Pal's Puppets

 

 (imdb)

THE PUPPETOON MOVIE-1987-This is a compilation of George Pal's 10 Puppetoons shorts plus a short history of its inception. It's hosted by Arnie the Dinosaur who tells the tale to clay animation icons, Gumby and his pal Pokey! Originally there were 11 shorts but there have been several revised versions that added more with each volume. Pal received an honorary Academy Award in 1944 for his work on them. It was written, produced and directed by Arnold Leibovit who also made the bio-pic THE FANTASY FILM WORLDS OF GEORGE PAL (1985). 

THE PUPPETOON MOVIE also features the last work of the great voice actor Paul Frees. 

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He Knows

 

 (imdb)

HE KNOWS YOU'RE ALONE-1980-After a girl finds her boyfriend hanging dead from a tree, we learn it's all in a movie being watched by 2 young women in a theater. One of them thinks she's being followed when she goes to the bathroom. When she returns to her seat, a mysterious figure sits down beside her. While everyone is screaming, he kills her. 

Police Lt. Len Gamble (Lewis Arlt) thinks the murderer is the same person who killed his fiancé on their wedding day. Meanwhile 3 women (whose men go away for a bachelor party) are stalked by the killer. One almost married woman, Amy (Caitlin O'Heaney) is still friends with her ex-boyfriend Marvin (Don Scardino; SQUIRM (1976)). For some reason, the killer (Tom Rolfing) stabs Amy's tailor to death. Back at her house, Amy is given a surprise shower by her annoying friends, while one friend is having an affair with her professor. Both are done in by the killer. Later, Amy finds her friend's head in a fish tank and then is pursued by the killer. He attacks her while she's driving, then chases her around. She takes refuge in the local mortuary where Marvin works. Just when Amy is trapped Gamble shoots the killer...but he's not dead and he kills Gamble. Now he can chase both Amy and Marvin but they seem to trap him for the police. In the end, Amy and Marvin decide to get married but on their wedding day Amy has a visitor. It's Paul, her ex-fiancé...

Steve James appears in one scene as a witness but this is really known for then unknown Tom Hanks' appearance in a red herring role (his film debut). Some parts are ok with the killer very demented at times but there's too much talk and not many likable characters. 

This was the debut film of director Armand Mastroianni who went on to make CAMERON'S CLOSET (1988) and lots of TV episodes and movies.

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Grave Vampire

 

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GRAVE OF THE VAMPIRE-1972-A young couple are making out in their car in a graveyard, when they are attacked by undead lunatic Caleb Croft (Michael Pataki). Croft kills the guy and drinks his blood and drags the girl into a grave and rapes her. She survives the attack but is impregnated by the vampire. After Croft kills the cop investigating the crime, the woman, Leslie (Kitty Vallacher), eventually gives birth to a boy (ignoring her doctor's advice to have an abortion). When the baby won't drink milk, Leslie accidentally gives it blood which he drinks. Years later the baby is a grown man James (William Smith), looking to kill his dad who pretends to be a college professor. At s séance, Croft kills some students and he and son have a showdown. James kills him but becomes a vampire with ill fitting teeth. 

The final credit for “the end” was in French. “FIN du peut 'entre pas?” (maybe not). Terrible acting and dialogue. Co-writer/director John Hayes made the kind of whacky GARDEN OF THE DEAD the same year and later END OF THE WORLD (1977) with Christopher Lee.

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To God There Is No Zero

 

 (themoviedatabase)

THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN-1957-While Scott Carey (Grant Williams) is out on his boat with his wife Lou (Randy Stuart), a strange mist passes over him. 6 months later, his shirt and pants are too big. His doctor (William Schallert) doesn't seem concerned that he's lost height and weight. When his wife doesn't have to stand on tip toe to kiss him, he deduces he's shrinking. He has a lot of tests (conducted by Raymond Bailey) and it's discovered his “molecular structure” has been reconstructed through radioactivity and DDT. He loses his job and to pay his debts, he sells his story to a reporter and becomes famous. He's trapped in his house by reporters and onlookers but takes it out on his devoted wife. After a special toxin doesn't work, he walks around and meets little person Clarice (April Kent) who gives him some pointers but that fizzles when he starts to shrink again. He takes up residence in a doll house. He's menaced by the family cat.

Seeking shelter, he winds up in the basement and Lou thinks the cat ate him. In the basement he gets water from a dripping water heater, a house from a matchbox and tries to steal cheese from a mouse trap, He also encounters a spider. Lou has one last look in the basement but the boiler floods and Scott's cries for help go unnoticed. After Lou and Scott's brother Charlie (Paul Langton) leave, Scott has a showdown with “the enemy” spider which he kills after a first failed attempt. In the end, he accepts his fate and looks forward to a new adventure, knowing his existence will not end. Also with Frank Scannell, Billy Curtis and Lock Martin. 

Good sfx and direction from Jack Arnold make this one of the best science fiction films of the 1950's. Author Richard Matheson adapted his own novel. Grant Williams starred in THE MONOLITH MONSTERS, also directed by Jack Arnold the same year. Paul Langton co-starred in IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE the next year. Producer Albert Zugsmith made MAN IN THE SHADOW the same year, also directed by Arnold.

