THE BLACK SLEEP 1956 (MGM)

I really do love this little film.

Basil Rathbone is a mad doctor who is obsessed with bringing his wife out of the coma she is in, so he performs brain experiments on unwilling victims in order to find out what is wrong with her brain.

He enlists the aid of Dr. Gordon Ramsay, played by Herbert Rudley. Ramsay was sentenced to die by hanging for a murder he didn't commit, and Cadman gave him a drug he calls the Black Sleep which made him appear dead, thus enabling Ramsay to come back to life and help him.

After a while it seems that Ramsay has a distaste for the way Cadman does things. This is a great little B movie directed by Reginald LeBorg. The cast is any movie lovers dream and it includes Lon Chaney Jr., John Carradine, Akim Tamiroff, Tor Johnson, Bela Lugosi and Patricia Blake.

The transfer from MGM is the best I have ever seen the film look and it contains no extras, but that is fine with me. I am just glad I am able to see this film again. I reviewed this before on this blog, but every once in a while you have to revisit these wonderful little films. Recommended!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Deborah Gibson is 44, and Mickie James is 35.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Don Pedro Colley is 76.

COLOSSUS OF NEW YORK 1958 (OLIVE)

Great little 50's sci-fi film that hasn't received a lot of attention.

I reviewed this when it first came out and I figured it was time to watch this again.

Ross Martin is a brilliant scientist who is killed by a truck that runs him over as he was trying to recover his sons small toy airplane that was blowing away at an airport. His distraught father (Otto Kruger) along with his brother find a way to keep him alive by transplanting his brain into the body of a huge robot that they have constructed.

Soon however he grows tired of not being able to see his son (Charles Herbert) or his wife (lovely Mala Powers) and uses powers he has developed over time to control the minds of his father and brother. He kills his brother and then attacks the United Nations in a pretty interesting climax.

This film has some great effects and acting. it is a shame this has been relegated to almost forgotten corners of the 50's sci-fi film world. Olive has turned out an excellent print of the film and I cannot recommend it enough to 50's sci-fi buffs.

The rest of the cast includes John Baragrey and Robert Hutton, but the standout to me will always be gorgeous Mala Powers.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Frank Henenlotter is 64.

AMAZING TRANSPARENT MAN 1959 (TIMELESS/SHOUT)

I have written about this film twice before here, but I revisited it again last weekend, so I figured I'd include a short write up here.

A scientist, played by James Griffith uses an invisibility serum on an escaped convict in order to have him steal things he needs to create an invisible army to conquer the world.

That is the plot, plain and simple from director Edgar Ulmer. This film has always been a favorite of mine ever since I first saw it in the late 70's on WTCG from Atlanta before they became WTBS.

It only runs 57 minutes and it does move quickly. The cast includes Marguerite Chapman, Douglas Kennedy and Ivan Triesault. Good fun for a Saturday afternoon.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

David Soul is 71, Hugo Stiglitz is 74, and Lindsay Bloom is 64.

THE EVIL 1978 (SHOUT FACTORY)

One of my favorite films.

I first saw this on a Halloween night on HBO when the network first started way back in the late 80's. It really impressed me, and it still does today after all these years.

Richard Crenna is a doctor who rents an old house to turn into a clinic. it turns out the house in haunted by a very evil spirit and soon it has the doc and all of the people who were helping him trapped in the house and is killing them one by one.

The doctor himself is responsible for unleashing the evil when he removes a cross from an ancient tomb in the basement. The scares are pretty good and some of the deaths are disturbing, especially Andrew Prine sinking into the ground after it becomes quicksand.

There is also the scene involving lovely Lynne Moody as a woman who gets sexually attacked by the invisible demon.

The ancient burial tomb is actually a portal to hell and Crenna and his sexy wife, played by Joanna Pettet find this out when they venture down. Victor Buono is the Devil. This is the part of the film that most people don't understand, as it really seems tacked on. It isn't a problem for me.

Shout Factory put this out on a double bill with Twice Dead on their Roger Corman cult classics. I recommend this film if you like good ghost stories.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Barbara Bach is 67, and Tuesday Weld is 71.

