The 2016 edition of The Old Book & Paper Show happened two days ago at Wychwood Barns. This was my second visit to the show, and it seemed that this year there were more postcard vendors than last. Otherwise, you still had exhibitors of books, magazines, comics, memorabilia, photographs, etc.
The man with the boxes of cheap paperbacks was there again this year, and I came away with the following from his table. Most of these are prime "Gee Whiz G-Man" material to be read and reviewed for this blog in the future:
Jerry Sohl: The Time Dissolver
Roger Fuller: Burke’s Law - Who Killed Madcap Millicent?
Paul Brickhill: Escape or Die
Sax Rohmer: Nude In Mink
John Buchan: Mountain Meadow
Cornell Woolrich: Deadline at Dawn
Dorothy B. Hughes: Ride the Pink Horse
Sax Rohmer: Return of Sumuru
Dorothy B. Hughes: The Bamboo Blonde
Edgar Wallace: The Clue of the New Pin
Peter Cheyney: The Stars Are Dark
Jack Webb: The Bad Blonde
Elizabeth Sax Rohmer: Bianca in Black
William P. McGivern: The Crooked Frame
Sax Rohmer: The Fire Goddess
William P. McGivern: Killer on the Turnpike
Films viewed the week of April 10: three-fourths of this week's offerings are prime examples of those racy Italian movies we used to sneak downstairs to watch on Saturday nights at 2AM on CFMT Channel 47, for all their biological delights, even if they weren't dubbed in English. And since we've still exploring the deep well of British genre films after being inspired by the amazing book Offbeat! two years ago, we also checked out a trademark horror anthology film from Amicus.
From Beyond the Grave
(1974; Kevin Connor) The final horror anthology from Amicus Productions (The House That Dripped Blood; Tales From The Crypt; Vault of Horror) features tales of terror revolving around items found in Peter Cushing's antique shop (appropriately entitled Temptations) and is great fun for a Saturday night. In "The Gatecrasher", a man holds a seance after purchasing a mirror, which summons an evil spirit who appears in the mirror reflection and demands that the man "feeds" the apparition by killing for it. David Warner is very good as the man torn between good and evil, carrying out the spirit's bidding. And what an ending! In "The Elemental" Margaret Leighton is great fun as an eccentric medium (aren't they all?) named Madame Orloff (a nod to Franco?) who is called upon by a stuffy businessman (Ian Carmichael) who purchases a snuff box and now has an Elemental in his home, wreaking havoc for him and his wife (Nyree Dawn Porter). When a writer (Ian Ogilvy) purchases a door in (guess) "The Door", and props it up in his home, he and his wife (Lesley-Anne Down) discover that it opens to another room occupied by an occultist who attempts to get into the outside world and trap the couple in this other dimension. Intriguingly, the resolution of these tales (including the wraparound story of a hapless individual who attempts to rob the old curiosity shop) depends on whether or not the storekeeper has somehow been cheated in the purchase of the goods. I've saved the second tale ("An Act of Kindness") for the last, because it's the best: an elaborate, deliberately paced story of just desserts, as a man (Ian Bannen) regales fabricated tales of his own military (experiences behind a service medal from the shop) to a war veteran (Donald Pleasence, excellent in a subtle role) now selling matches on the street. His relationship with the veteran (and his daughter, played by the actor's real-life daughter, the eerily beautiful, perfectly cast Angela Pleasence) becomes more complex and bizarre, resulting in a revenge plot against the man's nagging wife (Diana Dors, who scores with little screen time) and ingrate son... but not without a price. Although he is perhaps best remembered today for the Amicus Edgar Rice Burroughs adaptations, The People That Time Forgot, At The Earth's Core; The Land That Time Forgot, and for the Rory Calhoun cult classic Motel Hell, former editor Kevin Connor acquits himself very well in his directorial debut, in the exceptionally well-edited climax of "The Door", and with clever use of cinematic space and depth in marvellous mirror effects in "The Gatecrasher". (Warner DVD)
Lover Boy
