RAMBLINGS...MY TOP 10 WIP FILMS

This is a look at another favorite genre of mine. I know in these "enlightened" times and all, people really don't admit they like these kinds of films, or they are afraid to. Not me. I love em, watch em and have always been a fan.

10. BIG BIRD CAGE 1972...This was the first WIP film I had ever seen. Good god, Pam Grier, Carol Speed, and Anitra Ford. What more do you need? Oh yes, lots of nudity and sadism. Movie Heaven.

9. BARBED WIRE DOLLS 1976...A great poster sold a strange Jess Franco film. Hell, it's got Lina Romay which makes it very entertaining for me.

8. PURGATORY 1988...Tanya Roberts in a rather tame WIP film, but heck, it's Tanya Roberts.

7. CHAINED HEAT 1983...This is the second WIP films I was ever exposed to. Lovely Linda Blair is sent to a prison for women and victimized by the sleazy warden played by the one and only John Vernon.

6. THE MUTHERS 1976...A fun and fast moving film about a band of female pirates that infiltrate a slavery ring on a plantation. Gorgeous Jayne Kennedy, Jeannie Bell and Trina Parks.

5. BLACK MAMA WHITE MAMA 1973...Pam Grier and Margaret Markov are two female prisoners chained together who make an escape from a brutal female prison. Lots of fun, snappy dialogue and great action.

4. 99 WOMEN 1969...Jess Franco returns with another great WIP film full of nudity, sadism and all the other fun things in life. Maria Rohm, Luciana Paluzzi and Rosalba Neri star.

3. SWEET SUGAR 1972...Beautiful Phyllis Davis is Sugar, a prostitute thrown in jail by a corrupt politician. Cliff Osmond is a sadistic prison guard who has an unforgettable torture scene with Phyllis, and Dr. John is a character you never forget.

2. WOMEN IN CAGES 1971...Since this list probably already has people knowing I am a perv, then let me say this is a fun WIP film with all the things that make them enjoyable...beautiful women, nudity, torture and action. Judy Brown, Roberta Collins and the gorgeous Pam Grier star. This film is slightly different in that Grier plays a sadistic female warden.

1. BIG DOLL HOUSE 1971...This is the WIP film that really kicked the genre into motion. 5 women decide to escape the brutality of a Philippine prison. Pam Grier, Pat Woodell, Roberta Collins and Sid Haig lead a great cast. This film contains one of the best lines of dialogue in modern cinema....:Get it up or I'll cut it off!" Jack Hill directs this film perfectly.

So there you have it...my 10 favorites of WIP films. I like these films because of the beautiful women, this bizarre storylines, the sadism and much more. "PC" and metoo movements be damned.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

France Nuyen is 79, Don Murray is 89, Lane Davies is 68, and Barbra Fuller is 93.

COMING ATTRACTIONS....

Kino seems intent on making this October a great month.

Kno recently announced that they are releasing THE NIGHT STALKER starring Darren McGavin on Blu-ray. This is a 4K restoration and will be available on Oct. 1. Also on Oct. 1 they will unleash THE NIGHT STRANGLER also with McGavin. These two films were two of the best made for TV thriller in history, and it will be good to get them in Blu-ray.

Finally, Kino is bringing us TRILOGY OF TERROR starring Karen Black. This is also a 4K restoration and will be available on Oct. 16th. The Zuni fetish finally come to Blu.

I hope KIno will release some other Made for TV thrillers. There are many other Dan Curtis productions besides the above mentioned three that someday I hope will be released as well. It's very good to see that October is starting out well for horror fans.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Vivica A. Fox is 54, Monique Gabrielle is 55, Edd Byrnes is 85, Peter Bogdanovich is 79, and Christopher Ray is 41.

RIP JOSIP NIKOLIA PERUZOVIC 1947-2018

Another part of my life has just been chipped away.

The man known world wide as Nikolai Volkoff has died at the age of 70.

Volkoff made a huge name for himself in the world of professional wrestling as a major heel, and could give heat along with The Iron Sheik like almost no other tag team in the world.

During the 80's in the WWF, Volkoff was one of the most hated me in the business, and he sold the part to perfection. Volkoff's career spanned nearly 40 years, and I must admit I learned a LOT from him.

A legend if gone, but the legacy he leaves behind will never be topped, especially in today's world of PC wrestling.

RIP FRANK R. PERILLI 1925-2018

A name you don't know perhaps, but you should.

He went by the name Frankie Ray and starred in one of my favorite films INVASION OF THE STAR CREATURES as well as the Roger Corman helmed CARNIVAL ROCK.He also did a lot of comedy on stage during this time doing comedy clubs with Huntz Hall.

