Folks often wanna ask The Duke what he thinks of award ceremonies. "Hey, The Duke", they holler, "What the fuck do you think about award ceremonies, anyhow?" Excepting the glorious Mondo Awards, nominations for which will be forthcoming in the shortly-time, The Duke finds awards ceremonies to be puke-inducing crapathons, with even the likes of Billy Crystal taking on the form of some smug, self-congratulatory hound when standing before an Oscar audience.
Fuck the Oscars, is The Duke's official line on things.
One bout of award flinging, back-slapping, "you're great is what you are" type shindig, however, is worthy of a fella's attention, since, most likely, Ron Howard will be nowhere near the damn thing.
The fine website B-Movie Theater (www.b-movie.com) has just as of the very recent times announced who and what will be hurtling towards The B-Movie Hall Of Fame in this, the seventh year of such.
Last year saw the likes of Alexandro Jodorowsky's magnificently demented western El Topo (or The Mole, translation fans) and Marilyn Chambers-starring sexing flick Behind The Green Door make their way into the hallowed hall, and this year offers up a whole bunch of similar wonders, finally getting the recognition they deserve.
Making the B-Movie Classics list this year are (taken from the website);
"BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA" (1952), directed by William Beaudine. The comedy anti-classic in which two nitwit comics fall from an airplane and land on a tropical island where a mad scientist is engaged in simian experiments.
"A BOY AND HIS DOG" (1975), directed by L.Q. Jones. A very young Don Johnson stars in this bizarre cult favorite about life in post-apocalyptic America.
"CURSE OF THE DEMON" (1957), directed by Jacques Tourneur. Also known as "Night of the Demon," this thriller follows an American psychologist to England where he attempts to expose witchcraft and demon worship as a fraud — only to discover his assumptions are horribly wrong!
"KING KONG VS. GODZILLA" (1962), directed by Ishiro Honda & Thomas Montgomery. The two greatest movie monsters demolish Tokyo and each other in a wild kaiju free-for-all.
"THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT" (1972), directed by Wes Craven. A group of escaped convicts make the supreme mistake of accidentally seeking shelter in the family home of one of their victims.
"LOVE AT FIRST BITE" (1979), directed by Stan Dragoti. George Hamilton plays a swinging Dracula who is evicted from Transylvania and takes up residence in disco era New York City.
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
excellent Duker, you did it up right - thanks!
2 - andy marsh
a boy and his dog - great flick! have never been able to find it in DVD!
3 - Mark Saleski
gotta get A Boy & His Dog on dvd. haven't seen it since when the heck back in college.
i think i saw it in the same week as this wacked out movie with Jill Clayburgh called "La Luna"...which a very bizarre incest subplot.
4 - SFC SKI
I didn't know A Boy and His Dog had been re-released on DVD, I will have to get it. The graphic novel has also been added to and replublished, I recommend it.
5 - Jim Carruthers
I'm surprized there's no mention of Linnea Quigley, who provided the best ever line reading of "do you want a shower cap" in "Hollywood Chain Saw Hookers", plus provided one of the best ever "damned if you do, damned if you don't" production ratings problems in "The Return of the Living Dead".
Her character was to get nekkid in a cemetary before she was killed by zombies. But to keep the rating, they couldn't show her, as Elvis would call it, "lovenest". So they created a latex appliance for her to wear. Then it looked like she didn't have pubic hair, clean-shaven. Which is more perverse. But the MPAA preferred it like that.
6 - Jim C.
Don't forget "A Boy and His Dog", the short story by Harlan Ellison.
7 - jack e jett
hey duke:
i love this post. by any chance do you know where i might find a good list of b or c (maybe even d) actors.
i am looking to set up some interviews in los angeles with those that have some "camp" quality i.e. karen black, charo...etc.
thanks,
jack e. jett