All aboard! Take your seats please, ladies and gentlemen, for a ride of the Horror Express! This early seventies sci-fi horror features a familiar plot and a fine cast, so jump onboard and have your tickets ready…
It’s 1906, and British anthropologist/explorer Professor Saxton (Christopher Lee) is making his way back to Europe via the Trans Siberian Express from Shanghai to Moscow. Saxton has discovered the remains of an ancient missing link, frozen in the snow. A rival, Dr Wells (Peter Cushing) is also on the journey – and he’s curious just what Saxton has locked up in a huge wooden crate.
The humanoid begins to defrost and returns to life, escapes, and starts a murderous campaign aboard the train. The creature is a host for an extra-terrestrial intelligence, frozen for millions of years, but now keen to return to the stars. To accomplish this, the creature kills and absorbs the knowledge of it’s victims, taking on their appearance as well.
Wells, Saxton and other passengers deduce the nature of the creature’s plans, but can they destroy something that can assume the identity of its victims?
Horror Express is based on the novella Who Goes There? by John W Campbell, as was The Thing from Another World and of course, John Carpenter’s The Thing. Though not a patch on the later Carpenter film, Horror Express is a fascinating variation on the story, and manages to raise the tension capably. Telly Savalas is seen only fleetingly as a brutal Cossack, sadly, but the two leads are as dependable as ever.
A great film in it’s own right, and recommended for any fan who can’t get enough of Carpenter’s masterpiece.
You can’t go wrong with some good old fashioned Hammer Horror! Here we have Twins of Evil, the third and final part of Hammer’s Karnstein Trilogy, based on Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu. We’ve already viewed the preceding movies – The Vampire Lovers and Lust For A Vampire – during previous Halloween Horror Fests, so let’s finish off the series.
Mary and Madeleine Collinson play two identical twin sisters, who are sent to live with their uncle and aunt after they become orphaned. Uncle Gustav – played with menace by the one and only Peter Cushing – is a puritanical zealot, keen on burning local young women at the stake. Gusatv’s stern attitude alienates both sisters, but Frieda in particular is keen to break away. She falls in with local wicked aristocrat Count Karnstein (Damien Thomas), who has become a vampire through his dabbling in black magic.
Soon Frieda follows the Count’s descent into vampirism. Will the witch hunting Brotherhood be able to destroy this evil? Will anyone be able to tell good sister from bad?
Regular readers will know I’m a huge Hammer fan. Whilst Twins of Evil is, for me, the weakest of the Karnstein Trilogy, it’s still great. The witch hunting angle lends a new and particularly horrific edge here (sad to see Judy Matheson exit so quickly) and Cushing is formidable in this role. Vampires, sorcery and some cheeky decolletage tick all the necessary boxes, and despite a rushed (but gruesome) ending, this is another Hammer triumph.
Yes, I couldn’t resist! Lured in by the novelty value of a Winnie the Pooh themed horror movie, I decided to give this bizarre mutation a viewing. The rights for Pooh Bear and his friends form the Hundred Acre Wood entered into the public domain in the USA recently, and these enterprising (or “deranged”) film-making fiends decided to revamp things a bit. Quite a bit, actually.
Having been abandoned by Christopher Robin when he grows up and leaves the wood, the remaining cuddly chums degenerate into psychopathic killers. The now adult Christopher Robin, with his fiancée, returns to the site of his youthful adventures and soon comes a cropper when he encounters the now feral Pooh and Piglet.
Things get worse when a group of female students, whilst renting a holiday cabin in the woods, also meet the murderous Pooh and Piglet – and the inevitable carnage ensues.
And that’s all you need to know, if you needed to know anything at all. One by one the characters are slaughtered as per the expected slasher movie routine – with plenty of gore, screaming and running about. To be fair, there are a few plot twists and some novel killing methods, and the lighting and colours look great on screen.
But the obvious fact that Pooh and Piglet are just blokes in masks makes the film look like a cheap Texas Chainsaw Massacre knock off. Despite an original and crazy concept, we’ve seen it all before. One to watch purely for the novelty value, Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey comes to a sticky end.
