Just picked up the amazing Taschen coffee table book Horror Cinema, at the advice of Tenebrous Kate. Excellent stuff, highly recommended.
I think it's a ridiculous travesty that the only copy of Psycho I own is the version I taped off television 15 years ago on one of those low-grade 8-hour BASF VHS tapes. This must be remedied forthwith.
Less than two weeks to Shutter Island. Can you feel the excitement?
How amazing is it that the legendary Famous Monsters of Filmaland cover artist Basil Gogos just did a new poster for the remake of The Wolfman?
I'm going to put this out there, and I don't care what anyone thinks. The portrayal of the Frankenstein Monster in Van Helsing may be the most faithful to Mary Shelley's novel ever put to film.
If I was stranded on a desert island and could only watch the horror films of a single director, I think it would probably be James Whale--even though there are only four of them. Of course that would be provided I could find someplace to plug in my DVD player.
Confession: A large part of what got me into horror movies as a boy was the fact that the horror section at my neighborhood video store was on the other side of the shelves that contained the adult section. There, I said it. I feel so liberated!
So when is Toho getting back into the Godzilla business? And dare I wonder if there's any truth to the CGI rumors??
If you've voted on the current Walking Dead poll here in the Vault and are wondering who my pick is to play the lead on the TV series, I'm leaning toward Peter Krause. However, I do believe he is currently in the midst of another TV series, so that may be impossible. Sad face.
Despite the usual attendant nonsense, it is pretty cool that Bloody-Disgusting is doing a horror blog award, and I encourage everyone who hasn't done so to head on over there and vote.
The Horror Cinema book is good, Taschen at its best... And Psycho (as Mullholand Dr.) is one of the gems I own times 3 on DVD... and if I ever get to see the new version in stores, I sure will get it!
Shutter Island, you know I can't wait since Im probably Leo's biggest fan. Thats' hysterical why you headed over to the horror section, but, as I think about you, I'm not surprised. of course, my vote goes to Sawyer aka Josh H.
My daughter bought me the collector's edition or something of Psycho a couple of years ago. One of the best gifts ever! And kudos on feeling liberated! :)
I get angry when I see those lovely Taschen books all covered in plastic at the bookstores because I can't flip through them.
It's odd just how much Hitchcock experience I have from watching all of his stuff on TV (like WTBS, etc and with COMMERCIALS. ick!). I think I've only ever seen Rear Window and Vertigo on an actual movie screen. I need to fix that.
Brian, have you checked out Big Man Japan? That might satisfy your Toho fix for a while until they get their act in gear.
You need to reread Frankenstein. The original monster is handsome (in a way that's oddly repulsive). He's also athletic in build rather than ponderous.
"His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful!-Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath: his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriences only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips."
In the book we also see him leap around mountain and arctic landscapes with superhuman agility; as opposed to the stumping steampunk body that appears in Van Helsing.
Shelly made him as a sort of superman figure and the earliest illustrations of him show him looking almost like Greek statuary or something out of a Blake drawing. Those are the most faithful representations.
In film, Mary Shelly's Frankenstein is far closer to the source novel.
The most faithful filmn adaptation of the novel so far would be Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, but I found the Creature himself to be even more faithfully represented in Van Helsing.
Just picked up the amazing Taschen coffee table book Horror Cinema, at the advice of Tenebrous Kate. Excellent stuff, highly recommended.
How amazing is it that the legendary Famous Monsters of Filmaland cover artist Basil Gogos just did a new poster for the remake of The Wolfman?
Confession: A large part of what got me into horror movies as a boy was the fact that the horror section at my neighborhood video store was on the other side of the shelves that contained the adult section. There, I said it. I feel so liberated!
If you've voted on the current Walking Dead poll here in the Vault and are wondering who my pick is to play the lead on the TV series, I'm leaning toward Peter Krause. However, I do believe he is currently in the midst of another TV series, so that may be impossible. Sad face.
The Horror Cinema book is good, Taschen at its best... And Psycho (as Mullholand Dr.) is one of the gems I own times 3 on DVD... and if I ever get to see the new version in stores, I sure will get it!
ReplyDeleteI NEED to get that Legacy Edition DVD...
ReplyDeleteShutter Island, you know I can't wait since Im probably Leo's biggest fan. Thats' hysterical why you headed over to the horror section, but, as I think about you, I'm not surprised. of course, my vote goes to Sawyer aka Josh H.
ReplyDeleteSawyer is another damn good choice, a close second for me!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter bought me the collector's edition or something of Psycho a couple of years ago. One of the best gifts ever! And kudos on feeling liberated! :)
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorite weekly features B-Sol--I couldn't agree more on VanHelsing..horrible movie but the depiction of the monster was spot on.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jen, I'm glad others have noticed this anomaly with Van Helsing...
ReplyDeleteCollection of best horror movies DVD Collection.
ReplyDeleteLove the Basil Gogos stuff for the Wolfman!
ReplyDeleteI get angry when I see those lovely Taschen books all covered in plastic at the bookstores because I can't flip through them.
It's odd just how much Hitchcock experience I have from watching all of his stuff on TV (like WTBS, etc and with COMMERCIALS. ick!). I think I've only ever seen Rear Window and Vertigo on an actual movie screen. I need to fix that.
Brian, have you checked out Big Man Japan? That might satisfy your Toho fix for a while until they get their act in gear.
Haven't checked that out, Chris. But nothing could sate my hunger for Godzilla but Big G himself.
ReplyDeleteHmm, never thought of Holloway as Rick, good choice.
ReplyDeleteYou need to reread Frankenstein. The original monster is handsome (in a way that's oddly repulsive). He's also athletic in build rather than ponderous.
ReplyDelete"His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful!-Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath: his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriences only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips."
In the book we also see him leap around mountain and arctic landscapes with superhuman agility; as opposed to the stumping steampunk body that appears in Van Helsing.
Shelly made him as a sort of superman figure and the earliest illustrations of him show him looking almost like Greek statuary or something out of a Blake drawing. Those are the most faithful representations.
In film, Mary Shelly's Frankenstein is far closer to the source novel.
The most faithful filmn adaptation of the novel so far would be Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, but I found the Creature himself to be even more faithfully represented in Van Helsing.
ReplyDelete