Attack of the Puppet People.

Review #2453: Attack of the Puppet People.

Cast: 

John Agar (Bob Westley), John Hoyt (Mr. Franz), June Kenney (Sally Reynolds), Michael Mark (Emil), Jack Kosslyn (Sergeant Paterson), Marlene Willis (Laurie), Ken Miller (Stan), Laurie Mitchell (Georgia Lane), Scott Peters (Mac), and Susan Gordon (Agnes) Produced and Directed by Bert I. Gordon (#929 - Tormented and #2297 - Earth vs. the Spider)

Review: 

Okay, bring out the effects-laden movie by Bert I. Gordon for the holiday season. This was the eighth feature film directed by Gordon, and he had a hand with the writing in the story department, which he had done with a few of his other movies; George Worthing Yates, a semi-regular writer of the first couple of Gordon movies, wrote the screenplay. As you might expect, the movie was done in the wake of The Incredible Shrinking Man, which had come out in 1957. American International Pictures obviously knew where to go with trying to make a movie about small people, although apparently Gordon wanted to call the movie "The Fantastic Puppet People" (the teenagers they wanted to see the movie probably didn't think about the fact the shrunken down people don't really attack anything, to say nothing of that poster of them with a knife). What better way to remind people of one of your films than to have it play: a drive-in sequence early on shows the characters watching The Amazing Colossal Man (1957). Funny self-promotion I guess. Apparently, the movie was paired in certain drive-ins with Gordon's War of the Colossal Beast (1958).

So, you get a sci-fi youth movie about shrinking people. At least Dr. Cyclops (also a movie that does a cutaway from the shrinking moment around 30 minutes into the runtime, coincidentally) had a scientist trying to shrink stuff down with some idea based in science, this is a movie that has the owner of a doll manufacturing company shrinking people down because (you're never going to believe this): he's lonely and therefore puts them in and out of suspended animation when he has the feeling for it (notice how there are several people besides the main group that are shrunk but aren't restored at any point); I guess hookers or beer just wasn't ideal to float around in the 1950s (remember: don't try that at home). This would be an interesting quandary if it wasn't for the fact that it just doesn't lead to much beyond him and his interests in the little things. Hoyt is fine in that regard, I guess. The people aren't really given agency beyond one of them doing a song and bland platitudes. Agar and Kenney have the energy of being stuck at a bus station with no working TV. You don't get a sense of tension, and the effects don't really help all that much because it just looks a bit flimsy in the first place. The sequence near the climax of our lead subjecting these people to a puppet show of Jekyll and Hyde is almost too silly for words in making it, well, really easy to see how things will go when they outnumber him.  The ending isn't exactly much better, mainly because it just ends right at the part when you think it might be interesting: a guy about to be cornered for shrinking people. It just...ends, with him alone. I almost expected him to light the place up or do anything other than just sit there (or hell, throw in his dopey machine being used on him just to reverse him, the dude used it on a cat). Since it really isn't a role that evokes much pity, you really do need to show him get some sort of comeuppance. As a whole, Puppet People just isn't as impressive as it could've been in the look upon loneliness and general adventure in small-ness, managing to instead just toil in bland surroundings that make Dr. Cyclops from nearly two decades prior look better in comparison.

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.

*Strangely, the movie played a small part of history years later. Apparently, when the Watergate burglary was playing out, the lookout Alfred C. Baldwin III was watching...Attack of the Puppet People on TV and got too distracted to see a cop pulling up right to them.

The Brain Eaters.

Review #2433: The Brain Eaters.

Cast: 

Ed Nelson (Dr. Paul Kettering), Alan Jay Factor (Glenn Cameron), Cornelius Keefe (Sen. Walter K. Powers), Joanna Lee (Alice Summers), Jody Fair (Elaine Cameron), David Hughes (Dr. Wyler), Robert Ball (Dan Walker), Phil Posner (the Sheriff), Orville Sherman (Mayor Cameron), and Leonard Nimoy (Professor Cole) Directed by Bruno VeSota (#1202 - Invasion of the Star Creatures)

Review: 

Okay, I wanted to pick a movie a bit out of left field that happened to have a catchy title. It isn't exactly a movie filled with noted names (save for one very brief appearance) or even a big director, but sometimes you get lucky. This was a production that had oversight by who else but Roger Corman, who left himself uncredited as executive producer, but not to worry for this American International Pictures movie, you've got a credit for producer and also lead star in Ed Nelson, who for whatever reason is billed as "Edwin Jackson". Two other key actors must've loved the credit game, they also have alternate names with "Alan Frost" (Alan Jay Factor) and "Jack Hill" (Cornelius Keefe). The movie was directed by Bruno VeSota, who actually had been involved in Chicago television in writing and directing since the late 1940s. He did a variety of acting parts (small or not) in the 1950s, most notably with Dementia [1955] (which may have had co-direction and writing from VeSota, as he later claimed), but he got to direct his first feature film with Female Jungle (1955), which had been distributed by AIP in its "American Releasing Corporation" days after they basically rescued it from being stuck in limbo. VeSota directed one further film with Invasion of the Star Creatures (1962). The movie was written by Gordon Urquhart, although the resulting script seemed a bit similar to the 1951 novel The Puppet Masters (which also dealt with slugs and mind control), as written by Robert A. Heinlein. He sued for plagiarism and got a settlement, although he did not want a screen credit in any shape or form.  

This was a movie that was the B-side of double features with Earth vs. the Spider, if you want to use that as a barometer for the quality. Of course, this is a movie that has a creature made of wind-up toys, fur, and pipe cleaner. For a movie that has a character at one point shoot a gun into a giant metal cone to go along with trying to use the telegraph (hey, at least they didn't try pigeons), it sure is one hell of a boring time. It lacks polish that seems particularly amusing given a runtime of a mere 60 minutes. It has a few tiny eerie moments, mostly in the sequence where the mayor is engaged in a tense standoff with some of the key characters because it actually feels like a movie is going to actually break out before one eventually sinks back into narration (worries over needing the plot to be clear to John Q. Public, 60 Year Old At Large or a trick to get over having poor sound quality - you be the judge) and a general malaise that seems to only move forward when it feels like doing so. You get the yammering from Keefe ("action!"), a middling cast*, the shambling around from doctors about doctor doctor things and the eventual rundown of what the beastly things plan to do. Well, I take that back, they aren't alien, they actually came from underground that want to make a utopia even with the whole putting toxins in the nervous system thing, (as explained by Nimoy and his voice, because he doesn't actually stand up for the one scene he is in). As a whole, it is quite an accomplishment to make Earth vs. the Spider look better on a double feature but it is almost as interesting to have a poster that exceeds the quality of the movie. If you really need to watch something from the old days that you haven't seen yet, you might get something out of it. Or not.

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.

*At least some of the cast saw better days. Joanna Lee changed course after appearing in four movies to become a television writer, even winning an Emmy Award for writing an episode of The Waltons. Of course, Nelson later became noted for his role on Peyton Place and taught acting in his later days. Keefe was in his last film after plenty of roles in silent films and such. And Nemoy, well....

I Married a Monster from Outer Space.

Review #2428: I Married a Monster from Outer Space.

