Son of Classic Horror Films (50s & 60s)

[Abin Surly]

Since the Pre-50s Classic Horror Films thread seemed to be doing so well, I thought we'd have another to include all of the 50s' strangeness as well as the classic Hammer studio oevre and things produced by directors like Mario Bava, Roger Corman, Jesus Franco and the like.

At least Moose thought it was a good idea, so if no one else shows up, I'll blame it on him...LOL.

First up: a couple of late 50s films, both involving creatures released from the Earth by tectonic movement;

TCM showed this last Saturday (you know...Rapture Day...LOL);





Tim Holt must have been channelling Joe Friday for this one. The monster actually didn't look half-bad considering the times and the budget. I just remember as a kid seeing this that I wished that they'd got Ray Harryhausen involved.



This scene does not appear in the movie...It's a still shot used as reference for the poster illustration.





Spielberg did not invent "Children in Peril".

And then there's this one that I watched in its entirety on YouTube today. I have not seen this film since I was about ten years old. Its basically an Italian version of The Blob with Mayan mythology, a little bit of voodoo and without the teen angst. Allegedly, Mario Bava (one of Tarrentino's heroes) was 'allowed' by the 'nominal' director to direct most of the film (uncredited, of course).





The Italians were not as squeamish about viscera back then.

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

The much anticipated sequel! Finally a place for Hammer films, Creature From The Black Lagoon, The Thing From Another World, Them!, Collossal Man, and so many other great films!

[Abin Surly]

Originally Posted by Dave Cormier

The much anticipated sequel! Finally a place for Hammer films, Creature From The Black Lagoon, The Thing From Another World, Them!, Collossal Man, and so many other great films!

Tor needed a home.

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by Dave Cormier

The much anticipated sequel! Finally a place for Hammer films, Creature From The Black Lagoon, The Thing From Another World, Them!, Collossal Man, and so many other great films!

I've always found it hard to place Gilly in a certain genre; he is definitely part of the classic monsters lineup, but it was so many years later that he came out that it was truly a different time period.

Ok, I want some honest opinions on "The Creature Walks Among Us"....it is my favorite Gilly movie. It didn't have the fluff and grandeur of the first (which I also like very much) but I think it captured that initial feeling of empathy and sadness for a creature that just wanted to be left alone. What do you guys think?

[Big Daddy Dave Skywalker]

I think TCWAU is definately overlooked. It doesn't have the iconic value of the first movie, and not even the second one, which didn't stray too far from what worked in the first. The whole thing with them opperating on the Gillman to make him more human makes you a lot more symathetic, he's closer to a person than the monster he was before. And the ending is really sad.

Just goes to show that man shouldn't try to play God!

[Abin Surly]

Originally Posted by Moose

I've always found it hard to place Gilly in a certain genre; he is definitely part of the classic monsters lineup, but it was so many years later that he came out that it was truly a different time period.

Ok, I want some honest opinions on "The Creature Walks Among Us"....it is my favorite Gilly movie. It didn't have the fluff and grandeur of the first (which I also like very much) but I think it captured that initial feeling of empathy and sadness for a creature that just wanted to be left alone. What do you guys think?

Gill has always been a tough one to 'pigeon-hole'...he looks alien, but he's terrestrial...he's human-shaped, but he's a fish...he's an Universal 'creature' but he's not 'goth' and he's from the decade of sci-fi...all of the others (Frankenstein, Dracula, Wolfman, The Mummy, the Invisible Man, Jekyll and Hyde, Phantom of the Opera, Quasimodo) were either human or had at least been human at some point...but we all love Gill and welcome him with open arms (or talons, or tentacles, what have you) on either thread.

I've been meaning to get the Universal box set of CBL for quite some time now but I seem to get derailed by requests for new Disney DVDs for the kids or stuff that my lovely wife needs for work. I would have to say that I've always, even in the first film, found Gill both extremely cool looking, and very sympathetic. He was minding his own business in the Black Lagoon. He didn't ask any of those humans to come mess with him. He was obviously glad when Ms. Adams showed up, but, well, we all know how that turned out.



As far as the third film goes, I can remember being dissappointed as a kid by the fact that after the beginning, he looks completely different...it was more like he had become The Invalid from the Black Lagoon. But, like I said, I was a kid then...what the hell did I know. But I really need to get my hands on these before I make any kind of educated comment (although, as you can see, that hasn't stopped me yet.)

[Abin Surly]

Here's another quandary...a Dracula movie set in Small-Anytown, USA...some scenes in cemetaries that are about as non-gothic as you can get (like Forest Lawn shot with a day-for-night filter, or not).



There's more 'skin' in this poster than anywhere in the actual movie.

[Abin Surly]

This was a toy made by Marx (believe it or not). Considering the title of this thread, what does this remind y'all of (Wizard of Oz and Lord of the Rings doesn't count).

[Abin Surly]

I just watched a very strange late Hammer film made in 1970. They were by this time trying to 'resurrect' their formula by adding more blood and skin. Certainly not up to the standards of the early Hammer films. Not even really soft-core except for a couple of short scenes (although it was probably seen that way at the time of its release).



