Most Terrifying Scene In "I WAS A TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN" (1957)(video)

 

Dr. Frankenstein (Whit Bissell) conceals his cold, sadistic intentions...

...when offering to allow his fiancee Margaret (Phyllis Coates) to be his new assistant.

In reality, he's setting her up to be brutally murdered...

...by his crazed and horrifically hideous teenage monster.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it. Thanks for watching!

Most Terrifying Scene In "I WAS A TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN" (1957)(video)

Lon Chaney's Live TV Blunder on "Tales of Tomorrow: Frankenstein" (1952)(video)

(Originally posted on 1/29/18)

When the television series "Tales of Tomorrow" presented their 1952 live adaptation of "Frankenstein", Lon Chaney played the Monster.

Unfortunately, he thought the live show was a final rehearsal. So instead of smashing the prop furniture, he picks it up and gently sets it back down.

(Later, perhaps as punishment, John Newland shoots him well below the belt.)

After discovering his mistake, Chaney was mortified. But otherwise, it's a perfectly good performance.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material. Just having some fun with it. Thanks for watching!

Lon Chaney's Live TV Blunder on "Tales of Tomorrow: Frankenstein" (1952)(video)

Extreme Comedy Reactions #2: "The Munsters" s1e6 (video)

 

 Herman Munster's nearsighted doctor (the legendary Paul Lynde)...

...finally gets a good look at him, resulting in one of the most extreme comedy reactions ever. 

 

Video by Porfle Popnecker. I neither own nor claim any rights to this material. Just having some fun with it. Thanks for watching!

Extreme Comedy Reactions #2: "The Munsters" s1e6 (video)

BLACKENSTEIN -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

 Originally posted on 5/12/2017

 

Back in the early 70s, it was sort of a "thing" to take popular movie titles and add the word "black" to create new concepts in Blaxploitation.  This led to such films as BLACK GODFATHER, BLACK CAESAR, BLACULA, and, last but certainly not least, the unforgettably named BLACKENSTEIN (1973).

(Fortunately, this trend faded out before anyone came up with BLACK JAWS or BLACK ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND.)

Despite the rather obvious joke reference of the title, however, BLACKENSTEIN isn't true "Blaxploitation" at all, since it lacks any of the usual dubious elements of that genre (pimps, hookers, drug dealers, guns, gratuitous racial references, etc.).

That we visit a blues club frequented mainly by black patrons in one scene is purely incidental.  In fact, the race of any character in the film could, as far as the story goes, be totally interchangeable.

Even the sadistic white male nurse who verbally abuses helpless Viet Nam vet Eddie, a black man, during his stay in a veterans' hospital, refrains from adding any racial epithets to his spittle-spewing tirade. (Prolific actor John Dennis gives what is probably the film's best performance here.)

The story is actually rather old-fashioned "Monster Kid" stuff about a brilliant scientist, Dr. Stein, who offers to help reconstruct Eddie after a landmine has blown off all four limbs.

Complicating things is the fact that Dr. Stein's creepy assistant Malcomb has fallen in love with Eddie's bride-to-be, the beautiful Dr. Winifred Walker, who's helping Dr. Stein with the procedure.  After she rejects his advances, Malcomb maliciously alters Eddie's DNA injections so that he will gradually evolve into a bestial, Frankenstein's Monster-like killing machine and go on a bloody rampage. 

An ornate Old Hollywood mansion provides ideal exteriors, as well as some of the dark, shadowy interiors, for Dr. Stein's modern Gothic abode (which, though sunbaked by day, seems forever plagued by lightning storms and fog at night).  Sparser sets make up the rest of the interior locations such as bedrooms for Dr. Stein's various experimental patients including Andrea King (THE BEAST WITH FIVE FINGERS). 

The doctor's laboratory itself consists of a large, shadow-strewn room adorned with as much realistic-looking medical and electrical gadgetry as the filmmakers could muster, including, interestingly enough, some of Kenneth Strickfaden's original FRANKENSTEIN equipment.
  

Production elements such as direction, editing, and camerawork are decidedly unpolished, yet hardly unwatchable.  In fact, the film has its own earnest and oddly compelling quality which I found rather endearing. 

One thing BLACKENSTEIN does have going for it is a fairly tight pace, with director William A. Levey (SKATETOWN U.S.A., THE HAPPY HOOKER GOES TO WASHINGTON, WAM BAM THANK YOU SPACEMAN) moving us right along from one important plot point to the next with little or no padding and sometimes not much of a transition, either. 

Library music is wielded like a blunt instrument in piecing together the film's extensive score--often it's so wonderfully overwrought that it makes even Albert Glasser seem sedate by comparison.  Adding to the mood are some evocative blues songs by Cardella DeMilo, who appears in the nightclub scene.

What really makes this a fun monster movie is, of course, its monster.  Despite looking decidedly on the low-rent side, Joe DeSue's shuffling "Blackenstein" monster is an amusing, fun creation (even with his turtleneck shirt, square afro, and "Dad" boots) who manages to create a good amount of bloody havoc wherever he goes. 

