From Novel To The Screen Part one

Hello my fellow afficianados of horror, and welcome to another trip down the road where things go bump in the night! In this blog we will discuss an example of a novel that was perfectly adapted to the big screen.

In 1971 a screenwriter by the name of William Peter Blatty had a novel published. It was a story based on a real life incident that became an international sensation. I'm referring to a hair-raising little story called THE EXORCIST. By the time it had already become a runaway bestseller, there was talk of a movie adaptation. Many people were skeptical, believing it would be almost impossible to replicate on screen, the horrific scenes depicted in the novel. But director William Friedkin, fresh from his oscar winning film " The French Connection" obviously disagreed.

I had the distinct pleasure of reading the novel shortly before the film opened on December 26, 1973. I remember thinking to myself, the day after Christmas? How ironic. But years later I would see differently. It was my aunt who recomended the book to me. Even though the subject matter was very mature for a 13 year old, she said that if I liked horror that much, I shouldn't be denied the experience. Boy if my father only knew... after all it was his sister!

I went to the local library and took the book out. I brought it to school every day. I can imagine what the teachers were thinking! Well I'm glad that I took her advice , BECAUSE IT WAS THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ! Remains so to this very day. Upon finishing this gutwrenching classic, I as well as many others thought it would be impossible to make it into a movie, after all, some of the scenes in the novel could'nt possibly be recreated on the big screen, or so I thought! Special effects were too unsophisticated back in 1973 to do the book justice in a filmed version. Technically, some of the incredible scenes in the book seemed too complicated to reproduce on screen. But much to everyones surprise they were!
The special effects were brought to the screen by a Frenchman named Marcel Vercoutere. He devised ways to replicate the incredible transformation of demonic possession and its effects that it had on 12 year old Regan MacNeil played electrifyingly by newcomer Linda Blair. The details on how he created the horrific effects can be found in a very interesting book entitled " William Peter Blatty on The Exorcist From Novel to Film" published in 1974. (Bantam) These special effects were groundbreaking at the time, and led to the explosion of similiar effects in the horror movies to come. Of course the movie " The Exorcist" cannot be mentioed without the masterful makeup of the legendary Dick Smith, who brought the unforgettable facial transformation of Regan to iconic levels in the history of the horror film.

I'll discuss other aspects of this classic horrorfest in part two. Till we meet again, HAVE A BLOODY GOOD DAY!

Horror Movie Icons

Welcome once again fear fanatics, to another venture into the realm of horror! I've already profiled a short history of Christopher Lee's movie career last week. But there are two other actors who excelled in this genre. The first was a freqent co-star of Lee's, the magnificent Peter Cushing and last but by no means least, the iconic Vincent Price. These were actors that I grew up watching on the small screen at home. Sadly, they are no longer with us, both having passed on less than a year apart from one another in 1994 and 1995. These two fine actors starred in many topnotch films during their long reign in the horror film industry.

Peter Cushing , aside from his classic appearances with Lee, starred in many fine horror films by himself. Some of his best ,(and my favorites as well) are as follows :

1. " Dr. Terror's House of Horrors" (1965)

2. "Horror Express" (1972)

3. " The Creeping Flesh" (1972)

4. " The Beast Must Die" (1975)

5. " Legend of the Werewolf " (1975)



One of his best " anthology" films was 1972s " Tales From The Crypt" which I dragged my mother to see in the movie theater when it first came out. It remains one of my favorites of his. Cushing never failed to give a convincing and polished performance even in sub-par films like 1969s " The Blood Beast Terror" a ridiculous piece if drivel about a young woman who turns into a "deathshead moth" ! He will always be remembered for his meticulously nuanced performances.

Vincent Price was more known to American audiences than his two British counterparts, and no less beloved. From his early roles in films such as 1939s " The Tower of London" to classics like 1971s " The Abominable Dr. Phibes" , he always brought a deliciously evil sense of style to the big screen. Some of his best and most well known films were a result of collaborations with two legendary producers, William Castle and Roger Corman. He first teamed up with Castle in the 1950s in such gems as " House on Haunted Hill" (1958) and " The Tingler" (1959). These were two of Castle's " gimmick" movies he was so famously known for. But his series of Edgar Allan Poe films he made with Roger Corman were some of Price's best. Corman was legendary for proclaiming he never made a movie that didn't make a profit. With a knack for low-string budgets and stars like Price , it's not hard to believe! Among these films were classics like 1960s "The Fall of the House of Usher" and 1965s " The Masque of the Red Death"

Price also starred in superior works like 1968s " The Conquerer Worm" and what I consider to be his "masterpiece", 1973s " Theater of Blood" opposite his wife Coral Browne. While known for his storied film career, many do not know that he was an expert art collector, accomplished chef , as well as a connisseur of fine wines.

