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Tuesday, June 30, 2015

RIP JACK CARTER 1923-2015

Broadway actor and film star Jack carter passed away at the age of 93 on June 28th, 2015.

Carter appeared in hundreds of TV shows and movies in his 70 plus year career. I remember him from most of his TV appearences and also from the 1980 film "Alligator" in which he turned in a great performance as the Mayor and in "The Sex Symbol" with luscious Connie Stevens.

The TV show I remember him from most is Batman in which he played "Hot Rod Harry" in two episodes entitled "It's How You Play The Game" and "Come Back Shame".

20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH 1957 (MILL CREEK) BLU-RAY

A Ray Harryhausen classic finally comes to Blu-ray.

A rocket returns from the planet Venus and crashes into the Mediterranean Sea. On that ship are two astronauts who survive as well as a canister carrying a life form from the planet.

Two fishermen rescue the men and a small boy finds the canister in the water. he opens it and takes the egg to a professor. It hatches and begins to grow at a frightening rate. The Ymir (it is never given a name in the film) is tracked and hunted by the US military and the Italian police.

It is captured, but eventually escapes and destroy some of Rome's most famous landmarks. William Hopper is the military man/astronaut who tries to capture the monster. Joan Taylor is the grand daughter of the professor who had the monster before he escaped and Thomas B. Henry and John Zaremba are on hand as well.

The real star of the film is the creature himself. A great stop motion animation monster brought to live by Ray Harryhausen who is still and always will be the undisputed master of movie special effects. The creature is a sight to behold, and to this monster kid, one that will never be forgotten.

The movie looks fantastic in HD and Mill Creek has done an excellent job with the disc. There are no extras, but who cares. This is on a double feature disc with another Harryhausen gem entitled "It Came From Beneath The Sea" which will be reviewed here soon.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Terry Funk is 71.

Monday, June 29, 2015

CHARLIE'S ANGELS SEASON 3 1978-1979 (SONY)

22 episodes comprise another very good season for this, one of my favorite shows.

ANGELS IN VEGAS 9/13/78...Dean martin stars as a man who calls in Charlie and the Angels to find out who is behind a series of murders at his Atlantic City Casino.

ANGEL COME HOME 09/20/78...Farrah Fawcett guest stars in this tale about corruption at the Grand Prix that the Angels investigate.

ANGEL ON HIGH 9/27/78...A man learns that the woman he loved many years ago has died and left him a son. He hires the angels to make sure the man is his son.

ANGELS IN SPRINGTIME 10/11/78...When a famous actress is electrocuted at a health spa, the Angels are sent to investigate.

WINNING IS FOR LOSERS 10/18/78...A female golf pro has several attempts made on her life. This is one of my favorite all time episodes as it stars Casey Kasem and Jamie Lee Curtis.

HAUNTED ANGELS 10/25/78...Bosley thinks a friend of his might be targeted by swindlers, and the Angels go undercover to find out.

POM POM ANGELS 11/1/78...Three cheerleaders are kidnapped by a bizarre cult that forces them to cut their hair and worship a leader called "The Good One". One of the most bizarre episodes ever.

ANGELS AHOY 11/8/78...On a cruise ship a man recognizes another man as the one who killed his wife and later that same passenger is found dead. The owner then calls Charlie, and the Angels are sent in.

MOTHER ANGEL 11/15/78...After a precocious girl witnesses a murder, the Angels set out to investigate.

ANGEL ON MY MIND 11/22/78...The Angels must work to find Kris, who has amnesia after being hit by the car of a man she saw commit a murder.

ANGELS BELONG IN HEAVEN 12/6/78...A man who knows Charlie calls him to tell him that a man he knows has taken out a contract on one of the Angels. He is killed before he can tell, and the angels must quickly find the answer.

ANGELS IN THE STRETCH 12/20/78...The Angels investigate a murder at a horse race track.

ANGELS ON VACATION 1/10/79...Kris invites Bosley and the other Angels on a trip to a small town and soon they find they must rescue most of the town from gangsters that have taken over.

COUNTERFEIT ANGELS 1/24/79...Three women claiming to be the Angels commit a series of robberies and the real Angels are blamed and have to work fast to prove their innocence.

DISCO ANGELS 1/31/79...The Angels investigate stranglings at a disco. Zalman King plays a very psychopathic and sick killer.

