The Rez: A Nineties Canadian Drama TV Series

Darrell Dennis, Ryan Rajendra Black, and Jennifer Podemski

It has only been the past few years, with the debuts of such shows as Rutherford Falls, Reservation Dogs, and Dark Winds that there have shows centered on Native Americans in any number on American television, and even then Native Americans are still underrepresented. Canadian television has been a bit better with regards to its Indigenous population, although even then First Nations peoples have been underrepresented on Canadian television. That having been said, while American television featured no shows centred on Native Americans, a short-lived show called The Rez, set in an  in an Ojibwe community, aired on CBC Television.

The Rez centred on a group of teenagers living on an Ojibwe reservation in Ottawa. Ryan Rajendra Black starred as Silas Crow, who wants to be a writer. His best friend was Frank Fencepost (Darrell Dennis), who spends most of  his time playing table hockey at the bar and chasing women. Silas's girlfriend  Sadie Maracle (Jennifer Podemski) was something of an Indigenous activist. Frank had an on again/off again relationship with Lucy Pegahmagabow (Tamara Podemski), who wanted to sing on Broadway. 

The origins of The Rez go back to the short story collection Dance Outside Me by  W. P. Kinsella, which was published in 1977. The short stories were narrated by eighteen year-old Silas Ermineskin and are set on a Cree reservation in Alberta. Dance Outside Me was adapted as the 1995 movie of the same name, starring Ryan Black as Silas Crow, Adam Beach as Frank Fencepost, and Jennifer Podemski as Sadie Maracle. The movie saw a a major change from the short stories in the anthology. While the short stories are set in Alberta, the movie is set in Northern Ontario. Dance with Me (1995) premiered at the Toronto Film Festival on September 9, 1994. It was released in Canada and the United States on March 10, 1995. Legendary director Norman Jewison was an executive producer on the film.

The Rez was essentially a spinoff from Dance Outside Me. It retained Ryan Rajedra Black as Silas Crow and Jennifer Podemski as Sadie Maracle, but Darrell Dennis took over the role of Frank Fencepost. As to Adam Beach, he was cast in the recurring role of the chief's son, Charlie. It debuted in 1996 and had a first season of six episodes. The Rez returned for a second season in 1997 of 13 episodes. The Rez ended its run after two seasons and 19 episodes. I was unable to find out if CBC cancelled the show or its producers simply decided to bring it to an end.

Regardless, while The Rez did not run long, some of its cast would go onto other things. Adam Beach went onto play Jim Chee in The Navajo Mysteries, a three-episode series based on Tony Hillerman's novels that aired on PBS's show Mystery, as well as Law & Order: SVU. Kari Matchett would go onto be part of the cast of A&E's Nero Wolfe, and appear on the shows Leverage, Covert Affairs, and The Good Doctor. The show also featured already established actors Gary Farmer and Elaine Miles.

In 1997, Jennifer Podemski was nominated for the Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role. The following year,  Ryan Rajendra Black was nominated for the Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role, while guest star Patricia Collins was nominated for Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series.

While the complete series of The Rez was released on DVD in 2009, the show is widely available. It is not on any streaming services. Even on YouTube, there are no complete episodes, only a few collections of clips from the show. This is regrettable, as The Rez is one of the earliest shows to deal with Indigenous characters in Canada, and it aired at a time when shows centred on Indigenous characters were unknown in the United States as well. 

Powwow Highway (1989)

Even with such TV shows as Reservation Dogs and Dark Winds and movies such as Prey (2022) and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), Native Americans are severely underrepresented. As hard as it is to believe, the situation was even worse in the Eighties. During that decade, for the most part the only time a Native American character might appear on the big screen or the television screen might be a Western. This was why the independent feature Powwow Highway (1989) was so remarkable at the time of its release. Not only did have it a primarily Native American cast, but it was set in the present day.

In Powwow Highway (1989), Buddy Red Bow (A Martinez), a member of the Northern Cheyenne of Lane Deer, Montana, must make it to Santa Fe, New Mexico, as his sister, Bonnie Red Bow (Joanelle Romero), has been framed for drug trafficking. To get there, he enlists the aid of an acquaintance, Philbert Bono (Gary Farmer), who has just acquired a beat-up 1964 Buick Wildcat, which he refers as his "pony" and has named "Protector." Together the two take a circuitous trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico to free Red Bow's sister. The two travelling companions could not be more different. Buddy Red Bow is practical, if quick-tempered, and does not think the old stories can answer today's problems. Philbert Bono not only has faith in the old stories, but has sacred visions and aspires to find his medicine.

Powwow Highway (1989) was based on the 1979, self-published novel of the same name by David Seals. Actor Carl Kraines, who would serve as an associate producer on the film, read the novel and brought it to the attention of screenwriters Janet Heaney and Jean Stawarz. According to a Variety article from May 29, 1989, David Seals sold the screen rights to the novel in 1985  for $10,000. Once they had completed the screenplay, Janet Heaney and Jean Starwartz approached, Jonathan Wacks, who had produced the cult classic Repo Man (1984). Powwow Highway (1989) would mark Jonathan Wacks's feature film directorial debut. Ultimately, the film would be produced by HandMade Films, a company founded by former Beatle George Harrison and his business partner Denis O'Brien. At this point, HandMade Films had already produced such films as Life of Brian (1979), Time Bandits (1981), and Runaway Train (1985).

Powwow Highway (1989) was made on a budget of only $3 million. An August 12, 1987 article in Variety, shooting was underway in Sheridan, Wyoming. Powwow Highway (1989) was shot at the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana, the Nambe Reservation in New Mexico, and Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in North Dakota, as well as other locations in New Mexico, Wyoming, and Montana. The filmmakers spent 10 days shooting at the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Lame Deer, Montana where members of the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council even served as extras. The famous Jimtown Bar was used as a location in the film. 

Powwow Highway (1989) premiered at the Montreal World Film Festival on August 26, 1988. The movie did well on the film festival circuit. It won the awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor at the 1988 (for Gary Farmer) American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco. At the 1989 Sundance Film Festival, Jonathan Wacks took the Filmmakers Trophy for Powwow Highway (1989). Powwow Highway (1989) was released in the United States on February 24, 1989. 

For the most part, Powwow Highway (1989) received positive reviews from critics. Roger Ebert gave the movie three stars and commented, "The plot is not the point. What Powwow Highway does best is to create two unforgettable characters and give them some time together."Sheila Benson of The Los Angeles Times also gave Powwow Highway (1989) marks, calling it, "..a little zinger of a comedy with a rare backbone of intelligence." Like many other critics, Janet Maslin of The New York Times praised Gary Farmer's performance. Powwow Highway (1989) was nominated for the awards for Best First Feature, Best Cinematography, and Best Supporting Male (for Gary Farmer) at the Independent Spirit Awards.

For the most part, Powwow Highway (1989) was positively received by Native Americans upon its release. Not only did Powwow Highway (1989) avoid common stereotypes, but it also addressed issues of concern to Native Americans, including poverty, unemployment, and the eagerness of white corporate interests to exploit natural resources on reservations. At the same time, the film places importance on the past and tradition.

Aside from being one of the earliest movies to centre on Native Americans in the present day and one of the earliest to achieve some modicum of mainstream success, Powwow Highway (1989) would prove to be a launching pad for various indigenous actors. Both Wes Studi and Graham Greene appear in supporting roles. The film's leads  also went onto successful career. A Martinez would be part of the main cast of L.A. Law and had recurring roles on the shows Profiler, General Hospital, One Life to Live, and Longmire. Gary Farmer appeared in the Native American cult classic Smoke Signals (1998) and appeared on the show Reservation Dogs. 

