The wisdom of the ancients and their screwy calendars can't possibly have been so much crap, can it?! Have you made your peace with yourself and prepared your spirit for the Great New World that is about to emerge?!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Only minutes left until the end of the world!!!
The wisdom of the ancients and their screwy calendars can't possibly have been so much crap, can it?! Have you made your peace with yourself and prepared your spirit for the Great New World that is about to emerge?!
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Good bye, Year of the Dragon!
The Year of the Dragon is amost over... and Anna May Wong reflects all of our fears as its shadow fades away. Will the Mayan Prediction be right?! Will the world end when 2012 does... or will be receive a respite until the Year of the Dragon ends?
Friday, December 21, 2012
Merry Christmas!
I hope all visitors to my blog during this holiday season have a chance to spend time with their family and loved ones. Please enjoy this rendition of "The Little Drummer Boy", perhaps my favorite Christmas song of all, by Jars of Clay.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Halloween is here!
Mickey Mouse visits a house infested with the creations of mad science... but will be in time to save Pluto from a fate worse than death in "The Mad Doctor"?
Halloween is here!
Mickey Mouse is partying the night away with ghosties and ghoulies in 'The Haunted House.'
Happy Halloween!
Enjoy this Silly Symphony with an Egyptian Halloween theme in celebration of the Big Day!
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| Zita Johann doing the Egyptian Boogie on the set of "The Mummy" |
Halloween is here!
Have a happy and safe Halloween! (Watch out for the monsters and low-flying witches!)
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Monday, October 15, 2012
Movie Monday: Monster
Every day this month, there's a new short film over at the Terror Titans blog for the annual 31 Nights of Halloween celebration..
However, we want to prepare lovers of black-and-white movies and drawings for the coming Big Day, so today we're offering a short horror feature here as well. It's a little tale of Mom vs. Monster.
Monster (2005)
Starring: Susan Prior and Luke Ikimis-Healy
Director: Jennifer Kent
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars
However, we want to prepare lovers of black-and-white movies and drawings for the coming Big Day, so today we're offering a short horror feature here as well. It's a little tale of Mom vs. Monster.
Monster (2005)
Starring: Susan Prior and Luke Ikimis-Healy
Director: Jennifer Kent
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars
Friday, October 12, 2012
Halloween is coming....
... and the Shaolin Death Squad is celebrating with an excellent version of Danny Elfman's "Dead Man's Party".
(Sure... the lead singer seems to flub the lyrics at one point during this live performance, but damn if this isn't a great and energetic version of the Halloween anthem! I think these may be the best guitar work on the song since Oingo Boingo recorded the original.
(Sure... the lead singer seems to flub the lyrics at one point during this live performance, but damn if this isn't a great and energetic version of the Halloween anthem! I think these may be the best guitar work on the song since Oingo Boingo recorded the original.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
The Groucho Monthly
Groucho Marx appears on "What's Your Line" and causes chaos and embarrassment for everyone on the stage.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
The June Collyer Quarterly:
Halloween is coming...
Halloween is coming...
... and June suggests you dress up as your favorite (or least favorite) country. She will be going to the big party as the Netherlands.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Halloween is coming...
... so here's a chance to watch one of my all-time favorite horror films, right here at Shades of Gray, uncut and digitized from a print that I think was in better shape than the one used to make the DVD copy I paid good money for.
Click here read my review of "White Zombie"--and the sit back and enjoy the wonderfully creepy show!
White Zombie (1932)
Starring: Bela Lugosi, Madge Bellamy, Robert Frazer, John Harron, and Joseph Cawthorn
Director: Victor Halperin
Rating: Nine of Ten Stars
Click here read my review of "White Zombie"--and the sit back and enjoy the wonderfully creepy show!
White Zombie (1932)
Starring: Bela Lugosi, Madge Bellamy, Robert Frazer, John Harron, and Joseph Cawthorn
Director: Victor Halperin
Rating: Nine of Ten Stars
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Monday, October 1, 2012
Halloween is coming...
