Movies
This Month in Horror: April 1940
Take a trip back with Bloody-Disgusting and MySpace Horror reporter Chris Eggertsen to April 1940, in the latest entry in our ongoing “This Month in Horror” series. Among other things, that month saw the release of the final Universal-era Karloff/Lugosi pairing, a new mad scientist film from King Kong co-director Ernest B. Schoedsack, and the birth of a well-known author who would go on to pen two controversial books on the Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Period song to take you back:
“Scramble Two”, The Will Bradley/Ray McKinley Orchestra
Release Date: April 1940
Movies
Film: Black Friday
Release Date: April 12, 1940
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Box-office gross: N/A
The Plot: When Professor George Kingsley is run over in a tragic accident, his friend, famed surgeon Dr. Ernest Sovac, transplants part of a gangster’s brain into the professor’s in order to save his life. The operation has unintended consequences when Kingsley begins to intermittently take on the personality and memories of the gangster, and Sovac soon learns of the whereabouts of an ill-gotten $500,000 fortune.
Production & Reception: The fifth and final teaming of horror stars Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi at Universal, the Arthur Lubin-directed Black Friday was also indicative of the declining popularity of the latter actor, who was relegated to a minor supporting role as a rival gangster racing to find the hidden money before Sovac and Kingsley. Originally intended to play the role of Sovac, Lugosi was demoted to the smaller part when Karloff, initially cast as Kingsley, didn’t feel he possessed the chops to pull of the difficult dual role. Instead of a simple switch (and clearly uncertain of Lugosi’s own ability to pull off the part), the studio decided to cast actor Stanley Ridges as the Professor instead.
The film proved unpopular with audiences, despite Universal’s best attempts at trumping up the pairing of Karloff and Lugosi, who in reality shared not a single scene in the entire film. Universal also attempted to drum up interest by contending that Lugosi had actually been hypnotized on set to film his death scene, although this was merely a marketing ploy and had no basis in reality.
Legacy: The “Jekyll & Hyde”-esque film, a minor one in Universal’s horror canon, now mostly serves as a sad reminder of the downward spiral of Lugosi’s career following his Dracula heyday in the early `30s. It was yet another step in the actor’s long, painful descent towards eventual “has-been” status, a fact made even more sobering when you consider that Karloff, Lugosi’s main rival, continued to enjoy top-billing in major studio films well into the 1940s. Interestingly, Karloff never would have enjoyed such an illustrious career had Lugosi, Universal’s first choice for the role of Frankenstein’s Monster, not turned down the part. In a quote now bitter in its irony, upon hearing it was a non-speaking role Lugosi huffed that it was a part “any half-wit extra” could play. Turns out the joke was on him.
Film: Dr. Cyclops
Release Date: April 12, 1940
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Box-office gross: N/A
The Plot: Brilliant, power-mad scientist Dr. Alexander Thorkel, who has set up a remote laboratory in the South American jungle, physically shrinks a group of fellow scientists when they begin questioning the ethics of his experiments in radiation.
Production & Reception: Helmed by King Kong co-director Ernest B. Schoedsack, the glossy Technicolor production was well-received on its release (more for its technical credits than for the artistic merits of its mad scientist story), even earning an Oscar nomination for its impressive special effects of the foot-tall shrunken scientists making their escape through a perilous jungle landscape.
Legacy: Now mostly notable for being one of character actor Albert Dekker’s most famous roles as Dr. Cyclops, it was also the first sci-fi film to be shot in three-color Technicolor. Interestingly, it also echoes some of the same themes of Schoedsack’s earlier effort King Kong (for which he was uncredited as co-director). Some have also noted the atypically non-sexist portrayal of the film’s sole female scientist, Dr. Mary Robinson (Janice Logan), who is depicted as being strong and intelligent rather than a shrieking damsel in distress. Girl power!
Books/Comics
Comic: Weird Comics #1
Publishing Date: April 3, 1940
Publisher: Fox Features
Sales: N/A
The Plot: A sci-fi/horror/fantasy anthology series. Stories include: “The Man Who Made Monsters”, about a mad scientist whose niece discovers his penchant for creating various monsters in his lab; “The Voodoo Man Cometh”, about a doctor who travels to Haiti and gets mixed up with an evil voodoo master; and “The Coming of the Sorceress”, about an evil sorceress who rules the cloud city Zoom and uses the magical creatures that are her subjects to invade Earth.
Production & Reception: This Golden Age comic series from eccentric Fox Features founder Victor Fox boasted some cool cover art by newbie George Tuska, but inside the panels were crudely drawn, and the mix of genre and superhero stories were strictly B-grade fare. That being said, this first issue featured the first-ever comic book incarnation of Thor, in an origin story that deviated from the original mythology by making him an ordinary man given superpowers after getting struck by lightning. Unfortunately the series didn’t prove as durable as that character, and it ended after a 20-issue run.
