THE PURPLE MONSTER STRIKES

Dennis Moore and Linda Stirling

THE PURPLE MONSTER STRIKES (15-chapter Republic serial/1945). Directors: Spencer Gordon Bennet; Fred C. Brannon. Colorized. 

A malevolent visitor from Mars who is inexplicably called the "Purple Monster" (Roy Barcroft) kills scientist Cyrus Layton (James Craven), and inhabits his corpse -- when he isn't in his own body -- as he goes about his deadly business. His main goal is to steal an interplanetary jet plane that will get him back to Mars so he can lead a major invasion force. Working against him are Layton's niece, Sheila (Linda Stirling, and agent Craig Foster (Dennis Moore). Working with the Purple Monster are would-be extortionist Hodge Garrett (Bud Geary) and -- briefly -- the Martian witch Marcia (Mary Moore), who tries to throw Sheila off of a cliff. 

Dennis Moore in a death trap

The Purple Monster Strikes is another lively Republic cliffhanger that moves at a breakneck pace, has an exciting musical score that bolsters every scene, action-packed fisticuffs in which every bit of furniture is broken as the antagonists literally hurl themselves at each other, and some memorable cliffhangers. Foster nearly falls to his death when a ladder is toppled in chapter one; a car in a garage plummets down onto the hero in chapter eight; and a clever phone trap has Foster nearly punctured by sharp rods when iron bars come down from the ceiling. Meanwhile Sheila nearly drowns when she falls into a room through a trapdoor, a room that rapidly fills with rushing water. 

Roy Barcroft and Bud Geary

However, if you're expecting logic be warned that it is not in great supply in this serial. For instance, in the aforementioned sequence there is simply no reason why a kindly professor would have such a secret room under the floor in his laboratory. The whole business with Tony (Anthony Warde), a supposedly blind associate of Garrett's, doesn't make much sense. The actors go through their paces with professionalism, although Stirling mostly seems bored. Handsome Moore is a stalwart hero, however. Craven and Barcroft show why they were both much in demand for serial action. John Davidson appears a couple of times as the Emperor of Mars, as does Ken Terrell as another bad guy. Stuntman and actor Bud Geary had nearly 300 credits in serials, westerns, and other types of movies, generally playing nasty gunsels. 

Verdict: Fun cliffhanger from Republic! ***. 

FACES IN THE DARK

Mai Zetterling and John Gregson

FACES IN THE DARK (1960). Director: David Eady. Colorized. 

Richard Hammond (John Gregson of Fright) is a gruff and unpleasant developer who is working on a revolutionary new light bulb called the Apollo. This bulb explodes, blinding Hammond. His wife, Christiane (Mai Zetterling), who was about to divorce Richard, decides to stay and take care of him, and she takes him for a rest stay at their place in Cornwall. Other guests and residents include Richard's mistreated business partner, David (Michael Denison), Richard's irresponsible brother, Max (John Ireland of Gunslinger), the chauffeur Clem (Tony Wright of The House in Marsh Road), and the maid Janet (Nanette Newman of The Painted Smile). Richard actually seems to be adjusting to his vision loss rather well, but then he gets the notion that things in the household just aren't right. Is he being paranoid or mentally unstable, as his wife suggests, or is he truly the victim of a diabolical plot?

Gregson with Tony Wright

Faces in the Dark is based on a novel by the authors of the source material for Les Diaboliques and Vertigo. It is also a tricky suspense tale that will keep you wondering exactly what is going on in the background. Gregson gives an excellent performance, perfectly convincing in his blindness, and remaining true to his grumpy characterization throughout, although he eventually becomes pitiful. Zetterling, Denison and the others are all on target, with the exception of Ireland, who gives a surprisingly  perfunctory performance. Although the film lacks the slick quality and pacing of other British thrillers of the period, it's great in its depiction of the harrowing struggle of Richard to uncover the truth, whatever it may be, and survive. The movie makes clear, as Richard states, that a blind person is easily fooled by his enemies. 

Verdict: Solid lead and supporting performances help bolster this interesting suspense film. ***. 

COLD PREY

COLD PREY (aka Fritt Vilt/2006). Director: Roar Uthaug.

Five young people in Norway go off on a ski weekend, but the trouble begins when one of them, Morten (Rolf Kristian Larsen), breaks his leg. The group seeks shelter in what turns out to be an abandoned ski resort, which happens to have one unfortunate, and homicidal, occupant in the basement. It isn't long [actually it's rather long] before the skiers are fighting for their lives against this menacing stranger. The main problem with Cold Prey  -- which might be considered Norway's answer to the Friday the 13th mad slasher franchise  -- is that the first half is staggeringly tedious, showing us these standard horny teens in much too much detail. On the other hand, all that detail does let us distinguish one from the other, which helps you care a bit about [or at least know] who's being fricasseed when the slaughter begins. What saves the movie is a fairly solid second half, which is exciting and well-directed and greatly abetted by the performances of the talented cast, with Larsen and Ingrid Borsal Berdal (as Jannicke) taking top honors. There's a striking and suspenseful climax near a crevasse as well. The movie does feature some by-now very familiar elements, including a lone female survivor taking care of the killer a la all those American slasher films. Gore-geeks will be disappointed as the film doesn't rely too much on sickening graphic details. The movie has had two sequels so far.

