15TH ANNUAL SCARE-A-THON! PART 1 - THE BOWERY BOYS MEET THE MONSTERS - 1954

15TH ANNUAL SCARE-A-THON! PART 1 -

THE BOWERY BOYS MEET THE MONSTERS - 1954

Every Halloween, my friends and I get together for a wicked scary horror movie marathon! I started this at my lab back in 1996, dubbing it the Scare-a-thon and we just had our fifteenth consecutive monster movie mash this year! I try to create a theme to each Scare-a-thon and this year’s was Old Skool Scares. I found a bunch of films on Netflix, and some on cable, that were satires or homages of my favorite horror films from the 40’s and 50’s.

The exception to this was the first feature of the day: The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters. This short feature starring the Bowery Boys was released in 1954 and was one of several films that put the boys in scary situations. The Bowery Boys have a long film history, which I won’t bore you with here. At this time, the gang consisted of Leo “Slip” Gorcey, Huntz “Sach” Hall, David “Chuck” Condon and Bennie “Butch” Bartlett. If you’ve seen one of these slapstick-filled classic style comedies, you’ve seen them all. Much like the Three Stooges, your enjoyment of these old gags is dependent on your like or dislike of the performers. The two stars of the Bowery Boys are Slip Mahoney and Sach Jones. Slip is the tough leader of the boys and his main characteristic is to use complex words incorrectly. Sach is the gentle idiot, who is the focus of most of the trouble that the “boys” get into.

In The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters, the story begins in Louie's Sweet Shop. After numerous baseballs smash Louie’s storefront windows, the Bowery Boys decide that a nearby vacant lot would be a better location for the kids to play ball, because it would be out of range of Louie’s Shop. Slip and Sach visit the owners of the lot at their home, hoping to convince them to allow the kids to use it. Unfortunately, the Gravesons are completely insane. Of course, the boys arrive in a torrential rain storm and Dereck and Anton Graveson invite them to stay the night. Both brothers are mad scientist:. Dereck wants Slip’s brain for his gorilla and Anton wants Sach’s brain for his robot. Their sister Amelia wants to feed one of them to her carnivorous tree and their niece Francine, who looks like an elderly Vampira, wants to drink their blood. When the boys don’t return from the Graveson’s home, Louie, Butch, and Chuck go there to search for Slip and Sach. However, it's not too long before they too get involved in the Graveson’s nefarious plans.

Even at sixty-five minutes, The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters is a little long. My favorite gag is one that the Three Stooges used in several of their comedy shorts. Slip and Sach are locked in a closet, while the mad scientist brothers make preparations for Slip’s operation to transplant his brain into a gorilla. Looking to escape, Sach uses some tools he conveniently finds in the closet to chisel a hole in the wall. Of course, the wall is the back of the gorilla’s cage and mayhem ensues. If you are looking for a few gentle laughs, and have tired of watching Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein, you could do worse than The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters.

I couldn't find a trailer for The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters, but here is a trailer from one of their earlier scary comedies: 1946's Spook Busters.

That was just the beginning of our film fun. Watch out of for the 15th Annual Scare-A-Thon! Part 2 for my review of our second fright flick: Dark and Stormy Night.

BALTIMORE, OR THE STEADFAST TIN SOLDIER AND THE VAMPIRE

BALTIMORE,

OR THE STEADFAST TIN SOLDIER AND THE VAMPIRE

MIKE MIGNOLA AND CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN

CREATED A GOTHIC HORROR CLASSIC!

Despite being a huge Hellboy fan, I admit I passed on buying or reading Baltimore when it was first published in 2007. However, after buying the new comic sequel to the novel, I had to give it a go. Fortunately, the local library had a copy and I was able to read it before the comics. I was glad I gave Baltimore a try. This Gothic horror vampire novel is not a complete departure from Mignola’s Hellboy stories. However, the 19th Century story telling technique of relating each story from the point-of-view of a different character telling the tale to each other, is at first distracting; but eventually it won me over as it created the atmosphere of the time in which Baltimore was meant to take place. If I have any complaint about this novel is because of the format. It reads more like a series of short stories. Also, the middle section of the book spends a little too much time telling the stories of each of the supporting characters. However, the final part on the book that features Lord Baltimore confronting the evil that transformed his life was truly mesmerizing. Baltimore is also filled with wonderful black and white illustrations by Mike Mignola that help to set the tone of the prose as well.

