Movie Pressbook: Soylent Green
A very well constructed color noir, Soylent Green also warned us about global warming years before it started to take hold of our attention. Good science fiction always tells us what we don't want to hear.
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Movie Pressbook:
Guess What Happened
To Count Dracula
After reading the IMDb blurb for 1971's Guess What Happened to Count Dracula, I definitely know what happened to Dracula in this movie: "Dracula enslaves Dr. Irving Jekyll, turning him into the lycanthropic JackalMan, demanding that he lure female blood donors to his L.A. cabin retreat." Oh, my.
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Movie Pressbook:
Guess What Happened
To Count DraculaRead More »
Student Guide Handout:
The Andromeda Strain
It's interesting to note that science fiction movies usually receive a more sophisticated (and academic) promotion through their pressbooks and theater giveaways. Here's an example of a herald for the movie that's formatted as a study guide for students.
Mexican Lobby Card:
The Playgirls and the Vampire
The Italian production of La Ultima Presa Del Vampiro (The Playgirls and the Vampire) is considered the first horror movie to combine blatant sex with gothic horror (think nudie cutie with bite). Actually, it's not all bad, although the special effects are groan-inducing when seen today. But the story is good and the overall production shows care and attention. And it has playgirls! Oh, and a vampire, too. This unusual lobby card (done in window card style, although there's no room added for theater info) is striking in its simplicity and color choices. It took over two months to arrive from the eBay seller in Mexico, but I'm tickled pink to finally be able to share it with you. I hope you are, too.
Movie Pressbook:
Scream Blacula Scream (1973)
See the Blacula pressbook here (most of it, anyway). Here's the sequel, Scream Blacula Scream. I like both movies, and were they not saddled with the blaxploitation connotation (although they are good examples of blaxploitation, actually), the tortured character of Mamuwalde just might be appreciated more by horror fans.
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Blacula (1972) Pressbook
According to Wikipedia, Blacula was the first horror film to receive a Saturn Award. It's also the first time an African-American actor (William Marshall) appeared on screen as a vampire. Marshall also was the King of Cartoons for Pee Wee Herman's Playhouse. Of note, too, is how his sympathetic but demonic character mirrored Dark Shadows' Barnabas Collin's similar predicament. Pressbooks from the 1970s often printed ads on one side, leaving a blank page. That's why some page numbers are missing. An insert flyer appears after the pressbook.
(See the Scream Blacula Scream pressbook)
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Elizabeth Shepherd and Vincent Price
Tomb of Ligeia
A photo of Elizabeth Shepherd and Vincent Price hamming it up on the set of Tomb of Ligeia; I briefly chatted with Ms. Shepherd at the NY Horror Show convention. Hoping to get an email interview with her, she deferred to her handler's advice. Of course he (and she) didn't contact me later. Bummer. But I enjoyed our brief chat, even though she kept speaking of Mr. Price when I wanted to hear more about her.
Movie Pressbook: House of Dark Shadows
See my post on House of Dark Shadows here. Here's the 1970 movie pressbook for your perusal. And here's the pressbook for Night of Dark Shadows should you want to peruse even more.
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Les Monstres
Even though this booklet is in French, the pictures are all you need. Fascinating, frightening, mesmerizing: Les Monstres, Une Collection Extraordinaire Et Unique D'etres Humains Bizarres.
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The Monster Times Issue 24
July 1973
Jumping ahead this time to issue 24 of The Monster Times. Of course publishing is no longer bi-weekly but monthly, and the cover price is now 60 cents. Steranko's History of the Comics Volume Two is reviewed, Rodan spreads his wings, and monster towels clean up for $1.50 each. Caesar takes a stand with the Battle for the Planet of the Apes and the plot sickens in Blood Feast with a "bad movie roasting." Of particular note (aside from the cool monster towels, that is) are coverage of Basil Wolverton's weird-tastic art, the nifty Create Your Own Monster Kits ad on page 31, and Lon Chaney Jr's life and times howls. (Read issue 24 of The Monster Times)
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