Good news for Sword & Sandal fans!

No sooner do I watch ATLAS IN THE LAND OF THE CYCLOPS from the Mill Creek Warriors pack of 50 peplum films then I see this news posted over on DVD Drive In--

On March 31, Image Entertainment will release the HERCULES COLLECTION, a four-disc peplum set featuring such stars as Steve Reeves, Mark Forest, Reg Park, Gordon Scott and Richard Harrison. Titles in the set include HERCULES, MOLE MEN AGAINST THE SON OF HERCULES, HERCULES THE AVENGER, HERCULES AND THE BLACK PIRATE, HERCULES AND THE CAPTIVE WOMEN, HERCULES, PRISONER OF EVIL, HERCULES AND THE PRINCESS OF TROY, ATLAS IN THE LAND OF THE CYCLOPS and GIANTS OF ROME. Image promises 2.35:1 widescreen transfers on most of these English-dubbed titles, and the set will retail for $19.98

Of course, I hope that ALL of the nine movies listed will end up presented in their proper aspect ratios but even if only a few are this is a very good thing. Hercules films in widescreen are not as easy to find as I'd like them to be, sad to say. I can't wait to see what this set brings us in April.

Christmas tradition

Each December I watch SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS. Not because its a good movie and fills me with holiday spirit but because its a BAD movie and fills me with holiday spirit. It's a wonderfully awful cinematic error that never fails to put a smile on my face. Of course, the only way I can watch it is by heckling it to death which is why I only view it in the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version. Recorded 15 years ago and it is still comedy gold.

Merry Christmas!

Two things for your December 25th enjoyment: this great blog entry combining Lovecraftian madness with IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.

And second- this video set to one of my favorite alternative Christmas songs. Have a good one!

Viking Apes!

Nothing says winter like gorillas in Viking dress. (Click on the image for a more detailed look.)

This is the cover art for issue 26 of Marvel's 1970s Planet of the Apes magazine. I don't have this one but I really need to locate it eventually. As an avowed Apes fanatic the idea of combining them with Vikings conjures a movie starring Charlton Heston and Kirk Douglas that ends with a bloody axe duel on a beach in front of the Statue of Liberty.

Mario Bava should direct. And Cameron Mitchell should play a significant role. Yeah....

I Hate People! (Not really)

I simply love the 1971 musical film version of Dickens’s classic A Christmas Carol. Entitled SCROOGE it stars Albert Finney as Ebenezer Scrooge and he gives one of the best performances of his life. Ripping into the character, Finney shows us both the despicable aspects of the old man and the warm, loving human being he was in his younger days leading to a series of incredibly touching scenes in the last twenty minutes of the film. I’ve heard some folks remark that Scrooge is such a mean spirited bastard here that he becomes unsympathetic but I think that is way off the mark. For the man’s redemption to really mean something you have to see him as a truly cold hearted creature and this version nails it. This film never gets old for me and never stops making me glad I’m alive and surrounded by loved ones during the Holiday season.

Here is my favorite song from the movie- and actually my favorite song in the world.

Marvel Christmas past

When I was a young lad I had this over-sized comic book. Back then $1.50 was a lot of scratch to pay for a 'funny book' but I was thrilled to get this. I may eventually use the magic of Bay E to get another copy because, 30 years on, I can only remember one tale from the collection. The Nick Fury Christmas story has stuck with me for some reason- possibly because he had a flying car and was James Bond cool ending up with the girl on Christmas Eve- if I recall correctly.

Aahhh- to be eight again!

The SPIRIT that wasn't

I have no idea if Frank Miller's film adaptation of THE SPIRIT will be good or not. I was excited at first but some of the footage I've seen in trailers make me wonder if he'll strike the right tone. Still- I'll go see it out of curiosity and hope. You never know.....

I know there was a TV movie about the character years ago that was apparently not very good but I was unaware of THIS earlier attempt to bring Will Eisner's most famous creation to the cinema. What might have been.....

More Italian SF poster art

STAR CRASH (1979) trailer

I just can't stop myself. Here's a great looking trailer for this bizarre film.

New STARCRASH adventures?

I take a back seat to no one in my enjoyment of the complete Luigi Cozzi clusterf**k that is STARCRASH. Today we started a discussion of this amazing cinematic achievement over on the Eurotrash Paradise yahoo board and so far its going quite well. But the most incredible thing is the announcement at the fan site The Haunted Stars that comic book sequels of the adventures of Stella Star are on the horizon. They even posted this panel art as proof.

I have my doubts that this will ever actually be published but I'll buy a copy if it happens.

WAR OF THE PLANETS (1966) poster art

I cannot lie- I love this Antonio Margheriti science fiction film. I can't say its good but it is a great piece of pulp SF from Italy that entertains me every time.

I had never seen this amazing artwork for it and just had to share.

Tarzan may not survive this...

If there is one thing I can think of that would depress me more than Stephen Sommers making another film- of any type- it would be that he get another shot at a film icon. After failing repeatedly to make a movie even passably good in THE MUMMY, THE MUMMY RETURNS and VAN HELSING (for which he should have been beaten) word now is that he will next crap all over Edgar Rice Burroughs' most famous creation TARZAN. This is the kind of thing that makes me dry heave. Sommers has proven time and again that he cannot make a good film. That enough people have been fooled into seeing his movies to make them profitable does not change the fact that he registers high on the 'Incompetent Hollywood Hacks' list along with Micheal Bay, Joel Schumacher and Roland Emmerich.

This project needs to be stopped. And we must find a way. Tarzan can survive almost anything but Sommers must be kept away from this. If he does his usual moronic job we may not see another good Tarzan film for 50 years or more.

The Big Gundown (1966)- Italian trailer

I've wanted to see this Spaghetti western for years but have never gotten the chance. I love watching Lee Van Cleef shoot people. It's a sickness.

Kinski's PAGANINI (1989)

One of the best things about the various Yahoo Groups I belong to is that the members often push me to read, listen to and see things I might never have tried otherwise. Such is definitely the case with the EuroTrash Paradise. The list of books and movies these guys have turned me onto would fill a notebook! Returning to a fine tradition of the group this past week was the Twisted Video Book Club in which we watch a particular film and discuss it. Dan Taylor of Exploitation Retrospect provided this crazed film that appears to have been Klaus Kinski's last. Here are the comments I added to the very long, all day talk. I'm one of the few that found something to like about this movie. Enjoy- and if you're so inclined- pop over and join in the discussions with the rest of us. We're always happy for more!

