Art Post: Mighty Morphing Music Rangers-Blue Blues

Finishing up the art for this year (Pro Wrestling Chapter 2 will continue but at the moment it looks it will be after the holidays) we continue our look at the Mighty Morphing Music Rangers. Since the Red Ranger went the reggae route, the Blue Ranger seemed a bit obvious.

Art by Sam Flegal

Patricia Alice Albrecht, RIP

Just got the email a few hours ago. Patricia Alice Albrecht passed away December 25, 2019.

You may not recall her name, but if you grew up in the 80's odds are good you remember her from Jem and the Holograms where she played the main villain Pizzazz to utter perfection.

Albrecht may not have had the longest career when compared to her contemporaries, but she more than made up for it with the quality of her work.

She was also the first people we interviewed in person. Her interview was a delight and she showed a saintly amount of patience for a couple of dudes with a tape recorder. She also played along when she agreed to a phone interview with us and Elsa Hansen (of Maven of the Eventide fame) for a bit that we tried to make work, involving dueling Pizzazzs. The fact that the bit was as usable as it was speaks highly both performer's skills.

She was living in Nashville where she worked in poetry. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to her favorite charity Free for Life.

Art Post: Mighty Morphing Music Rangers-Red Reggae

While we wait for the last two pages of Pro Wrestling the Comic lets take a look at a silly series.

Mighty Morphing Music Rangers!

A silly idea that sprung upon me suddenly and thus was born the Red Reggae Ranger.

Art by Sam Flegal 

Merry Christmas!

Enjoying a fine day of holiday specials and endless variations on Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

More work will be appearing here in the upcoming year. Be sure to check in February for our 4th Annual Bring on the Bad Guys. We'll be taking a look at the Golden Age Green Lantern, a surprise for this summer with our Summer of Love(craft) and of course more horror and horror hosts during October.

Art Post: Star Falls

From Chris Wharton

I fell into Gravity Falls by accident but I found myself engaged with the mystery and humor. Star VS the Forces of Evil was ok, but I was struck by the idea of the two main characters having a moment. 

Pro Wrestling: The Comic Chapter 2, part 3

Art by Frank Salinas

Freddy vs. Jason (2003)

Freddy vs. Jason (2003) dir. Ronny Yu, New Line Cinema/Crystal Lake Entertainment

This is it. For most people in my generation this would be our King Kong vs Godzilla or Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman. Teased at the end of Jason Goes to Hell, we had to go to space first before we finally got to see the Momma's Boy take on the Springwood Slasher.

Art Post-Bible John Pettigrew

While we're waiting for Pro Wrestling Chapter 2, I ventured down into the vaults of my crackerbox palace and low I found a gem.

I met artist Val Mayerik in Cross Plains during a celebration of author Robert E. Howard.

I had a vision of noted actor Peter Cushing as a Wild West gunslinger. So why not combine the two?

The character strolled through dusty streets, a gun on his hip and a bible in his hand. Who is the man called Bible John?

Art by Val Mayerik

Art post: Ragnar the Warrior

Well I hoped to have the next page of Pro Wrestling: The Comic ready, but 'twas not meant to be today.

So what to do?

I was scrolling through the 'net, as one does, and I found a toyline that I had never heard of before. Dragonriders of the Styx was a short lived line made by DFC around the early 80's.


No plot, but the characters had names at least. The idea is you would come up with the whole 'good guy/bad guy' ideal. So here's Ragnar the Warrior. Is he a hero, villain? You choose!

Art by Andrew Herman

Pro Wrestling: The Comic Chapter 2, part 2

Art by Frank Salinas
Story/words by me

Pro Wrestling: The Comic Chapter 2

For those who came in late, last year I put up a small comic based on the old NES game Pro Wrestling. So, since sequels are all the rage why not a follow up?

Art by Frank Salinas (as before)
Words/Script by Me

Updates and upcoming attractions

While we gear for a holiday season and stuffing ourselves with turkey and the like, I'd take a moment to talk about the rest of the year.

If you recall, last December there was a special showing of art every Friday that month. Since I wasn't run out of town, I figured we'll have a repeat but in true sequel fashion it will be bigger.

Yes, there will be an art update every Thursday and Friday this December. The second chapter of Pro Wrestling will be released (at least what I have so far) along with a whole host of goodies. Will it be a random sampling or work from one particular set? Who knows, you'll have to tune in next month and find out!

