HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Graziella Granata is 81.

THRILLER 1960-1962 SEASON 2 (IMAGE)

The second and final season of Thriller had it's fair share of terrifying episodes.

I finally got a chance to see all of them, and it has been years. My wife really enjoyed this show and I am sure we will be looking at those again sometime soon.

So here is a rundown of the episodes. They don't make TV like this anymore.

WHAT BECKONING GHOST 9/18/61...A concert pianist sees her own coffin in her study and hears funeral music nobody else can see or hear them.

GUILLOTINE 9/26/61...Shocking tale about a man (Alejandro Rey) who is set to be beheaded in France of 1875. He discovers that he will be pardoned if his executioner dies before the execution date. He sets his wife in motion with a plan. Creepy and what an ironic ending.

THE PREMATURE BURIAL 10/2/61...A millionaire survives being buried alive, but his evil wife has plans for his next seizure.

THE WEIRD TAILOR 10/16/61...A man plans on bringing his dead son back to life with a suit fashioned out of witchcraft. This Robert Bloch tale also appeared in the 1971 film "Asylum".

GOD GRANT THAT SHE LYE STILLE 10/23/61...A young woman comes to her families estate to claim an inheritance but discovers that her ancestor, who was a witch is trying to take over her body and walk the Earth once again. Henry Daniell stars.

MASQUERADE 10/30/61...Comedy and horror combine in this tale about a young couple who are stranded in a house with a family of cannibals. The outstanding cast includes Tom Poston, Elizabeth Montgomery, John Carridine, Jack Lambert and Dorothy Neumann.

LAST OF THE SOMMERVILLES 11/6/61...Ida Lupino directed many episodes of this show and this is one of them. People kill off one another to collect an inheritance.

LETTER TO A LOVER 11/13/61...A woman claims that her husband is keeping her captive in their home. This is a very sordid tale of murder and blackmail.

A THIRD FOR PINOCHLE 11/20/61...A man is planning to kill his wife, but two nosey sister next door make it a very complicated affair.

THE CLOSED CABINET 11/27/61...An American is determined to break the 300 year old curse on an English estate. David Frankham stars.

DIALOGUES WITH DEATH 12/4/61...This is comprised of two short tales about death. The first stars host Boris Karloff as a morgue attendent who communicates with his dead charges. The second involves a man who returns to his Lousiana family home to collect an inheritance, but his aunt insists that he is already dead. Ed, nelson and William Schallert also star.

RETURN OF ANDREW BENTLEY 12/11/61...John Newland stars and directed this episode about a man who agrees to guard his uncle's corpse from a demonic being named Bentley. One of the best episodes of the series.

THE REMARKABLE MRS. HAWK 12/18/61...A woman named Cissy Hawk has a penchant for winning awards for her prize hogs at county fairs. Her secret stretches back for countless centuries. Bruce Dern stars.

PORTRAIT WITHOUT A FACE 12/25/61...An artist is killed by someone with a crossbow yet his final painting continues to get completed. Haunting and unique.

AN ATTRACTIVE FAMILY 1/1/62...Family members plan to kill a young woman so they can collect her money, but not all goes as planned.

WAXWORKS 1/8/62...After several murders outside of a wax museum a European detective believes that the figures are brought to life via black magic. Oskar Homolka, Antoinette Bower, Martin Kosleck, Ron Ely and Booth Coleman star.

LA STREGA 1/15/62...A young woman (Ursula Andress) and her friend, (Alejandro Rey) defy her grandmothers wishes so she puts a curse on them. Ida Lupino directed this excellent episode. My God does Andress look fantastic.

THE STORM 1/22/62...During a very bad thunderstorm a woman decides to investigate strange sounds that are coming from the cellar of her new home.

A WIG FOR MISS DEVORE 1/29/62...Patricia Barry stars as an aging actress who is trying for a comeback. She insists on wearing a wig which was owned by a woman hanged for witchcraft. The wig turns out to be cursed. One of the scariest episodes of the series.

THE HOLLOW WATCHER 2/12/62...A woman murders a man for his money and hides the body inside a scarecrow. Soon she discovers that the scarecrow is stalking her. This outstanding episode stars Audrey Dalton, Sean McClory, Warren Oates and Denver Pyle.

