WITCHCRAFT 16: HOLLYWOOD COVEN 2017 (TUBI)

This is the 16th sequel to the series that started back in the late 80's!!

I believe and hope that this is the final one as they never seem to climb out of mediocrity. This one does manage to change a few things up however.

The plot to this one involves all the people who have been making this series of films as we discover that the movies have been made in order to let Satan and his minions take over the world.

I will admit that it's an interesting twist, but it doesn't help that the acting is terrible and the movie plods along. I watched this just to say I did, and it was a waste of 72 minutes.

The ending leaves things open for another film, but so far none has been made. That is a good thing. If you're a fan of these, then you might want to see this, if you haven't already.

All other steer clear.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Beverly Washburn is 82, and Terry Kilburn is 99.

RIP UDO KIER 1944-2025

One of the most prolific actors in films has passed away.

Kier's career lasted almost 60 years and he appeared in over 280 movies and TV shows around the world.

He appeared in every genre imaginable, but really stood out in the horror and action genres. Some of his most notable movies include "Mark Of The Devil", "The Salzberg Connection", "Flesh For Frankenstein", ""Blood For Dracula", "The Story Of O", "Susperia", "Barb Wire" and "Critical Mass", just to name a few.

His roles in later films were always wild an eccentric, but the always stood out. They don't make actors like Udo anymore.

Udo Kier passed away on November 23, 2025 at the age of 81.

BLACK WIDOW 1955 (MYSTICAL POPCORN)

Pretty good murder mystery filmed in gorgeous color.

Van Heflin stars as Pete Denver, a writer who is married to an actress named Iris (Gene Tierney). One night, after Iris has left for a business trip, Pete goes to a party given by and friend of theirs.

At this party hosted by Carlotta Marin (Ginger Rogers), Pete meets a very quiet young woman named Nancy Ordway (Peggy Ann Garner) and she becomes infatuated with Pete.

Pete is either too stupid or too nice to tell her to knock it off. One night she is discovered dead in Pete and Iris' apartment. First called a suicide, her death is later called a murder based on new evidence from Detective Bruce (George Raft).

Pete is considered a prime suspect in her death and he must fight to prove his innocence and to save his very life. There are some very good plot twists here and Heflin is very good as the man who is on the run.

The movie works very well and I found myself very absorbed in the plot. The cast is excellent and also includes Reginald Gardiner, Virginia Leith, Otto Kruger, Skip Homeier, Bea Benaderet and Hilda Simms.

The ending has a twist you might see coming, but who cares...it's a good movie and I recommend it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Debra Lamb is 62, and Beth Phoenix is 45.

THE BURNING COURT 1962 (SINISTER CINEMA)

This interesting French production is based on a story by American John Dickson Carr.

This may seem like a horror film from the opening scenes involving witchcraft and such, but that isn't the case.

The film is actually a murder mystery with some very, very light horror overtones. Several people gather at an old castle for the reading of a will. There are a lot of twists and turns in this complex mystery from director Julien Duvivier.

The story certainly isn't original, but it is presented well and the cast handles everything fine. It was filmed in Germany and financed in France and Italy.

The mystery gets tighter and tighter as the plot progresses and it comes to a satisfactory ending. If you're looking for something different, this isn't the film to see. It IS the film to see if you're looking for a well made mystery.

The cast includes Nadja Tiller, Jean-Claude Brialy, Perrette Pradier, Edith Scob, Dany Jacquet and Walter Giller.

The print I have is completly uncut as several times it switches out from the dubbed version to French language which means the missing scenes that were not dubbed have been put back in.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Franco Nero is 84, and Jeannie Bell is 82.

SOME LAPSE OF TIME 1965 (SINISTER CINEMA)

Very well done episode of the series "Out Of The Unknown".

Ronald Lewis stars as Dr. Max Harrow. He is awakened from a nightmare by a phone call about a mysterious man who has been found near his home.

The tramp that has been found is discovered by Harrow and the other doctors to be suffering from effects of radiation poisoning and he speaks in a bizarre language no one can understand.

Harrow also notices that the tramp looks just like the man in his nightmares that keeps pursuing him. While the tramp is treated at the hospital, Harrow becomes so involved in trying to find out more about him that he starts to lose his grip on sanity.

This is one of the best episodes of the series that I've seen and it works very, very well. The ending is somewhat odd, and it might disappoint some, but it's fine in my opinion.

Sinister has been turning out a few of these episodes and all of them have been enjoyable. This was the best so far. I won't try and explain the ending, I just think you need to see it to appreciate it.

The rest of the cast includes Jane Downs, Richard Gale, John Gabriel, and Delena Kidd. RECOMMENDED!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Scarlett Johansson is 41, and Margaret Markov is 77.

MARK OF SATAN 1957 (SINISTER CINEMA)

More Mexican horror from director Chano Urueta.

This is a weird mixture of Mexican horror and several musical numbers thrown in for good measure.

The main plot revolves around a quiet little town that is suddenly thrown into terror when a strange killer starts doing in victims with a very large axe.

The brother of one of the victims arrives in town to find the killer and is met with supernatural horror he never expected. There are several great scenes of the giant axe coming out of its case and looking for victims!!

I don't want to give too much away here, but this is a good film that also includes walking corpses and a slight bit of comedy in a couple of scenes. As I mentioned, it's a weird mixture.

This movie is rather obscure and hard to find and I was very glad to see Sinister Cinema put out a beautiful subtitlled edition for the masses to see.

The cast includes Luis Aguilar, Floe Silvestre, and Pasqual Garcia Pena.

This is recommended to horror fans looking for something a little different.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Nicollette Sheridan is 62, Juliet Mills is 84, Nikki Bella ia 42, Deborah Shelton is 77, and Brie Bella is 42.

THE CRYING WOMAN 1933 (SINISTER CINEMA)

A very well done early Mexican horror film.

This is, of course based on the famous Mexican legend that films such as "Curse Of The Crying Woman" were based on as well.

The plot concerns a family that is under a curse. The curse is that any child who reaches four years old will be killed by the vengeful spirit of the "wailing woman".

The spirit is of a woman who killed her child and then herself. The family must fight and free itself from what seems to be an eternal curse.

I love Mexican cinema and this movie did not disappoint. It's well done for what it is, and everything keeps the viewers attention right up until the final scene in the climax, which you may or may not be expecting.

The print is subtitled into English and overall the print quality is very good. I was glad to finally see this film after hearing about it for years, and it makes excellent viewing this time of the year.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Bo Derek is 69, and Mie Hama is 82.

DEVIL'S ANGELS 1967 (MGM)

This is a quickly made follow-up to the very successful "The Wild Angels".

Roger Corman produced this AIP film written by Charles Griffith and directed by Daniel Haller.

The plot is very simple. A motorcycle gang called "The Skulls" is a very violent one and is kicked out of a small town in the west. Their leader is named Cody (John Cassavetes) and they all follow him to another small town that is having a carnival.

The Sheriff, played by Leo Gordon warns them to leave town in the morning and not to cause any problems. Very soon they are accused of raping a young woman named Marianne (Mimsy Farmer). The twist is, she doesn't accuse them, but the mayor and other townfolk do.

The sheriff releases Cody from jail because he has no evidence. Cody and his bikers are escorted out of town, but come back with 200 other bikers and teach the town a lesson it will never forget.

