Tag Archives: Roger Corman

Hammer is Killing My Wallet!

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After years of complaining about Hammer Films getting a new owner and a promised reboot that never happens, I would almost say that I’m regretting that it is actually happening now. But I won’t. Because even though it’s costing me more and more money, I’m loving every minute of it! We all know the incredible special edition box sets they have put out on the first two Quatermass films, as well as The Curse of Frankenstein, as well as some other more rare non-horror titles, but now even releasing some non-Hammer but still British horror titles, such as Doctor Blood’s Coffin and Cry of the Banshee. Then there is their new documentary Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters documentary that his coming out. What more could we ask for? How about The House of Hammer: Volume 1?

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DtH Episode 116 – Corman / Price / Poe

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House of Usher (1960), The Pit and the Pendulum (1961), and The Masque of the Red Death (1964)

In the beginning of his career as a producer / director Roger Corman was known for cranking out cheap and fast black and white pictures that always made money. He worked in all genres, but it was mainly the horror and sci-fi pictures in the mid to late ’60s he was known for. All that changed in 1960, when he convinced AIP to let him adapt a story from Edgar Allan Poe, but in color, with a bigger budget, and longer shooting schedule. That started a new phase of Corman’s career, which also made an even bigger star of Vincent Price.

In this episode, we take a deep dive into three of these Poe adaptations, and not necessarily looking in the faithfulness of them, but in their production, the incredible casts, the look, the style, as well as the feel of them. They really do get better each and every time you watch them. Hopefully after listening to this episode, you’ll decide to either venture down this dark path for the first time or take a revisit to admire the doom and gloom they all have.

Films mentioned in this episode:

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DtH Episode 110 – Turkey Day 2025

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Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957), Terrorvision (1986), and Uninvited (1988).

That’s right, folks! It’s Turkey Time again! Celebrating our 5th episode dedicated to those wonderous missteps in cinematic history. They aimed for the stars but dropped like frozen turkey chucked off a building! But as we always say, the only bad movie is a boring one. And these films are definitely not boring. Because once the credits roll, if you’ve been entertained, then how could it be considered bad???

So sit back and enjoy this episode, where we discuss giant, telepathic crabs, a space creature that exists only to eat, that is beamed in from a brand new state-of-the-art satellite dish, and finally a tale about some sort of experiment gone wrong that causes some sort of mutant creature to live inside a cat, that gets onboard a fancy yacht with some criminals and some college kids! How could that not spell fun?

Films mentioned in this episode:

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Monster Bash Spring 2025

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A few weeks ago, we made our annual trip to PA for the Monster Bash Conference, which we started attending way back in 2015. I can’t believe it’s been over a decade now, but we still continue to have so much fun there.

One of the reasons is some of the great items we find in the dealer room, most of which aren’t even something we’re looking for, but just happen to come across! For this show, since money has been a little tight as of late, my main goal was to try and not spend much at the show. I guess the key word there is “try”, because by Saturday, that was completely out the window.

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Turkey Day in May 2025

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Another T-Day in May is in the books, with our usual 7 features devoured, along with about 22 pizzas! Truth be told, this last month or so has been a struggle for me, dealing with some health issues, new medication, work stress, and all the other fun things that go into life. Nothing serious, but just those things that can try to take any of the positives and put them in the shadows making it a little harder to see. But getting together with about a dozen like-minded film nerds, sitting and watching 7 features that probably would never make anybody’s Best-Of lists, and having a damn fun time doing it, really did wonders for me. It was the closest that I’ve felt back to my normal self in a long time. So, for those of you that came out, thank you!

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Movie Review: Monster from the Ocean Floor

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(1954)
Directed by Wyott Ordung
Starring Anne Kimbell, Stuart Wade, Dick Pinner, Wyott Ordung, Inez Palange,
Jonathan Haze, David Garcia, Roger Corman

While this isn’t directed by Roger Corman, it is his first film as sole producer, and it was really a sign of things to come. While a lot of Corman’s earlier work might have involved cheesy monsters here and there, they were still entertaining. Watching them now, it gives me that nostalgic feeling of watching these as a kid, catching them on TV some Saturday afternoon. But watching them now, as an adult and a life-long student of movies, while I still get that same feeling as a kid, it also makes me appreciate the people involved a lot more. And Monster is a perfect example of that.

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Royalty at HorrorHound Weekend

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While the horror conventions are filled with guests from the latest horror films out there, such as the Terrifier films, who have been making the rounds for almost the last decade, we also see names from the Child’s Play movies, Re-Animator (which is making its 40-year anniversary), guests from the Hellraiser films, and many more. We even get some big names like Robert Englund still making the rounds. But when it comes to the decades even before all of them, going back 60 years, there aren’t too many of them left that made the impact that Barbara Steele did.

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2024 Year Review: Never to Forget

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2024 was a particularly rough year for me on a personal level with the losses we suffered. We have listed the celebrities that we have lost over the last 12 months, that had some connection to the horror genre, like we always do. Thankfully their work always makes it easier to keep them alive for future generations. But there were a couple of people in my personal life that left us that really left a hole in my dark and twisted heart. I posted about them when they first passed, so there is no need to go into any major detail now. But I just wanted to say that for those that aren’t left immortalized in film, it is up to us, their friends and families, to keep their memories alive. I know every time I go to a convention, Halloween Party, or even just a movie night, I’ll remember the excitement of my cousin Brett Baish going to shows with me, and all the support and great conversations with my dear friend Kristin Wicks. They left us way too soon.

EPSON MFP image
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Movie Review: Night of the Blood Beast

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Once again, Film Masters has given fans a great little package in their latest Blu-Ray release. Being a huge fan of the sci-fi/horror films of the ’50s, I never get tired of watching films of that era. Here we have two great ones, both directed by Bernard L. Kowalski. One of my favorite things about these early films is that everyone is playing it completely straight. No winking at the camera and never giving it less than 100%. Sure, a lot of them were struggling actors that were trying to get their foot in the door, but they still gave their best and sometimes giving us some very memorable characters. It really shows in the final product, no matter how silly that product might be. As a fan of these movies, I give them a lot of respect and gratitude for doing just that.

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Jonathan Haze – Rest in Peace

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The original Seymour Krelborn in Roger Corman’s ultra-low budget picture Little Shop of Horrors (1960), actor Jonathan Haze has passed away at the young age of 95. He was a staple in the early Corman films, with his first film being the Corman produced monster flick, Monster from the Ocean Floor (1954). He would appear in a handful of Corman films, wherever he was needed, in whatever kind of role. For other genre pictures, he appeared in It Conquered the World (1956), Not of This Earth (1957), and The Terror (1963).

No matter who or what he was playing, he was always memorable. I had a chance to meet him at a Cinema Wasteland show years ago, along with Little Shop co-star Jackie Joseph and screenwriter Charles B. Griffith, who told plenty of great stories of those days. But no matter, Haze will live on in those many roles he appeared in, especially Little Shop of Horrors. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family during this difficult time.