HORROR THURS/FRIDAYS IN JUNE ON TCM

[ASTROBUDDY]

Just finished viewing, "Frankenstein--1970"! Originally it was supposed to be titled, "Frankenstein--1960", but the producers thought it better to change the title and add ten years. (I don't know why they decided this!) The only thing is there is nothing futuristic about this film since it still looks like it takes place in 1958.(The year the film was released.) I wonder if the producers of "Shadow of the Vampire" ever saw this one? In "SotV", a director,"F. W. Murnau has hired a real vampire by the name of Max Shreck to star in his new movie, "Nosferatu". In "F--1970" a film crew goes to the castle of the last remaining Frankenstein played by the king of Horror films, Boris Karloff and of, course Karloff goes about doing what Frankensteins do; murdering people in order to construct a being out of dead parts. Here the actor most famous for playing the original Monster in the original 1931 production of "Frankenstein" plays Baron Victor von Frankenstein; the same year, Peter Cushing first appeared as Dr. Victor Frankenstein in the first Hammer "Frankenstein" titled "The Curse of Frankenstein"! Karloff is a joy to watch, eventhough it has been said that he played the character "over the top". The movie also features a performance by the actress who (if any one saw, Elvis Presley's 2nd film, "Loving You") sneaks into Deke Rivers' (Elvis) dressing room on a dare to steal a kiss from the King, which I find interesting because I like running across old movies and picking out familiar faces.) Any way "F--1970", which I had not seen since I was a kid was still a remarkable little film, for an old horror film from the fifites.

I

[ASTROBUDDY]

Also just finished watching, "Mars Needs Women", "The Manster" and "the Cyclops"!

"Mars Needs Women" is a really low budget made for TV syndication movie made in 1966. It stars Tommy Kirk who had been a star at Disney and Yvonne Craig just a little bit before she became Batgirl on the old Batman TV show. It's a stupid film but does have some interesting moments. But I would say skip it unless you are a fan of the two leads.

"The Manster" is probably one of the first U.S./Japanese co-productions. Aside from a creature that starts out with two heads, (that's right--two heads) it has elements of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. (The American lead is injected with a serum which causes a mutation to take place within him and he splits in two with the evil creature in him coming out. Two of the stars from Toho's "Mothra" are seen here. One is the actor Jerry Ito who played the evil Mr. Nelson in "Mothra", here playing a police detective chasing after the Manster and the actor who plays Mr. Nelson's cohort in "Mothra", here playing the mad scientist who creates "the Manster." This also is interesting eventhough it is a lowbudget sci-fi horror film.

"The Cyclops" is also not a bad little flick featuring one of the later performances of Lon Chaney, Jr. along with the beautiful starlet, Gloria Talbot and others. This film is also a precursor for the Colossal Man movies.

All in all I really enjoyed seeing these sci-fi drive-in double features on TCM. I hope they program more.

I

[jeffbert]

I saw Frankenstein--1970 a few years ago, & realizing that fact after 2 or 3 minutes, just ffwded to the end for closing comments, if there were any. I did enjoy it, & intend to watch it again, just not now. I like just about everything the old horror icons did, from the great to the turkeys, but my DVR was filling up fast.

I think I also skipped THE MANSTER, but watched the other two. CYCLOPS I too, identified by the mask or face of the guy as being associated with the other films you mentioned.