Powwow Highway (1989) was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress last year, 2024. It was a honour that the film well-deserved. Powwow Highway (1989) would pave the way for other Native American films released in the Nineties and Naughts, including Smoke Signals (1998), ;Naturally Native (1998), Skins (2002), and others. The impact of Powwow Highway (1989) can still be felt to this day in such TV shows as Rutherford Falls, Reservation Dogs, and Dark Winds. While it might not be a perfect film, it is one that certainly had an impact. 

The Narrow Margin (1952)

During the classic film noir era passenger trains were still a popular form of mass transportation. For that reason, trains often figure not only in the plot of film noirs, but many movies in other genres from the 1940s to 1950s. Among the film noirs in which a train plays prominent role is The Narrow Margin (1952), directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Charles McGraw and Marie Windsor. 

In The Narrow Margin (1952), Detective Sergeant Walter Brown (Charles McGraw) and Detective Sergeant Gus Forbes (Don Beddoe) are assigned to protect Mrs. Frankie Neall (Mrs. Marie Windsor), a mobster's widow who is testifying before a grand jury against the mob. Quite naturally, the mob wants to stop them as they are travelling on a train from Los Angeles to Chicago 

The Narrow Margin (1952) was based on an unpublished story titled "Target" by Mark Goldsmith and Jack Leonard. RKO bought the rights to the story and production began on the film under that title. The Narrow Margin (1952) was produced as a B-movie, with a budget of $230,000. It was shot in only 13 days. Given most of the movie is set aboard a train, the majority of The Narrow Margin (1952) was shot on sets at RKO, with exteriors shot at Union Station in Los Angeles and Santa Fe Railroad Depot in San Bernadino, California. Stock footage was also used in a good deal of the movie (the backgrounds seen through the train's windows). The film used extensive use of hand-held cameras, which was somewhat revolutionary at the time.

Director Richard Fleischer has said that RKO owner Howard Hughes was so enamoured with The Narrow Margin (1952), that he considered reshooting the film with  with Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell so that it could be released as an A picture. For whatever reason, this never happened. , William Cameron Menzies did shoot additional scenes to add to the movie's length. For reasons that are none too clear today, The Narrow Margin (1952) was delayed for two years before it was released. 

The Narrow Margin (1952) received largely positive reviews. Howard Thompson of The New York Times wrote in his review, "Using a small cast of comparative unknowns, headed by Charles McGraw, Marie Windsor and Jacqueline White, this inexpensive Stanley Rubin production for R. K. O. is almost a model of electric tension that, at least technically, nudges some of the screen's thriller milestones." The Narrow Margin (1952) was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture Story. The movie has maintained its reputation ever since. It boasts a 100% rating at Rotten Tomatoes, and it is still highly regarded by film historians.

The Narrow Margin (1952) would be a turning point in director Richard Fleischer's career. Prior to The Narrow Margin (1952), he had worked on B-movies, all the while wanting to move to directing A-pictures. When Howard Hughes was unhappy with John Farrow's handling of the A-picture His Kind of Woman (1952), Howard Hughes hired Richard Fleischer to re-write and re-shoot portions of the movie. It was because he was happy with Richard Flesicher's work on His Kind of Woman (1952) that Howard Hughes loaned him to Stanley Kramer to direct The Happy Time (1952). Stanley Kramer would go onto direct such films as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), The Vikings (1958), and Fantastic Voyage (1966). 

The Narrow Margin was remade in 1990 as Narrow Margin, starring Gene Hackman and Anne Archer. Narrow Margin (1990) received mixed reviews upon its release. Since then reviews have grown a bit more positive, although it has never matched the reputation of the original.

Although The Narrow Margin (1950) may not be as well-known as Double Indemnity (1944) or The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946), it is certainly one of the quintessential noirs. The train setting with its narrow corridors gives the film a sense of claustrophobia that director Richard Fleischer and cinematographer George E. Diskant both exploited. The characters (cop Brown and gangster's widow Frankie Neall) don't particularly like each other and their dialogue can be particularly "hard-boiled." It is certainly one of the best noirs set on a train and one of the best noirs ever made.

Godspeed Sally Kirkland

Sally Kirkland, who appeared in such movies as The Way We Were (1973), Private Benjamin (1980), and Anna (1987), died on November 11, 2025, at the age of 84. She had been suffering from dementia and had entered hospice care only two days earlier.

Sally Kirkland was born in New York City on October 31, 1941. Her mother was a fashion editor at Vogue and Life. Her father came from a wealthy family. Sally Kirkland studied at the Actors Studio with Lee Strasberg and Uta Hagen. She later studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. 

She made her movie debut in a bit part in Crack in the Mirror in 1960. On Broadway, she was an understudy in the productions Step on a Crack and Bicycle Ride to Nevada. In the Sixties, she appeared in Andy Warhol's The 13 Most Beautiful Woman (1964). She also appeared in the movies Hey, Let's Twist! (1961), Prison (1965), Blue (1968), Coming Apart (1969), Futz (1969), and Brand X (1970). She made her television debut in an episode of New York Television Theatre in 1965.

In the Seventies, Sally Kirkland appeared in the movies Jump (1971), Going Home (1971), Blume in Love (1973), The Young Nurses (1973), The Way We Were (1973), Cinderella Liberty (1973), The Sting (1973), Blazing Saddles (1974), Big Bad Mama (1974), Candy Stripe Nurses (1974), The Noah (1975), Bite the Bullet (1975), Crazy Mama (1975), Breakheart Pass (1975), Tracks (1976), Pipe Dreams (1976), A Star is Born (1976), Hometown U.S.A. (1979), La ilegal (1979), and Private Benjamin (1980).  On television she guest-starred on the shows Hawaii Five-O, Police Story, Toma, Bronk, Petrocelli, Baretta, The Rookies, Three's Company, Kojak, Starsky and Hutch, The Incredible Hulk, Visions, Supertrain, Charlie's Angels, and Lou Grant. She appeared in the mini-series Captain and the Kings.

In the Eighties, she guest starred on the shows Charlie's Angels, Lou Grant, General Hospital, Insight, Falcon Crest,Trying Times, and Heat Wave. She appeared in the movies The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981), Human Highway (1982), Double Exposure (1982), Flush (1982), Love Letters (1983), Fatal Games (1983), Anna (1987), Talking Walls (1987), White Hot (1988), High Stakes (1989), Cold Fleet (1989), Paint It Black (1989), Best of the Best (1989), Two Evil Eyes (1990), Revenge (1990), and Bullseye! (1990). 

In the Nineties, Sally Kirkland starred on the syndicated soap opera Valley of the Dolls. She had a recurring roles on Felicity and on the soap opera Days of Our Lives. She appeared in the TV movie Brave New World. She guest starred on the shows The Ray Bradbury Theatre; Roseanne; Raven; Jack's Place; Picture Windows; Murder, She Wrote; High Tide; Goode Behavior; The Nanny; Women: Stories of Passion; The Hunger; Chicken Soup for the Soul; and Wasteland. She appeared in the movies JFK(1991), In the Heat of Passion (1992), The Player (1992), Forever (1992), Hit the Dutchmen (1992), Primary Motive (1992), Double Threat (1992), Stringer (1992), Eye of the Stranger (1993), Gunmen (1993), Paper Hearts(1993), Guns and Lipstick (1995), Amnesia (1996), Excess Baggage (1997), The Westing Game (1997), Little Ghost (1997), Paranoia (1997), Wilbur Falls (1998), The Island (1998), EdTV (1999), and Starry Night (1999).

