Palance in Charge

 

 

WARRIORS 5-1962-An American paratrooper (Jack Palance) teams up with 5 Italian soldiers (including Venantino Venantini) and a hooker (Giovanna Ralli) to blow up a bridge to slow down the German army's advance right after Italy has surrendered during WW2. 

This slow-moving Italian production, directed Leopoldo Savona, was presented by AIP in the US. Co-star Venantini years later was in several infamous Italian zombie movies. Star Palance was in BARABBAS the year before and would star in Jean Luc Godard's CONTEMPT the next and have his own short lived TV series “The Greatest Show On Earth”.

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Fistful

 

A FISTFUL OF DYNAMITE-aka DUCK, YOU SUCKER!-1971-An ignorant violent Mexican bandit (Rod Steiger) and an IRA explosive expert (James Colburn) on the run from the British team up with a doctor (Romolo Valli) and his revolutionaries in Mexico to rob a bank. Unfortunately for them, there's no money. The bank was being used to house 150 political prisoners. They are liberated and the bandit becomes a reluctant political hero. 

This overlooked “spaghetti western” was the last western directed the legendary Sergio Leone (also a co-writer). He hadn't planned on directing but one story says Steiger insisted on it. 

Of course there's also a great score by Ennio Morricone. New Zealand actor David Warbeck who years later was in 2 films by Lucio Fulci appears in a flashback.

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Warren Oates

 

CHINA 9, LIBERTY 37-1978-Weird western (made in Italy) with Warren Oates as Matthew, a miner with a young wife Catherine (Jenny Agutter) who's visited by Clayton (Fabio Testi), a condemned man hired by the railroad to kill Matthew. Of course, Catherine and Clayton have an affair. She stabs Matthew and the two run away. Matthew and his brothers go looking for them. The couple visit a circus where Sidney Lassick works. Sam Peckinpah shows up too as well as Helga Line (HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB (1973))! 

A modern song during a sex scene seems out of place. Cult director Monte Hellman was no stranger to unusual westerns having made THE SHOOTING and RIDE THE WILD WIND (both 1966) earlier.

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More Spaghetti

 

 (imdb)

THE GREAT SILENCE-1968-Somewhere in the old west (Italy), bounty hunters like Loco (Klaus Kinski; in I BASTARDI the same year)) are out of control and the governor wants to put a stop to it. Roaming the countryside is Silence (Jean-Louis Trintignant from A MAN AND A WOMAN (1966)), a gunfighter who's hired by families to kill bounty hunters to avenge the deaths of their loved ones. A widow (Vonetta McGee; later in BLACULA (1972)) hires Silence to kill Loco who murdered her husband. Meanwhile, a store owner hires Loco to kill Silence. In recent years critics go on and on about this western allegory that tries way too much to be like Leone (Ennio Morricone scored it) and director Sergio Corbucci (also one of the screenwriters) needs a history lesson. 

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More Zombies

 

 (imdb)

NIGHTMARE CITY-1980-A plane full of zombies lands in an airfield and kills everyone there including an army patrol sent to investigate. Only 2 reporters seem to escape. The zombies use machetes, machine guns and their teeth. One of the reporters, Dean Miller (Hugo Stiglitz), tries to make a special broadcast warning but it's cut off by Gen Murchison (Mel Ferrer) who doesn't want to cause a panic. Miller quits his job in protest and Major Holmes (Francisco Rabal) is called in. The dead totally overrun a hospital where Miller's nurse/girlfriend Anna (Laura Trotter) works. The zombies drive cars, shoot guns, drink blood and murder and seem to be loosely organized. This Italian cannibal zombie isn't that good and the ending is a letdown. 

Director Umberto Lenzi made this between his two other cannibal movies EATEN ALIVE! (1980) (also with Mel Ferrer) and the infamous CANNIBAL FEROX (1981). Star Hugo Stiglitz was in 100 of European films including SURVIVE! (1976) and GUYANA: CULT OF THE DAMNED (1979).

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Mania From Italy

 

(imdb)

MANIA-1974-A woman named Lisa (Eva Spadaro) drives recklessly in a car with a man who says she is obsessed with Bercht, her dead husband. They seem to be menaced by a driver less car. She admits she let her scientist husband burn to death in a fire in his lab. She has a fit when her housekeeper accepts a package from a man. Then her psychiatrist tells her the only way to overcome her fear is to return to the villa where hubby died. Once there, they meet the husband's twin brother, a mean guy with a scarred face in a wheelchair with a mute servant girl. Lisa's housekeeper acts strangely suspicious, and Lisa seems to be losing her mind…or is she? 

Pretty lame, confused, tedious mess from Italy, directed by Renato Polselli (THE VAMPIRE AND THE BALLERINA (1960)).