TERROR ON SKIS 2/7/79...The government hires the Angels to investigate and find the killer of the Presdient's special aide. Great guest cast includes Cesare Danova, Christopher George and Rossano Brazzi.

ANGEL IN A BOX 2/14/79...A man blames Jill for being the reason his son is dead, so he kidnaps Kris and laves several clues. Farrah Fawcett guest stars again.

TEEN ANGELS 2/28/79...While investigating a murder at a girls school, the Angles find some of the girls selling pills and abusing drugs.

MARATHON ANGEL 3/7/79...After the disappearance of two women who were running a marathon, the Angels investigate as Kris and Kelly join the race.

ANGELS IN WAITING 3/21/79...Bosley is stalked by a killer he and Charlie sent to prison seversl years earlier.

ROSEMARY FOR REMEMBRANCE 5/2/79...The Angels investigate who is trying to murder a man who was released from prison after 44 years.

ANGELS REMEMBERED 5/16/79...The final show of season three takes a look at some previous episodes via flashbacks when Charlie and the Angels get together.

This was the last year that Kate Jackson was involved with the show. Shelly Hack would join the cast in Season 4. And what can I say about Cheryl Ladd? Always my favorite Angel.

Sunday, June 28, 2015

REPTILICUS 1961 (SHOUT FACTORY)

This Danish made sci-fi gem finally gets the Blu-ray treatment.

I have reviewed this here before, but I wanted to do a short look at the Blu-ray disc.

The tail of a prehistoric monster is discovered in a drilling and brought to Copenhagen where it thaws and starts to grows at a rapid rate.

The monster escapes from a lab and goes on the rampage while the military tries to stop it. As you know the creature resembles a deformed snake with wings. It is a shame the scenes of Reptilicus flying have been cut from the US release. I was hoping they would at least be an extra on the disc, but no such luck.

This is a fun monster romp that looks excellent in Blu-ray. Shout has made their HD transfer look better than the film has a right to look. This film is on a double feature disc with the previously reviewed "Tentacles". It is recommended for any monster movie fan.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Bruce Davison is 69.

Saturday, June 27, 2015

TENTACLES 1977 (SHOUT FACTORY)

Shout Factory brings this Italian "Jaws" clone to Blu-ray.

I said i wasn't going to purchase this Blu-ray, but alas, I did anyway.

Ovidio Assonitis directed this tale about a giant octopus terrorizing a beach community. There are some effective scenes in this film such as when the monster attacks a small boat and utterly destroys it along with several people on it.

The cast is most impressive and I assume they just showed up for a paycheck. John Huston, Shelley Winters, Henry Fonda, Cesare Danova, Claude Akins and Bo Hopkins star as well as the lovely Delia Boccardo, whose death scene is one of the most remembered from the film.

The picture and sound quality are top notch, and I did enjoy seeing this again. There are some spots that plod along, but the monster keeps things going.

There is nothing special here, but it is a fun monster movie, that, as i said before, has some memorable scenes. If you're so inclined, check it out. You might like it, and the ending is one of the most original I have seen.

Friday, June 26, 2015

GIANT SPIDER INVASION 1975 (VCI)

This little gem was previously out by Retromedia.

A lot of ignorant critics have really torn this film apart, and while it may not be the best film around, it is by no means the worst. It was actually one of the 50 top grossing films of 1975.

A black hole opens up after a meteor crashes near a small Wisconsin town and soon a giant spider is running around the countryside killing cattle. Dan Kester (Robert Easton) and his wife Eve (Leslie Parrish) find newly killed cattle. Soon their home is overrun with hairy spiders.

The spiders come from mysterious rocks that crack open. Eve is killed by a giant spider in a barn, and Dan is eaten by the huge "mama" spider. One scene where EVE makes a drink in a blender in which a spider has crawled is disturbing to say the least.

The scenes where the spider has invaded Gleason, WI are priceless. This is a great throwback to the 50's monster movies I love so well. VCI has put together a great package on both regular DVD and Blu-ray.

Tons of interviews with director Bill Rebane and other cast and crew members, new clips from Wisconsin TV, a 37 minute Super 8 version of the film, behind the scenes stills and a short film on the making of "Rana" Legend Of Shadow Lake" which is another Rebane film I wish was on DVD.

If you get a chance, check this out. It is a super release and a very welcome one.