Cody hates all of the violence and leavs the gang and heads down the roda by himself in a very downbeat ending.

This is a pretty good film which I did enjoy, but it isn't for everyone. The rest of the cast includes Beverly Adams, Wally Campo, Russ Bender, Russ Cavell, Marianne Kantor, Salli Sache and Nia Bonet in her film debut.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Meg Ryan is 64, Ted Turner is 87, and Lorna Maitland is 82.

RIP BOB CAUDLE 1930-2025

One of the greatest wrestling announcers has passed away.

Bob Caudle was part of my life every Saturday and Sunday when wrestling aired on TV.

I remember him from WCW, Smokey Mountain Wrestling and other syndicated programs around the country. He had such a distinctive voice and never overshadowed the wrestlers.

Bob Caudle passed away on November 16, 2025 at the age of 90.

008: MISSION EXTERMINATE 1965 (TUBI)

This is an interesting Italian spy movie shot in Italy and Egypt.

This Umberto Lenzi directed film has escaped my radar for years. It stars Alberto Lupo as Frank Smith, agent 606 who works for the British Secret Service.

Smith is sent to Cairo and finds his partner is agent 008, a very attractive woman played by Ingrid Schoeller. Together they must try and stop the theft of plans for a radar blocking system.

There is nary a dull moment in this film and it should be noted that Schoeller's character of MacDonald is a female James Bond type and it works very well. Her character is able to fight, has plenty of interesting gadgets and knows her business very well.

Lupo is good in his role as well and the movie has a double twist ending which I found very interesting. There are plenty of gunfights, fistfights and car chases. The scenery is beautiful in Egypt and I don't think it will ever be seen like that by future generations.

I was glad to finally see this movie after all the years of looking for it and reading about it. The rest of the cast includes Dina de Santis, Sal Borgese, George Wang, and Iver Gilborn.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Peta Wilson is 55, Andrea Marcovicci is 77, and Shari Shattuck is 65.

GANG BULLETS 1939 (FILM DETECTIVE)

Pretty good Monogram gangster film.

Morgan Wallace steals the movie as "Big Bill" Anderson, a gangster who is kicked out of one town and then arrices in another with the intent of taking over.

He runs into DA Dexter Wayne (Charles Trowbridge) who is determined to get rid of Anderson. However, Anderson proves to be a very intelligent crime boss and nothing works. As a matter of fact he turns the local newspaper against the DA as well.

He then sets out to destroy Wayne and everyone around him. The movie has some very good twists and turns for a 30's gangster drama and the cast handles everything very well.

I had never heard of this movie but decided to watch it when I saw it starred Anne Nagel as she is a woman I cannot resist watching.

If you happen across this undiscovered gem, check it out. The rest of the cst includes Robert Kent, Roger Williams, J. Farrell MacDonald, and John T. Murray.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Daisey Fuentes is 59.

YOUNG REBELS 1989 (TUBI)

I liked this outlandish action film from director Amir Shervan.

The plot is pretty simple. The movie opens with a dope deal gone wrong which leaves Mr. Vincenzo (Carlos Rivas) out of 2 million dollars, and he wants revenge.

A young man named Charlie (Jon Greene) gets involved in the drug cartel battle when a couple of his friends are killed by Vincenzo's men.

There are plenty of gun battles involving the drug gang led by Vincenzo's son Joey (Robert Z'Dar) and Charlie and his friends. There are also a couple of great car chases and sub plots about crooked cops.

The movie moves along quickly and never seems to let up once it gets going, which is almost from the start. There is a bevy of beautiful woman in this movie including Christine Lunde who is under appreciated to this day by movie fans. Also the drop dead gorgeous Delia Sheppard is always a joy to see.

Seeing Delia do a very, very sexy strip dance for Z'Dar is the highlight of the movie for me. I have always had a thing for Sheppard and this scene made the entire movie....for me anyway.

Aldo Ray also has a small role as the perplexed Sheriff of the small town the action takes place in. I think you'd like this film if you get a chance to see it. I recommend it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Steve Railsback is 80, Joanna Pettet is 83, Gemma Atkinson is 41, and Barbara Leigh is 79.

HOME TO DANGER 1951 (VCI)

Good little British crime film directed by Terence Fisher.

Guy Rolfe stars as Robert irving, a young man who meets Barbara Cummings ( Rona Anderson) at the reading of her late fathers will.

It soon becomes apparent that someone is trying to kill Barbara after she inherits her fathers business.Robert sets out to help her discover what is going on.

It seems drug dealers have a huge stake in the business and they want Barbara dead and out of the way.

The film moves quickly and is never boring. It's always interesting to watch these early British films and see many of the faces I saw in horror films of a later period.

The rest of the cast includes Francis Lister, Alan Wheatley, Peter Jones, Stanley Baker, and Dennis Harkin. I would recommend this movie for fans of mystery and crime films.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Anni-Frid Lyngstad is 80.

BLOOD ORGY OF THE SHE DEVILS 1973 (IMAGE)

A strange and confusing film from Ted V. Mikels, but I found it very watchable.

Two young people, Lorraine (Leslie McCray) and Mark (Tom Pace) come into contact with a mysterious woman named Mara (Lila Zaborin) who reads the future and is involced with witchcraft.

There are several murders that occure and both Mark and Lorraine decide to contact an old friend of Mark's named Dr. Helsford (Victor Izay).

Helsford decides he has to fight the evil witchcraft coming from the castle where Mara and her followers live as they have contacted spirits that are extremely dangerous and will kill them.

This is not a very fast moving film, but for some reason I felt compelled to stay and watch until the final. I like Mikels and his movies and that may be the reason right there.

The cast includes a lot of his regular actors and actresses and that is always a plus. Anytime I can see Sherri Vernon I enjoy it. This movie isn't for everyone and the title has nothing to do with the movie.

However, you might enjoy this if you're in the right frame of mind.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Sandahl Bergman is 74.

SAMSON AND HIS MIGHTY CHALLENGE 1964 (SINISTER CINEMA)

A very odd movie.

I love Italian movies, but have never understood Italian comedy. It must be a cultural thing. This is a mixture of muscle popper and comedy.

The story revolves around Hercules (Alan Steele), Maciste (Howard Ross), Samson (Nadir Moretti), and Ursus (Yann larvor) fighting an evil ruler who is supressing the people.

The movie is full of beautiful women, as is usual for Italian cinema, especially muscle poppers. The comedy was ok. A lot of it escaped me, but I did have a couple of laugh out loud moments.

This is a film I can only say watch at your own descretion.

The rest of the cast includes Helene Chanel, Lia Zoppelli, Moria Orfei, Elisa Montes, and Nino Marchetti.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Tom Atkins is 87, and Tracy Scoggins is 72.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Valierie Leon is 82.

RIP SALLY KIRKLAND 1941-2025

The very busy actress has passed away.

Sally Kirkland appeard in over 240 movies and TV shows in her extensive career that lasted for 65 years and started with a bit part in a movie entitled "Crack In The Mirror" in 1960.

Some of her many TV appearances include episodes of "Hawaii 5-O", "Police Story", "Bronk", "Kojak", "Charlie's Angels" and many, many more.

Kirkland appeared in hundreds of movies as well including "Private Benjamin", "Cold Feet", :Two Evil Eyes", "Grave Images", and "A Star In Born".

