HAPPY HALLOWEEN

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2021. 

If you can do without the Covid crowds just stay home on Halloween and watch some good -- or so bad they're good -- horror movies. This week we've got a fresh crop of films to watch and books to read on both this blog -- and in a few days -- Great Old Movies as well. 

WHEN A STRANGER CALLS

WHEN A STRANGER CALLS (2006). Director: Simon West. 

Jill Johnson (Camilla Belle) is hired by a doctor and his wife to babysit their two young children, who are asleep upstairs in their luxurious estate complete with aviary and goldfish pond. Jill begins to receive strange phone calls in which she hears someone breathing, and then a sinister and threatening voice. She gets a shock when she discovers exactly where the calls are coming from and engages in a fight for survival for her and her two charges against a maniacal intruder. 

When a Stranger Calls is loosely based on the original film of the same name, which in turn was based on a film short by Fred Walton. Instead of merely remaking the first movie, which had three acts (much of which had little to do with a terrified babysitter), Stranger manages the admirable feat of expanding the short into a full-length feature of just one setting and one act (aside from a brief prologue). What is even more amazing is that the film is able to sustain  tension and suspense over an hour and a half, building inexorably to an exciting and frightening climax.

When a Stranger Calls is not a slasher film and gore geeks will be disappointed, but the film is well-made enough that it doesn't need the lopped-off limbs and spurting blood so frequently seen in modern-day horror films. Camilla Belle's performance is at times on the amateurish side, but even that doesn't harm the movie too badly. With slick direction from Simon West, high-class cinematography by Peter Menzies, Jr., and an effective score by Jim Dooley, this one is a winner all the way. 

Verdict: Well-made, creepy and absorbing thriller. ***.  

POPULATION /436

POPULATION /436 (2006). Director: Michelle MacLaren. 

Census taker Steve Kady (Jeremy Sisto of Law and Order) shows up in the bucolic small town of Rockwell Falls, where he discovers that year after year the population remains exactly the same: 436 people. As Steve leisurely interviews the assorted townspeople, he finds himself falling for a pretty young lady, Courtney (Charlotte Sullivan), who happens to be keeping company with the friendly Deputy Caine (Fred Durst). Steve discovers that odd things are happening in Rockwell Falls and an act of sudden and shocking violence makes clear to him why the population always stays the same. The question is: can he and Courtney ever get out of the place? 

Jeremy Sisto

Population 436 borrows from numerous sources -- The Lottery, Harvest Home, The Stepford Wives, The Wicker Man and even Brigadoon -- but on its own terms it's a suspenseful story, bolstered by some good photography (Thomas Burstyn), music (Glenn Buhr), and good performances from Sisto and Durst (who is especially notable) and several members of the supporting cast. Maybe it's the overfamiliarity of the plot -- another "small town with a dread secret" -- or a lack of true intensity, a kind of TV movie feel, that keeps this from being more memorable, although it is nevertheless compelling for most of its length.

Verdict: Perhaps not quite top-notch but worth a look. **3/4.   

THE SCHOELLECTION

THE SCHOELLECTION. 2021. Encyclopocalypse publishers. 

Will the horror never end?

Yes, all of my eight vintage horror-suspense novels have been re-published in paperback editions. The titles -- Things that Go Bump in the Night, Shivers, Late at Night, Vicious, Saurian, Dragon, The Pact, Fatal Beauty -- can be bought separately as trade paperbacks, or combined into one mass market paperback, with two books in each volume:

The Schoellection (I love it!) 

Volume One: Things that Go Bump in the Night and Shivers.

Volume Two: Late at Night and Vicious. 

Volume Three: Saurian and The Pact. 

Volume Four: Dragon and Fatal Beauty. 

Each title is also available as an e-book from Cemetery Dance publishers. 

You can see all the editions of my books on Amazon. 

NOTE: My most recent novel, Monster World, is also available on Anazon for Kindle. (Paperback coming soon!)

I'LL ALWAYS KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER

Brooke Nevin and David Paetkau

I'LL ALWAYS KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER (2006). Director: Sylvain White. 

At a 4th of July celebration in a small town in Colorado, a prank that revolves around a series of slayings years ago turns into a tragedy and a resulting cover-up.  A year later Amber (Brooke Nevin), her boyfriend, Colby (David Paetkau) and their friends receive "I Know What You Did" text messages and eventually find themselves stalked and murdered by the fisherman-with-a-hook killer of the first two films in this series. 

The cast discover a corpse

I'll Always Know is, surprisingly, not a remake of I Know What You Did Last Summer, but the second sequel to the film, and it refers to events in the first two movies. The fisherman killer has been turned into a kind of supernatural force -- a la Freddie, Jason and Michael Myers -- which may explain the character's ability to cheat death but is most likely an attempt to create a new horror franchise. This is unlikely, given that the film is mediocre, has an off-putting lack of style, as well as a lack of energy and thrills, and is poorly directed and edited. Horror fanatics may watch it until the end -- and it does hold the attention for the most part -- but it's not a memorable entry in the slasher sweepstakes. 

