Sunday, November 29, 2020
Noir Watch: Fear (1946)
Saturday, November 28, 2020
Dolly Watch: Christmas on the Square (2020)
Tuesday, November 24, 2020
HOLIDAY PODCAST: "3615 code Père Noël"/"Deadly Games"/"Game Over" or even "Dial Code: Santa Claus" (1989) - A Xmas Genre Xrossover 2020 episode w/ JAL & Ryan
Music:
Thursday, November 19, 2020
Spooky Noir Watch: The Seventh Victim (1943)
Monday, November 2, 2020
Elementary Watch: The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)
Watched: 10/31/2020
Format: TCM on DVR
Viewing: First
Decade: 1950's
Director: Terence Fisher
Frankly I'm surprised I'd never seen this movie before, except: I've always been embarrassed to not have actually read the novel, which I usually like to do first on things like this. For a while as a kid I read my brother's Sherlock Holmes collections, and like many a 13 year old kid, was a fan. Frankly haven't read much since, so if anyone is doing any Christmas shopping for me... could use a nice Holmes collection.
Anyhoo... Peter Cushing was TCM's Star of the Month, and they aired the movie and I decided: heck, now is the time. It's Halloween-ish. Ghost hounds and all.
Cushing plays Sherlock Holmes (to perfection, I might add). Andre Morell is Watson. I was further delighted to find out it co-starred Christopher Lee is the heir to the Baskerville manor and fortune, Sir Henry.
The mystery surrounds a longstanding curse of the Baskerville family, that a demon hound occasionally gets them out on the moors surrounding their manor house. When the latest occupant dies, killed by some large creature, the next in line is summoned home from South Africa to take his place. In London, a Dr. Mortimer enlists the aid of Holmes and Watson to sort things out before Sir Henry falls to a similar fate.
The scope of the story plays well to the strengths of Hammer studios - access to solid actors, a limited number of locations, a grisly murder and kind of crazy story. It has that Terence Fisher touch to it of not being overly stuffy, but also not ever feeling exploitative regarding the horror or grisly details while also painting a picture of what has occurred off screen or which was hinted at.
If I have *any* complaint, I could have stood *more* of this movie. It runs 87 minutes, and feels like it could have spent more time building suspects, detailed a bit more here and there, and given more room for Sir Henry's budding romance/ infatuation with the neighbor's comely daughter. And, of course, with Cushing as Holmes such a delight, it would have been great to get more Holmes/ Watson time.
Sunday, November 1, 2020
Halloween Cartoon Watch: Happy Halloween, Scooby Doo! (2020)
Saturday, October 31, 2020
Halloween Doc Watch: Wolfman's Got Nards (2018)
Interactive Watch: The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake (1959)
Watched: 10/27/2020
Format: Amazon Watch Party
Viewing: First
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
Spooky Comedy Watch: Hubie Halloween (2020)
Sunday, October 25, 2020
Hammer Watch: Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970)
Hammer Watch: Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1968)
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
Noir Watch: Destination Murder (1950)
Watch Party Watch: Slighty Scarlet (1956)
Watched: 10/20/2020
Format: Amazon Watch Party
Viewing: First
Decade: 1950's
Director: Allan Dwan - Director of Photography: John Alton
Saturday, October 17, 2020
PODCAST: "Phantom of the Opera" (1925) and (1962) - Universal and Hammer Studios! - Halloween 2020 w/ SimonUK and Ryan
Music:
Hammer Watch: Dracula Has Risen From the Grave (1968)
Thursday, October 15, 2020
Watch Party Watch: Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster (1965)
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Noir Watch: The Racket (1951)
Tuesday, October 13, 2020
Amazon Watch Party: How to Make a Monster (1958)
Watched: 10/06/2020
Format: Amazon Watch Party
Viewing: First
Decade: 1950's
Director: Herbert L. Strock