Sally Kirkland passed away on November 11,2025 at the age of 84, just 12 days after her birthday.

A TATTERED WEB 1971 (MIRACLE PICTURES)

Well done YV crime film from the early 70's.

The plot is pretty simple, but the actors bring everything to life in a great way.

Lloyd Bridges stars as Police Sgt. Ed Stagg who has a beautiful daughter named Tina (Sallie Shockley) that is married to Steve Butler (Frank Converse).

Steve is having an affair with Louise Campbell (Anne Helm) and this gets Ed all worked up as he refuses to let Steve hurt his daughter. Things get out of control and Ed accidentally kills Louise.

The rest of the movie concerns Ed trying to cover up the facts from his partner Sgt. Joe Marcus (Murray Hamilton) as well as everyone else, plus getting Steve off the hook as a murder suspect so as to not hurt Tina.

Bridges is very good in this film as a crazy cop who cares for nobody, even those he says he loves. He has many double standards and even tries to pin the murder on an alcoholic bum!

A recommended TV movie from a great era.

The rest of the cast includes Broderick Crawford, Whit Bissell, John Fiedler, Walter Brooke and Ellen Corby.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Rhonda Shear is 71.

HAPPY 'BELATED" BIRTHDAY

Katarina Waters turned 45 on Nov. 10.

RIP WALTER MASLOW 1928-2025

The character actor has passed away.

Maslow may not be a household name, but he appeard in plenty of TV shows and movies most of us have seen at one time or another.

His TV career included roles in such shows as "Mike Hammer", "26 Men", "Man With A Camera", "Fury" and "Man From U.N.C.L.E.". His movie roles include "Atlas", "Cosmic Man", :Suicide Battalion", "Human Duplicators", "The Carpetbaggers" and "Raiders from Beneath The Sea".

Walter Maslow passed away on November 2, 2025 at the age of 97.

A BULLET FOR JOEY 1955 (KINO) BLU-RAY

I enjoyed this crime film with a great cast and interesting story.

The story takes place in Montreal and stars Edward G. Robinson as Inspector Raoul Leduc who is called in when a member of the RCMP is killed by a mysterious man who is later found dead in a lake with his hands cut off.

Leduc slowly uncover a plot to kidnap a famouse scientist. The man behind the crime is Eric Hartman (Peter Van Eyck) and he brings in Joey Victor (George Raft) to help get the scientist and take him behind the Iron Curtain.

The plot slowly unfolds and I liked the way it was handled. There were many stories going on at once and they were all brought together to make for a good climax.

Audrey Totter does a very good job as the woman who is supposed to make the scientist fall for her so she can get information, and finds herself suddenly really caring for the guy.

The film moves along well and should please any crime fan. Kino did their usual fantastic job with the Blu-ray. I recommend you check this out.

The rest of the cast includes George Dolenz, William Bryant, John Cliff, Sally Blane, Steven Geray, and Karen Verne.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Donna Wilkes is 67, Suzanne Lloyd is 91, and Jill Whitlow is 62.

THE HAND 1960 (TUBI)

An English crime film that is very obscure.

I saw this listed in TUBI and decided to give it a chance and it threw something at me I wasn't expecting at all. What was that you ask?

It was apparently distributed by American International Pictures as their logo and great theme music was the first thing that caught my attention.

From there we go to Burma during WW2 and see three prisoners who are being questioned by the Japanese. We see that at least two of the three have one of their hands cut off.

Flash forward to London in 1960 nd we have a detective involved in a series of murders in which the victims have lost their hands. You also have suicide, blackmail and sordid other things going on as well.

There is a LOT packed into a scant 61 minute running time and I don't want to give away too much. It's a very well made little movie and the final directing effort of Henry Cass.

The cast includes Derek Bond, Reed De Rousen, Tony Hilton, Ray Cooney, Michael Moore and Jean Dallas. A Highly Recommended Edgar Wallace -type thriller.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Grant Cramer is 64, and Nieves Navarro is 87.

30 FOOT BRIDE OF CANDY ROCK 1959 (SONY)

Fun little movie that is so wrongly put down.

Lou Costello stars as Artie Pinsetter, a local rubbish collector in the small town called Candy Rock. Artie is also a small time scientist with big ideas.

The love of his life is Emmy Lou Rossiter (Dorothy Provine), but her father Raven (Gale Gordon) is against them seeing each other. One day Artie sneaks Emmy Lou out in a trash can and they go to the desert together.

After a small argument Emmy Lou runs away and some radiation makes her suddenly grow to 30 feet tall. This causes the usual problems for a film like this, and all of them are well handled.

What I mean by this is that the scenes are funny and entertaining while not going overboard. It's light comedy and I enjoyed the heck out of it. I hadn't seen it for years.

I have read a lot of negative things about the movie and all I can do is shake my head and wonder why. Could it be that this is a movie where Costello doesn't have Bud Abbott?

Well whatever the case, I liked this film and can recommend it to you as well. The cast also includes Robert Burton, Jimmy Conlin, Charles Lane, Will Wright and Lenny Kent.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Lou Ferrigno is 74.

WITCHCRAFT 15: BLOOD ROSE 2015 (TUBI)

Good heavens...another one of these!!

27 years after the first film in the franchise was released, and we are still seeing these appear. Why did I watch this? I wish I knew. Maybe it was to see how bad it was.

This takes up right where Witchcraft 14 ended. Rose (Molly Dougherty) is a legacy witch who seems to be on the side of good. Sharon (Noel VanBrocklin) is an evil seductress who wants to enter Roses body for evil purposes.

Sharon wants to bring Satan to Earth and Rose must try and stop her with the help of Will Spanner (Ryan Cleary).

A very slow paced film with some very bad acting and even worse CGI effects. You haven't lived until you see the police fire their guns. I think they could have done much better had they really tried. The only thing that caught my eye here was the casting of Diana Prince.

If you're a masochist, check it out.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Tara Reid is 50.

A DEATH OCCURED LAST NIGHT 1970 (RARO)

A hard hitting Italian crime film.

Raf Vallone stars as Amanzio Berzaghi, a man who goes to see a police chief named Duca Lamberti (Frank Wolff) to see if he can help him find his missing daughter.

His daughter is Donatella (Gillian Bray) and she has the mind of a child due to a birth defect and she has been missing for more than a week.

After some intense investigation Lamberti learns that she has been kidnapped by sex traffickers and has been held in a brothel. Later it comes to light she has been murdered by her kidnappers.

This drives Amanzio over the edge and he himself attempts to find the killers. The movie is a slow burn, and the climax shows us just how devastating loss can be.

Nothing ends well for anyone in the movie as we see Amanzio turned killer when he confronts those who killed Donatella. This is a sad and twisted movie that hits home.

The rest of the cast includes Gabriele Tinti, Eva Renzi, Beryl Cunningham, and Helga Marlo.

This movie isn't for everyone, but I highly recommend it for Italian crime movie fans. It's a can't miss.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Jackie Joseph is 92, Shannon Wnirry is 61, and Beverly Adams is 80.

RIFIFI IN THE CITY 1963 (SEVERIN) BLU-RAY

A very well made Spanish film noir from Jess Franco.

In some ways this film from over 60 years ago mirrors society here in the USA in 2025.