In the Naughts, she had a recurring role on The Agency. She guest starred on the TV shows Strong Medicine (2001), Resurrection Blvd. (2001), Wanted (2005), Head Case (2008), and Criminal Minds (2010). She appeared in the movies Circuit (2001), Out of the Black (2001), A Month of Sundays (2001), Wish You Were Dead (2001), The Rose Technique (2002), Thank You, Good Night (2002), Bruce Almighty (2003), Mango Kiss (2004), Bloodlines (2004), Neo Ned (2005), Adam & Steve (2005), What's Up, Scarlet? (2005),Chandler Hall (2005), Off the Black (2006), Hollywood Dreams (2006), A-List (2006), Fingerprints (2006),Mothers and Daughters (2006), Factory Girl(2006), Richard III (2007), Resurrection Mary (2007), Big Stan (2007), Spiritual Warriors (2007), Mollie and Friends (2008), Bald (2009), Remembering Nigel (2009), House Under Siege (2010), and Lights Out (2010). 

In the Teens, Sally Kirkland appeared in the movies Urgency (2011), The Last Gamble (2011), A Bag of Hammers (2011), The Wayshower (2011), The Wish Makers of Hollywood (2011), Division III: Football's Finest (2011), Jack the Reaper (2011), Archaeology of a Woman (2011), Broken Roads (2012), Awakened (2013), The Visitor from Planet Omicron (2013), Ron and Laura Take Back America (2014), The Bride fro Vegas (2014),. Suburban Vegas (2014), Buddy Hutchins (2015), The Code of Cain (2015), Courting Des Moines (2016), Trash Fire (2016), Buddy Solitaire (2016), Nerdland (2016), The Most Hated Woman in America (2017), Price for Freedom (2017), Gnaw (2017), Get Married or Die (2018), Making a Killing (2018), The Second Coming of Christ (2018), Los Angeles Overnight (2018), Wally Got Wasted (2018), Sarah Q (2018), Cuck (2019), Paint It Red (2019), Acceleration (2019), Invincible (2020), Magic Max (2020), Canaan Land (2020), and Hope for the Holidays (2020). She guest starred on Paul Cruz: Latin Actor (A Mockuseries), Actor Anonymous, Bennington Gothique, Theatre Fantastique, 40's and Falling, Good Samaritans, and Conversations in L.A.

In the 2020s, she guest starred on the show Nobody Wrote It Down: Tales of the Black Pioneers. She appeared in the movie The Final Code (2021), The Magic (2021), The Legend of Resurrection Mary (2021), The Walk (2022), Bobcat Moretti (2022), Murder, Anyone? (2023), 80s for Brady (2022), All of It Happened on Thursday (2023), Altered Perceptions (2023), The Haunting of Hell Hole Mine (2023), When It Rings (2023), Woods Witch (2023), Holiday Boyfriend (2024), Skeletons in the Closet \(2024), Aftermath (2024), and Sallywood (2024). 

Sally Kirkland was an enormously talented actress. She was incredible as the title character in Anna (1987), an actress who had been famous in Czechoslovakia at one time. The role earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. While Miss Kirkland played other lead roles, it was perhaps her character roles for which she was best known. In The Way We Were, she played Pony, the Communist friend of Kate Morosky (Barbara Streisand). In The Sting, she played Cyrstal, a former gangster's moll turned legitimate. In EDtv she played the doting mother of the Ed of the title (Matthew McConaughey). Her television appearances could be no less impressive. On Hawaii Five-O, she played one half of a vacationing couple who find a bag of stolen money (Sally Kirkland's character had serious doubts about keeping the money). On Roseanne, she played Barbara Healy, the abusive, alcoholic mother of Becky's boyfriend. Throughout her career, Sally Kirkland played roles ranging from photographers to a martial arts coach to a college professor. And she did all of them well. 

Godspeed Toymaker Burt Meyer

Burt Meyer, the inventor responsible in part for such toys as Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots and Lite-Brite, died on October 30, 2025, at the age of 99.

Burt Meyer was born in Hinsdale, Illinois. He spent many of his early years in Massachusetts. During World War II, he served in the Navy as an aircraft mechanic. After his service he studied art at West Georgia College on the G.I. Bill and then the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology. For a time, he taught at the Atlanta Art Institute, but he decided that teaching was not for him. 

It was in the late Fifties that he went to work for Marvin Glass & Associates, a toy design and engineering firm in Chicago. The firm made toys for such companies as Ideal, Marx, Mattel, and Hasbro. Mr. Machine, conceived by Marvin Glass himself, was one of the first toys on which Burt Meyer worked. He was later part of the team that worked on Mouse Trap, one of the first mass-produced three-dimensional board games. It was in 1963, after the death of boxer Davey Moore in the ring, that Marvin Glass cancelled a boxing toy upon which the firm had been working. Burt Meyer felt that the toy was too good of an opportunity to pass up, and suggested that they make the boxers robots whose heads would pop off rather than humans who fell down. The result was Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots.

It was Burt Meyer, Dalia Verbickas, and Joseph M. Burck who invented Lite-Brite, a toy introduced in 1967. The toy proved to be a success for Hasbro. Burt Meyer became a partner at Marvin Glass & Associates. He retired when he was 99.

Many of the toys upon which Burt Meyer worked proved to have staying power. Their appeal often cut across several generations, and in some cases the toys outlived the companies who originally manufactured them. Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, Lite Brite, and Mouse Trap are all still being sold. Burt Meyer and his fellow employees at Marvin Glass & Associates certainly had a talent for making toys.

The House That Dripped Blood (1971)

(This post is part of the Hammer and Amicus Blogathon V, hosted by Cinematic Catharsis and Realweegiemidget Reviews)

If Amicus Productions was known for one thing, it was their portmanteau horror movies. Starting with  Dr. Terror's House of Horrors in 1965, Amicus produced several of these films, each with framework that served primarily to tell horror stories. The House That Dripped Blood (1971) was the third of Amicus's horror anthologies. As you might be able to tell from the title, the framing story of The House That Dripped Blood (1971) involved an old country house whose inhabitants often meet mysterious fates.

To be more specific, the framing story of The House That Dripped Blood (1971) involves Detective Inspector Holloway (John Bennett) investigating the mysterious disappearance of horror movie star Paul Henderson (Jon Pertwee) shortly after he bought the house. As Detective Holloway continues his investigation, he is told various stories concerning the house's owners. The first concerns hack horror writer Charles Hillyer (Denholm Elliott), who is convinced he is seeing his latest creation, a murderous psychopath named Dominic (Tom Adams). The second centred on retired stockbroker Philip Grayson (Peter Cushing), who becomes obsessed with a waxwork of Salome who resembles a long lost love. The third involves widower John Reid (Christopher Lee), whose young daughter Jane (Chloe Franks) is morbidly afraid. The fourth story concerns horror actor Paul Henderson, who is starring in a vampire movie while living in the house. When he complains about the cloak being used in the movie, he buys a rather more special one from shopkeeper Theo von Hartmann (Geoffrey Bayldon). 

Max Rosenberg of Amicus Productions came up with the title The House That Dripped Blood long before production began. The title was not universally popular with the filmmakers. Director Peter Duffel hated the title and has said that Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee agreed with him. Max Rosenberg's partner at Amicus, Milton Subotsky had wanted to call the movie Death and the Maiden, which arguably wasn't nearly as lurid as The House That Dripped Blood.

 Like Amicus Productions' previous horror anthology movie, Torture Garden (1967), The House That Dripped Blood (1971) was based on short stories by legendary horror writer Robert Bloch. According to Max Rosenberg, he spent an entire year reading Robert Bloch short stories before he settled on the ones that would be used for The House That Dripped Blood (1971). Milton Subotsky of Amicus Productions was also a voracious reader who was always on the look out for horror stories that could be adapted for their movies. Robert Bloch adapted his own stories for The House That Dripped Blood (1971),  with Russ Jones, best known as the creator of the magazine Creepy, doing some work on the "Waxworks" segment.

