The Vault of Horror

The Many Faces of Boris Karloff, Vol. 2

2012-01-29T19:14:00.004-05:00

VAULT VLOG: Of Awards and Things...

2012-01-28T09:30:00.002-05:00

Love Stalker: If David Lynch Made a Rom-Com...

2012-01-25T22:25:00.007-05:00

I've been well-acquainted with the raw talent of micro-budget filmmaker Matt Glasson since I reviewed his 2007 featurette The Family Tie. I titled that review "If Dali Made a Revenge Flick"--a response to the absurdist lens through which Glasson and co-director Scott Greene interpreted the classic '70s exploitation subgenre. This time out, I was struck by another bold and jarring juxtaposition. Only now, I was viewing a much more polished product, and most importantly of all, a feature-length film.

Love Stalker is the feature directing, writing and acting debut of Glasson, who has the kind of presence one can easily imagine being put to use at some point on a much grander stage. For now, until someone with some serious scratch wakes up and realizes what he's capable of, I'll be content to watch him do his thing with movies like this for as long as he chooses.

Although the film may not really be horror by any stretch of the imagination, I'm giving it a pass and reviewing it here because of the surprising manner in which it disturbed me, and because of the psychological terrain it explores. Glasson and co-director/screenwriter Bowls MacLean have done something quite daring here in deconstructing the modern romantic comedy to expose its sinister, discomforting underbelly. They have also endeavored to demonstrate exactly how someone becomes a stalker, which I found to be the film's most fascinating conceit.

Pete, our main character, is what modern parlance would label a "player"--a 30-something hipster whose sole purpose for existing seems to be to bed as many women as possible. Until he meets Stephanie (played by the lovely Rachel Chapman) and falls in love, only to have his love spurned once she discovers his amorous past. This leads Pete down a dark path, as he attempts to "win her back" using methods he's observed in popular romantic comedies.

From a structural standpoint, this is where the film achieves eminent watchability. What starts out as a light-hearted Swingers-esque romp in which Pete and his schlemazal buddy Tony joke their way through singles life in St. Louis jarringly shifts gears to become an unsettling examination of existential desperation and loss. Along the way, it makes some pretty biting commentary on the entire rom-com subgenre it seeks to both lampoon and dissect.

While the chemistry of the ensemble cast may not achieve the levels of a Swingers or an Office Space, it nevertheless is a cut above what one would expect from such a low-budget, first-time feature. Glasson does a fine job of making Pete a layered, wounded character who is at the same time charismatic and likeable despite his creepy transformation. We get to know him as a person, and can thus totally understand how and why he chooses such an irrational course of action. The one blemish of note is derived from a puzzling, dreamlike scene in which Pete is grilled by two ambiguous undercover cops in his apartment--it's sloppily paced, clumsily acted, and worst of all, unnecessary. But thankfully, it is a minor exception in an otherwise well-built motion picture.

The cinematography of Bart Elfrink and Joshua Lassing is also worth mentioning. It does a fine job of both showcasing the city of St. Louis that acts as a backdrop to the proceedings, as well as assisting in the portrayal of Pete's descent into madness. For example, there's a scene in which Pete hides out in Stephanie's bedroom closet while she makes love to another man that is easily the centerpiece of the picture, with its eery focus on a single sliver of light cast across Pete's face in the dark.

In the end, the movie deconstructs its subject matter so thoroughly that we're not even sure where reality ends and fantasy begins. Who was the real stalker--jilted player Pete or cold and calculating relationship blogger Stephanie? I was even tempted to ask the question of whether or not Stephanie ever even existed in the first place.

But I'll leave you to decide that. I recommend heading over to the official Love Stalker website to learn more about the film, including how to get your hands on it for either private or public screening. I'm not one to blindly support independent cinema regardless of quality. I support good cinema--and that's what this is.

Random Ramblings from the Vault...

2012-01-14T00:13:00.007-05:00

I'm very excited to announce that the fourth and final chapter of my long-running series of Godzilla discussions with Miguel Rodriguez of the Monster Island Resort podcast is now online, and you can view it here! That's right, I said view it. Miguel and I finally had an opportunity to meet in person last weekend, and recorded this to commemorate the event. A thrilling way to end the series, and I'd like to make it known here that we are now planning a series of podcasts on the Universal monster series--so stay tuned, Vault dwellers...

So I spent an evening with Captain Cruella and my folks watching both versions of The Blob, and now I can't get Burt Bacharach's kitschy Blob theme song out of my head. "Beware of the Blob!"

I just realized that I did a whole 2012 horror movie preview and left out Tim Burton's Dark Shadows with Johnny Depp. Major lapse right there. So let me officially say right here and now that I am supremely psyched for it.

I'm hoping to do a top 10 list very soon featuring my favorite haunted house movies. I have lots of ideas, needless to say. What might you include on such a list?

SyFy has this new show called Face Off, in which aspiring movie makeup effects people compete. On the season premiere, they were asked to "reinvent" the characters from The Wizard of Oz. So of course, they had to go all dark and twisted and give everything a horror spin. I can understand one team deciding to do this, but both? Yeesh, I love horror as much as the next guy, Lord knows--but there comes a time when you need to lighten up, people. It's The Wizard of Frakkin' Oz for crying out loud...

Another Friday the 13th has come and gone. Once again I had to endure legions of my fellow horror fans going on and on about a series of films that I seem to be in the decided minority for not really liking at all. It has to be nostalgia, that's the only thing that could explain such mass delusion.

The new Nosferatu at 90 series that I kicked off earlier this week seems to be getting a really great response. So nice to see such a classic still appreciated by so many. Thanks to everyone who checked it out. It will be a lot of fun exploring different aspects of the film over the course of its 90th anniversary year.

OK. Only one more Twilight movie to go. We can get through this together, people. All holding hands and supporting each other. It will all be over soon. Keep the faith, my friends.

In other news, The Vault of Horror has been nominated in Dead Lantern's Splatcademy Awards for Best Horror Blog/Website for the second year running. I'm honored to be included alongside such incredible sites as Arrow in the Head, Horror-Movies.ca, Final Girl and Shock Till You Drop. Go and cast your vote now--The Vault took home the prize last year; will it be two in a row? The voting ends February 20, with winners announced February 27.

Speaking of awards, the 4th Annual Cyber Horror Awards are already in motion, and I've recruited a stellar band of judges to help me determine the nominees for the best in horror film during 2011. I should have the list of nominees ready by early next month, so sit tight and keep checking the CHA website...

The Vault of Horror's 2012 Movie Preview!

2012-01-11T23:51:00.009-05:00

Let's face it. 2011 was not really the strongest year for horror. In fact, I'd say that it may just have been the weakest year since I began writing The Vault of Horror in 2007. Nevertheless, I'm pretty jazzed about what 2012 seems to have in store for us. If the Mayans are right, then I wouldn't really mind going down in a blaze of glory after witnessing this fine crop of fright flicks. Granted, some of these may very well turn out to be colossal stinkfests--only time will tell. I know I'll be checking out many a new horror film this year, and here are a bunch that I'm excited to see...

The Woman in Black
With Harry Potter now behind him, the grownup-ization of Daniel Radcliffe officially kicks off with this moody and atmospheric ghost thriller. I'm a big fan of good old-fashioned ghost stories, and this one has a great look to it. I'm hoping it delivers.

John Dies at the End
Phantasm maestro Don Coscarelli's return to horror has been making quite a stir at film festivals and gaining a lot of internet steam in the process. History has shown that this can all mean squat in the end, but I think it will at least be worth a look.

The Wicker Tree
The idea of a Wicker Man sequel written and directed by Robin Hardy, director of the original 1973 cult classic, is about as intriguing as it gets. This is something that Hardy has wanted to do for many, many years now, and I'll be lining up to see what he's come up with as soon as humanly possible. The cameo by Christopher Lee as Lord Summerisle is worth it alone.

Hotel Transylvania
Not to be confused with Transylvania 6-5000, this one is an animated flick directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, the genius behind Samurai Jack and Dexter's Laboratory, among other things. I'm thinking something along the lines of Igor, only hopefully it doesn't disappear in about two minutes flat.

[REC]3: Genesis
I've been a staunch champion of [REC] since day one. The original was easily the most frightening horror film of the previous decade, and I thought the sequel was a hell of a movie as well. That said, I have some serious reservations about this third one, as Paco Plaza may just have jumped the shark without his longtime partner Jaume Balaguero.

Twixt
Francis Ford Coppola, returning to the genre on which he cut his teeth some 50 years ago with Dementia 13? How could I not be interested in this, even with the participation of bloated, aging, pretentious hack Val Kilmer?

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Goofy? Perhaps a little. But I've got a soft spot for the whole historical/literary horror mashup subgenre that's been all the rage the past few years. If I'm not mistaken, this would be the first cinematic adaptation in that subgenre. Could Pride and Prejudice and Zombies be far behind?

Maniac
When I met William Lustig at a screening of the original Maniac last year at the Avon Theatre, even he seemed interested to see what the remake of his seminal serial killer exploitation movie would be like. Granted, that may have been due to the enormous paycheck he's sure to receive, but what the heck, I'm being optimistic. Elijah Wood in the Joe Spinell role? This I've got to see.

Piranha 3DD
You can razz me all you want, but I had a hell of a lot of fun with Piranha 3D a few years back. Not to mention that it might have been the goriest film I've ever seen in my life! I'm not expecting anything life-changing here, but if the Piranha sequel is even half as much fun as the first one, then I'm there.

Frankenweenie
After 25+ years, Tim Burton at long last gives his classic short subject the feature film treatment. Still black and white, this time out, the story of a boy who reanimates his dead dog will be told through stop-motion animation. I do believe Burton has some experience with this technique...

World War Z
We've been waiting for it for years. Max Brooks' 2006 novel was one of a kind, taking the exploding zombie genre places it had never been before. And now, the movie is nearly upon us. A Brad Pitt vehicle, it promises to be zombie horror on an epic, big-budget scale. Yes, it's rated PG-13, deal with it. This could be the Citizen Kane of zombie films if done right.

Prometheus
Without a doubt, this is the genre project that has the majority of my attention this year. I have high hopes for this one, and almost can't believe it's actually happening. After all these years, Ridley Scott will at last be telling the story of that mysterious spacecraft discovered by the crew of the Nostromo in Alien. This one has the makings of a modern science fiction gem.

* * * * * * * * * *

And this is just a taste. Whether the world ends or not, clearly 2012 is going to be one terrifying year. Strap in, Vault dwellers, and I'll see you at the movies! Well, not really. I mean, if I saw you that would mean you were stalking me, which would be kind of weird, don't you think? Oh well, you get the point... Here's to a year of great horror cinema!

Nosferatu at 90: Still the Greatest Vampire Film Ever Made

2012-01-09T23:20:00.006-05:00

Greetings, and welcome to the first edition of a brand new year-long series here in The Vault of Horror. For me, dear readers, the year 2012 means only one thing--and that's the 90th anniversary of one of horror cinema's true unassailable classics, F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu. It's hard to fathom that this film is almost a century old, and even more impressive is its continued ability to shock and terrify no matter how much time passes. Just as I did in years past with A Nightmare on Elm Street, Psycho and An American Werewolf in London, I'll be posting throughout the next 12 months on this, the first and greatest of all Dracula adaptations.

How is it that this film still can effect us so profoundly, when so much of horror's power is drawn from the unexpected? One would think that age would be the death knell of a great horror movie, and yet films like Nosferatu prove this to be dead wrong. Whether you're discovering it for the first time all these decades later, or watching it for the 90th time, Nosferatu has the power to utterly creep you out. Personally, I credit it to the merits of German Expressionism.

And Murnau was undoubtedly one of the pioneers of this form of cinema, cutting edge for its time and a far cry from the American, Hollywood style that would soon dominate filmmaking in the years to come. Make no mistake, the silent era of film belonged to the Europeans, and the Germans, in particular, in addition to the Russians and the French, certainly left their mark. Like the best of his peers, Murnau achieved that defining goal of Expressionism in all its forms, namely to evoke pure emotion through the visual medium. Expressionistic works are in a sense dreams brought to life, and in the case of Nosferatu, that dream is most decidedly a nightmare.

The film oozes atmosphere from beginning to end, and is jam-packed with iconic imagery that has stood the test of time for a reason. Interestingly enough, it also set a standard for vampire films, and Dracula adaptations in particular, that was not really followed (at least not for many years). Nosferatu stands out on its own as a unique and truly cinematic retelling of the Dracula story, with liberal license taken, of course. It is vastly different from the Hamilton Deane and John Balderston play that would first be staged two years after its release--the version which inspired Universal's famous talkie version with Bela Lugosi at the start of the next decade.

Nosferatu chooses a different path, eschewing the nascent sex appeal of the vampire to take a more traditional, folkloric approach. The vampire here is still in his repulsive, pre-modern form--there is nothing at all sexy or alluring about Count Orlok (Unless you're into that sort of thing. Who am I to judge?) If anything, the vampire here is a metaphor for plague, and even possesses certain undeniable anti-Semitic overtones (but that's a post for another day).

Still, the story is undeniably Bram Stoker's. So much so that Stoker's widow and her crack legal team nearly had the film eradicated from the face of the earth (another post for a later day). Thankfully for film lovers everywhere, Ms. Stoker was not successful in her efforts, and the movie remains extant to this day for new generations of horror fans to discover and relish. There are many horror classics that stand the test of time, but few are as truly timeless as this one, defying changing filmmaking styles and changing filmgoing tastes to remain a favorite of genre fans. It is just as fresh now as it was when it emerged from a Germany still reeling from the First World War.

In addition to its Expressionistic roots, or perhaps in connection to them, I have always found that the film retains so much power largely because it is so visual in nature. Of course, this was very much necessary due to the limitations (or some might say advantages) of silent cinema, in that the visual was the easiest and most effective way to get your message across. Later versions of Dracula--and indeed horror films in general of the next couple of decades--would rely less on imagery and more on dialogue and cerebral scares. This is not to say that Nosferatu is not a psychologically frightening film, but I would submit that more of the terror it inspires is derived from the direct impact of what we see on screen. It is not so much suspenseful as it is downright terrifying to look at.

As has been the case throughout most of film history, America has been resistant to foreign films, and so this film did not even have a chance to be released here when it first was made in 1922. In fact, it wasn't until the 1960s, many years after a single surviving print had made its way to these shores in defiance of a court order, that it began to attain the cult following in the U.S. that it now enjoys. I have had the privilege of witnessing Nosferatu on the big screen with live musical accompaniment not once, but twice. And although I had my gripes with both viewings (an ironic, snarky crowd the first time out; and wholly inappropriate music the second time), I still consider myself fortunate to have had the experience.

At the time, Nosferatu was largely overshadowed by the Universal Dracula, and later the Hammer Dracula of the 1950s-70s, and yet its interesting to note that nowadays, most horror fans would place Max Schreck right alongside Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee as one of the screen's iconic Counts. In fact, many vampire aficionados--including this one--will still argue that Nosferatu, the original vampire film, remains the very best to this day. A puzzling notion maybe, in that nobody has been able to top it in 90 years; and yet instead of bemoaning the state of vampire cinema for the past century, I will choose instead to celebrate the fact of Nosferatu's existence. And if it so pleases you, I invite you to join me in doing so for the remainder of 2012.

Three Decades of David: The Man Behind the Wolf

2011-12-31T13:05:00.011-05:00

I'm closing out 2011 with one last edition of Three Decades of David, my year-long celebration of the 30th anniversary of An American Werewolf in London. This time out, we take a look at the man who brought this visionary and influential horror film to life, and one of the most underrated directors in the entire horror canon, Mr. John Landis.

Known equally for his work in comedy and horror, Landis has been a fixture in Hollywood since the late 1970s, when he exploded onto the scene with National Lampoon's Animal House, the film that established him as a top filmmaker. Nevertheless, filmmaking had been a passion for the Jewish-born Chicago native since he was a small child absorbing in amazement the work of Ray Harryhausen in movies like The 7th Voyage of Sinbad.

In fact, it was 7th Voyage that first put the directing bug in the boy's head, as he started wondering exactly whose job it was to make movies, and if he could take part. So from the beginning, it was the fantastic and surreal that drew Landis to the world of directing, and that attitude would be reflected in much of his later body of work:

I had complete suspension of disbelief—really, I was eight years old and it transported me. I was on that beach running from that dragon, fighting that Cyclops. It just really dazzled me, and I bought it completely. And so, I actually sat through it twice and when I got home, I asked my mom, “Who does that? Who makes the movie?” - The Film That Changed My Life, by Robert K. Elder

Landis got his start as an assistant director in Yugoslavia on the 1970 war comedy Kelly's Heroes, and also spent some further time in Europe assisting on movies like El Condor and Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West.

His actual feature film debut came in 1971 at the age of 21, when he wrote and directed the low-budget monster movie tribute, Schlock. But most of the '70s were tough for the young Landis, as he tried to break into Hollywood, taking any odd job he could along the way. He got a major break in 1977 when he directed the Zucker brothers breakout Kentucky Fried Movie, but it was Animal House a year later that put him on the map.

It was that movie that pushed Landis into a vibrant creative circle that included hot directors like Steven Spielberg and many of the masterminds behind America's new cutting-edge sketch comedy series, Saturday Night Live. In fact, his next feature would be the first film to be adapted from an SNL skit, namely The Blues Brothers starring Dan Akroyd and John Belushi.

His name established as a comedy director, Landis at last felt comfortable delving into an area that had long been his passion: horror. When he got the word out that his next project would be a personal labor of love called An American Werewolf in London, a lot of people were surprised that the director of such happy-go-lucky, light-hearted fare was tackling such a supposedly heavy project. Little did they know how close to his heart the material was. Actually, the original concept came to Landis while working on Kelly's Heroes in Yugoslavia, when he witnessed some peasants burying a man suspected of being a werewolf.

