RV Travel Poll: Would You Ride A Roller Coaster At An Amusement Park?

Above, my second roller coaster ride ten years ago.

The first time I rode a roller coaster was when I was about eight years old. It was Disneyland's Matterhorn Bobsleds. 

I did not enjoy the ride, but at least I survived it. I didn't ride one again until ten years ago when I was talked into taking a ride on the Revenge of the Mummy roller coaster at Universal Studios. I was quite apprehensive at first, but I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. 

The reason I am bringing this subject up is the RV Travel has a poll: Would your ride a roller coaster at an amusement park?

They start it with:

Some of us love roller coasters, and some of us are terrified of roller coasters! Where do you stand?

Some people chase the thrill—the rush of wind in their hair, the clack-clack-clack of the climb, the heart-pounding plunge into the first drop. Others prefer to watch from the ground with a churro or corn dog in hand, perfectly happy to let others do the screaming.

And then there are the in-betweeners, the ones who get talked into “just one ride” and end up loving (or regretting) every second.

To read the rest and participate in the poll, go here. 

Would I do it again? Probably not.

Papers, Please! Los Angeles County To Require All Theme Park Goers Be Vaccinated

Above, visitors to theme parks like Universal Studios will have to show proof
  of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to enter. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The fascism never ends in Democrat-controlled locales.

The latest is in the County of Los Angeles where thrill-seekers wishing to enter a theme park has to show proof of vaccination to enter starting next month.

According to Travel + Leisure:

Thrill-seekers in Los Angeles will be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to enter theme parks next month, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced.

Starting Oct. 7, anyone heading to a theme park within Los Angeles county, including Universal Studios Hollywood and Six Flags Magic Mountain, will have to show proof they have been vaccinated or received a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of arriving, according to the department of health. Children under 12 are exempt.

The mandate applies to venues "with more than 10,000 attendees that are ticketed and/or have controlled points of entry to a well-defined area." 

To read the full article, go here. 

Mystery of the "Ghost of Frankenstein" Photo

For years, I have seen the below photo here and there of Lon Chaney Jr. as the Frankenstein monster in Ghost of Frankenstein (1942). The first time was in an issue of Famous Monsters of Filmland from the late 1960s.

The photo had a caption that said something like, "The monster ablaze, he lifts his gaze in agony." (Funny how I can remember stuff like this.)

I have always wondered about the photo and now there's something more to it.

Above, yours truly with Don Glut at a Kong exhibition in 2017.

This morning, I was perusing around YouTube and came upon a clip that was discovered by Don Glut. It is the same scene as the photo that's been floating around for years. As the video states, the photo was originally thought to be a publicity photo, but the footage seems to indicate that it was possibly an alternate ending filmed but not used.



The footage is quite interesting. It really shows the genius of make-up artist Jack Pierce. 

It's Halloween and...5° Here

Above, stuntman Eddie Parker and Lon Chaney Jr. in Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man. Universal Pictures.

Happy Halloween! Stay warm!

The Monster and Maria

Ted Newsom posted this colorized (I am assuming he did it) shot of Boris Karloff and Marilyn Harris from Frankenstein (1931).

The photo was taken during production of the movie at Malibu Lake in Agoura, west of the San Fernando Valley.

Nice job, Ted!

"Flash Gordon" On Comet

Above, Buster Crabbe (center) and Charles Middleton (right) in Flash Gordon.

Not since the 1960s had I the pleasure of watching the old Buster Crabbe Flash Gordon serials of the 1930s. They are based on Alex Raymond's comic strip.

As I now am able to get the Comet TV network here in New Mexico, I am enjoying watching episodes of Flash Gordon (1936). Comet TV plays them on Sunday nights.

They were three serials in all and they were produced by Universal Pictures for Saturday matinees. It is said that these serials inspired George Lucas into creating Star Wars.



Along with Crabbe in the title role, the serial starred Jean Rogers as Dale Arden, Charles Middleton as Ming the Merciless, Priscilla Lawson as Princess Aura and Frank Shanno as Dr. Alexis Zarkov.

