I can remember a few what about "the thing with two heads" with ray millian. movie producer roger corman produced a lot of horror flicks too. But ones I like the most where ray harryhausen 3d stop motion pictures jason and the argonauts was my favorite.
Until a couple of years ago,Forrest Ackerman ( octogenarian sci fi buff, and creator of the old Famous Monsters of Filmland mag), opened his house, called the Ackermansion, as a museum of countless props. costumes, artwork, and anything he could get his hands on from genre films. As I roamed around a dark, dusty basement, I found the statue that comes to life in 'Jason and the Argonauts"-the one that they defeat by opening it's ankle to let whatever that stuff was, out. It was maybe a foot high, and shoved in a basement corner, under a pipe. He had so much stuff, that I guess he couldn't find room, but it seemed to me that such a wondrous item from one of my favorite films from my youth, should be given a more honored place.
Forrest is now in his late 80's, and he had to move out of the Ackermansion for health reasons a couple years ago. Much of the stuff was either sold off, or resides in places unknown. I'm glad I got there before it went away.
I concurr with Dan, I fell in love with "The Blob" and Steve McQueen from the first time I saw it when I was 12 years old, we were camping in Yosemite and the Park rangers thought it would be fun to scare all the kids by showing it at night in the outdoor amphitheater.  I've watched it countless times since then, its a genuine classic, even the big blob of strawberry jam looks menacing.
I still remember seeing it as a kid in the old Castamba Theatre in Shelby OH...the theatre scene was a real killer...had everyone looking back and up at the projection booth.
basically the same thing happened at the showing of "The Tingler"...when they said "the Tingler is loose in the theatre...don't run but scream...scream for your lives..." of course screaming was the only thing that could disable the tingler.
I know I had a devil of a time getting to see Mothra. I was on summer vacation with my family, when it was first released, and missed the Saturday matinee at the Stratford theater that specialized in cheap sci fi. I heard it about it when I got home, and was sorry I missed it, having to be content with grainy pics in 'Famous Monsters of Filmland'.
I rushed home one afternoon in 1965, because Mothra was on TV that day, and I was finally going to see it. A few minutes into the movie, the Great Blackout of 1965 hit the east coast, and all went dark.
It was a few years before I saw it on tv-by that time, my critical faculties had sharpened enough to know it was not very good, but I was relieved to get it out of the way in my head.
You had to work back then. With any and everythig at our fingertips now, a lot has been gained, but something has also been lost.
I just finished watching "The Giant Claw", a great 1957 movie about a buzzard from outer space. I love those old movies that used to be on shows like "Creature Features" and "Chiller Theater". I was one of those kids in the 60's who had those Aurora models of the Universal monsters and my stack of "Famous Monsters Of Filmland" magazines. "Gorgo", "The Giant Behemoth" and "The Beast From 20,00 Fathoms" were favorites of mine and I love it that you can find so many of them on DVD these days. Anybody else out there still enjoying those old movies ? What were some of your favorite movies of the genre ?
Great thread – glad I peeked in this forum.
Chiller Theatre and there was also Shock Theatre - hosted by Zacherle, who lived in a crypt with his wife, always called her "My Dear". If memory serves me right she was a brain [or big thing of cauliflower] suspended on a string that would bob around Zacherle. What a wacky TV show host – loved it. He'd cut in during a movie with some wisecrack – like if he was showing The Mummy, he'd but it and quip "this guy is all wrapped up in himself". He sometimes filled in for Dick Clark when American Bandstand had a road show – and he had a nickname The Cool Ghoul. He always reminded me of the Phantom of the Opera
Now if ya wanna talk about a movie that scared the bajeebers out of a six year old kid – I have to mention The H-Man. My older sister took me to see it. Transformed by hydrogen bomb testing, this liquid-shimmering-silhouette-of-a-man oozed around dissolving people as he comes in contact with them – leaving only their hair and clothes. Yikes! He got one lady in the bathtub and then there was a sneak attack on this guy walking down some steps – H-Man just trickled through the steps and up his pant leg.
Needless to say, baths and going to the basement were nixed off my to-do list for weeks. I awoke one night from having a nightmare about the H-Man being right outside my bedroom door. Being kind of shook up now, I felt the urge to take a leak real bad. Not wanting to alert the H-Man of my movements, I sort of whispered towards my parents' room "Mom.. . mom, he's here." No luck – she never heard me. Realizing it was too risky to raise my voice I figured my best option was to pee the bed.