For 12 years, Landis had nursed the AWIL project, and to this day it is considered by most to be his finest work. Deftly weaving black comedy and real horror in a way not quite seen before, Landis crafted a truly innovative, preeminently influential motion picture, one worthy of being called one of the greatest fright films of all time. Best of all, he brought his unique comic sensibility to the project, making it a movie that's pretty tough to compare to anything else.

Finally having broken through to the genre he cherished best of all, Landis continued on for a bit in the horror vein, joining forces with none other than Steven Speilberg to produce a movie based on the classic Rod Serling TV series, The Twilight Zone. Also directing a portion of the anthology film, Landis ran into some serious trouble that nearly derailed his career when famed actor Vic Morrow and two child extras were accidentally killed in a helicopter during filming. After a trial for involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment, Landis and company were acquitted of all charges, but the tragedy and controversy has haunted the producer/director to a certain degree ever since.

Regardless of the Twilight Zone debacle, the 1980s was something of a golden era for John Landis. He would go on to direct the most famous music video of all time, Michael Jackson's "Thriller", which is in and of itself something of a horror short subject. He then settled back into his comedy comfort zone for much of the decade, putting out fondly remembered '80s flicks like Trading Places, Spies Like Us, Three Amigos and Coming to America.

If the 1980s was a golden age for Landis, then his directorial career took a decided dip into silver or bronze territory in the 1990s. This was the decade that gave us the Sylvester Stallone turkey Oscar, and the ill-conceived Tom Arnold vehicle The Stupids. Even a return to the franchise that once brought him such acclaim resulted only in the completely forgettable Blues Brothers 2000. Similarly, Beverly Hills Cop III did nothing to change the trend.

Although certainly not anywhere near the same ballpark as American Werewolf, Landis did make a brief return to horror in the 1990s with the vampire/gangster comedy Innocent Blood. While entertaining and possessing something of that Landis horror/comedy spark, it was a far cry from what the director had accomplished a decade prior.

Perhaps recognizing this downward trend, Landis shifted gears in the new century, turning to documentary filmmaking for much of the first decade. And now, the producer/director has reportedly shown interest in returning to the horror genre in the coming years, a rumor which is supported by his executive producing of last year's underground horror/comedy hit Some Guy Who Kills People.

Although his body of work can adequately be described as erratic, John Landis nevertheless deserves recognition as one of the brightest, visionary genre directors of his time. Just the achievement of An American Werewolf in London alone would be enough to afford him a fond remembrance in the hearts of horror and comedy fans. Add his successful SNL-alum comedies of the 1970s and 1980s, and you have a filmmaker who more than made his mark on his era.

Inspired by genre great Ray Harryhausen in that darkened theater, Landis grew to become a genre great himself.

Three Decades of David:

The Movie That Changed Werewolf Movies (And Horror!)
How the Dr. Pepper Pitchman Became a Horror Icon
The Music of An American Werewolf in London

Making Christmas....

2011-12-24T16:08:00.003-05:00

A very, very Merry Christmas from The Vault of Horror!!

VAULTCAST EXCLUSIVE! Catching Up with Zacherley, the Cool Ghoul

2011-12-22T13:01:00.004-05:00

I've got a special Christmas treat for you this week, kids. This is something I've been sitting on for quite a while now, so you must forgive me for the delay. But at last, the time has come.

Last spring, I made my usually annual sojourn to Chiller Theatre, this time with Captain Cruella, Zombelina and Wee-Sol all in tow. And we had the great luck of running into a true all-time legend of horror at that show--the one and only Zacherley, the iconic Northeast horror host whose famous broadcasts enthralled baby boomers for years.

Long the "mayor" of the Chiller Theatre convention, the 93-year-old Zacherley was proudly holding court that day in New Jersey, but gladly agreed to sit down and be interviewed for The Vault of Horror just a few days later. The following recording is the result of that interview, in which the old school horror host recounts all the details of his vast career, covering his years in radio and early TV, including the late-night movies that are still so fondly remembered by "monster kids" everywhere...

Listen to the interview on the embedded player below, or proceed to the official Vaultcast page and download it for listening later!

TRAILER TRASH! Christmas Edition, Book 2

2011-12-19T20:34:00.003-05:00

And now...as a special holiday treat, I give you the vintage piece of Yuletide horror shlock, Christmas Evil, a.k.a. You Better Watch Out, featured in my October presentation on holiday-themed horror at Kevin Geeks Out. Enjoy it in its entirety--it's Ho-Ho-Horrible!!

Random Ramblings from the Vault...

2011-12-03T17:38:00.013-05:00

Has anyone ever noticed an unusual preponderance of mute female characters in Hammer films? I'm thinking the Brits must like their women silent. If anyone else has a better explanation, I'm all ears.

'Tis the season to watch Christmas movies, and as I lay here taking in the classic It's a Wonderful Life on NBC, I can't believe I never noticed before how closely it resembles a feature-length Twilight Zone episode...albeit with a much more upbeat finale.

I've got to give a positive review to Troll Hunter, which I finally got the chance to see recently. A very interesting concept, although I take issue with the way in which the filmmakers felt the need to perpetuate the whole myth about trolls smelling the blood of Christian men, while scientifically debunking all other troll-related folklore. That seemed a bit incongruous. Still, all in all, an ingenious film I recommend highly.

I'm surprised that my recent Vault poll to determine the favorite Abbott & Costello horror comedy after A&C Meet Frankenstein resulted in A&C Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff as the winner. While I enjoy all their flicks, I just didn't think Bud & Lou were at their best in that one. Maybe it was because Karloff was such a minor player in the movie, but I personally find A&C Meet the Invisible Man, A&C Meet the Mummy, A&C Meet Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde and Hold That Ghost! to all be superior.

Speaking of my second favorite comedy duo (sorry, but Laurel & Hardy rule all), a recent viewing of A&C's horror comedies got me thinking... Can you imagine if the boys were around today, and making movies like Abbott & Costello Meet Jason, or Abbott & Costello Meet Pinhead? I can see it now... "We will tear your soul apart!" "Ohhhhh CH-CHICK!!!"

It truly was a blissful experience hosting the one and only Psycho at the Avon Theatre in Stamford with Captain Cruella. As I said that night, Hitchcock's masterpiece is not just a mere cult horror classic, but one of the finest motion pictures ever made, period. It's one of those movies that's a joy to watch from beginning to end. Now I just need to get the Universal 50th anniversary DVD release...

I'd like to wish a belated happy 10th birthday to the VoH's cutest little correspondent, my dear little Zombelina. At her birthday party a couple weeks ago, I took it upon myself to entertain the pajama-clad fifth graders with a screening of the original House on Haunted Hill, my girl's favorite horror movie. Not a bad follow-up to last year's Brides of Dracula, wouldn't you say?

And speaking of pint-sized Vault of Horror contributors, I'm proud to say that my other progeny, Skeleton Jack, has at long last started up his very own blog, and I'd appreciate it if you went over and gave it a look. It's called Jack's Movie Town, and wouldn't you know it, his first two movie reviews are for horror flicks. I guess it's that whole apple/tree thing...

Captain Cruella and I were recently asked to be the subjects of a most interesting and evocative cemetery photo shoot in the wiles of Staten Island. Through the talents of photographer Laura Pennace, we were transformed into a couple of star-crossed ghostly lovers. Best of all, it gave me a chance to play dress-up, which I always appreciate. Take a gander at the full photo shoot right here...

It's almost the end of the year, which means it's already time to start thinking about the Cyber Horror Awards. Can you believe it? The first-ever horror movie awards voted on by online critics is now proudly entering its fourth year, and I'll be recruiting some judges to help me with nominations shortly. Then it goes out to all you blogger folk to vote on the best of 2011. Stay tuned, as nominations will probably be announced some time in early February...

Retro Review: The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)

2011-12-02T11:42:00.007-05:00

I pride myself on being a great fan, admirer and aficionado of Hammer horror--in a lot of ways superior to Universal, if I may be so bold (although that's a debate for a future post). Ever since I was a child, I've been entranced by the technicolor blood, buxom wenches, uproarious scores and quaint period designs of the Hammer classics. And yet, one which I had never before seen was Freddy Francis' The Evil of Frankenstein, a 1964 chestnut which was the third of six films made in Hammer's Frankenstein series.

It's included on Universal's Hammer box set, which I've had for a number of years now and also includes such gems as The Curse of the Werewolf and Kiss of the Vampire. Yet, this particular one I had never seen before, although I had always wanted to. And over the Thanksgiving weekend, I finally took the opportunity. Although not the best of the Hammer series, and certainly not the best Frankenstein-inspired motion picture, I'm glad I took the time.

One of the reasons I had always been drawn to seeing this film is that it was a bit of a departure from the rest of the studio's Frankenstein franchise. Starting with The Curse of Frankenstein in 1957, Hammer had made it a point to reinvent the classic monster series, without relying on the elements that had made the Universal entries of the 1930s and 1940s so iconic. However, although part of the reason for this was undoubtedly creative innovation, another part was also legal necessity, as Hammer could not infringe upon Universal's intellectual property.

That changed with The Evil of Frankenstein, however. Whereas the previous two films, Curse of and Revenge of, had been distributed in the United States by Warner Bros. and Columbia Pictures, respectively, the third entry was actually picked up for distribution by Universal Studios itself, which meant that for the first time, Hammer had carte blanche to rely upon the devices used previously in Universal's own Frankenstein series. And so, the classic Jack Pierce monster design could be used, and the recognizable laboratory sets could be duplicated.

While an interesting notion, the result is a mixed bag. It's fascinating to see Hammer take a crack at the Universal approach, but in the end, what made Hammer's efforts so memorable is that the studio always strove to make its own mark rather than ape someone else's work. As it is, old reliable Hammer makeup man Roy Ashton is just not in his element trying to tread in the footsteps of Jack Pierce. What we get here is a second-rate copy of the traditional Boris Karloff square-headed, platform-shoe wearing Creature, here played by legendary New Zealand wrestler Kiwi Kingston, whose zombie-like performance can only conjure up a fraction of the pathos even Glenn Strange put forth in the Universal days, let alone Karloff. Similarly, Hammer art director Don Mingaye's sets are lush and intriguing as always, but are only doing what Charles D. Hall's revolutionary work did for Universal some thirty years prior.

The plot follows the trail of Dr. Frankenstein and his assistant Hans, as they attempt to put their financial situation back on track so the doctor can return to his life's work of reanimating the dead. When he returns to his ancestral home in the village of Karlstaad, he inexplicably discovers his original creation buried in ice underneath his property. Equally inexplicable is the fact that the Creature now looks nothing like the Christopher Lee version from the original, and instead suddenly resembles the Creature of the Universal Frankenstein series. The origin of the Creature is also retold in flashback, once again retconned to more resemble the Colin Clive/Boris Karloff origin sequence of the 1931 film. It's worth noting, however, that this is the only Hammer Frankenstein film other than the original to feature the actual Frankenstein monster--but it's also obvious that this was only done to take advantage of the license granted the studio by Universal.

Still, as with any Hammer production, there is a lot to recommend the film. Peter Cushing is excellent as always as the good Dr. Frankenstein, and I'll submit that his interpretation is probably the most textured, complex and compelling of anyone who has ever tackled the role. The great Peter Woodthorpe, known to many as the voice of Gollum in both the landmark BBC Lord of the Rings radio adaptation as well as the Ralph Bakshi animated version, is a delight as the alcoholic, unscrupulous carnival hypnotist Prof. Zoltan, the film's lead heavy. Studio head Anthony Hinds, writing as he typically did under the pen name John Elder, turns in a taut script that is up to snuff with his work on such favorites as The Brides of Dracula, Night Creatures and The Reptile.

The picture probably could have benefited from the directorial leadership of Hammer standby Terence Fisher, who was set to helm the film before being injured in a car accident. In his place, the project as handed over to his cameraman Freddy Francis. Francis had previously directed minor Hammer faves Paranoiac and Nightmare, and was far from a tested commodity when he took on The Evil of Frankenstein. He would go on to direct other minor Hammer pictures, with his most notable work being Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, and his best known film would have to be Amicus Pictures' 1973 adaptation of Tales from the Crypt.

As a die-hard Hammer fan, I will always welcome the chance to curl up on a dark night with one of their evocative, atmospheric and intense films, no matter if its one of their very best or a lesser-known effort. There's no doubt the original Curse of Frankenstein is the high watermark of Hammer horror, and The Evil of Frankenstein is but a shadow of that film. An enjoyable shadow, but a shadow nonetheless. Hammer still put out a horror flick well worth seeing, but the bottom line is that the studio made its name by charting its own course in horror, not following someone else's lead. The Evil of Frankenstein is an interesting experiment, if an ill-advised one.

This Year... There Will Be No Leftovers.

2011-11-24T23:25:00.000-05:00

Hump-Day Harangue: Did American Horror Story Really Go Too Far?

2011-11-23T10:59:00.009-05:00

A few weeks ago, an editorial was run regarding American Horror Story on the very popular celebrity gossip blog Oh No They Didn't (yes, I already became annoyed due to the name of the site.) I immediately took interest, since FX's American Horror Story has held me as willing captive since it debuted the last month. You can read the article here, but the gist of it is that ONTD took AHS to task for the November 9 episode, in which a Columbine-style school shooting was depicted.

The reason for the taking-to-task was that apparently the show went "too far" in featuring such a starkly realistic and reality-based event. The author of the piece, who goes by the nome de blogue of Paris Dior Chanel, felt that it hit far too close to home, and was just too heavy for a show of this nature. Ms. Chanel believes that reality and horror really shouldn't mix, which immediately pegs her as someone who is just not very familiar with the horror genre. Particularly, she seems to find the show to be campy, silly fun which shouldn't get bogged down in real life:

American Horror Story is, despite all of its silliness and overly manufactured mood, an undeniably entertaining show. It's campy and creepy and doesn't seem to take itself too seriously, as it shouldn't. It's not the kind of horror thing that demands we imagine ourselves in the situation in order to be scared, which would require the show to exist at least somewhat within the bounds of the real... It's fun!

Now, I know "fun" horror. In fact, it's become my preference in recent years. I do not find American Horror Story to be "fun". Nor do I find it to be campy. In fact, I'd say one would have to be decidedly jaded and/or cynical to interpret the show in that fashion. Chanel seems to dismiss the show as disposable cotton candy entertainment.

In my estimation, American Horror Story is the best-written horror TV show to come down the pike in years. It's smart and thrillingly executed, filled with brilliant characterizations and real depth of feeling. It's the kind of horror show that is so well-written, in fact, that I think it would still work and be entertaining even if all the horror elements were removed. It is sinister, dark and challenging. True Blood is campy. AHS is not. Yes, Jessica Lange's Constance character does enter into camp territory in the grand tradition of former leading-women playing crazy old ladies in horror films (think Bette Davis and Piper Laurie), but that's about it. I think there may be some preconceived notions here on the author's part, perhaps owing to the fact that the show comes from the creators of Glee?

AHS is gritty, unflinching horror that delves into the human psyche and goes places we're not necessarily comfortable going. That's what it's supposed to do. It's not The Munsters. As such, it is will within the realm of acceptability for Ryan Murphy and company to incorporate real-life tragedy into the mix. As opposed to what Chanel asserts:

Was last night's opening scary? Of course. It was tense and awful. But it wasn't the right kind of scary for this dopey show. The chief (if perhaps initially unintentional on the creators' part) product of this show should be laughter... That's the kind of silly, ultimately empty scare that American Horror Story is best at. A school shooting is not that. That's far too real, far too much of a downer for a dumb Wednesday night.

Clearly, Chanel is viewing the show from a very different perspective from mine. So her opinion of the shooting storyline obviously draws from a very dismissive opinion of the show. If one considers AHS to be silly and dopey, than I suppose I can see how it would be out of sorts for truly disturbing material to be included. Yet I, and many others, find the show to be anything but silly, and its scares to certainly be anything but empty.

There's nothing dopey about botched abortions, mutilated babies, people burned alive and hit-and-run accidents. How about the home invasion and torture depicted in the opening of episode 2? Why did that fit Chanel's limited view of AHS, and not this? As for the scares, they come from places deep and dark; places like parents' fears over protecting their children, the anguish of secrets that won't stay hidden, and existential angst and insecurities common to us all. Empty? Campy fun? Are we watching the same show?

American Horror Story was well within its domain featuring a school shooting. Not only should Murphy and the gang not shy away from such subject matter, but I urge them to keep it coming. I can appreciate light-hearted horror, but that's not what AHS is. The show should remain true to itself, and keep challenging us. If I wanted silliness, I'd have gone to see the Abercrombie & Fitch vampires and werewolves at the movies last weekend.

Three Decades of David: The Movie That Changed Werewolf Movies (And Horror!)

2011-11-20T20:19:00.007-05:00

In 1981, the werewolf movie was dead in the water. Done and done. A curious relic of horror history. And then, along came John Landis' landmark An American Werewolf in London, and the game was immediately changed forever.

So much change was brought into being as a result of this movie, in fact, that we often may take it for granted and not fully appreciate the amount of evolution it lent the ailing subgenre. Let's take a look at just a few of the ways that An American Werewolf in London transformed lyncanthrope cinema--and along the way, the entire horror category.

FROM WOLF MAN TO MAN WOLF

Prior to AWIL, the movie werewolf was a curious creature, who was actually not very much of a wolf at all. Rather, as he was best described in the 1941 Lon Chaney Jr. classic, he was more of a "wolf man"--that is to say, a humanoid being with some of the more fearsome qualities of a wolf tacked on for horrific effect. This was not at all in line with the creature as described in traditional folklore, but it was necessitated by the level of makeup and special effects technology available in those early days of film.

