Edgar Allan Poe

It may be cold in most places, but today we can open our black little hearts to remember the birthday of a true horror icon, Edgar Allan Poe. On January 19, 1809 the one and only literary author was born and from there he became a legend in the written word.

With a movie coming in 2012, and his works continually being made into short subjects, he is going to be around much longer than his death in 1849.

So in memory of a legend a Black Hearted Happy Birthday to the one and only Edgar Allan Poe

Courtesy of WIKIPEDIA (for more visit Wikipedia:
Born Edgar Poe, January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre. He is further credited with contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction. He was the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career.

He was born as Edgar Poe in Boston, Massachusetts; he was orphaned young when his mother died shortly after his father abandoned the family. Poe was taken in by John and Frances Allan, of Richmond, Virginia, but they never formally adopted him. He attended the University of Virginia for one semester but left due to lack of money. After enlisting in the Army and later failing as an officer’s cadet at West Point, Poe parted ways with the Allans. His publishing career began humbly, with an anonymous collection of poems, Tamerlane and Other Poems (1827), credited only to “a Bostonian”.

Poe switched his focus to prose and spent the next several years working for literary journals and periodicals, becoming known for his own style of literary criticism. His work forced him to move among several cities, including Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City. In Baltimore in 1835, he married Virginia Clemm, his 13-year-old cousin. In January 1845 Poe published his poem, “The Raven”, to instant success. His wife died of tuberculosis two years after its publication. He began planning to produce his own journal, The Penn (later renamed The Stylus), though he died before it could be produced. On October 7, 1849, at age 40, Poe died in Baltimore; the cause of his death is unknown and has been variously attributed to alcohol, brain congestion, cholera, drugs, heart disease, rabies, suicide, tuberculosis, and other agents.

Poe and his works influenced literature in the United States and around the world, as well as in specialized fields, such as cosmology and cryptography. Poe and his work appear throughout popular culture in literature, music, films, and television. A number of his homes are dedicated museums today.

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The sCare Foundation

This Halloween, the sCare Foundation will honor award-winning actress, Jamie Lee Curtis, with the 2011 Humanitarian Award at its inaugural fundraising event on October 30, 2011. An evening filled with entertainment, dancing and an exciting auction, the event will be held at the Conga Room L.A. Live and will benefit the CHAMPION Fund at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to support the life-saving programs of the Hollywood Homeless Youth Project (HHYP).

“Jamie is the perfect recipient for this award,” said sCare Foundation founder Malek Akkad. “She is constantly giving back to the community through her work with children, AIDS charities and those in recovery. We are honored she will be joining us at our inaugural event.”

Jamie Lee Curtis landed her first role in John Carpenter’s Halloween. Since then, she has starred in such acclaimed films as Freaky Friday, True Lies, Trading Places and A Fish Called Wanda. In television, Ms. Curtis co-starred opposite Richard Lewis in the sitcom “Anything But Love,” as well as the title role in TNT’s adaptation of Wendy Wasserstein’s play, “The Heidi Chronicles,” and the CBS telefilm, “Nicholas’ Gift.”

Scream Queen: Jamie Lee Curtis

Ms. Curtis is also an author of best-selling children’s books having sold over five million books under the banner Books to Grow By: My Mommy Hung The Moon, A Love Story, BIG WORDS for Little People, Is There Really A Human Race?, It’s Hard To Be Five, Learning How To Work My Control Panel, I’m Gonna Like Me, Letting Off A Little Self Esteem, Where Do Balloons Go? An Uplifting Mystery, Today I Feel Silly and Other Moods That Make My Day, Tell Me Again About The Night I Was Born, and When I Was Little, A Four-Year-Old’s Memoir of Her Youth.

Ms. Curtis has a deep and active connection to many children’s charities including, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh as well as being the official spokesperson for CAAF (The Children Affected by Aids Foundation) and on whose Executive Advisory Board she is a serving member and The Starlight/Starbright Foundation. Ms. Curtis is a recovering alcoholic/addict and was honored to serve on the Board of Directors of CASA (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University). She currently serves on the board of The Scott Hitt Foundation.

She is the mother of Annie, age 24 and Thomas, age 15 and has been married for 27 years to actor/director Christopher Guest.

The sCare Foundation was created to focus on issues affecting today’s youth – poverty and homelessness. There are over 1.6 million homeless youth in American and an additional 5-7% become homeless in any given year. And currently, youth in the United States are more likely to live in poverty than any other developed nation. The goal of the sCare Foundation is to be help alleviate some of these issues.

Additionally, the sCare Foundation is pleased to have writer/director John Carpenter (Halloween, The Thing, Escape from New York) and producer/director James Wan (Saw franchise) as part of its honorary board.

Founded by Malek Akkad, producer of the successful Halloween franchise, sCare Foundation (Suspense Community Allocating Relief and Empowerment Foundation) is a non-profit organization dedicated to alleviating the hardships of poverty and homelessness facing today’s youth throughout North America. sCare Foundation’s focus will be to provide financial support to existing youth programs throughout North America as well as arranging special sCare Foundation activities for the children such as set visits, movie screenings, celebrity meet-and-greets and more. In addition to working with children in need, the sCare Foundation aims to involve more young people in philanthropy and develop their passions and skills to give back to their own communities. sCare wholeheartedly believes that the suspense genre demographic is an untapped resource of unlimited potential in giving and changing our global community. It can be a part of the solution. To learn more about sCare Foundation and the Board members, please visit the website at www.scarefoundation.org.