I think it was because of my traumatic H-Man experience I leaned more toward Sci Fi stuff – most aliens back then didn't give me the gosh-awful creeps like H-dude.
A few others I've enjoyed and wanted to mention:
The Thing from Another World [1951]
The Bride of Frankenstein
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Them
They Live [1988] hey, I know it's not an old monster movie classic but this movie is so doggone funny! When I wrote Them it reminded me of They Live; that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
[and don't know if I can include some Sci Fi stuff too, actually like it a little more than monster movies]
Forbidden Planet
Invaders from Mars [somebody mentioned that earlier]
Kronos
I married a Monster from Outer Space [this was was a hoot!]
The Day the Earth Stood Still [1951]
A few of the above were re-made – a thing that bothers me about some remakes, is when they change it so much that if it weren't for the same title you could pass it off as a new movie. Like The Thing [1982] & The Day the Earth Stood Still [2008] both are not bad in themselves – but when compared to the originals they come off worse than what they are. Invasion of the Body Snatchers was done 4 times. The last one, The Invasion [2007] with Nicole Kidman is my least favorite but I find them all enjoyable for the slightly different plot twists. Some originals & remakes I just like because they're both done well – I'm thinking of King Kong [1933] and King Kong [2005]. Although the 2005 is very long I like the great job they did with special effects/computer graphics and the more developed relationships.
Yeah, it's getting close to Halloween and we're about due for watching Young Frankenstein again:
Fredrick: Would you mind telling me whose brain I did put in?
Igor: And you won't be angry?
Fredrick: I will *not* be angry!
Igor: Abby Someone.
Fredrick: Abby Someone. Abby Who?
Igor: Abby Normal.
Fredrick: Abby Normal.
Igor: I'm almost sure that was the name.
[edited before the monsters come back.. . I've said too much already.. . I'm outta here]
Haven't given it much thought - we've got a Halloween party planned for Friday night, a bunch of our daughters' friends; we've done that a couple of years ago; well, actually a couple of ladies who help coordinate some of the sports for kids with special needs does all the planning - we just open up our house as hosts. If it's like last time, we did so much fun stuff didn't need to watch anything.. . But I'm thinking we'll kick back Saturday, hand out candy to trick or treaters, and watch "Young Frankenstein".
I have been in a monster watching mood lately. Went to see "Zombieland" with my son a friend from work and his son. Loved it! Funny movie - although my son & I think "Shawn of the Dead" was funnier. My friend recommended "Dawn of the Dead" - so I've got our UVerse DVR set up to record it. Watched "From Dusk Till Dawn" the other day - weird & funny. I've gotta be careful - this new UVerse DVR thing is so convenient to use. I punch in a movie title and if it's showing in the near future on any channel it brings it up in a selectable menu to record. I could easily drop out of life and spend all my time watching TV if it wasn't for the little detail of needing a steady paycheck.
Which "Dawn Of The Dead" are you watching, the original from the 70's or the remake from a few years ago ? I'm partial to the original.
Hadn't got around to watching it yet - but I recorded the one made in 2004; Googled the title and found one made in 1978 [guess that's the one you're referring to] - well, now I'll have to keep an eye out for that one too [tee hee - a little zombie humor ]
A friend and I have started up a "Creature Features" club where we get together to watch movies. So far we've seen "It Came From Outer Space" and "Tarantula".
It's October, thought I'd bump this up. Tomorrow my friends and I are watching the original "Frankenstein" with Boris Karloff. We plan to go through the whole series, ending with "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein", throwing "Young Frankenstein" in there as well.
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nyunknown
I can remember a few what about "the thing with two heads" with ray millian. movie producer roger corman produced a lot of horror flicks too. But ones I like the most where ray harryhausen 3d stop motion pictures jason and the argonauts was my favorite.
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Raf
total coincidence: Guillermo del Toro is considering a remake of Don't Be Afraid of the Dark.
I'll be first in line to see it! He's the guy who directed Hellboy and Hellboy 2. I believe he's also been tapped to direct The Hobbit
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TOMMYZ
I was amused that my daughter and I were watching "Jason & The Argonauts" right before I saw Nyunknown's post.
