MONSTER MASHUPS #46

NEAL ADAMS MONSTERS (2004), according to the author's preface, is all about having his versions of the three major movie-monsters-- Dracula, the Wolf Man (in this case, a Wolf-Woman), and the Frankenstein Monster-- come together for a big battle not restrained by live-action cinema considerations.

The result is far from being the best monster-battle ever, even within the comics-medium, but it's a decent read if one doesn't expect too much.

MONSTER MASHUPS #45

I'd largely forgot this 1979 short-- broadcast as THE HALLOWEEN THAT ALMOST WASN'T, and retitled on VHS as THE NIGHT DRACULA SAVED THE WORLD-- prior to stumbling across it on Youtube.

Since I saw it in my twenties, HALLOWEEN was a little sophomoric for my tastes then, particularly with a jarring SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER joke at the end. But compared to some monster mashes-- particularly the 2000 animated feature MONSTER MASH-- at least HALLOWEEN "stakes" (ouch) out its daffy slapstick territory and doesn't venture outside those borders.

The short starts with Dracula (Judd Hirsch) calling a convocation of monsters in response to a televised rumor that 1979 may be the first year without a Halloween. The ghouls all come to his humble abode, including a "Frankenstein Creature," a mummy, Warren the Werewolf, a zombie called Zabarr, and a witch (Mariette Hartley). On top of that, Dracula has borrowed a page from the Universal Studios book by employing a hunchbacked servant named Igor, who in this context I would not consider a true "monster." But it hardly matters, since only two monsters get to do very much, beyond setting up jokes.

Dracula briefly considers the possibility that his favorite holiday may be doomed because humankind no longer fears him or his kindred. But instead of running this idea into the ground, as MONSTER MASH does, the short flick dumps that notion and reveals that the Witch is the true threat to Halloween. Seems she resents both Dracula's sovereignty over the creatures of the night, and the fact that people don't like ugly chicks. Dracula tries various strategies to bend the sorceress to his will, but in the end only the pleas of cute children ensure that Halloween goes on.

As long as one has a sizable appetite for borscht-belt jokes and Judd Hirsch's Lugosi accent, HALLOWEEN is at least passable. There's an odd moment in which the Witch defends herself from her enemies by bringing the Three Musketeers to life. I assume the production just ran out of monster costumes and borrowed some studio's musketeer outfits to save a buck.

MONSTER MASHUPS #44

Added a review for two of Hanna-Barbera's ventures into monster rallies, THE FLINTSTONES MEET ROCKULA AND FRANKENSTONE (1979), THE FLINTSTONE'S NEW NEIGHBORS (1980)

MONSTER MASHUPS #43

Here's a link to today's review of the 1968 compilation-of-shorts THE LEMON GROVE KIDS MEET THE MONSTERS.

This low-budget curio just barely makes it into my mashup-category. One of the shorts includes both a mummy and a rampaging gorilla, but as things turn out, they're both actors in costumes, which removes them from consideration.

The only reason that this LEMON qualifies depends on one's willingness to view aliens as "monsters." The middle short includes a "Grasshopper Man" and a "Vampire Lady" who are apparently both from outer space according to the short's title, but who don't look like they belong to the same species, in contrast to almost every other alien-invasion flick ever made.

So, purely based on the suggestion that two breeds of aliens come calling on Earth, I give LEMON "mashup status."

SUPERHEROES ARE DAMN-NEAR EVERYWHERE #309

Secondary ANN DORAN acted in two episodes of THE LONE RANGER with--

Primary JAY SILVERHEELS as TONTO.

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Secondary STEPHEN DORFF acted in BLADE with--

Primary WESLEY SNIPES as BLADE.

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Primary MICHAEL DORN played WORF on two STAR TREK teleseries and some of the movies.

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Tertiary DIANA DORS acted in an episode of (the British) THRILLER with--

Secondary ANDREA MARCOVICCI, who also acted in SPACEHUNTER with--

Primary PETER STRAUSS as WOLFF.

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Secondary FIFI D'ORSAY acted in NABONGA with--

Primary RAY CORRIGAN as NABONGA.

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Secondary ROY DOTRICE played "Zeus" in HERCULES THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS with--

Primary KEVIN SORBO as HERCULES.

 

SUPERHEROES ARE DAMN-NEAR EVERYWHERE #308

Tertiary KING DONOVAN acted in THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS with--

Primary LEE VAN CLEEF, who played JOHN PETER MCALLISTER in THE MASTER.

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Primary TATE DONOVAN voiced HERCULES in the Disney film and TV show.

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Secondary ALISON DOODY acted in INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE with--

Primary HARRISON FORD as INDIANA JONES.

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Secondary JAMES DOOHAN acted in JASON OF STAR COMMAND with--

Primary CRAIG LITTLER as JASON.

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Secondary PAUL DOOLEY acted in episodes of STAR TREK DEEP SPACE NINE with--

Primary RENE AUBERJONOIS as ODO.

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Tertiary LUCINDA DOOLING  acted in THE ALCHEMIST with--

Primary ROBERT GINTY, who played THE RIDER in WARRIOR OF THE LOST WORLD.

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Secondary KARIN DOR acted in THE INVISIBLE DOCTOR MABUSE with--

Primary WOLFGANG PRIESS as DOCTOR MABUSE.

SUPERHEROES ARE DAMN-NEAR EVERYWHERE #307

Secondary ELINOR DONAHUE voiced a female monster in an episode of BIKER MICE FROM MARS with--

Primary DORIAN HAREWOOD, voicing MODO.

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Secondary TROY DONAHUE acted in OMEGA COP with--

Primary RON MARCHINI as JOHN TRAVIS.

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Secondary PETER DONAT acted in episodes of TIME TRAX with--

Primary DALE MIDKIFF as DARIEN LAMBERT.

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Tertiary ROBERT DONAT acted in THE GHOST GOES WEST with--

Tertiary JEAN PARKER, who was in DEAD MAN'S EYES with--

Primary PAUL KELLY, who played THE BLACK COMMANDO in THE SECRET CODE.

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Tertiary YOLANDE DONLAN acted in MISTER DRAKE'S DUCK with--

Primary DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS JR, who was also MARIO FRANCHI in THE CORSICAN BROTHERS.

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Tertiary BRIAN DONLEVY acted in HOW TO STUFF A WILD BIKINI with--

Tertiary JOHN ASHLEY, who also acts in BEYOND ATLANTIS with--

Primary PATRICK WAYNE, who was also BEN MCBRIDE in THE PEOPLE THAT TIME FORGOT.

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Secondary VINCENT D'ONOFRIO played "the Kingpin" on DAREDEVIL with--

Primary CHARLIE COX as DAREDEVIL.

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Secondary AMANDA DONOHUE acted in STARSHIP TROOPERS 3 with--

Primary JOLENE BLALOCK as LOLA BECK.