COUSIN TUNDIFER 2/19/62...Edward Andrews stars as a man who plots a lilling for a lot of money, but finds that the home he plans to commit the crime in has a portal to another time.

THE INCREDIBLE DOKTOR MARKESAN 2/26/62...Dick York and the sexy Carolyn Kearney star as a couple who are down to their last 12 dollars and in need of work and jobs. York's character of Fred stops at his uncle's decaying old mansion and asks to stay there. Fred and his wife slowly uncover the dire secret of the mansion. Boris Karloff gives a 4 star performance as the title character. This is considered by many to be the best episode of the series, and it may be.

FLOWERS OF EVIL 3/5/62...Luciana Paluzzi stars as a woman who murdered her husband but his skeleton keeps returning.

TIL DEATH DO US PART 3/12/62...An undertaker murders his wife so he can be with another woman. The other woman's brother dis-inherits him and now he has another worthless wife to get rid of. Henry Jones stars.

THE BRIDE WHO DIED TWICE 3/19/62...Ida Lupino directed this episode about a Colonel in a Latin American country who forces a woman to marry him, but she kills herself instead...or does she? Mala Powers stars.

KILL MY LOVE 3/26/62...Richard Carlson stars as a man who kills his wife and then discovers that his son knows what he did. Carlson is a very scary psycho in this episode. One of the best.

MAN OF MYSTERY 4/2/62...A very secretive millionaire is killed whan a book about him is finished, and everyone that a writer tries to interview about the man is also killed. A great twist ending. Mary Tyler Moore stars.

THE INNOCENT BYSTANDERS 4/9/62...Jacob Grant and his assistant John Paterson are both starving gravediggers who resort to murder and selling the bodies to doctors for quick cash. They target their house guests as the next victims. John Anderson and George Kennedy star.

THE LETHAL LADIES 4/16/62...Two short stories directed by Ida Lupino. The first involves a man who plots the death of his wife, and when the plans go sour he pays a huge price. In the second story a mild library clerk is denied her pension and her job by a big shot who has taken over. She plots a terrifying revenge.

THE SPECIALISTS 4/30/62...An elite team of federal agents known as "Specialists" take on international jewel theives. This was the final episode of a great two year run.

After finally getting to see every episode of this show I can easily say it's one of the best of it's kind every produced for the small screen. Boris Karloff made the perfect host. Not all of the episodes were top notch, but many, many of them were and that is why this is considered such a classic.

If you get the chance, pick up the DVD set, tuen down the lights and get ready for terror.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Barbara Feldon is 89.

ZOMBIE PIRATES 2014 (TUBI)

Sarah French is about all this film has going for it.

Fred Olen Ray produced this rather bizarre film shot in Mississippi. The story centers around a young woman named Linda (Sarah French) who is seen killing someone by a scientist.

The scientist, Grant (J.C Pennylegion) blackmails her into seeing if the legend about the town they live in is true. The legend concerns a sunken pirate ship and it's crew as well as a huge treasure it was carrying.

If the dead pirates are brought a sacrifice every night for five nights, the one doing the killing will receive a treasure beyond words. That is all well and good, but if even one is missed the pirates will seek a bloody revenge.

Linda agrees to the terms and starts going on a killing spree. Every night after she dumps a body in the ocean a dead pirate gives her a small bag of coins. A police detective gets on the case and then complications start.

I have been told this is a tribute to the "Blind Dead" films of the 1970's, but good god this movie plods along badly. It had so much potential, and it just falls apart. Any of the five "Blind Dead" films are 10 times better than this and move much quicker.

As I said, French is about the ONLY thing this film has going for it. She looks hotter than hell, but alas, a beautiful woman does make a good film. Check it out if you want, but it really wouldn't hurt to pass it by.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Nancy Kovack is 87.

FATAL CONFLICT 2000 (TUBI)

Ultra low budget sci-fi film that sometimes entertains and sometimes does not.

Sexy Kari Wuhrer stars as Sasha Burns, an undercover Government agent who must stop a madman from destroying what life there is left on Earth in the distant future.

The film borrows a lot of footage from another film, whose title I don't remember of scantily clad female prisoners working on a prison colony in order to set up the story. I have to admit I never imagined a prison where all of the female inmates look like payboy bunnies in chains...hmmmm, not a bad thought, but anyway, back to the film.

