It's Fanny Friday

 

Silent horror comedy ala the 1970s

Grave Danger (1973)
Starring: Dan Formento, Leslie Donahue, Janice Shaw, and Mary Perry

Director: Craig Highberger

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

A vampire (Formento) on the hunt for young women to drain of blood encounters a mortal (Donahue) who reminds him of a love he thought lost long ago. But is the world ready for a human/vampire love romance?

 

Fifty years ago, Craig Highberger rounded up a bunch of high school friends and their siblings and made "Grave Danger". For a film made entirely by teenagers, it is surprisingly good. In fact, it puts any number of low-budget horror films that came both before and after it, and which were usually made by vastly more experienced people than Highberger and his pals. Heck, the sequence where the vampire and the leading lady meet for the first time rivals stuff you might see from top-of-the-line directors. 

Half-assed research into what the various people involved with this film indicated that only Highberger went onto having any sort of career in media--and his appears to be a minor one at that. (This is too bad, because there was a lot of raw talent on display in this film.)

--

And now, a joke inspired by an event in "Grave Danger"...

Touch the Tits of Dracula!

(The chilling sequel to Taste the Blood of Dracula!)

Halloween is coming...

... and even Vampirella is starting to get a little unnerved by the dark energy that's gathering all around us!

Some Fanny on World Opera Day...

Let's see what's in the Culture Corner

Shades of Gray resident Queer Old Coot brings us another tip on how to behave to span the gaps between the bickering generations! (Click on the cartoon to see larger, more easily read version.)

Sarah did some scribbling...

 

In addition to the always-amusing Sarah's Scriibles, Sarah Andersen has brought us the excellent Halloweenish strip "Fangs". It's the story of true love between a vampire and a werewolf, and here's my review of a book collecting most (if not all) of them.

Fanny Friday!

Bullies get what they deserve in "Full Circle"

Full Circle (2016)
Starring: Michelle Shampton, Abby Main, David Schwering, Morgan Nash, and Cameron Gall

Director: Abby Main

Rating: Six of Ten Stars

Three bullies (Gall, Nash, and Schwering) are set upon by a mysterious, blood-thirsty avenger (Main) after they pick on the wrong girl (Shampton).

"Full Circle" is another of those obscure student films that I've uncovered in the dark and dusty abandoned corners of YouTube. The story is structured like the original "there's a killer on campus"-type films where teens and twenty-somethings are brutally murdered... but you, as the viewer, can't help but feel like cheering the killer on because the victims are so reprehensible. There are a couple twists, however, that lifts this film above so many others of this type. 

There are some negatives here, though, and they mostly focus on lead actress Michelle Shampton. For about half of the film's running time, you'll think that she might be suffering from some mental disability because she seems abnormally cheerful. Eventually, we learn the real reason for her behavior and the issue is that Shampton was just going a bit over-the-top with her performance. In the scene where this becomes obvious, we actually get a look at proof that she actually is a pretty good actress. It's a shame that this appears to be the only film she was in. (This is true of all the cast members, actually.)

Another (nitpicky and personal) complaint is the artificial film "aging" artifacts that have been added to "Full Circle". Based on the overall look of the footage, I am guessing that it was originally shot with a digital camera and the desaturated to achieve the black-and-white look. It's done better here than in many other student efforts I've watched over the years, but adding streaks and other fake "old movie" flaws to the film is taking this a step too far. In my opinion, such effects should only be added to a film that its creators are trying to make look like it's from the "olden days" (which is not the case here), or the damage is so extreme that a claim can be made that it was "restored from footage recovered under desperate circumstances after it was nearly destroyed". The light "damage/wear-and-tear" touches to a film that's clearly set in the 1990s or 2000s are more distracting than anything else. Or at least it is to me.

Despite those two paragraphs of negativity, I feel this is a film that's well worth you time, if you like works of the "disgusting people get their due" variety. The fact that it has a couple plot twists that put it a little outside the norm makes it even better. So, take a few minutes out of your busy day and check out "Full Circle". (You might even be able to get away with watching it at work, since it's a silent movie and you just turn down the volume on the music!)

It's International Leggings Day!

