THE BLACK SCORPION

The voracious black scorpion

THE BLACK SCORPION (1957). Director: Edward Ludwig. Colorized. 

The eruption of a volcano in Mexico causes enough loss of life, but things are made much worse by the emergence of gigantic man-eating scorpions from suspended animation. Rancher Teresa Alvarez (Mara Corday of Naked Gun) and geologists named Hank (Richard Denning of Assignment Redhead) and Artur (Carlos Rivas of Machete) help Dr. Velazco (Carlos Muzquiz) and the military wipe out the monsters, but one gargantuan scorpion -- a black scorpion -- survives to wipe out any others and then advances on heavily populated Mexico City. 

The Black Scorpion downs a copter!

The Black Scorpion is one of the zestier -- and grimmer -- giant bug features that came out in the wake of Them! Stop-motion animation work by Willis O'Brien of King Kong fame and Pete  Peterson helps create some very lively, scuttling horrors to give the creeps to the audience, and the close-ups of the salivating monstrosities with their movable fangs are also unnerving, especially when accompanied by the rattling, scary sound FX. One scene in particular -- an attack on a train when the giant pincers of the scorpions pick out hapless, screeching passengers to devour and tear apart -- is a vision of hell. 

Mara Corday, Carlos Rivas, Richard Denning

The colorizing process makes the movie seem even more intense and horrifying, although it can't compensate for the fact that some of the sequences are underlit. Other highlights of the film include a tense business with a scorpion grabbing hold of a cable and nearly pulling a crane down into an abyss, and the exploration of said abyss with its scorpions, giant worms and so on, An unintentionally comical moment occurs when Dr. Velazco says that the monsters "are somewhat slow and lethargic," which scene after scene proves is definitely not the case! The Black Scorpion has a standard B movie cast and all are perfectly okay even if they offer nothing more than what is indicated in the script. Paul Sawtell offers an eerie and effective score.

Verdict: Absorbing monster movie with more than decent FX work. ***. 

THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER

Two possessed girls

THE EXORICST: BELIEVER (2023).  Director: David Gordon Green. 

Two young girls -- white Katherine (Olivia O'Neill) and black Angela (Lidya Jewett) -- go missing for three days and are found with no memories of what happened. Afterwards they begin displaying strange, violent tendencies and acting oddly, things that point to demonic possession according to Katherine's church-going parents. However, Angela's father, Victor (Leslie Odom Jr.), does not believe in such nonsense but is finally driven to contact Chris McNeil (Ellen Burstyn), who wrote about her own experiences when her daughter, Regan (Linda Blair), was possessed and successfully exorcised. Regan hated the world-wide attention and cut off contact with her mother because of the book. Now Chris is determined to help these two new families who are facing an unfathomable evil. 

Frail but feisty: Ellen Burstyn

There have been so many Exorcist sequels and imitations that Believer comes off like a parody at times, and has little suspense. The protracted sequence that features dual exorcisms eventually becomes tedious -- the movie is almost two hours long --  and aside from an eye stabbing of one pivotal character, and an unfortunate incident involving a priest, there is so little action that you begin longing for even the slimiest of slasher flicks. Believer severely limits the thrills and chills and substitutes some minor character development and little else. The FX are okay and over-familiar. The performances of the young girls are fine, and Ann Dowd scores as Ann Brooks, a nurse with some experience with the occult. David Gordon Green also directed Halloween (2018). Linda Blair doesn't show up until the very end of the movie and has about one line. 

Verdict: Definitely won't make a believer out of you. **.

THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS

The Brain

THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS (1957). Director: Nathan Juran (as Nathan Hertz). Colorized. 

Nuclear scientist Steve March (John Agar of Bait) and his associate Dan (Robert Fuller of Death in a Red Jaguar) think that something weird is happening out at the isolated Mystery Mountain. Inside a cave they discover a huge floating alien brain creature named Gor who flash-fries poor Dan and takes over Steve's mind. Gor is fascinated by the human female, Sally (Joyce Meadows), Steve's fiancee, whom the brain finds "very exciting," and Sally discovers that Steve's new extra-passionate nature seems to know no bounds. His kisses go from being much more enthusiastic to downright brutal. Eventually Sally and her father, John (Thomas Browne Henry), discover the truth from another, friendlier brain that has taken up residence in Steve's dog. Meanwhile "Steve" destroys airliners with his mental power and tells an international council that he will wipe out capital cities if they don't comply with his demands. He is out to take over not only the earth but the entire universe!

John Agar

The Brain from Planet Arous is very much like a sci fi comic book story from the fifties. Despite its absurdities it plays reasonably well thanks to the acting by the principals. John Agar is commanding and sinister as the Gor-controlled Steve, laughing uproariously as he destroys planes and threatens the annihilation of entire cities. Joyce Meadows admirably plays with complete conviction whereas lesser actresses might have simply tossed off the lines with a pained expression. E. Leslie Thomas also deserves kudos as General Brown, especially in a well-played sequence when he confronts the evil Gor at a conference. Dale Tate, who was the TV news anchor in Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, herein plays another professor and also does the voices of Gor, the friendlier brain, and an announcer on the radio. Tate was an associate producer on the film. Joyce Meadows amassed 75 credits. 

Verdict: Watch out for Agar's popping eyes! **1/2. 

SLUGFEST

SLUGFEST: Inside the Epic 50-Year Battle Between Marvel and DC. Reed Tucker. Da Capo Press; 2017.

