Movie Ad of the Week: CALLIOPE (1971) a.k.a. LOVE IS CATCHING (1972)

World Premiere - Wednesday, November 17, 1971 - Los Angeles, CA

After its release in Los Angeles through Allied Artists, CALLIOPE -- Matt Cimber's goofy take-off of La Ronde -- emerged a year later with a new title and ad campaign...

...opening in Pittsburgh on December 13, 1972 as LOVE IS CATCHING. Case File #107 on our Endangered List, this was one of the four AGFA prints we ran as part of the Endangered Fest II in conjunction with the Austin Film Society at the Marchesa on February 20, 2015.

Movie Ad of the Week: MORTUARY (1982/1983)

World Premiere - Friday, May 7, 1982 - Tucson, AZ

In May of 1982, Paramount Pictures arranged a test release in Tucson of MORTUARY, the latest low-budget production by filmmakers Howard Avedis and Marlene Schmidt. Perhaps the box-office results of that test run were more in line with MY BLOODY VALENTINE or NIGHT SCHOOL than the first two FRIDAY THE 13th films; whatever the reason, the studio passed on acquiring the movie and Film Ventures International wound up releasing it over a year later.

September 2, 1983 in Los Angeles

Movie Ad of the Week: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1981) aka THE BEING (1983/1984)

World Premiere - Friday, May 8, 1981 - Tucson, AZ

Jackie Kong made her directorial debut with the horror film BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, starring Martin Landau, Jose Ferrer, Dorothy Malone, and Ruth Buzzi. The world premiere was in Tucson, where the movie played for over a month.

For whatever reason, it took two and a half years for the movie to find a distributor (Best Film & Video) and get a regional release as THE BEING.

Los Angeles - November 4, 1983

(Above) Another 10 months passed before it reached the New York tri-state area on September 14, 1984.

Tallahassee, FL - September 28, 1984

Movie Ad of the Week: NASHVILLE GIRL (1976) a.k.a. NEW GIRL IN TOWN (1977) and COUNTRY MUSIC DAUGHTER (1981)

NASHVILLE GIRL had its world premiere in Nashville on March 18, 1976

Arrived in New York City on March 11, 1977 as NEW GIRL IN TOWN

After COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER it was re-released by M&M Films as COUNTRY MUSIC DAUGHTER in Alexandria, Louisiana on March 6, 1981

Movie Ad of the Week: DELIRIUM (1979)

World Premiere - Friday, July 19, 1979 - St. Louis, MO

Movie Ad of the Week: The Many Faces of THE LAST VICTIM (1976)

World Premiere - Wednesday, June 23, 1976 - Bettendorf, IA

Jim Sotos' THE LAST VICTIM -- a low-budget, PG-rated thriller starring Tanya Roberts, Ron Max, and Nancy Allen -- had its world premiere at the Spruce Hills Twin Cinema in Bettendorf, Iowa on June 23, 1976.

The film also opened at the Capri Cinema in Rock Island, IA two days later (June 25, 1976).

Above: THE LAST VICTIM in Longview, TX - September 24, 1976

Howard Mahler Films came up with a new campaign for a re-release in 1977 as MR. DEATH. Here it is in Shreveport, LA on September 16, 1977. Although it carries an R rating, the film had actually received a PG from the MPAA in January 1976.

Above: MR. DEATH in Jackson, MS - October 7, 1977

MR. DEATH visits Louisville, KY - November 18, 1977

MR. DEATH was held over in Louisville, but Howard Mahler changed the title and campaign again so it became RAPE IN THE SUBURBS for the week of November 25, 1977!

RAPE IN THE SUBURBS hits Miami - February 24, 1978

Ft. Lauderdale - February 24, 1978

When THE LAST VICTIM was re-released (again!) as FORCED ENTRY in 1983 -- by Sotos' own company, Century International -- it was edited for re-rating and got an R. Above is the ad from when it returned to Ft. Lauderdale on March 18, 1983.

It took another year for FORCED ENTRY to reach the New York area. Opening date: March 9, 1984.

Movie Ad of the Week: EFFECTS (1979/1980)

Dusty Nelson's horror meta-movie EFFECTS, filmed in Pittsburgh and starring local talent such as Joseph F. Pilato (DAY OF THE DEAD) and Tom Savini, had its world premiere in the Steel City at the Kings Court theater on November 8, 1979.

It was picked up by Stuart S. Shapiro, a distributor who specialized in offbeat music, horror and cult films (TUNNELVISION, RUST NEVER SLEEPS, THE PSYCHOTRONIC MAN, SHAME OF THE JUNGLE), and given a limited theatrical release in 1980 through his International Harmony company (Shapiro also ran the video company Harmony Vision and created the USA Network's popular weekend late-night series NIGHT FLIGHT). EFFECTS returned to Pittsburgh and the Kings Court on October 24, 1980.

Movie Ad of the Week: HOLY WEDNESDAY (1974)

World Premiere - Friday, April 26, 1974 - San Bernardino, CA

HOLY WEDNESDAY - El Paso, TX - March 21, 1975

SNAKELUST - Lawton, OK - September 26, 1975

FANGS - Tallahassee, FL - February 18, 1977

Movie Ad of the Week: HOMEBODIES (1974)

World Premiere - Friday, August 30, 1974 - Cincinnati, OH

HOMEBODIES, Larry Yust's unfairly neglected black comedy/horror movie, had its world premiere in two theaters in Cincinnati -- the city where it was filmed -- on August 30, 1974.

The Endangered List (Case File #150)

THE GREAT BALLOON RACE (1977)

Starring
Chris Robinson
Frank Gifford
Terry Moore
Ted Cassidy

Special Appearances
by
Cab Calloway
Phyllis Diller
Bert Parks
Frankie Laine
Norm Crosby

Produced by
Paul Holm

Written and Directd
by
Chris Robinson

MPAA rating: PG

Release dates
January 3, 1977 (Palm Beach, FL)
April 29, 1977 (Boca Raton, FL)

Movie Ad of the Week: DOCTOR BUTCHER, M.D. (1981)

U.S. Premiere - September 18, 1981 - Philadelphia, PA

Although the IMDb and other sources claim DOCTOR BUTCHER, M.D. made its U.S. debut in New York on May 7th, 1982, the Italian gorefest from Aquarius Releasing actually had its premiere almost eight months earlier, opening in 13 theaters in the Philadelphia/South Jersey area (and the Naamans Drive-In in Claymont, DE) on September 18th, 1981.

Cincinnati, OH (below) and Syracuse, NY (not pictured) on October 2, 1981. The second feature in both cities was NURSE SHERRI.

(Below) Hartford, CT - October 16, 1981

(Below) West Palm Beach, FL - October 23, 1981

(Below) Chicago, IL - November 27, 1981

(Below) Chicago Loop double bill - November 27, 1981

(Below) Green Bay, WI - December 11, 1981

(Below) Los Angeles, CA - March 5, 1982

Also: Miami, FL (October 30, 1981); Baltimore & Washington, D.C. (April 16, 1982)