tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129260602024-03-13T23:04:34.865-05:00Welcome To MONSTERGRRLS.COMThe Official MONSTERGRRLS Web HauntJohn Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07613034751992258769noreply@blogger.comBlogger204125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-80323450844314717762019-10-30T16:47:00.000-05:002020-03-26T17:00:34.847-05:00H. P. LOVECRAFT AND THE DOOM THAT CAME TO HOLLYWOOD By Frankie Franken<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_G5PRY-RsyI/Xn0bkF1AXfI/AAAAAAAALiw/eqizkW-zJfEhv-TcRWUWeuXQ1tSr_DLQwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/TOUFrankie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_G5PRY-RsyI/Xn0bkF1AXfI/AAAAAAAALiw/eqizkW-zJfEhv-TcRWUWeuXQ1tSr_DLQwCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/TOUFrankie.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Frankie Franken</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
<span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">H</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">ello,
everybody! Welcome back to </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en For Halloween,</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
and we’re almost to </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">the
big day</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">!
Since we’re doing </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Tales
of Unease</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
and looking at how horror literature connects to film and television,
we’re going to look at one of the biggest names in horror
literature: Howard Phillips Lovecraft. Along with Edgar Allan Poe,
Lovecraft is considered a major influence in modern horror fiction.</span></span>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t0J4C0jdMzE/Xn0dMUrHi9I/AAAAAAAALjQ/5i4V3UieIyY_pWyW5mQWB0HNjLzDmC4egCEwYBhgLKs4DAMBZVoBeXWF-1SnRlD0cToZR3NqIX3pPpwj3nLvGwBoRpXVcttQyC9osYS0wRXG7z2ZgdoaAm4GJzktxSuA8H8EcRcd2W6GKk0Y82EsdhBeSTPxa-8am6KjBM1nOepI1cj1Yjw9HZNMVQw3fRJyqfWrqP5ySAWPNKv4ZAPOVN4wcAdojpW2u-Vh10RybP8A20vp5gLEK90wu44FShM_Ieo3wfoUVes3uxC0mS9jdfvuO5Xq_lEu-jdgD6XIiwUq_C-q8XkKCyolc0wMmf_t6fiI4vI1PmLKlGXzcX0BWjBHq_kv_E3RZ3lnbZJmiUt1rlm4DHe7vvifFc4sxBa8gTU64LP6yVeWqKPsLQgguhLck_oQAgcQu44fLLrpU0dF_BUfLCCWvdq5R6NKj0g5HCRrGXn4Dh0WgSvkyKj_5oVl9M5eTDfz0Gqbmzd2JqXEvVU-c8TqfS8eYyGMd37ZOlyhtngKELiBF92J3mNkG7OLe3urwbwBPhsJ7BvSW8UX1JEZVHH--QgnF5rbFfw9D-22S71CGYTJUkx1fr_WEGnj91DrBHnUmmeuaLVy7FJq5dZyELuELDJkRtmBqtSSOH5dAcaJ_1ztaEO4AyTusMITJ9PMF/s1600/Lovecraft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1361" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t0J4C0jdMzE/Xn0dMUrHi9I/AAAAAAAALjQ/5i4V3UieIyY_pWyW5mQWB0HNjLzDmC4egCEwYBhgLKs4DAMBZVoBeXWF-1SnRlD0cToZR3NqIX3pPpwj3nLvGwBoRpXVcttQyC9osYS0wRXG7z2ZgdoaAm4GJzktxSuA8H8EcRcd2W6GKk0Y82EsdhBeSTPxa-8am6KjBM1nOepI1cj1Yjw9HZNMVQw3fRJyqfWrqP5ySAWPNKv4ZAPOVN4wcAdojpW2u-Vh10RybP8A20vp5gLEK90wu44FShM_Ieo3wfoUVes3uxC0mS9jdfvuO5Xq_lEu-jdgD6XIiwUq_C-q8XkKCyolc0wMmf_t6fiI4vI1PmLKlGXzcX0BWjBHq_kv_E3RZ3lnbZJmiUt1rlm4DHe7vvifFc4sxBa8gTU64LP6yVeWqKPsLQgguhLck_oQAgcQu44fLLrpU0dF_BUfLCCWvdq5R6NKj0g5HCRrGXn4Dh0WgSvkyKj_5oVl9M5eTDfz0Gqbmzd2JqXEvVU-c8TqfS8eYyGMd37ZOlyhtngKELiBF92J3mNkG7OLe3urwbwBPhsJ7BvSW8UX1JEZVHH--QgnF5rbFfw9D-22S71CGYTJUkx1fr_WEGnj91DrBHnUmmeuaLVy7FJq5dZyELuELDJkRtmBqtSSOH5dAcaJ_1ztaEO4AyTusMITJ9PMF/s320/Lovecraft.jpg" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>H. P. Lovecraft</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">B</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">orn
in 1890 in Providence, Rhode Island, Lovecraft was the only child of
Winfield and Sarah (nee Phillips) Lovecraft. Susan’s father,
Whipple Van Buren Phillips, was a successful businessman who, in his
old age, helped raise the young H. P. and encouraged him to have an
appreciation of classical literature. Whipple educated H. P. not
only in the classics but also spun original weird tales for his
grandson’s entertainment, which may have had a direct influence on
Lovecraft’s later writings. In April of 1893 his father was
committed to Butler Hospital in Providence, which left his mother
grief-stricken, and in 1896, his grandmother died, which, by his own
account, sent his family into “a gloom from which it never fully
recovered.” Both of these events marked him considerably.<br />
<br />
Through
most of his educational career, Lovecraft was prone to health
problems that caused him to miss most of any kind of regular school
attendance, even though he enjoyed reading and learning and had a
keen interest in astronomy and science. He also began to write
letters to editors of pulp fiction magazines, which eventually
resulted to his being invited into the United Amateur Press
Association. Inspired by writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, Arthur
Machen and Algernon Blackwood, he began to write short stories and
fiction that fell under the category of “weird fiction.”</span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9znLFxLS3JY/Xn0dM6TgHJI/AAAAAAAALjM/ZYmlx-H5TowhG0TwlAluSvCD3CI65hFcwCEwYBhgLKs4DAMBZVoDvlRPuAo_9ITVuYAzwg6vQWXZ-HxtMBmaxW8nC0BbI_pgK90B1Z75564UgfNNp8yx9vkCEJPsTPmUULnHHK9Hw5wNJ4GvfvZCFJosFl_3egpCbdiRDz4b1YMrZ33v3qdDhyatMpEF14bWn9hXDzfCMhj9btu4AcYf_6-6vBtoxC3V2-qE6vhjXs6c_PmHEjQ3OFQ0Yi8mYlIEFiI3ZnyPFkHNIdl1x8t7g6101NSUNxxx9fx_-fsqcUSM_WNmvQNHQxwMZCfHeTqNAirquzujiMFeJLdaI6PJlK-0s9d04Ij4bGe57Vh4OtOE9Ozm9QiOmBCQgKrmAhrZSM07JKR7rqIQYmA_7xhMVwPR7zZUJLkozFXDOxzE3IARlvtydqENNJJSskppAU0bP1sqiWHjw_2-R1IvYT72LFaFiDNDX_34x8QrdDZPlKclgU6S3HY3zAMRyxKszId_GgYQm7MoX25PhHIbYy8aaPlMq5HI4XlW7TdnbIR-wDZl4OAs3NSteS2pB4aFjbU7_Vey0aEPzvyzSy7mSW5gEurkUgCqaAAZojfTwVCKDbPMQA88PGZx06yv2Oo2hdsGNz342X-lfeVDXqhcQ_oDtMJ7J9PMF/s1600/Mythos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="997" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9znLFxLS3JY/Xn0dM6TgHJI/AAAAAAAALjM/ZYmlx-H5TowhG0TwlAluSvCD3CI65hFcwCEwYBhgLKs4DAMBZVoDvlRPuAo_9ITVuYAzwg6vQWXZ-HxtMBmaxW8nC0BbI_pgK90B1Z75564UgfNNp8yx9vkCEJPsTPmUULnHHK9Hw5wNJ4GvfvZCFJosFl_3egpCbdiRDz4b1YMrZ33v3qdDhyatMpEF14bWn9hXDzfCMhj9btu4AcYf_6-6vBtoxC3V2-qE6vhjXs6c_PmHEjQ3OFQ0Yi8mYlIEFiI3ZnyPFkHNIdl1x8t7g6101NSUNxxx9fx_-fsqcUSM_WNmvQNHQxwMZCfHeTqNAirquzujiMFeJLdaI6PJlK-0s9d04Ij4bGe57Vh4OtOE9Ozm9QiOmBCQgKrmAhrZSM07JKR7rqIQYmA_7xhMVwPR7zZUJLkozFXDOxzE3IARlvtydqENNJJSskppAU0bP1sqiWHjw_2-R1IvYT72LFaFiDNDX_34x8QrdDZPlKclgU6S3HY3zAMRyxKszId_GgYQm7MoX25PhHIbYy8aaPlMq5HI4XlW7TdnbIR-wDZl4OAs3NSteS2pB4aFjbU7_Vey0aEPzvyzSy7mSW5gEurkUgCqaAAZojfTwVCKDbPMQA88PGZx06yv2Oo2hdsGNz342X-lfeVDXqhcQ_oDtMJ7J9PMF/s320/Mythos.jpg" width="199" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4MK3HV4bK74/Xn0e1E6bnCI/AAAAAAAALjc/62FtZFGG-Ocb_F5crNqSpv5c3EaasT3ewCEwYBhgLKs4DAMBZVoBS3cQcLY5CiAqdNfnAYgrVNiaVwK7Zuk5oHofDEAkV6dbU67PzGyt0rVx56Okn2Y94WrG3uWeSuuhSpixUxkjgJnNu27Jav9veZ5jkUYq7ciYfKup_7WeddmMMPqwpnLFep41OMbloZD8aWqeMsz2deVsZfflsPdM3UVendjE8lCo0Yzm-3A_7_Ygfnob2QYESQxw9ogrUa9Ou_3p2Ov6vBuxA6IlokT048_aoi5rtjCw9FSKNt_HMs6ND9ZqBerAJ7EWMaS3cEVWzEDlGnn4mbCHQcTiwQiI8fuyu6c7vuyzCI5qu_bNVa9ssQiqoQuVxI4GHuxnp_oz5QcDFaFBP4VFfceL5wTqhvrn5XVB1qq-awIjCnyAkJQwuxWeQ79tDMHe5T7XeF9PC-YfMCXpgF5FfaZy65aIyzqN1MZ1TKnzXnDdKaEzyGagDqEIMysPM75_LrqeNrtgyrpbctMgr-kbZTIi82f0MtbY2oyGkxJ32iCGXZI4Dw4JPjJEVgYK-2XWjJ3q0HHff5mFlxhTjVPumpki8ws16uvvuebZbjoSu93V9n_WdzF7EtRWTvrgkIojShC6yszZCFjLaf-9WTWrkXjxuRT5XMKnJ9PMF/s1600/haunted%2Bpalace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="652" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4MK3HV4bK74/Xn0e1E6bnCI/AAAAAAAALjc/62FtZFGG-Ocb_F5crNqSpv5c3EaasT3ewCEwYBhgLKs4DAMBZVoBS3cQcLY5CiAqdNfnAYgrVNiaVwK7Zuk5oHofDEAkV6dbU67PzGyt0rVx56Okn2Y94WrG3uWeSuuhSpixUxkjgJnNu27Jav9veZ5jkUYq7ciYfKup_7WeddmMMPqwpnLFep41OMbloZD8aWqeMsz2deVsZfflsPdM3UVendjE8lCo0Yzm-3A_7_Ygfnob2QYESQxw9ogrUa9Ou_3p2Ov6vBuxA6IlokT048_aoi5rtjCw9FSKNt_HMs6ND9ZqBerAJ7EWMaS3cEVWzEDlGnn4mbCHQcTiwQiI8fuyu6c7vuyzCI5qu_bNVa9ssQiqoQuVxI4GHuxnp_oz5QcDFaFBP4VFfceL5wTqhvrn5XVB1qq-awIjCnyAkJQwuxWeQ79tDMHe5T7XeF9PC-YfMCXpgF5FfaZy65aIyzqN1MZ1TKnzXnDdKaEzyGagDqEIMysPM75_LrqeNrtgyrpbctMgr-kbZTIi82f0MtbY2oyGkxJ32iCGXZI4Dw4JPjJEVgYK-2XWjJ3q0HHff5mFlxhTjVPumpki8ws16uvvuebZbjoSu93V9n_WdzF7EtRWTvrgkIojShC6yszZCFjLaf-9WTWrkXjxuRT5XMKnJ9PMF/s320/haunted%2Bpalace.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Lovecraft
is best known for creating the </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Cthulhu
Mythos,</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
which featured a pantheon of godlike beings called “the Great Old
Ones” who continuously took control of hapless humans or were
worshipped by cults that attempted to bring them into the human
world, usually with a book of evil magic known as the </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Necronomicon.</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
Though it seems like this would be easy to translate into movies,
Hollywood has had a difficult time creating films from the works of
H. P. Lovecraft. But we’ll look at a few of the most notable
here.<br />
<br />
</span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Haunted Palace</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(which Bethany has spoken about <a href="https://themonstergrrls.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-facts-in-case-of-roger-corman-and.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>) is the first attempt at a
Lovecraft film, and probably the most easily accessible. Made in
1963 by Roger Corman and based on Lovecraft’s novel </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Case Of Charles Dexter Ward,</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
it details the story of the eponymous Ward (Vincent Price) who is
possessed by the spirit of his ancestor, a warlock named Joseph
Curwen, in order to exact revenge on the village that condemned him
to death some 110 years earlier. Many of Lovecraft’s most notable
elements appear in this film: deformed townspeople, references to
Elder Gods, the </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Necronomicon,</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
and even a monster in a pit! It’s a great first attempt, even if
it does take its title from an Edgar Allan Poe poem.</span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KsIBPaaHIKo/Xn0hUPNqvaI/AAAAAAAALjo/pzWD_skD2Z0g1ZRw7yV2mV-UF5IWHg6wQCEwYBhgLKs4DAMBZVoC31bEU0eS4eC_GLSjWyhJ-dgc2j1cHjdSg3fZRxS_EEmanQocvB7KadPq7s1cV7D3fPewLc_RCfdXDge7eY6GPrAAoj3CPgpGn0KnxTb_NxxdRyxSleADHBV490PyVvfaHdASmsWLlmt2rgkvOVktg1funn7s-S-oJPPrgyUDje0MKAVPiYuQPXCe3zyYXlzXpZz5nEgFm_yObayAGIVEjY0YEcTxIqugo4p9RiIMkXBVktyWlCi8b405lS5U_R-gpGdFo8zz_mcbmtc4UkO1rIcUjpXwrfO1V_ahj5kfZ4KAGHtROK3iQvQPSxkjOq5NJO7QhYSsfRulFJySy8KzKNpSgVT-k8Vc0FwlIUccYDE0yOax4oUmblnpDYwUtdxpPk93unrpPUqtXEKf5DAdHgT8hbxJYfEtm_XIJyM5eo1bZTZWCBwekD-giNDBRYn59TWAFRRkzI2LUqkFliBeRAc4olFzalg_mZ08agIXe4O_Vg1jpBy5Mjg2RsS2AVPHKtghyOJkGpPfnfFMrKMFq5NpcpbYxWXtyRVQ0r8J_2nv-9608fTkl4wk91kWOvJsUoOv8ePcj8mj4W6NjsAU34kQbH3NL2VxdMLvJ9PMF/s1600/DMD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="910" data-original-width="580" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KsIBPaaHIKo/Xn0hUPNqvaI/AAAAAAAALjo/pzWD_skD2Z0g1ZRw7yV2mV-UF5IWHg6wQCEwYBhgLKs4DAMBZVoC31bEU0eS4eC_GLSjWyhJ-dgc2j1cHjdSg3fZRxS_EEmanQocvB7KadPq7s1cV7D3fPewLc_RCfdXDge7eY6GPrAAoj3CPgpGn0KnxTb_NxxdRyxSleADHBV490PyVvfaHdASmsWLlmt2rgkvOVktg1funn7s-S-oJPPrgyUDje0MKAVPiYuQPXCe3zyYXlzXpZz5nEgFm_yObayAGIVEjY0YEcTxIqugo4p9RiIMkXBVktyWlCi8b405lS5U_R-gpGdFo8zz_mcbmtc4UkO1rIcUjpXwrfO1V_ahj5kfZ4KAGHtROK3iQvQPSxkjOq5NJO7QhYSsfRulFJySy8KzKNpSgVT-k8Vc0FwlIUccYDE0yOax4oUmblnpDYwUtdxpPk93unrpPUqtXEKf5DAdHgT8hbxJYfEtm_XIJyM5eo1bZTZWCBwekD-giNDBRYn59TWAFRRkzI2LUqkFliBeRAc4olFzalg_mZ08agIXe4O_Vg1jpBy5Mjg2RsS2AVPHKtghyOJkGpPfnfFMrKMFq5NpcpbYxWXtyRVQ0r8J_2nv-9608fTkl4wk91kWOvJsUoOv8ePcj8mj4W6NjsAU34kQbH3NL2VxdMLvJ9PMF/s320/DMD.jpg" width="203" /></a></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WijzRnxCTD8/Xn0hzWH0ZDI/AAAAAAAALjw/9RkLeXUzhBQT6dhDPzbY7Riw93MR2LblgCEwYBhgLKs4DAMBZVoC31bEU0eS4eC_GLSjWyhJ-dgc2j1cHjdSg3fZRxS_EEmanQocvB7KadPq7s1cV7D3fPewLc_RCfdXDge7eY6GPrAAoj3CPgpGn0KnxTb_NxxdRyxSleADHBV490PyVvfaHdASmsWLlmt2rgkvOVktg1funn7s-S-oJPPrgyUDje0MKAVPiYuQPXCe3zyYXlzXpZz5nEgFm_yObayAGIVEjY0YEcTxIqugo4p9RiIMkXBVktyWlCi8b405lS5U_R-gpGdFo8zz_mcbmtc4UkO1rIcUjpXwrfO1V_ahj5kfZ4KAGHtROK3iQvQPSxkjOq5NJO7QhYSsfRulFJySy8KzKNpSgVT-k8Vc0FwlIUccYDE0yOax4oUmblnpDYwUtdxpPk93unrpPUqtXEKf5DAdHgT8hbxJYfEtm_XIJyM5eo1bZTZWCBwekD-giNDBRYn59TWAFRRkzI2LUqkFliBeRAc4olFzalg_mZ08agIXe4O_Vg1jpBy5Mjg2RsS2AVPHKtghyOJkGpPfnfFMrKMFq5NpcpbYxWXtyRVQ0r8J_2nv-9608fTkl4wk91kWOvJsUoOv8ePcj8mj4W6NjsAU34kQbH3NL2VxdMLvJ9PMF/s1600/TDH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="662" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WijzRnxCTD8/Xn0hzWH0ZDI/AAAAAAAALjw/9RkLeXUzhBQT6dhDPzbY7Riw93MR2LblgCEwYBhgLKs4DAMBZVoC31bEU0eS4eC_GLSjWyhJ-dgc2j1cHjdSg3fZRxS_EEmanQocvB7KadPq7s1cV7D3fPewLc_RCfdXDge7eY6GPrAAoj3CPgpGn0KnxTb_NxxdRyxSleADHBV490PyVvfaHdASmsWLlmt2rgkvOVktg1funn7s-S-oJPPrgyUDje0MKAVPiYuQPXCe3zyYXlzXpZz5nEgFm_yObayAGIVEjY0YEcTxIqugo4p9RiIMkXBVktyWlCi8b405lS5U_R-gpGdFo8zz_mcbmtc4UkO1rIcUjpXwrfO1V_ahj5kfZ4KAGHtROK3iQvQPSxkjOq5NJO7QhYSsfRulFJySy8KzKNpSgVT-k8Vc0FwlIUccYDE0yOax4oUmblnpDYwUtdxpPk93unrpPUqtXEKf5DAdHgT8hbxJYfEtm_XIJyM5eo1bZTZWCBwekD-giNDBRYn59TWAFRRkzI2LUqkFliBeRAc4olFzalg_mZ08agIXe4O_Vg1jpBy5Mjg2RsS2AVPHKtghyOJkGpPfnfFMrKMFq5NpcpbYxWXtyRVQ0r8J_2nv-9608fTkl4wk91kWOvJsUoOv8ePcj8mj4W6NjsAU34kQbH3NL2VxdMLvJ9PMF/s320/TDH.jpg" width="211" /></a><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Sixties was a period in which Gothic horror and the monster movie
were experiencing a renaissance, and the success of </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Haunted Palace</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
brought in other attempts at Lovecraft films. </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Die,
Monster, Die!</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(1965) starred Boris Karloff, and attempted to bring Lovecraft’s
tale “The Colour Out Of Space” to the big screen, telling the
story of an American scientist (Nick Adams) who visits his
girlfriend’s family in Britain and finds that her father, Nahum
Witley (Karloff) is attempting to use a meteorite that crashed on his
property to mutate plant and animal life, as well as members of his
own family! In </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Shuttered Room</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(1967) Mike and Susannah Kelton (Gig Young and Carol Lynley) travel
to the village of Dunwich to take possession of an abandoned—and
cursed—mill that was left to her by her parents. The townsfolk of
Dunwich, including Susannah’s cousin Ethan (Oliver Reed) are
distant, hostile, and in Ethan’s case, threatening—and most of it
has to do with what’s living in the room at the top of the mill!
In 1970, Hollywood would return to Dunwich with </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Dunwich Horror,</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
which featured Dean Stockwell as Wilbur Whately, a wanna-be warlock
who lures his student Nancy (Sandra Dee) to Dunwich with the intent
of sacrificing her to the Old Ones. Directed by Daniel Haller, who
also directed </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Die,
Monster Die!, </span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">poor
reviews of the actors’ performances led Hollywood to shelve
Lovecraft-based films for awhile. (More like a decade and a half!)</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SZhWas9ESCY/Xn0ilIvhZ9I/AAAAAAAALj4/IKQjxLlFMownq_yV4FYPXXy1NNC5icPbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/RA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="639" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SZhWas9ESCY/Xn0ilIvhZ9I/AAAAAAAALj4/IKQjxLlFMownq_yV4FYPXXy1NNC5icPbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/RA.jpg" width="204" /></a><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">In
1985, H. P. Lovecraft would return to the screen with </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Re-Animator,</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
directed by Stuart Gordon and based on a 1922 serial novelette by
Lovecraft called </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Herbert
West, Reanimator. </span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Starring
Jeffrey Combs in what is now considered a signature role as mad
scientist West, who attempts repeatedl</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">y</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">--and
horrifically--to resurrect the dead with a chemical serum of his own
devising, </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Re-Animator</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
would open a gateway for Gordon, Brian Yuzna and Charles Band, who
ran Empire International Pictures and later Full Moon Pictures, to
bring more works of Lovecraft to the screen. </span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Full
Moon followed through with </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">From
Beyond, Castle Freak,</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
and </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Unnamable,</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">and
Stuart Gordon would eventually direct </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Dagon</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
in 2001, based on the novella “The Shadow Over Innsmouth.”
<i>Re-Animator</i> would eventually get a sequel, <i>Bride Of Re-Animator, </i>that
was also well-received by fans. And in 1987, the Lovecraft legacy would further <i>infect </i>Hollywood with David Keith's <i>The Curse,</i> a re-telling of the story "The Colour Out Of Space" about an entire farm infected by the liquid that seeps from a meteorite that crashes nearby.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eX45LKO-DNo/Xn0irbGh9mI/AAAAAAAALj8/kLNdZqHKR8ErdhXj7UYoRtud4Bn_BnG6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/ITMOM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="666" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eX45LKO-DNo/Xn0irbGh9mI/AAAAAAAALj8/kLNdZqHKR8ErdhXj7UYoRtud4Bn_BnG6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/ITMOM.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Probably
one film that is truest to the spirit of Lovecraft while not actually
based on a Lovecraft story is John Carpenter’s 1994 film </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">In
The Mouth Of Madness.</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
In this film, Sam Neill plays an insurance investigator who is
searching for missing horror novelist Sutter Cane, and instead finds
that Cane’s stories have released a race of monstrous creatures who
are trying to reclaim the Earth! With frequent red herrings all
along the storyline, this film makes continuous references to
Lovecraft’s works and settings.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">So
what’s in store for the future? Well, that’s unknown.
However, even after all this time, people are still reading Lovecraft
and enjoying his works, and Hollywood <i>has</i> noticed, as you can see by
this post! So I think that for the foreseeable future, we’ll be
seeing more films inspired by this venerable author.<br />
<br />
Golly,
it’s almost time! Come back for our grand finale for <i>The
MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en For Halloween,</i> and I hope you all have a
</span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">great</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
one!</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>Sincerely,</b></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>Francesca
“Frankie” Franken</b></i></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Frankie Frankenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10311001308092877292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-16866346751519627762019-10-30T14:45:00.000-05:002020-01-13T14:23:26.497-06:00THE WORST WITCH By Punkin Nightshade<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FWI6HPO0rz8/XdL_a_YmAnI/AAAAAAAAKhk/NnyfyqiyU8Eg8t91o6i8F49Aulw0Oq67QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/TOUPunkin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FWI6HPO0rz8/XdL_a_YmAnI/AAAAAAAAKhk/NnyfyqiyU8Eg8t91o6i8F49Aulw0Oq67QCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/TOUPunkin.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Punkin Nightshade</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-style: normal;">Hey, ya’ll, and welcome back to
our blogpostin for </span><i>The MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en For
Halloween.</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> This here is
Petronella Nightshade, what am Punkin, and today I am speakin to you
about somethin called </span><i>The Worst Witch.</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
For Halloween this year we have been doin somethin that Mad Doc
calls </span><i>Tales Of Unease,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
which shows how certain movies, TV shows and other things in horror
and spooky stuff is comin from books and such, and </span><i>The
Worst Witch</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> is one of those.
This here is a book series by a lady name of Jill Murphy, what has
been made into movies and television shows a bunch of times. Some
folks think them </span><i>Harry Potter</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
books might have been inspired by </span><i>The Worst Witch,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
and they may be right, cause the first one of these books came out in
about 1974 and was best-sellin then, so it would of made sense if Miz
J. K. Rowling (what wrote </span><i>Harry Potter</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
had read it somewheres. People is always gettin ideas from somethin
what came before them.<br />
<br />
</span><i>The Worst Witch</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
is a story about a youngun name of Mildred Hubble, what is attendin a
boardin school for magic called Miz Cackle’s Academy For Young
Witches. She’s a good little girl with a good heart, but she has
gotten to what’s called the awkward age, and she’s a bit clumsy,
so she ends up messin up things a lot by accident, and cause of that,
everbody at Miz Cackle’s think she’s the worst student there.
