Universal Home Entertainment will be introducing a limited edition 100th Anniversary Collector’s Series featuring some of the aforementioned film restorations on Blu-ray in collectible, book-style packaging showcasing rare movie memorabilia and brand new 10-minute video featurettes. In addition, special collections will be released throughout the year, culminating in the highly anticipated Blu-rayTM releases of Universal’s Classic Monster and Alfred Hitchcock series. A selection of movies that have shaped Universal’s legacy will also be released in commemorative packaging, many of them on Blu-rayTM for the first time ever. Some of the films listed are: Dracula Spanish Dracula Frankenstein Bride of Frankenstein All Quiet on the Western Front Out of Africa The Birds Buck Privates Jaws Schindler’s List Out of Africa Pillow Talk The Sting To Kill a Mockingbird
Elsa Sullivan Lanchester, was born October 28, 1902, and went on to become a very accomplished and successful actress of theatre, film and television. Her most popular and endearing character, The Bride Of Frankenstein, will live on forever in film and horror history, with the iconic image of the Bride with her hair standing on end and the white stripe on the sides, as well as the woman who created her, Mary Shelley (also portrayed by Elsa in the same film.). Elsa had a very long and diverse film career, starring in over 66 films. Elsa passed away on December 26, 1986 of pneumonia at the age of 84. Happy Birthday to the original Bride!
Check out this cool video of clips from The Bride Of Frankenstein, set to Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"!
me with the Bela Lugosi as Dracula wax figure at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, NYC
Born Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó on October 20, 1882, Bela Lugosi went on to become one of the most famous horror film actors in history. Bursting onto the screen as Dracula, Bela was an immediate star. Starring in over 100+ films, Bela has left a legacy behind for future generations to enjoy! As a treat I am posting a very nice fan-made tribute to Bela Lugosi. Happy Birthday Bela!!
(pictured here with Lenore Aubert and Bela Lugosi)
Glenn Strange, born August 16, 1899, was one of Hollywood's hardest working character actors, yet many people will always remember him as the man who filled the Frankenstein monster's shoes after Boris Karloff. Although Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney Jr. both had their opportunities at portraying the Frankenstein monster after Boris Karloff originated the role, no other actor had the success or recognition than Glenn Strange, who went on to portray the monster in HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, HOUSE OF DRACULA, and the wildly popular and hysterical ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN. The bulk of Glenn's career consisted of roles in many Hollywood westerns, always portraying henchmen, gun-slingers and thugs. He mostly played ominous characters, due to his lumbering height of 6'5". He eventually went on to achieve television success on the popluar TV western GUNSMOKE, which starred another Hollywood horror alumni, James Arness. Glenn unfortunately passed away from lung cancer on September 20th, 1973. Of his many roles in Hollywood, Glenn will always be loved by horror fans as the Frankenstein Monster! Happy Birthday Glenn!
Born William Henry Pratt, on November 23rd, 1887, Boris Karloff went on to become the most famous and recognized actors in the horror genre, earning the title "King of Monsters". Although he has performed in over 80 films before starring in the movie that made him a star, Frankenstein (1931), Boris Karloff went on to become a massive success, not only in films, but radio, stage and eventually on television. Boris went on to play such fantastic characters as the Frankenstein monster, The Mummy, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and many many more. I credit Boris Karloff on a personal level as being the reason I got into horror to begin with. As a small child I watched Frankenstein and it forever changed me into the horror fanatic I am today (check out my Boris tattoo in the picture below!). Boris had a magnificent career, which has had a lasting influence on many actors and filmmakers. To read more about Boris' incredible life and career, check out his Wikipedia page. Happy Birthday Boris!!
Ben Chapman, pictured with co-star Julie Adams, in a Halloween newspaper article from Oct. 24, 1953, promoting "The Creature From The Black Lagoon".
Ben Chapman, born October 29, 1928, was best known for playing the out-of-water Creature in the original Universal Studios classic The Creature From The Black Lagoon. Due to his large stature (Ben was 6'5" tall) he was the ideal size for playing the Creature in the land and out of water scenes, leaving all the underwater scenes to be played by Ricou Browning, an experienced underwater diver and stunt man. Ben sadly passed away shortly after midnight on February 21, 2008, from heart problems. Althouh Ben is gone, his Creature will live on forever in our hearts! Happy Birthday Ben!
Elsa Sullivan Lanchester, was born October 28, 1902, and went on to become a very accomplished and successful actress of theatre, film and television. Her most popular and endearing character, The Bride Of Frankenstein, will live on forever in film and horror history, with the iconic image of the Bride with her hair standing on end and the white stripe on the sides, as well as the woman who created her, Mary Shelley (also portrayed by Elsa in the same film.). Elsa had a very long and diverse film career, starring in over 66 films. Elsa passed away on December 26, 1986 of pneumonia at the age of 84. Happy Birthday to the original Bride!
