(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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(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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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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(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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(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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(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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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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