Famous Monsters of Filmland

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 9:46pm

Okay, with Sweeney hitting the cineplexes around the USA...

...who else was REALLY into horror/monster movies as a kid?

Before I discovered the MGM musical when I was around 15 years old... I was SERIOUSLY into monster/horror movies. I was obsessed! And there was one vintage magazine in particular that was "it" for me!

FAMOUS MONSTERS OF MOVIELAND!











It usually featured the wonderful cover art of Basil Gogos!

Were any of you horror freaks like me???

[tazber]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 9:52pm

I was and still am. From the classic German expressionistic films to the great silent American films to the classic Universal monster movies.

It is beyond a doubt my favorite genre.

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 9:53pm

I'm watching the rerelease of the original Japanese 'Gojira' ('Godzilla' to the rest of you) as we speak!

I love monster and horror movies, especially the Creature From the Black Lagoon. The Universal boxed sets from a couple years back are heavenly good.

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 9:55pm

Who else stayed up late to watch EVERY horror movie that showed up on TV?

I mean EVERY horror movie. No matter how late it was on.

And I'm not talking about you "Saw" fans out there. I'm talking about the "horror geek" fans who waited to see the original silent Dr. Caligari, ALL the Hammer films, ALL the Universal releases... Anything with fangs, corpses, or zombies.

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 9:56pm

Tazzy and JohnPopa---I knew there was a reason I loved you.

[tazber]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 9:57pm

b12b, we are kindred spirits.

Calgari, nosferatu, waxwork, all the creature features, all of it.

(I happen to also like the saw movies, but that's an entirely different discussion)

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 10:00pm

We had a local Saturday morning show called 'Super Host' that showed a different monster movie every week (and two episodes of The Three Stooges.) My mom used to go crazy when every summer we'd be inside watching 'Godzilla vs. Megalon' instead of playing outside.

I remember a flick about some alien woman that anything she touched with her hands died -- all I remember is one scene where she touched a dog and it died and that scene FREAKED ME OUT for a long time. I'm still not sure what movie that was.

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 10:03pm

Well, I kinda puke when I get to the "Saw" movies... I admit it.

But I used to buy all the vintage fan magazines, and made sure I "saw" all of the old classic stuff. Even the "B" and "C" stuff. I guess the MGM musical turned me into a wuss... I turned in Karloff for Astaire.

But there is a part of me that will always be "horrified." And happily so.

My dad's best friend directed and starred in one of those "B" movie classics: "Carnival of Souls." That helped to spark my passion. Plus a lot of it was filmed in my old home town in Kansas!

I'm so glad there are other Zombies out there like me!

[tazber]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 10:07pm

Carnival Of Souls had a wonderful Criterion treatment a few years ago. It's a landmark film in many ways.

I love the historical stuff (Kino video puts out some amaziing collections of the silent classics), but I have a serious love for all those B pics too. All the American International horror pics and even some of the 50s giant radioactive monster movies just tickle me in the right spot.

[tazber]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 10:13pm

btw, I believe Borstal is a fan as well.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 10:31pm

I just was given The Crawling Eye by a friend. A childhood favorite! Watching it again last week I realized it wasn't that bad of movie, OK the monster shots now look very lame but it was a staple of Chiller Theatre!

[Elphaba]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 10:38pm

the Creature from the Black Lagoon movies were the best.

[nmartin]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 10:41pm

When I was a kid I loved that magazine. I loved and still love the Universal and Hammer horror movies.

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 11:34pm

Anybody remember Vampirella?

This was practically X-rated... and STRAIGHT to boot!



And Tazzy, one of the thrills of my decade-long career working on DVDs was when I designed and animated all the DVD menus for the Stan Winston creature collection! I got to visit Stan at his incredible studio. Plus this was a box set of all remakes of old A.I. 1950s horror flicks like "She Creature," "How To Make a Monster," "Teenage Caveman," etc. Great stuff! And Stan is a total genius. And a very nice guy.

[tazber]

Posted: 12/27/07 at 7:08am

Besty, I'm in awe. You have the coolest job.

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/27/07 at 9:43am

It has its good days and bad days.

But THAT was a good day!

Posted: 12/27/07 at 10:55am

Anybody else here ever seen "Reptillicus" or "Rodan"?

Quite possibly two of my favorite childhood films. I still love watching them.

[Broadway Bound2]

Posted: 12/27/07 at 10:57am

Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes. I never looked at a tomato the same again. :)

[nmartin]

Posted: 12/27/07 at 11:04am

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Bride of the Monster, Brides of Dracula, Theatre of Blood: The list is endless and wonderful!!

[JustAGuy]

Posted: 12/27/07 at 11:17am

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 12/27/07 at 11:24am

I love me some 'Rodan.'

Oh the tragedy of that ending!

Posted: 12/27/07 at 11:25am

I KNOW!


The mine scenes scared me so badly!

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 12/27/07 at 11:26am

I got Rodan for Christmas last year and I'd forgotten all about the mine scenes and all the stuff with the bugs.

Posted: 12/27/07 at 11:28am

I've still got it on VHS from when I was little. I love the sounds Rodan makes when he's flying overhead. I'm actually pretty good at imitating it for my brothers.

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 12/27/07 at 11:30am

A girl who can do a Rodan impression -- now there's a trait I don't find very often :)