75th anniversary: Superman’s history in 2 minutes

Well, this is kind of wonderful.

To mark the ongoing celebration of Superman’s 75th anniversary – it was 1938 when Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s superhero debuted – the people at DC Comics got DC animated universe mastermind Bruce Timm and “Man of Steel” director Zach Snyder to collaborate on a two-minute history of the character.

The look of Superman changes throughout, from the original design of the Man of Steel to the Fleischer animated shorts to faithful cartoon renditions of live-action Supermen like George Reeves and Christopher Reeve.

Some of the great characters and storylines – Bizarro, the death of Superman – are here too, as are many of the great artists.

And this just makes me smile.

See the video here at Entertainment Weekly.

Today in Halloween: TCM movie schedule

A few days back I noted that AMC has concentrated on more modern movies, including the “Halloween” and “Friday the 13th” series, for its Halloween fare.

The classics are left to TCM (Turner Classic Movies), which has an interesting mix of films set to air on Oct. 31.

Much of the morning and early afternoon hours are devoted to classic Hammer films of the 1950s and 1960s, including “Curse of Frankenstein,” “The Mummy” and “Dracula, Prince of Darkness.”

The evening hours are devoted to Vincent Price, starring in “Pit and the Pendulum,” “Masque of the Red Death” and “Haunted Palace.”

There are some offbeat choices mixed in through the day. “Horror Express,” a 1972 “missing link” movie starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and … Telly Savalas is a good example of that.

It’s a little disappointing that the old Universal horror classics aren’t included this year. But maybe TCM decided those were played out.

Anyway, here’s the schedule for Oct. 31:

31 Thursday
6:00 AM	CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, THE (1957)
	A scientist’s attempts to create life unleash a bloodthirsty monster. Dir: Terence Fisher Cast:  Peter Cushing , Hazel Court , Robert Urquhart . C-83 mins, TV-14, CC, Letterbox Format
7:30 AM	MUMMY, THE (1959)
	A resurrected mummy stalks the archaeologists who defiled his tomb. Dir: Terence Fisher Cast:  Peter Cushing , Christopher Lee , Yvonne Furneaux . C-88 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format
9:00 AM	HORROR CASTLE (1963)
	A Holocaust survivor tortures women in the dungeons of an ancient castle. Dir: Anthony Dawson Cast:  Rossana Podestà , Georges Rivière , Christopher Lee . C-84 mins, TV-14, Letterbox Format
10:30 AM	CASTLE OF THE LIVING DEAD, THE (1964)
	A traveling circus entertains a medieval count who uses them in his bizarre experiments. Dir: Michael Reeves Cast:  Christopher Lee , Donald Sutherland , BW-90 mins, TV-14, Letterbox Format
12:15 PM	DRACULA, PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1965)
	Four travelers unwittingly revive the bloodsucking count. Dir: Terence Fisher Cast:  Christopher Lee , Barbara Shelley , Andrew Keir . C-90 mins, TV-14, CC, Letterbox Format
1:45 PM	DEVIL’S BRIDE, THE (1968)
	Small town Satanists lure an innocent brother and sister into their coven. Dir: Terence Fisher Cast:  Christopher Lee , Charles Gray , Nike Arrighi . C-96 mins, TV-14, CC, Letterbox Format
3:45 PM	DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE (1969)
	Dracula goes after the niece of the monsignor who destroyed his castle. Dir: Freddie Francis Cast:  Christopher Lee , Rupert Davies , Veronica Carlson . C-92 mins, TV-14, CC, Letterbox Format
5:30 PM	HORROR EXPRESS (1972)
	An anthropologist discovers a frozen monster which he believes may be the Missing Link. Dir: Eugenio Martin Cast:  Christopher Lee , Peter Cushing , Telly Savalas . C-88 mins, TV-14, Letterbox Format
7:15 PM	NOW PLAYING NOVEMBER (2013) (2013)
	BW-21 mins, TV-PG, CC,
8:00 PM	PIT AND THE PENDULUM (1961)
	A young man investigates his sister’s death in a mysterious castle. Dir: Roger Corman Cast:  Vincent Price , John Kerr , Barbara Steele . C-80 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format
9:30 PM	HAUNTED PALACE, THE (1963)
	After inheriting a decaying estate, a man discovers his family’s deadly secret. Dir: Roger Corman Cast:  Vincent Price , Debra Paget , Lon Chaney [Jr.] . C-87 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format
11:15 PM	MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH, THE (1964)
	A sadistic nobleman isolates his court from a world stricken with the plague. Dir: Roger Corman Cast:  Vincent Price , Hazel Court , Jane Asher . C-89 mins, TV-14, CC, Letterbox Format
1:00 AM	ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES, THE (1971)
	A madman uses the plagues of ancient Egypt to avenge his wife’s death. Dir: Robert Fuest Cast:  Vincent Price , Joseph Cotten , Virginia North . C-95 mins, TV-14, CC, Letterbox Format
2:45 AM	TWICE-TOLD TALES (1963)
	A poisonous young beauty, the secrets of eternal life and a haunted house chill this collection of Nathaniel Hawthorne stories. Dir: Sidney Salkow Cast:  Vincent Price , Sebastian Cabot , Mari Blanchard . C-120 mins, TV-14, CC, Letterbox Format
5:00 AM	TOMB OF LIGEIA, THE (1964)
	A man’s obsession with his dead wife leads to trouble for his new bride. Dir: Roger Corman Cast:  Vincent Price , Elizabeth Shepherd , John Westbrook . C-82 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format

 

 

 

Comic book odd: Luke Cage meets Dr. Doom

Here’s another of those odd little comic book moments.

