JACK FROST: LET’S LOOK SERIOUSLY AT A SERIOUSLY STUPID MOVIE

There are at least 7 movies that I'm aware of with the title Jack Frost. I've seen 5 of them, but my favorite and the one I'm referring to here is the 1997 horror comedy about a killer snowman. So many critics and cinema fans blasted this movie for being stupid, which it is, but it's almost like the fact that it's supposed to be a comedy went right over their heads. One of the reasons for this may be that the horror elements are at times quite good not to mention the trailer with the more serious horror music in it. It's not good horror in the way that Halloween or The Exorcist are good, but good for it's jump scares, the usually brutal, creative deaths of the film's victims and the unstoppable killer that us slasher fans have come to know and love. Personally I think it is a fantastic mix of merciless killings and over the top ridiculous moments that will have you laughing out loud. I enjoy this film so much it has become my required Christmas viewing right next to A Charlie Brown Christmas. For some people seeing Ebenezer Scrooge become a better man or seeing Ralphie get his BB gun means Christmas. For the last 10 years or so, the Christmas season starts for me when I see serial killer Jack turn into a living snowman.
   And that's where our story begins. Around Christmas time, Jack Frost who is responsible for killing 38 people, is being transported to his execution in the most blinding blizzard in history. Coincidentally a chemical truck is also foolishly on the road tonight...the two collide and off we go. To lay out the plot in it's simplest form some weird acid basically melts Jack after he escapes following the crash and his melted body bonds with the snow. He then becomes a living snowman out for revenge on the small town sheriff who put him away when a nationwide manhunt couldn't. Admit it, the ONLY part about that explanation that sounds goofy is the snowman part. If I told you he turned into a lizard or an energy being you'd be dying to see the film! We've seen this whole 'human turned into an evil creature' thing before in horror movies, science fiction books and movies and perhaps most of all in comic books. Hell, half of Marvel Comics line of super heroes and super villains became "super" because of radiation or chemicals so the whole Jack Frost storyline is easy to imagine and has been done many times before. Here it is done as parody which is why the filmmakers chose the snowman to be the bringer of death instead of some cool or creepy horror character.
   As for the cast most of them seem recognizable and when you look up their filmographies you see at least half have had pretty long film careers even though in most of their other movies they only had bit parts. The most famous I'd say is Shannon Elizabeth who didn't become real well known until a few years later with stuff like American Pie and Scary Movie. I honestly consider her one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen so having her in the film is a plus for most of us heterosexual males. But even if you aren't in that group having Shannon in the film is still a plus. She can act...she may not be Meryl Streep, but she knows what she's doing as does honestly most of the cast in the movie. Far too many reviewers of this film point out the one silly thing, a killer snowman, and therefore they drag down the rest of the film with that silly plot device. They'll then claim the acting is terrible or the effects are childish. You'll see that none of this is true if you actually sit and watch the film. The acting is easily on par with your Friday The 13th or Nightmare On Elm Street films which is the subgenre I'd stick Jack Frost in. Also the special effects, although a bit amateurish, are equal to the best giant bug or irradiated monster films of the 50s and 60s which is what this movie is parodying. I'll say it again, I just think this movie went over people's heads and they just didn't get the joke or they never saw the films Jack Frost was taking pot shots at. If you like Jason Voorhees see this film. If you like Warwick Davis' turn as the Leprechaun see this film. If you like giant spiders or ants wreaking havoc across the landscape see this film. Jack Frost should have attracted fans from so many horror related genres and unfortunately it just didn't. I know the serial killer snowman may be off putting, but if you accept it as a comedy and a parody you will find a smart, well acted, tense horror outing that will make you laugh and perhaps even make you want to start a new holiday tradition...

