2007 in Review

As regular readers will recall, this is the time of the year to look back over what has been, and pronounce judgment, good or bad, on the events and occurrences in the world of Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy. It has also been a year of change, as the Unimonster branched out from his former home at http://www.creaturescape.com/ into this, The Unimonster’s Crypt; as well as my home away from home in Count Gore De Vol’s Dungeon.

We’ve said goodbye to old friends and hello to new ones. We’ve followed growing trends and witnessed the end of franchises. Gotten another year older, another pound (or ten…) heavier, and added a few more gray hairs to the mix.

As with most years, there have been plenty of both the good and the bad to discuss, and we will go over the high- (and low…) lights in turn, dissecting each with all the finesse of Michael Myers carving the New Year’s Day Ham.

So I sit here now, a fine old single malt scotch in hand, ready to press rewind on 2007 and give you the best and worst of the year in Horror. Most of this is all in good fun, though I never hesitate to throw a dart or two (dozen…) when necessary. So get comfortable, relax, pour yourself a libation, and enjoy.

1.) Screw-Up of the Year:
a. The lack of a celebration for THE MUMMY’s 75th
b. CAPTIVITY’s marketing plan
c. Letting Uwe Boll direct FOUR movies in one year!!!
d. GRINDHOUSE
e. Best Buy’s handling of the Universal Collector set’s distribution

One of the easier topics to fill-out as I make these lists each year are the ones involving screwed-up movies, screwed-up people, or just screw-ups in general. One, there’s never any shortage of material, and two; I’m usually pissed off enough about the screw-up to have already written the piece in my mind. This year was no different.

Following last year’s superior 75th anniversary editions for DRACULA and FRANKENSTEIN, I had high hopes for a similar celebration for THE MUMMY’s 75th, which occurred in December. As usual, though, my favorite monster got stiffed by Universal (no puns intended), and no such celebration ensued. I can understand less enthusiasm on Universal’s part for this film as opposed to the previous two releases; what I can’t understand, or forget, is the studio’s total disrespect for this landmark film.

CAPTIVITY was a poor film, a badly executed rip-off of SAW. Still, given the rather high tolerance for retreaded crap that the Horror-loving public has, it should’ve been able to make back the paltry sum invested in this no-talent cast. Unfortunately, in a year marked by high profile abductions and disappearances, the marketing people at After Dark Films and Lion’s Gate decided to go with an ad campaign that was a virtual primer on the abduction of a woman. Even confirmed gore-fans found it distasteful, and CAPTIVITY bombed spectacularly, not even appearing on a list of the top 200(!) films of the year, by Box-Office take.

Last year, Best Buy stores came out with the first volume of the Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection, a great box set of five of Universal’s best Sci-Fi programmers from the 1950’s. Those of us lucky enough to get our copies of this set straight from Best Buy were in the position of having bought IBM stock in the 1960’s… the price of these sets, originally priced around $20, soon climbed to more than five times that on eBay. This year, they released two sets, the Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection, Vol. 2, and the Universal Horror Classic Archive. While the exclusive Best Buy arrangement doesn’t cause me any hardship, the spotty distribution and impossible to navigate Best Buy web-site does. Best Buy, if you’re the exclusive source for these discs, fine; I have no problem buying them from you. But you damn well better have them in stock in ALL your stores, and for God’s sake, spend a little money on a decent search engine for your web-site… you can’t search for movies the same way you do for big-screen TV’s.

There may well be directors out there with less talent and imagination than Uwe Boll, but industrial film and dog food commercial makers don’t count. Actually, that Mighty Dog commercial I saw last night was a helluva lot more entertaining than ALONE IN THE DARK. The fact that this man continually has new projects thrust at him, despite his record of critical and financial failures, is astounding to me, and makes me wonder if there is a government program whose sole purpose is to keep him working. If so, then they really got their money’s worth this year, with no fewer than four steaming piles of Boll served up to the Horror consumer. FOUR! Lovecraft on his best day never conceived a thought more frightening than that.

But the top Screw-Up of the year has to be Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s homage to the no-budget, store-front theater staples of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, GRINDHOUSE. A brilliant conception, the execution simply fell short of working. There are many reasons for this, most notably the fact that this directing duo’s typical fan base is far too young to have any memory of Grindhouse theaters, Drive-In’s, or their associated films. The production’s design played a part, as well. In their effort to replicate the look and feel of a Grindhouse film, they went a bit too far. Film splices and cuts were common enough in this type of film; entire missing reels weren’t. Instead of recapturing the feel of the old days as the filmmakers intended, this simply proved too disruptive to the movie, and killed it for most. Nor was the decision to set events in the present conducive to that spirit they were trying to capture; the picture might have worked better had it been set in the “grindhouse” era of the ‘70’s. Overall, I loved the idea behind GRINDHOUSE, just as I love Grindhouse and Drive-In style movies. I just wish the execution had been carried out better than it was.

2.) Brilliant Idea of the Year:
a. The Fake Trailers in GRINDHOUSE
b. 8 Films to Die For, Year 2
c. Who Wants to be the Next Elvira?
d. Universal’s re-release for Broadcast of the Classic Horror Package

I hate Reality TV… Truly, truly hate it. So my describing a reality show, Who Wants to be the Next Elvira, as a possible BIotY might not make much sense.

In truth, it’s not the show itself I’m praising, but the movement, nationwide, that’s bringing back the Horror-Host. From the dean of Horror-hosts, Zacherley, out on the convention circuit and winning the coveted Rondo, to Svengoolie in Chicago broadcasting the great Universal classics once more, to Elvira herself, hosts are hot once again, and I for one am overjoyed.

There are books out about the great hosts, from Zacherley’s biography, “Good Night, Whatever You Are” written by Richard Scrivani, to “Chicago TV Horror Movie Shows”, by Ted Okuda and Mark Yurkiw, and programs featuring hosts are springing up everywhere, from local broadcast channels to Internet podcasts.

This next Brilliant Idea is, more properly, one of the most Brilliant Ideas of 2006—The “Eight Movies to Die For…” film festival. The second installment of this film-fest, like the first, brought mixed results. Still, After Dark and Lion’s Gate, as well as the individual filmmakers, deserve kudos for doing something, anything, outside the Hollywood mold. Hopefully, we could see the start of a trend here.

One of the year’s best, at least when it comes to Brilliant Ideas, is undoubtedly the fake movie trailers that served to frame and separate the two parts of Tarantino’s GRINDHOUSE. Produced by such Horror notables as Rob Zombie, Eli Roth, and Edgar Wright, these brief preview clips for non-existent movies are easily the best part of the film. If anything in GRINDHOUSE took me back to the days when a much-younger Unimonster used to frequent a certain theater in a run-down part of town, it was these clips. From MACHETE, Robert Rodriguez’ (who also directed PLANET TERROR, the first GRINDHOUSE segment…) take on the Action genre, to Zombie’s Nazi Sexploitation romp WEREWOLF WOMEN OF THE SS, to Edgar Wright’s Amicus-inspired DON’T, to Eli Roth’s blatant rip on HALLOWEEN, THANKSGIVING, these trailers make me want to see these films. If you want to know what grindhouse films were really like, skip the movie… just watch these little gems.

However, nothing that happened in the world of Horror this year was as brilliant as Universal’s decision to once again release it’s library of Classic Horror Films, titles such as FRANKENSTEIN, THE WOLF-MAN, and CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, to local markets for broadcast. That’s the way that most of us first fell in love with these movies, and it warms the cold, dark, hollows of the Unimonster’s heart to think that a new generation of MonsterKids are even now falling for these films. When combined with the resurgence of popularity of Horror-Hosts mentioned previously, it was a virtual time-warp back to 1957.

One of the Hosts who benefited greatly from this release was Chicago’s favorite ‘son’, Svengoolie; and it was Neal Sabin, the general manager at his flagship station WCIU, who was the driving force behind these films returning to the Chicagoland area. Quite frankly, it’s doubtful that this happy event would have occurred had he not fought for it to happen, and those who love the Classic Monsters and wish to see their love live on in a new generation owe this man a debt of gratitude. While I have no influence with the powers that be, I want to see someone who does nominate these two men, who have made a unique and lasting contribution to the world of Classic Horror, for a 2007 Rondo award.

3.) The “Give Me Closure” Award for Best Ending of the Year:
a. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END—(Trilogy Finale)
b. The Death of Ray Ferry’s Bastardized “Famous Monsters” Clone
c. RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION—(Trilogy Finale)
d. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Final book in the Series)

This year saw a number of long-running arcs draw to a close, including one that far out-stayed its welcome.

No one who’s read my columns should have any doubt where my loyalties lie in the Forry-Ferry controversy… Forry Ackerman is a life-long icon of mine, while Ray Ferry is bottom-feeding pond scum. Ok, to be fair, that’s not true; he merely resembles bottom-feeding pond scum. The audacity of this man’s continual grasping for unearned glory and credit for a publication with which he was unconnected in its heyday is obscene and insulting in the extreme, and his announcement that his re-creation of FM would cease publication is terrific news… IF he’s telling the truth.

Movies based on video games almost never succeed… usually because Uwe Boll is connected in some way to the production. The one exception to that rule was Paul W.S. Anderson’s RESIDENT EVIL. Milla Jovovich is the one certified female Action star capable of carrying a movie as action-intensive as the RESIDENT EVIL series. In RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION, she performs as well in the now-familiar role of Eve as she did in the first two films. Yes, the story was incredibly weak, and the series overall is played out… but watching her kick zombie ass one more time is worth the bumpy ride.

Prior to PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL, my opinion of Johnny Depp as an actor was, admittedly, none too high. While I loved Tim Burton’s SLEEPY HOLLOW, that owed less to Depp’s performance, as good as it was, than to Burton’s perfect vision of the Washington Irving tale. But Captain Jack Sparrow changed my opinion considerably, and for the better. I was hooked on the character from the moment of his arrival in Port Royal, and it has been quite a ride since then. This, the third installment in the franchise (I won’t bet against there being a fourth…) is easily the most ambitious one yet, and does an excellent job tying up the loose ends from the first two films. At more than two and a half hours it does tend to run long, but just sit back and enjoy the ride… it’s worth it!

But without a doubt the best ending of the year has to be the end of the epic Harry Potter saga. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” was perhaps the most anticipated book release in modern history, and immediately upon release became the best-seller of the year. Bringing the story of “the Boy who Lived” and “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named” to a successful conclusion looked to be a Herculean task, but author J. K. Rowling proved up to it, constructing an ending that I believe satisfied almost all Potter fans. From Snape’s elevation to the post of Headmaster, to the ultimate confrontation of the Battle of Hogwarts, to the tying up of loose ends in the epilogue set 19 years later, long-time Potter fans were engrossed in the end of a journey that had taken nearly ten years to complete. Personally… I can’t wait for the movie!!

4.) Best Cameo in a Non-“Stoned” Role:
a. Keith Richards as Captain Teague—PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END

There really was just one choice here, and anyone who saw Richards’ performance as the Keeper of the Pirate Code, (and Captain Jack Sparrow’s father…) Captain Teague, would agree. The viewer is never quite sure if Richards is uncommonly good at mimicking Captain Jack’s trademark mannerisms and speech, or if Depp was just exceptionally good at capturing his personality. Either way, seeing the two of them play off one another is pure magic.

5.) Movie Monster of the Year:
a. The Vampires—30 DAYS OF NIGHT
b. Mary Shaw—DEAD SILENCE
c. The “Sickos”—GRINDHOUSE: PLANET TERROR
d. The “Not-Zombies”—28 WEEKS LATER
e. Lord Voldemort—HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

When 28 DAYS LATER came out a few years ago, Danny Boyle, the film’s director, was quite adamant that the creatures doing the killing in the film were not zombies… well, my thoughts on the matter were “if it acts like a zombie, and eats like a zombie, then it’s a zombie…” but it wasn’t my movie. The No-Zombie pretense continues for this year’s 28 WEEKS LATER, the follow-up to the phenomenally successful Brit import.

Set in London six months after the “plague” of the first film, it finds the US Army in place, helping to restore some level of normalcy to the British capital. A new outbreak begins, unleashing hordes of Not-Zombies on the American troops. Voracious, savage, and frenetic, they resembled Pit Bulls on espresso. Call them what you want, they were effective.

Though not really zombies either, the “Sickos” from Robert Rodriguez’ PLANET TERROR segment of GRINDHOUSE are certainly the best… or should I say ‘worst’, looking creatures of that type in some time. Covered in pulsating, suppurating pustules, slime dripping off them, gradually transforming into shapeless blobs, they were easily the nastiest critters of the year.