Verdict: One summer you don't need to revisit. **. 

A QUIET PLACE

Emily Blunt

A QUIET PLACE (2018). Director: John Krasinski. 

In the near-future the world seems to have been virtually wiped out by strange, fast-moving creatures that are attracted by sound. Evelyn Abbott (Emily Blunt of Irresistible) and her family -- husband Lee (John Krasinksi, who also directed), daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds), and son Marcus (Noah Jupe) -- periodically leave their isolated home for food raids in the nearby town, but one afternoon their little boy (Cade Woodward) is snatched and never seen again. Evelyn is pregnant, and the family -- while remaining as quiet as possible -- must figure out a way to keep the screams of an infant from attracting the monsters when the baby  arrives ... 

In the grain bin

A Quiet Place has an interesting premise and other notable attributes. The film is well-cast with actors who not only have talent but great expressive faces, which along with the script help add a strong emotional component to the movie, something missing from most monster flicks. At times there's a Perils of Pauline quality to the movie, with one desperate incident piled on top of one another, and memorable scenes include the grisly sacrifice of one major character, a harrowing sequence set in a grain bin, the birth of the baby, among others. The film also boasts striking cinematography by Charlotte Bruus Christensen.

However, there's no getting around the fact that the film features contrived situations made to maximize the suspense and tension, so the moody film won't work for everyone, but in general it's a worthwhile thriller with several good sequences. I was hoping that the sequel would go in a different direction and offer some explanation for the creatures' existence, but instead I hear that this is simply a continuation of the first film. In other words, more of the same. 

Verdict: Sort of like a high-class Roger Corman movie. ***. 

INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1956)

Dana Wynter and Kevin McCarthy

INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1956). Director: Don Siegel. 

In the small town of Santa Mira, the recently divorced Dr. Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) rekindles a romance with the also recently divorced Becky Driscoll (Dana Wynter). However, their relationship has to take a back seat when there seems to be an epidemic of people insisting that their loved ones are not their loved ones. Miles believes this may be a form of mass hysteria, until his friends Jack and Theodora Belicec (King Donovan and Carolyn Jones) call him after they discover what appears to be a weird corpse on their pool table, a corpse that resembles a not-fully-formed version of Jack. Then they discover huge seed pods inside which duplicates of the townspeople are growing ... 

Something frightful on the pool table

This classic horror science-fiction movie has gotten even better with age. It packs a lot into an economical 80 minutes, and is beautifully paced and directed. McCarthy gives an especially passionate performance as a desperate man trying to not only save the woman he has always loved but the town and indeed the world as well. Wynter also gives a fine performance, along with Donovan and many others; Jones is particularly notable. Indeed the film is packed with interesting fifties performers, including Jean Willes as Miles' nurse, Sally; Virginia Christine as Becky's cousin, Wilma; Dabbs Greer, Larry Gates and others. Whit Bissell and Richard Deacon feature in the film's framing sequences, which were omitted in re-release.

Paranoid? Kevin McCarthy

Credit must be given to Daniel Mainwaring's script, Carmen Dragon's evocative score, and especially Ellsworth Fredericks' superb cinematography in "Super Scope." Although he did turn in fine directorial jobs on other films, this remains the high-water mark in the career of Don Siegel. The greenhouse sequence when all the pods are discovered with its off-kilter angles is only one of several notable sequences. The film's one great flaw is the utter illogic of Becky's "conversion" and one wishes the filmmakers had handled it much differently, but by no means does it strip the film of impact and enjoyment. 

Verdict: This is a real creepy treat. This is as much a well-crafted suspense thriller as it is a classic horror sci-fi film. ***1/2. 

LAW AND ORDER UK

Bradley Walsh and Jamie Berber

LAW AND ORDER UK British television series; 53 episodes. 2009. 

The American series Law and Order had just about wrapped up its twenty-year run, when producer Dick Wolf came out with this British version which ran for five seasons and 53 episodes. The series reused storylines from the American show but the scripts were re-written, with occasional changes in plot or outcome, and of course the characters of the cops and prosecutors were all different, making this essentially a completely different series despite the utilization of some familiar premises. A mainstay throughout the entire series was Bradley Walsh who superbly played detective Ronnie Brooks in every single episode. Like Lennie Briscoe in the American version, he was a reformed alcoholic, but there the resemblance ended. Ronnie had more compassion than Briscoe and he never made quips over dead bodies like Briscoe did. Jamie Berber was also outstanding as Ronnie's first partner, Matt Devlin. 