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Rat In The House

 

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OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN-1983-Peter Weller stars as a yuppie who spends the better part of two hours trying to kill an over-sized rat in his apartment while his wife (Shannon Tweed in her film debut) is away. This film won several international awards. I'm not sure why. Also with Lawrence Dane and Maury Chaykin. 

This Canada-US co-production was directed by George P. Cosmatos who later went on to direct Slyvester Stallone in RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART 2 (1985) and COBRA (1986) and the western TOMBSTONE in 1993. Peter Weller starred in the cult film THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BANZAI ACROSS THE 8TH DIMENSION in 1984 and full stardom with ROBO-COP in 1987.

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For What It's Worth (Keeter)

 

 (imdb)

UNMASKING THE IDOL-1986- Super ninja Duncan Jax (Ian Hunter) works for a secret organization, knows martial arts and has a pet baboon. His latest assignment is to break into an impregnable island and steal some gold to stop WW 3. He teams up with Gunner (Lise Patterson), Bugs (Vernond Littleton) and Whale (William Hicks). His friend Willie (Budd Browning) is despondent because he's too old to go on the mission (and to frolic in the Jacuzzi). Star (CK Bibby), his boss, seems to have great interest in the gold. The masked Red Leader waits on the island. Jax's real reason for going is that Goldtooth (Ron Campbell), a guy who killed his parents is there too. Jax's female spy Echo (Janet Nease) is fed to piranhas. Jax invades the island, has lots of fights and kills some red ninjas. (The good guys wear black) Even the baboon fights! Later his group steals the gold and substitutes fake stuff. Meanwhile, some stereotypical comic Germans ride around in a submarine. Jax beats up the Red Leader, who turns out to be China (Shakti Chen), a woman he had sex with at the beginning of the movie (she gets away). The Germans get blown up and Jay, Gunner and the baboon escape in a truck attached to a hot air balloon. Oh yeah, and Jax has a stereotype Asian manservant Sato (Shangtai Tuan). 

I think it was supposed to be a parody but the acting (especially from Hunter) and the script undermine it. The only person in the cast I knew was former pro wrestler, Dan Spivey, who's character seems too tough for Jax, so he shoots him. (like in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK) This is like a mishmash of James Bond, Indiana Jones and any number direct to video action movies made around the same time. 

Filmed in North and South Carolina. Director Worth Keeter made his directorial debut with Earl Owensby's WEREWOLF (1979) and went on to TV's “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers”. The Duncan Jax character returned in a sequel THE ORDER OF THE BLACK EAGLE (1987) also starring Hunter and directed by Keeter.

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"The Devil's Alive And He's Dancin' With The Mummy!"

 

 (themoviedatabase)

THE MUMMY'S CURSE-1944- No one wants to work on the drainage of a swamp because of the legend of the mummy. Dr. James Halsey (Dennis Moore) and Dr. Zardad (Peter Coe) visit Walsh (Addison Richards), the foreman. They are looking for Kharis and his princess. After a murder, some evidence seems to say the bulldozing released the mummy. We learn Zardad, with the help of weaselly assistant Ragheb (Martin Kosleck) has the mummy and through a flashback we see lonce again how Kharis, an Egyptian, tried to bring his love, Ananka back to life. He was buried alive and must guard her tomb forever. 

After the mummy (Lon Chaney) kills a caretaker, a woman (it's obvious she's Ananka) rises from the muddy swamp. After bathing in a nearby lake, she's found by Cajun Joe (Kurt Katch) and brought to Tante (Ann Codee) while Kharis (fueled by 9 tana leaves) searches for her. He kills Tante and Ananka (Virginia Christine) runs into the forest and passes out. But before Kharis can get her, she's rescued by Halsey and Walsh's daughter Betty (Kay Harding) (kind of ridiculous scene). Though she can't remember who she is, she becomes Halsey's assistant but the mummy comes calling and kills Doc Cooper (Homes Herbert). Then poor old Cajun Joe is killed while chasing Ananka through the swamp. Later Kharis gets his musty hands on Ananka and Ragheb tricks Betty into going there too because he's sweet on her. When Zardad threatens to kill Betty, Ragheb kills him. Halsey rescues Betty but has to fight Ragheb. Kharis shows up and causes he and Ragheb to be buried in a cave in. Meanwhile, Ananka turns back into a mummy. 

They could have made another sequel but this 5^th entry into the Mummy series was the last. Universal would revive the character one more time in the comedy ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET THE MUMMY (1955). This is one of the few non-comedy films director Leslie Goodwins worked on. He was known mostly for his silent shorts, The Mexican Spitfire series and GENIUS AT WORK with the comedy team of Carney & Brown. Later he went into TV.

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Not That Grand

 

 (imdb)

THE GRAND INQUSITOR-2008-A young woman named Lulu (Leah Dashe) with a Louise Brooks hairstyle visits Helen Reedy (Marsha Hunt), an old widow who Lulu believes was married to the Zodiac Killer. The 90 year old Hunt (who died in 2022 at age 104) gives a strong performance but the story itself kind of sucks. 