The current five issue series, Baltimore, the Plague of ships is a direct sequel to the novel. It is co-written by Mignola and Golden and features moody artwork by Ben Stenbeck that captures the feel of early 20th Century illustrations. I recommend both the novel and the comics for fans of turn of the century literature and horror. Hmmm... I think even that old zombie windbag Zombzany would like Baltimore. I think I'll get Bill E. Bones to leave a copy of the comic in his crypt.

MY GENRE MOVIE CRED!

MY GENRE MOVIE CRED!

It suddenly dawned on me that I haven’t posted many movie reviews on this blog – especially movies that I’ve watched either on cable or blu-ray. Most of the time it’s because I don’t want to waste mine or your time with mediocre posts about films that I just felt were okay or even just good or entertaining. I wanted to reserve the Guardians of the Genre for pimpin’ wicked cool films that I felt are overlooked or that I thought I could give a slightly different perspective on; even if that perspective were just weird or funny. I did want to let anybody who does wonder if I actually watch any of the genre movies that I profess to love know what I have been watching, if for no other reason, to keep up my genre movie cred.

Here are all the films I have watched in my tripped out home theater just in the past month:

Survival of the Dead (2009)


Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)


Lost City (1935 - 12 chapter serial)


Ninja Assassin (2009)


Clash of the Titans (2010)


Push (2009)


Gamer (2009)


Bitch Slap (2009)


Halloween 2 (2009)


The Decent Part 2 (2009)


Paranormal Activity (2007)


30 Days of Night: Dark Days (2010)

If any of these films had really pushed my buttons I would have posted a postal blog on it. Unfortunately, most of these flicks were at best entertaining and some were just down and dirty dreadful. I can’t recommend any of them highly; nor can I say that the worst of the lot were completely without merit (although Paranormal (in)Activity comes mighty close).

If I find the time I will post a short review on a few of them; but more than likely I’ll only post on something that I find wicked cool! I have to run now…. I have to watch Zombieland again… for the fourth time… or is that the fifth time? Freak out!

MONSTER MASH – BOBBY AND ZACH!

MONSTER MASH – BOBBY AND ZACH!

Halloween is my favorite time of year! As I busy my bad-self in the lab making all my preparations for the big day, I always play my favorite scary music: Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s Monster Mash! I still have my old-skool vinyl copy of the Monster Mash album and I play this for my undead fiends throughout the month of October. I’ve wanted to upgrade my Monster Mash tunes, but the CD has been out of print for decades now. Still, I found many different versions of Monster Mash on YouTube to rock to!

Here is something I think every ghoul should dig: Monster Mash sung live by the legend himself (with a little help from Zacherley – the cool ghoul) Bobby Pickett!

Here is the description of the clip by Kevin “Mr. Chiller” Clement himself:

“One of the brightest events in the history of the Chiller Theatre Expo took place that stormy October 2006 weekend when Bobby 'Boris' Pickett took the concert stage with The Dead Elvi and Chiller's favorite son Zacherley, the Cool Ghoul. None of in The Elvi knew at the time that Bobby was very ill. But, like the trouper he was, he proceeded to blast out one of his best performances ever ... if not his best... of his Halloween classic The Monster Mash!”

“Zach, who had covered this tune some 40-plus years earlier, let Bobby do his thing and take center stage. None of us on stage knew that this great performance would be Bobby's last live concert in front of a live ( mmmm...that's questionable ) audience! It was a night to remember not only for the Dead Elvi but for all who attended this now legendary performance!”

Enjoy!

ELVIRA - MISSING NO LONGER!

ELVIRA - MISSING NO LONGER!

Head's up Elvira fans! As I promised in my blog post labeled ELVIRA - MISSING IN THE DARK I was going to record the Sunday early morning broadcast on THIS TV of Night of the Living Dead, in the hope that it was Elvira's first airing of her new show Elvira's Movie Macabre. I am wicked pleased to report that it was a success, boils and ghouls!

THIS-TV in Boston MA will be showing Elvira's Movie Macabre on Sunday morning from 5AM - 7AM (with a repeat on Monday at 1AM - 3 AM). Elvira's second episode will be listed under the movie title THE TERROR on October 17 and her third episode will be listed under the movie title THE GIANT GLA MONSTER on October 25.