It was a lot easier to take someone like Chaney or Henry Hull and add some lupine features--some fur and fangs, maybe a dog-like nose or ears. This is not to denigrate the work of such legends as Jack Pierce, but the fact remains that the werewolves depicted in movies prior to AWIL were much more man than wolf.

By the time we get to Landis' masterwork, and the contributions of that film's effects wizard, Rick Baker, we've got a whole different monster on our hands. For the first time, a werewolf was created that actually looked more like a monstrous wolf than a hairy dude in ripped clothes. The wolf we see here is not a true wolf like we would find in the natural world, but rather a demonic creature that is decidedly lupine in nature, but with a very cruelly human intellect behind its animalistic violence.

An American Werewolf in London stressed the wolf in werewolf, and set a trend that would be commonly followed in many other horror films. Sure, the "wolf man" template would still be replicated many times, but Baker demonstrated that it was possible for a human character to transform into a true wolf-like being.

DRAMATIC CHANGE... LITERALLY

Again, not to cast aspersions on the work of some of Hollywood's finest special effects geniuses, but what passed for a werewolf transformation on screen prior to An American Werewolf in London is very different from what audiences came to expect as a result of it. The time lapse photography work and other of Pierce's techniques seen in films like The Wolf Man and Werewolf of London were impressive for their time, and are still a hoot to watch, but remained within a boundary of what could be accomplished then--a boundary that would be shattered by Baker and company.

Starting with AWIL, the metamorphosis scene became something of a centerpiece of a werewolf film, the money shot that audiences waited for. It became a much more dramatic, intense, drawn out special effects extravaganza. David Naughton's transformation is an involved affair--a tense and nightmarish explosion of kinetic energy that is a far cry from Lon Chaney passively sitting in a chair as hair sprouted from his face.

It was also important to both Landis and Baker that the audience understand the pain involved in turning into a werewolf. Apparently, it hurts like hell to change into a monster--which would make sense, although it should be pointed out that the original folklore stresses the transformation as magical and not physical, thus no real pain. Still, thanks to the efforts of Landis and Baker, we get a sense of every cracking bone, popping sinew and contorting limb. The modern werewolf is thus a strange cross-breed of the enchanted and the biological.

WEREWOLVES AND POST-MODERNISM

From very early on, we understand that the characters in An American Werewolf London live in a world with all the same references we have. All the werewolf movies we know and love exist in this world; everyone knows the rules. References to movies such as The Wolf Man are made throughout the film, and in fact David explains how Larry Talbot had to be killed by his own father--someone who loved him--foreshadowing his own end at the hands of his girlfriend Alex.

A decade and a half before Scream, and nearly a quarter of a century before Shaun of the Dead, AWIL gave us post-modern irony in horror. We have characters who know the score--unlike characters from earlier horror flicks, who seem to live in a plastic bubble in which horror flicks don't exist. This self-referential style may be the single most influential contribution that An American Werewolf in London made to the history and development of the horror genre.

Not just one of the greatest horror movies ever made, An American Werewolf is smart horror. It turned its own subgenre and the entire genre on its head, and we've been feeling the effects ever since. It revived the werewolf for decades to come, giving it a whole new spin and a literal rebirth in the process. How fitting, that a concept based largely on the theme of transformation would be so profoundly transformed.

VAULTCAST! Exclusive Interview w/Best-Selling Dark Fantasy & Paranormal Fiction Writer Leanna Renee Hieber!

2011-11-16T20:41:00.001-05:00

About a year ago, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting one of the true rising stars of dark fantasy and paranormal fiction, novelist Leanna Renee Hieber, through a mutual friend, KT Grant of the superb blog Babbling About Books and More. Since then, I've wanted to have her as a guest in the Vaultcast, and I finally did so just a few weeks ago. The result is posted here for your enjoyment, and I apologize in advance for getting it posted so late. Alas, such is the dilemma of a hyper-busy Vault Keeper.

Known for her Strangely Beautiful series, which has already been optioned as a musical theatre production, Ms. Hieber is now launching a brand new series that is sure to soon be the talk of dark fantasy and gothic young adult fiction circles: Magic Most Foul. Steeped in a deep appreciation of history and literature, she is a genre writer who is refreshingly proud of being a genre writer, and it was a real treat speaking with her.

So listen in as we chat about her work, as well as various literary and cultural non-sequiturs along the way. You can either listen on the embedded player below, or proceed to the Vaultcast page and download it for listening at your leisure...

Pre-order signed copies of Darker Still: A Novel of Magic Most Foul!

Leanna Renee Hieber's website

Leanna Renee Hieber on Facebook

Leanna Renee Hieber on Twitter

David Hess 1936-2011

2011-11-09T20:19:00.000-05:00

He was something of a renaissance man, whose career began in music, and though it never totally left that arena, also took him to some very different places. In the end, David Hess, who passed away suddenly of a heart attack last month at the age of 75, will be remembered by millions of movie fans worldwide as an icon of exploitation cinema. An odd fate for a guy who used to write songs for Elvis...

Hess was born to a Jewish family in New York City during the depths of the Depression. From a very early age, he had already found his first calling. Songwriting came naturally to him, and he also enjoyed performing, as well. At age 19, using the Anglicized name "David Hill", he actually took a stab at recording a brand-new song called "All Shook Up", which wound up a #1 hit the following year for Elvis Presley.

Unbowed, Hess took his songwriting talents to Shalimar Music, where he would be a successful composer through the rest of the 1950s and into the 1960s. Ironically, he would compose a number of songs for Presley himself during this period, as well as the likes of Sal Mineo, Andy Williams, Pat Boone and others. Most notable was the novelty hit "Speedy Gonzalez," which Boone took to #6 in the U.S. and #2 in the U.K., selling six million copies worldwide. By the end of the 1960s, Hess had recorded two hit folk albums and found himself the head A&R man at Mercury Records.

Few could have predicted that during his tenure at Mercury, this successful songwriter, producer and recording artist would suddenly branch off into a very different area of show business. In 1972, he was asked to star in the debut film of a young director by the name of Wes Craven. That film was The Last House on the Left, which would become one of the most notorious pieces of exploitation cinema ever made.

It started out as a musical collaboration, as Hess was called upon to pen the soundtrack for the film. This he did, and songs like "The Road Leads to Nowhere" can be heard throughout the film, with Hess himself on vocals. But it would be as the brutal, sadistic, yet disturbingly charismatic Krug Stillo that Hess would make his greatest contribution to the movie, and become forever known to connoisseurs of the darker side of horror.

The leader of a band of vicious outlaws, Krug is one of the most terrifying psychopaths of '70s cinema, and that's really saying a lot. Hess is a natural in his first screen appearance, seeming to exude the perfect pitch of unadulterated sleaze and lowbrow humor that makes the character unforgettable. One wonders why it took so long for Hess to step in front of a camera. Last House is a flawed film, yet Hess' performance remains one of the best things about it.

Hess would continue to write music of all kinds for years to come, but his career was now set on a different path. The role of Krug opened the door to other lead parts in films like Pasquale Festa Campanile's Hitchhike and Ruggero Deodato's The House on the Edge of the Park. These were unrelentingly dark, grim pictures, in which Hess played unrelentingly dark, grim roles very reminiscent of Krug. Not to besmirch the man in death, but he seemed to have a knack for playing the consummate dirtbag, and it served him well in picture after picture.

He continued to act through the '80s, appearing in Craven's Swamp Thing as well as a slew of Italian exploitation flicks, and even tried his hand at directing. Both his acting and musical careers slowed down a bit in the 1990s, but in more recent years Hess had once again become very active. He recorded a few more albums and started popping up again in horror films like Zombie Nation and Smash Cut. Reminiscent of what he did on Last House on the Left, he even worked on some music tracks for a horror film, namely Eli Roth's 2003 breakout, Cabin Fever.

The iconic roles of his earlier years had gained Hess a whole legion of new, younger fans, many of whom he began connecting with at the conventions at which he started to become a fixture. His career was experiencing a bit of a revival, and ironically he had recently signed on to appear in the sequel to The House on the Edge of the Park, when he died on October 8.

A musician, an actor, a director, a producer--David Hess was all these things, but horror fans will remember him for playing some of the screen's most infamous lowlifes, particularly the implacable Krug Stillo. It's always the villains who get all the glory in horror, and Hess was one of the best.

Want to Know What I Thought of The Human Centipede II?

2011-11-07T15:13:00.002-05:00

If the answer to the question posed by this post's title is "Yes," then I suggest you head over to KT Grant's excellent blog, Babbling About Books and More, where I've reviewed the controversial sequel by Tom Six. I reviewed the original one there last year, and so I was more than happy to oblige Ms. Grant with a follow-up review of the second one, especially after having interviewed Six and his star Laurence Harvey a few weeks back. Here's a sample:

A year and a half ago, I spoke out as a defender of a film I thought was being unfairly judged right out of the gate. That film was Tom Six’s The Human Centipede, and it was alternately being bashed by the mainstream for being too revolting, and by the hardcore horror freaks for being not revolting enough. The movie that I saw was a slick, well-made psychological horror flick being wrongly marketed as a gross-out piece of torture porn. I felt those dismissing it as too over-the-top simply hadn’t seen the picture, and was saddened by those who only seemed to be upset about not seeing enough ass-to-mouth contact.

For the rest of the review, check out Babbling About Books.

The Many Faces of Michael Myers

2011-10-25T13:11:00.003-04:00

ZOMBIES!! A Tribute Montage...

2011-10-21T22:06:00.003-04:00

I'm hoping to see at least a few of you tomorrow at the Saugerties Village Invasion Zombie Crawl, where I'll be presenting a special screening of The Evil Dead... But for those of you who might not be able to make it, I wanted to share this special tribute to zombie movies, which I put together in honor of the occasion. Enjoy, and remember, when there's no more room in hell...

We're Gonna Get You: The Legacy of The Evil Dead

2011-10-18T23:15:00.004-04:00

It was at some point during the mid 1980s that I first became aware of a film that would eventually become synonymous with horror in my estimation. My dad, a perennial fright fan and instructor on my road to the dark side, found it on the racks one day at the local mom and pop video store (remember those?) and brought it home. I wasn't allowed to watch it at the time, but I can still remember listening in my bed to my mom's screams of terror emanating from our basement living room as my parents watched it that night. Needless to say, there was no greater enticement possible. I knew right from the start that it was something I simply had to see.

My dad had a knack for picking out the best horror flicks back then, in those days of lurid VHS box covers and giant cardboard cases. He prided himself on finding this gem of a film, still rather obscure at the time. He was so blown away by it that he tried in vain whenever he could to properly convey its horrific intensity to friends and family. And I listened, trying to imagine a horror movie that could be so utterly harrowing. My experience up to that point, after all, was pretty much confined to Frankenstein and Dracula.

And so, when at last I came of age, one of the first R-rated movies I made sure to rent at the video store was Sam Raimi's classic. Well OK, I wasn't exactly of age yet, but let's just say I was old enough that the guy behind the counter at the store didn't care anymore (Hey, Video Reflections in Bensonhurst went out of business about a decade ago, I doubt anyone's going to get into trouble over this one.) I giddily and anxiously watched the movie with my very best friend, at last able to partake in the cornucopia of horror I had heard so much about.

At the time, I imagined The Evil Dead as being the most gut-wrenching, unthinkably terrifying horror movie imaginable. And I'd have to say that, at the time, my expectations turned out to be right on the nose. It was, in my teenaged opinion, exactly what the back of the box boasted--the ultimate experience in grueling horror. The gore was beyond anything I had ever seen before. Every moment seemed to be electrified with the stuff of pure, undistilled nightmares. In short, it was a teenage boy's idea of a perfect movie.

For some years thereafter, The Evil Dead became a sort of litmus test for me; I would use it to test out my friends, to see if they could get through it. It became a badge of honor for those around me to survive a viewing of the film. I would show it to my girlfriends within the first few weeks of dating, just to see if they were cool enough to handle it. And I never got tired of it.

Fast-forward all these years later, and even though I may not watch it as religiously as I used to, there is still a very special place in my horror-lovin' heart reserved for it. While I may no longer call it a "perfect movie" per se, and there are many horror films which the movie critic inside me recognizes as being far superior, nevertheless it still retains an undeniable amount of raw power which makes it a joy to watch every time I take it down from the shelf. In fact, I did so most recently with Captain Cruella, and was reminded all over again why it had captured my imagination in the first place.

The reason I chose to rewatch it for the first time in years is that I'm privileged enough to be hosting a screening of the film at Saugerties, New York's Sugartown Vintage Boutique this weekend as part of the 2nd Annual Village Invasion Zombie Crawl. Needless to say, the opportunity to introduce this movie after worshiping it for so very long is the latest in a long line of wonderful experiences which The Vault of Horror has made possible for me.

What is it about this film that reaches into the souls of so many horror fans, possessing them much like the Deadites themselves? You will find the movie included on almost anyone's list of favorites, and its influence cannot possibly be underestimated. In a word, the film is seminal, and I would even go so far as to say that it has joined that elite group of movies which literally embody the concept of horror in cinema. And despite the fact that so many of us have watched it so many times that it often teeters on the brink of being passe or played out, it is only because we can't stop going back to it.

The Evil Dead was an integral part of my horror coming-of-age, helping to define the genre for me from a young age. It has been with me ever since, a dear old friend covered in gristle and viscera. I hope to see some of you next weekend as I get to watch it once again. And if you can't make it, just take it down from that shelf one more time and watch it for yourself. I know it's got to be there somewhere...

Friday Night Dinner: Challaween with Brian Solomon - 92YTribeca - New York, NY

2011-10-07T14:36:00.000-04:00

Friday Night Dinner: Challaween with Brian Solomon - 92YTribeca - New York, NY

VAULTCAST! Interview w/Tom Six & Laurence Harvey, Director & Star of THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE 2!

2011-09-29T16:32:00.004-04:00

It's the most talked-about horror film of 2011, and I've got an interview with the men both behind and in front of the camera. The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) has already been banned in a few countries, and has been making quite a stir, so it was impossible to pass up an opportunity to chat with director Tom Six and star Laurence Harvey (who sounded so nice and loveable with his gentle Liverpool accent that I couldn't match up the voice with the monstrous character he plays in the film).

I'll reserve my opinions for my upcoming review of the movie (keep checking Babbling About Books, and More, where I also reviewed the first film,) but for now, let's all enjoy this little chat with Tom Six and Laurence Harvey (my apologies for the occasionally shoddy audio.) Feel free to listen in on the embedded player below, or proceed to the Vaultcast page, where you can download it for later!

Random Ramblings from the Vault...

2011-09-26T01:39:00.011-04:00

I had a truly amazing time giving my presentation on Halloween copycat films for Kevin Maher's Kevin Geeks Out About Rip-Offs! a couple weeks ago at 92YTribeca. I've already been invited back for another KGO in a few months, but I can't reveal what it is just yet...

Also on the horizon: If you're in the New York area for Halloween weekend, I'll be giving a talk on horror and religion at 92YTribeca on Friday night, October 28. Join me and Rabbi Dan Ain for some dinner and discussion on zombies, vampires and the Torah! More info to come...

Speaking of Halloween... yes, it's already well on the way once again. Amazing how that happens, isn't it? We're preparing this year by watching our fill of classic monster movies with the kiddies. We recently kicked things off with The Invisible Man, and there are plans to continue with Hammer's The Mummy and Creature from the Black Lagoon. How are you preparing?

But wait, it's not just about classic flicks... Because we've got our very own mad monster party planned for Halloween weekend. Donuts on strings, ghost stories, costumes and all that good stuff. Pictures sure to follow. No promises, but I may even break out my long-awaited Rocky Balboa costume...

Joining me for the party preparation this year is Captain Cruella, whose already legendary Village Invasion looms once more. There will more info to come, but if you are unaware, it's New York's most anticipated zombie crawl, and this will be the second year running. For my part, I plan to be hosting a screening of The Evil Dead (yes, I know it's not a zombie movie, calm down, fanboy) at Sugartown Vintage Boutique right in the heart of Saugerties. It all happens Saturday night, October 22. Can't wait for this one...

Am I talking too much about myself this time out? Too bad. Because I am also proud to announce that John Kenneth Muir's soon-to-be-published book Horror Films of the 1990s will feature a whole bunch of entries by yours truly. I was invited by the illustrious Mr. Muir some time ago to contribute a whole slew of reviews of '90s horror flicks, and am thrilled to soon see them in print. I invite you to do the same.

I recently had the honor of appearing remotely--through the miracle of Skype--at the Horror Realms convention in Pittsburgh, as part of a horror blogging panel that also including the Rondo Hatton Award-winning blogger Max Cheney (a.k.a. The Drunken Severed Head). Always a pleasure to discuss something so near and dear to my heart. I hope to eventually have video of the panel to post right here...

In case you haven't noticed, The Vault has recently undergone a bit of a makeover. Not that there was anything wrong with it (other than taking 48,765 hours to load), but the time had come to spruce things up a bit. Kind of like how they refitted the Enterprise before the first motion picture and added those fancy nacelles and everything. So anyway, please let me know what you think.

We recently had the chance to watch Madhouse on FEARNet. No, not the Madhouse with Vincent Price and Peter Cushing. The Madhouse with Lance Henriksen and Natasha Lyonne. Yeah...I felt the same way.

My recent viewing of The Human Centipede 2 (more to come on that at a later date) got me thinking about how awesome it would be if someone made a movie called The Centipedal Human, about a guy who stitches together a bunch of centipedes in the shape of a person. Huh..? Huh..? Awesome, right? Shut up, you know it would be.

