It’s got Christopher “Saruman / Count Dooku” Lee! It’s got Peter “that guy who blew up Princess Leia’s planet” Cushing! Yes, The Gorgon (1964) is the subject of this Sunday’s “monsterdon” watch party over on Mastodon, our fediverse sibling!
- Just start watching that movie this Sunday, Feb 16, 2025 at 9pm ET / 8pm CT / 6pm PT, which is 2am Monday UTC
- and follow #monsterdon over on mastodon for live commentary. For example, you can follow that hashtag here: https://mastodon.social/tags/monsterdon
- I usually open two web browser windows on a computer side-by-side. But you could follow the mastodon commentary on a phone app while watching the movie on TV or something…
How to watch the movie:
- someone plans to stream it on https://miru.miyaku.media/ at that time
- archive: https://archive.org/details/the-gorgon
- if you’re in North America, Australia, or the UK try Tubi (uBlockOrigin adblocker still works there, I believe?): https://tubitv.com/movies/499226/the-gorgon
- youtube (uBO still works?): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=172VQfCDi6Q
- another youtube (uBO still works?): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFhABjmLy2M
- if you want to pay or watch ads, look here: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-gorgon
Germany 1910: The village of Vandorf has suffered seven horrific murders in five years. In each case, the unfortunate victim has been turned to stone.
…
Variety wrote: “Though written and directed on a leisurely note, The Gorgon is a well-made, direct yarn that mainly gets its thrills through atmosphere. The period storyline is simple and predictable, but John Gilling has turned out a well-rounded piece and Terence Fisher’s direction is restrained enough to avoid any unintentional yocks.”[7]
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: “The Gorgon myth does not fit happily into Transylvanian surroundings, and there are too many red-herrings indicative of the script’s straining after horrific effect (the mad woman, the brain transplantation, etc.). The trouble is that one is never really in doubt as to who the Gorgon is. Also, as in Hammer’s stablemate, The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb, the monster’s appearance is belated, vague and insufficiently spectacular. Still, it makes a change from vampires, and though the film has little genuine flair for atmosphere it is quite well acted by Richard Pasco and an appropriately blank-eyed, statuesque Barbara Shelley.”[8]