A visit to that abusive male nurse is the first item on his rampage list, which he follows up on successive nights by slaughtering some nightclub patrons and then making quick work of several other hapless individuals who cross his path, complete with crude but colorful gore effects. 

The ending, involving a pack of vicious police dogs who seem not to have been fed recently, is particularly splattery.

In addition to the graphic violence, there's also a bit of nudity here and there, notably when Blackenstein pays a nocturnal visit to the home of famed stripper and mob moll Liz Renay, who resembles a young Dolly Parton and appears briefly in a see-through nightie.   

John Hart, probably best known for playing TV's "The Lone Ranger" for a season back in the early 50s, is a bland and rather philanthropic Dr. Stein, a stark contrast to the mad doctor of so many other Frankenstein spinoffs. 

Ivory Stone is a winsome Dr. Winifred Walker, while stoic Joe DeSue does an adequate job as Eddie before and after his fateful transition.  As Dr. Stein's assistant Malcomb, Roosevelt Jackson creeps us out by always sneaking furtive glances at Winifred even as she ministers to her bedridden fiancé between operations.   

The Severin Films Blu-ray offers both the Theatrical Version and a new Video Release Version with about eleven minutes of extra footage.  These bonus scenes haven't been restored since the original elements no longer exist, which makes it easier to tell when we're seeing the added material.

Interestingly, the new and extended segments contain some relatively impressive camera moves and allow smoother transitions from one scene to the next.  Even the performances seem somewhat better with the fleshing out of the characters and dialogue.

The Blu-ray is in 1080p full HD resolution with English 2.0 sound.  Subtitles are available for the Theatrical Version.  Bonus features focus mainly on the fascinating life and mysterious execution-style murder of the film's writer-producer Frank R. Saletri.  His sister June Kirk is interviewed in the touching featurette "Monster Kid", while producers/directors/actors Ken Osborne and Robert Dix weigh in with their remembrances.  There's also an interview with monster makeup creator Bill Munns, an archive news broadcast about Saletri's unsolved murder, and a trailer.

The thing that struck me most about BLACKENSTEIN is that it isn't nearly as irredeemably awful as I'd always been led to believe.  That is, while the "so bad it's good" fun-factor still goes straight to eleven, there's also a kind of sincerity that's disarming. Even at its most lurid, exploitative, and inept, in its heart it just wants to be an old-fashioned monster movie.


Buy it from Severin Films

BLACKENSTEIN -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE SPACE MONSTER -- Movie Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 6/25/21

 

I've been a bad movie lover for so long, I can sit back and enjoy movies like FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE SPACE MONSTER (1965) just as much as I would CITIZEN KANE or THE SOUND OF MUSIC, whereas your average normal person might find both their gag reflex and their flight instinct activated by the very sight of it.

I pity such people their inability to watch stuff like this with the same giddy delight I felt as I ordered the DVD from Amazon, knowing that when it arrived, I would be able to immerse myself in low budget, ineptly made, but wonderfully entertaining sci-fi goodness about aliens from Mars who have come to Earth to kidnap women as breeding stock to help repopulate their atomic war-ravaged planet.

As if that weren't enough, NASA scientist Dr. Adam Steele (venerable actor James "Jim" Karen in an early role) and his co-worker Karen (Nancy Marshall) have just made space travel safer for humans by creating an android astronaut, whom they've named "Colonel Frank Saunders" (Robert Reilly). 

 

 

 
Right after Frank is launched into space, the Martians shoot his rocket down, leaving the horribly disfigured humanoid robot roaming the countryside killing people a la "Frankenstein."

Not only am I not making any of that stuff up, but it's even nuttier than it sounds. The head Martians are played by former Playboy Playmate and Three Stooges co-star Marilyn Hanold (as "Princess Marcuzan") and familiar face Lou Cutell (LITTLE BIG MAN, PEE WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE) as her second-in-command Dr. Nadir, a bald, white-skinned alien with pointed ears and a high camp sense of humor that kicks in whenever he's ordered to blow something up or shoot it down.

Their bargain-basement spaceship is also populated by a gaggle of henchmen whose spacesuits, confusingly, make them look like Earth astronauts. There's also a tall, brawny alien played by the great Bruce Glover (CHINATOWN, DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, WALKING TALL), recognizable even under heavy makeup in his second movie role. He also plays the fearsome space monster of the title, who will indeed meet "Frankenstein" during the film's furious climax.

 

 

 
The story begins in Florida, where, at a press conference, we're treated to the sight of Frank rather comically going freeze-frame during a press conference and having to be hustled back to the lab for repairs by Adam and Karen.

Then we're whisked off to Puerto Rico after Frank's disfiguring crash, allowing the director to shoot a lengthy montage of the two scientists riding a dinky motor scooter along scenic motorways and beachfronts to the film's sappy and rather incongruous love theme, "To Have And To Hold" by The Distant Cousins.

While the two young lovers search for their runaway robo-astronaut, the Martians terrorize the countryside kidnapping bikini-clad women from beaches and pool parties, disintegrating any men who get in their way with sunlight-reflecting ray guns like the ones used in TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE.

