John Hurt

The first crew member of the Nostromo to encounter H.R. Giger's nightmare (in Ash's words, the alien is "Kane's son"), is now the first member of that wonderful ensemble of actors to leave us.

John Hurt was the quintessential character actor. With over 200 credits to his name, and working right up until the end (he'll appear in no less than four movies due out this year), his career spans every genre and a veritable who's who of directors. Imbuing all of his roles with intelligence, dignity and a delicate subtlety of expression, you could always be sure that whatever film he appeared in would be elevated by his presence. I'll miss him greatly.

10 RILLINGTON PLACE

MIDNIGHT EXPRESS

ALIEN

THE ELEPHANT MAN

1984

DEAD MAN

CONTACT

HELLBOY

THE PROPOSITION

V FOR VENDETTA

MELANCHOLIA

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE

SNOWPIERCER

UNDER THE SKIN alternative posters

Is Jonathan Glazer's UNDER THE SKIN the most breathtakingly beautiful sci-fi horror film of the 21st century so far? In terms of its production design and cinematography (and backed up by its direction, performances and the rewarding depth of its themes) I think that's a fair statement. UNDER THE SKIN is a powerful, visceral experience unlike any other in recent memory. Such a work of art demands worthy tributes, and the following posters are just that.

Lauren O’Neill

Matthew Woodson

Vlad Rodriguez

Tibor Lovas

Godmachine

KUSO

Apparently kuso is Japanese for "shit". Well, shit just got weird.  Flying Lotus' debut feature looks like 90 minutes of sheer insanity.

William Peter Blatty

Farewell to the man who started it all, not just the EXORCIST series, but an entire genre unto itself. 

After penning the source novel (which is still a worthwhile read, no matter how many times you've seen the film) and the screenplay for Friedkin's masterpiece, he returned to write and direct THE EXORCIST III, a film that is debatably scarier than the original, which is itself often cited as the scariest ever made (a statement that holds up if you view it in the context of its 1973 release).

Heather Benjamin

Heather Benjamin's art is a defiantly in-your-face detonation of punk feminism and bad-trip psychedelia. The raw naivete of much of her drawing (particularly the most recent stuff she's posted on her tumblr) belies an obviously classical ability, no doubt developed during her time at the Rhode Island School of Design. With her stark black and white line style, and preoccupation with graphic sexual imagery, menstruation and self-mutilation, it's tempting to compare Benjamin to previous shock artist Mike Diana, but personally I think there's more depth to her work. Where Diana (and others before him, like S. Clay Wilson) may have been chiefly motivated to simply push the boundaries of transgressive art, Benjamin's work feels like it's coming from a more personal place, and it's all the more rewarding for it.

Perhaps known mostly for her self published zines and comics, she also does flyers for shows (in the NYC, NJ, RI area), record covers and more. Visit Heather Benjamin's tumblr here, where you'll also find a link to her webstore. In the meantime check out a selection of my faves below.