GAMERA SUPER MONSTER 1980 (MILL CREEK) BLU-RAY

After Gamera vs. Zigra the world had to wait 9 years for the next epic.

All of the previous monsters Gamera has faced are brought back to Earth via stock footage as once again aliens plan to invae the Earth.

This time a child has the help of three cute alien women who are defending the earth. This is STRICTLY a child's fantasy and it isn't too bad as far as films like this go, but damn, you really see nothing new here.

The company that made these films, Daiei went bankrupt and it is not a surprise to me. These films just could not compete with Godzilla, and I think the fault lies entirely with the film makers who went to a very childish level.

The battle scenes are cool to see sgain...well at least some of them, but it really did nothing for me. Again, the Blu-ray presentation is excellent.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Deborah Gibson is 47, and Mickie James is 38.

STRANGLER OF BLACKMOOR CASTLE 1963 (SINISTER CINEMA)

Harald Reinl directed this excellent "Krimi" classic.

The always beautiful Karin Dor (Wife of the director) stars in this wild film about a strangler on the loose in a British estate.

The psychotic killer always brands an "M" on the foreheads of his victims before he decapitates them. There are plenty of startling killings, and the one showing the decapitation of a man on a motorcycle is unforgettable.

The plot moves along briskly with a lot of twists and turns until the final which again, may throw you for a loop.

The plot also includes criminals trying to get some uncut diamonds and a butler, played by the wonderful Dieter Eppler, who is almost insane in his quest for the jewels.

This is a fine West German effort that all Edgar Wallace fans will enjoy, and I will watch ANYTHING with Karin Dor. The woman fascinates me. Recommended.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Peggy Lipton is 71, and Don Pedro Colley is 79.

LASERBLAST 1978 (FULL MOON)

I don't really understand why this film is so disliked.

Kim Milford stars as Billy Duncan, a young man who is very lonely and not too well liked in the small town in which he lives.

One day on a jaunt into the nearby desert he happens upon a strange ray gun and amulet left behind by an alien at the beginning of the film who was killed by two lizard-like policemen.

Billy soon finds himself transforming into a strange alien being, but with little or no memory of what he has done. His girlfriend, Kathy (Cheryl Smith)sees a strange burn on his chest and convinces him to see a doctor.

Doctor Mellon (Roddy McDowell) removes a piece of growing metal from Billy's chest and takes if away for analysis, but is killed by a transformed Billy before he can reach his destination.

This is a wild and fun little film that seems to have fallen thru the cracks. it came out at the tail end of the low budget sci-fi film streak that ended after Star Wars sadly came out. there is even a scene where the alien blows up a billboard for Star Wars.

The special effects by David Allen are crude, but very well done and they include stop motion animation. The rest of the cast for this little gem include Keenan Wynn, Ron Masak, Eddie Deezen, and Simmy Bow.

I enjoyed this film a lot and always have. I just don't understand all the criticism I see about it. If you haven't seen it, check it out sometime.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Frank Henenlotter is 67.

GAMERA VS. ZIGRA 1971 (MILL CREEK) BLU-RAY

If you've ever wondered what it was like to see a movie in which Gamera plays the gills of a monster like a xylophone then this movie is for you.

This revolves around a shark-like monster from space that arrives to enslave the human race and use it for food. Sounds good doesn't it?

Well it isn't that great, but it is more entertaining than some I have seen. An alien that has taken control of an earth woman also helps in the invasion, but is given grief by two six year old children.

She chases them thru Sea World and it reminds me and many other viewers of an extended Benny Hill chase scene. As a matter of fact the theme to that show was running thru my head as I watched this scene.

After seeing a lot of Gamera films and watching him do gymnastics and other shenanigans, I guess this isn't too bad. The blu-ray looks very good, probably better than this film deserves. if you're a Gamera fan, have fun.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

David Soul is 74.

RIP TOBE HOOPER 1943-2017

The man who brought us the classic "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" has passed away.

Hooper burst onto the national scene in 1974 with the above mentioned film. It made tons of money as really stuck in the national conscience of the pop culture community. It changed the horror film industry in many ways.

Hooper went on to direct "Eaten Alive", "Salem's Lot", "The Funhouse", "Poltergeist", and my personal favorite "Lifeforce" as well as many others. He also handled the directing chores on the Billy Idol music video "Dancing With Myself".

There is no doubt the Hooper was and will always be a pioneer in the history of horror. He died on August 26th, 2017 at the age of 74.

NIGHT OF THE SORCERERS 1972 (SHOUT FACTORY) BLU-RAY

This is my pick as the best Spanish horror film ever made!!