 

 

 
Also like that film, this one is surprisingly well-edited, with a gradually quickening pace that leads to a fast-moving, exciting finale that sees the Martians attacked by our air force and Frank, his rational mind now restored, going mano-a-mano with that really cool space monster.

Just as Johnny Depp claims in ED WOOD that he could construct a whole movie out of stock footage, this one goes a long way toward doing just that by using tons of the stuff for any scenes involving either the military or NASA spacecraft (including much footage from Mercury launches and orbital photography). The final five frenetic minutes or so are evidence that the film's editor was having a ball putting this thing together, and it's infectious.

Granted, the shamelessly warped FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE SPACE MONSTER would fit comfortably onto any list of the worst films ever made, but that doesn't keep it from being just as much fun as a lot of "good" movies that I could name. Maybe even more fun if, like me, you're just a tiny bit warped too. 

FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE SPACE MONSTER -- Movie Review by Porfle

When The Universal Monsters Carried The Ladies (video)

Carrying the leading lady is a time-honored tradition among monsters.

Most of Universal's monsters got their chance, but not all.
Neither the Invisible Man nor the Wolf Man had the temperament for it.
The opportunity never presented itself to Karloff's "The Mummy" (1932).

Quasimodo (Lon Chaney, Sr.) carried Esmerelda in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1923).

Bela Lugosi carried Helen Chandler in "Dracula" (1931).
Carlos Villarías carried Lupita Tovar in the Spanish version.

Kharis the Mummy carried Peggy Moran in "The Mummy's Hand" (1940)...
...and Elyse Knox in "The Mummy's Tomb" (1942)...
...and Ramsay Ames in "The Mummy's Ghost" (1944)...
...and Virginia Christine in "The Mummy's Curse" (1944).

The "Creature From the Black Lagoon" carried Julie Adams in 1954...
...and later Lori Nelson in "Revenge of the Creature."

Out of all his films, the Frankenstein Monster only got to do it once...
...when Bela Lugosi's stand-in Gil Perkins carried Ilona Massey in "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" (1943). 

I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

When The Universal Monsters Carried The Ladies (video)

The Frozen Grin Dude From "Frankenstein 1970" (1958) (video)

 

Publicist Mike is carrying a torch for starlet Carolyn. 

So he decides to pull the old "frozen grin" move on her. 

Amazingly, it fails.

Oh well...torch, scorch, unforch.

 

Video by Porfle Popnecker. I neither own nor claim any rights to this material. Just having some fun with it. Thanks for watching!

 

The Frozen Grin Dude From "Frankenstein 1970" (1958) (video)

Who Played The Classic Universal "Frankenstein" Monster? (1931-1948) (video)

Boris Karloff created the role of the Monster in 1931's "Frankenstein."

Karloff repeated the role in "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935)...
...and "Son of Frankenstein" in 1939.

"Ghost of Frankenstein" (1942) gave us a new Monster in Lon Chaney, Jr.

Bela Lugosi played the Monster in "Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man" (1943)...
...with the help of stand-ins such as Gil Perkins and Eddie Parker.

"House of Frankenstein" (1944) introduced Glenn Strange in the role.
Strange returned in "House of Dracula" (1945), the last serious entry in the series...
...and finally in the comedy, "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein" (1948).

Karloff will always be generally considered as the best actor in the role.
Glenn Strange also made the character his own and is still highly popular.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

 

Who Played The Classic Universal "Frankenstein" Monster? (1931-1948) (video)

All The Glenn Strange Monster Scenes From "House Of Frankenstein" (1944) (video)

 

Actor/stuntman Glenn Strange made his debut as the Frankenstein Monster...

...in the 1944 Universal classic "House of Frankenstein." The character had previously been portrayed by Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney, Jr., and Bela Lugosi in the earlier films in the "Frankenstein" series.

As legend has it, Strange was visiting makeup maestro Jack Pierce's chair to get a fake scar for his current role, and Pierce, recognizing a great facial structure and physique when he saw it, notified execs that he had found their new Frankenstein Monster.

After playing the role in this and following movies ("House of Dracula", "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein"), Glenn Strange's Monster became second only to that of Boris Karloff. In fact, when Karloff died many newspapers mistakenly used a photo of Strange in the obit.

Strange's craggy visage as the Monster continues to be popular in model kits, posters, action figures, and other elements of monster fandom.   

Video by Porfle Popnecker. I neither own nor claim any rights to this material. Just having some fun with it. Thanks for watching!

 

 

All The Glenn Strange Monster Scenes From "House Of Frankenstein" (1944) (video)

Estelita, Charlita, and John Wayne* (video)

*(And Howard Hawks and William Beaudine)

Cuban actress Estelita Rodriguez appeared with John Wayne in Howard Hawks' "Rio Bravo" (1958).

In 1966, Estelita co-starred in "Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter"...which was directed by William Beaudine.

Beaudine had earlier directed Bela Lugosi, along with Sammy Petrillo and Duke Mitchell in "Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla" (1952), featuring actress Charlita.