Written and directed by Eddie Muller, the host of TCM's Noir Alley. Hunt, a busy actress in the '30's and '40's, saw her career came to halt in the early '50's when she was blacklisted.

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Hey Yul!

 

 (imdb)

THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR-1975-In a post-apocalyptic future 2012!, where a plague has wiped out most of the world, a kind of commune in the ruins of NYC tries to keep humankind alive. Their leader is The Baron (Max Von Sydow). A former scientist Cal (Richard Kelton) has developed plague resisted seeds to grow veggies. After some bums are killed for stealing pigeons, The Baron enlists Carson (Yul Brynner), a bald, knife toting fighter to lead a group of survivors (including his pregnant daughter Melinda (Joanna Miles)) to an island off North Carolina to start life anew. The Baron's chief rival/enemy is Carrot (William Smith), the red-haired leader of another commune. When a guy is accused of stealing a tomato, he's thrown to “the street people”. After Cal is killed, Carson tries to save Melinda by escaping through subway tunnels. She has her baby in a subway car and Carson and Carrot have their showdown where Carson, who fights with a bola, has to cut off his own hand to save his life and kill Carrot. Stephen McHattie has a small role. 

This ok science fiction/post-apocalyptic movie was written and directed by Robert Clouse (ENTER THE DRAGON (1973)) who originally wanted Gordon Liu for the lead character but was overruled by the studio. It would have been a much better choice!

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Or Less

 

 (imdb)

MORE-1969-Stefan (Klaus Grunberg), a German recently graduated from college, hitchhikes to France. There he meets American expatriate, Estelle (Mimsy Farmer). After hanging out talking, smoking pot and having sex, she heads for Ibiza. Stefan follows her. There he meets the mysterious Dr. Wolf (Heinz Engelman), a former Nazi who may or may not be involved with Estelle. She and Stefan run away together (after she steals heroin from Wolf) and they become addicts. Then they use LSD. Eventually, she goes back to Wolf and Stefan dies. 

A big ado about nothing from debuting director Barbet Schroeder (who later came to America and made BARFLY (1987), REVERSAL OF FORTUNE (1990) and SINGLE WHITE FEMALE (1992)). MORE features a soundtrack by Pink Floyd who also provided another score for Schroeder's THE VALLEY (OBSCURED BY CLOUDS) a few years later.

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We Wanna Riot

 

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RIOT ON THE SUNSET STRIP-1967-Hippies on the Sunset Strip want to do their own thing and cops try to keep order. Police captain Lorimer (Aldo Ray) and sergeant (Jim Lefebvre) treat the "longhairs" fair while his own daughter Andy (Mimsy Farmer) gets in trouble on the Strip to escape her alcoholic mom. At a "freak out", Andy's drink is spiked with LSD and she does a provocative dance. After Lorimer finds Andy naked and abused, she rejects him. Visiting her at the hospital, Lorimer loses it and beats up the scummy punks who raped his daughter but their reunion doesn't go well. After some hippie peaceful protests, they reunite. The hippies abandon the Strip and Andy asks, "Where will they go now?". Dad replies "I only wish I knew.".

This is kind of based on the real-life incident of the closing of the club “Pandora's Box” (The Mothers of Invention mention the place in the song “Plastic People” and The Monkees song "Daily Nightly" is about the same subject). 

Tim Rooney is a hippie and John Hart is a cop. With music by The Chocolate Wristwatch, The Standells (with Larry Tamblyn & Dick Dodd) and The Enemys (who earlier were on an episode of TV's “The Beverly Hillbillies”). This was directed by Arthur Dreifuss the same year as THE LOVE-INS. Sam Katzman was producer on both. Orville Hampton (THE ALLIGATOR PEOPLE (1959) wrote the screenplay.

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Groovy Times

 

 (imdb)

THE LOVE-INS-1967-When 2 university students, Larry (James MacArthur) and Patricia (Susan Oliver), are expelled because they published an “underground” newspaper, “The Tomorrow Times”, Prof. Barnett (Richard Todd) resigns in protest. All the students congratulate him and he goes on The Joe Pyne Show to explain his reasons. Later he visits Haight-Ashbury and a hippie “love-in”. He gets an apartment there and lectures the hippies about not conforming. His motto: “Be More, Sense More, Love More”. Then a motorcycle gang starts a riot. He also says LSD “widens your scope and makes you love more'. At a psychedelic party, Patricia freaks out on acid and images she's Alice in Wonderland, dances wildly and strips. Larry voices his doubts about the professor's theories on drugs and becomes disenchanted with Barnett's “teachings”. The professor kind of becomes a “messiah” figure. Another student Elliot (Mark Goddard) helps promote him. 

Meanwhile, Larry publishes articles about Barnett's phoniness. Then some football players beat up the hippies and trash their stores and hangouts. Later Barnett really becomes infatuated with himself and gets a shock when he finds out Patricia is carrying his baby. He decides she needs an abortion to save his image. She finally sees through him for the phony he is. While he gives a speech at a packed stadium, Patricia falls down the stairs and loses her baby. Enraged, Larry shoots and kills Barnett but fears he has created a martyr. Gary Busey has an uncredited role as a hippie and The Chocolate Wristband, The U.F.O.'s and The New Age are heard. 

