Ho Time!

THUNDER OF GIGANTIC SERPENT-1988-Soloman, some over acting nut schemes to control the world’s food supply. Meanwhile a little girl Ting Ting plays with her pet snake Mozlar.  In a lab a doctor and his staff do an experiment on a frog that makes it grow larger. Solomon's men attack the lab and kill everyone except one scientist Lin who gets away with the formula. Her car crashes but she jumps out before. Later Ting Ting finds the container with the chemical that made the frog grow. She brings it home and puts her snake in it. It grows to an abnormally large size but obeys the child. They play catch and hide and seek but Solomon's thugs see them and figure the snake might have some connection to the formula (brilliant deduction!).

Meantime in another movie government agent Ted Fast (Pierre Henry) walks around, has gun battles and martial arts fights. A police inspector (Lee Hsiu Hsien aka Danny Lee from THE UNTOLD STORY) tries to protect Lin who was actually a spy for Solomon. His thugs kidnap Ting Ting and Mozlar comes to her rescue. They set a trap which is supposed to electrocute the snake but instead the electricity makes the snake grow much larger! When the thugs kidnap the girl again, Mozlar follows wrecking a train and killing the passengers. The snake kills many innocent people and wrecks lots of buildings. Occasionally scenes of Ted Kung-Fu fighting and talking on the phone are shown.The ending is so drawn out. And what should have been a poignant finale where the little girl cries for her pet gone wrong is ruined by her incessant whining. It all finally ends with Ted killing Solomon in a fight. 

This was originally made in Hong Kong in 1980 but wasn't released until many years later. By then infamous splicer/hack Geoffrey Ho got a hold of it and added the scenes with Henry to make it a confused mess.

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Magic From Japan

MAGIC SERPENT-1966-This one starts off with a bang! Ninjas attack a castle and kill the master and everyone else except a small group that rescues the Master’s son. Unfortunately they are attacked by a dragon. Everyone is killed except for the son who is whisked away by a giant serpent. 10 years later, the young son Ichizuchi-Maru (HirokiMatsukata), is under the tutelage of an old man. While out in the forest, ninjas attack and one cuts off his head but he lives on and after interrogating one ninja his head rejoins his body. Then he meets Sunate (Tomoko Ogawa), a woman looking for her father.

 While this is happening the old man is visited by his former pupil, Orochi-Maru (Ryutaru Otomo) who killed Maru’s father. Although the old man is much more powerful than his pupil the pupil tricks his former teacher with a scroll that turns into a snake and kills him. We also learn during their conversation that the pupil can turn into a dragon. Maru and Sunate find the master dying. He gives Maru a scroll for “ninja invisibility” and clues him in on who killed his dad. Maru vows revenge! He and Sunate part ways. She continues the search for her father after her grandma gives her a pin with a spider on it. This fun fantasy from Japan has a little of everything. Underwater ninjas, a giant lizard, magic, sword fighting, a Kanju battle and a giant spider! And the monsters use Godzilla, Mothra and Rodan roars! It was directed by Tetsuya Yamaouchi.

Not The Famous Monster

THE ISLAND MONSTER-1954-Critics go on and on about how bad this movie is. True, it's boring and one of Karloff's worst. His real voice isn't even used. A bad imitator dubs him. THE ISLAND MONSTER isn't very good. The story drags and the dubbing is terrible but the film was never meant to be viewed outside of Italian speaking countries. This wasn't that uncommon (it happened to Christopher Lee in the German made Sherlock Holmes and would again effect Karloff in THE SNAKE PEOPLE). In the mid-fifties Boris wasn't making a lot of movies. He concentrated his career on TV (he started the “Col. March” TV series the same year) and the stage. Still he felt if someone wanted him for a film he was usually willing to take it. And getting a free trip to Italy for his wife and himself couldn't hurt. He was also probably under the assumption that it wouldn't be shown outside of Italy. It wasn't a pleasant experience for him being the only English speaking cast member and he didn't like the fact that his character was totally unsympathetic in the end. Personally I was glad to see it when it showed up once on WOR’s “Fright Night” in NYC.