Beaudine also directed "Billy the Kid Meets Dracula" in 1966--again with Charlita. 

And in 1967, Charlita appeared with John Wayne in Howard Hawks' "Rio Bravo" remake, "El Dorado." 


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Estelita, Charlita, and John Wayne* (video)

"KING KONG VS. FRANKENSTEIN" Main Titles (What If?)

There was a time when famed "King Kong" animator Willis O'Brien pondered the possibility of pitting the giant ape King Kong against an oversized Frankenstein monster in what would certainly have been quite a rumble. (The idea was later "borrowed" for KING KONG VS. GODZILLA.) 

Not sure exactly what the movie would've looked like, but here--just for fun--is our version of what the opening credits might have looked like. (One of Willis O'Brien's actual preliminary drawings appears at the end.)

We neither own nor claim any rights to any of this material. Just having a little Monster Kid fun with it!

"KING KONG VS. FRANKENSTEIN" Main Titles (What If?)

First Screen Frankenstein: Edison's 1910 "Frankenstein" (video)

Thomas Edison's film studio released the first screen adaptation of "Frankenstein" in 1910.

The Monster was played by Charles Ogle.

A young scientist named Frankenstein creates life in his laboratory.
But his "perfect being" turns out to be a hideous creature.

Frankenstein's impure thoughts are to blame.

Frankenstein rejects his creation, but it is insanely devoted to him...
...and jealous of Frankenstein's bride-to-be, Elizabeth.

Finally, Frankenstein's pure love for Elizabeth causes the Monster to fade away.

The film was lost for many years.  A rediscovered print became widely seen in the 1970s.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Music by Uniq

First Screen Frankenstein: Edison's 1910 "Frankenstein" (video)

Mike Hill -- Super Sculptor!

 

Originally posted on 8/10/09

 

We'd like to introduce you to an amazing artist named Mike Hill, who definitely has a knack for creating some of the most exciting and lifelike sculptures of our movie, TV, and comic book icons that we've ever seen!

To give you an idea of how good his work is, this bust of Maria Ouspenskaya as the old gypsy Maleva in "The Wolf Man" (right) isn't even finished yet (note the clay eyebrows). And take a look at another of his latest projects, a tribute to Elsa Lanchester's "Bride of Frankenstein":

Here, enjoying a spot of tea while being made up once again as the Frankenstein Monster by the great Jack Pierce, is our very own "Dear Boris" (Karloff):

How does Mike render such a masterpiece without a model? "I used stills and DVDs," he informs us. "He [Boris] was sculpted in a water based clay. And cast in silicone. I did not do a lifecast of someone's body--I sculpted the whole thing."

From his bio: "Michael E. Hill was born in Cheshire, England. From an early age he developed a passion for the fantastic whether it be comic books, television or movies...From the age of four Mike's artistic ability started to shine and he began to draw the fantastic images he adored.

"As he grew older, Mike's artistic visions progressed into 3D sculpture and costume and mask making.

"Having become one of the worlds leading figure sculptors and a master of capturing the human likeness, his career to date has included figure kit sculpting, wax figures, creature designing, prosthetic make-up, and creating hyper-real character statues."

Check out Mike's website for many more incredible works of art that should warm the heart and chill the blood of any monster and comics fan. We guarantee you've never seen anything like it!

(Thanks to Mike for the use of these pics and material from his website.)

Mike Hill -- Super Sculptor!

Dwight Frye's 5 Most Unhinged Horror Movie Creeps (video)

Dwight Frye dreamt of someday returning to musical comedy, which he'd performed for years on the Broadway stage.

But this was not to be once he became typecast as one of the screen's leading loons.

Here's are five examples of this...

Dracula (1931)
Frankenstein (1931)
Vampire Bat (1933)
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Dead Men Walk (1943)

Dwight Frye died shortly after being cast in a screen biography of Woodrow Wilson.

At the time, he was working as a draftsman for the Lockheed Aircraft Company.

On the death certificate, his profession was listed as "tool designer."

But it is in the horror film where he is truly immortalized.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Dwight Frye's 5 Most Unhinged Horror Movie Creeps (video)

Black and White Horror Movies With One Color Scene (video)

Black and White Horror Movies With One Color Scene

The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
The Return of Dracula (1958)
How to Make a Monster (1958)
War of the Colossal Beast (1958)
The Tingler (1959)
I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (1958)

(spoilers)

I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Black and White Horror Movies With One Color Scene (video)

BIKINI FRANKENSTEIN and TWILIGHT VAMPS -- DVD Reviews by Porfle

Originally posted on 1/30/10

 

 

As great as Universal Studios' classic "Frankenstein" movies of the 30s and 40s are, there was always one key ingredient curiously missing from all of them--beautiful naked babes having sex. Whether this was merely an oversight or, for some inexplicable reason, directors such as James Whale and Rowland V. Lee intentionally omitted this vital element, legendary "B" moviemaker Fred Olen Ray's Retromedia Entertainment has finally corrected this problem with the release of BIKINI FRANKENSTEIN (2009).

