NOTHING BUT THE NIGHT 1973 (TUBI)

Peter Sasdy directed this fine British thriller.

This is a very well made thriller that starts off as a murder mystery and then takes a turn into pure horror.

Three trustees are killed and everyone thinks all three of the are suicides. However, when a bus goes up in flames and three others very rich trustees are killed, then some people suspect something is very wrong.

A young doctor who is treating a child who was on the bus knows there is more to the story about what happened, but cannot break theu the mental block the young girl has set up in her mind.

The girls mother, Anna Harb (Diana Dors) comes to claim her but is met with resistance from both medical staff and the orphanage where she has been living while her mother was in prison.

A pathologist (Peter Cushing) and Colonel Bingham (Christopher Lee) manage to uncover a very sinister plot involving older people living forever after entering a young person's body.

As I said, this is a very well made film that keeps going straight on until the end, and then it really pulls out all the punches. This kind of film has been made before and it reminded me of the basic plot premise behind such films as "Brotherhood Of Satan" but done with a slightly different twist element.

The ending to this film is very bleak and depressing, but that is the only way a movie like this could have ended. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Daniela Bianchi is 82.

RIP JOYCE TAYLOR 1937-2022

I have just learned that this beautiful actress passed away 2 year ago.

Gorgeous Joyce Taylor was not as famous as some actresses, but damn she was hot.

She starred in some of my favorite films and TV series. Her TV list includes "Men Into Space", "Shotgun Slade", "The Untouchables" and "Bat Masterson".

Her movie roles included "Beauty & The Beast" from 1962, "Atlantis The Lost Continent", "Ring Of Fire" and "Twice Told Tales".

I don't have the date of her death or the cause, but she did pass away in 2022 at the age of 85 or 86.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Tom Selleck is 79, Heather Graham is 54, Katharine Ross is 84, and Marc Singer is 76.

OLIVIA 1983 (VINEGAR SYNDROME) BLU-RAY

One of the most twisted films I've seen in a while.

Ulli Lommel directed this which stars beautiful Suzanna Love as the title character.

Olivia sees her mother killed during a sexual encounter and this has affected her growing years. Years later she marries a very abusive man and before long is suffering from homicidal urges.

She takes out those urges on men she meets at night. She disguises herself, lures men to bed and then kills them. One day she meets an American businessman named Mike Grant (Robert Walker, Jr.). They are quickly attracted to one another, and this seems to quiet down the homicidal feelings Olivia has been suffering from.

One night her husband follows her and tries to kill Mike, but is thrown from London Bridge and before Mike can recover, Olivia runs off into the night.

Four years later in Arizona Mike runs into a beautiful woman selling realestate and it turns out to be Olivia, and the two start back up where they left off, but Mike is still haunted by the death of Olivia's husband on that fateful night.

There are a few interesting twists and turns in this film such as Olivia's husband who turns out to be alive and he kills Mike. He and Olivia are together again and the homicidal urges kick in again as Olivia actually talks to her dead mother.

The ending is really downbeat, as is the entire film actually. Love playe her role very well and again I have to say, she is beautiful. If you get a chance you might want to check this out.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Armando Silvestre is 98, Barbi Benton is 74, and Jack Hill is 91

PYRO 1964 (TUBI)

Strange little film that is mostly forgotten today.

Barry Sullivan stars as Vance Pierson, a businessman who is frustrated with his marriage.

He starts an affair with a sexy woman named Laura Blanco (Martha Hyer). The two keep the affair going for a while, but soon Vance wants to end it and go back to his wife and daughter.

Laura is furious about this and sets fire to his home where his wife and child and killed and Vance is burned beyond all recognition, but has somehow survived. He states that he is only living to get revenge on Laura.

Some time passes and soon Vance is working for a carnival, but still waiting for his chamce to get revenge on Laura. He wears a disguise so he looks human.

This is a well made film, and it was the first horror film to be actually shot in Spain. One of the writers of the film was Sidney Pink, the man who brought us "Reptilicus" and "Journey To The 7th Planet".

Sullivan does very well in the lead role and Hyer always looks great. The rest of the cast includes Sherry Moreland, Luis Prendes, Soledad Miranda, and Fernando Hilbeck.

I would really recommend giving this film a look. It's unique and well done.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Melissa Brasselle is 60.

