There's a new horror hostess on the scene: Lilith Von Bloodworth (aka Jennifer Laura Welsh). She's ghostly, busty and sports a fetching, British accent, welcoming viewers into a cozy chamber lined with vintage films: an abandoned video store, no less.
The enchanting Ms. Bloodworth also exudes wondrous wit and wry humility, which make her an ideal, next-generation Vampira; Elvira, Mistress of the Dark; and Stella, Daughter of Desire.
Bloodworth's premiere episode includes nifty, exploitation clips (one featuring fellow horror host, Mister Lobo) and George A. Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" as the main feature: the latter a perfect springboard for her jocular admiration.
I hope she puts her sexy spin on "House on Haunted Hill", "Carnival of Souls", "Dementia 13" and "The Brain That Wouldn't Die". I've got my fingers crossed that she (along with writer/director/co-producer Matt Maisto) might over time, though no matter what she presents, it's sure to delight, if only for her immense, spectral charms.
Bloodworth's macabre merriment is available for viewing on YouTube's "Mondo Creepy TV" channel. Be wise and invest the time. You'll find it well spent:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDiXiSVbWtY&fbclid=IwAR2HRXO1sWzTFJPmEwMOivmLiSmh7tA3CTBYA92aJ6NXR_mCtSfVQmDZwpQ.
This August (2019), the trendsetter crusader, Zorro hit his hundred year mark. Though the mainstream media may evade this significant event, it demands celebration.
Created by pulp writer, Johnston McCulley, Zorro, which translates as "Fox", was sophisticate Don Diego de la Vega, who donned a prissy persona to deflect his disguised, swashbuckling deeds.
Throughout the decades, Zorro has avenged the persecuted through novels, short stories, motion pictures, chapter plays, comics and television shows, leaving his indelible "Z" on generations of fans and no doubt many more to come. (Zorro has even inspired several resourceful, female counterparts, who hold their zesty own with their influential mentor, thus reinforcing his adventurous legacy.)
Zorro was a significant forerunner to the Cisco Kid and the Lone Ranger. Along with the Shadow, he was a major inspiration for Batman.
Without Zorro, the world would be nowhere near as exciting, and others of his kind would be nowhere near as grand. Zorro set the whiplashing, sword-swiping standard.
Long live Zorro! Here's to a hundred, marvelous years and to a hundredfold more...
Strap yourselves in for another rollicking episode of the Airship 27 Podcast: a audio and visual treat for the senses, with plenty of reflection on the recent Pikesville, Kentucky Comic and Toy Convention, where Ron Fortier and Rob Davis detail its special guests and clever cosplayers, including a chilling Mr. Freeze.
For this Aug '19 installment, Ron and Rob also commemorate the latest in "Mark Justice's the Dead Sheriff" series: Fred Adams Jr.'s "Holster Full of Death" (and the two editions of the novel that have surfaced for purchase).
And that's not all, folks. There will, indeed, be a "Dead Sheriff, Vol 4". Guess who's been assigned to write it?
Find out at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXFSKCR4q08&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR3mSoMy5TeEuVPz0pFxruZASPz-7LqAAV8KsdDcitBe5S6bTlSYbKy-2vw.
On August 25, 1939, one of the greatest fantasy films ever produced populated theaters: "The Wizard of Oz".
Based on the beloved fable by L. Frank Baum, adapted by Edgar Allan Woolf, Florence Ryerson and Noel Langley; directed by Victor "Gone with the Wind" Fleming (with additional footage by Richard Thorpe and King Vidor), and produced by the legendary Mervyn LeRoy, "Wizard of Oz" wasn't the immediate, box-office blockbuster that many presume. It did, however, make its inevitable, iconic mark on the public consciousness through theatrical re-releases and televised repeats.
Its astonishing cast is synonymous with is acclaimed status, which includes Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale; Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow; Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion; Jack Haley as the Tin Man; Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West; and Frank Morgan as the "great and powerful" Oz, ersatz Professor Marvel. There's also adorable Toto, played by a little Scotty named Terry; and a rambunctious legion of mirthful Munchkins, for whom a tasty Dunkin' Donuts treat was named.
Harold Rooson's cinematography is exquisite, seamlessly switching from black-and-white Kansas to the Technicolor, emerald Land of Oz. Arnold Gillespie's special effects mesh perfectly with varying shades (case in point, those cute yet frightening, flying monkeys). Herbert Stothart, Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg's music and lyrics grant a beautiful batch of memorable tracks, with "Over the Rainbow" leading the melodious charge.
On every level, "Wizard of Oz" is the perfect blueprint for avant-garde fun. It injects guts with glee (including witchy death, no less--oh my): a reverie of fear, courage, danger and joy, sparked by unforgettable dialogue that demands eternal quoting.
Pull your copy from the shelf; buy or rent one if you so choose. No matter how it's spun, "Wizard of Oz" remains one of the best and most enduring, euphoric classics in cinema history.
You proved to be one helluva producer, Mr. Gelfman, backing such wonderful, low-budget pictures as "Caged Heat '74"; "Cockfigher"; and "Cannonball!".
Thanks to you, American audiences were able to enjoy such Australian groundbreakers as "Mad Max"; "Gallipoli"; and "The Last Wave".
Whether directly or indirectly, icons such as Mel Gibson; George Miller; Geoff Parry; Richard Chamberlain; Peter Weir; Roger Corman; Paul Bartel; David Carradine; Warren Oates; Harry Dean Stanton; Troy Donahue; Barbara Steele; Erica Gavin; Rainbeaux (Cheryl) Smith; Jonathan Demme; Alex Rebar; and make-up maestro Rick Baker were part of your prestigious ensemble.
However, of your palatial accomplishments, I do believe my favorite is director William Sach's "The Incredible Melting Man": the perfect '70s homage to those wonderful horror/sci-fi submissions of the '50s and an ideal alternative to "Star Wars'" galactic glitz.
Across the board, the productions you peddled were diverse, cool and steely, demonstrating an astute eye that today's pompous producers often lack, which is why when their samplings fade from sight, yours will stay fresh and bright.
You stood as a giant in your field, Mr. Williams: an animator to whom other animators looked for guidance and inspiration.
Your title sequences on the "Pink Panther" movies delighted generations, as well as your full-story work on "Little Island"; "A Christmas Carol '71" (for which you won an Oscar); "Ziggy's Gift" (based on Tom Wilson's popular comic strip); "Raggedy Ann and Andy: A Musical Adventure"; and your dream project, "The Thief and the Cobbler", which alas, never reached official completion.
To the masses, it was "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" that granted you the greatest fame: a source for which you got to mix and match Disney, Warner Brother and Hanna-Barbera characters with the ever buoyant Bob Hoskins. (BTW: Jessica Rabbit remains one of my favorite screen sirens. I bet lots of gents would exclaim the same.)
Your tireless diligence and keen eye gave your fans the best of the best: material that will enchant through the ages. That makes you a king of your kind and all for well-earned reason.
