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Biweekly News Roundup 2023-03-12

Personal / Website News

Writing News

I don’t have much to share along the lines of writing and podcast news for the last two weeks. Don’t get me wrong, I have been extremely busy, it just happens I didn’t get a chance to do an article for my website here. However, a quick run down of things that have happened/currently are happening:

  • Appeared on a handful of Fan2Fan Podcast episodes, taking about monster movies, anime, and TV show themes. Expect those to be published over the next few weeks/months. In the meantime, I encourage folks to check out the Fan2Fan archive, they have some great episodes with some cool people.
  • Turned my Rene Girard/”The Call of Cthulhu” presentation I did at a prior AnnRadCon into essay format and sent it to the new horror-lit magazine, Dark Dead Things. They launch their debut issue this month, check them out!
  • Completed an interview with the authors of the upcoming book Heavy Music Mothers that is slated to be published this May from Rowman & Littlefield. The interview will be published here the week before Mother’s Day.
  • Just interviewed Michael Cisco for the H.P Lovecast Podcast, slated to be released part of our Transmissions programming.
  • Currently working on my peplum cats essay that is due at the end of the month. Wish me luck! (Note: was turned in on 3/26, yay!)
  • Reviewing the book Buzzworthy. I’ve been posting cocktails I’ve made over on Twitter.
  • And, of course, the Emmanuelle CFP (see below). Working on promoting that everywhere I can.

So, lots of cool stuff going on! Also, expect Footage Fiends issue 01 to drop very, very soon! Excited to see that be published.

I also got my contributor’s copy of A Hero Will Endure.

Nice to have the book in my paws. It’s been a long journey!

Emmanuelle / Black Emanuelle CFP

The Call for Papers for Emmanuelle, Black Emanuelle, and Emmanuelle derivative films is open.

The CFP can found on this page. If you know other scholars who would be interested in this project, please share! I’d be super appreciative to get the word out.

Publishing Recap

Starting with this bi-weekly update I will be including a new section called “Publishing Recap” where I will keep a cumulative list of published texts (physical or at other venues) for the year so far. The idea here is to give more visibility to each text and not let them disappear into the website newsfeed.

A Hero Will Endure: Essays at the Twentieth Anniversary of Gladiator

Published in February, this collection contains my essay “Dance or Dēcēdere: Gladiator and Industrial Music Sampling.”

Vernon Press Product Page

Miscellaneous Tidbits

The Night Scavengers

Friend and colleague J. Rocky Colavito has a new fiction book out called The Night Scavengers.

Honored that both Michele and I are mentioned in the front matter!

Colavito’s giallo-influenced novel can be found on Amazon. (Pssst – Colavito also has an essay on WWZ in Horror Literature from Gothic to Post-Modern *wink* *wink* so check that out as well).

CFP for The Princess Bride

Signum University Press has an open CFP (that closes April 1st) on the 50th anniversary of The Princess Bride (both book and movie). Details on the CFP can be read at the downloadable PDF while press submission guidelines can be read at this link.

If you have a pop culture-centric CFP that need proliferation, feel free to share it with me and I’ll post it on my bi-weekly news updates. I’m here to help folks out.

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Biweekly News Roundup 2023-02-26

Personal / Website News

New Edge Sword and Sorcery #00

I have a write up/review up about the first (#00) issue of New Edge Sword and Sorcery Magazine. It can be read here.

Of important note, the Kickstarter campaign to fund the next two issues of this magazine ends in five days. Do check it out and consider backing the campaign.

Fan2Fan Appearance

Michele and I recently did an appearance on the Fan2Fan Podcast where co-host Bernie Gonzalez talked to us about H. P. Lovecraft. It was really awesome be asked to be on the podcast and to talk about Lovecraft things outside our own H. P. Lovecast Podcast. The dialogue has been broken up into two episodes.

The first episode can be streamed at the Fan2Fan Libsyn website or via the embedded player below.

Lovecraft 101 – Fan2Fan Podcast

And the second episode can be found here or in the embedded player below.

Lovecraft 102 – Fan2Fan Podcast

Sincere thanks for having us back on as guests, we appreciate it!

A Hero Will Endure Published!

A Hero Will Endure: Essays at the Twentieth Anniversary of Gladiator is officially out! The collection is available for purchase at the Vernon Press website.

This collection contains my essay “Dance or Dēcēdere: Gladiator and Industrial Music Sampling”. When my hardcover copy arrives I’ll be sure to share it.

