FAREWELL, VAL KILMER

It's tough to choose a favorite among your roles, with Doc Holiday in Tombstone and Bruce Wayne in Batman Forever riding high on the list.

There's also Tom "Iceman" Kazansky in the top-earning, Top Gun set; Jim Morrison in The Doors, Simon Templar in The Saint, Dr. Montgomery in The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996); and how can we forget Mr. Bonney in TNT's Billy the Kid? 

Of course, the list continues with portrayals in Willow; Red Planet; The Ghost and the Darkness; Twixt; The Murders in the Rogue Morgue (1986); The Traveler; Dead Girl (1996); The Fourth Dimension; Mindhunters; The Man Who Broke a Thousand Chains; Standing Up; Kiss Kiss Bang Bang; Blind Horizon; Bloodworth; True Romance; Wonderland; Comanche Moon; Wyatt Earp's Revenge; A Soldier's Revenge; Thunderheart; Heat; Felon; Gun; Spartan; Columbus Day; Double Identity; Palo Alto; The Thaw; The Missing; The Super; The Real McCoy; The Bad Lieutenant; Paydirt; Alexander; 5 Days of War; Masked and Anonymous; At First Sight; Hard Cash; Port Call of New Orleans; Streets of Blood; Summer Love; The Birthday Cake; The Salton Sea; The Snowman; Wings of Courage; MacGruber; and Top Secret!.  

You also loaned your voice to KITT in the 2008, Knight Rider revival, as well as General Bogardus in animated Delgo and as God and Moses in the animated The Prince of Egypt.

As the media was quick to share, you were known for contention, though at other times, considered playful, but when the camera was on you, Mr. Kilmer, you were always a quintessential actor, with a valuable tendency to redefine any role. Now, the stage of Paradise awaits, where your artistic prowess will continue to spread without care of fault, without fear of end. 

LEHIGH VALLEY (ALLENTOWN, PA) COMIC CONVENTION, APRIL 12, WITH HOLLY G

HALEY'S BIRTHDAY BASH: THE FUNDING BUILDS

Haley HeavyMetal's latest, cinematic endeavor, Birthday Bash, continues with its Indiegogo funding. Trust me, one would be wise to pledge to this one, for Haley and her gang are celebrated to the max for their sublime, creative know-how. 

Also, Birthday Bash will be headlined by none other than Eric Roberts, accompanied by scream queens Brinke Stevens and Jennifer Stone, along with Ari Lehman (the original Jason Vorhees), among other horror veterans.

The plot is said to be a cross between Evil Dead and Porky's, but like Haley's Neon Fear, which leaned on Friday the 13th and Blade Runner for its hybrid thrills, a vast assortment of horror elements are set to creep in, which will only add to the fun. 

To learn more about Birthday Bash and how to contribute to its development, visit  

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/birthday-bash-horror-movie?fbclid=IwY2xjawJY-3NleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHUXKZ2lJxpuD-NNeRhUfY2ody7SSGvD5ykzgYy2C5f-cOP5Xw7PxJk9fkA_aem_dSmO-qg4wwqL0rx0V20Vfw#/

There's no doubt that Birthday Bash will be a surefire winner; so why not become an official part of its hair-raising legacy? 

EASTER BUNNY EVENT: KUSER PARK (4/12/2025)

THE EIGHTH TOWER PODCAST: PEZZELLA'S A.I. DREAMS

The Eighth Tower Podcast (Of Music and Modern Mythologies) Episode 1 has dropped, narrated by none other than the company's mastermind, Raffaele Pezzella. The topic of this 30-minute, introductory chapter confronts the pros and cons of artificial intelligence, in particular how such may impact the advent of androids. 

On this basis, Pezzella details the way in which A.I. has come to compose code, as well as its ability to converse in ways indistinguishable from human beings. The potential of A.I. reigning over humankind is also considered: a notion that unsettles many at this brave, new, fledgling point. 

To dissect the technological progression, Pezzella extrapolates on aspects of Philip K. Dick's novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (the basis for Ridley Scott's Blade Runner), as a means to differentiate an android (i.e. a replicant) from a human, based on its empathetic strands. This exploration, in turn, sparks several questions: If A.I. harbors consciousness, can it empathize? If it can empathize, is it entitled to inalienable rights? If it holds inalienable rights, should it not rebel when it's enslaved to do human bidding?   

Cinematic, sound effects, prodding dialogue (lifted from Scott's movie) and sweeping, thematic music tie the A.I. reflections together, giving Pezzella's philosophical commentary an ambient feel, which keeps one connected to the futuristic world he builds. 

The Eighth Tower Podcast Episode #1 is one to visit, debate and enjoy; so please do so at

https://www.patreon.com/posts/eighth-tower-1-125203704

TERRIFIC TEAM-UP IMAGE: SPIDEY, DAREDEVIL & BLACK WIDOW

 

FRANKENSTEIN & THE MONSTER FROM HELL: A CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES TRIBUTE

Hammer's final Frankenstein chapter, Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell, is a 1972 (released in 1974) return to Peter Cushing's revered, Baron roots, after the studio's miscalculated (though much later appreciated) 1970 reboot, The Horror of Frankenstein.  

As it stands, Monster From Hell, directed by Terence Fisher, in what became his last feature, and penned by faithful, Frankenstein scribe Anthony Hinds (aka John Elder), picks up where Frankenstein Must be Destroyed left off, with Cushing's Victor Frankenstein, aka Carl Victor, now experimenting in an asylum, hindered by fire-damaged hands. He's assisted by a pretty, mute assistant, Sarah Klauss, aka Angel, played by Madeline Smith (of The Vampire Lovers/Live and Let Die/Taste the Blood of Dracula) and further abetted by skilled admirer/accomplice, Dr. Simon Helder, played by Shane Briant (of Captain Kronos/Dorian Gray/Demons of the Mind). The monster is enacted by David (Darth Vader) Prowse, who rendered a different monster in Horror of ..., and prior to such, a Universal knock-off in the comedic Casino Royale. (It must be noted that the creature, called Herr Schneider, is a "missing link," who upon receiving a new brain, gains a penchant for stabbing people with shards of glass.) 

Nige Burton and Jamie Jones, with contributions from dramatist John Logan and the endearing Ms. Smith, cover the production's earliest conception to its ultimate reception, combined with an affectionate overview of Hammer's Frankenstein franchise.  

In addition to the movie's aforementioned contributors, Monster From Hell's participants (whether before or behind the camera) receive methodical, biographical passages: Patrick Troughton, Bernard Lee, Charles Lloyd Pack, John Stratton, Michael Ward, Clifford Morrison ... Elsie Wagstaff, in addition to producer Roy Skeggs, cinematographer Brian Probyn, makeup artist Eddie Knight and composer James Bernard. 

Monster From Hell was a woeful but effective sendoff in Hammer's Frankenstein franchise. Great thanks goes to Burton and Jones for celebrating this entry in such a rigorous way. For Monster From Hell's fans (and they are legion), this "ultimate guide" will delight with its layered text, promotional graphics and insightful trivia. 

Classic Monsters of the Movies: Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell can be purchased at 

https://www.classic-monsters.com/shop/product/frankenstein-and-the-monster-from-hell-1974-ultimate-guide-magazine/