Mohammed Monday: Will the real Mo please stand up?

Once a month (if I remember), I'm post a Mo-toon to this blog, as a sign of disrespect to the idolators who so worship images of the Prophet Mohammed (may pies be upon him), they fly into blind rages over ,mere implication that their false god has been portrayed with pen or pixels.

If I know who the original artist was, I provide credit. In this case, I do not.

Karloff portrays his most evil character in 'Bedlam'

Bedlam (1947)
Starring: Boris Karloff, Anna Lee, Billy House, Richard Fraser, Ian Wolfe and Leyland Hodgson
Director: Mark Robson
Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

When Nell Bowen (Lee), an actress turned live-in companion and jester for one of London's leading citizens (House) makes it a personal crusade to improve conditions at the Bedlam institution for the insane, she makes a personal enemy of its Apothecary General, Master Sims. She soon discovers that those who Sims feels threatened by end up as inmates at Bedlam, whether they are insane or not.


In "Bedlam," we see Boris Karloff playing the most despicable and evil character he ever portrayed during his career. Master George Sims is a self-centered little man who has achieved some small degree of social standing through toadying and by abusing his position by turning the government-operated asylum and its inmates into a sideshow attraction, complete with admission fees. Although he talks about compassion, it is clear that he has has none, both from his attitude and deeds. Everything within the walls of his asylum are there to boost his fragile ego, and anyone who threatens it from the outside, he brings under his control by having them committed by a board of governors that he has under his sway.

If played by a lesser actor, Master Sims would probably have been a boring character consisting of pure evil covered by a thin veneer of hypocrisy and oily charm. However, Karloff manages to infuse humanity into this monstrous figure, giving Sims a dimension that makes him just sympathetic enough that viewers can appreciate where he's coming from even while recognizing that he is an absolute villain.

One of the key moments for Sims' is when he falls into the hands of the inmates and they put him on trial to determine if insanity drove him to commit all the cruel acts he is responsible for. Without ruining the film, I can say that Sims gives a speech that convinces the inmates that he is indeed sane, because his actions were driven by a hunger for recognition from his betters and a sad hope to be accepted as their equal. But, although Sims seems to be soul-searching and understanding that his behavior is misguided and wrong, it quickly becomes apparent that he will fall back into his old ways, because the only way for him to overcome what is ultimately an unsurmountable degree of self-loathing is for Sims to feel himself bathed in what he considers the reflected light from his "betters."

And it is this reflected light that starts the conflict between Master Sims and Nell Bowen. She not only shows Sims up in front of one of the nobles whose approval he so desperately wants, but she shows herself to be more favored than he when she isn't punished for displaying repeated and open contempt for him. Worse, Bowen doesn't need the approval that Sims devotes his entire life to gaining, so he has no real weapons to weild against her except his ability to force her into his charge and break her spirit and mind.

It is plain to viewers early on that Nell will ultimately end up at Sims mercy, because she refuses to back down, and as the film unfolds, much of the suspense comes from the fact that there seems to be no way out for Nell and that her strong spirit will get her killed. The confrontations between Sims and Nell, which never rise above verbal sparring, are really the heart of the film... and they are scenes that would not work half as well if it wasn't because the lines are being delivered by two great actors whose performances are bringing dimensions to the characters far beyond what would usually be expected from a low-budget drama.

These great performances also lift the film to the point where you're not quite sure what's going to happen... and not just because Val Lewton has delivered films with genuinely suprising endings before (is there anyone who can honestly say they saw the ending of "Cat People" or "I Walked With a Zombie" coming before it hit?), but because the characters have a degree of life to them that doesn't let us assume that the script will follow the pat ending where the heroine is rescued and the dastardly villain gets his just rewards. (And, to some degree, Lewton once again delivers a powerful and unexpected ending, perhaps the creepiest of any of his RKO films.)

