The Fan (1996) - Newspaper Ad [San Francisco Examiner]

August 11, 1996

Not a remake of the 1981 Lauren Bacall starring pseudo-slasher, adapted from the epistolary novel by Bob Randall, but an all-new story. One that was adapted from an entirely different novel written by Peter Abrahams, but just so happened to have the same title.

Robert De Niro plays Gil Renard, a baseball obsessed loser with anger management issues and an oh-so-tenuous grasp on reality. While a pre-Blade Wesley Snipes gets tasked with playing Bobby Rayburn, the embodiment, and thus the brutal focus, of Renard's obsessions and frustrations. 

Rayburn has hit a slump just as Renard's life starts to spiral out of whatever semblance of control it had remaining. Psychosis infused shenanigans ensue.

But what proved most memorable about this film was the scene where De Niro's character has make a "quick trip" from Candlestick (which was still standing at that point) over to Oakland, for a disastrous sales meeting, and back via the Bay Bridge. Somehow taking the same Oakland bound route in both directions...
 

Alien 3 (1992) - Trading Card #60

Weyland-Yutani File No. M32201

Officer:    Johnathan Clemens

Occupation:    medical officer, 3-C rating

Notes:     former Morphine addict, served seven-year prison sentence at Fiorina 161 for negligent manslaughter.

Somewhat distinguishable bald guy #1

Because Clemens, um, interacted with Ripley more than most of the other prisoners and supporting characters, he stood out a bit and even proved somewhat memorable. Thanks in large part to performing the infamous Newt autopsy and delivering a tragic backstory monologue about how he came to be at Fiorina 161... just before being dispatched by the Xenomorph. So it goes.

 

Manhunter (1986) - Newspaper Ad [Oakland Tribune]

August 10, 1986

Thief had made me something of a Michael Mann fan, although the artistic and narrative choices he made adapting F. Paul Wilson's The Keep both baffled and frustrated me. The same applies for this adaptation of the bestselling thriller Red Dragon by Thomas Harris.

While there were definitely things I liked and admired about the film. I thought it fell short of capturing the darker and more harrowing aspects of its source material. In 1986, when I watched the film on home video, I thought it seemed to be a failure on Mann's part. Nowadays, however, I think it has more to do with how certain aspects of the story that most resonated with me could not be translated from the page to the screen and retain what had made them so powerful when I experienced them as a reader.

Learning to let go of that perceptual intimacy from when I read a story and to appreciate a filmmaker's unique interpretation of said work would take me a few decades to accept and even embrace.
 

Fright Flicks - Sticker #5

 

Alien 3 (1992) - Trading Card #59

Weyland-Yutani File No. 121156

Prisoner:    Thomas Murphy

Offense:    grand theft, space vehicle

Distinguishing Marks:    none

Notes:    well-behaved, quite protective of his dog

Indistinguishable Bald Dude #1. 

I think it is equal parts hilarious and necessary to have these cards handy so one can get an idea of who these indistinguishable bald dudes are.
 

Fright Flicks - Sticker #4

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 Dream Warriors (1987)

 

Suspiria (1977) - Newspaper Ad [San Francisco Examiner]

August 7, 1977

Memorable, albeit weird, marketing line for this one. Wish I had some kind of memory of its release, but I don't.
 

Alien 3 (1992) - Trading Card #58

Behind the Scenes - Ready to Pounce

A mock-up of the Alien puppet was created from a myriad of sketches and models. This working model was only used in test shots to determine if the size, shape, and movement of the puppet would work in the actual filming.
 

Warlords of Atlantis (1978) - Newspaper Ad [Oakland Tribune]

August 6, 1978

Saw this at the Alameda Showcase, before it became the South Shore Cinema, on its opening weekend. At least I think it was on its opening weekend. I remember enjoying it, but I have no idea if it would hold up today.
 

Fright Flicks - Sticker #3

Fright Night (1985)