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Cinema Sunday: The Beast Must Die (1974)

Posted on March 2, 2014 by billyd75

Title: The Beast Must Die

Distributor: Amicus Productions (British Lion Films)

Writers: James Blish (short story), Michael Winder (screenplay)

Director: Paul Annett

Producers: Max Rosenberg, John Dark, Robert Greenberg, Milton Subotsky

Starring: Peter Cushing, Calvin Lockhart, Marlene Clark, Charles Gray

Released: April 1974

MPAA: PG

OK, I know this isn’t a film most will recognize, but it was one (maybe THE one) that got me interested in werewolves! I remember seeing it on T.V. when I was a little kid, and it scared the crap out of me! Yeah, the “werewolf” doesn’t hold up really well as an adult viewing it, but it still has a good cast, including the horror icon, Peter Cushing, and a couple of unique things about it that no other werewolf movie has that I’ve personally ever seen! So, without further interruption, let’s get to it!

The opening scene shows a man, Tom Newcliffe (Calvin Lockhart), as he’s running through a wooded area, and being tracked by not only a helicopter, but also soldiers. They are all being directed by another man, Pavel, who is using advanced equipment to track Tom. Twice they catch him, but are directed to let him go. As Tom finally makes his way to an open area near a mansion, we see a few people sitting at a table outside, having a meal. As Tom gets closer to the people, the soldiers emerge from the woods, and shoot him in the back! A scream from one of the guests rings out, and they all come running to see if Tom can be saved. We quickly realize that the bullets were blanks, and Tom laughs at the situation. His wife, Caroline (Marlene Clark) is not amused.

Later that day, Tom is introducing everyone to each other, and we see his intentions on throwing this dinner party. He tells Arthur Bennington (Charles Gray), Jan and Davina Gilmore (Michael Gambon & Ciaran Madden), Paul Foote (Tom Chadbon), and Professor Lundgren (Peter Cushing), that death seems to follow all the guests, and that he believes one of them is a werewolf. He also states that the estate has been electronically bugged, so he can track and kill the animal for sport. Most of the guests don’t believe they even exist, but Professor Lundgren does, and has some expertise on the subject.

Tom then meets with Pavel, who, coincidentally doesn’t believe him either, and tells him that he needs him to watch the estate, while he sleeps. Not long into the night, the sensors fire off that there is activity on the estate. Pavel wakes Tom, and then directs him to the nearby wooded area to track it. Tom eventually gets a quick look at it, but it evades him, then heads back to the house. Tom urges Pavel to get something silver to fight off the creature, but Pavel grabs a pistol instead. Before you know what’s happening, a large wolf is on the rooftop by a skylight, and Pavel attempts to shoot the animal. It either evades the shots or they have no effect, and then it dives through the glass, and Tom hears Pavel scream. By the time Tom returns to the mansion, he finds Pavel dead in his chair (nice shot of that scene below).

The next day, Tom tells his chopper pilot that they’ll be on the hunt tonight, so be ready. He told the rest of the staff to go home for a few days, so that no one else will be in jeopardy. Tom then removes the rotary arm from each vehicle on the estate, so he wont have to worry about anyone leaving. As Tom is walking around the estate, he’s nearly shot with an arrow by Paul Foote. Foote tells him that he’s been “hunting the hunter”, and plays it off as a drunken joke. Tome berates him, and then shows him what he’s done to the cars. At dinner, Tom announces what he’s done, and that it’s twelve miles to the nearest neighbor. Bennington gets furious about this, but Tom doesn’t care. Foote also gets grumpy, and the rest of the crowd is growing aggravated as well. Caroline then grabs a candlestick and smashes a mirror with it, cutting herself.

In the evening, Tom and his chopper pilot find the werewolf running around the property. After trying to shoot it from the chopper doesn’t work, Tom decides he’s going to get up close and personal with the beast. He follows it into a dark barn, but unbeknownst to him, Davina, Caroline, and Professor Lundgren have also followed out to the barn. Caroline’s dog rushes in and begins to fight with the werewolf. It loses that battle, and the werewolf bolts out the door before Tom can do anything to stop the beast. It then mauls the chopper pilot, and heads back towards the mansion. Meanwhile, Caroline is distraught about her dog. Tom steps in, and tells Professor Lundgren to take the two ladies back to the mansion. Tom then euthanized the dog. Tom then comes back to the house, and all are accounted for except Bennington. As Tom enters the room, he sees blood everywhere, and Bennington on the floor, dead from various wounds.

As the next day begins, the body count will rise even higher, and the question arises, can anyone stop the beast from killing again?

