Carradine The Younger

 

DEATHSPORT-1978-In the war torn Earth of 3000, the countryside is occupied by cannibals and barbarian like Range Guides. Two guides Kaz Oshay (David Carradine) and Deneer (Claudia Jennings in her last film) are captured by the mad Lord Zirpola (David McLean) and his evil henchman Ankar Moor (Richard Lynch) to compete in the title battle. After an escape plan fails, Kaz and Deneer are put in the battle which involves motorcycles and a fight to the death. The duo escape and Moor and his minions follow. A doctor (William Smithers) and his son (Will Walker) accompany them on a trek to find a missing child. Lots of people are disintegrated. After the child is rescued from some mutants, Kaz and Moor have a show-down. After decapitating Moor, Kaz and Deneer leave together. 

This entertaining little movie has cheap sfx and weird dialogue. Jesse Vint, HB Haggerty and Linnea Quigley have roles too. Jerry Garcia plays guitar on the soundtrack. Director Allan Arkush made this in between HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD and ROCK AND ROLL HIGH SCHOOL. Co-director Henry Suso is the pseudonym of screenwriter Nicolas Niciphor.

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Carradine's Last Movie

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BURIED ALIVE-1989-A teenage girl runs away from Ravenscroft Hall, a kind of correctional institute for young women, but is caught by a masked person who beats her then walls her up in an underground cave. After the credits Janet Pendelton (Karen Witter) comes to teach at Ravenscroft. She meets Dr. Gary Julian (Robert Vaughan), head of the place. Later after she imagines a brick wall is breathing, she meets the weird Dr. Schaeffer (Donald Pleasence in a wig with German accent). All the girls are an unruly bunch of bitches and Janet gets a little roughed up by Yvonne (Dee Dee Eybers) who's later electrocuted while curling her hair with a mixer. Julian tells Janet she ran away. Then Janet hallucinates she's being buried alive. Debbie (Ginger Lynn Allen) is the big trouble maker. Janet has some problems especially over the death of her father.

One girl says "You're messing with my head, man". Then she's captured by the masked killer and walled up in the basement while the other girls have a secret party. While doing some investigating Janet finds some unusual equipment in the basement and an old man ghost (John Carradine) seems to come out of the wall asking for help (although he's strangling her too!). It turns out the old man is Julian's father Jacob. When Debbie sneaks out to meet her pusher/boyfriend Tim (Bill Butler) they're both abducted. Julian tells Janet she was transferred. After the local sheriff (Arnold Vosloo) looks into their disappearance, Julian asks Janet to marry him! Of course Julian is a nutty killer who kills the sheriff with a spade. When Janet realizes her boss is a loony he loses it completely and chases her through the catacombs of the place while declaring his love for her. Dr. Schaeffer (who it turns out is a former patient) tries to stop him but has his brain fried. When Julian tries to wall Janet up she sticks a needle in his eye. He goes crazy with an ax and then his dad (who he obviously walled up too) comes crashing through the wall in a wheelchair and there's an explosion. Neither father or son seem to be dead in the final scene. 

This kinda whacked horror film was directed by Gerald Kikoine (from France) who made the equally bizarre EDGE OF SANITY with Anthony Perkins the same year. As of this writing they were his last two films. BURIED ALIVE also marked the final film appearance of the great John Carradine who died in November of 1988. The film is dedicated to his memory. Vaughan and Pleasence were also in RIVER OF NO RETURN the same year.

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Italy in America

 

 

CONTAMINATION 7-1993-Something is killing folks in a forest near a power plant conducting some shady business. A hick who drives a DeSoto and his girlfriend who just returned from living in "the city" investigate when they find a dead body. An alcoholic doctor discovers a lot of radioactivity in the woods but his bosses only want to cover it up. They send 2 hit men to kill him but the thing in the woods kills them. When he complains to the asshole sheriff he's locked up. It seems roots from carnivorous trees are killing everyone. 

This Italian production directed by Fabrizo Laurenti was filmed in the state of Utah and later known under the titles THE CRAWLERS and/or TROLL 3 (despite there being no trolls int it). It was produced by Joe D'Amato (ANTHROPOPHAGUS). Bad acting and direction rolled together in one mess of shoddy shit.

