Bob Larkin Skulls!

Wow... finally updating this old, old, OLD blog for the first time in years... a DECADE to be fairly exact! Why? Why revive a rotted, decayed, mummified old blog after all this time?

Well, I have created a new Facebook group devoted to artist Bob Larkin, and he shared a couple of uber-cool skulls he had painted, and I thought they belonged here as well! While you are at it, join us at the group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/boblarkinappreciationgroup

Revenge of the Zombies

The Skeletal Spotlight shines this time on:
The poster art for "Revenge of the Zombies."
(Click on image to view full-size.)

Also known as "Black Magic 2" this 1976 kung-fu/horror exploitation movie has a little of everything in it, but equals a lot of nothing. Still, there are a whole lot more worse ways to spend an evening. Cool poster.

Ghost Town posters

The Skeletal Spotlight shines this time on:
The poster art for Empire Studio's 1988 "Ghost Town."
(Click in images to view full-size.)

You've heard of the gunfighter called "The Man With No Name,"
now meet "The Man With No Flesh."

Something tells me that this town's Welcome Wagon is driven by the undertaker.

Awesome skele-centric artwork on these two posters! Worthy entries into the Sweet Skulls crypt of archives.

The Undertaker And His Pals poster

The Skeletal Spotlights shines this time on:
The poster for "The Undertaker and His Pals"

(Click on image to view large size!)

Cool skull-enhanced poster art for the 1966 "classic" film.

Earl Norem Skull

The Skeletal Spotlight shines this time on:
Earl Norem's Skull Art
(Click on image to view large-size!)

Earl Norem, the artist responsible for so many memorable monster and comic book covers, as well card art on the legendary "Mars Attacks!" cards, also lent his considerable talent to the lesser-known "Dinosaurs Attack!" set from Topps that they put out in 1998. The panels picture above are from his art for the graphic novel adaptation of the card story. To find out what's happening in the scene above, and to see more eye-popping Norem art, as well as get the whole story on the unbelievable gory "Dinosaurs Attack!" bubblegum cards, go to my other blog "Monster Memories."

Cry Of The Banshee Posters

The skeletal spotlight shines today on:
The poster art for 1971's "Cry Of The Banshee"

You gotta love this one; a skull, busoms, a riding skeleton, torture; awesome graphic art of the title; and the coolest poetry you will ever read on a tombstone.

Glowing USB Human Skull

source: http://www.geekalerts.com/usb-skull/

Now, you can look awesomely cool, instead of nerdy, when using your computer! Won't the girls just flock to you, enamored by your bad-boy demeanor and attitude? Um, well... probably not. But you will have fun eating Doritos and drinking Mountain Dew by the light of this nifty glowing thingie!

Skull MP3 Player

This is sure to attract the chicks when they see you coming down the street boogieing to your music! What kind of chicks, is an open question.

link: http://www.geekalerts.com/human-skull-mp3-player-belt-buckle-with-leds/

And here: http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/11/17/mp3playing-skull-bel.html

New Terminator: salvation posters

I'm getting more excited the more of this I see. Let's hope this is the start of a new trilogy!

Source: IGN's Terminator: Salvation posters and images

Evidence Of Skeleton People Unearthed

The Skeletal Spotlight shines this time on:
News Story: "Archaeological Dig Uncovers Ancient Race Of Skeleton People"

Archeologist investigates remains of spooky skeleton person.

It may be old news, but for readers of this site, it's exciting: evidence that a race of living skeletons once walked the earth! Incontrovertable findings show that the scary skeleton of fiction really did once exist.

For the full story read: Skeleton People

Also: while there, read the Opinion "Things Just Taste Better Out Of A Skull." Delightfully refreshing!

Masters of the Universe promo

The Skeletal Spotlight shines this time on:
"Masters of the Universe"
(Click on images to view full-size.)

Say what you will about the film, that is one great piece of poster art.

The pages scanned in here are from a glossy newspaper-format promo magazine for upcoming Cannon films, which was sent to video stores at the time. This is to promote the VHS release of the movie.

I resisted watching this movie for nearly a year after it came out on video, as I considered it far beneath me. A movie based on a silly kid's toy line? No way would I watch this dreck!

But, I finally gave in and rented it; and surprise, surprise, surprise: I enjoyed it! People complain of it's cheesiness, but I like cheese in moderation, and this is like creamy Velveeta on a crisp, fresh Saltine cracker. As silly as it is, and it is very silly, there are some things to like about it. An awesome score by Bill Conti brings a weight and emotional impact not expected; Frank Langella as Skeletor brings to the role his voice and regal but wry bearing. Other things that stand out; Meg Foster's spooky eyes as Evil-Lyn, Teela's thong-enhanced tights, James Tolkan (Mr. Strickland from "Back To The Future") doing his usual character as Detective Lubic; epic sets and effects, bringing to life the Moebius art design. Somehow the movie succeeds in rising about it's toy-based roots and does it with a grin that says "we know it's dumb, but let's have some fun with it!"

