Karloff: Today's Hip Celebrity

Why do these photos of the Monster kind of remind me of photo shoots of curent day pop celebrities posing in a dark suit with thick soled shoes? Yes, Mr. Karloff, your photo shoots are meant to promote the movie but to me the photos predict the "celebrity" status he acquires as a horror film great. Little did he know.
Little did they know. It must have really been exciting to be there and be a part of the early days of the horror film genre starting with Universal studios followed by MGM and other studios wanting a piece of the pie. My film geekness and love of old flicks is showing right now, can you tell? I always feel sorry for the Monster because he is so misunderstood. Whenever I watch the films"Frankenstein" (1931) and "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935) I feel a mix of sadness and awe. Sadness because how sad the Monster's life is once created and awe because of the cinematic beauty of both films.
The first glimpses we see of the Monster in "Frankenstein" are memorable. Super! The richness of black and white movies. Gorgeous. Why the need for colorization decades down the road....I just don't get it. Anyhoo...on with the show.

Boris Karloff's birthday 11/23

Happy Birthday Boris Karloff~November 23~

My birthday today...

I am 50 years old today and boy is it a scream.

40th Anniversary of Strange Paradise Oct.20

It has been many years since I watched "Strange Paradise" when it first aired. I don't remember much of the plot...but I do remember the exotic location, the laboratory...kinda spooky storylines, odd characters, the scientist and of course, the cliffhanger at the end of each 30 minute episode. Weekday afternoons were spent with several of us kids gathering at a friend's house after school hunkered around the television in rapt attention and anticipation spending an hour of delightful escapism away from the rigors of daily life (and homework) to eagerly watch back-to-back Strange Paradise" followed by "Dark Shadows" ". Why "Strange Paradise" lasted less than a year is a mystery to me. My juvenile mind loved the suspense and quirky storylines and it made a strong impression on my fifth-grader mind. Can't say that about many programs on television nowadays.

Happy Howl-oween!

This Halloween Hounds photo was sent to me in an email a few years back and I have kept it ever since because it is so cute! Dogs will do the darndest things for their pets. The origin of the photo is lost to me but I have seen it listed as a reference point on Google Images quite a few times so apparently it is very popular and has been used in many blogs.

woof!

Who'd a thunk! Yesterday while watching the CBS News Sunday Morning a segment about The Twilight Zone was aired in celebration of it's 5oth anniversary. Yep, the first episode aired on October 2, 1959. I still remember watching the show in reruns when I was five or six and feeling creeped out by the episode that dealt with the dolls in the donation bin. My favorite was "The Bewitchin' Pool". Over the years I have enjoyed watching them again during marathon runs on Sci Fi channel (now SyFy...what gives with that?). Twilight Zone truly made a lasting impression on my young, impressionable little brain. Happy Anniversary Twilight Zone. Thank you Rod Serling.


I highly recommend a biography on Rod Serling written by Joel Engel, "Rod Serling: the dreams and nightmares of life in the twilight zone: a biography", published in 1989.

Ah...the month of Halloween!

Years ago just for fun I started a tradition in watching horror movies throughout October to celebrate the Halloween month. Hey, why not? This year I couldn't wait so I started a month early and have been enjoying many fun, scary movies: The Black Cat, Young Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy (Hammer), Mad Monster Party (taped back in '99 on AMC and it has the introduction by Roger Corman who presented a Halloween film series for AMC at the time!). The Hammer version of The Mummy I taped off of AMC, gosh, back in the 1990's (before they changed their format-boo!- and also started showing commercials, yuck!) is showing a few little pops and markings on the tape but is still enjoyable to watch.

The photo above (image source here) is from The Black Cat, a rather bizarre, fascinating, expressive, twisted, kind of creepy film and truly fun to watch. It's right up my alley. In one scene, Polzeig (Karloff) and Wedergast (Lugosi) play chess to decide the outcome of a young insuspecting couple who accidentally get in the middle of the personal vendetta between the two men. Be afraid, be very afraid for you are trapped in a remote location (of course) and surrounded by some wierd characters out for blood/revenge (of course), with a coven tossed in for good measure. A solid foundation for any scary Dark-Old-House-type thriller recipe. The film's imaginative storytelling visuals (see photo) tickle your imagination. It is expressively told with the beauty of black and white.

Happy Birthday to Bilbo and Frodo!

This is a day late but Happy Birthday to Bilbo Baggins and Frodo Baggins of the Shire! Hobbits know a thing or two about celebrating birthdays and not a week passes by that it is somebody's birthday in Hobbiton .

Perhaps a stop at the Green Dragon Inn at Bywater in the Shire to start the birthday fete with dinner: a good hearty stew, potatoes, a tasting of the local cheese, a berry pie, and wash it all down with some delicious ale. Sing some cheery songs, down some more ale and realize it is time to have some supper. A nice way to celebrate a birthday don't you think?