There are a few essays in the collection that cite content of The New Peplum. As soon as I can verify what and were I will add the citations to the The New Peplum page.

Emmanuelle / Black Emanuelle CFP

The Call for Papers for Emmanuelle, Black Emanuelle, and Emmanuelle derivative films is open.

Personal copy of Emmanuelle vs. Dracula. Note: decades prior Kristel starred in Dracula’s Widow (1988).

The CFP can found on this page. If you know other scholars who would be interested in this project, please share! I’d be super appreciative to get the word out.

Miscellaneous Tidbits

Rest in Peplum Stella Stevens

Ok, Stella Stevens wasn’t in any peplum movies, but she was in an episode of Wonder Woman, and Wonder Woman is a total peplum character and also The Poseidon Adventure (1972) being named after the Olympian, so I am calling it valid.

1960s kitten bombshell Stella Stevens passed away from Alzheimer’s at the age of 84 on the 17th (CNN Link). Stevens is probably best known for being in The Nutty Professor (1963). and the original The Poseidon Adventure. My first exposure to Stevens was in her Bond Girl-esque role opposite Dean Martin in The Silencers (1966).

I had the honor to meet Stevens at a convention back in 2010. She was a total doll and so swoonerific. She autographed my copies of The Silencers, Hard Drive (1994) (a straight to Cinemax erotic thriller) and a cute pinup photo of her. Unfortunately, I am unable to locate the items as of yet during my unpacking, but once I do I’ll post them here.

She will be greatly missed!

Fist of Jesus Blu-ray

A recent acquisition, I got my paws on a Blu-ray of Fist of Jesus:

Only 15 minutes long, I gave it a quick watch. It was funny: Dead Alive with Jesus. I’ll be doing a proper write up later (maybe for Easter?). The movie can be ordered at the Fist of Jesus website.

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Biweekly News Roundup 2023-02-12

Personal / Website News

Death Nell #1 Write Up

New article up here at my website. I take a look at the first issue of Death Nell from Bad Bug, a gothic-comedy-light-horror-erotic comedy comic.

The write up can be read here.

H. P. Lovecast Podcast Episode

The Bram Stoker Preliminary Ballot has been published and like last year on the podcast we are looking to spotlight some of the authors on the list and help get the word of their works out and entice readers to consider their works. Because of this, we are also flipping the order of episodes this month: Transmissions in the first half, normal episode at the end.

For this special episode of Transmissions Michele and I interviewed David Aquilone about Kolchak the Night Stalker: 50th Anniversary and Donna Lynch about Girls from the County.

HPLCP Transmissions – Ep 19 James Aquilone and Donna Lynch – H. P. Lovecast Podcast

The episode can be streamed via our Buzzsprout website, via the embedded player above, or through your podcast app of preference. Give it a listen and consider checking out Aquilone and Lynch’s works.

Scaredy Cats Podcast Appearance

Back in 2021 I had the honor to be a guest on the Scaredy Cats Podcast to talk about the influential slasher film, The Slumber Party Massacre (episode link here).

Host Sherri invited me back on the podcast, along with co-host of the Schitt’s Simply the Best Podcast, Katie, to talk about the 2015 meta-horror-slasher film, The Film Girls. It was a lot of fun to watch the film and then discuss it.

The episode can be streamed at the Scaredy Cats Buzzsprout page here or via your podcast app of preference. Sincere gratitude to Sherri for being asked on.

Emmanuelle / Black Emanuelle CFP

The Call for Papers for Emmanuelle, Black Emanuelle, and Emmanuelle derivative films is open.

Severin DVD (left) vs Full Moon Blu-ray (right) of Emanuelle and the White Slave Trade.

The CFP can found on this page. If you know other scholars who would be interested in this project, please share! I’d be super appreciative to get the word out.

A Hero Will Endure Preorder

A Hero Will Endure: Essays at the Twentieth Anniversary of Gladiatoris available for preorder at the Vernon Press website.

This collection contains my essay “Dance or Dēcēdere: Gladiatorand Industrial Music Sampling” and is slated to be released later this month.

Miscellaneous Tidbits

New Edge Sword and Sorcery Kickstarter

The Kickstarter for New Edge Sword and Sorcery is now live!

The Kickstarter campaign can be found here. The project is currently (evening of 2/12) at 71.77% funded with 19 days left. Consider backing it!

