Comics Review: "ELVIRA in Horrorland Volume 1 #1" - Elvira Showers with Hitchcock

ELVIRA IN HORRORLAND VOLUME 1 #1
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: David Avallone
ART: Silvia Califano
COLORS: Walter Pereya
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Dave Acosta
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Dave Acosta; John Royle; Silvia Califano
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (May 2022)

Rated Teen+

Chapter One: Bloch Party

In 1981, actress and model Cassandra Peterson created the “horror hostess character,” known as “Elvira.”  Elvira gradually grew in popularity and eventually became a brand name.  As Elvira, Peterson endorsed many products and became a pitch-woman, appearing in numerous television commercials throughout the 1980s.

Elvira also appeared in comic books, beginning in 1986 with the short-lived series from DC Comics, Elvira's House of Mystery.  In 2018, Elvira returned to comic books via Dynamite Entertainment.  Elvira's latest comic book series is Elvira in Horrorland Volume 1.  The series is written by David Avallone; drawn by Silvia Califano; colored by Walter Pereyra; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.  The series finds Elvira trapped in the Multiverse of Movies.

Elvira in Horrorland Volume 1 #1 (“Bloch Party”) opens in the aftermath of Elvira's adventures with the ghost of the late, great film legend, Vincent Price (see Elvira Meets Vincent Price).  Part of those adventures included the discover that all movies create their own little “pocket dimensions.”

Now, Elvira finds herself in the pocket dimension belonging to one of the most famous horror films of all time, directed by one of the most influential and greatest filmmakers of all time.  That should be wonderful for Elvira, except that the movie includes an infamous and famous brutal murder in a shower.  To return to her own world, Elvira just has to find a “magical remote control” (Hello, Pleasantville), but can she really let things play out in this pocket dimension the way they are supposed to?  Well, there wouldn't be an entire comic book if she didn't.

THE LOWDOWN:  In July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Elvira in Horrorland Volume #1, one of many Dynamite Elvira comic books that I have read and enjoyed.

By now, anyone who is a regular reader of my comic book reviews know that I adore Elvira comic books written by David Avallone and published by Dynamite Entertainment.  So, it is best just to move on, although I should note that I was surprised to see David make an extended reference to the notorious and pointless remake of the film that Elvira visits this issue.

Artist Silvia Califano superbly captures the spirit of this “pocket dimension” and conveys a sense of humor that I think only the best MAD Magazine satirists and parody masters could pull off.  Califano's art even resembles Howard Chaykin's peak art from the 1980s, especially the 1986 miniseries now known as The Shadow: Blood and Judgment.  Califano's sense of style and mood are superb, with the storytelling really having a sense of movement.

Taylor Esposito's lettering stabilizes the storytelling, bring order to the madcap, and colorist Walter Pereya certainly adds a jarring note at the right time.  Of course, I expected this creative team to pull this off.  Of course, I expected Elvira in Horrorland #1 to be good.  Now, I expect you to go out and buy it and other Avallone Elvira productions.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Elvira and of David Avallone's Elvira comic books will want to read Elvira in Horrorland Volume 1.

[This comic book includes “Dynamite Dispatch” May 2022, which features an interview with writer Jordan Clark.]

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 15th to 21st, 2021 - Update #18

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  "Free Guy" looks to repeat as weekend box office champ, while "Paw Patrol" looks to make a strong debut. 

TELEVISION - From Variety:  HBO's series about the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers loses actor Bo Burnham, who was to play NBA great Larry Bird, but gains five more cast members, including Sean Patrick Small as Burnham's replacement to play Bird.

STAR TREK - From Deadline:   Roddenberry Entertainment is quietly working on a biographical film about the late Gene Roddenberry, the creator of "Star Trek" and a television writer-producer whose career spanned decades.

MARVEL STUDIOS - From Variety:  Actor Anthony Mackie has reportedly signed a deal to star in "Captain America 4."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The BBC and Miramax are developing a television series based on Michael Ondaatje's novel, "The English Patient."  The novel was previously adapted by the late Anthony Minghella into a 1996 film that won nine Oscars, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director."

MEDIA - From Deadline:  Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions expands with multiple promotions across the company.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  "Spencer," the film starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana, will hit theaters November 5th.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   AMC Networks has set fall premiere dates for new and returning series across its AMC, AMC+, Acorn TV, AllBlk, BBC America, Shudder, Sundance Now, SundanceTV and WeTV.  Newly revealed dates include the new seasons of "Doctor Who" and "Creepshow "and new series such as "Ragdoll," "Kin," and "Ultra City Smiths.