DC Comics, which came out with such iconic characters as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, found itself with real competition from upstart publisher Marvel, whose comics were considered crude in comparison. (In the early days of comics there were many other publishers but most of them eventually fell by the wayside.) But Stan Lee, who was the face of Marvel for decades, took "perfect" super-heroes and made them more flawed and human, igniting the interest of older readers in super-hero comic books and leading to such books as Fantastic Four, Amazing Spider-Man, and Uncanny X-Men. Marvel eventually overtook DC in sales, and this interesting, well-written tome looks at the two major comics publishers over the decades and the various ways the companies and their staff battled it out for ascendency, both on the printed page and now in the movie theater. Although many writers and artists have worked for both companies and even jump back and forth between them -- and DC eventually adopted the Marvel style of storytelling --  there are some comics fans who insist on only reading the work from one company, which I've always thought was ridiculous. While Tucker does on occasion overstate things, the book does a good job of showing all the changes in these two companies and indeed in the industry itself. Although the quote doesn't appear in this book, Stan Lee once claimed, accurately, that the main difference between both firms was the age of its readers, although that would change. 

Verdict: A surprisingly good read that actually builds up some suspense. ***. 

SPY SHIP

Maris Wrixon and Craig Stevens

SPY SHIP (1942). Director: B. Reeves Eason. Colorized. 

Pam Mitchell (Irene Manning) works for a committee that wants to keep the United States out of WW2, but she is actually a spy for the Axis powers, paid good money by German agents operating out of a ship in New York's harbor. Her sister, Sue (Maris Wrixon), has no idea of this but disagrees with her public isolationist policy. Sue is the girlfriend of reporter Ward Prescott (Craig Stevens of The Hidden Hand), who has become suspicious of Pam's activities; Pam's father (George Irving) seems to actively hate her. Pam is stringing along a poor sap named Gordon (Tod Andrews of From Hell It Came) but is secretly in love with another traitor, Martin Oster (William Forrest), who is more interested in getting his hands on some incriminating letters he sent her. Then Koshimo Haru (Keye Luke) shows up on the ship to tell him that Japan is about to take certain steps -- the next day Pearl Harbor is bombed. 

Stevens on the story

Despite everything going on, including the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Spy Ship is dull and seems much, much longer than an hour. Irene Manning makes a good villainess, but the death of this horrible creature occurs off-screen, providing no catharsis for the audience. It is also unbelievable that Ward's editor (Frank Ferguson of The Big Night), would get so excited about covering her murder on the very day of Pearl Harbor -- that's all that anyone would be talking or reading about! Craig Stevens walks through the movie with one expression, and his character never seems to get all that excited about anything. Maris Wrixon is acceptable as the good sister, but she's too bland to be memorable. 

Verdict: Not even Keye Luke can save this. *1/2. 

MEG 2: THE TRENCH

Statham vs the shark

MEG 2: THE TRENCH (2023). Director: Ben Wheatley.

Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) and several other researchers descend into a deep trench, run into a problem, and discover that an escape submersible has been sabotaged -- they're (temporarily) trapped on the bottom. Jonas and the others have two enemies to worry about: several more hungry megalodons from the depths, and their greedy business partners, who are willing to engage in murder to get what they want. The megs and a huge tentacled horror then emerge from the deep and head towards a vacation paradise called Fun Island. 

Jason Statham

I wasn't that impressed with The Meg, but I really hated Meg 2. Despite some good FX work and a couple of exciting scenes, the script is just awful, spending way too much time on hit men chasing after Jonas and his buddies and that sort of thing instead of concentrating on the monsters. Even the good guys in this don't seem to really care about anybody, including innocent victims being gobbled (although to be fair Taylor risks his life more than once to kill the monsters). It's also irritating that the character of Jiuming Zhang (Jing Wu), who starts out as a somewhat foolhardy but dignified individual, suddenly turns into comedy relief -- as do others -- later in the movie. The movie seems to have been cobbled together from different screenplays thrown into a blender, and is never especially cohesive. Meg 2 also can't make up its mind if it's a creature feature or a Jason Statham Action Movie. As for Statham's acting, I'll have to reserve my opinion until I see him in something halfway decent. 

Verdict: Pretty much a mess. *1/2. 

THE MOLE PEOPLE

John Agar, Nestor Paiva, Hugh Beaumont

THE MOLE PEOPLE (1956). Director: Virgil W. Vogel. Colorized. 

A group of archeologists including Roger (John Agar), Jud (Hugh Beaumont of Pier 23), and LaFarge (Nestor Paiva) ascend a mountain to come across some Sumerian ruins. A section of ground collapses, revealing a deep tunnel. The men descend, ostensibly to find the body of the scientist who fell through the crack, but are much more interested in finding the rest of the lost city. A rock slide kills another man and the survivors are trapped underground. (No one bothers to mourn or even remark upon either of the dead men.) There they find the lost city, which has inhabitants, humans as well as weird creatures who can burrow into the ground and are treated like slaves. King Nazar (Rodd Redwing) and the High Priest Elinu (Alan Napier) at first think the three men are gods, messengers of Ishtar, and that their flashlight is a mystical weapon. But when the batteries wear down the scientists may find themselves in a spot of trouble ... Elinu doesn't want anyone threatening his power.