Madness!
That seems to be the theme of Kinski’s PAGANINI. But then when a film is written, edited and directed by the mad man that is K2 then I guess that would have been the theme no matter what. I assume Klaus felt a strong kinship to Paganini as he throws himself into the role completely. Not that Kinski ever half-assed his way through anything but he seems especially invested in this man’s life. I wonder if he saw his own life as reflected in some of the sad events depicted here.

I have no idea of the historical veracity of this crazed film but it is at least visually arresting- not so much for its photography, although that might be judged fine if a better print could ever be found. It’s more an arresting kaleidoscope of images and partial scenes edited together to push the viewer into Paganini’s life. As laid out by Kinski the man was a rock star of his time as we are shown dozens of women swooning over him in ways that reminded me of reactions to The Beatles. Playing to sold out crowds, tearing through bows, abusing his violin as if possessed by a musical demon the man’s genius was unquestionable. But also undeniable was his sexual obsession with under age girls and by the 25 minute mark we are introduced to Paganini’s terrible treatment of a young girl whom he seduced and promised to marry. Once she became pregnant he tried to induce an abortion and nearly killed the poor child. Then we jump into his marriage, his mistreatment and neglect of his wife, her eventual suicide and this loving relationship with his son. Sadly, all of this is played out in a confusion of images, slow motion photography and pointless scenes of Kinski eating food, riding in carriages and walking across courtyards.

And yet- and yet… I was not actually bored! The film has no real story or plot and nearly no coherent through line at all, but I was kind of mesmerized. It’s not that I was unaware of time passing but even as I became occasionally frustrated with a pointless sequence I found myself caught up in wondering where things were going and what mad thing was going to play across the screen next. A constant jumble of often disconnected things the film begins to take on the feel of a dream. Perhaps a fever dream? Could this be KInski’s ideas of the imaginings of Paganini on his deathbed? A rush of memories pulled and stretched, chopped and misaligned in a brain wracked with both disease, hatred and guilt?

While it doesn’t have a plot it does have a point- and sometimes that’s enough. When something tries hard to be both about art and a piece of art simultaneously pretensions creep in. I don’t find that to be the case with PAGANINI- well –not all the time. It is far from perfect but it is unarguably alive, vital and fascinating. One could argue over the necessity of multiple scenes of beautiful women masturbating because of an unhealthy need for Paganini and question if the man was as obsessed by asses as Kinski portrays him- but why bother! This is a mad disaster and an often lyrical rumination on a life spent rolling in beauty and filth. Amazing.

What I watched in November

In the past few months I've gained a couple of regular movie watching buddies. One is a friend I've known for years who has been spending a little more time with me lately as his schedule allows. We catch things like Guy Ritchie movies and Bond films. The other is an 11 year old young man who has become a big part of my life over the last year. He and I catch things like animated films and TWILIGHT. I'm lucky to have both of these people in my life and its a blast to be going to the theater with them as much as I do these days.

BODY OF LIES (2008)- 8 (strong political action film)
976-EVIL (1988)- 2 (abysmal horror effort)
BEHIND THE MASK: THE RISE OF LESLIE VERNON (2007)- 7
PHASE IV (1974)- 7 (fascinating- a shame Saul Bass didn’t make more movies)
ROCKNROLLA (2008)- 8 (Guy Ritchie crime fun)
TOWER OF EVIL (1972)- 6 (rewatch) (sleazy, set bound British horror tale)
THE HOUSE ON SKULL MOUNTAIN (1973)- 6 (good non-exploitative black cast horror film)
FRANKENSTEIN (1931)- 10 (rewatch)
THE LAST HOUSE ON THE BEACH (1978)- 6 (well made sleazy Euro-thriller that earns its cringe moments)
CHANDU THE MAGICIAN (1932) – 6 (rewatch) (silly pulp hokum)
THE ROAD WARRIOR (1982)- 10 (rewatch) (caught up with the Blu-Ray)
ADAPTATION (2002)- 9 (rewatch)
RED EYE (2005) - 8 (rewatch)
MADAGASCAR 2 (2008)- 6 (by the numbers animated film but it has some solid laughs)
TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE: THE MOVIE (1990)- 6 (rewatch)
A TALE OF TWO SISTERS (2003)- 7 (strong Korean scare film)
SATELLITE IN THE SKY (1956)- 3 (fairly dull early British sci-fi)
THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951)- 9 (rewatch)
THE CRIME DOCTOR’S MAN HUNT (1946)- 6
QUANTUM OF SOLACE (2008)- 5 (as much done well as done poorly- very disappointing with incomprehensible action scenes)
THE SISTER OF URSULA (1978)- 7 (rewatch) (sleazy Italian thriller)
THE STREET WITH NO NAME (1948)- 7 (good docu-noir)
TUROK: SON OF STONE (2007)- 7 (excellent animated resurrection of a great old character- I hope there are more)
PAGANINI (1989)- 6 (bizarre take on the musician by Klaus Kinski- writer, editor & director)
TWLIGHT (2008)- 6 (much better than I expected- but too much lovey vamp crap- at least we caught it without too many screaming teen aged girls)
BEYOND THE WALL OF SLEEP (2006)- 1 (Tennessee made attempt at a Lovecraft adaptation- godawful- but a buddy of mine was the key grip and he warned me)
HUDSON HAWK (1991)- 1 (Willis’ vanity project IS as bad as you’ve heard- there is nothing worse than an unfunny comedy)
DANGEROUS SEDUCTRESS (1992)- 3 (Indonesian madness- funny as it can be)

Movies that can't be as good as their poster art

I can vouch for the fact that this film is nowhere near as cool as this poster art. No where!

But come on, really! What could be?

The Greatest T-shirt EVER!

With all due credit to Geek Orthodox I must second that fine blog's statement that this is the single greatest t-shirt in the history of t-shirts! And I must own one. Maybe not right now - maybe not before Christmas - but soon. And in extra large.

KILLDOZER- The Video Game!