STAR TREK - From YahooLATimes:   There is a three-battle to be the conservator of Nichelle Nichols, legendary "Star Trek" actress, and it is ugly.

STREAMING - From THR:   In a brewing 100 million dollar deal, Sony Animation's "Hotel Transylvania: Transformania" could bypass its theatrical run and stream on Amazon Prime

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  The winner of the 8/13 to 8/15/2021 weekend box office is "Free Guy" (starring Ryan Reynolds) with an estimated take of 28.4 million dollars.

From Deadline:  Sylvester Stallone has appeared in a movie that was #1 at the box office in six consecutive decades.  Stallone is a voice actor in last weekend's number one film, "The Suicide Squad."

POLITICS - From YahooTheWeek:   It turns out a minor actor participated in the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol building.  Michael Aaron Carico, 33, was arrested Wed., August 11th in Burbank, California.

CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:   In his first interview since loosing his libel suit against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, Johnny Depp speaks out about the "Hollywood boycott" of him.

DISNEY - From GiantFreakingRobot:   The site is reporting that the Walt Disney Company has cut all ties and projects with actress Scarlet Johansson, who is suing Disney over profit sharing for the film, "Black Widow."

NETFLIX - From WeGotThisCovered:   Director Leigh Janiak wants her "Fear Street" three-piece to develop into the Marvel Cinematic Universe of horror.

STREAMING - From Deadline:   Apple is closing in on a mega-deal to obtain director Paolo Sorrentino's biopic about Sue Mengers, the legendary female Hollywood agent who broke barriers in what had largely been a boys' club.  Oscar-winner, Jennifer Lawrence, is slated to play Mengers.

OBITS:

From Variety:   The Japanese actor and martial artist, Sonny Chiba, has died at the age of 82, Thursday, August 19, 2021 from complications of COVID-19.  American audiences will remember him for his roles in "Kill Bill Volume 1" (2003) and "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" (2006).

From MeTV:  The English actress and producer, Patricia "Pat" Hitchcock, has died at the age of 93, Monday, August 9, 2021.  Pat was the only child of famed director Alfred Hitchcock and his wife, Alma Reville, the English screenwriter and film editor.  Pat appeared in 10 episodes of the TV series, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents."  She also appeared in several of her father's films, including "Stage Fright" (1950) and "Psycho" (1960).  Her most substantial role in a Hitchcock film was playing "Barbara Morton" in "Strangers on a Train" (1951).

Comic Books, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for May 29, 2019

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites for the Week of January 4th to 10th, 2015 - Updated #17

NEWS:

From YahooTV:  ESPN teams with Marvel Entertainment, Spike Lee, and Eva Longoria for new film series.

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From ShadowandAct:  Jordan Peele of the comedy team, "Key & Peele" is working on a horror movie with an interesting premise:  the "horror" of being a black man in today's America.

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From Variety:  For the third weekend in a row, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is the #1 film.  For the weekend of Jan. 2nd to 4th, 2015, the final film in The Hobbit trilogy won the weekend box office with an estimated take $21.9 million.


COMIC BOOKS:

From NerdReactor:  "Batman Vs. Superman" could be divided into 2 films, with the first debuting October 2015 and the second retaining the March 2016 release date.

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From NerdReactor:  DC Comics has a new Power Girl, and she is a young Black woman.

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From YahooTV:  Edward James Olmos joins "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

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From IBTimes:  Crazy "Iron Man 4" rumors.

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From HitFix:  "Daredevil" will hit Netflix on Friday, April 10th, 2015.

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From HitFix:  "Ant-Man" trailer.

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From Newsarama:  Scarlett Johannsen signs to play the lead in the adaptation of the manga/anime, Ghost in the Shell.


STAR WARS:

From YahooMovies:  Liam Neeson wouldn't mind a return to Star Wars.  I wouldn't mind his return either.

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From FlickeringMyth:  The latest news about the "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" toys suggest that Darth Vader will return in some form.


REVIEWS:

From Indiewire:  What Clint Eastwood's American Sniper says about America.

