Tag Archives: House on Haunted Hill

Just Enough Brain for Monstrous Monday

Posted on March 5, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

You would not think I would need to resort to a Monstrous Monday on the fourth day of a four day weekend.  Then again, I’m going back to work after a four day break: how can I NOT feel monstrous?  And feel monstrous, I do.  I have suddenly been hit by a huge wave of I Can’t Do This.  Regular readers may recall that I have a bit on my plate these days.  However, I am well aware that other people have more, often with fewer resources than those which I enjoy.  What the hell am I complaining about?

I kind of feel like I’m being strangled.  I wonder if it would help to scream.

I thought it was time to throw in a monster.  This is the titular monster from The Tingler (1959), a William Castle masterpiece starring the wonderful Vincent Price. Here’s a Freudian typo:  when I went to Google the movie to find the year, I put “Thingler.”  That would be a combination of the Thing and the Tingler.  If it was a Christmas movie, it could be the Jingler.  If it could fly, it would be the Wingler.  If unmarried, the Singler.  I could go on.

The answer to feeling overwhelmed, other than remembering to breathe, which a good idea under any circumstances, is to do one thing.  Then you often find you can do another.  Soon you are on your way to Getting Stuff Done.  The One Thing I am working on now is my blog post, in case you haven’t guessed.  I think it’s time for another monster.

Why is she screaming? She can take him!  He has no muscles!

Here is a scene from House on Haunted Hill (1959), another Castle/Price delight.

I need a brain this big.

I looked for another monster picture, because I could not think of anything else to say.  This is The Brain from Plant Arous (1957).  I wish I had my usual brain, but since that seems not to be functioning, I would take one from any planet.  Hmm… my plan of Doing One Thing does not seem to be working.  I will hit Publish on this (if I can possibly think of a title), but I am not feeling inclined to move on to something else.  Oh dear.  Well, tune in tomorrow to see if I did.

 

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Movies Before Monday

Posted on February 25, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

For me it’s wine, not the hard stuff.

Yes, it is Wrist to Forehead Sunday.  I am supposed to be watching The Bat (1959), a movie featuring Agnes Moorehead and Vincent Price.  We previously watched  Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964), which also featured Moorehead, which is what made me think of The Bat.

I do not think this pose actually appeared in the movie.

 

“I could spit in your eye!”

The divine Bette Davis.  There could be no possible objection.  Yesterday I was going to do a Saturday Cinema, but my laptop would not cooperate.  Perhaps I could type a few words about that now, so the whole post won’t be me whining about the weekend being almost over.

This was the only picture I could find just now.

 

We watched Horror Hotel (1960), also known as City of the Dead, last evening.  It was really more of a village, truth be told, but I don’t decide on these titles.

This was just the first photo of this movie I found in my Media Library.

After Horror Hotel, we saw House on Haunted Hill (1959), mostly because it was on the same disc.  We love House on Haunted Hill, another delightful vehicle for Vincent Price.

And now I am looking at Snapped.  Steven will be watching the Oscars later, which he has been tuning in to for some 50 years.  I may go to bed early.  I see I am over 200 words, which I consider respectable for a Wrist to Forehead Sunday.  I hope your weekend was grand and your upcoming week not too gruesome.

HERE’S the picture from Horror Hotel I was looking for!

 

 

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But What About Joan Crawford?

Posted on October 19, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

So it’s another bad blogging week.  Sue me.  I’ll work on having some Mohawk Valley adventures this weekend and go for a better week next time.  That is the beauty of blogging: you can try again tomorrow.  The fact is, although I am feeling better than yesterday, the lightheadedness that plagues me continues to do so (my computer seems to think that lightheadedness is not word, but if lightheaded is, why not lightheadedness?  Discuss among yourselves).

I don’t have a suit that spiffy, and to my knowledge, nobody has pointed a gun at me. I rather think a gun would have more of an effect on me than on an actual zombie.

This is from The Walking Dead (1936).  It was posted by a Facebook page I Like, B-Movie Mania, and I said, “Ooh, that’s me!”

