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Cinema Sunday: Snowbeast (1977)

Posted on September 7, 2014 by billyd75

Title: Snowbeast

Distributor: NBC (National Broadcasting Company)

Writer: Joseph Stefano

Director: Herb Wallerstein

Producer: Wilfrid Lloyd Baumes

Starring: Bo Svenson, Clint Walker, Yvette Mimieux, Robert Logan, Sylvia Sidney

Released: April 28th, 1977

MPAA: PG

Continuing my look at “made for TV” movies, this week brings something from the realm of Bigfoot or the Yeti, in Snowbeast! This movie is one that usually flies under the radar for most people, but definitely give it a chance! You get the ultimate male himself, Clint Walker, a couple of gorgeous women, and of course, a bloodthirsty beast! Some of the “special effects” are quite laughable, but a decent story is there along with good location shots. OK, let’s get down to business!

The film begins with two women skiing through the snow in a remote area. As they stop for a quick break, one of them is leery that something “funny” is going down (I guess women’s intuition or ESP?). As they keep going, something sinister is watching from the tree-line. They spot some huge tracks in the snow, but the one girl isn’t impressed. A loud growl comes from the nearby trees, and an unseen beast jumps on one of the girls, while the other one barely escapes with her life.

The scene switches to a local ski lodge, and its owner, Mrs. Carrie Rill (Sylvia Sidney), is announcing the events that are going to take place over the next few days, during their annual winter carnival. The crowd is pumped up, and cheer her on, then the “snow queen” (from last years event?) shows up, and steals her thunder. just at that moment, one of the lodge’s ski patrol men comes in and tells the owners grandson, Tony Rill (Robert Logan – image below), that something happened out on the slopes. The two men then go to see the girl who escaped from the beast, and talk to her about what happened. She tells them her story, but they don’t believe her initially. The girl remarks that she’s going to call the girls parents, but Tony tells her not to worry, that he’ll find the girl. He and the others search, and Tony eventually finds her jacket, torn to pieces. He then hears a shriek from the woods, and gets terrified.

Back at the lodge, Olympic skiing champion, Gar Seberg (Bo Svenson), arrives and gives out a few autographs. He and his wife, Ellen (Yvette Mimieux), make their way into the lodge, and then meet up with Tony. He’s glad to see his old friend, and old girlfriend. One of the patrol guys asks to head out and search for the missing girl, but Tony tells him to forget about it. He goes out anyway, but runs into trouble. As he’s skiing along, he hits a rough spot, and takes a dive. He slips over an embankment, but manages to reach the top. As he does, a giant hairy arm reaches out for him, and we can only guess what happens next. The creature then decides to watch some people at a nearby cabin. A boy and his father make a grisly discovery in their outbuilding though, as they see a gruesome scene of the missing girl’s body torn to shreds.

The police are called in, and Sheriff Paraday (Clint Walker), is stunned at the ferocity of this crime. Back at the lodge, Tony decides to tell Gar about the missing girl, and the Yeti theory. He’s less than optimistic, but does listen to him. The two talk, and Tony tells Gar about the torn jacket he found along with the blood, and he begins to convince him. One of the sheriff’s deputy’s comes to the lodge and tells the owner that they want to see Tony out at the scene of the crime right away. Ellen happens to be skiing in that area, and sees the commotion. She also sees footprints of the beast, and being a reporter, is intrigued. The sheriff notices her going through a hollow, and wonders who it is and what she’s doing near this area.

Later, Tony and Gar are on snowmobiles trying to get to the farm where the body was found. Ellen is getting close to something, and keeps pushing forward. Tony and Gar then meet up with the sheriff, and ask to see the girl to identify her by seeing her face. The sheriff informs them that she has no face. He questions Tony about it, and the two are at odds over how to handle the situation. Tony wants to find the beast, but also to keep it quiet so the lodge doesn’t get any bad press. Out on the slopes, Ellen is still hot on the trail of the beast, but then she hears the beast shrieking nearby in the forest.

Back in town (and later in the evening), we see most of the skiers in a gymnasium, getting ready for more events. The pageant is underway, but outside, skulking around, is the creature. As the crowd grows in size, the festivities are at an all-time high, the creature smashes through a window, and everybody panics. A woman pulls in with her car, and the beast attacks her, killing her savagely. The queen rushes out to the car but sees her mother dead, and has a breakdown. The sheriff and his posse don’t know how to explain this, and Mrs. Rill tells Gar to find Tony and tell him he was right. Gar goes to his cabin, and is feeling guilty about not having been on the slopes since his Olympic days. He then sets out to hit the slopes and conquer his fears, and find Ellen, who has gone missing. He finds the farm where the first body was discovered, and inside is Ellen, who got lost, and was bedding down for the night.

The next morning, Gar and Ellen wake up, but before they can leave, the beast attacks the barn! it busts up the doors and grabs at them through the windows, but they evade it for a while. Just as it seems like the beast might get them, it runs off. It heard the snowmobiles coming, and it’s the sheriff, one deputy, and Tony, who are out looking for Gar, Ellen, and the beast. The sheriff sees the beast run into the woods, and pursues it, but Tony helps his friends. They head back to the lodge, and Gar volunteers to help the sheriff and Tony hunt it down. Just as they’re about to leave, a deputy comes in, and tells everybody that the sheriff shot the beast. As everyone goes outside to look, they see a dead Grizzly Bear, lying on a cart. Gar and Tony give the Sheriff the evil eye, because they know that it wasn’t a bear. The three men, plus Ellen, then decide to go up into the mountains, track the beast and kill it!

I’ll stop here because anything else would be going to far! I will not be held responsible for spoiling this classic!

OK, here are my thoughts:

Alright, this movie is total cheese and totally 1970’s! Of course this is why I like the film, but even any horror fan will get a kick out of this flick! Clint Walker is great at being the “tough guy” sheriff, and Robert Logan does a solid job as the part owner/ conflicted ex-lover (of Ellen). Speaking of Ellen, Yvette Mimieux is average at being the damsel in distress, but really doesn’t offer much more than that. Her attempts at being the ex-lover of one man, but the husband of his friend, is kind of weak, and quite frankly, she seems a little promiscuous in the early scenes (being married to Gar but almost willing to sleep with Tony).

The real stars of the movie is the Yeti, and the locations. You don’t get to see the Yeti in full view until the end scene (kind of), and that’s a good thing, because your imagination can probably think of something more terrifying. The locations were fantastic though, and really added a lot to the film. They also used a fade out technique (for the commercials) that was cool. Right when the scene was going to end, or basically, the Yeti was about to kill someone, the screen would slowly fade out with a red hue to it, and then freeze.

Listen, I’m pretty sure this one is public domain, so give it a shot. You won’t be spending any money, but you’ll never get back this 85 minutes either. So, look at it this way. Would you rather be cooking, cleaning, or working? Probably not, so hit up the link below, and watch away on some rainy Saturday!

Click here for the full movie!

Cinema Sunday: Scream of the Wolf (1974)

Posted on August 31, 2014 by billyd75

Title: Scream of the Wolf

Distributor: ABC Television

Writer: Richard Matheson

Director: Dan Curtis

Producers: Charles Fries & Robert Singer

Starring: Peter Graves, Clint Walker, Jo Ann Pflug, Philip Carey

Released: Jan. 1964

MPAA: PG

Sticking with the werewolf theme from last week, I thought I’d spotlight this little made for T.V. movie from 1974. Like most television movies, it doesn’t have the big budget that the Hollywood flicks do, but they do sometimes have a charm to them that those other movies don’t. It also helps when you get names like Matheson, and Curtis to be involved with the project.

Two of the actors in this film a good draw for that era as well (Graves & Walker), so that helped bring people in too, and they delivered solid performances. Alright, now let’s get to this ABC television classic from 1974!

The film begins with headlights coming down a foggy road. The car starts to sputter, and the driver realizes that the car is out of gas. He decides to walk to a nearby house, but is startled by something moving in the brush. He sees something that terrifies him, and we hear the growling of a beast. The man runs back to his car, barely making it ahead of the beast. The beast begins to smash his windshield, windows, and tear through his convertible top.

As the credits roll, we see a massive search going on by the police near the scene of the murder. Sheriff Bell (Philip Carey – image below), is on the scene, talking to his men about any clues they may have found. He’s shocked by the remains of the victim, and at the shape the car is in as well. The sheriff then proceeds to the home of a local writer, John Wetherby (Peter Graves – image above), to ask for his help. You see, Wetherby was an avid hunter, and has a good knowledge about animals. The two men then check out the tracks that the animal left at the scene. Wetherby tells the sheriff that the attack sounds like something a leopard would do, but the tracks resemble that of a wolf of considerable size.

