Tonight on MeTV- we transport you to a laboratory on your Labor Day weekend – where you will witness the birth of a horror movie legend- as we present the original Universal classic- “Frankenstein”!
It all begins at a somber funeral ceremony- the sanctity of which young Dr. Henry Frankenstein and his hunchbacked assistant Fritz despoil afterwards by sneaking to the grave to retrieve the newly buried body! The plan- collecting body parts to combine into a being that Henry theorizes he can return to life with a theoretical technique! The duo go about the grisly task of collecting more body parts from the dead- but a fatal flaw emerges when Fritz is sent to collect a brain from the university- only to have the bumbling assistant accidentally steal one that previously occupied the skull of a criminal !
Meanwhile, Henry's soon-to-be bride Elizabeth has no idea what her fiancé is up to- or the reason for his long absences. She worries that his work is driving him to a mental and physical breakdown. Despite his refusal to see anyone while immersed in his work at his laboratory, she recruits one of Henry’s friends- along with a former teacher she knows he respects- to try to intervene, and provide some calming influence on him, perhaps even persuade him to take a break. Sadly, it is too late to do so, as they witness Henry's maniacal mission to complete his quest- to bring life to dead tissue, using his fabulous laboratory equipment, along with the awesome power of lightning, to make his creation live!
At first, it seems that Henry has indeed achieved his goal, and finally can relax. He sems to be on the road to recovery and his wedding to Elizabeth- yet the lure of further experimentation with his "new man" is something he can't ignore. Soon,he returns to the lab, aided by his teacher Dr. Waldman - and Fritz, who seems to be doing more harm than good. It becomes more and more evident that the Monster is becoming a danger to them - and its lack of understanding, combined with its fearsome strength, finally convinces Henry that his creation must indeed be destroyed! However- while Henry is preoccupied with his wedding day- the Monster makes his escape- and soon grips the community in deadly fear!
This landmark film is always a hit with our viewers, no matter how many times they have seen it, and we love presenting this cornerstone of horror films once again. Boris Karloff is, to many, the definitive portrayer of the Monster- with nuances and shadings of emotion that few other actors who played the creature ever equaled, and which even evolved brilliantly as he played him again in the series. Here’s an interesting fact that has resurfaced in the light of the current actor’s strike-our friend Joe Mantegna sent us an article from a while back written by Tom Campbell that reveals that Boris Karloff actually was a founding member of the Screen Actor’s Guild! After facing long hours and dangerous conditions on the set of this very film-“Frankenstein”- Boris joined the new movement in support of unionizing screen actors. On his union membership card- he was member number 9 !
Our other cast members: Colin Clive as the obsessed and often frantic Henry- with Mae Clarke as his devoted fiancée. We get the actor who was Bela Lugosi’s Dracula nemesis Dr. Van Helsing- Edward Van Sloan- as Dr. Waldman- and former "Dracula" henchman Renfield- Dwight Frye- in the role of yet another sinister helper- Fritz! We’ll discuss these cast members, give you some background on the production, and provide all the usual Sven fun. Plus- some celebrity interviews, a song and more!
"Frankenstein" airs tonight on MeTV at 8 pm eastern/pacific, 7 central- and you can check for time and channel in your area at www.metv.com or in your local TV listings. Many former Twitter / now X fans ( and we don’t mean ex-fans) continue to post Tweets ( Xs) during our show, making us trend nationally- so feel free to join in- using the hashtag #svengoolie. In the Chicago viewing area, we give you an encore of last week’s man-monster- in the “War of the Colossal Beast” –at 11 am on our main local channel, CW26.
Before too long, we will be getting into our annual Halloween public events tour- so make sure you occasionally check under the “appearances” tab here on our website to find out where and when you can visit with me!
Tonight- join us in revisiting the film that made Boris Karloff a star- and made this monster perhaps the greatest film legend of horror!
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On this day in 2013, the SciFi/Telefilm Robocroc emerged from the murky depths. The feature starred Corin Nemec and Lisa McAllister, and here's the plot summary via our friends at IMDB.com:
"A rocket carrying nano robots crash lands shortly after takeoff into a zoo. The bots are released and find their way into a massive crocodile. The croc, now programmed to kill, will target anything and anyone for its next meal."