OK, here are my thoughts:

Are the “special effects” cheesy? Yes. Do some of the actors over act? Yes. BUT, listen to me when I tell you this the movie is still pretty good! If you can get past the wolf-dog, you can get through this movie, and enjoy it in the meantime too! Calvin Lockhart is a great protagonist, and when you throw in Peter Cushing (certainly a smaller role than we’re used to seeing him in), you get two solid actors that know how to play their parts. One of the things I alluded to earlier, is that this film has a couple of cool things that are a surprise. First off, with 3/4 of the movie in the can, you get the voice of the narrator telling you “it’s time for the werewolf break”. You get exactly thirty seconds to try to use the clues that were given to guess who you think is the culprit (pic above). Now, granted there are only five people left at this stage of the game, but it’s still a cool concept. Secondly, the story also has a unique twist ending, for Tom, and Caroline. I wont spoil it, but believe me, you wont see this one coming.

Overall, I’d give this movie a solid rating, because of Lockhart and Cushing, plus the twists I spoke of above. Again, the werewolf looks like a coked up dog running around, but it was 1974, and I’m sure half of the budget was blown on Peter Cushing and a few explosions. I’ll freely admit to giving this movie a higher score than most out of pure nostalgia as well. See you next Sunday for more movie madness!

Cinema Sunday: Blacula (1972)

Posted on February 23, 2014 by billyd75

Title: Blacula

Distributor: AIP/MGM

Writers: Raymond Koenig & Joan Torres

Director: William Crain

Producers: Samuel Z. Arkoff & Joseph T. Narr

Starring: William Marshall, Denise Nicholas, Vonetta McGee, Gordon Pinsent, Thalmus Rasulala

Released: August 25th, 1972

MPAA: PG

Greetings friends! This week is a special one indeed! I’ll be taking a look at the first blaxploitation film that ever piqued my interest, and has become a favorite of mine over the years. Listen, one Halloween, my family and I just stayed in rather than go out, we all sat on the couch together, and as I flipped through the channels, guess what was on? You bet, it was Blacula! Of course, no one else was as excited as I was, but hey, it was an experience! OK, enough reminiscing, let’s get to this awesome piece of 1970’s gold!

Our story begins in 1780, as we see Castle Dracula in the mountains. Inside, Count Dracula is entertaining two guest that are seeking his help. Prince Mamuwalde (William Marshall), and his bride, Luva (Vonetta McGee), have come to the home of Count Dracula to meet with other dignitaries, and try to persuade them to help stop the slave trade. Dracula doesn’t seem to think that’s a good idea, so he and Mamuwalde are at odds. Dracula does tell the prince that he would pay a good chunk of change for his “delicious” wife. Mamuwalde takes offense to this, and the next thing you know, Dracula’s lackeys are fighting with Mamuwalde. They use superior numbers to knock him out, and then Dracula bites him, and curse him to become, Blacula! He also locks Luva in the crypt with the coffin that holds Mamuwalde, so she’s helpless to save him, and he’s also helpless to save her.

Fast forward to modern times (1972), and we see two interior decorators in Transylvania, bidding on the contents of Castle Dracula. They buy everything, including the coffin. They then have everything transported back to Los Angeles. As they rummage through their buys, suddenly, the coffin opens, and out pops Blacula! He bites those two guys, and then heads back into the coffin. As the funeral for the two dead guys is taking place, Dr. Gordon Thomas (Thalmus Rasulala), Tina Williams (Vonetta McGee), and her sister, Michelle (Denise Nicholas), enter to pay their last respects to their friends. Lurking in the next room, is Blacula, and he sees Tina, and she’s an exact mirror image of his dead wife, Luva. He decides she must be his dead wife reincarnated, so he then sets out to win her over. They leave the funeral home, and Tina heads home. On her way, she’s approached by Mamuwalde, but gets frightened, and runs away. She drops her purse, and then bolts for her apartment.

The next scene shows up the local night club, and Tina, Michelle, and Gordon are having a good time. The next thing you know, Mamuwalde shows up, and brings Tina’s purse to her, and apologizes for startling her the prior day. He then joins their dinner party, but is quickly turned off by the flashes of a photographer, and one of the club’s regulars. The photographer tries to snap a pic of Blacula, but when she heads to her house to develop it, she sees Blacula is missing. Before she can even blink, she’s accosted by him, and left for dead.

As the body count rises, Tina falls in love with Mamuwalde. She even wont give him up after he kills a cop! As you can imagine, things escalate, and a crazy battle at a warehouse breaks out, followed by the final war between Blacula and the cops at a chemical plant! Death, destruction, and the greatest vampire to ever appear in a blaxploitation movie!

Alright here are my thoughts:

Listen, I know its sounds silly, but this movie really does have a decent story! Not only that, but the scenery, clothing, lingo, and all around atmosphere are groovy! William Marshall does a great job at playing a vampire. His incredible voice commands the set every time he speaks! And of course, Vonetta McGee (below) and Denise Nicholas are very easy on the eyes! The music score is good too, and definitely reflects the times. The title sequence has the best music for sure! The sequel, Scream, Blacula Scream, is a decent flick, but not quite as good as the original. We do get to see 70’s icon Pam Grier in that one, so it’s worth a look! Overall, if you’re a fan of anything 70’s, you need to see this one, and you can grab the double pack for around $5, so there’s no excuse! And remember, “His bite was outta sight”!