Perilli later became a screen writer and wrote such gems as ALLIGATOR, LASERBLAST, END OF THE WORLD and DRACULA'S DOG. he died on March 8th, 2018 at the age of 92.

HEAT WAVE 1954 (KIT PARKER FILMS)

A very finely crafted film noir thriller from Hammer.

Alex Nicol stars as an American writer living in England who is befriended by a couple who live across the lake from his home. His character of Mark makes fast friend with the man named Bev (Sidney James) and his stunning wife Carol (Hillary Brooke).

Mark has trouble finishing his new novel because Carol is always trying to put the make on him. She finally convinces him to murder Bev, but he cannot bring himself to do it.

One foggy day out on the lake there is an accident and Bev is hurt badly. While Mark tries to get help, Carol throws her husband's body overboard. The court finds his death an accident, but the police aren't so sure.

Director Ken Hughes handles the directing chorse very well and weaves a complex tale of murder and lust. This was originally titled "House Across The Lake" but it was changed to the more bizarre title it now has. Why? Who knows.

Anyway, this isn't a bad little thriller that might remind you of a few other genre titles made here in the US. If you're so inclined, check it out.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

David Warner is 77, Robert Fuller is 85, Delia Sheppard is 58, Tina Krause is 48, and Scott Steiner is 56.

RAMBLINGS...MY TOP 10 FILM NOIRS

Now this was tough! I literally have hundreds of these kinds of films I love, but I have whittled it down to these 10 films in order of my preference.

10. NARROW MARGIN 1952...Suspense filled film that really gets me caught up in the action about a detective trying to protect a woman who is a passenger on a train. She is going to testify against the mob. Great tight sets and a dark moody atmosphere.

9. PLUNDER ROAD 1957...Very unique film about a 10 million dollar Utah heist, and the interesting way the criminals plan to transport it. A sadly underrated noir.

8. ARMORED CAR ROBBERY 1950...Re-teaming of director Richard Fleischer and actor Charles McGraw who both worked on "Narrow Margin". This story absorbed me completely and I have never forgotten it.

7. BLAST OF SILENCE 1961...Allen Baron wrote, directed and stars in this compelling film about a hit man having second thoughts. The bizarre off screen narration makes this a great little thriller that shouldn't be missed. Dark and brooding from start to finish.

6. THE KILLERS 1946...If you haven't seen this film you're missing a masterpiece of American cinema. It's about two killers who come to a small town and kill a man who doesn't resist, and the police begin investigating.

5. THE KILLING 1956...A man released from prison plots, along with 5 others a 2 million dollar heist from a racetrack. Stanley Kubrick weaves a masterpiece of story telling like no other film in history. My kind of movie making and the final line of the film is a classic.

4. DEVIL THUMBS A RIDE 1947...Lawrence Tierney is a crazed killer in this gem that for some reason has never been released on DVD and I can't figure out why. Once seen, it is not easily forgotten. I saw it at 3AM one early morning and have never gotten it out of my mind.

3. GUN CRAZY 1949...Strong sexual tension, cold blooded murder, unique camera usage and a gorgeous female killer. This is what makes Noir great!!

2. KISS ME DEADLY 1955...Ralph Meeker is Mike Hammer who by sheer accident finds himself involved with "a great whatsit". A superb combination of film noir and nuclear horror with an ending that you'll never forget.

1. THE BIG COMBO 1955...Some will disagree with this, but to me this is a perfect example of Noir. Cornel Wilde is a policeman trying to nab a top crime boss named Mr. Brown. Richard Conte as Brown is tough, cruel and unmerciful.

That wraps up my top 10 for the only genre that is truly an American form of film making. Film Noir.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Elizabeth Berkley is 46, Charles Cyphers is 79, Nina Axelrod is 63, and Lisa Gastoni is 83.

BLACKOUT 1954 (KIT PARKER FILMS)

Interesting Hammer film noir.

Dane Clark is a down on his luck American in London named Casey Morrow. The movie opens with Casey slowly getting drunk in a bar when he suddenly gets a visit from a stunning blonde named Phyllis.

She offers him a lot of money if he'll marry her and of course Casey says yes, but then he passes out. He wakes up the next morning in the apartment of an artist named Margaret Doone (Eleanor Summerfield).

" He also finds out that his new brides father has been killed the night before and he has become a prime suspect. Now it is up to Morrow to clear his name and find the mystery woman.

This is a somewhat convoluted plot but it is still somehow very captivating to watch. Terence Fish handled the directing chores and Dane Clark turns in a good performance as a schmuck who seems to fall for every trap set for him.