Right into real estate: Cynthia Patrick as the doomed Adad

The early climbing scenes of The Mole People are well-done and the movie begins auspiciously, but after awhile what began as a fun popcorn flick becomes a little tedious and constantly threatens to turn into utter schlock. For some feminine pulchritude the movie introduces Adad (Cynthia Patrick), a beautiful serving wench who is somehow different from the rest of the lovely ladies -- she doesn't get burned to a crisp when they are exposed to sunlight, for instance (not that this does her much good, considering her ultimate fate). Patrick had mostly bit parts both before and after appearing in Mole People and eventually went into real estate. The other actors do the best they can with a silly screenplay. The music helps a lot. Virgel Vogel also directed the superior The Land Unknown and even The Kettles on Old MacDonald's Farm!

Verdict: This gets worse with each viewing and the color doesn't help. **1/4. 

THE MONOLITH MONSTERS

The monolith monsters "attack"

THE MONOLITH MONSTERS (1957). Director: John Sherwood. Colorized.

Geologist Dave Miller (Grant Williams of Doomsday Machine) returns from a trip to discover the nearly petrified body of his partner, Ben (Phil Harvey of The Land Unknown). The office is wrecked and full of odd black rocks. Miller discovers a similar situation at the home of a little girl who was on a field trip with his gal pal, Cathy (Lola Albright). Now the child's parents are dead, their home is wrecked, and the girl's arm is nearly turned to stone. While Dr. Hendricks (Harry Jackson) does his best to save the child's life, Miller, Police Chief Corey (William Flaherty), Prof Flanders (Trevor Bardette of Jungle Girl) and Dr. Reynolds (Richard H. Cutting) try to figure out what the deal is with these rocks. Eventually it is determined that this strange material comes from a meteor, and that when it is exposed to water it expands ... and expands .. and apparently affects human tissue. If the population of the town isn't petrified -- literally -- the whole place may be wiped off the map by tons of crushing rocks!

Grant Williams must deal with giant rocks

The Monolith Monsters might have worked better as an episode of, say, Science Fiction Theater rather than a full-length movie as its menace -- however potentially disastrous the situation -- doesn't compare to rampaging dinosaurs or bad-tempered giant insects. These are just, well, rocks. However, the movie is fast-paced and entertaining, and the cast, including stalwart Williams, pretty Albright, and the rest, play it all with absolute conviction. Les Tremayne, who appeared in dozens of these "B" productions, distinguishes himself with his fine performance as frustrated small-town newspaper publisher, Martin Cochrane. 

Verdict: A lesser "monster" movie but not without interest. **1/2. 

BATMAN: HUSH

BATMAN: HUSH (2019). Director: Justin Copeland. 

Batman/Bruce Wayne (Jason O'Mara) finds himself with an unknown and deadly adversary in the form of "Hush," who not only tries to kill him but attacks his associates, killing a very dear friend of Bruce Wayne's, Thomas Elliot (Maury Sterling). Batman wonders if any of a number of villains -- Joker, Harley Quinn, Two-Face, Scarecrow, Riddler, Bane -- could be the face behind the mask of Hush. Lady Shiva is an early casualty. Others in the cast include Amanda Waller of Suicide Squad, young Damian Wayne, Nightwing, Batgirl, Catwoman (Jennifer Morrison), and Poison Ivy (Peyton List), who hypnotizes Superman by kissing him with her special lipstick and orders him to attack the Bat and the Cat, leading to some perilous moments. 

In the original comic book stories this film is based on (which were probably better) there was some initial suggestion that Jason Todd, the Robin who was murdered by the Joker, had come back to life, a notion that years later proved to be true. Damian Wayne did not appear in the original stories because he didn't exist. In addition, the ending of the story and the ultimate identity of Hush has been changed. In the movie Batman reveals his true identity to Selina Kyle/Catwoman. There are some colorful and exciting sequences, especially when Superman takes after the Caped Crusader.

Verdict: Entertaining if not outstanding animated feature. **1/2.  

KRONOS

Gigantic Kronos strides across the land

KRONOS (1957). Director: Kurt Neumann. Colorized. 

Scientists Leslie Gaskell (Jeff Morrow of The Giant Claw) and Arnold Culver (George O'Hanlon) know something is wrong when a meteor they are following suddenly changes course in space! As the meteor splashes into the sea off the coast of Mexico, project head Dr. Eliot (John Emery) has his mind overtaken by a sinister alien presence. Down in Mexico an enormous monolithic machine -- which Gaskell christens Kronos -- rises from the depths and then begins striding through the land, causing destruction and absorbing the energy of same. As it heads towards an atomic plant, Gaskell has to figure out how to stop it before it -- and others like it (called "accumulators") -- drain the earth dry and obliterate it. 

Jeff Morrow and Barbara Lawrence

Kronos has never been a top favorite with most monster movie fans because Kronos is merely a mindless machine operated by unseen aliens; it doesn't have the "personality" of big beasties or malevolent bugs. Despite its widescreen aspect -- this was filmed in "Regalscope" -- and the fairly decent FX work, the movie screams "third-rate" as compared to more memorable sci fi epics of the period. Still, the premise isn't bad and is pretty original as well. Morrow gives his usual committed performance, and Barbara Lawrence as his girlfriend and project photographer is competent and decorative. Morris Ankrum, Robert Shayne, and Richard Harrison have smaller roles. Kronos was photographed by Karl Struss. The score (by Sawtell and Shefter) was basically re-used the following year for It! The Terror from Beyond Space, a much more entertaining picture. 

Verdict: Somewhat interesting if ultimately unsatisfying sci fi. **1/2. 

