Sci-Fi | Magazines and Monsters!

Captain Marvel #42, 1976 “Shootout at The O.K. Cosmic Corral!”

Posted on April 9, 2015 by billyd75

Taking a quick break from my look at Marvel Premiere, let us now see what the Marvel cosmic universe holds! As the Bronze Age rolled on, it was quite clear that Marvel was going to keep the cosmic train rolling, and heroes such as the Guardians of the Galaxy, Starlord, and of course, Captain Marvel! The creative minds behind this invigorating time were varying but exquisite nonetheless. In this particular story, we get to see not only the Kree man, Mar-Vell, but also Rick Jones, and the mysterious cosmic being the Stranger! One of the reasons I love this issue is because of the title. I’m a sucker for anything related to the old West, such as movies like “Tombstone” and the like. The scene in that film where the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral occurs is fantastic, so the idea of naming this story after that event is doubly as cool!

The writer of this issue is none other than “Stainless” Steve Englehart! His abilities for concocting incredible stories are well-known, and anyone out there that doesn’t own first hand evidence of that, pick up his Avengers stories, Captain America, Dr. Strange, etc. The pencils (and plot assist) are by the ever reliable Al Milgrom (cover as well, with inks by Alan Weiss). This guy is very underrated, and when you look at the pencils, inks, plots, scripts, etc., you have to give the man his due. The inks are by two consummate pros, and no one can deny that Frank Giacoia and Mike Esposito are anything other than that. The colors are by Phil Rachelson and the letters by Marvel mainstay Tom Orzechowski!

Marvel Premiere #7, 1973 “The Shadows of the Starstone!”

Posted on April 6, 2015 by billyd75

As my look at Marvel Premiere rolls on, this next issue brings more intrigue with Shuma-Gorath, and the sorcerer supreme, Dr. Strange! After defeating three seemingly invincible foes recently, the Doc must now travel to Stonehenge, and then to some far out dimension to battle more horrors! This one has Clea, Wong, and others, as guest stars! The good Doctor must battle for his life, and soon, that of his aged mentor, as well!

Another issue written by Gardner Fox, this one starts out with one of the best lines ever in a comic book (Clea speaking)…”What is it that disturbs you, Stephen?” The artwork on the inside is a n incredible creative team. First, on pencils you have an artistic genius in P. Craig Russell. Next, you get inks by committee, with Mike Esposito, Frank Giacoia, and Dave Hunt! Those three gentleman are synonymous with the decade, and really do a great job on this issue. Jean Izzo was the letterer, and Mimi Gold, the colorist. One thing of note about the interiors is that the colors really pop in this issue. That was something that was outright awesome, and unseen before this time period. And if that wasn’t enough, you get another incredible cover by Mike Ploog!

Cinema Sunday: The Werewolf (1956)

Posted on March 15, 2015 by billyd75

Title: The Werewolf

Distributor: Columbia Pictures

Writer: Robert E. Kent

Director: Fred F. Sears

Producer: Sam Katzman

Starring: Don Megowan, Joyce Holden, Steven Ritch, Harry Lauter

Released: July 1956

MPAA: Approved

OK, so, after a few weeks of giant bugs, then on to more of a classic theme, I’d like to take a look at something a little more off the beaten path this week. And so we shall see The Werewolf, from 1956. There’s a unique spin on this flick, that instead of a wolf bite changing the man, a lab experiment results in the ability to transform. No big stars in this one, so the film had to use the sci-fi/horror craze to try to entice audiences. An experienced crew behind the camera helped get this one off of the ground, and you can see that through the entire film. Alright, let’s get to the film!

The film begins with a voice (Fred Sears), narrating. He tells the viewers about Lycanthropy, and its dangers! Next, we see a man, Duncan Marsh (Steven Ritch – image below) walking down the street, and then he ducks into a pub. He downs a few shots, then heads over to the fireplace to warm his hands. Another man sits at the bar with a creepy look on his face, and he seems to be taking quite an interest in the other man. The man leaves the bar, and the other gentleman goes after him. He stops him in the street and the two exchanges some words. The man who was at the bar first, asks him to buy a couple of drinks because he’s broke and saw the other man had some cash. He then tries to mug the guy and take his money. The scene shifts to the dark alley, and all we hear is some growling and screaming, and only one man exits the alley. An old woman is walking by and sees the man leave, she screams, and the people from the pub come to see what’s wrong. She claims two men were fighting in the alley but only a beast emerged. Deputy Clovey (Harry Lauter) heads in along with the others for a look. They see a dead man with his throat torn out.

The men then head into the forest to hunt this wild animal, and get more than they bargained for when they set out. They see wolf tracks in the snow, and two of the men get scared. Deputy Clovey tells them to head back into town and get the sheriff. A short time later, the sheriff comes back to town with Clovey, and his shirt is ripped into pieces. He was attacked by a wolf, but Sheriff Haines showed up and scared the animal off with his gun. He takes him to the local doctor, and Dr. Gilchrist (Ken Christy – image below) administers some first aid. His niece, Amy Standish (Joyce Holden – image below), is his assistant, and she’s also coincidentally engaged to Sheriff Haines.

