For lovers of movies from the silent era to modern day with an emphasis on horror, sci-fi, exploitation, WIP, westerns and anything of the fantastic and bizarre. THIS SITE IS DEDICATED TO BOB WILKINS, GEORGE ROMERO, ALAN FREED ,ROGER CORMAN, CAROLINE MUNRO, JOHN FREDRIKSEN, JOHN ZACHERLE, CLEO MOORE , ROSALBA NERI, ERIKA BLANC, FEMI BENUSSI, SHIRLEY CORRIGAN, ROSANNA YANNI, MIRTA MILLER and, of course, CASEY KASEM.
Ray Sawyer was lead singer of the 70's band Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show. They shortened their name to Dr. Hook is later years.
Sawyer sang with the group from 1969-1981. Sawyer was involved in a car crash which led him to wear the famous eye patch. Some of the great classic rock songs he sang on include "Cover Of The Rolling Stone", "Baby Makes Her Blue Jeans Talk", "Sharing The Night Together" and "Sexy Eyes".
Sawyer died on Dec. 31st at the age of 81 from a brief illness.
Time passes quickly, especially the older you get. Having just turned 56 on Dec. 27th I can tell you the years pass by faster and faster.
This year has been a tumultuous one on every level in American society, and I expect it to get worse sadly. However, the DVD and Blu-ray releases were very good and it looks like 2019 will be another great year for that.
I wanted to thank everyone who commented or sent me emails this year. I do this blog simply because I love movies of all kinds and when I work on it, it takes me away from all the insanity of the "real world".
Thanks to everyone for reading and hopefully enjoying this. See you next year!!
This starts off as your usual documentary about UFO's and the many sightings that people have experienced, then it moves into the area of people being kidnapped and taken aboard these weird craft.
After about an hour of this we get to see Uri Geller bending spoons and keys with his mind. Then without any warning we are told the aliens are from another dimension and possibly from the planet Ummo!!
Ummo is supposedly a planet revolving around a galaxy called Wolf 454. We even get to see drawings of what are supposed to be invisible aliens who visit Earth from other dimensions, and man is that wild as hell.
Of all the documentaries I have ever seen about UFO's, this is easily the most bizarre. It moves along at a good clip, but you really have to stick with it as it moves from subject to subject quickly.
If you like this kind of stuff I would recommend it, but I am sure most people would be turned off. However, since I am insane, I enjoyed all the bunk.
From the first time I heard her in 1974 I knew she was going to be a favorite of mine. I liked everything she sang from 1974 to 1989.
The lovely Donna was called the "Queen Of Disco" and that is a title she rightfully owned, but her voice was wonderful no matter what she was singing.
I bought all of her 45's and albums and tried to catch all of her performances on TV shows. Of all the artists I liked during my formative music years from 1968 to 1989 Donna was ALWAYS the favorite after she hit the spotlight. My friends and family just couldn't understand my infatuation with her, but damn, I would have sold my grandmother into slavery to get a date with Donna.
The gorgeous Donna Summer would be 70 today. When I listen to her music today it's hard for me to believe that she is gone. A beautiful woman, a talented singer and composer and just a damn nice person.
Donna Summer may be gone, but all of her wonderful music is still going strong and she will always be my "Queen Of Music". I will undoubtedly listen to some of her music today such as "I Feel Love", "On The Radio", "Heaven Knows", "Dim All The Lights" and of course, "Hot Stuff".
Robert Mitchum is Nick Cochran, a down on his luck ex-soldier who happens to meet a salesman named Lawrence C. Trumble (William Bendix) and a sultry singer named Julie Benson (Jane Russell) on a 45 minute boat trip from Hong Kong to Macao.
Once there Julie is hired almost immediately by a gangster named Vincent Halloran (Brad Dexter) to sing in his club. Halloran is also involved in dealing with stolen jewels and has the local law in his pocket. Thomas Gomez is perfect as the sometimes bumbling, sometimes menacing Lt. Sebastian.
Both Halloran and Sebastian discover that the port of Macao has been under investigation for a long time and that they may be being watched by an undercover cop. They suspect Cochran and do their best to eliminate him. It turns out that he is not the man they seek. That turns out to be Trumble, who is actually a New York undercover cop.
