Last For 2023

 

 (imdb)

BLOOD OF THE VIRGINS-1967-In the 19th century a woman Ofelia (Susana Beltran) is getting ready for her wedding and marriage to Eduardo. She also has a lover Gustavo (Walter Kliche) who seems to have a spell over her. Ofelia confesses to Gus that she has some misgivings about the wedding but since her family wouldn't allow her to be with her lover, she goes ahead and marries Eduardo. On their wedding night, it's revealed that Gustavo is a vampire. He kills Ed and makes Ofelia a vampire so they can be together forever. In the present a bunch of hip idiots go go dance on a yacht and on the beach (a few topless) and make out just to take up time. Later Gustavo and Ofelia return but she has grown tired of her existence. This fairly drawn out nonsense from Argentina was directed by Emilio Vieyra (THE CURIOUS DR. HUMP (1969)).

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Dead Graffiti

 

 (themoviedb)

MESSIAH OF EVIL-1973-From a mental hospital, a woman Arletty (Mariana Hill; she was in THE GODFATHER PART 2 the same year) tells the story of how she went to a town called Point Doom looking for her estranged father. Stopping for gas, the attendant (Charles Dierkop) acts weird and gives her a warning. He gets very perturbed when a big albino stops for gas with two dead bodies in his pickup. The attendant is killed a little later. 

While snooping around town Arletty meets a freaky art dealer and his blind mother and talkative town drunk Charlie (Elisha Cook Jr.) who talks about the blood red moon and people bleeding. She meets dandy Thom (Michael Greer; FORTUNE AND MEN'S EYES) who seems interested in the legend of the blood moon, and his two female companions the stuck-up snob Laura (Anitra Ford) and the dumb Toni (Joy Bang). Later after a lot of talk, Laura decides to leave. She hitches a ride with the albino (Bernie Robinson) who eats a rat. She wanders around town, goes to a supermarket and sees a bunch of weird people eating raw meat. They chase her down and eat her. Meanwhile, Arletty reads from Dad's diary. Poor Toni! She goes to see a movie and is attacked and eaten by the audience. Thom wanders around town. Dad (Royal Dano) shows up to explain the story of a dark stranger who had been part of the Donner party. It's not a good reunion though. Arletty sets her dad on fire. Then she tries to kill Thom. The dark stranger comes back too…

The directing and writing credits of this low budget bizarro horror film go to the husband-and-wife duo of Williard Hyuck and Gloria Katz who the year before had written the screenplay of AMERICAN GRAFFITI (they also have cameos as zombies). It is a kind of eerie movie but some parts don't make sense. Some critics have praised it as a “neglected masterpiece”. Re-released under the title DEAD PEOPLE.

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A Movie As Old As me!

 

 (imdb)

SHADOW ON THE WINDOW-1957-3 young thugs Jess (John Drew Barrymore), Gil (Corey Allen) and the psychotic Joey (Gerald Sarracini) hold a woman (Betty Garrett) hostage after killing an old man for his money. Her young son (Jerry Mathers; he started his gig as The Beaver on TV's “Leave it To Beaver” the same year) sees the whole thing but goes into shock and can't tell the police anything. Her ex-husband Tony Atlas (Phillip Carey) is a police Sargent who leads an investigation to find his ex. 

Several character actors appear briefly including Joe Turkel,Mel Welles,Billy Nelson,Norman Leavitt,Henry Corden,George Cisar and Paul Bryar. Director William Asher, already working in TV, would go on to direct several AIP “beach” movies in the early '60's but would continue in TV including directing over 130 episodes of “Bewitched”.

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"If Ya Got Ears, Ya Gotta Listen"

 

 (youtube)

THE ARTIST FORMERLY KNOWN AS CAPTAIN BEEFHEART-1997-This was a late period documentary about the great Captain Beefheart (aka Don Van Vilet) who died in December of 2010. It gives some interesting insights and info about his early career then jumps to “Trout Mask Replica” and glosses over later work. "Clear Spot" isn't even mentioned. There are some comments from Frank Zappa (obviously already sick; he died in 1993) and former Mother and perennial complainer Jimmy Carl Black (who died in 2008) chimes in as well. Matt Groehing, Ry Cooder, John French and Eric Drew Feldman offer their opinions. British DJ John Peel (who died 2004) narrates.

 It's a nice little documentary but hardly a comprehensive one. Director Elaine Shepherd later made a 30-year anniversary special on Monty Python's Flying Circus.