Of course, I also need to give some credit to Mark Robson, the film's director. He was an editor at RKO whom Lewton wanted to give a chance to direct, and for whom Lewton passed up the opportunity to work on films with bigger budgets. 

After his early hits, RKO execs wanted to give Lewton more money to work with, but it meant that Robson would not have a chance to direct. Lewton chose to stay with the smaller budgets and the B-pictures, showing personal character and a degree of loyalty to his fellow creators that one wishes more people possessed. 

And Lewton's faith in Robson was obviously well-placed. While most of Lewton's RKO pictures are lean efforts without a second of filler to be found, "Bedlam" is even tighter than the rest. There is not a single scene that doesn't start or end at just the right moment, and there is not a single shot that isn't perfectly timed or lit.

With the excellent performances from its stars, able assistance from a talented supporting cast, and great direction, camera-work and editing, "Bedlam" is a fine thriller that fans of classic movies should seek out. 

"Cat People" and "The 7th Victim" may get most of the commentaries when it comes to Lewton films, while "Frankenstein" and "Targets" get the accolades in the Karloff canon, but "Bedlam" is a film that deserves more attention from fans and reviewers alike.

It's the first Day of Spring!

Piper Laurie is ready for the sun!

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Return of the Space Girls: Meet Tara, Marauder of the Spacelanes!

She may not typically wear a rocket pack nor a fishbowl helmet, but Tara rates top marks among Space Girls anyhow... because she's an original whose adventures were first published in issues of Wonder Comics during the late 1940s!

Art by Alex Schomburg

Tara is the star of NUELOW Games' latest release Tara: Marauder of the Spacelanes. The book contains four great retro sci-fi comics stories by Tara's creator Gene Fawcette, with a cover by Alex Schomburg, and a never-before-seen origin story by yours truly. I also contributed game stats for Tara's favorite weapon, the Atom Sword, for the OpenD6 and OGL d20 game systems, as well as designed a complete ROLF! supplement included in the book.

Click here to see previews of Tara: Marauder of the Spacelanes or to download your own copy. For further previews, here are some splash pages from the book.

Mohammed Monday: Better Late Than Not At All Edition

Don't go to pieces... we're just toying around with pictures of the Prophet Mohammed! (Drawing by B. West.)

Happy Valentine's Day from the Hart

Dorothy Hart hopes you have someone close to your heart this Valentine's Day.

The Milla Jovovich Quarterly

It's the Milla o' Winter...

Picture Perfect Wednesday:Donyale Luna

Donyale Luna is hailed as the first African-American supermodel. In 1966, she was the first black model to appear on the cover of "Vogue." She is also known for appearing in several films by Andy Worhol, and "Satyricon" by Federico Fellini.

Mohammad Monday: Mo Says Howdy!

You might think it's a portrait of some lumberjack or homeless guy waving a friendly welcome to another work week. You and everyone else would say "how nice."

But the moment I tell you it's a portrait of the Prophet Mohammed waving a friendly welcome to another work week, some of you out there will fly into a psychotic, murderous rage.

Mohammed says 'Howdy', By Anonymous

If that drawing of the Prophet Mohammed sends you into a murderous rage, do the world a favor: Expend that murderous rage on yourself. The rest of us will be better off once you're dead.

Fantomah finds her destiny!

In the final book in NUELOW Games' "The Three Lives of Fantomah" series, the Mystery Woman of the Jungle is restored to her rightful place as ruler of the hidden land of Khefra. No longer a magical powerhouse herself, she comes under the watchful eye of the Egyptian gods that bless her lineage. This doesn't mean she's safe... and over the course of seven classic stories illustrated by George Appel, she must fend off challenges from the Evil Spotted Men, corrupt priestesses, darkhearted adventurers, and more!

"The Three Lives of Fantomah: Daughter of the Pharoahs" is now available at all the usual websites that carry NUELOW Games books, but you can click here to get your own copy or see previews of it at DriveThruComics. Here are a few sample splash pages to give you some further previews of the book. (Click on the images to see larger versions.)

