Tag Archives: Robot Monster

Golden Age of Sci-Fi Soundtracks

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Sure, it might say Sci-Fi, but we know these films are really horror films! None the less, fans of these movies just might want to get their pre-order in for this new soundtrack release coming out next month!

Dragon’s Domain has announced Volume 3 in their Golden Age of Science Fiction series, which features the scores from Elmer Bernstein’s work on Cat-Women of the Moon (1953) and Robot Monster (1953), and Edwin Astley’s score for Devil Girl from Mars (1954). Each soundtrack also includes the theatrical trailer. The total running time for the release is 56:52 min, with about 16 to 18 minutes for each film.

There is a special note when ordering, that these recordings are taken from analog masters and music & effects tracks, so there are certain limitations from the source tapes. But they have worked hard to preserve them as closely to the original recordings as possible.

Turkey Day 2023 – 20th Anniversary Celebration

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Two Whole Decades of Turkeys. I started this crazy idea in 2003, rather than go out and battle the crazy shoppers on Black Friday, but to stay at home and watch some of the best in the worst cinematic achievement on film. Or at least that is how described it when I started. But something has changed over these past 20 years. Films that I even would call typical “so bad they’re good”, or bad but for all the right reasons, I’ve learned over the years how the terms “good” and “bad” are so damn objective. Kind of like food, it all comes down to one’s particular taste. There’re people that eat rotted fish head soup that might look at someone who doesn’t like they are the crazy ones. Same with movies.

For me, it has always come down to not being good or bad but if they’re entertaining. If the answer is yes, then they can’t be bad, at least not for that particular viewer.

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Monster Bash – Making Me Think!

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Earlier this year, I posted that this was probably going to be my last year selling books. The main reason (other than I’m getting old!) was that they just weren’t selling enough to make it worth it. I know I had a good number of regulars, which really hurt the thought of disappointing them, but at the end of the show, it just wasn’t enough.

Then we did Monster Bash last weekend.

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Robot Monster in 3-D!

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Most fans of horror and sci-fi films, especially ones from the ’50s, know of the infamous film Robot Monster (1953), from director Phil Tucker, that stars the notorious Ro-Man, one of the most iconic monsters of that time. Yes, it is one that usually gets the laughs and snickers because it is basically a guy in a gorilla suit with a space helmet on. While this film is usually labeled as one of those “so bad it’s good” kind of films, I will stand by the fact that it is in fact a Turkey, but not by the standards of the Medveds and MST3K. By MY standards of what a Turkey is, which is that if it is entertaining, it can’t be considered a bad movie. While it may not be the most technically efficient, or well-made film, it surely is entertaining. Therefore, no matter how much you must try to calculate it, it CANNOT be qualified as a “bad” movie.

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Robot Monster in 3D Screening!

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While we all anxiously await the release of the new Blu-ray of this epic piece of cinematic history (Come on, you know it is!) in all of its 3D glory, if you’re in the Madison, WI area, they will be having a screening of this at the Wisconsin Film Festival on April 15th, at 11am. While it is a 2-hour drive for us at the Krypt, I am planning on making the trip up there it because the chance to see this film on the big screen, in 3D, isn’t going to come around that often.

For all the information about the screening, just click HERE. After the screening, there will be a Q&A with Bob Furmanek from 3-D Film Archive, who is one of the men behind the restoration.

This will be the 70th anniversary of this film and while most consider it one the worst films ever made, the fact that we’re still talking about it, and that a ton of people have been working very hard to bring this back to its original 3D presentation, shows you how much this piece of cinematic history is loved and cherished. There really is no other film like it, and with a budget of only $20k, I love the fact that we’re still talking about it, and more importantly, keeping the film alive!

Robot Monster In 3-D is Almost Here!