Legacy: Weird Comics has been almost completely forgotten in the intervening years, now known only to the most ardent Golden Age comic book enthusiasts. However, it did feature some of the earliest work by prolific, well-known Marvel Comics artist Tuska, who died of a stroke last October.
Short Story: The Callistan Menace by Isaac Asimov
Publishing Date: The April 1940 issue of Astonishing Stories
Publisher: N/A
Sales: N/A
The Plot: A spaceship is sent to scout Callisto, the outermost of Jupiter’s moons, to investigate the disappearance of seven previous spacecrafts that had ventured there. They arrive to find one of the crafts covered in green slime and the crewmembers dead, and are themselves attacked by strange slug-like creatures who are able to use magnetic fields as weapons.
Production & Reception: After being rejected by several other publications and doing several rewrites on the story (originally titled “Stowaway”), famed sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov finally had it accepted by Astonishing Stories in late 1939, when he was only nineteen years old. This, along with the sale of several of his other short stories during the same period, would serve as a gateway for the young writer’s future as a master of popular science and science fiction. The story showed early signs of Asimov’s ability to blend real scientific concepts with thrilling, fantastical narratives.
Legacy: While in the scheme of Asimov’s illustrious career The Callistan Menace is but a footnote, it is the author’s oldest story still in existence today (it was his second overall).
Births
Peter Haining, Author
Date of Birth: April 2, 1940 (died November 19, 2007)
British journalist and author Peter Haining started his career as the editor of several horror and fantasy anthologies, with names like Detours into the Macabre and The Mammoth Book of True Hauntings, before authoring several books of his own, including two controversial tomes claiming that Sweeney Todd was in fact a real-life historical figure (although no hard evidence was ever presented to bolster his case). A lifelong student of all things occult and supernatural, Haining also compiled several well-received reference books on fictional characters such as Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes.
Photo of Haining in 1967:
Movies
‘The End of Oak Street’ and All-Night ‘Wishmaster’ Wish-a-Thon Invade Popcorn Frights 2026 Second Wave
The 12th annual Popcorn Frights Film Festival returns August 6-16 for 11 days of horror fun in South Florida, and second wave programming announcements suggest it’s going to be even bigger and bloodier this year.
Highlights in this wave include a special screening of The End of Oak Street. Popcorn Frights will immerse audiences in the world of Oak Street with a tricked-out screening, themed games, special photo opportunities, and an open invitation to wear your best bitchin’ ’80s attire for an unforgettable night at the movies.
The fest is also conjuring magic and granting wishes with a special screening of Wishmaster, with FX artist Robert Kurtzman and star Andrew Divoff in attendance.
After this screening, the ultimate overnight horror endurance event hosted by the Wishmaster begins. “Audiences will descend into an all-night cinematic marathon featuring a secret lineup of genre oddities, forgotten gems, and delirious cult favorites, all united by one sinister theme: wishes gone horribly wrong. The only guarantee? You’ll be sitting in a movie theater… and you won’t be sleeping. Even better, the event benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation, with all ticket proceeds helping grant life-changing wishes for children facing critical illnesses.“
Also in attendance this year is actor William Sadler, joining for special screenings of Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey and The Shawshank Redemption. Felissa Rose returns for a live commentary of Sleepaway Camp and the premiere of The Barn Part III.
That’s only the start of wave two programming, but the fest isn’t done yet; expect a third wave soon.
Read on for the packed second wave of Popcorn Frights 2026 programming:
IN-THEATER FEATURE FILM LINEUP
The Barn Part III
Florida Premiere
United States | 2026 | 97 Min. | Dir. Justin M. Seaman
Years after the events of “The Barn Part II”, the group still fears that the three evil ones will return to finish the harvest once and for all.
Breeder
Florida Premiere
United States | 2026 | 97 Min. | Dir. Alex Goyette
An eccentric poodle breeder lures a broke college student to her remote ranch with a promise of research funding. But, as he soon learns, there’s a catch.
Drag
Southeast US Premiere
United States | 2026 | 86 Min. | Dirs. Raviv Ullman, Greg Yagolnitzer
Two burglars face disaster during a simple home heist when one suffers a back injury. As the clock ticks and pain sets in, their escape becomes increasingly chaotic before the owner’s return.
The End of Oak Street
Special Presentation
United States | 2026 | 100 Min. | Dir. David Robert Mitchell
The Platt family bands together to navigate their new surroundings after a cosmic event transports their suburban neighborhood to someplace unknown.
Hen
North American Premiere
South Africa | 2025 | 108 Min. | Dir. Nico Scheepers
After a brutal massacre, a childless couple discover a feral boy locked inside a wooden chest on an isolated farm. They take the child in, only to discover that the boy carries an inexplicable affliction: an unseen force that drives those who love him toward madness and despair.
Never After Dark
Florida Premiere
Japan | 2026 | 105 Min. | Dir. Dave Boyle
A traveling psychic who helps lost souls cross over encounters a powerful entity at a remote house. While investigating its origins, she uncovers dark secrets and faces a deadly threat from an unexpected source.