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Jayne Loves Hercules

 

 (imdb)

THE LOVES OF HERCULES-1960-When Hercules (Mickey Hargitay) finds out his wife has been killed, he crashes the castle of Queen Deianira (Jayne Mansfield), the daughter of the king who ordered Mrs. Hercules's murder. After a bizarre ritual where Herc has to throw axes at the bound queen, they become friends. Later, Herc is accused of a killing and has to fight the three headed dragon, Hydra (bad effect). He's rescued by some Amazons whose queen turns men into trees. 

This movie, obviously inspired by HERCULES (1958), is the worst with the leads pretty pathetic and Mansfield in two roles, bad dubbing and terrible sfx. Filmed in Italy, (where it was a big hit) by director Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia who died in 1998 at the age of 103. It's said Mansfield would only accept the role if her bodybuilder husband Hargitay was cast as Hercules.

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Revoke Her Visa!

 

 (tmdb)

EMANUELLE IN AMERICA-1977-Low budget sex-oriented junk with fashion photographer Emanuelle (Laura Gemser) getting involved with a white slavery ring and snuff films while taking off her clothes at the drop of a hat. As usual Gemser's then husband Gabrielle Tinti co-stars. Pretty badly made, this Italian production was directed by Joe D'Amato (ANTROPOPHAGUS (1980), ABSURD (1981) and many other titles with the name Emanuelle in them).

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Hunter

 

 (imdb)

THE GOLDEN ARROW-1962-Hassan (Tab Hunter with a dubbed in voice) leads a band that kidnaps Jamila (Rossana Podesta; in HORROR CASTLE by the same director the next year), a princess and holds her for ransom. At night, he takes the ransom and the princess and makes his getaway. He abandons her in a market and is promptly arrested. 3 genies help him escape because he is actually the real sultan of Damascus. 

With a flying carpet, fire monsters and a serious story that switches to comedy whenever the genies show up. Low budget Italian “sword & sandal” production directed by Antonio Margheriti.

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2 Shorts

 

 (imdb)

LE SPECTRE ROUGE-(THE RED SPECTRE)-1907-This silent 9 MINUTE short was made in Spain by two directors and was influenced by Georges Melies. A skeletal demon does lots of magical tricks thanks to the use of many optical film tricks. It's crude but clever (hey, it was made over a hundred years ago!) and features great tinted color scenes. Sometimes confused with SATAN S'AMUSE made the same year by the same directing team.

 (imdb)

Il CASO VALDEMAR-1936-Weird, haunting silent short adaptation of the Poe story done in Italy. It might be hard to follow if you're not familiar with the story (I am and still found it a little mind boggling). It's sometimes referred to as the first "gore film" and I can see why in the climax. 26 years later Roger Corman used the same story for the third segment of TALES OF TERROR. It's only 12 minutes, judge for yourself:

https://youtu.be/qz3bw_21K8M?feature=shared 

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Not Really a Remake

 

 (imdb)

NIGHT OF THE DEVILS-1972-An amnesic man is found wandering in a forest. A doctor examines him. The man seems to have suffered some kind of trauma. A police inspector investigates. A woman Sdenka (Augustina Belli; later in HOLOCUAST 2000 (1977)) shows up claiming to know him but when he sees her, he goes berserk and has to sedated. She disappears.

Then while confined to a straitjacket, the man has a flashback. When his car breaks down, the guy named Nicola (Gianni Garko; star of the “Sartana” series of westerns in Italy) takes refuge with a strange family who are deathly afraid of the night. This is because a witch has put a curse on the family and one by one, they become a “Wudalaka”, a type of vampire. He also falls in love with Sdenka. Eventually everyone is cursed and Nicola has to fight them off. He goes crazy. Back in the present, at night Sdenka comes to visit him. Is she alive or not? 

Ok Italian-Spanish production with some good vampire attack scenes, it's based on the same story Mario Bava used in the third segment of BLACK SABBATH. It was the second to last film of director Giorgio Ferroni (MILL OF STONE WOMEN (1960)).

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Aztec Hero

 

 (imdb)

THE PUMAMAN-1980-Jane Dotson (Sydne Rome) discovers that an ancient mask of The Pumaman has alien technology in it. However, two stuck up guys don't want anyone to know so one of them Kobras (Donald Pleasence) hypnotizes her. He then sets his sights on killing The Pumaman, an alien protector with "god like" powers connected to an Aztec legend.

 In England, where several Americans have been killed, an American archaeologist Prof. Tony Farms (Walter George Alton) is a smug wise ass who likes to jog. He's pursued by a big guy Vadinho (Miguel Angel Fuentes; also in FITZCARRALDO (1982)) who throws him out a window. Farms survives and is told he's the Pumaman but doesn't believe it. Later he's invited by Jane to visit her father at the Swedish embassy but it's really a ruse by Kobras to find out if Farms is the P-man. When Farms puts on a gold belt, he becomes The Pumaman, in a superhero costume and cape. He must save the world from Kobras and his conquest scheme and rescue Jane from his clutches. 

