1960’s | Magazines and Monsters!

Cinema Sunday: Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)

Posted on May 18, 2014 by billyd75

Title: Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster Distributor: Classic Media/ Toho Writer: Shinichi Sekizawa Director: Ishiro Honda Producer: Tomoyuki Tanaka Starring: Yosuke Natsuki, Yuriko Hoshi, Hiroshi Koizumi, Akiko Wakabayashi Released: December 20th, 1964 MPAA: NR Growing up, I was a huge fan of the Toho Studios Godzilla movies. Say what you will, but to a young kid, they were nothing short of extraordinary, and had me believing that nuclear bombs could change a salamander into a giant ravenous beast capable of destroying entire cities. This fact kept me glued to the television for hours on end when the movies were on. I didn’t realize it was a dude in a rubber suit until later, but that fact didn’t diminish my love for the genre! So, now, let’s get to this classic from Toho Studios! The movie begins with a room full of scientists and reporters, as they’re watching the skies, looking for UFO’s. One reporter doesn’t believe any of this nonsense, but then the scientists chastise her about the subject. Suddenly, a meteor shower occurs, and the scene then shifts to the local police precinct. They discuss how a princess, Salina Salno, (Akiko Wakabayashi) from the Himalayas, is on her way and she needs protection against a threat to her life. As the airplane speeds towards Japan, some conspirators talk about how they’ve planted a bomb on the plane to take her out. She then gazes out the window, and a bright light shines in her eyes, and a voice commands her to stand up, and leave the plane. Just as she jumps off the plane, the bomb explodes, destroying the plane. Back in Japan, some scientists are checking out some of the fragments from the meteor shower. As the expedition proceeds down a deep gorge, they realize something strange is afoot, because their compass’s aren’t working. They continue on, and eventually come to the site where a giant meteorite has landed. It almost appears egg-like, and the astonished scientists decide to make camp. Over at the police station, the cops, Detective Shindo (Yosuke Natsuki), and Chief Detective Okita (Akihiko Hirata), discuss the plane bombing. Just as they’re wrapping things up, reporters begin to flock to a park, where a mysterious woman is making outrageous claims about Earth, and its future. The audience heckled her, and she reprimands them for it. The girl tells them that she’s from Mars, and that the Earth is in terrible danger. As a local TV show gives a glimpse into what Mothra is up to, and then the police see a newspaper picture of this woman from Mars, and it looks exactly like the princess from the Himalayas. The ruler of the Himalayas sends his goons to Japan to take her out if it is really her. The police then question Professor Miura (Hiroshi Koizumi) about the possibilities of the princess surviving the bombing. He tells them that it’s possible, but highly unlikely. A news story breaks in on the TV, where the girl claiming to be from Mars is at the site of the crater from the meteorite, and she tells them all that Rodan is underneath the site, and is ready to rise. Just as the people are mocking her, the ground begins to shake, and Rodan appears! Next, we see a ship out at sea, floating along quietly. The quiet lasts about thirty seconds though, because Godzilla shows up, and uses his atomic breath to obliterate it. Over at the camp site, the scientists see that the meteorite is growing, and then finally, it explodes to show Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster! Back in the city, Godzilla and Rodan are tearing the city to pieces. Over at a doctor’s office, the girl claiming to be a martian is being examined. The doctor gives her a clean bill of health, but then she gives another warning. This time she tells them about Ghidorah, and his origin. She tells them that many years ago, Ghidorah came to Mars, and left nothing but devastation in his path. The government has a meeting to decide what to do. As they discuss options, the decision is made to have Mothra try to convince Godzilla and Rodan, to team up, and fight Ghidorah. Before the move can be made, Ghidorah attacks the city. Mothra is called, and begins to journey across the ocean to Japan. Meanwhile, Rodan and Godzilla are fighting each other on the other side of Japan. Mothra reaches them, and asks for help. Rodan and Godzilla wont listen though, and Ghidorah continues his destruction. The goons that were trying to kill the princess/martian finally get what’s coming to them, when a rock-slide smashes them into pulp. The scientists continue to watch as Mothra pleads with Rodan and Godzilla, but they couldn’t care less. Mothra (who’s not the original Mothra, but an offspring that’s still only a caterpillar) decides to try to take on Ghidorah by himself. After taking a beating, Mothra is ready to give up. Godzilla and Rodan then join the fight, to even the odds. One of the goons survived the rock-slide in the car though, and he shoots the princess, injuring her badly. Ghidorah and Godzilla are fighting nearby though, and an avalanche kills the goon. The three monsters, Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra, give it one last try, and pounce on Ghidorah. The three manage to overtake the alien monster, and by combining their powers, they beat him- Mothra spins silk over Ghidorah’s head, and Godzilla picks him up, and slams him down on the ground. Realizing he’s outmatched, Ghidorah leaves the planet. OK, here we go: I don’t think anyone can argue the awesomeness of seeing these three monsters fighting the best evil monster, King Ghidorah. The visuals in this film are most certainly the aspect that carries it, and the fight scenes in particular. Some of the story was OK too, but it really doesn’t help carry the film or add much to the overall greatness. The cast all does an adequate job, and definitely deserve credit. The final fight scene was nothing short of great. Seeing Godzilla get tossed around was quit jarring to me as a child, because I thought he could never be beaten or handled like that in a fight. It was cool to see Rodan again, but I was a little disappointed with Mothra. I would have rather seen a fully matured Mothra, instead of the caterpillar version. Other than that, no complaints from me about the film. Listen, you’re either a fan of this genre or you aren’t, there’s no middle ground. If you want a deep plot with Academy Award winning acting, this isn’t for you. But, if you’re in the mood for some good old-fashioned action with guys in rubber suits smashing model cities, then get out and grab some Godzilla!

