#michael berryman

[slithergaunt]

When I was selling art at conventions, one of the perks is being able to occasionally meet a broad range of celebrities. I've met several, but 3 stand out to me as being very special.

In days of old, the first-ever film celebrity I met was Michael Berryman. You might know him (you BETTER know him) from the original The Hills Have Eyes, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, and The Guyver.

He was a really awesome guy, very sweet, very funny, and fun to chill with. I gave him a portrait I drew of his character from The Guyver. As you can see, this was back when I had hair and when cell-phone pics weren't terribly crisp. Nevertheless, my friend and I had a blast meeting him and hearing his stories. If you get a chance to meet the guy, do so.

Not long after that, in 2011 I met THE Doug Jones, star of basically everything Guillermo del Toro has ever made, like Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth, and Shape Of Water. Doug was unbelievably sweet and nice, and to my surprise, will lift you into the air for your photo op. This is both because I only weighed MAYBE 100 pounds back then, and the fact that Doug is physically very strong. He also ACTUALLY stopped by my table to look at my art, which was a huge thrill. If you get a chance to meet the guy, do so.

And lastly, here's the one that probably meant the most to me. This one is much more recent, 2015 (hence the baldness) and the most unexpected. I was walking around GenCon and suddenly, there's Trace Beaulieu. My brain shit its pants. The original Crow from Mystery Science Theater 3000. He was a delight to meet, very generous and funny, as you'd expect. Crow himself was kind of aloof.

I did my best to politely, CALMLY, tell Trace how important his work has been to me and how he's enriched my life over the years. I didn't break down and weep over the fact that his humor and heart helped me find the will to go on living during the darkest points in my life, but I think I gave him the general gist. At least as much as was appropriate in public.

He's a swell dude, one of the kindest, funniest people in space-time as we know it. If you get a chance to meet the guy, do so.

[scribblescrabbledepartment]

i Have to draw cute men or else ill die (it looks better in person i prommy😭😭😭)

[ID: a drawing of Michael Berryman as Pluto in The Hills Have Eyes. the first image shows my hand holding the drawing, which is just over a square inch, and the second just shows the drawing.]

[ho1000c]

Rob Zombie behind the scenes with the cast of The Devil's Rejects

[charleslee-valentine]

horror icons with their pets 💕 part 2

[smashorpassgilf]

Has anyone submitted Michael Berryman? My friend doesn't get it but I think he's cute

[esqueletosgays]

DEADLY BLESSING (1981)

Director: Wes Craven Cinematography: Robert Jessup

[loveboatinsanity]

[creepynostalgy]

Michael Berryman in The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

[brokehorrorfan]

4K UHD Review: The Guyver

Following in the wildly successful footsteps of Batman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Guyver takes a (relatively) grounded approach to its outlandish source material — in this case, a Japanese manga series — without divorcing itself from its comic book roots. Produced by Brian Yuzna (Re-Animator, Society), the 1991 film is directed by special effects wizards Screaming Mad George (Society, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master) and Steve Wang (Predator, The Monster Squad).

As the Star Wars-esque expository opening crawl explains, mankind was created by aliens as an organic weapon. The evil Chronos corporation is further developing a technology that allows humans to change into "super monster soldiers" known as Zoanoids for world domination. The only viable defense against them is The Unit, a piece of bio-booster alien armor that increases a human's natural powers a hundredfold, turning them into The Guyver.

Mark Hamill's top billing may lead you to believe that he's the titular hero, but he instead plays a supporting role as a CIA agent investigating Chronos. The real lead is Jack Armstrong (Student Bodies) as Sean Barker, an amateur martial artist who's the only person that can activate The Unit. When his girlfriend (Vivian Wu, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III) is endangered, Sean utilizes his newfound powers to take down Chronos and the Zoanoids.