Cast: 

Tom Tryon (Bill Farrell), Gloria Talbott (Marge Bradley Farrell), Peter Baldwin (Officer Frank Swanson), Robert Ivers (Harry Phillips), Chuck Wassil (Ted Hanks), Valerie Allen (Francine, a Hooker), Ty Hardin (Mac Brody), Ken Lynch (Dr. Wayne), John Eldredge (Police Captain H.B. Collins), Alan Dexter (Sam Benson), James Anderson (Weldon), Jean Carson (Helen Alexander Benson), Jack Orrison (Officer Schultz), Steve London (Charles Mason), and Max "Slapsie Maxie" Rosenbloom (Max Grad) Produced and Directed by Gene Fowler Jr (#1912 - I Was a Teenage Werewolf)

Review: 

"This was strictly an exploitation picture. But there again I tried to put characterization into the monsters. The so-called monsters, the aliens, were very sad people. One of the things I've always found is that you've got to accept the premise, regardless of how ridiculous it is. If you accept the thing as very realistic and very honest, then you can come up with very honest performances and make a fairly honest picture out of it."

Sometimes audiences just don't know what they are missing. Released from Paramount Pictures, the movie ended up as being the second movie on a double feature with the independent acquisition that happened to be in color: The Blob (1958). The script was done by Louis Vittes, and it was Fowler who suggested coming up with an eye-catching title, although he stated in later years of hating the final title (he was interviewed for the film a bit in this book here). As producer and director, Fowler noted that the studio heads insisted that the monsters have a glowing effect, for which he would serve as a designer. It is the kind of movie that could be done with a bit of foliage and wire on a budget of $125,000, but somehow, when compared to The Blob in audience screenings, that movie tested better and therefore was slotted to be the "A" film on the double feature circuit. It may interest you to know that the movie featured the services of John P. Fulton for its special effects: he did movies that could range from The Invisible Man Returns (1940) to Wonder Man (1945) to The Ten Commandments (1956) (in total he was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won three times). This was the second and last horror film Fowler Jr made (he mostly made crime dramas, although he spent far more time as an editor), as you might remember he directed I Was a Teenage Werewolf the previous year. I don't understand the hubbub that arose about the title. 1949 had a movie called I Married a Communist, what is so weird about a movie title like this that is wholly accurate? The movie basically seems like a cousin of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (well okay that movie was a bit different, since the invasion involved emotionless copies and plenty of pods whereas this movie has a spaceship...somewhere) so what exactly did one expect, "Husbands From Space" as a title? 

Honestly, I found this to be a curious little movie to see play out in paranoia but also in tragedy, since you could construe it as such depending on who you find to be the true lead. On the one hand, you have a woman who has a sinking realization that the "honeymoon period" really can just evaporate quickly when being with someone because the real guy they fell in love is in a slab somewhere. But, perhaps most importantly on the other hand, you have a movie with a being who is desperate to keep their race alive and in the process of that desperation finds something shocking: the capability to feel love rather than simply trying to breed (there are probably some guys who might treat a woman like they were stock, incidentally). Tryon was a Paramount contract man since 1955, although he mostly was known for television work more than say, his work as a star, and he apparently was not too keen on starring in this film. Years later, he became a horror/mystery writer with works such as The Other (1971).* You could contend that his performance is a bit wooden (Fowler discussed that assessment, for example), but I would argue that seems to fit the movie to a T if you really get down to it: this is a person who goes around at strange times to meet people rather than be around his wife. Sure, the one scene he has before being taken by the beings (as represented in a composite shot) probably doesn't help this argument, but most of the time you are watching someone that is slowly less inhibited by who they are. It works well with Talbott in that awkward sense of tension and paranoia, because who among us hasn't had a sinking feeling that the people you know are just a bit too strange today? The 78-minute runtime is fairly adept at getting to the point of having one get growing paranoia as the tension becomes more and more clear not only of a burgeoning invasion but of what could happen to folks having to be human longer and longer. There is a body count, with probably one of the odder deaths in quite a while coming from someone looking at a doll in a window before getting spooked to kill some scared passerby. The ending wraps everything up a bit conveniently (the woman who helped spur a posse of new fathers is told to go back home, but the big enemy of the aliens is dogs ripping out tubes), but at least it leaves folks to pause with the fact that a bunch of sexless dudes had been living in town for months. In that sense, what you have is a fairly honest and interesting movie, far better than just being the "B" side of a double feature and worth actual consideration of your time, having a few decent visuals for the time to go with a monster that is far more interesting than what you might expect in perspective for a worthwhile time.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

*Tryon died in 1991 as a result of stomach cancer, although he apparently had HIV at the time he died, per the executor of his estate, who disagreed with Tyron's partner about being quiet about the HIV part.

October begins. We'll try to have plenty of interesting horror films all throughout the month that has one hell of time for Halloween night and, well, Halloween The Week After: Year VII.

Earth vs. the Spider.

Review #2297: Earth vs. the Spider.

Cast: 

Ed Kemmer (Mr. Kingman), June Kenney (Carol Flynn), Eugene Persson (Mike Simpson), Gene Roth (Sheriff Cagle), Hal Torey (Mr. Simpson), June Jocelyn (Mrs. Flynn), Mickey Finn (Sam Haskel), Sally Fraser (Mrs. Helen Kingman), and Troy Patterson (Joe) Directed by Bert I. Gordon (#929 - Tormented)

Review: 

Okay, so it has been a while since I covered a Bert I. Gordon movie (seven years, in fact). Gordon was a filmmaker for over three decades, specializing mostly in effects-based features of varying quality. He served as a co-producer on Serpent Island (as directed by Tom Gries in 1954) before becoming a true director with King Dinosaur (1955). He added effects to his foray with his 1957 trio of films that started with Beginning of the End (1957). The following year, he directed three more films with War of the Colossal Beast (1958), Attack of the Puppet People (1958), and this one; amusingly, both films are mentioned in the film as part of a double feature here for a film that is sometimes referred to as just "The Spider" (I'm going with the title that takes me back to Earth vs. the Flying Saucers [1956]). This actually was among Gordon's last to go big (pun intended) on effects until Village of the Giants in 1965; it was also the fourth film of his with distribution by American International Pictures, but he stopped his association with the company due to money issues he had with them until the 1970s. The movie was written by László Görög and George Worthing Yates, each of whom had done their share of horror scripts (the former did The Mole People [1956] and the latter did the story for Them! [1954] along with five total film scripts for Gordon). 

Admittedly, it had only been three years since that other movie about spiders with Jack Arnold's Tarantula (1955). Earth vs. the Spider proves quite the chuckler, particularly since it just goes on a quick start in someone running right into the spider right then and there. In fact, the movie doesn't even play with the whole "finding out the creature is real beyond all doubt" (except for one grouchy sheriff played by Roth, who I should mention *sees the spider himself*) or even wonder how the big spider is, well, aa big spider, it just is there making noise (don't ask if spiders sound like that). This is a being that can take plenty of DDT (ask your grandpa) that only seems to knock it out temporarily before the power of rock-and-roll music (yes, you see a spider in your gym, and it means it's a *swell* time to rock!) bring it right back up again. I especially like that the spider leaves skeletons with no missing bones for folks to discover in caves, since the spider likes to chew flesh like it was cheese of the pizza. At least of the two lead actors were under the age of 25 when they made this film involving teenagers, and while the script sure has them lend themselves to plenty of silly stuff (surely, I must go into this cave to get a bracelet back that my dead parent gave me, also he happens to be in the cave because of that deadly spider thing), they aren't exactly grimacing in being stick with this film. The effects are about a notch above, say, The Giant Claw, for better or worse (Paul Blaisdell apparently made a giant spider leg to use for the film). One has to love that after the plan to simply cave-in the big ugly goes by the wayside, their next plan is to simply electrocute them with the use of power lines that ends up with the monster then falling onto stalagmites...and then they dynamite another cave-in. As a whole, it is cheesy and one-dimensional in a predictable but somewhat comforting way. You expect a silly monster movie with a title like that and you pretty much get exactly what you expect with a hokey mess here.

