Ormsby's Cinema Insane Blog

Watchmen Returns...

2012-02-01T09:17:00.002-05:00

On the one hand, I was left wanting more after the last issue of Watchmen; on the other, this is why Alan Moore wanted the rights back, so DC couldn't roll out sequels by other people that would dilute the original story and characters. Now I know Moore is legendarily extremely hard to work with in a corporate publishing structure (and getting him to play nice with DC is out of the question), but I'd rather have him write any sequels, prequels or whatever than other writers.

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2012/02/a-first-look-at-six-before-watchmen-covers/

You thoughts?

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!!!

Ask Ormsby's 2011 Gift Guide

2011-12-14T08:24:00.003-05:00

Are you stuck for a present for that special fiend in your after life? Check out Ormsby's 2011 Gift Guide and see if that will dig up some ideas for you.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!!!

...And Happy Holidays!

Ormsby Interviews The ZEN REPO! Shadowcast

2011-12-05T12:09:00.004-05:00

On December 3rd 2011 Ormsby had the pleasure of interviewing The ZEN (Zydrate Enthusiasts Network) REPO! The Genetic Opera Shadowcast before their show at the Island Cinemas in Mastic New York.

ZEN REPO! Shadowcast: http://www.repozenny.com
REPO! The Genetic Opera film: http://www.repo-opera.com
Island Cinemas in Mastic NY: http://www.island-cinemas.com

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!!!

Occupy Transylvania Tee-Shirts Limited Time Only

2011-11-30T15:36:00.004-05:00

***FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY ***
"99% of the blood is sucked by 1% of the Vampires!!!"

Grab this Occupy Transylvania Tee-Shirt and protest along with Ormsby. Will be available until January 1st 2012, after that it's gone!!!

Visit our Zazzle Store to pick up this Limited Time Only shirt.

Zazzle Store: www.zazzle.com/CinemaInsane*

For The Shirt: http://www.zazzle.com/ormsby_occupy_transylvania_tee_shirt-235749509408825491

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!!

Ask Ormsby #6 for Nov. 14th 2011

2011-11-15T06:17:00.003-05:00

Time to answer your questions! In this episode Ormsby answers a question about clones.

Make sure to leave a comment on Youtube, and please subscribe there.

Don't forget to send your questions into Ormsby at his new email address: ormsbyhost@gmail.com.

Until Next Time,
Stay Insane!!!

Ask Ormsby #5 for Nov. 6th 2011

2011-11-06T11:05:00.003-05:00

It's Sunday, that means it's a new Ask Ormsby. In this episode Ormsby answers a viewer medical question and jumps into a film classic. Don't forget to send your questions into Ormsby at his new email address: ormsbyhost@gmail.com.

Until Next Time,
Stay Insane!!!

Ask Ormsby #4 Oct. 30th 2011

2011-11-01T16:29:00.007-04:00

Ormsby continues to answer viewer questions. This time he answers a question posed by one of the Daves from the Terror Beyond The Daves Blog, and responds to a less than nice email.

To have Ormsby answer your question, send an Email to host@bymagic.com.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!!!

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T07:59:00.003-04:00

Happy Halloween from everyone at Cinema Insane!!!

Ask Ormsby #3 for Oct. 23 2011

2011-10-24T10:21:00.003-04:00

Ormsby answers your questions again, and asks a question of all of you.

If you would like to ask Ormsby a question, please send a Self Addressed Stamped Email to: host@bymagic.com.

Until Next Time,
Stay Insane!!!

Ask Ormsby #2 Oct. 16th 2011

2011-10-17T13:17:00.007-04:00

This week Ormsby answer two questions, including a question from Sally The Zombie Cheerleader.

If you would like to ask Ormsby a question, please send a Self Addressed Stamped Email to: host@bymagic.com.

Until Next Time,
Stay Insane!!!

Ask Ormsby for Oct. 9th 2011

2011-10-09T11:41:00.005-04:00

Ask Ormsby for Oct. 9th 2011.

If you would like to ask Ormsby a question, please send a self addressed stamped email to: host@bymagic.com.

Disharmony Video - Ormsby Loves Red Heads

2011-06-18T11:40:00.005-04:00

So there was this video that went viral recently of a cute young lady making a video bio for a dating web site. She starts off fine...until she starts talking about her love of cats, after that she goes from cute to super crazy chick.

(Click HERE to see her video)

Sure, when I first saw it I had a feeling it was either a fake or a joke, but we couldn't resist making a parody video of it

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!!!

We Hate The Netflix Changes

2011-06-13T16:51:00.000-04:00

What a difference a week makes.

In our last blog post we praised Netflix for their great site. So of course they had go and ruin it.

The new site is an eye sore, and actually makes me dizzy to use. The usability that customers loved is gone. And from Netflix's lack of comments on the issue, they don't care.

Streaming Video for Horror Fans

2011-05-30T13:36:00.006-04:00

Kids have it so easy today. Back when I was a kid in the 1980s the video tape boom had exploded, you couldn't swing a headless monkey without hitting a video rental store. And what a treasure trove it was for a young horror fan like myself! I had a membership card to almost every video store within a 20 mile radius, and I would go hunting on Fridays after school for fresh horror films that I hadn't seen or only seen edited on TV. Every store had a different selection, and the good ones ordered new stuff all the time. You never knew what fresh titles you might find out there in the forest of video stores.

Today, video rental stores have become a relic of the past. Kids today have it easy, if they want to see a film they look it up on the internet and either put it in their Netflix queue or watch it as it streams right to their computers from a variety of services that just five years ago were unheard of. Part of me misses the old days when you had to physically go out and stalk your big box video prey, but it's only the method of hunting down those prizes that has changed. The game goes on.

My favorite way to watch films is having them stream onto my computer, and much like the old days of video store hopping, I frequent a number of sites to find something to watch. The following is a list of the legal sites (I'm not a bit torrent person) I either frequent or have at least looked at to get my streaming movie fix. If I don't know about one of your favorites, drop me an email and I'll check it out.

Netflix (www.netflix.com): This is the only pay service on the list that I use, and it's the one I'm on most of the time. It has a great selection of movies streaming in general, and their horror section is incredible. A wide range of movies from old classics to brand new features. I discovered Aaah! Zombies!!, which we reviewed in our April 2011 episode (HERE), on Netflix streaming. I also got to see unsung classics like Christopher Lee in Castle of The Living Dead (1968) for the first time.

Then you have the movies that aren't on DVD, those are the real joys. Zombiethon(1986) is a compilation of zombie movie scenes from Wizard Video and was only available on VHS tape back in the day. I found it on Netflix on lazy Saturday afternoon and watched it like three times.

I like their layout, which makes finding what you're in the mood for easy and pain free (unlike some site we'll discuss later on). And if you own an Xbox or a Wii, you can watch the streaming videos right on your TV through the game console.

Hulu (www.hulu.com): Hulu is a joint venture between NBC Universal and News Corps., mostly known for streaming TV shows. They have a movie section, and sometimes they have really cool films (I watched the 1988 Night Of The Demons just the other day on Hulu), but they also have a lot of commercial breaks, which has become common among the free streaming services.

Their selection is alright, but they list horror in with suspense, so you get Return Of The Living Dead next to a clip from The Bourne Ultimatum. Also, I find the layout to be a little hard to use, not like Netflix.

They have a pay service (Hulu Plus), which lets you watch certain movies and TV shows unavailable on the free site and connect to various mobile devices. Still, after paying $7.99 you still have to put up with advertising. I just use the free service and I don't know anyone who subscribes to Hulu Plus.

On a whole it's okay, but I only use it if they have something I really want see at that moment.

Internet Archive (www.archive.org): This is a treasure trove for public domain film fans. The Internet Archive's Moving Images section has a wide selection of public domain movies, trailers, short subjects, and stock footage free for viewing.

(UPDATE 5/30/2011: Several people pointed out that I should have mentioned that the quality of the video on Internet Archive can range from Okay to really,really poor depending on the quality of the original video uploaded by users, a factor not really found on sites like Netflix or Hulu since they get the higher quality video content from distributors.)

Youtube (www.youtube.com): Youtube has full movies available for viewing, with limited ad breaks. Most of the films are shown on the channels of Youtube users and partners, although Youtube themselves are starting to do the online rental thing too (www.youtube.com/movies) for a price per film. I don't use Youtube, nor do I see myself using the new rental service, since most of what they have I can find on Netflix or other sites. Still, I keep an eye open just in case they have something I haven't seen before.

Crackle (www.crackle.com): I first learned of Crackle when a friend told me they were showing Godzilla films on there. They're a free site with ad breaks like Hulu (although they'll only play one ad per break as oppose to two like Hulu). They're horror selection is less than fifty films, which is pretty weak, and they're layout is horrible. You have to click “browse” under the search box, then refine your search to movies, then horror to get a list of their horror films. Is it so hard to have a simple drop down that lists the different genres on the front page?

Besides the Godzilla films, every now and then they show something like Robert Englund's directorial debut 976-Evil. I do go here every few months just to see if they have something I want to watch.

FearNet (www.fearnet.com): Fearnet is a HD TV Channel with a web site that streams free movies and web content. To be honest I don't use this for movies. At one time I liked to see their original web series (like Fear Clinic) and their Fear News, but since I was doing this article I decided to check out their movie section.

Like Crackle, they don't have a lot of horror films. I counted 15 movies in total on their list. Most of them are recent independent films. Although I was happy to see An American Werewolf In London on there, again I can see that on Netflix streaming right now too. They didn't seem to have ad breaks when I watch a film on there, which is a plus.

I've left two streaming channels for last, The Monster Channel (www.monsterchannel.tv) and Alternative Realities TV (www.alternativerealities.tv). These aren't on demand video streaming, they show content like a TV channel but on the web. Each have a chat room, so you can talk to other fans, riff on the films or share trivia as the films play. I'm a little bias about these two channels, since Ormsby has appeared on both numerous times, and the old green boy can be found chatting on both almost every day. Still, if you're a horror film fan and like chatting during movies, these are for you.

