Magazine Management Co.

Issue #5

February, 1975

Reviewer:    C. L. Werner

Articles include:

• Godzilla, Tokyo's Greatest Nemisis - A brief history of Godzilla's film career by Don Glut, including the author's memories of seeing these films in their original release. Although suffering from some poor editing, the article is interesting for its speculation about further Godzilla films and the soon to be released Godzilla vs Megalon, touted as co-starring Gigan. Also mentioned are two student films involving unsanctioned use of a stop-motion Godzilla and Godzilla's disguised appearances on Ultra Man shows.

• Monsterscope - News on all things monstrous. Production of AIP's The Land That Time Forgot is discussed. The release of Doc Savage, the Man of Bronze is anticipated. A series of novels involving Count Dracula by Robert Lory are reviewed. The Jack Palance horror vehicle Craze is also reviewed. Other breaking news: Five Dennis Stickler horror films being released to television and a new Streckler film in preparation for theatrical release. Other films coming soon: Orson Welles in Bert I Gordon's Necromancy; William Castle's Shanks; Dean Jagger in God Bless Dr. Shagetz; Andy Warhol's Dracula; Mel Brook's Young Frankenstein; Peter Cushing in The Beast Must Die; Christopher Lee and Joan Collins in Dark Places; AIP's Madhouse starring Vincent Price and Peter Cushing; The Bat People; Deranged; the Robert Quarry film Sugar Hill; an Associated Pictures triple-feature of The Vampire Beast Craves Blood, The Bloody Pit of Horror, and Terror Creatures from the Grave; John Carradine in The House of the Seven Corpses; Dean Stockwell in The Werewolf of Washington; Michael Gough in the American release of Horror Hospital, retitled Computer Killers; and the Spanish horror star Paul Naschy in Dracula's Great Love. The results of the Third International Festival of Fantasy and Science Films in France is reported (best picture went to The Wicker Man, best actor to Vincent Price for Dr. Phibes Rises Again). Finally, Christopher Lee's Nothing But the Night co-starring Peter Cushing is to see an American release.

• Tod Slaughter, master of Villainy - A detailed retrospective of the films of British horror star Tod Slaughter. Slaughter was a menacing character actor who starred in several sinister pictures in the late thirties and early forties, best known for his role of Sweeny Todd in The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

• The Golden Days of Frankenstein - An interview with the Bride of Frankenstein herself, Elsa Lanchester.

• 'I'm Sorry, the Bridge is Out, You'll Have to Spend the Night' - An article about the brief run of a play performed in Hollywood's Coronet Theater which spoofed the old Universal horror films and many of the mystery film cliches of the silver screen era.

• Vampires of Radio - An eclectic review of all things vampiric, from Dracula radio plays to Bela Lugosi's radio performances. Also vampires on such programs as Inner Sanctum and I Love a Mystery.

• Monster Masquerade - Costumed characters from Hollywood movie premieres.

• Hunting Dinosaurs for Fun (if not profit) - An article about actual fossil hunting which later leads into a brief discussion about dinosaur movies and Sam Rolphe's Hurricane Island CBS project.

• Frankenstein's New Monster From Hell - Peter Cushing returns to the screen as Baron Frankenstein, teaming again with veteran Hammer film director Terence Fisher. The film is reviewed and discussed, teasing horror fans with an early look at the unreleased film (stateside anyway).

• The Creature Features - The history and imitators of Universal's Creature from the Black Lagoon is reviewed. Included are the techniques used to bring the Gill Man to life.