Casting Coup Tuesdays: Theatre of Blood

Vincent Price is my favorite actor.

I don't remember when I realized this, exactly, but I know it must have been around middle school. While my fourth grade teacher playing a Vincent Price-hosted clip show of classic horror on Halloween excited me, I was a Chaney, Sr. man then, and a Lugosi faithful by the end of elementary school. Somehow, though, as my adolescence began and my knowledge of film grew past 1941, Price took over.

Do you think it might have been the films? Not to sound unsophisticated or anything, but much as I admire Chaney's silent-era physicality and Lugosi's early-sound histrionics, Price got to ham it up in the colorful 60s and 70s, when bare breasts began bouncing on-screen alongside close-up gore effects and bizarre Hollywood concepts of the drug scene. His movies were campy and dark, funny and violent, sexy and...sexy?

We could talk for ages about his Wm Castle flicks (The Tingler, House on Haunted Hill), his Poe vehicles for Roger Corman (House of Usher, The Tomb of Ligeia), his work in more prestigious fare (The Song of Bernadette, The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex), or his contributions to early Tim Burton ("Vincent", Edward Scissorhands). But I think any Price fan worth his or her salt knows that nothing beats his one-two punch of Dr. Anton Phibes and Edward Lionheart, the anti-heroes of 1971's The Abominable Dr. Phibes, 1972's Dr. Phibes Rises Again and 1973's Theatre of Blood. Both men seek to avenge perceived wrongs by murdering those he begrudges in the most creative ways possible. In the first Phibes, it's according to the Plagues of Egypt. In Theatre of Blood, it's the works of William Shakespeare.

It's really quite a phenomenal idea for a film: Vincent Price as a hammy Shakespearean actor who attempts suicide when the Critics' Circle Awards snub him in favor of a young Method actor. Unbeknownst to everyone else, he survives, and he plans his revenge on the nine members of the jury according to the plays he performed in his final theatrical season. And in between killings, he performs scenes from those very plays to a rapt audience of homeless drug addicts who "rescued" him from his botched drowning.

This is my favorite Vincent Price film, and I've always loved that it was his, too. Of course, it was here that he met his third wife Coral Browne, and realized his dream of performing Shakespeare on film. I am not lying or exaggerating when I say that I always just heard Hamlet's soliliquoy in legitimate film versions of the Bard's work; only with Price's recitation after losing the coveted prize did I fully "get" the import of the words, and the beauty of the writing.



Lionheart goes from a darkly comic villain to a tragic hero, a man who only wants to be recognized for his hard work and dedication, to be celebrated for pursuing his dream with such single-mindedness...and they laugh at him. These people who dare not try their hand at performing, who make their living scoffing at struggling performers and eviscerating the efforts of hard-working craftsmen, these butchers (as Edwina puts it) laugh at him. Perhaps Lionheart puts it best:



And if those two scenes aren't enough to convince you of this movie's greatness:

So awesome.

But Price isn't the only one with a great part. The critics are a colorful ensemble of pompous prigs, the policemen are the right balance of competent and befuddled, and Lionheart has a beautiful daughter (played by Diana Rigg) who may or may not be working with him. It's a film ripe with character parts, which is why I'm a little surprised no one's tried to remake it. There was a stage version a few years back, with Jim Broadbent and Rigg's daughter Rachael Stirling as the Lionhearts, but otherwise, no one else dares to touch the film. Is it the daunting task of even equaling Price's performance? The difficult tone? The logistics of rounding up an ensemble not only willing to do a slasher flick but giving said flick an air of legitimacy and class?

Perhaps. But this is Casting Coup Tuesday. We gotta try. But let's at least do it after the jump:

Casting Coup Tuesdays: Strait-Jacket

Lucy Harbin has been in an insane asylum for twenty years after hacking up her husband and his lover in front of her young daughter. Finally released, she is reunited with her affianced offspring, who only wishes to be one happy family. And then people start losing their heads -- literally.

I first saw Strait-Jacket a little over a year ago, for my 1964 retrospective. I had wanted to see it for a long time: being a fan of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, it was only natural that I should desire to see the Hag Horror Follow-Ups, especially if they starred my beloved Hudson Sisters. Well, Trog! remains unseen, but this gem, made the same year as Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte, is one of those that I've seen over and over again -- even if it's only in my head.

