The Silver Screen Oasis

TikiSoo wrote: ↑February 4th, 2023, 9:10 am Funny you should mention that. In another thread I was talking about Bollywood Horror. I said, "You've never seen a Vampire movie until you've seen one with song & dance numbers"

Based on the clip that you provided, TikiSoo, that is a blessing rather than a deprivation, as far as I'm concerned.

Bollywood cinema is not my cup of Darjeeling . . . as isn't Indian culture in general.

More to my taste are the following songs enhancing The Monster Club.

EP Millstone wrote: ↑February 4th, 2023, 5:21 pm

Swithin wrote: ↑February 2nd, 2023, 9:52 pm . . . I love the musical scenes in horror films, my favorite being Ann Codee as Tante Berthe singing "Hey You" at the top of The Mummy's Curse.

If you love Ann's performance in The Mummy's Curse, I suspect that you also enjoy "Faro-la Faro-li" performed by Adia Kuznetzoff in Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman.

I love that operetta. I particularly like the way it's integrated into the script/plot, leading to Talbot's reaction.

Another favorite song from a horror film is Evelyn Ankers (dubbed) rendition of "I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls" in The Mad Ghoul (1943).

soooo...they can't find ANY more cheap**** horror flicks
they gotta rif an Astaire classic?!
(not my fav of his films....but GEEZ!)

OMIGOD I sure would like to see someone beat the krill out of Sventoonie - what a loser concept.

Last night's broadcast of KILLER CLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE '88 was my first viewing! It was fairly entertaining, but mostly just a "chase" movie.

The Killer Clowns were not very scary, they were just guys dressed up in costume. Something about the baggy costumes, the structural wire bouncing as they waddled towards their prey took some of the fear & dread out of the equation.
The Clown faces were kind of scary close up with ugly sharp teeth and human-ish eyes. After seeing how they eat, you wonder what they needed those sharp teeth for? I did like the cotton candy "cocoon" element of the story and all the other references to "clown" stereotypes like balloon folding.

But mostly, this movie was just a simple exploitation of the horror genre geared towards teens in the 80's. The charactors clothing & set design were steeped in New Wave neon colors & patterns and I never got a sense of fear or dread. Not even when a charactor is held in the air by the hand of a giant marionette Clown, King Kong style.



I did love the heroine's poodle hair & beige ragamuffin dresses although cannot find ONE good photo to illustrate her cuteness-



As you can see by the photos there was nothing scary here but it was still fun seeing a movie I hadn't seen before!

TikiSoo wrote: ↑February 12th, 2023, 6:11 am . . . Last night's broadcast of KILLER CLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE '88 was my first viewing! It was fairly entertaining, but mostly just a "chase" movie.

The only good thing about Killer Klowns from Outer Space, as far as I'm concerned, is the title song by The Dickies.

EP Millstone wrote: ↑February 12th, 2023, 7:11 pm The only good thing about Killer Klowns from Outer Space, as far as I'm concerned, is the title song

Haha Thanks for that video!
I was a hard core punk rocker in the 80's and had only disdain for most pop & Disco they seemed air headed. Now that I'm older, I have much greater appreciation of it as simply lighthearted & fun music.

Well I watched last night...



...and recognized it enough to know I had seen it as a kid. This is a movie that's better watched with Svengoolie interruptions - to keep your interest through distraction!

This movie's effects are embarrassingly bad, far worse than any Godzilla movie. There is no story and the acting is terrible. Not even worth watching for Russ Tamblyn who gave a most obviously resentful performance.

This movie illustrates exactly that an actor's performance is directly tied to his/her THOUGHTS. Like Garbo's famous last scene in Queen Christina where she stares off (instructed to) "think of nothing-the audience will fill in the blanks."

I have actually used this technique and people always "see" whatever I'm thinking - I'm no actor, so it must be just the way humans subconsciously communicate. And Tamblyn was not only unengaged but behaved annoyed speaking with tight lips & zero connection with his fellow actors.

Sure, acting in that movie must have been an embarrassment, but movies are forever. Some A list actors in F grade disasters have elevated the movie solely by their performance.

Maybe I disliked Svengoolie after seeing 2 hours of really fun Stooges beforehand.
Most notable among the couple of classic Hitler spoof shorts were '52's HE COOKED HIS GOOSE with the Stooges playing adversaries instead of a trio in the most unbelievable scenario: Larry is the ladies man that's fooling around with Moe & Shemp's girls!
(I heard the phrase "clumsy ox" from this short and used it throughout my childhood)

But the real standout was '58's SWEET & HOT with Joe Besser & Muriel Landers. Seems like I'm the only one who likes Joe Besser - finding him engaging & funny. He actually did a very charming song & tap dance in this.

But Muriel Landers as Besser's sister was a total treasur...such fun to see & hear her sing in a Stooges short!

This month on Svengoolie...

3/4: The Curse of the Werewolf (1961) w/ Clifford Evans, Oliver Reed, Yvonne Romain and Catherine Feller. And directed by Terence Fisher.

3/11: Island of Lost Souls (1932) w/ Charles Laughton, Bela Lugosi, Richard Arlen, Leila Hyams and Kathleen Burke. And directed by Erle C. Kenton.

3/18: Konga (1961) w/ Michael Gough, Margo Johns, Jess Conrad and Claire Gordon.

3/25: Blood of Dracula (1957) w/ Sandra Harrison, Louise Lewis, Gail Ganley and Jerry Blaine.

...and not an Oscar nominee in the bunch!

I'm pretty sure Konga was up for best gorilla picture.

LawrenceA wrote: ↑March 1st, 2023, 8:08 pm I'm pretty sure Konga was up for best gorilla picture.

You're thinking of Kongo (1932).

LawrenceA wrote: ↑March 1st, 2023, 8:08 pm I'm pretty sure Konga was up for best gorilla picture.

Not quite!

Konga was up for Best Music.

Synopsis: Inspired by The Pied Piper of Hamelin, this 1940 Horror-Musical is about a crazed Cuban Conga drum player who uses his evil power to drive people mad. Unfortunately, it lost to Pinocchio.

Trivia: The stylized spelling of the title was a typographical error that was too costly to fix.

I think I prefer Roz and the Brazilian sailors.