The Silver Screen Oasis

How much longer until Mr. Lincoln meets the undead? Ten days or so?

Gosh, I'm not sure when the film actually opens, Red.

Yesterday I saw the low-budget 1959 film "The WASP Woman", which kept me entertained for its entire length. Perhaps I expected more from the make-up and special effects department, but it nevertheless has an "endearing" quality to it. Susan Cabot is fine in the title role and so is the actor who plays the scientific. Is it a Cult film?

I'm not sure what a Cult film is anymore. As Yogi Berra (allegedly) said, "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded." Similarly, if I know it and love it, how Cult can it be?

THE WASP WOMAN, however, is my favorite Roger Corman (and uncredited Jack Hill) movie. Erotic, perverse, and thoughtful...what's not to like? And, of course, it has Bruno VeSota, with whom I have a near-cultish obsession.

WASP WOMAN does have a silly sort of appeal. Cute little movie!

You summed it up very well RR "a silly sort of appeal".

ChiO wrote:I'm not sure what a Cult film is anymore. As Yogi Berra (allegedly) said, "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded." Similarly, if I know it and love it, how Cult can it be?

THE WASP WOMAN, however, is my favorite Roger Corman (and uncredited Jack Hill) movie. Erotic, perverse, and thoughtful...what's not to like? And, of course, it has Bruno VeSota, with whom I have a near-cultish obsession.

Clever assessment Owen. Is Bruno VeSota the actor who played the nightwatchman?

Is Bruno VeSota the actor who played the nightwatchman?

That's the guy! Watching the movies he is associated with comes about as close to the definition of "Cult" as one can get.

Jack Hill, too. Have you seen his SPIDER BABY (1964)? Yikes!

No I haven't seen that one!

feaito wrote:

ChiO wrote:I'm not sure what a Cult film is anymore. As Yogi Berra (allegedly) said, "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded." Similarly, if I know it and love it, how Cult can it be?

THE WASP WOMAN, however, is my favorite Roger Corman (and uncredited Jack Hill) movie. Erotic, perverse, and thoughtful...what's not to like? And, of course, it has Bruno VeSota, with whom I have a near-cultish obsession.

Clever assessment Owen. Is Bruno VeSota the actor who played the nightwatchman?

I LOVE THE WASP WOMAN



For its unique charm!

"I can release a destructive power in a human being that would make the split atom seem like a blessing." - Miss Branding, BLOOD OF DRACULA.

[u][color=#4000BF]FEAITO[/color][/u] wrote:Yesterday I saw the low-budget 1959 film "The WASP Woman", which kept me entertained for its entire length. Perhaps I expected more from the make-up and special effects department, but it nevertheless has an "endearing" quality to it. Susan Cabot is fine in the title role and so is the actor who plays the scientific. Is it a Cult film?

I'm so glad you saw it!! You have just named one of my favorite horror movies. I love this film. Yes, the message is that women have to stay young. Eating healthy, plenty of exercise, living right? HECK NO!!! Inject the Queen Wasp's venom into your bloodstream and stay young forever. It's safer than heroine in melting away the years. (I'll have what she's having!) Uhhmmm, it's just that her plan just goes a little...awry as the best-laid plans of 50's horror queens often do. I loved the secretaries sitting at their desk yammering away. I love the poor sets. I love the way she jumps the nurse. Or standing in place screaming instead of throwing a chair and jetting outta outta there. And the scientist...ahhhh, I love that guy. He's Michael Mark and he also carries the body of little Maria through the town, after the Frankenstein monster (accidentally) drowns her in the 1931 movie of the same name.

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[u][color=#800000]ChiO[/color][/u] wrote:I'm not sure what a Cult film is anymore. As Yogi Berra (allegedly) said, "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded." Similarly, if I know it and love it, how Cult can it be?

Oh you know what you know. You have your finger on the pulse of...of...well, I trust you that you have your finger on it.

THE WASP WOMAN, however, is my favorite Roger Corman (and uncredited Jack Hill) movie. Erotic, perverse, and thoughtful...what's not to like? And, of course, it has Bruno VeSota, with whom I have a near-cultish obsession.

Hmmmm...I don't know VeSota or Jack Hill. I was busy checking out my boy, the scientist and wasp-keeper, played by Michael Mark. He did his own stunts too. Did you remember the scene when he gets hits by a car? We don't see the actual impact, but we see Mark fall back onto the curb. Yakima Canutt can take some lessons.

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[u][color=#008000]RED RIVER[/color][/u] wrote:WASP WOMAN does have a silly sort of appeal. Cute little movie!

Awwwwww man. Take out the negative qualifiers & back-handed smacks. "WASP WOMAN" is a wonderfully, great, low-budgeted, B-movie. The low-production values are part of its charm.

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ChiO, I'd have to say my favorite low-budget horror film would have to be "LEECH WOMAN." I find something charming and endearing about these gals trying to hold on to their youth by doing in folks. When the old African queen turns into the young and beautiful Kim Hamilton...woweee! A cad gets more than he bargains for when he tries to pick up the leech woman played Coleen Gray. I ofttimes wonder what makes an actress who's appeared in "NIGHTMARE ALLEY" "KISS OF DEATH" and a small part with John Wayne in "RED RIVER" winds up in something called "The Leech Woman."

I have three favorite B-horror films. And yes "Wasp Woman" is one of them. Here are the trailers:

[youtube][/youtube] [youtube][/youtube] [youtube][/youtube]

Here are three women: a manic business executive, a downtrodden wife and a scientist, who are the mistresses of their destiny; they take fate by the throat, and choke the living daylights out of it. I hope these trailers prompt those reading this, who may not have seen any of these classics, to check them out. They might make one groan, but groan in delight. I think these films will leave one smiling. Yeah, I'm wacky...but I find them to be "feel good" movies for me.

I left out "THE ATTACK OF THE FIFTY FOOT WOMAN" b'cuz that's a given, of course. As for Barbara Steele? Ohhhhh, that's another story all together!

Take out the negative qualifiers & back-handed smacks.

Believe me, there's no disdain from this camp fan. I'm the guy who was in 7th Heaven this weekend over I SAW WHAT YOU DID! (And I know who you are!)

Take out the negative qualifiers & back-handed smacks.

RedRiver wrote:Believe me, there's no disdain from this camp fan. I'm the guy who was in 7th Heaven this weekend over I SAW WHAT YOU DID! (And I know who you are!)

Okay Red, gotcha. You had me wondering.

"The Black Cat" tends to be a love it or hate it proposition for people. I love it.

(Interestingly, the famous horror author H. P. Lovecraft absolutely hated the film when he saw it in 1934. He wrote that it made him see red.)

I think Ulmer did have a hand in the sets. There is an architectural joke in the film. The mansion has been built by Karloff's character, a Satanist named Hjalmar Poelzig. There was actually a very famous Bauhaus architect (whom Ulmer disliked) named Hans Poelzig.