Daniels, Agyeman, Paterson

The original prosecuting team consisted of Ben Daniels as James Steel, Freema Agyeman as Alesha Phillips, and Bill Paterson as George Castle. (Like Jack McCoy on the original L & O, Steel had affairs with numerous co-workers, and left the series after being put on trial for misconduct.) Other fine actors appeared as replacements for both cops and ADAs over the years, but the original team was arguably the best. As good as the acting could be on the American version, these British actors had them beat. 

Among the more notable episodes were: "Vice," in which a cop is found dead in his car and in a compromising position; "Unsafe," in which Steel grabbles with a sociopath brilliantly played by Iain Glen; "Buried," in which a woman has memories of her father murdering a childhood friend; "Alesha," in which the prosecutor is raped by a gynecologist; "Shaken," which poses the question of which person shook a little baby to death. In "Crush" a prostitute's client is accused of her murder. "Intent" asks if a man murdered a couple at his parents' old house when he was drunk. "Survivor's Guilt" has the murderer of a major character  put on trial. In "Paternal" a deadbeat dad  is shot in his hotel room. "Hard Stop" examines the murders of a mob boss and several witnesses. "Haunted" poses an interesting dilemma: a man offers up a deathbed confession, but another suspect has already been convicted of the crime. Every episode of the series is available on Amazon Prime. 

Verdict: Possibly a bit better than the original series, with some great acting and stories (even if recycled). ***. 

THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW A. J. Finn

THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW. A J. Finn. William Morrow;2018.

Anna Fox suffers from agoraphobia and lives by herself in an East Harlem townhouse. Her husband left her and took their daughter with him, but Anna stays in communication with them. She spends her time -- in addition to heavy drinking and pill popping -- watching her neighbors, including a couple across the way who have a troubled teenage son, Ethan. One afternoon Anna is helped by, and gets to know, Ethan's mother, Jane, but some time later she appears to see Jane being stabbed through the window of the other building. However, the police think it is all an alcoholic, drug-influenced fantasy. Ethan's mother shows up -- and is a completely different woman from the one Anna met before. The Woman in the Window is well-written and it initially holds your attention, but the twists in the story -- and the identity of the true villain -- are so obvious that it pretty much ruins your enjoyment of the novel and you're just turning pages to get it over with. There are way too many recycled ideas in the book, but once it got bought for the movies (on Netflix, at least) it was destined for bestseller-hood. Serious fans of mystery and suspense books will find this a major disappointment. 

Verdict: Badly overhyped -- paging Agatha Christie. **1/4. 

BARE BONES

BARE BONES 7. Summer 2021. Edited by Peter Enfantino and John Scoleri. 

Bare Bones is a thick trade paperback quarterly periodical that covers genre films, books. magazines, and comics in both a scholarly and entertaining fashion. The latest issue, in which I'm very happy to be a contributor, includes an article on filmmaker Stuart Gordon's Lovecraft adaptations by Matthew R. Bradley; a roundtable on Quentin Tarantino's novelization of his film Once Upon a Time in ... Hollywood; a look at comic book adaptations of popular genre movies by yours truly entitled Fantastic Comics of the Silver Screen; "Sleaze Alley," Peter Enfantino's reviews of paperback crime fiction titles; David J. Schow on movie novelizations; and more on crime digests, pulp magazines and the like. The magazine is printed on thick paper stock and is well worth the price at only $9.95. it can be ordered on amazon. 

The cover of Bare Bones 7 is taken from the cover of Gold Key's excellent movie adaptation of King Kong, which was published decades after the film came out.

SATAN'S TRIANGLE

Doug McClure and Kim Novak

SATAN'S TRIANGLE (1975 telefilm). Director: Sutton Roley.

A Coast Guard copter comes across what appears to be a deserted yacht, although there are corpses -- and one live female -- on board. Lt. Haig (Doug McClure) tries to rescue Eva (Kim Novak) but the cable snaps before they can be lifted into the copter. Back on board, Eva tells Haig her story: they are in a part of the sea known as the Devil's Triangle, and supernatural things began to happen after a priest (Alejandro Rey), who survived a plane crash, is taken on board. Haig insists that there is a natural explanation for all of the deaths, including the sight of the corpse of the ship's wealthy owner, Hal (Jim Davis), which appears to be simply floating in mid-air in his cabin. But Haig may be in for a very rude awakening ... 

Alejandro Rey

Satan's Triangle is yet another movie about the Bermuda Triangle, even though it is never referred to by that name (nor as Satan's Triangle, either). It has a creepy premise and a good ending but the direction is so mediocre that what might have been a nail-biter is just another flaccid Movie-of-the-Week. We also have such cliches as the priest who councils a fallen woman, the former prostitute, Eva -- these two nearly make out in a scene which might at least have been interesting --  and some of the outdoor scenes seem to be shot through a smeared and grimy lens. The musical score is hopeless and aside from Rey and Michael Conrad as Haig's co-pilot the acting is generally poor as well. Rey portrayed the playboy in The Flying Nun TV series and he's quite effective in this. 

