Music to Make Horror Movies By: Barbara Dane, “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”

Published March 9, 2014 by biggayhorrorfan

I’ve tasted the gritty – especially after that psychotic killer clown pushed my face into the ground when I was 10!

But there is nothing as earthy (and fabulous) as the vocals of legendary folk, jazz and blues artist Barbara Dane! Even cinema’s master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, would have to agree with me on that one. (Although, he agrees with me on so little, nowadays. Pesky, I tell you. Just plain pesky!) He included the magnificent Dane in the 1962 episode Captive Audience (starring the distinguished James Mason of Salems Lot and Frankenstein: The True Story fame) on his own Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Don’t believe me? You can check it, here, yourself:

Then be sure to hang with Dane, often, at http://www.barbaradane.net. This politically charged dynamo is still performing and highly worthy of your support.

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

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Sharkbait Retro Village: The UFO Incident (1975)

Published March 8, 2014 by biggayhorrorfan

I know something is out there. They have contacted me. Bill collectors, student loan officers…b-r-r-r, scary!

Similarly, in 1975 television film The UFO Incident, respected thespians Estelle Parsons and James Earl Jones dove into the story of Betty and Barney Hill, a couple who, also, was touched by the beyond. With the help of a kindly analyst (played with understated commitment by Barnard Hughes) the duo eventually recalls their kidnapping at the hands of some Roswell style aliens.

While the light bulb white space creatures almost add an air of comedy when revealed, director Richard A. Colla and writer Hesper Anderson nicely concentrate mainly on the emotional implications of the abduction. This allows Parsons and Jones to revel in their arsenal of acting skills. While Jones/Barney commiserates, deeply, about the physical torments (including a herpes like outbreak on the character’s genitals) endured, Parsons/Betty finally relates some moments of light hearted bantering with the otherworldly creatures.

Based on a real life situation, the piece’s most effective moment occurs, though, when Betty recalls the love and puzzled affection that she feels for Barney. Noting that she is not a pretty woman, she wonders at his devotion to her. Parsons fills her character with such honest questioning, here, that outsiders everywhere can relate to her plight and love her all the more for it.

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

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Horror Addicts: Wicked Women 2014 Contest

Published March 7, 2014 by biggayhorrorfan

Having been brought up by a coven of lesbian prostitute nuns, I know there is nothing more evil than a creative goddess in her prime.

Amazing horror site Horror Addicts must agree with me – hence their awesome Wicked Women contest for 2014.

Below, are the details, lifted straight from their site.

“2014 Theme: Beauty & the Beast

Premise: There is something both fearsome and attractive in a wild thing, be it man or beast. From creature legends told around ancient campfires, to modern tales of King Kong and crypto zoology, critters have always captured our darkest imagination. Get your Beast on.

Challenge: Create a 10 minute horror podcast that contains four story elements, plus your written story. Registration closes 4-13-14. Audio and text are due on 5-13-14.

Story Elements: Each of our Wicked Belles will be assigned a location, a blessing, a curse … and a Beast. Your story must include a lady in peril and these four elements:

Location: Anywhere in the world is fair game. A private zoo? A Japanese Nightclub? Kindergarten Show ‘N’ Tell? You are the game. We’ll give you the board.

Blessing: A helpful item to tame the danger in your tale. We couldn’t have you stalked by a Werewolf without at least giving you a silver locket to melt down. Use your item wisely, Wicked. Even a trivial thing can save your life.

Curse: An untimely disability. You can’t skip through this one without feeling a bite of a fang on your ass. The Norns can be quite evil with this element.

Beast: Beasts will be drawn from the 12 animal signs of the Chinese zodiac: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, or Pig. The Beast may be a main character in your story, or may be represented in other creative ways… a tattoo? An advertising logo? A supernatural brute? Freak of nature? You name it, as long as you include it. Any genre of horror is welcome, but this ain’t Lassie, my Wickeds. Not unless she rips out your throat!