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Low Grade Savages

 

 (youtube)

SAVAGES FROM HELL-1968-In some small town, Marco (Diwaldo Myers) and his sister Teresa (Vi Lloyd) are migrant workers with their parents. They don't like the work so Marco gets a job as a mechanic. Teresa likes to hang around the gas station and meets High Test (William P. Kelly), the leader of a gang of bikers who she thinks is wonderful but he's just a dirty asshole in a jaguar vest. When he finds his girlfriend Lucy (Bobbie Byers) coming on to gas attendant Reuben (Cyril Poitier) a fight ensues which Marco breaks up. The next day High Test takes Teresa to the dune buggy races but she spurns his advances and Marco winds up slugging him. High Test vows revenge. Later he kidnaps Teresa and shoots Lucy. Mortally wounded, Lucy leads Marco & Reuben to the hideout where after a couple of fights, Teresa is rescued and Lucy runs High Test down before dying. Terrible acting. 

Director Joseph G. Prieto made FIREBALL JUNGLE the same year. One of the screenwriters was K. Gordon Murray. Cyril Poitier was the lesser-known older brother of Sidney.

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TV Pilot From Canada

 

 (imdb)

984: PRISONER OF THE FUTURE-A group called "The Movement" (headed by an old fart Dr. Fontaine (Andrew Foot)) has taken over the US and charges a guy named Weston (Stephen Markle) with "crimes against humanity" and locks him up in a prison run by "The Warden" (Dan Francks), a bad Dr. Smith wannabe. Flashbacks tell a lot of the story but I was still confused as to exactly what this whole thing was about.

Director Tibor Takacs (before his more well-known movies) does try hard to present a Kafkaesque nightmare with a few doses of The Prisoner and Brave New World but a minuscule budget, poor script and only so-so acting undermine it. Actually, a CBC unsold TV pilot.

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Last of The Astro-Zombies

 

 (abc news)

ASTRO-ZOMBIES M4-INVADERS FROM CYBER SPACE-2012-Apparently there is a planet of Astro-Zombies who are very disappointed they haven't destroyed Earth in their previous attempts. They decide to try again and start by causing death and destruction in Berlin. Then the Sydney Opera House is demolished. In Washington DC, a virus is released that allows the Astros to come through computers and fry people with their laser eyes. A woman in a gym is terrorized but escapes thanks to her boyfriend. Then a shrine in Osaka is burned up. In NYC a young girl is killed and weird newscasters warn of an alien invasion.

 At the Astro-Zombies meeting hall, the Astro leader talks about his plan to annihilate humans and replace them with Astro-Zombies. Then the Golden Gate Bridge and Big Ben in London are destroyed. Characters like a psychic and some pothead musicians are introduced and killed. The finale is pretty funny when it's found out using a mirror to deflect the laser beams back at the Astros is the only way to defeat them. 

Much more entertaining than the previous two and Ted V. Mikels best one in years. Beverly Washburn (SPIDER BABY) has a small role.

 (imdb)

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Heinlein Sues!

 

 (imdb)

THE BRAIN EATERS-1958-In the town of Riverdale, IL., a huge cone shaped object is discovered. Hick senator Powers (Cornelius Keefe) takes charge of the investigation and meets the mayor's son Glen Cameron (Alan Frost aka Alan J. Factor) who informs Powers there have been 3 murders since the discovery of the cone and his dad is missing. Dr. Kettering (co-producer Ed Nelson), Dr. Wyler (David Hughes) and Alice Summers (Joanna Lee) are studying the cone. After Kettering goes into the cone and finds nothing, the mayor (Orville Sherman) shows up, goes crazy and is shot to death. He seemed to have some kind of parasite on his neck that destroyed his nervous system. And there are more! While one guy roams around recruiting victims, Kettering tries to come up with a solution. He hardly has time to mourn when Alice is taken over and just as suddenly a missing scientist emerges from the cone. Later Kettering and Cameron go into the cone and meet another missing scientist (Leonard Nimoy). 

This is a nice low budget sci-fi film with some unusual camera angles by Bruno VeSota. Co-star Joanna Lee was in Ed Woods' PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE the next year. Author Robert Heinlein sued the film company saying the script was based on his novel “The Puppet Masters”. Uncredited executive producer Roger Corman settled out of court with Heinlein.

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Karloff is Back!