THE WACKIER THE MONSTER THE BETTER

As far back as I can remember I’ve always loved monsters. I still consider King Kong and Gojira to be two of the greatest films ever made and certainly two of the most genre defining and influential. I love the aforementioned behemoths along with the giant bugs from Them, Tarantula and The Monster Who Challenged The World. I also always enjoy seeing small creatures such as the goblins from Troll 2 or the little creatures from Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark. I owned dozens of monster video games for my Nintendo and my Commodore 64. I bought comic books featuring Devil Dinosaur and DC’s Strange Adventures series which was host to a load of odd monstrosities. I guess I enjoy monsters so damn much because for the most part their appearance in cinema or literature combine my favorite genres of horror and science fiction. A monster is terrifying when done correctly and over 50% of the time there’s some scientific element to this beast. Monster movies can be frightening or fun and the monsters themselves can range from terrifying to totally ridiculous. Although I like most non-CGI monsters, these days I tend to prefer the more ridiculous creations and that is what this list is dedicated to. The lizards, scorpions or giant worms of Perfection, Nevada I also enjoy, may not be require a huge leap of film making imagination, but the oddities on this list certainly do. It takes a filmmaker with a very dominant right side of the brain to come up with an alien that looks like a lumbering carpet or a living dead being that looks like a frilled neck lizard with hot dogs in it’s mouth. Goofy yes, but creative as well in many cases due to budgetary constraints. With the exception of Roger Corman, I would not ever claim that any of these directors or special effects guys have the genius of a Spielberg or Merian C. Cooper, but I enjoy their movies just as much due to the wacky and/or insane creature creations. Of course it’s hard to argue that the kaiju monsters who fought Godzilla or Iron King are the strangest and most surreal monsters in all of cinema or television, but that is a whole separate list for another time. I think whether you enjoy more obscure creatures like Bullton from Ultraman and the tree monster who stars in the flick From Hell It Came or far more popular horrors like Kong and xenomorph from Alien, you should find at least one film on this list that will satisfy your craving for more movie monsters...

5. Creature From The Haunted Sea (1961)

No offense to the great Roger Corman who earned money on every film he ever made including this one, but this is the most boring movie on the list. It commits the cardinal sin of bad monster movies in that it doesn't show enough of the titular creature. Still worth seeing at least once and no matter how little the very odd monster is seen, he is one of my all-time favorites. Like a walking Brillo pad with Freddy Krueger claws.

4. Sting Of Death (1965)

My most recent discovery was found simply because I ordered a movie called Death Curse Of Tartu about a vengeful Native American zombie shapeshifter and this film was on the same disc. I never knew there was a movie about a mutant jellyfish man nor did I know that there was a Neil Sedaka song called "Do The Jellyfish", but Sting Of Death proves they both exist. Watching 36 year old "college students" get stung, poisoned and slaughtered is always a plus in my book even if the monster looks like a guy in an everyday basic wetsuit with a mylar balloon on his head.

3. The Giant Claw (1957)

Because of it’s giant close ups and it’s constant ridicule this is perhaps the most iconic monster on the list (of course I am using the term iconic very loosely here). The special effects with the planes and the creature itself are below par at best. However, the story about some French Canadian legend connected to a turkey vulture from outer space is VERY original. I remember first seeing this when I was in my early 20s and it sparked in me something my mother used to tell me about. She used to mention the constant nightmares she had as a child about a giant bird coming over this hill and attacking her. She never had any run in with birds to cause this fear and eventually we connected this film, which she would have seen in theaters, to at least the visual aspect of her horrific memory. Proof that one person’s joke can be another person’s nightmare.

2. The Horror Of Party Beach (1964)

Listed by some as a “zombie” movie these aren’t like any zombies anyone else has ever created. I suppose corpses (well skeletons anyway) turning into lizard like people with their arms outstretched due to chemical waste would clear the technical requirement for a zombie. Whatever they are technically supposed to be, the look of these creatures is fascinating. The costumes are great, the black looking blood from the victims is even better and the zombies meeting their end via sodium looks very reminiscent to old Georges Méliès special effects which is probably not an homage as much as it is a sign that the budget was small. After all they had to pay that crappy band to play all those awful songs and that doesn't come cheap. In case you couldn't tell by the photo above, these are the aforementioned lizards with hot dogs in their mouths.

1. The Creeping Terror (1964)

Like the movie listed above, I discovered this one thanks to watching Mystery Science Theater 3000 when I was in college up in Greeley, Colorado. I loved the lampooning of this inept film but like an Ed Wood classic, the ineptitude made the movie charming. The creature creation is the wackiest thing ever witnessed in cinematic history but I applaud the filmmaker for that. No one except for a complete loon could envision an alien like this. A giant carpet with tubes and vegetation coming out of it that slumbers around swallowing up people looked just great. The director was obviously carrying out some mild sort of perversion through his analogy of “eating” women and making sure to give us a close up of their stockings and garters as they are being swallowed. The narration is a result of the director losing, destroying or simply not recording dialogue in many scenes, but I think that this helps make the film stand out as if it's almost trying to be a documentary. The film and the story behind it are so interesting that in 2014 they made a movie about this movie...now that's just cool.

