Tag Archives: The Tingler

Still Feeling Monstrous.

I am still feeling pretty monstrous (I use the adjective purely to fit in with Monstrous Monday) yet feel I must begin to creep back into the land of the living.  I did not post for the last two days, because I felt it was too many posts about how rotten I felt.  Today I will try for a transitionary post (what? transitionary isn’t a word?  Where’s my dictionary?) (Yes! transitionary IS SO a word!  what the hell, Chromebook? Why are you underlining it?).

Oh dear.

The fact is I am sitting here with a vague headache and not many thoughts in my head.  Yesterday I thought as how I had done nothing but lie around for four days I ought to try to exert myself a little.  Accordingly, I stood up at the sink for a while and did some dishes.  Not all of the dishes, but you can’t have everything.  Later on, I  mustered up enough oomph to go out and shovel the driveway.  There was not a lot of snow, and I did a lousy job, but I felt I had accomplished something.

Not much snow, not much driveway.

This is a picture from a whole different year, but I wanted to add an illustration.

Today my main concern is to make it to the Herkimer Town Board meeting, which I must cover for Sentinel Media.  I do not know what else I ought to demand of myself.  Like I said, creep slowly back to the land of the living.

Creeping back to life among the living?

I thought I’d throw in one monster.  I was looking for The Blob, which I certainly feel like, but I find The Tingler will have to do.

 

Slacker to Cinema Plus Shout-Out

I had rather a Slacker Saturday today, but at least I am making my blog post on Saturday. I really did not do much after I made my Friday blog post, so I don’t have much to write about now (as Truman Capote once said, that’s not writing, that’s typing). One thing I should have done was work on my lines for Curtains for Frangelica, the murder mystery we are presenting to benefit the Herkimer County Historical Society, one week from today. Yikes!

My computer or my WordPress is still messed up. Instead of seeing the picture I inserted, it is just a bunch of typing. And I can’t edit it to add a caption. Well, I can’t worry about these things now. Right now I want to make a blog post.

As I am typing, I am kind of watching The Tingler on DVD. It is a William Castle produced horror movie starring Vincent Price. It is a bit on the cheesy side, but so entertaining.

Earlier I watched Carnival of Souls. Full disclosure: I only mention it because I saw a picture from it in my Media Library when I was looking for the picture from The Tingler.

So I guess I can bill this as a Cinema Saturday, with a shout-out to my upcoming murder mystery. Just to make it a real plug, here is the flier:

I don’t think they are sold out yet, if any local readers are interested.

I’ll Have to Work on the Pun

I don’t know if I should acquiesce in being not daily blogger (sporadic blogger?  thrice weekly blogger? non blogger?) or get used to most of my posts beginning with an apology for missing days.  It is a conundrum.  I think.

I just paused to look up “conundrum” (in an old dictionary, you know, the kind that is a book) (in case any of you thought I might be catching up with the 21st century).  One definition is anything that puzzles, so that is OK.  However, the first definition says it is a riddle whose answer involves a pun.  I love puns!  Of course I cannot think of any right off hand, but if I can come up with an answer to my particular conundrum that involves a pun, what a triumph that would be!

He looks sad. Don’t be sad, Vincent!

Once again, I throw in a picture to pep things up.  This is a publicity still from The Tingler, one of my favorite William Castle movies.  It stars Vincent Price, for those of you who do not recognize him in the picture (poor uninformed wretches).  I saw something at work yesterday  (never mind what;  it would take too long to explain) that was shaped like the Tingler, and I thought, ooh!  I began to plan a William Castle Weekend, where I would watch cheesy movies and knit.  I thought I would even make my Lame Post Friday blog post about it.  And then I did not make a Friday blog post.

I knew she would like this dress!  I think she wore it for a murder mystery once.

When in doubt, throw in a beautiful blonde.   This is my bestie, Kim, at Renewed and Rescued in 2019.  This was before Renewed was the anchor store of Mohawk Valley Community Market.  I include this picture, because I may not sit home on my couch today (it is Saturday, by the way) but go out on a few Mohawk Valley Adventures.  Mohawk Valley Community Market may be one stop.

I see I am over 300 words.  So I have, an apology for not posting, a picture from a cheesy horror movie, and a brief shout out to a local business.  I am going to say OK and hit publish.  As always, thank you for tuning in.