And that’s about all I have for this week’s Non-Sequitur Thursday post.  However, I can’t let it end here.  There must be other pictures that are appropriate.  Let me look.

“…and soon they’ll come for you!”

Here’s a haunted look, if you like.  It’s that guy from House on Haunted Hill (1959), produced and directed by my beloved William Castle. That actor was also in Rosemary’s Baby (1968), which was produced but not directed by Castle.  Whenever I refer to him as merely “Castle,” I flash on the Nathan Fillon television show.  I loved that show, especially the divine Susan Sullivan.

She is marvelous.

I may have crossed a line myself, blog-wise.  No matter.  I’m over 200 words.  Once I think of a title, I have a blog post.  Happy Thursday, everyone.

 

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Sunday Cinema, in Progress

Posted on October 15, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

I thought I should make my blog post before it got any later, although I was tempted to wait until at least the next movie.  We began the movie watching portion of our day early so are able to get more movies in.  Naturally I wanted to watch all Halloween movies (I always want to watch all Halloween movies, but during October is the time it is easiest to get away with).  We began with a DVD which was loaned to me by a work friend, Phantom of the Opera (1943), colorized.

This is the reaction you might get when you try to take a girl home on the first date.

I did not realize this was the Claude Rains version.  I love Claude Rains!  I’m not sure I loved the movie, although I did love the ending.  Perhaps I’ll write a blog post about it.  I have not done a movie write-up in a long time.  I love doing movie write-ups.

After Phantom of the Opera, I suggested House of Wax (1953), because Vincent Price has a deformed face, kind of like the Phantom (acquired by different means but with a similar personality-warping effect).  For another reason, I knew House of Wax moved along faster.  I like a movie that moves right along.

Yes, that is Charles Bronson in the center. Vincent Price is hiding his deformed face, by the way.

This brought us to 2 p.m., when I knew Snapped was on.  We decided to check that out before going on with our movies.  Sunday is a good day for Snapped, after all.  Unfortunately, it was the episode about Amy Fisher. I was hoping for one I had not seen, so we reopened the movie debate early.

Any excuse to re-share the picture of our friend Ellie in “Amy Fisher: The Musical.”

At last we settled on House on Haunted Hill, because it stars Vincent Price.  I like to have a connection between my movies.  Additionally, this is a William Castle movie.  I loves me some William Castle!

I guess she doesn’t have a thing for skinny guys.

Oh dear, as I typed this in, House on Haunted Hill got finished. Now I must debate with Steven as to which movie to watch next.  More Vincent Price?  Another William Castle?  Or maybe something with a house.  Or a hill. Happy Sunday, everyone.

 

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Martians, Vampires, Prank Phone Calls, It’s Sunday Cinema!

Posted on October 1, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

How about a Cinema Sunday post?  I have not watched that many movies today, but I have not done a whole lot else either.  I went running, I went shopping (grocery and other), I made a salad and other stuff for this week’s lunches, I cooked a nice dinner for Steven and me.  Perhaps this will be a rambling post, more of a Scattered Sunday.

While I was chopping and mixing, Steven put in Signs (2002).  Back when I used to like M Night Shyamalan movies.  But let’s not get into that right now.  I have not seen any of his recent stuff.

I just flashed on the Roger Miller “Hat” song, “Hey, Kid, where’d you get the Lid?”

After Signs, Steven let me pick, and I chose Dracula (1931).  It is more atmospheric than plot-driven, but I gotta love me some Bela Lugosi and Dwight Frye.

Ooh, those eyes!

I have to say, though, the movie does not chug right along, the way I like a movie too.  What can I say?  It’s just my taste in theatre.  After a highly respected classic, I wanted to watch a William Castle movie, which one might argue is a classic of a different sort (although I am no hand at argument).  We decided on I Saw What You Did.  It’s silly fun.  Of course, these days it is not so easy to make prank phone calls.  I never could make them successfully; people always recognize my voice.  But at least Joan Crawford never yelled at me!

