Chadwick H. Saxelid's Blog: Ghoulies, Ghosties, and Long-Leggedy Beasties, page 5

Lady Death: Dark Alliance - Trading Card #20

Hit Me One More Time
Like Lady Death and Bad Kitty, Purgatori has quickly taken her place among the femme fatale icons of the comic book industry. As such, she's turned into a classic model for all kinds of pin up art. 

Endangered Species (1982) - Newspaper Ad

Oakland Tribune - September 10, 1982
This is a conspiracy thriller with a tangential connection to science-fiction and horror fare, thanks to the ridiculous ruse the government (or was it a corporation?) was using to cover up their nefarious medical and germ warfare testing as... UFO perpetrated cattle mutilations. Huh?

I remember Entertainment Tonight, at least I am remembering it as being Entertainment Tonight, doing a story about the film. Because JoBeth Williams, who was sharing top billing with co-star Robert Urich, just so happened to be in one of the bigger box office hits of 1982, Poltergeist. 

I myself did not see it during its theatrical run, but did catch it while it was on HBO. All I really remember about it was the gruesome dispatching of Hoyt Axton's character. "I am an AMERICAN!"

Alien (1979) - Sticker #5

 

Hardware (1990) - Newspaper Ad

San Francisco Examiner - September 9, 1990
Here is the first of two Richard Stanley movies that I have seen, the other being 2019's Color Out of Space. I do not count 2014's Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau, as that is about Stanley and was not made by him. Someday I might get around to watching Dust Devil, maybe. No idea.

I was unable to make it out to the Presidio to see the film, so I watched it on VHS. While it was one of those movies I admired in concept, the execution of that concept left me cold. It happens. Maybe, just maybe, I might be compelled to revisit the film at some point. Just to see if my reaction will have changed, now that I am an older and more seasoned (or calcified) film viewer.

Lady Death: Dark Alliance - Trading Card #19

100% Bad Girl
Tempting, teasing, taunting - anything she has to do to get ahead. Purgatori will do without a second thought. And while those she uses may think she actually care for them, Purgatori is only looking out for herself. 

Purgatori was my gateway into the world of Chaos, Avatar, and Boundless comics. I even wrote an erotic horror story that was a mash-up of Purgatori doing battle with Miko Mido. Yeah, they were totally fighting, guys. Really. Fighting hard. So much fighting.

To the Devil A Daughter (1976) - Newspaper Ad

Oakland Tribune - September 8, 1976
The release of To the Devil A Daughter did not ping my burgeoning horror geek radar, back in the day. I think I may have first heard about the film via an article or still in the pages of Fangoria magazine, maybe.

Then again, perhaps, it was the review I read in John Stanley's Creature Features Movie Guide saying, "[Director Peter] Sykes zooms all over the gloomy landscapes and the final results are pretty good if somewhat muddled..." I have no argument to make with that assessment. 

I do know that I first saw the film on home video in, or around, 1984. When we were living in Hong Kong. I also rented and watched The Wicker Man around that time, as well.

While the movie does have its issues and controversies, I remember really liking it. Dennis Wheatley hated the liberties the film took with his source novel and wanted no more Hammer Film adaptations made of his work. Nastassja Kinski, Richard Widmark, and Christopher Lee also seem to have had unpleasant experiences making the film. Evidently the shoot was really chaotic.

The film's abrupt ending also seems to be getting no small amount of negative criticisms, but I remember liking it. This is one I should add to my collection, I think.

Oh, and To the Devil A Daughter was coupled with Embryo at most theaters. Save for the Hilltop Drive-In, where the co-feature was Abby, and the Hayward Automotive, where the co-feature was, of all things, St. Ives.

Alien (1979) - Sticker #4

 

Demons [Demoni (1985)] - Newspaper Ad

San Francisco Examiner - September 5, 1986
When I went to see Demons at the St. Francis Theatre little did I know just what a seminal moment it would be for my still developing geekiness. But it was...

Sitting next to me was a college buddy of mine who was destined to age into being my oldest and bestest friend. At the time we had been friends for, maybe, a year, at most. Seeing that Demons opened 39 years ago means that, at time of writing, we have now been friends for about 40 years. 40 years!?!

In 1987 my friend and I penned an over-the-top piece of comedic fan self-service that had us traveling to the set of Demons in order to save Dario Argento and Lamberto Bava from the vile clutches of the nefarious Umberto Lenzi and his henchman Montag.

My friend has shown this piece to various individuals over the years. The best reaction to it had to have been from the late, great Chas. Balun, who asked, in horrified shock, "What the hell do you guys have against Umberto Lenzi?"

I must admit that my memory of our penning that puerile piece of sophomoric silliness is far more vivid to me than the work itself, as I did not retain (or lost) my copy. So it goes.

Lady Death: Dark Alliance - Trading Card #18

Lucky
The only survivor of Catherine Bell's former life in New Orleans, ironically enough, was her black cat, named Lucky. Now a willing companion, Lucky helps her master in any way she can. The two are inseparable, and exceptionally deadly. 

I think this is my favorite card from this particular set. Because I love black cats and pumpkins/jack o' lanterns. Also Lucky here reminds me of a certain grouchy looking black cat we had at one time, so there is also that.

King Kong Escapes [Kingu Kongu no gyakushû (1967)] - Newspaper Ad

Oakland Tribune - September 4, 1968
While King Kong vs. Godzilla (1963) was a programming staple of both syndicatied televison stations and non-prime-time network affiliate time slots, King Kong Escapes (1967) was nowhere near as prevalent. Well, that is how I remember it being, at least.

Although the advertising here credits Arthur Rankin, Jr. as producer-director, Ishirô Honda was the actual director. Rankin probably directed the voice acting for the English language release, which would explain the credit.

It seems that star Rhodes Reason held a rather uncharitable view of Honda. In Stuart Galbraith IV's book Monsters Are Attacking Tokyo! The Incredible World of Japanese Fantasy Films, Reason said of Honda, "Honda-san was a hack. I've worked with hundreds of hack TV directors and he could fit beautifully over here doing a number of motion pictures and things. He knows his craft, but there was nothing special about Honda-san as a director."[Pg. 61] Oof.

Being a Universal release, King Kong Escapes was coupled with a re-issue of Hammer Film's Brides of Dracula (1960) at the Solano Drive-In and the Lorenzo and Fruitvale Theatres. Now that is an awesome double-bill.

At the Lux King Kong Escapes was paired with Warkill (1968), a non-fantastical and very gritty World War II set action-thriller that had been filmed in the Philippines.