RIP PATRICK MACNEE 1922-2015

The actor who made John Steed a household name has died at the age of 93.

MacNee starred in the Avengers TV show as suave John Steed along side Diana Rigg who played Emma Peel. MacNee also starred in such films as "The Howling", "Waxworks 2", "Waxwork", and "Bloodsuckers" along with hundreds of TV shows.

His Avengers role of Steed ran from 1961-1969 and he was in all 161 episodes. He died in California at his home.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

SHORT TAKES.....

Last weekend I went to see Jaws in the theater for the first time in 40 years, and to kill time before the showing I watched two water related monster films that I have talked about here before, but re-watched.

SAND SHARKS 2011 (PHASE 4)...This was an interesting film idea about an underwater earthquake that releases a bunch of prehistoric sharks that can swim in the sand.

Upon my second viewing of this film, I found the acting to be quite bad by most of the cast involved. My main attraction to this film is, of course, Brooke Hogan. I find her to be a very beautiful young woman, and she does have the acting skills when given the chance.

The CGI effects aren't too hot either and the movie plods along. Again, as I said above, a good concept, but not well executed. Corin Nemec is ok, but his acting in this is horrendous. Maybe you should see this once, and that is enough.

OCTAMAN 1971 (RETROMEDIA)...Now this is one of my favorites, and you can call me crazy, but I don't care. Rick Baker created the monster and also is inside the costume.

Kerwin Matthews and Pier Angeli are scientists who are in Mexico to investigate what pollution is doing to the environment. They find a monster that resembles an octopus, but walks on two legs. I find the creature costume to be very well made, and a great throwback to 50's monster films.

Director Harry Essex had written scripts for such classics as "Creature From The Black Lagoon" and he simply took the script for that film and revised it a bit. The film looks better than I have ever seen it, and I always find it a pleasure to watch this film.

Put your brain on hold and enjoy this monster film romp for what it is, good fun. The rest of the cast includes Jeff Morrow and David Essex. Recommended!!

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

SUGAR HILL 1974 (KINO)

Absolutely one of the best films of it's kind!!

For years this film has been hard to get on DVD. it was released as an MOD a few years ago, but thanks to Kino/Scorpion, it has finally reached Blu-ray in a beautiful presentation that should please any horror fan.

Gorgeous Marki Bey stars as a young woman whose fiance is killed by gangsters who work for a man who wants to take over his nightclub. Bey's character Diana "Sugar" Hill seeks revenge in the form of a voodoo god named Baron Samedi (Don Pedro Colley).

Samedi grants her wish and has his creepy army of slave zombies help Sugar gain her bloody revenge. The scene where Samedi calls forth the dead is very well handled and not soon forgotten. The corpses crawl out of their graves and are armed with machetes and still wearing their slave shackles along with huge silver eyes.

Robert Quarry is Morgan, the man who had Sugar's man killed. His racist girlfriend, Celeste, is played by Betty Anne Reese and the detective on the case who used to have a relationship with Sugar is named Valentine and is played by Richard Lawson.

Morgan is insistent on buying the club from Sugar and stops at nothing to get it. Meanwhile his men are being killed one by one in very gruesome ways such as beheading, being fed to very hungry pigs and voodoo magic. Morgan sends out his main man, named Fabulous, to find out what is happening and even he falls victim to the female zombies in an unforgettable scene.

Director Paul Maslansky fills this movie with images that really stick in your head. The movie moves along at a very good pace and holds your attention. The fate for Celeste is actually probably the most disturbing in the entire film.

The rest of the wonderful cast includes Zara Cully as Mama Maitresse, Larry D. Johnson, and Charles Khron. The extras on the Blu-ray include the original trailer, on camera interviews with Don Pedro Colley, Richard Lawson, Charlie Robinson and director Paul Maslansky.

Easily one of the best releases of the year so far.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Georg Stanford Brown is 72.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

SHORT TAKES....

Watched a couple more Universal classics the other day as a double feature.

INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS 1940 (UNIVERSAL)...Vincent Price stars as a man on death row for killing his brother. His friend, Jack Griffin (John Sutton) gives him the invisibility serum that his brother created and Price's character, Geoffrey Radcliff sets about to prove his innocence.

Alan Napier is very good as Willie Spears, a dim witted loud mouth who knows the truth about the killing of Radcliff's brother. Cedric Hardwicke is Richard Cobb, the real killer.

