Last Seen pre-1970 Classic/Vintage Horror Movie?

[classic_horror_fan]

This one goes back to the drive in movie theater days from back in the 1950s. It had no budget, but the cast and crew did an excellent job with what they had with a lot of great drama and dialogue to a good excellent story that is well portrayed. The black and white format also helps at not only hiding a lot of cheesiness, but also giving it a good classic appeal. This is another good example of not needing a big budget or a lot of people to still make a decent entertaining and interesting film.

[Sculpt]

Originally Posted by FryeDwight

REVENGE OF THE CREATURE (1955). Sequel to CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON isn't as good, but worth seeing and You'll have much more pity for the Gillman. Good cast with John Agar, Lori Nelson (not Julie Adams scrumptious, but pretty nice all the same) and a VERY young Clint Eastwood in what I believe is his first film. Also, you'll see Ricou Browning (the Creature under water) playing a scientist taking blood samples.

Watching this again and listening to the good commentary, had quite a bit of Nostalgia...the Black Lagoon sequences (and many other films/TV) were filmed at Silver Springs FL, very close to where my parents live (went there in 1995) and the majority of the action takes place at Marineland FL, very close to St Augustine FL (went there as a boy in 1970 and took my daughter there after Xmas 1997, during an unusually chilly time. ML suffers in comparison to Sea World, but came first and I quite liked it...also loved the cool Mural of The Gillman painted on a wall next to the aquarium). Had also forgotten that the first time I saw this in January 1973, we were living in Norfolk Virginia and due to move to the Panama Canal Zone the next month. During the Creature's rampage, a Newscaster announcers the Creature has been seen "...as far north as Norfolk Virginia and as far South as Panama!" ***

I actually never saw Revenge, I don't think, looking at the trailer. I did see The Creature Walks Among Us when I was 12. It wasn't particularly good, but I remember the Creature throws the guy 10 feet into a palm tree.

My folks took me to Clearwater a couple years ago. Very cool.


Revenge of the Creature
TOMATOMETER
Critics Consensus 22%
No consensus yet. Total Count: 9

Audience Score 31%
User Ratings: 1,632

Doesn't look like Revenge gets much love.

[FryeDwight]

[QUOTE=Sculpt;1042010]I actually never saw Revenge, I don't think, looking at the trailer. I did see The Creature Walks Among Us when I was 12. It wasn't particularly good, but I remember the Creature throws the guy 10 feet into a palm tree.

My folks took me to Clearwater a couple years ago. Very cool.

The Gulf Coast of Florida is awesome. We were staying Madiera Beach a couple of years ago and took a drive through Clearwater...maybe We passed You! Remember also how damn hot it was (early October)...just sweltering and 95 degrees when we left and 57 in Manchester NH...quite the difference

Naples is also very nice

[FryeDwight]

SAMSON VS THE VAMPIRE WOMEN (1962). There are several dull stretches in here, but the opening scenes are rich in atmosphere and once they get a little plasma in them, the Vampire Women are Knockouts (especially Lorena Valezquez and Ophelia Montesco)! When not wrestling at the Arena for his many fans, Samson (called "Santo" by the ringside crowd) is assigned to protect a young lady (the actress looks a lot like a young Elizabeth Taylor) from being abducted to be the New Queen of The Vampires. About as silly as it sounds, but a lot of fun. Some real life wrestlers (Raul Mendoza in particular) and definitely watch Samson's second match...what a Finish! ***

[urgeok2]

The Day the Earth Caught Fire

A British made end of the world tale from 1961 that was surprisingly good.
It was executed VIA the point of view of a major newspaper ... how they reported it, how it affected the people who worked there.

Very dialogue driven - exceptionally well written and acted.

I googled it after i watched it to find that the movie included some music by a fellow called Monty Norman who a year later would provide one of the most recognised pieces of music all over the world - the James Bond Theme - for Dr No.

[FryeDwight]

Originally Posted by urgeok2

The Day the Earth Caught Fire

A British made end of the world tale from 1961 that was surprisingly good.
It was executed VIA the point of view of a major newspaper ... how they reported it, how it affected the people who worked there.

Very dialogue driven - exceptionally well written and acted.

I googled it after i watched it to find that the movie included some music by a fellow called Monty Norman who a year later would provide one of the most recognised pieces of music all over the world - the James Bond Theme - for Dr No.

I quite like that one myself.