Although the effects are primitive and the budgets were on the low side, they are still fun to watch. Since Universal was producing these, stock footage from Frankenstein and other movies were incorporated. Also, music cues from Universal's library were also used. I recognized some from Bride of Frankenstein and The Black Cat.

Quite often, I find watching these old films more entertaining than today's high-tech productions. 

"Black Friday" On Black Friday Night

Since today is "Black Friday", what better way to spend a cold and windy night than to pop in the DVD of the 1940 Universal feature, Black Friday?

It stars Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. Oddly, both seem to be in secondary roles with the main character played by Stanley Ridges.

According to Wikipedia:

The famous Dr. Ernest Sovac's best friend, bookish college professor George Kingsley, is run down while crossing a street. In order to save his friend's life, Sovac implants part of another man's brain into the professor's. Unfortunately, the other man was a gangster who was involved in the accident. The professor recovers but at times behaves like the gangster, and his whole personality changes. Sovac is horrified but also intrigued, because the gangster has hidden $500,000 somewhere in the city. The doctor continues to treat his friend and, when the professor is under the influence of the gangster's brain, Sovac attempts to have the man lead him to the fortune. Béla Lugosi plays a gangster also trying to get his hands on the cash.

The story unfolds in flashback as Sovac (Karloff) is being led to the electric chair. Interestingly, in a publicity stunt for the movie, Lugosi is "hypnotized" into thinking he's really suffocating in a closet in order to give a more convincing performance.

The Black Friday I have is part of the "Bela Lugosi Collection" DVD.

Rare "Dracula" On-Set Photo

This morning, I came across a photograph that was taken on the set of Universal's Dracula (1931) of Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler and director Tod Browning.

I had never seen this photo before (the best to my recollection). As you can see, Lugosi loved his cigars.

Happy Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

TripAdvisor: Japan's Top Ten Theme Parks

Above, one of the top ten theme parks is located inside Tokyo Tower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

TripAdvisor, possibly the Internet's biggest travel website, has come up with their list of the top 10 theme parks in Japan.

According to an article in SoraNews 24:

There’s more to theme parks in Japan than just Disney Resort and Universal Studios; there’s also ninjas, go-karts and looking through your legs.

Think of theme parks and there’s a good chance that the the local versions of big American theme parks come to mind. However, travel site TripAdvisor’s list of the ten most popular theme parks in Japan shows that a) there are other theme parks worth a visit beyond Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea and Universal Studios Japan in Osaka; and b) what constitutes a theme park is open to interpretation.

To see what they are, go here. 

John Wayne 10 Movie Collection DVD

A few days ago, I was perusing around in the DVD section at Walmart when I came upon the John Wayne 10 Movie Collection.

I had not heard of this set (10 movies on 5 discs) before. Many of the movies I had not seen before and it had been a while since I've viewed the others.

Checking around, I found that this set was released on February 6.

All of the titles are from the Universal Pictures library of John Wayne movies. (It seemed odd that on some of the early ones such as Seven Sinners and Pittsburgh, the old 1940s Universal logo is show and no monster movie followed.)

So far, I've watched six of the movies. Tonight, I watched The War Wagon and Rooster Cogburn. The others I watched were Jet Pilot and Hellfighters.

The prints looked as though they were first-run releases and with very good sound.

If you're a John Wayne fan, this set is a must-have.

My grade: A.

Universal Studios Japan: Godzilla The Real 4D

Image: Universal Studios Japan.

If you are thinking about heading over to Japan in 2017, but need a bit of an incentive to do so, maybe this will be the "swift kick in the pants" to get you motivated.

Universal Studios Japan (USJ) has announced their 2017 line-up of Cool Japan attractions and Godzilla is a big part of the mix.

USJ has a number of attractions that will make an otaku salivate in delight. But the focus here is the Godzilla attraction.

According to RocketNews 24:

Titans aren’t big enough for you? Well head over to Godzilla The Real 4D for some truly gigantic action. In this 4D theater experience you watch from the perspective of a fighter jet battling the iconic monster over Osaka City. 