If you haven't done so recently, or if you never have at all, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of the classic Brian Froud/Alan Lee coffee table book, Faeries. I recently took it out from my local library, and I continue to marvel at the rich, evocative illustrations, and how they've influenced so many filmmakers in later years, from Peter Jackson to Guillermo Del Toro and beyond. Beautiful stuff.

And finally, as always, we invite you to come down to the Avon Theatre in Stamford, CT, to take in some of the films in their Cult Classics series, hosted by the Captain and myself. Most recently, we were proud to present John Carpenter's They Live!, which was prefaced by a bit of audio from an interview I did with Roddy Piper himself a few years ago. Plus, there was bubblegum for all! There are plenty of upcoming screenings to choose from, including PSYCHO on December 1! So don't be fruity like Norman's mom--be there.

Six Degrees of Sinbad: Working for the Brother of a Genre Legend

2011-09-21T00:08:00.003-04:00

The Vault of Horror has led to a whole lot of unusual experiences over the years, and certainly my love for horror in general has led to some fascinating discoveries. There was the time I got a chance to review the script for See No Evil while working for WWE (sort of painful, but a privilege nonetheless.) There was the time I wound up editing copy at Wine Enthusiast magazine with one of the staff members of the old Famous Monsters of Filmland. Most recently, The Vault of Horror did more than bring me an interesting experience--it actually helped open up a career door for me. It was one of those times I was grateful to be a horror blogger.

As you can imagine, when going on a job interview, I'm never really sure if bringing up The Vault would be a good idea, or a bad idea. It does represent some of the writing of which I am most proud, so there's always the temptation to show it off to prospective employers. But naturally, there's also the fear that they're going to look down their collective noses at my little online ode to blood and guts. So it's usually a crap shoot, and I like to feel them before I cart out the ol' VoH.

It just so happened, last year, that while interviewing for a prominent position with Juran Institute, an industry-leading quality management consultancy firm here in Connecticut, that I found myself sitting across the conference table from a CEO who seemed like he just might be interested in checking out what I was really capable of doing as a writer and also in terms of managing a blog. After all, a large portion of the job's responsibilities would be the writing and maintenance of the company blog. So as you can imagine, I wanted to give him a glance at what yours truly could really do when given the reigns of an online domain.

And so, going for broke, I decided to show him what I can do. I punched up The Vault of Horror on his laptop and held my breath. Either he would be impressed at my creation, or he would take one look at The Human Centipede vs. The Very Hunrgy Caterpillar and have me shown to my car. I waited as he scanned the page, my fingers crossed under the table. Would he find it totally unprofessional?

"Hey..." he said, as his eyes moved up and down the screen. "Have you ever seen Night of the Living Dead?"

It was right then and there that I knew that showing him the blog was the right thing to do. He got it. Not only did he get it, but he informed me that there was actually a connection between his company and the genre. As it turned out, Dr. Joseph Juran, the founder of Juran Institute and one of the most respected gurus of the quality management business, was the brother of Nathan Juran--the director of such films as Attack of the 50-Foot Woman, The Deadly Mantis, as well as the Ray Harryhausen classics 20 Million Miles to Earth and The 7th Voyage of Sinbad.

The Oscar-winning art director for the 1941 classic How Green Was My Valley, Nathan Juran carved out a niche for himself as a journeyman director of westerns and sci-fi cinema in the 1950s and 1960s, later transitioning to TV with shows like Lost in Space and The Time Tunnel. The fact that I was interviewing to work for a company founded by his big brother was just another one of those surreal moments in the life of a horror blogger.

"Did you do all this yourself?" he asked me. And I was proud to say that I had. We got to talking about Nathan Juran's amazing films, as well as other horror flicks.

I landed the job with Juran Institute, and was proud to serve them as Communications Director, helping to get their social media presence off the ground, and working to advance the company blog, both visually and content-wise. From that point on, I became known as the "horror guy" in the office, and it wouldn't be unexpected, for example, for me to be asked my opinion of Let the Right One In just before a big board meeting. It was a gratifying experience, and I wouldn't say it's an exaggeration to say that I very well might not have gotten the opportunity if it hadn't been for The Vault of Horror. Not bad a for a guy who just wanted to write about scary movies.

The Horrors of the Holidays: Halloween Knock-Offs

2011-09-17T23:25:00.001-04:00

First and foremost, let it be known that Captain Cruella and myself had a righteous blast this past Thursday night at 92YTribeca and another glorious edition of Kevin Geeks Out! Silly me for thinking that this ingenious pop culture series from the mind of Kevin Maher was really dead. I mean, he said he was retiring it, but in the grand pro wrestling tradition, retired is never really retired. And thank goodness! Because KGO is truly one of my life's great joys.

Where else can I find myself amongst my fellow geeks, wallowing in the shamelessly masturbatory enjoyment of genre treasures? The theme of the night was rip-offs--and this time out, the comedy variety show featured the likes of Daily Show writer Elliott Kalan picking apart the abysmal German E.T. knock-off Nukie; the sardonically brilliant M. Sweeney Lawless condensing British Kong rip-off Konga down to its bare essentials; pop culture savant Prof. Geoff Klock analyzing Quentin Tarantino's brilliant rip-off techniques as utilized in Kill Bill; comic book blogger Nick Nadel presenting a montage of painful superhero rip-offs; filmmaker Matt Glasson rehashing his favorite Jaws copycat; and the witty artist-baker Sara Reiss regaling us with her own home-made breakfast cereal knock-offs?

And oh yeah...this time, for the first time ever, I got to join in the fun. That's right, it gave me great pleasure to take part in a show I've been enjoying for so long. As part of the night's festivities, I presented a tongue-in-cheek look at the unusual subgenre of calendar-inspired horror films that followed in the wake of John Carpenter's Halloween. I'm so proud of the finished product, in fact, that I've embedded it right here for your viewing pleasure...

I ran into some technical difficulties getting the bookend video clips to work, and so I'm simply including them here both before and after the PowerPoint itself. You can choose to watch them, or just jump right into the presentation, which is the second embedded video...

Halloween-Voiceover

More PowerPoint presentations from Brian Solomon

Thanks again to Kevin for inviting me to be a part of KGO. It was also a thrill to have a fan of the blog step out of the audience to shake my hand and offer sincere praise. It's always humbling to be reminded that people out there are actually reading this dreck. Those people are the reasons I keep writing. It may have gotten a bit slow around here as of late, but that's about to change.

The Many Faces of Lionel Atwill

2011-09-17T03:04:00.000-04:00

Kevin Geeks Out About... Rip-off Cinema! - 92YTribeca - New York, NY

2011-08-31T09:59:00.000-04:00

Kevin Geeks Out About... Rip-off Cinema! - 92YTribeca - New York, NY

Click on the above link to learn all about the upcoming Kevin Geeks Out event on Thursday, September 15--in which I'll be one of the presenters. This is very exciting for me, as I've been a big fan of Kevin Maher for quite a while now, and followed his KGO series at 92YTribeca for some time. To have the opportunity to take part will definitely be one of the highlights of this little blogging adventure I kicked off nearly four years ago (can't believe it!).

The event is built around the concept of movies that ripped off previous hit films in a blatant attempt to cash in on their success. For those curious--and too lazy to click the link--I'll be presenting a little retrospective on the multitude of Halloween knock-offs that followed in the wake of John Carpenter's slasher classic. For those who remember, there was a time in the horror genre, after the booming success of Halloween, when everyone was scrambling for a special holiday/ritual event around which to theme a horror film--most memorably Friday the 13th, but there were so many others. Well, I'll be looking back at the best and worst of them in just a little over two weeks, so be there, or be square, Vault dwellers!

VAULT VLOG: The Infamous Slow vs. Fast Zombies Debate!

2011-08-15T22:38:00.003-04:00

Random Ramblings from the Vault...

2011-08-09T22:43:00.008-04:00

So Frank Darabont has walked out on The Walking Dead. After six episodes. Forgive me if I've been scarred, but didn't original Walking Dead artist Tony Moore walk away from the comic book after just six issues? And, in my opinion, the book was never the same again. I'm sincerely hoping the same thing isn't going to happen to the show, but I'm finding it very hard to be optimistic...

At long last, after years of pining under the yoke of Optimum, I have switched to Comcast cable, which means that I now have FearNet. It may not be as glorious as my beloved Monsters HD, but it's still very enjoyable, and I've already managed to take in Fright Night for the first time in years. Actually, I've watched it twice in the past few days. Plus a really boring ghost movie starring Mia Farrow called The Haunting of Julia. Never heard of it before, and I can see why.

Speaking of Fright Night, how odd is it that the movie starred Amanda Bearse and William Ragsdale--who, just a couple of years later, would both find themselves starring in separate sitcoms on the fledgling Fox Network? Ragsdale was the star of the nearly forgotten Herman's Head, while Bearse would of course play the notorious Marcy Darcy on Married with Children. Always found that to be an amusing coincidence...

Took in Rabid at the Avon Theatre last week, and it still amazes me how far David Cronenberg has come in his directorial career. Some people may call him a sellout for going from fare like Rabid and The Brood to movies like Eastern Promises. I simply call it the mark of a great director.

Caught my son trying to bite my daughter on the neck today. They were trying to find out if it would hurt. I tried to explain that it was very different without sharp fangs involved. Oh well...at least they're learning all the important stuff.

OK, Star Wars fanatics--and I'm one, don't get me wrong--explain this to me: What's so awful about being slowly digested in the belly of the Sarlacc over a thousand years, when you'd surely suffocate and die within a matter of minutes anyway? Been wondering about that one since 1983.

True to my word, I've stuck with True Blood after that god-awful Season 4 opener, and I have to say that it has improved. Not quite back to the heights of last season, but it's holding my attention. There are simply too many supernatural creatures running around, and the less said about the fairies, the better. Still, I'm digging the witch storyline, and the Bill/Eric switcheroo is an interesting twist. My love-hate relationship with the series continues.

It just so happens that I currently find myself working for a company whose late founder was the brother of a well-known genre filmmaker. Without naming any names--that ol' Google search can be a real S.O.B.--he was the director behind such pictures as Attack of the 50-Foot Woman and The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. In fact, I suspect The Vault may have even helped me land the job, but you didn't hear that from me. Small world, is it not?

I recently landed an interview with legendary horror host Zacherley, which I've been sitting on for some weeks now, just waiting for the right moment to spring it on you, dear Vault dwellers. The one and only Cool Ghoul went in-depth on his storied career, and his opinions of horror past and present. It's a great listen, trust me on that--so keep a lookout for it in the days to come.

Less than two days remaining until the long-awaited screening of Troll 2 at the Avon. This is promising to be a big one, and I'll even have my own oft-discussed progeny, Zombelina & Skeleton Jack, on-hand to help give away trivia prizes. Do try to join us, as Captain Cruella is even now in the midst of crafting a special Troll 2 goblin replica as a giveaway...

Horror Double-Header at the Avon Theatre!

2011-08-02T14:03:00.003-04:00

David Cronenberg's Rabid. Troll 2, the "best worst movie." Just hosting one of these films would be a hoot and a half. But I'm proud to say that Captain Cruella and I will be hosting both of them in the days to come at Stamford's historic Avon Theatre. We've been party to a lot of cool stuff over there, but this just may take the cake.

Sure, meeting William Lustig was great. And last year's zombie double feature was a blast. As was Carpenter's Halloween, with my parents on hand. But this time, I'm bubbling over with more excitement than ever. Firstly, I've never seen either of these films on a big screen before. Secondly, for the screening of Troll 2, we will also have VoH junior team members Zombelina and Skeleton Jack in tow for a rare public appearance...

There are many who have called Rabid Cronenberg's underrated masterpiece. I'm a huge fan of the man's entire body of work, so it's hard to say, but it's definitely up there. Not to mention that it has Connecticut's own Marilyn Chambers as the star. And while I'm not thrilled that it will no longer be a double feature with that other movie she made, Behind the Green Door, I'm still incredibly psyched to be there to introduce such a psychological body horror masterpiece.

As for Troll 2, what really needs to be said that hasn't already been? In the pantheon of movies that are "so bad, they're good," this one may be king. Hell, there was an entire documentary made about it and its bizarre fan following. The Captain and I are so overjoyed to be hosting this one that Cru has vowed to craft a custom-made goblin replica to be given away during the pre-show trivia contest! And if you're lucky, it may just be delivered to you by one of your pint-sized associates...

So join us this coming Thursday night, August 4, and the following Thursday night, August 11, for a night of horror goodness, vintage trailers and fun giveaways. Visit the Avon website for more details, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter!

VAULTCAST! Conversations in the Dark: Pax Romano

2011-07-27T21:24:00.004-04:00

He's one of horror's most political and outspoken filmmakers. Over the past 45 years, George Romero has given us a body of work unlike anyone else in the genre. Along the way, he's become a Hollywood outsider, doing things his way--or at least trying his best to.

To discuss Romero and his work, I brought on a blogger whom I've admired for some time now, the masked and mysterious Pax Romano of Billy Loves Stu. A fellow Romero fan and zombie lover, Pax was a whole lot of fun to have on Conversations along with me and my very own zombie companion, Captain Cruella. We get into everything from the Living Dead flicks to Martin, Creepshow and all points in between (not to mention a brief but entertaining non sequitur into the world of horror porn parodies...)

So listen in on the embedded player below, or proceed to the Vaultcast page and download for listening at your leisure!

Blog: http://billylovesstue.blogspot.com

Retro Review: It Came from Outer Space (1953)

2011-07-26T15:27:00.006-04:00

The Second World War had been won. America seemed to be driving off into the proverbial sunset, leaving its Depression worries far behind and emerging as a shiny, happy world power. And yet, underneath that perfect Brill Cream surface, there was just as much turmoil as ever--only now it was buried down deep where no one could see. Eisenhower-era America was a very paranoid, nervous place, but to really understand and perceive that, you had to look in the place where the nation's zeitgeist so very often resided--the movies.

In particular, as they did in so many other periods in our history, genre films best epitomized the mood of the times. In the wake of World War II and the dawn of the Atomic Age, the public was inundated with a plethora of sci-fi based horror cinema. No longer were we being terrorized by fantastical and mythological figures out of folklore--rather, this time around, the dangers came from science, whether that meant man-made or from beyond the stars. The devastating powers of science unleashed were made known to us that fateful day in August 1945, when the city of Hiroshima, Japan was reduced to rubble in a flash.

Add to this the all-encompassing fears engendered in us by the burgeoning Cold War, with the whole nation caught up in a panic of potential Red infiltration, and you have a perfect storm of sorts, which would result in a golden age of science-fiction horror. Technology could not be trusted; the strange, the unknown, the outsider, could not be trusted. It was a time of rabid paranoia, and filmmakers were more than happy to step up and take advantage.

Filmmakers like New Haven's own Jack Arnold, who took his first step into the genre arena in 1953 with the 3-D groundbreaker It Came from Outer Space. At the vanguard of Universal Studios' horror renaissance of the early 1950s, Arnold would go on to direct both Creature from the Black Lagoon and its sequel, Revenge of the Creature, as well as the acclaimed 1957 adaptation of Richard Matheson's The Incredible Shrinking Man. But he set the tone with this, his initial foray into sci-fi horror, and one of the seminal pictures of its kind.

Arnold's screenwriter was Harry Essex, the same man who would deliver the script to Creature from the Black Lagoon to him the following year. Arnold also had as his star the earnest and intense Richard Carlson, who also starred in Creature, as well. And although that latter film gets all the press when it comes to Universal in the 1950s, it's entirely possible that this is the better film.

Playing on those inescapable Cold War fears, It Came from Outer Space tells the tale of an amateur stargazer (Carlson) who stumbles upon a crashed spacecraft in the Arizona desert and soon becomes the only one aware of the threat once the craft is totally covered in rubble. No one in his small town believes him, and it only gets worse when he begins to see his friends and neighbors being taken over by the inscrutable alien influence of which only he and his put-upon girlfriend (played by the doe-eyed Barbara Rush) are fully aware.

It's a classic formula, and one that delivers in spades. Part of the 3-D craze of the early 1950s that also gave us the likes of House of Wax (vying for audiences in the summer of 1953) and Creature the following summer, It Came from Outer Space is engagingly shot by Clifford Stine, who would go on to shoot such epics as Spartacus and Patton. Yes, the 3-D effects are often forced and contrived, as is so much of the 3-D of that era, but it's a testament to the forethought of both Arnold and Stine that the movie works just as well in 2-D.

Carlson and Rush give us performances typical of genre B-movies of this era, but it isn't for greating acting that audiences flocked to films such as this. We also get familiar character actors like Charles Warren as the incredulous sheriff, Joe Sawyer as a philosophical telephone technician and Russell Johnson, a.k.a. The Professor from Gilligan's Island, as his assistant and the first one to be co-opted by the aliens.

And speaking of aliens, my what a gruesome and glorious creature design we get here. The story goes that the original design for the aliens was rejected and would later be used for the Metaluna mutant of This Island Earth two years later. No matter, because the one-eyed, slime-caked, snail-like behemoths created by Milicent Patrick (designer of the the Gill-Man), are far more terrifying. These aliens would have to be among the most memorable of 1950s science fiction cinema, including the unique point-of-view photography that accompanied their scenes, executed by encasing the camera in a clear rubber bubble.

The plot, conceptualized by Ray Bradbury, is innovative for its time, portraying the aliens as misunderstood by a mistrusting and primitive human populace--it's the kind of progressive sci-fi thinking that would later give rise to the likes of Star Trek and other such thoughtful, hopeful, utopian sci-fi entertainment. The movie also has so much of what we've come to expect from genre pictures of the 1950s--an exasperated, dire protagonist; a constantly screaming leading lady; and of course, lots of lots of theremin, played by the legendary master of the instrument, Samuel Hoffman.