Back in the 1970s Theodore Sturgeon's short story KILLDOZER was made into a TV movie. I have vague memories of seeing parts of it as a kid but I know I never saw the whole thing. A few months ago I read the story in my copy of the complete Sturgeon Vol. 3 and it is one hell of a good tale. It sounds ridiculous of course. An ancient, malevolent energy creature is freed from its rocky prison by a construction crew building an airfield on a Pacific island. It takes over a large bulldozer and goes on a killing rampage slaughtering as many people as it can get beneath its metal treads. Crazy! But boy does Ted Sturgeon make it work.

I've got to find a copy of the TV film someday soon. But I never thought it would (or could) be turned into a game! Follow the LINK......crushing helpless construction men was never so much fun!

MUMMY statue

Oh my! This is described as a 'Cold Cast Resin Bust of Im-ho-tep/Ardath Bey as portrayed by Boris Karloff in the 1932 movie, The Mummy' and priced at $60.

I may have to ask for this for Christmas!

CRIME DOCTOR film discovery

I sat down tonight to watch one of the Crime Doctor movies from the 1940s tonight. I only have five of the series of ten and I've enjoyed each one I've watched. The one I caught tonight was CRIME DOCTOR'S MAN HUNT which is a pretty good example of these mystery programmers, but as the opening credits rolled by I got a huge shock. The screenplay was written by Leigh Brackett! The same Leigh Brackett responsible for the scripts for THE BIG SLEEP (one of my favorite noirs), RIO BRAVO (my favorite western), THE BIG SLEEP (one of my favorite neo-noirs) and THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (the best Star Wars movie)! All of this as well as writing some of the best science fiction of her time are the things for which Miss Brackett is famous. Wow! A Crime Doctor movie, huh?

And to make matters even stranger the film was directed by William Castle! Who would have thought that these two disparate filmmakers would have ever worked together? Castle directed four of this series so his appearance isn't shocking at all but I always pictured Miss Brackett working on higher profile pictures.

I love watching old movies!

Oh- I couldn't find the poster art for CRIME DOCTOR'S MAN HUNT so I used this one. Gorgeous, isn't it?

Page vs. film- THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL

In advance of the coming remake film (and because its been on my bookshelf for years) I have finally read the short story that was the basis of the 1951 film THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL. I suspect that the new film due out in December will either harken back to the printed tale for inspiration or go completely insane with modern CGI crap. I, of course, hope for a stab at fidelity to the story but…..

The story, published in 1930 as ‘Farewell to the Master’ by Harry Bates, is a darned good science fiction tale and I was pretty surprised by the changes made in the first filmed version. The story takes place in an unspecified future not too different from the 20th century. The main character is a photojournalist named Chris Sutherland who relates how four months previous an object appeared in Washington, DC and from its interior came two beings. One was an eight foot tall metal robot and the other a man named Klaatu. This is where the film departs from the tale for the first time in several ways. First- the name of the robot is Gnut in the story but Gort in the film. I guess having someone say something that would have to be pronounced ending in NUT was deemed silly and I’d have to agree. Also, the robot is made of a greenish metal (as is the ship/object) and looks like a large man- not the featureless automaton of the movie.

Minutes after coming out and speaking to the gathered crowd Klaatu is shot down as in the film but here it isn’t a trigger happy soldier but a raving religious fanatic babbling about the visitors being sent by Satan. You just know that wasn’t going to make it past the Hayes Code in 1951! And to even further bend the brain of anyone who has seen the film Klaatu dies! Actually dies and is buried by the horrified people of Earth who fear possible retribution from either Gnut or wherever the aliens come from.

Gnut remains motionless and silent after Klaatu’s death and in the intervening time laboratories and a museum are built around the metal creature and the ship. Both objects prove impervious to the investigations of frustrated human scientists. But on a visit to the museum Sutherland notices that Gnut’s foot has moved from where it was just days earlier and makes plans to watch the robot that night after everyone is gone.

The story continues on from there in a very satisfactory and even touching way and could actually provide some of the explosions and action you expect from a 21st century sci-fi film. It doesn’t provide a sappy love story but I’m sure Hollywood will shoehorn one into the new film anyway seeing as the 1951 film did as well.

I’ll be curious to see the new movie but I suspect I’m going to feel it is a pale, obvious thing next to the original short story and film.

CHAINSAW MAID short film

For the first time I will have to issue a warning to anyone electing to watch the short film below. Although the piece is humorous, over the top and clearly ridiculous it does depict some very graphic violence. Of course, its all in claymation! That's right! This is a claymation short film from Japan that plays like a cross between Rankin/Bass and Romero/Fulci. In other words- ZOMBIE MADNESS! That's what I would have called this film myself but I'm not as talented and/or sick as the folks who made this sucker so I didn't get to name it.

So enjoy the Zom-pocalypse rendered in various colors of clay.

RED EYE (2005) trailer

Rewatched this sharp little thriller last night with some friends and was disappointed to find that this well crafted trailer was not on the DVD. Mistake! This is what got me interested in the film when it opened theatrically. It's a great bit of misdirection and very effective because it plays on your expectations of particular genres.

Seven minutes of heaven from Bava

Nobody did atmosphere better than Mario Bava. Here's a few minutes from his excellent PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES a.k.a. Terrore Nello Spazio in Italian with subtitles. Amazing stuff that shows the debt ALIEN has to this film.

CALTIKI poster art

I think I'm getting as obsessed with the poster art for this Freda/Bava film as I have been with the art from PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES.

When will we see a DVD of this movie? Region 1, of course.

FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET (1971) coming to DVD

Very exciting news for Dario Argento fans! His third film and the third of his 'animal trilogy' is finally coming out on DVD in Region 1. Until now the only way to see this has been via bootlegs or a recently released European disc that was pulled from several different sources. And it was probably a boot as well! This is to be an official release from Paramount's vaults through the reconstituted No Shame. Here's the info.
This is great news but if you've never seen it I should caution against getting too happy. It's one of Argento's least great gialli with one plot point that is pure silliness. But its still a blast in that 70s crime thriller way I love so much. It will be really nice to see this well presented for once!

TOWER OF EVIL (1972) trailer

Rewatched this film a few days ago because I couldn't remember much of anything about it. Luckily, its a fun little sleazy horror movie and I'm glad I held onto the Elite DVD for so long.

REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN poster art

Just to continue the love for this film....

Trailer for THE REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1958)

Recently I was pondering horror movie sequels that were better than the originals. The usual suspect (THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN) popped up but I have more fondness for this film, the second of Hammer Studio's long series focusing on Peter Cushing's amazing Baron Frankenstein. I love this trailer because it has Cushing directly addressing the audience. Nice!

What I watched in October

I wallowed in horror movies this year with the help of my friends. Several nights of two or more slotted into my schedule including some unwanted downtime with gall stones! You can use horror movies to keep you sane when painkillers wash over you and allow you to relax. Or, at least I can!

Anyway- a fun mix of old and new this year. I've found myself drawn to the fairly mediocre F13 series to see if my old prejudices about it hold true. Sadly they have proven mostly on target but I am enjoying them a lot more now than when I felt that held a death grip on the genre keeping good films from being made. The mantle of crap now goes to the pathetic SAW franchise which, along with miserable remakes, is driving theatrically released horror into the dirt. Thank goodness for the fantastic stuff that has to come out on DVD. Movies like MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN, ROUGE and STUCK really should have been seen in movie houses across the land. They are the new classics we'll be rewatching in the future.

On the other side- I'm finding myself unimpressed with the spate of French horror offerings that are taking the genre by storm. I liked THEM well enough even if I felt it was stretched to a running time it could not really sustain. But both INSIDE and FRONTIER(S) started out very strongly only to grind down and self destruct with over the top gore and stupidity that I ended up laughing at instead of being horrified by. It's too bad as both movies show good abilities behind the camera and a love of actually scaring the audience. The filmmakers just need to learn that no matter how well you've built the story, if you get crazy in the final 10 minutes it doesn't really matter. Explosions are not necessary in a horror movie, folks. And people with their faces burned off don't rock babies to sleep five minutes later. Or at least rarely. And are French cops really that damned stupid?

THE MANITOU (1979)- 4 (terrible but there’s something about its earnest wackiness)
NUDE FOR SATAN (1973)- 5 (pure demented sleaze)
FRONTIER(S) (2007)- 4 (French horror flick that loses itself in OTT gore- a shame)
MOTHER OF TEARS (2007)- 7 (way better than I’d heard- Argento pulls out a good one finally)
EAGLE EYE (2008)- 6 (Hitchcock light and slightly silly but not bad)
GORILLA AT LARGE (1954)- 6 (much better than I expected- carnival noir)
PUMPKINHEAD (1988) – 4 (rewatch) (I still don’t think this is a very good film)
THE MAN WHO COULD CHEAT DEATH (1959)- 6
MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN (2008)- 7 (gets a little sloppy but a strong finish)
JASON GOES TO HELL (1993)- 4 (rewatch) (finally caught the unrated version)
ROGUE (2007)- 8 (excellent Australian crocodile horror film)
I AM LEGEND (2007)- 8 (rewatch) (caught the alternate DVD version- better than the theatrical version by far)
BUBBA HO-TEP (2002)- 8 (rewatch)
WEIRD WOMAN (1944)- 6 (rewatch) (Inner Sanctum programmer)
THE DEATHS OF IAN STONE (2006)- 7 (rewatch)
DEAD SILENCE (2006)- 8 (rewatch)
THE HOUSE WHERE EVIL DWELLS (1982)- 4 (fairly dull ghost story shot in Japan)
CHILD’S PLAY (1988)- 6 (rewatch)
QUARANTINE (2008)- 7 (can’t wait to see the Spanish original)
THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN (1942)- 6 (rewatch) (Universal classic)
IT’S ALIVE (1973)- 7 (Cohen goodness)
NIGHTMARE MAN (2006)- 4 (not terrible but not great either)
TORTURE GARDEN (1967) - 6 (rewatch) (Burgess Meredith is great in this)
THE STRANGLERS OF BOMBAY (1960)- 6 (Hammer adventure tale)
FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 6 (1986)- 4 (more fun than I thought it would be)
IT LIVES AGAIN (1978) - 4 (sloppy sequel that should have been better)
BODY PUZZLE (1993) - 7 (baby Bava makes a good thriller)
CHILD’S PLAY 2 (1990)- 6 (just as good as the first!)
STUCK (2007)- 9 (fantastic!)
TOOTH AND NAIL (2007)- 3 (well photographed but basically a blah retread of other films)
MAX PAYNE (2008)- 2 (thin, dumb, obvious and boring)
PSYCHO II (1983)- 9 (rewatch) (just a hair less brilliant than the original)
DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1932)- 9 (rewatch)
THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN (1964)- 7 (rewatch)
FRIDAY THE 13TH – THE FINAL CHAPTER (1984)- 4 (rewatch) (kind of slow)
THE MUMMY’S TOMB (1942)- 4 (rewatch) (weakest of the universal Mummy sequels)
NIGHTWINGS (1979)- 3 (awfully dull- must have been a better book)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

I hope everyone has a safe and happy All Hallows Eve.

And maybe next year we'll finally get the chance to see this film.

AMITYVILLE 3 in 3D!!

I just picked this film up on DVD for the princely sum of three bucks. Now- I don't know if it will turn out to be any good but for $3 I'm willing to gamble. A horror film for that price is waaaay too good to pass by.

And for the record I did not like the first film. Or the remake of it. But AMITYVILLE 2: THE POSSESSION was kind of fascinating. My hopes are high but its too bad this is not actually in 3D on DVD. That would be fun.

DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE (1932)

I have no idea how many times Robert Louis Stevenson’s literary classic The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has been filmed. I know it has to be dozens at the very least even if you discount the adaptations that use the story without actually telling the tale of poor doomed Jekyll or ones that take an odd angle such as MARY REILLY. I think I’ve seen about five different films made from the short novel over the years and I find I still have an appetite for more. I even want to catch up with recent BBC series JEKYLL which is a modern day extension of the story and I have an interest in the current US spy series MY OWN WORST ENEMY because of its use of the split personality concept. ENEMY tips its hand smartly by having one of the personalities inhabiting its main character named Henry (Jekyll’s first name) while the other is called Edward (Hyde’s). Clearly this yarn still strikes a chord with the public.


