Tom Weaver

Close Encounters of the Brr Kind Beneath the polar ice, seven submarines have been mysteriously destroyed. The Navy must stem this tide of undersea disasters. They send the fleet's killer sub, the atom-powered Tiger Shark, to the 5,000,000 square miles of Arctic Ocean to neutralize our nation's newest enemy. BATTLE STATIONS BATTLE STATIONS Their adversary is not foreign but alien: an undersea flying saucer which they dub Cyclops. The Tiger Shark rams Cyclops, its bow piercing the saucer's hull, and the two crafts, locked together, sink to the frigid depths. To free their sub, the men of the Tiger Shark must coldly go where no man has gone before: into the saucer. Where the greatest horror awaits. TOP SECRET CARGO MANIFEST - Original Shooting Script - "Making Of" Chapter - Tribute to Producer Alex Gordon - Pressbook and much more

He was the final addition to Universal's "royal family" of movie monsters: the Creature from the Black Lagoon. With his scaly armor, razor claws and a face only a mother octopus could love, this Amazon denizen was perhaps the most fearsome beast in the history of Hollywood's Studio of Horrors. But he also possessed a sympathetic quality which elevated him fathoms above the many aquatic monsters who swam in his wake. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Gill Man and his mid-1950s film career (Creature from the Black Lagoon, Revenge of the Creature, The Creature Walks Among Us) is collected in this book, packed to the gills with hour-by-hour production histories, cast bios, analyses, explorations of the music, script-to-screen comparisons, in-depth interviews and an ocean of fin-tastic photos.

Universal Studios created the first cinematic universe of monsters--Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy and others became household names during the 1930s and 1940s. During the 1950s, more modern monsters were created for the Atomic Age, including one-eyed globs from outer space, mutants from the planet Metaluna, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the 100-foot high horror known as Tarantula. This over-the-top history is the definitive retrospective on Universal's horror and science fiction movies of 1951-1955. Standing as a sequel to Tom Weaver, Michael Brunas and John Brunas's Universal Horrors (Second Edition, 2007), it covers eight films: The Strange Door, The Black Castle, It Came from Outer Space, Creature from the Black Lagoon, This Island Earth, Revenge of the Creature, Cult of the Cobra and Tarantula. Each receives a richly detailed critical analysis, day-by-day production history, interviews with filmmakers, release information, an essay on the score, and many photographs, including rare behind-the-scenes shots.

Revised and updated since its first publication in 1990, this acclaimed critical survey covers the classic chillers produced by Universal Studios during the golden age of hollywood horror, 1931 through 1946. Trekking boldly through haunts and horrors from The Frankenstein Monster, The Wolf Man, Count Dracula, and The Invisible Man, to The Mummy, Paula the Ape Woman, The Creeper, and The Inner Sanctum, the authors offer a definitive study of the 86 films produced during this era and present a general overview of the period. Coverage of the films includes complete cast lists, credits, storyline, behind-the-scenes information, production history, critical analysis, and commentary from the cast and crew (much of it drawn from interviews by Tom Weaver, whom USA Today calls "the king of the monster hunters"). Unique to this edition are a new selection of photographs and poster reproductions and an appendix listing additional films of interest.

He was the final addition to Universal's "royal family" of movie monsters: the Creature from the Black Lagoon. With his scaly armor, razor claws and a face only a mother octopus could love, this Amazon denizen was perhaps the most fearsome beast in the history of Hollywood's Studio of Horrors. But he also possessed a sympathetic quality which elevated him fathoms above the many aquatic monsters who swam in his wake. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Gill Man and his mid-1950s film career (Creature from the Black Lagoon, Revenge of the Creature, The Creature Walks Among Us) is collected in this book, packed to the gills with hour-by-hour production histories, cast bios, analyses, explorations of the music, script-to-screen comparisons, in-depth interviews and an ocean of fin-tastic photos.

Twenty horror and science fiction moviemakers--both in front of and behind the camera--reminisce about some of their great (and not so great!) films. Merry Anders, Charles Bennett, Ben Chapman, Herman Cohen, Robert Day, Val Guest, Susan Hart, Candace Hilligoss, Rose Hobart, Betsy Jones-Moreland, Jacques Marquette, Cameron Mitchell, Ed Nelson, William Phipps, Vincent Price, Ann Robinson, Herbert Rudley, Harry Spalding, Kenneth Tobey, and Lupita Tovar reflect on their work in such movies as Berserk, I Was a Teenage Werewolf, Cat-Women of the Moon and many others.

These men and women saved the planet from aliens, behemoths, monsters, zombies, and other bloated, stumbling threats--in the movies, at least--and now they tell their stories. Julie Adams, John Agar, Richard Anderson, John Archer, Jeanne Bates, Billy Benedict, Turhan Bey, Lloyd Bridges, Ricou Browning, Robert Cornthwaite, Louise Currie, Richard Denning, Anne Francis, Mark Goddard, June Lockhart, Eugene Lourie, Jeff Morrow, Lori Nelson, Rex Reason, William Schallert, Don Taylor, George Wallace and Jane Wyatt give behind-the-scenes insights into such classic movies as Creature from the Black Lagoon, Forbidden Planet, Destination Moon and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. They also discuss the impact "monster-fighting" had on their careers and what they are now doing.

