Wednesday, October 31, 2012

THE MONSTERS BILL OF RIGHTS

OUR COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN BRINGS YOU THIS TIMELY DOCUMENT ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE MONSTER TIMES AND WRITTEN BY DON FIOTO.
 
We, the Monsters, Creatures, Mad Scientists and Evil Beings of the world, being a minority, and being of otherwise sound minds and bodies, do hereby ordain and establish this Bill of Rights for all of the "grotesque" ones.
 
  1. All monsters have the right to equal time from press and media.
  2. All monsters have the right to run for political office.
  3. No monster should be discriminated against on the basis of race, creed, nationality, planet of origin, size or shape.
  4. All monsters have the right to demand numerous sequels to their first movies.
  5. All monsters have the right to demand better wardrobes for their films.
  6. All monsters have the right to gather in public places.
  7. All monsters have the right to plug their films, photos, comics, etc. at all conventions.
  8. The night of the full moon and Halloween should be declared international holidays.
  9. Transylvania and Tokyo should be declared the dual capitals of the world.
  10. All monsters have the right to stomp Tokyo, climb the Empire State Building or smash London Bridge, if they so desire.
  11. All monsters have the right to clutch and/or threaten beautiful girls in their hands (paws, claws)
  12. All monsters can slurp their bowls of blood at meals.
  13. All monsters have the right to demand an Aurora model kit be designed in their likenesses.
  14. All monsters have the right to one haunted house, one book of black arts and one evil assistant, if they so desire.
  15. All monsters have the right to possess E.C. Comics, autographs of Godzilla or photos of Seymour and the Creep, if they so desire.
  16. Monsters have the right to picket and protest against super-heroes, do-gooders and monster slayers.
  17. All monsters may take wives or husbands.
  18. All monsters have the right to bear offspring.
  19. No monster should be made the butt of cruel or inhuman jokes.
  20. All monsters have the right to breathe fire, give off radiation, ooze slime, control your mind, bend your will, possess your body and eat onions.
  21. All monsters have the right to tell their stories to "The Monster Times".


IT'S HALLOWEEN!

BOO!  Sometimes I didn't think I'd make it.  But here we are at October 31st and I'd like to thank everyone for stopping by to share in the Halloween fun all month long.  Here we have a few more friends to tell us a little of their thoughts on Halloween!


"Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble."
-- William Shakespeare, "Macbeth"
 
***
 
"What fearful shapes and shadows beset his path, amidst the dim and ghastly glare of a snowy night! With what wistful look did he eye every trembling ray of light streaming across the waste fields from some distant window! How often was he appalled by some shrub covered with snow, which, like a sheeted spectre, beset his very path! How often did he shrink with curdling awe at the sound of his own steps on the frosty crust beneath his feet; and dread to look over his shoulder, lest he should behold some uncouth being tramping close behind him! and how often was he thrown into complete dismay by some rushing blast, howling among the trees, in the idea that it was the Galloping Hessian on one of his nightly scourings!"
                                                                 -- Washington Irving, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"

***
"A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises. Ghosts were created when the first man awoke in the night."
-- J.M. Barrie
 
***
 
"You wouldn't believe
On All Hallow Eve
What lots of fun we can make,
With apples to bob,
And nuts on the hob,
And a ring-and-thimble cake."
-- Carolyn Wells
 
***
 
"Bring forth the raisins and the nuts-
Tonight All-Hallows' Specter struts
Along the moonlit way."
-- John Kendrick Bangs
 
***
"On Halloween, witches come true;
Wild ghosts escape from dreams.
Each monster dances in the park..."
-- Nicholas Gordon
 
***
 
"On Halloween, the parents sent their kids out looking like me."
-- Rodney Dangerfield
 
***
 
"From ghoulies and ghosties and long leggety beasties and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us!"
-- Scottish saying
 
***
 
"There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls."
-- George Carlin
 
***
 
"Halloween was confusing. All my life my parents said, "Never take candy from strangers." And then they dressed me up and said, "Go beg for it." I didn’t know what to do! I’d knock on people’s doors and go, "Trick or treat." "No thank you."
-- Rita Rudner
 
***
 
"I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion."
-- Henry David Thoreau
 
***
 
"Pixie, kobold, elf, and sprite,
All are on their rounds tonight;
In the wan moon's silver ray,
Thrives their helter-skelter play."
-- Joel Benton
 
***
 
"'Tis the night - the night
Of the grave's delight,
And the warlocks are at their play;
Ye think that without
The wild winds shout,
But no, it is they - it is they."
-- Arthur Cleveland Coxe
 
***
 
"Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen,
Voices whisper in the trees, "Tonight is Halloween!"
-- Dexter Kozen
 
***
 
"Proof of our society's decline is that Halloween has become a broad daylight event for many."
-- Robert Kirby
 
***
 
"I don't know that there are real ghosts and goblins, but there are always more trick-or-treaters than neighborhood kids."
-- Robert Brault
 
***
 
"Hark! Hark to the wind! 'Tis the night, they say,
When all souls come back from the far away-
The dead, forgotten this many a day!"
-- Virna Sheard
 
***
 
"The spirit-world around this world of sense
Floats like an atmosphere, and everywhere
Wafts through these earthly mists and vapours dense
A vital breath of more ethereal air."
-- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "Haunted Houses"
 
