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Ghoulies
''Ghoulies'' is a 1985 American horror film, directed by Luca Bercovici in his directorial debut. The film was 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. The film follows a young man named Jonathan Graves who, after inheriting his satanic father's estate, becomes seduced by its occult secrets. It is the first film in the ''Ghoulies'' film series. Plot Malcolm Graves, the leader of a satanic cult, is about to sacrifice his child Jonathan when his mother, Anastasia, places a protective talisman around Jonathan's neck. Malcolm orders a participant named Wolfgang to take the child away, and sacrifices her instead. 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. They throw a party. Jonathan recruits his friends to perform a ri ... [...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 ''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. ''Ghoulies'' was pitched as a one-location horror film by director Luca Bercovici and his writing partner Jefery Levy to Charles Band by Bercovici. The film premiered in Los Angeles on January 18, 1985, and in New York on March 1. According to st ... [...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 of Bercovici's earliest involvements in filmmaking, he spent six months in Japan as a dialogue director for the miniseries, ''Shōgun (1980 miniseries), Shogun'' (1980), working primarily with the leading actress, Yoko Shimada, Yôko Shimada, who was subsequently awarded the Golden Globe Awards, 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 during the 1980s and the 1990s. Bercovici has also written for Aaron Spelling Productions, Trimark Pictures, Trimark, Warner Bros., Warner Bros, Tapestry Films and many other production companies throughout his career. In 1985, he made his directorial debut with the comedy horror film ''Ghoulies' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Empire International Pictures
Empire International Pictures (also known as Empire Entertainment) was an American independent 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 ... [...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 International Pictures, 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 (film series)#Ghoulies II (1988), Ghoulies II'', and the cult classic ''Re-Animator''. Empire folded in 1988, due to financial difficulties. Band would found Full Moon Features, Full Moon Productions the same year. Full Moon releases include the Puppet Master (film series), ''Puppet Master'' and ''Subspecies (film series), Subspecies'' series. Full Moon's family-oriented label Moonbeam Entertainment released the ''Prehysteria! (film series), Prehysteria!'' trilogy. Personal lif ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Des Barres
Michael Philip Des Barres, 26th Marquis Des Barres, (born 24 January 1948) is an English actor and pop singer. He appeared as Murdoc in the original ''MacGyver'', Lenny Stoke in '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'', and Murdoc's mentor Nicholas Helman in ''MacGyver'' (2016). He replaced Robert Palmer in the band the Power Station, fronting the band at the 1985 Live Aid concert. Early life The only child of Philip and Irene Des Barres (Marquis and Marquise 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, after rescuing King Philip II of France during the Battle of Bouvines in 1214. Career Music Des Barres started his musical career in the glam rock ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Victoria Catlin
Victoria Catlin (née Shechter, September 23, 1952 – February 28, 2024) was an American actress best known for her roles as Blackie O'Reilly in the television series ''Twin Peaks,'' and in films as Anastasia in '' Ghoulies'' (1985), Ellen Forrest in ''Maniac Cop'' (1988), and Dr. Catherine Peake in '' Howling V: The Rebirth'' (1989). Life and career Victoria Shechter was born in Moline, Illinois on September 23, 1952. She was 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 ''Maniac Cop'' is a 1988 American slasher film directed by William Lustig, written by Larry Cohen, and starring Tom Atkins, Bruce Campbell, Laurene Landon, Richard Roundtree, William Smith, Robert Z'Dar, and Sheree North. Z'Dar plays the titl ...'' (1988), Dr. Catherine Peake in '' Howling V: The Rebirth'' (1989), and Anastasia in '' Ghoulies'' (1985). She was also in ''Mutant on the Bou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lisa Pelikan
Lisa Pelikan (born July 12, 1954) 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 theatre, 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 (1977 film), Julia''. She subsequently starred in the horror film ''Jennifer (1978 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 July 12, 1954 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 Czechs, Czech descent. At age six, Pelikan was diagnosed with a bone tumor i ... [...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 during her career. Walker was one of the first female composers to earn a solo score credit on a major Hollywood motion picture (preceded by Suzanne Ciani for 1981's '' The Incredible Shrinking Woman'') 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 herself. She won two Emmy Awards during her career, while the ASCAP Shirley Walker Award was created in her honor in 2014. Early life Walker (née Rogers) was born in Napa, California, on April 10, 1945. Her father was an industrial patternmaker for the U.S. Navy, and her mother gave piano lessons while raising five children. She grew up in Napa Valley and Contra C ... [...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. the E ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stan Winston
Stanley Winston (April 7, 1946 – June 15, 2008) was an American television and film special make-up effects artist, best known for his work in the ''Terminator'' series, the first three '' Jurassic Park'' films, '' Aliens'', '' The Thing'', the first two '' Predator'' films, '' Inspector Gadget'', ''Iron Man'', and '' Edward Scissorhands''.Cohen, David S. (2008)"Effects master Stan Winston dies. Work included ''Jurassic Park'', ''Terminator''" '' Variety.'' Penske Media Corporation''.'' Retrieved June 16, 2008. Crabtree, Sheigh (June 16, 2008)"Stan Winston, dead at 62; Oscar-winning visual effects artist suffered from multiple myeloma" ''Los Angeles Times''. Retrieved June 16, 2008.Stan Winston Studio (2008). "Press Release". ''Los Angeles Times.'' June 16, 2008. Retrieved June 16, 2008. He won four Academy Awards for his work. Winston, a frequent collaborator with directors James Cameron, Steven Spielberg and Tim Burton, owned several effects studios, including Stan Win ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jefery Levy
Jefery Levy (born May 21, 1958) is an American film and television director, producer, and writer, based in Beverly Hills, California. Career In 1985, while a graduate student at UCLA, Levy wrote and produced the low-budget hit '' Ghoulies'', a horror-comedy film. He has produced and directed dozens of TV and film projects over a span of three decades, and he is most recently known for the 2015 film ''ME'', which he directed, produced, wrote, and starred. Levy's debut feature was ''Drive'' (1991), starring Academy Award nominee David Warner, and it won the FIPRESCI Award at the 48th Venice International Film Festival. ''The Key'' Levy's 2014 film adaption of the novel '' The Key'' by the Japanese writer Junichiro Tanizaki premiered at the Real Experiment Film Festival at the Laemmle Music Hall Theater in Beverly Hills. '' The Key'' explores the twisted sexual life and marriage of a Los Angeles couple through their private journals in an explicit cinematic portrayal. Teaching a ... [...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. His sister, Carolyn Jean Thomson Casanave.1 was a musical theater artist who appeared as Carolyn McCurry. She created the role of Raven in the Broadway production of "The Robber Bridegroom." 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), which he reprised in '' Police Academy 3: Back in Training'' (1986) and '' Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol'' (1987). He played Dan Huber in the 2015 film ''Greater''. Filmography * '' The Greatest American Hero'' (1981) – Young Boy * '' Jessica Novak'' (1981) � ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
