George Romero

A TRIP TO GEORGE A. ROMERO’S AMUSEMENT PARK

November 12, 2018 UntoldHorror 0

“This is truly one of those magical (cursed?) objects that I cannot believe has fallen through the cinematic cracks .” That’s how bestselling author Daniel Kraus describes – on his Twitter feed – seeing the unreleased GEORGE A. ROMERO film THE AMUSEMENT PARK, for which we’ve reposted some of the stills he took. Kraus, who co-wrote with Guillermo del Toro the Trollhunters and The Shape of Water novelizations, is currently completing the unfinished Romero novel The Living Dead (planned for a fall 2019 release). Part of his immersion into Romero’s world was to watch the unreleased 1973 film (shot in between Season of the Witch and The Crazies), which is not a horror movie but a meditation on ageism, set in an amusement park, that’s so scathing, it was shelved. A synopsis of it, for a screening at the Spectacle Theater in Brooklyn (no date listed yet, just the description of the film), reads: “An elderly gentlemen sets out for what he thinks will be a normal day at an amusement park and is soon embroiled in a waking nightmare the likes of which you’ve never seen! … Witness a crackup on the bumper cars where the police and insurance agents show up! See swindlers and hucksters take advantage of old people left and right! Witness a coffin plunked right in front of innocent attendees!” As Kraus describes it, “It’s hellish. In Romero’s long career of criticizing American institutions, never was he so merciless.” The film, which also features a cameo from its creator, sounds absolutely fascinating, and the good news is there’s a plan in place to restore and release it. And you can help by donating to the GARF: the George A. Romero Foundation (georgearomerofoundation.org). Founded by George’s wife, Suzanne Desrocher-Romero (also the President), and overseen by […]

Quill & Quire Interviews George A. Romero About Humongo Bongo

March 24, 2017 UntoldHorror 0

Literary website Quill & Quire has a great interview up with George A. Romero about Humongo Bongo, by Alison Lang. A snippet of Q&A: Legendary horror director George A. Romero on his first (and only) kids book How did you end up illustrating this children’s book? George A. Romero: They said, “Well, go ahead and illustrate,” and I said, “Okay, but it won’t be good!” And it turned out to be good enough. This is a children’s book, but it seems to also have a very serious message. GR: I meant it to be a parable about over-population, greed, and all of the terrible values that we humans have. That’s all it was meant to illustrate. Did you think back to any books you read as a kid while you wrote the story? GR: As a youth, the first actual novel that I ever read was Something of Value. It’s about the Mau Mau Uprising in Africa. That’s the topic, but what it’s about is basically families that are torn apart. It’s almost an anti-apartheid thing. READ THE REST…

Visiting The House of Crouse to Talk Untold Horror

March 18, 2017 UntoldHorror 0

Canadian television personality, film critic and author Richard Crouse invited Untold Horror’s Dave Alexander onto his News Talk 1010 radio show in Toronto to chat about some of the most anticipated horror remakes that were never made. As a passionate film critic, Crouse does not hide his enthusiasm for the stories that have merely been hinted at thus far in the Untold Horror universe. Along with guests Ian Lake and Krystin Pellerin, actors discussing their Stratford festival production of Macbeth, Richard and Dave discuss the origins of Untold Horror, as well as potential projects by some of our most beloved horror auteurs, such as David Cronenberg and George A. Romero. Romero has multiple unmade projects in his past, and as Dave explains, all it takes sometimes is “one little wrench in the machine and the whole thing falls apart.” Crouse and Alexander also compare the films that they’d most like to see remade, both of which are classic monster movies — one by Cronenberg and the other by Romero — they feel are immortal and retain the ability to comment on the times they’re made in. Listen to the podcast here. And check out Richard’s movie reviews here.

The Little World of Humongo Bongo

March 5, 2017 UntoldHorror 0

George A. Romero is best known for making The Crazies, Creepshow and his seven Dead films, beginning with 1968’s Night of the Living Dead. However, in 1996 the Godfather of the Modern Zombie published his first and only children’s book, The Little World of Humongo Bongo. Both written and illustrated by Romero, it’s the tale of fire-breathing giant Humongo Bongo, who lives on the tiny planet of Tongo. Gentle and curious, his world is thrown upside down when he encounters a race of tiny people named the Minus, who initially worship him as a God but then turn on him when they succumb to fear, greed and the lust for power. Both an imaginative morality tale for pre-teens, and a fascinating vehicle for the social commentary lauded by Romero’s loyal fan base, The Little World of Humongo Bongo is the first Untold Horror release, in a partnership with ChiZine Publications. Previously only released in French for the European market, the story has been resurrected with the involvement of Romero, who will be contributing to this special edition. Watch for it at the end of 2017. More from the ChiZine press release… CHIZINE PUBLICATIONS ANNOUNCES ILLUSTRATED BOOK DEAL WITH GEORGE A. ROMERO PETERBOROUGH, ON, March 1, 2017 – ChiZine Publications (CZP) announced today the acquisition of The Little World of Humongo Bongo, an illustrated book, originally published in French, by genre legend George A. Romero, best known for Night of the Living Dead, The Crazies, and Creepshow. George Romero sold World English rights (excluding France and Belgium) to Sandra Kasturi and Samantha Beiko, Co-Publishers of CZP, a British Fantasy, World Fantasy, and Bram Stoker Award-winning independent publisher of surreal, subtle, and disturbing dark literary fiction. The publication is in association with Dave Alexander’s Untold Horror. The Little World of Humongo Bongo is the […]