The Thief Of Bagdad (1940)

Starring Conrad Veidt, Sabu, June Duprez, John Justin, Rex Ingram
Directed by Ludwig Berger, Michael Powell, & Tim Whelan
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

After Ahmad, the king of Bagdad, is cheated out of his throne and sentenced to death, he befriends a young thief who helps him woo a beautiful princess and confront his usurper, the evil Jaffar.

A top-flight Arabian fantasy film, full of colorful scenery and visual effects that had to have been a marvel at the time, the production remains an entertaining concoction, even if some of the effects show their age.  Following the story template first filmed in 1924 as a vehicle for Douglas Fairbanks, the production splits his role, so Justin can play the romantic hero, while Sabu draws in the young audience with his mischievous adventures.  Veidt offers fine villainy as the sorcerer who covets Ahmad's throne and his love interest with hypnotic eyes, and Ingram plays off Sabu well as a giant bombastic genie, whose attempted crushing of the Indian boy beneath his foot is one of the film's most memorable special effects.  Familiar British character actor Miles Malleson, who wrote the screenplay, is also featured as the comical Sultan, whose captivation at the gift of Jaffar's magical clockwork horse compels him to turn over the hand of his daughter to the wizard.  The real stars of the film however are its art directors, who create a convincing fantasy world and a vividly bright and appealing one at that, for these characters to inhabit.

First Man Into Space (1959)

Starring Marshall Thompson, Marla Landi, Bill Edwards, Robert Ayres, Bill Nagy
Directed by Robert Day
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

Test flights probing the edges of the boundary between the Earth and outer space are led by a Navy commander and piloted by his brother, but the pilot's risky decisions lead to tragedy and horror.

As my friend Dan Day, Jr. pointed out, the plot here is more of a variation on The Quatermass Xperiment than an original story, but it's nevertheless well-acted and directed, although elements of the clash between the brothers seem torn from the pages of a soap opera.  Director of photography Geoffrey Faithfull was a fine cinematographer and the scenes where Edwards excitedly views an exquisitely framed star field from his cockpit are breathtaking for the audience as well.  Although this was a British film, and was per IMDB largely filmed at MGM's British studios, it was set at a Navy base in New Mexico, and the filmmakers do an exceptional job of passing their product off as an American film, from changing the names of writers John Croydon and Charles F. Vetter in the credits, to populating the cast with non-Brits including leading man Marshall Thompson and Italian-born leading lady Marla Landi.  The film's greatest similarities to Quatermass come in its second half, where a monster transformed by cosmic radiation preys on human blood, and its climax is nowhere near as well-written or staged as the 1955 Hammer classic, but the performances are still genuine and engaging.  This isn't a great movie but it is an entertaining piece that delivers a monster and a warning about the perils of the unknowns in outer space.

Black Sunday (1960)

Starring Barbara Steele, John Richardson, Andrea Checchi, Ivo Garrani, Arturo Dominici
Directed by Mario Bava
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A Moldavian princess is condemned to death by her own brother for her supernatural crimes, but places a curse upon him, promising revenge in the name of Satan.

Mario Bava's black and white ode to classic horror films still stands up well today, thanks to its beautiful cinematography, fantastic castle sets, and Barbara Steele's memorable performance, which launched her on the path to becoming the queen of Italian gothic horror.  It had to have broken new ground for screen shocks at the time it was released, with the scene of the nail-concealed "Mask of Satan" being hammered onto Steele remaining unnervingly potent on each viewing.  Steele was perhaps never better showcased as she is by Bava here, with the camera capturing her formidable luminous eyes excellently, and although her characterization of the innocent Katya doesn't compare to her dual performance as that girl's evil ancestor, Asa, she nevertheless dominates the screen in every scene.  So many eerie visuals complement Steele's performance, from the special effects transforming the sunken eyeholes in Asa's molding corpse to Dominici's fevered driving of a coach kidnapping Checchi's character to the eerie exploration of Asa's ancient crypt.  It's a great film, worthy of study by generations of filmmakers to come.

Genocide (1968)

Starring Keisuke Sonoi, Yusuke Kawazu, Emi Shindo, Reiko Hitomi, Eriko Sono
Directed by Kazui Nihonmatsu
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

Insect attacks on a hydrogen bomb carrier and its crew on a Japanese island reveal a plot to turn insects against humanity.

This Japanese horror film from the Shochiku studio is an eerie and disturbing one, with many unsettling images, and a threat that insects will not tolerate humanity's weapons of mass destruction.    All of this is presented in a well-scripted mystery storyline that eventually ties everything together succinctly, although it's a little too convenient that nearly every character on the island we're introduced to is involved in the eventual reveal.  While the special effects aren't of top quality, the photography and editing showcasing the massing insects is, as well as the makeup on their human victims, creating many highly suspenseful scenes.  This all leads to a bleak ending predicting a dire outcome for the human race, well-in keeping with the film's themes, but which nonetheless took me by surprise.

Killers From Space (1954)

Starring Peter Graves, James Seay, Steve Pendleton, Frank Gerstle, Barbara Bestar
Directed by W. Lee Wilder
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

An atomic scientist disappears after a plane crash, only to return with no knowledge of where he's been, and an insatiable desire to continue with planned atomic bomb tests.

Peter Graves, in one of his early starring roles, is the main attraction in this low-budget sci-fi film filled with plenty of stock footage.  The actor generates enough intensity to draw us into the tale, and he's supported well by some second or third-tier character actors.  Directed by Billy Wilder's less-esteemed brother, W. Lee, from a story provided by the director's son Myles, the first half of the film isn't badly written, with the mystery behind Graves' character's disappearance setting things up rather nicely.  Ridiculousness however, sets in in the second half, when aliens with bulging eyes and bushy eyebrows are revealed with a plot to invade the Earth and take control with giant-sized insects and lizards, who are rear projected instead of using more costly and convincing animation.  Nonetheless, Graves holds it all together, and although the film can't overcome its limitations, I still have a certain fondness for it.

Son Of Godzilla (1967)

Starring Tadao Takashima, Akira Kubo, Bibari Maeda, Akihiko Hirata, Yoshio Tsuchiya
Directed by Jun Fukuda
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A reporter follows a team of scientists to an isolated tropical island and learns they are planning an experiment to freeze it, unaware that Godzilla and the egg containing his son are there also.

This may not be a popular opinion, as I've heard several harsh critiques of this film from many sources, but I really liked it.  I understand the criticism, as the light-hearted scenes featuring the baby monster Minilla and Godzilla's attempts to teach and protect it take the series down a far different path that the monster brouhahas that had dominated previous entries.  There still is combat, but greatly diminished, between the Godzillas and a number of radioactively giantized praying mantises, as well as a fearsome enormous spider, which doesn't bring anything we haven't seen from Mothra, but is an impressively constructed special effect from Eiji Tsuburaya and his team.  One scene in particular where the spider's giant claw bursts into a cave where the human scientists have sought shelter is impressively executed.    The scenes between Godzilla and Minilla didn't bother me, but in fact touched my heart, and reminded me of my own relationship with my young son.

The Legend Of The 7 Golden Vampires (1974)

Starring Peter Cushing, David Chiang, Julie Ege, Han Chen Wang, Robin Stewart
Directed by Roy Ward Baker
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A family of seven brothers and one sister, all highly trained in the martial arts, recruit Professor Van Helsing when he visits China to help them end attacks on their village by vampires.

Hammer Films' collaboration with the Hong Kong based Shaw Brothers studio mixes Hammer's vampire horror and Shaw's kung-fu action into a single production, and it's a pretty entertaining one.  Although the character of Dracula appears, played by John Forbes-Robertson, taking over the role from Christopher Lee, he's not really necessary, transforming into the guise of a similar Chinese character for the bulk of the film.  Peter Cushing, is welcome however, playing a Van Helsing for the final time, and providing the necessary nobility and gravitas to anchor their mission, while giving Western audiences a familiar character to draw them into the story.  There's lots of blood and a bit of superfluous nudity, but the freshness of the setting, and the quality of the kung-fu choreography kept me engaged.  The kung-fu sequences also allow for something of a small army to attack our heroes, adding suspense as to who is going to survive and raising the stakes, with the sword-wielding vampires calling upon zombies who rise from their graves to join the fray.  Although the vampires are masked and nameless and largely without character, I wouldn't call this a flaw, but a created parallel to a war film in which one side is opposed by a largely faceless enemy.