The Monster Channel grew out of 100 Years of Monster Movies. Originally it was suppose to be a three day marathon of horror hosted movies shown live on the web during the spring 2010 HorrorHound Weekend, it proved so popular they started showing double features every Friday night. Then in January of this year they went 24/7. Their selection includes public domain films, TV shows, and old movie serials, and new shows like Zombie Hunters: City Of The Dead (www.zombiehuntershow.com). They still do the horror hosted double feature on Friday nights.

Alternative Realities TV is the watering hole for horror hosts. 24/7 like The Monster Channel, they focus on horror hosts, most of whom can be found in the chat room at any given point in the day. Dr. Sigmund Zoid, Sluggo, Angel, Halloween Jack, Dale Kay, and Crimson Executioner do a get job of showing various horror hosts from around the country, giving them exposure to a new audience.

Unitl Next Time,

Stay Insane!!!

Cinema Insane Special-The Giant Rubber Monster Movie

2011-05-23T13:02:00.003-04:00

We've got something special for our new episode.

This month's Fearsome Feature is The Giant Rubber Monster Movie, and it will only be available for viewing until June 18th. After that it's gone!

Special features include an interview with "Italian Zombie Movies 1 & 2" mastermind Thomas Berdinski and bloopers from "The Giant Rubber Monster Movie".

Catch it while you can.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!!!

Ormsby's Birth Certificate

2011-04-28T22:42:00.003-04:00

Message from Ormsby:

I'm tired of all the questions, so I'm releasing a my birth certificate. I hope we can move on now.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!!!

Cinema Insane "Scared To Death" (1947) Part Three

2011-04-21T11:14:00.009-04:00

We show part three of our Fearsome Feature "Scared To Death" (1947).

Ormsby's Video Pick for April is "Aaah! Zombies!!" (2007).

Ormsby realizes he needs to get a job now that his mad scientist's licence is revoked.

And we promo our May Fearsome Feature, "The Giant Rubber Monster Movie".

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!!!

Coming In May..."The Giant Rubber Monster Movie" (2011)

2011-04-13T10:35:00.004-04:00

Coming in May a first for us! We're showing the independent short "The Giant Rubber Monster Movie" (2011) from director Thomas Berdinski.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!!!

"Scared To Death" (1947) Part Two

2011-04-11T16:23:00.002-04:00

We show part two of our Fearsome Feature "Scared To Death" (1947).

Ormsby reads the email.

We pay tribute to actor Angelo Rossitto.

Ormsby has to call to find out why his mad scientist license is suspended.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

"Scared To Death" (1947) Part One

2011-04-04T17:00:00.004-04:00

Our Fearsome Feature for April 2011 is "Scared To Death" (1947) starring Bela Lugosi and George Zucco. This was the only film to star Bela Lugosi in color.

In this episode, Ormsby Labs show off their new zombie product. And in honor of showing a Bela Lugosi film in color, Ormsby turns the host segments black and white...with the usual results.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

March 2011 Episode Part Four

2011-03-29T21:32:00.007-04:00

In this episode: The dinosaur egg grows and everyone gets fed up with a grown up 13. We show a cartoon and the Zacherley Tribute we filmed for HorrorHound Weekend.

Due to the tragedy in Japan, we feel that airing the next part of "Monster From A Prehistoric Planet" would be in bad taste.

Please make a donation to The Red Cross to help relief efforts in Japan. http://www.redcross.org/

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

March 2011 Episode Part Three

2011-03-21T14:14:00.004-04:00

***Please Note:Due to the tragedy in Japan, we feel that airing the next part of "Monster From A Prehistoric Planet" would be in bad taste. We are only showing the host segments.

Please make a donation to The Red Cross to help relief efforts in Japan at redcross.org

In this episode- 13 is back from the past, but now she's an adult! Ormsby reviews "Aurora Monsters: The Model Craze That Gripped The World" from The Witch's Dungeon. Then the time ray pulls in a special guest from the past...

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

"Monster From A Prehistoric Planet" Part Two

2011-03-21T14:09:00.004-04:00

In this episode, Ormsby tries to cheer up the clones by sending 13 back to prehistoric times...with dire results!!!

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

"Monster From A Prehistoric Planet" Part One

2011-03-07T17:03:00.011-05:00

Welcome to season two of Cinema Insane!

Our Fearsome Feature for March 2011 is "Monster From A Prehistoric Planet" (1967).

In this episode: Ormsby explains what he did during the season break while he plays with EMCE megos; we show the trailer for Thomas Berdinski's "The Giant Rubber Monster Movie".

2011 Rondo Awards

2011-02-14T10:13:00.004-05:00

The time of year is here again!

The ballot for the Rondo Hatton Awards are out (Click HERE to go to the Rondo Hatton Awards site).

The award winners are choosen by fans like you and me, and are given to those who showed excellence in the field of horror.

It is name in honor of Rondo Hatton (1894-1946), the hulking actor from such films as "House of Horrors" and "The Spider Woman Strikes Back", and known for his role as "The Creeper". Hatton suffered from acromegaly, which deformed his bones and face. While working as a reporter in Florida a director noticed his unique features and cast him for a small part. Universal Pictures in the 1940s used him as the heavy in their B pictures (such as "Sherlock Holmes and The Pearl of Death", the first film where he appeared as "The Creeper"). Despite his outward appearance, Hatton was described as a sweet man by those who knew or worked with him.

Make sure to email in your selections (and if you want to do a write in vote for a certain short green horror host in category 19, Favorite Horror Host of 2010, I won't stop you) and get them in by March 27th 2011.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Ormsby Hosts The Monster Channel's Monster Cast on Feb. 4th

2011-01-28T11:12:00.005-05:00

That's right, Ormsby will be hosting The Monster Channel's Monster Cast on Friday Feb. 4th at 8pm est. on http://www.monsterchannel.tv/. Our double feature for that night will be "The Snow Creature" and "White Pongo".

Every Friday night The Monster Channel has its chat-a-long Monster Cast, where you can join in and talk to other monster fans as you make fun of the cheesy double feature. Between movies they show old trailers, cartoons and even public service films like "What To Do On A Date". It's freaky fun for everyone.

See you all on Feb. 4th., until then...

Stay Insane!!!

Ormsby Pistachio Ad Parody

2010-12-09T16:01:00.004-05:00

Here is the parody ad we did of those Pistachio Nuts commercials.

We sent it to the ad company that made the nut commercial, and strangely enough they haven't gotten back to us.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!!!

Roxsy Tyler VS Basement Boy

2010-11-25T12:58:00.003-05:00

Okay, this fight between Roxsy Tyler of Roxsy Tyler's Carnival of Horrors and Atomic Age Cinema's Basement Boy is heating up and folks are taking sides. There is a Team Basement VS Team Roxsy facebook page now.

Here is Roxsy's video:

Not one to miss out on bloodshed, I'm offering my services as a fight promoter:

Not matter who wins, WE LOSE!!!

Happy Fangs-Giving, and...

Stay Insane!

Bela Lugosi's Tales From The Grave Comic

2010-11-19T13:36:00.003-05:00

If you were to ask me what my favorite comics were growing up, I'd name "Vampirella", the entire Curtis line (Marvel's black and white comic magazines like "Vampire Tales", "Dracula Lives!" and so forth), and the reprints of the EC horror comics. They don't make comics like this anymore. Modern comic creators either get too explicit with the gore and sex that it turns me off, or the stories are just plain bad retreads. I'm not a reader of modern comic books, if I go to a comic store I'm most likely buying back issues or a collection of something 30 years old.

That's why I wasn't too excited by Monsterverse putting out "Bela Lugosi's Tales From The Grave". Being a huge Lugosi fan I didn't want my hero's image cheapened by smacking his name on some inferior product. I wasn't going to buy it at first, but when I went to Chiller Theatre at the end of October Bela Lugosi Jr. (who is a really nice guy) had it for sale on his table. The Basil Gogos cover was so beautiful I had to get one. I actually didn't crack it open until after we got home, and boy was I surprised.

Each story in this anthology, from writing to art, is wonderfully done. I have to stand up and applaud publisher and editor-in-chief Kerry Gammill for putting together so much great talent.

Bela Lugosi serves as host, narrator and, in one story, star of the tales presented. One of my favorites from the issue was the "Lost Lugosi Film Theater", the conceit being these stories are films Lugosi did, but were too horrific to show back in the 1940s. The first entry, "The Midnight Museum" by Martin Powell and Terry Beatty, is a great shocker in the EC tradition but also retains the feel that a Lugosi film of that era.

Another favorite, "Mark of The Zombie" by Rob E. Brown harkens back to "White Zombie" in a tale of zombies in Haiti. Not being a current comic fan, I hadn't heard of Rob E. Brown before but I'm a new fan.

I could do a paragraph or two on each story, but I want you to go out and enjoy the issue without it being spoiled. Diamond, who distributes the book to comic shops, will fill all back orders so there is not reason for your local shop to be sold out. If you're a fan of Lugosi like I am I'm sure you'll enjoy this book.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!!!

(Here is the review from our November 14th show)

"Jack and the Beanstalk" (1952) Part Two

2010-11-15T00:26:00.003-05:00

In this episode Ormsby reviews "Bela Lugosi's Tales from the Grave" comic book and dabbles in turkey DNA.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!!!

Cinema Insane "Jack and the Beanstalk" Part Two from Ormsby on Vimeo.

"Jack and the Beanstalk" (1952) Part One

2010-11-07T23:18:00.002-05:00

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!!!

Cinema Insane "Jack and the Beanstalk" Part One from Ormsby on Vimeo.

