RIP DALE ROBERTSON 1923-2013

Even though he made over 60 films, this tall dashing actor will always be remembered for his role of Jim Hardie in the TV show "Tales Of Wells Fargo" which ran for five years. The first film I ever saw him in was the 1955 film Son of Sinbad. Robertson was a true talent that was most at home in western roles.

12 TO THE MOON 1960 (SONY)

Odd and obscure sci-fi.

Ken Clark heads on international expidition to the moon only to find a faceless intelligence that decides earthlings are too dangerous to let live. The film is well made but I think it actually tries to be bigger than it really is.

The huge cast also includes Tom Conway, Francis X. Bushman, Michi Kobi, Tony Dexter, John Wengraf, Anna-Lisa and Richard Weber. The print from Sony is beautiful and widescreen and I do recommend this for sci-fi fans. It is too bad this film has fallen into obscurity..it deserves better.

MUMMY AND THE CURSE OF THE JACKALS 1967 (SINISTER CINEMA)

Wow what a film!!

Anthony Eisley stars in this film as a man who has discovered the tombs of an ancient Egyptian prioncess and a mummy. He falls under a curse and becomes a Jackal man and runs thru the streets of Las Vegas killing people.

Soon the lovely Princess returns to life and he really falls for her. She is really easy on the eyes and the most interesting scene in the movie is when Eisley is trying to explain to her what a modern day bra is!! The mummy comes to life as well and the Jackal man and the mummy battle in the streets of Vegas.

The people on the street are laughing as the two monsters fight and the entire movie is really a complete mess, but one that every bad film fan must see. The cast also includes John Carradine, and Robert Allen Browne. Marliza Pons who plays the beautiful Princess Akana only appeared in two films and then disappeared. She was born in Sidney, Montana in 1936 and died May 2 of 2011 in Las Vegas.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Ali Larter is 37, Frank Bonner is 71, Mimsy Farmer is 68, and Ricki Steamboat is 60.

CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED 1964 (WARNER)

Classic sequel to Village Of The Damned.

Ian Hendry, Alan Badel and Barbara Ferris star in this very excellent sequel to Village Of The Damned. Several children from around the world who show remarkable intelligence are brought to England for study, and then the real terror starts.

The military and the governments of the world want the children dead, but the chidlren fight back using their special powers which regular people are unable to cope with. A great, literate classic that ranks right up there with the original film. Highly Recommended!!

TOP LINE 1988 (MILL CREEK)

Interesting sci-fi.

Franco Nero is an author who discovers UFO's in the Columbian jungle and when he tries to get the word out he faces more than the usual scoffs of disbelief. He finds himself hunted by The US Government, the Mafia, The KGB and many more.

Just why is he getting all this negative feedback? I won't give it away, but it is an interesting ending to an interesting film. The cast is rounded out by George Kennedy, William Burger, Deborah Moore and Mary Stavin. Check it out, I think you'll like it.

BIRTHDAY WISHES TO.....

Rosanna Yanni is 75.

MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE 1932 (UNIVERSAL)

Once seen..not soon forgotten.

Bela Lugosi is Dr. Mirakle, a mad scientist who abducts young women and tries to prove ape-human kinship by injecting them with the blood of apes.

Lugosi is perfect in the role and Leon Ames is the man who tries to stop him after he kidnaps Ames' girlfriend played by Sidney Fox. There are a lot of disturbing images in this film such as Lugosi and his lusting looks directed at Fox, the ape carrying off a victim and Lugosi torturing a prostitute in his lab.

Good stuff for horror fans and one that I Highly Recommend.

CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON 1954 (UNIVERSAL)

On March 5, 1954 the terror began!

On that day this classic film premiered across the US and became a classic of the horror genre. Richard Carlson stars along with Richard Denning and gorgeous Julie Adams in this tale about the discovery of a half human half fish monster in a tributary of the Amazon River.

Universal made this film top notch and it still holds up very well today. Ricou Browning plays the monster underwater and Ben Chapman plays him on land. The monster traps the explorers in the tributary and they find themselves fighting for their lives. The rest of the cast includes Nestor Pavia, Antonio Moreno and Whit Bissell.

Julie Adams will always have a place in my heart as nobody will ever look as she did in a white one piece bathing suit swimming in the Amazon while the Creature follows her. An ALL TIME CLASSIC!! Highly Recommended!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Marta Kristen is 68.

AMY HESKETH UPDATE

I was preparing an interview with the "female Jess Franco" about her latest film La Marquis de la Croix, but sadly Amy's father passed away and she is headed back to the USA. I offer my condolences and I know exactly what you are going thru Amy. The interview, of course has been postponed until a later date to be determined.