The House That Dripped Blood(1971) was budgeted at £500,000. Like Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965) and Torture Garden (1967), it was filmed at Shepperton Studios in Surrey. Unlike Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965) and Torture Garden (1967), it would not be directed by Freddie Francis. Freddie Francis was not available at the time, and to top it off he and Max Rosenberg did not get along very well during the making of Torture Garden (1967). Peter Duffell was then hired to direct The House That Dripped Blood (1971). It would be Peter Duffell's first feature film credit,but he was experienced in directing television shows, including The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre and The Avengers. Peter Duffell thought that Milton Subotsky liked to hire young directors and had probably seen some of the work he had done on television.  

The role of horror movie star Paul Henderson was offered to Vincent Price, who had to turn it down because he was currently under contract to American International Pictures. The role then went to Jon Pertwee, who was playing the Third Doctor on Doctor Who at the time. Jon Pertwee said that he based his portrayal of Paul Henderson on Christopher Lee, who did not even realize Jon Pertwee was parodying him. Peter Cushing tried to get out of his contract to do The House That Dripped Blood (1971) as his beloved wife Helen was ill at the time. She would die in 1971, around a month before the movie was released. At the time Ingrid Pitt appeared in The House That Dripped Blood (1971), she was already an experienced horror actress. She had already appeared in the movies El sonido de la muerte (1966), The Vampire Lovers (1971), and Countess Dracula (1971). 

The House That Dripped Blood (1971) was shot in about a month, from June 29, 1970, to July 28, 1970. The "House That Dripped Blood" itself was Littleton House Lodge at Shepperton Studios. Weybridge Hall in Weybridge, Surrey served as the wax museum in the film. 

Despite its title, no blood appears in The House That Dripped Blood (1971), In fact, when Amicus submitted the film to the British Board of Film Censors, the BBFC wanted to give The House That Dripped Blood (1971) an "A" certificate, which meant that children under 5 could not see the film and it was not recommended for children under 14 (in other words, more or less the equivalent of the American 'PG" rating). Amicus feared that an "A" certificate could hurt the film at the box office, and pressured the BBFC to give it an "X" certificate. At the time, an "X" certificate meant no one under 18 could be admitted. Also at that time, the BBFC gave most of rival Hammer Film Productions' movies "X" certificates.

The House That Dripped Blood (1971) was released on February 21, 1971, in the United Kingdom. In the United States, it premiered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 10, 1971. For the most part, it received positive reviews. The Variety staff  called it "one of the most entertaining of its genre to come along in several years." In The Los Angeles Times, Kevin Thomas wrote, " "Richly atmospheric settings, muted color photography, an outstanding cast and competent direction (by Peter Duffell) do justice to Bloch's fine script, which deals with psychological terror rather than relying on the typical blood-and-guts formula." The New York Times' Roger Greenspun gave The House That Dripped Blood (1971) a more mixed review, writing, "Such failure, however, may be more or less interesting. And it is in terms of the esthetics of failure that I am of several minds about Peter Duffell's The House That Dripped Blood, which moves in many directions, but never too far from the mechanics of the high school play." With regards to the box office, The House That Dripped Blood (1971) did moderately well in both the United Kingdom and the United States.

Indeed, it was successful enough that Amicus would produce more portmanteau horror movies. It was followed by Tales from the Crypt (1972), based on the old E.C. Comics; Asylum (1972); The Vault of Horror (1973), also based on E.C. Comics; and From Beyond the Grave (1974).  Although The House That Dripped Blood (1971) was milder than some of Amicus's output and certain than Hammer's output, it as still a good blend of classic horror and psychological horror that remains entertaining to this day. 

Hammer Film Productions' The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)

(This post is part of the Hammer and Amicus Blogathon V, hosted by Cinematic Catharsis and Realweegiemidget Reviews)

Hammer Film Productions is best known for their Gothic horror movies, but among their most films is The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), starring Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes, André Morell as Dr. Watson, and Christopher Lee as Sir Henry Baskerville and based on the novel by Arthur Conan Doyle. While it strays a bit from the novel, it remains one of the most respected adaptations of the novel, as well as a favourite of Hammer fans.

In The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), Sherlock Holmes (Peter Cushing) is hired to investigate the strange death of Sir Charles Baskerville by his friend and physician Dr. Richard Mortimer (Francis de Wolff), and in doing so  tells Holmes the legend of the hound of the Baskervilles, a hellhound who had killed Sir Hugo Baskerville (David Oxley) centuries earlier. Although skeptical, Holmes agrees to investigate and soon encounters deaths attributed to the legendary hound.

As mentioned earlier, The Hound of the Baskervilles was based on the novel of the same name by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It was in 1893 that Conan Doyle killed off his most famous creation, Sherlock Holmes, in "The Final Solution."  Nonetheless, the character remained phenomenally popular. It was then that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote the novel The Hound of the Baskervilles, which takes place earlier than "The Final Solution." The novel was based on legends surrounding Squire Richard Cabell. Following Squire Richard Cabell's death on July 5, 1677, there were claims of a pack of hounds howling at his tomb. Some inspiration may have also come from Black Shuck, a ghostly dog in Surrey, as well as legends of other hellhounds elsewhere in England. The novel had been adapted several times before Hammer's version, the most notable being 20th Century Fox's 1939 version starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.

Eliot Hyman, the head of Associated Artis Productions (a.a.p.), was responsible for financing Hammer's hit movie The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) as well as Dracula. His son Kenneth Hyman had acquired the film rights to The Hound of the Baskervilles with plans of mounting his own production. Kenneth Hyman worked as a sales officer for his father's company, a.a.p., but really wanted to become a producer. He met James and Michael Carreras of Hammer Film Productions by chance in New York City. They made an offer to him, not entirely serious, to come to the United Kingdom where he could learn film production. Kenneth Hyman then went to United Kingdom with the film rights to The Hound of the Baskervilles in hand, as well as financing. Even with the film rights in hand, as well as £102,000 in financing, there would be come difficulties with regards to The Hounds of the Baskervilles (1959). Because of union rules, any work Kenneth Hyman did on the film would have to be uncredited. The Doyle estate required that Arthur Conan Doyle's son Adrian be hired as a technical consultant.

Jimmy Sangster, who had written the screenplays for The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) and Dracula (1958), was busy writing the script to Jack the Ripper (1959), so former camera operator Peter Bryan was charged with writing the screenplay. The director on The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) is a name familiar to Hammer Film Productions. Terence Fisher had directed The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Dracula (1958), and The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958). The cinematographer would be familiar to Hammer fans as well. Jack Asher had shot The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) and Dracula(1958), among other movies. 

In the mind of Michael Carreras, there was no doubt as to who should play Sherlock Holmes, although for some time Hammer Film Productions stayed mum on casting for some time after the film had been announced. It was on August 1, 1958, that Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee were signed, with Mr. Cushing playing Holmes and Christopher Lee playing Sir Henry Baskerville. Peter Cushing had been a fan of Sherlock Holmes as a lad, and already had extensive knowledge of the famous detective even before he was signed to to the movie. André Morell was cast as Dr. Watson. He had appeared in Hammer's movie The Camp on Blood Island (1958) and would later appear in such Hammer movies as Shadow of the Cat (1961), Cash on Demand (1961), and The Plague of the Zombies (1966).  Just as Peter Cushing strove for an accurate portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, so was André Morell eager that his Dr. Watson be nearer to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original from the Canon than Nigel Bruce's somewhat bumbling portrayal in the American "Sherlock Holmes" movie series.

