Film & TV Challenge

Myself & Malcolm McDowell.  Can you name the three films he played Mick Travis in?

I've always been a big film & TV fan, with eccentric tastes.  My favorites tend to be British and often in the genres of sci-fi or fantasy.  Have I seen such main stream faire as E.T. or Downtown Abbey?  Nope, and I don't plan to soon.  But if you're up for a discussion of German silent films or TV super hero adaptions, I'm there. 
Here's a few question off the top of my head (or the depths of my mind) to test your film/TV knowledge. There's no award for high scores, other then the knowledge that you've seen some pretty cool shows/films and have a good memory! 

1. Which actor has not played Dracula?
A. Bela Lugosi     B. Boris Karloff     C. Christopher Lee    

2. The only Hammer film featuring a wolfman starred which actor?
A. Christopher Lee     B. Peter Cushing     C. Oliver Reed    

3. Which historical figure has David Bowie not portrayed in film?
A. Andy Warhol     B. Pontious Pilate     C. Jack the Ripper     D. Tesla

4.Which film did David Bowie not contribute music to?
A. Cat People     B. A Clockwork Orange     C. Cool World     D. Lost Highway

5. Which Superman actor has not portrayed the man of steel on the silver screen?
A. Kirk Alyn     B. George Reeves     C. Christopher Reeve     D. Dean Cain

6. Malcolm McDowell portrayed Mick Travis is all the following films except...
A. if....     B. O Lucky Man!     C. A Clockwork Orange     D. Brittannia Hospital

7. Which sci-fi film did not inspire a short lived TV series?
A. Alien     B. Logan's Run     C. Planet of the Apes     D. Westworld

8. Which Marvel character appeared in films without first appearing on TV?
A. Iron Man     B. Captain America     C. Thor     D. Spiderman

9. Which film was based on a story by Philip K. Dick?
A. The Lawnmower Man     B. Total Recall     C. A Clockwork Orange

10.  What actor has portrayed both Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Who on the silver screen?
A. Christopher Lee     B. Peter Cushing     C. Oliver Reed     D. Malcolm McDowell

11.  Patrick McGoohan's character in The Prisoner is trapped in what's called...
A. The Village     B. The Prison     C. The Dark House     D. The White House



Answers: 1. B 2. C 3. C 4. B 5. D 6. C 7. A 8. A 9. B 10. B 11. A

Hearse Available - Condition Excellent

     McVeil trudged through the grey sludge the morning snow had become.  He kicked at the chunks of ice in it and cursed at it as he crossed the parking lot of McVeil's Funeral Services.  A sudden gust of cold wind careening through the night air caused him to pull the collar of his tan overcoat tighter and puff harder on his blazing cigar.  McVeil hated winter's early nights.
     McVeil noted that the new hearse was in a different position then when he had departed for dinner.  Green must have moved it - but why?  There could be no reason to.  Green was reliable, not smart, but reliable. 
     Taking two steps at a time, McVeil launched up the small porch to the funeral parlor's door. 
     "Green, have you been in that hearse!" McVeil roared, his booming voice preceding him to the small office where a thin young man with short brown hair and glasses sat at a desk opposite a taller man whose black garb faded into the room's shadows. 
     "Yes sir.  This gentleman was interested in acquiring its services," Green meekly replied.  "And wished to examine it."
     McVeil turned to the seated stranger who leaned forward to reveal a pale, bald head and dark eyes.
     "Oh, you're here on business then," McVeil said in a quieter tone as he motioned to Green to depart the desk.
     "Indeed.  My name is Hintz," the stranger commented.  "And I am very pleased at the condition of your hearse - a most suitable means of transportation.  Very comfy."
     "I am sure it will be suitable for your loved one's final ride," McVeil softly said as he settled down behind the desk. 
     "It is not for a loved one.  It is for myself."
     "You're not...well?  Wisely planning ahead?" McVeil asked.
     "Oh, it will be a round trip - up the coast to Twin Sun and back the first weekend of next month. You see I have a reunion of sorts and I don't want to arrive in anything too shabby."
     "He was most impressed by the state of the hearse," Green submitted from where he stood in the corner of the room.  "And at how smoothly it ran as we drove around the block."
     "Once tucked in my coffin I'm sure I'll sleep like a babe the whole trip."
     "Then you have your own coffin..."
     "I never travel without it," Hintz answered.
     "You'll require the hearse for the whole weekend?" McVeil asked as he took a cigar from the box on his desk and offered it to Hintz. 
     Hintz nodded as he took the cigar, and as he placed it in his mouth McVeil noted the stranger had some very long pointed teeth. 
     "And a driver?"
     Hintz nodded.
     "I volunteer," Green said.
     "I'm sure he'll do nicely," Hintz commented with a puff of smoke.
     "I'm sure he will," McVeil mumbled, as he thought to himself that this might not work out too badly. 
     It was even a chance for repeat business for a change.

 copyright  ©  2015 W. P. Rigler
    
Hearse Available - Condition Excellent is the first W. P. Rigler story of 2015.
Previous fiction can be found at http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/wrigler     

Poe Time

January is the perfect time to share a spooky story, considering the length of its dark, chilly nights and anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe (January 19th, 1809).  Although mainly thought of by his peers as a literary critic, Poe popularized the horror tale by concentrating on psychological terror in his poetry and fiction.  The Raven is generally considered his most famous work, but the writer's dark shadow covers numerous classics including The Cask of Amontillado and The Pit and the Pendulum.

As cinema started, so did its fascination with Poe.  The Fall of the House of Usher was made into a silent film.  Universal added Poe to its black and white horror library with versions of The Pit and the Pendulum and The Black Cat - both starring Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff but bringing little of the Poe tales to the screen outside of their titles.  Poe's stories were often a mere starting point for filmmakers, as the writer's work generally delved deeply into the thoughts of his central protagonist in regards to a single, sensational occurrence.

Poe was most famously adapted to films by Roger Corman.  Vincent Price was Corman's principal factor bridging eight Poe based films, starting with The Fall of the House of Usher (1960) and continuing through The Tomb of Ligeia (1964).  Corman had a reputation for fast, inexpensive productions, but as his series of Poe films progressed successfully, more care was lavished on the movies - especially the final entry.

Elizabeth Shepherd still greets fans at a con.

"This was a Corman Epic - FIVE weeks shooting!" explains Tomb of Ligeia leading actress Elizabeth Shepherd.  "The first week was all on location at Castle Acre Priory, a beautiful ruined abbey in Norfolk, east England. Apparently both Vincent and Roger had dreamed of making a Poe film in a real ruin. So all the outside is on location - once we are inside the door of Verden's abode we are in the Studio - Shepperton Studios outside London."

 

Although unfamiliar with Corman's Poe films before being cast and mainly aware of Vincent Price's reputation for his earlier work such as 'Laura', Shepherd successfully threw herself into a role she had beaten out 200 actresses for - thanks to her ability to convey maturity despite her relatively young age.  The result was a classic.  Without doubt, one huge reason was the script. "He (Corman) had commissioned from Robert Towne a superior script for this movie, with well developed characters, a love-story with real emotional stakes, and was intent to make this last Poe film different and more substantial than the others," Shepherd said.