On this day in 1984, The Brother From Another Planet enjoyed its full U.S. theatrical release. Written and directed by John Sayles, the SciFi/Comedy starred Joe Morton, Daryl Edwards, and Rosanna Carter. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"A mute alien with the appearance of a black human is chased by outer-space bounty hunters through the streets of Harlem."
Really enjoyed it.
On this day in 1951 (in the United Kingdom), When Worlds Collide enjoyed its silver screen theatrical premiere. Directed by Rudolph Mate and produced by the legendary George Pal, the SciFi/Drama starred Richard Derr, Barbara Rush, and Peter Hansen; and here's the plot summary as provided by our friends at IMDB.com:
"As a new star and planet hurtle toward a doomed Earth, a small group of survivalists frantically work to complete the rocket which will take them to their new home."
For the record:
Without a doubt, When Worlds Collide remains one of the best regarded films of the 1950's, a period when Science Fiction films were truly introduced as part of the Hollywood studio process. It's been said that this film was somewhat rushed into production based on the success of Pal's earlier Destination Moon (1950).
Further for the record:
At the 1952 Oscars Awards, When Worlds Collide took home the trophy for 'Best Effects, Special Effects.'
On this day in 1929, The Mysterious Island played for audiences in attendance of its first theatrical engagement ever in the great big city of Newark, New Jersey. Based on the novel by Jules Verne, the feature starred Lionel Barrymore, Jacqueline Gadsdon, and Lloyd Hughes; and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"On a volcanic island near the kingdom of Hetvia rules Count Dakkar, a benevolent leader and scientist who has eliminated class distinction among the island's inhabitants. Dakkar, his daughter Sonia and her fiance, engineer Nicolai Roget have designed a submarine which Roget pilots on its initial voyage just before the island is overrun by Baron Falon, despotic ruler of Hetvia. Falon sets out after Roget in a second submarine and the two craft, diving to the ocean's floor, discover a strange land populated by dragons, giant squid and an eerie undiscovered humanoid race."
Playing a duplicitous human is challenging enough, but Callum Keith Rennie certainly made playing a duplicitous Cylon even more interesting! His 'Leoben' was always up to something, and he was one of the reasons many folks kept watching. Since that time on Syfy's Battlestar Galactica, he's also turned up in FlashForward, Alphas, and even The X-Files: I Want To Believe. Rennie was born on this day in 1960.
Mary Crosby -- shown above in the arms of the late Robert Urich -- played the lovely but scheming Princess Karina in 1984's cultish sci-fi comedy, The Ice Pirates. Crosby was born on this day in 1959.
The biggest part of making SciFi believable -- especially for any motion picture -- is having talented actors in key roles ... kind of like casting Sam Neill as dinosaur 'expert,' Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park. Neill had a great mix of traits that made the unimaginable situation more imaginable, and the picture was stronger by him having been in it. Happy birthday wishes go out to Mr. Neill; he was born on this day back in 1947.
Walter Koenig was a 'latecomer' to our Star Trek beloved franchise, and rumor has it he was brought in -- along with his Davy Jones haircut -- to help entice the younger ladies to tune in. Thank Goodness, he came, as I can't imagine the crew of the Enterprise without that unmistakable Russian accent and attitude! Mr. Koenig was born on this day back in 1936.
When you read the title of THE GIANT BEHEMOTH or THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN, the title gives you a sense of scale. They are giant, colossal, stupendous.
I propose that THE WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS should be retitled THE WAR OF THE AMAZING COLOSSAL GIANT GARGANTUAS because they were the really big stars of the movie, dwarfing Russ Tamblyn.
I don't care if Monday's blue,
Tuesday's grey and Wednesday too,
Thursday, I don't care about you,
It's Friday, I'm in love…
It’s one of the best graphic novel comic biographies I’ve eve read, next to Maus. I think I’ll reread it. It’s available online and cheap used from Amazon. The best non-comic reg biography I’ve read is of Al Jaffee, a must-read biography.
War of the Gargantuas "Sanda vs Gaira" Vinyl Figure Set (X-Plus, 2013). From the 1966 classic Kaiju film War of the Gargantuas comes Sanda vs. Gaira! These two vinyl figures stand 10.5" and 11.75" tall and come complete with a rocky base to help build out your Kaiju diorama.
The War of the Gargantuas "Sanda vs. Gaira" Limited Edition TOHO Series Model Kit (Garage Toy, 1966).
