13 CLASSIC REASONS TO WATCH "MONSTERS" (1988-1991)

 

I've got a Wild Wednesday for you this week, thirteen classic reasons to watch the "Monsters" TV show that was on from 1988 to 1990. This picture of the cover of Famous Monsters Of Filmland #66 has nothing to do with it except it sets the scene nicely!

 

Every one of these episodes has an actress in it who was a pop cultural icon at some time in the 60's, 70's, or 80's, at least in my mind, so we'll start with Episode 10 from Season One titled "Pillow Talk" that starred one of our very favorites, Mary (Death Race 2000) Woronov as Viki.

In the 11th episode titled "Rouse Him Not," Lovely Laraine Newman plays Linda McGuire. The always hilarious Laraine was a core cast member on SNL from 1975 to 1980.

Episode 21 featured Adrienne Barbeau as Fiona Flynn. Adrienne was Carol Traynor for 125 episodes of "Maude" from 1972 to 1978. She then went on to be in "Escape From New York," "Swamp Thing," and "Creepshow," just to name a couple, and she is still working today!

Linda Blair was in Episode 24 titled "La Strega" as Lia. If you have ever seen "The Exorcist," then Linda sure doesn't need any further introduction!

 

Season 2, Episode 9 was titled "Reaper," and it had everybody's favorite Mom, Barbara (June Cleaver) Billingsley in it as a caregiver named Sheila. Barbara was still looking good at 74 when then was made. She lived to be 94, and passed away in 2010.
 

Melba Moore was a four-time Grammy Award nominee, and performed on countless TV variety shows. In Season 2, Episode 10 titled "The Mandrake Root," she plays a woman named Angela Lyle.

Judy Geeson has been in everything from "To Sir, With Love," to "Berzerk," and that was just in 1967. In Season 2, Episode 21  of "Monsters" titled "Refugee," she plays a woman named Anna.

 

 

The normally sweet and demure Carol Lynley is Dr. Elizabeth Porter in the first Episode of Season 3 called "Stressed Environment." From "Blue Denim" to "Beware: The Blob," Carol was always awesome!

 

In Episode 7, we get to see the real Valley Girl Julie Brown as Wendy in a story called "Small Blessings." Julie will be known forever for her notorious 1984 song, "Homecoming Queen's Got A Gun."
 

She might be a little bit older, but if you watched any TV from 1969 to 1974, it's hard to not recognize Karen Valentine from her role as Alice Johnson in "Room 222." In Season 3, Episode 9 she had a rather different roll as Victoria in "The Young And The Headless."

Episode 18 of Season 3 is the one that started all this, because of my desire to see Debbie Harry in "Desirable Alien" as the slutty Dr. Moss. Debbie only has a small part in this episode but still manages to steal the show. Marilyn Monroe was the blonde icon of the 50's, and Debbie was the the blonde icon of the 70's, and she's still got it going.

 Pop music icon Laura Branigan is in Episode 19 titled "A Face For Radio" as Amanda Smith-Jones. Laura is well known for her music in "Flashdance," and she also had a song on the "Ghostbusters" soundtrack!

 Laura died way too young at the age of 52 in 2004.

What do you want me to tell you about Pam Grier? I think Foxy Brown, Coffy, and Jackie Brown says it all!

 In Episode 22 called "Hostile Takeover," Pam plays smokin' hot Matilde!

There are a total of 72 shows in this whole series, so these 13 are just the tip of the iceberg!

I know they stream on Prime with ads, and I'm sure you can also find them on one of the many other streaming services that are out there.

And that's what I'd do if I were you!

BIRDS IN A SUITCASE Part 01 (1967-1968)

 

I've been trying to watch the whole series of "Man In A Suitcase," and every one of them has an interesting female character in it, so why not do a segment on this bevy of British Birds? Welcome to a Wonderful Wednesday down in The Dungeon!

 

The first episode of "Man In A Suitcase" called "Brainwash" featured Suzan (Die Monster Die) Farmer as Judy Davies. Suzan passed away in 2017 at the age of 75.

 

The second episode was titled "The Sitting Pigeon" and had Lois (Captain Kronos:Vampire Hunter) Daine in it as Valerie Wilmot. Lois is still alive and well today.

 

Here's a shot of Lois from the BBC TV series "Play For Today" and an episode called "The Long Distance Piano Player" in 1970.

 

 

The third episode was called "Day Of Execution" and featured Rosemary Nicols as Moira, a love interest of McGill.