... and there'll be a different horror short film every day for you to be spooked by over as the annual 31 Nights of Halloween celebration returns to the Terror Titans blog!
And while the short film embedded below didn't make the cut over there, it's being featured here, because it's kinda fun, and the kids who made it recognize that the vast majority of truly great horror movies are in black-and-white!
Tommy (2009)
Starring: Becky, Liam, and Rachel
Director: Natalie
Rating: Five of Ten Stars
And while the short film embedded below didn't make the cut over there, it's being featured here, because it's kinda fun, and the kids who made it recognize that the vast majority of truly great horror movies are in black-and-white!
Tommy (2009)
Starring: Becky, Liam, and Rachel
Director: Natalie
Rating: Five of Ten Stars
Friday, September 28, 2012
NUELOW Games Cover Art Gallery, Part One
I've been threatening to do a gallery post of the "artwork" I've created for NUELOW Games's "ROLF!: The Rollplaying Game of Big Dumb Fighters" for some time now. Well, today is the day.
The following illos are all collages that were made using existing art or by running photos through Photoshop to make them look like they are drawings. They were made using art I have license to use, or that is in the public domain. (I have, literally, over 1 million illos that I have licenses for.)
If the guy who did the Obama "Hope" poster gets to call himself an artist, and people who slap captions on photos and post them to Facebook get to call themselves artists, then I guess I'm an artist, too!
And yes... I am available for commissions! (This will be the first in an irregular series displaying my "artistic efforts"... unless you folks out there tell me to knock it off. And make me cry in the process....)
Click on the links in the titles if you want more information about the product the picture was made to illustrate, or to see it in place on the cover with the other design elements.
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| "Red Robin vs. The Editor & The Clones of Romney" |
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| "Escape From Eden" |
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| "The Fireman vs. The Firewitch" |
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| "Supermodel Slapfest" |
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| "The Breast Hope for Peace" |
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
The Milla Jovovich Quarterly:
Time for Resident Evil: Retribution!
Time for Resident Evil: Retribution!
On this Friday, September 14, Milla Jovovich will be kicking zombie butt as Alice in the latest installment in the "Resident Evil" horror/action movie series.
The film is once again directed by her husband, Paul W.S. Anderson.
The film is once again directed by her husband, Paul W.S. Anderson.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Thursday, September 6, 2012
The Groucho Monthly
More outtakes from "You Bet Your Life", from a blooper reel compiled by the show's sponsor.
Contestant to Groucho: Have you ever been made love to a Frenchman?
Groucho: [Pause] Not that I can recall.
Contestant to Groucho: Have you ever been made love to a Frenchman?
Groucho: [Pause] Not that I can recall.
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| Groucho Marx and Eden Hartford |
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Picture Perfect Wednesday: Steranko
How did I get this far without featuring Jim Steranko here at Shades of Gray? While it's true that there is a bottomless pool of pictures for me to post, and movies and graphic novels for me to review, I'm a bit surprised at myself for not having at least gotten around to SOMETHING he'd done.
But, thanks to the prodding of loyal visitor (a Steranko fan who has designed this excellent, content rich site dedicated to his work), I'm rectifying that oversight now with a small Picture Perfect Wednesday gallery. (And I really must get around to writing a review of "Essential Captain America" one of these days, as it features some of Steranko's finest comic book work, outside of his "Nick Fury, Agen of SHIELD" issues.)
And speaking of Nick Fury...
But, thanks to the prodding of loyal visitor (a Steranko fan who has designed this excellent, content rich site dedicated to his work), I'm rectifying that oversight now with a small Picture Perfect Wednesday gallery. (And I really must get around to writing a review of "Essential Captain America" one of these days, as it features some of Steranko's finest comic book work, outside of his "Nick Fury, Agen of SHIELD" issues.)
And speaking of Nick Fury...
