Music to Make Horror Movies By: Little Richard

Published August 23, 2020 by biggayhorrorfan

Little Richard

If rock ‘n roll and horror movies go hand in hand, then the late, lamented Little Richard was the king of both genres. His great showmanship and historic run of hits resulted in his songs being included on the soundtracks of such ‘80s classics as Christine and Predator. Why, it’s enough to give someone the heeby-jeebies.

Perhaps more importantly, Richard’s outrageous flamboyance helped pave the way for many in the LGBTQIA community, a legacy that means just as much as all the amazing music that he left behind.

Christine

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Va-Va-Villainess: Mabel Albertson

Published August 22, 2020 by biggayhorrorfan

Mabel Glamour Best known for portraying the (occasionally) disapproving mother-in-law of Samantha on the classic supernatural comedy Bewitched, the distinguished Mabel Albertson made many other appearances on the stage and in film, often playing the matriarchal figurehead to the characters that each specific project focused upon.

In one earlier assignment, Albertson showed she could amp up the dramatic proceedings with a true sense of overbearing vengefulness. Playing out all the destructive impulses of Mrs. Conway, the commanding mother of Julie Adams’ hopeful starlet in the glossy 1957 Universal Pictures’ melodrama Four Girls in Town, this well-traveled performer brings a crushing weight to her fictional actions. Thus, this character’s overpowering persona almost destroys her daughter’s chance at true happiness and, often swiftly and subtly, Albertson makes her poisonous mark truly felt here. Mabel Four Girls in Town

Considering that almost everyone has dealt with the stinging pressure of a mentor or family member, Mrs. Conway emerges as a creature whose supposedly concerned and supportive sense of evil is just as great as any of the grander schemes provided by such notorious creatures as Lady Macbeth or Julia Cotton…a testament to the honest power of Mabel Albertson’s skilled work.

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Horror Hall of Fame:

Among her many other credits, this grand dame of expressiveness appeared on a popular episode of The Munsters and co-starred with the iconic Barbara Stanwyck in 1970’s The House That Wouldn’t Die, an early example of the made for television horror movie.

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Albertson reacts to the horrors of The House That Wouldn’t Die!

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Style Icons of Horror: Getting Wiggy with Days’ Eve

Published August 19, 2020 by biggayhorrorfan

Have Wig, Will Revenge!

Always more of a misunderstood anti-heroine, Days of our Lives’ Eve Donovan (the always emotive Kassie DePaiva) has recently emerged as an evil mastermind, a character type that fans of horror films are very familiar with.

After kidnapping her daughter’s murderer and torturing him in a warehouse outside of New York City, Eve has recently arrived in Salem, IL, where the show is based, to finish off her revenge scheme.

Eagled eyed Claire (Isabel Durant) sees through Eve’s disguise!

Naturally knowing she is under suspicion for her criminal activities, Eve reemerged disguised in a black wig – a perfect terror flick accoutrement – and an accessory put to good use by everyone from Morticia Addams to Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.

Of course, you can be in good company, too – by watching Days which airs, weekdays, Monday – Friday on NBC.

https://www.facebook.com/daysofourlives

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Samara, Morticia and Elvira: The Most Famous Black Wigs in Horror!

Music to Make Horror Movies By: 5 Star

Published August 16, 2020 by biggayhorrorfan

Sometimes it just takes a great mind! Denise Pearson, lead singer of ‘80s British pop sensations 5 Star, obviously had an instinct that the inhabitants of such post-apocalyptic horrors as Aliens, Creepozoids and Hardware might have had a better chance of surviving with just one thing – a dance break. This video for System Addict, one of the band’s most popular numbers, brightly and enthusiastically works that theory out to vibrant effect.

Decades later, lucky (and loyal) listeners know that Denise is still brightening dark and desolate landscapes with appearances in musicals and on concert stages across the world.

https://www.facebook.com/denisepearsonmusic

Denise Pearson

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In Retrospect: Ruby Dandridge

Published August 15, 2020 by biggayhorrorfan

While Dorothy Dandridge is recognized as one of the tragic goddesses of celluloid history, she was not the only accomplished performer in her family.

Dorothy’s mother Ruby was a highly regarded character actress, in her own right. Beginning her career as a dancer in the classic King Kong, Dandridge eventually became known for providing accomplished persona work in such mainstream MGM films as Saratoga Trunk and The Clock. In the ‘50s and early ‘60s, she was also a common fixture on a variety of television shows.

Unfortunately, like many of her contemporaries, Dandridge spent the majority of her career acting out the over the top antics of frazzled domestics or appearing as helpful shop keepers to such prominently billed performers as Ingrid Bergman and Judy Garland.

Personally, the little information that is available about her online highlights her as woman obsessed with her career who had little time for Dorothy and her siblings. Instead, she left the bulk of the child rearing duties to her romantic partner, Geneva Williams. Williams was noted for treating her inherited offspring harshly while relentlessly training them for careers in show business.

Thus, as we crawl our way into more progressive times, it may be natural for one to wonder if Dandridge’s maternal instincts might have been more on cue if she actually was allowed to fully bloom as a performer and not have to stare down racism at every turn. While pondering this, we can also appreciate the professional glow and earnest determination she brought to the opportunities that she was given whenever she appears, magically young and full of life, on our late-night nostalgia strewn television screens.