 

 

 

In addition to the rarely republished comics, the book contains rules for incorporating the gods of Khefra into just about any variant of the popular d20 System for roleplaying games.

Just another Mohammed Monday!

Trigger Warning! The Face of the Prophet Mohammed (may peas be upon him) Ahead!

Mohammed Monday: The REAL Reason Mo Hates Pigs

Many journalists and bloggers and news outlets have been wearing the "Je Suis Charlie" badge while at the same time bowing to the demands of psychopathic freaks who murder because they want to force their belief system on others.

Not here. My attitude toward that sort of nonsense has been the same since I first learned of the lunatics in Iran putting a death sentence and bounty on Salman Rushdie for writing a novel straight through to the latest, horrific acting out of death cultists wearing the clothes of Muslims in Paris, France.

Are they real Muslims or not? I really don't give a fuck. All I know is that I don't respect their idolatrous beliefs in the Prophet Mohammed, and I don't respect their demands that images of him should not be shown.

I don't believe people who threaten violence against those who engage in artistic expression should be shown any respect or consideration. In fact, the only propery response to people like that is to do MORE of what they are against, not less.

If you are a offended by an image of the Prophet Mohammed, I feel sorry for you. But that won't stop me. If you think they shouldn't be displayed because they may cause offense, I have no time for you. If you want to hurt those who draw or publish images of the Prophet Mohammed, then fuck you.

From http://r3v.com/

Mohammed Mondays will continue as long as I can find Mohammed cartoons that I find amusing to post here. You're welcome to submit your own at the email at the bottom of this blog. I can post them attributed or anonymously. No payment will be offered.

Picture Perfect Special: Anita Ekberg

Swedish model and actress Anita Ekberg passed away at the age of 83 on Jan 11, 2015, Here are some pictures in her memory that also demonstrate the unifying theme of this blog.

Mohammed Mondays to Return

With the butchering of Charb and nine other staffers by fanatic idol worshipers of the Prophet Mohammed, I've decided to reinstitute Mohammad Mondays, so long as I can find good cartoons to post.

Feel free to submit any you may create yourself. If I like them, I will post them. The email address is at the bottom of this blog.

The only response that those who have respect for the freedom of expression can possibly have when insane animals like these act out is to do MORE of the very thing they are trying to stop.

In 2015, it's the 75th Anniversary of 'New Adventures of Frankenstein'

In1940, the first episode of writer/artist Dick Briefer's 'New Adventures ofFrankenstein' appeared. Historians mark it as the first continuing horror series in comic books, and it became Briefer's signature creation. He wrote and drew roughly 100 tales featuring the monster over a 15-year period that roughly coincided with the Golden age of Comics (from 1940 to 1954).

NUELOW Games is going to be publishing several collections of the best of Briefer's Frankenstein comics. I will be co-editing some, and will most likely be contributing some writing to each volume. I hope you'll join our celebration by checking some of them out.

The first NUELOW Games release of the year kicks off this 75th anniversary observation with "New Adventures of Frankenstein: The-Monster vs. Bulldog Denny." It collects the first four encounters between the Monster  and a victim of its evil who grew up to be its greatest and most tireless foe. Click here here see previews or to get your own copy.

Here are the splash pages from the stories in the book, so you can have an immediate peek at the great comics right here.

In additions to the new release, NUELOW Games has collected the very first tales of Briefer's Frankenstein. Click here to see previews or to get your own copy of that book.


http://www.rpgnow.com/product/142279/New-Adventures-of-Frankenstein-The-Monster-vs-Bulldog-Denny?affiliate_id=336296

Piper Laurie Bids You Welcome to 2015

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Those who are about to...

.... send 2014 out with a bang -- Ann Miller salutes you.

Reefer Madness! (What more needs to be said?)

