Ok, I’ve been having fun this month with all-things Hallowe’en (man, next month I’m really gonna have to get back to my mss work…), but all this talk about the undead got my juices dessicating! So…I’m going to put myself to a test.
Next week I’m going to post a prose poem about my favorite monster. Now, I’m not saying this is going to be another Ozymandias, or anything, but I’m going to give it my best shot and come up with something I’ve wanted to pen for a little bit. I’ve actually already started it and hope to post soon.
Now, as a kid I had several monster interests. Though I was interested in the Bram Stoker version of Dracula in vampyres, werewolves were a pretty strong interest. One of my favorites stories was The Werewolf of Ponkert, by H. Warner Munn, which was actually two stories. It’s interesting looking at some prices of this book today—geesh!
I also got into some of the Dr. Phibes, work (books and movies: “Love means never having to say you’re ugly”; I know, très unPC, but check out the man’s visage), like Dr. Phibes Rises Again! I was a huge Vincent Price fan. And who could forget “Vulnavia,” played by Virginia North? I mean, whata cool name! The Dr. Anton Phibes movies were so campy, over the top, and full of dark humor, I loved them!
(in case the above doesn’t work, try this link: http://youtu.be/yBo0H3oYSoo)
What’s not to like, right?
Vulnaaaviaaaa….
I was also, as you may have guessed, into your basic “undeads,” rising from the deads, clawing out from grounds, ghosts, that kind of thing. I was, basically, a fan of all kinds of Hammer Films movies about anything supernatural, and it looks like they’re still around, which is interesting, since I haven’t heard anything more out of them, since I left home for adulthood.
But, when it really came down to it, I became quite interested in one monster in particular, and it was my last teenage dress-up for Hallowe’en. Even as a teen, I had an eye for authenticity, and I pulled out the needed sheet and begged and pleaded to my mom to do the unthinkable: rip a perfectly good bedsheet into shreds. Well, to this day, I’m always amazed that she let me do that, but, hey, that’s what mom’s do, right?
So, on my last teenage Hallowe’en, I wrapped up and went out horrorizing the neighborhood, and painted “Denn die Todten reiten schnell” (“For the dead travel fast,” from Dracula) on rocks all along the railroad tracks from which I lived across (yeah, literally), in green flourescent paint.
So, if you haven’t figured out my favorite monster, stay tuned! I hope to have something. ummm, unwrapped, next week….
Oooooh! That first picture is creepy…you in bedsheets – CUTE!!! Laura step aside, I love when a man is all wrapped up in his interests!
Ha, thanks, Karen! :-] Couldn’t believe I actually had a picture of that! I saw why mumies walked so stiff in the movies–wrapped sheets are QUITE movement restricting!
And sorry about the video link, folks, do not get why it is not displaying. I think heavy IE update processing keeps interferring whenever I post long and media-linked posts. IE is STILL running my HD like crazy….
Firefox – Dude!
I can’t wait to see you finished monster piece. Nearly every Saturday from early 1957 until February 8, 1964 (skipping November 23, 1963 of course and the mopheads changed the world on February 9th). I spent my allowance at the theater in downtown Longmont (Dick Klein owned it, through a couple of name changes) watching the latest double-feature package from either AIP (American International Pictures, who did Phibes and a billion other things) or AAP (Allied Artists, who did attack of the 50 Foot Woman and the other Colossal or Shrinking stuff).
I think the admission, popcorn (shared) and a soda (also shared) came to about 25 cents a person and rose to about 75 cents by ’64.)
Incredible times for a very young storyteller….
I, too, can’t wait to see what I come up with! It’s that whole Jekyll/Hype thing, you know….
Karloff – my favorite mummy! (His real name was William Pratt, after all.)
Vincent – a St. Louis man! It doesn’t matter if most of his films are campy – they are fun, and you could tell HE had fun.
Definitely, Karloff! Funny the “Pratt” name! I also like Chris Lee.Yes, Mr. Price. I can’t remember which movie it was, but I remember one of his “displatching” involved puppies and “Puppy Pie,” as I seem to recall! Loved his movies! He had such a cool voice and look, nes-ce pas?
Your costume… YES.
Real bedsheet. Really tore up. Really wrapped up, strip-by-strip. I remember that was a coooold night…. ;-]