***
 
"I saw thousands of pumpkins last night
Come floating in on the tide,
Bumping up against the rocks and
Rolling up on the beaches;
It must be Halloween in the sea."
-- Richard Brautigan, "The Pill vs the Springhill Mine Disaster"
 
***
 
"Nothing beats a haunted moonlit night on All Hallows Eve... And on this fatal night, at this witching time, the starless sky laments black and unmoving. The somber hues of an ominous, dark forest are suddenly illuminated under the emerging face of the full moon."
-- Kim Elizabeth
 
***
 
""You kids have fun, and be home by Thanksgiving!" our parents would call to us on Halloween night, as we staggered out the front door, weighed down by hundreds of pounds of concealed vandalism supplies, including enough raw eggs to feed Somalia for decades. By morning, thanks to our efforts, the entire neighborhood would be covered with a layer of congealed shaving cream and toilet paper that, around certain unpopular neighbors' homes, was hundreds of feet thick. This is how the Appalachian Mountains were formed."
-- Dave Barry
 
***
 
"They come to the door... they always ask you the same stupid questions: "What are you supposed to be?" "I'm supposed to be done by now.""
-- Jerry Seinfeld
 
***
 
"Those who believe in telekinetics, raise my hand."
-- Kurt Vonnegut
 
***
 
"Nothing on Earth so beautiful as the final haul on Halloween night."
-- Steve Almond


Monday, October 29, 2012

THE ONE THING THAT SCARES HALLOWEEN

HURRICANE SANDY! 


Since right now I'm in the midst of a major hurricane that's going to strike almost directly on my location, I fear that nature is planning to washout my Countdown to Halloween.  I'm hoping for the best but power or internet outages might conspire to prevent me from continuing.  I'm hoping that's the most serious thing I'll have to worry about during this destructive storm.  So for now, I'm providing a couple nice monster videos below for your Halloween viewing and I hope to be able post more later. 

Classic Horror - This is Halloween


Classic Horror Monsters - Halloween Edition

Sunday, October 28, 2012

CHARACTER ACTORS PART 16: ELSA LANCHESTER

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELSA LANCHESTER - BORN ON THIS DATE IN 1902. 

Long-time readers of this blog may dimly recall a series I did on my favourite character actors.  I began it in February 2007 and I haven't done one since my birthday in 2008.  To see the others, click on the label "character actors" at the bottom of this post.  Well, since it's the Countdown to Halloween AND Elsa Lancester's 110th birthday, I thought I'd revive the feature -- just as Ernest Thesiger and Colin Clive "revived" the stitched-together corpse that became the electro-coiffed BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN.

Reasons why I love her:
  • THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935)
  • THE GHOST GOES WEST (1935)
  • TALES OF MANHATTAN (1942)
  • THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE (1945)
  • THE BISHOP'S WIFE (1947)
  • THE BIG CLOCK (1948)
  • THE SECRET GARDEN (1949)
  • MYSTERY STREET (1950)
  • WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION (1957)
  • BELL, BOOK & CANDLE (1958)
  • MARY POPPINS (1964)
  • NIGHT GALLERY:  "GREEN FINGERS" (1972)
  • MURDER BY DEATH (1976)

Elsa Lanchester was the epitome of that turn-of-the-20th-century music hall performer we've seen in many movies; she was in fact a celebrated singer and performer when she trod the boards.  Her slightly-bawdy songs are preserved on two wonderful albums in my possession:  "SONGS FOR A SMOKE-FILLED ROOM" and "SONGS FOR A SHUTTERED PARLOR" which also features song introductions by her husband Charles Laughton.  Elsa, of course, had a nice touch for comedy which can be seen in most of her films.  Elsa was bigger than life and almost always stole every scene she was in.  She is simply one of those personalities we sadly don't really see anymore; that is, she HAD a personality!  Something which is noticably lacking in most of today's "stars".   

QI Series D Episode 5 - Death (Halloween Special)


The Real Story of Halloween

Saturday, October 27, 2012

THE HAUNTED LIBRARY

OUR HONORARY LIBRARIAN FOR THIS COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN  --  BARON WEIRWULF  -- HAS DEMANDED WE RAISE THE LITERACY BAR ON THIS BLOG. 

So therefore, he has recommended a handful of nicely spooky horror stories for October bedtime reading.  The late lamented Horrormasters.com may be gone but it still exists in ghostly form via the Internet Archive which has saved the site and all the horror stories thereon.  So here are a few of our favourite horror stories (by no means not a complete reading list) which we highly recommend for Halloween perusal.  Merely click on a title and it will transport you to the story itself so you can read it online.

THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER by Edgar Allan Poe

THE MINISTER'S BLACK VEIL by Nathaniel Hawthorne

THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW by Washington Irving

THE COLOUR OUT OF SPACE by H.P. Lovecraft

WHAT WAS IT? by Fitz-James O'Brien

THE UPPER BERTH by F. Marion Crawford

LOT NO. 249 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

THE YELLOW WALLPAPER by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

OH, WHISTLE AND I'LL COME TO YOU, MY LAD by M.R. James

THE BECKONING FAIR ONE by Oliver Onions

 

The Librarian from The Hilarious House of Frightenstein

Friday, October 26, 2012

A TRIBUTE TO DR. SHOCK

FOR ME GROWING UP THERE WAS ONLY ONE TV HORROR HOST:  DR. SHOCK. 