Verdict: Sort of like an EC comics horror story but not as good. **1/4. 

FLIGHT TO MARS

Huston, Franz and Mitchell

FLIGHT TO MARS (1951). Director: Lesley Selander. 

Five people travel on a spaceship to Mars: scientists Professor Jackson (Richard Gaines), Dr. Lane (John Litel of Runaway Daughters), and Dr. Barker (Arthur Franz); along with Barker's apparent fiancee and assistant, Carol (Virginia Huston); and reporter Steve Abbott (Cameron Mitchell of The Silent Scream). During the journey triangle tension develops between Barker, Carol and Steve, but they are in more danger from passing meteorites. Arriving on Mars they discover an advanced underground civilization. Although the leader, Ikron (Morris Ankrum of Beginning of the End), seems friendly to the earthlings and offers to help them repair their rocket ship, in reality he is scheming to steal their technology so they can leave their dying planet and take over the earth. 

The latest in Martian fashions!

Flight to Mars begins well, with some interesting discussions aboard the ship en route to Mars, and sincere attempts at characterization. One of the scientists puts forth the interesting theory that the universe is one enormous living being. Unfortunately, once the group reaches Mars, the film turns into a dreary and rather dull and cliche-ridden story of dying planets and alien treachery. Fortunately, some of the Martians are on the side of the visitors and help them, and there is some minor suspense as the earthlings make their getaway from Mars. The acting is good enough for this Monogram production. Marguerite Chapman is cast as Alita, a fetching Martian lady who falls for Barker even as his cast-off girlfriend begins falling for the persistent Abbott -- the soap opera aspects of the story are not compelling. 

Verdict: Begins well, becomes a bore. **. 

MURDER IN MESOPOTAMIA Agatha Christie

MURDER IN MESOPOTAMIA Agatha Christie. (1936). William Morrow trade paperback edition. 

Agatha Christie accompanied her second husband, Max Mallowan, on his archeological expeditions, and on occasion used these digs as the location for one of her mysteries. In this suspenseful story, an attractive middle-aged woman, who brought out strong emotions in the people around her, the wife of the dig's leader, is found murdered, and famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot determines that it had to be an inside job. The victim had been receiving threatening letters, but it is not so certain that they were genuine. There are numerous suspects, various motives and strange psychological attributes that Poirot and the narrator, a young nurse, must sort through to arrive at the solution. The book is very well-written with excellent characterizations, as well as Christie's colorful view of the location, circa 1930's. While one aspect to the solution is quite clever, Christie is at her most audacious when she finally unveils the murderer. When I first read this novel decades ago,. I thought this was so far-fetched as to be laughable -- and it would have been a relatively simple matter for the author to clear up one or two points that would have made it more believable -- but now that I take the character flaws of the victim into stronger consideration, I wonder if the book is quite as improbable as I thought. In any case, whatever you think of the denouement, this is a fascinating mystery. This story was featured on an episode of the series Poirot with the wonderful David Suchet. 

Verdict: Christie doesn't kid around! ***

KING KONG VS. GODZILLA

Godzilla and Kong duke it out by the seaside

KING KONG VS. GODZILLA (aka Kingu Kongu tai Gojira/1962). Director: Ishiro Honda. NOTE: This is the original Japanese version of the film with English sub-titles. 

A submarine has an unfortunate encounter with Godzilla even as Mr. Tako (Ichiro Arishima), the hysterical head of a pharmaceutical firm, wishes he had something fantastic to help advertise his products. He orders two employees to Faro island to investigate stories of a berry with amazing qualities as well as of the supposed God that lords it over the natives, Kong. Kong turns out to actually exist, and the berries help put the big gorilla to sleep. Kong is captured and taken by boat to Japan, but he breaks free and engages Godzilla -- also on the loose on the mainland -- although their first encounter ends in a draw. Which of the legendary monsters will win in their second epic slugfest? 

Godzilla is ready for his close up

Godzilla/Gojira had already appeared in several Japanese films since Gojira when the idea came to pit the big lizard against the famous Kong, with not very felicitous results. For one thing, although the movie gets a bit more "dramatic" towards the end, it comes off like a parody for most of its length. The "suitmation" FX for the two title characters are pretty pitiful (Kong has a kind of tortured expression under his comical mask, but that may be the angst of the actor in the headgear), and the process work is also poor for the most part. The best sequence actually has to do with a gigantic octopus -- this appears to be the real thing -- that slithers around the native huts and gets driven off by Kong.

Sahara and Takashima

The human characters -- aside from that low comedy bumbler, Tako -- consist of Tako's employee Osamu Sakurai (Tadao Takashima), his sister Fumiko (Mie Hama), Fumiko's boyfriend, Kazuo (Kenji Sahara), and Osamu's colleague, Kinsaburo (Yu Fujiki). At one point Fumiko is picked off a train by Kong and carried around in his humongous paw (everyone else seems to fall from the train to their deaths but there's no reaction to this). The film is shot in widescreen "Tohoscope" and the score by Akira Ifukube is better than the film deserves. Gotta love the chorus sung by the natives as Kong falls asleep!