The following day, Wetherby is heading over to a local store in his awesome Corvette, to visit Sandy Miller (Jo Ann Pflug), his girlfriend. After he convinces her to go out Friday night, the scene does an about-face, and we see another weary traveler heading down a dark road late at night. This guy is just walking though, and when he hears something stirring nearby, he investigates. He only lives about thirty seconds more to regret that stupidity. Again, the police arrive, and can’t figure out what would’ve done this. Wetherby is also there, and remarks that the man’s whole face is missing! He also follows the tracks of the beast, and sees that after it ran for a time on four legs, then changed to walking like a bipedal animal.

The sheriff drops off Wetherby at his home, and then Wetherby heads over to his buddy’s house. A local big game hunter named Byron Douglas (Clint Walker – image below), is his friend, and the two have been on hunting trips together. Wetherby practically begs Byron to help, but he tells him that he’s too busy. Wetherby is stunned that his old friend wont help, and the scene ends. Later that day, when the darkness falls, a couple are making out in a trailer, when they hear a noise. As they investigate, they are shocked when the beast bursts through the glass door, and devours both of them!

Meanwhile, Wetherby and Sandy are having dinner at a local restaurant, and discussing the murders. Byron walks in, and stops over at their table for a quick hello. He asks Wetherby if the creature has killed again, and Wetherby tells him he was right, that it has killed more people (the couple in the trailer). Byron remarks that the creature is fascinating, and Sandy gets angry (the two are at opposite ends of this conversation). Byron smirks, then asks Wetherby if he’s heard the rumor around town that people think it’s a werewolf. Wetherby laughs and Byron tells him not to scoff at the notion. He then recounts a time the two were on a hunting trip in Canada, and hunting an enormous wolf. How the Native Americans living in that area told them it wasn’t just any wolf, but a trapper that had been turned into a wolf.

Suddenly, a local man approaches Byron, and asks him what kind of pleasure he gets from killing innocent animals. Byron tells him he can’t explain it. He then stands up and approaches the man, getting right in his face. He tells him he can’t tell him, but he can show him. The dude looks like he’s ready to crap in his shorts, but then Wetherby intervenes and breaks up the confrontation. On the way home, Wetherby tells Sandy that on that very hunting trip that Byron talked about, they were hunting it from the trees, but they couldn’t take it down. So Byron got down on the ground and took it on hand to hand with a hunting knife. He was bitten very badly by the wolf, and almost didn’t survive.

After Wetherby drops Sandy off at her house, he heads home for the night. Sand y showers then gets ready for bed, but hears some noises outside her window. She then heads into the kitchen for some coffee, but sees something skulking in the shadows. She rushes into the other room and calls Wetherby. She tells him that someone is creeping around her house. She begs him to come over, and he tells her he’s on his way. Something then breaks into her home and she screams. She then runs into her bedroom, and locks the door. A beast of some kind begins to break the door down, but then the police arrive, and scare it off. Wetherby arrives minutes later, and tells Sandy she’ll be staying at his house for a while. The sheriff and Wetherby look around the house and see that whatever it was made Swiss cheese out of her door. They investigate outside and the tracks lead to the water, and a dead-end.

Wetherby goes out that next night, with a rifle in hand, to try to hunt the beast. He doesn’t make it very far though, when he’s surprised by the sheriff. The sheriff put a curfew on, and tells Wetherby that he must abide by it as well. The next day Sandy admits to calling the sheriff and ratting out Wetherby out of fear. Sandy then tells Wetherby that she thinks it’s Byron behind the killings. Wetherby dismisses her, and then the sheriff interrupts them. The sheriff then convinces Wetherby to go out to Byron’s house for a visit later on. They do, and Byron still refuses to help. He also puts himself under suspicion with the sheriff. As the sheriff storms out, Byron warns Wetherby about going out after this creature. He tells him that…”the prey will always do the unexpected.”

That night, the sheriff is watching Byron’s house. His deputy shows up to relieve him, and sees some movement near the house. As he moves in to see what it was, he heads into the basement. The corridors are dimly lit, and his flashlight can barely pierce the darkness. Without warning, something snarls at him, and charges. He gets off two shots, but is overtaken by the beast. Out in the woods, Wetherby is also hunting the creature, and hears a wolf howl. He then listens closely and can hear footsteps nearby. As he investigates, he finds the deputy in his car, sliced to ribbons.

The next day, the sheriff and local government officials hold a press conference and try to calm the public down. It backfires though, and then they are told the national Guard is being brought in to stop the killings. One of the reporters exclaims that people think it’s a werewolf, and the crowd erupts. Outside, Byron is waiting to talk to Wetherby about the killings. He tells him that the sheriff had questioned him all morning. Byron leaves, and Wetherby goes to his house immediately. Wetherby demands that Byron help him, but again he refuses. Byron then tells Wetherby that he’ll help, but only if Wetherby can hold his own in an arm wrestling contest for one minute. The two engage in the contest, but Byron easily defeats him. He tells Wetherby to forget about the animal, that it would kill him.

Later, Byron shows up, and tells Wetherby that he’s changed his mind about helping. Sandy is creeped out by Byron, and thinks it’s a trap. Once they arrive Byron asks Wetherby about the possibility of it being a werewolf. Wetherby still won’t believe it’s a werewolf, and the two are about to separate, when Byron tells him again that “a hunter isn’t sure of anything, except that the prey will do the unexpected.” Minutes into the excursion, a shot is fired off, and Wetherby hears Byron struggling with some animal. By the time he finds the location, he sees blood covering the jacket of Byron, lying face down. He then hears a wolf howl in the distance.

That’s where I’ll stop, because the last ten minutes are all spoilers and would ruin the ending. Just keep in mind that things are not always what they seem!

OK, here are my thoughts:

Alright, first off all, don’t miss out on this one due to it being a TV movie. It has a good production value to it, and also has some solid performances from Graves and Walker. Nothing Oscar worthy, but solid performances nonetheless. Walker is actually pretty creepy in this film, and sets a very ominous tone for the film. Graves plays a writer, and seems to be a little uncomfortable with the role. He never really talks about it or even is seen writing. Only chasing after Jo Ann Pflug, talking with the cops, and also arm wrestling Walker. The scenes where he’s acting like a hunter though, are quite good. Speaking of Jo Ann Pflug, she does a good job of being the “damsel in distress”, but doesn’t offer much else.

The sets were good, but not great. Specifically, the outdoor shots were the good part, but the interiors left something to be desired. The “villain” is a bit disappointing, kind of in the same vein of my thoughts on another “wolf”, in The Beast Must Die. OK, I know so far my thoughts sound pretty grim, but trust me, for a TV movie this one has a good story, two good lead role players, and a good ending. I also love the sound track as well. I’m a sucker for 1970’s music, and that’s a fact! I’m pretty sure that this flick is public domain, so I’ll post the link and you can give it a watch!

Check out the movie here!

Cinema Sunday: Legend of the Werewolf (1975)

Posted on August 24, 2014 by billyd75

Title: Legend of the Werewolf

Distributor: Tyburn Films

Writer: Anthony Hinds

Director: Freddie Francis

Producer: Kevin Francis

Starring: Peter Cushing, Ron Moody, Hugh Griffith, Roy Castle, David Rintoul, Michael Ripper

Released: April 1975 (France)

MPAA: R

He we are with another werewolf film, but hey, that’s never a bad thing! This little film is from a small studio that was kind of like a little brother of Hammer Studios. It never really got far off the ground, but they did produce a couple of films (last week’s “The Ghoul“) that I thought were worth mentioning. The company missed the boat so to speak with the horror genre slowing down considerably by the mid-1970’s, but make no mistake, this one is worth watching! Let’s get on with the show!

As the opening credits roll a voice (Peter Cushing), tells a story of how some European families were forced out of their homes. As they journeyed through the woodlands, sometimes they were subject to attacks by wolves. A woman among the crowd bears a child, but shortly after she does, a pack of wolves attacks her and the baby’s father, killing them. Instead of eating the baby though, the wolves raise it as their own.