There's a day for everything it seems... and today it the day when we are to celebrate and honor girls and women who wear tights! So here's Italian actress Claudia Cardinale showing off hers!

Halloween is coming...

... and Vampirella is getting ready!

Lugosi Stars in a Tale Love and Zombies

White Zombie (1932)
Starring: Bela Lugosi, Madge Bellamy, Robert Frazer, John Harron, and Joseph Cawthorn
Director: Victor Halperin
Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

When Haitian plantation owner Charles Beaumont (Frazer) becomes obsessed with the beautiful Madeleine (Bellamy), he invites her and her husband-to-be (Harron) to have their marriage and spend their honeymoon at his plantation. When he fails to win Madeleine's heart, he turns to his neighbor, 'Murder' Legendre (Lugosi) and asks him to use his powers to make zombies to recreate Madeleine as his love slave. Will Madeleine and the local priest (Cawthorn) unmask Legendre's evil and save Madeleine from a fate worse than death, or will they merely become yet another pair of zombies in Legendre's growing force of mindless slaves?


"White Zombie" has been described as the first zombie movie ever made. I don't know if this is true or not, but it is definately one of the best. It predates the flesh-eating blood-spattered cannibal zombies of George Romero, but instead relies upon traditional zombie myths and tales of dark sorcery to generate its chills. 

This is a stylishly filmed movie that features creepy performances by Lugosi and Bellamy, and scenes that drip with creepiness, as Legendre's mindless slaves work his sugar mills, and as a ghostly, zombie-fied Madeleine glides silently through the vaulted halls of Legendre' house. (The height of creepiness is reached when the depth of Legendre's evil is fully revealed and he gradually starts turning Charles Beaumont into a zombie as well.)

"White Zombie" is a must-see for fans of classic horror movies in general, and fans of zombie movies in particular. It is the one of the roots from which the horror genre sprang. Heck, the film should be required viewing for anyone who is currently making horror movies... if filmmakers chose to emulate a work like this, maybe we'd have more decent horror movies coming out.

But don't just take my word for it. Click on the embedded video below to watch this fabulous movie via The Screening Room that's part of my YouTube Channel!

Musical Monday in the Twilight Zone

As Halloween draws nearer, we bring you a nifty cover from that strange dimension, the Twilight Zone!

"Twilight Zone" by Golden Earring is a favorite in these parts (and this isn't the first cover of that fabulous 1980s tune that's been featured here), and while we can quibble with some of vocal presentations here, the video is just about perfect and John Cunningham & Crew give us an EXCELLENT version!

'Samurai' by Gene Day

"Samurai" is an early work by the great comic book artist Gene Day. It's equal parts elegant and spooky, making it great feature for our month-long Halloween-build up here at Shades of Gray! (Click on the pages for larger, more easily read versions.)

It's a Fanny Friday!

 

When it's Friday the 13th in October...

 

If you want more inspiring quotes and images, check out the InspiroBot!

'Garden of Souls' contains both good and bad

Garden of Souls (2022)
Starring: Betty Roehm Widdoss, Karen Lynn Gorney, Eric Bower, and Jackie Capizzi
Director: Christopher Milewski
Rating: Six of Ten Stars

A grieving young widow (Widdoss) is approached by a strange old woman (Gorney) with a promise to  reunite her with her dead love.

"Garden of Souls" is one of many attempts at emulating the style and content of silent movies from the 1910s and 1920s that you can find while prowling through the depths of YouTube. Although the pacing is a bit slow at times and the story logic is a bit murky, the creators here captured the style of early films with great effectiveness.

One thing that would have improved this film would have been a more effective use of the color tinting. I am not a fan of this, but when I've seen it used in actual vintage films, I could easily and quickly grasp what they were trying to convey, either scenery-wise or character-wise. Here, there didn't seem to be an immediate comprehensible reason for some of the color choices -- or maybe I was just particularly dense on the day I watched the film. Take a moment and watch the film (embedded below for your convenience) and tell me what YOU think the viewer should infer from the various tints.

Another thing that would have made this a much stronger film would have been a stronger attention to detail as far as the costumes go. In one scene, Widdoss character while dressed in an immaculate white gown picks up a shovel and starts digging in a grave. When she's done, her gown is still spotless. This REALLY pulled me out of the film, and I think that even filmmakers in the 1910s would have dirtied her up a bit.

