Monster Watch: Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954)

Watched:  03/07/2019
Format:  Alamo S. Lamar
Viewing:  Unknown
Decade:  1950's

This evening the Alamo S. Lamar and Birth.Movies.Death's Scott Wampler hosted a screening of Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954) along with a Q&A and book-signing with Mallory O'Meara, a film maker who just released a non-fiction book about Milicent Patrick, the original designer of The Creature entitled The Lady From the Black Lagoon.

Halloween (Night) Watch: Masque of the Red Death (1964)

Watched:  10/31/2018
Format:  TCM (live, for once)
Viewing:  First
Decade:  1960's

Again, still pretty tired.  A Roger Corman produced Poe-derived horror film starring Vincent Price.  It's been a long time since I read the story of Masque of the Red Death, but this movie... doesn't really do that.  Kinda weird that the one, 30 second scene in Phantom of the Opera captures the spirit better than a whole film with that name.

Apparently this is a mix of Poe stories I haven't read, so... maybe I need to get back into reading some Poe.

Still, visually striking and with some complexity to the exploration of morality in an inscrutable world, it's not half bad.  Not 100% my thing, but I'd watch it again for how good Price is here in a non-camp role and how much I was digging the script.

Halloween (Night) Watch: Cat People (1942)

Watched:  10/31/2018
Format:  TCM/ DVR
Viewing:  First
Decade:  1940's

Well, I finally watched Cat People (1942).

I wish I had not been so tired when I put it on, but I figured "now or never" as I was winding down my Halloween night, post trick or treaters and family heading home.

Halloween Watch: Monster Squad (1987)

Watched:  10/31/2018
Format:  Amazon Prime Streaming
Viewing:  6th or 10th
Decade:  1980's

I've written about Monster Squad (1987) before, so I won't cover it again this time around.  But after covering horror movies since about July in order to have PodCasts ready to go and then watching a lot of stuff once we hit October - the mix of classic monsters, scares, jokes, the 1980's and coming of age digging monsters all in one place seemed like a good way to put a button on my Halloween movie watch.

Now get out there and enjoy some perfect Stan Winston make-up and terrific monster performances by catching this movie if you haven't already.

Oh, and apparently this exists:

Halloween Watch: Scream (1996)

Watched:  10/30/2018
Format:  Amazon Streaming
Viewing:  third or fourth
Decade:  Oh, so 90's

Ah, the 1990's.  A time when we were all intensely media saturated thanks to home video, cable and plenty of multiplexes, but had a minimum of internet.  At the time, we were all very concerned with whether things were postmodern and metatextual, and, really, Scream (1996) may be the ideal example of what we were all on about.  Can you tell a story by deconstructing the very genre you're working within?

"Why, yes!  You can!" said Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson.

Halloween Watch: Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Watched:  10/28/2018
Format:  BluRay
Viewing:  Unknown - but, a lot
Decade:  1930's

Halloween Watch: Frankenstein (1931)

Watched:  10/28/2018
Format:  BluRay
Viewing:  Unknown.  well into double digits
Decade:  1930's

I'm a Frankenstein fan.  Maybe not as much as other people, and I got a late start.  I didn't watch the movie until 1997 when I rented it during a blitz into Universal's horror offerings that, if you know me a little, you know had a deep impact that resonates to this day.

Growing up in the wake of the 70's monster-craze, the Frankenstein monster's image was everywhere, from kid's cartoons (including the Flintstones for some reason), but I don't remember ever seeing Frankenstein offered on TV, nor do I remember tapes available at the local video store.  Austin and Houston didn't have latenight monster movie hosts, so...  the availability was pretty low.

So, yeah, I rented it from the I Love Video near my apartment and gave the 1930's movie a spin, genuinely concerned that after all the hype, I might not like it (I'd seen Dracula in high school at a local cinema, but that's a different story).  While the movie only borrowed from the book, the movie was so much it's own thing, and so weird and creepy and heart breaking, what wouldn't I like about it?

I've written plenty on this movie, and every time I watch it, I'm stunned by the storytelling, the design of sets, creature and sound.  It "transports" me, and I genuinely find the movie electric, so to speak.  There's so much to love in Whale's picture.

I won't belabor it all here - this is a checkmark on my 2018 Halloween movie watching, and I'm on to The Bride of. 

Halloween Watch: The Mummy's Tomb (1942)

Watched:  10/28/2018
Format:  BluRay
Viewing:  First
Decade:  1940's

Halloween Watch: Countess Dracula (1971)

Watched:  10/28/2018
Format:  Amazon Prime Streaming
Viewing:  First
Decade:  1970's

Halloween Watch: The Witch (2015)

Watched:  10/27/2018
Format:  Amazon Streaming
Viewing: First
Decade:  2010's

Halloween Watch: The Devil's Bride/ The Devil Rides Out (1968)

Watched:  10/27/2018
Format:  Filmstruck (sob)
Viewing: First
Decade:  1960's

PODCAST! HALLOWEEN WATCH 2018 FINALE! "The Thing" (1982) w/ Jamie and Ryan

Watched:  09/30/2018
Format:  BluRay
Viewing:  Unknown.  Eighth?
Decade:  1980's

After 20 years of avoiding watching The Thing (1982) Jamie decides it's time to watch the movie and then get in front of a microphone. We discuss a modern horror classic, and what it's like to finally see a movie you've heard so much about (and maybe built up a bit in your imagination).