X THE UNKNOWN

Dean Jagger and Leo McKern

X THE UNKNOWN (1956). Director: Leslie Norman. Colorized. 

In Scotland an unknown and dangerous lifeform emerges from a fissure and hones in on various sources of radioactivity. Unfortunately, any people who cross paths with this creature wind up dying horribly. Dr. Adam Royston (Dean Jagger of So Sad About Gloria) teams up with Inspector McGill (Leo Mckern of Murder with Mirrors) of the Atomic Energy Commission to try to find a way to destroy the creature before it can absorb energy from an atomic plant and grow even larger! Assisting their efforts are Royston's boss John Elliott (Edward Chapman) and Elliott's son, Peter (William Lucas). As the death toll mounts, the blob-like monstrosity makes its way towards a populated town ... 

Peter (William Lucas) and Royston (Dean Jagger) confer

X the Unknown was supposed to be Hammer Studio's follow up to Quatermass Xperiment (aka The Creeping Unknown, which would have been just as good a title for this picture), but Nigel Kneale, who created the character of Bernard Quatermass*, objected to his use in a film written not by him but by Jimmy Sangster. Therefore Quatermass became "Adam Royston." In any event, X remains a creepy and occasionally horrifying thriller with solid performances and some gross sequences, especially when a horny doctor is exposed to the creature in a hospital and sort of melts ... The climax at the fissure where Royston and company hope to completely obliterate the creature is very suspenseful. Anthony Newley, who later became famous as a singing actor, plays the ill-fated soldier, "Spider" Webb. James Bernard's evocative score and Gerald Gibb's photography are both major pluses. The colorizing adds even more intensity to the movie. Highly influential in its way, especially on The Blob and Caltiki, the Immortal Monster. 

*NOTE: I explore the real Quatermass movies in the latest issue of bare bones. 

Verdict: Effective and memorable horror-thriller with sci fi overtones. ***. 

THE BOOGEYMAN (2023)

Chris Messina

THE BOOGEYMAN (2023). Director: Rob Savage.

After the death of his wife, psychiatrist Will Harper (Chris Messina) is left to raise two daughters. Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) is a teenager and her little sister, Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair), is scared of the dark and of monsters under her bed. A strange man, Lester Billings (David Dastmalchian), comes to Will's house to seek help, and tells him that all of his children were killed by some strange creature, then commits suicide. Sawyer is convinced that now this same monster is hiding in their house, waiting until dark, and neither Sophie nor her father believe her ... at first. Sadie goes to talk to Billings' widow, Rita (Marin Ireland), and finds she is living in squalor, hoping she can destroy the thing that wiped out her family. But even when Sophie and Will realize Rita is telling the truth, they many have a very hard time getting rid of this ancient demon.

Sophie Thatcher with Messina

Based on a short story by Stephen King, The Boogeyman is slick and well-acted, has some decent FX work and a couple of scary sequences, but suffers from its sheer overfamiliarity. You just get the feeling you've seen the whole thing before -- there is absolutely nothing distinctive, original, nor unique about the movie. It's well-done for what it is, but it just doesn't amount to much. Chris Messina is very appealing as the father, however, and Thatcher and Blair are quite effective.  

CALTIKI, THE IMMORTAL MONSTER

Goddess Caltiki goes in pursuit

CALTIKI, THE IMMORTAL MONSTER (aka Caltiki, il mostro immortale/1959). Directors: Riccardo Freda; Mario Bava. Colorized. 

In Mexico an archeological expedition uncovers a tomb and an altar to the Mayan goddess Caltiki. While exploring an underground lake that contains many skeletons, the team are suddenly beset by a blob-like monster that rises to the surface and eats off the arm of Max Gunther (Gerard Herter). Team leader Prof Fielding (John Merivale) manages to stop the creature -- a huge unicellular organism that is twenty million years old -- with a fiery explosion and gets Max to a hospital in Mexico City. There Fielding is able to isolate a part of the creature surrounding Max's arm and brings it to the lab in his home where his wife Ellen (Did Sullivan) and child await. But poor Ellen finds herself beset with dual menaces: Caltiki, who begins to multiply and grow, and Max, who has become maddened by the infection, escapes from the hospital and tries to have his way with Ellen. 

Didi Sullivan, John Merivale, Gerard Herter

Caltiki is a highly interesting and influential Italian horror/sci fi film. An interesting aspect is that it tries to explain the disappearance of the Mayans by tying the appearance of the flesh-eating Caltiki to a radioactive comet that flies across the sky every few centuries, and is now endangering all of Mexico. The monster itself looks like a perambulating, expanding carpet but is still ghoulish in concept. The scenes in the underground tomb with its sinister lake are creepy and atmospheric, and the climax -- with Fielding and his family caught between one blob in the bedroom and another at the base of their escape ladder -- is exciting and suspenseful. The ending with the military and their flame throwers is a bit dragged out, but the film is generally absorbing. Caltiki is enough of a menace that throwing a crazy Max into the mix was actually unnecessary, particularly when you consider that the character is very badly dubbed. Caltiki has an international cast: Merivale was Canadian; Sullivan was Irish; and Herter was German. 

Verdict: Creepy stuff is even better in color. ***. 

LOVE HURTS (2022)

LOVE HURTS (aka Most Horrible Things/2022). Director: Hiroshi Katagiri. 

