Starring Michel Lemoine, Maria Pia Luzi, Jany Clair, Marco Guglielmi, Piero Palermini
Directed by Romano Ferrara
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
After the body of a young man disappears in a plane crash, he's sighted at numerous acts of sabotage on the world's atomic and space programs, replaced by robot duplicates from outer space.
An intriguing-sounding science fiction film from Italy that I had never heard of before, the picture at times feels like a tribute to the American sci-fi films of the 1950s, filmed in black and white, and featuring a flying saucer, and sometimes gory skin-melting effects. However, it is extremely slow-paced, and takes some patience as the primary robot played by Lemoine dallies with a couple of lovely ladies while trying to track down a professor who's perfected a paralyzing nerve gas. Nevertheless, Armando Trovajoli provides a very fitting eerie music score, and the special effects are quite decent for the era. I don't think I can necessarily recommend the film, but it's a nifty find for classic sci-fi film enthusiasts.
Saturday, February 29, 2020
Friday, February 28, 2020
The Curse Of The Wraydons (1946)
Starring Tod Slaughter, Bruce Seton, Henry Caine, Pearl Cameron, Andrew Laurence
Directed by Victor M. Gover
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
While Britain faces the forces of Napoleon, an agent for the French concocts a scheme to murder the Wraydon family and seize their lands, by blaming the murders on young Jack Wraydon and the family curse.
Although there's quite a bit of historical background and talky scenes at the start, once Slaughter is able to take center stage with his dastardly scheming and evil laugh, the film takes off, culminating in a climax where the villain uses a pit with moving walls to dispose of his enemies. The "curse" of the title refers to a madness that overtook past Wraydon ancestors, and when young British officer Jack Wraydon (Bruce Seton) starts a duel to defend his lady's honor, and then flees his barracks to escape court-martial, Slaughter's character, known only as "The Chief," takes advantage to commit murders to blame on Jack. Based on a play, the screenplay could have perhaps been written better, as the background subplots which include espionage, double agents, military protocol, and two separate illicit romances, did offer much to keep track of and I only grasped everything that was going on at the end of the picture. Curiously, the story is based on a legend of "Spring-Heeled Jack" which while it refers to Jack's ability to evade the authorities with well-timed leaps, per Wikipedia the actual legend is based on supposed sightings of a demonic-looking creature.
Directed by Victor M. Gover
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
While Britain faces the forces of Napoleon, an agent for the French concocts a scheme to murder the Wraydon family and seize their lands, by blaming the murders on young Jack Wraydon and the family curse.
Although there's quite a bit of historical background and talky scenes at the start, once Slaughter is able to take center stage with his dastardly scheming and evil laugh, the film takes off, culminating in a climax where the villain uses a pit with moving walls to dispose of his enemies. The "curse" of the title refers to a madness that overtook past Wraydon ancestors, and when young British officer Jack Wraydon (Bruce Seton) starts a duel to defend his lady's honor, and then flees his barracks to escape court-martial, Slaughter's character, known only as "The Chief," takes advantage to commit murders to blame on Jack. Based on a play, the screenplay could have perhaps been written better, as the background subplots which include espionage, double agents, military protocol, and two separate illicit romances, did offer much to keep track of and I only grasped everything that was going on at the end of the picture. Curiously, the story is based on a legend of "Spring-Heeled Jack" which while it refers to Jack's ability to evade the authorities with well-timed leaps, per Wikipedia the actual legend is based on supposed sightings of a demonic-looking creature.
Thursday, February 27, 2020
The House Of Exorcism (1974)
Starring Telly Savalas, Elke Sommer, Sylva Koscina, Alessio Orano, Gabriele Tinti
Directed by Mario Bava & Alfredo Leone
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A priest tries to free a young woman of the evil spirit possessing her, and the spirit tells him of the macabre encounters the woman had with her depraved family.
As explained to me by friend Troy Howarth, Mario Bava originally filmed the tale of Lisa Reiner's ill-fated visit to the house of her former doppelgänger in Lisa And The Devil, but this release combined that film with a new framing story with the evil possession material, which Bava had no association with. The new scenes are patterned after the story of The Exorcist, and are so derivative of that film, one can't imagine that there wasn't any type of legal action involved after its release. Although Sommer is certainly convincing in playing the woman suffering the violent possession, the two stories hardly fit together and are rather awkwardly meshed. The Bava material is, as characteristic of the director, beautifully shot with excellent use of color, and offers up a sordid tale of lust, murder, and revenge, and I agree it would much better be presented on its own.
