Bram Stoker's Dracula was inspired by a real Romanian count. Depending upon your point of view, he was a heroic national hero or a murderer who practiced genocide. Click here for a photo and video tour of the real Dracula's castle and homeland. 

Famous original For vehicles associated with James Bond, The Sweeney, Dr. Who, the Thunderbirds feature film and Harry Potter all recently made a "guest appearance" at England's fabled Elstree Studios. Click here for more

Right move, wrong reason: Writer Joe Karaganis says New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie revoked the tax subsidy for the favorite show of the undiscriminating viewer, Jersey Shore- but only because he didn't approve of the series' content, not because the subsidy would have been financially unsound.

By Lee Pfeiffer

American politician's fervent desire to pal around with people in sports has had drastic financial consequences. Most states have granted huge tax breaks to major sports teams that already pull in hundreds of millions of dollars in profits every year. Teams routinely shake down state lawmakers by threatening to pull up stakes and relocate to another state if they don't get major financial incentives to stay put. Inevitably, weak-willed politicians who can't bear the thought of not being able to get invited to major sports events cave in and grant the teams their request. (The late, legendary New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was a master at this tactic and even got taxpayers to absorb the bulk of the cost of building the new Yankee Stadium). Similarly, states also roll out the red carpet to lure film production companies to shoot movies and TV series locally. On the surface, granting tax breaks to bring revenue-enhancing businesses into a state might seem sane. However, writer Joe Karaganis points out that star-struck state lawmakers are now giving the store away and the price of the tax breaks greatly exceeds the amount of income generated. Click here to read.

By Lee Pfeiffer

There's new info on the recently-completed Three Stooges feature film by directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly. The film will feature the new Stooges in three different 30 minute shorts combined into a full length feature. The movie stars Sean Hayes, Chris Diamantopoulos and Will Sasso as Larry, Moe and Curly. I have no idea who any of these actors are, but don't go by me-- I haven't been into contemporary comedy since the last episode of Seinfeld aired eons ago. Speaking of which, that show's co-creator Larry David will appear in the Stooge flick. We won't judge the film by the underwhelming teaser poster. For more click here

Fashion designer Vicky Teal was part of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton's entourage during the halcyon days of the 1960s. In a new memoir, excerpted in Vanity Fair, she shows why today's celebrities are amateurs compared to Liz and Dick's ability to get attention. They thrived on the spotlight and the simple act of going out to dinner became a grandiose affair, replete with gowns and tuxedos. Yet, she writes lovingly of their humor and generosity toward friends and the downtrodden. Click here to read

One of the holiday season's most anticipated films is The Adventures of Tintin, based on the classic children's adventure stories. Steven Spielberg directed the first entry in this new trilogy and Peter Jackson will direct the second installment. The 3-D stars Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis and Daniel Craig. The film is a blend of live action and animation that may enchant some moviegoers even as it turns off others. Nevertheless, when The Polar Express opened, similar criticisms did not prevent the movie from becoming a major box-office hit. To view the trailer click here

Not your father's Twilight Zone? The new feature film promises to stress action sequences.

Here's the good news: Warner Brothers is backing a new full length feature film based on the classic Rod Serling TV series The Twilight Zone. The series spawned a feature film in 1983 - an underrated anthology directed by prominent filmmakers, each taking on a segment. The bad news this time around is that the new film will be a big budget, single story line action film that has the "same eerie feel" as the TV series. Uh-oh. Serling always disdained action sequences, preferring scripts that stressed dialogue and character-driven dramas. It sounds like the new film might merely be appropriating the Twilight Zone name for yet another CGI-packed, underwhelming sci-fi "epic".  For more click here

Life magazine has unveiled previously unpublished photos of Marilyn Monroe taken in 1953 on the set of River of No Return. In some photos the sex goddess is seen on crutches, perhaps rehearsing for a sequence in the movie or nursing a minor injury. Click here to view slideshow.

