HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2018!!!

An Alternate Reality: What if Superman Met the Frankenstein Monster and Dracula on the Big Screen?

More by accident than plan, I came across these nifty, what-if lobby-card/poster images by renowned mashup artist, Nick Perks. I was so thrilled by his imaginative, alternate-reality renderings that I couldn't help but share a couple here.

The artist's choice of Larry "Buster" Crabbe as Superman is ideal. Crabbe played Flash Gordon; Buck Rogers; Tarzan; Billy the Kid; and Captain Gallant. Adding Kal-El/Superman/Clark Kent to his legendary queue would have made sense. 

Also, to have seen Crabbe interact with Boris Karloff and/or Bela Lugosi (whether in a monsterized, comic-book context or otherwise) would been nothing short of ingenious. However, if Crabbe had played Superman, what would the Man of Steel's limitations (if any) have been against the Frankenstein Monster and Count Dracula? What would the scripts have entailed? If James Whale and Tod Browning had been involved in the productions, how would they have tackled the superhero content? Would George Zucco have played Lex Luthor...Paulette Goddard, Lois Lane?

Of course, such questions are relegated to whimsy, with no definitive answer to be had, but they sure do get one's imagination rolling, just like when one reads of such ill-fated proposals as "King Kong vs Frankenstein"; "Kong vs Orca"; "Mighty Joe Young Meets Tarzan"; "The Wolf Man vs Dracula"; "Dr. Phibes Meets Count Yorga"; "Michael Myers vs Pinhead" (i.e. "Helloween")..."Freddy vs Jason vs Ash" (okay, that one at least hit comic-book form).

For a hoot, what are some of the fantastic team-ups/rallies you might have fancied (or yet fancy) on the big (or small) screen?  Feel free to post your thoughts below...

I saw Johnny English III...

I grew up with spy adventures, on television and at the movies, both serious and funny. 

"Casino Royale '67", "Get Smart", "Our Man Flint", among others, left an indelible impression on me. To this day, I still dig that sort of silly, spy thing, even when it's served in present-day form. As should come as no surprise, I'm a huge fan of Rowan Atkinson's "Johnny English" franchise. (I also find it interesting that the actor played a comedic, spy-assistant earlier in his career to Sean Connery's 007 in "Never Say Never Again". Things sure have a funny {ha, ha} way of coming round...)

"Johnny English Strikes Again" is the latest submission. It's as goofy as those that preceded it...maybe even more so. Much of the movie's success stems from Atkinson's suave, tongue-in-cheek portrayal, which incorporates sprinklings of Bond (obviously); Maxwell Smart; Inspector Clouseau; Barney Fife; the Black Adder (any version); and dear Mr. Bean. The combination feels ever so right and beams quite bright in "Strikes Again".

Directed by David Kerr and scripted by "English" veteran, William Davies, our bumbling, British agent and sidekick, Bough (Ben Miller) tackle a cyber-attack scheme that exposes the names of undercover agents (shades of "Atomic Blonde"), among other ghastly things. English is pulled from retirement (rather like 007 in "Never Say Never Again") since he, unlike his modern peers, possesses the furtive freedom (and alleged, putative skill) to stop the hacker's insidious spree. 

English's sabotaging adversary is super-tech billionaire, Jason Volta, played with charismatic insincerity by Jason Lacy. Volta is "involved" with Russian agent Ophelia, played by "Quantum of Solace'"s ravishing Olga Kurylenko, who wins English's trust (and heart), but may have other motives up her elegant sleeve. Yeah, she's a real heart breaker all right, but even so, like most bad girls, she doesn't stay bad for long.

In an attempt to squash Volta's quest for global control, English, Bough and Ophelia visit a number of striking locals, as we'd find in any decent spy film. There is, of course, some nifty action to accompany the scenery, though most of it bounces from the traditional track, as an outrageous, virtual-reality sequence demonstrates. 