By the way it is not true that Kong wins the fight in the U.S. version and Godzilla in the original. In both versions they fall into the sea, Kong swims back to his island, and Godzilla is presumed still alive under the ocean. 

Verdict: Kong deserves so much better. Hell, so does Godzilla.  **. 

PARTY FROM HELL

Jackie Moore as Molly

PARTY FROM HELL (2021). Director: Jared Cohn. 

Denise (April Martucci) is planning to launch a new interface for her company with her sister-in-law, Ashley (Veronika Issa) -- bolstered by seven million from entrepreneur Peter (Eric Roberts) -- and a major party is planned for the event. Denise literally bumps into a party planner named Molly (Jackie Moore) and hires her to put the launch party together. At the tasting session, things don't go so well when Peter's allergy to peanuts sends him to the hospital -- no peanut products were supposed to be in the appetizers -- and things get worse from there. Ashley disappears as a vengeful Molly starts a campaign to not only destroy Denise but everyone around her, including her daughter Grace (Nicolette Langley) and husband, Josh (Matthew Pohlkamp). Molly takes no prisoners, even framing the nice black employee, Liam (DeShaude Barner) for theft of a corporate credit card. 

April Martucci

To be frank, Party from Hell isn't very good but it is entertaining, which counts for something. The actors are competent, although none of the performances stand out. Molly is the latest in a long line of sociopaths with a grudge -- in this case she hates a group of girls who tormented her in school and has already disposed of several of them. The story proceeds at a good pace, but is devoid of style or real tension. There's no elan to the murder sequences. As for primary victim Denise she fires Liam without doing any investigating, and gets absolutely hysterical because Josh has some lipstick on his collar after a party in a bar -- she's not too tightly wrapped, either. 

Verdict: Plan your next party yourself! **1/4.

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TIME OFF

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In the meantime check out my brother blog, GREAT OLD MOVIES. 

FEMALE JUNGLE

Burt Kaiser and Lawrence Tierney

FEMALE JUNGLE (1955). Director: Bruno VeSota.

An actress is strangled to death and a heavy-drinking cop, Jack Stevens (Lawrence Tierney), fears he may have had something to do with the murder in a black out. Suspects also include columnist Claude Almstead (John Carradine of Death at Love House), who was in love with the actress, and caricaturist Alex Voe (Burt Kaiser), who is married to waitress Peggy (Kathleen Crowley of The Flame Barrier) but is carrying on with Candy (Jayne Mansfield). As the night proceeds Almstead takes Peggy out for a ride and Stevens and Sgt. Duane (Duane Grey) interrogate Almstead; Duane is convinced that the columnist is guilty. But on this he may be fatally mistaken.

John Carradine

Female Jungle has only been remembered, if at all, because future brief star Jayne Mansfield has a small role. She has a credible death scene but otherwise her performance is undistinguished; leading lady Crowley is much, much better. Tierny and Carradine are solid, but the most impressive performance is given by Burt Kaiser, who also co-wrote the screenplay and produced. Despite his good looks and acting ability, Kaiser only made one film and had a very few TV credits. Connie Cezon, who plays another club employee, was receptionist Gertie on Perry Mason. Director Bruno VeSota gives himself a small role -- Cezon's husband -- but his direction is nothing to rave about and even in a clear print the film is criminally under-lit. Dull in spots, the picture goes on too long after the climax.

Verdict: Some good acting and a decent plot, but the execution is mediocre. **.   

SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW

SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW (2004). Director/writer: Kerry Conran.

This is an unfortunate attempt to recreate the excitement and craziness of the old Republic serials with some high-tech effects and computer imagery (so much of it that the movie almost resembles a cartoon). The movie takes place not in the future but circa World War Two, and features a battle between the heroic Sky Captain (Jude Law), a Blackhawk-type mercenary, and the evil Dr. Totenkopf, who attacks New York City with giant robots, and forces scientists to create strange animals (including, inexplicably, an elephant shrunken to the size of a stuffed toy). Totenkopf's plan is to build a space ark that will take his animals off into the cosmos while the Earth itself is vaporized. Helping Sky Captain is the intrepid reporter Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) and – in what amounts to a bit – female pilot Franky Cook (Angelina Jolie). Giovanni Ribisi is the captain's pal and associate Dex, who is kidnapped at one point. Although there are some fine FX and interesting scenic design and a few exciting moments (including the climax on the space ark) Sky Captain is never as entertaining as any of those old Republic serials, and both continuity and story are stilted, to say the least. Law is better in the heroic part than one would imagine, and Paltrow is also good as his partner-in-peril. The tongue-in-cheek script has some amusing moments, but after awhile its cliches become wearisome. In an improbable bit of stunt casting “Sir Laurence Olivier” is billed as Dr. Totenkopf, although the character turns out to be dead and is only seen as a withered corpse. Did the producers use Lord Olivier's voice? Who cares? Nothing could make this production particularly memorable.