Halloran's Chinese killers dispose of Trumble and it's up to Cochran to bring in Halloran. He is helped by Julie and Margie (Gloria Grahame) who happens to like Halloran and wants Julie out of the way.
This is classic RKO noir and Josef von Sternberg got the only director credit, but one can tell it was mostly handled by Nicholas Ray. As usual Mitchum and Russell make a great combination with Jane looking hotter than ever.
If you like these types of films as much as I do, I recommend you see this one. The disc also includes and interview with both Mitchum and Russell conducted by Robert Osborn. All three are gone now, but what memories it brings back.
Sadly I am with Centurylink and as most of you know they had a nationwide outage which started on Dec. 27th. I have barely been unable to post anything or contact anyone.
I will now be catching up on lost time. Thanks for your understanding.
Now I will continue the countdown as we enter the top 20 for 2018.
20. WONDER WOMEN 1976 (VINEGAR SYNDROME) BLU-RAY...This is a great little exploitation film with Ross Hagen as an insurance investigator taking on an evil female doctor and her all woman army. Nancy Kwan and Maria De Aragon co-star.
19. ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES 1978 (MVD) BLU-RAY...An all time favorite comes to Blu-ray with all the goofy humor and music one can stand. I simply love this film as was as happy as a pig in mud when I heard it was coming out.
18. THE MAZE 1953 (KINO) BLU-RAY...Another stunning 50's epic on Blu. This also contains the 3D version of the film which I can't watch, of course. The picture quality and sound are top notch, and it's great that Kino brought out this sought after gem.
17. KILINK IN ISTANBUL 1967 (SINISTER CINEMA)...The highest rated Sinister disc this year. A Turkish action film like no other I have ever seen before. This is a film to see by all means.
16. TRILOGY OF TERROR 1975 (KINO) BLU-RAY...Made for TV classic starring Karen Black in three tales of terror. The last story is entitled Amelia and is now something of legend with the Zuni Fetish doll come to life. UNFORGETTABLE film and a great presentation.
15. A STRANGE ADVENTURE 1956 (KINO) BLU-RAY...Solid film noir about gangsters holding hostages in a small mountain retreat. Beautiful Marla English stars with Jan Merlin. I had waited many years to see this flick and I wasn't disappointed at all. Kino did an astounding job bringing this to Blu-ray.
14. QUADROON 1971 (CODE RED) BLU-RAY...Great regional film made in Louisiana about love, lust and murder on a plantation. Gorgeous Kathy McKee stars as Coral, a slave who has an ill fated love. The rest of the cast for this dark and disturbing film includes Annabelle Weenick and Bill McGhee. It's a sad thing they cannot make movies like this anymore.
13. NIGHT STALKER 1971 (KINO) BLU-RAY...Darren McGavin stars as Carl Kolchek, a Las Vegas reporter on the trail of a vampire stalking the city. One of the best Made For TV movies ever!! The presentation here is flawless and I hope Kino continues to mine the TV gold of the 70's.
12. MAMIE VAN DOREN FILM NOIR COLLECTION 1957-1959 (KINO)... I think Mamie was one of the sexiest women ever to grace a movie screen and these three films show why. The films are "Vice Raid", "Girl In Black Stockings" and "Guns. Girls and Gangsters". A triple feature with Mamie. Who could ask for more?
11. THE THING 1951 (WARNER ARCHIVE) BLU-RAY...The long awaited Blu-ray release of the all time 50's classic finally came this year thanks to WA, and it looks fantastic. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
And there you are, more of the Top 70 releases of 2018. I hope every one has a great New Year and I'll be posting the final Top 10 releases next Saturday which will be the first Saturday of 2019.
Bill Goldberg is 52, Barbara Crampton is 60, Melissa Moore is 55.
Grau directed many films and wrote many more over his long and varied career.
His two most famous films are "Legend Of Blood Castle" and the unforgettable "Living Dead At The Manchester Morgue".
Grau will always be remembered for his zombie classic and it's his legacy forever. He was 88.
I have never really liked remakes of anything, but there has been a few occasions where the remake actually comes out pretty good if not equal to the original.
I hated this film when it first appeared since they were remaking what I consider to be the greatest film ever made. However, over the years I have softened a bit and do have to admit I liked this film when I saw it again just a few days ago.