Mario (Renato Vicario), an undercover cop in Naples investigates the smuggling of heroin. He meets Guy Gaetano (King Karloff), the island’s “benefactor”, who has built a hospital for sick babies. He goes to a club where everyone acts suspiciously and he pretends to romance D'Auro (Franca Marzi), a singer there. Trouble of another kind brews when Mario's wife Fiorella and little daughter (and their dog) come to visit and wife sees Mario talking to D'Auro. She meets with a smuggler named Foster (Carlo Duse) because they are all in the dope ring and take their orders from an unseen boss (gee...I wonder who that is?). Foster wants the singer to kill Mario. I guess she refuses because later Fiorella is lured from her hotel room with a phony phone call and leaves their daughter alone in an unlocked room. The girl is kidnapped and taken to a secluded island. Of course later it's revealed Gaetano is the ring leader and is also the “monster” of the title, an evil guy who pushes dope and kidnaps a child. 

I guess the producers thought a movie with Karloff in it with monster in the title would deceive many film-goers into thinking it was some kind of horror movie. Eventually the daughter is rescued but not before D'Auro is shot. Mario kills Gaetano. From what some of the characters say it seems this drawn out potboiler was longer but scenes were edited out. Director Roberto Bianchi Montero went on to make many more films in his native country.

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Go Ape On Mexico!

NIGHT OF THE BLOODY APES-1969-A woman named Lucy (Laura Lazareno) is a red masked pro wrestler. During a match she throws her opponent out of the ring and an ambulance has to be called. Meanwhile a doctor and his assistant go to a zoo and drug and capture a gorilla. The injured wrestler needs an operation and a specialist Dr. Krallman (Jose' Elias Moreno) is called in. The same guy who drugged the gorilla. He has a bed ridden son Julio (Augstin M. Solares) and his assistant Goyo (Carlos Lopez Moctezuma) calls him “master”so you know he's up to no good. When Krallman is told his son’s days are numbered he decides to transplant the gorilla’s heart into Julio’s body and then give him the gorilla's blood. It’s a bloody operation. 

Lucy’s policeman/boyfriend Martinez (Armando Silvestre) and his force search for the missing gorilla. After Martinez has to stand Lucy up to meet with his boss, Julio turns into an ape man, escapes and kills a woman. He's recapture and the doc decides that maybe a gorilla's heart wasn't such a good idea (gee..ya think?). It's better if they get a new living human heart and put it in Julio. The reluctant donor is the comatose wrestler Lucy fought! While the duo goes to get their “donor”, Julio the ape man escapes again. He tears out a guy’s throat while his girlfriend runs away conveniently tearing the top of her dress off. He rapes the woman (not shown), stabs a good Samaritan and plucks a passerby’s eye out! Then he’s recaptured. The doc who besides being nuts is also head of the hospital reprimands his staff for losing their patient and the toady doctors all agree to a cover-up. Meanwhile through fingerprints, Martinez proposes that the killer isn't a gorilla but some kind of man beast hybrid (good guess!). His boss thinks he has been watching too many “movies of horror”. Later Julio changes back into man but while the doc is out he becomes the man beast again and kills Goyo. Doc confronts his son but trips and hits his head. 

Julio goes prowling and kills a policeman (he scalps him) and then chases Lucy into a park. Martinez goes after them but so does the doc. Julio and Martinez fight and Julio turns into his old self. They are both taken to a hospital where Julio once again transforms and kills a doctor and a nurse. He then grabs a sick little girl and heads for the roof. Martinez and dad follow and the doc convinces sonny to give up the child. He/it is then fatally shot by the cops below. Dad loses his mind. 

Mindlessly bloody sleaze with real gory footage of open heart surgery. Mad scientist portrayer Jose' Elias Moreno had the lead as jolly old St. Nick in the Mexican made SANTA CLAUS in 1959!, which was directed by BLOODY APES director Rene Cordona who had a prolific career as a director and actor in Mexico (and a son who became a director).

