SPOOKY FRANKLIN 2018

SPOOKY FRANKLIN 2018 is in the books. This was not a great year but I made past heart surgery, which really zaps your energy so I had no choice but to downsize the haunt by about half this year. Nobody even noticed and I ended up having way more kids and neighbors than any other year so far. The weather was trying to ruin things and for the first 45 minutes or so after sunset it drizzled a bit, then went into perfect Halloween night weather. It was a good time hanging out in the middle of the driveway watching oldie horrors with befuddled neighbors who had a few too many by then. Next year I hope to be back to normal energy levels.

On a sidenote, my Google domain SpookyFranklin.com expired while I wasn't paying attention. So now Google wants $100 to reinstate the domain. Fuck them. That's highway robbery. So keep in mind if you ever want to visit the blog head on out to spookyfranklin.blogspot.com

Enjoy the pics and head on over to Flickr for all the pics! https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeanoroid/albums/72157703029586214

The Many Faces of Bray Studios

I'm fascinated by trying to place bits and pieces from the various Hammer Horror films shot at Bray.
It is easiest to ID the town square with the large pass-thru used in various films (most noticeably Brides of Dracula, Curse of The Werewolf etc.). Other times, though familiar it is hard to place the shot. I would love to visit Bray and Black Park one day - though I suspect the bulldozers will arrive before I will.
This page is a good as any I've found at comparing the evolution of the Hammer Bray sets.

Bray back lot from Brides of Dracula

..and from Curse of The Werewolf. 

Bela Never Drinks..... Wine

All new in the Evil Pumpkins store! It took a few hours to finally capture (sculpt) the elements that make Bela look like Bela but in the end I think it's pretty close.

Blue is a good color for Bela and the white out eyes add a twinge of evil.

Own this in a large magnet form!

The Zandor Vorkov Plastic Fang Society!

Who the hell is Zandor Vorkov?

Why horror's gravest Dracula, that's who.

Zandor, otherwise known as Roger Engel, accountant for Al Adamson infamously renamed by noneother than Uncle Forry himself during the filming of Dracula vs Frankenstein.

Zandor, the Facebook page?

The Zandor Zorkov Plastic Fang Society is a fun little group of (currently) around 200 folks who love absurd horror.

Admined by yours truly, 'Vinegar' Tom Bagley aka Jackson Phibes, Nashville Horror-host Dr. Gangrene and a few other fine folk The Order of The Plastic Fang is available for anyone who know who Zandor Vorkov is.

We're talking monster kid stuff and posting pics of obscure horror flicks!

Sounds ghoul? Join up!

facebook.com/plasticfangsociety

MaskFest Hall of Monsters!

MaskFest was a total blast! Evil Pumpkins moved a ton of stuff and we got to hang out with Dead Dick Hammer and Dead Doreen as well as loads of other fiends. I have a load of cool Monster Kid pics to post but I wanted to start with the walk-thru Classic Monster exhibit. These were apparently on display for potential haunter buyers - but it was quite fun to hang out in the dark tent with these big guys and several return trips were in order..

PREPARING FOR MASKFEST 2013

Box o' Monsters

Frankenstein's Army

As the season approaches the monster shop at Evil Pumpkins is in full swing. Loads of flat-back monsters, Huge Franks, monster pendants, Tom Sullivan Licensed Books of The Dead are being loaded up for the trip to Indy.

Hope to see you there - but if you can't make it be sure to head on over to www.EvilPumpkins.com!

Top Ten Vampire Films - #9

Dracula (1931) / Nosferatu (1922)

Both ranked probably lower than others would have - especially combined, but while I concede the greatness of both Lugosi and Schreck and the unrivaled frightening imagery of Nosferatu both films are just a little to early and both lack the score necessarily to move the story along without dragging, dry stretches. Supplemental scores never worked. The forefather stature of both keeps them on my list at 9.
Honorable Mention: Shadow of The Vampire (2000)

Check out Dr. Gangrene's #9

Count Dracula: My fingers can do THIS!

Count Orlock: Who cares what your fingers can do when you
can stand up without bending your knees.

Ghoulian Calendar

Lovely Don Post Calendar collection found over at MONSTERMASKS

The Count

Frankenstein

The Wolf Man

Universal Monsters by Mondo

Stumbled across several new poster designs for classic U-Horror flicks via Mondo. Credits below..

Frankenstein, via OMG Posters

Francesco Francevallo's Invisible Man via Geeks of Doom

The Creature (Ken Taylor) via Geeks of Doom

Wolfman, vis Slashfilm

The Bride, via Fangoria

Dracula, by Jason Edmison

The Mummy, via Geeks of Doom