AMERICAN TOP 40 THE 80'S

This weekends edition of AT40 the 80's is from 3/1/1980 when The Eagles said "I Can't Tell You Why", Led Zepplin was a "Fool In The Rain", Linda Ronstadt asked "How Do I Make You", Steve Forbert gave you "Romeo's Tune" and Donna Summer was "On The Radio" plus so much more.

Listen to AT40 the 80's this Sunday at 11AM mountain time on WMGN 98.1 from madison, WI.

AMERICAN TOP 40 THE 70'S

This weekends edition of AT40 the 70's is from 3/1/1975. This was a week when Dan Fogelberg told us "Part Of The Plan", The Ohio Players were hot with "Fire", Polly Brown was "Up In A Puff Of Smoke", Bachman Turner Overdrive wasnted to "Roll On Down The Highway" and Olivia Newton John asked "Have You Never Been Mellow."

Listen to AT 40 the 70's Saturay morning at 8AM mountain time on 92.9 KHLA in Jennings, LA and Saturday Night at 8PM mountain time on WMGN 98.1 in Madison, WI.

DR. BLACK AND MR. HYDE 1976 (VCI)

Super Seventies Shocker!!

Bernie Casey is Dr. Pride, a scientist who is working on a cure for liver disease. He creates a drug and finds he must take it himself and try and prove it works.

Unfortunately the serum turns him into a "white" killer who stalks pimps and other scum of Watts. The make-up effects are by Stan Winston and aren't bad. Casey does a very good job of projecting himself as an insane killer who shrieks loudly when pissed off.

The rest of the cast is rounded out by Rosaland Cash, Marie O'Henry and Milt Kogan. I found this to be one of the best of the many "blaxploitation" films I have seen.

TNA HARDCORE JUSTICE 2010 (NAVARRE)

The final bow for the stars of the former ECW.

This two disc edition of TNA Wrestling was special in that it was a salute and final bow for the extreme stars of ECW. See matches such as Too Cold Scorpio vs. CW Anderson, Tommy Dreamer vs. Raven, Rob Van Dam vs. Sabu and many more in this three hour extravaganza.

It's interesting to note that because of all the idiot lawyers of the world Vince Mcmahon forbid the use of the words ECW and Extreme Championship Wrestling during this TNA broadcast. Wow, some people are just way too uptight. Anyway, if you like hardcore wrestling you'll love this set.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Ric Flair is 64,and Maria Kanellis is 31.

ASSIGNMENT TERROR 1970 (SINISTER CINEMA)

Great sci-fi..Spanish style.

Michael Rennie and Karin Dor are aliens who have come to earth to revive all of the earth's monsters in order to conquer the world.

The aliens manage to revive the Frankenstein Monster, a vampire, the Mummy and, of course, Waldemar Daninski, the werewolf. These monster are sent to terrorize people and soon the aliens start having human emotions which leads to their downfall.

I love this film!! You have Michael Rennie who has always been one of my favorite actors, Paul Naschy, the king of Spanish horror and gorgeous Karin Dor, plus some very cool monsters and aliens...so what's not to like? Recommended!!

WEREWOLF'S SHADOW 1972 (ANCHOR BAY)

Aka Werewolf vs. the Vampire Woman.

I have reviewed this here a long time ago, but figured I would do it again because I love this film so damn much. Paul Naschy stars as Waldemar Daninski, a man cursed to change into a werewolf every cycle of the full moon. A young a beautiful woman and her equally sexy friend are traveling in Europe to find the burial spot of a medieval countess named Wandessa, and they happen to meet Daninski.

He takes them to the tomb and one of the girls accidently cuts herself and blood bring the very hungry Countess back to life. Gaby Fuchs is Elvira and Barbara Capell are the two gorgeous travelers. Paty Shepard is the Countess and she battle Daninski at the climax of the film.

This, to me is the epitome of Spanish horror! Sexy women, werewolves, vampires, walking dead and a very 70's flavor make this a true winner. Anchor Bay presents this totally uncut and widescreen as well. A must for any horror film collector!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.......

Barbara Lawrence is 85.

VENGEANCE OF THE ZOMBIES 1972 (SINISTER CINEMA)

Paul Naschy strikes again!!

Naschy stars as an Indian mystic who is helping a woman investigate reports of people being killed by the dead. He finds out that his brother is the one behind the plot. The zombies are scary looking and have always bothered me a little, but I just don't know why.

The good Naschy has a helper named Kala, played by the always gorgeous Mirta Miller. The gory deaths are topped by a man being killed by having a soda can jammed into his neck!! Naschy plays three roles, the hero, his demented brother and in one dream sequence he is the Devil. If you love Spanish horror as I do then check this out if you haven't already.