The characters are a bit different and some of the original plot details have been changed, but this is so the viewer gets a few surprises thrown at them. The zombie make-up is very good and so is a lot of the acting. My only major complaint is that there is too much screaming, but then I guess that would be the case in real life as well.
Tom Savini directed and proves he has the ability to do so. The cast includes Tony Todd as Ben, Patricia Tallman as Barbara, Tom Towels as Harry Cooper and McKee Anderson as his wife Helen.
George Romero co-produced this film and everything turns out pretty good, and it can't hold a candle to the original, but it has a lot of entertainment value going for it.
Another Holiday season is upon us and I hope you all have a great Christmas. I'll be back posting more stuff in a couple of days.
I've still got plenty to bring to you as well as the final 2 editions of my Top 70 for 2018. There will still be birthdays posted today and tomorrow, but the movies won't be until the 26th.
Gotta step away and recoup for a couple of days. Have a very Merry Christmas and I hope you all get some DVD's or Blu-ray you want.
The story revolves around a small alien creature that escapes from a mysterious container at a secret military establishment. How did the container get there you ask? Well the government is experimenting with matter transferring from other dimensions.
The little critter runs around everywhere killing as many unsuspecting victims as it can. The reasons for the killings is never given, but it seems to be just killing for the sake of killing. Did I use that word "killing" enough? I hope so.
The monster is played by the directors son Chris Ray...yes the same Chris Ray responsible for "Two Headed Shark Attack" and other wonderful little gems. The film took about 2 years to complete due to financial trouble and the end of the film seems to indicate that the money just ran out and everyone just said "screw it".
What I mentioned in the last paragraph by no means is a criticism of the film. It's a wonderful little film and a great way to kill about 79 minutes, and I do get a hoot out of some of the bloopers at the end of the movie during the credits.
The cast includes Aldo Ray, Angelique Pettyjohn, William Fair and Carroll Borland and all do very well considering all the chaos going on behind the scenes. The extras includes interviews with director Ray, his son Chris and some of the other actors involved.
I love this film and respect Ray a hell of a lot as a film maker since he was able to complete this under almost impossible sircumstances. Been there done that.
The Blu-ray presentation has the film looking great, and I highly recommend this for any fan of 80's schlock.
30. THE FINAL WAR 1960 (SINISTER CINEMA)...A long sought after film about World War 3 and Japan has been chosen as a prime target for nuclear destruction by the commies. The print is in Japanese with no subtitles, but you'll find it easy to follow. Thanks to Sinister this long lost gem finally gets to be seen.
29. OCTAMAN/THE CREMATORS 1971/1972 (RETROMEDIA) BLU-RAY...Two of my favorite 70's cheapies come to Blu from Fred Olen Ray and Retromedia. Kerwin Matthews stars in the first one about a multi tentacled monster and Maria De Aragon stars in the second about an incinerating dune roller. Cinema magic.
28. YOUNG DILLINGER 1965 (WARNER ARCHIVE)...Here is a release that caught me by surprise. Nick Adams stars in this classic about the life of John Dillinger. Also starring John Ashley. A great film!
27. THE MAGIC CURSE 1975 (SINISTER CINEMA)...A Hong Kong/Filipino production that is about as wild as they come. A young man goes in search of his missing father and runs into many bizarre things in the jungle including zombies, black magic and a snake sect just to name a few. The action is fast and furious and never lets up. Dubbed in English.
26. DEVIL'S EXPRESS 1974 (CODE RED) BLU-RAY...Unbelievable and strange film!! A martial arts expert named Luke played by Warhawk Tanzania fights street gangs and a demon haunting the New York sewer system!! It's films like this that make Blu-ray worth having.
25. GHOST OF SIERRA DE COBRE 1964 (KINO)...Unsold TV pilot of a TV show called "The Haunted" with Martin Landau as a ghost hunter type who is called in to a most bizarre case. The DVD and Blu-ray contain both the TV episode and the expanded version released to a few theaters. Great on a cold and dark night.
24. THEN, NOW AND FOREVER: THE EVOLUTION OF THE WWE WOMEN'S DIVISION 2018 (WWE)...If you like pro wrestling you might like this. It's a three disc set spotlighting women's wrestling from the 80's up to now. There was a lot more they could have included, but it could only be so long, but I am hoping for another set soon. I am not a fan of modern wrestling, but I do think the women are the best thing the sport has going for it at this time, and yep they are a gorgeous bunch for sure.