Star Trek: The Next Generation, the return

Last year I did a take where I did my version of Star Trek: The Next Generation. I covered pretty much everything I would have changed about it save for one character:

Guinan

Again, we get more detail in the various novels, etc., but on the show we know she's old. She's met Q, the Borg and generally seems to know what's going on, but how would I handle her?

A few ideas really.

1). "That little shop that wasn't there yesterday..."

We'd have Picard in a the Holodeck, having some R&R in a Dixon Hill sim when he rounds the corner and sees a speakeasy. One that clearly doesn't appear in that chapter. Entering, he sees Guinan tending bar. She gives him, Picard that is, advice relating to the episode. When he leaves the speakeasy's now the diner it was supposed to be.

From there she meets other characters. Sometimes on the Holodeck, sometimes on whatever planet the crew is on. We'd get even fewer bits of her past (although we see her in 19th Century San Francisco and the 23rd Century providing more bits).

2). Could be straight forward

Explain her race, maybe have an episode or two devoted to it. She comes from a race of listeners (not empaths) but Guinan has also been around. Heck, maybe have her tell some of her earlier adventures. Maybe have her working alongside Captains April or Pike?

If (going with Jesse's idea of Troi being a Section 31 agent), Guinan would serve more as the crew's friendly ear.

Shanghai Surprise, or why I should never have access to a time machine

I hope everyone had a decent holiday, but as the dead slink back to their graves, I found another fixation. Having caught the '86 bomb Shanghai Surprise on one of the lower tier channels, I was inspired.

Horror 2019 Countdown: Day of the Dead (1985)

Day of the Dead (1985) dir. George Romero, Dead Films, Inc./Laurel Entertainment Inc./Laurel-Day Inc.

And now, as the winter draws closer and the year is nearing the end, we take one last look at the Horror Countdown for this year 2019. How has the world fared since 1978's Dawn of the Dead?

Horror 2019 Countdown: The Fly (1986)

The Fly (1986) dir. David Cronenberg, Brooksfilms/SLM Production Group

Keeping with the 80's theme of remaking older horror films, how would the master of body horror handle the story of a guy turning into an insect?

Horror 2019 Countdown: Invaders from Mars (1986)

Invaders from Mars (1986) dir. Tobe Hooper, Cannon Pictures

While other directors found their stars rising, Hooper seemed to be at best staying place. He was still working Cannon Pictures at this point. So why not tackle another B-movie classic?

Horror 2019 Countdown: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) dir. Wes Craven, New Line Cinema/Media Home Entertainment/Smart Egg Pictures

We've tackled almost all the films in this series, so why not take a look at the first one? By now Craven had been known for a few hits and a lot of TV flicks. How could he capture the public's attention this time?

Horror 2019 Countdown: Starman (1984)

Starman (1984) dir. John Carpenter,  Columbia Pictures/Industrial Light & Magic/Delphi II Productions

By now John Carpenter was more or less mainstream and working with the big studios. He had done horror but how would he handle science fiction? And not a comedic take like Dark Star, either.

Horror 2019 Countdown: Matinee (1993)

Matinee (1993) dir. Joe Dante, Universal Pictures/Renfield Productions/Falcon Productions

We've seen Joe Dante pay tribute to the classic monsters and movies of his youth, but here might have been his first serious misstep. Does that mean it's a bad film?

Horror 2019 Countdown: The Saga of the Viking Women...(1957)

The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyages to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent (1957) dir. Roger Corman, Malibu Productions

This is both the longest title we've ever had and also the last Corman film from 1957. More sword and sandal, but a sea serpent counts as a monster, right? Even though the film is as padded as the title.

Horror 2019 Countdown: Zotz! (1962)

Zotz! (1962) dir. William Castle, William Castle Productions/Columbia Pictures

Moving back into the family friendly comedy this time, as well as cutting back on the gimmicks, Castle's Zotz! didn't have the most lasting impact on popular culture and isn't even considered Castle's biggest or best film.

Horror 2019 Countdown: Rebecca (1940)

Rebecca (1940) dir. Alfred Hitchcock, Selznick International Pictures

Moving into the director portion for our playlist, we begin things again with Alfred Hitchcock's American debut.

Horror 2019 Countdown: The Return of the Vampire (1943)

The Return of the Vampire (1943) dir. Lew Landers, Columbia Pictures

So we end our look back at vampires. Not a Dracula film, but we do have Bela Lugosi. Lugosi only played Dracula a few times and other vampires even fewer, yet somehow he became THE vampire in pop culture.

