The Original Invaders

 

 (imdb)

INVADERS FROM MARS-1953-Little David (Jimmy Hunt) who's interested in astronomy sees a UFO land near his house at night. When his scientist dad (Leif Erickson) goes to investigate, he disappears. David's mom (Hillary Brooke) calls the police. Two cops investigate (one is Douglas Kennedy) and seem to fall into a hole made in the sand. Later dad shows up, now a cold, mean zombie with a strange wound on the back of his head. After dad hits David, the cops show up also zombified. Later David sees his young neighbor fall in one of the sand holes. She comes back mesmerized and sets her house on fire. David goes to the chief of police (Bert Freed) but he's already been taken over and has Sgt. Finley (Walter Sande) put him in detention. Finley calls in Dr. Pat Blake (Helena Carter, who retired from acting after this) to examine David. She seems concerned. Mom comes to get David but it's obvious she's now “one of them”. Fortunately, Dr. Blake rescues him and takes him to see Dr. Kelston (Arthur Franz), an astronomer who believes David saw Martian invaders. Kelston contacts Col. Fielding (Morris Ankrum) and Capt. Roth (Milburn Stone). The taken over people start sabotaging things. When Pat & David are captured, we finally see the aliens, tall green guys with bulging eyes who obey a weird golden head (Luce Potter) who speaks telepathically. 

I won't reveal the “shock ending” although everyone probably knows it already! Also with (mostly all uncredited) William Phipps, Fay Baker, Peter Brocco, Richard Deacon, John Eldredge, Tod Karns, Robert Shayne, Frank Wilcox and Lock Martin. 

This science fiction film released by 20^th Century-Fox was filmed in SuperCineColor, a three-color process invented in 1948 but only used till around 1954. Despite a fairly low budget, director John Cameron Menzies uses unusual camera angles and almost surreal set pieces.

 (imdb)

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I Am The Goblin King

 

 (imdb)

LABYRINTH-1986-A lonely girl Sarah (Jennifer Connelly), who fantasizes about goblins and such wishes her baby brother would be kidnapped by goblins. Her wish comes true and The Goblin King (David Bowie) tells her she has 13 hours to rescue him from the labyrinth. She meets lots of wacky Muppets, some who seem to be talking Monty Python inspired dialogue (Terry Jones wrote the original script). 

Bowie sings a song backed by his Muppet horde. And there's other musical numbers and a chaotic battle. In the end Sara must find a way to rescue little bro from the MC Escher inspired labyrinth. 

This imaginative musical fantasy is a combination of music, puppets and sfx directed by Muppets creator Jim Henson who had their own TV show from 1976-1981. Connelly was in Dario Argento's PHENOMENA the year before this.

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Superstition, Perhaps. Baloney, Perhaps Not

(alarmy)

 

THE BLACK CAT-1934-Peter Allison (David Manners) and his wife Joan (Jacqueline Wells aka Julie Bishop) are on their way to Vichgrad, must share their honeymoon rail card with Dr. Vitus Werdeghast (Bela Lugosi) who's on a mission of vengeance after having spent 15 years in a POW camp. When the talkative driver (Herman Bing) smashes up their cab, the newlyweds are forced to seek shelter in the art deco home of the sinister Hjalmar Poelzig (Boris Karloff), the very man Werdeghast (who has a fear of cats) has come to see. Joan is injured in the crash. Poelzig is a traitor who has built his domain on a killing field. Besides that, he stole Werdeghast's' wife and daughter. Unfortunately, both are now dead. Poelzig even has her preserved dead body. But Karin, the daughter is now actually Poelzig's lover/wife/prisoner. Still, he seems to lust for Joan. When the couple wants to leave, they are prevented by Werdeghast's servant (Harry Cording). Later, Joan meets Karin and Poelzig punishes her. Poelzig is a devil worshiper who plans to have a black mass with Joan as the special guest sacrifice. Werdeghast rescues Joan and tells him his daughter is still alive. With the help of his servant Werdeghast overcomes Poelzig and skins him alive. But when he tries to help Joan, dummy Peter mortally shoots him. Husband and wife escape as Werdeghast blows up the castle. 