ZOMBIE 1979 (SHRIEK SHOW)

I decided to give this film another look and I never get disappointed by it.

Lucio Fulci directed this epic zombie film that set the standard for zombie films and gore. It seems that some kind of powerful Voodoo is bringing the dead back to life on a small island called "Matul."

Four people end up on the island. They are a reporter and the daughter of a man who was last known to be on the island (Ian McCulloch and Tisa Farrow) and a couple who are on a vacation (Al Cliver and Auretta Gay). The island is home to a doctor and his lovely wife. The doctor is played by Richard Johnson and his wife is Olga Karlatos.

Once on the island the zombie epidemic starts to spread and soon everyone is fighting for their lives against the dead. When they rise from an old cemetery we really get to see some classic horror make-up that really looks good ans creepy.

There is gore aplenty here, and if you've never seen the film you might be shocked by some of it, even today. The ending is bleak and it makes you remember the beginning of the film, which you might actually forget as you get into the film and let it take you away.

Simply the best Italian horror film ever made in my opinion, I recommend this 2 disc set from Shriek Show. It has more extras than you could ever imagine.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Akiko Wakabayashi is 73.

MAN ON A SPYING TRAPEZE 1966 (SINISTER CINEMA)

This is a pretty good Eurospy film.

Wayde Preston is Jerry Land, a secret agent assigned to a case involving lost microfilm. The fists fly, the sometimes snappy dialogue gets better and better and, of course, there are beautiful babes in abundance.

One of the lead villains, a Mr. Wong, played by Noe Murayama is an over the top comic book villain that really likes to torture and hurt anyone who is in his way.

There is a pretty good twist at the end which helps this film a lot. I like this particular spy film because it just strikes me a bit different than all of the others made during this time. The print from Sinister is good although it is sometimes washed out, but that only adds to the charm.

Give this 60's eurospy film a try and you might like it. Recommended!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Sean Connery is 84, Tom Skerritt is 81, and Claudia Schiffer is 44.

THE KILLING 1956 (MGM)

Stanley Kubrick irected this classic film noir told in a very different style.

Sterling Hayden stars as Johnny Clay, a small time hood who has just been released from jail and is now looking to make a huge heist at a race track.

He hires several people he knows and trusts and the wheels are set in motion for one of the greatest crime films ever made.

The stylistic story telling a first in film as it recounts every single incident leading up to and including the heist. The cast is full of great actors including Colleen Gray, Jay C. Flippen, Vince Edwards, Ted de Corsia, Marie Windsor, Elisha Cook Jr., Joe Sawyer and Timothy Carey in an unforgettable role.

This has one of the most downbeat endings to any film I have ever seen. I really love this film and cannot say enough good things about it. I have just the standard MGM version, but thias is out from Criterion as well it should be. If you haven't seen this film yet, do so soon and watch how films should be made.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Vince McMahon is 69, Ronee Blakley is 69, and Raven De La Croix is 67.

DIE MONSTER DIE 1965 (MGM)

A good Boris Karloff thriller.

It was a rainy day so I decided to re-visit another film I really, really like.

Nick Adams comes to the town of Arkham to visit a young woman he met in college. The woman is played by the very sexy Suzan Farmer. He is met with hostility and hatred for no apparent reason. Finally he decides to walk to her home since he cannot get a ride or rent a vehicle.

When he arrives he is met by the woman's father, played by Boris Karloff who also treats him the same way as the villagers. After a while it becomes apparent that the family has a secret to hide, or at least Karloff does.

It seems his character of Nahum Whitley has a highly radioactive meteor in his basement that fell from the sky. He believes it to be a curse he cannot escape from. It has slowly killed off all of the vegetation in the area, and is now affecting his wife who is slowly mutating as well.

Whitley begs Stephen Reinhart (Adams) to take his daughter away. Will that actually happen? I'll let you watch and find out, if you haven't seen the film. This is the directorial debut of Daniel Haller, a former art director for Roger Corman.

The wide screen photography is beautiful and the weird mutants in the greenhouse are something one will not forget to easily. Give this film a try, I think you'll like it. It's loosely based on the H.P. Lovecraft tale entitled "The Colour Out Of Space".

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Vera Miles is 85, and Barbara Eden is 83.

