Happy Birthday, Arleigh!

Posted on November 27, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

A hushed silence falls over the TSL offices as we come together to celebrate the man who makes all of this possible.

Today is November 27th.

Today is …. ARLEIGH’S BIRTHDAY!

Thirteen years ago (!), Arleigh Sandoc created the site that would become Through the Shattered Lens. Twelve years ago, he came across me defending Dario Argento on twitter and he asked me if I would like to be a contributor.

Of course, I accepted and I have never looked back. Over the years, we’ve been joined by other contributors, all of whom have added their voices and made Through the Shattered Lens into what it is today. It’s been a wonderful ride and I’m looking forward to thirteen more years! And it all started with Arleigh Sandoc and a review of Avatar!

So, today, let us celebrate!

Celebrate by reading Arleigh’s review of Avatar, the post that launched this site.

And then check out his review A History of Violence!

And his review of Night of the Living Dead!

Want a real blast of nostalgia? Check out his thoughts on the first episodes of The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones!

Thank you, Arleigh, for the opportunity to be a part of Through the Shattered Lens. And happy birthday!

The Shattered Lens Live Tweets Halloween

Posted on October 31, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, Texas! pic.twitter.com/RDL6MYNaXv

— Lisa Marie Bowman (@LisaMarieBowman) October 31, 2022

I have to give a special thank you to @JedadiahLeland @takesume @casewrites and @Cavatica for their contributions to this year's Horrorthon! We are going to end up with over 550 posts for this year!

— Lisa Marie Bowman (@LisaMarieBowman) October 31, 2022

I'm watching a few classic Halloween shows while getting my work done for the day. First off, Hilloween from King of the Hill! pic.twitter.com/LutrTHGlhO

— Lisa Marie Bowman (@LisaMarieBowman) October 31, 2022

Now watching: The Office "Halloween" pic.twitter.com/TIp90oT0uK

— Lisa Marie Bowman (@LisaMarieBowman) October 31, 2022

Now watching: Saved By The Bell: Mystery Weekend. This is the closest the SBTB ever got to a Halloween episode. pic.twitter.com/Ipn1zfUHjx

— Lisa Marie Bowman (@LisaMarieBowman) October 31, 2022

Happy Halloween! I hope your day is a good one!

— Jeff, who is not Joseph Cotten (@JedadiahLeland) October 31, 2022

I also hope that someday, Marvel and Disney will get around to giving us the Tomb of Dracula series that we all deserve. pic.twitter.com/TScdEGTbW7

— Jeff, who is not Joseph Cotten (@JedadiahLeland) October 31, 2022

One thing to remember: Just because Halloween ends, that doesn't mean that you have to stop watching scary movies. I'm going to be watching quite a few tomorrow.

— Lisa Marie Bowman (@LisaMarieBowman) October 31, 2022

In my area, the main street is full of Trick or Treaters and their families. It's good to see.

— Leonard B. Wilson (@Cavatica) October 31, 2022

One hour to go until tonight's #MondayActionMovie! For tonight's playlist, we have a commercial starring Vincent Price and the 1985 film, LIGHT BLAST, starring Erik Estrada! Here's the playlist, in case you still need it! https://t.co/dASuZKfkCy

— Lisa Marie Bowman (@LisaMarieBowman) October 31, 2022

When it comes to the original Halloween, I relate to Annie. I've had the same trouble trying to climb through a window.

— Lisa Marie Bowman (@LisaMarieBowman) October 31, 2022

My 31 days of getting no sleep are catching up with me.