Verdict: You've seen it all before, but once it gets going it's quite well done. ***.

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS Part One/Part Two

Senior Batman vs eternally young Superman

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS Part One/Part Two (/Video/2012 - 2013). Director: Jay Oliva.

Based on Frank Miller's graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns, this two-part animated feature looks at the dark side and older years of Batman/Bruce Wayne. Batman has not appeared in Gotham city for a decade, but the threat of a homicidal gang that calls itself the Mutants, and whose activities are becoming more and more violent, bring him out of retirement. Eventually this brings him into conflict with the Gotham police department, which gets a new female commissioner in part two, and then with Superman in the final sequences. Taking care of the Mutants with blunt brutality, something the police were not able to do, makes the now-senior Batman a hero in the eyes of some Gothamites, and a fascist in others, such as the Joker's nutty psychiatrist, who thinks Batman is the real sociopath and is responsible for villains like the Joker. This is all played out before a backdrop of social and political commentary. A new, very young female Robin named Carrie at first seems like a frivolous character, as she comes out of nowhere and seems to have had absolutely no training, but she grows on you after awhile. There's more than one suggestion that the Joker in this might be gay -- his final confrontation with Batman is in a Tunnel of Love! -- as well as other sexually ambiguous characters, but whether this is to give them added color or is mere LGBT exploitation is debatable. [One villainess has a butch haircut and swastikas painted on her naked, substantial breasts!] Peter Weller makes a fine Batman, with David Selby also notable as Commissioner Gordon, and other voice roles are well cast.The animation is fluid and Oliva's direction is fast-paced and cinematic. This is not your father's Batman.

Verdict: Sometimes thought-provoking, sometimes childish, but it holds the attention. ***.

THE CARD PLAYER

THE CARD PLAYER (aka Il cartaio/2004). Director: Dario Argento.

A maniac who kidnaps women wants to play poker with the police with the stakes being the life of the woman he holds captive, all played out over the Internet. Rome police inspector Anna Mari (Stefania Rocca) and John Brennan (Liam Cunningham) from Interpol are the team trying to find the women and stop the "card player;" they enlist the aid of a young poker expert named Remo (Silvio Muccino). The Card Player is different from a lot of Argento's shockers in that it's a fairly straight-forward crime thriller, which boasts a tense, exciting climax on the train tracks. It is also a lot better than some of the other films Argento made during this later period. Some Argento fans -- gore geeks -- hated it because it wasn't gruesome enough.

Verdict: Absorbing and suspenseful for the most part. ***.

20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH

The little Ymir with Joan Taylor and Frank Puglia

20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH (1957). Director: Nathan Juran. 

An expedition from Venus crash lands on earth off the coast of Sicily and dislodges a life form indigenous to that planet, a tiny lizard-like creature with claws and a tail, and a taste for sulfur. Exposed to our environment, the creature quickly grows larger and larger until it is captured, then escapes from a lab to wreak havoc in Rome. The expedition's only survivor, Colonel Robert Calder (William Hopper), sets out to re-capture or kill the beast, although he hopes it can be studied so that future astronauts can survive Venus' deadly environment. 

The Venusian beast advances ... 

20 Million Miles to Earth is special effects man Ray Harryhausen's show all the way, as the lively and well-animated stop-motion monster is the true star of the movie and gets a great deal of footage. Its battle with a dog and a farmer in a barn is notable, as is its escape from the lab in Rome, its fight with an angry elephant, and its exciting and destructive pathway through Rome. The film makes very good use of such locations as the Coliseum, which figures in the finale. 

The ymir gets real big 

While this doesn't diminish the film's entertainment value very much, one might wish it had a better score, and that William Hopper -- although he was fine as Paul Drake on Perry Mason -- was a bit more interesting and dramatic as the leading man. As the female lead, a budding lady doctor named Marisa, Joan Taylor is a bit more peppery. Perhaps the acting honors should go to Frank Puglia, who plays her zoologist grandfather, and to little Bart Braverman as Pepe, who finds the creature when it is still inside its gelatinous sheath, and gets enough money from Marisa's grandpop to buy himself a cowboy hat. Don Orlando also makes an impression as Pepe's father, Mondello. Thomas Browne Henry is on hand as a major-general. If you missed Arthur Space it's probably because he plays a doctor on the expedition who has a disfiguring disease and dies early on in the story. 

Ymir vs elephant

At one point a scientist explains that the beast from Venus has no heart or lungs, but there is no explanation for why it appears to be clearly breathing with its chest rising and falling. One supposes it has a completely different inner structure. Ray Harryhausen, who has a silent cameo in the film, always referred to the Venusian monster as a "ymir," although it is never referred to that way in the film. I watched the colorized, remastered version of the movie, and I must say it was a treat to see it in that format. 

Verdict: Monster vs Rome with the Army intervening. ***. 

THE STRANGE WORLD OF PLANET X

Gaby Andre trapped by a big bug!