A crack of lightning; the roll of thunder; rain lashing at the window. Night has fallen, and the cold air nags at your bones with a morbid persistence. The wind moans, but cannot hide the strange calls off in the mountains. The children of the night, what music they make… Come closer, friend. It is time once again for Halloween Horror Fest…
That’s right, kids – Halloween Horror Fest! Throughout the month of October, I watch as many films that are appropriately fearsome, frightening, or just pure fun! Here at the Virtual Hot Tub is where you can catch up on my mini reviews of each movie, and enjoy spooky season and all it’s macabre delights!
The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)
We’ll start this year with a gem from good old Universal. You really can’t beat these old black & white movies for sheer atmosphere and nostalgia. I’ve never seen The Ghost of Frankenstein before, so was keen to tick it off my list.
Following on from the previous film in the series, Son of Frankenstein (1939), we again meet Ygor (Bela Lugosi), who discovers and rescues his old friend The Monster. This time, Frankenstein’s creation is played by Lon Chaney Jr, rather than Karloff. The pair travel to a new town to locate the younger son of Frankenstein, Ludwig (Cedric Hardwicke), where Ygor blackmails the doctor into revitalising the creature. A plan is set in motion to replace the monster’s criminal brain with a “good” brain, but some have their own ambitions motivating them…
Plot wise, I could tell exactly where this movie was headed from the off – there are no real surprises. And the lack of Karloff as the monster made me somewhat wary. But Chaney Jr has a good crack at it, and the rest of the cast (including Lionel Atwill) keep proceedings on track. Moody sets, great soundtrack and an enjoyable (though somewhat obvious) storyline helped make this film another triumph for Universal.
There nearly wasn’t a Comic Con in Chester at all this year. Then suddenly, Monopoly Events swooped in and saved the day, in true caped crusader style. In the new guise of “Comic Con Mania” – which appears to be a series of smaller conventions across the country – the plans were back on.
With only a handful of celebrity guests and smaller space for merch stalls than some of the bigger cons, Chester was a refined affair. But I felt there was a good atmosphere, a sense of a local event that defied the odds and was determined to put on a good time.
Daughtertron and I decided to venture to Chester Racecourse and check things out. It had been two whole years since we last visited a convention in Chester – with this event happening right on our doorstep, it was a safe bet for an afternoon’s entertainment.
There were guests from Star Wars and Red Dwarf in attendance (and I really should’ve got an autograph from Mike Quinn, aka Nien Nunb in Return of the Jedi). But Daughtertron and I were happy exploring the stalls and finding some bargains to take home. I got a load of Marvel comic books. Now you’d think finding comics at a comic convention would be an easy task, but surprisingly I draw a blank at many cons.
Of course there were some fantastic costumes being worn by talented people, wandering all round the place. The Cosplay on view was really impressive as hopefully you can see from my photos here. Thanks to all of those who allowed me to take their photo, you’re very kind. I hope these pics do some justice to the time you’ve spent creating these outfits.
Comic Con Mania Chester was on a smaller scale than some of the bigger cons we’ve visited recently. Not surprising really, with another event happening not too far away in Aintree the next day – this may have impacted numbers and traders attending.
In my personal view, I had a fun few hours at Chester, it seemed well organised and it was a warm, friendly event. I’m looking forward to more in the future.
Whitby is a beautiful seaside town in North Yorkshire, England. Facing the North Sea, the port is surrounded by streets of old buildings and framed by the church of St. Mary and the ancient, ruined abbey, over looking all that sits below. It’s a lively and welcoming town that offers a wealth of history and a vibrant atmosphere.
One of several claims to fame that Whitby can boast is it’s enduring connection to the story of Dracula. The book’s writer, Bram Stoker, visited Whitby and was inspired by the local scenery and folklore in creating his novel and the infamous character. With the Count now deeply entrenched in popular culture, it’s often a surprise that his original site of landing in England was this Yorkshire fishing port.