The supporting cast does right by Atkinson and includes Pippa Bennett-Warner; Adam James; Matthew Beard; and Emma Thompson as the Prime Minister. (Charles Dance, Edward Fox and Michael Gambon cameo as fellow agents.) 

Though English is high-ranked, he's still the dogged underdog, and like any such character, stays near to our hearts. He wrestles with modern tech, as do many guys my age, and in response to our predicament, English falls back on old-school techniques. Throughout it all, we relish his struggle, hoping beyond hope he'll win the girl, impress the Prime Minister, and at the very least, save the bloody day. "Strikes Again" gives him ample chance to achieve all of the above, to some degree or another, with generous guffaws to go along. 

Hollywood and the United Kingdom don't make enough movies like this anymore. The English entries are throwbacks in this respect: silly, far-out fantasies that (despite a little, "lewd" allusion or two) the whole family can enjoy. (Even Austin Powers' trilogy can't claim that.) 

I had fun with this one; so will you. Here's hopin' Atkinson returns for "Johnny English IV"...

SO LONG, JAMES KAREN...

You were one of the most dynamic actors in Hollywood, covering all genres at all times, but became a major fan favorite in horror, science fiction and fantasy.

Such examples of your splendid work are "Apt Pupil"; "The Boy Who Loved Trolls"; "The Butterfly Room"; "Capricorn One"; "The China Syndrome"; "Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster"; "Hercules in New York"; "Invaders from Mars '86"; "Jack and the Beanstalk '09"; "Mulholland Drive"; "Piranha '95"; "Poltergeist '82"; "Rivals '72"; "Time Walker"; "The Willies"; and above all, your comedic, frantic and oh-so-identifiable presence in "Return of the Living Dead" and its sequel. 

You could mix and match emotions in ways that would make any actor envious. Though your work will continue to be enjoyed, Mr. Karen, you'll be deeply missed by your many fans, to whom you never failed to show great kindness and respect. May you find peace, joy and delight in whatever roles you may take beyond Heaven's Gates...

AIRSHIP 27 PODCAST (OCT '18): READY FOR TAKEOFF!!!

As autumn expands, the newest Airship 27 Podcast ascends, led again by trusty ol' Captain Ron Fortier and Chief Engineer Rob Davis.

The Oct '18 episode emphasizes Airship 27's scheduled reprint of Art Sippo's refashioned "Sun Koh, Heir of Atlantis". Created by Paul Mueller (aka Lok Myler), Sun Koh is a German, Lovecraftian-swept Doc Savage and as such, a much debated figure due to his time of genesis and the evil attributes which link to such. However, do keep in mind that despite the character's offensive relegation, the Nazis hated pulp heroes and belittled, censored and eventually snuffed the series. (Sun Koh's Lothar-esque partner was, after all, a resourceful, black pugilist.) Sun Koh's re-tuned introduction to Airship 27's New Pulp world is amazing, daring and stirring stupendous curiosity. 

In addition to Sun Koh's revival, Ron and Rob promote the hot-off-the-press "Aviation Aces, Vol 1"; Ron's soon-to-be-released sequel to Mark Justice's "Dead Sheriff" (with Art Cooper, artist of my novel, "Persona Vol 1", currently completing illustrations); and Wayne Carey's ghostly Civil War endeavor, "A Company of Shadows" (with a cover planned by Ash Arceneaux, who delivered the creepy boxing-glove/skull image for my novella, "The Hyde Seed"). The guys also make a passionate pitch for "The Challenger Chronicles": a much anticipated anthology to feature Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "Lost World" adventurer.  

Prick up those ears and listen in at ... http://zone4podcast.com/airship27-044/

An Alternate Reality: Mars Attacks Grover's Mill...

On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles, abetted by scriptwriter Howard Koch and a group of talented "Mercury Theatre On the Air" performers, offered H.G. Wells’ “The War of the Worlds” to what became a panic-stricken, radio audience.