THE STRANGE WORLD OF PLANET X (aka The Cosmic Monster/1958). Director: Gilbert Gunn. Colorized.  

In a small British town, the egocentric Dr. Laird (Alec Mango) -- aided by the American Gil Graham (Forrest Tucker of The Crawling Eye) -- is using a machine to transform the properties of elements, a machine that produces a magnetic field that may be expanding far beyond the confines of the laboratory. The beautiful new French assistant, Michelle (Gaby Andre),  seemingly falls in love with the gruff, barely-attractive Gil within five minutes, and vice versa. An outer space visitor who calls himself "Smith" (Martin Benson) warns the both of them that the machine has caused a rift in the ionosphere that has let in cosmic rays that will not only drive some men crazy, but negatively effect the fast breeders, such as insects. On this he is quite correct, as it isn't long before the nearby Briarly Woods is full of giant, hungry, chomping, voracious bugs of all kinds!

Hugh Latimer, Martin Benson, Forrest Tucker

The Strange World of Planet X (Planet X actually turns out to be Earth, as our visitor tells us) is a riot of gruesome close-up bug footage, UFOs, maniacs wandering in the woods, little girls finding huge insect eggs and being told to "boil" them, and a great climax where both Michelle and the new school teacher, Helen (Patricia Sinclair) are trapped in the woods at the same time by huge insects, with Michelle caught in a spider's web and waiting her turn as the arachnid devours a writhing beetle, and Helen caught inside the school house as bugs try to crash through the door and windows. 

Andre and Tucker

At the halfway point, Strange World transforms from a talky if interesting look at a dangerous scientific experiment into, I believe, England's only entry in the big bug sweepstakes that was begun with Them. The actors are all quite professional, spouting the pseudo-scientific talk with utter conviction, and even Tucker sounds as if he has a brain. Others in the cast include Hugh Latimer and Geoffrey Chater as officials who are concerned about Laird's experiments and his lack of concern over what could -- and does -- go wrong. The movie was very loosely based on a novel by Rene Ray (it was also turned into a British TV serial that is now lost) that apparently did not have any giant insects in it. The movie is crude and low-budget, but effective, and the big bugs are even more disgusting in color. You can read about this film and others like it in my tome Creature Features: Nature Turned Nasty in the Movies. 

Verdict: Perhaps the most gruesome of the giant insect movies. ***. 

GOLIATH AND THE DRAGON

Mark Forest as Goliath

GOLIATH AND THE DRAGON (aka La vendetta di ercole/1960). Director: Vittorio Cattafavi.

King Eurystheus (Broderick Crawford of Adventures of Nick Carter) covets the kingdom of Thebes and hopes to get it away from the heroic Emilius, who is popularly known as Goliath (Mark Forest of Goliath and the Sins of Babylon). Goliath objects to his brother Illo's (Sandro Moretti) romantic relationship with Thea (Federica Ranchi) because he believes her parents murdered his own. But Illo is convined that Goliath is in love with Thea despite the fact that the muscle man is  married to Dejanira (Leonora Ruffo). In Eurystheus' court there is a sinisterly conspiring courtier, Tindaro (Giancarlo Sbragia), and an equally conspiratorial slave girl named Alcinoe (Wandisa Guida). Before the soap opera can get too thick, there are brief appearances by a phony, fire-breathing three-headed dog, a kind of winged bat-creature in a costume, and a pitiful stuffed bear that doesn't even appear to be alive. And more.

Broderick Crawford and Giancarlo Sbragia

Goliath must enter the Cave of Horror on two occasions: to get back a blood diamond given to him by the Gods, and to rescue his wife from a dragon. This pathetic dragon, which appears on two occasions, is strictly of the Beanie and Cecil variety, with a couple of brief, crude stop-motion shots that would have had Ray Harryhausen crying "foul!" and a big mock-up of its cranium with limited mobility. An interesting sequence has the king using elephants to crush the heads of his enemies (not shown graphically) and Goliath arriving not only to save his brother -- the next victim -- but to lift up the elephant's leg and topple it to the ground (this actually seems to be done by the muscular Forest without the aid of camera trickery). It's hard to judge the acting in this due to the dubbing -- we don't get to hear Crawford's trademark gravelly voice, nor Forest's Brooklyn-born intonations (he looks great in a beard) -- but everyone seems enthusiastic enough, especially Sbragia. The score for the American version is a real hodge-podge. Gaby Andre of The Strange World of Planet X has a very small role. The original title for this was Hercules' Revenge. 

Verdict: If you're looking for decent monsters in this peplum film, look elsewhere. **. 

PHANTOMS

Ben Affleck as the sheriff

PHANTOMS (1998). Director: Joe Chappelle.  

Dr. Jennifer Pailey (Joanna Going) and her younger sister, Lisa (Rose McGowan), arrive in Snowfield where Jennifer has her practice, and discover that the residents are either dead or missing. Sheriff Hammond (Ben Affleck), Deputy Wargle (Liev Schreiber), and others come to investigate, and eventually there are a team of scientists, military personnel, and Timothy Flyte (Peter O'Toole), a writer for a supermarket tabloid who has also penned a tome entitled "The Ancient Enemy." Flyte's theory, which increasingly seems to be true, is that a centuries-old intelligent being that periodically ingests vanished colonies and even civilizations (like the Mayans), has devoured most of the town and is now sadistically playing with those who remain, pretending to be Satan. 

