Feudal Japan

 

 (imdb)

AZUMI-2003-Azumi (Aya Ueto) is trained to be an assassin in feudal Japan. She has to kill her friend as a village is slaughtered. She then goes after several warlords who are deemed evil but Azumi has some doubts. This is a violent tragic story with great swordplay and direction but it's a little mean spirited. 

Director Ryuhei Kitamura made ARAGAMI the same year. He was previously known for VERSUS (2000) and later made GODZILLA: FINAL WARS (2004) and THE MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN (2008).

Thanks for reading!

Indigestion

 

 (imdb)

GORE-MET: ZOMBIE CHEF FROM HELL-1986-In 1386, Goza (Theo Depuay) is condemned to be a flesh-eating zombie by some robed guys. 300 years later he's running a deli on the beach in Charlotte, NC. He kills a health inspector and a customer complains there's hair in his stew. Of course, Goza, who occasionally talks to the camera, is killing people to quench his lust for flesh.

 If more people could see this movie (it's supposed to be a comedy) I'm sure it would be on a lot more worst horror movies lists. Bad everything! It's the only film effort by director Don Swan.

Thanks for reading!

Beach Follow Up

 

 (imdb)

WILD ON THE BEACH-1965-Adam (Frankie Randall) and Lee (Sherry Jackson) both rent the same beach house. Oodles of funny things happen in this pretty unfunny rip-off of AIP's Beach movies. Sonny & Cher, The Astronauts and Sandy Nelson provide the music and Russ Bender as a college professor/record producer even croons a tune! Booth Colman is a college dean and Justin Smith is his bumbling assistant.

This was Maury Dexter's follow up to SURF PARTY and it was co-written by his usual screenwriter Harry Spauding. Lead Frankie Randall hosted a summer replacement show for Dean Martin and his cover of The Who's “I Can See For Miles” is featured on “Golden Throats: The Great American Sing Off” from Rhino records.

Thanks for reading!

Hit The Beach

 

 (imdb)

SURF PARTY-1964-3 women Terry (Patricia Morrow; TV's 'Peyton Place”), Junior (singer Jackie DeShannon; she was in INTIMACY in 1966) and Sylvia (Lory Patrick) take their trailer from Arizona go to the California beach to meet Terry's brother Skeet (TV actor/stuntman Jerry Summers). A police officer (Richard Crane from THE ALLIGATOR PEOPLE) isn't happy to learn that Skeet is Terry's brother. They take surfing lessons from Len Marshall (Bobby Vinton; his song “Blue Velvet” was a hit the year before). Skeet is a big man on the beach but everyone blames him for a surf accident a guy named Milo (Kenny Miller (I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF) who sings “Pearly Shells”) has. Len who is sweet on Terry, thinks Skeet is a bad influence. 

There's music by The Astronauts and The Routers (with Scott Walker) but the women sing too. Things just seem to get started when Skeet's sugar mama (Martha Stewart) returns and throws him out. The girls leave, still single. 

This little teenage musical was made by the team of Harry Spauding, writer and Maury Dexter, director to cash in on the popular Beach Party movies of AIP. The duo had already made THE DAY MARS INVADED EARTH, HOUSE OF THE DAMNED and HARBOR LIGHTS. They must have thought this was good because the next year they made a similar “beach movie”.

Thanks for readding!

Bjork

 

 (youtube)

GLERBROT aka BROKEN GLASS-1988-In a laundry room, a woman, her father and her drunken, abusive husband argue and insult each other. The couple also talk about putting their rebellious daughter Maria (Bjork; still a member of The Sugar Cubes), in an insane asylum. She shows up and calls them “shitty scum” then leaves. 

Later, two Teutonic religiously demented women come from the asylum, and forcibly take Maria away and put her in a cell. The place seems to be a hotbed of lesbianism trying to turn Maria queer. She convinces her parents to take her away but the Hitler sisters won't release her. Using a glass cutter sneaked to her by her boyfriend, Maria escapes, meets her boyfriend and they freeze to death. 

Parts look like a music video. It was directed by Kristin Johannesdottir for Icelandic TV.

Thanks for reading!

Moon Beast

 

 (imdb)

TRACK OF THE MOON BEAST1976--Anthropologist Paul Carson (Chase Cordell), teacher Johnny Longbow (Georgio Sala), two air head students Bud (Tim Butler) & Janet (Francine Kessler) and photographer Kathy Nolan (Donna Leigh Drake) all meet in the desert. Meanwhile, a newscaster reports about a meteor shower. When Paul and Kathy are watching the shower, Paul is hit by a meteor which turns him into a blood thirsty part dinosaur killer. His first victim is a drunk bowler then a bunch of poker playing campers. 

Terrible acting and too slow paced but the monster (created and played by Joe Blasco) isn't bad when we get to see it. It's the only movie directed by Richard Ashe who was second unit director on two Cheri Caffaro movies.

Thanks for reading!

Hall-Montez

 

 (imdb)

COBRA WOMAN-1944-Ramu (Jon Hall) & Tulia (Maria Montez) are to be married. On their wedding day she's kidnap by Hava (Lon Chaney), a sinister looking guy pretending to be blind. Ramu's friend McDonald (Moroni Olsen) says Tulia has been taken back to the treacherous "Cobra Island" where she was born. Ramu journeys to the island to rescue her accompanied by a local talkative young guy Kado (the one and only Sabu). Once there Ramu spies Tulia swimming and goes to her. They embrace but she seems rather distant. After they part, he's captured and sentenced to die. Kado meets up with Tula and the Queen of the island (Mary Nash).