From 1970 to his tragically early death in 1979, Joe Zawislak was the horror host for Philadelphia area television on Channel 17.  Like almost every horror host, it all began with Zacherley.  Or, as John Zacherle was originally known when he first started on Philadelphia's WCAU-TV:  Roland (accent on the second syllable -- Ro-LAND).  After his incredibly successful run in Philly, Zacherle had left for the greener (and bigger) pastures of New York.  In 1969, Channel 17 acquired a passel of horror films and wanted Zacherley to host.  The Cool Ghoul politely turned them down as he was currently a successful DJ in New York. 

Now, Joe Zawislak was a professional magician and a fan of Zacherley (or Roland) who occasionally donned Zacherley's make-up for his act.  In a chance meeting in a barber shop, Channel 17's station manager was complaining about trying to find a horror host; Zawislak overheard, applied some cigar ashes to his face and went into his act.  So impressed was the station manager that Joe was given a screen test and Dr. Shock was born.  Zawislak asked Zacherle permission to use a variation of his make-up and the Cool Ghoul gave him his blessing.  

My autographed photo of Bubbles with her Dad

During his 13 week trial period, Zawislak made the station very nervous; not only did he perform magic tricks and ad-lib but he frequently went overtime by up to half an hour.  Channel 17 got cold feet and cancelled Dr. Shock.  What followed was a major uproar as the station was deluged with complaints.  Needless to say, Dr. Shock was soon back on the air with a late night programme called "Scream-In" co-starring his infant daughter Doreen who would forevermore be known as "Bubbles". 


Not too long after, Dr. Shock moved to Saturday afternoon with two shows covering 4 hours of programming:  Dr. Shock's Mad Theater and Horror Theater would play every Saturday of my childhood.  For those who didn't grow up watching a horror host, it's impossible to relate to you the deep affection we have for those we grew up watching.  Dr. Shock ushered into my living room scores of classic (and not-so-classic) horror movies and science fiction films that sparked a lifelong love of the genres.  Dr. Shock was beloved in his own time due to his extensive charity work and local appearances which made kids and grown-ups extremely fond of him.  His death was a terrible shock to all of us who were his fans.  

An article in the TV section of "THE PHILADELPHIA BULLETIN" on Zawislak's death.

Sadly, it appears that almost all of the footage of Dr. Shock may be gone forever; all that remains is the one-hour (aired without commercials - a stunning precedent at the time) "TRIBUTE TO DR. SHOCK" that Channel 17 aired in prime time after his death.  There is also a record album "MONSTER MASH" and the scarce advertising promos and "Let There Be Fright" buttons (his trademark motto).  Other than that, we have only our memories of a man who provided hours and hours of delight in our childhood.  There is a nice book by John Skerchock entitled "THE FRIGHTFUL DR. SHOCK" which I highly recommend you seek out. 

Also, actor Daniel Roebuck sometimes appears as "Dr. Shocker" - a lovely tribute to Joe Zawislak's Dr. Shock - in stage performances as well as in the popular DVD "HALLOWEEN:  THE HAPPY HAUNTING OF AMERICA".  I've been lucky enough to meet and correspond with Dr. Shock's daughter Doreen (Bubbles herself) and have met his son Joe Jr. (who appeared in his father's costume and makeup one memorable night at the Monster Mania Convention) and this tribute is dedicated to them as well as all the fans of Dr. Shock who continue to hold him in their hearts.  No Countdown to Halloween I do could ever be complete without the spirit of Joe Zawislak's Dr. Shock watching over it.  So, the next time you watch a monster movie, raise your glass to Dr. Shock and give him a toast with his own immortal words:  "Let there be fright!"   

Creature Double Feature "The Hand" WKBS-TV Ch48


Dr Shock's Mad theatre & Horror Theatre


Dr. Shock - The Rope Trick

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Horrible Horror Hosted by Zacherley the Cool Ghoul

BYWAYS OF GHOST LAND PT. 4

GHOSTLY HOUNDS!  From the 1911 "BYWAYS OF GHOST LAND" by Elliot O'Donnell.