Rose McGowan and Joanna Going

Dean Koontz adapted his own novel, and had to scrap some characters and notions (although the movie could have used another half hour or worked better as a mini-series). Viewers who have never read the chilling novel may like this better, but those familiar with the book will probably be disappointed. Although there are some well-handled scenes, the movie actually becomes a bit boring. The climax lacks the impact of the book, and the movie has even more of a problem than the novel disguising the fact that this is just another variation on The Blob, Caltiki, the Immortal Monster, and -- especially true of the cinematic adaptation -- John Carpenter's version of The Thing. Affleck does okay as the sheriff, while the ladies aren't always convincing trying to react with fear or shock to the variety of horrors. Schreiber probably comes off best as the sleazy deputy who comes back from the dead. O'Toole does what he can with the material. 

Verdict: Has good moments, but the ultimate result is ... meh. **1/2. 

AIR PATROL

Willard Parker

AIR PATROL (1962). Director: Maury Dexter. 

A painting worth $350,000 is stolen from a gallery. Since a copter was used in the robbery, Lt. Vern Taylor (Willard Parker of Naked Gun) calls in Sgt. Castle (Robert Dix) of Air Patrol for assistance. Suspects include the gallery owner Murcott (John Holland); his testy secretary, Mona (Merry Anders of The Hypnotic Eye); ex-movie star Millard Nolan, a former owner of the painting (Douglass Dumbrille of King of the Mounties); and a pilot named Dunning (Ivan Bonar). 

Merry Anders

It's a question why Twentieth-Century Fox decided to film this short black and white production in CinemaScope, as the script is distinctly minor-league, like a television pilot for a cop show. However, at least the flick takes advantage of Los Angeles locations, including the Sepulveda Dam and drain tunnels and the Hollywood Bowl. The chase sequence at the end has minimal suspense because none of the good guys or gals are in danger, only the villain of the piece. While the acting is generally good, sometimes the performances give the impression that the actors were handed the script only a few minutes before shooting. Russ Bender of Anatomy of a Psycho is also in the film and plays a cop. Maury Dexter also directed Surf Party. 

Verdict: Acceptable crime drama is nothing special. **1/2. 

SCREAM 7

Ghostface on the loose!

SCREAM 7 (2026). Co-written and directed by Kevin Williamson. 

Sidney (Neve Campbell) has relocated to the new town of Pine Grove with her sheriff husband Mark (Joel McHale) and teenage daughter, Tatum (Isabel May). Then Sidney begins to get video calls from Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard), one of the killers in the original Scream. But hasn't Stu been dead for years? When the killings start again with a new Ghostface on the loose, Sidney and old pal Gail Weathers (Courteney Cox) team up to investigate if Stu is somehow still alive or if someone else is hiding behind AI-generated deep fakes. 

Victims: Tatum (right) and her pals

Scream 7 is a fast-paced, often thrilling, and quite suspenseful slasher flick with generally good performances. The best sequences are the prologue with a young couple running into trouble in a house that commemorates the murders back in Hillsboro, and a sequence in which a poor victim in a bar is sort of turned into a beer spigot. Usually the Scream movies are comparatively restrained and tasteful, but a gross and sadistic sequence in a theater features a graphic disembowelment that might be more at home in one of those Terrifier movies. The motive for the gruesome murders, as many others have noted, is so lame as to be laughable, but fortunately it doesn't ruin the movie. Although the Scream flicks were originally black comedies with as many jokes as screams, this installment -- aside from the dumb finale -- is basically played more or less straight. As usual the film glosses over the utter misery faced by the loved ones of the victims left in the wake of the maniac. Campbell and Cox also appeared in 2022's Scream. Mason Gooding, one of Gail Weathers' team, was also in the slasher flick Heart Eyes. 

Verdict: Still fun despite its flaws. ***. 

BARE BONES # 26

BARE BONES 26. Spring 2026. Edited by Peter Enfantino and John Scoleri. 

Here we've got a fresh crop of new articles on the rare, the obscure, and the fascinating in movies, television, comics and more. This edition revisits the Boston Blackie film series starring Chester Morris (written by Tim Lucas), Douglas E. Winter investigates Poe's "Black Cat" and the Italian horror film; Peter Enfantino reviews paperbacks in "Sleaze Alley;" yours truly looks back at the old TV series Dangerous Assignment starring the gruff Brian Donlevy; plus pieces on MacKenna's Gold; Dell first editions; Doctor Death; and more by Stephen Bisette, Stephen Laws, David J. Schow and others. 

You can order Bare Bones 26 directly from Amazon. Great reading! 

