Chained for life

INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1956)

Bride of the gorilla

THE MASK OF FU MANCHU (1932)

Mesa Of Lost Women

Ghost of dragstrip hollow

PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES (1966). Although made for cheap around the same time as THE REPTILE, this Hammer offering is quite good and deserving of more recognition. A lot of mysterious goings on in a small Cornish village, concerning the operations of a mine. The spirit of WHITE ZOMBIE prevails, but a NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD vibe is creeping up. Decent cast, moves well and a truly creepy segment in a Graveyard. ***1/2

Swamp women

The Letter (1940)
7/10

The Lady of this Indonesian rubber plantation (Betty Davis) just shot down a visitor on his way out of the house. She says it was a rape attempt, but since it's going to trial, we're just going to have to see how it all works out.

This film is nicely shot and acted, but is it really that enjoyable to watch? And how satisfying is the conclusion? This is a highly regarded film, nominated for all the big Oscar awards. I don't want to give anything away to anyone who may want to see it. I'll just say I didn't find the narrative particularly engrossing, nor the characters intriguing. I think the ending is depressing all around the block. As a sci-fi and horror fan, I can tell you I don't necessarily mind a non-happy ending, but this ending wasn't satisfying to me.

Girl on the run

But honestly, Sculpt, did ANY Better Davis movie have a happy ending::confused::. Some great acting here by Herbert Marshall (hubby), James Stephenson (Lawyer) and Victor Sen Yung (the Oily aid)

HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES (1959)

The killer shrews

Attack of the crab monsters

The unearthly

THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES (1959)

LOL! I can't think of any happy-ending Betty Davis films, but I was happy enough with the ending Of Human Bondage. ::big grin::

I've seen All About Eve, was cool enough with the ending. I saw Baby Jane twice... and I really didn't like it either time.

I think Everyone was happy with OF HUMAN BONDAGE finale::big grin::! AAE is excellent and WHTBJ hasn't aged well.

THE BAD SEED (1956). Not as good as when I was 9...Patty McCormick is creepy as the seemingly "perfect"little girl who has seriously sociopathic tendencies, as well as being cloying...can almost see her as a VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED child. Biggest problem with the whole film is it's very stagey and pretty much moves like the play. Nancy Kelly for one is so manic in so many scenes that the impact is lost...also a very unflattering hairstyle/dress sense, reminding Me of late Judy Garland; and She was an attractive woman. For Me, the best scenes involve Eileen Heckart (Oscar winner for 1972's BUTTERFLYS ARE FREE), whose drunken grief is almost overpowering. ***

Sudden Fear-1952.

Dead men walk

I can't help but love films like The Fly*.

By today's standards, horror films of the fifties and sixties have a certain undeniable camp factor to them. Not that hard with all the "Oh Darling"-lines and all. But it would be unfair to claim that that makes them less ejoyable.

Also, Vincent Price is growing on me. His delivery, his voice, his look,... I'm starting to see the charisma and the style that turned him into the icon that he is today.

In comparison to the Cronenberg version, the story is more focused on drama and less on effects and gore. That said, the fly vision with the many faces of Patricia Owens is pretty impressive. And the special effect at the end was well done too. Props to the make up department there.

A last thing that struck me was the fact that the film was set and filmed in Montreal. Wonder if there was a particular reason for that. Early form of tax shelter? Or just practical? Anyway, you don't really notice, apart from the names of the characters and the fact they throw in a few French wordsevery now and then - though you cannot really hear the Quebec accent.

Night of Terror

Dracula:

Most of the compliments here should go to Bela Lugosi. He does have a charismatic presence that immediatley fills the screen with his intimidating look and his iconic voice. Making him into the Dracula that is still known and imitated to this date, often by people not even knowing Lugosi or his work.

Granted, for the more ADD prone among us, the close-ups on Lugosi's face may linger on a bit long. By today's standards, some of the descriptions look a bit silly (Oh my God, there is a big dog running by - surely they could have shown THAT back in 1931) and the end is a bit abrupt. But when you open yourself up and let yourself be immersed in the story, the 75 minutes fly by.

The creeper

Well said!

