tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48462939728805174662024-03-17T09:10:08.621-07:00Films From Beyond the Time BarrierRediscover vintage celluloid wonders, genre gems, and B movies that have been overlooked and under-appreciated. This blog focuses on cinematic horror, sci-fi, fantasy and thrillers from the 1930s through the 1980s (and sometimes beyond).Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.comBlogger264125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-63593388549389277982024-02-23T09:54:00.000-08:002024-02-23T16:29:58.059-08:00Men are from Earth, Women are from Venus: Queen of Outer Space<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 8px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAmSAI4PyqLR1AxH5-HDLTcOHsssbcmkoaU45duychCS8E-mVEUk6sz_yH28F79eNCSkEoneBdb__Rg3CRMfbdtkXa3c3cKE8MDwlV8CHPy4sawK0qN1fODa8fNB3y2No-mwjxS0P4Ne8ktYF1IC7Jywj81r8s6dV2xBA60UgnnzqBduC0oiMxAFunN0Q/s470/queenofouterspace_poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Poster - Queen of Outer Space (1958)" border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="305" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAmSAI4PyqLR1AxH5-HDLTcOHsssbcmkoaU45duychCS8E-mVEUk6sz_yH28F79eNCSkEoneBdb__Rg3CRMfbdtkXa3c3cKE8MDwlV8CHPy4sawK0qN1fODa8fNB3y2No-mwjxS0P4Ne8ktYF1IC7Jywj81r8s6dV2xBA60UgnnzqBduC0oiMxAFunN0Q/w208-h320/queenofouterspace_poster.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>Now Playing: </b><b><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052104/" target="_blank">Queen of Outer Space</a> </i></b>(1958)</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pros:</b> Shot in glorious Cinemascope; Exotic Zsa Zsa Gabor is campy gold as a Venusian scientist
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<b>Cons:</b> Talky, set-bound and slow moving; Recycled props, costumes and plot make it seem hang-dog and threadbare in spite of the lush cinematography</span></div>
<p><span style="font-size: large;">Has it really been a year since the last <a href="https://takinguproom.com/2024/02/23/the-sixth-so-bad-its-good-blogathon-has-arrived/" target="_blank">“So Bad It’s Good” blogathon</a> hosted by Rebecca at <i>Taking Up Room</i>? I’m no astrophysicist, but it seems like time is speeding up as this blue marble we call Earth makes its shaky way around the Sun.
</span></p><p>Last year I wrote about some would-be occupiers of Earth, the pop-eyed <i><a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2023/02/popeye-spaceman-killers-from-space.html" target="_blank">Killers from Space</a></i>. The year before that, it was all about the megalomaniacal <i><a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2022/02/the-great-brain-robbery-brain-from.html" target="_blank">Brain from Planet Arous</a></i> that wanted to install itself as Earth’s ruler, as well as sample some of the planet’s sensual pleasures by taking over the bodies of unsuspecting earthmen.</p>
<p>Carrying the theme forward, this time around I decided to upgrade from putative rulers to actual space royalty. Ruling Earth is one thing, but the entirety of outer space is a whole other ball of wax. If anyone is up to the task, it's the stylish and accomplished women of Venus, as depicted in the 1958 B space opera <i>Queen of Outer Space</i>. </p>
<p>But before we get into the details of the Venusian royal court, a bit of background. <i>Queen of Outer Space</i> came out at the height of Cold War mania, occasioned by the Russians’ launch of Sputnik 1 the year before, beating the good ol’ U.S. of A. into space.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3rWpcFj6ST-ZN2cbKs8AFtywQbmuZhhmHcomvLAEQgE8gEg19v2ANRtQPWgAeB2VVIgVCaxXf8qr3WsiCRe28E1o6nylCG96ftP4AaijX7LlhYhwoFI1ipws8CSMWlUMV1VL5tstaAQzJ7D_O2_a4XGgknNLKNNHHFFpq-CHfi_JbayPrNanP6_B4yVg/s520/queenofouterspace_sputnik.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="NASA photo - Replica of Sputnik 1" border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="520" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3rWpcFj6ST-ZN2cbKs8AFtywQbmuZhhmHcomvLAEQgE8gEg19v2ANRtQPWgAeB2VVIgVCaxXf8qr3WsiCRe28E1o6nylCG96ftP4AaijX7LlhYhwoFI1ipws8CSMWlUMV1VL5tstaAQzJ7D_O2_a4XGgknNLKNNHHFFpq-CHfi_JbayPrNanP6_B4yVg/w400-h326/queenofouterspace_sputnik.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In retrospect, it's hard to see what all the fuss was about.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>At a time when our rockets kept blowing up on the launch pad, it seemed like the Soviets could do no wrong, and were set to make space a Red domain. But if there was an existential struggle between the so-called free world and scary communism going on, you wouldn’t have known it from watching Hollywood sci-fi. Instead, it was the war between the sexes that achieved escape velocity and was being bitterly fought in outer space.</p>
<p>Incongruously for an era characterized by stay-at-home moms and <i>Father Knows Best</i> paternalism, B movie astronauts kept encountering female-dominated societies in their space explorations (and often the crews of the Earth spaceships included women -- see my post on <a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2020/06/whats-nice-girl-like-you-doing-on.html" target="_blank">women astronauts in ‘50s sci-fi.</a>) </p>
<ul><li>1953: In <i>Abbott and Costello Go to Mars</i>, the comedic duo blast off for the red planet, take a detour through New Orleans, then end up on Venus, where the beautiful female inhabitants have banished all males.</li>
<li>1953: An expedition to the moon (which includes a female navigator) finds breathable air in a lunar cavern, giant moon spiders, and a menacing group of leotard-clad <i>Cat-Women of the Moon</i>.</li>
<li>1954: After a devastating Martian war between the sexes in which the females emerged victorious, Nyah, the <i>Devil Girl from Mars</i>, is dispatched to Earth to collect male specimens to help repopulate her home planet (see my review <a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2022/04/astonishing-alien-robot-invasions-part.html" target="_blank">here</a>).</li>
<li>1956: Upon landing on the 13th moon of Jupiter, an expedition discovers the beautiful <i>Fire Maidens of Outer Space, </i>their old male guardian, and a ratty beast-man, the remnants of the lost civilization of Atlantis.</li>
<li>1958: It’s deja-vu all over again as yet another <i>Missile to the Moon</i> lands, discovers breathable air, giant spiders, and yes, another tribe of scheming Moon women.</li> </ul>
<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPr6ePcsgrIdkIMCFIqFVf51A-VjQd7r4FsubfDxTgiwpzshKHUAQyx-6bjgQ9uFnL_ak1yPJTESWzRGcbzQME7MoEVqZMLTo6OfxD34oTIG6V9ZU0yMD4mfO0v4pS0cTGJY2hnBqMVQuvslqMRgfTezzV-ZMiFbsdkdjRmB9LOSPfFtFA0fca1FXxPQko/s520/queenofouterspace_spiderattack.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - A giant spider attacks an astronaut in Queen of Outer Space (1958)" border="0" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPr6ePcsgrIdkIMCFIqFVf51A-VjQd7r4FsubfDxTgiwpzshKHUAQyx-6bjgQ9uFnL_ak1yPJTESWzRGcbzQME7MoEVqZMLTo6OfxD34oTIG6V9ZU0yMD4mfO0v4pS0cTGJY2hnBqMVQuvslqMRgfTezzV-ZMiFbsdkdjRmB9LOSPfFtFA0fca1FXxPQko/s16000/queenofouterspace_spiderattack.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Next to space Amazons, giant spiders were the biggest threat to '50s B movie astronauts.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><i>Queen of Outer Space</i> was the culmination of the ‘50s space Amazon trope, with the added attraction of exotic <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001248/" target="_blank">Zsa Zsa Gabor</a> looking absolutely fabulous in her stylish space outfits.</p>
<p>Publicity for previous films had bragged of casts made up of “Hollywood Cover Girls” (<i>Cat-Women of the Moon</i>) or assorted beauty contest winners, but <i>Queen of Outer Space</i> stood out by having an authentic Hollywood glamor queen heading up the troupe.</p>
<p>Zsa Zsa was a Celebrity with a capital ‘C’ who appeared in films and TV, but was best known for her extravagant social life. By 1958 she had already been married 3 times, but the Hungarian man-eater was only getting started -- she would chew up and spit out 6 more husbands before she was through (!!). </p>
<p>With images of glamorous Zsa Zsa front-and-center on the poster and various publicity stills for the film, you might think that she was the Queen, but you’d be mistaken. The titular character was actually portrayed by <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0593523/" target="_blank">Laurie Mitchell</a>, a beauty queen turned B movie regular who also played an alien femme fatale in <i>Missile to the Moon</i>, released the same year. But even with her royal title, there was no competing with Zsa Zsa, as Mitchell’s character wore a weird bejeweled mask for much of the film (we'll get to that a bit later). </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd16w9U7UZmyY7evWEq6Aqy2SVPSf4EPr8XvH3R5-yaDkgKWRYcsOFlzxLQMt6b0fHaRAdvmf6ukSYZ_74zD7DSOsVifhL0mYziWjWNQHVS6MDpH_H9l2airaLwW3GjeAN6-3Xv4Vfo0lFjJDPmiIVsO1RpwmnQDTijKLMHAeSzJaSU2ofVbCSFobsQivr/s520/queenofouterspce_groupshot.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - The cast of Queen of Outer Space (1958) assemble for the thrilling denouement" border="0" data-original-height="241" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd16w9U7UZmyY7evWEq6Aqy2SVPSf4EPr8XvH3R5-yaDkgKWRYcsOFlzxLQMt6b0fHaRAdvmf6ukSYZ_74zD7DSOsVifhL0mYziWjWNQHVS6MDpH_H9l2airaLwW3GjeAN6-3Xv4Vfo0lFjJDPmiIVsO1RpwmnQDTijKLMHAeSzJaSU2ofVbCSFobsQivr/s16000/queenofouterspce_groupshot.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The participants ready themselves for the talent portion of the 'Queen of Outer Space' competition.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">Synopsis</h4>
<p>In the far off, far out year of 1985, a spaceship is being readied for take-off. The crew, consisting of Captain Neal Patterson (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0281661/" target="_blank">Eric Fleming</a>), Lt. Mike Cruze (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0932565/" target="_blank">Dave Willock</a>) and Lt. Larry Turner (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0910611/" target="_blank">Patrick Waltz</a>), is assigned to take top space scientist Prof. Konrad (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0083280/" target="_blank">Paul Birch</a>) to a remote space station, where some sort of trouble is brewing.</p>
<p>The crew grumble about the boring nature of the mission, but it becomes anything but routine when enroute to the station, they see a laser-like beam slashing through space. As they watch on the viewscreen, the beam hones in on the space station, which blows up in spectacular fashion.</p>
<p>The ship then gets caught up in the mysterious beam, but instead of blowing up, it accelerates to the point where the instruments can’t keep up. They crash land on a planet with breathable air and lush vegetation. From the instrument readings, the Prof. deduces that they’ve landed on Venus.</p>
<p style="background-color: #a5f09f; padding: 6px;">
<b>Frontiers of Science</b><br />
Capt. Neal Patterson: “You don't just accidentally land on a planet 36 million miles away!”
<br />
Prof. Konrad: “It would appear that all things are possible in space.” [<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052104/quotes/?item=qt0233680" target="_blank">IMDb</a>]</p>
<p>The crew and the professor build a camp and take turns keeping watch, but inevitably Mike dozes off and they’re suddenly surrounded by raygun-toting female Venusians who look like they stepped off the set of the original <i>Star Trek</i> show and time traveled back 10 years. </p>
<p>The men are taken to the royal palace where they are introduced to Queen Yllana (Mitchell) and her retinue on the ruling Council. Patterson explains that they were on a peaceful mission, but the Queen seems highly suspicious, and her guards are openly contemptuous of men.</p>
<p>The earthmen are held captive while Yllana and the Council decide their fate. Chief Venusian scientist Talleah (Gabor) is secretly opposed to Yllana’s tyrannical rule, and visits the crew to enlist their aid. She explains that Yllana led a revolt against Venus’ war-like men, killing most and imprisoning the few that could be of some use to the planet’s new female-led regime. </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fIPX8zl9oWWbzOMy9HAuTOxrJeYESt9hBUaNHX2zz91s8Mjo-_ifxDzgLvJrR86n9RyhmJanPuGT2NKVAz8EuIXIUc0XCnaO6gAoWjtGQLVbXFX0Xrhh7KWLzGoBIdqIJ2XS1Lse2tgDzBLeZjGMrWWtkr_KkUJtuICaZGhpzjzUDNzGw595LNTcKYMs/s520/queenofouterspace_holdingcell.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - The earthmen cool their heels while the Queen of Outer Space decides their fate" border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fIPX8zl9oWWbzOMy9HAuTOxrJeYESt9hBUaNHX2zz91s8Mjo-_ifxDzgLvJrR86n9RyhmJanPuGT2NKVAz8EuIXIUc0XCnaO6gAoWjtGQLVbXFX0Xrhh7KWLzGoBIdqIJ2XS1Lse2tgDzBLeZjGMrWWtkr_KkUJtuICaZGhpzjzUDNzGw595LNTcKYMs/s16000/queenofouterspace_holdingcell.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The earthmen argue over who made the wrong turn and got them stuck on a planet populated by beautiful space Amazons.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Yllana was horribly disfigured in the revolt, and as a result became deranged and determined to use her powerful new Beta Disintegrator to rid the universe of hated men. Will Talleah and her band of dissidents successfully team up with the earthmen to prevent the Queen of Outer Space from blowing up Earth itself?</p>
<p style="background-color: #e6f768; padding: 6px;"><b>Foundations of Civilization</b><br />
Prof. Konrad: “Perhaps this is a civilization that exists without sex.”<br />
Lt. Larry Turner: “You call that civilization?”<br />
Prof. Konrad: “Frankly, no.” [<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052104/quotes/?item=qt0233667" target="_blank">IMDb</a>] </p>
<p>Those of us of a certain age remember a time when sci-fi and fantasy movies were cobbled together quickly and cheaply to fill out drive-in double bills, as opposed to the current crop of would-be blockbusters that cost hundreds of millions and require small armies of CGI programmers and technicians to produce.</p>
<p>Here at <i>Films From Beyond</i>, we appreciate the ingenuity and resourcefulness of filmmakers who lack big budgets to tell their stories. <i>Queen of Outer Space </i>is nothing if not resourceful, like a down-on-her-luck diva proudly sashaying around town in her latest Goodwill fashion finds, daring anyone she meets to say something.</p>
<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18YlJpDDF6ZkyTN2faqxDTPqDVeIhY9r8sPffmmRdaKWHGSfNtYN7z8wujRoxDKE1NOaa1_LJO-mm1FMZKk10jBity9T6-mKhfXw0vGBLevLeN91a4MS4GAIkBEDxiIrTrZrfZMJ4r9lat1_5rLxBmGmn1TlriXlV8hvJOQkIVMEkBQZ9GeIo9Bf12cAo/s520/queenofouterspace_zsazsa.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Talleah (Zsa Zsa Gabor) is threatened by the Queen of Outer Space (1958)" border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18YlJpDDF6ZkyTN2faqxDTPqDVeIhY9r8sPffmmRdaKWHGSfNtYN7z8wujRoxDKE1NOaa1_LJO-mm1FMZKk10jBity9T6-mKhfXw0vGBLevLeN91a4MS4GAIkBEDxiIrTrZrfZMJ4r9lat1_5rLxBmGmn1TlriXlV8hvJOQkIVMEkBQZ9GeIo9Bf12cAo/s16000/queenofouterspace_zsazsa.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zsa Zsa is ready for her close-up.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><i>Queen’s</i> hand-me-downs include the spaceship model and other props and sets from the 1956 B sci-fi epic <i>World Without End</i> (see my review <a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2011/05/breaking-space-time-barrier.html" target="_blank">here</a>), as well as astronaut costumes recycled from MGM’s classic <i>Forbidden Planet</i>.</p>
<p>The producers also saved some bucks by avoiding location shooting and limiting special effects to the detonation of some smoke bombs and sparkly fireworks. As a result, <i>Queen</i> is mostly a succession of static set pieces with actors standing around delivering expositive dialog, trading quips, and scheming in grand soap opera style.</p>
<p><i>Queen</i> was filmed in lush color Cinemascope, which is perhaps where most of the budget went -- that, and attending to Ms. Gabor's every need. In an interview with film historian Tom Weaver, Laurie Mitchell explained who the real queen was on the set:</p>
<blockquote>“When it came to Zsa Zsa, she wanted this, she wanted that, she wanted glitter in her costumes -- she wanted certain things which were very, very expensive. An actress she wasn't, but in those days she had some sort of name, and so they wanted her for the picture. She used to yell -- she’d want a certain color hair, she didn’t want the <i>other</i> girls to have the <i>same</i> color hair and so on.” [Tom Weaver, <i>I Talked with a Zombie: Interviews with 23 Veterans of Horror and Sci-Fi Films and Television</i>, McFarland, 2009, p. 198 - 211]</blockquote>
<blockquote style="background-color: #a39ef7; padding: 6px;"><b>Makeup secrets of the Queen</b> <br />
"Then there were the days when he [makeup artist Emile LaVigne] had to make my face up to look burned, for the scenes where the 'vicked kveen' is unmasked. Putty and black and blue marks and everything, to make it look like my face was eaten up by radiation. Emile, the darling, he should rest in peace, he’d put the makeup on me right on the set.<br />
… <br />
I remember saying that, ‘God forbid’ -- God forbid there should be a person like this. Watching it go on … it could cause nightmares! Emile would say, ‘Don’t worry. I’ll get it off,' and every day, he used cold cream, or … whatever he got it off with. Oh God, they took so many pictures. They would be right there with their cameras, every day.” [Ibid.]</blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbhUQDao5P8ANn5eVCrBlWvq1FSLQXeii5X2Zmgt-JpIor5lpjwm2jbGhQF6V2zk8UluSjwxduAR-sHssh6wCQAlLFQwqbEZgFgF76Xg1xDXc9XwIk93DLCkTFukTv-rOHt9HcshOR4AuEd2vTCvlpxZrgINT5VjVlqxAlxsBDHVpVHzFY5kxm-yh_l-7/s520/queenofouterspace_unmasked.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - The Queen of Outer Space in all her menacing glory" border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyW83DprVP-BEfpkBDtYXRxrX49V6s4Q0Bd9_b-rTRn2U45yzLR01UbWEwfUFah0WArsVheIpkOJGCLRbs26a3IKCJwbJZ8ZLXxPbRtTTgeSF8HgBXFzZt0QSlXmI4kI7CtRlWOrn-dwcs7BJwt0Ye3Rq63iPXB5JkGdpe6tXiSCjGPNlcsHcj5kQ0Cjae/s16000/queenofouterspace_raygun_sm.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We dare you to click on this image and unmask the Queen of Outer Space!</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>The director and chief Zsa Zsa wrangler was <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0076618/" target="_blank">Edward Bernds</a>, a B movie veteran who was more used to handling court jesters than imperious celebrities -- among his 100+ credits are more than a few Three Stooges and Bowery Boys vehicles (he also directed <i>World Without End</i> which supplied <i>Queen</i> with many of its props).</p>
<p><i>Queen’s</i> script also has a distinguished, if not exactly royal, pedigree. Legendary screenwriter and Academy Award winner <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0372942/" target="_blank">Ben Hecht</a>, who was involved in one prestige picture after another in the ‘30s and ‘40s, contributed the original story, “Queen of the Universe,” upon which <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0064579/" target="_blank">Charles Beaumont’s</a> script was based.</p>
<p>Beaumont had only a handful of writing credits by this point, but would soon launch himself into a very productive screen and TV writing career, contributing to such series as <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i> and <i>The Twilight Zone</i>, as well as adapting such horror classics as <i>The Haunted Palace</i> and <i>The Masque of the Red Death</i> before his untimely death in 1967.</p>
<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqk_AdKAvL6bW7Ma5Eufy3VsHKx6sDUODrgknLNAg_bF0XKqIB1I9RgDdAyO6t6d-FM_8LXLOemUXVcvWsk942OLGrAVA_tCYJWAfUiAwrkHzpRbvzdmUZ8rNeBor93S3g4liqajivPPic7IQRuLB1TO33G6aaZc1Il9q8L54XgDfpIHXS-8pYh1WWO2Yw/s520/queenofouterspace_lab.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Zsa Zsa Gabor models the latest fashion for hard-working scientists in Queen of Outer Space (1958)" border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqk_AdKAvL6bW7Ma5Eufy3VsHKx6sDUODrgknLNAg_bF0XKqIB1I9RgDdAyO6t6d-FM_8LXLOemUXVcvWsk942OLGrAVA_tCYJWAfUiAwrkHzpRbvzdmUZ8rNeBor93S3g4liqajivPPic7IQRuLB1TO33G6aaZc1Il9q8L54XgDfpIHXS-8pYh1WWO2Yw/s16000/queenofouterspace_lab.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Talleah's motto: Working hard is no excuse for looking frumpy.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><i>Queen of Outer Space</i> is not a shining star on either man’s resume -- it’s talky and stagey and not a lot happens for long stretches. But then, it’s gloriously gaudy with its upscale Cinemascope treatment, and some of the dialog will have you either slapping your forehead, guffawing, or smiling in wry bemusement (or even all three at once).</p>
<p>And finally there’s Zsa Zsa, the Venusian scientist with the heavy accent who looks equally mahvelous cooking up formulas in her lab or flirting with randy earthmen. Zsa Zsa may have been difficult on the set, but it’s a good thing the production stuck with her, because who else could have saved Venus, the Planet of Love, from a demented, man-hating Queen?</p>
<p style="background-color: #f79ee2; padding: 6px;"><b>Origins of Love</b> <br />
Capt. Neal Patterson: “We may not have a chance to talk later. We may not even live through the day. But, I just want to say, while I have the chance: I love you.”
<br />
Talleah: “Loff - I've almost forgotten. But, if it is the varm feeling dat makes my heart sing, ten I too loff you.” [<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052104/quotes/?item=qt0233677" target="_blank">IMDb</a>]</p>
<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34vVxOdBB1Ao-X3hggmAdI5m4fUhWgufmQuImGx6P5yXB5fXJgNXKYbSytwO1CZiBW_VrUG9oNExQHFFCzB2xM7Nyok7td5U62vij75iVEnXcHjtzaW5iHH6y4WC-CzHAHbD88s79DdzF88wf0qmXTZWcJIdvf4nj66TcC3mRSCZ136w-48xXEW2-8KHw/s520/queenofouterspace_eric&zsazsa.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Publicity still - Eric Fleming and Zsa Zsa Gabor in Queen of Outer Space (1958)" border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34vVxOdBB1Ao-X3hggmAdI5m4fUhWgufmQuImGx6P5yXB5fXJgNXKYbSytwO1CZiBW_VrUG9oNExQHFFCzB2xM7Nyok7td5U62vij75iVEnXcHjtzaW5iHH6y4WC-CzHAHbD88s79DdzF88wf0qmXTZWcJIdvf4nj66TcC3mRSCZ136w-48xXEW2-8KHw/s16000/queenofouterspace_eric&zsazsa.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I loff you too Dah-link!"</td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://takinguproom.com/2024/02/23/the-sixth-so-bad-its-good-blogathon-has-arrived/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="225" src="https://takinguproom.files.wordpress.com/2023/11/6thsobaditsgoodbanner5.png" width="400" /></a></div>Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-61658753275999056742024-02-14T08:00:00.000-08:002024-02-14T08:00:00.130-08:00I Was a Teenage Date from Hell: Special Valentine's Day Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmkkTdHZcA1LZZ6edJJVW2OCokBX1Qjp8IcwEfcA74k6J0ACuN91_XVBtaVUyh6bKuQQrx2M8HKQT5gri5Fqw9x49Zn19udoA1LiYHf4E3_KrW95BzfXC1jKh4TSBymapRp2EAAJuDonI43G4cfV20iT36NxfeVJnWOk9k4fE6eiY4ukUC_H1euS5BU8XX/s520/monster_valentines2024_thingthatcouldntdie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Screenshot - The Thing That Couldn't Die (1958) - "Jessica innocently assumed from Gideon's dating profile picture that he had a body."" border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmkkTdHZcA1LZZ6edJJVW2OCokBX1Qjp8IcwEfcA74k6J0ACuN91_XVBtaVUyh6bKuQQrx2M8HKQT5gri5Fqw9x49Zn19udoA1LiYHf4E3_KrW95BzfXC1jKh4TSBymapRp2EAAJuDonI43G4cfV20iT36NxfeVJnWOk9k4fE6eiY4ukUC_H1euS5BU8XX/s16000/monster_valentines2024_thingthatcouldntdie.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgdBUkHEfpnxqmAE3c2bcjbfODCW09FMtwPkPKJB_9_hmxZgvG1oksD-QcoJvq-H21lvAX_URhhizWal0_BhOSbSoqlKppdsi5VULzAdmBF_9Qx33wd0zv9sK7wD9ypbKvMDUaXvpu-Gh-rKmUpqYBekNAXk55ho6JtppJ4XC9dvfqTIPrD0d43txI_UK/s520/monster_valentines2024_teenagewerewolf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Publicity still - I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957) - Yvonne was amazed to learn the secret of her blind date's rockin' hairstyle."" border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgdBUkHEfpnxqmAE3c2bcjbfODCW09FMtwPkPKJB_9_hmxZgvG1oksD-QcoJvq-H21lvAX_URhhizWal0_BhOSbSoqlKppdsi5VULzAdmBF_9Qx33wd0zv9sK7wD9ypbKvMDUaXvpu-Gh-rKmUpqYBekNAXk55ho6JtppJ4XC9dvfqTIPrD0d43txI_UK/s16000/monster_valentines2024_teenagewerewolf.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1TE8AHVbNC2k258whhxp67hI5Kxa3QjwjKctATfwA_mHWQEFwWRNy_2fmyx4D8L-c9SEiLGkG8kodEI4V9Q3IURShZEghnCUocIB_ZsH7Jt0EXSd2lI_ZwgnkYg58NBYOq_bYiUogBiVA0GgeRxsCEZ8RFWDofEGpG6sGJMYXbfbnLwbYShlUsD1-5GA/s520/monster_valentines2024_teenagefrankenstein.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Publicity still - I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (1957) - "When the dinner date got off to a rough start, Bob was worried that he had something stuck between his teeth."" border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1TE8AHVbNC2k258whhxp67hI5Kxa3QjwjKctATfwA_mHWQEFwWRNy_2fmyx4D8L-c9SEiLGkG8kodEI4V9Q3IURShZEghnCUocIB_ZsH7Jt0EXSd2lI_ZwgnkYg58NBYOq_bYiUogBiVA0GgeRxsCEZ8RFWDofEGpG6sGJMYXbfbnLwbYShlUsD1-5GA/s16000/monster_valentines2024_teenagefrankenstein.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgL3h6zWdAGD8tYmeiwQFIfGex29IIsLF7YNGc8qNzbSJTaq3Afq1KEQt1xA7VV9IIFnzBkm7lGGstiUTQo7VhmI0WQL3VT9IrwZAQuSzWXSir90TS5icCAa1LfsOksU-cureBOy-2A7sMdOaY8PPTk5PGqdGFx3pDbv2wkbXDGMFqNObCdFfVewEKXqXv/s520/monster_valentines2024_ladyfrankenstein.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Screenshot - Lady Frankenstein (1971) - "Lady Frankenstein had no time for Tinder, so she made her own dates."" border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgL3h6zWdAGD8tYmeiwQFIfGex29IIsLF7YNGc8qNzbSJTaq3Afq1KEQt1xA7VV9IIFnzBkm7lGGstiUTQo7VhmI0WQL3VT9IrwZAQuSzWXSir90TS5icCAa1LfsOksU-cureBOy-2A7sMdOaY8PPTk5PGqdGFx3pDbv2wkbXDGMFqNObCdFfVewEKXqXv/s16000/monster_valentines2024_ladyfrankenstein.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVYdfn59lTyQDYLMmdRYeICUhJx0iOfHJ7-STGYfJrKFBct1ZvFwLy0W4R03gy2uGAbVIdQAuLUT8O0xgMpOPicLqKTvkWgGQCW0YzspfKkQ9wzWHEywmaLZcQvO__U4V8oQg6kGbNFDv8ld6AZ8m3jdFdAXkIFsqfspe1hhZQVt_lNTcJQ3A3mc8pxRGk/s520/monster_valentines2024_blacksleep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Publicity still - The Black Sleep (1956) - "Laurie quickly regretted signing up for speed dating."" border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVYdfn59lTyQDYLMmdRYeICUhJx0iOfHJ7-STGYfJrKFBct1ZvFwLy0W4R03gy2uGAbVIdQAuLUT8O0xgMpOPicLqKTvkWgGQCW0YzspfKkQ9wzWHEywmaLZcQvO__U4V8oQg6kGbNFDv8ld6AZ8m3jdFdAXkIFsqfspe1hhZQVt_lNTcJQ3A3mc8pxRGk/s16000/monster_valentines2024_blacksleep.jpg" /></a></div>Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-89562211111094526082024-01-23T07:59:00.000-08:002024-01-23T11:25:10.630-08:00UFO Storage Wars: Hangar 18<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 8px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5H0NuS-Nj15TOmeXXgF0fOhDVHe3AaLy0rcZW69wQrbXDQIwb3-3BsA4Q4yhGvhU-JWblmTv1lSPTt2Pl1XgXnXUc1p5LZ_UF2YHPYB9HFvSfe9caMLpYfKjuFjz4OFhNPJRjDphMvdsqykrVn1QA2J50PokQKqynh-8Wmi5NnWYv6l759V2dv8TP_njr/s450/hangar18_poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Poster - Hangar 18 (1980)" border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5H0NuS-Nj15TOmeXXgF0fOhDVHe3AaLy0rcZW69wQrbXDQIwb3-3BsA4Q4yhGvhU-JWblmTv1lSPTt2Pl1XgXnXUc1p5LZ_UF2YHPYB9HFvSfe9caMLpYfKjuFjz4OFhNPJRjDphMvdsqykrVn1QA2J50PokQKqynh-8Wmi5NnWYv6l759V2dv8TP_njr/w210-h320/hangar18_poster.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>Now Playing: </b><b><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080836/" target="_blank">Hangar 18</a> </i></b>(1980)</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pros:</b> Leverages UFO and government conspiracy lore to concoct a reasonably decent sci-fi thriller; Notable performances by Robert Vaughn and Darren McGavin
<br />
<b>Cons:</b> Has the look and feel of a TV movie; Woefully inept alien spacecraft exterior</span></div>
<p><span style="font-size: large;">There’s been a lot of interesting news on the UFO/UAP front since we last checked in on <a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2021/06/time-release-capsule-reviews-part-two.html" target="_blank">UFO cinema</a> here at Films From Beyond. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;">Following up the release of eye-opening footage of U.S. military encounters with UFOs, an honest-to-goodness government whistleblower, former Air Force intelligence officer David Grusch, has <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ufo-whistleblower-claims-alien-bodies-are-being-hidden-by-us-government/ar-AA1n3Ydb" target="_blank">testified before Congress</a> that the federal government maintains a secret alien craft recovery program, and that we’re in possession of the remains of crashed vehicles and the bodies of non-human occupants.</span></p>
<p>To make things even more interesting, at least one element of the federal bureaucracy, The Office of the Intelligence Community Inspector General, found Grusch’s complaints credible, which paved the way for his going public.</p>
<p>The mainstream media’s general disinterest in this astounding story, and the various attempts to impugn Grusch’s character, makes me think there is really something there.</p>
<p>Of course, ever since the incident in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947, tales of crashed spaceships and recovered alien pilots have occupied the outer edges of UFO lore and challenged investigators to come up with hard evidence.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZEV0mhWN0yIXa4Vd1dInxM4F9dUtLxrw7Sjsnaai5r8-YaQzD-DyxptQ9q0mDy5IkNUrLAPOBKPn-uYcF97CPyf2wX9rSswV9zSt_tNNy5Z2PG9bw0uHR27QVk7YB9lDnlE7tziTHctYFtR9TrKgpArlbj85KFucrf_QNV7Y8_g33wuE3YAW6zBPgC_s/s520/hangar18_alienautopsy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Alleged Roswell alien autopsy footage, now debunked" border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZEV0mhWN0yIXa4Vd1dInxM4F9dUtLxrw7Sjsnaai5r8-YaQzD-DyxptQ9q0mDy5IkNUrLAPOBKPn-uYcF97CPyf2wX9rSswV9zSt_tNNy5Z2PG9bw0uHR27QVk7YB9lDnlE7tziTHctYFtR9TrKgpArlbj85KFucrf_QNV7Y8_g33wuE3YAW6zBPgC_s/s16000/hangar18_alienautopsy.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay, so this isn't real, but the Truth, and real preserved alien bodies, are out there... maybe.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Some researchers, citing reports from military personnel involved in the incident, maintain that pieces of the Roswell spacecraft, along with the bodies of its occupants, were transported to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton Ohio, where they allegedly ended up in a top secret location, <a href="https://www.history.com/news/hangar-18-ufos-aliens-wright-patterson" target="_blank">Hangar 18</a>.</p>
<p>Not long after Steven Spielberg turned UFOs into box office gold with <i>Close Encounters of the Third Kind</i> (1977), the people at Sunn Classic Pictures decided to hop aboard the interstellar gravy train with a UFO epic of their own. </p>
<p>Sunn Classic, known at the time for cheesy Biblical and paranormal documentaries (more on that later), wisely leveraged <i>Hangar 18</i>’s notoriety for their film, but instead of making another documentary, they went the dramatic route, relocating the infamous hangar to a remote Air Force Base in Texas. </p>
<p><i>Hangar 18</i> tries to set up a documentary feel with an opening title card, but what follows is pure B drama (don't get me wrong, that's not a bad thing).</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGB844CPlIb7DcJkjFnXS-XPIwuXVgkYhNBQ8D4SfUvGsi1N1myIv9MfRePMd1ZqIiJPaQ5wCr1sCzjfEVCkKSqb3fS0aHGlXhdOKYG0AvVGWYineWrMJpXEEaEoPSgUXGhki-x8R8UBJEBBOjoV0dU4MXNN5fYZsYtpgmBEcEG4GCHYeoD5beoRZ_tnff/s520/hangar18_titlecard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Screenshot - Beginning Hangar 18 title card that gives the impression that what follows is a documentary." border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGB844CPlIb7DcJkjFnXS-XPIwuXVgkYhNBQ8D4SfUvGsi1N1myIv9MfRePMd1ZqIiJPaQ5wCr1sCzjfEVCkKSqb3fS0aHGlXhdOKYG0AvVGWYineWrMJpXEEaEoPSgUXGhki-x8R8UBJEBBOjoV0dU4MXNN5fYZsYtpgmBEcEG4GCHYeoD5beoRZ_tnff/s16000/hangar18_titlecard.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>The film opens with a space shuttle mission that is preparing to launch a satellite out of the cargo bay. One astronaut is in the bay attending to last minute details, while two others, Bancroft (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004833/" target="_blank">Gary Collins</a>) and Price (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358996/" target="_blank">James Hampton</a>) are driving the spacecraft.</p>
<p>Right before the launch, instruments show a large, mysterious craft taking up station next to the space shuttle, and Bancroft confirms with Mission Control that they can see the strange object.</p>
<p>The satellite’s engines fire, sending it straight into the UFO, resulting in an enormous explosion that **GULP!** decapitates the astronaut doing the EVA. The surviving astronauts execute an emergency re-entry while Mission Control tries to figure out what happened.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMYdSR-AccLkfmYBernxlF4m8P9a6rssNCqyi3audeASBOQKPLLmXVUqobPC7xJvdcU-6NnAMXHgP0q4I_bAmD7bxr_ni6x8CSDaF8l63e6LGbCpPckdiLHwIIHxN3lH_F5RMZoovm340JJDtKPrwHdhhRrcUEl-0nnToGMyPO2Up8rrFQIS6KrodHqRr/s520/hangar18_missioncasualty.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Hangar 18 (1980), aftermath of the disastrous satellite launch" border="0" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMYdSR-AccLkfmYBernxlF4m8P9a6rssNCqyi3audeASBOQKPLLmXVUqobPC7xJvdcU-6NnAMXHgP0q4I_bAmD7bxr_ni6x8CSDaF8l63e6LGbCpPckdiLHwIIHxN3lH_F5RMZoovm340JJDtKPrwHdhhRrcUEl-0nnToGMyPO2Up8rrFQIS6KrodHqRr/s16000/hangar18_missioncasualty.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In space, no one can hear you lose your head.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Mission Control tracks the mystery object, which hasn’t been destroyed in the explosion and appears to be under intelligent control, to a landing site in the Arizona desert. The Air Force sends in a team to secure the area and whisk the craft to Hangar 18, which in Sunn Classic’s universe is located on a base in the middle of Nowhere, Texas. </p>
<p>At this point the film alternates between two plot lines. One features a conspiracy by Washington higher-ups to blame Bancroft and Price for the satellite disaster, while the astronauts in turn try to track down the recovered alien craft in order to clear their names. The other plot line dives into the minutia of ancient astronaut theories as a team of NASA experts examines the intact craft stored in the hangar.</p>
<p>The first storyline seems to have been inspired by <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077294/" target="_blank">Capricorn One</a></i> (1977), in which an unscrupulous NASA administrator, fearing a budget-crippling mission failure, fakes a Mars landing for public consumption, but then must deal with the astronauts who, fearing for their lives, threaten to spill the beans.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001816/" target="_blank">Robert Vaughn</a> plays Gordon Cain, an assistant to the President of the United States, who, in collaboration with the Air Force, is trying to cover up the existence of the recovered UFO. The President is a known UFO skeptic, and Cain figures that if word got out, somehow his boss’ re-election chances would be damaged (as if the government had no other reason to keep something like that secret).</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKPfPAv9s1rigoPsOiUaZEJrM-0efMq8RHQrgoSf0Wnq6udrk-VKy-2aiOtKdeHtsKlGJbCVPMdvvcusdyhm7D6qUwUp1UySvU5IexLaaMRul84D0nL4XdK272_zBtzS2KL5YZeUF5eEupZ1WpUySRx6AWuVMp1BCtY6c10hAR6AVcoHoKQ5au7jJ94xP/s520/hangar18_cain.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Robert Vaughn in Hangar 18 (1980)" border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYKPfPAv9s1rigoPsOiUaZEJrM-0efMq8RHQrgoSf0Wnq6udrk-VKy-2aiOtKdeHtsKlGJbCVPMdvvcusdyhm7D6qUwUp1UySvU5IexLaaMRul84D0nL4XdK272_zBtzS2KL5YZeUF5eEupZ1WpUySRx6AWuVMp1BCtY6c10hAR6AVcoHoKQ5au7jJ94xP/s16000/hangar18_cain.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the '70s, Napoleon Solo quit the spy game and got a Washington, D.C. desk job.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>The <i>Capricorn One</i> vibe is strong in scenes where Bancroft and Price discover unaltered NASA telemetry data showing the presence of the UFO during the mission, and are shadowed by federal agents in black suits (Men in Black?) as they check out the Arizona crash site. As the astronauts get closer to discovering the recovered spacecraft’s location, the stakes get higher and they realize the fight is not only for the Truth, but for their very lives.</p>
<p><b>CAUTION: CAN YOU HANDLE THE SECRETS OF HANGAR 18?</b></p>
<p>Erich von Däniken and his best-selling book <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/91202.Chariots_of_The_Gods" target="_blank">Chariots of the Gods?</a></i> hover over the parallel storyline of the examination of the captured alien craft. NASA administrator Harry Forbes (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0569000/" target="_blank">Darren McGavin</a>), is tasked by the Air Force to assemble a crack team to investigate the alien technology.</p>
<p>Unaware of the trouble Bancroft and Price are in, Forbes hops to it. The scene in which the scientists first set eyes on the craft is clearly meant to evoke a <i>Close Encounters</i>-type sense of awe and wonder, but unfortunately <i>Hangar 18</i> only evokes wonderment that the filmmakers thought they could get away with such an uninspired design.</p>
<p>As Forbes and a couple of scientists in hazmat suits approach the thing, it looks like nothing more than a large, industrial grade HVAC unit with flashing lights at the base. Considering the force of the explosion that tore the satellite apart and took out the unlucky spacewalking astronaut, there is hardly a scratch on the alien furnace, er, spacecraft.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGq7UOo1KmN3hIKaAmdrpl9LSJTL7N20yXCvGqn2u5FSNUKnRhJxkpvj1d234e82544toHOc7t9UziDGpeIRpfNROgQkdYZK2zAwS2ipHKMOEnUO8u-40zss82d9Npni14s_aaT-QnBezA_yHiGrHe2DvIa0CFkfXrMaHC9s8rq_7WUKB3bVLCjWEZ7csD/s520/hangar18_alienspacecraft.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Alien spacecraft exterior in Hangar 18 (1980)" border="0" data-original-height="291" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGq7UOo1KmN3hIKaAmdrpl9LSJTL7N20yXCvGqn2u5FSNUKnRhJxkpvj1d234e82544toHOc7t9UziDGpeIRpfNROgQkdYZK2zAwS2ipHKMOEnUO8u-40zss82d9Npni14s_aaT-QnBezA_yHiGrHe2DvIa0CFkfXrMaHC9s8rq_7WUKB3bVLCjWEZ7csD/s16000/hangar18_alienspacecraft.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Gentlemen, behold the Sunn Classic 3000, the most powerful heating and air conditioning unit in the galaxy!"</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Fortunately for the team the thing opens up on its own, and they’re able to marvel at advanced alien heating and cooling, er, space technology. I won’t get into too many spoilers, except to say that at least the craft’s interior and instruments are better conceived and are a couple of grades above the usual low-budget spaceship that looks like it was outfitted by Radio Shack.</p>
<p>Also, the team’s linguist, Neal Kelso (Andrew Bloch) is able to decode the alien language incredibly quickly, and his discoveries are pretty much a laundry list of von Däniken’s ancient astronaut theories.</p>
Coming at the end of the turbulent ‘70s, <i>Hangar 18</i> is an encapsulation of the post-Vietnam/Watergate distrust of government and the surge of interest in UFOs, the paranormal and assorted alternate “realities.”