RIP MADELEINE COLLINSON 1952-2014

One of my favorite actresses has passed away.

The evil twin in the film "Twins Of Evil" passed away on Aug. 17th at the age of 62.

Twins had long been a favorite of mine ever since 1972 when I saw it at a drive in with "Hands Of The Ripper" and "Night Of The Lepus". The Collinson Twins were my first wet dream as a child and I always loved how incredibly sexy they were.

MARK OF THE WITCH 1970 (SINISTER CINEMA)

Time to re-visit another obscure horror film.

This was shot in Texas in 1970 and for some odd reason has all but been forgotten.

A witch takes over the body of a young college woman and terrorizes a small college town in Texas in order to seek revenge for her hanging 300 previous.

This is a very well made regional horror film made with semi professional actors and deep rick colored film that looks great even after 44 years.

The opening credits a cappella is a very haunting one performed by Trella Hart. It is not soon forgotten. It was written by the very talented leading lady Anitra Walsh, who dies at the age of 32 in 1980. I have yet to find out the cause.

The Sinister print is excellent and shouldn't disappoint anyone. I love little regional films like this as they usually have more heart and soul than any big budgeted Hollywood garbage. I recommend this film if you're looking for aomething, that while is not all that much different, is presented in a very good way. And you gotta love that synthesizer music score.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Honor Blackman is 89.

THE BRAINIAC 1961 (CASA NEGRA)

An all time classic of Mexican Cinema.

Truly a one of a kind film. Abel Salazar stars as Baron Vitelius Of Astara, a man burned at the stake in 1661 by the Holy Inquisition of Mexico. He levels a curse at the men responsible. The curse says he will come back when a certain comet appears in the sky, and revenge will be taken on all of the relatives of the men.

We move ahead 300 years to 1961 and a comet falls to earth and our Baron returns as a strange brain sucking monsters with a huge monstrous face, suckers for hands and a very long tongue to suck out the brains with. He sets up shop and invites a lot pof people to a reception so he can check out his intended victims.

The people die one by one and the police are baffled. Will the baron complete his revenge?? Check out this one of a kind movie and find out. The second best Mexican horror film ever made.

What really sets this movie apart is how cheap it is. None of the "outdoor" scenes take place outdoors. They are usually on a set with a completely black background or against a superimposed back drop. It simply adds to the bizarreness of the film. Salazar is perfect as the Baron and it's always good to see the very sexy Ariadna Welter.

if you've never seen mexican horror i would start with this one. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Clarence Williams III is 75, Patty McCormack is 69, and Eve Torres is 31.

COMING ATTRACTIONS......

My all time favorite British horror film is coming to Blu-ray on Dec. 2nd.

The Quatermass Xperiment is being released by Kino!! This has previously been available as a bare bones DVD-MOD, which is a very goo print, but the Blu-ray release promises so much more. Can't wait to see it!!

ABBY 1974 (CINEFEAR)

One of the most underrated horror films ever.

Carol Speed stars as Abby, a young woman who is married to a minister (Terry Carter) and whose father-in-law (William Marshall)is in Africa exploring caves and doing archeology work. He accidentally lets loose a demon of sexuality and it immediately takes possession of Abby.

Soon Abby is doing strange things such as using violence on her husband and spewing vulgar things out of her mouth. Her husband calls his father who flies back from Africa. Abby is put in a hospital but escapes and goes on a small spree of finding different sexual partners to use and sometimes kill.

Her father in law must perform an exorcism to save her life.

This is an excellent example of a horror film with an all black cast. William Girdler directed this in Louisville, Kentucky with a group of people who knew how to make horror films. Marshall is great as always, and Carol Speed is perfect for the role. This was one of many blaxploitation films made during the 70's and is probably one of the most obacure.

The reason for this is Warner Brothers sued to keep the film from being shown as they claim it was a direct rip off of their film "The Exorcist", and while this is true, it also has a lot of originality going for it. I think it is a dirty deal when a large film company can sue others and stop their films from being shown.

Abby has never had an "official" release, but the disc from Cinefear is about as good as it gets. It also contains various extras including a history of the film and radio and TV spots.