As much as people outside the cult horror fandom like to deride William Castle as little more than a marketing whiz and PT Barnum type, the man used his kitschy tricks to further enhance his films, not as stand-ins for creativity and imagination. His "Emergo" trick for House on Haunted Hill -- a skeleton crawls out of the ground and flies over the audience just as a skeleton emerges in the film -- would not have worked were you not already on the edge of your seat. Same with his "Percepto" gimmick for The Tingler. Indeed, the evidence of his strength as a director lies in the immortality of his work. Sans gimmicks, sans publicity, sans campy trailer, his films still have the ability to frighten and engage.

And while Strait-Jacket isn't really scary, per se, it does an unsettling, almost discombobulating film. Joan Crawford's entrapment in the most mind-bending washroom ever built is not only eerie for its Caligari-esque production design, but for the lack of transition. We are suddenly in this bizarre prison (with sink), with no explanation of how or why. Castle gets us into the mind of his unstable heroine through such "tricks" -- although any other filmmaker would be credited for his CRAFT. It's his most uncomfortable film since the underrated Barbara Stanwyck thriller The Night Walker.

But really: who designed this?

What I love most about Strait-Jacket are the performances, of course. The characters really are rich, and ripe for multiple interpretations. Perhaps Lucy's encounter with her daughter's fiance wouldn't be so queasily horned up in another actress's hands; perhaps Mrs. Fields would seem more understandable rather than just a tight-ass; perhaps Bill Cutler would show noticeable signs of strain. And I don't know how anyone could work on their own version of Diane Baker's character, but they've got a tough road ahead of them -- I nominated her for Best Supporting Actress.

I don't know, and yet I tried:

DR ANDERSON

Who is He: Lucy's psych at the hospital, who drops by for a visit. And then just disappears...

Originally played by: Pepsi-Cola Vice President

Mitchell Cox

My Choice:

Audra McDonald (It Runs In the Family, Rampart)

EMILY CUTLER

Who is She: The wary wife of Bill, she's helped him to raise niece Carol but is naturally concerned with the reappearance of nutty mama Lucy. Supportive throughout, she maintains dignity and patience even in Lucy's less lucid moments.

Originally played by:

Rochelle Hudson (Les Miserables (1935), The Night Walker)

My Choice:

Caroline Rhea ("Sabrina, the Teenage Witch", Christmas with the Kranks)

MRS. ALISON FIELDS

Who is She: The snobbish mother of Carol's fiance, she takes an instant dislike to Lucy, and is vehemently against the marriage. I mean, would you want your son's mother-in-law to be a just-released murderess?

Originally played by:

Edith Atwater (True Grit, Die Sister, Die!)

My Choice: Hollmann Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Cedar Rapids)

Anne Heche (Wag the Dog, Psycho)

RAYMOND FIELDS

Who is He: Her husband, a man of means who thinks Carol's a nice girl, but that mother... Anyway, he winds up in the closet on the wrong end of a hatchet.

Originally played by:

Howard St. John (Born Yesterday, Lafayette)

My Choice: Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actor - Musical/Comedy (The Purple Rose of Cairo, Something Wild, The Squid and the Whale), SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (The Hours, Good Night and Good Luck)

Jeff Daniels (Pleasantville, Looper)

LEO

Who is He: The Cutlers' extra set of hands around the farm. Greasy, sleazy, none-too-bright, Leo sees -- and sees through -- everything happening around the house. And of course, someone feels that he must be gotten out of the way.

Originally played by: Academy Award Winner for Best Supporting Actor (Cool Hand Luke), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Cool Hand Luke, Airport)

George Kennedy (The Naked Gun, Bolero)

My Choice:

Jason Clarke (Public Enemies, Lawless)

MICHAEL FIELDS

Who is He: Carol's fiance, a good-looking young man who is oddly patient with his future mother-in-law, even when she's obviously hitting on him. By wrapping her arms about him. And sticking her fingers in his mouth.

