This year’s Turkey Day in May marathon technically took place on the first Saturday in June, mostly because May was packed with other commitments. I knew I couldn’t skip it, but I couldn’t find a way to make it happen in May, so we broke tradition and held it in June. Speaking of tradition, we also had to swap my wife’s usual lineup of amazing pizzas for store-bought frozen ones. After dealing with mold remediation in our bathrooms, money was a little tight, so we took the cheaper route. But once the first movie started, I don’t think anyone cared!
I know as I get older and slowly move into Old Man Club, which I apparently have been doing for the past two decades, there are times that I never thought I would see the day. See that? That’s something an Old Man would say. But alas, it’s true. Severin Films had already announced their new 5-disc release of Dario Argento’s Opera (1987), featuring so many extras, including a CD of the soundtrack, so that alone was pretty damn amazing. And then came more recent announcement that had me staring at the notice with such a blank stare, as if to think that I should be waking up at any moment.
Years ago, back when I collected VHS tapes, I remember coming across a big box video of The Mummy and the Curse of the Jackals (1969), released by Academy Home Entertainment. Even though it starred John Carradine and Anthony Eisley, with that kind of title, and the fact that I had never heard of it before, I knew I had to add it to the collection. When I sat down with it . . . oof! How can it be a bad movie when you have a mummy AND a werewolf . . . or were-jackal, or something. While the movie is perfect for a Turkey Day marathon, which I did screen in 2016, the print quality wasn’t the greatest. In fact, you could barely see what was going on in some parts.
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943), House of Frankenstein (1944), and House of Dracula (1945).
Some say that the monster rally films marked the end of the Universal creature features, which could partially be true, but we feel it is for different reasons than the actual films themselves, and they still have a lot of merit to them. While the studio heads might not have cared too much about getting them made, those involved did their best with what they had. One of the biggest highlights of these titles is the cast of actors in them, some making their last appearances. You get to see Karloff, Chaney Jr., Carradine, J. Carrol Naish, George Zucco, Lionel Atwill, Dwight Frye, and so many other regular faces that will bring a smile to your face when they pop up onscreen.
While maybe running a little thin on ideas and decided to start combining monsters to hopefully bring back bigger box office returns, they still made films that we all still feel are entertaining and we feel are more than worth your time.
Bigfoot (1970), Creature from Black Lake (1976), and Abominable (2006).
Tales of a mysterious, giant beast that wanders the wooded areas of the U.S., has never really proven to exist, but even to this day, is believed by many to really be out there, still hidden from mankind. Starting with Bigfoot in 1970, our furry giant became the subject of many movies and documentaries, and even on TV shows, such as The Six Million Dollar Man and even his own Saturday morning series, Bigfoot and Wildboy (1977). All this did was increase the interests in the subject matter, even if it didn’t make any new believers. It’s a subject that is still being used today with more modern-day films taking on this sub-genre, in many different variations and strange interpretations. So, join us as we discuss three different styles of the Bigfoot genre and see if you believe in Sasquatch!
The Invisible Man (1933), The Invisible Man Returns (1940), and The Invisible Man’s Revenge (1944).
In the pantheon of Universal Classic Monsters, some might say the Invisible Man is the least terrifying in the monster heritage, or maybe even bordering on if they even belong in the horror genre. In this episode, we’re going to delve into three of the films in Universal’s Invisible series, for the most part, stay within the horror genre, though, that argument will be addressed as well! We’re leaving out The Invisible Woman and Invisible Agent, since they are pretty much either a comedy or a war time action film.
Join us as we try to “see” more into these films that maybe aren’t as “transparent” to the casual viewer who might have missed something. Or maybe we’re seeing too much and not finding them too entertaining. Want to know? You’ll have to listen and find out!
20 years. Two whole decades of Turkeys. In fact, 174 films during those years. I started doing this little mini marathon back in 2003, on my own, as a way to celebrate the type of films that most critics would scoff at. Two years later, I was joined by my friend Aaron Christensen, who has never missed one since then. While it took a few years of it just being Aaron and I battling through these wonderful cinematic shipwrecks, by the time we got to 2010, the number of people joining us on this mad quest started to grow. We had 6 that year, increasing year by year to around a dozen each time. In 2010, we started our second annual event, Turkey Day in May, because there was just too much Turkey to do it only once a year! We did go online during the pandemic, where during those online adventures, we did get 20 to 25+ people watching online, so that was kind of cool. But it just wasn’t the same as being in the same room with other fans.
