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Ghoulies
''Ghoulies'' is a 1985 American horror comedy film directed by Luca Bercovici in his directorial debut, and co-written with producer Jefery Levy. It stars Peter Liapis, Lisa Pelikan, Michael Des Barres, Jack Nance, Scott Thomson, and Mariska Hargitay in her film debut. It is the first film in the ''Ghoulies'' film series and was followed by three sequels. Plot During a ceremony with a satanic cult, Malcolm, the leader, is about to sacrifice his child named Jonathan Graves when his mother, Anastasia, places a talisman around his neck that shocks Malcolm. He orders a participant named Wolfgang to take the child away, and sacrifices her instead. At some point, Malcolm died and the cultists disbanded. Twenty-five years later, an adult Jonathan and his girlfriend Rebecca inherit his late father's estate, where they find several books on magic and a basement full of occult paraphernalia. When they later throw a party and invite their friends, Jonathan recruits them to perform a ritu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ghoulies (film Series)
''Ghoulies'' is an American comedy horror film series that consists of four films released from 1985 to 1994. The films center on a group of small demonic creatures that have a wide range of twisted appearances. Films Overview ''Ghoulies'' (1985) The plot of this film centers on Jonathan Graves (Peter Liapis), a college student who uncovers his late father's occult paraphernalia in his family's mansion. Graves tries to summon up the demonic forces his father dabbled with, in hopes of gaining supernatural powers. Consequently, the little Ghoulies are summoned to descend on the manor and terrorize everyone who participated in the ritual. The film also stars Lisa Pelikan, Michael Des Barres, Jack Nance, and Mariska Hargitay in her film debut. Contrary to popular belief, ''Ghoulies'' did not originate under the unproduced Stan Winston and Charles Band project ''Beasties''. It had originated as a one-location horror film by director Luca Bercovici and his writing partner Jefe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Luca Bercovici
Luca Bercovici (born February 22, 1957) is an American filmmaker, writer, producer and actor. In 1979, as part Bercovici's earliest involvements in filmmaking he spent six months in Japan as a dialogue director for the miniseries, ''Shogun'' (1980), working primarily with the leading actress, Yôko Shimada, who was subsequently awarded the Golden Globe for her performance. Bercovici's acting career began in television with roles in '' Chicago Story'' and the made-for-TV movie '' Death of a Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story'' with Jamie Lee Curtis and went on to starring in several more feature films of various genres in the 80's and 90's. Bercovici has also written for Aaron Spelling Productions S Trimark, Warner Bros, Tapestry Films and many other production companies throughout his career. In 1984, he made his directorial debut with the comedy horror film ''Ghoulies'' (1984), which he also co-wrote. Until recently, Bercovici had been based in Hungary, Budapest for over ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Empire International Pictures
Empire International Pictures (aka Empire Entertainment) was an American small-scale theatrical distribution company. Charles Band formed Empire in 1983, prompted by his dissatisfaction with distributors' handling of films made by his previous business, Charles Band International Productions. Empire produced and distributed a number of low-budget horror and fantasy feature films, including ''Re-Animator'', ''Troll'', ''Ghoulies'', ''Trancers'', and '' From Beyond''. History Early years (1983–1984) Sensing the emerging theatrical market for independently produced horror and science-fiction films, producer Charles Band decided to create a small production company to compete with the major Hollywood studios. The name ''Empire Pictures'' first surfaced in May 1983 at the Cannes Film Festival, where Band sought funding for ''Parasite II'', a proposed sequel to his successful movie ''Parasite'' (1982). Initial Empire productions included ''Swordkill'' (aka ''Ghost Warrior'') an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charles Band
