Senor Dracula

DRACULA-(Spanish Language Version)-1931-So much has been made of this once lost film and how “superior” it is to Tod Browning's classic English language version but let's face it. It's all bullshit. It's almost a scene for scene copy except the actors are speaking Spanish. The direction isn't any worse or better than Browning’s. The Spanish film crew which shot their scenes at night had access to Browning's dallies and took it from there. The acting of Carlos Villarias as Dracula and Pablo Alvarez Rubio as Renfield are so over the top and comical that they render the whole movie as one big laugh riot. I know in his own way Villarias was trying to imitate Lugosi but he fails miserably. Critics are quick to criticize the Lugosi version for it's flaws but this thing has gotten too much praise for too long!

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SinBaaad...

SINBAD OF THE SEVEN SEAS-1989-Terrible “Hercules” like tale which according to the credits is based on a story by Edgar Allan Poe! 

Sinbad (Lou Ferrigino) has a mixed crew (a Chinese warrior, a viking, a dwarf, etc.) who argue with each other and occasionally fight but mostly the story is held together by a narrator, a mother (Daria Nicolodi) telling her kid a bedtime story. Maybe they lost the soundtrack or were too lazy to dub everything. An evil sorcerer (John Steiner; hamming it up more than usual) and a sorceress (Teagan) are the main villains and there's some unintentional comedy. 

Director Enzo G. Castellari made this Italian production after several movies with the words “The Bronx” in their titles.

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Poe In Name Only

THE OBLONG BOX-1969-In Africa, Edward Markin (Alister Williamson) is cursed and his face disfigured. Later back in England he's held prisoner in his room by his brother Julian (Vincent Price). Through some voodoo Edward appears to die but plans a comeback. However Julian buries him alive and marries his younger fiancee' Elizabeth (Hilary Dwyer). Edward's rotten attorney Trench (Peter Arne) who was suppose to help, can't/won't. Edward is “rescued” by some grave robbers who deliver his body to Dr. Neuhartt (Christopher Lee). Edward blackmails the doc into harboring him. He plots revenge and kills wearing a velvet mask. He was cursed by an African tribe because he trampled a boy to death. But in actuality he's innocent. The big hype for this film was the first pairing of “horror masters” Price and Lee. The only time they meet is during Lee's death scene! Rupert Davies and Sally Geeson are also in it.

Price (and Rupert Davies & Hilary Dwyer) had been in Michael Reeves' WITCHFINDER GENERAL in 1968. Reeves was scheduled to do THE OBLONG BOX but he died (from a mixture of booze and pills) while working on the script. AIP hired Gordon Hessler to direct and he made many changes to the original script. The story isn't bad but considering this was the first time meeting between Lee and Price it doesn't have much of an impact especially considering Williamson has the most screen time! Hessler, Price and Lee “reunited” in 1970 for the bizarre SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN. 

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Frankenstein in Italy

FRANKENSTEIN '80-1972-After the credits a woman is attacked and her organs removed by a gurgling killer. Later we learn Dr.Otto Frankenstein (Gordon Mitchell) has stolen a secret formula for regenerating organs and is building a creature who he dubs Mosaic (Xiro Pappas). When it’s fully assembled it escapes and rapes and strangles a prostitute. Karl (John Richardson) a reporter hunts down the story and meets Frankenstein’s “daughter” (Dalila Di Lazzaro). The doc is pretty nuts using various body parts from hapless victims but without a new brain the monster becomes unhinged and kills his creator. While the police search, the lumpy worse for wear monster kills a stripper, a derelict, a guy taking a piss at the Grand Prix and a couple in a parked car. Karl and Sonia fall in love and he goes to a park to investigate one of the murders and while there the monster hides in his car trunk. Mosaic terrorizes the couple until it’s brain disintegrates and it dies bloodily. 

This too dark in many scenes Euro-trash time waster is just an excuse to kill off naked woman. This is the only directing credit for Mario Mancini who was usually a cinematographer (KING OF KONG ISLAND, FRANKENSTEIN'S CASTLE OF FREAKS).

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Hell Is Right

STRAIGHT TO HELL-1987-More pretentious nonsense from director Alex Cox who seems to want to combine Sergio Leone with Alejandro Jodorowsky while throwing in non-actors and a few character actors: Joe Strummer, Sy Richardson, Courtney Love, Elvis Costello, Jim Jarmusch, Grace Jones, Dick Rude, Miguel Sandoval, Zander Schloss, Fox Harris and The Pogues. As with other Cox projects like WALKER and DEATH AND THE COMPASS it's mostly crap. The plot centers around a group of bank robbers, buried money and shootouts in a south of the border town.