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.

How to Make a Monster (1958).

Review #2274: How to Make a Monster.

Cast: 

Robert H. Harris (Pete Dumond), Gary Conway (Tony Mantell / the Teenage Frankenstein), Gary Clarke (Larry Drake / the Teenage Werewolf), Paul Brinegar (Rivero), Malcolm Atterbury (Security Guard Richards), Dennis Cross (Security Guard Monahan), Morris Ankrum (Police Capt. Hancock), Walter Reed (Detective Thompson), and Paul Maxwell (Jeffrey Clayton) Directed by Herbert L. Strock (#2097 - Blood of Dracula and #2098 - I Was a Teenage Frankenstein)

Review: 

It is pretty interesting to get to a film that is technically related to other movies. 1957 had seen the release of a handful of features dedicated to teenagers and monsters. It started with I Was a Teenage Werewolf, which came out in the summer before the release of I Was a Teenage Frankenstein and Blood of Dracula as a double feature in November 1957. Each one saw a teen turned into a monster due to the efforts of adults for some sort of weird purpose. Now, with this film (released in July of 1958) we have another film about monsters and nefarious purposes as directed by Herbert L. Strock, who had directed two of those aforementioned films. As was before with the other films, the screenplay was written by Herman Cohen and Aben Kandel while Cohen served as a producer. Supposedly, as claimed by Ed Wood, the film was a rip-off of a script he had sent to AIP (involving a killer actor), although the idea of Wood crying foul at a rip-off of his stuff is actually amusing to me. Strock would direct just three more features after this one, spending most of his time doing television along with editing and producing. The last couple of minutes, as one might have already seen from promotional stuff, does show some masks in color (the same trick as done in I Was a Teenage Frankenstein), which were designed by Paul Blaisdell for previous films such as It Conquered the World (1956), Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957), and The She-Creature (1956). Conway, who had played the title threat in the Frankenstein film, is the one other link to the films here, as done by American International Pictures.

Really this is just a backstage murder procedural that happens to have a lead-in that you'll get to see a few masks. One wonders just if Jack Pierce came to mind when it comes to the script or the performance of Harris for an underappreciated effects man as the lead character. It is the kind of movie that has a clear appreciation for cheap horror and the people who obsessed over the craft. It is amusing to see a justification of John Ashley (a sometimes regular at AIP) do a song as part of "the times changing", because AIP ended up doing their own music-themed films to go with chasing other trends. Anyway, here's a movie involving special makeup cream that can leave one to the power of suggestion while people are dressed up and you have a guy calling his masks his "children". Honestly, I dug it, particularly from Harris, who seems to be having quite the time in fruitful obsession that believes going from fired to murder is totally normal, and he sure sells that nuttiness on point. It is the portrait of a man in delusion of the starkest kind: their craft. Conway and Clarke might not get much to do beside be in makeup, but they make worthy puppets to sell the idea of being ready for suggestion. It is a bit funny to see the ones who get wrapped up as targets for the monsters, because one of them gets the boot mostly because they are too savvy in crime cliches. Trhe climax works out well for those who like to gawk for curiosity at masks and silly souped-up resolutions (the AIP way). In general, this is about on par for decent AIP entertainment in giving you what you expect: silly young folks, a few decent makeup shots, and a neat little climax. It exceeds those "Teenage" films on the basis of having the commitment to have a lead performance worth writing more than two bits about for solid average fare. 

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Macabre (1958).

Review #2261: Macabre.

Cast: 

William Prince (Rodney Barrett), Jim Backus (Police Chief Jim Tyloe), Christine White (Nancy Wetherby Tyloe), Jacqueline Scott (Polly Baron), Susan Morrow (Sylvia Stevenson), Jonathan Kidd (Ed Quigley), Philip Tonge (Jode Wetherby), Dorothy Morris (Alice Barrett), Howard Hoffman (Hummel), and Ellen Corby (Miss Kushins) Directed and Produced by William Castle (#369 - House on Haunted Hill (1959), #1071 - 13 Ghosts, #1418 - The Night Walker, #1703 - Undertow)

Review: 

Admittedly, the gimmick used for the film is probably more interesting than the final result. If one remembers correctly, William Castle had a serviceable career in the eyes of B-movies and quickly made stuff. But he had a yearning for more, and it was the success of the 1955 French film Les Diaboliques (which had aa message at the end telling people not to spoil the ending they just saw to others that hadn't seen it yet) that inspired him to make his own shockers for the masses...complete with a campaign. Of course, Castle wasn't particularly new to doing campaigns. One time, in his days of theatre work, having gotten the chance to lease one out, he had to come up with a German play for his German-born actress to act in (ask yourself why that would be a rule for a theater guild in the 1930s), so he did that over a weekend. Then, he turned a telegram inviting his actress abroad into a chance to call his star "the girl who said no to Hitler"...and then secretly vandalized the theatre with swastikas. Anyway, Castle bought the rights to an obscure-ish novel in The Marble Forest (as written by a few writers of the "Mystery Writers of America", who used the psuedonym Theo Durran). He had Robb White (a partner in the production company with Castle) write a screenplay around it; Castle would utilize White (an adventure novelist and occasional film/TV writer) for four further features. Macabre was the first of what became seventeen films from 1958 to 1974 that had their tinges of horror to go with the occasional gimmick to promote it. An audience member was given a "$1,000 life insurance policy from Lloyd's of London" in case they died of fright from the film; Castle mortaged his house to do the film. Incidentally, a few months after the release of this film, The Screaming Skull (as distributed by American International) had an opening prologue that said the film was so frightening that it might kill its viewer (unlike Castle though, they didn't actually contact an insurance company or hire nurses for the premiere).  

For all the nice things in general one can say about Castle as a filmmaker and in general when it comes to cheap little horror movies, this just isn't that good of an experience. It is a very average and very drawn-out movie for 72 minutes that honestly begs to be twenty minutes longer somehow. There actually are a few flashbacks in the film that try to string us along when it comes to the mystery of just why someone might want to mess with a guy by burying their daughter alive. The sordid stuff that comes (flings with women, people lurking around graveyards, phone calls of terror) is basically the stuff you might see in a crime drama or a soap opera, but the movie just isn't as compelling as one would wish it could be. One could've called it anything other than Macabre, because even though the definition involves "gruesome" things, it just ends up making one believe that the end result fits under "generic". Prince has a bit of punch when it comes to the unraveling of what one really is beyond first impressions, with that panic for the initial pursuit at least being handled with Scott for something worthwhile...for a time. The twist is just straight out of the soap playbook that basically throw the book back at the viewer, but with a lack of cast to begin with, the mystery of what lies beneath the box isn't exactly a hard one to stab a guess on. Backus sounds like he should have more to chew on beyond mild aggression that barely registers even after the story "turns" to flashback. One can see that slow step from making B-flair in say, noir trappings (but with a funny gimmick) to the eventual turn in curious horror (B-flair or not, you be the judge). In general, it is a perfectly mediocre movie, being more known for a gimmick than being good, but if you are curious for what lies beneath the works of William Castle in what he is best known for, go and lurk for oneself.

