The Snow Creature (1954)

Starring Paul Langton, Leslie Denison, Teru Shimada, Rudolph Anders, Bill Phipps
Directed by W. Lee Wilder
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A botanist exploring the mountains of Tibet manages to capture the Abominable Snowman, and takes him back to California for study, but the creature escapes and stalks human victims.

Another of director W. Lee Wilder's collaborations with his son, Myles, who wrote the screenplay, the  picture is probably the weakest of their films, despite a promising concept and setup.  The major problem is we never get a good look at the creature, who's only seen in long shots, or a clip of him stepping in and out of the shadows, that's repeated ad infinitum throughout the film.  Odds are this probably masked the inadequacies of the creature costume, but it results in a film without a major payoff for the audience.  The first half of the film in which we follow botanist Langton, whose expedition is taken over by his sherpa Shimada when the man's wife is abducted by the creature, is a bit more interesting than the second half, where authorities search for the creature in the sewers, but both halves suffer from a lack of atmosphere and imagination.  Having said all that, I somehow keep coming back to watch this film, so there must be something about it that intrigues me.

The Man Who Wouldn't Die (1942)

Starring Lloyd Nolan, Marjorie Weaver, Helene Reynolds, Henry Wilcoxon, Richard Derr
Directed by Herbert I. Leeds
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

Detective Michael Shayne is hired by a young woman to discover if a ghost really tried to kill her in her father's home, but insists that he pose as her husband.

A fun and entertaining entry in the Michael Shayne series, the picture boasts a mystery that kept me guessing for some time, and another engaging turn by Nolan as the amusing and clever detective.  Surprisingly this entry even has some horror elements, with a character feared to be a zombie, "the ghost" possessing eyes that seem to light up, and a laboratory in the basement with Kenneth Strickfadden-like electric equipment.  Familiar character actor Olin Howland plays the dimwitted local chief of police, outsmarted by Shayne at every turn, and other familiar faces like Richard Derr, Billy Bevan, and Jeff Corey pop up as well.  The film's a quality mystery, and well worth your time.

Tales Of Terror (1962)

Starring Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Basil Rathbone, Maggie Pierce, Joyce Jameson
Directed by Roger Corman
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A trio of Edgar Allan Poe stories is presented, featuring tales of a young woman visiting her estranged father, an alcoholic seeking revenge on his unfaithful wife, and a sinister hypnotist preying on a dying man.

This time around, instead of extending an Edgar Allan Poe story to feature length, Corman and screenwriter Matheson adapt three of them in individual vignettes, an approach I wish they had committed to for future Poe features.  That's not to say the later Poe films by Corman and crew weren't of quality, but this production afforded Price the opportunity to play three different roles with skill and style, as well as offering meaty roles to Lorre and Rathbone who excelled in them.  The first tale, "Morella," I found to be the least of the three, with Price as a bitter father who eventually forgives his estranged daughter for the death of his wife, while the spirit of that woman does not.  It's not one of Price's more memorable portrayals, but think he does his best with the material.  However, his role in "The Black Cat," (which Matheson adds elements from "The Cask Of Amontillado" to) is very memorable, playing a celebrated wine taster with a vivacious flair.  Lorre, who takes center stage in the comical tale, is a hoot, and it's easy to see why Corman would bring him back for more light-hearted moments in his adaptation of The Raven.  The final tale, "The Case Of M. Valdemar," offers both Price in a rare elderly makeup, and Rathbone at his most sinister, along with a quality story featuring a fascinating glimpse into the world of the dead.  It's not a perfect film, but it remains among my favorites of Price and Corman's filmography.

Pit And The Pendulum (1961)

Starring Vincent Price, John Kerr, Barbara Steele, Luana Anders, Antony Carbone
Directed by Roger Corman
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A young man travels to the home of his recently departed sister to learn why she died, and immediately becomes suspicious of her husband, a man tormented by the depravities of his father.

Corman and Price's followup to their successful House Of Usher adaptation, I like this one even better, with another classic Poe story extended to feature length by able screenwriter Richard Matheson, and augmented by the appearance of Steele, fresh off her triumph in Mario Bava's Black Sunday.  Price plays a more kindly character in the film than his disturbed Roderick Usher, although still beaten down by emotional scars, but he's not given the same kind of showcase until the film's climactic moments allow him to let loose in a truly frightening sequence.  One wishes Steele, who has almost no dialogue until the film's final moments, and then as noted by film historian Troy Howarth to be clearly dubbed, had more to do, but her beauty shines through even in the bluish haze surrounding the film's flashback scenes.  Fine art direction and photography make the film as beautiful to look at as its 1960 predecessor, and when we finally get to see the pit and the pendulum, it doesn't disappoint.

White Pongo (1945)

Starring Richard Fraser, Maris Wrixon, Lionel Royce, Al Eben, Gordon Richards
Directed by Sam Newfield
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

When a giant white gorilla is sighted in the African jungle, perhaps the missing link between apes and men, an expedition is launched to bring the beast back to civilization.

Low-budget "Poverty Row" studio PRC delivers a jungle adventure, and despite its shortcomings, there's items of interest, including some surprising parallels to Creature From The Black Lagoon, released almost a decade later.  I appreciated how Raymond Schrock's screenplay allowed Wrixon's character to pursue Fraser's, rather than the other way around, as well as Ray Corrigan's performance in ape suit as the titular gorilla, underplaying the part instead of engaging in overly savage theatrics.  The film is rather slow-moving, stock jungle footage isn't integrated well, and the romantic triangle doesn't offer anything we haven't seen before.  However, Newfield delivers a fairly good-looking product with some entertainment value on a low budget.

Murders In The Zoo (1933)

Starring Charlie Ruggles, Lionel Atwill, Gail Patrick, Randolph Scott, John Lodge
Directed by Edward Sutherland
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A sportsman who captures wild animals he donates to a city zoo concocts a plot to use the zoo to dispose of his philandering wife's lover.

One of Lionel Atwill's best showcases is a memorable horror film with some daring scenes of pre-code violence, well-scripted by Philip Wylie and Seton I. Miller.  Although comedic actor Charlie Ruggles is brought in to bring light moments to balance out the horror, this is Atwill's chance to shine, and he's chilling, exposing cold calculating expressions to the camera, and covering up his crimes and blaming them on the zoo's staff with righteous indignation.  Adding to the menace is the convincing photography of real savage beasts, who are well integrated in the film, although the film's violent climax would definitely not be approved by PETA today.  Other familiar faces in the cast include future western star Randolph Scott as the zoo's toxicologist and Island Of Lost Souls' Panther-Woman, Kathleen Burke, as Atwill's nervous wife.

Island Of The Burning Damned (1967)

Starring Christopher Lee, Patrick Allen, Peter Cushing, Jane Merrow, Sarah Lawson
Directed by Terence Fisher
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

While an author tries to keep his wife from discovering his former mistress has followed him to a small British island, the heat rises and rises without relief, and only a reclusive scientist knows why.

One of a pair of science fiction films director Terence Fisher, better known for his Hammer horror films, made for Planet Film Productions, the picture boasts appearances by Hammer stars Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, who do share scenes together, but play second fiddle to the love triangle between Allen, Merrow, and Larson.  The film was based on a novel by John Lymington, and although the story is pretty similar to many sci-fi creature films, with people mysteriously attacked by unseen creatures building up to their eventual reveal, I was sufficiently interested and intrigued enough, although I felt disappointed Lee and Cushing didn't have larger roles.  I first saw the film over a decade ago after having recorded it off cable television, but the length of the tape was not sufficient to cover the ending of the film, and with the film having been long absent from home video, I only just yesterday saw the film's ending in which the creatures' true appearance is revealed.  They're visually striking but not mobile enough to bring enough menace to the picture's final act.  I still found the movie worthwhile, but agree with friend Troy Howarth that it's far from a high point in the career of Lee, Cushing, or Fisher.

The Mistress Of Atlantis (1932)

Starring Brigitte Helm, John Stuart, Tela Tchai, Gustav Diessl, Gibb McLaughlin
Directed by G.W. Pabst
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

Two French Legionnaires are captured in the Sahara desert and taken to underground catacombs housing the lost city of Atlantis, which is ruled by a cruel but beautiful queen.

Commencing with the unique revelation that the lost city of Atlantis may not have been located on a sea island, but in the desert, this showcase for Helm features excellent photography and convincing desert landscapes, but those expecting any breathtaking visuals of Atlantis or fantastic technology may well be disappointed.  The catacomb sets, while they serve the story and the characters, are surprisingly limited and nondescript. There's also not a lot for Helm to do besides look beautiful and issue cruel orders, but she's lovingly photographed and the sequence in which she plays chess with Stuart for his freedom is well designed and acted to illustrate the power she wields over him.  However, I found the film as a whole to be more dreary than striking, although thankfully the giant-mustached McLaughlin provides a badly needed colorful supporting character to liven things up a bit.  I think despite its faults, the picture still is worthwhile for its imagery, which culminates in a stunning pairing of Helm standing alongside a giant bust of her face which is not to be missed.

Phantom From Space (1953)

Starring Ted Cooper, Harry Landers, Jack Daly, Noreen Nash, Rudolph Anders
Directed by W. Lee Wilder
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

The police and communications experts join forces in tracking a fugitive, who is in reality a space alien who is invisible when not wearing his spacesuit.

Another collaboration between producer/director W. Lee Wilder and his son Myles who co-wrote the screenplay, the production suffers a bit from its low budget, but the invisibility effects are fairly decent, and I found the story engaging enough.  There's not a dynamic lead actor among the cast, the camera setups are fairly static, and at times there's a bit too much expositional dialogue, which are to the film's detriment, but William Lava's music score is a strong asset, and the alien's reveal at the climax doesn't disappoint.  This is a better film than Wilder's Killers From Space and The Snow Creature, and the first I can think of that introduced the subject of an invisible alien being.

Fiend Without A Face (1958)

Starring Marshall Thompson, Kynaston Reeves, Kim Parker, Stanley Maxted, Terence Kilburn
Directed by Arthur Crabtree
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

Tensions between the military at a Canadian air base using atomic power and the people of a provincial community nearby rise when an invisible killer strikes down victims in the community.

Like First Man Into Space, this is another British science fiction production in a North American setting, which was per IMDB, filmed entirely in the UK, but featuring non-Brits or others masking their accents in the cast.  It's also the superior film, with the eerie sound effects of the murderous creatures building great suspense until a rollicking climax when the creatures become visible.  Thompson was well-established as a dependable lead in these types of pictures by this time, and he's supported by a reputable cast, but the picture really hums along thanks to Crabtree's skilled direction and strong technical effects which range from the clever to the grotesque.  Based on a story by Amelia Reynolds Long, there's several flights of fancy in the screenplay, but they never seem too fantastic, especially when the final confrontation between man and monster is so wonderfully realized and satisfying to watch.

The Atomic Submarine (1959)

Starring Arthur Franz, Dick Foran, Brett Halsey, Tom Conway, Paul Dubov
Directed by Spencer G. Bennet
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

The crew of an atomic submarine are tasked with patrolling the Arctic Circle, and stopping an unknown adversary that's been destroying vessels, which they discover is not from this Earth.

One of a number of films in the 1950s produced by special effects artists Irving Block, Jack Rabin, and Louis DeWitt, this is one of their most impressive looking, despite having to combine their visuals with a large amount of stock footage.  The alien ship is effectively designed and smartly shrouded in darkness for much of the picture, and its unique occupant is appropriately striking and fearsome.  Orville Hampton's script is also well-composed, although a subplot creating conflict between Franz and Halsey is while topical a bit too familiar a trope.  The ensemble cast however is most welcome, with Franz a familiar sci-fi headliner, Foran good to see as the sub's determined commander, Conway memorable as a thoughtful scientist, and veteran screen cowboy Bob Steele enjoyable as the sub's grizzled chief petty officer.  The eerie electronic music score by Alexander Laszlo helps create a suspenseful mood throughout and combined with the visuals and the experienced cast makes this an entertaining picture on what had to have been a limited budget.

The War Of The Gargantuas (1966)

Starring Russ Tamblyn, Kumi Mizuno, Kenji Sahara, Nobuo Nakamura, Jun Tazaki
Directed by Ishiro Honda
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

When a giant monster from the sea emerges and attacks, it's thought to be the benevolent creature created by scientists from a young ape, but the ape monster returns to battle the new creature. 

As my friend Dan Day Jr. confirmed, this kaiju film from the Toho studio has somewhat of a tenuous connection with the prior feature Frankenstein Conquers The World for while the dubbed version of the film I watched referred to it as "Frankenstein," there's quite a few differences in the creature from that film and the ones we see here.  The two creatures on display in this outing are giant hairy apes, colored brown and green respectively, one of which can apparently breathe and survive underwater.  Once I got past that initial confusion, I found this to be an enjoyable monster romp, with the creature scenes well-staged so the monster-suited actors were believable as giants, augmented by giant hand props and good special effects.  Although there were a few sequences where I could tell model work was being used, the gargantuas' climactic battle in which they crush quite a few buildings looked as authentic as the time and budget would allow.  I've heard a number of people opine that American actor Russ Tamblyn was a disappointment and perhaps didn't take the role seriously as the film's central scientist.  I agree he was a bit stiff but didn't find that he detracted from my enjoyment of the film all that much.  I wouldn't place it among my favorite kaiju productions, as I thought the combat and destruction scenes overwhelmed the story at times, but Akira Ifukube's score was a plus, and Honda's sure-handed direction and the quality of the special effects were also of merit.

The Island Of The Lost (1921)

Starring Alf Blutecher, Louis Brody, Hanni Weisse, Erich Kaiser-Titz, Nien Tso Ling
Directed by Urban Gad
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

After discovering his former fiancee is alive on an island, a young man sets off with a friend to find her, and discovers the island is home to a scientist turning animals into half-human creatures.

This German silent film offers an early film adaptation of H.G. Wells' Island Of Dr. Moreau, although it's not a close adaptation in the least, focusing more on newly created characters, and only borrowing the premise of Moreau's experiments from Wells' novel.  That being said, the "manimal" creatures featured in the film have more than serviceable makeups, and though they're not heavily featured in the film, they do predictably figure in the disastrous climax.  Most of the film is centered around comedy and conflict between the young man and his two fiancees, as he wants to have his cake and eat it too when reuniting with his first love on the island, although already engaged to another.  There's some unfortunate racial stereotypes, notably in the character of the Chinese assistant to the Moreau character, who's addicted to opium.  However, the film is paced well, and is certainly not boring, although one wishes they had done more with Wells' striking ideas.