Why 1970?

 

 

FRANKENSTEIN-1970-1958-A TV crew comes the Castle Frankenstein to film a live spook show special to commemorate the 240^th anniversary of Frankenstein. Boris Karloff plays the last descendant of the infamous doctor, a scarred, limping, bitter, slightly insane (and possibly castrated) old man who was forced by the Nazis to do experiments on humans. Deep in his castle he's creating a new monster but since this was made in the 1950's atomic energy plays an important part as the Baron has a reactor in his lab (it was provided by the production company so the Baron would allow them to film in his castle). The manic director (Don “Red” Barry) and the producer (Tom Duggan) seem oblivious to the evil goings on but the Baron's lawyer (Rudolph Anders, the Nazi leader in SHE DEMONS the same year) suspects his client is dabbling in the old family pastime. In fact when Anders hints at this the Baron threatens to cut out his tongue! (He later uses his eyes instead) He also uses his loyal butler. He is polite but creepy toward the lead actress (Jana Lund) who when complaining about past role mentions The Donner Party! The monster is a big bandaged giant (played by pro wrestler Mike Lane) who gets to carry the girl around in the finale and when his bandages are removed has an interesting face.

This low budget Allied Artist production was directed by Howard Koch who'd already made movies like UNTAMED YOUTH and BOP GIRL GOES CALYPSO. He would also serve as producer of Karloff's other AA horror film for that year the much worse VOODOO ISLAND. Soon after this he ventured into television and much later produce AIRPLANE and its sequel. Screenwriter Richard Landau was a prolific TV writer and also penned the aforementioned VOODOO ISLAND.

Despite being villainous and sleazy Karloff still manages (as usual) to instill his character with a few sympathetic tones. I've read many bad reviews for this film but despite the low budget I think it's great! Hey it was Karloff's first film effort in a couple of years! Glad ya came back Boris!

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8 Drunks

 

KUNG-FU OF THE EIGHT DRUNKARDS-1980-More inebriated Kung-Fu hi-jinx. An alcoholic martial arts master, Wu Tseng tries to teach his student Chan Kung (Meng Fei). After some fool who looks radiation scarred causes trouble with some firecrackers Chan Kung meets another fighter named Monkey Thief. They fight in an “8 Immortals Style” tournament. Kung becomes a waiter and that seems to help improve his Kung-Fu but he gets beaten up anyway. When some idiots refuse to pay their check a woman named Pie Yu beats them up. Meanwhile a mysterious figure in black hangs around in the background. There's more plot but it gets very confusing (probably due to the bad dubbing and editing) but there is some intense training sessions for Chan Kung and most of the fights are humorous (despite the serious story line) until the finale which is very violent but it all ends comically.

Director Ma Wu (the word director is spelled wrong on the print I saw) was also a busy actor as well as directing over 40 martial arts films (including WU TANG CLAN and ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA).

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Blacula Returns

 

SCREAM BLACULA SCREAM-1973-In this pointless sequel Blacula (William Marshall) comes back to undead-ness through a voodoo ritual gone awry. Voodoo priestess Susan Fortier (Pam Grier) is suspected and the former prince beats up two pimps. Grier's former cop boyfriend Justin Carter (Don Mitchell) helps Sheriff Dunlop (Michael Conrad) investigate the “voodoo killings”. Blacula wants Susan to perform an exorcism and get rid of the “demon” inside him. While she performs the ritual, Carter and Dunlop get rid of Blacula's vampire buddies. A voodoo doll spells his end. It's not nearly as entertaining as the original and very drawn out with a lot of jive talking and mumbo jumbo.

 

Director Bob Kelljan, a former actor, had made both COUNT YORGA movies before this.

Blacula

 

BLACULA-1972-In 1780 Count Dracula (Charles Macaulay) turns an African prince (William Marshall) into the title character because the prince wanted to end slavery. In the present day 2 gay guys buy a batch of African artifacts including the coffin wherein Blacula was imprisoned by the king of vampires for almost two hundred years (like Barnabas Collins). He rises and kills them and medical investigator Dr. Thomas (Thalmus Rasulala) has his suspicions. Blacula goes to a party pretending he's just a plain old ordinary African guy named Mamuwilde despite his long cape. (“Hey, that's one strange dude”) Thomas' girlfriend Michelle (Denise Nicholas) has a sister named Tina (Vionetta McGee) who resembles Blacula's lost long Luva. He tries hard to bring her over to his side but when she is killed he deliberately walks into the sun and disintegrates. Elisha Cook Jr. plays a coroner with a hook hand and Gordon Pinsett is a police lieutenant.

 

Marshall is pretty frightening when he gets angry and overall the movie delivers despite some dumb dialogue. Director William Crain did some TV after this and the horror movie DR. BLACK, MR. HYDE.

 

This was a big hit and AIP produced a sequel the next year.

