Last One For 2024

 

 (imdb)

THE CREMATORS-1972-A narrator tells us about a meteor that hit Earth many many years ago and a young Indian and a shark. In the present, bug expert Ian Thorne (Marvin Howard) finds a strange stone. When he sends it away to be analyzed it seems to be responsible for the mailman's death when he's burned alive by a ball of fire. Later Thorne gives a second stone to the weird looking Jeannie (Maria de Aragon). Then a pipe smoking local is burned by another fireball. After a lot of talk, a scientist tries to stop the fireball with a shotgun. 

The sfx, acting and direction are sub-par in this low budget sci-fi film directed and co-written by Harry Essex (OCTA-MAN (1971)) who in better times wrote the screenplay for THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954). The Cremators also features the second to last film score by Albert Glasser and the debut of SFX creator Doug Beswick (THE TERMINATOR, BEETLEJUICE).

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Moon Beast

 

 (imdb)

TRACK OF THE MOON BEAST1976--Anthropologist Paul Carson (Chase Cordell), teacher Johnny Longbow (Georgio Sala), two air head students Bud (Tim Butler) & Janet (Francine Kessler) and photographer Kathy Nolan (Donna Leigh Drake) all meet in the desert. Meanwhile, a newscaster reports about a meteor shower. When Paul and Kathy are watching the shower, Paul is hit by a meteor which turns him into a blood thirsty part dinosaur killer. His first victim is a drunk bowler then a bunch of poker playing campers. 

Terrible acting and too slow paced but the monster (created and played by Joe Blasco) isn't bad when we get to see it. It's the only movie directed by Richard Ashe who was second unit director on two Cheri Caffaro movies.

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Killdozer!

 

KILLDOZER!-1974-Somewhere on the African coast a meteorite crashes at a demolition site. Foreman Kelly (Clint Walker) tries to bulldozer it and co-worker McCarthey (Robert Urich) is badly burned. When he dies the other workers Dutch (James Wainwright), Dennis (Carl Betz), Beltran (James Watson) and Chub (Neville Brand) blame Kelly. But it seems some alien force has taken over the dozer and it operates independently destroying their radio and crushing Watson who tries to get away by hiding in a metal pipe straight out of a cartoon. Kelly refuses to admit anything is amiss despite witnessing both incidents but Dennis believes there's more to it. When he brings Kelly around the dozer destroys their camp and they head for higher ground. Dutch begins to lose his mind. When Kelly and Dennis are the last survivors they devise a plan to destroy it but will anyone believe them when it's over? 

Better than THE CAR and MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE (and probably the influence for King's short story “Trucks”). It's based on a novel by Theodore Sturgeon who also co-wrote the screenplay. This enjoyable TV movie was directed by prolific TV director Jerry London and has gained a cult following over the years.

Hey, true believer! It was also a Marvel comic!

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Stop Motion Monster Cheapie

 

THE CRATER LAKE MONSTER-1977-At Crater Lake in Northern California, archaeologist Dan Turner (Richard Garrison) and his girlfriend Sue (Kacey Cobb) show a professor some cave drawings they discovered. There's a cave-in but they escape just as a meteor falls into the lake. The trio along with Sheriff Steve Hanson (co-screenwriter Richard Carella) go to investigate. They find the meteor but it's too hot. 

Later a giant (stop motion) dinosaur emerges from the lake and kills a hiker and eats a rancher's cattle. Someone calls to report seeing a monster but the sheriff doesn't believe it. When two hillbillies have a fight in the lake they discover the severed head of a guy they rented a boat to. A side story involving a robber who kills two people just seems to be filler. Somehow Steve kills the monster using a bulldozer. The monster and the stop motion (by Dave Allen) isn't bad but the acting is terrible and the music seems out of place. Co-screenwriter/director William R. Stromberg never made another movie.

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Sci-Fi '50's

RIDERS TO THE STARS-1954-Scientist Herbert Marshall needs a meteor from outer space. He and a group of scientists set out to find three men to fly rocket ships (with wings) into space to get one. William Lunigan (a busy TV actor at the time) is the scientist most qualified. He’s also Marshall’s son. He falls in love with Martha Hyer while being trained. Richard Carlson (who was in THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON the same year) co-stars and directs as well. I’ve read “film doctor” Herbert Strock directed some scenes un-credited. It’s an early serious science fiction tale (based on a story by Ivan Tors) and it’s in color! Curt Siodmak wrote the screenplay.

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Space and The World

RIDERS TO THE STARS-1954-Scientist Herbert Marshall needs a meteor from outer space. He and a group of scientists set out to find three men to fly rocket ships (with wings) into space a get one. William Lunigan (a busy TV actor at the time) is the scientist most qualified. He’s also Marshall’s son. He falls in love with Martha Hyer while being trained. Richard Carlson (who was in THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON the same year) co-stars and directs as well. I’ve read “film doctor” Herbert Strock directed some scenes un-credited. It’s an early serious science fiction tale (based on a story by Ivan Tors) and it’s in color! Curt Siodmak wrote the screenplay.

BETWEEN TWO WORLDS-1944-Excellent but overlooked fantasy from Warner Brothers.

A group of people is killed during an air raid attack in London. They wind up on a mysterious ship along with a couple (Paul Henreid and Eleanor Parker) that committed suicide. The ship’s steward (Edmund Gwenn) eventually informs them they are dead and on their way to meet The Examiner (Henreid’s CASABLANCA co-star Sydney Greenstreet) who will decide if they will go to heaven or hell (but it’s actually the same place). As The Examiner states “You see my son, you make your own heaven and hell for yourselves on Earth, you only bring it with you here”.

John Garfield headlines as a cynical reporter. George Coulouris is an industrialist who realizes too late money can’t buy everything. Faye Emerson is a fame hungry actress. George Tobias, Isobel Elsom, Dennis King and Sara Allgood are the others. The second half when the groups’ lives are “examined” is the best part. It’s based on the play OUTWARD BOUND first produced on Broadway in 1924 and revived in 1932. Director Edward A. Blatt was usually a dialogue director and directed only three films.

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