Mohawk Valley Community Market is located at 142 N. Main St., Herkimer, NY, phone number 315-219-9195.

 

One Sunday with Triple Cheese, Please!

I said earlier I might try for a Sunday Cinema Post,  and here I am, on Sunday, having watched a few movies, and ready to make a blog post.  My husband, Steve, graciously agreed to watch cheesy horror movies.  Accordingly, I located a VHS cassette I picked up at a rummage sale of Monster from Green Hell.  I could not exactly remember how the plot unfolded but hoped it would not be too slow.  That is Steve’s usual problem with that sort of movie: too slow!  I fear he is often right.

And I think I have insect problems!

A scary scene, no?  Yes, it is.  Unfortunately, we had to sit through HOURS of guys walking through Africa, stock footage of animals panicking, and various other slow scenes explaining what was or was about to happen.  And, yes, it felt like hours, even though the whole movie clocks in at 71 minutes, according to the box.  My bad!  I should have remembered.

“Scream! Scream for your lives!”

I knew we would have better luck when I put in The Tingler.  William Castle and Vincent Price, there could be no possible objection.  It is one of my favorites.

It is really not so romantic as all that.

We moved on to a Vincent Price/Agnes Moorehead vehicle, The Bat.  That is a fun movie too, although it does not pay to think too hard about it.  I don’t want to say it has plot holes, but you could probably strain spaghetti through the script.

It was a very relaxing Sunday afternoon.  I feel a little bad that I got almost nothing useful done, but you’ll have that.  At least I’ll have that.  In the meantime,  I am over 250 words,  posting on time.  Score!  Bring on the week!

 

Crawling Through a Creepy Week

How about a Mid-Week Monsters post? I could use a few creepy-crawlies to cheer myself up. My only problem is, will I be able to find some good ones to share?

It’s creepy! It’s crawly!

This is only a shadow, but it is The Tingler (1959), a terrifying creepy-crawly from the brilliant oeuvre of William Castle. I love that movie, but Steven is less of a fan. We have it on DVD, which is a delightful thing for me.

“It creeps, and leaps..”

This is more of a creepy than a crawly, The Blob (1958). I think you need feet to be a crawly, and the more feet you have, the creepier. I should do a study of these things. Maybe a master’s thesis. I could get a PhD in Monster Theory.

Incidentally, we do not have this movie on DVD, although we would like it for the collection. It is a classic. I am especially fond of the theme song.

EEEEEEEE!

Here is a definite crawly, using all six legs to terrorize Joan Collins in Empire of the Ants (1977). I have not seen that movie in years. This is why I miss movie rental places.

As this week continues to creep and crawl towards Friday, I guess I have cheered myself up somewhat. I hope my readers have found my monsters equally as cheering.

Yes, It Was Monday

Every Monday is another chance to have a fabulous, productive week. And every Monday evening I feel Just Too Tired To Do Anything. I don’t even know if I can manage a Monstrous Monday Post.

An embarrassingly common emotion.

Oh crap now I am having trouble with this WordPress editor. I couldn’t get the cursor to the left to start a new paragraph; it wanted to stay center. Now I am two to three lines below the picture and afraid to try to erase the space. And why does autocorrect only want to correct some of my typos? These are the questions that haunt me on Monstrous Monday.

Now the bastard won’t let me add another picture! What the hell?

Maybe it would help if I screamed.

Regarding the caption above, in The Tingler (yes, autocorrect, Tingler, not Tingles. Sheesh!), directed by William Castle and starring Vincent Price, only screaming could save you from the terrifying Tingler. I am not sure screaming out my frustration would have a similar effect, although I know some find such behavior helpful.

It was, my friend, it was.

I close with a ghoul I downloaded some years ago but rarely share. I confess my day was not as bad as some. However, I found it tiring. But at least I managed a 200 (or so) word blog post. Happy Monday, everyone.

New Year’s with Vincent

I interrupt my New Year’s Eve celebrations to make a blog post. It was easy for my husband, Steven, and I to heed the calls to stay home and not gather for the holiday, because that is what we usually do for New Year’s Eve. Sweat pants, wine, and movies. What more could we ask?

I could ask that my Media Library be more organized, for one thing. We are watching familiar movies, and I know I have pictures of them. Movie pictures add so much to a post like this.

