Rob Zombie hosts cult flicks on TCM!

[brainee]

Originally Posted by renaldow

Too bad, but I don't know how big of a loss it really is. I've heard Zombie talk about film, and he can be very fanatic and passionate about it. With these intros though... he was the stiffest, most boring guy around.

I agree. I ended up skipping past most of Zombie's bits after a while, because they were either dull and/or spoiler too much of the movies.

I think I saw them as a kid, but my memory is hazy. Who remembers much about this weekend's offerings: "Billy the Kid vs Dracula" and "Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter"? Are they worth watching? I know they're supposed to be awful, but are they awful in an entertaining way (like Plan 9 From Outer Space) or an excruciatingly boring way (like the non-MST3K version of Manos, the Hands of Fate)?

[Mondo Kane]

Originally Posted by brainee

I think I saw them as a kid, but my memory is hazy. Who remembers much about this weekend's offerings: "Billy the Kid vs Dracula" and "Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter"? Are they worth watching? I know they're supposed to be awful, but are they awful in an entertaining way (like Plan 9 From Outer Space) or an excruciatingly boring way (like the non-MST3K version of Manos, the Hands of Fate)?

I haven't seen BTKVD, but I own JJMFD (Via "Joe Bob Briggs Presents", thank god!) Joe Bob points out in the commentary that John Carradine said it was the worst movie he ever acted on. And since JJMFD leans towards the "boring way", I'm guessing BTKVD will be the same. But what tha hell, I'll still give it a look anyway.

[brainee]

Originally Posted by Mondo Kane

I haven't seen BTKVD, but I own JJMFD (Via "Joe Bob Briggs Presents", thank god!) Joe Bob points out in the commentary that John Carradine said it was the worst movie he ever acted on. And since JJMFD leans towards the "boring way", I'm guessing BTKVD will be the same. But what tha hell, I'll still give it a look anyway.

Worse than "Astro-Zombies", "Blood of Dracula's Castle", "Legacy of Blood", or "Blood of Ghastly Horror"? Ye Gods We may not be coming out of this in one piece!

[Mondo Kane]

Didn't get to see BTKVD last night (Caught up in the current movie-marathon going on here) but I watched some of the last half of JJMFD and was blown away by the picture quality. Hate to say it, but I would've really liked to have seen the whole movie!

Hope Underground comes back with a vengeance in March!

[rw2516]

Originally Posted by Mondo Kane

Hope Underground comes back with a vengeance in March!

Looked at the March schedule and they are showing repeats of what's already aired. However, on a side note, if you've noticed the slew of Columbia 'B' catalog titles this month(i.e. Boston Blackie marathon), it continues in March with another Boston Blackie marathon finishing the series, a Lone Wolf and Crime Doctor marathon and seldom seen 50s westerns.

[brainee]

I bit the bullet and dared to watch the terrible two of western-horror. Not as bad as I feared (though I had mentally prepared myself for the worst).

BTKVD: Despite what Carradine said, he's done worse. Hilariously, the first shot after the opening credits is Carradine yawning very widely. Talk about your ominous omens. Oddly enough, the first part of the movie plays a lot like "Stagecoach", a flashback to when Carradine actually appeared in great movies. Acting and filming are pretty incompetent. There's one scene early on where the sky visibly turns from day to night back to day in the span of a few seconds (Ed Wood would be proud). They completely ignored the "vampires only at night" rule -- I'm guessing just because they didn't have the money/time to shoot so much at night. When given lines, Carradine has a commanding presence, but he isn't given much here. I love the scenes where he uses his vampire powers. He bugs his eyes out, they shine a red light on his face, and a harp strums. Very scary indeed. Actually the scariest thing was the creepy vibe when Dracula starts lusting after a lucious 18 year-old farmgirl. When the mother shows him a photo in a locket, he practically starts drooling and says "Eighteen ... and sooooo beautiful". Ughh. The ending had a priceless bit:

Spoiler:

Dracula is confronted in his cave. Billy empties his gun and Drac is standing there completely unaffected. Billy throws the gun at him, and amazingly the thrown gun knocks Drac completely on his ass, allowing for Billy to do an easy stake to the heart for the kill. All those times the bad guys throw the gun at Superman, and were mocked for it ... but here the move comes up a winner against Dracula.

There's another bit at the end I couldn't follow:

Spoiler:

Dracula is staked in the cave. Then there's a shot of a bat flying wobbly outside, before collapsing. Then you're back in the cave, and Dracula disintegrates. If Dracula was in the cave, who was that bat?

Not good at all, but at least there were some so-bad-its-good laughs.

JJMFD: The western parts weren't too bad, and I thought the one Wild Bunch guy was a good weasely villain. Jesse, his hulky friend, and his hot Mexican girlfriend were likable. Things only got really bad when we go to Castle Frankenstein (seemingly transplanted brick by brick to the Southern US). Then, things were about as silly as "Young Frankenstein" ... except this wasn't supposed to be a comedy. A grade-school play could probably make a more convincing Frankenstein lab than this movie. And they weren't even trying with The Monster -- just shaved a guy bald and drew a red line around his forehead.