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Queen Of What?

QUEEN OF THE AMAZON-1947-Boring nonsensical basement budget adventure made up mostly of animal stock footage and African tribes dancing. Jungle guide Gary Lambert (Robert Lowery) leads an expedition looking for some white guy. Jean Preston (Patricia Morison), the guy's fiance goes along as do Col. Parker (John Miljan), Gabby (J. Edward Bromberg) and Monroe (Keith Richards). They find the guy among a female tribe of warriors led by Zita (Amira Moustafa). The guy (William Benge) actually likes living with the tribe and wants to marry the queen! Trouble plagues the group (lion attacks, mysterious murders) and it turns out the comic relief cook is actually the mastermind of a ivory poaching ring! 

Director Edward Finney only directed 5 films but produced over 40. Mainly westerns. In 1949 star Lowery would play Batman in the serial BATMAN AND ROBIN.

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Young Wong

PHANTOM OF CHINATOWN-1940-This is the Monogram Pictures 6^th and final entry into their “Mr. Wong” series that started in 1939 with Boris Karloff in the lead. This time out however the detective is Jimmy Wong, a younger, more dashing and modern version than his predecessor and he's portrayed by Keye Luke, an actual Asian actor (born in China)! He helps investigate the poisoning death of an archaeologist. Capt. Street (Grant Withers) returns from the previous films and has a bigger role than usual. Jimmy's kind of love interest is Win Len (Lotus Long) and the plot revolves around the missing “Scroll of China”. 

It's refreshing to see the two leads actually played by Asian actors but unfortunately it's the only one made featuring “Jimmy”. The beginning lecture, photos and flashbacks look like they came from another movie. Director George Waggner (he directed THE WOLFMAN the same year) wrote the screenplay under the pseudonym Joseph Lewis. PHANTOM's director Phil Rosen made many “quickies” (like SPOOKS RUN WILD) and several in the Charlie Chan series.

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Small Lee Role

TALE OF THE MUMMY-1998-In 1948 Egypt, an archaeological expedition lead by Sir Richard Turkel (Christopher Lee) uncovers a mysterious tomb. When it's opened a strange force kilsl him and his two partners (Gerald Butler & Jon Polito).

 In 1998, a new expedition led by Turkel's granddaughter Samantha (Louise Lombard) find the mummy of Talos. A professor (Michael Lerner) brings the remains back to England. Talos reanimates itself and kills. Reily (Jason Scott Lee) investigates. One expedition member Bradley (Sean Pertwee) goes crazy but knows all about what's happening. After a lot of confusion and death, the mummy boringly walks around talking like Darth Vader. Lysette Anthony and Shelly Duvall are also in it. Honor Blackman has one scene near the end. Idiotic final scene.

 Director Russell McCauley made this incomprehensible nonsense after doing lots of TV and music videos.

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Howard's Kane

SOLOMON KANE-2009-Robert Howard's Puritan witch hunter is a violent, greedy idiot who believes his soul is damned and has symbols on his body to protect him from evil. Kane (James Purefoy) renounces his ways and lives in a monastery but the monks throw him out. Acting a like a cross between Hugh Jackman and Wilhem DeFoe he wanders the countryside in the 1600's. Flashbacks reveal his father (Max von Sydow) disowned him when he refused to join the clergy. After being beaten up he's taken in by a guy (Pete Postlethwaite) and his family. An evil sorcerer named Malachi (Jason Flemyng) kidnaps the daughter and kills the rest of the family. Kane scourers everywhere looking for her while Mal crucifies people who oppose him. Later he finds his father in a dungeon. He leads a group of villagers to their deaths then fights his own brother. After that he fights a demon that looks like the one in the video game Quake 2! He rescues the daughter and becomes a hero. 

Dark dirty shit from director MJ Bassett (Cable's ASH VS. EVIL DEAD).

