Starring Ray Milland, Jean Hagen, Frankie Avalon, Mary Mitchel, Joan Freeman
Directed by Ray Milland
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A family traveling away from Los Angeles on a fishing trip learn that their city has been wiped out by a nuclear attack, and the father takes desperate measures to ensure they will survive.
Familiar leading man Ray Milland stars and also directs this engaging piece of sci-fi that delves into how society might be torn down in a nuclear crisis. Although the budget is low, and an effects shot of the nuclear fallout isn't very convincing, Milland turns in a gripping performance on par with his better roles, and delivers a worthwhile film. The screenplay unfortunately doesn't flesh out the other characters quite as well, and the return of antagonists from the first half of the movie in the second half struck me as a bit too coincidental. I also thought that Les Baxter's score, dominated by some jazzy themes, might not have been the most appropriate choice. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the picture, and it's a good reminder that Milland was still turning in quality work well after his more famed successes in the 1930s and 1940s.
Showing posts with label Frankie Avalon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Frankie Avalon. Show all posts
Thursday, May 18, 2017
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
The Haunted House Of Horror (1969)
Starring Frankie Avalon, Jill Haworth, Dennis Price, Mark Wynter, George Sewell
Directed by Michael Armstrong
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A group of partying teenagers decide to visit a haunted house for some fun, but one of them ends up murdered, and the rest suspect the killer could be one of them.
Despite the title, this is more of a murder mystery than a supernatural thriller, and there's few attempts by the filmmakers to make the haunted house spooky or terrifying, although they should be given credit for sustaining suspense as to the murderer's identity until the film's climax. Once we reach it, there's an effective confrontation shot between the two final suspects in which the murder weapon appears between the two, but it's not clear who's holding it, before the big reveal. The young British cast is good, although Avalon seems an odd fit with the rest of them, but is likely in the movie with an eye towards making a profit at the U.S. box office.
Directed by Michael Armstrong
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A group of partying teenagers decide to visit a haunted house for some fun, but one of them ends up murdered, and the rest suspect the killer could be one of them.
Despite the title, this is more of a murder mystery than a supernatural thriller, and there's few attempts by the filmmakers to make the haunted house spooky or terrifying, although they should be given credit for sustaining suspense as to the murderer's identity until the film's climax. Once we reach it, there's an effective confrontation shot between the two final suspects in which the murder weapon appears between the two, but it's not clear who's holding it, before the big reveal. The young British cast is good, although Avalon seems an odd fit with the rest of them, but is likely in the movie with an eye towards making a profit at the U.S. box office.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Dr. Goldfoot And The Bikini Machine (1965)
Starring Vincent Price, Frankie Avalon, Dwayne Hickman, Susan Hart, Jack Mullaney
Directed by Norman Taurog
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A junior intelligence agent stumbles across a plot by an evil scientist to use his beautiful female robots to seduce the rich and powerful.
Although it sounds like a spoof of James Bond movies and the like, this madcap comedy from American International Pictures has more in common with their outlandish beach party movies, with the spy elements downplayed in favor of having Avalon's bumbling character pursue one of the robots with romance on his mind. To be honest, most of the humor falls flat, yet nonetheless this is a fun romp and a nice showcase for Susan Hart, who after smallish roles in Pajama Party and War-Gods Of The Deep, gets a chance to shine as the most glamorous of the robots, taking on multiple personalities and accents in her pursuit of a rich executive played by Hickman.
Directed by Norman Taurog
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A junior intelligence agent stumbles across a plot by an evil scientist to use his beautiful female robots to seduce the rich and powerful.
Although it sounds like a spoof of James Bond movies and the like, this madcap comedy from American International Pictures has more in common with their outlandish beach party movies, with the spy elements downplayed in favor of having Avalon's bumbling character pursue one of the robots with romance on his mind. To be honest, most of the humor falls flat, yet nonetheless this is a fun romp and a nice showcase for Susan Hart, who after smallish roles in Pajama Party and War-Gods Of The Deep, gets a chance to shine as the most glamorous of the robots, taking on multiple personalities and accents in her pursuit of a rich executive played by Hickman.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Pajama Party (1964)
Starring Tommy Kirk, Annette Funicello, Elsa Lanchester, Harvey Lembeck, Jesse White
Directed by Don Weis
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
The Martians send an advance scout to prepare the way for their invasion of the Earth, and among a crowd of partying teenagers, he finds a pretty girl he falls for.
Somewhat akin to the way The Horror Of Party Beach mixed horror with the teen musical, this film does the same with science fiction, with the sci-fi content actually being somewhat less preposterous than the other wacky shenanigans going on in the film. These include a motorcycle gang going after a volleyball squad for making footprints on their beach, and a con man trying to raid the fortune in his neighbor's house, relying on an Indian chief and a gorgeous Swedish blonde to find out where it is. This was the status quo for most of the teen musicals of this era, particularly the beach movies starring Funicello and Frankie Avalon during this period. None of the songs stayed with me long after the movie ended, but the youthful exuberance on display was entertaining. There is one bit of casting that left a sour taste in my mouth, the use of the great silent comedian Buster Keaton, who is saddled with the stereotyped character of the Indian chief, an insult to Native Americans and a waste of his great talent. What a shame.
Directed by Don Weis
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
The Martians send an advance scout to prepare the way for their invasion of the Earth, and among a crowd of partying teenagers, he finds a pretty girl he falls for.
Somewhat akin to the way The Horror Of Party Beach mixed horror with the teen musical, this film does the same with science fiction, with the sci-fi content actually being somewhat less preposterous than the other wacky shenanigans going on in the film. These include a motorcycle gang going after a volleyball squad for making footprints on their beach, and a con man trying to raid the fortune in his neighbor's house, relying on an Indian chief and a gorgeous Swedish blonde to find out where it is. This was the status quo for most of the teen musicals of this era, particularly the beach movies starring Funicello and Frankie Avalon during this period. None of the songs stayed with me long after the movie ended, but the youthful exuberance on display was entertaining. There is one bit of casting that left a sour taste in my mouth, the use of the great silent comedian Buster Keaton, who is saddled with the stereotyped character of the Indian chief, an insult to Native Americans and a waste of his great talent. What a shame.
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