Sasha works her way from pretending to escape from the prison planet and soon is docking on a ship run by a psychpath named Conrad Nash (Leo Rossi) and his sexy sister Carla (Jennifer Rubin).

There is a lot of talk and very little action on this ship, but it does pick up towards the end when Sasha sets her plan in motion. I won't say I recommend this movie, but if you want to see it, it streams for free on Tubi.

Wuhrer looks fantastic as always and so does Rubin, so that makes the film tolerable anyway. Filmed in the Czech Republic as were many films of this type in the late 1990's and 2000's.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Chuck Norris is 80, Shannon Tweed is 65, Ron Starr is 78, Venetia Stevenson is 82, and Cynthia Brimhall is 57.

RAT FINK 1965 (RETROMEDIA)

This film was lost for 50 years, and recently rediscovered.

According to Retromedia the original print was destroyed in a fire and an old print was discovered in a warehouse. It has been very well restored by Fred Olen Ray and company.

This savage film was directed by James Landis who also directed the bleak "The Sadist" starring Arch Hall, Jr. The beautiful photography is by none other than Vilmos Zsigmond.

The story centers around a young man named Lonnie Price (Schuyler Hayden) who will do WHATEVER it takes to become famous. The film opens with Lonnie being chased off a train by detectives and then he stumbles onto a middle aged woman hanging her laundry outside.

She is extremely lonely and Lonnie takes advantage of her. He steals her money and disappears. Lonnie buys a guitar and travels to Los Angeles. He watches a very successful rock singer named Tommy Loomis (Don Snyder). Lonnie wants to be like Loomis so bad he sets him of fire after a concert and Loomis dies.

Lonnie then goes to Loomis' former manager and gets a contract to become a top singer. However, Lonnie isn't done yet. He tries to seduce his managers young wife and she ends up dying after they fight and he pushes her down the stairs. Later he gets a young teenage fan pregnant and he takes her to a veterinarian for an abortion.

She doesn't get the operation and so Lonnie drowns her in the ocean. When his manager discovers what Lonnie really is Lonnie races off in his sportscar and smacks a speeding train broadside...end of movie.

This film is a great little thriller and Schuyler Hayden is perfect for this role. He made only one more film before his untimely death at the age of 37 in a plane crash in 1978.

This little regional shocker really delivers the goods and it's a great thing this film was rediscovered. Films like this NEVER seem to get enough attention, and most of them I have seen are quite good.

If you enjoyed "The Sadist" you'll enjoy this as well. One of the best of it's kind.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Sue Ane Langdon is 86.

MUTANT X SEASON 2 2001-2004 (LIONSGATE)

The second season of Mutant X was as good as the first, and here is a rundown of episodes. Some are simply outstanding.

PAST AS PROLOGUE 10/5/02...An evil mutant named Ashlocke revives an ancient Egyptian alchemist who tries to destroy the Mutant X team.

POWER PLAY 10/12/02...The team tries to stop an insane Colonel from starting a nuclear war.

TIME SQUARED 10/19/02...Ashlocke returns and travels back in time to give the younger version of himself even more power. Brennen (Victor Webster) and Shalimar (Victoria Pratt) follow him.

WHOSE WOODS ARE THESE 10/26/02...The team heads into the wilderness to search for a mysterious monster that is killing hikers. This is one of my favorite episodes.

THE FUTURE REVEALED 11/2/02...Ashlocke infiltrates the headquaters of Mutant X in order to blackmail Adam (John Shea) into curing him of his fatal illness.

NO MAN LEFT BEHIND 11/9/02...The team must get to a place crash behind enemy lines and recover a secret Government weapon. This is a very tense episode.

CROSSROADS OF THE SOUL 11/16/02...Brennen uis trapped in an invisible town and the rest of the team must get him out.

SIGN FROM ABOVE 11/23/02...Shalimar is kidnapped by 3 aliens who want to find out what makes her a mutant. Another very good episode.

BODY AND SOUL 11/30/02...A disembodied mutant inhabits other bodies in an effort to get revenge on those who have put him in this condition.

UNDERSTUDY 1/13/03...Shalimar is injured on a case and is helped by another ferel mutant. But is there something behind this act of kindness?

