Night Gallery Vamps: Lorraine Gary

Published October 7, 2014 by biggayhorrorfan

Best known for her powerful yet down-to-earth portrayal of Ellen Brody in the Jaws film series, the versatile Loraine Gary brought a much more sinisterly haughty elegance to her appearance as Barbara Morgan in the 1973 3rd season Night Gallery episode entitled She’ll Be Company For You.

Luxuriating like a film noir femme fatale in turbans and designer dresses, Gary alternatively flirts with and seemingly condemns the show’s main focus, businessman Harry Audon, played with a slowly evaporating confidence by costar Leonard Nimoy. As the best friend of Audon’s recently deceased wife, Gary’s Morgan definitely wants to rip him apart (in a variety of ways), but she leaves such juicy details to her emotional doppelganger, a supposedly harmless cat.

Departing for a trip, Barbara gifts Audon with said pet. But his mild annoyance with his new responsibility soon turns into terror as the present apparently morphs into a viciously clawed supernatural entity. Ultimately, the viewers are never quite sure what the creature really is. But, one thing is for certain, Gary dominates this piece with an ice cold vigor and sensual sharpness.

Until the next time – SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

http://www.facebook.com/biggayhorrorfan

Victoria Price in Chicago!

Published October 7, 2014 by biggayhorrorfan

Who doesn’t like free? Free, of course, is even better when its something fabulous like a showing of the classic House on Haunted Hill and a lecture on dignified horror king, Vincent Price, no?

Proving I’m not leading you on, tomorrow, Tuesday October 7th (2014), author and entrepreneur Victoria Price will be appearing at the Portage Theater in Chicago to lecture on her father (after the showing of the beloved film) – and there is absolutely no charge for the event!

More information is available at the below link:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1485309855067126/

Until the next time – SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

http://www.facebook.com/biggayhorrorfan

Music to Make Horror Movies By: Vikki Carr

Published October 5, 2014 by biggayhorrorfan

While the glorious (and extremely classy) Vikki Carr’s exploitation credits are limited – she provided the singing voice for Cyd Charisse in the 60s spy caper Matt Helm and makes an appearance on the soundtrack for Point of No Return, the American remake of La Femme Nikita – she definitely nails the gritty essence of such anti-heroes as The Evil Dead’s Ash, Hardware’s Moses and Demon Knight’s Brayker with her take on Kris Kristofferson’s cigarette stained Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down.

Captured on her sophisticated Nashville By Carr, her version even earned the respect of the legendary Johnny Cash:

The perfect coda for a survivor’s despair, Carr’s subtly dramatic take would fit perfectly playing over the end titles of many a weary splatter fest.

Until the next time – SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

http://www.facebook.com/biggayhorrorfan

Review: Evil Dead – The Musical

Published October 3, 2014 by biggayhorrorfan

Sometimes, I just get tired of fighting off those milk encrusted kitchen demons alone. (What I wouldn’t give for a good dagger infused mop or two, as well!) Luckily, I no longer have to attack these undead annoyances as a solo entity – for, at last, Ash is in town! Well, at least until October 12th!

Yes, Evil Dead – The Musical has finally landed with a huge body thudding splatter in Chicago and, for horror fans, Halloween has definitely come a bit early this year!

Lyricist and writer George Reinblatt’s immensely silly homage to the original Evil Dead series is full of winking nods to the Sam Raimi classics with plenty of goofy, fun hearted horror and sex comedy tropes of all varieties thrown in for good measure, as well. It’s definitely not a serious blast of terror, but it’s just about the most stress-free, joy inducing theatrical experience that lovers of fright are going to experience for awhile.

Plot-wise, as expected, Ash and crew head out to a mysterious cabin and after reading from a Book of the Dead, mayhem soon ensues. Everything is in place, here, from (sister) Cheryl’s rape by trees to her subsequent jailing in the rickety vacation home’s basement. Joined in the second act by characters from the similar Evil Dead 2, this production ends with blood flying in outrageous amounts across the front rows of the theater and the sticky, grinning audience members (from the premium rows) corralled out the side doors of the theater.

Obviously produced on a fairly modest budget, this production still delivers with plenty of stage magic. In particular, Ash’s severing of his hand is nicely effective and the emergence of (girlfriend) Linda’s talking head is creatively handled, as well.