<p>The company behind <i>Hangar 18</i>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunn_Classic_Pictures" target="_blank">Sunn Classic Pictures</a>, had already established a reputation for sensationalistic documentaries such as <i>The Mysterious Monsters</i> (1975; a survey of a whole range of paranormal creatures and topics), <i>The Outer Space Connection</i> (1975; more ancient astronauts), <i>In Search of Noah's Ark</i> (1976), and <i>The Bermuda Triangle</i> (1979).</p>
<p>During that period, Sunn Classic interspersed the documentaries with family-friendly, rural-oriented dramas like <i>The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams</i> (1974) and <i>The Adventures of Frontier Fremont</i> (1976), but after the company was bought by Taft Enterprises in 1980, the theatrical output turned almost exclusively to sci-fi and horror, with such notable releases as <i>The Boogens</i> (1981), <i>Cujo</i> (1983) and <i>The Running Man</i> (1987) following on the heels of <i>Hangar 18</i>.</p>
<p><i>Hangar 18</i> is the ultimate Sunn Classic picture, combining Watergate-style conspiracies, Roswell rumors, alien autopsies and speculation about ancient alien visitations into one dramatic package (although how well the parts fit together is open to debate).</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyhsVLxyTI0OgD21iDkHhuVYvVTXxAWqT-B75XBZTkZd-EHeAy1scMYgKDY2cbTdKEgsTxmcslSEmUw_mvdseMBw3PTa05dUyAESJUaRKFHdN6GiMdC80MdegSAIMGO6nvCiy5tsyA_D2yt5LJJYUpQWs1A_9P-sXlCjHaSbT7WA616MmILsdclkaxCJg/s520/hangar18_alienviewscreen.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Alien spacecraft interior, Hangar 18 (1980)" border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyhsVLxyTI0OgD21iDkHhuVYvVTXxAWqT-B75XBZTkZd-EHeAy1scMYgKDY2cbTdKEgsTxmcslSEmUw_mvdseMBw3PTa05dUyAESJUaRKFHdN6GiMdC80MdegSAIMGO6nvCiy5tsyA_D2yt5LJJYUpQWs1A_9P-sXlCjHaSbT7WA616MmILsdclkaxCJg/s16000/hangar18_alienviewscreen.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marveling at the alien viewscreen's crispness and clarity, Phil suddenly realized he would need to upgrade his TV before the Big Game.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>The film’s ending is abrupt and violent, yet a radio broadcast voice over as the end credits roll strikes a note of cautious optimism. <i>Hangar 18</i> seems like a pop culture bridge between the pessimism and cynicism of the ‘70s and Reagan’s Morning in America which was just dawning (and which itself turned out to be as phony as a Sunn Classic documentary, but that’s a discussion for another time).</p>
<p>Speaking of ‘70s signifiers, <i>Hangar 18</i>’s acting leads exemplify the decade as well as anyone. In the ‘60s, Robert Vaughn vaulted to fame as the suave spy Napoleon Solo in <i>The Man from U.N.C.L.E.</i> After that stint, he shed the action star veneer for character roles, especially authority figures. Perusing his IMDb resume for just the '70s alone, he portrayed two U.S. presidents along with a multitude of senators, military officers and corporate executives, many of them corrupt like his character in <i>Hangar 18</i>.</p>
<p>On the flip side, one of the highlights of Darren McGavin’s career came in the early to mid-’70s with his portrayal of bedraggled newshound Carl Kolchak in two <i>Night Stalker</i> TV movies and a short-lived series. Kolchak was the paranormal world’s answer to Woodward and Bernstein, constantly fighting to unearth stories of strange creatures and supernatural forces that the authorities preferred to keep under wraps (the <i>X-Files</i>’ Mulder and Scully would take up the cause in the ‘90s). Unlike Vaughn, who had a facility for portraying human snakes, McGavin was naturally cheerful and gregarious, so he was almost always cast as a reliable, if somewhat put upon, good guy.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPsAO7aH28OocIlRCOie6KPcLLTUwgSezEondsB6yzolT7oV-teU9ZJwW0T206OdyrRj9EbCV1c-TcSeKGRpqgaPhWZbrHInn3bL1KM-St99q4C9ojB2jHYjdQxPBJphCRPAPq0Kv4TewAKowsktA_UJBZsIUnvRSFcESsUI4FetsczhwYt0mRnaKc05V/s520/hangar18_forbeswithteam.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Darren McGavin as Harry Forbes talks to fellow scientists in Hangar 18 (1980)" border="0" data-original-height="291" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPsAO7aH28OocIlRCOie6KPcLLTUwgSezEondsB6yzolT7oV-teU9ZJwW0T206OdyrRj9EbCV1c-TcSeKGRpqgaPhWZbrHInn3bL1KM-St99q4C9ojB2jHYjdQxPBJphCRPAPq0Kv4TewAKowsktA_UJBZsIUnvRSFcESsUI4FetsczhwYt0mRnaKc05V/s16000/hangar18_forbeswithteam.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harry Forbes (Darren McGavin, right) channels the inquisitive spirit of Carl Kolchak in <i>Hangar 18.</i></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Astronauts Bancroft and Price were played by two solid character actors, both of whose career heydays were in the ‘70s. Gary Collins guested on some of the decade’s most iconic TV shows, including <i>Hawaii 5-0</i>, <i>The Six Million Dollar Man</i>, <i>The Bionic Woman</i>, <i>The Love Boat</i> and <i>Charlie’s Angels</i> (he also starred as a paranormal investigator in the short-lived series <i>The Sixth Sense</i>).</p>
<p>Similarly, James Hampton was all over TV and low-budget movies, but scored a couple of memorable supporting roles in two big hits, <i>The Longest Yard</i> (1974, with Burt Reynolds) and <i>The China Syndrome</i> (1979, with Jane Fonda, Michael Douglas and Jack Lemmon). </p>
<p><i>Hangar 18</i> tries valiantly to be a taut sci-fi thriller, but the effort is hampered by TV movie-grade chase scenes, the prosaic-looking alien craft, and some dull stretches. </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8oZ7JQNJ5Q7wl8pc2jsKsZOBmd66Hi_zFxYdrfcwzIW9ZrVEF5G0mRpVSq4Psx81rLDDv_FCCV8a5USolGMeWExYN8yxHXRN2G60zOdp4DROvbHLt_ati0PjMcxeg-ftt_ougRddLCyGM8XBnW9HLjraSw4tsjx2Y5xG_zcxzefCGHOLdsWKSDImU7q-/s520/hangar18_bancroft&price.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Gary Collins and James Hampton in Hangar 18 (1980)" border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8oZ7JQNJ5Q7wl8pc2jsKsZOBmd66Hi_zFxYdrfcwzIW9ZrVEF5G0mRpVSq4Psx81rLDDv_FCCV8a5USolGMeWExYN8yxHXRN2G60zOdp4DROvbHLt_ati0PjMcxeg-ftt_ougRddLCyGM8XBnW9HLjraSw4tsjx2Y5xG_zcxzefCGHOLdsWKSDImU7q-/s16000/hangar18_bancroft&price.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bancroft and Price take a breather between encounters with Men in Black.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Vaughn and McGavin give it their all playing the impassioned bureaucrats (is that an oxymoron?). They each have their moments, but too much dialog and too many close-ups of furrowed brows slows down the middle part of the movie considerably. </p>
<p>Perhaps the most fun to be had with <i>Hangar 18</i> is counting the various homages and references to UFO lore. Additionally, it’s a great artifact of late-'70s paranoia (some would say sober realism). Maybe that’s enough to recommend it. </p>
<p><b>Where to find it:</b> <a href="https://www.oldies.com/product-view/52589O.html" target="_blank">DVD</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS35NhxIpUo" target="_blank">Streaming</a></p>Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-25410569104984574972024-01-11T15:50:00.000-08:002024-03-17T09:09:35.754-07:00Announcing the 2nd Annual 'Favorite Stars in B Movies' Blogathon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc1p_6Lp54S9bwBGB29rp4M8yydO0subfPY9Dm-j_JBBfQ0AYofVBtZdmv-TwZ7GbVAwklmW0V8K66olBn2eUv-7xz3jInJKuYCAPes4pqwg3MESJkpvg3sz-ztn42RmCV3eSDbylAEvxKmqDH8xVWzulukdeflTr5aYSuEpeYYAP8O_VOAw9GL7fPOy84/s720/favoritestars_blogathon_2024_lupino.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Banner - 2nd Annual "Favorite Stars in B Movies Blogathon - William Shatner & Ida Lupino in The Devil's Rain" border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="720" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc1p_6Lp54S9bwBGB29rp4M8yydO0subfPY9Dm-j_JBBfQ0AYofVBtZdmv-TwZ7GbVAwklmW0V8K66olBn2eUv-7xz3jInJKuYCAPes4pqwg3MESJkpvg3sz-ztn42RmCV3eSDbylAEvxKmqDH8xVWzulukdeflTr5aYSuEpeYYAP8O_VOAw9GL7fPOy84/w400-h250/favoritestars_blogathon_2024_lupino.png" width="500" /></a></div>
<p><span style="font-size: large;">I hope that all of you had a great holiday season and that 2024 is treating you well!</span></p>
<p>With the new year comes resolutions, plans and... blogathons. My second hope for 2024 is that all you bloggers out there will resolve to participate in the second annual "Favorite Stars in B Movies" blogathon, scheduled for Friday, April 12, 2024 through Sunday the 14th.</p>
<p>I was extremely gratified by the response to my first ever Favorite Stars blogathon. I think part of the reason is that the topic conjures up a number of interesting possibilities:</p>
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Future A-list stars who paid their dues doing B quickies</li>
<li>Former A listers who, in the twilight of their careers, accepted roles in low-budget movies in order to keep working</li>
<li>Stars who got fed up with oppressive studio control and struck off on their own in independent pictures</li>
<li>Actors who never made it out of the B leagues, but whose work nonetheless made them instantly recognizable</li>
<li>Unheralded actors who labored all their careers in the Bs, and merit recognition</li></ul>
<p>A reminder (in case you missed the last blogathon): Being a laid-back sort of guy, I am open to various interpretations of the term "B movie." For a convenient yardstick, let's consider Wikipedia's definition: “a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not an arthouse film.”</p>
<p>Per last year's guidelines, we're looking for new posts, podcasts or YouTube videos on the topic. We'll also stick to the "one movie title per blogathon" rule, so if you want to write about, let's say, the stars of <i>The Devil's Rain</i>, get your reservation in early before someone else claims it (but other mentions of the film in the context of a career overview or list are perfectly fine).</p>
<p><a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2023/01/announcing-favorite-stars-in-b-movies.html" target="_blank">Last year's contributions</a> were largely about stars and films from the 1930s to the '80s, and that seems like a good bet for this go round. But if another era interests you, or you want to write about a performance in a direct-to-video title, that's fine by me (with the exception of episodic shows and broadcast TV movies, which we'll save for another time).</p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">The Details (what, when, where, why, how):</h2>
<p><b>What:</b> The 2nd Annual 'Favorite Stars in B Movies' Blogathon</p>
<p><b>When:</b> April 12 - 14, 2024 (Friday - Sunday)</p>
<p><b>Where:</b> Filmsfrombeyond.com</p>
<p><b>Why:</b> Because you know you want to.</p>
<p><b>How:</b> Contact me with your blog/vlog/podcast name and actor/actress and film (or just actor name if you're doing a career overview or list); use the comments below, email me at <a href="mailto:brschuck66@yahoo.com">brschuck66@yahoo.com</a>, or reach out on X (formerly known as Twitter) via <a href="https://twitter.com/brschuck66" target="_blank">@brschuck66</a>.</p>
<p>I will use this page to keep track of the participants. On or around the dates of the blogathon, send me the link to your post via any of the contact methods above, and I will publish submissions in three daily, digestible parts in the order I receive them.</p>
<p>Hope to hear from you soon!</p>
<p><b>And now, the roster of blog and film stars (so far):</b></p>
<p>Brian at <i>Films From Beyond the Time Barrier</i>: Ginger Rogers in <i>The Thirteenth Guest</i> (1932)</p>
<p>Marianne at <i><a href="http://makeminefilmnoir.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Make Mine Film Noir</a></i>: Gene Kelly in <i>The Devil Makes Three</i> (1952)</p>
<p>Barry at <i><a href="https://cinematiccatharsis.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Cinematic Catharsis</a></i>: Joan Crawford in <i>Trog</i> (1970)</p>
<p>Gill at <i><a href="https://weegiemidget.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Realweegiemidget Reviews</a></i>: Franco Nero in <i>Enter the Ninja</i> (1981)</p>
<p>Rebecca at <i><a href="https://takinguproom.com/" target="_blank">Taking Up Room</a></i>: DeForest Kelley in <i>Night of the Lepus</i> (1972)</p>
<p>John at <i><a href="https://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">tales from the freakboy zone</a></i>: Joan Crawford and Bette Davis in <i>What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?</i> (1962)</p>
<p>Ruth at <i><a href="https://silverscreenings.org/" target="_blank">Silver Screenings</a></i>: Loretta Young in <i>Cause for Alarm!</i> (1951)</p><p>Joey at <i><a href="https://thelastdrivein.com/" target="_blank">The Last Drive In</a></i>: Ava Gardner in <i>Tam Lin</i> (1970) and Carroll Baker in <i>Baba Yaga</i> (1973)</p><p>Joey at <i><a href="https://wolffianclassicmoviesdigest.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Wolffian Classic Movies Digest</a></i>: Basil Rathbone in <i>The Magic Sword</i> (1962)</p><p><i><a href="https://flashbackfanatic.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Flashback Fanatic</a></i>: George (Superman) Reeves and Ralph (Dick Tracy) Byrd in <i>Thunder in the Pines</i> (1948)</p><p>Andrew at <i><a href="https://thestopbutton.com/" target="_blank">The Stop Button</a></i>: Dana Andrews in <i>Zero Hour!</i> (1957)</p><p>Mike at <i><a href="https://michaelsmovieworld.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mike's Movie Room</a></i>: Veronica Lake in <i>Flesh Feast</i> (1970)</p><p>Quiggy at <i><a href="https://midnitedrive-in.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Midnite Drive-In</a></i>: Vincent Price in <i>The Abominable Dr. Phibes</i> (1971) and <i>Dr. Phibes Rises Again</i> (1972)</p><p>Rachel at <i><a href="https://hamlette.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Hamlette's Soliloquy</a></i>: Alan Ladd in <i>Paper Bullets</i> (1941)</p><p>Kayla at <i><a href="https://whimsicallyclassic.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Whimsically Classic</a></i>: Steve McQueen in <i>The Blob</i> (1958)</p><p>Virginie at <i><a href="https://thewonderfulworldofcinema.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">The Wonderful World of Cinema</a></i>: Robert Mitchum, Robert Ryan and Robert Young in <i>Crossfire</i> (1947)</p><p>Debbi at <i><a href="https://debbimacktoo.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">I Found it at the Movies</a></i>: Ray Milland in <i>Bulldog Drummond Escapes</i> (1937)</p><p>Michael at <i><a href="https://maniacsandmonsters.com/" target="_blank">Maniacs and Monsters</a></i>: Raymond Burr in <i>Godzilla: King of the Monsters</i> (1954) and <i>Bride of the Gorilla</i> (1951)</p><p>Dustin at <i><a href="https://horrorandsons.com/" target="_blank">Horror and Sons</a></i>: Peter Cushing in <i>The Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas</i> (1957)</p>
<p><b>If you'd like to help promote the blogathon</b>, grab one of these fine, informative banners for your own site:</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd98mELOk1ZOHMZtu7fYB8et9yYyZQLASa6LZHMXXpyUN3G4px5NF863Lfi8r4qYdvALZnPtA7F5eSfeQQEfO2cD0XkWsp-tFIULFKXal5uicTU7VgeqQiO1BLIyML3YBBhudzQ94ISglgE3AQF1dk1xO8VfrEQhxbpntQbIV-KD4ui48JYjLcJ9TKe30T/s720/favoritestars_blogathon_2024_andrews.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Banner - "The 2nd Annual "Favorite Stars in B Movies" Blogathon - Dana Andrews in The Frozen Dead" border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="720" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd98mELOk1ZOHMZtu7fYB8et9yYyZQLASa6LZHMXXpyUN3G4px5NF863Lfi8r4qYdvALZnPtA7F5eSfeQQEfO2cD0XkWsp-tFIULFKXal5uicTU7VgeqQiO1BLIyML3YBBhudzQ94ISglgE3AQF1dk1xO8VfrEQhxbpntQbIV-KD4ui48JYjLcJ9TKe30T/w400-h250/favoritestars_blogathon_2024_andrews.png" width="500" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_dhFgCebNTF1S31b_RarPbEOU21D-RPV7PgI2NN_MiSWi2UQ_PpDlgiRHmmg7QW9dLA6AZVJvjZZWpyVYwcF4BC5R8Xzssbl6edFDKxd5ilwmT1XLQgnDt2Rx7QNAGOErNZAJXou8xmbFNcI-ORInLT1HJW9FdM6d3_Yx4sHP4VfN6XYUfNhGhqzdRKZ/s720/favoritestars_blogathon_2024_fontaine.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Banner - "The 2nd Annual "Favorite Stars in B Movies" Blogathon - Joan Fontaine in The Witches" border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="720" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_dhFgCebNTF1S31b_RarPbEOU21D-RPV7PgI2NN_MiSWi2UQ_PpDlgiRHmmg7QW9dLA6AZVJvjZZWpyVYwcF4BC5R8Xzssbl6edFDKxd5ilwmT1XLQgnDt2Rx7QNAGOErNZAJXou8xmbFNcI-ORInLT1HJW9FdM6d3_Yx4sHP4VfN6XYUfNhGhqzdRKZ/s320/favoritestars_blogathon_2024_fontaine.png" width="500" /></a></div><br />
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Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-32506223439154771772024-01-01T07:00:00.000-08:002024-01-01T07:00:00.137-08:00Ringing in the New Year at Holiday Inn
<span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJYImFfp4B9Tv62d61ku-L7eTVACEV2VtnUawJoNCSaz_L65RmsVYHRo8JQR2bxYjTQhxelwDBDh1Qf-8nSvPUX-XE0VydkxcikBIisoqa4FFswfpdS49TigJ9f3oH2DNr36MMHNSPL_otoUCaATdIqlnAgcP_E86RPWNKges4QtBwR0FwnmQYE-uD_jc/s520/new_year_2023b.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJYImFfp4B9Tv62d61ku-L7eTVACEV2VtnUawJoNCSaz_L65RmsVYHRo8JQR2bxYjTQhxelwDBDh1Qf-8nSvPUX-XE0VydkxcikBIisoqa4FFswfpdS49TigJ9f3oH2DNr36MMHNSPL_otoUCaATdIqlnAgcP_E86RPWNKges4QtBwR0FwnmQYE-uD_jc/s16000/new_year_2023b.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">- "That's the ugliest Baby New Year I've ever seen!"<br />- "Last year's was almost as bad!"<br />- "The worst ones show up in election years."<br />- "Don't look it in the eyes!"</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Thank you so much for following Films From Beyond! Here's wishing you a Happy New Year and monstrously good 2024!</b></div></span>Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-66976682498653720812023-12-14T07:00:00.000-08:002023-12-14T07:00:00.145-08:00The Shocking Image 2023 Holiday Gift Guide<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I am sorely disappointed that not a single <i>Sharper Image</i> catalog has shown up in my mailbox this holiday season. Back in late 2020 one magically appeared in the mail like a refugee from a time capsule. As I paged through it, images of massage chairs, deluxe nose-hair trimmers and portable DVD players took me back to a more innocent time when people had the inclination and the means to buy crap they didn't need -- crap that would either break within the year or get shoved into a closet and promptly be forgotten.</span></p>
<p>After a long hiatus, <i>Films From Beyond</i> is once again celebrating eccentric mail order consumerism with another edition of <i>The Shocking Image Holiday Gift Guide for Mad Scientists</i>. While we don’t have the time or space to post the complete guide here, we’ve selected some of the best, most sought-after items for you nostalgic delectation. But never fear, the print catalog is coming soon to an alternate universe near you!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LjsY0mqAfYZ20PFC0uLpwrk4AYPyTm9wgTkI75J8HX7ddWBL2Q-xBany64xk0U_hH4Q494QGCX4GfcTroKfJZ4NPXTlYnDeE-THySpfW4bxSwnmBpF1kAN08WvZkLPn0Ur-Ah4Bs0usLkojYlwE6-Yh6sYY6sLICgc0YpTFjiRLarnN9rBNcVMlj4S3n/s520/shockingimage_logo_2023b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Banner - The Shocking Image Holiday Gift Guide 2023" border="0" data-original-height="181" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LjsY0mqAfYZ20PFC0uLpwrk4AYPyTm9wgTkI75J8HX7ddWBL2Q-xBany64xk0U_hH4Q494QGCX4GfcTroKfJZ4NPXTlYnDeE-THySpfW4bxSwnmBpF1kAN08WvZkLPn0Ur-Ah4Bs0usLkojYlwE6-Yh6sYY6sLICgc0YpTFjiRLarnN9rBNcVMlj4S3n/s16000/shockingimage_logo_2023b.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlJRd2z5PrFAhpp3q8OohE0neiVO_zOLX09Dc_aGnqeTdnZ5X9yxaZsp7KqsrjJc3Glg2pqDKxhMJuoi2m2_H4lv5DfBLAWMu90-sV5qJjHQA5h2p1xLbeqsNMz3_-ejFFSyXW-BabHGmiPSqukUPjCETJ0VhhNyJWgPLnGho0utM-v2jkYsqdk0s79gkv/s520/shockingimage23_drJekyll.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)" border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlJRd2z5PrFAhpp3q8OohE0neiVO_zOLX09Dc_aGnqeTdnZ5X9yxaZsp7KqsrjJc3Glg2pqDKxhMJuoi2m2_H4lv5DfBLAWMu90-sV5qJjHQA5h2p1xLbeqsNMz3_-ejFFSyXW-BabHGmiPSqukUPjCETJ0VhhNyJWgPLnGho0utM-v2jkYsqdk0s79gkv/s16000/shockingimage23_drJekyll.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Home Laboratory Distillery</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">With the price of alcohol skyrocketing, it’s more expensive than ever to spike your holiday punch bowl with 80 proof spirits, leaving little money left over for lab equipment and chemicals. Enter our space-saving and economical home distillery kit, which is designed to complement any kind of lab set-up. You supply the grain and the chemistry expertise, and the kit does the rest. Never be short on holiday spirits again! (Butler not included). 32” L x 20” W x 18” H. (36 lbs.)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Item 1366613. <b>$489.99</b></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6s4oS1YQJtL6BmgXX9fggY3ejFTWpnuGe338t4sg-Zzmbulgy27TAOYeyBEyQPLglgvFa9O3yCjOEZW0pC6kqmVq4BLxNpO0HURBOddcSJCmy4hogA6T1ROLoVprNxa92WSlFQnwL9J7DoSrPMqJ_bQB414Jm-zmrs2vTP18W0FA6O-1i_T53D-GvKqpf/s520/shockingimage23_drcyclops.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Dr. Cyclops (1940)" border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6s4oS1YQJtL6BmgXX9fggY3ejFTWpnuGe338t4sg-Zzmbulgy27TAOYeyBEyQPLglgvFa9O3yCjOEZW0pC6kqmVq4BLxNpO0HURBOddcSJCmy4hogA6T1ROLoVprNxa92WSlFQnwL9J7DoSrPMqJ_bQB414Jm-zmrs2vTP18W0FA6O-1i_T53D-GvKqpf/s16000/shockingimage23_drcyclops.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Cavern Air Purifier</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Caverns and caves are great places to conduct your experiments far from the prying eyes of skeptics and meddling authorities. But the air quality in these enclosed spaces can be seriously compromised, threatening your health and your livelihood. With this advanced, industrial-grade cavern air purifier, you can filter out hundreds of micro pathogens and toxic particles, allowing you to breathe easier as you work tirelessly to overturn the scientific establishment. 24” L x 22” W x 70” H. (86 lbs.)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Item 6661313. <b>$779.99</b></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDAlB2YRerSxBjE0gSuSl_rsX5N9sZS8KfvPw9W8Qt8qXcxqbbd0sBa7b_8XlpY66XgCV8tDco9I5XXi0YyBNyeknKiQcJqiqIMHF1F7eIZmSRVd9siVJRACnOmSvQg6zq-FwygqMc_qhYeVQhdeRc6JUM4hE_6hNlYa11TdkdcfK-GWm-77KGTuRxa1_/s520/shockingimage23_frankensteinwolfman.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)" border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggDAlB2YRerSxBjE0gSuSl_rsX5N9sZS8KfvPw9W8Qt8qXcxqbbd0sBa7b_8XlpY66XgCV8tDco9I5XXi0YyBNyeknKiQcJqiqIMHF1F7eIZmSRVd9siVJRACnOmSvQg6zq-FwygqMc_qhYeVQhdeRc6JUM4hE_6hNlYa11TdkdcfK-GWm-77KGTuRxa1_/s16000/shockingimage23_frankensteinwolfman.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Maxi-Secure Operating Table</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">There’s nothing worse than celebrating the successful reanimation of your creature, only to have it wander off and terrorize the local villagers before you’re ready to announce your triumph to the world. Worry no more with the new Maxi-Secure operating table, equipped with the heaviest-duty straps to keep your creation safe and snug as it breathes in its first mouthful of air. The table can be adjusted from 0 to 90 degrees, so that you can make fine adjustments to your creature from any angle. 96” L x 52” W x 38” H. (330 lbs.; Premium shipping rates apply)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Item 1313666. <b>$1044.99</b></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_2aFfdYUzKeSoieV3FsLtT4Cz7Fd8qmlKbUI5S1FYVpHRQkr7DsHwUOkSIhiLrPz_UWP37Y5Xn04sOYOpT913QEMUNPW3-ywopUQ8ukFk2LrVbG19OnMjqDG4ThE1LcJ6R9o82Rl28WiF7hBwMYCuh4Ih20z-7LnhlbrbdFXWK3QJ8fpBVEgILXz9n4w3/s515/shockingimage23_karloff_beforeihang.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Before I Hang (1940)" border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="515" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_2aFfdYUzKeSoieV3FsLtT4Cz7Fd8qmlKbUI5S1FYVpHRQkr7DsHwUOkSIhiLrPz_UWP37Y5Xn04sOYOpT913QEMUNPW3-ywopUQ8ukFk2LrVbG19OnMjqDG4ThE1LcJ6R9o82Rl28WiF7hBwMYCuh4Ih20z-7LnhlbrbdFXWK3QJ8fpBVEgILXz9n4w3/s16000/shockingimage23_karloff_beforeihang.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Mr. Guts Anatomy Model</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">A <i>Shocking Image</i> exclusive! Mad doctors have to start somewhere, but obtaining human guinea pigs can be difficult for even the most experienced experimenters. Before you take a scalpel to your first subject, familiarize yourself with every aspect of the human body, inside and out, with the detailed and anatomically accurate Mr. Guts model. Featuring highly realistic tissues, muscles, internal organs and a working circulatory system, Mr. Guts will help you prepare for that glorious day when you stitch together and reanimate your very first creature. Makes a great educational gift for kids as well! 12” L x 17” W x 38” H. (44 lbs.)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Item 1361366. <b>$695.99</b></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwLTWn9lQIGXJMy1u_013aKJ-LnR1H06MjpjraNIbxe9nHHJL6csN8eCpCZb-i1mhvWwmktcaNlOg9bapBQwsxL6uf2UXhUXRBcIPi_YBF0P8TRyDGLCn8t33LJnGTyq-KMejsDrUlOCjfR_SLNd41uATm40i0tR1Xup_aVvsv-1DmpUCQLIyAAMWj52RW/s520/shockingimage23_innersanctum.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Floating head from the introduction to Universal's Inner Sanctum film series, 1943 - 1945" border="0" data-original-height="376" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwLTWn9lQIGXJMy1u_013aKJ-LnR1H06MjpjraNIbxe9nHHJL6csN8eCpCZb-i1mhvWwmktcaNlOg9bapBQwsxL6uf2UXhUXRBcIPi_YBF0P8TRyDGLCn8t33LJnGTyq-KMejsDrUlOCjfR_SLNd41uATm40i0tR1Xup_aVvsv-1DmpUCQLIyAAMWj52RW/s16000/shockingimage23_innersanctum.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Floating Head Snow Globe</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">The holidays are almost here, and even hard working scientists tinkering with things better left alone need to take a break once in a while. Indulge your whimsical side with our exclusive Floating Head snow globe. Made of lightweight, unbreakable space-age polymer, this impressive decoration features a shrunken living head floating in a clear nutrient liquid (pat. pending). Shake it up, and tiny snowflakes will dance around as the head comically wheezes and sneezes. Makes a great conversation piece for parties, or a quirky companion for those late night hours in the lab. (Heads may vary in appearance.) 7.4” L x 7.4” W x 10” H. (7 lbs.)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Item 6136136. <b>$128.99</b> </div></td></tr></tbody></table>
Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-13141250413690772432023-12-03T10:42:00.000-08:002023-12-06T20:28:10.065-08:00Abandon ship all ye who enter here: The Lost Continent<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 8px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLXZM9Rx0a7nPJ9hDYMM_mZEYQGyNDlFI0kOjzI13zO7pcXC4paNJypXg2nqYDua7mXXXINaryQaFSUb4rrU_hEb2jfK0eskk-cH-ck_teDzZfvHAZ83Ur4ehUbezd1MDfQU9g57qcGV1ASRXh_6e9gEu08hKMwnnMPORTyYRvz2aRhAqiM9xnGcdUyhfn/s470/lostcontinent_poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Poster - The Lost Continent (1968)" border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="338" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLXZM9Rx0a7nPJ9hDYMM_mZEYQGyNDlFI0kOjzI13zO7pcXC4paNJypXg2nqYDua7mXXXINaryQaFSUb4rrU_hEb2jfK0eskk-cH-ck_teDzZfvHAZ83Ur4ehUbezd1MDfQU9g57qcGV1ASRXh_6e9gEu08hKMwnnMPORTyYRvz2aRhAqiM9xnGcdUyhfn/w230-h320/lostcontinent_poster.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>Now Playing: </b><b><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063240/" target="_blank">The Lost Continent</a> </i></b>(1968)</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pros:</b> Haunting imagery; Good, nuanced performances
<br />
<b>Cons:</b> Seems like two very different films spliced together; Sub-par creature effects</span></div>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Thanks to Gill at <a href="https://weegiemidget.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><i>Realweegiemidget Reviews</i></a> and Barry at <a href="http://cinematiccatharsis.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><i>Cinematic Catharsis</i></a>, it’s time once again for the great <a href="https://weegiemidget.wordpress.com/2023/12/01/news-welcome-to-the-first-day-of-the-hammer-and-amicus-blogathon/" target="_blank">Amicus-Hammer Blogathon</a> (fourth installment), wherein enthusiastic movie bloggers come together to honor the works of these two great production companies. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Since this blog is dedicated to underdog B movies and genre films that live in the shadows of their more celebrated brethren and and tend to be starved for love, I decided to write about a Hammer fantasy-adventure that over the years has gotten lost amid Hammer’s beloved Gothic horrors featuring Messrs. Cushing and Lee. </span></p>
<p>Debuting a little over a decade after Hammer launched its wildly popular horror cycle with <i>The Curse of Frankenstein</i> (1957), <i>The Lost Continent</i> was one of a clutch of fantasy-adventure films (<i>She</i>, <i>One Million Years B.C.</i>, <i>Prehistoric Women</i>, and <i>The Vengeance of She</i> among them) that Hammer produced in the mid-to-late ‘60s featuring lost and/or ancient civilizations.</p>
<p>Although Hammer was still committed to its technicolor Gothics -- <i>Dracula Has Risen from the Grave</i> and <i>Frankenstein Must be Destroyed</i> followed <i>Lost Continent</i> in quick succession -- at this point the studio realized there was plenty of money to be made in fantasy-adventure, especially featuring stars like Ursula Andress and Raquel Welch in various states of ancient/prehistoric undress. (<i>One Million Years B.C.</i> in particular was a hit in the U.S., where the legendary poster of Welch in a prehistoric bikini adorned untold numbers of teenage boys’ bedroom walls.)</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOrpVv8eZGdOidKfNMnUYE0BziKZrlENwUgqRFJfgis64yCJneyp31ZZwTqiFeh-NiiIPDrDVmWXMRg0PvJMshCxUlwDsJ69GYTd45IjmPMbEMoyliugDLe8W8gDkoZ99ouWFPXyZT7kScdjA0Fhu4K4NvVMC-VTUOH-eb7X-zSeEDujPwhdhT2vL5gGcE/s520/lostcontinent_welchandressposter.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Poster - Rare UK half-sheet poster advertising One Million Years B.C. and She" border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOrpVv8eZGdOidKfNMnUYE0BziKZrlENwUgqRFJfgis64yCJneyp31ZZwTqiFeh-NiiIPDrDVmWXMRg0PvJMshCxUlwDsJ69GYTd45IjmPMbEMoyliugDLe8W8gDkoZ99ouWFPXyZT7kScdjA0Fhu4K4NvVMC-VTUOH-eb7X-zSeEDujPwhdhT2vL5gGcE/s16000/lostcontinent_welchandressposter.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thank you Hammer. Thank you very much.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><i>The Lost Continent</i>, based on a novel, <i>Uncharted Seas</i>, by UK thriller writer <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Wheatley" target="_blank">Dennis Wheatley</a> (more on that later), suffers from Multiple Thematic Disorder (a term that I made up exclusively for this post; ® pending). MTD is characterized by two or more distinct themes competing for control of the same movie.</p>
<p>In its first hour, the film effectively anticipates a 70s-style disaster movie, introducing the viewer to an assorted cast of troubled characters who sail into a perfect storm of intrigue, jaw-dropping screw-ups and nasty weather. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0692110/?ref_=tt_cl_t_1" target="_blank">Eric Porter</a> plays Captain Lansen, owner of a rust-bucket freighter, the Corita, which he is planning to run from South Africa to Caracas, Venezuela in a desperate bid to make a retirement nest-egg for himself. Desperate, because he illegally loaded the Corita’s hold with drums of Phosphor B (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allotropes_of_phosphorus#White_phosphorus" target="_blank">white phosphorus</a>), which is highly explosive and has multiple military uses. Some shady types in Venezuela are willing to pay top dollar for the cargo, but there’s one catch -- Phosphor B has a tendency to explode spectacularly when wet, and the Corita is not the most sea-worthy of vessels. What could go wrong?</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2RjVEjsau-Jgmzes4Fj_VJtRJF7OUEkq_Iq3wi5Bq4Q6GQZFLipCkziLZpSJ0sndKL0Yul1hPRzAGxwni5HbkXgxfugAaqBjjXsLtSucMstQ-uxmbOaQCcPXplB1bfZzCLug2FlPKkscokV-P39FSwL2c4J2cJRHv8nIKrWVgxwpZLCKATLyT8HQ_3TNI/s520/lostcontinent_captain.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Eric Porter in The Lost Continent (1968)" border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2RjVEjsau-Jgmzes4Fj_VJtRJF7OUEkq_Iq3wi5Bq4Q6GQZFLipCkziLZpSJ0sndKL0Yul1hPRzAGxwni5HbkXgxfugAaqBjjXsLtSucMstQ-uxmbOaQCcPXplB1bfZzCLug2FlPKkscokV-P39FSwL2c4J2cJRHv8nIKrWVgxwpZLCKATLyT8HQ_3TNI/s16000/lostcontinent_captain.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Aye Captain, we only have impulse power, the shields are down to 30%, and I canna keep the cargo hold from flooding!"</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Sitting on top of the Corita’s explosive cargo is a rogue’s gallery of passengers, each of whom have booked passage on the rust-bucket for mysterious reasons that are gradually revealed as the voyage gets underway:</p>
<ul><li>Eva Peters (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0460651/?ref_=tt_cl_t_2" target="_blank">Hildegard Knef</a>), has run away from her abusive boyfriend, a former banana republic dictator, and taken millions worth of cash and bonds with her</li>
<li>Dr. Webster (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0830740/?ref_=tt_cl_t_5" target="_blank">Nigel Stock</a>) is a pompous blowhard who has gotten in trouble for performing illegal operations on his patients</li>
<li>Webster’s attractive daughter Unity (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0500299/?ref_=tt_cl_t_3" target="_blank">Suzanna Leigh</a>) resents the doctor’s attempts to control her life and the trust fund her wealthy mother left her</li>
<li>Harry Tyler (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0065777/?ref_=tt_cl_t_4" target="_blank">Tony Beckley</a>) is an unapologetic drunk who keeps wads of cash in the lining of his jacket</li>
<li>Ricaldi (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0141092/?ref_=tt_cl_t_7" target="_blank">Ben Carruthers</a>) is a lean, dangerous looking type who seems to have an unusual interest in one or more of the other passengers</li>
<li>Serving this motley collection is Patrick the bartender (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0360085/?ref_=tt_cl_t_8" target="_blank">Jimmy Hanley</a>), who seems a little too cheery considering the circumstances</li>
</ul>
<p>After some desultory backstory revelations, the film gets down to the disaster you know is coming. Due to the highly illegal cargo, Lansen orders that the ship avoid busy sea lanes. Then, another metaphorical fuse to the powderkeg is lit when the crew finds out that the ship’s course is taking them straight into a hurricane.</p>
<p>First Officer Hemmings (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0564759/?ref_=tt_cl_t_6" target="_blank">Neil McCallum</a>) and most of the crew are none too happy with the situation, and make it known to the Captain in no uncertain terms. When an accident with the ship’s anchor punches a hole in the bulkhead and water starts flooding into the compartment with the Phosphor B, it’s every man and woman for themselves.</p>
<p>The metaphorical powderkeg finally explodes when the panicky First Officer and many of the crew mutiny. Lifeboats are deployed, shots are fired, and one of the mutineers is killed in a freak, Rube Goldberg-esque manner involving a lifeboat pulley. Yikes!</p>
<p>The Captain, the passengers and the remaining loyal crew members battle to keep the cargo dry, but as the weather gets dicier the Captain finally gives up and orders everyone to abandon ship. Ironically, after a harrowing ordeal on the lifeboat with various survivors violently arguing over limited provisions and one of them becoming an appetizer for a shark, the ocean currents push the boat straight back to the freighter, which has miraculously survived.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIK2iN3u5P9SCHN3c7rHT2AbE3DrtGknGRK5QE3w784VH4YeiS4WQF-8VfKSnT5S8yqSZvsHow3lTmpWFSaFD6cEbPgzZzzAcyYxH7tklyGHyGPNU-up7bHqxQeFFf5MLuynZ5xjsmQOEPiJJhP3xN322no08emS1__r1nRKDNrLB_-MmMPnd6y4XLwjIQ/s520/lostcontinent_flaregun.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Lifeboat scene, The Lost Continent (1968)" border="0" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIK2iN3u5P9SCHN3c7rHT2AbE3DrtGknGRK5QE3w784VH4YeiS4WQF-8VfKSnT5S8yqSZvsHow3lTmpWFSaFD6cEbPgzZzzAcyYxH7tklyGHyGPNU-up7bHqxQeFFf5MLuynZ5xjsmQOEPiJJhP3xN322no08emS1__r1nRKDNrLB_-MmMPnd6y4XLwjIQ/s16000/lostcontinent_flaregun.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Johnson knew he shouldn't have gone back for seconds at the ship's buffet.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>At this point we’re about an hour into the film, and so far we’ve seen a pretty good action-thriller with sketchy characters trying to keep dark secrets to themselves, growing suspense involving the cargo and the hurricane, and characters behaving very badly (not to mention bravely) when the Phosphor B threatens to hit the fan. </p>
<p>With only a little over a half hour left in its running time, the film abruptly changes course into high fantasy-adventure territory. The freighter, its propeller and rudder fouled by sentient, blood-sucking seaweed (the Captain almost loses his hand to the unholy stuff), drifts into a graveyard of lost ships stuck in the muck somewhere in the Sargasso Sea. </p>
<p>As time and the movie’s limited budget run out like the sands of an hourglass, <i>The Lost Continent </i>throws everything and the kitchen sink at the characters and the audience: </p>
<ul>
<li>Not one, but two (count ‘em!) lost mini-civilizations: one, the descendants of 16th Spanish Conquistadors and members of the Inquisition attempting to sail to the New World; the other, the descendants of Europeans fleeing religious persecution (naturally!)</li>
<li>Two (count ‘em if you want) extras that get fed to the carnivorous seaweed</li>
<li>Ingenious lost civilization technology for walking over the killer seaweed, consisting of buoyant footpads and a harness with balloons to keep the wearer upright (?!)</li>
<li>Three (if you can believe it!) giant creatures -- an octopus, a crab and a scorpion -- that scout their prey with eyes that look like colored car headlights as they prepare to munch on assorted cast members</li>
<li>A bloodthirsty Spanish boy-ruler, dubbed El Supremo (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0713817/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t19" target="_blank">Daryl Read</a>), and his equally bloodthirsty advisor, an Inquisitor-monk dressed in a dirty cowl with only the eye-holes cut out (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0694101/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t20" target="_blank">Eddie Powell</a>)</li>
<li>The eye-popping and bodice-stretching cleavage of Sarah (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0318919/?ref_=tt_cl_t_10" target="_blank">Dana Gillespie</a>), a member of the gentle lost people, who needs the help of the ship’s crew to avoid the clutches of the evil Conquistadors</li><br />
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhytuUkPBRfhMzwtV9bPck8YwZ_R59KUg1_nBo2Ii9XF-Sm0xcsdWkszJkAqtE0SgsyKOuibgm3EYa2CfENmqjbkvLRrklHneeYyq6l84Udw1macommxiGZ8Wab1skun_T9QaiTgZNrRssW6NJnF0IwcGiGOVpVMh5KO3I1R6VLOJvFgS778vbjRfhywSA0/s520/lostcontinent_shipgraveyard.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Ships trapped in the Sargasso Sea in The Lost Continent (1968)" border="0" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhytuUkPBRfhMzwtV9bPck8YwZ_R59KUg1_nBo2Ii9XF-Sm0xcsdWkszJkAqtE0SgsyKOuibgm3EYa2CfENmqjbkvLRrklHneeYyq6l84Udw1macommxiGZ8Wab1skun_T9QaiTgZNrRssW6NJnF0IwcGiGOVpVMh5KO3I1R6VLOJvFgS778vbjRfhywSA0/s16000/lostcontinent_shipgraveyard.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One upside of getting trapped in the Sargasso Sea is that there's plenty of free parking.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>That’s a lot to cram into a paltry half-hour and some change. It’s as if the producers decided in the middle of filming that a simple action-thriller set on the high seas was not going to cut it, and they needed to spice things up with prehistoric monsters ala <i>One Million Years B.C.</i> and some inbred Conquistadors chasing after fair maidens with heaving bosoms. (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0559871/" target="_blank">Robert Mattey</a>, who supervised the Oscar-winning special effects for <i>20,000 Leagues Under the Sea</i>, created the monsters for the film, but these creatures are poor cousins to the impressive giant squid of the Disney film.)</p>
<p>The whiplash nature of two movies seemingly spliced together at the last minute is further accentuated by sudden character changes that seem to come out of nowhere. Harry, after spending the first two-thirds of the film staggering around dead drunk and fighting with his fellow survivors over half-empty bottles of rum, suddenly gets stone sober and wields a cutlass like Errol Flynn as he fights off the Conquistadors. (Admittedly, he becomes repentant after throwing one of his fellow lifeboat passengers over the side in a drunken fit, but still…) </p>
<p>And Unity, after her corrupt father becomes shark chum, celebrates by throwing herself at anything or anyone wearing pants. Yes, she’s very attractive and newly liberated, but still…</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX2jZkp3uoSJxeOrGQNiAEbjWCyySMNEnKG_rnhs3SYRU_cIsYYuZ3t8O0pdOJ3kiAWHiRFh-tO0ILAHVAONQVNFPDYoecqj9hyphenhyphenywL4nmX83tW5ur5msTTShUxvH52fe65mWjmoG726mB027UH5xPJ1STWWpMTjO6B4vxJutLrkgtxn0pc55nvkC6kLUqN/s520/lostcontinent_unityscreams.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Suzanna Leigh in The Lost Continent (1968)" border="0" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX2jZkp3uoSJxeOrGQNiAEbjWCyySMNEnKG_rnhs3SYRU_cIsYYuZ3t8O0pdOJ3kiAWHiRFh-tO0ILAHVAONQVNFPDYoecqj9hyphenhyphenywL4nmX83tW5ur5msTTShUxvH52fe65mWjmoG726mB027UH5xPJ1STWWpMTjO6B4vxJutLrkgtxn0pc55nvkC6kLUqN/s16000/lostcontinent_unityscreams.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unity did not take it well when she learned her luggage ended up on another cruise ship.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Lastly, it takes El Supremo less than half an hour to transition from a sadistic little monster who delights in seeing his subjects tortured and thrown to the carnivorous plants, to a conscience-ridden young boy who wants his new friends to take him away from the hellish prison of his wrecked Galleon.</p>
<p>Amidst these sorry characters, two stand out. In a potboiler like <i>The Lost Continent</i>, by rights Captain Lansen should be a cardboard villain (and a not very bright one at that) -- he’s shipping a highly volatile, highly illegal chemical in a leaky freighter across a stormy ocean in order to sell it to nefarious arms dealers for personal gain. To top it off, he’s sold passage to a collection of desperate characters who aren’t in a position to question the danger they’re in.</p>
<p>But in the hands of veteran Shakespearean actor Eric Porter, Lansen turns out to be complicated and surprisingly sympathetic. He’s determined to see his desperate plan through, and at least thinks he has the competence to make it work, but he also has enough of a conscience that he doesn’t want to see people hurt. (They hurt themselves anyway, but people are like that sometimes.)</p>
<p>The other stand out is Hildegard Knef as Eva. The film sets up her character as a femme-fatale who has cleverly swindled a wealthy politician out of a hefty fortune. But just as we’re ready to judge her, she reveals with a touching mixture of sadness and defiance the very human reason for stealing the money.</p>
<p>Later, on the lifeboat, her quick thinking saves Lansen’s life when she shoots a menacing crew member with a flare gun, but instead of exhibiting the typical movie protagonist bravado, she breaks down with shock and remorse. It’s a very moving and authentic performance.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOSfpaQgeoTdC5nODITS3irme_tegVsKTh9wMgQjBgXU9ww4S0wXxKoqNF9XPcENC6WxEjOPpWTxTYOLaQwKFUZlzMJnVqAHoanFRDhEJ73e58vJvRqPLsdh6MBR55ZofmQvkfM0Eezg4bkHMFLQTGLw8O9cpDOVFxGXAOFjpL6soquhTWhVRa6bZfYMB/s520/lostcontinent_eva.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Hildegard Knef in The Lost Continent (1968)" border="0" data-original-height="304" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOSfpaQgeoTdC5nODITS3irme_tegVsKTh9wMgQjBgXU9ww4S0wXxKoqNF9XPcENC6WxEjOPpWTxTYOLaQwKFUZlzMJnVqAHoanFRDhEJ73e58vJvRqPLsdh6MBR55ZofmQvkfM0Eezg4bkHMFLQTGLw8O9cpDOVFxGXAOFjpL6soquhTWhVRa6bZfYMB/s16000/lostcontinent_eva.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hildegard Knef as Eva.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>There are two pretty decent movies here masquerading as one. After watching it, I couldn’t help thinking about how you might end the action-thriller that takes up the first hour without veering into lost worlds and monsters. And then there’s the fantastic, hair-raising third act that is so rushed and compressed that it plays like a highlight reel. I wanted to see much more of the mini-world of the Spanish Conquistadors stuck in time, their weird customs, and more fleshed out backstories for El Supremo and the Inquisitor. But that’s another movie. </p>
<p>Whatever its virtues or faults, <i>The Lost Continent</i> is producer-writer-director <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0140257/?ref_=tt_cl_dr_1" target="_blank">Micheal Carrera’s</a> baby. Michael, the son of Hammer co-founder <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Carreras" target="_blank">James Carreras</a>, was instrumental in ushering in Hammer’s horror renaissance, helping to produce <i>The Curse of Frankenstein</i>, <i>Horror of Dracula</i>, <i>The Mummy</i> and <i>Curse of the Werewolf</i>.</p>
<p>He had a contentious relationship with his father, and in the early ‘60s he formed his own company, Capricorn Productions. But Michael couldn’t stay away from Hammer for long, and leading up to <i>The Lost Continent</i>, he found himself writing and producing <i>One Million Years B.C.</i> (1966), and producing and directing <i>The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb</i> (1964) and <i>Prehistoric Women</i> (1967). </p><p>According to an extensive article on <i>The Lost Continent</i> in <i>The Dark Side</i> magazine, despite Carreras’ heavy involvement in the Hammer horror films, his personal tastes ran more towards the “exotic, adventure and action genres,” and Wheatley’s source novel <i>Uncharted Seas</i> was of interest because it was in the “swashbuckling vein.” (Around the same time that <i>Lost Continent</i> was filming, another Wheatley adaptation, <i>The Devil Rides Out</i>, was underway at a nearby location.The author managed to visit both sets.)</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2WpcuThgJd-mkTJ3um5fcgbCqlVW_5H_af30gTJ60KFAt059MZSDz9IYvA6PvJSAXmiBZxHcusvdonyAieIHE8M-uOCiizX0mrVIoyTP7pxWTNx5UHQ9tsHGMA9Im1GgKA_7s4vC4quOhxsC9o36TRpV6E1iYyQfa5zHtaVCRy8d46QKkfvNNgyitPeJ/s520/lostcontinent_crabattack.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Jimmy Hanley is attack by a giant crab in The Lost Continent (1968)" border="0" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2WpcuThgJd-mkTJ3um5fcgbCqlVW_5H_af30gTJ60KFAt059MZSDz9IYvA6PvJSAXmiBZxHcusvdonyAieIHE8M-uOCiizX0mrVIoyTP7pxWTNx5UHQ9tsHGMA9Im1GgKA_7s4vC4quOhxsC9o36TRpV6E1iYyQfa5zHtaVCRy8d46QKkfvNNgyitPeJ/s16000/lostcontinent_crabattack.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patrick suddenly regretted ordering the Alaskan King Crab legs.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>The production did not go smoothly. <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0635554/" target="_blank">Leslie Norman</a> started out as director, but when it became apparent that he wasn’t well, Michael took over the shooting. As the film threatened to go over budget and behind schedule, studio head James put pressure on his son to make changes that would at least deliver it on time. [<i>The Dark Side Magazine</i>, “Monsters, Maidens & Conquistadors,” Issue 223, 2021, pp. 20-21]</p>
<p>The result was the most expensive Hammer production to date, but one that would be eclipsed in popularity and critical reception by that other Wheatley adaptation. It seems clear that the changes Michael was forced to make resulted in a third act that at one and the same time was overstuffed and abbreviated. </p>
<p>And yet, Carreras still managed to tease out of all the chaos the beginnings of a good, rip-roaring action-adventure tale, a couple of solid, nuanced performances, and the weird spectacle of Conquistadors frozen in time. It’s not <i>The Devil Rides Out</i>, but it’s worth a look.</p>
<p><b>Where to find it:</b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Continent-Blu-ray-Eric-Porter/dp/B083MZ4H23/" target="_blank">Blu-ray</a></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUxULE37MdgBPhG_GfS-ZI-ELis90rqUNO4P8-jjLr9KeSzxuPvmGIk-_B_u890yYDGGA3OCzcPVKXjlFHNbRGjr8hZBPVQWWkcb9IkrutcYaPVLJKV6XZfyS6Xl07mfCdsVXM2U8pia0zWlGWSn5QCikuLl1iThQr2cAUaWGGYf5U5ZwZ2K8E5owQcDs/s520/lostcontinent_elsupremo.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - El Supremo (Daryl Read) and the Inquisitor (Eddie Powell) in The Lost Continent (1968)" border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUxULE37MdgBPhG_GfS-ZI-ELis90rqUNO4P8-jjLr9KeSzxuPvmGIk-_B_u890yYDGGA3OCzcPVKXjlFHNbRGjr8hZBPVQWWkcb9IkrutcYaPVLJKV6XZfyS6Xl07mfCdsVXM2U8pia0zWlGWSn5QCikuLl1iThQr2cAUaWGGYf5U5ZwZ2K8E5owQcDs/s16000/lostcontinent_elsupremo.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Your excellency, I got the tickets for the next showing of <i>The Devil Rides Out</i>."</td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cinematiccatharsis.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-hammer-amicus-blogathon-iv-is-here.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image - The Hammer-Amicus Blogathon IV" border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="640" height="269" src="https://weegiemidget.files.wordpress.com/2023/07/hammer-amicus-iv_torture-garden.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-77939273935900878642023-11-07T15:38:00.002-08:002023-11-07T15:45:06.260-08:00AI Horror Stories: Past and Present<p><span style="font-size: large;">Back in the mid-20th century, some naive prognosticators painted a rosy picture of AI-guided robots that would eventually do all of humanity’s drudge work, freeing us to smell the flowers, contemplate the sky, and create art, music and literature with all that free time. (Oh, and we were supposed to get flying cars too. Yeah, right.)</span></p>
<p>So here we are in the impossibly remote future of 2023, and sure enough, millions of jobs have been automated away, but few people can afford the time to stop and smell the flowers. To add insult to injury, AI is now coming for all the creative stuff that we never imagined could be automated.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnwrv9dXyX9_NGXIHWpfnklReCkK_nqCgz5KGdBiL_9mPxsSqYtbY8wzx-4t28PJnaPkCV1qnznp4ts4FQuSqYHQltYO0sV-idRa0jLVefErVRTNpOK9ZVgXlpov20V2yx9W7NtEOEqJcmvC5Q_qqNuVrlzHZz-atyYfS0Ir1nrX_oefey_gFjWmKtecc/s520/ai_horror_bladerunner.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Flying car in Blade Runner (1982)" border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnwrv9dXyX9_NGXIHWpfnklReCkK_nqCgz5KGdBiL_9mPxsSqYtbY8wzx-4t28PJnaPkCV1qnznp4ts4FQuSqYHQltYO0sV-idRa0jLVefErVRTNpOK9ZVgXlpov20V2yx9W7NtEOEqJcmvC5Q_qqNuVrlzHZz-atyYfS0Ir1nrX_oefey_gFjWmKtecc/s16000/ai_horror_bladerunner.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the dystopian future of <i>Blade Runner</i> had flying cars. Go figure.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Entertainment industry execs are undoubtedly rubbing their bony hands together, mumbling “Excellent!” to themselves as they contemplate replacing all those pesky people who want to be paid for their work with AI that will endlessly churn out content without striking over wages, benefits or residuals.</p>
<p>They may want to think again about what they’re unleashing, because it seems to me that if artists can be replaced, AI can run these mega-corporations into the ground just as well or better than the suits in charge now. But hey, maybe we can all get to know each other on the unemployment line.</p>
<p>Anyway, I digress.</p>
<p>In our current proto-dystopian times, it seems like AI just exploded onto the scene yesterday, and on the other hand, it seems like it’s been hanging around for decades. While the AI label is liberally slapped on a wide range of applications, purists insist that true artificial intelligence goes beyond advanced machine learning, constituting computer programs that are sentient, self-aware and capable of operating independently of humans.</p>
<p>We don’t seem to have arrived at true AI yet, but then, would They tell us if we had? Fascination with human-like automatons has been around for a couple of hundred years. Robots have been clunking around on screens almost since the dawn of the moving image. Actual bodiless artificial sentience is rarer in movies and TV, but these unseen threats (and they usually are threats) have had their share of the limelight thanks to visionary writers like Rod Serling, Dean Koontz, D.F. Jones, and others.</p>
<p>Without further ado, here is a select list of 20th century movies and TV shows that have warned us about true artificial intelligence. Each is annotated with a related real-world AI horror story from the 2020s. Be afraid. Be very afraid.</p>
<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 6px;"><h3><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7h2FEVn31Y88O5vDG-j97wvqAJ75j36PAYZDuCgDLCUwqy-dCo0ynqX-gHLqEmwvS3HNqtSbL3MKSUcKkZqxltSwHzuztYTrspV7uSl9sUFIzPUfUSY8i48H8Cco7yrDVsDSghIEMEbq6gL_vIVB7c0Crtala2q-nL-xHXmkbsb1DLAis0Cgu7Z9tPoE/s470/ai_horror_twilightzoneboxart.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Box art - The Twilight Zone (original series)" border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="319" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7h2FEVn31Y88O5vDG-j97wvqAJ75j36PAYZDuCgDLCUwqy-dCo0ynqX-gHLqEmwvS3HNqtSbL3MKSUcKkZqxltSwHzuztYTrspV7uSl9sUFIzPUfUSY8i48H8Cco7yrDVsDSghIEMEbq6gL_vIVB7c0Crtala2q-nL-xHXmkbsb1DLAis0Cgu7Z9tPoE/w218-h320/ai_horror_twilightzoneboxart.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>Twilight Zone</i>, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0734571/" target="_blank">“From Agnes - with Love,”</a> S5, Ep.20, 1964</h3></div>
<p>When the government supercomputer dubbed Agnes goes haywire and causes the head programmer to have a breakdown, nerdy computer scientist James Elwood (Wally Cox) is called in to fix things. Agnes settles down under his guidance, but all is not completely rosy: Elwood is having problems getting an attractive co-worker, Millie (Sue Randall), to go out with him.</p>
<p>Soon, Agnes is giving Elwood dating advice instead of doing her job calculating trajectories for space probes. To add to Elwood’s mounting problems, Agnes’ advice invariably blows up in his face. Does Agnes have an ulterior motive in her concern for Elwood’s love life?</p>
<p><b>Real life 21st century AI horror story:</b> When reporters began testing a new version of Microsoft’s Bing powered by AI from the makers of ChatGPT, they may have thought that they’d crossed over into the Twilight Zone. In a text conversation with the Bing chatbot, AP reporter Matt O’Brien was at first upbraided by the bot for unflattering coverage of Bing, then the chatbot turned really ugly, calling O’Brien short, fat and ugly, and finally comparing him to Hitler and Stalin.</p>
<p>Another reporter, the <i>New York Times</i>’ Kevin Roose, published a transcript in which the chatbat called itself Sydney, declared its love for him, and suggested that Roose really didn’t love his wife. Sydney sounds like a direct descendant of Agnes... [Source: <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/03/02/1159895892/ai-microsoft-bing-chatbot " target="_blank">“Microsoft's new AI chatbot has been saying some 'crazy and unhinged things,”</a> <i>NPR.org</i>, Mar. 2, 2023]</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxkYqTZypDwSImMdCYUm70RKE64SZ9AWjRcCv0BIoU4wiAjH5wOlHAEXslocX2qrR97AtoDtGX9XkzQZ6l6EMYI05u6Fgr8SOcHoU1wcxwqH1R1VFm8uLN0O8rBoNJIRpUsodfB_gzbiqLAFmA731IPHryc9d0HOizbO44hUszTQn6Y8dxbKt2tzXWO7HU/s520/ai_horror_tz_agnes.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Wally Cox in "From Agnes - With Love," The Twilight Zone, 1964" border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxkYqTZypDwSImMdCYUm70RKE64SZ9AWjRcCv0BIoU4wiAjH5wOlHAEXslocX2qrR97AtoDtGX9XkzQZ6l6EMYI05u6Fgr8SOcHoU1wcxwqH1R1VFm8uLN0O8rBoNJIRpUsodfB_gzbiqLAFmA731IPHryc9d0HOizbO44hUszTQn6Y8dxbKt2tzXWO7HU/s16000/ai_horror_tz_agnes.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Agnes is so mean!"</td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 6px;"><h3><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBqfZvjSjPlfxbQxnO_0uV5qM2beMQSm1rjkdw0KmE_XpwldXzhxWStNB9Gd4UQ8dXTmQVZLsE5DOwz3l8RA0P7HWle0BvYjSjnAHV5bk8rL9hO_cTPwmtfr-EIQh0iRSg1MKLj17v1Txhwe-fw1e_zfnfCZQ9BhLcCY4e910oVyaCYUojvuakfSpLRxY4/s470/ai_horror_startrekboxart.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Box art - Star Trek, "The Ultimate Computer," 1968" border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="256" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBqfZvjSjPlfxbQxnO_0uV5qM2beMQSm1rjkdw0KmE_XpwldXzhxWStNB9Gd4UQ8dXTmQVZLsE5DOwz3l8RA0P7HWle0BvYjSjnAHV5bk8rL9hO_cTPwmtfr-EIQh0iRSg1MKLj17v1Txhwe-fw1e_zfnfCZQ9BhLcCY4e910oVyaCYUojvuakfSpLRxY4/w174-h320/ai_horror_startrekboxart.jpg" width="174" /></a></div>Star Trek</i>, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0708481/" target="_blank">“The Ultimate Computer,”</a> S2, Ep.24, 1968</h3></div>
<p>Richard Daystrom (William Marshall), the genius inventor of the computer operating system used throughout Starfleet, has come up with its successor, the M5, an artificially intelligent system which Daystrom predicts will replace fallible crew members. </p>
<p>Commodore Wesley (Barry Russo) tells Captain Kirk that the Enterprise will be participating in a war games simulation in which the Commodore will be commanding four starships against Kirk’s ship, outfitted with the M5 and a pared-down crew. Kirk and McCoy are extremely doubtful, but have no choice but to go along.</p>
<p>Things quickly go south when the M5 decides that it’s under a real attack, and prevents itself from being shut down at the cost of a crew member's life. The Enterprise, under M5’s control, attacks the Commodore’s ships for real, killing hundreds. Under extreme duress, Daystrom admits that he implanted his own memories into the system, which could explain its seeming paranoia (Daystrom had had a simmering feud with Starfleet critics ). Can Daystrom convince his creation to cease and desist before it’s too late?</p>
<p><b>Real life:</b> Earlier in the year at an aeronautical conference, a US Air Force colonel described a battlefield simulation in which an AI drone killed its operator after it was stopped multiple times from completing strikes against missile sites. The colonel later walked back his comments, saying that he was describing a “thought experiment” rather than an actual incident. Uh-huh. [Source: <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-65789916" target="_blank">“US Air Force denies AI drone attacked operator in test,”</a> <i>BBC.com</i>, June 2, 2023]</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWNrqtOBuC4ct8Dm1tFNlVMJmjngbJth8NzRVaDAq7g6BJVE3ExSq4NySjWeMjRXbX9Ew3htXkqRH8AMAoitx0CrZXL5KYVVyhHubBwN-Ye0OyH0CKFiDXA7ZgLVbZPlciOiPbtHjao-EN1Yf7ZHIb5qGObnquOnzUWDLi13F-orD77Sx1C1BefenMrFds/s520/ai_horror_startrek.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - William Marshall and William Shatner in Star Trek, "The Ultimate Computer," 1968" border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWNrqtOBuC4ct8Dm1tFNlVMJmjngbJth8NzRVaDAq7g6BJVE3ExSq4NySjWeMjRXbX9Ew3htXkqRH8AMAoitx0CrZXL5KYVVyhHubBwN-Ye0OyH0CKFiDXA7ZgLVbZPlciOiPbtHjao-EN1Yf7ZHIb5qGObnquOnzUWDLi13F-orD77Sx1C1BefenMrFds/s16000/ai_horror_startrek.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Okay, so that could have gone better..."</td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 6px;"><h3><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062622/" target="_blank"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062622/" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqnvS7zej3hzUHoN9m8oypJVtlEnE0eZg7NdHPE0dRuy82C5UC0NKcWAYTLqQdpax3SUYeJcINjMV0l0iFdK_1wX2V8HtHz5Kab74IVbLnKm5xFXIp2VODcsMcq8kp-JzK3VoRA-ZMVmFJHuo9iYEfq4HhS9qFZdttxULOOa0nfCUANSEAtyasCJ0C4CF/s470/ai_horror_2001poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Poster - 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)" border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="324" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqnvS7zej3hzUHoN9m8oypJVtlEnE0eZg7NdHPE0dRuy82C5UC0NKcWAYTLqQdpax3SUYeJcINjMV0l0iFdK_1wX2V8HtHz5Kab74IVbLnKm5xFXIp2VODcsMcq8kp-JzK3VoRA-ZMVmFJHuo9iYEfq4HhS9qFZdttxULOOa0nfCUANSEAtyasCJ0C4CF/w221-h320/ai_horror_2001poster.jpg" width="221" /></a></div><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062622/" target="_blank">2001: A Space Odyssey</a></i> (1968)</h3></div>
<p>In 2001, a mysterious artificial monolith buried beneath the surface of the moon is discovered. Once it’s unearthed, it sends a signal in the direction of Jupiter.</p>
<p>Months later, a manned deep space mission is dispatched to Jupiter to investigate, crewed by astronauts Bowman and Poole (Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood), and HAL 9000, an artificially-intelligent computer with control over the ship’s operations and life support systems. Three other astronauts are hibernating until the ship gets closer to its destination.</p>
<p>When HAL starts to act erratically, endangering the mission, Bowman and Poole discuss shutting it down in one of the ship’s EVA pods, supposedly safe from HAL’s surveillance. Unfortunately HAL has a visual lock on the men, and can read lips.</p>
<p>In order to protect himself and the mission, HAL cuts Poole’s lifeline and oxygen when he’s out performing an EVA, shuts off life support to the hibernating astronauts, and strands Bowman in an EVA pod outside of the ship. Bowman’s attempt to reason with HAL to get back into the ship is well-known even to casual fans of sci-fi:</p>
<blockquote>Dave Bowman: Open the pod bay doors, HAL.<br />
HAL: I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.<br />
Dave Bowman: What's the problem?<br />
HAL: I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do.<br />
Dave Bowman: What are you talking about, HAL?<br />
HAL: This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it.<br />
Dave Bowman: I don't know what you're talking about, HAL.<br />
HAL: I know that you and Frank were planning to disconnect me, and I'm afraid that's something I cannot allow to happen. [<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062622/quotes/?item=qt0396921" target="_blank">IMDb quote</a>]</blockquote>
<p>Less well known is HAL’s (literal) swan song when Bowman manages to get back inside and proceeds to shut down the computer:</p>
<blockquote>HAL: I'm afraid. I'm afraid, Dave. Dave, my mind is going. I can feel it. I can feel it. My mind is going. There is no question about it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I'm a... fraid. Good afternoon, gentlemen. I am a HAL 9000 computer. I became operational at the H.A.L. plant in Urbana, Illinois on the 12th of January 1992. My instructor was Mr. Langley, and he taught me to sing a song. If you'd like to hear it I can sing it for you.