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From TheIntercept: Another penetrating gaze at American Sniper


OBIT:

From Variety:  Samuel Goldwyn Jr., the son of legendary Hollywood mogul, Samuel Goldwyn, died at the age of 88 on Friday, January 9, 2015.  He won a Primetime Emmy for producing the 1988 Oscar ceremony.  He was nominated for a best picture Oscar as one of the producers of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

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From TheWrap:  The actor, Rod Taylor, died at the age of 84 on Wednesday, January 7, 2015.  He was best known for his roles in Alfred Hitchock's The Birds and in the 1960 film version of The Time Machine."

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From YahooMovies:  Khan Bonfils, the actor who played Jedi master "Saesee Tiin" Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, died in London on Wednesday, January 7, 2015.

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From YahooCelebrity:  I am a huge fan of the Los Angeles Lakers.  Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak is suffering a personal loss.  His 15-year-old daughter, Alina, died Monday, January 5, 2014.

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From People: ESPN personality and longtime SportsCenter anchor, Stuart Scott, died at the age of 49, today, Sunday, January 4th, 2015.  He had been battling cancer since 2007.  Negromancer sends condolences to Stuart's family and friends.  I am kind of at a loss for words right now.

Review: "Vertigo" Gets Better With Each Viewing (Happy B'day, Kim Novak)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 20 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Vertigo (1958)
Running time: 129 minutes (2 hours, 9 minutes - 1996 restored version); MPAA – PG-13
DIRECTOR: Alfred Hitchcock
WRITERS: Alec Coppel and Samuel Taylor (based upon the novel, …d’Entre les Morts by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac)
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Robert Burks
EDITOR: George Tomasini
COMPOSER: Bernard Herrmann
Academy Award nominee

MYSTERY/DRAMA/ROMANCE/THRILLER

Starring: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes, Tom Helmore, Henry Jones, Raymond Bailey, Ellen Corby, and Konstantin Shayne

The subject of this movie review is Vertigo, a 1958 mystery and psychological thriller directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock (who did not receive a screen credit as producer). The film underwent a major restoration in 1996, which was produced by James C. Katz. The film is based upon the 1954 crime novel …d’Entre les Morts by Boileau-Narcejac, the penname of French crime fiction writers, Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac.

Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo was a box office failure at the time of its initial release, and it even received mixed critical reaction. Today, many consider the film to be Hitchcock’s masterpiece, with some going so far as to call it one of the greatest films of all time. It’s not just that the film is an unusual mixture of mystery, drama, and romance with an occasional light-hearted touch of the comic; it is also that the film is a taut suspense thriller and a doomed romance with a surprising twist.

Police Detective John “Scottie” Ferguson (James Stewart) has a crippling fear of heights (acrophobia) and it inadvertently costs a fellow officer his life during a police foot chase across the rooftops of San Francisco. His fear causes Scottie to retire, but an old friend, Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore), comes to Scottie with a unique problem that requires his skills. Elster believes that his pretty young wife, Madeleine (Kim Novak), is possessed by the tormented ghost of her grandmother. He convinces Scottie to tail Madeleine and make sure she doesn’t come to harm in her mentally shaky state, but Scottie slowly falls in love with Madeleine while tracking her daily movements. However, a tragic accident draws Scottie into a complex vortex of deceit, murder, and obsession, and Scottie’s mind can’t handle the strain of figuring out what’s really happened.

So much about this film amazes me. Bernard Herrmann’s mesmerizing score is one of the most beautiful examples of film music; it’s so haunting and so easily alters the mood when Hitchcock requires it. The handsome cinematography is almost too lavish for a noir-ish, mystery thriller like Vertigo, but it ably serves the long, lingering shots. Edith Head’s fabulous costumes, in particularly Kim Novak’s gowns, are both stylish and evocative – creating the dreamlike and ethereal qualities that add to Vertigo’s ambiance. The performances are good with James Stewart appearing unusually limp and impotent as a besieged detective/hero. Kim Novak swoons from coquette to working girl/devil girl with chameleonic ease.

