limited) - A teenager accused over the gruesome occult murder of a prominent DNA scientist told police that he is a vampire who was driven into a killing frenzy by the taste of the victim's blood, a court heard.

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Untitled

As I stand in the rain
I curse the gods and this killing pain
you took the one that loved me so
as she departs I now must go
I have a life to live
she dosen't have any life to give
we are the same
we are the immortals
we are the damned
the people that are walked upon
fear not my child
for I have the life
and now must give it to you
as you read this do not weep
my troubles are over I now can sleep
my love is here and always shall be
my love is here
my DarkLady

Lord Strahd

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