Some screen captures, just to give y'all an idea of the 'look' of the film. Our "no nipple" policy does not allow me to post most of the images that came up in the Google search.

[Abin Surly]

Today's feature certainly 'looked' like a Hammer film, but then it also looked like a Jesus Franco movie for that matter. The cinematography has that late 60s - early 70s made-for-British-television look to it.

"[The director] Larraz admitting he had no interest in logical story telling, and Larraz comparing his script to Bukowski’s novels."

Yup.

I'll be heading back to "real" Hammer films from now on.

[Abin Surly]

Originally Posted by Abin Surly

This was a toy made by Marx (believe it or not). Considering the title of this thread, what does this remind y'all of (Wizard of Oz and Lord of the Rings doesn't count).

ANSWER (if anyone cares):

[Abin Surly]

[Abin Surly]

[Abin Surly]

I figured 'Gil' needed to be here on this thread, too. He's sort of the 'bridge' between the gothic 30s and 40s classic monsters and the more sci-fi monsters of the 50s.

[Space Cop]

Sorry I missed on the birth of this thread while on vaca. I love this time period of monster/horror/alien movies.

Given the success of last October's Drac/Frank double feature I'm hoping to do a 50s version this October for my church film club. My current thought is Invasion of the Body Snatchers (for aliens and Red Scare flix) and Them (for atomic mishap flix). However, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Thing from Another World, and The Blob have been bandied about too.

BTW: Lust for a Vampire was definitely different for Hammer. I think for it's day it would've border on soft core if you just think of the percentage of the film with some nudity in it.

[Abin Surly]

Originally Posted by Space Cop

Sorry I missed on the birth of this thread while on vaca. I love this time period of monster/horror/alien movies.
Given the success of last October's Drac/Frank double feature I'm hoping to do a 50s version this October for my church film club. My current thought is Invasion of the Body Snatchers (for aliens and Red Scare flix) and Them (for atomic mishap flix). However, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Thing from Another World, and The Blob have been bandied about too.
BTW: Lust for a Vampire was definitely different for Hammer. I think for it's day it would've border on soft core if you just think of the percentage of the film with some nudity in it.

Yeah, we've missed ya...But you got to see real wolves!

It's nice that you've got a venue with an audience for these classics. I know the first time I saw Ray Harryhausen's Seventh Voyage of Sinbad was when I was in the second grade and going to a catholic school (which now sort of strikes me as odd considering the subject matter). Full blown big screen in the big hall, noisy projector and all.

An interesting double feature might The Incredible Shrinking Man and The Amazing Colossal Man (just suggestions)...Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman might be a bit tawdry for a church group. lol

Lust for a Vampire was kind of Hammer heading for their 'last hurrah'...they were always known for their buxom vixen vampires and felt that they needed to change with the times to keep there box office numbers up (no pun intended). They couldn't really compete with the Hammer 'clones'...like stuff that Jess Franco was doing (although his Count Dracula was probably closer than any other movie to Stoker's novel).

[Abin Surly]

[Abin Surly]

All part of our John Agar film festival. lol



The 'Researcher' is actually the one that created the damn thing...and you should probably try to escape wearing more than flimsy lingerie.



Future Uber-celebrity sighting.

[Space Cop]

Originally Posted by Abin Surly

An interesting double feature might The Incredible Shrinking Man and The Amazing Colossal Man (just suggestions)...Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman might be a bit tawdry for a church group. lol

I haven't seen The Amazing Colossal Man yet (except bits in shows). Gotta work on that.

[Abin Surly]

Originally Posted by Space Cop

I haven't seen The Amazing Colossal Man yet...

Just kidding...But ya better hurry...you'll have a sequel and another 'sorta' sequel to get through.

[Space Cop]

Not on Netflix, so I'll have to do YouTube or something.

[Abin Surly]

Originally Posted by Space Cop

Not on Netflix, so I'll have to do YouTube or something.

That was how I got to see Calitiki again. Netflix is starting to piss me off now that they've almost got a monopoly on the 'strange and unusual'...at least a quarter of my recent rentals have been cracked or scratched to the point of being unplayable. On the bright side, I have been watching some of their stuff streaming, especially the stuff they don't have for DVD rental.

[Space Cop]

This was different. Really a horror-comedy, which was unusual for '64. Also a kind of predecessor to Texas Chainsaw Massacre; House of 1,000 Corpses; and other maniac family movies.
I like Chaney's performance a lot.
And Sid Haig I've met.

[Abin Surly]

Originally Posted by Space Cop

This was different. Really a horror-comedy, which was unusual for '64. Also a kind of predecessor to Texas Chainsaw Massacre; House of 1,000 Corpses; and other maniac family movies. I like Chaney's performance a lot. And Sid Haig I've met.

This one is such a gem. I bet John Waters wishes he had made it.
Mr. Chaney was just incredible in this...and he sings the theme song!

Sid Haig??? COOL!!!!

[Space Cop]

Originally Posted by Abin Surly

This one is such a gem. I bet John Waters wishes he had made it.
Mr. Chaney was just incredible in this...and he sings the theme song!

Sid Haig??? COOL!!!!

Yeah, but I had him sign a photo from House of 1000 Corpses. He's been in a bunch of stuff though (including Diamonds Are Forever).