The Silver Screen Oasis

Last week was Creature from the Black Lagoon - and I have seen that more than a dozen times in my life and I did not watch it last Saturday ... but this week - I haven't seen this Creature Movie for a very long time - REVENGE OF THE CREATURE ...

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It was Clint Eastwood's first role - Uncredited in this film ...

I get the two sequels mixed up. One has Blackie captured, tormented and put on display. That's my favorite of the bunch!

RedRiver wrote:I get the two sequels mixed up. One has Blackie captured, tormented and put on display. That's my favorite of the bunch!

Glad to hear this Red River!

I hope somebody enjoys tonight's "creature feature," REVENGE OF THE CREATURE. I'll probably be watching videos. Or cable news if I dare. But it's good to know Blackie Lagoon is on the job!

Watched the REVENGE OF THE CREATURE last night and I enjoyed it very much ... Next week, I'm avoiding this movie The Creature Walks Among Us ... and it's not one of my favorites at all.

THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US generally gets a bad wrap among gillman fans, but I find it the most entertaining of all. Jeff Morrow (a great underrated performer) gives a brilliant (IMO) performance as the unhinged and dangerously jealous scientist. You've got Gregg Palmer playing the lustful guide (who in a quick, early scene still manages to come across as a rather sympathetic character). Solid Rex Reason and the beauteous Leigh Snowden. I just find the story has more depth than the preceeding two CREATURE films. I will confess, though, that this admiration of the film comes from an adult viewpoint. As a kid, the movie kinda bothered me because I didn't want to see my beloved aquatic gillman tranformed into a muscular landlubber.

"Revenge" is my favorite of the trio, and I did, in fact, watch it again last night. From start to heartbreaking finish! I've posted extensively in the past. No need to repeat. This just might be the most sensitive and empathetic of all the classic horror films. With the possible exception of Frankenstein, no other story moves me to pity and support the monster as this Jack Arnold B feature does. Man's inhumanity to...fish-like, two-legged, partially evolved animals!

I agree with you Red River ... Revenge 1st, Creature 2nd, Creature Walks 3rd ... in that order ... But the Creature from the Black Lagoon still remains a close favorite of mine and in my mind almost as par of Revenge of The Creature!

But Red River, what could be a more cruel mistreatment to our beloved Gillman than to have scientists attempt to transform him into (gulp) a semi-human?

And to me, that final scene of the Creature in #3 is definitely the most poignant.

Ladies and gentlemen: BLACKIE LAGOON!

RedRiver wrote:Ladies and gentlemen: BLACKIE LAGOON!

Do you mean fishlips lookalike Troy Donahue?

Next Up ... The Son of Dracula 1943


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Samuel S. Hinds Movie (1943)

Love Count Alucard! I missed Blackie last night. I had the very rare invitation to spend time with family. That almost never happens! A neighbor tells me I would have missed the movie anyway. There was a power failure! Thunderstorms. I imagine Sugar was terrified. But what can I do? Sometimes a dog just has to be a dog!

I might raise some hackles here so let me preface my post by saying that I adore Lon Chaney and vigorously stand by my contention that he should have been nominated for Oscars for both OF MICE AND MEN and his brief but wonderful scene with Gary Cooper in HIGH NOON. Watched him this weekend in SPIDER BABY and thought that even in this film - and clearly suffering from various ailments - that he gave a terrific convincing and sympathetic performance as the long-suffering caregiver to that weird group of children.

But . . . when it comes to Lon playing a vampire, I have difficulty accepting his proletarian personality morphing into an aristocratic European count. Much of his dialogue in SON OF DRACULA is muted in effect because of his heavy and unconvincing delivery (especially in that final scene when his truck driver tone spews out something to the effect of: "Put it out, will yuh!"). On top of that, his Count Alucard is a little too "meaty," appearing as if his diet consists more of porterhouse steaks than the blood of female victims. I think it's a good film, atmospheric with a bit of a shock ending for the time. I just don't think that Chaney fit the bill. To my way of thinking, the most effective vampire should also be the most cadaverous - John Carradine was creepy in the part. Chaney looks as if he just came off the football field.

I agree with you 100%. In fact, you give the man more credit than I do in the other films you mentioned. But it's that awkward fit that makes the movie fun. I enjoy seeing the big lug lumbering through this. Miscast and all! "What? We couldn't do another werewolf picture?"