Miz Cackle herself, what the school’s named after, is a nice woman
and thinks Mildred’s goin to be all right as she goes along, but her
teacher Miz Hardbroom is kind of a hard case and think she just don’t
try hard enough. Even though everbody think Mildred is the worst
witch, she still got her some friends at school, Maud Spellbody and
Enid Nightshade (I have a cousin named Enid somewheres, but this
ain’t her, so it must be a different set of Nightshades) who often
end up gettin in trouble right along with her, which is all right
cause younguns generally get up to didoes sometimes. There’s also
another girl name of Ethel Hallow, who’s kind of a snob and don’t
like nobody but herself.<br />
<br />
Now speakin as a witch, I did
kinda go to a school for awhile that was like Mildred Hubble’s, but
I didn’t last too long there, and it warn’t cause everbody
thought I was the worst witch or nothin, but what happened was they
graduated me kind of early.* So I didn’t get a whole lot of the
experiences she had, what with boardin up in a school and goin to
class ever day like at a college or somethin. But Miz Murphy was
born over in England, and they do them boardin schools there, so that
is all right.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: normal;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-style: normal;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hB3bHwX3W7A/XdMBPzq30BI/AAAAAAAAKh0/igPNKZkG354kmJxfiLMHxmBMwAuTvDKewCEwYBhgL/s1600/81uUl2VN-lL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1075" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hB3bHwX3W7A/XdMBPzq30BI/AAAAAAAAKh0/igPNKZkG354kmJxfiLMHxmBMwAuTvDKewCEwYBhgL/s320/81uUl2VN-lL.jpg" width="214" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PQDHFETmGy0/XdMBPvfxLrI/AAAAAAAAKhw/x6IBDRcyYt82d7JgDuzwO7yPxEIHvu6GACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/81--1QxGNsL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1075" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PQDHFETmGy0/XdMBPvfxLrI/AAAAAAAAKhw/x6IBDRcyYt82d7JgDuzwO7yPxEIHvu6GACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/81--1QxGNsL.jpg" width="212" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KNKmAu5c5oo/XdMBPwac4vI/AAAAAAAAKh4/CSgJlDSpWiA3046tQN76KbKEMiyXAvJRwCEwYBhgL/s1600/91g9fst1LUL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1075" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KNKmAu5c5oo/XdMBPwac4vI/AAAAAAAAKh4/CSgJlDSpWiA3046tQN76KbKEMiyXAvJRwCEwYBhgL/s320/91g9fst1LUL.jpg" width="212" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-style: normal;"><br />
<br />
In the first of them books, </span><i>The
Worst Witch, </i><span style="font-style: normal;">Mildred starts goin
to the school as a first-year student. Ever first year is given a
black cat, what they teach to ride on their broomstick with em, but
Mildred ends up with a gray tabby cat cause there ain’t no black
cats left. (I have a golden tabby named Pookie, ad he don’t ride
with me, so I don’t know that this is how real witches do. The
color of the cat don’t really mean nothin no way.) Anyway, as they
go along with Mildred gettin in trouble here and there, she finds a
bunch of other witches in the woods what are plottin against Miz
Cackle and the Academy, so natural she has to save the school from
em. This here shows that even though she ain’t perfect, she ain’t
</span><i>bad, </i><span style="font-style: normal;">and has got some
pluck to her.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">The
second book, </span><i>The Worst Witch Strikes Again,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
come out in 1980. In this one Mildred gets assigned to take care of
a new first-year name of Enid Nightshade, who turns out to be a big
practical joker, and Mildred gets into more trouble mostly cause of
Enid. In the third book, </span><i>A Bad Spell For The Worst</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span><i>Witch </i><span style="font-style: normal;">(1982), Mildred
comes back to Miz Cackle’s as a new second-year student, gets into
it with Ethel Hallow, and ends up gettin turned into a frog by Ethel
Hallow. And this was how I knowed this was a fantasy story, cause
most of the time we witches is too busy to be goin round turnin folk
into frogs, and besides that particular spell is a lot harder than
you think. Anyway, Mildred finds another frog out in the school’s
lilypond who is actual a magician name of Algernon Rowan-Webb, what
got turned into a frog by some other magician feller long ago, and so
Mildred makes up her mind to save him.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D561VykWoe8/XdMB16Za7dI/AAAAAAAAKiE/yCXAsVB2EeMjVWlcB09CPIw7r7XaVctDwCEwYBhgL/s1600/912Fq5SWlwL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1075" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D561VykWoe8/XdMB16Za7dI/AAAAAAAAKiE/yCXAsVB2EeMjVWlcB09CPIw7r7XaVctDwCEwYBhgL/s320/912Fq5SWlwL.jpg" width="214" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o_Cb5-26XOg/XdMB1xHPG5I/AAAAAAAAKiI/EvUCRYt1lO0zT-Ys6-an4pl1Zpw-ZIxfACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/81Bu79oNdnL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1075" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o_Cb5-26XOg/XdMB1xHPG5I/AAAAAAAAKiI/EvUCRYt1lO0zT-Ys6-an4pl1Zpw-ZIxfACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/81Bu79oNdnL.jpg" width="214" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dbF_FsSArlk/XdMB2NaAmvI/AAAAAAAAKiM/MHpxAyh48ksazBx8xjHdiudgDT5HP-U5ACEwYBhgL/s1600/918E7l2tQBL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1076" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dbF_FsSArlk/XdMB2NaAmvI/AAAAAAAAKiM/MHpxAyh48ksazBx8xjHdiudgDT5HP-U5ACEwYBhgL/s320/918E7l2tQBL.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">In
the fourth book, </span><i>The Worst Witch All At Sea</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
(1993) Mildred gets invited along with all the other second-year
students out to Mr. Rowan-Webb’s home, Gloom Castle, for a holiday,
but Miz Cackle tells her that she ought to replace her cat Tabby,
since he ain’t a black cat like all the rest. It must be some kind
of English thing that ever witch got to have a </span><i>black</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
cat, but Mildred natural don’t want to give up Tabby even if he
won’t ride on the broomstick. Mildred sneaks Tabby along with her
to Gloom Castle, and of course gets up to adventuresome didoes, which
is natural part of these books. The fifth one, </span><i>The Worst
Witch Saves The Day </i><span style="font-style: normal;">(2005),</span><i>
</i><span style="font-style: normal;">has them bad witches from the
first book comin back, and it is that the one leadin em is Miz
Cackle’s </span><i>sister </i><span style="font-style: normal;">Agatha,
who looks just like her and is a twin. Agatha is jealous of Miz
Cackle bein head of the Academy, and so she wants to mess everthing
up by turnin everbody into a snail, and natural Mildred has to stop
her. The sixth book, </span><i>The Worst Witch To The Rescue</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
(2007) has old Ethel Hallow discoverin that Mildred has come up with
a spell to make animals talk for a class project, so she steals it
and tries to take it as her own. The whole plot in this book is real
complicated, but it comes down to Mildred havin to find a tortoise
named Einstein that she made able to speak so she can prove the
project was hers. There’s three other books in this series what
got plots that are just as wild, and makes this a good series for
folks to read.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-22zZmwAToFI/XdMCmcudS5I/AAAAAAAAKig/8wmwXLEJTCUJdc4gFf1IWfjuxNuh8madACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/516KCF2N1HL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="360" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-22zZmwAToFI/XdMCmcudS5I/AAAAAAAAKig/8wmwXLEJTCUJdc4gFf1IWfjuxNuh8madACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/516KCF2N1HL.jpg" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Worst Witch: <i>The Movie</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-style: normal;">Now
it is natural that someone would be wantin to turn this here story
into a movie or some such, and so that’s just what they did. In
1986, the folks at ITV in Britain made a television movie of </span><i>The
Worst Witch, </i><span style="font-style: normal;">what was mostly
based on the first book and followed it pretty close. Fairuza Balk,
what had played Dorothy in the movie </span><i>Return To Oz,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
played Mildred Hubble, and later, when she had growed up a little,
she would play another witch named Nancy in a movie called </span><i>The
Craft. </i><span style="font-style: normal;">Two famous actin ladies
called Diana Rigg and Charlotte Rae played Miss Hardbroom and Miss
Cackle, and a real famous actin feller named Tim Curry, what had been
in that </span><i>Rocky Horror Picture Show,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
appeared as The Grand Wizard and even sung a song in that movie. A
couple of years later, in 1998, them ITV folks was back at it again
doin a whole TV show of </span><i>The Worst Witch, </i><span style="font-style: normal;">what
run for three series and had Georgina Sherrington and Felicity Jones
playin Mildred Hubble and Ethel Hallow. This show spun off into
another series in 2001 what was called </span><i>Weirdsister College,
</i><span style="font-style: normal;">and had them same two actresses
playin Mildred and Ethel goin off to college to further their magical
education, and it was kind of for older kids what is in high school.
Another series, </span><i>The New Worst Witch,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
had Mildred’s cousin Henrietta Hubble goin to Miz Cackle’s, and
it run for two series from 2005 to 2007.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-62xwkbKCSe0/XdMCoHQzguI/AAAAAAAAKik/vap1AboLWIMmPBs5Fp6LgWpRGkWvaKpFQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/the-worst-witch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="1000" height="179" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-62xwkbKCSe0/XdMCoHQzguI/AAAAAAAAKik/vap1AboLWIMmPBs5Fp6LgWpRGkWvaKpFQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/the-worst-witch.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The next generation (?)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-style: normal;">Them
books are still popular enough that in 2017, a brand-new series of
</span><i>The Worst Witch</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> came
out, what has been produced internationally between CBBC (a brand of
TV for younguns in Britain), ZDF (a German public-service broadcastin
network), and Netflix. This here has been streamin on Netflix for
some time now, and to my mind it’s the best of the bunch, and
follows the books real close. Bella Ramsey, what has been actin on
that </span><i>Game Of Thrones,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
plays Mildred Hubble, and Clare Higgins (Mad Doc knows her from that
movie </span><i>Hellraiser</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
plays Miz Cackle in this one. It’s right good and is real
well-done, so if you have been readin the books, or you ain’t read
the books but want to get a notion of what it’s all about, why just
fire up your streamin gadget and jump in, since everbody has got the
Netflix nowadays.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">So
I am done tellin this tale, and blessings be on all of you for this
Halloween season. We ain’t got too long left, so be sure to come
back soon for our next postin for <i>The MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en For
Halloween,</i> cause it is one thing and then another. Blessings be on
you!</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;"><br />
</span><i><b>Sincerely,</b></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>Petronella
“Punkin” Nightshade<br />
<br />
MAD DOCTOR’S NOTE: </b></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>The
Worst Witch </b></span><i><b>Netflix series is still available for
streaming, and the books are all available for purchase at Amazon or
other fine booksellers, and probably for lending at your local
library.</b></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>*Punkin holds
an “honorary degree of graduation” from a prestigious witches’
school called Grungemound Academy For Young Witches, which she
attended long before she began at Clearwater High School in the human
world. This degree was given to her after a memorable three days at
Grungemound for two reasons: one, the staff and most of the students
were mortally terrified of her power as an Adept, and two, there was
really nothing else they could do with a student who, because of her
inborn Power, instinctively knew </b></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>everything.</b></span><i><b>
Many of those staff who were there during those three days remember
her fondly, but not without evidence of a nervous condition.</b></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Punkin Nightshadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939519463278599685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-65046341951020014352019-10-29T22:35:00.000-05:002019-11-04T22:17:42.882-06:00THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF ROGER CORMAN AND EDGAR ALLAN POE By Bethany Ruthven<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q-DtuA2QO6g/XbpRgMww-EI/AAAAAAAAKME/bWLWTIQ5_X4Ae7CfSOVCn-R4xQMzCg-dQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/TOUBethany.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q-DtuA2QO6g/XbpRgMww-EI/AAAAAAAAKME/bWLWTIQ5_X4Ae7CfSOVCn-R4xQMzCg-dQCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/TOUBethany.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bethany Ruthven</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">G</span><span style="font-style: normal;">ood
evening, darlings, and thank you for reading. We are almost to the
end of our little Halloween soiree, and today on <i>The MonsterGrrls’
Thir13en For Halloween,</i> we will discuss one of my favorite writers,
the revered Edgar Allan Poe. And honestly, who <i>hasn’t</i> brought out
“The Raven” or some of the </span><i>Tales Of Mystery And
Imagination</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> for perusing during
the Halloween season? But specifically, we’re going to talk about
Poe’s connection to a celebrated horror filmmaker: Roger Corman,
who directed a cycle of eight films based on Poe’s tales from 1960
to 1965, most of which starred Vincent Price.</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k041BGS1CQk/XbpRrdw8MII/AAAAAAAAKMI/tH48rN2UkRomAuzx5bgykR6YcdOekhHMQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/800px-Edgar_Allan_Poe%252C_circa_1849%252C_restored%252C_squared_off.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k041BGS1CQk/XbpRrdw8MII/AAAAAAAAKMI/tH48rN2UkRomAuzx5bgykR6YcdOekhHMQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/800px-Edgar_Allan_Poe%252C_circa_1849%252C_restored%252C_squared_off.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The author</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Poe himself, of course, is our first topic.
Born in Boston in 1809, Poe’s family was abandoned by his father,
and his mother died soon after. Formally adopted by John and Frances
Allan of Richmond, VA, Poe would often clash with his father over the
cost of his education and his frequent gambling debts. He enrolled
in the University of Virginia but left after a year due to lack of
money, and after a quarrel with his father, he enlisted in the Army
in 1827 under an assumed name. The same year would see the beginning
of Poe’s literary career with a </span><span style="font-style: normal;">self-published
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">book called </span><i>Ta</i><i>merlane
And Other Poems,</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> credited only
to “A Bostonian.” From there, Poe would ultimately switch to
prose, and write the tales that he is best-known for, including “The
Pit And The Pendulum,” “Hop-Frog,” “The Masque Of The Red
Death,” “The Murders In The Rue Morgue,” and others. Poe’s
life ended in 1849, with the ultimate cause of his death being a
mystery: all known medical records concerned with his death are lost.</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">The tales of Poe, however, would
survive to inspire future generations of authors, giving rise to the
modern horror and mystery genres. In 1960, the film studio American
International Pictures expressed interest in turning Poe’s story
“The Fall of The House Of Usher” into a feature film. Roger
Corman, who had been asked to direct two black-and-white low-budget
horror flicks for AIP, convinced them to let him do “Usher”
instead, and give him a higher budget than normal, which allowed
Corman to film in widescreen and color and develop lavish movie sets.
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">Celebrated genre author
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">Richard Matheson provided </span><span style="font-style: normal;">the</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
script, </span><span style="font-style: normal;">and Vincent Price was
brought on board to star as the languishing Roderick Usher. The
film, titled </span><i>House Of Usher,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
was a hit for AIP, and Corman, Price and Matheson were tapped soon
afterward to create a film version of </span><i>The Pit And The
Pendulum </i><span style="font-style: normal;">in 1961.</span><i>
</i><span style="font-style: normal;">Another hit ensued for Corman
and AIP, and the Poe cycle began in earnest.</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oJvQ8o0aWzA/XbpUFImf9UI/AAAAAAAAKM4/4kI-gjDpxYg0O5pZKUjTvoCnf9DiJcxnwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/House%2BOf%2BUsher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="768" height="312" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oJvQ8o0aWzA/XbpUFImf9UI/AAAAAAAAKM4/4kI-gjDpxYg0O5pZKUjTvoCnf9DiJcxnwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/House%2BOf%2BUsher.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>House Of Usher</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-28B2ptxt7bY/XbpT_HTJtpI/AAAAAAAAKMg/MRtrnHLlGdsZIxtUrUyj25NcGHvqBrW6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/pit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1001" data-original-width="1277" height="312" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-28B2ptxt7bY/XbpT_HTJtpI/AAAAAAAAKMg/MRtrnHLlGdsZIxtUrUyj25NcGHvqBrW6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/pit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Pit And The Pendulum</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">The next film, </span><i>The
Premature Burial </i><span style="font-style: normal;">(1962)</span><i>,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
starred Ray Milland, as Price was unavailable. Corman’s</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fht-jI8HSqM/XbpT-zCs81I/AAAAAAAAKM8/GMDROWyi2coVzMlQ0RwNn21LvATtfF0VwCEwYBhgL/s1600/premature%2Bburial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="642" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fht-jI8HSqM/XbpT-zCs81I/AAAAAAAAKM8/GMDROWyi2coVzMlQ0RwNn21LvATtfF0VwCEwYBhgL/s320/premature%2Bburial.jpg" width="204" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Premature Burial</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
success
with the first two Poe films caused him to decide to make his own Poe
film, financed through Pathe Lab, which did print work for AIP. On
the first day of shooting, though, James H. Nicholson and Sam Arkoff
of AIP appeared and announced to Corman that they were working
together again, as they had convinced Path<span style="font-style: normal;">e
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">to bring the movie back to
AIP by threatening to pull all of AIP’s future lab work. </span><i>The</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span><i>Premature Burial</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> was
not as successful as its predecessors, but brought in enough money to
convince AIP to continue the Poe films.</span><br />
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rgzdd2t4K2A/XbpT_reG7YI/AAAAAAAAKNM/7qUH07SawTwkluTTVFnaDqBBN5I60q7zgCEwYBhgL/s1600/tales%2Bof%2Bterror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="657" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rgzdd2t4K2A/XbpT_reG7YI/AAAAAAAAKNM/7qUH07SawTwkluTTVFnaDqBBN5I60q7zgCEwYBhgL/s320/tales%2Bof%2Bterror.jpg" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tales Of Terror</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">The </span><span style="font-style: normal;">fourth</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">film</span><span style="font-style: normal;">,
</span><i>Tales Of Terror </i><span style="font-style: normal;">(1962)</span><span style="font-style: normal;">,
was an anthology film that heralded the return of Vincent Price to
the series and showcased three stories, all based on works of Poe.
“Morella” told the story of a woman (Maggie Pierce) returning to
her childhood home to find that her father (Vincent Price) has
performed a rite of witchcraft to allow her to swap bodies with that
of her dead mother (Leona Gage), so that her mother can live again.
“The Black Cat” combined elements of “The Black Cat” and “The
Cask Of Amontillado” and showcased Price, Peter Lorre, and Joyce
Jameson in the story of the cuckolded Monsieur Herringbone (Lorre)
who exacts his revenge upon pretentious wine-taster </span><span style="font-style: normal;">Fortunato
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">(Price) and his wayward wife
(Jameson) by walling them up in his basement wine-cellar. However,
Herringbone eventually gets his when the screeching of his wife’s
black cat (who was </span><i>also</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
walled up in the basement) reveals his misdeed. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">(You
never can trust those cats, you know.) The final tale was a reading
of “The Facts In The Case Of M. Valdemar,” about a dying man
(Price) who employs a hypnotist (Basil Rathbone) to put him into
trances to relieve his suffering, but ends up trapped between life
and death when Carmichael refuses to release him from his trance so
that he may finally die. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">Price,
Lorre, Rathbone and Jameson would all eventually be reunited for
Corman’s 1963 horror-comedy </span><i>The Comedy Of Terrors.</i></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qh14-4WfDpU/XbpT_YvCpHI/AAAAAAAAKNU/9gaJYVMpNAYqVcjIJjraxnobqRPe1I2hwCEwYBhgL/s1600/raven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="652" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qh14-4WfDpU/XbpT_YvCpHI/AAAAAAAAKNU/9gaJYVMpNAYqVcjIJjraxnobqRPe1I2hwCEwYBhgL/s320/raven.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Raven</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">1963’s </span><i>The Raven,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
while not exactly a filmed version of Poe’s poem, did borrow
elements from the poem to tell its story. Craven, a widowed sorcerer
(Vincent Price) is visited by a raven who turns out to be a
transformed wizard, Dr. Bedlo (Peter Lorre), who tells him that he
has seen the ghost of Craven’s wife at the castle of the evil Dr.
Scarabus (Boris Karloff). Joined by Craven’s daughter Estelle
(Olive Sturgess) and her paramour, Bedlo’s son Rexford (Jack
Nicholson in an early role), the pair travel to Scarabus’s castle
and discover that Scarabus indeed has Craven’s wife (Hazel Court),
who is aiding him in a </span><span style="font-style: normal;">plot
to gain Craven’s magical secrets. Having enjoyed the comedy of
“The Black Cat” in </span><i>Tales Of Terror,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">Corman desired to make a
completely comic Poe film; hence </span><i>The Raven</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
is neither fish nor fowl, as it were.</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--GuLgLLzLKk/XbpUFHF1yNI/AAAAAAAAKNQ/i7UoSye1Nbwtwa79_hlnfg-VqINdd3twgCEwYBhgL/s1600/haunted%2Bpalace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="652" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--GuLgLLzLKk/XbpUFHF1yNI/AAAAAAAAKNQ/i7UoSye1Nbwtwa79_hlnfg-VqINdd3twgCEwYBhgL/s320/haunted%2Bpalace.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Edgar Allan Poe's" The Haunted Palace</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">1963 would also see the release of
</span><i>The Haunted Palace. </i><span style="font-style: normal;">While
regarded as part of the Poe cycle by some since it uses the title of
Poe’s poem, the story of the film is actually derived from H. P.
Lovecraft’s novella </span><i>The Case Of Charles Dexter Ward,
</i><span style="font-style: normal;">making </span><i>THP</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
a bit of an outlier in the Poe cycle. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">The
eponymous </span><span style="font-style: normal;">Ward (Vincent
Price), the great-great grandson of suspected warlock Joseph Curwen
(also Price), returns to his relative’s ancestral home </span><span style="font-style: normal;">in
Arkham, Massachusetts </span><span style="font-style: normal;">with
his wife Anne (Debra Paget) to claim his inheritance. Because of
Curwen’s shenanigans with sacrifices to ancient pagan gods and
such, the </span><span style="font-style: normal;">strangely deformed
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">townsfolk are naturally
suspicious and hostile toward the couple, but they are encouraged to
stay by the palace caretaker Simon (Lon Chaney Jr., of werewolf fame)
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">who remarks how much Ward
resembles Curwen’s portrait. Obsession blooms, and it isn’t long
before poor Mr. Ward is carrying on Great-Great-Granddad’s work,
dragging out the old Necronomicon, resurrecting old cronies, and
exacting revenge on the town of Arkham. The eventual denouement
results in the defeat of the evil threat and the destruction of the
Haunted Palace via the same stock footage of Usher’s burning home,
which the ever-thrifty Corman used and reused repeatedly (along with
reused and redressed sets) as a cost-cutting measure.</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pAViAKHv89g/XbpT_GzkXSI/AAAAAAAAKNI/8ZOP2ofOglQXvsU4iE2tjkAqJUN04hL2ACEwYBhgL/s1600/RedDeath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="1000" height="295" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pAViAKHv89g/XbpT_GzkXSI/AAAAAAAAKNI/8ZOP2ofOglQXvsU4iE2tjkAqJUN04hL2ACEwYBhgL/s400/RedDeath.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Masque Of The Red Death</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">1964 brought </span><i>The Masque Of
The Red Death,</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> stylistically on
a par with </span><i>House Of Usher. </i><span style="font-style: normal;">
Combining elements of Poe’s story “Hop-Frog” as a subplot
within the overall tale of </span><i>Red Death,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">we see the tale of hedonistic
and unscrupulous nobleman Prince Prospero (Vincent Price), who
responds to the threat of plague in a local village by ordering the
village burnt down and having several members of nobility sequestered
at his castle, which is stocked with food, wine and entertainments,
some of which are provided by two dwarf dancers, Esmerelda (Verina
Greenlaw) and Hop-Toad (Skip Martin). As Hop-Toad enacts revenge on
the boorish Alfredo (Patrick Magee) for striking Esmerelda by
tricking him into dressing as an ape, soaking his costume with brandy
and setting it aflame (as per the tale) and Prospero prepares
sacrifices to Satan, the Red Death (an uncredited John Westbrook) appears, and </span><span style="font-style: normal;">the
disbelieving </span><span style="font-style: normal;">Prospero is
led into a</span><i> danse macabre </i><span style="font-style: normal;">as
Red Death claims Prospero and all his company. Charles Beaumont, the
well-known contributor to </span><i>Twilight Zone, </i><span style="font-style: normal;">provided
the script, with R. Wright Campbell working in the Hop-Frog subplot.</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A3_O4BfQmnc/XbpUAriOS5I/AAAAAAAAKNA/yKDuKU4mDm4VcP_LEv_vyCTR2zRuzbnjgCEwYBhgL/s1600/tomb%2Bof%2Bligeia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="661" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A3_O4BfQmnc/XbpUAriOS5I/AAAAAAAAKNA/yKDuKU4mDm4VcP_LEv_vyCTR2zRuzbnjgCEwYBhgL/s320/tomb%2Bof%2Bligeia.jpg" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tomb Of Ligeia</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">The Poe cycle would come to a close
in 1965 with </span><i>Tomb Of Ligeia,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
telling the story of widower Verden Fell (Vincent Price) who is
haunted by the memories of his blasphem</span><span style="font-style: normal;">ous</span><span style="font-style: normal;">
and atheistic wife Ligeia (Elizabeth Shepherd) to the point that he
impulsively marries a woman (Elizabeth Shepherd) who not only
resembles Ligeia but is betrothed to his friend Christopher Gough
(John Westbrook). Madness and mayhem are the order of the day as
Fell, troubled by nocturnal visions and the presence of a sinister
black cat who may be inhabited by Ligeia’s ghost, succumbs to
distress and resolves to ultimately face his wife’s evil spirit in
a final showdown that could cost him his life. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">Though
the film does appear to suffer from padding (its corresponding story
is one of Poe’s shortest tales), </span><i>Tomb Of Ligeia </i><span style="font-style: normal;">was
a fitting end to the cycle of Poe films, which are still regarded as
stars in both Corman’s and Price’s bodies of work.</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">A</span><span style="font-style: normal;">nd
so we come to the end, alas. Do return soon for our next Tale Of
Unease in </span><i>The MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en For Halloween, </i><span style="font-style: normal;">and
don’t tarry, because we are coming to the end, and all this will
be… </span><i><b>nevermore!</b></i></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>Regards,</b></i></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>Bethany Ruthven</b></i></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yvcLkEDbka8/XbpT_BGAwvI/AAAAAAAAKNI/6Oaq3nut5xgzCAS8ED5A9yKEyxIaXeGRwCEwYBhgL/s1600/price.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="809" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yvcLkEDbka8/XbpT_BGAwvI/AAAAAAAAKNI/6Oaq3nut5xgzCAS8ED5A9yKEyxIaXeGRwCEwYBhgL/s400/price.jpg" width="322" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our Mr. Price displays his usual charm, wit and sophistication. We love you, Uncle Vinnie.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Bethany Ruthvenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692093807874416252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-15646750425682308302019-10-29T20:21:00.000-05:002019-10-30T20:28:55.216-05:00TELLING TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE By Harriet Von Lupin<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-23xs4nUdowU/Xbo1hrrL1cI/AAAAAAAAKLI/uOq3N5ybXqg4JFYa4sHKy4Yt306ia45KwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/TOUHarriet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-23xs4nUdowU/Xbo1hrrL1cI/AAAAAAAAKLI/uOq3N5ybXqg4JFYa4sHKy4Yt306ia45KwCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/TOUHarriet.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Harriet Von Lupin</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">H</span><span style="font-style: normal;">i
there! Gosh, it’s just about time! Harriet Von Lupin, your </span><i>raving
reporter</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> here for </span><i>The
MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en For Halloween,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
and today we’re going to talk about another of these anthology
thingies. This one is one that Mad Doc remembers from watching it on
TV, when he was like our age. It’s called </span><i>Tales From The
Darkside,</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> and it must have been
pretty good, ‘cause there was a </span><i>movie</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
too, and we’re also gonna talk about </span><i>that!</i></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Awltl1ffzYY/Xbo1vQ2l_VI/AAAAAAAAKLM/Q30GL98LHUownwTsKkYbveYmNNt4fDcDACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Tales-from-Darkside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="483" height="233" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Awltl1ffzYY/Xbo1vQ2l_VI/AAAAAAAAKLM/Q30GL98LHUownwTsKkYbveYmNNt4fDcDACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Tales-from-Darkside.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>TFTD's title card</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Tales From The Darkside </i><span style="font-style: normal;">got
started because the movie </span><i>Creepshow</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
was successful (I talked about that one <a href="https://themonstergrrls.blogspot.com/2019/10/welcome-to-creepshow-by-harriet-von.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here!</a>), and so people in TV
got talking about about a TV series. Because Warner Bros. Studios
owned some stuff in </span><i>Creepshow,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
the guys at Laurel Entertainment (who produced </span><i>Creepshow</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
decided to go in another direction, and came up with </span><i>Tales
From The Darkside.</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> The new name
kind of went along with what </span><i>Creepshow</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
was, which was a live-action horror comic. Even though </span><i>TFTD</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
wasn’t comic-booky like </span><i>Creepshow,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
the stories in it were still kind of like that, with bad guys who did
bad things and then paid for it through supernatural means. George
Romero, who had directed </span><i>Creepshow</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
and some other famous horror movies (hi there, </span><i>Night Of The
Living Dead!</i><span style="font-style: normal;">) executive-produced
the series with Richard </span><span style="font-style: normal;">P.