Back in the era of black-and-white horror and sci-fi movies, "we didn't have special effects, or the money for 'em," says Peter Graves, one of the genre's most popular stars. "But in those days, an unlimited amount of money wouldn't have gotten us much better special effects, because they didn't exist. We had to go with the stories and try to make them as believable as possible, and flash the outlandish things by quickly, so the audience never got a good, in-focus look at them!" Perhaps no films attracted more rabid fans and less critical acclaim than the genre movies of that era. The men and women who made the characters come to life are interviewed here, talking about their work, the behind-the-scenes action, and the impact the movies had on their careers. The interviewees are Gene Barry, Gary Clarke, Gary Conway, Merian C. Cooper, Robert Dix, Donnie Dunagan, Alex Gordon, Peter Graves, Gary Gray, Arch Hall, Jr., Stephen Kandel, Carolyn Kearney, Ken Kolb, Robert L. Lippert, Jr., Jan Merlin, Mary Mitchel, Elliott Reid, Stanley Rubin, Frankie Thomas and Burt Topper. Extensively illustrated.

"I talked with a zombie"--it DOES seem like an odd thing to say! But for more than 25 years, Tom Weaver has been chatting up zombies and many other vintage movie monsters, along with the screenwriters, producers, directors and actors responsible for bringing them to life. In this compilation of interviews, 23 more veterans share their stories--strange, frightening and even a little funny--this time with an increased emphasis on genre television series courtesy of the stars of The Time Tunnel; Rocky Jones, Space Ranger; Tom Corbett, Space Cadet; Planet of the Apes; and The Wild Wild West. The many other interviewees include Tandra Quinn (Mesa of Lost Women), Eric Braeden (Colossus: The Forbin Project), Ann Carter (The Curse of the Cat People), Laurie Mitchell (Queen of Outer Space) and monster music maestro Hans J. Salter.

Everything under the sun about producer-director-star Robert Clarke's 1959 monster classic.

What does Producer: RICHARD GORDON mean to you? If you're a fan of classic horror films, you know he's the only living producer to have worked with the genre's most valuable players Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi--not to mention the Fiend Without a Face, the First Man into Space and other black-and-white beasties of the Fabulous Fifties. If you take your fright flicks on the ghastlier side, you remember his more gory goblins, from the Silicates on the Island of Terror to the mad slasher of the Tower of Evil, and the interstellar shocks delivered by Inseminoid. A master of both worlds, Richard Gordon has been a behind-the-scenes titan of terror for over a half-century, collaborating during his years of active production (1956-1981) with some of the field's most formidable names: Boris and Bela, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, Michael Gough, Terence Fisher and more. Go on a film-by-film excursion through his cinematic chamber of horrors in this definitive book-length interview....

Phil Brown, who played Luke Skywalker's uncle in Star Wars, said, "In my long life in films, there are ones I'm proud of and those I'm not proud of. The Jungle Captive and Weird Woman fall into the latter category." House of Wax co-star Paul Picerni was fired by the film's director when he refused to put his head in a working guillotine during a climactic fight scene. Packed with wonderful tidbits, this volume collects 22 interviews with the moviemakers responsible for bringing such films as This Island Earth, The Haunting, Carnival of Souls, Pit and the Pendulum, House of Wax, Tarzan the Ape Man, The Black Cat, Them! and Invasion of the Body Snatchers to the movie screen. Faith Domergue, Michael Forest, Anne Helm, Candace Hilligoss, Suzanna Leigh, Norman Lloyd, Maureen O'Sullivan, Shirley Ulmer, Dana Wynter and many more are interviewed.

David Hedison, who plays a tiny human-headed insect menaced by a spider at the climax of The Fly (1958), says the moviemakers spoiled the scene by giving him a squeaky voice. "Imagine if, as the camera moved in closer, you actually heard me screeeeaming for my life. That is horror. That is horror." In Tom Weaver's eighth interview book, Hedison--and 22 other moviemakers--talk about their horror and science fiction movie experiences as part of such films and TV series as The Blob, It Came from Outer Space, Tarzan the Ape Man, Star Trek, The Wild Wild West, Somewhere in Time, The Devil Bat and Forbidden Planet. Among those interviewed are Dan O'Herlihy, Kate Phillips, John Alvin, Anthony Cardoza, Tod Griffin, Alex and Richard Gordon, Suzanne Kaaren, and Warren Stevens. Full credits are provided for the actors, actresses, and producers.

In this jam-packed jamboree of conversations with movie industry veterans, over 60 interviewees describe their experiences on the sets of some of the world's most beloved sci-fi and horror movies and television series. Including groundbreaking oldies (""Flash Gordon"", ""One Million B. C.""); 1950s and 1960s milestones (""The War of the Worlds"", ""Psycho"", ""House of Usher""); classic schlock (""Queen of Outer Space"", ""Attack of the Crab Monsters""); and cult TV favorites (""Lost in Space"", ""Land of the Giants""), the discussions offer a frank and fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the genres' classic and lesser-known interpretations both. The interviewees include: Roger Corman, Pamela Duncan, Richard and Alex Gordon, Tony 'Dr. Lao' Randall, Troy Donahue, Sid Melton, Fess Parker, Nan Peterson, Alan Young, John 'Bud' Cardos, and over four dozen more.