Friday Night Horrorshow: Double Double Feature

Tales of Terror (1962): Edgar Allan Poe + Richard Matheson + Vincent Price = AMAZING! This anthology includes three tales based on Poe’s “Morella,” “The Black Cat”/”The Cask of Amontillado,” and “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar.” If you’re a huge fan of Poe, you may be disappointed in these “adaptations” which are VERY LOOSELY based on his tales.  But when the screenplay involves the brilliant Richard Matheson, you know you’re in for a treat. My favorite part of this anthology?  Vincent Price’s face melting off.  That’s right. check it out!

Twice-Told Tales (1963): Check out this other great anthology staring Vincent Price and adapts three Nathaniel Hawthorne tales: “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment,” “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” and “The House of the Seven Gables.”  I remember reading “Rappaccini’s Daughter” in high school, but I don’t remember it being this badass. Also very LOOSELY based on Hawthorne’s original tales and, although I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as Tales of Terror, this was a great double feature and I am pretty much guaranteed to love anything with Vincent Price.

Village of the Damned (1960): I loved this movie! super creepy and super British! A very simple, and beautifully executed film and a perfect balance of letting the viewers know just the right amount of information.  A great movie for any fan of science fiction and horror (for more horror movies with creepy children, check out my earlier post).  Now I really want to see the 1995 remake with Christopher Reeve (how could that not be made of win?)

Children of the Damned (1963): Like most sequels, I didn’t enjoy this one nearly as much as the original.  Instead of leaving the explanations of the strange events unknown, this film had a very scientific approach to the creepy children with the deadly eyes.  I did enjoy the Atomic Age twist on the story and how the children became politicized.  Overall, not as amazing as the original, but a creative sequel worth seeing.

“Now you’re thinking: I hope that’s shepherd’s pie in my knickers”

I’ve also been listening to tons of podcasts while working on my thesis and one of my new favorites is The Horror! by RelicRadio.  The Horror! is a weekly podcast that plays a great collection of old timey horror radio by shows such as: Lights Out, Quiet Please, Price of Fear (host and star VINCENT PRICE!), Haunted Stories Of The Supernatural, ect…

Some of my favorites so far are:

“Murder in the Script Department” by Lights Out
“I Am Your Brother” by Dark Fantasy
“Northern Lights” by Quiet Please
“The Author and The Thing” by Lights Out

check out their archive and other shows online at: http://relicradio.com and subscribe on iTunes

check back soon for a Vincent Price = Awesomesauce post

~ by deepfreezebatman on June 9, 2009.