Cinema Sunday: Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954)

Posted on February 16, 2014 by billyd75

Title: Creature From The Black Lagoon

Distributor: Universal Studios

Writer: Maurice Zimm (Screenplay by Harry Essex & Arthur A. Ross)

Director: Jack Arnold

Producer: William Alland

Starring: Richard Carlson, Julie Adams, Richard Denning, Antonio Moreno, Ricou Browning

Released: February 12th, 1954

MPAA: PG (NR)

First, let’s get something out of the way before we get to the synopsis, and then my thoughts. This film is one of those few, that are perfect. For its time, it was scary, intriguing, thought-provoking, and just an all around great experience. To movie lovers, it still is, and that will never change. This film stands the test of time. OK, now that we’ve got that aside, let’s get to it!

Creature from the Black Lagoon was released in 1954, amidst the big sci-fi boom of the 1950’s. Many studios were putting out films with space exploration, otherworldly creatures, alien invasions, giant radiation mutated bugs, etc. It was definitely the best decade for new films of that genre. With household names like Richard Carlson, and the gorgeous Julie Adams! This movie was also very cool because it was filmed in 3-D! Alright, enough of the posturing, let’s get to the movie!

The film begins with a research party looking for fossils in the Amazon Basin. Dr. Carl Maia (Antonio Moreno), finds a fossil of a webbed hand, that appears to be part human, part amphibian. He rushes back to the institute where he works, and finds Dr. David Reed (Richard Carlson -far right, image above), and his assistant/lover, Kay Lawrence (Julie Adams), as they are doing research at the institute on marine life. He shows them and two other doctors the fossil, and they all conclude that this might be an evolutionary missing link, and it must be found. They get Dr. Mark Williams (Richard Denning -far left, image above) to finance the trip, and head down to the Amazon Basin. While they’re away, two of Dr. Maia’s laborers are brutally attacked by some strange and mysterious creature!

As the expedition arrives, they seek out the laborers, but find their bodies have been torn apart by something unseen. They dig for eight days, but find absolutely nothing. Mark is getting frustrated, but then David theorizes that some of this basin must have been washed away at some point, so they travel a little more down the river, to a lagoon. The boat (Rita), is captained by a man named Lucas, who seems to be a bit unscrupulous, but knows the waters very well. Mark and David head into the murky waters to check things out, and soon realize, that they are not alone. As they explore the depths of this mighty river, they find a fascinating creature, that looks half human and half amphibian. Mark shoots it with his harpoon gun, but it doesn’t even seem to faze the creature. It swims away, and the two men head back to the boat. They tell the others of this incredible creature, and they formulate a plan to capture it.

They fashion a cage from bamboo, and then use a drug that the captain uses to catch fish when the nets aren’t working to well. It’s a kind of powder that they spread through the water, and it will hopefully slow the creature down enough to be captured. Mark still wants to kill it, but David is adamantly against that action. As they put the plan into motion, the creature attempts to enter the boat, but is driven off by fire. It dives back into the river, and they follow it to its lair. It attacks Kay, but then falls to the ground, passing out from the drug. AS it regains consciousness in the cage aboard the ship, it sees Kay talking to one of the other scientists. The creatures strength returns, and it busts out of the cage easily. It savagely attacks the scientist, but gets lit on fire by a lamp. It retreats into the river, and the team is left in shock.

Mark wants desperately to go after the creature, but David tells him that it’s too dangerous, and that they are leaving. As they proceed back up river, they see that their exit is blocked by a fallen tree. David thinks that it was the creatures doing, and he and Mark argue over a plan of action. As David tells him that he’s going to go into the water to tie a rope around the tree, so they can pull it out of the way with the ship’s wench, Mark attacks David, but ends up getting punched out by David. David then goes into the water, but is attacked by the creature. Luckily for him, Mark has decided to come into the water, and help. He uses his harpoon gun to fight off the creature’s attack, but eventually gets killed by it in the end. This leaves David and the others to find a way to stop the creature, and try get out alive!

OK, here are my thoughts on the film:

As I said in the beginning, this film is perfect. The story is fantastic, but unlike a lot of horror, sci-fi movies, it doesn’t leave you guessing about what the creature looks like very long. Sometimes that can take all the suspense out of a movie, but it certainly does not in this one. The tension between Richard Carlson’s character and Richard Denning’s character is great! Throw in the gorgeous Julie Adams, and you have a really solid chemistry. Even Antonio Moreno and the others lend their strengths to the dialogue.

A great soundtrack, with an overall thunderous tone, gives a suspenseful feeling to this movie. I can’t imagine this one in color either, the black and white print is outstanding, and the 3-D “effects” were good for their time, no doubt. Honestly though, it could have easily done without that tag, but it was a sign of the times, so who cares. The underwater scenes in particular were really incredible. You can find this movie just about anywhere and for a decent price as well, so there’s no excuse to not own this classic Universal flick! With guys like Jack Arnold and William Alland!

