As to the picture, this is the great Boris Karloff browsing comic books with a little girl. I am not sure when the picture was taken, but it must have been shortly after October 1954 when the Comics Code was enacted (notice the huge Comics Code seal on the sign), but before February/March 1955 when Tales from the Crypt ended its run. At any rate, I thought nothing could evoke the holiday better than Karloff and classic EC Comics.
Next up is one of the quintessential Halloween songs, "Don't Fear the Reaper" by Blue Öyster Cult. Contrary to popular belief, the song is not about suicide. According to Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser, "Don't Fear the Reaper" is actually about how love transcends time. Indeed, the final verse of the song seems to evoke Poe's "Eleanora" than Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet."
Next up is the original video to "Living Dead Girl" by Rob Zombie. The song is a pot-pourri of horror references. The title may be taken from the 1982 horror movie directed by French horror auteur Jean Rollin, La Morte Vivante ("The Living Dead Girl"). The song also contains a line from the trailer of the film Lady Frankenstein and the music at the start of the song is taken from the music in the trailer for Wes Craven's Last House on the Left. The song also contains a reference to Vincent Price's Dr. Goldfoot from two beach party movies, Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine and Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs
As to what I'll be doing today, aside from handing out candy, I'm watching a marathon of The Brides of Dracula, Isle of the Dead, Bedlam, Shadow of the Vampire, and Kronos! Happy Halloween to all and to all a good night!
I love that picture of Boris Karloff! He really seems like such sweetheart.
ReplyDeleteEverything I've read about Karloff indicated he was the sweetest, kindest soul around. I can't remember where I read it, but I remember reading that in the Sixties he was on the set of some TV show and a mother and her young daughter visited. The little girl had recently seen Frankenstein and loved the Creature, so the mother took her to meet Karloff. Karloff actually picked up the little girl and stood to his full height, even though he must've been in incredible pain (he'd had back trouble since the Thirties). The little girl's happiness meant more to him than the pain his back could cause him!
ReplyDeleteDon't Fear the Reaper is one of my all-time favorite songs. BOC is a greatly underrated group.
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