What Horror and Sc-Fi films have you seen lately?

[Bronxgirl48]

THE RETURN OF DRACULA -- clever vampiric version of Hitchcock's SHADOW OF A DOUBT. Mysterious relative visits family back home where the young female member, bored with her small-town life, idolizes the uncle/cousin but slowly comes to realize this person is not what he seems. Nifty "updates" -- no posh evening clothes for old Drac; instead, he throws an ordinary black coat over his shoulders which becomes a very business-like "cape". Francis Lederer will scare the bejeezus out of you. Lots of ingenious creepy touches throughout, including a Lewton "bus". Good supporting cast. I highly recommend!

[LiamCasey]

Oh, and I meant to add that because of your recommendation, Liam Casey, I plan on giving the Interview show a shot, after all.

I feel like I should apologize in advance in case you still don't like it.

Your concerns are valid. And, based upon what I've read online, the changes to the source material were a major point of contention with many. But, considering that the novel itself is about 48 years old (and, boy, did I feel old typing that line), changes in what this show's target audience would both expect and accept in 2022 would have to be taken into account by its creators. I mean, it's entertainment (hopefully!) for us. But it's business for them.

At the very least, there would have been a lot of baggage to deal with if they kept their protagonist a slave owner from 1791. Heck, look how many classic movies we have that are now preceded by a disclaimer for one reason or another. At least they picked an alternative that kept the story in New Orleans.

I've never seen Queen of the Damned (2002) but it is currently available on Tubi. Maybe I should check it out. Holden does give Stuart Townsend a bit of acknowledgement in his posting.

And now that you mention it, I think I may have read (or, at least, tried to read) The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned. If so, it did not leave a lasting impression.

[LiamCasey]

It can all come out in the open now.

I have been infatuated with Dudley Manlove as the alien Eros in PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE for decades. Seeing this Ed Wood classic again, my emotions are still the same. Dudley's famous radio voice sends tingles down my spine with every stupid line of dialogue. "You see? You're STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!!" Dudley cuts a fine figure wearing those shiny outer-space togs.

I would mate with him.

I have never seen Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957). I may have to after this posting!

[Bronxgirl48]

Liam, you won't be sorry.

Wait, let me put that another way. You'll be sorry but in a good way!

"Future events will affect us in the future"

"Someone visiting? That would imply visitors"

"I saw a flying saucer" -- "You mean the kind from up there?"

[Bronxgirl48]

ATTACK OF THE PUPPET PEOPLE

(this one goes good with a bag of Sour Patch Kids)

Nutso "European" doll-maker and part-time mad scientist John Hoyt relieves his unbearable loneliness by shrinking a variety of people (including a postal worker, of which is said "He left this morning with his mail bag and hasn't been seen since") which he thinks will keep them forever helplessly close to his heart. In shrunken form these unfortunate individuals reside in bottles under suspended animation until Hoyt wakes them up for rock and roll musical parties consisting of miniature champagne glasses and real tiny petit four desserts. John Agar, one of the victims, is basically indistinguishable in either state, but this can be said for the rest of the lifeless cast. Director Bert I. Gordon had original success with THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN, then decided to go in the other direction, plundering from DEVIL DOLL, DR. CYCLOPS and THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN, all of which are classics compared to this unoriginal nonsense.

[Bronxgirl48]

THE ANGRY RED PLANET (1959)

Oh it's angry alright. The crimson screen filter on "Mars" gives this bad classic one of our first psychedelic movie experiences (alongside THE TINGLER when Vincent Price goes on an LSD trip). The manned expedition includes a thoughtful professor (the always reliable Les Tremayne), flaming red-head Nora Hayden who dabs perfume behind her ears and takes a shoulder bag for wandering on the planet's surface to remind audiences that despite the Doctor title, she's just a woman, obnoxious Gerald Mohr trying to get to second base in space (hey, that rhymes!) with you-know-who, and Jack Kruschen as Sammy Jacobs from Brooklyn who makes with the jokes. (until...he doesn't)

Monsters include an oversized rat-bat-mouse spider and a giant amoeba.

[jamesjazzguitar]

Destroy All Monsters was on Svengoolie last night. I should post this under bad-movies-we-love!

[LiamCasey]

Well, I watched Queen of the Damned (2002) on Tubi.

For starters, I didn't realize beforehand that this movie was attempting to cover both The Vampire Lestat and The Queen of the Damned. It is hard enough for a movie to do justice to one novel. But two? Please! These filmmakers were just setting themselves up for the failure that they achieved.

This movie also reminded me of why my opinion of the first two sequels was meh. And, therefore, why I now feel the same regardng this movie.

The first sequel gave me the impression that Anne Rice decided that Lestat de Lioncourt (the antagonist of Interview with the Vampire) was either more fun to write about or easier to write about than Louis de Pointe du Lac (the protagonist). And then felt the need to retcon the former's character to get him to be at least an antihero rather than a villain. Which struck me as being a cheat.

And the second sequel lost that dive into history that was, to me, a major plus with both of the first two novels.

What is odd is that Queen of the Damned is not a direct sequel to Interview with the Vampire (1994) as the earlier movie ended with Lestat popping up in San Francisco just after Daniel Molloy has completed interviewing Louis (which does not occur in the original novel) whereas the latter movie had Lestat awakening in New Orleans after decades asleep (which is in line with the first sequel).