Horror 2019 Countdown: Dracula (1968)

"Dracula." Mystery and Imagination. ITV, 18 Nov. 1968


Moving into our final Dracula story, we have one of the more obscure takes.

Horror 2019 Countdown: Mark of the Vampire (1935)

Mark of the Vampire (1935) dir. Tod Browning, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Considering the success of 1931's Dracula, you would think there would have been more attempts to cash in on the film. There was also an earlier vampire film, 1927's London After Midnight (also directed by Browning but largely lost, so I skipped it in these reviews). What do these two have in common?

Horror 2019 Countdown: Billy the Kid Versus Dracula (1966)

Billy the Kid Versus Dracula (1966) dir. William Beaudine, Circle Productions

Moving back into Dracula proper, this time we have John Carradine returning to the role one last time and at the hands of William "One-Shot" Beaudine. What could go wrong?

Horror 2019 Countdown: The Vampire Bat (1933)

The Vampire Bat (1933) dir. Frank R. Strayer, Larry Darmour Productions

The act of scooping other pictures isn't new now and wasn't back in the old days either. If studio A has a flick due out about an asteroid, you can bet studio B will get one out a week before. So, when A-list studio Warner Bros. has a film in the can featuring Lionel Atwill and Fay Wray, you can bet solid B-list studio Majestic would scoop them first with a film using the same leads.

Horror Host 2019 Retorspective: Misty Brew

Real name: Catherine Brewton
Years active: 1988-1989


So we end our look at horror hosts, not just in Alabama but also for this year. The Misty Brew featured here wasn't the first one under that but rather the third.

Hosting Shock Theater on WDBB Channel 17 out of Bessemer, Misty certainly seemed similar to the other Misty Brews and clearly owed a bit towards Elvira and Vampira.

Sadly all the footage I found was for the first one.

Somewhat of a let down but sometimes that's all you have to work with.

Horror 2019 Countdown: The Return of Dracula (1958)

The Return of Dracula (1958) dir. Paul Landres, Gramercy Pictures

1958 was a big year for horror, as when we first started this feature we saw Christopher Lee first play the Count and kick off Hammer as the new player in horror. Over in America, this was released to drive-ins.

Horror Host 2019 Retrospective: Sterling Brewer

Real name: Sterling Brewer
Years active: 1958-1960


Moving east towards Alabama, we take a look at the first host of the Yellowhammer State. Sterling Brewer hosted the Unknown on Birmingham's WAPI Channel 13. Brewer appeared under his own name but the costume was a short of black ghost get up with a flickering candle by him.

Brewer would later gain more fame on local radio and even covered pro wrestling for a time, but he did leave his mark on viewers.

Brewer passed away in 2016.

Horror 2019 Countdown: Vampyr (1932)

Vampyr (1932) dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer, Carl Theodor Dreyer-Filmproduktion/Tobis-Filmkunst

Still taking a look at vampires, but now we'll take a look at other vampires besides the good Count. Vampyr funny enough almost became the first sound vampire film, losing out only to the first Dracula. The film itself is almost silent though, given that it was a Franco-German production and released in three languages.

Horror Hosts 2019 Retrospective: Victor Ives and Jimmy Hollister

Real names: Victor Ives and Jimmy Hollister
Years active: 1973-1974, 1987


We're nearing the end, both on horror hosts and the hosts of Oregon. Victor Ives and Jimmy Hollister hosted Sinister Cinema on Portland's KATU Channel 2. The show only lasted a year, with a reunion special in '87.

Ives played a vampire while Hollister dressed and acted like an Igor.

I've been unable to find any footage of the duo, but Mr. Hollister passed away in 2005.

Horror 2019 Countdown: Drakula istanbul'da (1953)

Drakula istanbul'da (1953) dir. Mehmet Muhtar, And Films

We've gone past the Universal, Hammer, and the bloody slashers. In the past I've taken the time to look at either famous horror actors or characters. This year I'll be taking a look at both Count Dracula and vampires in general.

Horror Host 2019 Retrospective: Tarantula Ghoul

Real name: Suzanne Waldron
Years active: 1957 to 1959

Moving into the Beaver State, we'll take a look at the hosts of Oregon, and who better than the first in the state?

By the late 50's, Vampira was a sensation that was sweeping the nation, or at least the West Coast. In Portland, on KPTV Channel 12, fans would tune in on Wednesday night to see House of Horror and the slinky host with the most.