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Tuesday, September 4, 2012
The Henri Trilogy by Will Baden
Who says YouTube cat videos aren't serious filmmaking?
Henri I
Henri II
Henri III
Henri I
Henri II
Henri III
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Picture Perfect Wednesday:
Your Guess Is As Good As Mine
Your Guess Is As Good As Mine
Actually... I can give an explanation for this one. Scroll down a bit if you really want to know.
The picture was taken by Carlo Polito in June of 1958. It's of 17-year-old Bianca Passarge of Hamburg dressed up as a cat and dancing on wine bottles in June 1958. Her performance was based on a dream. She practiced for eight hours a day to do this.)
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Joe Kubert dead at 85
I just learned that another legend of comic book art (and art in general, frankly) has passed away.
Joe Kubert, artist, editor, teacher, and story-teller with talent on an epic scale, has died at the age of 85. I think its safe to say that the comic book art form as we know it today would not exist. And I'm also noticing that of the few younger artists out there who seem to understand how to tell a story properly through pictures on a page, most of them seem to be graduates of the Joe Kubert School.
Here's a small gallery of Kubert art from varying points in his career, in honor of him.
Maybe I'm just a grumpy old guy, but I see all these massive talents passing into history... and so very few with the talent and skill to take their places.
Joe Kubert, artist, editor, teacher, and story-teller with talent on an epic scale, has died at the age of 85. I think its safe to say that the comic book art form as we know it today would not exist. And I'm also noticing that of the few younger artists out there who seem to understand how to tell a story properly through pictures on a page, most of them seem to be graduates of the Joe Kubert School.
Here's a small gallery of Kubert art from varying points in his career, in honor of him.
Maybe I'm just a grumpy old guy, but I see all these massive talents passing into history... and so very few with the talent and skill to take their places.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
The Groucho Monthly
Here's a compilation of outtakes from 1950s game show "You Bet Your Life".
("Let me explain something to you Pat," says Groucho at one point. "This audience is even filthier than I am.")
("Let me explain something to you Pat," says Groucho at one point. "This audience is even filthier than I am.")
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| Groucho doing more than just dreaming of Jeanie with Barbara Eden |
Monday, August 6, 2012
Cover illo for 'ROLF!: Dragon vs. Tiger'
I have once again pretended to an artist (although I'm learning that there are apparently a number of people out there who are running around posing as artists because they can apply Photoshop filters and use the cut-and-paste function in the software--so maybe I need to start taking my Art Seriously) and created the cover illo for "ROLF!: Dragon vs. Tiger."
Click here to check out this latest humorous rollplaying game product from NUELOW. It was also written by yours truly.
Click here to check out this latest humorous rollplaying game product from NUELOW. It was also written by yours truly.
A Mars-related Public Service Announcement
I'm looking forward to the first pictures of the Martian Princesses to come back!
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| Artist's rendition of what Curiosity will find. |
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Picture Perfect Wednesday: Cheyenne King
The wonderful Cheyenne King demonstrating the unifying theme of Shades of Gray.
Click here to read reviews of some of the films she's appeared in, as well as a brief bio over at Terror Titans.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Thursday, July 19, 2012
My latest artistic masterpiece!
It's the cover image for "Bathtime in Bear Creek," an RPG/fiction product that's part of the ROLF! line from NUELOW Games. Assuming everything goes smoothly, it will on sale tomorrow at the NUELOW storefront on the Onebookshelf.com websites.
(Some day, I should to a gallery post devoted to ME!)
(Some day, I should to a gallery post devoted to ME!)
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Picture Perfect Wednesday:
Your Guess is As Good As Mine
Your Guess is As Good As Mine
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
The Groucho Monthly
Starting a new series... hilarious clips featuring the great Grouch Marx. I'm kicking it off with outtakes from the "You Bet Your Life" series. (This was inspired by a post on Boingboing.net.)
The June Collyer Quarterly:
Happy Fourth of July from June!
Happy Fourth of July from June!
