Happy Birthday Peter Cushing!

It's quite the time of year for birthdays involving veteran horror stars. As I mentioned in an earlier post Vincent Price's centennial is currently being celebrated in St. Louis and the great Christopher Lee celebrates his birthday tomorrow, too.

But today we take a moment to remember the one and only Peter Cushing, one of the greatest actors to ever grace the horror genre. I grew up watching Cushing and Lee – as Van Helsing and that cursed Count Dracula – match wits and battle it out on many a Saturday afternoon. But it took years for me to catch up with his truly spectacular work as Dr. Frankenstein in Hammer's impressive cycle of flicks devoted to the not-so-good doc and his attempts to cheat death.

In fact, I finally sat down and caught up with the whole cycle (well, almost) on DVD and wrote about it for the pages of the ER website. The beginning of that article – 'What a Monster! A Spin Through Hammer's Frankenstein Cycle' – is excerpted below. (To read the whole article simply click the "Continue Reading" link at the end of the post.)

As a kid growing up in the 1970s, many Saturday afternoons were spent frittered away in front of the tube digging on the latest offerings from that groovy ghoul Doctor Shock. His 'Creature Double Feature' was a pivotal, damaging influence on my young brain, just waiting to infect me with its delightful blend of gallows humor and D-grade schlock.

For whatever reason, my adolescent psyche had some sort of Frankenstein flick aversion. Not all Frankenstein flicks mind you. I'd watched countless encounters with the Universal variety of the blockheaded monster through the years, especially its meetings with Abbott and Costello.

But when I'd scan the weekly listings and spot one of the entries from the Hammer Films cycle of Frankenstein flicks, I'd mentally begin making plans for those couple hours. Why? Who knows? I loved the Hammer cycle of Dracula flicks, eating up every encounter between Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Living for that moment in HORROR OF DRACULA when Van Helsing throws back the curtains, exposing the evil vampire to the deadly rays of the sun.

Perhaps I projected my boredom with the Universal cycle – a simmering contempt surely bred out of familiarity – that made me ask, "Why the hell would I want to watch another Frankenstein movie?"

With three decades of trash viewing under my belt, I had successfully avoided each and every one of the Hammer Frankenstein flicks like an episode of 'The Golden Girls.' Sure, I'd seen just about every frickin piece of Z-Grade straight-to-video trash that Full Moon Pictures could offer, but I hadn't seen anything more than the briefest clip of Peter Cushing as the bad doctor.

During a recent vacation I started reading Profoundly Disturbing, the latest book from drive-in movie critic Joe Bob Briggs. Though a touch more scholarly than I was expecting from the man who brought the world Rhett Beaver and the "blood, beasts and breasts" drive-in rating system, the chapter on CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN – the first flick in the cycle and the movie that defined Hammer as a house of horror – made me think I might be missing something.

Thanks to the wonders of DVD I was able to sit down recently and groove on five of the seven flicks in the cycle: CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1957), REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1958), FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN (1967), FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED (1969) and FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL (1974). I passed on EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN (1964) due to its unavailability on DVD (and the whisperings from some trusted sources that it pandered to Universal) and HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN (1970) because it doesn't star Cushing.

CURSE – directed by Terence Fisher with a script by Jimmy Sangster – lays the groundwork for the series and immediately establishes it as something far, far different than the Universal flicks. Rendered in flashback, the flick tells how Baron Victor Frankenstein (Cushing) studies – and eventually surpasses – his mentor Paul Krempe (Robert Urquhart). After reanimating a dog Victor's itching to build a man and bring him to life while Paul's not so sure this is how they should be spending their time. The arrival of a pre-arranged fiance (Hazel Court) tosses a monkey wrench in Victor's maid-banging activities and creates the necessary tension between Victor and Paul as well as a dull love triangle of sorts.

Continue Reading

Auction Adventures with Vincent Price

The Vincentennial – the 100th birthday celebration of the life of actor Vincent Price – is going on in St. Louis through May 28th. In addition to screenings of some of the actor's major works, the celebration included appearances by Price's daughter Victoria and Roger Corman, whose famous Poe adaptations featured Price in starring roles. Alas, no mention is made of Price's role as a true "celebrity chef" who toured the world with his wife Mary in search of great food and drink. The article that follows originally appeared in the pages of The Hungover Gourmet: The Journal of Food, Drink, Travel and Fun.