Reefer Madness (aka "Tell Your Children", "The Burning Question," "Dope Addict", and "Love Madness") (1936)
Starring: Dave O'Brien, Dorothy Short, Kenneth Craig, Carleton Young, Lilian Miles, and Thelma White
Director: Louis Gasnier
Rating: Four of Ten Stars

A societal scourge is exposed through this cautionary tale where Bill (Craig) is framed for murdering his sister (Short) and a hood (Craig) is driven mad... all because of the evils of marijuana!

"Reefer Madness" is one of those Bad Movie Night mainstays that I have been avoiding for many years. Everyone had written about it, it didn't sound all that interesting to me, and there were so many other unseen films out there. A friend gave me the "Taboo Tales" DVD collection for Christmas, and since "Reefer Madness" is the first film on the first disc, I figured the time had come to watch it.

I found that it was neither as bad nor as unintentionally funny as I had been led to believe. For the most part, it's a ham-fisted melodrama that alternatively exaggerates and misrepresents marijuana and its effect on those who use it. It moves along at a steady steady while beating viewers over the head with its anti-drug message, never being exactly boring but never being all that engaging because the characters are mostly unlikable. It gets truly interesting only in those few scenes were it goes way over the top with caricatures of marijuana smokers. Like so many drug movies, I think this is probably funnier if you're stoned while watching it.

For me, the most interesting part of the film was that I only really grew to care about the fate of Ralph, an utterly despicable thug and rapist played by Dave O'Brien. I think this was because the character was being played by one actors with honest-to-God careers in the field, and because Ralph holds a more important place in the story than even the character we're supposed to care about--the poor kid who's life is being ruined by drugs, drug pushers, and drug users. I suppose the film really is more about Ralph than Bill, since Ralph's even the subject of the movie's greatest scene, in which he beats a person to death in a fit of marijuana-driven paranoia.

I wouldn't say this film is worth going out of your way for, nor even that you should start with it if you find yourself with it included in a DVD multi-pack. The Four rating I gave it is as low as it can be without being a Three, and it barely earns that on the back of my being entertained by Dave O'Brien's performance. I suppose the nicest thing I can say about it is that it's far better than the other Dwain Esper-involved film I've watched. But, like I said above, maybe it's funnier if you're high. I understand EVERYTHING is funnier if you're high.

Merry Christmas!

May Santa bring you the gift you want the most!

Although... I suppose Santa may be taking Peggy Dow *with* him, rather than leaving her there. So... if he doesn't leave you the gift you really want, I hope he at least doesn't steal your wife or girl friend! (Because that could happen. What man can complete with Santa Clause?! Other than Chuck Norris.)

'Twas the Night Before Christmas...

... and Barbara Eden was trying to convince the Elf (and his drunk friends) to get back on the Shelf.

I hope Santa brings everyone reading this something cool this year! Merry Christmas to you!

Christmas is almost here!

Myrna Loy is helping Santa get ready by feeding the reindeers buns laced with Red Bull! Are you excited for Christmas yet?

All Santa's helper wants for Christmas is..

... a pair of pants.

Santa has told me that if NUELOW Games sells ten copies of A Christmas Box (a collection of roleplaying game material, fiction, and comics) that the royalties he's paid for the use of his name and likeness (as well as that of Mrs. Clause, their daughter Sugar Plum, and Rudolph the Reindeer) he will be able to afford to buy Penny a pair of pants.

So, there you have it. Get A Christmas Box--if not for yourself, then for Penny! Let the Christmas Spirit guide you to some off-beat Christmas fun (and some great comics).

(The collection contains 8 separate NUELOW Games releases, and you'll get them for half the price of what it would cost to get them individually. Click here for details.)

Are you excited yet?

There are only two days until Christmas Eve! (Santa's Helper Ann Miller would like everyone to know that she's happy getting sweaters and other articles of clothing for Christmas.)

Piper's Tree Trimming

Piper Laurie is trimming her tree. Have you gotten ready for Christmas yet?