The Cinema Insane Halloween Mini Show 2010

2010-10-29T05:47:00.001-04:00

Yeah....we tried to do a Halloween special and this happened...

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Cinema Insane "House on Haunted Hill" Part Four

2010-10-26T07:00:00.002-04:00

In this episode: Part Four of "House on Haunted Hill" (1959).

Can Ormsby save Clone 13? Will Ormsby go on a cable talk show and defend Halloween? What will our November Fearsome Feature be?

Find out in this new exciting episode!

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Cinema Insane "House on Haunted Hill" Part Four from Ormsby on Vimeo.

Ormsby's Not A Witch...

2010-10-24T14:17:00.003-04:00

A special message from Ormsby.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Cinema Insane "House on Haunted Hill" Part Three

2010-10-20T17:52:00.002-04:00

In this episode: Part Three of "House on Haunted Hill" (1959), Clone 13 gets even smaller and Ormsby calls a meeting of the clones.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Cinema Insane "House on Haunted Hill" Part Three from Ormsby on Vimeo.

Cinema Insane "House on Haunted Hill" Part Two

2010-10-10T20:34:00.003-04:00

In this episode of Cinema Insane, Clone #13 is still still small, and Ormsby gets a special phone call from...

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Cinema Insane "House on Haunted Hill" Part Two from Ormsby on Vimeo.

Cinema Insane "House On Haunted Hill" Part One

2010-10-04T00:30:00.002-04:00

A new month brings a new movie. Our Fearsome Feature for October 2010 is "House On Haunted Hill" (1959) starring Vincent Price and directed by William Castle.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Cinema Insane "The Terror" Part Four

2010-09-30T14:49:00.001-04:00

We show the fourth and final part of our Fearsome Feature, "The Terror" from 1963 starring Boris Karloff and Jack Nicholson.

Will the Clones find the 13th ghost? Will the Lighthouse retain it's haunted status? And what happened to Skippy? All those questions are answered in this episode.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Cinema Insane "The Terror" Part Three

2010-09-19T11:26:00.004-04:00

We show part three of our Fearsome Feature, "The Terror" from 1963 starring Boris Karloff and Jack Nicholson. The Clones count up how many ghosts we have and Ormsby makes a decision about Skippy the Bad Intern.

And can you spot Dr. Sigmund Zoid of Alternative Realities (alternativerealities.tv/) in this episode?

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Cinema Insane "The Terror" Part Two

2010-09-13T01:49:00.002-04:00

In this installment of Cinema Insane, we show part two of "The Terror". We also review "Every Other Day Is Halloween", a documentary about Count Gore De Vol. If you have a quick eye you might catch a glimpse of Roxsy Tyler of Roxsy Tyler's Carnival of Horrors.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

The Terror - Trailer

2010-09-10T18:33:00.001-04:00

This is the trailer for "The Terror", the Fearsome Feature we're showing this month.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Cinema Insane "The Terror" Part One

2010-09-05T21:13:00.004-04:00

Our showing of "The Terror" (1963) starts a new chapter in Cinema Insane.

First, we've changed the interior of the lighthouse (and the exterior only slightly). Second, we're going weekly, showing part of our Fearsome Feature each week. We hope you enjoy the new format.

You can check out the show at our web site, http://www.cinemainsane.com. Below is the host segments only from Youtube.

September Promo

2010-08-30T23:42:00.002-04:00

Cinema Insane returns this Saturday September 4th on computer screens everywhere.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Man Made Monster (1941)

2010-08-07T23:25:00.004-04:00

Man Made Monster -1943
Directed by George Waggner

This is an under appreciated classic from Universal. It was based on this film that Universal decided to crown Lon Chaney Jr. their new horror star, leading to him getting his most famous role of all-Larry Talbot The Wolfman.

Chaney plays Dan "Dynamo Dan" McCormick, a man who makes his living in side shows electrocuting himself (which he says is mostly fake). He's on a bus that crashes into an electric pole, which electrocutes everyone on board but him. This brings him to the attention of Dr. Lawrence, a scientist who happens to employs a mad scientist (don't they all). Of course the mad Dr. Rigas played by Lionel Atwill makes Dan a monster, which leads to disaster.

Lon Chaney Jr.'s decay due to the repeated electrical experiments starts off subtle and gets progressively worse. He goes from a pale makeup with soft graying hair to a mummy-esque emaciated wrinkled skin supplied by Jack Pierce. John P. Fulton's wonderful special effects show a charged up Chaney glowing, as does his victims when he touches them.

Trivia Time: When the film was reissued it went through some name changes, like "Electric Man" and "The Mysterious Dr. R". In the 1950s Realart renamed it "The Atomic Monster" and put it back in theaters. Unfortunately, that title was already used by Alex Gordon for one of his films. He sent his lawyer, Samuel Z. Arkoff, to talk to Realart about changing the title and he met James H. Nicholson who was working there at the time. Because of this meeting Arkoff, Gordon and Nicholson would go on to create American International Pictures.

This film is currently hard to find, since it was only issued on VHS and has not made it to DVD yet.

UPDATE-8/8/2010: I stand corrected. It IS available on DVD, in the Universal Horror Classic Movie Archive, along with "The Black Cat" (1941), "Horror Island" (1941), "Night Monster" (1942) and "Captive Wild Woman" (1943).

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Look What Ormsby Found At a Car Show!

2010-08-06T00:51:00.005-04:00

Photo By Sandy O.

Everything was fine, until the Batmobile lost a wheel and the Joker got away. And I don't even want to go into what Robin did, but it was gross.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Tonight's the Night! 100 Years of Monster Movies

2010-07-30T10:43:00.003-04:00

The day is here! Tonight at 8pm est Ormsby will host 100 Years of Monster Movies Monster-Cast LIVE at 100ymm.com. The Double Feature, if you don't already know, is "Dead People" (1971) and "Teenage Zombies" (1958). There will also be a chat-a-long, trivia prizes, trailers and more.

We want to thank at 100 Years of Monster Movies and FearWerx for letting us host.

Below is a trailer for "Teenage Zombies" to wet your appetite.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

The 7 Brothers Meet Dracula aka The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires (1974)

2010-07-23T17:25:00.004-04:00

There are some concepts that sound like a bunch of fans got together and played a game of "what if".

"What if Dracula went to China and had to fight these Kung Fu masters?"

"And Peter Cushing as Van Helsing teams up with them and helps stop Dracula, that would be rad."

Hammer, as it entered the 1970s found itself struggling to stay a float. Gothic horror didn't play for an audience who watched a war televised every night during supper. It was during this period that Hammer added more sex to their films and tried bending the formula a bit. During this time we got "Doctor Jekyll and Sister Hyde" (1971), "Dracula AD 1972" (1972) and my favorite "The 7 Brothers Meet Dracula" or "The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires" from 1974.

Hammer saw the popularity of Kung Fu films in the early 70s and decided to cash in with a co production with Shaw Brothers Studios (one of Hong Kong's biggest maker of martial arts films). They set the film in China of the past, unlike the last two Dracula films that were set in (then) modern London. Hammer director Roy Ward Baker was credited as the director, but Shaw Brothers' top action director Chang Chen also directed part of the film, most likely all the Kung-Fu sequences.

They got Cushing to reprise his role of Van Helsing but Christopher Lee turned down the role (which isn't surprising considering he seem to hate the role going back to the late 1960s). For most of the picture Dracula was disguised in the body of a evil monk, which got around not having Lee. The bookends where Dracula does appear they hired John Forbes-Robertson, who they made up to look like Lee. This would be the only time Hammer hired someone other than Lee to perform Dracula.

I first saw this film in the 1980s played late into the night on a local channel and fell in love with it. Who can't love Kung-Fu and vampires in one film? This is a fun film and I don't think people really give it a chance. I have the Anchor Bay DVD, which has both versions of the film, the uncut European "Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires" and the version that played in American theaters "The 7 Brothers Meet Dracula", which I understand is no longer available.

By the mid-seventies Hammer's output declined sharply, and this would be their last foray into the world of Dracula*.

*Hammer Film had been bought and is making new product, but as of this writing no new Dracula films are in the pipeline.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Ormsby to host 100 Years of Monster Movies Double Feature on July 30th

2010-07-01T15:40:00.004-04:00

Ormsby will be doing a live webcast from the FearWerx offices in Long Island, hosting the JULY 30 CHAT-ALONG MONSTERCAST featuring a twin bill of "Dead People" and "Teenage Zombies"!

Tune into http://www.100ymm.com/ on July 30th at 8:00pm eastern time for all the monster goodness.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Facebook Event Starts Tonight!

2010-05-23T23:45:00.003-04:00

Hello Insaniacs,

Ormsby's Cinema Insane Event on Facebook starts tonight at midnight. What is it? We're showing our Atom Age Vampire episode on Facebook (in easy to view segments), hosting discussions and making special announcements. Log on to Facebook and RSVP to the event, and enjoy.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=117627631588825

And if you haven't already, become a fan of Ormsby's Cinema Insane on Facebook. The link is on the right hand side of this page. All the cool ghouls are doing it.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Episode Four May 2010 - Host Segments

2010-05-09T21:31:00.003-04:00

For those people who don't like to sit through the whole movie, we've taken the host segments and "drop ins" from the May 2010 episode and edited them together.

Part One:

Part Two:

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Ormsby's Cinema Insane May 2010 Episode: Atom Age Vampire(1963)

2010-05-02T14:02:00.003-04:00

This month's Fearsome Feature is "Atom Age Vampire"(1963).

We're trying something different this month. The first three episodes were stand alone segments separate from the movie. For this episode we have edited the host segments into the movie, just like the old horror hosts on TV were. Let us know if you like it, don't like, don't care, or just want a cookie. Either comment here or send us and email at host@bymagic.com.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Ormsby's Cinema Insane Episode Four May 2010 from Ormsby on Vimeo.

