I just discovered your channel and it's quite uncanny how you touch on so many niches that I'm interested in, from Spectrum games to BBC ghost stories to barely-remembered British B-movies. All that plus your inimitably soothing voice has made this my new favourite comfort-watching TH-cam channel, more please!
Hi, Mike, 'The Monster Club' is a title new to me, and I had but the most meager awareness of the early Reeves feature--your description makes me think I've had a very cursory exposure to the picture, perhaps through some bygone transmission on Turner Classic Movies. Fun bad movies are often some of the most joyous experiences cinema offers, and I've also become aware in my later years how complex and challenging the production of any reasonably ambitious film is, so I honor the humanity and effort of the personnel involved in even the most embarrassing movies. I'll keep an eye open for 'The Monster Club' to add to my viewing repertoire.
@@michaelbartlettfilm Mike, I can happily report that I caught up with 'The Monster Club' this past Saturday, when it was aired on 'House of Svengoolie' on the cable channel MeTV. 'House of Svengoolie' is one of those camp horror-host venues, so the movie was presented with a succession of comedic interventions from the hosts, but seemed essentially intact in spite of those and the commercial interruptions. I thought the movie overall was pretty good, with the risibly cheap costumes and masks at the club the film's most embarrassing components. I agree that "The Ghouls" was the most compelling segment, with Patrick Magee perfectly cast as the gloweringly sinister proprietor. And I was pleasantly surprised to see my fellow Texan, Fran Fullenwider (1945-1997), as the "buxom beauty" in the club engaging Price's vampire Erasmus in the celebratory dance at the end, Fullenwider having previously done the Time War as a Transylvanian in 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'. By no means a good movie, 'The Monster Club' did prove better than I had anticipated, and was a fun Saturday-night watch.
@@barrymoore4470 Barry, it does my heart good to hear you enjoyed this movie! Thanks so much for letting me know. But tell me, are you secretly humming "Monsters Rule OK" to yourself now throughout the day?
@ I guess it's been enough days since watching and listening, but the specifics of the music have (mercifully?) vacated my brain at present. By the way, the hosts of 'House of Svengoolie' did their own music video (with original song) of "The Monster Club" during the presentation. It was at least as good as any of the score heard in the film itself.
Congratulations on 2.22K subscribers! I noticed quite recently that you were up to 1.98K, and I was very pleased to see that you were so close to 2K. Then last night when I saw that you had posted a new video, I clicked on it and saw that you were up to 2.21K! And this morning as I type this, you have 2.22K! I am so glad to see your wonderful channel continue to grow! Regarding the two films you discuss here, I haven't seen either one of them, but as always I enjoyed your fun and interesting video a lot. If I end up watching one or both of them (I don't have any immediate plans to do so 😄), I will let you know what I think of them. 👍
Thanks so much, Julie! It's gone a bit crazy lately. One of my vids - the one on BBC Ghost Stories from a year ago - went a bit mad and got 10k views in a week! Not sure what happened there. The subscription rate has gone through the roof! But thanks for your support as ever. And good luck with Ray's racing!
@@michaelbartlettfilmThanks, Mike. There is one more quarter final before the semifinal. The times in yesterday's Quarter Final 3 were very fast. The third place finisher (who happened to be Ray himself) had a time that was faster than my first place winning time in Quarter Final 1!! So there is some stiff competition to be sure!
@@michaelbartlettfilm Regarding "The Monster Club" -- One reason why I am somewhat tempted to seek it out and watch it is to see John Carradine disco dancing! 😆
Congrats on the 2.000 subs Mike! Well deserved. I have to admit I dont know these films, but Great you still keep your Santa Hat on - You keep the Christmas spirit alive😄
Great to see you back. I've not seen this one, but it does seem to be rubbish and yet...others have said the same thing you point out, that it has a certain "something" that keeps you coming back. I just picked up the Umbrella release of "The Sorcerers". I've never seen it but read a great deal about it and am looking forward to it. Reeves was such a talent with a terrible and early end.
Peter Cook's The hound of the Baskervilles is another film that was slated by critics. I absolutely love it. Incredible cast of classic actors, including Irene Handl, Kenneth Williams, Terry Thomas......
