Featuring The Premiere of 'BLOODSUCKING CINEMA' exclusively on STARZ - October 26, 2007 at 8pm et/pt
Tune in to Starz this October for the fourth annual “Fear Fest,” a creepy collection of spine-tingling movies kicking off with the world television premiere of the Starz Inside original special 'Bloodsucking Cinema.'
'Bloodsucking Cinema' premieres on Starz Friday, October 26 at 8 p.m. (ET/PT) and is followed by a 24-hour marathon of spooky films including Underworld: Evolution, Dawn of the Dead, Silent Hill and more. Come back Halloween night for a triple-feature headlined by 'Bloodsucking Cinema.'
'Bloodsucking Cinema' explores vampire films and their enduring hypnotic hold on audiences worldwide. Films featured in the special include Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula, Interview with the Vampire, The Lost Boys, Blade, Van Helsing and Underworld. Bloodsucking Cinema features interviews with directors John Carpenter (Vampires), Len Wiseman (Underworld, Underworld: Evolution), John Landis (Innocent Blood) and Joel Schumacher (The Lost Boys), actors Kristanna Loken (BloodRayne), Stuart Townsend (Queen of the Damned), and critics Leonard Maltin and Harry Knowles (Ain’t It Cool News).
Starz Inside is a new monthly series of original specials from Starz hosted by film critic Richard Roeper.
Vampires have always been a fascinating sub genre of horror. Everyone seems to be fascinated with this creature of the night, so much so in some cases people actually think they are vampires. So why is there such a massive interest in vampires? Especially when vampire films in general are usually not very good. Is it immortality? Is it the overwhelming sexual nature of the beast? Or is it possible that we love these unseen wanderers of the night because they look just like you and I? Starz has decided to round up some of the most talented directors along with some not so great to discuss the fascination with the bloodsuckers.
The show has a nice documentary feel showing interviews with John Carpenter, John Landis, Len Wiseman, Greg Nicotero, Cheech Marin, Harry Knowles and even Uwe Boll ... and Corey Haim! During these discussions everything is inter cut with little clips from whatever film is being talked about. Richard Roeper is listed as the host but I was glad that the only time we ever see him is during the opening when he introduces the episode. Not that he couldn't have given some good insight on the films but that I doubt he would be able to give us any information that the actual filmmakers or actors couldn't.
I was pleased that they covered everything from the Spanish Dracula to Uwe Boll's maligned Bloodrayne. Whether or not the films were good or not they seemed to mention them which in my opinion was fantastic. Just because the films were not a huge commercial success doesn't mean that the interest to make the vampire its main focus any less meaningful. My only gripe about this particular episode was that they left out possibly one of the best modern day vampire films Near Dark. Everybody else was well represented including the Hammer films, From Dusk Til Dawn, Interview With the Vampire, The Lost Boys, Blade and on and on.
Every film that is mentioned in Bloodsucking Cinema is talked about in length. Even Bloodrayne gets a short discussion. I was pleased that rather than talking about whether the film was good or not they all seemed to talk about certain scenes and what was presented. I do have to note that it was funny that when Bloodrayne or Van Helsing the only people to talk about the films seemed to be the filmmakers and actors involved with the project.
Overall this will prove to be very interesting and informative to all horror fans. If you are at all interested in this sub genre this is a cool little show to watch.
Enter to win a Starz 'Bloodsucking Cinema' prize pack, which includes the DVD 'The Illusionist,' some Dawn of the Dead Playing Cards, some Death Mints, a Vampire T-Shirt, a Scary Voice Changer, and a Starz Rubik's Cube.
To give yourself the chance to win a Starz 'Bloodsucking Cinema' prize pack, just answer this easy question: What classic horror movie was originally titled The Babysitter Murders?!
Send us your answers and if you're correct you'll be in the running to win one of these Starz 'Bloodsucking Cinema' prize packs! Just send us an e:mail here before November 1st with your answer and the subject title CONTEST: FEAR FEST PRIZE PACK to: exclusivemagazine@flash.net
“Fear Fest” Schedule (all times are ET/PT): Friday, October 26th
• 8 p.m. – Bloodsucking Cinema
• 9 p.m. – Underworld: Evolution
• 10:50 p.m. – Dawn of the Dead
Saturday, October 27th
• 12:35 a.m. – From Dusk Till Dawn
• 2:30 a.m. – Blade
• 4:35 a.m. – Bloodsucking Cinema
• 5:40 a.m. – Scream
• 7:35 a.m. – Silent Hill
• 9:45 a.m. - Stay Alive
• 11:15 a.m. - Blade
• 1:20 p.m. - Bloodsucking Cinema
• 2:30 p.m. - Pulse
• 4 p.m. - When a Stranger Calls
• 5:30 p.m. - The Covenant
• 7:10 p.m. - Grudge 2
Watch 'Bloodsucking Cinema' October 26th!
