October 2005

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The Monday Movie Quiz #79

One clue this week, and here it is:

Hints:

- One actor above once worked with Michael Moore to prove on-camera that New York cab drivers will pick up a white convicted felon over a big black guy every time.

- The second actor has worked with Raquel Welch and Farah Fawcett.

- The third is a genius.

If you know the name of the film, send me an email by late Sunday night. If you're correct, expect to see your name in next week's hard-workin' winners circle.

Posted by Steve Monaco at October 31, 2005 3:09 PM

 

Last week's Movie Quiz winners

Happy Howl-oween, as Famous Monsters editor Forrest J. Ackerman might say. Last week's unknown movie was the 1941 classic The Wolf Man, starring Lon Chaney, Jr. Besides being a pluperfect choice for holiday viewing, it's also the very first horror movie ever seen by yours truly. (I was 5, and badgered my folks to let me stay up and watch it-- needless to say, I was up all night and so were they.)

By 1941, Universal Studios had been making their pioneering brand of atmospheric monster movies for over a decade, and The Wolf Man benefitted from the accumulated expertise of their crew of behind-the-scenes geniuses. Makeup wizard Jack Pierce, who had also created Karloff's Mummy and Frankenstein, outdid himself with Chaney's transformation from man to wolf (the stop-motion changeover still works beautifully). R.A. Gausman's set design is just as good, and the foggy, creepy forest scenes are forever burned in my memory. Even little things like the design of Chaney's wolf's-head walking stick were done perfectly.

As for the cast, it's filled with old pros: Claude Rains as Chaney's father, Bela Lugosi as the gypsy who passes on the werewolf gene to Lon, and, perhaps best of all, the nightmarish Maria Ouspenskaya (seen in last week's picture clue). It's a good thing they were there, too, because while Chaney Jr. was a good choice physically for the title role, his acting chops were never better than second rate, and it's hard to be frightened by a monster who constantly looks like he's about to bawl.

(In later years, when his alcoholism became worse, Chaney would tell his directors to get what they needed from him before lunch, and during the filming of his last picture-- Al Adamson's drive-in abomination Dracula vs. Frankenstein-- he was only shot from the waist up, because two crew members were crouched down by his legs, holding him upright.)

At 70 minutes, The Wolf Man is as short and sweet as a horror movie can be, and is one of the few films of its era that still holds up for kids today. For my money, it is to Halloween what It's a Wonderful Life is to Xmas.

Congratulations to the following monster-lovers for recognizing Maria and the film she rode in on: Wayne Palmer, Anne Chase, Hank Parmer, E. Yarber, Mark Bartel, Steve Perry, Mark Gisleson, and Joe Rosenberg. Thanks and a silver bullet to you all!

Posted by Steve Monaco at October 31, 2005 2:12 PM

 

Countdown to Halloween, comics style

One of my favorite comics from the '60s, with stories written by none other than John Stanley, the author of Little Lulu!

Another great Dell horror comic from 1962-- imagine Bela Lugosi in a Dracula movie by Hammer Studios. (At least that's how it struck me at the age of 7.)

Again from '62, based on the horror anthology show starring the immortal Boris Karloff, another childhood fave of yours truly

Posted by Steve Monaco at October 28, 2005 1:37 AM

 

Easily a thousand words, and more

"He's like a zombie some days, walking around in a trance," says one aide who, for obvious reasons, asks not to be identified. "Other times he launches into angry outbursts, cussing out anybody who gets near him." (Read it all here.)

Posted by Steve Monaco at October 25, 2005 5:01 PM

 

The Monday Movie Quiz #78

Greetings, friends of the creaking couch-- the sofa and I are both happily back in Des Moines and ready for some serious goof-off time. For now, though, we'll re-open for biz with a ridiculously easy movie quiz. What film starred this beauty queen?

I can hear quiz regulars Palmer, Parmer, and Yarber laughing already. The rest of you can, too, provided that you send me an email by late Sunday night with the movie's title. If you're right, expect to see your name in next week's holiday-appropriate winners circle.

Posted by Steve Monaco at October 24, 2005 3:25 AM

 

Update: The Pundit gets a new couch

I've been talking about my moving back to Des Moines since last May, and now, over five months later, I'm finally doing it today. With luck, I should have everything I need for this blog up and running by the end of the week. Then, I promise, more entries, soundfiles, and the people I owe email and CDs to will actually get them. Thanks to City Pages and everybody who reads this page for putting up with my sporadic output the last several months. I'll be offline for a couple of days, but as always, email is welcome.