Directed by Mario Bava & Alfredo Leone
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A priest tries to free a young woman of the evil spirit possessing her, and the spirit tells him of the macabre encounters the woman had with her depraved family.
As explained to me by friend Troy Howarth, Mario Bava originally filmed the tale of Lisa Reiner's ill-fated visit to the house of her former doppelgänger in Lisa And The Devil, but this release combined that film with a new framing story with the evil possession material, which Bava had no association with. The new scenes are patterned after the story of The Exorcist, and are so derivative of that film, one can't imagine that there wasn't any type of legal action involved after its release. Although Sommer is certainly convincing in playing the woman suffering the violent possession, the two stories hardly fit together and are rather awkwardly meshed. The Bava material is, as characteristic of the director, beautifully shot with excellent use of color, and offers up a sordid tale of lust, murder, and revenge, and I agree it would much better be presented on its own.
Monday, February 24, 2020
The Comedy Of Terrors (1963)
Starring Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, Joyce Jameson, Basil Rathbone
Directed by Jacques Tourneur
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
The depraved director of a mortuary, when business dries up, decides to murder those near death and take over their funeral arrangements, but he runs into complications when a corpse won't stay dead.
An American International release of a black comedy scripted by Richard Matheson, the picture returns Price, Lorre, and Karloff, from the similarly darkly comedic The Raven, with Price playing one of his most caddish roles. As Waldo Trumbull, Price berates his wife (Jameson), continually tries to poison his father-in-law (Karloff), and cruelly mistreats his lone employee (Lorre), whom he enlists in his murder schemes. Matheson and director Tourneur stage all sorts of comic routines throughout the picture, (some of which worked for me and some of which didn't), including wordplay, fast motion, slapstick, and Joyce Jameson's terrible singing. However, the picture really takes on a new energy when Rathbone's cataleptic John F. Black is supposedly dispatched, but keeps returning to life, and seeks revenge sword and axe in hand on Trumbull and his associates while quoting Shakespeare's Macbeth. The ensemble performs well together, but for me this isn't up to the level of their performances for AIP in The Raven or Tales Of Terror.
Directed by Jacques Tourneur
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
The depraved director of a mortuary, when business dries up, decides to murder those near death and take over their funeral arrangements, but he runs into complications when a corpse won't stay dead.
An American International release of a black comedy scripted by Richard Matheson, the picture returns Price, Lorre, and Karloff, from the similarly darkly comedic The Raven, with Price playing one of his most caddish roles. As Waldo Trumbull, Price berates his wife (Jameson), continually tries to poison his father-in-law (Karloff), and cruelly mistreats his lone employee (Lorre), whom he enlists in his murder schemes. Matheson and director Tourneur stage all sorts of comic routines throughout the picture, (some of which worked for me and some of which didn't), including wordplay, fast motion, slapstick, and Joyce Jameson's terrible singing. However, the picture really takes on a new energy when Rathbone's cataleptic John F. Black is supposedly dispatched, but keeps returning to life, and seeks revenge sword and axe in hand on Trumbull and his associates while quoting Shakespeare's Macbeth. The ensemble performs well together, but for me this isn't up to the level of their performances for AIP in The Raven or Tales Of Terror.
Thursday, February 20, 2020
The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes (1970)
Starring Robert Stephens, Colin Blakely, Genevieve Page, Christopher Lee, Tamara Toumanova
Directed by Billy Wilder
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An untold story of Sherlock Holmes is unearthed fifty years after the death of Doctor Watson, which concerns a search in Scotland for a missing engineer that leads to a sighting of the Loch Ness Monster.