 

 (imdb)

THE HAUNTED STRANGLER-1958-Dr. James Rankin (Boris Karloff) investigates the case of Edward Styles, hanged as a murderer years before. He seems to feel that Styles' assistant Tenet who was later confined to an asylum might be more involved than first suspected. His wife (Elizabeth Allen) wants him to drop it. He has an assistant Dr. McCall (Tim Turner) who's in love with Rankin's daughter Lily (Diane Aubrey). Rankin and McCall find out a lot about Tenet and Rankin wants to exhume his body but superintendent Burk (Anthony Dawson) won't allow it, so Rankin digs it up himself! He finds a missing surgical knife believed to be the murder weapon which transforms him into a scary one-armed killer seeking vengeance. 

Of course, it turns out Rankin is Tenet protected by his wife who was a nurse at the asylum. After he kills her, he admits he's the murderer but no one believes him and he's committed to an asylum. He turns into Tenet and escapes. He goes on a killing spree but is eventually shot after menacing his daughter. 

Cool old style horror film directed by Robert Day with Karloff using facial expressions instead of make-up. Day and Karloff worked together on CORRIDOR OF BLOOD the same year.

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Dubious Documentary

 

 (imdb)

A RACE OF GIANTS-2015-This wildly speculative documentary is about the discovery of giant skeleton bones across the Americas. It sites many examples (some proven hoaxes) and says The Smithsonian Institute was created specifically to gather and destroy giant skeletal bones to create a cover-up that would undermine Charles Darwin's theories. It speculates there once was a war between Native Americans and a race of man eating giants. It also mentions that St. Christopher was a giant who encountered dog headed man eating giants. 

It also discusses mound builders, gigantism, the Nephilim,Stonehenge and ancient Indian legends. Director J. Michael Long has done a lot of videos on UFOs, aliens, etc.

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Im Waiting for The Asylum Apocalypse

 

 (tmdb)

ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE-2011-This typical Asylum rip off of DAY OF THE DEAD and 28 DAYS LATER features gory CGI sfx while characters scream at each other in between running and killing zombies. They even thrown Ving Rhames in one of the lead roles (He was in the big budgeted DAY OF THE DEAD (2008)). Avoid this "SyFy channel" presentation directed by Nick Lyon.

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Mari Blanchard

 

 (imdb)

SHE-DEVIL-1957-Workaholic genius bio-chemist Dr. Scott (Jack Kelly; CULT OF THE COBRA (1952)) is working and experimenting on the theory that with a little help humans may be able to cure themselves of disease. He creates a serum from fruit flies that cures some animals. Now he wants to try it on humans. His mentor Dr. Bock (Albert Dekker; DR. CYCLOPS (1940)) warns him. But later against his better judgment he lets Scott inject Kyra (Mari Blanchard), a woman dying of TB with his serum. It works and she gets better but seems to have a strange new personality. 

While in a dress shop, she attacks a man for his money. When she's trapped in a dressing room by the police she somehow transforms from black haired woman to a blonde beauty. She stays at Bock's house where his maid (Blossom Rock) is leery but Scott seems mesmerized by her. At a party thrown by Bock she dallies with a rich jerk named Kendall (John Archer) whose wife slaps Kyra. She turns back to her black-haired self and kills Mrs. K (Fay Baker). Later Kendall and Kyra marry and he complains how cold she is. He shoots her in the shoulder and on the way to the hospital she crashes the car and he dies. She escapes unscathed. Now a wealthy widow, she returns to Scott to convince him to get rid of Bock. He seems to agree but really doesn't and he and Bock plan to reverse the operation. It doesn't turn out the way they planned. 

Nice little but obscure black and white horror directed by Kurt Neumann who made the most out of low budget assignments (ROCKETSHIP X-M, KRONOS). He'd have his greatest success the following year in 1958 when he directed THE FLY. Unfortunately, he would pass away shortly after completing it. 

Star Mari Blanchard had been in ABBOTT AND COSTELLO GO TO MARS IN 1953 and other films like DESTRY (1954) with Audie Murphy and THE SON OF SINBAD (1955) with Dale Robertson. She made more movies after this (DON'T KNOCK THE TWIST (1962), TWICE-TOLD TALES (1963)) but worked mainly in TV. She died of cancer at 47 in 1970.

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It's A Jungle Out There

 

 (imdb)

FEMALE JUNGLE-1955-Police investigate the murder of a Hollywood actress Monica Madison (Jean Lewis aka Eve Brent). Meanwhile Al (Burt Kaiser) and Peggy (Patricia Crowley) are having marital problems. He's a bitter boozing caricaturist and she's an unhappy nightclub waitress. An alcoholic police Sgt. Jack Stevens (Lawrence Tierney) also investigates the killing as it seems he could be the murderer. 

