Tag: 31 days of horror

Hold That Ghost (1941): 31 Days of Horror

Post author By jdp
Post date November 14, 2018
2 Comments on Hold That Ghost (1941): 31 Days of Horror

Left to right: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Evelyn Ankers, Joan Davis and Richard Carlson in HOLD THAT GHOST (1941), directed by Arthur Lubin.

#18. Hold That Ghost (1941)

Nature of Shame:
No Hold That Ghost Shame! Sharing with my girls.

Hooptober Challenge Checklist:
Decade: 1940’s
Pre-1970

My 6yo ran through the Abbott and Costello Meet… movies and when she wanted to watch another from A&C I knew I had one more up my sleeve to satisfy some of those Hooptober requirements.

Hold that Ghost had her doing Lou Costello impressions for at least another week. I take great pride when she assaults adults with her cries of “OH, CHUCK!! OH, CHUCK!!” and shames then when they don’t know Hold That Ghost. I’m raising my own Old Movie Weirdo. She’s hoping to become a card-carrying member by age 8. You’ve got to have goals and she’s decided that mastering subtraction is a secondary skill.

Hold That Ghost Elevator Pitch

Cue the Andrews Sisters. Bud and Lou play gas station attendants named Chuck and Freddie who dream of a high class occupation at a nightclub named Chez Glamour, but when they screw that up they’re back at the gas station and accidentally wind up in the backseat of a gangster during a high speed car chase/shootout. The gangster gets it, see? And due to their proximity to the deceased at his time of demise, they inherit his entire estate — a creepy old mansion. But where’s the dough? Cue the Andrews Sisters again.

In the Not-So-Bloody Villa of Safe Scary Delights

Hold That Ghost clearly provided the blueprint for the Abbott and Costello Meet… movies that would follow a few years later. The film borrows its narrative from the early “old dark house” movies such as The Cat and the Canary (1927). Movies that sold a “haunted” old house but explained away all the scary bits by films’ end. Producers believed that movie audiences would find “real” haunts a little too unsettling. Thus, Scooby Doo was born. Safe scares for impressionable moviewatchers.

In 1932 The Old Dark House simultaneously created and broke the mold for the genre, parodying the genre from within. Thus comedy and “the old dark house” became natural companions; The Old Dark House left no legitimate avenue for sincere advancement of the genre. Once viewers became accustomed to being frightened by the prospect of real ghosts, horror movies had to provide that payoff. Comedies, however, could manipulate the form and wink at the audience. Hold That Ghost winks, nods and holds the flashlight up to the “spooks.” We must always believe that Lou is legitimately frightened and that Bud is dismissive and skeptical. It’s all good clean fun, except for the dead bodies.

Everyone Expects Abbott and Costello to be frightened and skeptical, relatively speaking.

I assume that most viewers in 2018 view the Abbott and Costello Meet… movies because of the monster pedigree, but Hold That Ghost offers the most natural utility for their schtick. The latter movies become more finely turned, variations on the same theme (Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man excepted). Hold That Ghost doesn’t feel like a Universal brand (and no, obviously, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein wasn’t either because it was a surprise success and spawned four more monster mashups). It feels like the comedians have been tasked with an improvisational bit about a gangster’s money and a haunted house and they’re navigating the pratfalls of the relatively new horror comedy genre.

Joan Davis with Lou Costello performing a delightful routine with an uncooperative candle.

The ambling rawness of the premise along with the cast of assorted supporting characters lends Hold That Ghost an off-the-cuff freshness that dwindled as the parade of monsters rolled on in the 1940’s. Joan Davis proves to be a particularly wonderful comedic partner for Lou, providing something more than the usual assortment of sarcasm and rebuffs. If Hold That Ghost surpasses other Bud and Lou horror comedies, it’s because the entire cast chips in to perform some of the heavy comedic lifting rather than leaving frantic Lou to flail all by his lonesome.

The wonderful and potentially underappreciated Evelyn Ankers also deserves a mention. As a 1940’s cog in the Universal machine, Ankers found herself in the thankless shrieking damsel roles of the 2nd Universal horror cycle. She perhaps owes that stint to her role in Hold That Ghost — the first of those performances. In this very same year she’d make her big movie monster debut alongside Lon Chaney, Jr. in The Wolf Man (1941), followed closely by The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), Son of Dracula (1943), Captive Wild Woman (1943), and The Invisible Man’s Revenge (1943) among many others. As a steady anchor for Universal’s monstrous, she provided more than just a pretty face.

How Does One Hold That Ghost Anyway?

Though the title alludes to some ghost catching, you’ll have to wait a few years before anyone bothers with the capture and containment of spooks or specters. The film’s origins shed some light on the patchwork quality. It began life as a movie called “Oh, Charlie!” which makes sense when you hear how many times Lou says, “Oh, Chuck!”