— Lisa Marie Bowman (@LisaMarieBowman) October 31, 2022

⁦@LisaMarieBowman⁩ ⁦@JedadiahLeland⁩ ⁦@Cavatica⁩ Happy Halloween pic.twitter.com/dZnj3hjRav

— Case Frights (@casewrites) October 31, 2022

In A Very Odd House, Very Odd Things Will Happen #photography https://t.co/zspTnczCpY

— Erin Nicole (@TakeSumE) October 31, 2022

For the record, this is like the sixth movie live tweet that I've hosted since Friday so I'm looking forward to sleeping tomorrow. Lol. #MondayActionMovie

— Lisa Marie Bowman (@LisaMarieBowman) November 1, 2022

The game was canceled but I gave out a lot of candy so it wasn't a terrible Halloween.

— Erin Nicole (@TakeSumE) November 1, 2022

The Shattered Lens Live Tweets Oscar Sunday

Posted on March 27, 2022 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Oscar Sunday!

Oscars Day always feels like New Year's Eve to me. I love that feeling.

— Leonard B. Wilson (@Cavatica) March 27, 2022

Imagining Billy Crystal at home, looking over the nominees and saying, "What I could do with all of this." #Oscars

— Jeff, who is not Joseph Cotten (@JedadiahLeland) March 27, 2022

Honestly, just the fact that they're in a theater and not a train station makes this an improvement on last year's ceremony. #Oscars

— Lisa Marie Bowman (@LisaMarieBowman) March 28, 2022

Dune, the film that apparently directed itself, is sweeping the technical categories. #Oscars

— Jeff, who is not Joseph Cotten (@JedadiahLeland) March 28, 2022

Next year, #Oscars will be a “take home” award show. Pick up your Oscar at the @DennysDiner at Marina Del Ray, Sunday Afternoon, after the Kiwanis meeting but before Alcoholics Anonymous.
#Oscars

— Case Wright (@casewrites) March 28, 2022

Troy Kostur winning is going to be the highlight of this ceremony. #Oscars

— Jeff, who is not Joseph Cotten (@JedadiahLeland) March 28, 2022

Of all the nights to not have Cable. What am I missing here?! https://t.co/UgeqQOIxZw

— Leonard B. Wilson (@Cavatica) March 28, 2022

If Will wins tonight, is Kenneth Branaugh gonna slap him over Wild Wild West? Not saying he should, time heals most wounds, but anything can happen tonight. #Oscars

— Leonard B. Wilson (@Cavatica) March 28, 2022

I don't know. My personal opinion is that, after punching someone on live TV, you should hold off on the God talk. #Oscars

— Lisa Marie Bowman (@LisaMarieBowman) March 28, 2022

And CODA wins. Not really a surprise anymore. #Oscars

— Lisa Marie Bowman (@LisaMarieBowman) March 28, 2022

Really, this is a great moment for the CODA cast and crew. Too bad all anyone's going to be talking about tomorrow is Will Smith. #Oscars

— Lisa Marie Bowman (@LisaMarieBowman) March 28, 2022

All of that trouble to get the show down to 3 hours and it ended up running 40 minutes over. #Oscars

— Lisa Marie Bowman (@LisaMarieBowman) March 28, 2022

Thus could be the start of a cool trend. We get Amy Adams into a good role this year and Isla Fisher to do something serious next year and we end up with a redheaded Best Actress for 3 years straight.

— Leonard B. Wilson (@Cavatica) March 28, 2022

Happy Birthday, Arleigh!

Posted on November 27, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today is a very special day as we celebrate the birthday of the founder of the Shattered Lens, the one and only …. ARLEIGH SANDOC! The cats are celebrating and so are we!

Happy birthday, Arleigh!

Nearly 12 years ago, Arleigh founded the site that would eventually become the Shattered Lens. He recruited our initial crew of four writers. (We’ve obviously grown since those early days) and he asked me to come aboard as co-editor of the site. I have grown so much as a writer, due to the opportunities and the freedom that Arleigh offered to me and every other writer on this site. If you’ve ever enjoined anything you’ve read on this site, Arleigh is the man to thank. If you’ve ever discovered a new film or song or comic or game or …. well, anything, as a result of this site, just know that it all began one Christmas Eve, when Arleigh Sandoc decided to post a review of a film called Avatar.