Peggy gets involved with the mysterious Claude Almstead (John Carradine) who says he wants a caricature but has some other motive. Although Al is having an affair with the floozy Candy (Jayne Mansfield in her movie debut) he really gets concerned when he can't find Peggy and gives Candy the brush off. The real killer is revealed in the talky finale of this low budget sleazy crime drama directed by Bruno Ve Soto, who also has a small role. Connie Cezon from 3 Stooges shorts is also in it.

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Back In The Bayou...

 

 (themoviedb.org)

THE LOUISIANA HUSSY-1959-Down in the Bayou, a dumb trapper named Jacques (Peter Coe) won't attend his brother Pierre's wedding because he's in love with the bride Lily (Betty Lynn). While out doing his thing, Jacques comes upon the mysterious Minette (Nan Peterson) who seems to have had a traumatic experience and says her rings were stolen. He takes her to town where the local doctor (Tyler McVey) kind of forces Pierre (Robert Richards) and new wife to take Minette in despite it being their honeymoon. Everyone thinks it's a big joke and laugh at him. Lily doesn't seem to understand Pierre's frustration. In fact, she seems more concerned about Minette's condition than her hubby's. The minute Minette wakes up, it's clear she's some home wrecking tramp. Within minutes of talking, she and Pierre are kissing passionately while Jacques watches from outside. Later she hooks up with Jacques. 

When Pierre & Lily visit Clay Lanier (Harry Lauter), they learn that Minette is really someone else. A flashback narrated by his manservant (Smoki Whitfield) tells how Lanier's wife Minette was driven to suicide by the fake Minette's antics. After Pierre prevents Lanier from killing fake Minette, the brothers reconcile and fake Minette gets away, looking for a new sucker. 

Dumb sleazy quickie with Coe miscast as the hot-headed Jacques. Director Lee Sholem had already made PHARAOH'S CURSE (1957), SUPERMAN AND THE MOLE PEOPLE (1951) and several “Jungle Jim” adventures.

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Ribbit!

 

 (imdb)

FROGS-1972-Photographer Pickett Smith (Sam Elliot) is nearly run down in his boat by beer guzzling speed boat riding Clint Crockett (Adam Roarke) and his sister Karen (Joan Van Ark). They invite Smith to their granddaddy's estate that's being overrun by frogs. Gramps (Ray Milland), is a self-righteous SOB who seems bothered by his whole family. While exploring the island, Smith finds the dead body of a worker. The frogs seem to be taking over. Snakes and salamanders too. A particularly gruesome scene is the death of gramps' flaky butterfly collecting sister-in-law Iris (Hollis Irving) by leeches. Her husband is done in by a crocodile. 

Although there is death and aggressive animals all around, Gramps wants to continue with the 4th of July festivities. Everyone is eventually killed except for Smith, Karen and grandkids. Gramps regrets his decision to stay behind. The frogs don't kill anyone (despite the famous movie poster) but it seems like they are in charge.

This eco-horror from AIP is mostly talk with a death thrown in once in a while. The ecology and "nature fights back" themes were very popular in the 1970's. Director George McCowan worked mainly in TV but also directed THE MAGNIFCENT SEVEN RIDE! the same year as FROGS. He later made THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME (1979).

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I Liked Eno's Album Better

 

 (imdb)

TAKING TIGER MOUNTAIN-1983-In a bleak future dystopia, 4 stuck up feminists plot to brainwash a hippie loser Billy (Bill Paxton) into an assassin to kill the minister of prostitution. It was shot in Wales and with the exception of American Paxton, all the roles are played by local townspeople. Originally based on a poem about the kidnapping of J. Paul Getty 3, it morphed into an adaptation of the William S Burroughs novel "Blade Runner (a movie)". Characters talk endlessly while radio broadcasts on the chaotic state of the world (depressed economy, famine, cannibalism, shortages) are heard. This black & white film had two directors.

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Rediscovered

 

 (youtube)

AS THE EARTH TURNS-1938-Amateur science fiction silent film originally made in 1938 but only rediscovered in 2019. A mysterious being known as Pax (the director Richard Lyford) can control the weather and cause earthquakes. He wants the world to stop making war. A newspaper publisher and two reporters (1 male, one female) investigate. Pax plans to "rock the Earth" and seems to succeed but the story ends before we find out. 