Captain Cruella and I recently had the pleasure of hosting this film as part of The Avon Theatre's Cult Classics series, and despite the poorly reproduced 3-D, it was an experience I very much enjoyed. It Came from Outer Space is something of a time capsule--a summation of a very paradoxical time in our history, mixing optimism and hysteria, delivering thrills and chills while also making us stop and think. Universal of the 1950s may have been a shadow of what it was in the 1930s, but this picture is still a whole lot of fun, and proves that the studio could still be counted on to deliver a rollicking good monster movie. Amongst the massive sci-fi horror movement that took the decade of Elvis and Lucy by storm, it is one of the best.

TRAILER TRASH! '50s Sci-Fi Edition!

2011-07-26T01:29:00.002-04:00

EXCLUSIVE! The Abominable Dr. Phibes DVD Commentary, with B-Sol & Capt. Cruella!

2011-07-18T01:00:00.003-04:00

Few films--or, truth be told, life experiences--bring my soul as much pure joy as The Abominable Dr. Phibes, Vincent Price's camp masterpiece of 1971. A gift of unadulterated bliss from the movie gods, Phibes holds a special place in my heart, and its viewing has become nothing short of a transcendent experience.

And so, it was with great glee that I approached the concept of recording a DVD commentary for the picture. Suggested by Captain Cruella as a followup to our recent Zombi 2 commentary, the idea was simply too good to pass up. After all, I'd certainly seen the film enough times to be able to pontificate about it with confidence, and we both relished the opportunity to convey our adoration for it.

I hope you get a kick out of watching the movie with our commentary if you choose to do so, and that it adds something for those of you who, like myself, have lost track of how many times you've seen it. As with previous VoH DVD commentaries, simply sync up the movie with the commentary by (more or less) simultaneously starting our audio track and the movie itself on your DVD, in order to watch the film while you listen to us blabbing about it. You can find the audio embedded below, or head over the brand-new Vault of Horror DVD commentary podcast page and download it!

Fear in Four Colors: The Search for Swamp Thing #1

2011-07-16T17:05:00.006-04:00

Writer: Jonathan Vankin
Pencils: Marco Castiello
Inks: Vincenzo Acunzo
Colors: Barb Ciardo
Letters: Sal Cipriano
Cover: Ardian Syaf, Vicente Cifuentes & Ulises Arreola
Variant Cover: J.G. Jones
Publisher: DC Comics
Publication Date: June 22, 2011

Imagine occult detective John Constantine getting kicked out of the Batmobile by the world's greatest detective, Batman, for smoking. Or having an awkward moment with former flame Zatanna. These are the kinds of scenarios that will play out in DC's Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search for Swamp Thing. The first issue of the three-part miniseries hit comic book stores just a few weeks ago, marking Constantine's historic return to the mainstream DC Universe for the first time in nearly 20 years.

Since the early 1990s, Constantine--best known by casual fans for the movie in which he was played by Keanu Reeves--has been exclusively featured in DC's mature-readers Vertigo line. But thanks to acclaimed writer and journalist Jonathan Vankin, who spent the past seven years as editor of Vertigo, the chain-smoking British gumshoe now gets to mix and mingle with all the bigwigs of the DCU, just as his fellow Vertigo character, Swamp Thing, has gotten to do.

And speaking of Swampy, the events of this series are tied directly to that muck-encrusted denizen of the Star City woods. The hulking elemental was named protector of the Earth at the conclusion of the Brightest Day series, but all may not be as it seems. No one knows the creature as well as Constantine, who was the one who helped him realize that he was never scientist Alec Holland to begin with, but rather a being of nature who simply rose up after the scientist's death and believed himself to be his reincarnated form.

When Constantine begins to suspect that Swamp Thing may not exactly be the right Thing for the job of Earth's guardian--that he may, in fact, be far more sinister in his current form than anyone else realizes--he decides to turn to Gotham City's Dark Knight for a little help in tracking him down. As a plot device, it's a bit forced, but it's hard to pass up any excuse for those two characters to cross paths. And it certainly lives up to expectations, thanks not only to Vankin's scripting, but also the engaging artwork of former Witchblade penciler Marco Castiello.

Judging by the cover, it is likely that the Man of Steel is soon to get involved in the goings-on, so things are sure to be looking up. I've always been a fan of crossovers like these, and I think it's great that DC is incorporating characters like Constantine and Swamp Thing into their mainstream universe (now is a little better inclusion of the Marvel Family too much to ask? I don't think so.)

Forced plotting aside, this is a promising first issue for the Search for Swamp Thing three-parter, with some really nice character rendering by Castiello. I've got to hand it to DC--in the past decade, they have completely taken the lead away from Marvel in terms of these universe-spanning crossovers, which used to be what the House of Ideas did best during the 1980s and 1990s. I'm looking forward to checking out the next two issues, the next of which is set to hit on July 27...

TRAILER TRASH! Horror Comedy Edition!

2011-07-12T00:43:00.002-04:00

Are You Ready to Believe Us? Investigating the Haunted Sterling Opera House with Above the Realm Paranormal! (Part 2)

2011-07-10T11:09:00.010-04:00

If you haven't yet been caught up on our adventures in the Sterling Opera House, please feel free to click here first for the tale of how Captain Cruella and myself came to explore one of Connecticut's most notoriously haunted locations!

After giving the main hall of the Opera House a thorough going-over, it was time for Above the Realm Paranormal investigators (from left to right, above) Troy Leong, Rich DeCarlo and Dan Rivera to take us underground into the bowels of the archaic structure, where a full police precinct and political offices once existed. Odd that such things would be housed below a theater, but we were informed that it was pretty normal during the turn of the 20th century for buildings to serve such completely dual purposes.

After continuing to snap photos like the one above, featuring bizarre energy configurations and inexplicable orbs/streaks of light, we figured we were ready for anything. We had even gotten to the point of directly goading the alleged spirits to show themselves, singing songs they might have recognized. Try to imagine the two of us on stage launching into renditions of "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" and "Cheek to Cheek", and you have an idea of how strange the situation was fast becoming.

Once we made our way downstairs, we found ourselves in almost total darkness, with just some streaks of light from the upper floors and the illumination of our cell phones and pocket flashlights to guide us. There was something far more sinister about these dingy offices filled with lead paint chips; the feeling that far worse things had gone on here. All of the warm feelings associated with the Opera House and its rich history were absent here. This was some scary stuff.

After scouting out the offices and precinct, it only got spookier. That's because the next stop on this twisted tour was the holding cells. Yes, this was something straight out of an episode of Ghost Hunters or Fear. A little mini prison that looked almost medieval, although it was probably only a mere 100-150 years old. Below is one of the shots we took of the interior of one of these cells, and it's important to note that the flash from my camera was the only light illuminating this space. Of course, we felt it necessary to take the obligatory pictures of ourselves behind the bars. Come on, you know you would've too. Although I will admit it took some serious coaxing from the Captain and ATR boys to get me inside one of those cells...

It was then that things got truly interesting. Up until this point, we had been dealing with weird flashes of light in photos and nearly inaudible sounds. What happened next is something I have a hard time really wrapping my head around, even now. You can judge me a looney by what I'm about to describe, or you can give me the benefit of the doubt. Either way, I'm telling it as I remember it.

The above photo shows me inside the police officer's locker room, just as I was about to make my way to the stairs that led back up to the theater. Keep in mind once again that the flash of the camera was the only light here. As I illuminated my keychain flashlight to help me see better, I turned the corner to step on to the stairs. At that moment, I was suddenly struck with a feeling of great unease, as if something was terribly wrong. It was hard to describe, kind of like a tightening in my midsection, accompanied by a wave of anxiety.

Just then, I spotted something out of the corner of my eye, on the right hand side of the stairs, at the top, facing down at me. A shadow, yet not a shadow. It was a dark, opaque shape, I suppose some might call it an apparition, moving slowly toward me down the stairs, edging around the corner and becoming more visible. Now, I would have been perfectly willing to believe this was just my shadow, except for the fact that it was moving, and I was not. There was also the issue of my flashlight shining right at it, which tends to make shadow, you know, disappear and stuff.

Yet there it was. The anxiety within me reached a fever pitch, and I'm not ashamed to admit I started quickly backing away from the stairs (OK, maybe a little ashamed.) "What's wrong?" asked Cruella. "Just keep moving...I'll tell you later!" I gasped as we made our way back into the hallway. I let the guys know what I'd seen, and they headed into the room I had just left.

"You don't run," they reprimanded, "You investigate!"

"No," I politely informed them. "You investigate. I run."

Yet when they mounted the stairs, whatever I had seen was predictable gone. Fortunately, they had already seen enough in the Opera House in the past to believe me. After a little more exploration topside, we chatted a bit more about the Opera House's history and what I had seen. We thanked ATR for providing us with a private tour, and left the building to ponder the nature of what had just happened.

I had been a major skeptic before, but I'd be a fool not to be thoroughly shaken in that stance after the Sterling Opera House. Maybe, just maybe, things that go bump in the night are not simply the stuff of horror flicks. Maybe sometimes...things really do go bump in the night...

For more information about Above the Realm Paranormal, check out their website, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter!

The Many Faces of Dracula

2011-07-10T01:52:00.001-04:00

Random Ramblings from the Vault...

2011-07-03T23:10:00.005-04:00

So... True Blood. I've had a love-hate relationship with the show since day one. I thought last season was great, but wasn't really feeling season 2. And I have to say, last week's season premiere left me significantly less than thrilled. I hear that the second episode was a major improvement... I haven't seen it yet, and I will report back when I do. I'll be patient with it, since I've invested so much time in it. But it better win me back soon...

I'm anxiously anticipated the remake of my favorite horror TV movie ever, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. It's set to be released at the end of the summer, and I have to say, it looks like it will be pretty damn good. Sorry to see that Guillermo del Toro bowed out as director (as he did with The Hobbit, damn it...), but at least he's still very much involved with the project. Those little buggers in the fireplace freaked me out as a kid--I can only imagine what they will be like this time.

I'd like to recommend an especially amazing anthology I acquired a while back. It's Vintage Crime's The Vampire Archives: The Most Complete Volume of Vampire Tales Ever Published. Boy, does this tome ever live up to its name, with stories ranging from the pre-Dracula days all the way up to the present, by everyone from Bram Stoker, D.H. Lawrence and H.P. Lovecraft to Anne Rice, Ray Bradbury and Stephen King. Oh yeah, and there's a preface by Neil Gaiman and foreword by Kim Newman. It's pretty impressive, and is also inspiring me to pick up Vintage Crime's Big Book of Adventure Stories, featuring some damn fine pulp reprints.

Is it too early to start thinking about Halloween? I know for me it isn't. I'm already contemplating what I'm going to be this year (I may finally be dusting off that Rocky Balboa robe and trunks I've been sitting on for a few years now.) I can tell you that Zombelina and Skeleton Jack will be taking on traditional colonial garb this year. And of course, Captain Cruella will be Captain Cruella, just in time for the second annual Village Invasion. What costume plans do you have?

Let's jump from Halloween to Christmas, shall we? Wondering what might be on the Vault Keeper's list to Santa? Well, there are quite a few horror-related items I've had my eye on for some time now, including: John Carpenter's The Thing on DVD (no, I don't own it), Universal's Wolf Man Legacy DVD set, the recent deluxe release of Psycho, Season 1 of The Walking Dead of course, and the Karloff/Lugosi Legends of Horror collection, just to name a few movie selections. And for my bookshelf? The Stoker Award-winning Final Exits, The Zen of Zombie, my pal Paul Bibeau's acclaimed book Sundays with Vlad, and the most excellent recent book on the Return of the Living Dead series, just to name a few...

My recent encounters with restless spirits at the apparently haunted Sterling Opera House in Derby, CT has got me thinking... How many of you really and truly believe in ghosts? Do you think I'm wacked after reading the first part of my report from the scene? How do you explain such phenomena? The intersection between horror and the paranormal has long fascinated me, and I'd like to get your take on the subject.

If you could add another monster cereal to General Mills' classic collection, what would it be? Honey Hunchbacks? Zombie Bites? Kong Crunch, perhaps?

I'm very pleased to announce that last year's post on Catholic themes in Italian zombie cinema has been accepted for publication in an academic volume on the subject of theology and the undead. I'll have more information on this as it progresses, as I'll need to rework and expand the piece before it can be included. But I'm excited and honored that my work will be spotlighted in this way, as that particular post is one of which I am especially proud.

You can call it Kevin Geeks Out About Evil Children. This coming Thursday, starting at 8pm at 92YTribeca in NYC, Friend of the Vault Kevin Maher will be presenting a double-feature of Don't Go to Sleep and The Children, two classics of the "scary kid" subgenre. The Captain and I would love to be a part of that, as we support all that Mr. Maher does...but alas, we will be elsewhere that evening...

Where we'll be is the Avon Theatre in Stamford, CT--and if you're unable to make it to 92YTribeca, then by all means come down to that historic little theater for a screening of the awesome '70s nature-gone-amuck flick, Alligator! As always, we'll be doing trivia giveaways, and introducing the film. It should be a blast, and we're looking forward to hopefully seeing some of you Vault dwellers there.

"See Anything You Like?": P.J Soles as Slasher Victim Prototype

2011-07-02T23:11:00.010-04:00

If Halloween is the prototypical slasher film (which it is), then P.J. Soles, in her portrayal of the ill-fated Lynda van der Klok, is the prototypical victim. I will admit that I was not terribly impressed with her acting the first time I saw the film. In general, as important a horror film as it may be, I found that with the exception of Jamie Lee Curtis and of course, Donald Pleasance, the acting was about at the level of a movie made around the same time--Debbie Does Dallas (or so I hear).

Nevertheless, in repeated viewings of the film, I've come to appreciate what P.J. Soles did with her role, and specifically, what screenwriters John Carpenter and Debra Hill gave her to do. The ground she broke in that movie opened the way for countless slasher films that followed, and countless doomed damsels who met their end at the hands of deranged knife-wielding maniacs. Over the past 30+ years, we've come to expect certain things from this type of horror movie. There are formulas to be observed, after all.

Well, they weren't always formulas. They had to start somewhere. And most of them come from the original Halloween. That includes what types of characters will become slasher fodder, and the reasons behind their demise. To put it bluntly, the slasher subgenre gave us the phenomenon of horror film characters that we actually want to die. In other words, they make us root for the monster. This phenomenon in large part has its origin in Halloween, and in the van der Klock character in particular.

Lynda van der Klock is an extremely irritating individual. This is not meant as a knock against Soles; rather, I'm sure she would take it as a compliment. After all, that is the entire point of her character, is it not? Laurie Strode is the sympathetic one, and her friends--Lynda in particular--represent everything she is not. Lynda is ditzy, she is loud-mouthed, and she is utterly self-centered. She hits on the cardinal sins of slasher cinema (outlined famously by Jamie Kennedy in Scream), engaging in drinking, smoking and fornication.

In short, Lynda is a bad girl. And in the soon-to-be classic tradition of the decidedly conservative slasher film, she is punished for it. Laurie survives the film because she is virtuous and hard-working. She is a woman of good character. Lynda does not, because she gives in to vice. And while Halloween may not have technically been the first horror film to play out this way, it certainly went a long to codifying it as a hard and fast rule.

So Lynda becomes the origin of the stereotypical slasher film bimbo. And for accomplishing that, P.J. Soles deserves recognition. She has certainly earned a place in the hearts of horror fans in general, and especially fans of Halloween. In fact, there is probably not a single enthusiast of Carpenter's magnum opus who will not fondly reminisce about Soles' irreplaceable part in the film, especially her iconic bedroom death scene at the hands of the sheet-covered Michael Myers, in which she speaks the line from which this post takes its title.

While it may be easy to dismiss the performances of Soles (and to a certain degree, Nancy Loomis as well), those who truly appreciate the evolution of the horror film understand what an essential part she played. For every time we see a nubile, topless, giggling airhead about to meet her maker in a slasher film, it is the legacy of P.J. Soles that we're witnessing. Carpenter and Hill created the role, but it was Soles who gave it life. Before Michael ended it, that is.

Are You Ready to Believe Us? Investigating the Haunted Sterling Opera House with Above the Realm Paranormal! (Part 1)

2011-06-30T10:13:00.005-04:00

Just to be perfectly clear, I've never been much of a disciple of the supernatural. Fascinating topic, to be sure, and one that I've done a lot of voracious reading about--but always as a full-on skeptic, first and foremost. I was interested in it as subject matter, but never put much stock in it as based in reality. To put it bluntly, I have not believed in ghosts since I was a small child, and have always explained away supposedly supernatural phenomena as, at best, owing to some form of extra-sensory perception of past events, or at worst, simple charlatanry.

And so it was with great interest, and yet a safe and secure sense of disbelief, that I entered the infamous Sterling Opera House in Derby, Connecticut on Monday night. The opportunity had come our way thanks to an encounter with the boys of Above the Realm Paranormal--a local ghost investigation group--over the weekend at the "Derby Day" annual street festival. Proving that it always pays to print up shiny business cards, Captain Cruella and I were invited to take a private tour--an opportunity we leapt at faster than Ray Stantz going down a firehouse pole.

What transpired was an evening which, quite frankly and not to sound too melodramatic, has given me a lot to think about. Because, dear Vault dwellers, I cannot help but believe that there is indeed something going on in that place which I cannot fully explain. You may sneer, and you may deride, but we saw what we saw, and we heard what we heard. There is a presence or presences within the Sterling Opera House. I can't really tell you what they are with certainty, but there is something there. And this is coming from someone who has never "sensed" anything like this anywhere else before.

