31 Days of Halloween – Universal Monsters

Story Found By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Cliqueclack
Written By: Chuck Duncan

I ran across this nice article about the classic Universal monsters:

If you love Halloween as much as we do, then you’ve come to the right place! Welcome to CliqueClack Flicks’ 31 Days of Halloween. All month long our coven of writers will dust off some of our favorite horror movies and discuss what makes them a seasonal favorite.

To kick off the month, we’ll start with what is arguably the movie famous and beloved collection of movie monsters ever committed to celluloid — the Universal Monsters: Dracula, Frankentstein, the Bride of Frankenstein, the Wolfman, the Mummy, and the Invisible Man (the Creature from the Black Lagoon is often lumped in with this group, but the Gill Man didn’t come along for another 20 years).

Dracula (1931) was based on a stage play which was based on Bram Stoker‘s novel — the first official adaptation of the book (Nosferatu was, infamously, nearly erased from existence when Stoker’s widow sued for infringement on the material). The movie, like the play, cast the debonair Bela Lugosi in the title role — a departure from the novel’s tall, elderly man with the long white mustache — to give the Count more of an air of sophistication and smoldering sexuality. The better to mesmerize you and drain your blood. If reports are to be believed, the film was so frightening to audiences that woman were fainting in the aisles. Today, it’s a slow, stage bound adaptation of a stage play (a Spanish version filmed at night on the same sets is considered by many to be far superior to this classic). Frightening or not, it certainly holds its place in history as an iconic horror movie.

Universal really struck it rich with its adaptation of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, and all the credit goes to director James Whale for his stunning visual style and his casting genius. This is the movie that made Boris Karloff a star, and unlike Lugosi, he managed to have a long, successful career (albeit, mostly in horror films) and is beloved by fans the world over. Besides Whale’s expert direction, Karloff’s performance lifts the Monster (mistakenly referred to by many as Frankenstein) from just a simple caricature to a creature with deep emotional turmoil. His iconic makeup scared the pants off of audiences in 1931, but they also felt sorry for the misunderstood creature as he plunged to his death in the flaming windmill at the end of the movie.

The movie was such a hit that Universal demanded a follow-up, so the Monster was resurrected (again) for The Bride of Frankenstein, which is considered to be one of the best monster movies ever made. Again, with Karloff’s performance, Whale’s directional influence (and Whale certainly managed to camp things up with some not very subtle homosexual subtext — two words: Ernest Thesiger) and the addition of Elsa Lanchester as both the Bride and Mary Shelly, this might actually be the first horror film with comedic overtones. Whether funny, scary or both, The Bride of Frankenstein is simply brilliant filmmaking all around.

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Just When You Thought It Was Safe To Go Back In The Casino! Universal Monsters Invade MONSTER JACKPOTS

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: WMS

I grabbed this little story off a press release about new slot machines that will be featured at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas next week.

Slot machine manufacturer WMS has just come out with a new game that will feature the classic Universal monsters Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Wolfman and The Creature From The Black Lagoon.

As many of you out there probably already know, I have spent many an hour in Vegas parked in front of the Creature From The Black Lagoon slot machine (photo left) dropping in my hard-earned money ....and loosing it. Regardless of my unlucky ways I always loved playing the game due to the wonderful graphics and animations. This new game promises more of the same so it would be safe to assume that when it comes out I will be dropping a twenty into it hoping that Lady Luck will finally smile on me.

Here is a brief description of Monster Jackpots from the press release:

Monster Jackpots: This new theme is the first game from WMS that features the classic Universal Studios Monsters(TM) such as Frankenstein, Dracula, Invisible Man, The Wolf Man, The Mummy, Creature from the Black Lagoon and Bride of Frankenstein in unique base games and bonus rounds. In the free spin bonus round, players select their own volatility level to try to capture Monsters and win a large jackpot. (initial approvals anticipated in the June 2012 quarter)

WMS also makes a kick-ass looking Star Trek slot machine called STAR TREK Battlestations. You can check that out HERE.

Creature From The Black Lagoon And Star Wars Figures On A Shelf ... Is It Art?

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Tanya Bonakdar Gallery

Okay, I am probably the last guy on Earth that should be writing a piece about modern art. Honestly, the whole thing escapes me. All it looks like to me is stuff any five-year-old could make displayed in a way that's supposed to make some kind of statement about something thought provoking.

Case in point is a new exhibit at the Tanya Bonakdar Gallery in New York by Haim Steinbach entitled "Creature". The main inspiration for the series of works on display was a "Creature From The Black Lagoon" action figure which Steinbach turned into a piece of modern art by placing it on a long white shelf angled across the corner of a room. Does it make sense to me? No. Do I like the subject matter? Absolutely! Who doesn't like the Creature? On top of that I like alot of the stuff Steinbach has arranged on shelves, a giant Stormtrooper and a Darth Vader action figure from Star Wars, nude female sculptures and the kind of nic-nacs my mother-in-law buys at yard sales.

All fine stuff ..... stuff you would find on a shelf in just about any house in America. But, I ask you ... is it art?