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Music to Make Horror Movies By: Beach House

Published August 10, 2020 by biggayhorrorfan

Beach House Gila

I suppose it doesn’t really matter whether Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally of Beach House were streaming low budget science fiction and horror films when composing their dreamy 2008 opus Devotion. Songs like the hypnotic Gila definitely make genre fans imagine that they were.

But whether they are releasing two magnificent albums in one year or expanding their musical horizons (as they did with 7, their latest release), this duo is always proving that they exist in the realm of the fantastic and otherworldly.

http://www.beachhousebaltimore.com https://www.facebook.com/beachhouse

Beach House Devotion

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Style Icons of Horror: Kaye Stevens

Published August 8, 2020 by biggayhorrorfan

“Show any cheek and you’ll be back shoveling French fries!!” – Mrs. Kallender, Jaws 3

Whether opening for The Temptations or enacting a broken-hearted breakdown on Days of Our Lives, eclectic wonder Kaye Stevens always presented herself with passion and a grand sense of pizzazz.

Nicely, this scene stealer brought a little flair to the Jaws kingdom as well with her appearance in the highly anticipated, ‘80s personifying Jaws 3-D! As her Mrs. Kallender instructed some eager femme charges on how to conduct themselves as employees in this toothy version of Sea World, it seems like the producers took a liking to Stevens’ personal style. Flourishes of red abound in the production design, making Kaye’s bright locks a visual precursor for all that is to come in this aquatic, bloody celluloid nightmare.

In my (skin free) book, there can be no bigger compliment or sincere indication of Stevens’ immense visual (and otherwise) talents than that!

Kaye leading the Jaws 3 color charge!

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Further evidence of Kaye bringing flair to soap operas, variety shows and album covers, worldwide!

The Red Giallo Antics of Days’ Eve

Published August 4, 2020 by biggayhorrorfan

Eve Red Duo

Sporting a giallo red dress, her form surrounded by pure white lighting while an offscreen wind machine ruffled her hair dramatically, Days of Our Lives perennial bad girl Eve Donovan made her grand re-entrance on the daytime scene this past week.

Determined to stop reformed serial killer Ben Weston (subtly intense Robert Scott Wilson) from finding happiness on his wedding day to refreshingly honest heroine Ciara Brady (the forever spunky Victoria Konefal) , Donovan deployed a bomb as a distraction tactic (just as the ceremony completed) and whisked the former compulsive murderer off to a mysterious warehouse lair. Eve Solo Red

As portrayer Kassie DePaiva notes in a recent interview, Eve has “definitely gone off the deep end!” Of course, this is not surprising if one charts the series of misguided love affairs, false accusations and general bad luck that have plagued this character during the prime of her run on the show. Add in the fact that during his long-ago reign of terror, Ben claimed Eve’s sweet daughter Paige as one of his victims and you have a Molotov cocktail of intense motivation happening here. Now Eve is determined to brainwash Ben into murdering his new wife, allowing him to liberally partake in the intense pain that she herself feels over the loss of her greatest love, her one and only child.

Of course, as the mechanics of this revenge-soaked plot play out one truly hopes that the atmosphere will remain saturated in the glow of the European revenge horror films that it is already nicely imitating.

One thing will remain certain, though. DePaiva, who has always immersed herself into the mindset of every character that she plays, will compel and entrance….and possibly find herself with an Emmy nomination for her work – a feat that would bring her total nods for her efforts with this role up to three.

Eve Blue

For further information on Days/DePaiva, be sure to check out https://www.facebook.com/daysofourlives & https://www.facebook.com/kassie.depaiva.

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Music to Make Horror Movies By: Brandy

Published August 2, 2020 by biggayhorrorfan

brandy-i-know-what-you-did-last-summer

Was there ever a greater ’90s female horror team-up than Brandy and Jennifer Love Hewitt in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, a sequel that (in many books) out-slashed its predecessor?!? There was no way that any maniac, no matter how brilliantly twisted and calculating, would prevail with those two mini-divas on the scene.

Of course, long before ruling the screen, the singularly sensation-ed Brandy dominated the music charts with a series of top hits and bestselling albums.

Thankfully for aurally inclined cinema buffs, Brandy, who just dropped her latest LP Baby Mama, is still generating enough creativity to scare off the most ardent criminal at http://4everbrandy.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/foreverbrandy.

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Brandy-Norwood

When Legends Meet: Bela Lugosi and Greta Garbo

Published July 29, 2020 by biggayhorrorfan

Bela and Greta

As the pandemic rages on, sometimes the smallest pleasures can produce the biggest thrills. For example, the recently reopened Chicago Public Library has been an oasis for me, allowing me to check out a variety of classic films from the ’30s and ’40s, the celluloid eras that bring me the most joy, as of late.

A few weeks ago, I was happy to find 1939’s Ninotchka, the film that gave the usually regal Greta Garbo a chance to let loose and convulse with laughter due to the smart joys of the irreplaceable Billy Wilder’s script.

Layered with an expected sense of sly, often infectious humor, this classic film’s biggest surprise for me wound up being the presence of horror legend Bela Lugosi. Playing the commanding officer of Garbo’s loyal Russian ambassador, the two share a very fun scene towards the film’s end, resulting in a magical moment for those who are fans of all kinds of cinema. Showing that he was capable of subtle theatrics and able to stretch his skills far beyond the mysterious creatures and mad scientists that he was usually asked to play, Lugosi, in particular, shines here with a sense of authority and truth.

Admirers of his work (and of Garbo’s undiminished power) may do well to track this gem down. Its a sure way to ease those lingering stay-at-home blues for an hour or two.

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