HELLHOLE 1985 (SHOUT FACTORY)

There are several movies that have this title, but none are quite like this.

A young woman named Susan (Judy Landers) sees her mother murdered and escapes the killer, but due to the shock of the incident, she has no memory of what has happened.

She is put in a sanitorium and her mothers killer gets a job there to make sure she never talks to anyone about the killing. However, there are more evil things going on inside of the place.

Dr. Fletcher (Mary Woronov) is conducting labotomy experiments inside the prison, and any woman taken to "hellhole" is never seen again. Susan must fight off both Fletcher and her would be killer, Silk (Ray Sharkey).

This is not really a WIP film,. but it plays like one, and you can see several ideas they stole from other films if you're a fan of the genre. It works well and I can tell you it's never boring.

This is pure 80's horror and Women In Prison mixed together with a great cast and I believe this movie will please fans of both genres.

Speaking of cast, the rest of the performers in this film include Marjoe Gortner, Richard Cox, Edy Williams, Terry Moore, Robert Z'Dar, Martin Beck and Lynn Borden.

I do recommend this little film and maybe I like it a bit more than others will because I am a huge fan of Judy Landers. She was a huge 80's crush when I was in my 20's.

TERMINAL FORCE 1988 (TUBI)

Another in the long line of action films directed by Fred Olen Ray.

Not too bad of a film. It stars Richard Harrison as Nick Tyree, a cop who is put on suspension after killing a man who was attempting to hold up a liquor store.

He is called back into service when the daughter of a man who is preparing to be a key witness in a huge trial is kidnapped. The young woman is held by a group of men led by crime boss Johnny Ventura (Jay Richardson).

Ventura proves to be very brutal as we see when his henchmen torture a cop and castrate him after he gives them the information they wanted. One thing leads to another and finally Tyree tracks down the young woman and is himself captured by the thugs.

This is a good film to watch if you're a Fred Olen Ray fan, which Iam a huge one. I did notice there is very little nudity in here which was odd for a film of this nature, but we do get to see the mandatory shower scene and Angela Porcell looks great.

The rest of the cast includes Dawn Wildsmith, Troy Donahue, James R. Sweeney, Cleve Hall, Fox Harris and an uncredited Michelle Bauer as a topless woman giving Johnny Ventura a massage.

This was a good time waster, and in my opinion the cast alone makes the film worth while. Check it out, you might like it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Michelle McCool is 44.

ARIZONA COLT RETURNS 1970 (TUBI)

This is a well made Italian western also known as "Arizona Colt, Hired Gun".

Anthony Steffen stars as Arizona who is hired by Moreno to rescue his daughter who has been kidnapped by bandits.

While the mission sounds easy, it turns out to be far more complicated and deadly than Arizona could have ever imagined. This is the usual spaghetti western formula.

It involves a man like Arizona who is really an anti-hero, lots of bandits and criminals, torture and tons of shootout and whishky drinking. I liked this a lot for several reasons, but there are two main rreasons I gave this a watch, and they are Marcella Michelangeli and Rosalba Neri.

Both of these women are sexy as hell and Rosalba is ALWAYS a standout no matter what she is in. It was interesting to see that both of these leading ladies were killed in this movie. I admit I hadn't seen that before.

I also like watching these and seeing how many familiar faces I can recognise from Italian horror gems. This is a brutal film, and it moves along very quickly. I would recommend this for any spaghetti western fan.

The rest of the cast includes Aldo Sambrell, Roberto Camardiel and Raf Baldassarre.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Mariska Hargitay is 60, Tiffani Theissen is 50, and Gil Gerard is 81.

RIP DAVID EMGE 1946-2024

"Flyboy" has passed away.

Actor David Emge has died. David had roles in such films as "Basket Case 2" and "Hellmaster" but his legacy was set when he starred in the 1978 George A. Romero classic "Dawn Of The Dead".

David started his acting in the comedy "The Booby Hatch" and after "Dawn Of The Dead" his career was cemented. His role as "Stephen" the hapless helicopter pilot will forever be remembered by horror fans.

In that film he became an icon for horror, especially after he is killed and comes back to life. Emge passed away on January 20th, 2024 at the age of 77.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Linda Blair is 65, and Christina Leardini is 55.

ROBOWAR 1988 (TUBI)

A crazy film, but a good one as well.

Bruno Mattei directed this mixed up clone of Rambo, Robocop and Predator...yet somehow it all works.