See you soon, and I mean that. And the Movie Quiz will be back next Monday.

(Not like you all need more to look at on-line, but if you're not aware of the Grand Comics Database, you really should check it out-- over 100,000 comic-book covers are already up, and they add more every day, from eight decades of work. My own recommendation: the Supersnipe collection.)

Posted by Steve Monaco at October 17, 2005 3:12 AM

 

Last week's "Last week's Movie Quiz winners"

The good news about my illness last week is that it didn't kill me, but not from lack of trying. After two days of teeth-chattering chills combined with a fever (try that sometime!), I thought the worst was over and I was on the mend. Then, right before bedtime, a sudden nausea sent me lurching for the bathroom, but don't worry, I didn't puke-- instead, I fainted. Fortunately, there was nothing sharp and pointy nearby for me to land on, but unfortunately, there was a rough-textured basement wall, and I seem to have punched it with my head. Worse, I then apparently dragged the top of my head down its length as I hit the floor, and being a bald guy, it didn't leave me looking any prettier. But-- good news again-- I'm now planning on going out as Gorbachev this Halloween.

Speaking of Halloween, I meant to write last week about one of my all-time horror movies, the 1935 classic Mad Love with Peter Lorre, which was the film in question for the quiz two weeks ago. Alas, my time is tight this week, so I can do no more than congratulate the winners who recognized it: Wayne Palmer (who also reminded me of its British title, The Hands of Orlac), Hank Parmer, E. Yarber, Vince Tuss, and Dan Andreasen.

P.S. If you're not familiar with this weird, weird movie, this is an okay introduction, if perhaps a bit too larded with spoilers-- read with caution.

Posted by Steve Monaco at October 17, 2005 2:53 AM

 

The Monday Movie quiz-- The Pundit calls in sick

Felt lousy Sunday night and woke up Monday feeling worse. And since yours truly doesn't even know where he'll be living in a week's time, or if the electricity will even be on, I'm afraid we'll have to suspend the quiz until I get re-established-- shouldn't be more than a week, two at the most.

I'll be posting last week's winners as soon as I can bear to sit upright long enough to write it. Maybe not today, so check back.

Sorry to pull another fade on the few folks who follow this blog regularly, and I'm desperately hoping that this is the last time I have to. With luck, this move I've been planning for months will finally happen, and I can get back to work, and more than just a once-a-week quiz.

So check back soon-- I hope I'm able to do the same.

Posted by Steve Monaco at October 11, 2005 1:58 AM

 

The Monday Movie Quiz #77

Here's the clue:

Easy if you know your old horror films, not at all if you don't. If you know the name of this movie, send it to me in an email by late Sunday night-- if you're right, expect to see your name in next week's insane winners circle.

Posted by Steve Monaco at October 3, 2005 9:17 PM

 

Last week's Movie Quiz winners, and a happy 80th birthday to Gore Vidal

Gore Vidal himself has said that The Best Man is the only time a work of his was turned into a really good movie. Most of the other adaptations of his scripts and novels were disasters: Myra Breckinridge, Visit to a Small Planet with Jerry Lewis, and Caligula, just to name three. For The Best Man, however, Vidal was in control, picking the actors and director. (GV and Frank Capra have funny, mutually belittling recollections in their autobios about their one and only meeting.) He even gave himself an acting job in it, a momentary walk-through as a Congressman, and come to think of it, it may be his finest performance, too. (Gattica-- ouch!)

The Best Man will probably always be the best movie ever made about a presidential primary. Vidal claims that the liberal character played by Henry Fonda was not Adlai Stevenson and Cliff Robertson's steely right-winger was equally not Richard Nixon. And Wayne Palmer brings up how odd it is to have two such extreme politcal opposites in the same party. The political dirty tricks that develop as the race goes on are surprisingly dirty for a movie released in 1964-- the allusions to gay sex in the military must have gotten some pretty shocked gasps in most theaters.

So congratulations to the following winners: Vince Tuss, Hank Parmer, Wayne Palmer, Steve Perry, Mark Gisleson, and E. Yarber.

Since we can't give Mr. Vidal anything for his birthday, instead here's something for his fans: audio of the Vidal-Buckley blowout on ABC in 1968. The most explosive minute or so has been around for awhile, but this is a longer clip which puts the scuffle in context. It is not for casual listening-- it goes on for over 10 minutes, and you'll be amazed how long they allow both men to talk on network TV-- but it is well worth hearing. Old Gore really lets him have it.

Happy birthday, Mr. Vidal!

Posted by Steve Monaco at October 3, 2005 4:23 AM

 

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