The next day, Marsh waking up out in the woods. He’s extremely disoriented, and in pain. For some reason his shoes are missing, and it’s very cold outside. He cries out in agony, as it seems he remembers what he did while he was “changed.” Back in town, the sheriff informs the townspeople that no one is allowed in the woods until further notice. This upsets all the local hunters, but he tells them too bad. Some reporters make their way from the big city to Mountaincrest after they heard about the murder. The sheriff initially keeps them out, but then decides to let them through to try to find the story. Over at the doctor’s house, Amy is startled by Marsh, who’s come to get some help with his amnesia. he goes inside, and tells the two of them that he can’t remember anything about his past except a car accident, and two doctors taking him in to a room. He then confesses to the murder from the night before. The doctor and Amy look puzzled, and then try to give him something to calm him down, but he slaps it away and runs off.

Back in town, Amy and the doc tell the sheriff what happened. They ask him to not kill the guy because he’s out of his mind. The scene changes to a mad scientist-type laboratory. One man is working on a machine, and then another calls to him, and refers to him as “Morgan” (George Lynn). He and the other man, Emery (S. John Launer), read a newspaper and realize that the man they worked on has committed this murder. These two doctors have apparently been running experiments using a formula containing radiation. A ring at the door interrupts their conversation about what to do with Marsh. As Morgan answers the door, he’s greeted by Mrs. Marsh (Eleanore Tanin), and she’s wondering where her husband is since she hasn’t seen him since the car accident. Morgan lies and tells her that after they treated him, he took off and they haven’t seen him since.

Out in the wilderness, the hunting party isn’t having any luck finding this ravenous beast or Marsh. Morgan and Emery set out to try to find him as well, and have better results because they think like an animal. Emery finds him, but once Marsh realizes they’re here to kill him, he wolfs out, and tries to kill them. The sheriff and his posse show up and shoot at the beast, and he runs away. They question the two doctors, and their story is kind of shady, but they allow them to stay. The sheriff and his men then head back to town, and then post guards around town to stop any more slayings. The werewolf then turns to killing sheep, and the sheriff warns all the local farmers to get into town as quickly as possible. Amy is still trying to convince the sheriff that Marsh needs help, and not to be killed.

The sheriff and his men begin to set traps around the perimeter of town, in hopes of capturing the beast. Another problem arises when Mrs. Marsh and her son are on their way to Mountaincrest as well. Will the sheriff and his men be able to capture the beat or will they have to put him down…if they can!

OK, here are my thoughts:

For a low-budget flick, this is a pretty solid film. Yeah, it’s mostly your standard fare from the 1950’s, but the angle of science creating the werewolf, and not a wolf bite was pretty cool. Having the two doctors get crazy and try to kill the werewolf was very different as well. Typically the doctors want to capture the beast, dissect it, and figure out how to do it better next time. Not here though. As far as the acting goes, most of the roles were pretty good, and even though none of the faces/names were familiar to me, I’m definitely going to seek out more from this crew! Well, definitely Joyce Holden (image below)!

The sets were OK, but nothing spectacular. The outdoor scenes were are alright, and the town settings were slightly better. The lighting was kind of low at a few points when they were filming indoors, but overall, it was nothing terrible. The music score didn’t do the film any favors, but had one or two high points. Producer/Director Sam Katzman has a list of credits a mile long, and when you look at it, his status in the industry is well deserved. Fred Sears (Director) is no slouch either, and made his mark in the film industry with some other solid movie credits. One note about the cast. The sheriff, Don Megowan, was also the Gill-Man in the third Creature from the Black Lagoon film!

Click here for the trailer!

Amazing Adventures #35, 1976 “The 24-Hour Man”

Posted on March 2, 2015 by billyd75

You know, there are certain creators, for one reason or another, that simply made the Bronze Age of comics what it was, and will always be. What is/was it? A fantastical time where the stories were more than just entertainment for a certain demographic. They were meaningful, articulate, a sign of the times, picturesque, thrilling, frightening, and so on. Well, that’s how I feel anyway. There were titles and concepts that brought out the best in the medium and it the creators certainly should get the lion-share of the credit.

In this installment, we’ll be taking a look at one certain title, and it’s two main collaborators. Amazing Adventures started off as a book like most of the time period did initially. A superhero book full of solid, established talent (Jack Kirby, John Buscema, etc.) and proven characters (The Avengers, Ka-Zar, etc.). Soon after the early issues though, people like Neal Adams and Roy Thomas came along, and the title took a slight turn towards the vibe that would define the decade/age. In issue #18, we saw the first appearance of a character called “Killraven,” and the title would change forever.

A few different creators wrote the series for a couple of issues, but when Don McGregor came aboard (issue#21), along with artists like Herb Trimpe, Rich Buckler, and even Gene Colan, the title started gaining series momentum. It apexes with the arrival of an artist named P. Craig Russell, in issue #27 (along with an incredible cover by Jim Starlin). This team was perfect for this new concept (War of the Worlds), grabbing some ideas from the H.G. Wells book, and creating new material and scenarios. These two men were nothing short of revolutionaries in the industry, and are right at the top for listing creators of that age! In this specific issue, Russell gives us a dynamite cover, and is assisted by Keith Giffen & Jack Abel (finished art/inks) with the artwork on the interiors. Irv Watanabe letters, Janice Cohen is the colorist, and ‘Marvelous Marv’ Wolfman, the editor!

Cinema Sunday: The Trollenberg Terror (1958)

Posted on February 22, 2015 by billyd75

Title: The Trollenberg Terror (A. K. A. The Crawling Eye)

Distributor: Eros Films Ltd.

