Let's Talk About Horror Fiction and Film

[pookha]

I
You're right about the actresses looking modern-dressed-as-retro. I can accept that, though, because of budgetary constraints. That, and in some ways, it seems like people just look different from that time, generally speaking. I remember reading some opinion about Ian Fleming's vision of James Bond (resembling Hoagy Carmichael), that it was very pre-WWII. I kind of get what they were saying, in terms of facial structure, and wonder if there's something similar about the way people look now, compared to the '40s.

I'm rambling, but I hope you guys know what I mean. Whenever there's a movie that's supposed to take place in that time, the actors rarely seem to fit that world 100%, at least in comparison to film stars of those times. If you drop someone like Tom Cruise into a '40s/'50s movie, for example, he just wouldn't look right, no matter how you do his hair and clothing.

Maybe it's something age-specific about modern actors. Maybe 40 really is the new 30, if you're in Hollywood.

clooney is one of thr few that really fits in with period pieces.

disappointed to see they are redoing the wolfman makeup.

 

[Snowgoon Spiff]

More House of the Wolf Man pics!

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/16798

Check out the deceased king-in-a-jar from Bride of Frankenstein.

 

[The Cleaner]

Comments at Dread Central and Nuke the Fridge have pointed out that some of the clothing looks more 1950s. If that's intended, it may be that he's supposed to be Larry's son. I guess we'll see.

Interesting, because I thought that too, especially concerning the letter jacket; I just wasn't certain enough to actually say it. [/QUOTE]

Actually that style of letterman jacket was around since at least the late 30's. Here ar 2 - 1 from 1944, 1 from 1946. People mistake the leather sleeved wool varsity jacket for the all-wool letterman sweater. If you look, the HotWM jacket has the same buttons/sleeve style as these...

Pic.

Pic.

We didn't see many college kids in pre-50's movies, so we associate the jackets with the 50's, but they were around quite a bit longer.

 

[NileQT87]

The closest thing to teen idols in the '30s/'40s were Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Lana Turner, etc... Those were the most popular teen movies of that era (Mickey was the biggest box office star for a period). There's a well-known scene where Judy Garland sings about being a fan in love with Clark Gable, clearly echoing the thoughts of teenagers in the 1930s.

Judy Garland - Dear Clark Gable, You Made Me Love You

While youth culture didn't blossom until the mid/late 1950s and teens didn't have money to spend like in the 1950s, there was a youth culture beforehand (Frank Sinatra's Bobby Soxers, for example). Of course, Mickey and Judy were icons of the Depression/WWII. Money was especially tight and people were struggling to put food on the table, much less buy records. It was the adults who bought records, not the kids. Theater attendance was very high in those days, however. Gone With The Wind still holds the record for amount of tickets sold.

There was a youth market before the '50s though. I just recently watched Too Many Girls with a very young Desi Arnaz (he would have been 22 when it was filmed/23 when it came out) playing a foreign exchange college student and the very-obviously-6-years-older Lucille Ball from 1940 (this is where they met). The movie is clearly a '40s teen flick B-movie. The main characters are college jock characters.

I've seen enough historical footage of college jocks (leather helmets!) from the '30s/'40s to know there were lettermen jackets. As far as Google is concerned, the 1940s turns up quite a few pictures of them.

In the 1920s, it was Rudolph Valentino the bored housewives were drooling over.

People seem to forget that there was a pop-culture before the 1950s. LOL.

 

[Snowgoon Spiff]

Actually that style of letterman jacket was around since at least the late 30's. Here ar 2 - 1 from 1944, 1 from 1946. People mistake the leather sleeved wool varsity jacket for the all-wool letterman sweater. If you look, the HotWM jacket has the same buttons/sleeve style as these...

Pic.

Pic.

We didn't see many college kids in pre-50's movies, so we associate the jackets with the 50's, but they were around quite a bit longer.

Thanks for the pics, Cleaner, but please don't hotlink images from webspace that's not yours. Thanks, and welcome to the board.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Nazi zombies? Sign me up!

