bela lugosi

Bat Adventures Bela Lugosi

Now that the weather is warmer and getting more humid, that means there will be a lot more bugs flying around at night! That also means MORE BATS! On hot and humid night, if you are out around dusk, please look up, you will be able to see bats without the aid of a bat detector. They are awake and feeding! As mentioned in previous posts, bats need to eat their own body weight in bugs every day when they are active and dusk is a prime bug feasting time! If you want to know where the most bugs are, look up at the street lights when they come on!

If you go out to observe bats, do you have a bat detector? Are you just doing it visually? Where do you go?

Bela! Bela! Bela! How do I love thee! Let me count the bats!

Since I was a child I was mesmerized by Bela Lugosi. There was something about this mysterious man and that voice! I find his presence soothing rather than creepy. For most you either know him for his 1931 roll as Dracula or from Ed Wood Jr’s Plan 9 From Outer Space. There is so much more to Bela than just those movies.

How was I introduced to Bela? It wasn’t either of those movies. The very first movie I saw him in was White Zombie, then Mark of the Vampire, The Gorilla and The Devil Bat. These movies played often on which ever one of the four channels we had. Possibly even on Saturday Night At The Movies with Elwy Yost. That’s right, we had four channels until I was sixteen (that’s when we got cable) and I’m old enough to have watched Elwy Yost. I miss Elwy Yost!

Long before Bela Lugosi became type cast, he was a silent film and theatre star! He also had a very interesting life, I highly recommend you do some reading up on him, you won’t regret it. Wikipedia has the condensed version, but you really need to read some actual biographies on him! One I can highly recommend is Bela Lugosi in person.

If you are up for a Bela Lugosi movie marathon, here are my top ten favourite movies! Some are even free on YouTube! (in order of year) If you want to pick your own movies, the list on Wikipedia is very thorough, do not look at the list on IMDB, it’s missing way too many gems. (below are either trailers or full movies)

Dracula (1931)

White Zombie (1932)

Mark of the Vampire (1935)

The Mystery of the Mary Celeste (1935) (released in the USA as Phantom Ship) 

The Gorilla (1939)

The Devil Bat (1940)

The Corpse Vanishes (1942)

The Ape Man (1943)

Bride of the Monster (1955)

Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959)

Each time I post, I am going to also suggest music that goes with bat adventures! Today I’m suggesting Christian D. He is not only one of my favourite Toronto musicians, he does a killer cover of Bela Lugosi Is Dead. Please go buy his music and help out our musicians. They need it now more than ever. https://christiand.bandcamp.com/album/bela-lugosis-dead

Type of bats: Large Brown Bats
No. Mosquito bites: 0

Here is a link I’ve created to all of our bat sightings.

Important: Do not handle bats. They can carry the rabies virus. Only those who have been properly vaccinated and have knowledge of bats should be handling them. If you find a bat in your home call a bat rescue. Do not call an exterminator, call a rescue. Bats are important for our environment. I have links below for rescues.

Types of bats in Ontario: https://onnaturemagazine.com/bat-guide.html
High Park Nature Centre: https://www.highparknature.org/wiki/wiki.php?n=Mammals.Bats
Bat rescues: http://www.ontariowildliferescue.ca/wildlifecentres/?care=bat

Killer B Cinema: Lady Frankenstein & Bride of the Monster

April is Mad Scientist Appreciation month and do we have some mad scientists for you. Lady Frankenstein and Ed Wood’s Bride of the Monster will not disappoint! The perfect double bill and all for the low, low price of $5. That’s right FIVE DOLLARS! And there will be trivia with prizes!

Doors (back performance space) open at 8 pm and the movies begin at 8:30 pm.

lady-frankenstein-rosalba-neri

Lady Frankenstein (99 min) is a 1971 English-language Italian horror film directed by Mel Welles and written by cult writer Edward di Lorenzo. It stars Rosalba Neri (under the pseudonym Sara Bey), Joseph Cotten, Mickey Hargitay and Paul Müller.

bride-monster2

Bride of the Monster (75 min) is a 1955 American science fiction horror film directed, written, and produced by Edward D. Wood Jr., and starring Bela Lugosi, along with Tor Johnson, Tony McCoy and Loretta King.

The film is considered to have Wood’s biggest budget ($70,000). Production commenced in 1953 but, due to further financial problems, was not completed until 1955.

A sequel, entitled Night of the Ghouls, was finished in 1959, but due to last-minute financial problems, was not released until 1984.

Thank you to our prize sponsors Bren Clews, Tom Davey, Alumni Theatre, Toronto Film Noir Syndicate, Jonathan Kociuba and Drunken Cinema!

Each month join Lizzie Violet & Zoltan Du Lac for a double bill of B-moves from the 1930s to 1970s!

Thank you to the Imperial Pub and their staff! They make our monthly event extra amazing!

We hope to see you at The Imperial!