Starring Noel Willman, Jennifer Daniel, Ray Barrett, Jacqueline Pearce, Michael Ripper
Directed by John Gilling
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A Navy captain and his wife move into his deceased brother's cottage only to discover he and the rest of the community are threatened by a mysterious plague that's struck several men down.
One of the lesser Hammer horror films, but still fun, it does feature a tremendous creature makeup from Roy Ashton that should be well remembered by any viewer of the picture. The film's screenplay isn't bad, although we don't really see enough of the monster, and it unfortunately lacks an acting presence like Peter Cushing or Christopher Lee to anchor the picture, although Michael Ripper is very good in one of his larger supporting roles for the company. Also, the art direction is consistent with Hammer's best work, bringing the Cornish period setting to life.
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Village Of The Damned (1960)
Starring George Sanders, Barbara Shelley, Martin Stephens, Michael Gwynn, Laurence Naismith
Directed by Wolf Rilla
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
The village of Midwich, England is terrorized by a group of youngsters born under mysterious circumstances and possessing the power to read minds and control the minds of others.
A distinguished sci-fi/horror classic based on a novel by John Wyndham, the film features one of George Sanders' top performances and a wonderfully unsettling tone, combining the well-cast children with glowing eye effects and eerie music to convey their danger. The screenplay is also first-rate, fascinating us with the children while fostering our imagination with what it leaves unsaid. Also well-photographed and edited, it's a still potent chiller.
Directed by Wolf Rilla
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
The village of Midwich, England is terrorized by a group of youngsters born under mysterious circumstances and possessing the power to read minds and control the minds of others.
A distinguished sci-fi/horror classic based on a novel by John Wyndham, the film features one of George Sanders' top performances and a wonderfully unsettling tone, combining the well-cast children with glowing eye effects and eerie music to convey their danger. The screenplay is also first-rate, fascinating us with the children while fostering our imagination with what it leaves unsaid. Also well-photographed and edited, it's a still potent chiller.
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Curse Of The Faceless Man (1958)
Starring Richard Anderson, Elaine Edwards, Adele Mara, Luis Van Rooten, Gar Moore
Directed by Edward L. Cahn
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
The body of a giant Etruscan gladiator is found in the ruins of Pompeii, and a specialist brought in to examine the body is shocked to discover it's still alive, and has a connection to his beautiful fiancee.
A fun horror film from producer Robert E. Kent, it's unusual in its Italian setting and the presence of a narrator, but basically follows the standard formula for monster fare, although the "faceless man" would probably have made more impact if we could see his eyes or features beneath the volcanic crust he's encased in. Nonetheless, it's an efficient little thriller, augmented by Gerald Fried's creepy music score and a colorful cast, who while none of them were major stars, play their parts well.
Directed by Edward L. Cahn
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
The body of a giant Etruscan gladiator is found in the ruins of Pompeii, and a specialist brought in to examine the body is shocked to discover it's still alive, and has a connection to his beautiful fiancee.
A fun horror film from producer Robert E. Kent, it's unusual in its Italian setting and the presence of a narrator, but basically follows the standard formula for monster fare, although the "faceless man" would probably have made more impact if we could see his eyes or features beneath the volcanic crust he's encased in. Nonetheless, it's an efficient little thriller, augmented by Gerald Fried's creepy music score and a colorful cast, who while none of them were major stars, play their parts well.
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Terror By Night (1946)
Starring Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Alan Mowbray, Dennis Hoey, Renee Godfrey
Directed by Roy William Neill
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
Sherlock Holmes is engaged to protect a valuable diamond aboard a train traveling from London to Edinburgh, but when the gem disappears and its owner is murdered, Holmes suspects an old foe.
One of the final pairings of Rathbone and Bruce as Holmes and Watson, and despite the film's low budget, there's some entertaining mystery and suspense in sort of a small-scale version of Agatha Christie's "Murder On The Orient Express." Though a good portion of the film is devoted to Watson's errors in trying to question the suspects, Rathbone still is given plenty of opportunity to shine, and Neill makes the most of some stock footage in convincing us the game's afoot on a speeding train.
Directed by Roy William Neill
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
Sherlock Holmes is engaged to protect a valuable diamond aboard a train traveling from London to Edinburgh, but when the gem disappears and its owner is murdered, Holmes suspects an old foe.
One of the final pairings of Rathbone and Bruce as Holmes and Watson, and despite the film's low budget, there's some entertaining mystery and suspense in sort of a small-scale version of Agatha Christie's "Murder On The Orient Express." Though a good portion of the film is devoted to Watson's errors in trying to question the suspects, Rathbone still is given plenty of opportunity to shine, and Neill makes the most of some stock footage in convincing us the game's afoot on a speeding train.