This psychedelic acid trip of a movie time capsule was directed and co-written by Arthur Dreifuss (he made MYSTERY IN SWING in 1940) who directed the equally out of date RIOT ON THE SUNSET STRIP the same year. Though now just a relic of the '60's THE LOVE-INS is still kind of fun. To top it all off Sam Katzman was the producer!

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Ringo In The West

 

 (imdb)

BLINDMAN-1971-Italian spaghetti western production backed by Abkco with Tony Anthony as the title character wandering Mexico searching for the man who stole a group of mail order brides he was supposed to deliver to the army. The character seems to be based Zatochi. And Ringo Starr is a Mexican bandito who stabs a priest. “Well, sweet mama, I guess the sun don't shine on the same dog's ass all the time”. 

One of the film's producers, Allen Klein (president of Apple Records) appears briefly as does the Beatles' former road manager Mal Evans. Sir Ringo recorded a theme song but it wasn't used and it later appeared on a B-side. The American born Tony Anthony was no stranger to Italian lensed westerns and later produced and starred in the 3-D comedy COMIN' AT YA! (1981) and the Raiders of the Lost Ark influenced TREASURE OF THE 4 CROWNS (1983)). Both were directed by BLINDMAN's  director Ferdinando Baldi. 

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Loony Jack

 

 (imdb)

THE DESPERADOS-1969-Loony Confederate renegade Parson Josiah Galt (Jack Palance) rampages through the Civil War torn United States looting, killing and burning. His three sons David (Vince Edwards), Jacob (George Maharis) and Adam (Christian Roberts) accompany him. David, the only one with a conscience rebels and is found guilty of treason by their kangaroo court. He is sentenced to death but escapes. He returns to his wife Laura (Sylvia Sims) and their kid. The war ends but Galt's rampage continues and he and his gang wind up trying to rob a bank in the town that David has settled in. 

The Marshall (Neville Brand) and the townspeople defend pretty well and even capture the two bad brothers but the gang bust him out and kill the sheriff. After the townspeople almost lynch David, he goes back to his father's gang and pretends he wants to rejoin but he ends up killing brother Adam. Then Galt kills Laura and kidnaps the son. David fights brother Jacob on the top of a burning, runaway train Galt planned on robbing. Jacob is killed but Dad gets away. He gets drunk and his prostitute girlfriend (Kate O'Mara) helps the boy escape. They all head for the hills where they boy nearly falls to his death but he's saved. Both David and Galt fall to their deaths, however. 

Palance is very evil and out of control in this bizarre western filmed in Spain by Henry Levin (JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH (1959)). He and Palance had much earlier made the western THE LONELY MAN (1957).

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Deadly TV Movie

 

 (imdb)

TARANTULAS: DEADLY CARGO-1977-In Ecuador, two pilots (Howard Hesseman, Tom Atkins) with a plane load of coffee and illegal aliens accidentally get a load of deadly tarantulas that infect the illegals. After another pilot is bitten, the plane crashes in a field, explodes and the tarantulas escape. A volunteer fireman Brent Springer (Claude Akins) and another pilot Joe (Charles Frank) try to save the illegals while the mayor (Bert Remsen) and the sheriff (Sandy McPeak) think it's the plague. Doc Hodgins (Pat Hingle) examines the victims. An LA spider expert (John Harkins) says they are deadly and aggressive. To save the orange crop, the townsfolk use the hum of a wasp to trick the tarantulas. 

Stupid, boring TV movie directed by Stuart Hagmann (THE STRAWBERRY STATEMENT (1970)). Also with Deborah Winters, Bill Irwin and Matthew Laborteaux.

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Band

 

 (imdb)

ROBOT HOLOCAUST-1987-In the future after the title catastrophe, the air is poisoned and humans fight each other. Everyone fears “the dark one” (a disembodied voice). A guy named Neo (Norris Colf) comes from “the wastelands” to form a rebel army. He shouldn't have bothered. They say the place is desolated but the Chrysler Building and the UN are shown intact. Neo and Deeja (Nadine Hart), a woman looking for her father join up with 2 dweebs, a dopey robot and a mute slave. Later they meet a warrior woman from “the she zone”. 

This cheap nonsense has very bad acting but in particular is the actress who plays Valaria (Angelika Jager). One really dreadful performance. It's Charles Band production, directed by Tim Kincaid who also made BREEDERS (1986) and MUTANT HUNT (1987) for Band and later SHE'S BACK (1989) with Carrie Fisher. He was much more prolific under the name Joe Gage making many gay porn themed movies.

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The Last Of Herzog-Kinski

 

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COBRA VERDE-1987-In his fifth and last collaboration with director Werner Herzog, Klaus Kinski plays the title role, an outlaw sent on a mission to Africa to obtain slaves. He winds up leading a revolt against a mad West African king. 

This is the least seen film with Kinski that Herzog directed owing to the production company going out of business after the film was completed. Kinski made three more movies after this, including PAGANINI (his last) which he directed. He died in 1991 at the age of 65.