Writer: Jimmy Sangster (screenplay)

Director: Quentin Lawrence

Producers: Robert S. Baker, Monty Berman

Starring: Forrest Tucker, Laurence Payne, Jennifer Jayne (Jones), Janet Munro, Warren Mitchell

Released: October 1958 (TV series 1956)

MPAA: UR

I’ve heard of this film, and was fascinated by the premise, but never saw it until recently. Once I’d heard it was an inspiration for John Carpenter’s “The Fog,” I knew I had to see it ASAP! Being a huge fan of that film (and a few other of his films), it was only a matter of time until this flick would be the subject of my weekly movie review! I’ll admit I only know one actor in this one (Forrest Tucker), but he’s enough to be another reason to watch the movie. OK, no more talk, let’s get to the meat and potatoes!

The film begins with three students rock climbing in the Swiss mountains. One has climbed a bit higher than the others, and they shout to him, asking what’s going on. He tells them it’s very foggy, and he can see someone coming through the fog. The two men on the lower ledge hear him scream, and then his body falls passing by them. He’s hooked on to a rope and they try to pull him up. The one man gets a look at him before the other man does, and he screams in terror, and let’s go of the rope. The other man shouts at him for letting go, but he tells him that his head was missing! Cut to the opening credits…

In the following scene, we watch as two women are on a train, one of them is sleeping. Anne Pilgrim (Janet Munro – image below, left),and her sister, Sarah (Jennifer Jayne – image below, right) There is a man sitting across from them, Alan Brooks (Forrest Tucker), reading a newspaper, and he notices that these two are a bit odd. Anne wakes up, and Sarah tells her that they’re passing the mountains. As she moves toward the window, she faints, and falls right into the lap of Brooks. When she awakens, she tells her sister that even though their trip isn’t over yet, that they must get off of the train at the next stop, Trollenberg. Brooks is really stupefied, but keeps to himself.

As the train stops at Trollenberg, Brooks gets off and meets another man, Klein (Frederick Schiller), owns a hotel of sorts, and Brooks invites them to stay there with the blessing of Klein. The two sisters are psychic, and have a routine they perform across Europe, and Anne uses her ability to pick the minds of the locals to find out why the townspeople are leaving. She questions Klein about this, but he’s evasive. Brooks looks on with desperation in his eyes. They take a car ride to the hotel, where another man, Philip Truscott (Laurence Payne), is waiting there and seems to recognize the girls, but they hurry to their room to avoid a confrontation.

That night, Brooks (Forrest Tucker – image above, right) is in his room unpacking when Truscott comes in and attempts to be friendly, but as soon as he leaves the room, he telephones someone, inquiring about Brooks. Brooks happens to be walking down the hallway, and hears the conversation. As he heads downstairs, he meets two climber, Brett (Andrew Faulds – image above, left), and Dewhurst (Stuart Saunders). They’re heading up the mountain for a climb, and going to stay the night in a shack on the side of the mountain tonight, then head up tomorrow. Truscott, Brooks, and Sarah, all join them for a farewell drink. They all have one, but then the conversation turns to the recent “accidents” on the mountain, and things get a bit grim. The bartender, Hans, is reluctant to talk about these matters, and about the villagers sentiments about the subject.

As the two men head out for their excursion, Brooks decides to hitch a ride with them up the cable car. He climbs aboard, and heads to the observatory, where we see Professor Crevett (Warren Mitchell). He tells Brooks that the goings-on around here are eerily similar to that of events that took place three years ago in the Andes Mountains. Crevett explains to Brooks that everywhere that the ominous cloud goes, death follows, as well as high amounts of radiation. Meanwhile, back at the hotel, Anne and Sarah do their best Jedi mind trick routine (image above) to the applause of the guests. During this though, Anne begins to fall into a trance. She sees the two climbers in the hut (Dewhurst & Brett), and warns of danger. Crevett and Brooks realize that the girl must be psychic, and she is somehow able to see into the mind(s) of whatever is in the mysterious cloud surrounding the mountains. Brooks calls the hut, and Dewhurst confirms that Brett is missing. Later, the observatory calls the hotel and tells the Professor that the cloud is no moving towards the hut. Within minutes, they call Dewhurst, and he tells them that he thinks he sees someone in the fog. Within seconds, Dewhurst is dead.

The following morning, Brooks and some of the others head out to find Dewhurst and Brett. After searching for hours, one of the villagers finds some bloody clothes, and then calls out to another villager. Before he can get his bearings, we see Brett, looking like one of Romero’s living dead, and he brutally kills the man. As the other villager arrives, he tries to defend himself, but Brett overpowers him, and slays him as well. Brooks, Truscott, and their party find the hut, and it’s very cold inside. The blankets are frozen, and so on. They find Dewhurst, and he’s been decapitated. They call to the city, and get an airplane to search from above as well. The next night, Brett inexplicably shows up, and seems a bit off kilter. As he’s sitting at the bar, Anne walks in, and he attempts to kill her, but Brooks knocks him out. They lock him up, but he escapes, and then decapitates the hotel owner. Brett then attacks Anne but Brooks shoots and kills him. Brooks and Crevett inspect the body and discover that any kind of heat can make his body disintegrate.

As the cloud moves toward the village, the people make their way to the observatory for a final showdown with the creatures in the fog! Will they survive or will they meet their doom!

