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You may recall, awhile back, darlings, that "Svengoolie" showed Lew Landers' and Universal's 1935 film of the same title, but of better quality, with Karloff and Lugosi. It was literate and referenced a couple of Poe's works.
Tomorrow should be a campy night, girls. I have always heard that this film was "more comedy than horror," and I bet Jack Nicholson again will be running on the beach, as in "The Terror," because the same film loop just keeps being used over and over again.
For starters, one has to believe that Peter Lorre has been turned into a raven, but restored to human form by Vincent Price, who is out to wreak vengeance on Boris Karloff! This should be a hoot, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And what a great poster! Probably better than the movie! The kind of poster that made me want to go into being a poster artist--if only I had been wired for art!
I have never seen this film, so it should be exciting. I remember when it played at the RKO Rivoli in New Brunswick, NJ. But I was not allowed to see such movies, then.
I will be sure go give you a full report!
Now, as for "Sventoonie," I have news--
He is deconstructing 1973's "Grave Of The Vampire," which I have never heard of, nor seen, but the poster promises camp--a vampire baby that sucks blood from its mother's breast--and who knows where else? This may be the most horrific infant since the "It's Alive!" baby; too bad they were not teamed up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But I can't wait to see this campy thing. The baby may not get all the lines, but I bet it gets all the best shots!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And don't forget--"Svengoolie" now runs an extra half hour, so "Svengoolie" does not start till 10:30.
Be with us, girls, as the year on here kicks off with a hoot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6 comments:
I’m intrigued; ravens, vampires, and POE!!
"Grave of the Vampire" is streaming free on Amazon Prime. It's actually a compelling litte film, somewhat in the vein of the "Yorga" movies from around the same period. There are a couple of graveyard sequences that are quite atmospheric. And it stars hunky William Smith as that little vampire baby all growed up.
Victoria,
It has potential. Especially with Roger Corman
at the helm.
TheMist7883,
Thanks for your information. I have seen
"Count Yorga, Vampire, but the idea of a vampire
baby intrigues me.
IIRC, "Grave" doesn't dwell very long on the notion of a vampire baby, so if you're intrigued by that story thread you'll be disappointed. The primary focus is the revenge quest of the grown-up vampire, whom the TheMist7883 aptly described above as "hunky William Smith" (OMG yum, very interesting bit of casting-against-type there, and Smith really seems to relish the opportunity to play an atypical vampire antihero).
Smith burns with hatred for the vampire who fathered him of a mortal mother, so spends most of the running time hunting him down in hopes of destroying him. One of those compelling early-70s B movies that holds up surprisingly well when you stumble across them 50 years later. Too bad you'll only get to see about four random minutes of it on "Sventoonie" (the popularity of the insanely abbreviated Sventoonie show completely eludes me: I'm glad you enjoy the hell out of it, but it leaves me cold).
Some enterprising streaming service really should wake the hell up and license the entire catalog of '70s TV Movie Of The Week and independently produced horror flicks. So many little gems among those: nobody today would believe the degree to which the USA TV audience was obsessed with satanic horror in the Watergate era. Couldn't get enough: every second week saw another ABC or CBS MOTW featuring a cast of fading and rising stars facing off against a satanic or supernatural threat. Even Steven Spielberg knocked off one of these, with the unlikely cast of Darren McGavin and Sandy Dennis as husband and wife, plus Johnny Whitaker of Family Affair as their kiddie.
Tho I suppose no horror can top 1971s "A Taste Of Evil" for utter perversity: Barbara Stanwyck actually pays to have daughter Barbara Parkins brutally raped, then proceeds to gaslight her with evidence it will happen again, in an attempt to drive her insane so she can seize her daughters portion of the family estate. They could never film that story today (and certainly not as a featured prime time TV movie).
My Dear,
I have GOT to see "A Taste Of Evil." The two
Barbars? Fascinating. Perhaps the Satanic had
something to do with the whole McMartin pre-school thing.
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