The original narrative had the displaced gang members trying to scare Chuck and Ferdie out of the inherited tavern when another rival gang shows up to fight over the hidden loot (which turns out to be counterfeit. Production was put on hold after Buck Privates became such a smash success and Universal rushed a follow up In the Navy into theaters. For the capper, Universal brought back the Andrews Sisters to open and close the film because they’d appeared in both of the prior Abbott and Costello service comedies. Because how else would you bookend an old dark house horror comedy but with bandleader Ted Lewis and the Andrews Sisters — clearly the keys to all of these productions. Even contemporaneous critics called out the superfluous use of bookending musical numbers to pad the run time.

Final Hold That Ghost Thoughts

I found it useful to revisit Hold That Ghost immediately after a tour through the latter Abbott and Costello Meet… series because it placed the films in a different context. It’s easy to forget that the formula began in 1941 with Hold That Ghost and didn’t magically come together seven years later for a hair-brained scheme to revive Universal’s slagging former moneymakers.

It’s no great surprise that Hold That Ghost feels fresher than the latter iterations of the formula. Just because it doesn’t have the monster branding doesn’t make it less worthwhile. I’d wager that if Hold That Ghost were called instead “Abbott and Costello Meet the Spooks” it would be probably considered the best of the lot and remain one of the duo’s best known films. Though I do wish the film didn’t have seven minutes of the Andrews Sisters.

Did someone say the Andrews Sisters?

Hold That Ghost Rating:

Availability:

Once again let’s revisit the availability of the Abbott and Costello films for the uninitiated and the cheap seats.

Universal has given you dozens of opportunities to own the branded Meet the Monster films on Blu-ray and DVD through the The Frankenstein Complete Legacy Collection, The Dracula Complete Legacy Collection and The Wolf Man Complete Legacy Collection.

If you’d like a complete collection of the Abbott and Costello Meet… movies, that’s more difficult. There’s the brilliant (but OOP) 28-film Abbott and Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection steamer trunk that solves all problems. The Meet the Monsters DVD set contains Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde (which is currently not available on Blu-ray), but is missing Abbott & Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff because… I have no idea. In order to get that one, you’d need to purchase The Best of Abbott & Costello, Vol. 3 DVD. Got that?

Now, Hold That Ghost is available on The Best of Abbott & Costello Vol. 1 DVD set alongside the aforementioned Buck Privates and In the Navy. Now you’re set. Go forth and watched Bud and Lou.

2018 @CinemaShame / Hooptober Progress

#1. Deep Rising (1998)
#2. The Mist (2007)
#3. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
#4. Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951)
#5. Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955)
#6. Maniac Cop (1988)
#7. Nightbreed (1990)
#8. The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)
#9. In the Castle of Bloody Desires (1968)
#10. Chopping Mall (1986)
#11. The Kiss of the Vampire (1963)
#12. The Legend of Hell House (1973)
#13. Messiah of Evil (1973)
#14. Possession (1981)
#15. Blood Diner (1987)
#16. Inquisition (1978)
#17. The Bloodstained Shadow (1978)
#18. Hold That Ghost (1941)

James David Patrick is a writer. He’s written just about everything at some point or another. Add this nonsense to the list. Follow his blog at www.thirtyhertzrumble.com and find him on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Tags 31 days of horror, abbott and costello, abbott and costello hold that ghost, hold that ghost review, hooptober, hooptober 5

31 Days of Horror Cinema

Inquisition (1978): 31 Days of Horror

Post author By jdp
Post date November 8, 2018
No Comments on Inquisition (1978): 31 Days of Horror

#16. Inquisition (1978)

Nature of Shame:
Lacking some Naschy-directed vehicles on my moviewatching resume. Unwatched Mondo Macabro Inquisition Blu-ray release.

Hooptober Challenge Checklist:
Decade: 1970’s
Anniversary: 40th

This one features very little wind-up. I had a stack of unwatched Cinema Shame / Hooptober movies sitting by the television and rather than overthinking anything I grabbed the one on top. While we’re on the subject of “choice,” let’s discuss why it takes cinephiles longer to choose the appropriate movie for the moment than it does to watch the movie itself. I’ve wasted perfectly good moviewatching blocks because I’ve been crippled by choice. Why? What’s gone wrong with our wiring that we would allow this to happen? Repeatedly.

Despite what you may think, the decision-making process about what movie to watch is very unsexy — and it has quite a lot in common with the torture in this retelling of the Spanish Inquisition than you might think.

Inquisition Elevator Pitch

Witch-finder General falls in love with village beauty, only uh-oh! she’s actually sold her soul to the devil for reals and not fake like these other phony witches that the guy slaughters on a daily basis.

