DUNGEON POST #2000 / THE MONSTERS OF PAUL BLAISDELL - Part 1

Hello everbloody, welcome to a special 2000th post celebrating our awesome fan site... And, what better way than to focus on the amazing work of Dungeon God, Mr. Paul Blaisdell. This time I'll present all his full-sized creatures, on Friday, I'll focus on the other elements of his work in Hollywood. So, sit back and enjoy the show!..

Forry Ackerman was very impressed with Paul's work in the early fifties and became his agent, opening the door for him in movies, another reason to adore Forry. So, his first full-sized costume was for the 1955 Corman classic, DAY THE WORLD ENDED, which he wore himself.

Next came his wild looking Venusian cucumber monster, named Beulah by Paul, in another Corman production from 1956, IT CONQUERED THE WORLD. Paul also piloted the monster.

His most complex monster came in the form of THE SHE-CREATURE later in 1956, Paul wearing her too. Paul rigged the claws on her stomach to move like pinchers but director Edward Cahn told him not to use that effect as it would be too intense for the audience. That's pretty funny considering the things you see in the coming years! Paul referred to the claws as "lunch hooks."

Paul also wore the VOODOO WOMAN costume in this hard to find 1957 movie. What gets me about this one is its eyes! They are almost bug-like and really creepy, love that blond wig too.

They had to bring in the little guys (including Angelo Rossitto) to wear the main costumes in INVASION OF THE SAUCER-MEN, also from 1957. Plus, Paul even wore a costume for close ups and did the crawling hand effects! Again, what classic monsters, wow!!! I used the best still I could find to showcase their eeriness. Awesome British poster to boot!!

Allied Artists asked Paul to design a jungle tree monster named TABONGA for their 1957 movie, FROM HELL IT CAME. My favorite part is when the thing is lumbering down a long path chasing two natives.

Then, Allied Artists asked Paul to design the monster for IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE in 1958. Paul brought the costume in for the first day of shooting but when the actor, Crash Corrigan, tried to put it on, it was too small for his large head and Paul had to take it back to his workshop and redo it. And, that's why you see Corrigan's big nose in the creature's shadow at the beginning of the movie when it enters the ship's hold because he's not wearing one!

Alas, this is Paul's last monster costume used in 1959 for THE GHOST OF DRAGSTRIP HOLLOW, where he actually plays himself as a disgruntled Hollywood quantity.

So, we'll see you again on Friday when I bring you part 2 of Paul's story. But, don't forget to show up on Wednesday when Eegah!! drops in from the big old void!

ORPHAN BLACK - Season One (2013)

Anyone who reads this blog knows we're deeply rooted in the past, sometimes to the point of being out of touch with what's happening currently! I've been watching "Orphan Black," the first season on Amazon for the last week or two, and I'm here to tell you that I think it's every bit as good as "Breaking Bad," and probably better than "The Walking Dead!" This poster is some anonymous fan art that really hits the nail on the head!

If you're up to date on BBC TV, you probably wonder why I'm talking about this show since it's been on for two years now, and just starting it's third season, and the reason is, not everybody knows everything all the time, and if I can turn one person onto this show, then I will feel like I've accomplished something, it's that good, and besides, I need a freakin' break, and I still need to watch season two myself!!

29 year old Canadian Tatiana Maslany is a most talented actress! She already has 51 acting credits to her name, and that doesn't include the multiple roles she is able to play in just one production like this!

"Orphan Black" is a show about clones, and in the first season, Tatiana plays at least seven different characters, a street urchin, a police detective, a soccer Mom, a brainiac, a German girl, a beyond krazy girl, and a snooty rich evil businesswoman! She's so good, you actually forget it's her playing all the roles!

Jordan Gavaris plays the gay foster brother Felix, and is almost equally amazing even though he's only playing one character! The rest of the cast is fleshed out by an awesome array of talent too!

So that's it, if you watch "Orphan Black" already, then you know how good it is, if you don't, then you've got some fun catching up to do! Now, it's time for me to go back into the past! I've got a 1920's murder mystery party to go to tonight! If I'm not the victim, then I'll be back on Wednesday with more movie madness!

THE GIANT OF METROPOLIS / Centroproduzione SpA - 1961

It's about time for some sword and sandal here at The Dungeon, this time our muscular strongman Ohro travels to the capital of Atlantis to rebuke its godlessness and becomes involved in the battle against its evil lord Yoh-Tar and his devious super-science schemes. The movie is from 1961, which we can tell you was a great year for 13 year olds like we were!

Here's a funny little story about how easily one can be confused with some of these movie titles... I made the sound clip for our movie months ago and loaded it up on our sound storage site along with a pile of other clips from the movies I've been posting. So, I went to find a poster for the movie but I had mistakenly named the clip THE GIANT OF MARATHON, a similar title. Okay, I find the poster and it stars Steve Reeves, and, I'm thinking... What The Hell. Finally, I figured out what had happened and renamed the sound clip and got the right poster. I noticed the star was Gordon Mitchell, but, I'm thinking Gordon Scott, which again, didn't make any sense! Then, notice the poster, that is NOT Gordon Mitchell shown there and his name is freakin' Mitchell Gordon!!!