But which of the many adaptations on film is the best? To my mind the 1932 version has never been beaten. Fredric March gives a brilliant performance for which he won a well deserved Oscar and the direction by Rouben Mamoulian is both sharp and stylish (often in the extreme). The film revels in all the abandon that pre-code Hollywood could sling at the screen with the drive of Hyde being so obviously sexual that I’m surprised it wasn’t banned across the land. It’s a hell of a movie and one I think modern audiences would do well to check out for themselves. I doubt any new adaptation will surpass its power.

1940's horror films

As often as I have watched DRACULA or THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN I suspect that I have seen GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN, SON OF DRACULA, THE MUMMY’S CURSE and HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN many, many more times. I’ve been known to watch all four Universal Mummy films from the 40s more than 3 times in a single year! I am just repeatedly drawn to the ‘lesser’ Universal horror films of the that decade.

But of course, to me, they aren’t lesser. They are wonderfully quirky entertainments that have that special something that allows me to get lost in their world and forget about everything else in my life for their short running times. Pure escapist hokum, I guess.

My kind of movie.

MARS ATTACKS! ... Blu-Ray ?

Having upgraded to a Blu-Ray player several months back I'm amazed at how few Blu discs I actually want. Mostly its the far too high prices that keep me moving past them on the sales floor but it is also that there are relatively few movies I want that are available in the new format.

This one needs to come out pretty soon.......

Lost footage from REPTILICUS (1962)

Cut from the American version of the movie this hysterical footage from the Danish film shows that there was wisdom in removing it. Not that its any worse than the other effects work in the film- just more unintentionally humorous!

GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN (1942) trailer

Tom Holland Commentaries!

The fine folks over at Icons of Fright have done a wonderful thing for horror film fans. Although the producers of the otherwise fantastic new DVD of CHILD'S PLAY included plenty of extras they didn't even bother to contact directer Tom Holland for interviews or to record a commentary track. Apparently there is some bad blood between Holland and the film's producers so the fans get the short end yet again.

But, proving that every bad choice is an opportunity, Icons of Fright decided to take the advantage presented and run with it. That's right! This ridiculous oversight has been now been remedied! Downloadable from this LINK is a free director's commentary for the film. And to make things even better Mr. Holland has also recorded not one but TWO tracks for his even better 80s horror movie FRIGHT NIGHT! One he does with actors Chris Sarandon (Jerry Dandrige) & Jonathan Stark (Billy Cole) and the second with William Ragsdale (Charley Brewster), Stephen Geoffreys ("Evil" Ed Thompson) & FX Artist Randall William Cook. How damned cool is this! And they are free! FREE!

Every now and then someone does something to restore my faith in humanity.

IT'S ALIVE (1973) & opening credits as storytelling

The art of the credit sequence is something I’ve been interested in for a few years. I’ve always felt that a well done opening can really set the mood for a film. If effective a credit sequence can bring the viewer into the film’s artificial world in a way that gives the story room to grow to outlandish levels but still be able to create the willing suspension of disbelief necessary for fiction to work. I first thought seriously about this after seeing a series of especially smart such openings with in a short space of time. FIGHT CLUB’s mesmerizing journey through the cerebral cortex of its main character sets up not only the odd nature of the first scene of the film but in repeat viewings plays as the first joke on the audience. Similarly, Cronenberg’s EXISTENZ has the credits play out over a swirling image that subtly suggests the mind trip you are about to take without making it obvious.

The other night I sat down to watch Larry Cohen’s horror film IT’S ALIVE for the first time in more than 15 years. I had forgotten much about the movie and one of those things was the excellent credit sequence. A black screen is illuminated with a few white points that begin to slowly move about. As they are joined by more of these lights they begin to move a bit more leaving slight trails making them appear to be sperm swimming around in a Petri dish. This impression last a few seconds until it slowly becomes clear that this is a group of flashlights shining in a very dark place as they move closer to the camera. Very sharp stuff especially as it mirrors in brief the arc of the film’s story. It helps that IT’S ALIVE is a very good film that is well worth repeated viewings for its careful, slow and deliberate pace making a bizarre tragic tale really hit home.

There should be a book about excellent opening credit sequences. Maybe there already is one?

Silly Monster movie Trailer of the week! TARANTULA (1955)

I'm trying to find information about this film for a possible commentary track. If anyone knows of any cast or crew interviews or articles on the movie itself let me know.

MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN (2008)

I finally got to see this Clive Barker adaptation and it was worth checking out. Not a great horror film but a good one and certainly worth a theatrical release. I wondered why this film got crapped on by Lionsgate and luckily this article explains. Corporate BS wins every time, I guess.

It is a shame, though. That something this well done gets shafted but crap like SAW V and a dozen remakes will grace 2,000 screens on their opening weekend. That is pathetic.

THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES in radio form

I recently discovered this radio adaptation of Ray Bradbury's classic and was surprised that it came out as the book was published in 1950. I had no idea that this kind of promotional synergy was the going thing that far back! This truncated version of the book contains elements of the stories Rocket Summer, Ylla, –and the Moon be Still as Bright, The Settlers, The Locusts, The Shore, The Off Season, There Will Come Soft Rains, and The Million-Year Picnic. Perfect listening for a cool fall evening. Just download and sit back for a trip back 58 years and into the future at the same time.

LINK

The Simpsons as Addams Family

Maybe a little out of place here but this mash-up of my two favorite TV families is a beaut!

IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA poster art

I had never seen this fantastic poster for this classic Harryhausen film until just last week. It easily the best artwork for the movie I've ever come across. Look at the colorful detail on the tentacles!