SUPERGIRL 1984 (WARNER)

My favorite entry in the Superman Franchise.

Sexy Helen Slater is Kara Zol El, the cousin of Superman who must travel to Earth and recover a strange orb that has been lost from her home planet.

She happens upon an evil woman with designs to take over the world played by Faye Dunaway, who does an excellent job. Helen looks great in her Supergirl outfit and hides behind the identity of being a college student.

This movie is nothing but fun and I hope if you see it you find it as entertaining as I do. One of the best. The cast is rouned out by Peter O' Toole, Simon Ward, Brenda Vaccaro, Hart Bochner, Mia Farrow and Peter Cook.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.......

Peter Fonda is 73.

FACE OF TERROR 1962 (SINISTER CINEMA)

A rare film from Sinister Cinema.

The beautiful and always sexy as hell Lisa Gaye stars as a young woman who escapes from an asylum and finds a doctor who will restore he scarred face.

The doctor, played by Fernando Rey soons learns she is psychotic after he restores her face and she tries to kill him. As he recouperates in the hospital she lands a job as a waitress and has to fight off all the men who makes passes at her.

The surgery isn't permanent and she goes berserk when she sees her face is now as ugly as it was before. This is a great little film that has more than enough entertainment value. Both leads are very, very good and this is a very underrated film that deserves more attention. Recommended!!

BEACH GIRLS AND THE MONSTER 1965 (SINISTER CINEMA)

A true cinema gem.

Jon Hall is Prof. Otto Lindsay, who believes that the death of a bikini clad young woman on the beach is the result of a mutated form of sea life. Sue Casey is Lindsay's bitchy but very sexy wife and she soon meets her demise as well.

Lindsay's son Richard hates his dads work and wouldd rather play around on the beach with his girlfriend and surf. The monster is pretty cool looking and the ending is one of those, "oh wow, what a bummer" kind of endings, but this movie is 100% fun and a real z classic.

This is the last film made starring Jon Hall and it is the only film he directed as well as being the director of photography. Highly recommended for people like me who love monster movies and women in bikinis. "There's a monster in the Surf...yeah yeah yeah!"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Drew Barrymore is 38, James Hong is 84, Karin Dor is 75, and Rita Calderoni is 62.

HANGING WOMAN 1976 (TROMA)

Another great Euro horror film!

Paul Naschy stars as Igor, the depraved gravedigger who has sex with corpses!! The actual story revolves around a man who sees his sister hanging from a tree and finds her grave is empty.

Soone he finds that some of the corpses have been reanimated and become killing machines for a mysterious figure. This film is a classic example of Euro Horror and today's young people probably won't enjoy it as it is not full of CGI effects, but if you love 70's Euro Horror, this is a rare and unique film. Recommended!!

CAPTIVE WOMEN 1953 (SINISTER CINEMA)

Pretty cool 50's sci-fi flick.

One of the first post-apocolyptic sci-fi films, this deals with three tribes of people...the Mutants, The Norms and the Upriver People, all fighting for survival in a destroyed world.

Robert Clarke stars as one of ther Norms who tries to bring the tribes together and stop all the fighting. This is a very low budget, set bound movie that actually manages to work on a micro level. Margaret Field is the woman he loves. Both starred in Man From Planet X the previous year.

jack pollexfen produced and co-wrote this story. William Schallert and Ron Randell also star. Thanks to Greg at Sinister for making this obscure gem available.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

William Petersen is 60.

VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED 1960 (WARNER)

Classic horror and sci-fi!

George Sanders stars in this classic film about a small village in England that blacks out for a few hours and when everyone awakens again strange things start to happen. What stranges things you may ask? Well, every woman who can have children becomes pregnant and this causes more than it's share of trouble.

As time passes the children are born and all seem to look alike. They have super mental powers and proceed to take over the village. Sanders and his wife, played by lovely Barbara Shelley try to love their child, but he has no emotions to return the feelings.

Great little film that is always interesting to watch and never boring. If you like classic sci-fi this is a good film to see. Highly Recommended!!

DEATHSTALKER 1983 (SHOUT FACTORY)

Good little sword and sandal opus.

A warrior is sent by an old witch to obtain three gifts of power in the universe from an evil magician named Munkar, played by Bernard Erhard. Richard Hill is Deathstalker, the warrior and one of his lady loves is none other than the incredibly beautiful Lana Clarkson.

Clarkson's character is killed off so Deathstalker falls for Codille, played by Barbi Benton who gets to show off her lovely body more than once as she has to fend off all kinds of hideous beasts.

Roger Corman produced this epic and if you like plenty of action, gorgeous women and mystical spells this film is for you. Recommended!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Cindy Crawford is 47, Jennifer O' Neill is 65, Richard Matheson is 87, and gorgeous Gail Kim is 37.

