Remade In Mexico

 

LOS QUE VOVIERON-(THOSE WHO CAME BACK)-1948-A plane going from Mexico to Buenos Ares carries an array of rude complaining passengers including a private detective and his criminal, a shrewish old woman and her wimpy husband, a grandfather & grandson and an engaged couple. They discuss fixing the plane, where to get food and argue a lot. They eventually learn to work together (kind of; some have to be forced) and learn late that there are unfriendly natives around. When they are ready to leave, a choice has to be made. 

Excellent Mexican remake of the 1939 US film THREE CAME BACK directed by Alejandro Galindo.

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Silence Please!

 

 (imdb)

A QUIET PLACE-2018-A family must make little or no sound otherwise they will be detected by the blind alien invaders who attack whenever they hear sound. The family talk mostly in sign language except in certain areas. They all have a bit of angst over the death of their family member and a newborn baby causes some problems late in the story. There are some good suspense scenes but I don't think this was so great as to garner the tremendous reviews it received.

A QUIET PLACE was directed by a guy named John Krasinski who played Reed Richards in DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADDNESS (2022). He made a part 2 in 2020.

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Hey Moe!

 

 (imdb)

BATTLE OF BLOOD ISLAND-1960-During WW2, Moe (Richard Devon) and Ken (Ron Gans) are the only survivors of the army's assault on Blood Island. Ken is badly wounded and moans a lot. They try and survive while avoiding the Japanese camp nearby. They gradually grow on each others nerves. Basically this is a 2 person drama which is a little talky for me but succeeds despite it's low budget constraints. 

Executive producer Roger Corman appears as a soldier at the end. It's based on story by Phillip Roth called “Expect The Vandals”. Director Paul Rapp made only one of other movie HIGH SCHOOL BIG SHOT in 1959. Star Richard Devon, a Corman veteran was a busy TV actor at the time. Co-Star Ron Gans became a voice actor.

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War Is Crazy

5 GATES TO HELL-1959-Vietnam (French Indo China) 1950 is the setting for this crazy little war film!

More exploitation than propaganda, it tells the tale of a international medical team that's captured by some Asian rebels who want the doctor (Ken Scott) of the group to "heal" their dying leader. Second in command Chen Pamok (Neville Brand speaking pidgin English but not made up to look Asian!) takes a fancy to nurse Athena (Dolores Michaels) while the rest of the women (including THE FLY's Patricia Owens, Nobu McCarthy, future BEVERLY HILLBILLIES co-star Nancy Kulp and nun Shirley Knight) are abused by the army. The group (there's one other "western" male played by John Morley) stages an uprising where it seems Chen is killed but so are the doctors. The women escape but Chen somehow survives and pursues them. The women eventually have to fight it out in the climax.

Benson Fong hangs around as Chen's leering assistant. Irish McCalla (same year as SHE DEMONS) has a small role as a nun who's crucified (basically shown off screen).

5 was written produced and directed by James Clavell who later became much more famous for his novels like SHOGUN. He had written the screenplay to THE FLY and later directed TO SIR WITH LOVE. Some close-ups seem out of place but where else are you going to see TV's Miss Hathaway wearing an army helmet and fooling around with a grenade?

Thanks once again to my pal Tony for getting this to me and thanks to anyone who reads this!