Whitby Harbour
dav
dav
dav
dav
Of course, the Whitby Goth Weekends – which take place twice a year – celebrate the connection to the Lord of Vampires, but our trip wasn’t timed to coincide with those events. It was Mrs Platinum Al’s birthday trip to a place she’d wanted to visit for years, with or without Goths.
I’d been once before on a school trip in the early 1980s. Back then, the Dracula association wasn’t clear to me, though the memorial to explorer Captain James Cook was. Stoker’s Dracula is my favourite book, so that was the primary inspiration for both of us on this trip.
The town is full of old pubs, new yet stylish bars, cafes and bistros. We ate very well on our trip, particularly the fish & chips. The tantalising smell of fish & chips whilst exploring the streets was incredible – highly recommended to enjoy some on your visit. We ate in The Magpie, right on the harbour front, and the food was excellent.
There didn’t seem to be many big brand, typical high street shops. Instead, we found many small independent establishments, with lots of antique and curiosity shops that provided plenty of wonder. There were a handful of the usual seaside souvenir shops, plus several shops selling alternative/goth/rock gear of every imaginable variety. The Child was very impressed and spent a small fortune.
199 StepsGraveyard
The highlight of our Whitby trip was appreciating some of the local features that famously appear in Dracula. We walked up the 199 steps to the graveyard – not easy, but less exhausting than it sounds. Naturally (for any Dracula fan, at least) we had a look round the graveyard, and St. Mary’s church as well.
Although in ruins, the Abbey at the very top of the headland is an ominous sight: it’s easy to imagine Stoker being inspired by the view. It was dark and foreboding on the day we visited – which was entirely appropriate – but fascinating never the less. We were also able to pick up some brilliant merch in the giftshop!
One final attraction I’ll mention was the Dracula Experience, which has a kind of Haunted House/Ghost Train at the funfair feel. It was there I saw a cape once worn by the legendary Christopher Lee when he played the Vampire Count. Other than that, we practically ran through the entire attraction, driven by the fear of whatever lurked in the dark and may jump out at us. Great fun!
Our Whitby roadtrip was pretty much perfect, with something for everyone. From the quaint and historic views, to the great food and warm welcome, we all thoroughly enjoyed our visit and will definitely return. Goth weekend next, maybe?
Welcome to 2024! And welcome back to Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub – your number one blog for all things groove and hip.
As has become tradition, my first post of the year is always a look back at the previous year’s successes. What posts in 2023 were the most popular, in terms of views? What would you, loyal readers, like to see more of?
Here’s a countdown of the Top 10 blog posts. A few surprises this time around, I assure you…
Every October, I launch my Halloween Horror Fest. This involves watching lots of horror movies, and writing brief reviews of them. They rarely generate much traffic, but this years blog featuring Brides of Dracula and House of Usher has scraped into the Top 10.
In April, we said a sad goodbye to our family pet cat, Jenna. This blog was a short memorial piece actually written by my daughter, which quite a few readers appreciated.
Another post contributed by my daughter (I need to get her writing more), this piece declared her hatred of bugs. Some readers agreed, others didn’t – but plenty read it all the same.
I was surprised that this blog post performed so well! Focussing on details of my latest skateboard set-up, it was a bit niche – but the crowds flocked to it regardless.
Another skate related post, I was less surprised that this one did well. A revisit to my first ever skateboard, a plastic 1970s relic, that was brought back from extinction.
Comic Cons and similar events usually feature highly in these annual stats, though I attended few in 2023. This horror themed, Manchester based fest was memorable and provided some horrific photos.
I had to request a recount when I saw these results, just to be sure – but this blog about a small, local vintage car show stole top honours for this year. I was surprised, but happy that something different was so successful.
And there, faithful readers, you have it. A total of 48 posts were published in 2023, with these ten being the most successful. Some surprises indeed, but these are the the cold hard facts – and they can’t be denied!
Thank you to all who have participated in the success of Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub, by reading, sharing and liking the posts. I really appreciate your support.