TV Time

 September 14 1974

 September 14 1974

September 14 1974

September 14 1974

September 16 1974 

September 20 1974

September 20 1974

June 28 1975

July 4 1975

November 17 1974

December 16 1972

June 3-9 1972

June 6 1972

In The Fass Line

FASS BLACK (aka DISCO 9000)-1977-This dated laughable blaxploitation nonsense was made by people who seemed to think there was a future in its phony glitter. It stars an actor named John Poole who plays the title character Fass, a disco and record label owner who tries to be a cross between Don Cornelius, Michael Jackson and Clarence Williams lll. He only promotes his own junk at his disco and keeps 2 guys from NY from promoting their own material. He also has a wife and kid but has girlfriends everywhere. He’s assisted by a little numbskull called Midget (Harold Nicholas). When a guy who works for Fass gets in trouble with loan sharks, Fass’s ex-girlfriend Karen (Jeannie Bell) is killed. He has to take care of the evil white guys though he's just as bad as they are. Matthew “Stymie” Beard has a small role. 

Disco is dead! Mothball this ludicrous time capsule! FASS BLACK and DOLEMITE are actor D'Urville Martin's only directorial efforts.

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Hey Lady!

LADY COCOA-1975-Coco (Lola Falana), an ungrateful street wise bitch is going to testify against her mobster boyfriend (James Watson,Jr.) in Lake Tahoe. Old white detective Ramsey (Alex Drier) and young black cop Doug (Gene Washington) have to protect her. There's a long dumb car chase and “Mean” Joe Greene is one of the hit men. It's pretty low budget with a guessable ending. Director Matt Cimber made his directorial debut in 1966 with SINGLE ROOM FURNISHED, his wife, Jayne Mansfield's last movie.

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'80's Junk

LAND OF DOOM-1984-In post-apocalyptic future, gangs of “mad men” roam the land raping and killing. Smug humorless Harmony (Deborah Rennard) meets a wounded guy named Anderson (Bruce Campbell wannabe Garrick Dowhen). She carries a crossbow and doesn't like to be touched (“Never touch me!”). A nut named Slater (Daniel Radell) who leads the group wants Anderson. He sends a cackling dick named Demister (also Radell) to capture him but when he tries to rape Harmony she kills him. Anderson wants to rebuild the world and find a secret place where people have joined together. The duo hop on a motorcycle to try and find it. 

Along the way they meet a cannibal with a barn full of corpses and are hunted by his friends. There's also a plague spreading around. Harmony talks more about not being touched. Later they meet Orland (Aykut Duz) who travels by bicycle. When the pair are captured by Slater, Orland shows up with a flamethrower and he and Anderson beat up Slater's whole army while some “Greatest American Hero” music plays. They also get help from some hooded Ewok inspired characters. Sets up for a never made sequel. Filmed in Turkey and directed by Peter Maris.

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Trauma

TRAUMA-1962-After walking around in the dark, 15 year old Emiline discovers her murdered aunt's body floating in a pool. After the credits, it's 6 years later and Emiline (Lyn Bari) returns to the house where it happened with her husband Warren (John Conte), a weird friend of her dead aunt’s who seemed to propose marriage to her when she was 15. Caretaker Luther (Warren Kemmerling) and his nephew Craig (David Garner) are there to greet her. Unfortunately Emiline has suffered a trauma and can only remember 6 of her last 21 years. After talking to Mr. Hall (William Bissell), who's handling the estate, it's obvious Warren has an ulterior motive involving her money. Later when Emiline is out canoeing alone numb skull Craig overturns her canoe as a joke. She becomes hysterical but it seems to jog her memory. While exploring a closed wing she gets very excited when she finds an old doll of hers. Then she discovers the picture of a young boy. Later Warren tells her the boy is Everett, Aunt Helen’s son who died in Geneva after having an accident that affected his brain. While Warren is away someone destroys Emiline’s painting. All we see is a gloved hand and hear some snorting.

Craig has a problem with the horse stables. They were made bigger for some reason. He thinks it's strange. He and Emiline break into the shuttered stable and find a room fully furnished, leading them to believe Everett may not have died in Geneva. Later Hall tells Craig that Warren is a con man after his wife's money so he can pay off some big debts. After Emiline has a dream that Everett is in her room (was it a dream?), Craig makes a suspicious phone call that he has to drive Warren somewhere. During their ride Warren reveals he’s sent two men to kill Emiline. He makes Craig continue the trip at gunpoint. While they tussle for the gun, Emiline has an encounter with a stuffed gorilla. 