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.

Invention for Destruction.

Review #1952: Invention for Destruction.

Cast: 

Lubor Tokoš (Simon Hart), Arnošt Navrátil (Professor Roch), Miloslav Holub (Count Artigas), František Šlégr (Captain Spade), Václav Kyzlink (Engineer Serke), Jana Zatloukalová (Jana), and Otto Šimánek (Man in Train) Directed by Karel Zeman.

Review: 

"I came to the conclusion that my Verne film must come not only from the spirit of the literary work, but also from the characteristic style of the original illustrations and must maintain at least the impression of engravings" - Karel Zeman

Admittedly, having a nickname of being the "Czech [Georges] Méliès" is a good selling point to talk about a director for the first time. Karel Zeman was born in Austria-Hungary (present-day Czech Republic) in 1910. He loved puppets from a young age, but his parents wanted him to study business rather than continue with puppet theatre. He ended up studying advertising design in France, and his visits to the cinema grew his interest in animated movies. He eventually went into work in advertising. He got offered a job at a film studio due to director Elmar Klos liking what he saw when being asked to report about a window-dressing competition that Zeman won. Zeman was hired to work at Bata Film Studios (in a suburb of Zlin in what is now the Czech Republic) within the animation department. He began his directing career with shorts in 1945, with a couple of shorts involving a satirical puppet made of wood called Mr. Prokouk being quite successful. His first film as a feature director was The Treasure of Bird Island [Poklad ptačího ostrova] (1953), which was adapted from a Persian fairy tale that was comprised in various forms of animation that aspired to look like the illustrative style of miniatures. Journey to the Beginning of Time [Cesta do pravěku] (1955) was his next feature and his first with actors that were used in tandem with special effects (such as stop-motion), which received a good deal of attention. Over the next fifteen years, Zeman would direct five further films that mixed effects with actors that saw him take inspiration from paintings, illustrations, engravings, drawings, and the works of Jules Verne (four of the six films, including this one, were based on his books). In total, Zeman directed ten feature films until his death in 1989. In 2012, a museum dedicated to his work in the Muzeum Karla Zemana opened in Prague.

Invention for Destruction [Vynález zkázy] was loosely based on the 1896 novel Facing the Flag by Jules Verne; writers for the film script were Zeman, František Hrubín, Jiří Brdečka, and Milan Vacha. Warner Brothers released an English-language dub in 1961 that re-titled it to "The Fabulous World of Jules Verne" (complete with anglicized names for the actors and a new introduction) This was his third feature film and his biggest breakthrough as a director, one that became wildly successful in its native country of Czechoslovakia (it wasn't a box office success with the English dub, but it had plenty of admirers) while inspiring plenty of versions for other countries to view. An admirer of Verne, Zeman set out to make a film that would resemble the line engravings in Verne's Victorian works (as originally illustrated by Édouard Riou, Léon Benett, and others). Zeman and company did their effects in numerous ways, such as hard runner paint rollers, matte paintings, lined filters, and matted-in sky backgrounds. This results in a diverting effect that practically jumps at you with its illustrative quality without turning out too gaudy. Given that there are still films in the last couple of years that have tried to replicate the look of certain illustrative works such as fairy tales and comic books such as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), Invention for Destruction is a worthy curiosity to view in the sense of sight. There are numerous references to various Verne works since it isn't a straight adaptation, which results in scenes spent in the sea or with aircraft. As such, the movie is quite a dazzler in terms of its imagination, which is the star of the show more than anything. That isn't to say the perspective of the actors (led mostly by Tokos) is sidelined, it just means that one finds it to be an absorbing experience of entertainment in adventure more so than drama. Its climax is a particular gem in thrills, one that excites the viewer regardless of how easy the outcome might seem from viewers of the curious explorer. A director who strived to stimulate imagination and please the hearts of children, Karel Zeman would prove influential to future directors such as Jan Švankmajer, Terry Gilliam, and Wes Anderson, and it is obvious to see why. Invention for Destruction is a worthy delight for all audiences in its 83-minute runtime. 

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

I Bury the Living.

Review #1791: I Bury the Living.

Cast: 

Richard Boone (Robert Kraft), Theodore Bikel (Andy McKee), Peggy Maurer (Ann Craig), Howard Smith (George Kraft), Herbert Anderson (Jess Jessup), and Robert Osterloh (Lt. Clayborne) Directed by Albert Band.

Review: 

With new directors, sometimes you have to look back into the realm of B-movies to find people to feature, or at the very least one behind films that slipped through the cracks. So, here we are with a film directed by Albert Band. Technically, there are some interesting things to say about the Band family, in that he was the son of Max Band, a landscape artist born in Lithuania (he lived in France for most of his life, which is where Albert was born). Band had two children that became involved with film: Charles became a horror filmmaker and Richard became a music composer. At any rate, Albert became interested in film from a young age (when the Bands moved to the States before France became occupied, they lived in California). He would be tasked to help write the film adaptation for The Red Badge of Courage (1951), doing so with John Huston. Band would be given his chance to direct with The Young Guns (1956), a Western. While he never exactly became a household name, Band was a solid contributor to B-movie cinema for years in directing and producing, whether that meant films like Troll (1986, producer) or other various efforts (which even included work with his brother Charles).

The movie was shot in nine days in a cemetery. Honestly, there is quite a crisp movie to watch here, even if the title (originally referred to as "The Killer on the Wall" before United Artists changed it) is considerably misleading. Nobody is actually buried alive, for one thing. Well, the plot is quite simple, really. A new member of a committee is tasked to manage a cemetery by obligation, and his office just happens to have a wall-map of the cemetery with white pins for plots that are bought but not used and black pins for the dead and buried. Accidents in putting the wrong pins make him think that he has the problem of marking folks for death, and it is attempts by board members to dissuade him from his belief that make things worse (in other words, he isn't "burying" the living, he just happens to be putting pins in people's spots that see them die). Of course, there also happens to be a superstitious Scotsman that works at the cemetery, too. Louis A. Garfinkle wrote the film while also producing it with Band, and the two worked on five films together (Garfinkle is likely best known for his help in developing a computer screenwriting system called Collaborator along with co-writing The Deer Hunter). Garfinkle's script seems like the kind of material familiar with stuff such as The Twilight Zone (although this film came out one year earlier), which means one might find eerie fascination with the ideas presented here. The lighting also certainly helps here (not just being a budget dodge), since it contributes to the growing mood of fear and weirdness presented in a film with limited sets and consistent understated acting. In that sense, one could almost see this as an under-looked gem, one that benefits from Boone (perhaps best known for Have Gun - Will Travel, which premiered the previous year), who moves through the material with icy curiosity that doesn't quiver when faced with looming morbid stuff. Bikel (actor, folk singer, musician, composer) might be a bit clouded under all the age makeup, but he isn't distracting to the point of irritation, as he pulls off an interesting contrast to Boone in offbeat nature. The rest are the usual skeptic type for weirdness (i.e. folks needed to look dull before they could get roped off). The growing sense of losing oneself is the best part of the film, because the climax is a complete letdown, doing a bait and switch that tries to cut off the mystery with rationality. Sure, it might have fit when it comes to trying to make money with the audience, but a bait and switch is still a bait and switch. As a horror movie, it is completely average, but it at least stands out enough in its average qualities to make it worth a curiosity over the attempts at building horror within simple things (a cheap set, reliable actors, Gerald Fried's music, take your pick). It was interesting enough to have praise lent to it by horror writer Stephen King, no less. If that can't sway you, nothing could. As a whole, Albert Band had a lengthy career of film that one could only dream to have for themselves or for their children, regardless of quality, you might say.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Next Time: This Sporting Life (1963)

Machine-Gun Kelly.