Fast forward a few years, and a traveling circus is rolling through the forest. They stop at a road sign, but then see a corpse hanging from a tree. It scares the helper ( a guy to do the heavy lifting), but the owner of the circus tells him to ignore the warning, and go look for some food. The man (Norman Mitchell) takes his rifle, and heads out into the forest. He sees a rabbit, and attempts to eye up his target. Just as he does, a small boy, running like an animal, grabs the rabbit, breaks its neck, and begins to eat the animal. The hunter gets mad that his super has been eaten, so he yells at the boy. The boy runs away, but before he gets too far, the hunter shoots him. He then carries the boy back to camp.

Once they’re back at camp, the helper tosses the boy into a cell, and the owner (Hugh Griffith) decides to use him as the main attraction of the circus. This “wild boy”, is his only hope of making some money. The next day arrives, and the “show” must go on. The first act is a dog…that walks on its hind legs. The second act is a woman whose entire body is covered in tattoos. She looks to be about 75 years old…yeah. As the crowd gets restless, the circus owner creeps back behind the cage, and pokes the boy with a knife. This causes him to go wild, and try to tear the cage apart. He becomes the star attraction, but eventually grows up and becomes a normal young man. Thus his usefulness is gone.

One evening, some wolves are howling nearby the camp, and the head honcho orders the muscle to go out and shoot them before they make trouble. As he does this, Etoile (David Rintoul), who’s now grown up, begins to show signs of a condition. As the wolves howl louder, he gets hairier. We then see something prowling around, and we see through its glowing red eyes, it locates the goon with the gun. It savagely attacks him, killing him on the spot. Etoile is horrified by the events, and quite confused, so he runs off.

After a few days of running, Etoile finally comes upon a city. He walks into the local zoo, and befriends some of the animals, but especially the wolves. The man who runs the zoo (Ron Moody) sees the man has a way with animals, so he agrees to hire him to help out (room & board, but little pay). Etoile agrees to take the job, and starts right away. He shows some “ladies” around as they eat lunch. He eats with them and discusses his new job with them. He takes a liking to one of them named Christine (Lynn Dalby), and they laugh because Etoile isn’t aware that the zoo is right next to a brothel, where the girls “work’.

Later, a few kids wander in to the zoo, and begin to throw rocks at the wolves. Etoile sees this, and savagely attacks them, but he’s able to control himself enough, that he doesn’t do any real harm. The zookeeper returns from his martini lunch, and tells Etoile that he did a good job. Switch scenes to the local coroners office and a man, Professor Paul (Peter Cushing), is examining a murder victim. He talks with a policeman, Max Gerard (Stefan Gryff), about this case. Later that very evening, Etoile, heads over to Christine’s place of employment, and asks to see her. The Madame (Majorie Yates), tells him to get lost, and he doesn’t understand. He does however hear Christine laughing above in her room. He climbs up to see what’s going on, and sees her entertaining a “client”, and gets so furious, that he begins to change into the wolf. He smashes through the window, and begins to throttle the older gent. The Madame bursts into the room, and hits him over the head, knocking him for a loop. It is now, that Etoile finds out that Christine is a hooker, and it breaks his heart.

After a quick shouting match between the two of them, Etoile seems to be very upset with her, and almost enough to hurt her. He instead turns his anger on the locals, and begins a siege of murder that has everyone perplexed. Everyone except Professor Paul, and he believes a wolf is responsible for the murders, but even he begins to wonder if something more sinister is afoot!

I’ll stop here to not give away any spoilers, but rest assured that the body count rises, and Etoile eventually meets up with another movie legend…Michael Ripper (image above)!

OK, here are my thoughts:

This film isn’t on par with Hammer Studios “Curse of the Werewolf“, but only because Oliver Reed was so strong in that one. Otherwise, this is a pretty good knock-off of that film. Cushing takes command when he appears, as he does in most films he’s in, and that’s something that puts the viewer at ease. You don’t feel as sorry for the wolf/man in this film like you do in “Curse” either, but that’s due to the murders being so bloody and of very high frequency. Of course, there are other inconsistencies and loop-holes with the story, but overall, it’s entertaining enough.

The special effects were above average, and gory (for that time). When the werewolf attacks his victims, you see close-ups of him biting the people, and tearing at their throats. Bloody mouths shots, and throats shots full of blood and torn flesh, are plentiful and add some good shock to the film. The sets are good, and definitely resemble a Hammer flick. The soundtrack needs some help, but does have a few good moments. The camera work is also decent, and is actually above average at some spots.

If you see this one floating around the interwebs or on T.V., give it a look. Let’s be honest, see it if for nothing else other than Peter Cushing and a gruesome werewolf. Those two things are always worth the time!

Watch the trailer here!

Cinema Sunday: The Ghoul (1975)

Posted on August 17, 2014 by billyd75

Title: The Ghoul (Night of the Ghoul – U.S.)

Distributor: Tyburn Films

Writer: Anthony Hinds

Director: Freddie Francis

Producer: Kevin Francis

Starring: Peter Cushing, Veronica Carlson, John Hurt, Don Henderson, Alexandra Bastedo

Released: May 1975

MPAA: R

After two of Hammer Film Studios psychological thrillers, I thought I’d switch gears a bit, and spotlight some of the films that Tyburn Studios added to the crowded horror movie scene of the 1970’s. The first one I chose is called “The Ghoul“, and it stars Peter Cushing, and Veronica Carlson, two Hammer Studio staples from the previous decade.

This film was an interesting contrast to the earlier film by the same name (starring Boris Karloff and Cedric Hardwicke, 1933). A bit low-budget, perhaps, but when you get Cushing, and Carlson in the same film, it can’t be all that terrible. Alright, enough nonsense, let’s get to the movie!

The film begins with some people having a party at a mansion (sometime in the Roaring ’20s). There’s a scene where a beautiful woman is making her way through a dark house, and being called out to. She enters a room upstairs, and finds a man with a hook through his neck, hanging and in his death throes (image below). The woman doesn’t scream, and then we’re shown that it was a game, and bets were made if the girl would scream or not. One woman in particular stands out from the crowd. Her name is Daphne (Veronica Carlson), and she seems to have quite an attitude. She acts as if she’s interested in a man named Geoffrey (Ian McCulloch), and the two make a plan to drive to Lands End. Before they can leave, another man, Billy (Stewart Bevan), approaches them and asks where they are going. He also tells Geoffrey that his car is inferior to his, and Daphne knows a way to settle the dispute. She challenges Billy to a race, his car against Geoffrey’s. They race to Lands End, and whoever gets there first is the winner. They go back inside and tell the other guests that they’ll begin with the race as soon as all the champagne is gone.

Later, after everyone is good and drunk, Daphne decides she wants to go with Billy instead of Geoffrey, and another woman, Angela (Alexandra Bastedo), jumps into Geoffrey’s car, to go with him (there seems to be a bit of a rivalry between the two women). A man counts down, and the race is on. Daphne has not only orchestrated this entire ordeal, but also jumped in the driver’s seat of Billy’s car, and zooms down the road. Geoffrey is shocked at well she can drive a car, and at first he has trouble just keeping up with her. He eventually overtakes her, but his passenger, Angela, gets ill, and he must pull over. Daphne uses this opportunity to pass them out, and Billy is shocked that she didn’t stop to help them.

After a short while, Daphne runs into a thick fog bank, loses control of the car, and then pulls over, running out of gas. She urges Billy to take the spare container and go find some fuel so they can get going. After some bickering, he does leave with the can to look for some fuel, leaving Daphne alone. Suddenly, we see a hand stroking the fur coat that Daphne is wearing (while she naps), and as she wakes, the hand disappears. A man watches her from the forest, and she writes a note on the windshield for Billy, explaining that she didn’t want to keep waiting for him, so she wanders off on her own. She quickly runs into the man, Tom (John Hurt), who was watching her, but he tells her that there is no fuel anywhere near here, so she leaves. He follows her, and she finds a house with an old iron gate. He tells her that it’s abandoned, but she’s frightened of him, so she runs toward the house anyway. He grabs a rock, and bounces it off of her head, knocking her unconscious.

The next scene we see is that of a small cabin or room, and Daphne is on the floor, just waking up. She’s surprised by Tom, who’s watching her, creepy-style from a shadowy corner. He tells her that he had to do what he did, because he didn’t want her going up to the house. He tells her that something sinister is up there, but not exactly who or what. She doesn’t believe him, and tries to get by him. He pushes her down, and when she attempts it again, he pimp slaps her to the ground. She seems unfazed though, and gets up, knees him in the family jewels, and runs outside. He chases after her, but before either of them can do anything, a man pops out of nowhere. She explains to this man who another man attacked her. Dr. Lawrence (Peter Cushing), is this man, and he tells Daphne that she’d better come with him. She explains to him the circumstances of her situation, and he invites her to stay for a while, and rest. An Indian woman comes into the room, and she’s apparently the servant of Dr. Lawrence. He instructs Aya to get some tea, and to prepare a room for Daphne.

