Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
Posts: 4,874
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Nov 20, 2009 13:58:17 GMT -5
Previous threads: Part One: officialfan.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=ot2009&action=display&thread=207628Part Two: officialfan.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=ot2009&action=display&thread=217107Part Three: officialfan.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=ot2009&action=display&thread=232414Part Four: officialfan.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=ot2009&action=display&thread=242434Part Five (with 78% more Rob Zombie madness): officialfan.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=offtopic&action=display&thread=219530Part Six: officialfan.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=offtopic&action=display&thread=230860Well, since I’ve already written the “thanks to all the WrestleCrap horror faithful” monologue several times already, I’ll spare everyone that boredom again and just say that you’re all awesome. Secondly, DSR said in the last thread that he didn’t envy my position of having to pick out hall of fame inductees for this thread…and he was right, it was pretty tough. So get ready for some…lesser names. The last thread had a four-page segue of Jigsaw jokes that popped up in a few other areas of OffTopic. Step by step, if we apply ourselves…we can take over this entire message board. ;D Previous inductees: Alfred Hitchcock Clive Barker Sam Neill Stephen King Tony Todd Thomas Harris Takako Fuji Dario Argento Goblin (the band Robert Englund Takashi Miike Lucio Fulci Joe Bob Briggs Brad Dourif John Carpenter INDUCTEE #16 “Mr. Awesome himself…” PAUL NASCHY Our first inductee in this thread came from nothing more than a series of movie reviews done by DSR – a shocking number involving an actor that yours truly had never even heard of before reading these reviews. To make a long story short, I did a little research, and it turns out that Mr. Paul Naschy has a long, incredibly varied, and successful career in horror films. Naschy (birth name Jacinto Molina) was born in Spain in 1934 and is a truly multi-talented and multi-faceted horror film personality. An actor, a director, a screenwriter, and even the author of several Western dime novels in the 1950s, Naschy’s talents have been serving the benefit of his many fans for more than six decades in a career that continues to this day. He has shown his unparalleled versatility on screen, portraying a hunchback, a werewolf, Count Dracula himself, and a mummy. He is known as the “Spanish Lon Chaney” for a reason. In fact, Naschy holds the record for the amount of times playing a “Wolf Man” character (easily beating out Lon Chaney). In his native Spain, the Hombre Lobo film series, in which Naschy portrays the werewolf Waldemar Daninsky. The series spans, currently, from 1968’s introductory film Mark of the Wolf Man to 2003’s American-filmed Tomb of the Werewolf. The films are very loosely linked and do not follow a continuing plotline, but the character of Dalinsky remains an icon in Spain. His only other recurring horror character is the diabolical medieval villain Aleric de Marnac, who appears in 1972’s Horror Rises From the Tomb and returns in 1982’s Panic Beats. Naschy claims that he based this character on the real-life case of Gilles de Rais, a very real serial killer known as “the original Bluebeard.” In fact, Naschy helmed another film based on de Rais in 1974 called The Marshall from Hell. An incredibly busy and prolific actor and film-maker since his career began, Naschy’s other horror films include Jack the Ripper of London, Count Dracula’s Great Love, The Hunchback of the Morgue, The Mummy’s Revenge, Exorcism, Kidnapped (directed by Mario Bava), and the American-produced Count Dracula’s Orgy of Blood.