Miss Corsair Debonair YouTube Channel Launch

Pinup/stockings model Miss Corsair Debonair (who I interview for Exotica Moderne issue 14) has launched a YouTube channel (found here).

Her first video (which can be found here or in the embedded player above) has her showcasing a vintage pair of tan RHT stockings. One of her kitties makes a cameo! Check out her video, consider subscribing so you can see her next stockings/nylons/kitties video.

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Biweekly News Roundup 2023-01-29

Personal / Website News

A Game Called Quest

Digging through my archives I came across an article I wrote for my zine as part of S. T. Joshi’s Esoteric Order of Dagon APA. The article was in dire need of editing and spell checking, but it still seemed like a fun piece on retroism and sword and sorcery.

So, here it is, “Weekend Rental: 80s Sword and Sorcery and Retrogaming in A Game Called Quest.” Check it out!

Fan2Fan Podcast Appearance

Our friends at Fan2Fan podcast are doing episodes about folks’ favorite vampire movies.

My top five list can be heard here or via the embedded player below.

Nick's Favorite Vampire Movies – Fan2Fan Podcast

Michele also has an episode on her top 5 vampires which can be heard here. Sincere appreciation for Fan2Fan for having us on as guests!

Emmanuelle / Black Emanuelle CFP

The Call for Papers for Emmanuelle, Black Emanuelle, and Emmanuelle derivative films is open.

Collection of Emmanuelle comics by Guido Crepax (personal collection).

The CFP can found on this page. If you know other scholars who would be interested in this project, please share! I’d be super appreciative to get the word out.

Scholars from the Edge of Time

For our monthly appearance on Scholars from the Edge of Time, Michele and I discuss the 1959 Biblical plum film Solomon and Sheba (see below). The episode can be viewed on Hercules Invictus’ YouTube channel.

James Bond and Popular Culture Review

Michele’s book, James Bond and Popular Culture, has a brand new review online!

The review can be read at Boyce McClain’s Consumers’ and Collectors’ Corner blog. Of course, copies can be purchased over at McFarland’s product page for the book.

Forty Years a Black Metal Punk

Lex “Hugin” Karrila has an autobiography being published this year by Running Wild Productions: 40 Years a Black Metal Punk. The books covers his 40+ year musical career from his punk days to his later metal, industrial, dungeon synth, and other extreme genres with projects such as Uruk-Hai, Hrossharsgrani, BoneMachine, and many more.

Cover by Ruta Silders.

I had the honor to collaborate with Karrila on a few songs for his Ceremony of Innocence project and have done a deep analysis of his Hrossharsgrani album Pro Liberate Dimicandum Est which is part of my essay in the upcoming A Hero Will Endure collection (see below).

In conjunction with the book, a double album is being released that provides an aural sampling of Karrila’s musical career. Included on the compilation is the Ceremony of Innocence track “Our Fire Burns” which I did lyrics and vocals for, so that is very cool (note: my old website has a discography section, I might have to bring that back!).

The German edition of the book is slated to be released this April (Bandcamp page for Running Wild Productions, keep an eye there) while an English edition will be published later this year.

A Hero Will Endure Preorder

A Hero Will Endure: Essays at the Twentieth Anniversary of Gladiator is available for preorder at the Vernon Press website.

This collection contains my essay “Dance or Dēcēdere: Gladiator and Industrial Music Sampling” and is slated to be released in February.

Miscellaneous Tidbits

Rest in Peplum Gina Lollobrigida

Iconic Italian starlet Gina Lollobrigida passed away on the 16th this month.

My autographed 8×10 of Lollobrigida.

She didn’t star in too many historic epics, however she did star opposite of Yum Brenner in King Vidor’s Solomon and Sheba.

The barebones Blu-ray of Solomon and Sheba.

Michele and I decided to make her and this film the primary focus of our Scholars from he Edge of Time appearance this month (see above).

New Edge Sword and Sorcery Kickstarter

The folks at New Edge Sword and Sorcery will be launching a Kickstarter very soon to fund publishing of issue 1 (issue 0 can be found on Amazon).

Personal copy of issue 0.

You can sign up to be notified when the Kickstarter goes live at this link.

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Biweekly News Roundup 2023-01-15

Personal / Website News

Born of Blood #2 Writeup

The second issue of the neo-peplum comic Born of Blood was released late 2022 by MERC Publishing.

I’ve done a write up of the issue which can be read here.