984 PRISONER OF THE FUTURE 1982 (MILL CREEK)

This will make you think...at least I hope so.

Tibor Takacs directed this tale about a corporate executive who is turned over to a ruthless interrogator after a new regime takes power and he refuses to take their side.

A "Movement" headed by Barack Obama...oops I meant Dr. Fontayne promises world peace and those who oppose him are thrown into prisons never to be seen again. Made in Canada in 1978, this film was produced for TV and really looks like the USA today as we know it.

Stephen Markel is the man held in prison in this grim tale that will make you think. It's not a far fetched as one might have thought in 1978. The Obama...oops there I go again, the Fontayne character is kept somewhat mysterious, but the main focus is on the prisoner and his interrogator. Highly Recommended!!

HANDS OF STEEL 1986 (MILL CREEK)

Italian Science Fiction....Sergio Martino style

Simple story of a cyborg that is programmed to kill a scientist who is working on world peace. Daniel Green is Paco, the cyborg who starts to regret killing people and finally finds himself fighting for the honor of a young woman who runs a small truck stop out in the desert.

Nothing too complicated here and nothing too high tech..just story telling andd actors who can actually handle the parts. Janet Agren is the young woman Paco protects. John Saxson is the corporate leader who wants Paco dead. People often tear this film apart, but I found it to be fun and entertaining.

MEN INTO SPACE BY JOHN C. FREDRIKSEN 2011 (BEARMANOR MEDIA)

One of the most obscure TV shows was one starring William Lundigan as Colonel Edward McCauley. This was produced by ZIV productions and has sadley been somewhat forgotten today except by a handful of us who still remember this great little show.

John Fredriksen remembers this very well and has written this wonderful little book which is also an episode guide and does it have the info on this show. There are plenty of rare pictures and interviews with the people who worked on the show as well as an interview with Lundigan's daughter.

There were plenty of guest stars on the show every week including Angie Dickinson, Mark Dana, Paul Comi and many others. If you want to find out more about this show I Highly recommend you pick up the book from BearManor Media. it is available thru Amazon.com and well worth the time and money.

John put this book together as a labor of love for a show that has not been seen much since it went out of syndication, and it shows. Good fun and a great read.

BRAIN TWISTERS 1991 (MILL CREEK)

Just plain bizarre.

A mad scientist uses video games to control the thoughts of others, and soon those people are turned into homicidal killers and it is up to a few people to put a stop to it.

This is not really a good film, but it isn't bad either. The premise is good and the acting is ok as well. The final sexy young woman to be turned into a killer is really cool and she always looks hotter than hell.

Farrah Forke and Terry Londeree star. try it and see if you like it.

BOUND FOR GLORY 2009 (NAVARRE)

More classic TNA wrestling.

This is a two disc set that features 9 great matches and many, many extras. You'll see such matches as "The Monster" Abyss ve. Mick Foley in a Monster's Ball match, Knockouts tag Team match featuring Taylor Wilde and Sarite Vs. The Beautiful People and much more.

Things sadly have changed a lot in wrestling over the last four years, but if you like wrestling at all you will enjoy the matches here. If you are a fan of Sting, I highly recommend it.

NIGHT THE WORLD EXPLODED 1957 (SONY)

Very underrated little sci-fi film.

This nifty little film deals with a scientist who has developed a machine that can predict earthquakes. It predicts a massive quake in California and then other quakes start hitting all over the world. The scientists must try and figure out why.

They soon discover a strange rock that actually grows and gets hotter when releasing energy, and that is the reason. This is not a classic by any means, but it is original and does keep your attention. Fred Sears directed and the lovely Kathryn Grant stars with William Leslie and Tristram Coffin. Pretty cool 50's sci-fi.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

George Kennedy is 88, Julie Strain is 51, and Lisa Comshaw is 49.

DEADLY BLESSING 1981 (SHOUT FACTORY)

A very good Wes Craven shocker.

A young woman, played by Maren Jensen is happily married to her once Amish-like husband who is mysteriously killed by his own tractor. She stays on to get to the bottom of things and finds herself harrassed by the religious group headed by Ernest Borgnine.

Two of her friends come to visit her and they are played by Susan Buckner and the incredibly gorgeous Sharon Stone. Needless to say, these women shake up this bizarre religious community and then a series of murders starts occuring again. Borgnine keeps saying it's an Incubus.

Lots of spiders, snakes and weird dreams are in this film and the cast is rounded out by Lois Nettleson, Lisa Hartman who really has a shocking scene in this film, and two old aschool vets from the world of Texas filmmaking Annabelle Weenick and Neil Fletcher. Good filmed in texas shocker that really delivers the goods. Recommended!