Saturday, November 2, 2013 Dia de Los Muertos with El Santo!

Thursday, October 31, 2013 Halloween Treat: Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter

As all Hammer aficionados know, Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter was a late-game attempt to create a new franchise for the financially ailing studio.  The film was not as successful - artistically or financially - as had been hoped, and so despite the potential of the character no sequels ever materialized. 

At least not on the screen. The official studio's official fan magazine, House of Hammer, featured the good Captain in an original serialized adventure.  I've compiled the strip in Comic Book Reader format and included HoH's adaptation of the original film for good measure.  To add it to your trick-or-treat bag, simply right click on the link below:

Captain Kronos - House of Hammer

Laurie Johnson - Captain Kronos Theme

Wednesday, October 30, 2013 Halloween Countdown: El Santo!

He is the king of the luchadors! He is the national hero of Mexico and a pop icon worldwide! He is a complicated man, and no one understands him bu- no, wait that's someone else. He is El Santo, and if judged by longevity and sheer diversity of opponents, he might be the greatest monster hunter of them all!

Rodolfo Guzmán began his wrestling career in the mid-thirties but it wasn't until he adopted the El Santo persona in 1942 that his career began to take off.  Originally working as a rudo, Santo's growing popularity led him to make a face turn and he worked as a technico for the rest of his career.

In 1952, Santo became the first superhero luchador when he received his own comic strip.  A B&W mix of fumetti-like photographs and line art, the series was published thrice-weekly and, according to some reports, was selling half a million copies per issue!  This was where the wrestler's career began as a teratonomist and he would do battle in these pages for over thirty years, fighting monsters, gangsters, and whatever else the strip's writers could dream up.

Knowing a good thing when the saw it, Mexican moviemakers invited Santo to bring his superhero persona to the silver screen.  He turned down the offer as he was not confident in the project and felt a cinematic flop could do serious damage to his career.  Santo would not star in his own motion picture until 1958, after the luchadaor genre was an established success.

Though he was late to the party, Santo hit the ground running and never looked back.  (Mixed metaphors are perfectly acceptable when talking about someone as awesome as El Santo.)  He would appear in a whopping 52 films; the only other actor I know of that has played the same character in as many films is the legendary Kwan Tak-hing.  

The Santo films would play across all manner of genres, from horror to comedy, and feature the hero confronting everything from serial killers to cattle rustlers. However, it's El Santo's battles against the forces of darkness that we most remember.  Werewolves, vampire women, Mexican mummies, La Llorona, Frankenstein's daughter, and even Dracula himself - Santo has suplexed 'em all!

The Santo films reflected their times.  In the Batmania 60's, no attempt was made to give Santo a backstory or personality other than that of a 24-hour crimefighter/pro westler.  He would often race straight from match to crime scene in full costume, leaping out of his convertible to deliver forearm smashes to vampires, aliens, and enemy spies.   By the 70's neo-realism had taken root; Santo would usually be seen in street clothes (albeit masked) and was as likely to battle drug dealers as he was monsters.

I recently picked up a couple of UK DVDs of Santo films not available in English-friendly versions here in the States. 1963's Santo in the Wax Museum is a classic typical of era; Santo is a mysterious force for good popping in and out of the film as needed, leaving the young romantic leads to drive most of the story.  1972's Santo vs Las Lobas is a different animal (hah!) entirely. This version of  Santo much more human and is capabable of fear and despair in a way that would have been unthinkable even five years earlier.  If Wax Museum is an attempt to invoke the feel of a Universal horror, Las Lobas is squarely in the downbeat mode of Al Adamson and other early Seventies drive-in fare.

Both discs were released by Yume Pictures in an attempt to cash in on the Nacho Libre mania that never materialized, and sadly the third release in the series was canceled. I was pretty lucky to score the out-of-print DVDs for cheap and would recommend them to any fans of the genre.

Today's treat is a English-subtitled version of Santo vs. Las Lobas, ripped from my DVD, hosted in several chunks on YouTube, and subject to the usual complicated access issues.  The first part is embedded below.  Enjoy!