As usual, however, the star is Hitchcock the director. Despair has rarely been so beautiful and love so rarely a gorgeously concocted labyrinth of tricks. He lays it all before us, a pulsating rhythm of surreal moments, fever dreams, and brilliant switches. Reality really isn’t what it seems, or maybe it is. Reality is more than just what passes in front of the eye. If you can’t figure that out, your mind will go falling through a vortex. Vertigo is Hitchcock’s supremely clever spin on the mystery film – all the way to the haunting final shot.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
1959 Academy Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White or Color” (Hal Pereira, Henry Bumstead, Sam Comer, and Frank R. McKelvy) and “Best Sound” (George Dutton-Paramount SSD)

1989 National Film Preservation Board: National Film Registry

Friday, January 27, 2006

Review: "Rear Window" Always Looks Great (Happy B'day, Jimmy Stewart)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 212 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Rear Window (1954)
Running time: 113 minutes (1 hour, 53 minutes)
PRODUCER/DIRECTOR: Alfred Hitchcock
WRITER: John Michael Hayes (from the story, “It Had to be Murder,” by Cornell Woolrich)
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Robert Burks
EDITOR: George Tomasini
COMPOSER: Franz Waxman
Academy Award nominee

MYSTERY/THRILLER

Starring: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Thelma Ritter, Raymond Burr, Judith Evelyn, Ross Bagdasarian, and Georgine Darcy

Director Alfred Hitchcock received one of his six Oscar® nominations in the category of “Best Director” (he never won) for the classic mystery/thriller, Rear Window. Although many recognize the film as a masterful technical exercise, it is the film’s technical aspects that make it so special. Without Hitchcock’s bravura display of framing, shooting, and movement within the film, Rear Window would be a nice mystery flick; Hitchcock’s expert choices and subtle use of strong visual language makes it a quietly intense thriller and mystery picture.

The plot is simple. L.B. “Jeff” Jeffries (James Stewart) is a globe trotting photographer laid up with a severely broken leg. Jeff’s stuck in his apartment during a blistering summer heat wave, so he takes to spying out of his rear window on his Greenwich Village neighbors, using his powerful camera and photographic equipment. That’s fine, but things turn hotter when he suspects that his neighbor directly across the way, Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr), has murdered his invalid wife. He convinces his girlfriend, Lisa Carol Fremont (Grace Kelley), of his theory, and though she’s busy trying to convince Jeff to marry her, Lisa stops to involve herself in Jeff’s investigation. Jeff also convinces his nurse, Stella (Thelma Ritter), that Thorwald murdered his wife, but he can’t sell it to his World War II buddy, police detective Lt. Thomas J. Doyle (Wendell Corey). Still, Jeff, Lisa, and Stella advance their own private investigation, but it moves them towards danger once Thorwald realizes that someone is watching him.

Although the film is ostensibly about voyeurism, Rear Window shows a fascination that people have with other people’s life. Hitchcock had a huge self-contained world created in the form of a film sound stage so that he could fashion the other lives of which his main character Jeff would be curious. As much as I wanted to follow the plot of the murder mystery (which Hitchcock slowly reveals with delicious anticipation), I was equally curious about the lives of Jeff’s other neighbors.

Hitchcock shoots practically the entire film (except for a few shots) from Jeff’s apartment, using the camera to spy out of Jeff’s rear window on the neighbors. This is one of the greatest examples of how the camera cannot so much manipulate as it can mesmerize an audience. With hypnotic intensity, I followed the camera’s every move, vainly trying to absorb as much as I could.

Rear Window is a film that stands the test of time not so much because of its subject matter, but because it is a technical masterpiece, a virtuoso display of cinematic technique. What keeps this film from being perfect are the performances and story. James Stewart and Grace Kelly are working purely on star power and relying on the fact that Hitchcock’s direction will do much of their work for them; for much of the film’s first three-quarters, Ms. Kelly merely just moves around looking like the goddess she was.

The murder at the center of the story lacks drama, mainly because we never get to know the Thorwalds and their private drama. Thus, Mrs. Anna Thorwald (Irene Winston) doesn’t garner much sympathy; it’s as if she’s just another murder statistic. It’s Hitchcock’s specific execution of the plot and his unique vision of filming the script that take this to another level, so it’s not to be missed by people who really like watching movies, not just as a pastimes, but as the work of artists and craftsmen.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
1955 Academy Awards: 4 nominations: “Best Director” (Alfred Hitchcock), “Best Cinematography, Color” (Robert Burks), “Best Sound, Recording” (Loren L. Ryder-Paramount), and “Best Writing, Screenplay” (John Michael Hayes)

1955 BAFTA Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Film from any Source” (USA)

1997 National Film Preservation Board, USA - National Film Registry


Rear Window (Collector's Edition) (See all Mystery Movies & TV)