And rest assured, there's a veritable buttload of steamy softcore, simulated sex scenes in this film, with the story serving as a sort of connective tissue between them. It's kind of a shame, in fact, that we don't get to see more of that story since it's really fun and the actors all give exceptional comic performances. Unlike some preening 70s porno stud like Randy West donning a pair of glasses and trying to be "funny", Frankie Cullen is genuinely, cartoonishly amusing as Dr. Victor Frankenstein, a nebbishy scientist who gets booted (yes, "booted") out of his university teaching job for banging a buxom cheerleader on his desk.

Tony Marino is also funny as Victor's rival, Clive, who gleefully reports the Doc's carnal activities to Professor Van Sloane (actor-filmmaker Ted Newsom in fine comic form). As it happens, both Cullen and Marino happen to be a couple of pretty buffed-out hunks, which should keep the straight chicks and gay dudes in the audience occupied while the heterosexual males get an eyefull of the gorgeous female-type characters. These include voluptuous blonde knockout Brandin Rackley as Dr. Frankenstein's ditzy lab assistant Ingrid, exotic Christine Nguyen as Clive's sexy wife Claudia, and the delightfully winsome Alexis Texas as the aforementioned cheerleader, Debbie.

Retreating to his castle in Transylvania, Victor vows to prove his theories to his skeptical colleagues by bringing life to the dead, which in this case is the tall, lissom Jayden Cole as "Eve." She doesn't actually wear a bikini--more like two strips of gauze--but that doesn't matter since she gets naked pretty quick anyway. A carnal encounter with Ingrid reveals Eve's tendency to crackle with electricity whenever they connect the minus to the minus, so to speak.

Later, Victor returns to the States along with Eve and Ingrid, where, at a cocktail party attended by Clive, Claudia, Professor Van Sloane, and Dr. Waldman (Ron Ford with an enormous fake moustache), he plans to reveal Eve as his triumphant creation after she's sufficiently impressed everyone. Eve does this by having sex with Clive and then engaging in a three-way with Ingrid and Claudia (Claudia also finds time to get it on with Victor as well) which ultimately comes to an unfortunate and, to me, rather abrupt conclusion.

Nicholas Medina's direction is quite good and Sherman Scott's screenplay is stocked with fun references to the classic Frankenstein films. Aside from all the obvious name-dropping, the opening scene has Victor illustrating a scientific procedure that seems inspired by a certain Dr. Neimann from HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (dog included) and Ingrid is obviously inspired by Teri Garr's character in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, albeit with even more impressive "knockers." One of the film's best features is its cinematography, which looks just plain great, and the musical score is also easy on the ears.

Personally, I find long, drawn-out sex scenes to be pretty boring after the first minute or so, but the ones in this film benefit from truly great-looking performers and skillful execution. Add to this a nutty cast, lighthearted script, and pleasing production values, and BIKINI FRANKENSTEIN, while lacking a satisfactory ending, is a creation that's more than the sum of its parts.

TWILIGHT VAMPS (2009), on the other hand, isn't quite as enjoyable comedy-wise but maintains the same high standards in regard to the sex scenes while boasting pretty much the same cast. This time Frankie Cullen and Tony Marino play Jack and Roger, a couple of office drones who decide to unwind at a flashy new strip club called Shadows, which just happens to be a front for a bunch of beautiful vampires who drain male customers of their money, sexual energies, and blood.

Having just been dumped by his girlfriend Louise after discovering that she was a dyke interested only in banging her girlfriends and emptying his bank account, Jack falls for sexy blonde dancer Tabitha (Brandin Rackley) while Roger is smitten with Angela (Christine Nguyen). Before long, however, Jack discovers the blood-splattered truth and is forced to become an amateur vampire hunter armed only with a bottle of holy water that's gone past its expiration date.

With the same above-average production values, cinematography, and performances as BIKINI FRANKENSTEIN, TWILIGHT VAMPS is breezy low-budget entertainment that's pleasing to the eye. In addition to the usual plethora of simulated sex scenes which are equally well-done, the strip club setting affords lucky viewers the opportunity to watch the leading ladies show off their considerable poledancing skills. Ultra-fabulous babe Brandin Rackley, who has instantly leapt into the top five of my favorite actresses of this week, is especially awesome in this department (although the exquisite Christine Nguyen offers her close competition in terms of hotness). The opposite of her goofy "Ingrid" character from BIKINI FRANKENSTEIN, Brandin's "Tabitha" is sublimely gorgeous and seductive. In fact, she should be receiving my marriage proposal in the mail any day now, and my fingers are crossed that she'll check the "yes" box. Wish me luck!

Ron Ford returns as Jack's unappreciative boss, Mr. Cartwright, this time sporting an outlandishly fake beard, while Ted Newsom shows up again as a terse, suspicious police detective who questions Jack in regard to one of the vampire murders. In addition to giving his usual solid performance, Ted gets to reprise one of the most celebrated quotes from Ed Wood's classic PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, and delivers the line with much relish. (Or whatever the craft services people were serving that day.)

