A Conversation with Bernie Marcus

One of the reasons why I am planning to vote for Mitt Romney for President in this November's election is touched on by Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus in the below video. President Barack Obama would have Americans believe that the federal government is the key to solving chronically high unemployment, helping a record number of Americans get off welfare(at last count that number was about 46.5 million) and creating more jobs for those unemployed and/or under employed Americans. The federal government of the U.S. has been traditionally fraught with waste and internal mismanagement of its own finances. Federal agencies like FEMA and the U.S. Postal Service have been financial disasters for many years. At the time of this blog post the USPS is losing $25 million A DAY! I would like to see a future America with MORE employed Americans and with long term jobs, not 90 day "shovel ready" temp jobs that President Obama's stimulus legislation generated.

Sweet tooth: Candyman(1992)

What with all the props given to major horror film characters like Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, Pinhead, Leatherface and Michael Myers, I'd like to offer my own kudos to a killer nicknamed "Candyman" who is the title character of the 1992 film of the same name. Candyman is directed by Bernard Rose and isn't on Blu Ray yet. I hope it is soon. This movie is a grim, melancholy, spooky and at times downright scary affair in which a long dead man with a stump and nailed on hook for a right hand comes back to haunt, and kill, victims in the Cabrini Green area of Chicago, Illinois. A local college researcher and journalist named Helen Lyle(played by Virginia Madsen) learns all too well that the "Candyman" isn't a myth but is a very real killer. The title character is ably portrayed by Tony Todd whose deep voice amplifies the menace of his vengeful and bloodthirsty character. There are numerous "shock" sequences of violence and gore as the Candyman does his bloodletting. I also like the score which often utilizes classical music and blends well with the frequent dream like sequences in which Helen Lyle communicates with the killer. I haven't seen the two sequels to this movie but I'm planning on buying the DVDs to both before the end of the year.

TCM Event Series Presents Frankenstein(1931) and The Bride of Frankenstein(1935)

Turner Classic Movies, Universal and NCM Fathom Events are together sponsoring a limited theatrical re-release of Frankenstein(1931) and The Bride Of Frankenstein(1935). Both of these classic Universal horror films will be shown in select theaters as a double feature on Wednesday, October 24th(2012) at 7:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time). Read more: http://www.fathomevents.com/classics/event/tcmfrankensteins.aspx?d=10/24/2012



For a listing, by state, of participating movie theaters in the U.S. that will be showing these two movies click the link: http://www.fathomevents.com/upcoming/alllocations.aspx?eventid=1105

TCM Event Series Presents Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein

HALLOWEEN(1978) returns to theaters in 2012

HALLOWEEN, the 1978 horror classic directed by John Carpenter, returns to select theaters across the United States beginning October 25th, 2012 and running through Halloween, October 31st. This limited theatrical release is the result of a collaborative effort between ScreenVision, Trancas International Films and Compass International Pictures. Included in this re-release to theaters will be an exclusive short documentary by Justin Breahm about Michael Myers called “YOU CAN’T KILL THE BOOGEYMAN: 35 YEARS OF HALLOWEEN.”, this documentary taking a closer look at Michael Myers, the iconic killer in all the "Halloween" films. Additional screens showing this classic horror film are being added daily. To see if a theater will be showing Halloween(1978) in your area click the below image:


Those interested in checking on a list of theaters by state which will be showing this classic can also go to ScreenVision's "Halloween movie" web page for a list of theaters which is updated daily. The link: ScreenVision Halloween page

Another website I would recommend for "Halloween" movie fans is a site dedicated to Michael Myers himself. Check it out by clicking this link: Michael Myers  

Christian Vote

I have spent the past six weeks putting together a website called Christian Vote for a close friend of mine. I am not a spiritual person and while I don't share the religious overtones and content within this website I absolutely agree with my friend's assertion that liberal media bias is adversely affecting the minds of many American voters and those who are preparing to register to vote. I have always felt considerable disdain for politics and even greater disdain for the Democrat political party. In the past I have largely ignored the foibles and shenanigans that regularly occur within Congress and including various past U.S. presidents and members of their respective administrations. Not anymore. The current American president, Barack Obama, may be the worst commander-in-chief the United States has EVER had.

