Scarecrow's Blog From the Darkside

The 30s brought us some great Frankenstein films. The decade brought us great Universal films, period. Just incredible sets, vast, spacious, looming large, the distance shots filling the whole screen. While the lab castle was exploded into rubble, the family namesake left behind a castle homestead rejected with disdain, disgust, and hate by the Burgomeister, village council, and locals. Cursed is the name and house of Frankenstein. Lugosi capped a decade of quite the rogue's gallery. Ygor, survivor of the hanging for stealing bodies...so they said... seemingly died...so they said...is clever, manipulative, sinister, capable of savagery but far more sly at using the Monster to do his vengeful bidding. It was just a delight to see Lugosi sink his teeth into the part, an animal in appearance and voice while scheming, crafty, and observant. One of his career's crowning achievements. That Ygor could tantalize Baron Wolf's curiosity, nudge him into investigating The Monster's

The 240th episode of Dark Shadows finally involves Roger and his son, David, in the Maggie kidnap storyline. David was very much a frequent visitor to the Old House, always proclaiming to speak to the specter of Josette. But with Barnabas occupying the Old House, Josette's spirit seems absent. And instead Barnabas has substituted Maggie for Josette so it's no surprise that the spirit has left, particularly because the man she took a dive off Widow's Hill is now back living in her home. David sees Maggie in the living room, in the wedding dress, and believes she's Josette. Eventually David is inside the house, the front door opened seemingly on its own and his search finds him in Josette's room, Barnabas startled to locate his intrusion. Just so easy is it for Barnabas to be caught, Maggie possibly to be found, and any number of nearby folks capable of stumbling on the kidnap secret. With David snooping about, Barnabas requests Roger keep him from intruding on his do

Barnabas will not lose his Josette again. Even though Maggie is not Josette, and the authorities are on the lookout for her, with even the threat of discovery always a possibility, Barnabas is obsessed with making sure she stays put and surrenders completely to this illusion. Helpless Willie goes about his orders, making sure food is prepared and the table is set, knowing that Maggie is held under Barnabas' control. When Sam and Joe decide to visit the Old House so Sam can inform Barnabas that work on the portrait painting is to be suspended until his daughter is found, Willie is told to get Maggie upstairs. So while upstairs, Maggie recognizes her father and boyfriend's voices, making a fuss, tipping over a vase. This sparks up curiosity in the visitors, but Barnabas is able to get them out the door, telling them that Willie was the cause. This episode is a dangled carrot for those watching, a momentary glimmer of hope for Maggie since she was awakening from the hypnotic pull

In episode 238, Elizabeth wants Victoria and Carolyn to promise not to be out at night alone. This after Maggie's story is in the local newspaper, Victoria wanting to get fresh air, convincing Carolyn to accompany her to the Old House to visit Barnabas to see the renovations. They don't find greetings upon knock at the front door, Victoria going in while Carolyn nervously and hesitantly follows. The living room, with its crystal chandelier, candelabras, repaired furnishings and furniture, has been restored meticulously as has Josette's room upstairs. Victoria is persistent in her interest and desire to see the renovations and restorations underway, as Carolyn is always nervous about any walkabout due to no one being home. While Victoria has been quite friendly with Barnabas, Carolyn hasn't been around him much. Both are impressed with how Josette's makeup, perfume, brushes, and bedroom accessories, with the portrait on the wall, are all so time-accurate and period-d

Jason McGuire gets nervous as Sheriff Patterson looks to find Maggie, missing from her hospital room, after appearing dead according to the nurse. Patterson and Burke arrive at Collinwood, hoping Victoria might have some answers to Maggie's possible whereabouts. Willie comes up as he was worried about Maggie and the phone call to Vicky was only ten minutes after he left when Barnabas had previously attempted to kidnap her before. McGuire is there as the conversation happens, realizing Willie's involvement could bring the police into his own life, possibly ruining his own blackmailing scheme of Elizabeth. So Patterson questions Willie at the Old House, making him nervous but failing to get any pertinent information. After Patterson leaves, McGuire arrives, telling him to get out of town or else. While Burke and Vicky discuss Maggie's condition prior to her disappearance with Dr. Woodard, McGuire assaults Willie, warning him to get out or suffer worse, encountering sinister w

I do agree that this is very much a Scream-era late 90s cash-in. I don't think Curtis is bad at all in it. I think from the release of Halloween 2018 on, H20 will always be seen as its alternate selection, different universes with Strode somewhat similar in regards to her difficulty living with the past, the survival mode always on, the paranoia of Michael Myers' return never wavering. The lives of Laurie took divergent paths somewhat, but Curtis, I felt, also gives both alternative versions enough similarities to encourage discussion. Admittedly, H20 has that product of its time "stigma", and I've read enough criticism against its close presentation to the Scream slasher genre cash-ins very much in place at the time. It's 86 minutes perhaps was as much a turn off as the tame bloodletting, generic score, disappointing Myers mask, lack of originality, private school Cali setting, minuscule body count, and serious lack of that October autumnal atmosphere. It ju