100 Years of Monster Movies Promo

2010-04-29T16:34:00.004-04:00

Sorry it's been a while since I last posted, I've been really busy since Ormsby and I got back from Chiller Theatre. We been working on the new episode for Saturday and we hope you like it.

If you don't already know, Ormsby hangs out at http://www.100ymm.com/ every Friday night at 8:00 pm est. time. The 100 Years of Monster Movies gang show a double feature each Friday and host a chat where monster fans can get together to talk about the movie, make fun of the movie, and just hang out. They also have trivia contests where you can win cool prizes. Last Friday Ormsby won a "Planet of the Apes" Mego reproduction action figure of Zira during one of the trivia questions.

He was like a little kid on Christmas when it came in the mail, look at that smile.

Come join the fun this Friday, when they will be showing "White Zombie" and "King of the Zombies". And don't forget to say hi.

Here is the promo we cut for 100 Years of Monster Movies.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Ormsby Scares the Heck Out of a Hotel Maid

2010-04-19T23:23:00.003-04:00

Ormsby and I went to Chiller Theatre Expo this past weekend. It was the best convention I've been to in years. The staff was great and I met a lot of great people. I highly recommend it.

We stayed at the hotel where Chiller was held. On Saturday morning I thought it would be funny to take some photos of Ormsby sitting in bed sleeping and wearing sun glasses. After taking the photos I went into the bathroom and a few seconds later I hear the maid come in to clean the room.

"Hello, maid service," she said.

"I'll be right out," I said.

Suddenly I hear her scream. I run out of the bathroom to see her pointing at Ormsby (see photo above), a look of horror on her face. I had to calm her down and explain who Ormsby was. A moment later she was laughing.

Ormsby slept through the whole thing.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Ormsby Meets Alice Cooper at Chiller Theatre April 2010

2010-04-19T16:52:00.003-04:00

Ormsby and I had our picture taken with the legendary Alice Cooper at the Chiller Theatre Expo this past Friday night. As you can see, Alice learned not to lay a finger on Ormsby's Butterfinger.

A big thank you to everyone at Chiller Theatre for a wonderful weekend and to Alice Cooper for being so nice.

Sorry about the hand, Alice.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Carry on Screaming (1966) Trailer

2010-04-09T14:13:00.002-04:00

I've never seen this movie, but ever since I was a kid I've heard about it. Today, while randomly going through Youtube I came across the trailer. I think I'm going to have to hunt this down now.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Midnite Mausoleum Promo April 2010

2010-04-07T16:15:00.003-04:00

This is the promo we cut for one of our favorite programs, Midnite Mausoleum starring Marlena Midnite and Robyn Graves.

It was done towards the end of filming the April 2010 episode and we had about one minute of DVD space left (our camera only takes those mini DVDs). We could only do it in one take, otherwise we'd have to burn one 30 minute disc for a one minute promo and those discs cost money.

Everyone went down to the set, including our cat Forry Cat (named after Forrest J Ackerman) and set up the lights and camera. For this shoot we decided to mike Ormsby, something we never tried before. We roll and Ormsby reads the promo. Right after he says "...Haunted Lighthouse of Mastic..." Forry Cat knocked down a stack of boxes she was standing on. She ran, making more noise in her wake, and everyone behind the camera yelled. Not missing a beat, Ormsby continued the promo as written to the end. A second after "CUT" was called the disc was full.

When we got the shot into the editing software to see what we could salvage and to our shared amazement the mike didn't pick up the cat or the people screaming at the cat. There was a slight crash that was edited out of the audio in post.

Forry Cat is no long invited to tapings of the show, needless to say.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

"Island of Lost Souls" (1932) wins Rondo Award...

2010-04-06T07:24:00.003-04:00

Got up this morning and the first thing I checked was the list of winners for the Rondo Awards, which came out last night. Some winners I was happy for (go Uncle Forry) and some people I think should have won, but that's okay. What really caught my eye was towards the end with the write in categories. For "FILM MOST IN NEED OF DVD RELEASE OR RESTORATION" the winner was the film we've been championing for DVD release-"Island of Lost Souls" (1932)!

The fact that the Rondo's recognized that this classic gave me a big smile. This means others think like I do (remember this was a write in category) and wrote in to voted for it. I hope this helps let Universal Studios know we want to see this film finally released.

If you haven't already, please sign our petition to have Universal release this film on DVD. The original blog posts on it can be found HERE and HERE. The link to the petition is:

http://www.petitiononline.com/IOLS1932/petition.html

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Episode Three is Up...FINALLY!!!

2010-04-04T13:05:00.004-04:00

Episode Three of Ormsby's Cinema Insane is up finally after a cascade of failures and technical glitches made a "....we can have the show up in an hour, no problem" into "...get the Red Bull, this is going to be an all night affair". Ormsby was over our shoulders all night telling us to "get that show online, or you'll end up like those Twilight kids", whatever that means.

This month's Fearsome Feature is "Carnival of Souls" (1964), embedded via archive.org and is available for viewing on our show's site HERE. Our video pick is "Call of the Cthulhu" (2005), which we reviewed HERE.

We all hope you enjoy, I'm going to bed.

Until Next Time,

ZZZzzzzzzzz

Ormsby's Cinema Insane Episode 3 April 2010 from Ormsby on Vimeo.

100 Years of Monster Movies Web Cast

2010-03-25T17:45:00.003-04:00

I can't believe we never posted anything about this. You'd think Ormsby would have noticed that we forgot it, but he's been busy in the lab.

As most of you might know, Horror Hound Weekend is March 26-28 in Indianapolis, IN. During the weekend they're also having Mask-Fest, and an all star Tribute to Vampira with some of the biggest names in horror hosting. I have to say that's a lot under one roof, it sounds like it's going to be a scar-tastic weekend.

What? Can't make it to the convention? Yeah, I'm with you, neither can I (thank you day job). For us poor souls stuck at home, 100 Years of Monster Movies (presented by Fear Werx) will be streaming 50 hours of monster movies introduced live (or undead) by some of the biggest names in horror hosting! Chillertv.com will also be simulcasting it too. All this starts at 5:00pm eastern time. Below are the links and the line up for Friday. (Please note, they are saying this is a LIVE broadcast, and they warn things might go differently than planned).

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

100YMM.COM

ChillerTV.com

5:00 PM: MOVIE: "BACTERIUM" (from Alternative Cinema)
Hosted LIVE by Atomic Age Cinema

6:30 PM: MOVIE: "ATTACK OF THE MONSTERS" (classic Gamera flick)
Hosted LIVE by Master Ron Fitzgerald

8:00 PM: MOVIE: "NECROVILLE" (from Alternative Cinema)
Hosted LIVE by Midnite Mausoleum

9:45 PM: MOVIE: "CHAINSAW SALLY" (from Alternative Cinema)
Hosted LIVE by Count Victor Von Scary

11:15 PM: MOVIE: "WHITE ZOMBIE" (Classic Lugosi creeper)
Featuring a special encore recorded intro by Mss. Misery/The Last Doorway

Island of Lost Souls Petition Update for 3/23/2010

2010-03-23T16:37:00.004-04:00

As you know, we started a petition to let Universal Studios know there are fans who want "Island of Lost Souls" (1932) released on DVD( http://www.petitiononline.com/IOLS1932/petition.html
). Since launching the effort on February 23rd, we've talked about it on Cinema Insane's episode two, posted it to forums and on our Myspace and Facebook pages.

As of today, one month later, we have a grand total of 18 signatures.

I want to personally thank each and every person that signed the petition so far.

Come on, monster kids, we can do better than that!

Please sign today so we can get this classic the respect it deserves.

http://www.petitiononline.com/IOLS1932/petition.html

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

The Call of Cthulhu (2005)

2010-03-20T21:30:00.004-04:00

Sometimes you hear of a film that "reproduces the look of classic horror films" and your heart will sink. Sink because you know you'll get some badly shot on video fan film, that is only black and white because they took out the color in Adobe Premiere. It will have bad production values, none of the shadow and light contrast a real B&W movie has, and devoid of any entertainment value.

"The Call of Cthulhu" is not that type of film. THIS IS GOOD!

I went in with little enthusiasm, even though I did hear good thing from the 100 Years of Monster Movies Facebook page. It was on Netflix's "Watch It Now" feature, so it wasn't costing me anything extra. What a nice surprise this film was.

First off, this was made by fans of H.P. Lovecraft at The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society(http://www.cthulhulives.org/toc.html), but it was made not only with a love of Lovecraft's work, but with a keen creative eye. Done like a 1920s silent movie, it is shot in a surreal manner that reminds me of the German expressionist films that inspired the Universal classics. The cinematography is beautiful and eerie.

People today would take short cuts and use computer effects, this group tried to do things as they would in the 1920s as much as possible. Props and clothing, cars, and sets all looked authentic. And instead of a C.G.I. Cthulhu, we get a stop motion creature that's 100 times better than any computer generated dino critter on a made for cable SyFy crap-fest.

If you're a Lovecraft fan, a horror fan or just a film fan you should see this.

You can see it rent it or "Watch It Now" at Netflix, or buy it from The H.P. Lovecraft Histrorical Society's web site at http://www.cthulhulives.org/store/store.lasso .

http://www.cthulhulives.org/cocmovie/index.html

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

The Hunchback of the Morgue a.k.a. El jorobado de la Morgue(1973)

2010-03-20T14:06:00.005-04:00

The Hunchback of the Morgue a.k.a. El jorobado de la Morgue(1973)
Staring: Paul Naschy, Rossana Yanni, Víctor Alcázar (as Vic Winner)
Written by Javier Aguirre, Alberto S. Insúa (as Alberto S. Insua)
Paul Naschy story and screenplay (as Jacinto Molina)
Directed by Javier Aguirre

How can you pass up a movie with a name like that! I saw it on Netflix and had to put it in my queue. I've heard of the movie but never got a chance to see it before. Last night I popped some corn and sat down in the dark to watch it.