Originally played by:

John Anthony Hayes (Ride the Wild Surf, Winter A-Go-Go)

My Choice:

Chace Crawford (The Covenant, What To Expect When You're Expecting)

BILL CUTLER

Who is He: Lucy's brother, concerned for her mental well-being and Carol's welfare. Thinks something is amok, but also hopes that Lucy is healthy again.

Originally played by:

Leif Erickson (Sailor Beware, On the Waterfront)

My Choice:

Louis C.K. (Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins, The Invention of Lying)

CAROL HARBIN

Who is She: Lucy's daughter, brought up by her aunt and uncle. She witnessed the mother of her father and his mistress by Lucy, but has grown up well-mannered, confident, and beautiful. When Lucy comes home, Carol immediately tries to pick up where they left off, which may not be a good thing.

Originally played by: Hollmann Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Strait-Jacket), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (The Prize)

Diane Baker (The Silence of the Lambs, The Joy Luck Club)

My Choice: Hollmann Award/Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actress [Musical/Comedy] (Easy A), SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (The Help)

Emma Stone (The House Bunny, The Amazing Spider-Man)

LUCY HARBIN

Who is She: Locked away for twenty years after hacking up her adulterous husband and his mistress, Lucy comes back quiet and gray, ready to be reunited with her daughter. Oy, but she's only a few steps away from crazy -- she hears chanting and bells jangling (she wore a bell charm bracelet during the murder), blacks out, hits on her future son-in-law, screams at his mother... She's a piece of work. And then the bodies start piling up.

Originally played by: Academy Award Winner for Best Actress (Mildred Pierce), BAFTA Award Nominee for Best Foreign Actress (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actress - Drama (Sudden Fear)

Joan Crawford (Grand Hotel, Trog)

My Choice: Hollmann Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Savage Grace), Academy Award/SAG Award Nominee for Best Actress (The End of the Affair, Far from Heaven) and Best Supporting Actress (Boogie Nights, The Hours), BAFTA Award Nominee for Best Actress (The End of the Affair, The Kids Are All Right) and Best Supporting Actress (The Hours), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actress - Drama and Musical/Comedy (The End of the Affair, An Ideal Husband, Far from Heaven, The Kids Are All Right) and Best Supporting Actress (Boogie Nights, A Single Man), SAG Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Magnolia) and Best Ensemble (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, The Hours, The Kids Are All Right)

Julianne Moore (The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Being Flynn)
She's been my first choice since I saw the film. She would bring a whole new spin to the role, one that didn't depend on making this old woman pathetic. Naw, this Lucy would be sexy-dangerous, and yet moving with her attempts at familial bonds.

Casting Coup Tuesdays: Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte

With the success of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford were hot commodities once again and psycho-biddy films were born. And Hollywood being, in the end, all about the green, you know they had to have a sequel of some sort for the Oscar-winning, fourth highest-grossing picture of 1962. Of course, the way Baby Jane ends, a direct sequel would be impossible, not to mention anticlimactic.

Luckily, source novelist Henry Farrell had another gem in paperback: What Ever Happened to Cousin Charlotte?. It's another faded beauty gem, this time set in a dying plantation in Louisiana, where mad Charlotte Hollis has been living for forty years. Haunted by the mysterious murder of her married lover John Mayhew in 1926, a crime which she was suspected of but never convicted for, Charlotte's only company is poor white trash companion Velma and the workers trying to demolish her home to make way for the new highway. Charlotte loves Velma; the workers, on the other hand, she fires at with her daddy's shotguns. Desperate to save the place, she calls upon citified cousin Miriam to help her keep the place -- but Miriam is more interested in the vast wealth of the estate, wealth that would be hers if she can successfully have Charlotte committed. And with the help of former lover Dr. Drew Bayliss, she may get her way...

Once again, Lukas Heller adapted (this time with some help from Farrell), Robert Aldrich directed, and Bette Davis and Joan Crawford acted opposite each other. This time, Crawford was to play the cunning manipulator to Davis's shut-in, though of course the latter was getting the juicier role. Alas, the first publicity still featuring the two divas on location is all we'll see of the Crawford-Davis version: the animosity between them finally came to a head, and Joanie walked off the picture. Davis recommended her friend, fellow two-time Oscar-winner Olivia de Havilland...and surprise of surprises, her subtler, more insidious performance almost steals the show from Davis's histrionics!