Emmanuelle / Black Emanuelle CFP

The Call for Papers for Emmanuelle, Black Emanuelle, and Emmanuelle derivative films is open.

Personal copy of Emmanuelle 4 signed by Brinke Stevens.

The CFP can found on this page. If you know other scholars who would be interested in this project, please share! I’d be super appreciative to get the word out.

New Episode of H. P. Lovecast

A new episode of H. P. Lovecast is now online. This episode was recorded last month, but with all the moving and getting settled, we are publishing it now. It’s a recap episode where Michele and I talk about accomplishments of 2022, personal projects, and goals for 2023. Check it out at our Buzzsprout website, at the podcast player below, or via your podcast app of preference.

Ep 56 – 2022 Recap, Podcast News, Upcoming Projects – H. P. Lovecast Podcast

A Hero Will Endure Cover Reveal and Table of Contents

A Hero Will Endure: Essays at the Twentieth Anniversary of Gladiator has a (draft) cover reveal and a table of contents! Here is the cover (might be slightly changed):

Draft cover.

And here is the table of contents:

  • Introduction: On Comets, Cakes, and Toys – Marking ‘Gladiator Days’ for (More than) Two Decades – Rachel L. Carazo
  • Chapter 1 “A Vital and Adrenalized Contributor”: DreamWorks, Gladiator, and the Establishment of a Movie Studio – Kimberly A. Owczarski
  • Chapter 2 ‘Wailing’ and ‘Moaning’: Gladiator’s Music Phenomenon and Legacy – Matthew Hodge
  • Chapter 3 “What We Do in Life, Echoes in Eternity”: An Ecocritical Reading of the Scenery and Landscapes in Gladiator – Stefano Rozzoni
  • Chapter 4 Maximus – The Twenty-First-Century Hybrid Hero: The Bridge Between Traditional and Counterculture Hero Archetypes in Gladiator – Kristen Leer
  • Chapter 5 “Father! I would butcher the whole world, if you would only love me…”: The Character of Commodus, between Historical Reality and Cinematographic Representation – Livio Lepratto
  • Chapter 6 “Commodus is not a Moral Man”: Nemesis, Narrative Construction, and Historical Reconstruction in Gladiator – James Shelton
  • Chapter 7 Games for the Throne, the Thread of Love, and Women and Heroes: Mythic Gendered Arenas in Gladiator and Game of Thrones – Loraine Haywood
  • Chapter 8 “…But Not Yet”: Reflections on Juba, the Spirit Guide and “Eternal Echo” of Gladiator – Ashley Weaver
  • Chapter 9 Ecce homo heroicus! The Enduring Maximus, Twenty Years On – Peter Burkholder and Krista Jenkins
  • Chapter 10 Roman Religious Figurines that “hear you […] in the afterlife”: Maximus’ Lares, His Vilica, and the Pomerium of Elysium in Gladiator – Rachel L. Carazo
  • Chapter 11 Dance or Dēcēdere: Gladiator and Industrial Music Sampling – Nicholas Diak
  • Chapter 12 Gladiator and Contemporary Roman Customs: The Myth of Maximus on the Roma and Lazio Soccer Fields – Antonio Valerio Spera

The collection is set to be published this February by Vernon Press which has a product/pre-order page.

Citation News

Just discovered that my essay “Assimilate and Manipulate: Industrial Music and Cyberpunk in the Comic Series ‘Shatter’” at We Are The Mutants was cited in an article titled “Soundtracks to a Dying World: Death Grips” at a website called Neon Dystopia. Very cool!

Miscellaneous Tidbits

Queen Esther (1948) Reviewed

Matt Page has a review of the newly resorted 1948 Biblical peplum film Queen Esther starring Ottilie Kruger (in her only non-stage acting role per IMDB) as the titular character (from the Book of Esther).

Screen capture from Matt Page’s article.

The review can be read at Page’s Bible Films Blog.

Double Pulver/Mamatas Lovecraft

This past Friday the 13th turned out to be a lucky day for me because I received not one, but two! Joseph S. Pulver. Sr. edited Lovecraftian anthologies that contain Nick Mamatas autographs.

The first is The Leaves of a Necronomicon which Nick Mamatas graciously autographed to me. Copies can be ordered via this link at Books Inc.

Next is the Dreamlands anthology New Maps of Dream. This anthology was actually released back in 2020, but the edition with autograph pages from the contributors was delayed due to the sheets being lost in the mail. However, this edition is now released and can be purchased at PS Publishing.

