Category: film

Vintage Lab Week: Frankenstein

August 26th, 2012

Through the fantastic laboratory creations of Ken Strickfaden, electrical special effects creator, Universal Studios brought one of the most fantastic tales of a Mad Scientist to the Silver Screen. Dr. Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) brings his creation to life in Frankenstein (1931) and the tale resumes in The Bride of Frankenstein (1935).

In the shadow of the monster, Dr. Frankenstein is unaware of the terror his machinations will release!

“This storm will be magnificent. All the electrical secrets of Heaven. And this time we’re ready, eh Fritz? Ready.” (with actor Dwight Frye)

Put a laboratory in a towering medieval structure and next thing I find is that my mouth is watering!

Moving on to the sequel–a magnificent film–we find that Dr. Frankenstein has given up meddling with Science, until Dr. Septimus Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger) coerces him to produce a mate for the monster.

Henry, as you see, is always so happy to be working with Septimus. But how could he not have this huge ear to ear grin with all that apparatus at hand?

Shy of posting too many similar images from these great sets, I will leave you with one more jolt from The Bride of Frankenstein.
Vintage Lab Week: Jekyll & Hyde

August 26th, 2012

I am honoured to be posting while the mistress of this blog walks ever more softly. I hope that you will enjoy this week’s posts as much as I have enjoyed being part of this audience. Without further fanfare…

Vintage laboratories invoke all sorts of emotions for me. There’s nothing like setting a beaker atop a Bunsen burner to get the Science juices flowing; to feel your place as part of the microcosm of scientists, both Good and Mad, who have gone before. Lets start with some scenes showing laboratory equipment from classic horror films. Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde provides us with two very notable films…

Here we have a stern John Barrymore in “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde,” 1920. Unfortunately there are not many good images of his laboratory.

Mr Barrymore’s film was quite the thing for 1920, but in 1932 Fredric March took it to a whole new level. And wrap your orbs around that laboratory! March as Jekyll…

March as Hyde…

Stay tuned tomorrow–we’ll continue the week with some images from the Frankenstein films, The Invisible man, and more.
American Cookie Craft

August 14th, 2012

Oh boy…I’ve found my new favorite cookie designer. Check out these personalized headstone cookies by American Cookie Craft.

There are edible homages to some of my favorite silent classics.

And the black cat that graces my wall (a shirt, and a pair of knee highs).

American Cookie Craft
Desktop Goodies 7/28

July 28th, 2012

It looks like I was featured on Freshly Pressed, which has brought some new readers to this blog. If you’re new here…welcome! Please relax and stay a while…like this guy (by Michael Pratt):

Let me entertain you…

The cat does not appear to find this hairstyle flattering.

If swimsuits covered 99% of the body with the finest layered long sleeves and trousers…I’d be more like to wear one in public.

By comparison, this classic striped number looks positively scandalous.

Sea Lions…with human brains.

Violent beatings are always a great way to sell a product.

Few things go together like guns and Christianity…

…or kids and cigarettes.

…or booze and mornings.

Head of marketing campaign: “Don’t you see? We’re not selling a product, we’re selling a lifestyle!“

Let’s look at happy things now, shall we? Like this laxative-dosed child.

I SAID…be happy!

Something tells me the gelatinous fish pie is not going to be the kiddie crowd pleaser this ad implies.

Yes. This is exactly what they do. This…and drool on things.

It’s what all the hipsters are using:

The “Health Belt” does absolute wonders…if you’re a man who happens to be sketched on paper.

What happens when there’s a fight on family portrait day in 1858.

Crazy Cat Lady dreams…

My thoughts originate from a 2″ X 2″ square of brain perpendicular to my eyeballs, in the very center of my forehead.

And if you want to know the depths of a woman’s thoughts, look no further than this handy diagram.

…Well then the whole trip is ruined:

This is a deeply profound message. See it. Feel it. Know it.

Amazing.

Double amazing.

May you all have a knockout day.
MANOS: The Hands of Fate, Video Game

July 26th, 2012

I know Manos: The Hands of Fate primarily from my love of Mystery Science Theater 3000. You will usually hear the phrase “worst movie ever made” attached to the title.

