TIME WALKER (1982) SHOUT FACTORY

Another neglected classic included on the 2 disc Vampires, Mummies and Monsters set from Shout Factory.
Ben Murphey plays a college professor who brings back the body of an ancient mummy from an Egyptian tomb and before you can blink an eye, the thing is up walking around looking to retrieve stolen crystals.
It turns out the mummy is actually an alien who landed on earth 5000 years ago and was entombed by the Egyptians when he spread a strange disease around.
The alien here actually means no harm, he just wants to go home. Kevin Brophey, Nina Axelrod and Sheri Belafonta Harper co-star. Nina has always been a favorite of mine and I cannot understand why she doesn't get more work.
James Karen is the Dean of the college, and Austin Stoker and Darwin Jostan are reunited from Assault on Precinct 13.
This is a good and overlooked sci-fi film that is fun, and again, the ending is left totally open for a sequel that never happened. I won't spoil it here.

GROTESQUE (1988) SHOUT FACTORY

One of four movies on the recent Vampires, Mummies and Monsters 2 disc set of Roger Corman Cult Classics, and probably the most ignored as well.
Lovely Linda Blair produced and stars in this bizarre tale about several insane punks who murder an entire family including Blair, only to find a horrifying family secret.
Guy Stockwell stars as Blair's father who is a Hollywood make up artist and Tab Hunter shows up as her Uncle who has one hell of a surprise for the last two survivng punks when it appears they will beat the murder rap and go free.
The ending is really bizarre and is meant to be a joke I believe, but what the heck, enjoy the film. It is nice to see this finally on DVD as it has beend neglected all these years since it has a very limited VHS run in the 80's.

BLACK RAVEN 1943 (ROAN)

This 1943 film stars George Zucco as the owner of a motel called The Black Raven. A raging storm takes place and several people find themselves stranded in the motel with a mad killer on the loose and a missing $50,000 in cash.
Zucco is very good in a role he was born to play. He seems like the villian, but there is a good twist at the end. Wanda McKay is the young lady caught in the murders with her lover. There are a lot of red herrings and usual scares. This is a fun thriller with lots of heart and it should not disappoint any horror fan.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO......

Monica Bellucci is 47. Angie Dickinson is 80, Candice Michelle is 33, and Marilyn McCoo is 68.

BLUEBEARD 1945 (ROAN)

John Carridine stars as Gaston, the strangler of women in this very tight and well made film from director Edgae Ulmer for PRC studios.
Carradine plays the role very well and it is one of his best. George Pembroke is Inspector LeFerve who is tracking the killer by setting up traps for him. Highly Recommended thriller.

ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 (1976) (IMAGE)

Absolutely stunning film from John Carpenter about a small group of policemen and women and two convicts whose lifes are threatened when the police station they are at comes under seige from a large group of bloodthirsty gang members called Street Thunder.
Everything about this movie is good and once it starts it never lets go until it is over!! Austin Stoker stars with Darwin Johnston, Charles Cyphers and others in what I consider to be one of Carpenter's besr efforts.
This film was unwisely remade a while back and that version is shit, this is the real deal here. Highly Recommended!!

BLACK ANGEL 1997 (TOKYO SHOCK)

Excellent example of Japanese 90's film noir about a young woman who is inspired by a legendary hit woman as she seeks revenge of the murderers of her father, but finds deception, double cross and mistaken identity everywhere she goes.
Produced by Shochiku Studios, this is a winner and for several reasons which includes beautiful japanese woman, lots of actions and a fair amount of bloodshed. This was a very popular film and was followed by a sequel which I will be reviewing in a few days.
Director Takashi Ishii brings the film to vivid life and for fans of the genre, you'll not be disappointed. Available in Emglish or Japanese language. My only complaint is the film runs 107 minutes and it could have very well been 90 and that would have been fine.

AMERICAN TOP 40 THE 70'S

This weekends edition of American Top 40 the 70's takes us back to Oct. 10th, 1977 when Eric Carmen claimed "She Did It", Ted Nugent caught "Cat Scratch Fever", Elvis Presley was "Way Down" and Foreigner was "Cold As Ice" plus much more in a dynamite countdown from one of the best times during the rock era.
Listen to Casey Kasem count them down in WMGN in Madison, WI this weekend.

AMERICAN TOP 40 THE 80'S

This weekend American Top 40 the 80's takes us back to Oct. 6th, 1984 when Hall and Oates were "Out Of Touch", Elton John asked "Who Wears These Shoes?", John Cafferty and The Beaver Brown Band were "On The Dark Side", Tina Turner wanted to know "What's Love Got To Do With It", and Cyndi Lauper did the "She Bop" plus much more.
Listen this weekend on WQSR in Baltimore and WMXY in Youngstown, Ohio.

RAMBLINGS.....