Review #1674: Machine-Gun Kelly.

Cast: 

Charles Bronson (George R. 'Machine Gun' Kelly), Susan Cabot (Florence 'Flo' Becker), Morey Amsterdam (Michael Fandango), Richard Devon (Apple), Jack Lambert (Howard), Frank DeKova (Harry), Connie Gilchrist ('Ma' Becker), Wally Campo (Maize), Barboura Morris (Lynn Grayson), Lori Martin (Sherryl Vito), George Archambeault (Frank), Robert Griffin (Mr. Andrew Vito), Michael Fox (Detective Clinton), and Larry Thor (Detective Drummond) Directed by Roger Corman (#368 - The Little Shop of Horrors, #684 - It Conquered the World, #852 - The Terror, #931 - Not of This Earth, #1007 - Attack of the Crab Monsters, #1039 - Five Guns West, #1042 - War of the Satellites, #1136 - Gas-s-s-s, #1147 - X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes, #1186 - A Bucket of Blood, #1423 - The Wild Angels, and #1425 - The St. Valentine's Day Massacre)

Review: 

Admittedly, one really has to spread out the time spent in what I would like to call the AIP Zone. The hundreds of films that came from the studio of American International Pictures in that nifty little era it encapsulated could make for quite a few interesting marathons, and it only makes sense to encounter Roger Corman yet again. By this point in time, Corman had directed over a dozen films in the span of three years, and he did so in a variety of genres that ranged from westerns to science fiction, although he would dabble in the field of crime films and noirs (Rock All Night (1957) is one of Corman's favorites). Well, there is that other distinction to note for this movie in seeing Charles Bronson in a leading role. The Pennsylvania native (who changed his name from Buchinsky on advice that his name might affect his career) had started appearing in films and television early in the decade that eventually grew into supporting roles of note with Apache (1954). The same year that he would star in this film also saw him with a lead role on television in Man with a Camera, which ran for two years on ABC; at any rate, he would move on from middling support roles to leading support acting (incidentally, this would not be the only film Bronson did for AIP, as he would co-star in Master of the World three years later). Interestingly enough, the role was actually not initially viewed with him in mind, as Dick Miller at one point was announced as the star. Robert Wright Campbell served as the writer for the script, and this was the second of six movie scripts that he would do for a Roger Corman film.

You may or may not recognize that this is loosely based on the exploits of the criminal of the same name (a nickname given to him by his second wife, Kathryn, who had bought him the weapon), one of the numerous criminals that was referred as a public enemy to justice (alongside others of the 1930s, for which filmmakers would cover in cinema, and AIP released this film as a double feature with The Bonnie Parker Story), although his crimes dealt with bootlegging and robbery. His infamous moment occurred when he had kidnapped tycoon Charles Urschel for ransom in July 1933 (keep in mind, kidnapping became a federal offense in this year); when you think about it, the real story behind the capture is interesting, because Urschel actually played a key part in the capture of the suspects by noting the evidence around him (namely the sounds that he could hear when blindfolded and held captive for nine days). Two months after the kidnapping, Kelly alongside his wife and others were arrested, and the myth is that he apparently had surrendered to FBI agents - obviously, the mythmakers had to stretch the report of Kelly just raising his hands in the corner and saying nothing. At any rate, I doubt that the real Kelly (who died after serving 21 years in prison, for which he was teased by some as "Pop Gun Kelly" because of the stories he told) was afraid of death like the person depicted in this film, and yet here we are with a fairly interesting movie. It probably isn't a great historically toned film, and it definitely is a pretty cheap movie (made for about $60,000 in ten days), but there is an interesting quality to its efficient pace that works far better than it should. Corman wanted to make a movie about a criminal that was "just a coward and a giver", one that didn't hone to the Robin Hood mold that he felt gangster films usually went to. In other words, we have a movie about a criminal couple that has a considerable difference of power that one would be surprised to see from its time - a robber that might brandish a big weapon but is a meek man defined by the person behind him. It doesn't exactly raise any new heights to the gangster genre, but there is something affable about its grip in tension when it comes to the dynamic between Bronson and Cabot in the drive for the elusive "more". Bronson would find his mark with steely roles in later years, but there is something curious about what he manages to do when it comes to making Kelly out into a somewhat complicated being. That isn't to say that he is turned into a man of sympathy, but there is something here that seems raw and relevant in the way one would see a junkyard dog on and off its leash (the pace of violence isn't too gratuitous either, which actually matches up with its title character well - aside from the moments where there's a tiger present to spook up folks scared of big cats with teeth). Cabot called this film the most satisfactory of the six that she made with Corman, and it isn't hard to see why. She does quite well here, devastating in her zeal when it comes to maneuvering the machinations that come from acting as part of the one-two punch when it comes to wheeling and dealing. In other words, she doesn't become or chew the scenery to the detriment of the film (which can happen in weaker films that only have one thing in mind). She compliments the criminal aspect of this tandem with a show of composure that plays on instinct when it comes to impulse. The movie relies on these two playing that dynamic for 80 minutes that generally works out; that isn't to say the other actors aren't anything special, but I think you know what I mean when it comes to a weary man if his weapon is missing (besides, hearing about a guy losing his arm to a tiger is probably more memorable than a kid being a hostage). The fear of death isn't exactly something that one can make fun of in any case, especially when one thinks of the choices made to get where they are in that moment, which could happen to you just as much as what happens here. As a whole, while it certainly plays fast and loose with facts, the fact that it tries to play around with the idea of not needing a blaze of glory moment combined with Bronson and Cabot make for a far more interesting movie than what it could have been. It moves with the shadows for clean-cut pulp that certainly can make for quite a guilty pleasure. 

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Cairo Station.

Review #1398: Cairo Station.

Cast: 
Farid Shawqi (Abu Siri), Hind Rostom (Hannuma), Youssef Chahine (Qinawi), Hassan el Baroudi (Madbouli), Abdel Aziz Khalil (Abu Gaber), and Naima Wasfy (Hallawatim) Directed by Youssef Chahine.

Review: 
“I make my films first for myself. Then for my family. Then for Alexandria. Then for Egypt."

Performers can come from any country or continent, so it should only make sense to finally reach one from Africa, particularly one as prominent in the Arabian world of cinema as Egypt from one of their most known directors in its golden age in Youssef Chahine, who had an interest in the performing arts from a young age, where he showed films from a projector after saving money to the neighborhood youths. Although his parents favored engineering for him, he went abroad to study further into the arts at the Pasadena Playhouse, which he gradated from in 1948. After moving back to his native Egypt, where he made his directorial debut at the age of 23 with Father Amine [Baba Amin] (1950). In a career that spanned 57 years, he would direct over thirty films until his death in 2008, with his films being noted for their look upon social issues throughout the years, generating plenty of controversy alongside attention befitting of auteurs.

