Black Celebration

Happy Halloween Minions! I had a Black Celebration yesterday in honor of today. "Yes" I finally viewed the slasher film that heavily influenced everything from the original Halloween to When A Stranger Calls...Black Christmas!

Please don't confuse this 1974 original with any of the lame re-dos. This is one good slash fest with very little slashing, but heavy on the creepy atmosphere, not to mention an even creepier killer who has a thing for making obscene phone calls to the women in the sorority he is stalking.

This macabre outing was directed by Bob Clark who would go on to direct another Christmas movie the classic A Christmas Story. Hey, he's got a Santa fetish, or something I guess.

It stars Oliva Hussey of Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo & Juliet fame along with Margot Kidder best know as Lois Lane in the Superman movie.

Throw that in with some top notch camera work that set the standard for the slasher genre and well you've got one bangin' Christmas present I'll say! In fact I just did! 

Let Christmas come a little early and treat yourself to this movie for Halloween...Boo!

Black Christmas on IMDb -

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071222/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0   

The Bride Of Frankenstein

Will You Love Me Tomorrow?
Miranda Kerr & Frankenstein

Psssssst! One more day until Halloween! Thus I thought this spin on The Bride Of Frankenstein with Miranda Kerr and, well, Frankenstein captures the spirit (yeah, pun intended) of the season.

For the unfamiliar The Bride Of Frankenstein is a horror classic anchored by a great performance by Elsa Lanchester as the title character and Boris Karloff as Frankenstein. 

While Miranda's take on the Bride is a lot lighter and more whimsical, it was enough take catch my eye (literally, seriously, I am now minus my right eye...NOT!) and post it for it's maniacal genius take on the legendary movie.

Thus enjoy your last day until darkness falls across the land and the celebrations of macabre commence!

"You stay, we belong dead" Frankenstein, The Bride Of Frankenstein

The Bride Of Frankenstein on Wikipedia -

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bride_of_Frankenstein  

Film Buff Friday: The Hills Have Eyes

"One of the prime examples of what was so fascinating about American horror films in the 1970s".

     —TV Guide

Horror master Wes Craven achieved critical and commercial success with the likes of Scream and A Nightmare on Elm Street - but for many genre fans, the director's seminal 1977 effort The Hills Have Eyes remains his masterpiece. Taking an ill-advised detour en route to California, the Carter family soon run into trouble when their campervan breaks down in the middle of the desert. Stranded, the family find themselves at the mercy of a group of monstrous cannibals lurking in the surrounding hills. With their lives under threat, the Carters have no choice but to fight back by any means necessary. Following on from his notorious 1972 directorial debut The Last House on the Left, Craven's The Hills Have Eyes stands alongside the likes of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Night of the Living Dead as one of the defining classics of American horror.

Media

 Watch trailer »

Bonus Materials

• Brand new 4K restoration of the film, viewable with both original and alternate endings
• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in High Dynamic Range
• Original lossless mono audio
• Optional lossless 2.0 stereo and 7.1 remixes (original ending only)
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• 6 postcards
• Reversible fold-out poster
• Limited edition 40-page booklet featuring writing on the film by critic Brad Stevens and a consideration of the Hills franchise by Arrow producer Ewan Cant, illustrated with original archive stills and posters
• Audio commentary with actors Michael Berryman, Janus Blythe, Susan Lanier and Martin Speer
• Audio commentary by academic Mikel J. Koven
• Audio commentary with Wes Craven and Peter Locke
• Looking Back on The Hills Have Eyes – making-of documentary featuring interviews with Craven, Locke, actors Michael Berryman, Janus Blythe, Robert Houston, Susan Lanier, Dee Wallace and director of photography Eric Saarinen
• Family Business – an interview with actor Martin Speer
• The Desert Sessions – an interview with composer Don Peake
• Outtakes
• Alternate ending
• Trailers and TV Spots
• Image gallery
• Original screenplay
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Paul Shipper

Order Here:

https://mvdb2b.com/b2b/s/AV393

Michael's Musings

"For no mere mortal can resist
The evil of the thriller" - Vincent Price, Thriller

Three more days till Halloween Minions! That also means three more days until the end of October, which means Christmas is just around the corner!!! Now THAT is scary because this means 2021 is coming to a close stat!