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Nun From Hell

  (IMDB)

THE NUN-2018-A priest, Father Burke (Damian Birchir) and a young nun Irene (Taissa Farmiga) go to Romania to investigate the suicide of a nun at an abbey there. Local yokel Frenchie (Jonas Bloquet) who found the body takes them there. They meet the abbess (Gabrielle Downy) who seems evil and tells them to come back tomorrow. Later the priest relates a tale of an exorcism he did years before. Then after he sees a figure vomiting a snake he's buried alive. Irene finds him and in a scene reminiscent of Fuchi's THE GATES OF HELL,  digs him out. Meanwhile Frenchie survives a demon attack and learns that many horrible things are happening in town including the suicide of a 12 yr old girl. Later Irene meets Sister Ouana (Ingrid Bisu) who relates how a duke opened up a gateway to hell. Fortunately The Church interceded and using the blood of Christ sealed the gate. Later crazy things happen and Irene has lots of visions. A decrepit nun attacks them. When Frenchie rejoins them, the trio must close the gate to Hell using some more of Christ's blood. Irene becomes possessed for a while and several demonic nuns attack. 

The three succeed in their quest but 20 years later The Warrens (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) from THE CONJURING “universe” are telling about the demonic possession case of Maurice aka Frenchie. Besides Fuchi, parts of this also reminded me of THE SENTINEL.There's lots of false scares and some scenes and dialogue make no sense. Director Corin Hardy made videos and shorts earlier and one other horror movie THE HALLOW.

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Deadtime

 (IMDB)

 DEADTIME STORIES-1986-A reluctant babysitting uncle (Michael Mesmer) tells his nephew 3 bedtime stories. In the first 2 old hag sisters Hagnathol & Florinda search for a third sister with the help of a servant boy Peter (Scott Valentine). They kill a priest and use his severed hand to find the corpse. They plan to resurrect her using her heart and sacrificing Miranda, a local maiden (Kathy Fleig) but Peter turns against them and saves her. They are then briefly terrorized by the reanimated sister but Peter pulls her heart out. They seem saved but there's a sort of twist ending. 

Then uncle then tells his own version of Little Red Riding Hood. A stupid druggist mixes up the prescriptions of a woman named Rachel (Nicole Picard) and a pill popping loser named Willie (Matt Mitler). While Rachel and her boyfriend have sex in a shack Willie turns into a werewolf and attacks Rachel's grandmother (the prescription had been for her). Then he kills the boyfriend. Rachel kills the wolf with a silver cake knife. At the hospital grandma turns into a wolf. 

Then comes the tale of Goldilocks which takes place at the "Home For The Hopelessly Insane". A woman helps her husband and idiot son escape. Meanwhile Goldi Lox, an escaped serial killer who can kill with her psychic powers lives in their old house. This is by far the worst story with a lot of characters acting like morons. At the end a kid is attacked by a fake looking monster. Terrible music. 

Filmed in New York City by director/co-writer Jeffrey Delman.\

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Jackie Chan

 

(Rotten Tomatoes)

PROJECT A-1983-In 19th century Hong Kong the navy has their ships destroyed by smugglers and they are all "reduced" to being part of the police force (who they never got along with). Navy Lt. Dragon Ma (director/co-writer Jackie Chan) becomes a Sgt. and locks horns with Capt. Tzu (Biao Yuen). However bureaucracy and corruption cause him to quit the force. He meets his old friend con-man Fei (Sammo Hung). They get into trouble over some stolen guns. 

Eventually Ma is put in charge of bringing down the pirates led by Sam Pau (Dick Wei). He enlists Winnie (Isabella Wong) and Tzu to help him. In disguise he infiltrates the pirate base. Later of course Fei winds up helping Ma, Tzu and Jaws (Mars) in the incredible final battle. 

This was a huge hit in Asia and garnered several nominations and awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Chan made a sequel in 1987.

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Mantan Returns!

 

 (IMDB)

LUCKY GHOST-1942-This all black cast musical comedy stars the comic duo Miller & Moreland (FE Miller and the great Mantan Moreland) as two down on their luck hustlers:  Washington (Moreland) and Jefferson (Miller) trying to break into high society after winning big playing craps. They wind up in a sanitarium that is actually an illegal gambling casino run by tough guy Blake (Maceo B. Sheffield). No sooner do the team sit down for dinner when Washington incurs the wrath of the jealous Blake by dancing with his girl The Hostess (Florence O'Brien). 

After Jefferson knocks Blake out, they all become friends. A drunk who was thrown out and lands in the cemetery next door, hears some ghosts talking about all the noise the casino is making. At the craps table Washington not only breaks the bank but wins the whole establishment from Blake. The ghosts enter the place and scare the revenge planning Blake away. Unfortunately they scare the band and most of the customers away too! A skeleton plays the piano and a suit of armor dances. The duo give back all the money they won and are allowed to leave. 

Entertaining but forgotten little comedy directed by William X. Crowley (actually a pseudonym for the super fast William Beaudine! One of 11 films he directed in 1942!)

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