One of the autograph pages.

Michele and I did two episodes about New Maps of Dream on the H. P. Lovecast Podcast. The first was our deep dive into the short stories by Scott R. Jones and Matthew M. Bartlett.

Ep 47 – New Maps of Dream: Scott R. Jones and Matthew M. Bartlett – H. P. Lovecast Podcast

The second was our interviews with contributors Kaaron Warren, Christine Morgan, and Matthew M. Bartlett.

HPLCP Transmissions – Ep 09 – Kaaron Warren, Christine Morgan, and Matthew M. Bartlett – H. P. Lovecast Podcast

Emmanuelle à la Crepax

Italian erotic comics artist Guido Crepax has been having his body of work republished by Fantagraphics. At the tale end of 2022 the publisher released The Complete Guido Crepax: Erotic Stories 1 which contains all of his Emmanuelle adaptations:

I had trade paperback editions of Emmanuelle 1 and 3 but missing 2, so having this collection released was an excellent surprise.

Of course, if anyone wants to write about sequential art versions of Emmanuelle, I happen to have a CFP open…..

Funko Toga and Sandal Homer

Michele gifted me this rather adorable Toga and Sandal-themed Funko Homer Simpson named Obeseus.

It’s not shown in this picture, but he’s holding a drumstick. I love it!

Xiphos – The Rise and Fall of Athens

The Rise and Fall of Athens is the debut album of the martial/neo-classical outfit Xiphos.

As can be seen from the cover and title, the neo-peplum album is about Ancient Greece. Two of the members of Xiphos, Miklós Hoffer and Troy Southgate, and also a part of the neo-classical outfit H.E.R.R. who have an album called XII Caesars that explores the same subject matter.

Hoffer was gracious to autograph a copy of the album to me. Copies of the limited edition digipack can be ordered by PayPaling 11.99 euros to mgahoffer AT hotmail.com

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2022 Accomplishments

Happy 2023 everyone!

As with 2021, 2022 was a crazy year. Lots of life stuff: got a new job after 16 or 17 years at my previous job, and bought a house – first house ever! It’s been quite a process and these last few months busy with cleaning, packing, and moving. However, that is all done (well, except unpacking and furnishing) and Michele and I get to start 2023 off in a home with our cats.

I did a 2021 Accomplishments List and looking back on those, I actually got most of them done! Some projects have been delayed, and of course I have items and reviews on my to do list that have been pending for a while.

Now that I’m all settled in in the new house, with my own office, and library of research material close at hand, I look forward to taking a big bite out of 2023!

2022 Accomplishments

Podcast Accomplishments

Publication Accomplishments

  • 5 physical/print publications
  • 19 articles at my website
    • 10 comic book/book/movie reviews/write ups
    • 6 interviews
    • 3 cocktail articles
  • I also made short film called Dinosaur Joke

Conference Accomplishments

  • Co-chaired with Michele the 5th year of the Ann Radcliffe Academic Conference
    • This is also the final year we chair this conference
  • 1 Conference Presentation
    • AnnRadCon
  • 1 Convention Appearance

I’d like to give a shout out to the following folks who have given me platforms to share what I’ve been working on or given me venues to contribute to:

  • Bernie Gonzalez and Pete Charbonneau (Fan2Fan Podcast)
  • Hercules Invictus (Voice of Olympus Network)
  • Ken Holewczynski (Exotica Moderne)
  • James Chambers, Carol Gyzander (Galactic Terrors)
  • Jonathan Maberry (Weird Tales)
  • Kevin Wetmore (Twilight Zone book)
  • Hal and Dee Astell (CoKoCon)
  • Michele Brittany (partner in crime)

You are all greatly appreciated!

2023 Projections

Three days into 2023 and projects are already lining up. Some are carryovers from 2022. Some have been legacy to dos. Some will be brand new. We’ve already been in touch with folks for future episodes of H. P. Lovecast, so expect lots of cool stuff there. I got some looming deadlines for essays for anthology editors, so time to get to work!