This Italian feature directed by Alberto Di Martino (THE BLANCHEVILLE MONSTER 1963)) has very bad sfx.

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Horror Remake

 

 (imdb)

WEB OF THE SPIDER-1971-An American reporter Foster (Anthony Franciosa) meets Edgar Allan Poe (Klaus Kinski) in England and winds up making a bet to spend the night in a haunted castle. After investigating the place he meets two women, Julia (Karin Field) & Elizabeth (Michele Mercier). They don't seem to like each other. It's clear that something is going on. After Elizabeth seduces Foster, a man breaks in and seems to kill her. Foster shoots the man but his body disappears. Then Elizabeth's body also vanishes. While searching for the missing bodies, Foster meets doctor Carmis (Peter Carsten) who vanished years before. He proves through some apparitions/flashbacks that everyone in the house is dead. 

This stylish remake of NIGHTMARE CASTLE directed Antonio Margheriti (under the pseudonym Anthony Dawson) is good but I prefer the original. This was one of 10 films Klaus Kinski made in 1971.

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Italian Horror

 

 (imdb)

HORROR aka THE BLANCHVILLE MONSTER-1963-Emile DeBlanchville (Umbretta Colli; SNOW DEVILS) comes back to her childhood home and to her brother Roderic (Gerald Tichy; HATCHET FOR A HONEYMOON). Also with her are a brother & sister, John (Vanni Materassi) & Alice Taylor (Iran Eory). Things have changed. There's a new butler and a seemingly sinister housekeeper named Eleonore (Helga Line; later in several Paul Naschy movies). Later after the mysterious Dr. LaRouche (Leo Achoritz) shows up, Emily is exploring the castle at night and sees Eleonore injecting a needle into a deformed man. She faints and Rod convinces her it was a dream. Later Emily is traumatized by strange dreams and is chased by an ugly with a cross. Then she's buried alive! 

Typical but well-done Italian Gothic horror by director Alberto Di Martino (HOLOCAUST 2000).

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 (wikipedia)

Bava's Last Bow

 SHOCK-1977-After leaving a mental hospital, Dora Baldini (Daria Nicolodi), still recovering from the suicide of her first husband returns to their old house with her new husband Bruno (John Steiner) and young son Marco (David Colin Jr.). At night while the couple have sex, Marco wakes up in his room and yells “pigs” several times. He asks mom “What is death?”. His hand turns ghoulish when he touches his sleeping mom. Bruno is a commercial pilot and is away a lot. As the story progresses Dora fears she is beginning to lose her sanity once again. Marco acts very weird and says thing like “I have to kill you,mama” and seems to be possessed by her late husband....or is it just in her mind? It's revealed later that Dora killed her late hubby in a drug fueled fury and Bruno hid the body in a wall. Dora kills Bruno with a pick and then after being attacked by furniture, slits her own throat. Marco has a tea party with his invisible dad.

 (imdb)

This Italian production (it played in the US under the title BEYOND THE DOOR PART 2) was the last film directed by the great Mario Bava with some help from his son Lamberto, who co-wrote the screenplay. Nice little possession-ghost horror movie that looks great (the elder Bava was also the uncredited cinematographer) and manages to tie up everything nicely (well kind of anyway...). 

Son Lamberto went on to make his own horror films. Lead actress Daria Nicolodi wrote the screenplay for the Dario Argento horror movie SUSPIRIA the same year (they were a couple for many years but never married). Italian horror vet Ivan Rassimov plays Dora's doctor.

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Exterminate...

 

EXTERMINATORS FROM THE YEAR 3000-1983-In this Road Warrior rip off, after the ozone layer is destroyed, post apocalyptic survivors search for water while a bald headed nut called Crazy Bull (Fred Harris) and his assistant Shadow (Beryl Cunningham) lead a gang of outlaws also searching for H20. A young bionic boy Tommy (Luca Venantini) looking for his dad attaches himself to Mad Max wannabe Alien (Robert Jannuchi).They meet ex-astronaut Papillon (Luciano Pigozzi) who fixes Tommy's arm. Later they are joined by Alien's ex-girlfriend Trash (Alicia Moro) in a hunt for water. 

Badly made in Italy nonsense directed by Giuliano Camimino (THE CASE OF THE BLOODY IRIS).