Regular readers of THG are well aware that my interests are pretty far flung. Besides eating, cooking, drinking, traveling, self-publishing, writing and having fun I have nearly-lifelong penchants for both movies (my first zine was the drive-in movie newsletter Exploitation Retrospect) and music (years spent as a college radio DJ and record collector will do that).

What many folks don't know about me is that I'm also a collectibles nut. Though the job of cleaning out the house my parents lived in for four decades cured me of some of my hoarding tendencies, you can't cure it all in the span of a couple weeks.

My interest in collecting started out innocently enough with things like the Hardy Boys books when I was an adolescent. Atari 2600 video games came after that. When my parents decided to have a garage sale in the early 90s I thought little of it. Until I saw that they were essentially giving away large chunks of my childhood for what I thought to be insanely low prices.

I was incredulous that you could write "50 cents" on a vintage James Bond Board Game in permanent black marker (oh Dad...) but happily filled my car with games and toys my parents were delighted to see me haul off.

Since these were the days before eBay, I found myself selling and trading the items over now-ancient bulletin boards and at toy shows set up in Holiday Inns. Success had me hooked. Sales meant money and money meant replenishing inventory, so I would spend my weekends hitting garage and yard sales, flea markets, and thrift stores.

But there was always one thing that spooked me and that was (cue dramatic music) The Auction. Dun-dun-dun-duh!

I'd seen enough bad 60s sitcoms to convince me that an auction was no place for the likes of me. An auction was where high society gathered to bid on paintings by the masters, fragile statues and furniture sat upon by the people who shaped our nation's history.

And, as any sitcom will tell you, you can't attend an auction without accidentally bidding on something because your ear itches or you have a hair in your eye. Though I'm not a twitchy individual by nature an auction just didn't seem like a good idea.

Fast forward a dozen years and you can barely keep me away from an auction. I'm not sure when the transformation occurred, but I'm pretty sure my wife had something to do with it. I'd been to an auction or two before we started dating, but they became a fun way to spend a weekend morning and I got hooked. Especially on box lots. I loves me some box lots.

So, when the postcard arrived from one of the area auction companies I frequently patronize, I gave it my usual cursory glance before sticking it up on the fridge. And then it jumped out at me... TREASURY OF GREAT RECIPES cookbook signed by Vincent Price.

For those who only know Price from his roles in William Castle flicks, Roger Corman Poe films or as the ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES, Price was actually a renowned chef who traveled the world with Mary, his wife, eating at some of the most famous and legendary restaurants of the day.

TREASURY OF GREAT RECIPES: Famous Specialties of the World's Foremost Restaurants Adapted for the American Kitchen was the result of some of those trips. In its pages, the Prices gathered menus and recipes from a far-flung assortment of eateries in France, Italy, Holland, Scandinavia, England, Spain, Mexico and here in the USA. Trust me, this is not some moronic celebrity cookbook featuring cocktail franks and BBQ dunking sauce. (Not that I have anything against that.) It's just that when you use phrases like "celebrity chef" Vincent Price literally wrote the book.

And I wanted that book.

I'd attended an auction from the same company a week before and had come away grossly disappointed. An advertised Batman bank from 1966 (oh yeah, I currently collect vintage Batman memorabilia) was listed but never materialized and I assumed the fragile statue of The Caped Crusader had been either lost or broken.

Though bidding wasn't slated to begin until 5:00 P.M. I arrived an hour early to scope out the goods and size up the competition. Oh yeah, and eavesdrop on the chatter, which is often the most fun to be had at these things.

It was many of the same faces as the previous week but the nice weather had brought some new folks thanks to the lure of items being auctioned both inside (collectibles and furniture) and out (tools and miscellaneous). Walking around before the auction starts is often the best part since you get to hear the bitching and moaning about how there's nothing good... yet these are the same people I see week in and week out at this auction house and others. There must be some reason they attend.

