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One of the best director debuts of the 1960s is Francis Coppola’s earnest effort to deliver a marketable thriller to producer Roger Corman, a gory, sexy horror show that will get past the censor. The 21-year-old student filmmaker comes through in high style. The spirited tale of axe murders on an Irish estate brings back a time when a talented beginner could hit a $40,000 movie out of the park. It’s been reconstituted to Coppola’s preferred cut after sixty years in Public Domain purgatory, and he provides a new commentary that will please his fans as well as lovers of the horror genre.

Dementia 13 Director’s Cut

Blu-ray

Lionsgate / Vestron Video Collector’s Series

1963 / B&w / 1:78 widescreen / 69 min. / The Haunted and the Hunted / Street Date September 21, 2021 / 17.99

Starring: William Campbell, Luana Anders, Bart Patton, Mary Mitchel, Patrick Magee, Ethne Dunne, Peter Read.

Cinematography: Charles Hannawalt

Art Director: Albert...

Joel Rapp, who had writing or co-writing credits on 16 feature films and more than 250 classic sitcoms, died Wednesday at home. He was 87 and no cause of death was given by his family.

Born on May 22, 1934 in New York City, Rapp grew up Beverly Hills in a family considered part of Hollywood royalty. His father, Philip Rapp, created radio series The Bickersons and Baby Snooks. His godmother was actress and singer Fanny Brice, and his godfather was actor-singer Eddie Cantor.

Joel Rapp went on to work with director Roger Corman on many films and wrote for such television hits as Gilligan’s Island, The Lucy Show, McHale’s Navy, My Favorite Martian, The Patty Duke Show, The Joey Bishop Show and The Donna Reed Show.

Later, he became VP Comedy Development at Universal Pictures. But in a departure, he left that position in 1969 to pursue two different passions: indoor gardening and cooking.

Jane Powell...

Joel Rapp, who wrote for sitcoms including The Donna Reed Show, McHale’s Navy and Gilligan’s Island, died Wednesday in his Beverly Hills home, a publicist announced. He was 87.

In collaboration with Roger Corman, Rapp directed the features High School Big Shot (1959) and Battle of Blood Island (1960) and produced the Fabian-starring The Wild Racers (1968). He also worked in comedy development in the ’60s as a vice president for Universal Pictures.

Known as “Mr. Mother Earth, Plant Man to the Stars,” Rapp spent 11 years with Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford as the gardener on their morning TV ...

Joel Rapp, who wrote for sitcoms including The Donna Reed Show, McHale’s Navy and Gilligan’s Island, died Wednesday in his Beverly Hills home, a publicist announced. He was 87.

In collaboration with Roger Corman, Rapp directed the features High School Big Shot (1959) and Battle of Blood Island (1960) and produced the Fabian-starring The Wild Racers (1968). He also worked in comedy development in the ’60s as a vice president for Universal Pictures.

Known as “Mr. Mother Earth, Plant Man to the Stars,” Rapp spent 11 years with Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford as the gardener on their morning TV ...

In 2019, it seems almost inconceivable that a book could heavily influence pop culture, but that’s exactly what 1973’s The Secret Life of Plants did. Written by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird, the book proposed that not only are plants sentient, but it’s possible they might even enjoy music. Of course, this theory was widely criticized by scientists, but it nonetheless became a bestseller, sparking a phenomenon and opening the floodgates for the plant music genre.

From Ann Chase’s A Chant For Your Plants to the Baroque Bouquet’s Plant Music,...