</span><span style="font-style: normal;">Rubinstein (meaning they had
something to do with everything!)</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Like other famous anthology series
such as </span><i>Twilight Zone, Thriller,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
and </span><i>The Outer Limits, TFTD</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
had famous writers supplying stories for episode scripts. Both of
Stephen King’s short stories “Word Processor Of The Gods” and
“Sorry, Right Number” got turned into </span><i>TFTD</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
episodes, along with other stories by Frederik Pohl, Clive Barker,
Robert Bloch (boy, </span><i>he</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
sure turns up a lot), </span><span style="font-style: normal;">Harlan
Ellison, John Cheever and Michael McDowell. </span><i>TFTD</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
was a hit with horror fans, and ran for four seasons in weekly
syndication from Tribune Broadcasting, with a lot of loyal viewers
(even though they aired it after midnight!). After </span><i>TFTD</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
wound up, a similar series called </span><i>Monsters,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
also produced by Laurel Entertainment and Richard Rubinstein, came
out, and it was a hit too! (Maybe we’ll talk about that one a
little later!)</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R7DOSdh9kLk/Xbo1-rmN6tI/AAAAAAAAKLc/m6IiISsQNU4u00fg7nVMK8yKuYvXRgiqwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/MV5BODI4ZTI1ZjMtYmE5MC00NTM5LTgwMDgtNWI1ZTI1MDYyOGYyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjExODE1MDc%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C667%252C1000_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R7DOSdh9kLk/Xbo1-rmN6tI/AAAAAAAAKLc/m6IiISsQNU4u00fg7nVMK8yKuYvXRgiqwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MV5BODI4ZTI1ZjMtYmE5MC00NTM5LTgwMDgtNWI1ZTI1MDYyOGYyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjExODE1MDc%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C667%252C1000_AL_.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The poster for TFTD: The Movie</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">I</span><span style="font-style: normal;">n
1990, </span><i>Tales From The Darkside: The Movie </i><span style="font-style: normal;">came
out, </span><span style="font-style: normal;">and because both Romero
and King were involved (one of the stories was scripted by Romero
from a story by King) a lot of people started calling this one the
unofficial third </span><i>Creepshow</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
movie. It starts out with a modern-day witch (Debbie Harry)
preparing to, um, </span><i>prepare</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
a kid she has captured as the main course for a dinner party. </span><i><b>(Hey,
y’all, this is Punkin, and I’m here to tell you that don’t no
witches eat no children. That’s just a fib. --P. Nightshade) </b></i><span style="font-style: normal;">To
stall for time, the kid (Matthew Lawrence) tells her three stories
from a book she gave him, called </span><i>Tales From The Darkside.</i></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The first one is a story called “Lot 249,” based on a short story
by Arthur Conan Doyle, who wrote all those Sherlock Holmes stories.
In it, a grad student (Steve Buscemi) has been cheated by two other
students (Robert Sedgwick and Julianne Moore) out of a scholarship,
and even framed for theft! So he does what any grad student would do
in his situation: he sends a <i>mummy</i> after ‘em. Like, it’s
even there in the university class catalog. “How To Raise The Dead
For Fun And Profit.” (<i>Ha!</i> That’s a joke!)</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1jvCRXTvXsE/Xbo1-y-6McI/AAAAAAAAKL4/qsQsXi5zYjAallVNk0uog7zgnYKGgSC7ACEwYBhgL/s1600/tales-from-the-darkside-cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="676" height="171" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1jvCRXTvXsE/Xbo1-y-6McI/AAAAAAAAKL4/qsQsXi5zYjAallVNk0uog7zgnYKGgSC7ACEwYBhgL/s320/tales-from-the-darkside-cat.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The star of "The Cat From Hell"</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The second one is called “The Cat From Hell,” and this is the one
that Romero and King did. In it, a really rich old guy in a
wheelchair (William Hickey) calls a professional hitman (David
Johansen) in for an unusual job: kill a black cat, which the old guy
believes has already <i>murdered</i> the rest of his family. See,
the old guy runs a pharmaceutical company, which killed about 5,000
black cats through drug testing, and he thinks the black cat’s
trying to get <i>revenge.</i> Well, you can’t tell about cats
(believe me, buddy, I’m a werewolf and I <i>know</i>), but the
hitman takes the hire, since the old guy’s offering a <i>BIG</i>
paycheck for killing the cat. You probably can already figure out
that this isn’t going to go so well…</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I19ttq6oHU4/Xbo1-6Jh_gI/AAAAAAAAKL8/wy99As-5_Ck_XHGYb-wgZ69pEUfZ2Y-PQCEwYBhgL/s1600/MV5BZDY2NzA4ZjgtMWY4NC00NDFjLWE5NTQtYjBmYzc3YTdkZjQwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODU3MDc2NzI%2540._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1360" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I19ttq6oHU4/Xbo1-6Jh_gI/AAAAAAAAKL8/wy99As-5_Ck_XHGYb-wgZ69pEUfZ2Y-PQCEwYBhgL/s320/MV5BZDY2NzA4ZjgtMWY4NC00NDFjLWE5NTQtYjBmYzc3YTdkZjQwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODU3MDc2NzI%2540._V1_.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The gargoyle from "Lover's Vow"</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The last one, “Lover’s Vow,” written by Michael McDowell, is
kinda sad even though it’s scary. It’s both a love story <i>and
</i>a horror story, and it’s about this failed artist (James Remar)
who witnesses a <i>gargoyle</i> killing a victim. The gargoyle
agrees not to kill the artist guy if he swears to <i>never tell
anyone what he’s seen,</i> or try to tell people what the gargoyle
looks like. (Of course, the artist guy agrees because he doesn’t
want to <i>die.</i>) Soon after, Artist Guy meets this beautiful
woman (Rae Dawn Chong) who becomes his girlfriend, and after that
things start turning around for him—his art becomes really
successful, and he starts becoming this <i>rising star</i> in the art
world. But he can’t get the gargoyle out of his mind, and, well,
he’s an <i>artist.</i> And all those bad memories have to go
<i>somewhere,</i> so how long is it gonna be before the secret is
out? And of course, at the <i>end</i> of the movie, we <i>have</i>
to find out what happens to the witch and the kid… is it gonna be a
happy ending, or not?</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Both the series and the movie are really cool horror stories, and if
you can find them on DVD or the streaming thingys, they’re <i>perfect</i>
Halloween viewing. And that’s it for me, but we’re gonna have
<i>more stuff</i> going on in the next post for <i>The MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en
For Halloween!</i> <i><b>OWW-WOOOOO!!!</b></i></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>Love,</b></i></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>Harriet Von Lupin</b></i></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>MAD DOCTOR’S NOTE: </b></i><b>Tales From The Darkside</b><i><b>
(both series and movie) are available on DVD from Amazon, and </b></i><b>TFTD:
The Movie</b><i><b> is currently streaming on Amazon Prime for your
viewing fright. You’re welcome.</b></i></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WDVrb7WsfnQ/Xbo1-T_W-wI/AAAAAAAAKLw/FeHpk7yG3gsIr05tArmgJE-u4yx6mYBsACEwYBhgL/s1600/MV5BYTY4NDU0YTMtOGY1NC00MWIzLTg3MjQtMDQ3MDBjMmY4ZGMzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjUyNDk2ODc%2540._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="700" height="223" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WDVrb7WsfnQ/Xbo1-T_W-wI/AAAAAAAAKLw/FeHpk7yG3gsIr05tArmgJE-u4yx6mYBsACEwYBhgL/s400/MV5BYTY4NDU0YTMtOGY1NC00MWIzLTg3MjQtMDQ3MDBjMmY4ZGMzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjUyNDk2ODc%2540._V1_.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Hey, you wanna hear a story?"</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Harriet Von Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850871789626037907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-47924691489233223292019-10-23T21:58:00.002-05:002020-03-25T20:04:19.463-05:00RETURNING TO GREEN KNOWE By John Rose<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B4FhjU9_Vns/XbEOb5k-eII/AAAAAAAAKHc/LhoQJCY-N5YLxphosCsIMWqsZwmbp-9yACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/TOUMadDoc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B4FhjU9_Vns/XbEOb5k-eII/AAAAAAAAKHc/LhoQJCY-N5YLxphosCsIMWqsZwmbp-9yACLcBGAsYHQ/s200/TOUMadDoc.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Mad Doctor</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Welcome back to </span><i>The
MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en For Halloween.</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
Today we’re discussing Lucy M. Boston and her </span><i>Green
Knowe</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> series of books, which
feature an entirely different kind of haunted house.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P-HW9avEarE/XbESPNdOasI/AAAAAAAAKIY/5RWbbSkPMXwvAz_hF5NYyoJ51vewugsNACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/280full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="280" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P-HW9avEarE/XbESPNdOasI/AAAAAAAAKIY/5RWbbSkPMXwvAz_hF5NYyoJ51vewugsNACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/280full.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lucy M. Boston</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Born
in Southport, Lancashire to a typically affluent middle-class
Victorian family, Boston grew up a Wesleyan Methodist, and had a
father who had a passion and appreciation of the aesthetic side of
life, which awakened Boston’s own passions. Through him, she
developed passions for music, art and nature. When her father died,
she was sent to school at Westmoreland, and stayed close to her
mother’s family home at Arnside, which introduced her to English
country life and helped her to develop an awareness of plants and
gardens. Boston moved on to Somerville College, Oxford in the first
months of 1914 and WWI, and left college in her second term to go to
war as a volunteer nurse.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">After
the war, Lucy married a distant cousin named Harold in Woodstock,
near Oxford. Though the union went south in 1935, she had one son,
Peter Shakerley Boston. Following the failure of her marriage, Lucy
traveled in France, Italy, Austria and Hungary, visiting Europe’s
musical capitals and studying painting in Vienna. She returned to
England in 1937 and took rooms in Cambridge to be close to her son
Peter, who was now 19 and an undergraduate. Hearing that a house was
for sale in the nearby village of Hemingford Gray, she remembered a
seemingly derelict house she had seen there in 1915 and jumped to the
conclusion that this was the house for sale. Upon her arrival and
announcement that she wished to buy the house, she found that the
owners had only that morning decided to sell, and that the house
advertised for sale was a different one. She never did find out
which house was the one advertised.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c0LglGzSbKU/XbEOsDAAc9I/AAAAAAAAKHg/S7x3hUw_cHwrL2NJoPI_5xS9_MJMypZBQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Hemingford_Grey_-_geograph.org.uk_-_901724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="640" height="476" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c0LglGzSbKU/XbEOsDAAc9I/AAAAAAAAKHg/S7x3hUw_cHwrL2NJoPI_5xS9_MJMypZBQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Hemingford_Grey_-_geograph.org.uk_-_901724.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Manor at Hemingford Grey, Boston's home</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_qG1wtZRwdU/XbEPMSJNjCI/AAAAAAAAKIE/-tVzOJkyrxErFRjXbGVPCR-1raS34flOgCEwYBhgL/s1600/GK2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_qG1wtZRwdU/XbEPMSJNjCI/AAAAAAAAKIE/-tVzOJkyrxErFRjXbGVPCR-1raS34flOgCEwYBhgL/s200/GK2.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--K0oGw4AMbM/XbEPMRNMTqI/AAAAAAAAKIQ/PCivp7973FoCIRce8xNmCUIbIMy3z_xTgCEwYBhgL/s1600/GK1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="340" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--K0oGw4AMbM/XbEPMRNMTqI/AAAAAAAAKIQ/PCivp7973FoCIRce8xNmCUIbIMy3z_xTgCEwYBhgL/s200/GK1.jpg" width="135" /></a><span style="font-style: normal;">After
renovating the ancient Norman Manor house, which had been built in
1130, she settled there, continuing the house’s restoration and
planting gardens. This house, dubbed the Manor, would be the focus
and inspiration for her creativity for the rest of her life, and
would eventually be known as Green Knowe. In 1954, at the age of sixty-two, Lucy M. Boston
would write </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Children-Green-Knowe-L-Boston/dp/0152024689/ref=pd_bxgy_14_2/132-1942589-2403660?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0152024689&pd_rd_r=e5271f11-67d1-4fef-98af-992cd2220f57&pd_rd_w=joSuB&pd_rd_wg=Ccnav&pf_rd_p=09627863-9889-4290-b90a-5e9f86682449&pf_rd_r=TPWAG5RWFHW8VGFQW7T1&psc=1&refRID=TPWAG5RWFHW8VGFQW7T1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>The Children Of Green Knowe,</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">
the first of six books about an old manor house in the English
countryside that is inhabited by the spirits of people who have lived
there in past times. Illustrated by her son Peter, the <i>Green Knowe</i>
series is fondly remembered, and is still around today to delight and thrill young readers.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">In
</span><i>The Children Of Green Knowe,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
Toseland “Tolly” Oldknow goes on a holiday visit to his
grandmother, Linnet Oldknow, at Green Knowe, a manor house dating
from the Norman Conquest that has been continually inhabited by
Tolly’s ancestors, the d’Aulneaux family, later called Oldknow.
During his stay, Tolly discovers a painting of three children and
some of their personal artifacts, and begins to encounter the spirits
of three of his ancestors: Toby (an earlier Toseland), Alexander, and
an earlier Linnet who lived in the reign of Charles II.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GI7u9ah6upY/XbEPMRVQ1PI/AAAAAAAAKIM/1tIRCT4PWt4Y4FpJuFIt8USGSdLc0gL1wCEwYBhgL/s1600/GK3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="323" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GI7u9ah6upY/XbEPMRVQ1PI/AAAAAAAAKIM/1tIRCT4PWt4Y4FpJuFIt8USGSdLc0gL1wCEwYBhgL/s200/GK3.jpg" width="128" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1WeZOYUjVhc/XbEPM6A1gII/AAAAAAAAKII/wNq-8qGts_UISv2FwvYiYHki8XNhGy06QCEwYBhgL/s1600/GK4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1550" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1WeZOYUjVhc/XbEPM6A1gII/AAAAAAAAKII/wNq-8qGts_UISv2FwvYiYHki8XNhGy06QCEwYBhgL/s200/GK4.jpg" width="128" /></a><span style="font-style: normal;">In the second book in the series,
</span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Treasure-Green-Knowe-L-Boston/dp/0152026010/ref=pd_bxgy_14_2/132-1942589-2403660?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0152026010&pd_rd_r=81ec075c-ea85-40eb-8e96-96bb10fa6d62&pd_rd_w=tZChI&pd_rd_wg=MwRZz&pf_rd_p=09627863-9889-4290-b90a-5e9f86682449&pf_rd_r=0H9DKDDW2BKZK1HN8R4W&psc=1&refRID=0H9DKDDW2BKZK1HN8R4W" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>The Treasure Of Green Knowe </i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">(1958),</span><i>
</i><span style="font-style: normal;">Tolly returns for the Easter
holidays to find the painting gone to an exhibit, and at risk of
being sold to pay for roof repairs to Green Knowe. He also finds
Mrs. Oldknow repairing a patchwork quilt, which allows Tolly to come
into contact with the spirits of a blind girl named Susan Oldknow and
her family, leading them on a search to find her mother Maria
Oldknowe’s jewels.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">In
the third book, </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/River-at-Green-Knowe/dp/015202607X/ref=pd_sbs_14_3/132-1942589-2403660?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=015202607X&pd_rd_r=c49cecd8-bf11-4f7d-81bf-da6c704daa6f&pd_rd_w=bkBpk&pd_rd_wg=8U5OW&pf_rd_p=52b7592c-2dc9-4ac6-84d4-4bda6360045e&pf_rd_r=RCGXZCJEY3HSMCRTCVWA&psc=1&refRID=RCGXZCJEY3HSMCRTCVWA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>The River At Green Knowe </i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">(1959),
Green Knowe is let for the summer to a dotty archaeologist named
Doctor Biggin and her friend Miss Bun. Along for the ride are
Biggin’s niece Ida and two “displaced” refugee children, Oskar
and Ping. An exploration of an island-strewn river flowing past Green
Knowe reveals such things as flying horses, a giant who wishes to
join a circus, and a Bronze Age moon ceremony. Through it all, it is
made clear that Green Knowe protects its inhabitants, especially
those who are children.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2DipdxH37MM/XbEPNBHDWqI/AAAAAAAAKIM/jGP_5cU-4gkKyue6upwwBboz3RBKJj53QCEwYBhgL/s1600/GK5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="351" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2DipdxH37MM/XbEPNBHDWqI/AAAAAAAAKIM/jGP_5cU-4gkKyue6upwwBboz3RBKJj53QCEwYBhgL/s200/GK5.jpg" width="140" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HH-W21lsdno/XbEPNcQ8yGI/AAAAAAAAKIQ/eGoDWU5Aa3M-8aqMP6khO_ejNzusJpeOQCEwYBhgL/s1600/GK6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="850" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HH-W21lsdno/XbEPNcQ8yGI/AAAAAAAAKIQ/eGoDWU5Aa3M-8aqMP6khO_ejNzusJpeOQCEwYBhgL/s200/GK6.jpg" width="125" /></a><span style="font-style: normal;">The
fourth book in the series, </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stranger-at-Green-Knowe/dp/0152025898/ref=pd_sbs_14_6/132-1942589-2403660?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0152025898&pd_rd_r=b42fe2da-7135-4b0e-8427-b5dda903b54c&pd_rd_w=CfxzC&pd_rd_wg=c4p6H&pf_rd_p=52b7592c-2dc9-4ac6-84d4-4bda6360045e&pf_rd_r=QPHAXNFFZGVZN20JDN56&psc=1&refRID=QPHAXNFFZGVZN20JDN56" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>A Stranger At Green Knowe</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">
(1961), has Ping returning to Green Knowe to stay with Mrs Oldknow
and also telling the story of an escaped gorilla named Hanno, with
whom Ping develops a bond during a visit to a zoo prior to his visit
to the house. Hanno escapes and makes his way to Green Knowe, where
Ping befriends him. This book would be awarded the 1961 Carnegie
Medal.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Book
five, </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Enemy-at-Green-Knowe/dp/0152024816/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2/132-1942589-2403660?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0152024816&pd_rd_r=a1447000-b19b-4830-8f12-342ca78ffd60&pd_rd_w=gcUzy&pd_rd_wg=e09dW&pf_rd_p=09627863-9889-4290-b90a-5e9f86682449&pf_rd_r=XDFS5FPN3CQ5B3PC49N2&psc=1&refRID=XDFS5FPN3CQ5B3PC49N2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>An Enemy At Green Knowe</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">
(1964) is darker than its previous brethren. Ping and Tolly hear
from Mrs. Oldknow the story of Dr. Vogel, a necromancer and occultist
who came to a bad end at Green Knowe centuries before. Soon after,
Melanie Powers, a professor and an occultist herself, comes looking
for Vogel’s papers, with interests that are not academic, leading
to an eventual confrontation between Green Knowe and the forces of
evil. The sixth and final book, </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stones-Green-Knowe-L-Boston/dp/0152055665/ref=pd_bxgy_14_3/132-1942589-2403660?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0152055665&pd_rd_r=2ef3ebdc-9832-46c9-a0f9-74791d131c0b&pd_rd_w=o7x9w&pd_rd_wg=oTAQC&pf_rd_p=09627863-9889-4290-b90a-5e9f86682449&pf_rd_r=SRTQGBJQWY6X51XX75NH&psc=1&refRID=SRTQGBJQWY6X51XX75NH" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>The Stones Of Green Knowe</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">
(1976) would delve deeper into Green Knowe’s past, telling the
story of Roger d’Aulneaux, the son of the house’s original
builder, who discovers two throne-like stones that allow him to visit
the time of the Conquest and the later periods of Linnet, Susan, and
Tolly.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Lucy
Boston’s </span><i>Green Knowe</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
series is a wonderful mix of fantasy and scares, with a continuing
generational theme. Though Green Knowe is most definitely haunted,
Boston sensed that haunted houses could be eerie without being
malevolent, and the series has enough creepy events and villains to
keep it from being saccharine, making this a perfect literary place
to visit for the Halloween season.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Come
back soon for the next post in </span><i>The MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en
For Halloween, </i><span style="font-style: normal;">as we continue
our</span><i> Tales Of Unease…</i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><i>MAD DOCTOR’S
NOTE: The entire </i><span style="font-style: normal;">Green Knowe</span><i>
series is available for purchase at Amazon.com (click the links for each book), or for lending at
your local library.</i></b></div>
John Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07613034751992258769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-43890728986103333432019-10-18T21:26:00.001-05:002019-10-18T21:49:55.451-05:00A MONSTERGRRLS HALLOWEEN SPECIAL: STEPHEN KING'S CHRISTINE By John Rose<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aD5pIEv4BaY/Xapuv6g78sI/AAAAAAAAKFU/LO8MLLWULi0-FMi9rfUb4cFAxZK1A_CTACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/MGHS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aD5pIEv4BaY/Xapuv6g78sI/AAAAAAAAKFU/LO8MLLWULi0-FMi9rfUb4cFAxZK1A_CTACLcBGAsYHQ/s200/MGHS.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A MonsterGrrls Halloween Special</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>It wouldn’t be Halloween without a few extra treats and
surprises, so in this spirit we present an extra post for the season,
</i><span style="font-style: normal;">A MonsterGrrls Halloween
Special. </span><i>Here we examine the Stephen King novel and John
Carpenter film, </i><span style="font-style: normal;">Christine.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Cars,
and their relationships with humans, are not exempt from speculative
fiction. From the 1944 sci-fi story “Killdozer!” by Theodore
Sturgeon, to the Twilight Zone episodes “You Drive” (1964
original series) and “Joy Ride” (1987 revival series), to
sentient racing Volkswagen Herbie in Disney’s </span><i>The Love
Bug, </i><span style="font-style: normal;">to the 1977 horror film </span><i>The
Car, </i><span style="font-style: normal;">vehicles possessed by
otherworldly forces, whether malign or benevolent, are a well-known
trope in speculative fiction. Which brings us to </span><i>Christine,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
both a 1983 horror novel by Stephen King, and a horror film of the
same year by John Carpenter.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VhX1sSMJC5c/XapyPzpwpQI/AAAAAAAAKFg/PjPnJ-ObX5ET20Bx0rKZjYzc-Tf7dWSnwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/StephenKing-Christine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="197" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VhX1sSMJC5c/XapyPzpwpQI/AAAAAAAAKFg/PjPnJ-ObX5ET20Bx0rKZjYzc-Tf7dWSnwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/StephenKing-Christine.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The book</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">King
had dealt with the idea of sentient homicidal vehicles before in his
1973 short story “Trucks” (which eventually became his one foray
into film directing, 1986’s </span><i>Maximum Overdrive</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
but in </span><i>Christine</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> he
went whole-hog, or full-custom as the case may be. The novel
concerns one Arnie Cunningham, a put-upon and lonely teen whose one
friend is the comparatively normal Dennis Guilder, who also narrates
the story. Spotting a dilapidated 1958 Plymouth Fury while riding
home with Dennis from work, Arnie makes Dennis stop, and discovers
that it belongs to an old man named Roland LeBay, who sells Arnie the
car for $250. Dennis, who doesn’t like the look of the car to
start with, likes it even less when he sits inside it and has a
frightening vision of the car and its surroundings as they were when
it was new. Undaunted in his quest to restore the car, Arnie brings
it to a do-it-yourself garage run by Will Darnell, who is suspected
of using the garage as a front for smuggling. As Arnie works on the
car, he becomes more and more withdrawn and cynical, but also more
confident and self-assured. Christine, however, almost seems to be
mysteriously repairing herself. LeBay eventually dies, and Dennis
meets LeBay’s younger brother George, who fills him in on LeBay’s
history of anger and violence and the back story of Christine:
LeBay’s daughter died in the car from choking, while his wife
committed suicide in the car through carbon monoxide poisioning.
Dennis also observes that Arnie is becoming more and more like LeBay,
and that the car is taking over more and more of Arnie’s life.
With the advent of a girl named Leigh Cabot who begins dating Arnie
and nearly dies in the car the same way that LeBay’s daughter did
(leading to the relationship’s end when Leigh figures out that she
is competing with </span><i>the car</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
for Arnie), and a number of car-related deaths around town that point
to Christine but turn up no evidence, Dennis </span><span style="font-style: normal;">and
Leigh, who are now lovers, </span><span style="font-style: normal;">eventually
realize that Christine is possessed by LeBay’s spirit, and hatch a
desperate plan to try to destroy Christine and save Arnie.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Many
did not know what to make of </span><i>Christine</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
when it first came out, but it very quickly became a favorite book
among King fans due to its strange juxtaposition of love story and
spirit-possession horror. While there’s quite a build-up before
the plot really thickens, it eventually pays off big, in such scenes
as when Arnie, fully aware of Christine’s self-repairing abilities,
pushes her through Darnell’s garage after bully Buddy Repperton and
his gang have trashed her. In a thoroughly creepy scene, Christine
</span><i>regenerates:</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> dents pop
out, cracks in glass disappear, and paint damage disappears as if
never there to begin with.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GyU-OsA6AMM/XapyiRaJJBI/AAAAAAAAKFo/W8U3zqnp2q43iREdzTPvh9dSB0qwLAB9QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/christine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GyU-OsA6AMM/XapyiRaJJBI/AAAAAAAAKFo/W8U3zqnp2q43iREdzTPvh9dSB0qwLAB9QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/christine.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The eternal... quadrangle (?)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">These
scenes would eventually be realized in movie form. Hollywood had
already come calling for King’s work, and producer Richard Kobritz
, who previously produced the </span><i>Salem’s Lot </i><span style="font-style: normal;">miniseries,
had purchased the rights to </span><i>Christine</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
after King sent him a manuscript copy. Kobritz’s first choice for
director was John Carpenter, who was initially not available, but
delays on other projects freed him to work on </span><i>Christine.</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
According to Carpenter, he directed the film as a job rather than a
personal project, and at the time he was still smarting from the
critical backlash over his previous film, the now-classic </span><i>The
Thing</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> (1982). It may have been because of this
disinterest that</span><span style="font-style: normal;"> Carpenter altered
one significant detail of the story: in the novel, Christine was
possessed by the spirit of Roland LeBay, while in the film, the car’s
evil manifested on the day it was built, as seen in the opening scene
where two line workers fall prey to Christine as she rolls off the
assembly line. Also, Roland LeBay does not appear in the film;
instead, his brother George (who appears in the film to be as
disagreeable as Roland, but somewhat milder; perhaps someone tried to combine both characters here) sells the car to Arnie.</span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WtMJ7n2JLLI/Xapy5_EV_hI/AAAAAAAAKFw/m70-Pm53_vcjdjUo8GWat_wAQ5PC9W35QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/MV5BYmU0ZDM2Y2UtODc4Ni00MDE1LTgwNDgtNDNjMmY2MjhiNmZhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjUxMjc1OTM%2540._V1_SX1777_CR0%252C0%252C1777%252C744_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="1600" height="268" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WtMJ7n2JLLI/Xapy5_EV_hI/AAAAAAAAKFw/m70-Pm53_vcjdjUo8GWat_wAQ5PC9W35QCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/MV5BYmU0ZDM2Y2UtODc4Ni00MDE1LTgwNDgtNDNjMmY2MjhiNmZhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjUxMjc1OTM%2540._V1_SX1777_CR0%252C0%252C1777%252C744_AL_.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>She's a bad, bad girl...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Cast
included Keith Gordon (who went on to appear in the 1986 Rodney
Dangerfield vehicle </span><i>Back To School</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)
as Arnie, John Stockwell (who appeared in 1985’s sci-fi
cult-classic </span><i>My Science Project</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
Alexandra Paul as Leigh Cabot, and character actor Roberts Blossom as
George LeBay, brother of the deceased Roland. Harry Dean Stanton
appears as Detective Rudy Junkins, who tries unsuccessfully to pin
Christine’s murders on Arnie, and William Ostrander appears as
vengeful bully Buddy Repperton. A number of cars appeared as
Christine, but few were actual Plymouth Furies due to the car’s
small production number, and instead Plymouth Belvedere and Savoy
models, dressed to look like a Fury, were used. The regeneration
scenes, while not initially planned for the film, were shot in
post-production at Carpenter’s decision. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">The film has since become a cult
classic.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;"></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Christine</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
remains a favorite among fans of King and Carpenter due to its
demonstration of the human fascination with the American automobile
and the romance surrounding it, something we are all privy to, and
sometimes <i>prey</i> to. Even if a car </span><i>isn’t </i><span style="font-style: normal;">possessed
by a malevolent spirit, you still have to be careful. Because
sometimes, without any warning, it might just </span><i>turn on you.</i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Be
sure to return for our next post for <i>The MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en For
Halloween.</i> But in the meantime, be careful out on the road in the dark…</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>MAD DOCTOR’S
NOTE: </b></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Christine</b></span><b><i>
(both film and book) are available for purchase on Amazon.com, and
can be rented for streaming with Prime Video.</i></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><i>Special thanks to Rose Marie Machario, who suggested this post.</i></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jk-9uFBz5MQ/XapzgRk0k5I/AAAAAAAAKF8/VlshzQPqAZMP3GAnWgLxMjGNaOeZzOE2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/MV5BYmY1NWQxZWMtYjM3MC00YzNlLThhZDctZjc5NDk2N2RiNzFmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzc5NjM0NA%2540%2540._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="1068" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jk-9uFBz5MQ/XapzgRk0k5I/AAAAAAAAKF8/VlshzQPqAZMP3GAnWgLxMjGNaOeZzOE2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/MV5BYmY1NWQxZWMtYjM3MC00YzNlLThhZDctZjc5NDk2N2RiNzFmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzc5NjM0NA%2540%2540._V1_.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>You better watch out, or she'll run you down...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
John Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07613034751992258769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-38442541068458566912019-10-18T19:26:00.001-05:002019-10-18T19:30:31.168-05:00FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE SERIES By John Rose<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AqrIEFntLps/XZu6Ju7aHbI/AAAAAAAAKA4/fpv-z0jyLroEgVfh317HCNrqeTxJkznOACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/TOUMadDoc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AqrIEFntLps/XZu6Ju7aHbI/AAAAAAAAKA4/fpv-z0jyLroEgVfh317HCNrqeTxJkznOACPcBGAYYCw/s200/TOUMadDoc.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Mad Doctor</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r6puQ1Ge6Eo/XapUUc9RWcI/AAAAAAAAACg/qQjvwa4IIG0qbHJWaqRGOBVgZlbuEjBEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="179" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r6puQ1Ge6Eo/XapUUc9RWcI/AAAAAAAAACg/qQjvwa4IIG0qbHJWaqRGOBVgZlbuEjBEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/maxresdefault.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Now With No Added Jason"</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Welcome back to <i>The MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en For Halloween. </i>Today
in our <i>Tales Of Unease</i> we’re taking a look at <i>Friday The 13</i><sup><i>th</i></sup><i>:
The Series</i>—not the movie series, but the TV series that ran in
first-run syndication from 1987 to 1990. Though it has no connection
to the <i>Friday The 13</i><sup><i>th</i></sup> movies, <i>FT13 The
Series </i>has a devoted fan following.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">With
series like </span><i>Amazing Stories,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span><i>Tales From The Darkside,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
and the 1980’s revival of </span><i>The Twilight Zone,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
anthology series e</span><span style="font-style: normal;">xperienced
a renaissance period</span><span style="font-style: normal;"> during the '80’s.