On this Thursday October 28, 2021 let's live in the moment shall we? "Yes" we shall my pretty, pretties, "Yes" we shall...

Speaking of Halloween I've met the late great King of Horror once, Vincent Price at a screening of House of Wax in Los Angeles at the Vagabond in Los Angeles. He did not disappoint!

FYI Surviving an apocalypse is stressful work

The way Erika Jayne keeps threatening the other women on the RHOBH reunion it makes her look like she has ties to the mafia or something, just sayin'

Pulse Check! That's it, that's all, finished

The Oscars should show a clip of the nominated actor in their movie and then one from their real life so we can gage how much they acted

Twitter aka Misinformation is rampant on this platform

Pardon me, did someone say wine?!

Never play Another One Bites The Dust by Queen at a funeral, the more you know

Woman Crush of the Week - Megan Fox in the underrated Jennifer's Body

The lascivious biddes are coming for you Barbara 

Rumor has it watching Squid Games burns more calories than Peloton 

I had a dream that Lizzo gave me a viral pepperoni jalapeno pizza with a glass of cabernet 

Coffee scented masks, discuss

Today I will use my powers for....

Get the answer here & there -

https://www.instagram.com/michaelshinafelt/?hl=en

https://twitter.com/MShinafelt   

Hump Day & Chill

Never Look Back
Devon Sawa 

Hello Minions it's the last Hump Day & Chill of October and the one just before Halloween. Thus you know what that means don't you? Another Horror Hunk, naturally.

With the Chucky TV series on USA/SyFy being the hot ticket this horror season what better object of our attention than one of it's stars, former child actor Devon Sawa. I wasn't aware of him until Chucky TBH, when I did see him in the premiere episode one word came to mind: Stud!

Devon can scare the pants off of me (literally) anytime he wants. 

Here's a photo of Mr. Sawa shirtless for good measure (Yummy!)

Well now it's really that time again to Hump Day & Chill. All treat and no trick today.

Boo!

Devon on IG -

https://www.instagram.com/d.sawa/?hl=en   

Just Because...Dracula

Sucker
Dracula

Just Because in a scant five days it's Halloween, Just Because I saw the Francis Ford Coppola version on TV yesterday & Just Because I'm about to take flight I hereby bequeath you the original Dracula.

There was a time when Bela Lugosi wasn't dead and very much alive portraying the creature of the night.

I have seen it and it is quite well done with a lot of sneaky things thrown in to get past the censors. If you haven't viewed it and are a film buff sort of individual I suggest you do. It's got atmosphere to burn and a great performance by Mr. Lugosi.

Also it was directed by Tod Browning who also helmed the masterpiece Freaks.

So what are you waiting for?! Watch Dracula and watch it now!!!

Dracula on Wikipedia -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracula_(1931_English-language_film)

Monday Mood

A Toast
Jennifer Tilly & Tiffany

As we head into the final days of October aka the remaining days until Halloween I am going to be feeling all things macabre. Tis the season time to revel as they all say (or is it me that says that?)

Thus Jennifer Tilly and her alter ego Tiffany (ya know from the Bride of Chucky) lounging by the pool drinking champagne captures my Monday Mood disturbingly well. 

It's the right amount of chill, with some macabre thrown in and completely 100% certified (by me) cool 😎

Hey, being un-cool is the one thing you don't want this time of year, be there or be skewered. 

Well Jennifer just invited me to come by and join her and Tiffany for a toast. So now I've got to pull myself together and get my Monday Mood started!

Jennifer on IG -

https://www.instagram.com/jennifertilly/?hl=en