The live, hour-long adaptation was part of the Welles-hosted, CBS anthology series and an intended, Halloween treat. However, some have disputed Welles' cause, claiming that he and his troupe wished to unhinge listeners for publicity. (The weekly program was no ratings winner.) Welles had hell to pay the next day from an incensed public. Whatever the show's intent, this particular “War of the Worlds” made many believe a veritable Martian vanguard had descended upon Earth, per its mock news reports and military-styled snippets.

In Koch's script, the initial cylinder crashes in Grover’s Mill (West Windsor), NJ, just a hop and a skip from where I reside. Listening to the recorded broadcast, as I did each Halloween as a boy, I was proud that my home, Trenton (and surrounding Mercer County) was referenced among events. This was, indeed, “War of the Worlds” refashioned for me, and to this day, I absorb the broadcast with unceasing, sentimental adoration. (Whenever I hear the "Mercury Theatre" theme music, Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat, my mind turns to "War of the Worlds". That's how much the adaptation has impacted me.)

Throughout the presentation, Welles performs the periodic role of Princeton’s Professor Richard Pierson, who stands in lieu of the novel's journalist; in the play’s second half, Pierson meets a crass counterpart to the novel’s artilleryman, played by Carl Frank. William Alland, who went on to produce "The Creature from the Black Lagoon", "It Came from Outer Space" and "This Island Earth", voiced the Meridian Room announcer and an artillery gunner. 

Perhaps the most convincing vocalization comes from Frank Readick (the first actor to play the Shadow), who portrays on-the-spot reporter Carl Phillips. Readick based Phillips' tonality after Herbert Morrison, who covered the Hindenburg disaster at Lakehurst, NJ the year prior. Readick's empathetic fervor conveyed that something monstrous was, indeed, transpiring, even if its outlandish content should have signaled the contrary. 

At the time of the broadcast, it was common for listeners to turn their dials to other stations, if a commercial or uninteresting interlude occurred. Some speculate that when listeners switched from the popular "Edgar Bergen-Charlie McCarthy Show", the "Mercury Theatre" utterances didn't sound like a standard program, but rather a cobbled series of urgent transmissions, and from that point, people stay tuned. Friends and family phoning one another about the "news interruptions" may have further contributed to the frenzy. (By the halfway mark, CBS confirmed that the presentation was, in fact, a "Mercury Theatre" adaptation of Well's novel, leaving the script to phase to a traditional, dramatic format for the rest of the story.)

Prior to the announcement, CBS had received an avalanche of calls demanding verification or dismissal of the simulated accounts. Many were outraged that they had been fooled. Broadcast regulations were modified in the program's wake to prevent any such recurrence. 

Some mass-media historians claim that reports exaggerated the program's resulting hysteria for any number of hypothetical reasons. Perhaps so, but the play's legendary influence continues to grow, in spite of (and perhaps because of) the skeptics. In 1988, a monument was erected in Grover's Mill to commemorate the program's 50th anniversary and its cultural repercussions.  

The play's specialized structure (and the air of altered reality it invokes) makes the "Mercury Theatre" version of "War of the Worlds" one of the novel's most revered. It still stands as one of Welles' greatest achievements, on a par with "Citizen Kane". 

Give this classic a listen today at ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzC3Fg_rRJM.  You're certain to succumb to its chilling ambiance, though as dear Orson reminds us at program's end: There's no need to panic..."It's Halloween."

FAREWELL, LEONE FROLLO...

You weren't afraid to propel adventurous eroticism to unbridled heights with pastels, water-color swirls and stories that proved provocative and out of sight. 

You pushed the envelope ever further when you dared to reinvent our childhood sweetheart, Snow White. As such, the bold Biancaneve continues to cast its carnal charms on anyone open-minded enough to flip a page and taste its formidable fruit. 

In much same, shameless manner, you masterfully manipulated our libidos with Casino, Diva, Edifumetto, Lucifera, Malicieusement Femmes, Mona Street and Yra: each a powerful, potent dream, seasoned by streams of brawn, bravery, pouty lips and long legs. 