Now you can enjoy some MANOS adventures in a new video game, Nintendo style.

If anyone gets/plays this…please let me know how it is!

Source
Silent Film Etiquette

July 10th, 2012

Old Hollywood has a wonderful collection of public service images, projected to instruct proper film etiquette in the 1910’s.

This next one inspires questions in my mind. What…else…could…hmmmm?

Etiquette Slides
Father’s Day

June 17th, 2012

It’s too bad the words in the English language are so limited. I wish there were a thousand different ways I could express my Father’s Day sentiments, but I once again go back to the blurb on my first SheWalksSoftly Father’s Day post:

Today I’d like to like to honor my dad, who is truly one of the most amazing individuals I’ve ever known. This man has been a stellar role model of compassion, responsibility and integrity, who continues to inspire me on a daily basis. I owe so much of who I am, and anything I may achieve in the future, to his love and guidance.

It’s a rare person (and a rare parent) who can seamlessly blend rationality and emotion, regulation and freedom, wish and possibility. He selflessly provided so much, yet taught me to take nothing for granted. From him, I learned to hope for great things…yet never balk at working hard to get them. I learned that love is not only words, but the genuine desire to make someone’s world a better place, honoring their needs with equal (if not more) importance than one’s own.

Dad, not a day goes by that I don’t appreciate the hell out of you! May I go forward in this world with the values you have taught me and make you proud…

Now for a few goodies.

Um…what? Bonus points to whoever has the best guess as to what this supposed to be?

Some nice skeletal father and child hands…

Well you ARE my anchor Dad, but something is lost in the execution here.

#…? Eh, forget it. Math is hard.

A tool.

The perfect gift.

Always a good idea:

Wow. Nothing says love like beating the hell out of your child, in as ad no less.

Hey dad, remember when you would take me to practice sports as a kid even though I was terrible at them and couldn’t wait until they weren’t mandatory anymore? Somehow you made it fun (which for me is the equivalent of enjoying a root canal). Thank you. (I chose this picture because I was probably just slightly less adept than a cat trying to play soccer…but close)

This is the truth:

Get it? Get it? *Nudge, nudge*

You gave me a love of monsters & macabre old and new! How I miss watching movies with you! (Gee, I love how I just start to rhyme like a Dr Seuss book sometimes)

So, #1 Dad (or, World’s Greatest…the best in the world…which is better than #1)…you are my hero now and always. I LOVE YOU!

Happy Father’s Day to the dads out there!
Vintage Monster Movie Barf Bags

May 31st, 2012

What a brilliant marketing campaign! Simple, to the point, and bloody (pun intended) awesome. If you were lucky enough to see a select handful of B-movies and other cinematic treats in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, you may have gotten your very own vomit bag to commemorate the experience.

Did anyone actually go to a movie and get one of these back in the day?

Since readers of this blog often have great info to contribute, I would certainly appreciate anything you know about these. Have you seen collections of others?

I wish I had source links, but these are some choice cuts from my personal vintage vomit bag image collection. Not sure what that says about me that I’ve curated such a thing, but hey…you guys are still reading this right?
MST3K Model Kit

May 8th, 2012

I must thank my friend Fritz (who is running this amazing event next month) for this link. A rare MST3K model kit was released by the Janus Company over a decade ago.

The kit portrays Mike Nelson, the reluctant commander of the SOL for the last half of the series, tightly gripping the steering wheel and confidently looking ahead while his robot friends Crow T. Robot, Tom Servo, and Gypsy look on in total abject fear.

I wish the photos were larger. I can’t seem to enlarge them and maintain clarity.

Sculptors Tom Seiler and Jeff Yagher actually traveled to the studio in Minnesota so they could accurately construct this wonderful kit.

What a great discovery for a MST3K fiend like myself! Did anyone have this?

See more info here.
Le Squelette Joyeux

April 5th, 2012

I seem to have a love of dancing skeletons, as evidenced here and here.

I just revisited on of my favorite antique film clips: Le Squelette Joyeux, by Auguste & Louis Lumière (1895).

He’s got some nice moves.