Once again, Nicholas Medina handles the directing chores while also contributing the screenplay, which, according to the opening titles, is "based on the poem by Edgar Allen Poe." What poem by Edgar Allen Poe? I don't remember him writing anything called "Twilight Vamps." Maybe it's one of his lesser-known works. The associate producer is identified as one "Thorn Sherman", although it's unclear whether or not this is the same Thorn Sherman portrayed by actor James Best in THE KILLER SHREWS. If so, my hat's off to the guy for defeating those horrible monsters and scoring Miss Universe 1957 in the bargain.

Infinity Entertainment Group's DVDs of TWILIGHT VAMPS and BIKINI FRANKENSTEIN are presented in 16 x 9 widescreen and 2.0 Dolby Stereo. Special features include original trailers.

TWILIGHT VAMPS is filled with visual delights and, while not quite as much giddy fun, makes a fitting companion piece to BIKINI FRANKENSTEIN. Both films are worth checking out for the sex scenes alone, with the added benefit of talented actors and production values that are clearly superior to the usual low-budget fare. So the next time the guys are over at your place for the usual Saturday night drunken wing-ding, leave GIRLS GONE WILD on the shelf and pop one of these babies into the DVD player, and go nuts.

BIKINI FRANKENSTEIN and TWILIGHT VAMPS -- DVD Reviews by Porfle

The 7 Goofiest Horror Movie Songs Ever (video)

The 7 Goofiest Horror Movie Songs Ever

"Eeny, Meeny, Miney Mo” Kenny Miller ("I Was A Teenage Werewolf", 1957)

"Eee Ooo" John Ashley ("How To Make A Monster", 1958)

"Daddy Bird" Page Cavanaugh And His Trio with Harold Lloyd, Jr. ("Frankenstein's Daughter", 1958)

"The Mushroom Song (Laugh, Children, Laugh)" Don Sullivan ("The Giant Gila Monster", 1959)

"Vickie" Arch Hall, Jr. ("Eegah!", 1962)

"Zombie Stomp" The Del-Aires ("Horror of Party Beach", 1964)

"Waterbug" Neil Sedaka ("Playgirl Killer", 1967)

Originally posted on 5/7/18
I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

The 7 Goofiest Horror Movie Songs Ever (video)

The FRANKENSTEIN (1931) Scene That Foretold Three Sequels (video)

Old Baron Frankenstein toasts the upcoming marriage of his son, Henry...

...and in doing so, predicts the titles of three subsequent "Frankenstein" sequels.

"Son of Frankenstein"
"House of Frankenstein"
"Young Frankenstein"

Ten years later, a scene in "Ghost of Frankenstein" would predict the title of the very first Hammer "Frankenstein" film...

..."The Curse of Frankenstein."

Originally posted on 6/23/18
I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

The FRANKENSTEIN (1931) Scene That Foretold Three Sequels (video)

Bela Lugosi As The Frankenstein Monster ("Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man", 1943) (video)

 

Since the brain of Ygor (Bela Lugosi) was placed into the Monster's skull in GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN(1942)...

 
...Lugosi was chosen to play the Monster in the follow-up, FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN (1943).
Thus, the Monster, now partially-blind, would speak with Ygor's voice.

But before the film's release, all references to the Monster's speech and blindness were removed.
The Monster's stiff, lurching walk is now unexplained...
...as are his silent mouth movements.  

At 60, Lugosi was in need of stand-ins for the more strenuous scenes.
Actor/stuntman Gil Perkins looked so good in the makeup, it is he whom we first see in close-up as the Monster.  
Another actor/stuntman, Eddie Parker, also plays the Monster.
 
Perkins and Parker then take turns as Monster and Wolf Man during their climactic fight.
...with Bela appearing in the close-ups.

Mystery and confusion as to "who did what", compounded by extensive reshoots, continue to surround the production.

Fans of the film mourn the missing footage, which will most likely never be recovered.
And they imagine being able to watch the film, and Lugosi's performance, in their original form.

Thanks to Joro Gaming for the music.

(Note: At about 2:35, it should say "no longer" instead of "longer." Can't believe I missed that.)

Originally posted on 12/22/21
I neither own nor claim any rights to this material. Just having some fun with it!

Bela Lugosi As The Frankenstein Monster ("Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man", 1943) (video)

THE CONOR TIMMIS INTERVIEW

(Note: This interview by porfle originally appeared online in December 2008.)

In 2006, actor and Boris Karloff fan CONOR TIMMIS got the idea to produce his own screen test for Universal Studios' biopic of the legendary horror star. The fact that no such picture is in the works was of little concern. Besides serving as a devoted fan's tribute to Boris, Timmis' screen test-slash-documentary KREATING KARLOFF was intended to give the studio that produced FRANKENSTEIN and THE MUMMY something to think about while giving us some interesting reenactments of certain scenes from those films.

Conor recently took a wrong turn and found himself in the spacious and elegantly-appointed HK and Cult Film News offices. Before he could make his escape, we blocked the door and promised to release him as soon as he answered a few questions for us. Here, then, are the results of that historic encounter...