Steve Niles’ popular graphic novel, 30 DAYS OF NIGHT, made the transition to the big screen this year, and though it failed to capture the sheer terror inherent in the basic story, it did feature a pretty impressive pack of the Undead. Not the best of their kind, to be sure… but a damn sight better than the foppish, Nancy-boy bloodsuckers Hollywood seems enamored of since INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE nearly killed the Vampire genre. No offense to Anne Rice, but vampires who dress like Liberace doing LA CAGE AUX FOLLES really aren’t very frightening.

Though his screen time was limited, Voldemort’s presence was felt throughout HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX. From the Dementors attack upon Harry in Little Whinging, to the seizure of Hogwarts by the corrupted Ministry of Magic, to the battle in the Department of Mysteries, the shadow of He-who-shall-not-be-Named lay like a pall over every scene. Part of the reason for this character’s effectiveness no doubt lies in the rich history that has been built up in the previous films; we did not actually meet Voldemort until everyone was completely familiar with him, and in corporeal form he did not disappoint. Which leads us to the other part of the reason for his success: Ralph Fiennes.

One of the best actors working today, his ability to transform himself to fit virtually any role is simply incredible; there are few actors whose performances I truly look forward to, and he is definitely on that short list.

But for my vote, (since that’s the only one that counts here…) Judith Roberts’ appearance as Mary Shaw, the ghost of an evil, child-murdering ventriloquist in DEAD SILENCE, was the one to beat. As I mentioned in my review of the DVD, I find ventriloquist’s dummies just inherently frightening, as though they embody all the negative energy of the ventriloquist. And when you start with an inherently evil woman manipulating the dummy… well, you have the makings of a damn good, old-fashioned Horror Film, and the best monster of the year.

6.) Best Movie no one Saw:
a. DEAD SILENCE
b. BLACK SHEEP

Though it’s not often thought of as a hotbed of the Horror Film, it must be remembered that New Zealand has given us a number of important additions to the genre, most notably a man by the name of Peter Jackson. Known primarily as the Oscar-winning director of the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, as well as the 2005 remake of KING KONG, few remember that he made his name as the director of such low-budget Kiwi films as DEAD ALIVE, HEAVENLY CREATURES, and THE FRIGHTENERS.

Well, there’s a new breed of Kiwi Horror this year, and it goes by the name BLACK SHEEP. A horror-comedy in the style of SHAUN OF THE DEAD, BLACK SHEEP is a satirical look at what happens when you genetically engineer sheep… and the resulting critters take on a definite fondness for human flesh. Considering sheep outnumber people in New Zealand, you can see where this might be a problem. As I’ve observed before, Horror and Comedy are just naturally synergistic, like chocolate and peanut butter, steak and potatoes, ham and cheese… hmmm, I’m hungry. Oh well…

But the best movie to be ignored this year was DEAD SILENCE, from the creative minds that brought you SAW. However, this is as far from the SAW franchise as you’re likely to get in a Horror Film. This is a pure, old-fashioned ghost story, an eerie, atmospheric tale in the style of the William Castle films of forty years ago. Not the best movie of the year, but probably the best you haven’t seen.

7.) Worst Movie Everyone Saw:
a. DISTURBIA
b. HANNIBAL RISING
c. THE HILLS HAVE EYES II
d. VACANCY

Once more, sequels and remakes are the bane of my existence, and there’s no shortage of them in the list of less than good movies that graced our screens the past year. While the movie-going public summarily dismisses most crappy movies, occasionally you’ll see a real stinker that for some unknown reason cleans up at the Box-Office. Here are four that fit that description.

One of the most egregiously offensive of these was HANNIBAL RISING, a thoroughly unnecessary exploration into the childhood and early adulthood of Dr. Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter, of SILENCE OF THE LAMBS fame. There are some characters that need no explanation. You don’t want to peer inside them; you just want to revel in their evilness.

Leatherface, Michael Myers, and Hannibal Lecter are three such characters, and all have received in-depth psychoanalysis on film in recent years. None of these efforts to ‘understand’ these movie madmen were warranted, nor were any as good as the original. However, at least the remakes of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and HALLOWEEN were enjoyable in their own way. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said for HANNIBAL RISING.

VACANCY starts with a good, under-explored premise and, through a combination of poorly-drawn characters, standard plot clichés, and generally bad acting, manages to drive it right into the realm of mediocrity. The leads, (Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale) are shrill, bitter and argumentative toward each other, to the point where the viewer is unable to feel the least sympathy or concern for their characters. Not only do we feel no connection to them when they find themselves trapped in a violent, life-threatening situation; I was actually rooting against them!

Wes Craven’s original THE HILLS HAVE EYES has never been a favorite film of mine. Oh, that first one was good enough, but I’ve always felt that Craven wrung every usable drop of blood out of this particular turnip of an idea. I will admit I was pleasantly surprised by the remake; still, it really milked the concept dry. This pointless sequel only serves to prove that.

One of the true masterworks of film from the unmatched master of suspense and fear, Alfred Hitchcock, is 1954’s REAR WINDOW. Starring Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly, it tells of a news photographer (Stewart), laid up due to a broken leg, who passes his days in a voyeuristic observation of his neighbors across the courtyard of their apartment. One night he witnesses a man murder his wife, but can get no one to believe him save Kelly. What’s more, the murderer now knows he was seen, and that the only witness is helpless and bed-ridden.

It’s one of Stewart’s best performances, and the chemistry between he and Kelly is undeniably intense... together, they totally captivate the audience. Grace Kelly was one of the most beautiful women ever captured on film, and she personified class and elegance the way Marilyn Monroe exuded pure, natural, animal sex.

Technically, Hitchcock was at his most inventive with… What? What’s that? Why am I discussing a 53-year-old classic instead of DISTURBIA, my choice for Worst Movie Everyone Saw this past year? Simple… DISTURBIA, which claimed to be a remake of REAR WINDOW, was absolute crap, a pale imitation vomited up by the Hollywood Regurgitation machine. Stewart’s photographer with a broken leg was replaced by some no-name, pimply-face kid on house arrest, Kelly’s alluring heiress by the no-name Maxim babe of the week, and a literate, suspenseful, coherent plot by a series of set-piece shock scenes strung together. Seriously, which would you rather read about?

8.) The “Blast from the Past, Horror Host with the Most”:
a. Zacherley, the Cool Ghoul
b. Svengoolie
c. Elvira

In this year of the rebirth of the hosted horror show, we find one who was there at the very beginning still inspiring fans, and two who began their careers in the ‘70’s & ‘80’s still going strong.

Perhaps the second host to gain true national prominence, (the first, undoubtedly, being Vampira…) Zacherley, the Cool Ghoul debuted in New York City in 1958, and, in one form or another, remained on the air until 1967. The resurgence in his popularity came when his was cast as the voice of Aylmer in Frank Henenlotter’s low-budget hit BRAIN DAMAGE. Since then, he’s been active on the Convention circuit, had his biography published, and cut a new album, “Internment for Two”, harkening back to his recording of “Dinner with Drac” in 1958. It was for “Internment for Two” that he won the coveted Rondo award for Best CD of 2006. The award was presented to Zacherley at the Wonderfest Convention this past May.

Likewise, Elvira’s been enjoying a sudden boom in popularity this year, with three double-feature DVD released under her brand, and a reality TV show dedicated to finding the “Next Elvira”, though as her legions of dedicated fans will attest, there’s only one “mistress of the night.”

But the best host working today, and certainly the one whose program reaches the largest audience, is Berwyn’s own (Ber-WYNN? Yes, Berwyn…) Svengoolie. A Chicagoland staple for the past 28 years, this was a special year for Svengoolie, as he broadcast the classic Universal Horrors for the first time in years. He was also featured in “Chicago TV Horror Movie Shows”, by Ted Okuda and Mark Yurkiw.

Those who haven’t been exposed to Svengoolie’s program simply have no idea just what they are missing. Part Horror film, part comedy routine—all fun! From Sven’s patented “Svensurround,” or the addition of sound effects to, ahem, help the movie along, to the viewer mail, to the flight of the rubber chickens to close out the show, Svengoolie is a trip back to the time when all stations had some sort of locally-produced programming. It might not have been good; in fact, it frequently wasn’t. But it was uniquely ours, in a way that network and nationally-syndicated programming wasn’t, and we loved it.

Another aspect of Sven’s show that deserves mentioning is that it is carried on an over-the-air, broadcast channel, meaning it’s available to all within range of its signal. You don’t have to have cable or satellite to see this great program; you simply have to tune in, and let Sven take you back to simpler days. This means that these great movies are there for those unable to afford anything other than good, old-fashioned, broadcast TV. All this entertainment… for free! You can’t beat that.

9.) Good-byes and Farewells:
a. Pete Kleinow—(Stop-Motion Animator, RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD; ARMY OF DARKNESS): January 6
b. Yvonne DeCarlo—(Actress, “Lily Munster”): January 8
c. Freddie Francis—(Director, Numerous Hammer Horrors): March 17
d. Bob Clark—(Director, BLACK CHRISTMAS; CHILDREN SHOULDN’T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS): April 4
e. Kurt Vonnegut—(Author, “Slaughterhouse 5”; “Fahrenheit 451”): April 11
f. Bobby “Boris” Pickett—(Singer, “The Monster Mash”): April 25
g. Gordon Scott—(Actor, Numerous Tarzan films): April 30
h. Curtis Harrington—(Director, Low-Budget Horror films): May 6
i. Kerwin Mathews—(Actor, THE SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINBAD): July 5
j. Karl Hardman—(Actor/Producer, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD): September 22
k. Charles B. Griffith—(Director, Roger Corman-produced films): September 28
l. Lois Maxwell—(Actress, “Moneypenny” in the James Bond films): September 29
m. Richard Valley—(Editor/Publisher, “Scarlet Street” magazine): October 12
n. Jeanne Carmen—(Actress, THE MONSTER OF PIEDRAS BLANCAS): December 20

There’s not much for me to say here… nothing clever, or sarcastic, or funny. Just open and honest.

For me, this list represents the loss of some of the important touchstones of my youth… people who, directly or indirectly, are responsible for fueling my love of Horror Films. And much, much more. From the enticingly eerie Lily Munster, Yvonne DeCarlo; to the talented director of two of my all-time favorite movies, Bob Clark; to the editor and publisher of “Scarlet Street” Magazine, Richard Valley… a man I did not know, yet his death was keenly felt by mutual friends, this has been a year filled with loss. Some led long, full, rich lives; most left us far too soon and too young. All will be missed. Requiescat in Pace.

10.) Genre Magazine of the Year:
a. “Rue Morgue”
b. “Amazing Figure Modeler”
c. “Horror-Hound”
d. “Scary Monsters”

Though the internet was supposed to sound the death-knell of the printed word, there are still plenty of Genre magazines on the shelves of our bookstores and newsstands, and that doesn’t seem likely to change anytime soon. Indeed, new mags seem to sprout like mushrooms, though most fail within a brief period of time.

Horror-Hound is one of the new crop of ‘mushrooms’, and you have to give the staff there all due credit for taking the chance on publishing a magazine. While I haven’t seen much of their product, what I have seen looks well-done and professional, and they deserve a nod just for giving it a try.

Scary Monsters magazine is an “either-or” proposition… either you like it’s retro style and feel, or you hate it. I’m in the former camp. It’s not a style that would work for most mags, but their coverage of the genre is devoted almost exclusively to Classic Horror, and for that, it has a certain nostalgic charm to it. It’s not a style I would choose to emulate if I were to put out a mag, but in a sea of Fango-clones, it does tend to stand out.

One of the fastest-growing segments of the Horror-hobby is Model-building, a subject that was covered extensively at CreatureScape. This past year saw the old Unimonster get in-depth, up-close-and-personal with that branch of the hobby as I attended Wonderfest 2007 with the gang from Horrorbles.com. While I’ve always been a model-builder, my figure-building experience was limited to my long-vanished Aurora Monsters from childhood. But while at Wonderfest, I picked up a few issues of Amazing Figure Modeler and was instantly hooked. I had no idea of the incredible variety of figures available; everything from B-Movie monsters to World War II troops to Nudie Cuties. And AFM covers them all… very thoroughly. No newcomer to modeling in general, I was particularly impressed by the detailed descriptions of techniques that the writers recommend for these types of kits; knowledge that is uniquely useful for me. One caveat, though. The magazine does have articles and photos about kits that feature nudity. It displays these kits without the usual black dots or bars covering the ‘good’ parts, so parental discretion is advised.

But my choice for Magazine of the Year is, as always, “Rue Morgue.” It’s not for everyone; there’s frequent nudity, graphic gore, and foul language. It’s an adult magazine that focuses on everything Horror, and I love it.

I know when RM arrives each month that I’m going to be both informed and entertained, that I’m going to learn something new about this genre that I love so much. Yes, the mag isn’t what you might want to read while sitting in your doctor’s waiting room, and I certainly wouldn’t let a ten-year old MonsterKid read it. And it does aggravate me at times that the editorial slant of the mag is decidedly left of… Left. Still, it’s the one mag I do subscribe to, because for Pure Horror Entertainment… It’s still the best.