This is an interesting film(also known as Bāb al-Ḥadīd), filled with relentless drive and dark passion in its look on a station with its blend of suspense, romance and realism that make a capable thriller drama, an accomplishment for Chahine in terms of acting and directing that most would dream about doing. Shawqi does a fine job with the confident end of this trio, driving one of the social issues the film wants to present with brash drive. Rostom, considered a seduction icon for Egyptian cinema in her time, is quite illuminating with rough passion and sensuality that drives the film capably to the boiling points required, whether that means in selling refreshments or when dealing with her romantic pursuers. Chahine, the key figure of curiosity of a tragic nature, plays things with plenty of conviction and desire, filled with unrelenting tension for more than what was given (or more so not given) to him in life. One seems to feel like they are in the station themselves, where people come and go with their lives to persist on despite how tough or morally challenging it might seem when it comes to survival that brings to mind a few questions worth thinking about themselves and others. It makes for a riveting 77 minutes to see how far the rabbit hole goes in that sense with repression and obsession for survival. It also springs to mind the look of the film, which always seems to be on the move and dark enough like a noir for those tense moments, which makes for a well-executed climax. It was the first film from Egypt to be submitted for consideration for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, although it did not make the shortlist (Egypt has not had one make the cut in 34 attempts). The film did not receive much attention from others (such as with wide distribution), but this daring film has found its own place to endure that make it an interesting curiosity to view all these years later as a fair gem of world cinema.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Gigi (1958).

Review #1397: Gigi.

Cast: 
Leslie Caron (Gilberte "Gigi"), Maurice Chevalier (Honoré Lachaille), Louis Jourdan (Gaston Lachaille), Hermione Gingold (Madame Alvarez), Eva Gabor (Liane d'Exelmans), Jacques Bergerac (Sandomir), Isabel Jeans (Aunt Alicia), and John Abbott (Manuel) Directed by Vincente Minnelli (#405 - The Reluctant Debutante, #510 - Father of the Bride, #620 - Lust for Life, #878 - The Long, Long Trailer, #986 - An American in Paris, and #1031 - Meet Me in St. Louis)

Review:
"I feel that a picture that stays with you is made up of a hundred or more hidden things. They’re things that the audience is not conscious of, but that accumulate."

Style can come in many forms, particularly when it comes to film. Vincente Minnelli was a director noted for his style when it came to film, even if his first directorial effort there was when he was already 40 years old. Minnelli's first job after graduating high school was as a window dresser in a department store, but he later jumped to photography an assistant, which helped him spark interest in the theater due to the work being to photograph actors of the theater district of Chicago. In the theater, he started as a designer for costumes and sets before gradually rising to director and moving locations to New York City, and it was his work there that led to a brief and uneventful time with Paramount Pictures in 1937 and a fruitful chance in 1940 with Metro Goldwyn Mayer that lasted for the next two decades. The person credited with discovering and luring him to MGM was lyricist and producer Arthur Freed, who let his directors have mostly free rein while making musicals for the studio for over two decades, with this being the fourth-to-last film from his iconic Freed Unit. It had a considerable amount of hits and attention, with Freed winning two Academy Awards for Best Picture for this and An American in Paris, while Minnelli won an Academy Award for his direction in this film. In a career that spanned from Cabin in the Sky (1943) to A Matter of Time (1976), he had a style to him that served him well in numerous musicals alongside a few comedies and melodramas over the years, which served him significantly well with this film, so who better to accompany a stylish production like this than French ballerina-turned-MGM musical star Leslie Caron, who had starred in Minnelli's An American in Paris earlier to accompany fellow French actors in Jourdan and cabaret singer/entertainer Maurice Chevalier in a production with a good deal of shooting in Paris.

This was an adaptation of the 1944 novella of the same name by Colette, which had already been turned into a film in 1949 in France along with a stage adaptation two years later (which had a young Audrey Hepburn in the role). Alan Jay Lerner wrote the screenplay for the film along with the lyrics while the music was done by Frederick Loewe and arrangement/conduction by Andre Previn. Lerner and Loewe were known already for their collaboration together on theater productions such as Brigadoon, Paint Your Wagon, and My Fair Lady. These three, alongside Minnelli and Freed, would contribute to the film winning nine Academy Awards (which also included wins for art direction, costume design, cinematography, and editing), while Chevalier received an honorary award. For a film that was found to be appreciated by audiences, it was one that had tinkering before it went into general release, since Lerner and Loewe felt that the pre-screening was a bit too slow with creamy ill-defined music despite audiences rating it favorably. Their appeals to producers for $300,000 to improve the film (with a bluff offer to buy the print for $3 million) led to reshoots (including a re-orchestration), most notably with the "I Remember It Well" number, which was directed by Charles Walters. One also can't forget that the filmmakers had to make sure to approach the subject of courtesans (a word I confess to having to search up) with subtlety. It certainly goes to show the amount of craftsmanship and care it can take to make a grand musical worth viewing, with this being a capable dazzler with something to show for everyone that works itself out effectively enough. Caron excels with charm and innocence, a presence that invites one further without seeming graceless, which also goes to the singing for the character (done by Betty Wand, much to Caron's disappointment) in making these songs come together with warmth. When he is present on screen, Chevalier makes quite an impression on you, a confident and seasoned performance through and through. Jourdan does well in an aimless (or at least bored with a twinkle) but pleasurable balance to Caron, filled with debonair attitude that makes for interesting chemistry. Gingold and Jeans lend a dignified hand in their manner that makes for a few humorous moments (such as during "I Remember It Well", for example). There is a warm quality to the atmosphere of this film, where one almost seems to feel like they are really in Paris with these quirky characters for 115 minutes, from its wonderful costumes to its camerawork. It has endured for over six decades without seeming to require an updated version, timeless in its own right as a key hurrah for musicals in its era and for MGM as a whole for its irresistible charm.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

War of the Satellites.

Review #1042: War of the Satellites.

Cast: 
Dick Miller (Dave Boyer), Susan Cabot (Sybil Carrington), Richard Devon (Dr. Pol Van Ponder), Eric Sinclair (Dr. Howard Lazar), Michael Fox (Jason ibn Akad), Robert Shayne (Cole Hotchkiss), and Jered Barclay (John Compo) Directed by Roger Corman (#368 - The Little Shop of Horrors, #684 - It Conquered the World, #852 - The Terror, #931 - Not of This Earth, #1007 - Attack of the Crab Monsters, and #1039 - Five Guns West)

Review: 
Today happens to be the 60th Anniversary of the launch of Explorer 1, the first satellite launched by the United States. As such, I figured that it would make sense to a science fiction film involving space from that year, and thus this came up for viewing. Enjoy!

