MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM (1933) not to be confused with HOUSE OF WAX (1953); the former being essentially a remake of the latter. Ivan Igor (
Lionel Atwill) is partner with Joe Worth (
Edwin Maxwell), who, worried about the finances, wants to torch the place, & collect the insurance $$. Igor, being the sculptor who made the wax figures, is emotionally attached to them, and resists, but is knocked-out, and loses the use of his hands in the fire. Years later, Igor has built a new wax museum, not in London England, but in New York. Using a rare 2 strip color, this was very well-done, and along with Dr. X, shared both Lionel Atwill as well as the color scheme.
I have yet to re-watch HOUSE OF WAX, but, I believe the most important plot difference, is the female reporter Florence Dempsey's (
Glenda Farrell) job figures prominently. Her editor (F
rank McHugh) threatens to fire her, if she does not produce an interesting story. Her roommate Charlotte Duncan's (
Fay Wray) role is essentially the same, she ends-up under the hot wax faucet.
Ben M-- & his guest gave opening & closing remarks, & such, & despite being shown in October, it was featured not as the expected horror theme, but, rather, as film restoration, instead. Interesting discussion.
THE WICKER MAN (1973) In his before & after comments, Ben M. said that this was Chistopher Lee's favorite role!? When I 1st saw this, I was really taken by surprise by its ending, so, here I will be brief.
Lee is the lord of a remote British island, who is carrying-on with the culture embraced by his grandfather. It is pagan, complete with the sexual themes, such as fruitfulness of both the fields and the body. Young women are dancing around a fire, unencumbered by clothing, which greatly distresses Sgt. Howie (
Edward Woodward), who had just arrived to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. The police officer is simply freaking-out, at the culture embraced by the inhabitants of the island, and just as much, perhaps, more so, by the attitude of Lord Summerisle (
Christopher Lee) about it. He thought England was a Christian nation; but finding the open display of pagan culture, unbelievable. Which, is even more important, since, I, being American, read somewhere that the nation was considering prosecuting the PYTHONs on blasphemy charges for THE LIFE OF BRYAN. I had no idea! So, the cop's presumption that the paganism was just among very few of the locals, and that Christianity was the norm, was shattered in a brutal realization that everybody was in on it. I cannot find an adequate allegory; perhaps the guy who goes to work on the car he had been driving for years, and finds out the hard way, that his tool do not fit. He has inches, but the car is metric. So his spark plug wrench does not fit, then he tries to tighten some other nut or bolt, etc.
The Devil Rides Out / The Devil's Bride (1968) Supposed to be horror, & I cannot recall my 1st impression of it, but lately, I find myself laughing at it. It is the supernatural element that I find funny. I suppose if this were a novel, & I think it is based on one, my reading and visualizing in my mind would make it more believable.
Mocata (
Charles Gray, better known for the role of Blofeld) makes a wonderful Satanist/ leader of Devil worshipers. His piercing gaze hypnotizes his victims, similarly to Dracula's.
Duc de Richleau (Christopher Lee) as the hero.
A fun to watch film!
TOY COMMERCIALS (2017) most of these were before my time, but very amusing, anyway. More fun than that series, THE TOYS THAT MADE US!
Most of the boys' toys shot some kind of projectiles, or had roll caps. Kill the enemy! Except for Barbie, most of the girls' toys prepared the for lives of domesticity; cooking & cleaning, & taking care of the baby. Way cute!
GILBERT toys ran a very long ad for more than a few toys; could not have been an infomercial,no such thing back then.
A very young Billy Mumy, a few years before his appearance in THE TWILIGHT ZONE, is in a war toy ad.