Thanks to modern technology - okay, the DVR that I rent from Comcast - I don't have to stay up all night to watch Elvira's new show. I did watch her first new show and it was a fine example of Elvira doing her usual puns and double entendres to poke fun at herself and the terrible movies that she is hosting. Personally, I like Night of the Living Dead and have watched it more times now than I can count, so I did not watch the entire film again. However, as I was fast forwarding through it to get to Elvira's host segments, I noticed she was popping up in a small window at the bottom-left side of the screen. She was making jokes and snide comments (Zacherley-style; or MST3K-style for you younger viewers) directed at the characters or events in the movie. I liked this new feature; even if it means I'm going to have to sit though bad films that I've seen before -- in some cases, many times before. Speaking of the movies: Unfortunately, all her films (so far) are Public Domain and if you are a fan of horror hosted films (which I most assuredly am) you have seen all of these many times. Still, Elvira’s sparkling whit does help to make them more enjoyable and I’ll be watching her new show for its entire run.

Here is a list of all the affiliates that carry THIS TV in the United States. This TV is currently carried on 138 over-the-air TV stations in the United States, most of whom carry the network on a digital sub channel.


Abilene, TX KTES-LP 40 Bonten Media Group

Albany, GA WALB² 10.2 Raycom Media

Amarillo,TX KCIT 14.2 Mission Broadcasting

Atlanta, GA WANN-LD 32.3 Prism Broadcasting

Augusta, GA WFXG 54.2 Southeastern Media Holdings

Baltimore, MD WBFF 45.2 Sinclair Broadcast Group

Baton Rouge, LA WVLA-TV² 33.2, Cox: 133 White Knight Broadcasting

Biloxi, Mississippi WLOX² 13.3, Cox: 133 Raycom Media

Bloomington/Indianapolis, IN WTTV 4.2 Tribune Broadcasting

Boise, ID KTRV-TV¹ 12.2 Block Communications

Boston, MA WHDH² 7.2, Comcast 297, Verizon FiOS 460 Sunbeam Television

Burlington, IA/Quad-Cities, IL/IA KGCW 26.2 Grant Broadcasting System II

Charlotte, NC WBTV 3.2, Comcast: 297, Verizon FiOS: 460 Raycom Media

Charlotte Amalie/St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands WVXF 17.1 LKK Group

Charlottesville, VA WAHU-LD 27.2 Gray Television

Chattanooga, TN WTVC 9.2 Freedom Communications

Chicago, IL WCIU-TV 26.4, Comcast: 246 Weigel Broadcasting

Clermont/Orlando, FL WKCF 18.2, Comcast: 208 Hearst Television

Columbia, SC WIS² 10.2 Raycom Media

Columbus, GA WXTX 54.2 Southeastern Media Holdings

Columbus, OH WSYX¹ 6.2 Sinclair Broadcast Group

Coos Bay, OR KCBY-TV 11.2 Fisher Communications

Crandon, WI WMOW 4.3 Quincy Newspapers

Dallas/Fort Worth, TX WFAA 8.3, Time Warner Cable: 372 Belo

Dayton, OH WRGT-TV¹ 45.2 Sinclair Broadcast Group

Decatur/Springfield, IL WBUI 23.2 GOCOM Media

Demopolis, AL WJMY-CA 25 TTI, Inc.

Des Moines, IA KDMI 19.1 Pappas Telecasting Companies

Detroit, MI WDIV-TV² 4.2, Comcast: 249, WOW!: 130 Post-Newsweek Stations

Dothan, Alabama WTVY¹ 4.2 Gray Television

Eagle River, WI WYOW 34.3 Quincy Newspapers

Eau Claire, WI WQOW 18.3 Quincy Newspapers

El Paso, TX KDBC-TV 4.2 Titan TV Broadcast Group

Eugene, OR KVAL-TV 13.2 Fisher Communications

Eureka, CA KBVU 2.2, Suddenlink: 128 Sainte Partners II, L.P.