Well, I guess so and after delving into this article I have come to realize that it is just Americana and pop culture simplified.

Ah alas I guess Steinbach has gotten to me.

Can’t Look Away: The Lure of Horror Film

Source: EMP Museum

EMP Museum announced the opening of its new exhibition Can’t Look Away: The Lure of Horror Film which takes an in-depth exploration into horror, its link to humanity, and how that connection is expressed through cinema, biology, history, and contemporary culture. EMP invited some of the world’s most prolific horror film directors – Roger Corman, John Landis, and Eli Roth – to curate a selection of their favorite films that exemplify the genre and illustrate the creative power of horror film. Can’t Look Away: The Lure of Horror Film opens October 2, 2011 at EMP.

"Audiences have been fascinated with horror stories for centuries, but its presence in popular culture is now more pervasive than ever," says EMP’s Senior Curator, Jacob McMurray. "This exhibition will examine how horror film has evolved over the last century, why we as a culture are drawn to these macabre narratives, and how fear and horror are a vital component to our human identity."

Through a combination of artifacts, interactive installations, and screening rooms, Can’t Look Away: The Lure of Horror Film explores films from the last 100 years, and is a balance between classics and cult favorites, and domestic and foreign motion pictures. They include: Nosferatu (1922), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Les Diaboliques (1955), Rosemary’s Baby (1968), Suspiria (1972), The Exorcist (1973), Psycho (1973), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Alien (1979), The Shining (1980), A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), The Fly (1986), The Thing (1982), and many others.

The exhibition will feature a selection of iconic artifacts from horror films including:
•Alien creature suit from Alien
•Scavenger demon from Constantine
•Jack Torrance’s axe from The Shining
•"Gill Man" mask from Creature from the Black Lagoon
•Bram Stoker’s Dracula manuscript
•Script from Night of the Living Dead

Interactive installations include:

Scream Booth: In a soundproof booth, visitors will watch a scene from a horror film and are encouraged to scream on cue. A camera takes multiple shots, which are displayed outside the booth.

Horror Soundscapes: Visitors will be able to explore basic music elements and scoring techniques used in horror film to enhance the sense of suspense and horror.

Monster Timeline: A large infographic explores the popular monster archetypes in horror, why they persist into our modern times, and why they resonate.

Shadow Monsters: An installation by visual artist Philip Worthington where visitors can see their projected shadows and watch them morph into monster-like forms.

HOURS
Winter hours September 6, 2011 - May 24, 2012, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Summer hours May 27, 2011 to September 5, 2011, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

CONTACT INFO
325 5th Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109
206-770-2700, main line
206-770-2702, box office
1-877-EMP-SFM1, toll-free
www.empmuseum.org

EMERALD LAGOON - Creature Homage Or Sequel?

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Robert Hood / Bobby Bragg / Avery Guerra

Indie film maker Bobby Bragg has spent his summer down in the swamps filming "Emerald Lagoon" a movie that is part "Boggy Creek" part "Swamp Thing" and a whole lot "Creature from the Black Lagoon." In fact the film is so heavily inspired by the 1954 Universal classic directed by Jack Arnold that it is really hard to determine if it is just an homage or an indirect sequel? On that point Bragg isn't saying much or for that matter in any hurry to reveal the appearance of the monster who resides in Emerald Lagoon. Though he has alluded to the fact that the monster may indeed look very much like the iconic "Gill-man" from the original Creature trilogy. One dead giveaway is the original title of the film "The Creature in the Black Lagoon" which obviously reveals Bragg's intent.

Of course Universal may have had something to say about that and undoubtedly Bragg would have gotten a few letters from some attorneys.

Though the original Creature films were strictly horror films in Emerald Lagoon Bragg has added bits of comedy and is actually marketing the movie as a "family adventure".

Here is the plot:

When micro scientist, Dr Connors and his assistant Libby Myers are discovered missing from the small everglades community of Emerald Lagoon, Libby's father becomes concerned and tries to find Roland, a local fishing guide to search for her... But the errant guide is currently in the doghouse with his wife, Alyssa, who has discovered that he has been anything but faithful. Local law enforcement, Sheriff Blackburn, is not taking the disappearance of the two seriously, and Roland is more concerned about getting his family back than looking for Libby. When Myers, frustrated on both fronts, decides to undertake a search on his own, he quickly discovers that the swamp is a scary and dangerous place. He retreats to approach Roland with another offer. Luckily Alyssa feels sympathy for Myers and urges Roland to help the desperate father. Roland and Alyssa's young daughter Sophie, upset with her parents over the breakup, wanders into the swamp. A suspicious creature from the muck lurks in the waters of Emerald Lagoon, and patiently waits as Sophie treks deeper into the jungle...

Here is the trailer and some photos from Emerald Lagoon:

Talking About The CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON'S Texas Roots

Source: My SA



Well .... maybe not the monster itself but the man who played him underwater.



