… is our way of getting the latest hot-off-the-wire info to you; reviews, previews, scoops on horror films in production, newsworthy monster curiosities, bulletins, and other grues-flashes. There are several contributors to our hodge-podge Teletype page… BILL FERET, our man in Show Biz (he’s a professional actor, singer, dancer with the impressive resume list of stage, film and TV credits to his name), makes use of his vast professional experiences and leads to Feret-out items of interest to monster fans, and duly report on them in his flashing Walter-Wind-chill manner.
Hot off, or out of, the pages of the Marvel Comics, will be coming a series of 5-minute radio spots based upon their characters. There might also develop a TV special out of it.
The Blood business is booming, everywhere but at the hospitals and they could stand the blood. Hammer Films just started production on it’s 10th film this year already, and the gore goes on. It was a super smash in London with it’s new release of “TWINS OF EVIL.” One sister is ordinary and the other somewhat vampiric. Rather than doing the old double-exposure split-screen bit, they have (are you ready chums?) the Collinson twins, Mary and Madeleine, hot off the centerfold of Playboy magazine, essaying the duo roles, with Peter Cushing as their wise, old, witch-hunting uncle.
On a double bill with “Twins” is “HANDS OF THE RIPPER,” Ol’ Jack is up to his old tricks again, but this time with an intriguing new twist … he’s reincarnated in the body of his daughter, and carries on stalwartly. Tally Horror! It’s a well-mounted production with truly gruesome murders. It packed ’em in the English movie houses for weeks, But then again, we’re told they serve liquor at the concession stands in English theatres.
Also on the docket are “DR. JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE.” You guessed it, the benign but batty doctor, played by Ralph Bates, transforms into the beauteous but bad Martine Beswick, Miss Beswick you’ll remember from “One Million, B.C.” and “Thunderball.” | understand that Mr. Bates and Miss Beswick bear quite a remarkable resemblance. But enough of their problems.
Other Hammer releases are “BLOOD FROM THE MUMMY’S TOMB,” (Ya gotta She-Mummy this time), “BLOOD WILL HAVE BLOOD,” and another spectacula … “DRACULA-TODAY” pitting Peter Cushing against Christopher Lee again. “You can’t keep a good count down.” But it’ll be the audience who’ll be down for the count … or rolling in the aisles, not Hammer’s intent!
There’ll be two “suspense yarns” from the nitwit Hammer screenwriters, too; “FEAR IN THE NIGHT,” with Judy Geeson, Joan Collins, and of course, Peter Cushing, that familiar vest plus “STRAIGHT ON TILL MORNING” with Rita Tushingham … she’s an OK actress, but we think the yarn will cause her career to shrink.
At the recent Sitges Terror and Fantastic Film Festival held in Spain, “NECROPHAGUS” (a mutated Ghoul) was awarded first prize. In the running were the Polish “LOKIS’, Britain’s “SATAN’S CLAW,” and the Italian “ANTEFATTO” (a mutated meatball?” “or – Before the Fact – The Ecology of a crime.”
Please note the advertisement for a German liquor … Our German is a little rusty, so he couldn’t be moved much to translate. He got stuck in mid-sentence. Something about it keeping Vampires away. If Dr. Van Helsing had only known about it, he would have given up Schnapps.
Japan just aired a TV Special called “1985” dealing with a future ecological disaster (another one?). It’ll be shown here as well, but if their “1985” is as baneful as Orwell’s “1984 … a disaster just might help.
B.F
ADDENDA: Hey, gang, there’s a new fad in town – going to see spook shows at the witching hour. Several Manhattan theaters are showing horror flicks at midnight on weekends, and doing quite well at it. I went to see Night of the Living Dead at a Greenwich Village house last Saturday, and turned away when I saw a line nearly a block long.