Starring Sally Fraser, Roger Pace, Dean Parkin, Russ Bender, Rico Alaniz
Directed by Bert I. Gordon
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
The sister of Glenn Manning, the Army colonel who grew to a height of 60 feet after being exposed to an atomic explosion, traces him to Mexico, and urges the army to find a way to help him.
Bert I. Gordon's sequel to his own The Amazing Colossal Man, strangely returns none of the cast from the original picture, with Fraser stepping in as a new character and Parkin replacing Glen Langan as the titular monster, disguised by a skull-like makeup over half his face, to avoid confusion with the footage of Langan from the first film. That makeup and the special effects in this followup are a bit more accomplished than in the previous entry, although the story's pretty thin, and the plot point of giving the giant amnesia and making him mute doesn't help to flesh things out any. I did enjoy the buildup to the Colossal Man's reveal, with the mystery of a young boy in shock and Rico Alaniz's memorable appearance as a Mexican police official something of quality. However after the giant is captured, it's pretty much a rehash of the first film, including a lengthy flashback to the footage with Langan. Still, there's some entertainment to be had, and the 1950s atmosphere and production values were welcome to me.
Showing posts with label Russ Bender. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Russ Bender. Show all posts
Friday, December 13, 2019
Sunday, May 8, 2016
Ghost Of Dragstrip Hollow (1959)
Starring Jody Fair, Russ Bender, Henry McCann, Martin Braddock, Elaine DuPont
Directed by William Hole
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A hot rod club's teen members explain to a reporter how they're misunderstood, and he tries to help them find a new clubhouse after they're evicted.
A very silly comedy/musical/horror film which includes a small role for creature effects designer Paul Blaisdell as a monster who tries to scare the kids after they move into a haunted house. Clearly aimed at teenagers with a message that they're responsible enough without adults butting in, the film also tries to reach out to them with hipster lingo and a streetwise character who has to contend with a father who doesn't "get" her, and although this approach seems laughably dated, it's all in good fun. None of the tunes are all that memorable, and too much attention is paid to a wisecracking parrot, although the bird has a few funny lines. I still enjoyed it.
Directed by William Hole
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A hot rod club's teen members explain to a reporter how they're misunderstood, and he tries to help them find a new clubhouse after they're evicted.
A very silly comedy/musical/horror film which includes a small role for creature effects designer Paul Blaisdell as a monster who tries to scare the kids after they move into a haunted house. Clearly aimed at teenagers with a message that they're responsible enough without adults butting in, the film also tries to reach out to them with hipster lingo and a streetwise character who has to contend with a father who doesn't "get" her, and although this approach seems laughably dated, it's all in good fun. None of the tunes are all that memorable, and too much attention is paid to a wisecracking parrot, although the bird has a few funny lines. I still enjoyed it.
Sunday, February 7, 2016
It Conquered The World (1956)
Starring Peter Graves, Beverly Garland, Lee Van Cleef, Sally Fraser, Russ Bender
Directed by Roger Corman
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A physicist dissatisfied with the state of the world is contacted by an alien intelligence from Venus, whom he agrees to help take over the Earth for the benefit of humanity.
Although often ridiculed for its low budget and less than convincing alien creature, I've always found this picture to be a fun science fiction thriller, buoyed by terrific performances by Beverly Garland and in particular Lee Van Cleef, whose intensity as the determined physicist anchors the film. Van Cleef, per Wikipedia, went on to to a distinguished career playing a series of villains in notable westerns, culminating in his role in Sergio Leone's The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly. Corman paces scenes tightly and efficiently and although the Venusian may elect more laughs than genuine horror, it's certainly unique and memorable.
Directed by Roger Corman
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A physicist dissatisfied with the state of the world is contacted by an alien intelligence from Venus, whom he agrees to help take over the Earth for the benefit of humanity.
Although often ridiculed for its low budget and less than convincing alien creature, I've always found this picture to be a fun science fiction thriller, buoyed by terrific performances by Beverly Garland and in particular Lee Van Cleef, whose intensity as the determined physicist anchors the film. Van Cleef, per Wikipedia, went on to to a distinguished career playing a series of villains in notable westerns, culminating in his role in Sergio Leone's The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly. Corman paces scenes tightly and efficiently and although the Venusian may elect more laughs than genuine horror, it's certainly unique and memorable.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)