Producer Frank Mancuso, Jr., who had actually produced the </span><i>Friday
The 13</i><sup><i>th</i></sup><i> </i><span style="font-style: normal;">film
series from </span><i>FT13th Part 2</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
all the way to J</span><i>ason Takes Manhattan, </i><span style="font-style: normal;">co-created
the TV series with Larry B. Williams under the title of </span><i>The
13</i><sup><i>th</i></sup><i> Hour.</i>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Mancuso’s
original intent was to utilize the idea of Friday The 13</span><sup><span style="font-style: normal;">th</span></sup><span style="font-style: normal;">
itself, as a symbol of bad luck and curses. Interestingly enough,
Mancuso had hoped to do this idea in the </span><i>FT13</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
movies themselves, but like John Carpenter’s </span><i>Halloween</i><span style="font-style: normal;">,
the masked serial killer Jason Voorhees became so popular among
moviegoers that </span><i>he </i><span style="font-style: normal;">became
the franchise, and the anthology film series idea was scrapped.
While the creators desired to use Jason Voorhees’ trademark hockey
mask in the TV series (a rumor surfaced that a planned ending for the
show would involve a plot to retrieve Jason’s hockey mask itself),
there was never any serious intention to tie </span><i>FT13
The Series </i>to <span style="font-style: normal;">the movies. </span><span style="font-style: normal;">The creators
eventually decided to call the series </span><i>Friday The 13</i><sup><i>th</i></sup><span style="font-style: normal;">
because Mancuso believed it would better sell the show to networks.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uJecsQU6VlE/XapUrwN6ZKI/AAAAAAAAACo/TfWVPzx8UVIQTQRpNuHeADRhgGCzGUrIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/chris-wiggins-rip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="1200" height="181" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uJecsQU6VlE/XapUrwN6ZKI/AAAAAAAAACo/TfWVPzx8UVIQTQRpNuHeADRhgGCzGUrIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/chris-wiggins-rip.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Un-Scooby Gang</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-style: normal;"><i>FT13
The Series</i> revolves around cousins-by-marriage Micki Foster (Louise
Robey, who goes by “Robey” in the credits) and Ryan Dallion (John
D. LeMay), who discover that they have inherited an antique shop
originally owned by their uncle Lewis Vendredi (which means “Friday”
in French), who died in a mysterious fire. The two decide not to
keep the store and sell off most of its antiques before they are
stopped by a former friend of Lewis’s, Jack Marshak (Chris
Wiggins), a former stage magician—and an occultist. The cousins
then learn the awful truth: Vendredi had made a deal with Satan to be
immortal and obtain wealth and power in exchange for selling the
antiques, which are all cursed. With Jack’s help, the cousins must
find and return each of the antiques to a vault located beneath the
store, which is the only thing that can contain the antiques’
power. The spirit of Lewis (R. G. Armstrong) would occasionally
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BF_ehiBw0Vs/XapU7xmWrII/AAAAAAAAACw/qxOPiB_IvhEThVui6PTuSJAacDjZC6AewCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/MV5BMWEyN2Y3ZjYtMGIzMi00MjYxLWJhNzItMDUxZDI3NTA1NzAwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTgzMTg5Ng%2540%2540._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BF_ehiBw0Vs/XapU7xmWrII/AAAAAAAAACw/qxOPiB_IvhEThVui6PTuSJAacDjZC6AewCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MV5BMWEyN2Y3ZjYtMGIzMi00MjYxLWJhNzItMDUxZDI3NTA1NzAwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTgzMTg5Ng%2540%2540._V1_.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Evil Uncle Lewis being evil</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
return throughout the series to try to stop the cousins, making him
the show’s recurring villain.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">As
in most anthology shows, the stories were a series of morality plays,
with the cursed item featured as a McGuffin to move along the plot.
However, there were also recurring story arcs with each of the main
characters, and the nature of the show meant not only a hefty body count, but also that the continuous
battle to recover the cursed antiques took its toll on Micki, Ryan
and Jack as the series progressed. Ryan was eventually written out
of the show after being transformed into a small child at the
beginning of the third season; his replacement was Johnny Ventura
(Steve Monarque) a “kid from the streets” who became an
on-again-off-again love interest for Micki. The show was abruptly
cancelled in 1990 without warning; the cast were informed
while filming Season 3’s twentieth episode that the show was ending,
and there was no chance to film more episodes, or even scenes for
</span><i>that</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> episode, that
would provide closure to the series.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LqwSWmtLv9c/XapVIFQ8buI/AAAAAAAAAC0/kVrZOKhBgqAlnsMUMBvWzfYYzDVyyggsgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Friday%2Bthe%2B13th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="600" height="168" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LqwSWmtLv9c/XapVIFQ8buI/AAAAAAAAAC0/kVrZOKhBgqAlnsMUMBvWzfYYzDVyyggsgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Friday%2Bthe%2B13th.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>You can't always trust a snow globe</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-style: normal;">Though
some have decried its inconsistency in episodes, the show was a solid
production and an interesting experiment, which has had an
inspirational effect on other shows that came after it. The recovery
of cursed relics to prevent evil is not an uncommon trope in horror,
and it has turned up in series as diverse as </span><i>Buffy The
Vampire Slayer,</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span><i>The
X-Files,</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span><i>Supernatural,
</i><span style="font-style: normal;">and even </span><i>The 13 Ghosts
Of Scooby-Doo</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> (whose entire plot
revolved around a quest to retrap 13 evil ghosts who had been
accidentally released from a cursed chest). The popular SyFy series
</span><i>Warehouse 13</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> has been
called a virtual retread of this series by some, despite there being
enough differences in the two to make up for it, but few can deny
</span><i>FT13’s</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> influence on
that series. Regardless of how you feel about it, </span><i>FT13 The
Series</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> is very much a part of
the TV-anthology horror landscape.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Be
sure to return for our next installment of </span><i>The
MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en For Halloween. </i><span style="font-style: normal;">We
can’t say you </span><i>won’t</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
have bad luck if you don’t, but you never know...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: normal;"><i><b>MAD DOCTOR'S NOTE: Friday The 13th: The Series is available for purchase on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=friday+the+13th+the+series&crid=3CU0QZ6DQCY2I&sprefix=friday+the+13th+the+seir%2Caps%2C207&ref=nb_sb_ss_sc_1_24" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon.com,</a> both in individual-season and complete-series DVD sets. </b></i></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NgSXL5W9NAg/XapW3sg-YtI/AAAAAAAAADE/7EcTFsin1NYCZp8bl6Xz9KBJmvi_QAbGwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/jason-mask.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NgSXL5W9NAg/XapW3sg-YtI/AAAAAAAAADE/7EcTFsin1NYCZp8bl6Xz9KBJmvi_QAbGwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/jason-mask.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The (almost) last cursed item...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
John Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07613034751992258769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-32785777824055822402019-10-17T18:35:00.001-05:002019-10-17T18:37:00.169-05:00WELCOME TO THE CREEPSHOW! By Harriet Von Lupin<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AHSysSv4usw/XajmNjQJWyI/AAAAAAAAAAM/Jt9nv10SwDQdRckbbNSjQgrqr83LrOP9ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/TOUHarriet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AHSysSv4usw/XajmNjQJWyI/AAAAAAAAAAM/Jt9nv10SwDQdRckbbNSjQgrqr83LrOP9ACLcBGAsYHQ/s200/TOUHarriet.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Harriet Von Lupin</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u8g3htdRy20/Xaj4k1I3AAI/AAAAAAAAKEs/7dIJ8vxmWIYfyqL4t3kaMchf6hOuyPZFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/MV5BOTU3NGIyZTctOWEyMS00MGIyLWFkZWMtMTg0ODE2MjExNGZlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C637%252C1000_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="637" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u8g3htdRy20/Xaj4k1I3AAI/AAAAAAAAKEs/7dIJ8vxmWIYfyqL4t3kaMchf6hOuyPZFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MV5BOTU3NGIyZTctOWEyMS00MGIyLWFkZWMtMTg0ODE2MjExNGZlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C637%252C1000_AL_.jpg" width="203" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The poster</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Hi there,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
horror gang! Looks like it’s time for Halloween again! This is
Harriet Von Lupin, your <i>raving</i> reporter for </span><i>The
MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en For Halloween,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
and </span><i>this year</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> we’re
doing something a little different—</span><i>Tales Of Unease,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
talking about books, anthologies, and other stuff that brings a
</span><i>literary</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> dimension to
horror. Today we’ve got a </span><i>doozy</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
of a post, about a really cool movie brought to you by two of the
biggest names in horror: Stephen King and George Romero’s
</span><i>Creepshow!</i>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Back
in the Sixties and Seventies, a movie studio called Amicus was doing
anthology movies like </span><i>The House That Dripped Blood</i><span style="font-style: normal;">,
</span><i>From Beyond The Grave</i><span style="font-style: normal;">,
and </span><i>Asylum</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, which were
composed of a bunch of little short stories all hung together on a
common theme. When King and Romero got together after trying to work
out a movie of King’s novel </span><i>The Stand, </i><span style="font-style: normal;">they
hit on doing something </span><i>original,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
and worked up an anthology picture of five different Stephen King
stories, which King titled </span><i>Creepshow. </i><span style="font-style: normal;">Just
like me and Bethany—great minds think alike! </span><i>(Darlings,
Harriet isn’t really clear on how that works. --B. Ruthven)</i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Anyway,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
both King and Romero had been influenced by those old EC Comics from
the 1950’s, like </span><i>Tales From The Crypt</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
and </span><i>Vault Of Horror.</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
(By the way, Amicus did those as films too!) Those comics had spooky
hosts like the Crypt Keeper and the Old Witch, who told horror
stories about bad people who got their comeuppance through
supernatural means. (Boy, I’m getting better at these big words!)
In his screenplay for </span><i>Creepshow,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
King created a framing device with a little kid (Joe Hill, who’s
King’s son!) who was being hassled by his </span><i>mean</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
dad (Tom Atkins) for reading a horror comic called </span><i>Creepshow</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
(natch!) whose host is The Creep. For the movie, Romero and King got
one of the </span><i>original </i><span style="font-style: normal;">EC
artists, Jack Kamen, to draw all the fun comic book stuff and
illustrations you see in the movie! (</span><i>Super-</i><span style="font-style: normal;">cool!)</span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l2WKrBqfcfM/Xaj5IuwnQ-I/AAAAAAAAKE0/8cEE_MDiF78nPCDM97cf-YJKyDh3OXCzgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Nate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="583" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l2WKrBqfcfM/Xaj5IuwnQ-I/AAAAAAAAKE0/8cEE_MDiF78nPCDM97cf-YJKyDh3OXCzgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Nate.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ol' Nate's lookin' for cake!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-style: normal;">The
stories in </span><i>Creepshow</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
begin with “Father’s Day,” about a dead guy, Nathan Grantham
(Jon Lormer), whose family all gathers for a Father’s Day dinner
seven years after Grantham got bumped off by his </span><i>own
daughter </i><span style="font-style: normal;">(Viveca Lindfors) for
killing his daughter’s fiance. When Bedelia goes to visit the
grave, Grantham’s corpse </span><i>comes back to life,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
because he wants his Father’s Day cake! (Don’t feel bad about
what happens to Bedelia’s family, gang, because they’re all real
</span><i>jerks!</i><span style="font-style: normal;">)</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mIBLCau_33k/Xaj5V-m0erI/AAAAAAAAKE4/Om_DrQZfRWQd3rO1nVNiPe0Wsn02xcVrgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Jordy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="1000" height="212" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mIBLCau_33k/Xaj5V-m0erI/AAAAAAAAKE4/Om_DrQZfRWQd3rO1nVNiPe0Wsn02xcVrgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Jordy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Poor old Jordy Verrill</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-style: normal;">In
the second story, “The Lonesome Death Of Jordy Verrill,” </span><i>King
himself</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> plays the title
character (he’d already acted in Romero’s film </span><i>Knightriders</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
a not-too-bright yokel-type who runs afoul of a meteor that lands in
his back yard. Just like in those old ‘50s sci-fi films, </span><i>green
gook</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> comes out of the meteor and
starts </span><i>growing,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
quickly turning Verrill and his farmhouse into an outer-space </span><i>plant
farm!</i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Verrill
kinda doesn’t deserve what happens to him, even though you
shouldn’t fool around with meteors. But the guy in the </span><i>next</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
story, “Something To Tide You Over,” kinda </span><i>does.</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
He’s this rich jerk named Richard Vickers (Leslie Nielsen) who’s
got an unhappy wife named Becky (Gaylen Ross) who’s taken up with
another guy, Harry Wentworth (Ted Danson), so he </span><i>kills</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
both of them by </span><i>burying them</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
in the sand on the beach, and watching them </span><i>drown</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
while the tide comes in on closed-circuit TV! But this is </span><i>Creepshow</i><span style="font-style: normal;">,
so it isn’t long before the drowned corpses of Becky and Harry </span><i>come
back</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> to get their revenge!</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ttiFjz8CiEY/Xaj5-3-93RI/AAAAAAAAKFI/Wt_QC6-AGsw52BYlm3tyj3-_Ri51SeKKACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Crate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="1024" height="179" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ttiFjz8CiEY/Xaj5-3-93RI/AAAAAAAAKFI/Wt_QC6-AGsw52BYlm3tyj3-_Ri51SeKKACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Crate.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>What's that thing in </i>"The Crate"<i>??</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-style: normal;">But
probably the best story in this movie is the next one, called “The
Crate.” It’s about a university professor (Hal Holbrook) who
finds a crate in a stairwell with a really </span><i>hungry</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
monster locked inside! (Hey, the crate came from </span><i>the
Antarctic</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, and it’s been under
there for a </span><i>long time</i><span style="font-style: normal;">,
so you’d be hungry too if </span><i>you</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
had to wait that long!) However, the professor’s got a real jerk
of a wife (Adrienne Barbeau) who stays drunk all the time and says
<i>mean</i> things about him to other people, so he ends up being embarrassed a lot--even in front of the other professors at the university! But after he finds the crate, it isn’t long before he’s
figuring out a way to </span><i>get rid of her</i><span style="font-style: normal;">—and
feed the crate-critter a little </span><i>snack</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
as well!</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">The
last one’s the </span><i>creepiest</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
story! It’s called “They’re Creeping Up On You,” and it’s
about a mean old businessman named Upson Pratt (E.G. Marshall) who
stays cooped up in his apartment all the time, and treats people like
dirt, and absolutely </span><i>hates</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
bugs—so much that his apartment’s fixed up like an anti-bug
</span><i>fortress.</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> But when
there’s a city-wide blackout, where are all the cockroaches in the
city going to hang out? </span><i>Three guesses!</i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This
film’s really cool, and it’s no wonder that it’s a Halloween
favorite with a lot of people. There was a second movie, <i>Creepshow
2,</i> and Mad Doc talks about that one a little bit <a href="https://themonstergrrls.blogspot.com/2008_10_06_archive.html" target="_blank">here</a>. And there
was a <i>third</i> film that kind of sucked, mainly because King and
Romero weren’t involved at all! But if you guys are into this
streaming TV thing, the Shudder channel is doing a <i>Creepshow</i>
TV series that’s just come out! Hey, maybe we’ll get some more
spooks and kooks from the Creep after all!</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
And
so I’m done! But don’t forget to come back for the next
installment of <i>The MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en For Halloween,</i>
‘cause we’re just getting started and there’s a lot more cool
stuff coming! ‘Bye now!<br />
<br />
<i><b>Love,<br />
Harriet Von
Lupin</b></i></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>MAD DOCTOR’S
NOTE: </b></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Creepshow</b></span><i><b>
(and its dorky but fun little brother Creepshow 2) are both available
for purchase at Amazon, or for rental on Amazon Prime Video, while
the new </b></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Creepshow</b></span><i><b>
series can be seen on Shudder.</b></i></div>
Harriet Von Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14850871789626037907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-91225686977059278852019-10-16T21:13:00.000-05:002020-01-13T14:59:49.428-06:00GOOSEBUMPS By Frankie Franken<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hGOT_hFTxZQ/XafL9itW9rI/AAAAAAAAAC8/uH4BR-sOUeYVMgcwQ4cCTvphbV9rqmxCwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/TOUFrankie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hGOT_hFTxZQ/XafL9itW9rI/AAAAAAAAAC8/uH4BR-sOUeYVMgcwQ4cCTvphbV9rqmxCwCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/TOUFrankie.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Frankie Franken</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K7dreARBWL8/XafL5s33OdI/AAAAAAAAAC4/JB4-s-IsjF430OdLCe_uRd1iQy4mb219wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/e31d95a8-b672-4321-91e6-e4042910cfad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="1180" height="141" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K7dreARBWL8/XafL5s33OdI/AAAAAAAAAC4/JB4-s-IsjF430OdLCe_uRd1iQy4mb219wCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/e31d95a8-b672-4321-91e6-e4042910cfad.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>R. L. Stine</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Hello, everybody, and welcome to today’s installment of <i>The
MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en For Halloween! </i>This year our theme is <i>Tales Of Unease,</i> where we look at horror in literature and writing, as well as film and TV. And today we’re taking a
look a something that may be familiar to some of you horror fans that
grew up in the ‘90’s—<i>Goosebumps,</i> the horror book series
for younger readers by R. L. Stine. Branching out into a television series and two
movies, <i>Goosebumps</i> was the series that brought an entire
generation to horror, and it’s still popular today!</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Robert
L. Stine grew up in Bexley, Ohio, and started writing at age nine
when he found a typewriter in his attic, and started typing out
stories and joke books. Graduating from Ohio State University in
1965, Stine edited the humor magazine The Sundial for three of his
four years there, and later moved to New York to pursue a writing
career. (Our Mad Doctor remembers a humor magazine for teenagers
called <i>Bananas,</i> published by Scholastic Press, that Stine
edited and wrote most of the material for.) In the Eighties, Stine
co-created and was head scriptwriter for the Nickelodeon TV show
<i>Eureeka’s Castle, </i>which won an Ace Award for best children’s
program in 1990.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FZOyy2sUcDs/XafM9tkwCuI/AAAAAAAAADM/nX4zInMCm945gK2QORQeyaCvzhyhLOenACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/510MH1VDTJL._SX319_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="321" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FZOyy2sUcDs/XafM9tkwCuI/AAAAAAAAADM/nX4zInMCm945gK2QORQeyaCvzhyhLOenACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/510MH1VDTJL._SX319_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Such horrors await...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Stine
also wrote the elder-teen horror series <i>Fear Street,</i> and due
to its success, he was asked to develop a horror series for younger
children. Getting the title from a TV station add in TV Guide, the
first <i>Goosebumps</i> book was <i>Welcome To Dead House,</i>
published in July of 1992. Though the series had been originally
aimed at girls (and Grrls, presumably), both boys and girls loved the
series, and <i>Goosebumps</i> took off. Stine would eventually write
a total of 62 original Goosebumps stories, with many spin-off series
following such as <i>Tales To Give You Goosebumps, Give Yourself
Goosebumps,</i> and <i>Goosebumps HorrorLand,</i> spun off from <i>One
Day At HorrorLand</i> in the original series.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The
<i>Goosebumps</i> stories were written specifically for younger
children, following child characters who found themselves in scary
situations with supernatural elements such as vampires, ghosts,
mummies, and other supernatural monsters. Stine says that he
intended for the stories to be funny as well as scary, and never puts
the kids in his books into situations that would be considered too
serious. In all of the <i>Goosebumps</i> books, the main characters
triumph over evil and use their own wits and imaginations to escape
the monsters.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The
popularity of the <i>Goosebumps</i> series brought about a children’s
TV anthology series, also called <i>Goosebumps,</i> that aired on Fox
Kids Network from 1995-98. Forty-three of the original stories were
adapted as episodes for this series. Many of the familiar characters
from the books, such as the HorrorLand Horrors, the Haunted Mask, the
Monster Blood, the Headless Ghost, and Slappy the living
ventriloquist’s dummy would appear in this series.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kx6KBWzX-Tw/XafNYwgwkZI/AAAAAAAAADU/vwJbZYs1k4soz-qHd5no1Un-VOF2w_8XwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/MV5BMjA1OTUzNTQ5Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwODQ4NDkxNjE%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C640%252C1000_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kx6KBWzX-Tw/XafNYwgwkZI/AAAAAAAAADU/vwJbZYs1k4soz-qHd5no1Un-VOF2w_8XwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MV5BMjA1OTUzNTQ5Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwODQ4NDkxNjE%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C640%252C1000_AL_.jpg" width="204" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The 2015 movie</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The
legacy of <i>Goosebumps</i> is still loved today by adults who
remember reading the books growing up, and by children who are
introduced to it through libraries, school book clubs, and seeing
episodes of the TV series. In 2015, a <i>Goosebumps</i> feature film
was released, about a teenager (Dylan Minnette) who discovers that
his next-door neighbor is not only the author R.L. Stine (Jack Black,
appearing as a fictionalized version of Stine), but that <i>all</i> the
monsters from <i>Goosebumps</i> are <i>real, </i>trapped in the
books,<i> </i>and that Stine has been guarding the books to keep them
from being unleashed. Of course, all the monsters get loose, and
Stine and Zach must work together to save the town. A sequel,
<i>Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween,</i> was released in 2018, with Jack
Black once again appearing as R. L. Stine, in which two young boys
again release the monsters of the <i>Goosebumps</i> series from an
unpublished Stine manuscript called <i>Haunted Halloween.</i> Both
would be great for a Halloween movie night, especially with young
kids.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So
that’s my installment, and here’s hoping you have a fun time,
with lots of <i>goosebumps</i> of your own, this Halloween! Come
back soon and see what we’ve got for our next post on the <i>Thir13en
For Halloween!</i></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>Sincerely,</b></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>Francesca
“Frankie” Franken</b></i></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><i>MAD
DOCTOR’S NOTE: The </i>Goosebumps<i> books in all their </i><i>various
</i><i>permutations, and the </i>Fear Street<i> books </i>(warning:
not for younger kids)<i> are available for purchase on Amazon, or
probably for borrowing in your local library. The </i>Goosebumps<i>
TV series is available for streaming at Netflix, and both </i>Goosebumps<i>
movies are available at Amazon for purchase or rental (requires
Amazon Prime).</i></b></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Frankie Frankenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10311001308092877292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-6929876666784254152019-10-15T17:23:00.000-05:002019-10-15T17:37:02.278-05:00BORIS KARLOFF'S THRILLER By John Rose<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--OSffcMnrAw/XaZEG5jQ_cI/AAAAAAAAAB4/C1c8ULbkfLEn6r7Z7Y6gk8TUXjZiCtWPQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/TOUMadDoc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--OSffcMnrAw/XaZEG5jQ_cI/AAAAAAAAAB4/C1c8ULbkfLEn6r7Z7Y6gk8TUXjZiCtWPQCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/TOUMadDoc.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Mad Doctor</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Today on</span><i> The MonsterGrrls’
Thir13een For Halloween, </i><span style="font-style: normal;">we are
discussing</span><i> Thriller. </i><span style="font-style: normal;">No, not the Michael Jackson album (although we know you drag it out
around this time of year for Halloween parties), but instead, the
greatest horror anthology show you never saw. Created for NBC
Television by Hubbell Robinson and hosted by Boris Karloff, </span><i>Thriller</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
debuted in 1960 and ran for two seasons during a peak period for
anthology shows. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pmnXPlTBERw/XaZEzL6dq-I/AAAAAAAAACA/hembfxzqkXsYXSAAlTvx3sXQcV71n85ywCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Thriller-Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="503" height="209" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pmnXPlTBERw/XaZEzL6dq-I/AAAAAAAAACA/hembfxzqkXsYXSAAlTvx3sXQcV71n85ywCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Thriller-Logo.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thriller<i> title card</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Beginning
initially as a crime and suspense series in the mold of </span><i>Alfred
Hitchcock Presents,</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span><i>Thriller</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
hit its stride in horror with its sixth episode, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmUdkko91PY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">“The Purple Room,”</a>
featuring Rip Torn as the inheritor of a house and property with a
condition: he must spend the night there and live in the house for a
year, or his cousins (Richard Anderson and Patricia Barry) will
inherit the property. And of course, the house has a little problem
with ghosts...</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">The
success of “The Purple Room” made the producers realize that
audiences had more taste for gothic and supernatural horror than
run-of-the-mill crime stories, and <i>Thriller</i> soon filled its plate
with spook tales. Many of these were based on works by authors who
were giants in the genre, including Edgar Allan Poe, Cornell
Woolrich, </span><span style="font-style: normal;">Robert Bloch (who
contributed a number of teleplays), Robert E. Howard (the episode
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOG7D1r412M" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">“Pigeons From Hell”</a> became the first televised adaptation of
Howard’s story), August Derleth, and </span><i>Twilight Zone</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
alumni Richard Matheson and Charles Beaumont. Its distinguished
roster of “major players” included Leslie Nielsen, William
Shatner (who starred to great effect in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCYM5TMiZ5Q" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Hungry Glass"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9ai28Buev8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Grim Reaper"</a>), Mary Tyler Moore, Henry Daniell (a woefully underrated actor
in the vein of Price and Karloff himself), Richard Chamberlain,
Elisha Cook, Russell Johnson and Natalie Schafer (both of who would
later be marooned on </span><i>Gilligan’s Island</i><span style="font-style: normal;">),
Marlo Thomas, Robert Vaughn, Marion Ross (who went on to </span><i>Happy
Days</i><span style="font-style: normal;">), George Kennedy, Cloris
Leachman, Dick York and Elizabeth Montgomery (who went on to star in
</span><i>Bewitched</i><span style="font-style: normal;">), Tom Poston
(</span><i>Newhart</i><span style="font-style: normal;">) and Richard
Carlson.<br />
<br />
Filmed in black and white, </span><i>Thriller</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
made the most of that medium: Alfred Hitchcock had already proved,
both with the movie </span><i>Psycho</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
and his own series, that black-and-white film emphasized the gloomy
settings, shadowy dread and horror of these stories better than color
ever could. </span><i>Thriller</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
quickly became a must-see program during the 1960’s.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wuyetdVQQXg/XaZFzFWkvJI/AAAAAAAAACM/yH3GPGQrsJ4AKQfXOFP6v24Uwk5bqmz6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Karloff%2Bfrom%2BThriller.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="467" height="311" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wuyetdVQQXg/XaZFzFWkvJI/AAAAAAAAACM/yH3GPGQrsJ4AKQfXOFP6v24Uwk5bqmz6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Karloff%2Bfrom%2BThriller.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our distinguished host</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Karloff,
who enjoyed his status as a horror star and had no problems moving
into a small-screen medium, was the perfect host for </span><i>Thriller.