11.) Import of the Year:
a. HOT FUZZ
b. BLACK SHEEP
c. The Pang Brothers
d. Zoë Bell

One of the best examples of Asian horror in the past several years is JIAN GUI, ~aka~ THE EYE, a 2002 film from twin brothers in Hong Kong, Oxide Pang Chung and Danny Pang. This year, they directed their first American production, THE MESSENGERS. While this film wasn’t quite as good as hoped, I’m expecting to see some tremendous Horror Films from this pair in the near future.

I’ve already discussed BLACK SHEEP, and just how much I enjoyed this New Zealand import. Though it did have a limited theatrical run here, it is widely available on DVD, and I would recommend you seek it out.

Another Kiwi import that’s worth checking out is Zoë Bell, the stuntwoman-turned-actress featured in Tarantino’s DEATH PROOF playing herself. Not the typical Hollywood beauty, she has a girl-next-door cuteness to her that makes her very attractive and relatable to the viewer. Besides, how can you not like a woman who gets this excited about a ’70 Dodge Challenger R/T with a 440 four-barrel V-8 and four on the floor? Hey, Horror movies aren’t my whole life!

While it’s not, strictly speaking, a genre film, the latest effort from the guys responsible for SHAUN OF THE DEAD simply has to be recognized for the great movie that it is. HOT FUZZ, by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg, is an absolute blast in every possible way. Pegg’s performance as a gung-ho, by-the-book supercop is dead on, and even better than his work in SOTD. If you haven’t seen it yet… do so!

12.) DVD Release of the Year:
a. SPIDER BABY Director’s Cut
b. BLADE RUNNER Final Cut Ultimate Edition
c. EL ESPANTO SURGE DE LA TUMBA ~aka~ HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB
d. THE MONSTER SQUAD 20th Anniversary Edition
e. GRINDHOUSE—PLANET TERROR / GRINDHOUSE—DEATH PROOF Extended and Unrated 2-Disc Special Editions

Thankfully, there seems to be no slowdown in the trend of vintage Horror goodies finding their way to DVD, and this year sees four nominees for DVD of the Year that are old favorites, far from successful in their theatrical runs, but which took on new life in the age of home video.

The lone exceptions to that are the two DVD’s that were created when the Quentin Tarantino-produced GRINDHOUSE was split into its constituent parts. By extending both segments to feature length, Rodriguez and Tarantino managed to correct most of the flaws that plagued the theatrical release of the film, while keeping the intent intact.

The one problem with the discs is Tarantino’s DEATH PROOF. I can overlook the director’s foot fetish and penchant for long, expository scenes… but his failure to include the fake trailers discussed earlier in this column is simply unforgivable.

Jack Hill’s 1968 masterpiece SPIDER BABY or, THE MADDEST STORY EVER TOLD was very nearly a ‘lost’ film, languishing on a L.A. film lab’s shelf until it was dusted off and released on VHS in the early ‘80’s. It slowly built a cult following as a quirky, offbeat Horror Comedy, based primarily on the strong performances of the cast of mainly unknown actors. The one exception to this was Lon Chaney, Jr. as Bruno, the caretaker of the estate, and the surviving Merrye family members. Among the unknowns that turn in such admirable performances are a young Sid Haig, of HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES fame, and Jill Banner, a stunningly beautiful young woman who plays Virginia, one of the Merrye sisters, who fancies herself a spider with a very deadly bite. But they are not exceptions; the cast as a whole shines in this movie.

Dark Sky worked with Hill to restore this film to pristine condition, gave it enough special features to please the hardest-to-please fan, and packaged it beautifully. It really is a must-have DVD.

Another must-have, at least for fans of Euro-Horror or Paul Naschy, is the superior release of EL ESPANTO SURGE DE LA TUMBA ~aka~ HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB, from BCI. Completely remastered and restored, this uncut presentation just blows fans of the film away, many of whom have never seen it in complete form. I was one of these latter, and, while I had always enjoyed the movie in its edited form, this uncut version is superb.

One of the best-loved cult films of the last 30 years is Ridley Scott’s 1982 classic BLADE RUNNER. This nihilistic vision of humanity’s near future, where androids known as Replicants are hunted by the law, did not have an easy genesis, and adding to the lore of this film is the fact that, in addition to the theatrical version, at least two different director’s cuts exist. The BLADE RUNNER Final Cut Ultimate Edition, released in December, contains every version of the film, including what Scott himself considers to be the “definitive” cut. In addition to the movie, you’re presented with special features galore, photos, booklets… all contained in a case which resembles a briefcase prop from the film. This movie certainly isn’t to everyone’s taste, but if it’s yours, then this is the set to have.

Though is was a financial failure at the Box-Office when it was released, Fred Dekker’s THE MONSTER SQUAD found new life when it hit the VHS circuit. People who had grown up loving the classic Universal Monsters found this film to be a postcard from their childhoods, a reminder of simpler times and simpler pleasures. Many now had children of their own, and found the film a great way to introduce the monsters they themselves loved as children to the next generation.
The one drawback to this is that, prior to this year, there’s never been an official DVD release of this movie. The viewer was stuck with either the aging VHS release, or one of the multitude of bootleg DVD-R’s on the market… all copied from the aging VHS release. However, 2007 was the 20th anniversary of the film’s release, and Lion’s Gate Home Entertainment chose to celebrate it with a spectacular DVD treatment.

First, the film has been completely restored to pristine condition, which really pops out in direct comparison with the old, scratchy, pan-and-scan VHS. Add in a wealth of special features, including a documentary on the making of this classic, and you easily have the Unimonster’s pick for DVD Release of the Year.

13.) DVD Boxed or Collector’s Set of the Year:
a. The Universal/Best Buy Collections
b. The Godzilla Collection Box Set
c. The Fly Classic Collection
d. The Mario Bava Collection, Vols. 1 & 2

While it’s never been a particular favorite of mine, it’s hard to deny the importance to the genre of Kurt Neumann’s 1958 classic THE FLY. Thanks in large part to a couple of unforgettable scenes, as well as an excellent performance from Vincent Price, the movie is ingrained into the consciousness of Horror fans everywhere. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment does a better-than-usual job with this set, which features not only the 1958 film, but the two sequels: RETURN OF THE FLY, and CURSE OF THE FLY.

Since its release of the excellent GOJIRA Double-Feature DVD in 2005, Classic Media has been keeping Kaijû-fans everywhere happy with regular releases of the original Toho prints of some of the greatest films of the Showa era. Now they’ve gathered all their previous DVD’s, along with two as yet unreleased films, into the Godzilla Collection Box Set. The two unreleased films, GOJIRA-MINIRA-GABARA: ORU KAIJÛ DAISHINGEKI ~aka~ GODZILLA’S REVENGE, and MEKAGOJIRA NO GYAKUSHU ~aka~ MECHAGODZILLA’S COUNTER-ATTACK; TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA.

If this set has a drawback, it’s price. With a list price of $80, for what amounts to two DVD’s I don’t already own, there’s no denying it’s expensive… especially since those films are due to be released individually in February. Still, the set is spectacular, and if you haven’t already purchased these Discs separately, then by all means put it on your short list.

Mario Bava is perhaps the greatest director Italy ever produced; certainly he was the greatest Italian Horror director. From LA MASCHERA DEL DEMONIO ~aka~ BLACK SUNDAY, to LA CASA DELL’ESORCISMO ~aka~ LISA AND THE DEVIL, he charted the paths that Euro-Horror would take. His SEI DONNE PER L’ASSASINO ~aka~ BLOOD AND BLACK LACE was the basis for the Italian Giallo genre, and REAZIONE A CATENA ~aka~ A BAY OF BLOOD directly inspired FRIDAY THE 13TH, and remains my favorite Bava film.

Now, a dozen of his films have been gathered together in a two-volume collection that is a must-have for fans of this outstanding filmmaker. At around $40 each volume, they aren’t cheap… but they’re definitely worth it.

Without a doubt, though, the title of Best Set of the Year has to be shared by the twin releases from Universal and Best Buy… the Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection, Vol. 2, and the Universal Horror Classic Archive. Universal Horrors are, after all, my first love, and the fact that someone, anyone, cares enough to keep putting these collections out is always going to score points with me. Add to that the fact that Universal has finally seen fit to release, in the Sci-Fi collection, my favorite Giant Bug move, THE DEADLY MANTIS, and this one is a no-brainer for me.

14.) Crapfest of the Year:
a. CAPTIVITY
b. THE INVASION
c. VACANCY
d. DISTURBIA
e. HALLOWEEN

In just a few short years, Rob Zombie has made himself one of the hottest directors working in Horror Films today. His debut feature, HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES, began the move back to the grittier, gorier, Grindhouse-type of film, finally breaking the back of the “Dawson’s Creek meets Freddy Krueger” style of Horror that dominated the genre in the latter half of the ‘90’s.

This year, he turned his attention to remaking one of the seminal films of the genre, John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN. It wasn’t the first Slasher film, and it borrowed heavily from the Italian Giallos, but it firmly lodged the concept of the Unstoppable Slasher in the subconscious of the Horror fan. My love for this film, and my utter complete opposition to remaking such iconic films, was mollified only slightly when it was announced that Zombie was helming the project.

While I loved HO1KC, and thought THE DEVIL’S REJECT was a well-done, if somewhat weaker project, I was quite unprepared to have anyone, even Zombie, monkeying around with one of my favorite films. Much as I suspected, he took it in directions that I would have preferred he avoided. Gone are the suspense, the terror, the absolute conviction that Michael Myers isn’t just another psychopath, but the embodiment of pure evil. What remains simply isn’t worth the effort. Thanks Rob, but I’ll stick with JC’s version.

If anything has become clear about Nicole Kidman, other than the fact that she has the personality of a kippered herring, it’s that she is Box-Office death. Critics may love her… but critics don’t pay for tickets, and even if they did, there aren’t that many of them. This year, she starred in an ill-conceived remake of the classic INVASION OF THE BODY-SNATCHERS, titled THE INVASION. This thoroughly unnecessary remake bombed spectacularly at the Box-Office, falling far short of breaking even.

I’ve already mentioned just how bad DISTURBIA was, and I see little reason to invest much time in revisiting it now. The fact that it wasn’t even the worst movie of the year is sad commentary on the state of Hollywood-based Horror Films.

VACANCY didn’t need to be on this list; the concept, the premise, of the film is very sound, and properly presented would make a good movie. The trouble is that it was completely mishandled from start to finish. At no point in the first 45 minutes of the film are you given any reason to care about the two leads. They’re bitter, spiteful, cruel, and completely unsympathetic. Suddenly, they’re in danger, and the viewer is supposed to care? Why?

But the Crapfest of the Year, much like the Movie of the Year [see below], was apparent at my first viewing of it. CAPTIVITY failed in every possible measure to entertain me, which is all I ask of any film. A stolen, hackneyed plot; weak-as-water direction; and a cast that couldn’t land a dinner theater production of HAIR, combine to form what is easily the worst movie of the year.

15.) Creature(s) of the Year:
a. Neal Sabin and Rich Koz (Svengoolie)—for their Contributions to the next generation of MonsterKids

Though it’s hard to believe, if you’re much under the age of thirty, you’re likely never to have known a time when you did not have either cable television or a VCR, and the ability to see just about any movie you might want at your own convenience. A time when you couldn’t just stop by the neighborhood Video store and pick up the hot new release, or that old favorite you’re in the mood to watch again… or just find it on one of the multitude of channels available to you at the touch of a remote.

Well, youngsters, such wasn’t always the case. When I was but a wee lad, we had four channels… yes, just four. We had the ABC, NBC, CBS, and PBS affiliates, and that was it. And VCR’s, though they existed, were a plaything for the rich, not something that you would find in the average home. My dad did have remote control, though… my brother and I, as well as anyone passing within reach of the television set when he wanted it changed.

It was on one of those channels that I first saw the great Universal Classics… FRANKENSTEIN, THE MUMMY, SON OF DRACULA, and all their kith and kin. And WCIU in Chicago is carrying on this great tradition to this day, spreading the love of classic horror to a new generation of MonsterKids, the same way we fell in love with it. The two men responsible for this are Neal Sabin, the station’s General Manager, and Rich Koz, better known to generations of fans as Svengoolie. In any ordinary year these two men would be deserving of this accolade, just on the basis of this long-running show, very nearly the last of it’s kind. But this was far from an ordinary year.

This year, Sabin managed to land the Universal Classic Horror package for the station to broadcast. This was not a easy task, and Sabin must be congratulated, not only for managing to pull it off, but for having the foresight to see the importance of these films, and that they need to be seen by those who might not have the money to buy the Legacy collections, or might not have cable, in order to catch them on TCM or AMC. Nor should we ignore Koz’s contributions to this effort. Without Svengoolie and his highly popular program, there would have been no incentive to bring these films to the Chicago market.