Reb Brown stars as Marphy Black, the leader of a group of men sent into the jungle to find a killer. They aren't given too many details about the mission, but they take it anyway.

They soon come face to face with a mechanical fobot killer who looks like Robocop and kills some of the men in a style just like the Predator. This is basically the entire plot.

They happen across a group of men who are about to do some nasty things to a beautiful women named Virgin (Catherine Hickland) and they kill everyone involved except for her, whom they take along.

This Italian masterpiece plays well despite it being so dumb, and I always had a thing for Hickland, who made a few more Italian horror films as well.

Look, if you want totally mindless fun, this is a film for you. I cannot say I didn't enjoy this mess. RECOMMENDED!!

HAPPY BITHDAY TO...

Audrey Dalton is 90.

RIP GASTON SANTOS 1931-2024

Word has reached me that the great Mexican actor has died.

Santos was a bullfighter and an actor. He appeared in many Mexican productions.

He is most famous in the US for starring in some bizarre, but very entertaining horro films. Those titles are "Swamp Of The Lost Monster", "The Living Coffin" and "The Black Pit Of Dr. M".

I was first introduced to him via the USA Network when "Swamp Of The Lost Monster" and "The Living Coffin" were shown on the Commander USA program.

He passed away on January 17th, 2024 at the age of 92.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Ray Anthony is 102.

THE MAD ROOM 1969 (TUBI)

Well made psycho-thriller.

Stella Stevens stars as Ellen Hardy, a young woman who is employed as a live-in housekeeper and caregiver to Mrs. Armstrong (Shelley Winters). Both women don't really like each other, but they tolerate their environment.

One day Ellen gets a telegraph telling her that her brother and sister are being released from the asylum where they have been since they killed their mother. Ellen is frantic, but has no choice. She has them stay with her at the home of Mrs. Armstrong, and once there strange things start tio happen, like murder.

This is a great little film that has been over looked for many years. It's a remake of the 1941 film "Ladies In Retirement" which is a good film all on it's own.

The movie speeds by quickly as the plot thickens to the weird ending that I really wasn't expecting. It's a good twist and one I won't reveal here. Stevens carries the show and looks very good doing it.

The rest of the cast includes Skip Ward, Carol Cole, Severn Darden, Beverly Garland, Jennifer Bishop, Lloyd Haynes and Lou Kane. I would recommend this thriller to any film fan, and hopr you catch it either on disc on on streaming.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Tom Baker is 90, and Jack Grinnage is 93.

TORSO 1973 (TUBI)

Sergio Martino directed this well crafted horror film.

This movie really delivers the goods as far as bloody killings and lurid thrills. There has been a series of murders at a college in Rome, so several women take a retreatto an isolated house in the hills.

They do not know however that the killer has followed them to the home, and he begins stalking them and peeking in their windows while making plans to kill them.

It will be obvious to any film fan that this was a very influential movie when it came to the US slasher genre of the late 70's and thru the 80's. So I guess we can blame Sergis Martino for all the dreck we had to put up with here.

Anyway, there are some great set pieces here, the best one being where a beautiful woman named Jane (Suzy Kendall) is trapped in the house with the killer who doesn't know she is there. The shocking part to this is that she watches him dismember her dead friends.

This takes up most of the final 30 minutes of the movie and the killer, when revealed might be a shock to you, but then again it might not.

The rest of the attractive cast includes Tina Aumont, Angela Covello, Carla Brait, John Richardson, Luc Merenda and Conchita Airoldi. I love Suzy Kendall in anything and this is one of her best films.

Get it on Blu-ray or watch it on streaming. It's a treat.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Shelley Fabares is 80, Tippi Hedren is 94, and Linda Hayden is 71.

NIGHT KILLER 1990 (TUBI)

This is a crazy and wild Italian horror film made in Virginia.

In Virginia Beach a masked killer has been running around killing women after raping them and the police seem powerless to stop him.

A woman named Melanie Beck (Tara Buckman) is also attacked by the madman, but she lives thru it simply because the killer wanted to torture her and not kill her as fast as the others.

After she manages to escape his clutches she developes a mental block that will not allow heer to remember the incident or the attacker. When she is released from the hospital she is kidnapped by a man who keeps her tied up in a motel room.

