THE ROGER CORMAN EDGAR ALLAN POE MOVIES 1960-64

Today we check out the Edgar Allan Poe horror movies directed by Dungeon god, Roger Corman. What we like about Roger is that he was one hip guy who worked outside the typical Hollywood box. In 1960, his first Poe horror flick hit the big screen, it's possible that Eegah!! and I saw all eight of these when they came out...

Vincent Price stars in seven of the eight movies, and, for good reason. The first production is THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER in 1960, the story goes like this.. Upon entering his fiancée's family mansion, Philip Winthrop discovers an Usher family curse and fears that Roderick Usher has entombed his bride-to-be prematurely!

Oh boy, I remember seeing THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM with Ergah!! in 1961, it was an absolute horror and a half for us youngsters! Vinnie plays an awesome madman in this Poe story of deception and gruesome revenge!!

Next is THE PREMATURE BURIAL in 1962, in this one, Ray Milland plays artist Guy Carrell, he grows apart from his new wife as an irrational horror of premature burial consumes him!

TALES OF TERROR from 1962 was one fun trilogy of fright! The three tales involve a grieving man and the daughter he abandoned, a drunkard and his wife's black cat and a hypnotist who prolongs the moment of a man's death.

THE RAVEN from 1963 was nothing but fun, it's about a magician who has been turned into a raven and turns to a former sorcerer for help. Freakin' stars Vinnie, Peter, Boris and Jack!

Even though THE HAUNTED PALACE from 1963 is a Poe story, man, it sure seems like a Lovecraft tale, the faceless people, the thing in the basement... Anyway, it's great to see good old Lon in this one, had to play a mute.

THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH from 1964 is one wild flick, in it, a European prince terrorizes the local peasantry while using his castle as a refuge against the "Red Death" plague that stalks the land! They go crazy with the colors in this tale Poe would be familiar with!

Vinnie stars in the last Poe story, THE TOMB OF LIGEIA in 1964. His obsession with his dead wife drives a wedge between him and his new bride. He looks pretty weird in that costume, and sans the 'stache!.. So, keep checking back for more cool stuff from The Dungeon Gang, where the fun just never ends!!

MORDNACHT IN MANHATTAN - "Manhattan Night Of Murder" (1965)

What I got for you tonight is the last of my Jerry Cotton movies, and it's called "Mordnacht In Manhattan" or................

"Manhattan Night Of Murder!"

If I ever had time to plan things around here, I would probably watch movies like this in chronological order, but since I'm a freakin' bozo, it's always a haphazard free form affair which causes things like this to happen! Since this was the last Jerry Cotton film I had to watch, I've been saving it for this special moment, only to be disappointed, because "Mordnacht In Manhattan" turns out to be my least favourite Jerry Cotton movie. All the right elements are there, but it's not that witty, and never really gets very exciting at all!

"Mordnacht In Manhattan was the second Jerry Cotton film released in 1965. The first film was "The Violin Case Murders," which also wasn't all that great, but I think it was a little better than this one! It wasn't til the third film, "Um Null Uhr Schnappt Die Falle Zu" also known as "The Trap Snaps Shut At Midnight," that Jerry Cotton really got cooking!

One of  "The Sweatles," the marvelous Monika Grimm was also in the next Jerry Cotton film!

Although the movie is set in New York, 90% of it is shot in Hamburg, Munich, and Landshut, Bavaria, Germany!

While fighting with Jerry, this gangster falls into a pit of coal, but it kind of looks like he's getting chewed up by Caltiki The Immortal Monster in this shot!

This is the 13th movie we've hosted with George Nader in it, what else can I say, except "which way did they go George!!"

Gangsters or sardines? Something stinks either way!

The music in "Mordnacht In Manhattan" is, as are all the Jerry Cotton films, by the genius mind and Dungeon fave, Peter Thomas! 

Jerry's a sneaky guy, and you get to see part of his Jaguar and part of the mobster's '67 Impala all in the same shot!

I'm sure somebody thought a fight scene in a bunch of cardboard boxes was going to be real exciting, but they were wrong!

It's a pretty bold move to be on your regular TV show when you've also been I.D.'d in a murder!

I found this Mexican poster for "Mordnacht In Manhattan" on a fellow blogger's site called Una Plaga De Espias, and the funny thing is I can find no other reference to this film with this title, but then that's just how these Jerry Cotton films roll! Those two cars are just too much!!

Thanx again to our man in Berlin, Lord Litter for turning me onto this series in the first place a few years ago, do yourself a favor, and go check out one of his Magic Music Show International radio shows. I guarantee you'll become just as addicted as I am!

Wild 'n' Weird BOLLYWOOD HORROR POSTERS

It's always something... My still capture software went south, leaving me in limbo yet again! So, until I can get it figured out, I'll be doing stuff like this, a look at some horror movie posters from Bollywood, India... Enjoy!

Since I can't translate the titles, well, I'll just have to use my old knuckle-nob to surmise what's going on. This poster clearly shows a big octopus that I'd say is probably making big trouble for the divers and a sexy babe!

I'm thinking that this is a popular kookie couple that has to spend some time in a haunted house somewhere in India...

This one looks like a movie that's about hypnotism and prestidigitation... Check out the little finger on the left hand, man, a lot of English being put on that curse there!

I dunno, I'd say this is a Jekyll/Hyde flick, who knows... Hey, the old split-face gag!

Okay, I got this one!.. It's a movie all about a bunch of draculas!!

This looks like Rasputin as a blood sucker! Them's some long fangs!!

This is my favorite poster of the lot, I pass on trying to figure out what's going on there. For me, this is nothing but awesome eye candy!!

WHOA!!!....

This is another snappy poster, nice imagery and colors. Yet another vampire flick starring Dracula, throw in some hot sexy chicks and a skull for good luck!

Looks like some evil spirits are loose in this story, the skull guy looks like an Alien!

I've included this more modern poster, great stuff! While I was putting this post together, made me think, wow, I'd like to see some of these, especially if they're older movies!!

BOOK REVUE - Bob Clampett (1946)

 Time for another Wacky Cartoon Wednesday in The Dungeon!
"Book Revue" is a Daffy Duck cartoon that escaped in 1946 from the mind of one of the all-time great cartoon directors Mr. Robert Clampett! Bob Clampett was also the creator of one of my favourite cartoon shows, "Beany and Cecil!" Bob Clampett has been an inspiration to people for years, and proof positive is that he was the inspiration for the AC/DC song "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap!" There was a character on the "Beany and Cecil" show named Dishonest John, and his calling card was "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. Holidays, Sundays, and Special Rates."

 I always liked these literary character style cartoons!

Books come to life and musicians like Harry James and Benny Goodman become caricatures! It's kind of a lot of baloney but shouldn't be confused with charcuterie!

So, you really think all the current Hollywood sexual shenanigans are something new?

 This stuff has been going on forever! Hubba, Hubba!!

This portrait of Frank Sinatra seems to go beyond parody and more like downright borderline insulting!

Maybe Bob wasn't getting as much as Frank!

Taking it to another level with the swoon dive!

Even Mother Goose is gone for Frankie boy!

One of history's all time great drummers Gene Krupa gets a treatment!

This is a two part story, in the second half Daffy Duck as a hipster recreates the story of "Little Red Riding Hood!"

These two great shots of Daffy trying to tell Red that there's a wolf in the house are just bizarre!

So for all his criminal activities, the wolf gets sentenced to Life, a gag that if you're under 30, you probably don't get!

 I think I've finally figured it out, when we have no sense of history, people are nothing more than zombies! Think about it!