It behooves those of us who love these films to do all we can to preserve them, as well as spreading the enjoyment and appreciation for them to the next generation. These two men have made a career of doing just that, and are deserving of all the honor it is in my meager power to do them. They are also deserving of my sincere thanks.

16.) Movie of the Year:
a. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END
b. HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
c. 300
d. THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (3-D Re-release)
e. I AM LEGEND

Fans of Richard Matheson have been waiting for a faithful adaptation of his novella “I am Legend” for nearly fifty years now, ever since Vincent Price’s memorable performance as Robert Neville in the 1964 Italian production THE LAST MAN ON EARTH. Though it was closer to the novel than 1971’s THE OMEGA MAN, fans still yearned for the original story to be filmed. For at least ten years, different actors, directors, and studios have been attached to a new version of the novel, none of which came to fruition. It finally took the star power of Will Smith, perhaps the most bankable actor working today, to get it made. I’ve yet to see it, so I’ll withhold judgment on its authenticity. Judging from its blockbuster performance at the Box-Office, however, it’s easy to see that this movie is a serious contender for MotY.

Ok, so it was first released in 1993, and the 3-D version’s been out more than a year. But Tim Burton’s THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS had a wide Re-release this past October, and in the brief two months it has been out has made nearly $15 million—proof that this twisted take on holiday traditions is as good now as it was 14 years ago.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END was the capstone to the Disney trilogy based on the Disneyland ride. Trilogies are difficult to do properly; you’re always expected to top the previous film, while not venturing too far from the world you previously constructed. POTC: AWE pulled this off to perfection and, had it been released in a year apart from the following two movies, would have easily won MotY.

In the span of six years and five films, the boy wizard Harry Potter has evolved from a wide-eyed awestruck orphan into an angst-ridden young man with a mortal enemy and the weight of the wizarding world on his shoulders… adulthood apparently comes early to wizards and witches. Though I’ve never read the books, I love the Harry Potter movies, and the latest is the best so far. Gone are any traces of the series origins as a children’s tale… this is real world stuff they’re dealing with. Well, real wizarding world, that is. Death, love, betrayal, loyalty… as the saga progresses, it begins to resemble a Greek tragedy in scope and complexity, and all I can say is… give me more!!!

Speaking of Greek tragedies, or at least Greek history, brings me to my choice as Movie of the Year. Not really Horror, not really Sci-Fi, Zack Snyder’s 300 is hard to define, but easy to enjoy. Based on Frank Miller’s stupendous graphic novel of the same name, which in turn drew inspiration from the 1962 movie THE 300 SPARTANS, the film relates the historical account of the Battle of Thermopylae, albeit with large doses of artistic and dramatic license.

Thermopylae, fought in August, 473 BC, pitted the 300,000 man army of the Persian Emperor Xerxes against a force of 6-10,000 Greeks, led by 300 Spartan warriors under their King Leonidas. The Spartans held the vital pass at Thermopylae for three days against the vastly larger Persian force, until the Phoecian troops guarding their flank were scattered, allowing the Persians to encircle the 300. That is the history. The movie is something else entirely.

First, they started with Miller’s unique visual design and palette, bathing every frame in bold, vivid reds, blacks, bronzes, and golds. Then the dry, though inspiring, historical accounts were transformed into the personal story of Leonidas, and his drive to do his duty as his honor demanded. The acting, especially Gerard Butler’s, was excellent, and the visual effects tied everything together in one gorgeous package. I knew the first time I saw 300 that it was going to take one hell of a movie to beat it out for MotY… some came close, but not close enough.

So there it is… 2007 in review. On the whole, not a bad year, from a genre point of view. I’ve seen some tremendously good movies, as well as some staggeringly bad ones, and I’m sure that I’ll be able to say the same next year at this time. We have the third Brendan Fraser MUMMY film to look forward to, as well as the CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, SPIDER BABY, and THE WOLF-MAN remakes… although “look forward to…” might be the wrong choice of words for those films. We’ll have the next installment in Harry Potter’s battle against Voldemort to discuss, along with, hopefully, more Universal/Best Buy collaborations.

And, God willing, I will be here writing on all of it for you, the Horror fans. Happy 2008, everyone!

DVD Review: SHAUN OF THE DEAD

Title: SHAUN OF THE DEAD

Year of Release—Film: 2004

Year of Release—DVD: 2004

DVD Label: Universal

THE MOVIE

Easily the best movie released in the past five or six years, SHAUN OF THE DEAD is one of those rare films that exceed all my expectations, surprising me with the most entertaining movie I’ve seen in a long time. At first glance, you’re tempted to dismiss it as just another Romero-inspired zombie movie; that was my initial impression of the film. Then I got the DVD and watched it. Any thoughts of this being “…just another zombie movie” were soon dashed from my mind with the first viewing of this superb film from Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg.

The movie starts outs as a fairly typical Brit stoner-romantic comedy, as we meet Shaun, (Pegg, who also co-wrote the script, in a tremendous performance…) the eponymous hero of our tale. Shaun is your average twenty-something guy… he works in a discount appliance store, visits his mom and step-dad every other week or so, tries to keep his girlfriend Liz happy… all while trying to keep his best friend Ed and their other flatmate Pete from killing each other, and himself pleasantly ‘self-medicated’.

It’s a tricky balancing act, but he manages to pull it off until one day when all hell breaks loose. Shaun forgets to make dinner reservations for a big night out with Liz, who promptly dumps him when he suggests they spend the evening at the local pub. He further alienates her by trying to give her flowers originally purchased for his mother and forgetting to remove the card inscribed “To a Wonderful Mum…” He and Ed get totally blitzed, stagger home, and wake up an enraged Pete, who has to be at work in a few hours.

And to top it off, the dead are rising to feast on the flesh of the living. Now, Shaun has to sort his life out and somehow win back the woman he loves, while dealing with a horde of cannibalistic zombies.

Before I saw this movie, I would’ve laughed at the suggestion that anyone could come up with yet another original take on George Romero’s “Zombie-Verse.” Since Romero’s DEAD quadrilogy began with the premiere of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD in 1968, there have been hundreds of films that, to put it kindly, have ‘borrowed’ from the themes and imagery of the Romero films. A few, such as De Ossorio’s BLIND DEAD films or Fulci’s ZOMBI 2, have actually been well-done, original takes on a similar plot.

Most however have been little more than outright clones, with no originality, no imagination, and no talent whatsoever associated with them. I had assumed that every bit of originality and inspiration had been wrung from Romero’s premise, and you can’t imagine my joy at having been proven wrong.

Pegg and Frost have a unique chemistry together which completely convinces the viewer of their friendship, much the same type of chemistry that made Bob Hope and Bing Crosby such a great team. Their on-screen chemistry was great because played off each other so well, with an impeccable sense of timing, and Pegg and Frost’s works for the same reason; plus, they truly are good friends, friends who’ve spent many nights in pubs, just like Shaun and Ed.



THE DISC

Like most offerings from Universal, the SHAUN… DVD is superbly done, with perfect video and audio transfer, with audio tracks and subtitles in multiple languages. Universal put their best efforts into this disc, and it really shows.


THE SPECIAL FEATURES

This disc is as loaded with extras as you’re likely to see in anything not labeled “Ultimate Collector’s Edition.” Twenty-nine minutes of deleted scenes and outtakes; thirty-five minutes of behind-the-scenes footage; seven minutes of extended bits from the film, and assorted stills, posters, advertising images, and other goodies. And that doesn’t even mention my favorite feature: The Zomb-O-Meter.

For those of you familiar with VH-1’s Pop-Up Videos from the ‘90’s, the Zomb-O-Meter works in essentially the same way, displaying trivia and info about the movie along the bottom, in the style of a subtitle. Everyone should watch the movie at least once with the feature turned on; believe me, it adds an entirely new level to your enjoyment of the film.



IN CONCLUSION

To say that this is one of my favorite movies would be an understatement… I truly consider it to be the best Horror Film of the past decade or so. The list price is low enough, at just under $15, but it was selling at Amazon for $9.88, and at DeepDiscount DVD for 40¢ less. Either way, this is one movie everyone should see, and see often.

“Just an 8-bit Guy in a xBox World…”

This will be an unusual column for me, one focusing on video games instead of my more familiar venues. I’m not a gamer; I don’t have an xBox, or a Wii, or a PS3. I have a Playstation, period… with maybe six games. The only one I play frequently is Tiger Woods Golf ’99. I just don’t have the time, money, or inclination to spend hundreds of dollars on these high-tech consoles, accessories, or games.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy video games, or that I was never addicted to the electronic lure of dancing sprites. In fact, there was a time when I spent virtually every free minute hooked to a gray and black controller, moving two-dimensional characters through side-scrolling worlds. I was a Nintendo junkie, and Super Mario was my drug of choice.

That initial video-game craze hit at just the right time for me. In my twenties, in my own apartment for the first time, with limited entertainment options, the Nintendo Entertainment System seemed like a cheap way to fight off boredom. I’d get home from work, fix supper, and settle down to guide Mario on his quest to rescue Princess Toadstool from the evil clutches of Bowser. My only weapons in this quest: My jumping ability; my power to stomp Goombas; a few power-ups; and my mastery of kicking Koopa-Troopers and running along behind as they cleared a path for me.

Before too long, I had mastered Super Mario Bros., only to discover at the end that “…our Princess is in another Castle!” I progressed onto Super Mario Bros. 2, only to discover that it bore no relation to the first game. It was, in fact, a remake of a Japanese game, Doki-Doki Panic. The game’s creators had simply replaced the original characters with ones from the Super Mario Bros. game.

While generally disliked by fans, I loved the game, and thought it was every bit as enjoyable as the first. It gave you the option to play as any one of four characters: Mario; his brother Luigi; the Princess’ faithful retainer Toad; and the Princess herself. Each had their own strengths and weaknesses, and part of mastering the game was learning when to play each one. And while it proved more difficult to complete than the first, in due course I had beaten it, as well.

However, the adventures of the two Italian plumbers weren’t the only games I conquered back in the day. Tetris was a favorite of mine, as was 1942. Silent Service got nearly as much playing time as the Mario’s, and even Duck Hunt had its moments. And of course Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse soaked up much of my free time, as I battled monsters and demons in a campaign to destroy Dracula.

Still, I always returned to the Mushroom Kingdom, and finally faced the ultimate NES game, at least as far as I was concerned… Super Mario Bros. 3. This wasn’t just a revamped version of the first game; this was something completely new and different. This game had map screens, and sub-games, and it completely blew me away the first time I popped the cartridge in my player.

Sadly, I never completed SMB3. My player, like all the Nintendo front-loaders, had a fatal flaw that rendered them virtually unusable after a comparatively short time. I had completed maybe five levels when my player fell victim to this flaw, and I had to quit my gaming addiction cold turkey.

Like many facets of my childhood and youth, the pangs of withdrawal soon faded as adult life insisted on intervening. Eventually, the memories of my 8-bit escapades receded into the dark caverns of my mind, where they slumbered peacefully awaiting the light of day once again.

Recently, that day dawned. I was looking for a PS2 game for a Christmas gift, and found a video game store in my area that dealt in used and vintage games. I was unable to find the game I was looking for, but as I was browsing, I noticed a small, odd-looking console sitting on a shelf. The only marking on it was the word “Yobo” next to a cartridge slot in the top of the console. Curious, I asked the clerk what system it was, and what the games were like. He just glanced at it, and said that it was a NES-clone, and it played all the original NES games.

Instantly, a flood of nostalgia washed over me, carrying me back through the intervening years. I could hear the insidiously viral Super Mario theme fighting its way back to the forefront of my consciousness, and my thumbs began itching for the feel of the controller again. Unfortunately the cost of the system, though not unreasonable, was more than I could afford at the time; but I knew I had to have one once the holidays were through. I asked the twenty-something clerk if it was an item they kept in stock; would they still have one in a month or so? He just looked at me as though I asked in which aisle would I find spats and buggy whips. “Who wants to play old Nintendo games?” was his only response.

Well, quite frankly, I do. And I fully intended to head back after the holidays to buy the console, and the Super Mario game of days gone by, but something intervened to make that trip unnecessary.

A good friend of mine asked me what I wanted for Christmas. Giving it some thought, I said “a Nintendo.” After I explained that I wasn’t talking about the Wii that costs several hundred dollars, she said that sounded like a good present, and promptly changed the subject.