Under President Obama our national debt has reached $16 trillion dollars, unemployment remains chronically high with an official Department Of Labor statistic of 8.1%. That stat does not include those able bodied and unemployed Americans who have given up looking for work altogether. When including those no longer working for work the actual unemployment rate is much higher and likely around 14-15%. One in seven Americans currently receive welfare and/or food stamps simply to pay their basic bills and feed themselves. An independent report by the Institute Of Medicine recently concluded that the U.S. health care system wastes $750 billion annually in unnecessary and redundant paperwork, excessive administrative costs/fees and outright fraud. Despite this the Democrats, and President Obama, plan to implement "Obamacare", a nationalized health care system that will result in an even bigger government intrusion into our health care system, something I find appalling given the sorry track record of accounting and fiscal responsibility among government agencies.

I hope those checking out this blog who are planning to vote in November will take the time to also check out Christian Vote. I will be maintaining this website and posting updates to the site on a regular basis. Click the link below or the title of this blog entry to see this new website. Thanks!

Christian Vote

Lost and found: CREATURE(1985)

One of my guilty pleasures in life is watching low budget sci-fi/horror movies and CREATURE, a film directed by William Malone, is certainly one of them. Anyone who has watched this movie, originally released theatrically back in May, 1985 knows that it is a blatant "Alien" rip off. In Creature(1985) we learn at the onset that two competing corporations, one American and one German, are vying to secure a valuable area of alien archaeological artifacts located on "Titan", a moon of the planet Saturn. The German corporation manages to land a spacecraft at the site on Titan first where two of its crew members, wandering through the ancient alien ruins, disturb a "sleeping" alien creature that quickly awakens, then attacks and kills them.

Later an American spaceship also lands at this site on the surface of Titan and, not surprisingly, encounters a hideous and bloodthirsty alien monster that immediately sets about stalking and killing the American team sent to the site.


Wendy Schaal in CREATURE(1985)


The alien creature in this movie looks a lot like the iconic "xenomorph" from Ridley Scott's Alien(1979). The monster kills by physical assault and numerous scenes show the hostile monster gnawing on the necks of its victims. The recently awakened creature also has the ability to transfer small, nasty looking spores to victims' scalps which render them pale skinned, wild eyed zombies and also dedicated to killing those still unaffected by the creature. The special effects are largely pedestrian and the acting is serviceable, enhanced to some degree for me by the lovely Wendy Schaal and creepy, leering Klaus Kinski. Kinski is later replaced by an obvious double after becoming infected by one of the creature's spores and "zombiefied".

There's some decent scenes of shock and gore in this film, the latter highlighted by one sequence in which a crew member(infected by the alien creature's miniature spore) has his head blown apart by another crew member packing a formidable hand held firearm. The reveals of the alien monster are brief and scatter shot throughout the movie, no doubt an effort by director William Malone to minimize the effects shortcomings of the monster which was obviously rendered through the use of "man in a suit". At the conclusion of the film we get a better look at the monster as it attacks and jacks up one of the movies' main protagonists, tossing him around like a rag doll outside the derelict German spaceship. The design of the alien creature is decent. The action sequences in which the monster attacks the crew members throughout this film not so much.


Long in the tooth: the monster in CREATURE(1985) looking for its next victim


The movie was made on an estimated budget of $750,000 and generated about $4.5 million at the box office. Creature(1985) was, according to IMDB, filmed in a 2:35.1 widescreen aspect ratio and I've seen some screen caps of this movie at German websites showing off marvelous looking widescreen images.

DVDs and VHS copies of this movie I've seen for sale at eBay, Amazon and other websites are all unfortunately in full screen(1:33.1) aspect ratios. My R1 DVD copy is the Diamond Entertainment release and is a VHS like quality transfer.

I've seen some mention that Retromedia, a few years ago, made some inquiries about securing original elements from this movie in order to release a widescreen version of CREATURE but thus far no widescreen release has happened. Maybe Blue Underground will show some interest in this movie...or not.

