At The Movies with Bryan, the Wannabe Filmmaker

In the 1930s, Universal Studios was primarily known for its monster movies; the box office successes of Dracula and Frankenstein would kick start a new era of horror movies that lasted until 1936. Universal’s monster movies have left such an indelible mark on pop culture that it’s easy to over look that other horror movies the studio produced in the era; most notably the three movies based off the works of Edgar Allan Poe ( The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Black Cat, and The Raven) - with Bela Lugosi appearing in each one.   The three movies may not be up to par with the likes of Bride of Frankenstein, but they are fairly enjoyable and feature some of Lugosi’s best work.   In fact, The Raven may feature my favorite Bela Lugosi performance of all time.   It is far better showcase for Lugosi’s acting abilities than his most famous role, Count Dracula. If you have read the blog before, then you know that I am not a big fan of the 1931 Dracula.   It has its share of brillian

Edward D. Wood, Jr. is often regarded as the worst director in cinema history. He might have been destined for obscurity if it wasn’t for the 1980 book “The Golden Turkey Awards” by Harry and Michael Medved.   In their book, Wood was voted the “worst director of all time” and his magnum opus Plan 9 from Outer Space was voted “the worst movie of all time.” This brought Wood new found fame among bad movies aficionados, who eagerly sought out his body of work.   Wood was a fairly interesting character, not only was a bad movie auteur but also – a World War II vet (he survived one of the bloodiest battles in the South Pacific); a writer of lurid pulp novels; a pornographer (after his failed career in Hollywood he relegated himself into making hardcore porn); and a transvestite.   His pseudo-documentary Glen or Glenda is (rightfully) ridiculed for its sheer ineptitude, but it’s also one of the most personal movies ever committed to celluloid – it’s based on Wood’s own struggles to

If you were to ask most people in my age group (I’m 39) what their favorite era of Saturday Night Live was, they would probably answer the early 1990s.   It was an era that, arguably, rivaled the original cast in terms of comedic talent (Phil Hartman, Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, to name a few), many of whom went on the successful movie careers.    When Wayne’s World was released in 1992 it was not just a comedy – it was THE COMEDY! It was endlessly quoted in the classroom (“No way”) and practically everyone I knew owned a VHS copy of it.   A personal antidote:   My sister and I were once watching Wayne’s World on a Saturday, when she received a phone call from a friend ….who was also watching Wayne’s World and practically in sync with our viewing.   What can I say? I grew up in Port Washington, Wisconsin and there is very little to do there.  There are only two SNL skits that have been successfully adapted into full length movies, The Blues Brothe