Seeing as how today is the anniversary of Bela Lugosi’s death, how could I not share a scene from his greatest performance?
Tag Archives: Horrorthon
4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Bela Lugosi Edition
4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking.
Today is the 138th anniversary of the birth of Bela Lugosi! In honor of his legacy, here are….
4 Shots From 4 Films
Dracula (1931, directed by Tod Browning)
White Zombie (1932, directed by Vincent Halperin)
Island of Lost Souls (1932, directed by Erle C. Kenton)
Bride of the Monster (1955, dir by Edward D. Wood, Jr.)
Horror On The Lens: The Dead Don’t Die (dir by Curtis Harrington)
For today’s horror on the lens, we have a 1975 made-for-television movie called The Dead Don’t Die!
The Dead Don’t Die takes place in Chicago during the 1930s. George Hamilton is a sailor who comes home just in time to witness his brother being executed for a crime that he swears he didn’t commit. Hamilton is convinced that his brother was innocent so he decides to launch an investigation of his own. This eventually leads to Hamilton not only being attacked by dead people but also discovering a plot involving a mysterious voodoo priest!
Featuring atmospheric direction for Curtis Harrington and a witty script by Robert Bloch, The Dead Don’t Die is an enjoyable horror mystery. Along with George Hamilton, the cast includes such luminaries of “old” Hollywood as Ray Milland, Ralph Meeker, Reggie Nalder, and Joan Blondell. (Admittedly, George Hamilton is not the most convincing sailor to ever appear in a movie but even his miscasting seems to work in a strange way.)
And you can watch it below!
Enjoy!
Artwork of the Day: Shriek (Artist Unknown)
Artist Unknown
Music Video of the Day: Burn by Nine Inch Nails (1994, dir by Hank Corwin and Trent Reznor)
I like Burn, even though it’s not exactly subtle song. I mean, Trent Reznor has never exactly been the most low-key of songwriters but Burn is a bit heavy-handed by even his standards. That said, it’s got a good beat and you can dance to it and it’s fun to music to play while you’re setting a fire or trying to freak out a boomer.
The video was apparently included on a special VHS tape of Natural Born Killers. And now it’s on YouTube so watch it while you can because I have a feeling this video will probably get yanked down for copyright reasons in another month or so. Stuff like that just makes me want to burn it all down. The video pretty much follows the Natural Born Killers aesthetic. It’s a type of style that’s good for music videos but a bit much for a 2 hour-plus film. Natural Born Killers is one of those films that I always get bored with before it ends but the soundtrack’s pretty good.
Enjoy!
Horror on TV: Baywatch Nights 2.20 “Hot Winds” (dir by Parker Stevenson)
On tonight’s episode of Baywatch Nights, the wind is making people in California go insane! Could it because the wind is hot and annoying? Or is it that there’s a Satanist doing something evil out in the desert?
Don’t worry, California! David Hasselhoff and Angie Harmon are on the case!
This episode originally aired on May 3rd, 1997.
Horror Scenes That I Love: Tor Johnson vs Richard Carlson in Behind Locked Doors
Since today is Tor Johnson’s birthday, I wanted to share a scene from Plan 9 From Outer Space or Bride of the Monster or even the Beast of Yucca Flats.
Unfortunately, YouTube would not cooperate. I found a lot of tribute videos that people had done. I found several videos of Tor playing Lobo with silly music playing in the background. There were a lot of weird Tor/Bela tribute videos. (Apparently, there’s a very active community of Lobo/Varnoff shippers, which was not something that I really needed to know.) Anyway, try as I did, I couldn’t find any decent videos of just Tor walking into a wall or rising from the dead of reaching for the bunny in Beast of Yucca Flats.
However, I did find this clip from a film in which Tor Johnson appeared in 1948. Apparently, Behind Locked Doors was noir about a detective who goes undercover at a sanitarium. One of the other patients at the sanitarium? TOR JOHNSON!
So, enjoy this chance to see Tor Johnson in a scene not directed by Ed Wood or Coleman Francis. (The scene was directed by Budd Boetticher, who has a far different critical reputation that both Misters Wood and Francis.)
4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Tor Johnson Edition
4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking.
Today is Tor Johnson’s birthday so it just seems appropriate to present….
4 Shots From 4 Tor Johnson Films
Bride of The Monster (1955, dir by Ed Wood)
Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959, dir by Ed Wood)
Night of the Ghouls (1960, dir by Ed Wood)
The Beast from Yucca Flats (1961, dir by Coleman Francis)
Horror On The Lens: Invasion of the Saucer Men (dir by Edward Cahn)
The poster above pretty much epitomizes everything that I love about old B-movies. Between the aliens and the poster’s promise that we’re being given the chance to “SEE (the) night the world nearly ended…!,” it’s hard to resist the temptation to give Invasion of the Saucer Men a chance.
First released in 1957, Invasion of the Saucer Men is, in many ways, a standard alien invasion film. Aliens land in a small town and cause a lot of inconvenience for a bunch of all-American teenagers who are just looking for a place to make out. What sets Invasion of the Saucer Men apart is that it’s meant to intentionally humorous and the aliens totally kick ass.
So, here is today’s edition of Horror On The Lens: Invasion of the Saucer Men!
Artwork of the Day: Shambleau (Artist Unknown)
Artist Unknown
Through the Shattered Lens 