Image below by artist Jim Strate and first appeared in G-FAN magazine!

Godzilla- 2016

Marvel’s Unsung Heroes! -George Tuska!

Posted on April 28, 2014 by billyd75

The name George Tuska (RIP) doesn’t stand out for a lot of people, but this guy had quite a career beginning way back in the Golden Age. Titles such as “Crime Does Not Pay” and “Captain Marvel Adventures“, were home to hard-working guys like George. He really is the textbook definition of a journeyman. He has a ton of credits, but personally, I don’t own many of his books. That being said, he’s made an impression on me, and I think he deserves to get some love! So, here’s to you, George, thanks for all the work you put in over the years in the world of comic books!

Cinema Sunday: Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (1968)

Posted on April 28, 2014 by billyd75

Title: Dracula Has Risen From The Grave

Distributor: Warner Bros./Seven Arts (Hammer Studios)

Writer: Anthony Hinds

Director: Freddie Francis

Producer: Aida Young

Starring: Christopher Lee, Rupert Davies, Veronica Carlson, Barbara Ewing, Barry Andrews, Michael Ripper

Released: November 7th, 1968

MPAA: G (PG, by today’s standards)

As I continue with my look at the Dracula/vampire franchise from Hammer Studios, the next movie in order is this under-appreciated flick. It is missing Hammer stalwart, Peter Cushing, but it does feature the best Dracula ever, in Christopher Lee! There are a few minor roles that are good too, and we’ll take a look at them for sure! There were some different names attached to this film that you didn’t see before (or after for that matter), but it still did have that awesome Hammer atmospheric mood to it. Lets get down to business!

The film begins with a boy, Johann, as he’s going to clean the church before mass. He quickly notices something dripping from the bell rope, and we see blood, covering the rope. Outside, the priest (Ewan Hooper) hears a scream, then rushes into the church. He sees that a woman has been bitten on the neck (image below), and her blood is dripping down the rope, and into the church. The priest exclaims…”when shall we be free of his evil.” Fast forward to a year later, and that same priest is saying mass, to an empty church (except for Johann). He then seeks asylum at the local tavern for a drink. Within minutes, his superior, Monsignor Ernest Muller (Rupert Davies) is coming for an inspection, but finds only Johann in the church. Johann, who is now a mute (due to shock from the incident a year earlier), takes the Monsignor to the tavern where the priest is boozing.

The Monsignor questions the priest about why the church was empty. The patrons tell the Monsignor that they are still afraid of Dracula’s presence even though he’s supposedly dead (he was killed in the last flick). The Monsignor tells the priest that they will head up to the castle in the hills, and perform an exorcism to ease the villagers fears. The next morning the two holy men make the trek up the mountainside. As they approach the castle, the priest begins to waver, and begs to stay behind. The Monsignor tells him it’s OK if he does, and he continues on the journey by himself. As he reaches the castle, night falls, and a storm begins. He reads the service of exorcism, and places a cross on the door.