Heh. Almost as good as Nazi Aliens. That looks amusing. The other movie I'm really looking forward to is Trick 'r' Treat. That has a really good vibe to it.

We didn't see many college kids in pre-50's movies, so we associate the jackets with the 50's, but they were around quite a bit longer.

Yeah, you're absolutely right. It's just become iconic of the 50s.

People seem to forget that there was a pop-culture before the 1950s. LOL.

Well, I watch a lot of 30s movies-- granted, mostly mystery and other genre pics-- but I mostly remember a kind of "preppy" or post-Roaring 20s look to the hep cats. I don't really remember ever seeing a letter jacket or sweater.

 

[Snowgoon Spiff]

The other movie I'm really looking forward to is Trick 'r' Treat. That has a really good vibe to it.

I guess they just had a screening at the San Diego comic con, and it was very well received, with lots of people saying it should have gone theatrical.

But the DVD's confirmed for October, at least.

 

[pookha]

time line of the varsity letter
for the curious.

 

[RJDiogenes]

^^ Fascinating. Looks like it was even more popular in the 20s and 30s than the 50s.

I guess they just had a screening at the San Diego comic con, and it was very well received, with lots of people saying it should have gone theatrical.

Indeed. I haven't heard a bad thing about it.

 

[The Cleaner]

[/QUOTE]Thanks for the pics, Cleaner, but please don't hotlink images from webspace that's not yours. Thanks, and welcome to the board. [/QUOTE]

Sorry Spiff, I'm a forum newbie (not just here - in general, I'm a caveman that just discovered this technology) and I clicked "insert image" and it asked for a web url, I thought it would just display. Teaches me to be too cocky and not "preview post"

 

[Snowgoon Spiff]

No worries, man. Thanks for being cool about it.



Comic Con also apparently had a midnight showing of Repo: The Genetic Opera that was a lot of fun, with people playing out some of the roles à la, The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

I still haven't seen Repo. I really should.

Edit: I almost forgot. I went to the comic store and saw that Dark Horse has revived Creepy! I haven't read it, but it's got great artwork in it. Eric Powell was probably thrilled to do the cover.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Revived it?!? I've been getting the archive editions, but I didn't know they intended to revive it; okay, I've definitely got to go to the store today....

I saw a preview of Repo somewhere, but I haven't seen it yet; I miss having Blockbuster next door to me....

 

[Snowgoon Spiff]

I'm impressed with the variety of art styles in it, from sketchy to cartoony, including a couple of alums from the original run (Angelo Torres, Bernie Wrightson).

Oh, and Alex Toth. I don't know if that story's a reprint or an unpublished one.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Creepy #1 was sold out. But they will try to get one for me, and I subscribed. The new Archive edition was in, though, and my pain was also ameliorated by the new issue of Alter Ego with coverage of all the Mad imitators of the 50s.

 

[Snowgoon Spiff]

The House of the Wolf Man Facebook group has a slightly updated trailer, but you'll have to be logged in to Facebook to see it.

Here it is.

They got rid of the voiceover, thank goodness. There's a new shot of Frankenstein's monster in there, too.

In the comments for the earlier version of the trailer, someone said that they hoped it wasn't going to be a comedy. The response was, "I assure you this is no parody, this is no spoof, we take our monsters seriously!"

Good news.

 

[RJDiogenes]

In the comments for the earlier version of the trailer, someone said that they hoped it wasn't going to be a comedy. The response was, "I assure you this is no parody, this is no spoof, we take our monsters seriously!"

That's what I want to hear. Maybe it will be popular enough to start a trend.

 

[Snowgoon Spiff]

For anyone not on Facebook, here's the shot of the monster:

And I don't know how I missed this before:

^ That's a nice little touch.

 

[RJDiogenes]

That Drac is eerie in more ways than one.

I'm getting the feeling that the Wolfman in this movie is not Larry Talbot....

 

[starrchild]

I'm getting a Blair Witch Project vibe from the 2nd pic; maybe the lighting?

 

[RJDiogenes]

The Drac close up? Looks like classic dramatic uplighting to me.

Maybe because of the stark lighting and he looks like he's outside....