In this initially intriguing but ultimately unsatisfying alleged "thriller" a drag queen (Sean Sprawling) and his butler (Simon Phillips) invite a serial killer (Vincent van Hinte) to a gathering of people, both gay and straight, and wait to see what bloodiness will develop. Meanwhile in a series of flash -forwards, two detectives -- Denver (Natalie Burn) and Holden (Sean Patrick Flanery) -- interview the survivors and try to get to the bottom of everything. Good luck! There are humongous plot holes even when the true architect behind the scenes is revealed -- it's not really worth the wait. Sprawling's performance consists of attitudinizing that passes for acting; the others are a bit better, including Grant Pfost as Eric, who is humiliated by the drag host; Andres Erickson as Jason, who is taken to task for saying he is not that attracted to black men; and black Jeff (Rich Paul), who tells him that he is not at all his type anyway. Okay, there's some interesting dialogue and characters in this, but the screenplay is not at all well-developed, and you may find yourself groaning at the ending, which does not come as that big a surprise. Martina Vargas and Sarah J. Butler are the attractive ladies lost in this disappointing mess. This might have worked better as a genuine slasher flick. 

Verdict: Another bummer on Amazon Prime. **. 

COMIC BOOK ANIMATED MOVIES

Green Arrow, Bats, Nightwing, Flash, Red Robin

JLA ADVENTURES: TRAPPED IN TIME (2014). Director: Giancarlo Volpe. During a battle between the Justice League and his Legion of Doom, Lex Luthor is frozen in ice and doesn't thaw out for hundreds of years. Karate Kid, who wants to join the futuristic Legion of Super-Heroes along with fellow applicant Dawnstar, accidentally frees Luthor from the ice. Using the Time Trapper for his own ends, Luthor goes back in time and conspires to make certain the Justice League won't exist (although taking Superman out of the equation wouldn't necessarily accomplish that). Now that the JLA is no more, Karate Kid and Dawnstar work to set things right. Solomon Grundy, Bizarro, and especially Toyman are ridiculous characters in this. Still, the movie is colorful and entertaining, and the JLA's battle with the Time Trapper is exciting enough. **3/4.

BATMAN UNLIMITED: ANIMAL INSTINCTS (2015), Director: Butch Lukic. Batman and his allies Nighwing, Red Robin, Flash and Green Arrow go up against an "animalitia" that is run by the Penguin, employs deadly animal androids, and has such members as Cheetah, Killer Croc, Man-Bat, and the ape, Silverback. Penguin's ultimate plan is to draw an asteroid to Gotham, where the citizenry that mocked him will be killed, and he can get at the gold inside the asteroid's core. In this full-length animated feature's strange continuity, the Penguin seems not to have operated before and Bruce Wayne has never met Kirk Langstrom (Man-Bat). The animation is generally fluid, and there are some fine voice characterizations, especially by Laura Bailey as Cheetah, and Dana Snyder as the Penguin. Nightwing's initially obnoxious attitude towards Flash is never explained. The movie has exciting moments, but never quite becomes a contender. One ridiculous sequence has Flash, who has apparently not been in action all that long, taking forever to get himself out of a rope trap -- not very likely. **1/2. 

SUPERMAN: BRAINIAC ATTACKS (2006). Director: Curt Geda. In a full-length spin-off from the Superman cartoon show, the Man of Steel (Tim Daly) wants to tell Lois Lane (Dana Delaney) his big secret but also has to contend with two major villains. After Superman seemingly defeats the techno-biological creature Brainiac (Lance Henriksen), Lex Luthor (Powers Boothe) finds an important piece of him and rebuilds him under his control -- or so he thinks. Now Brainiac is more dangerous than ever. Meanwhile Jimmy Olsen has his hands full with Luthor's curvaceous and dangerous assistant, Mercy. Fluid animation and good direction makes this a good bet for younger viewers. Basically well-done if minor-league. **3/4. 

BATMAN: THE DOOM THAT CAME TO GOTHAM (2023). Directors: Christopher Berkeley; Sam Liu. 

In this animated movie based on an "Elseworlds" (stories told out of DC Universe continuity) graphic novel, Batman and concepts created by H. P. Lovecraft prove not to be a good fit, as logical Batman has never worked that well with the supernatural. The story, which has Bruce Wayne/Batman returning to Gotham after twenty years, begins in an Antarctic cavern and employs such characters as demonologist Jason Blood, Oliver Queen, Ra's Al Ghul and his daughter Talia (of the "Cult of Ghul"), Harvey Dent, Dick Grayson and the Penguin, among others, The only voice actor whose name I recognized was Jeffrey Combs as Kirk Langstrom, who in other stories is better-known as Man-Bat. The actors do a good job with the various characters, but ultimately this is not one of the more memorable DC animated movies. **. 

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES (2023). Director: Jeff Wamester. Superman's older cousin Kara/Supergirl (Meg Donnelly) is also a survivor of Krypton but she arrives on earth years after Superman (Darren Criss) does and now appears younger. Not adjusting to life on 21st century Earth very well, Superman takes her to the 30th century, where she applies to the academy of the mostly teenage Legion of Super-Heroes. Things get off to a bad start when she mistakes Brainaic-5 (Harry Shum, Jr.), a descendant of the original Brainiac, for the real deal and attacks him, but it isn't too long before the couple are billing and cooing. Meanwhile most of the other Legion members are missing in action, and an ancient and sinister group called the Dark Circle is behind this -- and one of Superman's arch foes is behind them. Kara's colleagues in the academy include Triplicate Girl, Bouncing Boy, Mon-El, and the weird Arms-Fall-Off Boy, one of whom turns out to be a traitor. An interesting aspect has the original Brainiac showing up with the bodies of his other descendants grossly incorporated into his own physical structure. Legion of Super-Heroes is a fun and exciting animated movie. Flash Batman, and Solomon Grundy have cameos. ***. 