The departures from the animated series concepts only served to make it a better movie, moving it more into a science fiction realm than that of sorcery. And bringing the action to Earth, involving a teen couple as our link to reality, makes the drama more close to home and relatable.

So, I've watched far, far dumber movies than this with lesser music, actors, effects and story. Why shouldn't I put this on occasionally and enjoy it for what it is? Cheese-Whiz squirted right out of the can onto the tongue.

Happy Valentine's Day!

The Skeletal Spotlight shines this time on...
Those Loving Bones

"Our Love Will Go On"

Ah, Valentine's Day... when lovers everywhere exchange gifts to commemorate a bloody massacre in Chicago in 1929. I hope you and your loved one connect on a deep level this weekend. And guys, remember... it's not about the candy, cards, stuffed animals, and jewelry... but just try not getting them and see how important they are.

Source: http://chrispeters.com/chrispweb/

And now to the real question... whither Sweet Skulls?

My recent approach to dealing with the stress.

You know how it is when you owe a friend some money and you don't have it, so you start avoiding them? You'd rather just not have to deal with them, knowing that they expect you to pay them back... but really, they'd rather have you around than not.

That's how I've been treating this blog, and consequently my regular readers. A few months back I had a harddrive crash and I lost all the many files I had collected to post on this blog. It kind of took the wind out of my sails as far as the ability to post regularly, and I've avoided even visiting it since I knew I owed my online pals more of what I had been delivering. I had to admit I had kind of run out of steam when it came to skulls. I have to go looking for things to post, as opposed to drawing out of my own resources and collected items. I have updated my three other blogs regularly, since their topics are easy to come up with new material out of my collection.

In fact, I'm on the verge of starting a new blog that focuses on science fiction similar to the way My Monster Memories focuses on horror. As yet un-named, it will spotlight movies, TV shows, cartoons, books, whatever I pull out of my collection bookcases or DVD shelves.

Don't worry; I'll continue to post occasionally on Sweet Skulls, as I find something post-worthy. It's now basically a vault of skeletal remains, remaining as a memorial, to be opened sometimes as new bones are deposited. But I do encourage you to often visit my other blogs, as I have no trouble finding material for them more regularly. They are:

My Monster Memories (The place to go if you liked this one; it's really very similar.)

My Star Trek Scrapbook (For Trekkers, obviously; old newspaper and magazine articles, and items from my 35+ year-old collection.)

Held Over! Movie Ads (For those who like their old movie ads black and white, half-toned and yellowed, from my thick scrapbooks.)

And I'll announce when the new Sci-Fi blog launches. So, thanks for reading, and come back sometimes, but more importantly, visit and bookmark the other blogs, where the action is.

Until next time, the vault doors creak shut...

Happy New Year!

It's hard to blow a horn with no lungs!

The entire staff of Sweet Skulls (as well as that of Monster Memories, Held Over Movies and My Star Trek Scrapbook) wishes you a New Year filled with success and happiness. And by entire staff I mean me.

And here's a cool link I just found that's right up my bony ally!

The Face of the Future Part 2

The Skeletal Spotlight shines this time on:
"The Ghost of Christmas Yet-To-Come" from "Scrooged"
(Click on images to see larger.)

Did you ever get the weird feeling that your TV is watching you?

In the 1988 film "Scrooged," Bill Murray stars as a modern-day lost soul in dire need of redemption. This is the second film to show the Ghost of Christmas Future as the skull-faced specter, but with a twist; the ghost has a TV screen in the hood that shows different images.

Taking a stiff drink to get a grip, the bony hand of the future is about to get a grip on him.

Eash Spirit is given a different interpretation than the usual; The Spirit of Christmas Past is an elfin cab-driver; the Spirit of Christmas Present a giddy, violence-prone fairy; however, the Ghost of Christmas Yet-To-Come is the closest to the original, only with more emphasis on the horror.

When cornered in the elevator by the oversized Ghost, a peek inside it's robe reveals the trapped souls of previous victims, an idea borrowed from the Nightmare on Elm Street series. More the specter of Death here than any other version, it only needs a scythe to complete the image.

At one point the shifting images in the Ghost's face screen reflect the main character's own visage in a decayed and horrific state. All this convinces our man Frank Cross to change his ways, although one gets the idea that he repents only to save his life, instead of having a truly humbling and heart-changing experience. This movie is pretty low on my list of favorite versions of the story, but it's worth a watch for a holiday laugh, like "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."