It is interesting to see how many space films one can encounter that attempted to benefit from the Space Age, with this one being an independent film (distributed by Allied Artist) from Roger Corman (who also has a small part in the film as a Ground Control member), who certainly makes films worth talking about, for better or worse. This was released on May 18, 1958, four months after the launch of Explorer 1 and seven months after the launch of Sputnik 1. This time around, the plot revolves around a mysterious group of aliens trying to stop humans from exploring space through exploding their satellites by some sort of space barrier. The title of the film is a bit strange considering that the film doesn't have any sort of war between satellites, but I digress. As a science fiction film, it isn't anything too special for the genre, but it isn't anything too patronizing nor anything too ridiculous, with a villain that has a few interesting moments. The characters aren't anything too developed, although the actors at least make them see fairly passable and useful to watch. Miller and Cabot make for a decent pairing, but a good part of the film utilizes Devon to a satisfactory effect. There isn't too much with the special effects, but they are fairly passable when on screen, such as the effect that is utilized for the healing of a hand wound that seems fairly clever. The sets (such as the ship's interior) are also fairly serviceable, making for something that doesn't come off as anything too cheap. The film doesn't go for anything too ridiculous or too schlocky, having a concentrated feel that is somewhat intriguing. It may have some of the cliches you might see in other sci-fi movies, but it at least makes an effort to gel those together to make something worth watching at least once. At 66 minutes, this is a fairly quick movie that will certainly satisfy anyone with tastes for some science fiction or something with a bit of entertainment to it, which this one does fairly well. If you're a fan of Roger Corman movies, or a fan of sci-fi in any kind of form (low budget or not), this one will fit fairly well for your standards.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Space Master X-7.

Review #1017: Space Master X-7.

Cast: 
Bill Williams (John Hand), Lyn Thomas (Laura Greeling), Robert Ellis (Pvt. Joe Rattigan), Paul Frees (Dr. Charles T. Pommer), Rhoda Williams (Stewardess Archer), Joan Barry (Jean Meyers), Carol Varga (Elaine Frohman), Thomas Browne Henry (Prof. West), and Thomas Wilde (Collins) Directed by Edward Bernds.

Review: 
How many science fiction films can one watch before they seem to run all-together? I guess that depends on the level of patience one has for the premise or the time that it was made in. After all, the film (originally known as Missile into Space) was released in June of 1958, four months after Explorer 1 launched. If you're wondering what the monster of the movie is, it turns out to be a fungus that when tinged with human blood, it turns into a pile of "space rust" that grows exponentially while also being spread through human contact. I will admit that this is an interesting premise, although the film is more about the woman that unknowingly is exposed to the fungus while trying to go from Los Angeles to Honolulu, with narration that accompanies her movements while trying to evade the authorities. In that case, it feels more like a detective drama than a sci-fi film, and it doesn't help that there is only one victim during the film. In fact, there is no real villain (like a mad scientist or anything) for the film, aside from the "space rust" of course, so it's a chase movie without too much thrill to it. That's not to say that this is a lifeless movie, but this is likely a movie you could watch right before going to bed late one night, which is a double-edged sword in it of itself. 

The film was made by Regal Films, though it was distributed by 20th Century Fox. The performances of the movie are pretty standard stuff, nothing too riveting or flamboyant, although I will say that Frees (known for his numerous roles involving voices) is one of the more noteworthy parts, serving to deliver the exposition of the fungus. The other noteworthy aspect is an appearance from Moe Howard (best known as one of the Three Stooges) in a rare non-comedic role, appearing as a cab driver (with accompanying hat). His son-in-law, Norman Maurer, ended up designing the special effects of the space fungus due to Howard's help in getting Maurer a position to work on the film, with the ensuing effects costing just $1,000. The effect isn't anything too spectacular, but it gets the job done for what the film wants (and it's admirable to have effects done for a price that wouldn't really be done for films nowadays). On the whole, this is a movie that comes and goes like something you watch to fill the time, not really worthy of any harsh criticism or much attention span. Of note is that the film was released as part of a double bill with The Fly (#710), so I guess if you ever encountered both of the films, you would get at least one good time.  Obviously I wouldn't recommend it, but I guess if you really want a fix of sci-fi and detective drama...then go ahead, I guess.

In any case, tomorrow is a new month. The final one of the year, so hopefully I find some fun things to watch and review for you folks.

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

Review #871: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

Cast:
Elizabeth Taylor (Margaret "Maggie/Maggie the Cat" Pollitt), Paul Newman (Brick Pollitt), Burl Ives (Harvey "Big Daddy" Pollitt), Judith Anderson (Ida "Big Mama" Pollitt), Jack Carson (Cooper "Gooper" Pollitt), Madeleine Sherwood (Mae Flynn "Sister Woman" Pollit), and Larry Gates (Dr. Baugh) Directed by Richard Brooks

Review:
Can't say I expected to do this one (based off the play of the same name by Tennessee Williams, who already had his play A Streetcar Named Desire adapted into a film earlier in the decade), but sometimes college and this show mesh together (as opposed to being on different ends). At best, it is an alright movie, up to the standard of films of the time, though it isn't likely one of my favorites. Taylor and Newman certainly have fine chemistry together (even in scenes not so pleasant), with a fair amount of screen time dedicated to the two. It takes time to get interesting (with the plot and all, especially with lengthy scenes setting up the main characters), but the climax is fairly serviceable. The big highlight (and where it gets fun) is Burl Ives, who practically steals the show after he appears midway through. His insults are edged entertainingly, but he's not completely without some sort of humanity, and he does well to contribute the climax. The rest of the cast do an adequate job in their roles, having some sort of arc that works. The sets are also pretty fine, and the movie flows well at about 100 minutes. If you're looking for a fairly adequate adaptation of a play, I think this will work for you, as opposed to Williams, who reportedly told people waiting to see it that "This movie will set the industry back 50 years. Go home!" Regardless, while I don't think I'll watch it in the near future again, I think it is at least fine as its own thing. It has enough drama and atmosphere to work just neatly enough.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Fiend Without a Face.

Review #853: Fiend Without a Face.

Cast:
Marshall Thompson (Major Jeff Cummings), Kynaston Reeves (Professor R. E. Walgate), Michael Balfour (Sergeant Kasper), Kim Parker (Barbara Griselle), Terry Kilburn (Captain Al Chester), Gil Winfield (Captain Warren, M.D.), Shane Cordell (Nurse), and Stanley Maxted (Colonel G. Butler) Directed by Arthur Crabtree.

Review:
This was an independent movie made in England (though set in Canada) based upon the short story "The Thought Monster" by Amelia Reynolds Long, about an invisible life form that feeds upon atomic power...and brains. As hokey as this could have been, there is a sort of enjoyment in watching stop motion effects being utilized with this invisible "fiend", and a plot that moves fairly quick...which does indeed have monsters carried by thoughts. There is something interesting about this invisible monster and that strange sound it makes when moving around and stalking these people, which is slightly amusing but also clever. Thompson isn't too bad of a lead, being as fine as the movie allows him to be. The rest of the cast is alright, though the real fun is the climax, where they battle the monsters. The last 15 minutes is when the movie gets really interesting, in part because of the fact that the monsters become visible...as brains with spinal cords. The movie never comes off as too serious or ridiculous, falling around the middle with enough sense to let itself be and show some wonder and delightful horror, especially when one of the monsters gets hit with a hammer. There's just something weird and wild about this climax that just makes for so much fun, much like good b-movies do. The liquid effects are also pretty clever, in a movie that manages to be nifty and workable in being a serviceable atomic flick workable for anyone.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

The Return of Dracula.

Review #848: The Return of Dracula.