The special effects are good, but you can see that they were rushed. However, this is not a distraction. Price is very good in the role as the mad trying to prove his innocence as well as fighting madness brought on by the drug. Cecil Kellaway is charming and very good as Inspector Sampson.

A very good film and a fun watch.

INVISIBLE AGENT 1942 (UNIVERSAL)...Jon Hall stars in this wartime film about an American agent who goes to Nazi Germany to infiltrate the Nazi's and stop their plan to bomb the US.

Peter Lorre is great as a Japanese spy working with the Nazis, and Jon Hall makes for a good hero. Ilona Massey is a beautiful agent working for the US that Hall falls for, an it is always a joy to see her on the screen.

Hall's character is the grandson of the original Invisible man, and again uses the serum, but this time to help the war effort. This is good fun, and watching Hall make the Nazis look like idiots is always a joy.

The rest of the cast includes Cedric Hardwicke, Keye Luke, J. Edward Bromberg, and john Litel. Recommended!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

John Amplas is 66.

Monday, June 22, 2015

THE MANITOU 1978 (TCM VIEWING)

This is a film I use to own on DVD, but it was lost in a move somehow.

Directed by the great William Girdler, this thriller is one of my favorites and stars Tony Curtis as a psychic whose distant girlfriend (Susan Strasberg) finds that she has a tumor growing on her neck. It soon become apparent that the tumor is really a fetus housing a soon to be born ancient Indian medicine man that is all powerful.

The doctors at the hospital are stumped and find they cannot do anything as the fetus grows to very large size. Curtis enlists the aid of a medicine man living on a small farm who at first is very reluctant to help, but finally agrees. John Singing Rock is played by the great character actor Michael Ansara.

The spirit rips it's way out of Strasberg's back and soon beings working his evil black magic. The deformed medicine man is something to see and he is angry about what has happened to him from all the radiation the doctors used taking hundreds of x rays.

The ending is rather esoteric and bizarre, but it fits perfectly. There are some bizarre and scary moments and Girdler makes the most of them. Sadly, Girdler died a few months before the release of the film when the helicopter he was in crashed in the Philippines while scouting locations for his next film.

The rest of the top notch cast includes Burgess Meridith, Stella Stevens, Jon Cedar, Ann Southern, Paul Mantee, and Laureen Tuttle. I hope this is re-issued on DVD on Blu-ray soon, but for now I will make due with a disc recorded from TCM by a good friend.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Bruce Campbell is 57, Kris Kristofferson is 79, and Lindsay Wagner is 66.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

JAWS 1975 (THEATRICAL SHOWING)

TCM an Universal have teamed up to bring some of the best classic cinema back into theaters where it belongs.

40 years ago on June 21, 1975 I saw Jaws for the very first time. It scared the hell out of me. I have never been in the water after seeing it, and never will be.

Tonight I got to see it again on the big screen and it is still a perfect horror film. Never in the history of cinema has there ever been a more scary monster than the 25 foot great white shark that is nothing but an eating machine.

Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw are terrific as the sheriff, oceanographer and shark hunter respectively, who go out to sea to hunt the giant man eater. This is how movies should be made.

It was great to finally see it in a theater again and in the coming months TCM/Universal will be offering such films as "Double Indemnity", "Psycho", and Dracula from 1931 as well as the 1931 Spanish version.

Cannot wait to see all of these on the big screen, and Jaws was the perfect introduction.. If you haven't seen Jaws on the big screen, you should. it is essential viewing.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Mariette Hartley is 75.

Saturday, June 20, 2015

DETROIT 9000 (1973) MIRIMAX

A classic gangster film with a great cast.

It has been quite a while since I saw this film, and re-watching it was a great experience.

A political get together for a future black mayor is robbed of several thousand dollars and two detectives, one black and the other white are sent in to investigate. They are played by Hari Rhodes and Alex Rocco.

the two find a long road of corruption that leads right to almost every politician and cop in the city. They have a lot of political pressure put on them to solve the case, which doesn't help matters at all. The always sexy Vonetta McGee is a young woman who has some vital info for the cops.

This has a great ending with a blazing shootout that seems to last forever. My only complaint is that Vonetta has very little screen time, and her character is killed way too soon. Other than that, this is a top notch action film directed by Arthur Marks.

Rocco is fantastic as always and plays a key role in the very twisted ending. If you get the chance, check it out.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Martin Landau is 87, and Brett Halsey is 82.