Charles Robert Band (born December 27, 1951) is an American film producer and director, known for his work on horror comedy movies. Career Band entered film production in the 1970s with Charles Band Productions. Dissatisfied with distributors' handling of his movies, he formed Empire Pictures in 1983. At its height, Empire would release an average of two films a month, one theatrically and one on home video. Movies released by Empire included ''Ghoulies'' and ''Ghoulies II'', and the cult classic ''Re-Animator''. Empire folded in 1988, due to financial difficulties. Band would found Full Moon Productions the same year. Full Moon releases include the ''Puppet Master'' and ''Subspecies'' series. Full Moon's family-oriented label Moonbeam Entertainment released the '' Prehysteria!'' trilogy. Personal life Band was born in Los Angeles, California. He is the son of director-producer Albert Band, and brother of composer Richard. Band's grandfather was the artist Max Band. With ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Des Barres
Michael Philip Des Barres (born 24 January 1948), the 26th Marquis Des Barres, is an English actor and rock singer. He appeared as Murdoc in the original ''MacGyver'', Nicholas Helman, Murdoc's mentor, on the new reboot of ''MacGyver'' (2016) and replaced Robert Palmer in the band the Power Station, fronting the band at the 1985 Live Aid concert. Early life The only child of Marquis Philip and Marquise Irene Des Barres, Michael Philip Des Barres was born and brought up in Hove, Sussex. He attended Repton School, a boarding school in Derbyshire, and went on to attend the Corona Academy drama school in London and appeared in several plays. He has some French ancestry. His title of Marquis was bestowed upon a 13th-century ancestor Guillaume II Des Barres, a French knight. Guillaume II Des Barres was bestowed the title of Marquis after rescuing the king Philip II of France during the Battle of Bouvines in 1214. Career Music Following the break-up of Detective in 1978, Des Barre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lisa Pelikan
Lisa Pelikan is an American stage, film, and television actress. Born in Berkeley, California, Pelikan studied drama at the Juilliard School on a full scholarship. She subsequently made her Broadway debut in a 1977 production of ''Romeo and Juliet''. The same year, she appeared as the younger version of Vanessa Redgrave's title character in the film ''Julia''. She subsequently starred in the horror film ''Jennifer'' (1978). Her other film credits include ''Ghoulies'' (1985) and ''Return to the Blue Lagoon'' (1991). Life and career Early life Pelikan was born in Berkeley, California, the daughter of Helen L., a psychologist, and Robert G. Pelikan, an international economist who served as the minister-counselor from the United States at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris. She is of Czech descent. At age six, Pelikan was diagnosed with a bone tumor in her leg, which was treated with surgery. Due to her father's work, Pelikan spent her childhood in s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tamara De Treaux
Tamara Detro (October 21, 1959 – November 28, 1990), known by the stage name Tamara De Treaux, was an American stage and screen actress. She was best known for her role in film '' E.T. the Extra Terrestrial''. She stood 31 inches tall and had dwarfism. Career De Treaux played one of the three creatures in John Newland's horror TV movie '' Don't Be Afraid of the Dark'' (1973), which was her first film role. Making the prosthetics for De Treaux to play a "gnome-like creature" took some special adaptations, according to John Chambers. After ''Don't Be Afraid of the Dark'', she played on stage in the Dickens Faire and also did commercials. For '' Little Miss Marker'' (1980), she worked as a stand-in for the child actress. De Treaux later worked with a singing group in San Francisco called the Medflies in 1980. At one of the Medflies' performance in Los Angeles, she was noticed by Steven Spielberg. She became one of the performers who played E.T. in Spielberg's film '' E.T. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Victoria Catlin
Victoria Catlin (born Victoria Shechter on September 23, 1952) is a retired actress best known for her roles as Blackie O'Reilly in ''Twin Peaks,'' Ellen Forrest in ''Maniac Cop,'' Dr. Catherine Peake in '' Howling V: The Rebirth'', and Anastasia in ''Ghoulies''. Career She is best known for her roles as Blackie O'Reilly, the madam of One-Eyed Jacks, in ''Twin Peaks'', Ellen Forrest (wife of Bruce Campbell's character) in ''Maniac Cop'', Dr. Catherine Peake in '' Howling V: The Rebirth'', and Anastasia in ''Ghoulies''. She was also in ''Mutant on the Bounty.'' She additionally appeared in the movies ''Slow Burn'' and ''Maid to Order ''Maid to Order'' is a 1987 American comedy/fantasy film. It is a variation on the Cinderella formula, where the fairy godmother is not the means to a better life for the heroine, but rather the nemesis. Rather than doing so out of malice, thoug ...'', and in the TV shows ''Amazing Stories'' and ''Adam-12''. Filmography Film Televis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mariska Hargitay