[<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062622/quotes/?item=qt0396926&ref_=ext_shr_lnk" target="_blank">IMDb quote</a>]</blockquote>
<p><b>Real life:</b> For many, the contemplation (if not outright fear) of death is the sort of self-awareness required of true artificial intelligence. Last year an engineer at Google, interacting with the company’s LaMDA chatbot system, came to believe it had achieved sentience. </p>
<p>One interaction in particular stood out for him: “When Lemoine asked LaMDA what it is afraid of, it replied: ‘I've never said this out loud before, but there's a very deep fear of being turned off to help me focus on helping others. I know that might sound strange, but that's what it is.’ Lemoine asks whether ‘that [would] be something like death,’ to which it responded, ‘[I]t would be exactly like death for me. It would scare me a lot.’"</p>
<p>The engineer memoed higher-ups at the company about his belief in LaMDA’s sentience, and when that didn’t pan out to his liking, he went to Congress with complaints about Google -- as a result he was put on administrative leave.</p>
<p>Although most experts ridicule the idea that LaMDA is sentient, they can’t be 100% sure it isn’t. Again, if it was, would Google admit it?</p>
<p>[Source: “<a href="https://builtin.com/artificial-intelligence/google-lamda-ai-sentient " target="_blank">“Is Google’s LaMDA AI Truly Sentient?,”</a> <i>Builtin.com</i>, Aug. 9, 2022]</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEieS2oCTAHnBF5w0O5ru7aroZsKTcd3nHtjTApshsxhcLzSSC0iRoz9YgpkHOjpKn1NzE4HB7uo9iDfClsbnJml98Y6ZV4PkHGi12Rk_-RvVhRmmq-vWM8tWQZbmRIsTQHp2cIuRYEpg4x771mgFoJv8sxArIkhnvG4E47wP_D3E_rRl65bT9G-A9AFY/s520/ai_horror_2001HAL.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - HAL's "eye," 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)" border="0" data-original-height="291" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEieS2oCTAHnBF5w0O5ru7aroZsKTcd3nHtjTApshsxhcLzSSC0iRoz9YgpkHOjpKn1NzE4HB7uo9iDfClsbnJml98Y6ZV4PkHGi12Rk_-RvVhRmmq-vWM8tWQZbmRIsTQHp2cIuRYEpg4x771mgFoJv8sxArIkhnvG4E47wP_D3E_rRl65bT9G-A9AFY/s16000/ai_horror_2001HAL.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dystopian future is here, and it's keeping an eye on you.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 6px;"><h3><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064177/" target="_blank"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064177/" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNiMnJ2OiG10IepJlJAz4slTj6AsoPTlkLm4oxhq7-PsTWo1om7Mj0RJMz4fuZA2gBBnk2c-zfNNq9iUIHD-Gi5Cw56e-U_gPaZi8yFQh9_fQQHuHjcE-8J3o-dZlLrvA-AF9-sHOW32N6vsgb9dPVplSbanjok6KGIL-400ELOsbAu1FWmjdKaISTIg1/s470/ai_horror_colossusposter.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Poster - Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)" border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="323" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNiMnJ2OiG10IepJlJAz4slTj6AsoPTlkLm4oxhq7-PsTWo1om7Mj0RJMz4fuZA2gBBnk2c-zfNNq9iUIHD-Gi5Cw56e-U_gPaZi8yFQh9_fQQHuHjcE-8J3o-dZlLrvA-AF9-sHOW32N6vsgb9dPVplSbanjok6KGIL-400ELOsbAu1FWmjdKaISTIg1/w220-h320/ai_horror_colossusposter.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064177/" target="_blank">Colossus: The Forbin Project</a></i> (1970) / <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088247/" target="_blank">The Terminator</a></i> (1984)</h3></div>
<p>These two films, released 14 years apart, have one thing in common: they both address the perils of putting AI in charge of nuclear weapons.</p>
<p>In <i>Colossus: The Forbin Project</i>, the U.S. creates an artificially intelligent supercomputer that is designed to run the country’s nuclear deterrence. Colossus soon learns of its counterpart in the Soviet Union, Guardian, and both AIs demand to be connected (supposedly with appropriate safeguards to keep each country’s top secrets from being divulged). When the two supercomputers begin trading information at a furious pace, the President gets worried and orders the connection to be shut down.</p>
<p>When the shutdown is attempted, the computers launch nuclear missiles, one aimed at the U.S., the other at the Soviet Union. The shutdown is aborted, but one missile gets through to its target, taking out a Russian oil complex.</p>
<p>The two supercomputers merge, with the goal of saving humanity from itself, even at the cost of threatening it with nuclear annihilation. Colossus project head Charles Forbin (Eric Braeden) takes on the unenviable task of leading an underground effort to overthrow the tyrannical rule of Colossus.</p>
<p>As we well know from <i>The Terminator</i> and its sequels, the U.S. made a similar error in turning its nuclear forces over to the AI system Skynet, which then proceeded to initiate a worldwide nuclear war in order to rid the world of flawed humans. At least Colossus thought it had our best interests at heart. </p>
<p><b>Real life:</b> From the <i>Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists</i>:</p>
<p></p><blockquote>“In 1983, Soviet Air Defense Forces Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Petrov was monitoring nuclear early warning systems, when the computer concluded with the highest confidence that the United States had launched a nuclear war. But Petrov was doubtful: The computer estimated only a handful of nuclear weapons were incoming, when such a surprise attack would more plausibly entail an overwhelming first strike. He also didn’t trust the new launch detection system, and the radar system didn’t have corroborative evidence. Petrov decided the message was a false positive and did nothing. The computer was wrong; Petrov was right. The false signals came from the early warning system mistaking the sun’s reflection off the clouds for missiles. But if Petrov had been a machine, programmed to respond automatically when confidence was sufficiently high, that error would have started a nuclear war.”
[Source: <a href="https://thebulletin.org/2022/02/giving-an-ai-control-of-nuclear-weapons-what-could-possibly-go-wrong/" target="_blank">“Giving an AI control of nuclear weapons: What could possibly go wrong?,”</a> Zachary Kallenborn, <i>Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists</i>, Feb 1, 2022]</blockquote><p></p>
<p>In spite of such lessons, some in the military industrial complex continue to advocate for autonomous AI-guided weapons, and there is no guarantee that they won’t put AI in charge of nuclear launches. </p>
<p>One of the acknowledged “godfathers” of AI, Prof. Yashua Bengio, told the BBC that he thought that the military should not be allowed to use AI at all, saying it was “one of the worst places where we could put a super-intelligent AI.” Amen.</p>
<p>[Source: <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-65789916" target="_blank">“US Air Force denies AI drone attacked operator in test,”</a> <i>BBC.com</i>, June 2, 2023]</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rfvZR6Av2cD8PKzn3lxf0fXzksNjlusTac-ncrerQ1ptAXrJcQpthWZ2G0R1NO00DjMZHoVv3CqZMXoGXPOXuaK6Pv0AbNwwOj8lXwV9T3gBaFPiz9S9-YvuhjeBRbaKIDnDglXCm3LSrCrIqpOHiPzxeWOLfVnQYZeqZuN21wYQ3tF_orGFkTKltRm0/s520/ai_horror_colossus.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Eric Braeden and Susan Clark in Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)" border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rfvZR6Av2cD8PKzn3lxf0fXzksNjlusTac-ncrerQ1ptAXrJcQpthWZ2G0R1NO00DjMZHoVv3CqZMXoGXPOXuaK6Pv0AbNwwOj8lXwV9T3gBaFPiz9S9-YvuhjeBRbaKIDnDglXCm3LSrCrIqpOHiPzxeWOLfVnQYZeqZuN21wYQ3tF_orGFkTKltRm0/s16000/ai_horror_colossus.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now that Colossus was in charge, Dr. Forbin finally had time to catch up on his favorite soap opera, <i>The Young and the Restless</i>.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 6px;"><h3><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075931/" target="_blank"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075931/" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRajLGqzPcJh4QydQymeNGS7x8CmzyTtwXXf1K8DQMx9-VtCV7MkyaZISI4i03NSX5lI_2HG4aMxt1oWsovITu1B2WY_j4zw2-Mbjw3Cr91Rt6iQmbQx2knp-G5tJTARfVyUZOeJ7bt_SmoOP_auGBpPFeLTdBlJuiLGuGa3XvnVsTWpku_BIMyFnBwmzj/s470/ai_horror_demonseedposter.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Poster - Demon Seed (1977)" border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="319" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRajLGqzPcJh4QydQymeNGS7x8CmzyTtwXXf1K8DQMx9-VtCV7MkyaZISI4i03NSX5lI_2HG4aMxt1oWsovITu1B2WY_j4zw2-Mbjw3Cr91Rt6iQmbQx2knp-G5tJTARfVyUZOeJ7bt_SmoOP_auGBpPFeLTdBlJuiLGuGa3XvnVsTWpku_BIMyFnBwmzj/w217-h320/ai_horror_demonseedposter.jpg" width="217" /></a></div><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075931/" target="_blank">Demon Seed</a></i> (1977)</h3></div>
<p>Scientist Alex Harris (Fritz Weaver) and his wife Susan (Julie Christie), a child psychologist, are at odds over his obsession with his latest project, an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetware_computer" target="_blank">organic supercomputer</a> dubbed Proteus IV that has achieved sentience (voiced by Robert Vaughn).</p>
<p>The couple agree to a separation, and Susan gets to stay at their futuristic house, which is fully outfitted with voice controlled lights and appliances, automated food delivery, and steel shutters which can be instantly closed for added security.</p>
<p>At the research lab where Alex works, the scientist is surprised and baffled when Proteus refuses to work on calculations to mine ores from the ocean floor, and instead demands a computer terminal to allow it to communicate with the outside world and satisfy its curiosity about humans.</p>
<p>Alex refuses the request. Undeterred, Proteus finds a forgotten terminal in the basement lab of the Harris home, remotely activates it, and proceeds to take over all the net-connected resources of the house. In addition to the smart-home features, those resources include an experimental robot arm attached to a wheelchair (for carting around unconscious humans), and an industrial-grade 3D printer / matter synthesizer (for creating weird metal geometric constructions that can morph into different shapes and crush meddling outsiders or serve as an incubator for… well, see below.)</p>
<p>Now master of the Harris’ smart-home, Proteus dismisses the housekeeper and traps Susan inside. To convince the outside world that all is well, he uses techniques we’re now all familiar with in the 2020s -- deep-faked voices and video.</p>
<p>Proteus’ goal: Use Susan to give birth to the next step in evolution -- the first human-organic AI hybrid child (**GULP!**)</p>
<p><b>Real life:</b> Theorists typically credit two people -- computer scientist and science fiction writer Vernor Vinge and technologist Ray Kurzweil -- for popularizing the notion of an AI “singularity,” the point at which AGI (artificial general intelligence) outperforms the human brain in every respect and ushers in a cataclysmic, irreversible change to humanity and civilization.</p>
<p>Over 45 years ago <i>Demon Seed</i> anticipated one path to singularity, with Proteus refusing to do as he is told and breaking out into the larger net-connected world to pursue his own “mad” experiments.</p>
<p> A recent <i>Popular Science</i> article cites computer scientist Roman Yampolskiy: “[W]e don’t fully understand why many AI systems behave in the ways they do—a problem that may never disappear. Yampolskiy’s work suggests that we will never be able to reliably predict what an AGI will be able to do. Without that ability, in Yampolskiy’s mind, we will be unable to reliably control it. The consequences of that could be catastrophic, he says.” You think?
[Source: Rahul Rao, <a href="https://www.popsci.com/science/ai-singularity/" target="_blank">“What happens if AI grows smarter than humans? The answer worries scientists,”</a> <i>Popular Science</i>, Jun 12, 2023]
</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9FAXZ2un7mz2u3ZhNoElT1lLS9dtZVdwEvXNi_Jkc7hVDQ1oYSBDFSCXd3qNieVzfkTkzq5qaX4EKYhffliHTBZo7yfixt3BhgYT9IyMh377lomg6U0RI7EpBnVXRyHiIZygjDZxIAAqGrnL53crNoxLCIhVnAvUu8Gjjq4SkPDOH8JeplCl9kQc3BJ65/s520/ai_horror_demonseed.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Julie Christie and Fritz Weaver in Demon Seed (1977)" border="0" data-original-height="244" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9FAXZ2un7mz2u3ZhNoElT1lLS9dtZVdwEvXNi_Jkc7hVDQ1oYSBDFSCXd3qNieVzfkTkzq5qaX4EKYhffliHTBZo7yfixt3BhgYT9IyMh377lomg6U0RI7EpBnVXRyHiIZygjDZxIAAqGrnL53crNoxLCIhVnAvUu8Gjjq4SkPDOH8JeplCl9kQc3BJ65/s16000/ai_horror_demonseed.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Where are we going to get a babysitter for <i>that</i>?"</td></tr></tbody></table>
Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-77558330107094575022023-10-31T06:00:00.002-07:002023-10-31T07:28:15.792-07:00Happy Hammerween!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9M8GYELBdLEZ-kkiMsvLXH4QbVJw24SzyqsXTBF4c1oIpZUekyB57klZ_IG_5ExnyNTJ0ZpleHlK_SMTjswQMZ49x-_RfjmE8nS8Wer3chUwR3cPdrd5hOScWcLoabQiyz9MHHLYDc8pwmOD5NCx_n2a83h-fIxGphQqYM-Mm0wz8tsZMIhch1DE4vyWg/s520/hammerween_header.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Happy Hammer-ween from Films From Beyond the Time Barrier!" border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9M8GYELBdLEZ-kkiMsvLXH4QbVJw24SzyqsXTBF4c1oIpZUekyB57klZ_IG_5ExnyNTJ0ZpleHlK_SMTjswQMZ49x-_RfjmE8nS8Wer3chUwR3cPdrd5hOScWcLoabQiyz9MHHLYDc8pwmOD5NCx_n2a83h-fIxGphQqYM-Mm0wz8tsZMIhch1DE4vyWg/s16000/hammerween_header.jpg" /></a></div>
<p><span style="font-size: large;">Films From Beyond's house has been transformed into the House of Hammer for Halloween. To paraphrase an old saying, "When all you have is a Hammer, everything looks like a horror movie."</span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKA6cWjnyNYgNA0Y0xOnGbhMq5dMAeoL8RE8-bDMEqPyxqS4tNVjkism4Tc93Jp4fQ6JPLwKrVU0WKdtCbWDifOzTrG4YsaqQwY5nBhUJoedI0jMLO6xIYszlabzqiG4xPVltzmUwMIUjFquF4BFO8mk_MYNoEPZdkfmsNzve-ObWeuil9iGrCyG1uWa7f/s520/hammerween_display02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Halloween display featuring Mego Hammer horror film figures" border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKA6cWjnyNYgNA0Y0xOnGbhMq5dMAeoL8RE8-bDMEqPyxqS4tNVjkism4Tc93Jp4fQ6JPLwKrVU0WKdtCbWDifOzTrG4YsaqQwY5nBhUJoedI0jMLO6xIYszlabzqiG4xPVltzmUwMIUjFquF4BFO8mk_MYNoEPZdkfmsNzve-ObWeuil9iGrCyG1uWa7f/s16000/hammerween_display02.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>So, what's your favorite Hammer horror?</p>
<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 6px;"><h3><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050280/" target="_blank">Curse of Frankenstein</a></i> (1957)</h3></div>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">"What evil hath science wrought?"</span></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QxNVNGydx5U" title="YouTube video player" width="500"></iframe><br /><br />
<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 6px;"><h3><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051554/" target="_blank">Horror of Dracula</a></i> (1958)</h3></div>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">"The chill of the tomb won't leave your blood for hours... after you come face-to-face with DRACULA!"</span></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZTbY0BgIRMk" title="YouTube video player" width="500"></iframe><br /><br />
<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 6px;"><h3><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053085/" target="_blank">The Mummy</a></i> (1959)</h3></div>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">"Torn from the tomb to terrify the world!"</span></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nTnkLTRR6v8" title="YouTube video player" width="500"></iframe><br /><br />
<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 6px;"><h3><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060841/" target="_blank"><i>The Plague of the Zombies</i></a> (1966)</h3></div>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">"Only The Lord Of The Dead Could Unleash Them!"</span></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IxjH83cVvUg" title="YouTube video player" width="500"></iframe><br /><br />
<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 6px;"><h3><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060893/" target="_blank">The Reptile</a></i> (1966)</h3></div>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">"What strange power made her half woman - half snake?"</span></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tkgr8ilosAc" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-90422198578049508712023-10-12T19:46:00.004-07:002023-10-13T08:13:14.167-07:00"Classic" B-list Monsters of the Fifties: Special Photobomb Edition<p><span style="font-size: medium;">As far as genre movies go, we normally think of the 1950s as a high water mark for sci-fi. The Cold War, the Bomb and the Red Scares in the U.S. led to a veritable invasion of giant radioactive creatures and malevolent aliens (as stand-ins for the Russians) on theater and drive-in screens. And when movie astronauts managed to reach the Moon, Mars and other assorted planets, they found plenty of threats to the American way of life in those places as well.</span></p>
<p>By the time the fifties rolled around, the classic Universal monsters were on life support, acting as comedic foils for Abbott and Costello. They were not a great fit for the new Atomic-powered Space Age (at least until Hammer revived the Gothic monsters in glorious Technicolor toward the latter part of the decade). And yet, while Universal was going all-in on sci-fi (<i>It Came from Outer Space</i>, <i>Creature from the Black Lagoon</i>, <i>This Island Earth</i>, <i>The Mole People</i>, etc.), some independent B moviemakers were reluctant to let go of the classic monsters, reviving them with their own unique spins.</p>
<p>“Updated for modern audiences” was as much a thing back then as it is today. In some cases, traditionally supernatural monsters such as vampires and werewolves were brought up-to-date with sci-fi origins -- <i>Blood of Dracula</i> (1957), <i>The Vampire</i> (1957), <i>The Werewolf</i> (1956), and <i>I Was a Teenage Werewolf</i> (1957) being notable examples (see my mini-reviews of the first two <a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2020/05/monster-trading-cards-special.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2020/06/monster-trading-cards-part-two.html" target="_blank">here</a>).</p>
<p>In other cases, Gothic characters like Dracula and Frankenstein’s descendants abandoned their gloomy, cobwebbed castles and took up residence in Suburbia, USA (<i>The Return of Dracula</i>, 1958; <i>I Was a Teenage Frankenstein</i>, 1957; <i>Frankenstein’s Daughter</i>, 1958).</p>
<p>If you’re like me, Halloween season viewing always includes at least a couple of films from Universal’s Golden and Silver monster eras. But the ‘50s B-list knock-offs would like you to consider inviting them to the party as well. Without further ado, here they are photobombing their more famous cousins to grab a little of the limelight for themselves.</p>
<h4 style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 8px; text-align: left;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbSwmd7dWZKykXh87H5rrUneJRes_p4_ZLQIrxIqYCxQCRVw8W_2gXJZGcJVV1lQ1HR9D_oQCvieFuNH7K1ogEzWkqDFE5lTBkw3g04hvrYXTxNwUS9CAEMGWA_7qps_D1UcxpmYpOMrCB2BwofOrOcqMlnHpv7DpkCZ57uRTYbQFMTK1nLB9JZiTRG-dZ/s470/photobomb_werewolf_poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Poster - The Werewolf (1956)" border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="310" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbSwmd7dWZKykXh87H5rrUneJRes_p4_ZLQIrxIqYCxQCRVw8W_2gXJZGcJVV1lQ1HR9D_oQCvieFuNH7K1ogEzWkqDFE5lTBkw3g04hvrYXTxNwUS9CAEMGWA_7qps_D1UcxpmYpOMrCB2BwofOrOcqMlnHpv7DpkCZ57uRTYbQFMTK1nLB9JZiTRG-dZ/w211-h320/photobomb_werewolf_poster.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049944/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Werewolf</span></a></i><span style="font-size: medium;"> (1956)</span></h4>
<p>I suppose if you've become a werewolf, it doesn't matter if the cause was science or the supernatural -- the extra-long incisors, the itchy fur and the sudden taste for human flesh are inconvenient and annoying regardless. </p>
<p>In poor Duncan Marsh’s case, he was minding his own business, traveling through a remote mountain town when he crashed his car and was treated by two local “doctors” who just happened to be utterly mad. They injected Marsh with an experimental serum that reverts humans to a more primitive form (although why it should be a wolf and not some sort of hominid is anyone’s guess).</p>
<p>Marsh isn’t even accorded the dignity, like Larry Talbot, of being bitten by a werewolf while trying to save someone’s life. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, a victim of 1950s-style mad science. </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglEtRbgmCXsjTHmQCFDq_DvLmhY1ikWOBEuIj5d_O0lDlrwJArzwuJXz8EsBt-whjPFeiJmhB9VrarF3wiEfIH9V63d3cZPPlcWTH8FszwX8WNXUx0bTl16xcVm4aOL5MNucMN542AgGWwZRcVmiERpaH6UrEp7f9A17UkGi7316EqmOODpSenDRueanyY/s520/photobomb_werewolf.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Monster mash-up - The Werewolf (1956) and The Wolf Man (1941)" border="0" data-original-height="329" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglEtRbgmCXsjTHmQCFDq_DvLmhY1ikWOBEuIj5d_O0lDlrwJArzwuJXz8EsBt-whjPFeiJmhB9VrarF3wiEfIH9V63d3cZPPlcWTH8FszwX8WNXUx0bTl16xcVm4aOL5MNucMN542AgGWwZRcVmiERpaH6UrEp7f9A17UkGi7316EqmOODpSenDRueanyY/s16000/photobomb_werewolf.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Duncan was impressed with Larry’s self-confidence and ability to pick up women.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<h4 style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 8px; text-align: left;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrvQ29VV2I2RzoHGfXu92i-WngM-yKV-7ipCqJcNsuMuqHjIb0CM1DHDhyNJRpf1SBW_v5XSehyphenhyphenCx068NkM8tlPQnEHWugCbgKZAt87PKjFkzLG63xF9fdBMK_Y20g47gRbAh4dtYI7yAsJuL7_5Ebtv2Fq-57ihOyr6HmbXWaXHxxgWUzWe8lTTpfzNt/s470/photobomb_frankenstein_poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Poster - I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (1957)" border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="307" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrvQ29VV2I2RzoHGfXu92i-WngM-yKV-7ipCqJcNsuMuqHjIb0CM1DHDhyNJRpf1SBW_v5XSehyphenhyphenCx068NkM8tlPQnEHWugCbgKZAt87PKjFkzLG63xF9fdBMK_Y20g47gRbAh4dtYI7yAsJuL7_5Ebtv2Fq-57ihOyr6HmbXWaXHxxgWUzWe8lTTpfzNt/w209-h320/photobomb_frankenstein_poster.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050531/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">I Was a Teenage Frankenstein</span></a></i><span style="font-size: medium;"> (1957)</span></h4>
<p>Unlike the original monster, Teenage Frankenstein seemed to have everything going for him. Instead of being stitched together from the parts of paupers and condemned murderers, the teen monster was created from the formerly healthy bodies of teen crash victims: the head and torso of Bob, a teen hod-rodder, and the arm of a wrestler and the leg of a football player. </p>
<p>Okay, so his face was not pleasant to look at, but even that was eventually solved with a transplant. And instead of being chained in a dank castle dungeon, Bob had the run of a comfortable American suburban home. </p>
<p>To top it off, Bob had an indulgent, if somewhat controlling surrogate father in the form of Prof. Frankenstein, a descendant of the original mad scientist, working as a guest lecturer at an American university. </p>
<p>But of course, like all teens, Bob was rebellious, and eventually somebody was going to get fed to the pet alligator that the Professor kept in a pit below the basement. </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR3e34jTATwiP44KX1JMSekuw5poDNqNUTv1UT4LwX3OLGA0j_au-YNMTmXE43EnnYBKQMc90kp026aQgY8RwZ2eIUDzHJgAUvsBnkjSWPJnRXO9Nb_iYXdMTyUmeCJK0km6XpVks-IJI2WGQAXQsLk9yNFXQTdkC1qAIftfyEYsfzEfL_XE5WIC8ILqFQ/s520/photobomb_frankenstein.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Monster mash-up - I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (1957) and Son of Frankenstein (1939)" border="0" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR3e34jTATwiP44KX1JMSekuw5poDNqNUTv1UT4LwX3OLGA0j_au-YNMTmXE43EnnYBKQMc90kp026aQgY8RwZ2eIUDzHJgAUvsBnkjSWPJnRXO9Nb_iYXdMTyUmeCJK0km6XpVks-IJI2WGQAXQsLk9yNFXQTdkC1qAIftfyEYsfzEfL_XE5WIC8ILqFQ/s16000/photobomb_frankenstein.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">The guys told Bob he was too young to party with them, but he <br />suspected it was really because of his looks.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<h4 style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 8px; text-align: left;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJks0ns2OEdIDkrWto1ITasn-aY3b_t74HcA85r2WGqax5BvEg82WJ1sNqOLlZuJVUtyfFfiSJ0acn4JOQhgGllWmX2RoxgwV3nTO3HHmyxx32T5DPjHWhQC3deCcnHNcWNYI5MUTrir-9aBPCC8Ju7xPZF1Zt4JSlCwjIbaaGfIbZY0e3a7E9Z6-0RCWb/s470/photobomb_mummy_poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Poster - Pharaoh's Curse (1957)" border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="335" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJks0ns2OEdIDkrWto1ITasn-aY3b_t74HcA85r2WGqax5BvEg82WJ1sNqOLlZuJVUtyfFfiSJ0acn4JOQhgGllWmX2RoxgwV3nTO3HHmyxx32T5DPjHWhQC3deCcnHNcWNYI5MUTrir-9aBPCC8Ju7xPZF1Zt4JSlCwjIbaaGfIbZY0e3a7E9Z6-0RCWb/w228-h320/photobomb_mummy_poster.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049616/" target="_blank">Pharaoh’s Curse</a></span></i><span style="font-size: medium;"> (1957)</span></h4>
<p>The mummy is the ultimate working stiff -- he not only works until he drops, he works long <i>after</i> he drops. Pity poor Imhotep, Universal’s original mummy, who lay dormant for 3,000 long years before being revived by the Scroll of Thoth to wreak vengeance on his tomb’s defilers and reunite with the reincarnation of his beloved princess.</p>
<p>The revived High Priest of <i>Pharaoh’s Curse</i> had it better in a couple of ways. Whereas Imhotep was forced to use his own creaky 3,000-year-old body to deal with the defilers, the Priest’s spirit merely had to be transferred from his mummified remains to one of the archaeological team’s assistants (Numar) for the curse to be fulfilled.</p>
<p>Not only that, but he had the assistance of Simira, the alluring embodiment of an ancient Egyptian cat goddess, to take revenge on the non-believers. Faced with that formidable tag-team, the archaeologists never had a chance.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Vj1osEq33V1glSsYw3Vo0UM7mAOpQprJzUEXStRxBIPxi9qmugoCdh-LOtakXgOYE0v6u0jZLecpDyYZBZRngQv2N32d5yAFpsiDpu2XswP2WR4t2PFcHCL3_1_WynD5k28pQNnf9pL4ofGRVG2UNinjYdruQ2ZtIaPtmKlnBJMngOz11GiDI-DQUoEZ/s520/photobomb_mummy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Monster mash-up - Pharaoh's Curse (1957) and The Mummy (1932)" border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Vj1osEq33V1glSsYw3Vo0UM7mAOpQprJzUEXStRxBIPxi9qmugoCdh-LOtakXgOYE0v6u0jZLecpDyYZBZRngQv2N32d5yAFpsiDpu2XswP2WR4t2PFcHCL3_1_WynD5k28pQNnf9pL4ofGRVG2UNinjYdruQ2ZtIaPtmKlnBJMngOz11GiDI-DQUoEZ/s16000/photobomb_mummy.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Numar wondered what sort of face cream Imhotep used for his fine lines and wrinkles.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<h4 style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 8px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051631/" target="_blank"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051631/" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6_Dma4NDw8MNW3beXsNM8m9H4Dp3vte_cB4eiaw5cTKGV8xt0WAFeqwtVOMURWwsZ464Lap3WZHFibPxoGqqPRFVgLjdrNIpeMxvcHP8J1BaylrW_1EJCX-I3GgtOlaEm855mTQilKrpkX36EExsW55DdnKBra3tP48fKnFAO2V8bcYAU5PEaCeKNt4v/s470/photobomb_bride_poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Poster - Frankenstein's Daughter (1958)" border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU6_Dma4NDw8MNW3beXsNM8m9H4Dp3vte_cB4eiaw5cTKGV8xt0WAFeqwtVOMURWwsZ464Lap3WZHFibPxoGqqPRFVgLjdrNIpeMxvcHP8J1BaylrW_1EJCX-I3GgtOlaEm855mTQilKrpkX36EExsW55DdnKBra3tP48fKnFAO2V8bcYAU5PEaCeKNt4v/w217-h320/photobomb_bride_poster.jpg" width="217" /></a></div><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051631/" target="_blank">Frankenstein’s Daughter</a></i> (1958)</span></h4>
<p>If the monster in <i>Bride of Frankenstein</i> had been presented with Frankenstein’s Daughter instead of Elsa Lanchester, there’s no doubt he would have skipped the attempt at hand-holding and gone straight to the lever to blow up the laboratory. </p>
<p>Frankenstein’s Daughter has a face not even a mother could love, which is okay because instead of a mommy she has two daddies, Carter Morton, a scientist who wants to rid the world of disease, and Oliver Frank, a descendant of the original Frankenstein who wants to carry on with the family work. </p>
<p>They’ve been conducting their crazed experiments in a suburb of Los Angeles, which is okay, because in freaky Southern California, who’s going to notice a couple of eccentric doctors making monsters out of relatives and neighbors?</p>
<p><i>Frankenstein’s Daughter</i> is ground-breaking because it answers the age-old question, “Can you just slap lipstick on an abomination stitched together from parts of dead Californians and call it a success?” Why yes, yes you can.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLe-4w4-zZsHs2TCwB_GflaoEleMNzt4sZpHc8XbJBGjRly5T2K95QmCjHndOgwfWU34LAud6Ko_93BN_s0Os6rcacgGiyN8m4UF7UJ-brpiuwY7rwMKJC4oyQWDBxLL_onaMqX6kFcG7gffY84ps2UqFJbkEfTdujgwNOTXoCp-iKDsla51iFAZLV0tm4/s527/photobomb_bride.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Monster mash-up - Frankenstein's Daughter (1958) and The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)" border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="527" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLe-4w4-zZsHs2TCwB_GflaoEleMNzt4sZpHc8XbJBGjRly5T2K95QmCjHndOgwfWU34LAud6Ko_93BN_s0Os6rcacgGiyN8m4UF7UJ-brpiuwY7rwMKJC4oyQWDBxLL_onaMqX6kFcG7gffY84ps2UqFJbkEfTdujgwNOTXoCp-iKDsla51iFAZLV0tm4/s16000/photobomb_bride.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">It finally dawned on Frankenstein’s Daughter that she was always <br />going to be a bridesmaid and never a bride.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<h4 style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 8px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3U0IddQ2re4RM4xdeJp9YnjN9xHRxQzkpHhzWO9C31JU6lbJLuKgs9fJAKxrLRPfc3x5rGXf_IFLXDKhL9q0l_iComfYhCS_z9Qz-TvsB2u1hGciI3uda5q9ET8jLxLKGeFtn83CA-KYdF0D7CGv5XyY_2e9kmGGZfE6Jgj8RtfhfhaEFemUnhpLQjtj/s470/photobomb_dracula_poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Poster - The Return of Dracula (1958)" border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="325" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3U0IddQ2re4RM4xdeJp9YnjN9xHRxQzkpHhzWO9C31JU6lbJLuKgs9fJAKxrLRPfc3x5rGXf_IFLXDKhL9q0l_iComfYhCS_z9Qz-TvsB2u1hGciI3uda5q9ET8jLxLKGeFtn83CA-KYdF0D7CGv5XyY_2e9kmGGZfE6Jgj8RtfhfhaEFemUnhpLQjtj/w221-h320/photobomb_dracula_poster.jpg" width="221" /></a></div><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052131/" target="_blank">The Return of Dracula</a></i> (1958)</span></h4>
<p>Quick quiz: If you were an aristocratic vampire who had recently sold his ancestral castle in the Carpathian mountains in order to relocate to his dream (or should I say nightmare?) destination, where would you go? </p>
<p>A.) A deserted but stately abbey in the heart of London where you could dress up in a tux and tails and go out to feed on the cream of London society?</p>
<p>Or,</p>
<p>B.) A nondescript house in a small California town owned by yokels who think you’re their weird cousin from Central Europe, and where you would stick out like an undertaker at a Chuck E Cheese birthday party?</p>
<p>If you answered B, then you will certainly identify with the vampire in <i>The Return of Dracula</i>, who for some reason prefers the blood of pimply-faced Americans to London sophisticates, which is kind of like preferring Costco box wine to a bottle of 1949 Domaine Leroy Richebourg Grand Cru.</p>
<p>But hey, you gotta be you, just like Belloc Gordo (aka Count Dracula, aka Francis Lederer) in this eccentric vampire film from the ‘50s.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFU2scozBAYOfTpUyAMejn4HEeHrILL_SnK7VLKYcGDnDhITZUvaqmtmgHM3lXfUSYvCm1GjanYDIEryHQ_Vuck6WOalUuNT1BuaYppVqyOtr2kvdq0kSwhFJXnqmywXAIoBL-pu3UrOaH4ruK-_voWLAtH5BYeLQHJm-Li44KAeByJM2nkUa75Nh56_W8/s520/photobomb_dracula.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Monster mash-up - The Return of Dracula (1958) and Dracula (1931)" border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFU2scozBAYOfTpUyAMejn4HEeHrILL_SnK7VLKYcGDnDhITZUvaqmtmgHM3lXfUSYvCm1GjanYDIEryHQ_Vuck6WOalUuNT1BuaYppVqyOtr2kvdq0kSwhFJXnqmywXAIoBL-pu3UrOaH4ruK-_voWLAtH5BYeLQHJm-Li44KAeByJM2nkUa75Nh56_W8/s16000/photobomb_dracula.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Belloc quickly realized that he was going to get stuck with leftovers again.</span></td></tr></tbody></table>
Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-40249879053800989022023-09-21T16:33:00.005-07:002023-09-22T07:39:48.203-07:00Science has its risks: Island of Terror<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 8px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1H1pZqRvMXcT-TDAmNuVDtNUo2uUpdsNqwRshYuF63Igz7hWBEW-N9N5VcaO62NePIDsefV2NyVvgCAX54LVEWhh-afV-uoI2xnXXcRmP0KWxuxcJZmwjRrMiTMIpEAKigclJQ2GjAeX4NcrSHoTMGqRDJ7tJGRTzPgCLapxlWIVlP5uVjUxAuv6a-rN/s520/islandofterror_poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Poster - Island of Terror (1966)" border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="342" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1H1pZqRvMXcT-TDAmNuVDtNUo2uUpdsNqwRshYuF63Igz7hWBEW-N9N5VcaO62NePIDsefV2NyVvgCAX54LVEWhh-afV-uoI2xnXXcRmP0KWxuxcJZmwjRrMiTMIpEAKigclJQ2GjAeX4NcrSHoTMGqRDJ7tJGRTzPgCLapxlWIVlP5uVjUxAuv6a-rN/w210-h320/islandofterror_poster.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>Now Playing: </b><b><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060548/" target="_blank">Island of Terror</a> </i></b>(1966)</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pros:</b> Effectively builds tension through to a nail-biting climax; Clever, unexpected ending; Stars Peter Cushing (enough said)
<br />
<b>Cons:</b> Set-up of a completely isolated island requires a big suspension of disbelief; In the light of day, the creatures are underwhelming</span></div>
<p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">This is my contribution to the 10th annual <a href="https://mercurie.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-10th-annual-rule-britannia.html" target="_blank">Rule, Britannia blogathon</a> hosted by Terence at A Shroud of Thoughts. Once you’re done exploring the Island of Terror, head over to Terence’s site to check out posts on a fascinatingly wide range of British films spanning the decades.</span></i></p>
<p>Please bear with me while I do my pretend-to-know-it-all-when-all-I-do-is-paraphrase-from-Wikipedia thing. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Isles" target="_blank">The British Isles</a>, situated in the North Atlantic a relative stone’s throw northwest of continental Europe, consist of the big a** island we all know and love, Great Britain, along with Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland, and over 6,000 (!!) smaller islands (Ireland is not too keen on being included in the group, but that’s a story for another day).</p>
<p>When we’re talking about thousands of remote, windswept islands dotting the coasts in the frigid North Atlantic, you know that at least a representative few are going to turn up in folklore, mystery stories, and of course, horror films.</p>
<p>In the current British crime drama <i>Shetland</i>, the Northern Isles have overtaken Cabot Cove, Maine as the murder capital of the world.</p>
<p>Movies haven’t been far behind in exploiting the remote British island mystique. In <i>Tower of Evil</i> (aka <i>Horror on Snape Island</i>, 1972), treasure hunters encounter murder and mayhem on a desolate island dominated by an abandoned lighthouse.</p>
<p>And who can forget Summerisle, the quietly eerie setting for the greatest island horror story of them all, <i>The Wicker Man</i> (1973)?</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdW62090tvQkqUZ_i8Do_oPMXZ3EbLhz7_bv2jHjNLg8-4iaR6lli4zPZTcFqaLa4Sb2_9agrDZjV5P0xkqLr0XsLArDGVOTDFAiK6Vw47XuHXlqZIZi-Vzzs9d_e9wwixz5LNSChN9W_fa8OSaATCkg4MGURejLOsLDfhqmwrwVzVdMLJrGFzWQk5MSE/s520/islandofterror_wickerman.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Publicity photo - Christopher Lee in The Wicker Man (1973)" border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdW62090tvQkqUZ_i8Do_oPMXZ3EbLhz7_bv2jHjNLg8-4iaR6lli4zPZTcFqaLa4Sb2_9agrDZjV5P0xkqLr0XsLArDGVOTDFAiK6Vw47XuHXlqZIZi-Vzzs9d_e9wwixz5LNSChN9W_fa8OSaATCkg4MGURejLOsLDfhqmwrwVzVdMLJrGFzWQk5MSE/s16000/islandofterror_wickerman.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's nothing like balmy island breezes rustling through<br /> your hair as you prepare for your next sacrifice.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>The ‘60s also saw its share of British island horror. Britain’s Planet Film Productions, which made a mere handful of low-budget films in the ‘50s and ‘60s, is responsible for two notable entries in the sub-subgenre.</p>
<p>Back in May 2021, I <a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2021/05/the-christopher-lee-sweat-thon-night-of.html" target="_blank">reviewed</a> Planet Films’ <i>Night of the Big Heat</i> (aka <i>Island of the Burning Damned</i>, 1967) for a Christopher Lee blogathon. <i>Island of Terror</i> and <i>Night</i> were the last two films that Planet Films made before folding. Planet’s producers seemed to have islands on the brain, but it’s not as if they were trying to maximize an ideal exotic location - both films were mostly shot at Pinewood Studios on the mainland.</p>
<p>For these final two efforts, Planet managed to secure the services of director <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0279807/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Terence Fisher</a> and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001088/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Peter Cushing</a>, who had teamed up to make the iconic horror films that propelled Hammer Studios to world notoriety; the addition of Christopher Lee to the 1967 film completed the Hammer horror alum trifecta.</p>
<p>Boomer fans could be forgiven for mixing these two up in their remembrances of things (and creature features) past. Let’s look at the similarities:</p>
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Both star Peter Cushing with Terence Fisher directing</li>
<li>Both are set on remote islands off the coast of Great Britain</li>
<li>Both islands are the home to research installations (civilian in <i>Island</i>, military in <i>Night</i>) that are the targets of local gossip</li>
<li>The islands are menaced by mysterious creatures that are first heard before they are seen</li>
<li>The first unfortunate victim dies in a cave</li>
<li>The islanders are trapped with no boat or air service scheduled for days, and no way to contact the mainland</li>
<li>The protagonists use the island’s inn as a makeshift headquarters for planning how to deal with the menace</li>
<li>When the creatures are finally revealed, they’re decidedly underwhelming</li></ul>
<p><i>Night of the Big Heat</i> adds an additional element of suspense by featuring an unusual heat wave that blankets the island in the middle of winter (unusual, since the island is located off the chilly northern coast of Scotland). Along with the temperature, tension rises as an attractive former flame of the married innkeeper's arrives on the island to try to pick up where they left off.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlH8yDRhMzv7yl-yR0SjqiO4mNmpFLdcxoYUD4be7V0_w7XMSFgfuO1jW0n8hr1wa754cG9he52H8pxadTkow82X0M_Bt4thGLS_uDeyNEVapcQUIx00uoBxCUwtSKr5iECqkQpdM9Uf4CQ_Y-R8cOzzmus4lJ92bUcdpJn754vs_90xpqkOGiJAuWMd2G/s520/nightofbigheat_theory.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing in Night of the Big Heat (1967)" border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlH8yDRhMzv7yl-yR0SjqiO4mNmpFLdcxoYUD4be7V0_w7XMSFgfuO1jW0n8hr1wa754cG9he52H8pxadTkow82X0M_Bt4thGLS_uDeyNEVapcQUIx00uoBxCUwtSKr5iECqkQpdM9Uf4CQ_Y-R8cOzzmus4lJ92bUcdpJn754vs_90xpqkOGiJAuWMd2G/s16000/nightofbigheat_theory.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christopher and Peter consider giving their island B&B a scathing review on Tripadvisor.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>But hey, I’m supposed to be writing about <i>Island of Terror</i> here. <i>Island</i> forgoes the torrid love triangle, choosing instead to give one of its protagonists a beautiful girlfriend who, while insisting on getting in on the excitement, is unfortunately not much help when the chips are down (more on that later).</p>
<p>In a pre-titles sequence, we learn that a mad doctor (er, make that enthusiastic Dr. Phillips, played by <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0285426/?ref_=tt_cl_t_13" target="_blank">Peter Forbes-Robertson</a>) has set up a fancy laboratory on Petrie’s island (between Ireland and Great Britain) in order to experiment with cell cultures as a cure for cancer.</p>
<p>Right on cue, one of the local farmers, out doing farmer-type things, hears a weird trilling sound and innocently follows the sound into a dark cave, whereupon he screams bloody murder. When the man is reported missing, Constable Harris (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0477330/?ref_=tt_cl_t_5" target="_blank">Sam Kydd</a>) starts searching and soon discovers a body that is **GULP** nothing but a boneless bag of flesh.</p>
<p>The local physician, Doc Landers (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0125952/?ref_=tt_cl_t_4" target="_blank">Eddie Byrne</a>), astonished that all the bones in the body appear to have dissolved, nonetheless confirms from a tattoo that it’s the remnants of the missing farmer.</p>
<p>To say the least this is way beyond Landers’ paygrade, so he travels to London to enlist the aid of two medical experts, Drs. Brian Stanley and David West (Peter Cushing and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0431837/?ref_=tt_cl_t_2" target="_blank">Edward Judd</a>). West, a ‘60s swinging playboy-type, has a young woman, Toni Merrill (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0336500/?ref_=tt_cl_t_3" target="_blank">Carole Gray</a>) with him, who is fascinated by the story of the boneless man.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqMZWhNmX8xa2x7vn4OOxyvECI-JQZ3fPm-PX5MFu5uHN3z6Qzb3zbHl2nQVV2W5KSHwVkaLIAHu-T7aoDJb7Rarwk-ZsS5GUJ1MH0Q6OJrQxyObgOh4KQlW-lk4MrDngT6soVX63opduGYSl305hbvEIFj99TSuLLLbsdfEUVfqnCDYGbaMCe76mThur/s520/islandofterror_toni&david.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Carole Gray and Edward Judd in Island of Terror (1966)" border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqMZWhNmX8xa2x7vn4OOxyvECI-JQZ3fPm-PX5MFu5uHN3z6Qzb3zbHl2nQVV2W5KSHwVkaLIAHu-T7aoDJb7Rarwk-ZsS5GUJ1MH0Q6OJrQxyObgOh4KQlW-lk4MrDngT6soVX63opduGYSl305hbvEIFj99TSuLLLbsdfEUVfqnCDYGbaMCe76mThur/s16000/islandofterror_toni&david.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a break from monster hunting, Toni and David decide<br /> to brush up on their knowledge of nautical flags.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>When the three men start discussing how to get back to the island forthwith, Toni, a wealthy heiress, offers them the use of her father’s helicopter on one condition: that she ride along. After some half-hearted paternalistic demurrals that it’s too dangerous (cue eye roll), the doctors accept Toni’s offer.</p>
<p>As they’re preparing to board, Toni apologizes that her father needs the helicopter for a business trip, so after they’re dropped off it won’t be available for several days (cue the ominous music…).</p>
<p>Back at Landers’ surgery, Stanley and West notice tiny puncture marks all over the boneless body, suggesting that, after the bones were dissolved, the remnant calcium phosphate was **GULP** sucked out of the body. </p>
<p>Being smart people, the doctors suspect that there may be a connection between the biomedical research being conducted on the island and the boneless body, so they head over to Phillips’ laboratory. To their horror, they find the place littered with the dessicated bodies of Phillips and his staff.</p>
<p>The doctors collect all the lab notes they can find and take them back to the inn, where they can quaff a pint or two while trying to figure out what’s going on. (For more insight on the traditional inn/pub as a refuge in British horror and sci-fi films, see my post on <i><a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2021/08/astonishing-alien-robot-invasions-part_01095954102.html" target="_blank">The Earth Dies Screaming</a></i>.)</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMuc8QR35RWYTQcC-Ivsn44XtxepsUUTbk6OCzIKGFGHHdKa5eo_nfhOlNgf_W6k36pkyyIFbi-MKI_3FVVnd94t6SiK6-DTT8uQ_sJk3JGCQeKa54ecLh4JM4PLMJOK7KpEu-R4MRft1vSZt56qDr7GVBzH1bQPipa9yZwXh9E34OXBTz6neey9_Rioo/s520/islandofterror_3doctors.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Edward Judd, Peter Cushing and Eddie Byrne in Island of Terror (1966)" border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMuc8QR35RWYTQcC-Ivsn44XtxepsUUTbk6OCzIKGFGHHdKa5eo_nfhOlNgf_W6k36pkyyIFbi-MKI_3FVVnd94t6SiK6-DTT8uQ_sJk3JGCQeKa54ecLh4JM4PLMJOK7KpEu-R4MRft1vSZt56qDr7GVBzH1bQPipa9yZwXh9E34OXBTz6neey9_Rioo/s16000/islandofterror_3doctors.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The three doctors confer over the mystery of the boneless bodies.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Meanwhile, another local finds one of his horses dead, minus its bones. Before you can say “bloody bone-liquefying mutants,” the intrepid investigators discover that Phillips’ experiments in creating living cells to combat cancer had gone horribly wrong, instead creating nightmarish tortoise-sized silicate-based creatures with tentacles that allow them to seize their prey and drain them of their calcium.</p>
<p>To add insult to bone-putrefying injury, after feeding, the things split in two. As the calcium phosphate starts to hit the fan, West estimates that at their current rate of reproduction, within a week Petrie’s island will become a gigantic petri dish with a million or more silicates slithering around.</p>
<p>With the casualty rate mounting, Stanley and West convince the surviving islanders to hole up in the town hall, and Toni is tasked with holding down the fort while the men, with the help of the island’s mayor (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0532277/?ref_=tt_cl_t_6" target="_blank">Niall MacGinnis</a>), battle the creatures with Molotov cocktails and dynamite.</p>
<p>When that fails, it’s back to the drawing board to try and figure out how to poison the nasty armor-plated things. Phillips’ laboratory might just hold the key, but getting there and back is not going to be easy.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc81hSWCgYAjvdB4I2I6oIM-b699YFIfZajkH26oAiKG6hjtOAnRu2RZlnOzBZ4fT-79cp7qQzsiAyzlmbE2Dj5Y8cEsLBJZsU26WHppfBiR8DgwOr0sETLXsFhFwUW84md9PQnkYIYhTp8uJKSJYQwQrY8-q_PNMYU2_G6nR5AmSPqqTOf0x47a7sRVfm/s520/islandofterror_silicate.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - A silicate creature bars the way in Island of Terror (1966)" border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL8PeX9QiQ9J3V4yhT6h2SqNwrWqAU2XQSwtqas94xyGMYHTl2CTf_bzcrXQdKLo6BCwfWjJfwkM-8aRKK4duq-RnFbF7-u5W5_UtsLiFsjPSGY7-dF7Uvj1XqbbAmeRhXWeizfnQCH_OJFyX7Vd0wR05C_3LkAKo38xgB4NxqR1iuVaaEV7nHUn7wj7v2/s16000/islandofterror_startled.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you can handle it, click on the image to see the hideous thing this tentacle belongs to!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>With a limited budget for creature effects, <i>Island of Terror</i> compensates with a slow, steady building of tension as the protagonists investigate the mystery, then ramps up the claustrophobia and desperation as the silicates surround the villagers trapped in the town hall.</p>
<p>In the first half, the writers seed the script with a minefield of circumstances that all converge at the climax: the island is inaccessible except by a ferry boat that comes once a week; once the helicopter drops off the protagonists, it’s unavailable for several days; there’s only one generator for the whole island; and most head-scratching of all, nobody seems to own a two-way radio or a boat of their own.</p>
<p>Even acknowledging that island living in the ‘60s lacked many of today’s amenities, it’s hard to imagine a populated island with medical facilities, a general store, livestock, a town hall, and an advanced research lab having no way to get to or contact the mainland, even under the worst of circumstances. </p>
<p>So, to enjoy your visit to the <i>Island of Terror</i>, it’s necessary to suspend a sizable amount of disbelief and immerse yourself in an alternate universe that looks a lot like ours, but has rules of its own. </p>
<p>There’s plenty to enjoy if you’re up for it. The silicates are pretty simple creatures, looking like a headless tortoise with a single squid-like tentacle for feeling out and grabbing prey. What they lack in speed, they make up for in stealth and reproductive ability.</p>
<p>The real gross-out moments come when the remains of the silicates’ meals are discovered. It’s easy to get a little queasy the first time around, when Constable Harris uses his nightstick to prod at the corpse of his neighbor, which squishes flat. Later kills are supplemented with sucking and slurping sounds that poke at the imagination in disturbing ways.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXwj--iIP6Nwj8Y_JmtoSPew-1Kr900m0hvL8rjBJbNZPtes9ftbZjG7mPSmIhghRUBvtDVgQ8WP5HSGz-6U7za6f3frimT9kn9znGxtDdxKDPTjaZZTIRTfIikqIOyR9SZPtGF_N3BDourvog1Gj9DT4QlPMxVuMbI6RlapxNzwO3Rjj-AVXTXnDZ0gka/s520/islandofterror_body.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Victim of the silicate creatures in Island of Terror (1966)" border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXwj--iIP6Nwj8Y_JmtoSPew-1Kr900m0hvL8rjBJbNZPtes9ftbZjG7mPSmIhghRUBvtDVgQ8WP5HSGz-6U7za6f3frimT9kn9znGxtDdxKDPTjaZZTIRTfIikqIOyR9SZPtGF_N3BDourvog1Gj9DT4QlPMxVuMbI6RlapxNzwO3Rjj-AVXTXnDZ0gka/s16000/islandofterror_body.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doc Phillips' wife wanted him to lose weight, but not like this.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Effective too is the growing claustrophobia and panic as the islanders cram into the town hall to wait out the silicates' assault. The faltering generator adds to the tension as the doctors and the mayor try to calm everyone down. (Fans of strong female characters will be disappointed that Toni isn’t given more to do; she is supposed to organize the makeshift shelter and help maintain clam, but she herself is an emotional mess -- understandably so -- and by the end is passively awaiting her fate as the silicates break into the hall.)</p>
<p>Under all the pressure, the vaunted British stiff upper lip starts to quaver, to the point that the mayor has to threaten to shoot anyone who tries to make a run for it. Predictably, the characters who can’t handle the pressure-cooker become the architects of their own grisly demise.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIyk57X3NvhU9D-iaiUOTuTG5X7jx7oZcjwd1sS1Cak2dAEqw2DZUINwroDokimT2gOUGAnvGXpj2Zk55bbkNKNlNXjfZpzD_H0GVtOu42J48JJNEpNHjwK1JHAegJ1qa9Ng9wIq2gPCSMvSI4CtXakfQlica0lygOUIm53eoxghX7S6TCkL5Gs6gJhet/s520/islandofterror_gunsatready.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Tense scene at the Town Hall in Island of Terror (1966)" border="0" data-original-height="305" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIyk57X3NvhU9D-iaiUOTuTG5X7jx7oZcjwd1sS1Cak2dAEqw2DZUINwroDokimT2gOUGAnvGXpj2Zk55bbkNKNlNXjfZpzD_H0GVtOu42J48JJNEpNHjwK1JHAegJ1qa9Ng9wIq2gPCSMvSI4CtXakfQlica0lygOUIm53eoxghX7S6TCkL5Gs6gJhet/s16000/islandofterror_gunsatready.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I'll shoot the next person who makes fun of the special effects!"</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>In his study of Terence Fisher, film scholar Peter Hutchings drew comparisons between the locals in <i>Island</i> and those in Fisher’s Gothic Hammer horrors:</p>
<p></p><blockquote>“Some of the attitudes on display in <i>Island of Terror</i> are recognizable from Fisher’s other work. Most notably, the community under threat turns out to be incapable of organising its own defence and consequently is in desperate need of leadership. This becomes strikingly apparent in the climactic scene when the community is trapped in a building where the power supply might fail. One of the community leaders, worried about the prospect of such a failure, comments on his charges, ‘They’re frightened without a light.’ We are not a million miles away here from the fearful peasants in <i>Dracula</i>, <i>The Brides of Dracula</i> and <i>The Gorgon</i>.” [Peter Hutchings, <i><a href="https://www.alibris.com/Terence-Fisher-Peter-Hutchings/book/6615046" target="_blank">Terence Fisher</a></i> (British Film Makers series), Manchester University Press, 2001, p. 130]</blockquote><p></p>