Ace director Billy Wilder, famed for films like Some Like It Hot, One,Two,Three, The Apartment, Sabrina, and Sunset Boulevard, brings a new Sherlock Holmes film to the screen and enlivens the first part of it with some amusing interchanges as a famed ballerina seeks the brilliant Holmes to help provide her with an heir. After that, the story and direction take on a more serious tone with a compelling mystery well-written and staged. The film has excellent production design, a fine score by Miklos Rozsa, and is wonderfully cast with Stephens and Blakely giving rich characterizations to the roles of Holmes and Watson, with Lee offering welcome support as Holmes' brother Mycroft. Although I prefer the earlier Holmes films and actors, this is still an earnest and rewarding production and a fine tribute to the legendary character by Wilder and his team.
Directed by Billy Wilder
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An untold story of Sherlock Holmes is unearthed fifty years after the death of Doctor Watson, which concerns a search in Scotland for a missing engineer that leads to a sighting of the Loch Ness Monster.
Ace director Billy Wilder, famed for films like Some Like It Hot, One,Two,Three, The Apartment, Sabrina, and Sunset Boulevard, brings a new Sherlock Holmes film to the screen and enlivens the first part of it with some amusing interchanges as a famed ballerina seeks the brilliant Holmes to help provide her with an heir. After that, the story and direction take on a more serious tone with a compelling mystery well-written and staged. The film has excellent production design, a fine score by Miklos Rozsa, and is wonderfully cast with Stephens and Blakely giving rich characterizations to the roles of Holmes and Watson, with Lee offering welcome support as Holmes' brother Mycroft. Although I prefer the earlier Holmes films and actors, this is still an earnest and rewarding production and a fine tribute to the legendary character by Wilder and his team.
Saturday, February 15, 2020
Voyage Into Space (1970)
Starring Mitsunobu Kaneko, Akio Ito, Shozaburo Date, Hirohiko Sato, Matasaburo Niwa
Directed by Minoru Yamada
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A young boy gains control of an invincible robot, and joins a secret organization to protect the Earth from an alien emperor and his army of monsters.
This film is actually a compilation of episodes from the Japanese TV series, Johnny Sokko And His Flying Robot, and as such is mostly built around Johhny summoning the robot to fight the monster of the week. There are espionage sequences as well, with Johnny aided and accompanied by Jerry Mano, an adult agent. The special effects are decent, with both the robot and Johnny and the other agents using jet packs to fly, and the creature designs are generally of feature quality, including an octopus, a giant living plant, an aquatic unicorn beast, and a number of others. As the episodes included within the film aren't all in sequence, the emperor's lackeys change sporadically, but the narrative is pretty simple to follow. I wouldn't place this among the great kaiju productions, but it's fun and enjoyable.
Directed by Minoru Yamada
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A young boy gains control of an invincible robot, and joins a secret organization to protect the Earth from an alien emperor and his army of monsters.
This film is actually a compilation of episodes from the Japanese TV series, Johnny Sokko And His Flying Robot, and as such is mostly built around Johhny summoning the robot to fight the monster of the week. There are espionage sequences as well, with Johnny aided and accompanied by Jerry Mano, an adult agent. The special effects are decent, with both the robot and Johnny and the other agents using jet packs to fly, and the creature designs are generally of feature quality, including an octopus, a giant living plant, an aquatic unicorn beast, and a number of others. As the episodes included within the film aren't all in sequence, the emperor's lackeys change sporadically, but the narrative is pretty simple to follow. I wouldn't place this among the great kaiju productions, but it's fun and enjoyable.
Thursday, February 13, 2020
Viy (1967)
Starring Leonid Kuravlyov, Natalya Varley, Aleksey Glazyrin, Nikolay Kutuzov, Vadim Zakharchenko
Directed by Konstantin Ershov & Georgiy Kropachyov
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A seminarian on vacation encounters a woman who turns out to be a witch, and beats her to death, but is then ordered to stand vigil over her body for three nights, during which she returns to life.
An exceptional film from Russia, based on the story of the same name by Nikolai Gogol, the picture features a strong performance by Kuravlyov as the imperfect seminarian, possessing a number of vices, and challenged by his fear, as he is reluctantly transported back to face his duty. There's also a number of dynamic visuals as he stands over the woman who returns to life who uses her powers to try to seize revenge. Impressive as that is, the directors pull out all the stops for the climax, with an incredible display of expert creature makeups and special effects that are amazing to behold and chilling at the same time. The film is augmented by a musical score that is lighthearted for the pastoral Russian scenes, but eerie and suspenseful for the horror sequences. It's a terrific production and well worth your time.