Check out this cool video of clips from The Bride Of Frankenstein, set to Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"!
me with the Bela Lugosi as Dracula wax figure at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, NYC
Born Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó on October 20, 1882, Bela Lugosi went on to become one of the most famous horror film actors in history. Bursting onto the screen as Dracula, Bela was an immediate star. Starring in over 100+ films, Bela has left a legacy behind for future generations to enjoy! As a treat I am posting a very nice fan-made tribute to Bela Lugosi. Happy Birthday Bela!!
I figured today's treat would be a post of the original trailer for The Creature From The Black Lagoon, in honor of the Q&A I will be hosting today at Spooky Empire's Ultimate Horror Weekend. I have the privilege of hosting a Q&A panel with the one and only Ricou Browning, the actor who portrayed The Creature (in all the underwater scenes) not only in the original film, but it both of the sequels as well. If you've never seen this film (shame on you!), you owe it to yourself to watch it, it's definitely a treat for monster movie fans! And if you have seen it, treat yourself to it again! Check out the fantastic scene where the Creature swims unknowingly below Julie Adams in the famous scene, which clearly influenced Steven Spielberg when he filmed the opening scene from JAWS. Enjoy!!
(pictured here with Lenore Aubert and Bela Lugosi)
Glenn Strange, born August 16, 1899, was one of Hollywood's hardest working character actors, yet many people will always remember him as the man who filled the Frankenstein monster's shoes after Boris Karloff. Although Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney Jr. both had their opportunities at portraying the Frankenstein monster after Boris Karloff originated the role, no other actor had the success or recognition than Glenn Strange, who went on to portray the monster in HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, HOUSE OF DRACULA, and the wildly popular and hysterical ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN. The bulk of Glenn's career consisted of roles in many Hollywood westerns, always portraying henchmen, gun-slingers and thugs. He mostly played ominous characters, due to his lumbering height of 6'5". He eventually went on to achieve television success on the popluar TV western GUNSMOKE, which starred another Hollywood horror alumni, James Arness. Glenn unfortunately passed away from lung cancer on September 20th, 1973. Of his many roles in Hollywood, Glenn will always be loved by horror fans as the Frankenstein Monster! Happy Birthday Glenn!
Jack Pierce was born May 5, 1889, and Jack is most famous for his design and creation of the make-up for Universal Studio's Frankenstein, in 1931, starring Boris Karloff. But Jack created many of the famous Universal monster make-ups we're familiar with today, for such films as The Man Who Laughs, The Mummy, starring Boris Karloff, Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi, The Bride of Frankenstein, and The Wolfman, starring Lon Chaney Jr., as well as many others. Jack Pierce left a legacy behind for many fans of classic monster movies, and inspired a slew of fans to become make-up men themselves, such as Rick Baker and Tom Savini. Happy Birthday to the original Monster Maker!!
I usually don't do movie reviews, and I usually keep my opinions of films to myself, since I do realize that everyone has their own tastes, likes and dislikes when it comes to movies, but I thought I'd share this one. I learned long ago that if I were to ever watch a remake, there is no way I could go into it and expect to compare it to the original. I've seen some very bad remakes in my life, and the fact that I compared it to the original film only escalated my dislike for the remake, so now I watch remakes with no expectations and with a fresh approach, as if it were a movie or story I have never seen or heard. With that being said, I watched The Wolfman on Sunday, and I absolutely loved it! Yes, there are many elements of the original 1941 The Wolf Man, starring Lon Chaney Jr. in it, the main story of Lawrence Talbot returning to England, being bitten by a werewolf, and in turn becoming one himself is still intact, but they have added many elements to the story, and the film definitely benefits from it. The movie was beautifully filmed, the cinematography was amazing, and the score written by Danny Elfman (a personal inspiration to me) was fantastic. The cast, Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt and the rest, were great and the acting all around was top notch. I have always been a huge fan of Rick Baker's make-up work (look for his cameo in the film), ever since An American Werewolf In London, and his work on The Wolfman is no exception, it was brilliant! I was expecting to see way too much CGI work, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much traditional make-up was used as opposed to CGI work. Of course the transformation scenes were mostly CGI (as you can see in the trailers) but once the transformations are complete, it's pretty much Benicio in full-on Wolfman make-up. I really loved how they kept the make-up true to Universal tradition, having borrowed from the original Lon Chaney Jr.'s Wolfman as well as Hammer's The Curse Of The Werewolf. I don't want to give too much away, but I truly enjoyed The Wolfman, so much in fact that I would love to see it again! They did a magnificent job with this film, in every aspect..again, this is my opinion, but I do have to say, if you are a fan of the classic Universal horror films and the Hammer films, then you would most likely enjoy The Wolfman! I will warn the faint of heart, it is quite gruesome and bloody at times, so be prepared!