Amando De Ossorio directed this wonderful little film. The story opens in the fictional African location called Bombasa, where we see a tribe kidnap a woman, whip her clothes off and then behead her in a bizarre voodoo sacrifice. The British army kills everyone involved, and then we flash to the present time.

A group of researchers travel to the area to find out why the elephant population is disappearing but instead find terror and death. One of the three gorgeous women on the trip, Carol Harris (Lovita Tovar) goes out at night to photograph an old burial ground. She finds herself attacked by the now risen corpses of the voodoo practitioners.

Her clothes are whipped off and the woman (Barbara Rey), whose head was cut off at the beginning of the film does the whipping as she herself is now a bikini clad vampire woman. Carol joins her very soon. Now there are two.

The men Prof. Rod Carter (Simon Andreu) and Prof. John Grant (Jack Taylor) along with the other two women Tunika (Kali Hansa) and Liz Meredith (Maria Kosty) soon find themselves in deep trouble. The two vampire women take Liz and sacrifice her as well and then they kill John so only Rod and Tunika are left to fight the cult and kill the vampires.

There are many, many unforgettable images in this film. Everything from women tied and whipped naked to bikini clad, incredibly sexy women sinking their fangs into victims to the haunting, slow motion running thru the jungle.

I can't praise this movie enough. beautiful women, excellent photography, deep colors and a very pulp story. Everything works in this film and now Shout Factory brings it to us in a beautiful Blu-ray presentation. Ossorio made many memorable Spanish horror films including The Blind Dead series and Fangs Of The Living Dead, and all five are excellent films, but this is his greatest film in my opinion.

A top release of the year and one that shouldn't be missed by horror fans.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Barbara Bach is 70, Tuesday Weld is 74, and Robert Remus is 69.

SHADOW OF CHIKARA 1977 (SINISTER CINEMA)

I am ashamed to admit that this film vanished from my collective memory for 40 years!

This is an absolutely wonderful slice of filmmaking and I cannot recommend it enough!!

I actually ran this at the movie theater I worked at in Gardiner, Montana in the summer of 1977, July 15th to be exact. It was under the title "Wishbone Cutter".

Joe Don Baker is Wishbone Cutter a confederate soldier who, along with his best friend Half Moon O' Brien (Joy Houck, Jr.)learn from a wounded and dying friend during the last battle of the civil war that he has a huge cashe of mysterious but valuable stones hidden in a secret place in a mysterious mountain range.

Cutter returns from the war to find his wife married to a former enemy who was a general in the Northern Army. Filled with hate he and Half Moon set out to find the stones along with a friend named Amos Richmond (Ted Neeley). Half Moon is an expert Indian guide and can track anything alive, but on this journey he tells Cutter he has some unexplained bad feelings about things.

Early on someone or something shoots several arrows at them, barely missing them. Half Moon says whatever it is never leaves tracks or clues. He speaks of an ancient legend of a spirit named Chikara, but Cutter and Neeley ignore it. They stumble upon a wagon and it's dead owners as well as a young woman who is in a state of shock.

Her name is Drusilla Wilcox (Sondra Locke) and she tells them that the people she was with were killed by unknown assailants that she did not see. As they get closer to their destination the attacks get more violent and frequent.

Still Half Moon can find no clue as to who they are, or what they are. I don't want to give too much away about the very nifty twist ending, but I can tell you it ends very badly for all involved.

This regional film was made in Arkansas and also features Slim Pickens as Virgil Kane, the man who gives Cutter the info on his valuable stones, which may indeed be diamonds.

The print from Sinister isn't too bad, and even thought it should be in widescreen and isn't makes no difference. This is a film to see and one that really sucks you into the amazing story. As I said, i had forgotten all about this film, and that doesn't happen too often. Why it did this time I have no idea, but thanks to Sinister Cinema the film is right back in my brain where it should be.

A great western horror hybrid that really has to be seen to be appreciated. There are several very shocking scenes, especially dealing with horses that are not soon forgotten. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED from Sinister!!!

GAMERA VS. JIGER 1970 (MILL CREEK) BLU-RAY

This Japanese gem is also known as Gamers vs. Monster X.

An ancient stature is removes from a place called Wester Island (the opposite of Easter island) and transported to Expo 70. This causes a giant monster named Jiger to appear and start destroying Japan.

Jiger injects Gamera with it's offspring and puts him out of commission while the destruction continues. This leads to a rather graphic scene of a real elephant having a huge infection cut off of it's trunk. This footage is shown as military officials decide what to do to help Gamera.

Once again you have children who are much smarter than scientists and top military officials, and even though these films are geared towards children, I always find this an annoyance.

The Blu-ray looks fantastic and all I can say is that it's not as bad as "Gamera Vs. Viras".

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Sean Connery is 87, and Tom Skerritt is 84.

