CRUCIBLE OF TERROR 1971 (TUBI)

Mike Raven made his acting debut in this weird English horror film.

Raven is Victor Clare, a sculptor who killed a woman a few years before and had her body covered in bronze to keep her with him forever.

Years later he is living at a secluded home and all seems quiet. That is until several people arrive and Victor sets his sights on a young woman named Millie (Mary Maude).

Millie developes a friendship with Victor's live in model, Marcia (Judy Matheson) and before you know it there are several murders of a very gruesome nature.

This is not a fast moving film by any means and it seems to move too slow for most horror fans. I hadn't seen the film in almost 30 years and I found it to be an ok time waster.

The best thing about the film was Judy Matheson, who is simply stunning in her blue bikini. Watch it for that and that alone.

THE HOUSE WHERE HELL FROZE OVER 1976 (TUBI)

I had never heard of this title before.

This is actually the S.F. Brownrigg classic "Keep My Grave Open" but retitled for some reason.

I hadn't seen this for at least 10 years and so it was a nice discovery on TUBI. Camilla Carr stars as Lesley, a beautiful woman in her mid 30's that life on an isolated farm with her brother Kevin.

Anyone who comes on the property without permission is killed in a very violent way as we see with the opening scene of a hobo played by Bill Thurman who is done away with after he steals food from the house.

On the outside everything appears normal, but Lesley is a deeply troubled person. Several more muders occure and Lesley tells her brother Kevin that he must stop the killing.

Kevin never comes out of his room except to kill people and Lesley sinks deeper and deeper into depression and sexual frustration. I won't give away the ending, but it is kind of a surprise and I found it most interesting.

This is another fine regional horror film shot in Texas and it also stars Steven Tobolowski, Annabelle Weenick, Gene Ross and Chelcie Ross. A good, demented thriller that should please horror fans.

PUZZLE 1975 (TUBI)

Very well made Giallo.

The gorgeous Senta Berger stars along with Luc Merenda is a well written thriller about a man who is recovering from a bad accident and has amnesia.

Luc is a man named Edward and he is fighting to regain his memory and is being stalked by gangsters who claim he owes them something. They believe he is faking it in order to avoid a debt.

Berger is Sara Grimaldi, his beautiful wife whom he has forgotten as well. They rekindle their love for each other amidst the terror of the mob trying to either collect from Edward or kill him.

Slowly the pieces of the puzzle start to fall into place and Edward realizes that he must again fight for his life in order to live the rest of his days in peace.

This story is very well told and it is, in my opinion, one of the finest Giallo films I have ever seen. The Tension builds slowly and the viewer is easily sucked into the movie. Berger is simply stunning as the woman who is pulled into Edward's nightmare.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Gabrille Union is 49, Kate Jackson is 73, Mary Wilcox is 74 and Anna Foxx is 33.

MIND BODY AND SOUL 1982 (TUBI)

Interesting little thriller.

A young woman named Brenda (Ginger Lynn) is taken to a cult ceremony by her current boyfriend. When they arrive she sees that they re going to sacrifice a woman and she decides she wants no part of it.

The police raid the meeting and Brenda is arrested by the cops. She tries to convince a detective named McKenzie (Jay Richardson) that she is innocent. Her public defender, John Stockton (Wings Hauser) bails her out and offers her his home to stay in while he prepares for the trial.

Brenda finds her life threatened by members of the cult including her ex-boyfriend. They will stop at nothing to kill her and keep their secret. Numerous attempts are made on Brenda's life and things soon get totally out of control.

The ending comes as a little suprise as to who is actually leading the insane cult. This sn't too bad of a movie, and I watched it on streaming on early morning and was pretty wrapped up in the story.

Ginger Lynn looks great as always and it was good to see her teamed with Wings Hauser. They play off each other very well. Jay Richardson is always great and his role as the cynical detective is spot on.

If you get a chance, I recommend you see this. Not too bad at all.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Christy Hemme is 41.

FEMALE PRISONER 701: BEAST STABLE 1973 (TUBI)

This is another chapter in the long running series about a beautiful Japanese woman seeking revenge on those who have wronged her.

Meiko Kaji again plays Nami Matsushima, a woman who has escaped from prison and is on the run from the police. The opening scene where she cuts off a detectives are and has to carry it with her is unforgettable.

