Ghoulish Grin Films

 Back in the heyday of mom and pop VHS video store rentals, I used to pick up a lot of videos based on the classic monsters (Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, and so on).  One day as I was searching through titles with my parents in the new releases area and I in the horror area, (and proud of it!) I came across a version of "The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" that I was unfamiliar here with in The States. It was a Canadian-American made for television adaptation. This was my first bit of exposure to the late, great Jack Palance.   Not only did I get a riveting (and in my opinion underrated) version of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic, but a splendid performance from Mr. Palance. It was also a joy to know he was one of a handful of actors to have played the iconic bloodsucker Dracula. For many of the younger generation (if they even know him at all), he's the old man that accepted a Best Supporting Actor Oscar doing one-handed push-ups. Truly a bizarre disp

 Born on February 10th 1906, Creighton Tull Chaney was the son of screen legend Lon Chaney Sr. and Frances Cleveland Creighton Chaney. Having lived in various homes as the result of his parents troubled marriage, he eventually rejoined his father when his life became stable. Chaney Jr. maintained that his childhood was tough. Understandable, with this early struggle with family and the early choices to avoid the shadow of his larger than life father.  After his fathers death in 1930 he began to act, first under is born name, then under his stage name. His early work included small roles and even stunt work. He had steady acting jobs under 20th Century Fox in various roles, including Lennie in the United Artists 1939 John Steinbeck adaptation "Of Mice And Men." It wasn't until he was given the role of Larry Talbot in the Universal Studios Monster blockbuster "The Wolf Man" that he became the star that we all remember today. Unfortunately this resulted in his type

 In 1983 I saw (what I thought was at the time the end of The Skywalker Saga) "Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi" in theaters and my life was changed forever. However, an actor that I would later come to respect and love was in this film...and I didn't know it.  To be fair, no one would have known little Warwick Davis in an Ewok suit, even if he was famous. He was originally meant to be an extra in the film, but when Star Wars icon and R2D2 actor Kenny Baker fell ill, George Lucas hand picked Warwick to be the great Ewok Wicket, seeing how he carried himself as an Ewok. Thus his great career as a fan favorite was born. He would later reprise the roll of Wicket in the television films "Caravan Of Courage: An Ewok Adventure" and "Ewoks: The Battle for Endor." Five years later he would appear in one of my all-time favorite '80's fantasy films "Willow." I absolutely loved this film, having been a fan of circles & rings, dragons

 I am a Bicentennial kid, born in 1976. And as a member of Generation X, I always felt like I had one foot in the past and one foot in the future. I would grow up adopting new technologies as they would be released to the public, but also would be exposed to classic television syndication and classic music through local radio stations like K-Earth 101 in Los Angeles.  Some of my fondest trips with the family would include being in traffic headed to L.A. or Anaheim and listening to an amazing collection of Rock & Roll icons. With those 'golden oldies' stations I would listen to legends like Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Fats Domino, The Righteous Brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly (I would listen to him quite a bit with my cousin Matt), and all the greats of Motown. But it would be in 1987 that I would realize that my own identity would be reflected in this music that I originally thought wasn't. This was when "La Bamba," the biopic based on the life and t

 Happy Groundhog Day! It seems as if we're ALL the groundhog these days, but here's to better days...when we can all enjoy the sun as one and greet each other with a hug and a conversation. I believe it will happen, so hang in there.  11 more months of 2021 but maybe soon our days of hibernating in our holes will end. Maybe sooner than later.