After saving the day, you can reward yourself with a USJ exclusive Godzilla figure with light-up scutes, or a souvenir Godzilla tin of snacks. If you’re hungry after your battle you can also grab a Godzilla footprint steamed bun with black sesame and miso filling.

 To see more of what USJ has to offer next year, go here.

Lupita Tovar Dies At 106

Above, Lupita Tovar and Carlos Villarías in the Spanish Dracula. Universal Pictures photo.

Mexican actress Lupita Tovar, who played Eva Steward in Universal's 1931 Spanish version of Dracula has died.

According to The Hollywood Reporter:

Lupita Tovar, the Mexican actress who starred in the 1931 Spanish-language version of Dracula that was shot concurrently with the famed Bela Lugosi version, has died. She was 106. 

Tovar died Saturday, her niece, actress Lucy Tovar, said on Facebook. Several Mexican news outlets reported that she died in Los Angeles.

Many have said, and I agree, that cinematically, the Spanish version of Dracula was superior to the Bela Lugosi version. It had better camera shots and made better use of the same sets.

Tovar's character was the same one that Helen Chandler played, but her name was changed from Mina to Eva for the Spanish version and Tovar's wardrove was sexier than Chandler's.

To read more, go here.

"Dracula's Daughter"/"Son of Dracula" Double-Feature DVD

My cousin Ralph came over today. We had a good time chatting about all kinds of things.

We also headed to El Pollo Loco for a late lunch and, following that, we headed to CD Trader to rummage around.

The only thing I picked up at CD Trader was a DVD of two of Universal Pictures's Dracula movies. It was two movies in one disc.

I watched both of them tonight. The annoying thing about the disc is that there's no easy way to switch from one movie to the other without shutting down the DVD player first. Going to the "main" menu was impossible. Oh, well. It only cost me $6.99.

The movies:

The first was Dracula's Daughter (1936). The movie picks up where the 1931 Dracula left off. Bela Lugosi, I have read, was signed to do the movie in a prologue, but that was nixed. He was available (and allegedly paid) to play his staked corpse, but Universal chose to use a dummy (that didn't look much like Lugosi) instead.

The Google synopsis:

Although Count Dracula was destroyed by Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan), who is now being tried for his murder, Dracula's daughter, the Countess Marya Zaleska (Gloria Holden), is still alive -- and her father's death has brought her no closer to eradicating her vampiric thirst for blood. When attempts to free herself of the disease fail, she turns to psychiatrist Dr. Garth (Otto Kruger) for assistance, but soon finds herself struggling with the desire to make him one of the undead as well.

The second was Son of Dracula (1943). The movie involves the son of Dracula (named "Count Alucard") played by Lon Chaney, Jr. Chaney was miscast as a Hungarian nobleman, but the movie is entertaining anyway. The plot of the movie involves a woman (Louise Allbritton) seeking immortality for herself and her childhood sweetheart (Robert Paige) by tricking Dracula into making her a vampire. Allbritton is quite alluring in this movie. Too bad her plan didn't quite go the way she planned it. I think there's a goof, though. In standard vampire lore, isn't someone who is bitten by a vampire is generally powerless to turn against the vampire? By the way, "Alucard" is Dracula spelled backwards.

The Google synopsis:

Count Alucard (Lon Chaney) comes out of a lake in his coffin and makes a Southern belle (Louise Allbritton) his bride.

One can always count (no pun intended) on Universal horrors to make for an entertaining evening!

Labor Day Evening At City Walk

Above, Universal City Walk tonight. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For Labor Day, the crowds at Universal City Walk in Studio City weren't too bad tonight.

For something to do, Asya and I went to City Walk to wander around. This was Asya's first time visiting there and she enjoyed it very much.

Above, Asya "rides" a broom at the Harry Potter store. I face off against the real
"Wicked Witch of the West" in a couple of days on Hot Bench. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We wandered around different stores after we arrived. Of particular interest to her were the Lush, Zen Zone and a Universal Studios souvenir stores that had Harry Potter goods.