OK, here are my thoughts:

When I heard that this film inspired John Carpenter, it immediately jumped to the top of my watch list. Having Forrest Tucker as the lead actor doesn’t hurt either. I loved his performance in The Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas (1957), and that film will be reviewed sooner than later as well. He’s really in charge in this film, and totally runs the show from the minute he’s on-screen. The supporting cast is also right there to add some flavor. Warren Mitchell portrays the Professor, and he fits the part perfectly.

The special effects were good for their time, and the “monsters” were pretty scary looking in this film. The man behind them was Les Bowie (uncredited), and he should be lauded for his efforts. The music score (Stanley Black) was very riveting at a few points, and will have you on the edge of your seat. The sets were fairly generic, but most of the time they didn’t need to be more than that anyway. The observatory scenes were the best, and seemed the most “real.” Get out and find this movie, it’s certainly worth the time!

Click here for the trailer!

Janet Munro

Cinema Sunday: The Fly (1958)

Posted on January 25, 2015 by billyd75

Title: The Fly

Distributor: 20th Century Fox

Writer: James Clavell (Screenplay), original story by George Langelaan

Director: Kurt Neumann

Producer: Kurt Neumann

Starring: Al Hedison, Patricia Owens, Vincent Price, Herbert Marshall

Release: August 1958

MPAA: Approved

OK, so, I know this film isn’t exactly in the same sub-genre as the three previous films I reviewed this month, BUT it does have a monster that kind of fits the bill. Oh, and it has Vincent Price, so it’s automatically worth watching. Even though Price isn’t the main character in this film, his presence is enough to vault this movie into the awesome category!

Without giving too much away, this film features a gruesome beginning, and then the rest is in flashback. A couple of twists at the ens definitely make this film one I’ll never forget. Well, at least the famous line from one particular scene! Alright, let us journey back in time to 1958…

The movie begins with a night watchman, as he’s making his rounds at an electronics factory. He hears a piece of equipment being operated, and heads in the general direction to investigate. As he opens a door, a young woman (Patricia Owens) looks at him, then dashes off through the back door. The man discovers that she was apparently operating an industrial press, and there’s a man squished underneath it! The next scene shows the same woman, making a phone call to the owner of the factory, Francois Delambre (Vincent Price), claiming that she’s killed her husband, who happens to be Francois’s brother. At first he thinks it’s a joke, but then she reiterates what she’s done, and he quickly calls an inspector friend of his, Inspector Charas (Herbert Marshall) to help him out of this situation.

The inspector shows up with the coroner and few other policemen. They see that Mrs. Delambre wasn’t just telling some crazy story, as we see a body, half squished under the press. Francois is shocked, and tells them that his brother had a big scar on his left leg, so they can identify the body (the head and left arm are underneath the press). The scar is found and Francois is grief-stricken. They then travel to the home of Mrs. Delambre, to question her about the nights events. She tells them that she activated the press, and exactly how she did it, showing that it very well could’ve been her. The Inspector asks her why she did it, and she tells him that she can’t answer that question. He asks another question, and again, she refuses to answer. He then tells Francois and the doctor to give them a moment alone. He questions her further on the events at the factory, but she’s still very mysterious about her motive. She does get rattled when a fly enters the room, and the inspector notices this immediately.

The inspector decides on the advice of the doctor, to let her rest, and see if her mind improves (they think her insane). He and Francois then check out his lab, and see that it has been wrecked for some reason. Francois can’t believe it, because his brother was always so careful with the equipment. The inspector then asks Francois if his brother ever used animals in his experiments, and Francois tells him no. He then asks about insects, and Francois pauses for a moment, then tells the inspector that his brother wouldn’t even hurt a fly.

A few days later, the police have sent in a “nurse” to keep an eye on Helene. Everything seems to be fine, until a fly enters the room. Helene is very agitated, and the nurse tells her to not worry, because she’ll kill it. Just as she swats it with a newspaper, Helene screams out in agony, and smashes her breakfast tray. She crumples to the floor, sobbing. The nurse puts her back in bed, and calls the doctor. They can’t understand the situation, and Francois wants to speak with her. The doctor asks Francois if he’s in love with Helene, and he says yes. he admits to loving her, but not interfering with his brother. The doctor tells Francois that he’ll recommend to the police that Helene is guilty, by reason of insanity. At dinner, Francois talks with Phillipe (Helene’s son), and the boy tells Francois that his mother was looking for a specific fly, one with a white head. The boy says that she asked him to look for it the day his father disappeared. Francois stiffens, and realizes that something rather heinous is afoot.

Francois then goes to Helene’s house to speak with her and after some prodding, she relents and tells him the story of what really happened to her husband…

The two men sit and listen to her story. She tells them that a few months ago, her husband, Andre (Al Hedison), was working on a secret project, but invited his wife into the lab to see the results of his latest experiment. He’s invented a molecular/matter displacement device, but not yet perfected it. He demonstrates it by using a plate with writing on the bottom of it. He turns on the machine, and it transfers the plate from one cabinet, across the room to another. Helene is fascinated but thinks it’s a trick. He assures her it isn’t, and they both are very excited. She looks at the bottom of the plate though, and the writing is backwards. He realizes this is a stumbling block, and immediately works on perfecting the process.