Everyone should know by now that I just love the "Creature From The Black Lagoon" so I decided to repost this article about Gil-Man actor Ricou Browning:



Meet a Creature from the Black Lagoon with a San Antonio past

Ricou Browning is best known for his scaly, scary turn as the Gill-Man in the 1954 classic Creature from the Black Lagoon as well as 1955′s Revenge of the Creature and 1956′s The Creature Walks Among Us. But few know that in the ’50s he also made a bit of a local splash as a physical training instructor at Lackland Air Force Base, where he put servicemen through the pool and other paces.

Browning is back in the Alamo City this week for San Antonio Horrific Film Fest 4, the indie horror flick festival that runs Thursday through Sunday at Alamo Drafthouse Westlakes.

These days you don’t have to swim laps or scream to the rafters to win Browning’s favor. After all, he’ll be the first to tell you his iconic role didn’t exactly make him an overnight sensation.

“After the picture was made and released, I’d say 20 years passed and I started getting some letters,” says Browning, now 81, crediting the late fame to the movie’s later TV broadcast.

It wasn’t just because Browning had an un-credited role as a masked amphibious humanoid. He only played the Gill-Man for the films’ underwater sequences, while other performers like Ben Chapman played the Gill-Man in more memorable on-land shots. Still, it was necessary work for a movie about a fish-man out of water. And Browning was perfect for the job.

The Florida native had a background in water shows, having taught the mermaid performers at Weeki Wachee Springs how to perform their underwater magic. When the folks behind Black Lagoon saw Browning flip his own feet in the water, he got the creature gig.

“The way the creature swims is the way I swim,” Browning says, noting that he breathed from an air hose then held his breath for his underwater creature scenes.

Browning would leave Gill-Man behind but stick with the wet. He went on to produce 1963′s Flipper and write for the subsequent TV series, plus direct two of the underwater sequences for the Bond films Thunderball and Never Say Never Again and do miniature work for 1980′s Raise the Titanic.

“I didn’t find (filming) underwater as any different than filming upside,” Browning says.

Just what you’d expect from a guy who’s made a monster of a career in and around the water.

Frankenstein, The Wolfman And The Creature Help Dr Gangrene Keep Nashville Clean

Source: Dr Gangrene

The “Go Green With Dr. Gangrene” has returned for it’s fourth turn with three new public service short films that feature classic movie monsters roaming the streets of Nashville, TN, while resident horror host Dr. Gangrene spreads the word on keeping Music City Clean.

“Go Green With Dr. Gangrene” is a continuing collaboration between Nashville Horror Host Dr. Gangrene (portrayed by Larry Underwood) and film maker Cameron McCasland. The series now in its fourth year has received praise nationally as well as from officials in the State capitol of Tennessee. The shorts have received multiple awards and citations including two Emmy nominations, and a special humanitarian award from the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards.

McCasland said of the shorts, “It has been a lot of fun being able to play in the realms of Monsters for the past four years. I am constantly amazed at the outpouring of affection for the Go Green With Dr. Gangrene series. And I love the idea of helping to save the planet with rubber masks and mad science.“

The three new shorts entitled, “Wolfbite”, “Creature Cooler”, and “Heating Up” provide tips on conserving the planet by cutting down on excessive waste, littering, and keeping tabs on pets. All three were filmed in and around Nashville landmarks, and are shot in glorious black & white as a loving nod to the classic monster films of yesteryear.

"Using classic monsters to spread environmental and safety issues is a blast," Larry said, "and I love seeing these PSAs on the air Saturday mornings during kids programming. Monsters in the morning is becoming a Nashville tradition!"

The Public Service shorts will air on the home of Dr. Gangrenes Creature Feature, WNAB CW58 in Nashville. They will simultaneously be screened via drgangrene.com and the Dr. Gangrene Youtube channel youtube.com/drgangrene.

The previous Go Green shorts were recently made available as a special feature on The Dreadful Hallowgreen Special DVD released by Alpha Video. The Dreadful Hallowgreen Special features horror hosts Penny Dreadful, and Dr. Gangrene teaming up to save Halloween. The made for television movie was co-directed by Cameron McCasland and Rebecca Paiva.

Larry Underwood is an award winning writer and television producer. Outside of his role of Dr. Gangrene , he writes a regular column for Scary Monsters Magazine and daily musings in his Tales From The Lab Blog at DrGangrene.com

Cameron McCasland is an Emmy nominated film maker from Edgewood Texas who has called Nashville home since 2001. His work has been seen on MTV, CMT, and film festivals around the globe. His upcoming feature film “The Lashman” is due out later this year.

For more information please visit drgangrene.com, facebook.com/drgangrene, youtube.com/drgangrene or follow on twitter @DrGangrene

NEW! Creature from the Black Lagoon - Bobble Head

Source: Entertainment Earth / From Sci Fi Toys

Creature from the Black Lagoon Bobble Head:

Classic Creature from the Black Lagoon!
Rotating arms!
Detailed classic monster that's universally loved by many!

Take home this 6-inch Creature from the Black Lagoon bobble head today as he stands atop his name display base. Creature also features rotating arms for additional poses along with his bobbles!

For Sale At:

Entertainment Earth - $12.99 - Order Here

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