"The most popular animal form amongst spirits—the form assumed by them more often than any other—is undoubtedly the dog. I hear of the occult dog more often than of any other occult beast, and in many places there is yet a firm belief that the souls of the wicked are chained to this earth in the shape of monstrous dogs. According to Mr Dyer, in hisGhost World, a man who hanged himself at Broomfield, near Salisbury, manifested himself in the guise of a huge black dog; whilst the Lady Howard of James I.'s reign, for her many misdeeds, not the least of which was getting rid of her husbands, was, on her death, transformed into a hound and compelled to run every night, between midnight and cock-crow, from the gateway of Fitzford, her former residence, to Oakhampton Park, and bring back to the place, from whence she started, a blade of grass in her mouth; and this penance she is doomed to continue till every blade of grass is removed from the park, which feat she will not be able to effect till the end of the world. Mr Dyer also goes on to say that in the hamlet of Dean Combe, Devon, there once lived a weaver of great fame and skill, who the day after his death was seen sitting working away at the loom as usual. A parson was promptly fetched, and the following conversation took place.
"Knowles!" the parson commanded (not without, I shrewdly suspect, some fear), "come down! This is no place for thee!" "I will!" said the weaver, "as soon as I have worked out my quill." "Nay," said the vicar, "thou hast been long enough at thy work; come down at once." The spirit then descended, and, on being pelted with earth and thrown on the ground by the parson, was converted into a black hound, which apparently was its ultimate shape.
Some years ago, Mr Dyer says, there was an accident in a Cornish mine whereby several men lost their lives, and, rather than that their relatives should be shocked at the sight of their mangled remains, some bystander, with all the best intentions in the world, threw the bodies into a fire, with the result that the mine has ever since been haunted by a troop of little black dogs.
According to the Book of Days, ii. p. 433, there is a widespread belief in most parts of England in a spectral dog, "large, shaggy, and black," but not confined to any one particular species. This phantasm is believed to haunt localities that have witnessed crimes, and also to foretell catastrophes. The Lancashire people, according to Harland and Wilkinson in their Lancashire Folk-lore, call it the "stuker" and "trash": the latter name being given it on account of its heavy, slopping walk; and the former appellation from its curious screech, which is a sure indication of some approaching death or calamity. To the peasantry of Norfolk and Cambridgeshire it is known as "the shuck," an apparition that haunts churchyards and other lonely places. In the Isle of Man a similar kind of phantasm, called "the Mauthe dog," was said to walk Peel Castle; whilst many of the Welsh lanes—particularly that leading from Mowsiad to Lisworney Crossways—are, according to Wirt Sikes'British Goblins, haunted by the gwyllgi, a big black dog of the most terrifying aspect.
Cases of hauntings by packs of spectral hounds have from time to time been reported from all parts of the United Kingdom; but mostly from Northumberland, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cumberland, Wales, Devon, and Cornwall. In the northern districts they are designated "Gabriel's hounds"; in Devon, "the Wisk, Yesk, or Heath hounds"; in Wales, "the Cwn Annwn or Cwn y Wybr" (see Dyer's Ghost World); and in Cornwall, "the devil and his dandy dogs." My own experiences fully coincide with the traditional belief that the dog is a very common form of spirit phenomena; but I can only repeat (the same remark applying to other animal manifestations), that it is impossible to decide with any degree of certainty to what category of phantasms, in addition to the general order of occult bestialities, the dog belongs. It seems quite permissible to think that the spirits of ladies, with an absorbing mania for canine pets, should be eventually earth-bound in the form of dogs—a fate which many of the fair sex have assured me would be "absolutely divine," and far preferable to the orthodox heaven.
I cannot see why the shape of a dog should be appropriated by the less desirable denizens of the occult world. But, that it is so, there is no room to doubt, as the following illustration shows. As soon as the trial of the infamous slaughterer X—— was over, and the verdict of death generally known, a deep sigh of relief was heaved by the whole of civilisation—saving, of course, those pseudo-humanitarians who always pity murderers and women-beaters, and who, if the law was at all sensible and just, should be hanged with their bestial protégés. From all classes of men, I repeat, with the exception of those pernicious cranks, were heard the ejaculations: "Well! he's settled. What a good thing! I am glad! The world will be well rid of him!"
Then I smiled. The world well rid of him! Would it be rid of him? Not if I knew anything about occult phenomena. Indeed, the career on earth for such an epicure in murder as X—— had only just begun; in fact, it could hardly be said to begin till physical dissolution. The last drop—that six feet or so plunge between grim scaffolding—might in the case of some criminals, mere tyros at the trade, terminate for good their connection with this material plane; but not, decidedly not, in the case of this bosom comrade of vice elementals.
From both a psychological and superphysical point of view the case had interested me from the first. I had been anxious to see the man, for I felt sure, even if he did not display any of the ordinary physiognomical danger signals observable in many bestial criminals, there would nevertheless be a something about or around him, that would immediately warn as keen a student of the occult as myself of his close association with the lowest order of phantasms. I was not, however, permitted an interview, and so had to base my deductions upon the descriptions of him given me, first hand, by two experts in psychology, and upon photographs. In the latter I recognised—though not with the readiness I should have done in the photo's living prototype—the presence of the unknown brain, the grey, silent, stealthy, ever-watchful, ever-lurking occult brain. As I gazed at his picture, as in a crystal, it faded away, and I saw the material man sitting alone in his study before a glowing fire. From out of him there crept a shadow, the shadow of something big, bloated, and crawling. I could distinguish nothing further. On reaching the door it paused, and I felt it was eyeing him—or rather his material body—anxiously. Perhaps it feared lest some other shadow, equally baleful, equally sly and subtle, would usurp its home. Its hesitation was, however, but momentary, and, passing through the door, it glided across the dimly lighted hall and out into the freedom of the open air. Picture succeeding picture with great rapidity, I followed it as it curled and fawned over the tombstones in more than one churchyard; moved with a peculiar waddling motion through foul alleys, halting wherever the garbage lay thickest, rubbed itself caressingly on the gory floors of slaughter-houses, and finally entered a dark, empty house in a road that, if not the Euston Road, was a road in every way resembling it.
