SCREAM OF THE DEMON LOVER 1970 (SINISTER CINEMA)

One of my favorite Spanish horror films.

This is an odd euro horror about a young woman who goes to a castle to work for a man as a biochemist. The surrounding area has been plagued by several brutal murders.

The castle is owned by Janos Dalmar and it seems he is somehow connected to the murders. The young woman has several incidents which she seems to think are dreams in which she is chained to a stretching rack and fondled by a scarred being.

It turns out that Janos has a brother who was scarred in a fire many years ago, and he has been committing the murders.

The film is slow in spots, but it should hold your attention. The print from Sinister is ok, but it is out of sequence with the rack scenes. Both are put in the film back to back, which I thought is kind of odd, but it really doesn't do any damage to the film itself.

Recommended viewing for Euro horror fans.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Angie Dickinson is 83, Rula Lenska is 67, and Patrice Rushen is 60.

DR. ORLOFF'S INVISIBLE HORROR 1970 (SINISTER CINEMA)

A VERY ODD Euro horror film.

A young doctor is summoned to a castle and soon finds out that the owner, Dr. Orloff, played by Howard Vernon has created a monster that is invisible.

The doctor claims his daughter, Cecile is unstable due to a bizarre accident, but after the doctor spends the night in the castle he finds out who the insane one really is.

There are a couple of scenes in which the invisible monster attacks some women and it is very odd to see these naked women thrashing around pretending to fight off the invisible menace. Director Pierre Chevalier does the best he can with the material and the result is a twisted, but not all together unwatchable film. The print from Sinister is good and should please any horror fan who is undiscriminating.

This is a must for all Euro horror trash fans.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Anita Ekberg is 83, Lizabeth Scott is 92, and Jerry Lee Lewis is 79.

RIP JOHN FREDRIKSEN 1953-2014

Many of you probably don't know this man.

John was one of my closest friends and remained so until his death last month from brain cancer.I first met him on a 1984 trip I made to California. We remained very close and we stayed in touch often. The movie that brought us to a very tight bond was the 1954 sci-fi classic "Target Earth".

John called me last fall and told me had been diagnosed with brain cancer. He was always an optimist and he told me he would fight thru this and come to see me in Idaho.

He didn't make it. I cannot express my sadness and despair at his death. John sent me two of his many books, one was on the "Honey West" tv show and the other was on his favorite show "Man Into Space". Sadly, his last great work, a HUGE book on 50's sci-fi and horror films will remain unfinished. John was a frequent contributor to this blog and was interviewed twice on here.

I just don't know what else to say. He was 61.

RIP AUDREY LONG 1922-2014

She had a short career in films, but it was a good one.

Long made her debut in 1942 and ended her film career in 1952. She starred in such films as "Tall In The Saddle" with John Wayne and the unforgettable role of Georgia in the film noir classic "Born To Kill" with Lawrence Tierney.

Her last role was in the 1952 western "Indian Uprising". She was 91.

SANTO VS. THE VAMPIRE WOMEN 1962 (SINISTER CINEMA)

What can I say about this film!!!

A few days ago was Santo's birthday and so I decided to watch one of his greatest films. This was the second Santo film I have ever seen and I couldn't understand why the title referred to him as "Samson" and the crowd was yelling "Santo". Of course, as I got more into Mexican cinema I figured out what was being done what with retitling and dubbing.

In this epic Santo fights an army of sexy vampire women led by Ofelia Montesco and gorgeous Lorena Velazquez. They have risen from their graves in order to kidnap a young woman and marry her to Satan.

There is plenty of in ring action in which Santo fights an opponent that turns out to be a vampire who turns into a bat while in the ring. He also battles the three muscular slave of the Vampire Women. This is great comic book movie making that is strictly entertaining and not meant for anything else.

Sinister's print is excellent with a very good audio track. I can't recommend this enough. If you've never seen a Santo film, this would be a good place to start.

RIP DON KEEFER 1916-2014

A great character actor has passed away.

Don Keefer died on Sept. 26th at the age of 98. Keefer was best known to those who read this blog as the janitor in the episode of "Creepshow" entitled "The Crate".

He also is best know as the Perry Como starved man in the stunning Twilight Zone episode entitled "It's A Good Life." Keefer's performances were always above the norm and always stood out.

He also appeared in such films as "Cain Mutiny", "Hellcats of The Navy" and "The Way We Were" amongst may others.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

John Sayles is 64, and Brigette Bardot is 80.

NEUTRON VS. THE AMAZING DR. CARONTE 1964 (SINISTER CINEMA)

Another unique Mexican film.

Wolf Ruvinskis stars as Neutron, a masked wrestler who is also a super hero. In this epic he fights a mad scientist and his army of zombies>

The zombies are pretty interesting looking and the film moves along at a very quick pace.

These films never caught on like the Santo films, but they are really of the same mold. Jack Taylor is the scientist who has developed a neutron bomb formula, and he is stalked by a mad doctor named Caronte, who also happens to wear a mask.

