HAVE A BEWITCHING HALLOWEEN 2016!!!

RIP JOHN ZACHERLE...

Whether under the label of Zacherley or Roland, you set the standard for horror hosts to follow. You were also the best of showmen, adding insight and humor to the wonderful films you shared. Forever in our hearts, you will remain the coolest of ghouls. 

Collectible Time #71: Moebius Burt Ward Robin and Halloween Michael Myers Kits

Holy long-awaited Bat-kit!!! At long last, Burt Ward's Robin, the Boy Wonder, comes via Moebius.

Robin is the fourth in the ongoing  1:8 scale "Batman '66" plastic-kit series (see "Collectible Time #69", Sept '16 for the Burgess Meredith Penguin). The kits are designed to link in the old, Aurora vein, with startling likenesses to their beloved, television counterparts.

The model's pose is distinctively Ward, simulating his typical prone-for-action stance, thanks to Jeff Yagher's superb sculpting skills. (The model is also reasonably priced at about $35; I bought mine at trusty Z&Z Hobbies, of course.)

Next up in the series is Frank Gorshin's Riddler, scheduled for a February release, followed sometime thereafter by Cesar Romero's Joker and Yvonne Craig's Batgirl. 

Along with Robin, I also purchased Moebius' reissue of Polar Lights' popular 1:8 scale Michael Myers "Halloween" kit. 

The Chris White-designed model is really a lovely porch diorama, featuring not only the modified Shatner-masked Myers, but his kiddie clown mask on the lower-portion of the base, accompanied by a bag with spilled candy. On the porch step, one can install an actual, retooled (LED) light-up jack-o-lantern for eerie, flickering atmosphere.  

For those who missed out on this fine John Carpenter tribute the first time around, this is an inexpensive ($30 range) way to fill the gap. 

The Walking Dead: Season 7 (And Now We Know...)

When I started my blog, "Walking Dead" was well underway and with competitive posts on the subject being so massive, it was illogical for me to commence with my own ongoing analysis. That's not to say I haven't watched the show religiously. It's just that when it's come to posts, I've dealt exclusively with the collectible side of it.

In any event, "Walking Dead": Season 7 has prompted me to offer my two-cents worth, if only due to the immense anticipation of it, and boy, it sure flowed just as we expected (probably even worse), with unapologetic sadism and death. Of course, these elements have always been part of the series. However, this time the punch (in the case of "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be") was telegraphed well in advance. It stirred debate, speculation and controversy for months, even stealing focus from a companion saga.

By tradition, "Walking Dead" hits us with the element of surprise. Anyone can die at any given time. In this instance, we already knew that Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) would kill at least one of our favorites in a most brutal way, and so it became a process of elimination among fans in predicting who'd meet that nauseating fate. 

Well, now we know. (In case you haven't watched the episode or heard the social-media buzz, I won't spoil it for you.) I will say this, it was hard to swallow. In fact, it was hard to swallow long before the moment struck: an agonizing, sickening set-up that cursed the many months leading up to it, none of which I embraced with much ease. 

Is that to say I frown upon the gimmick? Gosh, not really. This particular flesh-eating zombie epic has never been politically correct, after all, let alone subtle. Its audience isn't the sissified sort in need of University of Florida counseling for Halloween or the sort to request clown costumes be removed from store shelves, so as not to offend those even more timid than themselves. We're a thick-skinned group, but still, the lead-in to this monstrous moment (and precisely how it would evolve) was prolonged and more contemptuous than any we've experienced. The aftermath wasn't much better.

I wonder if the same plot tactic will be repeated later down the line. One thing's for sure, Negan has redefined the show's atmosphere, but then the series was overdue for a new, merciless villain. (I can't tell you how much I've missed David Morrissey's Governor, but compared to Negan, ol' Phil was a veritable saint.) To see our surviving heroes (even if it's just one of them) get revenge on this bastard will now be the series' driving (and defining) force: something to look forward to and ultimately relish.

Monster Team-up Reflection #32: Rankin/Bass' Mad Monster Party?

Jules Rankin and Arthur Bass blessed our childhoods with stop-motion wonderment. With Rankin/Bass' televised Christmas programs being so popular, it was only natural for the studio to branch out with a theatrical release, the result being the 1967 Halloween-ish salute called "The Mad Monster Party?" (Yes, the question mark, for whatever cryptic reason, is an official part of the kooky title.)

Directed by Bass, who co-produced with Rankin and Joseph E. Levine, from a screenplay by Harvey Kurtzman (best known for his Mad Magazine and Playboy cartoons), the story presents Baron Boris Von Frankenstein (Boris Karloff) living on the Isle of Evil, set to retire upon the completion of a matter-destroying formula. He desires his nerdy nephew, Felix Franken (Allen Swift), to become his successor and rounds up the world's most famous monsters to make the big announcement. 