ZAP ROWSDOWER : THE HONEST PORTRAYAL OF A HERO

If you're familiar with Mystery Science Theater 3000 you know this odd name. It comes from the 1990 Canadian action horror sci-fi movie The Final Sacrifice which is considered one of the best episodes of the aforementioned legendary comedy series. If you're a child of the VHS generation, perhaps you picked up The Final Sacrifice under the more appropriately titled Quest For The Lost City at your local dive video store. Unfortunately, these days there is no DVD or Blu-ray of the unadulterated movie, but it has recently become one of my most watched MST3K episodes and I think I know why.
   I genuinely like the character of Zap Rowsdower. Not in some snarky, hipster type way either. I like him because, Zap is just an "everyman". He drives the truck with the missing gas pedal that your uncle drove. He dresses like your then recently divorced neighbor dressed back in the late 80s when he wanted to hit the town and pick up some women. He enjoys his beer like any stereotypical lower middle classer does. I'm even willing to bet he got his nickname "Zap" from his friends after he pissed on an electric fence and got his genitals shocked. Most realistically however, he has no desire to be the hero.
   In the movies we always see some quick witted hero who rarely gets flustered. This mythical hero is full of smart ass quips and seems to love capping off each successive bad guy and of course he never runs out of bullets. Rowsdower is not very bright and he is VERY angry at having to leave the bar and play a vanquisher of evil. Zap leaves the wise cracks at home and not only does he run out of bullets, but he also manages to tumble down the hill like Chris Farley while trying to escape. If like Zap you had to protect some strange gawky teenager that you didn't know from a cult with world domination plans, that had previously tortured and brainwashed you, you would just want to go home too. You’d be trying everything you could for a simple resolution that didn’t require a lot of action from you. You would be constantly complaining about being put in this dangerous situation and it would take a lot to convince you of some lost ancient city in the backwoods where you hunt grouse in the fall. Let's face it, Rowsdower is a guy we love to make fun of, but we probably wouldn't make half as good of a hero as he does. I know we all like to imagine ourselves as John Rambo or John McClane, but deep down let’s face it…we're all really just Zap Rowsdower.

MY 10 FAVORITE ACTRESSES OF ALL-TIME

Glamorous starlets, scream queens, the brave heroine, the villainess, the object of affection, the victim, the perpetrator, luckily these days women have become accepted in any role that their male counterparts appear in. Although it hasn’t always been this way and it seems like many of the actresses of our cinematic past were typecast or bogged down with the victim role, they nonetheless had far superior and far more interesting characters to play. In the 21st century I see many women in starring roles (especially in the comedy field), but the characters and the women playing them feel far less diverse. I don't mean that in regards to race or nation of origin, but more the style of acting. In the previous decades, the characters women played were far braver and actresses seemed to make far stranger choices than the endless clichés we currently see in the theaters and on television. These days it seems like any role that may be the least bit interesting are handed to a select few and the hundreds of other actresses get to fight for the remaining scraps. I hope this changes at some point, but I think just cinema as a whole focuses much, much more on CGI special effects than they do character or plot so I'm certainly not blaming the actresses of today. For now, I hope you will enjoy seeking out the filmographies of these ten wonderful and uniquely talented ladies…

10. Pam Grier

Pretty much the goddess of the blaxploitation genre, but she is also so much more. She of course had her HUGE comeback and in turn possibly her finest performance ever with Jackie Brown. Prior to this however she was working in stupendous roles in things like Miami Vice, Above The Law and one of my favorites the Class Of 1999.

9. Sigourney Weaver

First off her film debut was Annie freaking Hall...that's impressive. Of course very shortly after that she would portray perhaps the most iconic female heroine in cinematic history with Ellen Ripley. After that Ghostbusters, Gorillas In The Mist, Working Girl, Death And The Maiden, The Ice Storm...my god this woman has range and made very few stinkers in her long career.

8. Whoopi Goldberg

For me this is the funniest woman on the planet! In some cases I think her on stage and Broadway performances better encapsulate her range of comedic genius, but try watching Jumpin' Jack Flash, Burglar or Soapdish without laughing at Whoopi. Of course films like The Color Purple and Ghost proved she was a great dramatic actress and today The View proves she can do the talk show thing as well while never shying away from her strong political beliefs.