Monday, June 13, 2016
Dressed To Kill (1941)
Starring Lloyd Nolan, Mary Beth Hughes, Sheila Ryan, William Demarest, Ben Carter
Directed by Eugene Forde
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
On the eve of his wedding, private detective Michael Shayne puts his nuptials on hold to investigate a double murder at his fiancee's hotel.
The third of the Michael Shayne mystery movies starring Nolan put out by 20th Century Fox, it's a good looking and well-polished whodunit, and Nolan is in good form as the amiable detective who solves the crime but can't avoid some hard luck. There's some good chuckles to be had as well, as Shayne amusingly tampers with the crime scene before alerting the police, and causes trouble for Demarest as Inspector Pierson, whose temper reaches a boiling point like all the policemen in these types of movies. Although the movie shows its age in the stereotypes played by Ben Carter and Mantan Moreland, it's still entertaining and makes me more than willing to check out the other Shayne films.
Directed by Eugene Forde
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
On the eve of his wedding, private detective Michael Shayne puts his nuptials on hold to investigate a double murder at his fiancee's hotel.
The third of the Michael Shayne mystery movies starring Nolan put out by 20th Century Fox, it's a good looking and well-polished whodunit, and Nolan is in good form as the amiable detective who solves the crime but can't avoid some hard luck. There's some good chuckles to be had as well, as Shayne amusingly tampers with the crime scene before alerting the police, and causes trouble for Demarest as Inspector Pierson, whose temper reaches a boiling point like all the policemen in these types of movies. Although the movie shows its age in the stereotypes played by Ben Carter and Mantan Moreland, it's still entertaining and makes me more than willing to check out the other Shayne films.
Sunday, June 12, 2016
The Ghost Goes West (1935)
Starring Robert Donat, Jean Parker, Eugene Pallette, Elsa Lanchester, Ralph Bunker
Directed by Rene Clair
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A Scottish clansman, after dying dishonorably, is cursed to haunt his castle as a ghost, but 200 years later, he may have a chance for redemption when the castle is sold to a wealthy American.
French director Rene Clair delivers one of his many charming fantasy films in this effort for British producer Alexander Korda, and although its not as amusingly scripted as it could have been, it's still a light and enjoyable concoction, with some good production values and well-done special effects. The film features a fine cast, although Lanchester is wasted in a very small role, and the romance between Donat and Parker, if not very well defined, is sweet and cute enough to delight the audience.
Directed by Rene Clair
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A Scottish clansman, after dying dishonorably, is cursed to haunt his castle as a ghost, but 200 years later, he may have a chance for redemption when the castle is sold to a wealthy American.
French director Rene Clair delivers one of his many charming fantasy films in this effort for British producer Alexander Korda, and although its not as amusingly scripted as it could have been, it's still a light and enjoyable concoction, with some good production values and well-done special effects. The film features a fine cast, although Lanchester is wasted in a very small role, and the romance between Donat and Parker, if not very well defined, is sweet and cute enough to delight the audience.
Friday, June 10, 2016
From Hell It Came (1957)
Starring Tod Andrews, Tina Carver, Linda Watkins, John McNamara, Gregg Palmer
Directed by Dan Milner
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
American scientists studying nuclear fallout on a tropical island face danger from the natives who've been turned against them, as well as a supernatural tree monster.
Although you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who would take this picture seriously, it's a lot of fun, with a memorable monster and a foreboding theme for its attacks from veteran composer Darrell Calker. A lot of story is crammed into the film, but much of the dialogue is unnecessary exposition, which is okay because we're obviously here for the tree monster, who doesn't fail to entertain. Directed by Dan Milner and produced by Jack Milner, and despite the ludicrous premise and low budget, this is a step up from the Milners' previous picture, The Phantom From 10,000 Leagues, but according to IMDB, was sadly their last.
Directed by Dan Milner
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
American scientists studying nuclear fallout on a tropical island face danger from the natives who've been turned against them, as well as a supernatural tree monster.
Although you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who would take this picture seriously, it's a lot of fun, with a memorable monster and a foreboding theme for its attacks from veteran composer Darrell Calker. A lot of story is crammed into the film, but much of the dialogue is unnecessary exposition, which is okay because we're obviously here for the tree monster, who doesn't fail to entertain. Directed by Dan Milner and produced by Jack Milner, and despite the ludicrous premise and low budget, this is a step up from the Milners' previous picture, The Phantom From 10,000 Leagues, but according to IMDB, was sadly their last.
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