Lock The Windows And Bolt The Doors! Beware! Pre'Ween Is Nigh!

Jack 'O Lantern hell - photo by Logan Ingalls

     It's almost time, kids!  The official start of Pre'Ween is only a little over two days away!  I'm giddy - are you?  I'll be posting the story of how Pre'Ween came to be at precisely 12:01 a.m. on October 1st, and more fun is on the way throughout the month.  Carl at The Info Zombie and Warden at Warden Stokely Horrorzine will be joining in on the festivities, too.  Thanks, Carl, for hooking me up with the Hammer Icons Of Horror DVD set to help me round out my viewing list for this year!

     Thanks also to Jeremy at [Being Retro] for fashioning that nifty Pre'Ween badge in the sideboard.  You can click on the badge throughout the month to access a complete list of links to Pre'Ween content here and elsewhere.  Be sure to check Jeremy's site for more info on his ongoing "It's Time" Book Tour, too.

     Finally, thanks to all of you for making the Dog Farm part of your own celebrations this year.  If you just can't get enough of Pre'Ween, check out Countdown To Halloween for links to seasonal goodies all around the Internet.

     It's almost time, kids . . .

The Hammer Films Frankenstein Movies (And The Mummy Movies, Too) In Chronological Order

                  HAMMER FRANKENSTEIN MOVIES


The Curse Of Frankenstein (1957) 

   

The Revenge Of Frankenstein (1958)  

The Evil Of Frankenstein (1964)

Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) 

  

Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969)

Frankenstein And The Monster From Hell (1974)

      Hammer Films also released The Horror Of Frankenstein (1970) starring Ralph Bates as the doctor.  That movie was not part of the continuity of the rest of the Hammer Frankenstein movies, all of which starred Peter Cushing as the doctor.         

                            HAMMER MUMMY MOVIES

The Mummy (1959)

   

The Curse Of The Mummy’s Tomb (1964)

   

The Mummy’s Shroud (1966)

Blood From The Mummy’s Tomb (1971)

   

     So here's part two of my ongoing Pre'Ween organizational project, because we all know I can't watch a list of movies if that list of movies isn't in chronological order.  Having seen all of these Frankenstein movies, I'm proud to say it was unnecessary for me to cheat and look up the proper order.  The Mummy movies are another story.  I'll be watching two of those for the first time this year. 

     I'm already a pretty big fan of the Hammer Frankenstein flicks, and I'd even go so far as to say Peter Cushing's portrayal of the doc is one of the finest sustained character arcs in all of cinema.  Seriously, Peter Cushing is freakin' awesome.  I'm a staunch defender of Ralph Bates' one shot at the role, as well.  Sure, it wasn't Cushing, but Bates does a fine job with the material.  Horror Of Frankenstein bears a deliciously dry and morbid humor, and Bates delivers his droll dialog with aplomb.  I get a strong Kyle MacLachlan vibe from Bates (or is it a strong Ralph Bates vibe from MacLachlan?).

     When I made up this second list I took the notion that I might link each of the posters to the corresponding trailer.  Turns out I don't need to - Hammer Films has its own YouTube channel that already compiles their trailers for me.  Check it out, but be prepared to spend longer there than you initially plan.

     Next up is a chronological list of the miscellaneous Hammer titles that'll be rounding out my Pre'Ween viewing this year.

The Hammer Films Dracula Movies (And Some Other Hammer Vampires) Listed In Chronological Order

                        HAMMER DRACULA MOVIES 

Horror Of Dracula (1958)

Brides Of Dracula (1960)

Dracula Prince Of Darkness (1966) 

  

Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (1968)  

Taste The Blood Of Dracula (1970)  

Scars Of Dracula (1970)

Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)

The Satanic Rites Of Dracula (1973)

The Legend Of The 7 Golden Vampires (1974) 

                   OTHER HAMMER VAMPIRE MOVIES

The Kiss Of The Vampire (1963)

The Vampire Lovers (1970)   

Countess Dracula (1971)  

Lust For A Vampire (1971)

Twins Of Evil (1971)

Vampire Circus (1972)

Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter (1974)

     I've got an anal compulsive need to organize things.  When I began to assemble a collection of Hammer Films movies to watch during Pre'Ween, the obvious first step for me was to impose some kind of order on the titles.  Historically, I've not been much of a fan of vampire movies, so those titles in particular all seemed to just blend together for me into a single blood red pool of plasma.  Putting them in chronological order and adding a visual component seemed to help. 