There aren't too many directors who have kind words for Val Kilmer. After working with him on the ill-fated Island of Dr. Moreau remake, John Frankenheimer pointed out there were only two certainties in his life: he wouldn't climb Mt. Everest and he would never work with Val Kilmer again. Yet director Joel Schumacher says he believes Kilmer was the best Batman to date. Schumacher directed him in Batman Forever, a film generally despised by fans for being overproduced and under-scripted. Schumacher blames the studio, saying he wanted to bring  The Dark Knight to the screen but was vetoed by studio execs who forced him to do a Batman and Robin storyline. For more click here

The legendary recording of the Let It Be album atop Apple Studio's rooftop in London.

Plans are being made to adapt the book The Longest Cocktail Party into a big screen feature film. The movie would follow the career of the Beatles from the foundig of Apple to the recording of their final album Let It Be. One major obstacle must be overcome and it's a big one: getting the rights to the Beatles song catalog for use in the film. There might also be legal problems, as this period in the group's career was the most contentious and reasons for their breakup are still being debated today. For more click here

The forthcoming John Gotti biopic crime movie boasts a lot of talent including director Barry Levinson and stars John Travolta, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino. However, behind the scenes, the scenario has been as unpleasant as it is bizarre. The producer is being sued by Pesci, who claims his role was changed at the last minute. Levinson replaced previous director Nick Cassavettes and Marty Ingels, a comedian from Hollywood's stone age was the producer- until he was fired in a scandal involving Larry King. Got all that? Click here for more

Liberace appeared in several feature films including the 19645rock and roll musical When the Boys Meet the Girls.

After a few years of false starts and star Michael Douglas coping with his battle with throat cancer, director Steven Soderberg's biopic of Liberace is set to go into production. Douglas will star as the flamboyant show biz legend and Matt Damon will star as his young lover, Scott Thorson who was with Liberace in his final years. HBO has acquired the property and will finance. As for scenes in which Damon will be seen kissing Douglas, he says he is coping by reminding himself that Douglas is married to Catherine Zeta Jones, thus he will be making out with her by osmosis. the movie will be titled Behind the Candelabra. For more click here

By Lee Pfeiffer

There's been plenty of tragedy associated with the Iraq war, but there are also occasional nuggets of humor. Take, for example, an innocent Egyptian man who has the unfortunate fate of bearing a striking resemblance to Saddam Hussein. The man was approached by a group of Iraqi "entrepreneurs" who offered him over $300,000 to appear in a porn film that was going to be passed off as hidden footage of the late despot having sex. When the man refused, he was kidnapped by the would-be producers, tossed in a car and later dumped on a road when the kidnappers got into a dispute. Making matters even more bizarre is the revelation that the CIA once contemplated discrediting Saddam by staging another "hidden video" scenario in which Hussein would be "surreptitiously" filmed having sex with a teenage boy. And you thought the CIA attempts to kill Castro by putting explosives in his cigars were bizarre? In any event, none of the Saddam sex films were ever made, as far as we know. However, if one ever does surface we have the perfect title: The Great Dicktator.

The American one sheet poster for Clint Eastwood's forthcoming biopic J.Edgar has been unveiled and it reveals and enraged Leonardo DiCaprio as the legendary FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. Eastwood has again reaffirmed that since there was never any concrete proof regarding rumors of Hoover's secret homosexual lifestyle, the movie concentrates on the factual aspects of his career- which were controversial enough. For more click here

Click here for a slide show and trailers from ten movies that differ radically from the books that inspired them.

By Lee Pfeiffer

Can you imagine there are people high up in the entertainment industry who believe that audiences will pay $60 for the privilege of watching a recent film at home through an on-demand service? Some geniuses at Universal thought so and proceeded to announce that the forthcoming Ben Stiller/Eddie Murphy comedy Tower Heist would be available for $60- but for that princely sum, you still would have to wait until three weeks after it opened in theaters. Theater owners were obviously outraged and threatened to boycott all Universal films. The studio quickly caved and canceled the program before it was implemented. The irony? We'll bet that, given Murphy's box-office record in recent years, the movie will probably be on DVD within three weeks anyway. For more click here

The American Film Institute has announced that the recipient of its 40th annual lifetime achievement award will be legendary actress Shirley MacLaine. "Shirley MacLaine is a powerhouse of personality that has illuminated screens large and small across six decades,", Howard Stringer, chair of the AFI’s board of trustees, said in announcing her selection. "From ingénue to screen legend, Shirley has entertained a global audience through song, dance, laughter and tears, and her career as writer, director and producer is even further evidence of her passion for the art form and her seemingly boundless talents.” MacLaine's brother Warren Beatty received the accolade in 2008. The ceremony will take place in June 2012. For more click here

