Latarnia Fantastique International issue #1

In a world where more and more magazines of all descriptions are becoming less and less profitable the launching of a new one can seem slightly crazy. The launching of a magazine that focuses on cult films would seem to be an even crazier idea. We are far from the heady days of the 1990s when every month new small press 'zines showed up on the racks of larger bookstore shelves with features on Hammer Studio, Jess Franco, Joe D'amato, Herschell Gordon Lewis and the films they made. These days the number of such publications can easily be counted on two hands with that number falling to less than the fingers on one hand if you desire high quality writing. Beyond exception-to-the-rule Video Watchdog the market just does not seem to exist out there for a thoughtful, intelligent periodical on obscure, strange and extraordinary movies. Who would be mad enough to in 2011 to start publishing a new magazine devoted to the Euro-Cult or Euro-Trash niche?

Mirek Lipinski - that's who! Yes, the man in charge of The Mark of Naschy website, the host and moderator of the wonderful Latarnia Forums has made the jump into magazine entrepreneurship with Latarnia Fantastique International. The first issue is available for sale directly from him for a nice price and, having had mine for all of two days I can heartily recommend it. The main features of this issue are:

Major article on the making of THE TORTURE CHAMBER OF DR. SADISM.
Exclusive and lengthy interview with Andres Resino (WEREWOLF SHADOW, MURDER MANSION, JACK THE RIPPER OF LONDON, etc.)
Review of the last Naschy wolfman film, Ivan Cardoso's WEREWOLF IN THE AMAZON
Two page homage to Barbara Steele.
Translation of Gustavo Adlofo Becquer's "Spirit Mountain," the inspiration for Amando de Ossorio's Blind Dead films.

For me the magazine was worth its asking price for the review of the notoriously hard to see WEREWOLF IN THE AMAZON and the English translation of Spirit Mountain alone. This really is a great start and I can't wait for issue #2. Ordering information can be found here - LINK.