With a hat that is undoubtedly a violation of all sorts of fire codes--even in the 1920s--June Collyer joins Milla Jovovich as a recurring and regular face here at Shades of Gray.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Great adaptation of 'The Tell-Tale Heart'
The Tell-Tale Heart (1941)
Starring: Joseph Schildkraut and Roman Bohnen
Director: Jules Dassin
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars
A young man (Schildkraut) murders his abusive employer, but is then himself driven insane by his own guilty conscience.
This 1941 short film is a superb adaptation of the famous Poe short story. It is not only faithful to the mechanical elements of the plot, but the director manages to convey the psychological horror aspect of the original story more effectively than most others who have taken a stab at bringing the tale to film. The biggest change is that this adaptation alters the relationship between the characters from the story, but it results in Schildkraut's character being more sympathetic and results in a stronger movie.
Much of the film's success can be credited to the performances of Joseph Schildkraut, as the tormented protagonist of the story, and Roman Bohnen, as the abusive, eventual murder victim. However, an even bigger part of its success can be credited to the sound design. The sound of titular "tell-tale heart" ends up permeating every aspect of the film's final few minutes, even the soundtrack music. It's a great example of how close attention to sound can build suspense and horror as effectively as camera angles and lighting. (And this film benefits from excellent cinematography as well.)
The murder scene is perhaps the film's only real weakness. The killing basically happens off-screen, and, while artfully done, I think the director might be leaving just a little too much to our imagination. I think he was trying to avoid over-used B-movie cliches like shadows on the wall and such, but the murder just didn't seem to have the same intensity as the scenes that led up to it, nor those that followed. It is almost like a lull just past the film's halfway point.
This 1941 version of "The Tell-Tale Heart" is included as a bonus feature on the "Shadow of the Thin Man" DVD along with a vintage cartoon. The combination lets you stage an old-time movie experience, with two shorts before the main feature. (This is the case with most of the "Thin Man" DVDs... the extras on the discs are almost as fun as the main features. They are excellent added value if you pick up the Thin Man boxed set. Which I recommend that you do if you like classic comedies and mysteries.)
Starring: Joseph Schildkraut and Roman Bohnen
Director: Jules Dassin
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars
A young man (Schildkraut) murders his abusive employer, but is then himself driven insane by his own guilty conscience.
This 1941 short film is a superb adaptation of the famous Poe short story. It is not only faithful to the mechanical elements of the plot, but the director manages to convey the psychological horror aspect of the original story more effectively than most others who have taken a stab at bringing the tale to film. The biggest change is that this adaptation alters the relationship between the characters from the story, but it results in Schildkraut's character being more sympathetic and results in a stronger movie.
Much of the film's success can be credited to the performances of Joseph Schildkraut, as the tormented protagonist of the story, and Roman Bohnen, as the abusive, eventual murder victim. However, an even bigger part of its success can be credited to the sound design. The sound of titular "tell-tale heart" ends up permeating every aspect of the film's final few minutes, even the soundtrack music. It's a great example of how close attention to sound can build suspense and horror as effectively as camera angles and lighting. (And this film benefits from excellent cinematography as well.)
The murder scene is perhaps the film's only real weakness. The killing basically happens off-screen, and, while artfully done, I think the director might be leaving just a little too much to our imagination. I think he was trying to avoid over-used B-movie cliches like shadows on the wall and such, but the murder just didn't seem to have the same intensity as the scenes that led up to it, nor those that followed. It is almost like a lull just past the film's halfway point.
This 1941 version of "The Tell-Tale Heart" is included as a bonus feature on the "Shadow of the Thin Man" DVD along with a vintage cartoon. The combination lets you stage an old-time movie experience, with two shorts before the main feature. (This is the case with most of the "Thin Man" DVDs... the extras on the discs are almost as fun as the main features. They are excellent added value if you pick up the Thin Man boxed set. Which I recommend that you do if you like classic comedies and mysteries.)