These pair of consumate actors also had one other attribute in common. They both were kind, gentle, and decent men far unlike many of the characters they portrayed on the screen. We can be thankful for one thing, the preservation of their work on film, for they are sorely missed. This concludes our trip down movie memory lane. Until we meet again, HAVE A BLOODY GOOD DAY!

Great horror movie website

Hi to all my horror buddies out there, had enough of this rain? It would be cool if the dead would come back to life and cause some carnage in the neighborhood...liven up things around here(LOL) ! Well anyway , my boredom led me to a very enjoyable monster movie review website on the net. It's called http://www.badmovieplanet.com/ and it is a must for all B-movie........ heck even Z-movie fans! It's formatted into alphabetical order groups and is not only entertaining but very thorough as well. Heck after reading each film's synopsis's you dont really need to see the film but that would defeat the purpose in the first place! Thats my only gripe with this otherwise topnotch website, it goes too much into the details of each film's plotline. But nontheless I was totally engrossed with it, so much so that I forgot all about the rain!!!! I read great viewpoints on such films as "The Monster of Piedras Blancas"(1959), "Bay of Blood"(1971), "Legend of Hell House"(1973), and a doozy on 1971s "Blood and Lace" a pre-slasher era film with many notable actors from F-Troops Melody Patterson to academy award winning actress Gloria Grahame ! You should check it out. Perfect for a rainy day ... or month I should say! Well back to the old grindstone .. to bring another blog to life . till then, HAVE A BLOODY GOOD DAY!

1950s Movies So Bad They Were Good

Hey there my fellow horror junkies, whats up? The 1950s produced many classic horror and sci=fi movies. Remember such classics as "The Fly" or "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" ? Well for every gem like those there were at least ten that weren't so classic. But that didn't make them any less memorable; some were great because they were so bad and even laughable. There are a few that hold a special place in my childhood memories. In the early 1970s I remember coming home from school and watching those films at 4:oo in the afternoon usually on channel 9. My mother would be busy preparing dinner for when my dad would get home, so I had free reign of the T.V at that time. There were two films that would turn up on that channel more than a few times. Coincidently they were both produced in 1959, the year before I was born! One was a doozy entitled "The Hideous Sun Demon" and the other, "The Monster of Piedras Blancas". These were considered worse than a B MOVIE but no less special, at least as far as I was concerned.

"The Hideous Sun Demon" starred Robert Clarke as neucleur scientist who is accidentally exposed to radioactive isotopes in his labratory. He appears to have no ill effects from the accident. The only problem is , that whenever he goes out into the sunshine he turns into a lizard!!!! This leads to a series of laughable but enjoyable scenes involving contact with the local folks , including the police and gangsters of all things! One classic scene is when he drives back to his house in his convertible sportscar while he turns into a reptile! As cheesey as this sounds, the makeup and monster suit is pretty decent for a low-budget film of this sort. I wont spoil it for you. You have to see it to believe it. It's not to easy to find ; I only have it on VHS.

The other film I mentioned , "The Monster of Piedras Blancas" is another humdinger. It involves a coastal fisherman who lives in a house along the cliffs and lagoon area with his daughter. An 8-foot tall amphibian/man lives in the caves inside the lagoon. Unbeknownst to the townspeople as well as his daughter, the fisherman has been feeding this monster for years! Well once he runs out of food to feed this monstrosity, it goes on a rampage killing the local folk. While this film has some classicly bad dialogue, it is quite gruesome for it's time and proves to be a decent timekiller on a rainy day. Also rare, I only have it on VHS as well.

I urge you to try and find these two movies, so bad they're good! Until the next time we meet, HAVE A BLOODY GOOD DAY!

Best Dracula on the silver screen

Good evening, and welcome my fellow children of the night! It's that time again. I have two questions to pose to all of you today.





1. In the history of the horror film, who has brought the best portrayal of Count Dracula to the big screen? There have been many actors who tried their hand at it, with mixed results. A few have excelled in the role, having reprised it on multiple occasions.



