Like the divine Peggy Lee, who dominated the soundtrack of George Romero’s Monkey Shines, the iconic Frank Sinatra is given musical prominence in John Landis’ 1992 horror comedy Innocent Blood.

As the film revolves around a Mafioso powerhouse turned throat ripping vampire in the Little Italy neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Sinatra’s involvement was perhaps inevitable. Cannily, though, the producers include two numbers, That Old Black Magic & I’ve Got You Under My Skin, that echo, in fun and subtle ways, the supernatural mayhem that unfolds throughout this terror-stained romp. Thus, almost like the interludes used decades later in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, the tunes here add to the sense of fun and give viewers a nice feeling for the film’s time and place.

Unfortunately, upon it’s release, the project received middling reviews and even poorer box office results. While not perfect due to some odd pacing issues, there are still some amazing set pieces here, including ones stained by some mighty Steve Johnson effects.

Littered with cameos by the likes of Johnson and his then wife Linnea Quigley, who looks absolutely stunning in her brief sequence as a very surprised nurse, this project may ultimately be best known for hosting a cast of pre-The Sopranos regulars and for the joyous ways that character actor Robert Loggia and comedian Don Rickles rip into their characters, a duo of monstrous personalities turned literally monstrous by lead Anne Parillaud’s very Euro-like bite. 

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

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