4.14 - CURSE OF THE UNDEAD (1959) and Genre Fusion

This week’s film, in an enforced change to our programming, is the 1959 movie CURSE OF THE UNDEAD. After some initial reviews, we talk about the film’s use of some changes in the vampire genre to focus on ideas of ‘good versus evil’, before talking about why this meeting of the vampire genre and the Western actually does work — and implications it might have for the rest of our mini-season.

Next Time
Our next film is the 1963 film BLACK SABBATH.

Recent Media
MUDBOUND (2017): Dee Rees, Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke
CATCH-22 (2019): George Clooney, Christopher Abbott, Kyle Chandler
AVENGERS ASSEMBLE (2012): Joss Whedon, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans

Recommendations RAWHIDE (1959–65): Thomas Carr, Clint Eastwood, Paul Brinegar
NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959): Alfred Hitchcock, Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint
QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE (1958): Edward Bernds, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Laurie Mitchell
GALLOWWALKERS (2012): Andrew Goth, Wesley Snipes, Kevin Howarth

Footnotes Firstly, in discussing the predictability of certain film genres, we talked about the idea of stereotypes; this is a fun piece about the perpetuation of certain on-screen types (and Cracked is usually a fun read): www.cracked.com/article_20082_6-insane-stereotypes-that-movies-cant-seem-to-get-over.html. We also talked about iconography on film: www.slideshare.net/spingwoodmedia/iconography-in-film-and-television. And here is a piece on successful genre mashups: www.tasteofcinema.com/2015/15-great-genre-mashup-movies-that-are-worth-watching. Finally, here’s a review of Rob’s final ‘recommendation’ — which doesn’t actually sound that terrible: https://film.avclub.com/wesley-snipes-is-a-zombie-cowboy-or-something-in-the-1798241662. It could be worse; it’s not like it features Johnny Depp as a horribly racist Native American caricature, or anything.