Jean Servais stars as a politician on the rise named Maurice Leprince who is also involved in an organized crime ring and several murders.

Fernando Gomez is Detective Miguel Mora, who is investigating a murder that is tied to Leprince, but he cannot prove it. He gets deeper and deeper into the case and is warned by his chief to stop.

He finally uncovers the truth about Leprince and all hell breaks loose. This is a wonderfully told story about corruption and crime involving phony politicians and businessmen.

Jess Franco made this during the Franco regime in Spain, and I am shocked it actually got any release at all considering what was going on at the time. The lighting is very noirish as it should be, and the ending is downbeat since everyone has their life shattered by the events.

The Blu-ray is excellent and it's great that Severin decided to bring this Franco noir out again. It's a must see for his fans. The disc has English subtitles.

Highly Recommended!!

MEGABOA 2021(TUBI)

Another movie from The Asylum.

This movie cost me 85 minutes of life and I'm telling you to avoid it if you don't want the same fate.

A group of college students and their professor named Malone (Eric Roberts) are taken to a tropical island to search for cave paintings and instead find themselves hunted by a 50 foot boa snake.

Roberts is the only one in the cast I know, and he even manages to turn in a bad performance. I believe it is the worst one I have ever seen him give. He's just doing these things for a few bucks and then moving on.

The film moves along very slow and everything is something you have seen before in better movies. I did like the spider cave scene, but that didn't last long enough and then it was back to the same old same old.

As usual the CGI effects are crap and it always makes me wonder how we went from Ray Harryhausen effects to this slop. Avoid it at all costs.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Famke Janssen is 61, and Elke Sommer is 85.

RIP DIANE LADD 1935-2025

The versatile actress has passed away.

The career of Diane Ladd lasted many years and she appeared in over 150 movies and TV shows.

I have seen her in many, many things and always enjoyed her work. Some of her films include 'Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore", "The Wild Angels", "Carnosaur", "Embryo", and "National Lampoon's Christmas vacation".

Diane Ladd passed away on November 3, 2025 at the age of 89.

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TO...

Tom Savini is 79, and Debbie Rochon is 57.

Both had birthdays on November 3.

KIDNAPPED 1974 (KINO) BLU-RAY

This is a top notch thriller from Mario Bava.

This movie has a very troubled history and it wasn't released until 1997. A shame because it's a masterpiece.

Four men rob a payroll and during the ensuing battle with the police, their driver is killed and their car is disabled after being shot in the gas tank.

After a short and violent race thru town they get corned by the police and they kill the guard at a parking lot and take two women hostage. One of the men called "Blade" (Don Backey) stabs one of the women in the neck and take the other as a hostage as they steal a car.

At a stoplight they hijack another car with a man driving a child to the hospital for surgery. From this point on it's a fight for survival between the three kidnappers and their three hostages. The movie never lets up for a second and it almost all takes place in a small car on a very hot day.

It's films like this that make Bava a legendary director in many peoples' opinions. I am one of them. There isn't a bad shot in the entire movie and the acting is excellent.

I will not give anything away for those that have not seen this wonderful film, but trust me, all is NOT what it seems in this movie and everyone is much different than first thought. It's a kicker ending that really got my attention.

The rest of the cast includes George Eastman, Lea Lander, Riccardo Cucciolla, Erika Dario and Maurice Poli.

I cannot recommend this movie enough. The print is beautiful and subtitled in English. Thanks to Kino for getting this movie out so many more people can see this underrated classic crime film.

This film is also known as "Rabid Dogs", and that title fits the three leading men very well as their characters are just that.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Monique Parent is 60, and Irene Tsu is 80.

ATHENA: THE WAR GODDESS 2020 (TUBI)

I can easily recommend this if you're a wrestling fan.

This is an 60 minute documentary which features 3 matches with the always gorgeous Athena (Adrienne Palmer). I stumbled on this on TUBI and wasn't disappointed at all.

The last match is probably the most brutal I have ever seen two women compete in. Athena is a top wrestler in the business and manages to succeed on every level.

Beauty and talent in one package. Athena has been in wrestling since 2007 in many different companies including WWE, Shimmer and she is currently with AEW. If you happen to stumble on this like I did, check it out.

RIP RALPH SENENSKY 1923-2025

The ubiquitous producer/director has passed away.

Every single one of you reading this has seen his name on one project or another in any genre.

His directing credits of classic TV shows includes such entries as "Twilight Zone", "Star Trek", "12 O'Clock High", "Big Valley", "Wild, Wild West", "Mannix" and many more.

Ralph Senensky passed away on Novenber 1, 2025 at the age of 102.

PANTHER'S CLAW 1942 (FILM DETECTIVE)

I found this to be a fun little film from PRC.

William Beaudine directed this thriller starring Sidney Blackmer as Thatcher Colt, a police commiissioner who is called in on a case involving opera company employees who are being killed one by one.

His main suspect is Everett Digberry ( Byron Foulger) who always seems to be where the dead bodies are. It's a great part for a great character actor I have seen in hundreds of films and TV shows.

The film is fast moving and the killer isn't revealed until the very end, and it might suprise you as to who the Black Panther killer really is.

The rest of the cast includes Herbert Rawlinson, Rick Vallin, Lynn Starr, Barry Bernard and Gerta Rozan.

As I said this is a fun film. It's well made, fast moving and has a great cast. Byron Foulger should have had more starring roles as he is very good and can indeed carry a film.

The DVD brings us the best version of this movie I have ever seen.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Stefanie Powers is 83, and Michael Buffer is 81.

RIP PETER WATKINS 1935-2025

The controversial director has passed away.

Peter Watkins only directed a handful of movies and I have seen only two of them, but what films they are.

The first one is "The War Game" which shows what would happen in England was met with atomic attack and the horrible aftermath as well as how people would really act in such a world.

His other disturbing movie was "Punishment Park" which is as timely today as it ever was. Watkins movies weren't seen by the masses, but they really hit home.

Peter Watkins passed away on October 30, 2025...one day after his 90th birthday.

SINBAD OF THE SEVEN SEAS 1989 (MGM)

Yes, this is a silly movie, but I did enjoy it.

Lou Ferrigno stars as Sinbad in this Italian made adventure film that really does not take itself too seriously.

The plot is very simple. Sinbad must battle evil to save a Kingdom and the life of a Princess. That's it in a nutshell. There is some comedy thrown in and it doesn't really work at all.

The movie has a wrap around story involving a woman played by Daria Nicoldi telling this tale to her young daughter before bedtime. Nicoldi also narrates the tale.

Ferrigno is ok as Sinbad, but he really reminded me of Hercules. In this movie Sonbad must fight ghost warriors, Amazons and even an evil twin of himself!!

It's all hokey as hell, but it's fun. I find too many people take this stuff too seriously and of course it's going to be bad if you watch it with high expectations.

It's not perfect, the acting is ok except for a few moments of overacting which will make you laugh, and the effects are what you'd expect from a production like this.

The rest of the cast includes John Steiner, Roland Wybenga, Teagan, Alessandra Martines and Melonee Rodgers.

Yes, this was a VERY troubled production that took 3 years to finally get done and then was only released here in the US on VHS.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Robert Foxworth is 84, and Jo Morrow is 86.

31DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 31:MAN WHO THOUGHT LIFE 1969 (SINISTER CINEMA)

One of the best films I have seen in a while.

I'm not disgarding every other movie I have watched lately, but this one really stands out.

This nifty thriller was made in Denmark. The story revolves arounf a weird character named Steinmetz (John Price) who is arrested and put in a mental hospital after accosting several people with a mouse in his hand.

It's at the hospital when Steinmetz meets Dr. Max Holst (Preben Neergaard). Steinmetz refuses to explain anything to Holst until he is released from the hospital.

Odd things such as cigars and cognac keep appearing in Steinmetz's room without explanation. One day the entire staff finds that Steinmetz has left the hospital and gone back to his mansion.

Steinmetz tells the doctor that he has a unique mind and demonstrates his ability by making cigars and cognac appear out of thin air. He also tells the doctor that he wants him to perform a brain operation on him and make his abilities better.

Holst refuses because he knows that the kind of power Steinmetz has can destroy the world. Steinmetz then creates a double of the doctor and that's when Holst finds himself fighting for survival as well as trying to stop Steinmetz.

This is one of the most original films I have seen, and it works on every level. It's a slow burn and it does have a very satisfactory conclusion.

The movie has English subtitles which are very easy to read and I implore you not to let the fact it's not dubbed stop you from watching one of the best films to ever be made.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Berwick Kaler is 79.

31 DAY OF HALLOWEEN DAY 30: DEADLY FRIEND 1986 (SHOUT FACTORY) BLU-RAY

This is a movie that has been treated badly by critics and horror fans alike.

I would actually call this a blueprint about how movie makers get screwed by the studios and how bad censors are when it comes to certain things in movies.

It's a great little story about a genius young man named Paul (Matthew Labyortwaux) who moves into a new neighborhood with his mother and befriends a beautiful girl named Samantha (Kristy Swanson).

Both Paul and his mother suspect she is being abused by her father, and one day he goes too far and kills her. Paul is beside himself and he takes a robot brain chip and implants it in Samantha's brain.

With this she comes back to life and seeks revenge on everyone who was cruel to her and to Paul. Samantha has some unique kills including the infamous basketball scene. More on that in a bit.

You can tell that there was a lot of tampering with this movie as it teeters between being a straight horror film and a twisted tale of Paul and Samantha loving each other. Upon initial release, director Wes Craven made the film as a bizarre love story and when screened for test audiences, it was panned.

Warner Brothers hated it and ordered more gore and horror. Craven disliked the idea and disowned the movie. Then to top everything off, the movie went to the MPAA 13 times before it was approved after re-editing and such.

The uncut version I have includes the extended basketball scene where Samantha kills a gun toting old woman named Elvira (Anne Ramsey) by throwing a basketball at her head and with such force it explodes the woman entire head and her body walks around the room spurting blood everywhere. It's a scene not soon forgotten.

I enjoyed this film and you might enjoy it as well if you haven't seen it. Swanson has always been a favorite of mine, so maybe I'm partial to it because of her.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 29:A VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD 1972 (SINISTER CINEMA)

This is a very odd film from Jess Franco.

I have had many chances to see this movie, but never did, at least until now, and it's not too bad. Far from Franco's best, but no where near his worst.

The main attractions in this film are the beautiful scenery and the beautiful women Franco always seems to have in his movies. Christina Von Blanc stars as as Christina, a beautiful young woman who returns to he family estate for the reading of her father's will.

Upon arrival in the town she asks where the house is and is told nobody lives there. When she gets to the house she meets her family members, and what a weird group they turn out to be.

They never smile and they act like they are hiding a secret.It is really no secret to the viewer and there are plenty of bizarre set pieces in this movie as well as Howard Vernon acting crazy. He and Christina have several wierd as hell conversations. You gotta see the film to understand.

The movie ends on a rather twisted note and reminded me somewhat of "Carnival Of Souls" mixed with "Night Of The Living Dead" and a few others I have seen.

I enjoyed to movie, but I will say it isn't for everyone. There is a lot of nudity, but not a virgin to be found. Von Blanc looks great in and out of clothes.

The rest of the cast includes the director himself as a mute servant of the "family", Anne Libert, Britt Nickols, Rosa Palomar, and Paul Muller.

Easily recommended for Franco fans as well as fans of totally bizarre cinema.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Ana Foxx is 37, Richard Dreyfuss is 78, Gabrielle Union is 53, and Kate Jackson is 77.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Christie Hemme is 45

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 28: RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 3 1993 (LIONSGATE) BLU-RAY

The second sequel to the original.

This time the comedy is pretty much left behind and the story takes a different turn. It still concerns Trioxen gas, but goes in a more bizarre place.

Kent McCord stars as Colonel John Reynolds, a man who has been experimenting with 2-4-5- Trioxen to see if the dead can be made into unkillable soldiers. His son Curt (J. Trevor Edmond) is a constant thorn in his side, but he loves him anyway.

Curt steals his dad's ID card and he and his sexy girlfriend Julie (Melinda Clarke) sneak into a military base and see John working on one of his experiments. Disaster ensues and John loses his job and is going to be transferred. Curt refuses to join his father and storms out of the house with Julie.

Curt and Julie are involved in a motorcycle accident and Julie is killed. Curt uses his brain and what he saw during the experiment and he actually brings Julie back to life.

This chamges everything as Julie comes back to life, but is slowly turning into a brain eating zombie. I know this sounds ridiculous, but it actually works on all of the levels it was intended.

One really develops a sympathy for Julie and Curt. I loved the character of Julie. I knew a few young women like her back in the day, and they were always fun to be with. The rest of the cast includes Sarah Douglas, James T. Callahan, Abigail Lenz, and Michael Decker.

If you're looking for something different, you might try this movie if you haven't seen it already. After seeing it I am sorry I avoided it for almost 30 years.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 27: BEAST FROM HAUNTED CAVE 1959 (FILM MASTERS)

Another Film Masters release of a Filmgroup picture.

A beautiful upgrade for a classic 50's horror film.

A group of three men and one woman plot the robbery of gold bars in a small South Dakota town and plan their escape by going on a cross county ski trip before anyone knows what has happened.

However, they find themselves stalked by a wried monster that to this day I don't really know what the hell it is. It wraps its victims in cocoons and drinks their blood.

Monte Hellman directed this Gene Corman produced film that was shot in the very cold South Dakota Black Hills. The films moves quickly, and once again you have either the TV version or the theatrical. I always prefer the theatrical.

It's creepy and entertaining, and if for some reason you haven't seen this yet, I suggest you do. 50's horror fans should be pleased with this presentation.

The cast includes Frank Wolff, Sheila Noonan, Mark Forest, Wally Campo, Richard Sinatra, and Chris Robinson as the monster.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Jayne Kennedy is 74.

RIP JUNE LOCKHART 1925-2025

The very well known actress has passed away.

June Lockhart is known by everyone who reads this, I will guarantee it.

In her career of 80 years she appeared in almost 180 movies and TV shows. Her two most famous roles will always be her 6 year stint as Ruth Martin on "Lassie", and her 3 year run on "Lost In Space" as Maureen Robinson.

June made hundreds of other appearances in such TV shows as "Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea", "Happy Days", "Ellery Queen", "Adam-12", "Goodyear Playhouse", "Science Fiction Theatre", "Gunsmoke", "Have Gun Will Travel", and "Darkroom".