</i><span style="font-style: normal;">With his rich, sonorous voice
and deadpan delivery, Karloff inserted himself into the beginning of
each episode, introducing its title and “major players” and then
would intone, “As sure as my name is Boris Karloff, this is a
</span><i>thriller!</i><span style="font-style: normal;">” Karloff
also acted in five episodes of the series, perhaps his most morbid
appearance being the title character in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IjZ3hbXAak" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">“The Incredible Doktor Markesan,”</a> an August Derleth story about a mad doctor who has
turned most of his rivals into zombies. Karloff also displayed a
talent for black humor, and frequently appeared to enjoy his
introductions, drawing the viewer into each episode. Though </span><i>Thriller</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
had made itself on horror stories, it still mixed some
non-supernatural mystery tales into its oeuvre, and even created some
humorous episodes such as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAIf2BLDCMk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">“Masquerade”</a> (based on a Robert Bloch
tale, a honeymooning couple (Tom Poston and Elizabeth Montgomery) is
temporarily detained at a “hotel” run by a group of deranged
characters (among them John Carradine (!)) who may or may not be
vampires).</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8G64FsCJrAg/XaZGVgKC04I/AAAAAAAAACU/zesu5QtZDgMy0qQ7nVM6SBDrIsO0U9mmQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/boris%2B_14fm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1537" data-original-width="1076" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8G64FsCJrAg/XaZGVgKC04I/AAAAAAAAACU/zesu5QtZDgMy0qQ7nVM6SBDrIsO0U9mmQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/boris%2B_14fm.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The comic</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Gold
Key Comics published a comic-book version of </span><i>Thriller,</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
which went on to last until the very end of 1979; after </span><i>Thriller</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
itself went off the air, the series title was changed to </span><i>Boris
Karloff Tales Of Mystery. </i><span style="font-style: normal;">Some of these
comics were republished in an archive series by Dark Horse Comics,
beginning in 2009.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Though
ratings for </span><i>Thriller</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
were still strong after the second season, complaints were raised
about the violence and morbid tone of the series, and the producers
battled constantly to keep the dark tone they were striving for.
</span><i>Thriller’s</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> final
death blow came when Alfred Hitchcock, who had just signed a deal
with NBC to have a one-hour version of </span><i>Alfred Hitchcock
Presents,</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> demanded that </span><i>Thriller
</i><span style="font-style: normal;">be canceled so there would be no
confusion (or competition) with his show. NBC bowed to the clout of
Hitchcock, and </span><i>Thriller</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
was cancelled after 2 seasons and 67 episodes.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">However,
no less a horror luminary than Stephen King declared </span><i>Thriller</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
to be “the best horror series ever put on TV” in his 1981
cultural overview of the genre, </span><i>Danse Macabre.</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
</span><i>Thriller</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> was never
forgotten by those who had seen it, and its cult following eventually
paved the way for a 14-disc DVD release of the entire series in 2010,
containing all 67 uncut episodes with new commentary tracks and
separate music tracks. Cable channel MeTV also added the show to its
broadcast lineup, and episodes can also be found on YouTube. Most
likely, </span><i>Thriller</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> will
continue to be discovered and rediscovered by new and old horror fans
in perpetuity.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Be
sure to return soon for the next installment of </span><i>The
MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en For Halloween.</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
Next time around, you may just get </span><i>goosebumps…</i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>MAD DOCTOR’S
NOTE: For an extra Halloween treat, click the links throughout the
post to see the episodes we mentioned on YouTube.</b></i></div>
John Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07613034751992258769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-54766939233329681882019-10-14T17:34:00.000-05:002020-01-13T14:57:46.208-06:00THE HISTORY OF ‘SALEM’S LOT By Bethany Ruthven<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mTw9T5xK8_0/XaT2ML-dp2I/AAAAAAAAAB4/RHD4q6VUK4QYQplPNS6afHa8lLnh0m3HwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/TOUBethany.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mTw9T5xK8_0/XaT2ML-dp2I/AAAAAAAAAB4/RHD4q6VUK4QYQplPNS6afHa8lLnh0m3HwCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/TOUBethany.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bethany Ruthven</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Good evening, darlings, and thank you for reading. Halloween time is
here again, and welcome to <i>The MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en For
Halloween,</i> where we are doing <i>Tales Of Unease</i> as our
theme. Today I am examining an interesting vampire tale conceived by
the world’s foremost horror author, Stephen King. The tale is
‘<i>Salem’s Lot,</i> and while it is certainly a vampire tale,
its origins are actually from a short story, “Jerusalem’s Lot,”
which was first published in King’s 1978 collection of short
stories, <i>Night Shift.</i></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Jerusalem’s Lot” is an epistolary tale, composed of letters
and </div>
diary entries from one Charles Boone to an old friend, “Bones,”
and the occasional narration from Boone’s manservant Calvin McCann.
The tale describes the arrival of Boone and McCann to the neglected
ancestral home of an estranged cousin, which is decried by local
townsfolk as a “bad house” with a history of tragic events,
mysterious disappearances, and strange noises attributed by Boone to
“rats in the walls.” Obviously, anyone who has ever read a
certain H.P. Lovecraft story knows that this won’t end well, but
when Boone and McCann find an old map of a deserted village called
Jerusalem’s Lot, which they decide to explore despite warnings from
the townsfolk. Thus, the scene is set for the discovery of
blasphemous Satanic rites, ancient tomes of evil, secret occult
practices, family secrets, and of course the requisite <i>nosferatu,</i>
or undead. The story was written by King while in college, but it
did not see formal publication until after his second novel, ‘<i>Salem’s
Lot,</i> was published, which is also set in the same town.<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vZUQ8nUzy2s/XaT2iu4nIhI/AAAAAAAAACA/Bv76Mb9WQzEp6-PH5NxA_d0AhuHc92taQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/3deb2056e248389e3acb2cda2830f9bc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="692" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vZUQ8nUzy2s/XaT2iu4nIhI/AAAAAAAAACA/Bv76Mb9WQzEp6-PH5NxA_d0AhuHc92taQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/3deb2056e248389e3acb2cda2830f9bc.jpg" width="221" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The book</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The plot for ‘<i>Salem’s Lot </i>occurred to King while teaching
a high school course on fantasy and science fiction at Hampden
Academy in Maine. One of the books covered in the class was <i>Dracula</i>
by Bram Stoker, and King wondered what would happen if Dracula
returned to twentieth-century America. His wife suggested that Big D
would probably get run over by a taxicab, but King kept mulling the
idea over, and finally hit on a small-town setting for his story.
The eventual novel was described by King himself as “<i>Peyton
Place</i> meets <i>Dracula,</i>” but was successful, and was
nominated for the World Fantasy Award in 1976, and the Locus Award
for All-Time Best Fantasy Novel in 1987.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The
story of the novel has Ben Mears, a writer who lived in Jerusalem’s
Lot long ago, returning after a twenty-five-year absence. Mears has
been haunted for most of his life by a bad experience he had in the
Marsten House, an old house on a hill that overlooks the town, and
was once the former home of Depression-era gangster Hubie Marsten.
Ben has come back to ‘Salem’s Lot to write a book about the
Marsten House, and hopes to stay in it, but discovers that the house
has been purchased by an Austrian immigrant named Kurt Barlow, who has
arrived in the Lot to open an antiques store. Barlow, according to
his business partner, Richard Straker (the only one of the two ever
seen in public) is on an “extended buying trip.” Undaunted,
Mears takes a room in a boarding house and begins work, striking up a
friendship with high school teacher Matt Burke and a romance with
Susan Norton, the town librarian.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Soon
after Barlow “arrives,” a young boy named Ralphie Glick
disappears, and Glick’s brother Danny dies, becoming the first
vampire. Danny infects a number of locals in the town, including his
own mother, but fails to infect Mark Petrie, a friend of the Glick
boys who resists Danny with the aid of a plastic cross from a monster
model kit (nice touch). Before long, Ben, Matt, Susan, and local
doctor Jimmy Cody are all drawn into the battle against Barlow for
‘Salem’s Lot.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8MO1F035VaY/XaT2vC-G6NI/AAAAAAAAACM/YMQrrFpXsCUB5Ciq7IlvpUgWnGONCAYlACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/MV5BMzc0MDIwZjktYTEzNC00ZWQxLTk5MWYtYjBmMDI3YTg4ZjYzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI%2540._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="838" data-original-width="580" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8MO1F035VaY/XaT2vC-G6NI/AAAAAAAAACM/YMQrrFpXsCUB5Ciq7IlvpUgWnGONCAYlACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MV5BMzc0MDIwZjktYTEzNC00ZWQxLTk5MWYtYjBmMDI3YTg4ZjYzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI%2540._V1_.jpg" width="221" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The 1979 mini-series</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Warner
Bros. acquired the rights to <i>‘Salem’s Lot</i> and set about
trying to turn it into a feature film, but after several false starts
at a proper screenplay for King’s 400-page novel, the project was
turned over to their Television division, and producer Richard
Kobritz decided it would work much better as a television
mini-series. After a screening of <i>The Texas Chain Saw Massacre,</i>
director Tobe Hooper was selected for the series, which came to television in 1979.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
While
the resulting miniseries is regarded as a classic of the genre, with
wonderful performances by several luminaries including David Soul
(Ben Mears), James Mason (Richard Straker), Lance Kerwin (Mark
Petrie), Reggie Nalder (Kurt Barlow) and legendary character actor
Geoffrey Lewis (Mike Rykerson), the minseries takes liberties with
King’s work. Some characters have been combined or simply removed,
and Barlow, rather than being perceived as human, is a bald, hissing
<i>Nosferatu</i> vampire in the mold of Max Schreck, with Straker
serving as a superhuman version of Renfield. Due to the series being
shown on television, graphic depictions of blood or violence were
abhorred, forcing Tobe Hooper to rely on atmosphere and mood, which
actually works in the production’s favor.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zVHHK3KyqD8/XaT2vMsXHpI/AAAAAAAAACg/VadOi-k7okkF9evMDfI_PZxxNNsE8PvawCEwYBhgL/s1600/MV5BMTQzMzQ2Nzg5M15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwOTU1Mjk2._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="404" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zVHHK3KyqD8/XaT2vMsXHpI/AAAAAAAAACg/VadOi-k7okkF9evMDfI_PZxxNNsE8PvawCEwYBhgL/s320/MV5BMTQzMzQ2Nzg5M15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwOTU1Mjk2._V1_.jpg" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Better than</i> A Return To 'Salem's Lot, <i>by far</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In
1987, Larry Cohen directed a feature film called <i>A Return To
‘Salem’s Lot,</i> a “sequel” to the series
that is rightfully
described as a <b><i>godawful mess</i></b> of a film, and my darlings, you are
advised to <b><i>avoid it at all costs.</i></b> A better substitute is TNT
Television’s 2004 miniseries adaptation of <i>‘Salem’s Lot, </i>starring Rob Lowe as Ben Mears, Samantha Mathis as Susan, Donald
Sutherland as Straker, and Rutger Hauer as Barlow. Though still not
perfect, this adaptation has its merits and is closer to King’s
original novel, and will do you just fine if you cannot find the
original for your Halloween viewing.<br />
<br />
And there we are. Do
return to us soon for our next round of chilling horrors here at <i>The
MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en For Halloween, </i>and if you hear a
scratching at the window and something asking to be let in... just
tape a cross to the glass. Then move the next day.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Regards,</b></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>Bethany
Ruthven</b></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>MAD DOCTOR’S
NOTE: All forms of </b></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>‘Salem’s
Lot </b></span><b><i>are available for purchase (or rental if you have
Amazon Prime) </i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=%27Salem%27s+Lot&ref=nb_sb_noss_2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a><i> at Amazon. But do avoid </i><span style="font-style: normal;">A
Return To ‘Salem’s Lot. </span><i>Even our Monster Shop werewolf
Towser won’t touch it.</i></b></div>
Bethany Ruthvenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692093807874416252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-66311641250331238472019-10-09T16:40:00.001-05:002020-01-13T14:42:45.502-06:00THE LEGACY OF SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK By Punkin Nightshade<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U375TTGQNW4/XZ5NbQKLUiI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/SNgf08uZnhgESYHD5iLudoesc1ef8nJSQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/TOUPunkin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U375TTGQNW4/XZ5NbQKLUiI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/SNgf08uZnhgESYHD5iLudoesc1ef8nJSQCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/TOUPunkin.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Punkin Nightshade</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Well, howdy! Looks like we’s all back together again for
Halloween, and welcome to <i>The MonsterGrrls’ 2019 Thir13en For
Halloween. </i>This here is Petronella Nightshade, what am Punkin,
and this year we is talkin about some horror movies and TV and such
what is related to books. We’s done some posts like that before,
but this year Mr. John what’s our Mad Doctor wanted to do somethin
different than old Frankenstein and Dracula, so we are talkin about
some other kind of books and callin it all <i>Tales Of Unease. </i>And
this right here does look like some uneasy stuff we are talkin about
today, cause this here post is about some books called <i>Scary
Stories To Tell In The Dark,</i> what was collected by a feller named
Alvin Schwartz, and had pictures drawn in them by a feller named
Stephen Gammell.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8k5IwWEQXYE/XZ5NrDJz42I/AAAAAAAAAAU/xI8jKcAV3wkJhITCeVG7UPhjGhybLWp7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/6d6d5f0a-a90f-426d-b0a2-3a5c47ac7242.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="780" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8k5IwWEQXYE/XZ5NrDJz42I/AAAAAAAAAAU/xI8jKcAV3wkJhITCeVG7UPhjGhybLWp7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/6d6d5f0a-a90f-426d-b0a2-3a5c47ac7242.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The first edition covers</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Folks has always told each other scary stories, ghost tales and that,
round Halloween time. Somethin about the nights gettin longer and
colder gets folks thinkin that way, and of course scary stories is
all right for Halloween parties and such. The first <i>Scary Stories</i>
book, what come out in 1981, was a bunch of old stories from folklore
and them urban legend things that Mr. Schwartz had been huntin up.
People had told each other them stories for years, but Mr. Schwartz
had been a journalist at one time, and had started writin books. So
like them journalists do, he did a whole bunch of researchin on the stories in the books afore
he ever wrote a word, and he found that a lot of them stories was
<i>real</i> old, had the same origins, and was told just about all over the
place, in one way or another. Gorry, I can even remember hearin some
of em at Coven gatherins down in Witchhazel Swamp. But Mr. Schwartz
warn’t just gettin em from folklore. Some of these stories had come
all the way down to us from folks like Shakespeare, Mark Twain, and
Joel Chandler Harris.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YFIgRUcjHdM/XZ5N-Q3TGwI/AAAAAAAAAAg/95ijTjIEJ1UMClpn-4kuDycElBi7WG_MwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/5bad92c32000003000ff0d54.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YFIgRUcjHdM/XZ5N-Q3TGwI/AAAAAAAAAAg/95ijTjIEJ1UMClpn-4kuDycElBi7WG_MwCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/5bad92c32000003000ff0d54.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>From "The Haunted House"</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Mr. Schwartz ended up writin three of these books. The other two was called <i>More Scary Stories To Tell In the Dark,</i> and <i>Scary Stories 3: More Tales To Chill Your Bones.</i> The artist, what’s Mr. Gammell, did up pictures to go with the stories, and them was probly the scariest thing about the book. Like I said, just about everbody has read or heard the stories in the books, but it was Mr. Gammell’s artwork that turned them into somethin special. Mr. Gammell had won him a Caldecott Medal for doin watercolor pictures in another book called <i>Song And Dance Man, </i>but on these he didn’t use nothin but charcoal and ink. The way he done em made the stories downright frightenin, like you was just readin em for the first time.<br />
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</div>
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</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sq8nFVGJGz8/XZ5Tcz_A4bI/AAAAAAAAABk/UJNZg8XpW88qJEeg1ZpNQymq4Z5sIfnVwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Wonderful_sauage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="800" height="218" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sq8nFVGJGz8/XZ5Tcz_A4bI/AAAAAAAAABk/UJNZg8XpW88qJEeg1ZpNQymq4Z5sIfnVwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Wonderful_sauage.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From "Wonderful Sausage"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">
Once these books got out there, they just took off. People think
that kids don’t like bein scared, but </span>kids<i> loved</i> these
books, and they was real popular. But there was a lot of parents out
there that didn’t like em, and they thought Mr. Schwartz was a bad
man for writin books that was scarin children. Probly the one they
got the most upset about was <i><span style="font-style: normal;">Wonderful Sausage,</span></i> in which a
butcher gets mad at his wife one day and kills her, and then puts her
down in the sausage grinder and makes some sausage out of her. And
his customers end up <i>likin</i> that sausage, so of course he has
got to find some <i style="font-style: normal;">more</i> folks to make him some more sausage. I
ain’t goin to tell you all of it, but it don’t end well
nohow.<br />
<br />
But the <i>Scary Stories</i>
books was bein aimed at middle-school young’uns, and bigger kids
like what I am, and they wasn’t never made for real <i style="font-style: normal;">little</i>
young’uns. Some learned folks said that there warn’t nothin
wrong with em, and that they helped young’uns deal with stuff that
<i style="font-style: normal;">really</i> scared em by puttin a face on it, and that much is
true. Most times a child ain’t gonna run into an old witch (well,
not where y’all live, anyway), or some ghosts, or even some mad
feller who’s stalkin around killin people. But children got <i style="font-style: normal;">real</i>
things they is scared of too that they can’t put a name or a face
on, like growin up and not knowin what to do, or studyin real hard
and not doin well on a test, or even somethin worse like their
parents breakin up and the child is thinkin they done somethin to
make it happen. And these stories was helpin them work that out in
their heads.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
But some folks is goin to meddle, just cause they can. And so it was
that cause of the nature of them stories and the drawins in the
books, <i>Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark</i> got listed by the
American Library Association as bein the most challenged series of
books back in the 1990s, cause parents didn’t want their young’uns
readin about murderin folk and disfigured folk and cannibal folk and
so forth. Course a young’un can <i>see</i> just about all that on
the television now and again, but they acted like <i>readin</i> about
it was <i>worse.</i> However much, most folk agree that there ain’t
nothin wrong with them books, and most libraries still has them on
the shelves. And hearin that he was on a challenged-book list might
well have tickled Mr. Schwartz, who passed in March of 1992, well
afore folks started fussin about his books.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DeE7XdHWFvQ/XZ5Q06CyWjI/AAAAAAAAABM/vJX2t9qrG7s4wVIOIiYZXp9sLPuiL4A0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/MV5BYjVkN2I5MzYtNzZlMi00Njc0LWFjN2MtODU1NjIzODZhOTA3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODc0OTEyNDU%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C705%252C1000_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="705" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DeE7XdHWFvQ/XZ5Q06CyWjI/AAAAAAAAABM/vJX2t9qrG7s4wVIOIiYZXp9sLPuiL4A0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/MV5BYjVkN2I5MzYtNzZlMi00Njc0LWFjN2MtODU1NjIzODZhOTA3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODc0OTEyNDU%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C705%252C1000_AL_.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The movie poster</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The <i>Scary Stories</i> books is still real popular, and folks is
still buyin them, and young’uns is still enjoyin gettin scared by
them. And so it is that just a little while ago there was a horror
movie come out what was based on them books, called <i>Scary Stories
To Tell In the Dark. </i>There has been horror movies before what
was anthologies, or bunches of stories all told in the same film, but
this one is not no anthology film. <i>Scary Stories The Movie</i>
tells about three young’uns named Stella (what’s Zoe Colletti),
Auggie (what’s Gabriel Rush) and Chuck (what’s Austin Zajur),
what go explorin an old house what’s supposed to be haunted on
Halloween. In that house they find them a secret room and an old
book of horror stories which has been writ down by someone named
Sarah Bellows, who used to live in that old house long ago. They
take that book out with them and find that <i>new</i> stories are
bein writ in that book without no kind of explanation, and that them
stories are <i>happenin</i> to folks they know, and so they got to warn all them folk and find out just what is goin on. All kind of hooraw
happens in this movie, and it looks like it is goin to be a
crackerjack just like the books has been.</div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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</div>
So that is all about that, and I am done here with this postin. Be
sure you come back and see what else we got goin for this year’s
<i>Thir13en For Halloween</i>, cause it is goin to be one thing and
then another. Blessings be on you!
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>Sincerely,</b></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>Petronella
“Punkin” Nightshade</b></i><br />
<br />
<i><b>MAD DOCTOR'S NOTE: The entire </b></i><b>Scary Stories</b><i><b> series is available on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Scary-Stories-Paperback-Box-Set/dp/006268289X/ref=sr_1_4?crid=KDYUFSGQNLAK&keywords=scary+stories+to+tell+in+the+dark&qid=1570657444&sprefix=scar%2Caps%2C190&sr=8-4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and other fine booksellers, and most likely at your local library. Check them out! </b></i><br />
<br />
<i><b>Special thanks to Rose Marie Machario. </b></i></div>
Punkin Nightshadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04939519463278599685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-27475924713683195062019-10-02T16:37:00.000-05:002019-10-08T08:20:18.179-05:00INTO THE TWILIGHT ZONE By John Rose<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AqrIEFntLps/XZu6Ju7aHbI/AAAAAAAAKA0/RutFfEr9wfsGWO5Ek0DmOWLUPaZZFZQnwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/TOUMadDoc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AqrIEFntLps/XZu6Ju7aHbI/AAAAAAAAKA0/RutFfEr9wfsGWO5Ek0DmOWLUPaZZFZQnwCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/TOUMadDoc.jpg" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Mad Doctor</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The dark time has come round again, and we bid you welcome to <b><i>The
MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en For Halloween 2019!</i></b> This year our theme is
<i>Tales Of Unease, </i>a look at horror literature and how it
connects to film and television. Today we begin on a particularly
auspicious note, because today, 60 years ago, was the premiere of one of the
most well-known, emulated and longest-lasting anthology series on
TV—Rod Serling’s <i>The Twilight Zone.</i></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
During the 1950’s, Rod Serling had made a career for himself as a
prominent screenwriter in Hollywood, with successes such as <i>Patterns</i>
for <i>Kraft Television Theater</i> and <i>Requiem For a Heavyweight</i>
for <i>Playhouse 90.</i> But Serling was becoming increasingly
frustrated with corporate censorship and sponsors who altered his
scripts either to promote themselves or to avoid controversy. The
most glaring example of this was the line “Got a match?” having
to be struck from <i>Requiem</i> because its sponsor sold lighters.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aBWHeT_m3b4/XZutlwxuwXI/AAAAAAAAKAU/69drApYCtdstWWuQLI6sEx8nL5Hc2unmgCEwYBhgL/s1600/the-twilight-zone-logo-font-download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="1000" height="181" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aBWHeT_m3b4/XZutlwxuwXI/AAAAAAAAKAU/69drApYCtdstWWuQLI6sEx8nL5Hc2unmgCEwYBhgL/s320/the-twilight-zone-logo-font-download.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Your next stop...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Deciding that a science-fiction setting with supernatural occurrences
would give him less interference in exploring controversial subjects,
he wrote a pilot pitch for his show, “The Time Element,” which
was the story of a man who travels through time to 1941 Honolulu and
tries to warn everyone of the impending attack on Pearl Harbor. The
script was eventually produced as an episode of <i>Desilu Playhouse,
</i>and the critical acclaim gave Serling the freedom to begin
producing <i>The Twilight Zone, </i>which premiered on October 2,
1959, with “Where Is Everybody?”</div>
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<br></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i> </i>
</div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br>
</b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>
</b></span>
<br>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<h2 align="center" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>“<i>You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into a wondrous land
whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's the signpost up
ahead—your next stop, the Twilight Zone.”</i></b></span></h2>
</blockquote>
<div align="center" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br></div>
<div align="center" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4EnJY3ryufA/XZutl3nVfkI/AAAAAAAAKAY/UjXz3jKqAZg4V7cjWNCDzskG-1kso6R4ACEwYBhgL/s1600/29twilightzone-guide-print3-articleLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="600" height="242" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4EnJY3ryufA/XZutl3nVfkI/AAAAAAAAKAY/UjXz3jKqAZg4V7cjWNCDzskG-1kso6R4ACEwYBhgL/s320/29twilightzone-guide-print3-articleLarge.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Rod Serling</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Although
it is often classed as science fiction, </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Twilight Zone </span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">is
very definitely a supernatural series, often utilizing elements of
horror and the paranormal. Each episode presented a stand-alone
story in which characters found themselves dealing with unusual
events, which was described as ‘entering the Twilight Zone.”