Sunday, October 27, 2013 Halloween Countdown: Father Sandor

It's Sunday, so let's get ecclesiastical!  Today's monster hunter is the unfortunate Father Sandor, who started his career as a last-minute replacement for Professor Van Helsing and ended it playing second fiddle in his own comic strip.

When shooting began on Dracula: Prince of Darkness - featuring the return of Christopher Lee as the Count - Peter Cushing was not available to reprise his role as Professor Van Helsing due to the illness of his wife, Helen.  The filmmakers wisely chose not to recast Van Helsing or replace the character with a pale imitation.

Instead, they created a new character who was the polar opposite of the good professor in everything but his dedication to fighting evil. As portrayed by the great Andrew Keir (easily the best of the cinema Quatermasses), Father Sandor is blunt rather than reserved, a man of faith rather than science, a rugged outdoorsman rather than a scholar.  The boisterous, gun-toting monk is the kind of priest who teaches the local youth to box - and gives them a cuff upside the head when they misbehave.  In short, he's a hoot.

Sadly, Prince of Darkness was the only film appearance of Father Sandor.  I would have loved to have seen him return and can only dream of an on-screen team-up of Sandor and Cushing's Van Helsing.  I guess the makers of The House of Hammer magazine felt the same way, for after adapting Dracula: Prince of Darkness in comic form, they gave the cleric his own strip.  Father Shandor battles demons and the spiritual descendants of the Puritan zealots from Twins of Evil in an trio of tales illustrated by comics legend John Bolton.

As House of Hammer wound down, Shandor moved over to Warrior magazine and gained an new on-going adversary, the demoness Jaramsheela.   Unfortunately, writer Steve Moore appears to have become increasingly more interested in the villain (it couldn't have helped that the comic version of Shandor lacked Keir's gruff charm) and at times she pushed the good Father out of his own strip.  In fact, when the ongoing storyline was finally resolved years later (in one of Atomeka Press' A1 anthologies), Jaramsheela was the title character and poor Father Shandor turns up in a mere three panels.  

Today's treat is a collection of all of Father Shandor's graphic adventures.  If you do not have Comic Book Reader or a similar program that can handle the cbz format, simply renamed the downloaded files to .zip extension and extract the images.

Sandor - House of Hammer

Shandor - Warrior Magazine

Shandor - A1 True Life Bikini Confidential

Friday, October 25, 2013 Halloween Countdown: Professor Van Helsing

Thanks to a gajillion adaptations of Bram Stoker's seminal novel, Professor Van Helsing is almost as well-known as his undead adversary.  Of all the portrayals of the good doctor, however, one towers above the rest.  The great Peter Cushing gave us a Van Helsing who was an academic with the soul of a swashbuckler.  Who could forget the mad dash across the table in Horror of Dracula, or the leap onto the burning windmill in Brides of Dracula?  Even a lesser film like Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires features a 63-year-old Cushing hurtling himself backwards into a campfire!  This Van Helsing ws the first "action scientist" I encountered and immediately became a lifelong hero of mine.

As a big fan of kung fu movies, I've always had a fondness for the aforementioned Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires .  Yeah, the involvement of Dracula is nonsensical and contrived, and the fight choreography is pretty weak sauce. But I love it, undead warts and all.

In the days before home video, studios would often release LP tie-ins of classic or cult films.  These, along with condensed Super 8 prints, were the only way for fans to enjoy their favorite movies in-between sporadic television airings.  Warner Brothers released a record version of Golden Vampires with narration by Peter Cushing himself.  The LP is a collector's item today; a recording was included as an extra on the Anchor Bay DVD of the film, but it, too, is long out of print.  While the movie has been recently reissued by another company, the new disc does not feature any extras at all.

Today's treat is an MP3 file of the Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires album, featuring the music of James Bernard and narration by Peter Cushing.  It was taken from my own copy of the AB disc, so there.  You can either stream the file through the embedded player below, or figure out a clever way of downloading from the host site.