The stupid end comes with a Treasury agent’s explanation wrapping up some loose ends and the real murderer of aunt Helen is revealed as most of the other suspects are cleared. This low budget psychological thriller has some good scenes but the ending seems tacked on. This is the only film directed by Robert M. Young a screenwriter for TV who also penned Disney's ESCAPE FROM WITCH MOUNTAIN.

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Teenage Gangs

THE REBEL BREED-1960-Police Lt. Brooks (Gerald Mohr) sends two rookie cops into a tough high school to infiltrate two gangs there. Frank Serano (Mark Damon) is posing as half Mexican-half African American and Don Walters (Douglas Hume) is a white guy. There's a black gang (the word Negro is used throughout the movie) called The Ebonies led by Satchel (Al Freeman Jr.), a Mexican gang The Caballeros and a white gang called The Royals. Almost immediately Frank gets beat up by The Cabs because Lola (Rita Moreno) the sister of gang leader Manuel (Richard Laurier) is assigned to a school project with him. Meanwhile she's making time with Jimmy (Don Eitner), a white guy (and Royal). Of course the real bad guy is Buck (Richard Rust), pot pushing leader of the racist white Royals who report to Mr. Elliot (Charles Franc). Manuel is a good gang leader though. He won't let his boys use grass. Later Buck accidentally kills Jimmy in a fight but makes it look like Manuel did it. He’s so bad he gives Satchel's little brother a joint to smoke. Many other things happen: Lola is pregnant, Buck finds out his slutty white girlfriend is actually black and the Royals paint Satchel white. Things come to a head at a pot party thrown by Buck that Lola joins trying to find evidence that Buck killed Jimmy. Frank infiltrates the party and Lola’s dad (Jay Novello) also shows up (he found out she’s preggers) to get harassed. Things really get out of hand when Muscles rats that Buck killed Jimmy and Frank and Don reveal their real jobs. Mr. Elliot appears with a gun. Thank god, the Cabs show up to help save the day. When Lt. Brooks gets there he lectures them (“When are you going to learn?!”). Love blooms for Lola and Frank. Everyone else is forgotten.

 I like the fact that THIS REBEL BREED lays most of the blame on the shoulders of the kids involved because they can't get along simply out of prejudice. The editing is a little sloppy but two directors are credited which could have something to do with it. The first Richard L. Bare had directed shorts and a few movies but was doing the TV western “Maverick” around the same time. He later directed all 166 episodes of the TV comedy “Green Acres”. One of his last films was the split screen slasher melodrama WICKED, WICKED. The second was William Rowland, a producer/director of low budget films (most of which I know nothing about...). Some mild “soft-core” sex scenes were added to the 1965 re-release of THE REBEL BREED and dubbed THE BLACK REBELS.

https://moviemeltdown.blogspot.com/2012/01/wicked-stuff.html

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Hall Comedy

SPIES A GO GO (aka THE NASTY RABBIT)-1964-A Russian spy (Mischa Terr) infiltrates the US dressed as a cowboy. Other cliched stereotype spies (German, Mexican, Japanese, Israel) are after him. He plans to destroy the US with a rabbit. Arch Hall Jr. is secret agent Britt Hunter, posing as a rock and roller, is out to stop him. This dumb feature directed by James Landis (DEADWOOD '76) features sped up scenes, crazy music, broad slapstick and Arch Hall Sr. hamming it up in two roles (he also co-wrote the screenplay). Music by brother Pat and Lolly Vegas who later formed the band “Redbone” (“Come And Get Your Love”).

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Deadwood

DEADWOOD ‘76-1965-Cheapo western featuring the unique un-talents of Arch Hall Jr. In the town of Deadwood folks are getting ready for a confrontation between Billy the Kid and Wild Bill Hickok. Out in the desert a guy named Billy May (Hall Jr.) saves cat seller Tennessee (Jack Lester), from some Indians. When they get to Deadwood, Billy kills two outlaws and everybody thinks he’s Billy the Kid. Saloon owners Porker Kate (Liz Renay) and Fancy Poggin (David Reed with a terrible fake mustache) take bets. Later he and Tennessee partner in a gold mine. While working it Billy is captured by some local Indians. At their reservation, Billy meets his father Boone (his real life dad Arch Sr. using the pseudonym William Watters) who he thought was dead. His old man is a Confederate loony who's still fighting the Civil War and wants to use The Sioux to defeat The Yankees and reestablish the Confederacy (he sounds like a neo-nazi). 