Meanwhile, the priest is having a drink of booze, and the Monsignor begins the journey back down the mountain. The priest then slips, falling to the icy river below. This is the spot where Dracula was killed off, and we can see his ice-covered body right under the priest. The ice cracked from the fall, and some of the priest’s blood seeps into the ice, and on to the lips of Dracula. This is enough to revive the fiend, and before the priest can get his bearings, the bedeviled master of all that is evil, is ready to get down to business. He then enslaves the priest to be his daytime minion. The Monsignor theorizes that the priest went down before him, and leaves town for his home.

Next, we see the Cafe’ where a young man, Paul (Barry Andrews-image below) works. His girlfriend, Maria (Veronica Carlson), who is the niece of the Monsignor, lives with her mother and Uncle. Max (Michael Ripper), the owner of the cafe’, gives Paul some advice before he heads out to meet Maria. In the bar, Zena (Barbara Ewing-image below) is entertaining the drunks with her wit and voluptuous figure. The regulars play a joke on Paul, and he gets soaked with beer, just as maria shows up to meet him. She seems to be quite upset at first, because Paul is meeting her mother this evening, but she quickly forgives him, and they head out to her home. Once there, Maria is shocked to see that her uncle has returned from his trip, and you get the feeling that she didn’t want Paul and him to meet. After dinner, we find out why Maria was uptight about them meeting each other. Paul is an Atheist, and he tells the Monsignor this, and they get into an argument. Paul then leaves, and Maria is very upset.

As Paul returns to the cafe’, Zena is closing up. Paul orders a large Schnapps, and Zena uses this to try to put the moves on Paul. As Paul retires upstairs, Zena attempts to seduce a drunken Paul. Maria shows up however, and puts a damper on that idea. Paul and Maria then make whoopee, and maria sneaks home along the rooftops of the village. As Zena walks home in disappointment, a carriage runs her down, and chases her into the woods. As she twirls around, Dracula is there, and he bites her. The next morning, Paul finds Zena in the basement of the cafe’. She hides her bite marks, and heads upstairs.

The following morning a priest comes to the cafe’ (Dracula’s new slave), and obtains a room with Zena’s help. He hides Dracula in the basement, and then Dracula orders Zena to bring Maria to him, so he can exact revenge on the Monsignor for the exorcism and the such. Zena doesn’t acre for this request, but Dracula pimp slaps her, and she changes her mind. Once Maria shows up, Zena quickly lies, and tells her that Paul is in the basement waiting for her. As Maria heads down, Zena jumps her from behind, putting a sack over her head. Zena then tosses her into the other room, and Dracula nearly bites her. Paul broke things up by calling out to Maria, and Dracula then takes out his frustrations on Zena. He bites her, and drains her blood, killing her (image above). Maria heads home after Max and Paul calm her down a bit. Maria sneaks into her bedroom, but her mother is waiting, and scolds her for sneaking out. As she does, Maria faints, and appears to be unconscious. Dracula then commands the priest to dispose of Zena’s corpse, and he does so by tossing her into the furnace!

The next evening, Maria gets a visit from Dracula (image above), and this time, there is no one there to stop him from biting her. The Monsignor sees the bite marks on her neck, and realizes what’s going on. He waits for Dracula the next evening, and chases him across the rooftops. Just as he starts to catch up, the priest smashes a pot over his head, and leaves him to die. He doesn’t die right away, but crawls back to his home, and tells Maria’s mother to get Paul. He explains the situation to Paul, and how he must stop Dracula, or Maria will become his servant or die. Can Paul stop this bloody reign of terror? Or will Dracula keep Maria for his bride?

OK, here we go:

This is my second favorite Dracula movie of all time. I really enjoy this one because it feels true to things Dracula would probably do if you crossed him. Think about it. If you did something to Dracula’s home, don’t you think he’d want revenge? Of course, you can’t guess about everything he would do, but his arrogance would definitely be something you could count on. Lee is very creepy in this film, and his action scenes are absolutely fantastic! He leaps out of a window like a panther in one scene, but also commands the room even when he’s stationary too.