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Hippies

AN AMERICAN HIPPIE IN ISRAEL-1972-Mike (Asher Tarzafati)), a hippie from NYC goes to Israel to “bum around” after a bad experience in Vietnam where he was turned into a “murder machine”. While hitchhiking he meets Elizabeth (Lily Avidan), a rich actress who rants and says “you fools” a lot. After they have sex, Elizabeth goes hippie too and she and Mike rollick around town. They meet a bunch of “local hippies” and decide to go to an isolated island and “be free” but their freaked out love-in is disrupted when two white faced guys in suits and top hats machine gun everyone but Mike and Elizabeth and 2 remaining friends. Mike has a strange dream where people do weird things and he fights two figures that have reel to reel tape recorders for heads! The foursome buy a lamb and have sex in a car. They eventually go to a deserted island and skinny dip and dance. When their raft disappears they are stuck on the island and begin to see that “being free” isn't all it's cracked up to be. They quickly turn into savages, fight over the lamb and with each other. They all die and the white faced men drive away in their car. I think director Amos Sefer saw EL TOPO and LORD OF THE FLIES too many times! Filmed in Israel and Egypt.

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Truckers

WHITE LINE FEVER-1975-Carrol Jo Hummer (Jan Michael Vincent  who died in February 2019) comes back from the army and gets married to his sweetheart Jerri (Kay Lenz). He buys his own rig and becomes a trucker. That's when the trouble starts! He finds his dead father's old friend Duane (Slim Pickens) is corrupt and has a bunch of thugs (including Martin Kove) working for him. The real villains are three rich guys Buck (LQ Jones), Cutler (Don Porter) and their lawyer (RG Armstrong). Carroll tries to organize a union, gets blacklisted, beat up and almost tried for murder but Jerri's tear jerking testimony gets him off. Buck tries to kill him with a forklift. After Cutler seems to make a deal with the truckers, Hummer's house is burned down and Jerri who was pregnant loses her baby and becomes comatose. Dick Miller (who died in January 2019)  has a small role as Birdie Corman. This depressing little tale was directed by Jonathan Kaplan three years before the similarly plotted big budget FIST starring Sylvester Stallone. Kaplan later directed THE ACCUSED (1988) and recently was the executive producer of a documentary about Dick Miller (THAT DICK MILLER GUY).

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Rex Lease

THE UTAH KID-1930-In this early sound western na outlaw Cal Reynolds (Rex Lease) Is forced to marry a woman named Jenny (Dorothy Sebastian) in order to save her life from his cutthroat pals at their secret hideout. With his help, she returns home and to her fiance Jim the sheriff (Walter Miller) who's been chasing the outlaw! Returning to the hidden lair, Reynolds beats up the mean and bigger Butch, the kind of leader despite Butch using chair and a broken bottle in their fight. Cal visits Jenny and is arrested by Jim but Jenny convinces Jim to let Cal go since he saved her life and she admits the marriage was not consummated. Later Jim uses a horse Cal gave Jenny to find the outlaw hideout. A big gun battle ensues and Cal, not sure who to help rides away. One of the outlaws follows him. When things don't look so good Butch and his bestie Baxter (Boris Karloff)) hightail it themselves. They also take the preacher that earlier married Cal and Jenny. Butch goes to Jim’s house where Cal is now his prisoner. Jim kills Butch and plans to ride away but Jenny stops him and they declare their love for one another. Jim is pushed aside and Baxter gets away! The preacher is shot and seems to be dead but in the next scene is being helped up. 

Star Rex Lease co-starred in many silent films and had a successful transition to talkies. He starred in several movies and serials but also appeared in bit roles, usually uncredited  (A CHUMP AT OXFORD, THE GRAPES OF WRATH). He appeared in 6 Abbott & Costello movies (and one episode of their TV show) which leads me to believe he and Lou Costello could have been friends since the team would try to get old timers work. Lease was married at least 5 times and died in 1966. (Director Richard Thorpe started out on silent films and later made some Tarzan entries. 

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Soundtrack By Zappa

RUN HOME,SLOW-1965-This weird black and white western concerns the dysfunctional Hager family in Pebble Springs and the havoc that ensues after the townspeople hang their father. The small family unit is made up of tough vengeance driven daughter Nell (Mercedes McCambridge) and her two brothers, Ritt (Gary Kent) and Kirby (Allan Richards), a hunchback and extended family member, the nitwit Julie Ann (Linda Gaye Scott), Ritt’s wife (she uses a parasol). After robbing a bank they kill the Gately family blaming the father for leading the lynching. In the ensuing battle their horses get away and they lose their money. With only a burro they wander through the desert, find the lost money and argue about having no water. Ritt seems to have been mortally wounded in the gun battle but goes with them anyway. Nell talks to dead dad and abuses the dipshit Julie Ann (she deserves it). They continue to wander after digging for water fails. Although it actually works but they don't realize it. They come upon a dilapidated old house and settle in. Kirby kills their burro for food and Julie finds a white dress (while whining in the desert she wished for one). Everyone acts crazy. Julie Ann and Kirby have sex in a barn where the dead mule is rotting. Ritt seems to be dying constantly and Nell admits the only reason she wanted her brother to marry Julie Ann is so the could have a child and keep their screwed up bloodline going. When Julie Ann runs away, Nell sends Kirby to kill her. Meanwhile the still dying Ritt realizes what's going and denounces his whole family, Nell in particular. He demands she go out and stop the killing. Too late. Although Kirby loses his nerve at putting an axe in Julie Ann’s back, he winds up strangling her. While lifting her dead body the poor lug falls on his ax. However he has enough strength to carry Julie back to house and die in front of Nell. Then somehow the dying Ritt manages to hang himself leaving Nell the last of the Hagers. She runs into the desert. 