Friday, June 19, 2015

SHORT TAKES.....

With work and personal issues taking up so much time, I haven't done a lot of movie viewing, but I did do a double feature of two Universal classics from the 1930's.

INVISIBLE MAN 1933 (UNIVERSAL)...Watching an old Universal film is like seeing an old friend that hasn't been around for a while. Claude Rains stars in this classic as a professor, Jack Griffin, who discovers a serum to render him invisible. The side effect is insanity.

Rains gives a great performance as the man who slowly looses his mind and starts killing people while invisible. The special effects by John P. Fulton are magnificent an still quite impressive today, 82 years later. This is the sign of a true classic when a statement like that can be made.

Based of the novel by H.G. Wells, this Universal classic should be seen by all horror fans. It is simply a work of art that filmmakers today just cannot do. The rest of the cast includes Gloria Stuart, William Harrigan, and Una O'Conner. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

INVISIBLE WOMAN 1940 (UNIVERSAL)...This is a mild comedy about a young woman who volunteers for an experiment by a scientist to become invisible.

Virginia Bruce stars as the title character, who, once she become invisible, torments her boss into giving the women working for her some respect and slowly falls in love with a broken former millionaire played by John Howard.

John Barrymore is the goofy scientist that created the machine the makes things invisible, and he soon finds that gangsters want to steal the device for their own use.

Put your brain on hold an enjoy this little romp for what it is, good clean fun. The rest of the cast includes Charles Riggles, Oscar Homolka,Anne Nagel, maria Montez and Shemp Howard.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Rosabla Neri is 76, Daria Nicolodi is 65, and Ray Lovelock is 65.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

SHORT TAKES.....

I watched a few films with the late, great Christopher Lee, and here are two of them which were talked about here a long time ago.

TERROR IN THE CRYPT 1964 (RETROMEDIA)...This is also known as Crypt Of the Vampire. Lee stars as Count Ludwig Karnstein, a man who believes that his lovely daughter, Laura is possessed by the spirit of a dead ancestor named Carmilla.

Laura is played by Adriana Ambesi whom many fans will remember for her ultra sexy performance as Blinka in "Fangs Of The Living Dead". This film is in gorgeous black and white and very atmospheric.

Ursula Davis is Ljuba, a young woman who comes to stay with Laura who may not be what she seems to be. Lee is fine in the role of a man who is surrounded by things he does not understand, and the print from Retromedia is one of the better ones I have seen of this film. This makes for great Saturday morning viewing.

CITY OF THE DEAD 1960 (VCI)...One of the best horror films around!!

Christopher Lee again stars in this film. He plays the role of a college teacher of the supernatural who sends students to a small New England town called Whitewood. He sends them there to be sacrificed as he is part of a devil worshiping cult that is headed by a witch who was executed 300 years past.

This film is loaded with dark atmosphere and it seems like Whitewood is constantly enshrouded in fog. The first young student is captured and killed so her boyfriend goes to investigate.

The print from VCI is excellent and this film really holds your attention. John Moxey directed this gem with his usual flair for gothic style. One of Lee's best films and one not to be missed by horror fans.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Peter Lupus is 83.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

SHORT TAKES.....

Finally got a disc back that had been lost from my collection for some time and it was a joy to watch again. Both have been talked about here before, but not for a very long time.

COUNT YORGA VAMPIRE 1970 (MGM)...Robert Quarry stars as suave vampire Count Yorga, who preys on people in modern day California.

Yorga meets a group of young people at a seance he is conducting and then things soon start happening. One of the young women is bitten by a vampire and soon everyone starts falling victim to Yorga.

There are some very effective moments such as when Yorga stalks a young couple stranded on his property in a van, an the classic scene when one of the women named Erica is found feasting on a kitten. This is a scene that is not ever forgotten when you see it. Yorga's brides are a frightening sight to behold and nothing to be messed with.

The rest of the cast includes Roger Perry, who is also in the sequel, Michael Murphey, Marsha Jordan and Donna Anders. The narration is provided by actor George Macready whose son Michael also stars and co-produced.

Bob Kelljan effectively directs this film which once it takes off it never slows down. The ending is a twist that is welcome. If you haven't seen this film, you are missing one of the most well made horror films of the 70's. This has been slated for a Blu-ray release in October 2015.

