BEAST FROM HAUNTED CAVE 1959 (SYNAPSE)

One of my favorite 50's horrors.

Three men and a woman are involved in a plot to rob a small South Dakota town of gold, with the unsuspecting help of a ski instructor who is taking them on a cross country ski trip. They plant a bomb in an old mine as a distraction. When one of the men takes the explosive to the mine he takes a girl with him and she is attacked by a wired monster.

The mine blows up, the thieves get the gold and all appears well until one of the men sees the monster stalking them on their trip. The monster drags the girl with him to feed off of her as it slowly follows the people who destroyed it's home.

This movie is full of eerie images set against the cold desolation on the snowy Dakotas. Frank Wolff, Wally Campo, Sheila Noonan and Richard Sinatra are the four people who are involved in the gold theft and Michael Forest is Gil, the ski instructor who is drawn into their plan as a hostage.

Monte Hellman directed this, his first film, and for a low budget film it really packs a wallop. The "beast" is easily the most bizarre thing I have ever seen in a film and it is obvious that the makers of Alien and subsequent sequels have seen this film and taken a few ideas. Highly Recommended!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Ali Larter is 38, Rae Dong Chong is 53, Stephanie Beacham is 67, and Mimsy Farmer is 68.

THE OUTLAWS IS COMING 1965 (MILL CREEK)

One of my favorite Stooges movies.

Larry, Curly and Moe are working in Boston for a wildlife magazine when suddenly their owner arrives and sees what a mess they have made out of the press room, so he sends them and their Editor out west to stop the slaughter of Buffalo.

Upon their arrival in a small western town they find themselves sought by every notorious outlaw in history including Jesse James, Wyatt Earp, Billy The Kid and many more. The editor is played by Adam West and the very lovely Nancy Kovack stars as Annie Oakley who falls in love with him.

West thinks he is the one doing the fancy shooting of the outlaws, but it is rally Oakley who is shooting for him. It builds his confidence, but only makes things worse as the Stooges have to take things into their own blundering hands.

There are some great comedic moments here and I have very fond memories of seeing this on TV on Thanksgiving ay when I was very young, and to this day I find it just as entertaining and funny. The rest of the cast includes Don Lamond, Mort Mills (As Trigger Mortis), Rex Holman, Emil Sitka and Henry Gibson as Charlie Horse. Recommended!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Joanne Woodward is 84, Van Williams is 80, and Rosanna Yanni is 76.

DINOSAURUS 1960 (IMAGE)

Children's sci-fi film aimed at adults as well.

When explosions from dynamite uncover two prehistoric monsters and the body of a caveman, the construction crew bring the bodies ashore and decide what to do with them.

Lightning strikes the bodies and revives them and the begin stalking the island. A young boy befriends the caveman and a Brontosaurus but the real problem is the T-Rex. The effects are stop motion animation and they look good for the budget of the film.

This is made by the people who brought us "The Blob" and they wanted Steve McQueen to star, but he was so difficult to work with while making the aforementioned film they just decided not to bother. However, I love this film and would recommend it to anyone. A harmless 80 minutes.

HAVE ROCKET WILL TRAVEL 1959 (MILL CREEK)

Good Stooges film with sci-fi touches.

The Stooges are janitors at a rocket launching site and when a rocket crashes next to their living quarters they investigate and bring nothing but trouble.

While messing around inside they accidentally launch the rocket and head to Venus. There they meet a fire spitting giant tarantula, a talking unicorn and a robot that runs the planet and intends to make evil replicas of the Stooges.

Meanwhile, back on Earth scientists played by Bob Cobert and Anna-Lisa fall in love while trying to get the rocket back. This is not the best film the Stooges ever made, however this is the Stooges first feature film in which they star and the slapstick routines are funny.

I would recommend this for any Stooges fan and Mill Creek has a beautiful print direct from the Columbia master.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Michele Carey is 71, Marta Kristen is 69, and Fats Domino is 86.

AMBUSH AT CIMMERON PASS 1958 (OLIVE)

The only movie directed by editor Jodie Copelan.

Scott Brady is Sgt. Matt Blake who is leading a small group of men who have captured another man who was selling illegal guns to the Indians. The Indians still want the guns and will stop at nothing to get them.