While searching for the Vincent Price cookbook I overhear that some of the items, including the cookbook, are left over from an estate sale held about a year ago. The source of the item is supposedly Hans Kramm, a chef who served as a cook for Adolph Hitler and various Nazi higher-ups before he emigrated to Maryland and opened a restaurant.

Who knows how much of the stuff you overhear at a sale is on the up and up and how much is utter bullshit, but it's an interesting story nonetheless. While searching for – and finding – the book I also locate a few other lots both outside and inside that I want. Most are items targeted for resale on eBay, but last week's missing 1966 Batman bank has surfaced! It's in a box with a bunch of sellable items and I get the whole lot for my maximum bid of $15. (Note... I've never been able to part with the Batman bank, even during the current spike in popularity due to THE DARK KNIGHT. In fact, it's sitting on my desk right now.)

The bidding outside is focused on tools, so it'll be a while before they get to the bag of games and puzzles that has caught my attention. Inside I snag another box of toys – including a Kellogg's 1992 Dream Team in-store premium – for a whopping $5.

The rest of the night is spent darting from the outside of the hall to the inside, trying to calculate which will go up first – the cookbook or the bag of games and puzzles. The sun goes down and a chill sets in as they finally hit the row with the bag of games. Desperate to move along they combine it with another box of stuff – including some creepy tobaccoiana – and I walk away with everything for less than $10. (The item I thought would bring the best dough is an Avalon Hill Gettysburg Board Game which I sell on eBay for about $25.)

Outside purchase accomplished I move inside and wait and wait and wait for the cookbook. For all I know it's going to go for way more money than I can/want to pay, but something tells me this crowd couldn't care less about The Host of Haunted Hill. As they start picking items off the furniture near the book I go into my usual auction mode. In other words, my palms start to sweat and my heart begins racing like I've just spent the last 30 minutes on a treadmill.

A poker face I am not.

$40 is about my limit and I'm praying that I won't get caught up in some kind of bidding frenzy. Last time I did that it cost me $125.

In the end Vincent Price is mine, mine, all mine for $20. Almost had it for $10 but somebody jumped in at the last minute. Who cares? I love the inscription as well as the backstory (true or not) and it makes an amazing addition to my bookcase-straining cookbook collection!

Spring 2011 Update Posted!

Nothing like having what was intended as the January 2011 update somehow morph into the Spring 2011 update, but hey, it happens.

We just posted 25 new reviews including: not one, not two, but three from the mighty pen (keyboard?) of David Zuzelo; Doug Waltz on sexploitation double features and bad WIP parodies; a dash of Franco; a splash of Naschy (splaschy?); made-for-tv sci-fi; shot-on-video mayhem; some Tinto Brass; and more, plus initial details on our return to print and an interview with Wildside Cinema's Brian Harris.

Check it out!

THE RUTHLESS FOUR Trailer

Had a great time this past weekend when I trekked up to Philly for the Exhumed Films exFest... a 12-hour marathon of exploitation sleazery featuring seven films from seven genres. (Look for a full write-up soon.)

Alas, no Kinski but I did get to see CUT-THROATS NINE and Alain Delon's NO WAY OUT on the big screen in all their bloody glory. We did get one little dose of Kinski, though, when they showed this trailer for the excellent THE RUTHLESS FOUR before CUT-THROATS started...

April Views: ActionFest and The King of Pop

Not sure how but I was able to sneak away in April for a quick trip down to Asheville, NC for a very cool weekend at ActionFest, but I'm glad I did since the flicks I saw at the festival represent 11 of the 14 flicks I saw all month!

And if you're wondering how great ActionFest is I think the pic of Michael Jai White (aka Black Dynamite) and me says it all. Look for a full write-up on ActionFest coming soon!

But on to the flick report...

SKELETON MAN: Michael Rooker and Casper Van Dien star in this low-budget riff on PREDATOR where the titular villain is actually some sort of Native American grim reaper and not an interplanetary game hunter. The perfect flick to watch while assembling furniture.

I SAW THE DEVIL: Not for the faint of heart. When a secret service agent's wife is killed by a brutal serial killer he takes a leave of absence to hunt the bludgeon-crazy monster. To say too much more would spoil this riveting and at-times gruesome thriller.