21 BEACON STREET

Dennis Morgan

21 BEACON STREET (ABC television series/1959). 13 half-hour episodes. 

Before there was Mission Impossible there was 21 Beacon Street, a very short-lived series that had a similar premise. (Filmways, which owned the rights to the series, sued CBS for copyright infringement.) Private eye Dennis Chase (movie star Dennis Morgan of In This Our Life) and his team -- consisting of Joanna (Joanna Barnes), lawyer and former marine Brian (Brian Kelly) and inventor Jim (James Moloney) -- take on dangerous and difficult assignments and use various tricks to achieve their goals. Most of the episodes were solid "B's" but a few were above average. Jean Yarbrough directed "Double Vision," in which a reporter with info on the mob is thrown out of a window. The gang must secretly get a list with incriminating info out of a racketeer's safe. There is a great scene when Dennis is trapped outside on a windy ledge. The clever "Execution" has an innocent man (Ross Elliott of Tarantula) who was convicted of murdering his wife facing death, and the team must uncover the true murderer. "Safety Deposit" has the group trying to get incriminating love letters from a safety deposit box in Mexico to spare a politician's wife embarrassment. The team film a fake movie in the bank, but as they do so the key to the box gets stuck ... 21 Beacon Street definitely had possibilities, but it's a little too low-key. That mistake was not made with Mission: Impossible, which also has a terrific musical score. This series is on DVD and streaming on Tubi. 

Verdict: A few tense moments, but not enough of them. **1/4. 

THE SOUL OF A MONSTER

Horror Hair: Rose Hobart as Lilyan

THE SOUL OF A MONSTER (1944). Director:  Will Jason. 

A great doctor and humanitarian, George Winson (George Macready), is dying and no one can save him. His wife, Ann (Jeanne Bates), calls on any power, including the power of darkness, to save him. Along comes a mysterious woman named Lilyan (Rose Hobart) with a severe and hideous hairdo, who somehow manages to save George's life. However, everyone -- including his friends and associates Fred (Erik Rolf) and Dr. Vance (Jim Bannon of The Unknown) -- notice that the good doctor has changed and doesn't especially care about people anymore. Ann is convinced that George is under the control of the evil Lilyan, and the witch even tries to get George to murder Dr. Vance. Then George wakes up ...

Jeanne Bates and George Macready

The ending to the pretty terrible Soul of a Monster will have you groaning. The screenplay by Edward Dein -- who was better known as a director [The Leech Woman] -- is ludicrous, with stilted dialogue that would have been a challenge to any actor. Despite this, Rose Hobart manages to make a minimal impression and Macready is almost always on target in his performances. The best you can say about Will Jason's direction is that it is fortunate he did no more horror movies. Dein did write a few more scripts in the genre, which were better than this. The basic effect of the movie is that of a filmed old comic book with little logic and very haphazard storytelling. A near-murder sequence where Macready stalks his friend (who never mentions it to anyone) with an icepick in hand is so protracted  and slow that it becomes more boring than suspenseful. A scene with a boys' choir singing "Ave Maria" is more interesting. 

Verdict: A waste of an interesting idea. *1/4. 

THE THIRTEENTH CHAIR

The great Bela Lugosi

THE THIRTEENTH CHAIR (1929). Director: Tod Browning. 

When playboy Spencer Lee is found stabbed to death, it is suspected he was killed due to his negative writings on the thugee cult. But his old friend Edward Wales (John Davidson of Dick Tracy vs. Crime Inc.) is sure the killer was a woman. At the home of Sir Roscoe Crosby (Holmes Herbert), Wales is present when a medium, Madame LaGrange (Margaret Wycherly), arrives to hold a seance. Others present include Crosby's son Richard (Conrad Nagel), who is engaged to his father's secretary, Nellie (Leila Hyams); his daughter, Helen Trent (Moon Carroll); his wife, Lady Crosby (Mary Forbes); the disbelieving Mary Eastwood (Helene Millard); and others. The seance begins, a scream rings out, the lights go on -- and somebody else has been murdered! Inspector Delzante (Bela Lugosi of Son of Frankenstein) arrives ... 

Conrad Nagel and Leila Hyams

The rather creaky Thirteenth Chair betrays its theatrical origins with its stage-bound quality and generally old-fashioned acting styles. It eventually becomes interesting in a minor way, and it's fun to watch Bela Lugosi adroitly hammering home his accusations as he questions the host and many guests. Margaret Wycherly, repeating her stage role, is excellent, as is Leila Hyams, who plays with comparative restraint, something you certainly couldn't say of the over-the-top Helene Millard. Conrad Nagel acquits himself nicely as he repeatedly protests his fiance's innocence. Not enough is made of the gruesome business of the corpse of the second victim being present at a second seance -- two people are forced to hold hands with a dead body! The film was remade in 1937 and filmed previously in 1919. Two years after this film Browning directed Lugosi in Dracula. 

Verdict: Minor mystery with some good performances and an unexpected conclusion. **1/2. 

DEXTER: RESURRECTION

Michael C. Hall as the ever-delightful Dexter

DEXTER: RESURRECTION (2025). 

Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) , the serial killer who generally only murders other serial killers, did not die at the end of his last mini-series. He survived being shot in the chest by his own son, Harrison (Jack Alcott). Dexter continues to have conversations with his dead father (James Remar) -- a device that is a bit tiresome, frankly -- as he makes his way to Manhattan (!) to see if he can be reunited with his son, who's got himself into a bit of trouble due to his lack of impulse control. Meanwhile, a truly evil serial killer is sawing off the heads of unlucky cab drivers; detectives are looking into the brutal death of a hotel guest/rapist; and Angel Batista (David Zayas), who always suspected colleague Dexter was the Bay Harbor Butcher, is determined to bring him to justice. If that weren't enough, Dexter learns that a strange midget billionaire named Leon Prater (Peter Dinklage) has assembled a group of serial killers for his own weird purposes. Will Dexter bond with these people who have some of the same "urges" as he does -- or kill them?

Jack Alcott as Harrison Morgan

I admit when the midget and his gathering of sickos are introduced I feared that Dexter: Resurrection had gone off the rails. But once I accepted that this storyline was even more far-fetched than usual, I found myself mightily enjoying the series. Hall is a terrific actor, and sheer perfection as Dexter. He is matched by Alcott, Zayas, and Dinklage, and there are also fine performances from Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine as Dexter's friend and landlord, Kadia Saraf as the ever-grim Detective Wallace, and many others. Uma Thurman is also effective as Prater's head of security. Although top-billed with Hall, she doesn't really have that much to do. 

Peter Dinklage

You wouldn't imagine that the subject matter would lend itself to it, but Dexter: Resurrection is as much a (very) black comedy as it is a horror story. (Detective Wallace giving in to her adoration of the Bee Gees' "Staying Alive" from Saturday Night Fever is hilarious.) With a variety of twists, bizarre characters, edge-of-your-seat escapes, and major suspense, Dexter: Resurrection is a winner all the way. It has been renewed for season two, airing in October. 

Verdict: Totally absorbing and oddball series with wonderful performances. ***1/2.

BURKE'S LAW: WHO KILLED CABLE ROBERTS

Paul Lynde

BURKE'S LAW: WHO KILLED CABLE ROBERTS (1963). Director: Jeffrey Hayden. 

Cable Roberts, a big-game hunter who may have been a complete phony, is found dead in his trophy room, propped over a screen that nearly falls on top of the screaming maid (Zsa Zsa Gabor of Country Music Holiday). His personal secretary Arthur Clark (Paul Lynde) -- who is keeping his own secrets -- seems quite distraught over the death, but Roberts' wife Mona (Lizabeth Scott) not only can't be bothered to shed a tear but seems to have no real human reaction other than to blatantly flirt with Homicide Captain Amos Burke (Gene Barry) as if this lass with a pronounced overbite were the most beautiful woman on earth. Burke and his associates -- Detective Tim Tillson (Gary Conway) and Sgt. Les Hart (Regis Toomey of Three for Jamie Dawn) -- talk to numerous suspects, including Roberts' ex-wife Florence (Mary Astor), son Bud (John Saxon), business partner Harry Riggs (Chill Wills of Heartaches), and others. Who done it?

Gerry Conway and Gene Barry

"Who Killed Cable Roberts?" is one of the better episodes of this entertaining, amusing, and often very silly series that ran for two seasons in the sixties before being transformed into Amos Burke, Secret Agent. The acting of the assorted guest-stars in this story is especially notable, with Mary Astor -- no surprise there -- taking top honors along with a terrific Chill Wills. A big surprise is the excellent performance given by Paul Lynde. Although others have called him "campy" in this -- and no one would have blamed him if he had acted that way on this program -- he actually gives an essentially serious dramatic performance and is all the better because of it -- it is really good work. Barry, handsome Conway and Toomey are all at the top of their game as well. 

Verdict: Extra-special episode of this fun series with some fine performances. ***1/4.  

GOLIATH AND THE SINS OF BABYLON

Mark Forest as Goliath

GOLIATH AND THE SINS OF BABYLON (aka Maciste, l'eroe pui grande del mondo/1963). Director: Michele Lupo.  

Having lost a war to Babylon, the price of peace for the nation of Nefer is to have thirty virgins sent to the Babylonian king where they are to be sacrificed. Maciste (Mark Forest) -- known as Goliath in this dubbed American print -- joins a group of rebels who are going to take the fight back to Babylon. One of the rebels is Xandros (Giuliano Gemma), who is in love with the Neferian princess Regia (Jose Greci), the niece of King Pergasos (Piero Lulli). Another one of the rebel group is the midget Areto (Arnaldo Fabrizio) who makes a better soldier than expected. But can they win against the whole Babylonian army?

Guiliano Gemma and Mark Forest

Goliath and the Sins of Babylon is a somewhat more elaborate Italian "peplum" movie although this doesn't prevent it from being somewhat cheesy at times. Born in Brooklyn, Mark Forest makes a handsome and muscularly impressive Goliath. The best scene has him tied to a massive slab as spears drop from holes in the ceiling, nearly puncturing his mostly naked body. The battle sequences are realistically chaotic. The production values are at times impressive, but the sets still look like they were set up the day before filming. It's hard to judge the acting in this sort of thing, but everyone at least looks the part. A good score by Francesco De Masi. 