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Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
Posts: 4,874
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Nov 20, 2009 13:59:05 GMT -5
INDUCTION #17 "Sometimes, dead is better..." FRED GWYNNE Much like the previous inductee Paul Naschy, it should be apparent just how thankless of a role the character actor has, not only in horror films, but in the movie business in general. While the stars are, for the most part, responsible for selling a movie to the general public, it is often the nuanced, subtle performers in the background capable of blending seamlessly into roles who often give the film their true flavor. Thus far, Paul Naschy and Fred Gwynne serve as stunning proof of this belief. Gwynne was born in New York City in 1926. During his time at Harvard University, Gwynne began perfecting his multi-faceted entertainment skills as a singer in an a capella group and as a writer for the Harvard Lampoon, in addition to acting in the college’s theatre shows. Upon graduation and a stint in the United States Navy, Gwynne began his career with a role in the Broadway play Mrs. McThing, which starred Helen Hayes. Gwynne’s big break occurred on the small screen in the early 1960s, with the statuesque actor finding himself cast as the lead in two classic sitcoms. First came his role as Officer Francis Muldoon on Car 54, Where Are You? opposite Joe E. Ross, which lasted two seasons. His 6’5” also served him well as he was cast as the lead on the phenomenal series The Munsters as Herman, the father figure in a family of horror-monster themed characters. Gwynne took a beating to portray the character of Herman Munster – in addition to the extensive facial makeup required of the “Frankenstein’s Monster” spoof, he had to wear 40 additional pounds of padding, and 4-inch elevator shoes. Despite the physical constraints, Gwynne maintained fond memories of playing Herman, claiming later in life “I might as well tell you the truth – I love old Herman Munster. Much as I try not to, I can’t help but like the guy.” After a series of roles similar to Herman Munster, Gwynne scored the role that would earn him lasting notoriety with horror fans – and a great deal of acclaim from many here in the WrestleCrap horror community. In 1989, director Mary Lambert adapted Stephen King’s dark, foreboding and tragic novel Pet Sematary to the screen. Basing his portrayal of Jud Crandall, the neighbor to the doomed Creed family, on King himself, Gwynne totally disappeared within the character in a performance that many deem the single best aspect of a masterpiece of a film. Indeed, his “sometimes, dead is better” line is listed as this induction’s quote for a reason. A truly masterful character actor with many big-time credits – horror and otherwise – to his name, Gwynne was unfortunately taken from us due to pancreatic cancer in 1993. His final film role came in the 1992 Oscar winner My Cousin Vinny, and he is remembered by horror fans for his electric turns as Herman Munster and Jud Crandall and to entertainment fans at large as one of the eponymous “that guy” actors.
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Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
Posts: 4,874
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Nov 20, 2009 13:59:58 GMT -5
INDUCTEE #18 “Make your choice…” TOBIN BELL Wrapping up this round of themed “unsung hero” actors is the star of what is currently the most popular and successful horror franchise operating here in the United States – the much-debated and much-discussed Saw series. In addition to Jigsaw himself, however, Bell has had a long and varied acting career every bit as nuanced as the respective careers of his character-actor compatriots Paul Naschy and Fred Gwynne. Bell’s appearance and menacing voice have led to him being cast as villains quite frequently – more often as serial killers. Over the course of his long career, Bell has perfected a signature technique – while many actors portraying serial killers rely on an over-the-top and theatrical performance, Bell underplays his psychopathic characters, delivering his lines in a soft, low-spoken deadpan. This technique, which gives the impression of “this is just another day in the life of this psycho,” gives his performances and films a very disquieting effect. He has portrayed memorable villains in several television series’, including “Ashman” in the season 7 X-Files episode “Brand X” and the main villain Peter Kingsley in season two of Fox’s 24. In addition, Bell played the menacing hitman in the 1993 Tom Cruise/John Grisham film The Firm. But, of course, the reason that Bell is being inducted today is due to the Saw series. Saw is a very polarizing series of films – it seems that each individual horror fan either can’t get enough of the plot twists and interconnected nature of the series, or screams out “enough already!” with unparalleled vigor. Regardless of one’s opinion of Saw, Bell created a masterful villain in the series, even if the creators themselves have sometimes questioned whether or not John Kramer is actually a villain. The character of Kramer/Jigsaw struck a resounding chord with movie audiences in the 2004 debut film, with the morality-obsessed serial killer with a penchant for truly ingenious traps/games repeatedly being the star of films that cost peanuts and gross platinum. The Saw series has cranked out six Halloween-week released films thus far with no end in sight. With the recently-released Saw VI more than making its budget back, it appears as if Bell is set to portray his signature character well into the future, and maintain his status as yet another of those underappreciated “that guy” actors for years to come.