MACHETE MAIDENS UNLEASHED: The latest doc from the NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD team focuses on the Fillipino-American action-adventure flicks from the likes of Roger Corman and Co. Definitely fun but not overly revelatory.

LITTLE BIG SOLDIER: If – like me – you started finding a lot of Jackie Chan's output to be juvenile and stupid (I'm looking at you FIRST STRIKE!), this period piece is a nice return to form, with an older Chan knowing his limitations and turning them into strengths. Chan plays a reluctant soldier who just wants to turn in the enemy general he's captured for some land to farm but it certainly won't be that easy.

SUPER: James Gunn's subversive, violent and funny spin on real-life superheroes showcases Rainn Wilson as a wrench-wielding vigilante who just wants his drug addict wife (Liv Tyler) back from the clutches of an evil drug dealer/strip club owner (Kevin Bacon). Definitely a roller coaster ride with a great performance from the usually-annoying Ellen Paige. Friends tell me it's the film that KICK-ASS (which I have yet to see) should have been.

NEVER BACK DOWN 2 - THE BEAT DOWN: Action star Michael Jai White makes his directorial debut with this rousing dose of ass-kickery set in the world of MMA. White is an ex-con who helps train a bevy of college students for an upcoming underground card, only to be hassled by The Man.

BLACK DYNAMITE: Almost note-perfect homage to 70s blaxploitation features Jai White as a super pimp who springs into action after his brother gets killed. Dips its toe into broad parody on occasion but gut-bustingly funny.

BANGKOK KNOCKOUT: If you can make it through the fifteen minute "plot" set up you'll be richly rewarded with this loco blend of martial arts and HOSTEL. Once the pesky storyline gets pushed aside it's an eye-popping stunt show with lots of lives being endangered for your entertainment.

BAIL ENFORCERS: Funny and highly-entertaining low-budget actioner with former WWE starlet Trish Stratus starring as a strip club waitress who also happens to be a pistol-packing bail enforcement agent. A simple job forces Trish and her team (including the hysterical Boomer Phillips as a failed cop wannabe) into a confrontation with a mobster looking to do away with a snitch.

A LONELY PLACE TO DIE: Definitely the best "movie" of ActionFest, though NEVER BACK DOWN 2 may have been the one that most entertained me. Melissa George (TRIANGLE) stars as a mountaineer who – along with a group of friends – stumbles into a kidnapping plot of international proportions. The flick zigs and zags in unexpected directions and is packed with breathtaking scenery and stunts. Though not in the same genre, director Julien Gilbey's exhilarating flick reminded me a bit of Neil Marshall's excellent DESCENT thanks to a great cast with believable chemistry.

HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN: Disappointing Troma wannabe that wastes a good premise. Rutger Hauer just wants to buy a lawn mower and start a landscaping business, but the rampant crime in his new town causes him to buy a shotgun and clean up the streets in other ways. Has all the broad humor and over-the-top attitude of the 80s Troma output but without any of the wit or intelligence that lurked behind the trash facade of films like CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH and THE TOXIC AVENGER.

13 ASSASSINS: Takashi Miike's latest is a "let's assemble a team" mission flick set in the final days of the samurai era. In an effort to end the reign of an evil and heartless ruler, an aging samurai gathers a team of assassins to kill the sadistic ruler before he can command more power. No real surprises but it's always fun to watch the team come together and the last 45 minutes is a non-stop fightfest as the assassins and the lord's army meet.

ROCK PROPHECIES: Pretentious and unfocused rock documentary about rock photojournalist Robert Knight. Best five minutes of the film are spent with legendary rock photog Jim Marshall, who I'd much rather watch a documentary about.

MICHAEL JACKSON - THIS IS IT: A little long but interesting look at the behind-the-scenes preparations for what was to be Jackson's comeback tour. All the hits are there but it's fun watching the mega-star micro-manage the show. Makes you wish he had lived so the final product could have come together but you have to wonder if the scheduled slate of shows might not have killed him anyway as the King of Pop looks tired, slow and sorta spent by the time rehearsals are done.

RESIDENT EVIL - AFTERLIFE: The fourth in the always-entertaining series is barely about zombies this time around but who cares?! Alice and Claire reunite in Alaska then find themselves attempting to help a group of survivors who have taken refuge in a maximum security prison.