The American trailer for Creature(1985) aka "The Titan Find":

Donald Fagen - I.G.Y. (What a Beautiful World) (HQ)

Getting Hammered: Iconic movie studio's new YouTube channel

The iconic British movie studio Hammer Films has its own YouTube channel. This film studio, created in 1934, is best known for its marvelous horror and sci-fi movies released during the '50's, '60's and '70's. Hammer Films has enjoyed a recent resurgence and is again producing movies including the 2012 horror film The Woman In Black which stars Daniel Radcliffe(star of the "Harry Potter" movies).


Five(5) full length Hammer Films movies are already available for viewing on their YT channel including a favorite of mine, The Quatermass Xperiment(1955) directed by Val Guest.

To access Hammer Films' official website click on the title of this blog entry or this link: HAMMER FILMS website

Pick your poison: The Black Scorpion(1957)

One of my great escapes from reality, all while in the comfort of my living room recliner, often involves watching one of my beloved 1950's B movie "monster on the loose" creature features. These generally low(er) budget movies produced during the '50s feature various humans, animals or insects that have been exposed to atomic radiation, growing to enormous size and then becoming an immediate menace to anyone around them which results in climactic and predictable showdowns between these irradiated mutations and those members of local towns and military forces that are actually brave enough to hang around and fight these monsters.

Most of these films aren't broadcast on television much anymore though a handful still make the rounds on Turner Classic Movies(TCM). These kinds of movies make no sense and yet I find myself still as enamored with them today as I was when I was kid. Go figure.

One such film that still appears on TCM is The Black Scorpion, a black and white movie originally released to theaters in 1957, produced by Warner Brothers and directed by Edward Ludwig. The cast includes Richard Denning, Carlos Rivas and Mara Corday.

As 1950's "giant creatures on the loose" movies go The Black Scorpion is IMO above average and will well entertain B movie "creature feature" enthusiasts for ninety minutes, I think.

In The Black Scorpion a geologist and a doctor are studying the effects of volcanic activity in a remote and rugged village of San Lorenzo, Mexico. One effect they hadn't counted on: the volcanic activity has caused a rupture in the Earth nearby and prehistoric, giant sized scorpions have made their way to the surface from their subterranean lair, the enormous arachnids preying on cattle and the local citizenry. The scientist, doctor and local military all quickly get together to come up with a plan to stop the marauding, over-sized scorpions. Their initial efforts fail and even larger scorpions emerge from their underground nest, attacking a passenger train. Eventually the largest of these prehistoric scorpions, a house sized monstrosity, emerges and has a showdown with the military and scientists in a local stadium. (no other spoilers)


Pincer movement: giant scorpions attack each other as well as the locals in THE BLACK SCORPION(1957)

For me the special effects are the reason to watch this film. Richard Denning, who plays geologist Henry "Hank" Scott, is fairly bland and unimaginative...not that he really would realistically be anything else in a movie like this. The only time Denning's character shows any real personality is when he's putting the moves on co star Mara Corday, who plays Teresa Alvarez. The other cast members are also generally likable but uninteresting overall.

The special effects are handled by Willis O'Brien in this film and look, for the most part, fairly good. Like Ray Harryhausen, Willis O'Brien uses "stop motion" to bring the giant scorpions to life and the stop motion sequences look pretty good. There are, to be sure, numerous and redundant close up shots of the scorpions that focus on the facial features of these arachnids. Perhaps to add even more menace to these creatures, the giant scorpions are given jaws with rows of teeth and the ability to roar both of which are anatomically inaccurate. The giant scorpions also seem to have the ability to foam at the mouth and slobber which is of course absurd but no doubt an effect added by the film's producers to try and frighten theater audiences seeing this movie for the first time.




In summary The Black Scorpion follows the same proverbial "recipe" as do other '50's creature features but Willis O'Brien's stop motion effects make this movie a must DVD for any monster movie fan's collection and also worth checking out for more casual fans of giant monster movies.

This movie has been uploaded to YouTube and can be watched there for anyone interested.

The 2003 Warner Home Video R1 DVD of The Black Scorpion is available for sale at Amazon and can be seen by clicking on the above DVD cover art image or this link: The Black Scorpion

The trailer:

MAKING OF THE GODZILLA SUIT by Ed Godziszewski

Check out this thirteen minute examination of the origins of the Godzilla suit by author Ed Godziszewski: