I'd post something silly with this late update, but....

Rest in Peace, Wes Craven.

Say what you will about Scream and the sequels, but Craven had a feel for what scared people.  Exploding on the horror scene with Last House on the Left, which was frightening for me not for how the antagonists behave, but how those seeking "justice" are willing to sink to seek retribution, Craven followed up with The Hills Have Eyes, another film about how low "civilized" humanity would sink to protect/avenge their loved ones.

Eventually came Nightmare on Elm Street, introducing Freddy Kruger into the Horror Hall of Fame.  A dead pedophile killing children in their dreams, the series soon became a series of how-can-we-kill-them films until New Nightmare, where Freddy was reintroduced as a supernatural being attempting to become real through the belief of others.  Say what you will, it invigorated a dying franchise and made Freddie scary again, instead of a lame jokester,  Even Robert Englund looked tired of the franchise by Part Five.

Then came Scream, the first deconstruction of horror films I can remember.  Sure, many came after the original, and its sequel, but Craven was the first to take the rules of horror films and apply them within the script, creating the trend of "meta" horror films attempting to be self aware of the troupes of the genre.  Like Scream or not, Craven got there first.

Sure, we can debate his misfires.  But the man deserves his place in the Horror Hall of Fame, and so I say Rest in Peace, Mr. Craven.  May your eternal dreams be more pleasant than the images you leave behind.

And now, this week's belated update...

August, 2015

Continuing

Terror at Angel's Horn runs through Tuesday, September 1, at the Back Door Theater (4319 SE Hawthorne) in Portland, OR.  A live stage presentation from GuignolFest, this sci-fi/horror musical from John Marble concerns a detective searching for a missing cat, only to get mixed up in a time-traveling adventure with a "gangster-ass" Satan and luchadores!  Sounds like the perfect way to celebrate Hump Day, or any day for that matter!!!  The play runs through Tuesday, September 1, and tickets are $20.  Check out the Facebook Event Page for more details and a link for advanced ticket sales.

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What We Do in the Shadows continues to delight horror fans at The Laurelhurst Theater in Portland, OR at least through September 3.  Visit The Laurelhurst Theater websites for more details.

September, 2015

Wednesday, September 2

Tonight's Weird Wednesday Actor's Spotlight falls upon Peter Cushing, as The Joy Cinema (11959 SW Pacific Highway) in Tigard, OR, screens Blood Beast Terror.  Cushing is a mad scientist (is there any other kind in these movies?) that creates a blood sucking giant Death Head moth that can transform into a beautiful woman.  Really, and it poses as his daughter when in human form.  Of course, Cushing will lend an air of class, but I don't know if that will be enough to keep you from giggling at this one!  Admission is free, so spend some extra cash at the snack bar and help keep The Joy Cinema showing movies in which great actors do their best with really silly material.  Showtimes for this evening have yet to be announced, so check back here later in the month, or visit The Joy Cinema website closer to the screening date.  As always, you must be 21 or older to attend.

Friday, September 4

Well, The Olympia Film Society Fright Club keeps bringing the chills to The Capitol Theater (206 5th Ave. SE) in Olympia, WA with a screening of John Carpenter's The Thing.  Trust me, Rob Botin's effects are something you don't want to miss on the big screen.  Plays at 9 pm, and you can get more information, and find a link for advanced ticket sales, at the link.

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That is what I have for now. but remember, you can email me at shadowoverportland@live.com with information on your local horror event and I'll be sure to post it.  And I'm open to sci fi/ fantasy events as well, so please send any information my way.

And remember, if you attend any of these events, let the organizers know you read about it at The Shadow Over Portland!

I know, I missed last week's update, but here's some EXECELLENT events happening Wednesday. And one on Thursday as well.

Sorry, but I didn't get last week's update posted.  It was a killer week at the day job, the hot temperatures sapped my strength, I had a busy weekend, and HONEST BABY, IT WASN"T MY FAULT.

Come on, it worked on Carrie Fisher.

Okay, it really was my fault, but I can't miss an opportunity to quote The Blues Brothers.  I will have a post this Thursday/Friday, but for now, I have to update you on some AWESOME happenings this Wednesday.

First up, Terror at Angel's Horn premieres this Wednesday at the Back Door Theater (4319 SE Hawthorne) in Portland, OR.  A live stage presentation from GuignolFest, this sci-fi/horror musical from John Marble concerns a detective searching for a missing cat, only to get mixed up in a time-traveling adventure with a "gangster-ass" Satan and luchadores!  Sounds like the perfect way to celebrate Hump Day, or any day for that matter!!!  The play runs through Tuesday, September 1, and tickets are $20.  Check out the Facebook Event Page for more details and a link for advanced ticket sales.

Also this Wednesday, Re-run Theater returns to The Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd) in Portland, OR, for a Japanese Invasion, featuring episodes from Speed Racer, Star Blazers and Ultraman!  The show starts at 7:30 pm and admission is $8.  For more details, and advance ticket sales, visit the link.

Finally, it's not Wednesday if things don't get WEIRD at The Joy Cinema (11595 SW Pacific Hiway) in Portland, OR.  And this week's feature will not disappoint you, as The Joy presents Haram alek, AKA Shame on You, AKA Asmael Yassla meets Frankenstein!  Yes, this is an Arabic version of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein and, wow, why would you EVER MISS THAT?!?.  Admission is free, so spend some extra cash at the snack bar and help keep The Joy Cinema showing such nowhere-near-a-classic films every Wednesday.  Showtimes for this evening have yet to be announced, so check back here later in the month, or visit The Joy Cinema website closer to the screening date.  As always, you must be 21 or older to attend.

Oh, and need to mention that Queer Horror returns to The Hollywood Theatre Thursday night at 7 pm with a screening of A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddie's Revenge.  A teenage boy's family moves into the house on Elm Street, and he encounters a young Meryl Streep look-a-like, exploding birds and, well, enough homoerotic moments that should make for an interesting discussion with host Carla Rossi, Portland's premiere drag clown!  You'll find more information about the screening, and advanced ticket sales, at the link.

Okay, as the weather is cooling, and as I won't be liquifying at the same rate as I was when temperatures were over 90 degrees, I suspect I will be able to type without gumming up the keyboard and not end the day resting in a pool of gooey molten flesh.

Yeah, it was a messy clean up over the weekend.

So stay tuned, as I plan to kick things up as the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (October) is fast approaching!

As always, should you know of any event that might interest my readers, send me an email at shadowoverportland@live.com and I'll post it on the Horror Calendar and future updates.

And should you attend any of the events mentioned above, let the organizers know you read about it at The Shadow Over Portland!

The Munster kids are coming to Portland this November!

Butch Patrick and Pat Priest, better known as Eddie and Marilyn Munster back in the 60s, are coming to the Living Dead Horror Convention at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, OR, this November 13 to 15!

Yep, the youngsters of the Munster family will be in Portland, part of a line up that includes Barbara Steele, Adrienne King and Ari Lehman of the original Friday the 13th, Lisa Marie, Lloyd Kaufman, Joe R. Lansdale and more!  Check back at The Shadow Over Portland for more guest announcements, or visit the official website later for more details.

Oh, and the link will lead you to advanced ticket sales, which will save you a few bucks this month.  Early bird specials end on August 31, so get your tickets now!

Barbara Steele is coming to the Living Dead Horror Convention this November

Oh, those eyes....

With the release of her first horror film, Black Sunday, Barbara Steele was destined to become a queen of horror.  Sure, she could be the screaming damsel in distress, as in The Horrible Dr. Hitchcock, but when she got to play the villain, few were as good, as terrifying, as Steele.

Her role in Roger Corman's Pit and the Pendulum, as a cheating wife attempting to drive her husband (Vincent Price) insane so she can be with another man, is only overshadowed by Price.  Her gloating as she reduces Price into a quivering mass is only match by the fear in her eyes as she realizes what she has unleashed (aided by Price's wonderful transformation).  She's not on the screen long, but she makes the most of it.  And that final shot still sends chills down my spine when I think of it.  Oh yes, those eyes....

Yes, my plan to drive him mad has succeeded.

What could go wrong now?

Steele other film appearances include The Long Hair of Death, Nightmare Castle, The She Beast, Curse of the Crimson Alter (with Christopher Lee and Boris Karloff), Shivers, Piranha (1978) and the 1991 revival of Dark Shadows.  Recent films include The Butterfly Room, Lost River and the animated short, The Mill at Calder's End.

Barbara Steele is scheduled to attend The Living Dead Horror Convention this November 13 through 15 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, OR.  Tickets for the event are available at the official website, and early bird prices have been extended to August 31.  Check out the other guest and keep the Halloween Spirit alive well into November at The Living Dead Horror Convention!

Oh yeah, those killer eyes!

Halloween continues into November as The Living Dead Horror Convention comes The Oregon Convention Center!

If you're like me, November First is a letdown.  The high of Halloween behind us, Horror Fans have only to look forward to the Sappiest Time of the Year.  A season of glad tidings, peace on Earth and few spooky offerings as everyone celebrates Christmas (or the "war upon it" if you watch Fox News).

But fear not, Horror Fans in the Pacific Northwest!  The First Annual Living Dead Horror Convention  happens November 13 through 15, giving us another chance to spread horrid tidings and creepy cheer.  

And, I'm kicking off my reporting of this convention with the most appropriate guest of all (as the convention starts on Friday the 13th).  The first Final Girl, and Jason's first official kill, Adrianne King, will be attending the festival.  Currently a wine maker in the great Northwest, Adrianne survived Mrs. Voorhees in the classic original, only to be Jason's first confirmed kill in the the sequel.  Talking red wines with Ms. King will take special meanings for fans!

Yeah, talk about clear water all you want, I've been rotting here

for a while!

More information can be found at The Living Dead Horror Convention Site, or Ms. King's Official Site.  And check back to The Shadow Over Portland tomorrow, and I'll spotlight another guest at Portland's First Horror Convention.

H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival and Cthulhu Con guest announcements are up. And I'm a GUEST!

Yes!!!!  I've been invited to be a guest at the 20th Annual H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival and Cthulhu Con on October 2 through 4, at The Hollywood Theatre in Portland, OR, and I am BEYOND delighted.  I'll be part of a list of people including Guest of Honor Charles Stross, Lovecraftian artist Liv Rainey-Smith, local podcasting legend Derek M. Koch, local author Jeff Burk and so many others I'm in awe of....

Oh, and Herbert West himself, Jeffrey Combs is coming!  I've just lost my sanity roll!!

Like he really needs credentials to get into the festival.

Seriously, I am so honored to be part of such a group of Lovecraft scholars and artists.  Words can't express how I feel to be an active part of this, the 20th Anniversary festival.  I've attended this festival for so long, but the opportunity to be an active participate leaves me speechless.

The Kickstarter campaign is active for the next three days, so pledge some money and get some great rewards.  I'll see you there!

The Monster That Challenged The World (1957)

Okay, we all know that Herschell Gordon Lewis invented the gore film with his 1963 release, Blood Feast.  But before that, some drive in features were experimenting with gruesome images such as dismemberment, decapitations and, in the case of The Monster That Challenged The World, desiccated corpses.  But, unlike other drive in movies dabbling with gore in the 50s, this film is quite good and hold up well today, despite a rudimentary plot.

Yeah, first we get the long monolog talking about an earthquake near the inland Salton Sea in California.  Though activity on the military base is back to normal a few hours later, a number of Navy personnel and civilians nearby resorts start turning up dead, their bodies drained of all fluids.

Yeah, just what you want washing up on the beaches during the tourist season.

Despite closing the beaches (to the dismay of local resort owners), desiccated corpses pile up at the morgue, until the Navy discovers the culprit, a giant prehistoric snail.

Despite destroying the entrance to it's cave with depth charges, a group of scientists believe the cave was opened by the recent earthquake, unleashing a group of these deadly mollusks.  And, as these creatures can transition from salt to fresh water, and travel across land, the lead scientist believes the snails are heading to a nearby series of rivers that serve as irrigation canals for the area.

Of course, the system leads to the deep blue sea, the ultimate destination of the snails.  Once in the ocean, they will breed unchecked, destroying all marine life and eventually threatening all of humanity as they travel through the waterways of the world.

The Navy, along with the scientists and local police officers, attempt to stop this migration, but are only able to follow a trail of withered corpses left behind by the ravenous mollusks.  One can only hope humanity can stop these monsters before they reach the ocean and breed out of control.

And if pointy sticks are our only option, I think we're screwed.

If you know anything about the giant monster genre of the 50s, you know the humans will prevail. No spoiler warning needed, as the end of the film is about as obvious as the references I made to more recent monster movies in the above paragraphs.  But this film is much better than the summery suggests, thanks in part to a solid script, some well drawn characters and terrific performances from the cast (at least as good as a 16 day shooting schedule).

Let's start with the main character, Lt. Cmdr. John "Twill" Twillinger.  Played by Tim Holt (who's previous credits include a lot of Westerns), Twill is a Navy straight arrow, not hesitant in berating personnel who admit to talking on the radio with fellow enlisted men "like on the phone."  Perfect hard case character, if you were casting someone like James Arness or Peter Graves.

But Holt isn't physically imposing, his character is nice to kids (more on that later) and, as he battles the last of the giant snails with nothing more than a fire extinguisher, he looks about to wet his pants in fright.  That might be a bit of an over-reaction on my part, but he feels more realistic than the square jawed hero facing a giant monster with a steely glare.  Holt is terrific, more human than most scripts would allow their hero to be, and a big reason why the film still works.  And remember, he pulled this off on a 16 day shooting schedule.  Bravo, sir.

Sure, it's nice to think you'd be more like Bruce Campbell.

But this photo is probably more accurate.  

And, as I mentioned it, let's get back to the kids.  Twill attempts to strike up a romance with the pretty secretary in the science lab, Gail MacKenzie (Audrey Dolton, Mr. Sardonicus), a single mother with a young daughter, Sandy (Mimi Gibson).  No big deal now, but remember, this was the 50s, and single parenthood was considered a taboo subject on film thanks to The Hays Code (which required the sanctity of marriage and Christian home life be upheld).

But, in another nice character arc, we learn that Gail is a widow, who's husband died in a military plane test years earlier.  Sure, it stops the film a bit after we get to see the monster for the first time, but it's a well written scene and Dolton does a wonderful job explaining to Twill her past and why she can't comfort another woman who learns her husband died investigating the deaths in the area.

Now this death leads into another interesting bit of scripting (yep, the segues just keep coming!).  As two scientist investigate an underwater cave never charted by previous divers, one is killed by a giant snail.  His diving partner swims away in fear and you might expect him to be the character that doesn't make it to the ending credits, as he has to "pay" for his cowardice actions.

Well, I was going to go back down, but now I think I'll stay up here with your guys.

However, the screenplay by Pat Fielder (The Vampire, The Return of Dracula), based on a story by David Duncan (The Time Machine, The Black Scorpion), refuses to follow the rules and allows this character a bit of redemption during the attack on the snail nesting ground.  And, as Twill looked ready to run away from the final creature in the last minutes of the film, I think the script shows that, in such circumstances, anyone might flee when facing such overwhelming odds.  It's a very human statement, and a refreshing change from the action heroes populating the Giant Monster Genre in the 50s.

And the creatures look amazing.  The effects work by Robert H. Crandall, Ted Haworth (as Edward S. Haworth) and Augie Lohman (as August Lohman) holds up better than most of the CGI work of today, and I'm not just talking Syfy cheese.  The desiccated corpses look great (okay, for the time, but still), and the full sized, PRACTICAL EFFECT snail is jaw dropping, especially during the final moments in the science lab.  You could argue that Harryhausen might have done a better job, but not on a half month shooting schedule.  The effect team delivered some of the best low budget giant monster effects I can think of, including the early works of Bert Gordon and, despite the budget, even rivaling THEM!.

Even as a black and white still, this looks so much better than most

modern monster movies.

Despite homages in Joe Dante's Piranha and Motel Hell, this film seems to be a forgotten classic, and that's a shame.  The Monster That Challenged the World delivers on the important giant monster tropes of the 50s, while the script undercut others as fast as possible.  The actors gave solid performances, despite a short shooting schedule, and the effects team created a monster that holds up against most of the CGI creations on the screen (both big and small).  If you haven't seen it, I seriously suggest checking it out.  I've watched it three times this year and still get lost in the film.  It's deserves to be included with THEM! as one of the best Big Bug (okay, MOLLUSK, quit being so picky) Monster Movies of the 50s.

Okay, and if that review didn't convince you to watch this film, 

here's Barbara Darrow in her few minutes in the movie.

I can't believe I'm sinking this low....