All in the Family Week Part V

Imagine a film where John Carradine plays the father of brothers Vincent Price, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.

Then imagine the director spending most of it running time focused on Desi Arnaz Jr.......

All in the Family Week Part IV

Of course, not all family fractures are easily healed, as is evident by encounter between Roderick and Madelaine Usher.

All in the Family Week Part III

I've made no bones about the fact that Son of Frankenstein is my absolute favorite film of the series...

Here is a stunning depiction by comics legend Gary Morrow, originally appearing in Monster World.

All in the Family Week Part II

Few Gothic stories were more family-focused than Dark Shadows. Here ... Barnabas Collins shows his reincarnated love just how moody Westchester can be....

All in the Family Week Part I

We had so much fun with film posters last week, that we decided to do another theme-week.

For now, let's look at films that involve families, a Gothic subject that has always provided a rich vein of material.

It's uncertain whether Lon Chaney Jr. played Dracula or his son in Son of Dracula. Whomever it was, he did an awful job. Fortunately, the art direction made up for the many lapses in its star.

Film Poster Week Part V

Certainly one of the most evocative horror film posters is this subtle piece for Roger Corman's Tomb of Ligeia.

I've never been quite sure if this is my favorite of the Vincent Price Poe films, or House of Usher. What do you think?

Film Poster Week Part IV

Friends know that my absolute favorite Universal horror is 1935's The Raven, with Karloff and Lugosi. It is my favorite Lugosi performance, and my long-suffering better half has to listen to me quote it in shower frequently.  ("You are saying something profound....")

Film Poster Week Part III

This may be the greatest horror film poster of all; it is, at least, a delicious representation of the type of Halloween scares William Castle provided back when horror films were fun.

But ... would you dare visit The House on Haunted Hill?

Film Poster Week Part II

All right -- this isn't a great poster. But how can I not show a half-sheet from the film that bears this blog's name?

It is, of course, The House of Dracula. Certainly better than the previous year's House of Frankenstein, but still fairly weak tea. Once again, John Carradine plays Dracula like Doc Holiday on a European tour.

Film Poster Week Part I

This week, I thought it would be fun to look at my favorite horror film posters. (My absolute favorite, 1932's The Mummy, was  posted some time ago.)

Here is a stunning poster from the very best of the Boris Karloff/Bela Lugosi films, The Black Cat. (The best, not my favorite -- that title is reserved for The Raven!)

Bill Nelson Art at The Monster Times

Remember the quite wonderful art by Bill Nelson in The Monster Times? It was often better than the film it depicted. Case in point: Nelson's Christoper Lee from Dracula Has Risen From the Grave.

Peter Cushing's Corruption

Peter Cushing has no greater fan than Your Correspondent, but Corruption was such a squirm-inducing, repellent piece of work that I have only been able to sit through it once.

The Ghost of Frankenstein

Lon Chaney Jr. made an impressive Monster in terms of size, but the rest of his performance was a dud. Imagine the pathos Karloff could have brought to the Monster's relationship with this little child.

The Bride of Frankenstein

One of the many reasons the first round of Universal horror classics are so great is the champion set design. Behold the crypt set from Bride of Frankenstein (1935).

Night of Dark Shadows

My understanding is that the original shooting script for Night of Dark Shadows included Barnabas Collins, and ended with he and Angelique battling one another with their various occult powers.

Has anyone any credible information on whether that is true or not?

Sadly, the final product is pretty awful.