The supporting roles were solid in this one as well. Rupert Davies was a great protagonist, and then was replaced after his demise by Barry Andrews. Both actors brought different things to the film, but both also delivered. The anguish of the priest was another very good angle in this movie. It added the last part that was needed to bring about some chaos in the movie. And let’s be honest, looking at Veronica Carlson doesn’t hurt the movie either.

Michael Ripper is his usual awesome self in this one too. You can always count on him to stabilize the dialogue, and bring some humor into the mix. He owns these secondary roles, by giving a strong performance, and being the utmost professional as well. He knows exactly how much energy is needed to bring to the table without stepping on the toes of the other actors performances. Another great film from the Hammer vault!

Marvel’s Unsung Heroes! -Marie Severin!

Posted on April 25, 2014 by billyd75

It’s nice to see that in this day and age, women are making great strides in the comic book industry (Kelly Sue DeConnick, Emma Rios, Laura Allred, Fiona Staples, Rachel Dodson, Marjorie Liu, Jill Thompson, Jo Chen, Sara Pichelli, Siya Oum, etc.), and it’s about time. These ladies add a unique perspective to the industry that is a breath of fresh air. Back in the day though, comics were even more dominated by men, so the women of that earlier era need to be given praise for their groundbreaking work. One of those ladies was Marie Severin. Her vast body of work (Dr. Strange, Submariner, Hulk) that includes a ton of pencils, inks, and colors, cannot be overlooked, and in today’s post, you’ll get to see some of her work that I own and cherish. So, here’s to you Marie, thanks for all of your hard work not only creating art, but also paving the way for the ladies of tomorrow!

Marvel’s Unsung Heroes! -Ross Andru!

Posted on April 22, 2014 by billyd75

Even though I don’t own a ton of this man’s work, his pencils have always left me looking for more! The late, great, Ross Andru, left an impression on the world of comics, whether you know his pencils from Spider-Man, or his work on DC’s war titles (GI Combat, Our Army at War, etc.), you have to admire his work ethic, and overall positive attitude he brought with him to the drawing table. Often teamed up with long time friend, Mike Esposito, Andru did some really good things for the industry, and deserves to be shown some love right now! So, here’s to you Ross Andru, thanks for the great memories!

Cinema Sunday: Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)

Posted on April 21, 2014 by billyd75

Title: Dracula: Prince of Darkness

Distributor: British International Pictures (Hammer Studios)

Writer: Anthony Hinds (Jimmy Sangster -screenplay)

Director: Terence Fisher

Producer: Anthony Nelson Keys

Starring: Christopher Lee, Barbara Shelley, Andrew Keir, Thorley Walters

Released: January 6th, 1966

MPAA: UR

I’ve decided after last week’s review, to continue with Hammer’s Dracula franchise, and give Dracula: Prince of Darkness a look! Now, this film is actually a continuation from the first film (Horror of Dracula in the U.S.), and keeps the ball rolling with the greatest Count Dracula- Christopher Lee! He reprises his role as the venomous vampire, and really cranked up the crazy in this film! It’s definitely one of my favorites in the sub-genre of vampire films! Well, without further delay, here we go!

The film begins showing stock footage of Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) killing off Dracula from the first film (to get you back on track after The Brides of Dracula). Next, a funeral procession is moving through the forest, and seems to be ready to do something terrible to a girl that has just died. As they are about to put a stake through her heart, a monk, Father Sandor, (Andrew Keir) is passing by, and whips out a hunting rifle, and puts a shot near them, stopping them from staking the corpse. He tells them that they’re fools, and they explain that they cannot take any chances with suspicious deaths. He again calls them idiots, and orders them to bury her in the church yard.

In the following scene, the local tavern is bustling with patrons, and four of them specifically are spotlighted. These four travelers are having a good time, all except Helen (Barbara Shelley). She thinks that her brother in-law, Charles Kent (Francis Matthews), is being foolish with his money by buying drinks for everyone at the bar. They disagree about the subject, but as they are about to leave, the door swings open, and Father Sandor (image below of Andrew Keir & Francis Matthews) steps inside. He greets the travelers, but scoffs at the locals for having garlic to “keep out the boogeyman”. The locals seem like they couldn’t care less, and keep pounding down the ale. Father Sandor asks them to come visit the monastery when they travel his way, but warns them about their next destination. He tells them that evil abounds there and that they should avoid it altogether.

