Did you know that in 1938, the same year that they horrified America with their production of The War Of The Worlds, Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater did a radio version of Dracula?
Check out this amazing cast list:
Orson Welles – Dracula/Dr. Arthur Seward
George Coulouris- Jonathan Harker
Ray Collins – Russian Captain
Karl Swenson – The Mate
Elizabeth Fuller – Lucy Westenra
Martin Gabel – Professor Van Helsing
Agnes Moorehead – Mina Harker
Coulouris, Collins, and Moorehead would, of course, all go one to appear with Orson Welles in Citizen Kane.
And now, we are proud to present, for your listening pleasure …. DRACULA!
Well, as another horrorthon draws to a close, it’s time for another Shattered Lens tradition! Every Halloween, we share one of the greatest and most iconic horror films ever made. For your Halloween enjoyment, here is George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead!
May your Halloween bring you more candy than rocks and we hope you enjoy the last day of our annual horrorthon! Be safe, be sincere, and don’t forget the true meaning on Halloween!
Clowns – nature’s murderers! Today, we’re going to discuss Clowns. Where do they come from? What is their life cycle? And of course, why are they even a F#@%ing thing?!!!
Feel encouraged to read this article in the voice of David Attenborough.
Clowns have a unique life-cycle.
They are always born in Vermont because they nest amongst the maple trees.
They begin as evil infants. At age 4, they get their first taste of human flesh, typically a kind neighbor who eats Pepperidge Farm cookies and has a spouse who makes way too many apple pies.
Then, they have their awkward teen years.
At this age, they’ve had their first kill and purchased at least one Bernie Sanders t-shirt and experimented with cannibalism or as they put it “Neo-Paleo” *groan*. They refer to the homeless as “Free Range” and Vegans are “Grass-fed”.
Clowns enter their Adult phase.
At this phase, they move to the suburbs for fatter, slower victims and, of course, better schools.
In their older years, they become solitary murderers and keep up on current events.
It is unknown to science why clowns are even a thing. I mean, we have tigers and things like that already and they’re scary enough. Is it really necessary to put makeup on a predator to be nightmare fuel at a kid’s party? I would vote no.
Happy Halloween and try not to be eaten by a clown.
In 2021’s Chloe’s Mountain, teenaged orphan Chloe (Kenzie Mae) moves to her grandmother’s farm.
Grandma (Donna Bristol) has white hair. Chloe has blue hair.
Chloe is an aspiring singer who like her music loud. Grandma hasn’t listened to anything since Glenn Miller died.
Grandma is big into church. Chloe is not.
Chloe smokes weed with her friends. Grandma really likes her neighbor’s biscuits.
Chloe and Grandma don’t have much in common and, at first, Chloe doesn’t want anything to do with her grandmother. But Grandma wins Chloe over through the power of her unconditional love. But then, on Chloe’s 18th birthday no less, Grandma dies. Chloe is heartbroken. Grandma leaves Chloe her house, her farm, and all of her money. If Chloe goes to a Christian university and graduates in four years, she’ll get the house when she’s 22. If she doesn’t go to a Christian university or if she fails to graduate, she’ll have to wait until she’s 35 to collect her inheritance.
Knowing that this was a faith-based film, I was not surprised when Chloe agreed to go to the Christian university. In many ways, the movie feels like a commercial for going to a Christian college. Sure, the movie says, the rules are a little bit goofy and you have to spend a lot of time memorizing hundreds of bible verses but you will eventually get a good education …, maybe. And yes, you’re roommate will probably really be into stuffed animals and the color pink but why can’t you just shut up and conform?
That said, the movie lost me as soon as it explained all the college’s rules. Chloe learns that she can earn demerits for breaking the college’s rules and, if she ends up with too many, she can be expelled. Talking too loudly? That’s a demerit. Late for class? Demerit. Loud music? Demerit. Public displays of affection? Huge demerit right there. Wearing revealing clothing? Demerit.
Uhmm …. okay, isn’t Chloe 18 years old? Aren’t universities supposed to give young adults an education so they can go out into the real world? Chloe’s an adult. The viewer may or may not feel that Chloe always acts like an adult but, the fact of the matter, 18 year-olds are considered to be adults. Telling an adult what she can or cannot wear, especially when she’s the one paying to attend your school, is beyond insulting. “You wore a belly shirt,” the Dean says at one point while looking over Chloe’s demerits. And? I mean, a lot of people do. I’ve certainly worn my share over the years. You’re going to kick someone out of college because they wore a slightly revealing piece of clothing? Seriously, Chloe, get out of there! Drop out and go to a real school. Grandma’s farm wasn’t really that nice to begin with.
Anyway, as for the rest of the film, Chloe does eventually make a friend, Nechelle (Shalayne Janelle). Nechelle helps to change Chloe’s cynical outlook. It’s a standard low budget, faith-based movie, full of jokes that fall flat and performers who give amateurish performances. I thought Kenzie Mae actually gave a pretty likable performance as Chloe but she’s sabotaged by filmmakers who have no idea how to tell a story visually or how to make one scene flow into the next. By the end of the movie, I felt as if I had been watching for four years. Still, I stuck with the film and I didn’t quit, no matter how much I was tempted to do so. So, seriously, where’s my farm?
Through the Shattered Lens 