Directed by Konstantin Ershov & Georgiy Kropachyov
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A seminarian on vacation encounters a woman who turns out to be a witch, and beats her to death, but is then ordered to stand vigil over her body for three nights, during which she returns to life.
An exceptional film from Russia, based on the story of the same name by Nikolai Gogol, the picture features a strong performance by Kuravlyov as the imperfect seminarian, possessing a number of vices, and challenged by his fear, as he is reluctantly transported back to face his duty. There's also a number of dynamic visuals as he stands over the woman who returns to life who uses her powers to try to seize revenge. Impressive as that is, the directors pull out all the stops for the climax, with an incredible display of expert creature makeups and special effects that are amazing to behold and chilling at the same time. The film is augmented by a musical score that is lighthearted for the pastoral Russian scenes, but eerie and suspenseful for the horror sequences. It's a terrific production and well worth your time.
Sunday, February 9, 2020
The Human Monster (1939)
Starring Bela Lugosi, Hugh Williams, Greta Gynt, Edmon Ryan, Wilfred Walter
Directed by Walter Summers
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An insurance broker uses trickery and forgery to cash in on men's life insurance policies after he murders them, but a Scotland Yard investigator and an American detective are on his trail.
Edgar Wallace's story The Dark Eyes Of London is adapted into a vehicle for star Bela Lugosi in this British film, and has a pretty good screenplay, with roles for Gynt as the daughter of one of the murder victims ready to track down his killer, and Ryan as the American detective who provides comic relief. Lugosi is in good form as the criminal mastermind, employing icy stares and mirthful expressions beneath a friendly warm facade. Using a home for the blind as a front for his nefarious activities, he also employs a grotesque henchman (played by Walter in a hideous makeup) whose stalking of the leading lady makes for some of the film's most suspenseful scenes. My only real disappointment with the film has been the difficulty of finding a copy with good audio. Much of Williams' dialogue is either badly recorded or drowned out on the soundtrack in the prints I've viewed, forcing me to watch the film with subtitles.
Directed by Walter Summers
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An insurance broker uses trickery and forgery to cash in on men's life insurance policies after he murders them, but a Scotland Yard investigator and an American detective are on his trail.
Edgar Wallace's story The Dark Eyes Of London is adapted into a vehicle for star Bela Lugosi in this British film, and has a pretty good screenplay, with roles for Gynt as the daughter of one of the murder victims ready to track down his killer, and Ryan as the American detective who provides comic relief. Lugosi is in good form as the criminal mastermind, employing icy stares and mirthful expressions beneath a friendly warm facade. Using a home for the blind as a front for his nefarious activities, he also employs a grotesque henchman (played by Walter in a hideous makeup) whose stalking of the leading lady makes for some of the film's most suspenseful scenes. My only real disappointment with the film has been the difficulty of finding a copy with good audio. Much of Williams' dialogue is either badly recorded or drowned out on the soundtrack in the prints I've viewed, forcing me to watch the film with subtitles.
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Invasion Of The Star Creatures (1962)
Starring Bob Ball, Frankie Ray, Gloria Victor, Dolores Reed, Slick Slavin
Directed by Bruno VeSota
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A pair of Army privates discover two statuesque female aliens are planning an invasion of Earth, and try to stop it, though they bumble their way through.
In this very nutty sci-fi comedy filmed on a very low budget by Roger Corman veterans Jonathan Haze, (who wrote the script), and Bruno VeSota (who directed), a lot of the humor falls flat, but the picture still has its charms. Ray is more or less the straight man (although he contributes a number of celebrity impressions), and Ball is his almost child-like partner with a high pitched voice and propensity for mischief. In addition to them, there's a colonel who keeps setting off weapons in their briefing, plant monsters employed by the aliens that are grown from flower pots, and a cave set in which characters keep entering and exiting different levels in a gag later appropriated by the Scooby-Doo cartoon. It's not really a good film, but Ball and Ray are somewhat endearing, and Victor and Reed as the aliens are very attractive and good in their roles, although feminists might object to the film's climax.
Directed by Bruno VeSota
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A pair of Army privates discover two statuesque female aliens are planning an invasion of Earth, and try to stop it, though they bumble their way through.
