Name The Monster Movie

[ChristineBCW]

This film required firemen to don yellow outfits for visibility in the night-time shoots.  Not that you could tell 'yellow'.  But cops AND firemen - all in one film!  It's also a keystone film for using a small rural American town, and in ten years, would be used in arguments to gain financing for another film on the other side of this state.

[YoungestMonsterKid]

Not a monster film?  Ask any child age 4 or 5 if they weren't scared of the flying monkees!  Hordes of them, across the sky.  Not a monster film?  Perhaps the signature villainess of all cinema history?  A film that has more repeated dialog across every walk of life?  And special effects that stand up pretty well - hosiery filled with garbage, being twirled on a bicycle wheel indeed!

Well when I was 4 and 5 I never considered it a monster film. Also, you forgot the witch.

[Ludi]

That's actually what I thought it was but I knew it couldn't be because that's not a monster movie.

That's why I decided to shoot for IFM - but yeah; flying monkeys, witch,monstrous trees....Guess I need to think out of the monster box a little more! 

[Monsters For Sale]

This film required firemen to don yellow outfits for visibility in the night-time shoots.  Not that you could tell 'yellow'.  But cops AND firemen - all in one film!  It's also a keystone film for using a small rural American town, and in ten years, would be used in arguments to gain financing for another film on the other side of this state.

"The Blob"

[ChristineBCW]

...you forgot the witch.

Uh - what part of "signature villainess of all cinema history" is not understandable?

And THE BLOB is correcto!  Whew... I'm glad I don't have to wait too long!  Now it's YOUR turn, Monsters For Sale.

(By the way, the "keystone" state of Pennsylvania hosted The Blob's filming west of Philly, and George Romero said he used this as a weapon in seeking Pittsburgh funding for NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD.  It was a Steelers vs. Eagles or Phillies vs. Pirates thing, apparently.

[Monsters For Sale]

...And THE BLOB is correcto!  Whew... I'm glad I don't have to wait too long!  Now it's YOUR turn, Monsters For Sale....

Here is another:

[YoungestMonsterKid]

Uh - what part of "signature villainess of all cinema history" is not understandable?

Oh yeah, you're right.
Still, mentioning she's a witch is important because witch's are monsters just by themselves.

[Mike Scott]

That's actually what I thought it was but I knew it couldn't be because that's not a monster movie.

Here at the UMA we do horror, sci-fi and fantasy film. If you go back through the thread, you'll find examples of all three.

[ChristineBCW]

...mentioning she's a witch is important...

There are 4 witches in the film.  One is only shown with those lovely ruby slippers, then a shriveling, retreating set of dandy socks.  Of the remaining 3, Billie Burke has hardly ever been considered 'monstrous', although like you, Dorothy certainly was surprised at a 'pretty' witch.  And a good one. 

But Margaret Hamilton's wicked witch is so far beyond a mere film monster.  I'd argue that her created character has more attention and more references than any "villainess" in film history.  (Maybe not in literature, because Snow White's evil queen is a much older character.  As is Brumhilde, and so many others.  But in general, those characters are 'only scenes' or brief sections of any book.) 

There aren't too many days that pass without a reference to "I'm MELTING!!" or "Wicked Witch".  And that film might be the most quoted film ever, with dozens of dialog lines, plus every song, becoming a virtual cliché by sheer force of repetition.

I also consider it to be the pinnacle of all Hollywood films, for the constantly-repeated songs, the dance routines, the almost complete repetition of characters and their dialog, plus special effects AND that the flat sepia toned footage is 'reality' while the vivid technicolor turns out to the fantasy. 

Of course, the biggest horror of all is early in the film - Uncle Henry and Auntie Em allowed evil Margaret to pedal away with Toto.  What nonsense!!  "Bring back the coppers, lady - this is a farm - we'll sick the hogs on anyone!"  That's be my first response... then, tell the hands to get up all the hogslop and sweet potatoes, toss 'em into the walk-up yard and have the hogs nearby, ready to charge.

[Mike Scott]

There are 4 witches in the film.  One is only shown with those lovely ruby slippers, then a shriveling, retreating set of dandy socks. 

You see WW of the East, earlier, flying around in the tornado. And then . . . (Now who's laughing!)

[ChristineBCW]

I should have typed, "There are 4 witches in the film'S STORY" because we never see the 4th Witch, Billie Burke's supposed sister, another good witch.  No idea if they were twins but that cyclone-flying witch bore a striking similarity to the figure used while sky-writing later in the film.

(BREWSTER McCLOUD arrived long before my time on this planet, but it was wonderful to see Margaret in her final film appearance as that tale opens with her wicked-witchy temperment, leading an Astrodome choir rehearsal before her doom.  She'd retired from Hollywood and moved to Houston, accepting that small role because she didn't have to travel too far or too often.  I can only hope Houston's traffic in 1970 was far better than anything the later freeways wrought.)

Meanwhile, I'm still wondering who's walking air-conditioning-shaft parapets.  Wait - that can't be an update to HAMLET, can it be?  Maybe a mash-up of THE PRISONER's orb that's chased Hamlet into an A/C shaft?!!  Nah... probably not.

[Mike Scott]

I should have typed, "There are 4 witches in the film'S STORY" because we never see the 4th Witch,

I thought you were saying that we only see the feet of the 3rd witch (WWE), but we do see her flying in the tornado, earlier.

[Jim Bertges]

Here is another:

Dark Star John Carpenters epic student film, starring Dan O'Bannon)

[Monsters For Sale]

Dark Star John Carpenters epic student film, starring Dan O'Bannon)

Correctimundo!

I actually thought this one would take a little longer.

[Mike Scott]

I actually thought this one would take a little longer.

I could have gotten it, if the "alien" was lit better.