Melinda

 (imdb)

 

MELINDA-1972-Frankie Parker (Calvin Lockhart; THE BEAST MUST DIE), conceited Karate asshole DJ meets and falls for Melinda (Vonetta McGee; in BLACULA the same year), an exotic mystery woman from out of town. While they have sex in his apartment, a guy jerks off in the hall. Later she's killed and Parker is arrested for her murder. His friend Tank (Rockne Tarkington; in BEWARE! THE BLOB the same year) gets him out of jail. Later after a woman who tried to kill him is murdered at his house, he goes on the run with his neglected ex-girlfriend Terry (Rosalind Cash; THE OMEGA MAN). It turns out Melinda was the ex-mistress of gangster Mitch (Paul Stevens; BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES) and she took something from him that he thinks Parker has. He has a henchman named Gregg (Ross Hagen). 

This messed up misguided blaxploitation movie is pretty tough going with its inane dialogue and outrageous acting until the whacked-out kung fu flying ending. Both Jim Kelly and Jeannie Bell make their screen debuts. Gene LeBelle in is there too. It's also the debut of director Hugh A Robertson, then a well-known editor (MIDNIGHT COWBOY, SHAFT). Theme song by Jerry Butler.

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Hammer Rival

THE BEAST MUST DIE-1974-In this Amicus production (at the the time Amicus was the chief rival to Hammer) an eccentric millionaire Tom Newcliffe (top billed Calvin Lockhart) gathers eight people to his estate (which is wired with cameras and overseen by Anton Diffring). He claims that one of them is a werewolf and plans to hunt it when one of the guests transforms during an anticipated full moon. His lover Caroline is played by Marlene Clark (who co-starred in GANJA AND HESS the year before). Peter Cushing is featured as one of the eight, a werewolf expert with a German accent. Charles Gray, Michael Gambon and Ciaran Madden are also featured. 

There's a lot of debating over who is the werewolf while Newcliffe waits for the chance to hunt down his prey. The werewolf this time however is an animal not the usual man in make-up wolf. Near the end a clock appears on the screen to give viewers the chance to decide who is the wolf. It's based on a novel by James Blish. 

Director Paul Arnett did mostly BBC TV before and after this.   

Cushing was in no less than 7 films in 1974 including MADHOUSE (with Vincent Price) and LEGEND OF THE SEVEN GOLDEN VAMPIRES. 

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