‘Zine Review: Rue Morgue #81
Johnny Butane
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Issue #81
August 2008
The recent death of Stan Winston struck a terrible blow in the horror community, catching almost everyone off guard by its suddenness. I have to commend Rue Morgue on not just getting this issue put together so quickly, but making it such an incredible tribute to the man who created so many iconic creatures.
The main focus, in case you couldn’t tell by the cover, is Winton’s’ sole directorial credit, Pumpkinhead. An extended interview with the film’s star, Lance Henriksen, is the focal point, with a smaller Q&A done with Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr., two of the men who made the titular creature. All three paint a picture of a man who was a joy to work with not necessarily because he got along with everyone, but because he would inspire those around him to always try harder in the hopes of someday getting to his level.
The next article focuses on “>The Midnight Meat Train (review), which is a bitter pill to swallow now seeing what Lionsgate ultimately did with its release. There’s an air of hopefulness in the article, that maybe the film would get treated better in the end, but sadly it wasn’t meant to be. It’s especially upsetting given how happy both Clive Barker and Ryuhei Kitamura (who calls it his best film to date) are with the final results.
John Harrison then gives some insight into his Books of Blood adaptation, Book of Blood, and there’s a column devoted to Dread, which will be directed by Anthony Diblasi. I have to say, even though MMT got the short end of the stick, it’s very encouraging knowing that the rest of these are moving forward one after another. Can you imagine an eventual DVD box set of all the Books of Blood movies? Drool.
There’s an article focusing on the strange Southern art of Katy Horan next, followed by an extended bit on the return of Robert E. Howard’s “Pigeons From Hell” in comic form, as adapted by Joe Landsdale! Whether or not you’ve read the original story, which I sadly have not, it’s still a great read mainly due to author Gary Butler’s seemingly bottomless pit of knowledge about all things comic.
A surprisingly positive (at least compared to ours) review of The Happening follows, as well as a one-pager on Greg McLean’s tragically undersold Rogue (DVD review) which you should all put into your Netflix queues right now.
Other highlights in Issue #81 include a Travelogue of Terror that visits Sideshow by the Seashore in Coney Island, a look at some recent Jack Ketchum re-releases, and a last-page Classic Cut that takes a closer look at one of the most badass music videos ever made, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”!
Be sure to hit up Rue Morgue’s official site for more on this and future issues!
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