In this very nutty sci-fi comedy filmed on a very low budget by Roger Corman veterans Jonathan Haze, (who wrote the script), and Bruno VeSota (who directed), a lot of the humor falls flat, but the picture still has its charms. Ray is more or less the straight man (although he contributes a number of celebrity impressions), and Ball is his almost child-like partner with a high pitched voice and propensity for mischief. In addition to them, there's a colonel who keeps setting off weapons in their briefing, plant monsters employed by the aliens that are grown from flower pots, and a cave set in which characters keep entering and exiting different levels in a gag later appropriated by the Scooby-Doo cartoon. It's not really a good film, but Ball and Ray are somewhat endearing, and Victor and Reed as the aliens are very attractive and good in their roles, although feminists might object to the film's climax.
Sunday, February 2, 2020
My Favorite Brunette (1947)
Starring Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Peter Lorre, Lon Chaney Jr., John Hoyt
Directed by Elliott Nugent
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A baby photographer who aspired to become a detective's partner is mistaken for the detective and hired to expose a scheme involving kidnapping and a uranium mine.
This is a pretty good outing for Hope, with the comedian poking fun at hard boiled detective films with his usual rapid-fire jokes which may take multiple viewings to catch them all. There's also some memorable sight gags and celebrity cameos, and an opportunity for Hope to romance Lamour on screen without Bing Crosby along as his usual rival. The supporting cast has some famous names as well, with Charles Dingle's villain employing henchman Peter Lorre and Lon Chaney Jr. Lorre casts his usual menace as a knife-throwing foreigner, and Chaney plays a variation on his Lenny character from Of Mice And Men, as a dimwitted tough guy, cracking walnuts in his elbow. The plot gets a little convoluted sometimes, but it's still a fun film, and Hope and Lamour have strong chemistry as always.
Directed by Elliott Nugent
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A baby photographer who aspired to become a detective's partner is mistaken for the detective and hired to expose a scheme involving kidnapping and a uranium mine.
This is a pretty good outing for Hope, with the comedian poking fun at hard boiled detective films with his usual rapid-fire jokes which may take multiple viewings to catch them all. There's also some memorable sight gags and celebrity cameos, and an opportunity for Hope to romance Lamour on screen without Bing Crosby along as his usual rival. The supporting cast has some famous names as well, with Charles Dingle's villain employing henchman Peter Lorre and Lon Chaney Jr. Lorre casts his usual menace as a knife-throwing foreigner, and Chaney plays a variation on his Lenny character from Of Mice And Men, as a dimwitted tough guy, cracking walnuts in his elbow. The plot gets a little convoluted sometimes, but it's still a fun film, and Hope and Lamour have strong chemistry as always.
Saturday, February 1, 2020
Les Diaboliques (1955)
Starring Simone Signoret, Vera Clouzot, Paul Meurisse, Charles Vanel, Jean Brochard
Directed by H.G. Clouzot
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
The cruelties and abuse committed by the headmaster of a boys school lead his wife and his mistress to conspire to murder him, but after the deed is done, his body disappears.
A landmark suspense film from France, the picture is a bonafide classic, featuring a taut script, fine direction, and good performances all around especially from Vera Clouzot, the wife of the director, in a difficult role as the guilt-ridden spouse of the headmaster. Friends Dan Day Jr. and Troy Howarth pointed out to me how influential the film has been with Troy alluding to the psychological thrillers written by Jimmy Sangster for Hammer Films as examples which reworked this movie's plot. Clouzot builds quality suspense through shadow and editing and some creepy imagery, with a climax that is unforgettable.
Directed by H.G. Clouzot
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
The cruelties and abuse committed by the headmaster of a boys school lead his wife and his mistress to conspire to murder him, but after the deed is done, his body disappears.
A landmark suspense film from France, the picture is a bonafide classic, featuring a taut script, fine direction, and good performances all around especially from Vera Clouzot, the wife of the director, in a difficult role as the guilt-ridden spouse of the headmaster. Friends Dan Day Jr. and Troy Howarth pointed out to me how influential the film has been with Troy alluding to the psychological thrillers written by Jimmy Sangster for Hammer Films as examples which reworked this movie's plot. Clouzot builds quality suspense through shadow and editing and some creepy imagery, with a climax that is unforgettable.
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