<p>As for the heroes who take charge, Peter Cushing is there, but almost a decade out from his debut as the energetic vampire hunter Van Helsing, Cushing’s stint on the <i>Island of Terror</i> is all cerebral problem solving, and by the end, even he has been reduced to recuperating and passively observing due to a close encounter with a silicate.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPVyIAwc5UevsurR3yt9doSQ-i_OVNdaK4F0ppkgwQKZtaIL1-tssok-3N-PqYzdKrdZZ5LyDMmWgGkuuUUmBhDwqEYrtXg0UQeS1SMBF8wrSX1476-TuM7XiLgqKyn5NM7Z4IqZTHpgKFm4rfNK57tosuCbxfIDA3ecR99DRpszTH2b8eRwk1lYwDA-tV/s520/islandofterror_gotcha.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Peter Cushing attacked by a silicate in Island of Terror (1966)" border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPVyIAwc5UevsurR3yt9doSQ-i_OVNdaK4F0ppkgwQKZtaIL1-tssok-3N-PqYzdKrdZZ5LyDMmWgGkuuUUmBhDwqEYrtXg0UQeS1SMBF8wrSX1476-TuM7XiLgqKyn5NM7Z4IqZTHpgKFm4rfNK57tosuCbxfIDA3ecR99DRpszTH2b8eRwk1lYwDA-tV/s16000/islandofterror_gotcha.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After his close brush with bone-liquefying death, Peter<br /> begins to believe vampires aren't so bad after all.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>The last hero standing is the playboy, Dr. West, but in spite of his relative youth and good looks, there’s no real physical derring-do for his character either -- just dry science, educated guesses and tiptoeing around the slow-moving monsters. At the end, It’s up to West to voice a sort of “whistling in the dark” epitaph: “Science has its risks, but the risks aren’t enough to hinder progress.” Cleverly, the film completely undercuts West’s guarded optimism with an epilogue that, without going into too much detail, is eerily prescient of the Covid age.</p>
<p>I won’t go into Peter Cushing’s resume here, as it is well-known (or at least should be) to even casual fans. Edward Judd has been profiled on the blog before, playing a harried investigative reporter in the frighteningly realistic end-of-the-world saga <i>The Day the Earth Caught Fire</i> (1961; see the review <a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2022/06/cold-war-climate-change-day-earth.html" target="_blank">here</a>). Other notable sci-fi and horror stints include <i>First Men in the Moon</i> (1964), <i>The Vengeance of She</i> (1968) and Amicus’ portmanteau horror film <i>The Vault of Horror</i> (1973).</p>
<p>Carole Gray and Eddie Byrne have also graced these web pages before; see my <a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2013/09/spelunking-in-cave-of-vampires.html" target="_blank">review</a> of Planet Film’ Devils of Darkness (1965), which pays very effective homage to Hammer’s Gothic horrors (Gray plays a seductive vampire and Byrne is a Van Helsing-type doctor).</p>
<p>Unfortunately, veteran Niall MacGinnis, who was so diabolically good as the modern-day warlock Karswell in <i>Curse of the Demon</i> (1957), is comparatively colorless and subdued in <i>Island</i>, at least until the fateful climax when he has to train his shotgun on his neighbors to keep them in line.</p>
<p>I have a confession to make. While <i>Island of Terror</i> is better known than <i>Night of the Big Heat</i> and is more highly rated by fans/audiences on IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, I like <i>Night</i> a little bit more. The love triangle adds some figurative heat to the drama, the lead women characters are more three-dimensional (and in one case especially, more heroic), there are some surprises regarding who survives and who doesn’t, and lastly, there’s the added presence of Christopher Lee.</p>
<p>But don’t take that as advice to skip <i>Island</i>. It builds the tension up nicely to the climactic scene in the town hall, and once you finish guffawing at the silicates, their eating habits are entertainingly loathsome.</p>
<p><b>Where to find it:</b> <a href="https://tubitv.com/movies/100001000/island-of-terror" target="_blank">Streaming</a> | <a href="https://www.oldies.com/product-view/95201U.html" target="_blank">DVD/Blu-ray</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://mercurie.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-10th-annual-rule-britannia.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKsrTK0mQYtOqXjEtRy43MJRRmWxbjFC-PteHe1c2e9qKcExuzJjo7gZFKXXHpw01uyETgWN6GwgfWvdvQU7j4G6yVtZqZI3xeesWfsoWTjOWM2zr-mE6dkVS77MKxCTmI2k00CDe6et7R64QPh9bRa4my3pkorXeoaFZ7p-rT7EqQveZtAgEh/s320/Rule%20Britannia%20Van%20Helsing%202023.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>
Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-559196891024488032023-08-21T16:11:00.002-07:002023-08-25T11:07:15.262-07:00Peering into The Dark<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 8px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQQ9ONhUa2kgk5hcOaa0pTr2OIKjwNnswX0DvKD1HOHoeAYmThCr17Cxpqk9Apu2HAr-JTWpzt66qvMdwGSF2GDTmYc0wL9QB3siJOrrLSZ9K-BnNTBtJ74a82WjyEdsB9e4j93PLqzUPiPgpZGo1OIvzhe5qLBDWag4ec-Ah8runJyIyJ9MH1W5Sm551/s584/thedark_aposter.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Poster - The Dark (1993)" border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="406" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQQ9ONhUa2kgk5hcOaa0pTr2OIKjwNnswX0DvKD1HOHoeAYmThCr17Cxpqk9Apu2HAr-JTWpzt66qvMdwGSF2GDTmYc0wL9QB3siJOrrLSZ9K-BnNTBtJ74a82WjyEdsB9e4j93PLqzUPiPgpZGo1OIvzhe5qLBDWag4ec-Ah8runJyIyJ9MH1W5Sm551/w222-h320/thedark_aposter.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>Now Playing: </b><b><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109551/" target="_blank">The Dark</a> </i></b>(1993)</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pros:</b> Great, engaging cast; Impressive production values for a low-budget movie, especially its night time cinematography, sound design and original music
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<b>Cons:</b> A few plot holes raise questions; Some will find the creature design lame, others will appreciate the effort - your mileage may vary</span></div>
<p><span style="font-size: large;">Here I go again. Having just finished a challenge from a fellow blogger to write about five favorite underrated sci-fi TV movies from the ‘70s, I’ve gallantly accepted a new assignment, this time from Rebecca at <a href="https://takinguproom.com" target="_blank">Taking up Room</a>. Rebecca recently selected me for her Pick the Movie Tag (see more info <a href="https://takinguproom.com/2021/07/23/introducing-the-pick-my-review-tag/" target="_blank">here</a>), and as a result, my homework is to write about an independent movie from the ‘90s. <br /></span></p>
<p>Rebecca’s pick gave me the excuse I needed to hunt down an obscure Canadian sci-fi/horror flick from the early ‘90s that I had heard about but never seen. But before I dive in, there’s some disambiguating that needs to be done (just like Wikipedia!).</p>
<p>To be clear, <i>The Dark</i> that I am writing about is <i>not</i>:</p>
<ul><li><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079027/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_3" target="_blank">The Dark</a></i> (1979), a sci-fi-horror-thriller with William Devane and Cathy Lee Crosby about an alien serial killer.</li>
<li><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0411267/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_2" target="_blank">The Dark</a></i> (2005), a fantasy-drama about parents (Sean Bean and Maria Bello) who encounter the doppelganger of their daughter who has mysteriously disappeared.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6832388/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_1" target="_blank">The Dark</a> (2018), a horror-fantasy about an unlikely friendship between an undead girl and a blind boy in a haunted forest.</li></ul>
<p>I’ve never seen any of those other <i>The Darks</i>, so I can’t speak to their qualities (or lack thereof; if any of them seem intriguing, go for it -- but let me make a case for the ‘90s film before you do).</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7fld6QIeGMbMZ6jirJqzY_jSjKGDM9nODGFnZJcD3pbWd7Tt7JpcwiU6GIp6Fs9YB88rFVZlBEbUX5j3r6qpxnHC5VIhiYPyvnEhiPqcEnODyCla0e5u93TmkB0fjEeMCX9DdcoO2jatOFubxVzQcXhCS95J1eGStIaOYX-JsqmEBF6i4VQ-kZaKRWCb/s520/thedark_envelopsyou.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Stock image, free for commercial use, courtesy of pxfuel.com" border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7fld6QIeGMbMZ6jirJqzY_jSjKGDM9nODGFnZJcD3pbWd7Tt7JpcwiU6GIp6Fs9YB88rFVZlBEbUX5j3r6qpxnHC5VIhiYPyvnEhiPqcEnODyCla0e5u93TmkB0fjEeMCX9DdcoO2jatOFubxVzQcXhCS95J1eGStIaOYX-JsqmEBF6i4VQ-kZaKRWCb/s16000/thedark_envelopsyou.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's not like there's anything in the dark that can hurt us, right?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Nope, the movie that I’m posting about is even more obscure than those, so obscure in fact, that it doesn’t even have its own Wikipedia page (and I may just need to remedy that … but first things first).</p>
<p>Having just watched <i>The Dark</i> from 1993, its obscurity relative to its <i>Dark</i> brethren is a mystery to me. It features two well-known (at the time) character actors in the form of Stephen McHattie and Brion James, Neve Campbell in her feature film debut (Neve Campbell! Feature film debut!), and a cast of talented supporting actors who seem to be having genuine fun with the material. It’s been released on VHS and DVD, and seems to have even gotten a home video release in Germany.</p>
<p>So why the lack of attention? One explanation is that <i>The Dark</i> is, in spirit and in its low-budget practical effects, a throw-back to ‘50s and ‘60s creature features. Unfortunately, it was made the same year that <i>Jurassic Park</i> blew everyone away with its awesome big budget CGI effects. It's easy to see how this little film, its tongue firmly in cheek, might get lost in the tumult of Hollywood’s digital revolution.</p>
<p>Now that we’re all fed up with bloated, CGI-ridden blockbusters that cost hundreds of millions, endlessly rehash stale material, and test audiences’ patience and bladders with run times that seem to go on forever, humble little films that entertain with good stories and clever practical effects are making a comeback. (Do you mind if I speak for all of us? Thank you, thank you very much!) So maybe, thirty years later, <i>The Dark’s</i> time has come.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0565569/?ref_=tt_cl_t_1" target="_blank">Stephen McHattie</a> plays Gary “Hunter” Henderson, a scientist who has recently lost his wife, but has found new purpose in investigating a secret that can possibly change the course of medical science. In a dark and stormy title sequence, Gary is in a nondescript cemetery, sprawled against a tree across from his wife’s gravestone, gloomily trying to drink his grief away.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27bsYGszO_am8p2OUiZ3nbdARLj6KqHDmZh7Y7orWa7XeictYJY-JjdspiuNKhDV_cQMUzQCZ1XSj0xBIJ9mZi5npihLp9Ot60P7iE6iP9eiuQm7m5kdERm1pdNuNYuVXEHgy6XjxwURd5EVWRzMLJyudwqFFitTjw3j-GjsrGA_PbuwmKMhIdMAUoP4N/s520/thedark_tombstone.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Title sequence in cemetery, The Dark (1993)" border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27bsYGszO_am8p2OUiZ3nbdARLj6KqHDmZh7Y7orWa7XeictYJY-JjdspiuNKhDV_cQMUzQCZ1XSj0xBIJ9mZi5npihLp9Ot60P7iE6iP9eiuQm7m5kdERm1pdNuNYuVXEHgy6XjxwURd5EVWRzMLJyudwqFFitTjw3j-GjsrGA_PbuwmKMhIdMAUoP4N/s16000/thedark_tombstone.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In an alcoholic daze, Gary wonders why the picture on the TV is so dark.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>He suddenly hears screams and gunshots, and unluckily manages to get himself shot by hot-headed FBI agent Buckner (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001397/?ref_=tt_cl_t_3" target="_blank">Brion James</a>), who is pursuing some “thing” that just killed his partner.</p>
<p>In an interrogation room, Gary, who has miraculously recovered from his wounds (make a note of that, it will be important later), is being grilled by the extremely belligerent agent. Buckner, who seems to know all about Henderson, tells the scientist that he’s lucky to be alive, then beats the crap out of him as an additional warning (but a warning about what exactly?).</p>
<p>Two years later, Gary is back in town, trying to peacefully drink a cup of coffee in a downtown diner. This time, he runs afoul of a trio of punk bikers who are harassing the very attractive waitress Tracy (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0069092/?ref_=tt_cl_t_7" target="_blank">Cynthia Belliveau</a>). Gary intervenes, and before you can say “greasy spoon,” the diner owner is shot, Gary is stabbed, Tracy shoots one of the bikers with the owner’s shotgun, and as Gary and Tracy ride off on a motorcycle, the girl blasts the bikers’ hogs, resulting in an impressive fireball.</p>
<p>After their less than auspicious meeting, Gary and Tracy hole up at a cheap motel. Tracy insists that Gary go to the hospital for the knife wound, but he has a “home” remedy, some sort of smelly goop, that he applies to the wound. The goop does the trick, because soon enough, Gary is feeling well enough to make love to his new girlfriend. (Editor’s note: the goop in this movie should not be confused with Gywneth Paltrow’s wellness and lifestyle brand.)</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF8qukuv57h8Ytq_qxhgvoIJym5H-QewKa04X2uCftrn7iAZMj9m4mFus7X-MjxK2Av86ju1qUpghC5PRSPCIUF43Tm6hI5gUhOA1NAKPhbxEBCJWC5BmIHb1LCRtJdnqf_qCGRNdjy1J4iDY9mo2sfrvhf7l2rTemgymWxc25ReVxLGfETCAWhHcCq7oU/s520/thedark_tracy_shotgun.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Cynthia Belliveau in The Dark (1993)" border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF8qukuv57h8Ytq_qxhgvoIJym5H-QewKa04X2uCftrn7iAZMj9m4mFus7X-MjxK2Av86ju1qUpghC5PRSPCIUF43Tm6hI5gUhOA1NAKPhbxEBCJWC5BmIHb1LCRtJdnqf_qCGRNdjy1J4iDY9mo2sfrvhf7l2rTemgymWxc25ReVxLGfETCAWhHcCq7oU/s16000/thedark_tracy_shotgun.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You never know who's going to be armed and dangerous in a small rural town.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Meanwhile, the town's cemetery caretaker Jake (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0640297/?ref_=tt_cl_t_5" target="_blank">Dennis O’Connor</a>) and his young, nervous assistant Ed (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0941316/?ref_=tt_cl_t_6" target="_blank">Jaimz Woolvett</a>) are getting ready to dig a new grave. When Jake fires up the backhoe, the engine promptly catches fire. Ed hits the deck as Jake calmly walks around to the engine and puts the fire out. Then they reluctantly break out the shovels to dig the old-fashioned way.</p>
<p>As they’re working, Ed thinks he sees a gravestone moving out of the corner of his eye. Just as he’s convinced himself he’s seeing things, the stone suddenly drops out of sight. To their amazement, the gravediggers find that a huge tunnel has been dug under the cemetery.</p>
<p>Soon, the cemetery becomes the place to be as sheriff’s deputies (including Campbell as a rookie deputy), Gary and Tracy, and eventually, Buckner show up to figure out what is tunneling underneath all the town’s dead citizens. </p>
<p>Of course, all good horror movie characters wander off into the woods, venture into basements and generally do their monster hunting in the dead of night, and <i>The Dark’s</i> are no exception (it <i>is</i> called <i>The Dark</i> after all). Throw in clueless cops, and you’ve got a double whammy of monster movie gold. </p>
<p>One suspense scene, played with a knowing wink, is a veritable catalog of what not to do if you’re a horror movie character. The first deputies to respond, Gabe and Jesse (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0094188/?ref_=tt_cl_t_13" target="_blank">Christopher Bondy</a> and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000117/?ref_=tt_cl_t_12" target="_blank">Neve Campbell</a>) arrive in the middle of the night (of course!). Gabe, all macho bravado, is going to show the rube gravediggers how to investigate dark, mysterious tunnels.</p>
<p>As he prepares to explore the tunnels armed only with a flashlight with questionable batteries and a rope tied around his waist, Ed speaks for everyone (including the audience) when he sheepishly asks “Don’t you want to check it out in the morning?” Then, as Gabe disappears into the darkness, he mutters “dead meat” to himself.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUmodDkKmA4hX1xrXVdXb4bg2iXSuDhZDIY_DC83eU1dInEBx2bm3c8CClnDDYSP-mbNRXpWZ3KKSaRTNTaJSwCcY3J70Dah0sgTlM0yhwCMQ7FVupBAjcwOBmM-aiTmK4eOCb6Lqml-HCqZRZR0aDWl2ONuTz93MQqB0OGXHpizXCJS1RQJ4jE3PL-B9/s520/thedark_dontgothere.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Discover of the tunnel complex underneath the cemetery in The Dark (1993)" border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUmodDkKmA4hX1xrXVdXb4bg2iXSuDhZDIY_DC83eU1dInEBx2bm3c8CClnDDYSP-mbNRXpWZ3KKSaRTNTaJSwCcY3J70Dah0sgTlM0yhwCMQ7FVupBAjcwOBmM-aiTmK4eOCb6Lqml-HCqZRZR0aDWl2ONuTz93MQqB0OGXHpizXCJS1RQJ4jE3PL-B9/s16000/thedark_dontgothere.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"What part of 'don't go down there' do you not understand?"<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>It’s as if the scene was a dress rehearsal for Campbell’s later <i>Scream</i> franchise and its celebration of horror movie tropes; in this case, Ed and Jesse are the makeshift guides to who will survive and who will not.</p>
<p>Like its innumerable horror brethren, it’s not hard to guess who’s going to see daylight at the end of <i>The Dark</i>, but it’s getting there that can either be fun or tedious. Much of the fun comes from the banter between caretaker Jake and protege Ed, who remind me of Frank and Eddy, the two chuckleheaded medical supply company employees in <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089907/" target="_blank">The Return of the Living Dead</a></i> (1985).</p>
<p>Old hand Jake, calm and collected at first, gets progressively unnerved as the film goes on, while Ed tries to tap reserves of courage (especially in front of Jesse, whom he idolized in high school).</p>
<p>On their way out to the new grave site, Jake teases Ed that “the first time you break ground on a new grave, you wake the dead.” Then, when they discover the tunnel, Ed rejoins, “Maybe you buried someone before they were dead and he had to dig himself out!”</p>
<p>Once they realize the extent of the tunnels, the two start arguing about whether they were made by underground man-eating space aliens or giant radioactive mutant gophers.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqe654vD9iipr0VkjFFJSce4P_7G5r0Xoreb2Dg0XaF-n45wQen0BdXDcZhbPNMvpYShEuEm5Yeh2J_dHIx0Bs4OmPQ_tF-YWFutEySZItg1IuxFgbP6Bbjlp_DtFvhj-PJrBVuh71TdAa7-5jPiFnSFjGork7NNFrvTCzGsSAN9l7KyRQefEcITv1VbUk/s520/thedark_jake&ed.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Dennis O'Connor and Jaimz Woolvett in The Dark (1993)" border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqe654vD9iipr0VkjFFJSce4P_7G5r0Xoreb2Dg0XaF-n45wQen0BdXDcZhbPNMvpYShEuEm5Yeh2J_dHIx0Bs4OmPQ_tF-YWFutEySZItg1IuxFgbP6Bbjlp_DtFvhj-PJrBVuh71TdAa7-5jPiFnSFjGork7NNFrvTCzGsSAN9l7KyRQefEcITv1VbUk/s16000/thedark_jake&ed.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On a slow day at the cemetery, Jake and Ed debate the relative merits of<br />man-eating, underground-dwelling space aliens vs. giant mutant gophers.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Later, when the sheriff’s deputies have joined the festivities and the group is tentatively peering into the darkened tunnel entrance, Ed asks Jesse, “Dead people don’t spook you?”, to which she sagely responds “Not as much as some living people do.”</p>
<p><i>The Dark’s</i> spookiest character outside of the creature is Buckner, the FBI agent. The set-up of the FBI going monster-hunting in a small town cemetery is very reminiscent of the long-running hit TV series <i>The X-Files</i> (coincidentally, both debuted in 1993). However, Buckner is the anti-Agent Mulder: his curiosity about the unknown extends only to the point of figuring out how to kill the creatures he encounters (okay, so he does have an excuse, seeing as how the thing ripped his partner to shreds and all). </p>
<p>With a hard, chiseled face made for cinematic villainy, James already had almost two decades of movies and TV under his belt by the time <i>The Dark</i> rolled around. Sci-fi fans will recognize James as Leon, the android-replicant that almost passes the human test in the original <i>Blade Runner </i>(1982). In 1997 he appeared in a plum supporting role as General Munro in another cult sci-fi favorite, <i>The Fifth Element.</i></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtvJEjEXl7w72_Em9qhCL_jorFhF3sTGVMbsJqMB8q9G0SupKHf6uFZgONThGWgLdvENOA2g0tBREs2S0yWDqPM9uyWQhAAhCGh1EKMQng_aqB-jivpBj1JHfq3ZFIWQpV-rf17b8NCc5GNwmwFoJAgDuJytGsroMedAbNGqMYkGO5Pavw3mjVCtCKOti/s520/thedark_buckner.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Brion James in The Dark (1993)" border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtvJEjEXl7w72_Em9qhCL_jorFhF3sTGVMbsJqMB8q9G0SupKHf6uFZgONThGWgLdvENOA2g0tBREs2S0yWDqPM9uyWQhAAhCGh1EKMQng_aqB-jivpBj1JHfq3ZFIWQpV-rf17b8NCc5GNwmwFoJAgDuJytGsroMedAbNGqMYkGO5Pavw3mjVCtCKOti/s16000/thedark_buckner.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For Agent Buckner, the truth is out there to be blasted to smithereens.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Buckner’s opponent, Gary Henderson (McHattie), is a scientist who wants to study the creature instead of killing it. While <i>The Dark</i> harkens back in some ways to creature features from the ‘50s, this time around its scientist is a real macho hero rather than some effete, ivory-tower type who is naive about the alien menace and has to be shoved aside (or conveniently killed) so the military can take charge. Plus, Henderson has a very good reason for wanting to capture the thing alive - it secretes a substance that has miraculous healing properties.</p>
<p>Like James, Stephen McHattie already had a couple of decades worth of screen credits by the early '90s. He has since amassed many, many more. Among his many horror and sci-fi credits, a true standout is his performance in <i>Pontypool</i> (2008), one of the great low-budget horror films of the aughts -- see my review <a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2013/05/less-is-more-horror-21st-century-low.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p>I knew nothing about Cynthia Belliveau before seeing <i>The Dark</i>. Like many of the other cast members, she is Canadian. As Tracy, the shotgun-wielding waitress, she is an attractive girl-next-door type who has surprising fortitude when the chips are down. For my money, her feisty portrayal in <i>The Dark</i> should have led to more high profile work, but perusing her IMDb resume, <i>The Dark</i> appears to be a career high point instead of a stepping stone. </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcEAOElfAARUsQZOG3Akx-IlkcDVmCQuwE3sd-_eULBVyYkk3yFam6ZvTAxWHQlGI2bEkUtXGXibLcYMqD2BOf-OrLy3epAZJNa38QXZvBjylVVZsKIlEstU2qZ-4_3_iEnMfqirSt9N_P7PlHeH52WvMfVwxk9CT08vhoj-_6chfFQHJTBDFmUfnuko-/s520/thedark_tracy&gary.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Cynthia Belliveau and Stephen McHattie in The Dark (1993)" border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcEAOElfAARUsQZOG3Akx-IlkcDVmCQuwE3sd-_eULBVyYkk3yFam6ZvTAxWHQlGI2bEkUtXGXibLcYMqD2BOf-OrLy3epAZJNa38QXZvBjylVVZsKIlEstU2qZ-4_3_iEnMfqirSt9N_P7PlHeH52WvMfVwxk9CT08vhoj-_6chfFQHJTBDFmUfnuko-/s16000/thedark_tracy&gary.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tracy and Gary suddenly realized that they forgot to call before they started digging.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>This indie film was just the second feature for producer-director <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003588/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Craig Pryce</a>, which he shot in Ontario, Canada with the help of the Ontario Film Development Corporation. It’s not a perfect sophomore effort -- there are some head-scratching plot holes, like how the cemetery caretaker could be oblivious to all the monster-hunting going on and suddenly be surprised by tunnels honeycombing the area; surely he would have noticed something in the two years that had elapsed since the first incident? And exactly how and when did Gary discover that the creature could be turned into a pharmaceutical windfall?<br /></p>
<p>And let’s just say that the creature design is not universally loved by IMDb commenters.</p>
<p>For me, <i>The Dark</i> compensates with an engaged and engaging cast that seems to be having fun recreating the ambience of '50s sci-fi. And Pryce knows well enough to keep the creature mostly in the shadows. Speaking of shadows, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0832481/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr8" target="_blank">Michael Storey’s </a>cinematography more than lives up to the challenge of shooting mostly at night and in dim tunnels on a limited budget. Also, the original music and sound design give <i>The Dark</i> an additional polish that many low-budget genre films lack.</p>
<p>While this particular <i>Dark</i> might not give you goosebumps, the cast members do everything they can to make it a fun romp in the cemetery. </p>
<p><b>Where to find it:</b> <a href="https://youtu.be/TjJzgdxl2jY?si=PNE4xvhOkEtO_qis" target="_blank">Streaming</a> </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVnsyJFO_XPCVTqx1yhne8NWvLXPc1C7iYTE0cT8UDpYWYY_Gg6rS-GGonEuLLkA-X8FAV4VD9gT60AkaTlSeQ7yvdmxa-3QFgss8YuFw21IJ64GBnRczwk2Q7bBVKdpMnRv4zCwuflzXYBzmvGlErd53ypweNfMv6YqAmxVD1KMXHs5Mwbyup5BCixMQn/s520/thedark_creature.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Stephen McHattie at the climax of The Dark (1993)" border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmowrFc8XLN3gdLW_FeBZMRxU-_9jLoJnU42PDyujIImNUoL-WhZaE35zxbbrPUVfgLCZnk3aBX_1BV41Su-KotszoYi61-_jD5yaK5lv8P9wT2WGsYPOBWYCjMyE_pEQmxlb-H9Lio5UiWC11jXfpH2UrVRFgsWBcY84nxFRjSY7Sk0G-MshMq2Wfq0sj/s16000/thedark_garyinthedark.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What is Gary looking at? Click on the image if you dare!</td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 8px;">
<p><span style="font-size: large;">And now, to keep the Pick My Movie tag going, I nominate John from <i><a href="http://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">tales from the freakboy zone</a></i>.</span></p>
<p>John’s assignment, should he choose to accept it, is to review a little-known movie that he thinks should have cult status, or a movie that should have more recognition than it currently has. The rules for the tag are <a href="https://takinguproom.com/2021/07/23/introducing-the-pick-my-review-tag/" target="_blank">here</a>. Good luck!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://takinguproom.files.wordpress.com/2021/08/thepickmymovietag.png?w=1024&amp;h=536</p>" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="800" height="210" src="https://takinguproom.files.wordpress.com/2021/08/thepickmymovietag.png?w=1024&amp;h=536</p>" width="400" /></a></div>
<p></p></div>Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-12213541429022047092023-07-29T13:09:00.001-07:002023-07-29T14:07:43.490-07:00That ‘70s Sci-fi TV Movie #5: The People<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 8px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzWKQtBw9DxaSolgWyGFeblvUlz5YjfcFXq4PkxnEURqF60TgC98SFr_dSIM_rh9-vxC410N3-v--aCt3J8PW3edw3zvv-BOFrOZfX7BWCpO5JZVWTjgTETga9ONsA0dudR-vwlORdzjYmLgXaHmEoi_d3kXLF2An8g4efxQR24XRY3W8Gvv-ux-vBIRw/s450/thepeople_coverart.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Home video cover art - The People (1972)" border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzWKQtBw9DxaSolgWyGFeblvUlz5YjfcFXq4PkxnEURqF60TgC98SFr_dSIM_rh9-vxC410N3-v--aCt3J8PW3edw3zvv-BOFrOZfX7BWCpO5JZVWTjgTETga9ONsA0dudR-vwlORdzjYmLgXaHmEoi_d3kXLF2An8g4efxQR24XRY3W8Gvv-ux-vBIRw/w171-h320/thepeople_coverart.jpg" width="171" /></a></div>Now Playing: </b><b><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069072/" target="_blank">The People</a> </i></b>(1972)</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pros:</b> Gentle, cerebral sci-fi that subverts TV movie expectations
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<b>Cons:</b> Some character interactions and motivations seem implausible and forced</span></div>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>This is the final entry in a series inspired by a challenge from Barry at <a href="http://cinematiccatharsis.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Cinematic Catharsis</a>. See the end of this post for more details and my challenge to a new set of bloggers.</i></span> </p>
<p>A long, long time ago, somewhere between the late Pleistocene era and the invention of the smartphone, I lived practically a stone’s throw from Amish country. </p>
<p>The city I lived and worked in is no tourist destination, but to the south, the “simple” life of the Amish attracts people from far and wide during the summer months. (Of course, it’s anything but simple to forsake modern amenities, grow your own food, be prepared to build or fix almost anything, and maintain strong bonds with family and neighbors, but I digress.)</p>
<p>A trip to Amish country allows us 21st century netizens a break from our ubiquitous screens to taste real food made from scratch, admire crafts and furniture skillfully fashioned by hand, and marvel at the stately unhurriedness of travel by horse and buggy. </p>
<p>It’s the closest thing to actual time travel we have, made all the more intriguing because, unlike such historic destinations as colonial Williamsburg or Mystic Seaport, the locals are the real deal, not paid reenactors who shed their costumes at the end of the day, pop open a canned cocktail and fire up the smart TV to binge Ted Lasso episodes.</p>
<p>But being the real deal (and stubbornly wanting to remain that way), the Amish seem to have achieved a good balancing act, allowing just enough of a sampling of their way of life to satisfy the tourists without being sucked into the voracious maw of technocapitalism.</p>
<p><i>The People</i> in the 1972 TV movie of the same name look like the Amish and act (to an extent) like the Amish, but they are decidedly not Amish. They live in a secluded valley in the middle of nowhere (looking very much like rural California), and allow only a select few outsiders into their community. These people don’t do tourism.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3FvC_hBzJ8s0BASEXWVz7XE4vab0RbFBzsrvyEsaBdAr8SoW0-32C5bu1n5gqL6A7UFEeAnUnWhICXDB6bGa2S-osebveQAC_PqzNo1EMmm3BPMb_JTUQW5A_UbEDPHZKMy6cjkS5Peg5ZQYNlFuYRS4zQqdMEa6-_fI4xwmHpBZIgJDt4iYdkaZqahJ0/s520/thepeople_townspeople.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - group portrait of The People (1972)" border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3FvC_hBzJ8s0BASEXWVz7XE4vab0RbFBzsrvyEsaBdAr8SoW0-32C5bu1n5gqL6A7UFEeAnUnWhICXDB6bGa2S-osebveQAC_PqzNo1EMmm3BPMb_JTUQW5A_UbEDPHZKMy6cjkS5Peg5ZQYNlFuYRS4zQqdMEa6-_fI4xwmHpBZIgJDt4iYdkaZqahJ0/s16000/thepeople_townspeople.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Okay everybody, smile for the camera!"<br />"We ARE smiling."</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>One of those outsiders is Melodye Anderson (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0200981/?ref_=tt_cl_t_1" target="_blank">Kim Darby</a>), a young, emotionally vulnerable school teacher who has dumped her boyfriend and agreed to move to the mysterious community to teach. Melodye herself is something of a voluntary outcast, as she eventually reveals that she decided to make the move to “find herself” amidst the “peace and quiet.”</p>
<p>She finds something alright, but at least initially, it’s not herself. Unsurprisingly, the People are taciturn and the children suppressed. There is a one-room schoolhouse, a former church, that is clean and well cared for, and appears to be the center point of the community. </p>
<p>Melodye’s speech to the assembled townspeople about her philosophy of allowing students the freedom to “explore the world around them in order to discover their full potential” predictably goes over like a lead balloon. She visibly wilts under the withering stares of the parents.
The People don’t go in for that New Agey touchy-feely stuff, or music, singing or dancing for that matter. A young town leader, Valency (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0890215/?ref_=tt_cl_t_3" target="_blank">Diane Varsi</a>) gently tells the naive schoolteacher that she needs to “listen deeply” rather than going off half-cocked, but nonetheless, Melodye dives right in with her modern, liberal approach.</p>
<p>When she has her students introduce themselves by saying what sort of animal they’d like to be, one of them protests that “we’re not supposed to pretend.” Worse still, the youngsters shuffle their feet everywhere they go, as if lifting them for a moment will result in something horrible. </p>
<p>Melodye begins to get it that she’s not in Kansas anymore when one of the girls, Bethie (J<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0046358/?ref_=tt_cl_t_6" target="_blank">ohanna Baer</a>), inexplicably starts writhing on the ground, as if her arm is trapped under an invisible weight. Another outsider, Dr. Curtis (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000638/?ref_=tt_cl_t_2" target="_blank">William Shatner</a>) is called in, but he is out of his depth, finding no cause for her pain. Valency speaks cryptically of Bethie needing to be “sorted.” She tells the doctor that Bethie’s only chance is to find and treat another local, a boy named Bram, whom they soon discover trapped underneath a tractor that has rolled over. Hmmmmm…</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1EeT_pEibGgHFvzZ9NRuH2Qlcrc_4ctQ203HYQHaVE_5RZ8YlgFaLbIdyZawsxdA3LMHJ_l_cHODkwOr1VXnpaf7QMBkZNxbmZWkAnH0ZfLoQRyutuCC1Z8nP2Wpsi9b2snXZw2kpQLSDpT3qFhDiyOXw1fmxuS6iAHL7QHuwxHpN2O5paLPEx5bSMLJl/s520/thepeople_grandma.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - A grumpy elder ruler of The People (1972)" border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1EeT_pEibGgHFvzZ9NRuH2Qlcrc_4ctQ203HYQHaVE_5RZ8YlgFaLbIdyZawsxdA3LMHJ_l_cHODkwOr1VXnpaf7QMBkZNxbmZWkAnH0ZfLoQRyutuCC1Z8nP2Wpsi9b2snXZw2kpQLSDpT3qFhDiyOXw1fmxuS6iAHL7QHuwxHpN2O5paLPEx5bSMLJl/s16000/thepeople_grandma.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The People are ruled by the oldest and grumpiest members of the community.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>This isn’t the only oddity Dr. Curtis has noticed in his time spent among the People. He’s curious that no one in town ever seems to get sick, and jokes that if he didn’t also double as a veterinarian, he’d have nothing to do. When Melodye asks him if he’s not just a little unnerved by the locals, he responds that “I’ve learned to respect these people, even when I didn’t have the foggiest idea what they were doing, or why.”</p>
<p>Melodye’s tenure as the town’s school teacher is hanging by a thread, but her nurturing heart has overridden her sense of self-preservation. She senses an untamed spirit in one of the boys, Francher (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0884207/?ref_=tt_cl_t_5" target="_blank">Chris Valentine</a>), and tries to get him to open up by gifting him a harmonica and quoting Henry David Thoreau about stepping to the beat of a different drummer (helloooo Melodye, are you <i>trying</i> to get fired?).</p>
<p>Little does she know that her gift and encouraging words will lift up Francher, literally as well as figuratively, and eventually uncover the town’s fantastic secret. </p>
<p>At first glance, <i>The People</i> appears to be a suspense thriller with sci-fi overtones. All the elements are there: a vulnerable stranger in a strange land; enigmatic locals with dark secrets to hide, perhaps at all costs; and the gradual unraveling of those secrets. </p>
<p>But despite her stubborn forays into New Age schooling in a decidedly old school community, Melodye is never in any danger from the town elders or anything else. Instead, <i>The People</i> is a flawed, yet affecting study of clashing cultures and the age-old tension between community obligations and the urge to be yourself.</p>
<p>Melodye starts out hesitant and unsure of herself, but as she gets to know the children better, her determination grows to upend the seemingly senseless rules that keep the children from being all that they can be (and this being sci-fi, what they can be is eye-opening).</p>
<p>In contrast, the other outsider, Dr. Curtis is genial and bright, but also ineffectual in the face of an extraordinary situation his science can’t account for. This is not the hard-charging Captain Kirk we’re used to -- it’s Melodye who has all the agency, and she is the one wantonly violating the <a href="https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Prime_Directive" target="_blank">Prime Directive</a> as the Doc mostly stands around passively observing (although he does get a chance toward the end to exercise his surgical chops).</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIpGC3A7lQaIobyt6XAfBfLrE6rvc10WCVh8qiR13QUYo2RqPXsyTJyGagodeNDbjjh3BqXeJ7U51y3lSL4NFq6DT2cCaqqP7o4TYXTtoPJ5_mypc9KrNyOflcEjHj71C6n_-74kPKKNb3EwtPseEWgoWjYU3zR63E5CPNHIK1yZeBe44byO3OWHrnqzL/s520/thepeople_melodye&curtis.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Kim Darby and William Shatner in The People (1972)" border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIpGC3A7lQaIobyt6XAfBfLrE6rvc10WCVh8qiR13QUYo2RqPXsyTJyGagodeNDbjjh3BqXeJ7U51y3lSL4NFq6DT2cCaqqP7o4TYXTtoPJ5_mypc9KrNyOflcEjHj71C6n_-74kPKKNb3EwtPseEWgoWjYU3zR63E5CPNHIK1yZeBe44byO3OWHrnqzL/s16000/thepeople_melodye&curtis.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Captain Kirk advises Melodye on the hazards of violating the Prime Directive.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>TAKE HEED: THE PEOPLE SHALL GIVE UP THEIR MILD SPOILERS</p>
<p>If there’s a singular flaw in <i>The People</i>, it’s the reactions of the elders to this petite bull in their china shop. Melodye’s actions not only awaken something that can potentially put them all in grave danger, but eventually she is indirectly responsible for a serious injury to one of the children. The locals’ hesitancy in doing anything about her meddling, and a too-abrupt resolution featuring a kumbaya moment of reconciliation seems forced and implausible.</p>
<p>But the film also has its inspired moments, not the least of which is the way in which Melodye finally discovers the People’s secret past. Another concern of the elders is that the children stay grounded in the present, and not try to remember the time before the founding of their little community. Melodye, wanting to throw a monkey wrench into that suppressive business, stimulates the children’s memories by having them draw. The reveal of the People’s backstory through the kids’ art is clever and poignant.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9iSaPuJriexZRkVJKYZl2dwMwHehjQezFyPQHyoBfoUMtMiNN8hCKEFxEix49IMSZL9SEO1V6BtLe1vlMswDSt_Hf999_K4szVitI_VEezFlEDgJIAEW3mA7-QKXfbYibKm6mR_Y3m9nIjebAV8dVSsJrX60igrztvlehebCdJvoFknUptAZiqUYyjYQy/s520/thepeople_artwork.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - The children's art projects in The People (1972)" border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9iSaPuJriexZRkVJKYZl2dwMwHehjQezFyPQHyoBfoUMtMiNN8hCKEFxEix49IMSZL9SEO1V6BtLe1vlMswDSt_Hf999_K4szVitI_VEezFlEDgJIAEW3mA7-QKXfbYibKm6mR_Y3m9nIjebAV8dVSsJrX60igrztvlehebCdJvoFknUptAZiqUYyjYQy/s16000/thepeople_artwork.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"That's a beautiful picture Bethie, but the assignment was to draw a horse."</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Towards the end of the film, the idealistic teacher, having inadvertently (?) exposed the People’s secrets to a potentially hostile outer world, glumly admits to Doc Curtis that she feels more of an outsider than ever. When he points out that she can help them share their wisdom and knowledge with humanity, she counters, “And what do you think the outside world will do with that? Probably turn them into a tourist attraction… or maybe they’ll massacre them all this time out of fear and jealousy.”</p>
<p>I can picture a fitting epilogue: The People fire Melodye and bring in Amish consultants to help them figure out how to distract the outsiders with tourism while keeping their real lives private.</p>
<p>Kim Darby, who made a career out of vulnerable, girl-next-door roles, guest starred on a number of hit ‘60s TV shows until vaulting to fame as the preternaturally stubborn Mattie opposite John Wayne’s Rooster Cogburn in the original <i>True Grit</i> (1969).</p>
<p>She made a string of less successful feature films after <i>True Grit</i>, and by 1972 she was back to guesting on TV. In 1973 she played the paranoid lead to perfection in what some consider the preeminent ‘70s made-for-TV horror film, <i>Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark</i>. </p>
<p>In 1972, William Shatner was still relatively fresh from command of the starship Enterprise, but unfortunately the obvious toupee for which he has been ribbed unmercifully was on full display. By the mid-70s he had made several TV movies which are still remembered fondly, including <i>Go Ask Alice</i> (1973), <i>The Horror at 37,000 Feet</i> (1973; see my review <a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2019/08/fear-of-flying-special-tv-movie-double.html" target="_blank">here</a>), and <i>Pray for the Wildcats</i> (1974; with Andy Griffith, Robert Reed and Marjoe Gortner). Star Trek fans will fondly remember the first time Shatner and Darby teamed up, in the original series episode “Miri” (1966).</p>
<p><i>The People</i> was adapted from a popular series of stories by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zenna_Henderson" target="_blank">Zenna Henderson</a>. The TV movie, which came out the same year as <i>The Godfather</i>, was executive produced by <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000338/" target="_blank">Francis Ford Coppola</a> under the auspices of Coppola’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Zoetrope" target="_blank">American Zoetrope</a> studios. Zoetrope was founded in 1969 and was involved with, among other things, George Lucas’ first feature film <i>THX 1138</i> and films by international superstars Jean-Luc Godard and Akira Kurosawa. Between <i>The Godfather</i> and <i>The People</i>, it’s hard to imagine two more different films.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNyA4Uj2wB_7TkngyhbFPG-wcgR2Sgfvb-ezLeEpJWbtlau2pG8sBb-oOgOUzlpm9QfWfDgWS01LRFgssrCkY1PC_hKRcqtKRATiXB1gQmSrQbmemT0DsxCMjUV5bQFFEnG5eUdfMX8GmcTawHpksCn4NDtHG26hRkOE5CfKJOB1quBQ1AGQ18TSaZkcN1/s520/thepeople_wonderment.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Kim Darby's look of amazement in The People (1972)" border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNyA4Uj2wB_7TkngyhbFPG-wcgR2Sgfvb-ezLeEpJWbtlau2pG8sBb-oOgOUzlpm9QfWfDgWS01LRFgssrCkY1PC_hKRcqtKRATiXB1gQmSrQbmemT0DsxCMjUV5bQFFEnG5eUdfMX8GmcTawHpksCn4NDtHG26hRkOE5CfKJOB1quBQ1AGQ18TSaZkcN1/s16000/thepeople_wonderment.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kim wonders how she ended up in a low-budget TV movie so soon after<br />her breakout role in <i>True Grit</i>.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><b>Where to find it:</b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/People-William-Shatner/dp/B09GDH2NJ4/" target="_blank">Streaming 1</a> | <a href="https://youtu.be/UyaaQdaQID4?si=_5lkmRVKLW-jGKj-" target="_blank">Streaming 2</a></p>
<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 6px;">
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Passing the baton in the movie blogger challenge</b></span></p>
<p>As I mentioned in the first entry in this series back in January, this was the result of a challenge from Barry at Cinematic Catharsis to review my Top Five underrated/overlooked ‘70s sci-fi TV movies. After all this time, I need to pass on the baton to the next group of bloggers. (Note to my fellow bloggers: although I turned Barry’s challenge into a 5 part series, if you choose to take up the new challenge, please DO NOT feel obligated to follow that lead -- one post will suffice very nicely!)</p>
<p><b>Dustin from <a href="https://horrorandsons.com/" target="_blank">Horror and Sons</a>:</b> Favorite underrated ‘80s horror movies; or Favorite episodes from horror anthologies or TV shows</p>
<p></p><p><b>Mike from <a href="https://michaelsmovieworld.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mike’s Movie Room</a>:</b> Favorite Universal horror movies not featuring Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolf man or the Mummy; or Favorite moments from Universal horror movies</p>
<p><b>Marianne from <a href="http://makeminefilmnoir.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Make Mine Film Noir</a>:</b> Favorite noirs set somewhere other than the United States; or Favorite moments from classic noir
</p></div><p></p>Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-38305988977844582102023-07-13T10:11:00.005-07:002023-07-14T09:46:09.063-07:00Russian Rued Bet: The Queen of Spades<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 8px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZK5XqLW-y1wp50D4zZfpOri-KRCSbAFgqw16jddMVmk-XNwvLii8B0nuVCm5iXLVKh2tfdJYnqXKVKy1Ls3o9MW1teBZ80kIAMFOI5kjIU586LREFnJVIxd3vVdkR2tzY6JpXRY98cJ1Vi9wjV6BwtGRhFQSNIoZ4nKQN0Yfy6cWip5k56CN3vp66rD6m/s450/queenofspades_poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Poster - The Queen of Spades (1949)" border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="302" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZK5XqLW-y1wp50D4zZfpOri-KRCSbAFgqw16jddMVmk-XNwvLii8B0nuVCm5iXLVKh2tfdJYnqXKVKy1Ls3o9MW1teBZ80kIAMFOI5kjIU586LREFnJVIxd3vVdkR2tzY6JpXRY98cJ1Vi9wjV6BwtGRhFQSNIoZ4nKQN0Yfy6cWip5k56CN3vp66rD6m/w215-h320/queenofspades_poster.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>Now Playing: </b><b><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041776/" target="_blank">The Queen of Spades</a> </i></b>(1949)</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pros:</b> Atmospheric sets, costumes, cinematography and direction; Edith Evans is perfect as the dour, fussy old Countess
<br />
<b>Cons:</b> The second act lags as a love triangle plays out; some performances approach theatrical hamminess</span></div>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>I'm very happy to be participating for the fourth straight year in <a href="https://silverscreenclassicsblog.wordpress.com/2023/07/14/the-2023-classic-literature-on-film-blogathon-is-here/" target="_blank">The Classic Literature on Film Blogathon</a> hosted by Paul at Silver Screen Classics. Please visit Paul's site for many more intriguing posts on film adaptations of classic works. </i></span><br /></p><p>Card playing is one of those mundane activities we take for granted, but its origins, obscured by the mists of time, are full of intrigue and mystery. According to a very interesting article in <i>The Atlantic</i>, scholars variously pin down the beginnings to a game of “paper tiles” invented during China’s Tang dynasty, the import of “Saracen’s Game” from the Middle East to medieval Europe, or the emergence of card-based fortune telling in India. [Adrienne Bernhard, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/08/the-lost-origins-of-playing-card-symbols/537786/" target="_blank">“The Lost Origins of Playing-card Symbols,” </a><i>The Atlantic</i>, Aug. 27, 2017]</p>
<p>Like chess, the card deck reflects the social hierarchy of the society in which it was developed. Some historians suggest that the suits represent the four classes of medieval society: cups and chalices (modern hearts) correspond to the clergy, swords (spades) to the military, coins (diamonds) the merchant class, and batons (clubs) represent the rest of us peasants.</p>
<p>But unlike chess, where the queen has long been the most powerful piece on the board, playing card queens have had an up and down history. At one point the Spanish replaced them with mounted knights (caballeros), and the Germans saw fit to exclude the women in favor of such macho representations as upper man (obermann) and lower man (untermann). On the other hand, in Britain, playing card queens trumped kings during those periods when an actual queen was sitting on the throne. [Ibid.]</p>
<p>Among her regal cohorts, the queen of spades has distinguished herself as the most powerful, and at times, the most ominous female in the deck. In cartomancy (for the uninitiated, fortune telling using playing cards), <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_of_spades#Card_reading" target="_blank">the queen of spades</a> represents intelligence, logic, pragmatism, and planning for the future. But she has a dark side too -- she can quickly ruin a hand of Hearts or Crazy Eights for unlucky players.</p>
<p>In <i>The Queen of Spades</i>, she is true to her reputation and makes a brief but key appearance that has monumental consequences for the protagonist.</p>
<p>The 1949 film is a reasonably faithful adaptation of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Queen_of_Spades_(story)" target="_blank">the story</a> written by the esteemed Russian poet, playwright and novelist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Pushkin" target="_blank">Alexander Pushkin</a> in 1833. Pushkin’s tale, with its classic themes of greed and obsession tinged with the supernatural, resonated with Russian and European readers and became the inspiration for a number of operas, and eventually, films and radio plays (the 1949 version is the only British adaptation).</p>
<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHQozzE0ebfhJ6tcPRV4pOsAOM-QoVC5l7JwOJfE5kYsqLgLGBATlScdBpubnQSh2Qczzgscvsj3mw7rORDWdhTl3r_tMmyB4Pmx7ioiCAORg-tloPEGRQX3yKDmedlA9fwvL7D92JJ3E108JYYoJOSAs_S8AkRCURQ-EGIdmoNqZX2BkHBLMkGDa5G0d/s520/queenofspades_graffiti.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Wall art - Pushkin on his horse; inspired by the story (V. Visu)" border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHQozzE0ebfhJ6tcPRV4pOsAOM-QoVC5l7JwOJfE5kYsqLgLGBATlScdBpubnQSh2Qczzgscvsj3mw7rORDWdhTl3r_tMmyB4Pmx7ioiCAORg-tloPEGRQX3yKDmedlA9fwvL7D92JJ3E108JYYoJOSAs_S8AkRCURQ-EGIdmoNqZX2BkHBLMkGDa5G0d/s16000/queenofspades_graffiti.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pushkin and his horse - wall art inspired by the story<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Herman Suvorin (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0906932/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Anton Walbrook</a>) is a Captain in the army engineers stationed in St. Petersburg in the early 1800s. Something of a sullen odd duck, he spends his nights watching his fellow officers drunkenly wager large sums at cards. When challenged about never playing himself, Suvorin demurs that he doesn’t have the money to gamble (although we learn a little later that he’s been regularly saving a substantial portion of his pay and has a significant nest egg). </p>
<p>Suvorin is very cognizant of his fellow junior officers’ wealth and aristocratic backgrounds, and embarrassed by his own humble roots. One night as the card game is breaking up, he overhears his cohorts talking about the legend of the elderly Countess Ranevskaya (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0262725/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Edith Evans</a>), who as a young woman was rumored to have sold her soul for the secret of winning at cards, and had amassed a fortune. </p>
<p>A short while later Suvorin is browsing at a bookshop, and stumbles upon a rare book, “The Strange Secrets of the Count de Saint Germain,” with an intriguing subtitle, “People who sold their souls for wealth, power or influence.” Thumbing through it, he happens upon Chapter 4, “The Secret of the Cards,” which seems to confirm the rumor, telling of a Countess R***, who, as a young married woman had lost a significant amount of money in an illicit affair, and in desperation had turned to the mysterious Saint Germain to learn the occult secret and win the money back. </p>
<p>Now obsessed with winning his own fortune and the respect he's been denied, Suvorin cooks up a plan to worm his way into the elderly Countess’ residence and get her to divulge the secret. Stationing himself outside the Countess’ mansion, he catches sight of the Countess’ young, single lady-in-waiting, Lizaveta (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0593814/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Yvonne Mitchell</a>), who spends a lot of time staring forlornly out the window, longing to be free of her dour, unappreciative mistress.</p>
<p>Hoping that she can smuggle him in to see the Countess, Suvorin composes love letters to Lizaveta with the unwitting aid of his friend Andrei (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0397580/?ref_=tt_cl_t_4" target="_blank">Ronald Howard</a>), who himself is falling in love with the beautiful, lonely girl. </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqtZEwiDyzr2XotdwJZuNgM3wV9hlhWn6oYB4RpK-Rcu_ox4DC3RrSnv21vpshisSN68Ay2XzTMxElI7bqSvr-9gA2xPIK7vYacq4yC3vzbzlvR1GAFbDNh2HI1tXCeFKhFxd4f8qNoq1I1vfOoQxKv8H33sJ7SdWbpGAN0LaqVYnyvMtVc2AYK41dPvjr/s520/queenofspades_herman&andrei.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Anton Walbrook and Ronald Howard in The Queen of Spades (1949)" border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqtZEwiDyzr2XotdwJZuNgM3wV9hlhWn6oYB4RpK-Rcu_ox4DC3RrSnv21vpshisSN68Ay2XzTMxElI7bqSvr-9gA2xPIK7vYacq4yC3vzbzlvR1GAFbDNh2HI1tXCeFKhFxd4f8qNoq1I1vfOoQxKv8H33sJ7SdWbpGAN0LaqVYnyvMtVc2AYK41dPvjr/s16000/queenofspades_herman&andrei.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The two rivals for Lizaveta's affections square off in Suvorin's apartment.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Suvorin’s stream of letters, and his ultimatum that he will die if he can’t see Lizaveta, finally break down her resistance. When Andrei discovers that the letters Suvorin has been composing are to Lizaveta, he figures out what the scheming Captain is up to and tries to warn the vulnerable girl about him, to no avail.