Tickets may be purchased by visiting http://scarefoundationhalloween.charityhappenings.org/.

The Devil Doll (1936)

Greetings Film Fiends and Deadites,

What can I say about this film, a cross-dressing Lionel Barrymore??? MGM’s “The Devil-Doll” directed by Tod Browning (of course) and starring Lionel Barrymore, Maureen O’Sullivan and Frank Lawton. This pseudo-sci-fi movie tells the story of a man who was falsely accused of murder, escapes Devil’s Island with a scientist, and with the scientist’s formula, clears his name by shrinking people. This is an early predecessor of the movie Dr. Cyclops. Available on Netflix’s Hollywood’s Legends of Horror.

Waxworks - 1924

Greatings again Film Fiends and Deatites,

As we weave our way through 1920s silent horror cinema, I present another classic German expressionalist film; “Waxworks” directed by Paul Leni and starring Werner Krauss and Conrad Veidt. This 1924 film is more of an anthology but still rates as one of the best of the era. Available through Netflix (not insta-download) but is on You tube.

by: RFR Casket Crew Jigsaw Jim

The Hunchback of Notre Dame - 1923

Greetings Film Fiends and Deadites,

As we continue our trip down memory lane, I present one of the classics; “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”,  directed by Wallace Worsley and starring Lon Chaney, Sr. and Patsy Ruth Miller. Based on the Victor Hugo’s novel of the same name, this 1923 film was Universal Studio’s highest grossing film at the time (over $3 million) and launched Chaney as a horror icon. On Netflix insta-download and You Tube.

Ghostbusters Returns To Theaters

As Halloween gets closer and we all get in the haunting mood, we look forward to scary movies, halloween movies and ghost filled entertainment. Along with that comes, horror, Jigsaw and some lighter fare like 80s Classics?

Yes, Who are you Gonna Call? The classic film GHOSTBUSTERS is returning to the big screen this Halloween. Not in a re-envisioning, not a remake, the Original Classic is Back, the boys, Slimer and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man! The film is getting a full digital restoration and getting re-issued this season for a limited number of engagements for all of us to enjoy.

When Rotting Flesh Radio talked to Ernie Hudson last year, we discussed the much talked about Ghostbusters 3. And maybe this re-issue will spark that development further and gets the juices flowing for it once again. Rumors had been floating around that it is a go possibly without Murray attached, although that would destroy any hope of its success. you need the team back in full!

So when you play the awesome Ghostbusters game, kick out your old Soundtrack Cassette Tapes, Read your Ghostbusters Books (Like the Classic we posted on the Rotting Flesh Radio Facebook Page), We can all enjoy Slimer and claim this S%$T is for Real, watch Dogs and Cats Living together and sing along in Theaters this Halloween once again.

Nosferatu (1922)

Greetings Film Fiends and Deadites,

To continue with my serving of seasonal film offerings, I present “Nosferatu” directed by F.W. Murnau and starring Max Schreck as Count Orlock the Vampire. This 1922 German Expressionist film is the first cinematic adaptation of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”. Due to copyright issues, Murnau couldn’t use the characters from the original novel so he changed the names. There is also some minor “tweeking” to the story, otherwise a very faithful cinematic telling of the classic vampire story. Also available though Netflix instant download and You Tube.

Something Wicked This Was Comes by Wednesday 13

Wednesday 13, The Horror Rock man who has been a guest on Rotting Flesh Radio as a guest and also had his music on the show, is no stranger to Horror Rock Fans everywhere.

Recently Wednesday 13 reunited with the Murderdolls and released a new CD a few year ago. Now, getting back to his catchy riffs, horror lyrics and solo career, Wednesday is amping up for his newest CD to drop soon ‘CALLING ALL CORPSES’.

The new single is titled ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ and serves as a look back to Wednesday’s childhood filled with toys, horror and more. The song is catchy, the riffs are heavy and Wednesday’s style is very apparent once again. Although many will hope the song is filled with references from the 80s Walt Disney Productions film featuring Jonathan Pyrce, it has nothing more than the title to share. But this doesn’t affect the power horror heavy hitting song Wednesday is known for.

Take a listen and jam away. The CD can be found on amazon as well as the debut single at: www.Amazon.com – Something wicked This Way Comes

SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES by Wednesday 13

We are working to get Wednesday 13 back as a guest on Rotting Flesh Radio but until then, Sit Back, Relax and Rot Away to his newest horror release Deadites!!!

The Golem from 1920

Greetings Film Fiends and Deaites,

To continue with my early expose of classic and silent horror films, I present “The Golem: How He Came into the World”, directed by Paul Wegener and Carl Boese and starring Albert Steinbruck and Carl Wegener. This 1920 German film tells the story on how a Golem was created in 16th century to protect the jews of Prague from persecution. Similarities with the movie version of the “Frankenstein Monster”. Available through Netflix and is on You tube.