The group is forced to continue on foot when their horse are stolen an they are picked off one by one. This is not your typical western and it is very low budget, however it is still a very watchable film with a very capable cast which also includes Frank Gerstel, Margia Dean, Baynes Barron and Irving Bacon.

Eastwood was said to not be too fond of this film, but hopefully you won't feel that way.

CASABLANCA 1942 (WARNER)

Who hasn't heard of this film?

Humphrey Bogart stars as Rick, an expatriate living in unoccupied Africa during the early days of World War 2 who finds himself again facing the woman he loves, but who ran out on him in Paris a few years before.

Lovely Ingrid Bergman is Ilsa, former love of Rick's and now the woman with Venezuelan underground leader Victor Lazlo, played by Paul Henreid. There is a lot on intrigue, romance and action plus an incredible piece by Dooley Wilson as Sam, the piano player in Rick's bar.

"As Time Goes By" is one of the most recognized songs in the world thanks to this movie, and the immortal line "Play it....play it again Sam" will never be forgotten.

Conrad Veidt is Major Strasser, the German officer who has come to take control of Casablanca for the Germans while Ilsa pleads with Rick to help her and Lazlo, her new husband escape.

If you haven't seen this movie, shame on you. It is an undisputed classic. I can really relate to how Rick feels about Ilsa. The rest of the cast includes Peter Lorre, Sidney Greenstreet, S.Z. Sakall and the unforgettable Claude Rains as Captain Louis Renault who plays a key part in the end which is never forgotten.

"I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship". Just watch the damn movie folks.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO........

Maria Kanellis is 32, and Ric Flair is 65.

RIP HAROLD RAMIS 1944-2014

The writer of one of the funniest movies of all time is gone.

Harold Ramis who wrote and starred in Ghostbusters and Stripes has passed away at the age of 69.

He really knew what made people laugh and could pull it off very well. During the peak of his career it seemed he couldn't miss as his films also included "Groundhog Day" another comedy smash that is really the story of my life.

The talents of Ramis will be missed, as his brand of comedy cannot be copied. He was one of a kind.

ROCKIN' IN THE ROCKIES 1945 (MILL CREEK)

The Stooges help out in a prospecting deal.

Shorty Williams (Moe Howard) is put in charge of a small ranch and instead he decides to go prospecting. He goes to town and finds two bumbling thieves to help him.

This results in a lot of wild slapstick comedy in between many musical numbers, and some of the slapstick also includes a talking horse, which is underutilized, sadly. The Hoosier Hotshots and Spade Cooley provide most of the music for this film as Mary Beth Hughes is on hand to sing as well.

This is an uneven film to say the least, but with the Stooges you simply can't go wrong. It's not a bad way to kill a Saturday afternoon.

MEGA SHARK VS. MECHA SHARK 2014 (THE ASYLUM)

Another soon to be monster movie classic.

This one will remind you very quickly of "Godzilla Vs. Mecha Godzilla."

Christopher Judge and Elizabeth Rohm are a married couple who do underwater research and have developed a huge mechanical shark that is soon put to the test when a giant shark breaks out of captivity and begins a reign of terror. The Government uses the mecha shark as a tool to fight the other monster.

I loved it when mecha Shark got a mind of it's own and started to destroy downtown Sidney Australia!! This again is just mindless fun and if you like the Godzilla films you will enjoy this. Debbie Gibson is back again as well in a much smaller role, but it is good to see her still being active in these films.

The Blu-ray looks magnificent and I would recommend this to any monster movie fan.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO......

Peter Fonda is 74.

MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM 1933 (WARNER)

One of the best early horror films.

Lionel Atwill stars as a man who face is scarred when he survives a fire his business partner started in order to collect insurance money on their wax museum.

Years later Ivan Igor (Atwill) sets up a museum in New York and soon bodies start disappearing from the morgue. A female reporter is on the case and won't let it go. She believe that Igor is behind the crimes. Glenda Farrell plays the reporter but it is Fay Wray who steals the show in my opinion.

Wray never looked lovelier and does a great job as the intended next victim of Igor, who wants to preserve her beauty in Wax. This was filmed in a two color technicolor process by Warner back in 1933 and on this Blu-ray presentation it looks very well preserved.

