32 Days of Halloween VI, Movie Night No. 21: The Phantom Creeps

So we were reminded that it’s Bela Lugosi‘s 130th birthday today by Aaron Alexovich, co-alchemist behind Eldritch! (which is great Halloween reading, by the way). I’m not sure how we forgot that was the case but it’s obvious my Memento Head Syndrome is getting worse.

To that end, we’re giving you a buffet of Lugosi madness: it’s the twelve-part serial from 1939: The Phantom Creeps. Because sometimes you just need a mad scientist who creates a giant robot, can turn himself invisible and do so with a bunch of stock footage and recycled music wherever possible (to save on costs). Is it ridiculous? Yes. But it’s awesome. It is a twelve-part serial, so at four hours, make sure you have some solid beer supplies handy.

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There doesn’t appear to be a DVD version out there worth a damn. And, hilariously, despite this being public domain–it costs to rent it on Amazon Instant Video. So…never mind. But you can read the comic book adaptation! No, seriously.

Previously we were doing a serious of “X Came From Y” films. Last year was It Came From Outer Space. Then we had From Beyond the Grave, They Came From Beyond Space and Brain From Planet Arous. Before we had that theme, we went with a werewolf double feature.