Monday, May 25, 2026
SALLY THE ZOMBIE CHEERLEADER'S SCHOOL OF HORROR: GALLERY OF HORROR
Sally the Zombie Cheerleader's School of Horror presents the offbeat, EC-aimed ("giant shock show") anthology, Gallery of Horror, aka Dr. Terror's Gallery of Horror, aka The Blood Suckers, aka "the world's weirdest movie."
Directed and produced by David L. Hewitt and written by Gary R. Heacock, David Prentiss and Russ (Creepy magazine) Jones, this 1967 oddity stars John Carradine (as a wraparound, Serling-esque, pre-Night Gallery narrator and a character in one of tales) and Lon Chaney Jr. in a prominent role. (BTW: Hewitt holds a significant spot in the annals of cinematic thrills, having directed/produced The Wizard of Mars, based on L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Lucifer Complex, aka Hitler's Wild Women, The Great Gorga, Monsters Crash the Pajama Party, The Girls from Thunder Strip, Hell's Chosen Few and Journey to the Center of Time, as well as having contributed to The Time Travellers, Stargames, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Willow and Inspector Gadget 2.)
Gallery's stories include a young couple haunted by a witch-cursed grandfather clock, overseen by Carradine's "casual" handyman; the frenetic search for a Saucy Jack vampire in Victorian London; a murdered man rising from the grave to gain revenge on his unfaithful spouse and her lover; an electrifying, Frankenstein sequel with Chaney as a professor fixated on reanimation; and a retelling of Dracula, with quite a clever twist. (Mitch Evans plays the commanding Count Alucard, and the multifarious Roger Gentry plays Jonathan Harker, in addition to other personas throughout the production.)
As Sally mentions in her enlightening seminar (underscored by detailed liner notes), the episodes hold an uneven, anachronistic but fun flow. (Some parts invoke such Amicus' productions as Dr. Terror's House of Horrors and Torture Garden, while other parts reference such A.I.P., Roger Corman/Richard Matheson, Poe adaptations as House of Usher and Tales of Terror). The clashing (stock-footage bracketed, Flash Gordon music-cued) segments do, indeed, give the movie a quirky, cult vibe. (Carradine and Chaney's headlining participation doesn't hurt, either.)
Gallery of Horror is one to enjoy for its low-budget ambition and grim, child-like charm, made all the better by Sally's instructional lead, with generous help from that ever sarcastic SkeleKat, wiseacre dolls, fan-submitted, Cool Ghoul Art and nostalgic commercials.
Class commences at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuVGOHyqHIM
Sunday, May 24, 2026
LARRY JOHNSON'S FANTASTIC TALES
Larry Johnson isn't just a remarkable illustrator. He's a remarkable raconteur. His novel, The Mayfly, and his graphic novel, The Hand, prove it.
Johnson's latest, short-story curation, the illustrated Fantastic Tales, is a tasty companion to those entries, sweetened by appearances from several of his most memorable characters, including the likeable Lew Brown; Lew's brother, Freddy (protagonist of The Hand); electrical engineer Lenny Jones (who's destined to become Ohm the Electric Man); psychotherapist Doctor Charles Young; the shape-shifting, android hunter, Bart Rover; the demon-plagued Madame Boogala; her amusing son, Goomar; and those dusty but diligent, weird-western cowhands of the Broken B.
Also, as one can infer, the stories are diverse in theme and offer the following scenarios: Lew's attempt to rescue Freddy from a transcendental cult; Lew's shift from reality to weird reverie; Lew and Freddy's run-ins with strange maintenance workers; Boogala and her black-widow talisman; Lenny Jones and his image-altering "Inter-dimensional Viewfinder"; the creepy consequences of a red-headed fly (a Mayfly precursor, one might say); a cowpoke's extraterrestrial encounter; a penetrating meeting between cosmic colonists; Bart Rover's slimy transformation; and Doctor Young's analysis of Lenny's batty visions.