Click here for the trailer!

Cinema Sunday: House of Wax (1953)

Posted on February 2, 2014 by billyd75

Title: House of Wax

Distributor: Warner Bros.

Writer: Charles S. Belden (play), Crane Wilbur (screenwriter)

Director: André de Toth

Producer: Bryan Foy

Starring: Vincent Price, Frank Lovejoy, Charles Bronson, Carolyn Jones, Phyllis Kirk

Released: April 10th, 1953

MPAA: NR

To say that Vincent Price is an icon, is a bit of an understatement. The guy has been in more great horror movies than I can count. All of the great Edgar A. Poe adaptations, The House on Haunted Hill, The Last Man on Earth, The Fly, and all the others that will just creep you out. Of course, everyone has their favorite, and House of Wax, is mine. I love a story that revolves around a good guy done wrong, then turns evil. When you have a character that goes off the deep end mentally from some sort of trauma, it isn’t too far away from reality, so that is a fascination. This film was part of the 3-D craze of the decade, and like most others, wasn’t defined by it, and the effects were mostly forgettable, but the film is not. So, from 1953, I give you, House of Wax…

The movie begins with a scene from inside a wax museum, and Professor Jarrod (Vincent Price) is working on one of his figures. His partner, Matthew Burke drops by to take a look at the financial records. He isn’t pleased with the moderate business they’ve done, so he suggests to Jarrod that they set fire to the building and collect the insurance money. This infuriates Jarrod, who looks at his figures as if they are real people. Burke scoffs at his partners feelings, and lights the building on fire anyway. He and Jarrod get into a fist fight, and Jarrod ends up on the wrong end of that scuffle. He’s presumed dead, although we never actually see it happen.

The next thing we see, is Burke, as he’s romancing a girl (Carolyn Jones) that looks young enough to be his daughter. She’s a gold digger though, and doesn’t care about his age. He tells her about the twenty-five thousand dollar insurance money that he received, and they make plans to go to Niagara Falls, and get married. They both go home, and Burke immediately goes to his safe, and grabs a wad of cash. He doesn’t realize that there is someone else in the room with him, and this creepy looking, cape wearing dude, throws a rope around his neck, and strangles him to death. Next, the creepy guy drags the body out into the hallway, places a rope around Burke’s neck, and tosses him into the elevator shaft, making it look like suicide.

The next day, Cathy Gray (Carolyn Jones), is talking with her roommate, Sue Allen (Phyllis Kirk), as she prepares to go out on another date…with another older man with money. She does, and Sue heads out to find a job. Sue comes in later at night, and after she gets harassed by her landlord, she heads upstairs to ask Cathy if she can borrow some money for rent. She discovers that Cathy has been murdered, and not only that, but the killer is still in the room! She jumps out of the window to the roof, and using a fire escape, gets to street level. The killer follows her, and a chase scene follows. Sue manages to get to a friend’s house, and she’s hysterical about the nights events. The next day, Sue tells the police what’s happened, and they’re skeptical about her story. As this is going on, the killer steals the body of Cathy Gray from the morgue.

We then see that Professor Jarrod survived the fire, and he meets with a rich finance man about opening a new museum. The man agrees, and Jarrod tells him that this museum will be different from the last, because he’ll be showcasing more macabre displays and not historical events. Jarrod also has two henchmen at his side, and they assist him because he’s now crippled and in a wheelchair.Sue and her boyfriend, Scott Andrews, (a talented sculptor) head to the new museum to check out what all the excitement is about in the city. They’re astonished at the reality of the wax figures, and especially, the Joan of Arc display. Sue is freaked out by the display, because it’s a dead ringer for her friend, Cathy Gray. Jarrod tells her that he uses photographs from the newspaper to use as reference for his wax figures. Jarrod then invites Scott to come over and sculpt at his museum, and he agrees. Scott then takes Cathy to a show to get her mind off of the murder, but she can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong about the museum.

The police go to the museum to check things out (since Jarrod was supposed to be dead), and one of the officers remembers the face of the on assistant. He’s suspicious, so they bring in his assistant for questioning. They find a gold watch in his possession, and it has an inscription on it. It has the name of one of the murdered people on it, so they know he has something to do with the foul play. They question him, and he cracks and tells them everything. While this is going on, Sue went tot he museum to meet Scott, but he’d already left. Jarrod and his assistant grab Sue, and take her to the waxwork downstairs. Jarrod wants to use her to recreate his Marie Antoinette, and he’ll stop at nothing to do it.