Silly Monster movie Trailer of the week! THE GREEN SLIME (1969)

What I watched in September

DEATH RACE (2008)- 3
THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER (1960)- 9 (rewatch)
THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN Pilot film (1973)- 5 (hadn’t seen this since I was a kid)
CRAZY EIGHTS (2007)- 2 (abysmally boring attempt at a horror film)
SEX & FURY (1973)- 7 (the nude swordfight is brilliant!)
THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR (1975)- 6 (Yul Brynner kicks everyone’s ass in a post apocalyptic future)
BLOOD OF DRACULA (1957)- 4 (rife with perfect MST3K moments)
CREEPSHOW 2 (1987)- 5 (rewatch)
BABYLON A.D. (2008)- 6 (can’t wait for the full length DVD)
THE DRACULA SAGA (1972)- 6 (very different take on the old tale)
THE HELLBENDERS (1967)- 7 (good Corbucci western)
PHANTASM 3: LORD OF THE DEAD (1994)- 6
TRANSSIBERIAN (2008)- 7 (Brad Anderson crafts another good thriller)
BLOOD DIAMOND (2006)- 7
P2 (2007)- 7 (solid little thriller)
YOR, THE HUNTER FROM THE FUTURE (1983)- 3 (rewatch) (so bad its great)
AMAZONS VS. SUPERMEN (1975)- 3 (period superheroics with hidden tramolines, Three Stooges style antics, idiotic sound effects to make things ‘funny’- not my cup of tea)
HOME SICK (2006)- 2
BURN AFTER READING (2008)- 8 (classic Coen Brothers madcap humor)
DRACULA A.D. 72 (1972)- 5 (rewatch)
RIGHTEOUS KILL (2008)- 6 (not great but worth seeing- the equivalent of a trashy crime novel)
BARN OF THE NAKED DEAD (1974)- 3 (terrible but oddly kind of interesting)
THE LAST WINTER (2006)- 8
CHOKE (2008)- 8 (funny and effective oddball tale-fine acting across the board)
HALLOWEEN 6 (1995)- 2 (what the hell?)
THE DAY THE WORLD ENDED (1956)- 4 (silly Roger Corman small scale apocalyptic tale- probably filmed over a single long weekend)
DOCTOR X (1933)- 6 (rewatch)

Also finally started watching British sci-fi show PRIMEVAL and its pretty good so far. A bit too slick and I'd love it if characters could have a conversation without walking around pointlessly but overall I like it. I'm interested to see where it goes.

HALLOWEEN sequels

For years I stayed away from the sequels to HALLOWEEN. I did this because I love the original film and knew that the series had to deteriorate from that amazing high point. I finally watched HALLOWEEN 2 a while back and really enjoyed it. It’s a big step down from the first and has a few stupid moments but overall I liked the way it stayed with that fateful night and drew the story to a satisfying end. That is where the series should have stopped and clearly Carpenter and his collaborators agreed as the next film was a completely different (and generally loathed) attempt to change the subject. But Michael Meyers was fated by box office returns to rise again so they made three more sequels and I have subjected myself to them out of my sad need to see every damned horror film ever made.

So what have I learned from HALLOWEENs 4 through 6? I’ve learned that these asinine movies should never have been made! And I suspect I’m not alone in this opinion since when they lured Jamie Lee Curtis back to reprise her role in H2O they ignored these three misbegotten films. They are absolutely terrible one and all. I would say that they got worse with each one but all three are so bad that trying to graph their awfulness is an exercise in futility. Suffice to say they suck and are not worth your time. They lack every fine quality that made the first film good and are burdened with some of the dumbest ideas for stories I have ever seen. By the time in 5 that they introduce the wrist rune tattoo with its attendant ‘Curse of Thorn’ crap I knew they were so far off the rails that there was no way to recover.

Now for the real question-Are these three sequels as bad as Zombie’s remake of HALLOWEEN? No. Even as bad as these three awful wastes of 90 minutes are, they are less insulting than last year’s celluloid bowel movement masquerading as a movie.

The only good movie with HALLOWEEN in the title is the first one. The second is acceptable but quite flawed and 3 is a fun creepy tale that has nothing to do with the previous movies. Everything after that is not worth worrying with.

I’m still looking forward to watching a lot of scary movies in October. Just not these!

Silly Monster movie Trailer of the week! THE MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD (1957)

This is a surprisingly good little movie. For some reason I find myself returning to it more often than better movies of the same type. I love the fact that the heroic central character isn't a very handsome fellow.

Maybe that's why I like it? Huuuummmmm...

INVASION OF THE BEE GIRLS (1973)

When I say I love this film I'm telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but.

THE HELLBENDERS (1967)

Wow! Even if I have to admit that THE HELLBENDERS is not Corbucci’s finest western it is still a damned good one. Neither as entertaining as COMPANEROS nor as sharp as THE MERCENARY nor as bleak as THE GREAT SILENCE it has elements of all of them. And I didn’t even mention the coffin filled with something other than a dead body- DJANGO be praised! Corbucci’s superior visual style is all over the movie with some wonderful camera movements and gorgeous framing of shots showcasing the beautiful locations. He also manages to pull off some creepy graveyard stuff in the nighttime raid to recover the buried coffin. During this sequence the most detestable of the siblings pushes a cross grave marker out of his way and I have to wonder if the director specifically asked for that moment. If the rest of the film was less well shot I’d have doubts but here Corbucci obviously put real thought into things.

One of the things I like about so many spaghetti westerns is that they often feature some flat out great performances. It’s as if the location shooting and somewhat ‘mythic’ setting coupled with broad story themes tended to bring out gritty, believable acting that hits home even if the dubbing is sometimes less than grand. Or maybe being uncomfortably hot and sweaty just forces an actor to dig a little deeper. Whatever the case, this film is certainly an example of good performances from nearly everyone involved. From solid workhorse thespian Joseph Cotton down through his onscreen sons and especially from Norma Bengell as Claire there isn’t a slacker in the lot. Bengell has the thankless role of being alternatively an assertive, strong woman and a helpless victim trying to get herself out of a bad situation before it gets worse. She is very good here playing vulnerable & strong and is well matched by the three actors playing the brothers.
Also, I really like the story. I’m not sure how many westerns were made with the plot of the Confederate soldier who won’t accept the end of the war but this is one of the better that I can remember. The only other one I can remember liking much was the Errol Flynn oater ROCKY MOUNTAIN and this film is much better.

OUTLANDER trailer

Not sure when this will hit screens but MY GOD!!! Aliens, vikings, giant monsters......its like someone filmed my dreams/nightmares from when I was about eleven years old!

Posters for movies that (sadly) don't exist

Artist Stephen Romano understands what it means to say movie posters aren't worth a damn these days. Above is one he did for a movie that only exists in his mind. Check out the info over on Dread Central.

