More Naschy

 

 (imdb)

THE DEVIL'S POSSESSED-1974-Baron Gilles de Lancre (Paul Naschy) hires Simon (Eduardo Calvo) the alchemist to teach him how to make gold from glass. At first Gilles is reluctant to help the alchemist because it requires a human sacrifice. However, with some urging from his consort Georgelle (Norma Sebre), he overcomes his misgivings, and a local cutie is killed. Later Gaston Malebranche (Guillermo Bredeston) returns from the war and has a fight with some hooligans in a bar. The Baron uses murder and torture to keep everyone in check while searching for the philosopher's stone. His Georgella says the devil will talk to him through a severed head, so he has a local boy decapitated. The head does talk to him and tells him to sacrifice some virgins but the voice is actually that of the alchemist who is obviously in cahoots with Georgelle. 

Later Gaston, who once saved the Baron's life, is more than welcomed in the Baron's castle but Georgelle doesn't like him and says he should be killed. When an assassination fails, Gaston joins the underground peasants who oppose the Baron. After losing a jousting match to Gaston and killing the alchemist because he failed to produce the philosopher's stone, the Baron and his army go on a killing spree. Later he thinks he's invulnerable, but his enemies prove him wrong. 

This great historical bloody horror film was written by star Naschy under his real name Jacinto Molina as he once again teamed the director Leon Klimovsky (THE WEREWOLF VS. THE VAMPIRE WOMAN, DR. JEKYLL VS. THE WEREWOLF). The story is loosely an adaptation of the life of Gilles de Rais, a 15-century notorious French serial killer who had serves under Joan of Arc. Read about him here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilles_de_Rais

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Kinski on Saturn

 

 (imdb)

CREATURE-THE TITAN FIND-1985-During a space race between the USA and W. Germany, two astronaut-scientists are killed by an "Alien" type creature. Then their spaceship crashes into a station orbiting the moon. Some genius decides to send a bunch of dorks and airheads to investigate the find on Titan, the largest moon of the planet Saturn. After a woman is killed and things slow down, the mysterious astronaut Hoffner (Klaus Kinski) shows up to explain what's going on. After he's killed, he comes back as a reanimated zombie. 

This turns into an ALIEN rip-off with characters being picked off one by one and bloody sfx ranging from very good to not so good. Co-writer/director William Malone later made the big-budgeted HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL remake.

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Ulmer To The End

 

 

 (imdb)

BEYOND THE TIME BARRIER-1960-Major Allison (Robert Clarke from THE HIDEOUS SUN DEMON) is sent into space. He doesn't seem to be gone too long but when he returns the base is in shambles and deserted. He's taken prisoner by some people in "The Citadel". They think he's a spy and put him in a chamber with some bald-headed mutants. However, the leader of The Citadel, The Supreme (Vladimir Sokoloff) has a mute granddaughter Trirene (Darlene Tompkins) who takes a liking to Allison and saves him. (She has ESP too) He also meets 3 imprisoned scientists Kruse (Stephen Bekassy), Boardman (John Van Dreelan) and Russian Markova (Arianne Arden). From them he learns about a plague from outer space and that the year is 2024! There's one scene in front of a blackboard where it sounds like someone farts. After Markova lets the mutants out and there are a few double crosses Allison returns to 1960 to warn everyone of the plague but he's changed a bit. 

This interesting if drawn out little space drama was directed by the great Edgar Ulmer very late in his career. As usual he manages to do a few neat things with the limits put on the movie. He made it back-to-back in Texas with another Sci-Fi cheapy THE AMAZING TRANSPARENT MAN. His wife Shirley was the story editor and their daughter Arianne plays the female cosmonaut. Star Robert Clarke was originally supposed to direct but hired Ulmer. The two had worked together a few years before on THE MAN FROM PLANET X. Screenwriter Arthur Pierce later wrote the bizarre THE HUMAN DUPLICATORS. Female lead Darlene Tompkins co-starred with Elvis in BLUE HAWAII a year later.

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Remake Mars

 

 (wikipedia)

INVADERS FROM MARS-1986-In this remake, David (Hunter Carson), a young boy sees a UFO land behind his house. When his father (Timothy Bottoms) goes to investigate he comes back acting very strange with a bruise on the back of his neck. Later his mom (Laraine Newman) and everyone else in town have become weird, possessed zombies including David's crabby teacher Mrs. McKeltch (Louise Fletcher) and the police. After he sees the teacher eat a frog, David convinces the school nurse Linda (Karen Black; Carson's real-life mom) that something is going on. Grotesque slimy aliens are planning to conquer Earth. The duo run around town being chased by the police and McKeltch in a yellow school bus. When it seems the whole town have been turned into slaves by the aliens, David and Linda convince Gen. Wilson (James Karen) of the truth and he brings in the army. One scientist (Bud Cort) tries to talk to the invaders and is killed. Eventually the invasion is crushed but….

This so-so remake of the notorious 1957 original succeeds more than it fails though pretty unnecessary as most remakes are. Original little kid star Jimmy Hunt appears as a policeman. Dan O'Bannon is one of the the credited screenwriters. Director Tobe Hooper made this the same year as the disappointing TEAXS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2.

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Mr. James

 

 (amazon.com)

THE PLEASANT TERROR: THE LIFE AND GHOSTS OF M.R. JAMES-1995-Very English documentary-biography with re-enactments about the master ghost story writer M.R. James trying to find a link as to why an Eton scholar and devout Christian wrote such eerie stories basically as a side line. On screen narrator Bob Wallis concludes he could have had a supernatural encounter when he was a boy. Authors like Ruth Rendell offer their opinions and Christopher Lee appears at the beginning. Shown in three parts. Directed by Clive Dunn.

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Bonus: John Mayall sings about another Mr. James, Elmore to be exact:

https://youtu.be/-7NnLL0v3nk

Lost Battle

 

 (imdb)

BATTLE FOR THE LOST PLANET-1986-A thief named Trent (Matt Mitler) relates the story of the invasion of Earth by some pig faced aliens. He steals a space shuttle and roams around space for 5 years and when he returns to Earth he meets Dana (Denise Coward), an English woman and they travel around and run afoul of Mad Dog (Joe Gentisis), an idiot Stallone clone who leads a motorcycle gang. Low budget nonsense from director/writer Brett Piper who later made A NYMPHOID BARBARIAN IN DINOSAUR HELL and THEY BITE.

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Bigfoot Again

 

 (imdb)

 

AMERICAN BIGFOOT-2017-A Bigfoot goes on a murderous rampage after a drunken redneck kills its offspring. A detective named Benson (Zach Galligan, who seems to be somewhere else) looks into it. A doctor (Clint Howard) calls in a Bigfoot expert (Dave Sherill) and he team's up with Benson and a ranger (Johnny Lechner). The Bigfoot is a gray hairy thing with a small face. It kidnaps a young boy. After a lot of talk, it just ends with the Bigfoot still out there. 

Writer/director Glenn Martin followed this up with another Bigfoot movie. Also known as KAMPOUT.

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