WHAT'S YOUR TOP 3 HORROR FILMS OF ALL TIME? GHOULISH GARY PULLIN GIVES US HIS!

If you're a horror fan then you probably know the name Ghoulish Gary Pullin. An amazing artist who has created many outstanding eye-popping pieces for posters, magazines, records, and films and a 2009 Rondo Award winner. In my personal collection I have Waxwork Records' original soundtracks for RE-ANIMATOR and CREEPSHOW which Gary created original artwork for. They are drop dead gorgeous! Gary and his work will also be featured in the upcoming film TWENTY-FOUR BY THIRTY-SIX!

So for the month of Halloween I've asked a few people to share their top 3 horror films of all time, for any of you planning a scare-a-thon for Samhain and are pressed for what to watch. Well Gary was kind enough to share his top 3, so take it from a true monster kid...

Gary's first choice is one that I haven't seen and I feel like a chump, because everyone I know who has seen it talks about how scary it is. Starring George C Scott (Exorcist III, Dr Strangelove, Hardcore), THE CHANGELING is about a composer who tragically lost his family. He's consumed by grief and his friends convince him to get away for a while, so he rents a turn of the century house, but things get worse when he discovers the house is haunted by the ghost of a murdered child!

...yea, this is the year I watch THE CHANGELING!

Gary's next choice is one we have in common, THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON! What a fantastic picture-what an incredible monster...It's rare to find a full body monster suit from the 1950s that looked so realistic and gave such an iconic performance (there were actually two people who played the creature-Ben Chapman for the above the water scenes and Ricou Browning for the underwater scenes). In the film, a paleontologist discovers a fossilized hand with webbed fingers, marking the link in evolution from sea to land creatures and leads an expedition into the Amazon to try and learn more. There they encounter the curious monster who becomes enraged after being attacked, but also infatuated with the sole female member of the crew, Kay (Julie Adams). Though it came out much later than the original Universal Classics, the Creature is still counted among their ranks and will be included in the new line of shared universe remakes. One of the gems of the monster cinema and an unimpeachable classic. 

And for his number 3 pick, Gary chose a modern classic that just hit Blu Ray back in August.

SESSION 9 landed with little fan fare back in 2001, flying under the radar. It is criminal this movie wasn't a hit! I saw it at a midnight showing and it was seriously one of the scariest films I've seen. Shot in Massachusetts, SESSION 9 is about a crew of contractors hired to go into an old insane asylum and clean out the asbestos so the place can be torn down. Are they alone in the place, or is someone not what they seem? No frigging joke, the last half hour is intense! No spoilers and no more details, if you haven't experienced this underrated jewel, you need to add this your Halloween viewing schedule.  

Thanks, Gary, for sharing your top 3 favorite horror films! Too learn more about Ghoulish Gary and purchase his art you can go HERE to check out his official site. And you can follow him at @ghoulishgary on Twitter and Instagram and he'll be a guest at MondoCon, October 22-23 and Days of the Dead: Chicago, November 18 - 20. And check out the official trailer for TWENTY-FOUR BY THIRTY-SIX below...

 

 

My Heroes Have Always Been Monsters Part 31

 

After Treasure Island and a massive book about Greek mythology, the best book in my elementary school's library was a history of monsters in film. I don't remember the title, but it covered all the Universal monsters, The Fly, Godzilla, even Blackula. I checked the book out many times, rereading each entry and drawing all the beasts. When I was younger I had Frankenstein, Mummy, and Godzilla toys, but the one character in the book that I found most interesting and always wanted a figure of was The Creature From The Black Lagoon. For whatever reason The Creature really sparked my imagination. I already had a lust for the sea with all it's potential adventure (Treasure Island) and danger (Jaws). My early short stories were all about pirates and sea monsters, remote uncharted islands and mercenaries.
I never lost my love for the Creature and always hoped for an updated film, nothing ever happened, but Creature like rip offs aren't exactly in short supply.

The Monster Squad certainly has the best Creature, look at that face! This guy needed way more screen time.














Humanoids From The Deep is one that I nearly missed. Someone suggested it as a joke, I groaned and suggested Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. My friend read the back and said, "No, I really think we should get this one." I thought it was going to suck, but you really need to see this one! Check out the trailer-

Here's one I haven't seen yet, but read about through someone else's blog (if I can remember the name I'll add it in here with the link.)

The most recent entry into the fish man genre is the excellent Hypothermia, which I've reviewed below. Highly recommended!

One of my childhood desires came to fruition on my birthday last week when my wife and son got me the new Mego style Creature to go with my Batman, Frankenstein and the Bride. I still have hope of a modern day take on the original movie, but until then I'll just have to be happy with Universal's Creature Legacy DVD. And this awesome Bernie Wrightson pin up I got out of From Parts Unknown-

Keep watching the sky, nerds!

New Flick Time

Monster Pants has announced that pre-orders are go on Amazon.com for the new Dark Sky Films/ Glass Eye Pix HYPOTHERMIA!

Starring Michael Rooker (Walking Dead), Greg Finley and Blanche Baker and written and directed by James Felix McKenney (Satan Hates You). I first heard about this project in the 1st and only issue of Famous Monsters Underground. McKenney talked about his love for the Creature From The Black Lagoon and that being one of the inspirations for Hypothermia. Being a huge fan of the Creature, it got me very excited for this film. The trailer looks great and it stars Michael Rooker, October 2nd get here fast enough!