Although it is one of the most respected versions of the novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) would depart from the novel in several ways. Among the most notable were changes to the legend of the hound of the Baskervilles itself. Among the other changes were ones made to Sir Henry Baskerville, the character of Cecile Stapleton, and Dr. Mortimer. Some of the changes were made from the novel to make the film more like Hammer's horror movies. This did not sit well with the Conan Doyle estate. Peter Cushing, a Sherlock Holmes super-fan if ever there was one, had no objections to the changes. 

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) premiered in London on March 28, 1959 and it went into general release in Britain on May 4, 1959. It was released in the United States on May 4, 1959. For the most part, the film was received positively by critics. The review in The Daily Express referred to it as "a merry little romp." The Daily Cinema wrote that it was a "Beautifully made, gripping, product." The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) received good reviews in the United States too. Variety's staff wrote, ""It is difficult to fault the performance of Peter Cushing." Unfortunately, while did better than most films, The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) did not perform as well at the box office as Hammer had hoped, and a series of Sherlock Holmes movies produced by Hammer never emerged. 

Despite this, Peter Cushing would play Sherlock Holmes again. In 1968, he starred in a BBC television series Sherlock Holmes that included a two-part adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles. He played Sherlock Holmes again in the 1984 TV movie The Masks of Death. 

The Hammer version of The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) was historic as not only the first colour version of the novel, but the first Sherlock Holmes movie ever shot in colour. Upon its release, the Sherlock Holmes Society deemed it "the greatest Sherlock Holmes movie ever made." The Sherlock Holmes Society of London are not alone in their evaluation of The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959). Time Out counted it as one of the best Hammer films ever made. Peter Cushing is often counted as one of the best ever Sherlock Holmes on screen. The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) is both one of Hammer's best films and one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Sherlock Holmes movie ever made. It is disappointing that Hammer chose not to make more Sherlock Holmes movies. 

The Late Great Diane Ladd

Diane Ladd, who played Flo in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) and Marietta Fortune in Wild at Heart (1990), died on November 3, 2025, at the age of 89.

Diane Ladd was born Rose Diane Lanier on November 29, 1935, in Laurel, Mississippi. She graduated from high school when she was only 16, and then attended finishing school in New Orleans. On weekends, she sang with a jazz band called  Dixie Hi De Ho Jo. She was offered a scholarship to the Louisiana State University law school. She chose to go into acting instead, and was cast in Room Service at the Gallery Circle Theater.in New Orleans. 

John Carradine took notice of her in Room Service and he made her part of the touring company for Tobacco Road. Afterwards, she danced as a Copa Girl at the Copacabana in New York City. It was in 1958 that she met Bruce Dern while they were in an off-Broadway production of Orpheus Descending. The two married and would have three children, including actor Laura Dern. They divorced in 1969. She made her television debut in an episode of Stanley . In the late Fifties, she guest-starred on the shows Decoy, The Big Story, The Walter Winchell File, Naked City, and Deadline. 

In the Sixties, Diane Ladd guest-starred on the shows The Detectives, Wide Country, Armstrong Circle Theatre, 77 Sunset Strip, Perry Mason, Mr. Novak, Hazel, The Fugitive, The Great Adventure,. Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, Gunsmoke, Daniel Boone, Shane, The Big Valley, Ironside, and Then Came Bronson. She made her Broadway debut in  Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights in 1968. She made her film debut in a bit part in Something Wild in 1961. She appeared in the movies 4o Pounds of Trouble (1962), The Wild Angels (1966), The Reivers (1969), The Rebel Rousers (1970), Macho Callahan (1970), and WUSA (1970).

Diane Ladd began the Seventies playing the role of Kitty Styles on the daytime soap opera The Secret Storm from 1971 to 1972. In 1980, she joined the cast of Alice, the sitcom inspired by Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, playing Belle Dupree.  She guest starred on the shows Movin' On and City of Angels, and appeared in several TV movies. She appeared on Broadway in A Texas Trilogy: Lu Ann Hampton Laverty Oberlander. It was in 1974 that Diane Ladd originated the role of Flo in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. She was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for the role and won the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress. She also appeared in the movies The Steagle (1971), White Lightning (1973), Chinatown (1974), and Embryo (1976).

In 1990, Diane Ladd played opposite her daughter, Laura Dern, in the David Lynch movie Wild at Heart. During the Eighties, she appeared in the movies All Night Long (1981), Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983), Black Widow (1987), Plain Clothes (1988), and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989). On television, she continued to appear on Alice early in the decade. She guest starred on Faerie Tale Theatre, The Love Boat, Father Dowling Mysteries, Heartland, and In the Heat of the Night. 

In the Nineties, she guest starred on the shows Middle Ages; L. A. Law; Harts of the West; Sisters; Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman; Touched by an Angel; Grace Under Fire; and Strong Medicine. She appeared in the mini-series Cold Lazarus. In 1991, she played opposite her daughter again in the movie Rambling Rose. She appeared in the movies Forever (1992), Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me (1992), The Cemetery Club (1993), Carnosaur (1993), Father Hood (1993), Mrs. Munck (1995), Raging Angels (1995), Citizen Ruth (1996), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), James Dean: Live Fast, Die Young (1997), The Westing Game (1997), Primary Colors (1998), Can't Be Heaven (1999), 28 Days (2000), and The Law of Enclosures (2000).

In the Naughts, Diane Ladd was a regular on Kingdom Hospital. She appeared in the mini-series Living with the Dead. She guest starred on Cold Case and ER.She appeared in the movies Rain (2001), Redemption of the Ghost (2002), More Than Puppy Love (2002), Charlie's War (2003), The World's Fastest Indian (2005), When I Find the Ocean (2006), Inland Empire (2006), Jake's Corner (2008), and American Cowslip (2009).

In the Teens, Diane Ladd had recurring roles on the shows Enlightened and Chesapeake Shores. She guest starred on the show Ray Donovan and appeared in the mini-series Deadtime Stories She appeared in the movies Grave Secrets (2013), Just Before I Go (2014), I Dream Too Much (2015), Joy (2015), Sophie and the Rising Sun (2015), AmeriGeddon (2016),. The Last Full Measure (2019), Boonville Redemption (2019), and Charlie's Christmas Wish (2020). 

In the 2020, Diane Ladd continued to appear on Chesapeake Shores. She guest starred on Young Sheldon. She appeared in the movies Charming the Hearts of Men (2021), Gigi & Nate (2022), and Isle of Hope (2022). 

Diane Ladd was an incredible actress. I suspect she will always be best remembered as Flo, the wisecracking, brassy waitress at Mel and Ruby's Cafe in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. She certainly gave a great performance, and I personally think she deserved the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Of course, Diane Ladd played many other roles as well. In Wild at Heart (1990), she played Marietta Fortune, the domineering, deranged mother of Lula (Laura Dern). Even when a movie wasn't particularly good, Diane Ladd often was. In the movie Father Hood (1993), she played Rita, the grifter mother of petty crook Jack Charles (Patrick Swayze), who has a whole wardrobe of disguises. Diane Ladd appeared on several television shows. In the Big Valley episode "Boy Into Man," she played a mother who deserts her children. In The Fugitive episode "Come Watch Me Die," she played opposite her husband Bruce Dern at the time. She played a diner waitress, while Bruce Dern played a member of a posse. Diane Ladd had an incredible amount of talent and could play a wide variety of roles. 

Godspeed Prunella Scales

Prunella Scales, best known for playing Sybil Fawlty on Fawlty Towers, died on October 27, 2025, at the age of 93.

Prunella Scales was born Prunella Illingworth in Sutton Abinger, Surrey on June 22, 1932. Her mother had attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art for a while and was later a part of  the Liverpool Playhouse's Repertory Company. Her father was a a cotton salesman at Tootal. Her family moved to  Bucks Mills near Bideford in Devon at the beginning of World War II. It was in 1942 that she received a scholarship to Moira House School. She developed an interest in acting, and in 1949 she received a scholarship for the two-year course at the Old Vic Theatre School. 

