Halloween '09 - The Aftermath

Another Halloween has come and gone! This year was a great one, though I did not go to any parties nor did I dress up. The weather on Saturday was pretty foul as well, so we did not get a lot of TRTers, but the ones that did brave the cold rain were very enthusiastic about the comics. We had a ton of candy and comics leftover, that is until a few kids came by the next day wanting more comics! I took it upon myself to take care of most of the leftover sweets, and I am still feeling the effects of that three days later.


This year's Monster Mike's Movie Marathon was one of the best yet (and certainly one of the longest)! In addition to the selections I have already mentioned, I began the night by watching the 1910 version of Frankenstein. It was directed by J. Searle Dawley and produced by Edison Studios. If you are a fan of early silent movies or Mary Shelley's characters, you should enjoy this. I am a fan of both and I was pleased to hear that the film survived the years, and even more so that you could watch the entire 12-minute feature on YouTube. It was an interesting experience to watch the pioneers of cinema tackle this story and a great way to begin the evening!


Another late addition was The Batman vs Dracula. I've been curious about this movie for years. I know many fans of Batman and/or Dracula, but none had ever mentioned this seeing this since it was released direct to DVD in 2005. I figured it was either pretty bad else just slipped by everyone's radar. I myself had watched the first season of The Batman, but did not continue because the series was trying to sell toys more than tell good stories. Every episode featured Batman with a different costume or gadget. I am pleased to report that this film is pretty darn good. Despite being "for kids," the film had an edge to it and the villian himself was quite threatening. If you can find it cheap (like I did), it is well worth a looksee. And if you can get it with the two figures (like I did), bonus!


Next up was Isle of the Dead, which was the biggest surprise of the night. I thought the film was a classic monster flick, but it is actually more of a psychological thriller. Boris Karloff is quite engaging and had the production as a whole matched his performance, this film would have been one for the ages. As it is, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, but it does not have much rewatch appeal.


Last of the night was Horror of Dracula. As I've mentioned before, this is the first time I've seen an Hammer film in its entirety and it will not be my last! It was not an extremely faithful adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel, but it had some thrilling moments. The end battle between Van Helsing and Dracula is outstanding! I believe that this is the first of six Dracula Hammer movies and I've already added the others to my Netflix queue!


Last, but certainly not least, was Dr. Syn, The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh. Since this was going to be a three-hour event, I waited until Sunday to watch this series. Actually, I've waited over 25 years to watch this series! And it was worth the wait! It is a good adventure tale told by the Disney Studios at its peak! My only complaint is that "film" did not have a satisfactory ending. Much like a series that was cancelled much too soon. I borrowed this DVD from a friend and must get my own copy!

Great flicks! Great comics! Too much great candy! This year's Halloween definitely had more treats than tricks! I had a ton of fun with my daily posts. And I am extremely honored to have been part of the Countdown to Halloween! My lil' ol' blog got many more hits than usual and if you're reading this - THANK YOU! Can't wait to do it again next year!