Verdict: As expected, there were no sequels. *1/2.

THE DESCENT

THE DESCENT (2006). Written and directed by Neil Marshall.

A group of athletic women friends come together a year after a shattering tragedy – one of their number lost her husband and daughter in a terrible accident – and decide to explore a nearby cave for an adventure. Unfortunately, the most experienced spelunker among them, fearing that this particular cave is merely a tourist trap, leads them into a different unexplored cave instead without telling them. This really becomes a problem when a rock slide traps them in the cavern, as not only does no one know where they are, but they have no maps to show them another way out of the cave. 

one of the creatures

This claustrophobic nightmare only gets worse when the women slowly realize that there are horrid, carnivorous, humanoid creatures living down in the caverns, and the women have become their latest food supply. Although these slimy rodent men aren't exactly original – they remind one a bit of the cannibalistic Morlocks in H. G. Wells' novel "The Time Machine" – they are fearsome, fast-moving and shuddery creations nonetheless, and they jump out at the women and the viewer in some very creepy sequences. The acting is generally convincing, and the picture is very well-directed and briskly edited for maximum scares and impact. Wisely, scenes are never over-lit, which only increases the dread and the claustrophobia. While the idea of women becoming warrior-like after winding up in a kill-or-be-killed situation is not new, this is a highly interesting variation. Although there is probably not as much sub-text as some critics have seen – and the all-female cast (or victim) business is probably not misogynous in intent – the movie does have a more “serious” tone than similar pictures. Atmospheric, chilling, and undeniably poignant.

Verdict: A notable if imperfect horror film. ***1/4.

THE DEMON'S DEN

 

THE DEMON'S DEN. The Hardy Boys # 81 (1984). Franklin W. Dixon (house pseudonym). 

When a boy who is tall for his age is kidnapped from a camp, the chief suspects are members of a cult who fear the oncoming apocalypse. Frank and Joe, however, think the head of the camp may be involved. The cultists believe the boy was taken by the “devil,” whose minions are as “tall as trees.” Meanwhile Fenton Hardy, our heroes' private eye dad, is trying to find a scientist who was involved in dangerous genetic experiments. The fellows wind up deep in the Canadian wilderness, where some of the frightened loggers actually believe in the stories of Paul Bunyan, and his equally large son is supposedly ruling over the territory. Undeterred, Frank and Joe proceed in finding Bunyan’s – or “the devil’s” HQ – coming across outsized footprints and the like. As usual, there is a more realistic explanation for things involving a race of supermen. This is an above-average latter-day Hardy Boys adventure. Gary Lang’s cover illustration depicts Frank and Joe the way they would actually look, like handsome young men who are mature-enough looking to not only be taken seriously by those they question during their investigation but who certainly look as if they can acquit themselves nicely in a fight with desperadoes. 

Verdict: This has its silly aspects, but it's an exciting adventure story for kids of all ages. ***. 

LADY GANGSTER

LADY GANGSTER (1942). Director: Robert Florey. 

A failed actress, Dot Burton ( Faye Emerson), gets in with a gang of hoods and becomes embroiled in a bank robbery scheme. She winds up doing time with an interesting bunch of lady inmates, and then things get really complicated. This fast-paced, lively and very entertaining "B" movie is so unpredictable for the most part that it would be criminal to give away any more of the plot elements. It has the very casual immorality of most of these kind of movies. Emerson gives a vivid and adept performance as Dot, as does Ruth Ford as "stool pigeon" Lucy, Julie Bishop as inmate Myrtle, Dorothy Adams as "Deaf Annie," and Virginia Brissac as the warden Mrs. Stoner. Hedda Hopper's son William, herein billed as "DeWolf Hopper," has a small role, as does "The Great One" -- Jackie Gleason (billed as Jackie C. Gleason). Hopper is as stiff as ever (except when he was on Perry Mason), but Gleason makes a nice impression as a pleasant member of the robbery gang who has a soft touch for Dot. Roland Drew as gang leader Carey looks surprisingly good in drag. Frank Wilcox is only adequate as Kenneth, the old friend of Dot's who turns her in and then tries to help her. Robert Florey also directed The Beast with Five Fingers. Bishop, Ford, Drew, and Wilcox were all in The Hidden Hand. 

Verdict: A pleasant surprise. ***.

VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA (1961)

Robert Sterling and Walter Pidgeon

VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA (1961). Produced and directed by Irwin Allen.