In my opinion, the actor who best personified Dracula was non other than Christopher Lee. This icon of the horror film had it all. Tall and lean, he had an aristocratic air about him. His intense bloodshot eyes sent chills up my spine! The way his flowing cape would billow outwards from his body when he would pursue his victim was mesmerizing. While he rarely uttered a word, his intimidating prescence spoke volumes. His first appearance as the famed bloodsucker was in the 1958 chiller "Horror of Dracula". He continued to reprise the coveted role well into the 1970s. His other notable turns as The Count are ( in cronological order)

1. "Dracula, Prince of Darkness" (1965),


2. "Dracula Has Risen From The Grave"(1968),


3. "Taste the Blood of Dracula"(1969),


4. "Scars of Dracula"(1970),


5. " Dracula A.D. 1972"(1972)


6. "The Satanic Rites of Dracula"(1973).

All of these films were released by the prestigious Hammer Films , filmed at the famed Shepperton Studios in London, England. I recommend them all highly.

When I had the immense pleasure of seeing this charasmatic actor in person, back in 1990 at the Fangoria Weekend of Horrors convention, I knew that I was in the presence of a legend. He commented that although he was most known for his starring role as Dracula, it only comprised a small portion of his acting career. He starred in many swashbuckling films in the 1940s and 1950s, and noted that Burt Lancaster taught him how to fence. Sadly, he also noted that Peter Cushing, his legendary costar in many films, was ill with cancer. He would eventually pass on in 1994.





Question #2-What are some of your favorite Christopher Lee films? Mine are as follows:

1. "Horror Hotel"(1960),
2. "Dr. Terrors House of Horrors"(1965),
3. "The House That Dripped Blood"(1971),
4. "Horror Express"(1972),
5. "The Creeping Flesh"(1972) with Peter Cushing , and the cult classic
6. "The Wicker Man"(1973).
   

So let's stroll down memory lane, and tell me what your faves are. I want to know! Until then, I bid you farewell, and HAVE A BLOODY GOOD DAY!

New Music Video

Whats up, my monster lovers? Today's blog is a short one. I"m trying to get my creative juices flowing. Well, anyway I was at work the other night and when I walked into the kitchen while on my break the MTV channel was on. If Madonna isn't on I usually dont pay much attention, but when I looked up at the screen, I was instantly captivated. A new music video by Eminem called 3 A.M started to play. What I saw caught me by surprise. Now I'm no fan of Eminem, but this video was unlike any other I've seen before. If you're a horror movie fan YOU'LL LOVE IT! Im not gonna let the bat out of the belfrey, but let's just say its got lots of blood and carnage, enough to satisfy the most discerning splatter fan. SO CHECK IT OUT!
Til we meet again, HAVE A BLOODY GOOD DAY!

More Convention Memories

Hello my fellow bloggers, greetings from the world of the bizarre! It's time for another one of my monster sci-fi convention memories. Back in 1997 I attended "The Dark Shadows Festival" at the Vista Hotel at the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan; it had recently been reopened after the terrorist bombing in 1993. While checking out the convention vendor's tables , I had the distinct pleasure of running into John Russo, author of the screenplay and subsequent novelization of 'Night of the Living Dead" (1968). He published the novel, which I purchased when it debuted in 1974. We had a two hour conversation which proved to be the highlight of all of my convention experiences. I asked him what was going on in the NOTLD franchise, and he told me that a 30th anniversary edition of the film was due to be released the following year. It would be a newly remastered version of the film with a brand new prologue and instrumental background track. I told him that I had gotten his novel when it was released back in 1974, and still have it today as part of my horror memorabilia collection. He was visibly flattered by my remark, which I found refreshing.

Being from the Pittsburgh area, he was a big Steeler fan just like me. We spent the good part of two hours talking sports! HOW IRONIC! When we ended our discussion, he asked me if I would like to have his convention ID badge. I was quite honored and accepted it graciously. That item too, is part of my collection of horror memories! Some years later, while at a Chiller Theater show in New Jersey at The Meadowlands Sheraton, I would have an encounter that was related to that day in Manhattan back in 1997.