I am glad Warner decided to include this on the "House Of Wax" disc and I cannot recommend it enough to any horror fan.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

James Hong is 85, Jonathan Demme is 70, and Karin Dor is 76.

HOUSE OF WAX 1953 (WARNER)

The classic finally hits Blu-ray.

Vincent Price stars in this classic thriller about a man whose business partner leaves him for dead after he starts a fire in a wax museum to collect the insurance money. Price survives the fire as a scarred monster and seeks revenge.

Roy Roberts is Matthew Burke, the man who sets the fire. Price eventually finds him and kills him by hanging him in an apartment elevator shaft. Price's character is Henry Jarrod and he plays him as a most calculating killer who is trying to re-open his wax museum with lurid crime scenes, many based on the murders he is making happen.

Phyllis Kirk is Sue Allen, a young woman Jarrod wants to make into a new "Marie Antoinette" statue, and he stops at nothing to try and get her. The colors are robust and sharp in this edition and look better than they ever have.

This is one of the most expensive discs I have ever bought, it ran about $30 brand new, but it is well worth it. It is a Blu-ray 3-D/Blu-ray combo set. Now, I cannot watch the 3-D version because I don't have a 3-D TV or any of that stuff, but I love this movie so much that I wanted it anyway. It, of course, contains the regular 2D version. There are some pretty good extras on here as well as a 3-D cover. This disc proved very hard to get however as I ordered it twice and kept getting the "House Of Wax starring Paris Hilton". Imagine my frustration at getting that one twice!!

All in all this is a highly recommended disc and if you have 3-D capabilities you will no doubt enjoy the presentation. I saw this in 3-D years ago and it knocked my socks off. The rest of the cast includes Frank Lovejoy as Det. Tom Brennen, Dabbs Greer, Carolyn Jones, Paul Picerni, Paul Cavanagh and Charles Bronson.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO......

Gary Lockwood is 77.

THREE STOOGES MEET HERCULES 1962 (MILL CREEK)

More Stooge-mania.

Larry, Curly and Moe and three druggists who travel back into time via a scientists time machine. The scientist is played by Quinn Redeker and he joins them as does his love interest played by Vicki Trickett.

They meet Hercules played by Samson Burke and are hailed as heroes until they help Ulysses escape from prison and they realize they have altered the future.

On the run they pass the scientist, Schuyler off as Hercules and this provides plenty of slapstick as only the Stooges can deliver. Redeker is most familiar from the movie "Spider Baby" but he does an admirable job as the wimpy scientist who has to pretend he is Hercules.

Mill Creek's print ids directly from the Columbia print and looks as good as it ever did. You'll love when the Stooges must battle the Siamese Cyclops! Recommended.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Jennifer O'Neill is 64, and Gail Kim is 38.

28 DAYS LATER 2002 (FOX)

One of the best films of it's kind.

Some do-gooder animal rights activists break into an experimental lab and set loose some monkeys that are infected with rage and in a very short time all of England is destroyed.

Enter Cillian Murphey as Jim, a man who has been comatose for 28 days after a biking accident. He wakes to fine everyone gone and total devastation everywhere. Eventually he meets up with several people and begins to understand what has happened.

The infected roam the streets at night mostly looking for people to kill and if one drop of their blood enters your system you become one of the "enraged" in less than 30 seconds. This movie has it's share of scares and keeps the pace up for the entire 2 hour running time.

The cast also includes Naomis Harris as as Selena, the woman Jim falls for eventually. hard to believe this came out 12 years ago. Recommended!!

RIP MARY GRACE CANFIELD 1924-2014

The actress best known as Ralph Munroe on Green Acres has passed away.

Canfield also starred in many other TV shows including "Thriller", "General Hospital" and many more and such movies as "St. Valentines Day Massacre" and "Something Wicked This Way Comes".

She found her greatest fame as Ralph Munroe, the carpenter who was forever working on the Douglas bedroom with her brother Alph. She dies of lung cancer at the age of 89.

THREE STOOGES GO AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAZE 1963 (MILL CREEK)

More great slapstick from the Stooges.

The great grandson of the original man who made a trip around the world in 80 days accepts a bet that he cannot duplicate the trip. He sets out to prove them wrong with the help of his servants, the Stooges and a young American woman they meet in India.