Now, in the time that I’ve known this woman, and we’ve been exchanging gifts, not once has she given me what I had told her I’d like when asked “What do you want for… [Insert Holiday of choice]?” Don’t misunderstand me… her gifts are always nice, usually nicer than what I had wanted. I’ve just learned that, no matter my response to her question, I will be surprised when I open my present. This year was no exception. In fact, this year was the biggest surprise of all. This year, I got exactly what I asked for.

So now I sit in front of the TV, the Super Mario Bros. start screen displayed in all its glory, awaiting the command to once more launch Mario on his quest. It feels as though I just returned to a game I had pressed the pause button on… over 15 years ago. For four years of my life, I played this game at least two or three hours a day—every day. The feel of the controller, like the movements needed to make the little plumber do battle at my command, are ingrained into my muscle memory by those thousands of hours of gameplay. Other games will follow, and ultimately I will be able to finish my struggle with the King Koopa and his children the Koopalings from SMB3. But right now, this is good… this is enough. There’s an expression I’ve heard that I feel describes me pretty well. I’m not sure where it originated, if it’s something from TV or something I picked up like lint on Velcro. “I’m just an 8-bit guy in an xBox world…” And I couldn’t be happier about it.

DVD Review: GOJIRA / GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS 2-Disc Collector’s Set

Title: GOJIRA / GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS 2-Disc Collector’s Set

Year of Release—Film: 1954

Year of Release—DVD: 2006

DVD Label: Sony / Classic Media





THE MOVIE

GOJIRA—(1954)

For fifty years, American audiences have known only one version of the definitive Japanese Monster Movie, GOJIRA; the edited-for-American distribution version entitled GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS. Though VHS tapes of the original Japanese edit, while hard to find, were available here, for most of us the version that had been pieced together with footage of Raymond Burr was the only GODZILLA to which we had access. That all changed earlier this month with the release of Classic Media’s gorgeous 2-disc GOJIRA Collector’s Set.

Those of you who think you know this movie really must see the original. Everything that serves to detract from the quality of the Hollywood version is gone, and we can see just how much was cut, both to tone down the serious message of the Japanese film, and to make room for the spliced-in scenes. This movie, which for all the excitement and affection it engenders has always seemed a weakly-plotted mish-mash driven only by action, now stands revealed in its unadulterated form as a thoughtful, literate film, nearly twenty minutes longer than the U.S. edit.

Moments that wound up on a cutting-room floor in Hollywood help to convey the original intent of the film’s creators: Gojira isn’t just some honked-off dinosaur out for a meal. He is the very incarnation of the hell Japan brought down upon itself during World War II, including the embodiment of Japan’s ultimate nightmare, the Atomic Bomb. In a telling line of dialogue that failed to make it into the Hollywood edit, a young couple is discussing finding a shelter if Gojira should attack Tokyo. Another man, hearing this, comments “Not the shelters again… that really stinks!” Memories of the war were still fresh in the collective Japanese conscious, and comment similar to this throughout the film, while having tremendous relevance for Japanese audiences of the mid-‘50’s, would have been problematic at best for audiences in the U.S.

I’ve waited a lifetime to see this version of one of my favorite films, only to discover that they are two different movies entirely. But I certainly wasn’t disappointed, and now have an even deeper appreciation for the Big G.

GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS—(1956)

I reviewed this movie once already during Kaijû Month here at CreatureScape, and there isn’t much I can say to alter my original opinions of this film. It remains one of my favorites, and has been for most of my life.

The one thing that I can add to that assessment is that, as much as I do love this version, to deny that it is vastly inferior to the original GOJIRA would be intellectually dishonest; having them together for direct comparison only serves to highlight those inferiorities. The thoughtful, deliberate pacing and intelligent scripting of the original is completely lost here, as a 98-minute film is condensed into less than 80 minutes, eliminating most of the plot and virtually all of the character development.

Still, this is the version I first saw decades ago as a young MonsterKid, and it was impressive enough, even in its heavily-altered form, to inspire a life-long love of Kaijû movies. It’s nowhere near as good as the original… but that still makes it better than any other giant monster movie of its era.



THE DISC

This 2-disc set is beautifully packaged in a stout Digipak case like the ones used for the Universal Legacy Collections. If anything, the graphic design is nicer than that for the Universal sets, and far superior to the standard artwork used for most of the Toho films released to DVD, much more subdued and somber, fitting the mood of the films inside.

In keeping with Japanese packaging standards, the whole is surrounded by a belly-band containing the DVD specifications, making a very attractive package indeed.

The two discs contained within all this beautiful packaging are certainly worthy of the advance press, though I can’t help thinking that they could be better. The print used for the GOJIRA transfer looked great to me, though I have seen complaints about it being an inferior print. Frankly, I think such complaints are typical videophile snobbery. The transfer is far superior to any print of GODZILLA that I’ve previously seen, and that’s good enough to satisfy me. I’m not sure how much you can expect from fifty-year old celluloid. And as for the GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS transfer, while it is much better than any I’ve seen before, doesn’t quite match the quality of the GOJIRA print. Perhaps this is due to the original masters not being equal in quality. Still, the transfer is superior to any I’ve seen before.

The one flaw that is present is the audio quality on GODZILLA. I understand that they are working with aging recordings, but still, some effort could’ve been made to clean the tracks up for this release. Barring that, at least provide subtitles for GODZILLA. (GOJIRA, with the original Japanese audio, is already subtitled…)

On the whole, this is a beautiful set, and is just one more in a list of terrific releases of classic Horror and Sci-Fi films that we’ve been blessed with over the past few years. It’s a trend I hope to see continue. Fortunately, Classic Media has two additional releases scheduled for November that will follow this format: GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN and GODZILLA vs. MOTHRA.



THE SPECIAL FEATURES

In terms of special features on these discs, there’s not a lot present that really impresses. What’s there is good, but this isn’t a set that people will buy because of the extras.

The GOJIRA disc has the lion’s share of extras, with two featurettes; one on the story development, and one on the design of the first Goji-suits. Both of these are sparse and cheap-looking, composed primarily of still photographs and voice-over narration. Still, they are fascinating glimpses at the genesis of the king of kaijû, and are worth watching.

The commentaries on each film, well done by Steve Ryfle and Ed Godiziszewski, are interesting and informative, avoiding becoming pedantic and lecturing. They even manage to slip a rather obvious “Brokeback Mountain” reference in during one of Raymond Burr’s GODZILLA scenes.

The only real extra on the GODZILLA disc, other than the commentary, is the original trailer for the U.S. release.

Overall, while these extras do add to the set, they’re not why you want to buy this DVD. The opportunity to finally own the original GOJIRA, uncut and unedited, is all the “special feature” you need for that.



IN CONCLUSION

As I said earlier, I’ve waited a lifetime to see the original GOJIRA, and I was not disappointed. My affection for GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS, the version I grew up with, hasn’t changed. I still love it despite all its flaws and faults. But it is badly flawed, and that can’t be ignored. Now you can see, in direct comparison, just how good the original was, and why, even adulterated the way it was, it still had the power to enthrall generations.

GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN—The Monster’s Last Real Hurrah

Between 1931 and 1948, Universal released no less than eight films featuring their most iconic creation, Frankenstein’s Monster. Portrayed by more of Universal’s Horror stars than any other Classic Universal monster, he also underwent the greatest amount of change of any of the Big Four of Universal’s stable of monsters. Not in terms of his trademarked look, but in how he was treated and portrayed on-screen.

Boris Karloff’s 1931 Monster was the very image of pathos, a tortured soul seemingly cursed by an unkind God to a living death. Four years later, in BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, he shambled closer to capturing his humanity, if only for a few brief moments, before being rejected by his erstwhile bride.

Karloff’s last turn as his signature character was 1939’s SON OF FRANKENSTEIN, and by then any trace of humanity was gone, replaced by a cold seething hatred of all save his friend Ygor, played wonderfully by Bela Lugosi. After this film, Karloff vowed never to play the Monster again; so dissatisfied was he with the direction the character was taking.

Though Karloff was without question Universal’s biggest Horror Star of the 1930’s, by the early ‘40’s that crown was planted firmly on Lon Chaney, Jr’s furrowed (and often furry…) brow. Perhaps it was natural that he should succeed Karloff in portraying Universal’s most significant Monster. In 1942’s GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN, he does just that, on his way to becoming the only actor to play all of Universal’s four top monsters. He also gave us the Monster’s last starring role, and the last time that Frankenstein’s Monster is portrayed as anything more than a prop. After this, Chaney's Wolf-Man / Larry Talbot would become Universal’s biggest headliner, and the Monster was reduced to the role of second banana.

In the four subsequent films, FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF-MAN; HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN; HOUSE OF DRACULA; and ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN, the Monster was relegated to little more than “background”, in the scene but having little to do with it. GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN was, in my opinion, the Monster’s last hurrah.

That doesn’t mean that those movies were bad; they weren’t. In fact, they were good, old-fashioned, B-grade, popcorn-selling programmers; fun to watch, and fun to remember. They are the movies that inspired my love of the Universal classics, and are still the movies I turn to when feeling nostalgic for the carefree days of my youth. But it’s not the Monster’s contributions that make them so.

However, in GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN, Chaney’s able to imbue the Monster with a final spark of humanity, a last glimpse of the brilliant characterization that Karloff created in 1931. His interaction with the young girl, played by Janet Ann Gallow, easily recalls to mind the Monster’s first such encounter, along with its drastically different outcome. We can see the learning process that the Monster has undergone since little Maria’s tragic demise, and it helps restore some humanity that the Monster lost with his cold-blooded threats to Wolf Frankenstein's son Peter in SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939).

Now, it is fair to say that GHOST… has its share of problems. The pace is slow for a Uni-Horror, with far too much screen time devoted to exposition and character development; the casting was misguided, with Cedric Hardwicke in over his head as Victor Frankenstein, Henry’s other son. Lionel Atwill, who was wasted in the role of Dr. Bohmer, would have carried the lead splendidly had it been given to him.

Also, the story was the weakest thus far in the series. With the plot concerning replacement of the Monster’s brain, which necessitated his being immobilized for long stretches of the film, we see that the Monster has begun his transformation from lead character to stage prop. He would spend the balance of his career stretched out on slabs of one form or another, waiting for the next experiment.

But at least in GHOST… we get to see him playing an active role one last time, and with one of the greatest Horror stars ever under Jack Pierce’s make-up. While Lon Chaney Jr. wasn’t the equal of Karloff when it came to acting ability, he performed far better in the role than Bela Lugosi would in the next film, FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF-MAN. Lugosi, who passed on the opportunity to portray the Monster for the original 1931 production, only proved that his initial decision was correct. And while Glenn Strange did better than Lugosi, it’s not as though he was asked to truly stretch his acting muscles.

I really didn’t intend for this to be a review of GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN. I’ve written that review before, and don’t really care to revisit it now. I just wanted to convey to the Crypt’s readership the bittersweet appeal of this installment in the Universal Horror franchise. While not the equal of the movies that preceded it, GHOST… does offer us a unique portrayal of Frankenstein’s Monster, a terrific performance from Lugosi as Ygor, the always gorgeous Evelyn Ankers as the daughter of Victor Frankenstein, and Lionel Atwill as the Doctor’s twistedly evil assistant, Bohmer. The plot is weak, but no more than the norm for Universal Horrors of the 1940’s, and the fine performances more than make up for any deficiencies in the story.

GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN isn’t a big favorite of mine, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate the film for its place in the Universal canon. Its importance far outweighs the quality of the movie itself, which is admittedly not Universal’s best. And for me, the most important aspect of the movie is Chaney’s performance as the Monster, the one last glimpse we get of the Monster as the Monster, rather than the caricature he would become.

DVD Review: MONSTER KID HOME MOVIES

Title: MONSTER KID HOME MOVIES

Year of Release—Film: Various—(Compilation)

Year of Release—DVD: 2005

DVD Label: The PPS Group





THE MOVIE

Anyone who grew up between 1955 and 1975 either had an 8mm movie camera, knew someone with one, or dreamt of having one of their own. The idea of making our own movies was an enticing one, and when your cinematic fantasies were fueled by H. G. Lewis, Roger Corman, and Forry Ackerman, then you dreamt of making your own monster movies… at least, I did. Unfortunately, I was in the last of the above categories. That’s too bad, as my baby brother would’ve made a great Ygor.

But there were plenty of kids who were luckier than I was when it came to exercising their creative muscles, and fortunately for all of us, a surprising number of these childhood productions have survived. Director Robert Tinnell has gathered thirty of them together on MONSTER KID HOME MOVIES.

You’ll recognize a few of the names associated with this project, most notably Bob Burns, Tom Weaver, and Kerry Gammill. Most of the contributors, however, are unrecognizable, having only two things in common with their more famous peers: A love of Monster movies; and the means to make their own.