She takes shelter with a woman whose brother is mentally slow and they also have an incestuous relationship. The now one armed detective named Kondo (Mikio Narita) is on the hunt for Nami and will stop at nothing to get her.

Nothing includes torture and murder. Nami hides when the police start to tie her in with the woman and her brother, but is eventually cornered by the police in the sewer and is thought to have been killed. But we know that isn't true as this is only the third installment in the series.

There is plenty of great action in this movie and the ending is one that while it may not suprise you, it will make you think. A very good all round film that most people should see.

Japanese films like this are really great entertainment and could only come from the Land Of The Rising Sun. Check it out.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Lara Parker is 83, and Jayne Kennedy is 70.

THE MAJORETTES 1983 (SHRIEK SHOW)

This film directed by S. William Hinzman is pretty damned good.

I had never had the chance to catch this Pittsburgh shot horror film until just a few weeks ago.

A msked killer is going around killing the cheerleaders in a small town school, and the local police are having a very difficult time finding the killer.

There are a few interesting sub plots going on as well, and they will manage to throw you a curve ball and take this movie into places where you'd never guess. John Russo wrote the novel and the screenplay and the cast is made up of local Pittsburgh actors and actresses.

Russ Streiner is in this as a priest and turns in a good performance. The film has some standout scenes in it and each one has it's own merits. I loved the opening scenes with the beautiful high school girls doing their routines while the sleazy janitor looks on. Then when they go to shower he is taking pictures thru a hole in the wall.

This kind of scene makes the killer seem all the more normal when you consider that whom you think is normal is not! The ending of the film is one bloody affair and I will recommend this movie to any horror fan.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Jaclyn Smith is 76.

RIP JOANNA CAMERON 1951-2021

One of my childhood crushes has died.

Lovely Joanna Cameron had a short but very memorable career in front of the camera.

She appeared in a few movies including "How To Commit Marriage", and "Pretty Maids All In A Row" but most of her work was in TV.

She will forever be remembered as Isis in the Saturday morning kids show "The Secrets Of Isis" which I watched every weekend and even owned the DVD set many years ago as well.

A beautiful and talented lady is gone. Joanna passed away after a stroke on Oct. 22nd, 2021 at the age of 70.

RIP VAL BISOGLIO 1926-2021

The very well known character actor has died.

From his first appearance on "Edge Of Night" in 1956, Bisoglio was headed for stardom. He appeared in hundreds of TV shows and movies, and he was always a character you never forgot.

Some of his movie appearances include "Hot Rod Hullabaloo", "The Hindenberg", "Saturday Night Fever" and much more.

He was also in countless TV shows such as "The Night Stalker", "Get Christie Love", "Hill Street Blues" and "Police Woman". He passed away on Oct. 18th, 2021 at the age of 95.

RIP PETER SCOLARI 1955-2021

One of the stars of "Bosom Buddies" has passed away.

Scolari started his career in 1978 in such TV shows as Angie and a few others.

His claim to fame was a co-starring role with Tom Hanks in the sitcom "Bosom Buddies" which ran from 1980 to 1982.

Scolari appeared in other TV series after that show went off the air. His role as Michael Harris on "Newhart" was also something special. I worked with the man on the 1992 thriller entitled "Ticks" and found him to be a very nice man.

He lost his two years battle with cancer on Oct. 22nd at the age of 66.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Darian Caine is 48, and Caprice Bourret is 50.

CLAW 2020 (ITN)

Strange, but fun litttle horror flick.

Chynna Walker stars as Julia, a young woman traveling to L.A. with her friend Kyle (Richard Rennie).

They get a flat tire and are forced to make their way down a lonely highway. When they happen upon a ghost town both figure it'd be better to stay the night than freeze in the cold of the desert.

Once there they meet a man named Ray (Mel Mede) who offers them shelter.They don't trust Ray a lot, but have no choice. Soon they all find that a prehistoric monster is loose thanks to a crazy scientist, and it is looking for food in the ghost town.

This is a pretty straight forward plot and while it really offers nothing original, it works on many levels. The acting is very well done and the banter between Julia and Kyle seems very real.

The monster is well done for a CGI creature and all in all the effects aren't too bad. One other thing here is that there is a lot of comedy between the two leads and it works very well.

The ending is kind of a neat twist, not original mind you, but again, well done. If you haven't seen this I recommend it for a great 80 minute time killer.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Leah Van Dale is 34.

FERAL STATE 2020 (VERTICAL)

I heard a lot of good things about this film so I figured I'd check it out.