7. Ellen Burstyn

Of course we all know her from The Exorcist, but in my opinion that film belongs to another great actress. What we should know Ms. Burstyn from is what many consider her masterpiece, the 1974 Martin Scorsese picture Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. If you only see one Ellen Burstyn film do yourself a favor and make it that one. Luckily for us she turned in another amazing role in Requiem For A Dream and is also a big part of the reason to watch films like The Last Picture Show, Same Time Next Year and W.

6. Joan Crawford

With one of her first roles being as an extra in the silent version (and the version I prefer) of Ben-Hur and her last being Trog in 1970, this leading lady has had one of the longest and most active tenures in cinematic history. Her peak seemed to be in the 1930s when she starred in numerous happy ending movies that appealed to the audiences of the Great Depression, but she was also on fire in the mid-40s. I personally think the woman is made for horror and creepy surreal films so my favorites tend to be things like The Unknown, What Ever Happened To Baby Jane, Straight Jacket and Berserk, but you can't go wrong with Joan.

5. Linda Blair

Even above the Devil himself, Linda Blair is the true star of The Exorcist. How a child her age was able to act like she did will boggle the minds of movie viewers for centuries to come. Did she put herself into a trance because this performance is on a whole other level? With her reprisal of the role she was able to now add some sex appeal to the innocent beginning of the Regan character. From there people acted like she disappeared, but she was in 1 or 2 films every year and many of them are quite entertaining. Check out Hell Night, Savage Streets or The Chilling to see what I mean.

4. Fay Wray

Many of her scenes from King Kong would be considered some of the most memorable and iconic scenes in all of cinema! Of course the 1933 version of King Kong is considered one of the best and certainly one of the most important and influential movies ever made, but Fay was plenty busy making other movies with a streak of horror masterpieces such as Doctor X, Most Dangerous Game and Mystery Of The Wax Museum. Unfortunately Fay retired 24 years before her death so we never got a Jackie Brown or a Requiem For A Dream, but who knows what could've been...

3. Angela Lansbury

She is best known as Jessica Fletcher which she should be, but the role she should be most applauded for is The Manchurian Candidate where I swear to you she plays the most diabolical villain ever to be portrayed by any actress or actor! The fact that she's so well known as a much gentler character on Murder She Wrote just demonstrates her range. Angela was one of the key players in early television starring in dozens of episodes and she did a couple of chilling thrillers very early in her career with Gaslight and The Picture Of Dorian Gray.

2. Piper Laurie

The single greatest performance by an actress in over a century of film is Piper Laurie as Sarah Packard in 1961's The Hustler. If you know movies you know of The Hustler as being one of the finest films ever made. It stars Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason and George C. Scott all three of whom turn in possibly their best ever performances yet somehow Piper outdoes them all. After that she quits acting (damn her) until she comes back with what role...the mother in Carrie! If those back to back gems aren't reason enough to worship this actress also remember her recurring role in Twin Peaks.

1. Evelyn Ankers

Evelyn who? I know what you're thinking, that as usual I just picked the most obscure choice for my numero uno, but you need to realize what a constant this woman has been in my life and how her roles are responsible for the love of cinema I have to this very day. Since I'm only 40, I didn't grow up seeing her movies in the theaters, but luckily UHF stations played her black and white horror classics every other night. She was in so many films with Lon Chaney Jr. that I just assumed they were husband or wife like George and Gracie, but she was also the leading lady with horror gods such as Bela Lugosi, Abbott and Costello, Basil Rathbone and John Carradine. It seemed like everywhere I looked she was there. The Wolf Man, Hold That Ghost, The Ghost Of Frankenstein, Voice Of Terror, Son Of Dracula, Weird Woman, The Invisible Man's Revenge, The Frozen Ghost (lots of ghosts in Evelyn's life). I started with all of these films before I was a teenager and today I watch them all on a regular basis. Prior to moving into television in the late 40s she managed to appear in my favorite Wolf Man film, my favorite Frankenstein film and my favorite Sherlock Holmes picture. That's not a coincidence...that's Evelyn Ankers.