THE GRIFT 1/20/03...Brennen's ex-girlfriend asks for his help when another of her scams goes deadly.

AT DESTINY'S END 1/27/03...The group takes on their most challenging assignment yet when they encounter an eco-terrorist group that will stop at nothing.

WITHIN THESE WALLS 2/3/03...Adam sends the team on a mission to follow a prisoner in a van. When the prisoner escapes the van that's when the real trouble starts to unfold.

HARD TIME 2/10/03...The team goes undercover in a prison to uncover the reasons for several mysterious deaths.

UNDER THE CLOAK OF WAR 2/17/03...Someone tries to kill Adam so he sends Shalimar into the group to find out who it is. A very well made episode.

ONCE AROUND 2/24/93...The team steps in to protect a count witness whose life has been threatened.

FINAL JUDGEMENT 4/7/03...The excellent episode finds Adam on trial by a nameless tribunal trying to dominate the world with super-mutants who sentance him to death.

INFERNO 4/14/03...A pyromaniac mutant forces Shalimar to beat her fear of fire in order to save Emma.

ONE STEP CLOSER 4/21/03...Brennen's powers get out of control and almost cost the life of a woman the team is trying to protect.

REALITY CHECK 4/28/03...Shalimar has her life in jeopardy when the team encounters a cold war mutant who can alter and destroy people's minds.

REAWAKENING 5/3/03...Great episode find the team helping the crew of a research station under attack from a prehistoric creature.

LEST HE BECOME 5/12/03...Shalimar agrees to contact her estranged father when the team learns that his company is involved in genetic testing. This was the final episode of season 2 and ended on a cliffhanger.

Season 2 was a good season for this show and it clearly was a ratings winner. The 3rd season had a few surprises and unforgettable episodes.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Cynthia Rothrock is 65, Kathy Shower is 69, Silvia Tortosa is 75, and Carole Bayer Sager is 75.

TREASURE OF RUBY HILLS 1955 (TUBI)

Very good western I stumbled on.

This is based on a Louis L'Amour short story, and it packs a hell of a punch.

The plot is very simple. A group of big business men and ranchers are all fighting each other for control of a very beautiful valley called Ruby Hills.

Their fighting is brought to a sudden stop when they discover that a stranger in town named Ross Haney (Zachary Scott) owns all the water rights. This was a legal issue they had all overlooked.

It's also soon discovered that a man named Robert Vernon (Rick Vallin) and his sister Sherry (Carole Mathews) are also entered into the battle. Sherry falls for Ross and he decides to help the two win the small war that is developing.

Now this is entertainment! This movie is very fast paced and it's sometimes hard to keep up with all the slimy characters running around. All of the baddies try and get rid of Ross, but none of them have any success.

The rest of the cast is a dream. It includes Barton MacLane, Dick Foran, Gordon Jones, Raymond Hatton, Lee Van Cleef, Gordon Jones and the always gorgeous Lola Albright.

I really can't see any westerns fan wouldn't love this film. Scott is at his best here. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Martin Kove is 76, and Eddie Deezen is 65.

THE SILVER WHIP 1953 (TUBI)

A great cast and a great western adventure.

Robert Wagner stars as Jess Harker, a young man who is frustrated with his life in a small town. He decides to leave but the stagecoach owner gives him a chance to run the coach on a very important ride.

Also on the coach is a huge shipment of gold as well as his best friend, a guard named Race (Dale Robertson). At the first stop a group of robbers hold the coach up. Jess refuses to leave Race behind and this costs them the gold as well as the life of a woman passenger named Waco (Lola Albright).

Jess vows to get the money back with the help of Sheriff Tom Davisson (Rory Calhoun). They round up most of the bandits, but Race seeks the leader, Slater (John Kellogg) by himself against the advice of the sheriff.

All of this culminates in a terrific climax that almost costs Race his life. The actors are on top of their game in this well made film. The rest of the cast includes Kathleen Crowley, J. M. Kerrigan, Ian McDonald and John Douchette.

If you're a Westerns fan you will want to check this out. It's fast paced, well acted and directed and who could resist a movie with both Kathleen Crowley and Lola Albright? HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Fred Williamson is 83.