Nicely, director Christopher Bond concentrates on characterization as well as hi-jinks with the talented performers. As Ash, David Sajewich charms with everyman bravado while Demi Zaino is an unrepentant delight as Cheryl. Callie Johnson, meanwhile, beams layers of personality into Shelly, a bouncy bimbo-type, and Annie, a take-charge, self important scholar.

Evil Dead – The Musical runs until October 12th, 2014 at the Broadway Playhouse in Chicago. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.theatreinchicago.com and http://www.broadwayinchicago.com.

Be sure to keep up with the production (and its various incarnations) at http://www.evildeadthemusical.com and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Evil-Dead-The-Musical.

Until the next time – SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

http://www.facebook.com/biggayhorrorfan

Review: Snake With A Human Tail

Published October 1, 2014 by biggayhorrorfan

I can list off my favorite monsters for you, quickly: The Wolf Man, Godzilla and the Catholic Church.
Amendment: I kind of loathe the last one, actually.

Thankfully, doing what only the best of exploitation film can do, director-writer Spencer Gray explores the true insidious nature (and the hideous aftereffects) of perverted Catholicism with his attention grabbing short film Snake with a Human Tail. Mixing sharp social observation with gritty atmosphere, Gray shows that there is often no true escape from a corrupted childhood.

Opening on a therapy session with Father Fulci, the main character, the audience soon discovers the deep wells of this calm and collected clergyman’s sexual transgressions. A pedophile and erotic deviant, Fulci soon shows that his redemption is not soon at hand. But his love for a transgendered prostitute named Karma may ultimately be Fulci’s downfall. The nervy, confrontational Karma has a secret connection to Fulci’s past and things are about to be blown wide open!

Gray fills the screen, visually, with a 70s noir style while encouraging his cast to downplay the story’s outrageous factors with subtlety and restraint. Of course, there is bloodshed here, but the true violence centers around Fulci’s past crimes, an unforgiveable stain.

As Fulci, genre veteran Marv Blauvelt connects with a surprising languidness. While it would have been nice to see an actual transgendered actress in the role of Karma, Shari Davis ultimately earns respect (and sympathy) with her hard nailed vulnerability.

Snake with a Human Tail is, currently, playing the festival circuit. You can keep shedding along with it at:
https://www.facebook.com/snakewithahumantail

Until the next time – SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

http://www.facebook.com/biggayhorrorfan

Film Jerks!!! Meet Sugar Hill!

Published September 29, 2014 by biggayhorrorfan

If a loaf of banana bread can put you into a coma then imagine what Sugar Hill and her zombie hordes could do to your corruptive, cheating, miserable spell casting ass!!! Whoa! Do I sound like one of Sabrina’s aunts from Afterlife with Archie, there?? Hope not!!

Anyhow, I recently joined up with the impressively dressed, totally well spoken Film Jerks!!! to discuss 1974 cult classic Sugar Hill. This fun entry stars the gorgeous, well legged Marki Bey – and if you don’t listen to us analyze her beauty and the zany flesh crawling righteousness of this drive-in epic – well, we just might have to feed you to the pigs! (Okay. Not really.)

You can download the entire (gasp!) podcast at:

http://astroradiozpodcast.wordpress.com/

Until the next time – SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

http://www.facebook.com/biggayhorrofan

Music to Make Horror Movies By: The Panic Beats

Published September 28, 2014 by biggayhorrorfan

You are probably not being paranoid. That guy slinking behind you does…want you to listen to The Panic Beats! Dale VanThomme’s awesome horror-punk solo project boasts titles scrubbed from such classics as I Drink Your Blood, Hatchet for the Honeymoon and Nightmare City, all delivered with aggressively fun Ramones style zaniness.

Heck, even when his songs are populated with evisceration of the female form, VanThomme’s energy is so joyously tongue-in-cheek that no one should be too offended. And if they are – well, isn’t that just part of the fun?!?

https://www.facebook.com/thepanicbeats

Until the next time – SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

http://www.facebook.com/biggayhorrorfan

Meet Declyn Charles!