God! I can go all the way back to the early nineteen eighties with this film. I never saw The Monster Club in the cinema, but did see it on Precision Video, which was owned by Lord Grade's ITC. The soundtrack was more intriguing than the film. UB40 and B.A. Robertson with the aptly titled Sucker for Love. The segement that gave the creeps was the hidden village, off the beaten track, off some minor road, down a lane. It was called Ghouls. Yes. This was a Chips Production of the highest quality, just like Chips other notorious production called Hawk the Slayer with wonky sets and devilishly daft acting. I do have the Network blu of The Monster Club. British horror was well and truly buried after this film came out! Hollywood once again got the better of British horror and some bloke with an American accent and a taste for werewolves did a number on British horror lore. I feel a trip to the Slaughtered Lamb isn't far off.... Happy Xmas Michael.
@michaelbartlettfilm I can just barely remember going to see An American Werewolf at the cinema way back in 1981 and then coming out in total shock! You can never fully recover from seeing those remarkable make-up effects. Especially when you see the film for the first time. It's like witnessing a revelation. Even after 40 odd years, the effects still hold up. I never wanted to be aware of how such tricks in make-up effects worked. These days, everyone wants to know the in's and out's of a werewolves behind..laid bare.
@@dr.impossibleofcounterpunc1984 I also saw 'An American Werewolf in London' during its original American release, first with a cousin and his friend, and then again with my father and grandmother. The film was received as a revelation in its adroit mingling of horror with comedy, with one being unsure sometimes of how to react to a given scene, as these two (supposedly) conflicting responses were often aroused at once. The film also felt audacious in concluding on a tragic note. It's not a movie that seems discussed a lot nowadays, though it remains one of the most distinctive genre offerings of the Eighties, and, as you note, the special effects remain impressive even by current standards.
I love this film and the whole Amicus anthology genre it sprang from. The sequence in the lost village is the best part of the film. One day, I'll get to read the Chetwynd-Hayes book. I agree, though, that the music is terrible.
Underrated film, I think the Shadmock and Humgoo sections are both effective. With regards UB40, they provide the chilled out saxophone piece that is playing quietly in the background in the scenes where Price is talking to Carradine (the song is called '25%') - th-cam.com/video/WCcXmcSzc3s/w-d-xo.html
"The Monster Club" is bad, but I just watched worse...another cheap Comedy/Horror with Vincent Price playing an apathetic cult leader, called "Bloodbath at the House of Death" (1984). A couple of the gags land but it's mostly a slog. I only watched it for Price, and because it had the bimbo from "Superman 3" whom I've never seen in another movie. Yeah, not enough, sadly.
(Mike splutters) You don't mean Pamela Stephenson?!! THE Pammy-Pam Stephenson? She was a hugely popular comedienne in Not The Nine O'Clock News, a TV sketch show in the UK in the late 70s and 80s. Formative part of my youth!
@@michaelbartlettfilm Uh, yeah that was her! I didn't know any of that...I just thought she was hot in Superman 3, so I was like..."with her and Vincent Price...how can that be bad???"
@@michaelbartlettfilm I didn't know about any of that...I just thought she was hot in Superman 3. Cool to hear she was more of a staple across the pond!
I disliked The Monster Club for many years but have a real soft spot for it nowadays. The UB40 track 25% used to play in the background during the chat at the table but it seems to have been removed for the bluray, I can only assume it was because of some copyright thang because it was on the dvd and vhs versions.
@michaelbartlettfilm I wish I had kept mine Michael, sadly I sold my dvd when I picked up the bluray. Sadly Network have folded now but I'll keep looking out for a dvd copy at my local CEX. 👍👊
I just discovered your channel and it's quite uncanny how you touch on so many niches that I'm interested in, from Spectrum games to BBC ghost stories to barely-remembered British B-movies. All that plus your inimitably soothing voice has made this my new favourite comfort-watching TH-cam channel, more please!
Awww, thanks so much for this comment. It's made my day! Welcome on board!
@@michaelbartlettfilm 😁
Point of order: It's *Robert* Sloman who wrote for Dr Who; it's Roger Sloman in this movie. Sorry about that!
Hi, Mike, 'The Monster Club' is a title new to me, and I had but the most meager awareness of the early Reeves feature--your description makes me think I've had a very cursory exposure to the picture, perhaps through some bygone transmission on Turner Classic Movies. Fun bad movies are often some of the most joyous experiences cinema offers, and I've also become aware in my later years how complex and challenging the production of any reasonably ambitious film is, so I honor the humanity and effort of the personnel involved in even the most embarrassing movies. I'll keep an eye open for 'The Monster Club' to add to my viewing repertoire.