Billy’s against it. He leaves even though an Indian maiden Little Bird (La Donna Cottier) likes him. After Billy leaves the tribe, he goes back to his stake but can't find Tennessee. Little Bird follows him but he sends her away. She's later beaten and raped by two jerks. Billy meets up with Tennessee who’s struck pay dirt. Billy finds the rapists and kills them. Later Wild Bill Hickok (Robert Dix) arrives for his showdown but Billy denies being the infamous outlaw and Wild Bill believes him. Their showdown doesn't happen, much to the chagrin of the town. After Billy kills a 15 year old who draws on him the whole town turns against him. Tennessee and Little Bird ride to the reservation and Dad and some of the tribe go to save Billy but they are too late. Billy is hanged and they even kill the preacher who tried to save him. It’s amazing how Arch can get that huge out of place head of hair under an ordinary cowboy hat! Harvey B. Dunn (BRIDE OF THE MONSTER) appears in an un-billed role as a bartender. 

Director James Landis (who co-wrote the screenplay with Arch Sr.) had previously directed Arch Jr. in the incredible THE SADIST and the forgettable THE NASTY RABBIT but this low budget western isn't much. It was Arch Jr.'s last role for many many years.

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Another Quickie By Corman

THE LAST WOMAN ON EARTH-1960-In Puerto Rico Harold Gern (Anthony Carbone) hides out with his unhappy wife Evelyn (Betsy Jones-Moreland) because he’s been indicated. At a cock fight they are joined by his lawyer Martin Joyce (Edward Wain better known as Robert Towne who also wrote the screenplay). After they go scuba diving they find it hard to breathe. Then they discover their boat driver dead. 

They head back to town and see lots of dead bodies. It becomes apparent that the trio has survived the apocalypse. They hightail it to a secluded villa near a beach and tensions rise due to the two men one woman situation. There's a lot of talk in this 3 day wonder producer/ director Roger Corman made quickly after wrapping CREATURE FROM THE HAUNTED SEA (also with Cardone) and THE BATTLE OF BLOOD ISLAND. Strange tragic yet hopeful ending. 

Music by Ronald Stein. It was released on a double bill with THE LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. Most copies are in black and white but a faded color version exists at The Internet Archive.

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Corman Produced

NIGHT OF THE BLOOD BEAST-1958-John Corcoran (Michael Emmet; later in ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES), the first man to orbit the Earth in a satellite crash lands coming back and is killed. This upsets his fiancee Dr. Julie Benson (Angela Greene). Dave Randal (Ed Nelson; in CRY BABY KILLER the same year), female photog Donna (Georgianna Carter), the analytic Dr. Wyman (Tyler McVey) and Steve (John Baer) take John's body (which has not decomposed at all) back to their lab where they discover a strange contusion on his arm. Also their radio doesn't work. After Dave has an encounter with an unknown creature and they lose electric power and their car and truck won't work, it's obvious something is keeping them there. They also discover a magnetic barrier surrounds their compound. 

At night Dr. Wyman’s bloody headless body is found hanging in their lab and John has come back to life. He’s very confused and says “It didn't come here to destroy!”. It turns out to be a weird looking alien that's using John's body as a breeding ground for new aliens (they look like sea horses). The monster kind of looks like it's covered in dried mud. It attacks but they drive it off. The next day, Dave, Steve and Donna are searching for the monster which briefly captures Donna. Eventually John realizes the alien doesn't want to help Earth, It just wants to replace humans with its race. John kills himself and Dave and Steve burn up the monster. 

Director Bernard Kowalski made his directing debut earlier in the year with HOT ROD GIRL (which Nelson and McVey appear in) and later made ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS. He does a good job keeping everything eerie and claustrophobic and though obviously inspired by THE THING the US-Russian space race figured into it too. The monster is strange looking but doesn't look like it would come from outer space. 

This AIP production was produced by Roger and Gene Corman. 