Jay Sheffield is Phileas Fogg III and Joan Freeman is Amelia Carter, the American woman. Together with the Stooges they are involved in many goofy adventures while traveling around the world. Curly Joe is challenged to a wrestling match with a Japanese Sumo champion and ends up winning the challenge because he becomes enraged when he hears the song "Pop Goes The Weasel" which Larry plays on the flute.

This is typical Stooge craziness and a lot of fun if you're a stooges fan. The rest of the cast includes Walter Burke, Richard Devon and Robert Kino. Mill Creek has released a set of six Stooges films, of which this is one, and I recommend it to any Stooges fan.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO......

George Kennedy is 89, Julie Strain is 52, Lisa Comshaw is 50, and Juice Newton is 62.

TIME OUT FOR RHYTHM 1941 (MILL CREEK)

Fun film that features the Three Stooges.

Rudy Vallee and Ann Miller are the main stars of this film and it centers around an on again off again TV special featuring music and comedy.

Vallee and Miller play off each other very well and The Stooges make various comedic appearances in the film and it is good to see their "Maharaja" skit again. This is good innocent fun mixed with 40's jazz and music and slapstick comedy.

Miller's dancing is always welcome and Vallee was coming into his own at this time. A must for Stooges fans.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Denise Richards is 43, Jerry O' Connell is 40, Paris Hilton is 34, Hal Holbrook is 89, Jim Brown is 78, and Yvonne Romain is 76. \

TWILIGHT ZONE SEASON 3 1961-1962 (CBS)

Many people consider the third season of the Twilight Zone to be when the show hit it's peak.

This season consisted of 37 episodes, and yes, some are the very best of the show ever.

TWO 9/15/61....Elizabeth Montgomery & Charles Bronson star as possibly the last two survivors of a war in the far furture.

THE ARRIVAL 9/22/61.....An FAA investigator must solve the riddle of a plane that has no pilot and passengers that lands at a New York airport. Harold J. Stone stars.

THE SHELTER 9/29/61...A very disturbing story about friends who viciously turn on one another in order to survive an impending nuclear attack. Jack Albertson stars.

THE PASSERSBY 10/6/61....On a road home from the civil war a soldier and a young woman discover everyone on the road is dead including themselves. James Gregory stars.

A GAME OF POOL 10/13/61...Jack Klugman is a pool shark who plays a game where is very soul is at stake. Jonathan Winters co-stars.

THE MIRROR 10/20/61...Peter Falk is a dictator of a small country who is given a mirror that tells him who his enemies are.

THE GRAVE 10/27/61...Scary as hell tale about a gunslinger (Lee Marvin) who makes a bet he can visit the grave of a vengeful dead killer. Strother Martin and Lee Van Cleef also star.

IT'S A GOOD LIFE 11/3/61...Billy Mumy is a small boy whose mind has terrifying powers. Probably the most remembered episode ever.

DEATHS HEAD REVISITED 11/10/61...A former SS captain returns to his old concentration camp and gets a terrifying surprise. Oscar Beregi stars.

THE MIDNIGHT SUN 11/17/61...The earth is moving closer to the sun and the heat is on to find a cooler place to live. Neat twist ending.

STILL VALLEY 11/24/61... Gary Merrill is a confederate soldier who has a chance to win the Civil War with witchcraft.

THE JUNGLE 12/1/61....A businessman returning from Africa is haunted by a Voodoo curse. John Dehner stars.

ONCE UPON A TIME 12/15/61...Buster Keaton stars in this comedy about time travel.

FIVE CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF AN EXIT 12/22/61...One of my personal favorites. Five people are trapped in a bizarre round room with no way out and no memory of how they got there.

A QUALITY OF MERCY 12/29/61....A soldier played by Dean Stockwell gets a new perspective on war when he is forced to experience it from the enemies point of view.

NOTHING IN THE DARK 1/5/62...Robert Redford is a injured cop cared for by an elderly lady who is afraid he is really Mr. Death.

ONE MORE PALLBEARER 1/12/62...An eccentric millionaire offers his bomb shelter to three people who wronged him...for a price.

DEAD MAN'S SHOES 1/19/62...A bum puts on a murdered mans shoes and suddenly "becomes" the dead gangster.