Unholy Night
US Premiere
Canada | 2026 | 91 Min. | Dir. Michael Gabriele
A family’s Christmas Eve dinner becomes a nightmare as Gino must protect his loved ones from his reanimated grandmother who crashes the celebration with murderous intent.
VIRTUAL FEATURE FILM LINEUP
Big City Pizza
Florida Premiere
United States | 2026 | 80 Min. | Dir. Dusty Saunders
As tension rises in the big city for the Omni Ball Championship, Boney, a skeleton pizza delivery man starts his shift.
Break a Leg
Southeast US Premiere
Australia | 2026 | 89 Min. | Dir. Kaitlyn Boyé
An aspiring actor arrives at the audition of his career–only to find himself locked in the theatre alongside fellow auditionee and disgraced former child actress.
Cat Cam
Southeast US Premiere
United States | 2026 | 95 Min. | Dir. Sara Werner
When two cat owners decide to put up pet cameras in their new home while they’re away on a trip, they soon make a terrifying discovery as to why their cat has been acting so strange.
The Daughters of the Domino
Southeast US Premiere
United States | 2026 | 98 Min. | Dir. Jesse McAnally
A modern noir about a mother who must reunite with her estranged detective sister to find her missing teenage daughter.
Demonetize
East Coast Premiere
United States | 2026 | 96 Min. | Dir. Alexander Watson
Out-of-work television ghost hunters discover the key to getting their jobs back–and proving ghosts are real–is by working with the last group of people anyone would expect: Social Media Stars.
The Fright Stuff
Florida Premiere
United States | 2026 | 72 Min. | Dir. Mike Meyer
A deep dive into the life and times of the haunted attraction industry in the United States–the history, the people, the lasting imprint it’s had on the culture.
Hollow Girls
World Premiere
United States | 2026 | 87 Min. | Dirs. Greg Swinson & Ryan Thiessen
Six teenage girls are lured by a classmate into a deadly trap, unraveling a shocking true-crime nightmare of jealousy, kidnapping, torture, and murder.
Lenore
East Coast Premiere
Australia | 2026 | 88 Min. | Dir. David Ward
When a controversial influencer suddenly disappears, a terminally online sycophant goes hunting for answers, but comes face-to-face with the monstrosity of his own sins.
Life at Sandy’s
East Coast Premiere
United States-Norway | 2026 | 75 Min. | Dir. Aleksandra Hansen
A lonely American stuck in a small Norwegian town is lured in by the characters of a friendly sitcom with increasingly sinister intentions.
Narcisa’s Will
Florida Premiere
Brazil | 2025 | 85 Min. | Dirs. Daniel Dias & Clarissa Appelt
A woman returns to her childhood mansion after her famous mother’s death to sell it and split proceeds with her brother. While clearing the property, she uncovers unexpected family secrets.
Savage Prey
World Premiere
United Kingdom | 2026 | 90 Min. | Dir. David Ryan Keith
A year after her son vanishes without a trace in the remote Scottish Highlands, a grieving mother returns to the wilderness that stole him, refusing to let the mystery die.
The Vanishing Tour
East Coast Premiere
United States | 2026 | 91 Min. | Dir. Patrick Meaney
When a struggling band is carjacked and stranded in the desert, they seek shelter at a mysterious compound that houses a dangerous and otherworldly secret.
IN-THEATER RETRO LINEUP
Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey
35th Anniversary, 4K Restoration
United States | 1991 | 93 Min. | Dir. Peter Hewitt
A tyrant from the future creates evil android doubles of Bill and Ted and sends them back to eliminate the originals.
From Dusk Til Dawn
30th Anniversary Presentation
United States | 1996 | 108 Min. | Dir. Robert Rodriguez
*Presented with the original short film From Dusk Till Dawn
Two criminals and their hostages unknowingly seek temporary refuge in a truck stop populated by vampires, with chaotic results.
The Shawshank Redemption
Special Event, 4K Restoration
United States | 1994 | 142 Min. | Dir. Frank Darabont
After a banker is sentenced to life in Shawshank Prison, he forms an unlikely friendship with a seasoned inmate and clings to hope amid cruelty and corruption.
Sleepaway Camp
Special Live Commentary Event
United States | 1983 | 84 Min. | Dir. Robert Hiltzik
Bunks and showers are a mad stabber’s beat at a summer camp strictly for teens.
Wishmaster
Special Event
United States | 1997 | 90 Min. | Dir. Robert Kurtzman
A demonic djinn attempts to grant its owner three wishes, which will allow him to summon his brethren to Earth.
Individual tickets and All-Access Badges for the in-theater experience—hosted at Savor Cinema Fort Lauderdale and Classic Gateway Theater—are now available. Virtual All-Access Passes can also be purchased for streaming access to the full digital lineup. To order an In-Theater All-Access VIP Badge, click here, to order a Virtual All-Access Pass, click here.
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