Halloween is Coming...

... and three great artists have had visions of Vampirella, the Queen of Halloween!

A Chilling Tale in Shades of Gray!

The House on the Lake (2019)
Starring: Oriane Gyseling, Jeremy Murrow, and Lenise Buttner

Director: Damien Kazan

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

A young woman (Gyseling) is watching videos of her childhood when she realizes that she is not alone in the isolated house.

Featuring "The House on the Lake" was originally released as a color film, but writer/director Damien Kazan decided to see what it would look like in black-and-white... and, with digital magic, he bled all color from the films world, making the film darker and spookier than the color version! (You can watch it and compare the two versions by clicking here. Please tell us which version you like best!)

Although some of the scenes seem  underlit (although they may have looked fine before the color was removed), this is a spooky and tense film. Actress Oriane Gyselings has a very expressive face and she does a great job moving from relaxed happiness, to unease, to outright horror. Her performance is made even more impactful by great camerawork and tight editing and story pacing.

Click below to check it out, right here from this post!

Musical Monday with The Police

Well... sort of. It's classic, creepy stalker song from the Police in a honky-tonk style via the fine folks at There--I Ruined It. Enjoy!

It's Shoot 'Em Sunday

Fall is here, so the Gun Girls have put on the overcoats.

Triumph and Tragedy with Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allen Poe (aka "Edgar Allan Poe") (1909)
Starring: Herbert Yost, Linda Arvidson, Arthur V. Johnson, David Miles, and Anita Hendrie
Director: D.W. Griffith
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

Writer Edgar Allan Poe (Yost) is struggling to make enough money to purchase the food and medicine needed by his ailing wife (Arvidson). Can he find a publisher for his latest peom before it is too late?

 "Edgar Allen Poe" is a fictionalized version of the circumstances surrounding the creation and publication of Edgar Allan Poe's most famous work, "The Raven". It condenses several key events in Poe's life to make them occur simultaneously, but what it lacks in historical accuracy it makes up for with heightened drama and tragedy.

One mildly amusing fact about the film is that Poe's name is misspelled in the title--no, for once I did not make a typo in the heading, the film is actually titled "Edgar Allen Poe". This error is typically explained by the fact that the film was rushed to market in order to capitalize on the centennial anniversary of Poe's birth (he was born in Feburary 8, 1809, and the film began playing in theatres on Feburary 8, 1909), having been filmed over two days in January of 1909. By the time the error was noticed, copies of the film had already been made and were shipping out to movie theaters.

This film is far superior to what it's rushed production schedule might seem to infer. It is another innovative entry in Griffith's unfolding invention of much of what remains technical standards in filmmaking today--in this specific case, it was how Griffith lit the scenes.

Whether you have an interested in Edgar Allan Poe, silent movies, or just well-made dramas, I think you might find the few minutes it takes to watch this film. Click below and sit back.

It's Fanny Friday!

'The Vampire'

The Vampire (2021)
Starring: Lucy Rose and Jennifer Forristal
Director: Brian Elliot
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

A woman (Rose) is bitten by a vampire (Forristal), and she transforms from prey to hunter.

"The Vampire" is a short film that was made with the intention of capturing the feel of classic horror films such as "Seven Footprints to Satan" (1929), "Dracula" (1931) and "White Zombie" (1932). With the exception of the acting being a little too subdued at times, writer/director Brian Elliot and his cast did an excellent job at this.

Elliott applied some commonly used digital tricks to "age" the film, but he did not do so to excess (thankfully), so it's not intrusive. More importantly, though, is that he actually manages to capture the essense of those classic horror films he was emulating... and THAT is what makes efforts like this succeed! If this had just been another one of those flat gray films made black-and-white through no other effort but digital color desaturation and the application of the aforementioned "aging" effects, such as artificial scratches. Even better, Elliott includes a couple of sly references to the movies from which he drew his inspiration, such as the vampire doing the same odd hand-twisting gesture that Bela Lugosi did as Murder Legendre in "White Zombie". (This is one of my favorite moments in the film.)