Cast
Francis Lederer (Count Dracula / Bellac Gordal), Norma Eberhardt (Rachel Mayberry), Ray Stricklyn (Tim Hansen), John Wengraf (John Merriman), Virginia Vincent (Jennie Blake), Gage Clarke (Reverend Doctor Whitfield), Jimmy Baird (Mickey Mayberry), Greta Granstedt (Cora Mayberry), and Enid Yousen (Frieda) Directed by Paul Landres.

Review
Four years to the day since I reviewed Dracula (1958, #258), I decided it was time to review the other Dracula film released that same year, with this one produced by Gramercy Pictures (no relation to the current studio of that name) and released by United Artists. This was released in April of 1958, a month before the Hammer production of Dracula was released in America. The plot structure has some resemblance to Shadow of a Doubt, though I didn't think I'd see Dracula roaming the streets of a small town in California (one of my favorite lines is the mother suggesting her daughter to cut class in order to escort "Cousin Bellac" around town). While the movie is low budget, there is at least some fairly good camerawork and camera shots on Dracula are satisfying to look at. To be honest, I didn't really have kind of expectation for this film before seeing it. I hadn't heard of Francis Lederer, and I wondered how he would try to provide his own spin on the role. After all, the Dracula character is such an interesting one to see people try and carry their own flair, with the Lugosi and Lee ones being the most notable. Lederer does fine in the role, making a serviceable effort. He isn't inherently memorable, but he is at least better than a stage version of Dracula, one might say. It should be noted that he would play the role once more in an episode (named "The Devil Is Not Mocked") of Night Gallery (created by Rod Serling) thirteen years later. One thing I really didn't expect was that apparently Dracula can transform people he attacks into dogs (I guess it's better than just having them being zombie like). Then again I guess the mythos of Dracula always seems to have strange things included, so take it for what it is. The climax is fairly decent, with a surprise shot of color that certainly sticks out in a nice way, with a fairly decent way to have Dracula killed. It isn't anything monumental, but it is at least a serviceable horror film. It's not better than the Hammer Dracula film, but it is at least something one should at least consider watching around Halloween time, even if just for a look.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

The Fly.

Review #710: The Fly.

Cast
David Hedison (Andre Delambre), Patricia Owens (Helene Delambre), Vincent Price (Francois Delambre), Herbert Marshall (Inspector Charas), Kathleen Freeman (Emma), Betty Lou Gerson (Nurse Andersone), and Charles Herbert (Philippe Delambre) Directed by Kurt Neumann.

Review
The 1950s were a time for movies about science experiments (with a good portion involving atomic weapons) and how even the best intended experiments can go wrong. This is a movie that has really good actors that make for good entertainment, especially Vincent Price, who as usual is enjoyable to watch. Hedison and Owens do a pretty good job together, especially in one of the more iconic scenes of the movie, where Hedison's character reveals the result of his experiment to his wife. It's a chilling scene that also looks really good to watch, mainly due to the way the laboratory is lit, dark in some spots and lighted in others, which gives a really good contrast. The effects themselves are good, and it is used to good effect at the end of the movie, which ends pretty surprisingly. The movie takes itself seriously and doesn't really become too schlocky for itself, while having good moments.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Screaming Skull.

Review #654: The Screaming Skull.

Cast
John Hudson (Eric Whitlock), Peggy Webber (Jenni Whitlock), Russ Conway (Edward Snow), Tony Johnson (Mrs. Snow), and Alex Nicol (Mickey) Directed by Alex Nicol.

Review
Like I said back in the last review, the title says all you need to know about the movie. Actually, wait a moment, the opening scene telling people that the climax of the movie may actually kill them while offering free funeral processions is the icing on the cake. I was not aware that skulls could scream, so that's something to know, I guess. To say this movie is silly is an understatement. It actually does have some good laughs in it, the idea that a skull apparently terrorizes a couple and just randomly shows up is pretty quirky. Yes, the skull screams, though that's actually more amusing to type out then to watch. My favorite part is when the skull is superimposed onto the screen, as if making larger makes it terrifying, which is then followed by the skull...biting someone's neck. To be fair, at least the film tries its hardest to be spooky, and it does flow pretty well for a movie that last barely an hour. The film was directed by Alex Nicol, who also stars in the film as well, and he was apparently happy with the result: "I liked it; it had some nice dolly shots, a good atmosphere. So I was happy with that; it was a nice change from the films I'd been doing." Is it nice that even in a silly 50s film like this, there is at least one person who had fun while doing it, and had fun doing it for the production sake as well. The only reason to see the movie? For Spook-tober, obviously. But oh well.

Overall, I give it 4 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.

Review #613: Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.

Cast
Allison Hayes (Nancy Archer), William Hudson (Harry Archer), Yvette Vickers (Honey Parker), Roy Gordon (Dr. Isaac Cushing), George Douglas (Sheriff Dubbitt), Ken Terrell (Jess Stout), Otto Waldis (Dr. Heinrich Von Loeb), Eileen Stevens (Nurse), Michael Ross (Tony the Bartender / Space Giant), and Frank Chase (Deputy Charlie) Directed by Nathan H. Juran.

Review

When you're watching a movie called Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, you know the movie's probably bad, but at least it's 50s bad, which I guess is okay. But this? Oh boy. The movie could be picked apart easily, by anyone, but let's not dwell on that too much. The movie was released on the heels of other movies released around the time based on size changing, such as The Amazing Colossal Man and The Incredible Shrinking Man (#420), except made on a lower budget. The actors are okay, I suppose, but come on, we all came to see when the 50 Foot Woman appears. And...it takes a hour to happen. Now granted, it does seem hypocritical to criticize it for taking a while to show the monster when praising Jaws for doing that. What's the main difference though? Jaws had actual tension, while this film has absolutely no tension, though lasting an hour doesn't help. But how are the effects? Hokey as can be, but for a movie like this, they fit the movie well. It's an oddball movie that is laughable, but endurable for all its flaws (Elephant syringe? Why does she look only 30 ft tall? Why did TCM show this in the afternoon and not at late night?), but perfect for anyone wanting to waste/spend a hour.

Overall, I give it 3 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Revenge of Frankenstein.

Review #469: The Revenge of Frankestein.

Cast
Peter Cushing (Baron Victor Frankenstein/Dr. Victor Stein/Dr. Franck), Francis Matthews (Hans Kleve), Eunice Gayson (Margaret), Oscar Quitak (Karl), Michael Gwynn (Frankenstein's Monster), John Welsh (Bergman), and Lionel Jeffries (Fritz) Directed by Terence Fisher (#257 - The Curse of Frankenstein, #258 - Dracula (1958), and #272 - The Hound of the Baskervilles)

Review
It has been exactly one year since I reviewed The Curse of Frankenstein, the first of seven in the Hammer Frankenstein series, released a year before this film. Cushing's back, with an entirely new cast, and new locations...that were used in Dracula (1958), both of which happened to be released in the same year. Frankenstein seems to not know a good disguise, since he uses parts of his name not once, but twice, but I guess time is of the essence, especially in this film, taking no time to establish everything, including how Frankenstein escapes execution...off screen. Yes, it's learned later of how he escapes, but still...off screen? The monster isn't as wrapped up as Lee's monster beforehand, but it does certainly look imposing, and while it may not have too many scares, Cushing does his usual best and the cast isn't too bad, the film is a fine, if not flawless sequel to the first film.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.