(1975; Franco Martinelli AKA- Marino Girolami) Other than the attribute of the delightful Edwige Fenech in very low-cut dresses (when wearing anything at all, that is), there's not much to say about this bland sex comedy. When a businessman learns that his father's new wife is flying in for a visit, he dismissively sends his dorky ten-year-old son to attend to her. Upon learning that grandpa's new bride is the much younger, and scintillating, Ms. Fenech, the kid has suddenly forgotten about his tomboy girlfriend, and before long his mopey guitar-playing older brother, and their horny dad are also vying for her attention. This is a typical middle 70s racy Italian comedy, with cartoonish acting (no doubt aided by the dubbing) and questionable attempt to make adultery look like so much fun, indifferently directed hack work by Marino Girolami (best remembered for Zombie Holocaust, and for conceiving fellow filmmaker Enzo Castellari). Of some novelty value is the score by Enrico Simonetti, which belongs in a better movie. Edwige is lovely to look at, as always, but this affair (with endless shots of these goons ogling her cleavage) gets tiresome really fast. (Shoarma Digital)
The Cricket
(1980; Alberto Lattuada) The title refers to the nickname given the waif-like character played by Clio Goldsmith, whose entrance into and departure from these debauched relationships bookends this fascinating drama, but the story arc is really about the hapless chanteuse Wilma (played by Virna Lisi) who befriends Cricket (her one fan), acting as a chambermaid in a hotel she is performing at. In about ten minutes of screen time, they are ejected from the hotel, and hit the road together. Soon they meet a man (Tony Franciosa) and turn his rundown gas station-restaurant-hotel complex into a lucrative business. When he and Wilma marry, the former singer sends for her daughter, in the hopes that they can have a normal family life. But happiness proves elusive in this neon-lit morality play, as sexual curiosity and repression leads to tragedy. As with Stay As You Are, a previous film by Alberto Lattuada (whose six-year career includes Variety Lights, co-directed with Federico Fellini), this straddles between an arthouse aesthetic and exploitation film elements, but has a uniquely bluesy poetry. Even when it veers into melodrama in the final half hour, this remains a thoroughly compelling, complex study of good people who screw up; characters whose sexual liberation leads to doom. Highly recommended! Check it out! (Mya Communications)
Perversion Story
(1969; Lucio Fulci)This sensational title (admittedly no better than its alternate, One on Top of the Other) masks a pretty good giallo inspired by Vertigo (with its San Francisco setting a potential nod to its source), yet set amongst a swinging 60s milieu. A fledgling doctor (Jean Sorel), who is married to an ailing asthmatic (Marisa Mell), and has a mistress on the side (Elsa Martinelli), finds himself in more twisted situations after his wife dies, and encounters an exotic dancer who resembles her. Despite the different coloured eyes and hair, he is convinced she is his late wife. While Lucio Fulci's direction is somewhat ham-fisted, the bright cinematography and jazzy soundtrack by Riz Ortolani (featured on a bonus CD in the Severin Films DVD release) uplift a sometimes plodding narrative. The climax is genuinely suspenseful as our hero is sentenced to die in the gas chamber for murder. John Ireland is good in a small role as the detective investigating this bizarre puzzle. (Severin Films)
Snicker Theater was a syndicated program that aired in 1987 on WNBC (Channel 4) in New York City, as well as other markets. In a formula that anticipated Mystery Science Theater 3000 by a couple of years (albeit with much more low-rent production values), hosts Barry Kilbrick and Pat Mulligan (playing, respectively, Barry and Pat) would poke fun at cheesy movies, hence the title Snicker Theater.
Saul Fischer by way of E-gor's Chamber of TV Horror Hosts, continues:
No horror make-up, just a low-rent living room/basement set with an AWFULLY cheap-looking sofa, upon which "Barry" & "Pat" sat and watched cheesy videos, pausing every few minutes before and after the commercial breaks to make fun of the flicks... and make fun of each other, too. These two guys hosted as well as co-produced and co-wrote the show, and, as I recall, most of it was amusing. The character of "Barry" ran a bowling alley while poor "Pat" worked "down at the toxic dump" (shades of The Simpsons).