Paul Naschy plays Gotho, an outcast hunchback who works in the morgue cutting up corpses for medical students. He loves Marie, a childhood friend who is dying in the hospital. When she dies, he takes her body to the catacombs under the town to keep her. Wanting her to live again, he asks a research scientist (who turns out to be mad, who knew) to bring her back to life. That's the basic premise.

This isn't a movie that has a big social message that makes you think, this is down and dirty just a fun horror film. You got a hunchback, a mad scientist, a hot blond who like her men deformed, flaming rats, acid baths, a walking corpse-with another corpse strapped to it's back, and a primordial ooze monster to boot!

Did I mention this was a FUN movie?

Paul Naschy, who past away last year, was a true master of 1970s horror. I wish more of his films were available for U.S. viewing (I never see them on Cable, which is a shame). If you have a chance to see this please do, as I said it's available through Netflix or you can get it from Amazon.

The DVD extras consist of:
Trailers
The U.S., German and Italian opening credits
Image gallery of posters and promotional material
Two versions of the love scene between the Gotho and Elke

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Ormsby's Cinema Insane Facebook Fan Page

2010-03-19T08:19:00.003-04:00

Special message directly from Ormsby at the Haunted Lighthouse of Mastic:

Happy Friday Cinemaniacs,

Some of you have asked about a Facebook Fan Page for our show. Originally I thought a "Facebook" was a book made from a person's face skin, like the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis from the "Evil Dead" films. You can imagine my disappointment at finding out it was a web site.

If you'd like join our fan page, point your Internet to: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ormsbys-Cinema-Insane/409027070019.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Universal Monster Army- Join Today!!!

2010-03-18T10:36:00.005-04:00

It's no secret that we here at Ormsby's Cinema Insane blog enjoy classic movies, especially the ones from Universal. From "Dracula" (1931) to "The Creature from The Black Lagoon" (1954), these magnificent monsters bring us much joy and thrills.

About three months ago I discovered other like minded people (I'm assuming most of them are people) at http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/, home of the Universal Monster Army or UMA. It's a great forum for fans to gather and discuss the Universal classics, and more. Besides Universal monsters, discussions range from classic monster toys and masks to upcoming events and showings of movies. If not for UMA I would have missed the recent TCM showing of "Shanks" (1974), something I would have regretted. They also have a cool gallery of monster collectibles that you have to see.

There is a real friendly vibe to the UMA, and everyone is welcomed. It's become a daily Internet destination for me.

So what are you waiting for, Join The Universal Monster Army Today!

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Shanks (1974)- Part Three

2010-03-15T17:17:00.013-04:00

Shanks - 1974
Starring Marcel Marceau, Cindy Eilbacher
Written by Ranald Graham
Directed by William Castle
Released by Paramount Pictures

"Come .... let us shut up the box and the puppets = for our play is played out."-Thackeray quote as it appears at the end of 'Shanks'

I've given you a history of my futile attempts to uncover information about 'Shanks' in Part One, and in Part Two I broke the movie's plot down for you. Now I have to dissect this little oddity and pull it apart for you.

And yes, beware of SPOILERS.

As a whole I thought it was an interesting little movie. Not quite a horror/comedy as the poster would lead you to believe, the film is hard to define and categorize. Which explains it's bad box office and near extinction in the minds of movie fans today.

Castle, although known best for his 1950's horror films, was a well rounded director who made westerns, crime dramas and comedies. So it didn't surprise me that he took on this strange little story. He gave his film a surreal fairy tale like feel (the first title card even says "William Castle Presents A Grim Fairy Tale"), with strange dissolves and sepia tone frame freezes that removes it from the real world. This was Castle's last directorial effort, and he gives himself a nice cameo as a grocer.

I thought Marcel Marceau's silent performance through out the film would be detriment, but it's not. There are whole sections of the film where not one word is uttered, but Marceau's performance transcends dialogue. I loved the parts where he's learning to use the corpse of Old Walker (also played by Marceau) as a puppet, you get the sense that Old Walker's body really is a limp corpse being manipulated by outside forces. The film plays to Marceau's strengths, and it helps that Marceau choreographed the pantomime sequences.

The film makers had a great premise, mute man is able to use the dead like puppets, but they didn't know where to go with it in the end. The biker gang comes out of left field in the third act and feels tact on. Yes, Old Walker rising from the grave to exact revenge on the gang for what they did to Celia was cool, but the rest of the ending doesn't fit with the movie. .

I need to digress for a moment and bring up the relationship between Shanks and Celia. To me it was a little off putting to have a man in his (I'm assuming to be) late forties hanging out with a girl who couldn't be more that sixteen. I'm assuming they were trying to show Shanks' innocent nature, but today it comes off as a little perverted today. Especially when they go to an isolated mansion to play dress up and have a private little birthday party.

Ending the movie back at the puppet show with Celia alive and helping to put away the puppets enforces the surreal quality of the the story, as does Thackeray's quote before the credits. The problem is all fairy tales need to have a moral which I think got lost here. The closest I came up with is "Don't use dead people as puppets", but if that's a lesson you have to teach your child I'd give up on reading them fairy tales and invest in a good psychiatric help.

But did I like it? Yes, I have to say I did. I'm glad after all these years I finally got a chance to see it. In preparing for these blog posts I re watched it two more times and I find it grows on me more and more. I know it won't be everyone's taste, but give it a chance if you can see it. Now that it aired on TCM I don't know when it will be ever showed again. No DVD release is on the horizon, which is a shame. It's the sort of film for a niche audience of movie lovers. If it was more readily available on TV or DVD I'm sure it would garner a small cult following.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Shanks (1974)- Part Two (Contains Movie Spoilers)

2010-03-14T14:44:00.007-04:00

Shanks - 1974
Starring Marcel Marceau, Cindy Eilbacher
Written by Ranald Graham
Directed by William Castle
Released by Paramount Pictures

In part one we explored the little information I was able to gather before sitting down to finally watch the 'Shanks'. So with popcorn and diet Mountain Dew I prepared to see what had eluded me all these years. For those of you who have not seen the film, here is a synopsis of the plot.

****WARNING-SPOILERS AHEAD****

3

2

1

We start outside a small town grocery store where Shanks (played by Marcel Marceau), a mute puppeteer, is giving a show for the town children with his puppets. He lives with his mean sister in law and her drunken second husband, Mr. Baron (it's alluded to that Shanks' brother may have met a foul end at the hands of the sister in law and new husband). His best friend is a teen (not sure of her age) girl named Celia who loves his puppet plays and asks him to do a show at her birthday party. Old Walker, a rich old scientist (also played by Marcel) enlists Shanks to work for him at his big mansion. The old man has created a way to animate the dead and control them like puppets. Starting with a frog, then a rooster, they get the process to the point it can be done wirelessly with pins inserted into specific points on the body.

One day Shanks goes to the mansion one day and finds Old Walker dead in his lab, apparently having past away in the night. Shanks does what anyone would do, and inserts the pins into the old man's corpse and starts to make it walk around. Mr. Baron, wanting money, comes to the mansion and attacks Shanks. Shanks uses the dead rooster to defend himself, killing Barton. With another fresh body, Shanks reanimates him and takes him for a little walk. Using Baron, he lures the mean sister in law out to the road to be struck and killed by a car. Guess what he does with her body.

He meets up with Celia and puts on a puppet show with the dead Barton and sister in law. Celia thinks it's a little play, until she looks into their eyes and realizes their deceased nature. Scared and crying, she asks Shanks what happened and he mines what happened to them. He shows her how he made them animated, and takes her back to the mansion for a private birthday party. With Barton and sister in law as butler and maid, they are served a dinner and cake (hang on, it's going to get strange now...okay, stranger).

A motorcycle gang ride to the mansion (why I don't know) and invade the private party. Finding the puppet dead people, they take the controls from Shanks and knock him out. Celia is attacked. When Shanks awakens he finds Celia's molested dead body outside as the gang play games with the dead puppet bodies.

Shanks takes control of Old Walker's body and makes him rise from the grave to attack and kill the gang members before having a final confrontation with the gang's lead mano-a-mano at the top of the mansion. The gang leader falls to his death. Shanks then puts the pins in Celia's body and reanimates her, dancing a waltz with her when we freeze on that image and fade to...

...Shanks giving a puppet show for the town kids outside the grocery store. An alive Celia (was the whole movie a macabre puppet show for the little kiddies? ) helping to put puppets away.

I'm going to let you digest that, and in Part Three I'm going to give you my feelings on the film.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Shanks (1974) -Part One

2010-03-14T13:45:00.005-04:00

Shanks - 1974
Starring Marcel Marceau, Cindy Eilbacher
Written by Ranald Graham
Directed by William Castle
Released by Paramount Pictures

William Castle ('The House on Haunted Hill', '13 Ghosts') is best known for his black and white horror efforts in the 1950's-early 1960's. His later works like 'Project X' and 'Let's Kill Uncle' are not as well known, and his last directorial effort is really obscure, 'Shanks'.

Growing up I never heard of this film, either in the horror books or monster magazines I devoured as a youngster. In the late eighties while researching an fanzine article for a friend about William Castle I stumbled upon the name of the film but no information. We couldn't find it on video and no one we knew had a print. Finally I found a piece of information about it in a book on Marcel Marceau, but it only said he made a film by that name and nothing else. Time went by and I forgot all about this little mystery of a film.

This past March 12th, TCM showed a night of mutant monster movies (which I wouldn' have known about if not for a posting in the Universal Monster Army forums) and capped the evening off with two William Castle films, 'Mr. Sardonicus' and the elusive 'Shanks'. I actually had to double check the listing to make sure it was the same film since I didn't' believe it could be the same film. Before that night I did a little research on the movie.