Admiral Nelson (Walter Pidgeon) has come up with an amazing nuclear submarine, the Seaview, with features that "Jules Verne never thought of." When the Van Allen radiation belt catches fire and the world seems doomed by rising heat and fire, Nelson comes up with a scheme to prevent catastrophe by shooting a missile at it, thrusting the fiery belt into space. His scientific colleagues think he's crazy, and he also meets opposition from Captain Crane (Robert Sterling) and Dr. Susan Hiller (Joan Fontaine), a headshrinker come to study the men who thinks the admiral is off his rocker. With armed subs chasing the Seaview, a saboteur on board, the rising possibility of mutiny, and other assorted dangers including floating mines and a huge octopus that grabs the sub, Nelson may never get the chance to fire his missile. 

the sky is on fire!

Irwin Allen may have been inspired by the success of Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea as well as Fox's Journey to the Center of the Earth, but he came up with a winner with this fast-paced and very entertaining fantasy-adventure. Pidgeon gives one of his best performances, and the others -- including Barbara Eden as his secretary and the Captain's fiancee, and Peter Lorre [The Beast with Five Fingers] as Nelson's friend and associate Commander Lucius Emery -- are all on target throughout. The picture has a very good script by Charles Bennett and Allen that maximizes the potential of the storyline and adds suspense and tension at every opportunity. 

Sterling, Fontaine and Eden

Not everything is perfect. A scene with a big prop and unconvincing squid attacking Crane as he tries to tap into an underwater cable seems to go on forever and is not that well done to begin with (at least the octopus that shows up later is real). But the business with deadly floating mines that jeopardize the ship is quite tense and there are other exciting sequences as well. It's also fun watching Pidgeon slapping disrespectful seaman Frankie Avalon [Horror House] in the face and a certain lady falling into the shark pool. Winton Hoch photographed the film -- the splendid Seaview looks terrific -- and Sawtell and Shefter contributed an effective score. The whole business with Nelson having to fire the missile at an exact day and moment from the Mariannas is gobbledygook but who cares? The movie was successful enough to engender a TV series that lasted for four years.

Verdict: One of Allen's very best. ***1/4. 

THE MAN FROM PLANET X

Margaret Field and Robert Clarke

THE MAN FROM PLANET X (1951). Director: Edgar G. Ulmer. 

A cosmic body known only as "Planet X" is approaching the earth. Reporter John Lawrence (Robert Clarke) travels to an isolated Scottish island to consult with Professor Elliot (Raymond Bond) and the sinister Dr. Mears (William Schallert), while romancing Elliot's daughter, Enid (Margaret Field). One late evening Enid comes across a strange vehicle out on the moors, and gets a shock when she sees its inhabitant, a grotesque-looking alien in a helmet. The question for our cast is if this alien is friendly or not, and if his attitude toward us will be changed by the selfish motivations of Dr. Mears. Before long, people are being mind-controlled even as Planet X comes closer and closer to Earth. 

The alien appears to earthlings

The science of The Man from Planet X is about on a 1950's comic book level, so the viewer has to suspend disbelief to get into the movie, which has its eerie moments on the moors and is modestly entertaining. The acting is solid, with the normally genial William Schallert essaying a distinctly negative character and doing it very well. Roy Engel is also effective as the constable, who is up against something he never thought he'd have to face in his career. The production makes the most of its low budget. This is one of director Ulmer's [Daughter of Dr. Jekyll] better-regarded pictures, possibly because one can never be sure about how the alien feels about earthlings, and the pace of the film is reasonably swift. Clarke, Field and Schallert all appeared together in the bizarre Captive Women. 

Verdict: Has a certain minor charm. **3/4. 

FANTASTIC VOYAGE

The Proteus in a capillary

FANTASTIC VOYAGE (1966). Director: Richard Fleischer.  

After an important scientist is attacked and nearly killed by "the other side," his bodyguard, Grant (Stephen Boyd), is called in to the HQ of CMDF (Combined Miniature Deterrent Forces). There he learns to his horror that an operation on the scientist's brain must be performed from the inside. That's right -- the entire medical team, along with a queasy Grant, will be shrunk to microscopic size, inserted into a blood vessel, and sent via submarine, the Proteus, on a "fantastic voyage" to save the man's life. But is it possible the lead surgeon, Dr. Duval (Arthur Kennedy of Impulse), is a traitor? Or is it one of the others -- the pilot, Owens (William Redfield), Dr. Michaels (Donald Pleasence of Circus of Horrors), or Duval's shapely assistant, Cora (Raquel Welch)? 

Pleasence, Kennedy, Boyd, Welch

With its totally absurd premise and situations -- surely the scientist's brain could be operated on in the normal way? -- one has to suspend disbelief from start to finish when it comes to Fantastic Voyage. Once you accept that, you're in for an unparalleled thrill ride, with one startling emergency situation after another: a tear in a vessel's tissue causes a whirlpool that nearly shakes the sub apart; Grant is nearly lost in a wind-blown lung cavity; a noise in the operating theater when the Proteus must proceed through the inner ear causes anti-bodies to attack Cora; and so on. The special effects for the movie, combined with impressive and well-dressed sets, done in the days before CGI, still hold up all of these years later. The film is a visual knock-out -- especially in widescreen -- and although the pace is on the deliberate side, the suspense and tension is continuously sustained.

