 |
| http://en.wikipedia.org |
Yesterday we got our first blast of winter, here in the Northeast. Rain, ice, snow, and thunder! It was a mighty show of force by Mother Nature, creating the perfect day to stay indoors and watch horror flicks. As luck would have it, this weekend is rife with Halloween specials on t.v.
 |
| http://en.wikipedia.org |
In truth, I was kind of overwhelmed by the amount of selections to choose from. I channel-hopped madly trying to keep up with my train of thought and level of interest. It felt heavenly, cozied up under a thick blanket, riding out the storm while indulging my Monster Mania. Shades of childhood, enjoyed with candy corn as the season dictates, like the shelf life time window for Mallowmars.
I kicked off my marathon Karloff-style, with the original 1930s version of "The Mummy", which is fitting given that he is the undisputed master of the genre. Incredible, dramatic lighting sets the emotional tone. This famous, iconic movie still from the film captures the mummy's hypnotic gaze and its' magnetic power.
 |
| http://en.wikipedia.org |
"The Bride of Frankenstein" also aired. I've seen it before, yet I would periodically go back to it, as I watched other channels. Like Tim Burton in his MOMA interview, I found myself rooting for "The Monster". The town villagers hunt Frakenstein down, during it's lonely search for a companion. It is a heart-breaking scene. What existential angst, to be the only one of your kind, a uniquely horrible threat to society! The monster had no hand in it's creation. Karloff made the character into a child-like victim of circumstance, an innocent.
 |
| http://drnorth.wordpress.com/category/horror/page/2/ |
As the day wore on, my tummy grew fuller. The afternoon "sleepies" set in, just as "Godzilla, King of the Monsters" began. It was time for a nap. Before my eyes closed, the opening credits reminded me that it was a major release in 1956. Raymond Burr played the lead! I can read lips fairly well, so I noticed quickly that he spoke his lines in English, while the nurse from the hospital scene delivered her lines in Japanese. It was a cross-over hit between the two countries, at a time when Hiroshima loomed fresh in the collective memory. The catalyst for the monster's rise from the ocean's depths was an atomic blast by naval ships asea on test maneuver duty.
 |
| http://en.wikipedia.org |
It was a full day. I saw a darkly Gothic version of "Wuthering Heights" on Masterpiece Theater, a strange little movie about a gypsy curse called "Drag Me to Hell", "From Dusk to Dawn"'s beginning, which I had missed on previous cable airings, "30 Days of Night" again—a fantastic, modern take on the vampire myth—and some of the "Halloween Wars" series on the Food Channel, which I hope to catch in finale. On a side note, I picked the winner on "Project Runway" and she won. More on that show in a future article.
Have a safe and peaceful Sunday. Happy t.v. watching :)
