This Week In Hollywoodland

Sep 19, 2010

BEVERLY HILLS—Horror films have an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of many moviegoers who love this genre. Last week actor Kevin McCarthy, who is best known for “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” died at the age of 96. This week “Devil” is being released to audiences around the country and soon “The Shaft,” which is written by the talented Anthony Thurston, will be in production. One of the nicest and most handsome stars of the horror genre is Douglas Tait. However, this week we focus on the ugly side of this guy. The only way we get to see this side of Doug is when makeup artists cover him in paint and prosthetics.

During the 1920s and ”˜30s in Hollywood, Universal Studios became world renowned for horror. Boris Karloff became a huge star thanks to so many of these films that impart primal fears in the audience and place the men who play these roles in an enviable spot as becoming cult classic heroes to their fans. The 1956 classic “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” is something we all remember seeing as teenagers or young people. The superb acting of character actor, stage and film star Kevin McCarthy stayed with me as it did for many millions of fans over the years.

When the film was released, it was considered a flop by the studio, but it has grown into one of the most enduring horror classics of all time. Canyon News spoke exclusively with a man who has played monsters on the big screen from Jason Voorhees to a monster on “Star Trek” and a sleestak on “Land of the Lost.” “I saw ”˜The Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ in my teens, Tommy. I thought Kevin McCarthy was brilliant. The hysteria in his acting is what made the movie for me. The fear in his eyes when he was warning people in the streets was just great acting, and I have been a fan of his ever since. It is so sad to see him go,” said Douglas Tait.

Tait tells Canyon News which role cemented his career as a monster man on screen. “The role that really jump-started my monster acting was ”˜Freddy Vs. Jason.’ Even though I did not play Jason Voorhees in the whole film, the experience of playing such a famous horror icon was what got people whispering about me,” said Doug. “I remember standing in the water with the machete in my right hand and Freddy Krueger’s head in my other hand, and thinking, wow, I am looking through the hockey mask of Jason Voorhees and working with Robert England [Freddy Krueger].”

“Tommy, I will be producing and starring in a horror film called ‘The Shaft.’ It is a great script written by Anthony [Thurston], who is a friend of yours. It starts out in the 1850s in the California desert, with the unknown effects of radium poising which causes grotesque mutations and birth defects, followed by stories of the dangers of lost miners and disappearances in the desert. The mine is shut down and forgotten. Fast forward to present-time, a group of backpacking campers settle for a stay next to the mine and become trapped inside, which leads them into the tunnels of an unending nightmare. The film is filled with lots of scares and some unique creatures and monsters, and we have the location of a real old mine in southern California to make it,” concluded the actor.

Anthony Thurston and Douglas Tait have a classic on their hands. The location of filming for the upcoming horror classic “The Shaft” is near the famed southern California town Sierra Madre where “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” was filmed 54 years earlier.

Also, this week in Tinseltown, Oscar-winner Penelope Cruz admitted to the media that she and her husband, Oscar-winner Javier Bardem, are expecting a baby in less than five months. LeAnn Rimes discussed the reason why she cheated on her husband with co-star Eddie Cibrian, who she is now dating and a “Dancing With the Stars” insider tells me that Bristol Palin is not doing well during rehearsals and just can’t get the hang of it all. I hope that when she debuts, the public and critics will not take out their frustration on her, which should be limited to her mother who is very frustrating to say the least. I say good for Bristol for giving it her all and taking a chance at her dreams. It’s tough on young people to put themselves out there and to try new things when the public is so unforgiving and so vicious. It’s amazing how so many older people forget that the only way you find out what you are actually good at in life is to try new things while you are Bristol’s age.

Breaking news! On Friday, Lindsay Lohan admitted that she failed a mandated drug test. Looks like she’s about to spend another 30 days in jail when the judge finds out next week.

Photograph of Monster montage is Courtesy: Facebook | Douglas Tait

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