Drive-In Book Review: The Weird World of Eerie Publications

If you grew up in the 1960s or 70s, you might recall the many black and white comic magazines that flooded newstands.

Most of the titles were horror-focused. Warren Publishing delivered quality publications with great artwork including "Creepy" and "Eerie." Marvel offered supernatural fare such as "Dracula Lives," "Tales of the Zombie" and "Monsters Unleashed."

Also on the stands were a line of magazines from Eerie Publications (not to be confused with the Warren magazine). These black and white comics were extremely gory, excessively violent and mainly comprised of reprinted stories (touched up with additional blood and guts).

As a kid, I only owned one or two of these gems. I knew they were inferior to mags from Marvel and Warren but loved them all the same. I can't really explain my soft spot for all things cheapo, but these mags bring back some fond comics memories. I particularly liked their wild-ass covers that featured mummies driving stakes into vampires while werewoves mauled zombies.

Eerie Pubs are gone but not forgotten. Fans can reminisce about these low budget horror mags in the book "The Weird World of Eerie Publications" edited by Mike Howlett.

Howlett does an excellent job detailing the history of these magazines and their publisher Myron Fass, a loose cannon and pistol packing publisher of sleazy mags. Fass was known for recycling artwork, stories, cover paintings and just about anything else to save a buck. His team of artists included Carl Burgos (creator of the original Human Torch for Timely/Marvel Comics) and Dick Ayers (longtime Marvel artist/inker).

This book is for Eerie Pubs purists but newbies to these gory classics should appreciate it. In addition to insight on the line of Eerie Pubs (Weird, Tales from the Tomb, Tales of Voodoo, Horror Tales, Terror Tales, Witches' Tales), Howlett also examines many of yesteryear's black and white mags and pre-comics code horror comics.

Be advised that there is no reprinted material from the Eerie Pubs. I was hoping for at least a few stories. That's my only critique of this this pretty cool book that contains a cool cover gallery and tons of great photos.

For reprints, see the paperback "Zombie Factory" or visit The Dead Demons! The Claw's Eerie Publications Online Archive.

If you're nostalgic for the days of black and white horror books, this volume is for you. It's pretty comprehensive and a fun read. Not as fun as the Eerie Pubs themselves but certainly worth checking out.

DVR DRIVE-IN REVIEW: "ROADIE"

I wanted to see this as a kid but it never arrived my hometown's theater. It's available as part of Comcast's Impact On Demand Package (look under "Free Movies") and is well worth watching for the cast alone.

Travis Redfish (Meatloaf) is a cowboy inventor who sets out to be a beer truck driver. When he meets wannabe groupie Lola (Kaki Hunter), his career shifts focus and he becomes a super roadie. His boss is promoter Mohammed Johnson (Don Cornelius), who represents everybody from Blondie to Hank Williams Jr. to Alice Cooper (all appear and perform in the film).

This movie is all over the place with no real plot. Redfish winds up in a botched drug deal (subbing Tide detergent for coke), uses solar power to fuel a rock fest, leads cops on a car chase in Austin, instigates a brawl at a Hank Jr. show and has frequent "brain freezes" (spouting off random phrases).

It's pretty crazy but fast-paced enough to keep any rock fan entertained. Great performances from Hank, Blondie, Alice and Asleep at the Wheel. Plus, Meatloaf delivers a tour de force performance as Redfish.

Art Carney plays the senior Redfish...also an inventor, and Gailard Sartain plays Travis' buddy (and soon-to-be brother in law) B.B.

It's a perfect Saturday night party flick...best of all it's free with On Demand.

DVR Drive-In Review: "Vice Squad"

I clearly recall Siskel and Ebert bashing this movie as one of the "Dogs of the Week" on the original "Sneak Previews" show.

It ran on cable numerous times, but I always missed it for some reason or other. Now, it's running on IFC of all places, and it's a must-watch if you love those early '80s exploitation movies.

Wings Hauser is out of control as Ramrod, a psycho pimp in L.A. He brutally murders one of his hookers (MTV's Nina Blackwood!) with a wire hanger. Cops enlist the assistance of another hooker Princess (Season Hubley) to bust him. They bungle the arrest, and Ramrod is determined to deliver the same royal hanger treatment to Princess.

The movie is pretty much a non-stop bloody sleazefest with exaggerated depictions of L.A.'s hooker scene, pretty cool car chases, shootouts and brutal murders (off camera).

Look for a cameo from Fred "Rerun" Berry. Also, the theme song "Neon Slime" (performed by Hauser himself) freaking rocks.

Look for it on IFC, and check out this rocking trailer:

DVR Drive-In Review: "Murphy's Law"

My wife said it best when she said, "They dont't make 'em like that anymore."

She is absolutely right! It is pretty much impossible to find an action flick starring a seventysomething tough guy these days.

"Murphy's Law" stars Charles Bronson as Jack Murphy, a burnt out old cop. He wants people to abide  by one rule..."Don't fuck with Jack Murphy!" Unfortunately, several people break that rule...including psycho Joan, a recently released con out for revenge (Carrie Snodgrass).

Murphy's framed for murder and winds up handcuffed to a juvenile delinquent (Kathleen Wilhoite) who calls him every name in the book ( "snot breath," "public hair"). Of course, Bronson goes on a rampage, stealing a helicopter, kicking ass and ultimately coming face to face with nutso Joan.

This isn't Bronson's best, but he makes its watchable. Lots of gunfire, some gratuitous nudity and a profane-laden script. How can it not rule???

