Posted on 10/30/2016 2:41:55 PM PDT by Zionist Conspirator
. . . I can't help but enjoy the attention paid this time of year to classic monsters and grade-B sci-fi. I'm sure it has something to do with being a little kid during the monster craze of the early 60s which gave us "The Munsters" and "The Addams Family" and similar things.
Pop culture historians tell us that it all started when Universal began re-releasing their classic horror movies in the mid-50s and teenagers discovered them. I'm too young for that. But I remember monsters being everywhere in the early 60s even though I didn't really know what a "monster" was.
I had no idea at the time that monsters were characters from classic movies. All I knew is that they were "neat!" I didn't really understand why they were considered scary (I don't enjoy being scared and have still never been in a carnival spook house to this day). I just knew that they were fascinating to me . . . and apparently to lots of other kids my age as well.
One part of this craze was the black-and-white horror comics that were available on the magazine rack (by being sold on the magazine rack they avoided having to abide by the comics code that put the old horror comics out of business). I'm sure lots of you remember Warren Publishing's magazines: Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella (I actually had a copy of the first two). Then there was the cheap knock-off Weird magazine, published by Eerie Publishing. How I coveted those magazines at the time! Apparently I wasn't even trusted with 35 cents of my own at that time.
The grand panjandrum of such magazines though was Forrest J. Ackerman's Famous Monsters of Filmland which, along with the others, was available at the magazine stand of just about every supermarket (now supermarkets don't even sell comic books). I managed to purchase two or three copies, but my favorite was the 1965 or 6 "year book" with the Phantom of the Opera on the cover. All through the issue were gorgeous and fascinating stills from classic monster pics. And never having actually seen a monster movie, I ate them up! I wasn't much into reading the text of the magazine at all; I just wanted to look at all those amazing monsters! Every obscure title seemed to promise something wonderful. But the only place to see old monster movies back then was on the local late night horror show (which I did watch a few times).
Several of the magazines had full page ads where classic monster movies were for sale . . . but these were genuine film reels, and required one to have a projector and screen in order to view them! This is a far cry from later days of VHS, DVD, and, now, online streaming.
The holy grail of that era was the 1966 "Monster Calendar" featuring pictures of classic monsters as drawn by Don Post. Alas, I never had a copy of this calendar, though I remember vividly coveting the one owned by one of my schoolmates.
Now I'm on the other side of fifty and I've actually seen most of the old classic monster movies. I still don't think they're very "scary" (I probably wouldn't watch them if they were). But now with so many old movies online for viewing at practically any time I enjoy looking back to the days when monsters were only available for the most part as still pictures in magazines. And unfortunately, childhood fascinations of all kinds seem to fade with age, monsters among them.
I just thought I'd share these thoughts and see if any other FReepers would like to do the same with their own childhood memories.
I don’t know for me the thirties version of Dracula with Bela was really scary and still is. Nosteraufu is also
Any attempt to portray it more than that is pathological...........
Kudos to your fun fest vanity tho.................
I still have all my old copies of Famous Monsters of Filmland.
You can talk about how scary movies like “The Exorcist” or “Carrie” or “Halloween” or even “The Changeling” are. But I can remember the “Happy Days” episode “Haunted”, featuring the old Simpson house. Even on into my teens (after seeing it numerous times) I found it just that bit difficult to go to bed afterwards as it still scared me a little.
You can talk about how scary movies like “The Exorcist” or “Carrie” or “Halloween” or even “The Changeling” are. But I can remember the “Happy Days” episode “Haunted”, featuring the old Simpson house. Even on into my teens (after seeing it numerous times) I found it just that bit difficult to go to bed afterwards as it still scared me a little.
‘Fright Night’ (the 80’s original, not the lousy recent remake) and ‘Salems Lot’ with David Soul.
That rocking chair scene in ‘Salems Lot’ is still gold.
I have the Dan Curtis DVD box set with his version of Dracula as well as “The Turn of the Screw” and “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde” (done in 1968 on videotape). All very well done productions. Has anyone here seen the Dan Curtis production of “Frankenstein”? I would like to see that one sometime.
I remember a “Happy Days” episode where the whole gang was going to a costume party.
Joannie Cunningham comes down the stairs of the Cunningham household dressed like a sexy pirate. She’s waving a sword around and says, “I’m looking for a treasure trunk, but I’d settle for a pirate hunk!” More innocent times.....
In college, four of us went as ‘The Young Ones’. I was VyVyan. Wish I had a picture.
Any attempt to portray it more than that is pathological...........
I wasn't trying to make that point (in fact, I believe "halloween" is forbidden as chuqqat hagoyim); I was merely reliving some childhood memories.
Hope you aren't too disappointed.
I'm so jealous!
I remember that show vividly! Jack Palance played the title role(s); it was my introduction to him.
I have the 1953 “House of Wax” on DVD. I know that it was originally released in 3-D and I would not mind seeing it in that original way sometime. Has anyone here seen it that way?
Did everyone miss the post from Jim??
I've never really celebrated "halloween" even as a kid, and I think you misunderstood my nostalgia. But I must say I've never heard of 'The Young Ones.'
I never had that many mind you!
It was Palance both in the 1973 version of Dracula and the 1968 Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde. That version of Dracula is a very well done movie (particularly Palance’s performance) but seemingly very underrated as well.
I love the Universal horror films of the 30’s and 40’s as well as Hammer’s 60’s versions. I also fondly remember Forrest Ackerman’s Famous Monsters magazine.
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