This is a trendsetting piece and its restored version looks great but it is an amateur film done in a little by bad SFX, over the top acting and terribly made-up actors. Nice new score by Ed Hartman was added after it's restoration. Director/star Lyford made other experimental short films (most of which are lost) but later he worked for Disney Studios.

 (Los Angeles Times)

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Another Fine Mess

 

 (imdb)

THE LAUREL AND HARDY MURDER CASE-1930-The great comedic duo star in this early talkie about the suspicious death of Stan's uncle Ebenezer. A police detective gathers all the suspected relatives in an old mansion on a stormy night. Antics with fake ghosts and a bat and a trap door follow leading up to a killer relative in drag and a surprise ending. 

This was one of 22 short films James Parrot (brother of Charley Chase) directed for Laurel & Hardy (he also wrote for them). Unfortunately, he developed a drug and alcohol problem and died at age 41....

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Eat It

 

 (imdb)

I EAT YOUR SKIN-1971-After a voodoo ceremony where a woman is decapitated, a publisher named Fairchild (Dan Stapleton) goes to "Voodoo Island" with his wise cracking wife Coral (Betty Wyatt Linton) and an arrogant womanizing playboy writer Tom Harris (William Joyce). After an encounter with a bug-eyed zombie, they meet Bentley (Walter Coy), the overseer of a plantation. Later they meet Doctor Biladeau (Robert Stanton) who is working on a cure for cancer and his daughter Jeannie (Heather Hewitt) who Harris tries to put the moves on. The doctor tells them about a local plant that the natives use "like we use alcohol". After dinner when Harris and Jeannie get romantic, they are attacked by some zombies who try to kidnap Jeannie but Harris thwarts them. 

There's another wild voodoo dance ritual and after Harris and Jeannie have sex, they find a shack full of deformed comatose zombies. Later they discover her dad turning people into zombies with radiation bombarded snake venom. It turns out the forgotten about Bentley is behind it all trying to create enough zombies to rule the world. 

Low budget horror that really isn't as bad as its reputation. Writer/director Del Tenney had made HORROR OF PARTY BEACH and CURSE OF THE LIVING CORPSE in the '60's.

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Cat-Women

 

 (imdb)

CAT-WOMEN ON THE MOON-1953-5 astronauts journey into space. The crew is headed by hardnosed Laird Grainger (Sonny Tufts). His co-pilot is the more laid-back Kip Reissner (Victor Jory). Helen Salinger (Marie Windsor) is the navigator. Doug Smith (William Phipps) is the radar guy and Walt Walters (Douglas Fowley) is the engineer. They land on the moon and Helen seems to know more than she should. After being attacked by giant spiders, they find a cave with oxygen and then find some kind of temple. Helen separates from the men and meets Alpha (Carol Brewster), leader of the female survivors of a genocide ("We have no use for men"). They turn Helen against her male companions and plan to "bring our culture" to Earth and put Earth women under their power. 

This notorious very low budget campy sci-fi space adventure uses props and sets from several other pictures. Director Arthur Hilton had better success as a film editor. Producer/co-writer Al Zimbalist was the executive producer on ROBOT MONSTER the same year! Composer Elmer Bernstein, who would win an Academy Award in 1967, did the soundtrack but his name is misspelled in the credits! (He also did the music for ROBOT MONSTER...).

It was remade in 1958 as MISSILE TO THE MOON.

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"It's Only a Movie"

 

 

 (imdb)

SPECIAL EFFECTS-1984-An outcast film director Neville (Eric Bogosian) kills a nude model (Zoe Tamerlis; MS.45 (1981)) and films it. Her husband (Brad Rijn; SMITHEREENS (1982)) gets arrested for her murder by two imbecilic cops Delroy (Kevin O'Connor) and Vickers (Bill Oland). Later the nutty director convinces the husband and stupid Delroy that he wants to make a film about the dead actress and incorporate the snuff footage as the finale. He gets a lookalike (also Tamerlis) to portray her. 

This well-made outing from writer/director Larry Cohen was shot in NYC but it's very drawn out and talky with the typical cast of Cohen characters. Bogosian later became known for his one-man stage plays like TALK RADIO.

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Adventure!

