November 30, 2009

The Boris Karloff Blogathon : The Day After

There’s still some tea left. Enough for another sip.

I still have a few late, lost, misplaced or last minute links to post, and really good ones, too, so let’s linger, shall we, and allow ourselves a few more minutes, perhaps a few hours still, in Boris’ gentle company.

Midday Update: Links still trickling in, another handful posted just now. I’ll be taking a bit of a break this evening and I’ll return with my wrap-up post tomorrow.

And do tell me if you’ve enjoyed your week with Boris. The comments section is yours to play with.


In an AWESOME contribution if there ever was one, Micha Michelle proposes an imaginary Things to Make and Do With Boris activity book!

Get out your construction paper, your glue sticks, ask Mom if you can use the scissors, and follow Micha’s easy, step-by-step instructions!

First up, Boris Karloff Finger Puppets! Micha even provides ready-made models with interchangeable heads. Just print, cut, stick your digits through the holes and make Boris dance!

Project Number Two is the No-Clothespin Theater. Cut out the characters, set them into a diorama, and you’ve got your Frankenstein Flaming Windmill playset! Again, there are readymade characters you can download. Just be sure to print out extra copies of the Disgruntled Villagers With Torches. You can never have too many Disgruntled Villagers With Torches.

Thanks, Micha, for an inspired, and insanely fun post! And thank you for helping me wrap up the Blogathon in great style!



Boris jabs with a needle, and Bela gets hypnotized. See a poster and some nice stills from Black Friday on Classic Movie Monsters.


Quick notes and an original trailer for The Body Snatcher (1945), on Panic on the 4th of July.


Karloff a go-go: Halloween Shindig 1965 is a blog entirely devoted to the search for the missing minutes of Boris performing Monster Mash on TV.


Writer John Rozum has posted some nice photos of Boris in various situations, and a set with makeup genius and friend Jack Pierce, including a rare 1939 color photo of Boris in Frankenstein Monster getup.


The Frankenstein Monster as family curse… A review of Son of Frankenstein (1969) by Joshua Reynolds, on Hunting Monsters. Also up on Joshua’s blog: Boris and Jack Nicholson square off in The Terror (1963). Click and watch the entire film.


As sure as his name was Boris Karloff… Thriller, on Need Coffee dot com.


My friend Tony Espinosa has Karloff images all over the place, if you’re willing to click and scroll around his blog, Draculand, and his tumbler, Vade retro me satana.


Paul Castiglia sneaks in a bonus Blogathon post, in praise of Mad Monster Party?, the puppet animation classic that had Boris, perfectly caricatured in three dimensions, as the host of a joyous monster getogether. You could say that Boris was sampled twice, first as Baron Boris von Frankenstein, voiced by Boris himself, and as Frankenstein’s Monster.

Reviewed on Scared Silly.




Boris goes around the bend and way over the top in The Lost Patrol, a pedal to the metal performance analyzed on Hell on Frisco Bay.


Bill Adcock was a busy contributor to the Blogathon. He wraps it up on Radiation-Scarred Reviews.




Superb, Boris-inspired art by J. Mendez and Jen Lobo, up on The Ladies and Gents Auxiliary. See It Comes to Life!


Billy Pratt was born in England, Karloff the Uncanny was born to movie stardom in the United States, but Boris Karloff was born in Canada. Kitty LeClaw posts Canada Loves Boris Karloff, on Killer Kittens From Beyond the Grave.


Karswell posts another Karloff-inspired Frankenstein comic book story by the great Dick Briefer, this one from the ‘funny monster” period, called How I Conquered a Terrible Plague! On The Horrors of It All.


Boris goes bowling for bullets in the original Scarface (1932), a scene highlighted, along with quotes from Targets director Peter Bogdanovich, in a fine Karloff tribute posted on The Sheila Variations. Read Shocked by Unkindness and Never Less Than Polite.


16 comments:

Caftan Woman said...

Enjoyed it?! I congratulate you on your commitment and unsurpassed hosting skills.

It has been thrilling, delightful and educational to observe and be part of the Borislove.

The world ain't such a bad place when such an event can happen.

Martin Powell said...

It's been like a dream come true...as if Boris was still with us, alive again. In my heart--and obviously in those of many, many others--indeed he is. Thanks so much for this wonderful Thanksgiving gift to all Karloff fans.

Max the drunken severed head said...

Too tired to say more than, "Full marks!"

Arbogast said...

The response was overwhelming, and not just from the accumulated information and insight... but from the love.

filo said...

it was a great week ! thanks pierre for hosting all of us in the same love for boris !

Josh Reynolds said...

I'm in complete agreement with everyone. That was a great week, and I look forward to digging through all the links I haven't gotten to yet!

Michael Jones said...

This was an incredible week indeed. That I was able to contribute in some way was a great honour to one of the Masters of the Macabre.
If you have another blogathon for anything, I'll be there!

Steve Miller said...

I learned new things, I discovered blogs that I'm now going to be checking on a regular basis... this was a great event! Thanks for organizing and managing it, and thanks for letting me particpate.

Diane said...

you did a terrific job hosting! it was a good time!!!!

Bill said...

Posted my own little wrap-up at Radiation-Scarred Reviews: http://radiation-scarred-reviews.blogspot.com/2009/11/looking-back.html

Thank you so much, Pierre, for making this possible.

Anonymous said...

What? It's over? So soon??? Three cheers to Pierre who did such an excellent job! A good time was had by all.

Boooooooo-st Witches!
Patty (coffehomeground aka this woman's work tww)

Mr. Karswell said...

Kudos again for an overwhelming week of amazing posts. It all flew by so fast, so how about a "Karloff Month" next time?

Did you just faint?

senski said...

Just echoing what everyone else has said, Pierre - hats off to you for the idea and for executing it with such style and wit. What a joy it was to be a part of such august blogging company!

But now you really must get to work on that heartwarming holiday classic-to-be, "A Cup of Karloff Tea."

David Lee Ingersoll said...

Three cheers!

Paul Castiglia said...

Pierre,

I cannot thank you enough - not just for the opportunity, but also for your constant personal encouragement in our email communiques as well as the many kind words you wrote about my posts. I am truly appreciative! :)

Paul Castiglia
SCARED SILLY
http://scaredsillybypaulcastiglia.blogspot.com

Rick said...

Incredible, Pierre, just incredible. I spent an ungodly amount of time reading dozens of blogs and had a great time doing it. Thanks so much to all the participants for all their terrific work. And extra special thanks to you, Pierre, for a spectacular treat, an utter success, and a great tribute to the great man. Thanks again, and congratulations.