Vintage Comics - Beware, Issue. 1: Rebirth, The Horrible Offering (Cover - 15)

Starting an an extra cartoonish horror comic this week, I rather enjoy the little stories in Beware. Much less wordy than your traditional fare, and quite simple. Rather like little urban legends being put to paper. The first story seems to have a bit of everything in it, making it a surprisingly entertaining jaunt. You've got to feel a little sorry for the poor old man though, being converted to a weird marshmallow sea creature by his own relatives. With family like this, who needs enemies?

Book(s) of the Week: “A Treasury of Great Recipes”

It's the Price fan in me that makes me think of this book for the week. Known for his stage, screen, and radio work...Mister Price was a renaissance man. He had an excellent art collection to boot, he was a connoisseur of the finer things in life too.

True, there's nothing horrific about this book. It's a cookbook. But it's a very good one. You won't find any recipes featuring human heads, however I doubt there's much meat on them anyway.

Fun Photos: Boris Karloff

Today I thought I'd share some of my favorite pictures of Boris Karloff (or featuring him in some way), on set, off set, and in his daily life. That wonderful man who inhabited every role with incredible depth, even if the script didn't have any.

Drive-in Trailers: Based On/Inspired By True Events

Sometimes they say truth is stranger than fiction. Most times they don't, because a lot of people familiar with Cronenburg will realize he's pretty much stranger than any truth. But I digress. The following featured trailers are films inspired by/based on true events. Fun fact...looooots of films have been inspired by Ed Gein...

A quick warning that some of these trailers have graphic clips in them. This is not an advisable selection to watch with children or family :)

Vintage Comics - Eerie, Issue. 8: Halfway to Hades, The Secret Files of Dr. Drew (Pg. 15-28)

Sometimes I suspect artists are only capable of drawing people their own age, and the concept of children or young adults escapes them. That aside, I bring you another section of the Eerie issue with even more lush backgrounds and character details. It's always nice to see them not skimping on the little things. For some reason this first story reminds me of 'Minnie the Moocher' and (one of my favorite songs) 'The Ghost of Smoky Joe'.

Featured Fear: Pediophobia

There is no shame in a phobia, everybody fears something. Without fear to fuel the flames of...some other kind of horrific f word (but not he sexual one), there'd be no horror. No Halloween. NO TERROR. Be glad we all have some kind of fear in our lives, and try not to be so judgmental of the ones that may seem a little...silly.

No, surprisingly this isn't the fear of children or the fear of the love of children. It's the fear of dolls. This can range from any type of doll, but I'm sure you aren't surprised the most common form of Pediophobia is for those rather eery porcelain dolls your grandmother used to keep on the mantle.

Sometimes a child has trouble telling the difference between a real person and something that may look like one, so it isn't surprising they may even believe dolls are people. People who just...stare at you. People who don't blink (unless of course you have the kind that blinks when you tip it backwards.) People who don't change and are always witness to the naughty things a child does when their parents aren't around.

Believe it or not, Pediophobia does not group itself with the fear of ventriloquist dummies, robots and wax statues (automatonophobia). But it makes sense people might feel uncomfortable towards not-quite-people, things that seem to have all of the appearances of a human being, but lacking that one important aspect...a soul.

But I leave you with a short commercial as a reminder. When you talk to your dolls...sometimes...they talk back.

Horror Flick of the Week: Suspiria (1977)

Back in the 60s, there was an intriguing artist who had come into the world of directing. Inspired by Mario Bava in his art, Dario Argento created some very interesting...and very striking films. Three films of his focused on witched, the 'Three Mothers' trilogy. Suspiria is my favorite of these movies, if not my favorite Argento picture in general....with The Bird With the Crystal Plumage as a close second.

It takes place in a bizarre (and prestigious) dance academy where some of the more curious students seem to be dying in very strange and mysterious ways, by the hands of something living...or perhaps dead? It's an absolute visual feast, a movie that demands full attention if it is to be appreciated. I had put off watching Suspiria for a long time because of the hype, and that generally kills a movie for me. I really wish I hadn't, but I'm also glad I did, because seeing this as an adult really helped me to appreciate the brilliant cinematic qualities of this movie.

If you like witches. If you like magic. If you like horror. Faerie tales. Creative murder scenes. Creepy children. Weird tall men with ugly teeth. Intriguing camera techniques. Beautiful architecture. Intense lighting design. Any of this...you need to watch Suspiria as soon as possible.