As for Tom Cruise versus Stuart Townsend, these two movies are sufficiently different in tone that I can neither imaging Cruise portraying Lestat in Queen of the Damned nor Townsend portraying Lestat in Interview with the Vampire.

Personally, if we are going to strive for romantic vampires, what we really need is a miniseries adaptation of Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Hôtel Transylvania. Anne Rice's series pales in comparison.

Either way, it may be time for me to follow the lead of Bronxgirl48 and dive into Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957) as a palate cleanser.

[HoldenIsHere]

Well, I watched Queen of the Damned (2002) on Tubi.



As for Tom Cruise versus Stuart Townsend, these two movies are sufficiently different in tone that I can neither imaging Cruise portraying Lestat in Queen of the Damned nor Townsend portraying Lestat in Interview with the Vampire.

Personally, if we are going to strive for romantic vampires, what we really need is a miniseries adaptation of Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Hôtel Transylvania. Anne Rice's series pales in comparison.

A friend of mine from college who is a fan of Anne Rice's writing was disappointed with both the INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE movie and the QUEEN OF THE DAMNED movie.
She said that Stuart Townsend was a better fit visually based on Anne Rice's description of Lestat, but (according to my friend at least) the two actors that most closely matched the description of Lestat from the books were Michael York and Leonardo DiCaprio (when both of hem were young).

[LawrenceA]

A friend of mine from college who is a fan of Anne Rice's writing was disappointed with both the INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE movie and the QUEEN OF THE DAMNED movie.
She said that Stuart Townsend was a better fit visually based on Anne Rice's description of Lestat, but (according to my friend at least) the two actors that most closely matched the description of Lestat from the books were Michael York and Leonardo DiCaprio (when both of hem were young).

Anne Rice was said to have envisioned Rutger Hauer as Lestat (this was early 70's, Turkish Delight/Soldier of Orange-era Rutger), and there's even a short comment in the second book in that regard.

When Interview was being considered as a mid-to-lower budget independent feature in the late 80's (Rice said they would be able to adhere to the source material more strictly, as studios were demanding multiple changes at that point), she wanted Julian Sands and Richard E. Grant as Lestat and Louis, respectively. They shortly after co-starred in Warlock (1989).

[LiamCasey]

She said that Stuart Townsend was a better fit visually based on Anne Rice's description of Lestat, but (according to my friend at least) the two actors that most closely matched the description of Lestat from the books were Michael York and Leonardo DiCaprio (when both of hem were young).

Considering when she wrote Interview with the Vampire, I can easily imagine Michael York as being an influence. Just a slight transition from a French swashbuckler to a French vampire.

[HoldenIsHere]

A friend of mine from college who is a fan of Anne Rice's writing was disappointed with both the INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE movie and the QUEEN OF THE DAMNED movie.
She said that Stuart Townsend was a better fit visually based on Anne Rice's description of Lestat, but (according to my friend at least) the two actors that most closely matched the description of Lestat from the books were Michael York and Leonardo DiCaprio (when both of hem were young).

Anne Rice was said to have envisioned Rutger Hauer as Lestat (this was early 70's, Turkish Delight/Soldier of Orange-era Rutger), and there's even a short comment in the second book in that regard.

When Interview was being considered as a mid-to-lower budget independent feature in the late 80's (Rice said they would be able to adhere to the source material more strictly, as studios were demanding multiple changes at that point), she wanted Julian Sands and Richard E. Grant as Lestat and Louis, respectively. They shortly after co-starred in Warlock (1989).

I didn't know about Anne Rice's Rutger Hauer comment, but, yes, young Rutger Hauer's features are very similar to young Michael York's and young Leonardo DiCaprio's.

[Bronxgirl48]

Destroy All Monsters was on Svengoolie last night. I should post this under bad-movies-we-love!

That's a good one! A lot of these films (Including PLAN 9) could indeed go in the Bad Movies We Love thread, lol.

Not to mention the great ROBOT MONSTER (on YouTube!)

[LawrenceA]

I believe that AMC is also considering other "connected" shows based on the other Rice books that are part of the same "universe".

AMC orders third Anne Rice series - The Talamasca.

https://tvline.com/lists/anne-rice-tala ... ilers-amc/

[LiamCasey]

Well, I finally watched Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957). Random thoughts thereof:

1.) Am I really supposed to believe that Bela Lugosi and Maila (Vampira) Nurmi were husband and wife? Yes, I know that there was a large difference in ages between Mr. Lugosi and some of his wives in real life. But still...

2.) And just what was Ms. Nurmi's waist size? That just didn't look healthy.

3.) Interesting to see Tor Johnson start off playing a normal character. Of course he doesn't lose his hat until after that point.

4.) Couldn't Ed Wood have at least given Mr. Lugosi's double the same hairline?

5.) But at least Mr. Wood was equal opportunity in product placement. His flying saucers were seen over CBS. Then over NBC. And finally over ABC. Should have tossed in DuMont for old time's sake.

6.) Unlike Bronxgirl48, Dudley Manlove does nothing for me. But I love the combination of his surname and his character's name.

7.) In a steal from an episode of M*A*S*H: "I've seen better film forming in my soup!"

8.) All in all, I won't need to update my posting within Detective Jim McLeod's "Top Ten Bela Lugosi Films" topic after watching this one.