Scott returns to the museum to check and see if Cathy is there, and he hears her scream. As he attempts to get down to her, he’s stopped by Igor, the other assistant. Igor knocks out Scott, and puts his head in the guillotine. Just as he’s about to decapitate him, the police arrive and stop him. They bust in downstairs, and a fight breaks out. Jarrod seems to have superhuman strength, as he fights off half a dozen officers. Eventually though, the knock him off of a staircase, and he falls into his own boiling barrel of wax. The police rescue Sue from her chains, and Scott and her are reunited.

Here’s my take on the movie:

This is undoubtedly one of the best horror movies of all time. It holds up over time, and Vincent Price performs wonderfully. He executes the wild imagination of an artist perfectly, and then in the same movie changes into a mentally deranged fiend. The policemen were both good actors (Frank Lovejoy, Dabbs Greer), and you’ll recognize both of them if you’re a fan of old T.V. and cinema. Phyllis Kirk is a good “damsel in distress”, and even though he didn’t speak (his character was deaf & mute), Charles Bronson was pretty good too, as the evil henchman! It was one of his earliest roles on the big screen. The music score was also very good, so I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the name David Buttolph.

Cinema Sunday: The Fog (1980)

Posted on January 26, 2014 by billyd75

Title: The Fog

Distributor: AVCO Embassy Pictures

Writer: John Carpenter & Debra Hill

Director: John Carpenter

Producer: Debra Hill

Starring: Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins, Janet Leigh, Hal Holbrook

Released: February 1st, 1980

MPAA: R

It’s confession time, ladies and gents. When I was a kid, I used to wait until my Mom (or Grandmother) would go to bed, then go watch movies that I wasn’t allowed to under normal circumstances. One of the earliest horror movies I can remember watching and being completely frightened of, is the John Carpenter classic, The Fog. Lets be honest for a second, shall we. What boy wouldn’t want to watch a scary movie with Adrienne Barbeau (her big screen debut) and Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween) in it? Exactly my point. I was always fascinated by being scared, and movies by guys like Carpenter were just perfect. The film received mixed reviews, but did quite good at the box office. On a budget of around one million dollars, it brought in over twenty million. You’ll notice some familiar faces in this film from earlier Carpenter movies, and the mother of Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, as well!

The movie begins with an old sailor, as he tells a ghost story to a bunch of kids while camping on the beach (Boy Scouts?). He tells them of a ship that crashed on the shores of this very coastline, one-hundred years ago. He tells how they were killed because on an unearthly fog, that confused them on their location. Across town, Father Malone (Hal Holbrook), is startled when a stone from the wall pops out, crashing to the floor. Inside the wall he finds a journal, and begins to read. Over at the lighthouse, DJ Stevie Wayne (Adrienne Barbeau), is doing her nightly show, and settling in just before midnight. At that exact moment, the entire town goes absolutely bonkers. A small tremor hits the town, pay phones ring, car horns begin honking, dogs bark wildly, etc.

Next, we see Nick Castle, as he’s driving home. He sees a hitchhiker (Jamie Lee Curtis), so he picks her up. There’s also a small ship out at sea, and after getting drunk, the crew decide to head back home. Before they can though, they hear Stevie Wayne’s weather report, and she reports a fog bank coming this way. They see it, and before they know it, a ship is right next to them. As they proceed to the upper deck, two of them meet some ghastly figures in the dark. As they stand in fear, unable to move, both men are cut down by the zombie-like men. Below decks, the one man left is skewered by another of the ghostly figures. Over at Nick’s place, he’s already talked Elizabeth (Jamie Lee Curtis) into jumping in the sack with him. As they’re having some pillow talk, a knock at the door interrupts them. Nick gets up to answer it, but the clock face shatters, and strikes 1AM. As he answers the door, no one is there, just fog.

The next day, Nick and Elizabeth charter a boat to go out and find his buddies that never came back the night before. They find the ship, but it seems that nobody is left aboard. As they go to the lower decks, they find that the ship was freezing cold, and also it’s taken on water. Nick knows this can’t be possible, but the evidence tells him otherwise. Back in town, Father Malone gets a visit from Kathy (Janet Leigh) and Sandy (Nancy Loomis), about the celebration tonight for the town anniversary. Father Malone, has basically had a breakdown over the journal from his grandfather. It told a story of how his grandfather, and five other founders of the town betrayed a ship full of lepers that wanted to buy land near Antonio Bay. The settlers built a fire near some huge rocks near the shoreline, and lured the ship full of lepers there, where they crashed and died, one hundred years ago.

As night falls, Stevie heads to the radio station, and the fog slowly rolls in to town. Her son is at home with his geriatric babysitter, Mrs. Kobritz, who gets put out of her misery, but that leaves Stevie’s son alone against the horror in the fog. The power goes out in the town, the phone lines are down, and the fog begins to envelop Antonio Bay. It’s up to Stevie, Nick, Elizabeth, and a small group of townspeople, to find a way to stop the sinister beings in the fog!