23. SWEET SUGAR 1972 (VINEGAR SYNDROME) BLU-RAY...Excellent print of the women in prison classic starring Phyllis Davis as a loose woman sent to a prison where the usual tortures occur. The character of Dr. John is something to behold. WOW.
22. THREADS 1985 (SEVERIN) BLU-RAY...Easily the most disturbing film on this list. A nuclear war and it's after effects on people and the world is examined in this thought provoking film. Actually it may be the most disturbing film I have ever seen.
21. NIGHT STRANGLER 1972 (KINO) BLU-RAY...This sequel to "The Night Stalker" has Darrin McGavin as Carl Kolchak tracking and ageless killer in Seattle. Brilliant on all levels and directed by Dan Curtis. This is an all time classic finally on Blu-ray!!
Well next week we start the Top 20. I hope you all have a great Christmas. I know I will with "Santa Claus Conquers The Martians" and the Mexican "Santa Claus".
This titles was introduced by Vinegar Syndrome for black Friday and sold out in a matter of days. It's always good to hear that films like this are still popular.
Gorgeous Bresee plays Susan a young woman whose family is cursed by a 300 year old demon, and now that demon is starting to take possession of Susan.
Susan and her husband Oliver (Marjoe Gortner) live in an estate and all seems normal at first. The couple go dancing at a club and a man makes moves on Susan. Her eyes turn green and he is killed when his car starts on fire and he is killed in an explosion. From then on thngs get really weird.
The possessed Susan kills the gardener after seducing him for sex. She then kills her Aunt Cora (Laura Hippe) by levitating her in mid air and tearing her apart. Oilver and their maid, Elsie (LaWanda Page) begin to see changes in Susan. One morning Elsie sees a strange green light and mist coming from Susan's room and in a very comical scene decides to leave and utters one of the most classic lines in horror movie history..."no more greavin'...I'm leavin'".
The demon also kills a green house delivery man and a man at a crowded mall. These effects are very well done by John Carl Buechler and crew, but the highlight is when Oliver is killed by his wife who has changed into a demon and has his chest torn out by her now cannibalistic breasts!!! Once seen it's never forgotten.
Norman Burton is Dr. Simon Andrews, a psychiatrist and good friend of the family, that tries to help Susan. Yes, there are a LOT of plot holes and many unanswered questions, but hey, this is a highly entertaining film and it never really seems to matter much.
Easily one of my favorite 80's horror films. The presentation from VS is beautiful and better than I have ever seen this gem before. The extras on the disc include an interview with Buechler about his effects, the original movie trailer and various TV spots plus a great promo stills gallery. I wish they had been able to get Bresee for an interview. The woman is a goddess.
I was working in the film business at this time and Bobbie is one of the nicest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. They don't make actresses like her anymore.
If you like 80's horror and gore films, this is for you. A huge thanks to VS for getting this out and it didn't arrive by the cut off date for my Top 70 of 2018, but it's a top release for 2019 no doubt. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
I will never understand why this film isn't better known than it is. The film centers around three very beautiful sisters after their millionaire father is killed in a plane crash.
The movie opens with a radio broadcast about the death of the millionaire and at the same time we are introduced to Valerie Craig (Kathleen Hughes)who doesn't really seem shaken by hearing about the news and also enjoys her male friend slapping her around.
Next we are introduced to Vicki Craig (Marla English) who is a nympho and enjoys stealing men from other women. Finally we have Lorna Craig (Sara Shane) who has some depression issues and suicidal tendencies but is by far the most normal of the bunch.
The pilot of the plane of the ill fated flight is named Jim (John Bromfield) and he is tricked by Valerie into living in the home with the sisters as she tries to steal all of the money for herself.
This is about as twisted as any film I have seen in a while. I forgot just how crazy it really is. All of the sisters are gorgeous and English ALMOST steals the show, but not quite. That honor goes to the stunning Kathleen Hughes as Valerie. Her portrayal is totally over the top and she does it so damn well.
Hughes takes the film to a slightly different level with her violence and insanity over money. She just celebrated her 90th birthday so it's a good thing she is still around. She did a lot of acting in her career, but she isn't well known, and that is a shame. Fans will always remember her from "It Came From Outer Space", but this film ranks right up there.