Ha, ha, OK, Barry, but don't blame me if you're appalled by it!
@@michaelbartlettfilm Mike, I can happily report that I caught up with 'The Monster Club' this past Saturday, when it was aired on 'House of Svengoolie' on the cable channel MeTV. 'House of Svengoolie' is one of those camp horror-host venues, so the movie was presented with a succession of comedic interventions from the hosts, but seemed essentially intact in spite of those and the commercial interruptions.
I thought the movie overall was pretty good, with the risibly cheap costumes and masks at the club the film's most embarrassing components. I agree that "The Ghouls" was the most compelling segment, with Patrick Magee perfectly cast as the gloweringly sinister proprietor. And I was pleasantly surprised to see my fellow Texan, Fran Fullenwider (1945-1997), as the "buxom beauty" in the club engaging Price's vampire Erasmus in the celebratory dance at the end, Fullenwider having previously done the Time War as a Transylvanian in 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'. By no means a good movie, 'The Monster Club' did prove better than I had anticipated, and was a fun Saturday-night watch.
@@barrymoore4470 Barry, it does my heart good to hear you enjoyed this movie! Thanks so much for letting me know. But tell me, are you secretly humming "Monsters Rule OK" to yourself now throughout the day?
@ I guess it's been enough days since watching and listening, but the specifics of the music have (mercifully?) vacated my brain at present. By the way, the hosts of 'House of Svengoolie' did their own music video (with original song) of "The Monster Club" during the presentation. It was at least as good as any of the score heard in the film itself.
Congratulations on 2.22K subscribers! I noticed quite recently that you were up to 1.98K, and I was very pleased to see that you were so close to 2K. Then last night when I saw that you had posted a new video, I clicked on it and saw that you were up to 2.21K! And this morning as I type this, you have 2.22K! I am so glad to see your wonderful channel continue to grow! Regarding the two films you discuss here, I haven't seen either one of them, but as always I enjoyed your fun and interesting video a lot. If I end up watching one or both of them (I don't have any immediate plans to do so 😄), I will let you know what I think of them. 👍
Thanks so much, Julie! It's gone a bit crazy lately. One of my vids - the one on BBC Ghost Stories from a year ago - went a bit mad and got 10k views in a week! Not sure what happened there. The subscription rate has gone through the roof! But thanks for your support as ever. And good luck with Ray's racing!
@@michaelbartlettfilmThanks, Mike. There is one more quarter final before the semifinal. The times in yesterday's Quarter Final 3 were very fast. The third place finisher (who happened to be Ray himself) had a time that was faster than my first place winning time in Quarter Final 1!! So there is some stiff competition to be sure!
@@michaelbartlettfilm Hello again. I see your subscribers have gone up to 2.23K in this short time!
@@julieborel3043 I know! I can't keep up!
@@michaelbartlettfilm Regarding "The Monster Club" -- One reason why I am somewhat tempted to seek it out and watch it is to see John Carradine disco dancing! 😆
Congrats on the 2.000 subs Mike! Well deserved. I have to admit I dont know these films, but Great you still keep your Santa Hat on - You keep the Christmas spirit alive😄
It's staying on till xmas, Nikolaj! Actually, it's good for keeping your head warm.
@michaelbartlettfilm Great! I would imagine that.
Great to see you back. I've not seen this one, but it does seem to be rubbish and yet...others have said the same thing you point out, that it has a certain "something" that keeps you coming back. I just picked up the Umbrella release of "The Sorcerers". I've never seen it but read a great deal about it and am looking forward to it. Reeves was such a talent with a terrible and early end.
Thanks, Jose! Let me know what you make of The Sorcerers - I love that movie.
Peter Cook's The hound of the Baskervilles is another film that was slated by critics. I absolutely love it. Incredible cast of classic actors, including Irene Handl, Kenneth Williams, Terry Thomas......
I always enjoyed the third segment and Vincent Price's speech to get Humans added to the Monster Club, especially when I was young
Vincent clearly loves that bit, doesn't he?
@@michaelbartlettfilm its a fantastic bit that only he can do justice to it
The werewolf with carradine looks like Austin Powers!
Ha, true!
