*Meet Tom Charles, the newest contributor joining the Celluloid Dimension madhouse! He’ll be digging up classic B-movies, golden-era cheapies, forgotten Poverty Row gems, and all sorts of wild cinematic curiosities!
I host a free monthly screening live event called The Mystery Movie Show. As you can probably gather from the name, the films I show are complete mystery to the audience until the day of the screening.
Generally, I do a double feature; complete with retro drive-in snipes and trailers.
While the name of my event is broad, the main focus for the types of movies shown are horror/science fiction B-movies made between the 1930s – 1970s. My intention behind these dates largely comes from love and deep (obsessive) knowledge of genre films from that 40-year period. Specifically, the kinds of movies brought to televisions across America in the late 1950s known as the “Shock Theater” package. A business move that I personally consider to be one of the most crucial moments in the history of horror fandom. Because what followed was the monster craze that became the hyperfixation of many children around the world, especially with publications such as Famous Monsters debuting contemporaneously – only to be usurped by the debut of the cultural juggernaut of Star Wars. Without Shock Theater, film and music would not be same.
But I digress.
Sadly, for me, that culture missed me by a couple of decades. By the time I was if age, most of the horror hosts had gone off of the air and several drive-ins had shuttered decades before. I’m a millennial on the cusp of Gen Z so the creaky black and white flicks that generations before me enjoyed had expired among kids my age, who were more fixated on the slashers and creatures that came in the 80s and the decade to follow.
While I love that stuff too, my heart lies with rubber bats and werewolves that still kept their shirts tucked in. This leads to the second major reason why I choose to program my shows with films from that time. Not to sound like a contrarian jackass, but EVERYONE is showing the 70s, 80s, and 90s stuff. And don’t get me wrong, I love it. I and many other horror junkies are spoiled with opportunity to see retro cult horror films on the big screen with fellow enjoyers of those films. Much rarer are the kinds of films I show.
Makes sense to some degree. The films I show are slower. The visual and creature effects are not up to code with the truly amazing work done in the 80s and beyond. And truly, these films are pretty tame for modern sensibilities. No tits, little gore, and the scares offered up have long lost their potency. But I think they’re important. And I think they still work, given that one can frame them in the time they were made. Plus, they’re still a lot of fun!
My biggest philosophy for this show is to pick movies that I think offer something interesting and unique while being totally out of left field for the most part. Every movie I’ve selected so far is categorically a “B-movie”, but if you’re reading this blog, you know that labeling doesn’t mean a movie is “bad”. In fact, a lot of the times these films innovate and push the envelope of artistic expression long before the big studios felt comfortable to. Take slashers for example. While it’s not a “good” film, even by the standards of what I’d categorize for my picks, H.G. Lewis’ Blood Feast from 1963 laid the groundwork for all out gore in films that took the big studios almost 2 decades to fully realize the potential of.
This is what I try to present to my audience; stuff they would never to think to watch on their own but defies their expectations of what a movie of its era and genre is capable of. This may not be the case for every movie I show, but it’s something I prioritize. Though the biggest priority is FUN!
While the show is free, I do want to give the audience a great experience outside of just seeing two movies. Although my methods are still a work in progress, I’ve taken heavy inspiration from the type of Ballyhoo and campy promotions that usually accompanied releases of these types of film. Notably, the kind of stuff that the likes William Castle and Al Adamson engaged in to enhance the experience of attending their show.
For my most recent show, a Mad Science Double Feature, I created a promotion for a “Free Brain” to be given to every audience member in attendance. Like many of those promotions back then, the reality of this “Free Brain” was nothing more than a brain-shaped stress ball. But that is part of the campy fun and the audience (thankfully) reveled in it. And to be fair, had someone actually expected a real brain, I think the issue is a lot deeper than just their deflated expectations.
I’m continuing the trend of camp ballyhoo by handing out free “Barf Bags” to those attending my female axe murderess double feature. Both movies wouldn’t scare a modern 7-year-old, let alone churn the stomach of even the most sensitive of adults to onscreen violence. Instead, the Barf Bags will be full of candy, stickers, and promotional goodies from freelance DIY artists.
This promotion is totally free; I’m not selling advertising slots. It’s all just to share are love for the craft and genre of all things spooky. That’s what it’s all about in the end. I am beyond thankful for the venue, Bumbling Fools Meads, to let me host my event completely free! I don’t have to pay a dime to use their stage area (which converts nicely to a cozy little microcinema). The fact that I can do this for free, I must admit, is why I can do this in the first place. All of the graphic design, printing, and purchasing of the trinkets that I hand out is at a net income loss for me. Some may call it poor business instinct. I call it love of the game.
I’m still very early in this, with September being my 3rd show. For the future, I aim to lean even heavier into the ballyhoo by taking it firmly in the direction of the vintage “Spook Show”. Unfortunately, much from this era is lost in terms of footage from these shows. What does survive is first-hand accounts, hilarious radio ads, and the forever iconic posters; a style of design that lives on today largely in the metal and punk scene… and my show! One of the major components of these shows was the live performance aspect. Coming from the traditions of vaudeville, these shows often featured magic tricks (of the macabre variety), seances, men in monster masks running around the auditorium, and stages events to catch even the most cynical by surprise. The latter of which I’m aiming to recreate while incorporating elements of sketch comedy in the mix to extenuate the camp value inherent in this style, especially to a modern audience.
Sadly enough, this event is locked within the city limits of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This is especially unfortunate as I have many Instagram followers, including the curator of this great website, who would feel right at home at The Mystery Movie Show but are residing many states (or countries)
away. Despite this hangup, the internet has enabled the building of a network of weirdos (in an endearing sense) to partake in the love that inspired me to do this show in the first place. Because, in the end, we all want to feel less alone. Especially when our interests and passions seem so niche, and at times, alienating to those in our physical proximity. But it’s my hope that what I and others are doing help make people feel less alone. Well, that and I get to feel oxytocin hit of sharing my unhinged life-long watch list on the poor unsuspecting souls that wander into… The
Mystery Movie Show!