The gathering (or "party", if you will) includes the Frankenstein Monster; his Bride (Phyllis Diller, standing in for Elsa Lancaster); the Creature from the Black Lagoon; the Lugosi-ish Dracula; Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; the Mummy; Quasimodo/Hunchback of Notre Dame; the Sydney Greenstreet-ish Invisible Man; the Werewolf/Wolfman; the Peter Lorre-ish Yetch (Swift); and his ghoulish, zombie-clone bellhops. There's also a specimen unseen for most of the film, referred to as "It", who holds (SPOILER) a startling resemblance to a particular inhabitant of a little place called Skull Island. (It makes one wonder, therefore, if Rankin/Bass hadn't at some point pitched stop-motion puppetry to Toho, when it came to their "King Kong Escapes" collaboration.)

The Baron's secretary, a fetching redhead named Francesca (Gale Garnett, who made "We'll Sing in the Sunshine" such a bit hit), takes issue with Felix assuming command and enlists Drac (and inadvertently the other monsters) to thwart the Baron's plans. However, in an unexpected turn, Francesca falls for the hapless nephew, which leads to an explosive yet "happily ever after" climax. 

Not only is "Monster Party" a bubbly character tour de force, it's characterized by beloved personalities and their distinct vocalizations, headlined of course, by Karloff (think of his portrayal in "Frankenstein 1970", but made more congenial); and Diller, essentially playing herself as a lovable, wise-cracking caricature. Incidentally, the Frankenstein Monster, a lumbering but cute variation of Jack Pierce's design, is named Fang, after Diller's referenced boyfriend in her stand-up routines. (Indeed, the pop-cultural vibe couldn't have been more hip at the time, or arguably, even at present for those in the know.)

The aforementioned Swift, perhaps best known to cartoon fans as Simon Bar Sinister and Riff-Raff on "The Underdog Show", supplies not only Felix's voice, but Yetch's, with all the trademark Lorre intonations. 

Felix, however, is Swift's own concoction, smacking of a congested James Stewart, combined with Jerry Lewis' "Nutty Professor'"s, Julius Kelp. Felix is clumsy but amiable, making him similar to other '60s comedic heroes, not only Lewis', but those featured in such Don Knotts fare as "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" and "The Reluctant Astronaut". Felix also holds the distinction of being different, stumbling his way through life, even more so than the monsters (who hold an inherent camaraderie), making his circumstance the film's recurring concern. 

Like other Rankin/Bass productions, "Monster Party" succeeds as an endearing musical, thanks to Maury Laws' catchy compositions, with Diller rising to the occasion on "You're Different" and Garnett belting out the wonderful "Our Time to Shine", in what becomes a terrific dance sequence with Drac. Also, there's an uproarious scene where the the Mummy, Bride and Quasimodo dance to the Edwardian-haired skeleton band, Little Tibia and the Fibias, who perform the groovy "It's the Mummy". 

Though considered a box-office flop in '67, "Monster Party" began its steady cult rise throughout the early '70s when it aired on UHF stations. Children and adults, who appreciated the likes of Rankin/Bass' Rudolph and Frosty shows, embraced the film and looked forward to repeat viewings. Also, Drac's monocle look clearly inspired "Sesame Street'"s Count, which many children of the time were quick to acknowledge, thus enforcing the film's earliest, pop-cultural influence.   

In '73, "The Saturday Superstar Movie" series premiered a cell-animated follow-up to the film. Though it never went beyond one entry, fans of the '67 film respect its connection and perhaps the fact that it exudes the same cheerful charm of "The Groovie Goolies" and such live-action counterparts of the era as "Monster Squad" and "Hilarious House of Frightenstein".

In the later decades, with the advent of VHS and special-edition disc releases, "Monster Party" has grown even larger in popularity, prompting companies to produce resin/vinyl figures and latex masks of the characters. (The movie also appears to have influenced Tim Burton/Henry Selick's stop-motion favorite, "Nightmare Before Christmas", which in its own right may have helped usher in the "Monster Party" collectibles.)

As an enduring monster-rally epic, "Monster Party" has arguably matched the acclaim of "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" and even more serious fare like "House of Frankenstein" and "House of Dracula". "Hotel Transylvania" also owes much debt to it. 

The filmmakers' love for monsters and their varying mythologies, as well as its underlying celebration of being unique in a world of blah normality, is more than enough reason why this charming team-up has stood the test of time and is destined to delight audiences far into the future: in other words, a classic if ever there was one.

TASTE HALLOWEEN...TASTE FLASK OF EYES!!!

Take a bittersweet sip of the season by boosting your autumn reading...with MICHAEL F. HOUSEL'S psychedelic monster-rally smash...FLASK OF EYES!!!

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To taste the eyes is to open one's mind!!!

SO LONG, TED V. MIKELS...

You were one of the most dynamic filmmakers of our time and a hero to all eccentrics. The highbrows rarely acknowledged your greatness, but to those who enjoyed your varied forms of escapism, including "Blood Orgy of the She-Devils"; "Doll Squad"; "Corpse Grinders"; and"Astro-Zombies", you'll always be respected. May your flamboyant genius prevail into the great beyond...