My Bloody Valentine (1981) - Newspaper Ad

Oakland Tribune - February 13, 1981

This Canuxploitation slasher craze cash-in, and beloved minor cult classic, got a delightful two-for for its holiday themed release. You see,Valentine's Day would fall on a Saturday in 1981, just like it is in this year of our mythical-lord 2026, which meant the film would open on the very appropriate, and ironic, date of Friday the 13th.

Legend has it that the film was butchered by the MPAA in order to get that mandated R-rating. Some (if not most) of that cut footage was restored by Scream Factory. So if you are interested, check it out. 

Fright Flicks - Trading Card #35

The Fly (1986)

 

Dracula's Bride (1980) - Newspaper Ad

San Francisco Examiner - February 12, 1981

Judging by the cast list, I thought this was a re-release of Dracula Sucks (1978) under a different title. However, according to its trivia page at the IMDB, Dracula's Bride is a different movie. One constructed from "separate footage" that was shot by William Margold. An alternate title for this film seems to be Lust At First Bite, although that has also been cited as the alternate title for Dracula Sucks, as well.

My ill-informed guess is that this is the hardcore version, while Dracula Sucks (1978) may have been a soft core version. I think.

I have not seen either version, from beginning to end, but I do know that Reggie Nalder (who played Mr. Barlow in the first Salem's Lot mini-series and was the henchman of Dracula's Dog) was mortified to learn that the scenes he had filmed for what he had been told was a soft core sex comedy were also used in the hardcore version.

Lady Death: Dark Alliance - Trading Card #70

Chastity

Chastity is a master of martial arts and an expert assassin. Those who know of her cringe and those who do not, but meet with her have little time to reflect.

Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969) - Newspaper Ad

Oakland Tribune - February 11, 1970

Considering the amount of pre-release tampering that is alleged to have been done on Frankenstein Must De Destroyed, I was surprised to read that, when asked which of his own films were his favorites, Terence Fisher (in an interview in Vol. 4, Issue 3 of Cinefantastique magazine) said this was one of them. That, of all his films, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed was the one he most enjoyed making.

As far as that supposed tampering goes, I heard there was a "last minute" decision it "spice up" the film with a sexual assault that, according to an interview with Veronica Carlson that appeared in (I think) Fangoria magazine, had both Cushing and Fisher apologizing to the actress throughout the filming of the scene.

Another ill-advised "last minute" inclusion was the comedic investigating carried on by Inspector Frisch (Thorley Walters). One could excise both the assault and Frisch scenes from the film and be left with a tighter, leaner, and far better paced movie, I think.

My favorite hammer Frankenstein's remain The Revenge of Frankenstein and Frankenstein Created Woman.

Double-billed with Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed is Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, the middle section of Hammer Film's trilogy of direct sequels to [Horror of] Dracula. While an interesting and entertaining enough follow up to Dracula Prince of Darkness, picking up more or less where that film ended, and leading directly into Taste the Blood of Dracula, I have to say that I prefer and enjoy both Prince and Taste a great deal more than Grave.

It is not bad, I just find it a tad slow and, because of that, it has tested of my patience at times. Other times, not so much.

Fright Flicks - Trading Cared #34

Alien (1979)

"Hello my baby, hello my honey, hello my ragtime gal!"
 

Clash of the Titans (1981) - Soundtrack

One of the few Laurence Rosenthal scores I have in my collection. The other one, also from Intrada, is the soundtrack for Meteor.

Turns out there was a solid reason for why Rosenthal's name and work is not all that familiar to me, then and now. Most of his work appears to have been for television and period dramas. Which is not my usual viewing of choice. Although he did compose the theme to Fantasy Island and the score for the 1977 version of The Island of Dr. Moreau.

His score for Clash of the Titans is superb and has me wishing he had been able to work in the arena of fantastic cinema more often.

Nothing But Trouble (1991) - Newspaper Ad

San Francisco Examiner - February 10, 1991

Although I had a certain morbid curiosity about this film when it crashed and burned at the box office in the early months of 1991, I did not see it until it was on home video.

Nothing But Trouble is an utterly bizarre and bonkers horror-comedy. Think National Lampoon's House of 1,000 Corpses. Really.

It tries, and fails spectacularly, at being something very weird and very different. Outside of Dan Ackroyd, who wrote and directed, I think only John Candy and Taylor Negron seemed to understand the assignment and role with it. Chevy Chase and Demi Moore both seemed stiff and embarrassed about being in the movie and I don't blame them.

All that being said, I do revisit the Mr. Bonestripper scene every so often.

Lady Death: Dark Alliance - Trading Card #69

Smitten

If her looks don't smitten you then the swords will. If you need an assassin, look Chastity up.

When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970) - Newspaper Ad

Oakland Tribune - February 9, 1972

Of the four prehistoric fantasy films that Hammer Film produced, this is the only one I have seen from start to finish. An entertaining little piffle that not only shows dinosaurs and humans co-existing, but that also postulates the moon was birthed from the area that would become the Pacific Ocean.

Okay...