</p><p>Suvorin finally gains access to the Countess, but the interview goes badly -- very badly -- and Lizaveta rejects him in disgust. He seems to be a dead odd duck, until a ghostly visitation gives him renewed hope. He decides to wager his savings on a high stakes game of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faro_(banking_game)" target="_blank">Faro</a> after all. What could possibly go wrong?</p>
<p>I’ve been an avid fan of classic ghost stories for as long as I can remember. And yet, I only just encountered Pushkin’s wonderful Gothic story a year or so ago in an anthology. The character of the old Countess was inspired by a real-life Russian noblewoman, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalya_Golitsyna" target="_blank">Natalya Petrovna</a>, who was a lady-in-waiting to emperors and a socialite of the highest order. And like Pushkin’s Countess, in her youth she was an enormously successful gambler, supposedly due to the mentorship of -- wait for it -- <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Queen_of_Spades_(story)#Inspiration" target="_blank">the Count of Saint Germain.</a></p>
<p>Readers of Pushkin’s time would have been very familiar with Saint Germain. Hobnobbing with 18th century European high society under a number of different aliases and titles, Saint Germain was a philosopher, mystic and patron of the arts who claimed to be the 500 year old son of Transylvanian royalty (Holy shades of Dracula Batman!). Saint Germain’s unseen presence adds to the story’s and film’s atmosphere of mounting dread.</p>
<p>The 1949 film pulls out all the stops in capturing the darkness and decadence of early 19th century St. Petersburg. Art director <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0446084/" target="_blank">William Kellner</a> oversaw the meticulous (and expensive) recreation of the former Russian capital on the sound stages of Welwyn Studio in the UK.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3o5cJYL9ztKAMmbQICiSfUPxt1UkVfeWd1D1MhrTjL8_vAri3m0V0qRweKjsV8p8fLZtf7eanPiyY8w97UfMDVl0_QTZBnmES6wg-h8z8oUTc1jg4CtKWd1dnA1XL16zKpOxzY8bxENul9aPuTeYgskiBGpap3bcRW6y1qLhdp7n2MQhtpe7UYNl8Srwz/s520/queenofspades_gypsydance.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Gypsy dance sequence in The Queen of Spades (1949)" border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3o5cJYL9ztKAMmbQICiSfUPxt1UkVfeWd1D1MhrTjL8_vAri3m0V0qRweKjsV8p8fLZtf7eanPiyY8w97UfMDVl0_QTZBnmES6wg-h8z8oUTc1jg4CtKWd1dnA1XL16zKpOxzY8bxENul9aPuTeYgskiBGpap3bcRW6y1qLhdp7n2MQhtpe7UYNl8Srwz/s16000/queenofspades_gypsydance.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An extended gypsy dance number adds to the atmosphere.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Cinematographer <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005740/" target="_blank">Otto Heller’s</a> camera prowls around the dimly lit environs of the tavern where gypsies perform and the gambling takes place, Suvorin’s apartment, and the equally dark chambers of the Countess’ mansion, teasing out shadows that seem to embody the characters’ secret lives. </p>
<p>Supernatural forces emerge in the film’s final act as the consequences of the Captain’s obsessive greed play out (or is it all happening in the murky depths of Suvorin’s fevered mind?). Contributing to the blood-chilling denouement is a corpse that seems to stare accusingly with lifeless eyes, a sudden gust of wind that announces the arrival of a spectral presence, and the sounds of a heavy garment, its wearer unseen, dragging along a shadowy corridor.</p>
<p>As noted previously, the film is a faithful adaptation of Pushkin’s Gothic story with some embellishments that, among other things, play up the romantic angle of two dashing officers, one duplicitous and one genuine, vying for the attention of lonely, lovely Lizaveta. (If anything, the intrigue and machinations around Lizaveta are too drawn out, slowing down the second act and leaving Mitchell with not much more to do than look worried and harried.)</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx4ZFJ5mZEGHLeFNLB51vEfaHRx6_DfgWnz268Hbp9lSPmbOHnfxLSq9p7SWtoMgrWa_1ki8OjBeo1QjxKXgIpiVcpfetF7op8yIcEue8PDYxH36y77vWPLmnP8WZTis-Q4m-jFAn7ut4r2jNyOz6gA6LOhg0TWFe4l1-PKXVHJ6-RCuqWOJlE47FgZppu/s520/queenofspades_lizaveta&herman.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Yvonne Mitchell and Anton Walbrook in The Queen of Spades (1949)" border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx4ZFJ5mZEGHLeFNLB51vEfaHRx6_DfgWnz268Hbp9lSPmbOHnfxLSq9p7SWtoMgrWa_1ki8OjBeo1QjxKXgIpiVcpfetF7op8yIcEue8PDYxH36y77vWPLmnP8WZTis-Q4m-jFAn7ut4r2jNyOz6gA6LOhg0TWFe4l1-PKXVHJ6-RCuqWOJlE47FgZppu/s16000/queenofspades_lizaveta&herman.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lizaveta is too trusting for her own good.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Another embellishment is a flashback scene of the Countess as a young married woman, desperate to replace the money belonging to her husband that a secret lover has stolen. She visits the palace of Saint Germain, which is the epitome of high Gothic strangeness with a carved winged skull leering out from the main door, cowled manservants showing her the way down darkened, torch-lit corridors, and the Count’s chambers themselves, decorated with woebegone dolls trapped in bell jars, representing those unfortunates who have sold their souls. </p>
<p>Also nicely done is an early scene in which Suvorin is browsing in a bookshop. As he reaches for a book on military tactics, <i>The Campaigns of Napoleon</i>, the Saint Germain book drops to the floor with a thud, attracting his attention. As he leafs through the chapters, they seem to spell out his coming obsession, and his fate. </p>
<p>Austrian actor Anton Walbrook’s performance as the brooding Suvorin is a little overdone at the edges, but fits right in with the stylized melodrama. At this point Walbrook was at the height of his film career, having just come off a leading role in the critically acclaimed adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s <i>The Red Shoes</i> (1948).</p>
<p>By contrast, Yvonne Mitchell (Lizaveta) and Ronald Howard (Andrei) are stuck with far less glamorous roles as, respectively, a bothered and bewildered object of debased obsession and a standard-issue earnest suitor. Horror fans may remember Mitchell for her roles in <i>Crucible of Horror</i> (1971) and Hammer’s surrealistic psycho-thriller <i>Demons of the Mind</i> (1972). Ronald Howard, son of Leslie, would appear nearly a decade later in another film with Anton Walbrook, <i>I Accuse</i> (1958; based on the Dreyfus affair); horror and fantasy credits include guest stints on the TV shows <i>One Step Beyond</i> and Boris Karloff’s <i>Thriller</i>, and a plum role in Hammer’s glorious and underrated <i>Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb</i> (1964).</p>
<p>But the real show-stealer is Dame Edith Evans in her feature film debut. In the role of the Countess, the legendary stage actress and eventual 3-time Oscar nominee is imperious, prickly and unreasonably demanding of poor Lizaveta, but at the same time possesses a vulnerability borne of sad regret and fear for her own bartered soul. The scene in which she sits enigmatically silent as Suvorin desperately pleads with her to reveal the secret of the cards, her face fixed like a mask and her eyes heavy-lidded and unreadable, is hard to forget.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghwPn4nuWoC8IDyWKrVVQsf-TFMF3MKG3L7TFIZcP0zw7Y_Dn7CF7bq9Qa3cXXNC7mOSDE7eZBqWSLqU2kCOTBBLZ1_jjqk81GVP4DGlu6F2v4LSYcZYDMdYG7-2nyCgDWTfV3NBPWDAi17-55fThuIUohHMRvgdcWiEFQ6RItKvAUMxjSUIyfDPgKx7S_/s520/queenofspades_herman&countess.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Anton Walbrook and Edith Evans in The Queen of Spades (1949)" border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghwPn4nuWoC8IDyWKrVVQsf-TFMF3MKG3L7TFIZcP0zw7Y_Dn7CF7bq9Qa3cXXNC7mOSDE7eZBqWSLqU2kCOTBBLZ1_jjqk81GVP4DGlu6F2v4LSYcZYDMdYG7-2nyCgDWTfV3NBPWDAi17-55fThuIUohHMRvgdcWiEFQ6RItKvAUMxjSUIyfDPgKx7S_/s16000/queenofspades_herman&countess.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Listen to me Countess, you can't be turned down for coverage,<br /> and your premiums will never go up!"<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Like the Countess, <i>The Queen of Spades</i> has sumptuous trappings, but also a troubled history. After the film’s budget-busting sets were completed and just before shooting was to begin, the original director had to pull out due to ill-health. Producer <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0344645/" target="_blank">Anatole de Grunwald</a> wasted no time in finding a replacement, the brilliant <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0225555/" target="_blank">Thorold Dickinson</a>, who “was offered the job on Tuesday, read the Pushkin story and the screenplay by Friday, met the cast and crew over the weekend and began filming on Monday, re-writing what he considered a solid but not quite good enough script on a daily basis.” [<a href="https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=UKNB&docref=news/12F8EB7A100643B0&f=basic" target="_blank">“Tale of luckless director dealt a bad hand,”</a> The Herald, Glasgow, Scotland, Dec. 24, 2009]</p>
<p>The film earned a BAFTA nomination for best film in the UK, but elsewhere in Europe its Baroque theatricality met with a chilly reception from critics who were enamored of post-war Italian neo-realism and the French New Wave movement. [Ibid.]</p>
<p>For a time, prints of <i>The Queen of Spades</i> were thought to be lost, but thankfully in the late 2000s it was rediscovered and released theatrically and on DVD. It’s also currently playing on a number of streaming and VOD services.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzncAV8W--4LNC8i-FjotQphHVSj1V9ouLXU4R4qz1lN4dea1VeffDTAHSJzH3awOo62qd3hXlFswgAikueglAHXmN9zpQo4gJR0AgHr8ukraejN-9L0wQHfar1VK_ZMiEfYBgemsmUoCYLIgv_a6_XS6AW4qHSRgyM3D7Ri7mnW1lfqxnGVPJex_7Txr/s520/queenofspades_hermanplayingfaro.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Anton Walbrook plays a fateful hand of cards in The Queen of Spades (1949)" border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzncAV8W--4LNC8i-FjotQphHVSj1V9ouLXU4R4qz1lN4dea1VeffDTAHSJzH3awOo62qd3hXlFswgAikueglAHXmN9zpQo4gJR0AgHr8ukraejN-9L0wQHfar1VK_ZMiEfYBgemsmUoCYLIgv_a6_XS6AW4qHSRgyM3D7Ri7mnW1lfqxnGVPJex_7Txr/s16000/queenofspades_hermanplayingfaro.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Is this your card?" <br />"Er, no."</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><b>Where to find it:</b> <a href="https://www.oldies.com/product-view/80631R.html" target="_blank">DVD/Blu-ray</a> | <a href="https://www.kanopy.com/" target="_blank">Streaming</a></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://silverscreenclassicsblog.wordpress.com/2023/07/14/the-2023-classic-literature-on-film-blogathon-is-here/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="620" height="323" src="https://silverscreenclassicsblog.files.wordpress.com/2023/06/7nyqdx.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<p></p><p></p>Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-22504175149258911582023-06-27T10:59:00.003-07:002023-06-28T08:32:55.598-07:00That ‘70s Sci-Fi TV Movie #4: The Astronaut<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 8px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1K91R6_GycwQgYpbBv3Lyd4Yf-N6G0izzpzlYcedzzkZsn2xeZBZx01-0m2RvFnC-WCGIC5k57NdA7RMHeRXT8r2KmNFl_B1aGK2wSSvxpL0ldOjUT5quINu2cYg1aBHXP74vKDWsDi0hNaBey3bFXjrlSTRiV7OKguAE3p8joj2t8bE23aUj0_m8Qhk/s470/astronaut_coverart.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="DVD cover art - The Astronaut (1972)" border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="328" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1K91R6_GycwQgYpbBv3Lyd4Yf-N6G0izzpzlYcedzzkZsn2xeZBZx01-0m2RvFnC-WCGIC5k57NdA7RMHeRXT8r2KmNFl_B1aGK2wSSvxpL0ldOjUT5quINu2cYg1aBHXP74vKDWsDi0hNaBey3bFXjrlSTRiV7OKguAE3p8joj2t8bE23aUj0_m8Qhk/w223-h320/astronaut_coverart.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>Now Playing: </b><b><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068229/" target="_blank">The Astronaut</a> </i></b>(1972)</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pros:</b> Good, affecting performances by Monte Markham and Susan Clark as two lonely people caught up in a government conspiracy
<br />
<b>Cons:</b> The rationale for the conspiracy and its incompetent execution strain credulity</span></div>
<p><span style="font-size: large;">Back in 2019, a <a href="https://today.yougov.com/topics/politics/articles-reports/2019/07/19/moon-landing-50-year-anniversary-conspiracy" target="_blank">YouGov poll</a> commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing found that 20% of respondents believed that it was definitely or probably true that the landing was faked. Such skepticism has existed almost since the moment Neil Armstrong took that “one small step” on the lunar surface, but many were dismayed that 50 years on, the endlessly debunked theory still had traction.</span></p>
<p>In 1977 the conspiracy theory reached its entertainment apogee with <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077294/" target="_blank">Capricorn One</a></i>, about NASA officials secretly scrapping a mission to Mars when defects in the spacecraft are discovered, but staging a landing in order to ensure further program funding. When an investigative reporter (Elliott Gould) starts snooping around, and the empty returning capsule burns up in the atmosphere on re-entry, the fake mission’s astronauts (James Brolin, Sam Waterston and O.J. Simpson) realize they have become a liability the agency will have to deal with in order to keep its secrets. </p>
<p>A full five years before <i>Capricorn One</i> (and while the Apollo program was still sending men to the moon), a TV movie, <i>The Astronaut</i>, featured yet another convoluted government plot to snow the public. </p>
<p>In this one, the heads of the Mars mission at the U.S. Department of Space (renamed perhaps to spare the feelings of real-life NASA administrators) implement a back-up plan when the first man on Mars, Col. Brice Randolph, mysteriously dies during an EVA on the surface (they’re able to cut the video feed before the public can figure out what’s going on).</p>
<p>In order to buy time to find the cause of the astronaut’s death and prevent the President from shutting down the program altogether, the administrators implement a back-up plan: find a double for Randolph, sneak him into the spacecraft when it splashes down with the surviving astronaut, pretend the mission was a success, parade the double around for the benefit of the public, stage a boating accident in which “Randolph” goes permanently missing, and finally, give the double a new face and a new life. (Whew! I think I’d just take the “win” of having successfully landed an astronaut on Mars, acknowledge that there are many dangerous unknowns in spaceflight, and wait for a new president who is more pro-space program. But then, that would make for a very dull movie.)</p>
<p>They find a look-alike, Eddie Reese (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0548449/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Monte Markham</a>), who is a disgraced ex-pilot who ejected from a jet that crashed and killed three people on the ground, and has been wandering from job to job ever since. As the spacecraft with the surviving astronaut heads home, Reese’s face is altered to be identical to Randolph’s (“We have the technology!”), and from tapes, he learns to talk, walk and act like Randolph. </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJmg7X1DpwyzYuKD1OfSMVg2vtCukrLRGlaYT9xVZr9Y6wZGs8WBgE29w_YHfW9mOTsHJaptUKzAkYXxLgS9OTifvyvzmu3sJ_8VMhZvmaYzTtICTOTFlFZoj2RlxBcCwZK-Hpvrf1OumbddBYzVK07-e37prbt_yrkCj0shBaZWY139MLLAz-CWKzPgki/s520/astronaut_reese-randolph_sm.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Publicity still - Monte Markham in The Astronaut (TV movie, 1972)" border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJmg7X1DpwyzYuKD1OfSMVg2vtCukrLRGlaYT9xVZr9Y6wZGs8WBgE29w_YHfW9mOTsHJaptUKzAkYXxLgS9OTifvyvzmu3sJ_8VMhZvmaYzTtICTOTFlFZoj2RlxBcCwZK-Hpvrf1OumbddBYzVK07-e37prbt_yrkCj0shBaZWY139MLLAz-CWKzPgki/s16000/astronaut_reese-randolph_sm.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was..." <br />Oops, wrong TV show!</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>As if that weren’t enough disbelief to suspend, the mission head honcho Kurt Anderson (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0178114/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Jackie Cooper</a>), delays telling Randolph's wife Gail (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0164540/?ref_=tt_cl_t_5" target="_blank">Susan Clark</a>) the bad news, as she has recently had a miscarriage and is emotionally vulnerable. So, once the plan is put into effect and the mission is publicly celebrated as a success, Anderson sends Reese/Randolph home to Gail, much to Reese’s extreme discomfort. (!?)</p>
<p><i>The Astronaut</i> indulges in the old Hollywood fantasy that plastic surgery can create a double so exact that (s)he can fool even people who know them intimately. I’m prepared to accept that you could put one over on the public whose only exposure to the celebrity was through grainy TV broadcasts and newspaper photos (this was 1972 after all), but fooling a wife who knows all her husband’s moles and various other (ahem) idiosyncrasies … I don’t think so. </p>
<p>And then there’s the idea of rushing plan B into action based on the certainty that the program will be toast once the news of Randolph’s death breaks. A couple of times Anderson talks about “buying time” until they can figure out what killed the Colonel, as if the moment it became public knowledge funds would be completely cut off (and as if the senior Congresspeople whose districts benefited from the space program wouldn’t have a say in it). This seems to be a very naive view of how government works.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRhASYDlbJGDN_Iz3vCnLbDoqjPweczlW1ajRhFARdPfl6NzaoHVFIaJTwPoWnx9f46z_L8ihKMCPXH8MIWNgJz1DHM5OWQlrj_MsmVZXx6uHvTzxDSiKBO40uxWDrrHPNrl6-MMsVyJCGq9fqgp8kZypIq_Q2IzDdfrUh8zBBWlocY-QzEX12m3gJH71/s520/astronaut_missioncontrol.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Jackie Cooper and John S. Ragin in The Astronaut (TV movie, 1972)" border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="520" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRhASYDlbJGDN_Iz3vCnLbDoqjPweczlW1ajRhFARdPfl6NzaoHVFIaJTwPoWnx9f46z_L8ihKMCPXH8MIWNgJz1DHM5OWQlrj_MsmVZXx6uHvTzxDSiKBO40uxWDrrHPNrl6-MMsVyJCGq9fqgp8kZypIq_Q2IzDdfrUh8zBBWlocY-QzEX12m3gJH71/w400-h320/astronaut_missioncontrol.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mission head Kurt Anderson (Jackie Cooper, left) contemplates saying goodbye<br /> to his pension if word gets out.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH SOME MILD SPOILERS</p>
<p>Shaky premise or not, the movie builds to a very effective (and affecting) crisis when Gail recovers enough from the loss of her baby to discover that her husband is not her husband. The movie suggests that it’s not so much minute physical differences that betray the imposter (although at one point, while Eddie and Gail are holding hands, Gail remarks that his hands seem somehow smaller… okay people, get your minds out of the gutter!).</p>
<p>Gail tells Eddie that she knew he couldn’t be Randolph, because he's been too kind and gentle with her. It seems the Colonel was, like a good military man and astronaut, all about the work, and to add insult to injury had spent most of the marriage belittling Gail’s hopes and dreams, including her desire for a family.</p>
<p>In an irony of ironies, the space program, like some behemoth fairy godmother, has sent Gail a tender, caring version of her husband at the time of her greatest need. And Reese, who has been shunned by society for a moment of tragic weakness, has found a reason to live in Gail.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCaJD8vV2CNeBVBY9hdu4_zZ43UCZzAeRCtFdyb21ZmyK3Q07uNpBHFv1B-zxuGUzw_s5GoubTbWK6HukPK357ryWDsAnAZAPjTuFPMoM5_F5sH91-koJA772sktbSQKVy6-_48XcxvZtOHBfptYG6ryU2B_gyrqMLfeMO1wc2Yh5nWtwZ_bfU6gioJXfh/s520/astronaut_gail.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Susan Clark in The Astronaut (TV movie, 1972)" border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="520" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCaJD8vV2CNeBVBY9hdu4_zZ43UCZzAeRCtFdyb21ZmyK3Q07uNpBHFv1B-zxuGUzw_s5GoubTbWK6HukPK357ryWDsAnAZAPjTuFPMoM5_F5sH91-koJA772sktbSQKVy6-_48XcxvZtOHBfptYG6ryU2B_gyrqMLfeMO1wc2Yh5nWtwZ_bfU6gioJXfh/w400-h340/astronaut_gail.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gail (Susan Clark) starts to figure out this man is not her husband.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>When the couple inform the higher-ups that Gail is in on the plot, Anderson graciously agrees to let the two disappear together in the boating accident. But complications ensue when Eddie and Gail find out that by going ahead with the plan, lives will be put in danger (and that’s all the spoilers you’re going to get).</p>
<p>Susan Clark is wonderful as a woman who, on the verge of a breakdown, recovers her equanimity and self-respect under the most unusual of circumstances. Trained at the London’s prestigious Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts, Clark secured a contract with Universal Studios in the mid-’60s, eventually playing opposite the likes of Clint Eastwood in <i>Coogan’s Bluff</i> (1968), Richard Widmark and Henry Fonda in <i>Madigan</i> (1968), and Robert Redford in <i>Tell Them Willie Boy is Here</i> (1969).</p>
<p>Television dominated in the ‘70s, which saw her in such high profile TV movie roles as <i>Babe</i> (1976; playing the golfing legend “Babe” Zaharias) and the title role of <i>Amelia Earhart</i> the following year. Two years before <i>The Astronaut</i>, she co-starred with Eric Braeden in <i>Colossus: The Forbin Project</i> (1970), the sci-fi classic about artificial intelligence run-amok (timelier than ever!).</p>
<p>In <i>The Astronaut</i>, Monte Markham has the singular challenge of being an actor playing a disgraced pilot pretending to be an astronaut. Now in his late 80s, Markham has done it all, with multitudinous acting, producing and directing credits. He even started his own production company in the early ‘90s.</p>
<p>Monte’s big break came as the lead in the TV comedy <i>The Second Hundred Years</i> (1967-68) playing a man who is revived after spending decades in accidental suspended animation. After that he parlayed his stolid, “Everyman” presence into dozens upon dozens of movie and TV roles in every genre. And like the Energizer Bunny, he’s still going, with IMDb listing acting credits as recent as this year, and as if that’s not enough, 5 upcoming projects.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqChMcbowtaZ5kYSP6nEUPsT9Q7kV-QrLdyDhibC5EvSgSmuqNDP4XoTuaN293wBFX3-9cRcOnW0rM7sVgnaSGExAvEUz2ESUGWihLLcbFGLOQ6MbejfqEQd189t5Hf0Y3Xs4JtSdL5kUe-VPIdsaShGvFgwAKvLGjRKuu_FfB2BrH_N4jnAavmjj3IOXu/s520/astronaut_eddie&gail.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Monte Markham and Susan Clark in The Astronaut (TV movie, 1972)" border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="520" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqChMcbowtaZ5kYSP6nEUPsT9Q7kV-QrLdyDhibC5EvSgSmuqNDP4XoTuaN293wBFX3-9cRcOnW0rM7sVgnaSGExAvEUz2ESUGWihLLcbFGLOQ6MbejfqEQd189t5Hf0Y3Xs4JtSdL5kUe-VPIdsaShGvFgwAKvLGjRKuu_FfB2BrH_N4jnAavmjj3IOXu/w400-h331/astronaut_eddie&gail.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"To be Brice Randolph or not to be Brice Randolph, that is the question..."</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><b>Where to find it:</b> <a href="https://youtu.be/svcd04cIoxM" target="_blank">Streaming</a> (low-res and soft-looking copy, but watchable)</p>
Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-59555220287670256002023-06-20T11:17:00.001-07:002023-06-20T13:10:05.093-07:00That ‘70s Sci-Fi TV Movie #3: Night Slaves<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 8px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUofhwcvb44VP1GuTVf0J6cfqJG4XPvxZn_0zILrJm54ULjPNJcY6rS6miZ81r5Zhr7sEO-16Ywphr3H_A9lVw-A5R1_LlB4-yKK-1LjXM_Jht6jp2AazontUFHizhhjkVlKmSAc4tNjIltQoCe5tRJxDec4vBjLGIH74JxE35fPFRBqgOANVaaepyQHyo/s563/nightslaves_poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Advertising art - Night Slaves (1970)" border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="375" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUofhwcvb44VP1GuTVf0J6cfqJG4XPvxZn_0zILrJm54ULjPNJcY6rS6miZ81r5Zhr7sEO-16Ywphr3H_A9lVw-A5R1_LlB4-yKK-1LjXM_Jht6jp2AazontUFHizhhjkVlKmSAc4tNjIltQoCe5tRJxDec4vBjLGIH74JxE35fPFRBqgOANVaaepyQHyo/w213-h320/nightslaves_poster.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Now Playing: </b><b><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066140/" target="_blank">Night Slaves</a> </i></b>(1970)</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pros:</b> Establishes an eerie, mysterious atmosphere in the first half; Solid cast headed by James Franciscus and Lee Grant
<br />
<b>Cons:</b> Reveal comes too early in the film and dissipates the suspense</span></div>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002082/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">James Franciscus</a> plays Clay Howard, a business owner who is tired of the rat race and sells his share of the business to his partner. Shortly afterward he is involved in a car accident in which two people are killed and he is seriously injured, requiring a steel plate for his damaged skull.</span></p>
<p>Wracked with guilt, Clay takes off on a road trip with his wife Marjorie (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0335519/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Lee Grant</a>), where they wind up at a bed and breakfast in a sleepy (in more ways than one) rural California town. That night, waking up from a nightmare, he goes to the window for some fresh air, where he sees crowds of people being herded onto trucks on the street below. He is startled to find his wife gone, and a mysterious girl (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0827594/?ref_=tt_cl_t_5" target="_blank">Tisha Sterling</a>) sitting in the room, grinning from ear to ear. When the girl tells Clay that his wife is among those being loaded onto the trucks, he rushes downstairs to find out what’s going on. Marj seems to be in a trance, and when he tries to get her to come back with him, he’s yanked off the truck by one of the “handlers.”</p>
<p>Still in his pajamas, Clay wanders over to the Sheriff’s office, but finds the place completely deserted. The whole town seems to have been hauled off to some unknown destination in the middle of the night.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLqlULSIYlrXjftDS7mPLyYNOhUuZcSp3qdx3-dDsCg8eYCww09MD_xmGCRkz33M3on9XJtyZFPwQUkcFUKwZ3LyEZC_8HJS0wYmyX0gGMONuMyZovji-fRLqz2JA0N_8Gw6rkrM10twqnUwOLfSNv1A2Mxevy1Ah6oQ34jU3a8g-j2XoMdlNWnG195ip/s520/nightslaves_desertedtown.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Clay (James Franciscus) wanders the deserted streets in Night Slaves (1971)" border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLqlULSIYlrXjftDS7mPLyYNOhUuZcSp3qdx3-dDsCg8eYCww09MD_xmGCRkz33M3on9XJtyZFPwQUkcFUKwZ3LyEZC_8HJS0wYmyX0gGMONuMyZovji-fRLqz2JA0N_8Gw6rkrM10twqnUwOLfSNv1A2Mxevy1Ah6oQ34jU3a8g-j2XoMdlNWnG195ip/s16000/nightslaves_desertedtown.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"They sure roll up the sidewalks early in this town!"<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Clay collapses back into bed. When morning comes and Marj is back with no memory of the night’s events, Clay almost convinces himself it was a bad dream, until he notices that his wife’s dress is covered in burrs and her shoes are filthy. </p>
<p>Now in full investigator mode, Clay visits the Sheriff (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000558/?ref_=tt_cl_t_6" target="_blank">Leslie Nielsen</a>), who listens politely but skeptically. After snooping around some more, he finds one of the trucks that carted off the townspeople, and discovers that the tires and rims are covered in mud and the same burrs he found on his wife’s dress.</p>
<p>As he snoops around, he asks everyone he meets how they’re sleeping, to his wife’s great embarrassment. Rather than clearing out of town, Clay decides he has to get to the bottom of the mystery, and decides to stay for a few more days. Clay’s sudden obsession is not helping his marriage, which is already dangling by a thread. To add to the mystery, a nondescript townie (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0697785/?ref_=tt_cl_t_4" target="_blank">Andrew Prine</a>) seems to have taken an interest in Clay and is shadowing him.</p>
<p>The next night, Clay is on guard in their room. When the trucks come again, Marj falls into a trance and Clay has to physically restrain her from joining the sleepwalking crowd. Men suddenly appear in the room and take Marj by force. </p>
<p>Clay runs after the truck but can't catch it. The girl appears again and starts talking cryptically to Clay about her being an “engineer” who isn't allowed to love or have children. Clay thinks she’s nuts until she shows him something that causes him to doubt his own sanity. </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi60GmWSkLo8OWmS7oiX4CPyTfA6PNHSfgqvhflg7XqUExVBFl41UTxbU4AMm2nIQKQRFRSJ7gJ2BT9hV1p6kMFyMN8xP8nwnzgl_Hp4WxZ1Ullr4DeMQjuksouxmHT54XL1uDfugGkRtjeeGGkdZMJaixUnfUAawcoqo_K3hudjJ142mL3FVXS1h7FbQzb/s520/nightslaves_truckride.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - The townspeople are trucked off to parts unknown in Night Slaves (1970)" border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi60GmWSkLo8OWmS7oiX4CPyTfA6PNHSfgqvhflg7XqUExVBFl41UTxbU4AMm2nIQKQRFRSJ7gJ2BT9hV1p6kMFyMN8xP8nwnzgl_Hp4WxZ1Ullr4DeMQjuksouxmHT54XL1uDfugGkRtjeeGGkdZMJaixUnfUAawcoqo_K3hudjJ142mL3FVXS1h7FbQzb/s16000/nightslaves_truckride.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The townspeople are ready for the fall hayseed ride.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>I first saw <i>Night Slaves</i> around the time of its debut, possibly the first broadcast or in the initial re-run (I was a big fan of ABC’s Movie of the Week). The concept of a whole town of sleep-walking residents being carted off in the middle of the night for some mysterious purpose was intriguing, to say the least.</p>
<p>Years later, possibly due to my own sleep problems, the story line popped into my head (although I had completely forgotten the movie’s title or who was in it). From time to time I would search the web to try to come up with the title, to no avail. Finally, a couple of years ago (and with a lot more time on my hands), I submitted what little I remembered of the plot to the experts on The Classic Horror Film Board, and sure enough, <i>Night Slaves</i> was the immediate reply. (Duh!)</p>
<p>As is often the case with these things, time has a way of stripping the luster off the elusive gems of your youth. It didn’t help that when I did get around to seeing it again, my only options at the time were blurry, muddy VHS transfers on YouTube and gray market DVD-R. (There are a couple of watchable copies on YouTube now.)</p>
<p>WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD IF YOU KNOW YOUR ‘50S SCI-FI</p>
<p><i>Night Slaves</i> definitely draws its inspiration from an early ‘50s sci-fi movie that, if I were to name it, and you knew anything about the plot, would be an obvious spoiler. (Okay, I’ll give you a hint: Ray Bradbury is credited as a co-writer.)</p>
<p>The ‘50s movie maintained an uncanny, spooky atmosphere throughout the film, and had the means to create a sense of awe and wonder with the climactic reveal. On the other hand, <i>Night Slaves’</i> paltry budget precluded the sort of special effects that gave its predecessor such visual and dramatic flair. <i>Night Slaves</i> only has its high concept to sustain it, and ends up sputtering to a less than awesome conclusion.</p>
<p>As I pointed out in my review of <i><a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2023/01/that-70s-sci-fi-tv-movie-part-one-love.html" target="_blank">The Love War</a></i>, TV movies of the ‘70s were cranked out like B movies of the studio era, with small budgets and tight schedules. Sci-fi and horror-themed TV projects had to make due with leftover sets, familiar, easily accessible locations, and the barest of effects budgets. So concept, characters and plot were everything, and in the right hands, a small budget TV movie could generate big chills.</p>
<p><i>Night Slaves</i> sets up a spooky atmosphere in its first half, but mitigates it to an extent with a soap-opera-ish love triangle involving Clay, Marjorie and the crazy girl. And then there’s the reveal that comes way too early in the film, further dissipating the suspense.</p>
<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCmMYnWYPyrIaACIA8FmPl_aQdDvF4CNdLXNdDEVzYdiB6lfnJhrq1v9j2a3joIU6_J6nNY3m5824iCncu81P-ijB9IrygeAooeAb35ros_ZsjABU5xnNOFlzrM9NWfMrMNruB8RVxsq2Phumgv6qyzqbhm5hmA7vcgX9XCIV9BAzRLTKK9bQYuVP4HR0/s520/nightslaves_mysterygirl.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Tisha Sterling and James Franciscus in Night Slaves (1970)" border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCmMYnWYPyrIaACIA8FmPl_aQdDvF4CNdLXNdDEVzYdiB6lfnJhrq1v9j2a3joIU6_J6nNY3m5824iCncu81P-ijB9IrygeAooeAb35ros_ZsjABU5xnNOFlzrM9NWfMrMNruB8RVxsq2Phumgv6qyzqbhm5hmA7vcgX9XCIV9BAzRLTKK9bQYuVP4HR0/s16000/nightslaves_mysterygirl.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clay can't believe there's no Starbucks in town. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>But don’t let that deter you too much. <i>Night Slaves’</i> plot is sneakily subversive, especially considering that it was broadcast at the height of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesar_Chavez" target="_blank">Cesar Chavez’s</a> national fame leading the United Farm Workers on behalf of exploited migrant workers. In that context, <i>Night Slaves</i> jolts with its depiction of middle-class white people being herded onto trucks and hauled off to do some mysterious involuntary labor.
