“RAMON-CE”: In Gay Madrid

Published April 21, 2018 by biggayhorrorfan

Roman In Gay Madrid.jpg

Ramon Navarro, one of the more charismatic gay performers to charm his way through early Hollywood talkies, earned his stripes as a Horror Hunk due to a latter day appearance on the Boris Karloff hosted anthology series Thriller. Here, we look at some of his most famous roles in other genres.

It’s the golden rule of slashers – do drugs or have sex (and goddess forbid, if you do both) and you pay the price with the knife. But horror films are not the only moralistic form of entertainment….by far.

Let’s examine the case of Ricardo, the careless youth that Ramon Navarro plays in 1930’s In Gay Madrid. Indeed, Ricardo, who tells impulsive tales and flirts with a dancehall queen, must suffer through the punishing effects of a gunshot wound before being allowed to marry the girl of his dreams, the kind and loyal Carmina (Dorothy Jordan).

Surprisingly chaste for being a Pre-Code film, In Gay Madrid was actually developed as an opportunity for Navarro to show off his singing voice. This he does to solid effect in a couple of grand choral numbers.

But what is most noticeable here is the chemistry that he shares with the handsome David Scott. Scott, as Carmina’s innocent brother Ernesto, definitely plays up his devotion to Ricardo and the friction shared between these two is ultimately far greater than any emotion that happens to accidentally arise between Jordan and Navarro. In Gay Madrid, indeed!

In Gay Madrid 2

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

www.facebook.com/biggayhorrorfan

Music to Make Horror Movies By: Christina Aguilera

Published April 15, 2018 by biggayhorrorfan

christina birds of prey.jpg

It may not give Tippi Hedren shivers – because I have a feeling that nothing scares her – but Christina Aguilera’s Birds of Prey, a track off of her unnecessarily unheralded science fiction concept album Bionic, is definitely a spooky pop masterpiece.

Of course, Aguilera, who has had songs featured on such genre television shows as The Vampire Diaries and Roswell, is always in flight at www.christinaaguilera.com.

Christina bionic.jpg

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

www.facebook.com/biggayhorrorfan

Review: Woof Magazine

Published April 14, 2018 by biggayhorrorfan

Woof

It’s cool that a “woof” on the Scruff app of my phone means that some dude 3000 miles away from me thinks that I’m hot. But, in all honesty, it’s a magazine like Woof! Dog Eat Cinema Magazine that truly brings out the beast in me!

Coming straight from the dirty sheets of The Netherlands, courtesy of editor-creator Hans Minkers, this publication is perfectly pulsating with provocatively illustrated articles on everything from post apocalyptic roller skate movies to the filmic output of Draculina publisher Hugh Gallagher. You can also find substantive reports on the movies of Andy Milligan (Issue #4, Hans Van De Broeck) and the creations of director-producer Johan Vandewoestijne (Issue #5, Van De Broeck), one of the men responsible for the popular Troma title Rabid Grannies.

As someone who prides himself on owning as many variants of Alice, Sweet Alice on tape as possible, I also love how each issue focuses on a different VHS collector, honing in on their special interests and passion films. Minkers also is the force behind one of the more enjoyable regular features, Whatever Lola Wants. Here, he reviews a VHS from his collection that has been chosen by his 4 year old daughter. Thus, we are treated to explorations of films as varying as Clue and Stephen Spielberg’s Duel.

Woof 2Nicely, decadent artwork is one of the primary focuses of this vibrant creation, as well. Sane Van Der Horst’s howlingly phallic creation in Issue #3 is a standout while Printsploitation founder Scott R. Miller contributes a centerfold full of unique performers for the publication’s latest issue. Willie Darktrousers also comes up with some enjoyably monstrous creations for the Gallagher feature.

And while the sleaze and grease of psychotic celluloid aberrations fully populate this enterprise, the feministic perspective is not ignored here. Laura Louwes is always on hand to give smart and fun reactions to classic porn titles with A Woman’s Perspective.

Issues of Woof are available for purchase by contacting woofmagazine@hotmail.com.

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

www.facebook.com/biggayhorrorfan

Review: Ruger

Published April 10, 2018 by biggayhorrorfan

sybil-danning-ruger-comic-620x957

Filled with sexy action and cinematic intrigue, Ruger, a new comic book created and written by genre goddess Sybil Danning, is a welcome treat for many reasons. The primary pleasure, though, is the lead character, herself. Strong, mysterious and enjoyably anti-authoritarian, Ruger is definitely deserving of becoming a well recognized feminist icon.