The standout of the entire production however is Belinda Lee as Phyllis Brunner, the stunning blonde. She is indeed one of the most beautiful women I have ever laid eyes on and her life was cut tragically short when she died at the age of 25.

If you're a fan of this genre, I would recommend checking this out.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Paul Levesque is 49, Gwynne Gilford is 72, and Mal Arnold is 85.

RAMBLINGS...MY TOP 10 COMEDIES

Here is a list of my 10 favorite comedy films listed in order of preference.

Some of these can easily be put into other genres, but I have them listed here based on comedy content.

10. NAKED GUN 1988...A true laugh a minute film that had me rolling in the aisles. From the makers of "Airplane".

9. THE RAVEN 1963...I simply love Peter Lorre in this somewhat improvised comedy/horror film based on an Edgar Allan Poe poem. Really had me going as a kid and it still does.

8. HOLD THAT GHOST 1941...Abbott & Costello laugh riot that made my stomach hurt when I was young and first saw it. Too much laughing and you gotta love the moving candle routine.

7. THE ONE AND ONLY 1978...Henry Winkler as an odd young man who becomes a professional wrestler. I have loved this film since I saw it in the theaters. Sadly underrated.

6. LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS 1960...One of Roger Corman's greatest films. Made in 2 1/2 days. I still cannot get enough of this movie. Great fun and some choice dialogue you really have to listen to to pick up all the humor.

5. ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES 1978...The title sums it all up. I LOVE THIS MOVIE and it never fails to make me laugh.

4. BLAZING SADDLES 1974...The greatest western spoof ever made, and sadly thanks the "progressive liberal thinking" you cannot make films like this anymore.

3. COMEDY OF TERRORS 1964...Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and Basil Rathbone star in this uproarious comedy about death and murder. A true one of a kind film. Joyce Jameson and her singing are a highlight.

2. AIRPLANE 1980...A true comedy classic that must be watched a few times to catch all of the sight gags and dialogue. It always makes me laugh out loud and a lot, but as I said about "Blazing Saddles" you can't make good movies like this anymore.

1. ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN 1948...I have a fondness for this film since childhood. I consider this the greatest comedy ever made. I dare you to prove me wrong...lol.

There you are...my all time favorite comedies. Next up in a couple of days will be my 10 favorite film noir movies.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Susan George is 68, Linda Harrison is 73, Celeste Yarnall is 74, and Robert Colbert is 87.

A STOLEN FACE 1952 (KIT PARKER FILMS)

A strange film from the early days of Hammer.

A successful but very lonely Dr. Phillip Ritter (Paul Henreid) takes a vacation and stays at a small English inn. There he meets the incredibly beautiful Alice Brent (Lizabeth Scott) who is a pianist. They spend a week together and Ritter finds himself hopelessly in love with Alice.

One day Alice disappears and Ritter tracks her down and finds she is getting married as soon as her concert tour is over. Ritter is heartbroken but returns to his work as a plastic surgeon. He is assigned to help a disfigured woman named Lily Conover and over time he changes her face to that of Alice.

Ritter is so infatuated with Lily that he marries her and attempts to reform her of her criminal ways. In the meantime Alice and her fiancee have split and now Alice seeks to find Phillip, because she really loves him.

While Alice seeks out Phillip, we find that Phillip is having trouble with and very drunken and bitter Lily. Her behavior gets worse and worse and begins dragging Phillip down with her. Things get out of control even more when Lily finds that Alice is looking to hook up with Phillip again. The final confrontation in a train is very well handled.

You can see by these early works that Fisher had a good grip on the directing chores, something that would be very handy in the coming Hammer horror years. It's always fun to see some of the British actors in early roles before they made names for themselves in horror. One of the other cast members in this film is Andre Morell, who later starred in such fair as "Plague Of The Zombies" and "The Reptile" for Hammer as well as the United Artists film "The Giant Behemoth".

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Valerie Van Ost is 74.

RAMBLINGS...MY TOP 10 WESTERNS

Here is a list of my 10 favorite Western films ranked in order of how I like them. It's sad that the this genre has all but died. I admit, there is not much of an audience left for these kinds of films, and that is a shame.

10. THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY 1966...I was totally captivated by this genre classic because of the performances of the three leads..Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach and Lee Van Cleef.

9. HANNIE CAULDER 1971...Raquel Welch looking as sexy as ever as a woman seeking revenge on the men who raped her. All time classic "revenge" western.

