State of the Temple Address 7

Remember in our last State of the Temple Address, when we said we’d be making several exciting announcements by the end of the week? Well, it’s four months later and we’re finally able to announce a few of the many projects we have on the burners at the moment. But before we get down to business, we’d like to thank everyone who’s written to us with words of encouragement and support during these last ten months, which have not been easy months for myriad reasons that we won’t discuss here because they have nothing to do with movies in general or schlock in particular. Rest assured that Temple of Schlock is still here and won’t be closing its door anytime soon. Quite the opposite, actually -– we’re finally in our new digs and busily unpacking at this very moment! Which reminds us that we owe a big thank-you to Edwin Samuelson, Patrick Lefcourt and Josie Peña for helping Po-Man get all the goodies out of storage and moved into the new Temple. Let’s also have a big round of applause for the Keeper of the Pit, John Charles, Lawrence Cohn, John W. Donaldson, Dylan Duarte, Tim Ferrante, Michael Gingold, Don Guarisco, Mike MacCollum, Nathaniel Poggiali, Jon Putnam, Paul Talbot, and Darrin Venticinque for contributing research and reviews and basically keeping the lights on for us during what would otherwise be our darkest days. Group hug everyone!

OK, time for those announcements...

Despite the fact that we barely have time to manage one blog, we've recently started a second one, The Paperback Film Projector, which is dedicated to novelizations and other movie tie-in books. This new blog is itself a tie-in, since it promotes a reference book that Temple of Schlock co-founder Chris Poggiali and Fangoria's Michael Gingold have been working on for years, The Paperback Film Projector: Novelizations & Movie Tie-Ins from A(ce) to Z(ebra). Once the book is published, the blog will then serve to update and expand on its contents. Please feel free to bombard the Temple with cover scans, ads, corrections, suggestions, etc. and we'll make sure you get a "special thanks" in the book. We're also accepting submissions for the blog, but please email us first with proposals. Oh, and we're also planning to do book giveaways in April and May, but in order to be eligible you must be a "follower" of the new blog, so head on over to The Paperback Film Projector and join the fun!

We've got good news and bad news regarding Bill Grefe's long-lost shocker THE DEVIL'S SISTERS (1966), which is Case File #11 on the Endangered List. First the good news: it's been found, and a special edition DVD-R should be out any day now. The bad news? The only print Bill could track down, after decades of searching, is missing the final seven minutes. However (boldfaced and underlined twice), with the help of Daniel Griffith and Ballyhoo Motion Pictures, Bill was able to recreate the ending of the film using promotional stills, original script pages, new storyboards and narration, and the final result is... Well, actually, we have no idea how it turned out, 'cause Daniel never sent us a test disc. But we did see the surviving 82 minutes of THE DEVIL'S SISTERS, and it kicks ass. The wild card in a filmography that's wild to begin with, we guarantee that THE DEVIL'S SISTERS will not disappoint Bill's fans. The DVD-R from Ballyhoo includes special features, none of which we can safely mention save for the liner notes by Temple of Schlock's Chris Poggiali (Wait a sec -- that's me!). Stay tuned for more details.

Above: One of several "world premieres" for THE DEVIL'S SISTERS

Above and below: THE DEVIL'S SISTERS on the Deuce, January 1967

Speaking of the Deuce, 42ND STREET FOREVER: THE BLU-RAY EDITION will be out May 8th. Running three hours and forty-five minutes, it contains the best trailers from the first two volumes of 42ND STREET FOREVER plus a bunch of new trailers and a full-length audio commentary by AV Maniacs chief Edwin Samuelson, Fangoria managing editor Michael Gingold, and Temple of Schlock's own Chris Poggiali (Holy shit! Me again!). And as a special bonus, all of you who are now following The Paperback Film Projector get to call out Gingold and Po-Man for not mentioning the COLLEGE GIRLS photonovel during the commentary!

It's been out since September, but the Synapse DVD/Blu-ray combo of THE EXTERMINATOR (1980) has been getting rave reviews, not only for the sparkling new transfer but also for the great audio commentary by director James Glickenhaus, which was recorded by Edwin Samuelson and moderated by Temple of Schlock's head honky in control, Chris Poggiali (Damn, I am everywhere!). Nothing is in stone yet, but rumors are swirling that this same team will also provide commentaries for two more James Glickenhaus films coming soon from Synapse, MCBAIN (1991) and SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS (1993). Check back with us later for more info on these gigs.

Way the hell back in August, when we were up to our eyebrows in mortgage paperwork, our pal Don Guarisco of Schlockmania and AllMovie sent a few tour buses our way by posting links to his Temple of Schlock contributions. We may have Tweeted about this, but we sure didn't properly thank him here in the Temple -- so thanks, Don! Next time we hang, the chicken & waffles are on us!

That's all for now, folks. Until next time, take it sleazy. -- Po