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hiway29
Until a couple of years ago,Forrest Ackerman ( octogenarian sci fi buff, and creator of the old Famous Monsters of Filmland mag), opened his house, called the Ackermansion, as a museum of countless props. costumes, artwork, and anything he could get his hands on from genre films. As I roamed around a dark, dusty basement, I found the statue that comes to life in 'Jason and the Argonauts"-the one that they defeat by opening it's ankle to let whatever that stuff was, out. It was maybe a foot high, and shoved in a basement corner, under a pipe. He had so much stuff, that I guess he couldn't find room, but it seemed to me that such a wondrous item from one of my favorite films from my youth, should be given a more honored place.
Forrest is now in his late 80's, and he had to move out of the Ackermansion for health reasons a couple years ago. Much of the stuff was either sold off, or resides in places unknown. I'm glad I got there before it went away.
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TOMMYZ
The Ackermansion must have been something to see. I wish I could have seen it.
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TOMMYZ
Just wanted to bump this up. With Halloween coming up I thought people might get some ideas from here for Halloween viewing.
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Lifted Up
I still remember seeing it as a kid in the old Castamba Theatre in Shelby OH...the theatre scene was a real killer...had everyone looking back and up at the projection booth.
basically the same thing happened at the showing of "The Tingler"...when they said "the Tingler is loose in the theatre...don't run but scream...scream for your lives..." of course screaming was the only thing that could disable the tingler.
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TOMMYZ
I watched "The Blob" this weekend. It's still a good movie. Even though most of the death was offscreen it was still scary.
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TOMMYZ
Hey Raf, finally saw "Blacula". Some of the makeup was cheesy (Dracula bleeding from the eyes, for example) but it still an enjoyable movie.
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waysider
Deity---or Devil?
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hiway29
I know I had a devil of a time getting to see Mothra. I was on summer vacation with my family, when it was first released, and missed the Saturday matinee at the Stratford theater that specialized in cheap sci fi. I heard it about it when I got home, and was sorry I missed it, having to be content with grainy pics in 'Famous Monsters of Filmland'.
I rushed home one afternoon in 1965, because Mothra was on TV that day, and I was finally going to see it. A few minutes into the movie, the Great Blackout of 1965 hit the east coast, and all went dark.
It was a few years before I saw it on tv-by that time, my critical faculties had sharpened enough to know it was not very good, but I was relieved to get it out of the way in my head.
You had to work back then. With any and everythig at our fingertips now, a lot has been gained, but something has also been lost.
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T-Bone
Great thread – glad I peeked in this forum.
Chiller Theatre and there was also Shock Theatre - hosted by Zacherle, who lived in a crypt with his wife, always called her "My Dear". If memory serves me right she was a brain [or big thing of cauliflower] suspended on a string that would bob around Zacherle. What a wacky TV show host – loved it. He'd cut in during a movie with some wisecrack – like if he was showing The Mummy, he'd but it and quip "this guy is all wrapped up in himself". He sometimes filled in for Dick Clark when American Bandstand had a road show – and he had a nickname The Cool Ghoul. He always reminded me of the Phantom of the Opera
http://en.wikipedia....i/John_Zacherle
http://www.tvacres.c...r_zacherley.htm
Now if ya wanna talk about a movie that scared the bajeebers out of a six year old kid – I have to mention The H-Man. My older sister took me to see it. Transformed by hydrogen bomb testing, this liquid-shimmering-silhouette-of-a-man oozed around dissolving people as he comes in contact with them – leaving only their hair and clothes. Yikes! He got one lady in the bathtub and then there was a sneak attack on this guy walking down some steps – H-Man just trickled through the steps and up his pant leg.
Needless to say, baths and going to the basement were nixed off my to-do list for weeks. I awoke one night from having a nightmare about the H-Man being right outside my bedroom door. Being kind of shook up now, I felt the urge to take a leak real bad. Not wanting to alert the H-Man of my movements, I sort of whispered towards my parents' room "Mom.. . mom, he's here." No luck – she never heard me. Realizing it was too risky to raise my voice I figured my best option was to pee the bed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_H-Man
I think it was because of my traumatic H-Man experience I leaned more toward Sci Fi stuff – most aliens back then didn't give me the gosh-awful creeps like H-dude.