The atmosphere of the place was so suggestive of murder that my soul sickened within me; and so much so, in fact, that when I saw several grisly forms gliding down the gloomy staircases and along the sombre, narrow passages, where X——'s immaterial personality was halting, apparently to greet it, I could look no longer, but shut my eyes. For some seconds I kept them closed, and, on re-opening them, found the tableau had changed—the material body before the fire was re-animated, and in the depths of the bleared, protruding eyes I saw the creeping, crawling, waddling, enigmatical shadow vibrating with murder. Again the scene changed, and I saw the physical man standing in the middle of a bedroom, listening—listening with blanched face and slightly open mouth, a steely glimmer of the superphysical, of the malignant, devilish superphysical, in his dilated pupils. What he is anticipating I cannot say, I dare not think—unless—unless the repetition of a scream; and it comes—I cannot hear it, but I can feel it, feel the reverberation through the crime-kissed walls and vicious, tainted atmosphere.
Something is at the door—it presses against it; I can catch a glimpse of its head, its face; my blood freezes—it is horrible. It enters the room, grey and silent—it lays one hand on the man's sleeve and drags him forward. He ascends to the room above, and, with all the brutality of those accustomed to the dead and dying, drags the—— But I will not go on. The grey unknown, the occult something, sternly issues its directions, and the merely physical obeys them. It is all over; the plot of the vice elementals has triumphed, and as they gleefully step away, one by one, patting their material comrade on the shoulder, the darkness, the hellish darkness of that infamous night lightens, and in through the windows steal the cold grey beams of early morning. I am assured; I have had enough; I pitch the photograph into the grate. The evening comes—the evening after the execution. A feeling of the greatest, the most unenviable curiosity urges me to go, to see if what I surmise, will actually happen. I leave Gipsy Hill by an early afternoon train, I spend a few hours at a literary club, I dine at a quiet—an eminently quiet—restaurant in Oxford Street, and at eleven o'clock I am standing near a spot which I believe—I have no positive proof—I merely believe, was frequented by X——. It is more than twelve hours since he was executed; will anything—will the shape, the personality, I anticipate—come? The night air grows colder; I shrink deeper and deeper into the folds of my overcoat, and wish—devoutly wish—myself back again by my fireside.
The minutes glide by slowly. The streets are very silent now. With the exception of an occasional toot-toot from a taxi and the shrill whistle of a goods train, no other sounds are to be heard. It is the hour when nearly all material London sleeps and the streets are monopolised by shadows, interspersed with something rather more substantial—namely, policemen. A few yards away from me there slips by a man in a blue serge suit; and then, tip-toeing surreptitiously behind him, with one hand in his trousers-pocket and the other carrying a suspicious-looking black bag, comes a white-faced young man, dressed in shabby imitation of a West End swell; an ill-fitting frock-coat, which, even in the uncertain flicker of the gas-lamps, pronounces itself to be ready made, and the typical shopwalker's silk hat worn slightly on one side. Whether this night bird goes through life on tiptoe, as many people do, or whether he only adopts that fashion on this particular occasion, is a conundrum, not without interest to students of character to whom a man's walk denotes much.
For a long time the street is deserted, and then a bedraggled figure in a shawl, with a big paper parcel under her arm, shuffles noiselessly by and disappears down an adjacent turning. Then there is another long interval, interrupted by a pretentious clock sonorously sounding two. A feeling of drowsiness creeps over me; my eyelids droop. I begin to lose cognisance of my surroundings and to imagine myself in some far-away place, when I am recalled sharply to myself by an intensely cold current of air. Intuitively I recognise the superphysical; it is the same species of cold which invariably heralds its approach. I have been right in my surmises after all; this spot is destined to be haunted. My eyes are wide enough open now, and every nerve in my body tingles with the keenest expectation. Something is coming, and, if that something is not the phantasm of him whom I believe is earthbound, whose phantasm is it? There is a slight noise of scratching from somewhere close beside me. It might have been the wind rustling the leaves against the masonry, or it might have been—I look round and see nothing. The sound is repeated and with the same result—Nothing! A third time I heard it, and then from the dark road on one side of me there waddles—I recognise the waddling at once—a shadow that, gradually becoming a little more distinct, develops into the rather blurry form of a dog—a gaunt, hungry-looking mongrel. In a few seconds it stops short and looks at me with big swollen eyes that glitter with a something that is not actually bestial or savage, something strange yet not altogether strange, something enigmatic yet not entirely enigmatic. I am nonplussed; it was, and yet it was not, what I expected. With restless, ambling steps it slinks past me, disappearing through the closed gate by my side. Then satisfied, yet vaguely puzzled, I come away, wondering, wondering—wondering why on earth dogs should thus be desecrated."