Based upon the character from the popular late ‘80s action flick L.A. Bounty, here our heroine is out to nab a payday by bringing in a charismatic Canadian diplomat. The only problem is that he is under the protection of the Federal Government of the United States. Naturally, flying bullets, explosions and epic car crashes are part of the journey that the primary focus takes to try to claim her mark. Ruger21.jpg

Agreeably, the artistic team, including Scott Ethan Ambruson, G.W. Fisher and Dash Martin, have a natural affinity for the exploitation films that Danning is honoring here. They particularly capture Ruger’s chill, insolent nature as she toys with the soldiers and officials who are busy at work trying to neutralize her plans.

Nicely, this buoyant energy makes one truly excited for the future adventures that are sure unfold around this irreverent bounty hunter in the next two issues of the series.

Ruger is currently available for purchase directly from Danning at www.sybildanning.net.

 

 

…and until the next time, SWEET love and pink GRUE, Big Gay Horror Fan!

http://www.facebook.com/biggayhorrorfan

Music to Make Horror Movies By: Portia Nelson

Published April 8, 2018 by biggayhorrorfan

portiaFor generations of children the scariest thing about the distinguished Portia Nelson was probably the fact that her decisive Sister Berthe didn’t like Julie Andrews’ lovable Maria in the 1965 film version of The Sound of Music. But Nelson’s friendship with author Tom Tryon actually resulted in a role with even more haunting consequences. Cast as Mrs. Rowe in the atmospheric film version of Tryon’s The Other, this eclectic artist found herself as a part of the cinematic universe of one of the most popular horror novels of the early ‘70s.

portia nelson sound.png

But Nelson, who was also an influential author and songwriter, was perhaps best known for her work in the cabaret. Her beautiful soprano voice, which deepened adroitly with age, was nimble enough to find subtle meanings in the songs she sang, allowing listeners to, as her most popular lyrical composition attested, “make a rainbow” in their minds.

Nelson, whose poem Autobiography in Five Chapters is a notable tool for those in recovery, also battled cancer for many years. Ever the warrior, she, ultimately, lost her life to the disease, at the age of 80, in 2001.

the other poster.jpg

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

www.facebook.com/biggayhorrorfan

Great Performances: Sybil Danning

Published April 7, 2018 by biggayhorrorfan

l.a. bounty poster

A stern look from someone in real life can sometimes stop you dead in your tracks. Silent expression is also an efficient tool to communicate emotion on film. This is often difficult to pull off, though, as it must be done subtly to be truly effective.

Thankfully for genre fans, one of the most exciting performances to utilize a bare minimum of dialogue and rely almost entirely on facial fluidity, is Sybil Danning’s commanding and efficient Ruger in the beloved cult favorite L.A. Bounty.

l.a. bounty 1A former cop turned determined bounty hunter, Ruger here is dead set on taking down Cavanaugh, a vile criminal who murdered her former partner and who has recently kidnapped Mike Rhodes, a handsome mayoral candidate. Much of Ruger’s time is spent protecting Mike’s uncooperative wife Kelly, a woman whom Cavanaugh wants decidedly dead. As Ruger tries, mightily, to protect this innocent bystander, she systematically works her way through Cavanaugh’s associates. Growing ever more stern and calculating, when she finally gets to the man, himself, even the plot’s fun twists and turns will not deter her.

Nicely, with a simple yet powerful presence, Danning outguns even the most treasured male action icons here. She is cool yet obviously emotionally conflicted, delivering a classic performance – truly one of the best in the exploitation medium and beyond. The rest of the cast is also impressive with Wings Hauser oozing blistered menace as Cavanaugh and the underrated Lenore Kasdorf (Guiding Light, Missing in Action) bringing nervy grace to Kelly Rhodes. Drive-in enthusiasts will also cheer to the contributions of such esteemed participants as Henry Darrow and Robert Quarry.LA-Bounty-3

But it is Danning’s heart that truly provides the significant pulse of this piece. Granted, the action beats, including the anticipated shotgun blasts and deaths by torture and electrocution, are exciting. But she truly imbues this make believe world with its soul. Not surprisingly, a look at the credits shows that she wrote the story and also produced this emotional slice of mayhem… a true tribute to feminine power and the bad-assery of women everywhere, if there ever was one.

l.a. bounty 2

L.A. Bounty merchandise, including a new comic book based upon the exploits of Ruger, is available directly from Danning at www.sybildanning.net.  Be sure to follow her at https://www.facebook.com/Sybil-Danning and https://twitter.com/sybildanning, as well.

