Happy Halloween!

Go out and have a good time but don't eat too much candy. And remember to let the Jack O'Lantern candles burn throughout the night.

Stephen King's BATTLEGROUND - animated short film

As October approached this year I got the urge to revisit some of the old horror fiction I read in my youth. OK. I actually get this urge most years around October but this time I got the specific urge to re-read Stephen King's first collection of short stories 'Night Shift'. Doing so was a wise decision. I really enjoyed the entire book and was impressed all over again by how damned good a writer the man can be. I was surprised by how many of the stories had stuck so firmly in my memory that I remembered small details even when I might have forgotten which tale had which odd turn or clever twist. One that I had almost forgotten was the story Battleground. It plays more like a bizarre science fiction story or Twilight Zone short but horrific elements are there as well.

I was alerted to the existence of this Ukrainian animated version of the story recently and found it an amazing adaptation. Check it out and prepare to be impressed.

HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH poster art

I love this film with a burning Halloween season passion but I haven't been able to squeeze in a viewing of it this year. I might have to watch it on the 31st. I've never actually watched it on the big day and that could be fun.

Well Carved Pumpkins

I wish I had the knife skills to pull off something this impressive.

WHISPERER IN THE DARK (2011) trailer

This is exciting! Here is the trailer for the new movie from the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society. They are the fine folks that brought us the fantastic 45 minute silent film THE CALL OF CTHULU back in 2005. Their method is to carefully adapt H. P. Lovecraft stories in the style of the time period in which the story was originally published. That means that their second cinematic effort is being done with the same look and (I hope) feel of a 1930s Universal Studios horror tale. From what I can see in this short teaser they may have another winner. I can’t wait to see it!

GHOSTS comic book cover gallery

GHOSTS was always a welcome sight on the spinner rack when I was a young comic book fanatic but I rarely bought an issue. Now I hunt 50 cent boxes at comic stores trying to find every one of them I can possible locate. Even the least interesting issue has at one fun tale at minimum. Plus the artwork is always fantastic.

The Madness of George Zucco

For years I've been a fan of George Zucco's work in horror films of the 1930s and 40s but it was just recently that I noticed the oddest thing. Because I watched THE MAD GHOUL and THE MUMMY'S HAND within a week of each other (and I've watched each film half a dozen times) I spotted Zucco's right hand and became curious. It looks as though he had arthritis or some other ailment that kept his ring and pinky fingers from extending completely. A quick question on Facebook and a friend reported that he thought his hand was the result of a WWI injury. All this thinking and web hunting about Zucco had me wondering if there was a biography of the actor and from what I can learn the only real book on his life is called 'Hollywood's Maddest Doctors: Lionel Atwill, Colin Clive, George Zucco'. Looks like I've got to add another to my ever growing list of books to acquire and read.

For a fun dose of Poverty Row Horror with Mr. Zucco at center stage here is THE FLYING SERPENT (1946). Under an hour in length and as crazy as a jail cell full of clowns it's well worth seeing!

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