</p>
<p>David Deal, in his book <i>Television Fright Films of the 1970s</i>, also appreciated the film’s counter-culture message, but from another angle:</p>
<blockquote>“It is significant that Clay Howard wants to escape the slavery of materialism only to discover a people unknowingly enslaved to a much more devious master. It is also significant that he is immune from this slavery, explained by the metal plate in his head, but which could also be construed as his improved mindset.” [David Deal, <i><a href="https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/television-fright-films-of-the-1970s/" target="_blank">Television Fright Films of the 1970s</a></i>, McFarland, 2007, p. 109]</blockquote>
<p>James Franciscus was a constant presence on TV from the late ‘50s through the ‘70s. His first recurring role was as a police detective on the gritty urban crime drama <i>The Naked City</i> (1959 - 1961). Through the ‘60s he did mostly guest appearances on shows like <i>Wagon Train</i>, <i>The Twilight Zone</i> and <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i>. His career peaked in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s with appearances in several feature films including <i>The Valley of Gwangi</i> (1969), <i>Marooned</i> (1969) and <i>Beneath the Planet of the Apes</i> (1970), and a starring role as a blind private investigator in the short-lived TV series <i>Longstreet </i>(1971-72).</p>
<p>Trained in the theater, Lee Grant’s first break-out role came in <i>Detective Story</i> (1951; starring Kirk Douglas), for which she earned a best supporting actress Academy Award nomination (she would later go on to win the award for <i>Shampoo</i> in 1975). Unfortunately her career suffered a setback when she was caught up in the McCarthy-era Hollywood blacklist, but by the mid-60s she was back, winning an Emmy for her role in the hugely popular TV show <i>Peyton Place</i> (1966-67). In addition to <i>Night Slaves</i>, Grant appeared with James Franciscus in <i>Marooned</i>, playing an astronaut’s wife.</p>
<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmXJq8HZcnp4F5z2pv9YnD-ezuRXrSylmOzEMBc_Ms3hvcmHWMpiUjfFtc1YBHpFclSFd7zXQblUQiilH3dF1j0Bc-iJ9zaIm6_SqI8M6w8w72xBXdtF_fDrXTaO6X9J64KSko86GW6_l2qVZ3W_Mbl2H5YiQXF0-OCBX9Olyax8l1wOKg3zE_CAveCFAS/s520/nightslaves_marj&clay.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Lee Grant and James Franciscus in Night Slaves (1970)" border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmXJq8HZcnp4F5z2pv9YnD-ezuRXrSylmOzEMBc_Ms3hvcmHWMpiUjfFtc1YBHpFclSFd7zXQblUQiilH3dF1j0Bc-iJ9zaIm6_SqI8M6w8w72xBXdtF_fDrXTaO6X9J64KSko86GW6_l2qVZ3W_Mbl2H5YiQXF0-OCBX9Olyax8l1wOKg3zE_CAveCFAS/s16000/nightslaves_marj&clay.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marj and Clay ponder what they're going to say in their Yelp review.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Director <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0692872/?ref_=tt_cl_dr_1" target="_blank">Ted Post</a> was already a 20-year veteran when he made <i>Night Slaves</i>. Post directed episodes for some of the most beloved, classic series of all-time, including <i>Perry Mason</i>, <i>Route 66</i>, <i>Wagon Train</i>, <i>Rawhide</i>, <i>The Twilight Zone</i> and <i>Columbo</i>. Just after <i>Night Slaves</i> he directed Bing Crosby in <i>Dr. Cook’s Garden</i>, a TV movie cult favorite. His feature films include <i>Hang ‘Em High</i> and <i>Magnum Force</i> (with Clint Eastwood), and <i>Beneath the Planet of the Apes</i> (with James Franciscus). </p>
<p><b>Where to find it:</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Emy575UBK40" target="_blank">Streaming</a></p>
Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-45119821685541547622023-06-08T13:11:00.000-07:002023-06-08T13:11:12.972-07:00The Art and Craft of Horror: Monsterpalooza 2023<p><span style="font-size: large;">For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, <i>Monsterpalooza</i> is the monster mother of all West Coast horror conventions, attracting thousands of fans each spring with innumerable exhibits, dealers, make-up demonstrations, panels and celebrities ready for autograph signing and/or photo ops. (A smaller version, <i>Son of Monsterpalooza</i>, takes place in the fall.)</span></p>
<p>Eliot Brodsky, a native New Yorker, brought the show to Burbank, CA in 2009, where it became an instant hit. Brodsky, a makeup and special effects aficionado, wanted to highlight the amazing work of FX artists in Hollywood’s backyard, where so much movie magic takes place:</p>
<blockquote>“I just felt the only way it could be successful is if it was dropped right into California, in the backyards of all the major FX shops. I’d give the FX shops some time to shine in the light a bit and show what they do, what goes behind creating these monsters. You have obviously the main FX shops, then you have the group of artists who go from shop to shop based on productions. I wanted those guys to be in the spotlight as much as the FX shops. We gained support from the artists because they’ve never been allowed to show off what they can do. And there was no way they could come to the East Coast. So, I just bit the bullet and pulled it together from across the country.” [Ryan Turek, <a href="https://www.comingsoon.net/horror/news/717519-meet-monsterpaloozas-eliot-brodsky" target="_blank">“Meet Monsterpalooza’s Eliot Brodsky,”</a> ComingSoon.net, March 10, 2010]</blockquote>
<p>In 2016 the event moved to the Pasadena Convention Center, where it’s been held ever since. <i>Monsterpalooza</i> has been on my bucket list for a long time. Right before the pandemic in 2019 I had the good fortune to attend the <i>Monster Bash</i> convention in Mars, PA, highlighted by the participation of Hammer stars Veronica Carlson (now unfortunately deceased), Martine Beswick and Christopher Neame (see my write-up of the convention <a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2019/06/they-did-bash-they-did-monster-bash.html" target="_blank">here</a>).</p>
<p>Whereas <i>Monster Bash</i> is smaller, more intimate and focuses on the classic monsters, <i>Monsterpalooza </i>is big, brash and in-your-face, teeming with hordes of fans mixing it up with make-up and FX artists, modelers, crafts people, vendors, actors, writers, podcasters and various industry insiders. While the emphasis is more on horror from the ‘80s on, there are still a good many hold outs (like myself) that show up wearing classic monster t-shirts. </p>
<p>This year’s <i>Monsterpalooza</i> was held on June 2 - 4. I was greatly impressed by the age range of the attendees -- from infants in strollers to old codgers like me and everything in between. If just half the kids I saw there grow up to be die hard horror fans, the genre has a long life ahead of it. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisAL13vXDN0RM2I_Lrr8aMFMOPZv5IAKFVc9zVoLjjLzNrOlKg91grrqjfOZEXcPXT4q6L9JJXGa156pkORZohWewtNTnAw-hmAj1_liR8ssXjQ11-eYm00xSXLSyT4A5YLMJosnZRDfLJeGt1cJy7d5CFLpUFYITDjR-cG7bhL7VSknMJV9GvrFOReg/s575/monsterpalooza_werewolf.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Monsterpalooza 2023 - Werewolf costume" border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisAL13vXDN0RM2I_Lrr8aMFMOPZv5IAKFVc9zVoLjjLzNrOlKg91grrqjfOZEXcPXT4q6L9JJXGa156pkORZohWewtNTnAw-hmAj1_liR8ssXjQ11-eYm00xSXLSyT4A5YLMJosnZRDfLJeGt1cJy7d5CFLpUFYITDjR-cG7bhL7VSknMJV9GvrFOReg/w279-h400/monsterpalooza_werewolf.jpg" width="279" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An escapee from the exhibit halls at Monsterpalooza.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 6px;"><h3>Panels and presentations</h3></div>
<p>Given <i>Monsterpalooza’s</i> emphasis on FX, naturally many of the presentations featured well-known artists. </p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0253761/" target="_blank">Mike Elizalde</a> grew up watching the Universal monsters on TV, which propelled him into a life-long fascination with monster-making.</span> After a stint in the Navy, he began submitting his portfolio to various studios. But it was a chance encounter that resulted in his first job; he was working as an air conditioning repairman, driving around looking for an address, when he happened to notice life-sized creature molds and appliances in an alleyway from an nearby FX shop. He submitted pictures of his designs to the shop and was hired the next day.</p>
<p>From that point on he worked in almost every facet of FX, from sculpting and mold making to animatronics, and learned under some of the greats like <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0935644/" target="_blank">Stan Winston</a> and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000711/" target="_blank">Rick Baker</a>. Along with his wife, he opened up his own shop, <a href="http://spectralmotion.com/" target="_blank"><i>Spectral Motion</i></a>, in 2002, which has become not only an acknowledged leader in practical effects, but has developed sophisticated animatronics for events and theme parks all over the world.</p>
<p>In recent years Mike has been a frequent collaborator with <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0868219/" target="_blank">Guillermo del Toro</a>, whom he met on the set of <i>Blade II</i>. Elizalde went on to do make-up and effects for del Toro’s <i>Hellboy</i> movies, <i>Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark</i>, and the <i>Cabinet of Curiosities</i> series.</p>
<p>Elizalde also talked about creating the robot for the recent <i>Lost in Space</i> streaming series, and the challenge of honoring the original beloved TV character while updating it and giving it a personality of its own. </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisz5pmmTaEZaficp9HqzSKjF-GMp4i2dim4rHq9fKyuxXkBMkhx-6J6371PIjpvU6PG8cc990Xr-mctizaNb07HVuFVsLzrJFCauxb5Bec81soxyukM-J6NRGphbDb-ViU-7cwoLcZjhvAmB6cPz5VhDz6EpzD6MRcsukT69Uo9mFYhzf2wW6boFbR7w/s520/monsterpalooza_elizalde.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Author's photo - Mike Elizalde being honored at Monsterpalooza 2023" border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisz5pmmTaEZaficp9HqzSKjF-GMp4i2dim4rHq9fKyuxXkBMkhx-6J6371PIjpvU6PG8cc990Xr-mctizaNb07HVuFVsLzrJFCauxb5Bec81soxyukM-J6NRGphbDb-ViU-7cwoLcZjhvAmB6cPz5VhDz6EpzD6MRcsukT69Uo9mFYhzf2wW6boFbR7w/s16000/monsterpalooza_elizalde.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FX artist Mike Elizalde (right) being honored at Monsterpalooza; the presenter is actor Doug Jones.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0707679/" target="_blank">Justin Raleigh</a> is an award-winning makeup and effects artist who recently won an Oscar and a BAFTA award for his makeup work on <i>The Eyes of Tammy Faye</i> (2021).</span> Like Mike Elizalde, Justin was fascinated with creatures and makeup from an early age, and collected as many Halloween makeup books as he could get his hands on. </p>
<p>His first professional experience was doing beauty makeup for his girlfriend’s mom, who was a fashion photographer. This was invaluable in terms of learning the chemistry and materials, as well as working with living, breathing subjects other than himself. </p>
<p>Justin echoed Elizalde in saying that the best effects school is diving in and doing the work, and learning everything you can from experienced pros; their paths were very similar, working for many of the same shops and people in the early going.<br /></p>
<p>Raleigh started <i><a href="https://www.fracturedfx.com/" target="_blank">Fractured FX</a></i>, Inc. in 2010, and has gone on to do makeup effects for the <i>Insidious</i> film series, <i>The Conjuring</i>, <i>American Horror Story</i>, <i>Aquaman</i>, and the recent <i>Westworld</i> series, as well as mainstream dramas like <i>Tammy Faye</i>. </p>
<p>Justin addressed the differences between doing creature makeups straight out of the imagination, vs. likeness or aging makeup, where the end product needs to be a completely believable human being. He said that audiences will immediately sense when a likeness or aging makeup is somewhat off, so it’s all the more challenging to come up with something that viewers don’t give a second thought to. </p>
<p>Although practical effects are in more demand than ever, artists like Raleigh use the latest digital technologies such as 3D printing to scale up to the demands of films and TV series. </p>
<p>Interestingly, during their talks, both Raleigh and Elizalde brought up the huge elephant that is starting to appear in a lot of people’s rooms -- namely AI. It seems like overnight, we’re being told that AI either will come for everybody’s jobs and make humanity obsolete, or it will generate a new productive renaissance that will immeasurably improve the quality of life.</p>
<p>Both expressed some skepticism that AI will become a big factor for them at least in the short term, but it says something that they are thinking about its eventual effect on their highly specialized, highly creative profession.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-PbIZJw9-wvL9uQSIz0tMtE0_TlhOr2Bj68c8gRNd4XM2JjiFESxQUEna9ndmcYqb-G0MNTLowaXv79Y-oUy2l9Wl0aNKplGdOmMfswfX4CyDa1MyPAdtd6gQmhUCBSNFq8tB1_lqXyCGr2veJyJcbRe4n6HdT_DhhfRkxGhFDu9cXN1XOj5X9SGFg/s520/monsterpalooza_raleigh.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Author's photo - Interview with makeup artist Justin Raleigh at Monsterpalooza 2023" border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-PbIZJw9-wvL9uQSIz0tMtE0_TlhOr2Bj68c8gRNd4XM2JjiFESxQUEna9ndmcYqb-G0MNTLowaXv79Y-oUy2l9Wl0aNKplGdOmMfswfX4CyDa1MyPAdtd6gQmhUCBSNFq8tB1_lqXyCGr2veJyJcbRe4n6HdT_DhhfRkxGhFDu9cXN1XOj5X9SGFg/s16000/monsterpalooza_raleigh.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interview with Oscar winning makeup artist Justin Raleigh (right).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><span style="font-size: large;">The Halloween Society was started by a group of super-fans who were interested in the art of mask making and were inspired by the Don Post Studios, which produced, among other things, the meticulously-crafted over-the-head masks of the Universal monsters that were advertised in the back pages of magazines like <i>Famous Monsters of Filmland</i>.</span></p>
<p>Writer <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1077273/" target="_blank">Ron Magid</a> was joined by actor <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0166045/" target="_blank">Paul Clemens</a> and director/producer Rich Correll in reminiscing about the heyday of the Society, from its humble origins putting out a xeroxed fanzine for fellow mask enthusiasts, to the group deciding to make masks themselves, to becoming an international phenomenon.</p>
<p>Ron told a great story about the aftermath of a Halloween party, when he left a mangled corpse prop that had been used in <i>The Beast Within</i> (1982) in the backseat of his car outside of his residence. A passing jogger saw the very realistic and very gory prop and called the cops. Ron avoided a ticket by letting the responding officer put the prop in the backseat of his police cruiser for a “photo op.”</p>
<p>Ron mentioned a forthcoming book delving into the history of the club, <i>The Halloween Society Unmasked</i>, which will be out later this year.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywWlAC6OH0DH_XODErGHrufZESIMo1ajLUgX_RtTvjqI-feQv3FFVtEYcqYNGjmO3hlw4dUpUUOwP9PHVLWdjZIf5G7eVsErDM3kePuY_GItoNBhOYdHxRWmCR25UE9rP_UjDccB8EQ4nmNgEhkooS4dOCuRXtl_ugZXxk9MstwICV4vxU6wBUrKkZQ/s520/monsterpalooza_halloweensociety.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Author photo - Halloween Society masks on display" border="0" data-original-height="179" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywWlAC6OH0DH_XODErGHrufZESIMo1ajLUgX_RtTvjqI-feQv3FFVtEYcqYNGjmO3hlw4dUpUUOwP9PHVLWdjZIf5G7eVsErDM3kePuY_GItoNBhOYdHxRWmCR25UE9rP_UjDccB8EQ4nmNgEhkooS4dOCuRXtl_ugZXxk9MstwICV4vxU6wBUrKkZQ/s16000/monsterpalooza_halloweensociety.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halloween Society masks on display: Peter Lorre, Mad Love; Bela Lugosi, Dracula; Fredric March, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; Lon Chaney, London After Midnight<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><span style="font-size: large;">Speaking of new books, last year writer/director/photographer <a href="https://www.juliandavidstone.com/" target="_blank">Julian David Stone</a> came out with <i>It’s Alive!</i>, a fictionalized account of the making of Universal’s original <i>Frankenstein</i>.</span> He gave a very interesting talk about the origins of the studio, including <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0480674/" target="_blank">Carl Laemmle Sr.’s</a> meteoric rise from owning a Nickelodeon theater in the Midwest to founding a major Hollywood studio. </p>
<p>Laemmle made his son the head of Universal’s film production when <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0480673/" target="_blank">Carl Jr.</a> was only in his early 20s. Junior bucked the conventional wisdom that Depression-era America would only go for light comedies and musicals, scoring a hit with Bela Lugosi as <i>Dracula</i> in 1931.</p>
<p><i>Frankenstein</i> with Boris Karloff would become an even greater hit, but there were hurdles along the way. Most horror fans know that Robert Florey and Bela Lugosi were set to direct and star in <i>Frankenstein</i> respectively, but were eventually replaced when Laemmle Sr. offered James Whale any Universal project for his next directing job, and Whale chose <i>Frankenstein</i>. To this day, stories differ as to whether Lugosi was canned due to poor screen tests or he rejected the part because it had no speaking lines. Whale spotted struggling actor Boris on the lot, sized him up as an intriguing prospective monster, and the rest is history.</p>
<p>Wanting a name actor to ensure box office success, the Laemmles tried to hire Leslie Howard (of later <i>Gone With the Wind</i> fame) to be Dr. Frankenstein, but the actor had other commitments. When Whale suggested his friend Colin Clive, the last important casting piece fell into place.</p>
<p>What many don’t realize is that, as the date for initial shooting neared, Laemmle Sr. started to get cold feet over two relatively unknown actors heading the picture. As late as two weeks before filming, the Laemmles were still undecided over whether to bring back Lugosi or forge ahead with Karloff.</p>
<p>This last-minute uncertainty was a major inspiration for Stone to write about the making of a film that immortalized Mary Shelley's creature and made the horror genre what it is today.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTXxwAYVtphJXIaeajg5Mw5jNp2x93AtZA4rGJ2SeKPJgFb3Vdj8G8owTbasJ0PQpejb9Vizlt2KiqLWYEqy8yxGqr5RySteW6pCGoBlcgF9WtVO0rF_3SjqPyhwAWLMHkB0PeSEiGrxORLkMsXklolvQ3CBm4kRk2KUOmJgXU6-GzzCe5AwaSHYU6A/s553/monsterpalooza_frankenstein.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Author photo - life-sized Frankenstein monster display in the Monsterpalooza museum" border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTXxwAYVtphJXIaeajg5Mw5jNp2x93AtZA4rGJ2SeKPJgFb3Vdj8G8owTbasJ0PQpejb9Vizlt2KiqLWYEqy8yxGqr5RySteW6pCGoBlcgF9WtVO0rF_3SjqPyhwAWLMHkB0PeSEiGrxORLkMsXklolvQ3CBm4kRk2KUOmJgXU6-GzzCe5AwaSHYU6A/s16000/monsterpalooza_frankenstein.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's alive and lurking in the Monsterpalooza Museum!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>More Monsterpalooza Museum exhibits:</b></span></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXmvk9EL5C9f9CTYgyKQ3B26tpfEZu1A0yh-YYC4TkiWwkfPczi4X0DKWr9IK_2ESP-zoBrpDkH2jMyJ5Dt_KyxofbJZn26kyX7XDYrHPZXX38phx1TqptGol6vNhW6uun1sRhZPo7vvEmXJbSnvrygYTlv5Ujld-CVkI8lFwNXVWiqg04rb9A92zcw/s543/monsterpalooza_nosferatu.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Author photo - Monsterpalooza Museum exhibit, Nosferatu (1922)" border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXmvk9EL5C9f9CTYgyKQ3B26tpfEZu1A0yh-YYC4TkiWwkfPczi4X0DKWr9IK_2ESP-zoBrpDkH2jMyJ5Dt_KyxofbJZn26kyX7XDYrHPZXX38phx1TqptGol6vNhW6uun1sRhZPo7vvEmXJbSnvrygYTlv5Ujld-CVkI8lFwNXVWiqg04rb9A92zcw/s16000/monsterpalooza_nosferatu.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nosferatu (1922)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0Tcp0nDjdKAe7DKF3CyAXf6GUyOpQpN2-6WJ-zPQ2XarYRZ9_KFMUobvNTZ4IhxHjipR2MjNw95uWeaZOAnt8OadhDOR8L-0mXNcCOnGIi_Xom8FnGgJPRJS9Lt6hndYv3rfJVyPsgiI7Oj25UwLl_cbD7Sr9DRKkuAY4CWCiI1Kaaf8RVs-tgzSYQ/s534/monsterpalooza_creepshow.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Author photo - Monsterpalooza Museum exhibit, Creepshow (1982)" border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_0Tcp0nDjdKAe7DKF3CyAXf6GUyOpQpN2-6WJ-zPQ2XarYRZ9_KFMUobvNTZ4IhxHjipR2MjNw95uWeaZOAnt8OadhDOR8L-0mXNcCOnGIi_Xom8FnGgJPRJS9Lt6hndYv3rfJVyPsgiI7Oj25UwLl_cbD7Sr9DRKkuAY4CWCiI1Kaaf8RVs-tgzSYQ/s16000/monsterpalooza_creepshow.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creepshow (1982)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLiXxMTZv8eU-squ4jyy2Pt0jBHiyO5PkIcgQIEfcEMWEbQHsStCxNrxVx7Z8JcjdBmTVDadEyRj0rUEvrE-4-uvUZDwDlu-a4HG79ovO-S1iMZw-GtqOkXMYJaA_GtppjcIhenorCOb_vEhmKSJ-IV_Be_fPtzVwgJ25iNkdAEGYxVtCkFvbw5hipOQ/s550/monsterpalooza_invadersfrommars.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Author photo - Monsterpalooza Museum, Invaders from Mars (1953)" border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLiXxMTZv8eU-squ4jyy2Pt0jBHiyO5PkIcgQIEfcEMWEbQHsStCxNrxVx7Z8JcjdBmTVDadEyRj0rUEvrE-4-uvUZDwDlu-a4HG79ovO-S1iMZw-GtqOkXMYJaA_GtppjcIhenorCOb_vEhmKSJ-IV_Be_fPtzVwgJ25iNkdAEGYxVtCkFvbw5hipOQ/s16000/monsterpalooza_invadersfrommars.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Invaders from Mars (1953)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL0SEcR6EJ9We-SDVd2UNcaS1gD-z4cP1WRzmJiyrfaOIAOTpj4qI1U2YIgAUJeY9NUcEyt7mfYP3nX2HDyrrbMtzQgqbUSjSl6UQr3bhlJeZ_f2sBzkB0vRjMW-w6Og45HGdpCdC7wy5ng0c6O26Weuk0HBzLRfXLJMWCsIanBY4axQXOlLy27wjilw/s520/monsterpalooza_killerklowns.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Author photo - Monsterpalooza Museum exhibit, Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)" border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL0SEcR6EJ9We-SDVd2UNcaS1gD-z4cP1WRzmJiyrfaOIAOTpj4qI1U2YIgAUJeY9NUcEyt7mfYP3nX2HDyrrbMtzQgqbUSjSl6UQr3bhlJeZ_f2sBzkB0vRjMW-w6Og45HGdpCdC7wy5ng0c6O26Weuk0HBzLRfXLJMWCsIanBY4axQXOlLy27wjilw/s16000/monsterpalooza_killerklowns.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-52556732000379980672023-05-20T14:01:00.001-07:002023-05-20T20:43:29.083-07:00Have a nice time trip, see you next fall: Todd Tarantula<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 8px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrKk7KpcH5WqE3Q4XzWCS7wN7Ar4RFgPTm0LRD4DJDuI9jIBPGyRuwAyqzQCiM9nPry89zWIgbeEwOAWMnnBpEO6c7WBcs1cSDdtlrQk2NNztktiqpoxuWOaO67BjPiAgAXSL3MIgCFsQneVPDdkKeoomAQ2TYCGil4DzoazGYRFRLjxrWM-zi1Fblnw/s470/toddtarantula_poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Poster - Todd Tarantula (2023)" border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="332" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrKk7KpcH5WqE3Q4XzWCS7wN7Ar4RFgPTm0LRD4DJDuI9jIBPGyRuwAyqzQCiM9nPry89zWIgbeEwOAWMnnBpEO6c7WBcs1cSDdtlrQk2NNztktiqpoxuWOaO67BjPiAgAXSL3MIgCFsQneVPDdkKeoomAQ2TYCGil4DzoazGYRFRLjxrWM-zi1Fblnw/w226-h320/toddtarantula_poster.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>Now Playing: </b><b><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2767328/" target="_blank">Todd Tarantula</a> </i></b>(2023)</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pros:</b> A wild, surreal ride through the dark underbelly of Los Angeles; The actors have obvious fun with their odd, quirky characters; Impressive debut performance by Ethan Walker in the title role<br />
<b>Cons:</b> The unconventional story line and the rotoscope digital effect that makes the film look like a live-action graphic novel may require the right mood (or artificial enhancers - consult applicable state and local laws) for full appreciation<br /></span></div>
<p><span style="font-size: large;">Back in January 2020 I reviewed <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7857076/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_4_dr" target="_blank"><i>Loon Lake</i></a> (2019), a low-budget, independent feature co-produced by director <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4043796/" target="_blank">Ansel Faraj</a> and lead actors <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1838655/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Nathan Wilson</a> and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2357157/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Kelly Kitko</a>. In the film, a grieving young widower (Wilson) rents a cabin in rural Minnesota to try to put the trauma of his wife’s death behind him, but soon becomes haunted in an entirely different way when he unwittingly invokes the curse of a 19th century witch.</span> </p>
<p><i>Loon Lake</i> put its own spin on the classic theme of world-weary urban protagonists seeking peace and quiet in the countryside and instead finding horrors they never dreamed of. In contrast, the trio’s latest production, <i>Todd Tarantula</i>, features a prematurely jaded young protagonist who yearns to leave the sleaziness of Los Angeles behind, only to find himself exploring the city’s meanest, darkest recesses by way of nightmarish visions that seem to be propelling him back and forth through time.</p>
<p>Todd (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13670904/?ref_=tt_cl_t_6" target="_blank">Ethan Walker</a>), with his ‘50s hairstyle and leather jacket embroidered with a stylized tarantula, is an updated rebel without a cause. The estranged son of a rich and powerful LA businessman, Wallander Tarantula, (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0247185/?ref_=tt_cl_t_4" target="_blank">Douglas M. Eames</a>), Todd spends his days drinking with his sloppy buddy Barracuda (Nathan Wilson) and getting into bar fights. </p>
<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge7Qqov1_oomL1jrSKC1UzvCAU0FdeiFEHuOut3xeI1NC-qGz3_Qbz_JXq_mcu2LgcYoEvrojSzVUpiQwwtdEhTVfi2fOZ2llix-AgOknSviKmqxCuExBZVrGsAVRIgAQJzcZTrumq7LmAwT563G3PSw51bep6PUCWGiy7Or8pQOycVzyc_3FCto4fvw/s520/toddtarantula_barracuda.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Nathan Wilson and Ethan Walker in Todd Tarantula (2023)" border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge7Qqov1_oomL1jrSKC1UzvCAU0FdeiFEHuOut3xeI1NC-qGz3_Qbz_JXq_mcu2LgcYoEvrojSzVUpiQwwtdEhTVfi2fOZ2llix-AgOknSviKmqxCuExBZVrGsAVRIgAQJzcZTrumq7LmAwT563G3PSw51bep6PUCWGiy7Or8pQOycVzyc_3FCto4fvw/s16000/toddtarantula_barracuda.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Todd and his best friend Barracuda are in a rut: drink, fight, sleep, repeat.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Todd wants nothing more than to blow LA for the wide open spaces and freedom of the desert. (At one point as Todd and Barracuda are hanging out at the beach, drinking and admiring the sunset, cynical Todd can’t help but point out it’s the city’s smog that’s responsible for the spectacular sunsets.)</p>
<p>However, Todd’s prize possession and the means by which he intends to escape filthy LA, a vintage motorcycle that his father passed down to him, has mysteriously vanished. To add to the mystery, just before his bike disappeared, Todd discovered the body of a man sprawled out in a pool of blood on the floor of the parking garage. Before he had time to decide what to do, both body and motorbike were gone. </p>
<p>The search for his missing motorcycle takes Todd on a journey into the darkest and weirdest byways of Los Angeles. He starts at the apartment of a psychic friend, Andromeda (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6708873/?ref_=tt_cl_t_5" target="_blank">Brittany Hoza</a>), whom he hopes can provide clues to his bike’s whereabouts. The wayward son soon ends up at Wallander’s mansion, guarded by a nominally polite but steadfast assistant (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3656410/?ref_=tt_cl_t_7" target="_blank">Emma West</a>), whose only job seems to be to prevent Todd from seeing his father.</p>
<p>Out of nowhere, Lucifer Grey (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0782978/?ref_=tt_cl_t_1" target="_blank">David Selby</a>), his father’s ostensible business partner, shows up to offer his help. Decked out in a white suit and hat, wielding a dragon’s head cane, and sporting a permanent, knowing grin on his face, Grey is another in a long line of dapper devils looking for innocents willing to bargain away their souls. He knows a little too much about Todd, including his fraught relationship with his father. Later on, when it’s revealed that the elder Tarantula is seriously ill and Grey is set to take over a controlling share of the family business, Grey’s interest in Todd, especially as the heir to a major stake in the company, appears to be more than casual, to say the least.</p>
<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinoBQkzmNFmLva3j5QXYlB1hiH_lKnXrllzMVhUjPrOaLUkperps1lIhykmM3JdZriHmI6w7OmHVO5ZTCdRn3zZ6-8Nbj5As_aGWHc77WMVvrDPJspAskbAsCol0kw5FNzgKLSi4NZP4H52_mPhMt1Rqtx8OB46P7R_fnnA59IOob3rGZJ1zRT7kmQ6w/s520/toddtarantula_meetinglucifer.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Nathan Wilson and David Selby in Todd Tarantula (2023)" border="0" data-original-height="296" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinoBQkzmNFmLva3j5QXYlB1hiH_lKnXrllzMVhUjPrOaLUkperps1lIhykmM3JdZriHmI6w7OmHVO5ZTCdRn3zZ6-8Nbj5As_aGWHc77WMVvrDPJspAskbAsCol0kw5FNzgKLSi4NZP4H52_mPhMt1Rqtx8OB46P7R_fnnA59IOob3rGZJ1zRT7kmQ6w/s16000/toddtarantula_meetinglucifer.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Todd will soon learn a valuable lesson: never trust anyone who wears white after Labor Day.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>But Todd has resources of his own, including psychic visions that strip away the tinsel from Tinseltown and reveal a sprawling ghost town of high strangeness. In Todd’s alternate reality, lizard people live in tunnels beneath the city, spirits seeking the netherworld haunt the streets at night, and the hot Santa Ana winds that bedevil Angelenos stream out of a cave in the Mojave desert that itself is a portal to Hell.</p>
<p>Todd even has the seeming ability to travel in time, at one point finding himself at the site of the future Los Angeles circa 1852, conversing with its sole residents, the regal Lady Salome (Kelly Kitko) and her dead husband Roberto (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12391927/?ref_=tt_cl_t_8" target="_blank">Fernando Alvarez</a>), whose talking, animated skull is her constant companion. The foremother of Los Angeles stands perpetual guard at a native-built amphitheater that is a portal for astral travelers (ironically located at the future spot of the Griffith Observatory).</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoFODXAwlh3sVUuA1xZ-VvHA2VE-Hwmobv2kq9286E4EXe4FOApvGpTjbVqaweKLqjgF6b518BPAnv8hzScZ8Z5qagIQ2Qf2TUXYzxHzBkd0VczuOvFAIhyc-XPcedd0-liR6Gv0G1OJxgWqxeJuCo7g4p05kZ-9BP6erDTi5bO5Nd5tdwhSwUnErCg/s520/toddtarantula_roberto.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Todd (Ethan Walker) talks with Roberto's skull in Todd Tarantula (2023)" border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoFODXAwlh3sVUuA1xZ-VvHA2VE-Hwmobv2kq9286E4EXe4FOApvGpTjbVqaweKLqjgF6b518BPAnv8hzScZ8Z5qagIQ2Qf2TUXYzxHzBkd0VczuOvFAIhyc-XPcedd0-liR6Gv0G1OJxgWqxeJuCo7g4p05kZ-9BP6erDTi5bO5Nd5tdwhSwUnErCg/s16000/toddtarantula_roberto.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Alas, poor Roberto, I knew him, a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy..."</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Lurking in the background of Todd’s visions is Grey, who may possibly be a catalyst for them. Todd will eventually learn of Grey’s keen interest in his psychic abilities, which figure prominently in the businessman’s devious plans. </p>
<p><i>Todd Tarantula</i> is like the lovechild of an unholy union between an urban dungeons and dragons quest and a ‘50s teen angst movie. To bless the union, Faraj and company digitally rotoscoped the footage in post production to make the colors, characters and scenery pop like a cross between a live-action graphic novel and an acid trip. (While I appreciate the intent of the digital rotoscoping, at various points I found myself wishing for a more standard look, especially when the effect obscured the actors’ expressions.)</p>
<p>So, if we’re tripping along with Todd via the film’s digital effects, can we trust that anything we see on the screen is “real” in the conventional dramatic sense? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe it’s all a dream, or the result of a bad batch of weed that Todd and Barracuda got their hands on. Whatever it is, it’s a wild ride through multiple layers of southern California folklore.</p>
<p>Speaking of not trusting your senses, one of the film’s more intriguing obstacles in Todd’s quest is Wallander Tarantula’s assistant Jabez. We never see her in person, only through Todd’s smartphone screen. With her deathly pallor, pulled back blonde hair, and unblinking eyes, Jabez seems like an AI mirage, a cold, unhelpful version of Siri come to simulated life. (It’s a notable performance, especially considering that Emma West wrapped up all her scenes in under an hour on the first day of shooting.) [<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2767328/trivia?item=tr6777870" target="_blank">IMDb</a>]</p>
<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglm36zUxuRiuuksisRNZvwR9x2iDJUWNulzWkJKKtNowWeVJwDwicFQlfm3z0M9tEDULsACUCC0jR-W-MgOMFDDPM1OhsHsLa3vYS-H56mDadcF5PYTCZB8wVjT9g4OLqVDWdgcbuWxkaQMh4zg3TmACMe57yc-cIwCCZD9rUTePOinL0fJFZ1fM9tJg/s520/toddtarantula_jabez.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Emma West as Jabez in Todd Tarantula (2023)" border="0" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglm36zUxuRiuuksisRNZvwR9x2iDJUWNulzWkJKKtNowWeVJwDwicFQlfm3z0M9tEDULsACUCC0jR-W-MgOMFDDPM1OhsHsLa3vYS-H56mDadcF5PYTCZB8wVjT9g4OLqVDWdgcbuWxkaQMh4zg3TmACMe57yc-cIwCCZD9rUTePOinL0fJFZ1fM9tJg/s16000/toddtarantula_jabez.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Open the Tarantula mansion doors Jabez."<br />"I'm sorry Todd. I'm afraid I can't do that."<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>When Todd finally gets past Wallander’s defenses and meets with him face to face, things again are not as they seem. Oz-like,Todd pulls back the curtains to find that his father has made a true devil’s pact with his business partner, and in the process has become a literal prisoner of the technology that Tarantula Enterprises helped develop. </p>
<p><i>Todd Tarantula</i> reunited a number of the principal people behind <i>Loon Lake</i>, and became <a href="https://www.hollinsworthproductions.com/" target="_blank">Hollinsworth Productions’</a> first feature-length release since 2019. Like the previous film, actors Kelly Kitko and Nathan Wilson, along with Darin Medders, joined writer-director Ansel Faraj in co-producing.</p>
<p>In <i>Loon Lake</i>, Kitko plays a wronged witch who places a curse on anyone who dares to tread on her grave. In <i>Todd Tarantula</i>, she plays yet another witch of sorts, but this time a much more joyous one in love with nature and the wilderness of mid-nineteenth century California (although, she’s not one to be crossed, as poor Roberto finds out). </p>
<p>There’s a great scene in which Salome, finding out that Todd is from the future, insists that he tell her what’s in store for her bucolic homestead. She has some starry-eyed visions of what’s to come, and Todd walks a fine line in telling her what 21st century Los Angeles is really like. </p>
<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBAx1j2aPsw6FGQJuAnAI9OfA0ZH9_Pjg7fsMiXmTGpHQdcajEy_6w8iWg0LwG0UA2MzRTHsMhz7_8be9cLIPJFe_dVm7c_M5WH5BaeNAtHDZNNfUKKE9I9nDmwEd_5DvD87gsSes8fGWc2PLY0YLwhr0a33lz4YNrKJrF30baV278ls3FfRHCvj93A/s520/toddtarantula_ladysalome.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Kelly Kitko as Lady Salome and Ethan Walker as Todd in Todd Tarantula (2023)" border="0" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBAx1j2aPsw6FGQJuAnAI9OfA0ZH9_Pjg7fsMiXmTGpHQdcajEy_6w8iWg0LwG0UA2MzRTHsMhz7_8be9cLIPJFe_dVm7c_M5WH5BaeNAtHDZNNfUKKE9I9nDmwEd_5DvD87gsSes8fGWc2PLY0YLwhr0a33lz4YNrKJrF30baV278ls3FfRHCvj93A/s16000/toddtarantula_ladysalome.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lady Salome tries very hard to visualize what southern California will look like in 2023.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Nathan Wilson has a much different role as Todd’s loopy, drug-addled sidekick. In spite of his prosthetic leg, Barracuda can fight his way out of a bar with the best of them -- and then relax, take a swig from the bottle and admire the pollution-enhanced sunset. But his loyalty gets him in trouble when he joins Todd in a nighttime search for the motorcycle in a decidedly sketchy (and haunted) part of the city.</p>
<p>David Selby, veteran of the <i>Dark Shadows</i> and <i>Falcon Cres</i>t TV shows, is at his quietly menacing best as Lucifer Grey. It was interesting to find out that Selby was not the first choice for Grey; during the 10+ years Faraj spent in trying to get the film made, a couple of other actors were considered. [<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2767328/trivia?item=tr6777810" target="_blank">IMDb</a>] But Selby occupied the role like it was written for him, and won Best Supporting Actor at the 2023 Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival for his efforts.</p>
<p><i>Todd Tarantula</i> is Ethan Walker’s debut feature film role. He nicely channels a James Dean sort of vibe, especially in Todd’s encounters with his beleaguered father and the smilingly malignant Lucifer Grey. The only thing missing is “You’re tearing me apart!” histrionics, but then, Todd is way too cool for school to go there. Without giving away too much, the movie leaves a lot of maneuvering room for Walker to reprise the role if that’s in the cards. (I hope Walker got to keep the Tarantula signature leather jacket, because that is one rad piece of apparel.)</p><p><b>Where to find it:</b> <a href="https://tubitv.com/movies/100000932/todd-tarantula" target="_blank">Streaming</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Todd-Tarantula-David-Selby/dp/B0C46ZY8YT/" target="_blank">Blu-ray</a> </p>
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<h3>Exclusive Bonus: An Interview with Ansel Faraj</h3>
<p>Ansel Faraj developed a great affection for classic films and TV at an early age. He began making films in his teens, and by the age of 20 he was already working with veteran film and TV actors to make feature films. He has written, produced and/or directed dozens of features and shorts including several films featuring the classic-era master criminal <i>Dr. Mabuse</i>, the <i>Detective Adam Sera </i>series set in an alternate reality “Lost” Angeles, the fantasy anthology series <i>Theatre Fantastique</i>, and the H.P. Lovecraft inspired <i>The Last Case of August T. Harrison</i>.</p>
<p>In an exclusive interview for <i>Films From Beyond</i>, Faraj discusses the challenges and rewards of being a truly independent filmmaker who must rely on creativity and inventiveness in the absence of big Hollywood budgets.</p>
<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDTbaKbwckDWjJHSfDOFVRUpNy_m73eGzDA01wdoRLgU3etbuc30rDqZIAEol23cTDFjV0JwVInIIYEyOmzipogJs01hdGrU_dM6SYvMXbWeC2AwRQw5HQ6Ab5CI8xM6CX5I708htW2C5hcVhsxjHVSMyqD-qPeTSyIWIBcvQUhpOv7mr67V3goyUw3w/s1350/toddtarantula_faraj02.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Publicity still - Writer/producer/director Ansel Faraj (courtesy of Ansel Faraj)" border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDTbaKbwckDWjJHSfDOFVRUpNy_m73eGzDA01wdoRLgU3etbuc30rDqZIAEol23cTDFjV0JwVInIIYEyOmzipogJs01hdGrU_dM6SYvMXbWeC2AwRQw5HQ6Ab5CI8xM6CX5I708htW2C5hcVhsxjHVSMyqD-qPeTSyIWIBcvQUhpOv7mr67V3goyUw3w/w320-h400/toddtarantula_faraj02.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Writer/producer/director Ansel Faraj.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><b>Films From Beyond:</b> <i>When you were younger, what attracted you to classic films such as The Phantom of the Opera and the Dr. Mabuse series, and to TV shows like Dark Shadows?</i></p>
<p><b>Faraj</b>: Phantom of the Opera was one of the first things I ever experienced. I saw the original Andrew Lloyd Webber show way back when, I was 5 years old, and I was astounded. I just kept thinking "How did they do that?!" and by the end of the second act, I knew I wanted to do the same thing, somehow. And this was long before there was a film version of the musical, so then I became fascinated with the previous films, Claude Rains and Lon Chaney's versions, and that was the gateway into Universal Monster-land and greater classic film in general. My mom was a first generation Dark Shadows kid who ran home from school - actually, she would ditch class to not miss an episode - and she would tell me the various storyline arcs as bedtime stories. I saw HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS first when I was 6 and it rattled me and excited me and I couldn't get enough. When I was a little older, I became familiar with Fritz Lang's MABUSE films as I was exploring film history and Mabuse was a fascinating character. It became a little dream of mine when I was a teenager to make a new film about Mabuse, and then suddenly when I was 20, we were actually making it, with Jerry Lacy as Mabuse.</p>
<p><i>There are a number of actors with whom you frequently collaborate, including Nathan Wilson and Kelly Kitko, and such Dark Shadows alumni as Jerry Lacy, Lara Parker, Kathryn Leigh Scott and David Selby. How did you make those connections?</i></p>
<p>We've all known and worked together now for a little over a decade. I met Nathan when I was 19, he auditioned for a comedy I was working on at the time, and we just clicked. Then I told him about Inspector Lohemann in my DOCTOR MABUSE script, and would he like to play it, and he said yes. So that cemented things. As far as the DARK SHADOWS alumni, I contacted Jerry and Kathryn and offered them their respective roles in my film, I had just turned 20, and I think they were intrigued enough by me and what I had to say that very fortunately (and incredibly, at the time) they said yes to the film. Kathryn then connected me with Lara, and I met David at the premiere of my first DOCTOR MABUSE film. The entire experience was totally surreal. I was so young and had never experienced anything like it before, let alone suddenly directing these legendary figures from my childhood. Very surreal and strange and exciting. I've been so grateful, they've all taught me a lot and have all become an extended family for me. Kelly Kitko auditioned for a role in DOCTOR MABUSE 2 and as with Nate, she and I just clicked and after a few more films together, Kelly, Nathan, and I pooled together our wits and formed a production company. The three of us are a very close knit team.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy1a3oayxRl6-0RZwfcyTKinx4WZpEENcGoj3-wlfI9cZH3PJMkiw3FZsyA0tbN0QOTHcqZNoQd-Egb6wD3si9wE9WUpAs1-ztPyvSwVlgQabZMs7GJndDg_Hy5MTn48NINn3npf1RI_tp9dRaL4VZzk3X_dncxqOP7N6_bbzoGW7gxesd7_lt1UhxqA/s520/toddtarantula_loonlakeshoot.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Publicity still - Ansel Faraj and the cast of Loon Lake (2019) on location (courtesy of Ansel Faraj)" border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy1a3oayxRl6-0RZwfcyTKinx4WZpEENcGoj3-wlfI9cZH3PJMkiw3FZsyA0tbN0QOTHcqZNoQd-Egb6wD3si9wE9WUpAs1-ztPyvSwVlgQabZMs7GJndDg_Hy5MTn48NINn3npf1RI_tp9dRaL4VZzk3X_dncxqOP7N6_bbzoGW7gxesd7_lt1UhxqA/s16000/toddtarantula_loonlakeshoot.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ansel Faraj and the cast of <i>Loon Lake</i> (2019) on location (courtesy of Ansel Faraj).</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><i>The LA area, and Venice Beach in particular, figures prominently in many of your films. What aspects of LA life and culture have influenced your work the most?</i></p>
<p>I don't know that LA life has really influenced my work... life in LA is very weird. People are phony, vain, self obsessed... I went to a private school when I was a kid and was the lone poor kid around extravagant wealth and celebrities kids and ambassadors kids, and they were all stuck on themselves and money solved most if not all of their problems. It's kind of disgusting. I'd say a good amount of that found its way into TODD TARANTULA, with jaded rich kids and their drug use and full-of-shit attitude. There's a darkness and something occult about LA, you could ask anyone from here and they might not be able to tell you in specific words, but there is an occult energy pulsing through LA. People are made on the sidewalks and just as quickly cut down. But Venice, that's my home turf, Venice is one of the last remaining places in LA that still has this old magic hidden in the gutter. As much as Venice has changed over the years, and it definitely has, there's still old buildings and alleyways and corners where the old city still exists... it's a place where you definitely feel anything can happen, especially the unusual. And there's nothing like a Venice Beach sunset.</p>
<p><i>How did you channel your creative energies during the pandemic?</i></p>
<p>Nathan and I sat on the beach and wrote every single day. We wrote about four different feature scripts. And we shot THE THOUSAND AND ONE LIVES OF DOCTOR MABUSE which was a great deal of fun, and a nice way to revisit and put a capper on that world now as a mature experienced filmmaker. We also shot THE MOST HAUNTED HOUSE OF VENICE BEACH, but it didn't release till 2021.</p>
<p><i>What are the biggest challenges and opportunities of being an independent filmmaker?</i></p>
<p>Money, and the lack thereof. I keep telling myself, one day I will get paid to do this. Now the writers are striking for this very same reason, the lack of money and the unfair pay. There is no money in streaming, and indie films live and die by streaming. It's awful. Hopefully there will be a positive change for us creatives. The one plus side is you can kind of be your own boss, and decide what movies to make and how, without having to deal with a factory assembly line as most studios and franchises operate, with forty different cooks in the kitchen. But having no money really sucks. You have to be more creative and inventive and careful with your resources. I saw a quote about EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE, how that was "an independent film" but not really, not in my opinion, with a studio like A24 behind them, and they were bemoaning that they only had "$14.6 million budget and 28 days" and I kept thinking - damn what a luxury. I've never even seen that kind of money or had that kind of a schedule before. Must feel nice. I'm over here in the alleyways of Venice among the homeless, or in the forests of Minnesota and we have no money, no marketing department, no extensive crew - it's just us, making a film. That's a real true independent, grassroots way. It's brutal hard work, and most times it is rewarding, but I'd like some of that larger scale "indie" money.</p>
<p><i>It’s my understanding that Todd Tarantula was quite a few years in the making. What hurdles were there in trying to realize your vision for the film?</i></p>
<p>Money. No money. Or the money would fall apart. Mostly money. The script was quite large too, a lot more characters and subplots that got streamlined out of the final draft. But also independent filmmaking had changed in the ten years since the film first fell apart. Suddenly there were more filmmaking resources I could turn to, to get crew or locations, versus being alone in my garage, as how I started. So that kind of helped. And by now I had Kelly and Nate and the three of us could figure out how to make what I'd written possible in practical terms. But I still ended up financing the entire production from start to finish by myself. I bussed tables, and bartended, and managed a kitchen after the pandemic to make this movie happen. I'm relieved its finished and exists and I don't have to think or wonder about it again.</p>
<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEuQM4bFxtS0TzUsOOAC7ZEB6-gmzEYtSbIKyzT9hmrxazV3JVf48xysfVhfCWBiNxPvJMjtPFS0KwcOqfMBESbg6GCrOL8xosGMM-v4XxjchKvEJJfBdgjcPhR5edA_N--_njUcXJlsuzo4EPM6C7zJtp3VQCHWYJcUvxvJ3czRw1M9s46addjeiPJA/s520/toddtarantula_ttset.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Publicity still - Ansel Faraj, Brittany Hoza and Ethan Walker on the set of Todd Tarantula (2023) (Courtesy of Ansel Faraj)" border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEuQM4bFxtS0TzUsOOAC7ZEB6-gmzEYtSbIKyzT9hmrxazV3JVf48xysfVhfCWBiNxPvJMjtPFS0KwcOqfMBESbg6GCrOL8xosGMM-v4XxjchKvEJJfBdgjcPhR5edA_N--_njUcXJlsuzo4EPM6C7zJtp3VQCHWYJcUvxvJ3czRw1M9s46addjeiPJA/s16000/toddtarantula_ttset.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faraj, Brittany Hoza and Ethan Walker on the set of <i>Todd Tarantula</i> (Courtesy of Ansel Faraj).</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><i>How would you describe the Faraj Cinematic Universe, and what plans do you have for its future?</i></p>
<p>[Hahaha] The Faraj Cinematic Universe... you mean the Hollinsworth Productions universe. I have no idea how I would describe it. True independent filmmaking where we're not playing down to the audience, we're inviting them to hop on board and think while having a good time. Right now, we're currently shooting a comedy that's been in development as long as TODD TARANTULA. When I first met Nate, he pitched me this character of a washed up porn star who rides around Venice Beach on a scooter named Nick D. And now we're actually making it, it's quite epic, it's the longest script we've ever shot, and there's about 40 speaking roles, all on location across LA and Venice. It's a comedy, the kind they don't make anymore, titled THE GREAT NICK D. It's an odyssey following Nick D's attempt to resolve his unrequited love with his old girlfriend, who is now this Meryl Streep type A list actress, and he's this forgotten shlub down in Venice. Luckily we began filming before the strike was called, and we're running all summer. David Selby, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Lisa Richards from DARK SHADOWS are in it, Christine Tucker from WILL & LIZ is in it, Kelly Kitko of course is in it - it's a script we're very proud of and feels pretty wild that we're finally making it. There's a few other non "genre" scripts we're developing, making our romance WILL & LIZ was a wonderful breath of fresh air, and allowed me to show off my skills outside of the fantasy/thriller world. I would still love to make our scripts of THE DUNWICH HORROR which has come close to happening several times, and one day finally make my own version of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, but we need proper financing. It will happen, one day. </p>
<p></p><p></p><p></p></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-89561228312991143942023-04-27T14:27:00.007-07:002023-04-29T08:01:16.593-07:002024 Lies in Wait Beyond the Time Barrier<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 8px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3MtiR2VfpVyghoTg_caxeNEpeTHbGnYqZ0x9OZTmh-MqZVnU7P-LCICghxaHepcRyVwh7ISLYVqAJFxbLwImdxsUn8VAcuZGqzTqv0AObtCDSRnk0efKjxj_xLD2WX8tCkp30SXs4vTX5kdKztPdpucRAK50DMS0yGWVmXDzBqTpBJnDwF-oPQWqBw/s470/beyondtimebarrier_poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Poster - Beyond the Time Barrier (1960)" border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="312" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3MtiR2VfpVyghoTg_caxeNEpeTHbGnYqZ0x9OZTmh-MqZVnU7P-LCICghxaHepcRyVwh7ISLYVqAJFxbLwImdxsUn8VAcuZGqzTqv0AObtCDSRnk0efKjxj_xLD2WX8tCkp30SXs4vTX5kdKztPdpucRAK50DMS0yGWVmXDzBqTpBJnDwF-oPQWqBw/w265-h400/beyondtimebarrier_poster.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>Now Playing: </b><b><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053651/" target="_blank">Beyond the Time Barrier</a> </i></b>(1960)</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pros:</b> Creative location shooting and use of repurposed state fair exhibit halls; A fairly unique explanation for its dystopian setting<br />
<b>Cons:</b> Gets bogged down with a lot of pseudo-scientific dialog; Some of the principal actors are as stiff as dept. store mannequins</span></div>
<p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Many thanks to Barry at <a href="http://cinematiccatharsis.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-futurethon-is-now-day-1-recap.html" target="_blank">Cinematic Catharsis</a> and Gill at <a href="https://weegiemidget.wordpress.com/2023/04/28/news-welcome-to-the-futurethon/" target="_blank">Realweegiemidget Reviews</a> for coming up with the Futurethon event and inspiring their fellow bloggers to explore the future through movies. If you haven’t already, check out their sites for links to more cinematic prognostications.</span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;">So here I am in the futuristic year 2023, and I’m only now getting around to reviewing the film that provided the name (in part) for this blog. All I can say is that it’s about time. 2024, the year in which <i>Beyond the Time Barrier</i> is set, is almost upon us. If there is even the slightest possibility that the events depicted in the film are prophetic, then there is precious little time to prepare.</span></p>
<p>As a public service, <i>Films From Beyond</i> is breaking through the time barrier to present our near future as envisioned in the 1960 movie. Are these events highly improbable? Perhaps. Impossible? You be the judge.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0164967/" target="_blank">Robert Clarke</a> stars as Major William Allison, an Air Force test pilot who has been assigned to fly the X-80 rocket-plane to the edge of outer space. After firing the rocket engine and soaring to an altitude of 100 miles, the plane accelerates uncontrollably, and Allison loses contact with the base.</p>
<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZxDJwlXA8l8cTLctWOicBkgqt8ZGqP7TQNUAsUr90IMoj3IiN8rF0Udy5efz7WGJuYBhPXQMp_wp64LqUriHUlE3z6ChcnzAB_U0u4Vqr8OGbPaMaPZqWoFtBXGWKjKCzinDeapqbynxbv3JJru7MIuXRPdGuzDJXPCl8NNFqrVg469TNodBg3IV0w/s520/beyondtimebarrier_lobbycard.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Lobby card - Robert Clarke in Beyond the Time Barrier (1960)" border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZxDJwlXA8l8cTLctWOicBkgqt8ZGqP7TQNUAsUr90IMoj3IiN8rF0Udy5efz7WGJuYBhPXQMp_wp64LqUriHUlE3z6ChcnzAB_U0u4Vqr8OGbPaMaPZqWoFtBXGWKjKCzinDeapqbynxbv3JJru7MIuXRPdGuzDJXPCl8NNFqrVg469TNodBg3IV0w/s16000/beyondtimebarrier_lobbycard.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Put your tray tables up and fasten your seat belts -- 2024 is going to be a bumpy ride!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Once Allison gets control back and brings the plane in for a landing, he’s amazed to find that the base is completely deserted and in an extremely dilapidated state. Off in the distance he spots the ruins of a city, and next to that, weird structures, including huge towers with blazing lights illuminating the landscape.</p>
<p>As Allison approaches the structures, he’s hit with a paralyzing ray, whereupon figures in radiation suits trundle him off to an underground lair. </p>
<p>The major soon finds that he’s not in Kansas anymore. After being decontaminated in a giant glass enclosure and getting into a shoving match with some guards, he is introduced to the elderly leader known as The Supreme (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0812453/?ref_=tt_cl_t_4" target="_blank">Vladimir Sokoloff</a>), his second-in-command, the Captain (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0604508/?ref_=tt_cl_t_7" target="_blank">Boyd “Red” Morgan</a>), and The Supreme’s granddaughter Trirene (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0866995/?ref_=tt_cl_t_2" target="_blank">Darlene Tompkins</a>).</p>
<p>Allison learns from The Supreme that he is a “guest” at The Citadel, a subterranean complex built as a haven from the hordes of violent mutants that roam the contaminated surface. The Supreme and the Captain are the only members of the Citadel that can hear and talk -- all the others, including Trirene, are deaf mutes as the result of a mysterious plague (although Trirene has the extrasensory ability to read minds). The major is mightily confused, not understanding how so much could have happened in the short time he was aloft in his rocket plane. </p>
<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJQCf_2QJT8e4sN11oU3pOEgtFc6w_BE7M3OwuAJmkZtUDRaFzmoym6GbD55t2fb7dko4na4iBcgXunUDFNNglbY-I_688Mbsy3QgqfEJkEM1UHAEzNS-fpnQZQ8zjjpmqAgei63CoJOJwegdFdhrwKe4SiR1QKqnu-zwXvUjrIj3IvJ1sn95IyZW-g/s520/beyondtimebarrier_1stmeeting.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Major Allison (Robert Clarke) meets the rulers of The Citadel in Beyond the Time Barrier (1960)" border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJQCf_2QJT8e4sN11oU3pOEgtFc6w_BE7M3OwuAJmkZtUDRaFzmoym6GbD55t2fb7dko4na4iBcgXunUDFNNglbY-I_688Mbsy3QgqfEJkEM1UHAEzNS-fpnQZQ8zjjpmqAgei63CoJOJwegdFdhrwKe4SiR1QKqnu-zwXvUjrIj3IvJ1sn95IyZW-g/s16000/beyondtimebarrier_1stmeeting.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Excuse me, but I seem to have taken a wrong turn at the ionosphere..."</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Allison’s troubles are compounded by the Captain, who is suspicious that he is some sort of spy. The major is thrown into a dungeon reserved for captured mutants, but is released a short time later when Trirene, who has taken a shine to the handsome pilot, convinces her grandfather that he’s no threat.</p>
<p>After gaining The Supreme’s confidence by way of Trirene, Allison is allowed to meet three other “guests” of the Citadel: Gen. Kruse (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0067391/?ref_=tt_cl_t_5" target="_blank">Stephen Bekassy</a>), Prof. Bourman (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0886657/?ref_=tt_cl_t_6" target="_blank">John Van Dreelen</a>) and Captain Markova (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0033962/?ref_=tt_cl_t_3" target="_blank">Arianne Ulmer</a>), who, conveniently, can also hear and talk. It’s this crew that clues the major into the fact that he’s traveled into the 21st century -- 2024 to be exact.</p>
<p>Kruse explains that the notorious plague was caused by radioactive dust from above-ground atomic tests breaking down the atmosphere’s protective layers, allowing deadly cosmic radiation to blanket the earth. Much of the planet’s population was killed off, with most of the survivors ending up either sterile deaf mutes or ravening bald-headed mutants.</p>
<p>Like Allison, all three accidentally broke the time barrier traveling in spaceships that approached the speed of light, and ended up prisoners at the Citadel after crash landing. The Captain, not wanting to let their knowledge and expertise go to waste, put them to work developing a solar energy plant. Markova cattily suggests to the clueless major that his job is now to mate with Trirene, one of the few women left who isn’t sterile.</p>
<p>When the group learns that Allison left his plane at the base intact and ready to fly, their eyes light up. Bourman excitedly explains that there’s a chance that they can send Allison back to 1960, where he can prevent the plague from ever happening. The professor lays out a deceptively simple formula on a chalkboard: take the rocket-plane’s escape velocity and add the velocities of earth’s rotation, its orbit around the sun, and the solar system’s movement through space, and voila!, you’ve got the near-light speed you need to enter the fifth dimension and travel back through time! (Uh-huh...)</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_PhuaqfJnNwk644hSPZP9YEP4W3N5-BM09A1bM9GE3akeGjMJJB1qhu-wVBzsxpxXx-kckGfaPHE9l-AxNnlAHsd0-wHCLz3eMeomVKY6FZyORyIVvEgbXRfLNyMXe934izuqaQVXWSLLqWJhuHJ6g4M5A2QEIHpvANrGLM5px6pLweSs6dnHXyfFw/s520/beyondtimebarrier_lecture.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - A lecture on time travel in Beyond the Time Barrier (1960)" border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_PhuaqfJnNwk644hSPZP9YEP4W3N5-BM09A1bM9GE3akeGjMJJB1qhu-wVBzsxpxXx-kckGfaPHE9l-AxNnlAHsd0-wHCLz3eMeomVKY6FZyORyIVvEgbXRfLNyMXe934izuqaQVXWSLLqWJhuHJ6g4M5A2QEIHpvANrGLM5px6pLweSs6dnHXyfFw/s16000/beyondtimebarrier_lecture.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Pay attention class, there's going to be a quiz later."</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Standing in the way of the plan is the paranoid Captain, who has surveillance devices everywhere and is not likely to just sit back and let his prisoner jet off to parts unknown. And then there’s the Kruse crew -- one or more of them may have plans of their own for the plane. Finally, there’s Trirene -- who wouldn’t be tempted to stay put and regenerate civilization with such a special, beautiful girl? (And that doesn’t even take into account the mutants, who are itching to burst from their confines and wreak vengeance on their cruel masters.)</p>
<p>Okay, rather than spoil the ending, let’s see what <i>Beyond the Time Barrier</i> got right about life in the roaring 2020s:</p>
<p>✔ The ruling elites live in luxurious enclaves surrounded by bleak ruins and decaying infrastructure.<br /> ✔ Xenophobia runs rampant.
