Prospero's Essential Movie Guide Part 2

Director Tod Browning

Right up there with Science Fiction, Comedy and Drama, Horror movies played as much a part of early films as they do today.

Lon Chaney, "The Man of a Thousand Faces" was THE star of silent horror and his contribution to the genre is immeasurable. I was lucky enough to attend a screening of Phantom of the Opera at the Princeton chapel (really a Cathedral) with a live organ accompaniment, using the film's original score. The organist was a true professional, never skipping a beat when almost an entire reel was accidentally replayed. Chaney made an astounding number of silent genre films, including The Hunchback of Notre Dame; He Who Gets Slapped; The Unknown; London After Midnight (directed by Browning) and two versions of The Unholy Three (the original also directed by Browning). Chaney's son, Lon Chaney, Jr. had a lucrative career playing The Wolfman in the 40's and 50's, though he never rose to the height of his father's fame.

Sadly, not much footage remains from London After Midnight:



Luckily, Browning went on to direct two of the genre's iconic films: Dracula (Uncle P's introduction to horror) and the once-banned Freaks, both of which are readily available.

Of course there are those (Uncle P included) who think the Mexican Spanish Language version of 1931's Dracula (shot at night on Browning's sets) is superior in both tone and technical fimmaking:

I'll be moving on to more "talkies" in the next installment. Again, if you've never seen these films, I urge to seek them out.

More essentials, anon.
Prospero

ComicCon Nonsense

As much as I think I would love to someday attend the San Diego ComicCon, I am brought back to Earth by clips like the one below, and am reminded of the one fan convention my sister and I attended in New York in the 80's. It was the Fangoria Horror Convention, and while we were certainly entertained and enthralled to meet some of our horror icons (make-up FX genius Tom Savini and actor Michael Berryman among them), we were truly dismayed by the number of real weirdos in attendance.

Sci-Fi blog i09 posted this clip of the ComicCon fan costume contest "Project Geek Runway." As much as I love Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror movies, I just don't see myself spending the time, energy and money that these folks spend for a few minutes of glory in front of their fellow geeks.

That's not to say that everyone in attendance is a geek or a whacko (though Johnny Depp did reportedly attend, dressed as a squirrel). And I would love the chance to sit in on some of the discussion panels, if only to get a sneak peek at the many upcoming movies and TV shows that get previewed there. But I am happy to sit at my desk and watch from afar, without having to put up with some nerd in a lame Batman costume shoving his way past me to get to the DC Comics booth. Instead, I get to watch the "Heroes" Season 4 trailer from the comfort of my home all while avoiding the expense of traveling to CA and putting up with a bunch of freaks.*

*No offence intended toward those attending ComicCon or any actual circus freaks.

More, anon.
Prospero

Transcendental Vampires?

I know I have posted about VampireCon before. It seems the allure of eternal youth and sex without consequence is just too delicious for some people to ignore. This actually worries me.

Vampirism is the ultimate form of bodily fluid transmission. The "vampire" drinks your blood and thus consumes whatever viruses, bacteria and diseases which lurk there. Supposedly in return, the vampire imparts eternal youth and extraordinary powers to his/her victim.

In Anne Rice's "Vampire Chronicles," the 'gift' also imparts a sense of soulessness, doom and regret. Who the hell wants that?

Worst of all, there are real folks out there who can't seem to be able to seperate reality from fanstay, and fancy themselves as "real" vampires. They sleep in coffins, wear nothing but black and and sometimes actually consume human blood. I dated two guys who thought they were vampires, and while it was a little sexy at first, it turned creepy real fast (especially when one actually bit my thigh and drew blood - Yes, I immediatley got tested).

So why is this ancient mythos still so prominent amid modern scientfic proof that there really is no such thing? Well, there are folks out there who actually suffer from a mental disorder called Clinical Vampirism. Cinical vampires believe that by ingesting the blood of other humans, they are imbued with power, youth and eternal life. It also makes me so glad that I live in the real world where I know such things are impossible.

Still, "vampires" have carved a niche for themsleves in modern society, and are finally getting the convention they so rightly deserve. Here are four ads for the up-coming VampireCon in San Diego. I can only hope that when the pics from this convention are posted, I don't see anyone I know there.

Transcendental Vampire (get it Dental?):


Skin Deep:


Costume Party:


And the one that started it all... Tight Squeeze:

All the more reason to love Zombies. At least they have no passion for anything but flesh.

More, anon.
Prospero

The Next Gayest Thing you'll See This Week

Via DListed comes this video clip about Scotland's "Male Barbie." He's sort of pretty (though I could do without the lip piercings), but completely insane. If I saw him in a club, I know I'd do my best to avoid him. Does the phrase "Get over yourself" mean anything?