 

 (imdb)

ADVENTURE IN THE CENTER OF THE EARTH-1965-This made in Mexico adventure starts off with a family group taking a tour of some caves. A woman Julia (Carmen Molina) and her fiance sneak off for some hanky panky. They fall down a hole. Just when it seems like they will be rescued the man is killed by a monster but we only see its claw. It leaves a footprint that later gets Prof. Diaz (Jose Elias Moreno) very excited. He thinks it's a great discovery and wants to hear what the woman has to say. Unfortunately she's in shock. They try to get through to her but fail. The professor decides to check out the cave himself. He assembles a group to explore. Once they set up camp one of them croons a song. Later a female photographer is attacked by a one eyed creature. Still later a winged creature with fangs kills most of the party and kidnaps one woman. 

This low budget production, directed by Alfredo B. Crevenna (who earlier made a bunch of movies featuring Santo) is pretty entertaining.

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Dead End

 

 (imdb)

LAST HOUSE ON DEAD END STREET-1973-Convicted drug dealer Terry Hawkins (writer/director Roger Watkins under a pseudonym) is released from jail and is tired of people telling him what to do. He talks like an asshole to different people about making a movie and at a party a hunchback whips a woman. The rest of this garbage is Terry ranting (“I'm making this fucking movie”), whispering, smoking and killing people for his ridiculous snuff films. Later on he and his screwed-up gang graphically torture and cut up a woman. Then they kill another guy and the morons seem to get away with their crimes but a voice-over says they were later apprehended and put in jail. The director should have been put in a padded cell.

This monstrosity supposedly crawled out of a much longer "opus" called “The Cuckoo Clocks from Hell” which they say was so repugnant and annoying that patrons rioted and burned down a theater! I've seen that version on a list of lost horror films and I'm sure it belongs there. Everyone in this thing hid behind phony names and according to some sources, no one admitted being associated with it until 2000! Director Watkins went on to make a bunch of porno movies...

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Monstrous Rip-Off

 

 (foundfootagecritic.com)

MONSTER-2008-Two sisters decided to do a documentary on global warming and go to Japan to film it. They don't know Japanese and they certainly don't know anything about filmmaking. Disaster strikes in the form of an underground monster barely seen. It's mostly characters running and yelling. Occasionally, they meet someone who speaks English. 

This is a found footage rip-off of CLOVERFIELD with a little BLAIR WITCH thrown in which figures because it was made by The Asylum. Director Eric Forsberg may have made a sequel.

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Hammer Mummy

 

 (tcm.com)

THE MUMMY'S SHROUD-1967-After a lengthy intro about the death of an Egyptian boy king, pompous rude Stanley Preston (John Phillips) and his wife (Elizabeth Sellars) arrive in Cairo intent on locating a missing expedition he funded. The lost group is headed by Sir Basil Walton (Andre Morell), along with his assistant Claire (Maggie Kimberly), Harry (Tim Barrett) and Preston's son Paul (David Buck). They are looking for the tomb of the young prince. 

Preston's group finds the expedition but Basil is bitten by a snake. They find the mummy and the elder Preston proceeds to hog the spotlight and take all the credit. When they get back to Cairo, he even has Walton committed to an insane asylum. A fortune teller's son, Hasmid (Roger Delgado) revives a different mummy and it kills Walton who has escaped the asylum. The second victim is Harry who has acid poured on him and is set on fire. Next is Preston's long-suffering assistant Longbarrow (Michael Ripper) who is thrown out a window. When Preston tries to illegally leave the country (deserting his wife & son) the mummy gets him. Later while trying to apologize to the mummy Hasmid sics the mummy on Claire who with help from David and the chief of police (Richard Warner) says the words of death and the mummy crumbles.

 This Hammer production is a pretty standard horror film, not offering anything new. Director John Gilling (THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES (1966)) wasn't happy with the results. It's the last movie made by Hammer in their Bray Studios. The Mummy is played by Eddie Powell, Christopher Lee's “Dracula” stunt double.

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Stupid Stuff

 

 (letterbox.com)

ILLUSION OF BIAS-2009-If you have 6 minutes to waste you might enjoy this strange overrated short about a girl and her nightmares. Good luck!

 (imdb)

CHLOE LOVE IS CALLING YOU-1934-Creaky old-time capsule made on a shoestring budget about Mandy (Georgette Harvey), a Louisiana voodoo practitioner who seeks revenge on the Colonel (Francis Joyner) and the other white men who lynched her husband. Her light skinned daughter Chloe (Caucasian Olive Borden) longs not to be black and wants a better life. Luckily, she meets Wade (Reed Howes), a superior white guy who works for The Colonel. Jim, a black local, is in love with Chloe but she rejects him (Jim is played by future character actor Phil Ober, a white guy!). This thing is so misguided, racist and offensive you might want to see it just to believe it! Once thought to be lost, some genius found it….

