October 1st kicks off Balladeer’s Blog’s usual mixing of horror items in with my usual topics. I review horror films from the silent movie era onward as well as obscure stories from the 1800s and earlier, like they’re Halloween counterparts to my Ancient Science Fiction reviews.
To give new readers a taste of how Halloween is done around here, take a look at some of last year’s Halloween Month highlights:
GRAND FINALE
HALLOWEEN WITH PAUL NASCHY – I capped off the horror season with a look at the 60s, 70s and 80s movies of Spain’s King of Horror – Jacinto Molina aka Paul Naschy. And I mean all of them, not just his many, many werewolf movies about tormented lycanthrope Waldemar Daninsky. Naschy also starred as a mummy, as Dracula, as slashers, as an exorcist and so on.
There was Assignment: Terror, one of my all-time favorite Bad Movies featuring aliens who possess the dead bodies of scientists so they can conquer Earth with a vampire, a mummy and a werewolf. Werewolf vs the Yeti was another as was Dr. Jekyll vs the Wolfman.
Non-werewolf Naschy films I reviewed included Count Dracula’s Great Love, Horror Rises from the Tomb, The Hunchback of the Rue Morgue (yes), Vengeance of the Zombies, Return of the Witch, The Mummy’s Revenge, House of Psychotic Women, Exorcism, and The Man with the Severed Head.
FORGOTTEN HORROR STORIES
MAN-SIZE IN MARBLE (1887), about old stone statues of two knights which come to life to do evil. Classics like The King in Yellow (1895), Isabella of Egypt (1812) and several Ambrose Bierce short stories.
HORROR TELEVISION
I reviewed British tv’s proto-X-Files show The Omega Factor (1979) and Halloween at Yuletide (1971-1978), an anthology series. Plus America’s The Scarecrow (1972), a made for tv adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Feathertop, about a witch bringing a scarecrow (Gene Wilder) to life to do her evil bidding. Also with Blythe Danner and Will Geer.
HORROR COMIC BOOKS
HACK/ SLASH, the independent series about courageous Cassie Hack. She travels around fighting slashers and other horrors. And MARVEL’S FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER, featuring their unique take on new adventures of the monster.
OTHER MOVIE REVIEWS
CEMETERY OF TERROR (1985) – This Mexican flick dealt with the way a dead serial killer engineers his return from the dead on Halloween night via the unwitting help of partying college students in his creepy old mansion next to a graveyard.
POSSESSION (1981) – Sam Neil and Isabelle Adjani starred in this arthouse – but hardcore – horror film about a couple who get caught up with violent romance resulting in a monstrosity which also takes the woman as a lover.
GANJA & HESS (1973) – Black actors Duane Jones (Night of the Living Dead) and Marlene Clark starred in a very unique and atmospheric movie about two vampires in 1970s New York.
WAXWORK (1988) – The often-forgotten 80s horror flick about deadly, monstrous displays in a wax museum. Starred David Warner, Zach Galligan, Deborah Foreman, Michelle Johnson, Miles O’Keefe, John Rhys-Davies and more.
THE PHANTASM FRANCHISE (1979-2016) – My quick take on all five Phantasm films and the otherworldly Tall Man, sinister mortician.
AGAINST THE DARK (2009) – Steven Seagal fights zombie-vampire creatures in a post-apocalypse future.
SILENT FILM ADAPTATIONS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE STORIES – The Silent Era’s Poe movies like The Golden Scarab (1910), The Pit and the Pendulum (1909, 1910 & 1913), The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Feather (1913), The Raven (1915), Masque of the Red Death (1919), Annabel Lee (1921), The Oval Portrait (1934), The Cask of Amontillado (1909) and The Tell-Tale Heart (1928).
Plus TWO versions of The Fall of the House of Usher from 1928, and multiple adaptations of Murders in the Rue Morgue – one from 1908 and two from 1914.
