Corman Produced

NIGHT OF THE BLOOD BEAST-1958-John Corcoran (Michael Emmet; later in ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES), the first man to orbit the Earth in a satellite crash lands coming back and is killed. This upsets his fiancee Dr. Julie Benson (Angela Greene). Dave Randal (Ed Nelson; in CRY BABY KILLER the same year), female photog Donna (Georgianna Carter), the analytic Dr. Wyman (Tyler McVey) and Steve (John Baer) take John's body (which has not decomposed at all) back to their lab where they discover a strange contusion on his arm. Also their radio doesn't work. After Dave has an encounter with an unknown creature and they lose electric power and their car and truck won't work, it's obvious something is keeping them there. They also discover a magnetic barrier surrounds their compound. 

At night Dr. Wyman’s bloody headless body is found hanging in their lab and John has come back to life. He’s very confused and says “It didn't come here to destroy!”. It turns out to be a weird looking alien that's using John's body as a breeding ground for new aliens (they look like sea horses). The monster kind of looks like it's covered in dried mud. It attacks but they drive it off. The next day, Dave, Steve and Donna are searching for the monster which briefly captures Donna. Eventually John realizes the alien doesn't want to help Earth, It just wants to replace humans with its race. John kills himself and Dave and Steve burn up the monster. 

Director Bernard Kowalski made his directing debut earlier in the year with HOT ROD GIRL (which Nelson and McVey appear in) and later made ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS. He does a good job keeping everything eerie and claustrophobic and though obviously inspired by THE THING the US-Russian space race figured into it too. The monster is strange looking but doesn't look like it would come from outer space. 

This AIP production was produced by Roger and Gene Corman. 

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Hellman

BEAST FROM THE HAUNTED CAVE-1959-At ski resort in Deadwood,South Dakota, a petty gangster Alexander Ward (Frank Wolff) plans to blow up a mine as a distraction so he and his gang can rob a safe full of gold. His girlfriend Gypsy (Sheila Noonan, also in Jerry Warrens's INCREDIBLE PETRIFIED WORLD) flirts with Gil  Jackson (familiar TV actor Michael Forest), a ski instructor. After they've pulled off the heist the gang has Gil lead them cross country skiing to make their escape (he is unaware they are making a getaway). Things go ok until they are terrorized by a weird spider like monster (Chris Robinson, also in a small role as a bartender) who attacks and puts his victims in cocoons (like ALIEN) and sucks their blood (like in ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES which producer Gene Corman also made the same year). There's a lot of talk and the climax is over in a flash!

This was the first feature by director Monte Hellman (BACK DOOR TO HELL, TWO LANE BLACK TOP). It suffers from a low budget (Roger Corman was the executive producer) but moves along very quickly! The screenplay is by Charles B. Griffith who also wrote the Corman (Roger) directed BUCKET OF BLOOD  the same year and in 1960 penned the original  LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, This guy deserves an  honorary Academy Award!

BEAST's very minimal cast also features Wally Campos, Richard Sinatra and Kay Jennings. This was kind of remade by Corman as CREATURE FROM THE HAUNTED SEA.

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Super Sisters On Cycles

DARKTOWN STRUTTERS-1975-In some ways this is the ultimate “blaxplotation” film but it's also a set-up! 4 motorcycle riding black women in outrageous psychedelic “70’s clothes hit town and promptly beat up some white Marines. The quartet is led by Syreena (Trina Parks). They beat up some racist cops (one is played by Dick Miller) several times and then run into a male gang (led by Roger E. Mosley) who they humiliate in a drag race but then become friends with. When Syreena discovers her mother has been kidnapped she investigates which leads to a plot by a Col. Sanders like mad scientist who wants to clone black leaders so they will vote for white politicians!

There’s a lot of broad comedy with sped up action scenes, fart and fat jokes, dancing and singing, guys in weird KKK robes and slapstick. Everyone acts goofy (all the white people are particularly stupid) but the story turns kind of serious when Syreena is inquiring about her mom. The other gang members are played by Edna Richardson, Bettye Sweet and Shirley Washington. SOUL TRAIN host Frankie Crocker also has a role.

Gene Corman was the producer. It was directed by B-movie veteran William Witney who made his first movie in 1937 and by this time was working mostly in TV. I often read this was his last film but according to IMDB he made one more (QUELL AND CO. in 1982). Screenwriter George Armitage wrote GAS for Roger Corman. Star Parks had an unbilled role in DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER and was later in THE MUTHERS.

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