Once again, audiences responded: the film was the ninth highest-grossing flick of 1964, ahead of A Hard Day's Night and right behind Viva Las Vegas!. And although it didn't bring home the gold come Oscar night, the film was still graced with seven Academy Award nominations: Best Supporting Actress for Agnes Moorehead as Velma; Best Film Editing (Michael Luciano); Best Original Score (Frank De Vol); the black-and-white categories for Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design (Norma Koch) and Best Cinematography (Joseph Biroc); and Best Original Song.

Of course, we've covered most of this before: last year, I did a retrospective of the year 1964, and I did profiles for five of those categories. So strong were the technical categories that year, I couldn't even give my personal vote to Score or Song, both of which I play repeatedly on my iTunes. My own Hollmann Awards could only fit Moorehead in -- and once you've seen the performance, you'll understand why.

I expect interest in this film, which has never really weakened, to come on still stronger in the near future. People will want to check out the Bette Davis Psycho-Biddy Double Feature that started it all once Walter Hill's remake of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is completed. And if they want to give the same treatment to Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte...well, shouldn't they stop here for a look first?

SHERIFF LUKE STANDISH

Who is He: Local sheriff, knows and respects the Hollis family, tries to reason with Charlotte but more or less knows its fruitless.

Originally played by:

Wesley Addy (Tora! Tora! Tora!, Network)

My Choice: SAG Award Nominee for Best Ensemble (Dreamgirls)

Hinton Battle (Foreign Student, TV's Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story)

BIG SAM HOLLIS

Who is He: Charlotte's daddy, a wealthy man who sought to separate his daughter from the married John Mayhew. It was his party that played host to murder, with his gazebo as the star.

Originally played by: Academy Award/Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?)

Victor Buono (The Greatest Story Ever Told, Beneath the Planet of the Apes)

My Choice:

Ken Howard (1776, J. Edgar)

HARRY WILLIS

Who is He: An insurance investigator posing as a journalist, he's poking about for the truth behind John Mayhew's decades-old murder.

Originally played by: Academy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (The Luck of the Irish, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?)

Cecil Kellaway (The Postman Always Rings Twice, Harvey)

My Choice: Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actor - Drama (Wilde), SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (Gosford Park)

Stephen Fry (Tales of the Riverbank, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows)

DR. DREW BAYLISS

Who is He: A local doctor and old friend of the Hollis family, he courted Miriam as a young man but left her after the murder of John Mayhew. Now that Miriam's back in town, single, and close to a fortune, Bayliss is more than happy to pick up where they left off.

Originally played by:

Joseph Cotten (Citizen Kane, The Third Man)

My Choice: Academy Award/Golden Globe Winner/BAFTA Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Adaptation), SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (American Beauty)

Chris Cooper (The Town, The Muppets)
Can bring a slick Southern charm, and also nail the sleazier aspects. Cooper's a master, of course, and I dare say he'd find a more nuanced approach than Cotten (and don't get me wrong: I adore Cotten).

JOHN MAYHEW

Who is He: The husband of Jewel Mayhew, he was going to elope with Charlotte Hollis the night of Big Sam's party. Instead of marital bliss, a hatchet to his hand and head saw to it that he enjoyed a honeydoom.

Originally played by: Hollmann Award/Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (The Great Gatsby), Academy Award/Golden Globe Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (Coming Home)

Bruce Dern (They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, The Driver)

My Choice: SAG Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (J. Edgar) and Best Ensemble (The Social Network)

Armie Hammer (Billy: The Early Years, Mirror Mirror)

MRS. JEWEL MAYHEW

Who is She: John's widow, respected in the community, still in mourning-dress, more reclusive. Oddly, she seems to bear little ill will for Charlotte; it's Miriam who sticks in her craw.

Originally played by: Academy Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress (The Great Lie)

Mary Astor (Dodsworth, The Maltese Falcon)

My Choice:

Morgan Fairchild (Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge, TV's Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady)
The first to be cast, actually. I was thinking, "Who could pull off the small but important role of widow Jewel Mayhew? Who could do it but not be so distracting as to take away from the film?" Diane Keaton? No, something didn't sit right with that. Morgan Fairchild? But of course! She could bring the aging beauty queen thing into it, the former belle who's still got the confidence to hurl a metaphorical loogie in Miriam's face.

