“Santa Claus vs The Devil”: The Christmas Film You Don’t Want But OMG You Need It

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christianity, Christmas, Christmas movies, commentary, Devil, film, Jesus, message, moral, Santa Claus, Santa Claus vs the Devil

There’s only one day left until Christmas, and ’tis the season for curling up with a cozy blanket, sipping hot chocolate, and enjoying a yearly viewing of your favourite holiday films.

Many people have made an annual tradition of watching these films; some go for the sentimental classics (come on, Christmas Eve viewing of “A Christmas Carol“!), while others gravitate towards the “so bad it’s good” category, seeking out the worst of the worst holiday films so they can enjoy a good laugh instead of a good cry.

Now that we’re on the topic of “so bad it’s good” films, let me start by saying that taste in movies, as well as most other things in life, is subjective. And I am well aware that I fall into that rare category of weirdos people who think that a lot of the “so bad they’re good” films are actually just legitimately GOOD. “Evil Dead“, “They Live”, “Hell Comes to Frogtown”, “Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow”, “Werewolves on Wheels”….. subjectively most people think these movies are terrible.

I do not.

To me, these are cult classics and deserve to be treated with respect.

So when I spotted a film titled, “Santa Claus vs the Devil”, and it was from 1959, I mean……

Y-E-S.

The Art of Horror II: A Sci-Fi Twist

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Art, Art of Horror, artist, entertainment, film, horror, illustration, monster, movie posters, poster, poster art, sci-fi, science fiction

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but we all know that it’s the cover art which initially draws our attention to a book in the first place.

Movies are no different. A lot of time, effort, talent and money goes into designing a movie poster, because it’s that first impression which often translates into big bucks or big flops.

I’ve sung the praises of movie posters before. First in the post “The Art of Horror“, and then again in “Hammer’s Glamour: The Art of Hammer Films“. Illustrated movie posters have sadly fallen out of fashion in Hollywood. But that’s all the more reason to keep highlighting a few classic examples here!

My love of cheesy, eccentric, down-right bad B-movies is no secret. Currently on my “to-watch” list are gems like “The Two-Headed Transplant”, “Drive-In Massacre”, and “Track of the Moon Beast”. (This is a real list, btw, I’m not just making it up for effect.)

A few things in particular come to mind when I think of the 1950-60’s era: 1) Classic family life and glamourous everyday fashions, and 2) crazy, campy, colourful science fiction films. Films about brains that won’t die, aliens and space ships, women from Mars, and babes in gold bikinis. So today, we’re going to be focusing on film posters of the psychedelic sci-fi persuasion. Now, not all of these are from the ’50-60’s era, but every poster has something in common: Each is a work of art; a vibrant illustration of the fantastical, soaked to the core with rich imagination and a mastery of colour and composition.

One of my favourites from today’s selections is, to me, the embodiment of kooky 1950’s science fiction: “The Brain Eaters” (1958).

And Now the Screaming Starts…

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Amicus, And Now the Screaming Starts, Art, British, Christopher Lee, death, Devil, film, Hammer, horror, Horror Express, Ingrid Pitt, movie, Peter Cushing, Plague of Zombies, review, The Devil Rides Out, The Devil's Bride, Vampires, Zombies

The 3 types of terror: The Gross-out, The Horror, and the last and worse one: Terror, when you come home and notice everything you own had been taken away and replaced by an exact substitute. It’s when the lights go out and you feel something behind you, you hear it, you feel its breath against your ear, but when you turn around, there’s nothing there…

~ Stephen King

Happy Halloween, darlings!

You know what I could go for right now? Right this minute? Yes, yes, of course it’s a scary movie. But not just any scary movie. I don’t want to see Frankenstein’s monster or Dracula’s fangs. At this point, the thought of a lumbering Mummy or a howling Wolfman is inducing nothing more than a few yawns.

I don’t want anything classic or black and white. And nothing typical. I want unusual. Creepy. Campy. Cult. With a nice balance of blood, fear, suspense and surprise. And lots of glorious colour!

It’s not that I don’t normally like all those old-time monster movies. I do! But this Halloween, I just feel like something else.

Hammer’s Glamour: The Art of Hammer Films

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Art, Bill Wiggins, film, Hammer Films, horror, movie posters, Tom Chantrell

You don’t need to visit the local art gallery to see some incredible works of art. Two years ago I wrote “The Art of Horror” — a blog post that highlighted the lost art of illustrated film posters.

It wasn’t until the 1980s that illustrated movie posters really started to fall out of vogue. And such a shame that they did too. In my previous post, I focused on posters and artists from Hollywood’s Golden Age. But this time, I’m going to dive head first into a pool of glorious Technicolour — the posters of Hammer Films.

From the late 50’s through the 70’s, the British production company was well known for its love and use of bright colour, scantily clad bodies, lavish sets, and often garish special effects. And you know what? I loved every bit of it. And if you don’t? Something’s seriously the matter with you. ;P

The Immortal Count

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Bela Lugosi, death, Dracula, film, Forrest J. Ackerman, horror, In Memoriam, movie, Universal Studios, White Zombie

I am Dracula. I bid you welcome.

When Universal Studios released “Dracula” in 1931, I don’t think anyone imagined the worldwide obsession that would follow. Bram Stoker’s novel was already 34 years old, and “Dracula” wasn’t the first vampire film. But this was the first time the audience was introduced to a charming and dapper Count Dracula; a villain they wanted to love.

