This Week in Horror: March 22 - 28

March 22
1985 – Friday the 13th: A New Beginning released theatrically
1986 – Chopping Mall released theatrically
1996 – Resident Evil released on the PlayStation in Japan
2002 – Blade II released theatrically
2002 – The Chronicle ends its run on television

March 23
1964 – Peter Lorre (actor in several horror films) dies (b. 1904)

March 24
1939 – The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) released theatrically
1974 – The Rocky Horror Show premieres at the the Roxy

March 25


March 26
1994 – System Shock released on PC and Mac

March 27
1973 – Sisters released theatrically
1986 – April Fool's Day released theatrically
1991 – Ralph Bates (actor in several Hammer horror films) dies (d. 1940)

March 28
1920 – Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920) released theatrically
1963 – The Birds released theatrically
1979 – Phantasm released theatrically




Source: wikipedia Portal:Horror/This day in horror archive

Please leave a comment with any additions/corrections. Thanks.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)

On this day in 1957, the first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus (SSN-571), logged its 60,000th nautical mile, matching the endurance of the fictional Nautilus described in Jules Verne's novel "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea".



You can read the novel online here.

Walt Disney released the movie 20000 Leagues Under the Sea in 1954. It was directed by Richard Fleischer; the cast includes Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Paul Lucas, and Peter Lorre.

The movie won two Oscars: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color; and Best Effects, Special Effects. It was nominated for Best Film Editing.

A ship sent to investigate a wave of mysterious sinkings encounters the advanced submarine, the Nautilus, commanded by Captain Nemo.

Here's the trailer (scroll down for the full length movie):



Here's the full movie, in a playlist:

Back For Christmas

Halloween is over (sigh), but here's a little pre-Christmastime tale for you.

Escape's "Back for Christmas" was adapted from the short story of the same name by John Collier. Both Escape and Suspense presented this tale but without the gruesome elements of the original work. The radio dramatizations also added extra scenes to fill the half-hour format.

The story begins in England, inside the house of a professor of botany named Herbert Carpenter. He and his wife, Hermione, are soon to leave for an extended trip to America, where he will be lecturing.

Hermione is a shrew who keeps her husband under her constant control. She has planned every detail of their trip with precision and, to her annoyance, Herbert is not conforming with her plan. Instead, he is wasting time on a botanical project in their cellar. He is also lingering too long at the bookshop to chat with the bookseller, Miss Markham.

Hermione has promised all of their friends that they will be back for Christmas, but if Herbert has his way -- she won't be.

The radioplay performed on Escape had originally aired on Suspense on December 23, 1943. Peter Lorre played the role of the professor and his rendition of the hen-pecked husband gone mad is classic. The name of the actress who played Hermione is not given, but it was probably Jeanette Nolan.

Listen to "Back for Christmas".

The story was also produced as an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents in 1956. You can watch the full episode in a popout window by clicking on the picture below.





Source for radio broadcast: Escape and Suspense!