Senor Dracula

DRACULA-(Spanish Language Version)-1931-So much has been made of this once lost film and how “superior” it is to Tod Browning's classic English language version but let's face it. It's all bullshit. It's almost a scene for scene copy except the actors are speaking Spanish. The direction isn't any worse or better than Browning’s. The Spanish film crew which shot their scenes at night had access to Browning's dallies and took it from there. The acting of Carlos Villarias as Dracula and Pablo Alvarez Rubio as Renfield are so over the top and comical that they render the whole movie as one big laugh riot. I know in his own way Villarias was trying to imitate Lugosi but he fails miserably. Critics are quick to criticize the Lugosi version for it's flaws but this thing has gotten too much praise for too long!

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SinBaaad...

SINBAD OF THE SEVEN SEAS-1989-Terrible “Hercules” like tale which according to the credits is based on a story by Edgar Allan Poe! 

Sinbad (Lou Ferrigino) has a mixed crew (a Chinese warrior, a viking, a dwarf, etc.) who argue with each other and occasionally fight but mostly the story is held together by a narrator, a mother (Daria Nicolodi) telling her kid a bedtime story. Maybe they lost the soundtrack or were too lazy to dub everything. An evil sorcerer (John Steiner; hamming it up more than usual) and a sorceress (Teagan) are the main villains and there's some unintentional comedy. 

Director Enzo G. Castellari made this Italian production after several movies with the words “The Bronx” in their titles.

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Poe In Name Only

THE OBLONG BOX-1969-In Africa, Edward Markin (Alister Williamson) is cursed and his face disfigured. Later back in England he's held prisoner in his room by his brother Julian (Vincent Price). Through some voodoo Edward appears to die but plans a comeback. However Julian buries him alive and marries his younger fiancee' Elizabeth (Hilary Dwyer). Edward's rotten attorney Trench (Peter Arne) who was suppose to help, can't/won't. Edward is “rescued” by some grave robbers who deliver his body to Dr. Neuhartt (Christopher Lee). Edward blackmails the doc into harboring him. He plots revenge and kills wearing a velvet mask. He was cursed by an African tribe because he trampled a boy to death. But in actuality he's innocent. The big hype for this film was the first pairing of “horror masters” Price and Lee. The only time they meet is during Lee's death scene! Rupert Davies and Sally Geeson are also in it.

Price (and Rupert Davies & Hilary Dwyer) had been in Michael Reeves' WITCHFINDER GENERAL in 1968. Reeves was scheduled to do THE OBLONG BOX but he died (from a mixture of booze and pills) while working on the script. AIP hired Gordon Hessler to direct and he made many changes to the original script. The story isn't bad but considering this was the first time meeting between Lee and Price it doesn't have much of an impact especially considering Williamson has the most screen time! Hessler, Price and Lee “reunited” in 1970 for the bizarre SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN. 

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Frankenstein in Italy

FRANKENSTEIN '80-1972-After the credits a woman is attacked and her organs removed by a gurgling killer. Later we learn Dr.Otto Frankenstein (Gordon Mitchell) has stolen a secret formula for regenerating organs and is building a creature who he dubs Mosaic (Xiro Pappas). When it’s fully assembled it escapes and rapes and strangles a prostitute. Karl (John Richardson) a reporter hunts down the story and meets Frankenstein’s “daughter” (Dalila Di Lazzaro). The doc is pretty nuts using various body parts from hapless victims but without a new brain the monster becomes unhinged and kills his creator. While the police search, the lumpy worse for wear monster kills a stripper, a derelict, a guy taking a piss at the Grand Prix and a couple in a parked car. Karl and Sonia fall in love and he goes to a park to investigate one of the murders and while there the monster hides in his car trunk. Mosaic terrorizes the couple until it’s brain disintegrates and it dies bloodily. 

This too dark in many scenes Euro-trash time waster is just an excuse to kill off naked woman. This is the only directing credit for Mario Mancini who was usually a cinematographer (KING OF KONG ISLAND, FRANKENSTEIN'S CASTLE OF FREAKS).

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Hell Is Right

STRAIGHT TO HELL-1987-More pretentious nonsense from director Alex Cox who seems to want to combine Sergio Leone with Alejandro Jodorowsky while throwing in non-actors and a few character actors: Joe Strummer, Sy Richardson, Courtney Love, Elvis Costello, Jim Jarmusch, Grace Jones, Dick Rude, Miguel Sandoval, Zander Schloss, Fox Harris and The Pogues. As with other Cox projects like WALKER and DEATH AND THE COMPASS it's mostly crap. The plot centers around a group of bank robbers, buried money and shootouts in a south of the border town.

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Queen Of What?

QUEEN OF THE AMAZON-1947-Boring nonsensical basement budget adventure made up mostly of animal stock footage and African tribes dancing. Jungle guide Gary Lambert (Robert Lowery) leads an expedition looking for some white guy. Jean Preston (Patricia Morison), the guy's fiance goes along as do Col. Parker (John Miljan), Gabby (J. Edward Bromberg) and Monroe (Keith Richards). They find the guy among a female tribe of warriors led by Zita (Amira Moustafa). The guy (William Benge) actually likes living with the tribe and wants to marry the queen! Trouble plagues the group (lion attacks, mysterious murders) and it turns out the comic relief cook is actually the mastermind of a ivory poaching ring! 

Director Edward Finney only directed 5 films but produced over 40. Mainly westerns. In 1949 star Lowery would play Batman in the serial BATMAN AND ROBIN.

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Young Wong

PHANTOM OF CHINATOWN-1940-This is the Monogram Pictures 6^th and final entry into their “Mr. Wong” series that started in 1939 with Boris Karloff in the lead. This time out however the detective is Jimmy Wong, a younger, more dashing and modern version than his predecessor and he's portrayed by Keye Luke, an actual Asian actor (born in China)! He helps investigate the poisoning death of an archaeologist. Capt. Street (Grant Withers) returns from the previous films and has a bigger role than usual. Jimmy's kind of love interest is Win Len (Lotus Long) and the plot revolves around the missing “Scroll of China”. 

It's refreshing to see the two leads actually played by Asian actors but unfortunately it's the only one made featuring “Jimmy”. The beginning lecture, photos and flashbacks look like they came from another movie. Director George Waggner (he directed THE WOLFMAN the same year) wrote the screenplay under the pseudonym Joseph Lewis. PHANTOM's director Phil Rosen made many “quickies” (like SPOOKS RUN WILD) and several in the Charlie Chan series.

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