Much like her fellows, she even released a few 45s but sadly she was fired by the station for "violating their moral contracts"

She passed away in 1982.

Horror 2019 Coutndown: Howling: New Moon Rising (1995)

Howling: New Moon Rising (1995) dir. Clive Turner, Allied Entertainment

I take it back, this might be the dumbest film I've reviewed this month. After the halfway decent turn in part 6, why not keep the streak alive and go back to being terrible?

Horror Host 2019 Retrospective: Professor Kinema

Real name: Jim Knusch
Years active: 1994 to present


Here's the last host of the Empire State, Professor Kinema is a fellow after my own black heart. Hosting Professor Kinema out of Wainscot, Long Island, the good professor's show takes a more scholarly take rather than jokes.

The good professor also collects information on other horror hosts and actually consulted on what might be the first tome about the profession. 68 Vampires, Mad Scientists, and Other Denizens of the Late-Night Airwaves Examined and Interviewed by Elena Watson. Worth a read if you've the time.

Horror Countdown 2019: Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013)

Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013) dir. John Luessenhop, Millennium Films/Mainline Pictures

We've seen reboots and sequels, so much like the Halloween series before it, the new Texas Chainsaw folks decided to go in a different direction, ignoring most of the preceding flicks.

Horror Host 2019 Retrospective: Off Beat Cinema

Real names: Constance Caldwell, Jeffery Robots, and others
Years active: 1993 to present


One of the few hosting show out of New York to still be on the air, Off Beat Cinema first broadcast out of WKBW before switching to WBBZ out of Buffalo. It's currently syndicated across the country on Retro TV.

Three beatniks would host and make comments on the films showing. There was a rotating cast, but the three main leads were:

Maxwell Truth ("Airborne" Eddy Dobosiewicz) until 2015
Oscar Wild (Matthew Bauer) until 1995
Bird (Anthony Billoni) current
Zelda (Caldwell) current
Theodore (Roberts) current

their website

Horror 2019 Countdown: Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later (1998)

Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later (1998) dir. Steve Miner, Dimension Films/Nightfall Productions/Trancas International

After the confusion of part 6, it was decided to get back to basics and this is really the start of jumbled mess of the Halloween timelines.

Horror Host 2019 Retrospective: Vlad, Creighton and the Invisible Man

Real names: Kevin Novotny, Kevin Rice, and ???
Years active: 2001 until ???


Most sources I've seen say the show Ghoul a Go-Go is still active but their website has gone the way of GeoCities. Airing out of the Hamptons (LTV Channel 70 seems to be their first station, out of East Hampton), the show is less a focus on horror films and more a parody of the 60's afternoon dance parties. They did host some dubbed Mexican horror/wrestling videos for Something Weird Video back in 2003, so they count as hosts.

From what I've seen, they come across less parody and more a tribute to the kind of nutty hosts you'd see on the afternoon and the music is pretty cool.

Horror 2019 Countdown: Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994)

Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) dir. Wes Craven, New Line Cinema

Given we saw Freddy Kruger (Robert Englund) being blown up by his daughter, how exactly would New Line bring him back? And could he be scary again? After seeing him off a stoner with the Power Glove, audiences might not be so accepting...

Horror Host 2019 Retrospetive: Gregory the Graveyard Walker

Real name: ???
Years active: 1970-1977


Hosting Frightening Flickers on WHEC Channel 10 out of Rochester, the unseen Gregory was the ghost host with the most, as he was never seen and so far I've seen no info on who provided the voice.

Horror 2019 Countdown: Fear in the Night (1972)

Fear in the Night (1972) dir. Jimmy Sangster, Hammer Films

We're at the end, both of our Hammer lookback and one of the last films Hammer released before the doors closed (at least for the first time).

Horror Host 2019 Retrospective: Dr. E. Nick Witty

Real name: Alan Milair
Years active: 1964 to 1985


A longer lasting host, the good doctor was the host of Monster Movie Matinee in Syracuse on WSYR Channel 3.

Unlike many hosts, Dr. Witty didn't appear on camera directly. No, all the viewers at home spotted was a white sleeve, long fingernails and some fancy rings. The sidekick Epal (Bill Everett) got more screen time.


He passed away in 2004.

Horror 2019 Countdown: The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959)

The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959) dir. Terrence Fisher, Hammer Film Productions

Moving into the science fiction portion of Hammer, we see an early work with Fisher again taking the helm alongside Christopher Lee.