Often, the show had a surprise ending and a moral. Many critics of
the day wondered why Serling had given up writing scripts for more
prestigious programs to write a sci-fi-horror series, but Serling
knew exactly what he was doing. By couching his stories in a
supernatural or science-fiction setting, Serling was free to-examine
political and social mores of the day, knowing that they would be
observed as metaphorical and therefore would escape censorship.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Many episodes of <i>The Twilight Zone</i> are now deemed as classic
television, such as “Time Enough At Last,” “The Monsters Are
Due On Maple Street,” “Eye Of The Beholder,” “The Invaders,”
and “To Serve Man.” Acclaimed writers Richard Matheson and
Charles Beaumont also contributed scripts, and famed sci-fi writer Ray
Bradbury wrote the now-classic episode “I Sing The Body Electric”
which became the basis for his short story of the same name. A wide
variety of now-famous actors such as Burgess Meredith, Charles
Bronson, William Shatner, Elizabeth Montgomery, Carol Burnett, Robert
Duvall, Peter Falk, Jack Klugman, Robert Redford and Burt Reynolds
all made appearances in episodes of <i>The Twilight Zone.</i></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Serling
himself contributed most of the scripts, submitting a herculean 92
episodes over five years, and also began to appear at the opening and
closing of each show. Though it was his idea to do this, Serling was
very nervous in front of the camera, and reported of his appearances
that “Only my laundress knows how frightened I really am.”</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E71E5wZZ9To/XZutlyDEbsI/AAAAAAAAKAY/HPNoG9xErHIr-6fOWybAgJF-UfjFzYu5wCEwYBhgL/s1600/rod-serling-the-twilight-zone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="1600" height="203" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E71E5wZZ9To/XZutlyDEbsI/AAAAAAAAKAY/HPNoG9xErHIr-6fOWybAgJF-UfjFzYu5wCEwYBhgL/s400/rod-serling-the-twilight-zone.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>He's terrified--no, really...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zWfL2lPuMt8/XZuuhsmSCTI/AAAAAAAAKAg/MEamXixUHNgslolLuTY-7oeft0xSaGmSwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/s-l400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zWfL2lPuMt8/XZuuhsmSCTI/AAAAAAAAKAg/MEamXixUHNgslolLuTY-7oeft0xSaGmSwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/s-l400.jpg" width="212"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>In the </i>Night Gallery</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The original <i>Twilight Zone</i> series lasted for five seasons, and
was an immediate hit in syndication, which introduced it to future
generations. In 1969, Serling had moved on to serve as on-air host
and major script contributor to <i>Night Gallery, </i>another
anthology series set in a macabre art gallery which contained a
larger focus on the supernatural. Though <i>Night Gallery</i> is
fondly remembered and commands a fan base of its own, Serling, who
died on June 28, 1975 of a heart attack, is best remembered for <i>The
Twilight Zone.</i></div>
<br>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The show has been in continuous reruns, and was made into a feature
film in 1983. <i> Twilight Zone: The Movie</i> starred such luminaries as Albert Brooks, Dan Aykroyd
(both Akyroyd and Brooks appear in a wrap-around segment that begins
the movie), Vic Morrow, Burgess Meredith (who narrated the film),
Scatman Crothers, Kathleen Quinlan, Kevin McCarthy (who appeared in
the 1956 version of <i>Invasion Of The Body Snatchers</i>) and John
Lithgow.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Due to the popularity of the <i>TZ</i> film, <i>The Twilight Zone</i> was
revived in 1985 in a new series narrated by Charles Aidman, himself
the star of two original <i>TZ</i> episodes. It was revived again in
2002 for one season, narrated by Forest Whittaker. Both series and
the film are available on DVD. The series also inspired a popular
dark ride at Disney theme parks, “<i>The Twilight Zone</i> Tower Of
Terror,” which takes place in a fictional Hollywood Tower Hotel
that is the site of several unexplained disappearances.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ab5iAihAhpU/XZuvGhyuWmI/AAAAAAAAKAo/f52gCBvsE-kXlXLbGyiq5p6gnsw5QnNSQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/twilight-zone-1553884953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ab5iAihAhpU/XZuvGhyuWmI/AAAAAAAAKAo/f52gCBvsE-kXlXLbGyiq5p6gnsw5QnNSQCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/twilight-zone-1553884953.jpg" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Peele crosses over</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In 2019, Jordan Peele, who co-wrote and performed in the comedy
series <i>Key And Peele</i> with Keegan-Michael Key and directed the
Academy-Award-winning horror film <i>Get Out,</i> announced a new
series of <i>Twilight Zone</i> for CBS All Access. In addition to
executive-producing the new <i>TZ</i> series, Peele hosts the show
and introduces the episodes. The series has received critical
acclaim and been renewed for a second season.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The continued survival and popularity of <i>The Twilight Zone</i> can be
considered a hallmark of what a commitment to exceptional writing and
singular vision can do for television. Though the special effects in
<i>TZ</i> have not always been successful, the true emphasis in <i>TZ</i>
has been on using strange and unsettling tales to explore the
human condition. It continues even today to influence and inspire other filmmakers
and writers with an interest in the supernatural.</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Don’t forget to return soon for our next installment of <i>The
MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en For Halloween! </i>You might just find a
gateway into another dimension...</div>
John Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07613034751992258769noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-63089329970528564262015-10-31T17:17:00.002-05:002021-10-25T13:43:48.842-05:00THE LEGACY OF VINCENT PRICE by John Rose<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gfvEZktKGQU/XZPQC_f_DYI/AAAAAAAAJ9A/OFxrJEAVG6wehvBTywtjRTTVSQs7Pv-7gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/MDPic.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1232" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gfvEZktKGQU/XZPQC_f_DYI/AAAAAAAAJ9A/OFxrJEAVG6wehvBTywtjRTTVSQs7Pv-7gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MDPic.jpg" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>#1: The Mad Doctor</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sZcE666fHAw/XZPSpr3B_cI/AAAAAAAAJ9k/bgFsEKuD87IH4bQPvpOEkuFD7W2BTswUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/MV5BMjA1OTEyNzcyNl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMTgwOTU2._V1_.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="362" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sZcE666fHAw/XZPSpr3B_cI/AAAAAAAAJ9k/bgFsEKuD87IH4bQPvpOEkuFD7W2BTswUwCLcBGAsYHQ/w256-h320/MV5BMjA1OTEyNzcyNl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMTgwOTU2._V1_.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Vincent Price</i></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Well, here we are again, and Happy Halloween to all! For our final
post on<i> The MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en For Halloween,</i> we will
look at one of horror’s true Renaissance men, the great Vincent
Price. Though he is known for his roles in horror films such as the
Edgar Allan Poe cycle with Roger Corman, Price also appeared on
stage, radio and television, was an art collector and arts consultant
with a degree in art history, and was also a noted gourmet cook.</span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"> Born on May 27, 1911 in St. Louis, Missouri, Price came from a
notable family; his father was president of the National Candy
Company, and his grandfather was Vincent Clarence Price, who invented
the first cream-of-tartar-based baking powder, thus securing the
family’s fortune. In 1933 he graduated with a degree in English
and a minor in Art History from Yale University. He taught for a
year and then entered the Courtald Institute of Art in London, where
he intended to gain a master’s degree in fine arts, but found
himself drawn to the theatre. First appearing on stage
professionally in 1934, he began a full-scale acting career in 1935,
performing with Orson Welles’ Mercury Theatre.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4jnVbhL5YEU/XZPSstmLKGI/AAAAAAAAJ-A/wQNbtxYs_mEPMP5CzecREcKLrFBDdeKkQCEwYBhgL/s1600/MV5BOWRhMTg1NjYtNDA5MS00NDJhLTgzZmQtZmY3NmRjNTExYWE3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTIzOTk5ODM%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C668%252C1000_AL_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="668" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4jnVbhL5YEU/XZPSstmLKGI/AAAAAAAAJ-A/wQNbtxYs_mEPMP5CzecREcKLrFBDdeKkQCEwYBhgL/w213-h320/MV5BOWRhMTg1NjYtNDA5MS00NDJhLTgzZmQtZmY3NmRjNTExYWE3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTIzOTk5ODM%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C668%252C1000_AL_.jpg" width="213" /></a><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Beginning
in films as a character actor, he debuted in </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Service
De Luxe</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(1938) and established himself in the film </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Laura</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(1944) with Gene Tierney, directed by Otto Preminger. His first
venture into horror was the Boris Karloff film </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Tower
Of London </span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">(1939).
The following year, Price portrayed the title character in </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Invisible Man Returns</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(1940), but then reunited with Tierney in </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Leave
Her To Heaven</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(1945) and </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Dragonwyck</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(1946) and took a number of villainous roles in film-noir thrillers
such as </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Web
</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">(1947)
and </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Long Night
</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">(1947).</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">From 1947 to 1951, Price was also active in radio, playing the role
of Simon Templar in </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Saint. </span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">In
the 1950’s, he moved into more regular horror roles, playing the
leading role in the classic </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">House
Of Wax</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(1953), which was the first 3-D film to hit the box-office top ten
that year. He also appeared in </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Fly</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(1958) and its sequel </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Return
Of The Fly</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(1959). That same year, he also appeared in William Castle’s </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">House
On Haunted Hill</span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
and </span></span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Tingler.</span></i></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H9pIJP4OHXo/XZPSsErj4QI/AAAAAAAAJ-c/yksZ4nRENtI1RiVxWtKt70gRDlJjL6xFQCEwYBhgL/s1600/MV5BODhmNzM4ZTAtMWY4NS00YWU3LThkOTgtMjI4MzIzZjcxYzc2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxMjk0Mg%2540%2540._V1_.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="720" height="160" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H9pIJP4OHXo/XZPSsErj4QI/AAAAAAAAJ-c/yksZ4nRENtI1RiVxWtKt70gRDlJjL6xFQCEwYBhgL/w200-h160/MV5BODhmNzM4ZTAtMWY4NS00YWU3LThkOTgtMjI4MzIzZjcxYzc2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxMjk0Mg%2540%2540._V1_.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Price as Egghead, a </i>Batman<i> rogue</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MZtzeMlm0So/XZPSqdrj_ZI/AAAAAAAAJ-M/FQvAlNO6nMMvb3dSm5ez1jHTEmoOooDZQCEwYBhgL/s1600/MV5BMjMyNDk3Mzg5OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMDg5NTAxNzE%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C654%252C1000_AL_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="654" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MZtzeMlm0So/XZPSqdrj_ZI/AAAAAAAAJ-M/FQvAlNO6nMMvb3dSm5ez1jHTEmoOooDZQCEwYBhgL/w208-h320/MV5BMjMyNDk3Mzg5OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMDg5NTAxNzE%2540._V1_SY1000_CR0%252C0%252C654%252C1000_AL_.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="208" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In
the 1960’s, Price hit his stride with</span> <span style="font-size: medium;">horror, appearing in the
now-classic Poe series directed by Roger Corman for American
International Pictures. Beginning with the role of Roderick Usher in
</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">House Of Usher</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(1960), Price appeared in </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Pit And The Pendulum</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(1961), </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Tales Of Terror</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(1962), </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Comedy Of
Terrors</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;"> (1963), </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Raven</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;"> (1963), </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Masque Of The Red Death</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(1964) and </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Tomb Of
Ligeia</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;"> (1964).</span></span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Price also
starred in </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Last Man
On Earth</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;"> (1964), the
first adaptation of Richard Matheson’s novel </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
Am Legend,</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;"> and portrayed
witch hunter Matthew Hopkins in </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Witchfinder
General</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;"> (a.k.a. </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Conqueror Worm,</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;"> 1968).
He also portrayed the comic villain Dr. Goldfoot in the spy spoof </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Dr.
Goldfoot And The Bikini Machine</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(1965) and its sequel </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Dr.
Goldfoot And The Girl Bombs</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(1966).</span></span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">On television, Price made guest-star appearances in many
shows of the decade, such as his well-known portrayal of the villain
Egghead in </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Batman, F
Troop, Get Smart, The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
and </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Voyage To The Bottom
Of The Sea,</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;"> sometimes
playing a tongue-in-cheek “horror” role.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MyIGSvRQoFI/XZPSo_bB0-I/AAAAAAAAJ-I/7uay-6cWvm0PSQdcwqrhvV7DXz0rSt19QCEwYBhgL/s1600/MV5BMWIwYjc5ZjEtZGI0Mi00ODVjLWFhODAtOWU3N2Q5NmNlZDFjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI%2540._V1_SX659_CR0%252C0%252C659%252C999_AL_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="999" data-original-width="659" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MyIGSvRQoFI/XZPSo_bB0-I/AAAAAAAAJ-I/7uay-6cWvm0PSQdcwqrhvV7DXz0rSt19QCEwYBhgL/w208-h320/MV5BMWIwYjc5ZjEtZGI0Mi00ODVjLWFhODAtOWU3N2Q5NmNlZDFjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI%2540._V1_SX659_CR0%252C0%252C659%252C999_AL_.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">In
the 1970’s, Price appeared in </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Abominable Dr. Phibes</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(1971) and its sequel </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Dr.
Phibes Rises Again</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
(1972), and also in</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"> Theatre
Of Blood</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;"> (1973),
portraying a Shakespearean actor who takes revenge on the critics who
ruined his career. Another notable production from this period is </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">An
Evening Of Edgar Allan Poe,</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
in which Price performed a one-man showcase of four Poe tales, </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Tell-Tale Heart, The Sphinx, The Pit And The Pendulum</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
and </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The Cask Of
Amontillado.</span></i></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></i></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Price also</span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">recorded a number of
dramatic readings of Poe stories and poems, and several records for
the Caedmon label that included </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">A
Graveyard Of Ghost Tales, A Hornbook For Witches</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
and </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">A Coven Of Witches’
Tales. </span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">He was also seen
on Canadian television as a narrator on the now-classic children’s
show</span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"> The Hilarious House
Of Frightenstein.</span></i></span><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></div><div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Though Price is remembered as a
horror star, he was also an art lover and collector. In 1957, Price
and his second wife Mary Grant Price donated 90 pieces from their
private collection and established the Vincent Price Art Museum at
East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park, California. This became
the first “teaching art collection” owned by a community college
in the United States, and the Prices would ultimately donate some
2000 pieces to this collection.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></div><div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Seeing the importance of fine art
being made accessible to the general public, Price also worked as an
art consultant for Sears-Roebuck. From 1962 to 1971, Sears offered
the “Vincent Price Collection Of Fine Art,” which included prints
of works by Picasso, Rembrandt and Dali. Price was also an active
gourmet cook, authoring several cookbooks with Mary Price. These
included </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">A Treasury Of
Great Recipes, Mary And Vincent Price’s Come Into The Kitchen Cook
Book,</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;"> and </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Cooking
Price-Wise With Vincent Price,</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
which was also the title of a cooking show he hosted on Britain’s
ITV/Thames Television network.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span 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small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">Price
remained active in horror throughout the Eighties, narrating the 1982
Tim Burton short </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Vincent,</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
and providing the now-famous spoken-word sequence on Michael
Jackson’s 1982 hit single “Thriller.” In 1983, he appeared in
the British horror spoof </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Bloodbath
At The House Of Death, </span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">and
worked in </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">House Of The
Long Shadows</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;"> with John
Carradine, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. From 1981 to 1989,
Price regularly hosted the PBS television series </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Mystery!</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
and in 1985, he was the voice of Vincent Van Ghoul in Hanna-Barbera’s
</span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The 13 Ghosts Of
Scooby-Doo.</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;"> In 1986, he
was the voice of Professor Ratigan in Disney’s </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Great Mouse Detective,</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
one of his favorite roles. His last significant role was as the
inventor in Tim Burton’s </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Edward
Scissorhands</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;"> (1990).
During this time he was suffering from emphysema (Price was a
lifelong smoker) and Parkinson’s disease, which also contributed to
his retirement from </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Mystery
</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">in 1989. On October 25,
1993, Price died of lung cancer at UCLA Medical Center. He was 82.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jHho_NF4NNs/XZPU01Zlf3I/AAAAAAAAJ-k/UO_v3xhpsB8LSLXE6P6G5puolWjV-vklgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/MV5BMjExNDU2OTg3OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMzcwOTU2._V1_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="368" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jHho_NF4NNs/XZPU01Zlf3I/AAAAAAAAJ-k/UO_v3xhpsB8LSLXE6P6G5puolWjV-vklgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/MV5BMjExNDU2OTg3OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMzcwOTU2._V1_.jpg" width="260" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Throughout
his life, Vincent Price remained committed to a populist belief
system, wanting to share art, fine cooking, and tales of mystery and
horror with the general public rather than only a select audience.
He was and still is an introduction for many people into the world of
classic horror, and his life and career show a person who believed
that the good things in life (and horror) were for everyone,
regardless of their place in society. It is not for nothing that we
at the Monster Shop refer to him with great affection as “Uncle
Vinnie.”</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
</div><span style="font-size: medium;">
<span>
</span>
</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">And
so we close this session of </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en For Halloween. </span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">To
paraphrase our Uncle Vinnie's ending </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Frightenstein</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
monologue, the castle lights are growing dim, and there’s no one left
but me… and </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">them.</span></i></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
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</span>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Happy
Halloween, dear fiends...</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Happy Halloween From The MonsterGrrls!!</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QG6y2fsaqGY/XZPW3WsEdII/AAAAAAAAJ-w/7cVAVGw84t0Fm9vb_xIEIA-bHPIUpD4pACEwYBhgL/s1600/MG%2BHEADS%2BCOLOR%2BTR%2Bresized2.png"><img border="0" data-original-height="199" data-original-width="356" height="222" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QG6y2fsaqGY/XZPW3WsEdII/AAAAAAAAJ-w/7cVAVGw84t0Fm9vb_xIEIA-bHPIUpD4pACEwYBhgL/s400/MG%2BHEADS%2BCOLOR%2BTR%2Bresized2.png" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<br />John Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07613034751992258769noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-43140478752211151682015-10-30T22:19:00.000-05:002019-09-30T22:22:41.686-05:00FRANKENSTEIN UNBOUND By Frankie Franken<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XMv6FSoJSHY/XZLEvnxV3OI/AAAAAAAAACc/s5JiXZlyr6EFcMBZLGNxLVonp8ZDcM7fQCEwYBhgL/s1600/FMGOFCover2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1232" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XMv6FSoJSHY/XZLEvnxV3OI/AAAAAAAAACc/s5JiXZlyr6EFcMBZLGNxLVonp8ZDcM7fQCEwYBhgL/s320/FMGOFCover2.jpg" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>#2: Frankie Franken</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hello, everybody! This is Frankie Franken reporting for <br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>The
MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en For Halloween, </i>and we’re almost to the
day! Today I’m taking a look at a movie called <i>Frankenstein
Unbound,</i> which puts a sci-fi spin on the Frankenstein legend. Mary
Shelley has been called the mother of science fiction, but this film,
based on a novel by Brian Aldiss, takes it to a new level.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The film opens in 2031, where Dr. Joe Buchanan (John </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TTZWpGpDDUQ/XZLBZqsHfHI/AAAAAAAAACU/sbfXiMZgPKQGLxrcBjRDEAr6bPfSc9qhQCEwYBhgL/s1600/v1.bjsyMjk5ODA7ajsxODE4MjsxMjAwOzY2Nzs1MDA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="667" height="238" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TTZWpGpDDUQ/XZLBZqsHfHI/AAAAAAAAACU/sbfXiMZgPKQGLxrcBjRDEAr6bPfSc9qhQCEwYBhgL/s320/v1.bjsyMjk5ODA7ajsxODE4MjsxMjAwOzY2Nzs1MDA.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The good--er, bad--doctor at work</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hurt) is working
to develop an energy beam weapon so powerful that it will end all
war, while causing no damage to the environment. Unfortunately, his
weapon causes rifts in space and time that cause people to disappear,
and Buchanan ends up driving into one of these rifts, which takes him
back to 1817 Switzerland. While there, Buchanan meets none other
than Percy Shelley (Michael Hutchence), Lord Byron (Jason Patric) and
Mary Shelley (Bridget Fonda), who is writing a story inspired by her mysterious and
well-to-do neighbor, Victor Frankenstein (Raul Julia). Sure enough,
Dr. Frankenstein has created a Monster (Nick Brimble) who is already
wreaking revenge on his creator, and it isn’t long before Buchanan
is trying to stop Frankenstein’s Monster and find his way back to
his own time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YhroJ9PdvQE/XZLFfIw0b2I/AAAAAAAAACk/TcAj0qxYIg093qUR8wfUfP9jXGgMUon4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/v1.bjs3Mzg4MDU7ajsxODE4ODsxMjAwOzg4MDs1Nzk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="880" height="210" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YhroJ9PdvQE/XZLFfIw0b2I/AAAAAAAAACk/TcAj0qxYIg093qUR8wfUfP9jXGgMUon4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/v1.bjs3Mzg4MDU7ajsxODE4ODsxMjAwOzg4MDs1Nzk.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Monster has a few words with Buchanan</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While there’s an obvious parallel between
the experiments of Buchanan and Frankenstein, this film is a fun
twist on the traditional Frankenstein tale. The Monster, rather than
cribbing from Boris Karloff’s iconic performance, takes its cues
from Shelley’s original novel. Director Roger Corman, who is famed
for his low-budget filmmaking, makes a practical-effects showcase
that is pretty refreshing when compared to the CGI epics of today.
Check this film out if you’re a Frankenstein fan; it’s pretty
neat.<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Gosh, it's nearly time for Halloween! Come back tomorrow for the end to
<i>The MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en For Halloween,</i> and join us for the party!
Happy Halloween, everybody!
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>Sincerely,</b></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>Francesca
“Frankie” Franken</b></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>MAD DOCTOR’S
NOTE: </b></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Frankenstein
Unbound </b></span><b><i>is available on DVD from Amazon. Check it out.</i></b></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Frankie Frankenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10311001308092877292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-76874487710033353582015-10-30T15:14:00.000-05:002020-01-13T15:05:36.347-06:00DRACULA A.D. 1972 By Bethany Ruthven<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mJSoe_TX0mk/XW7KJ8RaCXI/AAAAAAAAAA8/JGpviTW8AJgPlATQKjspLepJ_fPvJMk7gCLcBGAs/s1600/FMGOFCover3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1232" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mJSoe_TX0mk/XW7KJ8RaCXI/AAAAAAAAAA8/JGpviTW8AJgPlATQKjspLepJ_fPvJMk7gCLcBGAs/s320/FMGOFCover3.jpg" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#3: Bethany Ruthven</span></i></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Good evening, darlings, and thank you for reading. Welcome back to
our little Halloween soiree, and today we take a look at another of
the Big D’s films, albeit a rather odd entry. The Big D is, of
course, Count Dracula, and the film in question is Hammer Films’
<i>Dracula A.D. 1972.</i> While this entry is not well liked by many
fans of Hammer’s <i>Dracula </i>oeuvre, one man’s nonsense is
another man’s rationale. And the rationale of this film’s
existence is that Hammer wanted to set a Dracula film in modern
times, due to the success of the 1970 Warner Bros. film <i>Count
Yorga, Vampire, </i>which<i> </i>had </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">done the same</span>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zw0jLDLAPFo/XW7K_ZoeLjI/AAAAAAAAABM/Qz8JfU_yh0M_AAHcoTjOChQ4J6rINqP_ACLcBGAs/s1600/dracula_ad1972_UKquad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1190" data-original-width="1600" height="236" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zw0jLDLAPFo/XW7K_ZoeLjI/AAAAAAAAABM/Qz8JfU_yh0M_AAHcoTjOChQ4J6rINqP_ACLcBGAs/s320/dracula_ad1972_UKquad.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The poster</i></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The film opens in 1872, with the Big D (Christopher Lee) and his
nemesis Lawrence Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) locked in battle on top
of a runaway coach. Neither of them survive their battle, but a
disciple of Big D (Christopher Neame) shows up and collects Dracula’s
ring and ashes, burying them near Van Helsing’s grave in the
churchyard of St. Bartolph’s for safekeeping.
</span></span></span><br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody></tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qN9JrE1PG48/XW7K_WCTo_I/AAAAAAAAABc/IddqYpvO8EEAuT_P9U5JjRWn0tE1YsnMgCEwYBhgL/s1600/hwn4d-0XGERRPW6Y2-Full-Image_GalleryBackground-en-US-1540906147992._SX1080_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1080" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qN9JrE1PG48/XW7K_WCTo_I/AAAAAAAAABc/IddqYpvO8EEAuT_P9U5JjRWn0tE1YsnMgCEwYBhgL/s320/hwn4d-0XGERRPW6Y2-Full-Image_GalleryBackground-en-US-1540906147992._SX1080_.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Dracula and his dinner date</i></span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody></tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Exactly one century later, in swinging London, a group of young
hipsters (I can’t really call them “hippies” because they have
money and wear clean clothes—England always seems to do a few
things better than you Yanks), which includes the descendant of the
former Dracu-disciple, the laughingly named Johnny <i>Alucard</i>
(Neame again), is looking for a new kind of kick after successfully
wrecking a somewhat staid gathering in the city. Said group <i>also</i>
includes the descendant of <i>Van Helsing</i>, Jessica Van Helsing
(Stephanie Beacham), who unlike the others seems to have a good
relationship with her grandfather/parental guardian Lorrimer (Cushing
again), thus setting her up as the obvious Good Girl among them. Bad
Boy Johnny suggests a black magic ceremony at the now-ruined
Bartolph’s, which has been abandoned and desecrated, ostensibly due
to modern development. Breaking into the old place, Alucard And Gang
proceed with a typically bloodsoaked ritual involving Laura (Caroline
Munro), a member of their group who is more or less The Girl Who’s
Up For Anything. Because such things <i>never</i> go well, the
results of mucking about in Things Man Wot Not Of cause the group to
flee in terror, and shortly after, Big D arrives and claims Laura as
his first victim. From there, a police investigation and other
highjinks ensue, eventually spurring Lorrimer to action in order to
save his granddaughter and stop Alucard and The Big D, who plots
revenge on Van Helsing once he learns that Jessica is a Van Helsing
descendant.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody></tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oaB32gVg6LE/XW7K-jeuBEI/AAAAAAAAABU/q4WUfY1YPIk7NKFiUux-eYkWM9fY4UUogCEwYBhgL/s1600/d32b520556bb88396c45eb9fa3793734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="400" height="179" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oaB32gVg6LE/XW7K-jeuBEI/AAAAAAAAABU/q4WUfY1YPIk7NKFiUux-eYkWM9fY4UUogCEwYBhgL/s320/d32b520556bb88396c45eb9fa3793734.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Neame as Alucard, junior vampire in training</i></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody></tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Regardless of what its detractors say, <i>Big
D In Moderne Times 1972</i> isn’t a <i>terrible</i> movie. It
moves bracingly along, not too fast or too slow, and the story is the
typical Hammer Big D plot formula (Big D comes back to life,
highjinks ensue, blood, murder, Van Helsing or other Vampire Hunter
to rescue, etc., etc.). One major problem is that the prologue
begins the film in <i>1872,</i> with what is supposed to be the <i>final
battle </i>between Helsing and Dracula. However, the beginning of
Hammer’s Big D cycle, <i>Horror of Dracula </i>(1958) begins all
that preceded this film in <i>1885, </i>which means that the other
five films before this one never happened at all. Since Hollywood
seems to be currently given to assembling universes, I suppose we
could say the Big D has his own universe somewhere where vampires and
vampire hunters run around after each other all night long, but it’s
still rather a stretch.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Continuing, the cast turns in fine
performances, with Cushing’s somewhat weary Van Helsing and </span></span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody></tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VEuvecQ_72E/XW7K-i3nz4I/AAAAAAAAABc/E2O0RZFzfTQ_fNxBf2ifnh8e4-qzif_JQCEwYBhgL/s1600/280714__55455.1342533861.380.500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="304" data-original-width="380" height="256" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VEuvecQ_72E/XW7K-i3nz4I/AAAAAAAAABc/E2O0RZFzfTQ_fNxBf2ifnh8e4-qzif_JQCEwYBhgL/s320/280714__55455.1342533861.380.500.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><i>The weary but faithful Van Helsing and his granddaughter</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody></tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lee’s
ever-violent Big D being high points regardless of the plot’s
modernized silliness. Because Big D seems to be confined largely to
Bartolph’s once he shows up in 1972, Cushing winds up carrying the
film, which he does with his usual grace. While neither actor really
comes out of their respective wheelhouses (everything in these
particular roles was probably old hat to them by this time), they are
still a treat to watch, especially at this time of the season.