2022 is going to be all about celebrating everything that this site is about and I hope we’ll see each and everyone of you there. Today, however, is all about celebrating Arleigh.

Happy birthday, Arleigh!

The Shattered Lens Live Tweets Halloween

Posted on October 31, 2021 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Happy Halloween!

Well, October is our biggest month of the year at the Shattered Lens. We spend 30 days waiting for Halloween and then when it arrives, it’s always a little hard to know how to react. I watched several horror movies. Val watched some movies about Arsene Lupin. Leonard reviewed a few movies. Case has got his super cool sick voice going. Jeff watched a documentary on mummies. Erin is watching the World Series.

Here’s a little of what Halloween was like here at the Shattered Lens:

At times #ArseneLupin plays more like a pre-code version of The Sex Thief (1973)—made by the director of GoldenEye and Casino Royale. pic.twitter.com/uBx0OzhEC0

— Valerie Troutman (@ShootThePicture) October 31, 2021

#704 #NowWatching Arséne Lupin Returns (1938), but under the production code this time. pic.twitter.com/CLaOnANLaO

— Valerie Troutman (@ShootThePicture) October 31, 2021

That #704 means that Val has watched nearly a hundred more movies than I have this year I’m running behind! What have I been doing that’s been taking me away from my first love of movies?

Watching Saved By The Bell. Slater basically just mugged Screech and the audience went wild.

— Lisa Marie Bowman (@LisaMarieBowman) October 31, 2021

Agck!

Finishing up a Halloween Review or two while playing Back4Blood, while getting ready for a Halloween movie watch later with friends & texting with my brother. I can only divide my attention span so much, or can I?

— Leonard B. Wilson (@Cavatica) October 31, 2021

Happy Halloween! I'm hoping the Great Pumpkin will hear my prayer and Houston will get a win tonight. #NotReadyForBaseballToEnd

— Erin Nicole (@TakeSumE) October 31, 2021

Halloween Tiramisu. A little lopsided, but good. pic.twitter.com/D9ZxSCeSAm

— Leonard B. Wilson (@Cavatica) October 31, 2021

To my like-minded friends! "As the curtain between the worlds turn thinner, it's that time of year we go from light into darkness. Let us look to the Winter. Honor the ones we lost and give thanks🙏to those who protect us!" #BlessedBe #HappySamhain #Samhain #pagan #Wicca

— Patrick Smith 📺📖🎧🖇 (@theClurichaun) October 31, 2021

Well, it’s happened: I’m under the weather and my voice sounds like Lego Batman.

— Case Fright (@casewrites) October 31, 2021

My whole VO career could be during cold and flu season

— Case Fright (@casewrites) October 31, 2021

So, the guy who lives three doors down from us, his car broke down in the middle of the street. It just been sitting there for a few hours and because it's literally in the middle of the street, no one can drive past him. Cops just showed up.

— Lisa Marie Bowman (@LisaMarieBowman) October 31, 2021

Because of where he abandoned his car, another one of our neighbors currently cannot pull out of her driveway.

— Lisa Marie Bowman (@LisaMarieBowman) October 31, 2021

Okay, the dude came out of his house with a beer and a few other guys and now they're all standing around the car, talking about it.

— Lisa Marie Bowman (@LisaMarieBowman) October 31, 2021

Everybody went back inside the house. The car remains in the middle of the street. I have a feeling a tow truck is going to show up soon because I really doubt that cop just showed up to say hi.

— Lisa Marie Bowman (@LisaMarieBowman) October 31, 2021

Okay, the guy came back out with his friends or his cousin or whoever they all are and they pushed the car into the driveway. I'm not sure why it took like 40 minutes for them to get around to trying that.