VELMA CRUTHER

Who is She: Charlotte's loyal cook, housemaid and companion, white trash from the bayou who'd do anything for her employer but talk down to her. She knows the truth about everything that goes on 'round these parts...if only she would keep her mouth shut!

 

Originally played by: Hollmann Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte), Academy Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (The Magnificent Ambersons, Mrs. Parkington, Johnny Belinda, Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte), Golden Globe Winner for Best Supporting Actress (Mrs. Parkington, Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte)

Agnes Moorehead (Raintree County, The Singing Nun)

My Choice:

Beth Grant (Crazy Heart, The Artist)
A large role worthy of her talents, one that allows her to "LET IT RIP" as far as her dialect goes. She's played homely before, but rarely as central as this. You know I love her.

MIRIAM DEERING

Who is She: Charlotte's glamorous cousin from the city, still a beauty, who's come to town to take care of Charlotte and the estate. Like all beauties throughout history, however, Miriam is playing another, more manipulative game, one that ends with Charlotte in the madhouse and Miriam in a penthouse. She's a "vile, sorry little bitch".

Originally played by: Academy Award Winner for Best Actress (To Each His Own, The Heiress), Golden Globe Winner for Best Actress (The Heiress)

Olivia de Havilland (Gone with the Wind, The Swarm)

My Choice: Academy Award/Golden Globe Winner for Best Actress [Drama] (Blue Sky) and Best Supporting Actress (Tootsie), BAFTA Award Nominee for Best Actress (Tootsie), SAG Award Nominee for Best Actress (Blue Sky)

Jessica Lange (Broken Flowers, The Vow)
Still lovely, capable of a regal bearing, and great at playing controlling or sinister family members. Plus, she'd have great chemistry with my Charlotte.

CHARLOTTE HOLLIS

Who is She: Big Sam's impressionable daughter, she never got over the murder of her lover -- especially since she's the Number One Suspect! The kiddies sing, "Chop-chop, sweet Charlotte/Chop-chop 'til he's dead..." But Charlotte's miserable without him, her family, her riches, aging away in a dying plantation set for demolition, close to crazy already before Miriam and Bayliss get their hooks into her.

Originally played by: Academy Award Winner for Best Actress (Dangerous, Jezebel), BAFTA Award Nominee for Best Foreign Actress (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?), Golden Globe Nominee for Best Actress - Drama and Musical/Comedy (All About Eve, A Pocketful of Miracles, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?)

Bette Davis (The Nanny, Death on the Nile)

My Choice: Hollmann Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress (Get Low), Academy Award Winner for Best Actress (Coal Miner's Daughter), BAFTA Award  Nominee for Best Actress (Coal Miner's Daughter, Missing, In the Bedroom), Golden Globe Winner for Best Actress - Musical/Comedy and Drama (Coal Miner's Daughter, Crimes of the Heart, In the Bedroom), SAG Award Winner for Best Ensemble (The Help)

Sissy Spacek (Carrie, An American Haunting)
 Could find the crazy and the lady, creating an entirely fresh performance out of a character we all think we know. I imagine something in the vein of her Crimes of the Heart character. And speaking of that film: she and Lange have been sisters before, so why not cousins this time around?

Welcome, Boys and Ghouls....

SHOCKTOBERFEST IS UPON US!

I started the festivities early last night with Hotel Transylvania, a flick that throws all the famous monsters together for a lavish party...a mad monster party, if you will.

HA! MADNESS!

 
In this case, it's the 118th birthday of Dracula's daughter Mavis. All's well and good until a human happens on the festivities, falling in love with the beautiful birthday girl while Dracula, proprietor of the titular hotel, tries to keep the others from finding out about the surprise guest. The all-star voice cast features Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, Andy Samberg, Fran Drescher and Steve Buscemi (to name just a few), and the script provides the expected monster jokes, including their alternate versions of our human ways -- for instance, instead of "Do Not Disturb" signs, shrunken heads yell the words and order maid service. It's all quite clever!