After a bit of sexual sadism she escapes his clutches as well, but all is not what it seems in this film. As I said this is a wild ride with a plot that just blows your mind and an ending that makes you do a double take.

If you really let this sink into your brain you will really question the motives of the second man who kidnaps Melanie. Tara Buchman does a great job playing the victimized woman. The original director didn't want too much gore in the movie, but scenes wewre shot and put in the film at the producers request.

If you like Italian Giallo, you really should check this one out. It's a doosey and one not to be missed.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Ted DiBiase is 70.

BELATED BIRTHDAY WISHES TO...

Barbie Blank turned 37 on Janury 15.

RIP LYNNE MARTA 1948-2024

The character actress has died.

Lynne Marta may not be a name that is familiar to you, but if you're a movie or TV fan, you've seen her.

She appeared in such films as "Footloose", "Joe Kidd" "Three Men And A Little Lady" as well as the cult classic "Help Me I'm Possessed".

Marta passed away on January 11th, 2024 at the age of 78 from Cancer.

RIP DANA GHIA 1932-2024

The well known Italian actress has passed away.

If you're a fan of Italian cinema and Giallo, you know who she is. Ghia had a 20 year career in movies and appeared in such films as "4 Dollars Of Revenge", "Django The Last Killer", "The Dirty Outlaw" and "Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die".

Those were made in the 60's and as the 70's came to be she made her move into Giallo movies such as "The Bloodstained Butterfly", Nine Guests For a Crime", "Smile Before Death", "Seven Deaths In A Cat's Eye", "So Young, So Lovely, So Vicious" and many others.

The beautiful Ghia passed away on January 15th, 2024 at the age of 91.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Caroline Munro is 75, John Carpenter is 76, Sade is 65, and Marilu Tolo is 80.

ALIEN SHARK 2022 (TUBI)

I was expecting crap, and I got crap.

A group of young women have a weekend getaway planned, but things don't go as planned.

A meteor crashes near the beach and an alien shark is on the loose. It's a sloppy looking CGI creation and I have seen better effects in 1960's cartoons.

As is usual in modern film, there isn't one character you care about and the men are played as fools while the women are all tattooed up and have body piercing. Ugh.

Everything that happens in this film never comes to any conclusion. Things just HAPPEN and then the plot moves on. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

QUIET PLACE TO KILL 1970 (TUBI)

Umberto Lenzi again directed gorgeous Carroll Baker in a tense Giallo.

The film has a ton of twists and turns, but the basic plot has Baker star as a race car driver named Helen who is invited by her ex-husbands new wife to stay at their place for a while as she tries to get her life together.

Both Helen and Constance (Anna Proclemer) form a bond and plan to kill Maurice (Jean Sorel). Maurice is, of course, Constances' husband, but before things get too far Maurice starts falling for Helen again.

Constance is killed in a bizarre accident on a boat, or so everyone thinks, except her daughter Susan (Marina Coffa) who suspects it was murder. Here is where it gets really twisted.

Helen catches Maurice fooling around with Susan and it becomes clear that they are trying to frame her for the murder of Constance so they can be together.

Yes, this is one twisted picture indeed. It has an ending which will shock you...maybe, but it will not leave your mind soon.

Carroll Baker was almost 40 when she made this, but her beauty outshines everyone else. All I can say is this is a standout film and one of the best Giallo movies I have ever seen. Check it out.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Faye Dunaway is 83, Carl Weathers is 76, and Marjoe Gortner is 80.

SPINE TINGLER: THE WILLIAM CASTLE STORY 2007 (TUBI)

This was a fun trip down memory lane.

The documentary looks at the career of one of the greatest showmen every to be involved in the movie business, William Castle.

His daughter and many people who knew him tell of his rise from making a lot of commercial westerns and crime films to becoming the King of the gimmick horror film.

Castle made such films as "Macabre", "House On Haunted Hill", "The Tingler", "Mr. Sardonicus", "Homicidal" and much more. In each film he would have a gimmick such as "Emergo" in which a skeleton would float on a wire above the crowd during "House On Haunted Hill".

There were plenty more and Castle believed that going to the movies should be a fun time, and with his films it was fun indeed.

This is a wonderful look at the career of a man who simply wanted to make movies fun. This is a talent that they don't have in the business today. Any movie buff will want to check this documentary out.

I highly recommend it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Nicole Eggert is 52, Billy Gray is 86, and Traci Bingham is 56.