Dates to Remember:
Contest Opens – March 4, 2014
Registration Closes – April 13, 2014
Audio & Text Due – May 13, 2014
Elimination Round to 5 Wickeds – May 24, 2014
Voting Begins June 13, 2014
Voting Ends July 28, 2014
2014 Winner Announced August 23, 2014

WARNING: The Norns are majorly p.m.s.ing this year. This challenge involves shotgun-quick writing & recording skills. The squeamish need not apply!

If you would like to compete, send an e-mail to: Horroraddicts@gmail.com –We’ll send you the complete set of rules and assign your story elements. Remember, the sooner you respond, the more time you’ll have to write and produce your podcast.”

Now, get cracking all my lovely (and amazingly talented) femmes of fear!

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

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Michael Welch: Bad Boy = Dead Boy!

Published March 6, 2014 by biggayhorrorfan

What a conundrum! Good guys may never get the girls, but in horror flicks the bad guys usually get dead.

Personable actor Michael Welch knows this first hand. As Mike Newton in the Twilight series, he pined, unsuccessfully, for the supernaturally obsessed Bella. In 2013’s The Demented, Welch seems to be having a much better time playing the smarmily rich Howard. It is soon revealed that Howard, who puts the move on the entire female cast of this (weakly CGI ridden) flick, has cheated on his loving girlfriend. Which means Welch is the first to buy it, here. This is sad for two reasons: it is so obviously expected and Welch adds much of this zombie-style flick’s initial energy!

Still, as a mild time waster, The Demented isn’t half bad. In a nice move, we actually witness the missile blast that lets loose the infective contagion and the young cast, including The Vampire Diaries‘ Kayla Ewell, does pretty well with the film’s emotional Night of the Living Dead elements. The effects including a rabidly attacking dog and the mind altering explosion are so cheaply rendered, that those who tap dance to cheesy cinematography may have a field day, as well.

It does seem time to alter certain tropes in our low budget exploitation fare, though. Severe righteousness seems equal to promiscuity in filmic sinfulness…so here’s to our uptight virgins crashing and burning with the (far more entertaining) bad boys (and girls) surviving to the final frame!

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

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Sharkbait Retro Village: 1983’s Through Naked Eyes

Published March 1, 2014 by biggayhorrorfan

Mindy gets kinky!

Indeed, one of the prime attractions of 1983 television psycho thriller Through Naked Eyes is watching fresh faced Pam Dawber (Mork and Mindy, My Sister Sam) explore her darker nature. As a magazine writer who begins spying on David Soul’s somber musician after an accidental sighting, Dawber makes her intrusive obsession seem plausible and (almost) innocent while simultaneously acknowledging its more erotic undertones. Meanwhile as a couple, she and Soul (Starsky and Hutch, Salem’s Lot), who brings a steely, far off intensity to his role, click while still coming off like one of the tube’s odder pairings.

Of course, a deranged murderer throws some complications into the couple’s budding romance. Roaming the halls of the pair’s apartment complex, this mysteriously assailant has knifed a senior citizen, a residential employee and a deaf mute – and it looks like Dawber’s Anne may be the next victim. A misguided police detective is convinced that Soul’s William is the killer – and when Anne believes him, her life truly enters the danger zone.

Director John Llewellyn Moxey (The Night Stalker, No Place to Hide) was a master of television terror and he helps his leads supply a layered complexity to their interactions. There is also a bit of vague suspense and the afore mentioned brutality to keep things interesting. The reveal of the killer is a non-event, but those who appreciate such films as Eyes of the Stranger, Someone’s Watching Me and even (in a dramatic stretch) Rear Window should enjoy themselves here.

What might be most interesting, though, is the league of Chicago based actors (where this was lensed) who fill out the supporting and minor roles, here. Performers like John Mahoney, Ted Levine and Dennis Franz obviously went onto bigger things but anyone familiar with Midwestern theatrics should delight to the presence of such boards treading stalwarts as Amy Morton and Annabel Armour, as well.