A few others I've enjoyed and wanted to mention:
The Thing from Another World [1951]
The Bride of Frankenstein
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Them
They Live [1988] hey, I know it's not an old monster movie classic but this movie is so doggone funny! When I wrote Them it reminded me of They Live; that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
[and don't know if I can include some Sci Fi stuff too, actually like it a little more than monster movies]
Forbidden Planet
Invaders from Mars [somebody mentioned that earlier]
Kronos
I married a Monster from Outer Space [this was was a hoot!]
The Day the Earth Stood Still [1951]
A few of the above were re-made – a thing that bothers me about some remakes, is when they change it so much that if it weren't for the same title you could pass it off as a new movie. Like The Thing [1982] & The Day the Earth Stood Still [2008] both are not bad in themselves – but when compared to the originals they come off worse than what they are. Invasion of the Body Snatchers was done 4 times. The last one, The Invasion [2007] with Nicole Kidman is my least favorite but I find them all enjoyable for the slightly different plot twists. Some originals & remakes I just like because they're both done well – I'm thinking of King Kong [1933] and King Kong [2005]. Although the 2005 is very long I like the great job they did with special effects/computer graphics and the more developed relationships.
Yeah, it's getting close to Halloween and we're about due for watching Young Frankenstein again:
Fredrick: Would you mind telling me whose brain I did put in?
Igor: And you won't be angry?
Fredrick: I will *not* be angry!
Igor: Abby Someone.
Fredrick: Abby Someone. Abby Who?
Igor: Abby Normal.
Fredrick: Abby Normal.
Igor: I'm almost sure that was the name.
[edited before the monsters come back.. . I've said too much already.. . I'm outta here]
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waysider
Cleveland had Ghoulardi
HERE
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TOMMYZ
So what are your plans for Halloween viewing ? I'm going to be watching the Boris Karloff "Frankenstein" movies.
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T-Bone
Haven't given it much thought - we've got a Halloween party planned for Friday night, a bunch of our daughters' friends; we've done that a couple of years ago; well, actually a couple of ladies who help coordinate some of the sports for kids with special needs does all the planning - we just open up our house as hosts. If it's like last time, we did so much fun stuff didn't need to watch anything.. . But I'm thinking we'll kick back Saturday, hand out candy to trick or treaters, and watch "Young Frankenstein".
I have been in a monster watching mood lately. Went to see "Zombieland" with my son a friend from work and his son. Loved it! Funny movie - although my son & I think "Shawn of the Dead" was funnier. My friend recommended "Dawn of the Dead" - so I've got our UVerse DVR set up to record it. Watched "From Dusk Till Dawn" the other day - weird & funny. I've gotta be careful - this new UVerse DVR thing is so convenient to use. I punch in a movie title and if it's showing in the near future on any channel it brings it up in a selectable menu to record. I could easily drop out of life and spend all my time watching TV if it wasn't for the little detail of needing a steady paycheck.
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TOMMYZ
Which "Dawn Of The Dead" are you watching, the original from the 70's or the remake from a few years ago ? I'm partial to the original.
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krys
Be Still My Heart - - - -Maynard G. Krebs......sigh
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T-Bone
Hadn't got around to watching it yet - but I recorded the one made in 2004; Googled the title and found one made in 1978 [guess that's the one you're referring to] - well, now I'll have to keep an eye out for that one too [tee hee - a little zombie humor
]
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TOMMYZ
A friend and I have started up a "Creature Features" club where we get together to watch movies. So far we've seen "It Came From Outer Space" and "Tarantula".
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bulwinkl
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="
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Broken Arrow
The Fall of the House of Usher with Vincent Price...one of the best. Omega Man with Charleton Heston and Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.
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Broken Arrow
In Columbus, that would've been a popular show and fun for the whole family.
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TOMMYZ
It's October, thought I'd bump this up. Tomorrow my friends and I are watching the original "Frankenstein" with Boris Karloff. We plan to go through the whole series, ending with "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein", throwing "Young Frankenstein" in there as well.
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soul searcher
The Crawling Eye (1958) with Forrest Tucker
The Devil's Messenger (1961) with Lon Chaney Jr.
Both are decidedly "B" movies (and somewhat hokey) but they totally creeped me out as a kid.
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