SheWalksSoftly

Category: film

  • Zach Cohen

    Posted by proxy from Dana’s “stuff to blog” queue while she is on medical hiatus. She reads and appreciates all comments…and apologizes for not being able to respond at the moment.

    Gather ’round for the horrors. What do you do when you are Zach Cohen? Paint fun things. Even monsters.

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     Zach Cohen

    **My daily request to send Good Thoughts, Positive Energy, Prayers, and ANY means of conveying support and healing to Dana is the biggest reward I can ask the Readership for at all times. THANK YOU! The Proxy Blogger**

  • The NERVE of Her! (A Medical Update)

    This post comes to you through my voice recognition software. I feel I owe readers of this blog a small explanation of my relative absence (or at least lack of the reflective and/or snarky commentary I so dearly love writing).

    Back in October, my already failing health took a dive when a medical treatment (gone horribly wrong) landed me in a neck brace for over two months. I am now out of the brace, but afflicted with unrelenting nerve pain of blinding intensity that extends through my neck, arms, hands and fingers at all times.

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    Thus, typing has become impossible, as have all the little things we take for granted (like scrolling a mouse and right clicking images to save!). I’m still undergoing the proper testing, eagerly awaiting results and a suitable course of treatment. Given the sheer agony, I am quite convinced that my MRI will reveal the presence of The Tingler gripping my spine:

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    You may be wondering why I don’t simply post with voice recognition software all the time. Well, in addition to the pain, I’ve also been wrestling with chronic laryngitis for months on end. I must ration my voice in very small amounts each day (though it seems to be improving very slowly).

    Having almost no use of speech or hands has been particularly rough since I thrive on seeking out, collecting and sharing information…Perpetually making things…Connecting emotionally and intellectually through the use of words…

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    There are whole worlds dancing and echoing through my brain that I can no longer, at least for the moment, find the means to externalize. I’ve collected thousands of things to post on this site and they linger on my laptop, waiting for the chance to be seen by this lovely community of like-minded folks who delight in the beauty, intriguing darkness and pure absurdity of life.

    In short, I need this:
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    I’m determined not to let this site die. Perhaps the best solution I can conjure at present is to enlist the help of a dear friend or two in posting the links I have saved.

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    I’ll chime in with a desktop goodies post or other personal updates whenever possible until this issue is resolved. I may resort to a hospital inpatient program if all else fails…though I’m reluctant.

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    Once again, I apologize for being unable to respond to comments or contacts at this time, but…from the distant space I temporarily inhabit…I do read and appreciate them greatly.

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  • Wordless Week: Desktop Goodies (The Ultimate Silent Challenge!)

  • Vintage Lab Week: Metropolis

    Little introduction is needed for Metropolis, a 1927 film by Fritz Lang; written by his wife Thea von Harbou. Complete with a futuristic city set only 100 years in the future, this science fiction morality tale features amazing alchemical laboratory sets. The neon lighting is a great touch.

    Rotwang (Rudolf Klein-Rogge) is a scientist ordered by the master of the city, Joh Fredersen (Alfred Abel), to make a robot doppelganger of Maria (Brigitte Helm). Maria’s spirit transcends the class system–by sending a robot imposter back to the oppressed working class, the master of the city hopes to suppress an uprising. Rotwang has some really great neon light accented minimal lab sets.

    Joh Fredersen, Rotwang and robot.

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    Sparse laboratory where the real Maria is encased–her form will be transferred onto the robot through Alchemy and Science!

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    Totally tubular!

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    A flick of the switch…

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    zap

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    zzzzt

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    zzzzt!

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    Rotwang with the fleshed-out Robot Maria.

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    Mad Science at work!

  • Vintage Lab Week: Bela Lugosi does Science

    From the archive and some image searches to supplement my material, today’s installment proves you can almost never have enough Lugosi. The man always gave his all in a film, no matter how bad it may be.

    Bela Lugosi with Arlene Francis in the 1932 Poe adaptation Murders in the Rue Morgue. A fun film; having Lugosi meant Universal Studios would take license with the story and inject a Mad Scientist!

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    But why is it when you try to breed apes and humans you always end up with tainted blood? Bela gets cross with Arlene… groan.

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    Lugosi is seen below in The Phantom Creeps, a 1939 serial in which he tries to create an army of Atomic Supermen.

    Without much of a film budget, it is only an army of one. What, no Atomic Superwomen?

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    Ah, here we find Dr Brewster in his lab. The 1943 B-movie is not quite the right answer to big studio hit The Wolfman, but the film The Ape Man is entertaining. Dr. Brewster is not quite your average Mad Scientist. He walks stooped over, swaying his arms, and talking like, well, Dracula. And he wears a morning suit!

    1943, The Ape Man

    Jumping to 1955, Mad Scientist Bela is, after a slew of experiments, confronted by his servant Lobo (Tor Johnson) in Bride of the Monster.  As much as I like monsters, I rather fancy director Ed Wood’s original title, Bride of the Atom!

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    I will wrap up today’s post with a rare archival negative find from ten years ago (even though it has made its way around the Internet a bit). Circa the mid 1950’s here is a publicity still of Bela with Maila Nurmi, aka Vampira. No doubt from some variety TV performance, Vampira Show publicity, or Ed Wood promotion.

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  • Vintage Lab Week: The Mask of Fu Manchu

    Boris Karloff brings a delightfully sadistic performance to Sax Rohmer’s literary character in the 1932 film The Mask of Fu Manchu.

    This adventure film with lavish sets and costumes features some great special effects using more of Ken Strickfaden’s electrical devices.  Check out these great laboratory settings!

    Fu Manchu’s quest for the sword and mask of Genghis Khan shows a relentless and evil Pre-Code performance.

    With his seductive daughter Fah Lo See (Myrna Loy) at his side, Fu Manchu looks to destroy and enslave the “white race.” Fah Lo See tortures the man she loves, but spurns her…

    Like all adventure films of the period, peril and danger are overcome by good. In this case evil is trumped, and the sword of Ghengis Khan is removed as a threat to world domination. But not before a good dose of supernatural Mad Laboratory effects!

  • Vintage Lab Week: The Invisible Man

    H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man made it to the screen in 1933. Today may I introduce you to Professor Griffin (Claude Rains), the Mad Scientist behind the bandages? Don’t mind the hair plugs and rubber nose. At least there is a small travelling test lab to set the scene.

    Something is missing!  Must be a good sized Mad Lab!

    His fiancee (why must the beautiful, intelligent ladies always take the back seat to this madness?) and her father may have what it takes to cure him. (Gloria Stuart, Henry Travers)

    He is rather dashing in his robe and glasses, but bear in mind, when you cannot see him he is running around in the altogether!

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    For further viewing,  in 1940 the Invisible Man Returns, and we then meet The Invisible Woman; in 1944 we have The Invisible Agent and Invisible Man’s Revenge–a string of increasingly silly attempts to have fun with an invisible character built on the foundation of Claude Rain’s tragic character.