31 Days of Halloween - Day 2 - Movie 1

A scientific expedition to northern Sweden leads to the discovery of a spaceship, a giant monster, and a lot of tedium in Terror in the Midnight Sun (1958). For the first 45 minutes of this seventy minute film we are subjected to scientists talking about the meteor, traveling to a town near the meteor, flying out to locate the meteor, planning to visit the meteor, traveling to the site of the meteor, examining the meteor for about thirty seconds before heading back to camp, sure that it's not a meteor, but a spaceship. These scenes are interspersed with a young geologist flirting with the elder scientist's olympic gold medalist niece, and chasing her around on skis, then telling her several times she can't accompany the expedition only to have her, several times, stow away with the expedition. She's very fetching and spirited, but even though she's athletic, she's the one who wrenches her knee, requiring the young geologist to take care of her, then spends the rest of the film reduced to screaming every time the slow moving monster appears. which really isn't until the 49 minute mark. 

The monster is pretty cool, but would not look out of place in the first season of Lost in Space. The effects showing it interacting with habits and airplanes are well done. We aren't really sure what the aliens inside the spaceship have to do with it exactly, but it doesn't seem to be too bad a fellow, not that anyone cares as they attack it. 

I can't really say I recommend this movie even half heartedly, but it's on youtube if you are curious.

31 Days of Halloween - Day 2

King Kong (1933) Cut paper

31 Days of Halloween - Day 1 - Movie 2

Strange goings on plague a family living in a house with a troubled past. Apparitions appear, warnings are given, and terrible consequences are brought upon the family members. It's difficult to give a proper synopsis to La casa del fin de los tiempos/The House at the End of Time (2013) without entering spoiler territory, though I was able to figure out what was going on from the first depiction of apparitions shaking the door handles to be let in. 

I found the film really frustrating. On the one hand, it's really good, with some nice atmosphere, nice structure that leaps back and forth from the present to a time 30 years ago. and solid performances. Every time I felt sure that the movie was really good, something subtle would happen and I'd feel like I was watching a play, or an after school special. There seemed to be a bit of a disconnect between scenes filled with tension and the possibility of a threat, and those that didn't. Even the score would become distractingly playful while the two boys in the family were out playing with their friends. Also, for me, the solution to what was happening was too apparent, and while it wasn't badly conceived, my awareness of it kept me from being pulled into the mindset of the characters who didn't know what was happening. 

For me, it was a mixed bag, but there is enough positive material going on in La casa del fin de los tiempos, that I think you should view it yourself and draw your own conclusions. 

31 Days of Halloween - Day 1 - Movie 1

To launch this month's viewing, I decided to revisit a highly anticipated movie from last year that did not disappoint. The Babadook (2014) centers on Amelia (Essie Davis), a single mom, still morning her husband and trying to handle her increasing anxious and aggressively behaved young son, Samuel (Noah Wiseman). Samuel leaves her physically and emotionally drained, and causes her to become further and further isolated from the outside world, including her own sister.

If this weren't enough to cope with, Samuel's problems increase after the mysterious appearance of a disturbing pop-up book entitled, Mister Babadook. The book centers on a frightening bogey man figure determined to terrify the other characters in the story who go beyond simply representing Amelia and Samuel.

There is no slow burn with this movie. It assaults the viewer with Amelia's situation and Samuel's behavior issues right from the get go and never lets up, and would be as equally successful a horror film even if Mister Babadook never reared his frightening head. The Babadook himself, is a terrifying figure that never really shows itself in the film except in fleeting glimpses, and as a character in a silent movie as well as the creepy illustrations in the book. His voice is enough to supply all of the dread implied by his nearly invisible presence.

I highly recommend this film. The performances by the two leads are almost too convincing, and the film is filled with plenty of atmosphere and anxiety producing sequences that continually tighten the screws of the film's dreadful build up towards it's climax.

31 Days of Halloween - Day 1 - Spooky Bonus

This year, like all year's past, I'll be watching horror movies every day in October and posting about them on this blog. I don't know how many movies are on the list below, somewhere between 500-600, I'm guessing, but the list represents all of the movies I've watched for the Countdown to Halloween beginning with 2006 and ending with last year. If you are stumped for something to watch, there are plenty of movies to choose from. Click on any title to see what I thought about it.

Recommendation: For best results watch late at night and alone.


Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)
Absentia (2011)
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
The Alligator People (1959)
The Amazing Colossal Man (1957)
American Mary (2012)
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
Antiviral (2012)
Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957)
Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959)
Attack of the Puppet People (1958)
Attack the Block (2011)
Audition (1999)
The Awakening (2011)
Bag of Bones (2011)
Baron Blood (1972)
The Bat (1959)
Bay of Blood (Twitch of the Death Nerve) (1972)
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961)
Beetlejuice (1988)
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)
Bell, Book and Candle (1958)
Big Ass Spider (2013)
The Birds (1963)
The Black Cat (1934)
Black Friday (1940)
The Black Room (1935)
Black Sabbath (1963)
Black Death (2010)
The Black Scorpion (1957)
Black Sheep (2006)
Black Sunday (1960)
Blacula (1972)
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
The Blob (1958)
The Blob (1988)
Blood of Dracula (1957)
The Body Snatcher (1945)
The Brain from Planet Arous (1957)
Brainiac (1962)
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)
A Bucket of Blood (1959)
Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)
The Burrowers (2008)
Byzantium (2012)
Cabin in the Woods (2011)
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
The Call of Cthulhu (2005)
Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter (1974)
Captive Wild Woman (1943)
The Captured Bird (2012)
The Car (1977)
Carrie (1976)
Castle Freak (1995)
The Cat and the Canary (1927)
The Catman of Paris (1946)
Cat's Eye (1985)
Chamber of Horrors (1966)
The Changeling (1980)
Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things (1972)
Child's Play (1988)
Chilean Gothic (2000)
Chosen Survivors (1974)
Christine (1983)
City of the Living Dead (1980)
The Comedy of Terrors (1963)
The Corpse Vanishes (1942)
Corridors of Blood (1958)
Count Yorga - Vampire (1970)
The Crater Lake Monster (1977)
The Crawling Eye (1958)
Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954)
The Creature Walks Among Us (1956)
Creature With the Atom Brain (1955)
The Creeping Flesh (1973)
The Creeping Terror (1964)
Cronos (1993)
The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
Curse of the Fly (1965)
The Curse of the Living Corpse (1964)
The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1964)
Curse of the Werewolf (1961)
A Dark and Stormy Night (2009)
Dark City (1998)
The Dark Eyes of London/The Human Monster (1939)
Dark Tales of Japan (2004)
Darkman (1990)
Daughter of Dr. Jekyll (1957)
The Day the World Ended (1956)
Daybreakers (2009)
The Dead (2010)
Dead of Night (1945)
Dead Silence (2007)
The Deadly Mantis (1957)
The Devil Rides Out (1968)
The Devil's Backbone (2001)
Devil's Mile (2014)
The Devil's Rain (1975)
Devils of Darkness (1965)
Diary of the Dead (2007)
Die, Monster, Die! (1965)
Dr. Cyclops (1940)
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920)
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972)
Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965)
Dr. X (1932)
Dogora (1964)
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973)
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)
Dracula (1931)
Dracula - (Spanish language version) (1931)
Dracula (The Horror of Dracula) (1958)
Dracula (1973)
Dracula (1979)
Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968)
Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)
Dracula's Daughter (1936)
Drag Me to Hell (2009)
Duel (1971)
The Dunwich Horror (1970)
The Earth Dies Screaming (1965)
The Eclipse (2009)
The Edgar Allan Poe Collection - Annabel Lee
Empire of the Ants (1977)
The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)
Eyes Without a Face (1962)
Faust (1926)
The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967)
Final Destination (2000)
The Final Destination (2009)
Final Destination 2 (2003)
Final Destination 3 (2006)
First Man Into Space (1959)
Flip (2004)
The Fly (1986)
Food of the Gods (1976)
The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake (1959)
Frankenstein (1910)
Frankenstein (1931)
Frankenstein (2004)
Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell (1973)
Frankenstein Created Woman (1967)
Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster (1965)
Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman (1943)
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969)
Frankenstein vs Baragon (Frankenstein Conquers the World) (1965)
Frankenstein's Daughter (1958)
Frankenweenie (1984)
Frankenweenie (2012)
Freaks (1932)
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
Friday the 13th (2009)
Fright Night (1985)
From Beyond the Grave (1973)
The Frozen Ghost (1945)
Funhouse (1981)
The Gate (1987)
Genocide (1968)
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966)
The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (1966)
The Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow (1959)
Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)
The Ghost Breakers (1940)
Ghostbusters (1984)
The Ghoul (1933)
The Giant Claw (1957)
The Giant Gila Monster (1959)
Ginger Snaps (2000)
Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell (1968)
The Golem (1920)
Gorgo (1961)
The Gorgon (1964)
Gorilla at Large (1954)
The Green Slime (1968)
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
The H-Man (1958)
The H.P. Lovecraft Collection: Volume 4 - "Pickman's Model" 
Halloween (1978)
Halloween (2007)
Halloween II (2009)
Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
Halloween - The Happy Haunting of America (1997)
The Hand of Death (1962)
The Haunted Palace (1963)
The Haunting (1963)
Haxan (1922)
The Headless Horseman (1922)
Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)
Hellraiser (1987)
Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996)
Hellraiser: Deader (2005)
Hellraiser: Hellseeker (2001)
Hellraiser: Hellworld (2005)
Hellraiser: Inferno (2000)
Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992)
The Hidden (1987)
The Hideous Sun Demon (1959)
Higanjima (2009)
Hold That Ghost (1941)
The Hole (2009)
Homicidal (1961)
Horror Express (1973)
Horror Island (1941)
The Horror of Party Beach (1964)
The Host (2006)
House (1977)
House of Frankenstein (1944)
House of Horrors (1946)
House of 1000 Corpses (2002)
House of the Devil (2009)
The House That Dripped Blood (1970)
How to Make a Monster (1958)
The Howling (1981)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)
I Eat Your Skin (1964)
I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (1957)
I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957)
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
Inferno (1980)
The Innkeepers (2011)
Insidious (2010)
Invaders From Mars (1986)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957)
The Invisible Man (1933)
The Invisible Man Returns (1940)
The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944)
The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977)
Island of Lost Souls (1933)
Island of Terror (1966)
Island of the Alive (1987)
Isle of the Dead (1945)
It Came From Beneath the Sea (1955)
It Came from Outer Space (1953)
It Lives Again (1978)
It! - The Terror Beyond Space (1958)
It's Alive (1974)
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer (2007)
Jacob's Ladder (1990)
Jeepers Creepers (2001)
Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003)
Jekyll (2007)
Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter (1966)
Ju-On: The Grudge (2002)
Kill, Baby...Kill! (1966)
Kiss of the Damned (2012)
Konga (1961)
Laid to Rest (2009)
The Last Warning (1929)
The Last Winter (2006)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatural (1973)
The Leopard Man (1943)
Let the Right One In (2008)
Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971)
Lifeforce (1985)
The Living Skeleton (1968)
Lizzie Borden Took An Ax (2014)
The Lords of Salem (2012)
Lugosi: Hollywood's Dracula (1997)
M (1931)
The Mad Ghoul (1943)
Mad Love (1935)
The Mad Monster (1942)
Mad Monster Party (1967)
Madhouse (1974)
The Man From Planet X (1951)
Man Made Monster (1941)
Man of a Thousand Faces (1971)
The Man They Could Not Hang (1939)
The Man Who Laughs (1928)
The Manster (1959)
Mark of the Vampire (1935)
Martin (1977)
The Mask (1961)
Masque of the Red Death (1964)
Matango (1963)
The Maze (1953)
Meet Me In St. Louis (1944)
Men In Suits (2012)
Messiah of Evil (1973)
Mimic (1997)
The Mist (2007)
Mr. Sardonicus (1961)
The Mole People (1956)
The Monolith Monsters (1957)
Monster House (2006)
The Monster Maker (1944)
The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959)
Monster On the Campus (1958)
The Monster Squad (1987)
Moon of the Wolf (1972)