The next morning, the foursome is taking a carriage ride to their next stop, in Carlsbad. Once it nears sunset though, the driver stops, and orders them to get off of the carriage. They do, but can;t understand why he has asks this of them. He drives off after telling them he’ll be back in the morning. As they quibble about what to do, another carriage, all black, pulls up to them. It has no driver, and this scares Helen, but Diana (Susan Farmer), Alan (Charles Tingwell), and Charles all agree they should use the carriage to get to Carlsbad. Once in the carriage though, it takes off and wont follow the instructions of the driver. It arrives moments later at a less than auspicious castle in the hills.

Once they decide to go inside, which is against the warning s of Helen, they are not greeted by anyone, and can find not a single soul at home. The dinner table is set for a meal though, and all the candles are burning. The men go upstairs to search for someone, and as they do the ladies are shocked to see the shadow of an odd man coming towards them. They shriek in terror, but when the men come back downstairs, they all realize that it’s just a servant. The man identifies himself as “Klove” (Philip Latham), and tells them that his master always has a table and rooms waiting should any passersby need help. Helen is irked by Klove and the house, but the others think she’s being a wuss. Klove tells them about his former master, Count Dracula, and how great of a guy he was back in the day. After a nice meal, they retire upstairs for the night.

As the two couples are bedding down for the night, Helen still has an uneasy feeling about the situation. Everyone goes to sleep, and Helen cries out, thinking someone has called her. Alan tells her she’s been dreaming, but then he hears something in the hallway. As he peeks out, he sees Klove, dragging a trunk through the hall to a room. As he leaves to investigate, he follows Klove into a lower level. As he sees a coffin placed in the middle of a room, Klove pops out from behind him, and stabs him to death. Klove then hoists the corpse over the coffin, which we can now see is full of ashes, and slits Alan’s throat, spilling the blood all over the ashes. As the ashes turn to smoke, then to an eerie fog, we get a feeling of dread. As the fog clears, we see Count Dracula, reborn! Before he can even get his bearings, Helen, who has gone looking for her husband, reaches the lower chamber. Before she knows what’s going on, she’s hypnotized by the gaze of the Count! He then moves in for the kill.

After this wild night, Diana and Charles are befuddled by their missing family members. Charles searches for them diligently, but cannot find any trace of them. Charles takes Diana to a nearby woodcutter’s shack, and returns to the castle to look for them again, and more in-depth. A while after he’s left, Klove pulls in with the carriage and tells Diana that Charles asked for him to come and get her. Meanwhile, Charles has discovered his brother Alan’s dead body. Klove then returns to the house with Diana, and Helen, who’s now a vampire, attempts to bite Diana, but is interrupted by Dracula! He hisses at Helen and grabs Diana, but Charles shows up, and fights them. Diana then uses the cross to send them packing for now.

Charles and Diana then make for the monastery where Father Sandor lives, and tell him the horrible story. He agrees to help them fight Dracula and his minions, but first they must fight off an attack on the monastery itself! Can they defeat the Prince of Darkness? Or will they become part of his undead army?!?

OK, here are my thoughts:

If you love vampire/Dracula films from back in the day, you’ll love this flick. Lee gives a chilling performance in this one, and his lack of dialogue doesn’t hinder the creepiness of his character. After the second film not having Lee in it, this was a great return for him, as the previous vampire (David Peel) was also pretty good. Barbara Shelley was also quite good in this film, adding the “nagging wife”, but also giving the movie some of that eeriness by being so frightened. Her performance was very believable.

Another fine role was that of Klove. He was supremely weird and creepy, giving us all something to shudder about! I think the best acting role was by Andrew Keir (Father Sandor). He was hilarious when the need was there, but also very serious and tough as nails as well! A scene where he had to clear up a vampire bite on Diana’s wrist. He holds a scolding hot lamp on it, and then stakes a vampire through the heart later in the movie!