Most of the films in this collection are, well, let’s be honest… even Spielberg had a learning curve, and there’s not a Spielberg in this bunch. This isn’t high-quality filmmaking. But if the quality level leaves something to be desired, the fun quotient sure does hit the mark. This was one of the most enjoyable DVD's I’ve viewed in a while, transporting me straight back to 1974, the Captain Company ads in the back of Famous Monsters, and my dreams of being a ten-year old Roger Corman… only good at it.


THE DISC

For what is basically a self-distributed DVD, MONSTER KID HOME MOVIES is an unexpectedly well-done release. Great care seems to have been taken in the design of the project, as well as in the selection of the films, and that care really shows.
Though most of these films were shot forty years ago or more, they are surprisingly well preserved. None are so degraded that they are unwatchable, and several look like they just came back from the developer.

There is one flaw with the disc, and unfortunately, it is a big one. With thirty short movies, divided into twelve sections, there is no provision to just hit a PLAY ALL button; you must select each film, even within the individual sections. This slows things down to an incredible degree. I understand the producers were trying to replicate the experience of watching these movies on the family projector, but…

However, though that does detract from the enjoyment of these movies, the flaw isn’t a fatal one; no one should let it prevent them from hunting this one down. This was plainly a labor of love on someone’s part; one instance of poor design shouldn’t outweigh that.



THE SPECIAL FEATURES

Yes, somewhat astoundingly, there are some very nice special features on this disc, including one that absolutely captures the home movie experience to perfection.

Each of the twelve sections I previously mentioned are devoted to one Monster Kid moviemaker, with a biographical page on each. Some of these you’ll no doubt recognize; most however, are just average Joes who, like us, loved everything to do with Monster movies. Several of them have provided commentary tracks for their films, which help comprise the bulk of the special features, the audio options.

Now, I’ve said before that I don’t consider sound to be a special feature, and I mean that. However, when a film is silent in it’s original form, then any added sound must be taken into consideration. PPS went far above the call of duty with these movies, providing not only commentary tracks for many of the films, but giving the viewer the choice of an original score and sound effects, as well. But there is a third audio option that transforms this collection into such a special remembrance of times long gone.

Intrigued by an option on the audio menu labeled “8mm Projector,” I selected it when I first viewed the disc. Sure enough, as the first film began, from my speakers burst forth the almost-forgotten sounds of a movie projector: Motor turning; gears and sprockets click-clacking; fan whirring. I could almost smell the ozone rising from the machine, and expected to see shadow-puppet rabbits appear on the screen. (Yes, I was the A-V geek in 4th Grade…) While this feature might annoy those raised on VHS and DVD, it really did please this old Unimonster, and transported me back to, if not better, then more carefree, days.



IN CONCLUSION

I’ll be the first to admit that this DVD isn’t for everyone. If you’re too young to remember the days of home movies shot on film, then you may be too young to understand the joys of dressing up as your favorite monster, in costumes rummaged out of your parent’s closet, and making five-minute versions of the monster movies you love.

But if you grew up with Forry and Zacherley, Sammy Terry and William Castle, then you understand exactly what I’m trying to say. You’re the ones that this disc was aimed at, and it would be a shame if you missed it.

Blood in Black Ink: The CCA & The ‘Other’ Monster Mags

While very few Monster fans of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s would list anything other than Forry Ackerman’s Famous Monsters of Filmland as the most influential magazine devoted to our favorite genre, it was far from the only one. Following the success of FMoF, dozens of Horror and Sci-Fi themed magazines sprang up virtually overnight. Most faded away just as quickly, titles such as Screen Chills, Modern Monster, and World Famous Creatures merely a dim memory in the minds of a few dedicated MonsterKids.

One of the best of these short-lived magazines was Fantastic Monsters of the Films, published by Paul Blaisdell and Bob Burns, two veterans of the 1950’s B-Monster culture. As Burns recounts in his excellent book, “It Came From Bob’s Basement!”, the experience was not a happy one, and ultimately ended with the Blaisdell’s utter disillusionment with the whole industry, and the end of their friendship. Unfortunately, its brief run ended years before I was born, and surviving copies are very difficult to find.

But nothing was going to supplant FM as the magazine of choice for movie information, at least as far as the young Unimonster was concerned. I was already getting the best movie news from Forry himself… Why would I need another “News” mag? No, my taste in monster mags went in quite a different direction.

I wanted stories to fire, as well as terrify, the imagination. I wanted ghouls, and vampires, and zombies rising up from the muck. I wanted blood spurting across the page… I wanted the legendary EC Comics I had long heard about, but had never seen. I wanted Tales from the Crypt and The Haunt of Fear, Shock Suspenstories and The Vault of Terror. But someone named Fredric Wertham had decreed, a decade before my birth, that such comics were “harmful” to the fragile minds of children. I learned at an early age an intense dislike for Wertham, the Comics Code Authority, and all they stood for.

Oh yes, there were horror comics to replace what had been lost, and I bought most of them, or as many of them as a dollar-a-week allowance would permit. (Remember, we’re talking 1973 or ’74, so that was quite chunk of change… at least, it was for a ten-year old Unimonster) DC had House of Mystery, House of Secrets, Tales of the Unexpected, and Ghosts. Gold Key had Ripley’s Believe it or Not True Ghost Stories. Marvel had… well, I was a DC loyalist, so I have no idea what Marvel had. Not that it would have mattered if I had, because all of these had one fatal flaw… they all fell under the watchful eye of that damned Comics Code Authority.

But I also learned that some publishers, not content to kowtow to the machinations of Wertham and the CCA, had figured out a way around the Code, and Dr. Wertham’s censorship. The CCA, they reasoned, applied only to Comic Books; therefore, don’t publish Comics, but rather Illustrated Magazines; oversized, printed in black & white rather than color. The first of these, not surprisingly, were the father & son team of William and Bill Gaines, the heads of the very same EC Comics that had started the controversy. Their breakthrough publication, Mad Magazine, soon inspired imitators throughout the industry.

Among the best of these was Skywald Publications, publishers of such magazines as Nightmare, Scream, and Psycho. Sticking closely to the formula that Bill Gaines proved successful fifteen years previously, their “Horror-Mood” group of magazines, with gruesome covers adorned with lurid titles such as “The Day The Earth Will DIE!” and “Monsters Battle Over The Blood Of ‘The Old Vampire Lady’!” never failed to grab my attention, though they were a rare sight in my neighborhood.

Another notable defier of the CCA was Warren Magazines, the home of Forry’s Famous Monsters. They began their battle in January of 1965, with the first issue of Creepy Magazine.

Creepy skirted the CCA the same way that Skywald’s Nightmare did, by not being a comic book. Their stories were as frightening, their artwork as gruesome, as the EC Comics I dreamt of reading, but these were free of that accursed stamp-like logo on the cover. Like Tales from the Crypt, it soon gained a host; a cadaverous old gentleman named, fittingly, Uncle Creepy.

Creepy was followed before 1965 ended by Eerie, similar in style and content, but never its equal in quality; at least not in my opinion. Both were good, and Warren got more than its share of my loot on both mags, as well as FM. Of course, Eerie needed its own host, a pudgy, Peter Lorre look-alike by the name of (go figure…) Cousin Eerie. Great imaginations, those people at Warren.

But one thing they did excel at was, quite simply, picking talented artists skilled at depicting the female form. And nowhere was this skill better utilized than on the covers and in the pages of Vampirella.

I don’t remember when I started buying Vampirella; I do know that it wasn’t as early as when I began buying the other horror mags in my collection. At that age, the adventures of a ‘girl vampire’ in a skimpy costume didn’t hold nearly as much attraction for me as did the zombies, witches, and werewolves of other mags. I do remember that there came a time when those Vampi covers began to look much more interesting, and soon, I was a regular reader. Thoughts of how Vampirella would have been impossible under the auspices of the CCA occasionally came to mind, and I was extremely grateful that there were publishers who resisted that faceless, bureaucratic, monolithic, bunch of… commies, who dared to dictate what I could see in my comics.

Well, I eventually learned that the dreaded enemy of my youth, the entity that I imagined hung like some great black cloud over the heads of the poor, oppressed writers and artists of the comics industry, was in fact that self-same industry.

Little had I known that this Stalinist figure I had imagined looking at each page of art before it went to press, tearing it to shreds in front of a cowering artist, was simply the industry’s effort to police itself to avoid stricter controls. And all the salaciousness that I thought had filled the EC comics that were the objects of my four-color desire would scarcely be noticed today, in these days of the Graphic Novel.

I had lost touch with the monster mags by the time I turned 17 or so. We moved to a small town in Tennessee, and I no longer saw them on the racks at the local store. College, and life, soon intervened, and I was completely unaware when Warren ceased publication in the early ‘80’s. All of my monster mags, all my comic books, everything that had filled my world when I was young was soon gone, seemingly lost into the void with my childhood.

But the memories remain… covers tight and glossy, pages flat and sharply white. My memories remain, unlike the real thing, always in mint condition.

DVD Review: Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection, Vol. 2

Title: Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection, Vol. 2

Year of Release—Film: Various

Year of Release—DVD: 2007

DVD Label: Universal Studios Home Entertainment / Best Buy® Exclusive



THE MOVIE(s)

It’s no secret that I love the cheesy, B-Grade sci-fi horrors of the 1950’s. In fact, next to the classic Universal Monsters of the ‘30’s and ‘40’s, there’s no type of genre film I enjoy more. This is the second collection of Sci-Fi gems Universal and Best Buy® have collaborated on, and I hope they keep them coming!
When I reviewed the first Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection last year, I said that the only faults I had with the set were the lack of special features, and the failure to include my favorite Giant Bug movie, THE DEADLY MANTIS. I am overjoyed to say that at least one of those faults has been corrected.

DR. CYCLOPS—(1940)

Though it seems an odd title for inclusion in this set, as it was originally produced by Paramount, and released in 1940, DR. CYCLOPS is certainly an entertaining film that has long deserved proper respect, and it definitely gets it here.
While the Special Effects are good, especially considering the age of the film, the story is a bit of a weak point. The characters are poorly drawn and badly acted, offering the viewer scant reason to care about their eventual fates. And though the plot would become overused in the following decade, here it was still sufficiently fresh that it helps, rather than hinders the film. It is an interesting concept, though it does tend to wander from point to point, but as I mentioned it does what it was intended to do.
One thing that cannot be faulted is the spectacular color photography, on a par with the best of the era. It is captured perfectly in the DVD transfer, and puts my ratty old VHS to shame.
While not my favorite film in this collection, this is an enjoyable one, and a nice addition to my DVD library.

CULT OF THE COBRA—(1955)

This is one that I had not seen before this collection, and I must admit that I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the movie. Though the premise is somewhat thin, and the film has often been derided, I found it to be very entertaining.
The cast is excellent, and would go on to comprise a who’s who of ‘60’s TV stars. Richard Long, Marshall Thompson, and David Janssen lead the way as GI’s who had witnessed a sacred ceremony while in Southwest Asia, calling down a curse upon their heads. Faith Domergue is the embodiment of that curse, (please someone, curse me with something like that!) as a priestess of the cult, a woman who can transform herself into a cobra… or a cobra that can change into a woman, whichever the case may be.
As I stated, the premise is thin… but no more so than most b-pictures of the ‘50’s. And like most of it’s peers, it holds up well enough when supported by competent acting and Francis Lyon’s workmanlike direction. The photography is Universal’s usually high quality effort, and what few special effects there are about average for the period.
On the whole, this is one of my favorite films in this set, and one that I’m glad to be able to check off my “Need” list.

THE LAND UNKNOWN—(1956)

This is another of those Universals that had escaped my efforts to add to the collection, and while I’m glad that I finally have it, I must admit that it fails to please as much as did the previous entry in this list. Though it’s not a bad film, the unusually feeble production values simply don’t serve the purpose here.
The cast, led by Jock Mahoney and Shawn Smith, does an adequate job, but they receive little in the way of support from anyone, including the screenwriters, special effects crew, or even the director, Virgil Vogel. The story is weak, the dialogue unrealistic, even by 1950’s standards, and the creature effects are even more so. In a production from AIP or Republic, you might accept a man in a rubber T-Rex suit… but not from Universal, which was producing state-of-the-art genre films in this period, films such as CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, THIS ISLAND EARTH, and THE MONOLITH MONSTERS. Especially in comparison to the pioneering suit-mation being done at that time by Toho Studios in Japan, the cheapness of the Clifford Stine effects really stand out.
The plot of the film is a simple one, and would be revisited with varied success throughout the 1960’s and ‘70’s. A helicopter carrying a team of researchers finds a hidden valley in Antarctica, with a tropical jungle environment and thriving prehistoric life. The team becomes stranded, and must survive their harsh surroundings. The same premise was followed much more satisfyingly in JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH several years later, and quite frankly, I’d rather watch that again.
Still, it is a Universal that I had not seen prior to this, and I am happy to include it in my collection.

THE DEADLY MANTIS—(1957)

This is my all-time favorite Giant Bug movie, and one that I have waited for years to see released to DVD. Though it generally is held in lower regard than 1954’s THEM, and while even I would have to admit that, objectively speaking, THEM is a much better story, I’ve always loved this film.
Once again the plot is familiar to fans of the B-Pictures of the 1950’s. An earthquake in the South Atlantic causes a reaction on the other side of the world, and a giant prehistoric mantis is released from its icy tomb. Resurrected, it begins hunting for food, and heading south for warmer climes. Along the way it runs afoul of a paleontologist, his photographer, and an Air Force officer (played well by William Hopper, Alix Talton, and Craig Stevens…). The supporting cast is good, as is Nathan Juran’s direction, helped immeasurably by a superb job of special effects from Clifford Stine.
Ok, so it’s not a great movie, and it does go a little overboard on it’s use of stock footage, but it’s still one of my favorite movies, and it’s inclusion in this set is a no-brainer.

THE LEECH WOMAN—(1960)

This is, in my opinion of course, the weakest film in the set, and one that I would’ve been happy to see put off in favor of a more deserving film from the Universal vaults, such as IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE.
The story concerns an elderly woman who learns a method of restoring her youth and beauty. The drawback is that the process requires a steady supply of fresh blood, and the effects wear off quickly.
The plot is convoluted and obtuse, and the dialogue is stiff at best… but seldom delivers its best. The acting is almost uniformly bad, and in every way, this resembles much more the type and quality of film coming from AIP or Allied Artists, not the great Universal.
Still, it is well presented here, and if it does happen to be a film you enjoy, then you’ll be pleased with this release.


THE DISC

The three-disc set is well done, and beautifully packaged. As is standard with releases from Universal Studios Home Entertainment, the movies are subtitled, always a plus with me, and the transfers are absolutely perfect, especially the DR. CYCLOPS print.



THE SPECIAL FEATURES

As usual with these Best Buy/Universal sets, this is the simplest section to write, as there are no special features, save for an occasional trailer.



IN CONCLUSION

Speaking as someone hopelessly addicted to the cheesy B-Movies of the 1950’s, I dream about sets such as this. The inclusion of my favorite of the Giant Bug movies certainly doesn’t hurt. While the exclusive nature of the Universal/Best Buy releases draws much criticism for making the discs hard to acquire and inflating the price, I fail to understand how that truly works a hardship on someone who really wants the sets. Best Buys are not scarce, and it’s always possible to purchase the discs on-line.
Still, it’s not a set that I would wait too long to pick up, unless you want to pay the exorbitant prices that the first set is commanding on eBay… upwards of $125.00 in some cases. There’s little doubt that, once supplies of this set dry up, it will begin to appreciate considerably. And if you love these movies as much as I, and have as little free cash as I, then you don’t want that to happen!

Uni's Trips from the Crypt: Horrorbles Horror & Science-Fiction Memorabilia, Berwyn, Illinois

When the Chicago-area horror landmark The House of Monsters closed recently, it left a void in the cold black hearts of horror-fans throughout Chicagoland. That was a void that John Aranza, owner of Horrorbles Horror & Science-Fiction Memorabilia sought to fill. And since opening his doors just over a year ago, both he and Horrorbles have become major players on the local horror scene.

Located in the historic suburb of Berwyn, on Roosevelt Rd., Horrorbles has rapidly become the place to go for those Chicago-area Horror fans needing a fix for their fright-filled addictions. Carrying everything from t-shirts to models to movies, Horrorbles is squeezed into a small, older building in this fashionable district, famous for being the home of long-time Chicago Horror-Host Svengoolie.

Svengoolie is a fixture in Chicago’s pop culture landscape, and Horrorbles has a close relationship with the 34-year veteran host. They are not only a sponsor of his program, airing twice each Saturday night, but they are the official supplier of rubber chickens to the show (one of the program’s trademarks is Sven being pelted with flocks of these birds at the end of each episode…). They offer the official chickens for sale, in both regular and autographed versions.

But Svengoolie isn’t the only big name associated with the store. In the eighteen months since it opened, Horrorbles has sponsored several events, including bringing Oscar©-winning actress Patricia Neal to town for a recent Science-Fiction film festival. They are also the exclusive dealer for a new line of Basil Gogos authorized t-shirts, and last year hosted a book signing for the “Famous Monsters” cover artist. Recently, they agreed to be the sole retailer for a well-known Horror-host’s private collection of memorabilia, as well as entering into a similar arrangement for one of the most prolific screenwriters from the heyday of Sci-Fi B-Movies.

However, that’s not why people are heading to Horrorbles six days a week (the store is closed Mondays…). That has much more to do with the store’s two strengths: Selection, and Service.

Horror fans are a diverse lot, and no two fans are looking for exactly the same thing. Whether your interest is the most recent copy of Rue Morgue; an original Remco Mummy, still on the card; or a Sideshow Toys Silver-Screen edition Dracula, chances are you’ll find it here. Aranza carries a wide variety of magazines, including many original Famous Monsters, and an excellent variety of movies, from early Silent horrors to J-Horror gorefests. However, the primary focus of Horrorbles is toys and models.

Aranza describes his philosophy as providing “a window back to the monster toys and monster memories of our youth.”

But should you be searching for something not in stock, that’s where the store’s excellent service comes into play. Simply ask Aranza, or his capable assistant Elizabeth Haney, and they will do their best to track it down for you. Not only are they collectors themselves, with a genuine love of the subject matter, but they have a wide network of friends and colleagues to whom they can reach out.

And if you aren’t in the Chicago area, there’s no need to despair; you too can shop Horrorbles… virtually, at http://www.horrorbles.com/. But if you’re planning to be in Chicago, then you definitely owe it to yourself to schedule a trip to Berwyn, and experience it first-hand. You won’t be disappointed.

[Horrorbles is located at:
6731 W. Roosevelt Rd.
Berwyn, IL 60402

Telephone: (708) 484-7370
E-mail: store@horrorbles.com

Store Hours: Noon-7pm, Tu-Fri., Noon-5pm Sat-Sun., Closed Mon.]

Lost but Found: Peter Jackson’s Recreation of the “Spider-Pit”

Between its initial release and the mid-1950’s, KING KONG underwent several cuts designed either to make the film conform to changing moral standards or to fit artificial time constraints. Most of the cuts came from the 1938 re-release of the film, and were mandated by the Hays Office. Most of these cuts were restored when an intact print was found in Great Britain in the early ‘70’s.

However, there was one sequence that was cut prior to the films general release, and this sequence does appear to be gone forever. This is the famous “Spider Pit” scene, which showed what happened to several of the crew of the Venture after Kong tossed the log into the chasm. There seems to be no doubt that this scene was shot; notes from Director Merian C. Cooper state that he removed it himself following poor audience reaction in test screenings. Fans and historians have searched for decades for this missing footage, to no avail. If, as it would seem, the sequence were cut from the negative prior to most of the prints being manufactured, then there simply may not be any footage to find.

However, thanks to the efforts of KING KONG remake Director Peter Jackson, we have the next best thing. He and his special effects crew at the WETA Workshop set out to reconstruct this lost scene, and they did it the old-fashioned way, with 1932 cameras identical to the ones Willis “Obie” O’Brien used to shoot the original sequence, and with painstakingly recreated animation models. They not only filmed it, they filmed how they did it, and included it on the original KING KONG Collector’s Edition DVD.

As I stated in my review of the KK33 Collector’s Edition, this was a labor of love on the part of Jackson, a life-long Kongophile. It had to have been: I’m sure that more money was spent on reproducing the few minutes of missing footage than was spent filming the original movie. Certainly, the time spent resurrecting long-forgotten techniques and obsolete equipment represented a significant allocation of resources, even for someone of Jackson’s means. Was it worth it?

As those involved in the project stated, their intention was never to “complete” the original KING KONG. They simply wanted to know what the missing sequence would have looked like, based on what information still survives about the scene. They began with a still that does survive, showing at least two crewmen standing alive in the pit, as a monstrous spider approaches. Using that as a jumping-off point, they used Obie’s sketches for the film, many from Jackson’s own collection, to recreate the various pit monsters.

As this was going on, Jackson and a small group of directors and screenwriters, including Frank Darabont, examined the original movie frame-by-frame, matching the filmed sequences to the shooting script for the film. In doing this, they made a significant discovery.

Many fans have wondered why, when the crew of the Venture began crossing the log-bridge, only to find Kong blocking the route, they didn’t just back up to the other side. Jackson and team found that, along with the pit sequence, footage was removed showing the crew being chased by a Styracosaurus onto the log, to be trapped there and flung to their deaths in the pit below. They decided to recreate this as well, and Jackson had an item in his collection that was particularly helpful in that: The original animation model of the Styracosaurus.

Originally built for use in O’Brien’s planned-but-never-filmed CREATION, it was resurrected for KING KONG, but its scenes were left on the cutting room floor. It did finally get its shot at stardom, however, when it was used in 1933’s SON OF KONG. With its foam rubber body rotting away, it was of course impossible to use for filming the recreation, but the animators were very curious to see how it had been constructed. Unable to see the armature (the model’s posable skeleton…) underneath the layers of rotting rubber, they did the next best thing: They took it to a local hospital for a full series of X-rays. (In an interesting side note, those of you who have the recent DVD tribute to Forry Ackerman, THE SCI-FI BOYS, look closely at one of the scenes of Forry giving a tour of the Ackermansion in the ‘70’s… there, in the background, sitting quietly on the shelf, is our friend the Styracosaurus, rotted rubber and all!)

This level of commitment and dedication was shown throughout the filming of the recreation, from using period photographic equipment to sampling Fay Wray’s unforgettable scream to use for constructing the various creature howls and roars. I may be in danger of redundancy, but you can feel the emotional attachment this group of filmmakers has for this classic movie.

So, after all this effort, was the finished product worth it? Yes, I think so. Is it what Cooper and Obie originally shot? No, but it’s probably close, damn close. And for me, as far as this is concerned, close is close enough.

DVD Review: KING KONG (1933)

Title: KING KONG (Collector’s Edition Tin-Boxed Set)

Year of Release—Film: 1933

Year of Release—DVD: 2005

DVD Label: Warner Home Video




THE MOVIE

How much do I need to say about this, perhaps the greatest Monster movie of all time? This movie was the progenitor of every Giant Animal film that followed, from GOJIRA to EIGHT-LEGGED FREAKS; it continues to thrill generations of monster fans; and it has inspired dozens of future filmmakers, from Ray Harryhausen to Peter Jackson.

The brainchild of Merian C. Cooper and Ernest Schoedsack, (whose real lives are worthy of an adventure film or three…) KING KONG is the story of Carl Denham, a filmmaker who specializes in wildlife pictures, who’s been told by the executives that he needs some romance in his films, some beauty… in short, a woman. Desperate to find someone, anyone willing to undertake a long sea voyage for the chance at fame and fortune, he begins searching out the skid row flophouses and soup kitchens.

About to give up, he intercedes in an altercation between a fruit vendor and a young woman. Denham comes to the girl’s assistance, and realizes that he has found his star. Her name is Ann Darrow, and she is soon convinced that this is her ticket out of the poverty of Depression-era New York. She quickly finds herself aboard the Venture, bound for Indonesia, and for terror.

Kong was brought marvelously to life by the genius of Willis O’Brien. Obie, as he was known, began his career in the art of Stop-Motion Animation with the 1918 film THE GHOST OF SLUMBER MOUNTAIN, and became recognized as the leading animator in Hollywood with 1925’s THE LOST WORLD. With KING KONG, Obie hit his professional zenith, designing creatures and effects that still fascinate and amaze audiences, most notably Kong himself.

But the big ape wasn’t the only star of the movie, and this film elevated his leading lady to legendary status. Fay Wray was one of the rising stars in the Hollywood of the early ‘30’s, and had been since appearing in Erich von Stroheim’s 1928 film THE WEDDING MARCH. Beginning in 1932, she appeared in several Horror Films, most notably THE MYSTERY IN THE WAX MUSEUM, earning her the title of the Screen’s first “Scream Queen.” If those films had been her entire contribution to the genre, she would still be fondly remembered by Horror fans, but her starring role in KING KONG forever cemented her place in film history.

Taken as a whole, this film must rate as one of the greatest achievements in cinematic history. Everything about it is superlative, as demonstrated by the effect it still has on audiences today, 73 years after it premiered.

As soon as I got my set, I sat down to watch it. My mother, three years Kong’s elder, had never seen the film and, much to my surprise, decided to join me. To my continued surprise, she loved the movie. The fact that KING KONG can still connect with viewers so long after it was released simply proves its greatness.