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Bad Future

 

(IMDB)

THE NEW GLADIATORS-1984-In the future a global TV network creates a violent modern gladiator show to beat the rival networks (one show has a woman getting her throat cut by a pendulum). They recruit prisoners for their "contestants" plus a TV "kill star" Drake (Jared Martin) from a rival show who they frame into joining by killing his wife. The thing is put together by Cortez (Claudio Cassinelli; also in SLAVE OF THE CANNIBAL GOD). When he's told to go to hell, he says "I would if it would raise my ratings". A jerk named Raven (Howard Ross) is head of the training camp Drake is sent to. He is joined by old friend Monk (Donald O'Brien; DR. BUTCHER MD), a freaky guy with fake eyes. Other participants include Abdul (Fred William-son), Akira (Haruhiko Yamanouchi), the scourge of outer Mongolia and Kirk (Al Cliver; ZOMBIE 2), the Minnesota chainsaw murderer. A woman Sarah (Eleonora Brigliadori) tries to convince Cortez Drake is innocent. She visits Prof. Towman (Cosimo Cineieri) who invented Junior, the computer that controls everything. But before he can really help he's killed. 

This ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK/THE RUNNING MAN influenced violent nearly plot-less story was the 20^th film from director Lucio Fulci (he also co-wrote it).

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Cannibal Horror

 

LAST CANNIBAL WORLD (aka JUNGLE HOLOCAUST)-1977-Searching for oil, Robert Harper (Massimo Foschi) and his friends Rolf (Ivan Rassimov), Charlie (Sheik Razak Shikur) and Swan (JudyRosly) crash land in a jungle in The Philippines. While contending with alligators and boas, they explore. At night Swan disappears. The men search for her and Charlie is impaled by an obvious trap.Later the guys spy a group of savage cavemen like cannibals enjoying a guest. They assume it's Charlie so they go off and build a raft to escape but a rapids and a rock put an end to that and Rolf's life. Robert is now all alone in the cannibal jungle! After wandering, eating poison mushrooms and vomiting, the natives capture him, chain him to a rock and tear off all his clothes (warning: full frontal male nudity). After he survives a fall (they wanted to see if he could fly) he's put in a pit and native kids piss on him. A native woman  (Me Me Lai) seems to take a liking to him. A snake eats a bat and the bizarre savages disembowel a crocodile. Robert manages to escape his prison and run away, forcibly taking the native girl with him. While running through the jungle they see a woman give birth. After an encounter with leeches the girl runs away. He pursues her. When he catches her he punches her, slaps her, bloodies her nose and rapes her doggy style. She seems to have a change of heart though and later brings him food. Seeking shelter from a storm, they hide in a cave and find Rolf alive but wounded. The trio wander some, can't attracted a helicopter looking for them and almost get eaten by crocodiles. Despite their best efforts, the tribe catches up with them. They kill the girl, eviscerate her, cook her entrails and eat them. Near the end Robert fights and kills one of the natives and eats his heart. He and Rolf (who takes a spear in the chest) make it back to the plane but Rolf dies. Said to be based on a true story. This cannibal craziness was directed by Ruggero Deodato who later made another exploitative cannibal movie CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST and other violent low budget dreck. Lamberto Bava is credited with script continuity.

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Captive Women

 (amazon.com)

WOMEN'S CAMP 119-1977-Sleazy Italian production with Nazis subjecting female prisoners to various torture and experiments. Nude women are whipped, gassed and experimented on. A bald headed male lunatic prisoner feels up two women and another is forced to kiss an officer's boots. Meanwhile the broken Dr. Miesel (Nello Rivie) and his new assistant, a prisoner stand around watching other doctors operate. Women are forced to rub against a soldier who was frozen and he comes back to life. When the bald lunatic attacks a prisoner she's saved by a lesbian doctor who molests her. Women are also used to entice gay soldiers and turn them straight. 

Director Bruno Mattei besides making a few other sleazy exploitative “women in prison” movies also made several horror movies featuring zombies (sometimes under the pseudonym “Vincent Dawn”).

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US Actors in South American

 

KILLER FISH-1979-In this Italian production filmed in Buenos Aires with North American actors jewel thieves headed by Lasky (Lee Majors) and Kate (Karen Black) steal some valuable gems and wreck most of the facility getting them. They hide the loot underwater in a reservoir. The mastermind behind the heist Diller (James Franciscus) fills the reservoir with piranha. 

Meanwhile Lasky pursues model Gabrielle (Margaux Heminway), while her fat photographer (Roy Brocksmith),manager (Marisa Berensen) and pilot (Gary Collins) hang around. After some of the robbers are killed trying to retrieve the cache, Kate scuba dives for it and she and Diller get the booty. When they get caught in a rainstorm they are picked up by a yacht owned by the model and her entourage. 

The storm washes the piranha into the nearby lake. Diller betrays them all and it's Longstreet vs. The Six Million Dollar Man in the finale battle of the US TV stars in this drawn out little drama directed by Anthony Dawson (aka Antonio Margheriti) (CASTLE OF BLOOD). 

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