Today the only reason most people want to see this minimalist parable western is for the soundtrack by the pre-Mothers of Invention founder Frank Zappa. The film was written and produced by Don Cervaris, one of Zappa's high school teachers. The director of this annoying talk-fest was Tim Brenner, a guy who never directed another movie. He must of suspected something was up. He hides behind the pseudonym Tim Sullivan in the credits (he also plays Mr. Gately who's killed at the beginning of the story). Linda Scott Gaye had small roles in TV shows before and after this but actor Allen Richards never made another movie appearance before or since. Both his and Scott's acting resembles a school play! Gary Kent would go to make movies for Al Adamson, TV Mikels and co-star in a lot of low budget features. His acting here is ok but it takes him the whole movie to die which becomes increasingly frustrating as the movie wears on. I've done some research on lead actress Mercedes McCambridge who won a best supporting actress Oscar in 1949 for ALL THE KING'S MEN. She appeared in high profile movies like GIANT, SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER and JOHNNY GUITAR and wound up in RUN HOME,SLOW.! I've read she battled alcoholism in the '60's and went through a messy divorce. She was later known for having dubbed Linda Blair's demon voice in THE EXORCIST (and had to sue to get credit). A few years after RUN she was in JUSTINE for director Jess Franco. Future director and actor Bud Cardos was on the production staff and has a small role. The soundtrack by FZ has much of the themes he used later on “Burnt Weeny Sandwich” and “Lumpy Gravy”.

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It's Like Beat, Man

THE REBEL SET-1959-Mr. Tucker (Ed Platt), the too sure of himself phony hip owner of a beat club hires 3 losers to help him and his partner Sidney (Ned Glass) rob an armored car. Down on his luck actor Johnny (Gregg Palmer; ZOMBIES OF MORA TAU), law breaking spoiled rich kid George Leland (Don Sullivan) who's mother is a movie star and deadbeat writer Ray Miller (John Lupton; a busy TV actor at the time). His plan involves the fact that there is a 4 hour layover in Chicago while taking the train from LA to NY. They all agree and board a train. Johnny has no choice but to bring his wife Jeanne (Kathleen Crowley; in CURSE OF THE UNDEAD the same year) which doesn't go over well with the others. The robbery goes as planned and the trio re-board the train with Tucker now dressed as a priest. First Leland goes a little nuts and wants to keep the 5 mil to himself. Johnny knocks him out. Later Leland winds up shot in the head. Then Tucker kills Ray and throws his body off the train. Guilt ridden Johnny confesses to Jeanne that he helped in the robbery and plans to give himself up. He tells the police chief in charge (Robert Shayne) about the money but Tucker has already absconded with it. Johnny escapes the police and gives chase. He and Tucker have several fights and chases until Tucker is electrocuted leading to the macabre ironic ending featuring Leland’s mom. Gene Roth is also featured as the train conductor and I. Stanford Jolley is a beat poet. 

This is a moody kind of film norish little drama with a beatnik backdrop by director Gene Fowler Jr. a year after he made I MARRIED A MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE. It was a big year for co-star Sullivan who was also in two ultra cool low budget horror classics :THE GIANT GILA MONSTER and THE MONSTER OF PIEDRAS BLANCAS. Oh yeah..and the not so cool TEENAGE ZOMBIES. You dig?