When did the acting bug bite you?

I got the acting bug in my early 20's after watching Depp and Del Toro in Fear and Loathing and Karloff in The Mummy. Those performances made me notice great character acting and inspired me to follow in their footsteps. Around this time I took an intro acting class at my local community college after drifting through school not knowing what the hell I wanted to do with my life. Since it was the only class I enjoyed, attended regularly and excelled in, I figured acting was my life's calling.

How did you get into classic horror, and the work of Boris Karloff in particular?

When I was very young I remember my father renting "The Mummy" with Boris Karloff and telling me it was his favorite scary movie when he was little. Even at such a young age I remember enjoying "The Mummy", especially the spooky opening titles and the scene at the end when Ardath Bey is incinerated by the "living" statue of Isis and that wonderful shot of Karloff's face crumbling into dust. Indirectly, I was first exposed to Karloff by playground teasing. I was a shy, gawky, lanky kid growing up, with big hands, big feet, a pronounced brow and high forehead. So I was constantly called "Frankenstein" or "Karloff" when playground bullies wanted to hurt my feelings. Now I would take it as a compliment! When I rediscovered "The Mummy" and "Frankenstein" in my early 20's, I had an immediate empathy for the characters he played in those films. I guess cause I felt like a "little Frankenstein monster" growing up.

How did the concept for KREATING KARLOFF come about?

Inspiration came from many sources, but the initial idea, the earliest I can remember, started back in 2005 when I was working on a WWI short film. My character suffers horrific wounds in the film, so I underwent an extremely gory makeup application. It was my first time in the makeup chair, and I enjoyed it immensely. I kept pushing the makeup artist to make me look worse and worse. I found that I had a talent for happily enduring long hours of makeup-fx. Which I guess is a rare thing since most actors either detest heavy makeup or refuse to do it all together. When it comes to head and face casts and extreme creature/character makeup's alot of people panic and "lose it" in the make up chair.

It was during one of these makeup sessions that the idea for Kreating Karloff hit me like a bolt of lighting. I remember asking the makeup artist if he thought(based on my natural facial features)I could be transformed into a halfway decent Boris Karloff. He said that with prosthetics and a great makeup artist I could be made to look like almost anyone. After that conversation the project began to shape itself in my mind. Around this time I watched a clip of a screen test Jason Scott Lee underwent for the role of Bruce Lee in the film "Dragon". In order to pitch him as the best candidate for the role to Universal the director had made a cinematic looking screen test with costumes, set etc. I then thought I should do the same with my ambition to play Karloff someday by recreating scenes from his two greatest roles, "The Mummy" and "Frankenstein".

I had two major stumbling blocks from moving forward though, lack of money and not knowing a Hollywood quality makeup artist willing to take a chance on a complete unknown like me. So all this was just a day dream until I called Norman Bryn.

What was involved in organizing the whole thing and financing it yourself?

Organizing the project was simply a domino effect of exceedingly good fortune. Once I convinced makeup artist Norman Bryn to take on the project everyone else jumped on board. You get that one credible, professional person and it makes other talented professionals comfortable and willing to "throw in their lot" with you. Everything started and ended with the makeup artist. If Norm had said "NO" or hung up his phone, there would be no "Kreating Karloff". I knew starting off that the only way the project had a chance was IF I could somehow convince a Hollywood makeup artist with an extensive knowledge of Karloff's likeness to collaborate with me for very little money.

Through sheer luck this makeup artist lived only an hour away from me in Connecticut and believed in me and what I was trying to accomplish. Norm is also a good friend of Sara Karloff and one of her closest confidants...so that helped make the Karloff family comfortable with the project.The initial financing came from my jobs working at Starbucks and Ruby Tuesdays..I had very little money saved..once the budget skyrocketed over $20,000, I had to take on crushing unsecured personal loans to finish the film. I wasn't gonna let lack of money stop me. The film ruined my finances but gave me an amazing resume. I consider it my "college". I'd do it all over in a heart beat.

What was it like sitting through those complicated Norman Bryn makeup sessions?

Alot of fun. Absolutely fascinating because he was recreating the techniques Jack Pierce used on all his great classic monster makeups. Despite the long hours, it went by quickly because it was so damn interesting to watch. Norm's makeup talent is an awe inspiring thing to behold in person. The Mummy was 4 1/2 hrs and Frank was around 8 hours with 40-60 mins of "surgery" when my brow piece/head piece caved in from the hot lights.

Was it inspiring to see yourself in full costume and makeup as Frankenstein's Monster and the Mummy?

Yes, it gave me an appreciation for what Karloff endured on a daily basis with Jack Pierce. It's very easy to become your character when your covered in monster makeup. I'm an actor that works from the "outside in", meaning that the way I look effects the way I feel and helps shape my characterizations.

The lovely Liesl Ehardt plays Zita Johann as "Helen Grosvenor" in the MUMMY scenes. How familiar was she with the film at the outset?

Liesl had seen The Mummy many times and had done enormous research into the life of Zita Johann before I discovered her for my film. I mean she is Zita's cousin and "The Mummy" was Zita's biggest film role and what she is primarily remembered for.

