Monster! #17: May 2015 - Our BIGGEST Issue Ever!!!

At 118 pages, this is our biggest issue yet! Our title review this ish is Richard Glenn Schmidt’s affectionate appraisal of the notorious Euro-trash cinema classic LADY FRANKENSTEIN (1971). Daniel Best gives us “Frankenstein, The Australian Connection (Pt. 2)”, the latest instalment of his fascinating ongoing look back at governmental censorship imposed Down Under on movies in Universal’s Frankenstein series; this issue, he mostly discusses events from the 1940s. In “Cracking THE GLASSHEAD”, pop culture archaeologist Stephen R. Bissette cracks a long-lost late-’90s indie horror ultra-rarity wiiiide open, really digging deep into the archives in the process. This M! exclusive includes a never-before-published interview with the elusive movie’s director, Matthew Smith. But wait: this is only Part 1 of the article, and there’s still more to follow in MONSTER! #18! Elsewhere in this our 17th issue, howlin’ Troy Howarth contributes the second and final part of his personally-slanted article “My Favorite Lycanthropes”, in which he pits those oft-compared 1981 wolfman flicks AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON and THE HOWLING against each other in full-on furry fury! Tim Paxton dwells at some length on the ZAPATLELA “killer doll” duo (1993/2013) from India, while Steve Fenton covers two zany Mexi-monster parodies, EL CASTILLO DE LOS MONSTRUOS (1958) and LOCURA DE TERROR (1960). Our hefty review section also includes write-ups on NIGHT OF THE BLOOD BEAST (1958), THE BONE SNATCHER (2003), HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP (1980), THE MANITOU (1978), the DECOYS duo (2004/2007), THE BORROWER (1991), CARRY ON SCREAMING (1966), DARKLIGHT (2004), SEPTIC MAN (2013), CLOWN (2014), plus the Hong Kong horror THE PARK (2003) and another Indian horror, DARR @ THE MALL (2014). Other contributors to this issue are John L. Vellutini (a former M! contrib from the zine’s original 1980s incarnation, making a belated return to the fold), as well as Neil D’Silva, Michael Elvidge, Eric Messina, John Harrison, Christos Mouroukis, and, last but by no means least, Les Moore. As always, in-depth video availability for films covered is included in our back pages.