Overall, I’d give this one high marks for the roles, and for the music score too. James Bernard is probably the best Hammer composer of all time, and rightly so should he be labeled. Always thunderous, and oft his music sets an ominous tone for the entirety of the films he composes! Kudos to the regular gang of people as well that also were involved -Jimmy Sangster, Anthony Hinds, Anthony Nelson Keys, Terence Fisher, etc. Get out there and grab this flick, it doesn’t disappoint!

Marvel’s Unsung Heroes! -Don Heck!

Posted on April 19, 2014 by billyd75

Back in the very early days of Marvel Comics, there were only a couple of employees, and a few “work for hire” guys. We know of Lee, Kirby, and Ditko, but there was another face that was there from beginning as well. His name is Don Heck, and this man is responsible for co-creating many of our favorite characters (Hawkeye, Black Widow, The Mandarin, Iron Man, Wonder Man, Count Nefaria, The Swordsman, The Collector, Living Laser, Black Goliath, and Mantis)…yeah, you get the point. If not for his work the movies that now dazzle us a couple of times a year, would be less inviting, for sure.

His work on the Avengers really stands out for me personally, but not to be missed are his renditions of Dracula and Dr. Strange, too! Don passed away in 1995, from lung cancer. He may be gone, but his magnificent work lives on! I mean, who else could draw Morbius tossing a crab into the ocean or Dracula fighting a giant heart? So, here’s to you, Don Heck, may your work live on forever!

Marvel’s Unsung Heroes! -Dan Adkins!

Posted on April 16, 2014 by billyd75

If you haven’t already figured it out, I’m a HUGE fan of Dr. Strange, and of course, love most of the artists that have drawn him over the years. One of the guys that has drawn him once in a while, but never seems to get any mention, is Dan Adkins (RIP). This guy did a lot of inking work in comics, but not a ton of work for Marvel specifically. That said, I believe he deserves to be applauded for his work in the Marvel Universe!

Dan passed away in 2013 unfortunately, but his great pencils and inks live on in the back issue bins! So get ready, and strap on your seat belt, because it’s going to be a trippy ride! From Dr. Strange to Ka-Zar, the next few images will blow your mind!

Cinema Sunday: The Brides of Dracula (1960)

Posted on April 13, 2014 by billyd75

Title: The Brides of Dracula

Distributor: Universal Pictures (Hammer Studios)

Writers: Peter Bryan, Edward Percy, Jimmy Sangster, Anthony Hinds

Director: Terence Fisher

Producer: Anthony Hinds

Starring: Peter Cushing, Martita Hunt, David Peel, Yvonne Monlaur, Michael Ripper

Released: July 7th, 1960

MPAA: Unrated

In this second installment of the Dracula/vampire franchise, Hammer threw a bit of a curve-ball at its audience. You see, “Dracula”, doesn’t appear in this film at all, and the absence of Christopher Lee was something that would be disconcerting normally, but this film rises above that fear. David Peel makes a fantastic vampire, that’s both creepy and demonstrative. He, along with horror stalwart, Peter Cushing, put on a performance that ranks right up there with any Hammer film, or horror film for that matter. Lets get to the story!

The film opens with a narrator exclaiming that Dracula is dead, but that Transylvania is still full of magical and mystical entities. We next see a beautiful woman, Marianne (Yvonne Monlaur), as she’s making her way via coach to the Lange School for girls, to take a position as a teacher. The coach stops st the Running Boar Inn for some food and rest for the horses. The owners greet Marianne, but are wary that she’s traveling alone. The coach then inexplicably leaves without her, and she’s stranded. Suddenly, as the owners are panicking to find a way to get her out-of-town tonight, there’s a knock at the door. An old woman enters, and the owners are very frightened. The old woman (Martita Hunt), invites Marianne to come and dine with her, and after some coaxing, Marianne agrees to be her guest for the night, and head to her new job in the morning.

Once they arrive at the Baroness Meinster’s castle, Marianne is readying herself for dinner, and she notices a young man in one of the other rooms. She questions the housekeeper, Greta (Freda Jackson), about him, and she blows her off about the subject. During supper, Marianne asks the Baroness about the man, and she tells her that he’s her son, but that he’s insane, and so he’s locked up. After the meal, Marianne once again retreats to the balcony, and she sees that same young man, and it seems as though he might jump off the balcony to kill himself. She shouts to him, and then runs to his room. He greets her, and asks her to come closer, and then she notices the reason he cannot come to her, is because he’s chained to the room. He convinces her that he is the Baron Meinster (David Peel), and the rightful heir to the castle and fortune, but his mother is evil, and keeps him locked up to keep the money to herself. He also convinces her to sneak into his mother’s room, and steal the key to open his bonds. She does it and then the Baroness confronts her, but the Baron Meinster is now loose, and he commands his mother to follow him into another room, while Marianne packs her things.

