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Thursday, January 31, 2013

RIP PATTY ANDREWS 1918-2013

A legacy has come to an end.

Patty Andrews, the last surviving member of the Andrews Sisters has passed away at the age of 94. There will NEVER be another talented group like the three sisters who created such hits as "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B" and so many more timeless classics.

Nobody captured the home front spirit of the USA during World War 2 as the Andrews Sisters did. A true American legacy has now gone, and the sad thing is we have nothing to replace it with. RIP Patty.

REC 2 2007 (SONY)

A great sequel!

This film picks up 15 minutes after the first one ended as a SWAT team prepares to enter the sealed off building and find out what is happening inside.

There are scares in abundance here and the zombie attacks are explained by a priest as being demon possession which is a total surprise. The killings are graphic, but not too much so as the filmmakers would rather scare you than gross you out.

The ending is a very good one and a little bit disturbing, but I won't give it away for those who haven't yet seen this film. I give it a very high recommendation for horror fans.

DEADLY EMBRACE 1987 (RAPIDHEART)

Ultra low budget fun with Linnea Quigley!

Beautiful Ty Randolph stars as a neglected hot wife of executive Jan Michael Vincent who hires a young stud to work around the house.

She seduces him and goes into a jealous rage when she finds out that his girlfriend is coming to visit and she sets up an elaborate scheme to frame you young man for murder.

Linnea is the girlfriend and does a good job in this film, but she really isn't given much to do. The movie is padded out with sequences of Michelle Bauer as the Female Spirit of Sex, and while I always enjoy Michelle, I found this to be rather pointless.

However, this is not a bad mystery as far as I am concerned, and fans of Linnea will want to check it out.

BIRTHDAY WISHES TO....

Daniela Bianchi is 71.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME 1999 (NEW LINE)

Austin Powers is back baby!!

Dr. Evil returns with a time machine and goes back to the 1960's and steals Austin's (Mike Myers) mojo. Powers' helper this time is the ultra sexy Felicity Shagwell played by the gorgeous Heather Graham.

There are plenty of sight gags and some of the funniest dialogue I have ever heard in a modern movie. Michael York, Robert Wagner, Rob Lowe, Seth Greene, Mindy Sterling, Verne Troyer and Elizabeth Hurley round out another excellent cast.

Watch this movie and not laugh...I dare you. Highly Recommended!!

RIO CONCHOS 1964 (SHOUT FACTORY)

Very well made western.

Richard Boone, Stuart Whitman, Jim Brown, Tony Franciosa and gorgeous Wende Wagner are five people brought together while looking for a maniacal Confederate soldier who is selling repeater rifles to the Apaches.

This was the film debut of Jim Brown, who gave up his football career at it's peak to try acting and Wende Wagner before she became a regular on The Green Hornet. The acting is very good and the film looks great as the Moab, Utah locations are used to their fullest.

Director Gordon Douglas doea a great job, and no western fan should miss this action filled classic. Edmund O' Brien is the crazy confederate and his part is small but executed well, of course.

Shout Factory should be commended for making this film available in a beautiful widescreen edition. Recommended!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Dorothy Malone is 88.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

COMING ATTRACTIONS

On March 12th Vinegar Syndrome will release a double feature of Savage Waters (1979) and Death By Invitation (1971). These two films are extremely obscure and I would recommend them as it is good someone is putting low budget films like this out.

On February 26th Henstooth will be releasing the Amicus film House That Dripped Blood. It has been off the market for a while and a huge thanks to Henstooth for bringing it back.

SHAFT'S BIG SCORE 1972 (WARNERS)

Another great blaxploitation gem!!

Richard Roundtree is back as Shaft and this time he is working on a case where a good friend died and was running a numbers racket and has hidden $200,000 dollars. Both the mob and the cops want the money.

Roundtree does his usual impeccable job as Shaft and Moses Gunn is a gangster that wants the money for his own use. Great action and lots of gunfights bring us to the epic climax involving a car chase and a helicopter chase as well.

One of the best films of it's kind and much better than the crappy modern day remakes of this and other films like it. Recommended!!

MURDER IS MY BEAT 1955 (WARNER ARCHIVE)

A very well made film noir from director Edgar Ulmer.

Paul Langton stars as a policeman who has to arrest the ultra sexy Barbara Payton and he soon comes to believe she is innocent. The two go on the lam and try to prove her innocence.

Robert Shayne is another detective looking for the two of them and when he finds them he decides to help them. Roy Gordon and Selena Royle, in her final film make up the rest of the fine cast.

This film is very tightly made and catches your attention right away. Ulmer knew how to work within very small budgets and get the most out of any actor or actress he worked with. Great widescreen presentation from Warner Archive. Recommended for fans of Film Noir and Barbara Payton fans, of which I am both.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Heather Graham is 43, Katherine Ross is 73, Tom Selleck is 68, Marc Singer is 65,and Richard Bakalyan is 82.

Monday, January 28, 2013

MANEATER OF HYDRA 1967 (SHOUT FACTORY)

This is also known as Island of The Doomed.

Cameron Mitchell stars as a mad scientist who has created a plant that thrives on human blood. Several tourists stay at his home and are soon slaughtered one by one.