God! I can go all the way back to the early nineteen eighties with this film. I never saw The Monster Club in the cinema, but did see it on Precision Video, which was owned by Lord Grade's ITC. The soundtrack was more intriguing than the film. UB40 and B.A. Robertson with the aptly titled Sucker for Love. The segement that gave the creeps was the hidden village, off the beaten track, off some minor road, down a lane. It was called Ghouls. Yes. This was a Chips Production of the highest quality, just like Chips other notorious production called Hawk the Slayer with wonky sets and devilishly daft acting. I do have the Network blu of The Monster Club. British horror was well and truly buried after this film came out! Hollywood once again got the better of British horror and some bloke with an American accent and a taste for werewolves did a number on British horror lore. I feel a trip to the Slaughtered Lamb isn't far off.... Happy Xmas Michael.
Thanks, mate! (Mind you, American Werewolf is rather good, isn't it?)
@michaelbartlettfilm I can just barely remember going to see An American Werewolf at the cinema way back in 1981 and then coming out in total shock! You can never fully recover from seeing those remarkable make-up effects. Especially when you see the film for the first time. It's like witnessing a revelation. Even after 40 odd years, the effects still hold up. I never wanted to be aware of how such tricks in make-up effects worked. These days, everyone wants to know the in's and out's of a werewolves behind..laid bare.
@@dr.impossibleofcounterpunc1984 I also saw 'An American Werewolf in London' during its original American release, first with a cousin and his friend, and then again with my father and grandmother. The film was received as a revelation in its adroit mingling of horror with comedy, with one being unsure sometimes of how to react to a given scene, as these two (supposedly) conflicting responses were often aroused at once. The film also felt audacious in concluding on a tragic note. It's not a movie that seems discussed a lot nowadays, though it remains one of the most distinctive genre offerings of the Eighties, and, as you note, the special effects remain impressive even by current standards.
Compared to the current Birdemic-type B-movies, one yearns for the cinematic integrity of Ed Wood.
I actually think Wood's 'Glen or Glenda' is one of the neglected gems of American cinema.
I love this film and the whole Amicus anthology genre it sprang from. The sequence in the lost village is the best part of the film. One day, I'll get to read the Chetwynd-Hayes book. I agree, though, that the music is terrible.
The lost village bit is actually one of the best stories in the whole Amicus series! The rest of the movie...well, the Shadmock is good.
Underrated film, I think the Shadmock and Humgoo sections are both effective. With regards UB40, they provide the chilled out saxophone piece that is playing quietly in the background in the scenes where Price is talking to Carradine (the song is called '25%') - th-cam.com/video/WCcXmcSzc3s/w-d-xo.html
Ahhhh! Thanks, Mark! (How's it going, by the way?) That's an age-old question solved!
"The Monster Club" is bad, but I just watched worse...another cheap Comedy/Horror with Vincent Price playing an apathetic cult leader, called "Bloodbath at the House of Death" (1984). A couple of the gags land but it's mostly a slog. I only watched it for Price, and because it had the bimbo from "Superman 3" whom I've never seen in another movie. Yeah, not enough, sadly.
(Mike splutters) You don't mean Pamela Stephenson?!! THE Pammy-Pam Stephenson? She was a hugely popular comedienne in Not The Nine O'Clock News, a TV sketch show in the UK in the late 70s and 80s. Formative part of my youth!
@@michaelbartlettfilm Uh, yeah that was her! I didn't know any of that...I just thought she was hot in Superman 3, so I was like..."with her and Vincent Price...how can that be bad???"
@@michaelbartlettfilm I didn't know about any of that...I just thought she was hot in Superman 3. Cool to hear she was more of a staple across the pond!
I'm offended. I love Monster Club, no matter how cheesy it is.
Ha, ha! Oh, come on, I did mount a 15 min argument in its favour!
I disliked The Monster Club for many years but have a real soft spot for it nowadays.
The UB40 track 25% used to play in the background during the chat at the table but it seems to have been removed for the bluray, I can only assume it was because of some copyright thang because it was on the dvd and vhs versions.
Oh, what a shame. Right, I'll hang onto my DVD then.
@michaelbartlettfilm I wish I had kept mine Michael, sadly I sold my dvd when I picked up the bluray.
Sadly Network have folded now but I'll keep looking out for a dvd copy at my local CEX.
👍👊