HORROR MOVIES KAROFF & LUGOSI APPEARED TOGETHER

Here are the seven horror movies that Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi appeared together, always good stuff to be sure!

The first movie our guys appeared together was Edgar Allan Poe's THE BLACK CAT in 1934. Travelling across Eastern Europe, Peter and Joan Allison meet Dr Werdegast (Lugosi) on the train. When the bus taking them to their destination crashes, the Allisons go with Werdegast and stay with him at the foreboding castle of famed architect, Hjalmar Poelzig (Karloff). However, the Allisons find themselves in danger when it becomes apparent that Werdegast and Poelzig have a deadly history with each other. Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer.

A year later, the guys are back in THE RAVEN, another story from Poe. This time a wealthy judge coaxes the brilliant but eccentric neurological surgeon Dr. Vollin (Lugosi), who also has an obsessive penchant for Edgar Allen Poe, out of retirement to save the life of his daughter, a dancer crippled and brain damaged in an auto wreck. Vollin restores her completely, but also envisions her as his "Lenore," and cooks up a scheme to kidnap the woman, then, torture and kill her fiance' and father in his Poe-inspired dungeon. And, to do his dirty work, Vollin recruits a wanted criminal (Karloff), and turns him into a monster to guarantee his subservience!

In 1936, they star again in THE INVISIBLE RAY. In this story, a scientist, Janos Rukh (Karloff), convinces a group of scientists and supporters to mount an expedition to the African continent to locate and study an ancient meteorite of great significance. He exposes himself to the highly toxic radiation of the meteorite, and while an antidote devised by Dr. Benet (Lugosi) saves him from death by radiation poisoning, his touch causes instant death to others. Back in London, the benefits of the meteorite's controlled radiation offer Dr. Benet an opportunity to restore eyesight to the blind! The antidote's toxicity excites Prof. Rukh into paranoid rages as he seeks revenge against the members of his expedition, who he accuses of stealing his discovery for their own glory!

The boys are back in SON OF FRANKENSTEIN from 1939. Wolf von Frankenstein returns to the Baronial manor from the United States with his wife Elsa and son Peter. He's not welcomed by the locals, who are still terrified of his father's work and the monster he created. The local Burgomaster gives him a sealed briefcase left by his father and inside, Wolf finds his father's scientific notes. At the manor house he meets his father's assistant Igor (Bela) who has a surprise for him, the monster his father created is still alive, although, in some sort of a coma. Wolf's initial attempts to re-animate the creature seem to fail but when Peter says he saw a giant in the woods, it appears he's met success! When people are mysteriously killed in the village, there is little doubt that the monster is responsible!

In 1940, Boris and Bela return in BLACK FRIDAY, hey, that's today! When his friend, Prof. George Kingsley, is at deaths door, brain surgeon Dr. Sovac (Karloff) saves his life by means of an illegal operation that transplants part of injured gangster Red Cannon's brain, who was in a gun fight with another gangster, Eric Marnay (Lugosi). Unfortunately, the operation has a disastrous Jeckll and Hyde side effect! Sovac soon learns of the duel personality and of half a million dollars the gangster has hidden away. He attempts to find the money, an attempt that brings Kingsley closer to madness as he alternates between a meek professor of English and a brutal gangster out for murderous revenge! This is the movie that Bela was hypnotized in order to achieve a realistic portrayal of his horror!

Also in 1940, Peter Lorre joins in on the fun in YOU'LL FIND OUT, a musical horror comedy with band leader Kay Kyser. In this one, Kay and his orchestra are hired to entertain at the birthday party of a young heiress at a creepy old mansion, where they uncover a plot against her life. So, who's the villain?.. The sinister judge? The phony medium? The skeptical psychologist?.. Well, you'll freakin' find out!!

Our last film is THE BODY SNATCHER from 1945. In Edinburgh in 1831, Dr. MacFarlane runs a medical school where Donald Fettes is a student. Fettes is interested in helping a young girl who has lost the use of her legs, and, is certain that MacFarlane's surgical skills could be put to great use. But, Dr. MacFarlane has a dirty little secret, he has hired his cabby, John Gray (Boris) and his assistant Joseph (Bela) to supply him with dead bodies for anatomical research. Gray constantly harasses MacFarlane and clearly has a hold over him, dating back to a famous trial where Gray refused to identify the man for whom he was robbing graves.

We'll have more for you tomorrow, check in if you can... Later, dudeskis!

JERKY TURKEY - Tex Avery (1945)

 Although it doesn't mean much to the rest of the world besides the United States, tomorrow is America's official turkey day!  In 1945, comic mastermind Tex Avery made a cartoon about the Thanksgiving holiday having no clue that some 40 or 50 years in the future, there would actually be a commercially produced food product called Turkey Jerky! A visionary no doubt, Tex just got it backwards!!

 "Jerky Turkey" isn't much more than a string of sight gags!

When this cartoon was released in early 1945, World War Two was almost over!