As Marianne is getting ready, she hears Greta raving in another room. She asks her why she’s going crazy, and she tells him that the Baron isn’t mad, but that he’s dangerous, and basically a killer. Greta then shows Marianne the corpse of the Baroness, and this freaks her out, and she runs off into the forest. A carriage comes by the young woman, as she lays unconscious in the forest. This is when we see Doctor Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), and his coachman. They revive her from her sleep, and take her back to the Inn in town. Meanwhile, there’s a funeral going on in the parlor, and Van Helsing goes in to investigate. He notices two bite marks on the girl’s neck, and he realizes that it was the work of a vampire.

Next, Van Helsing takes Marianne to her new job, across the way in the next village. They enter, and meet Herr Lang (Henry Oscar), and his wife (Mona Washbourne). He’s quite upset by her lateness, but Van Helsing calms him down. The good doctor next meets the man who called him to the area, Father Stepnik. The two discuss a plan to wipe out this plague, and make ready for this evenings festivities. As the sun sets, the recently killed girl rises from her grave, and we see that Greta is the daytime servant to her and Baron Meinster. As the new vampire is rising from the grave, Father Stepnik and Van Helsing try to stop the two of them. They didn’t count on a giant bat (Baron Meinster) swooping in and attacking them though! Van Helsing scares it off with a cross, and then he heads to the Meinster castle. Once inside, he meets the now undead Baroness, but before he can do anything, he’s accosted by the Baron Meinster himself! A quick tussle, and the Baron gets away, but then Van Helsing puts the Baroness in her final resting place.

Van Helsing must somehow find where the Baron is hiding, and try to protect the townspeople too! Can he do it? C’mon, it’s Peter Cushing we’re talking about here! In the end, it will come down to an all out brawl between Van Helsing, Baron Meinster, his two brides, and Greta!

OK, here are my thoughts:

Listen, even though this flick doesn’t have Lee in it, it is still top-notch. David Peel makes a great vampire, and Cushing is his usual awesome self! Cushing really shows how much of a bad mamma jamma he is in this film. Jumping around like a grasshopper, fighting Peel, and his brides! Another great performance from Cushing and he and Peel definitely play off of each other quite well.

The older couple that own the school are hilarious, and add a lot of energy to the film. The moment when Baron Meinster meets the two of them is classic, and you couldn’t ask for a more comical scene. A quick scene with Michael Ripper adds his coolness to the film, and the other doctor, portrayed by Miles Malleson, another Hammer regular, is the icing on top of the cake!

A fantastic musical score, great cinematography, and the usual incredible production and directing crew, round out this very watchable film that somehow gets lost in the pile for non-Hammer fans. Believe me when I say, that this movie can hold its own against any other of its generation and genre.

Marvel’s Unsung Heroes! -Don Perlin!

Posted on April 13, 2014 by billyd75

This is one post I’ve been looking forward to for a while now, and it’s about time I got around to spotlighting one of the creators that has always had me glued to the panels of comic books! His name is ‘Dandy’ Don Perlin, and I’ve never met him in person, but I have had contact with him on social media, and he’s nothing short of a gentleman! He has some of the most unique pencils I’ve ever seen (I can easily spot his Werewolf by Night!), and some very eerie stuff as well from early in his career (as you’ll see in the first set of images below). This artist has been a contributor in the comic book industry for over forty years! His place in the comic book community cannot be denied, and co-creating Moon Knight, is certainly proof of that fact!

Oh, and just a quick side note -Don Perlin is responsible for the best comic page in history, just to set the record straight (5th image down from the top). Whether it was Joe Sinnott, Pablo Marcos, or Vince Colletta inking, the consistency of his artwork is on a solid level! So, here’s to you, Don Perlin, thanks for your tireless efforts to the comic book industry over the decades!