Her movies include "She Wolf Of London", "T-Men", Sergeant York", "Son Of Lassie", "Strange Invaders", "Curse Of The Black Widow", and "Who Is Black Dahlia?" just to name a few.

I grew up watching June in almost every TV show and movie that interested me. She was always a welcome face in the sometimes madcap world of films and TV.

June Lockhart passed away on Octiber 23, 2025 at the age of 100.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 26: THE DARK 1979 (MVD)

I have written about this one before, but I got a hankering to see it again and talk about it.

This movie was produced by Edward Montoro and Dick Clark for Film Ventures. I've always loved this movie since I first saw it back in the early 80's.

The movie opens with the brutal killing of a young woman walking alone at night. According to the police her head has been ripped off. Enter her father, a writer named Roy Warner (William Devane) who demands action from the police.

The officer in charge of the case is Dave Mooney (Richard Jaeckel) who sent Roy to prison in the past. Warner rides Mooney as the killings continue and the police seem powerless to stop them.

A beautiful TV news reporter Zoe Owens (Cathy Lee Crosby) is on the story for the press and she, along with Roy, do their own investigation and discover that the killer isn't even human.

This film had Tobe Hooper start directing and the John Cardos took over, hence the fact that it seems like two different stories molded into one. I started out as a zombie story and morphed into an alien with laser beam eyes.

I still like this movie a lot and always will. It's one of my favorites. The rest of the cast includes Biff Elliot, Keenan Wynn, Warren Kemmerling, Casey Kasem, John Bloom and Vivian Blaine.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Jaclyn Smith is 80.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 25: LATE AUGUST AT THE HOTEL OZONE 1966 (SINISTER CINEMA)

A classic film that is very obscure.

This is a wonderful, but downbeat 1966 film made in Czechoslovakia and it centers around a small band of women who are some of the very last survivors of a nuclear holocaust that happened about 30 years beforehand.

They are led by an older woman who teaches them different skills and keeps the band going in search of food. They happen upon a very lonely man who is living at an old hotel called The Ozone.

It is here that the old leader of the group finally passes away and everything ends on a rather shocking note. However, it's not really at all to suprising considering these are humans we are seeing here.

I will not spoil anything here. I found this to be a superior film and it will hold your attention even though there is really no action or explotative elements.

It is, at times. bleak, depressing and shocking, but that is exactly what makes it work so well. This is a highly recommended movie, and one you should try and see.

The print is subtitled in English. SEE IT!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Ciara is 40.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 24: CASTLE OF EVIL 1966 (VINEGAR SYNDROME) BLU-RAY

A oretty much unliked film finally comes to Blu-ray.

I remember seeing this when I was very young and liking it. Then I obtained the VHS from NTA Video and later made a bootleg from that tape.

Now it finally comes to Blu-ray, and I was anxious to pick it up. I like it, but I do admit it's a very slow burn that really has a nothing burger ending.

Several people are transported to an isolated island where a millionaire inventor named Kovec lives. He has invited them all to his island for the reading of his will.

Kovec has created a robot in his mutated image and has it programmed to kill them all. It's an old dark house thriller with a robot killer instead of a masked killer, and that is it's only difference.

The cast is my main reason for liking this so much. The cast includes Virginia Mayo, Scott Brady, Hugh Marlowe, David Brian, William Thourlby, Shelley Morrison and the gorgeous Lisa Gaye.

From what I gather not too many horror fans like this movie, but I do think you should give it a try if you haven't seen it. Vinegar Syndrome has done an excellent job with the 4k transfer.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Caprice Bourret is 54, and Barbara Wilson is 89.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 23: BURIED ALIVE 1989 (MGM)

Strange little movie that the makers claim was based on Edgar Allen Poe stories.

A beautiful young woman named Janey (Karen Witter) arrives at a school for delinquint girls known as Ravenscroft for a teaching position.

The place is run by Gary Julian (Robert Vaughn) and he is havng problems since a student has just disappeared. We see what happened to the student in the opening scenes of the film, and it's pretty well done.

As Janet becomes more involved with the school she discovers some terrifying things as more young women go missing and she has some pretty wild visions in her dreams about the killings and the mysterious killer.

It's not a bad film, but it just doesn't seem to have much direction. It's all over the place. The director, Gerard Kikoine seems to have only directed French porn films before this and it shows.

I do like the fact that Ravenscroft achool only has gorgeous women in it. That makes the film a little better. The ending is way over the top, but well done and Vaughn does a good job as a man who may be going slowly insane.

I am a fan of Karen Witter and enjoyed seeing her in this since I loved her in "The Vineyard". The rest of the cast includes Donald Pleasence, Ginger Lynn, Nia Long, and John Carradine in what would be his final movie. It was released two years after he passed away.

All in all not a bad film, but it could sure use some direction. The only ties it has to Poe are black cats and people buried behind walls. This movie is also obsessed with ants....lots of ants, which you have to see in order to understand it.

The final shot in the film leaves things open for a follow-up, but that never happened.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Sam Raimi is 66, "Weird Al" Yankovic is 66, and Jasmine St. Claire is 55.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 22: RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 2 1988 (SHOUT FACTORY) BLU-RAY

This is an ok sequel to the original, but it comes nowhere near it's classic status.

James Karen and Thom Matthews return in this follow-up film, but as different chsracters in name and job only. They play two grave robbers who get infected when gas from a broken cannister is released and begins, again, reviving the dead.

I have to admit the only reason I checked this movie out was because of Suzanne Snyder. I will watch anything she is in.

There is plenty of zombie action and some gore, but the comedy really takes over and it's a huge subtext to the film itself. There is a scene in the movie where the character played by Matthews even says to Karen "I feel like this is a dream, and we've both done this before".

If you're a horror fan I assume you've already seen this zombie epic, but if you haven't I recommend you do. Just keep in mind it's not up to the original.

The rest of the cast includes Michael Kenworthy, Thor Van Lingen, Jason Hogan, Marsha Dietlein, and Mitch Pileggi.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Catherine Deneuve is 82, and Suzanne Synder is 63.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 21: CRAWLERS 1993 (SHOUT FACTORY) BLU-RAY

This is one bizarre movie.

The main plot of the movie is about a nuclear plant that is dumping their waste in a forest and it starts mutating the roots of the trees.

These roots come alive and begin killing people. A man who works at the plant suspects something evil is going on, but his boss keeps him from speaking out. His boss even has him thrown in jail by the corrupt Sheriff.

Lots of killings take place until the locals of the nearby small toen decide to take things into their own hands and destroy the menace. Many are killed in the battle until a man shows up with an army of bulldozers and wipes out the monsters.

The ending is an open one, but no sequel was ever made. Fabrizio Laurenti and Joe D'Amato both directed this feature and because of financial trouble the movie was never released to theaters, but directly to video in 1993.

The movie has been so maligned and I have to be honest with you, I liked it. It's really no worse than any other low budget monster film. I have seen much worse.

This was filmed in Utah and released with seceral different titles including "Creepers", "Contamination .7" and "Troll 3". That last one is a mystery to me.

The cast includes Wanja Mary Sellers, Jason Saucier, Eddy Eby, Bubba Reeves and Chelsi Stahr.

