THE DEVIL’S CHILD THE MAKinG OF THE Omen! BLOODY VALENTINES EXPLOitatiON MOvie KinG JOHN DunninG IntervieWED! MEDIEVAL MADNESS THE BLOOD On Satan’S SCARY MOVIE ClaW! ROUNDUP NEW DVDS and Blu-Rays DSD RevieWED! FREE! 06 Check out the teaser issue of CultTV Times... covering everything from NCIS to anime! Broadcast the news – the first full issue of Cult TV Times will be available to buy soon at Culttvtimes.com Follow us on : (@CultTVTimes) for the latest news and issue updates For subscription enquiries contact: [email protected] Introduction MACABRE MENU A WARM WELCOME TO THE 4 The omen 09 DVD LIBRARY 13 SUBS 14 SATAn’S CLAW DARKSIDe D I G I TA L 18 John DUnnIng contributing scripts it has to be good. I do think that Peter Capaldi is a fantastic choice for the new Doctor, especially if he uses the same language as he does in The Thick of It! Just got an early review disc in of the Blu-ray of Corruption, which is being released by Grindhouse USA in a region free edition. I have a bit of a vested interest in this one because I contributed liner notes and helped Grindhouse’s Bob Murawski find some of the interview subjects in the UK. It has taken some years to get this one in shops but the wait has been worthwhile because I can’t imagine how it could have been done better. I’ll be reviewing it at length in the next print issue, out in shops on October 24th. I really feel we’re on a roll with Dark Side at present. We printed more of our previous issue (155) than ever before, and registered our highest his issue of Dark Side Digital looks at the making of The Omen, ever UK sale with the Dracula AD 1972 issue (154). That proves to me a true horror classic that stands the test of time. Being a big that our studied coverage of retro material alongside carefully chosen Tfan of composer Jerry Goldsmith I was one of the first in line to modern day stuff is the right way to continue. I get more excited about see this at a midnight preview in 1976 in The Odeon, Leicester Square. seeing a printed issue landing on my doorstep now than I ever did in I managed to talk my good friend John Willimot into driving us (my the past, and that is partly down to the sterling work being done by ex-wife Lindy and myself) to the West End for this, even though he our regular contributors such as Denis Meikle, who can always be relied was not a fan of horror films himself. Not long after the scary opening upon to entertain and educate. James Kloda’s incisive reviews are music came up, John announced he was going to the loo. He stayed always a pleasure to read, and to my mind serve up a perfect balance there for the entire movie. It was pretty scary stuff in its day and still of wicked witticism and informed critical comment and witticism. is nowadays. I actually prefer The Omen to The Exorcist because I James came to my attention through my good friend Calum Waddell, think that The Omen is the better crafted film. Sorry Mark. It certainly who is also one of my favourite writers. In the upcoming issue, Calum has better photography and music, and the fact that it is largely set has managed to grab us a real exclusive in the shape of a fascinating in England probably has some bearing for my greater appreciation interview with actress Me Me Lai, star of such exploitation movie of it too. The sequels were disappointing of course, though they do classics as Au Pair Girls, Eaten Alive and Last Cannibal World. As far have their moments, and as for the recent Omen remake, well that was as I know, the reclusive Me Me has never been interviewed by a film totally pointless. The generally enjoyable Final Destination movies are mag before, and Calum really gets her to open up about her extensive basically variations on The Omen theme anyway. career. The only shame with Calum is he’s not a convert to 60s British Our striking cover art this issue comes from the hugely talented horrors - he freely admits that he finds most of the Hammer stuff Peter Wallbank, who is a massive Omen fan. He tells me that he once boring. Oh well, that’s his youth speaking, and he’s sure to grow out of visited the church in Putney where Patrick Troughton met his end, and it. There’s some hope though, because he’s working alongside his High was wandering around it when approached by a lady Vicar, who asked Rising Productions partner Naomi Holwill filming extras for Arrow’s him what he was interested in. With some trepidation