Verdict: More than passable peblum with some good action scenes. **3/4.   

BLACKOUT (1950)

Maxwell Reed and Dinah Sheridan

BLACKOUT (1950). Director: Robert S. Baker.

Chris Pelley (Maxwell Reed of Shadow of Fear) lost his sight in an accident but is scheduled to have an operation that will restore it. Before that he goes to an appointment and discovers that he has entered the wrong flat and  even stumbled over a dead body. The body disappears and nobody believes him. After a successful surgery, Chris returns to the flat and encounters Pat Dale (Dinah Sheridan of No Trace) and her grumpy father (Kynaston Reeves of Fiend without a Face), who has been out of sorts ever since his son died in a plane crash. Attracted to one another, Chris and Pat begin their own investigation into whoever the dead man was as well as whosoever killed him. Because of this both of them not only find themselves in danger but discover that sometimes dead men walk again ...

Chris is in a bit of a pickle -- Michael Evans on the far left

Blackout has superior photography and scoring, and all told is not badly done, and well-acted as well. But somehow it just never catches fire and comes off as a decent but distinctly minor crime drama. Maxwell Reed, who I have seen in many working class roles, this time plays a dapper, urbane type and is as good as ever. Dinah Sheridan is a bit bland but okay. Annette D. Simmonds offers more spice as a gal who is in with the bad guys but tries to help Chris to her regret. Patric Doonan is Chalky, an old pal of Pat's brother who may know more than he's telling, and Michael Evans (of The Young and the Restless) is effective as Guy Sinclair, who is mixed up in the thick of things. An eerie house that figures in the story looks like something out of Psycho. Robert S. Baker also (co-) directed the much more interesting Jack the Ripper. Maxwell Reed married Joan Collins two years after this film but their marriage only lasted four or so years. 

Verdict: Acceptable suspense story with some good settings and performances. **1/2. 

AVENGERS: ENDGAME

Avengers Assemble!

AVENGERS: ENDGAME  (2019). Directors: Anthony and Joe Russo. 

Following the events of Avengers: Infinity War, the nihilistic villain Thanos (Josh Brolin) has destroyed half of earth's inhabitants, including many heroes. Five years afterward Thor (Chris Hemsworth), after the destruction of Asgard, has turned into a bloated drunk, and Hawkeye (Jeremy Rennner), whose children disappeared, has turned into a bloodthirsty vigilante. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) has retired with his wife, Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow), and adorable daughter, where they only want to live in peace. Scott Lang, the Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), turns out to be alive and hits on the idea of somehow manipulating time to bring back all of the vanished millions. Since Thanos used the Infinity gems to destroy those people. perhaps the heroes could go back in time to before Thanos acquired the gems and use them to restore the lost souls? But will the scheme work? 

Josh Brolin as Thanos with a generous helping of CGI

Divided into teams, the heroes go back to various locations -- New York, Asgard, and other planets -- to get the gems, although there are complications, such as Captain America (Chris Evans) having to battle a younger version of himself, which also happens with Thanos' daughter, Nebula (Karen Gillan). Thanos' past self gets wise to the heroes' plan and rushes to the future. Just as the Avengers think they've won, Thanos reappears and wages all-out war on all of the heroes. 

Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans

Avengers: Endgame is better than Infinity War. The lengthy film is never boring, the actors give committed performances, and the battle sequences are generally well-done and exciting. At the climax there is an eye-popping sequence when all of the heroes with their colorful outfits and accoutrements (such as a winged horse) advance en masse on one side of a battlefield while Thanos and his forces, including weird creatures, soldiers, living serpentine spaceships and so on, approach from the other side. With literally thousands of elements in this sequence, it is truly an example of movie magic par excellance. The stirring music by Alan Silvestri adds to the whole stunning effect. 

Other good scenes include one with Hawkeye and the Black Widow (Scarlett Johanssen), one of whom makes the ultimate sacrifice to spare the other. There's an interesting moment when Tony Stark encounters his own father in the past. I liked that in an early scene at a support group one of the members is a gay man, a rare instance of an LGBT person appearing in a Marvel movie, however peripheral (the part is well-played by co-director Joe Russo. Thanos creator Jim Starlin is also in this scene). With the death of a couple of major characters, and the aging of another, I imagine that if there are more Avengers movies they will feature a cast of different and younger actors and completely reboot the series. 

Rocky Raccoon

Other characters in the movie include the alien "raccoon," Rocky (voiced by Bradley Cooper), whose presence shouldn't work but does; the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), whose human brain is now in control of his brutish body; the Ancient One (an effective Tilda Swinton), sorceress supreme; War Machine (Don Cheadle), an associate of Tony Stark's; with cameos by Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, Captain Marvel, the Scarlet Witch, the Black Panther, and others. One thing the movie doesn't go into is all the things that might happen when millions of people suddenly pop back into existence after five years (for instance, surely some people might have, say, gotten remarried during that time). A bigger unanswered question occurs after Captain America returns all of the gems to the different times and places where he and his colleagues acquired them. Since Thanos still exists in the past, what's to prevent him from simply getting all of the gems again as he did once before and starting the whole clambake all over again? 