Marla English looks stunning as always, especially when wearing tight ass hugging shorts while trying to spy on the Bromfield character of Jim while he is shirtless and shaving.
Sara Shane has a beauty very different from her two co-stars, but she does make for a very, very fetching seductive female. I RECOMMEND this movie to anyone. It's a Bel-Air production, but it really has an AIP feel to it.
The rest of the cast includes Brett Halsey, Richard Cutting, and Madge Kennedy. The print on the MGM DVD is very good.
Warner Archive has announced THE GIANT BEHEMOTH, TARZAN GOES TO INDIA and TARZAN'S THREE CHALLENGES for release in January of 2019. Both of these Tarzan films star Jock Mahoney and of course THE GIANT BEHEMOTH is a classic 1959 monster movie gem.
Criterion has announced the excellent 1945 film noir classic DETOUR will be available on March 19th, 2019. I already have my order in for this one. Tom Neal stars in this long neglected film.
Scorpion Releasing is bringing RITUALS starring Hal Holbrook and Lucio Fulci's THE PSYCHIC starring Jennifer O' Neill. Both are expected to hit the market in early 2019.
2019 looks like another banner year for releases.
Nan Peterson (Hideous Sun Demon) stars as Nina Duprez, a woman who is totally evil.
As the story opens we see Nina fleeing a house while shots are being fired at her. She is found by people in a small fishing village and taken to the home of newlyweds Pierre and Lili Guillot (Robert Richards and Betty Lynn) where she immediately tries to sexually seduce Pierre.
Pierre wats her out of the house as son as possible, but nobody, including his wife will believe that Nina, using the name Minette Lanier, is evil. Finally she moves in with Pierre's brother, Jacques (Peter Coe). Jacques refuses to listen to Pierre's warnings as he is still very upset with his brother marrying Lili, whom he also loved.
There is a lot of tension and turmoil between the two brothers as Nina/Minette fuels the fire.
Pierre finally goes after the truth when the town doctor, J. B. Opie (Tyler McVey) brings him a newspaper article about the real Minette Lanier. Slowly Nina's plans start to unravel.
This is a great piece of swamp trash entertainment and director Lee Sholem handles it very well. I have seen Nan Peterson is a few things, and this is her second most memorable role besides the "Hideous Sun Demon" in which she played a sexy floozy as well. Her career only lasted for 6 years, but once you see her you never forget her. The last I knew she was still alive and well in her early 80's.
The casting of Betty Lynn for the role of Lili is perfect as well. Lynn, as most of you know played Barney Fife's girlfriend Thelma Lou on "The Andy Griffith Show". If you like off the wall films, I suggest you check this one out.
I love movies like this even more than I used to because it is not PC and they tend to make feminists angry.
Don Jones directed this twisted little film about two brothers, Frank Barrows (Gary Kent) and John Barrows (John Parker) who live with their mother in a secluded orchard home.
Mama thinks all pretty girls are evil so she has her sons kidnap women and keep them chained in their cellar and use them as play toys. One of the captives is ill and so they two men decide to find another play toy for the childish John.
The first woman they kidnap is shot and killed hours after she is brought to the home after she attempts to escape. John soon sets his sights on a beautiful young woman named Bonnie (Cheryl Waters). They kidnap her and this leads to their demise as she is no pushover and her boyfriend is also looking for her.
This is the kind of film people are talking about when they say grind-house. It's total sleaze and exploitation, yet believe me there is nothing wrong with that. Kent and Parker do very well in their roles as a psychotic mama's boy and a childish freak respectively.
There are some amazing scenes in this film and the revelation about mother will surprise some, but not everyone. The Code Red presentation is beautiful and it is easily the best I have ever seen this film look.
One the disc there is also an interview with director Don Jones and actor Gary Kent. They share a few interesting behind the scenes stories. The one I found most interesting is that Cheryl Waters, who was a VERY attractive woman had her boyfriend on the set and he was nothing but problems because he was the very jealous type. I found that very interesting as I was also involved in something like that when making a film. NEVER HAVE A BOYFRIEND ON THE SET....lol.
Anyway, if you're looking for REAL grind-house material, this is the real deal. RECOMMENDED!!