Alright, here we go with my thoughts:

Initially, people might dismiss this film for a myriad of reasons, but I choose to look at the positives. Adrienne Barbeau actually does a great job in this flick. She’s very convincing, especially at the part where her son is in jeopardy. She only speaks in person once on the film, and that’s with her son. Other than that, she talks on the radio and with the weatherman on the phone. Still, a great performance on her part, especially when you consider it was her first movie. Tom Atkins is a good “man of action” type, and even the small parts Janet Leigh, and Hal Holbrook played are done well. The real stars of the movie though are John Carpenter & Debra Hill. If you look at not only this film, but all of their collaborations, you really get a sense that they were made to work together. This film certainly exemplifies that statement. Some very intense scenes, and the music score (Carpenter as well), really added to the mood, and will give you shivers up your spine! It’s now also available on Blu-ray, so if you wan to go that route, you have that option.

Monsters Unleashed #11, 1975

Posted on January 22, 2014 by billyd75

This gem is my first foray into the magazine market of Marvel Comics. I was really shocked at how fantastic the interiors were in this one (not to mention that fabulous cover by Frank Brunner)! Not only does it contain three really good stories, but the very inside cover brings an illustration by the late, great, Dave Cockrum (below)! And not just any illustration, but one of my favorite Universal Monster movies, Creature From The Black Lagoon! It has a short prose piece underneath the artwork, and with just one small paragraph, you get the chills thinking about that great film!

Next, we get a very scary story, starring Gabriel, Devil Hunter! In this one, we see Gabriel, as he must exorcise a very powerful demon from an old man. This demon isn’t going quietly though, and it will take every trick in the book to put this one down! Great tale by Doug Moench & Sonny Trinidad!

“The Empire”, is a story by Gerry Conway & Rico Rival, and it tells of corporate viciousness, and all that it leads to in the end. This one might not have the guts, blood, or demons, but it really makes you wonder about things that are quite sinister in the corporate world on a daily basis, I’m sure!

Last, but not least, we see a story that Don McGregor & Billy Graham really use to send the issue out with a bang! Literally! This one reminds me of a Jonny Quest episode, where a mad scientist is experimenting with genetics in the reptile family. A once small lizard, grows out of control and terrorizes the city. The ending is reminiscent of the Ray Harryhausen movie, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms!

As you can see, the stories and artwork in this magazine are excellent. Editor-in-chief, Marv Wolfman, along with Don McGregor (editor/writer), David Anthony Kraft (associate editor), and John Romita (art director), were the driving force behind the editing and art direction of these fine publications, and Marvel had a ton of them during this decade (Vampire Tales, Savage Tales, Tales of the Zombie, etc.)!

Cinema Sunday: The Hound of The Baskervilles (1959)

Posted on January 19, 2014 by billyd75

Title: The Hound of The Baskervilles

Distributor: United Artists

Writer: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (story)

Director: Terence Fisher

Producer: Michael Carreras

Starring: Peter Cushing, André Morell, Christopher Lee

Released: May 4th, 1959

MPAA: NR

In this big screen version of the classic tale from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, we see the vile Sir Hugo Baskerville, as he and his drunken cohorts torture a man because he questioned Sir Hugo’s motives with his daughter. After nearly killing him (or maybe killing him), he turns his attention to the daughter upstairs. Unbeknownst to him though, she’s escaped through the window, and is running loose, towards the moors. He lets loose the hunting dogs to chase her down, and cries out…”let the hounds of Hell take me if I can’t hunt her down”! He eventually does hunt her down, and murder her, but as he does, a sinister howl rings,out from the darkness. Sir Hugo is then attacked by some monstrosity, and is killed.

In the present day, we see that Dr. Mortimer (Francis de Wolff), is telling this tale to Sherlock Holmes (Peter Cushing) and his partner, Dr. Watson (André Morell). They seem unimpressed, which ticks off Mortimer. Holmes then uses his keen intellect to ask the right questions about a more recent murder in the Baskerville family, and then we realize that Holmes already knows of his motives for being at his home. Mortimer then explains that the next heir in line, Sir Henry Baskerville (Christopher Lee), is due to arrive today. Holmes tells Mortimer that he’ll meet with Sir Henry, and investigate the matter.

The next day, we see Sir Henry, at a hotel room, as he’s getting ready for the visit. Homes and Watson arrive, and tell him that they’ll take up the case. Before they leave, Sir Henry is the victim of an attack by a tarantula. Holmes has Watson accompany Sir Henry to the home, and he attends to other business. At the ancestral home, Sir Henry and Watson are taken care of by the housekeepers. Sir Henry does a toast but the female housekeeper drops her drink when he mentions the family curse. That night, Watson can hear a howling in the distance. The next morning, Sir Henry meets the local bishop (Miles Malleson), and they discuss the family history. After a short trip to the village, Watson is walking through the moors, when he’s approached by a man, warning him of straying off the trail. Watson continues on his trek, and runs into a beautiful girl. He asks her if he’s still on the right path to Baskerville Hall, and she runs away upon hearing that name. Watson pursues her through the moor, but then falls into quicksand. He’s rescued by the man he met earlier (Stapleton), and his daughter. They return Watson to the castle, and Sir Henry meets the girl (the daughter of Stapleton, who’s a local farmer), and the two get off to a rocky start.