Verdict: If you're not a comic book or super-hero freak don't even bother, but for everyone else this is certainly imperfect but not too shabby. ***. 

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (2004)

Gerard Butler as the Phantom

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (2004). Director: Joel Schumacher. 

In 1870 A mysterious figure known as the Phantom (Gerard Butler) haunts the Paris Opera, where the lead soprano is the unpleasant diva Carlotta (Minnie Driver). The Phantom, however, much prefers the singing of Christine (Emmy Rossum), a young soprano with whom he is falling in love, and he will do anything to insure that she replaces Carlotta on the stage. Christine has another suitor, a viscount named Raoul (Patrick Wilson), whose presence is an irritation to the Phantom. The Phantom eventually kidnaps Christine and takes her to his vast, watery, underground labyrinth beneath the opera house ... 

Emmy Rossum and Patrick Wilson

The Phantom of the Opera is the film adaptation of  Andrew Lloyd Webber's very popular musical, which blends together various styles such as pop, rock, and operatic pastiche to tell its story. Although other versions of this famous tale have made up new reasons for the Phantom's disfigurement, this version sticks to the original notion that the Phantom -- or Eric -- was deformed since birth, 

The Pairs Opera

Phantom is handsomely produced and well-acted by Rossum, Wilson, and Butler, as well as Driver and a host of excellent character actors. Influenced by everyone from Puccini to Sondheim, Webber's score includes such memorable ditties as "Music of the Night," "Prima Donna," the title tune, "Point of No Return," "Wish You Were Here Again," and others. "Masquerade" is presented as an exciting full-fledged production number. Rossum has a lovely non-operatic voice, and while Butler is hardly a great singer, his voice works very well for the Phantom. 

Phantom of the Opera could have been a campy mess -- there are only occasional touches of camp --  and it will not work for everyone. But I found it absorbing and colorful and often melodious, with outstanding scenic design. A death trap sequence in the underground wherein the Phantom tries to kill Raoul is well-handled as well. 

Verdict: Very good adaptation of a highly successful and macabre musical. ***1/4. 

CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED

Beware Their Stare!

CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED (1964). Director: Anton Leader. Colorized.  

Psychologist Dr. Tom Llewellyn (Ian Hendry) and geneticist Dr. David Neville (Alan Badel) are amazed at the incredible intelligence of a young boy named Paul (Clive Powell). They discover that Paul is only one of a half dozen special and unemotional children from around the world, all of whom have come to London for testing. In each case the mother is unstable and there is no sign of a father. Eventually the telepathic children -- what one knows they all know -- band together, holing up in an abandoned church, and use their mind-control powers to kill anyone they perceive as a threat. Although at first the children are seen as a separate species, it is later theorized that they are about a million years ahead of ordinary humans in development. Tom and David literally come to blows arguing about the children, with David convinced they are a menace that must be destroyed and Tom hoping to fully communicate with them. It is a question who will be decimated first: the children, or the forces who come to kill them. 

Ian Hendry and Alan Badel

Children of the Damned is not really a sequel to Village of the Damned, but a completely different movie that uses some of the same concepts of the original picture while creating many of its own. In Village the children were essentially the vanguard of an alien invasion, but there's absolutely no mention of extraterrestrials in Children. Instead these six urchins are mutants with special powers but apparently no special purpose. However, they are not about to lay down and die, building a weapon utilizing the vibratory power of an organ to destroy the minds of armed invaders in the church in a very unnerving  sequence. Another good sequence is a triple murder by three men who are under mind-control, and the entire climax, a breathlessly edited standoff between the military and the children that ends in utter disaster. 

The kids and Barbara Ferris

Unfortunately, Children of the Damned has perhaps too many ideas percolating in its screenplay by John Briley. There's the carry over from Village with its dichotomy of little monsters with sweet, angelic faces, the need for mankind to protect itself versus the loathsome notion of killing children. The church setting, and especially the resurrection of one of the children after being shot, summons up thoughts of religious martyrdom and the like, even the Second Coming. The children seem to be praying at one point but we don't know to whom. One critic felt that Hendry and Badel are playing a gay couple, and the latter's hostile attitude toward the children is because Hendry seems to be drawing closer to Paul's aunt, Susan (Barbara Ferris), but I think this is a mighty big stretch. 

Clive Powell as Paul

The acting in the film is generally excellent, with especially nice work from Sheila Allen as the neurotic virgin mother of Paul. Alfred Burke is Colin Webster, a government man who decides to insert himself into the situation. Bessie Love is briefly seen as the grandmother of one of the children. Hendry and Badel play with real conviction, and Ferris manages to convey some anguish and confusion as the woman who spends half her time being controlled by her nephew and the others. One has to say that this film, including its predecessor and the novel, "Midwich Cuckoos" upon which it was derived, were highly influential: Stephen King's "Carrie," John Farris' "The Furies," and Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's X-Men all come to mind.

Verdict: Slow in spots, much too obtuse and muddled, but with an undeniably effective and powerful climax. **3/4.