The Hollywood Reporter states that Johnny Depp is expected to sign to star as legendary children's book author Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss in a big screen biopic for Universal. Geisel died in 1991 but enjoyed almost immediate success with his quirky but timeless books such as The Cat in the Hat and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. For many, memorable aspects of these titles can be readily recalled even in adulthood. The books were illustrated with offbeat artwork of crazy characters, some of which were entirely new creations,such as the Grinch. For more click here

Is a remake of The Godfather inevitable?

Film critic Lucas Kavner offers a compelling article about why virtually every well known movie seems to be in various stages of being remade. The obsession with delving back to golden oldies has also been expanded with films such as  Dirty Dancing, Footloose and Point Break now considered vintage enough to merit a remake. For more click here

The Johnny Depp Lone Ranger pic that was canceled by Disney due to huge budget projections is back on track after the production team promised to trim costs to "only" $215 million. This is what passes for austerity in Hollywood today. For more click here

In a recent interview to promote his memoirs, legendary film critic Roger Ebert says that, prior to his undergoing throat surgery, he was never warned by anyone that it could result in his losing his ability to speak. For years Ebert has been relying on computer technology to "speak". He said the loss of his voice came as a shock but he has remained more popular than ever by utilizing social media to post his film reviews. For more click here

Raymond Burr in the classic Perry Mason TV series.

After breathing new life into Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary sleuth Sherlock Holmes, it looks like Robert Downey Jr. will be bringing another famous detective from the past into the present. Downey is said to be partnering with Warner Brothers to launch a Perry Mason feature film. The Perry Mason novels by Earl Stanley Gardner were phenomenal successes in their day. Mason, a lawyer for the defense, took on seemingly impossible cases and used his crime-solving techniques to prevail. The novels were adapted into a hit TV series starring Raymond Burr that ran between 1957-1966. Burr revived the character in the 1980s and 1990s for a successful series of TV movies. For more click here

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Those are the words Netflix management should have considered before announcing they were forcing major changes on subscribers to their DVD and streaming services. Traditionally, both ways of viewing movies were combined under a single monthly subscription. You could either choose to have  DVDs mailed to you or you could watch the film by streaming it - all unlimited for only $9.99 a month. Thus, Netflix became an essential aspect of home entertainment to millions of Americans.Then the company abruptly announced it would split the DVD and streaming services into two separate companies and require separate subscriptions and payments to each. Adding insult to injury, customers who wanted to continue to get both services would have to fork over a 50% increase in fees. The outrage was so intense that Netflix has announced a mea culpa and will not even launch its new Qwikster streaming service. For more click here

This is for the benefit of our readers who get the magazine edition of Cinema Retro. In issue #21 (the Clockwork Orange cover story), writer John Exshaw presents a painstakingly researched in-depth article on the making of Ken Russell's shocking 1971 film The Devils starring Vanessa Redgrave and Oliver Reed - and why it may never be released in DVD in America or the UK. (Warner Home Video had announced it but canceled the release.) The film caused such an outrage with its depiction of torture inflicted in the name of religion in 17th century France that the movie was severely edited in different ways for different countries in an attempt to sanitize it. In his article, Exshaw presents a detailed account of the various running times the film has experienced over the decades as well as catalogs known video releases throughout the world and their respective running times. (The film was originally available at one time on VHS) Various versions contain some of the scenes that were originally excised during the theatrical release. Now reader Christophe Martinel from France provides another missing link: a Japanese laser disc release from 1991 in pan-and-scan format. The running time of this version is 109 minutes.

Check out the latest issue of Cinema Retro for a full report on the controversies that still surround this provocative movie.We've even tracked down ultra rare photos of the censored scenes including the infamous sequence with naked nuns.

