Darkman (1990) - Newspaper Ad [San Francisco Examiner]

August 19, 1990

I am pretty sure Darkman is my all time favorite Sam Raimi movie. An almost perfect blending of the operatic angst of the eternally suffering masked super hero with the high energy slapstick of The Three Stooges, covered with just the slightest dusting of gothic horror. I loved this movie just about from frame one. 

Seeing the late Jessie Lawrence Ferguson, who I knew from John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness, kick things off in the small, but nonetheless important, role of Eddie Black warmed my heart. Couple that with my eagle eye spotting director William Lustig in the nearby mob of menacing dock hands and I knew Raimi was not turning his back on the horror franchise that had catapulted him into the Hollywood system.
 

Alien 3 (1992) - Trading Card #64

Weyland-Yutani File No. 120049

Prisoner:    Walter Golic

Offense:    multiple murder and dismemberment, 32 counts; arson, 13 counts

Distinguishing Marks:    small scar over right eye

Notes: mentally unstable

Indistinguishable Bald Dude #2

No idea who this is.
 

The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996) - Newspaper Ad [Oakland Tribune]

August 18, 1996

This another fine example of one the most unique cinematic sub-genre offerings for the dedicated film geek. A movie where the story of its troubled production might be more interesting and entertaining than the film itself.

What began as Richard Stanley's first modest-to-large budget studio production ended as a messy and uneven patchwork credited to John Frankenheimer. For full details, I heartily recommend watching the David Gregory helmed documentary Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau. A work that is every bit as fascinating and confounding as Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse. The major difference between the two being that Apocalypse Now survived its production to become a critical and commercial hit, while The Island of Dr. Moreau... did not.

The big surprise when I uncovered and researched this ad was learning that David Thewlis had played the shellshocked protagonist Edward Douglas. His performance in the film led me to making an observation to a friend that "throughout the film he looks palpably disgusted and seems to be trying to wish himself to be any other place than where he is."

Thinking on it now, I cannot tell if that was a performance choice or not. I doubt Thewlis would ever deign to answer if asked.

I think I need to watch Lost Soul again, pronto...
 

Fright Flicks - Sticker #9

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 Dream Warriors (1987)

 

The Return of Count Yorga (1971) - Newspaper Ad [San Francisco Examiner]

August 17, 1971

One of the more memorable Creature Features viewing experiences of my youth. While not the greatest of vampiric cinematic achievements, The Return of Count Yorga did lodge a fistful of genuinely unsettling and creepy moments in my memory. 

The film's female lead was none other than Mariette Hartley, who has been a ubiquitous presence on television programming and movie screens from the 1960s up through 2024. Future Poltergeist and Coach star Craig T. Nelson also had a small part in the film. As did future screenwriter and frequent Mel Brooks collaborator Rudy De Luca.

If you have not seen this, I recommend you do so.

Alien 3 (1992) - Trading Card #63

Weyland-Yutani File No. M47699

Officer:    Francis Aaron

Occupation:    second in command on Fiorina 161

Notes:    low intelligence quotient, obedient, expendable

Somewhat distinguishable bald guy #4. Also the last of the quartet that are somewhat distinguishable from all the others. It's too bad that Star Pics did not figure out a way to make him card #85.
 

Fright Flicks - Sticker #8

Predator (1987)

 

Alien 3 (1992) - Trading Card #62

Weyland-Yutani File No. M51021

Officer:    Harold Andrews

Occupation:    superintendent of prison facility

Notes:    aggressive commander, strict; runs prison with a heavy hand

Somewhat distinguishable bald guy #3

"This is rumor control..." ah, Andrews. You did not stand a snowball's chance in hell of surviving into act two, but you were a fun, disbelieving irritant while you lasted. Brian Glover, who played Andrews, also had a small and memorable role in An American Werewolf in London. "Remember the Alamo!"
 

Psycho (1960) - Newspaper Ad [Oakland Tribune]

August 14, 1960

When I was much younger, and far more willing to believe the ballyhoo, I wondered how film venues enforced the "no admittance after the picture starts" requirement. The truth is they did not. While I am sure that the earliest (i.e. opening day or special early screening) showings made a bit of show of "enforcing" the supposed requirement, it was just marketing hype. Hitchcock was not all that different from William Castle, or any other exploitation film huckster, in that respect.

One casual, and debatable, observation on my part. Psycho might qualify as Hitchcock's last undisputed "significant" film, as well as his most famous work. While Hitchcock's post-Psycho filmography did offer up such entertaining and memorable highlights as The Birds and Frenzy, their successes, commercially and critically, were just a faint echo of the wallop that had been made by Psycho.

Fright Flicks - Sticker #7