A few weeks later, he thinks he’s done just that, but wants to test something else, something living. He uses the family cat, but with varying results. The cat is placed in the cabinet, but doesn’t make it to the other one. He hears the cat crying out, but we never see where it ended up. Days later, Andre bursts out of his lab, claiming success. He takes Helene to the ballet to celebrate, then home to see his latest accomplishment. He puts some champagne in the machine, and transfers it to the other cabinet without any problems. Next, he uses the little boy’s pet guinea pig, and at first, Helene is upset, and doesn’t want him to do it. He convinces her it will be fine, and then he shows her it is, and transfers the animal. He does tell her about the cat, and she makes him promise to not use animals anymore.

A few weeks later, Francois is coming over for lunch, and Andre is ready to unveil his new invention. Helene and Francois head downstairs to the lab, but there’s a note on the door, saying that he wont be up for lunch. At that moment, Phillipe runs in and calls to his mother. He tells her that he’s caught a fly, and not just any fly, but one with a white head, and a white leg. She tells him to run along, not thinking anything of the boy’s exuberance. The boy then releases the fly, and walks away sad about the situation. Later, the maid tells Helene that Andre didn’t eat his supper, and Helene wonders why not. She goes downstairs to investigate, and calls to Andre. he doesn’t answer, and she’s perplexed. She sees a note that was slipped under the door, and reads that he’s had a terrible accident. He asks for some milk, and she gets it, and the note also says to leave the milk on his desk, but not to bother him. It says that he’s looking for a fly, but not just any fly, but one with a white head!

Will Andre be able to reverse the horror that he’s created? I hope you’re not in the mood for a happy ending…

OK, here are my thoughts:

If there’s anyone out there that hasn’t seen this flick yet, please, do yourself a favor and check this out. The three main players in this film are fantastic, and never waver in their performances. Of course, Price really commands the scenes he’s a part of, but he’s more of a secondary character in this one. You can’t honestly find anything wrong with this film. The acting, sets, music, everything, is top-notch here. The make-up is nothing short of brilliant for the 1950’s, and we have Ben Nye (RIP) to thank for that. Just incredible work by that man.

Even fans of newer films of this genre will appreciate this one.It would be impossible to not like this film, because of its simplicity, but over abundance of great moments that will never leave your mind after watching it. Do yourself a favor, check out Netflix or grab this one in a DVD bin at a Big Box store. it’s well worth whatever they’re asking, trust me! The fact that the film has a beautiful leading lady doesn’t hurt either!

Click here for the trailer!

Marvel Team-Up #19, 1973 “The Coming of Stegron The Dinosaur Man!”

Posted on January 24, 2015 by billyd75

You know, I don’t remember being a huge dinosaur enthusiast as a youth, but my son definitely is/was. He knows more facts about them than I’ll ever know or understand, and his love and knowledge of dinosaurs is something that not only fascinates me, but is utterly endearing as well. In this especially awesome issue of MTU (Marvel Team-Up #19), Spidey must journey to the Savage Land, and of course almost immediately meets up with the Lord of the Hidden Jungle, Ka-Zar! The trip ends up being a bit more complicated than Spidey wanted (of course, that Parker luck!), and we are introduced to a new villain, Stegron the Dinosaur Man!

A story that has two parts (continuing in the next ish of MTU), was brought to us by Marvel super-scribe, “Lively” Len Wein! Everyone that is a fan of Marvel Comics in the Bronze Age knows of Len’s legendary contributions, and they would continue for a long time after that as well. If you’re going to have a story like this one, you need top-notch talent on the artwork, for sure. One of the all-time masters, Gil “Sugar” Kane penciled this one, and the inks of “Fearless” Frank Giacoia match up perfectly with Kane’s work. Not to be left out, are colorist Glynis Wein, and letter Dave Hunt! Sprinkle in the editorial wits of “Rascally” Roy Thomas, and you have a Bronze Age classic! Enjoy!

Cinema Sunday: The Black Scorpion (1957)

Posted on January 18, 2015 by billyd75

Title: The Black Scorpion

Distributor: Warner Bros.

Writers: Robert Blees, David Duncan

Director: Edward Ludwig

Producers: Jack Dietz, Jack Melford

Starring: Richard Denning, Mara Corday, Carlos Rivas, Mario Navarro

Released: October 1957

MPAA: PG

Continuing on with my giant bug/creatures theme, there’s no way you can have one without including this gem! Not only does it have solid actors, but it has one of the most beloved, and talented people to ever work in the film industry, Willis O’Brien! To say that this man was an innovator wouldn’t be giving him half of the credit he deserves. He was one of the best and earliest to use stop-motion animation, as you saw in the 1933 classic, King Kong. He had a young understudy later in his career you may have heard of…Ray Harryhausen! The two worked together on Mighty Joe Young (1949), and Ray’s career took off after that film. O’Brien’s career started to slow down though, but he still had enough in the tank to lend his genius to this movie!

This film is one that has a few Mexican actors in it, but it was filmed in Mexico, so it made total sense, unlike some movies of the times that are supposed to be taking place in a foreign country, yet all the actors are clearly Caucasian. Another interesting fact about this movie is that you don’t get the typical “radiation” answer for the rampaging creature(s) either. Alright, let us now proceed to the film.

The movie begins with a volcano exploding, and subsequent earthquakes, that shake a rural area of Mexico, causing all sorts of destruction and mayhem. A narrator tells us that this has been going on for a long time in this area, and that it is getting worse. We next see the opening credits roll, followed by two men in Jeep, making their way towards the Mexican rural area that has been affected by the volcano. The two men, Geologists, Dr. Hank Scott (Richard Denning), and Dr. Arturo Ramos (Carlos Rivas), remark about how desolate and empty the area looks. At one point, they stop and ask directions from a couple of telephone company workers. As they forge on, they hear a strange noise, that scares both men, but they move on towards the volcano.