I own this magnificent poster.  Suck it, universe!

Thursday, October 24, 2013 Halloween Countdown: Section V

Today's Occult Detectives are the heroes of the cult classic television series, Ultraviolet.

Officially the "Complaints Investigation Branch" of the London Metropolitan Police Force, the CIB is actually a joint operation with the Vatican's Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith - otherwise known as the Inquisition.  Despite this connection (and the fact that the squad is headed by a priest), the CIB make a strenuous effort to keept the metaphysical at arm's length.  The word "vampire" is never uttered; the enemy is referred to as "Code 5's", "leeches", or the "infected".  Like Carnacki, the agents of Section V confront the supernatural equipped with the latest technology, employing concentrated garlic gas, carbon-tipped bullets, and gun cameras in their forays against the undead.

But the Code 5's remain stolidly supernatural.  No effort is put forth to come up with a convoluted scientific explanation as to why they don't show up in mirrors or are able to reconstitute themselves (and their wardrobe) after being reduced to a fine powder.  But despite their traditional characteristics, the vampires on Ultraviolet have a unique feel thanks to their creepy hivemind qualities.

The acting on Ultraviolet is top notch, with Idris Elba being an especial stand-out.  It was my first exposure to him and I quickly became a fan - especially after an incredibly tense warehouse scene, probably the most memorable moment in the series.

There were only six episodes of Ultraviolet and the series ends on, if not an outright cliffhanger, a teasing note.  Interviews with show creator Joe Ahearne indicate that he never intended for the show to continue, but personally I would love to see him revisit the property to type up a few loose ends.

The entire run of Ultraviolet are available for free viewing on Hulu.  Whether you're looking for seasonal viewing or inspiration for a campaign of Night's Black Agents, the show is definitely worth sitting through a couple of on-line commercials.

• Code 5's do not show in mirrors, photographs or videos. Their voices cannot be recorded or transmitted by phone. Image and sound can only be detected face to face.
• They are immortal. They cannot be killed, only reduced to ashes (neutralized).
• They can be neutralized by exposure to sunlight or by introducing carbon into the chest cavity (projectile, probe or explosive). Resulting immolation releases enough energy to start fires. 
• Code 5 ashes can be regenerated and must be kept secure. 
• They can be repelled by ultraviolet light (the radiation in sunlight) or by allicin (the chemical in garlic). 
• They can shield themselves from ultraviolet light with tinted glass. 
• They can be affected by polluted blood. 
• There may also be an aversion to religious symbols. This may be psychological. The effect of religious symbols on Code 5's is unproven. 
• When they feed, the host wound heals over in minutes and can only be detected in ultraviolet light. The bite can be treated with lasers. The skin around the wound is burnt away leaving a small scar. 
•  If untreated, a human becomes suggestible and develops aversion to sunlight.
•  When drained to death, a human becomes a Code 5.   No-one is forcibly recruited. They only take those who want to go. 

Wednesday, October 23, 2013 Occult Detectives: Carnacki the Ghost-Finder

Today's subject is one of the most enduring Occult Detectives, William Hope Hodgson's Carnacki the Ghost-Finder.

Thomas Carnacki was a true detective.  Unlike other occult investigators, he would systematically eliminate every possible mundane explanation before exploring a supernatural solution to a case.  And while Dr. Hessilius may have been the first to enlist the scientific method in the battle against the supernatural, Carnacki was the first to incorporate technology.  In addition to the hoary tomes and rites used by other ghostbusters, Carnacki employed then-modern tools such as photography and electricity (the "nanotech" of his age).  His most famous device was the electric pentacle, a souped-up version of the traditional occult symbol that was proper steampunk.

It's this techno angle that's led Carnacki to enjoy a mild resurgence in recent years, but it's the stories themselves that are key to the character's longevity.  Hodgson is one of the key figures in horror literature, and his Carnacki stories are imaginative and tense.  While the lead character is rather sketchily drawn, the fact that Carnacki is fallible and often overcome by fear himself help make him a ghostbreaker readers can identify with.

