Welcome back to another Classic Collection posting, featuring posters I had before I started posting them online. Here are ten more for your perusal. Nothing too fabulous necessarily (and my photography is TERRIBLE), but stuff I have.
VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (Fake? Benton Window Card):
I don't usually buy/like window cards. I got this (and I think I have another for KING KONG purchased at/around the same time) early on from eBay just for the title (One of my all-time favorite bad movies). It was only after getting it that I found out that there were FAKES floating around. It had never occurred to me that anyone would want to bother making fake movie posters (or--gasp!--want to bother running off fake window cards), but based on the amount the seller had and the fabulous condition, I am sure it is a fake--despite his denials at the time. Whatever. This got framed---and I really have nothing to replace it with (except, perhaps, that fake KONG), so it stayed in the frame...
EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC:
Yes, I bothered to frame this notoriously awful sequel poster (but this was before BOTH Part 4s stole the crown). I actually (gasp!) LIKED it---because it was awful. Actually Part 2 was the first one I ever got to see. It was on HBO one summer when I was visiting my father. I actually (much later in life) read the "making of" book (they had envisioned such a grand, amazing classic---and look how it failed) and remember the whole rush to tack on a new ending when the film hit an iceberg at the box office and sank faster than the Titanic in a valiant effort to try to save the film. Ha!
MACABRE:
I LOVE the gimmick films of William Castle from the 1950s and 60s. Even though the films were usually fairly pedestrian in their quaint, low budget way, the gimmicks added a (cheap but effective) extra added dimension to the films. This one, MACABRE, is rather snore-inducing. However, it was the first of Castle's gimmick horrors. This one featured "Death by Fright" insurance policies for every theater-going patron. Zowie! No one collected, though...too bad there wasn't also insurance for "Death By Boredom" as well. Ha! Great art, though.
MR. SARDONICUS:
Here is another great William Castle gimmick film, MR. SARDONICUS. This time, the gimmick is explained using about half of the poster to do so. Essentially, theater goers were given glow-in-the-dark "Punishment Poll" cards. The cards could be held either showing a "Thumbs Up" or a Thumbs Down" depending on what the audience member thought the fate of the title character should be. During a moment towards the end, the action in the movie stops as Mr. Castle appears and asks for audiences to vote. He then tallies the votes up. Thumbs up or thumbs down--mercy or no mercy?...and the action resumes. It sounds like there should be two possible endings....but hello? You know what everyone will vote---thumbs down. So only one ending was ever filmed. Such a scam....GREAT gimmick, though.
HOMICIDAL:
William Castle strikes again! William Castle's actual films often leave a LOT to be desired. HOMICIDAL is no different. It's rather slow and pedestrian and not much happens. Ho hum. Before the film ends though, there is a FRIGHT BREAK wherein audience members had a chance to get their tickets refunded. I can see many wanting to take this offer up---as the film is a yawner. However, Castle wanted to ensure that no one went for a refund. During the fright break, those that were too bored, er...TOO SCARED had to walk to the very visible, labeled in large letters "Coward's Corner". To get to the Coward's Corner, the person had to walk on a specific path that had a big yellow line down the middle of it. There, they had to sit--the cowards--through the end of the movie, fully on display for the rest of the crown to see and laugh at ("Look at the 'fraidy cat") before getting their refund. NOT many wanted to endure that humiliation, so very few refunds were given.
The 7 DWARFS TO THE RESCUE:
I had never heard of this movie when I came across it on eBay YEARS ago. It looks like some live-action foreign flick sequel to SNOW WHITE that was imported here for the kiddie matinee crowd. O' the horror. I'm sure it is just awful and all of the children who were forced into seeing it have blocked it from their memories... EEEK! I dig my Kiddie Matinee posters---and Childhood Productions (which this poster is from) had the best posters. I'd love to see it. It must be a complete disaster. Should be good for a few laughs. And is one of the dwarfs in drag? Ha! Who knew?
RETURN TO OZ:
I'm always interested in a new OZ movie. I remember there being a tremendous amount of publicity over this film's release...and the backlash it received from those saying the flick was too scary for children (I'm thinking the electroshock machine scenes?) and the spectacular flop it became. I liked it well enough. Sure--it wasn't the classic WIZARD OF OZ, but pulling off another one of those will never happen. I thought this was a good attempt. It has since kind of become a cult hit, but Disney has still kind of distanced itself from it. Too bad.
SAVAGE WEEKEND:
I think I have picked up another copy (or two?) of this along the way. The movie is lame (I finally saw it not long back), but I've always dug the poster. I used to have it hanging in my guest room, to make my guests feel welcome---NOT! Ha! Now it's in the back of the closet...
DR. TARR'S TORTURE DUNGEON:
Inspired by a story by Edgar Allan Poe, but (to me) a dull and tedious production that is not nearly as colorful and interesting as the poster makes it out to be (and I do apologize I'm not a better photographer---this poster looks so much better in real life).
DAY OF THE DEAD:
The last of the original Dead trilogy started with NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (director/writer George Romero would go on to add LAND, DIARY and SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD to the series) was not nearly as good as its predecessors, but still interesting and intriguing in its own right. This poster does not come up that often---so I am glad I got it back in the day when I did.
Okay---and that is today's presentation. Thanks for stopping in. I hope to see you back very soon.
CHEERS!
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