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The Black Widow - Alice Cooper


House of Monsters

HALLOWEEN LIBRARY

THE CHILLY EVENINGS OF OCTOBER ARE GOOD FOR READING.  And yes, I mean books.  Not one of those "Swindle" devices.  An actual book with pages.  And it just so happens that my recent Halloween reading tends towards the "horror comics" of the 1950's. 

The golden age of E.C. Comic's "Tales From the Crypt", "Vault of Horror" and "The Haunt of Fear" as well as multitudes of similar horror comix during this time period so freaked out the establishment that they basically put E.C. out of business and banned horror from comic books for the next quarter of a century.  But when the pumpkins are grinning on the front porch rail, there's nothing better to get the Halloween juices flowing than the gruesome goodies from 1950s horror comix.  And there just so happens to be several rather nice collections for your palpitatin' perusal.

THE HORROR!  THE HORROR!:  COMIC BOOKS THE GOVERNMENT DIDN'T WANT YOU TO READ by Jim Trombetta.  This is a nice large-sized paperback from Abrams Books which has heavy stock paper and colour throughout - for those of you familiar with Taschen art books, this edition is similar in format.  There is historical text of the Congressional Hearings, the Comics Code of America and the effect it had on horror comics as an industry as well as examinations of the comic book companies, the different genres of horror and the artists and writers who created these comic books.  However, the real meat of the book is the reprinted of scores of vintage comix from the time as well as countless examples of cover art included.  As if all that wasn't enough, the book also includes a DVD of the "Confidential File" TV documentary aired on October 9, 1955 which hysterically tries to convince the viewers that horror comics caused juvenile delinquency and murderous children.  If you've seen any documentaries on comic books (especially the feature film "COMIC BOOK CONFIDENTIAL"), you've seen footage from this programme including kids stabbed trees with rolled-up comic books (because reading a horror comic causes kids to become homicidal, obviously) and the kid who picks up a rock and is about to bash in the head of another kid - merely because he read a horror comic book.  This is a big, chunky almost 300 page tome with tons of classic comic book art from Johnny Craig, Jack Davis, Steve Ditko, "Ghastly" Graham Ingels, Wally Wood, Basil Wolverton and scads of other greats!

Then there's the "CHILLING ARCHIVES OF HORROR SERIES" from Craig Yoe.  The first absolutely beautiful edition was the "DICK BRIEFER'S FRANKENSTEIN" tome out a couple years ago.  This book reprints many of Briefer's celebrated Frankenstein comix - both the "serious" horror comix and the "funny" Frankenstein stories.  If you've never experienced Dick Briefer's take on Frankenstein (and you fancy yourself a horror fan), you owe it to yourself to grab this one quick.  The hardcover is beautifully produced with a die-cut space for your choice of which Frankie's face to come through the front cover.

The second volume in Yoe Books' "CHILLING ARCHIVES OF HORROR SERIES" was "BOB POWELL'S TERROR": another exquisitely-produced hardcover spotlighting the comic art of the great Bob Powell.  This book not only reprints many, many comic book stories by the artist but also gives a detailed history/biography of Bob Powell and his extensive comic book career.  The book also features original artwork and sketches by Powell.

The third volume in the "CHILLING ARCHIVES OF HORROR SERIES" is called . . . well . . . "ZOMBIES".  And what could be more topical?  Co-edited this time by Craig Yoe & Steve Banes, this is yet another beautiful hardcover edition with (like all the others) nice, heavy paper stock and colour throughout every page.  Since there's not much text to be generated by zombies, this book consists almost completely of reprints of horror comic stories from the mid-century heyday of horror comics.  The illustrious roll call of artists includes Wally Wood, Frank Frazetta, Gene Colan, Jack Cole, Bob Powell and many more.  

These are just delicious books like trick-or-treat candy for an October filled with frightful fun!   

ZOMBIES book preview (in stores May 22, 2012)

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

GOOD EVENING. . .CREEPS!

TWO OF THE CREEPIEST CLASSICS OF OLD TIME RADIO WERE "INNER SANCTUM" AND "LIGHTS OUT". 

In fact, the opening of "Inner Sanctum" was so iconic that even today it is remembered, parodied and mimicked -- even if the name of the show isn't known to the people doing the "homage".  Inner Sanctum began with the sound of the famous "creaking door" and the host Raymond intoning morbidly.  The intro to Inner Sanctum was so famous that there was even a later radio show called "The Creaking Door" and much later, in the 1970s, CBS Radio Mystery Theater hosted by E.G. Marshall appropriated the Inner Sanctum opening in tribute.  The show was the brainchild of producer Himan Brown and ran from January 7, 1941 to October 5, 1952.  The lovely thing about the Internet Archives is that you can hear countless episodes of this and other shows for free and they make for superb Halloween listening.  By clicking this link you will be whisked away to the Inner Sanctum where, in the upper right corner of the Internet Archive page you will find a player with many episodes to play.  If I may be so bold as to recommend an episode or two -- if you scroll down the player to #69 you will find probably my favourite episode of Inner Sanctum entitled "Murder Comes at Midnight" starring Mercedes McCambridge; then, after that you may find scrolling up to #44 "The Wailing Wall" starring Boris Karloff enjoyable too.

Another classic and much-loved old radio horror show was Arch Oboler's "LIGHTS OUT" which was memorably and lovingly parodied by Bill Cosby in his famous "Chicken Heart" routine.  The Internet Archive also offers many episodes of this classic show if you click this link.  My number one favourite episode (and one of the scariest old radio shows I've ever heard) is "Knock at the Door" which you will find by scrolling to #38 on the player.  I really think these are some of the best horror shows old radio has to offer and I heartily recommend you listen to them and sample others as well.  And as one more treat for today's Countdown to Halloween, I thought Harvey Kurtzman's parody of Inner Sanctum from Mad (when it was a comic book) would be perfect.  As always, click on the pictures to "biggify" them and, to make them even more readable, right click on the picture and copy to "paint" on your computer and it should be huge and easily legible.  Enjoy!







Monday, October 22, 2012

IS DAMON LINDELOF STILL HAVING TO DEAL WITH THIS???

OFF THE SUBJECT OF HALLOWEEN FOR A MOMENT ...