In England, in 1924, “Dracula” the stage play was the first adaptation of the novel authorised by Stoker’s widow. In 1927, the play came to America and in his first major English-speaking role, Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi donned the famous Dracula cape for the first time. And a legend was born.

Dracula: The Hammer Years: Boobs, Blood & Bondage

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Christopher Lee, death, Dracula, Dracula A.D. 1972, Dracula Has Risen From the Grave, Dracula Prince of Darkness, film, Hammer Films, horror, Horror of Dracula, movie, Peter Cushing, Scars of Dracula, Taste the Blood of Dracula, The Satanic Rites of Dracula

You’re in a foreign land. A land filled with superstition. Ahead is a gloomy Gothic castle shadowed upon a hill top. The sun is setting, the darkness is closing in, the fog is obscuring your view. You approach with hesitation, apprehension. You enter. You’re afraid, but you don’t quite know why.

I’ll tell you why. Because inside this ancient mausoleum dwells a creature, neither man nor beast. Or perhaps it is more accurate to say that he is both man and beast. The personification of evil. An enigmatic being enshrouded in desire, passion and lust. And danger. And fear. And death.

Terror Tuesday: Poe & Price

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adaptation, Charles Beaumont, Edgar Allan Poe, Fall of the House of Usher, film, horror, movie posters, photography, Pit and the Pendulum, Richard Matheson, Roger Corman, Tales of Terror, The Haunted Palace, The Masque of the Red Death, The Raven, The Tomb of Ligeia, Tower of London, Vincent Price

… † …

There are many memorable pairings in the world of horror: Peter Cushing & Christopher Lee, Van Helsing & Dracula, Doctor Frankenstein & his Monster, Scooby Doo & Shaggy. And here is another interesting duo for your consideration — Vincent Price & Edgar Allan Poe.

If you’re a fan of Poe and a fan of Price, and you happen to be a film producer, the only logical thing to do is adapt Poe to the big screen and cast Vincent Price as your lead. Which is exactly what film producer Roger Corman did.

Between 1960 and 1964, Corman produced eight films adapted from Edgar Allan Poe’s writings. Only one of the films, “The Premature Burial” (1962), didn’t star Vincent Price.

Corman covered the most popular and recognizable of Poe’s tales. For his “Poe Cycle”, he collaborated with writers Richard Matheson (“The Fall of the House of Usher”, “The Pit and the Pendulum”, “The Raven“, “Tales of Terror”), and Charles Beaumont (“Masque of the Red Death”, “The Haunted Palace”). At the time, both men were hard at work writing for one of my all-time favourite shows, the classic, ever-popular anthology series, The Twilight Zone.

The Art of Fear

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Amicus, Christopher Lee, Count Dracula, cross, crucifix, death, Dr. Phibes, Dracula, Elvira, film, Frankenstein, Halloween, Hammer Films, horror, In Search of Dracula, macabre, movie, Peter Cushing, Sherlock Holmes, stake, Van Helsing, Vincent Price

… † …

“You’ve got Poe, TZ, horror movie posters, and a pretty face. You’re like a classy, non-slutty-looking Elvira!”

Hello, darlings.

It’s me, your classy, pretty-faced, non-slutty-looking Elvira of the blogosphere here. (Thanks to Paul for my new moniker! ;D). October has finally descended upon us and I have a wonderful, spooky, horror-themed month of posts planned for all my fellow Seekers of Truth. Everything will be leading up to a majorly fun and informative Halloween post on the 31^st. Film fans? This one’s for you.

To kick things off, we’re going to be taking a look at three of the most memorable, influential men in the horror genre. They also happen to be my three favourite actors: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, and Vincent Price.

Lee and Price shared May 27th birthdays, and Cushing’s was close by, on May 26th. Coincidence…?

The Art of Horror

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anselmo ballester, Art, artist, entertainment, film, Hollywood, horror, illustration, monster, movie, poster art

Years ago, in the golden age of Hollywood, movies were promoted with glorious, colourful posters, illustrated by artists who still worked with paint and a brush. Film posters are a somewhat under-appreciated genre of art. But some of the world’s most talented artists made their living creating images for movie posters.

I’m passionate about art and I love horror films, so these posters from a bygone era are something I can really get excited about.

There have been many masterpiece horror films produced in the last 80+ years. Some accompanied by very impressive posters. The 1930’s and ’40s saw the creation of some absolutely stunning works of art created to draw in potential paying customers for some of the most iconic, classic films ever made. From the well known: Frankenstein (1931), Dracula (1931), and The Invisible Man (1933); to the slightly lesser known but equally brilliant: The Black Cat (1934), White Zombie (1932) and The Corpse Vanishes (1942).

Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows: A Review By a DS Purist

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angelique, barnabas, collins, Dark Shadows, film, johnny depp, lara parker, michelle pfeiffer, movie, review, tim burton

Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows sparked a lot of controversy early on. I myself was not interested in what I was convinced would be an off colour slap in the face to my beloved original Barnabas Collins and friends.

The town of Collinsport, Maine. Home of the Collins family. One of them is a vampire. His name is Barnabas Collins, and the 1966 gothic soap opera, Dark Shadows, became a spooky, supernatural playground for his exploits. Vampires, werewolves, time travel and witch hunts: I love Dark Shadows. I watched the entire series over a period of a few years in reruns on the SciFi (now Syfy) channel. I was 15 when I first glimpsed the foyer of Collinwood, and I’ve been hooked ever since.