It turns out the woman Ramu met was not Tula but her evil sister Narja who rules the island using sacrifices to a volcano and the help of evil fiancée, Martok (Edgar Barrier). It turns out Hava is not bad but a servant of the Queen who brought Tulia back to rule.

Universal made several of these Technicolor tropical adventures with Hall & Montez. Mostly considered camp, they do have a cult following. A dance in front of a cobra is kind of funny and Chaney is once again wasted in a mute role. Directed by Robert Siodmak, a year after making SON OF DRACULA with Chaney.

Thanks for reading!

Gorilla Love

 

 (imdb)

BRIDE OF THE GORILLA-1951-Somewhere along the Amazon, Klaas Van Gilder (Paul Cavanaugh) and his unhappy wife Dina (Barbara Payton) are having troubles. Their doctor Viet (Tom Conway) tries to help but foreman Barney Chavez (pre-Godzilla & Perry Mason Raymond Burr) lusts after Dina. After Barney is fired, he kills Van Gilder by having a snake bite him. With hubby out of the way, Barney and Dina plan to run away. Law officer Taro (Lon Chaney) investigates. After Barney is exonerated of the murder, he and Dina get married but Van Gilder's servant Al-Long (Gisela Werbisek) puts a curse on him and he turns into a gorilla. Woody Strode is a policeman.

 It's pretty bad with a lot of talk. One of 9 movies directed by Curt Siodmak, better known as a writer and novelist (Donovan's Brain). He and Chaney would work again on the TV series 13 Demon Street (and the movie made from it, THE DEVIL'S MESSENGER). Star Payton had several scandals connected to her and later had several brushes with the law. She died in 1967 at the age of 39.

Thanks for reading!

Wish-Woman

 

 (blu-ray.com)

LET ME DIE A WOMAN-1978-Dr. Leo Wollman (playing himself) narrates and explains exactly what happens during a sex change operation. It's rather detailed and real transsexuals talk about their lives but Doris Wishman wrote and directed it so at times it's exploitative and goofy. Harry Reems (DEEP THROAT) is a cab driver. Vanessa Del Rio is unbilled as Sandy. The doc gives some serious lectures then the story veers into near pornographic faked scenes.

Thanks for reading!

Low Budget Slaves

 

 (imdb)

SLAVE GIRLS FROM BEYOND INFINITY-1987-On a distant planet, some survivors of spaceship crash (Elizabeth Kaitan, Cindy Beal, Brinke Stevens and lone male Cal Horner) are rescued by smooth talking Zed (Don Scribner) who lives in a castle with a bunch of robot servants. After not much happens, the story turns into a "The Most Dangerous Game” rip-off with Zed hunting the bikini clad trio in a phony forest. 

Typical '80's "tease" film, promising a lot and delivering nothing. Writer/director Ken Dixon also made THE EROTIC ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CURSOE (1976). His first film was the interesting short SHADOW HOUSE made in 1973. Richard Band was an executive producer.

Thanks for reading!

Gay Girls

 

ALWAYS ON SUNDAY-1962-Silent black & white takeoff on Jules Dassin's NEVER ON A SUNDAY by the Gay Girls Riding Corporation, a group of gay men and transvestites. Female prostitutes (men in drag) go to a bar. It's not very good but ahead of it's time.

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO BABY JANE-1963-Short film by GGRC about the events leading up to the movie WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? and then parodying the film. All the roles are played by men.

SPY ON THE FLY-1967-Transvestite parody of James Bond includes slapstick, car chases, fights and explosions. It's a short film (43 minutes) that seems to go on forever.

ALL ABOUT ALICE-1972-Hour long color parody of ALL ABOUT EVE. Looks like it could have influenced John Waters.

Thanks for reading!

"If You Love These Blues...."

 

 (chicago tribune)

THE MIKE BLOOMFIELD STORY-2021-Excellent documentary/biography of the (now) neglected Blues guitarist. In his time playing with The Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Electric Flag, he was viewed as America's first guitar hero but constant touring, drugs, insomnia and the need to stay out of the spotlight took its toll. Part one is directed by Alex Wernquest and Nick Lerman. Part two is by David Dann (who wrote the whole thing).

Michael Bloomfield & Al Kooper: Albert's Shuffle:

https://youtu.be/wvA6W87lj8I?si=qapM7Ovm5uApyNDK

Thanks for reading!

Curly Howard: Straight Man...????

 

 (themoviedatabase)

ROAST-BEEF AND MOVIES-1934-MGM made this Technicolor short feature with a comedy trio lead by Max Parkayacargus (Geo. Givot) with Jerry (Curly) Howard as his straight man! The third guy is Bobby Callahan. They show some film executives their movie (unused scenes from MGM). This is a disaster! One of only 3 movies directed by Sam Baerwitz.

Thanks for reading!

Pre-Super Man Reeves

CHAMPAGNE FOR TWO-1947-A nightclub owner (George Reeves) and his dancing singer wife (Lita Baron) plan a second honeymoon in Havana but a charwoman (Ida Moore) informs him that she heard two men talking about robbing his club. He invites the woman and her husband (Griff Barnett) to the club so she can identify the men while the police stake out the joint. It turns out to be a false alarm. 

This 19-minute color short has a distinct Latino beat. Director Mel Epstein was mostly an assistant director and later a producer. Lead actress Lita Baron was in the first JUNGLE JIM movie the next year (also with George Reeves who began playing Superman in the 1951 movie SUPERMAN AND THE MOLE-MEN).

Thanks for reading!