The plot is pretty straight forward and if you haven't seen one of the Neutron films, I highly recommend you do. Once again Sinister Cinema brings us a great little film that really should have had more exposure.

SEIZURE 1974 (SCORPION)

Oliver Stone directed this little gem.

Jonathan Frid plays Edmund Blackstone, a writer who has a few bizarre ideas in his mind, but puts them aside when he invites some friends to his estate for the weekend.

During the course of the evening three strange figures, and evil dwarf named Spider, a huge executioner called Jackal and a woman calling herself the Black Queen (Martine Beswick) invade the house and kill Blackstone's house guests one by one.

The three killers are actually from Blackstone's mind, but that is really never made too clear as a news report in the background says that three escapees from the local asylum are still on the loose. The ending is a double surprise that will really catch your attention.

This is a great horror film that is so sadly underrated. In my opinion it is the only film Stone ever made that is good. The Blu-ray is the best I have ever seen the film. If you like horror films, I cannot see why you haven't invested in this one.

The rest of the cast includes Mary Woronov, Joseph Sirola, Herve Villechaize, Troy Donahue, Henry Judd Baker and Christina Pickles.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Olivia Newton-John is 66, Donna Douglas is 81, Christina Milian is 33, Lysette Anthony is 51, Martine Beswick is 73, Victoria Vetri is 70, an John Zacherle is 96.

ENCOUNTERS WITH THE UNKNOWN 1973 (SATURN)

A classic regional film from Arkansas.

Director Harry Thomason brings us three tales of horror in this cut rate trio of Twilight Zone-like episodes. He even got Rod Serling to do the narration!

The first tale is about three college students who play a joke on a fellow student. This ends in tragedy when the student is killed and his mother curses them and they all meet strange deaths. This tale is rather unforgettable once seen. It's bizarre nature just seems to grab you.

The second tale seems to be everyone's favorite. It concerns a huge hole in a field that has suddenly appeared and a young boy whose dog has apparently fallen into the hole. Weird sounds are heard and nobody will go into the hole until finally the boys father decides to do it. He screams and they haul him up and he has become a raving lunatic. we are never shown what it is that he has seen, but it is assumed it was Satan.

The third tale is about a dead girl who mysteriously appears on a bridge and wants to be taken home. A congressman picks her up and takes her to her home only to discover that her father is still alive and he tells the congressman that his daughter died many years ago.

These are all very low budget tales, but fun nonetheless. I reviewed this a couple of years ago, but damn, I had to rewatch this. If you haven't seen this film, I think you should. It is something that will stick with you for a very long time.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Heather Locklear is 53.

IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE 1953 (UNIVERSAL)

One of the all time classics.

Watching old Universal films like this one after not seeing it for a year or so is like having a very old friend stop by for a visit. It's very comforting.

Richard Carlson is an astronomer named John Putnam that most people in the small town in which he lives, think he is a little crazy by being fascinated with the stars.

One night while spending time with his soon to be wife, Ellen Fields, played by gorgeous Barbara Rush, a huge meteor lands near the small desert town. It turns out to be a spaceship that has accidentally crashed.

Putnam wants to talk with the aliens who are assuming the bodies of missing citizens of the town while the Sheriff, Matt Warren, played with gusto by Charles Drake wants to kill them.

Based on the classic Ray Bradbury story, this excellent effort helmed by Jack Arnold, is a perfect example of classic filmmaking. Released in 3D originally, it works in 2D just as well. I first saw this on KHQ TV from Spokane, WA on a Saturday afternoon on a double feature with "Creature From The Black Lagoon".

The rest of the cast includes Joe Sawyer, Russell Johnson and sexy Kathleen Hughes. I have nothing more to say except this is the epitome of 50's sci-fi.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Stephanie McMahon is 38, April Hunter is 43, and Bert I. Gordon is 92.

NIGHT THE WORLD EXPLODED 1957 (SONY)

A nifty 50's sci-fi film that has fallen thru the cracks.

A scientist invents a machine that can predict earthquakes and it proves to work very well as it predicts several major quakes around the world.

It is soon discovered that a new element is pushing upward from inside the Earth and will soon cause enough pressure to cause the entire world to explode. Scientists race against time to stop this from happening.

Fred Sears directed this effort, and there isn't a lot of action, but it is fun in a Saturday matinee style. The print quality from Sony is picture perfect and I am glad they turned this out.

The cast includes Kathryn Grant, William Leslie, Tristram Coffin and Raymond Greenleaf.

Yes, I reviewed this a couple of years ago, but just wanted to revisit it since it seems to be a somewhat forgotten film.

BIRTHDAY WISHES......

On this day in 1917, the greatest wrestling legend was born!

Santo who appeared in more than 60 films was and still is a legend in Mexico. His films are legendary the world over and if you ever got to see him wrestle you'd never forget it.

He passed away at the age of 66 on Feb. 5th, 1984. VIVA EL SANTO!