Horror Host 2019 Retrospective: The Creep

Real name: Lou Steele
Years active: 1969-1973



The host of a real triple feature on WNEW-TV Channel 5, Steel hosted Creature Feature (first show), Son of Creature Feature (second), and Revenge of Creature Feature (third). He was also the voice who coined the phrase "It's ten o'clock, do you know where your children are?"


Despite the name, all Steele needed was an oversized sunglass and some harsh lighting.

He passed away in 2001.

Horror 2019 Countdown: The Gorgon (1964)

The Gorgon (1964) dir. Terrence Fisher, Hammer Film Productions

Moving into the Gothic portion of Hammer's work, the Gorgon had the Big Three of Fisher, Christopher Lee, and Peter Cushing, yet it is often regulated to the c-bin of Hammer's offerings.

Horror Host 2019 Retrospective: Barry and Pat

Real names: Barry Kibrick and Pat Mulligan
Years active: 1987


Hosting Snicker Theater on WNBC Channel 4 out of New York City, Barry and Pat at a glance are anything you might see on a college TV station or UHF channel. Low rent set, just two guys goofing on a movies (a proto Wayne's World, if you will) and almost no budget.

I suppose the biggest surprise here is the channel. Nearly every host I've looked at hosted/worked for the station and stations were regional. But here? WNBC, the flagship for the entire National Broadcasting Company? Setting the bar rather high and from what I've read of it looked like something you'd catch in the boonies.

Horror 2019 Countdown: Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell (1974)

Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974) dir. Terrence Fisher, Hammer Film Productions

So we come to the end of Hammer's Frankenstein series, and who better to handle it than the man who directed the first one, Terrence Fisher?

Horror Host 2019 Retrospective: Baron Daemon

Real name: Mike Price
Years active: 1962 to 1967


Hailing from Syracuse, the good Baron hosted the Baron and His Buddies on WNYS-TV Channel 9. The most notable I thing I could find about him would be the show was a weekday event, as most hosts tended to be on late night or the weekend.

Horror 2019 Countdown: Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)

Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972) dir. Alan Gibson, Hammer Film Productions

Moving into our Hammer lookback, the end was near for the Dracula series. Scars ended with Dracula being struck by lighting and falling off his castle. How would they get Lee and the Count back for this one?

Horror Host 2019 Retrospective: Adam Keefe

Real name: Adam Keefe
Years active: 1963-1969

Moving into the Empire State for this go round, we see Adam Keefe, a vampire who hosted Fright Night Theatre out of Buffalo on WKBW-TV Channel 7.

He seemed to be a vampire, often playing off a Frankenstein Monster dummy. Like many hosts, he showcased the Universal films, but also showed lesser known flicks including Mexican Luchador films too.

Mr. Keefe passed away in 1994.

Horror 2019 Countdown: The Mummy (1999)

The Mummy (1999) dir. Stephan Sommers, Alphaville Films

Moving closer to the end of the Twentieth Century, this tale of undead Egyptians isn't technically a Universal film, although they did distribute it.

Horror Host 2019 Retrospective: Professor Gideon

Real name: Jim Petersmith
Years active: 1979

The most recent host in Iowa and also the shortest on the air. The good professor hosted Shock Theatre on KGAN Channel 2 in Cedar Rapids.

No idea what the man looked like, but his end came in a properly shocking way. He apparently put a prop cat in a microwave and the local audience was not amused.

Horror 2019 Countdown: Abbot and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)

Abbot and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949), dir. Charles Barton, Universal-International Pictures

And we're ending our look back at the Universal series with this entry. By now Universal had regulated the main monsters strictly to the comedy bin. Bud and Lou had a hit when they met Frankenstein, so a horror sequel was quickly turned out.

Horror Host 2019 Retrospective: Malcolm the Butler

Real name: Ed Weiss
Years active: Late 1950's to mid-1970's

Malcolm the Butler, along with the Duke of Desmodas (Jim Varnum), hosted Gravesend Manor (and later Son of Gravesend Manor) on WOI-TV Channel 5 in Ames/Des Moines.

It looks like a pretty typical setup, although points for Malcolm being a regular butler instead of a vampire or ghoul.

Horror 2019 Countdown: House of Dracula (1945)

House of Dracula (1945) dir. Erle C. Kenton, Universal Pictures

This would be considered the last Universal Horror film, or at least the last serious one to feature the classic monsters.

