Beyond the Valley of the Lurid Exploitation Film Posters of the 50s, 60s & 70s
A Lovecraftian poster for an odd 1960s mermaid thriller starring Dennis Hopper with a freaky cameo appearance by Marjorie Cameron, the bohemian witch of Los Angeles.
This is a sampling from a private collection of rare, massive 40” x 60” posters that were printed on cardstock for drive-In movie theaters.
An American distributor purchased a historical film and repackaged it as a Nazisploitation thrill; the fact that the movie was years old at this point was sold to the audience as the film having been “censored until now!”
A towel-clad Brigitte Bardot stuns in this incredible 1961 Pop Art poster.
A giant poster advertising a 1966 Hammer double-feature where theatregoers would get their own Rasputin beard!
After stabbing her mother’s boyfriend, a teenager escapes from reform school amid a barrage of attempted rape and lesbianism.
A psychedelic graphic for a 1971 camp film marketed as druggy horror to capitalize on the Charles Manson trials.
This 1963 poster lured theater goers over to listen to the whispering of a rocky-skinned slime monster.
Vincent Price narrates this “travel documentary” exploring bizarre cultural practices.
Hammer horror classic with the busty Ingrid Pitt as Carmilla, the original prototype of the lesbian vampire.
An Italian dramatic film released in the United States with a decidedly sexy marketing campaign.
Mario Bava directed this 1964 film that created the template for the “body count” slasher films of the 1980s.
In 1967, the first Argentinian vampire film offers viewers a unique experience called “Erotomania!”
The dismembered hand of an astronaut possessed by an evil alien intelligence goes on a killing spree. Luckily a hungry cat saves everyone at the end. Burt Reynolds screen tested twice for this film and was turned down both times.
Deranged: The confessions of a Necrophile is loosely based on serial killer Ed Gein and features a man using corpses for various aspects of home décor.
H.P. Lovecraft presented with the patina of 1960s cinema.
A hallucinogen-paranoid tale of espionage and psychedelic “acting.”
Luscious Eyelashes Turn Cocker Spaniels into Social Media Sensations
Cocker Spaniels are known for having long, beautiful eyelashes, but canine pair Cloe and Nena’s lashes are unusually long even for their breed, and they’ve turned the two pooches into overnight Instagram sensations.
If there was such a thing as a canine beauty influencer, Cocker Spaniel twins Cloe and Nena would most certainly fit the bill perfectly. Not only do they sport luscious eyelashes measuring a whopping 6-cm-long, but they also appear to love getting groomed by their owner, 22-year-old Vittoria Di Castri, including having mascara applied on their lashes to highlight their main features. Some people have a hard time believing the two pooches’ eyelashes aren’t fake, but Di Castri insists they are all natural.
“Cloe and Nena’s eyelashes are 100 per cent natural and often I need to cut them, trim them and even comb them,” the 22-year-old Italian told Storytender. “I have seen Cloe’s growing up to six-centimetres-long. She has had them very long since she was born, while Nena started growing hers when she was around eight-months-old.”
While certainly surprising in size, Cloe and Nena’s eyelashes aren’t even close to setting a record for the world’s longest canine lashes – currently standing at 5.35 inches – but their natural affinity for modelling and the way they look into the camera with puppy eyes has made them very popular on photo-sharing sites like Instagram.
This Stuff Happens
Winnipeg
Mysterious Air Force Space Plane Finishes Record-Breaking Flight
A mysterious space plane belonging to the United States Air Force reportedly returned to Earth on Sunday following a record-breaking 780 days in orbit. Known as the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, the curious craft was launched via a Space X Falcon 9 booster back on September 7th, 2017. This particular flight was the fifth such mission for the space plane and, a few months ago, it smashed the previous endurance record for the vessel which stood at 718 days in orbit.
Resembling the iconic Space Shuttle, but measuring a mere 29 feet long, the solar-powered reusable craft has long been the subject of speculation since its mission and payloads are highly classified. Additionally, it’s origin as a project developed by NASA, but then taken over by DARPA before becoming the responsibility of the US Air Force has also spawned all manner of suggestions as to what its purpose might be. Some conspiracy theorists have posited that perhaps it is some kind of spy plane, while more fantastic researchers have put forward the idea that the X-27B is somehow connected to the UFO phenomenon.
Alas, an Air Force press release announcing the completion of the X-37B’s latest mission provided little in the way of solid answers and just enough vague hints to maintain the craft’s cryptic reputation. To that end, the statement declared that “this mission successfully hosted Air Force Research Laboratory experiments, among others, as well as providing a ride for small satellites.” What, exactly, was being done aboard the space plane as well as the nature of the satellites it deployed were unfortunately not revealed to the public. Be that as it may, it would seem that the return to Earth is merely a brief respite for the craft as it is set to be launched back into space next year for what one assumes will be another mysterious marathon mission.
TODAY’S BIG QUESTION: IS HALLOWEEN REALLY A HOLIDAY?
While some may question the origins and legitimacy of Halloween, it apparently is one of America’s favorite holidays. In 2019, according to the National Retail Federation’s consumer survey, 172 million Americans plan to participate in the holiday. So where did this tradition come from and why is there such devotion to it?
The holiday is believed to have originated with the celebration of Samhain, a Celtic harvest festival, observed between sunsets on October 31 and November 1. According to the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, Celts began the Halloween tradition of wearing costumes, often animal skin to hide themselves from spirits, and masks to impersonate ancestors who had preceded them to the spirit world.
Revelers went from house to house performing silly acts in exchange for food and drink, possibly an extension of an earlier custom of leaving refreshments outdoors as offerings to supernatural beings. This likely inspired today’s trick-or-treat traditions.
Some believe the day has pagan roots. Christian leaders stepped in to transform pagan holidays, and in the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV decreed November 1 All Saints’ Day, or All Hallows’ Day. In some parts of the world, Christians attend services and visit graves. The celebration of Halloween became more popular with Irish immigration to the U.S. in the 1800s. Anoka, Minnesota, may be home to the United States’ oldest official Halloween celebration. In 1920, the city began staging a parade and bonfire to mark the day.
Still a Halloween skeptic? Consumers are expected to spend $8.8 billion on Halloween. Beyond the billions in candy and decorations, there’s this: 29 million people plan to dress their pets in Halloween costumes.
The MarkoZen Blog 