Titular heroine Borden (said to be an actually distant relative of Lizzy) was once the highest paid actress in Hollywood after being discovered by Mack Sennett. Unfortunately, the coming of sound movies, a love triangle scandal and alcohol helped doom her career. She died destitute in LA's skid row at age 40. CHLOE was her last film. 

Leading man Howes was also a popular silent screen star but his career faded in the sound era and he played villains in many westerns in the '40's and '50's. He played a police inspector in Ed Wood's THE SINISTER URGE in1960 four years before his death at age 64. His last appearance was on an episode of TV's “Mr. Ed”.  

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Early Color Horror

 

 (tcm.com)

DOCTOR X-1932-Reporter Lee Taylor (Lee Tracy) investigates cannibalistic murders (The Moon Killer) that seemed tied to the medical research facility run by Dr. Jerry Xavier (Lionel Atwill). A few of his eccentric suspicious staff have had brushes with cannibalism. After he meets Xavier's daughter Joanne (Fay Wray), Taylor's almost done in by a cloaked monster but a trick cigar saves him. To avoid a scandal, Xavier asks the police to give him 48 hours to discover if the killer is on his staff. He sets up an elaborate machine that measures subjects' blood while recreating the murders. 

This early two-tone technicolor horror has great direction (from Michael Curtiz, who made MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSCEUM the next year), is very creepy in spots, has lots of suspects and some weird sfx but is brought down a bit by a static screenplay and an annoying wisecracking performance by Tracy.

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How Scary?

 

 (TMDB)

LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH-1971-Jessica (Zohra Lampert) and her husband Duncan (Barton Heyman) leave NYC to live in an old farmhouse after Jessica has been released from a mental institution. Accompanying them is their hippie friend Woody (Kevin O'Connor). The nearby town is occupied by unfriendly men who all seem to have bandages on some part of their bodies. Jessica has strange visions and hears voices but says nothing fearing her Duncan will think her illness is returning. When they get to the house, they are surprised to find Emily (Gretchen Corbett), a kind of hippie squatter living there. Jessica invites her to stay for a while. An antique dealer tells the couple about a woman who drowned right before her wedding. Local legend says she still exists and roams the island as a vampire. Are Jessica's suspicions and visions real or only in her head? 

This film has garnered some accolades recently even touted as one of the scariest movies ever! It's interesting to a point but the actors sometimes seem as though they are making up their dialogue as they go along. The strange open-ended finale doesn't really explain things. 2 years later, director John Hancock made BANG THE DRUM SLOWLY.

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Killer Dolls

 

 (imdb)

MUNECOS INFERNALES-1961-Two medical doctors Armando (Ramon Gay) and Karina (Elvira Quintana) are invited to dinner by 4 men (and their families) who have recently returned from Haiti. While there not only did they see a forbidden ceremony but one of the eggheads stole a sacred idol for his personal collection. During a power outage he dies mysteriously. Later we learn a revenge seeking voodoo priest Zandor (Quintin Bulnes) is making scary miniature dolls of the victims (dwarf actors or kids in scary masks) sending them to do more killing. 

After completion of their tasks, he calls them back with a flute. Zandor also has a zombie servant who delivers the dolls to unsuspecting victims. The dolls are creepy but they are not all just mindless killers. At one point a doll wants to kill a child but he's stopped by a companion. 

Directed by Benito Alazraki (SANTO VS. THE ZOMBIES (1962) and written by Alfredo Salazar (DOCTOR OF DOOM (1963)). K. Gordon Murray presented it in the US under the title “Attack of the Doll People”.

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Blacklisted Crew

 

 (imdb)

FINGER OF GUILT-1956-Expatriate American film editor Reggie Wilson (Richard Basehart; in MOBY DICK the same year), now a producer in England after a scandal in the US, receives threatening blackmail letters from a woman he says he doesn't know. Since the US scandal involved an affair with his boss's wife he's looked on a little doubtfully when he says it's not true. Eventually he meets his accuser Evelyn Stewart (Mary Murphy; THE WILD ONE)) who seems to know all about Reggie and is genuine in her convictions. He tells the star of his new production (and former lover) Kay (Constance Cummings) that he thinks he is losing his mind. Things spiral out of control after he makes a few blunders. 

Interesting little English drama from Joseph Losey (who has a cameo as a director), also an expatriate American blacklisted out of Hollywood. He's credited as Alec C. Snowden and screenwriter Howard Koch is credited as Peter Howard (he was blacklisted too).