 

Rosemary had the ongoing role of Annabelle Hurst in the fantastic TV series "Department S." Here she is in the first episode with a blonde wig as a disguise. Rosemary is also still around today.
 

The fourth episode was titled "Variation On A Million Bucks: Part 1"

McGill's Romantic partner in this one is Yôko Tani as Taiko. Although Yôko is Japanese, she was born, and passed away in Paris, France. She's the only one so far here not British.

 

Episode five is "Variation On A Million Bucks: Part 2," and Taiko stays on as McGill's girlfriend.

Of course we love Yôko Tani for her part in the classic "First Spaceship On Venus."

Gay (Journey To The Unknown) Hamilton was also in Part 2. Gay is still with us too.

 

Episode number six was actually the pilot episode of "Man In A Suitcase," but oddly inserted at the number six position, and featured Angela Browne as McGill's ex-girlfriend Anna Wilson.

Angela was also in a couple of episodes of "The Avengers" and was the leading lady in this episode of "Danger Man" titled "The Girl In Pink Pajamas." Angela passed away in 2001 at the age of 63.
 

Episode number seven was titled "Sweet Sue," and had Judy (Berzerk) Geeson in the role of Sue herself.

Judy is probably the most recognizable face here so far, and she just celebrated her 73rd birthday a couple of weeks ago on September 10th, and is still working today.
 

Jacqueline (The Reptile) Pearce also had a small role in this episode. Jacqueline left the planet in 2018 at the age of 74.
 

Episode number eight was called "Assay In Evil" and has Wendy Hall as the wife of one of McGill's Clients.

Wendy was also a regular on eleven episodes of "Doomwatch." Wendy is also still alive.

Episode nine titled "The Girl Who Never Was" featured Annette Carell as an unscrupulous art dealer. Annette was also in "The Vulture," and believe it or not, a TV show called "The Man Who Never Was."

Annette took her own life at the age of 41 in 1967.

Priscilla (The Wednesday Thriller) Morgan had the role of Mavis Fletcher. Priscilla is still very much alive.

The tenth episode was titled "All That Glitters," and featured the beautiful Barbara Shelley!

British horror would be a vacuum without the likes of actresses like Barbara Shelley, who was in such classics as "Blood Of The Vampire," "Village Of The Damned," "The Gorgon," "Dracula: Prince of Darkness," as shown here with Sir Christopher Lee, and "Quatermass And The Pit."

Sadly, Barbara just passed away in January of this year at the age of 88.

FEAR IN THE NIGHT - Jimmy Sangster - "Dynasty Of Fright" (1972)

I'm assuming we're going to run out of material one of these days, but until that day comes, welcome to yet another Saturday Freakin' Night Special in The Dungeon!

"Fear In The Night" was a 1972 Jimmy Sangster - Hammer film that was one of their last together!

Ralph (Horror Of Frankenstein) Bates hangs on from finish to start, because this opening scene is actually the end of the movie!

"Fear In The Night" is mainly a vehicle that showcases the beauty and acting talents of Judy Geeson, whose talents have graced these pages a half dozen times or more, in super-classic titles like "Berserk," "Goodbye Gemini," Doomwatch,"Star Maidens," and "Inseminoid!"

Judy's character is Peggy Heller, and she goes from being terrorized to.....

............Totally demure!

The rest of the talent quotient is incredibly high in "Fear In The Night" ranging from Peter Cushing...

.........To America's favourite bitch of the entire 1980's, the fabulous Joan Collins! How ironic that the U.S. video release was titled "Dynasty Of Fear!"

But the bottom line is that this is Judy's movie!

I'm not even going to try and explain this!

This is one of the best phone shots I've seen in a while!

I'd like to give a big shout out to cinematographer Arthur Grant for this shot! Look at the composition his eye saw just to get the actor framed by that little door! It's like Escher!

Arthur's credits include everything from "Quatermass And The Pit" to "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed," and almost literally everything in between! "Fear In The Night" was his second to last film! And now you know one of the main reasons why all those Hammer films look so great!

Judy's all twisted up inside! 

 And Joan is "Twistin' The Night Away!"

Another big thanx to Lord Litter in Berlin for reminding me this movie existed! When your mind is craving music that is always full of surprises, do yourself a favor and check out one of his radio broadcasts! Just trust me on this one! If I wasn't doing this, that's where I'd be! And if you can't make a choice, here's a good place to start!

"Fear In The Night" wasn't exactly an original title! This version of a completely different story came out in 1947, and one of the stars was DeForest Kelley, aka Dr. McCoy of "Star Trek" fame and fortune! "It's a strange, strange world we live in, Master Jack!"