If you don't understand the reference points, then it's not so funny!

 Charlie Manson finally died this week! How many homeless shelters do you suppose we could have built with the money wasted on that rat bastard for the last 48 years? I think it's time to come up with a "No Thanks! Giving" holiday!

 72 freakin' years later, and nothing in politics has changed!

How pathetically sad!

Immigrants waiting in a line, imagine that!

Architecture sight gags!

The story line is merely a chase between a pilgrim, and the turkey he needs for his Thanksgiving dinner!

 There's always got to be a running gag! Right up to the climax, this one didn't really work for me!

 This hollow log shot is so simplistically cool! It would make a great painting!

Here's a shout out to all the innocent victims in the world, but unfortunately for the turkey, this was not the end of the story!

SOME COOL SIXTIES JAPANESE MOVIE SPACE MONSTERS

Today we take a look at some sixties Japanese movie space monsters, strange sights to be sure... Obviously, the majority of the things are super-sized and cause super-sized mayhem wherever they roam!!

We lead off with THE GREEN SLIME, the creatures are fairly impressive, the movie is super cheap if you watch closely. I remember helping Robert Horton when I worked at a frame shop in LA around 1995, he was the very nicest person you'd ever meet, great guy!

I think 'clunky' is a good way to describe THE X FROM OUTER SPACE! Those antennae are cool, but hey, you can't beat that freakin' horn on its forehead!!.. Beep, beep, I'm a Jeep!

There's plenty of insane, whacked out action going on in GAMERA vs. GAOS. Gaos is one of my very favorite monsters, a crazy looking giant space bat will surely peak my interest.

Man, DOGORA, THE SPACE MONSTER is a wild 'n' weird flick! It's so unique, leave it to the guys in Japan to come up with this stuff, and, better watch out for those infernal falling boulders!!

Another insane movie is YOG, MONSTER FROM SPACE! I mean, you know, like, WTF!.. An octopus from the void is an interesting idea, but, this story may have been fueled by saké!!

INVASION OF THE NEPTUNE MEN is one of my all time favorite movies to watch, the MST3K version that is! The Neptune dude that can't find his record is just freakin' hilarious!!

Giant space birds come looking for their baby in GAPPA, THE TRIPHIBIAN MONSTER. The parents cause a lot of damage as they look for their kid before heading back into space.

Love GOKE, BODY SNATCHER FROM HELL! This one has slimy space blobs that creep into your brain and take the body over! So, a nice pile of space monsters to peruse, we're back in a few with more wild 'n' weird Dungeon cargo for you!

THE LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM - Bram Stoker - Ken Russell (1988)

"The Lair Of The White Worm" was a film made in 1988 by Ken Russell, and this week's Saturday Night Special in The Dungeon! The original story was written by Bram Stoker of "Dracula" fame!

This won't take long, because, this movie is nutzoid!
I couldn't possibly explain all the ramifications and/or possible interpretations in a lifetime!

Ken Russell is sometimes known as the "Fellini of the North," or "England's Orson Welles!"

That's a lot of baggage to have to tote around, but Ken managed to do it!

Wow! Very Nice Pad!!
This is actually the Knebworth House in Hertfordshire, England! Originally built in 1490, it was transformed in 1843 to how it looks today! Although there are residents who live there, the house and gardens are open to the public these days as a tourist attraction!

There's one heck of a party going on, and you can enjoy the best of the frivolities by checking out this video!
"The D'Ampton Worm"

They dance and celebrate an age old tradition in D'Ampton House!

Even the food is worm oriented!

After a rollicking good-time start, everything starts to turn dark when Amanda Donohoe as Lady Sylvia Marsh shows up! This was one of Amanda's earliest features, and she's still kicking it hard today!

You do really have to have balls to wear glasses like this, and get away with it!

Lady Sylvia has a very kinky side to her, and is not to be trifled with!

From what I've read, apparently Ken Russell has used snake imagery in many of his movies! I guess if I do this long enough, I'll find out for sure!

But what I don't get more than anything is this! Is this a movie about worms or snakes? Besides being legless, they don't really have a lot in common!

Now this is a GREAT shot!
How devastatingly tantalizing! How obtuse, but effective!

When all else fails, just scream!!

This is Sammi (Soft Toilet Seats) Davis, from England, and no relation to Sammie Davis Jr. of the Rat Pack, as the seriously tormented Mary Trent! Samantha was married to film maker Kurt Voss for three years!
Kurt made a 2006 documentary called "Ghost On the Highway: A Portrait of Jeffrey Lee Pierce and the Gun Club," and you can watch it right here!
The only bad thing about that great documentary is they didn't include any Gun Club music, so, for the real deal, check out this live performance, or this one! Either way, everyone should experience that what was the Gun Club at least once in their lives! After all, we are talking about tortured souls here!

Most movies I'm satisfied just watching at home! This one is so visually stunning, I'd like to see on the big scream!