RETURN OF COUNT YORGA 1971 (MGM)... I remember the very effective newspaper ads for this film, an it is my favorite of the two films. Quarry again stars, and he is one of the best vampires in movie history.

The opening to this is creepy as hell. A young boy is playing outside of an orphanage, and kicks his ball into a cemetery. as he rests a bevy of female vampires comes out of the ground and begin chasing the child. He runs into someone and screams. The scene then cuts to a small costume party going on inside the orphanage.

Yorag appears at the party and meets a woman named Cynthia (Mariette Hartley) whom he is very soon smitten with. She introduces him to the others including her fiancee, David Baldwin (Roger Perry).

Cynthia's entire family is killed by Yorga's brides and he makes her believe that she was in an accident thru hypnosis and that she must stay at his home.

Bob Kelljan returns as director and does another great job. The scene where Yorga kills a man played by Micheal Pataki is filmed by showing the killing thru the reflection in the water where his boat is parked. It is one of the best scenes ever to appear in a horror film.

Again, the brides are vicious and nothing to mess with, as Baldwin and two detectives soon discover when searching Yorga's mansion. Cynthia is rescued, but there is a very cool twist to this one as well.

Both films are on one disc and look very, very good. A damn good double feature worth picking up. This film has just been announced for a Blu-ray release from Shout Factory in October 2015. Recommended!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Joan Van Ark is 72, Vilmos Zsigmond is 85, Dagmar Lassander is 72, and Suzan Farmer is 73.

Monday, June 15, 2015

Sunday, June 14, 2015

ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK 1981 (SHOUT FACTORY)

John Carpenter's classic sci-fi adventure film finally arrives on Blu-ray.

It's 1997 and New York is a maximum security prison. During the course of a night a plane carrying the President Of The United States crashes into the prison and the authorities have to move quickly.

When a rescue attempt fails they send in an inmate whom they have arrested for robbery. Hauk (Lee Van Cleef), the man who runs the prison offers Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) a full pardon if he can go in and rescue the president within 24 hours.

Snake agrees, rather reluctantly, and is dropped into the prison by glider. Once inside he runs into an odd assortment of inmates including Cabbie played with much gusto by Ernest Borgnine, Brain played by Harry Dean Stanton and Maggie played by Adrienne Barbeau. With their help he lots a rescue attempt to get the President (Donald Pleasence) away from the self appointed leader of the inmates called The Duke played by Isaac Hayes.

The ending to this film is one of the most bleak, but it fits the tone of the film perfectly. This is when Carpenter was in top form, making all kinds of enjoyable films like this and also including "Halloween", "The Thing" and much more.

there is a lot of interesting trivia with this film including the fact that Kris Kristofferson was considered for the role of Plissken, but wasn't talked to after the failure of "Heaven's Gate". I however, feel the casting of Russell was perfect.

it's hard for me to believe that this film is 34 years old. It seems like only yesterday I went to the theater to see this gem. Seeing this after many years is a joy and it looks better than ever thanks to the efforts of Shout Factory. This is a two disc set on which disc one has the feature film and disc two is crammed full of extras which any fan of the film will love, including interviews with many cast members including the late Isaac Hayes.

The rest of the cast for this great film includes Season Hubley, Tom Atkins, Charles Cyphers and the voice of Jamie Lee Curtis who narrates the opening. Look quickly for Ox Baker and John Carpenter. I cannot say enough good things about this film. Totally enjoyable from start to finish and not a flaw to be seen. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Saturday, June 13, 2015

FROGS 1972 (SHOUT FACTORY)

Another of my favorite films comes to Blu-ray via Shout.

Ray Milland stars as a very cranky rich man named Jason Crockett who has a huge estate that he suddenly fins being overrun by frogs. His family is gathered for their annual birthday and 4th of July celebration. A careless boating accident introduces them to Pickett Smith (Sam Elliot) who is concerned with their use of poisons to control wildlife.

Joan Van Ark is Karen Crockett, Adam Roarke is Clint and lovely Lynn Borden is his neglected wife, Jenny. The most beautiful cast member is Judy Pace as Bella Carrington, a gorgeous model who happens to be the girlfriend of one of the family members. Jason does not take kindly to this, but he accepts it none the less.

Over the course of the weekend several of the family members are killed by lizards spilling some poison, one being killed by spiders, and other grisly ways. nature soon beings a full scale attack and Milland is left in his house alone, which the frogs take care of at the end.