The ending is extremely bloody as the chopped up plant bleeds on everything, but it does make for one unforgettable film full of weird characters and a very weird monster.

This Spanish shocker was directed by Mel Welles and once seen is not to soon forgotten. I recommend this for horror fans and fans of bizarre cinema in general.

FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE 1974 (WARNER ARCHIVE)

Another fine Amicus horror!!

Peter Cushing runs an antique store called Temptations Limited, which seels items to people and then if the people are honest good things will happen, and if they are dishonest...watch out.

Cushing head an all star cast including David Warner, Donald Pleasence , Diana Dors, Ian Bannen and Ian Ogilvy. The stories are about a childs wish, a mirror that harbors a dead man, a mysterious world behind a door and much more.

Warner Archive has seen fit to bring this back to the public eye and in a wonderful widescreen transfer. Highly Recommended for horror fans.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Barbi Benton is 63, and Jack Hill is 80.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE 1947 (WARNER BROTHERS)

Humphrey Bogart stars in this John Huston classic.

Three men played by Bogart, Tim Holt and Walter Houston go off in search of a treasure and find a lot of gold, but greed takes over as they fight bandits, and then themselves for the treasure.

Bogart's character of Fred C. Dobbs is something to behold as he goes from mild mannered quiet man to raving lunatic. Director John Houston knew how to bring out the best in every actor he worked with, and this film is the absolute proof.

This is a two disc set which includes a biography of Houston's career and a "Making Of" program plus much more. Leonard Maltin even hosts a "Warner Night At The Movies" which is pretty cool as it features a cartoon, newsreel, short subject and a trailer, then the feature film begins. Impressive and Highly Recommended!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Bridget Fonda is 49.

Saturday, January 26, 2013

AUSTIN POWERS INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY 1997 (NEW LINE)

One of the best comedies in years!

Mike Myers is Austin Powers, a buck toothed 60's suave super spy who is thawed out of suspended animation in 1997 to fight his arch enemy, Dr. Evil, also played by Myers.

The laughs come fast and furious as Powers attempts to figure out the 90's. I can really sympathize with him however. Gorgeous Elizabeth Hurley is his partner and oh my..is she hot. She is smoking hot every time the camera lays eyes on her.

Seth Green is Evil's estranged son who hates his father and Robert Wagner is Number 2, the right hand man of Evil. The best character name in the film belongs to an actress named Fabiana Udenio who plays Alotta Fagina. Rounding out the cast are Charles Napier, Michael York and Mimi Rogers.

Recommended for a good laugh and a good film.

THE BRIBE 1949 (WARNER ARCHIVE)

A great film noir gem!!

Robert Taylor stars as a private eye on the trail of a man who runs a war surplus racket from an Island off the Central American coast. This excellent film has all the ear marks of film noir including Vincent Price as a very suave criminal mastermind.

Charles Laughton is a sweaty wharf rat who run Price's errands. Then of course, there is Ava Gardner is a very, very sexy role as a young entertainer who is caught in the middle of all the intrigue. If you like film noir, you simply cannot go wrong with this movie. One of the best and Highly Recommended!!

Friday, January 25, 2013

HARVEY 1950 (UNIVERSAL)

An all time comedy classic!!

Jimmy Stewart stars in this all time classic comedy about a man named Elwood P. Dowd who has a 6'3" invisible rabbit as his friend and the trouble this causes with his sister and her daughter.

Josephine Hull is his sister and she won an Academy Award for her performance here. The rest of the cast includes Charles Drake, Jesse White, Cecil Kellaway, Wallace Ford, Victoria Horne and Peggy Dow.

This film is both very funny and incredibly touching and I wish they could make films like this now. Very Highly Recommended for any film buff and anyone who needs a good laugh now and then. Films simply don't come any better than this.

TNA WRESTLING'S GREATEST MOMENTS 2010 (NAVARRE)



This disc looks at some of the most classic moments in the history of TNA, now known as Impact Wrestling. Some of those moments include Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair's return to the wrestling ring, Tara's debut in TNA, First ever Knockouts Tag Team Title, Mick Foley coming to TNA and much, much more.

This cover from 2007 thru 2010 and any wrestling fan will enjoy all of it's 3 hour running time. There are some really great things included here so I can recommend this.

BIRTHDAY WISHES TO....

Tobe Hooper is 70, Dean Jones is 82, Anita Pallenberg is 69, Michelle McCool is 33,and Gregg Palmer is 86.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

AMICUS HOUSE OF HORRORS 2012 (ALPHA)

A long and informative documentary.

This two disc documentary is about three hours long and goes very in depth into the history of the other major production house for movies in England during the 60's and 70's...Amicus.

They made some classic chillers such as Dr. Terror's House Of Horrors, Beast Must Die, Tales From The Crypt, Vault Of Horror and many more. This documentary talks with many people associated with the company over the years and they have some interesting tales to tell.