I want to say this is the first of the Phantom adaptations I've actually watched this year. The 1962 version with Lom as the Phantom I haven't watched since 2007; I must say this isn't too shabby, though. This is still dressed and costumed in period quite well, although it isn't as elaborate, ornate, or extravagant as the highly budgeted Universal film in 1943, starring the great Claude Rains. I like this one as it isn't as concentrated on opera as much as story, set piece, and horror. Nothing against Lom, he's damn good in the right roles, and not bad here, but he just isn't as memorable as Chaney but who is? This has a really good cast, top to bottom well acted. Hammer production, to me, has plenty to offer...not sure why I haven't watched it in so long. Miles Malleson, much like Michael Ripper, always turns up a memorable supporting part as a cabbie (he's also fun in films like "Hound of the Baskervilles" and "Brides of Dracula"

The Bride, Elsa Lanchester I still often find myself staggered by how little the Bride is actually in the film. Dr. Pretorius and the Baron, whose arm is twisted when his Elizabeth is kidnapped and held captive in order to contribute to creating and giving life to the Bride, work towards this almost the entire film and yet she's actually alive for very little of the screentime. Her rejection of an already defeated and demoralized Frankenstein (no longer just a Monster, he's also named after his creator) leads to his detonating in grand fashion the castle through the LEVER OF DOOM. And yet her presence is essential to the film's status as a masterpiece of classic horror. I like that this doesn't feel like the first film, that several of the parts--such as little Maria's parents, Elizabeth, the Burgomaster--were recast, the tone is seemingly campier, bombastic, writ large with the sets much more elaborate, elegant, grandiose, and plentiful. This always feels to me Uni

It's quite eye-opening when you realize the classics aren't always so revered by a highly vocal majority. In fact, scan the IMDb user comments and you'll see that plenty throw up the cursed 1/10 so easily wondering why folks like me overrate it. Perhaps it is as they say dated, maybe too old fashioned. Maybe the audience of 1963 or before it saw much more in Wise's epic B&W haunted house spectacle than the generations after 1990 or after. A 1977 disco baby might be, or not in some cases, more susceptible to the film's power, its reach and grasp, its pull and grip. Maybe the house, the camera sometimes drawn away from a distance or right up on it real close, doesn't spook up any real chills or persuade you to give up yourself to its presence. I don't personally think this is as dated as others and I like that the film doesn't shy away from the fact Bloom's Theo is lesbian. Maybe it isn't blatant and due to restrictions of the time left for us

Frustratingly, my connection on satellite cut out at the end while revisiting this Katzman production of director Fred Sears' Harryhausen effects showcase sci-fi cult classic from the great 50s era. On Sony Movie Channel, I did notice this coming on and wanted to watch it again. I have always considered this decade of sci-fi perfect popcorn summer fun, but I can actually watch them anytime of the year. It wasn't too long ago that I watched "It Came From Outer Space", but this one paints the visitors from a dying solar system as colonizers in dangerous saucers, equipped with substantial laser power that disintegrate humans to ash and explode buildings and vehicles on impact. So a lot of shit goes KABOOM! Harryhausen's saucers, with the little satellite that protrudes and fires a targeting death ray, are spinning stop motion dynamos. Clearly this film, despite its budget limits, is highly influential. 3/5 After his rockets (meant for exploration in space) are shot d

Hitchcock does indeed occupy that well traveled real estate of "innocent man framed" property so associated with his incredible body of work, with the lesser known, not as well received "I Confess", a star vehicle for Montgomery Clift, about a priest beholden to a murderer's confessional. As Father Michael Logan, Clift is sad-eyed and tortured, soft-voiced and suffering, traits often very present in his own gallery of character work. This film might be a bit laborious for some as Anne Baxter, as Madame Grandfort, is interrogated by Karl Malden's Inspector Larrue and uncomfortably positioned by Crown Prosecutor, Robertson (Brian Aherne), to reveal her past with Logan, mostly her love for him before he went to war, their day together after his return and night, the encounter with a blackmailer hoping to get a tax relief from her husband in exchange for keeping her time with Logan (innocent, without adultery) secret, and the night of the murder seeking Logan

