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The Many Faces of George Romero's Zombies

Celebrating the 5th Anniversary of The Vault of Horror--With PURE BEDLAM!!

Half a decade ago, I was a recently deposed WWE Magazine editor with a dream. A dream to find a way to continue pontificating to the masses and have my voice heard--no longer on the subject of pro wrestling, but in another area at which I was a tried and true blowhard of epic proportions: Horror.

Thus was born my little foray into the blogosphere, the mighty Vault of Horror in which you currently find yourself. This October 14, the Vault turns five years old. To commemorate this milestone, I'm joining forces with the historic Bijou Theatre in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to put on a series of horror double features this fall, and I hope you'll come out and join me to celebrate. I can think of no better way to mark the occasion, and my utmost thanks go out to my running partner Captain Cruella for using her undead powers to help make the whole thing possible.

It gives me great pleasure to announce BEDLAM AT THE BIJOU. I've concocted this special series myself, and with such an amazing venue as this, it's sure to be a blast. Here's what I have in store:

   
Thursday, September 27: Nuclear Nightmares
Two movies about giant monsters spawned from nuclear radiation, released the same year, on opposite sides of the Pacific. It's the original Gojira, followed by the ant epic Them! I'm working on getting some Japanese finger foods lined up for the evening, as well as a special guest speaker to join me in a little Q&A action...

Thursday, October 25: The Undead Among Us
A good old-fashioned zombie double feature. But not just any zombie flicks--these are the originators of the genre. I'm talking about Bela Lugosi in White Zombie, plus Vincent Price in The Last Man on Earth--the movie that inspired NOTLD. Best of all, joining me will be the one and only Dr. Kim Paffenroth, fellow LoTTD member, Bram Stoker award winner, and the world's only theologian/zombie expert!

Thursday, November 15: The Count Begins
OK, so I use a lot of puns. It's the mag editor in me. But what better title for this unique pairing of the first two cinematic adaptations of Bram Stoker's Dracula: the silent classic Nosferatu, and Universal's iconic 1931 Dracula? I'm working on a wine special for the evening (Dracula never drinks wine, but we will!), and possibly even some live musical accompaniment for Nosferatu. Plus, I might even lure Paul Bibeau, author of Sundays with Vlad, to join me as a special guest...

There you have it, Vault dwellers. I hope you can all make it down for one or all of these, if you happen to be anywhere near the Connecticut area... A nice turnout will almost certainly ensure that BEDLAM AT THE BIJOU will continue with future killer double-features hosted by yours truly.

So come help me celebrate the fifth anniversary of The Vault of Horror in style. For more information about the venue, check out the Bijou Theatre's official website. In the days to come, there should also be more info on there as far as showtimes, ticket prices and other details. You can check here for more information as well. It's been an amazing five years here in the Vault, and I can't wait to kick off the festivities!

The Bijou Theatre

275 Fairfield Avenue

Bridgeport, CT

203-332-3228

info@thebijoutheatre.com

Trailer Trash! Clive Barker Edition...

Visceral Visionaries: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Vol. 2

Nearly two years ago, I made a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of my favorite places on Earth. While there, I documented some of the more horrific pieces of art on display, and turned it into a Visceral Visionaries post. I also promised I'd return for even more frightening works of art.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the chance to do just that, as I took the kids to the city for another foray into the most stirring and beautiful endeavors of the human soul. I honestly didn't plan on using the visit to fuel another Visceral Visionaries post, but while there, I couldn't help but start snapping shots of some of the more disturbing pieces on display. A horror bloggers' indefatigable instinct, I suppose.

Regretfully, my smart phone ran out of juice halfway through our visit, which meant I was not able to accumulate as many images as I did last time (I even missed the chance to photograph my favorite work seen that day, Dali's Crucifixion.)

Still, the result of our amazing visit to the Big Apple is still an impressive collection of some pretty captivating, evocative and downright eerie creations. I hope you enjoy this second journey into the horrors of the Metropolitan, and I urge you all to visit if you're ever in fair Gotham.

Two Putti Trying to Stop a Monkey Abducting a Child (detail). Italy, ca. 1635. 

Woven  in the Barberini Manufactory, 

Mask. Japan, 15th century. Lacquered iron, hair, silk.

Perseus with the Head of Medusa by Antonio Canova. Italy, 1806. 

Note Skeleton Jack gaping in awe at right.

Oedipus and the Sphinx by Gustave Moreau. France, 1864. Oil on canvas.

Sallet in the Shape of a Lion's Head. Italy, ca. 1460. Steel, gilt copper, glass, polychromy.

Processional Cross. Spain, ca. 1150. Silver and niello repousse on a wood core, with semiprecious stones, glass and sapphires. The inspiration for the Close Encounters mothership alien, perhaps?

Theatrical Mask. Egypt, 2nd century AD.

Wall painting from the villa of P. Fannius Synistor (detail). Rome, ca.50 BC.