CREEPY ARCHIVES VOLUME 1 is Coming!

Posted on by

When I was a kid I’d sometimes get to read a Creepy magazine.  Creepy contained, well, let’s just go to the synopsis…

Gather your wooden stakes, silver bullets, and the skeletons in your closet, and prepare for a descent into horror and science-fiction history with Creepy Archives Volume 1!

Reanimated in all its gruesome glory in a value-priced paperback format, and in its original magazine size, this terrifying tome presents some of the finest work by comics legends Archie Goodwin, Frank Frazetta, Al Williamson, Reed Crandall, Alex Toth, Joe Orlando, Gray Morrow, and more. Collects Creepy magazine issues #1–#5 and includes original letters pages, text features, and ads.

I love that the reprint will contain the original ads, letters pages, etc.  It goes without saying when you have artists like Frazetta, Toth and Williamson that they are worth the price of admission.  I think I’m gonna have to get this.  Pre-Orders are available now.

Creepy Archives Volume 1

“Cactus Makes Perfect” (1942) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

Posted on by

Cactus Makes Perfect (1942)

Director:  Del Lord

Screenplay: Elwood Ullman, Monte Collins

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Ernie Adams and Vernon Dent

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

The boys (Moe, Larry and Curly) are brothers out to make their fortune.  They buy a bogus gold mine map and end up finding gold. Little do the Stooges know, two crooks are waiting to rob them!

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Catus Makes Perfect is a fairly generic Stooges short.  Still any outing with Curly is worth a look!

Cactus Makes Perfect earns 3 of 5 stars.

Is This the Best Curt Swan Superman Drawing Ever?

Posted on by

Is this the best Curt Swan Superman drawing ever?  It gets my vote!

Curt Swan first drew Superman in 1948.  After that he drew most every comic in the Superman “family” (Superman, Superboy, World’s Finest, Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen, etc.).  In the 1960s, Swan’s Superman became “the” definitive model for the character.

Art Source: Colin Smith.

IT DIES WITH YOU by Scott Blackburn – For You or Someone You Love!

Posted on by

I’ve been hearing a lot of great things about It Dies With You by Scott Blackburn.  Here’s the synopsis…

Scott Blackburn’s searing literary debut explores the dangerous world of secrets threatening to upend a rural Southern town, perfect for fans of David Joy and Brian Panowich.

For nearly a decade, twenty-nine-year-old Hudson Miller has made his living in the boxing ring, but a post-fight brawl threatens to derail his career. Desperate for money, Hudson takes a gig as a bouncer at a dive bar. That’s when life delivers him another hook to the jaw: his estranged father, Leland, has been murdered in what appears to be a robbery-gone-bad at his salvage yard, Miller’s Pull-a-Part.

Soon after his father’s funeral, Hudson learns he’s inherited the salvage yard, and he returns to his Bible-belt hometown of Flint Creek, North Carolina, to run the business. But the business is far more than junk cars and scrap metal. It was the site of an illegal gun-running ring. And the secrets don’t end there; a grisly discovery is made at the yard that thrusts Hudson into the fight of his life.

Reeling for answers, Hudson joins forces with his father’s former employee, 71-year-old, beer-guzzling Vietnam vet Charlie Shoaf, and a feisty teenage girl, Lucy Reyes, who’s fiercely seeking justice for her own family tragedy. With a murderer on the loose and no answers from the local cops, the trio of outcasts launch an investigation. The shocking truth they uncover will shake Flint Creek to its very core.

The It Dies With You lowdown has all of my Spidey-senses tingling so much that it made my Christmas Wish List. (I have it on good authority, I won’t be disappointed.)  If It Dies With You sounds like something you or someone you love would like,  it is available now.

It Dies With You Hardcover

It Dies With You Kindle

“Spooks” (1953) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

Posted on by

Spooks (1953)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay: Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Norma Randall, Philip Van Zandt and Tom Kennedy

Tagline: Hollywood’s First Comedy Featurette in 3-D

The Plot…

The boys (Moe, Larry and Shemp) are private detectives hired to find a kidnapped woman.  The trail leads to a spooky house where the woman is being held hostage by a mad scientist, his hulking assistant, and a gorilla…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

If Spooks reminds you of Dopey Dicks it should. Both contain the same elements: a spooky old mansion full of hidden passages, a mad scientist, his hulking assistant, a woman in distress and the Three Stooges. Spooks kicks it up a notch by adding a gorilla and a release in 3D!

Spooks earns 5 of 5 stars.