Despite the character's influence - and public domain status - there have been almost no attempts to bring Carnacki to the screen.  The sole exception is an episode of the classic ITV series, The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, that adapts Hodgson's "The Horse of the Invisible".  Donald Pleasence plays Carnacki as a boffin, an engineer rather than a scholar, who consults ancient texts and historical records as if they were instruction manuals. It's a great portrayal and I wish Pleasence had gone on to a Carnacki series. 

"The Horse of the Invisible" is available on DVD as part of the first Rivals of Sherlock Holmes collection.  (The whole series is well worth your time.)  And the episode is also available on YouTube, at least for now.  Watch it while you can!

Tuesday, October 22, 2013 Halloween Countdown: Doctor Hesselius

He was the first of the Occult Detectives and set the template for many that followed.  Yet he appears in only one short story and hovers in the background of a mere four more.

Doctor Martin Hesselius was the creation of Irish author, Sheridan Le Fanu. Hesselius, a physician and spiritualist, takes a naturalist's view towards the paranormal.  He sees the supernatural as simply an extension of nature and not an intrusive outside force.  Creatures such as vampires and ghosts are akin to sharks or man-eating tigers; exotic and dangerous, to be sure, but subject to logical rules and easily dealt with by the proper methods.

Hesselius was more of an archivist than a man of action.  He is an active participant in just one story, "Green Tea", and even then his role is more that of consulting physician than stalwart ghostbuster.  Hesselius merely provides commentary on the other four tales associated with him, which were culled from his collection of nearly 250 such reports by his unnamed assistant and executor, as the good doctor has passed on (under non-specified circumstances) before his works were published. 

The most famous tale collected by Doctor Hesselius is "Carmilla", the Le Fanu classic that has influenced all vampire tales that followed.  Today's Halloween Treat is the 2003 BBC Radio adaptation of "Carmilla" starring Anne-Marie Duff, Brana Bajic, David Warner, and Jacqueline Pearce.  You can stream the play via the embedded player below.

Carmilla - BBC 2003

I'm also re-upping "The Shadow People", a 1953 Hall of Fantasy episode featuring Doctor Hesselius (or at least someone with the same name) as a supporting character. It's a great, creepy tale and perfect Halloween listening!

Hall of Fantasy - "The Shadow People"

Monday, October 21, 2013 Halloween Countdown: John Silence Threedux

Looks like we're going with an "occult detective" theme this year at the Sanctum, so to kick thing's off here are four radio plays featuring Algernon Blackwood's spectral sleuth, John Silence.

I provided some background on Silence when I previously posted links to direct downloads of these BBC adaptations.  Things being what they are on the internet, all of those links are have gone invalid.  Let's see how long these streaming versions stick around.

John Silence - The Camp of the Dog

John Silence - The Nemesis of Fire

John Silence - Secret Worship

John Silence - The Empty Sleeve

Sunday, October 30, 2011 Halloween Countdown: Kolchak, the Night Stalker

A while back, I came across this column by Michael Phillips, movie critic for the Chicago Tribune. It says everything I would want to express about one of my childhood heroes in a far better way than I could manage:

Vegas vampires in the 1970s faced an unforgettable foe

August 19, 2011

This week's release of "Fright Night," a sharp-witted remake which brings vampires to modern-day Las Vegas in all its sunny horror, marks a fine time to celebrate the memory of Darren McGavin and one of his choicest roles.

I refer to Carl Kolchak, the Vegas reporter in the porkpie hat, featured in "The Night Stalker," originally broadcast Jan. 11, 1972, as an ABC Movie of the Week. (Kolchak moved to Chicago for a short-lived TV series.)

Remember those? I certainly do. I remember the tear-stained hallways of my grade school the morning after "Brian's Song" aired. And I remember the not-quite-11-year-old me dying to watch "The Night Stalker" a couple of months later, which the promos made look pretty racy for network television, and then watching it (dad, mom: thanks), and not so much dying of fright (though it was scary for the time) as going crazy for McGavin's brashly comic portrayal of a seeker of truth and reluctant vampire slayer.