Evansville, IN WFIE 14.3 Raycom Media

Fargo, ND KVLY-TV 11.2 Hoak Media Corporation

Fort Smith, AR KFDF-CA 10 Pinnacle Media

Fort Walton Beach/Pensacola, FL / Mobile, AL WFGX¹ 35.1 Sinclair Broadcast Group

Fredericksburg/San Antonio, TX KCWX 2.2 Corridor Television

Grand Rapids, MI WXMI 17.2 Tribune Broadcasting

Harrison, AR K26GS-D 26.3 Reynolds Media

Harrisonburg, VA WHSV-TV 3.3 Gray Television

Houston, TX KPRC-TV² 2.2Comcast: 320 Post-Newsweek Stations

Huntington/Charleston, WV WSAZ-TV¹ 3.2 Gray Television

Huntsville, AL WAFF² 48.2 Raycom Media

Huron, SD KTTM 12.2 Independent Communications

Jackson, MS WLBT² 3.3 Raycom Media

Jackson, WY KJWY[1] 2.1 PMCM TV, LLC

Jacksonville, FL WJXT 4.2 Post-Newsweek Stations

Kansas City, MO KCWE 29.2 Hearst Television

Knoxville, TN WTNZ 34.2 Raycom Media

Kokomo, IN WTTK 29.2 Tribune Broadcasting

La Crosse, WI WXOW 19.3 Quincy Newspapers

Lafayette, LA KXKW-LD 32.1 Delta Media Corporation

Lakeland/Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL WMOR-TV 32.2 Hearst Television

Lake Charles, Louisiana KPLC 7.2 Raycom Media

Lancaster, PA WGAL² 8.2, Comcast: 248, Verizon FiOS: 460 Hearst Television

Las Vegas, NV KVCW 33.2 Sinclair Broadcast Group

Lincoln/Hastings/Kearney, NE KHAS-TV 5.2 Hoak Media Corporation

Little Rock, Arkansas KARZ-TV 42.2 Nexstar Broadcasting Group

Laurel/Hattiesburg, Mississippi WDAM-TV 7.2 Raycom Media

Lorain/Cleveland, OH WUAB 43.2 Raycom Media

Los Angeles, CA KTLA[2] 5.2, Cox: 811 Tribune Broadcasting

Louisville, KY WAVE 3.2 Raycom Media

Lubbock, TX KCBD² 11.2 Raycom Media

Madison, WI WKOW 27.3 Quincy Newspapers

Marquette, MI WZMQ 19.1 MMMRC, Inc.

Medford, OR KFBI-LD 48.2 Sainte Partners II, L.P.

Memphis, TN WMC-TV² 5.3 Raycom Media

Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, FL WSFL-TV 39.3 Tribune Broadcasting

Milwaukee, WI WDJT-TV 58.3 Weigel Broadcasting

Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN KSTC-TV 45.2 Hubbard Broadcasting

Monterey, CA KYMB-LD 27.1, Comcast: 19 Cocola Broadcasting

Montgomery, Alabama WCOV-TV 20.3 Woods Communications Corporation

Moundville, AL WDVZ-CA 3 TTI, Inc.

Mountain Home, AR K07XL-D 7.3 Reynolds Media

Myrtle Beach-Florence, SC WMBF-TV 32.3 Raycom Media

Nashville, TN WTVF 5.3 Landmark Media Enterprises

New Bern/Greenville/Washington, NC WCTI-TV 12.3 Bonten Media Group

New Iberia/Lafayette, LA KLWB 50.1 Delta Media Corporation

New Orleans, LA WNOL-TV 38.2 Tribune Broadcasting

New York, NY WPIX 11.3 Tribune Broadcasting

Newport, KY / Cincinnati, OH WXIX-TV 19.2 Raycom Media

North Pole/Plattsburgh, NY / Burlington, VT WPTZ² 5.2 Hearst Television

Odessa/Midland, TX KWWT 30.4 JB Broadcasting, Inc.

Oklahoma City, OK KOCB 34.2 Sinclair Broadcast Group

Omaha, Nebraska KPTM 42.2 Titan TV Broadcast Group

Panama City, FL WMBB 13.2 Hoak Media

Pendleton/Tri-Cities, WA KFFX-TV 11.2 Stainless Broadcasting Company

Perry/Macon, GA WPGA-TV 58.2 Register Communications

Philadelphia, PA WPHL-TV[2] 17.2, Comcast: 240, Verizon FiOS: 467 Tribune Broadcasting

Phoenix, AZ KTVK 3.2 Belo

Pittsburgh, PA WTAE-TV[3] 4.2 Hearst Television

Pocatello/Idaho Falls, ID KPVI-DT 6.3 Sunbelt Communications Company

Portlnd, OR KATU[4] 2.2 Fisher Communications

Raleigh-Durham, NC WRAL-TV 5.2 Capitol Broadcasting Company

Rapid City, SD KOTA-TV 3.3 Duhamel Broadcasting

Redding/Chico, CA KCVU 20.2, Comcast: 195, Charter: 285 Sainte Partners II, L.P.