      I've already seen roughly half of these movies, so I believe I'll just watch them all again in order just on general principle.  I'll enjoy seeing how shifting cultural mores and a changing cinematic landscape affected each successive entry.  I've always heard that Horror Of Dracula, with its Technicolor blood and heaving bosoms, was quite racy for its time.  It seems Hammer later attempted to contemporize their Dracula movies by piling on more graphic violence and overt sexuality.  Good times!

      I'll be posting a similar chronological list of the Hammer Frankenstein and Hammer Mummy titles soon, as well.  I'll finish up with a list of my selected miscellaneous Hammer titles that don't fit any of these categories shortly thereafter.  I'd love to hear some feedback from others who've already ventured down the Hammer path in the Comments section below.

Barking At The Vacuum Cleaner - Bad Milo (2013), Pre'Ween, The Living Dead, A Book Tour, and The Return Of The Monster Cereals

     I just watched Bad Milo (2013) last night thanks to a timely reminder from a recent post at Grimm Reviewz.  There's no need for a critical assessment from me because I believe Grimm's review was right on the money.  Bad Milo has a great cast, great performances, and great execution.  It struck me as a more accessible version of a Frank Henenlotter flick, and that's intended to be a compliment.  Side note:  it does my heart good to see a new movie occasionally that's got the stones to rely entirely upon practical FX.  Just remember that you're sitting down to watch a movie about a cute, homicidal little ass demon and you'll have a blast with it.

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     Pre'Ween is just around the corner, and if you don't know what Pre'Ween is then you'll know soon enough.  The countdown clock at the top of the sideboard will keep you posted as to when Pre'Ween begins down to the very last second.   I foolishly believed Pre'Ween was a notion of my own creation, but a bit of research has proven otherwise.  Myself and Carl at The Info Zombie will be sharing our findings with you, and my new friend Warden at the Warden Stokely Horrorzine will be celebrating with us, as well.  We're hoping a few more of our friends will come along for the ride.  Of course, we'll keep you posted right here.

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     Speaking of our friends in the blogosphere, fellow Incredibly Strange Horror Blogger Jonny Dead is kicking off his second annual Month Of The Living Dead today over at Blood Sucking Geek.  Click here for details. 

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     Jeremy Hawkins at [Being Retro] is hard at work, as well.  His "It's Time" Book Tour continues making visits to sites all over the Internet.  He'll be bringing the tour to the Dog Farm on October 10, right in the middle of Pre'Ween.  In the meantime, follow the tour now by checking here for tour dates.

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     . . . and now for the really important stuff.

     I look forward to my yearly dose of Franken Berry - it's only available seasonally here in Virginia - but I was disappointed when General Mills decided to update the packaging of their Monster Cereals recently with a more contemporary look.  It just wasn't the same.

     Well, this year they've decided to make the classic packaging available again. The retro boxes will be available in early September exclusively at Target stores nationwide.  As an added bonus for us old-timers, General Mills will be reintroducing Frute Brute (formerly spelled correctly and discontinued in 1983) and Yummy Mummy (discontinued in 1993) alongside perennials Franken Berry, Boo Berry, and Count Chocula. 

     Now if only General Mills could be persuaded to use the original recipes for their Monster Cereals again.   The marshmallows are just too big now.  That will probably never happen, though, since we wouldn't want a fresh outbreak of Franken Berry Stool.