Gaston Leroux’s The Bloody Automaton (1923) and The Machine to Kill (1924) were a lengthy serialized story later published as one novel. Many book sites list 1930s works, but that was just when it was finally translated into English.
Personally, I would use the title The Clockwork Dead Man or The Clockwork Killer because for modern readers The Machine to Kill sounds like a traditional science fiction tale about technology run amok.
In reality this neglected Gaston Leroux novel is a horror/sci fi hybrid about an android/ cyborg mix whose mechanized body has been outfitted with the brain, eyes and nervous system of a guillotined murderer. The robotic man – called Gabriel – was created by Dr Jacques Cotentin, who needed an absolutely fresh brain, eyes and nervous system, hence having to settle for a just-executed criminal.
And not just any criminal, but Benedict Masson, a monstrous-looking recluse put to death for a series of gory dismemberment killings whose quasi-sexual nature probably shocked readers in 1924. The foolish Dr Cotentin believed the brain and nervous system would simply serve as an operating system for Gabriel, animating his body but with no consciousness of its previous life.
Needless to say he was wrong. Masson’s mind is intact and now resides in a robotic body impervious to pain and stronger than six men put together. In addition he does not need to breathe, sleep or eat and is powered by radium. Continue reading
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ASHLEY GHASTLY – Cyrus Newitt played the phantom Ashley Ghastly, host of the Bad Movie Show Scream Theatre from 1977 or 1978 to 1982. The program aired on Saturday nights/ Sunday mornings at 12:30am on WCSC in Charleston, SC. 
Then, viewers would be greeted by Ashley Ghastly, who spoke with a British accent that sounded a lot like Tim Curry’s Dr. Frank N. Furter from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. As usual, a witty host or hostess showing bad old movies became a hit and Ashley soon had a Phantom “Phan” Club his devotees could join. 
THE SKY FISHERS – Who do these folk creatures from Brazil have to sleep with to get more well known? I’d love to read entire stories about them, not just a paragraph or two referring to these unique monsters who deserve to enter the Halloween tradition. 
The Sky Fishers get blamed when individuals or groups suddenly go missing and are never heard from again. Child victims are used to spice up the legends. Some traditions hold that these creatures only strike on nights of the full moon, or on no-moon nights. 
To clarify, The Law Enforcers was one of the rotating shows featured on The Bold Ones. The Law Enforcers was also known as The Protectors, but I’m using the former title to keep it distinct from the spy show The Protectors. 
PILOT MOVIE: DEADLOCK (Feb 22nd, 1969) – This telefilm filled a 2-hour timeslot with commercials. Back when this was made, television cop shows didn’t bother trying to realistically depict the way law enforcement worked, unlike the countless police procedural programs of today. Think of McMillan and Wife, for instance. NO Police Commissioner (Rock Hudson’s role) personally investigates individual crimes, but the show’s gimmick had McMillan doing that with his wife (Susan St. James). 
TETSUO THE IRON MAN (1989) – Director Shinya Tsukamoto hails from Japan and is noted for his surreal, nightmarish excursions into the darker side of transformative industrial technology … especially any technology that impacts the human anatomy. Long time readers of Balladeer’s Blog may recall that I cite this black & white film as one of my favorite sci-fi horrors ever. 
THE STORY OF THE HAUNTED SHIP (1825) – This tale was written by the German author Wilhelm Hauff, who died in 1827. 
HOUSEBOAT HORROR (1989) – “Mullets ahoy!” would make a good alternate title for this Shot on Video disaster from Down Under. Star Alan Dale of Neighbors fame leads a cast of untalented actors and barely adequate musicians who get chopped up by a disfigured slasher.
Text onscreen tells us it is October, which in Australia should be Spring, but the Aussie filmmakers for some reason have the characters keep saying it’s Winter. Guess they forgot what month they claimed it was. 
NUMBER SEVEN TAKES A FALL – In the NAIA, the 23rd ranked SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE MOUNDBUILDERS visited the number 7 team in the nation – the FRIENDS UNIVERSITY FALCONS. By Halftime the Moundbuilders were on top 20-14, and 26-21 to end the 3rd Quarter. From there Southwestern College won the game 40-21. 
ENTER: THE DRAGONS – The NCAA Division 2 TIFFIN UNIVERSITY DRAGONS traveled to face the HILLSDALE COLLEGE CHARGERS. A 7-7 1st Quarter tie became a 21-7 Dragons advantage at the Half. After the break, the Chargers shut out Tiffin but still lost to them 21-14. 
