Cobbled Together: The Monster of Frankenstein
In 1954, at the height of McCarthyism, the comic book industry was under scrutiny for being a corrupter of youth and an inciter of crime. And according to the book Seduction of the Innocent by
The Blood Elevator: Its Meaning & Symbol
The blood elevator scene, sometimes called the ‘river of blood’, from Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is a horrifying and disturbing image in a film full of horrifying and disturbing images. Upon watching it the scene
Godzilla Heisei Era: I Think I love These Movies (Part I)
As a kid, I was a big fan of Godzilla movies. They were a mainstay on weekend afternoon television while I was growing up and they were always a treat. Sure, they were cheap, often
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” has for a long time been my favorite “ghost story,” not solely because of how well it is told, but also because it is, for me, a “local” tale, in
Blood Rush (A Short Story by Guest Author Tessa Lee Carr)
We shared our first kiss under the cherry blossom tree. It was perfect, like a scene from the movies. I stared into her eyes and brushed her soft hair from her delicate face. I saw
Even the Moon is Frightened of Me: The Invisible Man (Monster Memories)
An invisible man must be one of the more bizarre choices for a monster. First of all it’s not really a monster, not in the classical sense anyway. He is, after all, just a
I Dislike Being Touched: The Mummy (Monster Memories)
The Mummy from 1932 is a classic. A flawed classic for sure, but a classic nonetheless. There are parts of this film that are truly brilliant and there are parts that are…well…not. To be honest
Even a Man Who is Pure in Heart: The Wolf-Man (Monster Memories)
By 1941 Universal had been making monster movies for over a decade. It had now become a well-oiled machine and while not quite formulaic just yet was well on its way to becoming so.
Reckoning Upon God: Frankenstein (Monster Memories)
Frankenstein is one of the few classic monster movies that I did not see on a Saturday afternoon on a UHF channel. No, this film was played in prime time. It was a special
I Mistrust My Own Judgement: Dracula (Monster Memories)
Tod Browning’s 1931 adaptation of Dracula is the granddaddy of them all, the film the launched the Classic Monster films of Universal. The Universal cinematic universe if you will. I try not to judge
Notes from the Dreaming: A Shape in the Darkness
In the darkness, you were dreaming. Dreaming and that is all. You did not see what you thought you saw. You did not experience what you thought you thought was so real. There was not
The Missing Child
I wake in darkness to find my child gone. The realization comes slowly. Half-awake I reach out a hand to the opposite side of the bed. Grasping, slowly at first then faster, palm flat and
All That is Gold Does Not Glitter
I am re-reading The Lord of the Rings (again) and came upon this poem. It is in the letter that Gandalf leaves for the hobbits in Bree. I've always loved this so I thought I'd
Illustrating Nightmares: Lounge Lizards by Ralph Steadman
To say that Ralph Steadman has a distinctive style is a bit of an understatement. Primarily an illustrator and cartoonist, Steadman started his career in the 1960s and soon established himself as a counter-culture icon.
I Remember Magic
I am driving home from work in the rain. The traffic is heavy and I am upset. Not at anything in particular, just a strange combination of angry-sad, non-focused malaise. I have a feeling of
Jupiter is Far Out: NASA Image of the Day
This image is made up of two things I really enjoy: Space stuff and psychedelic art. And not since the final section of 2001: A Space Odyssey has the two been blended so well together!
Brain Salad Surgery: Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Difficult Beauty
Brain Salad Surgery is the fourth studio album from prog-rock supergroup Emerson, Lake, & Palmer and is arguably their most well-known. The reason for its notoriety can be boiled down to two things: an
Collected Edition: New Episodes!
After a brief hiatus due to overwhelming personal commitments, severe technical difficulties, and occasional bouts of procrastination new episodes are back! If you're not familiar with the Collected Edition, it is a podcast hosted
I Can Hear the Fireworks Up & Down the Line: 4th of July Memories
It is Independence Day. There is red, white and blue bunting hung from porches and windows. The air has the scent of smoke; it’s there in the background but always present. You almost don’t notice it...
A Four Letter Word: The LOVE Sculpture in Philadelphia
“Would you look at that, that’s nice isn’t it?” My Mom (circa 1976 when seeing LOVE for the first time) In Center City, Philadelphia on the intersection of 15th Street and JFK Boulevard sits
…X-Rays From Uranus: NASA Image of the Day
[INSERT JOKE HERE] But seriously folks... Detecting X-Rays From Uranus Astronomers have detected X-rays from Uranus for the first time, using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, as shown in this image from March 2021. This result may help scientists
Freedom by Ambrose Bierce
I'm going to post this with very little comment from me other than to welcome you to this month's theme: FREEDOM. The reason for posting this should be fairly obvious. And by way of
All That Road Going: Kerouac & A Driving Beat
On my 16th birthday my brother gave me a copy of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road and it changed my life forever. Not really. It would be nice if it did, if it worked that