I know. My Christmas list is going to be HUGE with all these titles coming out. Granted, I may need to add a new bookshelf as well. And maybe a place to put it too… But anyway, I recently came across these two titles from BearManor Media and since they are both on some Universal classics, I knew I had to post about them. And being they are written by Tom Weaver and Gregory William Mank, you know they are going to be packed full of great information.
When I saw this Monster Mayhem Collection announced, I was pretty excited. Then when I saw it was coming from Film Masters, it made it even better. Releasing 4 great titles from the 1950s, one of my favorite eras, means it’s always going to be a fun time. In this set, you get Kenneth G. Crane’s Monster from Green Hell and Nathan Juran’s The Brain from Planet Arous, both from 1957, and then two features from director Richard E. Cunha, Frankenstein’s Daughter and Giant from the Unknown, both from 1958. Each of the titles have 4K scans from archival prints in their original theatrical aspect ratios. While Brain looks a little bright, it still looks good, while the other ones all look crisp and clean, the usual high-quality standard we’ve seen from previous Film Masters’ releases.
But let’s dig a little into the films in this collection.
For years, Kenneth G. Crane’s Monster from Green Hell was one of those long-thought lost titles, though some may argue that it should have stayed that way. But if that was true, we’d never get to see these amazing giant wasps created by legendary Wah Chang. Now, there is a lot of walking during the films 71-minute running time. And then some more walking. And then some more.
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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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In a little less than 3 weeks, we’ll be heading off to one of our favorite shows, the Monster Bash Conference, taking place from June 20th to the 22nd, in Cranberry Township, PA. While it might be a little smaller than some of the usual shows we attend, there is so much to do and see here, that it is always a great time. They have film screenings from Thursday night all the way through Sunday, going into the wee hours of the night! You’ll get the chance to see some classic horror films, usually screened from16mm prints, including titles like The Vampire’s Ghost (1945), Weird Woman (1943), Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932), the not-to-be-missed Mexican horror/sci-fi spectacular The Ship of Monsters (1960), Lon Chaney’s The Penalty (1920), Night of the Living Dead (1968), Man Made Monster (1941), Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), and Zombies on Broadway (1945)! These are the kind of titles that makes me wish I wasn’t vending, just so I can sit and watch movies all weekend!
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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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(1960)
Directed by Bert I. Gordon
Starring Richard Carlson, Susan Gordon, Lugene Sanders, Juli Reding, Joe Turkel
Director Bert I. Gordon, or known to most fans as Mr. BIG, got that moniker because of the unusual sizes of the subjects of his films, from giant grasshoppers, dinosaurs, spiders, and angry men. So, it was a quite the change of pace when he came up with this simple story about a ghostly revenge on a seemingly innocent man. While there is nothing giant here, Gordon still was able to pull off some of his unusual and interesting camera tricks, including a talking head sitting on an end table.
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Devil’s Partner (1960)
Directed by Charles R. Rondeau
Starring Ed Nelson, Edgar Buchanan, Jean Allison, Richard Crane, Spencer Carlisle, Byron Foulger
This film was one that I remember seeing the poster art but never really knew the film. I’ve read that it was in public domain, but never remember seeing it on VHS. It wasn’t until I bought a bootleg DVD of it last year when I first saw it. And of course, since I bought that bootleg, now we have not only a legitimate release, but a beautiful 4K restoration on Blu-ray! You’re welcome.
Released in 1960, about a decade away from when movies, both theatrical and for television, loved to tackle the theme of the devil, selling one’s soul, and all the other mischievous things Old Scratch would get into. But here we have a very early film that not only tackles that subject but does it in a very strange and different way. The film starts with a very old man killing a goat, using the blood for a ritual, and writing a pact with the devil on a piece of animal skin, promptly dying. Right before he expires, we see a mysterious hand come into the frame to sign the contract. What a way to start the film.
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Not sure when I first came across Beast from Haunted Cave, but when I had learned it was filmed in South Dakota, my birth state, and it was a low budget monster flick, I was in. We’ve reviewed the film previously here on the Krypt (just click HERE), but recently Film Masters have put it out on Blu-ray, along with in a double feature disc, so we wanted to mention it here again.
Bottom line is that if you like those low budget monster flicks, and unusual ones at that, then you can’t pass up this new release from Film Masters. Not only does the print look great, being a newly restored 4K scan from 35mm archival material, but you get a bunch of extras, including an early Roger Corman feature called Ski Troop Attack, which was an early WWII drama using the same locations that were used in Beast. This is a great example of what Corman was doing with very little money, a small cast, but making it work to put out an entertaining little film.
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We all know that McFarland puts out some amazing books, but they do tend to be on the pricy side. But during the month of October, they are having a 25% off sale on all their horror titles! I just pre-ordered Bryan Senn’s MASSIVE new book, Mummy Movies, which normally retails for $75, but with this sale, I got close to $20 off that price! So, if you’re looking to add a few more titles to your own library, now is your chance to pick up some great titles and save a little money as well.
The code is simple . . . just add in HALLOWEEN2023 in the promo code during check out and see the savings! Head over to McFarland’s site HERE to see all the amazing titles you can find. May I suggest the latest from Christopher Wayne Curry, The Incredibly Strange Features of Ray Dennis Steckler, where you can save $10. Or any number of titles from Tom Weaver, Gregory William Mank, Bryan Senn, or any other number of titles. Just do a McFarland search on my site to see all of their books that I’ve reviewed over the years if you’re not sure which one(s) to get!
In our never-ending pursuit of learning more about the horror genre, we have many volumes from McFarland in our library. They have such a wide variety of subjects, from critical essays and academic studies overviews of different sub-genres, and plenty of amazing biographies.
Going on right now, McFarland is not waiting until Black Friday to start their online sales but have started offering 40% off ANY title!!! Just head over to their website (by clicking HERE) and start choosing titles. When you get to the check out, add in HOLIDAY22 for the code and it will take off the 40%. That’s damn near half price folks! I know McFarland can be a bit pricy so now is your chance to save some series dough! The sale goes from now until Monday, November 28th, so don’t wait too long!