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The Red Queen

THE RED QUEEN KILLS SEVEN TIMES--1972-In this Italian production, Evelyn, a dark haired little girl steals her blond haired sister Kitty’s doll. They argue in front of their grandfather and large painting. Evelyn stabs the doll and cuts off it's head. The two tussle but Gramps calms them down and tells them the story behind the painting which depicts the Black Queen killing the Red Queen. Years later Kitty (Barbara Bouchet) accidentally kills Evelyn when they have a fight. The death is covered up by their older sister Franziska (Marina Malfatti) and everyone is told Evelyn went to America.  When a mysterious figure that looks like the Red Queen visits Gramps he dies of fright. Kitty believes it's Evelyn. Later after Grandpa's will is read a sleazy character with a knife threatens Kitty with blackmail saying he knows Evelyn's dead. Kitty’s boss Hans (Bruno Botocci) and top model Lulu (Sybil Danning) go for a drive in the park looking for a prostitute for a threesome. Hans is stabbed to death by the cackling Red Queen. The police release a sketch of the murderer and someone mentions it looks like Evelyn. Then Kitty gets a scary voice-mail from her! Just to make sure she’s dead, the sisters check an underground catacomb where Evelyn's rotting body is. Kitty's married kind of boyfriend Martin (Ugo Pagliai) who becomes her boss is a suspect. He visits his wife Elizabeth at a mental hospital. She says she goes on nightly jaunts with someone named Evelyn and when she gets a knife she’s going to kill Martin!

 Kitty's co-worker Rosemary says she knows who the Red Queen is but is abducted and murdered before she can tell anyone. After Martin and Lulu have sex, Elizabeth is lured to her death by the queen. Circumstantial evidence grows against Martin. Kitty admits to him that she killed Evelyn. Peter the blackmailer gets money from Kitty then rapes her. After it's revealed he’s a druggie, he’s dragged to his death by the red caped murderer who he recognizes as Evelyn. Then while visiting Franziska and her husband Herbert she sees the red murderer and chases her/him. She nearly falls to her death. 

In the confused whack out ending, Martin is stabbed and Kitty nearly drowns in a flood full of rats. The killer (s) are also revealed. Pretty slow going despite some interesting murder scenes. Sybil Danning completists might want to check it out. Director Emilio Miraglia also made THE NIGHT EVELYN CAME OUT OF HER GRAVE.

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Witchcraft in Spain

THE WITCHES MOUNTAIN-1975-In a pre-credit scene a woman comes home to find her cat dead in her bed. A little girl seems to be the culprit. She bosses the woman and runs around looking for Kiki which turns out to be her pet snake. Then the woman sets the place on fire. After the credits, a pompous photojournalist Mario (Cihangir Gaffani) blows off his girlfriend's romantic expressions and gets a new assignment. For some reason he takes photos of a woman named Delia (Patty Shepard; born in South Carolina) sunbathing topless on a beach. They have lunch and he invites her to go with him on his new assignment. After refusing she changes her mind and agrees to go. While waiting for her he hears some loud chanting like music. Later they stay overnight at an inn run by a guy who's hard of hearing. The next day they go to the mountains and their car is stolen. They find the car in a village where an old woman offers to let them say overnight. While taking photos Mario sees a line of women with torches parading around. The old woman says they are witches. Some of them show up on the photos he took although they weren't there when he took them. Finally, the witches show up, dance around and capture the pair. Mario escapes. He meets up with Delia later somehow and they drive away but when they stop, she’s recaptured. Mario drives back to his swinging bachelor pad only to be confronted once again by the coven of witches of which Carla, the woman he spurned at the beginning is a member. 

This Spanish production directed by Rene Artigot moves along at a snail's pace and is sometimes too dark. The best thing about it is Mario's over sized 1970’s porno star style mustache!

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Dr. Hichcock

THE TERROR OF DR. HICHCOCK- (THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK)-1962-Dr. Hichcock (Robert Flemyng) is a brilliant if detached surgeon who has an unusual relationship with his wife (Maria Teresa Vianello). He drugs her so she appears dead then has sex with her (not shown). She seems to have no objections. One night he gives her too much of a dose and she dies. He leaves their home. 12 years later he returns with his new bride Cynthia (Barbara Steele). After they hear a bloodcurdling scream, his sour puss housekeeper Martha (Harriet Medin) informs him that her sister is living with her but the next day she's going away because “she's quite mad”. On her first night in the old house Cynthia sees a ghostly apparition and hears footsteps. After a night at the opera doc is called away for an emergency at his clinic. His young assistant Kurt (Silvano Tranquilli) sees Mrs. H home. She wanders around in the fog and hears a voice say she will die in her bed. Martha rescues her but she finds a skull in her bed and faints. Meanwhile the doc loses his female patient and feels those old necrophilia come ons. When Cynthia wakes up the skull is gone. Peering through the keyhole into the hall she sees someone wearing white boots just like the dead Mrs. Hichcock. Hubby doesn't believe her because at one time she'd suffered a breakdown after her father died. At night the stupid doctor leaves his wife home alone so he can do the nasty with his dead patient but he’s caught not quite in the act by Kurt. When Cynthia sees Martha emerge from a secret door behind a mirror she investigates and discovers Martha’s mad sister is still around. Later Hichcock sees a ghostly apparition of his first wife playing the piano and moving around the house. The pervert decides to drug Cynthia and play screw the corpse but they don't seem to be alone. The next day when Kurt notices some suspicious scratches on his boss’ neck, Hichcock tells Kurt he believes his wife is paranoid and delusional. Kurt’s not fully convinced. The doc decides to do away with his wife by giving her a poisoned glass of milk. But she tricks him and takes the contents to Kurt. He has it analyzed and finds it full of poison. He hurries over to rescue Cynthia who's hung upside down by her hubby because now apparently his first wife is still alive and he wants to rejuvenate her using Cynthia’s blood.  “Kill her. Kill her. Then there will be only me”. Kurt arrives and while fighting with his boss sets the place on fire. Hichcock falls out a window and Margaret burns up. Kurt carries Cynthia to safety. 