Look, if you get a chance, check it out. You might like it. Once again I stress, don't judge this by what you read online.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Jack Taylor is 89.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 20: BLOOD ROSE 1970 (SINISTER CINEMA)

Very odd, but entertaining French horror feature from 1970.

Philippe Lemaire stars as an artist named Frederic, who, after his wife is involved in an accident and is severly burned, dedicates his life to getting her a new face.

They live in a secluded mansion and his wife Anne (Anny Duperey) is slowly losing her sanity. Frederic hires a beautiful nurse to take care of Anne, and they begin a small affair that Anne quickly stops with murder.

Frederic soon learns that a dis-credited doctor named Romer (Howard Vernon) can restore Anne's face. He blackmails the doctor into helping him, and both soon start to scout around for attractive women to kidnap and use in the experiments.

This is a well made film that comes to a very bleak conclusion for all involved, and it really held my attention. It's essentially a remake of "Eyes Without A Face" and has been done many times, but this was very entertaining and had some original ideas as well.

The print is beautiful and it is dubbed into English. The rest of the cast includes Olivia Robin, Elizabeth Tiessier, and Michael Charrel.

If you get the chance you might want to check this one out. It's billed as the first "sex horror film" whatever that means.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Diana Lorys is 85.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 19: LEGEND OF BLOOD CASTLE 1972 (SINISTER CINEMA)

Somewhat lackluster Spanish horror, but not without merits.

Lucia Bose stars as Countess Elizabeth Bathory, a woman who finds that her maids blood can make her skin look young again.

She falls in love with a young soldier, but keeps on killing young women so she can remain young and not lose her looks. This is a very slow burn film that never really picks up pace, but it's very gothic and has some great set pieces.

I love the scenes in the court room where a corpse is on trial by the superstious people for being a vampire. it's absurd and yet totally on track with the rest of this movie.

Jorge Grau directed this and he handles everything very well, but I wish it has been a little faster moving. Ewa Aulin is gorgeous as always in her role as a servant girl and some of the slight gore effects look very good.

I recommend this for horror fans, but it may not please everyone.

RIP SAMANTHA EGGAR 1939-2025

The England born actress has passed away.

Eggar appeared in over 100 films and TV shows during her 60 year career.

Some of her TV credits include "She Spies", "The Saint", "Columbo", Starsky And Hutch", "Hawaii 5-0", "Darkroom" and many, many more.

Samantha Egger also had an impressive list of movie credits including "Dr. Dolittle", "Demonoid", "The Brood", "The Uncanny", "Welcome To Blood City", "The Severn-Per-Cent Solution", "Light At The End Of The World", "The Dead Are Alive", "The Collector" and "Young And Willing".

The multi talented Samantha Eggar passed away on October 15, 2025 at the age of 86.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 18: LEONOR MISTRESS OF THE DEVIL 1971 (SINISTER CINEMA)

This is a very rare film that was never released to theaters in the USA.

This Spanish thriller centers around a man played by Michel Piccoli whose wife Leonor (Liv Ullman) dies in an accident and on the same day he marries another beautiful woman named Catherine (Ornella Muti).

He has a couple of children with her and yet over the 10 years that pass after Leonor dies, he still misses her. One day he sells his soul to Satan to have her back and then sees her out of her tomb and walking around.

He and Leonore get back together, but it's soon discovered that she is a vampire looking for children to kill. The small village is soon overrun with the deaths of many children.

I don't know why this movie is so underrated and so obscure. It's a great, slow burn horror that eventually reaches a climax you don't expect.

Ullman and Piccoli are both great in their respective roles as the man who refuses to believe the truth about his walking dead wife and said dead wife who needs to kill children.

Check this one out if you have the chance. It's a winner.

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TO...

Missy Hyatt turned 62 on October 16.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 17: IT'S ALIVE 3: ISLAND OF THE ALIVE 1987 (WARNER)

The third and final film in the series is the most bizarre by far.

Michael Moriarty stars as Stephen Jarvis, the latest man to father a mutant baby. The movie opens in a courtroom where Stephen's baby is broung in chained in a cage!!

After a volatile court drama in which the baby gets out of its cage, the judge (Macdonald Carey) orders all of the mutant children across the country be moved to an isolated islane where people don't live.

Jarvis has a hard time in the real world as he loses job after job because of his mutant baby, and women, when they discover who he is are repulsed. This is really brought out on a scene between Jarvis and a hooker (Laurene Landon).

After 5 years pass Jarvis goes back to the island with a group of scientists and everyone gets killed but Jarvis. The mutant children are full grown now and they have him pilot the boat back to where they were born...the good old USA.

This is where the movie gets really weird. Jarvis jumps ship and is captured by Cubans. After a short time the Cubans return Jarvis to American shores and wish him well!! It's hilarious.

The final has the mutants seeking Jarvis and his ex-wife Ellen (Karen Black) because they are dying from measels and have given birth to a mutant of their own, and they know Jarvis will take care of it.

This is easily Larry Cohen's most outrageous film in the trilogy. It goes everywhere, and what a ride. Moriarty is over the top as usual and his stint as a shoe salesman is classic.

The rest of the cast includes James Dixon, Gerrit Graham, Art Lund, Ann Dane, and Neal Israel.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 16: THE MACHINE STOPS 1965 (SINISTER CINEMA)

Very interesting BBC TV show.

This is an episode of "Out Of The Unknown" and it's just as good as any of the others I have talked about here, and yes, there will be more comiong in the future.

This is based on a story by M.R. James abd it concerns a people in the far future who live underground and their every need is tended to by a machine.

Every need is met and everyone lives in his or hers own room without a care in the world. A young man named Kuno (Michael Gothard) wants to make a trip to the surface.

While this isn't forbidden, it isn't looked upon very kindley, but Kuno is curious. As if this isn't problem enough, one day the machine just stops working.

This was shot on videotape in 1966, and the quality is very good for what it is. I have never seen an episode of this show that I didn't like.

The story is very relevant today and it holds up well. I recommend this as I do all episodes of the series, if you can find them. The rest of the cast includes Yvonne Mitchell, Nike Arrighi, Jonathan Hansen, and Lucy Hill.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Erin Brown is 46, Christopher Mitchum is 82, and Kevin S. Tenney is 70.

RAMBLINGS...

Well, we are in the middle of the Halloween season and I have a ton of movies to watch on both disc and streaming.

It seems that TUBI always offers up some great stuff, and this time of the year is even better. I have quite a few of the Roger Corman "Poe" series to watch this year including my favorite...The Tomb Of Ligeia.

Most of these are films I've written about before, but who knows, I may write about them again here soon. Some of you have noticed that some posts do not have pictures anymore.

That will be the way things are until I can get some weird computer glitz taken care of. It will not allow me to upload any pictures to the blog. Why? Who knows, I am not computer savvy.

Everything in time I guess. Anyway, I hope you all have a great Halloween and find some terrific things to watch. I know my plate is full.

Thanks again for reading.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 15: WAR OF THE PLANETS 1965 (WARNER ARCHIVE)

Another of the "Gamma 1" quadrilogy.

This is the second entry in the series of 4 films made in Italy back to back in the mid 60's.

Tony Russel is Cmdr. Mike Halstead and this time he and the crew of Gamma One are faced with a very bizarre race of invaders.