Published September 27, 2014 by biggayhorrorfan

When that tornado totally destroys your prairie house and all your Hammer Horror figurines are stolen by a demented ex – all you’ll have left are your dreams. Although, hopefully, no such misfortunes have befallen up and coming actor Declyn Charles, he certainly is making good on his passions, as of late.

His role of Alestar on the free, college based supernatural horror series Paradise University (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4Ujwy-9dpz8_KbWhmSOvWg) has expanded into toothy mayhem on the recently released second season and he has just launched a website devoted to his own projects (http://www.declynation.com).

As evidenced by the blood tinged photos, here, both projects may be worth a moment or two of your time.

Thanks for sharing, Declyn, and…SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

http://www.facebook.com/biggayhorrorfan

Frankenstein REC

Published September 26, 2014 by biggayhorrorfan

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LBIAMV2
Do the bolts in your forehead need greasing? Well, Greek filmmaker-author Costas Zapas may have the perfect way to make those legendary, slightly moldy parts feel new again.

Zapas is the author of the recently released Frankenstein REC, an interesting take on the classic mad scientist and the monster he created. With good customer reviews and a proposed film adaptation, this seems to be a book that every admirer of James Whale and Boris Karloff needs to check out!

Importantly, Zapas seems to be playing homage to The Creature’s true creator Mary Shelley, by placing this dreamlike story around an investigative female reporter. That fact, alone, makes this tome a must read in my book!

Be sure to check out Zapas’ lightening struck experiment at the link, above!

Until the next time – SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

http://www.facebook.com/biggayhorrorfan

Book Review: The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson

Published September 25, 2014 by biggayhorrorfan

I just took a long hot bath – in dollar store bleach! I still don’t exactly feel clean but, thankfully, the permanent scum encountered by reading Robert Hofler’s The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson (The Pretty Boys and Dirty Deals of Henry Willson) is definitely a joyous one!

Here, Hofler recounts the history of the moneyed Willson whose many smoothly muscular male clients paved the way for the term “beefcake”. Best known for creating Rock Hudson (Pretty Maids All In A Row, Embryo), Willson also was (at least initially) responsible for the careers of such terror bound clients as Rory Calhoun (Motel Hell), John Saxon (Black Christmas, A Nightmare on Elm Street), Tab Hunter (Grotesque, Cameron’s Closet), Troy Donahue (Blood Nasty, My Blood Runs Cold) and James Darren (Venus in Furs).

Saxon

Portraying Hollywood as a cesspool of sexual manipulation, this sticky tome chronicles how Willson would mold his unrefined upstarts into camera ready studs. Of course, the extremely closeted agent often demanded sexual favors from his flock and Hudson, upon reaching the far heights of his fame, often indulged in Willson’s stable of up-and-comers, as well. In fact, if even half the allegations are true, this tale of seductions and internal homophobia is a mindboggling examination of the lengths that people will go to for fame in the often corrupt environs of Hollywood.

Calhoun

Of course, false or not, Willson’s account of (extremely well hung) cowboy star Calhoun’s affair with (fellow stud) Guy Madison is sure to be a delight filled revelation for lavender horror freaks who grew up relishing tales of Farmer Vincent’s fritters. Granted, Hofler does try to give equal weight to Willson’s kindnesses, however dubious they, ultimately, come off. Many colleagues defend Willson’s devotion to the young men under his influence, claiming that he truly took care of them, emotionally and financially, throughout the entirety of their careers. Hudson while painted as sexually voracious is also given props for his genuine humility. Although, Hudson’s best friend George Nader (Robot Monster) comes out looking the best of the bunch here by seeming to genuinely avoid all of the sordidness at hand.

Hunter

Still, as dazzlingly enjoyable as this tome is for all its sheet stained revelations, this is ultimately a tale of sadness. In reality, Hollywood has changed little since Willson’s days of hush-hush dalliances. Combining this fact with the knowledge that Willson died a pauper and that Hudson’s status as the first truly famous victim of AIDS is perhaps more significant to history than his light footed eloquence in such classics as Pillow Talk marks The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson as both a sobering sociological study and a glitzy expose – a nimble feat for Hofler.

Until the next time – SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

http://www.facebook.com/biggayhorrorfan