She falls asleep, and when she wakes up, she realizes poor Billy must still be lost on the moors. Dr. Lawrence tells her that he’ll tells his gardener (Tom), to investigate her friend’s whereabouts. Tom finds him back at the car sleeping, and murders him by pushing the car off the ledge with him in it! Tom laughs like an insane person, and steals something from pocket of the dead man. Back at the house, Aya enters the room, and tells Dr. Lawrence that Tom is back, and then Tom tells them that there was no sign of Billy, but there was a note. Dr. Lawrence reads the note and tells her that it says he went home. Daphne is more at ease then, and settles in as a guest. She begins to get quite chummy with Dr. Lawrence.

In the kitchen Aya is making lunch, and we can then hear some Phantom of the Opera style music coming from somewhere in the house. Daphne is drawn to it, and investigates. As she does, Dr. Lawrence is praying by an altar. Daphne walks in on him, and he invites her inside. They then dine together, and then Daphne goes to her room for some rest. As she rests, Aya is doing some sort of ritualistic ceremony, and Dr. Lawrence is playing his violin. Tom is hanging out in the garden, looking creepier than ever. As Daphne begins to awaken, Aya is still up to something, and she unlocks a door near the attic. We only see feet, but it’s implied something horrific came out, and is making its way down to Daphne’s room. We see this shape, enter her room, and stab her to death.

The next scene shows the kitchen, and it seems that Aya is going to cook Daphne for a meal. Tom watches in horror as Aya cuts the corpse to ribbons. Aya leaves the room, and Tom removes something from the body, and takes it back to his cabin. Then Aya takes some “food” to the resident in the attic to eat. The beast reaches out for the meal, and its hand is hideous. Meanwhile, Dr. Lawrence is weeping in his prayer room, but that doesn’t stop Aya from doing her prep work for more “meals”.

The following part shows Angela and Geoffrey, as they’ve been informed that the body of Billy has been found. The police show them the location of the car, but Geoffrey is unconvinced that this was an accident,and that Daphne was lost in the moors (quicksand?). Geoffrey then sets out on foot to try to find some answers. Angela waits in the car, and we see a familiar cycle ready to begin anew.

OK, here are my thoughts:

This is my first viewing of this film, and my initial thoughts are that I enjoyed it. Many feel the acting wasn’t up to snuff, but I disagree. Was it the best performance of Cushing’s career? Certainly not, but it’s far from bad acting. Seeing Veronica Carlson is this type of role was actually quite refreshing. She usually plays the woman in distress, and gets tossed around. She was actually very tough in this film, and could hold her own. Ian McCulloch was good too, and made a good hero. John Hurt played a good psycho, and really dialed up the creep factor.

The “ghoul” was just okay, with nothing extremely frightening about him. The Indian woman was pretty evil and scary though, and helped move things along nicely. There have been comparisons to Hammer Studios “The Reptile”, and rightly so, because that film and this one have similar plots. They both have a cult-type angle as well (snakes/zombies). Maybe that’s why I liked this film too, because I love The Reptile! Give this film a look and decide for yourself if it’s worthy!

Cinema Sunday: Nightmare (1964)

Posted on August 11, 2014 by billyd75

Title: Nightmare

Distributor: Hammer/Universal Studios

Writer: Jimmy Sangster

Director: Freddie Francis

Producer: Jimmy Sangster

Starring: David Knight, Moira Redmond, Jennie Linden, Brenda Bruce

Released: April 19th, 1964

MPAA: UR

Here we are with another Cinema Sunday, and of course, another fantastic movie! This week, we’ll take a look at another one of Hammer Studios psychological thrillers in – Nightmare! This film is much more intense than last week’s offering, but in a slightly different way. You still get a good mystery, but in this film, you also get some vicious murder scenes, as well. The cast was very small, but I think after you’ve seen the film for yourself, you’ll realize it isn’t a bad thing. Okay, let’s disperse with the clouds and get right down to this one!

The film begins with a girl wandering around a sanitarium. She hears a voice calling out to her, and is frightened. The voice calls for help, and then Janet (Jennie Linden), hears the voice tell her that she knows where to find her. Janet then proceeds down a hallway and enters a padded room. Standing in the corner, is a woman, begging for help. The door swiftly slams behind Janet, and the woman laughs insanely. Janet begins to scream, and then we see this is only a dream, and Janet awakens in bed, at her prep school. One of her teachers, Mary Lewis (Brenda Bruce) comes in and settles her down, and she goes back to sleep.

The next day, Janet is approached by the same teacher from the previous night, and she tells her that the faculty wants Janet to see a doctor. Janet tells her that she’ll refuse any appointment. She also tells her teacher that she wants her guardian, Henry Baxter (David Knight), to come and get her from school. She gets her wish, and John the butler/driver (George A. Cooper), picks her up, along with Mary Lewis, as the school believes Janet could use some guidance on the journey home. Once they reach home, Mrs. Gibbs (Irene Richmond), greets Janet, and she seems elated. They enter the home, and Mary is going to stay the evening, and go back to the school tomorrow. Janet is surprised to see a woman, Grace Maddox (Moira Redmond), in the house. Mrs. Gibbs tells Janet that her guardian, Henry, thought that Janet might like someone to spend time with at the house, instead of being alone.

Janet goes to bed after dinner, and Mary and Grace talk. Mary asks Grace why Henry asked her to stay with Janet, and she tells her that it’s because Henry is worried about her, and she’s a nurse, so he believes she can help out. Grace then heads to bed for the evening, and Mrs. Gibbs and Mary have a talk. Mrs. Gibbs tells Mary that the reason Janet seems mentally imbalanced is because she saw her mother murder her father when she was eleven years old. She had a nervous breakdown after that, and has always worried that she might have inherited some of her mothers wickedness. Mrs. Gibbs tells Mary that even if didn’t inherit any of those traits, that even the persistent thought could drive a person insane. Mary goes to bed, and Mrs. Gibbs is tidying up, when she hears a sound near the library. She’s surprised by Mary, who claims to have come downstairs to get a book.

On her way back to her room, Mary notices that Janet’s bedroom door is open. She investigates, and finds Janet missing. She creeps down the hallway to looks for her, and then she’s surprised by Janet, who silently turns the corner right in front of her. Janet seems like she’s in a daze or perhaps sleep-walking. Mary talks to her, but gets little answers other than the fact that Janet seems to think she either saw someone or dreamed that she saw someone. Mary shows her back to her room, and then goes to sleep, pondering what might be happening. As Janet walks slowly into her room, she notices someone on the bed. It’s her mother (or so she thinks), and there’s a knife sticking out of her chest, and the birthday cake from Janet’s eleventh birthday (the same day her father was killed) on the table. She freaks out, and runs off, but is then stopped by Grace, who slaps her a few times to get her to snap back into reality.

The next morning, Janet has been sedated by the local physician, and he recommends to Henry that she be institutionalized. Henry then checks in on Janet, who, upon seeing him, pulls him in, and kisses him passionately. He pulls back, and then apologizes for not being able to meet her at school. Janet asks if the reason is his wife, and he tells her that she (his wife) doesn’t like being alone. He makes his apologies, and tells Janet he must travel to London, and then leaves. As day turns into night, Janet’s mind begins to unravel. She thinks she sees someone trying to open her bedroom door, so she calls out and asks who’s there. She gets no answer, and then gets up to investigate. She looks down the hallway but sees no one at first, but after a moment, she does witness a shadow down at the end of the hall. She walks down slowly, and keeps following where the shadow leads. Eventually, she comes upon a bedroom, and she hears the voices of herself and Mrs. Gibbs from the day she saw her father killed. She runs off to her bedroom, and sees the corpse of her father, lying in her bed. She goes berserk, and falls down a staircase, and George and Grace find her there unconscious.