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

www.facebook.com/biggayhorrorfan

 

Music to Make Horror Movies By: Stacy Lattisaw

Published April 1, 2018 by biggayhorrorfan

stacy-lattisaw-nail-it-to-the-wall

A mother’s quest for vengeance strikes at the heart of the much ridiculed Jaws: The Revenge. I, for one, have always taken this goofy showcase for the determined talents of Lorraine Gary as a fun, feminist uprising and Stacy Lattisaw’s song Nail it to the Wall, featured on the film’s soundtrack, definitely reflects the power of a woman at her fullest strength.

Lattisaw, who enjoyed a number of bouncy, beloved hits throughout the ‘80s, is still performing in a spiritualistic capacity and can be visited at www.stacylattisaw.org.

lorraine gary jaws.jpg

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

https://www.facebook.com/BigGayHorrorFan

 

Horror Tour Guide

Published March 31, 2018 by biggayhorrorfan

Horror Tour Guide

New friends and neighbors in the horror community are always welcome. With so many entertainment options out there, it is always nice to get a fresh perspective.

Horror Tour Guide, a recently launched site, is a truly exciting addition to the macabre world of the web. With links to actual comic books, films and games, it is an interactive enthusiast’s dream come true.

Special note: For those with logo frenzy, please make sure to not let that extreme coulrophobia deter you from unlocking all the spooky goodies that are sure to be awaiting you at www.horrortourguide.com.

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

www.facebook.com/biggayhorrorfan

 

 

Music to Make Horror Movies By: Shirley MacClaine

Published March 25, 2018 by biggayhorrorfan

shirley possession.png

In 1972’s The Possession of Joel Delaney, eclectic hoofer Shirley MacLaine encountered a demonic presence that forever altered the life of Norah, the steadfast mother and sister that the actress gave passionate life to.

Thankfully, as a veteran of such musical comedies as Irma La Douce and Sweet Charity, MacLaine seems to be imbued with something much less sinister in reality…the Gypsy in Her Soul!

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

www.facebook.com/biggayhorrorfan

 

Sharkbait Retro Village: This House Possessed

Published March 17, 2018 by biggayhorrorfan

THP4The essence of cool, conniving film noir, the legendary Joan Bennett definitely presented herself as a horse of a different color with her appearance as the Rag Lady in the 1981 television terror This House Possessed. Here, roaming far from the perfect iciness of her roles in films like Scarlet Street, the adventurous Bennett plays a shabby small town oddity, driven to isolated madness by the secret at the heart of the film.

THP3This mystery, of course, revolves around the titular mansion. Interestingly, taking its cues from other small screen genre projects that revolved around such possessed inanimate objects as bulldozers, taxidermy displays and hobby horses, the residence here is not haunted by ghosts or some hidden psychotic killer, but actually causes the movie’s mayhem through a monstrous will of its own. THP5

…and the body count here is fairly high. A librarian dies in an explosion. A veteran character actor is finished off with a jagged shard from a trembling mirror and Bennett, herself, is exposed to the bubbling depths of an overheated pool. Add in a bloody shower and a very aggressive water hose (or two) and you have a project that has lived on in the memories of those who caught it on its original broadcast at impressionable ages.

Nicely, the more outrageous circumstances here are grounded by the gentle and committed leading performances of Parker Stevenson, as a rock star whose emotional collapse brings him to the malevolent domicile, and Lisa Eilbacher, as the nurse who helps him recover and soon wins his heart. Stevenson radiates with a genuine kindness and the music he performs comes off more like a softer version of the balladic work of Justin Timberlake than the cheesy pop that one associates with multiple television stars of that era.THP2

Eagle eyed horror lovers will also delight to the presence of A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Amanda Wyss, billed here as Mandy, whose opening act frolicking with actor John Dukakis (Jaws 2) is wetly interrupted by the angry residence. She and Bennett, who became well known for her role on the beloved gothic soap opera Dark Shadows during the middle range of her career, also make this enjoyable oddity a happy exercise for lovers of the femme form in terror, as well.

THP1

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

www.facebook.com/biggayhorrorfan