OUR FRIEND WAS JUST TURNED INTO A DOLL AND WE DON'T CARE: 1990'S DEMON WIND

While watching this film I couldn’t keep up with just how many films and directors this movie rips off. Sam Raimi and Lamberto Bava are the most obvious “influences”, but you’ll also notice ideas taken from William Peter Blatty, George Romero, Wes Craven and John Carpenter. Granted, many horror filmmakers take ideas and plot devices from their heroes, but the makers of Demon Wind didn’t seem to be able to conjure up any original ideas. It feels rushed, like they just took a bunch of ideas from far superior horror directors, put them in a blender and hoped for the best. What I am happy to report however is that the film is great and will be a real blast for any horror fan. Most lovers of horror cinema would welcome seeing a mix of Evil Dead, Demons, Night Of The Living Dead, The Shining, The Manitou and Exorcist 2: The Heretic (oh shut up…it’s not that bad). The movie has many faults, but stealing from classic horror is not necessarily one of them. It's the convoluted mess that would be the main detractor of this flick. The filmmakers can never just settle into one story or one action. The fog, the spell book, the magical dagger all do different things according to what's convenient. Also our main characters seemed bothered by the smallest things, but when something insane happens or a friend dies, it's pretty much "oh well, he/she won't be missed, let's move onto the next scene". I know it sounds like I'm ripping this movie to shreds, but I honestly like it and am happy to own it as I can see rewatching it again and showing it to various friends of mine.
   The reason I enjoy this film is the same reason I prefer Friday The 13th The Final Chapter to the original or The Mummy’s Ghost to the Boris Karloff Mummy film. Demon Wind like those sequels, plays out a lot faster because they don’t need to mess around with a long origin or backstory. This film just throws endless horror elements at you with loads of the titular demons which is often times what a good monster movie misses and that’s screen time for the creature(s). I understand why some older films hid their sharks or giant scorpions, but this film could care less about creating tension, they want to give you action. They also don’t need to worry about hiding their demons because they look terrific! The other special effects don’t look so spectacular, but luckily there’s not enough of them to take away from the enjoyment or the atmosphere of the movie. The cast is somewhat recognizable and for the most part turn in decent performances although I still have no idea who created the karate magician character. There’s also a rumor that Lou Diamond Phillips actually plays a demon and IMDb even lists him in the film, but I haven’t seen anything to convince me of a Lou Diamond connection or any reason he would be in the film with 2 seconds of screen time. Regardless of whether Phillips is in the movie or not I recommend checking out this crazy picture at least once. Overall, I’d say if you enjoy low budget horror, standard 1980s horror fare, survival horror with impossible odds and/or you like loads of strange bloody demons, then this film is for you. However after watching, I’m still not sure how our lead turning into a Deep Space Nine alien helps him do battle with the demon master. If you ever figure this out let me know…

ANCIENT EVIL SCREAM OF THE MUMMY: LET’S LOOK SERIOUSLY AT A SERIOUSLY STUPID MOVIE

First of all let me say that I love this stupid movie! I probably watch it 3-4 times a year whenever I’m in the mood for some sub par horror based entertainment. I actually made myself watch it twice in a row just to write this article. You see, a true critic can see a difference between what they like and what is good and if you think both are synonymous then you should not be a critic. Using mummy films as an example, I know Boris Karloff’s The Mummy is the best film within the genre, but personally I much prefer the Lon Chaney Jr. mummy movies. However, when I look at the acting, the storyline, etc. I can easily tell that the Karloff version is the superior film. Remember that although an art form, in the end good cinema should entertain you and make you want to revisit it. You can enjoy Scream Of The Mummy just as much as you enjoy Citizen Kane, just don’t go on IMDb and give both movies a perfect 10. Speaking of IMDb, this film briefly held the #1 spot on the IMDb 250 worst movies of all time so don’t expect Karloff OR Kane.