SHADOW OF FEAR

Jean Kent and Mona Freeman

SHADOW OF FEAR (aka Before I Wake/1955). Director: Albert S. Rogell. Colorized. 

April Haddon (Mona Freeman of Angel Face), who has been in the U.S. for several years, comes home when her stepmother, Florence (Jean Kent), notifies her that her father has died in an accident. April is very suspicious of Florence, especially when she tells her that her late mother, who was nursed by Florence, was supposedly a hopeless drunk, something April refuses to believe. She also uncovers incriminating evidence about the boat  accident in which her father died. April's old boyfriend,  Michael (Maxwell Reed), now a doctor, listens to April but is unconvinced that her stepmother, whom everyone loves, is the monster she portrays her as. April learns that the fortune her father left her will be in trust until she turns 21 in three weeks -- but April is convinced her stepmother plans to do away with her before the time is up. Florence was left the house and money but April fears that she wants it all ... 

Mona Freeman and Maxwell Reed

Shadow of Fear is a low-budget but absorbing British thriller with good performances, especially from Jean Kent as Florence, who keeps the audience guessing as to whatever her true character, motivations, or plans may be, sinister or otherwise. Mona Freeman is also excellent as the distraught daughter who finds her efforts to get justice for her parents continuously stymied. Marshall Reed was a British matinee idol who was once married to Joan Collins and he's stalwart enough as the good doctor who comes to April's aid after being initially dismissive. Supporting performances are all on target and the film is quite enjoyable. 

Verdict: Minor but entertaining suspense film with good performances. ***. 

ROADRACERS (1960)

Joel Lawrence

ROADRACERS (1960). Director: Arthur Swerdloff. 

Rob Wilson (Joel Lawrence) has a difficult relationship with his father, Harry (John Shay). Harry is obsessed with car racing and sort of forced his son into the sport. When a man dies during a race, Harry blames Rob, who takes off for Europe. Coming home he takes up racing again, but tells his father he hates it -- and him. He is also upset over his former girlfriend, Liz's (Marian Collier) relationship with a rival racer, Greg Morgan (Skip Ward). It doesn't help that Harry has decided to sponsor Greg instead of his own son.  Naturally the two drivers will have a grudge match at the American Grand Prix in Riverdale, California.  

Rivals: Joel Lawrence, Marian Collier, Skip Ward

Roadracers, a slick black and white flick from American International, has some good acting and a script that leaves many cliches of the genre intact: the rival drivers after the same girl; the conflict between a father and his son; the driver haunted by someone's death in a race etc. The script at least tries to flesh out the characters and the performances help, but the movie sort of strains for dramatic currency. The racing scenes are fairly exciting but they've been done better elsewhere. The good-looking lead, Joel Lawrence, is solid as Rob but mostly appeared on television after starring in this picture. Ditto for Skip Ward, although he also played Hank the driver in Night of the Iguana. Marion Collier sings the memorable "Here You Are" at one point but doesn't have much of a voice. However, she's much better than Jimmie Madden croaking out "Leadfoot" over the opening credits. Sally Fraser and Mason Alan Dinehart are also in the cast. 

Verdict: Standard race track meller with some decent acting. **1/2. 

MONSTER FROM GREEN HELL

monster threatens Jim Davis and Barbara Turner

MONSTER FROM GREEN HELL (1957). Director: Kenneth G. Crane. Colorized. 

When several rockets are sent into space by scientists Quent Brady (Jim Davis of Satan's Triangle) and Dan Morgan (Robert Griffin), one of them crashes on earth in equatorial Africa. This is followed by reports of monstrous creatures in the area. Quent theorizes that a wasp in one of the space capsules was battered with cosmic radiation for forty hours instead of forty seconds, and may have given birth to gargantuan mutations. After a long journey across the Dark Continent (courtesy of stock footage from Stanley and Livingstone) the two men come to an outpost run by Dr. Lorenz (Vladmir Sokoloff) and his daughter Lorna (Barbara Turner). When the former is found dead by his associate Arobi (Joel Fluellen), a group -- consisting of Quent, Dan, Lorna, Arobi and guide Mahri (Eduardo Ciannelli) -- set out to find the creatures and destroy them, which won't be an easy task.  

Big wasp on the rampage!

Monster from Green Hell is actually a fun and entertaining giant monster flick. The acting is perfectly swell, although I confess I've never been able to get a handle on the odd Barbara Turner. The monsters themselves are either full-scale props with dangerous stingers or are brought to life with credible stop-motion. A decided plus is the score by Albert Glasser, whose music always brings out excitement and suspense in the weird situations. The climax contains a cave-in after a scary run-in with a humongous wasp that temporarily traps the team in darkness. This is a well-done colorized version of the movie, which definitely adds a lot to the picture -- for one thing, the "Green Hell" region in the movie where the monsters dwell is actually green. A creepy scene has the wasps surrounding the gang's camp at night.

Verdict: You can't go wrong with big bugs -- in color!

THE BIG NIGHT (1960)

Randy Sparks

THE BIG NIGHT (1960). Director: Sidney Salkow. 

