Shatner & Spiders

 

KINGDOM OF THE SPIDERS-1977-Rancher Colby (Woody Strode) has sick cattle. His prize calf dies. Dr. Rack Hansen (William Shatner) takes some blood samples. Entomologist Diane Ashley (Tiffany Bolling) says the calf died of a spider bite. After Colby’s dog is found dead, he and his wife (Altovise Davis) show Rack & Diane a huge mound made by the spiders. They burn the mound but that doesn't seem to make the ants go away. While Rack & Diane are out horseback riding with his niece, Linda (Natasha Ryan), Colby is killed by the spiders. The mayor (Roy Engel) decides to crop dust the area with a deadly poison but the spiders make the plane crash. Linda's mom is also done in by the arachnids. Soon they are all over town and mass hysteria takes over. The survivors hole up in a cabin, where the next day seemingly forgotten by the outside world, the entire valley is one giant spider web. Also with Hoke Howell. 

Former actor John “Bud” Cardos (THE DARK (1979) directed this pretty decent low budget horror movie that's fairly creepy at times (especially the final scene). For years there was talk of a sequel form various sources but nothing ever panned out.

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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.

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Vigilante

VIGILANTE-1983-After his child is killed and his wife brutally beaten by a crazy street gang iron worker Eddie Moreno (Robert Forster) tries to seek justice through the court system but a stupid judge and a crooked lawyer (Joe Spinell) let off the one gang member on trial. Eddie goes bonkers in the courtroom and somehow winds up doing 30 days in the state penitentiary. Meanwhile Nick (bearded Fred Williamson) fights crime in his own way leading a vigilante force that beats up drug dealers and muggers. While in prison Eddie befriends Rake (Woody Strode) who helps him beat up some guys while he's taking a shower (did we really need a shot of Forster's naked ass?). The force beats up Horace the pimp and when Eddie gets out he joins the illegal crime fighters and kills the gang member who got off (Nick shoots the whore he was with) and then kills the gang member who actually killed his son. He even blows up the judge!

Bronx born Willam Lustig (MANIAC) directed this mean, depressing and violent exploitation movie (vigilantism themed movies were quite popular in the '80's) which also features Carol Lynley in a small role as Eddie's lawyer and Steve James as a cop. A few years later Lustig was back with MANIAC COP and its sequels.

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Jungle Gents

JUNGLE GENTS-1954-In this zany Bowery Boys outing Sach (Huntz Hall) discovers he can smell out diamonds so everyone, including little Louie (Bernard Gorcey) packs up and goes to Africa to hunt for some missing diamonds! Slip (Leo Gorcey) narrates most of the story which also involves Sach getting rescued by a jungle woman (Laurette Luez) and Rudolph Anders (who was in W. Lee Wilder's THE SNOW CREATURE the same year) as the bad guy also after the diamonds. Woody Strode plays the native guide who leads their safari! John Harmon and Eric Snowden have small roles and at the end Clint Walker (un-billed here but later the star of TV's CHEYENNE) shows up in a cameo as Tarzan! David Gorcey and Bennie Bartlett make up the rest of the gang. 

While CLIPPED WINGS reminded me of Abbott & Costello JG is more like the 3 Stooges with Edward Bernds once again directing. Emil Sitka shows up in one scene. Luez was later a regular on the TV show THE ADVENTURES OF FU MAN-CHU.

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