LORELEY'S GRASP 1973 (SHOUT FACTORY) BLU-RAY

Great little Euro-horror finally comes to Blu-ray.

Amando De Ossorio directed this very interesting horror film based on the legend of a creature called "The Loreley", which is a mythical creature that feeds on human hearts.

When a series of brutal murders occur in and near an all girls school, a professional hunter is called in to find the creature responsible and destroy it. The hunter, Sigurd (Tony Kendall) has his hands full with the gorgeous students and the monster.

One day he meets an absolutely beautiful woman running thru the nearby woods named Lorelei (Helga Line). She seduces him and wants him to become her eternal partner in life. Sigurd knows she is the monster, but he does have strong feelings for her.

At night she turns into a scaly lizard monster and steals the hearts of her victims. The Blu-ray has this movie looking better than I have ever seen it and I can only thank Shout Factory from bringing this little gem out.

As usual in Spanish horror, there is nothing but beautiful women, most of whom get naked at one point or another and this is always a plus in my book.

This is paired on the disc with one of my favorite films of all time "Night Of The Sorcerers" which will be reviewed here at a later date.

The rest of the cast for this thriller includes Silvia Tortosa, Josefina Jartin and Loreta Tovar. A highly recommended release that every horror fan should see.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Vincent McMahon is 72, and Connie Mason is 80.

JUDEX 1963 (SINISTER CINEMA)

Excellent French action/sci-fi film.

This is a very well made film, that I cannot see anyone not liking. A corrupt banker receives a note telling him he must give his fortune which he has acquired thru many illegal business transactions back to everyone he stole from or face the consequences.

The note is signed by the mysterious "Judex". He refuses and is drugged and kidnapped by Judex and held in a secret place. Everyone thinks the banker, Favraux is dead. In captivity Judex spares his life when his lovely daughter, Jacqueline (Edith Scob) refuses the inheritance.

In the meantime the former governess Diana Monti (Francine Berge)kidnaps Jacqueline to get the banker's money.

There are plenty of twists and turns in this film and it does keep your attention and keeps you guessing. Judex is played by Channing Pollock, and he does a very good job indeed.

The print from Sinister is subtitled in English and looks pretty good. many claim that this is director Georges Franju's best film, and it may be, but I also really enjoyed his other French thriller called "Eyes Without A Face".

If you haven't seen this film, I think you should. Highly Enjoyable.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Honor Blackman is 92.

THE DRACULA SAGA (1971) SINISTER CINEMA

I remember this movie from a VHS rental store many years ago.

A young woman who is pregnant and her husband travel to her grandfather's castle. Her granddad turns out to be Count Dracula who is hoping the baby will continue the bloodline.

The woman, Berta (Tina Sainz) gets weaker and weaker and her husband grows concerned. The other family members in the castle are beautiful women. The most beautiful one, Munia (Helga Line) seduces the husband, Hans (Tony Isbert) and he too is changed into a vampire.

The other women are Xenia, played by the always gorgeous Maria Kosty and Irina played by Cristina Suriani. All of these women would be very hard to resist under any circumstances.

Anyway, I liked this film a lot and found it to be very interesting, even though the plot is not original by any means. There is a lot of ample female bodies on display and some gruesome violence towards the end of the film.

The print from Sinister is very good, and I have been meaning to pick this up for some time, and finally, of course, did just that. Fans of Euro horror will have much to like with this movie.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Patty McCormack is 72, Clarence Williams III is 78, and Eve Torres is 33.

RIP JERRY LEWIS 1926-2017

One of the kings of comedy has died.

Jerry Lewis will always be remembered for his MDA Telethons which ran for many, many years, but movie fans will also remember him for some pretty comical movies.

Lewis starred in such gems as "Visit To A Small Planet", "Pardners" and "The Nutty Professor" and many more. In some comedies he co-starred with Dean Martin and the two just clicked. It was movie magic much like Abbott and Costello.

The movie that introduced me to Lewis was "The Sad Sack" from 1957. One of the last comedic geniuses has died. Lewis passed away in Las Vegas at the age of 91.

THE GOLEM 1935 (SINISTER CINEMA)

Well made film done in France.

The Golem,a huge statue made of clay by a rabbi is said to come to life in times of deep trouble.

When the persecution of Jews becomes too much,a young woman brings the stature to life and it proceeds to destroy the evil empire and all of those connected with it.

This is a simple story and a remake of the 1920 film of the same name. There are some brutal scenes. at least for the time of torture and Jews being fed to the lions.

I am not sure where Sinister got their subtitled print, but sometimes there are no subtitles and at other times they appear on the screen way before the actual words are spoken. So, I turned them off and just enjoyed the movie in it's original French language.

The print quality is very good and I would recommend it for fans of obscure 30's horror.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Paul Hampton is 80.