Silly Monster movie Trailer of the week! MONSTER ON THE CAMPUS (1958)

PHANTASM 3: LORD OF THE DEAD (1994)

The first time I saw PHANTASM 3: LORD OF THE DEAD I did not like it. Indeed, I felt so incredibly let down that I have refused to see the fourth film made a few years afterwards. The reason I was so upset by this film was that the second one had been so absolutely excellent. I felt (and still do) that PHANTASM 2 was one of the best sequels the horror genre had ever produced and in some ways might have surpassed the original. So 3’s limping story and the introduction of an irritating kid character just pissed me off. I wondered if the fact that I was watching this one on video instead of in the theater might have hindered my enjoyment but in the end I hated the sucker and was just angry.

Now- a confession. When I rented and watched PHANTASM 3 all those years ago I was on drugs. Serious drugs. And by that I mean painkillers given to me by a doctor. A real doctor. I had been struck down by my first (and so far only) kidney stone for three days. I spent those hazy days doped up on a wonderful prescription whose name is lost to the mists of my ever failing memory waiting to pass that damned chunk of calcium. Unable to go to work or do much more than lay around and hope it would soon be over I mostly distracted myself with morbid self pity and horror movies. Luckily the stone passed before I ran out of the happy pills or my idea about self surgery went from occasional thought to structured plan. Eventually everything was good again. Until, of course, the remaining pills were stolen from my car- but that’s another story entirely (to be filed under 'Christmastime Car Theft Tales'). Because of the wonderful drugs (Just say no, kids!) I have said for years that PHANTASM 3 was so bad that even drugs couldn’t make it good.

But……..as my memory of the film faded over the last decade or so I’ve wondered if maybe I was being too harsh at the time. After all- I love the first two movies. Maybe I should give it another try.

Boy, am I glad I did! I really liked it this time. It is clearly weaker than the previous two movies but it’s actually good. Yes, it has its flaws with the foremost being the irritating, gun toting kid character played by an actor with less talent than was needed for the role. And I could have done without the trio of zombiefied looters Reggie runs afoul of more than once. But overall this movie moves very well and entertains in the classic PHANTASM style. Nice location shooting, fun action scenes, an unexpected returning character and some more hints about the Tall Man’s origin make it a fun trip indeed. And credit must be given to writer/director Don Coscarelli for both handling the low budget very well and fashioning another great ending.

So now it is time to finally see the fourth and probably final film of the series which even die-hard fans say isn’t very good. But who knows? I’ve said for years 3 stank to high heaven and I’m doing a public 180 right here. Maybe PHANTASM 4 will prove better than I’ve heard.

Poster art for LIFEFORCE (1985)

I've been a fan of this Tobe Hooper film since I caught it on VHS back when it limped to video in the mid-80s. That cut of the film was a mess but I still was captivated by the sprawling science fiction story and the sheer craziness of the last 20 minutes. I returned to LIFEFORCE repeatedly over the years and although many would say its for the amazing nudity of the gorgeous Matilda May the truth is stranger. I just really like the pulp style tale being told.

When the longer and much better cut of the film came out on Laser Disc in the 90s it was like an awakening. What I had always thought of as a guilty pleasure was now actually a pretty damned good (though still crazed) film. It will always be very flawed but I could now laud the movie without making quite so many caveats. These days the shorter US theatrical cut of LIFEFORCE is a thing of the past. The longer, better version is what was released on DVD by MGM and over the past decade I've watched as a strong cult following has gathered around it. I would love to see a lengthy Video Watchdog type breakdown of the differences between the two cuts one day. Hell! I'd love a documentary about the making of the film including interviews with the surviving cast and crew! If EVENT HORIZON can get a special edition surely this film can.

Silly Monster movie Trailer of the week! MONSTER FROM GREEN HELL (1958)

I haven't watched this one in a few years but maybe its time to pull out that DVD.....

What I watched in August

THE PERFECT CRIME (2004)- 8 (hilarious Spanish comedy/crime film)
HANCOCK (2008)- 7 (changes into something most people will NOT like but I did)
DRILLBIT TAYLOR (2008)- 3 (just terrible-poor Owen Wilson)
SAMSON AND THE SEVEN MIRACLES OF THE WORLD (1961)- 6
THE BANK JOB (2008)- 8 (excellent fact based heist film)
CREATURE WITH THE ATOM BRAIN (1955)- 4 (terrible but fun/bad)
THE DEADLY BEES (1967)- 6 (maybe my expectations were low but I had fun)
DARK CITY (1998) – 9 (viewing of the director’s cut- fantastic)
THEREMIN: AN ELECTRONIC ODYSSEY (1993)- 6
ACCION MUTANTE (1993)- 8 (amazing sci-fi comedy from Spain)
DIARY OF THE DEAD (2008)- 7 (the weakest of Romero’s dead films but nowhere near the disaster I’d been lead to believe)
HELL RIDE (2008)- 6 (mildly ridiculous wallow in biker sleaze)
WORLD WITHOUT END (1956)- 5 (silly and misogynistic- but I love 50s sci-fi)
THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETARY (1981)- 8 (rewatch)
THE GIANT CLAW (1957)- 3 (silly, silly, silly)
CREEPSHOW (1982)- 8 (rewatch)
DAY OF THE DEAD (1984)- 8 (rewatch)
THE VAMPIRE (1957)- 5
ROBOT JOX (1990)- 7 (surprisingly fun low budget sci-fi)
MIRRORS (2008)- 4 (Aja muddles this one and the ending is INSANE- but the first 60 minutes are OK and I like the kicker)
FROM A WHISPER TO A SCREAM (1987)- 4 (Interesting Tennessee set anthology horror film that can’t quite overcome its low budget)
NAKED YOU DIE (1968)- 7 (fine, fun early giallo from Margheritti)
TROPIC THUNDER (2008)- 9 (hysterical)
CONFESSIONS OF A POLICE CAPTAIN (1971)- 8 (excellent Italian cop film)

In any given month I'll usually watch films from many different genres but August was bizarre. Everything from kids movies to documentaries to Spanish comedies and classic horror. Fun stuff!

I gotta get back on the peplum kick.