Great start my friend! I’m a huge Paul Naschy fan. An avid collector that friends would send me odd Naschy items like photos, movie stills and posters. Paul was a great athlete playing for school in his youth. Throwing the Javelin competitively. But weightlifting was his specialty. He became Spain’s lightweight weightlifting champ in the late 50s. There was nothing great about Paul’s films. But like Ed Wood Jr he wanted to tell stories and entertain. He and Ed entertained us at some level even if they weren’t the best craftsman. Anyway, great start to our march to, El Dia de los Muertos!
Thank you for your expert input, Capn! I didn’t know most of that about Naschy. And I agree, he was certainly a storyteller even if he wasn’t a great filmmaker. Yep, on to Halloween!
On the 5th Day of the Chag moed — a clarification resultant of Gamma Hans excellent questions.
That is educational.
Oh, hooray! I’ve been waiting for this!
Thank you! I’ll do my best!
Happy Halloween! As someone that has always enjoyed spooky season, I found this post extremely engaging to read. I have always associated Halloween with the horror movie genre. I consider it a perfect opportunity to catch up on classic horror movies which I have seen and loved. My favourite movie to watch every Halloween has always been “The Shining”.
Thanks! I really like The Shining (1980) too!
Me too. Of course I identify shining as my own ability to see in my dream state. REDRUM.🤪
Interesting. And yes, REDRUM!
From my understanding to shine or shining was about telepathic communication and being able to see the dead. Which to me is interesting as I consider my abilities to be associated with the ancestors which the scriptures refer to as the shining ones.🛸🧿👁️
I never thought about it that way. Fascinating!
I hate to admit it, but I am so much a fan of some of this that I got a little jaded to it. When I went to see the second installment of the Alien franchise (get read for it: Aliens), I started predicting the moves of the alien just before it would happen (although I was new to that movie).
Holy Cow! You certainly had a knack for anticipation!
There were too many tells in that script.
Ah, I see.
Truthfully, it was like playing poker with a third grader who got his first pack of cards.
Wow!
Again Halloween month 😁 well shared 💐
Thank you! 😀
😂
😀 😀
🧠🧠
Brains now. 😀
Yes because yours is very sharp 😜 and mine too 😂😂
I understand! Thanks!
💡💡
😀 😀
Yes because yours is very sharp 😂😂and mine too 😜
Thank you! 😀
I canNOT believe it is already October.
I feel the same way!
my favourite time! have a nice day!
Thanks very much! You do the same!
Your article is jam packed with so many intriguing films. I will look into them. Especially Man in Marble. It reminds me of a dream I had about statues coming to life. Possession is another one that reminds me of a dream. I wonder if the filmmakers pulled inspiration from their own nightmares?😳🤔
Thank you! That’s a good question about where they drew their inspiration.
Yes, it’s the scene between Mr. Hallorann and Danny where he explains what shining is. Pretty cool scene. Thanks for sharing!😊🙏
Oh, that’s right. Did you enjoy the sequel with Danny called Dr. Sleep?
Sequel?😳😳😳 Wow…I had no idea! I would love to see it! 😁
I hope you enjoy it. 😀
I watched the trailer…it was too scary for me 😂. I might have to start with the movies from 1880s first!😂🍿
I understand completely! LOL
I tried to watch “Possession” but just couldn’t get into it. I have the entire “Phantasm” franchise on DVD. I like the first two movies the best. Your knowledge base is phenomenal! You know your stuff!
I understand. Thank you for the kind words!
I don’t think I saw possession but I was sharing that I had a dream about a similar situation. I also had a dream about a flying metallic ball similar to the one in Phantasm that could suck the soul clean out the body. Im convinced it’s the bugasphere.😳 You have a lot heart to watch Phantasm. That movie still scares me.
When the first Phantasm film came out in 1979 it was rated X for violence.
😳😳😳 Wow. I’m not surprised.
Yep. 😀
Glad October is finally here. Can’t wait to find out what you will post next!
Thank you for the kind words.
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Logged, thank you! Good to hear from you again.