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Post by DSR on Nov 20, 2009 14:14:12 GMT -5
As usual TR, the inductions are a great read. Though I'm surprised you didn't mention Tobin Bell's performance in "RL Stine's The Haunting Hour."
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Post by Rorschach on Nov 20, 2009 14:23:47 GMT -5
Love the new avatar, by the way, TR. Church is perhaps the most menacing feline in film history.
Well....outside of Toshio, that is. ;D
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Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
Posts: 4,874
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Nov 20, 2009 14:26:14 GMT -5
Love the new avatar, by the way, TR. Church is perhaps the most menacing feline in film history. Well....outside of Toshio, that is. ;D As much of a loser as it makes me, the new avatars and sigs (complete with quote) that come with each new thread are very well-planned. ;D As usual TR, the inductions are a great read. Though I'm surprised you didn't mention Tobin Bell's performance in "RL Stine's The Haunting Hour." Thank you! The RL Stine movie escapes me. Direct-to-TV, I'm guessing?
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Post by Rorschach on Nov 20, 2009 18:45:23 GMT -5
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Post by DSR on Nov 21, 2009 3:40:54 GMT -5
As usual TR, the inductions are a great read. Though I'm surprised you didn't mention Tobin Bell's performance in "RL Stine's The Haunting Hour." Thank you! The RL Stine movie escapes me. Direct-to-TV, I'm guessing? Close enough, direct-to-DVD. I just thought it was a neat little thing, like when Boris Karloff did the voice work in the animated "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." *shrug* George Romero did a film titled Season of the Witch back in the early 70s. I can't watch video (yes, I'm living in 95, on my s****y dialup connection), but I wonder if this new movie might be a remake of the older one.
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andrew8798
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on 24/7 this month
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Post by andrew8798 on Nov 21, 2009 3:47:59 GMT -5
Thank you! The RL Stine movie escapes me. Direct-to-TV, I'm guessing? Close enough, direct-to-DVD. I just thought it was a neat little thing, like when Boris Karloff did the voice work in the animated "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." *shrug* George Romero did a film titled Season of the Witch back in the early 70s. I can't watch video (yes, I'm living in 95, on my s****y dialup connection), but I wonder if this new movie might be a remake of the older one. It's not
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Post by Rorschach on Nov 21, 2009 4:21:29 GMT -5
As far as a cinema verite horror movie goes...how badass....how horrific would a movie like that, centered around a sinking ship which is surrounded by sharks, be?
At this point, it's pretty much the only cinema verite horror idea that Hollywood hasn't beaten into the ground.
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Jiren
Patti Mayonnaise
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Post by Jiren on Nov 21, 2009 7:23:24 GMT -5
Where's Lon Chaney?
He deserves an induction before Sam Niell
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Post by DSR on Nov 21, 2009 7:50:49 GMT -5
Where's Lon Chaney? He deserves an induction before Sam Niell Well, who gets inducted is generally determined by the shape of the conversations of the thread previous to the "induction ceremony." IE is thread 6 features a very vocal group of posters praising a particular individual's work, that individual will more than likely be inducted at the start of thread 7. Though in the event that a thread goes by with a lot more negativity, or an overall lack of universal praise, TR can call an audible. The reason guys like Lon or Bela or Boris aren't in is because, generally speaking, conversation in these threads leans way more towards modern horror cinema (70s until now) and conversation regarding old school horror rarely gets in depth. Also, there's also something of a belief in place that the "obvious choice" HOFers get plenty of praise for their work anywhere outside of these threads, so our HOF is more inclined to give the unsung heroes of the genre their little moment in the spotlight. Though, there are obviously exceptions.