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Vincent Price Week 1974

The week of November 18 1974

 

Dirty Jokes

STOP IT OR YOU’LL GO BLIND-1975-This is essentially a bunch of dirty jokes turned into little skits probably influenced by TV’s Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. Some of it is funny but the musical numbers are pretty bad. Uschi Digard plays various roles and gag writer/comic Pat McCormick is in it as well. Co-director Keefe Brasselle sings in the finale. He must have had one foot on skid row when he made this. Supposedly he made a sequel but one is enough for me. 

Brasselle was an actor who starred in the 1953 film bio THE EDDY CANTOR STORY. It was suppose to make him a star but the movie didn't do that well. The next year he was was given a spot on an episode of TV's THE COLGATE COMEDY HOUR (series regulars Abbott & Costello make an appearance too). He later produced several TV series for CBS but none caught on. The bitter Brasselle later wrote a fictional account of his dealings with the network cleverly entitled “The CanniBalS”. A second novel “The Barracudas” attacked many famous TV personalities (hidden under fictitious names). Apparently he had trouble getting work after departing CBS which may explain his involvement with this production. Brasselle died in 1981 at the age of 58.

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Happy Mother's Day

THE DEVIL BAT’S DAUGHTER-1946-A young woman named Nina (Rosemary La Planche; 1941's Miss America) is found unconscious on a country road after visiting the abandoned house of Dr. Paul Carruthers, the deceased mad scientist who once killed people with a giant bat. Local doctor Elliot (Nolan Leary) asks a successful psychiatrist Dr. Morris (Michael Hale) to help. It seems Nina is the daughter of Dr. Carruthers and Morris seems to know about her past. At night Nina runs away from the hospital and goes to Morris’ house for help after seeing a blurry vision of a giant bat. Morris isn't home but his wife Ellen (Molly Lamont) puts her to bed and calls Elliot. Morris isn't around because he’s on the town with his girlfriend Myra (thick accented Monica Mars). Morris kind of uses psychoanalysis to question her and she has trouble talking about dad. Finally she remembers that when her mother died everyone said dad killed her because he was a vampire. 

Later Ted (John James), Ellen’s son from a previous marriage returns from the army. Nina talks about a dream she has where her father is a bat and she becomes one too but all we see is a blurry picture of the original giant bat. Of course Nina and Ted fall in love and Ted proposes. Morris thinks Ted’s a bad influence in helping helping Nina get better and wants him gone. The shrink is obviously up to something. Morris accuses Nina of killing Ted’s dog and when Ellen winds up dead Nina confesses to the murder. A newspaper headline reads “Nina McCarron-Vampire?”. Eventually Ted exposes Morris who actually killed Ellen and somehow Carruthers is exonerated! 

This sequel to THE DEVIL BAT is only an hour but seems much longer. German born director Frank Wisbar made the spooky STRANGLER FROM THE SWAMP (also with La Planche) the same year.

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Random Photos

Bela enjoys a beer! Was this from a ad?

Memorable character actor Fred Clark. 

George Reeves as Clark Kent!

Anyone have this? It's worth about 500 dollars!

From my personal collection of stuff! Lol!

Rikishi (sumo)  Asahisho

Teens vs. Aliens

INVASION OF THE SAUCER MEN-1957-Aliens have invaded lovers point in the sleepy town of Hicksville USA. Johnny Carter (Steve Terrell) and his girlfriend Joan (Gloria Castillo) hit one of the mini spacemen with their car. They call for help but the police don't believe them. There's also two bored con men, Joe (Frank Gorshin) and Artie (Lyn Osbourne). Artie seems to be the narrator at the beginning. Joe finds Johnny's car with the saucer man pinned under it. When he tries to move it he’s killed by some other saucer men who have some kind of metal rods in their fingers (like Wolverine). Old man Larkin (Raymond Hatton) calls the cops but when they come of course the alien corpse is gone and they think Johnny's been drinking. One saucer guy has a run in with Larkin's bull and kills it. Meanwhile Johnny and Joan enlist Artie to help them after being terrorized by a severed alien hand. Adults won't help so it's up to the lovebirds and their gang to stop the invaders. There's also a government cover up conducted by the army that accidentally destroys the spaceship. The aliens inject alcohol into their victims. Russ Bender is a doctor. Jason Johnson and Ed Nelson are in it too. Angelo Rossitto, Paul Blaisdell (who created the eerie aliens) and Bob Burns are the saucer-men. This whacky teenagers meet aliens movie was directed by Edward L. Cahn and much like his THE SHE CREATURE features memorable monsters but not that good of a story.