8. RIDE LONESOME 1959...I have never seen a Randolph Scott western I didn't like. I like this one for the very tight plot and the co-starring of beautiful Karen Steele. Beautiful color photography enhances the entire production.

7. WINCHESTER 73 1950...James Stewart is excellent in this strange western tale about a man seeking his prized gun which has been stolen. Unique story with multiple plots from director Anthony Mann.

6. MAGNIFICENT SEVEN 1960...Seven gunmen come to a small Mexican town to defend it against bandits. There are so many reasons I love this film..the actors...the gripping plot...the stark photography and many, many more.

5. HEAVEN'S GATE 1980...Here is egotism again I guess, but this is a film I am VERY PROUD of. A sprawling account of the Johnson County War and a story very timely today. When it came out is tanked, was cut severely and cost us all out jobs. Over time it has been accepted as a masterpiece as well it should be. Nobody photographs a movie like Vilmos Zsigmond. I made a lot of good friends and I knew we were making something pretty damn cool.

4. THE WILD BUNCH 1969...Of all the movies Sam Peckinpah made, this is easily his best. I knew Sam very well and this story of an aging group of outlaws looking for one last score in the face of a quickly changing west is, in some ways, his life story in a western, and as I have grown older I realize it's my story too. Essential viewing.

3. THE OUTLAW JOSIE WALES 1976...Clint Eastwood directed and stars in this jewel about a man seeking revenge for the killing of his family by Union soldiers. Great set pieces, great cast and much more made this a film I was pulled into and was sorry it ended. If you haven't seen this film, you need to.

2. THE TALL T 1957...Whoa...this always blows me away. Randolph Scott and Maureen O' Hara stars as two people who are kidnapped and held by a ruthless gang. Intense plot, taut direction by Budd Boetticher and a great performance by Richard Boone. I loved this film from the very first time I saw it many years ago.

1. RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY 1962...Dare I say it...this is a movie that really hits me in the gut and at some point I always get a bit misty eyed. A great story from Sam Peckinpah about two aging men, one a Sheriff (Joel McCrea) and the other, his best friend (Randolph Scott). I won't give too much away in case you haven't seen it, but I love this film on so many levels. I knew a lot of people in this film, I miss them and the story and some of the dialogue reminds me of the good times I had with a friend who is no longer here. Of all the westerns I have mentioned here, this is the one you should see first!!

Well, that concludes the look at my 10 favorite Western films of all time. Please feel free to comment if you agree or disagree.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Lynda Carter is 67, Ruth Buzzi is 82, Mark Goddard is 82, and Torrie Wilson is 43.

MAN BAIT 1952 (KIT PARKER FILMS)

Another wonderful little film noir from Hammer.

Terence Fisher directed this finely crafted film. George Brent stars as John Harmen, a bookstore owner with an invalid wife and a fairly quiet life.

One day he has to reprimand a gorgeous young woman who works for him named Ruby (Diana Dors). He makes the mistake of keeping her after hours to help him catalog some books and in a moment of passion he kisses her, and this totally disrupts his once quiet life.

Ruby and her friend Jeffrey Hart (Peter Reynolds) decide to use blackmail to get some money that Jeffrey needs badly. Ruby squeezes money out of John until he says enough.

Ruby begins to feel guilty for what she has done, but Jeff is just getting started. One night he accidentally kills Ruby and tries to pin the murder on Harmen. Harmen's secretary, Stella Tracy (Marguerite Chapman) tries to help him prove his innocence and it almost costs her her own life.

This is a well made and taut film noir in the very capable hands of Fisher, who of course, would go on to legendary status with both US and UK film audiences in just a few years. If you're a fan of film noir i can't recommend this enough and Dors is nothing short of stunning.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Charisma Carpenter is 48, Ronny Cox is 80, and Erika Blanc is 76.

RAMBLINGS... MY TOP 10 DRAMAS

I continue with my Top 10 lists from different movie genres.

This list is going to be Drama as you might have guessed and please remember that some of the films that appear on this list and subsequent lists can easily be assigned to other genres as well but I felt they belong in the ones I listed them in.

10. THE LOST WEEKEND 1945...Ray Milland's performance as an alcoholic is stunning and depressing at the same time. Unforgettable.

9. ROCKY 1977...The best boxing movie I have ever seen.

8. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD 1962...Gregory Peck is perfect in this modern American classic that really captured my interest! Well acted and expertly directed.

7. CASABLANCA 1942...Bogart, Bergman and Claude Rains in a beautiful study of human emotion, romance and survival during WW2. Beautiful film and always a staple for me to watch.

6. THE FALLING MAN 1968...I will watch almost anything with Henry Silva. Superb thriller with a great plot and brutal story.

