Surprise! I am back---with a new selection of posters...and they are NOT (gasp!) from a "lot" purchase this time. Ha! I threw together this post quickly based on one poster (you'll figure out which one as you go down). I needed to redeem myself after the travesty that was my last few posts.
There is nothing overly fabulous, but I hope you'll see something you like along the way.
Let's take a look. Shall we?
THE DAY OF THE LOCUST:
When this movie came out in the mid-70s, I thought it might be a horror movie. THE DAY OF THE LOCUST, to me, sounded like one. I mean, there was THE DEADLY MANTIS, TARANTULA and BLACK SCORPION, why couldn't DAY OF THE LOCUST be about a giant locust? It isn't.
I love the faux 1930's style of this David Edward Byrd poster (even though it was done in the 1970s). It's not really my thing, though---but I have a story behind this poster and what it means to me. (And be warned--it's quite long and gruesome... You may want to skip down to the next poster...)
I have been collecting posters since I was 11. When I was about 13 or 14 years old, my family had moved across town. Some older friends I had met in Junior High were coming across town via bus to see a friend of theirs they had met in some film club they belonged to. Apparently this friend was a neighbor of mine.
My friend Richard was two years older than I was. He was in 10th grade. I was in 8th. He came to my house and we walked the few blocks to this friend's house. I recognized the house, having seen it several times in passing when we took the short cut/back way home. The house was unmistakable. There were paving blocks cemented in all over the front yard. There was no grass or plants of any kind. It was odd.
The friend's name was Max. He was an older fellow, kind of sloppy looking, and heavyset. He had this wimpy, nasally voice and what appeared to be a bad wig. He did have a nice three-bedroom home, though. In the entry hall, there was a framed copy of this poster hanging on the wall. Of course, I noticed it.
I don't recall much of that afternoon. I think another friend joined us at Max's place, but I'm not sure. I know we talked about movies/film--I just don't recall the specifics. I do recall seeing Max's backyard. It was completely covered over in black plastic. There was no yard back there either. I also think (but may be imagining this based on news reports later) that he had started (or was at least talking about) sound-proofing his living room. I remember being under the impression it was for possible film production in the future, but it is all hazy and I am not quite sure about that. I do recall that he gave me several books and magazines on film to borrow.
I remember I needed to get them back to him and was hesitant to do so. There was something creepy about Max. I didn't relish the idea of seeing him again, possibly going inside of his home again, alone. Eventually I just walked the magazines back down there and left them on his porch.
Jump to several years later. When I was in college, I had to take a political science class. This would have been late in 1983 or early in 1984. I was surprised to learn that my instructor, M. Franc, was Max. He was older, heavier, and his bad wig looked like it hadn't been washed since I'd met him years earlier--but it was him.
During the course of the semester, I asked him if he remembered who I was. He did, of course. His class was hard and I had to seek him out in his office several times for various projects. I distinctly remember one time he told me about a call he'd gotten from John Vulich, the make-up artist who was just starting out apprenticing with Tom Savini on FRIDAY THE 13TH-THE FINAL CHAPTER. (I'd met Vulich years before at his parents' house in north Fresno. He had been friends with my friend Richard and had apparently also been a part of the film club that they had all belonged to while I was in middle school.) Max would share phoned reports he would get from the set, "Oh, they just killed Peter Barton the other day." Things like that.
But I still found him creepy and kept my distance as much as possible.
I got through his class--barely. It was tough class. Once I was out of his class though, I didn't talk to him. I didn't seek him out again for any reason. "Knowing" him may have helped my grade, but I'm not sure.
Jump to a few years later. In August of 1987, I was still a student at the university. Just before school was to resume, word broke that Max Franc had been arrested for murder.
Tracy Leroy Nute had been a troublesome teen in Kansas, spending his later teen years in a juvenile home of some sort. In February of 1987, he was 18. He fled Kansas, running to Hollywood with dreams of becoming a star. He was reduced to becoming a male prostitute and, a few months later, he was dead.
The story is gruesome. Max had apparently picked up Nute outside of Oki Dog, a divey but famous little hot dog joint in West Hollywood. Although Max said that a friend of his, Terry Adams, had been the one who had actually killed Nute, the prosecution said Max had done it. Nute was shot once in the head. His body was then cut up with a rented chainsaw. The body parts were then disposed of up and down Interstate 5 and Highway 99 (the way back to Fresno). The gun was later found in Max's desk at Fresno State.
The chainsaw was rented. When it was returned, there was still blood all over it with bits of flesh still in the chain blades. When asked about it, Max said he had run over a dog and cut it up to bury it. Even more telling was that the body parts that were strewn about on his way home were wrapped in The Daily Collegian, the student newspaper from Fresno State.
Whether Terry Adams was a real person or not (the rental chainsaw place remembered a young blonde man, as Adams was described as being, returning it), Max was convicted. He later died in prison.
When his house was being prepared to sell, there was a huge dumpster parked in his driveway. The newspapers had made a big deal out of the soundproofing of his living room, making it sound like it may have been a sex/torture dungeon-type of thing. I doubt that--but it sold newspapers and got TV ratings. I did consider doing a late-night dumpster dive to see if I could find the framed DAY OF THE LOCUST poster and wondered what other strange things might be in there...but I refrained from doing so.
I was not involved in the incident in any way, shape, or form. It just still creeps me out all of these years later. I knew Max however briefly. I was in his house. I had a few private discussions with him. I am still glad I just left those borrowed items on his porch and didn't go into his house again.