   The plot here is your standard slasher/monster movie idea. Young adults in an isolated locale being stalked and killed off one by one on a dark and stormy night. There are some hints of sex and partying, but for once these kids aren’t being slaughtered for their vices. They’re actually part of what could be the end of the world according to ancient Aztec legend. You see, for some reason some scrawny, nerdy white guy with dirty blond hair is a descendant of Aztec priests (must be 974th generation then) and he must make a virgin sacrifice to Tlaloc. Goofy and unoriginal I know, but there are plenty of good points about the film as well.
   First there’s the location shooting in a Mexican desert. This helps with the realism of the setting and with the bare bones cast of 9 people which allows us to get to know the characters. The characters are another terrific aspect of this movie. Granted, Jeff Peterson as Don is the ONLY person here who can act, but it’s the other cast members that I love even more. Love to hate that is, as each character seems more annoying than the next with Michael Lutz as Morris at the top of the moronic heap. So why is this a good thing? Because I WANT to see these people get slaughtered. I want to see them sliced and chopped apart by a cool Aztec dagger held by a big fat mummy. This aspect of the film reminded me of the old Universal horrors where for the most part the monster is misunderstood and abused and you wanted to see those paranoid, conservative villagers get killed. Rooting for the monster or the villain is always fun, but too many films from Dawn Of The Dead to Halloween to Friday The 13th have some really good actors and likeable characters that you feel sorry for and you hope for their safety. Not the case with Ancient Evil Scream Of The Mummy…I want to see every one of these kids drop dead!
   Finally, I have to say, I love this fat ass mummy! I’ve never read if they simply hired an actor with a big old gut or if there was some problem with the costume, but this mummy is built like a nose tackle with a wicked Pabst Blue Ribbon habit. Hey, as a nose tackle sized guy myself I’m glad to see a man with a big swollen belly instead of typically shaped monster. Also the makeup applied to the face of the mummy is some of the best I’ve ever seen. A superb job of showing decay in a bone dry climate and it’s look plays wonderfully off the lightning strikes in this film. Yes, those are some good points of the movie, but don’t think for a minute I’m telling you to watch it as you would a good movie. Go in with low expectations and enjoy the film for what it is…a super low budget, poorly acted horror flick with a chubby mummy that you and your friends can get stoned and laugh at. I like the movie a lot more than that, but I surely don’t expect you to have the same eccentric tastes as me. Just check it out sometime if you like mummies, 90s horror cinema or Z grade films. I’m sure it’s probably on You Tube, but the DVD can usually be had for 5 bucks. Don’t steal it, I assure you it will give you at least 6 bucks worth the entertainment in return...

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BATMAN : WHEN COMIC BOOKS CAME TO LIFE

As a comic book fanatic it saddens me to turn on a TV show from DC or watch a movie trailer from Marvel and see they have almost nothing to do with the comic books that they are named after. Every TV series and movie are devoid of color and if there is any plot relating to a comic book it’s from some weird, awful storyline that was thought of long after the official death of comics in the mid-1990s. Today’s TV and movie execs today could give a damn about comic books, they only look at profit that they know is guaranteed from a fan boy audience. Greedy corporations figure out more and more ways to squeeze every dollar they can out of fans who seem to simply accept ANYTHING that is related to a comic book character they love as the greatest thing ever. They are so greedy they don’t do a Power Man and Iron Fist show, they do an Iron Fist show and then separately a Power Man series. I’m not saying makers of old shows like the 1966 Batman series didn’t care about money, but they also cared about what the fans wanted.  The producers, writers and actors were all comic book fans and made every effort they legally could to bring characters from Batman and Detective Comics to life on the small screen. In doing so they created an icon. A phenomena that changed television and basic entertainment in many parts of the world. This new Batman series would dominate the airwaves for years in premiere episodes and later in reruns. It would dictate the way every superhero TV show and movie would be made for decades to come. In the future, cheap, easily made CGI would change the way all these comic book related things would be made, but thanks to DVDs, classic TV stations and the internet, we will always have Batman to look at for the blueprint for what a comic book television series or movie should look like..
   I mention what they could legally put on the show because the 1960s Batman show went through more legal wrangles than any TV series in history. Only in the last few years has it become available to us millions of fans on DVD. I, like many fans, had bootlegs of course because I wasn’t going to allow some heartless conglomerate to keep me from seeing one of the greatest TV shows ever made, but the moment they got an official release I replaced the boots with some gorgeous box sets. Legal issues also kept certain villains off the show, but the writers created some colorful although occasionally goofy villains to fit right in with the likes of the Joker, the Penguin and Catwoman. To many this entire series may be looked upon as “goofy”, but it was more like a living comic book than any show or movie before or after it. In the comic books, Batman had just undergone a drastic change from doing battle with aliens from Pluto to getting his patented yellow circle on his costume and becoming a dark knight detective once again. This started with an almost forgotten villain named the Riddler. This issue actually influenced creator William Dozier to create the TV series and likewise he kicked things off with a maniacal Frank Gorshin as the Riddler and history was born.
   Overall this series didn’t have many bad episodes. A few missteps here and there, but Batman is a solid series which means if you like episode 3 you’ll more than likely enjoy episode 87. They are all good, but they are also quite varied. When I started noting my favorite episodes of Batman I had no intention of trying to include as many different villains as possible, but each and every villain has a great episode so my favorites encompass all of the major members of Batman’s rogue’s gallery. You will however notice only one episode from season 3. This has nothing to do with Batgirl as she was a welcome addition to the cast which after 94 episodes could have become stagnant. Unfortunately though the budget was sliced in half and the stories became somewhat bland  Gone for the most part were the serial like cliffhangers which made the loved so beloved in the first place. Nonetheless, even these lesser episodes are worth watching and I enjoy them all on a regular basis. Since I only watch the show these days on DVD I’m not sure if it’s available on Netflix, or for digital download or if it’s currently being syndicated in your area, but if it is you should revisit it (or perhaps watch it for the first time). Whether you are a person who occasionally enjoyed comics in your youth, a comic book fanatic like myself who has his walls plastered with old issues of Detective Comics or a person who simply wants to be entertained with smart, funny, colorful 60s pop culture you need to watch this! Below I’ve listed my favorite episodes from the series which were very difficult to narrow down. If you’ve seen Batman once you are probably already a fan of the show with your own list of favorites and you’ll probably notice we share a love for Batman…