In a typical episode, they got up and literally hopped off the set to eat at (the offscreen) Bernie's All-You-Can-Eat Frog Leg Emporium, as the movie continued playing. They returned several minutes later, gastrointestinally-challenged, and saw their mistake -- but wisely decided not to bother rewinding the video to see what they had missed (but the audience had endured).
In the same episode, they had pizza delivered by a well-endowed blonde (another cast member), and ended up dancing with her around the set. It ended with them trying to leave the set for a much-needed "case" of cold beers, then Barry's too-short microphone cord that was trailing behind him got hopelessly caught in the closing door, as Pat cracks up with the offscreen crew, all of this visible under the closing credits. Lydia Finzi played the girl who delivered the pizza (Domino's!). The films they showed were low budgeters like Superargo vs. Diabolicus, Trinity and Sartana, etc. It was filmed in Hollywood, CA.
++++
Later, the show's producer, Dan Brenner, took over hosting duties for the rest of its brief run. (And because this show was produced in the same studio as The People's Court, Brenner apparently used the same dressing room as Judge Wapner!)
Once again, in my hobby of perusing old TV listings, I have the reaction of: "The things I know now that I wish I knew then." Talk about missed opportunities. Snicker Theater was also picked up locally. CFPL (former CBC affiliate Channel 10 from London, Ontario) aired it on Sunday nights at midnight, from September, 1988 to August, 1989. The roster consisted of low-budget Italian genre films that remain hard to find today, even for Euro-genre enthusiasts like yours truly. And yet, at the time I was completely oblivious to the program. Why? Because this nerd would instead be spending late night Sunday nights watching or taping French and silent films on CBLFT!
Here is a listing of the films seen on Snicker Theater, as shown on CFPL, Sunday nights at midnight, in 1988-89 (as listed in Starweek):
09-18-88 title not listed
09-25-88Who Killed the Prosecutor and Why? (1972) Lou Castel
10-02-88The Trojan War (1962) Steve Reeves, John Drew Barrymore
10-09-88title not listed
10-16-88Night of Hate (1973) Anita Ekberg, Tomas Milian
10-23-88Mafia Vs. Ninja (1984) Alexander Lou, Silvio Azzolini
10-30-88The Red Sheik (1973) Channing Pollock
11-06-88Robin Hood, Arrow, Beans and Karate (1976) Alan Steel
11-13-88title not listed
11-20-88Jesse and Lester, Two Brothers (1975) Richard Harrison
11-27-88No Graves on Boot Hill (1969) K. Wood, P. White, C. Hill
12-04-88Shoot Joe and Shoot Again (1972) Richard Harrison
12-11-88Io Semiramide (1962) Yvonne Furneaux, John Ericson
12-18-88How To Win a Billion and Get Away With It (1966) Ray Danton, Edmond Purdom
12-25-88Seven Golden Women Against 2-07 (1967) Mickey Hargitay, Luciana Paoli
01-01-8928 Minutes for 3 Million Dollars (1967) Richard Harrison, Claudio Biava
01-08-89Crime Story (1968) Stan Cooper, Helga Line
01-15-89Who Killed the Prosecutor and Why? (1972) Lou Castel
01-22-89The Trojan War (1962) Steve Reeves, John Drew Barrymore
01-29-89Eyes Behind The Stars (1978) Martin Balsam, Nathalie Delon
02-05-89Night of Hate (1973) Anita Ekberg, Tomas Milian
02-12-89Mafia Vs. Ninja (1984) Alexander Lou, Silvio Azzolini
02-19-89The Red Sheik (1973) Channing Pollock
02-26-89Robin Hood, Arrow, Beans and Karate (1976) Alan Steel
03-05-89For a Book of Dollars (1973) Lincoln Tate
03-12-89Caesar the Conqueror (1960) Cameron Mitchell, Rik Battaglia
03-19-89Gun Shy Piluk (1968) Edmond Purdom
03-26-89Hot Diamonds in Cold Blood (1968) Richard Harrison
04-02-89Electra One (1968) George Martin, Vivi Bach
04-09-89Trinity and Sartana (1972) Robert Widmark
04-16-89Beautiful But Dangerous (1955) Gina Lollobrigida, Vittorio Gassman
04-23-89Superargo Vs. Diabolicus (1968) Ken Wood, Gerard Tichy
04-30-89No Graves on Boot Hill (1969) Ken Wood, Craig Hill