Her career began as an assistant stage manager at the Bristol Old Vic. She made her television debut in 1952 playing Lydia Bennett in the BBC mini-series adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. She made her film debut in 1953 in the movie Laxdale Hall. In the Fifties, she appeared on the shows Television World Theatre, Champion Road, BBC Sunday-Night Theatre, BBC Sunday-Night Play, Inside Story, Saturday Playhouse, and ITV Television Playhouse. She appeared in the mini-series The Secret Garden.She appeared in the movies Hobson's Choice (1954), What Every Woman Wants (1954), The Crowded Day (1954), Blond Spot (1958), and Room at the Top (1958).

In the Sixties, she starred on the show Marriage Lines, She had a recurring role on Coronation Street. She appeared in the mini-series Saki. She appeared on the shows The Seven Faces of Jim, Call Oxbridge 2000 (1962), ITV Play of the Week, and On the Margin. She appeared in the movie Waltz of the Toreadors (1962).

In the Seventies, Prunella Scales starred on the shows Mr. Big and Fawlty Towers. She appeared on the shows Thirty-Minute Theatre, Country Matters. 7 of 1, Crime of Passion, Comedy Playhouse, BBC Play of the Month, Lucky Feller, BBC2 Playhouse, Pickersgill People, Target, and Jackanory. She appeared in the movies Escape from the Dark (1976), The Hound of the Baskervilles (1978), and The Boys from Brazil (1978).

In the Eighties, Prunella Scales starred on the shows SWALK, Mapp & Lucia, and After Henry.. She appeared on the shows Bergerac, Never the Twain, Weekend Playhouse, Let's Parlez Franglais, Unnatural Causes, Theatre Night, Thompson, and Screenplay. She appeared on the mini-series Wagner. She appeared in the movies The Wicked Lady (1983), The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (1987), Consuming Passions (1988), and A Chorus of Disapproval (1989). 

In the Nineties, she starred on the TV shows Signs and Wonder and Searching. She was a voice on the series The Big Knights. She appeared in the TV series Screen One, The World of Lee Evans, Dalziel and Pascoe, Keeping Mum, and Midsomer Murders. She appeared in the mini-series The Rector's Wife. She appeared in the movies Howard's End (1992), Wolf (1994), Second Best (1994), An Awfully Big Adventure (1995), Stiff Upper Lips (1997), Mad Cows (1999), An Ideal Husband (1999), and The Ghost of Greville Lodge (2000). 

In the Naughts, Prunella Scales appeared in the mini-series Dickens and The Shell Seekers. She appeared on the shows Silent Witness, Casualty, Where the Heart Is, and Marple. She appeared in the movie Johnny English (2003). In the Teens, she appeared in the movie Run for Your Wife (2012). She appeared on the show The Royal. 

Chances are good that Prunella Scales will always be best remembered as Sybil Fawlty, the domineering wife of Basil Fawlty (John Cleese) who, nonetheless, was skilled in dealing with the hotel's guests. Earlier she starred on the sitcom Marriage Lines as newlywed Kate Starling, who soon finds herself bored with being housewife. She also played other roles throughout her career. In the Midsomer Murders episode "Beyond the Grave," she played the medium Eleanor Bunsall. In the movie Howard's End (1992), she played  Aunt Juley, the quintessential Englishwoman. Prunella Scales was an enormous talent with a gift for comedy who could play a wide array of roles. 

Happy Halloween 2025

Here at A Shroud of Thoughts, you can expect no tricks from us on Halloween, only treats. Of course, those treats come in the form of vintage pin-ups. I know many of you are anxious to see them, so here is this year's batch.

First up is Julie London with a jack o' lantern.

Here is popular model Dusty Anderson dressed up as a cat.

Here's a bewitching Morgan Fairchild.

Okay, I admit I find this more disturbing than cute. It's Olga San Juan and was apparently part of the promotion of the theatrical short "The Little Witch" (1945)

The gorgeous Suzanne Pleshette with a jack o' lantern.

And here's Vera Ellen with a rather large pumpkin.

And, of course, I have to have a picture of leggy, lovely Ann Miller every Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Phantom of the Paradise (1974): The Cult Horror Rock Musical That Premiered on Halloween

"This film is the story of that search, of that sound, of the man who made it, the girl who sang it... and the monster who stole it." (opening narration by Rod Serling from Phantom of the Paradise). 

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux has been adapted numerous times and inspired several movies. Among the movies it inspired was Brian De Palma's rock musical comedy Phantom of the Paradise (1974), which also drew upon the 16th-Century legend of Johann Faust and The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Phantom of the Paradise was not a success upon its release in 1974, but in the years since then it has grown in popularity to the point that it can truly be considered a cult classic. 

Phantom of the Paradise starred William Finley as Winslow Leach, a singer and songwriter whose cantata based on the Faust legend is stolen by legendary music producer Swan (Paul Williams), who intends to use it to open his new rock palace The Paradise. After being disfigured by a record press in an attempt to stop Swan from selling his work, Winslow takes up residence in The Paradise in order to sabotage the opening of the new rock palace and get revenge on Swan. 

The inspiration for Phantom of the Paradise came to Brian De Palma in 1969 when he heard a Muzak version of a Beatles song (either "A Day in the Life" or "I Want to Hold Your Hand" depending upon the account) in an elevator. He realized that corporate America could take something beautiful and original and reduce it to nothing but elevator music. Further inspiration was taken from Brian De Palma's experiences with the mainstream studios. 

Phantom of the Paradise started out as Phantom of the Filmore, "The Filmore" being the name of rock promoter Bill Graham's venue in San Francisco, which was followed by another in New York City.. Brian De Palma sold an early version of the screenplay to Martin Ransohoff, the head of Filmways. He bought it back from Mr. Ransohoff when it became clear that the studio executive had no real plans to make it into a movie. It would be producer Edward R. Pressman who would buy both the screenplays for Phantom of the Filmore and Sisters (Brian De Palma's 1972 horror movie). Edward R. Pressman would go on to produce movies from Wall Street (1987) to The Crow (1994).

Brian De Palma and Edward R. Pressman decided to go forward with Sisters (1972) first, as it would not be as difficult to shoot. Sisters (1972) was distributed by American International Pictures (AIP) and proved to be both a hit with critics and audiences. AIP greenlit Phantom of the Filmore, but wanted to make drastic budget cuts. There was no way that Messrs. De Palma and Pressman could make the movie for the budget AIP wanted. They then spent two years pitching the film to backers and studios. They eventually raised a  $750,000 budget. 

As a rock musical Phantom of the Paradise would need someone to compose its score. Brian De Palma had originally wanted a major rock group, like The Who or The Rolling Stones, to write the film's score. Of course, such bands were pretty much in accessible to an independent filmmaker. Ultimately, Paul Williams was chosen to write the movie's score. Paul Williams had started his career as a gag writer for comedian Mort Sahl. He later appeared in the movies The Loved One (1965) and The Chase (1966). He began his career as a songwriter in the late Sixties and had written the hits "Rainy Days and Mondays" for The Carpenters and "An Old Fashioned Love Song" for Three Dog Night. Brian De Palma and Paul Williams struck a deal whereby he would write the score for less money than usual if he was cast in the movie. Initially, they planned for Paul Williams to play Winslow, but Paul Williams was not confident that he could act wearing a mask. It would be decided that he should play Swan instead.

One hurdle for the movie is that its title would have to be changed from Phantom of the Filmore. Promoter Bill Graham refused to let Brian De Palma use the name 'The Filmore." The film's title then went from Phantom of the Filmore to simply Phantom and then Phantom of the Paradise. 

