By Lee Pfeiffer

Few actors had the screen and stage presence of Yul Brynner. There never was an actor quite like him and there hasn't been since. Like most thespians, Brynner had his share of good movies as well as those that fell considerably short of their potential. Nevertheless, the man never gave a false performance. He came across as supremely self-confidant even when he must have suspected the material he was given proved to be far below his considerable talents. Much of his self-confidence seemed to stem from an inflated ego. Robert Vaughn once told me that when Brynner arrived on the set of "The Magnificent Seven" in Mexico, he was still firmly in the King of Siam mode that had seen him win an Oscar. Vaughn said he carried himself as though he were real life royalty at all times. You didn't chat with him casually. Rather, he would grant you an audience.

"Gentlemen - I'm here to help with your history report." Studiocanal UK has released an official trailer for the brand new 4K restoration of the 80s comedy time travel classic Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Yes, we're getting a sequel this year finally - Bill & Ted Face the Music - but while we wait for them to figure when this will open, we can revisit the original movie in the best quality yet. Starring Keanu Reeves as Ted Theodore Logan, and Alex Winter as Bill S. Preston Esquire, two high schoolers from San Dimas who end up traveling through time in a phone both. Featuring George Carlin, Terry Camilleri, Dan Shor, Tony Steedman, Rod Loomis, Al Leong, Jane Wiedlin, Robert V. Barron, Clifford David, plus Hal Landon Jr. I love this movie so much! I watched it so many times as a kid. And it's still just as entertaining and...

For this final Tuesday in October (and the last day of home entertainment releases prior to Halloween), horror fans have a bunch of great new Blu-rays and DVDs coming out just in time for everyone’s favorite holiday. Scream Factory has given The Exorcist III an HD overhaul (including the original Director’s Cut of the sequel), which is something no genre lover will want to miss out on experiencing. Arrow Video is also keeping busy on October 25th with the release of their impressive 17-disc box set celebrating trailblazing filmmaker Herschell Gordon Lewis, and the recent supernatural thriller Lights Out is making its way to Blu-ray and DVD as well.

Cult film enthusiasts are undoubtedly going to be busy this Tuesday, with Severin Films releasing a 2K version of Burial Ground, Blue Underground showing Lucio Fulci’s Manhattan Baby some love this week, and Vinegar Syndrome giving...

On October 25th, Scream Factory will give horror fans an early Halloween treat with their Collector's Edition Blu-ray release of The Exorcist III, and we've been provided with three copies to give away to Daily Dead readers.

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Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) copy of The Exorcist III Collector's Edition Blu-ray.

How to Enter: For a chance to win, email contest@dailydead.com with the subject “The Exorcist III Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on October 30th. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older that live in the United States. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

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From the Press Release: Los Angeles, CA – William Peter Blatty’s cult favorite The Exorcist III [Collector’s Edition] will be bearing its cross on a 2-disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray set from Scream Factory on October 25th,...

On October 25th, Scream Factory will give horror fans an early Halloween treat with their Collector's Edition Blu-ray release of The Exorcist III, and we have high-def clips and a trailer that teases the film's 2K transfer.

From the Press Release: Los Angeles, CA – William Peter Blatty’s cult favorite The Exorcist III [Collector’s Edition] will be bearing its cross on a 2-disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray set from Scream Factory on October 25th, 2016, in a partnership with Morgan Creek Productions. The must-have set boasts the first ever home entertainment release of the director’s cut, a brand-new, alternate version of The Exorcist III, reflecting William Peter Blatty’s original vision of his novel Legion.

The Exorcist III [Collector’s Edition] also features a new 2K transfer from the inter-positive, and over 4 hours of special features. Highlights from the special features include a new audio commentary with writer/director William Peter Blatty, and new interviews with producer Carter DeHaven,...

In my mind, I have always found Exorcist III not only scarier than the original film. Ever since I saw the film on home video in the 90’s, I think the film becomes even more haunting as I get older. Later, I heard that Blatty, the author of The Exorcist and the writer/director of Exorcist III, had to re-shoot an ending that included an exorcism which was mandated by the studio. For years, a “director’s cut” has been on the whispers of genre fans worldwide. Late last year, I found a tasty morsel of information that this rumored “director’s cut” was happening. Bigger genre sites picked it up immediately after our little site was the first to dig up the info from the source, TheNinthConfiguration.com, some credited us to finding the info and bringing it to the attention of many, most of the sites didn’t attribute us.

Scream Factory will make this Halloween season one to remember with their Collector's Edition Blu-ray release of William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist III, featuring a 2K scan of the inter-positive and new interviews with the cast and crew:

Press Release: Los Angeles, CA – William Peter Blatty’s cult favorite The Exorcist III [Collector’s Edition] will be bearing its cross on a 2-disc Collector’s Edition Blu-ray set from Scream Factory on October 25th, 2016, in a partnership with Morgan Creek Productions. The must-have set boasts the first ever home entertainment release of the director’s cut, a brand-new, alternate version of The Exorcist III, reflecting William Peter Blatty’s original vision of his novel Legion.

The Exorcist III [Collector’s Edition] also features a new 2K transfer from the inter-positive, and over 4 hours of special features. Highlights from the special features include a new audio commentary with writer/director William Peter Blatty, and new interviews with producer Carter DeHaven,...

On this date in...

1952: Popular radio soap opera The Guiding Light moved to television. The show also continued to air on the radio until 1956.

2005: Four-time Emmy winning General Hospital producer Carol Scott died of cancer at the age of 56.

Celebrating a birthday today are:

Clifford David (ex-Rod, Ryan's Hope) - 79

Nicolas Surovy (ex-Mike, All My Children; ex-Orson, Ryan's Hope) - 67

Brian Bloom (ex-Dusty, As The World Turns) - 41

Monica Potter (Kristina, Parenthood; ex-Sharon, The Young And The Restless) - 40

Josh Ruben (ex-Ultra Violet Bartender, One Life To Live) - 28...

Riot (1969) Direction: Buzz Kulik Cast: Jim Brown, Gene Hackman, Mike Kellin, Gerald S. O'Loughlin, Clifford David, Ben Carruthers, Frank Eyman Screenplay: James Poe; from Frank Elli's novel "A protest, a riot, I don't care what you call it," says Red (Gene Hackman), the mastermind of an audacious plan to break out of an Arizona prison in the 1969 release Riot, produced by William Castle, directed by Buzz Kulik (Brian's Song), and adapted by James Poe (They Shoot Horses, Don't They?) from Frank Elli's novel. [Note: Spoilers ahead.] Red and a small crew of fellow criminals — an ad hoc and suitably diverse bunch from the solitary confinement wing, including wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time protagonist Cully Briston (Jim Brown) — instigate an uprising among the other inmates, hoping to distract the authorities with their seemingly serious demands while they plot to sneak out through a tunnel under the prison auditorium. This line seems to betray a [...]...