One bunch of folks who would certainly have no problem telling you what's going on in the Opera House, from their point of view, would be the crew from ATR. Based out of Derby, with an office that is indeed an old defunct firehouse (no joke), these ghost hunters have made the Opera House one of their pet projects, charting its interior meticulously, and claiming to have made contact with the spirits that allegedly reside within. We were met Monday night by ATR investigators Rich DeCarlo and Dan Rivera, and the team's Winston Zeddemore, case manager Troy Leong, who were gracious enough to show us around and share their findings with us.

Functioning as one of the Naugatuck Valley's premiere entertainment venues from 1889 through 1945, the Sterling Opera House has seen quite a bit of history, and as a fan of the "golden age" of American entertainment, I was just as much interested in it for this reason as for the paranormal stuff. It was designed by one of the designers of Carnegie Hall, constructed at roughly the same time, and featured everything from concerts and plays to vaudeville and early motion pictures. Here I was, on a stage upon which once had trod the likes of Enrico Caruso, Bing Crosby, John L. Sullivan, Red Skelton, John Philip Sousa, Amelia Earhart and Harry Houdini (at one point looking up from under the stage at a trap door custom made for the master illusionist himself). For me, the memories of those legendary performers haunted the place just as much as any suspected apparition.

Needless to say, the Captain and I soon began snapping away with our trusty Blackberries. While under the stage in the dressing area, I took the shot above of a room that was in total darkness, illuminated only by the light of the flash. This was when things started to get a bit eerie. If you look close, you'll see a small white orb, in addition to other floating white particles--which, I can assure you, were not visible to my naked eye. You may chalk it up to the light playing photographic tricks, but not only did this keep happening with many of the photos we took, but our guides were quick to show us how many times others had picked up possible spirit presences in the form of small white orbs.

Suddenly taking things a bit more seriously than I had, I started to really pay close attention to everything being said and shown. As we stood on the stage, Dan, Rich and Troy called out to the spirit of a small boy named Andy whom they claim to have contacted and interacted with on several occasions (in fact, they've even strewn toys all over the place for him to play with). And as we waited in total silence, I'll be damned if we didn't all hear the very faint voice of a little boy. The same voice ATR has recorded on the site in the past, such as this time:

Andy asks for his ball...

Letting her spirit of adventure get the better of her, the Captain wandered off on her own to the upper balconies, exploring some areas where spirits had been photographed in the past. She soon returned, white even by her standards, and looking, if you'll forgive the expression, as if she'd seen a ghost. Dan played several EVRs (electronic voice recordings) for us, taken during previous visits to the opera house, and discussed the ongoing plans to conduct an extensive restoration of the building to a functioning entertainment venue once again. This struck me as a bit of sad prospect, as it would entail pretty much gutting the place.

As we proceeded throughout the main room of the Opera House, it was undeniable that there was some kind of presence with us. We all felt it at different times. A general sense of dread. It felt very unusual to me, a feeling I've never quite felt before. I even started to feel a bit disoriented from it. And every now and then, I'd feel a chill run down my back or arm, which I was politely informed was one of the spirits making contact with me.

As we sat in the upper balcony, the Captain reached up to snap some blind shots of the interior of the projection booth. Here's what she captured. Check out the two pictures below: They are of the same exact doorway, taken mere seconds apart. In the first one, nothing. And yet in the second, there it is--another one of those pesky orbs bobbing around. As I said, photographic anomalies are always possible, but this just kept happening. If not a ghost, then what the hell can it be? Some kind of electromagnetic phenomenon, perhaps? Who knows?

By this point, we were thoroughly spooked. And yet, the fun was only beginning. All we had seen was the main performance space. We hadn't even ventured underground yet, to the prison below the theater. That would come next. And that's where I would have my most disturbing experience of the night by far...

To Be Continued...

For more information about Above the Realm Paranormal, check out their website, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter!

The Tuesday Top 10: Favorite P.J. Soles Lines

2011-06-29T00:37:00.007-04:00

Moving right along with this week's P.J. Soles Blogathon, here's a look at some of my favorite pronouncements from one of the most quotable scream queens of all time...

10. "You're really not gonna come? You're gonna miss out on the prom?" (Carrie)

9. "Go get me a beer!" (Halloween)

8. "I only use it on special equations." (Rock 'n Roll High School)

7. "Don't rip my blouse, it's expensive, you idiot!" (Halloween)

6. "I'm gonna treat it like a UFO sighting. I saw something, but I'm not quite sure what it was." (Stripes)

5. "So who cares? I always forget my chemistry book and my math book, and my English book, and my, let's see, my French book, and... well who needs books anyway, I don't need books, I always forget all my books, I mean, it doesn't really matter if you have your books or not... hey isn't that Devon Graham?" (Halloween)

4. "I'm a teenage lobotomy." - (Rock 'n Roll High School)

3. "Tom Roberts is so boring his brother is an only child." (Rock 'n Roll High School)

2. "Totally." (Halloween)

And of course...

1. "See anything you like?" (Halloween)

For more in the P.J. Soles Blogathon, keep your greasy eyeballs glued to the Vault's sister blog, Day of the Woman!

TRAILER TRASH! P.J. Soles Edition!

2011-06-27T15:18:00.004-04:00

We're bending the rules just a tad this week, with a few non-horror trailers! It's all part of the stupendous P.J. Soles Blogathon hosted by Day of the Woman--and this is just the beginning...

A Trip Back in Time for NOSFERATU at Lyric Hall

2011-06-26T18:40:00.008-04:00

There are a few horror films which have particularly shaped me into the fan that I am today. And on the short list of these would certainly be F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu, which has long been one of my favorites, and also among my picks for the most frightening motion pictures ever made. And this weekend, the Captain and myself were blessed with the opportunity to witness it as it was meant to be seen--on a big screen in a theater, with a live musical accompaniment.

I first discovered Nosferatu as a college student back in the early 1990s, having come across an old VHS copy at a street fair in Brooklyn. I'd heard a lot about it, but it wasn't until I saw it that I truly became mesmerized by this German Expressionistic masterpiece. I instantly became a champion for the film, publicly exhibiting it on my college campus during my time in the English Club (hey, it was based on Bram Stoker's novel, right?) and showing it to everyone I could. I even had a rare opportunity to head to Greenwich Village with some of my college pals to actually see the movie in a proper theater, with a live piano accompaniment. It seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime chance, but little did I know I'd have the chance to revisit it.

Fast-forward some 15 or so years later, and there we were, converging on New Haven's historic Lyric Hall for a unique exhibition of Nosferatu, this time with a live jazz ensemble accompaniment, no less. And it truly was a thrill to witness one of the most powerful horror films ever made, in such a way.

The venue alone made it worth the trip. Lyric Hall was an old vaudeville house going back a hundred years, and exactly the kind of intimate theatrical setting in which the movie might have originally been seen in 1922. Decorated with ornate chandeliers, elaborate moldings and gorgeous paintings, it was the ideal place to immerse oneself in such an experience. Sure, they were using a projection of the 2007 Kino DVD special edition release, but so what? That's the version with the remastered picture and restored tint, which only made it all the better.

The Lyric Hall Theater Orchestra, a small ensemble made up of guitar, tuba, accordion, saxophone, drums and assorted bizarre electronic noisemakers, put together an eccentric and engaging score for the film, which was especially effective during its more original portions. The droning, accordion-led music helped paint a nightmarish picture of dread that made me see the picture in a way I never had before.

That said, if I had to gripe about anything, it would be the noticeably inappropriate musical choices that peppered the score at periodic intervals. For instance, what would possess them to employ the theme to the movie Ben during the rats scene on the ship? Or "Happy Trails" as we watch Hutter gallop toward Count Orlock's castle? Or the Motown hit "Please Mr. Postman" at the moment he sends off his letter to his wife? While amusing, such post-modern, ironic touches only served to undermine the power of the film, and turn it into something to snicker at, rather than be terrified by. Much of the music actually worked against the film, which a good score should never do. Unless it was their intention to turn it into a comedy, which was not clear from the advertising at all.

Nevertheless, the music was, by and large, quite ingenious and suitably foreboding, in an unorthodox fashion. I can honestly say, that even after all these years, I've managed to see Nosferatu in a new light, taking away from it something I never did before. So you can imagine my delight when it was announced that in the fall, Lyric Hall will be presenting John Barrymore's 1920 Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. If only they can restrain themselves from the snarky musical interjections, that should be a lot of fun--and you can bet that the Captain and I will be on-hand with proverbial bells on.

Nosferatu has meant a lot to me through the years. I've shared it with close friends, with my children, and now, with my dear Captain Cruella. And I'm honored to have seen it not once, but twice on a big screen with live music. 2012 will mark the 90th anniversary of the film, and I'm already gearing up for a year-long celebration here in The Vault of Horror. So as I see it, this weekend's screening was the perfect warmup...

Day of the Woman's P.J. SOLES BLOGATHON Approaches!

2011-06-24T16:58:00.003-04:00

Just a quick reminder today, in case you all haven't yet heard of just about the coolest thing going down in the horror blogosphere. BJ-C of Day of the Woman is hosting the first-ever P.J. Soles Blogathon! That's right, an entire week's worth of content from an assortment of blogs, all devoted to everyone's favorite '70s horror movie trollop... I'm proud to be a part of it, and I'm looking forward to a lot of posts that are sure to answer Ms. Soles' eternal question from John Carpenter's Halloween: "See anything you like?"

If you're a loyal Vault dweller, all you need to do is keep your eyes glued to the Vault's sister blog all next week for the lowdown. And if you happen to be an enthusiastic blogger who wants to take part, then feel free to drop BJ-C a line at brittnahjade @ gmail-dot-com. And don't forget to proudly display one of the Blogathon banners, which can be found over at DotW...

My Other Blogs... Yes, I Like Stuff Besides Horror!

2011-06-23T09:36:00.007-04:00

Today, as Will Smith once said, just a bit of a break from the norm. I'm taking a brief moment to just plug myself a tiny bit, if you don't mind. I don't do it often, so indulge me. I'm also diverging a tad from the all-horror, all-the-time theme here in the Vault. Believe it or not, I do have other interests, and even though I don't think I've ever really addressed it in detail here before, there are several other blogs I write which are very near and dear to my heart.

I don't promote them as vigorously, or devote as much time to them as I do to The Vault of Horror. The Vault is my baby, and has been from the start. The other ones are labors of love that I quietly work on, more for myself than anything. But I thought I'd share them with you today. Maybe you've already seen them, maybe you haven't.

Standard of the Day
This is my second longest-running blog, currently approaching its 3rd anniversary. It's a music blog, focusing on the era of the Great American Songbook--the classic popular music of the 1920s-1950s, more or less. It's something I've been in love with ever since I was a kid, hanging around with all the older, Depression-era members of my family and soaking up their adoration for the music (and movies) they grew up with. With each post on SOTD, I spotlight a different pop/jazz standard, with a little random info, lyrics, and examples of recorded versions. If you're into songwriters like Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and Hoagy Carmichael, and singers like Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, then Standard of the Day will be something you might want to check out. I take pleasure in sharing music there that holds great meaning for me.

Proof of a Benevolent God
This is my Tumblr blog (or tumblog, if you must...), and is the most personal of all my online endeavors. I've been maintaining it for about a year and a half now, and I have to say, I really have come to love Tumblr--it's an easy, intuitive and addictive way to blog. At PBG, I randomly post an ongoing stream of what amounts to things that put a smile on my face; things that warm me up inside and bring joy to my life. You'll find anything from Laurel & Hardy, rainbow cookies and the Horsehead Nebula to Ava Gardner, Yma Sumac and the closing scene of Rocky. If you want to get inside my head, this is probably the closest thing. And if you have your own Tumblr blog, feel free to follow mine!

In addition, there are two other blogs I have taken great pride in putting together, but which I have since put to rest. Nevertheless, they were a lot of fun, and still exist out there in cyberspace, so I encourage you to check them out...

Lots of Pulp
My obsessive catalog of brilliant painted pulp novel covers from the early 20th century--the golden age of populist fiction.

Following the Equator
To my knowledge, the only blog ever devoted to current Mark Twain news and happenings.

TRAILER TRASH! Aquatic Edition

2011-06-20T16:16:00.002-04:00

VAULT VLOG Father's Day Edition! B-Sol & Son Review The Sixth Sense...

2011-06-18T17:02:00.004-04:00

Retro Review: Dracula's Daughter (1936)

2011-06-16T12:35:00.008-04:00

Easily the most underrated of the entire Universal horror cycle, Lambert Hillyer's atmospheric sequel to the classic Tod Browning original is a hidden gem and a treat for any old-school monster movie fan who discovers it, much like myself. Made a full half decade after the Bela Lugosi adaptation, it is a completely different movie and a very inventive continuation which also manages to push the envelope quite a bit, especially in the newly established Hays Code era.

I first discovered the film thanks to the old AMC Monstervision in the 1990s, and of course, like so many lovers of this picture, the element which instantly drew me in was Gloria Holden's mesmerizing performance as Countess Marya Zaleska, Drac's aforementioned daughter and a hell of an effective movie vampire in her own right. I've always felt that the character, and Holden's portrayal of it, was a direct precursor to the groundbreaking stuff that Anne Rice would do with the vampire ethos some 40 years later in print.

Following the death of her infamous father at the hands of Van Helsing, the Countess turns up in London and absconds with the body, believing that by destroying it she can rid herself of the curse of her vampirism. This is one of the earliest examples in popular vampire lore of the self-loathing vampire--a trope which has now become quite commonplace thanks to the work of Rice and others. Zaleska does not wish to be a vampire, and will try anything to cure herself, even psychiatry (which one would think would be a tall order as far as getting her heart beating again...)

It's certainly been mentioned many times before, but the film flirts quite openly with themes of lesbianism, as the Countess seems to prefer female victims to male. This is most directly explored in the very evocative scene in which Zaleska takes a beautiful young woman to her residence under the pretense of wanting to use her as an art model. It's the sort of thing that I'd wager only made it past the holy rollers on the censorship committees because they were too provincial to even get what was going on in the subtext.

In addition to Holden, also very effective is Irving Pichel as Zaleska's inscrutable manservant, Sandor. The film is highlighted as well by the work of Universal stalwarts Jack Pierce in the makeup chair, and brilliant set designer Albert S. D'Agostino.

This would be the only sequel to Tod Browning's Dracula made during the period before Universal switched its horror film production to the B-movie division. Following Daughter, we would get Lon Chaney in Son of Dracula, which although a lot of fun, is a decided step down from its previous two predecessors. From there, John Carradine would take on the cape as the Count in the campy House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula. For my money, Dracula's Daughter is the only sequel worthy of being associated with the original.

I encourage you to seek out Dracula's Daughter. Like Werewolf of London, Son of Frankenstein and The Mummy's Hand, it is one of those films in the Universal canon that deserve far more attention than it gets. A thoroughly modern vampire movie, it has a lot more in common with the genre in latter decades than it does with the horror flicks of its own time, and is one of the last of the truly great Universal monster movies.

James Arness 1923-2011

2011-06-15T15:46:00.010-04:00

He was best known to most Americans as Marshall Matt Dillon, the lead character of Gunsmoke, a TV show he starred in for an unparalleled 20 years. But to those reading this blog, and to horror fans in general, it is likely that he is most remembered for two motion pictures in particular: the giant ant epic Them! (1954) and of course, Howard Hawks' classic The Thing from Another World (1951), in which he memorably portrayed the titular Thing. Arness was an American original, going from the wartorn battlefields of Europe, to Hollywood, to television immortality. He passed away earlier this month, just a week after his 88th birthday, but to genre fans he remains just as awe-inspiring as ever.

A big part of the awe probably came from his sheer size. The man stood 6-foot-7, which no doubt helped him land more than a few choice parts in Westerns and action films in general. Unfortunately, it also prohibited him from fulfilling his dream of serving as a naval fighter pilot in World War II, since the height limit was 6-foot-2. Nevertheless, he did serve his country gallantly, as a rifleman with the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division. In fact, he was severely wounded in battle in Anzio, Italy in January 1944, capping off a tour of duty that resulted in the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Victory Medal and Combat Infantryman Badge.

He was born James Aurness (he would later drop the "u" for Hollywood) to German and Norwegian parents on May 26, 1923 in Minneapolis. Far from the glitz and glamor of Tinseltown, his youth was spent unloading railway boxcars and logging. It was only after being honorably discharged from service in World War II at age 22, permanently injured and suffering chronic leg pain, that he first made his way to Hollywood. By putting out his thumb and hitchhiking.

After the minor name alteration, he made his screen debut in 1947 alongside Loretta Young in The Farmer's Daughter. Probably due to his size, Westerns were a no-brainer for him right off the bat, his larger-than-life presence being a perfect fit--usually for the part of the heavy. However, it would be in the early 1950s that he would land the two roles that made him into something of a minor horror icon.

In 1951, he was cast as the bizarre and terrifying plant-like creature in Howard Hawks groundbreaking sci-fi/horror gem The Thing from Another World. He doesn't speak a word in the film, and he's covered in elaborate makeup and costuming, but much like Boris Karloff and Glenn Strange before him, he manages to exude terror in spite of--or perhaps because of--these limitations. Although most consider John Carpenter's 1982 remake to have eclipsed the original to an extent, with Rob Bottin's mind-blowing special effects overshadowing the more primitive Arness incarnation of the monster, the film and his performance in it are still cherished to this day by fans of the silver age of horror.