GAMERA VS. VIRAS 1968 (MILL CREEK) BLU-RAY

The fourth in the series, and I have to say it's one of the worst films I have ever seen.

I have seen this film once before and I decided to give it another try on the Blu-ray, and holy shit, the film is even worse than I recall. Another 82 minutes of my life I will never get back.

Aliens come to Earth and attempt to take it over with the help of their giant squid-like leader, Viras. Two annoying as hell children and Gamera come to the rescue.

I have patience for a lot of low budget films no matter how bad they are, but good God, this one really taxed my patience. The acting by everyone all around is pathetic and I have never been as tired of children as I was watching this drivel.

Nothing bothers me more than seeing children portrayed as geniuses and adults as blithering idiots, and when watching a monster fight, these two annoying boys won't shut the fuck up and keep yelling instructions to Gamera!!! Nothing makes me want to stick sharp pokers in my ears more than that.

I found myself watching this and constantly checking my timer to see how much longer it had to run. That my friends, is a bad sign. After the first three films this is a hell of a let down. I told a friend after watching it I wanted to poke out my eyes as it was that bad.

I have never felt this way about any low budget film, but everyone has his or her breaking point, and mine has been reached with this turgid giant turtle junk. I will be reviewing the other Gamera films on Blu-ray, and I don't think there was another one worse than this, but I could be wrong.

I wouldn't recommend this film even to my ex-mother-in-Law let alone anyone reading this blog, but is you're a masochist you might enjoy 82 minutes of painful film watching.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Jill St. John is 77, Diana Muldaur is 79, Debra Paget is 84, L. Q. Jones is 90, Darby Hinton is 60, and Lilian Garcia is 51.

ENTER THE DEVIL 1973 (SINISTER CINEMA)

Very interesting thriller shot in Texas.

People are being killed near a small desert community near the Mexican border, and a local sheriff investigates.

He is helped by a Leslie (Irene Kelly) a beautiful researcher who is writing a book on cults. Both discover that a weird religious cult is in the area conducting human sacrifices.

The local Sheriff is killed after seeing the group burn a Mexican woman alive. There are some pretty effective moments in this gritty film. I do suspect there were some parts either trimmed or cut out to secure a PG rating, but I can't be sure.

However, I would not let that deter you from seeing a unique regional film that is eerie and effective.

The print from Sinister is somewhat ragged, but that actually adds to the charm of this kind of film. It's available as a single feature or part of a Drive-In Double Feature with "Garden Of The Dead".

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Shane Briant is 71.

DR. FRANKENSTEIN ON CAMPUS 1970 (SINISTER CINEMA)

One of the most obscure and odd films I have seen in a while.

Viktor Frankenstein is expelled from a European University and soon seeks to further his education in a Canadian college.

He studies brain control under a professor at his new school and finds he is still the object of ridicule by most of the students and teachers.

This film takes place in the 70's and it shows. Not only the clothes but some of the culture as well. There is a rally against computers taking over mankind which is more timely today than back in 1970.

Viktor is soon in trouble again after a school paper reporter and his photographer frame him for using drugs, which he never does anyway. He soon transforms one of his friends into a mindless killer that seeks revenge on everyone who wronged him.

Just when you think you have the plot figured out, it throws you a major curve ball. For instance, why does Viktor always remain clothed when his sexy as hell blonde girlfriend wants to have sex?

In case you haven't seen this, I will stop now, but I highly recommend this little slice of 70's exploitation film making that has been sadly forgotten. The cast includes Robin Ward as Viktor, Kathleen Sawyer as his girlfriend Susan and Austin Willis as school dean Cantwell.

See it!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Julie Newmar is 84, Ann Blyth is 89, Gary Clarke is 84, George Eastman is 75, J.R. Bookwalter is 51, and Mirta Miller is 69.

GAMERA VS. GYAOS 1967 (MILL CREEK) BLU-RAY

This is the third Gamera film, and and a not too bad of one.

This lightens up the tone a lot from the previous entry, but the series still wasn't the kid crazy insanity it was almost ready to turn into.

A flying monster named Gyaos is released from a volcano and begins wrecking havoc in Japan. The creature has an appitite for humans and eats them as much as he can.

Gamera comes to the rescue and fights the evil monster that will remind you somewhat of Rodan, and this is no surprise as Daiei productions was trying to copy the success of the Godzilla films from Toho.

The Blu-ray looks very, very good and as usual this is the original Japanese print with English subtitles. If you like giant Japanese monster films, I would recommend this entry.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Natasha Henstridge is 43, Barbara Bouchet is 74, Mike Henry is 81, Pat Priest is 81, Abby Dalton is 85, Gaylen Ross is 67, and Lori Nelson is 84.