VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS # 25 "HOUSE OF THE RAVEN" review

Issue #25 of Bluewater's "Vincent Price Presents" series, is probably the best issue to date! Due out in stores in January of next year, the issue has Vincent Price alter-ego Dr. Pitt, being invited to the home of Dr. Van Horn, an old ex-friend turned rival. The good Dr. Pitt thinks he's being invited to Van Horn's massive estate, to bury the decades old hatchet between them. But Van Horn has other, more sinister ideas. This issue works so well because it tells a very strong story first and foremost. And has some terrific writing. Everything from dialogue, to the story itself, is crisp and strong. The dialogue in fact is so good that you hate that the story actually has to move on from the moments where Van Horn and Dr. Pitt verbally spar and joust with one another over a few glasses of aged wine.
The entire issue could've just stayed with those moments and it would've still been worth the read. Anyways, Van Horn has apparently never forgiven Dr. Pitt for being more of a ladies man than he was back in college. And although Van Horn eventually wound up getting the girl, the same girl Dr. Pitt asked to marry him all those years ago in college...the bitter Van Horn still seeks vengeance upon the good doctor. Thus, he informs him that during a recent expedition, he was bitten by a werewolf. And will change into one in three hours. Three hours that Dr. Pitt has to find a silver bullet, hidden somewhere in the mansion. Before Van Horn's transformation is complete, and he tears Dr. Pitt to pieces. The story leap-frogs from this point, and takes some interesting turns as well with a ghost, and a demon getting thrown into the mix in typical morbid humor fashion. The kind of black humor that this franchise is known for. But the story itself is very interesting, and I couldn't help but think of how it would make for a good movie some day. A film adaptation of this particular issue would be pretty cheap to make I gather, and wouldn't need a huge amount of rewrites. It's simple, yet effective. And reading the story, you really got an appreciation for this series and how far its come. Look for big surprises from this franchise come next year, and as always...more dark, macabre, and interesting stories that the master of horror himself, Vincent Price, presents!

http://horrormoviesastuff.webng.com/VincentPricePresents25Review.html

LEXICON OF THE PLANET OF THE APES by RICH HANDLEY REVIEWS

NEW TESTIMONIAL: POTA Jeff Locklear: I received my copy today, and I am absolutely blown away! I can't imagine the database you must have. I read Timeline cover to cover twice, and now I'm going to start on this one. I only have two words for it: AWE - SOME!! This will be a treasured piece in my collection. What a wonderful Christmas present! Thanks so much for all your hard work! I'm sure Apes fans around the world will just love this book!

NEW TESTIMONIAL: POTA Tim Parati: Got my Lexicon yesterday and it is awesome! Very well laid out and excellent original illustrations! I can't imagine the hours of watching, noting and re-watching that you put in to this, Rich! Congratulations! Instead of reading it from the beginning, I have just been randomly opeing it to an entry... eventually, I will get through the whole thing! Thank you for providing a new POTA product for this holiday season!

NEW TESTIMONIAL: POTA Fan "Dags": Believe it or not, both books turned up yesterday (from the U.S. to Australia in only a week!), and I've gotta give you credit, dude, they're great! Timeline was a lot bigger than I expected, and having the reference guide on each page is a huge help. Lexicon is a bit of a beast, and I love the fact it's been printed by Hasslein Books. It'll take ages to go through it, that's for sure, but either way, it will make for a great POTA reference. Mega congrats on getting these written and published!

NEW TESTIMONIAL: Popular author, critic and blogger John K. Muir: This 400+ page encyclopedia is a meticulous, involving, cover-to-cover read that accounts for every single person, place, and thing in the expansive Apes saga. It charts literally every detail of the the original films, the TV series, the comic books, the animated TV series, the 2001 re-imagination, and even the Mego toys (!) of the disco decade. No stone has been left unturned; no Hasslein curve left unexplored. I make it no secret that I consider Planet of the Apes (1968) the greatest science fiction film ever made, and this book adds significant understanding to the ape-o-verse that the Schaffner film so memorably created. The approach that Rich takes—and which I admire tremendously—is one of an impartial, omniscient, dedicated historian. He records events without bias; he makes important connections. Entry by entry, he paints for readers a vivid and thorough picture of one possible (fictional...) future. NEW TESTIMONIAL: POTA Fan Robert Duthie: Just got my copy of Lexicon and wanted to comment on how great it looks. The colour of the cover is incredibly rich and the cover illustration, along with the ones inside, quite detailed. It seems to be very comprehensive and I was amazed at the thickness of it. All around very impressed with a job well done.

NEW TESTIMONIAL: POTA Fan Elmo Tobin: First, I've been a Planet of the Apes fan since I was a kid. I had the original bubblegum cards from the '68 classic (never a complete set, through—drats!), and when I graduated from junior high, celebrated by going to a Go Ape! festival, where a freind and I sat through all five films! Rich's book [Lexicon of the Planet of the Apes] is a perfect gift for any Apes fan. It answers every question with clear, precise information about everything: movies, TV, comics (domestic and foreign), even unpublished or yet-to-be published books. It's simply brilliant. Filled with images from the various media and information as to where to find stuff like scripts and such, it's an invaluable sourcebook. I'd put it up there with the Star Wars and Star Trek encyclopedias. I cannot praise this book enough. It is simply brilliant, and long past due!

Prolific YouTube poster Megan "MistressClawful" Roberts: I loved reading the foreword and introduction, both giving me a good idea of how you, the author, came about with his passion for the Planet of the Apes. Thank you for sharing your memories and sentiments with us, and for taking to the task of creating this comprehensive book. I can tell a lot of love, aside from painstakingly hard work, was put into it.[CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL REVIEW.]

Revolution on the Planet of the Apes author Ty Templeton: I just received my copy of the timeline in the mail today, and I am staggered at the book. It's just wonderful! Like you, I treasured my timeline from the Marvel comics magazine in the seventies (which you refer to as the backbone of this project), and to see it expanded upon so completely is just jawdropping. The cover, and the package itself, are filled with lovely bits and pieces I'm glad to have print versions of (especially the cover galleries at the back). I'm honoured to be included in the general mishmash that Pierre Boulle, Rod Serling, Paul Dehn, Arthur Jacobs and Charlton Heston started off all those years ago, and very thrilled to see our work as part of the tapestry.

http://comics.gearlive.com/comix411/article/q308-planet-of-the-apes-the-lexicon/

http://reflectionsonfilmandtelevision.blogspot.com/2010/12/now-available-from-aldo-to-zira-lexicon.html

http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/12/planet-of-the-apes-lexicon/

http://hassleinbooks.com/index.html

HASSLEIN BOOKS "LEXICON OF THE PLANET OF THE APES"

HASSLEIN BOOKS "LEXICON OF THE PLANET OF THE APES" PDF excerpt download

http://hassleinbooks.com/Handley_POTA_Lexicon_Excerpt.pdf