Two interviews with Peter Cushing are also included as extras, and they are both interesting and touching. Cushing was a one of a kind actor. If you like British horror films then you'll love this in depth story of Amicus. Highly Recommended!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Nastassja Kinski is 52, Neil Diamond is 72, and Haji is 67.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

RIP MERRY ANDERS 1934-2012

Word has just reached me that Merry Anders, another of my favorite actresses of the 50's, 60's and 70's has passed away. She died 10/28/12 at the age of 80.

Anders starred in such classic films as "20,000 Eyes", "House Of The Damned", "Time Travelers", "Legacy Of Blood" and much more. She will be missed. No cause of death has been listed.

CODE TWO 1955 (WARNER ARCHIVE)

A rare film noir!!

Ralph Meeker, Robert Horton and Jeff Richards star as 3 young men who graduate from the police academy and finally end up on motorcycle duty. When Richards is killed by crooked truckers Meeker and Horton seek the killers.

Good pacing and a pretty good story make this a real winner. Keenan Wynn and James Craig are two senior officers who trained the men and Sally Forrest is Horton's wife, but the highlight for me is the very, very sexy Elaine Stewart as Richard's girlfriend. The woman always looks like a million bucks and here is no exception.

The rest of the cast is rounded out by William Campbell and Chuck Conners in very important roles which add to the plot. Warner Archive has turned out a gorgeous print. Recommended!!

DR. ORLOFF'S MONSTER 1964 (IMAGE)

Jess Franco strikes again!!

Early Jess Franco film about a mad scientist who turns a man into a robot killer and makes special necklaces for future victims to wear so the robotic killer can find them.

Aka "The Mistresses Of Dr. Jekyll", this film is thread bare on plot but you can see hints of the style Franco would later bring to his other films. The black and white photography is gorgeous and I will recommend this to any Franco fan. Image has released the uncut version with the usual nudity.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Mariska Hargitay is 49, Tiffani Thiessen is 39, and Gil Gerard is 70.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

SWAMP WOMEN 1956 (TREELINE)

Another Roger Corman gem.

Four women, three hardened criminals and an undercover policewoman escape from jail and head to the swamps of Louisiana to find some hidden diamonds. The criminals are Marie Windsor, Beverly Garland, and sexy Jil Jarmyn and the policewoman is played by Carole Matthews.

They kidnap and oil man and his girlfriend who is later eaten by an alligator. The man is played by Mike "Touch" Conners. This is a fun film and nothing to take very serious..just enjoy it as it does entertain. Garland is a very hot headed woman who decides to take the diamonds for herself.

The rest of the cast includes Ed Nelson and Jonathan Haze. Recommended!!

SAVAGE STREETS 1984 (SCORPION)

An 80's exploitation classic!!

Linda Blair looks sexy as hell as a young woman who seeks bloody vengeance on the four punks who raped and assaulted her mute sister played by Linnea Quigley, and killed her good friend. Linda uses knives, fire and a bow and arrow to kill the scum.

Linda looks damn sexy naked as well as in her skin tight black leather outfit she wears when killing. Damn, they just don't make movies like this anymore. John Vernon is the Principle of the high school Linda attends, and has some unforgettable lines.

This is a two disc set hosted by the gorgeous Katarina Leigh Waters as part of her "Kat Skratch Cinema" line. Lots of extras and just a hell of a good time. I do love Linda Blair and have found her to be one of the nicest people I probably will ever know. Highly Recommended!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

John Hurt is 73, and gorgeous Linda Blair is 54.

Monday, January 21, 2013

RIP MARLA ENGLISH 1934-2012

I have just been informed that one of my favorite actresses, Marla English has passed away at the age of 79 from cancer. She died on Dec. 12th.

Marla was always one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen in films and starred in such horror classic as "She Creature", "Voodoo Woman" and western gems as "Flesh And The Spur" and exploitation classics as "Runaway Daughters" and more.

I loved this woman in anything she ever did in films as her beauty was one of a kind. She retired from films after 1957 after she married and we film fans lost a true beauty. Marla will be missed and she of survived by her husband of 57 years.

MICK FOLEY: GREATEST HITS AND MISSES 2004 (WWE)

A two dvd set that no wrestling fan should be without.

Mick Foley AKA Cactus Jack and Mankind has always been known for his violent wrestling career, and now Mick is here to introduce you to some of his favorite matches from WCW, WWE, SMW, and ECW.

Mick gives you a behind the scenes perspective to each match that only makes them more interesting to watch. This set includes the all time classic "Hell In The Cell" match in Pittsburgh where Foley was massacred by The Undertaker in what some consider to be Foley's all time best match.

Highly Recommended!!.

BIRTHDAY WISHES TO....

Emma Bunton is 37, and Audrey Dalton is 76.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

VINCENT PRICE: THE VERSATILE VILLIAN 1997 (FOX)

Price was one of a kind.

Vincent Price will always be one of my favorite all time actors, and this biography covers his life as an actor, author and art collector as well as his many, many fine films.

As anyone who reads this blog knows, Price starred in such films as Madhouse, Pit & The Pendulum, Champagne For Caesar and many, many more. I remember watching this and finding out Price had died a few days before the airing of this show and it hit me right in the gut.

A&E does a wonderful job with this and if you like movies I recommend this as it really keeps your attention for the entire 45 minutes.