Armstrong is a bland lead, but it's not entirely his fault. In addition to a mustachioed Hamill channeling Colombo, he has to compete with several scene-stealing character actors. Re-Animator's David Gale chews the scenery as the malevolent head of Chronos, briefly reuniting with Jeffrey Combs as the company's scientist, Dr. East (get it?). Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes) plays Gale's right-hand Zoanoid with Jimmie Walker (Good Times) as his rapping goon. Linnea Quigley (The Return of the Living Dead) cameos as a scream queen.

But the real stars of the show are the creatures, the designs of which showcase boundless creativity. The Guyver looks like Ultraman by way of Clive Barker, and each Zoanoid adopts a different animal's traits. While a number of other artists were employed to pull off the myriad of monsters, George and Wang's fingerprints are all over the effects, imbuing the alien superhero movie with some disturbing body-horror.

Jon Purdy's script deviates significantly from source material not only in terms of story but also tone. While some of the manga's dark atmosphere and violence remain intact, it's undercut by goofy humor in an attempt to appeal to a younger demographic. Fans of Yoshiki Takaya's original creation were no doubt disappointed (Wang attempted a bit of a course correction with his 1994 sequel, Guyver: Dark Hero), but the tonal confusion is actually charming.

Originally cut down to a PG-13 rating in the US, The Guyver has been newly restored in 4K from the original, R-rated 35mm camera negative with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 options for Unearthed Films' 4K UHD + Blu-ray release. Far removed from the days of Jaws and Alien in which the monster was largely hidden in shadows, George and Wang put their creations on full display — and even with a crystal-clear restoration, the in-camera effects shine.

Two new audio commentaries are included. The first is a lively one with George and Wang, moderated by Budget Biomorphs: The Making of The Guyver Films author Dom O’Brien. It's not the most informative track — the filmmakers admit to not having seen the film in over two decades — but they're enjoying themselves so much that it hardly matters. The second commentary features creature crew members "Evil" Ted Smith and Wyatt Weed, who delve into the nitty-gritty of the effects.

Yuzna and George each sit down for thorough new interviews. Yuzna reveals that he's been approached about a remake, but the rights are complicated, while George's infectious energy lasts the entire 56 (!) minutes. Creature suit camera test footage is included with commentary options from George and Wang or Smith and Weed, while outtakes and a gag reel feature George and Wang commentary.

Other extras include: alternate title sequences in English, German and Spanish; English, German, Spanish, and French trailers (all carrying the alternate title Mutronics); and extensive promotional and production galleries. The collector's edition also comes with the soundtrack CD composed by Matthew Morse (Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker) and a booklet featuring liner notes by O’Brien and Morse.

The Guyver is available now on 4K UHD via Unearthed Films.

[omercifulheaves]

The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

[skatingthinandice]

— Angels in America

[ x x x x x ]

[x-files-polls]

Joan Gauthier: I got way too invested in her and her husband's relationship. They seemed really sweet together and I hope they made it through the whole black-oil-possession okay

Owen Lee Jarvis: Brings up interesting themes of religion and sanctity

Don't like this propaganda? Reblog it with your own or send some in my askbox

Piper Maru: When a French salvage ship sends a diving crew to recover a mysterious wreckage from World War II, the crew falls prey to a bizarre illness and Agents Mulder and Scully join the investigation. The investigation leads to the discovery of a familiar face, and to Skinner's life being threatened.

Revelations: Mulder tracks a series of religiously motivated homicides. Each of the eleven victims claims to have been stigmatic but all turned out to be frauds. When Mulder and Scully discover a little boy displaying inexplicable wounds of religious significance, they try to protect him from the killer they know will be coming.

[weirdlookindog]

Michael Berryman in The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

[we-will-swallow-your-soul]

~ Smoking in the boy's room ~

🎶 Smoking in the boys room Smoking in the boy's room Now teacher, don't you fill me up with your rule Cause everybody knows that smoking ain't allowed in school 🎶

[slimewalk]

[patart-illustrations-stuff]

TRUST NO ONE

The X-Files 30th Anniversary