Lon Chaney Jr. was born February 10, 1906, and although he was born to the legendary "man of 1,000 faces", Lon Chaney himself, Lon Jr. managed to make a mark himself as a horror legend. Lon Jr. will always be remembered for his portrayal of Lawrence Talbot in Universal Studio's The Wolfman, but Lon Jr. was no stranger to the screen, having acted in almost 70 films before starring in The Wolfman. Lon went on to portray many other famous hollywood monsters, such as The Son Of Dracula, Kharis the mummy in The Mummy's Tomb, The Mummy's Ghost, The Mummy's Curse, and the Frankenstein monster in The Ghost Of Frankenstein. Lon was also well versed in other genres, having starred in many westerns and dramas. Before starring in The Wolfman, Lon gained alot of attention for his role as Lennie in 1939's Of Mice And Men, co-starring Burgess Meredith. To read about Lon Jr,'s diverse career, check out his Wikipedia page. Happy Howlin' Birthday Lon Jr.!
Who's excited? I know I definitely am! I mean, it's another remake, sure, and who knows if it will be any good (as much as everyone hated Van Helsing, I still found it entertaining, as well as Bram Stoker's Dracula and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein) I guess I am a sucker for anything regarding the classic Universal Studios Monsters. Either way, I plan to see this when it comes out, what do you guys think?
Born William Henry Pratt, on November 23rd, 1887, Boris Karloff went on to become the most famous and recognized actors in the horror genre, earning the title "King of Monsters". Although he has performed in over 80 films before starring in the movie that made him a star, Frankenstein (1931), Boris Karloff went on to become a massive success, not only in films, but radio, stage and eventually on television. Boris went on to play such fantastic characters as the Frankenstein monster, The Mummy, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and many many more. I credit Boris Karloff on a personal level as being the reason I got into horror to begin with. As a small child I watched Frankenstein and it forever changed me into the horror fanatic I am today. Boris had a magnificent career, which has had a lasting influence on many actors and filmmakers.I was fortunate enough to have the pleasure of interviewing the daughter of Boris Karloff, Sara Karloff (pictured above with Boris) at Spooky Empire's Ultimate Horror Weekend last October. She shared some wonderful personal stories about her dad, and it was definitely a great experience for me, being such a huge fan of her father. Below are some pictures from our meeting. To read more about Boris' incredible life and career, check out his Wikipedia page. Happy Birthday Boris!!
There have been many actors who have taken on the role of Count Dracula, but there will always be one name synonymous with the infamous Count, and that is Bela Lugosi. Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó was born October 20th, 1882, in Lugos, just outside the western border or Transylvania (how appropriate!), in what is now Romania. Bela started acting at a young age, in theater, playing many types of diverse roles, from Shakespeare to playing Jesus Christ. Bela eventually made the transition to film, where he acted in many films, building up a massive resume' before eventually landing the role of Dracula. Bela went on to become one of the most famous names in horror. Read all about Bela's fascinating life on his Wikipedia page. Happy birthday to the original Prince of Darkness!
When I was a little boy living in New Jersey, my parents were up late one night and were watching TV so i joined them. Little did I know the movie they were watching would have a strong impact on me and mold me into the person and monster lover I am today...that film was Frankenstein starring Boris Karloff. Now I'm sure any horror fan worth his weight in fake blood has seen this film, and if they haven't, they aren't fit to carry the title of horror movie fan. This is a classic and should be required viewing for anyone who loves monster and horror movies! And of course, if you plan on watching this film, you certainly cannot watch it without following it with The Bride of Frankenstein! If you've never seen these films, by all means treat yourself, and if you have seen them, then treat yourself to them again!
We're a day late, his birthday was May 5th, but nonetheless, I want to wish Jack a happy birthday! Jack is most famous for his design and creation of the make-up for Universal Studio's Frankenstein, in 1931, starring Boris Karloff. But Jack created many of the famous Universal monster make-up back then, for such films as The Man Who Laughs, The Mummy, starring Boris Karloff, Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi, The Bride of Frankenstein, and The Wolfman, starring Lon Chaney Jr., as well as many others. Jack Pierce left a legacy behind for many fans of classic monster movies, and inspired a slew of fans to become make-up men themselves, such as Rick Baker and Tom Savini. Happy Birthday Jack!
Howdy, my name is George Van Orsdel, and I started doing my Monster Spookshow Radio podcast in June of 2008 for fun. They originally started as a collection of songs I put together for my own personal enjoyment on my iPod, covering all genres, Punk, Rockabilly, Psychobilly, Surf, Classic Rock and of course all the great novelty stuff from every decade, but my friends kept asking me to share with them, so I decided I'd just start posting them online. Of course this is strictly a non-profit thing, I don't sell my Spookshows nor do I make any kind of money from it, I do it because I enjoy it and also to share some cool music with other folks. I figured since I spend so much time on these blogspots that I would just create a page of my own for my Spookshows. I hope you guys enjoy my Spookshow Radio as much as I enjoy putting them together! These are here for review purposes only, if you hear something you like, a band you've never heard of or a really cool artist, please buy their music!! Support the artists!!
Happy Haunting!
George Van Orsdel
