Jerome Weiselberry is back with more Star Trek: The Original Series assessments (see Sept post for prior batches), this time focusing on Season 2's episodes 20-24.
They consist of "Court Martial," "The Return of the Archons," "Space Seed," "A Taste of Armageddon" and "This Side of Paradise": an exemplary quartet if ever there was or will be.
Don your best Spock smile and boldly watch, listen--and enjoy!
We Belong Dead's Amicus Special is an excellent, re-circulated, 108-pg edition on the studio's lasting legacy, in particular its bone-chilling anthologies, which Paul Watt's card-spun cover promotes, while Brux's breathtaking back cover extends into several of the company's noted, feature-length films.
Among the anthologies, we receive scholarly overviews on Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, (Dr. Diablo's) Torture Garden, The House That Dripped Blood, Asylum, From Beyond the Grave, Tales from the Crypt and The Vault of Horror.
Then there are Amicus' full-length sagas: Doctor Who and the Daleks and Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 (each starring Peter Cushing as the Earth-born Doctor); They Came from Beyond Space; The Skull; The Deadly Bees; The Psychopath; Madhouse; Scream and Scream Again; And Now the Screaming Starts; What Became of Jack and Jill?; The Beast Must Die (aka Black Werewolf); and I, Monster, the semi-disguised Jekyll & Hyde. (Separate, related articles on Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee and Robert Bloch enhance the lineup.)
An article on City of the Dead (aka Horror Hotel) is included, and though it's not an Amicus feature, it does capture the studio's atmospheric flair. (Those in the know will appreciate the movie's inclusion.)
Alas, Amicus' Edgar Rice Burroughs adaptations are omitted, beyond glimpses of such on Brux's painting. Perhaps We Belong Dead will publish a second volume. Now, wouldn't that be just apt? I, for one, applaud the prospect!
Nevertheless, the existing, Amicus tribute is itchin' for a nice, snug spot in your library. Add it today by tapping ...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D29SYTRL?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
We Belong Dead's #50 oozes with weird wonderment, covering some of the biggest and best in imagi-movies. Mark Armstrong's icon-driven, front cover seals the deal, as does Josh Ryals' amusing, The Curse of Frankenstein, caricatured rear, with founder Eric McNaughton as Peter Cushing's Baron and editor Darrell Buxton as Christopher Lee's Monster.
For the issue's astounding 157 pages, We Belong Dead's shrewd contributors pay homage to not only the aforementioned, cover-shot inspirations, but additional stars, writers and directors who've stood the test of time.
For example, there are articles on the top, good-cop/bad-cop, terror team-ups; a rundown on Amando de Ossorio's The Blind Dead movies and their offshoots; Nicolas Roeg's The Man Who Fell to Earth with David Bowie; a look at We Belong Dead's ambitious, back issues; engrossing, horror shorts; an extensive, graphic gallery; horror's greatest horror scenes, horror's greatest soundtracks; founding, horror classics that include Dracula 1931, Frankenstein 1931, The Mummy 1932, The Old Dark House 1932, The Wolf Man 1941, King Kong 1933, Godzilla 1954/56, The Thing (from Another World) 1951/1982, Diabolique 1955, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman 1958, Carnival of Souls 1962, The Haunting 1963, Black Christmas 1974, Carrie 1976, A Nightmare on Elm Street 1984; and Candyman 1992; plus terrific tributes on Rod Serling, Alfred Hitchcock, William Castle, Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Ray Harryhausen, Ingrid Pitt, Clive Barker, Paul Naschy, Michael Ripper, Barbara Steele, Guillermo del Toro, James Whale and Tod Browning, to name but a few.
My friend, director/writer/producer Ansel H. Faraj (aka The Sandalman🩴), even supplies a new "Asylum for the Psychotronic" column that lists his 50 leading examples of VHS/DVD artwork. (It's quite an aesthetic expanse!)
We Belong Dead #50 gives readers so much to appreciate. Invest in it and come away thrilled, chilled and above all, fulfilled.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HQWD2XGQ?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
Ebenezer is the newest film adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. It's directed by Ti (The XXX Trilogy) West, adapted by Nathaniel Halpern and stars Johnny Depp in the titular role, in what (for whatever crafty cause) is called an "untold story," but leans on traditional turf more than not. (The "untold" segments of Ebenezer Scrooge's soulful sojourns have always existed in the character's Twilight Zone-ish, life-lesson trips through time. Without them, the story wouldn't be the cautionary classic we've come to adore. Ebenezer's setup, despite the marketing ploy, is no exception, but there are several backdrop extensions and fanciful quirks to distinguish this version from others.)