I have read so much bad press about this film, but is has a place in my heart as a fun thriller, and as I have said in an older review of the regular DVD release, I will watch any film with Judy Pace.

If you like horror I can't see you missing this, and it really looks great on Blu-ray. The disc also has an interview with Joan Van Ark who talks very kindly of the film. One of the best releases of the year so far, Shout paired it with "Food of the Gods", another fave. RECOMMENDED!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Malcolm McDowell is 72.

Friday, June 12, 2015

RAMBLINGS....

Yesterday was a pretty awful day.

The film world lost one of the greatest and most well known actors in Sir Christopher Lee and the wrestling world lost a true legend in Dusty Rhodes.

Both hit me hard as they did a lot of people, and I decided to not review anything yesterday. Sir Lee has been a part of my life since I was very, very young and it is hard for me to believe he is gone. It really brings ones own mortality to the mind when someone you have never met, but has kept you entertained throughout your life passes away.

Nothing lasts forever, but the impact of Sir Lee's passing was like a blow directly in my gut. The man has been with me so long it was hard to imagine him not doing any more films. The good side is that his films will live on for younger people who knew him from his more recent films, and for those my age who have watched him since the 60's or further back.

Early yesterday afternoon, while still reeling from the death if Lee, I get a phone call from a friend telling me about the death of Virgil Runnels, aka Dusty Rhodes. It made the day even worse. Again, I have watched Dusty wrestle and perform since the late 70's, and it was quite a blow.

Nobody, but nobody exemplified the "every day" man as Rhodes did. Dusty taught me how to use a mic, and if you're going to imitate someone, always imitate the best, and that was what he was. In the 70's and 80's Rhodes wrestled in the NWA and was seen on WTCG which became WTBS. His legendary feud with Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen is legendary, and it filled arenas across the land, especially the Omni in Atlanta, GA.

Rhodes built my passion for wrestling, and that too has stayed with me. I lost two icons of my two passions in life, movies and wrestling in one day. June hasn't been a good month for the last two years as last year I lost my favorite radio personality, Casey Kasem.

I guess it hits you hard when you lose people who have either entertained you, taught you and have done both things well. These two men, Lee and Rhodes were part of my life as far back as I can remember. They are gone now and time marches on, but the feelings of sadness will remain for a while. Both men achieved international stardom, but remained gentlemen, not ego driven, like those "stars" today.

As I see all of these people passing on, and my past slowly disappearing, I realize that life is very short and people should always enjoy it no matter what. Yes, there are ups and downs, but people like Christopher Lee and Dusty Rhodes can at least entertain us and take our minds off of our troubles for a short while.

RIP gentlemen. I will miss both of you, but thank you for keeping my passion alive for all these years.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Shari Eubank is 68.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

RIP DUSTY RHODES 1945-2015

What a very sad day for wrestling fans and horror fans. First Christopher Lee and now a true wrestling Icon, Dusty Rhodes (aka Virgil Runnels).

Dusty Rhodes was an iconic wrestler whom I grew up watching for many, many years. Rhodes had one of the best work ethics around and his long time feud with "The Four Horsemen" was legendary.

Rhodes could captivate any audience and drew sellouts almost where ever he wrestled. He was a three time world heavyweight champion and held many other titles around the world.

One of his most passionate lines in an interview was "I have eaten pork and bean, and dined with kings and queens". Dusty was one of the nicest men I have met and he will be missed. What a shitty day.

I owe Dusty a great deal. I learned my mic skills from him.

RIP CHRISTOPHER LEE 1922-2015

The last Hammer legend has passed away.

I don't really know what to say here except very large part of my upbringing has now gone away. Lee, of course, is best known for all of his great roles in British horror films from the Hammer Company.

Lee made Dracula a household word again in the late 50's and 60's by starring in six vampire movies starting with "Horror of Dracula" in 1958. it is with this and many other roles that he became a star in the USA.

Lee acted in hundreds of films and TV shows, but will always be remembered by people of my generation as "King of The Vampires". A very sad day for people like me, but Lee lived a nice long life and has left an untouchable legacy. The Golden Age Of Horror Cinema" has ended with his death, as Lee was the last horror star.

He will be missed by everyone who knew him. He was 93.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Adrienne Barbeau is 70, Dawn Wildsmith is 52.