The studio that mastered the art of the gleefully ghoulish cinematic short-story collection in the 60s and 70s is set to return. It may just raise a terrific genre from the dead
Although Hammer usually receives the bulk of the recognition, there would be no real British horror movie scene without Amicus Productions. Between 1962 and 1977, Amicus produced 28 movies, many of which have become cult classics. The Psychopath. The Deadly Bees. And Now the Screaming Starts! Fine films, all.
But where Amicus really sang was in its “portmanteau” films, made up of five or six short stories connected by a loose overarching theme. These films were not only masterpieces of creativity but also of marketing. Most of the seven Amicus anthologies were sold on the star power of one actor who, given the brevity of each story, might have only appeared on screen for a couple of minutes.
Although Hammer usually receives the bulk of the recognition, there would be no real British horror movie scene without Amicus Productions. Between 1962 and 1977, Amicus produced 28 movies, many of which have become cult classics. The Psychopath. The Deadly Bees. And Now the Screaming Starts! Fine films, all.
But where Amicus really sang was in its “portmanteau” films, made up of five or six short stories connected by a loose overarching theme. These films were not only masterpieces of creativity but also of marketing. Most of the seven Amicus anthologies were sold on the star power of one actor who, given the brevity of each story, might have only appeared on screen for a couple of minutes.
- 8/16/2023
- by Stuart Heritage
- The Guardian - Film News
A few months ago, while covering Hex Studios’ fantasy film throwback The Slave and the Sorcerer, we also mentioned that Hex was also working to “build a new British horror and fantasy studio that’s inspired by the likes of Cannon, Hammer, and Aip”. Now their endeavor has taken a mind-blowing leap forward: Hex Studios has announced they’re working with the family of late producer Milton Subotsky to resurrect Amicus Productions! Hex co-founder Lawrie Brewster is set to be the president of the revived Amicus… and their first project will be exactly the sort of movie Amicus is best remembered for: a horror portmanteau (or anthology) film called In the Grip of Terror!
Milton Subotsky and Max Rosenberg founded Amicus Productions in the early ’60s, and from 1962 to 1977 they produced nearly thirty films, including Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors, Dr. Who and the Daleks, The Skull, The Psychopath,...
Milton Subotsky and Max Rosenberg founded Amicus Productions in the early ’60s, and from 1962 to 1977 they produced nearly thirty films, including Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors, Dr. Who and the Daleks, The Skull, The Psychopath,...
- 8/14/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Often for children of a similar vintage, the Saturday matinee was where our movie memories began and then flourished; we were shown sword-fighting skeletons, one-eyed ogres and metallic barn fowl, pretty girls in peril and giants with a grudge. Fantasy adventure was a familiar label to us afternoon filmgoers, and the more absurd the flick, the better. The Lost Continent (1968) didn’t cross my path as a kid, but it certainly would have fit right in with our weird fiction viewing habits at the time. Watching it as a significantly aged and occasionally cynical movie lover, one can see that love of pulp on display, with one important difference: this was made by Hammer Films.
Pulp? Without question. But filtered through Hammer’s latter day approach of looser morals and giddy blood spraying, The Lost Continent seems to be made for adults who missed the experience the first time around,...
Pulp? Without question. But filtered through Hammer’s latter day approach of looser morals and giddy blood spraying, The Lost Continent seems to be made for adults who missed the experience the first time around,...
- 10/31/2020
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Hope everyone has their boomsticks ready, as this final week of October is looking to be yet another banner week for genre Blu-ray and DVD releases, highlighted by the anticipated Collector’s Edition set for Sam Raimi’s cult classic Army of Darkness from Scream Factory. The recent thriller, The Gift, is also making its way to multiple formats on October 27th and for those of you fans of The Fifth Element out there, Sony is putting together a nifty Cinema Series release that arrives this Tuesday.
Olive Films is also keeping themselves busy this week with several cult classic releases including Breeders, Sometimes They Come Back, Dr. Terror's House of Horror and Saul Bass’ Phase IV, with Warner Home Video resurrecting several classics in HD as well—The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Son of Kong, Them! and the Special Effects Collection box set.
Other notable titles coming out on...
Olive Films is also keeping themselves busy this week with several cult classic releases including Breeders, Sometimes They Come Back, Dr. Terror's House of Horror and Saul Bass’ Phase IV, with Warner Home Video resurrecting several classics in HD as well—The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Son of Kong, Them! and the Special Effects Collection box set.
Other notable titles coming out on...
- 10/27/2015
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Remember those killer bee movies from the '70s and '80s where the insects would double up in size then triple up and more? Or the films where bees would attack en masse e.g. The Deadly Bees? Well, Maverick Entertainment is revitalizing this genre with a new film from German director Michael Karen. In this scenario the bees attack in a massive swarm with venom "three times as deadly as an Africanized bee" (Maverick). A whole city is endangered and this film will release on DVD June 6th 2010. Have a watch of the trailer, which shows many of the stills from the picture below.
The synopsis for Killer Swarm:
"Deadly black bees threaten to wipe out an entire city. With venom three times as deadly as an Africanized bee one sting is a guaranteed death sentence. Scientists are working quickly to create an antidote, but time is running...
The synopsis for Killer Swarm:
"Deadly black bees threaten to wipe out an entire city. With venom three times as deadly as an Africanized bee one sting is a guaranteed death sentence. Scientists are working quickly to create an antidote, but time is running...
- 5/25/2010
- by 28DaysLaterAnalysis@gmail.com (Michael Ross Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.