The rest of the cast includes Austin Stoker, Juanita Moore, and Charles Kissinger. Highly recommended!!

SHARKTOPUS VS. PTERACUDA 2014 (SCI FI TV AIRING)

Roger and Julie Corman strike again.

Robert Carradine is Dr. Rico Symes, a scientist who has created a genetic monster using the DNA from a Pterodactyl and a Barracuda. The screeching, flying monster escapes and must be caught before it can do any damage.

It starts eating people right away so the deranged scientist steals a now captive Sharktopus and unleashes it on the world again in order to stop his runaway creation. The two monsters, in between eating and killing a lot of people, have numerous battles.

This is a pretty good monster bash, and yes the CGI is cheap as always, but damn this film is fun. The original Sharktopus canot be topped, but this is close. Carradine plays his role with tongue firmly in cheek.

If you have a chance to see this I would recommend it for monster movie fans.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Jill St. John is 74, L. Q. Jones is 87, Diana Muldaur is 76, Debra Paget is 81, and Darby Hinton is 57.

JAWS 3 1983 (UNIVERSAL)

Five years after the second film comes this third entry, and it really changes course here.

Dennis Quaid is Mike Brody, one of the sons of the original Sheriff Brody in Amity. He is now working at Sea World in Florida which is run by Calvin Bouchard, played by Louis Gossett, Jr. Mike's brother Sean also works there. Bess Armstrong is Kay, Mike's girlfriend.

They find a baby great white that has come into the facility and they decide to put it on display. It dies after a short time and then the trouble really starts as it's momma comes a looking for it. The complex has as underwater system of tunnels that tourists can walk thru and these are threatened by the huge monster.

This was originally made in 3-D, but I have only seen the flat version. It's not too bad of a take on such films as "Gorgo" and the like and it was enjoyable. Not a huge moneymaker, but it did turn a good profit when released and that paved the way for a fourth and final film a few years later.

I can recommend this film for horror fans. It is a new twist on the franchise.

JAWS 2 1978 (UNIVERSAL)

A very good sequel.

After the enormous success of Jaws, this sequel followed three years later and made almost as big of a splash.

Sheriff Brody again has to try and protect Amity island when another huge shark decides to make the coastal town a feeding ground. After a few mysterious accidents and disappearances it becomes clear another shark is in town, but again the city fathers try and cover it up, this time by firing Brody.

The movie concentrates the action on a group of young people who are sailing to a secluded island when the shark shows up and makes their lives hell. It even grabs a helicopter and destroys it as well. The shark eats the pilot as well, but that is only shown in the DVD extras.

This is a superior sequel with the same three leads which are Roy Scheider, Lorraine Gary and Murray Hamilton. The rest of the cast includes Joseph Mascolo, Ann Dusenberry, Barry Coe and Donna Wilkes.

I recommend this film if you liked the first one.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Maureen O' Hara is 94, and Belinda Carlisle is 56.

THE ASTRO ZOMBIES 1968 (IMAGE)

I first heard of this film from some clips I had seen on a VHS tape called "Filmgore" hosted by Elvira.

That was back in 1983 if memory serves me right. I never got to see this until I got the DVD about 12 years ago and it instantly became one of my favorite films.

John Carradine stars as a scientist who is working on creating "astro-men" who can take interstellar space travel with no side effects. He uses a defective brain for his first experiment which is now on a brutal killing spree thru Los Angeles.

The CIA wants the Carradine character of Dr. DeMarco found quickly, but they are not the only ones who are looking. It seems an un-named foreign government wants DeMarco's experiment as well. The over the top Tura Satana leads the gang which includes Rafael Campos and Vincent Barbi.

The astro men are something to see as well. They have regular clothes on and wear strange looking helmets. In the final ten minutes one goes berserk and chops people up with a machete!! How can you not like a film like this?

Directed by Ted Mikels, this film has been slammed by many people, but I think they are missing the point. This isn't to be taken seriously at all, but simply to be enjoyed, and I never fail to be entertained by it.

The rest of the cast includes Tom Pace, Wendell Corey, Joan Patrick, Vic Izay, and Mikels regular William Bagdad.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Julie Newmar is 81, Ann Blyth is 86, and J. R. Bookwalter is 48.