Dr. Gore's Funhouse.com » Announcements

NEWS – Playboy Saves the Hollywood Sign

Christian Sellers — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:37:51 +0000

It is amusing that in one of the richest and thriving cities in the world the Hollywood Sign still faced demolition. The iconic symbol, which represents the endless possibilities for the millions of young actors who make their way to Los Angeles each year, looked set to be destroyed by the land owners who intended on building a luxury estate in the area.

The Trust for Public Land, who fought against the demolition, had tried to raise the required funds but had fallen half a million short. Although there are many actors who earn far more than that per movie no one seemed to come to the rescue, prompting fears that the famous landmark could de doomed.

Yet salvation has come from the most unlikely of sources as Playboy founder Hugh Hefner has paid the final donation. The sign was first erected in 1923 as Hollywoodland and has since become one of the most recognised symbols in the world. Over the years it has suffered numerous damages and has been restored several times but has been used time and time again in countless movies.

Hefner’s donation means that The Trust for Public Land will be able preserve the 138-acre land.

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NEWS – The Town That Dreaded Sundown Director Passed Away Earlier This Month

Christian Sellers — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 00:21:18 +0000

I don’t know how we didn’t catch wind of this one but I have just discovered that Charles B. Pierce, perhaps most famous to horror fans for his 1976 proto-slasher classic The Town That Dreaded Sundown, passed away earlier this month. Having originally begun in the film industry as a set decorator on a string of B-movies, he made his directorial debut in 1972 with the cult documentary-style flick The Legend of Boggy Creek.

Although his later career would fail to live up to its earlier promise, Pierce will be forever remembered for The Town That Dreaded Sundown, which was based on a spree of murders in Texas during the 1940s and told of a killer known only as The Phantom terrorizing a small community. It would be released a year before John Carpenter’s seminal classic Halloween and three years before the slasher boom. Much has been made of its influence on Steve Miner’s 1981 horror Friday the 13th Part 2, in which its antagonist, Jason Voorhees, would resemble the killer from Pierce’s movie.

His last project as director was 1998’s Chasing the Wind. Pierce died on March 5 in Dover, Tennessee, apparently due to natural causes. He was seventy-one years old.

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NEWS – Dr. Gore’s Funhouse Launches Cult Trailer Website and Forum

Christian Sellers — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 02:28:05 +0000

It’s been all go at Dr. Gore’s Funhouse and thankfully the hard work is beginning to show. First of all, our sister site is now online. Those who remember the days old when VHS rentals came with a succession of trailers, from graphic horror movies to macho action flicks, will be interested to know that CultTrailers.com is running.

Whilst we are staying true to our horror roots, this new site features classics and long forgotten movies all genres, from slashers (Nightmare in a Damaged Brain) and action (Commando) to science fiction (Dark Star) and comedy (Police Academy). Each trailer comes with some information on both the movie itself and the featured clip and readers can not only comment on each video but also vote.

Our other exciting piece of news is that Dr. Gore’s Forum is also awaiting your visit. Talk about horror, cinema, music and everything in between and bring your friends. All that we ask is that you avoid abuse, spam and politics. Otherwise, speak your mind.

Hope to see you on both sites!

- CultTrailers.com
- Dr. Gore’s Forum

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R.I.P. Dan O’Bannon

Christian Sellers — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:05:19 +0000

As some may know, I have been developing a book on the Return of the Living Dead franchise with my artist friend Gary Smart, so it makes it even more tragic to learn that the great Dan O’Bannon has passed away.

Having not only directed the original movie back in 1984, O’Bannon had also worked as a writer on John Carpenter’s debut Dark Star, Ridley Scott’s science fiction classic Alien, the underrated horror flick Dead & Buried and, to a lesser extent, the Philip K. Dick adaptation Total Recall.

His last credit screenplay was Bleeders in 1997 and his only other feature as director was the 1992 H.P. Lovecraft adaptation The Resurrected. His other credits included Star Wars (in which he worked on some of the effects), Heavy Metal, Blue Thunder and Lifeforce.

O’Bannon’s contribution to the horror genre, both as the creator of the Alien franchise and re-inventing the zombie with The Return of the Living Dead, means that the legacy that he has left behind will thrill and scare horror fans for decades to come.

He passed away yesterday at the age of sixty-three

Purchase Dan O’Bannon products here:

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