“Killer Sally” (2022) / Z-View

Posted on by

Killer Sally (2022)

Director:  Nanette Burstein

Stars: Sally McNeil, John McNeil

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

Sally Dempsey was a talented high school athlete. After graduation she became a marine.  While in the service Sally took up competitive bodybuilding.  That’s when she met Ray McNeil,  Ray was already a bodybuilder on his way to the top.  Sally and Ray were married after dating just a couple of months.

At first they had a great marriage.  Ray made it to the Mr. Olympia competition. Sally was becoming a well-known bodybuilder.  Somewhere along the way, the marriage turned sour.  Then on Valentine’s Day, 1995, Sally called 911 to say she had just killed her husband.

Killer Sally provides background on the case over the course of three episodes.  Was Sally a victim of spousal abuse or a cold-blooded killer?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Killer Sally is an interesting docuseries that could have been told in two episodes.  By stretching it out to three, some of the impact is lost.  The first episode provides background. Even after marriage Ray was a player and abusive.  He’s the bad guy.

In the second episode we learn that Sally was also abusive.  Even worse she had a criminal record for violence!  She had beat up her mailman,  attacked a female bodybuilder at a competition and got into a drunken confrontation with a bouncer (she wouldn’t stop dancing on a table) that led to police intervention.

Making Ray as the total villain in the first episode while holding back all the bad stuff on Sally until the second probably felt like a shocking reveal to the filmmakers.  It just felt a bit cheap to me.

There’s no question that Sally killed Ray.  She claims he was beating her up and she killed him in self-defense.  The facts show Ray was shot twice with a shotgun.  I won’t spoil the verdict, but will say I agreed with the outcome.

Killer Sally earns 3 of 5 stars.

Timothy Dalton is 007 in “Licence to Kill” by Bob Peak!

Posted on by

Bob Peak was a master and one of the greatest movie poster artists of all time.  Above and below are two pieces Mr. Peak did for “Licence to Kill” (1989).  If you don’t remember them being used, well. let’s have Jon Donahue explain…

Late artist Bob Peak’s unused hand painted illustration of Timothy Dalton as #JamesBond in “Licence to Kill” (1989). Unfortunately, the studio went with still photography for the final poster.

Source: Jon Donahue.

“Dopey Dicks” (1950) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

Posted on by

Dopey Dicks (1950)

Director:  Edward Bernds

Screenplay: Elwood Ullman

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Christine McIntyre, Philip Van Zandt and Stanley Price

Tagline: Don’t lose YOUR head howling at the Stooges!

The Plot…

A woman rushes into a detective’s office where janitors (Moe, Larry and Shemp) are cleaning.  She mistakes the boys for detectives. She says she’s being followed.  Moe, Larry and Shemp head into the hall checking in all directions.  When they return to the office, the woman is gone but  a note has been left behind.

The trail leads to a spooky house where the woman is being held hostage by a mad scientist, his hulking assistant, and a headless robot…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Dopey Dicks contains all of the elements needed for a classic Stooges short.  We get a spooky old mansion full of hidden passages, a mad scientist, his hulking assistant, a woman in distress and the Three Stooges.  Dopey Dicks is one of the best!

Dopey Dicks earns 5 of 5 stars.

“If a Body Meets a Body” (1945) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

Posted on by

If a Body Meets a Body (1945)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay: Jack White from a story by Gilbert Pratt

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Theodore Lorch, Fred Kelsey and Al Thompson

Tagline: None.

The Plot…

When Curly is named as a benefactor, the boys show up at the late uncle’s spooky old mansion for a reading of the will.  Instead of a will reading, all of the guests are kept in isolation as Detective Clancy (Kelsey) attempts to determine who murdered Curly’s uncle!  While the boys are kept in a bedroom strange things begin to happen…

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

This same plot was used in The Laurel and Hardy Murder Case. Fred Kelsey played the investigating cop in both!  This is the first short filmed after Curly suffered a stroke.  That’s why Larry and Moe get more individual gags than usual.

If a Body Meets a Body earns 4 of 5 stars.

“Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” (1948) / Z-View

Posted on by

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

Director: Charles Barton  (Walter Lantz directed the animation sequences)

Screenplay: Robert Lees, Frederic I. Rinaldo, John Grant

Stars: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, Glenn Strange, Jane Randolph, Frank Ferguson and Bobby Barber

Tagline: Jeepers! The creepers are after Bud and Lou!