One of the most fun things about the Marvel Comics is that almost anybody can – and has – run into almost anybody.

The panel above is an offbeat moment from “Luke Cage: Hero for Hire” issues 8 and 9, in which Cage is unknowingly hired by agents of Victor Von Doom, monarch of Latveria.

And when you hire Cage, you know you have to pay him for his trouble.

So, “Where’s my money, honey?”

Classic.

Today in Halloween: Forrest J Ackerman

What would Halloween be without monsters? And what would monsters be without Forrest J Ackerman?

Some of you might not recognize the name, but Ackerman – known as Forry to fans and friends – was the editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine from its founding in 1958 until publication ceased – at least under Ackerman, and at least for a while – in 1983.

Ackerman’s publication came at a fortuitous time for his fortunes and for monster movie fans in general. Famous Monsters coincided with the airing of the “Shock Theater” package of old monster movies – including classic Universal monster films from the 1930s and 1940s – on TV.

During the 1960s in particular, monsters were a booming business, spawning model kits, movies, TV shows like “The Munsters” and magazines like FM and its many imitators.

Ackerman, who died in December 2008, was a corny, pun-making treasure trove of movie and science fiction literary history and he brought it all to the magazine.

I met him only once, during a trip to California in the 1980s. My friends and I got to go through his house, dubbed the Ackermansion, which was filled with many thousands of movie props, posters, books and magazines. I still can’t believe Forry let virtual strangers wander around through his museum.

Besides the overwhelming number of books and posters, the house had priceless movie props. I got to see the spaceships from “Earth vs. the Flying Saucers” and metal armatures for stop motion models from the original King Kong.

I don’t know that Forry ever made Halloween a big deal – every day was Halloween for Forry and Famous Monsters – but he sure contributed to the delight and love and knowledge that many, many fans had for the spooky trappings of the holiday.

Today in Halloween: Devil business (NSFW)

Truth be told, I’m not sure why I’m including this entry in “Today in Halloween.”

I’m not sure that it’s truly a vintage Halloween-related image, even though I found it in a search of such images.

I’m guessing it’s probably an ad from Playboy or some similar magazine, sometime in the 1960s.

And that brings me to the other random element of this post: I don’t usually go to the blue material here.

So here’s a warning. The second of three pictures that I’m using in this blog entry shows a cartoon of a topless woman.

Below that image is a close-up from the image itself and the only reason I’m running this at all, because it’s just too weird not to single out.

Okay?

Here’s the full ad.

And here’s the weird little detail.

What the hell happened to the devil there? It’s okay to portray a topless woman in a drawing that’s so detailed you can practically count goosebumps but we neuter the devil?

Well, obviously so.

Comic classic sequel: ‘Hobbes and Bacon’

I’m not sure how I never saw this until now.

Every few days, I mourn the passing, in 1995, of Bill Watterson’s “Calvin and Hobbes” newspaper comic strip.

I post Calvin strips every once in a while here.

But not until today did I see a reference to “Hobbes and Bacon,” a totally unofficial sequel to Watterson’s great work.

In 2011, the web-based comic “Pants Are Overrated” did a series of four “Hobbes and Bacon” strips that visits, more than two decades later, the household of grown-up Calvin and Susie, their daughter Francis Bacon and, of course, tiger Hobbes.

The strips are wonderfully clever and nostalgic and guaranteed to bring a tear or two to your eye even while they’re making you smile.

And in light of the many, many, many bootleg and offensive rip-offs of Calvin, I’m guessing the famously reclusive Watterson wouldn’t terribly mind these tributes to his characters.

Today in Halloween: ‘Sassy’ Rick Grimes costume

Fan of “The Walking Dead?”

Fan of Andrew Lincoln’s portrayal of Rick Grimes, the show’s lead?

Want to go dressed up for Halloween as Rick Grimes?

Have the secondary sexual characteristics of the female of the species?

No problem!

Yes, folks, here’s the “sassy” Rick Grimes Halloween costume, in honor of tonight’s season premiere of the show.

If you don’t want to show off your legs, here’s components of the male version.

Yes, these are the end times.

Today in Halloween: Dem bones decor

Oh, sure, when that crazy family in “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” decorated their home with bones, you were weirded out.

But now a trip to Target turns up some pretty grisly stuff.

Not really. But it is kind of funny that what once would have been considered horrific or at least in bad taste is considered kitschy fun.

I really dig some of these bony accent pieces. Dig, get it? Ah, never mind.

Today in Halloween: Don’t be like Calvin’s dad

Because I need some Calvin and Hobbes today.

Thank you Bill Watterson.

Here’s the home of Calvin and Hobbes on the web.

Today in Halloween: Skeletal monkeys on your back

You know what we’re doing here, right? I haunt the Halloween stores and costume aisles at Big Box stores and take pics of interesting masks, costumes and decor with my iPhone. Then I post ’em here.

So what do you guys make of this one? It comes in two versions, skeleton and … uh, devil skeleton?

And … appendage?

Maybe they’re going for a “Basketcase” thing here.

Remember that crazy 1982 horror flick about the deformed twin surgically removed and carried around in a basket? Remind me to tell you about my “Basketcase” surgical mask sometime.

Wait, we were talking about ….