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Fascinating

 

KID MONK BARONI-1952-Street kid, Paul “Monk” Baroni (Leonard Nimoy with phony nose) doesn't like himself because of his looks. A priest (Richard Rober who was killed in a car accident soon after this) takes a shine to Paul and lets him and his gang use the church gym. Paul winds up helping the church a lot and even becomes a member of the choir. When his ex-gang attacks him, he accidentally knocks out the priest. With his faithful friend, Angelo (Jack Larsen), he becomes a bitter boxer. A pawnbroker (Maurice Cass) gets him into a gym run by Mr. Hellman (Bruce Cabot). Soon he's winning fights and listening to records from Italy. He re-unites with the priest and meets Emily (Allene Roberts), who later convinces him to have plastic surgery. Bad move! He takes up with gold digger June (Mona Knox), on who he spends all his money. She dumps him and he steps back into the ring and gets clobbered but the crooks who backed him lose all their money, the church gets a recreation center and Paul marries Emily. Even his klepto friend reforms! Kathleen Freeman plays his mother. 

Some “critics” have a problem with the ending. The future Mr. You Know Who is very good in his first credited role but this low-budget drama didn't have a wide distribution. Producer Jack Broder (BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA, the same year) had planned this as the first in a series called “The Billy Goat Gang”, a Bowery Boys knock off. No more were ever made. Jack Larsen started playing Jimmy Olsen on TV's “Superman” the same year so that might have had something to do with it. Herman Cohen was associate producer and Aben Kandel who later wrote several AIP horror movies which Cohen produced, wrote the original screenplay. Director Harold Schuster made many B movies and then went into TV.

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About Face

 

SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH-1943-Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) is helping out at the Musgrave estate which is being used as a hospital while 2 brothers and their sister feud. When Watson's friend Dr. Sexton (Arthur Margetson) is attacked, Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) is called in. The two brothers (Gavin Muir and Frederick Worlock) are killed and sister Sally (Hillary Brooke) is in danger. Her fiancee Vickery (Milburn Stone) tries to help. It all seems to have do with a strange family ritual. Dennis Hoey as Inspector LeStrade and Mary Gordon as Mrs. Hudson reprised their roles and Peter Lawford make his film debut in a bar scene.  

Although updated to 1943 during WW2 as the three preceding Holmes films had been, this is less concerned with the war effort and more a mystery to be solved by the great detective. It's one of 11 Holmes features directed by the underrated Roy William Neill. This is also the second of three Holmes adventures where Rathbone & Bruce would star alongside Hillary Brooke.

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The Revenge Of Chaney

 

 (imdb)

THE PENALTY-1920-Dr. Ferris (Charles Clary) unnecessarily amputates the legs of a young boy after a car accident. The boy hears another doctor say to Ferris that he will lie to protect him. No one believes the boy when he tells what he heard. 20 years later, the boy is Blizzard (Lon Chaney), the legless crime boss of The Barbary Coast. He learns that Dr. Ferris has a daughter, sculptor Barbara (Claire Adams) and he agrees to pose for her sculpture of Satan to get close to her father for some sinister revenge. Meanwhile, female detective Rose (Ethel Grey Terry) infiltrates Blizzard's gang (who plan to ransack San Francisco) and winds up falling in love with the gangster. 

Great suspense crime drama from director Wallace Worsley who would later direct Chaney in the lost film THE BLIND BARGAIN (1922) and the classic THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (1923). Chaney once again gives a standout performance. As the legless gangster he was required to wear a brace that held his legs in back of him while he performed on his knees. It's said he could only do this for about 10 minutes at a time.

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No Sh*t Sherlock

 

 (imdb)

SHERLOCK HOLMES' FATAL HOUR-1931-This early adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective has Arthur Wortner excellent in the lead role. Though the plot isn't based on one particular story, it uses elements of several. Holmes encounters counterfeiters and blackmail as well as Prof. Moriarty. Despite Wortner making a good Holmes, this is talky and staged. Ironically, Doctor Watson is played by an actor named Ian Fleming. 

Co-writer/director Leslie S. Hiscott made two sequels, both starring Wortner.

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Lon the Witch!

 

 (imdb)

WITCHCRAFT-1964-Supernatural trouble brews when an ancient graveyard that hosted the Whitlock family for 800 years is bulldozed. Morgan Whitlock (Lon Chaney), head of the clan, gets upset and threatens the construction company run by Bill Lanier (Jack Hedley) and Miles Forrester (Barry Linehan). Of course, Lanier's brother Todd (David Weston) is in love with Morgan's daughter, Amy (Diane Clare). When Forester drowns taking a bath, a devil (voodoo) doll is found. It seems a witch has been resurrected by the bulldozing. She makes Bill's Aunt Helen (Viola Keats) drive off a cliff. All the Whitlocks, including Amy, are part of a coven. Fire spells their end before they can sacrifice Bill's wife. 

This is low budget but entertaining little supernatural tale that gives the aging Lon Chaney a good role in a decent film. Except for a few westerns and TV, he wouldn't get many more but always threw himself into whatever role he was playing. 

