Barbara Steele in The Butterfly Room

The Butterfly Room features a mouthwatering(!) cast of scream queens past and present; Barbara Steele, Heather Langenkamp, Camille Keaton, Erica Leerhsen and one of this authors personal favourites.. PJ Soles.

Fans of the Darkest Diva can rejoice, the film promises some deliciously wicked moments!

Enjoy!

View the second trailer here via the Beyond Hollywood site.

Earlier aafs post here.

The Butterfly Room © The Butterfly Room Facebook page

The Butterfly Room was first announced to the media in early 2010 with a mouthwatering(!) cast of scream queens past and present; Steele, Langenkamp, Camille Keaton, Erica Leerhsen and one of this authors personal favourites.. PJ Soles.

Roll forward to the weekend of Fri/Sat 24th February 2012 and the movies official video teaser receives it’s first public showing, in a cinema packed with horror fans at Film4 FrightFest in Glasgow, UK.

The film itself is slated to premiere in April at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, with cast members and director  Jonathan Zarantanello in attendance.

Soon to flit into at a festival near you, The butterfly room – totally!

You can see the official Butterfly Room trailer here and visit The Butterfly Room Facebook page.

Weekend of Horrors poster

Over the weekend a host of horror celebrities including John Carpenter, Asia Argento and Lamberto Bava will discuss their films and careers, meet fans and sign autographs. Special movie panel discussions will feature too, including one in which Barbara Steele and Lamberto Bava will discuss La Maschera del demonio (‘Black Sunday’). Steele and Bava will also join special effects and makeup wizard Sergio Stivaletti for a group photo opportunity.
Stivaletti has contributed his talents to a number of the Italian horror genre’s most memorable films, including two of this authors favourites; Michele Soavi’s unforgettable Dellamorte Dellamore (‘Cemetery Man’) and Lamberto Bava’s Dèmoni (‘Demons’).
The weekend also features a Demons 25th Anniversary with Bobby Rhodes and Geretta Geretta from the film in attendance.

Weekend of Horrors 2011 takes place at the Marriott Hotel Los Angeles Airport, May 14 to 15. Barbara Steele will be appearing on the Saturday only. More information.

Imagi-movies Festival

For a chance to see Barbara on the big screen in Los Angeles this month, head on over to The Imagi-movies Festival at Laemmle’s music Hall 3, where Edward Plumb’s 2008 horror anthology, The Boneyard Collection will get a welcome screening. Steele appears in the films third segment entitled “Her Morbid Desires”. The other segments “Boogie With The Undead”, “The Devil’s Due At Midnight” and “Cry Of The Mummy” feature Forrest J. Ackerman, Brad Dourif, and Ken Foree.
The Imagi-movies Festival is the official film festival of Famous Monsters of Filmland Magazine, and takes place
over April 8th to 10th.
The Boneyard Collection is listed on the schedule for Screen 2, Friday at 12:00. More information.

Le ore dell'amore DVD - Videa CDE

The disc, which appears to be Italian language only and lacking subtitles, will hopefully improve on the OOP official VHS video release and poor quality footage available on YouTube.
The DVD will be released by Italian publishers Videa CDE on 23rd of February 2011 in Region 2/Europe, PAL format.

Le ore dell’amore can be pre-ordered on eBay from Italian DVD stores, and directly from DVD Store IT.

In 2010 two costumes from the ‘lost’ sci-fi movie The Space Watch Murders surfaced on the internet. Created by Paramount Pictures in 1975 for the ABC television network in the US, the film seems to have first aired in late 1977. The costumes, which include a pair of pale orange overalls and the tunic below are thought to have been in the possession of a noted collector for over 25 years.

The ‘murders’ of the title occur aboard a spacecraft prior to it landing on a distant planet – with a single survivor. The cast included Sam Groom, Tisha Sterling, Joan Caulfield and Barbara Steele, who is known to have sported green make-up!

Since neither the movie or any stills from it are currently thought to exist, the costumes offer a tantalizing glimpse of how The Space Watch Murders looked.

The Space Watch Murders - costume badge detail

The Space Watch Murders - Tunic worn by Warren Vanders

If you fancy some memorabilia from The Space Watch Murders, the tunic will shortly be appearing for sale on screenused.com

Rock music and iron flowers

In the mid 90s Steele appeared in Tief Oben (Deep Above), an unusual film by Austrian director Willi Hengstler.

Set in an Styrian mining town the film has a very stark, industrial quality and features an outlandish plot concerning the attempts of an immortal being to escape from an ancient box. To achieve this he enlists the help of a local rock band with unfortunate consequences for them and the town.