Another day, and Grace is feeding Janet her pills, supposedly from the doctor. Grace asks her what happened, and Janet tells her that some woman is plaguing her dreams. Grace tells her to get some sleep, because it’s her birthday tomorrow. A new day comes, and Janet finds herself being confused after the last few night’s activities. She then heads out to see who is around, but only finds a strange woman in a hospital gown creeping around the house. The woman vaguely resembles her mother, but we know that she’s locked up in a sanitarium, right? Janet then returns to her room, looking completely unhinged. She then smashes her mirror, and uses a shard to slit her wrist. Henry, and Grace are speaking with the doctor in the next scene, and wondering what to do about Janet. As Janet comes out from her bedroom to see Henry, she sees the back of a woman, who is introduced to her by Henry, as his wife. As the woman turns around, Janet recognizes her face as the woman who has tortured her. She then snaps mentally, picks up a knife, and brutally stabs Henry’s wife to death!

I’m not going to go any further because I’d have to go into crazy spoiler territory, and because things get slightly convoluted as well! Suffice to say that the killing doesn’t end here, and by the end of the film, there’s more than one person that’s gone off the deep end!

OK here are my thoughts:

This flick is a good one, but definitely inferior to Paranoiac. It is more grisly, and that’s pretty cool, but the twists and suspense aren’t as powerful as the aforementioned film. As I said above, it does also get a bit wacky at the end as well. This being my first viewing might have something to do with that, but I honestly don’t think so. There is another scene towards the end of the film, where Henry and Grace slap each other. It’s quite a shock to see especially for 1964.

The actors/actresses are quite good in the roles that they play. Janet’s character was played by Jennie Linden, and was a late replacement. She did a god job for someone stepping in at the last-minute. David Knight, and Moira Redmond also were very good. Both gave convincing performances. The music score was by Don Banks, and definitely worth noting. He did a good job setting a good tone, and a couple of thunderous interludes when it was right. The set was absolutely gorgeous, and up to the Hammer standard for sure. Check this one out if you haven’t yet, because it’s worth the watch!

Watch the trailer here!

Cinema Sunday: Taste of Fear (1961) (A.K.A. Scream of Fear)

Posted on August 3, 2014 by billyd75

Title: Taste of Fear (Scream of Fear – U.S.)

Distributor: Hammer/ Columbia

Writer: Jimmy Sangster

Director: Seth Holt

Producers: Jimmy Sangster, Michael Carreras

Starring: Susan Strasberg, Ronald Lewis, Ann Todd, Christopher Lee

Released: Jan. 1961

MPAA: PG

If you thought Hammer Studios was only about horror flicks, think again! They made films in many genres (even comedies!), and some that are absolutely amazing in the psychological thriller category, like Taste of Fear! This one is a testament to the writing ability of Jimmy Sangster (and Michael Carreras), and definitely let people know that Hammer Studios was here to stay. The performances were great, and this movie being in black and white gives it an old school look to it that is perfect.

In 1961, Hammer was already starting to build up its horror library with hits like Horror of Dracula and Curse of Frankenstein, and more psychological thrillers would follow (Paranoiac, Nightmare, etc.). Some of the content in these films really pushed the envelope, just like Hammer horror did when it got rolling, and that wasn’t just schlock to get people in the seats. Hammer knew they had commodities with Cushing and Lee, so it was only a matter of adding some good character actors (Michael Ripper) most of the time, and they had a winning formula. OK, enough talk, let’s get down to business!

The film opens up as a boat with two men aboard, search for something in the water. A policeman and another man in plain clothes fish out the body of a girl, as more policemen watch from the shoreline. After the credits roll, we see a beautiful young woman, Penny Appleby (Susan Strasberg) getting off of an airplane, and a chauffeur pick her up. The young lady is in a wheelchair, and apparently a paraplegic. The chauffeur (Ronald Lewis) drives the girl to her ancestral home, and tells her that her father is away on business. He then arrives at the house where we see her step-mother, Jane Appleby (Ann Todd), and they have a rather interesting first meeting. You see, Penny has lived abroad, and never net her father’s new wife (she’s been away for ten years). She settles in, and then has a look around.

Later, at dinner, Penny tells Jane that she didn’t come around because her parents got divorced, and her mother and her moved to Italy. Her mother passed away a few years ago, and she came back because her father wrote to her, asking her to come home for a visit. They have some small talk, but then Penny excuses herself, and goes to bed. Later that night, Penny awakens to a slamming noise outside of her bedroom. She gets into her wheelchair to investigate, and sees that it’s just a loose door. She also sees a light on in the window of the summer-house. As she scans the room, she sees her father, sitting in a chair, motionless. He appears to be dead, so she shrieks in horror, then flees the summer-house. On her way out, in a panic, she falls into the pool and begins to drown. She wakes up to realize that she was saved by Bob, the chauffeur, and is being cared for by the family doctor, Dr. Gerrard (Christopher Lee). She demands to be taken back to the summer-house, and Bob carries her there, but nothing is out-of-place, and her father is not there either.

The next day, Jane leaves for a while, and Bob looks after Penny. They go to the beach for a bit, and they talk about many things, and especially about her disability. She tells Bob it was a horse riding accident. Bob then tells her that some funny things have gone on lately. He tells Penny that her father left in the middle of the night, and took the small car, one that he didn’t care for at all. They head back to the house, but Penny wants to inspect the summer-house again. Before she can search around, Jane interrupts her, and tells her that she has a surprise for he in the house. Her father is on the telephone, and asks her how she’s doing. The look on her face is one of suspicion, and she speaks for only a minute, then Jane takes the phone and talks. Dr. Gerrard tells Penny that she should calm down and not stress herself out, or she might have a nervous breakdown.

As the creepiness continues, Penny then checks out the garage, and sees that the small car her father supposedly was driving on a business trip, was back in the garage. Jane tells her that it couldn’t be, because her father hasn’t returned yet. She also hears someone playing the piano, but when she investigates, she sees no one in the room. Once again she notices a light in the summer-house, and heads over to check it out. The chair that her father was sitting in is empty this time, but then she goes over to her room, and sees her father sitting by her bedside. He slumps over, and Penny screams. Bob comes running, and then Jane as well. She gets the feeling she’s being set-up, so clams up about what she saw, and tells them she’s OK.

At dinner, Dr. Gerrard suggests that maybe Penny is mentally stopping herself from walking again. She gets very defensive, and tells them she doesn’t want to talk about it anymore. As everyone heads to bed, Bob agrees to help Penny with her sleuthing, and they theorize that maybe her father was murdered, and she might be next. They think the body might be being stored in a freezer in the kitchen (one of those large industrial type freezers). They investigate, but find nothing. The following morning, Bob and Penny head to the beach to plan more of their investigation. As Bob picks her up to take her back to the car, the two share a kiss, and watching from the cliff above, very creepily, is Jane. Back at the house, Jane attempts to hook Penny up with a few local gentlemen, but she refuses.

That afternoon, Penny looks out her window and realizes there is one more place they can look for the corpse. The swimming pool would be the perfect hiding place, so Penny asks Bob to check it out. Bob jumps into his speedo (seriously), and jumps into the pool. Within minutes, he comes to the surface and tells Penny that the body is down below at the bottom. Penny and Bob believe that Jane has something to do with this foul play, because she can’t get her hands on the fortune that Penny’s father has amassed. Bob takes Penny in the car to get the police, but they see Jane broken down on the side of the road. Bob pulls over, and gets out to see what’s going on. Before you know it, the car begins to creep forward, and it seems Bob forgot to set the parking brake. Penny tries to reach for the steering wheel, and sees her father’s corpse lying in the front seat! She can’t get to the wheel fast enough, and the car plunges over the cliff towards the icy waters. I’ll stop here because to go further would give too much away!

OK, here are my thoughts:

This film has a certain charm to it that very few non-horror Hammer films have. Maybe it’s the mystery, maybe it’s that it’s in black and white, or just the memorable performances by the cast. Either way, the ending is shocking, and the twists and turns are quite phenomenal. You really think you know what’s going on, and then the rug gets pulled out from under you. Christopher Lee is outstanding in the few scenes he has in the film. Don’t let that foo you though, as Lee gives an incredible performance. Susan Strasberg is also fantastic, and really deserves a lot of credit.

The sets are on par with the normal Hammer goodness, and so is the script. The music score isn’t really anything grande but hits the spots it needed to. The production of the entire film is very high for 1961 (Bernard Robinson – production design), and looks like a higher budget film that what it actually was (allegedly $50,000). Hammer has had many beautiful ladies in their films over the decades (Susan Denberg, Ingrid Pitt, Veronica Carlson, etc.), but I have to admit, Susan Strasberg is absolutely gorgeous in this film (Carlson and Denberg are my usual favorites!). It’s rare to have a leading lady that is this stunning and a high-grade actress as well. Typically Hammer just wanted beautiful women to get the male demographic in the seats with their ladies, but in this case you get it all!