Above, before getting into the aqua massage chamber, Asya gets
a back and shoulder massage at Zen Zone. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

At Zen Zone, she had a ten-minute aqua massage. She had done some hiking this weekend (and managed to come almost face-to-face with a rattlesnake that was rattling two feet away from her) and she was still sore. The aqua massage felt great, she said, although it left her dizzy for a few minutes.

Above, Asya in the aqua massage chamber before the cover is lowered. Photo by Armand Vaquer

Following our store browsing, we headed to the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. restaurant. We had an enjoyable meal there (I had jambalaya for the first time in ages). We talked about the upcoming October 2 party at the Odyssey Restaurant.

Above, while Asya is getting her aqua massage, I get a  shoulder heat treatment.

Asya said that there are Cinnabon stores in Russia when we passed one. She also said there are Lush stores in Russia.

After dinner, we wandered around some more before heading back to L.A.

We had a good time and Asya is looking forward to visiting City Walk again.

Godzilla To Come To Life At Universal Studios Japan

Above, Godzilla in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since Toho Studios in the Setagaya district of Tokyo is a 100% working studio with no rides, tours or attractions (except for the Godzilla and Seven Samurai murals and the Godzilla statue, what would be the next best thing?

According to Malay Mail Online:

TOKYO, Aug 2 — Universal Studios Japan has revealed an all-new, 4D attraction set to debut at next year’s “Universal Cool Japan 2017” event, which will bring the Japanese legend of “Godzilla” to life. 

The Osaka-based resort revealed yesterday, August 1 that it will debut the multi-sensory experience “Godzilla: The Real 4D” early next year (at a date to be announced later), while the Universal Cool Japan 2017 event kicks off January 13, 2017. 

The attraction, based on the hit franchise, will see guests personally confront a giant, 118.5-meter-tall “Godzilla” rampaging through the city.

To read more, go here.

2015 In Review

Above, the big purchase of the year, The Beast. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The year is almost over and, for the most part, I has been a great year. Here's my annual recap of the highlights of the year.

The year began with a major decision. It didn't come easy, but the economics were such that I had to make a move. I decided to sell the farm in Nebraska as property taxes have doubled since I inherited it five years ago. On top of that, corn prices have been mired around $3.00/bushel. The return for such low crop prices were such that paying the farm's property taxes didn't leave me with much left.

Once I made my decision, I did some research on farmland prices and contacted my tenant to let him know. Besides being the proper thing to do, it is also a requirement to notify tenants of the land being put up on the market.

His reaction was unexpected. He essentially said, "I'll buy it!" So we negotiated a very fair price and made the deal. I am glad that he has it now. It is in good hands!

Once the sale was completed, I made a second decision. I decided to buy an RV. Again, I did some research. I originally was going to buy a Class B (a campervan), but I found that the prices for those were much more than what I was willing to fork out.

Above, with my aunt Rose in Mission Viejo.

Then in February, I started looking at Class C motorhomes. I had a micro-mini Class C 25 years ago, so I am familiar with them. I checked out different makes and models and settled on Winnebago's Mini Winnie 22R. It is a 23 footer and is the right size for me and my parking space. Since I have a double parking space, I can park the motorhome and the car in it. There was just enough room. If I bought anything bigger, I would have had to find a RV storage facility to store it. Amber named it "The Beast" and the name stuck. Most of my friends and family now refer to it as The Beast. I bought it from La Mesa RV in San Diego. The local Winnebago dealers didn't have what I wanted and La Mesa had several models to choose from. We came to a great deal (it helps to pay cash) and I flew down to pick it up. La Mesa sent a representative to pick me up at the airport.

Once all transactions were completed, I drove The Beast home. Along the way, I stopped in Mission Viejo to visit my aunt Rose and cousins. I gave them a tour of The Beast.

Also in February, I bought myself a Canon Rebel camera. I am very pleased with it. I later bought a telephoto lens.

In April, I flew to San Francisco (photo, left) to give a presentation before the Japan Society of Northern California at the Roxie Theater, "In The Footsteps of Godzilla". My presentation was on Godzilla and other kaiju movie locations. The event included a screening of the original Japanese version of Godzilla (1954).