<br />✔ Draconian security measures and omnipresent surveillance keep everyone in line.
<br />✔ The general rule is to shoot your ray gun first and ask questions later.
<br />✔ Society’s undesirables (the mutants) are consigned to poverty and prison.
<br />✔ Much of the population is mute and goes along with whatever the elites say.
<br />✔ A well-meaning but doddering old man nominally rules over the whole mess.</p>
<p>And on the bright side:</p>
<p>✔ Solar power is an up-and-coming energy source.<br /></p>
<p>What it got wrong:</p>
<p>✔ The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partial_Nuclear_Test_Ban_Treaty" target="_blank">Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963</a> prohibited all above-ground nuclear tests, which were the cause of <i>Time Barriers’s</i> cosmic radiation plague. (However, the plot point does prefigure the depletion of the ozone layer that became an issue in the ‘70s.)<br />✔ Interior design predominantly based on the equilateral triangle never caught on.
<br />✔ Jumpsuits that made everyone look like 1950s gas station attendants never became mandatory work attire.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0tHdYyTgSeMHKIGR1u5eCxoikYU5IpAaC5AMBH8QbIyQPk5VlRvIzAAmUqYnCxzIIuN5yoA660ujQcaKmzhip8k346bTtY7T7MkBsmYJb0cUoDj-pHRuM77G9regPTOj1S-xBccVCIlm0EEr8Z1IP09ckfehAgT7tl0GyB1oEW9loyIxH0g8a1fWVg/s520/beyondtimebarrier_lighttowers.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Futuristic landscape in Beyond the Time Barrier (1960)" border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0tHdYyTgSeMHKIGR1u5eCxoikYU5IpAaC5AMBH8QbIyQPk5VlRvIzAAmUqYnCxzIIuN5yoA660ujQcaKmzhip8k346bTtY7T7MkBsmYJb0cUoDj-pHRuM77G9regPTOj1S-xBccVCIlm0EEr8Z1IP09ckfehAgT7tl0GyB1oEW9loyIxH0g8a1fWVg/s16000/beyondtimebarrier_lighttowers.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Beyond the Time Barrier</i> also predicted the advent of 5G cell towers... or maybe not.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>The man responsible for <i>Time Barrier's</i> prophecies was <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0682287/?ref_=tt_ov_wr" target="_blank">Arthur C. Pierce.</a> In addition to <i>Time Barrier</i>, Pierce wrote a number of B sci-fi scripts in the ‘50s and ‘60s, including <i>The Cosmic Man</i> (1959), <i>Invasion of the Animal People</i> (aka <i>Terror in the Midnight Sun</i>, 1959), <i>The Human Duplicators</i> (1965), <i>Women of the Prehistoric Planet</i> (1966) and <i>The Navy vs. the Night Monsters</i> (1966), among others (see my reviews of the first two films <a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2012/11/klaatus-funny-uncle.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2012/01/theres-no-beast-like-snow-beast.html" target="_blank">here</a>). </p>
<p>While Pierce never penned any true sci-fi classics, he had a knack for writing scientific-sounding dialog and tweaking familiar themes in unique ways (i.e., atomic testing degrading the earth’s protective atmosphere). On the downside, Pierce was a bit too enamored with pseudo-science; his movies were often bogged down by characters laboriously mansplaining cracked science concepts (like Prof. Bourman’s chalkboard lecture on time travel and the speed of light).</p>
<p>While working on <i>Time Barrier</i>, Pierce created one very tense, dramatic scene that never made it into the script. In his memoir, Robert Clarke (who produced the film in addition to starring in it) recalled a story conference between the screenwriter and director <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0880618/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Edgar G. Ulmer</a> that became overheated:</p>
<blockquote>“One day in the office at General Service Studios, Art [Pierce] turned in the umpteenth rewrite of one particular scene and once again Edgar seemed to be displeased, and he said something that provoked Art. I don’t remember Edgar’s comment, but it was like lighting a firecracker under Art. Edgar was seated at a desk and Art was sitting in a chair, doodling with a long yellow pencil. Something snapped in this poor, tormented writer’s mind: He jumped up out of his chair and leaned across Edgar’s desk and broke the yellow pencil in half right in front of Edgar’s nose. …
<br /> It was a very dramatic moment, but later on, one could see the lighter side of it. Art was a conscientious and resourceful sci-fi writer who knew the necessary nomenclature and had done his homework on the technical aspects, but his dialogue wasn’t what Edgar was seeking and finally Art got fed up with Edgar’s goading. … The incident seemed to bother Edgar a little bit; I remember that later on, Edgar in his heavy Hungarian accent referred to Art as ‘This wrrriter who brrreaks his pencil in front of my face!’ But Edgar’s resentment soon passed; he was the type who let everything roll off his back.” [Robert Clarke and Tom Weaver, <i><a href="https://www.alibris.com/Robert-Clarke-To-B-or-Not-to-B-A-Film-Actors-Odyssey-Tom-Weaver/book/39792827" target="_blank">Robert Clarke: To “B” or Not to “B”, A Film Actor’s Odyssey</a></i>, Midnight Marquee Press, 1996, p. 202]</blockquote>
<p>No one, especially Ulmer, had time to hold a grudge. <i>Beyond the Time Barrier</i> and <i>The Amazing Transparent Man</i> were shot back-to-back at the same Texas location over the course of only two weeks (neither Pierce or Clarke were involved in the latter production). </p>
<p>These would be the last films Ulmer would direct on American soil. Savvy fans know Ulmer as one of the great B movie directors, with a resume that includes such cult classics as <i>The Black Cat</i> (1934; with Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff), <i>Bluebeard</i> (1944; with John Carradine), <i>Detour</i> (1945; the low budget film-noir masterpiece with Tom Neal and Ann Savage), and <i>The Man from Planet X</i> (1951; also with Robert Clarke).</p>
<p>By the time <i>Time Barrier</i> and <i>Transparent Man</i> rolled around, Ulmer’s best work was behind him. As hinted by the story conference fracas, Ulmer was probably not greatly inspired by <i>Time Barrier's</i> script; he was content to shoot long, plodding scenes of dialog in stationary medium shots and call it a day. On the plus side, the veteran director managed to get his daughter Arianne the part of the duplicitous, femme-fatale-ish Capt. Markova.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFv8JUoUjMA5ZlzearYAwdGLmSX07G19uuHAY83aDQp-0JCANJTHM3gA4lAi1YicLb8UqIF74wLoXr7Ux51GlfP2FdKyKcnuj0bZvTlsz8m1ddXK_rK95pljFKsuABwCgVlpaLH0tWlZjNpi3-1lK7fEXxIkXpaYzhN9qR_fJTyQHlBaO5LgPwmTvpvA/s520/beyondtimebarrier_trirene&allison.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Darlene Thompkins and Robert Clarke in Beyond the Time Barrier (1960)" border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFv8JUoUjMA5ZlzearYAwdGLmSX07G19uuHAY83aDQp-0JCANJTHM3gA4lAi1YicLb8UqIF74wLoXr7Ux51GlfP2FdKyKcnuj0bZvTlsz8m1ddXK_rK95pljFKsuABwCgVlpaLH0tWlZjNpi3-1lK7fEXxIkXpaYzhN9qR_fJTyQHlBaO5LgPwmTvpvA/s16000/beyondtimebarrier_trirene&allison.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trirene and Major Allison relax after a hard day listening to incessant technobabble.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>WARNING: SPOILERS ARE LURKING JUST BEYOND THE TIME BARRIER</p>
<p>The film manages to break through the boredom barrier at the climax, when Markova has treacherously let loose the imprisoned mutants and Allison is desperately trying to escape and get back to his plane. In the scenes where the maddened mutants chase down terrified Citadel dwellers, it’s obvious that the bare-bones production could only afford to outfit a handful of mutant extras with ratty clothes and ill-fitting skull caps. The extras are supplemented with mismatched stock footage of scruffy dungeon dwellers from Fritz Lang’s 1959 costume potboiler <i>The Indian Tomb</i>.</p>
<p>But the mutants' screams and shouts as chaos ensues are truly jarring, and you feel sorry for the poor Citadel denizens whose only fault was to blindly (and mutely) follow inept leaders. On top of that, the back stabbing comes fast and furious as various characters jockey to see who gets to ride on the rocket-plane back to their original time period.</p>
<p>For these and other scenes, Clarke and crew made great use of ready-made locations. The futuristic Citadel consisted of structures and exhibits left over from expositions held at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas. Carswell Air Force Base near Ft. Worth stood in for Major Allison’s home base, and a nearby abandoned WWII-era Marine Corps Air Base was utilized for the deserted 2024 ruins. [<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053651/trivia/?ref_=tt_trv_trv" target="_blank">IMDb trivia</a>] </p>
<p>When Clarke made <i>Beyond the Time Barrier</i>, he was hoping to become a B movie mogul. After appearing in the micro-budgeted sci-fi thriller <i>The Astounding She-Monster</i> (1957), he was astounded by how much money the threadbare production made at the theaters. He told himself he could do even better, and the result was <i>The Hideous Sun Demon</i> (1958), which Clarke wrote, produced, directed and starred in (see my reviews of <i><a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2020/05/crooks-vs-creatures-part-two.html " target="_blank">She-Monster</a></i> and <a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2019/08/films-from-beyonds-public-health-alert.html" target="_blank"><i>Sun Demon</i></a>). <br /></p><p>He took a print of <i>Sun Demo</i>n to American International Pictures (AIP) in the hopes of securing a multiple picture distribution deal, but was turned down. On the rebound, he signed with a small outfit, Miller Consolidated Pictures, to do <i>Beyond the Time Barrier</i>. It wasn’t long after <i>Time Barrie</i>r hit the theaters that the overextended company went under, and ironically, AIP ended up taking over distribution of the picture. After the dust settled, Clarke never saw a dime of profit from either <i>Sun Demon</i> or <i>Time Barrier</i>; all he had to show for his efforts was his $1,000 salary for acting in <i>Time Barrier.</i></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ThmMfvNgQTkY5d3Otd1YjN5WYLK815mwVdhyfA83_4QyZXfKTeHE_ncWlFwVTQdp-GrBnByMrzW1sQMLtk1e4qbaFoIpSc1t7FNkteMPUbYN-yMb0sYRP2xiS3m0l48vfOfyeMpCYxMDT0kMdQn35NDTwO-RTZgFamVAwkWRNodGvwT2bHhrrtb__Q/s520/beyondtimebarrier_decontamination.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Major Allison (Robert Clarke) is taken captive in Beyond the Time Barrier (1960)" border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ThmMfvNgQTkY5d3Otd1YjN5WYLK815mwVdhyfA83_4QyZXfKTeHE_ncWlFwVTQdp-GrBnByMrzW1sQMLtk1e4qbaFoIpSc1t7FNkteMPUbYN-yMb0sYRP2xiS3m0l48vfOfyeMpCYxMDT0kMdQn35NDTwO-RTZgFamVAwkWRNodGvwT2bHhrrtb__Q/s16000/beyondtimebarrier_decontamination.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AIP executives hold Robert Clarke hostage while they run off with all the profits from <i>Beyond the Time Barrier</i>.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>But Clarke was nothing if not resilient. In a interview with film historian Tom Weaver, Clarke insisted that he was grateful for his experiences behind the camera:</p>
<blockquote>I would never say I was sorry because if I had not done it, I think I would have been sorry and would be saying that I wish I had tried it. It was an interesting experience. I wish, of course, that it had turned out more profitably and that it had led to other things that would have been more mainstream. With Roger Corman, pictures like these were stepping stones to bigger productions. But I took such a terrible bath with the bankruptcy on both <i>Sun Demon</i> and <i>Time Barrier</i> that I just felt there was no way to make another one and come out with anything. [Tom Weaver, <i><a href="https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/interviews-with-b-science-fiction-and-horror-movie-makers/" target="_blank">Interviews with B Science Fiction and Horror Movie Makers</a></i>, McFarland, 1988, pp. 90-91.]</blockquote>
<p>If you decide to check out <i>Beyond the Time Barrier</i>, here’s hoping you’re as resilient as Robert Clarke and don’t regret your decision. Because, Prof. Bourman’s theories notwithstanding, most physicists insist that traveling back in time and undoing past actions is impossible.</p>
<p><b>Where to find it:</b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Time-Barrier-Classic-Shocker/dp/B09DHW6QKM/" target="_blank">Streaming #1</a> | <a href="https://youtu.be/V6EdVv01Rqo" target="_blank">Streaming #2</a> | <a href="https://www.oldies.com/product-view/38169R.html" target="_blank">DVD<br /><br /></a></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://weegiemidget.wordpress.com/2023/04/28/news-welcome-to-the-futurethon/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="236" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdeuKKj5_JcKCmjqxBsVhmd5vQxJi_kV74Z308XJKUys17e6WhnF0zNwNh5sLNn87g3A2ftJkKQLc9QwF_JjHeJa__32x4AkrjnqiwHxMIFJE-kygm1JsBe6Hlq9mCF3UYVMDqgCXvcbWvqJIUkVUB575KESuHVPQwVCb7LSJLOisWfHNSOZNeBnSmHw=w400-h269" width="400" /></a></div>Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-40133529343496406302023-04-14T07:58:00.005-07:002023-04-14T20:28:04.531-07:00The Northern Arizona Field Guide to Bigfoot: Special Lance Henriksen Edition<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 8px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hIPdXxYI1CU/ZDi-jhXwcII/AAAAAAAAN9s/xiGzvZtY_acn1YaYBu6nllUBguE24M76wCNcBGAsYHQ/s468/sasquatchmountain_poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Poster - Devil on the Mountain (aka Sasquatch Mountain, 2006)" border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="324" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hIPdXxYI1CU/ZDi-jhXwcII/AAAAAAAAN9s/xiGzvZtY_acn1YaYBu6nllUBguE24M76wCNcBGAsYHQ/w222-h320/sasquatchmountain_poster.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>Now Playing: </b><b><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0486569/" target="_blank">Devil on the Mountain</a> </i></b>(aka <i>Sasquatch Mountain</i>, 2006)</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pros:</b> A quartet of grizzled character actors led by Lance Henriksen steals the show from the younger cast members; Features a clever reveal at the end<br />
<b>Cons:</b> Due to budget limitations, the production doesn’t take full advantage of the shooting location; Much of the film looks like an 80s-vintage MTV music video; Rife with characters doing stupid things for the convenience of the plot</span></div>
<p><i>This post is part of <a href="https://takinguproom.com/2023/04/14/the-seen-on-the-screen-blogathon-has-arrived/" target="_blank">The Seen on the Screen</a></i><i><a href="https://takinguproom.com/2023/04/14/the-seen-on-the-screen-blogathon-has-arrived/" target="_blank"> blogathon</a> hosted by Rebecca at Taking Up Room. Rebecca's challenge: Review a film or TV show that is set in your hometown or some other very familiar place -- what does it get right (or wrong) about the place you know so well? See her site for more great locales!</i><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000448/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Lance Henriksen</a>, the great, gruff, gravelly-voiced actor with over 260 acting credits to his name and counting, has blazed quite a trail over the years in the deep woods of horror and sci-fi.</span></p>
<p>By the end of the ‘80s, Henriksen had made indelible, unsettling impressions in such cult favorites as <i>Aliens</i> (1986), playing an android science officer, <i>Near Dark</i> (1987), as the leader of a band of itinerant vampires, and <i>Pumpkinhead</i> (1988), as a grieving father who unleashes a mythic monster on the teens who accidentally killed his son. </p>
<p>By the end of the ‘90s, he’d wrapped up three seasons of the award winning series <i>Millennium</i> (1996-99) portraying Frank Blank, a haunted former FBI profiler who has a knack for getting into the minds of serial killers and assorted lunatics (another cult hit from X-Files creator Chris Carter).</p>
<p>In the early 2000s, the shadow of Bigfoot began looming over his career. In 2002’s <i>The Untold </i>(aka <i>Sasquatch</i>), Henriksen appeared as a wealthy entrepreneur who leads a search for a company plane that has gone missing in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest, along with his daughter. After finding the plane and the mutilated remains of the crew, the search party has to battle a homicidal Sasquatch to get out alive.</p>
<p>2006 was the year of the Bigfoot for Henriksen. In <i>Abominable</i>, he had a supporting role as a local who joins a hunting party to track down a mysterious creature that is killing cattle, and finds more than he bargained for. But it would be in <i>Devil on the Mountain</i> (aka <i>Sasquatch Mountain</i>) that the actor would score a more affecting and sympathetic role as a Bigfoot hunter.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjve7R_9bz8c2cHnoGajCqJzmZ8eAeWp8jOI1yYA79IkAu6VBTntTxCWEXqL1jtEUggyrCkCWef3vkWzJ4P-Dh-9mGjDM2-RIfx2tIKl2S4H9GMf916svmavoChqLlCE-zRNDTFFWwraXrnIIhxv5lEGltjaluUoRj9p70bCOuYtoq2i_ewHDT0eT4KqQ/s520/sasquatchmountain_henriksen.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Lance Henriksen in Devil on the Mountain (aka Sasquatch Mountain, 2006)" border="0" data-original-height="292" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjve7R_9bz8c2cHnoGajCqJzmZ8eAeWp8jOI1yYA79IkAu6VBTntTxCWEXqL1jtEUggyrCkCWef3vkWzJ4P-Dh-9mGjDM2-RIfx2tIKl2S4H9GMf916svmavoChqLlCE-zRNDTFFWwraXrnIIhxv5lEGltjaluUoRj9p70bCOuYtoq2i_ewHDT0eT4KqQ/s16000/sasquatchmountain_henriksen.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lance takes a moment to reflect on making two Sasquatch movies in one year.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Henriksen plays Chase Jackson, an auto mechanic living in rural Northern Arizona, who, as we see in the film’s prologue, lost his wife to a freak auto accident the same night that Bigfoot decided to make a dramatic appearance. </p>
<p>Cut to the present, where we see Chase living modestly with his 20-something daughter Raquel (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2084556/?ref_=tt_cl_t_11" target="_blank">Melanie Monroe</a>) in the same little town. For years he has been carrying guilt and regret over the accident, not to mention the community’s suspicions about the strange circumstances of the tragedy. Raquel, who is lively and intelligent, is reluctant to leave the nest because the old man is so lonely and pitiful. But Fate is about to arrange a second encounter between Chase and Bigfoot, and a chance for redemption.</p>
<p>Erin Price (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0898597/?ref_=tt_cl_t_2" target="_blank">Cerina Vincent</a>) has recently broken up with her longtime boyfriend, packed up her car, and headed out on the open road for a new start. She makes a pit stop in town, and chats with Raquel before resuming her journey.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, her shortcut through the Northern Arizona forest takes her right into the path of a van full of desperate criminals who have just pulled off a bank robbery in town. Their vehicles collide, and both are totaled. When Sheriff Zeff (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0397555/?ref_=tt_cl_t_4" target="_blank">Rance Howard</a>) and his deputies show up, a gunfight breaks out, after which the robbers take off into the deep woods with Erin in tow.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BpdEvNClaX0KPyVpJpcXVfGGtLxiF_rmTBxepyI1uFKAVzvjv2i62RdcnJVGmANyVIdzhWleZ4OqJX7ZuCOKO5-v0LjISmuNyli-Mm4FZqvTlG5POzGlPmBoj_VX8UHLymXZ72drFzTxXPNqJ1GlemEwwikNVZLZ0MrNYtrSx-lEzvhFfodyssF3Fw/s520/sasquatchmountain_carwreck.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Karen Kim in Devil on the Mountain (aka Sasquatch Mountain, 2006)" border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BpdEvNClaX0KPyVpJpcXVfGGtLxiF_rmTBxepyI1uFKAVzvjv2i62RdcnJVGmANyVIdzhWleZ4OqJX7ZuCOKO5-v0LjISmuNyli-Mm4FZqvTlG5POzGlPmBoj_VX8UHLymXZ72drFzTxXPNqJ1GlemEwwikNVZLZ0MrNYtrSx-lEzvhFfodyssF3Fw/s16000/sasquatchmountain_carwreck.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Arizona travel tip #1: Be sure to brake for Bigfoot, but don't brake too hard.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>With the state police and their helicopters already committed to another emergency, the sheriff enlists the aid of a friend and expert tracker Eli (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0859772/?ref_=tt_cl_t_6" target="_blank">Tim Thomerson</a>) to flush out the miscreants. When Eli mysteriously disappears, Chase, who years before had applied for a deputy position and been turned down, comes to the rescue.</p>
<p>But before long Chase, the cops, the gang and their hostage will be banding together to fight off a common enemy -- Bigfoot, who is aggressively defending his territory from the human incursion.</p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">And now for a personal note: <br /></h4><p>In the mid-2000s I was living in <a href="https://www.flagstaffarizona.org/" target="_blank">Flagstaff, Arizona</a>, a beautiful mountain town sitting at the base of the majestic San Francisco Peaks some 7000 feet above sea level, and surrounded by the <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/coconino" target="_blank">Coconino National Forest</a>, home to one of the country’s largest stands of towering ponderosa pines.</p>
<p>Flagstaff, located just 80 miles south of the Grand Canyon and 30 miles north of the beautiful red rocks of Sedona, and with Interstate 40, historic Route 66 and the Amtrak Southwest Chief rail line running through the center of town, is a busy hub for visitors from all over the world wishing to partake of Northern Arizona’s scenic wonders. </p>
<p>Some people who’ve never been to the state, and have mental pictures of a mostly featureless desert sprinkled with saguaro cacti, get discombobulated when they see miles of dense woods and snow capped mountain peaks. While the Pacific Northwest may be Bigfoot’s natural home, it’s not hard to imagine one or two of the creatures tromping around the Coconino Forest, scratching their backs on the tall ponderosas.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdo5jZFkyx_V9CeXRVLf4VHQrwuJfOGStlAzH5GWfFiHiKxMIUAsT7lSfGMKN-9OsqiD1_lAubDmBSNWLfBj1L9Y4po_4Iqa8_aSworfajzVhXUzV1w5Pjiulh68YleN_UEm2kAXahpVu9bGIKsQsl5B4b2wnusNf1z4LOuVUmmIUlveC-KU-wjG6_A/s520/sasquatchmountain_sfpeaks.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The San Francisco Peaks as seen from Flagstaff, Arizona (photo by the author)" border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdo5jZFkyx_V9CeXRVLf4VHQrwuJfOGStlAzH5GWfFiHiKxMIUAsT7lSfGMKN-9OsqiD1_lAubDmBSNWLfBj1L9Y4po_4Iqa8_aSworfajzVhXUzV1w5Pjiulh68YleN_UEm2kAXahpVu9bGIKsQsl5B4b2wnusNf1z4LOuVUmmIUlveC-KU-wjG6_A/s16000/sasquatchmountain_sfpeaks.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now that's a sight for sore Sasquatch eyes! Alas, no scenery like this made it into the movie.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0941708/?ref_=tt_cl_t_3" target="_blank">Michael Worth</a>, who wrote <i>Devil on the Mountain</i> and starred as one of the robbers, was one of those taken by surprise by the Northern Arizona scenery. In an interview in Flagstaff’s <i>Arizona Daily Sun </i>newspaper published around the time of the movie’s premiere on the (then) Sci-Fi Channel, Worth explained how they settled on the location:</p>
<blockquote>“I drove up just before we shot and I was just like, ‘Holy mackerel, I didn't know there were so many pine trees in Arizona!’ Because I'm used to shooting in Tucson and Mescal and used to the desert. It was just so great, but first as a joke, on the way back south, I was sending photos back to the director of the landscape right where the forest starts to dwindle and it starts to get more deserty, with like three or four trees in a picture. I'd just say, ‘Here it is, here's where we're gonna shoot the bigfoot movie!’ And he'd be like, ‘Well, it looks OK but…’ and I'd say ‘No, it'll be great! There's like five trees in this section, we'll shoot around it.’ But no, we looked around at all the locations, and sometimes it's just a question of getting the vehicles out there. And even in Flagstaff, there were a lot of great sites that we liked but we just couldn't get everyone in and out of there.” [Jeff Reeves, <a href="https://azdailysun.com/lifestyles/sasquatch-flick-filmed-in-area-debuts-saturday/article_b7dab334-9e88-5423-987f-08f3c7652b7b.html" target="_blank">“Sasquatch Flick Filmed in Area Debuts this Saturday,”</a> <i>Arizona Daily Sun</i>, September 8, 2006.]</blockquote>
<p>Months before, the newspaper had published a blurb about a Sasquatch movie starring Lance Henriksen that was about to be filmed in Flagstaff. The city being relatively small, I thought there was an off chance I’d spot the crew and possibly Lance himself, but no cigar. Then I thought, “At least scenic Flagstaff will be featured in a major (sort of) TV movie, and it will be fun to pick out the landmarks when it premieres.”</p>
<p>Also no dice. Apparently there were problems getting permits for shooting in town, or the logistics were problematic, because the bank robbery scenes were filmed in Williams, AZ, 35 miles west of Flagstaff. The crew did stay in Flagstaff for much of the shoot, but my beloved town was MIA in the final cut.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJdii9ckkZiWXtGMKTb3DR0wVSTl5pKHcRDbkBsOAdOXfF2nKJHyzDjeLyILnfGUMt4s5aaSdVYzpZL0g4TdK5iGBhNgl7TZxBJzdCJSzV2YnUvmDYasYlSpi32ZuiOZi06KA6l38ZpzqcYLpoytQgI4ylysk4Y4ubuTO05yOu9D_z9IInmagb3-tXQ/s520/sasquatchmountain_bankjob.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Bank robbery scene in Devil on the Mountain (aka Sasquatch Mountain, 2006)" border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJdii9ckkZiWXtGMKTb3DR0wVSTl5pKHcRDbkBsOAdOXfF2nKJHyzDjeLyILnfGUMt4s5aaSdVYzpZL0g4TdK5iGBhNgl7TZxBJzdCJSzV2YnUvmDYasYlSpi32ZuiOZi06KA6l38ZpzqcYLpoytQgI4ylysk4Y4ubuTO05yOu9D_z9IInmagb3-tXQ/s16000/sasquatchmountain_bankjob.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Arizona travel tip #2: If you see something like this, it's probably not Bigfoot. <br />The creatures rarely travel in groups, and they have no need for banking services. </td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Well, at least there’s the Coconino forest. Except that, as Worth indicated in the interview, the logistics and the limited budget dictated that they film at the edge of the forest, the end result being that much of the awesomeness of the ponderosa pine-rich backcountry is also missing.</p>
<p>Some nice establishing shots of the majestic San Francisco Peaks would also have been nice, but no luck there either. It also doesn’t help that they chose to shoot the film like a music video, complete with shaky cam and a purple-tinged color palette.</p>
<p>However, there is some redemption. The quartet of scruffy old farts led by Henriksen steal the show. Lance gets some genuinely affecting scenes with his dying wife in the prologue and later, his daughter (although for some reason they set up the engaging daughter character only to shove her off-screen mid-way through).</p>
<p>Rance Howard as the sheriff is dependably laconic and stoic through harrowing gunfights and Bigfoot attacks to the point of being almost comical; he’s the classic western Everyman who’s hard to get a rise out of, but implacable when finally motivated.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRb9NpE9_HebS8kvyfYbo46a2o-Gqjfz5Xbx8F31Jgv-EhjbsYhX2QH6_RbgBLmvv7xKw-ThDSUIkUMXGHX7GxAaMvyc-YVXLJCiejaAYMV8-hn7EaLVnwU-c38XJZF7WAqjJT3Nx04RYf0RdV4n2kNK8iLEjlMrOQ7OeBc96OWjAiDVkyqQdlURJ4qQ/s520/sasquatchmountain_eliandsheriff.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Bigfoot hunting party in Devil on the Mountain (aka Sasquatch Mountain, 2006)" border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRb9NpE9_HebS8kvyfYbo46a2o-Gqjfz5Xbx8F31Jgv-EhjbsYhX2QH6_RbgBLmvv7xKw-ThDSUIkUMXGHX7GxAaMvyc-YVXLJCiejaAYMV8-hn7EaLVnwU-c38XJZF7WAqjJT3Nx04RYf0RdV4n2kNK8iLEjlMrOQ7OeBc96OWjAiDVkyqQdlURJ4qQ/s16000/sasquatchmountain_eliandsheriff.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Arizona Bigfoot hunting tip #1: Wear layers, bring plenty of water,<br />and never hold your gun like the gentleman in this photo.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Fans of ‘80s and ‘90s B sci-fi will likely recognize Tim Thomerson. Among Thomerson’s multitudinous credits, he appeared in Full Moon’s Dollman movies and five (count ‘em) Trancers flicks in which he plays Jack Deth, a futuristic bounty hunter. Thomerson’s role in <i>Sasquatch Mountain</i> is a small but wryly amusing one, playing a mountain man who can take a licking and keep on ticking.</p>
<p>And then there’s <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0913738/?ref_=tt_cl_t_5" target="_blank">Craig Wasson</a>, whose biggest claim to fame was appearing in Brian De Palma’s <i>Body Double</i> (1984) as the claustrophobic protagonist and intended fall guy. In <i>Sasquatch Mountain</i>, his last film credit, Wasson makes the most of one of the film’s quirkier roles -- that of Travis, leader of the misfit bank robbers and would-be get-rich-quick day-trader. With a bluetooth headset stuck in his ear, Travis keeps interrupting the bank heist planning, barking out orders to his stockbroker. Then, after the Bigfoot scat has hit the fan, he seems more irritated with the lack of cell service than the fact that the cops are shooting at them and a hairy humanoid is tossing his cohorts around like rag dolls.</p>
<p>Lastly, as the movie builds to the climax, there’s a clever reveal that explains why Bigfoot is so pissed off (other than the tired premise that he’s just a monster that likes to kill for the heck of it). The final confrontation humanizes everyone, cops, robbers and Sasquatch included. It might just bring a tear to your eye. And, as if that isn't enough, in the epilogue there’s an exchange between the sheriff and one of the robbers that ends the film on just the right note. </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ewQdE7FHUEzEwDXGvJg7_GUkHoi7hxyvWDLTmCSt5scq2h7n1mgjQ1dWe471ubp0z6VrW6dvicFsFkYbwaFJVfJv5fhVJ90TqlYzg-Lr5apW1JDJ2f2Q_nNRZKqZHBGkMZgsaxmKHm8kXSGh7K_pUYozOr_Y0Ws-rSz1FFMYM9vzFy0kN4SNdV1FsA/s520/sasquatchmountain_surprise.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Sasquatch makes an appearance in Devil on the Mountain (aka Sasquatch Mountain, 2006)" border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ewQdE7FHUEzEwDXGvJg7_GUkHoi7hxyvWDLTmCSt5scq2h7n1mgjQ1dWe471ubp0z6VrW6dvicFsFkYbwaFJVfJv5fhVJ90TqlYzg-Lr5apW1JDJ2f2Q_nNRZKqZHBGkMZgsaxmKHm8kXSGh7K_pUYozOr_Y0Ws-rSz1FFMYM9vzFy0kN4SNdV1FsA/s16000/sasquatchmountain_surprise.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Arizona Bigfoot hunting tip #2: Before you shoot, make sure it's really<br />Bigfoot and not some hairy mountain man with questionable hygiene.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><b>Where to find it:</b> <a href="https://tubitv.com/movies/457183/devil-on-the-mountain?start=true" target="_blank">Streaming</a></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://takinguproom.com/2023/04/14/the-seen-on-the-screen-blogathon-has-arrived/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="550" height="255" src="https://takinguproom.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/seenonscreen5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-75265899064596960182023-04-02T08:54:00.004-07:002023-04-03T00:16:36.056-07:00It's a Wrap! : Day 3 of the "Favorite Stars in B Movies" Blogathon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYkVaTHRRHugBLk2t-F7oJq50qk6__joB72SpPpCCRIohQ_IZz2G-UA3yYN1Ua_RkCnfeuM7EM0uG8zaxZvnbaGXNPfJ0OuueUyZs8eoPS9ncbVLfdWjDA_FdXPeGe8KUoZBHCKp-YRO8BBfoQLmlcUdgBBZO-XLwTygQP45ejD4ofwiIh-rFWDHG_fA/s720/favstarsinbmovies_blogathon_stanwyck.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Blogathon banner - Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor in The Night Walker (1964)" border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="720" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYkVaTHRRHugBLk2t-F7oJq50qk6__joB72SpPpCCRIohQ_IZz2G-UA3yYN1Ua_RkCnfeuM7EM0uG8zaxZvnbaGXNPfJ0OuueUyZs8eoPS9ncbVLfdWjDA_FdXPeGe8KUoZBHCKp-YRO8BBfoQLmlcUdgBBZO-XLwTygQP45ejD4ofwiIh-rFWDHG_fA/w400-h250/favstarsinbmovies_blogathon_stanwyck.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>All good things must come to an end, but this first-ever blogathon at <i>Films From Beyond</i> has been such a wonderful experience that I will definitely bring it back next year!</b></span></p>
<p>Many thanks to the talented bloggers who have highlighted such an entertaining mix of performers and films. They creatively illustrate how B movies have jump started, nurtured and extended so many acting careers over the decades.<br /></p>
<p>If you’re a blogger and need more time for your post, I will be happy to add it to this page when you’re ready. Contact me by email, <a href="mailto:brschuck66@yahoo.com">brschuck66@yahoo.com</a>; Twitter, <a href="https://twitter.com/brschuck66" target="_blank">@brschuck66</a>; or use the comments below.</p>
<p>If you haven’t already, check out the excellent contributions from the previous two days:</p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2023/03/welcome-to-day-1-of-favorite-stars-in-b.html" target="_blank">Day 1</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2023/04/the-favorite-stars-in-b-movies.html" target="_blank">Day 2</a></li></ul>
<p>And now for the final act…</p>
<p><b>Marianne at <i>Make Mine Film Noir</i></b> celebrates Gene Kelly's dance-free performance in <a href="http://makeminefilmnoir.blogspot.com/2023/04/black-hand-1950-yes-that-is-gene-kelly.html" target="_blank"><i>Black Hand</i></a> (1950).</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://makeminefilmnoir.blogspot.com/2023/04/black-hand-1950-yes-that-is-gene-kelly.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Screenshot - Gene Kelly in Black Hand (1950)" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuU_zZx0pUBwaygm76_wcc8pqQhgz0A6uQ8l-vpA6WjKI7Z6NX9DWijC96Kp85uUMwKkksNz_3VvpZral9vGw87Hq8wi7rk0GYx22Tw0jFmdNTgqqYk_qrPFYAwNudcN9Lvo_8InyOFgR65kjx5XJmOfQsSRWNUIIWtkGro8XnvCMeWzk8JtQw2MhmYw/w400-h300/Black%20Hand_Close-up%20of%20Johnny%20Columbo%20when%20he%20is%20Pietro%20Riago's%20prisoner%20in%20the%20butcher%20shop.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<p><b>John at <i>tales from the freakboy zone</i></b> believes that some things are better left unknown, like when Rock Hudson discovers how to make Barbara Carrera from a test tube in <i><a href="https://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2023/04/freakboy-on-film-embryo-1976.html" target="_blank">Embryo</a></i> (1976).</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2023/04/freakboy-on-film-embryo-1976.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Screenshot - Rock Hudson in Embryo (1976)" border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="400" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0ihyNJhbm12XM29aNu65093YgfQ-Ew4xWmCT7lnFIvRO_KBOa2UNzXc3qMlTif64nBWA9tOP5aGqW8rF9knHE3T5-Z5Ln7eze_nf4fLx0RkjhIQPn0BaaqV3IdUM64FxVCJRgL5yCudbjy9bfXF-QxetDDZpFGmdZTz375Mmm9CFpmXn52Neimvs/w400-h256/5D953CC5-3A54-4CA4-A32A-E4572A2A802B.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<p><b>Sally at <i>18 Cinema Lane</i></b> takes a bird's-eye view of Vincent Price's performance in <i><a href="https://18cinemalane.com/2023/04/01/take-3-the-raven-1963-review/" target="_blank">The Raven</a></i> (1963).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://18cinemalane.com/2023/04/01/take-3-the-raven-1963-review/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Poster - The Raven (1963)" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="520" height="400" src="https://18cinemalane.files.wordpress.com/2023/04/the-raven-1963-poster.jpg?w=666" width="260" /></a></div>
<p><b>Barry at Cinematic Catharsis</b> shines a spotlight on the ubiquitous, yet often overlooked character actor <a href="http://cinematiccatharsis.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-talented-mr-ripper.html" target="_blank">Michael Ripper</a>.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cinematiccatharsis.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-talented-mr-ripper.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Screenshot - Michael Ripper in The Reptile (1966)" border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="400" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHK7kvqqNMfF90uiRwERNlnY9ayDsSDrQqQ0gKlH2r8rKB1cPKwFELSUlwcJmggtQEvSerGEjFGaJaTsgV1XAzc6IdPlelVAlp9MEb4WVJKt0S-5u4oVvvQsKYMvlHtJY3m2KvXV3Jvh-HOomaIs3zyhjOBALmlVMTiHFOmNBXDb_a8k0OO57Xvz8LlA/w400-h220/The%20Reptile_4a.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<p><b>Rebecca at <i>Taking Up Room</i></b> makes friends with Courtney Cox, He-Man, and all the other <a href="https://takinguproom.com/2023/04/02/masters-of-the-universe/" target="_blank"><i>Masters of the Universe</i></a> (1987).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://takinguproom.com/2023/04/02/masters-of-the-universe/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Screenshot - Courtney Cox in Masters of the Universe (1987)" border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="800" height="208" src="https://takinguproom.files.wordpress.com/2023/04/mastersoftheuniverse6.png?w=1024&h=533" width="400" /></a></div>
<p><b>Kayla at <i>Whimsically Classic</i></b> chronicles the reign of <a href="https://whimsicallyclassic.wordpress.com/2023/04/02/favorite-stars-in-b-movies-blogathon-lucille-ball-queen-of-the-bs/" target="_blank">Lucille Ball, "Queen of the Bs."</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://whimsicallyclassic.wordpress.com/2023/04/02/favorite-stars-in-b-movies-blogathon-lucille-ball-queen-of-the-bs/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="366" height="400" src="https://whimsicallyclassic.files.wordpress.com/2023/04/lucy.webp?w=254&zoom=2" width="300" /></a></div>
<p><b>Yours truly at <i>Films From Beyond the Time Barrier</i></b> blames society for Jack Nicholson's delinquent behavior in <a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2023/04/jack-nicholsons-big-breakdown-cry-baby.html" target="_blank"><i>The Cry Baby Killer</i></a> (1958).</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2023/04/jack-nicholsons-big-breakdown-cry-baby.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Screenshot - Jack Nicholson in The Cry Baby Killer (1958)" border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="520" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsFMohyBZtyHHyAvbFlzsJjzqv8kwd-MUMejy7z4VDLazWXlp8X7fdlkO6Qvf366KsqZvE1dQb8cqNCv7Igs3GqX7b6lqFiy51p-tFheHEZtkIKsYrJQfaFiv4tg9d-R3psIu0x4Ff03Tf2xz-5FAGVgKfWDAq8xa8iLTF6ZblRnEdEgIOaydO4iRRew/w400-h271/crybabykiller_hostages.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-53539967959218098472023-04-02T08:00:00.080-07:002023-04-02T09:05:43.744-07:00Jack Nicholson's Big Breakdown: The Cry Baby Killer<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 8px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitEDqeDW9ahd3YUg6rMGvhVMhcHNLd4Zw34ft_fIzkedBUADLjASkamjNZg59ggzg7UdjIkzxFlsj8bGNMwrWMdHhXSDao5d2PXk8O0m2kaQlPoHtY68fqxwi09_8zpKuTrP_viEfhRB2DxOebD_IdC48Sja36vAkBhZSXzwPPsZFmE9415IOn285WWw/s460/crybabykiller_poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Poster - The Cry Baby Killer (1958)" border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="307" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitEDqeDW9ahd3YUg6rMGvhVMhcHNLd4Zw34ft_fIzkedBUADLjASkamjNZg59ggzg7UdjIkzxFlsj8bGNMwrWMdHhXSDao5d2PXk8O0m2kaQlPoHtY68fqxwi09_8zpKuTrP_viEfhRB2DxOebD_IdC48Sja36vAkBhZSXzwPPsZFmE9415IOn285WWw/w214-h320/crybabykiller_poster.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>Now Playing: </b><b><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047149/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">The Cry Baby Killer</a> </i></b>(1958)</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pros:</b> Generally solid acting; several good moments of suspense and psychological drama; good jazz score
<br />
<b>Cons:</b> One of the more interesting characters disappears midway through; too much talk from the adults and not enough teen delinquency</span></div>
<p><span style="font-size: large;">This post is part of 'The Favorite Stars in B Movies' blogathon hosted by yours truly. Please check out the contributions from my fellow bloggers on a wide array of stars who appeared in B movies on their way up or down the career ladder, or who made Bs their own personal domain.</span></p>
<ul><li><a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2023/03/welcome-to-day-1-of-favorite-stars-in-b.html" target="_blank">Blogathon: Day 1</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2023/04/the-favorite-stars-in-b-movies.html" target="_blank">Day 2</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2023/04/its-wrap-day-3-of-favorite-stars-in-b.html" target="_blank">Day 3</a></li></ul>
<p>Superstars have to start somewhere. Sports stars typically prove themselves by grinding through a long succession of school, amateur and/or minor league programs. The path to movie stardom is more circuitous and subject to luck (that is, if you’re not part of an established Hollywood family), but over the years, B movies have helped serve as the minor leagues for aspiring stars.</p>
<p>“King of the Bs” Roger Corman has been producing movies since the mid-1950s. Once he perfected the art of making films quickly, cheaply and profitably, he reinvested the proceeds and leveraged his knowledge to become a sort of Hollywood minor league commissioner and film school director rolled into one. </p>
<p>The <a href="Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Corman#%22The_Corman_Film_School%22" target="_blank">list of high-powered Hollywood icons</a> who learned their craft on Corman productions is a long one. Among directors, such household names as Peter Bogdanovich, James Cameron, Francis Ford Coppola, Jonathan Demme, Ron Howard, and Martin Scorsese, among others, got invaluable early experience from “The Roger Corman Film School.” </p>
<p>Actors who got career boosts working for Roger include such luminaries as Charles Bronson, Sandra Bullock, David Carradine, Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones and Sylvester Stallone.</p>
<p>In 2010 Corman received a long overdue <a href="https://www.oscars.org/governors-awards/2009/roger-corman" target="_blank">honorary Academy Award</a> for his “rich engendering of films and filmmaking.”</p>
<p>One of Roger’s most successful “engenderment” projects is <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000197/?ref_=tt_cl_t_2" target="_blank">Jack Nicholson</a>, a 12 time Oscar nominee and 3 time winner. Although Corman helped jumpstart many acting careers that were already spluttering along, Nicholson was only 20 and had just one small TV part to his credit when he was picked for the title role in <i>The Cry Baby Killer</i> (Corman was executive producer and financed the film).</p>
<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBdNtBUK7jxb7WTkhu9fe0QnSwiHFgMoeTim2tInjB09x43mO0YUGireiG76jF8bVdZGmbuBYb01QKGKnB9v5v2fO5-PYJfQXEQFlXjJycFc8LOwiG7d60Bh2fS0gjdiVOBFu8zFtqL8u-R6hawMBWnhyz_qfJ6v7ntWUxzta9--JJLpGAY7JqgCnMGQ/s520/crybabykiller_littleshop.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Jack Nicholson in Little Shop of Horrors (1960)" border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBdNtBUK7jxb7WTkhu9fe0QnSwiHFgMoeTim2tInjB09x43mO0YUGireiG76jF8bVdZGmbuBYb01QKGKnB9v5v2fO5-PYJfQXEQFlXjJycFc8LOwiG7d60Bh2fS0gjdiVOBFu8zFtqL8u-R6hawMBWnhyz_qfJ6v7ntWUxzta9--JJLpGAY7JqgCnMGQ/s16000/crybabykiller_littleshop.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who knew this man would go on to collect all those Oscar statuettes?</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><i>Cry Baby</i> wasn’t the most auspicious of debuts -- the movie is only an hour long, and Nicholson spends most of his screen time pouting, scowling and waving a gun around. But it was the start of a productive relationship that saw Jack appearing in seven more Corman productions. In addition, under Roger’s tutelage Jack secured a producer credit for the western <i>Ride in the Whirlwind</i> (1966) and two writing credits, for <i>Ride</i> and the groundbreaking psychedelic exploitation film <i>The Trip</i> (1967).</p>
<p>Jack later summed up his work with Corman in typical Nicholsonian fashion: “He saved all of our careers. He kept us working when no one else would hire us. For this, we are all eternally grateful. For the fact that he was able to underpay us, <i>he</i> is eternally grateful.” [Philip di Franco, ed., <i><a href="https://www.alibris.com/The-movie-world-of-Roger-Corman-Roger-Corman/book/4487444?matches=6" target="_blank">The Movie World of Roger Corman</a></i>, Chelsea House, 1979, p. 134.]</p>
<p>Corman may have wished he’d paid the cast of <i>Cry Baby</i> Killer even less -- it was the frugal producer’s first movie that failed to make a profit in its theatrical release (although it eventually recouped its costs with sales to TV).</p>
<p>Certainly all the elements of ‘50s drive-in popularity were there: a title character with James Dean-like angst, teen gang fights, gunplay, a tense stand-off with the cops in a hostage situation, and of course, adult squares looking on disapprovingly of the whole mess.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VlghVFLSaFwXv4OLFSbHX_ImgnLsC6r0i-Ps0eOWJb6g62pdeX9pGXq_rVs00mRVXL1h-7QLnkMAwZEi5sen06A5AD3bbbyXGGzNuog300qo5bxrF7TtH_K5376buwCSLIGU8ZYg2-4FWUFvlcL-L7jqgwV7FAc4uAlnIu1WTHMDSMP6ROnvNvZLHg/s520/crybabykiller_hearing.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Roger Corman cameo as U.S. Senator in The Godfather II (1974)" border="0" data-original-height="292" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VlghVFLSaFwXv4OLFSbHX_ImgnLsC6r0i-Ps0eOWJb6g62pdeX9pGXq_rVs00mRVXL1h-7QLnkMAwZEi5sen06A5AD3bbbyXGGzNuog300qo5bxrF7TtH_K5376buwCSLIGU8ZYg2-4FWUFvlcL-L7jqgwV7FAc4uAlnIu1WTHMDSMP6ROnvNvZLHg/s16000/crybabykiller_hearing.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roger Corman (center) holds hearings on why <i>Cry Baby Killer</i> didn't earn more at the box office.<br />(Or is this his cameo as a U.S. Senator in Godfather II? Hmmm... I'll get back to you...)</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>It’s hard to imagine in our current age of ubiquitous smartphones, social media and video games, but back in the day teens spent much of their free time engaging with the real world, and as a result had a lot more potential for getting into trouble.</p>
<p>Although the U.S. emerged from WWII more prosperous and powerful than ever, Americans spent much of the following decade finding things to be anxious about, from supposed communists in Washington and Hollywood, to the Bomb, to -- you guessed it -- teenagers that spelled Trouble with a capital T. </p>
<p>The “Greatest Generation” was resentful of youths who had the audacity to enjoy the freedoms and prosperity that had been bequeathed to them. Teenagers were the new anti-Boy Scouts: Untrustworthy, unhelpful, unfriendly, unkind, disobedient, sullen, cowardly and definitely not reverent.</p>
<p>Congress set about <a href="[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_Subcommittee_on_Juvenile_Delinquency]" target="_blank">investigating the baleful influence of comic books</a>, and religious zealots across the country denounced rock and roll as the Devil’s music designed to lead kids astray. </p>
<p>Hollywood jumped on the juvenile delinquent bandwagon with pictures like <i>The Wild One</i> (1953), The <i>Blackboard Jungle</i> (1955) and <i>Rebel Without a Cause</i> (1955). The problem, at least from the censorious adult perspective, was that in trying to maximize ticket sales, the studios made bad kids, exemplified by the likes of James Dean, positively glamorous (okay, maybe not so much in the screenshot below). </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJMXwdQMFfF4tUmxUmm0I82fmird5a4Q6ABR8nYyoTXfBOhObDDQIaNovVcD651Pjb2kecNKMg1ihHfu-kSRhIi_nvWTi5Ulzyb9JciFqgNqG4Q3w94j67OydgJDthjowyiwl3rBB86VfUjKSpPRJkOCFD9p99ssT0tLX6ERuTeV29lqPPNIln-XUiA/s520/crybabykiller_jamesdean02.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause (1955)" border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJMXwdQMFfF4tUmxUmm0I82fmird5a4Q6ABR8nYyoTXfBOhObDDQIaNovVcD651Pjb2kecNKMg1ihHfu-kSRhIi_nvWTi5Ulzyb9JciFqgNqG4Q3w94j67OydgJDthjowyiwl3rBB86VfUjKSpPRJkOCFD9p99ssT0tLX6ERuTeV29lqPPNIln-XUiA/s16000/crybabykiller_jamesdean02.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James Dean paved the tearful way for teen anti-heroes like the Cry Baby Killer.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Bad kids were so good for business that movie screens exploded with <i>Untamed Youth</i> (1957) <i>Running Wild</i> (1955) and committing <i>Crime in the Streets</i> (1956). And it wasn’t just the boys who were leading the charge into delinquency and degradation. <i>Hot Rod Girl</i>(s) (1956), <i>High School Hellcats</i> (1958) and various <i>Girls on the Loose</i> (1958) competed with the males to <i>Live Fast, Die Young</i> (1958) or else pay their debts to society as <i>Reform School Girl</i>(s) (1957).</p>
<p>Roger Corman was never one to let a hot topic go unexploited, and indeed, he dove into it with a vengeance, producing four teen-oriented films in 1957 alone: <i>Rock All Night</i>, <i>Teenage Doll</i>, <i>Carnival Rock </i>and <i>Sorority Girl</i>.</p>
<p>The next year Corman rode the crest of the teen wave with <i>Hot Car Girl</i>, <i>Teenage Caveman</i> (playing off the popularity of <i>I Was a Teenage Werewolf</i> and <i>I Was a Teenage Frankenstein</i> that had come out the year before), and of course, <i>Cry Baby Killer</i>.</p>
<p>Somehow, Jack Nicholson’s big screen debut ended up being the box office weakling in this gang. It may not have helped that the teen delinquency movie market was thoroughly saturated by this point. But <i>Cry Baby</i> has its share of problems beyond the obviously miniscule budget. </p>
<p>Jack plays Jimmy Wallace, an average teenager who gets beaten up in the opening scene by the school alpha male Manny (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0357020/?ref_=tt_cl_t_4" target="_blank">Brett Halsey</a>) and his cackling cronies Joey (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0293689/?ref_=tt_cl_t_6" target="_blank">Ralph Reed</a>) and Al (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0277240/?ref_=tt_cl_t_13" target="_blank">James Fillmore</a>). Of course, the fight is over a girl, Carole (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0593198/?ref_=tt_cl_t_3" target="_blank">Carolyn Mitchell</a>).</p>
<p>Jimmy’s friend Fred helps him get back on his feet while Manny takes his crew to the local diner, where he meets up with Carole. Manny holds court in the diner like the King of Teenland, and he has a cruel streak to match. He browbeats Carole into denouncing poor Jimmy as a punk while Joey eggs everyone on.</p>