And sticking with tradition, Ebenezer features a competent cast that conjures significant personas we've come to call friends, whether they're in the flesh or spectral. In addition to the dynamic Depp, we get Rupert Grint's Bob Cratchit, Charlie Murphy's Mrs. Cratchit, Freddie Lee-Grey's Tiny Tim, Ian McKellen's Jacob Marley, Imogen Carter's Fan, Sam Claflin's Fred, Daisy Ridley's Clara (Fred's wife), Ian Midlane's Fezziwig, Ellie Bamber's Belle, Andrea Riseborough's Ghost of Christmas Past, Trammel Tillman's Ghost of Christmas Present, Robert Strange's Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come and Alfie Buck and Arthur Conti's young Ebenezer, among other lithesome contributors.
Semblance-wise, the actors are well suited to achieve the story's charitable goal, even though a few have rubbed me the wrong way over the years with any number of venomous discourses; ah, well, its their performances that count here, not their misinformed declarations. (BTW: With this being a West movie, it's odd that Mia Goth wasn't cast. She'd have been ideal for several, choice roles.)
This version is also promoted as "Gothic horror," but the categorization is no revelation or novelty when to comes to A Christmas Carol, whether it be the book (subtitled "A Ghost Story") or its many adaptations of stage and screen. With West considered a horror director, the expectation for an opaque, gloomy mystique makes sense, but why pretend the emphasized element is beyond the norm for Dicken's tale? Did one not perceive what came before?
Despite its alleged, newfangled angles, the movie's execution does, in fact, align more with Richard Donner's Scrooged. It's a wry comedy, and far more so than Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol or The Muppet Christmas Carol (I suppose the Grinch adaptations should be considered, too), which one would presume spew oodles of levity, but they don't. In this respect, West and Halpern's take dances around its potent pockets of menace with knowing winks, but the fable's profound message overrides its amusement (which on occasion taps Tim Burton's Dark Shadows and, to a lesser degree, A Nightmare Before Christmas) before ingraining its profound crusade.
Indeed, the swing might feel forced to casual fans of the source, but by the time the last snowflake falls, Ebenezer succeeds in delivering its full, contemplative charm. It reminds viewers that A Christmas Carol and its redeemed lead are everlasting, always there to request kindness and empathy in times of need, no matter the place, no matter the time of year. Ⱍ
"God bless us, everyone!" ... Tiny Tim
Below is a repost on Classic Monsters of the Movies' 2025 release commemorating 1951's Scrooge, starring Alastair Sim. The issue surfaced just before Christmas, which may not have given folks enough time to order it. However, the opportunity still exists; so if you didn't seize a copy then, now is as good a time as any to stake your Christmas Carol claim!🎄
Most cinema connoisseurs consider the 1951 adaptation of A Christmas Carol, aka Scrooge, to be the definitive take on Dickens' fable. Directed by Brian Desmond Hurst, scripted by Noel Langley and starring the amazing Alastair Sim as ol' Ebenezer, the movie epitomizes the remarkable power of the human spirit. That Classic Monsters of the Movies writers/researchers, Nige Burton & Jamie Jones, chose this adaptation to commemorate only substantiates its importance.
The authors probe the diligent heart of Scrooge's production, including an insightful reveal of its well chosen cast, which in addition to the headlining Sim, includes Glyn Dearman, Mervyn Johns, Michael Horndern, Patrick (The Avengers) Macnee, Kathleen Harrison, George Cole, Roddy Hughes, Carol Marsh, Francis de Wolff, Hermione Baddeley, Michael Dolan, Hattie Jacque, Peter Bull, Jack Warner, Ernest (The Bride of Frankenstein) Thesiger and other vivacious thespians who capture Dickens' character quirks and nuances with utmost respect and vigor.
The authors also essay the meaning of Dickens' novel (as reflected through the film) and that of Ebenezer Scrooge being an emblematic, cultural icon as he pivots from derisive malcontent to euphoric benefactor, spinning an endearing lesson that we can't help but hold close to our hearts.
To enrich the 36-page "deluxe edition", rare, eminent stills and promotional materials are featured, printed in outstanding black-and-white and color, on quality, paper stock, stationed between fanciful front and back covers.
Classic Monsters of the Movies: Scrooge is a must for any Dickens afficionado and/or fan of exceptional cinema, for like A Christmas Carol's 1951 film version, this special edition holds the inherent power to instill unblushing joy all year round.
Don't delay; order this sentimental salute today!