In any event, we can all learn from Scrooge's lessons, and hopefully "to open our shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below us as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys."

For a special treat, read the entire Marvel
comic adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" here!

Have a wonderful Christmas!
And, as Tiny Tim observed, "God Bless Us, Every one!"

The Face of the Future

The Skeletal Spotlight shines this time on:
"The Ghost of Christmas Yet-To-Come"

(Click on images to view larger.)

"Hey, Ebenezer, pull my finger!"

In the 1971 film "Scrooge," starring Albert Finney, we finally get to see what's hidden under the dusky shroud of the Ghost of Christmas Future. And as we suspected, it's not a pretty sight.

Scrooge did the smelly spook one better by actually soiling his shorts.

Earlier versions of the film never showed what this Ghost looked like other than the novel's description of a black-cloaked figure shrouded in darkness. But even there the resemblance to the Grim Reaper was not lost on Scrooge who, upon being taken to the cemetery in the final vision, looked upon the Ghost and "dreaded that he saw new meaning in its solemn shape."

"Watch that first step, it's a killer!"

In the scene depicted here, Scrooge, upon reading his own name on the tombstone, turns around to beg for mercy and stares straight into the bony face of his future. The fright causes him to lose balance and tumble into what is now an open grave. The film then takes this scene farther, by having Scrooge experience a little of his pending punishment right then, as he falls down a chasm til he ends up in Hades. The Disney short animated film version done years later was inspired by this scene and did their own take on it.

"And a partridge in a pear treeeee!"

This musical version of the story is my second favorite, right after the 1951 Alastair Sim version. Dickens knew that there was no better time for a ghost story than at Christmas, and he crafted the granddaddy of them all.

"Is it getting hot in here, or is it just me?"

Next time, another sinner sees the Face of Death!

Terminator Salvation teaser poster

The Skeletal Spotlight shines this time on:

The "Terminator Salvation" teaser poster

(Click to view large size.)

I have to admit this film is starting to look interesting. The trailer is intriguing, and I like the poster concept of the Terminator face formed out of the ruins of LA.

If you think this is cool, check out the animated Flash version!

I'm ready for a well-done story of the post-Judgement Day fight against the machines, leading up to the final battle when John Conner wins the war and sends his best friend (and father) back in time to stop the original cyborg, and die in the process.

I'm just hoping this film exceeds my expectations and meets my hopes, and spawns another film or two in order to bring it full circle and let us see the events at the other end of the first film.

Flesh Feast poster

The Skeletal Spotlight shines this time on:
The "Flesh Feast" poster art

You gotta love that rotting corpse hanging from the ceiling. They just don't make posters like that any more! From 1970, this el-cheapo filmed-in-Florida flick exploits the natural gag-and-ick factor of maggots, while providing ex-actress Veronica Lake a small check to pay for some extra dog food she might have needed. Surely the script didn't entice her to come out of retirement! I mean, what self-respecting actress would want that as the last movie on their filmography?

The Graveyard Shift poster

The Skeletal Spotlight shines this time on:
The "Graveyard Shift" poster

"Yeah, black lung killed me, but I'm still working off my debt to the company store!"

Although the poster seemed to promise coal miner zombies rising from the depths of the unsafe shafts to wreak bloody pick-and-shovel vengence on the tight-fisted company owners who put them at risk, no such luck. Maybe someone will make that movie someday!

As it is, it's a cool poster for a so-so movie about giant monster rats living under an old textile mill. It seems more like an extended episode of Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs" than anything else, and I can see our man Mike Rowe digging in and cleaning out the gunk and mutated rats, which aren't as nasty as some things he's had to contend with.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

The Skeletal Spotlight shines this time on:

"Planes, Trains and Automobiles"

This film is an annual Thanksgiving tradition at our house, after the big meal. This sequence is one of my favorites in a movie full of funny moments! Neal Page and Del Griffith get a glimpse of their mortality during a near-death experience.

I have to admit that I well up and get all emotional at the end when Neal takes Del home with him for the holiday.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving holiday weekend!

The House On Skull Mountain

The Skeletal Spotlight shines this time on:

"The House on Skull Mountain" poster art

(Click on image to view larger size.)

Sure, it's a bad, bad (and not in a good way) movie. But I loves me that skullicious poster art! There's just so much going on there... wicked lightning, a bleeding skull, which happens to be on fire, a panties-revealing defenestration, and probably more up in the house we aren't even seeing.

This is one of those that caught my eye when the ad appeared in my local Macon, GA newspaper in 1974. Check it out at my other blog Held Over! if you want to see it in glorious black and white halftone.