Music:

Bride of Frankenstein Theme - Franz Waxman
The Thing Main Titles - Ennio Morricone
Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft - The Carpenters
Swan Lake - Act 2: No. 10 Scene - Tchaikovsky


Playlists:

Featured:  Signal Watch Halloween 2018

• Amy and Ryan Watch 50 Shades!
• Bond Watch!  James Bond movie discussion
• Avengers Chronological Countdown w/ Jamie and Ryan
• Disney History w/ NathanC and Ryan
• High School Movies w/ Maxwell

Get your audio episodes at:

Halloween Hammer Watch: The Mummy (1959)

Watched:  10/25/2018
Format:  TCM/ DVR
Viewing:  First
Decade:  1950's

I thought I'd seen this movie before, but I had not.  But, boy howdy, did I like it - weird British Imperialistic dismissal of other cultures and all.  The movie is The Mummy (1959), part of Hammer's slate of Universal Horror remakes from their 50's and 60's boom era.

PODCAST! HALLOWEEN EDITION! "The Night of the Demon" (1957) and "The Haunting" (1963)

Watched:  Curse of the Demon 09/27/2018 & The Haunting 09/28/2018
Format:  Amazon Streaming/ BluRay
Decade:  1950's and 1960's
Viewing:  Second/ Seventh or so


SimonUK and Ryan wind up their Halloween movie discussions by taking on two movies about scientists (and friends) coming up against the supernatural - is it all in their minds, somehow? OR is it ghosts and demons?!! It's bone-chilling look into what works in two horror classics, and some discussion of stuff in other movies that's just annoying.



Music:

Bride of Frankenstein Theme - Franz Waxman
Blue Ghost Blues - Lonnie Johnson
Science Fiction Double Feature - Rocky Horror Picture Show Soundtrack
Hounds of Love - Kate Bush
Stroker Ace - Charlie Daniels Band
Swan Lake - Act 2: No. 10 Scene - Tchaikovsky


Playlists:

Featured:  Signal Watch Halloween 2018

• Amy and Ryan Watch 50 Shades!
• Bond Watch!  James Bond movie discussion
• Avengers Chronological Countdown w/ Jamie and Ryan
• Disney History w/ NathanC and Ryan
• High School Movies w/ Maxwell

Get your audio episodes at:

Hammer Horror Watch: Horror of Dracula (1958)

Watched:  10/20/2018
Format:  Filmstruck Streaming
Viewing:  Unknown.  Second?
Decade:  1950's

Hammer Horror Watch: Twins of Evil (1971)

Watched:  10/19/2018
Format:  Amazon Prime Streaming
Viewing:  First
Decade:  1970's

Twins of Evil (1971) is the third in the Karnstein Trilogy of vampire films from Hammer, the two previous films included The Vampire Lovers (which I really liked) and Lust For a Vampire (which I swore I'd rewatch more closely and haven't done, so...  I'll get on that).

Where Wolf? Watch: Wolfen (1981)

Watched:  10/19/2018
Format:  Amazon Streaming
Viewing:  First
Decade:  1980's


Well, I finally managed to watch Wolfen (1981) instead of The Howling.

PODCAST! HALLOWEEN WATCH! "Isolation" (2005) w/ SimonUK and Ryan

Watched:  09/15/2018
Format:  BluRay
Viewing:  First
Decade:  2000's

A lonesome Irish farm.  A lot of rain.  A cow ready to drop a calf.  Ruth Negga for some reason.  SimonUK and Ryan watch a movie that isn't afraid to borrow, but manages to find a path unique to itself.





Music:

Bride of Frankenstein Theme - Franz Waxman
Milk Cow Blues - Bob Wills
Walking the Cow - Daniel Johnston
Swan Lake - Act 2: No. 10 Scene - Tchaikovsky

Playlists:

Featured:  Signal Watch Halloween 2018

• Amy and Ryan Watch 50 Shades!
• Bond Watch!  James Bond movie discussion
• Avengers Chronological Countdown w/ Jamie and Ryan
• Disney History w/ NathanC and Ryan
• High School Movies w/ Maxwell

Get your audio episodes at:

Halloween Watch: Vampire Circus (1972)

Watched:  10/12/2018
Format:  Amazon Prime Streaming in my hotel room
Viewing:  First
Decade:  1970's

Halloween Watch: The Howling (1981)

Watched:  10/05/2018
Format:  Amazon Streaming/ Shudder Network Trial
Viewing:  Third
Decade:  1980's