— Lisa Marie Bowman (@LisaMarieBowman) October 31, 2021

"We'll buy it but we're going to need to write a role for Riley Keough." — A24 https://t.co/F8O2o1vfre

— Lisa Marie Bowman (@LisaMarieBowman) October 31, 2021

Brag brag brag, Boss! (47 episodes of #AudioDramas 🩺, 2 books read 📚, and one movie 🎥watched for me so far this weekend!) 😆

— Patrick Smith 📺📖🎧🖇 (@theClurichaun) October 31, 2021

Happy Halloween! Anyone who dressed up like a president gets extra candy. pic.twitter.com/jdKylhhVDf

— Jeff, who is not Joseph Cotten (@JedadiahLeland) October 31, 2021

Starting Kiss Me Deadly, by Jessie Thomas https://t.co/A9pfw9g19t

— Patrick Smith 📺📖🎧🖇 (@theClurichaun) October 31, 2021

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday evening everyone! Sunday evenings are my reading 📖 time And I got a good book 📖 to read tonight!

Remember, with out a doubt each & everyone of you are extremely valuable to me! ❤️#SafeSleeps 😴 #PlayNice 🤗 and #LoveEachOther 💞while I’m gone! pic.twitter.com/SowYdPUuWc

— Patrick Smith 📺📖🎧🖇 (@theClurichaun) October 31, 2021

Now watching: What Forensics Reveals About The Violent Lives Of Peru's Mummies with #SundayNightDocs

— Jeff, who is not Joseph Cotten (@JedadiahLeland) November 1, 2021

I've got the candy ready to go but if the trick or treaters want to stay home and watch the World Series instead, that's fine too.

— Erin Nicole (@TakeSumE) November 1, 2021

By this point, I was watching Psycho on TCM.

"He must have seen my wedding ring!"

Yes, definitely that is the only reason why he would choose Janet Leigh to flirt with. #TCMParty

— Lisa Marie Bowman (@LisaMarieBowman) November 1, 2021

Trick or Treat count: so far, one group of three. Our cat hissed at them so I had to give them extra candy.

— Erin Nicole (@TakeSumE) November 1, 2021

If the mummies knew all this awaited them, they probably would have asked to just be cremated. #SundayNightDocs

— Jeff, who is not Joseph Cotten (@JedadiahLeland) November 1, 2021

If Roger Corman had directed this movie, the salesman would be the Dick Miller role. #TCMParty

— Lisa Marie Bowman (@LisaMarieBowman) November 1, 2021

Lisa, I’m so happy to read this! Y’all are stars in my life!!!!

— Case Fright (@casewrites) November 1, 2021

Just spotted Michael Myers in the stands. He's a Braves fan, of course. #WorldSeries

— Erin Nicole (@TakeSumE) November 1, 2021

Yes! 8 to 5 now. The baseball Gods are listening to me. Go Houston! #WorldSeries

— Erin Nicole (@TakeSumE) November 1, 2021

All in all, it’s been a good October here at the Shattered Lens. So, from our family to yours, Happy Halloween and to all a good night!

Happy Birthday, Arleigh!

Posted on November 27, 2019 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today is a very special day as we celebrate the birthday of the founder of the Shattered Lens, the one and only …. ARLEIGH SANDOC!

Happy birthday, Arleigh!

Nearly 10 years ago, Arleigh founded the site that would eventually become the Shattered Lens. He recruited our initial crew of four writers. (We’ve obviously grown since those early days) and he asked me to come aboard as co-editor of the site. Tomorrow is thanksgiving but I can tell you what I’m thankful for today. I’m thankful that Arleigh took a chance and made me a part of this site. I have grown so much as a writer, due to the opportunities and the freedom that Arleigh offered to me and every other writer on this site.

Next year, we’ll be celebrating the TSL’s 10th birthday all year long. 2020 is going to be all about celebrating everything that this site is about and I hope we’ll see each and everyone of you there. Today, however, is all about celebrating Arleigh.

Happy birthday, Arleigh!

