The Skeleton Dance

 

The Skeleton Dance was released on August 20th, 1929.

This Danse macabre inspired animated short was the first of the Silly Symphony series directed and produced by Walt Disney. 

Related:

Hell’s Bells

Ghost Town Frolics

Also on this date:

William Friedkin born in 1935

Ben Gazzara

Ben Gazzara’s career spanned over half a century in film, television and stage in the US and Europe. 

Biago Anthony Gazzara

On stage...

...and television

 

I’d like to say their was a Gazzara-ssance in the late 80’s into the 90’s but looking at his filmography the man had never stopped working.

Road House (1989)

That not so deceptive smile. 

If you see this smile run. 

In Vincent Gallo’s Buffalo ‘66 (1998)

Born August 28th, 1930.

Also on this date:

Barbara Bach was born in 1946

Let’s Scare Jessica to Death

On August 27th, 1971 Let’s Scare Jessica to Death premiered in NYC.

This psychological slow burn had a great score and easily held my attention for the full 89 minutes.

That’s saying something since the internet ate my brain. 

Mariclare Costello and Zohra Lampert

Also on this date:

Glen Matlock was born in 1956

Yvette Vickers

Yvette Vickers was born on August 26th, 1928 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Vickers in Attack of the 50 ft. Woman

with Sally Kellerman

 

Yvette Vickers (1928-2010)

Also on this date:

Ola Ray born in 1960

Zombi v Shark

 It’s been exactly 42 years to the day since Lucio Fulci released this beast on the world. 

Zombi v Shark

The last time I watched this was at the now defunct Beach Theater in St. Pete Beach. 

We’ve lost entirely too many of these gems. 

The ol’ Beach Theater

Fabio Frizzi - Sequence 1

Related:

Also on this date in 1909, Michael Rennie was born

Zombi aka Dawn of the Dead released 9/1/79

Night of the Living Dead

Rock n’ Roll High School

Opened in NYC on August 24th, 1979.

P.J. Soles and the Ramones

Filmed on location in Los Angeles at the defunct Mount Carmel high school. 

They actually blew up the school at the end of the movie. 

It doesn’t get much more rock n’ roll than that. 

Mary Woronov and special effects artist
Rob Bottin as Ms. Mouse

Rock and Roll High School (1979)
with Rob Bottin 

The Ramones First Show 8/16/1974

Ramones - Ramones

The Ramones Last Show  8/6/1996

Also on this date:

Steve Guttenberg born in 1958

Bolaji Badejo

Bolaji Badejo was born in Lagos, Nigeria on August 23rd, 1953.

The original Xenomorph in his only acting role. 

Alien (1979)

Related:

Alien: Resurrection 

Barbara Eden was born on this date in 1931

Cindy Williams

I was thinking...

Cindy Williams has some cult cred.

Williams in Drive, He Said

A post-apocalyptic Roger Corman 1970 black comedy 

Gas-s-s-s.

Jack Nicholson’s 1971 directorial debut Drive, He Said. 

Beware! The Blob was Larry Hagman’s campy 1973 sequel to The Blob from 1958.

Psychological horror from 1973 The Killing Kind by director Curtis Harrington.

Also in ‘73 was George Lucas’ American Graffiti. She later auditioned for Princess Leah. 

Let’s all take a moment to imagine that alternate reality.

Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation (1974)
with Frederic Forrest

The cult comedy The First Nudie Musical from 1976 received a lot of play on Cinemax in its earliest days. I remember dad getting pissed because Shirley didn’t get naked in it. 

Director Bruce Kimmel later brought Williams in on another of his projects. 1983’s The Creature Wasn’t Nice. 

It’s... 

An Alien parody musical starring Leslie Nielsen. 

aka Naked Space

Laverne and Shirley (1976-1983)
with Michael McKean, Penny Marshall, 
David Lander and Leslie Easterbrook 

Cindy Williams, born August 22nd, 1947. 

Also on this date:

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 was released in 1986