Beacham is pleasingly fresh-faced as </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the new generation of Van
Helsings, Munro (in her first film for Hammer) carries on the
required toothsomeness for Big D’s victims, and Neame is more than
over-the-top in his evil, almost cribbing from Malcolm McDowell in
the previous year’s <i>A Clockwork Orange. </i></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But even so, <i>Johnny Alucard?</i> Really? Who <i>isn’t </i>going
to pick up on that? However, <i>Dracula Goes Disco 1972 </i>is now
as much of a period film as all its Victorian/Edwardian predecessors
in the cycle, so perhaps it’s right in line with the continuing
Legend of the Big D.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And so we come to the end, alas. Well, perhaps not. At any rate, we
are almost to the day, and I do invite you back for the rest of our
increasingly novel <i>Thir13een </i><i>F</i><i>or Halloween. </i>Do
enjoy yourselves safely and stay out of old abandoned churches.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><b>Regards,<br />
Bethany
Ruthven</b></i></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Bethany Ruthvenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692093807874416252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-51561006765591707682015-10-29T20:57:00.000-05:002019-06-11T13:43:36.642-05:00EASY-BAKE COVEN: SWAMP MUD MUNCHIES By Punkin Nightshade<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-puKho2CfqE4/W7GKcAUQ_yI/AAAAAAAAAYk/TdgEsnQlmv897JW8TVQPu4NcWDaamyh2wCLcBGAs/s1600/FMGOFCover4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1232" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-puKho2CfqE4/W7GKcAUQ_yI/AAAAAAAAAYk/TdgEsnQlmv897JW8TVQPu4NcWDaamyh2wCLcBGAs/s320/FMGOFCover4.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Punkin Nightshade</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hey there, y'all! This is Petronella Nightshade, what am Punkin, and I am bringin you another <i>Easy-Bake Coven</i> recipe for <i>The MonsterGrrls' Thir13en For Halloween.</i> Most folks like to do things with their younguns on Halloween and build them up some good memories of happy times, which is a right smart to do, specially round a holiday time. This here is called Swamp Mud Munchies, but it don't use no actual swamp mud, and it's real easy to make. If you got one of them microwave ovens, why you can make this in no time at all, and it is especial good to do with little bitty ones as a first-<br />
time cookin recipe.<br />
<br />
<b>What's In It:</b><br />
<div class="recipePartIngredient" data-base-ingredient="Chex Cereal" data-brand="Chex Cereal" data-category="Breakfast Foods" data-flavor-format="CHOCOLATE CHEX" id="gmi_rp_recipeIngredients_parts_1" itemprop="recipeIngredient">
<div class="quantity">
9 cups of Corn Chex, Rice Chex, Wheat Chex or Chocolate Chex cereal (or a combination of em. This here is that little biscuit cereal what folks use to make party mix and such, but this is a sweet recipe.)<span class="savingsIndicator" data-bind="visible: getHasSavingsComputed('78064cdf-77fa-4832-bdd2-a0e822e5c71c'), click: getSavingsIndicatorClickHandler('78064cdf-77fa-4832-bdd2-a0e822e5c71c'), html: configuration.ContentToIndicateSavingsOnAnIngredient" id="gmi_rp_recipeSavingIndicator_1"></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="recipePartIngredient" data-base-ingredient="Semisweet Chocolate Chips" data-category="Baking Goods" id="gmi_rp_recipeIngredients_parts_2" itemprop="recipeIngredient">
<div class="quantity">
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
</div>
</div>
<div class="recipePartIngredient" data-base-ingredient="Peanut Butter" data-category="Jams / Spreads / Syrups" id="gmi_rp_recipeIngredients_parts_3" itemprop="recipeIngredient">
<div class="quantity">
1/2 cup peanut butter<span class="savingsIndicator" data-bind="visible: getHasSavingsComputed('9523f7a0-6409-43f9-9f25-a074dfc952b4'), click: getSavingsIndicatorClickHandler('9523f7a0-6409-43f9-9f25-a074dfc952b4'), html: configuration.ContentToIndicateSavingsOnAnIngredient" id="gmi_rp_recipeSavingIndicator_3"></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="recipePartIngredient" data-base-ingredient="butter" data-category="Dairy" id="gmi_rp_recipeIngredients_parts_4" itemprop="recipeIngredient">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-geRfkmHjDeQ/W7GGSEDbIsI/AAAAAAAAAYM/wp_f0qSohqUKMIl0dBJnRIKtQ4rMBUmlQCLcBGAs/s1600/muddy%2Bbuddies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-geRfkmHjDeQ/W7GGSEDbIsI/AAAAAAAAAYM/wp_f0qSohqUKMIl0dBJnRIKtQ4rMBUmlQCLcBGAs/s400/muddy%2Bbuddies.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Swamp Mud Munchies (also known as Muddy Buddies to humans)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="quantity">
1/4 cup butter or margarine(I like butter best, and usin about half a stick here)
</div>
</div>
<div class="recipePartIngredient" data-base-ingredient="Vanilla Extract" data-category="Baking Goods" id="gmi_rp_recipeIngredients_parts_5" itemprop="recipeIngredient">
<div class="quantity">
1 teaspoon vanilla
</div>
</div>
<div class="quantity">
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar</div>
<div class="quantity">
</div>
<div class="quantity">
<b>What You Got To Do:</b></div>
<div class="quantity">
There is not nothin at all to this. Measure out all that cereal in a big old bowl, and hold it aside.</div>
<div class="quantity">
</div>
<div class="quantity">
Get you a bowl you can use in the microwave gadget, what'll hold about a quart. Put all your chocolate chips, your peanut butter and your butter or margarine in it and melt all that up in the microwave on High for about a minute. Do about 30 more seconds or until you can stir it up smooth. (Don't get no water in the chocolate or it'll seize up.) </div>
<div class="quantity">
</div>
<div class="quantity">
Stir in the vanilla and pour it over the cereal, and stir it all up good to coat the cereal evenly with the chocolate mixture. Get a resealable 2-gallon plastic bag and put your mixed-up cereal and stuff<b> </b>in it, then pour in the powdered sugar, seal up the bag and shake it good to coat it all up. Spread it out on some waxed paper to cool it off and then store it for eatin in an airtight container. </div>
<div class="quantity">
</div>
<div class="quantity">
And that is <i>it.</i> Like I said, ain't nothin to it. If you uncommon like peanuts you can use peanut butter chips instead of chocolate, and use cashew or almond butter if you like em better, or if you are one of them folks who's allergic to peanuts. There is all kind of ways to do this.<br />
<br />
Be sure you come back soon for the rest of <i>The MonsterGrrls' Thir13en For Halloween, </i>cause we's almost there! Blessings be on you!<br />
<br />
<i><b>Sincerely,</b></i><br />
<i><b>Petronella "Punkin" Nightshade </b></i><br />
<i> </i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-44241801013914432362015-10-28T20:10:00.000-05:002017-02-08T21:47:03.120-06:00A HISTORY OF WEREWOLF MOVIES!!! By Harriet Von Lupin<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pc8_9QVD4-s/V1SauVBPULI/AAAAAAAAANw/VIujGcTxjFgtxOKXxWoIqudzSPV_ziaOACLcB/s1600/HVLHistoryWerewolf5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pc8_9QVD4-s/V1SauVBPULI/AAAAAAAAANw/VIujGcTxjFgtxOKXxWoIqudzSPV_ziaOACLcB/s320/HVLHistoryWerewolf5.jpg" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Harriet Von Lupin</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
OW-WOOOOOOOO!! Hi there! This is Harriet Von Lupin, your roving
reporter for <i>The MonsterGrrls' Thir13en For Halloween,</i> and I hope it's
been a happy one for you!<br />
<br />
Frankie and Bethany have
already done some posts on here about horror movies that feature
Creatures and vampires, so I thought I'd do something like that.
Besides, if your favorite monster is the werewolf (like mine!!), you
might have wondered to yourself where all of this comes from.<br />
<br />
All cultures in the world have stories of werewolves, or people who could change into some kind of animal. (It isn't <i>just</i>
wolves, y'know.) The earliest known descriptions of werewolves go back
all the way to the early Greeks, whose literature depicted men who took
on the form of wolves for a few days each year, or men who were
transformed after they ate human flesh. (Of course, we don't eat humans
anymore--with all that prepackaged food and fast-food stuff you eat
now, you guys taste <i>terrible! </i>You really <i>are</i> what you <i>eat, </i>y'know!!)
But when motion pictures came into vogue, people didn't gravitate to
making movies about werewolves right away, mainly because there wasn't
as much literary pedigree. Vampires had Bram Stoker's <i>Dracula</i> and Creatures had Mary Shelley's <i>Frankenstein,</i> but werewolves didn't have their own books or anything like now.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UgBgp4IYWQU/WJvg32T21NI/AAAAAAAAAPc/X6N40zobQNMVHk-Wrbcrtd3TjotTqx_dwCEw/s1600/wolfblood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UgBgp4IYWQU/WJvg32T21NI/AAAAAAAAAPc/X6N40zobQNMVHk-Wrbcrtd3TjotTqx_dwCEw/s320/wolfblood.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wolf Blood,<i> 1925</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The earliest known werewolf film is a lost film called <i>The Werewolf,</i>
made in 1913. Although nobody today has ever seen it, records about it
still exist. The story is about a Navajo woman who uses witchcraft to
change herself into a wolf so she can avenge her dead lover, and it was
directed by Henry McRae, who had a 20-year career of filmmaking and
racked up over 160 films! But even though nobody's seen this film,
there was another film made in 1925 called<i> Wolf Blood</i>. This was
directed by George Chesebro, a silent-film star of Western movies who
also was the star of this film. In it, a lumberjack gets assaulted by
other guys from a rival logging company and left for dead. A doctor
saves him, but has to give him a blood transfusion from a wolf. Soon
Lumberjack Guy starts having dreams about running with a pack, and then
the bad loggers start getting attacked by wolves, which makes everyone
think that Lumberjack Guy is a werewolf! This one is the earliest known
werewolf film that still exists.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zLnzAK_vIHw/V1ScHqiB9tI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/_rJRxb36bpojk0MIBikVhMkZ7ccL2gi0wCLcB/s1600/Annex%2B-%2BHull%252C%2BHenry%2B%2528Werewolf%2Bof%2BLondon%2529_08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zLnzAK_vIHw/V1ScHqiB9tI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/_rJRxb36bpojk0MIBikVhMkZ7ccL2gi0wCLcB/s320/Annex%2B-%2BHull%252C%2BHenry%2B%2528Werewolf%2Bof%2BLondon%2529_08.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hull and Oland fighting over the mariphasa</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now I bet all you guys were thinking that Universal Studios' <i>The Wolf Man</i> was the <i>first</i> werewolf film, huh? <i>Wrong!!</i> Even though it's a great film, it <i>wasn't</i> the first, and it wasn't even the <i>first</i> werewolf film that Universal did. That one is <i>Werewolf Of London,</i> in 1935, while <i>Wolf Man</i> was made six years later, in 1941. <i>Werewolf Of London</i>
starred Henry Hull as a botanist (that's a plant doctor) who gets
bitten by a werewolf in Tibet while searching for a rare plant called a
mariphasa. Soon after, another guy, played by Warner Oland, shows up
and tells him that the mariphasa can be used as a cure against
lycanthropy. Henry kinda blows him off, but he suddenly discovers that
Oland might be <i>right,</i> because when he's exposed to moonlight, Henry starts turning into a <i>werewolf! </i>The
makeup stuff in this movie was done by Jack Pierce, the same guy who
did the makeup later for Lon Chaney, Jr., when Universal made <i>The Wolf Man.</i> (Henry could only take four hours at a time in the makeup chair, which is why his Werewolf looks the way it does.)<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l1Xjb30PMPw/WJvIW5DGkUI/AAAAAAAAAPA/uREycvlQWgMbDGkR6ZFBamp9klDaG7l2QCEw/s1600/d7ec2270bf1d94d9ccefb4fb22c8e6c8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l1Xjb30PMPw/WJvIW5DGkUI/AAAAAAAAAPA/uREycvlQWgMbDGkR6ZFBamp9klDaG7l2QCEw/s320/d7ec2270bf1d94d9ccefb4fb22c8e6c8.jpg" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Wolf Man,<i> 1941</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Werewolf Of London</i> wasn't so successful at the box office, so it took awhile before Universal came <i> </i>out with the <i>alpha</i> of werewolf movies, The <i>Wolf Man. </i>
This was the one that fully established a lot of what is now tradition
with werewolves, including the silver allergies and the transforming at
the full moon, all of which was written by scriptwriter Curt Siodmak.
(He wasn't far off!) Wolfie appeared four more times in Universal's
horror movies, in <i>Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man</i> (1943), <i>House of Frankenstein</i> (1944), <i>House Of Dracula</i> (1945) and <i>Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein</i> (1948).<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iwaAr8uuNcw/WJvJDANVc7I/AAAAAAAAAO8/v2cOnVVLh0grUCn3aTh3LWdWexf4MS60wCLcB/s1600/the-return-of-the-vampire-movie-poster-1944-1020267902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iwaAr8uuNcw/WJvJDANVc7I/AAAAAAAAAO8/v2cOnVVLh0grUCn3aTh3LWdWexf4MS60wCLcB/s320/the-return-of-the-vampire-movie-poster-1944-1020267902.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Return Of The Vampire,<i> 1944</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
However,
that wasn't the end of werewolves in movies. The 1940's were kind of a
big year for werewolves, because in 1942, just a year after Wolfie came
out, PRC did a movie called <i>The Mad Monster,</i> and 20th Century Fox did a werewolf film the same year called <i>The Undying Monster!</i> Columbia Pictures did a film called <i>Return Of The Vampire</i>
(1944) which had Bela Lugosi doing his Dracula thing as a vampire named
Armand Tesla, who had a werewolf assistant. Columbia also did another
film that same year called <i>Cry Of The Werewolf,</i> about a Gypsy girl (Nina Fuch) who discovers she's got some lycanthrope in her bloodline. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-poq4GXptBow/WJvi2AhNfJI/AAAAAAAAAP0/YPjEpFfhyE0SbLSTBeBDg1Xl2L661-fJACLcB/s1600/i-was-a-teenage-werewolf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-poq4GXptBow/WJvi2AhNfJI/AAAAAAAAAP0/YPjEpFfhyE0SbLSTBeBDg1Xl2L661-fJACLcB/s320/i-was-a-teenage-werewolf.jpg" width="203" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I Was A Teenage Werewolf, <i>1957</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<br />
After
that, werewolves kinda disappeared for a little while. But in 1957,
werewolves came back with Michael Landon starring in a teen horror flick
called <i>I Was A Teenage Werewolf,</i> in which a troubled kid
(Landon) who's got some problems is experimented on by a doctor, who
makes him into a werewolf! In 1961, Hammer Films released the
super-cool <i>Curse Of The Werewolf,</i> starring Oliver Reed. This one meant that werewolves <i>finally</i> ended up with a literary pedigree, because this movie was based on Guy Endore's 1933 novel <i>The Werewolf Of Paris!</i><i></i><br />
<i><i> </i></i><br />
<i></i><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b_WWXUX0RlQ/WJvi2QETs2I/AAAAAAAAAQE/khpMFQVVBzcdvNyza7Su71mF0sJsKaK0QCEw/s1600/werewolves_on_wheels_xlg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b_WWXUX0RlQ/WJvi2QETs2I/AAAAAAAAAQE/khpMFQVVBzcdvNyza7Su71mF0sJsKaK0QCEw/s320/werewolves_on_wheels_xlg.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Werewolves On Wheels, <i>1971</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Werewolves got really goofy in the Seventies, though. (It was a goofy time, but still...) In 1971, we had the first werewolf <i>biker</i> film, <i>Werewolves On Wheels,</i> which became a favorite with those who like so-bad-it's-good movies. (Kinda like our Mad Doc!) Spanish horror star Paul Naschy created a <i>looong</i> series of films that was all about a werewolf named Valdemar Kanisky, but it's generally accepted that one of the best ones was his 1972 film <i>Fury Of The Wolfman.</i> (Of course, he kinda got it <i>wrong,</i> because that film says that werewolves come from <i>Yetis...</i>) And another English film studio called Amicus Productions, which featured a lot of the old Hammer stars, released <i>The Beast Must Die</i> in 1974.<i> </i>But when the Eighties rolled around, werewolves had <i>a banner year</i> in 1981, which saw the release of some of the most <i>famous</i> werewolf films there are: <i>An American Werewolf In London, The Howling,</i> and <i>Wolfen!</i><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nQ1UwGHIcLo/WJvi2D1KcrI/AAAAAAAAAQE/Y69zUPqapUYMRqJcb7C0gJorDTYEAtBrwCEw/s1600/beast_must_die.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nQ1UwGHIcLo/WJvi2D1KcrI/AAAAAAAAAQE/Y69zUPqapUYMRqJcb7C0gJorDTYEAtBrwCEw/s320/beast_must_die.jpg" width="203" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Beast Must Die, 1974</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
So if you're looking for a cool film to watch for Halloween, just remember there's <i>plenty</i> of werewolf movies to watch, and maybe with this offering we've given you an <i>appetite</i> for some! And speaking of appetites, I gotta go grab a <i>snack</i> before doing some more Halloween prepping, but we'll be back soon with more cool stuff for <i>The MonsterGrrls' Thir13en For Halloween! </i>See you soon! <i>OWWW-WOOOO!!!</i><br />
<br />
<i></i><br />
<i><b>Love,</b></i><br />
<i><b>Harriet Von Lupin </b></i><br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-20083245686021408562015-10-28T19:00:00.000-05:002019-09-02T16:19:14.376-05:00CHEAPSKATE HORRORSHOW: NIGHT CREATURES By John Rose<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-488bo5SJAcI/V1SHGiRfevI/AAAAAAAABRI/e5MAH7s_oHk3HjB6ELep_19DU-3eZOzcQCLcB/s1600/CSHSnightcrea6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-488bo5SJAcI/V1SHGiRfevI/AAAAAAAABRI/e5MAH7s_oHk3HjB6ELep_19DU-3eZOzcQCLcB/s200/CSHSnightcrea6.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cheapskate Horrorshow</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Welcome back to <i>The MonsterGrrls' Thir13en For Halloween. </i> <br />
<br />
It goes without saying that we in the Monster Shop <i>love</i> Hammer Films. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-09CwgxWZFcU/V1SHXZtr01I/AAAAAAAABRk/TQKyLGsLg0sy9KOaqUmkDCzsH6nLM_NCACLcB/s1600/night-creatures-aka-captain-clegg-hammer-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-09CwgxWZFcU/V1SHXZtr01I/AAAAAAAABRk/TQKyLGsLg0sy9KOaqUmkDCzsH6nLM_NCACLcB/s320/night-creatures-aka-captain-clegg-hammer-poster.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The poster</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Studio From Across The Big Pond turned out some undisputed classics in the world of horror and presented Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing to the world. Today I'm taking a look at a film that's not as well-known as their Frankenstein and Dracula cycles, but is still a great suspense film nonetheless (something Hammer was also known for in their native England). The film is <i>Night Creatures,</i> released in England as <i>Captain Clegg.</i><br />
<br />
The story of this film actually comes from a series of novels that began in 1915, written by Russell Thorndike, about Doctor Syn, a vicar from the village of Dymchurch who pursues revenge after his wife is seduced by his best friend. In the course of his adventures Syn turns to piracy and becomes the most feared pirate of his day. Upon his eventual return to Dymchurch, Syn takes leadership of the local smuggling ring (which is operating against a corrupt government) and takes on the identity of the ghostly Scarecrow Of Romney Marsh to protect the people of Dymchurch. Much of this may be remembered by Disney fans as the story of the film <i>Dr. Syn, Alias The Scarecrow,</i> which also came from these novels.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YVeawBxyGHk/V1SHXaXomzI/AAAAAAAABRc/ergCdRK-Rk8pIz40GMqLv5zSaiwAWek0wCLcB/s1600/drsyn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YVeawBxyGHk/V1SHXaXomzI/AAAAAAAABRc/ergCdRK-Rk8pIz40GMqLv5zSaiwAWek0wCLcB/s200/drsyn.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Disney version</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<i> </i><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NKIzxqIViKE/V1SHW-h5sAI/AAAAAAAABRw/CcHTpC9zNrIy6qTH6cPQrAWk4z4aza34wCKgB/s1600/1280x720-V4-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NKIzxqIViKE/V1SHW-h5sAI/AAAAAAAABRw/CcHTpC9zNrIy6qTH6cPQrAWk4z4aza34wCKgB/s320/1280x720-V4-.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The bad guys, and the badder guys...</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Night Creatures </i>opens with a crewman mutilated and left to die by notorious (and unseen) pirate Captain Clegg, as punishment for the
rape and murder of Clegg's wife. (Nope, not very Disney.) Several years
later, the officious and by-the-book Captain Collier of the Royal Navy (Patrick Allen) is assigned to
investigate reports of "Marsh Phantoms" in Romney Marsh, as well as
enforce the excise tax on liquor trades there. After discovering the
dead body of a local townie named Ketch (Sydney Bromley, who dies of
fright after being run down by said Marsh Phantoms), Collier begins
throwing his weight around, which makes the townspeople very unhelpful
in his quest for justice. (This is one of those byproducts of having
your local businesses seized and searched by unruly soldiers.) The only
person who treats Collier with any civility is the local parson, Dr.
Blyss (Peter Cushing), who turns out to be the <i>leader </i>of the local smuggling ring, and cue the highjinks. Said highjinks include the question of whether or not Captain Clegg is really dead (there's a grave in Dymchurch, and <i>someone's</i> in it, but still...), a deafmute in the employ of Collier, who goes <i>nuts</i> whenever he's around Parson Blyss (I'll leave <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BWsba9vS2Ac/V1SHXZal_xI/AAAAAAAABR0/b8dRcSHjSCUup7urmZThD53ujm8aqQ6VACKgB/s1600/nightcreat17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BWsba9vS2Ac/V1SHXZal_xI/AAAAAAAABR0/b8dRcSHjSCUup7urmZThD53ujm8aqQ6VACKgB/s320/nightcreat17.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Participants in the obligatory romance</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
you to connect the dots on this one) and the obligatory love story between townie beauty Imogene (Yvonne Romain) and favorite son Harry Cobtree (Oliver Reed) which is endangered by Mr. Rash (Martin Benson), the jealous cohort of Parson Blyss. And of course, there's the ongoing mystery of those pesky Marsh Phantoms.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zBrCVNwESmQ/V1SHXGnjEVI/AAAAAAAABR0/urxR3K7CN8QLdXh0MbGoRwsxazgALDnQQCKgB/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zBrCVNwESmQ/V1SHXGnjEVI/AAAAAAAABR0/urxR3K7CN8QLdXh0MbGoRwsxazgALDnQQCKgB/s320/3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Marsh Phantoms</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If you're used to Hammer being the home of horror, then this film is an introduction to some of Hammer's other output; in addition to horror, Hammer also produced comedies and thrillers like this one. <i>Night Creatures</i> isn't a horror film in the traditional sense, but it <i>is</i> a suspenseful Gothic film with a bit of supernatural dressing, and the very busy if somewhat convoluted plotline keeps you interested in what's going to happen next. Most modern horror films have eschewed this for buckets of gore and creative death, so if you're interested in seeing some old-fashioned ghostly mystery this Halloween, <i>Night Creatures</i> is a good place to start.<br />
<br />
Join us again for <i>The MonsterGrrls' Thir13en For Halloween,</i> coming soon...<br />
<br />
<b><i>MAD DOCTOR'S NOTE:</i> Night Creatures <i>is available in</i> The Hammer Horror Series 8-Film Collection, <i>which is available <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Werewolf-Paranoiac-Nightmare-Creatures-Frankenstein/dp/B00KXQL6CW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1465164852&sr=8-1&keywords=hammer+horror+collection" target="_blank">here.</a></i> </b><br />
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<br />John Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07613034751992258769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-14124113993101933782015-10-28T17:18:00.000-05:002016-06-05T17:23:41.070-05:00THIS OLD DARK HOUSE... AND THAT OLD DARK HOUSE By Frankie Franken<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o2x_i_bwu9Y/V1SKYDF8ugI/AAAAAAAAARg/iKYQWSj9F8M0EwECX1Ktb1jbrYOSH4A0gCLcB/s1600/CSHSolddarkhouseF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o2x_i_bwu9Y/V1SKYDF8ugI/AAAAAAAAARg/iKYQWSj9F8M0EwECX1Ktb1jbrYOSH4A0gCLcB/s200/CSHSolddarkhouseF.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Hello, everybody! This is Frankie Franken with the next installment of <i>The MonsterGrrls' Thir13en For Halloween</i>, and I hope that so far it's been a happy one for you!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qhIqXC3XykY/V1SLdhktEGI/AAAAAAAAAR0/Jczs4P-VRTws_BNWA5ATMR3noRCnHYthwCLcB/s1600/529553871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qhIqXC3XykY/V1SLdhktEGI/AAAAAAAAAR0/Jczs4P-VRTws_BNWA5ATMR3noRCnHYthwCLcB/s320/529553871.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The poster (1932)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
These
days, people are doing all kinds of remakes of stuff, whether it's
movies or TV shows, and this is happening in horror films too.