Unfortunately, making those mad monster jokes is all the clever we can muster, and takes up a large part of the running time. Maybe the kids will love it in the theater -- although if the kids sitting near me were any indication, maybe not -- but they won't remember this film down the road. The stuff with Mavis works. We get the lesson about letting go and following your own path and loving who you love no matter who they are, and Adam Sandler and Selena Gomez do some admirable voice work. Also, it's the only time the film slows down from its breakneck pace. Otherwise, it's JOKE JOKE JOKE SETPIECE JOKE JOKE JOKE AHHH MONSTERS AHH HUMAN IT'S SO DIFFERENT IN THIS WORLD RIGHT RIGHT HUH? HUH? I mean, look, a lot of those quick gags were funny, but after a while it becomes clear that they're filler for a movie that just isn't there.

Obviously, I was reminded of the Rankin-Bass Mad Monster Party, and not just because of the general plot.

HA! MADNESS!

 
No, I was reminded because that, too, was a concept in search of a story. Characters didn't break out into song so much as they stumbled upon dirges, randomly dropped into the tale to lengthen what must have been a ten-minute story into a full hour. Hotel Transylvania is much the same way, only it doesn't give us any time at all to watch what's happening. Where Mad Monster Party lingers too long, Hotel Transylvania skips ahead before it's time. I laughed out loud, certainly, but it was equal parts compliment and incredulity.

The voice-work was great, though! And as a sidenote, I appreciated that they cast Fran Drescher as the Bride of Frankenstein, following Mad Monster Party's footsteps in giving the role to a beloved comedienne with a distinctive voice. Of course, Phyllis Diller had better lines (for whatever that's worth), but Fran!

Before we sign off for the day, a few things.

First: You have spoken, and the results are in. And it should be no surprise: last year, this film came in second place to Rosemary's Baby, and no one at all voted for Don't Look Now or The Changeling. This year, everyone got at least one vote, but it was clear from the beginning: Poltergeist it is! Sorry, Friday the 13th, always a bridesmaid, never a bride.

Second: My best friend and I came up with the name Shocktoberfest in college....only to find out later that such term was already adopted by Stacie Ponder of Final Girl. So while you're celebrating Shocktoberfest with us, make sure you hit up her party, too! She's one of the best film writers out there, passionate and hilarious, with an appreciation of Charles Nelson Reilly.

Third: Remember to tune in tomorrow for the return of Casting Coup Tuesdays with Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte.

Play us out, Phyllis.

Ghoulish Delights Forthcoming!

They're coming to get you, reader...

Yes, lovelies, HALLOWEEN is rearing its horrifying, awesome head, which means it's time to re-imagine those gran guignol faves of mine with the stars of today! Why? Because at the rate moviemaking is going, they're going to remake them anyway, so why not throw in my two cents at the outset?

But what would this be without you telling me what you want? I've already got four of the films in mind; now you're gonna tell me what to finish with. And here's the best part: no matter what you choose, I've never seen it before! I'll be reviewing a new (to me) film and offering a Casting Coup! Hooray!

poll by twiigs.com

 

You can also see this poll on the sidebar.

Of course, I'll also try to put up reviews of the horror flicks I watch this month, so feel free to recommend your own favorites!

Oh, and before I forget, the other four Casting Coups for October:

Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte

October 2

 Strait-Jacket

October 9

Young Frankenstein

October 16

 Theatre of Blood

October 23

YOUR PICK

October 30 

The 1975 Hollmann Awards: The Second, Final Half

And one week later, here's the rest of my personal awards for the films of 1975! Last week saw Nashville leading with three wins, followed closely by Monty Python and the Holy Grail and its two victories. Honors also went to Amarcord, Barry Lyndon, Dark Star and Dog Day Afternoon.

The 1975 Hollmann Awards: The First Half

Finally, the first part of my Hollmann Awards for 1975! Nine of the eighteen categories are represented here, along with five previous nominees and one previous winner! I tell you, though, I needed those extra days just to finally whittle everything down to these choices. 1975 may not have been the strongest year, but it still hurt to leave some things out (Sorry, ensemble of Switchblade Sisters! Better luck next time, screenplay for Teenage Hitchhikers!). Luckily, though, I managed to find a slate of nominees and winners I really like. Hopefully, you'll feel the same; hopefully, too, you'll disagree and we can have a heated discussion in the comments.