It seems very likely that Dennis Muren, Dave Allen, and Jim Danforth first met on a crisp winter day in 1962. The clipping below from Famous Monsters (AKA Famous Monsters of Filmland, a magazine that was first published in 1958) is very likely what allowed them to get in touch and arrange to meet up.
I was extremely late to the game in seeing Equinox for the first time last year. The movie really left an impression on me, and it seemed like a proto-culture of so many other films that followed some twenty years later. I began doing some research on the production of the 1967 film, and purchased the Criterion Collection DVD that included both versions of the film.
I enjoyed both versions of the film, as they both have their own strengths and peculiarities. They are both recommended for fans of Don Coscarelli’s Phantasm series, as well as Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead movies. I reached a dead end in an article on Criterion’s website that mentioned how the filmmakers originally met. I wanted to know more about that and see the original article that brought them together.
After about a year, I finally located a copy of Famous Monsters #15 (Jan 1962) and purchased it on faith that it would include what I was hoping. After gingerly leafing through the old magazine, I located the article on Dennis Muren’s movie monster museum. This publication would allow him to receive correspondence from Dave Allen and Jim Danforth and go on to do incredible things in the industry.
It was very exciting to see the early accomplishments of such a titan in the special effects world come to life in an original copy of that specific issue. Below you will find a link to a scan of the original article:
