Random Ramblings from the Vault...

• It's the Jewish Halloween!! A Happy Purim to one and all. Yet another holiday in which, much like the plot of Braveheart, an outside force threatens the destruction of the Israelites, only to get their comeuppance in the form of righteous vengeance. And now, 2,500 years later, your three-year-old gets to dress up like a NASCAR driver.

• So, I saw Shutter Island and adored it. However, I have to agree with those who told me ahead of time that it's not really horror. Thus, I probably won't give it a full review here. Nevertheless, highly recommended. Starts off Hitchcock, ends up Kubrick. Nicely done, Mr. Scorsese. Nicely done.

• I've got to give credit where it's due. When it comes to economy and practicality, the old school movie vampires have it all over their modern brethren. Witness how all they required were two tiny puncture wounds to extract all the sustenance they needed, while the newer vamps damn near have to tear off their victims' heads to get a meal. Bad form, boys--leave that routine to the werewolves.

• Speaking of classic monsters, let me get this off my chest: I've never considered the Gill Man worthy of standing alongside Frank, Drac and the rest of the '30s/'40s crew. Creature from the Black Lagoon came a generation later, and is just not of the same quality as the stuff produced during the golden Universal era. Even the monster itself lacks the character and pathos of his predecessors. There, I've said it.

• As a Return of the Living Dead worshiper, a recent debate over at Final Girl got me thinking. Is ROTLD II worth my time, or is it really just a lame rehash of the original? I think it's time I re-evaluated.

• Just got a super-sweet copy of SFX's new horror one-shot magazine in the mail, so expect a full review in the next couple days. It came with lots of goodies, so also expect a giveaway at some point. I'll have more info in coming weeks on the Vault's Facebook page, so if you're not yet a fan, amend that, post-haste.

• Add to the list of guys I would kill to see play a big-time villain in a horror movie: Daniel Day-Lewis. The closest he's probably come has been Bill the Butcher in Gangs of New York. I know I, for one, would love to see what the finest working actor on Earth could accomplish in my favorite genre.

• This might be worthy of a poll or a Tuesday Top 10 at some point: Who do you think was the scariest classic Star Trek villain? Maybe the Gorn? The Horta? Redjack? The bald, seven-year-old Clint Howard?

• Mere days remain until the winners of the 2009 Cyber Horror Awards are announced. Best Film, Best Actor, Best Actress, all that good stuff. Keep your eyes glued to this spot and the awards website!

• Andre Dumas of The Horror Digest is wrapping up her impeccable month-long exploration of Black History Month with none other than Blacula, and I was honored to be able to contribute to the post, along with the likes of Horror Movie Empire and Chuck Norris Ate My Baby. Check it out here. And if that's not enough B-Sol contributor goodness for you...
  

• Did I ever tell you how much I love Bram Stoker's Dracula? If not, go read the new guest post I have up at Mermaid Heather's blog. While there, take a gander at the spiffy new banner I made for MH using my newly honed Picnik skills. BJ-C introduced me to this wonderful app (which I now use as part of my real job!) If anyone else should ever need a new banner, let me know--this thing is a blast to use.

• I don't usually mention this here, but I do also run a few others blogs in my ceaseless effort to eliminate spare time. Should the inclination strike you, you might want to check out:

Standard of the Day: A celebration of the classic era of American popular songwriting. Yeah... pretty much the exact opposite of this blog.
Lots of Pulp: More covers of classic pulp fiction magazines than you can shake a proverbial stick at.
Proof of a Benevolent God: My newest baby, a Tumblr blog basically cataloging all sorts of stuff that makes me smile.