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The official 70th Anniversary release of one of the greatest films in movie history (okay . . . stop laughing), the one and only Robot Monster will finally be hitting Blu-ray and DVD this summer. It will be distributed by Bayview Entertainment with this new smashing cover art by Stewart McKissick. All the extras are still being worked out, but they did announce that they have recorded an audio commentary with star Gregory Moffett, as well as a featurette about him. We got to meet him at a Monster Bash conference a few years ago and he had some great stories then. It is so great to see that they will now be documented in this new release.

I know I contributed to the Kickstarter to get this released in its original 3-D format, so I know these guys have been hard at work making this thing happen. Can’t wait to be able to see this in its restored form, as well as in 3-D. But until then, check out the artwork below.

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Robot Monster in 3-D!!!

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A Kickstarter page was created on July 25th, in hopes to get enough money to release a 3-D version of one of the ultimate in Turkey movies, Phil Tucker’s 1953 epic, Robot Monster. Yes, it was originally shot and briefly released in 3-D, but hopes of ever finding and cleaning up a decent release of this never thought possible. Robot Monster is the story of an invasion by a alien in a monkey suit with a space helmet on, with a bubble machine as well. If you’ve not had the pleasure of seeing any version of this picture, you need to change it. It is so much fun.

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Claudia Barrett – Rest in Peace

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While this happened a couple of months ago, we just read about it on the Monster Bash Facebook page and wanted to mention it here as well. Claudia Barrett passed away back on April 30th, at the age of 91. Now most are not going to recognize that name, but seeing the photo below, you will immediate recognize the movie she had appeared in. Barrett was only 24 years old when she starred alongside a man in a gorilla suit wearing a space helmet, in the ultimate Turkey Day movie, Robot Monster (1953).

While she did make her (uncredited) screen debut in 1949 alongside James Cagney in White Heat, she worked quite a bit in different movies and TV shows, even after Robot Monster, until she retired from the business in the early ’60s. In 2016, she was a guest at the Monster Bash Conference, as well as her co-star Robot Monster co-star, Gregory Moffett, who played her little brother. They both had some fun stories about the making of his classic and were just so friendly to chat with.

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Turkey Day Approaches…

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In a mere two days, while most of society will be getting up early to battle the crowds of crazed shoppers out to save a few bucks, sometimes fighting to the death (or so I’m told), there will be a smaller gathering here at the Krypt to celebrate another type of holiday….Turkey Day! Followers of the Krypt probably know exactly what I’m talking about, but if you’re knew here, let me explain. On the Black Friday ever since 2003, I have chosen to spend that day in front of the TV, watching some of the finest in cinematic shipwrecks known to man. Now on our 13th year, having watched over 80 features in that time, with the number of participates growing like Lt. Col. Glenn Manning in The Amazing Colossal Man (1957), we will sit down to view another seven features that will test our strength, endurance, and good will towards mankind. But have no fear…we’re professionals here.

stingofdeath

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Monster Bash Report Part 4 – “Where are you going now?”

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For our second day at the Bash, when I wasn’t running around hanging out with authors and getting my books signed, I was working behind our table. Well…most of the time. Lucky for me, my partner-in-crime/wife Dawn was there to take charge. In fact, the way her tote bags and pillows were flying off the table, I was starting to think that the Krypt might soon to be a subsidiary of her business Horror Slave! Everyone seems to love our poster prints that we’ve come up with, and seeing a bunch of people walking around the show with one of her tote bags is pretty cool.

Setting up at a con for three days can sometimes throw you a variety of…challenges. Sometimes your table might not be in the best spot in the dealer room. But even in choice spots, one thing that can really drag down the show is your dealer neighbors. Since you’ll be spending the next three days next to them, it can make those drag like weeks if your neighbors might be…shall we say…”difficult”. But lucky for us, we had none of that here. In fact, we had great neighbors! To the right of us was Steve “the t-shirt guy”, which we’ve known for years from doing shows. I can’t think of another guy that has the selection that he does. You can always find something cool in his t-shirt cave!

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