Mother of Tears (2007)
The Mummy (1932)
The Mummy (1959)
The Mummy's Curse (1944)
The Mummy's Ghost (1944)
The Mummy's Hand (1940)
The Mummy's Tomb (1942)
Munster Go Home (1966)
The Munster's Revenge (1980)
The Murder Mansion (1972)
Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
The Mutations (1974)
Mystery in the Wax Museum (1933)
Mystics in Bali (1981)
Nadja (1994)
Night Monster (1942)
Night of the Blood Beast (1958)
Night of the Demon (1957)
Night of the Eagle (1962)
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Night Tide (1961)
Night Watch (2004)
Nightbreed (1990)
A Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Nightmare Castle (1965)
A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
A Nightmare On Elm Street 2 - Freddy's Revenge (1985)
A Nightmare On Elm Street 3 -  Dream Warriors (1987)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 - The Dream Master (1988)
A Nightmare On Elm Street 5 - The Dream Child (1989)
Nosferatu (1922)
Not of This Earth (1957)
Oculus (2013)
Orphan (2009)
The Orphanage (2007)
The Others (2001)
Paranoiac (1963)
The Paul Lynde Halloween Special (1976)
Phantasm (1979)
Phantasm II (1988)
The Phantom Carriage (1921)
The Phantom Creeps (1939)
Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
Pillow of Death (1945)
The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
Planet of the Vampires (1965)
Poltergeist (1982)
Prophecy (1979)
Puppet Master (1989)
Puppet Master II (1991)
Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge (1991)
Q: The Winged Serpent (1982)
Quatermass and the Pit (Five Million Miles to Earth) (1967)
The Quatermass Experiment/The Creeping Unknown (1955)
Queen of Blood (1966)
The Raven (1935)
Re-Animator (1985)
[Rec] (2007)
The Reptile (1966)
The Return of Count Yorga (1971)
The Return of Doctor X (1939)
The Return of Dracula (1958)
The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
The Return of the Vampire (1944)
Revenge of Frankenstein (1958)
Revenge of the Creature (1955)
Revolt of the Zombies (1936)
Rogue (2007)
The Ruins (2008)
Santo contra la hija de Frankenstein (1972)
Santo en el tesoro de Dracula (1969)
Santo y Blue Demon contra Dracula y el Hombre Lobo (1973)
Santo y Matequlla Napoles en La vengganza de la llorona (1974)
The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973)
Scanners (1981)
Scars of Dracula (1970)
Scream, Blacula, Scream (1973)
The Secret of the Blue Room (1933)
The Sentinel (1977)
The 7th Victim (1943)
The Shadow of the Cat (1961)
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
The She-Creature (1956)
Shivers (The Parasite Murders) (1975)
Shock Waves (1977)
Shutter Island (2010)
The Skull (1965)
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Slither (2006)
Son of Frankenstein (1939)
Son of Kong (1933)
Sorrows of Satan (1926)
Space Amoeba (1970)
Spider Baby (1967)
The Spirit of the Beehive (1973)
Splinter (2008)
Squirm (1976)
Sssssss (1973)
Stanley (1972)
Strange Invaders (1983)
The Strangers (2008)
Suspiria (1977)
Tales from the Crypt (1972)
Tales of Terror (1962)
Tarantula (1955)
Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970)
Teenagers from Outer Space (1959)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
Them! (1954)
They Live (1988)
The Thing (1982)
The Thing (2011)
The Thing from Another World (1951)
13 Ghosts (1960)
30 Days of Night (2007)
Tormented (1960)
Track of the Moon Beast (1976)
Trail of the Screaming Forehead (2007)
Trailer Park of Terror (2008)
Tremors (1990)
Trick R Treat (2007)
Trilogy of Terror (1975)
Trollhunter (2010)
Twice Told Tales (1963)
Twins of Evil (1971)
The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960)
The Undying Monster (1942)
The Vampire (1957)
The Vampire Bat (1933)
Vampire Circus (1972)
Vampyr (1932)
Vampyres (1974)
Vault of Horror (1973)
Village of the Damned (1960)
Village of the Giants (1965)
Viy (1967)
Voodoo Island (1957)
Wake Wood (2011)
The Walking Dead (1936)
War of the Gargantuas (1966)
Weird Woman (1944)
The Werewolf (1956)
Werewolf in a Girls Dormitory (1961)
Werewolf of London (1935)
White Zombie (1932)
The Wicker Man (1973)
Witchcraft (1964)
Witchfinder General (1968)
The Witch's Mirror (1960)
The Wolf Man (1942)
The Wolfman (2010)
The Woman Who Came Back (1945)
The X from Outer Space (1967)
Young Frankenstein (1974)
Zombie (1979)
Zombies of Broadway (1945)
The Zombies of Mara Tau (1957)