While lurking about in the celebrity tent setup outside in the parking area, I came across a familiar face behind one of the vending tables. It was Judith O'Dea, the actress who played Johnny's sister in the original film. "you're Barbara, from NOTLD!", and she replied, "thats me. how are you today?" After exchanging niceties, I brought up the conversation I had with John Russo back in 1997. She looked at me with an expression of disgust, and replied, "oh really? that bastard owes me money!" I laughed in an uncomfortable manner. I had an inkling as to what she was referring to. Some twenty-five years ago or so, George Romero, the original director of NOTLD failed to renew the copyrights to the film. This in turn caused it to go into public domain. That is why everyone and their mother was putting it out on VHS back in the mid 1980s. I can safely assume that this cost everyone involved with the film any residuals it has earned since then. Oh the trials and tribulations of the entertainment business! Looking back now, I wonder if she was being harrassed by her creditors. "THEY'RE COMING TO GET YOU BARBARAAAAAA!" Until our next encounter, HAVE A BLOODY GOOD DAY!

Monster Magazines

Welcome once again, fellow horror fiends, to another trip down memory lane. Remember when you were a kid, and couldn't wait to take that trip to the local candy store? After picking up some Bazooka Joe or Canada Mints you would head over to the magazine racks to check out the latest comic book. And then it happened! Your first encounter with a magazine called "Famous Monsters of Filmland." Or maybe it was "Castle of Frankenstein." These publications were very popular in the 60's and 70's. I remember buying my first issue of FMOF on my way to school one morning in February of 1973. It was issue # 96 and it featured a split cover of The Werewolf and Mr. Hyde! I was enthralled, devouring it from cover to cover. I STILL HAVE IT, and many issues that followed.

Over the years there would be others to captivate me. In 1982 I bought my first issue of Fangoria. That year FMOF went under, and I needed a new fix! Although I wasn't a kid anymore, I was hooked for life. Issue # 18 featured a creepy Malcom McDowell on its cover. It was a scene from " The Cat People", a remake of the 1942 classic. As the years went by, I would purchase back issues at horror conventions and comic book shows, to try and complete my collections, but it proved to be too costly an endeavor. What was so different about Fangoria was its pages! They were in color which was a new concept that FMOF never had, and featured mostly newer films such as the "SLASHER" films that were popular at the time.

Here is where one of my chilhood memories come into play. Back in 1973, "Famous Monsters of Filmland" inspired me to create my own monster magazine, which i called "The Monster Log." I would write the features which included movie reviews, a movie " mystery" photo, and features on horror actors film careers. I also did all the artwork freehand. When I had completed an issue , my father would take it to his office the next day, and photocopy about ten issues. I couldn't wait for him to come home the next night so i could put them together! Then I would take them to school the next day and sell them to my friends for 25 cents each. I didn't make much money, but it was fun just to have "my own" magazine! I remember my 7th grade math teacher commented on how creative it was!

Just another sweet chilhood memory of mine! Do you have any like these? Let me know. Till we meet again, HAVE A BLOODY GOOD DAY!

Haunted House Classics

It's time for another journey into fear. When it comes to horror films, you know that there are many different kinds. Among the subjects explored; vampires, werewolves, zombies, slasher killers etc... None, in my opinion are more enjoyable than "the haunted house" theme. There are a few that are critically acclaimed and have thus become classics. The Innocents (1962), The Haunting (1963), House on Haunted Hill (1958), and The Uninvited (1944) come to mind. In my opinion, one film in particular stands out as the benchmark of all haunted house movies. I am referring to a 1980 Candian film called The Changeling, starring George C. Scott and his wife Trish Van Devere. It also features screen legend Melvyn Douglas in a pivotal role. If you have not seen this dandy of a hairaiser do yourself a favor and try to rent it, or see if it is on cable. There are some of the most heart stopping scenes ever filmed of this sort! I won't spoil the fun, but it centers around college music teacher (Scott) who rents an old historical mansion in Seattle, Washington after the tragic death of his wife and daughter. What makes this film different from the others I mentioned earlier in this blog, is while the other films featured groups of people trapped in a haunted house, Scott lives in this house by himself, which makes it all the more creepier. Noises, voices, and seances follow! I don't want to give the story away, so see it for yourself, I am sure that you will not be disappointed. It is a high caliber film with a great cast, ingenious script, and superior production values. After nearly thirty years it still can induce goosebumps.

Another notable favorite is The Legend of Hell House based on the novel Hell House written by Richard Matheson. Realeased in 1973, it features Roddy McDowall, Clive Revell, Pamela Franklin, and Gayle Hunnicutt. This enjoyable spookfest centers around the paranormal investigation of the infamous Hell House outside of London. Lots of fog, black cats, and bumps in the night. I highly recommend it. Happy Haunting and Have a Bloody Good Day!!!!