Happy Birthday Peter Cushing

Today is the birthday of the late, great Peter Cushing. Born May 26, 1913, he would have been 98. Here's to Peter Cushing, a true one of a kind

It's a MADHOUSE!

In celebration of our triple distilled week of horror icon birthdays here are a couple of pieces from the Movie MADHOUSE, which stars Peter Cushing and Vincent Price. What a unique and talented pair, and Robert Quarry appears in this one as well.

House of Long Shadows

Yet another movie featuring all three of this week's birthday boogie boys is House of Long Shadows. Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Vincent Price - PLUS the great John Carradine and... Desi Arnez Jr. Huh? Yep, you heard right... someone, somewhere, got all these horror icons together then figured it would be a good idea to give the lead role to Desi Arnez Jr. Yeeaaah, right. Made in 1983 it is a comedy with horror elements, kind of an old dark house mystery movie about a writer who accepts a dare that he can write a great horror novel in 24 hours. he heads to an abandoned mansion to write - and soon finds the mansion isn't as abandoned as he hoped.

Despite Desi the movie is still enjoyable, and worth seeing if only to see all these veteran horror actors on the screen together.

Triple Distilled Horror!

This is an big week in the world of horror cinema - historically speaking, that is. This week celebrates the birthdays of not one, not two, but THREE horror icons!

On May 26, 1913 Peter Cushing was born. The following Day, May 27 marks the birthday of both Vincent Price (1911) and Christopher Lee (1922).

Pretty cool that all three legendary horror actors were born so close together, and even cooler that they all acted together in a couple of films. The poster above is one of those - SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN. Made in 1970, it actually features very little of these three stars, and in fact they are not ever all on the screen together. But regardless, it is neat to have them all in the same movie, and this poster is a beaut!

Wonderfest Video

This is a 30 min video shot by Cameron McCasland just sort of cruising around the Wonderfest convention in Louisville, Ky, giving you a taste of some of the stuff the convention has to offer. I'm in here real briefly along with Frank Dietz, David Colton, Tim Lucas, and more!

The Revenge of Frankenstein's monster - not very monstruous

Here's another awesome poster for Revenge of Frankenstein featuring an illustration the monster, who is nowhere near as cool looking in the film as this poster. The monster of this film is interesting, however, even if not really very scary. He has more screen time and character development than the Christopher Lee monster from the previous film. The Baron has moved to a new town and set up shop as a physician under the name Dr. Stein, and is performing community service helping the poor and needy. Seems he's turned over a new leaf... or has he?

True to form, Frankenstein has set up a secret lab elsewhere and enlisted the aid of a new faithful sidekick Fritz, a hunchbacked lab assistant. He is pilfering body parts from the medical clinic to continue his experiments. The assistant is an interesting development as Hammer was very careful in the first film to keep their version different from the Universal version - yet here they use both a hunchback assistant and the name Fritz, which was the assistant's name in the original Universal film. Writer Jimmy Sangster was undoubtedly aware of these elements from the Universal film, and must have added them as a bit of a nod of the cap to the James Whale version.

A young ambitious medical doctor named Hans recognizes Frankenstein. However, he doesn't turn him in to the authorities... He is, instead, eager to learn from the Baron, and enlists as his pupil and assistant. Together they work to create a new body to transplant the brain of Fritz into. Fritz, sick of his crippled shell, is eager to move into his new fleshy residence. They successfully transplant his brain and move him to a room near the clinic to heal.

Frankenstein tells Hans that as long as the Fritz/monster has sufficient time to heal the transplantation will be successful. They strap him to a bed to keep him from moving about, and leave him in this room. Creature/Fritz escapes his bonds and makes his way back to the Baron's lab. His intent is to destroy his old body in an incinerator. While there a watchman hears him moving around in the lab. Mistaking him for a burglar he gives him a severe beating, which damages the brain and turns him into an angry beast. He attacks and kills the watchman, the begins to slowly revert back to the misshapen form he had before - his hump returns, along with his limp and curled arm and his features contort to resemble the monster on the poster. But ultimately he just isn't really a very convincing monster, just a guy with a hump, limp, forehead scar and a scrunched up face.

It is too bad, because the doctor is a fascinating character and they really give him some terrific character development in this film. Hans is a welcome addition too, and the dynamic between the two as they work together to push the boundaries of science works really well. Frankenstein openly flaunting his presence in a new town, rather than skulking about in the shadows is brilliant, and completely in character. Unfortunately the third chapter in the Hammer Frankenstein doesn't continue this storyline and abandons the continuity. Sangster's two films work together perfectly and it would have been interesting to see where he would have taken the series in the future.

We Dare you to see it... We double-dare you to forget it!

Poster for The Revenge of Frankenstein, the Hammer follow up to Curse of Frankenstein. Gotta love that tagline! This sequel to the first Hammer Frankenstein picks up right where the original leaves off. The Baron is headed for the gullotine. We see the blade drop and the scene cuts to a pair of graverobbers trying to make a quick buck exhuming a body. They are interrupted by none other than the baron himself - who has escaped the grave.

This is a really good movie and I appreciate that it is a direct sequel. After this one the continuity is tossed out the window, which is a shame. Other than the fact that Cushing plays the Baron in each there is little to tie the movies together. The monster is something of a dissapointment in this one - not really all that monstrous looking. Frankenstein transplants the brain of his hunchbacked, crippled assistant into the body he's created. But plans run awry, as one might suspect. "If they'd only leave me alone to work," screams Frankenstein. Indeed.

Scary Monsters #79

On Noosestands soon - Scary Monsters #79, a blood sucking Vampire themed issue! Here is the cover, another Terry Beatty monsterpiece - I smell a Rondo nomination!! Check out the vamp in the lower right corner - that's THE COUNT OF FIVE, played by Bob McGehee, a local TN horror host who was on the air in the 1970's and who I interview in this issue. Look for it soon!

Revenge of Frankenstein

Continuing the theme of Hammer Frankenstein films here is a gorgeous poster for the second film in Hammer Studio's Frankenstein franchise, Revenge of Frankenstein. Interesting that is was done completely in illustration, no photographs. Not suitable for children. Love it!

Wonderfest 2011Report

I'm back from Wonderfest this past weekend and the show was terrific. Saturday evening I hosted the Dreadful HallowGreen Special live with special guests Penny Dreadful, Garou the Werewolf, the BobBot and Bob Burns. Excellent time and the crowd seemed to really enjoy it. Afterwards I did a short Q&A with Caroline Monroe before they showed her movie STARCRASH.

Fun times - the pics below are taken by Tom StillaBower, and stolen off FB - Thanks Tom!!

Free Comic Book Day Appearance

Last Saturday May 7, 2011for Free Comic Book Day I made an appearance at Outer Limits Comics in Murfreesboro, TN. The store was packed all day long, and I shot a little video asking some of the customers - What's your favorite Horror Movie?

Wonderfest Weekend!

I'll be at the Wonderfest convention in Louisville, KY this weekend along with my director, Cameron McCasland, and fellow hosts Penny Dreadful and Garou the werewolf. We'll be hosting the Dreadful HallowGreen Special there - come see us if you're in the area. We have some really special surprises in store for the show that you won't want to miss!! We'll also have copies of the special with us, so catch me or Penny to get your copy!! See you there!

Do You Know Your DRACULA Facts?

The following poster is one distributed in 1979 for the Universal Frank Langella Dracula film. It is a list of facts you need to know before experiencing Dracula - interesting although a little dubious on some of the historic claims. Fun promotional material I wish studios would bring back.

Rare Behind the Scenes footage of Peter Cushing

Peter Cushing on the set of Frankenstein Created Woman. Really interesting behind the scenes look at Bray Studios circa 1967.

Happy Mother's Day

Wishing a Happy Mother's Day to all the mummies out there. Hope it's a good one! In honor of the day here's a terrific video someone posted on YouTube putting Psycho to Danzig's "Mother" - awesome!

"Curse of the Werewolf" 50th Anniversary Screening

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the amazing Hammer film CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF, one of the finest werewolf pictures ever made. And to mark the event, there is a live screening at Pitzer College  in

Claremont, California. It is, alas, too far away for this Tennessee based ghoul to attend, but for my friends on the West coast, make plans now!!

Saturday, May 7 · 5:00pm - 7:30pm

Pitzer College
1050 N. Mills Ave
Claremont, California