Yep, the Dracula 1931 script is directly from the stage play, and it shows. It's both its weakness and its strength. There's some really good stage scenes!

And the castle sets are great! And then Dwight Frye just brings the house down with a totally bizarre and unique performance.

There's a lot a quiet, and so you can fall asleep to it. It's almost a bit of a slow burn. The young people are a total bore, so that's too bad. Should have cast those characters better and rewrote those scenes. And the end is very abrupt. Not perfect, but very immersive.

There's been a lot of other good Drac films: Nosferatu (1922), Vampyr (1932), Horror of Dracula (1958). Dracula (1992) has some inspiring cinematography especially early in the castle. I wasn't crazy about anything in London, but I guess it's a matter of taste.

THE NAKED PREY (1965).>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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Very suspenseful film of an African Hunting party (Hoping footage of animals being shot was staged, but not holding my breath) that pays a heavy toll for rudeness to a local tribe who take them prisoner. The guide (Cornell Wilde, who also directed), who suggested to his party to play nice, is given a chance to survive...by being stripped and running out to the landing spot of a thrown spear before being pursued. Extremely brutal in spots with amazing camera work. Also, the fact that Wilde is in incredible shape is impressive, along with his survival skills. ****

The mummy’s hand

Island of doomed men

Doomed to die

The boogie man will get you

THE ASTOUNDING SHE MONSTER (1957). Very low budget flick of two gangsters and a drunken moll ("I prefer to be referred to as an Alcoholic!") who kidnap an heiress, see the titular creature (with a glow and wiggling camera) and take refuge in a cabin occupied by Robert Clarke (THE BODY SNATCHER, BEDLAM, THE HIDEOUS SUN DEMON). Lots of leaving and returning to the cabin and trying to avoid the ASM whose touch means death.
Quite bad as You can imagine, but a certain inept charm to it and at least it's short. Shirley Kilpatrick (The Alien-rumors abound that She was Shirly Stoler, who appeared in 1970's THE HONEYMOON KILLERS, but IMDB has Kilpatrick dying before THK came out) is literally poured into her costume and found out that all the backing up the ASM does happened because She was so zaftig that the back ripped out and no money left to replace. In fact, in one of the few shots You see of her back, the fraying is already well under way. **

White Zombie

Devil’s Cargo

Condemned to live

The man who changed his mind

Village of the Damned (1960)
6/10

Never saw this film before. And I don't want to give the story away. Basically something happens to a small town and it is apparently of a supernatural or alien origin.

It's a very interesting idea, and shot nicely. But the idea rolls out very slowly and barely gets out of the crib. The idea could have been developed so much more in the time allotted... felt myself tapping my fingers across the table.

Interesting note, especially for those who've seen this before... the more widely distributed Americanized edit freeze-frames the children and white-outs their eyes. Looks good on the movie poster, but in a film it's just hack... it's jolting and looks so fakey, it takes you out of the story.

The Gorilla

I got that impression with other vintage films as well . Seems like the bare notion of the monster was already so terrifying for the audiences at the time that the filmmakers did not feel the need to elaborate on it. Like the abrupt ending in Dracula: somebody just says so and phew, the monster is dead. End credits.

Voodoo Man

THE HIDEOUS SUN DEMON (1958). One of the very first scary movies I saw on TV as a little FD, nostalgia played a big part in watching HDS again. A Scientist finds out the hard way that "Hangovers and Radioactive isotopes don't mix" and the main plot is almost WOLF MAN-ish, albeit not as good.
But despite the negligible budget and amateurish acting, it's a fun little romp, although Gil (Star/Director/Producer/Story::shocked:: Robert Clarke) is a tool You quickly lose sympathy for as He doesn't learn from his mistakes and continues the boozing, impulsive behavior and extreme lechery; almost surprised He didn't hit on the Senior on the Solarium! The little moments make the film fun, such as how the lamp almost gets the better of Gil, the Piano player (although the Marilyn Monroe-esque Nan Grey is a startling visage of pulchritude), Gil's ranting and the use of library music later heard to better effect in NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD.
The costume of the monster isn't bad, although towards the wrap up, it looks like Robert has had an "accident", more likely just sweating up a storm. *81/2

Fog island