THE HUNT 1/26/62...An old hillbilly and his dog follow an unfamiliar road which might take them to Heaven. This is another of my favorites.

SHOWDOWN WITH RANCE MCGREW 2/2/62...Larry Blyden is a phony cowboy star who is taught a lesson by real gunfighters from the old west.

KICK THE CAN...2/9/62...An old man at a rest home believes he can be young again if he can play a child's game.

A PIANO IN THE HOUSE 2/16/62...Barry Morse is a cynical critic who fins that a piano makes people reveal their true selves.

LAST RITES OF JEFF MYRTLEBANK 2/23/62...Excellent tale of a young man who dies, but comes back to life. James Best is perfect for the role.

TO SERVE MAN...3/2/62...Aliens arrive on Earth proposing peace, but actually have a very different reason for coming here. An all time classic starring Lloyd Bochner.

THE FUGITIVE 3/9/62....An elderly man and a young child have a tight friendship until two men come looking for the man. Cute.

LITTLE GIRL LOST 3/16/62...A small child is lost in a bizarre fourth dimension in her home.

PERSON OR PERSON'S UNKNOWN 3/23/62...Richard Long is a man who wakes up one morning to find that nobody, even his wife doesn't recognize him. One of the best of the series.

THE LITTLE PEOPLE 3/30/62...Two astronauts land on a planet for repairs an find a race of microscopic people. Claude Aikens and Joe Moross star.

FOUR O' CLOCK 4/6/62...A man plans to shrink all evil people, but gets a big surprise.

HOCUS POCUS AND FRISBY 4/13/62...Andy Devine is a teller of tall tales who is kidnapped by aliens who believe his every word.

THE TRADE-INS 4/20/62....In a future world and elderly couple decide to trade in their bodies for younger ones. Joseph Schildkraut and Alma Platt star.

THE GIFT 4/27/62...An alien lands in a small Mexican village with a gift and is shot and hunted by the police.

THE DUMMY 5/4/62...Terrifying tale about a man, Cliff Robertson, who believes that his dummy, Willie is alive.

YOUNG MAN'S FANCY 5/11/62...A newly married couple find terror when they briefly return to the man's home in order to sell it.

I SING THE BODY ELECTRIC 5/18/62...Touching Ray Bradbury tale about a robot grandmother who cares for three children.

CAVENDER IS COMING 5/25/62...Carol Burnett stars as a klutz who is helped by a guardian angel.

CHANGING OF THE GUARD 6/1/62...Donald Pleasance is an aging teacher who is forced to retire. A very touching story.

OVER EXPOSED 1956 (SONY)

Cleo Moore strikes again.

Cleo is a sexy young woman who learns the photography business from an elderly picture taker played by Ray Greenleaf. She learns her trade well and becomes one of the top photographers in New York.

Richard Crenna plays a newspaper reporter named Russell Basset and he and Cleo fall for one another. Lila Crane (Cleo) gets accidentally mixed up with gangsters when she takes a picture that will ruin a killers alibi. This is a very lightweight film noir, but it works very well.

Cleo is always nice to see and looks hotter than hell in this film. If you are a fan of film noir I would recommend this and if you're a Cleo Moore fan it is a must. Check it out.

BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS 1953 (WARNER)

Revisiting a classic 50's monster movie.

This is the film credited to starting the monster movie craze of the 50's. Ray Harryhausen's great special effects mixed with an excellent story by Ray Bradbury combine to make one hell of a film.

A giant prehistoric monster is awakened after an H bomb test and proceeds from the Arctic to the Hudson River, bringing death and destruction along the way.

The monster finally appears in New York and starts destroying the city. Paula Raymond and Cecil Kellaway are scientists who help another scientist, played by Paul Christian destroy the monster. Ken Tobey is on hand as the Military leader. Everything in this film works perfectly. It is the quintessential monster film and was and has been copied hundreds of times over the years.

Lee Van Cleef is actually the hero as he is the one who shoots the radioactive isotope into the monster. A great Saturday afternoon monster film if there ever was one.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Jane Seymour is 63, Sherry Jackson is 72, Marie Liljedahl is 64, Melissa Manchester is 63, and Erika Remberg is 82.