Later that evening, Watson and Sir Henry see a light flashing out on the moors. They investigate, and find a man running loose on the property. As they are in pursuit, they hear a howling noise. Sir Henry appears to have some kind of panic attack. Back at the castle, Dr. Mortimer tells him that he has a heart condition that he’s inherited from the family. Watson goes back out to the moors to look for clues. As Watson sifts through the old ruins, he’s surprised by Holmes. who’s been watching things from a distance for days. As the two are talking, they hear a scream. They find a dead body, and assume it’s Sir Henry. They make their way back to the castle, and discover that it wasn’t Sir Henry, but an escaped convict that was roaming the area.

Another day passes, and they return to the spot where the body was left. It’s now missing, and they find tracks leading to the old ruins. They discover that someone or something not only killed the convict, but also mutilated his body. They find a dagger with the family crest on it, the very one that was used to kill decades earlier by the evil Sir Hugo. Holmes finds out that the housekeeper was related to the convict, and that she’d been taking him food and clothing. He was wearing one of Sir Henry’s suits when he was killed. Holmes visits the bishop, to decide what he knows about the recent disappearance of a tarantula. He tells Holmes that Dr. Mortimer had paid him a visit days before.

Sir Henry pays a visit to the Stapleton’s house, and puts the moves on the daughter. She has a strange look in her eyes, but then she invites him to dinner for that evening. Watson and Holmes discuss who might be behind these acts, and they are still unclear about who is responsible. Holmes deduces that there is something more to the moors than meets the eye. Dr. Mortimer and Holmes are at odds over Sir Henry. Holmes tells Dr. Mortimer about a local mine that needs investigating, and he agrees to come with him. Holmes then pulls out the dagger he found earlier, but Dr. Mortimer doesn’t seem surprised to see it. Next, Holmes, Stapleton, and Mortimer descend into the mine. After a few moments, Holmes makes a discovery, but then there’s a howl of an animal, and a cave i seals Holmes in, for good apparently. In the next scene, Watson is attempting to dig his way down to Holmes, but Mortimer and Stapleton tell him that there’s no way he survived. As they walk back to the cart, they’re shocked to see Holmes sitting in the cart.

Back at the castle, Holmes and Watson are putting the pieces of the puzzle together. Holmes had locked the dagger he found in a drawer in his dresser. It was forced open, and the dagger stolen. Sir Henry comes to see how Holmes is doing (he hurt his leg in the mine), and tells them that they’ve been invited to dinner by Stapleton. Holmes then realizes that this is the night Sir Henry is to die, so he intentionally annoys Sir Henry, so that he;ll go to dinner without them. Sir Henry leaves, and the two detectives make their plan! I wont spoil the ending, but rest assured, that Watson and Holmes see the action they’re looking for, and Sir Henry must face the hound from Hell!

OK, my thoughts are as follows:

The picture is without a doubt, one of the best films Hammer Studios has ever made. Cushing is astounding with his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes! He really “gets” the character, and what Doyle was trying to convey in his novel. André Morell has another magnificent performance, and really does his best at giving us a Watson we can believe. The bishop, Miles Malleson, is another Hammer regular, and has a knack with his depiction of the bumbling gentleman.

I definitely need to mention the man who wrote the screenplay, Peter Bryan. This adaptation was quite good compared to others. Not that you need to compare it, because it can stand alone against any other movie. The music score was fantastic too, and nothing less can be expected from James Bernard. It really set a thunderous mood during the high points of the film.

Long story short is that if you haven’t seen this movie, you need to right away. It is the definitive Sherlock Holmes movie! If you love mysteries, thrillers, or any type of classic film, get out and grab this film now!

Marvel Premiere #8, 1973. “The Doom That Bloomed on Kathulos”

Posted on January 19, 2014 by billyd75

As if Dr. Strange, Clea, and Stonehenge wasn’t enough, you get a story inspired by the fantasy legend, Robert E. Howard, scripted by Gardner Fox, pencils by Jim Starlin, and inks by Frank Giacoia! This A-list creative team brings us a tale of the good ‘ol Doc, as he and Clea have faced down trial after trial lately. In this issue, Strange finds out that not only must he face Kathulos in some dark, creepy dimension, but that if he does, waiting in the wings is his master Shuma-Gorath! We also see in flashback, these last few days, and its bizarre adventures. From an undersea nightmare, to another demon, spawned to serve Shuma-Gorath.

Throughout the book, we get amazing work by Starlin, and it really shows how great he would have been on a title like this one. Don’t get me wrong, I love Frank Brunner, Gene Colan, and all the other artists on the different series, but the awesomeness of Starlin’s work cannot be denied! Just look at those panels, by Starlin, Giacoia, Hunt, and Goldberg! Let us not diminish the writing by comic book great, Gardner Fox! His Golden and Silver Age work is nothing short of astounding (JSA, Starman, Sandman, etc.)!

