East Van Vodville Cinema

As the weather cools and darkness creeps in ever closer, our thoughts go to all the things that go bump in the night, and how to most effectively simulate that in front of a camera for as little monetary outlay as possible. We like our prose purple, our villains overwrought and our art direction sideways.

We had a request this month for the movie IT, starring none other than Vodville favorite Tim Curry in the titular role. Notably, It was shot locally, and features the work of practical special effects legend John Thomas, widely considered to be the godfather of special effects in Vancouver, putting Vancouver on the map as the place to shoot SPFX heavy films. His work to build capability and pushing his crew to go the extra step to make the rig better is a significant part of why we have the local film industry we do today.

It’s hard to overstate how wide and deep John Thomas’s legacy runs, but you’re looking at a piece of it right now… If you’ve ever wondered how this little theatre has been able to survive two straight years of continuous outdoor use and abuse, it’s in large part because we learned how to build gear from people who learned from John Thomas.

Vincent Price gets to the heart of the matter, from Roger Corman’s classic 1962 horror anthology; Vincent Price’s dulcet tones telling Tales of Terror. [0:43]
The famous drain scene from 1990’s IT. Just look at that long dolly shot of shafting light through movie rain. [2:20]
The keyframe cops get dispatched to a haunted house in Ub Iwerks’ 1930 animation, The Cuckoo Murder Case. [0:46]
A snippet of 1962 industrial lobbying ephemeralia by The National Association of Wholesalers, featuring none other than Buster Keaton as The Devil to Pay. [1:55]
A recent addition to the public domain, the first Silly Symphony, 1929’s The Skeleton Dance was among the first films created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks when they formed their own studio. Iwerks and Disney parted ways not long after this film. [3:11]
1989’s George’s Island would like to remind you that the prohibition on talking to strangers does extend to self-assembling skeletons, especially if they are promising treasure. That’s just old timey puppies-in-a-van or balloons-in-a-sewer. [0:57]
The Nightmare before Christmas 1993 it’s a Vodville Halloween tradition at this point. We hope the eventual cease-and-desist from Elfman’s lawyers comes on seasonally appropriate letterhead. [3:18]
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark 1988 Content Warning: spiders, codpieces, and late 80s mandatory white person movie rapping. [1:30]
The Seventh Seal 1957. The Bertuzzi Shot (look it up) to end all Bertuzzi Shots, this, the most iconic shot of Ingmar Bergman’s filmography, was a hastily arranged target of opportunity after most of the cast had wrapped, and featured several press-ganged crew members and at least two tourists. [2:21]
Tales of Terror 1962 A toast to three horror greats; Roger Corman, Vincent Price, and Peter Lorre, whom you should never go in against when death is on the line. [2:33]
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark 1988 It is a truth universally acknowledged that a producer in possession of a cheeseball script must be in want of a classically trained Shakespearean villain. [1:09]
{after 9pm} 1990’s IT. Not the strangest thing that librarian has seen today, but probably in her top five. [2:12]
The Masque of the Red Death 1964 After the forest was cut down, the Lorax moved to Florida, fell asleep at a discount tanning salon, and started a side hustle as a closing act for billionaire bunker parties. [3:01]
Ghoulies 1984 when you get right down to it, most rituals invoking eldritch horrors would look ridiculous with the lights on. [2:06]
Burnaby Village museum, where you can reach out and touch history… or vice versa. Featured here in 1990’s IT. [2:12]
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark 1988 In the before times, the long long ago, before Door Dash… but blessedly, after garburators. [3:34]
Cooking up some cocktails with Peter Lorre, and Vincent Price, from 1963’s The Raven. Another masterpiece from Corman’s Poe period. [2:32]
Monster Party? Jules Bass’s 1967 swinging salute to the greats of horror. [3:07]
The true horror is the mandatory holiday party season. Ghoulies, 1984, formal dinner party.. scarry. [1:02]
The Witches notable for being Jim Henson’s final film, it also features Anjelica Huston and Mai Zetterling squaring off, and Mr Bean with the cleaver assist. [3:24]
Price pontificates with the purplest of purple prose possible from The Tomb of Ligeia, 1964. I’m getting strong goth Herzog vibes. [0:42]
Cave of the Silken Web 1927 A Monk on a Journey to the West is ensnared by a beautiful spinster. Once thought lost, in 2011 ¾ of this film was rediscovered in the Archives of the National Library of Norway. This version features additional Norwegian jokes in the intertitles; no word on whether the writer’s sister-in-law has recovered from her moose bite. [1:05]
Tales of Terror, 1962. Is this real life? [2:18]
Lock in your detached grave now before it gets bought up by developers and turned into a columbarium. IT, 1990. [1:10]
Killer Klowns from Outer Space, 1988 Much like mice, there is never “a clown” only “clowns”. Van-pooling to set in a Smart Fortwo, and you know we can’t resist a good pie fight. [1:52]
Spidermen? Risky stunts? Live musical theatre? No, it’s not Turn Off the Dark; it’s The Web of Love from 1929’s The Great Gabbo. [1:46]
Ub Iwerks’ 1930 animation, The Cuckoo Murder Case. abridged. In an alternate trouser leg of time, the Magic Kingdom is presided over by a frog rather than a mouse, and the Cubs still haven’t won a World Series. [3:27]
Back to Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, here she casts a heeling spell before busting out of the cemetery. When your cleric rolls a nat 20 on a dex check with disadvantage. [1:01]
The Raven, 1963. Boris Karloff, Vincent Price; wizard off! For one chilling moment, the producers were terrified that they were going to have to shell out to animate all those gargoyles… but Corman’s true genius in hitting the story beat with the absolute least prevailed. [2:54]
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark 1988 Conveniently placed army surplus shop comes in clutch. [0:58]
Count Floyd’s and the cast of Toronto’s own SCTV, present Monster Chiller Horror Theatre – House of Cats. I got chills just typing it. My $27 cheque is in the mail. [4:03]
Based upon the cat’s proportional reaction, we are forced to conclude that Price committed some unforgivable sin, like being late to put out a meal, or subjecting the cat to surprise vegetables, like cucumbers or cabbage. Tomb of Ligeia 1964. [1:21]
To conclude this evening/daytime’s entertainment, we have two different Grand Finales:
- {after 9pm} Elvira: Mistress of the Dark and her amazing dancing spiders. [1:15]
- {before 9pm} Harry Belafonte continues to star in 1988’s Beetlejuice. [2:32]

Now Playing

Spooky Season III (my, how time flies!)

We now have a Patreon – a free one.

Newsletter Sign Up.

Thank you!