The video immediately under this post is fascinating.  It finds Damon Lindelof once again being asked to "explain" the ending of LOST by possibly one of the most annoying, ill-informed and plain dopey interviewers I've ever seen -- in fact, the interviewer doesn't let Lindelof answer his first question until after he's been rambling for 2 minutes!  Be that as it may, we have yet another dopey individual who was "disappointed" with the ending of LOST because it was "ambiguous" or "unclear".  Whereas anyone who was remotely paying attention knows that the ending of the series could not have been more clear -- if you were paying attention which sadly many people "disappointed" with it clearly are incapable of doing.  The interview is fascinating not only in the jaw-droppingly stupid things said by the interviewer (more on that in a moment) but in the almost saint-like patience Lindelof displays in reiterated what was stated clearly yet poetically in the finale.  For instance, the dunderhead interviewer actually looks at Lindelof and complains he felt like the finale of LOST made him think "what was the point" since everything we saw never actually happened.  Where even a cursory glance at ANYTHING shown during the final episode shows quite clearly that everything (except the so-called "flash sideways" events in season 6) very definitely DID happen.  As Lindelof quite rightly (and with infinite patience) points out to the interviewer, Christian Shepherd tells Jack, when Jack asks if any of it actually happened, that everything ABSOLUTELY DID happen.  Far from being unclear or ambiguous, the LOST finale couldn't have been more clear about it.  How is it that, 2 years later, there are still idiots (like this interviewer) who missed this clear statement?!?!  It boggles the mind.  Anyway, despite the incredible annoyance of the near braindead interviewer, this interview is still very interesting to watch as Damon Lindelof very caringly and gently tries to clear up these wrong-headed misconceptions people disappointed with LOST's so-called "ambiguities" and "failure to provide answers" seem to still be holding on to.  I guess sometimes some people DO need a smack upside the head to get them to see what was put right in front of them all along.  Especially if you're an interviewer who has apparently never read a book nor contemplated anything more subtle or nuanced than an episode of "FULL HOUSE".  So if you have any interest in LOST at all, I think you'll find the video below very rewarding.

Damon Lindelof on Lost's Ending - On The Verge


The Mighty Heroes The Monsterizer


The Witching Hour


LON CHANEY JR. HALLOWEEN MARATH-LON

CREIGHTON TULL CHANEY (February 10, 1906 - July 12, 1973) forever lived in the shadow of his illustrious father. 

The studio pushed him and pushed him into taking the name Lon Chaney Jr. -- and he resisted and resisted.  And starved.  Finally giving into the inevitable, he allowed Universal to change his name and groom him to become their number one horror star of the 1940s.  Not a role he particularly sought, he nevertheless gave it a go; perhaps fitting rather ill at ease into some of the monster roles he was given.  Lon was never as great an actor as Boris Karloff nor could he ever be as suave and sophisticated (or mysterious) as Bela Lugosi.  But his signature role as the Wolf Man placed him unquestionably into the pantheon of horror icons.  He was a mischievous prankster and had a warm sense of humour.  He was a lost cause after twelve noon as the bottle possessed him.  He was many contradictory things but above all he was and is a major horror film star.  Programming a Lon Chaney Jr. Halloween marathon may seem like something of a no-brainer in regards to the choice of films but nevertheless these are the films with some of my favourite Lon Chaney Jr. performances I would include in a Halloween Movie Marath-Lon!
  1. MAN MADE MONSTER (1941)  -  Lon's first major horror role for Universal as Dynamo Dan given electrical powers by the mad scientist Lionel Atwill
  2. THE WOLF MAN (1941)  -  Of course, the role closest to Lon's heart and the role that was solely his.  Hangdog Lawrence Talbot begins his tragic life of pathos here.
  3. THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN (1942)  -  I've come to re-evaluate this film in recent years and its actually much better than I always considered it.  Lon plays the Frankenstein Monster ably accompanied by Bela Lugosi reprising his superb performance as Ygor.  Your father was Frankenstein but your mother was the lightning!
  4. THE MUMMY'S TOMB (1942)  -  This was Lon's first go at the Mummy following Boris Karloff's seminal 1932 film and the sequel THE MUMMY'S HAND with cowboy actor Tom Tyler in the wraps.  One Lon Chaney mummy movie is pretty much like another so I picked this one because it's got Turhan Bey in it and manages to off the cast of THE MUMMY'S HAND.
  5. FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN (1943)  -  Not a terribly good film but features one of the greatest opening sequences in any Universal Horror.  Lon returns to his role as the Wolf Man while Bela Lugosi is shamefully hampered by the studio when his characterisation of the blind Frankenstein monster is destroyed by the studio's excision of every scene and line that refers to that fact; hence, Lugosi's performance plays as incompetent when he's actually (and rightfully) playing a blind monster as the script required.
  6. SON OF DRACULA (1943)  -  Lon may be totally miscast as a rather too-well-fed Count Dracula but this movie is another one which has gone up in my estimation over the years.  This is actually quite a good Universal horror with Chaney's Dracula totally manipulated by Louise Allbriton (who gives a fantastic performance),
  7. WEIRD WOMAN (1944)  -  The second film in Universal's "Inner Sanctum" series of 6 films features the oft-filmed voodoo tale "Conjure Wife" co-starring a bevy of scream queens:  Evelyn Ankers, Anne Gwynne and Elizabeth Russell.
  8. HOUSE OF DRACULA (1945)  -  I'm one of those who likes HOUSE OF DRACULA better than the previous HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN.  There's no Boris this time but there's Chaney as the Wolf Man, John Carradine as Dracula, Glenn Strange reprising the Frankenstein Monster and Onslow Stevens as the benevolent doctor turned into a ravening fiend.
  9. THE FROZEN GHOST (1945)  -  Another in the Universal "Inner Sanctum" series of films featuring Chaney as "Gregor the Great".  This film is a daffy mess but still a lot of fun.
  10. ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948)  -  The final appearance of Chaney as the Wolf Man in a Universal movie teams him with Bela Lugosi reprising his Dracula role extremely well and Glenn Strange once again as the Frankenstein Monster.  This classic horror-comedy is a must.
  11. THE ALLIGATOR PEOPLE (1959)  -  I'm skipping a lot of Lon's movies here because films like BRIDE OF THE GORILLA, THE BLACK CASTLE and THE BLACK SLEEP are rather dreary and THE INDESTRUCTIBLE MAN is just terrible.  However, Lon as the "one-armed Cajun" bellowing "I'll get you, Alligator Man!" at the scaly husband of Beverly Garland is great fun.
  12. THE HAUNTED PALACE (1963)  -  Lon doesn't have much to do in one of Roger Corman's Poe series (actually based on an H.P. Lovecraft story) starring Vincent Price but it's still an enjoyable film with an absolutely superb Ronald Stein musical score.
  13. WITCHCRAFT (1964)  -  Lon plays warlock Morgan Whitlock who is the patriarch of a family of witches seeking revenge.  A nice little film.
  14. SPIDER BABY (1968)  -  The cult classic with Lon once again playing the patriarch of a family of bizarre nuts this time around.  Featuring Sid Haig and HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL'S Carol Ohmart in support and a memorable cameo by Mantan Moreland, the film also boasts the priceless theme song sung by Lon himself.
  15. LIZARD'S LEG AND OWLET'S WING (1962)  -  We back up in time to this episode of the ROUTE 66 TV show for the perfect way to end our Halloween Movie Marath-Lon.  This loving last look at Boris Karloff in the Frankenstein Monster make-up also features Peter Lorre and Martita Hunt as well as Lon being lovable in the make-up of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, the Mummy and his beloved Wolf Man.  A fitting coda to our marathon.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