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Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
Posts: 4,874
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Nov 21, 2009 11:13:11 GMT -5
As far as a cinema verite horror movie goes...how badass....how horrific would a movie like that, centered around a sinking ship which is surrounded by sharks, be? At this point, it's pretty much the only cinema verite horror idea that Hollywood hasn't beaten into the ground. Once again, I'd be all for that one. Come to think of it, I'm a big sucker for cinema verite horror. Well, I haven't seen Five Across the Eyes, but I know you have...I remember the epic thread filled with your random rage-filled thoughts while watching the movie. Awesome stuff. ;D Where's Lon Chaney? He deserves an induction before Sam Niell Well, who gets inducted is generally determined by the shape of the conversations of the thread previous to the "induction ceremony." IE is thread 6 features a very vocal group of posters praising a particular individual's work, that individual will more than likely be inducted at the start of thread 7. Though in the event that a thread goes by with a lot more negativity, or an overall lack of universal praise, TR can call an audible. The reason guys like Lon or Bela or Boris aren't in is because, generally speaking, conversation in these threads leans way more towards modern horror cinema (70s until now) and conversation regarding old school horror rarely gets in depth. Also, there's also something of a belief in place that the "obvious choice" HOFers get plenty of praise for their work anywhere outside of these threads, so our HOF is more inclined to give the unsung heroes of the genre their little moment in the spotlight. Though, there are obviously exceptions. If there existed an official rulebook for the WC Horror Hall of Fame, that would be the criteria. Beautiful.
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Post by YellowJacketY2J on Nov 21, 2009 13:55:22 GMT -5
If you ever need a suggestion for an induction, TR, I suggest Clint Howard. The man has been in countless horror movies, gives it his all in each film (or at least how much he feels he should give depending on the plot/type of horror movie) and is always praising the genre. Here are two quotes of his:
"I like horror movies. To me, they are a very legitimate place for an actor to work. It's a great arena for me to experiment, to play a range of different funky characters. I like what I'm doing and I hope it shows on the screen."
"People don't realize that doing a horror movie is hard work. You're out there all day screaming your lungs out, breathing in toxic make-up fumes, rolling around in the dirt, getting your eyebrows burned off - it's not like doing a sitcom."
So, if you ever need a candidate to induct next, think Clint Howard.
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Jiren
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Post by Jiren on Nov 21, 2009 15:18:32 GMT -5
How about Lamberto Bava
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Ken Ivory
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Post by Ken Ivory on Nov 21, 2009 17:54:07 GMT -5
Here's a question I wanted to save for the new thread. Simple enough, when was the last time you were actually scared by a horror film?
Do we watch these films still with the hope to be terrified or have we become sensitized so much we watch just for entertainment/fun?
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Post by Rorschach on Nov 21, 2009 18:00:08 GMT -5
Here's a question I wanted to save for the new thread. Simple enough, when was the last time you were actually scared by a horror film? Do we watch these films still with the hope to be terrified or have we become sensitized so much we watch just for entertainment/fun? GOOD question! A lot of people were scared by PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, while I found it tedious and dull. Myself, I think the last time a film genuinely frightened me was a toss up between ORPHAN and MARTYRS. BOTH of those films were truly horrifying, in their own ways.
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Ken Ivory
Hank Scorpio
This sorta thing IS my bag, baby.
Posts: 5,282
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Post by Ken Ivory on Nov 21, 2009 18:02:18 GMT -5
I fully expect to be disappointed by Paranormal Activity. Maybe I'm just skeptical but if a movie is advertised as "The Scariest Movie in Cinema" it damn well better be!
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Jiren
Patti Mayonnaise
Hearts Bayformers
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Post by Jiren on Nov 21, 2009 18:08:10 GMT -5
Never
Not even as a kid did horrors scare me, Although Demons is pretty creepy in parts.
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Post by Rorschach on Nov 21, 2009 18:08:32 GMT -5
I fully expect to be disappointed by Paranormal Activity. Maybe I'm just skeptical but if a movie is advertised as "The Scariest Movie in Cinema" it damn well better be! Depends on if you find the sight of two average people sleeping in a bed scary, really. Was it creepy? Yeah, in parts. But it never once really scared me. Maybe a bit at the end, but that was more because the sudden action woke me out of a stupor.
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