he mentioned upcoming Blu-ray of Vincent Prices wonderful Theatre of Blood and the Omen connection and she suddenly turned very frosty, saying: “We says he enjoyed the movie quite a lot. Who couldn’t? don’t like to advertise any connection with THAT film.” So much for It’s also lovely to now I have John Martin back on board, because he your Christian charity. was always one of Britain’s best genre writers and has spent too long Peter will also be contributing some of his amazing art to our out of the public eye. John was supposed to have been contributing a upcoming Doctor Who special, out at the end of November. This will Madeline Smith interview for 156 but on the day she proved difficult to not be classed as an issue of The Dark Side. Instead it’s a one-off pin down and so he has had to rearrange it for a date that’s just a bit special that will sit alongside the usual issue on the shelves at too late for it to be included - so look for it in 157 instead. As a great newsagents. Therefore it won’t be sent out to subscribers as part of replacement John managed to enjoy a candid chat with the gorgeous their deal. I took this decision because it’s not a given fact that every Barbara Bouchet, star of many a giallo and the larky 1967 Casino reader who loves horror also loves Doctor Who, even though our look Royale. Since issue 157 also contains interviews with the late Karen back at this classic series on its 50th anniversary will concentrate on Black and Suspiria’s Jessica Harper, it’s taking on a bit of a femme the monsters of the show and its more macabre episodes. fatale feel. Retro fans are still well catered for though, with an amazing I have to confess that I’ve not really been watching the latest Denis Meikle article on cinema double features of the 50 and 60s, and incarnation of the series, though the option to catch up is always the concluding part of John Hamilton’s history of Tigon. Okay, that’s available these days. From the bits I’ve seen it looks much slicker another page of ramblings done, now it’s time for you to get on with all than it ever was in my childhood, and with the likes of Mark Gatiss the good stuff in DSD 6. Enjoy! Allan Bryce editor: Allan Bryce Web master: Design & Production: Kevin Coward [email protected]. Advertisement Manager: Neville King. Website: www.thedarksidemagazine.com. Subscriptions Manager: Yannie Overton - Published by: Ghoulish Publishing Ltd, 29 [email protected] Cheyham Way, South Cheam, Surrey SM2 7HX. online publisher: Neville King Printed in the EU. Distribution: Comag, C:7A6 = [email protected] Unit 3, Tavistock Road, West Drayton, Advertising enquiries: Middlesex UB7 7QE. 16#-*4)*/( 56 [email protected] © Copyright 2012 Ghoulish Publishing Ltd ISSN 0960 6653 3 The DarkSide DIGITAL Horror Classics trange, isn’t it, that two of Hollywood strip and had produced for The Omen, which at this point was the most successful 70s films several documentaries as well as the called The AntiChrist. When Warners about Satanic goings-on were popular blaxploitation movie, The Mack. optioned the script, there was a clause in instigated by deeply religious But the ‘Devil’s child’ idea excited him so the contract that the rights would revert people? much that he sat down that same night back to the producers if the film had not William Peter Blatty, a and wrote a 10-page treatment. Then been made within a year, and with two devout Catholic, wrote The he contacted David Seltzer a TV writer days left before the year was up it was Exorcist as a confirmation and friend, who immediately turned it down. clear that the film would not be made Sexploration of his own faith and belief Seltzer changed his mind, though, there. in God, and the unsung hero behind after Bernhard paid him an advance. Eddie Rosen, an agent at the studio, The Omen is Bob Munger, a born again And after three months of research he had read it and recommended to Christian who was a good friend of the sat down and hammered out The Omen Neufeld that Richard Donner might be film’s producer, Harvey Bernhard. script in six weeks. a good choice to direct. Donner had Munger had got round to thinking, His screenplay took a lot of mainly done popular TV shows up to “What if there was a demonic son of symbolism from The Bible including the this point but was highly regarded as a Satan alive today?” He was having dinner Nanny’s name, Baylock, which came capable pair of hands.