Director Don Sharp who directed Christopher Lee in DEVIL SHIP PIRATES the same year and would go on to work with Hammer, directing CURSE OF THE FLY (1965), RASPUTIN: THE MAD MONK (1966) and two Fu-Manchu entries. He makes the most with what he has on WITCHCRAFT in a very short shooting schedule (the number of days it took varies on who's talking about it...). 

American Robert Lippert was the producer and backed THE LAST MAN ON EARTH the same year. Writer Harry Spauding worked a lot for producer Lippert (and director Maury Dexter).

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Mummy Story

 

 (imdb)

THE AWAKENING-1980-In Egypt, obsessed archaeologist Matthew Corbeck (Charlton Heston) and his dedicated assistant Janey (Susannah York) find the tomb of a nameless Queen. When he opens the tomb, his pregnant wife (Jill Townsend) goes comatose. He takes her to the hospital and returns to the dig. While he and Janey explore the vast tomb, his wife gives birth but the baby dies. When he opens up the Queen's sarcophagus, the baby comes back to life. When he tries illegally to take the sarcophagus, the official who tries to stop him is killed. Later his wife takes their daughter and leaves.

In the present, he's now married to Janey and a professor at a college with his daughter Margaret (Stephanie Zimbalist) now 18 years old. He returns to Cairo to check out the mummy queen's decaying problem. Later, he's in England with the mummy and sends his daughter an ankh shaped mirror. She decides to visit him. They have a happy reunion but over dinner Dad tells Margaret all about the evil Queen Kara and her quest to be reincarnated in the real world. While his assistant Paul (Patrick Drury) dates Meg, Corbeck and Janey examine the mummy and discover a virus is causing decay. Paul wants to send the mummy back to Cairo but the professor says no but later relents. It's obvious something weird is going on. Margaret seems possessed by the evil queen and the professor wants to perform a ritual that will bring Kara back to life using urns containing the queen's organs! After Janey is killed trying to destroy the urns, Margaret freaks out a lot. When a doctor tries to help her, she beats him to death. The professor decides to perform the ritual (he thinks it will save Margaret's life) but realizes too late he was tricked by Kara who does possess Margaret and kills him. 

This is a crazy confusing US-British horror film with Heston chewing the scenery in several scenes. Director Mike Newell (HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE (2005)) provides some eerie spots but Warner Brothers didn't like his director's cut and hired Monte Hellman to recut it. Based on “The Jewel of The Seven Stars” by Bram Stoker. Hammer's BLOOD FROM THE MUMMY'S TOMB (1971) is based on the same story.

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Ho Ho No!

 

 (imdb)

SILENT NIGHT-2012-A small town full of moronic lowlifes is terrorized by a killer Santa who slays “naughty people”. Even Malcolm McDowell as the chief of police, can't save this one though he does deliver a lot of dumb lines with a straight face. Director Steven C. Miller needs a new vocation.

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French-Italian

 

 (imdb)

MILL OF STONE WOMEN-1960-Hans von Arnim (Pierre Brice) visits Prof. Wahl (Herbert Bohme) to fix up an old museum carousel. Though in love with his childhood friend, Liselotte (Dany Carrel), he has an affair with the professor's daughter, Elfie (Scilla Gabel). Her personal physician, Dr. Bohem (Wolfgang Preiss) hangs around. When Wahl tells Hans that Elfie has some kind of genetic disease, he breaks off their affair. Elfie seems to die but is alive the next day! 

Yes, Elfie is actually being kept alive by a blood transfusion experiment created by Dr. Bohem. Prof. Wahl gets blood from local girls who are killed and made into wax dummies for the carousel. Lise almost becomes the next victim but when Boehm professes his love for Elfie, Wahl kills him. Elfie dies and Wahl goes insane, setting fire to their mill. Hans and his friend Ralf rescue Lise just in time. 

Moody, atmospheric French/Italian co-production directed by Giorgio Ferroni (SECRET AGENT SUPER DRAGON (1966)).

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Some Longer Things From You Tube

 Ed Wood's Final Curtain:

https://youtu.be/70khHPDk5O4?is=0aNPIArGp2PGWZfc

Lost Kaiju:

https://youtu.be/odhpWP8zOjU?is=khYbR3egJbImRRK2

Anime History:

https://youtu.be/CW5pIEzyeh0?is=SVWhC1ERmdKZCHV3

Bruce Bickford Highlights:

https://youtu.be/f3fZrOSFNOk?is=CBNnqO-mqKPp1xrf

Change of Pace:

https://youtu.be/IvTOQWOXSUY?is=HwO2epruQz3BV0UQ

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Midnight Sun

 

 (alchetron.com)

SPACE INVASION OF LAPLAND-1959-A group of scientists investigate a meteor crash in the mountains. Erik (Sten Gester), a womanizing doctor takes a liking to Diane (Barbara Wilson), the niece of Erik's older colleague, Dr. Wilson (American actor Robert Burton). After a long period of skiing, dancing and singing, Erik, Diane and Dr. Wilson visit the crash site. They find the remains of some dead reindeer and a giant footprint. The men take a plane to check out the meteor and Diane is a stowaway. While they are off scouting, something attacks and wrecks their plane. They discover it's not a meteor at all; it's a spaceship! Diane and Erik ski for help but Diane crashes and hurts her knee. 