April saw some changes in my personal life. My longtime roommate, Jessica, announced that her father sold his Orange County condo and moved to Canoga Park and that she would be moving in with him. This came as a surprise, but her father would be able to provide for her care better when she receives a liver transplant. She moved out that month. We are still friends and we get together generally every week and I am her back-up for getting her to her doctor appointments. A few days after Jes moved out, I met Denise Santos. We seem to click together, despite our age difference. We've been hanging out together quite a bit since meeting.

Since I bought The Beast in February, I spent the next several weeks equipping it.

Above, Amber and Armand at
 The Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas.

Also in April, Amber and I took The Beast for its "shake-out cruise" to Las Vegas for her to interview and take a swimming test for The Mirage Hotel's dolphin show as an intern. She didn't make it, but it was a fun trek and we visited with Barb and Jerry Weiler and my cousin Antoinette.

Memorial Day was a mixed bag of good and bad. The bad was that Amber was in a traffic collision in Santa Monica, which totaled her 2000 Mustang. (We later got her a newer Mustang. A convertible.) After picking up Amber from Santa Monica at the wrecking yard, I headed home. But, luckily, the day was salvaged (the good) when Denise called and asked me to join her, son Aiden and her cousin at Universal Studios Hollywood. We had a great time. I still marvel that she managed to talk me into going on "The Revenge of the Mummy" ride, a roller-coaster. I haven't been on a roller-coaster since I was a kid. It actually was fun, surprisingly.

In June, Amber and I took The Beast to Yellowstone National Park. It was her first vacation in ages and she was last there at age three, so she remembered nothing about it. We had a wonderful time. We stopped along the way in Beaver, Utah and spent one night at the KOA Kampground there. We also stopped at a roadside attraction, Yellowstone Bear World in Idaho. That was fun.

We stayed at the KOA in West Yellowstone and took two days of tours into the park with Yellowstone Buffalo Tours. Instead of fighting traffic in the park and trying to find parking, we let someone else do the driving and we concentrated on the wonders of Yellowstone. One the first day (on the Upper Loop Tour), we managed to see some bears.

After leaving Yellowstone for home, we took the route that goes through Grand Teton National Park. From there, we headed into Utah and spent one night at the Richfield KOA. After leaving Richfield, we drove through Zion National Park for the last leg of our return home. It was a great trip.

Above, Denise and I at Universal Studios.

In July, I went to Lake Havasu with Denise and Aiden, Arizona to do some jet-skiing. I always wanted to try a jet ski (it was on my "bucket list"). We camped at the Lake and on the first day, we rented a pontoon boat for a couple of hours and rented a jet ski the next day. It was a great little trip and we plan on doing it again next year.

In August, my cat Siren became ill and very frail. We took her to the vet and he thought it was something that could be cured. For the next month, Amber and I administered medications to Siren. At first, she seemed to show improvement, but towards the end of September, she began to decline again. She passed away on September 29. Amber and I took her loss very hard. She was 18 years old. One could not have asked for a better cat for a companion.

Also in August, my great-uncle Alexander Charleston passed away from cancer in Alabama. He was a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army.

Shocking news came in September. Actor Jack Larson suddenly passed away at home. Even though he was 86, he seemed in robust health and we last saw him the year before at the Superman Celebration. Many of us attended his memorial service at the James Bridges Theater at UCLA in December. He was always there for us at different events, so we were there for him.

In October, I needed to go to Japan for more material for my planned updated edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. So Denise, Aiden and I headed off. We spent time in Tokyo, Atami, Osaka and Kyoto. While in Tokyo, I hosted a dinner at the Imperial Hotel for friends from Toho. We had a great time.

Above, Amber and Armand at Gibbon Falls in Yellowstone National Park.

In November, Amber and I went to my cousin Julianne's in Lake Forest for Thanksgiving dinner.
Also in November, I retired from my "parachute" job at Lakeside Golf Club. So now, my time belongs to me. Good thing too. The calendar was against me again this year as I would have had to work during Christmas had I not retired. Since I did, we spent Christmas at my cousin Maria's in Wildomar.

Above, Sierra.