In the Bloody Torture Chamber of Inquisitorial Delights

Paul Naschy’s directorial debut, Inquisition, features, predictably, exploitative scenes of torture. Many of which seem merely lecherous — some, however, turn quite disturbing. Leering camerawork, excellent production values and a distinct concern for the mechanics of torture.

The narrative doesn’t bother with frivolity. Religious zealotry, supernatural elements, nudity, Satan and Death! Naschy’s Inquisition, at the very least, renders female sexuality as the great threat to the patriarchy represented by the witchfinder general and the church. Some of these ladies just want to experience some sexy times and not be a witch, okay? “Witch!” says the patriarchy.

The period piece, set in 16th century France during the French Inquisition, features Paul Naschy playing witch-finder general Bernard de Fossey. Fossey travels to towns suffering from the plague and finds women he believes to be Satan’s earthbound minions. He questions them, tortures them and then burns them. As you do.

This continues until he meets a woman named Catherine (the beguiling Daniela Giordano) and starts to have tingly feelings — yet a man in Bernard’s position cannot be distracted by the siren’s call. In order to prove his allegiance to the church he becomes determined to find the source of the plague and figure out why his nether regions tingle.

No One Expects the French Inquisition

Obligatory Monty Python reference has no relevance. Though Paul Naschy plays three roles — that of witchfinder, Satan and Death — and when he pops up for the third time, you can’t help but say “For the trifecta!”

Definitely not the French Inquisition.

So We Did Expect the Inquisition?

For the most part, Inquisition plays it by the numbers, but it does ultimately subvert expectations by calling into question the existence of the supernatural within the scope of the film. So many women had been tortured and burned without legitimate cause that when Inquisition reveals the true nature of Daniela Giordano’s Catherine, only then does the movie offer an actual protagonist.

The twist comes in the form of viewer identification. Until Catherine reveals her motives, the movie has presented us villains and victims. And finally we have a badass legitimate witch working directly for Satan. So, yay, Satan?

This only works because Naschy has given us sufficient reason to believe in Bernard’s partial humanity. He’s a monster — no doubt — but in his relationship with Catherine (who’s been sent seduce and condemn the man killing Satan’s servants) he’s shown the capacity for emotion. Even this moderate amount of humanity provides necessary depth the character, rendering his fate part tragedy.

Final Inquisition Thoughts

A solid film — even if it leans a little too heavily on naked bodies in the throws of torture. Mondo Macabro’s Blu-ray release of Paul Naschy’s Inquisition looks gorgeous. There’s grain and detail and color and how could they possibly make a 40-year-old Inquisition look so good? Bonus features on the disc also provide plenty of backstory on the film and dive into the methodology of Paul Naschy, one of the most notorious of Spain’s exploitation filmmakers. #SpoilerAlert: he’s actually quite thoughtful and intelligent.

Inquisition won’t interest everyone, but it’s a meticulously constructed period piece with a few shocking moments of intensity. Genre fans should definitely seek out the Mondo Macabro Blu-ray.

Inquisition Rating:

Availability:

I just said it, but it bears repeating. This release from Mondo Macabro looks perfect. Though they’re doing the Lord’s work when it comes to restoring and releasing obscure European cinema — Paul Naschy’s Inquisition might just be label’s biggest achievement.

If you appreciate a witch-hunt film, you can’t go wrong. If you can just enjoy the merits of film restoration, by all means. There’s so much to like about this particular release that it eclipses the movie itself — which is already worth a watch.

Buy it on Amazon. You can also buy it directly from Mondo Macabro where I’m sure you’ll find a few other titles to delight you as well.

2018 @CinemaShame / Hooptober Progress

Tags 31 days of horror, hooptober, hooptober 5, inquisition 1978 review, inquisition review, inquisiton, paul naschy, paul naschy inquisition

31 Days of Horror Cinema

Blood Diner (1987): 31 Days of Horror

Post author By jdp
Post date November 2, 2018
1 Comment on Blood Diner (1987): 31 Days of Horror

#15. Blood Diner (1987)

Nature of Shame:
Horror movies directed by women should be a yearly Hooptober requirement. I didn’t know this one was directed by a woman until after I already had it on my Hooptober list. Bonus points.

Hooptober Challenge Checklist:
Decade: 1980’s
Female directed

I needed a palette cleanser after Possession. I stared at my Hooptober watchpile. Blood Diner stood out so I figured let’s have some legitimate cannibalism played for laughs to wash away the taste of Possession‘s emotional cannibalism played for a gut-wrenching soul-suck.

Blood Diner Elevator Pitch

Two brothers, brainwashed by their serial killer Uncle Anwar, fulfill their destinies by collecting the body parts from immoral women and resurrect the Lumerian goddess Sheetar. The unwanted parts get served in a “vegetarian” diner! Waste not want not! Oh and Uncle Anwar is nothing but a brain in a jar with an attached speaker! You know, for the kids!