A tense moment on board the Proteus

On the debit side, all of the characters are one-dimensional, although in general the acting is solid. Welch never seems quite real, however, almost like a walking Barbie doll. Monitoring the sub via a tiny radioactive particle are Edmond O'Brien and Arthur O'Connell as General Carter and Colonel Reid, respectively. These two manage to get across the stress they are undergoing while the actors on the Proteus may, at times, seem a little too cool under pressure. But none of that really matters: Fantastic Voyage is a fun and eye-popping ride and one of the most original movies ever made. 

Verdict: Excellent sci-fi/fantasy -- a remake is not in order. ***1/2. 

BILL AND COO

 

BILL AND COO (1948). Director: Dean Reisner.

A monstrous winged creature swoops down to earth periodically to bring death and terror to earth's inhabitants. No, it isn't the monster bird of The Giant Claw, but rather a big black crow known as "the Black Menace." In the town of Chirpendale, a cabbie named Bill loves a pretty bird named Coo and life might be idyllic for them and their neighbors were it not for the Black Menace. In this oddball one-of-a-kind movie all of the characters are played by actual birds -- some wearing little outfits -- on a tiny set. Once the novelty wears off -- after about five minutes -- what's left is a vaguely "cute" but generally tedious time-waster that might amuse very young children -- or not. The problem is that compared to dogs, cats, and chimps, the birds in this don't have a hell of a lot of personality. It gets points for originality, certainly. But it doesn't compare favorable to such all-animal (and animatronics) movies like Babe.

Verdict: For bird lovers -- or bird-brains -- only. **.

JIGSAW

 

JIGSAW (aka GUN MOLL/1949). Director: Fletcher Markle.

Howard Malloy (Franchot Tone) investigates a secret organization that appeals to people's racism in order to sell uniforms and other materials for profit. Charles Riggs (Myron McCormick) is a crusading reporter who detests racism and is out to expose the group no matter what. Angelo aka "The Angel" Agostini (Marc Lawrence of Inside Job) is a hood who gets sexy model Barbara Whitfield (Jean Wallace) to romance Malloy. Grace Hartley (Winnifred Lenihan) is a political widow and one of Malloy's mentors. There are interesting elements to the movie, but it never quite jells, and the most notable thing about the production is seeing famous guest stars doing cameos -- Marlene Dietrich walks out of a nightclub called The Blue Angel where Henry Fonda is a waiter! Seeing these two in such a cheapie production as this is a little bit surreal. Another plus: the ending is quite unexpected. The actors are at least professional.

Verdict: Okay but no cigar. **.

THE LOST WORLD

Yehudi, the fire monster, pops in for supper

THE LOST WORLD (1960). Produced and directed by Irwin Allen. 

"This is the greatest moment of your lives." -- Professor Challenger. 

The peppery Professor Challenger (Claude Rains) insists that he saw dinosaurs on a South American plateau from the air and wants to mount an expedition right away. Against his better wishes and despite skepticism, he assembles a team consisting of explorer Lord Roxton (Michael Rennie), reporter Ed Ames (David Hedison), the doubting and persnickety Professor Summerlee (Richard Haydn), and late arrivals Jennifer Holmes (Jill St. John ) and her brother David (Ray Stricklyn). Rounding out the motley crew are pilot Manual (Fernando Lamas) and his pal and helpmate, Costa (Jay Novello). The group do find the expected dinosaurs, as well as a race of decidedly unfriendly cannibals. It's not only a question of how they will get off the plateau but which will kill them first -- the monsters or the natives?

The explorers get their first look at a dinosaur

Very loosely based on the novel of the same name by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the movie is fun and colorful as long as you don't take it too seriously. The monsters are genuine lizards who are placed into process shots of varying effectiveness with the actors -- there's a marvelous scene with a monster's huge tail nearly sweeping Hedison and St. John off of a cliff as two dinosaurs have a battle nearby. The climax, greatly embellished and extended from Doyle's novel, features a cavern with a giant skeleton, angry pursuing natives, and a fire monster that makes a tasty snack out of poor Costa. It's ironic that he is so terrified of being sacrificed to cannibals but winds up eaten by a monster instead. 

Hedison, Stricklyn, St. John

Novello is probably the best actor in the bunch aside from Rains, who appears to be having fun if nothing else. The others all perform with a certain stalwart dignity, although many critics noted that St. John in her "shocking pink knee boots" seems out of her element. The film is well photographed in CinemaScope and Technicolor by Winton C. Hoch, and the score by Paul Sawtell and Bert Shefter is quite effective. 

Verdict: The biggest star is the Fire Monster. ***.