Mariska Magdolna Hargitay (; born January 23, 1964) is an American actress, director and philanthropist. The daughter of bodybuilder and actor Mickey Hargitay and actress Jayne Mansfield, her accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award, a People's Choice Award and a Golden Globe Award. Hargitay made her film debut in the 1985 horror comedy film ''Ghoulies'' and her major television debut in the 1986 adventure drama series ''Downtown''. She appeared in numerous film and television roles throughout the 1980s and 1990s, before landing the starring role of Olivia Benson on the NBC drama series '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (1999–present), for which she has received widespread acclaim. Outside of acting, she founded the Joyful Heart Foundation, which provides support to people who have been sexually abused. Early life Hargitay was born at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, the daughter of actress and 1950s-era sex symbol Jayne Mansfield. Her ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shirley Walker
Shirley Anne Walker (née Rogers; April 10, 1945 – November 30, 2006) was an American film and television composer and conductor. She was one of the few female film score composers working in Hollywood. Walker was one of the first female composers to earn a solo score credit on a major Hollywood motion picture (preceded by Suzanne Ciani, 1981) and according to the ''Los Angeles Times'', is remembered as a pioneer for women in the film industry. Walker often wrote her film scores entirely by hand, and always orchestrated and conducted her own scores by herself. She won two Emmy Awards during her career, while the ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ... Shirley Walker Award was created in her honor in 2014. Early life and family Walker (née Rogers) was bor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ralph Seymour (actor)
Ralph Seymour (born May 4, 1956) is an American film, stage, and television actor. He began his career in theater, starring on Broadway in a production of Peter Shaffer's '' Equus''. His early film credits include ''Underground Aces'', ''Longshot'', '' Back Roads'', '' Just Before Dawn'' (all 1981). Seymour also had supporting roles in ''Killer Party'' (1986), ''Empire of the Sun'' (1987), and ''Rain Man'' (1988). Biography Seymour was born in Lansing, Illinois, the third of five children. He graduated from Thornton Fractional South High School in Lansing in 1974, and was active performing in school plays and community theater. Seymour relocated to New York City, where he appeared on Broadway as Alan Strang in a production of Peter Shaffer's '' Equus'' between 1976 and 1977. He appeared in the short-lived sitcom '' Makin' It'' (1979) before making his film debut in ''Underground Aces'' (1981). Next, he co-starred with Leif Garrett and Linda Manz in the television film ''Longshot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scott Thomson (actor)
Scott Thomson (born October 29, 1957) is an American actor. He has appeared in the films ''Twister'' (1996), ''Ghoulies'' (1985), ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' (1982) and ''Police Academy'' (1984). Early life Thomson was born on October 29, 1957. He graduated from Lowell High School in Whittier, California in 1972. Career His film appearances include ''Parasite'', ''Jack Frost'', ''Clockstoppers'', and '' It Runs in the Family''. Thomson played the role of Chad Copeland in the 1984 movie ''Police Academy'' (1984), a role in which he reprised in '' Police Academy 3: Back in Training'' (1986) and '' Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol'' (1987). Filmography * ''The Greatest American Hero'' (1981) – Young Boy * ''Jessica Novak'' (1981) – Richie * ''Parasite'' (1982) – Chris * ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' (1982) – Arnold * ''T. J. Hooker'' (1982) – Deke * '' Frightmare'' (1983) – Bobo * ''Police Academy'' (1984) – Cadet Chad Copeland * ''Ghoulies'' (1985) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