It has never been released on video or DVD, has no Wikipedia entry, and as far as I could find was never shown on TV (I may be wrong on that point, please correct me if I am). I found several reviews from the time (like Roger Ebert's from January of 1975), but decided to forgo reading them so I could watch the movie with an open mind. There were no Youtube trailers either.

The IMDB had move information than anyone, which isn't much. The most unusual fact about the movie I discovered was that Alex North's score for the film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Original Dramatic Score in 1975, which it didn't win. This was screenwriter Ranald Graham's first credit, and he was active in writing and producing in England until about 1990.

Armed with that little information I sat down to watch the film, which we will talk about in Part Two...

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Tim Burton's Short Films (Part 1, 1971-1982)

2010-03-13T11:41:00.002-05:00

I think this is a nice curiosity for everyone out there. Paste Magazine has a neat article with videos of the early shorts Tim Burton made. I think it's interesting to watch how he developed his talent and artistic eye over time, from making super-8 movies with his friends to Vincent (1982).

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2010/03/salute-your-shorts-tim-burtons-short-films-part-1.html

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

TCM Friday Night Marathon for 3/12/2010

2010-03-11T19:21:00.003-05:00

I wanted to make sure everyone knew that TCM (Turner Classic Movie) is having a marathon of mutant monsters followed by two William Castle films. The line up starts at 8:00pm and is:
8:00pm-The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
9:30pm-It Came From Beneath The Sea (1955)
11:00pm-The Monster That Challenged The World (1957)
12:30am-Them!
2:30am-Shanks (1974)
4:15am-Mr. Sardonicus (1961)

Get the popcorn, grab the soda pop and be prepared to stay up late.

http://www.tcm.com/schedule/index.jsp?startDate=3/12/2010&timezone=EST&cid=N
(the list is towards the bottom of the page)

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Ormsby on Twitter

2010-03-07T09:02:00.002-05:00

Special message directly from Ormsby at the Haunted Lighthouse of Mastic:

Join me on Twitter, http://twitter.com/CinemaInsane.

We don't have Twitter in Transylvania. The closest we got is a homicidal maniac who yells random stuff at passerbys in Vasaria, don't you know. He's a national treasure.

End of message.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Poor Bela-The Black Sleep (1956)

2010-03-06T13:18:00.006-05:00

Bela Lugosi's last real role in a film was The Black Sleep (1956). I don't count Plan Nine From Outer Space as his last role because his contribution to the...let's call it a movie for the sake of argument...consisted of a few short minutes of footage Ed Wood shot for another project.

The Black Sleep stars Basil Rathbone as a surgeon who uses the 'Black Sleep' drug to experiment on live subject in order to save his wife. Bela plays the bit part of Rathbone's butler, who was a test subject and is now mute because of it.

It always makes me sad to see this movie because of Bela. He was such a fine actor with a distinctive voice that having him play a tiny role of a mute seems like a waste of his talent. Don't get me wrong, he does a great job with the little he's given. Still, it's a sad statement about his career, and of how badly Hollywood treated him.

If you wish to see it, it's available through Crackle.com (http://crackle.com/c/The_Black_Sleep/The_Black_Sleep/2479570)

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Ormsby's Cinema Insane March Episode!

2010-03-05T18:52:00.003-05:00

Ormsby's Cinema Insane Episode 2 for March 2010 is here. This month Ormsby has a problem with clones, reviews The Monster Squad (1987) and introduces this month's Fearsome Feature White Zombie (1932 Starring Starring Bela Lugosi, Madge Bellamy & Joseph Cawthorn. Directed by Victor Halperin).

Go to http://www.bymagic.com to view the episode and watch White Zombie courtesy of http://www.archive.org/.

Our review of White Zombie will be coming up here on the blog in a few days.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Horror Host Graveyard Promo

2010-03-02T13:05:00.003-05:00

Everyone here at Ormsby's Cinema Insane loves The Horror Host Graveyard at http://www.horrorhostgraveyard.com/. Corpse S. Chris has a great site about horror hosts new and old, from the famous to those that only lasted a few episodes. I'm amazed by some of the rare stuff he finds, like the Zacherley article from a 1959 People Today magazine to a German female horror host on Hilde's Wilde Horror Show. It's one of our daily destinations on the Internet.

Here is the promo we shot for his site. Enjoy.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Trick Or Treat (1986)

2010-02-28T01:12:00.003-05:00

"You should be loyal to your heroes... they can turn on you."-Sammy Curr

Trick or Treat (1986), directed by Charles Martin Smith, is the story of a bullied metal head (Marc Price, who played Skippy on Family Ties) who brings his rock idol Sammy Curr (Solid Gold Dancer Tony Fields) back to life by playing a record backwards. This movie was panned at the time it came out, even by horror fans, but I always had a soft spot for it. I was a metal nerd in high school so I could relate to Marc Price's Eddie. It also had cameos from Ozzy Osbourne and Gene Simmons, which raised it's cool level for me when I was sixteen years old.

I got the sound track album (on vinyl, it was the 1980's) which had Sammy Curr's songs that were done by the band Fastway for Christmas from my grandmother.

Recently I sat down and watched it again. The movie is very 80's, but still a good scary movie. As I watched it I went online and looked up the people who starred in it. Most of the cast didn't do much of note afterwards.

Lisa Orgolini who played Eddie's love interest Leslie was still acting until 1998, and then nothing. The girl that played Genie (Elise Richards) did one more movie according to IMDB and then dropped off the face of the Earth.

Doug Savant who played the bully went on to be a staple of TV.

Marc Price is a stand up comedian today. Wikipedia's entry on him says he directed the ultra low budget zombie film Colin, but he didn't (and this is why you can't trust Wikipedia).

Glen Morgan who played Eddie's best friend didn't act again, thank God. He went on to be a powerful writer, director, producer in Hollywood. Maybe you know some of his work, X-Files, Final Destination, Space: Above and Beyond. Who knew?

Tony Fields, Sammy Curr himself, a dancer and choreographer, went from Solid Gold and music videos to acting stints on L.A. Law and Murder She Wrote. Sadly he died in 1995.

The film was going to get a cool 20th anniversary DVD release by Anchor Bay, but they couldn't clear all the music rights. It's out on DVD from a no name company that sells mostly to supermarket bargain bins. I think it deserves better.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

AMC TV B-Movie Classics

2010-02-27T13:21:00.003-05:00

Before we begin I just want to say I haven't changed my mind about AMC TV. I still think they don't show enough classics films, I still don't like the commercial breaks, and I still think original TV shows like Breaking Bad and Mad Men have no place on station that was suppose to be about classic movies. I really feel cable channels have lost their individual identities and have become just like every other channel out there. Sometimes I can't tell what channel I'm watching.

With that said, AMCTV.com has take a step in the right direction by showing classic films on their web site. They have a B-Movie Horror section that is showing Asylum (1972), Corridors of Blood (1958) with Boris Karloff and The Horror of Party Beach (1964) and others. The B-Movie Sci-Fi/Fantasy section has The Creation of the Humanoids (1962), Dark Star (1974), and Teenage Caveman (1958) just as an example.

What got me really excited was they are showing Rodger Corman's The Undead (1957), which isn't on DVD right now and I had been wanting to see.

So as long as AMCTV.com is going to be doing the right thing and show classics, I'll support the web site in hopes they add more movies for us to enjoy.

Below I've embedded The Undead for your pleasure.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead Release Dates

2010-02-27T11:46:00.003-05:00

George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead comes out on VOD, Amazon, Xbox Live and Playstation April 30 and in theaters on May 28th.

The movie's official web site is http://magnetreleasing.com/survivalofthedead/ .

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Ask Ormsby Anything

2010-02-25T21:06:00.003-05:00

Ormsby has opened a formspring.me account, so now you can ask him anything. Go ahead, I dare you.

http://www.formspring.me/ormsby

Be warned, he'll answer back.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Island of Lost Souls Petition

2010-02-23T20:07:00.003-05:00

I've decided to take the animal-men by the horns and start a petition to let Universal Studios know there are people out there that want to see "Island of Lost Souls" given a restoration and a proper DVD release.

If you feel the same please click the link below and sign my petition. Even if you don't sign the petition. All the cool kids are doing it.

http://www.petitiononline.com/IOLS1932/petition.html

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Rondo Hatton Awards-Voting is OPEN!!!

2010-02-22T18:53:00.001-05:00

Hello Cinamaniacs,

The 8th Annual Rondo Hatton Awards (http://www.rondoaward.com/rondo/rondos.html) are here and voting is open. Usually I don't tell people who I voted for or throw my support behind any particular nominee, not that anyone would listen to me anyway.

But this year I'd like to suggest a movie for the write in vote of :

24. Classic Most in Need of Restoration
Which classic horror film, either released or unreleased, do you think most deserves a restoration?

For this I'd like to nominate 'Island of Lost Souls' (Paramount 1932), the movie I wrote my last blog post about. This classic, starring Charles Laughton and Bela Lugosi, has never been on DVD and is out of print as we speak. It deserves a nice restoration and DVD release with extras.

No matter what your choice is, please remember to vote, you have until April 3rd to email in your vote.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Why is it not on DVD or Blu-Ray? Island of Lost Souls

2010-02-21T07:01:00.003-05:00

Every now and then I'll get in the mood to watch some movie I haven't seen in a dog's age, only to find that it's not on DVD. Recently I was amazed that Universal's "The Boy Who Cried Werewolf" (1973) wasn't on DVD, but not surprised since it's Universally (pun intended) panned and not considered a classic.

Then today I found out "The Island Of Lost Souls" (1933) is not on DVD!

This Paramount released thriller, based on "The Island of Doctor Moreau" by H.G. Wells, is a classic. It starred Charles Laughton as the sadistic doctor and an animalistic Bela Lugosi as the Sayer of the Law. Paramount sold the rights to Universal in 1958 for distribution to TV and the property is stilled controlled by Universal. They came out with a VHS version as part of their Universal Classic Collection in 1997, but since then nothing.