But still, it haunts me. THE DAY OF THE LOCUST is about the dream of Hollywood and the heartbreak of many who do not make it...just like Tracy Leroy Nute's dreams. I already had a copy of this, but bid on this copy anyway. I bid a whole $4...and won it for $3.
AEROBICIDE (aka KILLER WORKOUT) (Lebanese):
KILLER WORKOUT is a so-bad-it's-good 80's flick. Who knew it had a theatrical release (albeit in Lebanon!)? Ha! Crap poster image, but for such a camp classic, how could I refuse? The film was written/directed by David A Prior, whose first film was shot on a VHS camcorder and called SLEDGEHAMMER. That got a VHS release and did well...and from there his career (although still low budget) took off. KILLER WORKOUT was his third film. He's written/directed more than 30 since.
THE CAPTIVE FEMALE:
I may already have a copy of this poster, but I am not sure. I have a censored poster for this under it's better known alternative title, SCREAM BLOODY MURDER. I'd love to have an uncensored copy of that one sheet (that poster included mention of a great gimmick. Patrons were given a free Scream Bloody Murder blindfold--in case the film was too much for them). I recently saw the movie on one of those awful Mill Creek multi-movie box sets. For its age and budget (about $1.95), it was okay--better than it had any right to be, actually. Still sleazy trash--but interesting. When this popped up, I went for it.
THE OMEN (2006 remake advance):
Speaking of crap...that's what this remake is---CRAP! However, this advance poster's image is awesome. It's much better than the final one sheet that was used. Stick with the superior original movie though. How very fortunate that the movie got to be released on June 6, 2006 (6/6/06). I think the original came out June 6, 1976...6/6/76,,,,not quite the same effect.
THE LION HUNTERS:
Star Johnny Sheffield started off playing "Boy" in the Johnny Weissmuller TARZAN flicks. However, when puberty set in and he was too old for the part, Boy was sent off to school (aka written out) and Sheffield was unemployed...until some brilliant producer took him (to cash in on his TARZAN fame) and starred him as Bomba, the Jungle Boy (a teen TARZAN take-off) in a series of films. Between 1949 and 1955, there were 12 Bomba movies made. I've been trying to track the posters down. They seem to be almost as hard to find as the Jungle Jim movie posters (the film series of 16 movies that Johnny Weissmuller did when he got too old to play Tarzan himself). When I bid on this one, I didn't realize that this was one of the two I already had already. Drat! (The other is THE LOST VOLCANO) Woody Strode is another TARZAN refugee, having appeared in two of the films. While it would be nice to have had a different title, I am happy with this nice copy of the poster.
THE THREE STOOGES MEET HERCULES (Three sheet):
I dread three sheets---they are just too big and come in two pieces. However, this was cheap enough, in good shape and features both the Stooges and Hercules...how could I say no? I do think it is kind of funny that a man named Samson Burke plays Hercules (Samson/Hercules---Ha! Never mind...). Burke also played Ursus and Maciste, the muscular heroes in other Italian peplum films of the era. Vicki Trickett, a former Miss Omaha (1959), was discovered at a horse show by Tab Hunter. She only appeared in a handful of flicks, including GIDGET GOES HAWAIIAN and the mostly forgotten THE CABINET OF CALIGARI (a remake of the silent German Expressionist film,THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI).
FRANKENSTEIN (2006 French re-release):
I already have one of these, but love this poster so much, I had to go for this second copy. Now, to find one for BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN.... and a larger copy (I have the small size) for THE INVISIBLE MAN.
HORROR STORY (Spanish):
When I came across this interesting poster for an unknown (to me) "horror"movie--I couldn't say no. This comes from Spain from 1972...and there is not much information out there about it...other than it is a horror comedy. I think you could figure that out from the doofy expression on the guy's face.
LORD OF THE JUNGLE:
Hooray! Another Bomba poster! This is for the 12th--and final--film of the series. I am super thrilled. Now only 9 more posters in the series to track down. Ha!
THE WIZARD OF OZ (French re-release):
Oooo... I have wanted this re-release OZ poster since I first laid eyes on it. Utilizing the artwork for the original (??) Belgian release on this French re-release was a stroke of genius. The poster is fantastic. It pops in a rainbow of color! I never realized (well, never really paid attention to it) the billing. Judy Garland is understandably first. Frank Morgan second (?)(He does play several characters though...), Ray Bolger third, but Bert Lahr before Jack Haley? Interesting. I had noticed that Charley Grapewyn (Uncle Henry) got credit and Clara Blandick (Aunt Em--who has more lines and screen time) isn't credited. Re-release or not, I am just thrilled with this poster. Yahoo.
HOUSE ON TELEGRAPH HILL:
HOORAY!!!!!! I had been wanting one of these for ages. If you'll recall, I scored one a while back, but when it arrived, I found that it had somehow lost some paper and there was a hole in it. Drat it all. Then this one turned up in Very good to fine condition. I was NOT going to let it slip through my fingers again. And voila! It was mine. Whoo hoo. Having lived for a couple of years in San Francisco, this old movie speaks to me...even though there is NO WAY a house this large with such extensive grounds could ever exist on Telegraph Hill. Ha! Wonderful old school graphics. Yahoo!
And that is it! Was this post better than the previous ones? Have I been redeemed? Thank you for visiting. Really, really, really... I am taking a break from poster buying. (I saw the HOUSE ON TELEGRAPH HILL poster and decided I MUST have it---even if it was two weeks away on eMovie--and bought the other posters to go with it---so I could put up a post! That's also why there is 11 posters shown instead of the usual 10.) I am still working on various projects and will post an update soon-ish.
CHEERS!
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