High school student Frankie (Randy Sparks) hangs out with a bad crowd but has a loving widowed father, Ed (Dick Foran), and a pretty girlfriend, Ellie (Venetia Stevenson). Frankie discovers a briefcase full of loot from a bank robbery in town and decides to keep it, although Ellie isn't so certain it's a good idea. Nevertheless, having this nice chunk of change inspires Frankie to turn his life around, and he gets a job and new clothing and even wins the approval of Ellie's mother (Anna Lee) and boss (Frank Ferguson). Unfortunately, an ex-cop named Wegg (Jesse White of Country Music Holiday) and a sinister figure named Farrow (Dick Contino of Daddy-O) are also after the money ,,, 

Venetia Stevenson and Randy Sparks 

The Big Night is a minor crime drama but it is bolstered by some very good performances, with an appealing Randy Sparks hitting all the right notes. Venetia Stevenson is a nice actress who also offers a sensitive turn as Ellie. Dick Foran makes the most of his role as the somewhat depressed and defeated Ed. Jesse White is Jesse White -- a totally bland portrayal -- but Dick Contino proves as effective as a murderer as he was as the hero in Daddy-O. Ferguson and Lee are fine, as is Paul Langton [The Hidden Eye] as the head cop on the case. There's a decent romantic score by Richard LaSalle and Jesse White is given a snappy and violent death scene. Randy Sparks was also a composer and the founder of the New Christy Minstrels. He had only a few acting credits. Sidney Salkow also directed Twice-Told Tales. 

Verdict: Some engaging players make this palatable. **3/4. 

JUSTICE SOCIETY WORLD WAR II

JUSTICE SOCIETY WORLD WAR II (2021). Director: Jeff Wamester. 

The Flash/Barry Allen (Matt Bomer) inadvertently jumps back in time to WW2 and discovers he is on a different earth where the Justice Society (as opposed to the Justice League) are fighting with the Allies against the Nazis. Barry meets the original Flash, Jay Garrick, as well as Wonder Woman, Black Canary, Hourman, Dr. Fate and Hawkman, who is killed. Reporter Clark Kent exists on this earth but at first he selfishly tries to stay out of the conflict. 

The Justice Society

The Justice Society tries to enlist the aid of Aquaman (Liam Mcintyre), King of the Seven Seas, but his mind has been taken over by a sinister Advisor (Geoffrey Arend) and he is now allied with the Axis. Meanwhile military man Steve Trevor keeps asking Wonder Woman to marry him at inappropriate moments (sort of what happened in the original WW comic books). This colorful animated feature gets better as it goes along and is especially exciting when the members of the JSA have to battle some slithering and absolutely humongous sea creatures summoned by Aquaman. The voice characterizations are all well-done, with particularly notable work from Geoffrey Arend. 

Verdict: Fun DCU cartoon feature for kids of all ages. ***.

DADDY-O

Sandra Giles and Dick Contino

DADDY-O (1958). Director: Lou Place. 

Trucker Phil Sandifer (Dick Contino) has an unfriendly encounter with Jana Ryan (Sandra Giles) on the highway. Later she meets up with him again in a club where he's asked to sing a number and later agrees to actually race Jana in Griffith Park. This results in Phil losing his driver's license, so he goes to work for the portly Sidney Chillas (Bruno VeSota of Female Jungle), as a singer. He is also hoping to get a line on what happened when his best friend, Sonny (Robert Banas), died in a car accident on the same night as the race. Phil and Jana continue to have a love-hate relationship as he investigates Chillas and his menacing gunsel, Bruce (Tipp McClure). Then Chillas tells him he wants him to deliver a package for him ... guess what's inside? 

Bruno gets a rubdown: VeSota and McClure

Daddy-O is not a very good movie but it's of interest because of the presence of Dick Contino, who gained more fame as an accordionist on Ed Sullivan than as an actor. This is too bad, because the big, handsome lug has a lot of charisma and screen presence, and gives a very good performance in the movie. He has a decent voice, and while his singing style might be considered a bit hokey today, he has a great bit when he jumps off the stage, gives manicurist Marcia (Gloria Victor/Joanne Arnold) a hot and passionate smooch, and turns triumphantly and sexily back to the audience. Bruno VeSota is also notable as the smooth-talking, pseudo-cultured Chillas and even gets a rubdown from his gunsel Bruce at one point. Alas, Sandra Giles is strictly from the Mamie Van Doren School of Acting, and makes little impression despite her physique. Sultry Gloria Victor makes much more of an impression as she stands by the bar literally smoldering with lust for Phil -- who calls himself "Daddy-O" -- as he's singing. This was the first score by the prolific John Williams of Jaws fame. 

Verdict: See it for Big Phil! **1/2. 

 

DEATH'S ROULETTE

DEATH'S ROULETTE (aka Uno para morir/2023). Director: Manolo Cardona. Amazon Prime. 

7 strangers wake up in a fabulous estate on an isolated island and compare stories as to how they were all abducted. A disembodied voice tells them that they must choose which of them is to die and must also follow certain rules. For one thing, no one can volunteer to make the ultimate sacrifice. If they don't make a choice, all of them will die. As the deadly "game" proceeds, the participants are allowed entry into different sections of the house and many personal facts about these individuals are revealed. The captives include a police detective named Simon (Manolo Cardona, who also directed), a drug-addicted stewardess named Teresa (Adriana Paz), a surgeon named Armando (Dagoberto Gama), and others. Simon theorizes that they may be the captives of a sociopath named Pablo, and as the film progresses their various connections to this man come to light. Will any of them survive? 