Cinema Retro has received the following notice concerning developments for official web sites dedicated to the late Ingrid Pitt:

Tall Acre Beach: After the Apocalypse © Howard Hughes 2011

Author and Cinema Retro writer Howard Hughes takes movie fans through a history of a specific Italian beach area- and how it figures into so many prominent films.  Click here to read

In an exclusive interview in Cinema Retro issue #20, musician and composer Kyle Eastwood said that his legendary father Clint had never told him that he would never act again, even though the Hollywood rumor mill said this was the case. Looks like Eastwood pere is thisclose to returning to the silver screen with a film called Trouble With the Curve. He would play an aging baseball scout who is losing his sight. Sources say Eastwood views this as an ideal directing debut for his Malpaso Productions partner Robert Lorenz. For more click here

Sony has informed American theater chains that the company will stop paying the cost for the special glasses audiences require for 3-D movies. The cost of doing for a blockbuster movie can add up to $10 million to the studio's expenses. It is unclear whether other studios will follow suit (don't worry, they will) and if so, the costs will probably be passed on the to consumer. This may sound self-defeating since movie going is dropping every year due to high ticket prices. However, outside of the USA, movie fans have been paying for glasses all along. If they choose to retain them, they can be used over and over again. The initial cost for 3-D glasses in the UK, for example, is only about $1.50. For more click here

When you think "Asian", who else would pop into mind than Rex Harrison?

Remember when Hollywood used to absurdly cast white actors in parts meant for ethnic actors? Remember Rex Harrison as the King of Siam? John Wayne as Genghis Khan? British actors playing Chinese diplomats in 55 Days at Peking? Well, according to the web site Film Junk, those bad old days are still with us- and they cite plenty of evidence. Click here to read

Legendary Rolling Stones member Mick Jagger will return to acting for the first time in ten years to play a Rupert Murdoch-like media baron in a new film titled Tabloid. Click here for more

The Guardian newspapers has corralled Sir Roger Moore for one of its amusing rapid fire Q&A sessions- and the former James Bond shows he's in no danger of losing his sense of humor. Click here to read

Ann-Margret as The Swinger (1966): a lousy movie rendered glorious looking thanks to effect use of color.

The brilliant cartoonist Pete Emslie has a poignant article on his blog that reiterates an observation that many of us have made in the past: today's movies generally look bland and lousy compared to films from prior decades. We're not talking about the content of the films (though most pale in comparison to old movies in this department as well). Rather, we're talking about the actual look of the film. Gone are the glorious days when Technicolor would make even mediocre movies look special. Today even $200 million spectacles tend to be bland, blue-tinged bores to view. Click here for more

Al Pacino in the 1983 film

Universal is continuing to find ways to mine gold from Brian De Palma's 1983 crime epic Scarface, which itself was a (very) loose remake of the 1932 Paul Muni classic. The studio says it plans a new Scarface film but it won't be a remake or a sequel...huh? What is it, then? A sitcom? For more click here

There are some remakes that are as good or better than the original films: the 1962 Mutiny on the Bounty among them. However, is the world really clamoring for remakes of Porky's and Police Academy?

British film critic Barry Norman knows a thing or two about great movies- he's been reviewing them for decades. Add him to the list of disgusted movie scholars who are appalled that now even mediocre movies are being remade under the justification they are "classics". Norman points out that films like Top Gun, Point Break and Porky's may well have entertained their intended audience, but under no circumstance should they be considered classics. He also correctly states that if Orson Welles were alive today, he would stand no chance whatsoever of finding studio financing for Citizen Kane. We're not as harsh toward the concepts of remakes in general as Norman is. We can reel off a list of remakes or quasi-remakes that are as good, if not better than the original films. However, he is correct in saying the latest wave of remakes is symptom of a film industry almost completely devoid of any originality. Click here to read

Fandango features an exclusive interview with make up genius Rick Baker regarding his work on John Landis' horror classic An American Werewolf in London. The film was  recently screened at the Fantastic Fest and spawned a great new poster by the folks at Mondo, as seen here. Click here to view interview

Dwight M. Cleveland is a businessman who began collecting classic movie posters in 1991 when he discovered many rare gems used as insulation in an old house. His collection now boasts 11,000 posters including some of the most-sought after titles. He's now ready to ensure that the collection has a proper home, preferably in a museum where the posters can be kept intact. However, a two year exhaustive search has not yielded the desired result and the collection may be sold piecemeal. Click here for more