Eventually, they come upon a home (or business of some kind), and look around to ask for some water. They find a police car, that looks like its been ripped apart by something incredible. They hear a call come across the radio, and they answer it, telling the police on the other end that there’s been an accident, and that the policeman is nowhere to be found. As the two men walk around, they hear a rattlesnake, and investigate. They soon realize that it’s no snake, but rather a baby shaking a rattle. Hank picks up the baby (after pointing and waving his gun around in its face a few times), and they both get in the Jeep, and head for the nearest village. As they get ready to leave, something catches Arturo’s eye, and the two men make a hideous discovery. They find the policeman, dead, and his face looks as if he’s seen a ghost. They go back to the police car, and tell the other cops that they found the one officer, and that he’s dead, and that his gun was empty.

The next day, they arrive at the village and are greeted by Father Delgado, who’s keeping track of the village until the government arrives to help. They have a meal together, and the priest talks about the locals, their situation, and the disappearance of some of the villagers. The following morning, the duo set out to see the volcano, even though the military warns them not to go to the site. As they near the site, Hank uses the binoculars to and spots a beautiful woman riding a horse. She falls off, and the two men go to help her out. They find out her name is Teresa Alvarez (Mara Corday), and that her family has lived here for many years (yet, she has a terrible accent). As Teresa cleans up, Arturo finds some Obsidian, but she couldn’t care less.

Back at the village, hank and Arturo visit the local doctor/mad scientist guy, Dr. Delacruz (Pascual García Peña). he’s doing an autopsy on the dead cop, and finds out that he died from some poison. he then shows them a plaster cast of a footprint that is absolutely huge, but not very recognizable. Teresa rounds up a few dozen villagers to help with the relief effort, and then she brings them to her home. After a meal, Arturo shows them something he’s found inside the Obsidian. There’s a scorpion inside it, and they break it open, and it’s still alive! Arturo wants to investigate why this happened, but Hank only wants to investigate Teresa. He’s just about ready to put the moves on her, when her telephone rings. She answers it, the telephone repair man who gave Hank and Arturo directions earlier, tells her that the line is fixed now. Just as he’s ready to hang up, he and the other two repair guys hear a bone-chilling shriek. Before they can even react, a giant scorpion emerges from the shadows, and devours both of them! It even picks up a car, and throws it down an embankment.

The creature then makes its way to Teresa’s home, and the villagers, Hank, and Arturo try to stop it but their pistols and rifles are useless against the giant beast. They round everyone up, and head for the village in fear of the creature. The volcano erupts, and another earthquake devastates a few homes in the area. The couple of military guys that are present also attempt to shoot the creature, but once again, bullets prove to be ineffective. Night ends, and the creature retreats. The next morning, another official from the government shows up. Dr. Velasco (Carlos Muzquiz), and he theorizes that this creature has been kept alive, living under the volcano for centuries. The team sets out on an expedition to find the creatures lair. They do just that, and then Arturo and Hank descend into the cave, using a crane.

Once they arrive in the depths of the cave, Arturo and Hank witness wonders never seen before by mankind. A giant worm, that looks prehistoric, then a spider the size of a Volkswagen appears, and nearly kills a little boy who stowed away with them. Initially, Dr. Velasco believes that they can use poison gas on the scorpion, but they eventually go a different route. Back down in the cave, Hank and Arturo see that there are more scorpions down there, and that they just haven’t fully matured yet. Then, suddenly, the big daddy shows up and tries to kill both of them! They barely escape, but then formulate a plan that they hope will work!

Can Hank and Arturo solve the puzzle of how to stop the behemoth? Or will it destroy Mexico City in its next rampage? You must check it out to find the answers!

OK, here are my thoughts:

This is no exaggeration, when I say that Richard Denning (Creature from the Black Lagoon), Carlos Rivas, and Mara Corday (image below) are all great in this flick! Of course, you get your moments of the time where the “helpless” woman needs the men to come and save her, but overall, it was still a pretty good performance by these three lead actors. I felt that the little boy was more annoying than endearing, but he’s really inconsequential to the story anyway, so it doesn’t matter. There isn’t a lot of cigarette smoking in this one, which is astonishing actually.

The crown jewel of this film though, is without a doubt, the stop motion work by Willis O’Brien. When the scorpion is crawling around, killing or terrorizing people, it looks fantastic. It does look fairly cheap up close (the face shots), but it was a very low-budget movie, so you have to give it a break. Seriously though, this is the best film so far of the movies I reviewed this month. It really is a strong film for one of this genre and budget. Richard Denning is one tough customer, and Mara Corday is absolutely gorgeous in this one!

Click here for the trailer!

Cinema Sunday: Tarantula (1955)

Posted on January 13, 2015 by billyd75

Title: Tarantula

Distributor: Universal Studios

Writers: Robert M. Fresco, Martin Berkeley (screenplay), story by Jack Arnold

Director: Jack Arnold

Producer: William Alland

Starring: John Agar, Mara Corday, Lewis G. Carroll, Clint Eastwood

Released: December 14th, 1955

MPAA: Approved

After showcasing one great director (Bert I. Gordon) from the sci-fi genre last week, I couldn’t help but gravitate to his counterpart, Jack Arnold, this week! The giant bug/animal craze started with THEM! in 1954, and really hit its stride the following year with last week’s film, and this one. Of course, what would a sci-fi movie be without a leading action hero? Not so great, and that’s why we have none other than B-movie legend, John Agar, to save the day in this movie!