Talk about a genre mash-up. A refugee from a '30s newspaper comedy plunked down inside a serial killer movie with a mythic supernatural premise.

And people did talk about it. With a script by Richard Matheson, "The Night Stalker" was a huge ratings success up against "Hawaii Five-O" and an NBC documentary special on the troubles in Northern Ireland. The cast of "The Night Stalker" included Carol Lynley, Simon Oakland, Claude Akins and Ralph Meeker. Until seeing "The Night Stalker" again recently, in the less-than-ideal YouTube edition, I'd forgotten that Meeker was part of the cast. (By the way, if you haven't checked out the Criterion Collection reissue of Robert Aldrich's "Kiss Me Deadly," starring a vicious, sneering Meeker as Mike Hammer, do so as soon as possible.)

Johnny Depp has expressed interest in developing a remake of "The Night Stalker," which has already undergone a reboot or two in various formats. The original ABC version spawned a lesser sequel ("The Night Strangler") and a short-lived TV series. Vampires never die, as we know. They're everywhere, and they all seem to have their own franchises to run. I was frankly surprised how much the new "Fright Night" brought to a crowded party.

Revisiting "The Night Stalker" reminded me of how dependent the teleplay was on McGavin's rumpled charisma. Had "The Night Stalker" featured a less interesting actor as Kolchak, the ratings probably still would've soared. But while various aspects of "The Night Stalker" date, or weren't especially fresh to begin with, everything McGavin does adds to our enjoyment. Everything. A wonderful character man, he never really got his due or the career, busy and productive as it was, that he deserved. He also had a wonderful way of tilting a porkpie hat just so. Bloodsuckers come and go, and many are worth the time and trouble. But Kolchak was something special: an immortal mortal.

Fantastic Kolchak JACK O'LANTERN (!) by Benchak at DeviantArt

I was too young to watch the original movies when they first came out, and the follow-up series aired after my bedtime and I doubt my mom would let seven-year-old me watch something so spooky, anyway.  I was fascinated by a TV listings ad for the "Vampire" episode of the series ("Remember that vampire Kolchak killed in Vegas?"), so I was ecstatic to finally catch up with Carl when CBS aired reruns as part of its Friday late-night block of programming (which is where I also discovered stuff like The New Avengers).

Naturally, I was hooked right from the start.  The monster of the week format, the Chicago setting, but above all Darren McGavin's wonderful portrayal of Carl Kolchak as a broken-down newshawk who always fought the good fight no matter how terrified he was.  And Carl got terrified a lot.  Only Shaggy and Scooby could give him a run for the money in that department.  But still Kolchak soldiered on, and it was one of the reasons we loved him so.

Given that the series was not a ratings bonanza, it's not surprising that there has been almost no Night Stalker merchandise.  I was rather giddy when Fanogria #3 fell into my hands in 1979.  It had a complete Night Stalker episode guide, and full color mini-poster that hung on my wall until it literally fell apart.  But my first piece of Kolchak memorabilia was a copy of Arrgh! featuring a parody of The Night Stalker.  Arrgh! was a monster-themed humor comic put out by Marvel in the early seventies.  It had even less success than the Night Stalker show.

Here's the complete Night Stalker spoof from  Arrgh! #4

Even today, now that geeks have inherited the Earth, there's precious few Kolchak tchotkes to be had, aside from Moonstone's line of Night Stalker comics and prose books.  However, I did come across this replica of Kolchak's legendary straw hat.  It's pricey as hell but it looks great (especially if you tuck this baby in the brim).  Maybe someday, when I have a big house and I can set up a corner desk with an old manual typewriter, flash camera, and "portable" tape recorder.  Make it look like ol' Carl had just stepped out for a moment to look something up in the file room.

Happy Halloween, Mr. McGavin.