How likely do you think it is that Universal will ever actually produce a Karloff biopic?

I think it's highly likely that someone will make either a Karloff bio pic or some kind of "Boris and Bela" film in the near future. Karloff's story would make an inspiring, heartwarming movie I think. His life was the personification of the "American Dream", coming to this country without having a pot to piss in, starving and struggling to become a working actor for more than 20 years to finally become a Hollywood Legend.

Watching KREATING KARLOFF now, are you satisfied that you achieved what you set out to do?

Yes. I did the best I could. That's all you can really ask of yourself. I'm very satisfied that the film has and will continue to expose new generations to Boris Karloff.

Have you found modern viewers able to relate to KREATING KARLOFF? What has the general response been?

Yes, absolutely. The best and most frequent compliment I get is when people say they want to go to Best Buy or Blockbuster and check out some Karloff films after watching my documentary. That's a great feeling, knowing that my film is exposing Karloff's work and achievements to a new generation of viewers and young people in particular. I didn't make this film for the fans, they already know everything about Boris. One of the main reasons I made Kreating Karloff was to reintroduce the life and work of Boris Karloff to the general public who have either forgotten about him or know him simply for Frankenstein.

How did Sara Karloff react to the project?

Sara enjoyed the film a great deal and was quite flattered by all the hard work that went into a project regarding her father. She's the nicest lady on the planet. I met her for the first time at Chiller Theater last year and spent the day at the "Karloff Table" with Sara and her husband Sparky. Makeup artist Norman Bryn showed up too, and we all had dinner at Ruth Chris after wards. Frank Stallone also joined us for dinner which was kind of funny. He's a friend of Sara's and a huge movie buff.

What's your favorite Karloff movie and/or performance, and why?

That's a really tough one to pick...obviously his performances as The Monster in the Frankenstein films are some of the greatest committed to film of any genre. There are so many excellent Karloff roles/films. I think his performance in "The Mummy" is his most underrated..I mean, how many great actors could make you BELIEVE 100% that they are truly a 2,700 dead Mummy brought back to life? I can't think of any actor that could approach what Boris did in "The Mummy". My favorite Karloff performance is probably his role as Hjalmar Polezig in the Black Cat. Even playing a character that is pure evil with no redeeming qualities, Kaloff makes Polezig so damn likeable. Karloff's great talent with playing monsters was injecting sympathy in them, making the audience root for them against "the good guys". "The Man Who Changed His Mind" is another favorite Karloff performance of mine, even though it's one of his lesser known films.

I loved the "Re-Animator: 1942" short in which you played a Nazi zombie, but at three minutes it was way too short. Any chance of Fierro Films doing a longer version of H.P. Lovecraft's "Herbert West:Re-Animator"? It seemed as though Derek Meinecke could really do some fun things with that role.

I'd love to do a longer version and I do think Derek Meinecke makes a wonderful Herbert West for someone who is not an actor. He had the perfect look for the role.

Was "Nazi Zombie" the most elaborate Norman Bryn makeup you've worn so far?

Yes, it was the most elaborate and uncomfortable makeup i've yet to experience. It really kicked my ass. I was buried alive, heavy foam rubber prostetics, painfully tight skull cap and "corpse gloves"...just covered in layers of tight fitting gore..it was worth it though, the makeup, the character that was created...really incredible to look at.

I still think Richard Upton Pickman of Lovecraft's "Pickman's Model" is your best character to date. You had some fun with that one, didn't you?

Richard Upton Pickman is my favorite role too. I am a HUGE H.P. Lovecraft geek. Getting to take on the role of Pickman was a dream come true even though the film itself was a micro budget, community college student film. Pickman is one of the central figures in Lovecraft's "Dream Cycle" stories and is his best known "human" character next to Randolph Carter. To put my personal stamp on a character that is a big part of the Mythos Lovecraft created is an honor.

Playing Pickman was my first and possibly only chance to play a true "classic horror villian". It gave me the oppertunity to channel some of my biggest acting influences: Karloff, Lugosi, Frye etc. I did alot of research for the role, traveling to Salem, Providence and the "Back Bay" area of Boston. The project was the first time I reunited with Kreating Karloff makeup artist Norman Bryn. My makeup was inspired by Chris Sarandon's sickly Curwen makeup in "The Resurrected"(One of my favorite movies) and Lovecraft's desription of Pickman as someone being on the "toboggan of reverse evolution".

Thanks for talking with us today. What's the very next acting-related thing you're going to do after we release you?

I have some very exciting and ambitious acting gigs lined up with producer/director Scott Essman, our first collaboration (on a feature film) lenses in early 2009. Unfortunately, i'm not allowed to say what those films are at this point in time. Aside from that, i'm talking with alot of indie filmmakers who are putting together films for 2009. With the worldwide release of Kreating Karloff on DVD this Nov.18th, i'm hoping the phone will ring with some acting work....we shall see!

Buy KREATING KARLOFF at Amazon.com

THE CONOR TIMMIS INTERVIEW