Johnson's writing flows with scrupulous care and rich rumination (rather Bradbury-esque, if the truth be known, both in tone and variety). This makes his misadventures genuine page turners.
I must say, I'd like to read more of Johnson's work. I hope he considers a Fantastic Tales follow-up. If he does, you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be first in line to purchase it.
Order Fantastic Tales at
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GVSHYJSS?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
Thursday, May 21, 2026
THE MUMMY'S TOMB: A CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES TRIBUTE
The Mummy's Tomb is the second chapter in Universal's Kharis franchise. Thanks to scholars Nige Burton and Jamie Jones, it receives the royal treatment in a 36-page, Classic Monsters of the Movies tribute.
Though Tom Tyler portrayed Kharis in The Mummy's Hand, Lon Chaney Jr. (hot off of Man Mad Monster, The Wolf Man and The Ghost of Frankenstein) seized the moldy reins of the anguished prince who was mummified alive (with tongue severed), due to a reckless attempt to resurrect his cherished Princess Ananka.
For this 1942 sequel, vengeance is in full swing, as Kharis (thanks to the lure of tana leaves) is dispatched to track and kill those who dared to disrupt Ananka's tomb, while eliminating others who dare cross his path.
Burton & Jones assess the sequel at length and share biographies on its prime cast, which along with the headlining Chaney, includes George Zucco, Wallace Ford and Dick Foran and Frank (King Kong/House of Frankenstein) Reicher (all four returning from The Mummy's Hand); Turhan (The Amazing Mr. X/Arabian Nights) Bey; Elyse (Joe Palooka/Arabian Nights) Knox; Harry (The Black Cat '34) Cording; and John (One Million B.C.) Hubbard. Additional credit is given to director Harold (The Frozen Ghost/Jungle Captive) Young; writers Griffin Jay, Henry Sucher and Neil P. Varnick; composer Hans Salter; and makeup maverick Jack Pierce; among other superb contributors.
The Mummy's Tomb is a significant installment in the Kharis saga, with its success having inspired further, Chaney sequels. If you're a Kharis disciple, this Classic Monsters salute is one to possess.
THE MUMMY'S HAND: A CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES TRIBUTE
Long before reboots became fashionable, The Mummy's Hand inaugurated the concept, as Universal moved from Boris Karloff's Imhotep to Tom Tyler's Kharis.
To commemorate the landmark switch, Classic Monsters of the Movies' writers/researchers Nige Burton & Jamie Jones analyze the 1940 revision, The Mummy's Hand.
At the outset, Prince Kharis' tale mirrors Imhotep's, with the heartbroken noble attempting to resurrect his beloved Princess Ananka. However, due to the his sacrilegious act, he's mummified (with his tongue removed), becoming the abiding sentinel of the princess' tomb. Centuries later, when an expedition comes upon Ananka's resting place, a high priest awakens Kharis through tana leaves, prompting the mummy to pursue the intruders.
The authors give a thorough, academic assessment of the movie, as well as tossing the spotlight on Kharis actor and western/movie-serial star, Tom Tyler. Bios on his costars include George Zucco, Wallace Ford, Dick Foran, Peggy Moran, Cecil Kellaway, Charles Trowbridge and Eduardo Cianelli. Burton & Jones give equal veneration to the movie's director, Christy Cabanne; its producer, Ben Priva; its writers, Griffin Jay and Maxwell Shane; its composers, Hans J. Salter and Frank Skinner; its cinematographer, Elwood Bredell; its legendary makeup man, Jack Pierce; among other talented contributors. (There's no question that their efforts ushered an influential, if not eternal, effort in the corridors of creepy cinema.)
The illuminating, 36-page, photo-packed edition is a must for horror fans and reboot historians; so say a little prayer to Amon-Ra, get those tana leaves stoked and order Classic Monsters of the Movies: The Mummy's Hand for your collection.
https://www.classic-monsters.com/shop/product/mummys-hand-1940-ultimate-guide-magazine/
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