Weekend Drive-In Preview: Oct. 23 - 24

This blog is a bit late. So by now, you might have missed the late night screening of the Don Stroud/Larry Bishop/Tyne Daly biker epic "Angel Unchanied."

It's not too late to plan your weekend drive-in. Here's what's on TV tonight and tomorrow:

Saturday, Oct. 23
THIS
8 p.m.: "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka"
I saw this movie in Corpus Christi the year it was release. My mom, sister and I were the only ones in the theater! Still, it's an awesome parody of 1970s blaxploitation movies and features several stars of the genre (Jim Brown, Isaac Hayes, Antonio Fargas).

Midnight: "I Escaped from Devil's Island"
This low-budget flick was released in time to capitalized on the popularity of the Steve McQueen/Dustin Hoffman prison movie "Papillon." It's actually pretty good. Christopher "Rat Patrol" George leads the getaway from the hellish Devil's Island prison. Jim Brown co-stars. I just learned that Martin Scorsese was tapped to direct this and turned it down to make "Mean Streets."

2 a.m.: "Angels from Hell"
I have not seen this, but my DVR is set. The plot of this late 1960s biker flick focuses on a Vietnam vet who returns from the war and forms a motorcycle gang. Sounds promising.

4 a.m.: "Elvira's Movie Macabre: The Giant Gila Monster"
It's great to see Elvira back on TV again. We've needed a horror host/hostess on the tube. This week, she hosts a pretty bad 1950s monster movie. It's pretty talky and the music is awful, but it's worth a watch to hear Elvira's commentary.

Encore Action
7:10 p.m.: "Fire Down Below"
Steven Seagal should have been watching his waistline instead of the environment. This is another of his eco-message action flicks.

Encore Westerns:
7 p.m.: "Pat Garret and Billy the Kid"
Director Sam Peckinpah hated the studio's final cut of this long, revisionist western. I have not seen his original draft of the movie, but some die-hard fans love that version. The version that's on this evening is okay. Look for Bob Dylan as a knife-throwing badass and listen for "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (played too many times throughout the movie).

Encore Mystery:
2:20 a.m.: "Cat People"
I saw this in junior high at the movies and loved it. It's pretty erotic, so imagine how I probably felt watching this in the theater with my parents! It still holds up, and ends with an awsome Bowie song. And did I mention how freakin' hot Nastassja Kinksi is?

HBO
4:45 p.m.: "Spider-Man 2"
I don't know why the "Spider-Man" franchise is being rebooted. The first two films are great. The third one sucked, so skip it if you haven't seen it yet. This second installment is pure comic book fun with Alfred Molina stealing the show as Dr. Octopus.

HBO Family
7:45 p.m.: "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead"
How many times can HBO show this movie??? It seems like it's been on every day for the past five years. It's a pretty klunky early-1990s comedy with Christine Applegate (still on "Married with Children" at this time). She plays a teen who takes over the household when the babysitter dies. Of course, no one cares that some old lady buys it early in the movie. This movie's actually like a Z-grade version of "Working Girl," but I still like it.

HBO Zone
8 p.m.: "The Day the Earth Stood Still"
This is an awful remake of a classic. Keanu Reeves is at his most robotic as alien Klaatu who has a message for the citizens of Earth: "You're gonna die!!!!" The original movie offered a Cold War warning, but this one is about the environment. It's a little too serious and too reliant on special effects.



CW39
2 a.m.: "Elivra's Movie Macabre: Satanic Rites of Dracula"
More Elvira! Yay!! I saw this under the title of  "Count Dracula and his Vampire Bride" at a midnight movie in Kingsville, Texas when I was 11. This should bring back some memories! Christopher Lee as Drac and Peter Cushing as Van Helsing. What a pair!

Weekend Drive-In Guide: Oct. 15 - 17

I really should have written this entry last night. Already, two AWESOME films have aired on THIS TV: "Night of the Comet" and "Deep Space" (with a stellar cast that includes Charles Napier, Julie Newmar and Ron Glass!).

Anyways, the rest of the weekend looks to be just as cool. Dig this Saturday line-up:

Encore Mystery
11:30 a.m. CST: "Bubba Ho Tep"
Bruce Campbell as Elvis teams with Ossie Davis as a guy who thinks he's JFK. They battle a mummy who is stealing souls in a Texas nursing home. Directed by Don "Phantasm" Coscarelli, this movie is excellent. Campbell kicks ass as the King.

Encore Action
1:30 p.m. CST: "Starship Troopers"
Humans take on bugs in this adaptation of Robert Heinlein's novel. I can't think of another movie with more gunfire than this war-crazy epic. The awesome cast includes Michael Ironside, Clancy Brown and Neil Patrick Harris (in Nazi-like regalia). It also includes a young (and hot) Denise Richards.

Encore
7 p.m. CST: "Superman" marathon
See all four "Superman" movies on Saturday night! For my money, "Superman the Movie" is the best of the bunch. "Superman II" ups the action ante with superpowered Kryptonian villains. "III" goes off the deep end by adding Richard Pryor to the cast. And "IV" is a pretty awful anti-nukes movie. No matter how cheesy these films might seem today, they are still waaaay better than the depressing "Superman Returns."

Happy Birthday Ed Wood!

Happy birthday to Ed Wood! The schlockmeister behind
"Plan 9 from Outer Space" and "Glen or Glenda" was born this day in 1924. He passed away in 1978, but his legacy as B-movie maestro lives on.