Seldom seen, Tief Oben has never had an official Video or DVD release. A soundtrack album was released in 1995 by production company Extrafilm however. The score features a mixture of orchestral and rock tracks by Hans Plarzgumer and Andreas Pümpel of alternative/rock band H.P.Zinker, with a single track by renowned composer Walter Werzowa.
Plarzgumer and further members of H.P.Zinker star as the band in the film.

The mysterious ‘iron-flower’ box from the movie can be seen depicted on the album cover.

You can read an interview with Willi Hengstler by Mike Haberfelner over at [re] search my trash.

Tief Oben CD artwork by Leszek Wisniewski

February brought news of Steele’s involvement in a new feature film by director Jonathan Zarantonello, entitled The Butterfly Room. Zarantonello’s film casts Steele in the role of Ann, a lonely lady who lives with her memories and her butterfly collection. Ann however has many macabre secrets, and this author for one can’t wait to find out just what they are!
The Butterfly Room features a memorable cast including “scream queens” Heather Langenkamp and Camille Keaton.
Release date to be announced.

For those with an interest in Steele’s back catalog, 2010 saw a number of screenings in cinemas around the globe. Of note, L’armata Brancaleone (For Love and Gold), Lo spettro (The Ghost), Federico Fellini’s 8 1/2 and La maschera del demonio (Black Sunday). The latter two in festival appearances; FELLINI! A Complete Retrospective, at the National Museum of Singapore, and ‘Immortal Seduction: the Vampire Movie’, at the Art Gallery New South Wales, Australia.

On the smaller screen a highlight of 2010 was Steele’s appearance on Mark Gatiss’ wonderful, and very personal, A History of Horror on BBC4. Interviewed by Gatiss, Steele spoke enthusiastically of Black Sunday, Pit and the pendulum and Shivers. Steele appears in two of the three episodes, though for this author more Barbara Steele and less 70s US horror would have been welcome!
The first of the three A History of Horror episodes: Frankenstein Goes to Hollywood. is due to screen again on Thursday, 30th December 2010 at 01:10 (UK time) on BBC Four.

A History of Horror, Barbara Steele and Mark Gatiss. ©BBC 2010

Dark Shadows - The Revival Series soundtrack

Remaining with Dark Shadows, July saw Screen Archives Entertainment release a two disc special edition of the Dark Shadows Revival Series soundtrack by Bob Cobert. Available for the first time on compact disc, the album includes new versions of several original themes and a color booklet with rare photographs. More information and sample tracks.

The Boneyard Collection, a horror anthology by Edward L. Plumb and L.J. Dopp received some publicity too. Steele filmed a sequence for this independent film back in 2007. Unfortunately no cable or art house release seems to have materialised. Let’s hope The Boneyard Collection surfaces in 2011.


In the DVD arena releases of note included Fermante Il Mondo… Voglio Scendere! (Stop the World, I Want to Get Off!), Lo spettro (The Ghost) and Piranha on Blu ray.

A film recalled by Steele herself, the somewhat off beat and decidedly obscure, Fermante Il Mondo… Voglio Scendere! is a welcome debut to DVD from General Video, Italy.
Made in 1968, the film provides a wonderful snapshot of chic 60s fashion and decor.
The print from General Video appears crisp and vibrant, and likely an improvement over the VHS video releases available prior to this DVD.
Such a pity no English subtitles are included!

Barbara Steele in Fermate Il Mondo... Voglio Scendere!

Artus - Le Spectre du professeur Hichcock

Lo spettro (The Ghost) also gained a European release. Published under the French title Le Spectre du professeur Hichcock, the Region 2 disc from Artus Films promises an improved viewing experience over existing public domain titles and the official Region 0 Alpha Video disc.

The Artus disc, which offers an English language track is thought to use the same source material as Retromedia’s well regarded 2004 Region 1 release.
Some reviewers however have noted a preference for the older disc.
For a DVD comparison of these two DVDs visit DVD Freak.

Shout! Factory - Piranha Blu ray

2010 also saw Joe Dante’s killer fish feature Piranha make it onto Blu-ray disc. Aside from Federico Fellini’s 8 1/2, this is possibly the only Barbara Steele Blu ray available. The disc features a sharp, well received anamor­phic trans­fer and includes a fascinating com­men­tary track by Dante and producer Jon Davison. Publisher Shout! Factory have also released Piranha on DVD.

The Shout! Factory discs are without a doubt the best way to see this cult 70s horror – go buy!