Horror Host 2019 Retrospective: Dr. Morbius

Real name: Bruce Gant
Years active: 1986-1988

One of the later hosts from Iowa, Dr. Morbius hosted Saturday Nightmare on KCRG Channel 9 in Cedar Rapids. A stand up comedian, teacher, and police officer, Gant donned the cape of the good doctor, even releasing a rap album. From what little I've seen, Morbius seemed almost like Count Floyd from SCTV, what with the accent and random howls.


Gant passed away in 2013.

Horror 2019 Countdown: Horror Island (1941)

Horror Island (1941) dir. George Waggner, Universal Pictures

Moving into the Universal Pictures portion of our series, we see George Waggner's first foray into horror.

Horror Host 2019 Retrospective: The Mad Man

Real name: ?
Years active: 1950's

Moving back into the hosts of horror and like previously we'll take on multiple states. This time out we'll be taking a look at the Midwestern Hawkeye State, Iowa. 

This time we'll take a look at one of the first hosts in Iowa, the Mad Man. Sadly he is also one of the lost hosts, as besides the name all I have is a vague 'he was in Des Moines' but no idea of the station or even the name of the show. 

Horror 2019 Countdown: The Son of Dr. Jekyll (1951)

The Son of Dr. Jekyll (1951) dir. Seymour Friedman, Columbia Pictures

Welcome back boils and ghouls, your friendly host with the most is back from the dead to deliver yucks and mucks aplenty this year, so without any further adieu...

Jason X (2001)

Jason X (2001) dir. Jason Isaac, Crystal Lake Entertainment/Friday X Productions

Friday the 13th has once again come around and there's still nekked teens to slash. When we last saw our hockey enthusiast horror icon, he was being dragged down to Hell, where a certain begloved icon from another series was waiting. Well, it would be a few years before we got an answer to that, so let's go to space.

Why not? It worked for Leprechaun 4, right?

The Dunwich Horror (2009)

The Dunwich Horror (2009) dir. Leigh Scott, Active Entertainment Finance/Bullet Films/FIWI Entertainment


 And so we come to an end of another Summer of Love(craft) with a remake of the Dunwich Horror.

Flash Gordon 3: or Why I Don't Write for a Living

Assuming Flash Gordon 2 made some bank, how would I end the trilogy?

Re-write the Book: Max Moon

A minor one here, but sometimes a challenge can be worthwhile.

Re-write the book: Ludvig Borga

While things rot apart around me and help seems more distant than ever, why not take a look at a WWF midcarder and see what I would have done differently?

Shark Week: Great White (1981)

Great White (1981) dir. Enzo G. Castellari, Uti Productions/Horizon Productions

And we end Shark Week on a Jaws rip-off so blatant Universal got it pulled from theaters.

Shark Week: Tintorera (1977)

Tintorera (1977) dir. Rene Cardona, Jr., Conacine/Hemdale

Moving into the cash ins, this one might be the most NSFW film featured here.

Shark Week: Mako: The Jaws of Death (1976)

Mako: The Jaws of Death (1976) dir. William Grefe, Mako Associates/Universal Majestic Inc.

 We have here what might be the first Jaws cash-in.

Shark Week: Jaws: The Revenge (1987)

Jaws: The Revenge (1987) dir. Joseph Sargent, Universal Pictures

While Shark Week will go on for a few more days, this is the end of Universal's Jaws series. We saw the magnificence of Spielberg, the mediocrity of part 2, and the moronic in three dimensions. How would part 4 handle the saga of the Brody clan?

Shark Week: Jaws 3-D (1983)

Jaws 3-D (1983). Dir. Joe Alves, Alan Lansburg Productions/MCA Theatricals/Universal Pictures

What began as Jaws 3, People 0 (vetoed by none other than Steven Spielberg himself) and quickly changed to cash in on the 3D craze that briefly took over cinemas in the early 80's we have...a film that has a shark at least.

Shark Week: Jaws 2 (1978)

Jaws 2 (1978) dir. Jeannot Szwarc, Zanuck/Brown Company/Universal Pictures

When Jaws hit the big screen, things changed. Prior to that, the summer was considered the dumping ground for bad movies, a rest stop before the endless tours of the drive-in circuit. Jaws blew everything out of the water. So, with the receipts in a sequel made sense.

Shark Week: Jaws (1975)

Jaws (1975) dir. Steven Spielberg, Zanuck/Brown Company/ Universal Pictures


Far be it from me to ignore a trend, and with today being the first official day of Shark Week, why not celebrate with a week of shark films? And why not start things off with arguably the first killer shark film? Or at least the most influential.