After Siren died, I was debating on whether or not I would get another cat. But, that decision was made easier as Amber spotted a kitten named Claire at the South Bay Adoption Center's posting on Facebook. She passed it on to me. After repeated looks at the posting, I took a chance and called the Adoption Center to see if she was still available. She was. I went down to the center in Hawthorne and adopted her. She has been renamed Sierra Claire. Her personality is like Siren's.

In late November, I went on a weekend jaunt to the Gen. Patton Memorial Museum in Chiriaco Summit to locate my dad's brick (found it, with some help) and to Joshua Tree National Park. I went solo this time as everyone else had to work or had other things to do. I still had a good time camping at Joshua Tree, although it was very cold.

Already, plans are being made for 2016, including a trek to Yosemite National Park. Stay tuned!

The 2016 Model Year Winnebagos Are Out

Well, Winnebago has released their 2016 motorhome models including the Minnie Winnie 22R. I bought a 2015 22R last February.

This video by Bullyan RV of Minnesota is a tour of the 2016 Minnie Winnie 22R, The video was posted yesterday. It was their video of the 2015 22R that sold it to me.



The exterior of the motorhome is different in the decaling from my 2015 (see below). I see no differences in the interior except that the dinette table has only one pedestal and it swivels. My motorhome has double pedestals and it doesn't swivel.

Here's my 2015 at the parking lot of Universal Studios:

Above, the 2015 Minnie Winnie 22R. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Jim Beaver's "Verdigris"

Above, Jim Beaver at last summer's Superman Celebration luncheon. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A nice note was received this evening from actor/writer (and George Reeves fan) Jim Beaver (Deadwood):

I don’t know if you’re aware that my play VERDIGRIS is running at Theatre West. We’ve played 5 weeks and only have 2 left (we close April 26). The reviews have been rather extraordinary, and I’m deeply, deeply proud of this production.  In addition to writing it, I’m in it, too.

I should have sent this weeks ago, but I’m always running behind.  I hope, though, that you can manage to see this.  It’s something I would be deeply grateful for.  We have particular need of a strong audience this weekend, especially Sunday the 19th at 2 pm.

I wasn't aware of Jim's play until I received his note. In checking the website for Theatre West, I found the play to be interesting and I am going to try to attend Sunday's performance.

If you are in Los Angeles and would like something to do and have a good time doing it, you ought to head over to Studio City (the theater is across the 101 Freeway from Universal City).

For details, go here. 

Carla Laemmle Turns 104 October 20

Above, Carla Laemmle at the 2011 Monsterpalooza.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In five days, actress Carla Laemmle will be celebrating her 104th birthday.

She is the last surviving actress of the 1931 Universal Pictures' Dracula that starred Bela Lugosi.

According to Wikipedia:

Rebecca Isabelle Laemmle (born October 20, 1909) known professionally as Carla Laemmle is an American actress and the niece of Universal Pictures studio founder Carl Laemmle, she is of German Jewish descent. She was a movie actress in the 1920s and 1930s, and is, along with Jean Darling, Baby Peggy, and Mickey Rooney, one of the very few surviving actors of the silent film era. 

Laemmle entered films in 1925 playing an uncredited role as a ballet dancer in the original silent film version of The Phantom of the Opera (1925) and a small role in the early talkie version of Dracula (1931), and is the last surviving cast member of both classic films. Laemmle continued to appear in small roles until the late 1930s, when she disappeared from the movie screen. She briefly came out of retirement to play a vampire in The Vampire Hunters Club (2001). 

She shared her reminiscences of appearing in a bit part in Dracula (1931) by hosting the original documentary The Road to Dracula (1999), a supplemental piece included on the 2004 DVD release, Dracula: The Legacy Collection. In that classic film, she portrayed a bespectacled passenger riding in a bumpy horse-drawn carriage with Renfield as he is traveling to Dracula's castle. In this documentary, Laemmle proudly states: "I had the privilege of speaking the first lines of dialogue in the first talking supernatural thriller".

Above, Carla Laemmle during her starlet days.

Miss Laemmle attended the Son of Monsterpalooza show last weekend in Burbank.

A Happy Birthday goes out to Carla Laemmle!