[Mondo Kane]

Originally Posted by rw2516

Looked at the March schedule and they are showing repeats of what's already aired.

Well, at least this will give me a chance to check out Sadist/Wild Guitar.

And I would LOVE to see FASTER PUSSYCAT again!

[Neeb]

I'm hoping Green Slime will make an appearance.

And lots of obscure / whacked-out Japanese horror movies.

[Mondo Kane]

Originally Posted by Neeb

I'm hoping Green Slime will make an appearance.

It's no stranger to the network. They aired it last year.

[DJLinus]

I'm actually glad it's on hiatus for a while. Each week I've been recording these movies, but have only gotten around to watching a handful of them. This'll give me some time to catch up.

[rw2516]

Originally Posted by Mondo Kane

Well, at least this will give me a chance to check out Sadist/Wild Guitar.

And I would LOVE to see FASTER PUSSYCAT again!

FASTER PUSSYCAT is on again in March. Some new ones in March include THE TERROR(letterbox according to the website) and SPIDER BABY.

[Mondo Kane]

Forgot to mention that the show came back on last night. I Bury The Living/Dead Men Walk was the feature. As expected, still no Zombie around, but I still wish they would have a host.

Rest of this month's schedule:

16th:
Spider Baby
Quartermass Xperiment

23rd:
Night/Living Dead
The Crazies

30th:
Sisters
Diary of a madman

[LorenzoL]

Now that we have TCM in Canada, I'm looking forward to checking these movies out.

[Buford T Pusser]

Everyone should check out Spider Baby. And other Jack Hill films.

Mrs. Pusser doesn't like those kinds of films, but she couldn't stop watching Spider Baby. She was baffled by how it was pulling her in.

[caligulathegod]

Spider Baby is the greatest film ever made. Well, it's my favorite, anyway. I wonder if it will be the extended version? There's a new HD transfer for an upcoming SE DVD release.

[onebyone]

Originally Posted by caligulathegod

I wonder if it will be the extended version? There's a new HD transfer for an upcoming SE DVD release.

There's a new SE DVD release coming?? **Runs off to find out more**

Topic? Spider Baby is awesome and everyone should watch it.

[caligulathegod]

Originally Posted by onebyone

There's a new SE DVD release coming?? **Runs off to find out more**

Topic? Spider Baby is awesome and everyone should watch it.

http://www.fangoria.com/news_article.php?id=3603

January 29: Jack Hill reveals new SPIDER BABY DVD

Veteran genre filmmaker Jack Hill has revealed to Fango that his cult-classic 1964 shocker SPIDER BABY will be getting the special-edition treatment in 2007 with a new DVD. “The distributor is MPI, and they will be releasing an all new disc [presumably on their Dark Sky genre label] sometime later this year,” Hill says. “We made an HD transfer that is far superior to the earlier job, and they’re negotiating with TCM for TV release.” Regarding special features, Hill discloses, “The DVD will include a new documentary about the making of the film, featuring interviews with most of the surviving players as well as me. There will also be a new audio commentary by myself and [co-star] Sid Haig, and a documentary about [composer] Ronald Stein.” In other Hill news, this writer is currently working with the director on his official memoirs of his entire body of work, with the book scheduled for release later in 2007.

[Mondo Kane]

I don't remember. Did the previous DVD feature commentary with Johnny Legend?

[onebyone]

Thanks caligulathegod! That's very exciting news indeed.

[caligulathegod]

No, the original was a solo commentary by Jack Hill. There was tape of a screening and reunion of the cast hosted by Johnny Legend (which doesn't acknowledge the late Jill Banner at all). It was a straight port of the laserdisc, except for a newly found reel from the original answer print that contained footage that was cut out early on. I've seen it theatrically since then and the theatrical prints do include the "new" footage. After re-reading this news, it gives the strong impression that the TCM airing should be of the new transfer. If it has the new scene we will have our answer. The new scene starts when Lon Chaney is driving the lawyer and his secretary and ends at the introduction of the kids to the visitors (it actually ends up being a second introduction with the new scene).

[caligulathegod]

Spider Baby has never looked that nice before. Wow. It didn't use the extended print, though.

[Mondo Kane]

Originally Posted by caligulathegod

Spider Baby has never looked that nice before. Wow.

Haven't seen the movie in awhile so I didn't notice the comparisons, but like I mentioned several posts back, TCM's showing of Jesse/Frankenstein looked astonishing compared to Elite's DVD, as well.

[Mondo Kane]

April's schedule:

6th:
Bucket of Blood
The Terror

13th:
Coffy
Foxy Brown

20th:
Plan 9 from Outer Space
Bride of the Monster
(Killer Shrews afterwards)

27th:
Faster Pussycat
Mudhoney

[Mondo Kane]

May's schedule:

4th:
Born Losers
Mad Max

11th:
Black Caesar
Hell Up In Harlem

19th:
Electra Glide in Blue
Corky

25th:
Freaks
Mark of the Vampire

[Chad]

Originally Posted by Mondo Kane

27th:
Faster Pussycat
Mudhoney

A Russ Meyer double-feature...nice. Too bad there's no third unannounced film tonight. I'm loving this whole Underground idea, but I'd really like to see another host (John Waters maybe?) added.