THE DISC

In my year-end 2005 in review column over in CreatureScape’s The Unimonster’s Crypt, I called this the DVD release of the year, and two years worth of subsequent releases haven’t changed my opinion at all. In fact, if I’m still doing this in January 2011, it just might win Release of the Decade.

First, the film itself is the best looking print I’ve ever seen of KONG, with all the footage that was edited out in 1938 restored from an intact print found in Great Britain. Though this footage was found and restored in the ‘70’s, the movie has received a thorough cleaning and restoration for this release, and it really benefits from the process.

Add in the multiple subtitle and audio tracks and you have one of the best two-disc sets you likely to see.



THE SPECIAL FEATURES

To say that this collection has some special features is like saying Bill Gates has a little cash. This baby is packed; it seems that WHV really wanted to please the fans of the film with this offering, and they succeeded. The list of extras contained in the KING KONG Collector's Edition Tin-Box set includes (courtesy of www.imdb.com):

2-Disc Special Edition DVD

Collectible tin packaging
20-page reproduction of original 1933 souvenir program
King Kong memorable scenes postcards
Vintage King Kong poster mail-in offer

Disc 1: The Movie

Original 1933 Film classic in Glorious Black and White, Newly Restored and Digitally Mastered
Commentary by Ray Harryhausen and Ken Ralston, with Merian C. Cooper and Fay Wray
Merian C. Cooper Movies Trailer Gallery

Disc 2: King-Sized Special Features

I'm King Kong!: The Exploits of Merian C. Cooper -- 2005 documentary
RKO Production 601: The Making of Kong, Eighth Wonder of the World - 7 Part Documentary including...
The Origins of "King Kong"
Willis O'Brien and "Creation"
Cameras Roll on Kong, The Eighth Wonder
A Milestone in Visual Effects
Passion, Sound and Fury
The Mystery of the Lost "Spider Pit" Sequence
King Kong’s Legacy
Creation Test Footage with Commentary by Ray Harryhausen

I’m not sure where to begin with this… it’s simply overwhelming, in both quantity and quality. For example, the 1933 souvenir program is a reproduction of one that was given out at the premiere… and that had been bound with a sheet copper cover. While WHV didn’t go to quite that extent in reproducing it, the cover of the reproduction has been given a coppery metallic sheen, neatly replicating the look, if not the heft, of the original.

But the jewel of the special features, at least for me, is the 7-part documentary RKO 601: THE MAKING OF ‘KONG, THE EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD’. At over two-and-a-half hours in length, it’s one of the most informative and entertaining “making-of” documentaries I’ve had the pleasure to watch. And while the documentary as a whole is excellent, the highlight has to be the look at how Peter Jackson’s WETA workshop ‘recreated’ the lost Spider-Pit sequence, using hand-made duplicates of the original animation models and 1932 equipment in an attempt to faithfully reproduce the original look and feel of the film. Only someone with a true love of the original movie would go to such trouble and expense, and Jackson’s reverence for the film is clearly displayed.

I could go for another 10 pages on the bonus features included with this disc, but suffice it to say that if you’re a Kongophile, you’ll be happy.




IN CONCLUSION

I remember when I first looked my Universal Monster Legacy Set over, thinking that no one was going to top this Collection. I was actually surprised to be proven wrong, and in such a short time frame. I doubt it will happen again, at least so quickly. With a $40 list price this set’s not cheap, but how can I not recommend it? You can find it cheaper, Deep Discount DVD currently shows it for less than $30, but this isn’t the set to pinch pennies over. If you’re a Kong fan, and since you’ve come to the Crypt I’ll wager you are, then you have to have this set in your collection. Yes, you could buy a bare-bones stripped clean disc with just the movie… and you’ll save twenty bucks. I say splurge… you won’t regret it.

Silent Screams: Ten Silent Horrors Every Fan Should Own

Anyone who’s even a casual student of film knows that, from the earliest days of cinema until 1927, the movies were silent. There was usually a musical accompaniment, but the film itself did not carry a sound track. There was no dialogue, no sound effects. Thus, over thirty years worth of film history has been written off by fans who, for one reason or another, refuse to watch a silent film. That’s unfortunate, especially for fans of horror. Many of the most influential Horror and Science-Fiction films extant, films that continue to inspire filmmakers today, are silent, and should be seen by everyone who considers themselves Horror Fans.

Personally speaking, I’ve long had a love of silent film, ever since the day I watched a screening of F. W. Murnau’s 1922 classic NOSFERATU at a school Halloween carnival when I was a first-grader. There was absolutely no sound… no music, nothing save the click-clack of the projector and the quiet hum of it’s cooling fan—and the startled gasps of a tent full of children as Count Orlok climbed the staircase to the bedroom of Ellen Hutter.

That scene had a power to impress itself upon the consciousness that wasn’t dependent on dialogue or an evocative score; visual cues were all we had to go by, and our minds absorbed the play of every shadow on that staircase. That’s the beauty of silent film: It strips away the distractions, and leaves nothing but the visual medium on which to focus.

In little over thirty years of Silent Cinema, some of the greatest films in history were produced, many of these genre films. This is my list of ten of those films, ten that should be in every collection. Though subjective, I do believe that these are the “Essentials”, the ones that are too important to miss.

1.) NOSFERATU-EINE SYMPHONIE DES GRAUENS ~aka~ NOSFERATU-A SYMPHONY OF HORROR—F. W. Murnau—1922: Very nearly a “lost” film, as Bram Stoker’s widow sued successfully to have the film destroyed for infringing on the Dracula copyright, NOSFERATU stands as one of the most influential Horror Films ever made. Coming at the height of the German “Expressionistic” movement, Murnau’s skillful use of light and shadow, the stylized look of the sets, and the design of Max Schreck’s make-up, all serve to create an unforgettable visual narrative. Most of it works very well, even after 85 years. What doesn’t age as well are the stiff, wooden performances from most of the cast. Still, this is a true classic, one that never fails to reveal new facets of itself.

2.) DAS KABINETT DES DOKTOR CALIGARI ~aka~ THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI—Robert Wiene—1919: Perhaps the first true Horror Film, it single-handedly gave birth to the aforementioned “Expressionist” movement in German cinema, though how it came to pass was something of an ‘unintended consequence.’ Germany was plunged into economic devastation following its defeat in World War I; consequently, even the cost of lighting film productions was prohibitive. Robert Wiene, who was well known in art circles but had little experience in film, asked the leaders of a new school of art to design and create sets that would look good without the need for expensive lighting effects. The result was a visual style that would influence the next twenty years of Horror Films.

3.) THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA—Rupert Julian—1925: The most important American Horror Film of the silent era, this is the film that made Universal a great studio, and cemented Lon Chaney, Sr.’s status as a great star. The sheer scale of the production was enormous, and marked a major commitment for Universal Studios. The Paris Opera House set still survives, at least as recently as 2001, and still sees occasional use.

4.) METROPOLIS—Fritz Lang—1927: One of the first Science-Fiction films, Lang’s social commentary is one of the most powerful films of the ‘20’s. Composed of striking visuals and a frenetic pace of action, this film established Lang as a master of the genre film.

5.) THE CAT AND THE CANARY—Paul Leni—1927: One of the first, and certainly the best, of the “old dark house” style of mystery thrillers, THE CAT AND THE CANARY originated as a stage play in 1922. When noted German filmmaker Paul Leni brought it to the screen for Universal, little did he know that he was drafting the blueprint for the great Universal Horrors of the 1930’s and ‘40’s. Leni, who would die of toxemia in 1929 at the age of forty-four, made skillful use of shadows, cobwebs, and secret passages, conventions that would become trademarks of movies such as DRACULA, FRANKENSTEIN, and THE BLACK CAT.

6.) THE UNKNOWN—Tod Browning—1927: Of the more than 100 films Lon Chaney made during his life, fewer than forty survive, and this is one of his best. Directed by Tod Browning, who had been raised in a circus and never lost his affinity for the bizarre and grotesque, this is Chaney’s crowning achievement in contortion. Playing Alonzo the Armless, Chaney learned to do everything, from throwing a knife to lighting a cigarette, with his feet. Alonzo is in love with Nanon, the circus-owner’s daughter. Nanon, played by Joan Crawford, has a deep psychological aversion to a man’s touch, thus making her the perfect object of Alonzo’s affections. What follows is a haunting psychological horror, laden with sexual overtones, as we see to just what depths a twisted man will sink for love.

7.) HÄXAN ~aka~ WITCHCRAFT THROUGH THE AGES—Benjamin Christensen—1920: Part documentary, part horror film, this Swedish import is one of the most visually unique of the first era of Horror. Rarely seen in it’s original form, due to the scenes of Satanic rituals and frequent nudity, it’s recently been released to DVD from The Criterion Collection, in its complete state.

8.) THE LOST WORLD—Harry Hoyt—1925: Though Willis O’Brien’s Dinosaur creations appear crude in comparison to the work he would do a short eight years later in KING KONG, they were head and shoulders above anything anyone else was doing at the time. The script, based on a story by Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is rambling and incoherent, and Hoyt might as well have telegraphed his direction in from home. Not that it mattered; this was Obie’s movie, and his monsters carried the day perfectly well.

9.) THE LODGER—Alfred Hitchcock—1926: Not Hitchcock’s first film, but certainly the first that foretold the brilliance of the man who would become the genre’s greatest director. Based loosely on the Jack the Ripper murders, this movie displays many of the hallmarks of Hitchcock’s latter films, and should be a must-see for fans of the director.

10.) DER GOLEM ~aka~ THE GOLEM—Paul Wegener—1920: Not the first film version Wegener directed of the Gustav Meyrink novel, but the only one that survives, a valid argument can be made that this film is the direct ancestor of James Whale’s FRANKENSTEIN; certainly more so than the 1910 Edison film. Visually impressive, it is one of the great masterpieces of the German cinema.

If you’re a fan of Silent Film, then these movies are probably familiar to you; at least, most will be. If not, then consider this list a jumping-off point for an exploration of early cinema. Silent movies have much that they can offer the viewer, and while it is a different experience, it is also one that is very rewarding. I think it would be unfortunate to miss out on that experience, just for the want of a soundtrack.

DVD Review: SCREAMING DEAD

Title: SCREAMING DEAD

Year of Release—Film: 2004

Year of Release—DVD: 2004

DVD Label: Shock-O-Rama Cinema




THE MOVIE

Shock-O-Rama Cinema has a certain reputation in Horror circles, and not an altogether bad one. Though they are an admittedly low-grade producer and distributor of Horror Films, churning out, for the most part, no-budget, shot-on-video gorefests, that doesn’t mean they aren’t good Horrors. Monogram was able to produce some quality films in the 1940’s, just as Amicus was in the ‘70’s and New Line in the ‘80’s. Every era has it’s low-budget studio turning out reel after reel, or in this case disc after disc, of good, solid, horror entertainment. There may not be an Oscar winner in the bunch, but they deliver what’s promised. Though SCREAMING DEAD may not win any awards, it’s a good little Horror Film, one that delivers what it promises.

A famous photographer rents an old haunted building for a photo-shoot, and arrives with several gorgeous models, including the “star” of the film, Misty Mundae; a cute young assistant; (Heidi Kristoffer, in a very good performance…) and the representative of the property-owner in tow. The photographer proceeds to subject his models to various staged “torture” situations for his photographs. This activity awakens the hostile, sadistic spirit of a man named Rossiter, who enacts in fact what the photographer staged for fantasy. Rossiter, well-played by Kevin Shinnick, (who, in the interests of full disclosure, is an acquaintance of this reviewer…) proceeds to hack his way through most of the cast in varied and imaginative ways.

In effect a remake of the 1965 Italian film THE CRIMSON EXECUTIONER ~aka~ BLOODY PIT OF HORROR, SCREAMING DEAD benefits from having a coherent script and, for the most part, decent acting… two factors the original lacked. Let’s be honest… this movie’s not likely to win any awards. But it does what I require of any movie—it entertains me.



THE DISC

Shock-O-Rama is one of those companies that always seem to deliver value for the Horror-fan’s dollar. They turn out a reliable, quality product, and this disc is no different. The print is crisp and clean, and the audio is sharp. There are no subtitles, however, which would be a plus. Overall, though, a very well done project from Shock-O-Rama.



THE SPECIAL FEATURES

For what is essentially a bargain-rate movie from a low-budget distributor, this is a surprisingly well-planned and executed disc. There are several special features, including a making-of featurette, as well as an interview segment with the director, Brett Piper, and several of the cast. There’s a Documentary on Misty Mundae, Shock-o-Rama’s Queen of Screams, and additional photo galleries and such. Not a bad package for such a low-budget effort.



IN CONCLUSION

As I said, this movie wasn’t in the Oscar hunt, and deservedly so. Still, for less than $20, you can have a good, thoroughly enjoyable Gorefest to add to your collection. May not be your first choice when video shopping… but don’t be too quick to pass it by.