Watch the trailer here!

Cinema Sunday: The Gorgon (1964)

Posted on July 27, 2014 by billyd75

Title: The Gorgon

Distributor: Hammer/Columbia

Writer: John Gilling

Director: Terence Fisher

Producer: Anthony Nelson Keys

Starring: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Barbara Shelley, Richard Pasco, Michael Goodliffe

Released: August 24th, 1964

MPAA: PG

Another Sunday, and another movie review! Huzzah! Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee are the best acting tandem in horror movies ever assembled. Yeah, I just said that. Come at me with whoever else you have, but it won’t change my opinion. The sheer number of movies they did together helps that fact, and I’m not denying that, but seriously look at their body of work as a tandem, and you’ll be impressed!

This is one of Hammer Studios lesser known films (by the mainstream media types), but still has some redeeming qualities about it that cannot be denied. A tale that has some roots in Greek mythology, and add a splash of Hammer Gothic horror, and voila, you get The Gorgon! Let’s get down to the meat and potatoes of this one now!

The story begins with a young artist, Bruno Heitz (Jeremy Longhurst), as he’s drawing a portrait of his (topless) girlfriend. She informs him that she’s pregnant, and he storms off to tell her father that…”he isn’t going to avoid his obligations.'” As he heads into the forest, his girlfriend runs after him, but suddenly runs into some unseen killer that takes her out. The next day, we see that the girl has been found dead, and a search for Bruno is in effect. It doesn’t take long to find him, and when the police do, they’re shocked to see that he’s hanged himself from a tree…or did he?

At the trial for this affair, it is clear that the local government wants to silence this case before it gets any more widespread. The father of the deceased, Professor Jules Heitz (Michael Goodliffe), is there, and has his say about what he theorizes happened. He tells the court that he will not rest until his son’s name is cleared. The court rules that Bruno murdered his girlfriend, then committed suicide. Professor Heitz and the local medical authority, Dr. Namaroff (Peter Cushing), are old colleagues, so after the hearing, Professor Heitz pays him a visit. Namaroff tells him nothing, and that he cannot help him. Heitz leaves, and is noticeably upset, but also realizes that he’s on to something fishy going on in Vandorf.

The next day, Professor Heitz and his butler are at the home that his son was occupying at the time of his death, when all of a sudden, a few locals break in and threaten him if he doesn’t leave. A struggle ensues, but then the police show up. Everyone leaves, and Professor Heitz is even more aroused to find answers to this mystery. Later that evening, Professor Heitz hears some singing and heads over to the property nearby. As he creeps around the old castle, he can feel someone is there, watching him. We see a shadowy figure step out and Heitz screams in agony, and flees for his home. He reaches the home, but is badly hurt (image above). He’s turning to stone, but manages to write a few pages to tell his other son, Paul (Richard Pasco), of what has transpired.

The following scene is Namaroff and Paul Heitz arguing over what killed his father. Namaroff stone-walls him, so he leaves. As he gets to the home, he sees someone in the house. It’s Dr. Namaroff’s assistant, Carla Hoffman (Barbara Shelley). She tells him that he’s in danger, and he should leave, but Paul refuses. Later on, Carla is talking with Namaroff about the gorgon theory that Paul had written back at the house. Speaking of Paul, as he’s sitting down at the home, a terrible wind blows the doors open, and he then hears that same siren song nearby. As he investigates, he sees a hideous face in water, reflecting at him. It drives him temporarily mad, and he passes out. He wakes up days later in the hospital, and sees Carla watching over him. He’s unaware that he’s been unconscious for days, and gets crazy when he finds out that the court hearing for his father is over. Namaroff has a brief discussion with him, but nothing gets resolved.

After leaving the hospital, Paul decides to exhume the body of his father, and he then sees that he was turned to stone. He’s surprised from behind by Carla, and the two talk about what’s going on in Vandorf. Paul then realizes he’s in over his head, so he summons his former teacher, Professor Karl Meister (Christopher Lee), to help with the investigation. Once he arrives, the stuff really hits the fan, because of his no-nonsense approach to everything! The two discuss the problems in Vandorf, but Paul has fallen in love with Carla, and is letting it cloud his judgement.

Meanwhile, Namaroff sends his goon, Ratoff (Jack Watson), to assassinate Paul, but old Professor Meister has a trick or two up his sleeve, and saves Paul. He then confronts the police, Namaroff, and anyone else that he thinks needs to answer some questions. He gets shown the door just like Paul and everyone else before him. Meister and Heitz then try to form a plan, but first visit the police for some information. They figure out that there were only a handful of women that have recently moved to Vandorf, thus giving them the lead that they need to solve this mystery!

OK, here are my thoughts:

While this isn’t the best of Hammer’s offerings, it still pretty cool. Cushing and Lee both give very solid performances, as does Richard Pasco. Even Jack Watson (the doctor’s goon, Ratoff), is quite convincing with his menacing attitude. Barbara Shelley isn’t anything to write home about in this film (even though she’s had a few other great roles). The film is a little inconsistent with pacing until Christopher Lee’s character show up, and gets the ball rolling.

The sets, and atmosphere are typical for Hammer, meaning that they really drive the mood home. Although the “monster” isn’t very scary, the build-up, acting (for the most part), sets, atmosphere, and music score, make this film certainly worth a watch now and again. I won it on a four disc set that has three other classics on it that I’ll definitely be reviewing in the future (one of which I’ve already reviewed). Listen, give this one a look, if for no other reason than Cushing and Lee giving solid performances!

Check out the trailer here!

Cinema Sunday: The Last Man on Earth (1964)

Posted on July 21, 2014 by billyd75

Title: The Last Man on Earth

Distributor: AIP (American International Pictures)/ MGM

Writers: Richard Matheson (book and assisted with the screenplay), William F. Leicester, Ubaldo Ragona, Furio M. Monetti

Directors: Ubaldo Ragona, Sidney Salkow

Producers: Samuel Z. Arkoff, Robert L. Lippert, Harold E. Knox

Starring: Vincent Price, Franca Bettoia, Emma Danieli, Giacomo Rossi-Stuart

Released: March 8, 1964

MPAA: NR

As many people know, Vincent Price was an outstanding actor. Of course he’s most known for his horror roles, and that was his best genre, without a doubt. I’ve covered his perennial classic “House of Wax“, on my blog before, and that will always be my personal favorite, but this film, is a close second! Post-apocalyptic movies are always intriguing to me, some obviously fall very short of being good, let alone great, but this one does not. A strong nod to the work of Richard Matheson, as he wrote the book and assisted on the screenplay for this one. If you don’t know his work, get cracking, because he’s one of the good ones! Alright, let’s get down to the movie!

As the movie begins, we see that a worldwide devastation has left the planet in a barely livable state. We see some corpses lying around, buildings smashed to bits, and absolutely nothing happening. That is until we see a house in the suburbs, and an alarm clock that awakens a man, Dr. Robert Morgan (Vincent Price). His internal monologue pretty much sums up what we’ve already seen with our own eyes. We see him go about a mostly routine, but then we see a wall in his kitchen, and he has used a pen to create a monthly calendar, and he remarks to himself that he “inherited the world” in 1965. According to his home-made calendar, it’s 1967.

He enters the garage, and readies his car for a trip. Outside, there are two dead bodies, and he kicks one of them aside, as if he tires of this routine. On the front door to his house, we see a ring of garlic, and a cross, and you can begin to formulate what’s happening. He next attempts to use a short wave radio to contact someone, but he gets no answer. He checks his supply closet, and realizes he needs more garlic. He drinks a cup of tea, and checks out a map of the city that he’s been searching, block by block. He also is fashioning some wooden stakes, as well. He remarks (internally) that “they want my blood”, and “how many more will I have to kill.”

As he loads the two dead bodies into his car (from outside his home), he remarks that he needs to stop for gas for the car. He does that, and then we watch, as he drives to a ravine where a fire is burning. He tosses the two bodies into it (after putting on a gas mask), and then throws a torch into the pit, and an explosion follows. Next, he enters a grocery store, and grabs what he needs, including the garlic. He drives to another area, searching for life, and also, more supplies. We watch, as this routine of gathering supplies, killing these “infected” with a stake and hammer, dumping bodies in that pit, and so forth, continues for the rest of the day.