Things to look forward to in 2023

  • Publishing of the debut issue of the Footage Fiends zine which contains my essay on the Mario Bava cosmic horror/exotica film, Caltiki: The Immortal Monster.
  • A Hero Will Endure: Essays at the Twentieth Anniversary of Gladiator is slated to be published this February. This contains my essay on industrial bands that sample the film. This book has been a long time in coming, so I am extremely excited to see it published!
  • My CFP for the Emmanuelle / Black Emanuelle project will be open until the spring. Submit, submit, submit!
  • Essay to be published in Weird Tales. Proof was done and turned in.
  • New episodes of H. P. Lovecast Podcast
  • Appearances on the Fan2Fan Podcast
  • Appearance on the Scaredy Cats podcast discussing the film The Final Girls.
  • Being on panels for CoKoCon 2023.

Projects I’ll be starting in 2023

Projects I anticipate to be starting/working on in 2023:

  • Essay on peplum cats for a project for Simon Bacon about cats in cinema (due early spring!)
  • Essay on the Front Line Assembly album Implode and how it samples the films Mimic and Event Horizon (passion idea project)
  • Crossing fingers – get enough submissions for the Emmanuelle project to procure a publisher and get that book off the ground
  • Turning my Acylum/Vikings presentation in a journal article
  • And other legacy items on my to do list…

Thank you to everyone who has been with my on my academic journey, who has read and shared my material or given me platforms. You all rock socks!

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Biweekly News Roundup 2023-01-01

Personal / Website News

Emmanuelle / Black Emanuelle CFP

The Call for Papers for Emmanuelle, Black Emanuelle, and Emmanuelle derivative films is open.

The CFP can found on this page. If you know other scholars who would be interested in this project, please share! I’d be super appreciative to get the word out.

H. P. Lovecast Podcast

Final episode of H. P. Lovecast Podcast for 2022 is online. It is our monthly Transmissions episode and in this one we interview author Jason Rekulak about his novel, Hidden Pictures.

The episode can be streamed at our Buzzsprout website, via the embedded player below, or via your podcast app of preference.

HPLCP Transmissions – Ep 18 – Jason Rekulak – H. P. Lovecast Podcast

We will be resuming our 2+ episodes a month in 2023. Michele and I have been in the process of moving to our first home, so the last few months have been quite hectic preparing for that. However, we are all done (except for lots of unpacking yet to do). Happy to have everyone along for the ride with the podcast and appreciate everyone who has listened and shared.

A Hero Will Endure Preorder

A Hero Will Endure: Essays at the Twentieth Anniversary of Gladiator, is set to be published this February by Vernon Press. The collection contains my essay, “Dance or Dēcēdere: Gladiator and Industrial Music Sampling.” There is no cover art yet, but there is a product/pre-order page at the publisher’s website.

2022 Accomplishments

Much like I did for 2021, I’ll be doing a recap of 2022 accomplishments later this week. Stay tuned!

Miscellaneous Tidbits

Rest in Peplum Ruggero Deodato

Ruggero Deodato, legendary Italian genre director best known for his found footage horror film, Cannibal Holocaust, passed away at the age of 83 (Variety Article). I am a huge appreciator of Deodato’s films and his contribution to cinema. His peplum and sword and sorcery work include:

  • Ursus and the Valley of Lions (1961) (assistant director)
  • Devil of the Desert Against the Sun of Hercules (1964) (assistant director)
  • Hercules, Prisoner of Evil (1964)
  • The Barbarians (1987)

And many collaborations with Antonio Margheriti.

Michele and I recently discussed The Barbarians on Scholars from the Edge of Time, which can be listened/watched at this YouTube link.

One of my favorite Deodato movies is the underrated Cut and Run. Basically, a more palatable version of Cannibal Holocaust. One of my treasures is my copy of Cut and Run autographed by Michael Berryman and Richard Lynch (rest in peplum).

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News Roundup 2022-12-18

Personal / Website News

Emmanuelle / Black Emanuelle CFP

The Call for Papers for Emmanuelle, Black Emanuelle, and Emmanuelle derivative films is open.

Personal copy of Emmanuelle Pie signed by Summer Altice.

The CFP can found on this page. If you know other scholars who would be interested in this project, please share! I’d be super appreciative to get the word out.

Fan2Fan Podcast

The fine folks at Fan2Fan podcast are doing episodes about the best things (movies, books, music, etc.) that came out in 2022.

The first 2022 episode published called “The Best of 2022: Music, Memories, and MST3K.”

The next episode is called “The Best of 2022: Movies, TV, Comics and More.” Bernie, Pete, Josh, Michele and myself are on both of these episodes. Sincere thanks to the Fan2Fan crew for having us!

