Laserblast

 

 (wkipedia)

LASERBLAST-1978-Two lizard like (Dave Allen animated) aliens chase a green faced guy in the California desert. He has some kind of ray gun device on his arm that they want. After the credits, Billy (Kim Milford) is harassed by some hick pot smoking cops. Then he tries to visit his girlfriend Kathy (Cheryl Smith) but has an argument with her senile shell shocked grandpa The Colonel (Keenan Wynn). Worse of all, he's insulted by Eddie Deezen! Riding in the desert he finds the ray gun the aliens were after. A guy named Craig (Gianni Rossi) snoops around. A doctor (Roddy McDowall) examines Billy and is later killed. The lizard aliens get reprimanded by their boss. There's a dumb sheriff (Ron Masak) too. Billy turns into a green faced maniac and destroys a plane, a car, a hippie and some buildings. Before he can really do any destruction the aliens kill him and take the weapon leaving Kathy to mourn his passing. 

This low budget Charles Band Sci-Fi romp was directed by Michael Rae who did various work on other movies and may have directed one other movie (2005's ALIENS GONE WILD). 

LASERBLAST has become somewhat of a cult film, known for one scene where Billy blasts a STAR WARS billboard. Star Kim Milford was “Rocky” in the original stage production of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. He made other stage and film appearances but tragically died at age 37 after heart surgery in 1988. Lead actress Cheryl Smith, who died in 2007 at the age of 47 also appear in Cheech & Chong's UP IN SMOKE the same year.

Thanks for reading!

Lemora!

 

LEMORA: A CHILD'S TALE OF THE SUPERNATURAL-1973-Gangster Alvin Lee (William Whitton) kills his wife and her lover. While escaping he's taken prisoner by the mysterious Lemora (Lesley Gilb in her only film role) and her pale faced followers. Lemora learns that Alvin's daughter  Lila Lee (Cheryl Smith), is "the singin' angel" at a church run by an uptight Reverend (director Richard Black-burn) who is also Lila's guardian. Lemora writes a letter to Lila supposedly on behalf of her father asking Lila to come see her dad as he is dying. Lila kind of runs away and takes a bus driven by a sleazebag (Hy Pyke) who rants about the town Astaroth and it's inhabitants. The bus is attacked by some kind of zombie monsters who kill the driver. Lila is taken prisoner.

While trying to escape she meets Lemora, obviously a vampire. Later she discovers that Lemora is kind of a vampire queen who drinks the blood of children. Creatures in the woods have some kind of disease that makes them animalistic. They are at war with Lemora's followers. Meanwhile The Reverend searches for his charge. It seems Lemora either wants Lita for her successor, partner or both. 

This movie is very strange, well directed and acted but not perfect right up to the ambiguous final scene. 

Director Blackburn later wrote EATING RAOUL and was the voice for Dr. Zaius in the animated “Return To The Planet Of The Apes” TV show. Unfortunately Lemora portrayer Glib was killed in an automobile accident in 2009. The tragic Cheryl Smith was in CAGED HEAT and THE SWINGING CHEERLEADERS the next year.

Thanks for reading!

Caged Heat

 

CAGED HEAT-1974-Jackie Wilson (Erica Gavin) is arrested in a drug bust and sent to a woman's prison where she meets Belle (Roberta Collins) and Pandora (Ella Reid). The place is run by a hung up wheelchair bound warden McQueen (Barbara Steele) and a pipe smoking doctor (Warren Miller). She puts Pandora in solitary because she had a picture of her boyfriend in her cell. They pick fruit, have fights in the showers and walk around topless. Jackie's cellmate is lifer Levelle (Cheryl Rainbeaux Smith). 

When one inmate Maggie (Juanita Brown) tries to rebel, Jackie is also blamed. They are sent for CPT where the sadistic pipe smoking doctor gives them shock treatments as punishment. Later Jackie and Maggie revolt, steal a truck and then a police car. They almost get arrested for prostitution when they meet up with Maggie's friend Crazy Alice (Lynda Gold). Meanwhile the ⁰doc rapes the comatose Belle (and cries about it). Maggie and Jackie go back for revenge and a bloody shootout caps the finale.

This was screenwriter (and future Oscar winner) Jonathan Demme's debut as a director and also features a soundtrack written and performed by John Cale. I've read Michael Bloomfield plays guitar buon it but I'm not so sure...

Thanks for reading!