FAVOURITE HORROR FILMS OF THE STARS

LAST YEAR I DID A SIMILAR LIST AND HERE WE ARE AGAIN.  Celebrities -- many of them connected to the horror genre -- pick their top 5 (and in some cases 10) -- favourite horror movies for the Countdown to Halloween.

 
ALICE COOPER'S TOP 5 HORROR FILMS
 
1. CARNIVAL OF SOULS
2. THE EVIL DEAD
3. THE HAUNTING (1963)
4. SUSPIRIA
5. SALEM'S LOT (1979)
 
 
JOHN CUSACK'S TOP 5 HORROR FILMS
 
1. THE EXORCIST
2. THE SHINING
3. NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD
4. DAWN OF THE DEAD
5. 28 DAYS LATER
 
 
ELI ROTH'S TOP 5 HORROR FILMS
 
1. PIECES (1982)
2. ZOMBI 2 (1980)
3. CREEPSHOW (1982)
4. TROLL 2 (1990)
5. SLEEPAWAY CAMP (1983)
 
 
GLEN MAZZARA'S TOP 10 HORROR FILMS
 
1. THE EXORCIST
2. THE SHINING
3. ALIEN
4. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE
5. DAWN OF THE DEAD
6. PSYCHO
7. HALLOWEEN
8. THE THING (1982)
9. SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
10. JAWS
 
 
KIM NEWMAN'S TOP 10 HORROR FILMS
(in chronological order)
 
1. THE OLD DARK HOUSE (1932)
2. CAT PEOPLE (1942)
3. A BUCKET OF BLOOD (1959)
4. PEEPING TOM (1960)
5. NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968)
6. LET'S SCARE JESSICE TO DEATH (1971)
7. DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS (1970)
8. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974)
9. HALLOWEEN (1978)
10. MULHOLLAND DR. (2001)
 
 
SLASH'S TOP 5 HORROR FILMS
 
1. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
2. THE STRANGERS
3. THE OMEN (1976)
4. NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD
5. FRANKENSTEIN
 
JOHN STANLEY'S TOP 5 HORROR/SCI-FI FILMS
 
1. THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD (1951)
2. THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL  (1951)
3. THE INNOCENTS (1961)
4. PSYCHO (1960)
5. THE HAUNTING (1963)
 
GREG NICOTERO'S TOP 10 HORROR FILMS
 
1. JAWS (1975)
2. DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978)
3. THE EXORCIST (1973)
4. ALIEN (1979)
5. THE CHANGELING (1979)
6. PSYCHO (1960)
7. THE OMEN (1976)
8. NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968)
9. THE SHINING (1980)
10. THE THING (1982)
 
 


Saturday, October 20, 2012

THE RETURN OF CAN DO!

AN INTERESTING LITTLE ITEM CONCERNING BELA LUGOSI IS THIS 1934 PRESSBOOK FOR THE FEATURE LENGTH VERSION OF "THE RETURN OF CHANDU". 

The film was edited together into a feature from the first 4 chapters of the 12 part serial with the final 8 chapters edited into the following year's "CHANDU ON MAGIC ISLAND". 

At the time, producer Sol Lesser released this rather rare and handsome pressbook which nicely unfolded outward revealing two separate compartments of advertising and publicity supplements including the wonderful Chandu mask seen above. 


The charmingly thirties as copy urges us to "open the doors to bigger box-office" with a "go-gettum" attitude or "the return of can do!".  I've seen this sucker in auctions for only about $1000 so break open your piggy banks for this one.  My piggy bank spied the price and died of shock!