THE CHASE (1966). In one of his biographies, this Marlon Brando film was described as "...Peyton Place, Southern Fried" and I would add a dash of HIGH NOON to it as well.
Very young Robert Redford escapes from prison and heads back to his hometown where it seems the main pastimes are drinking, humping and Redneck violence. While it's long, I do like this mainly for the cast. Besides Brando, there is also Angie Dickinson, Jane Fonda, Martha Hyer (FIRST MEN IN THE MOON), Robert Duvall, Janice Rule (What a TRAMP her character is), EG Marshall (THE DEFENDERS, CREEPSHOW), James Fox (THE SERVANT, PERFORMANCE),Miriam Hopkins (DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE 1931), Henry Hull (THE WEREWOLF OF LONDON), Bruce Cabot (KING KONG), Clifton James (the Sheriff in LIVE AND LET DIE and THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN), Diana Hyland (THE BOY IN THE PLASTIC BUBBLE), Lori Martin (CAPE FEAR) and a young Paul Williams (PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE and many hit songs). ***

[Sculpt]

Treasure Island (1934)
8/10

This isn't a kid's movie. This is rough 1930s film making, having the sensibilities of the other Robert Louis Stevenson’s adaptation Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931). Sure, young Jackie Cooper plays the lead of "Young Jim Hawkins" like he was Shirley Temple, which is slightly annoying, but it sure contrasts the viscously cold realities and frightening cutthroat violence in the film.

There are excellent character performances here, particularly Wallace Beery as Long John Silver, Lionel Barrymore as Billy Bones and William V. Mong as Pew.

Intact and fascinating is the portrayal of British patriotism and praise of "gentlemen", as in gentry.

[urgeok2]

I finally got around to watching my Criterion laserdisc of Polanski's first film thinking it was a thriller.

Turns out it's anything but. There is some tension built between an older man trying to force his tough guy militaristic ways on a young freewheeling hitchhiker (each envious of the other) but it didn't go where I expected. It was more of a portrayal of a standard male self important asshole type and how it affects his marriage and anyone he comes into contact with.

It's a good movie .. as a character study... but definitely not the thriller i was hoping for.

Polanski's The Fearless Vampire Killers, The Tenant, Repulsion, and Rosemary's Baby are where to go for the horror ... oh, and The Ninth Gate.

I struggle with his films .. because hes a little paedophile creep .. but he is such an amazing filmmaker. I wish it was easier for me to separate the art from the artist but it's very difficult to do so.

[classic_horror_fan]

This one goes all the way back to the lower budget drive in movies from the early 1950s that were shown as openers to double and triple features a lot of the time. This one definitely had a low budget, even for standards back then, but they did overall well with what they had to go with. The story and plot are overall well written and the actors and actresses did really well at portraying and bring out their roles. I could also see that the whole cast and crew really put in all of their hearts and souls during the filming of this one, which is something else I really like about it. The aliens' masks are cheap and campy looking, even for standards back then, but they are also funny and cool looking as well, to help make this film more entertaining. The aliens also have a section in their caverns with large mutated reptiles and insects that looks overall cool in the traditions of "Them!", "Tarantula," "Earth vs. The Spider," "Godzilla," "Gamera," and the like. The film keeps interest as the main character who was abducted by them, drained of his memory before gradually regains it, eventually remembers where they are hiding and figures one possible way that might actually stop their plot from taking over the planet. Those wanting a major blockbuster ought to skip this one, even back when it first came out. Those who can enjoy or appreciate a good entertaining B-movie that is overall well done with what they had, along with being able to tell a lot of time, effort, and hard work was put into it might actually find this one worth a look.

[classic_horror_fan]

Here's another gem from the 1950s drive in movie theater era! This one starts out with a rocket ship blasting off to the moon, only to have its steering controls go to where the astronaut was unable to control before it was totally out of Earth's gravity system, so he dislocated the cabin to be dropped back down to the Earth's surface instead of ending up lost in space forever. The astronaut makes a good speedy recovery, but it then turns out the top part of the rocket ship, like a missile, knocked a bunch of meteors and asteroids in outer space off course, now heading for the planet Earth. They only have a couple of days to figure out something to prevent those asteroids and meteors from crashing into the planet Earth and possibly destroying her. There is plenty of suspense that keeps going as the plot keeps building up. There is also a lot of good feel to this film with the good drama and dialogue, developing each of the characters real well. The special effects are low budget, but still relatively well done for what they had, along with a lot of work being put into it. The picture is also in black and white format to hide a lot of cheesiness, and to give it a good classic appeal. Those who like the drive in horror and sci-fi classics from the 1950s should enjoy this one as well.