Adapting the works of a great writer like Howard doesn’t hurt your chances at making something great either though. Howard’s countless creations (Conan, Kull, Solomon Kane, etc.) have inspired hundreds of writers, artists, and authors for decades. And I’m sure they will for many more to come! See you soon!

Monster Massacre vol. 1 (Atomeka/Titan Comics)

Posted on January 13, 2014 by billyd75

The over-the-top cover is extremely misleading, to those who will dismiss it just on that quality alone. Inside however, lies an anthology of stories and artwork that are top-notch! What better example of this could you imagine, than a story from the 1950’s, by legends Joe Simon and Jack Kirby? Of course the answer is none, and that’s what you get right out of the gate from this beautiful hardcover. The glossy pages of this book, are graced with some of comic books coolest creators. Dave Elliott, Alex Horley, Andy Kuhn, Dave Wilkins, Dave Dorman, and so on.

Each story has its own unique voice, that lends a piece to the overall tone of the book. The fantasy vibe, definitely harkens back to the days of Frank Frazetta, and Boris Vallejo. These legends have inspired countless creators since the 1970’s, and will for a very long time. In the middle of the book, we even get a good prose story (Mike Elliott), followed by a solid story that’s part color, part black and white. It was a really cool to see that abnormal twist. The Cthulu-esque tale “Deep Six”, with great action, and an explosive ending!

There are also two incredible galleries inside, one by Alex Horley, and the second by Steve White. The first, is one that will remind you of Heavy Metal or Vampirella style books. Big monsters, beautiful girls, and the such. The second one has some really interesting images that are varying in subject matter ranging from undersea life, to wooly mammoths. Throw in a good dinosaur story, and you get more than your monies worth from Atomeka and Titan Comics! Check out the links below for more info on this great book, and look for volume two in stores in the coming months (or pre-order it now)!

Atomeka on Facebook

Atomeka on Twitter

Deviant Art Page

Cinema Sunday: Terror Train (1980)

Posted on January 5, 2014 by billyd75

Title: Terror Train

Distributor: 20th Century Fox

Writer: T. Y. Drake

Director: Roger Spottiswoode

Producer: Harold Greenberg

Starring: Ben Johnson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Hart Bochner, David Copperfield

Released: October 3, 1980

MPAA: Rated R

Welcome, to my first (of many hopefully) movie review on my new blog! You know, I’d planned on doing something a bit older than this movie, but I started watching this one for the thousandth time, and thought, “hey, why not?” It’s not the most elaborate plot, and not the best acting, but it still holds up for slasher fans around the world. The evidence being its recent release to Blue-ray (above)!

The film begins at a frat party, and we see a few friends, Alana (Jamie Lee Curtis), Mitchy, Doc, Mo, and Jackson, as they pull a prank on another student. Well, the prank has an adverse effect on Kenny, and it sends him to the psychiatric hospital. Fast forward a coupe of years later, and the friends are taking a trip on an excursion train as part of a graduation party. The costume party doesn’t even get started though, as one of the group is killed before boarding the train. The rest of the students think nothing of it though, as he’s the class clown type.

As the train gets moving, the typical drinking, smoking, and all around craziness ensues. The killer assumes the disguise of his victim, so no one notices anything out of sorts. He begins to systematically eliminate students, and Alana begins to realize that the group that pulled the prank years earlier is being targeted. Alana attempts to get the help of the other students and the conductor to investigate who the killer might be.

As the train ride keeps going, the bodies pile up, and then only Alana remains. She thinks she figures it out, and the blame shifts to the magician (David Copperfield) that was hired for the party. The students are taken off of the train out in the frigid, wooded area, and the train is searched by the conductor (Ben Johnson) and his crew. They find nothing, and force the students back on to the train, because the temperature is well below freezing, so staying out there isn’t an option. Alana wanders into the magicians compartment, and discovers his body, impaled by his own swords.

After a while, even the crew of the train begins to be slaughtered, and it’s up to Alana and the conductor to figure out who’s doing the killing, where and when he’ll strike next, and ultimately, how to stop him!

OK, thoughts on this film are as follows. Overall, the film is a good slasher flick. It has everything you could want if you’re a fan of this genre. Unfortunately, if you’re not, you’ll probably think it stinks. Personally, I think it holds up well, and I can cite two reasons. First, Jamie Lee Curtis. She’s a great actress for flicks like this, and obviously, she expanded her roles and abilities over the years. Honestly though, I think her talents lie in the horror genre, and lets face it, you don’t get a nickname like “The Scream Queen”, for being miscast! Secondly, the film definitely has a creepy factor to it, that is still…well, creepy! So, while the earnings at the box office were modest, if you like slasher films, but haven’t yet seen this one, grab a copy!

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