ELMER'S CANDID CAMERA - (1940)

 

I had originally planned on doing the Edgar Wallace film, "The Terrible People" tonight, but after watching it, getting stills, and getting ready to do this write up, I figured out too late that I had already done it eleven years ago, so instead, here is a cartoon from 1940 that creator Chuck Jones thinks was terrible, and I guess that's going to have to do. 

Welcome to another Wacky Wednesday in The Dungeon!

 

 

Here's a quote I found on Wikipedia from the autobiography of Chuck Jones, that tells the way he feels about this cartoon.

"My conception of timing and dialogue was formed by watching the action in the La Brea tar pits. It would be complimentary to call it sluggish."

And the problem is, there's not a whole lot going on in this cartoon, except some simple exchanges between two not really likeable characters.

Elmer Fudd has gotten a camera kit in the mail, and is now ready to go out and do some nature photography. He sees these tracks, and away we go!

Elmer quietly sets up and gets ready to take his first picture!

He's still learning how to frame his subject!

If Bugs Bunny looks funny to you, it's because this version of Bugs was still a prototype, and not the character we've all learned to know and love. He would evolve into the complete Bugs Bunny character later in his career.

Bugs asks Elmer what he's doing.

The two of them have a real face to face encounter.

 

Bugs found that experience to be a little too personal. 

In this shot, you can really see how much different Bugs was!

Bugs pops the lens and Elmer recoils like he was slung from a catapult!

Elmer is flung completely backwards and into this tree that dumps it's whole harvest on him!

 

This doesn't look like it would be too comfortable for Elmer.

 

This cartoon also featured the newly redesigned Elmer Fudd, who was previously only known as Elmer!

Elmer finally captures Bugs!

And then Bugs turns the tables!

Elmer then loses his mind completely and destroys all his camera gear!

I think it's interesting that this cartoon predated the popular "Candid Camera" TV show by a good eight years!

So now let me see if I can figure out an Edgar Wallace film I haven't seen yet. There are still plenty more out there.

SNAKE BAIT / 13 O'Clock Tales - 2002

In 2002, after we produced our movie THE CREEP, we did this short just for the Hell of it. It's a fun little movie all about what can happen when you play around with venomous snakes...

Well, here's an ad running in the classified section of the local newspaper, the bait used in the story, it's pretty straight forward, you can make BIG money!

Our pal Matt is answering the ad, he parks his van and walks toward the house with that address.

Matt goes to the door but a small sign says to go around back. to the garage.

Matt knocks on the garage door only to have a creepy hillbilly answer the door. He asks Matt what he's doing there...

Matt tells him that he's answering the ad in the paper, and he gets invited in.

After Matt has to swear up and down that he loves snakes, the creepy guy, Timmie, forces Matt to have a drink of his homemade liquor, you know, to celebrate him getting the job.

Timmie is delighted with his little plan to get Matt drunk on his ass...

Then, Timmie has his brother Kiwi come in and meet Matt, who's very drunk at this point.

Matt's vision is blurred but he can make out that something's very weird with Kiwi's left hand! What is that thing?!

And, Timmie's right hand looks really weird too!!

Timmie's right hand is a freaking snake head, and it starts biting Matt all over, even in the face!

Kiwi follows suit, with glee!

Biting snake heads are flying everywhere...

Matt is in a state of paralysis and has to just take the bites.

Finally, Matt receives his last bite...

The stage is now set, it's time for Matt's marriage to Timmie and Kiwi's sister Hissie, let the ceremony begin, start the wedding music!

Hissie comes out of the shadows to meet her new husband, Matt... You see, Hissis has a snake head instead of a hand, she's a special gal indeed!

MONSTERS - "The Monsters" (1988-1991)

 

This Saturday Night Special is kind of a part two to my last "Monsters" post but this time we'll highlight the monsters, because Dungeon Hall Of Fame All-Star Dick Smith was the special effects make up consultant on all 72 episodes of this show, and Dick Smith was also an inspiration to us for years, and he wanted every kid to have fun with monster make-up, and that's why there were magazines like this.

 

This episode called "Pillow Talk" featured two monsters. One of them was a bed that ate people, and the other one lived inside a refrigerator.

I'm not going to give you a whole lot of information on any of these episodes, my sole purpose is to generate interest, because I think this was an interesting show!

This Beast from "Rouse Him Not" was tough to get a decent shot of, because as you can tell, it was very dark, and he was very elusive.

The episode titled "All In A Day's Work" had a couple of cool creatures in it!

"La Strega" featured a real live witch!

"Reaper" featured, well, I guess the title and this picture, pretty much explains it all!

 

 

This was Mr. "Mandrake Root" himself!

In "Refugee," the monsters wear trenchcoats and ties!

The "Stressed Environment" has turned this lab rat into a little monster!

"Small Blessings?" You might want to rethink that title.

"The Young And The Headless" is pretty far out there!

Women aren't scared of "The Desireable Alien" because he is an insatiable Satyr.

"A Face For Radio" featured this creepy little guy!

"Hostile Takeover" indeed.

Now go back and look at the women who were in all these episodes, and then realize these were only 21 minute long stories, and you'll realize how good this show really was, at least if you love monsters!

 

How does a guy overcome having the most common name in the world? 

Make cool monsters!

Dick Smith was born in 1922, and passed away at the age of 92 in 2014.

This image he created for the TV show "Way Out" in 1963 still creeps me out today!

Thanks for the nightmares Mr. Smith!!

MILL OF STONE WOMEN / The Trailer - 1960

U know, movie trailers have a tale to tell, this time it's a particularly mean and nasty British film that Eegah!! and I saw in 1960 when we were a measly 12 years old. Eegah!! has told me that this movie really got to him. And kids should not have been allowed to see it!

Wow, windmills always look fantastic at night. Cool, love those windmills!

Mills always look chiller with those moody dark shadows everywhere.

Whoa! that's a creepy scene with a hanged woman floating along on a hook.

Yes, it's Mill Of The Stone Women with a skull in the background.

The story is also about a mad sculptor and his deranged sculptures.

Oh yeah, and there's the mad doctor who collects beautiful women who end up dead!

Seems like the sculptor just may be the guilty party...

Hey, 4 P's in a row! Shame on you Parade Pictures!!

Dead floating people coming towards you is always a shocker, like the witch in HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL

Yeah, blood always looks better in Technicolor!

This poor victim says it all...

MILL OF THE STONE WOMEN! There you go, a trailer's tale in Exciting Technicolor. See you tomorrow for more from The Dungeon Dudes!!