This sometimes-disturbing pre-code, Universal horror film shows director Edgar Ulmer at his finest. He seems to be pushing the envelope with some of the situations that are only implied. This is also one of Karloff's best villainous roles with Lugosi giving a good performance, but his demise is kind of a letdown (couldn't he or Karloff had lived at the end of at least one of their movies?!). 

John Carradine has a small role as a satanic organist. Some of the other uncredited cult members include King Baggott, Symona Boniface (from 3 Stooges shorts), Michael Mark and Andy Devine.

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More Chan (Jackie, Not Charlie)

 

 (themoviedatabase,org)

SNAKE AND CRANE ARTS OF SHAOLIN-1978-8 Kung Fu masters create a new martial art called the 8 Steps of Snake and Crane. Yin-Fung (Jackie Chan) has the book the 8 masters wrote. He's looking for a man with a tattoo on his shoulder and he has lots of fights. The daughter of the leader of The Flying Tiger clan (Nora Miao) also wants it. 

There's a lot of characters who go in and out of the story and some great fights. Eventually Yin-Fung reveals all and gets his revenge. Directed by Chi-Hwa Chen who later made POLICE STORY (1985) with Chan.

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Everyone Breaks The Law

 

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THE STEEL TRAP-1952-Jim Osborne (Joseph Cotton), a bank VP plans to steal a million dollars from his firm and high tail it to Brazil with his wife, Laurie (Teresa Wright) and their young daughter. They have a million complications on their way but somehow they get to Brazil. When Laurie finds out his real plan she leaves him. Later, despite all his efforts, he decides to return the money. Also with Walter Sande, Jonathan Hale and William Hudson. 

Nice little border line film noir thriller, written and directed by Andrew Stone who had previously made STORMY WEATHER IN 1943 and went on to make THE LAST VOYAGE (1960) and RING OF FIRE (1961). Stars Cotten and Brewer had appeared together in Hitchcock's A SHADOW OF A DOUBT in 1943.

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Blow The Horn, Stan!

 

 (imdb)

SAPS AT SEA-1940-Mr. Hardy (Ollie) is diagnosed with hornaphobia and is allergic to horns. This is bad because he and Mr. Laurel (Stan) work at a horn factory. His doctor (James Finlayson) suggests he go on a sea trip but Hardy won't do it so Laurel suggests they stay on a docked boat. So after wrecking their room, they go rent a boat. For some reason they take a goat with them. After some antics, wanted gangster Nick Grainger (Dick Cramer) boards the ship. Then the goat chews away the rope mooring the boat and the three are set out to sea. When Nick almost kills Hardy, Stan plays his trombone and Hardy beats the thug up. They are entitled to a reward but still wind up in jail thanks to Laurel's storytelling! 

Gordon Douglas directed this outing with the team in another crazy, hilarious situation. Several people worked on the story and screenplay, including Harry Langdon and Felix Adler. Stan Laurel added some uncredited input.

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Baron Bava

 

 (imdb)

BARON BLOOD-1972-Peter comes from America to Austria to discover his roots and learn about this ancestor Baron Von Kleist (dubbed Baron Blood by the locals). At dinner with Uncle Karl and his family, Peter meets Eva (Elke Sommer) and they discuss a witch named Elizabeth Holly who put a curse on the Baron. For some reason, Peter wants to recite an incantation that could bring the Baron back to life. Eva takes him to the room where the Baron died and he invokes it. The Baron comes back as a deformed killer. When the castle is put up for auction a guy in a wheelchair named Becker (Joseph Cotton) buys it. Later they suspect he is the Baron who's restoring the castle complete with impaled victims and a torture chamber with recorded screams. The Baron reveals himself and in his torture chamber. He tortures Peter first. However, an ancient medallion causes the Baron's recent victims to rise and torture him to death. 

Stylish direction from the great Mario Bava, who made this between A BAY OF BLOOD and LISA AND THE DEVIL. It was a big hit in the US.

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