 

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Mr. Moto

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THANK YOU MR. MOTO-1937-Peter Lorre starred as Kentaro Moto, a Japanese sleuth created by writer James Marquand in eight “Mr. Moto” films between 1937-1939. This was the second one produced. The Moto character at least in films is very mysterious. Sometimes it's not even clear who he's working for. He almost seems like a free agent working toward his own gains (but in the end always on the side of good). In THANK YOU, the intrepid P.I. investigates a collection of ancient Chinese maps that may lead to the treasure of Genghis Khan. It starts off in the Gobi desert with Moto disguised as a Mongolian. Later he tries to help an art collector Eleanor Joyce (Pauline Frederick). Everyone it seems is after the priceless scrolls a prince (Phillip Ahn) and his mother have especially bad guy Sidney Blackmer. Co-star Thomas Beck who plays Eleanor's love interest was also in several Charlie Chan movies. Sig Ruman is an early victim and John Carradine is a art dealer with a weird accent. Director Norman Foster made other Moto films as well as several Chan entries and is the credited director of Orson Welles' JOURNEY INTO FEAR.

 

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Rondo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE OF HORRORS-1946-Universal's second outing featuring the famed Rondo Hatton as the murdering “Creeper” (after the Sherlock Holmes entry PEARL OF DEATH). He's rescued from a watery death by mad sculptor Marcel (Martin Kosleck; usually a Nazi in many films in the '40's) who wants him as a model for his greatest masterpiece. At night Rondo does his rounds (Virginia Christine plays his first victim), breaking the spines of women but he also takes time to kill a pompous art critic (Alan Napier) who ridiculed Marcel's work. A commercial artist Steve Morrow (Robert Lowery; future Caped Crusader in the BATMAN & ROBIN serial 3 years later)) comes under the suspicion of a deluded police lieutenant (Bill Goodwin). Morrow's girlfriend Joan (Virginia Grey, a busy actress in the '40's)) is another critic who discovers the secret alliance. When Rondo discovers Marcel might betray him it all goes down the drain. Rondo gets shot in the finale but doesn't seem to die (probably because Universal plan to use the character again). Joan Fulton (later Shawlee) appears as a doomed model and the great Byron Foulger is an almost buyer of one of Marcel's statues until dissuaded by Napier.

 

HOUSE OF HORRORS isn't seen much today and would probably totally forgotten if not for the presence of the Rondo Hatton who does an impressive job of trying to be sinister but in fact often comes off as a sorrowful guy done in by his natural appearance (of course in real life the actor was afflicted with acromegaly). Perhaps this was director Jean Yarbrough's intention but since the Creeper's pastime is coldly breaking the backs of innocent people I doubt it. The fast but fairly competent Yarbrough would also direct Hatton in his final feature THE BRUTE MAN later in the year. Universal had planned to exploit Hatton as a new horror star based on his affliction but he died later in 1946 before his final film was released.

 

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The Alamo

THE LAST COMMAND-1955-Jim Bowie (Sterling Hayden) arrives in the Texas/Mexican territory just in time for an uprising of Texicans against Mexico. William Travis (Richard Carlson) tries to convince a committee to resist Mexico's iron fist. When Santa Ana (J. Carroll Nash) rejects the Texicans demands Austin (Otto Kurger) decides it's time to take up arms against them. But when his wife and kid die Bowie becomes a wanderer. Later he and his small group (including Jim Davis and Slim Pickens) decide to fight. Ernest Borgnine is a tough guy named Mike who has a knife fight with Bowie at the beginning of the story and later they become friends. Edward Franz (THE FOUR SKULLS OF JONATHAN DRAKE) is the Mexican representative living with The Texicans. Anna Maria Albergetti (an actress I only remember for doing salad dressing TV commercials in the late '60's)is the senorita love interest who comes between Bowie and Travis. Things really get rowdy when Davey Crockett (Arthur Hunnicutt) shows up. Great battle finale at The Alamo. I won't reveal what happens...

Roy Roberts, Virginia Grey, John Russell and Morris Ankrum also have roles.

THE LAST COMMAND was once of the most expensive pictures ever produced by the low budget Republic Pictures studio. It was suppose to star John Wayne as Bowie but he also wanted to direct it. However when the studio hired the workman like Frank Lloyd (IF I WERE KING, BLOOD ON THE SUN) instead Wayne bolted. He'd get his chance to star in and direct his own version several years later with THE ALAMO (some argue THE LAST COMMAND is more historically accurate).

This version has lots going for it. Action, a strong cast and good direction.

Here's Lorne Greene's version of the historical battle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZu5T1VbVs

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Down Under Murder

 

CUT-2000-In Australia, a young film crew decides to finish a “cursed” horror film even though everyone who has tried before was killed (including the original director). They hire the original American actress (Molly Ringworm) to star again and after playing a cruel joke on the director they all head off to shoot the rest of the movie. Of course someone dressed as the movie killer shows up to kill cast and crew. Some of the death are very nasty (fire, head crushing, decapitation) and the ending goes on forever. Stupidest part has a teacher get a pole driven through his neck but he pulls it and saves the day! Pop singer Kylie Minogue is one of the cast.

 

This Australian effort is violent and derivative and director Kimble Rendall ( a second unit director on THE MATRIX movies) obviously hasn't learned anything from watching US horror movies!

 

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