DEATH RACE (2008)

Well, its finally happened. Jason Statham has finally made an action film that I could not like. After chuckling my way through the TRANSPORTER and its even more crazed sequel as well as the completely over the top insane CRANK I thought that maybe he could just not screw these things up. When I learned of his starring role and the basic plot of this update/remake of the excellent Paul Bartel movie I was excited. This had the makings of one hell of a fun ride. But than I learned that it was being made by hack-for-hire Paul W. S. Anderson and my expectations fell. This is the guy who made the atrocious ALIEN VS. PREDATOR the embarrassing MORTAL KOMBAT, and great-idea-destroyed-in-execution EVENT HORIZON. Even the one directorial effort of his that I like (RESIDENT EVIL) has been vomited on by two terrible sequels.

But- I went to check it out. It might be fun, right?

Sadly, no. Shot by Anderson as if he couldn't find the right lens its an action film in which all the cool (I guess) stunt driving and car crashes are rendered incomprehensible because we NEVER get the time to focus on what's actually happening. Once again we are subjected to an editing style best described as 'gnat's eye blink theater' where just as you begin to be able to figure out what you're looking at there's a cut to a closeup of something else. This kind of thing has become the standard in the cutting of movies and only rarely is it done well enough to be called a good idea. A good example would be similar types of edits in THE DARK KNIGHT but there we were given establishing shots so we would know where things were before crap blew up. In DEATH RACE I could almost never get an idea of what was going on and so I was quickly bored and pissed off. That is a bad combination.

The director can't even film the movie's several fistfights well enough to see what the hell is going on. If there is one thing that Jason Statham can do onscreen its stage a convincing fight but the ones here are just awful. How can you screw this up? Just back the camera up and let the actor and stuntmen do their thing. Simple. But not in this movie. When are director's going to learn that the audience IS NOT IN THE FIGHT! We want to SEE the fight! That's why we're in the theater! Back the hell up and show us the fist fight from a distance so we can tell who is hitting who and how. Ugh! Why am I having to explain this? Don't they teach this in cinema classes?

It really is a shame. Anderson blew one of the best ideas his sad little brain has ever puked up and he also wasted a truly dream cast. Everyone gives their all to this thin, poorly written mistake but when I can say that a film couldn't get anything out of a slumming Joan Allen or the usually fantastic Ian McShane you know you are in turdville.

I've said it before and I'll say it again- Paul W.S. Anderson must stop making movies. Now!

Books on film

I read quite a bit when I'm not swamped with schoolwork. One of my favorite things to read are biographies of filmmakers or production histories of particular movies. I have a shelf full of these kinds of books that I haven't been able to get to yet. I occasionally look at the titles there and long for the days when I can dive in to spend hours soaking them up. Over the past few weeks I've been slowly reading Aljean Harmetz's excellent book "Round Up The Usual Suspects: The Making of CASABLANCA". It's a great run down of the production of one of the best films of all time and its glimpses behind the Warner Bros. curtain are simply fascinating. But sometimes its the author's wit or way with a phrase that gets my attention.

From page 277 of my hardbound copy---

"The movie industry glamorizes everything it touches as instinctively as a wasp stings the arm it lands on."

Silly Monster movie Trailer of the week! REPTILICUS (1962)

I must see this film!

Surely this picture says it all. "An explosion of sexual frenzy!"

Silly Monster Movie Trailer of the Week! THE GIANT CLAW (1957)

A terrible, terrible movie with laughable special effects and so much stock footage I'm surprised they didn't have to credit other directors- but I still get a kick out of it!

Trailer for one of my favorite blogs

My favorite blog about groovy age horror goodness. And the Doc Savage reviews are great as well! I love the idea of a trailer for a blog! I wonder what one for this place would look like?

Fleming on the set of DR. NO

I came across this picture of author Ian Fleming on the set of the first big screen adaptation of one of his James Bond books and was reminded of how much I like that film. Not the best of the series but far from bad. I wrote a review a few years ago of a early DVD release for which I went back to re-read the novel to compare it to the film. Here's what I penned then--

"The plot, locations, characters and flavor of Fleming's book is kept almost intact with only a few additions and deletions made that push the story into more cinematic areas. The changes made to the book are mostly cosmetic — the mined resource of Crab Key was guano, not bauxite; a deadly caterpillar native to Jamaica was used in an attempt to kill Bond, not a tarantula; Quarrel was an old cohort of Bond's specifically requested for this mission; Dr. No was not a member of SPECTRE but a (self-professed) maniac out to dominate the world; there was no messing about with radioactive power. Of course, a few moments from the book were best lost in the translation, including 007's battle to the death with a giant squid (!) and Dr. No's ignominious end beneath a huge pile of bird crap. Some changes were done to curtail nudity (damn those censors!) and speed the story along, while keeping the budget manageable, but a few of them are a bit odd. I'm still not sure why there was a need to include CIA man Felix Leiter here, when he serves absolutely no purpose. But overall this is a very good adaptation of the book, one that keeps a good deal of the tone and intent in place while introducing us to a character for the ages."

The entire review can be found here.

Gamera Guts!

This is easily one of the funniest things I've seen in a while. I stole it from the cool blog Popcorn & Sticky Floors and they got it from the book "An Anatomical Guide to Monsters". I need that book!

The best thing about this is I cannot get that MST3K song out of my head--

Gamera is really neat
He is filled with Turtle Meat!
We all love him
Ga-ma-raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

SAMSON AND THE SEVEN MIRACLES OF THE WORLD trailer

I have a lot of fondness for the European made muscle man movies (alliteration!) of the late 1950s and 1960s. I've been working my way through the Mill Creek 'Warriors' pack of 50 such films slowly (oh so slowly) and have enjoyed each and every dip into this sweaty pool. A few days ago I caught this one and loved it more than most. I picked it out of the pack mainly because its one of the very strange ones set in a non-Greek locale. Also, Gordon Scott was a hell of a good action film actor and one of the best movie Tarzan's of all time. And now I've read that Retromedia will be releasing a widescreen anamorphic DVD of the film! I can only hope it will be sourced from a clean, bright print. The cropped and faded print on the Mill Creek set is enough to get the idea across but director Riccardo Freda's movie appears to be one that would benefit greatly from a proper presentation. My fingers are crossed!