Monsters from the Vault

MFTV #26 includes: BORIS KARLOFF AT WARNER BROS. 1935-1939 by Greg Mank. For years, film history has basically smiled on the five star vehicles Karloff made for the brothers Warner. The Walking Dead is one of Karloff's most moving horror triumphs, and West of Shanghai, The Invisible Menace, Devil's Island, and British Intelligence---whatever their B picture eccentricities---all provide top billing showcases for the star's versatility. Yet coverage has never fully focused on what happened behind the scenes of Karloff's "Warners’ Five," until now! ONE BROWNING, TWO HELENS, AND A HOST OF FAKES: Narrative and Cinematic Trickery in The Thirteenth Chair (1929) by Gary D. Rhodes. Long-time MFTV contributor Gary Rhodes looks at the production of Tod Browning’s The Thirteenth Chair, a film that marks Tod Browning's shift away from his collaborations with Lon Chaney, Sr., and the beginning of his work with actor Bela Lugosi. VAMPIRES, ZOMBIES, AND SORCERERS: The Best of Hammer Horror in the 1960s by Mark Clark and Bryan Senn. Mark and Bryan give us a sneak peek at their upcoming book, Sixties Shockers: Horror Films of the 1960s. This excerpt from the book looks at their choices of Hammer Studios' top three films (The Brides of Dracula, The Plague of the Zombies, and The Devil's Bride) from the decade. UNIVERSAL-INTERNATIONAL’S THE STRANGE DOOR (1951): Part One by Tom Weaver and Steve Kronenberg. Tom and Steve share with Monsters from the Vault, The Strange Door chapter from their upcoming book, Universal Terrors: The 1950s (the long-awaited sequel to Universal Horrors). Part One looks at the inspiration, synopsis, and cast of the 1951 Universal-International film. FILMS FROM THE VAULT: DVD Reviews by Mark Clark. DVDs reviewed are Fox Horror Classics Volume 2 (featuring Chandu the Magician, Dragonwyck, and Dr. Renault's Secret) and Icons of Horror: Hammer Films (featuring Scream of Fear, The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll, The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb, and The Gorgon). BOOKS FROM THE VAULT: Book Reviews by Mark Clark and Bryan Senn. Books reviewed are I Talked with a Zombie: Interviews with 23 Veterans of Horror and Sci-Fi Films and Television by Tom Weaver and Creature Features: Nature Turned Nasty in the Movies by William Schoell. All this, plus editorial comments, letters, and tons of photos. Published Spring 2009.

ZOMBIES AND CRUSTACEANS AND GILA MONSTERS, OH MY!: An Interview with Don Sullivan by Bryan Senn. Bryan Senn interviews Don Sullivan, the star of Teenage Zombies, The Monster of Piedras Blancas, and The Giant Gila Monster. Don discusses his short film career, brief stint as a singer/songwriter, and illustrious career as a cosmetics chemist. BLOODSTOCK: Four Days of Stress, Chaos, and Wonderment by David J. Schow. MFTV welcomes author/screenwriter David J. Schow onboard this issue. David provides behind-the-scene details and hilarious stories about the greatest horror, sci-fi, and fantasy film convention (What a guest list!) you probably never heard of: The Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy World Exposition held in Tucson, Arizona, in June 1977. PHOTO SPOTLIGHT #1: The Mole People: From the Photofest Archives. The first installment of our newest feature contains some rare photos from Universal’s 1956 film, The Mole People. These photos were unearthed by Buddy Weiss in the Photofest archives. HORROR IN A CHRISTIAN CENTURY by Gary D. Rhodes. Author Gary D. Rhodes looks at Christian Century magazine, which ran some of the earliest reviews of horror films made in the 1930s and 40s. UNIVERSAL-INTERNATIONAL’S THE STRANGE DOOR (1951): Part Two by Tom Weaver and Steve Kronenberg. Tom and Steve share with Monsters from the Vault, The Strange Door chapter from their upcoming book, Universal Terrors: The 1950s (the long-awaited sequel to Universal Horrors). Part Two looks at details of the production, analysis of the film, and marginalia of the film. FILMS FROM THE VAULT: DVD Reviews by Mark Clark and David Colton. DVDs reviewed are The Wolf Man: Universal Legacy Series Special Edition, Universal Cult Horror Collection, Karloff & Lugosi Horror Classics, and Orlok the Vampire. BOOKS FROM THE VAULT: Book Reviews by David Colton, Bryan Senn, and Mark F. Berry. Books reviewed are Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff, The Television Horrors of Dan Curtis, and Prehistoric Humans in Film and Television. All this, plus editorial comments, letters, and tons of photos. Published Spring 2010.

The Bride of Frankenstein turns 75, and MFTV is celebrating with an Anniversary Appreciation article from several writers. Take a look at an excerpt from Michael Hoey’s new book, Sherlock Holmes and the Fabulous Faces. Take a look at the 1931 John Barrymore film, The Mad Ghoul, released the same year as Dracula and Frankenstein. Plus, DVD and book reviews, and lots more!

Take a detailed look at Tod Browning’s 1931 Dracula with Bela Lugosi. What if classic monster movie casting was different from what we know and love? Ed Nelson lets readers know what it was like to work for Roger Corman and talks about the 1958 film The Brain Eaters. Plus, DVD and Book reviews, and more! Monsters From the Vault is quite possibly the best magazine on classic monster movies on the racks today. Find out why by grabbing any issue.

It’s a Vincentennial Celebration as people offer up their favorite memories of Vincent Price on the anniversary of his 100th birthday. Filmmaker Michael Hoey discusses the making of Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine. Author Ray Bradbury talks about his earliest influences. Hammer films Twins of Evil and Vampire Circus are discussed along with an interview with Twins director John Hough. Plus, the usual assortment of DVD and book reviews makes this latest issue of MFTV a must!