The film was somewhat of a disappointment for me as it seems to be all over the place.

The central story focuses on a band of misfits and orphans who are controlled by a religious fanatic named Mack Monroe (Ronnie Gene Blevins) who tells his followers that they must save the world from all evil no matter what has to be done to reach that goal.

This includes robbing and murder. One the case is one Detective Ellis (AnnaLynne McCord) who has a lot of good ideas but is always shot down by her boss.

This sounds like a great plot for a good crime thriller, but damn, it's hard to follow as scenes change so fast and there is no plot consistancy. AnnaLynne McCord is a damn sexy woman in my opinion, and she is top billed, but not used enough in the film.

I think the film makers had a good intent, but they are way off on execution. However, it will possibly keep you entertained. It kept my attention, but didn't really grab me.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Suzanna Snyder is 59, and Catherine Deneuve is 78.

STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER 1975 (TUBI)

Andrea Bianchi directed this gem, so it's one of the best Giallo's I have ever seen.

This film opens with a fashion model dying after a botched abortion. This starts off a film that once it starts moving, it never lets up.

After the abortion a brutal series of murders starts, first with the doctor who caused the death and then it moves to beautiful models. These models all work for Albatross Modeling run by Giselle (Amanda). Magda Cortis (Edwige Fenech) keeps the agency running admist all the killings that the police just can't seem to solve.

There are the usual red herrings in the story including the hot tempered Carlo (Nino Castelnuovo) who is involved in a relationship with Magda. Carlo spots a gorgeous young woman in a bikini named Lucia Cerezer (Femi Benussi) and tries to get her to work for the agency as well, but she is killed by the mysterious person in a black leather motorcycle outfit and helmet.

Director Bianchi delivers one of the best of the genre and is well known for the film "Burial Ground" which is one of the most bizarre zombies films ever made.

This film is filled with beautiful women but Benussi steals the show in her brief screen time. She looks fantastic in and out of her bikini and is easily the most beautiful women in the movies at the time.

I love sleazt Giallo like this and if you want to see the best, check it out. I caught it on streaming, but it is available on Blu-ray as well. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Diana Lorys is 81, Mary Peach is 87, and Scott Hall is 63.

RAMBLINGS...

We are less than 2 weeks away from Halloween, my favorite day of the year.

Last November a TV channel called Movies! TV was brought to my attention, and it has proved to be a very good station with a plethora of films to watch.

This is my first Halloween season with them, and I must say I am impressed. They have run hundreds of horror films with many more to come in the next two weeks.

They have aired such greats as "The Haunting", "Them", "Day The Earth Stood Still", "The Fly", "Return Of The Fly", "The Alligator People", "Devil Girl From Mars" and so much more.

Yes, they have commercials during their movies, but that bothers me very little. I like this station very much. They do run a lot of film noir as well, and I am a huge noir fan.

If you get this channel you might want to check out their line-up for the next couple of weeks....it's a killer.

IKARIE XB-1 1965 (SINISTER CINEMA)

A great sci-fi adventure I had never seen before.

This is the first Czech sci-fi film and it's a dandy. In the year 2163 a giant spaceship that is carrying a group of people to a new planet runs into some problems.

The first problem is faulty equipment that keeps breaking down...the second is an eerie encounter with a ship full of corpses drifiting thru space on a never ending voyage and lastly there is a lot of tension between some of the crew members.

This was made when the Communists ruled Czech society and there is some anti-capatalist situations going on, but that is really to be expected in a film made during this time.

The film from Sinister is beautiful and widescreen. The black and white photography is simply wonderful, and the acting is very good. This film was pick up by AIP for US audiences.

It was recut, heavily edited and the entire concept of the story was changed. The title was also changed to "Voyage To The End Of The Universe". If you've seen this version as I have, then you NEED to see this one.

It's a thoughtful film that doesn't have much action, but it does tell a very good story. RECOMMENDED!!

WEST OF THE PECOS 1948 (TUBI)

A good mixture of comedy, western and action.

Robert Mitchum stars as Pecos Smith. He happens onto a man named Colonel Lambeth (Thurston Hall) who is traveling out west for his health with his daughter Rill (Barbara Hale) in tow.

The Lambeth's are lost in the desert when Pecon and his friend Chito (Richard Martin) find them and help them get back on course.