After the weird and enjoyable "Wild Wild Planet" this is a comedown, but it's still a good film in my opinion. The aliens are blobs of green flashing lights and they either take over a human body or kill the host.

Halstead and a few others fight the invasion in order to save the cosmos from utter and total destruction. The plot moves along well, but some of the actors are not given much to do.

Lisa Gastoni returns as the beautiful Lt. Connie Gomez and that is a plus, but again, her role isn't developed as in the previous movie, but the movie never fails to entertain. In my opinion actor Michel Lemoine, who is one of the possessed eathlings, steals the show with his facial expessions and over the top acting.

This was followed by "War Between The Planets". The rest of the cast includes Franco Nero, Carlo Guistini, and Linda Sini.

I really recommend all four films in this series. They are fun Italian science fiction.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Lynn Lowery is 78, and Chesty Morgan is 88.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 14: DEVIL'S PARTNER 1958 (FILM MASTERS)

Film Masters continues it's excellent remastering of 50's horror.

This is a lesser known effort, but a very effective one. Ed Nelson stars as Pete, an old man who sells his soul to the devil and he comes back as a much younger man who calls himself Nick Richards.

When he arrives in the small town of Furnace Flats, NM odd things start to happen. There are several killings and some of them have been committed by animals like snakes and horses.

Nick also plans to get rid of David Simpson (Richard Crane) who happens to be engaged to lovely Nell Lucas ( Jean Allison) so he can have her for himself.

It doesn't take long for Nick's plans to become discovered, and then the police and several citizens must stop Nick.

I never saw this film until to late 80's when it was on VHS and it's always remained a favorite. The cast really shines and the music by Ronald Stein is perfect for this kind of a movie.

It was filmed in 1958 but not released until 1961 when Roger Cormans Film Group picked it up. The rest of the cast includes Edgar Buchanan, Byron Foulger, Joe Hooker, and Spencer Carlisle.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Udo Kier is 81, and Stacy Keibler is 46.

MORE HAPPY BIRTHDAYS...

Judy Bamber is 89.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 13: CREATURE FROM THE HAUNTED SEA 1960 (FILM MASTERS)

I have never seen this Roger Corman gem looking better than it does here.

Everyone know the plot about a bunch of criminals on a boat who are stalked by a sea monster after stealing part of the Cuban Treasury during the Castro revolution.

I swear this movie must have cost Roger Corman about 3 dollars, but it is a hell of a lot off fun. Fil Masters has remastered this little gem and it looks very good.

Antony Carbone stars as Renzo Capetto, a gangster who helps steal part of the treasury and then has his own plans on how to use it. He and his motley crew decide to kill off the Cuban soldiers one by one using the legend of a sea monster to get the job done.

Soon he and the others come to realize that the monster is real. This is part comedy and part horror and everything works well, at least it does for me.

The rest of the cast includes Betsy Jones Moreland, Robert Bean, Beach Dickerson, Robert Towne and Sonia Noemi Gonzalez. There are both the theatrical version and the TV version on this disc.

The TV version is about 12 minutes longer as they had to shoot extra scenes so TV stations could fill and hour and a half time slot. This is highly recommended and worth a look.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Ashanti is 45.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 12: WHISTLE AND I'LL COME FOR YOU 1965 (SINISTER CINEMA)

Top notch horror based on a story by M. R. James

Presented by Omnibus Productions, this thriller stars Michael Hordern as Prof. Parkins, a man who arrives at a secluded inn for peace and quiet.

One day while on a picnic/walk he discovers an old whistle and cleans it off. He blows into it and that is when the terror starts.

He is followed and haunted by an evil spirit. The script is tight and the story is very well presented. The Professor is terrorified at the spirit and even though we never get a good look at it, we know damn well it's there.

This was a BBC presentation, and it runs 42 minutes. There is no time for the story to go anywhere but into total terror. I know there have been two more remakes of this, but none capture the creepiness of this, the original.

If you're a fan of well told ghost stories, this is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Deborah Foreman is 63, Robin Askwith is 75, and Susan Anton is 75.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 11: BERSERKER 1987 (VINEGAR SYNDROME) BLU-RAY

Weird late 80's horror film.

This movie gets bashed a lot, but I actually found it entertaining.

The plot involves six young people who rent a cabin in the woods and are suddenly stalked and killed by a legendary Viking warrior whose spirit seeks revenge.

Revenge against what we don't know, but it doesn't matter much. The warrior dresses in a bear mask and claws and does manage to kill of few of the teens. The reluctant Sheriff of the small community close to the campground seems to know more than he lets on about the legend.

It's an odd package of a movie. The killer is revealed to be something I wasn't expecting, and I won't spoil it here. If you're a fan of weird 80's horror, you might like this.

The cast includes George "Buck" Flower, Joseph Allen Johnson, Valarie Sheldon, Shannn Engemann, Greg Dawson and the gorgeous Beth Toussaint.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 10: IT'S ALIVE 2: IT LIVES AGAIN 1978 (WARNER)

Fun sequel to the original from Larry Cohen.

In this follow up Frederick Forrest stars as Eugene Scott, a man, who along with his wife is expecting a baby. His wife, Jody (Kathleen Lloyd) has a baby shower, and that's when the trouble starts.

One of the guests is Frank Davis (John P. Ryan) who fathered the original mutant baby. He warns both of them that the baby Jody is carrying is going to be a mutant, and that the authorities are already watching the house.

Jody does indeed give birth to a savage mutant that immediately attacks the doctors in the delivery room. The babies are becoming an epidemic and the Government is trying to stop the babies when they are born, but things get a little out of hand.

As usual, there are a lot of subtexts including parenting, abortion, Government cover-up and love of children. These are handled very well, and the film proves to be a powerful condemnation of everything but parenting and love.

Director Cohen always made interesting movies, and he brings back a lot of people from the original film which makes it a winner. The cast also includes John Marley, Andrew Duggan, James Dixon, Eddie Constantine, and Glenda Young.

The film is a great example of what can be done on a very modest budget. These aren't for everyone, but for Cohen fans and fans of off the wall horror, these are all winners.

I hadn't seen this for decades and had forgotten that Euro star Constantine was in this. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN DAY 09: BLOOD DELIRIUM 1988 (VINEGAR SYNDROME) BLU-RAY

This is one wild and bizarre ride.

This Italian shocker stars John Phillip Law as Saint Simon, an artist whose greatest inspiration in his life is his wife. When she dies he goes off his rocker and starts to believe he is Vincent Van Gogh.

He just can't get feeling into his paintings until he meets a young woman named Sybille (Brigitte Christensen) who is the splitting image of his dead wife.

He traps her in the castle as he begins to paint again, but then he finds he needs real blood to paint so Simon and his necrophilic butler named Hermann (Gordon Mitchell) seek victims.

There are some really sick scenes in this movie and most of them involve Mitchell's character of Hermann. He is seen trying to have sex with the corpse of Simon's wife, he disembowels people and eats some of them, and he rapes a local young woman and kills her.

There is a lot of over the top acting from both Mitchell and Law, but somehow it works in this Italian version of the old HG Lewis movie "Color Me Blood Red".

This was a first time viewing of this Italian horror, and I did enjoy it, but it's not for everyone. I can recommend it to hard core Italian horror fans. The presentation from Vinegar Syndrome is top notch as always.