Bugs In Japan

WAR OF THE INSECTS-(GENOCIDE)-1968-A huge swarm of insects causes a plane carrying a hydrogen bomb to crash. Jozi, a philandering jerk who tells his wife Ukari he’s out collecting insect samples when he’s really cheating with Annabelle (Kathy Horan), a white woman who loves insects and hates humans. Jozi is accused of killing 3 pilots who had survived the plane crash. Dr. Nagumo tries to help him. A coroner says the men were bitten to death by insects but the rude Fascistic American commanding officer disagrees. When Jozi escapes the police with the help of Yukari (she’s pregnant) he hides out with Annabelle who it turns out is a Nazi concentration camp survivor and a spy who uses bees to get the lone survivor pilot Charly to talk. Annabelle wants to spread poison insects all over the world and wipe out mankind. After Jozi and Yukari escape Annabelle's henchmen (along with a lady MD) they help Nagumo with an experiment. He wants to be bitten by one of the deadly bugs to feel it's effects! He has a weird psychedelic vision where insects tell him they fear nuclear destruction more than humans. While Jozi and Yukari search for the H-bomb, Annabelle plans her own experiment on Nagumo but when the insects escape she's killed. In the end evil America explodes the lost H bomb and everyone dies except pregnant Yukari. 

Kind of crazy revisionist propaganda sci-fi film from Kazui Nihonmatsu, director of THE X FROM OUTER SPACE.

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Maijin Returns!

RETURN OF DAIMAIJIN-1966-An evil warlord conquers a village but the leader Lord Juro (Kojiro Hongo; also in a couple of GAMMERA movies) escapes. The warlord's army goes to the next village to look for him. Unfortunately for the warlord and minions the village is protected by the stone giant Maijin who's already angry. It gets even angrier when the warlord sends soldiers to destroy the statue, has village leader killed and holds his son hostage. His daughter goes to pray to Maljin for help. While mourning the destruction, she and her servant bodyguard find Jiro. A boat of soldiers lead by a mean subordinate is swallowed up by the lake. After lots of intrigue, swordplay and praying Jiro and the son and daughter are condemned to death. At the 61 minute mark Maijin makes its appearance and trounces the bad guys. It's still impressive but I thought the SFX in the first one were better. This Japanese production is a sequel to MAJIN: MONSTER OF TERROR. It was followed by a third installment THE WRATH OF DAIMAIJIN. 

Japan Dino

LEGENDS OF DINOSAURS AND MONSTER BIRDS-1977-In a lengthy pre-credits intro a woman hiking in “The Sea of Trees” forest stumbles upon an underground cave and sees a giant egg hatching. She's helped by some lumberjacks when they find her running and yelling incoherently. Later a geologist named Arizawa (Tsunehiko Watase) cancels his trip to Mexico to investigate the incident when he hears about it on TV. While exploring there he meets his late father's old friend Sho (Shotaro Hayashi). Some people disappear and livestock becomes deadstock. At a festival, a guy in a cowboy hat sings. The stage falls apart and everybody sees a monster in the water but it's a prank Then 2 of the pranksters are killed by a real monster but nobody believes the 3rd guy’s story until some tourist backs him up. “It's super big news!”. Arizawa’s ex-lover Ahiko (Nobiko Sawa) and her friend Junko are scuba diving in the area until Junko is bitten in half by the monster. Later while they are trapped in a cave, a prehistoric flying bird shows up and the mayor and the army blow everyone up shooting at the creature.

Arizawa and Ahiko escape to the forest but the long necked dinosaur is there to terrorize them. Then the flying creature shows up. They fight and a volcano erupts on the mountain. I think the couple survive...? Ahiko’s pathetic screaming in the finale really annoying. Pretty cheap Japanese production directed by Junji Kurata. It was a big hit in Russia.

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