DIRTY HARRY 1971 (WARNER)

An all time classic!!

Clint Eastwood stars as Harry Callahan, a tough as nails detective who is hunting a psycho killer calling himself "The Scorpio Killer".

John Vernon is the Mayor, Harry Guardino is Police Lt. Bressler and John Larch is the Chief and they all work against Callahan. If all people were like Harry, there wouldn't be as much crime in real life as there is.

This is a well made thriller directed by Don Siegel and spawned three more films. Andy Robinson is excellent as the "Scorpio Killer" and makes it seem very real. This is an all time classic that shouldn't be missed by movie fans and especially Eastwood fans.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Dick Miller is 84, and Barbara Mandrell is 64.

RIP JACK KLUGMAN 1922-2012

Actor Jack Klugman, best known for his role as Oscar Goldman in the Odd Couple TV show has died at the age of 90. He also starred in the long running TV show Qunicy. I remember him best for his four appearances in the original Twilight Zone and movies like 12 Angry Men, of which he was the last surviving cast member from the movie.

A true acting great with a hell of a lot of talent. He will be missed.

BLOODY BROOD 1959 (MILL CREEK)

Interesting little crime thriller.

Peter Falk stars in this thriller about a young man seeking the killer of his brother who ate a hamburger laced with ground glass.

Falk plays Nico, a man who is responsible for the murder and much more. This is a tight little thriller which is well acted and well directed. If you like low budget B thrillers, then this is for you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Donna Martell is 85.

HOUSE OF THE DEAD 1978 (MILL CREEK)

Strange but fun film.

A married man who is having an affairis dropped off on the wrong street during a rainstorm and finds shelter in a strange funeral home in which the owner spins four bizarre tales about each of the corpses in his funeral home.

The tales involve child demons, living buildings, a killer who likes filming himself killing women and two detectives who try to solve a bizarre murder before it happens. Pretty cool stuff and not boring by any means. The cast includes Burr DeBenning, John Ericson, Charles Aidman and others.

If you like horror anthology films you will probably like this one.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Susan Lucci is 66, Joan Severance is 54, Holly Madison is 34, and Charles Herbert is 64.

TOP 40 DVD RELEASES FOR 2012 PART 3

20. Dark Crimes (Mill Creek) Great set of 50 film noir movies from the 30's to the 60's. One of the best 12 disc sets ever turned out by Mill Creek. 19. Encounters With The Unknown/When Time Began (Saturn) Great double feature with two rare films. Lots of fun for obscure movie lovers. 18. Vengeance of Fu Manchu (Warner Archive) Great adventure film with Fu again attempting to take over the world and destroy Nayland Smith, his arch enemy. 17. Space Children (Olive) 50's classic about a giant brain taking over the minds of children in order to have them disarm a new bomb being developed at a secret plant. 16. The Hearse/Blood Of Dracula's Castle (Scorpion) Sexy Katerina Waters hosts this great double feature that includes the longer version of Dracula's Castle which includes the werewolf scenes. 15. Screaming In High Heels (Vicious Circle) Fascinating documentary about the three original scream queens..Linenna Quigley, Brinke Stevens and Michelle Bauer. One of the best of it's kind and not to be missed by fans of 80's horror. 14. Eclipse Series 37 (Criterion) This set contains four classic Japanese horror films from Shochiku Studio. The films include X From Outer Space, Goke The Body Snatcher From Hell, Genocide, Living Skeleton. The best set of the year and not to be missed. 13. Blood Beast Terror (Redemption) Peter Cushing stars in this film about a blood sucking monster terrorizing the English countryside. It turns out to be a genetically created deathshead moth!! Very off the wall but fun. 12. Maleficarum (Pachamama Films) The most talked about movie on my blog and certainly the most bizarre. This stars the lovely Amy Hesketh as a young woman tortured, along with her friend after they are accused of being witches. Amy is the modern Jess Franco!! Not to be missed. 11. Confessions Of An Opium Eater (Warner Archive) The second most talked about movie on my blog stars Vincent Price as a man who fights the tong wars and frees slave girls in Chinatown. Very visually bizarre film directed by Albert Zugsmith.

My Top 10 will be presented next weekend!!

VICE GIRLS 1997 (DVD-R)

Not a bad little film.

Three very sexy undercover policewomen must find a pornographer who is filming and killing young runaways.

Lana Clarkson, Liat Goodson and Kimberly Roberts are the three women and policewomen never looked so damn hot. Directed by actor Richard Gabai who also plays the insane killer. Hoke Howell is a retired cop who runs a bar and helps the women out.

Lots of classic exploitation elements including Clarkson topless and lots of wild action and bizarre characters. Recommended if you can find this little gem.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO....

Brianna Meighan is 30.

DIVINE ENFORCER 1992 (DVD-R)

A very off the wall film.

A new priest arrives at a parish and begins taking the law into his own hands as he starts wiping out drug dealers, rapists and trying to find a seriel killer who likes to torture women.

Jan Michael Vincent, Eric Estrada and Jim Brown stars along with the always sexy Judy Landers and Robert Z'Dar and Don Stroud as Otis the homicidal serial killer. One of the oddest films I have ever seen, it could have been so much better with this cast, but it's a passable time waster.

BIRTHDAY WISHES TO....

Ed Nelson is 84.

HEAVEN'S GATE 1980 (CRITERION)

This is simply a wonderful 2 disc set.

This is the first movie I ever worked on when employed by United Artists and what a true learning experience it was. I have so many wonderful memories and so many good friends I met on the set of the movie and we have stayed friends ever since...some even went on to be in a few of my productions.

Kris Kristofferson is James Averill, a man born to wealth who prefers the life with the poor out in the wilds of Wyoming. He loves Ella Watson, played by Isabelle Huppert and wants to marry her, but never gets around to actually asking her. Christopher Walken is Nate Champion a hired gun who kills immigrants that steal cattle to eat.

The cattlemen decide to kill all the immigrants who are invading the land in and around Johnson County. This is based on the factual battle in 1890 in Johnson County Wyoming. Director Michael Cimino was WAYYYYYY ahead of his time with this western that bombed at the box office and sank the company. This is a beautiful film with stunning photography by Vilmos Zsigmond.

Don't listen to all the badmouthing of this film, it is simply stunning and way ahead of it's time. As a matter of fact it is one of the most violent westerns since Sam Peckinpah brought us the Wild Bunch. Brutal, fun, sad and moving, this film has it all and Criterion brings us the 3 hr. 46 min. version in all it's glory. This set also has interviews with Kristofferson and David Mansfield who acts in the film and wrote to beautiful music score.

If you're so inclined I highly recommend this film. One of the best ever. Thanks to Criterion for putting out this gorgeous version. The rest of the cast includes John Hurt, Sam Waterston, Joseph Cotton, Mickey Rourke, Jeff Bridges and Brad Dourif.

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN....

Two of the most beautiful women I ever laid eyes on both were born on this day and both are sadly not with us anymore. Mala Powers and Claudia Jennings.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO.....

Jenny Agutter is 60, John Hillerman is 80, Audrey Totter is 94, Lucy Pinder is 29, Angel Tompkins is 69, Pamela Austin is 71, and John "Bud" Cardos is 83.