31 Days of Halloween - Day 1

The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954). Cut paper.

31 Days of Halloween - Welcome

Welcome to my 10th Annual Halloween Countdown. This year, to mark the occasion, I wanted to do something I haven't done here since 2009. For the entire month of October I'm going to post a cut paper portrait of a different monster from film and television. Some pieces were created for gallery shows, but the bulk of them were made specifically for this countdown and will be making their debut each day throughout the month. It's also a pretty random assortment.

In addition I will be attempting to watch 2 movies a day which I will post here along with my brief reaction to each film. I had considered including Easter eggs (or Halloween Jack O'Lanterns in this case) by dropping random links into my posts and comment sections which would connect with favorite posts from the previous nine years of Halloween Countdowns. I ended up opting out of doing that, and sticking to something clean and simple. I figure there are so many other blogs to visit during the Countdown that I didn't need to clutter the field further. For anyone interested, just visit the past October posts in my blog archive to the right.

I'd like to thank everyone who has taken the time to visit in the past and would like to give a big shout out to my fellow Halloween Countdown bloggers who are also celebrating their 10th anniversaries this year, and those who were here at the beginning but have moved on to other things.

Without any further ado, let's begin.

Guillermo Del Toro: In Service of Monsters Video

For those of you who couldn't make the show, here's a nice video of the opening. To see all of the art (including the piece above by Audrey Pongracz) visit Gallery 1988's website. You can view my own piece by scrolling to the previous posts.

Guillermo Del Toro: In Service of Monsters Art Now Online

Guillermo Del Toro: In Service of Monsters opened this past Friday at Gallery 1988 (West) in Los Angeles. Curated by Chogrin Munoz and Gary Deocampo, this was the first art show that my work has appeared in that I actually attended the opening for.

Since the show was hosted by Gallery 1988, for whom I've been creating work for several years, it also gave me the opportunity to finally meet in person the Gallery owners who have graciously included me in so many terrific shows in the past. A kinder group of people you couldn't ask for.

It was also great to see so much outstanding art in person and meet so many of the genuinely nice artists who created work for their show, as well as their friends, spouses and family who came out to show their support.

Then there was this guy:

The man who inspired so many artists to really produce some incredible artwork; Guillermo Del Toro, himself, who generously appeared to give his appreciation to the creators of the work filling the gallery. Naturally, the aspect of my work he appreciated the most (beyond how much work he intuited went into the piece) was the color coding that I used in grouping his characters, which he checked to make sure was correct.

The following three photos were all taken by Gary Decamp (the third on my crappy phone). The first also features curator, Chogrin Munoz.

The gallery was decked out with the arches from Crimson Peak (2015), and the opening was officially marked with the cutting of the Cronos device cake, which was red velvet and delicious.

The show runs through October 3, 2015. If you can make it in person, I urge you to do so. The art is really impressive and looks even better in person.

If you can't attend in person, all of the art is up for viewing/purchase here.


There's also a brief article on the show at io9, and more photos of the opening can be seen here.

Opening Tonight

Guillermo Del Toro: In Service of Monsters opens tonight at Gallery 1988 (West) and runs through October 3, 2015. To see the piece I did for this show, scroll down to the previous post. I will be attending the opening in person, so if you are in Los Angeles, please stop by and say "hi" and check out the show. I guarantee it will be worth the visit.

Guillermo Del Toro: In Service of Monsters Show Opens Friday.

Here is the piece I created for the "Guillermo Del Toro: In Service of Monsters" show which opens this Friday at Gallery 1988: West. Based on the other art I've seen for this show, it's going to be fantastic. I'm honored to be a part of it, not only because I'm a tremendous fan of GDT's work, but because I'll be sharing space with so many artists whose work I admire. I'm also excited that I'll be attending this show in person, so if you're in Los Angeles, please stop by and check it out.





 

Ask Me Anything #50

It's the first Monday of the month meaning it's once again time for "Ask Me Anything". 

You can ask me any questions you'd like, whether it's about my work, opinions, influences, favorites, least favorites, or anything else you think I might have an answer for. Since this is the 50th edition of this, feel free to ask me some big questions, too. Questions can be posted in the comments section below, and I'll either answer them there, or in a separate post sometime later in the month.

I've been asked a lot of good, thought provoking questions in the past as well as some really banal ones, all of which I tried to answer. You can see the previous questions by visiting Ask Me Anything  #1, #2 ,  #3, #4, #5, #6 , #7 , #8, #9,  #10,  #11,  #12 , #13, #14,  #15 , #16, #17 , #18 , #19,  #20,  #21, #22,  #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35, #36, #37, #38, #39, #40, #41, #42,  #43, #44, #45,  #46, #47,  #48, and #49.  Answers not found following the questions can be found in the archives section for each associated month under Ask Me Anything.

Now ask away. 

Guillermo Del Toro Preview

Guillermo Del Toro: In Service of Monsters opens this Friday at Gallery 1988 (West). Above is the highly detailed sketch I used to create my piece. I will post the finished piece later this week.

Static Action Figure

It won't be available until next Spring, but pre-order information is now available for the 6" action figure of Milestone's Static. My time on the comic book series might have been a miserable one, but I still love the character, and think this action figure is a nice representation.

The Next Show I'm Part of