Let's Talk About Horror Fiction and Film

[Maestro]

A movie adaptation of The Tomb has been in the works for years. It's just never really gone anywhere. I do believe that Paul Wilson is most disappointed with the entire situation.

[RJDiogenes]

Spookman Spiff wrote:

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The Gorgon is the one I'm really looking forward to. It's got Lee and Cushing, and it's directed by Terence Fisher. Three great tastes that taste great together. I don't know how Hallowe'en-y it is, but hopping through it I saw spooky houses, full moons, etc. It may just qualify.

I saw this not too long ago; I don't think you'll be disappointed. It's got that quintessential Hammer feel to it.

I'm about halfway through Wolf Man-- there's just been a surprise resurrection.

[Spaceman Spiff]

What do you think of it so far?

[RJDiogenes]

I really like it so far-- of course, it will be the second half where the real action takes place, once he's got all the pieces in place. The best thing about the book is the characterization of Larry Talbot-- not only is the characterization itself perfect, but the very cadence of his speech and the physical descriptions that go along with it all are incredibly evocative of the films. I can really see this stuff happening as if it were a movie. And the writer has a real attention to detail, even when talking about Chick and Wilbur-- I loved his sidelong reference to A&C's later movies when he has the townspeople speculating about what happened to them; "some say they changed their names and joined the Foreign Legion."

The only two real nitpicks that I have so far are: 1) As I mentioned before, I think moving the action to "the present" wasn't the best idea, and 2) There was a rather amazing coincidence the night that Larry returned, one that really stretched credulity. Neither one is a big deal, though.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Crap. I'm trying to remember what that coincidence was....

[RJDiogenes]

I'll put it in Spoiler Code:

"Fang" resurfaced at the exact same time.

[Spaceman Spiff]

I don't know if spoiler code is worth it for a book nearly ten years out of print, but just to be on the safe side...

I thought the monster was awakened by the demolition? He was down there with Talbot, and when they plowed through the wall and such, they disturbed him. Am I misremembering?

[RJDiogenes]

Yeah, I suppose the Spoiler Code is overkill, but why stop now?

Yes, you're right, that was the explanation. I just found it very convenient that the Monster, who was last seen plunging through a flaming dock, somehow managed to find his way to the same underground room that Larry was in (more or less) and remained submerged underwater long enough to become dormant and remain there for forty years until a jackhammer "dislodged" him so that he was able to bob to the surface and be exposed to radio waves (nice touch there) and be revived at the exact same time that Larry was. Talk about a coincidence!

[Spaceman Spiff]

Yeah, I guess so. I hate to admit that it hadn't really occurred to me. Although, heck, it kind of matches some of the weirder leaps in logic of those later Universal Monsters flicks.

Amazon's doing a Buy One, Get One Free sale on horror DVDs. There's lots of good stuff there. I should have waited to get Blood From the Mummy's Tomb, because I bought it for almost twice what they're listing there. Ah well, the movie's worth it.

Black Sunday is another great one on that first page. I got it as part of the Mario Bava Collection, though.

Dead of Night is a must-own. I think we may have talked about this one before. The Queen of Spades on the second disc is pretty good, too, but Dead of Night is definitely the top biller, there.

Lots of the usual greats, too, like the Phantasm and Evil Dead movies. Looks like a nice way to fill in some gaps.

[RJDiogenes]

Spookman Spiff wrote:

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Yeah, I guess so. I hate to admit that it hadn't really occurred to me. Although, heck, it kind of matches some of the weirder leaps in logic of those later Universal Monsters flicks.

True. That's probably why it didn't bother me too much.

Amazon's doing a Buy One, Get One Free sale on horror DVDs. There's lots of good stuff there. I should have waited to get Blood From the Mummy's Tomb, because I bought it for almost twice what they're listing there. Ah well, the movie's worth it.

Black Sunday is another great one on that first page. I got it as part of the Mario Bava Collection, though.

Dead of Night is a must-own. I think we may have talked about this one before. The Queen of Spades on the second disc is pretty good, too, but Dead of Night is definitely the top biller, there.

Lots of the usual greats, too, like the Phantasm and Evil Dead movies. Looks like a nice way to fill in some gaps.

Sweet. I'll have to take a closer look at that. I do have that Dead Of Night disk-- DOD was one of my favorite "Late Show" movies back in the 70s. I should dig that out for Halloween viewing.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Today's Bela Lugosi's birthday.

I'm already a third of the way through Dark Harvest since starting it yesterday, which isn't surprising, given the book's pace. I'm reading as fast as I can, because I've got at least two other books I'd wanted to cram in. Man, there's just never enough time, is there?

Because of a recent Amazon sale, I double-dipped and ordered Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man / House of Frankenstein and Son of Frankenstein / The Ghost of Frankenstein, even though these films appear on the Legacy sets. I did so after learning that they're double-layer, but one-sided DVDs. I've had problems with double-sided DVDs before when one side would get scuffed in some way and basically ruin the disc. So I might be just feeding my paranoia, but I wanted to get these single-sided ones while I still could.

Amazon also just recommended The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard, which comes out on the 28th. You know I'll be snatching that up.

[RJDiogenes]

Happy Birthday, Bela.

I might have something similar to that Robert E Howard book from a small publisher; I'll have to check.

Well, I finished Return Of The Wolf Man today; I think it took me as long to read the last 50 pages as it did the rest. It was very good, and it was sad to see that "To be continued...." on the last page, knowing that it's not to be.

It did seem to get less and less like a Universal movie as it went on; the end sequence, with its blood and violence and high body count, seemed more like a Stephen King homage (although I did picture the fight between the Wolf Man and Dracula, and the Wolf Man and the zombies, as drawn by Mike Ploog). The run-down plantation setting helped keep the retro feeling alive somewhat, though. And Talbot's death by blade, resurrection and second death by bludgeoning raised a few questions about why he tends to stay dead after being clobbered, but pops up immediately when a sharp object is removed from him.

Part of it was also the length. The movies were less than two hours, some just over an hour, and one was actually two stories spliced together, which created a certain cadence to the overall ambiance. That's one reason I would have done a project like this as an anthology. Still, it captured the character of Larry Talbot very well and set up a new situation that could have easily been continued; maybe someday it will....

[Dar70]

I will probably read some Edgar Allan Poe this week. I know nothing original, but I always loved reading them in high school.

[RJDiogenes]

Edgar Allen Poe is great; I will definitely be including a little EAP in the Halloween mix.

[RJDiogenes]

Since it was Bela Lugosi's birthday, I got out my Bela Lugosi Collection and watched The Raven. I love how they frequently re-used music cues in those days; the "action music" was the same as that used in the Flash Gordon serials.

Now I'm reading some stories from The Supernatural Tales Of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I've read "The Ring Of Thoth," a mummy story and "The Pastoral Horror," which was described in the intro as a werewolf story, but which disappointed me with its utter lack of werewolves. I'm going to read "Lot 249," the other mummy story, then probably something Lovecraftian, and then get back to Four Octobers.