SAINT PETER WATCHES OVER WEEK TWO OF OLD SCHOOL APRIL 2025!
It was week two that saw me begin my HAMMER FRANKENSTEIN/DRACULA PROJECT as well as continue with the readin' and the watchin' (and the dooden of activities too).
BOOKS READ
SHIVERS #10: THE CURSE OF THE NEW KID by M.D. Spenser -
Everybody said this one was VERY dark for a kids GOOSEBUMPS knock-off and dang was it ever! Thanks to Cameron Chaney for the Host Rec, I read this one. Fulfilled the prompts: Retro, Time Warp, Neon, Copycat, Pimp My Ride (host rec), The Sixth Sense, Saved By the Bell, Giallo, The Goonies, My Girl, Freddie's Nightmares, Nirvana & New Kids On the Block. Total: 13 points.
WHO YOU GONNA CALL?: OLD SCHOOL APRIL 2025 ZINE -
This was such a joy. Beginning with a genuinely touching tribute to Kelsi's dog Jackson who passed away earlier this year. My late mother & I watched Kelsi's Slime & Slashers yootuberz channel all the time; my Mom loved it because she always made her laugh. And for years, Jackson was a constant presence in the videos and I was incredibly sad to hear about Kelsi's loss. There are great articles & short stories in the zine and I loved it. Fulfilled the prompts: Time Warp, Neon, VHS, Indiana Jones, Off the Rack, The Sixth Sense and True Life. Total: 7 points.
GOOSEBUMPS: THE CURSE OF CAMP COLD LAKE -
My second GOOSEBUMPS of the month and this one I enjoyed a lot. First of all, the cover is an all-time winner and the story itself was probably one of my faves that I've read. In the middle of the book, there's a very WTF moment which I really enjoyed too! Fulfilling the prompts: Retro, Time Warp, Neon, I Love Lucy, You're In For A Scare, The Sixth Sense, Ferngully, I Know You Are But What Am I?, Monster Squad, The Goonies, My Girl and Nirvana/Grunge. Total: 12 points.
MOVIES WATCHED
KUNG POW: ENTER THE FIST -
The first film on my list actually fulfills a curveball from week two. It's a movie I remember coming out on DVD when I worked at Borders in 2002 but I never saw it until now. Silly and fun if not spectacular. Fulfilled the prompts: Film with sports or physical activity, Made before 2006, So Bad It's Good, Red on the poster, A Comedy Film, and the Curveball Prompt "Watch a movie from the early 00's". Total: 9 points.
THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN -
The first of the true Hammer Horrors and the first of the Hammer Frankensteins; this film also marks the beginning of my Hammer Frankenstein?Dracula Project. Of course, it's a classic and of course I've seen it doezens of times. But I've never watched them all in a row . . . until now. The magnificent Peter Cushing as Victor Frankenstein, the vastly under-rated Christopher Lee as 'The Creature' and the glorious Hazel Court as Elizabeth. Fulfilling the prompts: From a country outside your own, Made Before 2006, Blue and/or Red on the poster, From the 70's or earlier & a movie that could give you nightmares. Total: 5 points.
THE REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN -
The sequel to Hammer's first Frankenstein film and this one's a pretty good corker as well. The "Get Out of Jail Free Card" they pulled off to spring Victor from death on the guillotine is sheer wonderfulness. This second film also established the fact that Hammer was going to make a film series following Dr. Frankenstein instead of the monster (a la Universal). Fulfilled the prompts: Country Outside Your Own, A Sequel, Released before 2006, Red on the Poster, From the 70s or earlier, and a film that could give you nightmares. Total: 6 points.
MONSTERS & MANIACS -
Way back in 1988 or thereabouts, I ordered two videotapes by Ted Newsom, I think, from the back of FILMFAX magazine. One was his movie ATTACK OF THE B-MOVIE MONSTER (which has since been re-released as THE NAKED MONSTER) and the other was Newsom's documentary on horror films called MONSTERS & MANIACS. Both arrived in plain white VHS boxes (not the artwork shown above) and both were great. Host Brinke Stevens took us through the history of horror movies (up until the late 80's anyway) with tons of clips from classic films. The doc itself was very primitive; looking as if it was edited by dubbing from one VCR to another . . . who knows, maybe it was. The sound mix is atrocious with music drowning our Brinke Stevens' narration much of the time. Despite all of this, I loved the doc. It was the late 80's and we just didn't have many horror documentaries then and, despite these shortcomings, it's still a very good doc film. Fullfilled the prompts: Woman as main character (Brinke Stevens is the host/narrator so I figured that counts), Made before 2006, a documentary and Blue and/or Red on the poster. Total: 4 points.
THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN -
Part 3 of my Hammer Frankenstein-a-thon, this one was always a step down from the first two; however in recent years I've mellowed on it and think it's OK. Here we have Universal finally giving permission for Hammer to aproximate the OG Jack Pierce/Boris Karloff monster make-up and . . . well. . . it's not very good. It sorta looks like a cardboard box covered with papier mache with two eyeholes poked out of it. Cushing, of course, is his usual phenomenal self and the laboratory equipment/set looks superb as well. James Maxwell as the priest overacts shamelessly ans seems on the very of giggling at one point. Wrestler Kiwi Kingston, not an actor, was hired simply because of his immense size. But all in all, it's an OK ride. So-So Hammer is still worth watching. Fulfilled the prompts: a movie from outside your own country, a sequel, released before 2006, Red on the poster, released in the 70s or earlier, and a movie that could give you nightmares. Total: 6 points.
TALES OF FRANKENSTEIN -
This was a pilot for a TV series that never happened; a co-production between Universal & Hammer. So it wasn't technically a TV episode (because I don't even think it ever aired) and since it's on Letterboxd, I'm counting it as a short film (28 minutes). The cold-eyed Anton Diffring (no stranger to Hammer films himself) is kinda perfectly cast as the mad doctor Baron Frankenstein and Don Megowan (star of such horror films as THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US, THE WEREWOLF and CREATION OF THE HUMANOIDS) plays the Monster of Frankenstein. I first saw clips from this back in the 80's on the Zacherley Goodtimes VHS tape HORRIBLE HORROR and it's a pretty good little Frankenstein flick. While not technically part of the Hammer Frankenstein films, it is adjacent so I thought I'd watch it again -- as it's included on my blu ray of THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN for convenience. Fulfilled the prompts: A film released before 2006, Red on the poster, a black and white movie, & Released in the 70's or earlier. Total: 4 points.
DINOSAUR VALLEY GIRLS -
This low-budget flick was written & directed by the great Donald F. Glut who, being the creator & writer of THE OCCULT FILES OF DR. SPEKTOR comic book from the 1970's, can do NO WRONG in my book! And yes, this movie (just released on a slipcovered blu ray by champion of SOV fair Visual Vengeance) is 1995 wacky, tongue-in-cheek goodness with honest-to-God stop motion animation of dinosaurs and a Tait Raiting of 2.58!!! Fulfilled the prompts: A film featuring a sport/physical activity, featured animals, released before 2006, a "so bad it's good" movie, Blue and/or Red on the poster, and a comedy film. Total: 6 points.
MONSTER FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR -
This fulfills the Curveball for this week: Watch a Creature Feature. Speaking of which, this MUST have played on Channel 48's CREATURE DOUBLE FEATURE in the 1970s; if not, I'm sure Dr. Shock played it on Channel 17's MAD THEATER or HORROR THEATER. Mid-50's early Roger Corman production which screams mid-50's early Roger Corman production. Fulfills the prompts: Main character is a woman, Made before 2006, "So Bad It's Good", Red on the Poster, a black-and-white film, Released in the 70's or earlier, and one of this week's CURVEBALLS - "Watch a Creature Feature". Total: 11 points.
TV SHOWS WATCHED
THE OUTER LIMITS - 1
DECOY - 1
ALL IN THE FAMILY - 1
PERRY MASON - 4
THE TWILIGHT ZONE - 2
ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS - 3
WATCH 10 CARTOONS FOR 1 POINT -
Cartoons watched were all from the Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection: ELMER'S CANDID CAMERA, A WILD HARE, HOLD THE LION PLEASE, BUGS BUNNY GETS THE BOID, SUPER RABBIT, JACK WABBIT AND THE BEANSTALK, WHAT'S COOKIN' DOC, BUGS BUNNY AND THE THREE BEARS, HARE RIBBIN' and THE OLD GREY HARE.
ACTIVITIES DOODED
LISTEN TO 12 NOSTALGIC SONGS - 1 time submission limit. These songs were listened to by me solely due to the existence of CRAMBONE CERPTS provided by the wunderbar Sweet Cheeks! The 12 songs were:
- SAVE YOUR KISSES FOR ME by The Brotherhood of Man
- GIRLS by Dwight Twilley
- LOVE'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT HARD ON ME by Juice Newton
- ONLY BOLOGNA by Big Daddy Graham
- STATE OF THE HEART by Rick Springfield
- LONELY BOY by Andrew Gold
- MAIN STREET by Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
- YOU BELONG TO ME by Jo Stafford
- SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GONE by Rainbow
- BABY MAKES HER BLUE JEANS TALK by Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show
- BOOGIE SHOES by KC & the Sunshine Band
- I LEFT MY HEART IN SAN FRANCISCO by Tony Bennett
THIS WEEK'S CURVEBALLS
KUNG POW: ENTER THE FIST - Fulfills "Watch an Early 00's Movie". Each curveball completed is worth 5 points.
MONSTER FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR - Fulfills "Watch a Creature Feature". Each curveball completed is worth 5 points.
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