This has the usual gothic feel of the Italian horror films being made around this time. Director Riccardo Freda's (CALTIKI, THE IMMORTAL MONSTER) name was changed to Robert Hampton for the English versions. Many stories abound concerning the production including who was responsible for the necrophilia story line and how long it took to shoot (14 days seems to be the consensus though!). There is also a story that lead actor Flemyng (from England) had read a script without the necro-angle and when he found out about it he tried to get out of making it. 

Barbara Steele was filming Fellini's 8 ½ at the time and took 10 days off from that production to make this.

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Subliminal Terror

TERROR IN THE HAUNTED HOUSE-1958-Sheila (Cathy O'Donnell) has been having the same mysterious dream her whole life. A old house with the name Tierney on the outside. She goes up the stairs “where death awaits her”. She tells this to a psychiatrist in Switzerland just before she and her husband Philip (familiar character and voice actor Gerald Mohr) leave for America. Phil seems loving but some things he says also sound sinister. He takes her to  a secluded house in Florida so she can get some rest. Guess what? It's the same house from her dreams! Caretaker Jonah (John Qualen) says he's waiting for the original owners to come back. They decide to leave but wouldn't you know it...someone tampered with their car engine. Phil blames Jonah but it was Phil who was out there alone while getting their bags. Later Jonah tells Sheila that the previous owners were known as “The Mad Tierneys”. At night Sheila hears a scream, sees a figure at the window (“a hideous inhuman face”) and is chased by Jonah's dog (which seems to obey Phillip). After finding evidence that hubby is responsible for the car not running, she prowls around, sees the stairs in her dream and faints. The next day she accuses Phil and he leaves in a huff. Then a guy named Snell (William Ching) shows up and claims to own the house and the couple are there without permission. Later Sheila finds out from Jonah that grandpa Tierney killed most of his family and that Snell and Phil, the last of the Tierneys, are cousins. When it seems like Phil tries to kill his wife with a faulty chandelier, Snell tells Sheila about a strain of madness that only gets stronger with age. 

Despite its low budget this little psychological mystery keeps you guessing right up to the finale. Aka MY WORLD DIES SCREAMING, the original version used subliminal images to scare viewers. Rhino Video later acquired it and released it with their own messages. Director Harold Daniels made BAYOU the year before also with Cathy O'Donnell.

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John Saxon In The UK

NIGHT CALLER FROM OUTER SPACE-1965-An object from space crashes in the English countryside. The army investigate along with scientists Dr. Morley (Maurice Denham) and Dr. Costain (American John Saxon playing a Brit for some reason). Although the object was supposed to be very big. All they find is cold orb.

Back in their lab the duo are assisted by cold, stuck up Anne Morrow (Patricia Haines) who Saxon unsuccessfully tries to seduce. While Morley and an army major (John Carson) in charge try to answer the PM’s pompous inquiries over the phone, Ann while typing her notes starts to get hot flashes. They seem to emanate from the room where the orb is kept. When she opens the door a weird hand grabs her arm. She breaks away and sounds an alarm but of course when the soldiers look around they find nothing. After they leave the orb starts glowing. The next day the Major has decided it’s all a prank. Costain finds a weird footprint in the dirt and believes Ann’s story. Morley dies while experimenting with orb after being menaced by an unseen creature. The army takes some shots at it. The Major is killed by a Jeep driven by the creature! Costain makes a connection that the creature may be responsible for the disappearance of several women. It seems all the missing women answered an ad placed in a magazine by a mysterious person named Mr. Madra. Costain figures out the creature has come from Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter. Scotland Yard superintendent Hartley (Alfred Burke) sets a trap with Ann answering one of the ads. She’s killed. Then Saxon, Hartley and the Police Commissioner set another trap where they learn Madra is a half scarred alien (Robert Crewdson) that needs “new blood” to help resurrect his race. He takes the women and goes back home. 