I’d sure as hell go!

Now we are looking at Snapped while I make this blog post, but I’m not loving the episode on now.  I wonder if I could talk Steven into House on Haunted Hill.

When I was done screaming, I’d ask him for a few diet tips.

 

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More Halloween, Please!

Posted on August 27, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

I have a LOT of stuff I need to be getting done, but, you know, I have always had the damnedest time getting anything done on a Sunday.  I went to church and got a prayer shawl blessed for the mother of a friend.  I went grocery shopping with my husband.  I made spaghetti sauce for dinner, chopped vegetables and made salad for tomorrow’s lunch, and… OK, that was it.  And I am watching Halloween movies, so I can at least make a blog post with fun pictures.  We started cheesy with Horror Hotel (1960), featuring a young, fairly hot Christopher Lee.

Not the best shot of him, but a pretty creepy pic, I thought.

The movie was in one of our DVD horror collections. House on Haunted Hill was also on that disc.  Of course we have House on Haunted Hill (1959) on a disc all by itself, seeing as it is one of our all time favorites, but I suggested we go ahead and watch it on that disc, since it was already in the machine.

 

I loves me some Vincent Price.

Next Steven suggested Carnival of Souls (1962), a really trippy, well made, low budget, high suspense horror film.

It’s scary! And far from cheesy.

I got the picture from a cool Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/carnivalofsouls1962/.

And I have missed a bit of the movie while I made this post.  It hardly matters.  I will certainly watch this movie again.  I have declared it Halloween season in my household.  I figure if my fall allergies can kick in so early (and they certainly have!), I can enjoy the fun parts of fall as well.  It makes an excellent way to get through a Wrist to Forehead Sunday.

I can’t see where the poster resembles the movie, but you know I never pay much attention to these things.

Carnival of Souls ended before I hit publish, so I moved on to Night Tide (1961), which is on the same disc.

 

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Monsters on Monday, What’s Not to Like?

Posted on June 5, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had a couple of authentic Mohawk Valley adventures I was going to write about,  but I’m tired.  Sorry, folks, I’ve had a rough weekend and a tough Monday — oh, I KNOW other people work much harder than I do and have a much harder time.  I’ll stop whining, I really will.  My point is, as I was idly scrolling down Facebook, trying to work up some ambition, I came across an awesome still from The Invisible Man, and, well, you know me and monster movies.  We are having another Monstrous Monday.

“But, Darling, I never loved you for your looks!”

Claude Rains and Gloria Stuart, what’s not to like?  Naturally I kept scrolling to see if I could get lucky and find a couple of more pictures.

They don’t do newspaper ads like this any more!

I LOOOOVE The Raven!  I only recently saw it for the first time, having DVR’d it from TCM.  I feel certain my husband will give me the DVD for my birthday or Christmas sometime.  Maybe on a boxed set of Roger Corman movies.  I like Roger Corman almost as much as I like William Castle.

I think this also works as a depiction of the popular conception of Monday.

This is one out of my Media Library.  Since I mentioned William Castle, I just had to include a picture of House on Haunted Hill (the 1959 original, of course), one of our go-to movies.  So entertaining!

Alas, one cannot enjoy Percepto while watching this on DVD!

Oh, how silly of me.  I went looking in my Library for William Castle, completely forgetting that I had just downloaded a movie poster from one of his flicks!  It just goes to show how truly tired I am.  I’m leaving the other picture in, though, because who couldn’t like to see a scary ghost and a screaming woman on Monstrous Monday?  No promises, but I’ll try not to be so tired on Tuesday.

 

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Alas, No Severed Heads for Me

Posted on May 28, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

Joan is obviously charmed to meet Gloria, but Jack looks less than thrilled.

It is that moment on a Sunday when I realize:  I’ve got to make my blog post, so I can get back to sitting on the couch, knitting, and watching television.  It is movies rather than Snapped today, and we began with Sudden Fear, starring Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, and Gloria Grahame.  I do enjoy a film noir on a gloomy Sunday (and almost any other day or weather), although ideally I like to sip Pinot Noir whilst I watch.  However, you can’t have everything.