I think this is a shame. There is no reason to keep this film under lock and key in this day of DVDs and being able to watch instantly over the Internet. What do you think?

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Screaming Lord Sutch

2010-02-20T02:10:00.004-05:00

As much as I love Alice Cooper (my family celebrates his birthday every February 4th by declaring it a holiday called "The Feast Of Alice Cooper", which should be federal day off in my book) I know he wasn't the first horror themed rock act. There was of course Screamin' Jay Hawkins (who will be the subject of a multi part blog post I'm currently working on) and Arthur Brown (who's big song was "Fire"). Today Bernard Sheehan turned me on to another who had slipped past my radar.

Screaming Lord Sutch (real name David Edward Sutch) was a British singer from the 1960's. He had a hit with "Jack The Ripper", and dressed as the infamous slayer for his horror themed concerts. In the 1980's he actually started a political party in England called the "Official Monster Raving Loony Party" that actually got some notice and votes.

Unfortunately Screaming Lord Sutch committed suicide in 1999.

So today, let's remember an innovator of horror rock. Enjoy the youtube clip of him performing "Jack The Ripper".

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Haven't Seen The Wolfman

2010-02-15T16:18:00.002-05:00

I haven't seen The Wolfman. It's not that I don't want to, I've just been so sick I can get out to see it. I've been avoiding reviews and blog posts about it so I go in with an open mind.

Once I'm better I'll get down to my local cinema and see it, then I'll write my review for all of you.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane

Cinema Insane's Werewolf Special

2010-02-11T21:26:00.003-05:00

Join Ormsby for his Cinema Insane Werewolf Special, in honor of The Wolfman coming out on February 12th.

Until Next Time, Stay Insane.

First Episode of Ormsby's Cinema Insane!!!

2010-02-03T19:09:00.003-05:00

The first episode of Ormsby's Cinema Insane is finally up at http://www.bymagic.com/.

This month Ormsby shows 'Werewolf in a Girl's Dormitory' (1961) and reviews 'Trick 'r Treat' (2008).

In honor of 'The Wolfman' being released on February 12th there will be a 'Cinema Insane Werewolf Special' that night, so have an eye out for it.

Next month, 'White Zombie' (1932).

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane!

Runts of the Litter: Werewolf in a Girl's Dormitory (1961)

2010-01-31T14:24:00.001-05:00

This runt of the litter is from Italy. Werewolf in a Girl's Dormitory (aka Lycanthropus) from 1961was one of those movies you always read about but never saw on TV or in the video store. Classics of the Horror Film by William K. Everson had a still in the chapter on werewolves which was more information that I was able to find anywhere else.

Runts of the Litter: They Undying Monster (1942)

2010-01-30T23:00:00.002-05:00

I'm in a werewolf kind of mood lately, with The Wolfman coming out February 12th and Saturday's full moon. Of course I pulled out Universal's Legacy Collection of The Wolf Man and watched the classic from 1941 with a bowl of popcorn and nice bottle of diet Mountain Dew (I like it because it looks like Re-Animator fluid). As I watched it with commentary by Tom Weaver, I started think of other werewolf movies. There are some that, for better or worse, are the runt of the werewolf movie litter. So from now until the release of the new Wolf Man film I'm going to list these strays.

First up is The Undying Monster(1942) from 20th Century Fox. Not as famous as Lon Chaney's hairy turn a year earlier, and the werewolf make-up is not my favorite. The werewolf, who you don't get a good look at until the end, is really just a whole lot of hair pasted on the actor's face. What I did like is the final transformation when the werewolf is hanging off a cliff, which was a sort of composite and dissolve effect that for the time looked really cool.

If you love old monster movies, give this one a rent from Netfilx.

Until Next Time, Stay Insane.

Trick 'r Treat, My New Favorite Film

2010-01-23T00:46:00.002-05:00

Recently I was lamenting the lost art of the horror anthology movie. I'm a fan of The House That Dripped Blood, Tales From The Crypt, Monster Club, and Creepshow. Unfortunately no one makes good ones anymore. The ones that are made are cheap direct to video crap that was made by people who just don't care about making a good horror movie, much less a good movie. Oh, if only there was a good horror anthology, made by someone who loves horror movies. But alas those days are done.

So I rented Trick 'r Treat (directed by Michael Dougherty) from Netflix without much hope. I had heard of it from sites like Ain't It Cool News and so forth, and they all raved about it. Still, having been burnt before I didn't have much hope. It sat on my table for a week before I decided to watch it so I could dump it back in the mail. So what did I think of it?

Thank you Michael Dougherty, thank you so very much.

This is one of the best horror movies of all time, and I don't say that sort of thing lightly. Michael Dougherty crafted a love letter to every fan out there who has been dying for a film like this. And he does it by building suspense, mood and letting the audience use their imagination (do you hear that Rob Zombie, that's what good directors do).

The usual formula for a horror anthology is there's a wrap around story that ties the different tales together. Each tales plays out one at a time. In Trick 'r Treat the tales zig and zap in and out of one another as we follow people during a Halloween night. The only constant is Sam, a creepy little trick or treater in red pajamas wearing a burlap sack for a mask.

Dougherty, who wrote X2 and Superman Returns for Bryan Singer (who produced this film), shows himself to be a gifted director. Other directors would have killed the movie by letting us see kill in graphic detail and over doing the computer effects. What I liked about this movie is Dougherty held back and let us see just enough for so we can fill in the blanks, which is creepier. Plus, where a lesser director would throw in a lot of digital effects Dougherty uses creative editing for a much better end product.

The other thing that I liked, and this is from a jaded horror fan, was that he didn't go for the easy scare. He'd set shots up so you sit there saying, “Oh, I know what's going to happen,” only to go in a totally new direction.

It's a true shame Warner Bros. sat on this film, not releasing it to theaters and sending it directly to DVD. It deserved a wide release at Halloween, I'm sure it would have been a hit. I hope people find it on DVD, there isn't a lot of quality horror movies like this and it deserves to be seen.

The DVD has the short Season's Greetings that Dougherty did in 1996 and introduced little Sam, which is hand drawn and took him 9 months to do. Other than that, there are no real extras on the disc. I was craving a director's commentary of the film (the short has one) so I looked it up and found out there is one on the Blu-ray, which I will be buying tomorrow.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane.

Plan Nine From Outer Space-RiffTrax

2010-01-18T11:14:00.001-05:00

I'm a big Mystery Science Theater 3000 and still harbor a grudge against the old Sci-Fi Channel for canceling it. Oh the nights sitting with friends watching the Joel or Mike and the bots riff on movies while sitting with my fiends, good times. Sure we have some of the episodes (not all because of rights issues, but that's another blog) on DVD, but I always felt there were so many more movies they could riff on that they would never have a chance too.

Fortunately Micheal J. Nelson (who played Mike Nelson on MST3K) had a great idea. Since it was too much money to secure the rights to movies to riff on, he would release the riffs on MP3 for people to play concurrent with the DVD and call it RiffTrax. Sure it's missing the host segments and the silhouette of along the bottom of the screen, but you get Mike, Bill Corbett (Crow T. Robot in later seasons of MST3000), Kevin Murphy (Tom Servo) as the prime crew riffing on movies from Plan Nine From Outer Space to Dark Knight.

(Note: Between MST3K and RiffTrax Mike, Bill and Kevin did The Film Crew, which was release on DVD. They only made four discs before distribution problems and delays killed the project.)

Joel Hodgson does have a direct to DVD project call Cinematic Titanic, which has old MST3K people riffing movies in silhouette.

Just wanted to point these out for those of you who want to look them up.)

Some of the RiffTrax have now been released on DVD, so I picked up their take on Ed Wood's Plan Nine From Outer Space. Now I shouldn't have to tell you how bad this movie is if you're a true blue monster fan. For those who wandered on to the blog by accident (people mistake Ormsby with Rosie O'Donnell quite a bit) I'll tell you, this is a horrible movie full of card board sets, pie pan on a string flying saucers, a ludicrous script and acting that makes amateur porn look like an Oscar worthy performance. It's so bad it's...bad.

And that's the kind of movie I love to be riffed, and the crew didn't let me down. Any attempt at describing how funny the disc was would ruin the jokes for you so I won't do that. I will say that the jokes were dead on and had me and the wife laughing all the way through.

I will admit I was a little hesitant about RiffTrax at first, wondering if it would live up to the memory of MST3K, but I have to say I really liked it and plan on sampling more. I can't wait to see what they did with Dark Knight.

If you loved MST3K like I did you'll love RiffTrax.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane.

Basil Gogos Paints the New Wolfman!!!

2010-01-13T16:25:00.003-05:00

I love the painted covers of Famous Monsters of Filmland by Basil Gogos.

I take that back.

I LOVE the painted covers of Famous Monsters of Filmland by Basil Gogos.

So who better to paint a poster of the new Wolfman movie (coming out on 2/12/2010) than the master of classic monsters. CHUD.com has the image, and a short interview with Gogos about painting the new Wolfman.

Yeah, I'm in geek heaven right now.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane

Horror Fans Documentary on Youtube

2010-01-01T15:59:00.000-05:00

First, Happy New Years.

I came across this great documentary directed by Michael Schwartz on Youtube today about horror fans. Now I tend to be more of a classic monster fan myself but I enjoy a bit of the gore too. Broken into two parts (both parts below) I liked that the makers of the documentary were able to speak to so many horror professionals. Yes, there is the occasional psycho (like the kid who says if it was legal he'd be running around with a chainsaw, can you say creepy?) but other than that a positive light is shown on horror fans.

Enjoy.

Oh, and until next time, Stay Insane.