Director John Gilling made the much better THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES the next year. Despite its film noirish like setting it's bloody boring with a lot of scientific jive about nonsense. It's based on a novel by Frank Crisp. Also known as BLOOD BEAST FROM OUTER SPACE.

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Corman, Cabot, Devon and Miller

WAR OF THE SATELLITES-1958- After 10 failed manned missions to the Sigma Barrier, Dr. Pol Van Ponder (Richard Devon) decides to take number 11 up himself. His assistants Dave Boyer (Dick Miller) and Sybil Carrington (Susan Cabot) plan to go with him. His scientist friend Hotch (Robert Shayne) supports him but Jason ibn Akad (Michael Fox), LeMoine (Bruno VeSota) and others don't. Just when it looks like the project will be shut down, it's announced Van Ponder is killed in a car accident. No sooner is this declared and the doctor shows up! However it's no miracle. He’s been taken over by an alien being (who caused the crash). Now he can split into two people and  repair his hand after it’s charred by a blow torch. He also can’t deter the efforts to send more rockets into space so the aliens make their presence known and create natural disasters around the world (stock footage). The alien as doctor declares an end to the project but when he sends Boyer to deliver the news, Boyer instead convinces the UN reps that Earth should fight the aliens. This makes the possessed doctor not happy. Boyer becomes suspicious when he notices some bruises on Devon arms. They all go into space and Boyer tries to convince the crew of the truth while Van Ponder acts weird and kills. It's said this sci-fi space film (perhaps director Roger Corman’s weakest '50's effort) was rushed into production after the 1957 Sputnik launch. There's not much action but it's nice to see usual supporting actors Miller & Devon in the lead roles. And I love those reclining space.chairs! 

With the death of Miller in late 2018 I believe the last living cast member of WOTS is Corman who has a small role as a rocket operator. Strangely this was the only movie Miller made in 1958! He starred in A BUCKET OF BLOOD the next year. Cabot starred in THE WASP WOMAN the next year. They had both been in CARNIVAL ROCK for Corman in 1957. She and Richard Devon were in Corman's MACHINE GUN KELLY the same year as WOTS.

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It May Come In Handy

More Spencer Williams

GIRL IN ROOM 20-1946-Daisy Mae Walker (Geraldine Brock) leaves her sleepy little town of Perryville to find a career as a singer in the city, also leaving behind her parents, little sister Mabel and boyfriend Dunbar. She almost has trouble at the start when she accidentally visits a whorehouse run by Mamie but is helped out of the jam by a taxi driver (director Spenser Williams). Daisy gets molested by a guy named Richardson but Dunbar arrives and beats him up. Richardson's wife shoots Daisy but she survives to sing another song. A white producer faints when he can't have Daisy for his new production because she’s marrying Dunbar and going back to Texas. Not as enjoyable as some of Spenser Williams’s other stories. Too much talk.

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Happy Fourth of July!

OF ONE BLOOD-1944-This fable/melodrama starts off in “the hall of records” where a white haired old man with a long white beard relates the story of Zeke Ellis, his wife and three sons. They leave their home for higher ground after a flood warning but don't make it. They get hit by the flood and Zeke and his wife are killed. Two brothers Zebedee and Zion swim to safely separated from third brother Zachariah who also swims safely to the shore. They are taken in by The Red Cross but an older boy Wesley convinces them to hop a freight with him. The older boy gets left behind at a stop and the duo wonders if they will ever see their brother again. 

Years pass and the boys are now men. After shining shoes for a while Zeb becomes a cop while Zion studies to be a lawyer. A woman named Zelma tries to dissuade him. “Hard work is for mules and fools”. In 1941 a big band plays and two women do a tap dance. Newspaper publisher Jordan, Zelma's father runs a campaign against a bootlegger in a derby hat who bosses a bunch of dumb henchman. Then two community leaders give very good speeches about race and violence and inequality. After Zelma has a riding accident coincidentally near the bootleggers hideout, the worker the gang refers to as “The Dummy” (writer/director Spencer Williams) hides Zelma and calls the police. Lawyer Zion and policeman Zebedee go the hideout to get Zelma. When the boss is about to shoot Zeb “the dummy” hits him over the head with a bottle killing him but not before he reveals to Zeb that he is actually their long lost bro Zachariah and “the dummy” is their long lost friend Wesley, now an FBI agent! It may be the only movie I’ve ever seen where a glass bottle didn't break when hit over someone’s head! Couldn't afford a fake one?