As night comes, he attempts to get some sleep, but a few of the infected gather around his house, and begin to try to smash their way in. They’re unsuccessful though, because he’s fortified it very well. A scream awakens him, and he plays a few records to try to keep his mind from going off the deep end. The next day, Morgan heads off to the church, and loses himself in his thoughts. Before you know it, he realizes it dark outside, and runs out in a panic towards his car. Two of them attack him, but are tossed aside fairly easy. He reaches his car, fighting off a few more of them, but as he returns home, his house is surrounded. He uses his car to knock some of them over, and as he leaps out of the car, he brandishes a mirror, to keep them off long enough to get into the house.

Then, he watches some home movies, to try to relax. The infected ruin that quickly though, and push him over the edge, and he begins to weep. He flashes back to a time before the plague came upon the Earth. We see Dr. Morgan talking with a relative about a plague that’s sweeping through Europe. Dr. Morgan doesn’t believe its’ as bad as people are saying, but he soon finds out differently. His daughter is the first to get ill, but his wife soon follows. Morgan talks with his wife about the hope of a vaccine, and he believes everything will be fine. As he gets to the lab, he and the other doctors mention the word vampire, but Morgan wont have any of that talk.

Morgan is still holding out hope for his daughter, but his wife thinks they need to send for a doctor. As Morgan leaves for the lab, a neighbor is screaming, because the military is taking her child (or husband) away to be burned in the before mentioned pit. Morgan drives to his co-workers home to pick him up for work, but he wont leave the house. Morgan shows up at the lab, but everyone is gone, save for one doctor. He returns home later that day (in the evening), and a truck has just pulled away. He sees that his daughter is gone, and his wife tells him that she called a doctor, and then the truck came to take her away. Morgan quickly jumps into his car, and tries to follow the truck to the burn pit. After he arrives, he asks the driver if that truck was just in his neighborhood, and the man doesn’t know. We assume she was in the truck and is now dead.

He returns home, and his wife cries out that she cannot see. He finds her, lying on the bed, unconscious. He keeps her under his constant supervision, but she dies rather quickly. He removes her from the house (wrapped in a sheet), then drives to a remote location, and buries her. He returns home, but soon hears a voice whispering. Someone is at the front door, attempting to get in. He opens the door, and it’s his wife, not looking so good.

We now flashback into the present, and the infected are trashing his car and house. They call to him the entire time, but get careless, and stay out until sunrise. Morgan awakens the next morning and heads outside to assess the damage. Morgan does some car “shopping” , and picks up a new station wagon. He returns home, and locks it in his garage. Seemingly out of nowhere, a dog appears, and seems to be fine. He scares it though, and it runs off. He chases it, but can’t seem to find it. He does stumble upon some dead bodies that were taken out with metal spears. He now knows someone else must still be alive. He heads back home and once again uses his radio to try to make contact with someone.

As he does, he hears the dog whimpering outside the house. The dog is injured, but how, is unknown. The usual band of infected return and start beating on his house once again. Morgan sees the dog is frightened, and he assures it that things will be fine. It hits him just then, that maybe the dog was infected, so he checks out its blood under a microscope. It was indeed, so then he’s shown burying the dog (that has a stake through it). He looks up, and sees a woman walking through the field. He calls out to her, but she’s afraid. After running her down, he convinces her that she should come with him, and they can fight together.

I’m going to leave off now, and let the rest to your imagination, but rest assured, this is one you must see!

OK, here are my thoughts:

You’d think that a movie dominated by one actor wouldn’t be something excellent, but Price delivers such a great performance, it’s proof that it can happen. His inner monologue is the driving force for this movie. He really has you convinced there is no hope and that the world is doomed. How then can he carry on everyday? That’s the question everyone would have to answer if they were in this situation. Most people would go insane, no doubt, but a select few would soldier on, no matter what the circumstances.

The ending is quite good, and holds some very dramatic scenes. This story has been remade a few other times- The Omega Man (Charlton Heston, 1971 and I Am Legend (Will Smith, 2007), but don’t hold the power that this film does. Let’s be honest, most remakes don’t touch the original material they’re based off of, and this one is no different. Definitely see this one in black and white, because even though it was redone in color, its way more creepy the way it was intended. Vincent Price isn’t known for being one of the greatest for no reason!

Click here for the trailer!

Cinema Sunday: Silver Bullet (1985)

Posted on July 14, 2014 by billyd75

Title: Silver Bullet

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Writer: Stephen King

Director: Daniel Attias

Producer: Dino De Laurentiis

Starring: Gary Busey, Corey Haim, Megan Follows, Everett McGill

Released: October 11th, 1985

MPAA: R

An alcoholic Gary Busey, a pretentious Corey Haim, and a bloodthirsty werewolf…need I say more? Of course not, but I will anyway, when I present this classic film from the 1980’s, Silver Bullet! Back in the day, this film was scary, and had two big names to get people out to see it. It might not hold up as well now, but it’s still worth checking out and in my humble opinion, owning as well. Let’s get down to the plot!

The film opens with a drunken railroad worker, trying to finish a job one night. As he makes his way to the tracks that need clearing, a noise startles him, and before you know it, he’s beheaded by a beast. A howl is heard throughout the town, and everyone gets an icy chill up their spine.

As we turn to the main character, Marty (Corey Haim- who’s playing a paraplegic), we see him and his friend, Brady (Joe Wright), as they concoct a plan to scare Marty’s sister, Jane (Megan Follows). They not only scare her, but the fright causes her to fall into a huge puddle, and ruins her new dress and pantyhose. Later on that night, Marty apologizes, and gives her the money for a new pair of stockings, that were also ruined. It’s here, that we see the typical relationship of siblings at this age, and it really cements the bond they share. That night, a local woman, who’s contemplating suicide, gets a visit from the same beast that killed the railroad worker. The beast violently kills the woman, and the sheriff, Joe Haller (Terry O’Quinn) has another death on his hands.

Later, school is over for the summer, and Marty’s Uncle Red (Gary Busey), has come for a visit. Marty’s mom isn’t too happy with him, as he’s a bit of a drinker, and getting his third divorce. He and Marty share a bond though, and Uncle Red then has an argument with Marty’s mom about his drinking around Marty. That night, a neighbor ( a few miles away) is getting drunk, but hears some noise out in his greenhouse. The man thinks it’s kids busting up his property, so he goes out there to teach them a lesson. The lesson is taught to him though, and he gets ripped apart. With another murder, the townspeople begin to panic, and things are getting tense.

Marty and his friend Brady decide to go to the park and fly kites. The day grows old, and Jane is sent out by her parents to find Marty. He and Jane then make a quick exit for home, and asks Brady if he’s coming too. Brady tells him he’s staying for a while, and Marty can sense something is wrong. He leaves his best friend there, and it will be the last time we see him alive. At the local bar, Andy Fairton (Bill Smitrovich), a local business owner and exuberant gun owner, tells the crowd that the local sheriff isn’t getting the job done, and that they should take matters into their own hands. Just as he and the Deputy are about to get into a fist fight, Brady’s father walks in, and asks if anyone has seen his son.

At Brady’s funeral, Marty is having a tough time dealing with all of this craziness. Reverend Lowe (Everett McGill), tries his best to calm down the townspeople, but it’s having little effect. Back at the bar, Fairton is riling up the crowd again, and this time, they intend on going after the “guy”, who’s doing all the killing. Reverend Lowe attempts to stop them, but they drive right past him.

The vigilantes split into groups, and start combing the area. In a thick patch of forest, it’s very foggy. So much so, that you can barely see in front of your own face. As they creep through the wooded area, they begin to hear some animal-like noises. The mood turns to pure fear, and the beast grabs its first victim, ripping half of his face off! Two more men meet their maker this night, and that about wraps up the vigilante idea. We then see Reverend Lowe, once again telling the people all will be OK, but something different happens. Suddenly, the congregation begins to turn into werewolves, and then Lowe wakes up from a nightmare.

As the Fourth of July approaches, Marty is mad that the local fireworks have been cancelled, and the carnival as well. Uncle Red won’t let Marty down though, so buys some illegal fireworks, and gives them to Marty on his way out-of-town. Later that evening, Marty climbs down the lattice, and into his motorized wheelchair. He heads over to a pond nearby, and begins setting off the fireworks from Uncle Red. Some motion in the wooded area nearby spooks Marty for a second, and the next thing you know, the beast jumps out from the woods, and makes a mad dash for Marty! Marty quickly grabs a bottle rocket, lights it, and aims it at the beasts head. It fires off, and hits the creature in the right eye, stunning it long enough for Marty to get out of there, and back home.