The master at work.

Our first movie was House on Haunted Hill, the original starring Vincent Price, directed by William Castle.  It is one of our perennial favorites. 

Me, trying to scroll through all my pictures.

I have some even better pictures of that movie, but it is too difficult to find them.  Perhaps I will make a New Year’s Resolution to find out how to better organize my photos.

We continued with both Price and Castle with The Tingler.

He’s feeding her a line, and she’s got him on a string.

I paused in my making a blog post to watch Carolyn Jones’ scenes in House of Wax, starring Vincent Price but not directed by William Castle. 

Now that I am over 200 words, I shall feel free to return to my holiday libations and movie viewing.  Happy New Year, everyone!

 

William Castle, Can You Help Me Now?

Hello and welcome to another Monstrous Monday Post.  Once again I intend to pull monster pictures from my Media Library and hope to find something new to say about them. We shall see how successful I can be.

Who will win?

Full disclosure: I have never seen this movie.  I can’t help wondering if they are running out of ideas when they have to combine monsters.  Then again, I can’t judge, as I am suffering from a dearth of ideas myself.

A director who truly loved his work.

Here is a fellow who never seemed to run out of ideas, William Castle on the set of House on Haunted Hill.  Perhaps I can find some inspiration from a man who lived to entertain.

Scream! Scream for your lives!

In my search for inspiration,  I find a shot of Vincent Price in The Tingler, another Castle masterpiece.

Mine is not this big.

Not a Castle film, but one of my favorite pictures to share when I am feeling brain dead: The Brain From Planet Arous.

Great side eye, and totally deserved.

For my final picture,  I show the opposite of brain dead: The Brain That Wouldn’t Die, one of my all time favorite cheesy movies.

Yes, this is what I do when I feel unable to write: share pictures and spew nonsense.  Perhaps tomorrow I will be able to write something better, even without a brain or inspiration.  As always, I hope you will stay tuned.

 

Monday Movies

How about Monday Movies instead of Monstrous Monday?  For one reason, we watched a couple of movies I think I have pictures of in my Media Library.  But can I find them?

And you thought you had some strange bedfellows!

Our first feature was Straitjacket,  a William Castle movie starring Joan Crawford.  Steven was feeling down, and I thought a sweet, uplifting story about ax murders would cheer him up.  Who doesn’t love a good ax murder?

Is all permissible for Science?

Our second feature was The Tingler, another William Castle, this one starring Vincent Price.   Who doesn’t love Vincent Price?

Another questionable act of Science.

And here is another scene from that movie.  After The Tingler we took a break from movies to fix and enjoy dinner.

Speaking of murder…

Monday, of course is Dateline Day, with multiple episodes airing on OWN.  I have in fact lost track of The Valentine’s Day Mystery while I wrote this.

I like cake, too.

Looping back to Straitjacket,  here is Joan Crawford again.  She sure takes the cake, doesn’t she?  Any way you slice it, she is sweet.  I ax you, is that a star or what?

Now all the pun hating readers are groaning while all my fellow punsters are coming up with further plays on words.  And that gives me an idea for another feature:  Monday Punday.  Sunday Punday could work to.  I hope you’ll all stay tuned.

 

Snapped or Cinema, Happy Sunday!

I think I can manage a Sunday Cinema post.  Can I manage to find proper illustrations?  That is another question altogether and one that may lead to a Wriet to Forehead Sunday post.

Who doesn’t love Snapped on a Sunday?

Of course the first thing we tuned into was Snapped.  We looked at an episode or two between movies as well,.  However, our primary concern today was movies.

A pretty unsavory pair.

At last I come across a picture from Double Indemnity, our second feature.  I cannot for the life of me find anything from Being Julia, the first movie we watched. How annoying!  I know I had some picture from it in  my Media Library!  That is what I get for posting on the Tablet.  On the laptop I could have downloaded a new picture.  Can my readers forgive me for being so low tech?  I can only hope so.

No wonder some people have trouble sleeping at night!

Being unsuccessful at finding a photo from Being Julia,  I share a picture from a movie I would like to watch next: The Tingler with Vincent Price.  Steven is falling asleep on the live seat, so perhaps I can put in whatever movie I like next.  Then again, why would Steven not like to watch  William Castle classic?  We shall see.  Happy Sunday,  everyone!