A couple years later, he once again starred in a sci-fi/horror classic, although this time he got to actually speak. Cast as FBI agent Robert Graham, sent to New Mexico to investigate some strange goings on in the desert, his role is one of the more memorable in Gordon Douglas' Them!, a tale of gigantic ants mutated by atomic radiation. Much more frightening than its premise might indicate, Them! is a landmark of 1950s b-movie cinema, perhaps even more highly regarded than The Thing from Another World. Having appeared in both films would be quite the feather in the cap of any B-movie actor, but Arness was only getting started.

A year after Them!, he would land the part that would make him a household name--not on the big screen, but on the burgeoning boob tube. At the recommendation of none other than John Wayne, he was given the lead role in the TV series Gunsmoke. All told, he would play the role of Matt Dillon--a heroic cowboy at last--for 20 years straight, a TV record that still stands. And if you add in TV movie revivals in the 1980s and 1990s, he played Dillon in five different decades.

Arness would ride the Gunsmoke train for the remainder of his career, before finally retiring in his 70s. His legacy firmly established, he would always be known as one of the most beloved of the TV cowboys--perhaps the most beloved of them all. And yet anyone who grew up a horror and sci-fi fan in the atomic era will likely remember him best as that hulking silhouette in the corridors of an antarctic research base. James Arness is no longer with us, but The Thing, as we discovered, never truly dies.

Keep watching the skies...

Random Ramblings from the Vault...

2011-06-13T22:57:00.004-04:00

The Captain and I have just discovered what may very well be the lamest, best/worst horror flick in recent history--The Jackhammer Massacre. Anyone seen this clunker? Please share...

I always wondered... If the rule stated that you weren't supposed to feed gremlins after midnight, at what time does it become OK to feed them again? I'm assuming it would have to be sunrise, but I'd like to be sure. Never know when I might want to take one out to a late dinner.

Is it time for George Romero to finally end his living dead series once and for all. I've been kinder to the last three entries than most, and actually enjoyed Survival of the Dead quite a bit. But it might be time for Uncle George to leave it alone already, lest he tarnish the memory of the original classic trilogy. Am I being too harsh?

My son recently was shown The Sixth Sense by his grandmother the other night (you can't make this stuff up, folks.) Seems lil' Wee-Sol had a lot of fun with the M. Night flick, and I'm thinking a Vault Vlog review may be in order forthwith.

Speaking of Vault Vlogs, the Captain and I are getting set for a mother of a debate coming up soon. It's going to focus on the controversial walking vs. running zombies debate, and will surely be a doozy. Where do you stand on this all-important issue?

It's really a shame that the Dr. Phibes series had to end after only two installments. There was a significant quality drop-off from the timeless original to the sequel, but I still would've welcomed more opportunities to see Vincent Price don the Phibes makeup. Apparently more were in the works, but they never came to pass. Alas.

I'd have to say I've had more than a few uncomfortable moments in my day, but there are very few to compare with giving my boss a ride to a work lunch, only to have him discover my DVD copy of Teeth on the backseat. Awkward...

Quick! Scariest imaginary childhood home-invader: Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, or the Sandman?

There are very few horror comedies that stand up to repeated viewings like Ghostbusters does. Back in my WWE days, there were two movies we enjoyed quoting in the office most. One was Back to the Future, the other was this. I still remember how massive this film was when it came out back in 1984, and I never get tired of it.

Speaking of recent viewings, a re-watch of Hellboy II: The Golden Army over the weekend has me more excited than ever for Guillermo Del Toro's The Hobbit. It seems to me that The Golden Army was rather Tolkienesque in flavor (after a decidedly Lovecraftian Hellboy part 1), and I kind of see it as Del Toro's dress rehearsal for the Peter Jackson-produced LOTR prequel...

VAULTCAST! Conversations in the Dark: Kevin Maher

2011-06-10T10:45:00.004-04:00

I've been an admirer of the work of Kevin Maher for some time now. His well-regarded genre video clip show series, Kevin Geeks Out, was an eye-opener for me, and if you've been reading the Vault for a while, you may have seen my reviews of several of those events. Simply put, Kevin is a kindred spirit, a fellow unabashed geek--and so I'd been eager to have him as a guest on Conversations in the Dark for a while.

Thankfully, it finally happened, and it was worth the wait. Having just come off a first-time viewing of Stephen King's Maximum Orverdrive, Mr. Maher was pretty jazzed to wax rhapsodic on the topic of killer machines. Which is pretty ambitious, since this is probably not one of the most high-profile of horror subgenres. But we went for it, and with an assist from Captain Cruella, put together a little something I think you'll enjoy. So listen in as I'm joined by a brilliant TV comedy writer and movie nerd for a discussion of murderous vending machines and homicidal laundry folders.

Take a listen on the embedded player below, or proceed to the Vaultcast page and download it for listening at your leisure...

Blog: http://ThisKevin.blogspot.com

Halloween Comes Early to the Avon Theatre!

2011-06-08T15:45:00.005-04:00

Ever since last fall's showing of Return of the Living Dead, it has been the distinct pleasure of my cohort Captain Cruella and myself to host horror films at Stamford, Connecticut's wonderful Avon Theatre, on Bedford Avenue right in the heart of one of the Nutmeg State's most bustling metropolises. We've been party to Poltergeist, The Thing, Maniac and other fine selections in the intervening months, but I think this time we're more psyched than ever before.

That's because next Thursday night, June 16, promptly at 9:15p.m., we will be introducing a special screening of John Carpenter's Halloween--a film that never fails to be at or near the top of just about everyone's list of all-time favorite fright flicks. If you'll recall, this is the film that actually made the very top of the list back when I polled the entire horror blogosphere to determine the 50 Greatest Horror Films of All Time. That's a pretty big deal.

It's the prototypical slasher film, one of the most important in the history of the genre, and it will be our honor to take part in its presentation on the big screen next week. As always, there will be trivia and giveaways before the film, as well as some awesome retro trailers. So join us, Michael Myers, Laurie Strode, Dr. Loomis and the gang for the one, the only, the original Halloween. This is going to be a big one.

For more information, head over to the Avon's website!

The Tuesday Top 10: Reasons Why I Love Theater of Blood

2011-06-07T16:27:00.005-04:00

Let's get something straight. If I needed to, I could probably write a post entitled Top 100 Reasons Why I Love Theater of Blood and not really have to strain too hard. The 1973 Vincent Price classic is one of my all-time favorite horror films, and a movie that remains an endless source of joy for me since I first discovered it in the discount bin several years ago. It's an unqualified pleasure from start to finish, and the reasons for this are nearly limitless. However, for the purposes of this post, I will confine my reasons to ten. Here goes:

10. Robert Morley in a Pink Leisure Suit
For a generation of Americans in the '60s and '70s, the effete, rotund Morley represented the ultimate British stereotype, and he is put to such good use here as the ridiculous Meredith Merridew, meeting his demise dressed as if he should be hanging out with Jack Tripper at the Regal Beagle. Glorious.

9. The Hamlet Speech
I know the idea is that Edward Lionheart is a hack, and an inside jab at Price himself, but I'll be damned if his "To be or not to be" soliloquy isn't genuinely powerful and moving. It's perhaps the most famous speech in the English language, and Price breathes new life into it, delivering it just before he takes the Nestea plunge into the River Thames.

8. Gore Galore
I can't be totally sure, but I feel as if this has to be Price's most graphically violent film. From excised hearts and impaled chest cavities to beheaded poodles and Kentucky fried critic, we get it all. It's a far cry from the more reserved Hays Code days that first set Price on the road to horror immortality in the 1940s and '50s, that's for sure.

7. Michael Hordern
Plain and simple, I love watching this man work. I've always admired him as Jacob Marley in the 1951 British version of A Christmas Carol, and his voice remains iconic thanks to his turn as Gandalf in the legendary 1978 BBC Radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. He's one of those old school English character actors, for whom every word or expression is memorable. If only his appearance wasn't so brief...

6. Shakespearean Murder Theme
It almost goes without saying that this would be one of the main things to love about this movie. Lionheart is a disgraced stage actor on a vendetta against his worst critics, basing each murder around a different play by the Bard. How could the English Lit geek inside me be anything but tickled pink by this concept?

5. Richard III Costume
Price has quite a number of costume changes throughout the film, but his Richard III getup is truly breathtaking. Combining the classic hunchback accoutrements with some really impressive makeup, it's the perfect ensemble to showcase some particularly hammy acting on Vincent's part--so much so that he even references it as such within the scene itself!

4. The Music
The Welsh composer Michael J. Lewis is one of film's most underrated tunesmiths, and this score is a prime example. His notes are the first thing you hear as the movie begins, and you're instantly hooked. A haunting woodwind theme, almost Renaissance in its flavor, it is perfectly evocative of the era of Shakespeare, and provides a counterintuitive juxtaposition to the unfolding grisly mayhem.

3. The Utterly Transparent Diana Rigg Subplot
Needless to say, sweet Diana is always fun to watch on screen, but here she finds herself involved in one of the most strangely developed character arcs I think I've ever seen. Her role in the plot is telegraphed from a mile away, with almost zero attempt at concealing it prior to the supposedly "shocking" revelation at the end. This should be a negative, but for some reason I find it all the more reason to enjoy the movie. It could be the abject silliness, not sure.

2. The Fencing Scene
"Alive in triumph! And you thought me slain!" Could this be Price's finest moment on screen? I would submit that it is. So grandiose, so over-the-top, relishing every moment of it as he leaps into action, rapier in hand, chasing the startled Devlin across the gymnasium with glee, the score kicks into high gear. Of course, this is intercut with some really obvious stunt double work, but I think that only makes it all the more excellent.

1. Butch
There are really no words for this. Vincent Price, sporting a gigantic white man's fro, prancing about as an overtly stereotypically gay hairdresser. This is camp of the highest order, and something that each time I watch it, I honestly marvel that it actually happened. Price truly was a great sport, and he clearly was having the time of his life making this movie. And thanks to scenes like this, that pleasure and joy is transferred over to me every time I pop it in the DVD player. Mr. Price, I salute you.

The Many Faces of the Frankenstein Monster

2011-06-06T12:41:00.004-04:00

Three Decades of David: How the Dr. Pepper Pitchman Became a Horror Icon

2011-06-05T10:05:00.008-04:00

If at least part of your childhood was spent in the 1970s, as mine was, then you probably remember those ubiquitous commercials for Dr. Pepper, in which a handsome young man led a crowd of dancers through the streets, in Pied-Piper fashion, all the while singing the catchy jingle, "I'm a Pepper." It was as much a part of the era as G.E.'s "We Bring Good Things to Life," and of course, McDonald's "You Deserve a Break Today" (both written by Barry Manilow, incidentally).

However, if you were under a proverbial rock back then, or more likely if you were not yet a twinkle in your mommy and daddy's eyes, then here's a little reminder:

Chances are, if you're reading this blog, that even if you're too young to remember those old school Dr. Pepper commercials, you definitely recognize that handsome young man. That's because he's David Naughton, who would very soon thereafter rise to horror immortality in a starring role in John Landis' classic An American Werewolf in London.

It was certainly a most unorthodox career path, and definitely not one Naughton expected to embark upon when moving to New York City to find stage work after graduating from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. At age 24, he landed his first dramatic role in the 1975 production of Hamlet at Lincoln Center, starring Sam Waterston and directed by Joseph Papp. However, he probably had an idea that his career had some unexpected things in store for him when not long after, he scored his first screen role--an appearance on the Planet of the Apes TV series.

However, it would be the following year that Naughton would land the part that would literally make him a recognizable star. And it was not a play, nor a movie, nor a TV show, but a soda commercial. Dr. Pepper was launching a brand-new campaign designed to convert people over to Pepper drinkers, and they were looking for a charismatic, fresh face around which to build it. The role required a lot of dancing, which gave Naughton pause when his agent initially made him aware of the project.

Intimidated by the sheer number of New York-area dancers who'd surely turn up for the auditions, Naughton showed up nevertheless. And got the part. Over the next four years, he would become one of the most well-known actors in American TV commercials, dancing and singing his way into the homes of millions, all the while extolling the virtues of Dr. Pepper.

"I don't understand actors who would rather work as bill collectors than try for a commercial," Naughton said in a 1981 interview with People magazine. "If I had been a purist, I'd still be waiting on tables. Dr Pepper opened Hollywood for me."

That statement was indeed an accurate one. It was while out in California doing public appearances for Dr. Pepper that another project came on Naughton's radar. Apparently, John Landis, the guy who made The Blues Brothers and Animal House, was getting to work on a horror comedy about werewolves. As the story goes, Landis and his wife Deborah were both avid Pepper lovers, and Deborah in particular was a big fan of Naughton from the TV ads. An interview was set up, and Naughton didn't even need to audition before being offered the starring role.

In addition to the Pepper commercials, Landis was also impressed with the fact that Naughton had lived in England, and had gone across Britain on a bicycle, since the film took place in England, and would involve Naughton's character, the doomed David Kessler, backpacking across the English countryside. It's also very possible that Naughton's very wholesome image, cultivated from the commercials, lent a certain shock value to the role that appealed to Landis.

Whatever the reasons in the end, Naughton was the perfect choice for Kessler. The film was a hit, grossing $19 million in its first month--quite a feat for a horror film in 1981--and finally attaching a name to the face and voice that millions of Americans already knew. David Naughton was now a bona fide star, and even if he arguably never quite surpassed An American Werewolf in London in his subsequent career, the film earned him a permanent place in the hearts of horror fans the world over. Certainly not something the former face of Dr. Pepper would have ever envisioned.

"I used to have people dance up to me in airports singing, 'I'm a Pepper, you're a Pepper,' " said Naughton to People. "Now they look at me and start baying at the moon."

How YOU Can Help Nightbreed's Dr. Decker Return to the Silver Screen

2011-06-02T23:01:00.004-04:00

Back in the spring of 1990, just before discovering girls, I discovered a film that would stay with me for all time after. It was a film that didn't make much of an impact at the time--in fact, I was alone amongst my friends in liking it--but would go on to become a cult classic in more recent times. That film was Clive Barker's Nightbreed, in my opinion the greatest horror flick to come from the formidable imagination of Mr. Barker.

After leaving the old Marboro theater on Bay Parkway in Brooklyn, I was instantly obsessed with the dark, macabre vision that had been laid out before me. However, I was amazed that the movie seemed to utterly disappear into the ether. That said, it warmed my heart to see it gain such a following much later on. And now, that rabid following may just lead to a very impressive fan film expansion--if one highly dedicated and enthusiastic filmmaker gets the funding he needs, that is.

New York's Matthew Gilbert is one such rabid Nightbreed fan, and his lifelong dream has been to expand on the Nightbreed universe by making a film about the notorious Dr. Decker, played with cold, terrifying precision by David Cronenberg in the original Barker film. Gilbert's vision is to trace the origins of Decker's psychosis, and the mad killing spree that takes place largely before the events of Nightbreed. And so, he's taken his cause to the masses.

If you go here, you will learn all you need to know, straight from the hopeful filmmaker's mouth, about his plans and what they entail. It's a bold ambition, and yet unfortunately at the moment, he is far from his goal. Posted on Kickstarter.com, the project will only be funded if $5,000 is raised by Sunday, July 10. As of this writing, Gilbert's total stands at $160. That's a long way to go, but we can help, Vault dwellers.

Do you love Nightbreed as Gilbert and myself do? Do you support quality independent horror filmmaking? Then take some time out to donate to this very worthy cause. As if the satisfaction of helping to create a Dr. Decker prequel is not enough, Gilbert and his associates are offering some very tantalizing rewards for generous backers. They range from a simple $5 donation, which gets you a mention in the film's ending credits, all the way up to a $3,000 donation, which gets you an Executive Producer credit and full participation in the making of the movie. There are lots of tiers in between (including a speaking role in the picture), which you can learn more about at Kickstarter.

In short, this is an endeavor worth supporting. Gilbert is obviously a passionate filmmaker looking to provide something valuable and entertaining to a highly devoted fan base which has not really gotten anything to write home about in two decades. And if The Vault of Horror can somehow help to make this happen, I would consider that one of the finest accomplishments of my blogging career.

Support Dr. Decker on Kickstarter
Dr. Decker Production Blog
Dr. Decker Facebook page

* Thanks to Kevin Maher for bringing this to my attention!

Random Ramblings from the Vault...

2011-05-30T15:29:00.000-04:00

So, apparently Tom Savini is returning to makeup duties after years of pretending to be a movie star, lending his considerable skills to the upcoming Australian horror flick Mary Doe. While that's an amazing coup for the Aussies, will someone please tell me why George Romero couldn't coax him to do the same? It certainly would've saved us from the horrendous CGI of the last three Living Dead films...

True Blood Season 4 is fast approaching, which means it's time for ol' B-Sol to renew his HBO subscription. Don't get me wrong, it's fun going over my parents' to watch the highly addictive Game of Thrones, but I need to be settled into my own comfy couch for the further adventures of Sookie and Bill. Witches this season, too? Bring it on.

The sequel to Piranha 3D--brilliantly titled Piranha 3DD--is reportedly going to be far more "over the top" than its predecessor. Because of course, that film was the picture of restraint. One can only imagine what will be unleashed come November. I, for one, had a blast with the first one, so I'm sure I'll be there, hands partially covering my eyes like last time...

I finally caught Let Me In, Matt Reeves' American adaptation of the Swedish novel Let the Right One In, previously adapted by Tomas Alfredson in 2008. The original is very near to my heart, but that did not prevent me from enjoying this new version. It's more horror-based, which also means it lacked some of the emotional gravitas of the superior Swedish version. And while a well-made film, I could not shake the notion that it was completely unnecessary, from an artistic standpoint.

Is there anything more delightful than sharing the wonders of The Abominable Dr. Phibes with someone who's never seen it before? I think not.