Marty immediately calls Uncle Red, but he’s still half drunk, and sleeping, so he blows him off. Marty tells Jane the next day, because he realizes that no adults will believe his story. Jane then combs the town looking for a person missing their right eye. She’s collecting recyclable items for a charitable organization, and hits up everyone she can, all the while searching for this person missing an eye. She ends up seeing nothing out of the ordinary, and then takes her cart of bottles and cans to Reverend Lowe’s parsonage.

I’m going to stop here for those who haven’t seen this film yet, but rest assured that the secret will be over at this point about who the killer is. The part that keeps you in suspense for the rest of the movie is the fact that you know at some point, the killer is coming for Marty!

OK, here are my thoughts:

As I said above, this film is still pretty cool after all these years, and only the werewolf scenes (up close) seem cheesy now. Gary Busey gets a lot of flack, but he was right on the money in this film. Corey Haim did a good job as well, and really was convincing playing a paraplegic. I can’t imagine how tough that would be literally and from an acting standpoint either.

The music score was quite good too, as well as the cinematography. There were a couple of darker scenes that could’ve used more lighting, but that’s more of a nit-pick than anything. These more old school horror flicks do something newer films don’t understand. When it comes to death scenes, the phrase “less is more’ is absolutely true. Most viewers imaginations can cook up something just as visceral if not more than what’s usually shown, and even if it cannot, sometimes people get turned off by some of the explicit scenes too.

Overall, I still give this film pretty high marks even almost thirty years later. The performances and the scenes with the creepy build-up to the werewolf appearances are still solid. It helps when the film has Stephen King attached to it as well. You see, he wrote the novella “Cycle of the werewolf”, and King also wrote the screenplay. The dude knows how to make a scary movie! Definitely add this one to your collection, or at bare minimum rent or stream it some night and enjoy!

Click here for the trailer!

Cinema Sunday: The Plague of the Zombies (1966)

Posted on July 6, 2014 by billyd75

Title: The Plague of the Zombies

Distributor: 20th Century Fox

Writer: Peter Bryan

Director: John Gilling

Producer: Anthony Nelson Keys

Starring: Andre Morell, Diane Clare, John Carson, Jacqueline Pearce, Brook Williams, Michael Ripper

Released: January 12th, 1966

MPAA: PG

After last week’s review of a zombie flick, I thought I’d go to that well once again, with one of my favorite Hammer films, The Plague of the Zombies! This little gem predates George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, but features Haitian zombies, rather than flesh eaters. Either way, both films are great, but this one doesn’t get a fraction of the attention that NOTLD does, so I’m going to cast some light upon this one for all to see how truly awesome it is! The film was shot back to back with ‘The Reptile“, and you can tell for sure, but it didn’t take away from the movie in the least. So, now let’s get own with the show!

As the film opens, we see some creepy dude dressed in a robe and mask. There’s also some crazy looking voodoo type guys pounding on drums, adding to the wild scene. The robed man begins to chant something in another language, and then the scene switches to a woman, Alice Tompson (Jacqueline Pearce), as she’s in bed with her husband, Peter (Brook Williams). She’s getting restless and the more the guy in the robe chants, the more unsettled she seems to get. Eventually, she bursts out with a blood-curling scream, and the credits then roll.

The next scene shows a man, Sir James Forbes (Andre Morell), and he’s checking out his fishing equipment, while on holiday. His daughter, Sylvia (Diane Clare), comes into the room, and brings her father a letter from a friend in Cornwall. A former pupil of his (Sir James teaches medicine, and Peter was his brightest student), Peter Tompson, is having some trouble with the villagers getting ill, and a few deaths were involved. They decide to travel to Cornwall to help him out. On the trip to Cornwall, Sir James and Sylvia see five men hunting a fox. Sylvia tells them that she’s seen the fox, but points them in the opposite direction. Once they reach town, a funeral is taking place. Before they can even have a thought, the five hunters ride through town, and knock the coffin over an embankment. Sir James gets out of the coach, and yells at them, but they just holler back at Sylvia for her trick.

Once they arrive at Peter and Alice’s home, they’re greeted by Alice, and she looks terrible. She doesn’t even recognize her old school mate, Sylvia, at first. She begins to act slightly irrational, but makes them welcome. Sir James asks about a wound on her arm, but she’s very apprehensive about it, and gets a bit angry when he asks to look at the wound. Sylvia and Alice go to the kitchen to make tea, and Sir James sneaks off into town to have a look. At that time, Peter is at the pub, and getting harassed by the brother of the dead man who was knocked out of the coffin. Sir James tells everyone in the pub how lucky they are to have Peter as their physician, and then the two men leave. Peter then tells Sir James about the twelve deaths in the last year that are unexplainable. They all sit down and have dinner, then go their separate ways.

Later, at the house, Sylvia sees Alice leave after dark, and calls out to her, but Alice doesn’t hear her. Sylvia follows her, but gets lost along the way. Suddenly, out of the forest rides the hunters from the earlier scene, and they surround her. After she realizes there’s no escape, they grab her and take her to a large home at the edge of town. They play a card game to decide her fate, but the cards tell them to let her go. As they taunt her more, a voice rings out to let her go. Squire Hamilton (John Carson) appears, and pimp slaps one of the men. He tells them to get out, and apologizes to Sylvia. Her friend, Alice, told her about the Squire, so she gives him some slack, and doesn’t report the incident to the police. While this is going on, Peter and Sir James have taken it upon themselves to exhume one of the victims, and do an autopsy. As the two men are digging up a body, they are surprised by the police (Michael Ripper – image below), but rip open a coffin anyway. They’re all surprised when they see that the body is missing, and Sir James asks the police to help him to figure out this mystery.

As Sir James is walking home, while Peter covers the grave back over, he sees Sylvia stumbling down the street. He runs to her as she collapses, and then he takes her to the house. The next morning, Sir James gives Peter the bad news, (as Sylvia has told her father that she found Alice dead out on the moors the previous night), and Peter goes off the deep end. They go to the police and then make the trip out to the moors. They find Alice, and also find the drunken man from the pub that was berating Peter (who’s also the brother of the most recent victim). They awaken him and he tries to run off, but the police catch him. Peter and Sir James take Alice’s body back to the house to do an autopsy, and find that the blood around her face is not hers, and not even human. The police question the drunken man, and find out that something else was afoot, something more sinister than just murder.

Sylvia then explains to her father that the body of her friend wasn’t in the same spot where she’d seen it the previous night. As Peter and Sir James go out to do some detective work, Sylvia gets a visit, from Squire Hamilton. He “accidentally” cuts her finger on a broken piece of glass, and when she leaves the room to attend to it, he gets out a vial to put her blood in, and then excuses himself from the home. He races back to his mansion, and pulls out a small coffin from a drawer, and we see that it contains a voodoo doll of sorts. He then reveals that he has the vial of blood, and also that he’s gathered his cronies again, and the drums begin to beat!

Alice is now being buried, and Sylvia is overcome by the voodoo that’s now being used on her. She leaves the funeral with Peter, and Sir James asks the vicar if he can use his library to research witchcraft. He does, and finds out that someone in the village is practicing witchcraft, and using it to raise the dead. The clues are adding up, but can Sir James and Peter save Sylvia and the rest of the town before everyone is turned into a zombie?!?

OK, here are my thoughts:

Anyone that doesn’t know of Andre Morell, is in for a big surprise, because he proves without a shadow of a doubt, that he can be the lead in a movie! He did do a great job as Watson, in Hammer’s “Hound of the Baskervilles”, but that was a very strong performance by Peter Cushing, that kind of overshadowed Morell. The supporting cast is also pretty good, especially Jacqueline Pearce (Alice), and John Carson (Squire Hamilton). Both were very convincing, and Carson was an excellent devilish fiend!

The “zombies” didn’t have a ton of screen time, and that is a bit of a downer, but when they were on-screen, they were pretty creepy. Not a lot of makeup on them, but just the way that they were portrayed and used in those scenes, made them rise above mediocrity. The graveyard scene was especially good, as was the last act in the bowels of the tin mine. Michael Ripper added his usual flavor to the film as the constable. He always finds a way to steal the scenes he’s in, and he certainly was a welcomed addition to this cast.

Grab this flick if you can, because any horror enthusiast would be happy to have this one. If it hasn’t been re-released lately, wait for that if you can’t find it at a decent price. Sometimes these online sites can really rip you off, but I know Hammer is putting out Blu-ray copies of films on a pretty consistent basis now and for the foreseeable future.

Watch the trailer here!

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