Halloween Havoc!: Peter Cushing in TWINS OF EVIL (Universal/Hammer 1971)

Posted on October 2, 2019 by gary loggins

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British babes Mary and Madeleine Collinson became the first set of twins to not only star as Playboy Twin Centerfolds (and we’ll get to that at the end of this post!!), but to star in a Hammer Horror film, 1971’s TWINS OF EVIL. Not only that, the lasses got to play opposite Hammer icon Peter Cushing as their puritanical, witch burning uncle. It’s the final chapter in Hammer’s Karnstein Trilogy (preceded by 1970’s THE VAMPIRE LOVERS and 1971’s LUST FOR A VAMPIRE), based on characters from Sheridan LeFanu’s 1872 novella , and it’s a sexy, blood-spattered scream!

As uncle Gustav Weil goes around the countryside burning young girls at the stake, his recently orphaned twin teenage nieces Maria and Frieda arrive from Venice. Prudish Uncle Gustav disapproves of the girls’ plunging decolletage (“What kind of plumage is this? The birds of paradise?”). While Maria is shy and demure, Frieda’s a…

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Halloween Havoc!: ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (Paramount 1932)

Posted on October 1, 2019 by gary loggins

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Universal Pictures kicked off the horror trend of the early 30’s with DRACULA and FRANKENSTEIN , and soon every studio in Hollywood, both major and minor, jumped on the terror train. Paramount was the first to hop on board with an adaptation of Stevenson’s DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE , earning Fredric March an Oscar for his dual role. Soon there was DR. X (Warners), THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME (RKO), FREAKS and THE MASK OF FU MANCHU (both MGM), and THE MONSTER WALKS and WHITE ZOMBIE from the indies. Paramount released ISLAND OF LOST SOULS at the end of 1932, a film so shocking and perverse it was banned in Britain for over a quarter century, and still manages to frighten even the most jaded of horror fans today.

Based on the novel The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells, the film begins with shipwrecked Edward Parker being rescued…

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Big Bad Bob: Robert Mitchum in MAN WITH THE GUN (United Artists 1955)

Posted on September 28, 2019 by gary loggins

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Rugged Robert Mitchum is pretty much the whole show in MAN WITH THE GUN, a film by first time director (and Orson Welles protege) Richard Wilson. It seems a strange choice at this juncture of Mitchum’s career. He was just coming off four big films in a row (RIVER OF NO RETURN, TRACK OF THE CAT, NOT AS A STRANGER, NIGHT OF THE HUNTER ), then makes a low budget Western that harkens back to his days making ‘B’ Zane Grey Westerns at RKO. But that was Mitchum; always the maverick who did things his way.

The film itself isn’t bad: Mitchum plays a notorious gunslinger, a “town tamer” hired by Sheridan City to clean things up from the clutches of boss ‘Dade Holman’ (who isn’t seen til the end, but whose influence is everywhere). There’s a subplot with his ex-wife Jan Sterling, now running the dance hall girls at…

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RIP Sid Haig: A Career Retrospective

Posted on September 24, 2019 by gary loggins

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Quick, name an actor who’s played villains opposite everyone from Batman to James Bond, and Captain Kirk to TJ Hooker. Not to mention sharing screen time with stars like Ann-Margret, Lucille Ball, Lon Chaney Jr, Pam Grier, Nancy Kwan, Lee Marvin, and Anthony Quinn, and working with directors as diverse as Robert Aldrich, Jack Hill, Richard Fleischer, George Lucas, Quentin Tarantino, and Rob Zombie. There’s only one, and his name was Sid Haig, one of the last links to Old Hollywood and an Exploitation Icon, who sadly passed away yesterday at age 80.

Young Sidney Moesian, born 7/17/39 in Fresno, was bitten by the show biz bug early, dancing onstage as a child and even scoring a regional rock hit with his teenage band The T-Birds:

Sid got his acting education paying his dues at the famed Pasadena Playhouse, alongside roommate Stuart Margolin (THE ROCKFORD FILES, DEATH WISH, etc). His…

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