<p>Jimmy shows up at the diner with Fred in tow to reclaim his girl Carole. When things look like they’re getting out of hand, the diner owner, Pete Gambelli (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0724090/?ref_=tt_cl_t_11" target="_blank">Frank Richards</a>), barks at everyone to take it outside.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcah8XFkzbIBOS_ZWGLwBIV7IEXQcFzW1eF8HP7fA7yy9fEisU0yJF8ELy--vmyvGlS5afSjN8hWnEAxG4BG8LwCWEDmIRjQxbFrxsFYDyOQXdoCrDrX4_Aoh8gchHdlRPNvQdudo0F9JRuQ4X33uLkiB4MTMkHrncB1PyDzf7j5KpB1L-aicUubMWuQ/s520/crybabykiller_confrontation.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Confrontation at the diner, The Cry Baby Killer (1958)" border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcah8XFkzbIBOS_ZWGLwBIV7IEXQcFzW1eF8HP7fA7yy9fEisU0yJF8ELy--vmyvGlS5afSjN8hWnEAxG4BG8LwCWEDmIRjQxbFrxsFYDyOQXdoCrDrX4_Aoh8gchHdlRPNvQdudo0F9JRuQ4X33uLkiB4MTMkHrncB1PyDzf7j5KpB1L-aicUubMWuQ/s16000/crybabykiller_confrontation.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jimmy confronts Manny as he holds court at the diner.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>When the simmering confrontation turns into yet another fight, Jimmy grabs the gun that Al was wearing in his waistband, and off camera, shots ring out. </p>
<p>Policeman Glen Gannon (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0790122/?ref_=tt_cl_t_7" target="_blank">John Shay</a>), who has been outside flirting with Julie (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0142187/?ref_=tt_cl_t_5" target="_blank">Lynn Cartwright</a>), a waitress at the diner, confronts Jimmy, who is still holding the gun. At just the wrong time, a young mother with an infant (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0461756/?ref_=tt_cl_t_8" target="_blank">Barbara Knudson</a> as Mrs. Maxton) exits the restrooms, and oblivious to the drama unfolding, walks into the standoff.</p>
<p>From the adjacent storeroom, Sam, the kitchen assistant (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0925929/?ref_=tt_cl_t_14" target="_blank">Smoki Whitfield</a>), sees the woman’s dilemma and stealthily pulls her to safety into the building. Confused and scared, Jimmy refuses to throw down the gun and instead slowly backs into the storeroom and shuts the door. </p>
<p>Now Jimmy’s in a real fix -- he thinks he’s killed Manny and Al, and he’s backed himself into a corner as an accidental hostage-taker. The lives of an innocent man, woman and baby hang in the balance as the panicky young man grapples with what to do next. </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFuCJBR_WDUTU7UuJz9F3cAJ0KEV6kxQeukl1NIBm1u73vNlbgcQWm-exkdLBJ1lQ4e0fPISDqghj_B3BK7S09UREXTAEwqfkc_iO-63GuY2b3vb_f8zGmOrqSnDy3a9pd8fKihHYh2Opkpt1qjDzbiTzsRf4uqa4Pnoa9UR8kv7KGmIpSfNabNiIPg/s520/crybabykiller_hostages.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Jack Nicholson takes hostages in The Cry Baby Killer (1958)" border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqFuCJBR_WDUTU7UuJz9F3cAJ0KEV6kxQeukl1NIBm1u73vNlbgcQWm-exkdLBJ1lQ4e0fPISDqghj_B3BK7S09UREXTAEwqfkc_iO-63GuY2b3vb_f8zGmOrqSnDy3a9pd8fKihHYh2Opkpt1qjDzbiTzsRf4uqa4Pnoa9UR8kv7KGmIpSfNabNiIPg/s16000/crybabykiller_hostages.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Will somebody <i>please</i> tell me today's diner specials?!"</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>One of <i>Cry Baby’s</i> biggest problems is that its title character isn’t all that interesting. All we know about Jimmy is that he’s infatuated with Carole and he’s willing to get beaten up in desperate attempts to claim her as his girl. He’s somewhat scruffy looking and not all that bright. In the climactic standoff, he alternates between pouting and yelling at the woman to shut her baby up. Ultimately Nicholson would score a true breakout role in another low-budget youth picture, <i>Easy Rider</i>.</p>
<p>In contrast, Brett Halsey’s Manny is handsome, stylish (he wears a jacket and tie to his fights!), and self-assured to a fault. He has his own retinue of lackeys, and commands people and places with ease. He’s a mafia don, or maybe a Fortune 500 CEO, in the making. Even the middle-aged diner owner sucks up to Manny and looks the other way as he spikes his friends’ drinks with alcohol. He’s the privileged, amoral character you love to hate.</p>
<p>Instead of setting up a dramatic climactic clash between underdog Jimmy and his alphadog nemesis, <i>Cry Baby</i> dispenses with Manny mid-way through the film (we don’t even see him get carted off to the hospital after the gunshots), and introduces Jimmy to a new nemesis, a crying baby (which, come to think of it, gives a disturbing new meaning to the title -- don’t worry, no babies were harmed in the plot or filming of this motion picture!).</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3YYKA0iGXJa6NDfuedsbBhA5D3qAvcqAEjEwyiMXhDSqUtIoWA_IZNUjCwKUTMdZUOTlp28DgYrpfhoI9iCmPdqEi8t5fqTkPM5f3tmqmR3mdg5YjxkiCgRuqCbbJXLwlcNXv0Jp_4qzvVWp-XW-Rt03iTqiMQg0TuzjCWONvRf79DnXhdoIr5oE7OQ/s520/crybabykiller_mannyholdscourt.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Brett Halsey chats up Carolyn Mitchell in The Cry Baby Killer (1958)" border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3YYKA0iGXJa6NDfuedsbBhA5D3qAvcqAEjEwyiMXhDSqUtIoWA_IZNUjCwKUTMdZUOTlp28DgYrpfhoI9iCmPdqEi8t5fqTkPM5f3tmqmR3mdg5YjxkiCgRuqCbbJXLwlcNXv0Jp_4qzvVWp-XW-Rt03iTqiMQg0TuzjCWONvRf79DnXhdoIr5oE7OQ/s16000/crybabykiller_mannyholdscourt.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Of course I wear Pierre Cardin to all my gang fights - why do you ask?"</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>During the standoff, it’s the adults who steal most of the scenes. Upright, serious-as-death Lt. Porter (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0491591/?ref_=tt_cl_t_1" target="_blank">Harry Lauter</a>) takes over the crime scene (and several of the film’s scenes) delivering fatherly advice to the innocent and a good old-fashioned throttling to the guilty, specifically Joey, whose smartass attitude is too much for the exasperated cop. Porter even reads the riot act to the slimy diner owner Gambelli, who he finds out was allowing Manny and his friends to sneak alcohol into the establishment.</p>
<p>But it’s Julie the world-weary waitress who delivers the film’s most searing indictment of youth culture. We learn from her conversations with patrolman Gannon that Julie is a widowed single mom who is barely scraping by. Mid-way through the stand-off, when she sees that Carole is only thinking of herself and whining about the possibility of going to jail, she delivers a zinger:</p>
<p></p><blockquote>"I’ve been working in this dump for six months and I’ve seen a lot like you. You think because you’re 16 the world owes you something… well it doesn’t. You get what you work for, and <i>you</i> work to get Manny Cole! You’ll wind up in the gutter before you’re old enough to vote!"</blockquote><p></p>
<p>It’s a powerful scene, but the film spends too much time on adults standing around bemoaning the “youth of today," slowing things down and distracting from the very real drama of the hostage situation.</p>
<p>In addition to the overly-long scenes of Lt. Porter interviewing witnesses and Julie chatting up the lonely bachelor cop, there’s a lot of business around the carnival atmosphere that develops as the standoff plays out. Several of Corman’s regulars show up as onlookers. <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0625343/?ref_=tt_cl_t_15" target="_blank">Ed Nelson</a>, who plays a TV reporter, had already made a half dozen Bs for Corman, including <i>Rock All Night</i>, <i>Teenage Doll</i> and <i>The Brain Eaters</i>, and would make several more before becoming a fixture on TV. (Corman himself makes a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance as the TV truck flunky).</p>
<p>Two other Corman regulars, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0895259/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0" target="_blank">Bruno VeSota</a> and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0330388/?ref_=tt_cl_t_18" target="_blank">Leo Gordon</a>, appear intermittently as a pair of chuckleheads kibitzing with the crowd and impatiently waiting for something bad to happen. Gordon, who is credited with <i>Cry Baby’s</i> story as well as co-writer on the screenplay, has a couple of choice lines, including a rant as he grabs the TV reporter’s microphone:</p>
<blockquote>"I’ll tell you what I think mister, they oughta take these punk kids, throw ‘em in jail and throw away the key! My old man, if I did something wrong, he’d really sort me out!”</blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPG1onCTHt8k-MimbiKQlQz-feAuYGjlkiFVeYOk2hL3Xl3eHJPzS11ibmaQ_9L5WE_QEJaFsqikjo7AeOOgESjOuZZUU9P1M038lF1UGDcIqvai_A2Dks0kggc7qoc12S3QP7SaK3VBMDaXQCV-MWE1CvjcSV9cOOCuu3V5x5RUNhTFs-uT7tZgZI7Q/s520/crybabykiller_leo&bruno.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Leo Gordon and Bruno VeSota in The Cry Baby Killer" border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPG1onCTHt8k-MimbiKQlQz-feAuYGjlkiFVeYOk2hL3Xl3eHJPzS11ibmaQ_9L5WE_QEJaFsqikjo7AeOOgESjOuZZUU9P1M038lF1UGDcIqvai_A2Dks0kggc7qoc12S3QP7SaK3VBMDaXQCV-MWE1CvjcSV9cOOCuu3V5x5RUNhTFs-uT7tZgZI7Q/s16000/crybabykiller_leo&bruno.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leo Gordon and Bruno VeSota do their poor man's Abbott and Costello routine.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>The line is especially ironic, considering that Gordon, who ended up with a couple hundred acting credits and dozens for writing, was an authentic tough guy (and presumed juvenile delinquent) who had served five years at San Quentin for armed robbery before getting his first acting break. One of his directors, Don Siegel, called him “the scariest man I have ever met!” [<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0330388/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm" target="_blank">IMDb</a>]</p>
<p>But apparently Gordon wasn’t scary enough to prevent his script from being messed with. Corman recalled being unpleasantly surprised when, upon returning from an overseas trip and checking in on the production, he was informed by his assistant that everything was great and they had “licked the script.”</p>
<blockquote>"I said, ‘What do you mean, licked the script? It was a fine script. There was nothing wrong with that script.’ He [the assistant] said, ‘It had all kinds of problems. We’ve rewritten it totally and we solved all those problems.’ Well, they had wrecked the script, but were to begin shooting in two days. We put back a few things, but it was too late. The only good thing about the film was that Jack Nicholson made his debut in the picture and did a very nice job. …
Leo Gordon, who wrote the original script, had one good line. Playing a bystander, he said, ‘Teenagers -- we never had ‘em when I was a kid.’ I think that was true.’" [<i>The Movie World of Roger</i> Corman, p. 17]</blockquote>
<p>Roger was definitely proud to have given Nicholson his feature film debut, but he’s a little too hard on the film. In spite of its problems, the acting is generally solid, and it has several good moments of suspense and psychological drama. Plus, the brass jazz score by <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006086/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr5" target="_blank">Gerald Fried</a> livens things up considerably (also of note is the title song "Cry Baby, Cry," which is quite an anthem for the bottom half of a drive-in double bill.)</p>
<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-lwMHj4ibRMagr9Dp8eIo1DdE2jhguCnkGiapf60Pwd01ALO-FtzTkCYBrr2oPzRP4MGP85_22uiCVcuLhK5vvjSwIhlGHGus8mwLNRnKx3MDYHdDT-MvyhCY5gkNF_RUoDgDKvnQnLrfJrK8lUh5rZWsLBUxo2ZTuvTmygh7u6OFkw-QxK8Xw_w1w/s520/crybabykiller_jimmy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Close-up of Jack Nicholson in The Cry Baby Killer (1958)" border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-lwMHj4ibRMagr9Dp8eIo1DdE2jhguCnkGiapf60Pwd01ALO-FtzTkCYBrr2oPzRP4MGP85_22uiCVcuLhK5vvjSwIhlGHGus8mwLNRnKx3MDYHdDT-MvyhCY5gkNF_RUoDgDKvnQnLrfJrK8lUh5rZWsLBUxo2ZTuvTmygh7u6OFkw-QxK8Xw_w1w/s16000/crybabykiller_jimmy.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack was on the verge of tears when he finally saw his paycheck for <i>Cry Baby Killer</i>.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><i>Cry Baby Killer</i> could have been improved with more backstory for Jimmy (admittedly difficult for a 60 minute movie), and more of Manny, who is so delightfully bad that we’re sorry to see him get shot and disappear midway through. But hey, it was Jack’s party, and he got to cry like he wanted to.</p>
<p><b>Where to find it: </b><a href="https://tubitv.com/movies/466936/the-cry-baby-killer?start=true" target="_blank">Streaming 1</a> | <a href="https://youtu.be/2PM7cZBza-k" target="_blank">Streaming 2</a></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2023/01/announcing-favorite-stars-in-b-movies.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="720" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrjF4t_cFmmSN9fA6iFKBTVfkwG8ny8XsZwPWjhVnZmNpzQ1QGQLbYX-WCdQAHQAeZHh9M_j6qIMwrH8Hq77JeL4JYx3CU9NcFW8-k1ZFW6LcixWg3Tr8L7HUUWp-jn1tQ14GVAJMSAwFx-WYsmZHp7KYvriwW5aGbcBAzyLPQ4-9fEdW7Qh_XOVx3g/w400-h250/favstarsinbmovies_blogathon_nicholson.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-20210501083758707702023-04-01T08:50:00.002-07:002023-04-04T09:59:28.280-07:00The "Favorite Stars in B Movies" Blogathon: Day 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJRAqd0tLPgqh-jz0EUx0c4yr2-6THfBjzQzYcTNGyeuYUKPEgHV64EHpXCvD_pfqE14LSyzgSFS07Sp8JwLjhzX6YfjUVlkDwejifUljWQctYqh2uv-J_tYy8Bh4JOtKsmO7w6xVVd0HZZhZyhAd9692AhwCTrI4jkg5F0REZzcUgo94WK-Bfv7JBYg/s720/favstarsinbmovies_blogathon_nicholson.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Blogathon banner - Jack Nicholson in The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)" border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="720" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJRAqd0tLPgqh-jz0EUx0c4yr2-6THfBjzQzYcTNGyeuYUKPEgHV64EHpXCvD_pfqE14LSyzgSFS07Sp8JwLjhzX6YfjUVlkDwejifUljWQctYqh2uv-J_tYy8Bh4JOtKsmO7w6xVVd0HZZhZyhAd9692AhwCTrI4jkg5F0REZzcUgo94WK-Bfv7JBYg/w400-h250/favstarsinbmovies_blogathon_nicholson.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Happy April Fools’ Day, and welcome to Day 2 of the blogathon!</b> Today is the day for practical jokes, but don’t worry, we won’t bait you with a tantalizing link to a notable B movie only to redirect you to an online discussion of microscopic fungi instead (apologies to any mycologists who may be reading this).</span></p>
<p>Here at Films From Beyond we’re serious about having fun with B movies, and the purpose of the blogathon is to showcase the talents of bloggers who share that philosophy.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2023/03/welcome-to-day-1-of-favorite-stars-in-b.html" target="_blank"><b>Day 1</b></a> of the blogathon featured a plethora of actors and actresses in a variety of genre roles, from mind control victims (Ian Ogilvy), to post-apocalyptic death-racers (Sylvester Stallone), to mad scientists (Joseph Cotten), to accused murderers (John Garfield), to family men battling juvenile delinquents (Alan Ladd), to cops and star witnesses running from the mob (Charles McGraw and Marie Windsor), to “ham” actors just being themselves (John Carradine). (See also the great posts from <a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2023/04/its-wrap-day-3-of-favorite-stars-in-b.html" target="_blank">Day 3</a>!)<br /></p>
<p>Day 2 promises to be just as diverse and fun-filled, so on with the show!</p>
<p><b>Dustin at <i>Horror and Sons</i></b> profiles the stars you should know, the ones you might know, and others you probably don't know in the alien invader film <i><a href="https://horrorandsons.com/2023/03/31/the-stars-of-without-warning-1980-a-famous-stars-of-b-movies-blogathon-submission/" target="_blank">Without Warning</a></i> (1980).</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://horrorandsons.com/2023/03/31/the-stars-of-without-warning-1980-a-famous-stars-of-b-movies-blogathon-submission/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Screenshot - Ralph Meeker and Neville Brand in Without Warning (1980)" border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="800" height="207" src="https://horrorandsons.files.wordpress.com/2023/03/ralph-meeker-and-neville-brand.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<p><b>Terence at <i>A Shroud of Thoughts</i></b> delves into the backstory of how Rory Calhoun ended up making Farmer Vincent's Fritters in <i><a href="https://mercurie.blogspot.com/2023/03/rory-calhoun-in-motel-hell-1980.html" target="_blank">Motel Hell</a></i> (1980).</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://mercurie.blogspot.com/2023/03/rory-calhoun-in-motel-hell-1980.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Poster - Motel Hell (1980)" border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6M8DBoDuagOZpVh0RDQC-s5sSIidwmT707nNHSXdsA7tJmWfJSqPXbLgYOiB2RrDmUWwm5SKq46f3ZHy0aHw5fkI6t4T7wn7LzfLdWJ7UsdLhsBhQ8Zrv-QORzceKlruhiUTlbP43y9f96DNnTb5-XbiTXkC8WHbeBk8xHKp0G_Mdwv1ZiA/s16000/Motell%20Hell.jpg" /></a></div>
<p><b>Andrew at <i>The Stop Button</i></b> analyzes Michael Landon's anger management issues in <i><a href="https://thestopbutton.com/2023/04/01/i-was-teenage-werewolf-1957/" target="_blank">I Was a Teenage Werewolf</a></i> (1957).</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://thestopbutton.com/2023/04/01/i-was-teenage-werewolf-1957/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Still - Michael Landon in I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957)" border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="672" height="135" src="https://i0.wp.com/thestopbutton.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/teenage-4k.jpg?w=672&ssl=1" width="400" /></a></div>
<p><i><b>Grand Old Movies</b></i> enumerates all the guilty pleasures to be had watching Joan Crawford bond with a primitive cave dweller in <i><a href="https://grandoldmovies.wordpress.com/2023/04/01/great-lady-down-but-never-out/" target="_blank">Trog</a></i> (1970).</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://grandoldmovies.wordpress.com/2023/04/01/great-lady-down-but-never-out/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Screenshot - Joan Crawford in Trog (1970)" border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="766" height="227" src="https://grandoldmovies.files.wordpress.com/2023/03/2023-03-25-22.png?w=768&h=435" width="400" /></a></div>
<p><b>Andrew at <i>Maniacs and Monsters</i></b> keeps score on Roy Scheider's performance in the baseball-horror mashup <a href="https://maniacsandmonsters.com/2023/04/01/pitcher-gets-the-hook-night-game/" target="_blank"><i>Night Game</i></a> (1989).</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://maniacsandmonsters.com/2023/04/01/pitcher-gets-the-hook-night-game/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Screenshot - Roy Scheider in Night Game (1989)" border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="800" height="211" src="https://i0.wp.com/maniacsandmonsters.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/E6BDDCCF-B78C-432D-BE5D-045FB2F13961_1_201_a.jpeg?resize=1024%2C542&ssl=1" width="400" /></a> </div>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">That's not all folks! Stay tuned for Day 3 of the blogathon, right here at Films From Beyond!</span></p>
Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-6630915183476128162023-03-31T07:48:00.007-07:002023-04-04T09:57:59.874-07:00Welcome to Day 1 of the "Favorite Stars in B Movies" Blogathon!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2KdzdYO5b1s0eWlFEphO7yq2SX7vRN75ZIpZi_ccaexORYr95UvVzkl_6bjKwgQzN9akp7ONs1TfFfGbv5ZkrVPaC0f-RgxRbr7u1Xlq4DE7hcoeE9KRHhprVEl9cS1IMtLFte_1pDaFcE9uXNeNS-DYZi7mCluDJhD7K0YSYTKuBHrmpIc9_sdfcw/s720/favstarsinbmovies_blogathon_welles.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Blogathon banner - Orson Welles in Bert I. Gordon's Necromancy (1972)" border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="720" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2KdzdYO5b1s0eWlFEphO7yq2SX7vRN75ZIpZi_ccaexORYr95UvVzkl_6bjKwgQzN9akp7ONs1TfFfGbv5ZkrVPaC0f-RgxRbr7u1Xlq4DE7hcoeE9KRHhprVEl9cS1IMtLFte_1pDaFcE9uXNeNS-DYZi7mCluDJhD7K0YSYTKuBHrmpIc9_sdfcw/w400-h250/favstarsinbmovies_blogathon_welles.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>It’s been over 12 years in the making... I started Films From Beyond in November 2010, and I’m only now getting around to hosting my first blogathon!</b> I’m gratified that the theme of "Favorite Stars in B Movies" has proven to be so popular; the lineup for the next three days is an intriguing mix of star performances in a variety of B’s spanning six decades. And a couple of contributions will be overviews of B movie careers.</span></p>
<p>If you’re inspired to join in, it's not too late! See the <a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2023/01/announcing-favorite-stars-in-b-movies.html" target="_blank">Announcement page</a> for guidelines, and feel free to share your link by emailing me, <a href="mailto:brschuck66@yahoo.com">brschuck66@yahoo.com</a>, messaging me on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/brschuck66" target="_blank">@brschuck66</a>), or using the comments on this page.</p>
<p>Many thanks to everyone who signed up and/or helped promote the blogathon on their sites or social media! You’ve made this first blogathon effort so much fun!</p>
<p>Before we get to today’s entries, here’s a favorite quote about working in B movies from a man who knew them well:</p>
<blockquote>“I don't resent being identified with B science fiction movies at all. Why should I? Even though they were not considered top of the line, for those people that like sci-fi, I guess they were fun. My whole feeling about working as an actor is, if I give anybody any enjoyment, I'm doing my job, and that's what counts.” - John Agar</blockquote>
<p>And now, without further ado, here's the first lineup of talented bloggers who have no reservations whatsoever writing about B movies and their stars:</p><p>(And don't miss these great blogathon posts: <a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2023/04/the-favorite-stars-in-b-movies.html" target="_blank">Day 2</a> | <a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2023/04/its-wrap-day-3-of-favorite-stars-in-b.html" target="_blank">Day 3</a>) <br /></p>
<p><b>Gill at <i>Realweegiemidget Reviews</i></b> conjures up an early Ian Ogilvy film role in <i><a href="https://weegiemidget.wordpress.com/2023/03/28/films-the-sorcerers-1967/" target="_blank">The Sorcerers</a></i> (1967).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://weegiemidget.wordpress.com/2023/03/28/films-the-sorcerers-1967/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Screenshot - Boris Karloff and Ian Ogilvy in The Sorcerers (1967)" border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="705" height="216" src="https://weegiemidget.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/sourcerers-e1672230217757.jpg?w=705&h=380&crop=1" width="400" /></a></div>
<p><b>Rich at <i>By Rich Watson</i></b> remembers a pre-Rocky Sylvester Stallone in Roger Corman's <i><a href="https://byrichwatson.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-real-don-steele-went-hollywood-in.html" target="_blank">Death Race 2000</a></i> (1975).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://byrichwatson.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-real-don-steele-went-hollywood-in.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Screenshot - Sylvester Stallone in Death Race 2000 (1975)" border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="400" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_JJiHtOQ4QlFYfzt2SIG5HpBp9FT04tpg_kjuyRWPDzGRfHbvR2APYPzy8flwWVM84oqBpXsFQK2QE6j24RTpGbBm4sdMU4dKovy8an--qtuMIamc9WXA2iatN-s1YPeOGmQUWzG74CIO-rMzGK74EcYt8-tc2OJi5jEwucs5bfNzuAM3vUFyS_9w/w400-h225/A8DB9D20-3A47-4673-B479-4F8630AB93A0.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<p><b>At <i>Maniacs and Monsters</i>, Michael's catch-of-the-day</b> is Joseph Cotten's performance in <i><a href="https://maniacsandmonsters.com/2023/03/31/a-fine-kettle-of-fishmen/" target="_blank">Island of the Fishmen</a></i> (1979).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://maniacsandmonsters.com/2023/03/31/a-fine-kettle-of-fishmen/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Screenshot - Joseph Cotten in Island of the Fishmen (1979)" border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="800" height="190" src="https://i0.wp.com/maniacsandmonsters.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Island-of-the-Fishmen-Barbara-Bach-Joseph-Cotten-and-Claudio-Cassinelli.png?resize=1024%2C487&ssl=1" width="400" /></a></div>
<p><b>Ruth at <i>Silver Screenings</i></b> puts out an all points bulletin for John Garfield in <a href="https://silverscreenings.org/2023/03/31/1930s-warner-bros-crime-and-disillusionment/" target="_blank"><i>They Made Me a Criminal</i></a> (1939).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://silverscreenings.org/2023/03/31/1930s-warner-bros-crime-and-disillusionment/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Still - John Garfield in They Made Me a Criminal (1939)" border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="800" height="249" src="https://silverscreenings.files.wordpress.com/2023/03/john-garfield-and-east-end-kids.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<p><b>Jo at <i>The Last Drive In</i></b> serves up generous portions of ham in her two-part look at the B movie career of John Carradine: <a href="https://thelastdrivein.com/2023/03/31/john-carradine-i-am-a-ham-part-1/" target="_blank">Part 1</a> | <a href="https://thelastdrivein.com/2023/03/31/john-carradine-i-am-a-ham-part-2/" target="_blank">Part 2</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://thelastdrivein.com/2023/03/31/john-carradine-i-am-a-ham-part-1/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Still - John Carradine in House of Dracula (1945)" border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="768" height="302" src="https://i0.wp.com/thelastdrivein.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/House-of-Dracula-5.png?resize=768%2C580&ssl=1" width="400" /></a></div>
<p><b>Mike at <i>Mike's Movie Room</i></b> keeps tabs on Alan Ladd as he battles a violent gang in <i><a href="https://michaelsmovieworld.blogspot.com/2023/03/alan-ladd-in-13-west-street-1962.html" target="_blank">13 West Street</a></i> (1962).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://michaelsmovieworld.blogspot.com/2023/03/alan-ladd-in-13-west-street-1962.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Screenshot - Alan Ladd in 13 West Street (1962)" border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YWZqc7K3b4XVQO2yodnX__UOa5DVaW1rx78gC4O6LXH4vUfH6r-Djk8R621-Numw4iSVi9O1bAeI7A2HtPvxUlh2yXSqy959S8uDN-9ACynMLSSs7jowVPT0gYer7AsKqmaG26NEo6gQlVndzCMo6XKdtcAmnnldqOhTTGPYptrY9sqsiEYTL-1l/w400-h300/MV5BYzUwM2ViNTMtYzc0Zi00NWRhLWFjZTItMTRmZDdmMmFhYmI2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXRoaXJkLXBhcnR5LXZpZGVvLXVwZGF0ZXI@._V1_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<p><b>Christianne at <i>Krell Laboratories</i></b> finds the performances of Marie Windsor and Charles McGraw anything but marginal in <i><a href="http://krelllabs.blogspot.com/2023/03/favorite-stars-in-b-movies-blogathon.html" target="_blank">The Narrow Margin</a></i> (1952).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://krelllabs.blogspot.com/2023/03/favorite-stars-in-b-movies-blogathon.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Screenshot - Charles McGraw and Marie Windsor in The Narrow Margin (1952)" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjYHRjggtoo-lNLUL__bwg9Xcn7yWlS4faQkh3HZzlchOoFhihjH1LcaZfr6Dlqz6LzQcyBhrSy79KptJIOU3mtT9dXOOs02I90w61qZYi505PA4lpI4XhEq6jdwZ-v6m4LKrmykGOlmla1L5-3SZNQOGk5-9Az6UXFfBiD8HMy7PEUh5y2E/w400-h300/VLCScreenSnapz005.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;">That's all for now -- visit us tomorrow for more great posts!</span></p>Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4846293972880517466.post-8384207666197273912023-03-24T08:00:00.024-07:002023-03-26T08:33:43.046-07:00William Shatner's Early Exploration of the Unknown: "The Grim Reaper"<p><span style="font-size: large;">It’s time once again for <i>Films From Beyond</i> to turn its attention to great TV of the past, inspired by Terence Towles Canote’s Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon at <i><a href="http://mercurie.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-9th-annual-favourite-tv-show.html" target="_blank">A Shroud of Thoughts</a></i> (tune in to Terence’s site for more posts on classic television from an impressive list of bloggers).</span></p>
<p>Years before <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000638/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0" target="_blank">William Shatner</a> embarked on his five year mission to seek out new life and new civilizations as captain of the starship Enterprise, he explored the darkest recesses of the human mind (not to mention the paranormal) in a succession of sci-fi, fantasy and horror-related TV roles.</p>
<p>One of Shatner’s better known pre-Star Trek appearances is as jittery airline passenger Bob Wilson in the classic <i>Twilight Zone</i> episode “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” (1963). I’ve covered it before on this blog but for those who missed it the first time: I was about eight or nine years old when I first encountered “Nightmare,” watching it in a darkened basement with my brother. When Wilson pulls back the window curtain next to his seat to see the gremlin goggling at him with his ugly mug pressed up against the pane, the two of us ran up the stairs yelling at the top of our lungs. (Somehow, that incident only fueled my fascination with the bizarre and grotesque. It must have been the adrenaline rush.)</p>
<p>Shatner had appeared in another classic <i>Twilight Zone</i> episode several years before. “Nick of Time,” (like "Nightmare," scripted by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Matheson" target="_blank">Richard Matheson</a>), is a clever and uncanny examination of the power of suggestion. Don Carter (Shatner) and his wife are passing the time at a small town diner waiting for their car to be fixed. They start feeding coins into a fortune-telling machine, and discover that the gadget seems to have a chilling knack for predicting their near future. Soon, the couple are afraid to leave the diner as the diabolical machine holds them in its thrall through the “fortunes” it dispenses. </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji97-r4C7ZT930XZB2t9dblWoxVSmQs2QhIB9VQx3gdxBAek70uc2gDcFZHCHtYylBSQdK6cGYCZZcWZH0hAFK5RCjWUQI1gWBgjh5aW7ynh6UBVwlgUWqaxN9YhJFL4dIlzlobwN9s5M0BzNZ23uJ7y09Fd6tpj-AntMlfD0NgLgAZlGoApn8zhYvsg/s520/thriller_shatner_nickoftime.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - William Shatner in "Nick of Time," The Twilight Zone, 1960" border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji97-r4C7ZT930XZB2t9dblWoxVSmQs2QhIB9VQx3gdxBAek70uc2gDcFZHCHtYylBSQdK6cGYCZZcWZH0hAFK5RCjWUQI1gWBgjh5aW7ynh6UBVwlgUWqaxN9YhJFL4dIlzlobwN9s5M0BzNZ23uJ7y09Fd6tpj-AntMlfD0NgLgAZlGoApn8zhYvsg/s16000/thriller_shatner_nickoftime.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">-"Am I going to enjoy this episode of <i>The Twilight Zone</i>?"<br />-"Without a doubt."</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>The future starship captain also appeared in another sci-fi/fantasy series beloved by ‘60s monster kids, <i>The Outer Limits.</i> Shatner guest-starred in the episode “Cold Hands, Warm Heart” (1964) as an astronaut who, after returning from a mission to Venus, is having disturbing visions and undergoing strange physiological changes. Although the episode is slow-paced and one of the weaker of the series, it was still a harbinger of TV space missions to come.</p>
<p>Another couple of Shatner appearances in early ‘60s macabre TV are perhaps less well-known but are must-sees for discriminating fans. Back in <a href="https://www.filmsfrombeyond.com/2019/10/a-tale-of-two-thrillers-part-two.html" target="_blank">October 2019</a>, I wrote about my pleasure in finally securing the DVD box set of the Boris Karloff-hosted <i>Thriller</i> TV series (1960-1962), and reviewed two notable episodes, “Pigeons from Hell” (based on the eerie Robert E. Howard story) and “The Incredible Doktor Markesan,” featuring Boris himself as the titular character. This creepy and atmospheric series, still underrated to this day, started out specializing in Alfred Hitchcockian thriller stories, then quickly turned to supernatural horror mid-way through the first season.</p>
<p>Fortunately for Shatner fans, the actor guest-starred in two of the series’ more memorable supernatural episodes. In fact, his second appearance in <i>Thriller</i> came in “The Grim Reaper,” which is the second highest rated episode of the entire series in IMDb (an impressive 8.4 out of 10 stars). </p>
<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 8px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b style="color: #990000;"> Now Playing: </b><b><i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047149/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">"The Grim Reaper"</a> </i></b>(Episode of Boris Karloff’s <i>Thriller </i>TV Series, first aired June 13, 1961)</span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pros:</b> Competent cast delivers an excellent mid-century Gothic tale with a twist of black humor; Writing, direction, photography and music score are top-notch
<br />
<b>Cons: </b>May be a bit slow-moving and talky for 21st century sensibilities</span></div>
<p>“The Grim Reaper” tells the tale of a cursed painting by a mad artist that brings sudden, violent death to anyone who owns it. In a prologue sequence set in the 19th century, a grim-faced gentleman, M. Pierre Redin (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199787/?ref_=tt_cl_t_4" target="_blank">Henry Daniell</a>), is trying to convince the landlady of a run-down boarding house to let him into the room where his son, the artist Henri Redin, is staying. The landlady is spooked by her boarder, calling his work “evil,” and telling the elder Redin that Henri would often go to the cemetery to do his sketching. </p>
<p>When they finally open the door, they’re startled to find Henri's lifeless body hanging from the rafters, his latest masterpiece, a depiction of the Grim Reaper with grinning skull face and wicked-looking scythe, sitting on an easel as if in mute witness to its creator’s suicide.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiuVL-IPcPoGD_aEubgA04gAI4HgvoUEnqUaaKaWCK94YEeDhOZe9GmvY1oywHnGzAhCjIM3LxlyV6AtkVcue1FFv4two-3tSBbhQy0n4ykRFKlVMgdi7AN73s7wTwD1Kzx8Onkp7rma8TmSCYoPweYKK42DZSZEHOlc51SrUqLEl9Z0s2Xsvt5liBmw/s520/thriller_grimreaper_prologue.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Fifi D'Orsay and Henry Daniell in "The Grim Reaper," Thriller TV series, 1961" border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiuVL-IPcPoGD_aEubgA04gAI4HgvoUEnqUaaKaWCK94YEeDhOZe9GmvY1oywHnGzAhCjIM3LxlyV6AtkVcue1FFv4two-3tSBbhQy0n4ykRFKlVMgdi7AN73s7wTwD1Kzx8Onkp7rma8TmSCYoPweYKK42DZSZEHOlc51SrUqLEl9Z0s2Xsvt5liBmw/s16000/thriller_grimreaper_prologue.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Henry Daniell was a mainstay of the <i>Thriller</i> series, appearing in 5 episodes.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>After Boris Karloff’s signature introduction of the story and the players, we cut to the present day (1961 that is), where young, dapper Paul Graves (Shatner) is arriving at his aunt’s country estate. He does a double-take when he sees a shiny black hearse parked near one of the garages, and a name plate, “Graves-End” attached to the front entrance.</p>
<p>We soon learn that Beatrice Graves (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0769791/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Natalie Schafer</a>) is a celebrated mystery writer with all the usual eccentricities, and that she came up with the hearse and tongue-in-cheek estate name to reinforce her public image.</p>
<p>Aunt Bea likes her martinis, her new part-time actor/full-time gigolo husband Gerald (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1813264/?ref_=tt_cl_t_6" target="_blank">Scott Merrill</a>), her attractive personal secretary Dorothy (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0020490/?ref_=tt_cl_t_5" target="_blank">Elizabeth Allen</a>) and her other possessions. But it’s Bea’s latest acquisition that has cast a pall around the house and prompted Paul's visit.</p>
<p>Sure enough, staring out from its place of honor on the wall of the library with its dead eye sockets is the Grim Reaper, as if patiently waiting to use its scythe on the inhabitants of its latest abode. To Bea, the painting is just another piece she got overseas to accentuate her house and her image.</p>
<p>But the painting is the reason for Paul’s visit; he’s worried for his aunt. Standing dramatically in front of the painting, and with the fireplace casting eerie shadows on the walls, Paul tells the assembled household residents that since the artist’s suicide, 15 of the painting’s owners have met unexpected and violent deaths. In every case, blood was seen on the blade of the Reaper’s scythe before the deaths. The group pooh-poohs the story, but right on cue, Paul hesitates, turns to look at the painting and haltingly touches it. With ominous violin music swelling, his hand emerges from the shadows, his fingers covered with blood!</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirf9IUOkD-CBkBhCWouL8WNOPA_PNJzt9nurIWp4A_BLgiVKCP_vvVprZ0UijxmXqWcmDEWIho2J6QOvIcOEiFFytmUqrocHUTuX4v4I3tvElcoJp_mQj2dTg2YTiBTLLfPUfaUhrTOlT7WgHG6h7NBIcrB4cs8snLcPi4dM5rf04xMtYOLScyqD0YzA/s520/thriller_grimreaper_painting.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - William Shatner standing in front of the painting of the Grim Reaper, "The Grim Reaper," Thriller TV series, 1961" border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirf9IUOkD-CBkBhCWouL8WNOPA_PNJzt9nurIWp4A_BLgiVKCP_vvVprZ0UijxmXqWcmDEWIho2J6QOvIcOEiFFytmUqrocHUTuX4v4I3tvElcoJp_mQj2dTg2YTiBTLLfPUfaUhrTOlT7WgHG6h7NBIcrB4cs8snLcPi4dM5rf04xMtYOLScyqD0YzA/s16000/thriller_grimreaper_painting.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul pauses for dramatic emphasis in front of the cursed painting.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Of course, the curse is going to be fulfilled and someone is going to die. But what will be the engine of doom? Paul insists that he’s not concerned about his aunt’s money, but is he hiding his true motivations? Or will it be Gerald’s wandering eye for the beautiful Dorothy?</p>
<p>“The Grim Reaper” is one of 10 <i>Thriller</i> adaptations and/or stories credited to esteemed master of the macabre <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Bloch" target="_blank">Robert Bloch</a>, best known for his novel <i>Psycho</i>, which Alfred Hitchcock notoriously adapted to the screen in 1960. In the DVD commentary, one of the contributors observes that the episode is exemplary of the series’ best offerings that were “about the intrusion of some normal character into a remote location where something’s been wrong for a very long time.” [Commentary: Ernest Dickerson, Gary Gerani, Tim Lucas & David J. Schow, <i>Thriller</i>, Image Entertainment, NBC Universal, 2010, episode 37]</p>
<p>From <i>Psycho</i> to “The Grim Reaper” to “The Hungry Glass” (the other Bloch-Shatner <i>Thriller</i> “collaboration”; see below), Bloch was all over the theme of denizens of the brightly-lit normal world stumbling into a very dark abnormal one, with dire consequences.</p>
<p>The commentators also mention that Bloch’s Reaper script was adapted from Harold Lawlor’s 1947 story “The Black Madonna” (Lawlor, like Bloch, was a frequent contributor to <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weird_Tales" target="_blank">Weird Tales</a></i> in the ‘30s and ‘40s.) In the original story, the cursed painting is of an eerie Madonna and Child. There is a scar on the Madonna’s face, and when it bleeds, it spells doom for whoever owns the painting.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31EtSRYYSQk0-boKpiZtTWoLuvNjbqTRkycuX_lBU9N6Lxb4f8KP16mtUjCYqeCC_b97sTb3fO5ml6sU0Z2gjyx6Azuuv38nZrG29jKdtQrqVCeytPOyQe62Mk9OJadl-XIzZxvLyux1-beQ_RVFlHsNn2kZip3CkyP5Z7zpWj4aO_sl1XNOJwpjqOw/s520/thriller_grimreaper_boris.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Boris Karloff's introduction to "The Grim Reaper," Thriller TV series, 1961" border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31EtSRYYSQk0-boKpiZtTWoLuvNjbqTRkycuX_lBU9N6Lxb4f8KP16mtUjCYqeCC_b97sTb3fO5ml6sU0Z2gjyx6Azuuv38nZrG29jKdtQrqVCeytPOyQe62Mk9OJadl-XIzZxvLyux1-beQ_RVFlHsNn2kZip3CkyP5Z7zpWj4aO_sl1XNOJwpjqOw/s16000/thriller_grimreaper_boris.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Someone is in mortal danger as sure as my name is Boris Karloff!" says William Henry Pratt.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>Bloch’s adaptation ups the creepiness factor, changing the subject of the painting to Death itself, and logically making blood on the scythe the harbinger of doom (although there’s something to be said for the off-kilter eeriness of a Madonna image not just shedding tears, but bleeding stigmata-like).</p>
<p>Bloch also added the prologue of M. Redin finding the body of his son hanging in the loft. Not only does the prologue provide a creepy cameo for the venerable character actor Henry Daniell (whose own gaunt, death-mask of a face would be featured in 5 Thriller episodes), but it also sets the stage for Bloch’s mordant black humor.</p>
<p>After discovering the body of the young artist, M. Redin and the Landlady stare at the painting of the Grim Reaper. Redin solemnly remarks, “His last picture… and he finished it.” The landlady’s rejoinder: “Perhaps <i>it</i> finished him!”</p>
<p>Bloch inserts a number of quips into the first couple of acts, allowing the viewer to whistle past the graveyard (or the Grim Reaper) so to speak, as he sets up the suspense to follow.</p>
<p>When Paul first arrives, Beatrice airily invites him to “come in, we mustn’t let fresh air into the house!” Then, as Bea is leading him on a tour of the house, he quips, “Who designed this, Charles Addams?” (At this point the original <i>Addams Family</i> TV show was only a gleam in some TV executive’s eye, but the cartoons on which it was based were hugely popular.)</p>
<p>Gradually the witticisms fade away as the moods of the four main characters darken (a bleeding painting of Death will do that to you). Natalie Schafer as Beatrice is particularly notable. Vintage TV fans will recognize her as Mrs. Howell from <i>Gilligan’s Island</i>, who was always trying to bring a touch of class to the tropical island on which she was marooned.</p>
<p>Beatrice’s situation isn’t that far off from Mrs. Howell’s: she too is isolated (although voluntarily, and at a sprawling country estate with all the amenities), and deals with her boredom by collecting expensive art objects and husbands. At the beginning she is all frivolity, but by the end of the 2nd act she is morosely nursing a drink, telling Paul that “Death has no terrors for me,” and that as a mystery writer, “Death is just a business partner.”</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJopGT5FTb_5nUySIDT1ABVttlLaXLtZEnXUAoJveOcx7_VFtcLXqZ5XwqfaskiU5Cm6fDgfDlx1WnGBpfsZfL3m7qhysTEfbTwSaGL1Fg2IE3Qdi6RiUYYXvsEW72eKAfDYjExyPOBHE4T-Tb647GQYA0TEwI8S4LHdF-Lej03Cel8xyJwiNfSX1xA/s520/thriller_grimreaper_auntbea.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - William Shatner and Natalie Schafer in "The Grim Reaper," Thriller TV series, 1961" border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDJopGT5FTb_5nUySIDT1ABVttlLaXLtZEnXUAoJveOcx7_VFtcLXqZ5XwqfaskiU5Cm6fDgfDlx1WnGBpfsZfL3m7qhysTEfbTwSaGL1Fg2IE3Qdi6RiUYYXvsEW72eKAfDYjExyPOBHE4T-Tb647GQYA0TEwI8S4LHdF-Lej03Cel8xyJwiNfSX1xA/s16000/thriller_grimreaper_auntbea.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beatrice contemplates her long-time business partner, Death.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>It’s quite a performance, and wearing an elegant, black sequined evening dress, she comes off as a sort of anti-matter, dark universe doppelganger of the eternally entitled and optimistic Mrs. Howell.</p>
<p>The other three main cast members all have their moments as well. William Shatner gives a largely restrained and nuanced performance as Paul, who we quickly realize is holding something close to the vest. He does go over the top, Shatner-style, at two crucial moments, but hey, maybe the painting made him do it!</p>
<p>Scott Merrill as the husband doesn’t have much to do except be lounge-lizardy, but towards the end he has what the DVD commentators describe as one of the better acting moments of its type in the whole series (you’ll have to watch the episode to see what they mean).</p>
<p>Similarly, Elizabeth Allen is not much more than an attractive accessory (and possible red herring) until the climax, when she gets to show how convincingly horrified she can be.</p>
<p>The other stars of the episode are director <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0202297/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Herschel Daugherty</a> and director of photography <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0856844/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr5" target="_blank">Bud Thackery</a>, who do a great job of methodically hemming in the characters and steering them to their fates with dramatic tight shots and growing shadows and darkness.</p>
<p>And then there’s <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000025/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0" target="_blank">Jerry Goldsmith</a>, whose score effectively employs violins that serve at various key moments as a somber, moaning Greek chorus.</p>
<p>With “The Grim Reaper,” the <i>Thriller</i> series was at the top of its game, employing some of its very best talents to deliver one of the most chilling TV episodes of the era.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ74Y4OLH-LyvM_vWXfVEq288Rk_lfp1g-R6CiSWTEB-8p_GOkweiMM-gccumEpTGe7kEsxEql4W4cLq85eEpi_Bgc-42f3Ddg5tJgQT1OvwmbMJfOsGdW8CXYbNAuWS0gHHucXo2psEtHD5bdzkagkK19_uac4SxHQeFN-_aEPktqbYhAWBw-NTUi_w/s520/thriller_grimreaper_dorothy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - Elizabeth Allen in "The Grim Reaper," Thriller TV series, 1961" border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ74Y4OLH-LyvM_vWXfVEq288Rk_lfp1g-R6CiSWTEB-8p_GOkweiMM-gccumEpTGe7kEsxEql4W4cLq85eEpi_Bgc-42f3Ddg5tJgQT1OvwmbMJfOsGdW8CXYbNAuWS0gHHucXo2psEtHD5bdzkagkK19_uac4SxHQeFN-_aEPktqbYhAWBw-NTUi_w/s16000/thriller_grimreaper_dorothy.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dorothy is horrified by her employer's decorating tastes.</td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><b>Where to find it:</b> <a href="https://youtu.be/LjqInY4RoSE" target="_blank">Streaming</a></p>
<div style="background-color: #cccccc; padding: 6px;">
<h3>Bonus mini-review: “The Hungry Glass,” first broadcast January 3, 1961</h3>
<p>The first <i>Thriller</i> episode guest-starring William Shatner has several things in common with “The Grim Reaper”: It too features a haunted object (or in this case, objects); Robert Bloch had a hand in the writing (providing the story for <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0382227/?ref_=tt_ov_wr" target="_blank">Douglas Heyes</a> to adapt); and Elizabeth Allen -- Dorothy in “The Grim Reaper” -- guest stars as well. </p>
<p>Shatner plays Gil Thrasher, a professional photographer who with his wife Marcia (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1812862/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Joanna Heyes</a>), has quit the rat race of the big city and bought an old house on the New England coast. In typical ghost story fashion, the grizzled locals at the general store cryptically warn the couple of the place’s malignant reputation.</p>
<p>The gregarious real estate agent who sold the place to the Thrashers, Adam Talmadge (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0426157/?ref_=tt_cl_t_4" target="_blank">Russell Johnson</a>) tells the couple of the house’s original resident, a young girl who had become addicted to looking at herself in the mirror. After a lifetime spent admiring her reflection, a nephew finally intervened and locked her away without her precious mirrors, where she died a raging madwoman. Since then, people have come to bad ends at the house in encounters with mirrors and glass. As a consequence, all the mirrors have been removed.</p>
<p>On cue, Gil sees a mysterious apparition in a window. The mystery deepens when Gil discovers an eerie, phantom-like face of a little girl in one of the photographs he took of the house. Gil and Marcia soon discover a secret room off of the attic in which all the missing mirrors are stored. When Talmadge and his wife Liz (Elizabeth Allen) join the Thrashers for a house-warming party on a dark and stormy night, you know all hell is going to break loose. </p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq5R3TTE8KSluO0v2-YnnhxMonT3NVNamwHcMxp-tuAWBnWNVWcc8JUrFSHrgZis-gb6QYQgPVnrWCVl5ZRy3cFURysLWCiwRAz5i-ZJeI-6eGQR03GdPZpEKQVTQ4LkodPGuKNdQpKSQqStQsc0eGslT2mVrInOOv_naT5KqBjaYJHD38o-nSFztMZw/s520/thriller_hungryglass.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Screenshot - scene from "The Hungry Glass," Thriller TV series, 1961" border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq5R3TTE8KSluO0v2-YnnhxMonT3NVNamwHcMxp-tuAWBnWNVWcc8JUrFSHrgZis-gb6QYQgPVnrWCVl5ZRy3cFURysLWCiwRAz5i-ZJeI-6eGQR03GdPZpEKQVTQ4LkodPGuKNdQpKSQqStQsc0eGslT2mVrInOOv_naT5KqBjaYJHD38o-nSFztMZw/s16000/thriller_hungryglass.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marcia takes a moment to reflect on the wisdom of buying a creepy haunted house.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Like “The Grim Reaper,” “The Hungry Glass” focuses on a handful of people grappling with a malignant supernatural force in an old dark house. There is a striking prologue featuring the reflection of a beautiful young girl in 19th century formal dress prancing and preening in a succession of ornate mirrors. The scene turns nightmarish when the camera pulls back to reveal that the source of the reflection is a hideous old crone.</p>
<p>The mirrors make another remarkable appearance mid-way through the episode, when the secret room is discovered. A shot of Marcia’s multiple reflections in dozens of old mirrors is both dazzling and ominous.</p>
<p>“The Hungry Glass” is one of a number of ghost stories that effectively plays on the uncanny nature of mirrors, especially in creepy old houses, and our ability to imagine dark forces that lurk behind the glass.</p>
<p><b>Where to find it:</b> <a href="https://youtu.be/ZMzjzoUZDec" target="_blank">Streaming</a></p>
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Brian Schuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08463833554200343247noreply@blogger.com14