Presented on Amazon Prime, Death's Roulette is a Mexican thriller that holds the viewer in suspense, boasts some excellent performances (especially from Cardona), and works quite well until it becomes a little too tricky at the end. The picture has a classy look thanks to some striking sets and Luis Enrique Carrion's often stunning cinematography. There's not much originality to the script, however, but there are many good scenes and an exciting climax. This is another film that suggests that the victims are actually worse than the perpetrator, and the movie seems morally confused.  Cardona's direction is good and the dubbing is excellent.

Verdict: Entertaining and twisty if a bit too familiar and with loads of loose ends. **3/4. 

THE GHOST WALKS

Johnny Arthur, Richard Carle, John Miljan

THE GHOST WALKS (1934). Director: Frank R. Strayer. Colorized.  

On a dark and stormy night producer Herman Wood (Richard Carle), his nervous secretary, Homer (Johnny Arthur), and playwright Prescott Ames (John Miljan) manage to make it to the home of Dr. Kent (Henry Kolker). Prescott is engaged to Kent's daughter, Gloria (June Collyer), but she is also pursued by a persistent Terry Shaw (Donald Kirke). During dinner Beatrice (Eve Southern) says that the ghost of her dead husband will be joining them -- after dinner she is found dead. It develops that, aside from the murder, everything that transpired at dinner is taken from Prescott's play, and Wood and Homer still think everyone is just acting when Beatrice's corpse disappears ...

Rivals: Donald Kirke and John Miljan

Even by 1934 standards this comedy-mystery film is creaky with the usual quota of hoary elements, such as an old mansion, a thunderstorm, even an escaped maniac from an asylum conveniently located nearby. As the emphasis is on humor it's hard to get much involved with the "plot," such as it is. The only thing that keeps one watching is the relatively fast pace and some of the performances, with Carle and Arthur making an amusing combo of secretary and impatient, grumpy employer. The others in the cast are professional enough although no one stands out, which is no surprise given the material. At one point Homer winds up in a bed straight out of a Hawthorne  story when the canopy begins to descend. 

Verdict: Where are Abbott and Costello when you need them? **. 

EATER BUNNY MASSACRE: THE BLOODY TRAIL

EASTER BUNNY MASSACRE: THE BLOODY TRAIL (aka Easter Bunny Massacre 2/Easter Killing 2/2022). Director: Jeremy Chi-Hang Au. 

Star (Coco Taylor) and her boyfriend Mark (Harry Boxley, who also wrote the screenplay) go to a five-year reunion party of some old high school friends. The hostess and her boyfriend have already been murdered (in a fairly dull pre-credit sequence), so the bitchy Carla (Charlie Esquer) has taken over. Other guests include Danny (Elliott Eason), Dina (Natasha Rose Mills), Alex (Amber Doig-Thorne) and so on. They all freak out when a tape recording is played and out comes the voice of the dead Lexi (Jenny Miller), who may have committed suicide five years before or may have been murdered after her drink was spiked. Then someone in a ragged bunny suit comes after the group, murdering them one by one. 

The Bloody Trail is a sequel to -- or remake of -- Easter Bunny Massacre as both films basically have the exact same plot. Like the first film, it is an amalgam of Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, and has little originality. A somewhat interesting aspect is that there is a gay male couple in the film but you don't know who they are until the flick is nearly over. The cast perform admirably considering that their characters are only lightly sketched in. Charlie Esquer is certainly vivid as the very mean girl Carla, although one could argue that she overplays badly at times, but Elliott Eason hits the mark as the heavily-tattooed Danny. The movie isn't well-paced, but once you get past the tedium of the opening minutes, it will either cast a strange spell on you -- a kind of bad movie voodoo -- or put you to sleep. The flick isn't particularly good but it does have some suspense and surprises. 

Verdict: The bunny outfit in this one isn't very scary. **1/4. 

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK: APOKOLIPS WAR

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK: APOKOLIPS WAR (2020). Directors: Matt Peters; Christina Sotta.

In this animated feature Superman decides that instead of waiting for major villain, Darkseid, ruler of Apokolips, to attack, the Justice League should take the battle to him. Unfortunately, Darkseid is prepared, and two years later we see the results: a decimated Earth where a handful of heroes and others are all that stand between Darkseid and his ultimate conquest. The main character in this movie seems to be second banana John Constantine, who has mystical powers and has been drinking heavily since he ran off and left Zatanna to die (although his alleged act of cowardice is later explained). Batman has become one of Darkseid's acolytes, but his son Damian Wayne (Stuart Allan) fights the good fight, along with the Demon, Lois Lane, Lex Luther, Harley Quinn (why must this awful character appear in so many comics and movies?), Swamp Thing, the Titans and the Suicide Squad. (In a ridiculous moment it is revealed that bisexual Constantine is the ex not of Harley, as some suspected, but King Shark, which would sort of make Constantine a bestialist!)

Damian Wayne and resistance members

Raven of the Titans, turned into a teenager in this film so that she can bond with Damian Wayne, has been suppressing the essence of her evil father, Trigon, but he escapes to take over the body of Superman, leading into a battle between Trigon and Darkseid, which is perhaps not as exciting as expected. There are evil versions of other heroes, manipulated by Darkseid, and Apokolips War emerges as a kind of sequel to Flashpoint. The whole thing is fairly colorful but these things tend to work better on the comic page. Fun for devotees, however.

Verdict: Fairly exciting super-hero animated feature. **3/4.