Pecos falls for Rill, but before anything can happen a man named Tex (Bill Williams) is killed and Pecos is blamed. He escapes the law and goes on the lamb as he tries to prove his innocence.

Things get pretty wild as a vigilante party sets out to hang Pecos and he sends his frind Chito out to get some evidence of a cover up and find who the actual killer was.

The cheistry between Hale and Mitchum is obvious and it works well on the screen. Hale actually married Bill Williams a year later after both were in this film.

Based on a Zane Grey story, this film is fun for every western fan and I highly recommend it.

THIS NIGHT I'LL POSSESS YOUR CORPSE 1968 (SINISTER CINEMA)

More excellent horror from Brazil.

This picks up where the previous film (At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul) left off.

Coffin Joe (Jose Mojica Marins) is still looking for the perfect woman to give him children so his legacy can live on forever. He and his deformed hunchback servent Bruno (Jose Lobo) kidnap six women from a small town and subject them to various tortures in order to find the pefect woman.

Only one of the women survives this ordeal, but Joe decides that she is not a superior woman and therefore cannot have his children. He finds a beautiful new arrival in town, Laura (Tina Wohlers) to be the perfect woman and she feels the same about Joe.

This causes problems as Laura is the daughter of a high ranking official. The official hates Joe and hires men to seek him out and kill him.

This is a top notch horror effort and it even contains the color sequence when Joe has a nightmare about being in Hell. The print here is beautiful and also subtitled in English.

Marens had a unique approach to horror films, and I really haven't seen any of his horror films I didn't enjoy. This is a bizarre and wonderful horror trip with a lot of imagery that you'll not soon forget.

I saw this on a Sinister Drive-In Double Feature disc with the first film and it made for a hell of a night of viewing. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Erin Brown is 42.

STONEY 1974 (CODE RED)

A fun and very engaging film.

The film is set in Indonesia and is about 2 gunrunners who have what they think is a foolproof caper planned.

They plan on stealing gold bullion from a vault hidden under the swimming pool of the Surabaya commissioner. Harvey Ward (Michael Rennie) and Steve Blessing (Michael Preston) and the two men who want to hidden fortune.

Harvey sends his female companion Irene Stone (Barbara Bouchet) to help with the movement of the gold, but this is where the trouble starts. Steve has other ideas about the heist and Irene.

Before you know it there are several others involved in the scheme and everything begins to fall apart. I'm not sure when this was filmed, but it was released in 1974. Actor Michael Rennie passed away in 1971.

The movie is brisk and quick and it's ALWAYS a pleasure to see Bouchet. Yes, she does have some nude scenes in the movie. The cast carries itself very well and also includes Vic Diaz, Richard Jaeckle, Leopaldo Salcedo and Bobbi Greenwood.

For me this was a great surprise. If you get a chance to see it, I think you like this Philippino shot action/mystery film.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Lynn Lowry is 74.

LAND SHARKS 2017 (TUBI)

What a movie this turned out to be.

I knew when I saw the title I wasn't going to get a very good film, but I must admit it's so bad it's totally entertaining.

A female scientist named Lucinda Regis, played by the gorgeous Sarah French is targeted for death when it's revealed that she has been infusing sharks with human DNA.

This process has turned the sharks into land sharks that kill anyone who gets in their way. Lucinda and Dr. Foster (Peter Baldo) must track them down and kill them.

That is the basic plot of this film, but the execution is what really entertained me. The acting isn't very good, but with Sarah I forgive that because people watch her films not for her acting, but for her alone, which is cool. The monsters look like paper mache and at first are seen only gliding past the camera.

When the viewer finally sees them, it's a belly laugh. It reminded me of the Nathan Schiff classic from 1979 entitled "Weasels Rip My Flesh" which was done for very little money.

I enjoyed the film, but my God they could have put a little more effort into the monsters. Have fun with this is you decide to watch it. Hell just watch it for French.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Udo Kier is 77, and Stacy Keibler is 42.

THE DEEP ONES 2020 (123 GO)

Bizarre film based on the writing of H.P. Lovecraft.

A young couple rent an Airbnb near the beach and soon find themselves plunged into a world of the supernatural cult and their strange sea god.

The film moves along at a great pace, but there really isn't much horror in the Lovecraft mold. The neighbors of the couple are very strange and use a drug to seduce the young man, while his wife begins to suspect something is VERY wrong.

The sea god is Cthulhu from what I can make out, but it gets so muddled one really can't tell. I only reconised two people in the cast and they are Nicolas Coster (who also produced) and Kelli Maroney in a somewhat wasted role as a mother looking for her lost daughter while spouting dire warnings to the couple.

Lovecraft's work is very hard to bring to the screen, and while I admire those who try, I just can't help but feeling that his work will never be done properly.

If you're a die hard Lovecraft fan you will probably want to check this out, but it is a disappointment for horror fans in general.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Ashanti is 41, and Judy Bamber is 85.

UP AGAINST AMANDA 2000 (TUBI)

This is another fim I had never heard of, but was very entertained by.

A child named Amanda Lear had been abused by her evil stepfather and it gets to a point where she kills him with a gun.

She is put in a mental hospital until she is an adult and as a young woman she is incredibly beautiful. Amanda (Justine Priestley) moves into a house and given a car by her lover who also happens to be her doctor.

When she is settled in she sees her neighbor Richard Pierce (David DeWitt) and wants him badly. She kills her doctor and buries him in the back yard under cover of darkness, and then proceeds to seduce Richard while is wife, Laurie (Karen Grosso) is on the road promoting her singing career.

Richard gets way more than he bargained for as his one night tryst with Amanda slowly becomes a living nightmare. Amanda kills a few more people in Richard's world, and it becomes obvious that she is insane.

Priestley is a knockout as the young, demented woman who will kill anyone in her way in order to get the man she thinks she loves. This did indeed remind me a little of the 1982 Shannon Tweed gem entitled "Scorned".

It moves along well and I am surprised to see how much dislike for this film there is. No, it's not original by any means, but the way the story is presented is very well done.

Check it out if you'd like. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Susan Anton is 71, Robin Askwith is 71, and Karen Jarrett is 49.

HELLBOUND 1994 (WARNER)

A horror film starring Chuck Norris.

This was the last film for The Cannon Group before they went bankrupt. This stars Norris as a Chicago cop Frank Shatter who, along with his partner Calvin Jackson (Calvin Levels) discover a murder of a Rabbi who has had his heart ripped out.

They are called to Isreal for questioning and sudden;y find themselves fighting a supernatural being called Lockley (Christopher Neame). Lockley is a demonic creature set free by theives who invaded his burial spot and stole the ancient locks keeping him entombed.

There is plenty of action, of course as Shatter and Jackson slowly learn tat this criminal is anything but human. Neame does an excellent job of playing the demon from hell.

I actually liked this film a lot and the mixing of two genres was pretty good. The film sadly tanked at the boxoffice and Cannon went out of business, but what a way to go.

If you're a Chuck Norris fan you should really check this out if you haven't already done so. It's no worse or better than any other action film, but as I said before, the supernatural twist is very good.

NAKED VENGEANCE 1985 (TUBI)

I enjoyed the hell out of this movie!!

Cirio Santiago directed this great film which stars the gorgeous Deborah Tranelli as an actress named Carla Harris. Her loving husband is killed one night after he tries to stop a man from raping a woman in an alley.

Carla is badly broken by the event and travels to a small California town to stay with her parents. Upon her arrival, things start to go wrong. Every man in town wants in her pants and some just will not leave her alone.

A twisted man named Fletch (Kaz Garas) harasses Carla to the breaking point and everything culminates inher being gang raped and her parents are killed by the rapists.

Carla ends up in a mental hospital and refuses to talk with anyone. After a short time she escapes to wreck vengeance on her attackers. She kills her victims in various ways including castration, electricution and gun.

The sheriff, John Cates (Bill McLaughlin) is always one step behind her. He is determined to stop Carla, but in the end he lets he go as she is seeking revenge for her horrible attack.

The ending is a real kicker and was well done. The story comes full circle. This might remind you of another film called "I Spit On Your Grave" but I consider this one to be much better and quicker paced.

This was a lot of fun and it had me rooting for Carla no matter what she did. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Olive Sturgess is 88.

RIP JULI REDING 1935-2021

One of my faves had passed away.

The stunningly beautiful actress who came to my attention when I was young via the movie "Tormented" passed away on Sept. 16th 2021.

Juli's career wasn't a long one, but she sure made an impact. She appeared in TV shows such as "Sea Hunt" and "Burke's Law" among others.

Redding was 84. She will be missed.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Judy Landers is 63, Austin Stoker is 78, and Celeste Bonin is 35.