Starting in just a couple of days I will be starting a new poll and also the 31 days of Halloween, which will simply be a short review of at least one horror film per day all thru the month of October.
About a week ago I actually got to go inside the Monroeville Mall in Monroeville, PA and really enjoyed the time I spent there looking at what parts of the mall are left from the film Dawn Of The Dead (1979).
Thanks for the support and I hope you all keep coming and looking and leaving your comments.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Erika Eleniak is 42, Anita Ekberg is 80, Lizabeth Scott is 89, and Jerry Lee Lewis is 76.

BLACK DRAGONS 1942 (ROAN GROUP)

Bela Lugosi stars as a Hungarian doctor working for the Nazi's who is hired by the Japanese to use plastic surgery to transform six Japanese men into American businessmen and sabotage the US war effort. This is a very complicated plot and it developes and is over with in 62 short minutes!
It is an interesting film and never boring. Clayton Moore is the government man looking into the case. Lots of strange goings on and murder, plus a unique and bizarre ending.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Hilary Duff is 24, Mira Sorvino is 44, Brigitte Bardot is 77, Sylvia Kristel is 59, John Sayles is 61, and William Windom is 88.

DAMNATION ALLEY 1977 (SHOUT FACTORY)

This is a film I hadn't seen in 34 years!! I saw it upon it's initial release and remember I loved it then, and when I heard Shout was going to release it I wondered if I would like it just as much now.
I did, and probably more. George Peppard leads a small group of survivors of an atomic war thru a vicious world of giant scopions, flesh eating cockroaches, freak storms and armies of madmen in order to reach Albany, NY, which is where a radio signal is coming from.
The small band travels in a very cool land rover which was also used in the TV show Ark 2. Dominque Sanda, Jan Michale Vincent, Jackie Earle Haley and Paul Winfield are the survivors.
Winfield meets a most gruesome end with the cockroaches, and that is a scene I will never forget.
If you get a chance I recommend this film for a fun time, even if it was a box office failure, it does entertain and is fun and well made.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Wilford Brimley is 77, and Shaun Cassidy is 53.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO,,,,,,

Linda Hamilton is 55, Christina Milian is 30, Olivia Newton John is 63, Melissa Sue Anderson is 49, Lysette Anthony is 48, Donna Douglas is 88, Kent McCord is 68, Martine Beswick is 70, Victoria Vetri is 67, and Zacherly is 93.

DOUBLE EXPOSURE 1983 (MILL CREEK)

Interesting thriller starring Michael Callen as a photographer who has dreams of his models dying very violent deaths. One very gruesome death has a model getting a plastic garbage bag tied over her heard with a rattle snake in it.
This also stars three!!! of my favorite female actresses and they are Joanna Pettet, Misty Rowe and Pamela Hensley. Pettet is always good in anything and I always enjoy seeing her, and this is no exception. Rowe was a favorite of mine on Hee Haw and Hensley, who plays the investigating cop is always sexy to watch no matter what.
This is a well made thriller that does keep your attention and the gore and nudity are minimal which is fine. This is included in the Pure Terror set from Mill Creek.

MANOS THE HANDS OF FATE SPECIAL EDITION 1966 (SHOUT FACTORY)

Nice to see Shout Factory finally give this film the release it has long deserved. This is a two disc set with the original movie and the MST3K version as well, which is a laugh riot. I was crying I was laughing so hard. Never in the history of movies has there ever been a film like Manos.
There are several bonuses on this  including one entitled Hotel Torgo which is a 27 min. documentary on the making of the film.

Hal P. Warren directed this cinematic masterpiece in El Paso Texas in 1966 and it vanished into obscurity until MST3K aired it back in 1993. If you want to see a truely awful, but interesting film, Manos is it. Thanks a million to Shout Factory for making this film available in a very special edition with some pretty cool extras as well.

VERY BEST OF WCW MONDAY NITRO 2011 (WWE)

This is one of the best wrestling dvd sets I have seen in some time. This three disc set attempts to cover the entire six year history of what was perhaps the most revolutionary and entertaining pro wrestling show to ever air on tv.
Diamond Dallas Page hosts this set which includes ov 25 matches and some of the best moments from the show. The matches include Chris Jericho va. Ray Mysterio, Bill Goldberg vs. Hollywood Hogan, The controversial Horseman Parody by the NWO and much more.
Nitro was the best show on TV and I was very sorry it ended, it was live and anything could and usually did happen, but this set is highly entertaining and DDP says he thinks there might be a volume 2, which I hope there is soon.
Highly Recommended!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Heather Locklear is 50, Catherine Zeta Jones is 42, Mark Hamill is 60, Cheryl Tiegs is 64, and Michael Douglas is 67.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Stephanie McMahon is 35, and Bert I. Gordon is 89.