As we stride on into the New Year, I’d like to wish you all the very best in health and happiness.
And don’t forget to keep visiting the Virtual Hot Tub – you wouldn’t want us to get lonely, would you?!
What’s For the Love of Horror all about, then? Well readers, it’s basically a Horror themed convention that takes in all manner of frightful pop culture, be it movies, television, comic books and everything else you can imagine. If you’ve been to a Comic Con – or read one of my previous blogs about the ones I’ve visited – then you’ll know what to expect.
Except of course, that For the Love of Horror really is concentrated on all things horrific!
As you’d expect, there are numerous actors to meet, have photos with or autographs from. And you can listen to their Q&A sessions, ask questions, and gain insight into the real world behind the fantasy.
There are dozens of stalls with traders selling wondrous merchandise, for all your spooky needs (whether for you or someone else). There are also props and set displays for cleverly placed photo ops.
Not forgetting the guests themselves, a large number of whom dress as their favourite genre characters (or clever interpretations of). Yes, the Cosplayers here at For the Love of Horror are truly amazing – check out the pics on this blog for evidence! Halloween outfits never go out of style here!
It was a family day out for us, and we arrived early at the exhibition centre to get straight in and crack on. After getting an idea of our surroundings, we were happy to explore and wander round the trade stalls for a start.
At the very first stall I visited on the day, I picked up a Vampira Reaction figure that I’d been hoping to find. Only just recently released in the USA, this was the first one I’d ever seen for sale in this country. Needless to say, I snapped Vampira up immediately. Not a bad start to the day, first stop and an item for the collection!
Mrs Platinum Al had booked to meet the one and only Chris Sarandon, alias Jack Skellington (amongst many other credits) and have a signed photo taken. Daughtertron accompanied her to meet Mr Sarandon, leaving me to take a few photos elsewhere.
We took some pics at the various set displays, including a Chucky box which I stood in – a kind couple let me borrow their life size Chucky doll for the photo!
The best display, however was The Lost Frog Comics – a replica of the Frog Brothers comic shop in The Lost Boys. The owner has meticulously curated a collection of comic books that appeared in the film, from stills and reference shots, utilising some amazing detective work. As a comic book collector I was fully geeked out, admiring all the titles on display. It’s an incredibly impressive labour of love that recreates one of my favourite scenes in the film.
Speaking of The Lost Boys, several of the cast were in attendance on the day, including Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Patric, Billy Wirth and Alex Winter. Did you hear me???! I said Alex Winter!!! Bill S Preston himself! Sorry, I know Bill isn’t a horror character, but come on. All three of us went up to get a signed photo from Alex, because you just have to do these things sometimes.
We also caught some Q&As where we could, including Brad and Fiona Dourif and Lou Diamond Phillips. All entertaining speakers, showing another side to their screen personas (often with hilarious results!).
There was plenty more shopping to be had – I picked up a Geeki Tiki mug in the shape of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark which I’d wanted forever. The family managed to go slightly crazy and blow the Christmas money on a range of freaky merch!
Of course the fantastic Cosplayers were the real stars of the show. My thanks to all the wonderful costumed people who let me take their photo for this blog – you’re all awesome! I’m not a professional photographer by any means, so my pics aren’t perfect – I’m just a fan who loves to see the creativity on display.
There was a quick visit to the outdoor fairground (in the spirit of the Santa Clara fair in The Lost Boys), and I had a cheeky pint in the bar upstairs, that’s themed after the Mos Eisley cantina in Star Wars. That was very cool. Eventually, it was time to make our way home, ull of the love of horror.
Our first Hammer Films production for Halloween Horror Fest 2023, and it’s a vampire classic. In this sequel to Hammer’s very successful Dracula, the titular Count doesn’t actually appear this time round – rather we’re thrust into the thick of vampire cults that still exist after Drac’s demise.
