Blogcritics: Comments on "All the More Appalling in COLOR!"

Comment by Chris Kent

Tue, 17 Feb 2004 18:55:22 EST

That's fascinating....I didn't know that. Browning was definitely a great director in his day (Dracula, Mark of the Vampire, I think....). Hell, all of those old-time horror directors were as interesting as the films they made...

Comment by Bill Sherman

Tue, 17 Feb 2004 18:08:52 EST

Browning had worked for traveling carnivals before becoming a movie director: the circus milieu also shows up in some silent films he directed starring Lon Chaney (The Unknown and The Unholy Three). But Freaks is the film that totally pulls you into the world of sideshow - and keeps you there. It's a remarkable and disturbing achievement that pretty much destroyed the director's career. . .

Comment by Chris Kent

Tue, 17 Feb 2004 17:08:35 EST

I rented the original "Freaks" a few years ago, having read so much about it, including director Todd Browning's fascination with freaks, since he worked on a carnival in the 1920s I believe? The movie really freaked me out (pun intended). Yes, it's dated, but still very creepy.

Comment by Bill Sherman

Tue, 17 Feb 2004 16:59:28 EST

Ah, The Devil's Rain - one of John Travolta's first movies, too! And you're right, Joe, we shouldn't forget Heather's winning performance in SSSSS. . .

Comment by Chris Kent

Tue, 17 Feb 2004 16:51:49 EST

No, no, no - now the best spider flick was "The Giant Spider Invasion" starring Alan Hale, Jr. - that's right, The Skipper! Best William Shatner horror flick has got to be "The Devil's Rain," one of the most mind-numbingly awful films in the history of cinema....

Comment by Joe

Tue, 17 Feb 2004 16:48:08 EST

I'm appalled that neither of you mentioned, Heather Menzies, who played Martin's daughter, she was so dang babilicious, and she was also one of the Von Trapp girls from the Sound of Music.

Comment by TDavid

Tue, 17 Feb 2004 16:46:42 EST

SSSS was definitely a disturbing flick but I'd put it on the level with Kingdom of the Spiders starring Captain Kirk, er William Shatner.

Comment by Bill Sherman

Tue, 17 Feb 2004 16:37:18 EST

I remember seeing SSSSS in an actual movie theater: Strother Martin was mainly known to the audience for his scene-chewing supporting role in Cool Hand Luke - but one viewing of this cheapie horror flick was enough to wipe out any memory of the fact that he'd ever once appeared in a decent movie. The boyfriend who got transformed into a snake was played by Dirk Benedict, who went onto bigger (if not necessarily better) things with Battlestar Galactica and The A-Team. . .

Comment by Chris Kent

Tue, 17 Feb 2004 11:21:49 EST

After reading your blog was reminded of a great drive-in double feature I saw as a kid - "The Boy Who Cried Werewolf" and "SSSSSS." "Boy Who Cried Werewolf" has as one of its final scenes, the werewolf attacking a van filled with hippies (van had flowers painted on the side).....Final scene in "SSSSSS" shows film's star as a human snake at a carnival sideshow. He ended up that way because a rather demented Strother Martin kept injecting him with serum. Always had a hard time describing this film to elementary school chums - I would hiss, trying to say the name "SSSSS." They would ask "What?" I would hiss the name again. They would ask again "What?!!"