Meanwhile, another scientist finds something moving in the spaceship and is killed. Diane and Erik find a cabin for shelter but an avalanche destroys it (with Erik inside). Diane flees the scene when a big hairy giant with fangs, shows up. Somehow, Diane survives all night being out in a snowstorm, only to be captured by the furry alien in the morning. At the crater site, she meets some pointy headed aliens in hoodies. She screams and faints. The giant shows up in a village and wrecks the new plane Dr. Wilson has! A Lapland posse is formed and, with torches and on skis, they follow the monster back to where he's holding Diane. The Laps set the creature on fire and kill it. Diane is saved. The aliens leave, their true purpose for the visit unknown. 

This film has a rather sordid history in the US as schlock director Jerry Warren got a hold of it, cut it drastically and added John Carradine as an on-screen narrator in a version called INVASION OF THE ANIMAL PEOPLE (it used to play on TV's “Chiller” here in NYC occasionally in the '70's). It's commonly called TERROR IN THE MIDNIGHT SUN but the version I saw had this other name. 

A Swedish American black and white co-production, it directed by American low-budget filmmaker Virgil Vogel (THE MOLE PEOPLE (1956)) and American screenwriter Arthur C. Pierce (THE HUMAN DUPLICATORS (1964)).

Lapland is region that spans 4 countries: Sweden, Finland, Norway and Russia. Only Sweden and Finland have a region within their borders called as such.

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Death Horse

 

 (imdb)

DEATH RIDES A HORSE-1967-A small boy watches as some bandits murder his father, mother and sister (who they also rape). He notices certain things about them: a tattoo on one guy, a scar on another, etc. A mysterious figure helps him escape after his house is set on fire. 15 years later, the boy named Bill is now a grown man (John Phillip Law) seeking revenge on the gang led by Walcott (Luigi Pistilli), a banker. He gets help from Ryan (Lee Van Cleef) who's also after the gang because they double crossed him and he went to jail. It also turns out that Ryan was the one who helped Bill out 15 years before. When the gang kidnaps Bill, Ryan comes to his rescue. During a sandstorm in a Mexican village, the duo get their revenge. The two nearly have a showdown but Bill (who knows Ryan saved his life) rides away. 

Not bad spaghetti western directed by Giulio Petroni who was the assistant director on ISLAND MONSTER (1959) with Boris Karloff.

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Triple Threat

 

 (imdb)

TEXAS, BROOKLYN AND HEAVEN-1948-The only reason I watched this innocuous romantic comedy is that William Castle directed it (he also has a cameo) and Audie Murphy made his film debut as a copy boy. 

In Texas, Perry Dunklin (Diana Lynn) thinks former small town newspaper writer Eddie Taylor (Guy Madison, in his fourth movie) is a gangster but he just wants to go to NYC and finish his play. The ever-annoying Lionel Stander, Margret Hamilton, William Frawley, Irene Ryan and Academy Award winner James Dunn are featured in various roles and Herb Vigran, Dewey Robertson and Jesse White have bits. 

It's based on a novel but some contend that the title was thought up first and then the plot worked around it. The film also features a view of The Texas School Book Depository at Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas.

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Let's Swing!

 

THE YOUNG SWINGERS-1963-This old fart owns a building that houses the popular The Vanguard club. Her niece Vicki (Molly Bee) gets a job as a waitress and falls in love with singing owner Mel (Rod Lauren; in THE CRAWLING HAND the same year). His friend Pete (Larrs Jackson) does a crazy song, “Watsui Rock”. His other friend Fred is played by Gene McDaniels who does 2 great songs. After The Sherwoods perform Hoyt Axton's “Greenback Dollar” and Vicki does a boring ballad, the club burns down. Vicki thinks her aunt (Jo Helton) did it but Mel proves it was an electrical fire and the aunt builds them a new club. Everybody sings and twists by a pool in the end. Ray Dannis, later in THE UNDERTAKER AND HIS PALS (1966) is a butler. 

The team of director Maury Dexter and screenwriter Harry Spalding (THE DAY MARS INVADED EARTH (1962)) made two “Beach Party” like movies the next year. Molly Bee was a Grammy nominated Country-Western singer who's also in HILLBILLYS IN A HAUNTED HOUSE (1967).

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Horror In The Philippines

 

 (imdb)

THE TWILIGHT PEOPLE-1972-Matt Farrell (John Ashley) is forced on to an island ala Dr. Moreau run by Juan Pereira (Eddie Garcia). He wants to use Farrell to create a new species of human beings. Pereira's experiments aren't very successful as he has a lot of animal creatures in cages. Things go bad for the doc when his daughter Neva (Pat Woodell) decides to help Farrell escape after disposing of Pereira's bi-sexual, drug addict second in command Steinman (Jan Merlin). Neva escapes with some animal people, a bat guy (Tony Goselvez), an antelope man (Ken Metcalfe) and a panther woman Pam Grier). Steinman musters some troops to go after the escapees while the manimals fight and act crazy. Neva tries to teach them manners. Permo (Kim Ramos), an ape man, tries to rape her. Meanwhile, Farrell captures Pereira. The panther girl kills some of the guards but goes crazy, even attacking wounded antelope man. Eventually, all of the mutants are killed except for the bat guy who kills most of the bad guys except for Pereira who's killed by the most horrible mutant, his wife and first failed experiment. (like in THE SHE DEMONS). 