Whether in the future or the past, in science fiction or horror...in Italy or France, you knew how to impress an audience by never failing to press the right buttons. No doubt you'll continue the tradition, Mr. Frollo, for generations of fans long established, yet to come...and in whatever exotic realm you come to call home... 

TERRIFIC TEAM-UP IMAGE: HELLOWEEN (PINHEAD MEETS THE SHAPE)

An Alternate Reality: I saw Halloween (2018)...

Sooner or later, Michael Myers, aka the Shape, would return. It was merely a matter of how and in what context. 

The new "Halloween" (endorsed per reassuring publicity by the original's co-creator John Carpenter) is directed by David Gordon Green ... scripted by Green, Jeff Fradley, and Danny "Alien: Covenant" McBride. They make the '78 movie its foundation, establishing (through an instructive, character exchange) that the classic's offshoots and retelling are no more than urban legend. This bold tactic twists "Halloween '18" into a full-fledged, alternate-reality, sidesteppin' sequel. 

Horror fans have encountered this stunt before. "Jaws: the Revenge" is a parallel "Jaws 2", and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" franchise hit the restart button more than once.

In "Halloween '18", the story picks up forty years after the night that Myers (played by James Jude Courtney, with a little, suggestive help from the original Shape, Nick Castle) attempted to kill Jamie Lee Curtis' Laurie Strode. In this alternate chapter, we learn that Strode has long awaited the day, or more precisely the night, that Myers would return to Haddonfield, IL, and in rifle-pumped, Sarah Connor fashion is prepared to bring him down. 

One might argue that the novelty here is Curtis' re-entry into the series, but "H20" and "Halloween: Resurrection" promoted her presence as much, if not more so. Been there, done that.

Similarly, though Donald Pleasence's Sam Loomis is no longer available to chase Myers, he's been replaced by a twinkling-eyed counterpart, Ranbir Sartain, played by Haluk Bilginer, and to share Loomis' legacy of intensity, there are crime investigators Aaron Korey, played by Jefferson Hall, and Dana Holmes, played by Rhian Rees. These passionate intellects dare to probe, ruminate and debate what makes our Kirk-masked madman tick (something that Loomis' peers were more inclined to do), but that won't snuff Myers' urge to escape: a more than reasonable, plot retread and still, nothing new. 

As with prior films, we're given a helpful, been-there-done-that policeman, Frank Hawkins (Will Patton). Strode again has family referenced: her daughter (Judy Greer), son-in-law (Toby Huss) and granddaughter (Andi Matichak). It feels right that the ensemble reflects past participants, except that in this version, Myers isn't Strode's brother. Nevertheless, in determined, brotherly fashion, he slashes his way to get to her ... again, again and again.

With these generous overlaps, what does distinguish "Halloween '18", beyond being a third "II"? Well, it really comes down to the approach.

"Halloween '18" isn't hindered by non-stop, horny teens (though there's a confined brush of such) or garrulous interludes: Let's face it, kids today generally make love to their phones, not each other, and as for those beat-it-into-the ground, waste-of-time misleads ... please! "Halloween '18" is tight and blunt, with the cat-and-mouse battle between seniors taking center stage. 

Michael Simmonds' photography works to the scenario's advantage: ominous and in an ironic way, consoling, invoking Carpenter's first and Rob Zombie's remake/sequel. Variations of Carpenter's famous music triggers the suspense. The scares are as calculated, if not sometimes obvious, but what the hell? Slasher fans know the routine and wouldn't have it any other way.

Like previous "Halloweens", this one is conclusive and yet implies a continuation. (Call me crazy, but I desire something that ties Conal Cochran's Silver Shamrock masks to Myer's.) Don't expect an Oscar out of this (though in truth, "Halloween '18" is superior to most Academy darlings, including the cliched "The Shape of Water"). This chapter is best taken as a sentimental reunion, warmed with vengeful violence.  

Myers and Strode are pop-cultural staples. They should never fade away. They never can. Even if this one doesn't end up your favorite sequel (though don't be surprised if it does), you'll still find your autumnal time well spent.