Shooting on Phantom of the Paradise began in the winter of 1973. The interiors of The Paradise were actually an abandoned theatre in Dallas, the Majestic Theatre. It was donated to the City of Dallas in 1975 and has since been restored. The Paradise's exterior was the City Center in New York City. The building that would stand in for the exterior of Swan's mansion, Swanage, is also located in Dallas. It was the old Dallas County Court House, built in 1892 and replaced by a new courthouse in 1966. The interiors of Swanage were filmed at a mansion in Beverly Hills, the Greystone Mansion which has appeared in movies from Forever Amber (1947) to The Loved One (1965). The exterior of the headquarters of Death Records was originally the General Petroleum Building. It would later be vacated in 1994. In 2003, it was converted into apartments and remains open as Pegasus Apartments. Scenes involving Swan's recording studio were filmed at an actual recording studio, the Record Plant in New York City.

As to the record press in which Winslow Leach was disfigured,  it was actually an injection-molding press at Pressman Toys. Precautions were taken to prevent the press from disfiguring actor William Finley in reality. Foam pads were fitted on the press, and chocks were placed in the press's centre to keep it from closing all the way. Even so, William Finley expressed some concern and it turned out his concerns were justified. The press crushed the chocks and kept going, so that William Finley had to be pulled out of the press before he was injured. 

Phantom of the Paradise (1974) would have yet another problem once shooting was completed. The name of Swan's fictional record label had to be changed completely. It was originally called "Swan Song Records." Unfortunately, it was in 1974 that Led Zeppelin launched their own label, also called "Swan Song Records." Led Zeppelin's manager Peter Grant threatened legal action if the name of the label in the movie was not changed. All references to Swan Song Records were then changed to Death Records through optical printing or simply taken out of the movie entirely. This increased the budget for Phantom of the Paradise to $1.1 million. 

Phantom of the Paradise (1974) was an independent production, and so the film needed a distributor. Edward R. Pressman then screened Phantom of the Paradise for the Hollywood studios, so that they could take bids on the film. 20th Century Fox made the highest bid, at $2 million and a percentage of its profits. 20th Century Fox would also be the studio that would distribute another cult rock horror musical, The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). 

Phantom of the Paradise (1974) opened at the National Theatre in Los Angeles, and the Trans-Lux East Theater in New York City, on Halloween, October 31, 1974.  It opened elsewhere on November 1, 1974. Upon its release, Phantom of the Paradise (1974) did not fare particularly well with the critics.  Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave Phantom of the Paradise (1974) only two stars and wrote, "The problem with all of the kidding is that what's up on the screen is childish; it has meaning only because it points to something else." Vincent Canby in The New York Times wrote, "Mr. De Palma is a very funny man, as he has shown in marvelously eccentric comedies such as Greetings" and Hi, Mom, and even in his more conventional films, Get to Know Your Local Rabbit and Sisters. Compared with even the least of these, Phantom of the Paradise is an elaborate disaster, full of the kind of facetious humor you might find on bumper stickers and cocktail coasters. The movie spends much too much time just laying out the plot, which is fatal to parody of any sort." Phantom of the Paradise did get some positive reviews. Kevin Thomas of The Los Angeles Times liked the film over all, stating that it was "delightfully outrageous" and praised its ending as "a truly stunning and ingenious finale." None other than Pauline Kael also gave Phantom of the Paradise a good review, writing, "Though you may anticipate a plot turn, it's impossible to guess what the next scene will look like or what its rhythm will be.."

If anything, audiences in 1974 seemed to like Phantom of the Paradise (1974) even less than critics. According to the Phantom of the Paradise (1974) fan site The Swan Archives, on the opening day Brian De Palma stopped by a New York City theatre only to find the theatre empty. At most theatres in the United States, Phantom of the Paradise (1974) closed after only a week. According to Variety at the time, after only two months it had grossed only $250,000 in the major markets. 

While Phantom of the Paradise (1974) bombed nearly everywhere it played, an exception was Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada. It opened there on Boxing Day, December 26, 1974. In Winnipeg, it played continuously in theatres for four and a half months. Afterwards, it would continue to run in Winnipeg theatres with a few interruptions for over a year, clear into 1976. The film's soundtrack album also proved to be a hit in Winnipeg. It sold over 20,000 copies in the city and was ultimately certified gold in Canada because of it. Phantom of the Paradise (1974) continued to be phenomenally popular in Winnipeg, and the film would come back to theatres there from time to time. In 2005, the first Phantompalooza, an event to celebrate Phantom of the Paradise (1974), was held in Winnipeg. Further events celebrating Phantom of the Paradise (1974) have been held in Winnipeg, the latest being another Phantompalooza held last year on the occasion of the film's 50th anniversary.

A soundtrack album, Phantom of the Paradise - Original Soundtrack Recording, was released by A&M Records in conjunction with the film. The soundtrack album is missing two songs from the movie, ""Never Thought I'd Get to Meet the Devil," which only appears briefly in the film, and "Faust" (1st Reprise)," Like the movie, the soundtrack did not sell particularly well in 1974, with the notable exception of Winnipeg. In 1977, Paul Williams was a guest on the short-lived variety show The Brady Bunch Hour, where he performed "The Hell of It" from Phantom of the Paradise (1974). 

20th Century Fox would try to get its money back where Phantom of the Paradise (1974) was concerned. It was in October 1976 that 20th Century Fox would pair Phantom of the Paradise (1974) with The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) on a double bill. Like Phantom of the Paradise (1974), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) also bombed upon its initial release. Like The Rocky Horror Picture Show(1975), Phantom of the Paradise (1975) would find success as a midnight movie.  In the early 1980s, Phantom of the Paradise (1974) began popping up on television schedules. Between the midnight movie circuit and airings on television, many began to realize what Winnipeg had known all along, that Phantom of the Paradise (1974) was a very special film. Quite simply, it developed a cult following.

Phantom of the Paradise (1974) was released on VHS in 1993 and on DVD in 2001. It was in 2014 that Shout Entertainment released it on Blu-ray.

Phantom of the Paradise (1974) would have a lasting impact on Daft Punk, the French electronic duo who performed in silver helmets. The two of them have seen the movie more than 20 times. Japanese illustrator and character designer Yasushi Nirasawa was also influenced by Phantom of the Paradise (1974). The image of the Phantom himself recurs in this work, and the character Owl Imagin, who Yasushi Nirasawa designed for  Kamen Rider Den-O, was inspired by the Phantom as well. The villain Griffith's helmet in the manga Berserk was inspired by the Phantom's helmet It has been argued that Phantom of the Paradise (1974) paved the way for The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), as well as other rock musicals, such as Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008). It has influenced other films in other ways as well. An electrocution scene in the movie Romeo's Distress (2017) drew inspiration from an electrocution scene in Phantom of the Paradise (1974). In 2006, a 50-minute documentary on the making of Phantom of the Paradise (1974), titled Paradise Regained: Brian de Palma's 'Phantom of the Paradise, was released. 

Since its release in 1974, Phantom of the Paradise (1974) has grown considerably in popularity. Not only has the film developed a cult following, but even respect from several critics. At Rotten Tomatoes, it is certified fresh with a Tomatometer rating of 82%. Critics at Large ranked it at no. 25 on its list of neglected gems. In 2013, Den of Geek proclaimed it Brian De Palma's best film ever. I know many other people who also think so, including myself. Phantom of the Paradise (1974), a film that bombed upon its initial release, has become a cult classic.

Trick 'r Treat (2007): The Halloween Cult Film That Wouldn't Stay Buried

When people are asked about their favourite movies that specifically touch upon Halloween, they will generally name such older movies as Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), Halloween (1978), and The Crow (1994). Among the more recent films that many film buffs might name is Trick 'r Treat (2007). Trick 'r Treat (2007) made the film festival circuit in 2007 and 2008, but was initially denied a proper theatrical release. It was released on DVD in 2009, whereupon it developed a cult following.