I've got a sound clip from this flick for your approval, sooooo, you can push the big red 'GO' button over by our Midget Of Dungeon, NOW, Rufus The Gnat!.. Here's a taste of... THE GIANT OF METROPOLIS!

Ohro shows up too late to help his people but is asked to go to Atlantis to confront their supreme enemy, Yoh-Tar, and his use of super-science weaponry. Gordon was one interesting guy, born in Denver, Co and raised in Inglewood, CA, He was in THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, THE YOUNG LIONS, LI'L ABNER, RIO BRAVO, SPARTACUS, ATLAS AGAINST THE CYCLOPS, STAR PILOT, BORN TO KILL, CRAZY WESTERNS, THE WINGS OF WAR, FINDERS KILLERS, COFFIN FULL OF DOLLARS, FRANKENSTEIN '80, THE GODFATHER SQUAD and EVIL SPAWN.

Atlantis is actually a pretty cool place (nice sets), only, it's run by a royal rat-ass bitch.

On his way there, Ohro is captured by Yoh-Tar's men, they use devious, sharpened metal claw rakes to subdue him.

Here you go, a nice portrait of Yoh-Tar, head maggot in charge...

Ohro is put through a number of insane challenges but he always comes out on top.

Then, this crusty old fart shows his ugly puss to throw in his two cents worth.

Next, Ohro has to go up against this big old mean brute, but, after a long brutal battle our hero uses a club to knock some sense into the terrifying hulk...

This all really pisses off Yoh-Tar, so, he puts Ohro under the lamp!

Ohro survives the lamp and is surprised when one of Yoh-Tar's men wants to help him. After Ohro escapes, Yoh-Tar's guards find the traitor and cut his throat with a claw rake.

After Ohro finds his friend dead, he pays Yoh-Tar a little visit...

Kill the SOB, Ohro!! Kill that dog turd, NOW!!!

It doesn't matter, the place is ready to blow. The earth beneath Atlantis is sinking into the ocean, and, our tale is over... Tune in tomorrow when Eegah!! takes over The Dungeon!

ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS: "The Cheney Vase" (1955)

I keep thinking that we're running out of material, and then I realized how many episodes of different TV shows we still can do, like "The Twilight Zone, "Night Gallery," "Tales Of Tomorrow," "One Step Beyond," "Science Fiction Theater ," yadda, yadda, yadda, and/or tonight's presentation, another episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents!"

I have yet to see anything connected to Alfred Hitchcock that wasn't worth watching, and I think my favourite element is always that wonderful dry and droll sense of humor! I was lucky enough in my life to be able to buy Forrest J. Ackerman's lunch, I wish I could say the same about Alfred Hitchcock!

Okay, so here's a sweet one for you, and even though "The Cheney Vase" might not be the most exciting title in the world, it's sure a damn fine tale of deceit, deception, and despair!!

 Darren (Mike Hammer) McGavin is sleazeball Lyle Endicott! He just got fired from his job at the museum because he's a slacker and a dick!

 If  Lyle's girlfriend Pamela looks vaguely familiar, it's because she is none other than Carolyn (Morticia Addams) Jones!

 I just had to throw this shot in because his eyes are so wide open, and her eyes are closed!

Here she is, Patricia Collinge as Mrs. Cheney, the lady who owns the special antique vase! There's not a lot in her résumé, but she was in three other episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," and also in two episodes of "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour!"

 Supposedly, the eight inch high "Cheney Vase" is worth $45,000.00, and it seems like everybody wants to get their stinkin' hands on it, especially Lyle, so he tells Mrs. Cheney he'd love to have a job taking care of her. and she decides she'll take him on temporarily! So the wheels are in motion!

This is Kathryn Card as Mrs. Cheney's maid Bella! For all you Lucy fans, Kathryn was Mrs. McGillicuddy on the "I Love Lucy" show! I just like saying McGillicuddy!

The first thing Lyle does is drive off Bella and replace her with a plant of his own, ravishing Ruta Lee as Ruby Boyenton! Besides 88 episodes of "The Hollywood Squares," Ruta was also in some great films like "Hootenanny Hoot," and "The Doomsday Machine!" Ruta was also in "The Twilight Zone" episode titled "A Short Drink From A Certain Fountain!"

 I think it's amazing how much Darren McGavin looks like Richard Nixon from this angle!

Mrs. Cheney has the vase hidden somewhere and Lyle doesn't even know what it looks like so he does some investigating!

And then he spots it on a shelf in Mrs. Cheney's pottery room, but she's there too, so he has to come up with a plan!

The plan is pretty simple, steal the vase and sell it to Max Reisenweber, and run away with Pamela, but Pamela doesn't want to have anything to do with it, so he slaps her!

Mrs. Cheney has been busy! While Lyle had her trapped in her own home, she had plenty of time to work in her studio, and make many exact duplications of the vase! He's pissed!

And Mrs. Cheney gets the deserved last laugh!

In the end, Alfred offers up souvenirs for the viewers! All you had to do to get one of the duplicated vases was to send him a check for $45,000.00! What a card!

If you enjoy Mr. Hitchcock's work as well as I, then you're in luck, because the IMDB streams it for Free right here! Enjoy!