Frank Bresee longtime husband of actress Bobbie Bresee passed away on June 5th, 2018 at the age of 88.
Frank worked on films with his lovely wife including "Star Slammer" and "Evil Spawn". Frank and Bobbie were married for 40 years and they fit each other like a glove and a hand.
Frank was also a radio actor, broadcast enthusiast and board game creator. In 1949 he launched "The Golden Days Of Radio" which played on the Armed Forces Network from 1967 to 1995. He is also the creator of the adult oriented board game "Pass Out".
If you are a fan of bizarre Indian horror films as I am you know his name.
Ramsay was part of the "Ramsay Brothers" production corporation that produced many. many classic and off the weall horror and action films in India from the 1970's thru the 1990's.
Some of the gems he directed include "The Monster" from 1993, "Bandh Darwaza" from 1990 and "Veerana" from 1986. He will indeed be missed by fans worldwide.
Nobody made films as crazy or fun as the Ramsay Brothers Company. Tusi passed away on Dec. 13th at the age of 74.
40. SAVAGE STREETS 1984 (CODE RED) BLU-RAY...Lovely Linda Blair stars as a young woman seeking revenge for the rape of her mute sister. Linda looks so damn good in tight black leather. A must for 80's action fans. Hosted by Katarina Leigh Waters.
39. THE AMBULANCE 1990 (SHOUT FACTORY) BLU-RAY...Another bizarre Larry Cohen film I had never seen until the release. A mysterious ambulance picks people up and takes them.....ahh there is the crux of the tale. Recommended!!
38. HORROR OF PARTY BEACH 1964 (SEVERIN) BLU-RAY...Epic Del Tenny film about bizarre monsters killing the beach crowd in Connecticut. I can't help but love this B movie gem. Great picture quality and the sound will knock you out.
37. THE DEATHHEAD VIRGIN 1974 (SINISTER CINEMA)...Strange and very obscure Filipino made horror tale about a man who finds a sunken treasure guarded by a female demon. Diane McBain stars.
36. COLOSSUS THE FORBIN PROJECT 1970 (SHOUT FACTORY) BLU-RAY...Great tale about a brilliant scientist played by Eric Braeden who develops a computer that eventually tries to enslave the world.
35. SLITHIS 1978 (CODE RED) BLU-RAY...Finally this was re-released and remastered. A mutant monster runs amok in Venice, California. One of my all time favorite films.
34. VAMPIRE OF THE OPERA 1961 (SINISTER CINEMA)...Long lost film that is part of a trilogy which consisted of "Playgirls and The Vampire" and Vampire And The Ballerina". A dance troupe practices in a run down theater haunted by a vampire. In Italian with English subtitles. Very rare.
33. SEVEN (KINO) BLU-RAY...The second film from Andy Sidaris is a great action film about a very well planned overthrow of a drug cartel that has taken over Hawaii. William Smith, Barbara Leigh and Reggie Nalder head an all star cast. Long overdue on Disc, it was great that Kino finally released it.
32. THE MINOTAUR: WILD BEAST OF CRETE 1960 (SINISTER CINEMA)...Bob Mathias stars in this wonderful long unseen peplum film about the legendary monster who needs human sacrifices. This is the Italian language, uncut and widescreen version with English subtitles. The movie looks magnificent.
31. BLOOD ISLAND COLLECTION 1959/1971 (SEVERIN) BLU-RAY...This is the second highest rated collection in my countdown. If you're a fan of any of the "Blood Island" films this is a must have. Great looking prints, tons of extras and so much more. One of the best releases ever from Severin.
Well, there you are. Next week I'll creep even closer to number one.
Freed was born on this date in 1921, and sadly he passed away on January 20th, 1965 at the age of 43.
Alan Freed was a broadcast pioneer who encouraged kids to listen to rock music and at his pesak he was one of the most powerful men in the radio business.
He did accept "payola" which is accepting money to play certain songs which for some reason was illegal back in the day and after he was arrested he was blacklisted from broadcasting.
Freed was often criticized for having blacks and whites dance together and I firmly believe that was the real reason he was convicted. I thank god for people like Alan Freed who made the music possible.
Freed and Casey Kasem are my two broadcasting idols that will always be with me. Alan Freed, ahead of his time and he damn well knew it.