In the series Gatiss will explore the Hollywood Horrors of the 30s and 40s, the reinterpretation of the horror genre in the 50s and the birth of the zombie and slasher films in the late 60s and 70s. He will also be meeting key film makers along the way.
Details on interviewees who make the final cut as I hear them!

A long time horror and science fiction fan, Gatiss is noted for his starring role in League Of Gentlemen and recent success with Steven Moffat in the creation of Sherlock for the BBC. He also writes for Dr Who and starred in the live 2005 remake of the classic sci-fi serial The Quatermass Experiment.

A History Of Horror With Mark Gatiss is scheduled to screen autumn 2010/winter 2011 on BBC 4.
Read the full BBC press release.

Acclaimed writer, actor and presenter Mark Gatiss poses in front of the 'Psycho' house. ©BBC Press Office 2010

Center stage goes to the exciting news that Barbara will be recording an interview with the BBC at her home in Los Angeles. When I say will be, the interview is scheduled for today (23rd May) so depending on time differences and when I get this post finished – it may already be over!
I can’t wait for the results – I just know a lot of effort and time will have gone into this project.

This month will also see Steele continue her work on the The Butterfly Room, Jonathan Zarantonello’s exciting project, which features a veritable bevy of scream queens including Heather Lagenkamp, Camille Keaton and PJ Soles.

Barbara also makes a welcome appearance on The Night Whispers, a new audio drama based on the cult 60s and 70s US gothic drama Dark Shadows. The tale features Jonathan Frid, returning to the role of vampire Barnabas Collins for the first time since the original 60s series. A must for Dark Shadows fans, the CD is slated for a June release.

On the festival circuit Barbara has been added to the guest list for Monster-Mania Con, set to take place over August 20 – 22 at the Crowne Plaza hotel, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, US.

For those wishing to see Barbara on the big screen, two events caught my attention.
First up Sydney Film Festival is screening an uncut, 35mm edition of La maschera del demonio (Black Sunday), on 5 June at the Art Gallery New South Wales. Black Sunday will be screened in a series of vampire themed films entitled; ‘Immortal Seduction: the Vampire Movie’.

Secondly, Federico Fellini’s acclaimed movie 8½ will recieve an airing at the Cinema Lumière – Sala Officinema/Mastroianni in Bologna, Italy on 27 May at 7.30pm. The film will be shown as part of a major Fellini retrospective and exhibit entitled Fellini. Dall’Italia alla Luna at the Cineteca di Bologna and the Mambo Museo d’Arte Moderna di Bologna.

Fellini. Dall'Italia alla Luna - Cineteca di Bologna poster

Back to the action, Vittorio Gassman as Brancaleone da Norcia is superbly watchable, his rag taggle ‘army’ hilarious – the long panoramic shots with the ‘squeaking’ wheeled chest at the rear are superb. The scale of the production with its plethora of fantastic backdrops, castles, viaducts, fortresses is breathtaking. L’armata Brancaleone offers a pretty unusual – and refreshing mixture of slapstick humour and violence. Quite shocking for a film which is over 44 years old. From the moment a hapless bandit has his arm accidentally hacked off by a fellow marauder, the cinema was in uproar!

A parody of the ‘dashing knight on a righteous quest’ type of tale, L’armata Brancaleone consists of a number of outlandish set pieces. Including a wanton frolic with Maria Grazia Buccella’s character Vedova in the city of plague victims, encounters with Enrico Maria Salerno’s somewhat fanatical monk Zenone – and of course the fantastical scene with a whip wielding, semi clad Barbara Steele as the alluring Teodora… Need I say more!
Special mention must go to the way out costumes by Piero Gherardi which add to the surreal effect, and Brancaleone’s (yellow!) horse Aquitaine who on a number of occasions steals the show!

If I only I spoke Italian – the effort that writers Furio Scarpelli and Mario Monicelli put into the various dialects of the protagonists is obvious. Indeed multi-faceted dialogue (Latin also?) was a major selling point for this film.
Much enjoyed.

Oh and shame about the original and rare UIP (United Press International) promo picture I didn’t win on eBay. Some things cost just too much!

Press Wire Photograph from 1965 L'armata Brancaleone, as sold on eBay. © United Press International

Shown as part of a Vittorio Gassman tribute; the Italian Film Festival in Scotland: 16 – 29 April 2010 /Edinburgh / Glasgow / Dundee. UK.

Initially a two part podcast, both segments can now be downloaded from the archive.

Go check it out!