5. BONNIE AND CLYDE 1967...I love the entire cast but Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway were perfectly cast as the 1930's gangster duo. One of the best endings I have ever seen and will never forget.

4. GET CHRISTIE LOVE 1974...A TV movie about a sassy, no nonsense policewoman named Christie Love. I was knocked out by this film when I was young and enjoyed the TV series as well. Teresa Graves was a very beautiful woman and died tragically at the age of 54. From the first time I saw it I have never forgotten it.

3. AMAZING GRACE AND CHUCK 1987...Probably a bit of egotism here, but working on this film was a great experience and then seeing it come together and become a great parable for the screen made me very proud.

2. CITIZEN KANE 1941...All I can say is Orson Welles and "Rosebud". Great storytelling.

1. BULLITT 1968...Steve McQueen in a gem of a movie that really became my favorite drama after I had seen it at the behest of my mother many years ago. There are characters everyone can relate to and a car chase that still is the best ever filmed.

There you have my top ten favorite drama films in order of appeal to me. More genres to come soon.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Shawn Michaels is 53, Tisa Farrow is 67, Erica Gavin is 71, and Mary Collinson is 76.

BAD BLONDE 1953 (KIT PARKER FILMS)

This is one of several film noir's I'll be looking at over the next few days that were made by Hammer films in England during the early 50's before they burst on the scene with their classic horror films.

This little film was directed by Reginald Le Borg and stars the very sexy Barbara Payton as a young wife of a slobbish boxing promoter who seduces a young boxer into a web of murder and deceit.

Tony Wright is Johnny Flanagan, a young up and coming boxer who is discovered in a small town carnival by a man named Sharkey (Sidney James) and shortly after introduced to a fight promoter named Guiseppe Vecchi (Frederick Valk).

Guiseppe's wife Lorna (Barbara Payton) seduces Johnny and before you know it they are expecting a child and both do their best to hide it from her husband. Things soon spiral out of control for Johnny in his boxing career and his life in general.

Lorna controls Johnny thru sex and convinces him to kill Guiseppe, which he does. The court says the death was an accidental drowning, but that does not satisfy the family of Guiseppe.

As with all film noir, many lives are ruined and then ending is a bittersweet one. I have read a lot of bad comments about this film, but judge for yourself. The film is very tight and Payton looks sexier than ever. No man could ever resist her!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Adrienne King is 63.

RAMBLINGS....TOP 10 PICKS/TV SHOWS

I get some comments on this blog which I really appreciate, but I also get people sending my private emails and they are always asking what my favorite films are.

That is a HUGE dilemma for me as I like thousands of films, but what I am going to do is list my 10 favorite films from 9 different genres as well as my 10 favorite TV shows.

I will start today with TV shows and I do hope this answers that burning question so many have asked. Also, if you'd like you can send me your lists. I always like comparing what differences people have.

So here is a list of my 10 favorite TV series.

10. ELLERY QUEEN MYSTERIES 1975-76...This was such an inspirational show for me I produced my first play based on an Ellery Queen story in the 6th grade.

9. SHEENA 2000-2002...Gena Lee Nolan in skimpy attire. Need I say more?

8. BATMAN 1966-1968...I loved everything about this show. It really caught my imagination and caused me to re-enact many of the fights I saw on the show.

7. TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE 1983-1988...Loved this because it's a George Romero production.

6. VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA 1964-1968...Loved all the cool monsters on this show and the leads of Richard Basehart and David Hedison are perfect in their roles.

5. MARRIED WITH CHILDREN 1986-1997... Al Bundy is my hero and yes, I lived this life for 10 years and most of the things the writers came up with on this show are absolutely real.

4. GREEN ACRES 1965-1971...Good clean fun that always takes me back to my childhood. One of the most surreal comedies ever to air on TV.

3. OUTER LIMITS 1963-1965...A wonderful and creative show that captured my imagination with great stories and casts.

2. TWILIGHT ZONE 1959-1964...A true gem of Television. Of the entire 156 episodes there are only 3 I didn't like well at all. The rest are and always will be some of the most entertaining stories ever told. Rod Serling was a genius.

1. KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER 1974-1975...I have watched every episode at least 40 times and it never gets old. Darren McGavin was and still is a joy to watch in the show. It only ran one year, but I NEVER missed an episode. SIMPLY THE BEST!!!

This was a hard list to compile as there are so many that I love. Do you agree or disagree? If interested let me know what some of your favorites are.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Diana Rigg is 80, Camille Keaton is 71, and Kim Carnes is 73.