Recently there were remakes of both<i> Nightmare On Elm Street</i> and <i>Friday The 13th,</i>
and even though there's a lot of demand for original content, Hollywood
still keeps doing remakes. Today we'll take a look at a recently
rediscovered classic horror film, <i>The Old Dark House,</i> which was originally made in 1932 by James Whale, who directed <i>Frankenstein</i> and <i>The Bride Of Frankenstein. </i>This same film was remade in 1963 by horror auteur William Castle, who directed <i>13 Ghosts</i> and <i>The House On Haunted Hill</i> (both of which got remakes, too!).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--B2KYvfPvmw/V1SM5JK64gI/AAAAAAAAASE/FYsaWvC-K1EctBcihIvCGNUmQEq5EKdsACLcB/s1600/the-old-dark-house-1932-ernest-thesiger-eva-moore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--B2KYvfPvmw/V1SM5JK64gI/AAAAAAAAASE/FYsaWvC-K1EctBcihIvCGNUmQEq5EKdsACLcB/s320/the-old-dark-house-1932-ernest-thesiger-eva-moore.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Horace and Rebecca Femm: There's one in every family...</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>The Old Dark House</i>
is the film that more or less invented the "old dark house" genre of
horror movies, and has a lineage that includes such diverse films as <i>The Texas Chainsaw Massacre</i> and <i>The Rocky Horror Picture Show</i>, and certainly more than one episode of <i>Scooby Doo, Where Are You! </i>Three
travelers, Philip and Margaret Waverton (Raymond Massey and Gloria
Stuart) and their friend Roger Penderel (Melvyn Douglas) are caught in a
rainstorm and arrive at a remote, decaying old mansion looking for
shelter. The house belongs to the Femms, a family of recluses that
seems more than a little crazy. The Femm family includes craven,
fearful Horace (Ernest Thesiger), his fanatical sister Rebecca (Eva
Moore), their mute butler Morgan (Boris Karloff) and their brother Saul
(Brember Wills) who spends most of the film locked in the attic. The
Femms are reluctant to entertain the travelers, but bring them out of
the storm<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ExempBuMOps/V1SM5NFHRUI/AAAAAAAAASM/_F1Kqm5oRVExET4rS7LuxPCOqCGIxa_WgCKgB/s1600/old-dark-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ExempBuMOps/V1SM5NFHRUI/AAAAAAAAASM/_F1Kqm5oRVExET4rS7LuxPCOqCGIxa_WgCKgB/s320/old-dark-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>...but in this one there's several: Morgan Femm and Margaret Waverton</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
anyway. Soon, Sir William Porterhouse (Charles Laughton) and
his mistress Gladys DuCane Perkins (Lillian Bond) arrive at the house,
which seems to make the Femms behave even more strangely. Things come
to a head when Morgan, who is unfortunately alcoholic, gets drunk and
releases Saul, who turns out to be a psychopath <i>and </i>a pyromaniac.<br />
<br />
Upon its release in 1932, <i>TODH</i>
was not well reviewed. Although most New York reviewers praised the
film for its wealth of talent (including horror luminaries Karloff,
Thesiger and Laughton), the film was panned by <i>Variety</i> and <i>The Hollywood Filmograph,</i>
and suffered negative word-of-mouth. For several years it was
considered a lost film, until a print was found in the Universal Studios
vaults in 1968 and restored. Today it is considered a cult film and
enjoys a reputation as an interesting landmark in the career of director
James Whale.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5qJVFCFAlPY/V1SPn-gU3RI/AAAAAAAAASQ/yOFuWqxMRag6l6Q9QWXMnhs4ykhMZoRAQCLcB/s1600/olddarkhouse-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5qJVFCFAlPY/V1SPn-gU3RI/AAAAAAAAASQ/yOFuWqxMRag6l6Q9QWXMnhs4ykhMZoRAQCLcB/s320/olddarkhouse-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The poster (1963)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In 1963, William Castle remade <i>The Old Dark House</i>
as a joint effort with Universal Studios and Hammer Films, starring Tom
Poston, Mervyn Johns, Robert Morley, Janette Scott and Fenella
Fielding. The remake deviates from the original in many ways: apart
from being in color, the remake is the story of Tom Penderel (Poston),
an American car salesman traveling in London who delivers a car to an
old mansion in Dartmoor, the family home of his eccentric roommate
Casper Femm (Peter Bull) who has told Tom that he must return to the
mansion each night before midnight. Upon arriving, the car is damaged
in a storm and Tom is invited to stay at the Femm house, where he meets
Jasper, Casper's twin brother (also Bull), his two nieces Cecily (Scott)
and Morgana (Fielding), gun-obsessed father Roderick (Morley) and Uncle
Potiphar (Johns) who is building an ark in anticipation of another
Great Flood. Though initially frightened upon discovering that Casper
is dead, Tom is attracted to Cecily, and ends up staying the night. Tom
is drawn into the Femms' weird world and soon discovers himself in the
midst of a murder plot against the Femms, where someone is attempting to
gain the family estate by killing all the living heirs.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2OyBqhmxe7Q/V1SVh5QkUhI/AAAAAAAAASk/VVnBQZcNcV4Ksgby6NPMZN7XL1pLnwefQCLcB/s1600/1475519_orig.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2OyBqhmxe7Q/V1SVh5QkUhI/AAAAAAAAASk/VVnBQZcNcV4Ksgby6NPMZN7XL1pLnwefQCLcB/s320/1475519_orig.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tom finds a fiend</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qzrqJxCFfJk/V1SVhnBDSHI/AAAAAAAAASg/QUnPKdLrhMceyC83pL3TVeJjTranFMQogCKgB/s1600/old-dark-house-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qzrqJxCFfJk/V1SVhnBDSHI/AAAAAAAAASg/QUnPKdLrhMceyC83pL3TVeJjTranFMQogCKgB/s320/old-dark-house-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Poston, Scott and Morley</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>TODH</i> '63 is considered inferior to <i>TODH</i> '32, despite the fact that <i>TODH</i>
'32 was kind of an oddball film all its own. Though the stories are
basically variations on the theme of outsider trapped in an old house
with strange people, I think <i>TODH</i> '63 has a few merits of its
own. The macabre comedy is played up, bringing a kind of Addams Family
feel to the picture (the film's credits even feature drawings by Addams
himself!), and the actors for <i>TODH</i> '63 were pretty talented too:
Morley was a well-known and established actor in film and theatre, Johns
was a distinctive character actor in England who was known for his Bob
Cratchit to Alastair Sim's <i>Scrooge,</i> Poston was a noted comic
actor in both film and TV, and Fielding was a popular actress who had
appeared in several films, most notably to horror fans in the comedy<i> Carry On Screaming. </i>All in all, <i>TODH</i> '63 is a very different film, and shouldn't be judged for its connection to the original. The Mad Doctor said this about <a href="http://themonstergrrls.blogspot.com/2012/05/peering-into-dark-shadows-by-john-rose.html" target="_blank">the <i>Dark Shadows</i> movie,</a> if you'll remember, and I kind of feel the same thing is going
on here. So if you're interested in seeing either (or both) of these
films, they're worthy additions to your viewing experience, especially
at this time of the year.<br />
<br />
Well, that's it for me, and I'll see you soon. Come back for the next installment of our <i>Thir13en for Halloween!</i><br />
<br />
<b><i>Sincerely,<br />Francesca "Frankie" Franken</i></b><br />
<i><b><br />MAD DOCTOR'S NOTE: Both versions of </b></i><b>The Old Dark House</b><i><b> are available from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_18?url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&field-keywords=the+old+dark+house&sprefix=The+Old+Dark+House%2Caps%2C353" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and <a href="https://www.netflix.com/" target="_blank">Netflix.</a> Check them out.</b></i><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-63171204657945994162015-10-27T16:39:00.000-05:002016-05-28T16:41:19.832-05:00CHEAPSKATE HORRORSHOW: OUIJA By John Rose<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YUsvaCY1YAw/V0oNFvN1cbI/AAAAAAAABQM/ajdkf_RM_FAjuA0t9q2nb2FYGLX8m68egCLcB/s1600/CSHSoiuja.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YUsvaCY1YAw/V0oNFvN1cbI/AAAAAAAABQM/ajdkf_RM_FAjuA0t9q2nb2FYGLX8m68egCLcB/s200/CSHSoiuja.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cheapskate Horrorshow</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O49yJMyf0to/V0oOTJ5UVII/AAAAAAAABQU/7vaZ6XEURJ4op13mtBl3kF1uXTFfuBsXACLcB/s1600/ouija-movie-poster.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O49yJMyf0to/V0oOTJ5UVII/AAAAAAAABQU/7vaZ6XEURJ4op13mtBl3kF1uXTFfuBsXACLcB/s320/ouija-movie-poster.png" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The poster</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Welcome back to today's edition of <i>The MonsterGrrls' Thir13een For Halloween.</i> Today we're cranking up the <i>Cheapskate Horrorshow</i> to present a review of the movie <i>Ouija.</i><br />
<br />
In 2012, a movie called <i>Battleship</i> was released, loosely based on "the classic board game." When Hollywood is willing to mine <i>board games</i> for movie ideas, you know something's wrong, but the notion was enthusiastically received among some of the suits, and rumors of movies based on such games as <i>Monopoly</i> and <i>Candy Land</i> began to circle. (It was only because common sense prevailed that no one mentioned <i>Scrabble: The Quest For the Triple Word Score.</i>) Horror movies, however, don't really have anything except... the Ouija board. So, cue short history lesson:<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qz4WmiaeTv8/V0oOiC9t3FI/AAAAAAAABQY/8MTpY3cBpGsBjK2z7pkxEbwcSnzGOVQXQCLcB/s1600/bal-ouija-1-20150422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qz4WmiaeTv8/V0oOiC9t3FI/AAAAAAAABQY/8MTpY3cBpGsBjK2z7pkxEbwcSnzGOVQXQCLcB/s200/bal-ouija-1-20150422.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Weird" William Fuld and his equally weird sister Katherine</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ouija boards, or "talking boards" as they were once known, have been around since the 1890's, when the Spiritualist movement began to rise in America. As Spiritualists attempted to communicate with the Great Beyond, businessman Elijah Bond had the idea to package together a planchette (a device used for automatic writing) and a board with the full alphabet and numbers on it, so that Spiritualists would have a better way of communicating. Bond's employee William Fuld took over
production and eventually started his own production of these boards
under the name "Ouija," which Fuld claimed was an Egyptian word meaning
"good luck" that he got from using the board to communicate with a
spirit. (Actually, it's the French word "oui" and the German word "ja,"
both of which mean "yes," put together to create "oui-ja.") Fuld
eventually sold the business to Parker Brothers (now owned by Hasbro,
which actually has a <i>film division</i> who is responsible for this movie) and it wasn't long before Ouija boards were terrorizing parlor gatherings and slumber parties everywhere.<br />
<br />
Neither the MonsterGrrls nor the Monster Shop advocate use of Ouija boards (Punkin has stated that they "don't even make a good cheese-cuttin' board"), and this movie is, in part, a whole series of reasons why. Opening with a flashback of best friends Debbie (Shelley Hening) and Laine (Olivia Cooke) playing with an Ouija, we learn Rule One of Ouija Use: do <i>not</i> play alone. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-370KtItqevo/V0oPVosO8qI/AAAAAAAABQg/TWQ90T6bxf8MerW_69bDgvyPVHR5cUyhgCLcB/s1600/ouija%2Bfilm%2Bdebbie%2Bfinding%2Bboard.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-370KtItqevo/V0oPVosO8qI/AAAAAAAABQg/TWQ90T6bxf8MerW_69bDgvyPVHR5cUyhgCLcB/s320/ouija%2Bfilm%2Bdebbie%2Bfinding%2Bboard.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Debbie, who is sweet but stupid</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Shortly after, we move to the present, where Debbie is seen burning an Ouija board in the fireplace. After turning down an offer of a night out from Laine, Debbie is possessed by an evil spirit and forced to commit suicide in her home, meaning that Rule One is often the first to be broken (at least in horror movies). Laine, not believing that Debbie committed suicide of her own volition, recruits friends Isabelle (Bianca Santos) and Trevor (Daren Kasagoff), little sister Sarah (Ana Coto) and Debbie's grieving boyfriend Pete (Douglas Smith) to investigate the house, where they find the mysteriously unburnt Ouija board. Deciding to contact Debbie for one last goodbye, Laine and crew instead contact something else, which starts leaving <i>them</i> messages... and <i>not</i> through the Ouija board. Trying to shut things down, Laine is instead exposed to a deeper mystery involving the previous owners of the house and the Ouija board, which leads to her friends dying one by one and a race against time to solve the mystery behind Debbie's death and stop the evil spirits before everyone is dead.<br />
<br />
Again, like <i>Stay Alive</i> (which we previously reviewed here), <i>Ouija</i> involves college-age protagonists rather<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3vT6H946Bes/V0oPlgVCFGI/AAAAAAAABQo/PbEH7Mw9ipAbBsbIqeDfTdScmZTzQzKqwCLcB/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3vT6H946Bes/V0oPlgVCFGI/AAAAAAAABQo/PbEH7Mw9ipAbBsbIqeDfTdScmZTzQzKqwCLcB/s320/maxresdefault.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Debbie's stupid friends, trying to contact stupid dead Debbie</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
than teens, which seems to be a trend in horror movies of this age. Unlike that movie, no one receives much character beyond Laine (who, though typically morose, is the heroine and cannot be one-dimensional by default), Sarah (who grinds the rebellious-teen archetype into our faces each scene, as if the audience cannot be bothered to figure it out) and victim Debbie, who seems to be an all-round good girl (which is meant to make her death much more tragic, but instead just makes you wonder why she started using the board in the first place). The movie is not particularly unpleasant or boring, and moves briskly along plotwise, working its elements in as it goes and making the most of its mystery. But do not expect to be overtly terrified; this movie is not Grand Guignol horror. What you've got here instead is a nice Halloween-friendly potboiler that you can throw in the DVD player or stream after a trick-or-treat session. (And of course, we do <i>not</i> advise using an Ouija board during the movie. If you're <i>that</i> bored with it, turn the DVD off and play cards or something.)<br />
<br />
Don't forget to come back for our next installment of <i>The MonsterGrrls' Thir13en For Halloween!</i>John Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07613034751992258769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-15818926599394853592015-10-27T16:07:00.000-05:002016-05-28T16:09:09.379-05:00EASY-BAKE COVEN: INJUN CORN By Punkin Nightshade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LnaxWa1cEvQ/V0oI0yzToRI/AAAAAAAAAW8/fAuwAL6QLV0AwCGwl4Q8g1iFw0R7rce8gCLcB/s1600/ESBCountdownpost9.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LnaxWa1cEvQ/V0oI0yzToRI/AAAAAAAAAW8/fAuwAL6QLV0AwCGwl4Q8g1iFw0R7rce8gCLcB/s200/ESBCountdownpost9.png" width="200" /></a></div>
Hey, y'all, and welcome to <i>The MonsterGrrls' Thir13en For Halloween!</i>
This here is Petronella Nightshade, what am Punkin, postin to you
through this here blog. Us will be bringin you all kinds of things and
first one thing and then another, so be sure you are keepin up with us.
Today I am doin the Easy-Bake Coven, and bringin you a recipe for Injun
Corn. It ain't <i>actual</i> Injun, but that is all right.<br />
<br />
A
lot of folks make them crispy rice cereal treats around Halloween, what
is crispy rice cereal and butter and marshmallows all mixed up
together. This here is somethin like that, but it uses that peanut
butter and chocolate puffed-up cereal, and it put me to mind of what Sam
the scarecrow who lives down the hollow from us in Witchhazel is doin
with popcorn, which is growin ears of popcorn what's already popped, and
some of em even got butter. Don't ask me how he does it cause I don't
know, but anyway, this is somethin that's pretty good for your young
ones at Halloween. Harriet specially liked it cause she <i>loves</i> peanut butter and chocolate.<br />
<br />
<b>What's In It:</b><br />
1/4 cup of butter or margarine (for pers'nal preference, I like butter best, and it's about half a stick)<br />
1 package (10 1/2 ounces) mini-marshmallows<br />
Some yellow food coloring (I like that gel colorin, cause it gives better color and don't have no funny taste)<br />
8 cups of peanut butter and chocolate puffed corn cereal<br />
1 cup candy-coated chocolate pieces (like M&Ms), divided in half<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PvDG2Ltho5I/V0oHWirNWhI/AAAAAAAAAWw/58Sa3Y1tq1QF3_c8VEAK8rPh2BEYs3yTACLcB/s1600/Injuncorntreat.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PvDG2Ltho5I/V0oHWirNWhI/AAAAAAAAAWw/58Sa3Y1tq1QF3_c8VEAK8rPh2BEYs3yTACLcB/s320/Injuncorntreat.jpg" width="320" /></a>10 lollipop sticks (you can find this at craft stores and such)<br />
Some tan and green raffia (this here is at the craft store too)<br />
<br />
<b>What You Got To Do:</b><br />
Line
up a large bakin sheet with waxed paper and set it aside. You won't be
bakin nothin, but you'll need this to set the corn on, and the wax
paper will keep it from stickin to the sheet.<br />
<br />
Melt up
your butter in a cauldron or a big heavy saucepan over low heat on the
stove. Add your marshmallows to it and stir it up till it's all melted
and smooth. Tint this with your food colorin until you get the shade of
yellow you want, and then add your cereal and 1/2 cup of your chocolate
pieces. Stir this all up until it's evenly coated, then take it off
the heat.<br />
<br />
Butter or grease up your hands and divide
this mixture up into 10 oblong pieces. You got to work quick afore it
cools down too much. Stick a lolly stick about halfway into each piece,
and then shape em up like ears of corn. Place em on your bakin sheet
and press the rest of your chocolate pieces into each ear. Let em set a
while, then tie or tape the raffia to the lolly sticks so it looks like
a corn husk. If you want some variation in the chocolate part, you can
use the ones that's got peanuts<b>*</b> in em (I like those), and they
is makin a lot of other kinds now, such as ones that got pretzel bits or
crispy rice bits in em. Just do as you like.<br />
<br />
And
that's it. I shall be bringin you some more recipes as we are goin
along, and I hope you try some of em and have some fun with em. Come
back round for what we shall be doin next with <i>The MonsterGrrls' Thir13en For Halloween,</i> and blessings be on you!<br />
<br />
<b><i>Sincerely,<br />Petronella "Punkin" Nightshade</i><i> </i></b><br />
<br />
<b><i>*</i><i>SPECIAL
NOTE: Some little ones has got peanut allergies, so if you are thinkin
of makin these for a young ones' party, ask round the other mamas afore
you do them. We don't want nobody goin to the hospital on Halloween.
Unless it's an old abandoned hospital what used to be a mental asylum
and someone's throwin a party there. Course, that might be somethin
else altogether. --P.N.</i></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-55591938353321463342015-10-26T22:17:00.000-05:002016-03-17T14:57:13.589-05:00CHEAPSKATE HORRORSHOW: REVIEW OF STAY ALIVE By John Rose<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lhNSiGgMf0c/Vi7pzCJ6Z6I/AAAAAAAABPY/EOBVP36PnGM/s1600/13fh10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lhNSiGgMf0c/Vi7pzCJ6Z6I/AAAAAAAABPY/EOBVP36PnGM/s200/13fh10.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cheapskate Horrorshow</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So here we are again on <i>The MonsterGrrls' Thir13en For Halloween.</i><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JOlASuyIP8A/Vi7qLhFsIrI/AAAAAAAABPk/TLqb_5OvU-A/s1600/Stay_Alive_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JOlASuyIP8A/Vi7qLhFsIrI/AAAAAAAABPk/TLqb_5OvU-A/s320/Stay_Alive_poster.jpg" width="215" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The poster</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I admit to not being much of a video game fan. When I was younger I had an Atari, and that was pretty cool, but video games were something I just sort of outgrew quickly, as I was more interested in making things with a computer rather than playing things on it. With so many horror video games being released now, it makes sense that the Hollywood horror contingent would eventually turn to making a horror film about video games, which brings us rather neatly to our <i>Cheapskate Horrorshow</i> review of <i>Stay Alive,</i> a
not-well-received but nonetheless interesting little film. (Note: I
viewed the Director's Cut for this review, and it is suggested that you
view this one also. I'll get to why in a minute.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<i>Stay Alive</i> opens with the murder of Loomis Crowley (Milo Ventimiglia) and his roommate and roommate's girlfriend by an unseen killer, shortly after playing an unreleased video game called "Stay Alive." This game is passed on at Loomis's funeral to his best friend and fellow gamer Hutch (Jon Foster) who plays the game in <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Os4mo0Z9Yms/Vi7qtlk-xpI/AAAAAAAABPs/P2Ev-vzGL5s/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Os4mo0Z9Yms/Vi7qtlk-xpI/AAAAAAAABPs/P2Ev-vzGL5s/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>From gamer's glory to lamely gory</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
a session with Abigail (Samaire Armstrong), a photographer he meets at the funeral, and his other gamer friends: the brother-sister team of foul-mouthed Phineas (Jimmi Simpson) and goth-wanna-blessed-be October (Sophia Bush), overcommitted and undersocialized gaming freak Swink (Frankie Muniz) and his boss Miller, who joins them online from his office. They discover that the game will not start until all who are playing have recited an incantation called "The Prayer Of Elizabeth" which leads them into a mad revenant-killing spree on an old plantation. Miller is killed in the game, and calls it a night, but shortly afterward is murdered in the exact same manner that his game character was, and cue the mayhem. In a series of events that is purest Scooby-Doo, the gang discovers that the game is based on the exploits of the real-life murderess Countess Elizabeth Bathory, who somehow survived the centuries and turned up in Louisiana (like you do) continuing her exploits by running a girls' school/virgin-blood-donor farm. Also, the spirit of Bathory is quite active... and coming after all of them.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FEJCfcjNjbI/Vi7rz_8hhxI/AAAAAAAABPw/gi1OVGl18ro/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FEJCfcjNjbI/Vi7rz_8hhxI/AAAAAAAABPw/gi1OVGl18ro/s400/9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bathory, in all her bathos</i></td></tr>
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Now, the reason I say watch the Director's Cut is this: though the movie is pleasantly entertaining by-the-numbers supernatural-stalker horror (nothing you've not seen before, but nothing new under the sun either), the Director's Cut has a very crucial character and subplot that was apparently cut out of the theatrical release, which unfortunately ends up destroying any sense this movie might make if you don't see those parts. It's entirely possible that this is why <i>Stay Alive</i> received rather negative reviews upon its release. Still, if you view this cut (available from Netflix and most of the usual online sources), the movie itself turns out to be fairly decent, though a few of the subplots appear to be tacked on and the brother-sister relationship between Phin and October doesn't feel fully developed. <i>Stay Alive</i> falls into the same category as more recent horror films like <i>The Cabin In The Woods</i> and <i>Valentine:</i> that of "young adult" or "college-age" horror rather than the "teenage" horror of films such as the <i>Nightmare On Elm Street</i> and <i>Friday The 13th</i> oeuvres. Mostly this means that you can expect less mad partying and more recreational drug use between violent kills. The killer-video-game idea, while not necessarily innovative, is serviceable, and the use of the Elizabeth Bathory legend is one that's not been seen much in horror. Another good movie to watch with friends and popcorn.<br />
<br />
So keep tuned to <i>The MonsterGrrls' Thir13en For Halloween.</i> We'll be back soon...<br />
<br />
<b>Stay Alive<i> is available from Amazon.com, Netflix, and other video </i></b><b><i>rental/o</i></b><b><i>nline streaming services. The Monster Shop strictly advises viewing the Director's Cut of the film. Check it out.</i></b>John Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07613034751992258769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-81991162060908600452015-09-13T18:08:00.001-05:002016-03-17T14:57:36.017-05:00EASY BAKE COVEN: HARVEST MOON STEW By Punkin Nightshade<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Punkin's Easy-Bake Coven</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</xml><![endif]-->Howdy there!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This here is Petronella Nightshade, what am
Punkin, and welcome to this year’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">MonsterGrrls’
Thir13en For Halloween.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Today I am
doin the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Easy-Bake Coven,</i> which will
be givin you some recipes and such that you can try at home for the
season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Most mamas out there will
be wantin to give their young’uns a good supper on Halloween night before
everbody goes out for tricks and treats, so they won’t fill up on all that
candy and everythin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, some of you
who is throwin Halloween parties might want a good meal to serve your guests, so
I am startin off with a recipe for y’all that is a crackerjack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is called Harvest Moon Stew, and it’ll
fill you up and keep the cold out on a chilly fall evenin.<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What
You Need:</i></b></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xlNW9ZERIfk/VfX_neAN0mI/AAAAAAAAAWA/JBQbvW73YKw/s1600/Harvest%2BMoon%2BStew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xlNW9ZERIfk/VfX_neAN0mI/AAAAAAAAAWA/JBQbvW73YKw/s320/Harvest%2BMoon%2BStew.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Harvest Moon Stew</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
2 frozen chicken breasts
what has been took off the bone or ain’t got no bone, and what has been skinned
(deboned, boneless or skinless)</div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
1 can of rotel tomatoes</div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
1 can of kernel corn,
with the juice (undrained)</div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
1 can of black beans,
with the juice (undrained)</div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
1 block of cream cheese
(1 16-ounce box or two 8-ounce boxes)</div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
1 packet of dry Ranch dip
mix (use your favorite)</div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
1 teaspoon of chili
powder</div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
1 tablespoon of cumin</div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
1 teaspoon of onion
powder or bottled onion juice<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What
You Got To Do:</i></b></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
This here is cooked up in
a crock pot, which is a contraption what works a lot like a witch’s kettle
except it’s got electricity so you ain’t got to build a fire under it, and it’s
a lot easier to carry around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Start by
layerin all the ingredients in the order we listed them in the crockpot, set
the dial to High and let it cook for about six hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can cut back your time a little if you’re
usin thawed-out chicken, and as everythin starts breakin down, give it a stir
now and again durin the cookin time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This makes a real good smell when it’s cookin.<br />
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
When the time is up, take
the chicken out (lettin all the good stuff on it drip back in the pot) and
shred it up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Put it all back in the pot,
stir it up together good, and then serve it over cooked rice or noodles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re servin this at a party you better
make up a lot and stand back cause there’s goin to be a run on it.<br />
<br />
And that is all there is to it, and my ain’t it a simple one to be startin
with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re used to cookin in a
crock pot you might think you ain’t done much of a much the first time you try
it, but it’s a mighty good chew that tastes like you spent forever and a day on
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Y’all be sure you come back for our
next postin in <i>The MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en For Halloween,</i> cause we’re startin up
early this year and you know it’s always first one thing and then another with
us when Halloween time rolls around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Blessings be on you!</div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sincerely,</i></b></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Petronella “Punkin” Nightshade</i></b></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">MAD DOCTOR’S NOTE:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>The MonsterGrrls give special thanks to
Paul Brown, who shared this recipe with us.</b></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12926060.post-34595843371212670122015-09-06T19:18:00.001-05:002016-03-17T14:57:57.521-05:00CHEAPSKATE HORRORSHOW: Review Of I SELL THE DEAD By John Rose<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IRcm3Zbj8JA/Vi7olz2czGI/AAAAAAAABPE/PXEtrUGg0XI/s1600/13FHCSHS2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IRcm3Zbj8JA/Vi7olz2czGI/AAAAAAAABPE/PXEtrUGg0XI/s200/13FHCSHS2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Cheapskate Horrorshow</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Welcome back to <i>The MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en For Halloween,</i>
and today <i>Cheapskate Horrorshow</i> is
covering one of the Monster Shop’s favorite modern horror films, <i>I Sell The Dead,</i> the debut film of Irish
director Glenn McQuaid. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ndB-j4qn-FE/VezDLAjXShI/AAAAAAAABNU/gN7v3MNJpF8/s1600/I_Sell_the_Dead_Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ndB-j4qn-FE/VezDLAjXShI/AAAAAAAABNU/gN7v3MNJpF8/s200/I_Sell_the_Dead_Poster.jpg" width="131" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The poster</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Though it is a modern horror
film, ISTD is a period film set in the Victorian era. The film opens on the execution day of grave
robbers Willie Grimes (Larry Fessenden) and his accomplice Arthur Blake
(Dominic Monaghan, he of <i>Lost</i>
fame). While Grimes is dispatched
quickly, Arthur is visited in his cell by one Father Duffy (Ron Perlman, doing
a scene-chewing Irish brogue) who wishes to record a statement from Arthur to
be used as a cautionary tale.</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eBL9hi0SFTc/VezGCfkdO8I/AAAAAAAABN0/mWxXRD7CMXg/s1600/i-sell-the-dead1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eBL9hi0SFTc/VezGCfkdO8I/AAAAAAAABN0/mWxXRD7CMXg/s200/i-sell-the-dead1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The scruffy pair, being scruffy</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Arthur recounts his career of
grave robbing with Willie, which begins in his youth and goes on to fruitful
but stagnant fulfillment under the continual threat of blackmail from Dr. Quint
(Angus “Tall Man” Scrimm of <i>Phantasm</i>
fame), who is using the pair to gain corpses for illegal medical study. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Things take a turn for the better when the
two dig up and release a vampire, which leads to the pair deciding to become <i>supernatural-based</i> grave robbers, a new
apprentice/love interest for Arthur, Fanny Briars (Brenda Cooney) and a confrontation
with a group of vicious grave robbers known as House Murphy, consisting of disfigured
assassin Valentine (Heather Bullock), insane enforcer Bulger (Alisdair Stewart)
and their brutal leader Cornelius (John Speredakos). Under orders from their unseen leader Samuel,
House Murphy tries to dissuade the Blake/Grimes team, leading to an eventual
confrontation over a shipment of crated undead… and things go mightily awry, because
zombies.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Me1fTuMUSrg/VezGUeWPL0I/AAAAAAAABN4/Tesb1YIpCOc/s1600/I-Sell-The-Dead-Vampire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Me1fTuMUSrg/VezGUeWPL0I/AAAAAAAABN4/Tesb1YIpCOc/s320/I-Sell-The-Dead-Vampire.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>All in an evening's work</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nj-mG9v--sg/VezGw2XfEbI/AAAAAAAABOA/SdMALpTJegw/s1600/iselldeadpic1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Nj-mG9v--sg/VezGw2XfEbI/AAAAAAAABOA/SdMALpTJegw/s320/iselldeadpic1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The cast responds to news of a possible ISTD reboot</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I Sell The Dead</i> is a fast-moving and funny movie which recalls the
days of Hammer Films’ period shockers, while at the same time being a loving
sendup of same. For a low-budget
B-picture, it seems to get the Victorian period right simply by not trying very
hard; all the sets, props and costuming have a good feel of hard use and
squalor rather than high polish. Sight
gags and anachronistic humor abound; one standout bit of dialogue in particular
involves Arthur’s sampling of a new invention called the sandwich (“it’s genius”). Monaghan and Fessenden are the perfect pair
of seedy but sympathetic rascals, and the assorted Murphy clan provide a nice
punch of comic-book villainy (helped in no small way by the use of comic-art illustrations
in their introductory scene). The DVD
even includes a mini-comic that tells the movie’s story, and special features
include commentaries with Monaghan, Fessenden and director McQuaid, plus visual
effects and making-of reels. Give this
one a try for Halloween viewing if you want something more modern yet still reminiscent
of horror’s gory-glory days.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Be sure to return for our next
installment of <i>The MonsterGrrls’ Thir13en
For Halloween,</i> and don’t forget to tell <i>the
others…</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>I Sell The Dead</b></span><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b> is available from Amazon.com and most video rental/online streaming services. Check it out.</b></span> </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i></i></span></span></div>
John Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07613034751992258769noreply@blogger.com0