FILM 1707: TALES OF TERROR

TRIVIA: The "Black Cat" segment was recycled for The Comedy of Terrors (1963) (even the presence of a meddlesome cat). Many of the same actors appear in both films, only here Peter Lorre plays the drunk married to devoted Joyce Jameson, with Vincent Priceintroduced as the third member of the triangle; in "Comedy of Terrors" Price and Lorre exchange roles, and Jameson essentially repeats her performance. Not only that, but Price's line "What place is this?" from the "M. Valdemar" segment of "Tales of Terror" is recycled as a running gag for Basil Rathbone in "Comedy of Terrors".

FILM 1549: SPIRITS OF THE DEAD

TRIVIA: The film was originally to have been directed by Orson Welles, Luis Buñuel and Federico Fellini.

Peter O'Toole was originally cast as Toby Dammit. After he pulled out, Federico Fellini contacted a London casting agency and asked them to send the most decadent actors they had to Rome to see him. They sent Terence Stamp and James Fox, and Fellini chose Stamp.

Only film to feature siblings Jane Fonda and Peter Fonda. They play cousins.

FILM 1488: TORTURE GARDEN 

TRIVIA: Despite being present from opening and also top billed, Jack Palance does not speak until 75 minutes into the film.

Columbia financed this film and insisted that two American actors be cast. Therefore, the initial casting of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee was changed to that of Jack Palance and Burgess Meredith.

Film 1040: Phantasm

Trivia: The mansion used for the exterior shots of the mausoleum was also seen in the James Bond film A View to a Kill (1985), and also the 1976 horror film Burnt Offerings (1976).

The "ball" scenes were simple special effects. The sphere was being guided around a corner by a fishing line. The sphere was thrown from behind the camera by a baseball pitcher and then the shot was printed in reverse. The ball attaching itself to the man's head was filmed by sticking it on his head, then pulling it off, and printing the shot in reverse.

Don Coscarelli rented all of the filming equipment used to make this movie, always on Fridays so he could use it all weekend and return it on Mondays, all the while only actually having to pay one day's rental on the equipment.

Don Coscarelli took the title "Phantasm" from the works of Edgar Allan Poe. It is a term frequently used by Poe in his writings.

The song played on the front porch by Reggie and Jody, 'Sittin' Here At Midnight', was actually composed by Bill Thornbury himself.

Film 799: The Raven

Trivia: Ewan McGregor (as Edgar Allan Poe) and Jeremy Renner (as Inspector Emmet Fields) were originally attached to star, but dropped out. 

Joaquin Phoenix was at one point in negotiations to star in the project together withJeremy Renner. Phoenix would have played Poe to Renner's police inspector Fields, but the deal fell through when Renner decided to do Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol.