Pharaoh's Curse (1957)

Starring Mark Dana, Ziva Shapir, Diane Brewster, George N. Neise, Alvaro Guillot
Directed by Lee Sholem
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A British captain leads the wife of an archaeologist on a dangerous trek to the site her husband is trying to unearth, which is protected by a curse that may unleash a bloodsucking monster.

Although this is a welcome mummy film after Universal's abandonment of their series, the setup unfortunately is much better than the payoff, with a creature who's not rendered on film nearly as frightening as it must have been on paper.  The scenes within the tomb are also somewhat disappointing, as although the sets are well-decorated with Egyptian hieroglyphics and sculptures, they're not given the aura of mystery through photography or music as done in superior mummy pictures.  However, the first half of the film in which we see Dana's Captain Storm sent out on his mission from a British-occupied Cairo trying to preserve order in the midst of native revolts, is most memorable, and I also enjoyed the journey to the tomb, with the mysterious Shapir urging they take a faster route while their equipment and supplies are sabotaged.   The cast is quite fine with Dana, Shapir, Ben Wright, Guy Prescott, and Terence de Marney standing out, Les Baxter's score is adequate if not distinguished, and the 1950s atmosphere is most appreciated.  It remains in my mind not a great mummy film, but worth checking out if you've never seen it.

Target Earth (1954)

Starring Richard Denning, Kathleen Crowley, Virginia Grey, Richard Reeves, Robert Roark
Directed by Sherman A. Rose
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

Four strangers find themselves in an evacuated city with no way to flee it, and soon discover that an alien army has taken it over and is stalking them. 

A low-budget but effective chiller from producer Herman Cohen, made before his cycle of teen horror films, I've been fond of the picture for a number of years, due to its compelling story, and appealing cast of characters.  Denning, Crowley, Grey, and Reeves, as the four principals, are easy to root for, and their plight is well-accentuated by Paul Dunlap's effective score.  Although budgetary limitations require some still frames of the empty city and the use of military stock footage, and the likely use of one alien construct to stand in for hundreds, the human drama is suspensefully paced and well-directed, making it easy to see why elements of the story made it into later films like Day The World Ended and The Earth Dies Screaming.

Neutron The Atomic Superman Vs. The Death Robots (1962)

Starring Wolf Ruvinskis, Rosita Arenas, Julio Aleman, Armando Silvestre, Roberto Ramirez Garza
Directed by Federico Curiel
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

Masked wrestler Neutron tries to thwart the evil plans of Dr. Caronte, who has survived his apparent death, and is working on assembling a powerful bomb with the aid of an army of zombies. 

This was one of a series of Neutron films, starring Ruvinskis as the masked hero, who per Wikipedia, was an actual professional wrestler at the time.  He doesn't have any scenes in the ring in the film, but has plenty of action-packed fights with the zombies, leading to a fiery showdown in Caronte's lab with the villain, who is also masked throughout the movie.  The zombies, or "death robots," as alluded to in the title, are really just men in melted-face masks, but still offer plenty of menace, and are led by Caronte's assistant, a unibrowed squeaky-voiced midget named Nick, adding an off-the-wall character to an already wacky story.  Better paced and with less exposition than some other entries in the genre, the filmmakers add some lovely songs and the subplot of Neutron's true identity being one of three men vying for the attentions of the lovely Arenas, making for an entertaining film.

The Wild Women Of Wongo (1958)

Starring Jean Hawkshaw, Mary Ann Webb, Cande Gerrard, Adrienne Bourbeau, Marie Goodhart
Directed by James L. Wolcott
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

The isle of Wongo contains a tribe of unattractive men and beautiful women, while the neighboring isle of Goona is led by a tribe of just the opposite, leading to conflict between the two. 

The colorful Florida locations are probably this low-budget film's strongest asset, as the rest of the production falters with long repetitive flatly photographed scenes, and overuse of the same 1950s library music again and again.  Hawkshaw does stand out as the king of Wongo's daughter, whose attraction to a visitor from Goona drives the plot, and she's quite beautiful, can act, and gets to wrestle an alligator for her life, but the other cast members are not so memorable.  Scenes featuring a jungle priestess are more boring than dynamic, the screeches of a macaw meant for comic relief aren't alway easy to understand, and sexism abounds, which is somewhat but not completely undone by some gender role reversal late in the film.  It's still watchable, but seems more like an attempt to make a movie, rather than a fully developed one.

The Projected Man (1966)

Starring Mary Peach, Bryant Haliday, Norman Wooland, Ronald Allen, Derek Farr
Directed by Ian Curteis
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A scientist has created a breakthrough process for turning objects into energy and reassembling them, but his employer's plans to discredit him force him into making a daring experiment on himself.

Despite a few interesting visuals and some effective scenes, the film is brought down to earth a bit by its lack of originality, using story elements already brought to the screen in films like The Fly and 4D Man.  I rather like lead Bryant Haliday, who created some memorable characters in the movies Devil Doll and Curse Of The Voodoo, but he's not given enough to do here and after his character's transformation into a murdering monster, the filmmakers saddle him with a rather uninspired makeup and design as well as some fairly weak dialogue.  I still found some positives in the film, which features some fine actors and held my interest, but it seems more like a less impressive version of the superior sci-fi chillers that had to have inspired it.

Madhouse (1974)

Starring Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, Robert Quarry, Adrienne Corri, Natasha Pyne
Directed by Jim Clark
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A famed horror film star, after losing grip on his sanity after the murder of his fiancee, is later tempted back to star in a television series, but suspects himself when new murders occur.

Although following a similar pattern to other Vincent Price vehicles, this one has a bit more mystery with us not knowing whether Price is the guilty party or not until the climax, and the intriguing hook of Price playing a classic horror film star.  I found it unfortunate that despite building Price up as the villainous "Dr. Death," a cloaked figure with a skull-like makeup, which the character apparently played in most of their films, the filmmakers elected to instead show clips from his past films for American International, instead of creating vintage terror sequences for Price to play in the makeup.  It's good to see Cushing and Quarry joining Price in the film, whose horror credits made them viable alternative suspects, and we're treated to seeing Cushing in a ironic Dracula makeup in a party scene, which I loved.  The film itself is well-made, and I enjoyed the cast, also including Natasha Pyne, Linda Hayden, and Adrienne Corri in one of her more bizarre roles.  However, I think the filmmakers were trying to build something up on the back of Price's past performances, rather than something new and different, and didn't find the screenplay terribly solid.  Nonetheless it's a fun horror entry and I enjoyed it on that level.

Theatre Of Blood (1973)

Starring Vincent Price, Diana Rigg, Ian Hendry, Harry Andrews, Coral Browne
Directed by Douglas Hickox
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A Shakespearean actor, after surviving his apparent suicide, plots revenge on the critics who denied him his chance at a prestigious award.

One of Price's most praised films of the 1970s, it follows a similar plot line to the actor's Dr. Phibes movies, with Price again masterminding a series of murders of those he blames for a tragic event, but this time affords the actor the opportunity to play many of the great scenes from Shakespeare's plays, while enacting his revenge.  I wouldn't put it ahead of The Abominable Dr. Phibes on my list, but it's certainly well-acted and staged, with some of the more grotesque murders in any Price film.  The supporting cast is one of Price's finest, with the elegant Rigg playing his daughter, Robert Morley adding welcome comedy, and Ian Hendry, Coral Browne, Dennis Price, Jack Hawkins, and others rounding out the list of victims.  Highlights include a rousing fencing duel between Price and Hendry, Morley's disgusting but apropos demise, and the grisly death trap staged in an abandoned theatre at the climax.  

13 Ghosts (1960)

Starring Charles Herbert, Jo Morrow, Martin Milner, Rosemary DeCamp, Donald Woods
Directed by William Castle
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A struggling museum paleontologist moves his family into a mansion he inherits from his uncle, dismissing the stories it's haunted by ghosts, only to find out they're frighteningly genuine.

A favorite of mine among William Castle's productions, although I think the director would have been better off ditching the "supernatural viewer" gimmick, encouraging audience members to use the viewer's colored lenses to view or block out the rendering of red-colored ghosts against blue-colored film.  Although there's a certain fun factor going along with the gimmick, the movie is perfectly enjoyable on its own merits, with an engaging cast including the good-natured and likable Woods, the beautiful and charming Morrow, and Milner in a slimy role 180 degrees from his decent cop on the Adam-12 TV series.  It's also great to see Margaret Hamilton (the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard Of Oz), adding gravitas to her role as the mysterious housekeeper, and young Charles Herbert in one of his best turns as the youngest of the family.  Time and technology have not been kind to the film's special effects, with the wires holding up flying objects more than evident in the DVD I viewed, but there's enough eerie and charming moments to make the film continue to be a fun diversion for years to come.

And Now The Screaming Starts! (1973)

Starring Peter Cushing, Herbert Lom, Patrick Magee, Stephanie Beacham, Ian Ogilvy
Directed by Roy Ward Baker
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A young bride marrying into a noble family is haunted by ghostly and violently disturbing visions she suffers in the ancestral manor house, but no one is willing to answer her questions about its history.

A rare period horror film from Amicus, the studio better known for its more contemporary anthologies, the film is blessed with a quality cast, and fine costuming and production design, which transports us back to the era of manors and servants bound to the land convincingly.  There's potent shocks and disturbing imagery also along the way, a number of which I found unpalatable, but Beacham gives a solid performance as the terrorized bride who still has her wits about her and is determined to find answers to the traumas she's being put through.  Author & friend Troy Howarth made the valid point that the picture is difficult to sit through, and I agree.  Cushing is most welcome when he finally appears, as a sensitive doctor of the mind, but it's almost too long a wait, and the film itself feels like a story from an Amicus anthology expanded to feature length, which would have been better off condensed, as a number of sequences feel like Baker and his crew are hammering us over the head with messages we've already received.  Nonetheless, it's a beautiful looking and at times gripping film.

Battle Of The Worlds (1961)

Starring Claude Rains, Bill Carter, Umberto Orsini, Maya Brent, Jacqueline Derval
Directed by Antonio Margheriti
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A brilliant but irascible mathematician discovers a mobile planetoid is heading towards the Earth, which soon becomes a threat, as well as housing an incredible secret. 

Another of Margheriti's early science fiction films, the production is a tightly focused melodrama, and less fun than his later efforts in the genre, but has a screenplay that wisely unfolds the story slowly with a number of dramatic reveals.  Currently trapped in public domain hell, the film deserves a restoration and the chance to be viewed in a more vibrant print.  Although I enjoyed the story, there aren't too many interesting characters outside of Rains', upgrading his gruff portrayal of Professor Challenger in the 1960 version of The Lost World up a notch for the even more hermit-like Professor Benson.  There's attempts to interest us in the others via romantic subplots, but I didn't feel these worked particularly well, and could easily have been omitted.  I found the special effects serviceable and there's some interesting visuals when Rains and company invade the rogue planet's interior, but the film's climactic reveal is disappointing.  Nevertheless, I still feel the movie was worth my time and would love to see a restored version of it.

Argoman The Fantastic Superman (1967)

Starring Roger Browne, Dominique Boschero, Eduardo Fajardo, Nadia Marlowa, Nino Dal Fabbro
Directed by Sergio Grieco
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A superhero with telekinetic powers and his associates follow the trail of a lovely villainess planning a master international crime.

We have here a wacky and entertaining romp from Italy, although filmed in Britain and France, aping super spy films, only with a hero dressed in yellow and black crimefighting togs instead of a secret agent, although his romantic playboy alter ego gives him plenty of time to pursue the ladies.  At times I found it moved along a little slow, but key action sequences were enlivened by Piero Umiliani's catchy music score and well choreographed fights.  Browne fills out the super-suit well enough, and the production values employed in the construction of Boschero's hideout are of a similar quality to those of the Bond villains of the period.  Boschero is also welcome as a rare female nemesis during the period, with plenty of flamboyant outfits in her wardrobe.  There's plenty of sexist overtones throughout the film, but Boschero proves to be a worthy adversary, with some cleverly scripted surprises in store for our hero.    

The Cosmic Man (1959)

Starring John Carradine, Bruce Bennett, Angela Greene, Paul Langton, Scotty Morrow
Directed by Herbert S. Greene
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

The American military track the descent of a UFO and try to seize its secrets, but also bring in a civilian astrophysicist who has a less aggressive and more peaceful approach.

I've seen this film knocked for being a rip-off of The Day The Earth Stood Still, and while thematically it does use similar characters and ideas, I think it stands on its own two feet, and have been charmed by it.  It of course doesn't compare to that classic film, but Arthur C. Pierce's screenplay has something of its own to say about scientists and a more reasoned approach to the unknown.  Carradine is a welcome presence as the film's titular alien, in a nod perhaps to The Invisible Man, appearing as both a shadowy partly transparent figure, and disguised in bulky clothing, allowing his rich voice to tell the background of the aliens who visit Earth.  Bennett, a frequent co-star to Humphrey Bogart in the 1940s, is perfectly cast as the cool-headed and reasoning Professor Sorenson.  The music score by Paul Sawtell & Bert Shefter adds weight to the tale, and there's some clever photography and editing on display that make the film ascend above its budget.

Cave Of The Living Dead (1964)

Starring Adrian Hoven, Erika Remberg, Carl Mohner, Wolfgang Preiss, Karin Field
Directed by Akos Rathonyi
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A police detective is sent to a village where a series of young women have been murdered, and finds the village's superstitious residents are all certain it is the work of vampires.

A stylish German horror film with an engaging cast, the production doesn't show too much you haven't seen before in other vampire films, but I was captivated by it, and found it to be an enjoyable watch.  Having seen only the English-dubbed re-edited release of the film, it's hard to exactly gauge how different the original film is from the version I saw.  However, I was fond of the eerie night scenes, heightened by the absence of all but ambient music from the soundtrack, and the rich cast of characters, each of which I found memorable and distinctive.  Remberg is a dynamite knockout as Hoven's love interest, Mohner is intriguing as the doctor who refutes the supernatural, and the actor playing the kindly innkeeper, whom I unfortunately couldn't find credited anywhere, gives a very charming performance.  It's regrettable that a black character is treated with prejudice and hatred by the other characters in scenes that seemed unnecessary, although actor John Kitzmiller ironically makes him a friendly and likable sort, earning the audience's sympathy.  The film leaves some unanswered questions, but I still felt satisfied with it, and look forward to revisiting it again.

A Study In Terror (1965)

Starring John Neville, Donald Houston, John Fraser, Anthony Quayle, Barbara Windsor
Directed by James Hill
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson try to deduce the identity of Jack The Ripper, whose Whitechapel murders are terrorizing London.

Handsomely mounted with fine art direction and photography, this attempt to pit fiction's most famous detective against one of history's most notorious murderers certainly looks attractive, and I had little trouble allowing myself to be transported back to Victorian London.  I was a little disappointed that the story didn't allow for more mental sparring between these two legendary characters, framed more as a whodunit trying to hide the Ripper's true identity until the film's final moments.  I thought Neville and Houston were okay as Holmes and Watson although they certainly didn't impress me enough to stand out among the duo's great screen portrayers, and the supporting cast members that best stood out had but brief moments in the picture: Adrienne Corri as the hard to find Angela Osborne, and Robert Morley, in an inspired bit of casting as Holmes' equally clever brother Mycroft.  Still, I was entertained by this sumptuous looking if flawed production.

Monster From The Ocean Floor (1954)

Starring Anne Kimbell, Stuart Wade, Dick Pinner, Wyott Ordung, Inez Palange
Directed by Wyott Ordung
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A commercial artist on vacation comes to believe there is a monstrous creature in the ocean, and tries to convince a marine biologist to help her track it down.

I've been fond of this movie for a number of years- it's one of Roger Corman's first production credits and offers many of the staples that would make his later films successful.  The sharp eyed might pick up future Corman leading man Jonathan Haze in a bit part.  Kimbell is cute as the unconventional for the time female lead although she's not spared scenes of embarrassment, including running in terror from a harmless cow.  Her romance with Wade is almost a bit too sweet, but I liked them together, and the scenes with Wade charging to her rescue in his one-man submarine.  The monster of the title wouldn't pass muster in a later film, but it's legitimately creepy and a fine enough bogeyman for the movie.  Director Wyott Ordung, who also plays a role in the movie, is probably better known for his scripts for a number of 1950's sci-fi efforts including Target Earth, First Man Into Space, and the notorious Robot Monster.

First Spaceship On Venus (1960)

Starring Yoko Tani, Oldrich Lukes, Ignacy Machowski, Julius Ongewe, Michail N. Postnikow
Directed by Kurt Maetzig
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

After an alien recording from Venus is discovered on the Earth, a mission to Venus is launched, but the international crew aren't prepared for what they discover on the planet.

A German sci-fi production that's long been in the public domain, the picture has a certain beauty when viewed in a pristine print, but loses that quality in PD copies.  As a film, it lacks excitement during the long buildup to the astronauts' settling down upon Venus, which isn't really remedied when they explore the surface, which despite expansive sets, isn't decorated with much of interest.  The concept of an international crew is worthwhile, but we don't get to see much of the cast's personalities, and a fairly morose tone persists throughout the picture.  Still if you prefer a thinking person's sci-fi, the story has some compelling themes, decent production values, and non-conventional imagery.

Frankenstein (1910)

Starring Charles Ogle, Augustus Phillips, Mary Fuller
Directed by J. Searle Dawley
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A scientist excitedly uses his knowledge to create a living man, but after being repelled by its ugliness, is stalked by the creature when he leaves for his wedding.

The very first film adaptation of Mary Shelley's classic novel, Frankenstein, is much less known than the 1931 Universal picture featuring Boris Karloff's iconic role as The Monster, and given its short running time (around 15 minutes), and limited plot, it certainly can't compare to James Whale's film.  However, I think it's always important to be aware of what came before, and I enjoyed sitting down and experiencing this film for the first time, even though the quality of the image has degraded over the years.  The movie doesn't offer a cohesive story, but a series of short scenes adapted from the novel, the most impressive of which is the creation sequence.  Those used to The Monster being reanimated by lightning or electricity, may well be surprised to see Dr. Frankenstein pouring chemicals into a cauldron, and then witnessing a fiery skeleton come into view who slowly accumulates flesh before emerging to the doctor's terror.  Charles Ogle (who plays the monster in the film), is also credited by IMDB with designing his makeup.  Although future Frankenstein monster appearances may have had greater impact, there's enough of the grotesque to serve the story and give us a glimpse of how the creature was imagined before Karloff and Whale came along.

The House That Dripped Blood (1971)

Starring Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Nyree Dawn Porter, Denholm Elliott, Jon Pertwee
Directed by Peter Duffell
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

A police investigation into a missing film actor finds that the man's house has had previous tenants who all suffered terrifying experiences.

An Amicus anthology film, the production links four individual tales around the setting of a supposedly evil house, but since the tales aren't exclusively set there, it doesn't make for the strongest framing story.  That doesn't matter however, because there's effective chills throughout the tales, and a quality cast, including Hammer stalwarts Cushing and Lee.  The first tale centers around a horror writer (played by Denholm Elliott) who purchases the house to complete his latest novel, and then begins to see a manifestation of his murderous character.  Well-staged and edited, the tale is a bit predictable but finely photographed and directed.  Next a lonely man (played by Peter Cushing), haunted by a lost love, sees her image in a nearby house of horrors.  Cushing is excellent, and the harrowing climax of the tale is extremely well done.  Christopher Lee then plays a businessman who purchases the home and hires a governess (Nyree Dawn Porter) to take care of his young daughter (Chloe Franks), who tries to unravel the mystery of why he shelters her from other children.  All three play their roles effectively, and the tale cleverly uses the audience's imagination to provide the horrific ending, rather than any gory special effects.  The final tale which also connects into the framing story's conclusion features Jon Pertwee as a horror actor making a vampire film, who purchases a cloak for the role from a mysterious costume shop, but soon discovers it's more authentic than he realized.  Rising star Ingrid Pitt, after making quite the impact in Hammer's The Vampire Lovers, co-stars as Pertwee's glamorous leading lady, who has her own special part to play in the climax.  I liked this tale the best, with entertaining characterizations and some worthwhile vampire effects.  Throughout the production, cinematographer Ray Parslow captures some beautiful scenery, worthingly contrasted with the darker shadows of the interiors, and Duffell's direction builds suspense admirably.