Before we get to the films, I wanted to send out a huge thanks to those that have attended my little crazy marathons. I started this because I wanted to give these movies the appreciation that I feel they deserve. As I’ve quoted many times before, the only bad movie is a boring one, and the ones we’ve screened over the last 20 years are far from boring. Well, okay, most of them weren’t. With every person that started attending, they not only understood that statement, but they believed 100% of it, and relished in the outrageous titles, sometimes just plain bat-shit crazy. Never making fun or shitting on these, we treat them with love and respect. My fellow Turkey Day attendees are more dedicated film lovers than any serious critic I know. Because we can see past the flaws of low budget, maybe with not the most talented cast, or a script that doesn’t seem possible that someone would not only want to film, but actually get it done with a straight face! For that, I am forever grateful to consider these fellow demented cinephiles my friends. They really know and understand what true cinema is.
Here’s a name that is one of the icons of acting, not to mention in the horror genre. Sure, most remember him from all the cheesy and low-budget titles that he appeared in, especially in his later years, but he was always delivering a fine performance. I mean, think about that for a minute. He appeared in Ted V. Mikels Astro Zombies, which I happen to love, and learned all this technical dialogue for his role of the mad doctor, and gave the performance if he was doing Shakespeare.
(1969) Directed by Ted V. Mikels Screenplay by Ted V. Mikels and Wayne Rodgers Starring John Carradine, Wendell Corey, Tom Pace, Tura Satana, Joan Patrick, Rafael Campos, Vince Barbi, Joe Hoover, Victor Izay
I first met Ted V. Mikels at the very first Cinema Wasteland, back in Sept. of 2000, where he was set up next to us in the vendor room. I knew of his work, from seeing trailers, some other clips, and seeing him in some documentaries, but my appreciation of his really developed after that first meeting, since he was so honored to be there to meet his fans. Every time someone came up, he would stand up and greet them with a handshake and honest hello. I mention this only because to really appreciate his work, you need to know and understand the man. Always on the low budget side of filmmaking, Mikels had that passion for the industry. He knew how to do just about everything in the business, from writing to directing to editing and more. Sure, some may say that he wasn’t that great in any of those duties, but I still say for any filmmaker to create just one film that has lasted the test of time, let alone many of them, that is a true filmmaker. And Mikels is definitely one of them.
Lugosi: The Forgotten King (1985, 2018) Directed by Mark Gilman Jr. & Dave Stuckey
In 1985, with the early days of VHS tapes and video stores, there weren’t too many documentary titles out there, especially on horror movies or their stars, unless you count a few trailers collections. But I can remember coming across one title in particular that was on the shelves, Lugosi: The Forgotten King. Being an young and eager fan to learn as much as I can about the horror genre, especially one of its icons, I immediately rented it. Even though the running time was short, showed the audience a little bit more behind the man and really how much of a talent he was. Now, 35 years later, it is out on DVD in an updated version, through Operator 13 Productions.Continue reading →
I love documentaries on the horror / sci-fi genres, especially when you get to hear from the people that were directly involved with them. There are ALWAYS great stories that we usually never get to hear unless you catch one of them at a convention, or maybe an extra on DVD or Blu-ray. So when I first heard of this new 3-disc documentary called Monster! Martians! Mad Scientists! Horror in the Atomic Age!, it had my interests. When I discovered the price was only $15, I did have some doubts because it was so cheap, especially for 3 discs, but I figured at that price, it was worth taking the chance.
I’m glad I did!
The 3 discs are divided into time frame categories. The first one, entitled The Atomic Age, starts in the early ’50s and gives us a look back at that time and the films that were coming out. While this is about the movies, we get to hear and understand what was going on at that time period, with the constant threat of atomic destruction hovering over their heads, and how that effected the movies. The second disc, entitled A World Gone Mad, covers the second half of the ’50s with the big-bug movies, alien invasions, 3-D movies, and more. The last disc, called Fade to Red, covers the early ’60s and how times were changing, due to the Vietnam War, the Civil unrest, and how the films were reflecting that with more realistic gore and terror.Continue reading →
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