The Plot…

Chick Young (Abbott) and Wilbur Gray (Costello) work at a shipping company.  They receive a call from Larry Talbot (Chaney). Crates scheduled for delivery to McDougal’s House of Horrors contain the real Dracula and Frankenstein monsters!  Unfortunately before Talbot gets them the message, he transforms into a werewolf.  Chick and Wilbur deliver the crates.

When Talbot shows up, he convinces Chick and Wilbur that Dracula and the Frankenstein monster are real! Meanwhile, Dracula plans to place Wilbur’s brain in the monster.  Soon we have Abbott & Costello, Frankenstein, Dracula and the Wolfman in a battle royal with the winners being the audience.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is a perfect example of how horror and comedy can work together seamlessly.  We get Abbott and Costello’s verbal comedy and sight gags.  Costello dealing with a lady who wants her bag from a cart full of luggage is classic.  The Boys’ interactions with the monsters at the castle is priceless.  Having Lugosi recreate his signature role is a plus (and only the second time that Bela Lugosi played Dracula in movies).  Watch, I mean listen for a Vincent Price cameo at the end!  Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is my all-time favorite Abbott and Costello movie and one that I can re-watch anytime.

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein earns 5 of 5 stars.

“The Pale Blue Eye” starring Christian Bale – The Full Trailer is Here!

Posted on by

The teaser for The Pale Blue Eye had me in.  Today we get the trailer.  I’m still in.

West Point, 1830. A world-weary detective is hired to discreetly investigate the gruesome murder of a cadet. Stymied by the cadets’ code of silence, he enlists one of their own to help unravel the case — a young man the world would come to know as Edgar Allan Poe.

The Pale Blue Eye on Netflix, January 6.

“Micro-Phonies” (1945) starring The Three Stooges

Posted on by

Micro-Phonies (1945)

Director:  Edward Bernds

Screenplay: Edward Bernds

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Christine McIntyre, Symona Boniface, Chester Conklin and Theodore Lorch

Tagline: THE DAFFIEST TRIO THAT EVER HIT THE LAUGHWAVES!

The Plot…

Larry, Curly and Moe are radio station janitors. They begin playing with the equipment and lip syncing to records.  As Curly pretends to sing an opera song, Larry and Moe dress him as a woman.  A rich lady enters and believes it is “Señorita Cucaracha” singing and hires her to sing at a dinner party that evening.  The Boys think it’s easy money and show up with Curly in drag and the hidden record.  What could go wrong?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Co-star Christine McIntyre does her actual singing!

Micro-Phonies earns 3 of 5 stars.

RIP: Kirstie Alley

Posted on by

Kirstie Alley, the actress best known for her award-winning role as Rebecca Howe on Cheers, died yesterday at the age of 71.  The cause of death was cancer.

Ms. Alley was born in Wichita, Kansas.  She attended Kansas State University, before dropping out in her sophomore year.  Kirstie Alley then moved to Los Angeles to further her studies in Scientology.  At that time she planned on a career as an interior designer.  After appearing as a contestant on two game shows (Match Game, Password Plus) she considered a career change.

Kirstie Alley’s first two roles were small.  She appeared uncredited as a handmaiden on the short-lived television series Quark.  This was followed by a co-starring role in One More Chance, a student film that was expanded into a feature length film.  Ms. Alley’s big break came when she was cast in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.  Although Kirstie Alley declined to return for Star Trek sequels, she continued acting on television and feature films for the rest of her career.

Some of Kirstie Alley’s television appearances include: The Love Boat; Masquerade (13 episodes); A Bunny’s Tale; North and South: Book 1 (6 spisodes); North and South: Book 2 (6 episodes); The Hitchhiker (2 episodes); Cheers (148 episodes); Wings; The Last Don (3 episodes); The Last Don II (2 episodes); Veronica’s Closet (67 episodes); Fat Actress (7 episodes); The King of Queens; Dancing with the Stars (34 episodes) and Kirstie (12 episodes).

Some of Kirstie Alley’s feature film appearances include: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; Runaway; Shoot to Kill; Look Who’s Talking; Look Who’s Talking Too; Look Who’s Talking Now and Village of the Damned; 

Awards won: 1991 Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical; 1991 People’s Choice for Favorite Female Television Performer; 1998 People’s Choice for Favorite Female Performer in a New Television Series; 1991 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series; 1994 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special.

When I think of Kirstie Alley, I always first remember her role on Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.  She came out of nowhere (or so it seemed) to land a co-starring role in a huge feature film.  Of course most know her from her long award-winning run on Cheers.  Look at her resume and you’ll see she did so much more.  What an amazing career she had.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Kirstie Alley’s family, friends and fans.