 Interesting story hampered of course by bad editing, acting and effects. But still enjoyable! Like most of Spencer Williams directorial out (THE BLOOD OF JESUS, GO DOWN, DEATH), OF ONE BLOOD was thought to be a lost film until being rediscovered in 1983.

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Karnsteins Curse

TERROR IN THE CRYPT-1964-At Castle Karnstein, Laura (Adriana Abesti) has a dream her cousin is killed (it's true). Count Karnstein (Christopher Lee) hires Baron Klauss (Jose' Campos) to do research on Carmilla of Karnstein, an ancient ancestor burned at the stake. While he’s working Laura and the housekeeper Rowena (Nela Conjiu) are in the basement performing a bizarre ritual involving a paper star and we learn Carmilla cursed the Karnsteins just before they killed her. Later a woman drops her daughter Ljuba (Ursula Davis) off at the castle. Then Annette (Vera Valmont) the maid and the count’s mistress tells the Baron that Laura is the spitting image of the infamous Carmilla. Laura and Ljuba seem on the verge of becoming more than friends. The Baron works hard but Karnstein seems to change his mind and doesn't want the Baron to do anymore research. It's become apparent that Laura is possessed by the spirit of the vengeful Carmilla and she's set her sights on Ljuba! Later at night Laura and Ljuba decide to investigate the mysterious bell ringing in the ruins where Carmilla was killed. They don't bother dressing, just run over there in their nightgowns! There they find an old hunchbacked peddler (Angel Midlin) hanging from the bell rope with his hand cut off.

 Back at the castle, after Annette has pleasured her boss she spies Rowena wandering around using a hand (presumably the peddler’s) as a candle. It's a ceremony to find out who killed the peddler and it seems to point toward Laura’s room. But someone stabs the housekeeper. Annette runs in horror. Suddenly the whole story cuts to Rowena’s funeral. When the lights (candles) go out Laura sees Rowena sit up in her coffin and point. When Laura and Ljuba disappear, The Count and The Baron go looking for them. They find the Count’s cousin Franz (John Karlsen) bent on revenge (father of the girl killed in Laura’s dream). They also find Annette's dead body. It turns out Carmilla's actually possessing Ljuba. The trio bust into Carmilla’s tomb and put a stake through her. 

This black and white Italy/Spain co-production has it's moments but suffers a little from chopping editing. It was released in America through AIP. Lee made THE GORGON for Hammer the same year. It's based on a novel by Sheridan LeFanu but it isn't credited.

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Re-titled Bullshit

HORRORS OF THE RED PLANET-(aka THE WIZARD OF MARS)-1965-A US spaceship is forced to land on Mars. Its occupants (4 men and a woman): Steve (Roger Gentry), Doc (Vic McGee), Charlie (Jerry Rannow) and Dorothy (Eve Bernhardt) decide to explore the surface. While sleeping in a raft they are attacked by what looks like used lobster tails with appendages (puppets). In a dense fog, they drift into a multicolored cavern, get lost, wander around and have to avoid boiling lava. “Isn't there anyplace on this planet that isn't a death trap?”. They keep walking, almost run out of oxygen but find some in an old probe. They eventually come upon a deserted city and meet an alien who's in a kind of suspended animation (it’s the same weird looking creature from the equally low budget sci-fi movie SPACE MONSTER!). They meet the manifestation of the Martian race (John Carradine’s head) who explains how they were beings who messed with time, became immortal and now want to die. The Astronauts fix time and almost die but wind up back on their ship and only two minutes has past. Too bad they couldn't make the story move that fast! 

This movie marked the directorial debut of David L. Hewitt who later made the abysmal but entertaining Z-budget horror anthology GALLERY OF HORROR. That's all you need to know. Some call it a rip-off of The Wizard of Oz but I'd just call it boring. Star Gentry was later in the aforementioned GOH. McGee had a role in Ed Wood's THE SINISTER URGE a few years before. Rannow became a TV show writer. Former showgirl Bernhardt didn't make many movies. In the same year Carradine worked with Jerry Warren on CURSE OF THE STONE HAND and the strange pasted together HOUSE OF THE BLACK DEATH.

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