The quality of this film is better than the Gordon film, but probably had a bigger budget as well. And let’s not forget you have a better cast, and that makes a huge difference. The movie follows the typical plot lines of the times, but definitely has some cool moments. OK, let’s get right down to it!

The film begins with a man (in his PJ’s) wandering around the desert of Arizona. We eventually see that he’s been mutated from something, and really bloated looking. He falls to the ground, and seemingly dies. The scene then switches to a plane landing, and a doctor, Matt Hastings (John Agar – 2nd image below), steps out, and tells the technician to check the plane. The doc then checks in at his office…that’s in the local hotel (yeah, don’t ask). He then receives a call from Sheriff Andrews (Nestor Paiva – 2nd image below), and heads out to see him. Once he arrives at his office, the sheriff explains that they need to check out a body that found along the highway earlier in the day. The sheriff can’t explain what’s wrong, because he doesn’t know what happened to the man and he needs Doctor Hastings to examine the body.

Once they arrive at the coroner’s office, they talk with doctor that was working with the deceased man. Professor Deemer (Lewis G. Carroll), seems distraught about his friend’s death, but also troubled about something. They theorize that the man died from Acromegaly but that’s typically a disease that takes years to process, and this man was seen days earlier, with no signs of the disease. Later, Professor Deemer retreats to his lab, and we see why he was anxious when the others were questioning him about his assistant. He’s been using a secret formula on animals, that increases their size exponentially! The last one we see is a giant Tarantula (about the size of a medium dog)!

The next day, Professor Deemer is at it again, but a figure shambles in through the back door. It’s another man who looks like he has the same disease, but this one has some life left in him yet. He creeps up behind the Professor and attempts to murder him. As they struggle, the glass gets smashed to some of the cases, and the tarantula escapes! The disfigured man chokes him out, then injects him with the serum. A fire breaks out, and it looks as if the Professor is doomed, but then he wakes up (conveniently), and escapes the flames. He then finds the body of the man outside, slumped over, dead. He buries him out in the backyard, and we see the shadow of a spider the size of an elephant.

Dr. Hastings has a conversation with the sheriff, and attempts to convince him that Professor Deemer might be up to shenanigans. He’s not very responsive at first, but he does ponder his next move. Outside, a bus arrives, and a beautiful lady steps off, and heads into the hotel to ask for a cab. You see, Stephanie Clayton (Mara Corday – image below), has come to town to aid Professor Deemer in his experiments. Since Dr. Hastings is heading out that way to question Deemer, he gives “Steve” a ride to his place. Once they arrive, a local newspaper reporter is there and taking pictures. This angers Deemer, and he tells him to hit the road.

As Steve and Professor Deemer begin their work, over time, she notices that his face begins to be deformed. The serum is finally getting to him, and he eventually succumbs to the same fate as the others. As the story moves on, large animals are found with the absolutely nothing left but bones! They’ve been sucked dry of all living tissue. Hastings finds some fluid near the bones, and eventually finds that it’s spider venom. He then surmises that Deemer’s new formula must be mutating animals, and that a giant spider is the culprit for the dead animals and destroyed homes.

Can Mr. B-Movie, John Agar stop the giant beast? Or will a barely recognizable Clint Eastwood (image below) have to get the job done? Watch the film to find out!

OK, here are my thoughts:

This is one that I first watched with my son a few years ago, and loved from the very first minute. Maybe it has some sentimental value to me, and that raises it up slightly, but Agar and Carroll are fantastic in this film. This is actually one of the few films from this era that doesn’t use atomic radiation as a MacGuffin. There are a couple of moments of absolute hilarity, where blatant sexism occurs, but again, this was 1955. Plenty of cigarette smoking as well. I think Agar must have owned stock in R. J. Reynolds.

The sets were pretty good for the time, and the desert shots definitely stood out. Of course, the special effects leave a lot to be desired in this day and age, but for back then, they were pretty cool. Even now I can imagine little kids in a downtown movie theater, screaming their heads off when the tarantula attacks. Watch these films with a lens of nostalgia, and you’ll definitely enjoy them. Thanks to people like Jack Arnold, we’ll always have these classic “B” movies to give us laughter, and good times!

Click here for the trailer!

Cinema Sunday: Earth vs The Spider (1958)

Posted on January 4, 2015 by billyd75

Title: Earth vs The Spider

Distributor: American International Pictures

Writers: George Worthington Yates, László Görög, (Bert I. Gordon)

Director: Bert I. Gordon

Producer: Bert I. Gordon

Starring: Ed Kemmer, June Kenney, Eugene Persson, Gene Roth

Released: September 1958

MPAA: Approved

It’s a new year, so I figured I’d better start a new theme. What better than giant monsters/insects? None, of course, and if you’re a fan of these movies like I am, you know that they hold a special place in cinema because they were birthed during the greatest decade for sci-fi, the 1950s! Whether it’s AIP, Warner Bros., or Universal, it doesn’t matter. Most of these films had a similar plot, but they all have something different that sets them apart from each other.