Speaking of other things I didn’t get today, I wanted to have a Severed Head Sunday.  I have a number of movies that involve heads that part company as it were.  Unfortunately, we have just recently watched two.

Obviously, she feels strongly about matters.

I think I even mentioned that I watched the heart-warming classic Straitjacket on Mother’s Day.  Joan always played a mother so memorably.

“May I have this dance?”

We watched House on Haunted Hill last night.  Actually, in that movie, real severed heads are only mentioned.  The severed head you see turns out to be a fake.  Oh dear, ought I to have included a spoiler alert for that?  I don’t think it will materially injure anybody’s enjoyment of the movie.

It is early in the day, so I suppose I could still fit in a movie with severed heads.  Maybe Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte.

Isn’t she lovely?

Bette Davis, an unsolved murder involving a severed head, what’s not to like?  For once, I’m not having a Wrist to Forehead Sunday.

 

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Not Cheesy on Wrist to Forehead Sunday

Posted on May 21, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

We were supposed to be watching cheesy movies.  I am wearing my t-shirt from Original Herkimer Cheese, which says, “Keepin’ It Cheesy Since 1949.”

The moment I saw this shirt, I knew I had to own it one day.

I gave Original Herkimer Cheese one of my favorite plugs in a murder mystery for the Herkimer County Historical Society.

One character tells another she looks remarkably like Frangelica Inferno, “Uh, not that I watch porn movies.”

Character that looks like Frangelica:  “She was not a porn star!  Those were art films!”

Another character:  “Oh, please, those movies are as cheesy as Chutter from Original Herkimer Cheese!”

I do love chutter, and Original Herkimer Cheese.  But I digress. My original subject was cheesy movies, which I adore to watch on Wrist to Forehead Sunday.  We watched a good one last night, The Tingler, starring Vincent Price and directed by William Castle.  We thought of continuing the Price/Castle theme today with House on Haunted Hill.  However, I had also mentioned All About Eve as a possibility.  Steven was more interested in All About Eve.  How could I possibly object to a Bette Davis classic?

After All About Eve, Steve suggested another favorite of ours, Being Julia, starring the divine Annette Bening.  In addition to being one of my all time favorite movies, this one seemed related to All About Eve, because both are about highly talented, greatly admired stage actresses who have just a little bit of trouble in their offstage lives.

I am having a bit of trouble in my offstage life these days, as well as onstage, but how tiresome of me it would be to cry about it now, even on Wrist to Forehead Sunday.  Additionally, I have movies to watch.  For a blog post, this will have to do.  I hope to see you all again on Monstrous Monday.

 

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Oh, Snap! No Movies to Watch!

Posted on February 26, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

Who, me? Write a blog post?

I had the distinct urge to open with a picture of Nosferatu.  It is Wrist to Forehead Sunday, and this post is going to be foolish, short on substance, but possibly long on monster movie pictures.  I offer no excuse for my perfidy (isn’t that a nice word?) but will drive on with the post.

“You don’t like my Wrist to Forehead Sunday post?”

This is blurrier than the picture of Joan Crawford with an ax that I usually post.  However, this one does not have the silly caption about giving Mommy the candy.  Sometimes when I watch a movie like Straitjacket, that I love to pop in periodically, I feel a little sad, because I have to wait a certain amount of time before I watch it again.  I’m in the mood lately that I only want to watch all my old favorite movies.  It is fortunate that I have a lot of old, favorite movies.  However, the selection is not infinite.

Now there’s a photo montage!

It is not yet time to watch House on Haunted Hill either.  I stole the above from a group I recently joined about William Castle, one of my most admired people.  I do not have nearly enough William Castle movies in my collection.

Most probably I will end the day, as I end many Sunday, by watching Snapped. And that is not bad for a Wrist to Forehead Sunday.  Hope to see you all on Middle-aged Musings Monday.

When I snap, it usually means something else. Just saying.

 

 

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