A young teacher, Marianne (Yvonne Monlaur) is on her way to her new position in a Transylvanian school when she finds herself abandoned in a small village. A local noble woman, Baroness Meinster, offers a place to stay for the night at her castle. There, Marianne meets the son of the Baroness, who is chained up as a prisoner. Marianne agrees to free the Baron, who is of course actually a vampire and takes his revenge on his mother.
Marianne flees, her memory hazy, and is helped by Doctor Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) when he finds her at the side of road. Van Helsing has been called to the area to investigate an outbreak of vampirism. Soon he, and Marianne, will encounter the Baron and his undead minions again…
Brides of Dracula is a fun escapade with plenty of chills and atmosphere, even with a substitute head vampire replacing Christopher Lee. The story is original but plays on all the standard folklore you’d expect, with Cushing fantastic in his role as the vampire slayer. It’s a nice effort from Hammer, to try and do something slighlty different with a sequel, and Peter Cushing keeps it all together brilliantly.
9/10
House of Usher (1960)
Purely by chance, another film from the same year. This version of the Edgar Allen Poe story, The Fall of the House of Usher, was the first in a series helmed by famed Director Roger Corman, most of which starred the legendary Vincent Price.
Philip Winthrop (Mark Damon) travels top meet his fiancée Madeline Usher (Myrna Fahey) at her home. The House of Usher is a gloomy, decrepit mansion and upon arrival, Madeline’s brother, Roderick (Price) initially refuses Winthrop and attempts to warn him away. The family Usher is cursed, he claims, and the line cannot be allowed to continue. Winthrop must help Madeline escape, he thinks – but is he too late?
It’s a long time since I read Poe’s original story, so I’ll let others decide how accurate an adaptation this is! Rather than worrying about that, simply revel in the wonderful sets and imagery, and allow Vincent Price to shine in this brilliant movie. House of Usher is a fantastically macabre Gothic tale with Corman and Price at their best.
It’s time for some more mini horror movie reviews, as the spooky month of October demands. Settle down, kids!
Scream 2 (1997)
We’ve covered the first Scream film a while back (2016, hot tub fans!) and eventually I’ve got round to watching the sequel. Unlike Scream, which I had seen before my Halloween Horror Fest review, I’d never bothered to watch Scream 2 till now.
Slasher movies ain’t really my bag, as I know I’ve mentioned before. Nor are “modern” films (OK, this is 25 years old, whatevs) or films about teenage Americans. Never the less, I’d enjoyed Scream and the second instalment has been on my watch list for a while.
Here the survivor from the first movie, Sidney (Neve Campbell) is now attending college when a spate of copy cat killings, inspired by the deeds of Ghostface in the previous film, start to occur. There follows a series of nasty murders and numerous twists and turns as the killer stalks and slays various characters. All the time, the audience is trying to guess the identity of the new Ghostface.
There’s nothing supernatural here, but there are plenty of jumps and surprises. Like the first film, this sequel attempts to play with the audiences expectations with numerous well observed references to other movies. Also like the first film, I found Scream 2 far more entertaining than I expected.
7.5/10
Renfield (2023)
Bang up to date now, with this 2023 movie starring Nicholas Hoult as the titular character, the familiar of Dracula. Yes, THE Dracula, played here with demonic glee by the one and only Nicholas Cage.
Here the trusted and sort-of immortal Renfield, the Count’s trusted servant, becomes dissatisfied with his lot – what with all the seeking victims and removing the gory evidence his life entails. Renfield joins a counselling group for people in abusive relationships, initially to stalk the abusers for Dracula’s prey. Eventually, the familiar decides to remove himself from his toxic existence, but not without resistance from his former master.
I was looking forward to seeing this movie, but sadly missed it in the cinema. The short time it ran in cinemas should have given me a clue as to whether it was any good…
What could have been a fresh look at the horror of the Dracula legend instead morphs into an action comedy, with guns and explosions and over the top fight scenes. It’s still an entertaining movie, but not what I hoped for at all. I hate dumb action movies and Renfield steers far too close to those waters.
Having said that, Cage is brilliant as the Lord of the Undead and I’d love to see more of him in this role.
Platinum Al's Virtual Hot Tub 