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

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The Backside of Horror: Argento’s Dracula (2012)

Published February 28, 2014 by biggayhorrorfan

Let’s face it, half the fun of horror and exploitation is seeing some hot bodies frolicking around in the buff. And while I worship the female form, I believe exploitation definitely veers into the exploitive when only gorgeous women are on display while their male counterparts remain chastely buttoned up. Therefore, The Backside of Horror salutes the filmmakers and actors whom even up the score a bit by gracing us with instances of hot and juicy male flesh in their bloody celluloid fantasies.

Things I’ve done in barns: Read a stolen Playboy in a hayloft with my preteen companions, got kicked by finicky horse (or two) and…I once used one to escape from an unstoppable serial killer (or three). (Although, that last one may be just another one of my compulsive Dana Kimmell flashbacks. H-m-m-m…) But, I have never ever gotten a straw strewn lay!

Of course, in Dario Argento’s critically unsung Dracula (2012), first victim Tanja (Miriam Giovanelli) outdoes me almost immediately. Her frantic meeting with the married Milos (Christian Burruano) soon gets more than just the rooster crowing. And while Argento has traditionally filled his filmic coffers with tons of skin baring femmes (including daughter Asia, who bares all here, as well), he finally offers up a little eye candy for the feisty gals and appreciative gay dudes in the audience with this one. For, while the glorious Giovanelli definitely displays all, the handsome Burruano also shows off his well toned ham hocks, virtually guaranteeing a moment of fast forward action for (any sensitive) relatives who may being viewing this frisky lad’s Euro horror debut.

Of course, Giovanelli and Burruano soon discover terror’s traditional message that sex equals death (or undeath, as the case may be), but a fine, smooth and fleshy time is had until then!

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

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Gay Shit in Horror: 1979’s She’s Dressed to Kill

Published February 22, 2014 by biggayhorrorfan

“Don’t panic. Contrary to popular report, I don’t mix modeling and big game hunting.” – Model Kate Bedford to a female colleague, She’s Dressed to Kill

Recognizable as the bloodied hero of the original Children of the Corn, actor-director Peter Horton truly showed his subtle performing powers as Tony Smith in 1979 television terror flick, She’s Dressed to Kill.

A Viet Nam deserter, Horton’s Tony has been taken in by manipulative fashion designer Regine Danton (the late, truly magnificent Eleanor Parker) at her mountainside retreat. As models and deluxe buyers gather for Danton’s latest show, it is revealed that the young and talented Smith has actually created the entire collection. With his promised credit for the gowns denied by Danton, Smith recoils with anger. Soon, attendees mysteriously begin to be murdered and he becomes a prime suspect. But, Smith soon finds a very willing supporter.

Victor DeSalle, a catty columnist ably played by the distinguished Clive Revill (The Legend of Hell House, C.H.U.D. II, Dracula: Dead and Loving It), agrees to sponsor Smith, if he can steal back his original designs. As the two characters chat, they acknowledge their mutual attraction to men with a bittersweet dialogue that is both guarded yet skillfully apparent. Despite his character’s devious plot, Revill does eventually show some tenderness toward the younger man in his portrayal while Horton supplies some softer touches to his characterization, as well. Director Gus Trikonis (The Evil, The Dark Side of Terror) allows for these nice emotional qualities to emerge, here, in a sharp contrast to the playful quality of the rest of the film.

George Leffert, who also wrote 1977’s similarly themed The Night They Took Miss Beautiful, makes room for a take charge lesbian in his script, as well. While Kate Bedford, a safari jaunting model, is occasionally played for laughs, gorgeous Cathee Shirriff inhabits her with enough likeable pride to make her a positive role model, as well.

Considering the time period in which this was filmed, the overwhelming sensitivity and various shades of personalities given these characters should be thought of as quite an achievement, especially in a network based thriller. But, it is also interesting to note that, even in the late 70’s, it was much easier to sell an attractive female queer as opposed to a male one. Bedford is decidedly out and accepted by her peers while the characters of Smith and DeSalle are cloaked in secrecy.

Food for thought…until the next time!

SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan

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Unsung Femmes: The Corpse Vanish’s Elizabeth Russell

Published February 20, 2014 by biggayhorrorfan

My hypnotic stare has always read as catatonic. Just ask the neighbors who consistently try to call emergency services on me.

Thankfully, graceful beauty Elizabeth Russell (1916-2012) was much better at magnetism than me. Enacting a series of emotionally troubled, occasionally murderous dames in low budget genre films in the 40s, Russell often brought haughty imperviousness to mystical heights. Historically, her work at RKO, Universal and Monogram brought her into performance-contact with the monstrously popular Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney, Jr., as well.

The Corpse Vanishes

One of Russell’s biggest roles was in 1942’s The Corpse Vanishes. Portraying Lugosi’s evilly aging wife, Russell radiates with poisonous intentions. When she isn’t busy slapping heroine Luana Walters in the face, she spends her time encouraging Lugosi to drain young brides of their blood for their rejuvenating effects.

Curse of the Cat People

Weird Woman and Curse of the Cat People (both 1944) showed her off to vengeful effect, as well. But in each of these roles, Russell provides moments of true heart, bringing out these characters’ inherent emotional agony.

The 7th Victim

1943’s The 7th Victim, meanwhile, allowed her to show off a broad variety of her skills. As Mimi, a victim of agoraphobia, she withers with cautious fear. But as another character chooses to end her life, Mimi emerges from her shell. With quiet optimism, Russell grandly provides this spooky tale with its haunting denouement.

Bedlam

Nicely, as Karloff’s gin loving niece, Mistress Sims, in 1946’s Bedlam, Russell was able to prove her comic worth, too. With arch sauciness, she provides a number of comic interludes, easing the gravity of the film’s asylum based horror and proving, beyond a doubt, that she is one of classic horror’s unsung femmes.

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

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Astro Radio Z: Argento’s Dracula!

Published February 18, 2014 by biggayhorrorfan

Sometimes, there is nothing that makes me happier than a bag of red licorice, the company of my vintage Suzanne Somers action figure and the soundtrack of Love At First Bite on my stereo!

But usually I am most pleased when I get to talk cheesy horror flicks with upstanding terror stalkers like Derrick Carey (Swamphead, Hole in the Wall), Cory J. Udler (Incest Death Squad series, Mediatrix) and acclaimed genre journalist Seth Poulin.

Here, we four talk, on the Carrey hosted podcast Astro Radio Z, about Dario Argento’s wildly dismissed Dracula and about the current state of this master of horror and his ilk.

Not surprisingly, perhaps, we all kind of dug this one. Find out why at:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/fearcast/2014/02/18/astro-radio-z-episode-12

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

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Big Gay (Nostalgia Ridden) Review: The Ghouligans!

Published February 15, 2014 by biggayhorrorfan

Every once in awhile I feel like I am missing true quality in my life…and then I head on over to http://www.theghouligans.com/ and get myself cured.

The Ghouligans!, for those not in the know, are a groovy throw back to the Universal monsters, Saturday morning television and 70’s sitcoms. Luckily, regulars Boris Stein (played with bumbling awesomeness by Michael Koscik), Void (the zombie, enacted with charming tentativeness by Sean King ) and Wolfgang W. Wolgang (the boisterously fun Pete Bune) have just released a new 6 episode series that rings with goofy nostalgia and inventive humor.

Marked by incredible production values, each show deals with a particular, often loony adventure. Episode one, for instance, revolves around the feeding of a seemingly scary, very hungry blob that just happens to be Wolfgang’s pet. The fourth entry chronicles the amorous errors that occur due to love lessons delivered by a suave vampire.

Each show, also, includes original commercial breaks, that range from the satirical to the nostalgically enjoyable (IE: A promo for an Odd Couple type situation comedy featuring Boris).

Captured by Boris and Wolfgang…and loving every second of it!!

You can purchase this latest season at the gang’s website (as plugged above) and you can keep up with all of their swinging, terror-ific adventures at https://www.facebook.com/ghouligans, as well.

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

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