10. Mad Hatter Episode 69-70

Based on a story from Detective Comics #230 with a nod to the front cover of Detective Comics #241 where Batman wears a hot pink costume & cowl. David Wayne was great as the Mad Hatter & it’s a shame there weren’t more than 2 stories with him as the guest villain.

9. Catwoman Episode 19-20

Julie Newmar is without question one of the sexiest women in the history of television, but this episode paints her as diabolical & evil as well. Future episodes would keep the sex appeal, but unfortunately lose some of that villainy.

8. Penguin Episode 51-52

Penguin really shows his ability to outwit Batman in this one along with his political ambition and with things like the Grand Order of Occidental Nighthawks and Paul Revere and the Raiders performing it’s a must see. This story was later redone for the animated Adventures of Batman with the Joker replacing Penguin.

7. The Bookworm Episode 29-30

A villain who bases his crime on books and wears glasses may not seem like much of a threat, but Roddy McDowall makes him one of Batman’s most challenging foes. Many of his crimes are larger than life and I’d assume this episode probably required a pretty big budget.

6. The Riddler Episode 31-32

Actually based on a Joker story from Detective Comics #341. As a silent film fan I love the story of stealing a super rare silent film collection. Loads of Chaplin and Marx brothers like hijinks definitely would qualify it as one of the more purposely humorous episodes of the series.

5. The Riddler Episode 79-80

How on Earth can I put the John Astin Riddler episodes on my list? First of all, I think he did a great job! He’s no Frank Gorshin, but he made the character all his own and overall was doing a favor as Gorshin was unavailable. Second, it’s based loosely on the Riddler’s first comic book appearance Detective Comics #140 and these comic based episodes usually tend to be the best. Finally, trapping Batman and Robin atop a cake of quicksand was for me one of the funnest moments of the series.

4. The Joker Episode 118

For me, the best Batgirl episode next to the rarely seen Batgirl pilot (in which her and the Dynamic Duo battle Killer Moth). The Joker and his henchmen build a flying saucer to scare Gothamites. He even has a little green man working for him. This is fun, zany stuff with the Joker at his wackiest and Batgirl ever so confident in her ass kicking abilities…we even get flying saucer scenes lifted from the excellent 1953 film Invaders From Mars.

3. Mr. Freeze Episode 93-94

We get Eli Wallach as Mr. Freeze and Elisha Cook Jr as one of his hostages…now that’s star power! I thought all three actors who played Mr. Freeze did a fine job with the character and each created a style all his own. However out of all those actors Eli Wallach is my favorite by a mile! This guy can do any character, but his best usually are from over the top characters such as Dancer, Tuco or Mr. Freeze. Great acting, great action, great story.

2. False Face Episode 17-18

Easily the most creepy villain ever to appear in the Batman series. He looked horrifying, he sounded creepy and he acted insane! These episodes are so damn good they always fluctuate between my first and second favorites and I can’t recommend this story enough. For years I just assumed False Face was like Egghead or Louie The Lilac in that he was created by TV writers as an addition to Batman’s rogue’s gallery. I later found out he first appeared in 1958 in Batman #113 and then was unfortunately never seen again. Such a cool villain deserved better and he got it with these 2 episodes.