McFarland Holiday Sale

My publisher, McFarland, is doing a holiday sale for all their titles. Use the code HOLIDAY22 during check out to receive 25% off your order. If you want to order a book I am a part of (for yourself or maybe as a Yuletide gift), here they are:

The New Peplum
Cover art for The New Peplum

A Hero Will Endure Preorder

A Hero Will Endure: Essays at the Twentieth Anniversary of Gladiator, is set to be published this February by Vernon Press. The collection contains my essay, “Dance or Dēcēdere: Gladiator and Industrial Music Sampling.” There is no cover art yet, but there is a product/pre-order page at the publisher’s website.

Footage Fiends #1

Found footage-centric zine Footage Fiends debut issue is slated to be published this month.

This issue contains my essay, “Analisi Della Cosa: Found Footage in Caltiki and Italian Theater Going Practices” and can be pre-ordered at the Footage Fiends Patreon.

Awards Season

Horror/speculative award season is upon us. This year I have two pieces of writing eligible for the various awards out there: 

  • “Strange Realities: Twilight Zone-sploitation in Encounter with the Unknown” in The Many Lives of the Twilight Zone: Essays on the Television and Film Franchise
  • “Analisi Della Cosa: Found Footage in Caltiki and Italian Theater Going Practices”

Thank you for your consideration!

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News

News Roundup 2022-12-11

Personal / Website News

Lots and lots of stuff have suddenly been coming to fruition in December, thus I am doing a news roundup a week later instead of two.

Emmanuelle / Black Emanuelle CFP

The Call for Papers for Emmanuelle, Black Emanuelle, and Emmanuelle derivative films is open.

The CFP can found on this page. If you know other scholars who would be interested in this project, please share! I’d be super appreciative to get the word out.

Fan2Fan Podcast

Fan2Fan Podcast has a new short-form episode online that celebrates Albert Pyun (Rest in Peplum) who recently passed away.

Myself, Bernie, Joshua, Michele, and Pete all share some stories and memories. I share my story of Pyun autographing my Cyborg DVD.

Hi Nick!

Gee, I’m so humbled and honored by your interest in my films. Cyborg was a very tough shoot because originally it was going to be Master of the Universe 2 but that got cancelled. So out came Cyborg!

Thanks so much on your kind support of my work!

-Albert Pyun

A Hero Will Endure Preorder

A Hero Will Endure: Essays at the Twentieth Anniversary of Gladiator, is set to be published this February by Vernon Press. The collection contains my essay, “Dance or Dēcēdere: Gladiator and Industrial Music Sampling.” There is no cover art yet, but there is a product/pre-order page at the publisher’s website.

Footage Fiends #1 Cover Reveal

Found footage-centric zine Footage Fiends did a cover reveal of their debut issue which comes out this month!

This issue contains my essay, “Analisi Della Cosa: Found Footage in Caltiki and Italian Theater Going Practices” and can be pre-ordered at the Footage Fiends Patreon.

McFarland Holiday Sale

My publisher, McFarland, is doing a holiday sale for all their titles. Use the code HOLIDAY22 during check out to receive 25% off your order. If you want to order a book I am a part of (for yourself or maybe as a Yuletide gift), here they are:

The New Peplum

Awards Season

Horror/speculative award season is upon us. This year I have two pieces of writing eligible for the various awards out there:

  • “Strange Realities: Twilight Zone-sploitation in Encounter with the Unknown” in The Many Lives of the Twilight Zone: Essays on the Television and Film Franchise
  • “Analisi Della Cosa: Found Footage in Caltiki and Italian Theater Going Practices”

Thank you for your consideration!

Post Social Media

I’ve created an account under the beta-version of Post. It can be found here if you want to follow. I also have my account at Tribel which can be found here if you want to follow that one.

Categories
News

Biweekly News Roundup 2022-12-04

Personal / Website News

Life Stuff

Apologies in advance that original writing here at my website has been sparse. Michele and I recently bought a house and we are in the process of moving in. The vast majority of my library is in boxes at the new place. We will be moved in by the end of the month with January being spent unpacking and getting settled. After that, I’ll be up and running again, writing content here but for other venues and projects as well.

Despite this, LOTS of cool stuff is still going on. Read below!

Emmanuelle / Black Emanuelle CFP

The Call for Papers for the Emmanuelle, Black Emanuelle, and Emmanuelle derivative films is open.