Assignment: Outer Space (1960)

Starring Rik Van Nutter, Gaby Farinon, David Montresor, Archie Savage, Alain Dijon
Directed by Anthony Dawson
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A reporter manipulates his way into accompanying an emergency space mission, which is the Earth's last hope to destroy a rogue spaceship before it endangers the planet.

Antonio Margheriti, billed here as Anthony Dawson, directs his first science fiction adventure, and although it doesn't have the same kick as his future sci-fi thrillers like The Wild, Wild Planet, it's competently made with a decent story and serviceable special effects.  However, the love triangle involving Van Nutter, Farion, and Montresor isn't very compelling and there's not much chemistry between the leads.  I really found the most interesting character to be Savage's, a fatherly pilot with a cynical edge but a soft spot for Van Nutter's reporter.  Van Nutter's story arc as an arrogant outsider who earns his comeuppance is not exactly an original one, but I stayed interested in the characters, and thought this was an enjoyable enough space film.

Hercules Unchained (1959)

Starring Steve Reeves, Sylva Koscina, Sylvia Lopez, Patrizia Della Rovere, Primo Carnera
Directed by Pietro Francisci
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

While trying to negotiate a power shift of rulers of the city of Thebes, the great hero Hercules is robbed of his memory and strength and abducted by an evil queen who makes him her love slave.

In the second and final Hercules film to star Steve Reeves, the talent of future auteur Mario Bava is on display in a colorful and well-assembled pastiche puled from the pages of Greek mythology.  Bava is credited with the film's cinematography and directing the special effects, but film historian Troy Howarth pointed out to me he likely directed at least a portion of the film as well.  Bava's attention to color makes this one of the most beautiful of the sword and sandal films to look at, and the way the camera catches the glittering sequins in Lopez' gown adds to the attractive actress' allure.  Francisci's screenplay is credited as being based on tragic plays by Sophocles and Aeschylus, but from researching them on Wikipedia, they only seem to have provided some basic story elements, with further elements from Hercules' myths added to them.  Nonetheless, this is still an entertaining film with a prestigious feel to it, and while Hercules does not have a heck of a lot of derring-do to perform, I found the backstories with Gabriele Antonini's clever subterfuge as Ulisses and Sergio Fantoni's scheming Eteocles interesting.

Bud Abbott & Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

Starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, Glenn Strange
Directed by Charles T. Barton
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A pair of baggage handlers end up tangling with Dracula, the Frankenstein monster, and The Wolf Man when one of them is targeted to provide a new brain for the monster.

Although not all of its humor has aged well, this horror-comedy still entertains and is terrifically written, allowing Universal's twin properties of comedians Abbott & Costello and their classic monsters to play off each other without sacrificing their appeal to their fans.  Much has been written about how the "monsters play it straight," never cracking jokes or indulging in any comedic tomfoolery for its own sake, and I think fans of the classic monsters greatly appreciate that, even if this film sadly served as their swan song.  It can't be understated how good it is to see Lugosi playing Dracula again on film for the first time since his iconic performance in the 1931 original, and though his age shows, he's still a formidable presence.  Strange and Chaney are also showcased well.  Among the newcomers in the cast, Lenore Aubert impresses as the assistant to Dracula who becomes his victim.  As for the comedy team, after this they made a slew of "meet the monsters" films, clearly hitting upon a winning formula in this production, although for my money they never would again equal their triumph here.

Chandu The Magician (1932)

Starring Edmund Lowe, Irene Ware, Bela Lugosi, Herbert Mundin, Henry B. Walthall
Directed by Marcel Varnel & William C. Menzies
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

When his brother-in-law is kidnapped and the man's death ray invention stolen by the villainous Roxor, Chandu, a hero with great hypnotic powers, comes to his rescue. 

Per Wikipedia, this production was based on a radio series, in which American Frank Chandler used his mystic abilities from studies in India to fight dastardly plots as Chandu.  The film adaptation is a compelling feature with a good deal of visual inventiveness, courtesy of its directors, Varnel, and the better known and heralded William Cameron Menzies, as well as acclaimed cinematographer, James Wong Howe.  The filmmakers do a good job of rendering the film's Egyptian locale, and there's some thrilling tracking shots employed by Howe exploring an Egyptian tomb said to house Roxor's hideout.  Lugosi plays Chandu's nemesis Roxor, and his sinister visage is well utilized and the character's willingness to torture his captive for the secrets behind his ray and to pontificate about his plans for the death ray gives the actor a meaty role.  Lowe is just fine as Chandu, a little bland at times, but with a believable hypnotic stare.  Ware plays the Egyptian princess Nadji, who's quite attractive, but one of many white actors playing the roles of Egyptians, and definitely lacks the exoticness her character should have.  I still had to admire her talent for working the lengthy eyebrows the makeup department gives her.  Walthall is present only for comic relief, which I didn't feel the film really needed, and his interchange with a diminutive doppelgänger Chandu creates, although technically well done, is only slightly amusing.  IMDB credits the music score as an assemblage of new and stock music by several uncredited composers, but nevertheless it's a great score with terrific musical flourishes when Chandu sets his mind to work.  Interestingly, when a Chandu film serial was launched a short time later, Lugosi switched roles, playing the hero Chandu.

Hercules And The Tyrants Of Babylon (1964)

Starring Rock Stevens, Helga Line, Mario Petri, Livio Lorenzon, Anna Maria Polani
Directed by Domenico Paolella
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

Hercules trails his love, the missing queen of the Hellenes, to Babylon where she's been enslaved by a family of despotic rulers.

Peter Lupus, who per Wikipedia would become better known later on for his roles on television, including the original Mission: Impossible, plays Hercules under the name of Rock Stevens in this Italian production, and certainly has the build for it.  There's little connection to any Greek mythology here, with no supernatural creatures or menaces, as the filmmakers instead focus on showcasing Lupus' feats of strength in the title role, primarily by whacking members of Babylon's army with a club or throwing rocks at them.  The climax does employ Hercules in bringing an end to the Babylonian empire, but in a rather poorly staged sequence which is not very exciting.  All of that being said, I think the most interesting parts of the film centered around the Babylonian rulers, two brothers, one warlike, one more reasoning, and a sister, played by the astonishingly beautiful Line, who keeps a disgraced soldier as her lover, and has a secret plot to seize power for herself alone.

Fog Island (1945)

Starring George Zucco, Lionel Atwill, Jerome Cowan, Sharon Douglas, Veda Ann Borg
Directed by Terry Morse
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

After he's released, a financier who went to prison for swindling his investors, plans a reception for them at his house, promising justice, and preparing a special trap.

I'd judge this as one of Poverty Row studio PRC's better thrillers, anchored by an ideal teaming of distinguished horror icons George Zucco and Lionel Atwill.  They're surrounded by a pretty good supporting cast, and granted an ideal setting in an old dark house on an isolated island.  Zucco and Atwill only have a few scenes together, and it's a shame there aren't more, but the final one is a worthy showdown between the two thespians with such a wonderful filmography of sinister characters.  The story comes from the play by Bernadine Angus, and at times the framework of the play and its extensive dialogue is heavily felt, but I was impressed with the stormy exterior shots of the island, and some of Karl Hajos' atmospheric music cues.  A higher budgeted film with better camerawork would be a more desirable showcase for Zucco and Atwill, but for what this film delivers, I was pretty well satisfied- per film historian Troy Howarth, this may have been one of the few films the two co-starred in.

Hercules And The Captive Women (1961)

Starring Reg Park, Fay Spain, Ettore Manni, Luciano Marin, Laura Altan
Directed by Vittorio Cottafavi
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

Hercules sets off on a voyage with the King of Thebes to investigate a rumored power threatening Greece, which they discover to be from the long-hidden nation of Atlantis.

One of the more watchable Hercules films in my opinion, with a great deal going going on in the screenplay which helps considerably, the production focuses on Hercules rescuing a maiden imprisoned by a shape-shifting god, returning her to Atlantis and discovering their threat under their cruel queen, all the while searching for the lost-at-sea Androcles, while Hercules' son stows away on the vessel under his nose.  The battle between Hercules and the shapeshifting Proteus was the highlight of the film for me, especially when Proteus transforms into a fearsome giant lizard creature that grapples with the hero on its hind legs.  This isn't the most impressive version of Atlantis captured on film, although there's some worthy set design and okay effects.  Park is fine as the musclebound hero, and I welcomed the comic relief of midget actor Salvatore Furnari.

Return Of The Fly (1959)

Starring Vincent Price, Brett Halsey, David Frankham, John Sutton, Dan Seymour
Directed by Edward Bernds
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

Philippe Delambre decides to continue his ill-fated father's teleportation experiments but heads down a similar path to tragedy when he unknowingly hires a criminal as his assistant.

A quick follow-up to Kurt Neumann's classic The Fly, released the following year, but filmed in black and white and returning none of the cast save Price, the production is inferior, lacking the mystery and subtlety of the original.  That being said however, it's still a very fun watch, with Price excellent as always, and the creature makeup striking.  Writer/director Edward Bernds, taking over from Neumann after his death, is able to come up with a reasonable and fairly clever explanation for the creation of another Fly creature in his screenplay, although it certainly also suffers from several continuity gaps.  Bernds was better known for his comedy productions, including films for both the Three Stooges and The Bowery Boys, but employs a serious tone here, despite the fantastic subject matter.  Like any sequel, the film tries to ape the high moments from its predecessor while trying to stand on its own legs, and ultimately falls short, but I still enjoy it quite a bit.

Dimension 5 (1966)

Starring Jeffrey Hunter, France Nuyen, Harold Sakata, Donald Woods, Linda Ho
Directed by Franklin Adreon
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A secret agent is tasked with defeating a Chinese plot to destroy Los Angeles with a hydrogen bomb, and is given a time travel device to aid him in his mission.

This spy thriller apes James Bond adventures, and features Sakata as the villain, who appeared in Goldfinger as an actual Bond adversary, but put out by low budget United Pictures, it suffers by comparison to the exploits of Ian Fleming's popular spy.  It is beautifully photographed, by cinematographer Alan Stensvold and Nuyen is a very attractive and smart foil for Hunter, but for an action-adventure it often bogs down in dialogue heavy scenes.  The time travel device is probably the most intriguing element in Arthur C. Pierce's screenplay, allowing Hunter and Nuyen to escape danger at the flick of a control switch, but not enough is done with it, nor are the time travel effects staged with much imagination, which I found disappointing.  Familiar characters actors like Robert Ito and Donald Woods were good to see, although there's a bit of a unfortunate clash between the actors playing Chinese characters who speak perfectly as opposed to those talking in pigeon English. Sakata's formidable hulking presence is memorably displayed, but I found it rather puzzling that his character was confined to a wheelchair, not allowing for a physical confrontation with Hunter at the climax, and he is clearly dubbed, according to IMDB, by voice actor extraordinaire Paul Frees.

Cyborg 2087 (1966)

Starring Michael Rennie, Karen Steele, Wendell Corey, Warren Stevens, Eduard Franz
Directed by Franklin Adreon
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A cyborg is sent back in time to prevent a kindly scientist from revealing his method of radio-telepathy to the military, as in his time it has transformed the government into an oppressive regime.

Almost 20 years prior to The Terminator, we have Rennie as a cyborg with a not too dissimilar mission, although his aims are far more benevolent and he doesn't carry a lethal weapon.  Give screenwriter Arthur C. Pierce credit for coming up with the premise, and I wouldn't put his screenplay up against that later film's, although this one's a lot more in my wheelhouse.  As a low-budget offering from United Pictures, it may not be a great film, but I enjoyed it immensely, and there's a cast full of genre veterans, including The Day The Earth Stood Still's Rennie, Steele, who played Eve McHuron in Star Trek's famous "Mudd's Women" episode, Forbidden Planet's Warren Stevens, and Eduard Franz from The Four Skulls Of Jonathan Drake.  The special effects are sparse and unimpressive, but Rennie fits the bill as the emotionless future man who may have feelings after all.  I loved the fact that the film climaxes with a knock-down drag out fight between two cyborgs, in the style of a serial fistfight, which director Adreon had some experience with.  There were also a number of scenes that made me laugh, from the crazy dancing of Stevens' daughter and her friends, to an evil counterpart of Rennie's getting Steele to scream not by torturing her but by hanging her in midair by her knuckles and pushing her so she swings.  Composer Paul Dunlap also comes up with slightly goofy chase music for the cyborgs on Rennie's trail which adds to the fun.