The brain in a jar orders pizza.

In the Bloody Diner of “Vegetarian” Delights

I’m going to take this opportunity to move this bl-g marathon along. I’ve watched all but one of my Hooptober films but I’m 17 posts behind. At this rate I’ll finish next Hooptober.

Blood Diner is a dumb dumb dumb, super dumb, dumb movie filled with barn-side broad humor that rarely fails to pluck the lowest hanging fruit. It pillages ideas from far better gore flicks like Re-Animator and the films of Herschell Gordon Lewis (who apparently served as a muse for this entire production). While I acknowledge Hershell Gordon Lewis’ place as the godfather of gore, I’d really rather have my teeth cleaned at the dentist — nothing invasive mind you, just a regular cleaning with a to-go pack containing a new toothbrush, a pen and some floss — than watch Blood Feast again.

And yet, I *was* entertained by Blood Diner.

blood diner 1987

So. Uh. You Mentioned…. uh… a Brain in a Jar?

The novelty of a brain in a jar attached to a speaker loses its novelty after Blood Diner plays that joke out like Eddie Money played out “Two Tickets to Paradise.” Okay, I’m lying. I can’t get enough of “Two Tickets to Paradise” or the sociopathic brain in a jar. In fact, I cared more about the brain in the jar than I did the two leads, played by Rick Burks and Carl Crew. They’re generally affable everymen, but how can you upstage a brain in a jar? DID I MENTION THE BRAIN ALSO HAS EXPRESSIVE EYEBALLS? The most impressive of all $5 special effects.

Blood Diner wants the viewer to root for these brothers as they murder and massacre their way through hundreds of sinful ladies to resurrect the goddess Sheetar. I found myself mostly ambivalent about their quest because they’re likable, but likable compared to all of the other awful humans.

One of the only truly inspired gags in the film. A scripted character was replaced with a dummy so they didn’t have to pay an actor.

I am disappointed we didn’t get to see more from Rick Burks. The actor died in a car accident two years after the release of Blood Diner. He has such natural personality he could have become a cult-movie hero as a poor man’s Bruce Campbell considering his ability to make something out of overall limited horror-comedy material.

You Mentioned a Female Director?

Jackie Kong made a modest name for herself with the comedy Night Patrol (1984) starring Linda Blair, a movie I’ve forgotten. (I lament not this absence.) I do think the material’s in some ways bettered by her camera. Listening to her talk about the ways she twisted Michael Sonye’s script into a comedy, it’s clear she had a far greater perspective on how Herschell Gordon Lewis-brand material would play in the 80’s.

This had to be funny. This had to be light and quick and move from joke to joke because audiences had become immune to earnest gore as entertainment. We had straight-to-video trash coming out of our ears in 1987.

blood diner 1987

To her credit, Kong tests the limitations of 1986 decorum. The watchdogs must have had problems with the clean-cut boys next door committing the murders, the rampant nudity and the HGL-inspired gore. The Ronald and Nancy Reagan masks worn during a nude aerobics video shoot massacre has got to be one of the Top 10 most 80’s moments ever captured on film. The ratings board gave her the ‘X’ so Kong and Vestron released the film as ‘unrated.’ Because it was the 1980’s, and whatever, man.

Final Blood Diner Thoughts

Most people seem to love it or hate it, but, hey I’m non-committal. I can see arguments for both sides. As much as I cringed at some of the acting and easy laughs, I saw moments of true horror comedy inspiration. I wish the latter were more frequent, but then Blood Diner wouldn’t be such a cult movie. It’d have just been another Re-Animator and we only have room for one gruesomely funny gorefest as the pinnacle of the 1980’s horror comedy.

While I won’t be revisiting Blood Diner anytime soon, there’s a definite and deserved place for the film in the hearts of gore hounds. Just because I’m not exactly on the wavelength doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy all the easy jokes about vegetarians eating human flesh and loving the hell out of it. I may have even laughed at one or two of them myself.

Behold Sheetara! I won’t spoil the appearance of the toothy-vagina abdomen that consumers her victims. You’ll have to watch the movie for that treat.

Possession Rating:

Availability:

Blood Diner resides in that category of films called “They released that on Blu-ray?” Yes. Blood Diner has been released on the Vestron Collector’s Series. It looks absurdly good considering that Jackie Kong shot it on such a shoestring budget she replaced a paid actor with a dummy to save cash.

Some things in this world do not make sense. Wonder Boys (2000), one of the finest films of the last twenty years, doesn’t have a Blu-ray release but Blood Diner has been given the deluxe treatment.

Buy it on Amazon. Maybe.

2018 @CinemaShame / Hooptober Progress

Tags 31 days of horror, blood diner, blood diner 1987, blood diner review, female directed horror, hooptober, hooptober 5, jackie kong blood diner