What is it about Lucio Fulci's films that continue to draw me in and make me defend them to those who just don't understand his greatness? Granted, he was no Dario Argento (when Argento was at his best, at least), but I do feel he was a far better filmmaker than he generally gets credit for.

It's not entirely horror, but I'd like to pass along the name of a pretty nifty little sci-fi thriller I'm reading at the moment--Hunter's Run by George R.R. Martin (of Game of Thrones fame), Gardner Dozois & Daniel Abraham. I'm about one third of the way through this gripping little page-turner, in which the human race, attempting to branch out to other worlds, finds itself ghetto-ized by the far more advanced species already out there. Good stuff.

I've asked this question before, but it bears repeating: Who is our top modern-day horror movie icon? Past generations had the likes of Lon Chaney, Boris Karloff and Vincent Price. Who, in your humble opinion, dear readers, do we have now?

Still not sure how I feel about this whole Toho Godzilla reboot for next year. A CGI 'Zilla? Doesn't that make Toho into hypocrites, after (rightfully) ridiculing the American version in Godzilla: Final Wars?

For those who don't already know, the Avon Theatre in Stamford, CT is the place to go for some amazing old school horror cinema on the big screen. It's been a distinct pleasure to host their Cult Classics series along with Captain Cruella, and we will be returning for the following engagements: John Carpenter's Halloween (June 16), Alligator (July 7), It Came from Outer Space - IN 3D! (July 21), David Cronenberg's Rabid (August 4; to be shown as a double-feature with another top-secret Marilyn Chambers movie. Do the math.), and Troll 2 (August 11). See you there!

The Vault of Horror Commemorates the Vincent Price Centennial!

2011-05-27T17:00:00.000-04:00

It would be an understatement to say that Vincent Price helped shape my development as a horror fan. Rather, for me, as for so many fans of the genre, Vincent Price epitomized horror. He was the genre. No other personality before or since (and that is not to say there have not been many great ones) has so perfectly captured the essence of horror as Price, combining genuine terror with outrageous fun at every turn. A true original, his work continues to inspire us, and today we remember it in particular because he would have been 100 years old.

Price was born 100 years ago today in St. Louis, Missouri, and the world is certainly a better place for that occurrence. He has enriched us, entertained us and delighted us, and I thank him for it from the bottom of my heart. In honor of this momentous day, please enjoy the little Price pastiche I've put together below, consisting of links to some of the many Vincent-related posts the Vault has featured over the years. You can also check out Brutal as Hell for some stupendous coverage...

The Tuesday Top 10: Favorite Vincent Price Roles - From The Tingler to The Brady Bunch, and all points in between!

The Many Faces of Vincent Price - A visual tribute. Egghead included!

The Many Faces of Vincent Price, Vol. 2 - More amazing Price shots...

Vincent Price Day: Sweet Dreams - A fantastic fan tribute video I posted on the anniversary of Mr. Price's death.

Trailer Trash: Vincent Price Edition - Clips for The Invisible Man Returns, House of Wax, Dr. Phibes and much more!

Retro Review: House on Haunted Hill (1959) - The legend at his campy best. Remake be damned.

Retro Review: Theater of Blood - My absolute favorite Price film. Well, maybe tied with Phibes...

Retro Review: The Last Man on Earth - The finest adaptation of Matheson's I Am Legend, in my humble opinion...

The Priceless Vincent Price - Another most excellent Price fan video...

TRAILER TRASH! Robert Quarry Edition...

2011-05-23T14:28:00.002-04:00

A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 4, as Reviewed by a 13-Year-Old B-Sol

2011-05-21T18:50:00.005-04:00

Once a writer, always a writer, I suppose. That's the conclusion I've come to after having gone through piles and piles of stuff that had been previously cluttering my basement for years, and coming across a mother lode of scribblings from my youth. Not only was it proof positive that the writing bug had bitten me very early in my existence, but I also found further proof that my fixation on horror is certainly nothing new.

Case in point: Printed out in dot matrix fashion from my Commodore 64, I found a homemade "movie magazine" entitled "CINEMAG"--created by yours truly in the summer of 1988, at the tender age of 13. Even then, I was driven to share my opinions on motion pictures in printed form--go figure. To scan through the pages of CINEMAG (there was only one issue ever made) is to peer into the adolescent mind of a developing cinephile, with articles on Tucker: A Man and His Dream, A Fish Called Wanda, Young Guns and Clean and Sober.

But what caught my attention in particular was my review of A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 4: The Dream Master. NOES 4 was the first R-rated flick I had ever seen in a movie theater, and one of my earliest experiences with modern horror. I can remember having very well-defined opinions on it, and it was quite something to find those opinions preserved in this way. It inspired me to share those opinions with you--and so, without further ado, I bring you the transcript of that very article, taken from the stapled pages of CINEMAG...

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 - Are You Ready for Freddy?

He has been the most commonly known movie monster since Dracula. A classic cult figure since he first appeared on the screen almost a half decade ago. He is the villain of three high-budget horror films, the fourth of the series just released. The character is Freddy Krueger. The movie series--A Nightmare on Elm Street.

When one thinks of a slasher film, one thinks of a low-budget, blood and guts, no-plot, piece of garbage film, as the Friday the 13th series has proven [Ed. note: Even then, I hated Friday the 13th!]. But one notices a definite difference in these films. First of all, these films are considered by most to be genuinely scary, and not just bloodfests. They even border on the realm of science fiction, for the special effects are highly acclaimed. Overall the past three (the original, Freddy's Revenge, and Dream Warriors) got pretty satisfactory reviews from major critics. And the public obviously likes them, for they have a combined gross of close to $200 million.

But most horror film series have a tendency to become repetitious after a while. Can this happen even with such a successful series as Elm Street, especially upon the current release of the latest episode, A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Master? One redeeming factor is the fact that the special effects become more common and more spectacular in each film, since Freddy becomes more powerful with the more children he kills. I mean, in the beginning, the extent of his powers would be to pull someone into a bed, where now he actually turns a kid into a roach (upon trapping her in a roach motel, he sneers, "You can check in, but you can't check out!") The acing, as usual, is far from top-notch, so we may see Freddy as a movie critic back from the grave for revenge. Most critics share my view that the series is becoming tiresome, and the suspense and fear element is almost completely gone in this film, giving way to pure gore.

This movie, though, is presently the number-one movie in America, but this is almost certainly because of the popularity of the last three films, and so it may not be top for very long.

Personally, though, having seen the film, I see it simply as a rush job made to tie up any loose ends presented in the last sequel. But you don't have to take mine or anybody's word for it--go to the theater, buy some popcorn, cuddle up to your girlfriend, and get ready for Freddy...

Retro Review: Maniac (1980)

2011-05-19T22:57:00.013-04:00

One of the very best things to come out of this whole Vault of Horror experience has been the opportunity to host films at the historic Avon Theatre in Stamford, Connecticut. I've been doing it since last fall along with the amazing Captain Cruella, and even though the good Captain could not be with me last week, I'd have to say that it turned out to be one of the most fascinating Avon experiences of them all.

The reason I say this is that it was my first chance to see William Lustig's grindhouse classic Maniac, starring one of my favorite character actors, Joe Spinell. I had come very close to seeing it a couple of years ago at a special screening at the Tribeca Film Festival, but meeting up with fellow blogger extraordinaire Tenebrous Kate and her Baron for drinks beforehand resulted in a whole lot of drinks, and very little moviegoing...

And so, I was quite intrigued to find that the Avon was going to be showing it, and jumped at the opportunity to be a part of it. Especially since this would be more than a simple screening--rather, director/producer William Lustig himself would be present, and would be participating in a post-film Q&A. It truly was an honor to stand on the same stage as Mr. Lustig, and to join with my felow horror geeks--such as the one and only Chris Alo (pictured, left), impresario behind the Hudson Horror Film Festival--to take in a true exploitation "classic", if that word can really be appropriately applied here.

It was quite ironic to meet a man like Lustig; so pleasant, clearly full of a zest for life and quick to joke (he was surprised to learn I was the guy behind the Vault of Horror, since I "looked like a banker")--and then sit down and pay witness to such a grim cinematic exhibition as Maniac truly is. To call it a finely made film might be a stretch, but it certainly was a gripping experience, and one that I'm very pleased I sought out.

One of my favorite aspects of Maniac is the time and setting. As a native New Yorker who grew up during the Koch years, I remain fixated on the era of New York in the 1970s and early 1980s--such a different time than now, when Manhattan was a much more lurid, and downright scary place, filled with crime, and every depravity imaginable. A far cry from the Disney-fied NYC of today, it's a city that comes to life in Maniac, warts and all. It might be paradoxical to wax nostalgic for this era, but I do--and I can tell that Lustig does, as well.

Through the lens of Lustig's cinematographer Robert Lindsay, Manhattan is presented in a perpetually grimy, sleazy, grainy haze. This is the era of Son of Sam and hookers on every corner. This is the world through which Spinell's Frank Zito wanders, stalking beautiful women on a rampage of wanton destruction.

In the main role, Spinell is a veritable tour-de-force, and no, I don't find this to be an exaggeration. With a career filled with memorable roles as the asthmatic bookie Mr. Gazzo in Rocky, the shady Willi Cicci in The Godfather ("The family had a lotta buffers..."), and the dispatcher in Scorsese's Taxi Driver, this one stands out without question as the defining moment. Exploitation film or not, this is a performance that is quite literally worthy of an Oscar nomination, and one of which Spinell was rightfully proud.

Portraying the murderous Zito as a classic Freudian disaster, Spinell is at times chilling, at times darkly humorous, and always effective. The actor breathes such life into him, that we feel we are getting a glimpse into the world of a real-life serial killer. The script, co-written by Spinell and collaborator C.A. Rosenberg, presents Zito as a psychologically ravaged human being, part Norman Bates, part giallo-style slasher, part Berkowitz--a killer with a shocking level of depth. And the film, told from his perspective, becomes a dark journey into the depths of the human mind.

The lovely Caroline Munro shows up as Zito's highly unlikely love interest Anna, a photographer who represents for him the ultimate, unattainable image of femininity--the closest embodiment he has yet found of his long-gone mother--the woman whose perceived neglect and abuse set the young Frank on the path to his misogynistic killing spree. There's a lot of Hitchcockian influence to be felt in her presence in the film, as well as in her interactions with Spinell. As Lustig himself said during the Q&A, Hitchcock influenced every filmmaker who came after him--and even though Lustig may not be someone typically mentioned in the same breath as Hitch, the pronounced influence is there, nonetheless.

The production may have been notoriously shoe-string (made for under $100,000), but that only adds to the film's effectiveness. Lindsay, along with production manager Andrew W. Garroni, join forces to provide Lustig with settings that are often jarringly lit, and a climactic cemetery scene is so filled with fog as to be almost a parody. These over-the-top aspects make Maniac a delirious fever dream of a film, as does the gruesome makeup effects work of Tom Savini and Rob Bottin.

Those two men--the former fresh off Friday the 13th and the latter poised to begin work on John Carpenter's The Thing--drench this picture in blood and guts, ensuring that the MPAA would have much to gripe about. And even though an R-rated cut was made, this was the glorious unrated version that once unspooled in grindhouse dives all across America--including the Avon itself, during a previous lifetime.

As for the Q&A, it had to be one of the finest Avon Q&As I've ever been a part of. Lustig was gracious and genuinely engaged, answering every question that was posed to him both by the audience and Adam Birnbaum, the Avon's Director of Programming. No topic was off-limits, and Lustig was more than willing to take the viewers all the way inside the filmmaking process, sharing anecdotes and technical secrets without hesitation. Here's just a brief taste of the highly engaging session:

Maniac is a standout example of the B-grade exploitation cinema of a time in movie history which is long gone, and will not be coming back any time soon. In today's era of glossy, safe horror, it is a seedy blast of stale subway air, and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible. I cannot believe it took me this long to discover it, but I'm glad I did. And if you're an aficionado of grindhouse cinema, than William Lustig's Maniac is without question something well worth experiencing.

The Many Faces of King Kong

2011-05-18T16:11:00.004-04:00

In Honor of Friday the 13th--JASON GOES SHOPPING!

2011-05-13T13:12:00.002-04:00

Happy Friday the 13th, Vault dwellers. I've never been very superstitious, so I've never really attached bad luck to it. As a matter of fact, it's a day close to my heart, because I was actually born on one. I know, not much of a shock there. Anyway, in recognition of the day, please enjoy this marvelous fan film by Sean Dillin, featuring a certain Mr. Voorhees.

You know, I think I may have actually been behind the big guy at the Stop 'n Shop checkout a time or two...

VAULTCAST: The LANCE HENRIKSEN Interview!

2011-05-07T13:02:00.009-04:00

Aliens. Pumpkinhead. Near Dark. Millennium. The list goes on and and on. Lance Henriksen is a legend whose work has inspired me since I was a child. And last night, I got to interview him. In a career filled with celebrity interviews, I have to honestly say that this was one of the absolute biggest for me. A fanboy moment, if you will.

With today being the conclusion of the epic Lance Henriksen Blogathon hosted by John Kenneth Muir, what better time to unleash this, perhaps the proudest moment in Vault of Horror history? I'm very excited to present the VoH Lance Henriksen interview, in honor of the publication of his new autobiography, Not Bad for a Human, co-authored by Joe Maddrey.

You may listen on the embedded player below, or proceed to the Vaultcast page and download it for listening at your leisure!

Check out my review of NOT BAD FOR A HUMAN over at Fangoria.com...
From the Vault Archives! The Many Faces of Lance Henriksen...

Special thanks to Rebecca Feldbin of Nancy Iannios Public Relations for helping to make this interview possible.

Chiller Theatre Strikes Again!

2011-05-05T14:15:00.008-04:00

Those of you who have been following my exploits here in The Vault of Horror for some years now have come to expect my (somewhat) annual report from Chiller Theatre, the Northeast's premier horror/genre convention. And I'm proud to say that I made it once again this year, progeny in tow as usual, prepared to bestow upon them all the wonders of geek culture. And this time we really outdid ourselves, because we were joined by the other half of the Terror Team, the one and only Captain Cruella of the Carnivorous Cadavers!

So there we were, the Terror Team along with Zombelina and Skeleton Jack (a.k.a. Wee-Sol), taking in what had to be the best thing happening in Parsippany, New Jersey on this particular day. Getting into the spirit as always, Zombelina was resplendent in Bride of Frankenstein white streaks. The boy simply had to get in on the act as well, and a quick on-site makeup job made him such a dead ringer for Zacherley that when we once again crossed paths with the Cool Ghoul himself, he couldn't help but be impressed and bestow a free autographed pic (not to mention agree to an interview--but more on that later, dear Vault dwellers...)

As for the Captain--well, it's not every day that one gets to attend a horror convention with a real-life zombie. As we plastered the place with VoH cards and took in all the sights, Cruella became one of the sights all to herself, attracting the usual attention and adoration with her unique, undead regalia.

Just as it is every year, Chiller was jam-packed with the kind of celebrities that make the average fanboy quiver with anticipation. So, of course, it was no surprise that we would run into the likes of Susan "Cindy Brady" Olsen and Butch "Eddie Munster" Patrick. However, imagine my shock and bliss when the Captain stopped and pointed out to me that none other than Ernest Borgnine, one of Hollywood's greatest living legends, was seated just a few feet away. Now I'm not one to lose it for just anyone, but this was indeed a treat--to meet the man who won an Oscar for Marty, starred alongside Sinatra in From Here to Eternity and survived The Poseidon Adventure. Not to mention, as I pointed out to the kiddies, is the voice of Mermaid Man on Spongebob Squarepants.

But in terms of photo opps, it got no cooler than P.J. Soles, my very favorite slasher movie victim of all time. We all took turns having our picture taken with this unforgettable scream queen, who once met her bitter end at the hands of Michael Myers in the original Halloween.

And of course, Chiller would be nothing without oceans of wondrous stuff on display, to tempt the hearts and empty the wallets of the faithful. This year, we walked away with a complete DVD collection of the ultra-rare Tales from the Cryptkeeper animated series (I didn't even know the show existed), as well as a vintage (OK, vintage reprint) issue of The Vault of Horror comic book--picked out by Zombelina herself (what can I say, she's proud of the old man.)

We all enjoyed a leisurely outdoor lunch, as the little ones took turns reading macabre stories from our VoH comic book. After the Captain and I did a little networking with artists and other creative types, and we enjoyed a few other celeb run-ins (Jack took pleasure in scowling at the evil Johnny from The Karate Kid), it soon became clear that the spawn were hitting the wall and it was time to make an exit.

But it didn't end there, because thanks to the resourcefulness and sense of adventure of my zombified counterpart, we soon found ourselves continuing the excursion in a most appropriate place--the supposedly haunted Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, situated about halfway between Chiller and Vault headquarters in idyllic Connecticut. Slipping in just before the gates closed, we wandered the graves with fascination, and even managed to stumble upon (well not literally, that would be disrespectful) the grave stone of Samuel Gompers, noted founder of the American Federation of Labor, and hero to the working class.

All in all, our Sleepy Hollow stopover was a perfect capper to the annual Chiller Theatre outing. And as always, it is one of the unique joys of my life to pass along all the nerdy goodness to my children, just as my parents did with me. This year, that experience was made even more thrilling by being able to share it with my lovely consort. It marked the first time that the Terror Team took Chiller Theatre by storm, and I look forward to many more such incursions to come.

Chiller will be returning in October, and we will certainly be making our best efforts to make it once again, or at least to return by next year's spring installment. I've been coming now for over a decade, and I've been privileged to share it with those special to me. It's a must-have experience for any genre fan, and even if it's gotten just a little smaller and maybe not quite as grandiose as in previous years, it still remains a pilgrimage that any Northeast horror fan worth his or her salt must make.