This crazy low-budget shot in the Philippines horror tale was directed by the prolific Eddie Romero (BRIDES OF BLOOD (1968)) between BEAST OF THE YELLOW NIGHT (starring Ashley) and THE WOMAN HUNT (starring Ashley and Woodell). 

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Welcome To A Nightmare

 

 (imdb)

MONSTER DOG-1984-Rock star Vincent Roberts (Alice Cooper) goes to his old hometown to shoot a music video. A grumbling sheriff tells Vincent and his group to watch out for some wild dogs that killed some locals recently. Then in a real drawn-out scene, the sheriff and deputy are killed. After the group accidentally run down a dog, a crazy, bloody old man says they will all die. They arrive at an old house but the caretaker is missing. At night, one of the women, Angie (Pepita James), is terrorized by the bloody man and everyone else is dead and Vincent is a werewolf. But of course, it's a dream. The dream doesn't sit well with Vincent because 20 years before his father was killed by the townspeople because they thought he was a werewolf. During a video shoot, the dead caretaker crashes onto the set and lands on Angie. Then stupidly the rest go to check upstairs and leave Angie alone. She walks away in a trance. Meantime, a bunch of dirty, grimy townspeople plan on killing Vincent because they think he's a werewolf. (Things haven't changed much since his father's time...) They take his friends hostage and the dumb ass leader accidentally kills Angie. While Vincent hunts down the killers, the others are killed by wild dogs. A gigantic demonic dog does show up. After everyone but Vincent, his girlfriend Sandra (Victoria Vera) and Mary Lou (Jose Sarsa) are killed, they almost escape but the monster dog is in the backseat of their car and it kills Mary Lou and attacks Vincent, who crashes the car. The bloody man (Vincent's dad?) shows up to say “we have a new king who will live in the house of death forever”. Vincent seems to take the bloody man's place and starts to transform into something but Sandra shoots him. It ends with most of the movie shown as part of Vincent's rock video (??). 

There are two original Cooper songs. This production was shot in Spain by Italian director Claudio Fragasso who was once an assistant to Bruno Mattei. He later made TROLL 2 (1990). Cooper (whose voice is dubbed) agreed to do the movie because he was told it wouldn't play outside Spanish speaking countries. Except for Cooper on the lead role, there's nothing to separate it from any number of horror movies made in the mid-'80's.

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Yes!

 

 (imdb)

YES MADAM-1985-Inspector Ng (Michelle Yeoh) reluctantly teams up with hard ass Scotland Yard detective Carrie Morris (Cynthia Rothrock in her film debut) to investigate some murders in Hong Kong. It's related to some microfilm that 2 dumb brothers Stepilsi (John Sham) and Aspirin (Hoi Mang) stole from a motel room. They and a third brother Pandopen (director Hark Tsui) are trying to raise money to buy a house for their father (Sammo Hung!) who's in an old age home. Meanwhile, a hit man chases them hired by a pipe smoking mobster boss Tin (James Tien) who wants the film.

 I didn't like the freeze frame ending or the terribly cheesy '80's synth score. Despite a lot of good fights, bloody shootouts and killing, there's a lot of comedy courtesy of director Corey Yuen (THE TRANSPORTER (2002)).

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Forest In Japan

 

 (the movie database)

THE FOREST-2016-Sara (Natalie Dormer) goes to Japan to find her twin sister who disappeared in a forest where people commit suicide. She meets a suspicious white guy (Taylor Kinney) and a local guide (Yukiyoshi Ozawa) who go with her to the woods. This not very spooky horror film directed by Jason Zada.

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2 Out Of 3 Ain't Bad

 (imdb)

BIG BAD WOLF-2008-A foul mouth demon wolf terrorizes and kills a bunch of stupid teens at a secluded cabin. Two of them escape and figure out that the guy's stepfather is the demon-wolf. They make plans to destroy him on the night of the full moon. 

This movie won a best film award at a Houston film festival. It must have been the only movie entered. It isn't big but it's bad! Written and directed by Lance W. Dreeson.

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Headless Horsing Around

 

HORSE WITHOUT A HEAD: THE KEY TO THE CACHE-1963-A mobster (Herbert Lom) and his gang (including Leo McKern) rob a train. One of them hides a key to the cash in a toy horse (with no head) that some annoying kids (including Pamela Franklin from THE INNOCENTS (1961)) in a French village like to ride. Jean Pierre Aumont is Inspector Sinet and Michael Gwynn and Peter Vaughan are also in it. 

This was shown in the US on TV's “The Magical World of Disney”. It was directed by Don Chaffey, a British TV director who made a few interesting features like JASON AND THE ARGONAUNTS (1963) and ONE MILLION YEARS BC (1966).

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