1. The Joker Episode 5-6

I believe many fans of the series would put the first 3 or 4 storylines in their top 10 because they are all excellent, but this is the pinnacle. Yet again from a rather valuable Batman comic which I happen to own...Batman #73 to be exact. In the comic the main focus is Joker’s utility belt which is very nicely carried over into the show. With the Comedians Hall Of Fame and Pagliacci in the story, writers probably saw this as a great opportunity to really ram home what the Joker was all about in case their audience was unfamiliar with the character. Batman vs. his archenemy, now this is how you do action/adventure television. As a comic book fan 35 years and running I believe this should be put up there with the final episode of M*A*S*H as one of the most important events in television history!

I love this TV series, but that love all began with the comics...here are the comic books mentioned in this article:

GHOST STORY (For Me The One That Started It All)

For many people my age it was the first time they saw Star Wars. For generations before perhaps it was King Kong, Dracula or Frankenstein. For the latest generation it was probably something like Titanic or the works of Quentin Tarantino and David Fincher that made them interested in cinema. Well for me strangely enough it was 1981’s Ghost Story. I was probably 8 or 9 years old hanging out at my friend Jim Peterson’s house. He had a VCR, which many of us didn’t own yet, and I was spending the night. In the afternoon we watched Cannonball Run and some goofy Western that I no longer remember. Then we played around outside for awhile, came in and ate dinner (with a side of pickled eggs which I found disgusting) and set up for the next VHS tape. That tape was Ghost Story. I knew what horror movies were, but at my young age the most horrific thing I had seen was some 1940s mummy flick or a Godzilla sequel or two. We turned off the lights, got in our sleeping bags and watched the tape. Within the first 5 minutes we were horrified to see a decomposing lady and a skeletal, ghostly entity on the bridge and I assure you that scene on the bridge did truly scar me for life! Actually when I revisited the film a few months ago not only did I still find it very scary and disturbing, but that bridge scene got me again even though I knew it was coming. The movie does slow down a bit after that, but every horror scene they throw at you after the terror on the bridge is still greatly unsettling. I don’t want to ruin the plot, but when you learn the secret of the club that gets together to tell these ghost stories you will probably be quite disturbed like I was. Even at 8 years old I realized after watching that film that I had found something different. This was not The Mummy’s Hand or Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla, THIS was what horror cinema was all about. Granted that night over my friend’s house I got maybe two hours of sleep because I was constantly looking throughout his darkened home for something to jump out at me. Nonetheless I found that I actually enjoyed that feeling.
   A few weeks later after I recovered, I purchased a few horror comics and probably a horror magazine as well. My parents acted a bit strange as to why I suddenly wanted books with skeletons or vampires on them, but they were always cool and had no issue with buying them for me. They would also let me stay up late on weekends if there was some old horror movie on I wanted to watch. From that point on I wanted to be scared or at the very least see creepy supernatural images. Sure I still enjoyed GI Joe, Transformers, Voltron and the Star Wars universe like most kids my age, but horror was my own personal thing as my brother, my friends and my parents really weren’t interested in those kind of films. Before I started my teens I had probably viewed over 200 horror films. Most of them were the older, more fun movies of the 30s, 40s and 50s which was what they played on television, but I did manage to see some other terrifying films like Night Of The Living Dead, The Amityville Horror and The Exorcist (which was the one that had me sleeping with the lights on for a week).
   Today it takes a lot more to scare me although I do still get pretty creeped out when watching Ju-On, Cannibal Holocaust, The Exorcist and yes Ghost Story. I honestly believe this film is much more frightening and much better than people, especially critics, remember. I agree it can be plodding at times, but because the prior scenes are so dark and evil, you will still be thinking about them when the movie gets a bit slow. I’m happy to finally own this gem on DVD after it being on my mind for decades. Although my love of horror didn’t become an obsession until I was maybe 16 years old it was Ghost Story that planted the initial seed in my head. Thanks to that scary night over at a friend’s house in the early 80s I now love zombies and slashers. Mummies and gargoyles. Demons and giant apes. In turn it’s because of horror movies that I took some screenwriting classes and became a member of The Writer’s Guild Of America. It’s the reason why I vote every year for the National Film Registry (for which I usually choose horror movies to be inducted). I’m still trying to work out deals with sites like Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb to see if I can improve what they are doing for horror cinema. I genuinely love film and to me that word "film" usually means a horror movie. Cinema is one of the most important things in my life right after my family. Every year I discover forgotten or lost horror gems and my love for the genre and the art only grows stronger. And to think this all of this started because of a scary 80s film that many people to this day have still never heard of…

*if you have any interest or ideas on a TV, internet or radio project, email me allnewsux (at) gmail.com