Trick 'r Treat (2007) owes a good deal to the classic portmanteau horror movie Dead of Night (1944) and Amicus Productions' many horror anthologies, although its structure is much more akin to Robert Altman's Short Cuts (1993). Trick 'r Treat is set in the fictional city of Warren Valley, Ohio, which celebrates Halloween more so than perhaps any other small town in the United States. Trick 'r Treat (2007) features five, interwoven stories. One story centres on a woman named Emma (Leslie Bibb), who comes home with her husband from celebrating Halloween. While he loves the holiday, she hates it. Another story centres on school principal Steven Wilkins (Dylan Baker), who has some most unusual ways of celebrating Halloween. A third story features Laurie (Anna Paquin), who prefers a traditional Halloween to her older sister and her friends' idea of dates and drinks. Yet another story includes a group of youngsters who visit a deserted quarry to remember an urban legend known as the "Halloween School Bus Massacre." A final story centres on Kreeg (Brian Cox), an old man who absolutely hates Halloween and trick-or-treaters. Common to all of the stories is Sam (Quinn Lord), who appears to be a small child dressed in a burlap sack mask and an orange footie pyjama for a costume. In some of the stories, Sam merely observes what is going on. In yet others, he is an active participant. Here I must stress that there is much more to the stories than I have included here. Part of the fun of Trick 'r Treat (2007) is not knowing what will happen next.

Trick 'r Treat (2007) was the brainchild of Michael Dougherty, who had written the screenplays for X2 (2003), Urban Legends: Bloody Mary (2005), and Superman Returns (2006). It was while he was at New York University in 1996 that he wrote and directed the animated short "Season's Greetings." The short featured the first appearance of Sam, who plays a central role in Trick 'r Treat (2007). "Season's Greetings" was released in 1996.

It was "Season's Greetings" (1996) that led to the feature-length screenplay that would become Trick 'r Treat (2007). Michael Dougherty pitched the screenplay to various production companies for years before director/producer Bryan Singer consented to produce the movie. He gave it a budget of $12 million and also set up a deal with Warner Bros. to distribute the film. 

For the most part, there would be very few changes to Michael Dougherty's screenplay from the original version to the one that finally made it to the screen. It was in a 2023 Q&A with Collider for  Scary Perri’s Horror Series at Landmark Theatres that Michael Dougherty revealed that the "School Bus Massacre" replaced another story in which some kids lure a girl to a graveyard only to find out that she is actually dead. He decided to replace the story because it had been done before and relatively recently at that. Another story was changed more subtly so that the nature of some of the characters was more obvious.

Although set in the fictional city of Warren Valley, Ohio, Trick 'r Treat was filmed in British Columbia. Much of the film was shot in Ladner in Delta, British Columbia, itself a suburb of Vancouver. Ladner has frequently stood in for small Midwestern towns in the United States, including on such shows as Smallville and The X-Files and such movies as Along Came the Spider (2001) and Deck the Halls (2006). Much of Trick 'r Treat (2007) was also shot in Vancouver, with interiors shot at North Shore Studios in North Vancouver. 

Trick 'r Treat (2007) began production in November 2006, with photography wrapping in January 2007. The film was set for an October 2007 release date. Unfortunately, Warner Bros. dropped Trick 'r Treat from their release schedule without providing any explanation whatsoever. Trick 'r Treat (2007) then premiered at Harry Knowles' Butt-Numb-A-Thon film festival in Austin, Texas, on December 9, 2007. It would be screened at several different film festivals including the Sitges Film Festival on October 7, 2008, the 2008 Screamfest Horror Film Festival on October 10, 2008, and the Fantasia International Film Festival in 2009. On October 13, 2008, Fangoria sponsored a free screening in New York City. Trick 'r Treat (2007) won awards at many of the festivals and elsewhere, including a Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award for Best Film and the Audience Award for Screamfest.

Trick 'r Treat (2007) proved popular at film festivals, so much so that many festival goers tried to persuade Warner Bros. to give it a proper theatrical release. One would have thought Warner Bros. would have acquiesced to the film's supporters, but instead of giving the movie a theatrical release, the studio released it directly to DVD and Blu-ray on October 9, 2009.

Since then Trick 'r Treat (2007) has only grown in popularity and become a cult movie. The movie has produced a good deal of merchandise, including Halloween costumes, t-shirts, a Sam plush toy, keychains, coffee mugs, and much more. DC and Wildstorm have also produced various Trick 'r Treat (2007) comic books, including the 2009 adaptation of the movie, and then Trick 'r Treat: Days of the Dead, inspired by the movie, in 2015.  Another comic, Trick 'r Treat: Witching Hour, came out last year. It was in 2022, fifteen years after it had been meant to be released, that Trick 'r Treat (2007) finally received a nationwide theatrical release. The movie was shown in theatres again this year, 2025, on October 14 and October 16. Trick 'r Treat (2007) has been available on streaming for many years, and is available on services from HBO Max to Philo.

As to why Trick 'r Treat (2007) developed a cult following, there may well be many different reasons. It may well be that, unlike many 21st Century horror movies, it is rooted in the history of the genre. As mentioned earlier, it owes a good deal to Dead of Night and Amicus's anthology movies and E.C. Comics. It also shows influence from the classic Universal monster movies, the Hammer horrors, and even the classic horror movies Val Lewton made for RKO. 

Beyond having roots deep in horror cinema, it can be argued that Trick 'r Treat (2007) is the quintessential Halloween movie, more so even than Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), Halloween (1978), or The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). Trick 'r Treat (2007) is largely a celebration of the traditions of Halloween, from those going back to ancient times to those that date only from the Twentieth Century. It's as Emma's husband Henry (Tahmoh Penikett) tells her, "You know, there are rules, you should be more careful. You might upset someone." Indeed, in Trick 'r Treat (2007) it is those people who flaunt the rules of Halloween who find themselves punished. Trick 'r Treat (2007) also looks at what Halloween means for different people. For children, it is a fun time to go trick-or-treating. For teenagers, it is a time for scary stories and pranks. For many adults, it is a time to party. Yet other adults, like Emma and Kreeg, simply hate the holiday. Trick 'r Treat (2007) may not cover every Halloween tradition or every viewpoint on Halloween, but it comes very close.

Trick 'r Treat (2007) may not have been around long enough for many to consider it to be a classic, but I have to think it is on its way. It is a well-done film that is at turns frightening and funny, and that takes a reverent look at one of the most popular holidays. 

Yet More Vintage Halloween Ads

It seems like every year I wind up making at least one post devoted to vintage Halloween ads. I have to confess that I primarily use such posts as stopgap measure when I am working on posts that take several hours to complete. This year I two different movie posts that are taking a while to complete. Regardless, people do seem to like my vintage Halloween ad posts and I have to confess I enjoy them as well. Anyway, here are some more vintage ads for this year.

A lot of people think of Halloween as having become popular after World War II. This ad from Jello is proof that this is not the case. Halloween was well established in the United States in the early 20th Century. This ad is from the 1920s.

Quite naturally, people think of candy when they think of Halloween, but a number of products over the years have used the holiday in their advertising. This is a 1954 Coca-Cola ad.

Of course, candy has been advertised at Halloween for years. Here is an ad or M&Ms.

Yet more proof that Halloween wasn't exclusively thought of as a children's holiday, a 1952 ad for Schlitz beer. 

Halloween was still being used in ads for alcohol in the Eighties. Here is a 1982 ad for Ronirico Rum. 

Finally, this 1968 ad for Hunt's catsup is proof that Halloween can be used to advertise anything.