From Zombos' Closet

Mexican Lobby Card: Pesadilla De Terror

Mexican Lobby Card: Demonoid, Messenger of Death

Here's the Mexican lobby card for Demonoid: Messenger of Death, a joint Mexico and U.S. production. (I linked to Dimension Fantastica's post on the movie.)

Mexican Lobby Card: Dementia 13

The vivid illustration mimics the more exploitable elements of the U.S. poster art for Dementia 13. It's odd that the number 13 was not added. This title could stand in for John Parker's Dementia, too, but the credits and artwork indicate otherwise.

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Mansion Siniestra Mexican Lobby Card

La Pasion Mas Extrana Del Mundo Mexican Lobby Card

Mision Al Infierno Mexican Lobby Card

Misterios De Ultratumba Mexican Lobby Card (Azteca Version)

Gusanos Infernales Mexican Lobby Card

Mexican Lobby Card: Squirm

Certain horror movies get under your skin. Squirm is one of them. Ummm...no pun intended. One of Rick Baker's early makeup-work movies. I'd say this stomach-turning card gets the job done.

Movie Pressbook: Tarzan, the Ape Man (Denny Miller)

From Tony Rivers' collection comes this pressbook for Tarzan, the Ape Man (played by a light-haired Denny Miller and filled with stock footage from earlier Tarzan movies). Here's what Tony says: "Denny Miller's TARZAN THE APE MAN was considered the worst Tarzan movie until the Bo Derek version came out.  It was cheaply done, even using some footage from the Weissmuller original and tinting it in color, and there is a scene where Tarzan fights an animal that you can easily see it's a stuffed animal!  Miller was the first blonde Tarzan and although he had fun making the film, it's not that good.  They even used  the crocodile fight from TARZAN AND HIS MATE!  Joanna Barnes plays Jane and it pretty much follows the same plot of the Weissmuller film."

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Tarzan and the Lost Safari Pressbook Part 1

Tarzan and the Leopard Woman and Tarzan and the Amazons Double Bill Pressbook

Tarzan and the Lost Safari Pressbook Part 2

The Face of Fu Manchu Pressbook

I Was a Teenage Frankenstein and Blood of Dracula Double Bill Pressbook

Mexican Lobby Card: El Vampiro Sangriento

Here's the Azteca lobby card version of El Vampiro Sangriento

Mexican Lobby Card: Los Automatas De La Muerte

Here's the Azteca lobby card version of Los Automatas De La Muerte.

Mexican Lobby Card: Misterios De Ultratumba

Here's the Azteca lobby card version of Misterios De Ultratumba.

Movie Herald: Tarzan, the Ape Man (Denny Miller)

Courtesy of Tony Rivers comes this giveaway herald for Tarzan, the Ape Man starring Denny Miller.

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Tarzan and the Leopard Woman and Tarzan and the Amazons Double Bill Pressbook

Tarzan and the Lost Safari Pressbook Part 2

Mexican Lobby Card: La Momia

Mexican Lobby Card: La Sombra Vengadora

Here's the Azteca lobby card for La Sombra Vengadora.

DVD Review: Black Butler Anime Seasons 1 and 2

Zombos Says: Very Good

Tana Yoboso's dark Victorian fantasy manga, Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji), makes an elegant transition to mature anime directed by Toshiya Shinohara that mixes hand-drawn and computer-animated elements, different scene angles, and manga's expressive exaggeration to create a strong mood for its colorful--and morose--characters.

Young Ciel Phantomhive seals a Faustian pact with the demon Sebastion, who, in his human form, becomes Ciel's ever attentive and sartorially splendid butler. Sebastion is bound by the pact to help Ciel find the people responsible for killing the boy's parents, kidnapping and torturing him, and destroying the Phantomhive manor house, a large estate outside of London. What Sebastion gets in return is the boy's soul, swallowed whole, when the contract is fulfilled. Their relationship becomes more and more complicated as time goes on, but each remains true to his nature. Or do they?

Seasons 1 and 2 of A-1 Pictures animated series liberally follow the manga stories. In the first episode, His Butler, Able (Sono Shitsuji, Yūnō), Damian, an Italian business man, tries to scam Ciel over Phantomhive's Funtom Company (toy and confection) business that Ciel now heads, leading to a gruesome comeuppance capped by having Damian cooked in an oven. While not as horrific as it sounds--Damian was bewitched into experiencing his losing moves played on a boardgame--we find out how nasty Ciel and Sebastion can be. We're also introduced to the other important servants in the Phantomhive manor house who provide the comic relief: Bardroy the cook, Finnian the gardener, and Mey-Rin, the clumsy maid. There's also Tanaka, former head butler to the Phantomhives, who often appears super deformed (as a really small man holding a green mug of tea).  I don't know what the significance of him being super deformed is so feel free to enlighten me, but it is funny. In later episodes, Pluto ( a large demon hound) joins the household and Tanaka is seen as a normal adult.

Ciel wears an eye-patch over his right eye to hide the pentagram seal that binds him to Sebastion, and Sebastion must obey every command Ciel gives him. Unless a cat is nearby;  Sebastion is enfatuated with cats . Curiouser characters appear like the Undertaker, a former Grim Reaper (reapers decide if a soul lives on or dies) who craves a good joke, and Angela and Ash, an hermaphrodite angel with two personalities. The Undertaker assists Ciel in his duties as Queen Victoria's watchdog. The Queen herself is portrayed as alarmingly unhinged: she has a puppet of King Albert to whom she talks to whenever she is troubled. I'm not sure of the cultural nuances of that, either.

As the Queen's watchdog, Ciel is obligated to protect her's and the state's interests and deal with the more shady denizens of London. A drug dealer and his gang fall to flashy silverware slay of hand by Sebastion as he rescues Ciel, and they tear one up with Jack the Ripper, leading to a surprise revelation for Ciel.

Victorian charm is well captured in the animation as well as the darker side of Sebastion. Lots of strong tea brewing and odd closeups of scrumptious deserts provide for lighter moments. You may find yourself snacking heartily during each episode. Bon appetit!