If like the old horror films we focus on around here, you're going to to enjoy "The Vampire" and it's straight-to-the-point, three-chapter tale of a woman who goes from victim to vampire. We're equally certain that you'll find the Halloween Spirit stirring within you as you watch it! Go ahead and click below... then leave your opinions in the comments section to tell us how right or wrong we were!

Halloween is coming...

... and Rudy Nebres brings us some visions of Vampirella in keeping with the Season!

Things got weird with 'Lot in Sodom'

Lot in Sodom (1933)
Starring: Friedrich Haak, Hildegarde Watson, Dorthea Haus, and Lewis Whitbeck
Directors: Melville Webber and James Sibley Watson
Rating: Five of Ten Stars

The sex-hungry homosexuals of Sodom cross the line when they hit on a buff angel  who's visiting the home of the god-fearing Lot and his family. Will Lot and his wife and daughter escape the city alive or will they, too, be destroyed by the Wrath of God?

 "Lot in Sodom" is based a tale that's found in the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Koran--in which two cities full of perverted sinners are wiped from the face of the Earth. I suspect everything able to read these words is familiar with, but I will still try to avoid spoilers as I write these comments.

The directors of this film were self-funding filmmakers who made a small handful of experimental films between 1928 and 1933. I've previously reviewed "The Fall of the House of Usher" by them, and this film has many of the same strengths and weaknesses as that one. It's also a silent movie like the previous one, despite being made after sound had become the standard in all films. The filmmakers here make clever use of the silent format on more than one occasion like having words heard by characters float across the screen instead of presenting them on intertitles with explanations.

On the plus side, the extreme Art Deco vibe (the sets and lighting of the scenes that consists of sharp angles and razor-straight lines) mashed together with an Art Nouveau sensibility (the rounded shapes of the writing bodies of scantily clad, cavorting homosexuals, the way Lot's wife and daughter are lit and the angles from which they are film) creates a visually engaging experience that feels unique and almost alien. Meanwhile, Lot seems to swing back and forth between looking angular and more rounded, depending on lighting or camera angles. Lot actually seems out of place when compared to the other characters in the film--he looks like he just stepped out of an Assyrian bas-relief where everyone else looks like they came from an Alphonse Mucha or W.H. Robinson drawing; the majority of the human figures in the film are beautiful and graceful, while Lot is homely and dumpy.

On the downside, this film will make very little sense to anyone who isn't familiar with the tale of Lot and the two cities the citizens of which God decides are beyond redemption. Even with the direct Bible quotes on the screen, viewers will need to be familiar with the story to know what's unfolding on screen. The same problem existed with their screen adaptation of "The Fall of the House of Usher", but even more so here. The filmmakers seem to be relying on viewers being familiar with the source material, so they can follow the basic story and so appreciate the spin they put on it so much more.

"Lot in Sodom" was not only the most successful film to result from the Webber & Watson collaboration--it ran for several weeks in New York City theaters the year it was released, and it played steadily in theaters around the U.S. and overseas well into the 1940s--but it's also one that holds up nicely. In fact, its presentation and outlook on homosexuality might even play better with many modern viewers than in the 1930s and 1940s.

If you're in the mood for something very artsy-fartsy and a little creepy, I think you'll find that watching "Lot in Sodom" is time well spent... and I've made it easy for you by embedding it below.

Musical Monday with Robbie Williams

Robbie Williams pokes fun at gonzo-style bands like Kiss and Alice Cooper in this nice tune (and even better video).

Let Me Entertain You (1998)

Starring: Robbie Williams

Director: Vaughan Arnell

Rating: Six of Ten Stars

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Flapper Fanny is here to make you smile, and everything about her is good fun. What isn't fun, however, is real-life domestic violence.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month--an all-too-real horror that many are living through even as the rest of us have fun with imaginary horrors. We as a society tend to still ignore than men can be victims of domestic violence and other forms of spousal abuse. 

So, while we can smile at the puns and truths dished out by Flapper Fanny, we can also take steps to understand the causes of domestic violence, learn to recognize victims and abusers, and how to take steps to help them. A good place to start is at this webpage, but the important information can be found here.