We’re now moving into the later years of the Universal Monsters and that means they tried to revitalize it and inject some new life into the series by leaning into the addition of the comedy team Bud Abbott and Lou Costello to the series. This time out, the classic comedians are a pair of newly…
Tag: madness
The Invisible Man Returns (1940) – Joe May
It’s more time well spent with the Universal Monsters as I dive into the first sequel to 1933’s The Invisible Man. Vincent Price in one of his earliest performances is Geoffrey Radcliffe, a man imprisoned for a murder he didn’t commit. His beloved Helen Manson (Nan Grey) is stunned and refuses to believe he’s guilty….
TIFF ’23: Sleep
Midnight Madness at TIFF is always a lot of fun, and some great genre films get scheduled that are designed to deliver to the late-night audience. Sleep hopes to do that this week. A Korean entry to the film festival from writer/director Jason Yu. It’s his first feature film, and Yu creates a tense, moody…
Crimson Peak (2015) – Guillermo del Toro
The first time I watched del Toro’s gothic tale I didn’t pay attention as much as I should and consequently, I grew bored with it. The advertising had made it look more akin to a horror film which is what I thought I wanted. I wasn’t prepared for the onslaught of lurid colors, and what…
The Prisoner (1967) – Checkmate, and Hammer Into Anvil
Number Six (Patrick McGoohan) squares off against Number Two (this time played by Peter Wyngarde) in a layered scheme in Checkmate. Written by Gerald Kelsey, this episode first debuted on 24 November, 1967. Inspired by a life-sized chess game, Six begins canvassing his own pieces, fellow prisoners, as he’s reasoned out how to tell the…
M*A*S*H (1977) – The Grim Reaper, Comrades In Arms: Part One, and Part Two
Burt Prelutsky pens The Grim Reaper which sees Hawkeye (Alan Alda) running afoul of a goal focussed colonel, Bloodworth (Charles Aidman) in this episode that first aired on 29 November, 1977. Bloodworth is a frequent visitor to the 4077th warning of the number of casualties he expects from his assaults, and maneuvers against the enemy….
The Color Out of Space (2019) – Richard Stanley
Last week I watched a 2010 German adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s famouns short story, this week, I take a look at the 2019 version starring Nicolas Cage. Directed by Richard Stanley, who delivered the infamous The Island of Dr. Moreau with Brando and Kilmer, this version differs from the German version, but its essence is…
The Twonky (1953) – Arch Oboler
I venture into a new section of DK Books’ Monsters in the Movies, one dealing with monstrous machines, and the first one I encounter is a sentient television set in The Twonky. This kind of sci-fi comedy is probably more relevant today, when seen through the lens of mobile phones and modern technology, instead of…
Star Trek: Enterprise (2002) – Singularity, and Vanishing Point
Captain’s log: 14 August, 2152 Singularity was written by Chris Black, and first debuted on 20 November, 2002. As the Enterprise approaches a black hole, the crew appears to descend into a form of madness as each of them becomes obsessed with seemingly trivial matters. T’Pol (Jolene Blalock) who remains largely unaffected, must find a…
Wisconsin Death Trip (1999) – James Marsh
James Marsh proves yet again that he is the modern master of the documentary as he weaves fascinating stories, grisly, humorous, and undeniably human in this doc version of the book of the same name by Micheal Lesy. It’s also my next film as i dig into the What Else to Watch list of DK…
The Mind Reels 