Part One:

Part Two:

Best Zombie Parody Ever

2009-12-31T11:36:00.000-05:00

Sketch Of The Dead

Atom.com: Funny Videos | Atom Originals | Funny Animations

New Promo Image for Ormsby's Cinema Insane

2009-12-30T19:04:00.000-05:00

This is the new promo image for the Ormsby's Cinema Insane web show. The first episode is should be up in January with new episodes following every month.

Until Next Time,

Stay Insane.

Ormsby's Christmas Adventure (2009)

2009-12-24T16:35:00.002-05:00

With Santa out of commission (don't ask) Ormsby takes it upon himself to bring presents to the last house on the list. Everything is fine until he's interrupted by a little girl...

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Until Next Time, Stay Insane!

Friday The 13th (2009)-Yeah, Another Remake

2009-12-20T00:16:00.003-05:00

Okay, if you've read this blog you may know that I don't really like remakes all that much. Don't get me started on the 1998 Psycho or Rob Zombie's 2007 Halloween (dear Lord, what were you thinking Robert?), I'll chew your ear off for hours. I refuse to spend my money going to the theater to see a remake, but if it's on cable I'll give it a try. Friday The 13th was on tonight so I decided to give it a try.

The problem with doing a Friday The 13th remake is Jason isn't the killer in that movie, his mother is. The studio knew they needed to have a Jason-centric film so they found a clever (as clever as I can give them credit for) way of getting around that. The film starts with a new version of the ending of the first Friday The 13th (1980) with Nana Visitor (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) as Mama Voorhees set in 1980. In three minutes Mama meets the wrong end of a big machete and little Jason finds her. Quick cut to present day and we're off and running.

The movie takes plot points from many of the original Friday films. Really it's a remake of the best parts of the first ten films, with enough twists to keep fans of the originals on our toes. I will say it was a little fun playing the "Which Friday film is this scene a homage to?" game. They didn't try to do anything new with the movie, keeping with the Jason killing campers, d-bag rich kids and girls who can't seem to keep their clothes on (God bless them).

The writers tried to give Jason motivation in why he kills, which seems to be he doesn't like people coming onto his turf and trying to steal his marijuana plants. That makes him the angriest pot farmer ever in my book.

Where this film works, and where Rob Zombie's Halloween failed big time with Michael Myers, is they didn't dwell on Jason's childhood to try and make him sympathetic. Zombie demystified Myers and ruined the character. I'm sure the writers saw Zombie's mistakes and tried not to repeat them.

So how is the movie? It's actually a pretty good Friday The 13th film, and as much as I hate remakes I found myself liking this one. It's not perfect and it has flaws, but it's not as bad as some of the trash Hollywood forces down our throats. Plus I give it kudos for the best use of a wood chipper that isn't cliche (that sounds like it should be an award). So this one time I'll eat my words about remakes.

Until Next Time, Stay Insane!

Creature From The Black Lagoon Remake Has New Director

2009-12-15T12:08:00.004-05:00

Aint It Cool News reports that The Creature From The Black Lagoon remake has found a new director now that Breck Esiner (Sahara) has dropped out. Now Universal is looking to Carl Rinsch to finally get this off the ground and into the water. Never heard of him? Me neither.

This project has been in development hell for a long time. How long? The first time I heard that Universal was going to remake this was issue #183 of Famous Monsters of Filmland (the one with Swamp Thing on the cover) in their Futurescope section (page 7). That was May of 1982.

I don't know anything about Carl Rinsch, except he's directing a Keanu Reeves in 47 Ronin. Personally, until I hear that cameras are actually rolling film I'm not going to get too excited.

Until Next Time, Stay Insane!

Why I Think Clive Barker Is The Coolest Guy Ever

2009-12-12T23:20:00.003-05:00

Why do I think Clive Barker is the coolest guy ever? Besides his bloody books and bizarre paintings and fantastic films (all of which I like) there is one more reason. Let me tell you the tale of the second time I met Clive Barker.

To tell the tale, I have to tell you the first time I met Clive Barker. When 'Nightbreed' came out on video he did a signing tour and one stop was a video store here on Long Island. I went there and actually wound up talking to him after he signed our stuff. The staff tried to shoo me away, but he asked that I stay. I don't know why, maybe because I could talk about books (I told him I was reading Dan Simmons' 'Song of Kali') and I didn't act like the other "O MY GOD I DREAM OF BEING A CENOBITE!" metal heads that yelled at him. We didn't talk long, maybe twenty minutes, but even talking to your hero for one minute is like gold to a fan. I would always remember that even if he didn't, because let's face it he meets thousands of people at these signings. That was cool, but the coolest was yet to come.

Five years later he was at Suffolk Community College giving a talk, and since I was taking classes there I decided to go listen to him. After the talk he hung out in the lobby and talked to everyone. Around him had gathered this group of goth kids, dressed in black and acting depressed as he chatted with them. I walked up and shook his hand and said, "I don't know if you remember me..."

I didn't finish the sentence.

"I remember you, (my real name) right? Did you finish 'Song of Kali?'"

Five years later and Clive Barker remembered my name! Five years later and Clive Barker remembered my name and what book I was reading! That is why Clive Barker is the coolest guy ever, at least to me.

Until Next Time, Stay Insane!

Famous Monsters of Filmland Magazine to Return!!!

2009-12-08T19:41:00.003-05:00

I'm wasn't surprised that Phil Kim brought back Famous Monsters of Filmland as a website. Let's face it magazines are a dying format and the few of us that remember growing up with FM in our lives couldn't expect him to start a print edition.

But that's what he's done!

Monday on the Famous Monsters of Filmland web site (Click HERE to read it) it was announced that FM was coming back as a quarterly this coming summer of 2010. They've teamed with IDW Publishing (currently publishing Star Trek, Doctor Who, G.I. Joe) to help bring the print edition out and Michael Heisler will be the new editor.

This brings a smile to my face. I hope they can make Uncle Forry proud.

Until Next Time, Stay Insane!

Universal Monster Legacy Web Site

2009-12-06T18:19:00.002-05:00

I don't have to tell you, sinister readers, of my love for the old Universal Monster Movies. Now, as they get ready to unleash the new Wolf Man film next year, Universal has launched the Universal Monster Legacy web site. It has image galleries, video clips and story synopsis of the prime Universal Monster Movies in a beautifully laid out web site.

It warms the area where my heart should be that they have given a web presence to the monsters. Sometimes I feel like Universal doesn't do enough to promote their unique monsters, and when they do it's always just short term efforts. Hopefully the Wolf Man is a success, and will keep the monsters in the forefront for now on.

One minor thing that caught my eye, and I'll write to them to fix, is a fact note in the Son Of Dracula synopsis is wrong. They wrote "Evelyn Ankers, who played Kay in this film, starred opposite Chaney in James Whale's The Wolf Man in 1941." James Whales didn't direct The Wolf Man, but George Waggner did. I'll have to go through each entry, but I can understand the small mistake here and there.

(I saw the story about this on Famous Monsters of Filmland's, see their story HERE, and stop by and enjoy the new site.)

Until Next Time, Stay Insane!

Slingers- The show SyFy should be doing.

2009-12-04T14:31:00.003-05:00

(Forgive me while I take a detour and talk about something that's not totally monster related)

Let's face it, SyFy (formerly the SciFi Channel, but don't get me started on that) airs a lot of crap. Now with the 're-branding' to a new name they seem to be breaking even further away from science fiction and fantasy. Personally I don't know anyone who want to see a cooking show on SyFy, which is one purposed idea they've been playing with.

Now the embedded three minute and two second video below is a presentation reel for a pilot some guys I've never heard of want to shoot. It is incredible. This is the type of show I want to see on SyFy every Friday. No more Stargates, no more wrestling and no more bad direct-to-video disaster films staring Luke Perry.

Just three minutes long and this presentation reel is better than any hour long show on SyFY right now. Why isn't SyFy talking to these guys?

I wish everyone involved with this the best of luck and I hope it actually gets made.

(I saw this originally on Topless Robot please check them out)

SLINGERS from Mike Sizemore on Vimeo.

State Dinner

2009-12-03T15:42:00.003-05:00

This nice couple were standing outside the State Dinner I attended on Nov. 24th in Washington. They looked all sad because they couldn't get in, so I propped opened the back door to the event so they could sneak in. Hopefully no one found out.

Until Next Time, Stay Insane!

Ormsby

Ormsby's Cinema Insane Blog

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March 2011 Episode Part Three

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Ormsby's Not A Witch...

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Ormsby's Cinema Insane May 2010 Episode: Atom Age Vampire(1963)

100 Years of Monster Movies Promo

Ormsby Scares the Heck Out of a Hotel Maid

Ormsby Meets Alice Cooper at Chiller Theatre April 2010

Carry on Screaming (1966) Trailer

Midnite Mausoleum Promo April 2010

"Island of Lost Souls" (1932) wins Rondo Award...

Episode Three is Up...FINALLY!!!

100 Years of Monster Movies Web Cast

Island of Lost Souls Petition Update for 3/23/2010

The Call of Cthulhu (2005)

The Hunchback of the Morgue a.k.a. El jorobado de la Morgue(1973)

Ormsby's Cinema Insane Facebook Fan Page

Universal Monster Army- Join Today!!!

Shanks (1974)- Part Three

Shanks (1974)- Part Two (Contains Movie Spoilers)

Shanks (1974) -Part One

Tim Burton's Short Films (Part 1, 1971-1982)

TCM Friday Night Marathon for 3/12/2010

Ormsby on Twitter

Poor Bela-The Black Sleep (1956)

Ormsby's Cinema Insane March Episode!

Horror Host Graveyard Promo

Trick Or Treat (1986)

AMC TV B-Movie Classics

George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead Release Dates

Ask Ormsby Anything

Island of Lost Souls Petition

Rondo Hatton Awards-Voting is OPEN!!!

Occupy Transylvania Tee-Shirts Limited Time Only