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From Japan

 

 (imdb)

FUGITIVE ALIEN-1978- Alien Ken (Tatsuya Azuma) is on the run from his home planet because he wouldn't kill a human child. On Earth he has super abilities and is kind of forced to join a special space force unit headed by Captain Joe (Jo Shishido; BRANDED TO KILL (1967)), whose wife and child who were killed by Ken's race. A pasty-faced alien leader sends Ken's lover to kill him because Ken killed her brother (he was going to kill the kid Ken wouldn't). It's several episodes of the Japanese TV show "Space Wolf" which in turn was an adaptation of a novel by American author Edmund Hamilton. There was also a FUGITIVE ALIEN 2.

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Riki Oh

 

 (anisearch.com)

RIKI OH 2: CHILD OF DESTRUCTION-1990-Riki searches for his brother Nachi in this sequel. On his way to the city he's captured by Lord. Washizaki. Naichi is a healer who's worshipped as a god and used by Washizaki for his own diabolical means...until Naichi revolts. After some destruction and death, the brothers confront each other. Director Tetsu Dezaki also made part one as well as the anime THEY WERE ELEVEN. Both are based on a popular manga series,

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Piedras Blancas

 

 

 (imdb)

THE MONSTER OF PIEDRAS BLANCAS-1959-After a huge claw appears from behind a rock, lighthouse keeper Sturges (John Harmon) warns some locals to stay away from his place. After the credits the headless bodies of two brothers are found on the beach of the California coastal town Piedras Blancas. Constable Matson (Forrest Lewis) is stumped but locals think Sturgis might have something to do with it. Sturgis gets upset when talkative grocer Kochek (Frank Arvidson) didn't save him any meat scraps. Strugis' daughter Lucy (Jeanne Carmen) works at the local cafe and hangs around Fred (Don Sullivan from THE GIANT GILA MONSTER). The local doc (Les Tremayne) says both corpses were drained of blood and he's puzzled. While Fred and Lucy frolic on the beach, Sturgis puts a pail full of fish on the rocks. At night Lucy decides to go for a swim and the creature's claw appears again. The creature kills Kochek (we only see its shadow) and a little boy Jimmy (the director's son) discovers the headless body while they are burying the brothers. Later after Sturgis is found unconscious on the rocks, a little girl is murdered. When the constable goes to investigate Kochek's meat locker, he gets a big surprise. The monster was hiding in there and emerges carrying a severed head! The constable is wounded but not too badly. While Sturgis is convalescing, he tells Lucy there really is a monster and he's been feeding it for years! 

This a great low budget horror film has a memorable scary monster and a great cast of likable characters. Great climax! This was the first film directed by Irvin Berwick, formerly a dialogue coach working with William Castle and Jack Arnold. He and make-up artist Jack Kevan (the film's producer) decided to make their own movie and formed their own production company. Berwick's son Wayne later made MICROWAVE MASSACRE (1979).

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More Bigfoot

 

 (imdb)

BIGFOOT: THE CURSE OF BLOOD MOUNTAIN-2014-More dorks in the woods and Bigfoot hunters are ripe for slaughter in this well directed and photographed nonsense. This time the hairy guy could be a Cherokee spirit that kills humans who desecrate Indian burial grounds. The thing I liked best about it was the running time. 1 hour 15 mins. Good job, producer/director Chris Simoes!

You can't catch me!

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Before Purple Rain There Was....

 

 (tmdb)

THE PURPLE HILLS-1961-A drifter named Sheppard (Gene Nelson) shoots Beaumont, a wanted criminal for the bounty but he has to shoot his own horse and can't carry the body back. He buries the body and walks to town. Meanwhile Beaumont's partners in crime Johnny (Kent Taylor) and Chito (Danny Zapien) wait for him but become suspicious when they see vultures. They find his body and plan on collecting the bounty but they are in Apache territory and the tribe liked Beaumont for all the wrong reasons (he sold them guns, booze, etc.). To get the body back Johnny leaves Chito with the Indians and goes looking for Sheppard. Both claim the reward. To settle things the deputy marshal (co-writer Russ Bender) goes with them to the grave but they are accompanied by Amy Carter (Joanna Barnes) and her young charge Martin (Jerry Summers), revenge seeking younger brother of the deceased Beaumont. 

This modest little 60-minute western is actually a remake of a 1915 silent film. This was third film produced and directed by Maury Dexter (THE DAY MARS INVADED EARTH (1962); also with Kent Taylor).