05-07-89Eyes Behind The Stars (1978) Martin Balsam, Nathalie Delon
05-14-89The Red Sheik (1973) Channing Pollock
05-21-89The Trojan War (1962) Steve Reeves, John Drew Barrymore
05-28-89Mafia Vs. Ninja (1984) Alexander Lou, Silvio Azzolini
06-04-89Jesse and Lester, Two Brothers (1975) Richard Harrison
06-11-89No Graves on Boot Hill (1969) Ken Wood, Craig Hill
06-18-89Shoot Joe and Shoot Again (1972) Richard Harrison
06-25-89How To Win a Billion and Get Away With It (1966) Ray Danton, Edmond Purdom
07-02-8928 Minutes for 3 Million Dollars (1967) Richard Harrison, Claudio Biava
07-09-89Crime Story (1968) Stan Cooper, Helga Line
07-16-89Who Killed the Prosecutor and Why? (1972) Lou Castel
07-23-89The Trojan War (1962) Steve Reeves, John Drew Barrymore
07-30-89Seven Golden Women Against 2-07 (1967) Mickey Hargitay, Luciana Paoli
08-06-89The Red Sheik (1973) Channing Pollock
08-13-89Robin Hood, Arrow, Beans and Karate (1976) Alan Steel
08-20-89Hot Diamonds in Cold Blood (1968) Richard Harrison
08-27-89Electra One (1968) George Martin, Vivi Bach
I can barely stand the suspense. Always great fun and amazing finds to be had at the Fantastic Pulps Show & Sale, which occurs one Saturday every year in the basement of the Lillian H. Smith Branch of the Toronto Public Library. The 20th (!) annual show for 2016 happens this Saturday!
A definite highlight in my year-round tradition of spelunking for nostalgic treasures of yore, this sale always gives me a big Cheshire Cat grin.
I've always been an avid list maker. A list of films I've watched, and a list of films I want to watch (itself running 30-plus pages) are the most durable ones I've created (and still in progress). When I go book shopping, I often carry around a little black book containing numerous checklists, often of authors' works, so I don't accidentally buy something twice (as I am wont to do with my elusive memory).
What inspired me to write this post though, were the lists I used to keep, about a year after I graduated from college. Every month, I would make a new list of films to see or books to read, over the following 30 days. The titles would easily fill one-and-a-half sides of a three-ringed 8 & 1/2 by 11" piece of lined paper. Because I wasn't working in my chosen field, and was suffering from cabin fever, these particular lists were a ploy to inspire me out of a creative slump.
However, as life and work got in the way, it was unsurprising to find that when those four weeks elapsed, many of the film or book titles didn't have little check marks beside them. I didn't consider that as an indication of failure. It mattered more that these lists inspired me to organize my thoughts, and to continue learning about the things I was passionate about.
Flash forward to the present day. Those 30-day lists made during those turbulent times have frequently appeared in my mind. Why? Perhaps because all these years later, I am in a similar rut, and my subconscious has dredged up these images as a reminder of how to re-establish some order.
In a recent private journal entry, I made a little list summarizing all of the projects (websites, blogs, articles, etc.) that I've started and thereby abandoned over the past three years. I won't bore you with the details here, but suffice it to say, the items in this list are all over the place... just like my brain. The reason for this lack of cohesion may stem from my lack of publishing anything for over three years. Whatever the pros and cons of doing a magazine, it at least brought some order to my life outside of the nine-to-five grind.
But of all the projects I've started and stopped over the past few years, you know what one I've missed the most? This one right here. Time to do something about that.
Okay, now to start this list. This month is nearly over, so let's make it a "to-do" list from April 24 to May 31, just to add some leeway while I get back into the groove. Here we go...