Reno, NV KRNV-DT 4.2 Sunbelt Communications Company

Richland/Pasco/Kennewick, WA KBWU-LD 36.2 Stainless Broadcasting Company

Richmond, VA WRLH-TV¹ 35.2 Sinclair Broadcast Group

Roseburg, R KPIC 4.2 South West Oregon TV Broadcasting Corporation

Salt Lake City, UT KUTV¹ 2.2 Four Points Media Group

Savannah, GA WTOC-TV 11.3 Raycom Media

Schenectady/Albany, NY WRGB 6.2, Time Warner Cable: 1896 Freedom Communications

Scottsbluff, NE KDUH-TV 4.3 Duhamel Broadcasting

Seattle, WA KOMO-TV[4] 4.2 Fisher Communications

Sheridan, WY KSGW-TV 11.3 Duhamel Broadcasting

Shreveport,LA KSLA 12.2 Raycom Media

Sioux Falls, SD KTTW 7.2 Independent Communications

South Bend, IN WCWW-LD 25.2 Weigel Broadcasting

Spokane, WA KAYU-TV 28.2 Stainless Broadcasting Company

Springville/Buffalo, NY WNGS 67.1 ITV of Buffalo

St. George, UT KUSG¹ 12.1 Four Points Media Group

St. Louis, MO KPLR-TV 11.2 Tribune Broadcasting

Stockton/Sacramento, CA KQCA 58.2 Hearst Television

Sweetwater/Abilene, TX KTXS-TV 12.3 Bonten Media Group

Temple/Waco, TX KCEN-TV 6.2 London Broadcasting Company

Thomasville, GA / Tallahassee, FL WCTV¹ 6.2 Gray Television

Toccoa/Athens, GA WNEG-TV 32.1 University of Georgia

Tucson, AZ KMSB 11.2 Belo

Tulsa, OK KOTV-DT 6.3 Griffin Communications

Tuscaloosa/Birmingham, AL WUOA 23.1 University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa/Northport, AL WVUA-CA 7 University of Alabama

Tyler/Longview, TX KLTV 7.2 Raycom Media

Twin Falls, Idaho KXTF 35.2 Sunbelt Communications Company

Victoria, TX KVCT 19.3 Surtsey Productions
Visalia/Fresno, CA KMPH-TV 26.2 Titan TV Broadcast Group
Washington, DC WDCW[2] 50.2 Tribune Broadcasting

Wausau, WI WAOW 9.3 Quincy Newspapers

Waterloo/Cedar Rapids/Dubuque/Iowa City, IA KWWL² 7.2 Quincy Newspapers

Waterbury/Hartford/New Haven, CT WCCT-TV[2] 20.2 Tribune Broadcasting

West Point/Tupelo/Columbus, MS WLOV-TV 27.2 Lingard Broadcasting

Wilmington, NC WSFX-TV 26.2 Southeastern Media Holdings
Winston-Salem/Greensboro/High Point, NC WXII-TV² 12.2 Hearst Television
Yakima, WA KCYU-LD 41.2 Stainless Broadcasting Company
Yuma, AZ / El Centro, CA KYMA-DT 11.2,Time Warner Cable: 311 Sunbelt Communications Company

LORDI - BABEZ FOR BREAKFAST!

Lordi, the metal monsters from Finland are back! Babez for Breakfast contains fifteen 80's style heavy metal tracks that are guaranteed to rock your zombie brains out! Just in time for the scariest time of the year- Rocktober - Lordi released on September 14th this band's fear-ocious fifth studio album! The most monstrous tracks are track 2 -  Babez for Breakfast, track 5 - Discoevil, track 8 - Zombie Rawk Machine and track 15 - Devil's Lullaby. I know I'll be spinnin' this party platter on the CD machine come Halloween!

Watch and listen to the first video from Lordi's new CD entitled This is Heavy Metal!