When you have names like Bert I. Gordon and Samuel Z. Arkoff involved in a film, you know that odds are, it’s gonna be a good one! Both men have a long history in the film business, but thrived when involved with sci-fi/horror. Gordon is known for his giant monster films, and Arkoff for everything AIP! Mostly for me though, Arkoff is known for being the producer of Blacula! Well, that’s all for now, let’s get to the movie!

The film opens with a man driving a car down the highway. He’s suddenly accosted by something, and the car smashes into the rail. The next day, another young man, Mike Simpson (Eugene Persson), darts across the street, to meet up with a beautiful girl, Carol (June Kenney) he’s sweet on. He gives her a gift, but she’s reluctant to open it. Something’s wrong, and she tells him that she’s worried because her dad didn’t come home last night. Mike tells her not to be worried, because it isn’t the first time this happened. Carol gets infuriated, and throws the present in his face, and heads into their high school. In science class, Mike passes Carol a note, and she forgives him for his remarks earlier.

Still terribly worried about her father’s absence, the two set out to find him. As they drive down the road out-of-town, they see something on the side of the road. As they stop to investigate, they find a rope-like string. It’s very sticky, almost like the silk from a spider! As they search the immediate area, they discover his car, over the railing and in a ditch. They remark that the wreck is very close to a cave that the locals say is haunted. Mike tells Carol to wait outside, and he’ll check it out. They’ve theorized that her father would’ve survived the accident, and might have sought out shelter there last night.

As Mike goes inside, Carol is frightened, so she comes with him. They make their way deeper into the cave, and as they do, they discover the bones of a few dead human beings! As they get even more scared, they hear a sound emanating from deeper inside the cavern. They move towards the sound, and fall into a giant spider web! They attempt to escape, and as they do, a giant spider moves in for the kill. They manage to squirm enough to fall through the big gaps between the webs tendrils, and escape. Of course, they rush back into town and tell people, but no one believes them. They think they’re just a couple of “crazy kids.” Mike and Carol go to their science teacher, Mr. Kingman (Ed Kemmer)and he calls the sheriff. He convinces the sheriff to at least investigate the disappearance of Carol’s father, so they gather some volunteers, and head into the cave.

Once inside the cave, the sheriff makes jokes about the teenagers, but after a few minutes, they find the corpse of Carol’s father, and a few sets of bones, as well. They point him in the direction of the giant web, and the sheriff almost falls into it. He tells the deputy to get the pest control guy that’s waiting outside. He comes in with a hose, and begins to spray DDT all over the cave. Within seconds, you hear that eerie sound again, and the spider appears! It goes on a rampage, and actually kills one of the sheriff’s men! Between the bullets and the DDT, the creature finally falls. Mr. Kingman convinces the sheriff that the spider needs to be brought to the surface, and he says he’ll allow it.

An undetermined amount of time later, and the spider is on display at the local school, and reporters from all over are there to take pictures. One of the reporters makes a smart remark and the next thing you know, the spider kicks him, knocking him over. Everybody recoils in fear, but Mr. Kingman tells them it was just a muscular contraction. Meanwhile, Mike is working at his father’s movie theater, and Carol calls him, begging him to come and pick her up. She believes that she lost her bracelet while in the cave, and since it was a present from her father, she must have it back. Meanwhile, over at the school, Mike’s friend, Joe, and his band-mates try to enter the area where the spider is being kept, so they can practice for the “big dance” tomorrow night. They find it locked, but convince the janitor to open it for them.

As the bad begins to rehearse, some other kids come in, and basically start to party…in the middle of a school day. Back at the cave, Mike and Carol are searching for her missing bracelet. No one in town knows where there are, and this is going to be a problem later in the film. As the band gets louder and louder, the spider begins to move. Within minutes, it starts to go wild, and bust its way out of the gymnasium. The janitor, Hugo, calls Mr. Kingman to tell him about the spider, but he gets killed before he can give the “gory” details. The spider begins to go on a rampage throughout the town, killing anyone that gets in its way, and destroying property everywhere!

Will the townspeople find a way to stop the menacing giant? Or will it be the end of mankind?!?! Watch to find out!

OK, here are my thoughts:

I wasn’t born in the decade that this movie was made, but one can only imagine the daily life back then, and having interrupted by something crazy like this. Heck, even in this day and age it would be something pretty tough to deal with, at least for a time. Sure, you could eventually nuke it or something crazy like that, but in a populated area, it would pose some problems. The actors in the film are pretty solid, and definitely are convincing for the most part. Eugene Persson and June Kenney make a good “couple,” and mesh well together. Ed Kemmer does a good job as the scientist/school teacher. His interactions with the kids is spot on, and between he and the sheriff, Gene Roth. Speaking of the sheriff, I thought he was one of the best. His cynical attitude towards the kids was excellent, and definitely a good snapshot of the times.

As far as the spider goes, for the technology of the times, Bert I. Gordon did a fine job. He mostly used a real spider, with up-close shots to make it look like it was a huge spider, and not a normal sized one. Other times they used rear projection to get the desired effects of the spider terrorizing people. It did seem in a couple of scenes, that they used a giant puppet, but not very often. The sets were OK, and looked mostly believable, but you could see that some miniatures were used in the town. This is the last big monster movie Bert I. Gordon did for a few years, but he definitely owns the title of B movie big monster king!

Watch the trailer !

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