DIRE WOLF 2009 (ECHO BRIDGE)

Fred Olen Ray strikes again.

Maxwell Caulfield stars as the Sheriff of a small mountain community that is terrorized by an unknown monster that is tearing people apart.

He soon discovers that an animal has escaped from a secret lab located in the mountains and it is called a Dire Wolf and it is a mixture of prehistoric wolf genes and human DNA.

The monster is very convincing, but the CGI blood effects aren't so great. However, I didn't let that ruin my enjoyment of this film. I have always liked what Fred has turned out because I think he has a very good idea of what people who like these kinds of films wants to see.

Caulfield plays the Sheriff totally tongue in cheek and when his character meets an untimely end at the hands of the beast, his final words are priceless. I originally saw this on DVD a few years ago under the title "Dino Wolf" which is the totally uncut version of the film.

I recommend this film to horror fans as it was made just for us.

The rest of the cast includes Steven Lee Allen, Dawn Ann Billings, and Gil Gerard as Col. Hendry.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Catherine Oxenberg is 53, Toni Basil is 71, Shari Belafonte is 60, Asa Maynor is 78, and Debbie Boone is 58.

CRAWLING EYE 1958 (IMAGE)

One of my favorite films.

Forrest Tucker stars as Alan Brooks, a man who is on a "vacation" in the Alps and investigates the gruesome deaths of several mountain climbers who have had their heads torn off.

He arrives with two young women also on the same train as he is. They are a mind reading act of Sarah (Jennifer Jayne) and Anne (Janet Munro) Pilgrim. They both decide to stay in the small town of Trollenberg after Anne receives a strong mental message from an unknown source.

After a few more disappearances it soon becomes clear that an alien force is at work. Aliens from another planet are attempting to take over, but must first make the earth cold enough for them to live on.

The aliens are giant eyes with tentacles!! I will never forget when I first saw this film as a child. It blew me away, and it still does. I love the slow build up to the all out attack by the monsters on an observatory where everyone is gathered.

The print from Image has the original title, "The Trollenberg Terror". I have reviewed this here before, but wanted to re-visit it because it deserves all the attention I can give it. Great 50;s sci-fi and not to be missed.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Stephen King is 66, and Rebecca Balding is 59.

RIP POLLY BERGEN 1930-2014

The acclaimed actress who starred in many motion pictures and TV shows has passed away at the age of 84.

Bergen is best remembered for her role in the 1962 film "Cape Fear" and her television roles in such shows as "War And Remembrance".

She had been suffering from emphysema and other problems at the time of her death.

CHUPACABRA VS. THE ALAMO 2013 (ECHO BRIDGE)

With a title like this, one can expect a somewhat interesting film.

Erik Estrada stars as a DEA agent who is investigating the violent deaths of several drug cartel members.

it turns out that a huge pack of Chupacabra's are running over the countryside in San Antonio, Texas and it is soon up to a small party of people to stop the violent rampage.

The creatures are CGI and look like starving dogs. They are very convincing in some scenes and in some scenes not so good. The plot is not hard to follow and the action starts right off and doesn't end until the movie is over.

Made for the SYFY channel, this is better than most sci-fi efforts and I loved the final battle at the Alamo against the army of inhuman monsters.

If you get a chance, check it out. You could do much worse.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Sophia Loren is 80, Asia Argento is 39, and Brinke Stevens is 60.

COTTON COMES TO HARLEM 1970 (KINO LORBER)

Finally the wait is over!

One of the most influential films within the Blaxploitation genre finally comes to Blu-ray from Kino.

Calvin Lockhart is a shady reverend who raises money for his "Back To Africa" campaign, and a huge amount of it is stolen during a pledge drive stop in Harlem. The thieves all die and the money, hidden in a bale of cotton falls out of the truck.

Two street wise detectives, Grave Digger Jones, played by Godfrey Cambridge and Coffin Ed Johnson, played by the marvelous Raymond St. Jacques are on the case. They are hamstrung by everyone in the department during the investigation, but they proceed on their own.

This is a great mixture of action, comedy and adventure. The absolute standout is gorgeous Judy Pace as Iris, the girlfriend of Lockhart's Reverend Deke O'Malley. My God, Judy tries to seduce the cop that is watching her, and seeing her in the buff is JUST TOO MUCH!!! It's a great scene filled with dynamite sex appeal and comedy.

Directed by actor Ossie Davis, this film hits every mark just perfectly. The dialogue is snappy and the entire film moves at a very brisk pace. The Blu-ray presentation is flawless and I cannot recommend this film enough. Touchstone filmmaking here!!

The rest of the cast includes Redd Foxx (in a great role), John Anderson, Lou Jacobi, Eugene Rocje, J.D. Cannon and Cleavon Little.

Get this movie!! Did I mention that the gorgeous Judy Pace is in the film???

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Adam West is 86, David McCallum is 81, Victoria Silvstedt is 40, and Randolph Mantooth, 69.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Frankie Avalon is 75, and Veronica Carlson is 70.