The CFP can found on this page. If you know other scholars who would be interested in this project, please share! I’d be super appreciative to get the word out.

New H. P. Lovecast Podcast Episode

A brand new episode of H. P. Lovecast Podcast is online.

This is our monthly Transmissions episode, however we did a longer form interview instead of a handful of smaller ones. Our interview is with P. L. McMillan and her new novella, Sisters of the Crimson Vine. The episode can be streamed at the H. P. Lovecast Buzzsprout page, via the embedded player below, or via your podcast app of preference.

HPLCP Transmissions – Ep 17 – P. L. McMillan – H. P. Lovecast Podcast

For December we are going to do a recap episode where Michele and I talk about projects completed this year, upcoming news, podcast news, and so on.

A Hero Will Endure Update

A few years in the making, but the collection, A Hero Will Endure: Essays at the Twentieth Anniversary of Gladiator, is set to be published this February by Vernon Press. This book contains my essay, “Dance or Dēcēdere: Gladiator and Industrial Music Sampling.” There is no cover art yet, but there is a product/pre-order page at the publisher’s website.

Footage Fiends Issue 1

Pre-orders are open for the first issue of the Footage Fiends zine. I have a short essay in this debut issue (tentatively) titled “Analisi Della Cosa: Found Footage in Caltiki and Italian Theater Going Practices.”

Issues are tied to tiers at the Footage Fiends Patreon: $5 digital and $10 for physical with issues being published quarterly.

A promotional clip for the Zine can be found on the Footage Fields Twitter:

Check it all out and consider supporting!

Awards Season

Horror/speculative award season is upon us. This year I really only have one piece of writing eligible for the various awards out there: my essay “Strange Realities: Twilight Zone-sploitation in Encounter with the Unknown” in The Many Lives of the Twilight Zone: Essays on the Television and Film Franchise. Thank you for your interest/consideration!

New Scholars from the Edge of Time

Michele and I appeared on Hercules Invictus’ Sword and Sandal cinema the last Thursday of November. I talked about the “City of Evil” episode of Thundarr the Barbarian while Michele talked about Ouja Mummy and Luxor. The episode can be heard via BlogTalkRadio.

Tribel Social Media

With all the brouhaha happening at Twitter, I’ve decided to start checking out alternative social medias. Unfortunately my iPhone is at capacity so I cannot install the app-only Hive social media. I’m on a waitlist for Post. However, I did setup an account at Tribel, which can be found here. Tribel is pretty much a ghost town right now, but I’ll wait and see what happens. Come give me a follow if you’re on the platform.

Miscellaneous Tidbits

Mimic Soundtrack (And Plans)

Record Store Day had a Black Friday event this year. There was one vinyl I was really, really gunning for, and that was the new LP of the Mimic soundtrack, composed by Marco Beltrami. When I got to Zia Records, there was only one copy on the shelf and I snagged that bad boy.

Michele and I talked about Mimic and Mimic 2 on our H. P. Lovecast Podcast (check them out – links on the titles) and plan on doing Mimic 3 next year.

I have other plans for the Mimic soundtrack. The first Front Line Assembly album I ever bought was Implode which contains much sampling of dialogue and music cues from both Mimic and Event Horizon. It’s been on the idea board to write *something* about this. We shall see what I come up with.

Elmer Batters Polaroid

I am a huge fan of the stockings photography of Elmer Batters. Back in 2015 Michele and I were able to visit an Elmer Batters and Eric Stanton exhibit that Taschen Books was curating in LA. Lots of great art and photography, and polaroids too!

There was an option to buy the polaroids, but at that point I didn’t have the funds to do so.

Fast forward to autumn 2022 and I was able to work with Taschen to procure a an original Batters Polaroid:

Elmer Batters, unknown model.

The polaroid was taken in the 1970s and it is awesome. The model is unfortunately unknown. It’s a fairly conservative Batters piece and I adore it.

The back of the frame the polaroid came in was autographed by Dian Hanson, known for many of the pinup books and Big Book Ofs that Taschen published (I cited her Big Butt Book for my masters thesis). Sincere thanks to Bernard at Taschen for coordinating all of this.

Rest in Peplum

French actress Mylène Demongeot passed away on December 1st (Deadline Article).

Promotional image from IMDB.

She starred in peplum and peplum-adjacent films such as:

  • The Giant of Marathon (1959)
  • Romulus and the Sabines (1961)
  • Gold for the Caesars (1963)