Users Can See Rare Memo’s and Photographs and Examine Historic Studio Artifacts
BETHPAGE, NY – On October 27, www.amctv.com
the popular web site for the American Movie Classics cable network, will commence a
five-day promotion to support its highly-rated, annual Halloween programming festival,
MONSTERFEST. The rich content and technology employed in this web attraction, and the
television festival’s stellar movie line-up, were made possible via an alliance with
Universal Studios, the pioneer of the horror genre, and its new media division, Universal Online.
This year’s television event, MONSTERFEST 2000: THE CLASSICS COME ALIVE, airing October 27-31,
is a 5-day, 58-film celebration of monsters through the ages, co-hosted by comedian (and horror
movie fan) Whoopi Goldberg, and by everyone’s favorite “head turner,” Linda Blair (“The Exorcist”).
For the first time ever, the network has teamed with a partner to create a “fully converged”
festival – with information and technology rich on-line promotional content that complements
and extends upon the on-air films and specials airing on this popular cable network.
With the October 27 kick-off of the television festival, www.amctv.com will unveil THE HAUNTED
BACKLOT SCREAM TEST. The five-day long trivia challenge quizzes web-surfers about their
knowledge of horror films, especially the original Universal classics, like FRANKENSTEIN and
DRACULA (both 1931) that are the cornerstone of the network’s on-air festival. High-scorers
can win a variety of valuable prizes, from DVD players to a trip to the premiere of Universal’s
forthcoming film, “The Mummy Returns.”
Visitors come to www.amctv.com to take THE HAUNTED BACKLOT TOUR, to access detailed histories of the Universal monsters and films created by Universal Online and horror authority David Skal. The area contains rare material from the Universal horror archives, from test sketches for costumes, internal memos, rare photos and other information that will help them maximize their score. This multi-media experience also provides a 360-degree view, via QuickTime Virtual Reality, of the actual set on the Universal backlot used to create classic films starring Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney. AMC’s web site also features four Shockwave games where visitors attempt to survive attacks by Universal’s quartet of monster superstars – Frankenstein, Dracula, Mummy and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. There’s also detailed information on all film featured in the on-air festival and video greeting from festival hosts, Whoppi Goldberg and Linda Blair.
THE HAUNTED BACKLOT SCREAM TEST trivia questions will be rolled out over a 5-day competition commencing October 27. The answers to these multiple choice questions can be deduced by information on the site and by watching the films featured in MONSTERFEST 2000. A DVD player and one DVD movie will be awarded to the 100 site-goers who post the highest scores. A second on-line national sweepstakes gives visitors the chance to win a great grand prize – a luxurious four-day trip for two to the world premiere of next summer’s hottest movie, “The Mummy Returns.”
“We are delighted to offer monster movie fans this exciting, enhanced, multi-media game,” noted Marc Juris, Sr. VP, Original Programming, Packaging and Production. “By offering a multi-layered, enlightening and entertaining experience both on-air and on-line, we continue our tradition of bringing viewers great movies and the stories behind them, using multiple platforms to ensure a rich and satisfying experience.”
MONSTERFEST 2000: THE CLASSICS COME ALIVE will feature films spanning classic Universal titles like FRANKENSTEIN (1931), DRACULA (1931), THE MUMMY (1932) and THE WOLF MAN (1941) that launched the genre, to the remakes of the ’50s-’70s that have kept monsters at the top of Hollywood’s star pantheon.
AMERICAN MOVIE CLASSICS is the premiere 24-hour movie network featuring award-winning original productions about the world of American film. With one of the finest, most comprehensive libraries of classic films from the 1930s through the 1980s and a diverse blend of original series, documentaries and interstitials, the service offers in-depth information on timeless and contemporary Hollywood classics. Through the network’s multiple platforms — AMC’s website (www.amctv.com), AMC’s original broadband programming and AMC Magazine — the entertainment provider informs passionate movie fans about the history behind the films. AMC is available in 75 million homes.
Contact:
Sal Cataldi
212-244-9797
Jaime Saberito
516-803-4354
Fenot Tekle
310-998-9308