This oddly to me gets a bad rep, or maybe it was a product of 50s sci-fi creature feature criticism where the genre of monsters loose on the rampage in civilization of the modern decade didn't get much slack. Personally I don't mind the change of location for the Gill Man, and director Jack Arnold does take us back to the Black Lagoon for a bit to see it in it's natural habitat before charting a course for Florida where it gets loose from an aquarium and looks to mate with Nelson's ichthyologist, mauling anyone in its path. Nelson does stay faint for quite a long time as the hunt for her and Gillman is on. The use of explosive to kill the fish and put Gillman in a coma to secure him for the aquarium is really sketchy and many might feel the creature is justified in being pissed of for being taken from its home and put in captivity for gawkers. Clint Eastwood had a brief part as a lab assistant to Agar. Agar was in a lot of monster movies. When next to Creature from the

Some believe or feel this Hammer sequel of sorts to Dracula (1958) is in some ways better although Peel isn't as well received as Lee, a kind of substitute cast because he wouldn't cost as much. I like that Cushing could just get most of the star recognition this time. But in subsequent sequels Lee had the chance to bear his fangs and dominate the films while Cushing was off portraying Frankenstein. And you do get to see a victim escape her coffin with fangs out, helped by the crazed maidservant of Peel. The Meinster castle is very much similar to Castle Dracula, though, some of the outer exteriors get put to use such as Marianne from the balcony seeing Baron Meinster in a room a distance below. It was always a pleasure to see Cushing in active form before losing his Helen, causing him to age and suffer health-wise. Although rightfully revered as a formidable Frankenstein, his Van Helsing holds a special place with me. I think this film is my favorite of Cushing as Van Helsing.

I have written more than enough about this classic in the past on the blog, but after "Mad Monster Party?" (1967) Sunday afternoon, I just had to get my Universal Monster fix with some Gillman Monday night. The underwater scenes, the elaborate costume, the incredible swimming, monster design, and fun cast in an exotic locale just has all the ingredients. I just love this monster, Adams is just a fetching, attractive woman, and Carlson and Denning pursuing both the monster and the woman produces quite the rivalry. And the lantern fire to the face of the creature and its massive face-enclosing webbed hands are iconic. Included old user comments from October 2006: The finding of a large amphibious hand leads a research team in a quest to find any form of fossil of past life..perhaps extra remains to back up the hand. What they do not expect is a living, breathing gillman who will kill anyone who threatens or draws near his habitat. In a fascinating developing angle, the gillman

I was a bit surprised when reading user comments from my peers that they weren't as impressed with this Rankin/Bass stop motion animation film which includes all the rogues gallery of classic monsters, with even Boris Karloff voicing Baron Frankenstein (the character even imitating him so realistically, it's uncanny). So it's hard for me to complain. And Boris even given a song for his retiring mad scientist, who has successfully concocted an electrified liquified explosive that can destroy life and everything else on impact. He wants to leave this for his nephew (voiced by Allen Swift, who also voices all the monsters just about), invited to his isle of evil for a grand party. Francesca (Gale Garnett) is Frankenstein's assistant, also desiring to gain control of the explosive liquid in the vial held in the scientist's possession. Eventually Francesca realizes the error of her ways and falls for Flanken, Frankenstein's nephew, a nasally, allergies-plagued clutsy

So Natalie Six model, the Cylon skinjob leader of their revolt, had accomplished quite a feat: she was able to stand before the Quorum with permission from President Roslin to speak about an actual alliance. Not just that: she actually presents her case before Roslin and Admiral Adama. Tigh and Foster are there to sit uncomfortably while Natalie brought up the plan to locate the five, which they are a part of, and mentions that the seemingly all-knowing hybrid could provide details about their identities. The episode's ending--which interlocks an operahouse vision shared by Roslin and Sharon Agathon, to Sharon following her "miracle child", Hera, to Natalie Six and the gunshot that perhaps ruins the masterplan to find the five--certainly once again serves as a wrench complicating relations between the humans and Cylons. Even offered as an olive branch is the chance to destroy any chance for Cylon skinjobs to use the resurrection ship "bath" again. The chance to

I really did enjoy Bruce Davison’s performance as a still-in-mourning widower at a funeral home who wishes for a fugitive-on-the-run (Hannah Barefoot) to kill him, believing a withered old monkey’s paw (seemingly from Mumbai with an Indian fakir’s curse) he wished upon will grant him a “mercy killing”. Barefoot is on the lam because she ended her dying husband’s life with a gunshot (with a silencer) after his begging her to just end his suffering. So Davison regales her with the history of the paw, how his wife (Susannah Devereux) wished for money as their funeral business was nearing bankruptcy resulting in her death (and the proceeds of her life insurance going to him), how he used the paw to call her back to life (she does return, as he must rush to her grave to unearth her, realizing she’s a rotted zombie on the attack!), and in his loneliness begged the paw to send a killer to end his own life. Barefoot rejects the idea of the paw but when attempting to burn it in a fire, Daviso