Les quatre petits tailleurs (1910)
The Queen of the Butterflies (1927)
P Movies
The Palace of the Arabian Nights (1905)
Panda and the Magic Serpent (1965)
Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)
Panther Girl of the Congo (1955)
Le papillon fantastique (1909)
Parcel Post Pete’s Nightmare (1916)
Paris – When It Sizzles (1964)
Parts: The Clonus Horror (1979)
The Passing of the Third Floor Back (1935)
Passion and Death of Christ (1903)
The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1914)
La paura degli automobili neimici (1915)
A Pee-kool-yar Sit-chee-ay-shun (1944)
Le peintre neo-impressionniste (1910)
The People that Time Forgot (1977)
The People Who Own the Dark (1976)
Peril from the Planet Mongo (1966)
Perils of the Darkest Jungle (1944)
La petite chanteuse des rues (1924)
The Phable of a Busted Romance (1916)
The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues (1956)
The Phantom in the House (1929)
The Phantom of Crestwood (1932)
The Phantom of Hollywood (1974)
The Phantom of the Moulin Rouge (1925)
The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
The Phantom of the Opera (1962)
The Phantom of the Opera (1983)
Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
The Phantom of the Red House (1956)
Phantom of the Rue Morgue (1954)
Pharmaceutical Hallucinations (1908)
A Phenomenal Contortionist (1901)
Philadelphia Experiment II (1993)
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1973)
The Pied Piper of Basin Street (1945)
The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1957)
The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)
Pinocchio in Outer Space (1965)
The Pit and the Pendulum (1913)
The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
Piu tardi, Claire, piu tardi… (1968)
The Plague of the Zombies (1966)
Plan 9 from Outer Space (1958)
El planeta de las mujeres invasores (1966)
Los platillos voladores (1956)
The Playgirls and the Vampire (1963)
Please Don’t Eat My Mother (1973)
Plus moche que Frankenstein tu meurs (1975)
Polidor al club della morte (1912)
A Polish Vampire in Burbank (1985)
The Poor Little Rich Girl (1917)
Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor (1936)
The Port of Missing Mice (1945)
Port Sinister (1953)
The Portrait of the Lady Anne (1912)
The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972)
The Power of the Whistler (1945)
A Present for Santa Claus (1947)
The President’s Analyst (1967)
The Princess and the Magic Frog (1965)
Princess Nicotine:, or The Snoke Fairy (1909)
Prisoners of the Lost Universe (1983)
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)
The Private Lives of Adam and Eve (1960)
The Prolific Magical Egg (1902)
The Prophecies of Nostradamus (1974)
Prophecies of Nostradamus (1979)
The Prophetess of Thebes (1907)
Psyched by the 4D Witch (A Tale of Demonology) (1973)
Purple Death from Outer Space (1966)
The Purple Monster Strikes (1945)
O Movies
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (1961)
Off to Bloomingdale Asylum (1901)
Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mama’s Hung You in the Closet and I’m Feeling So Sad (1967)
Old Mother Riley’s Ghosts (1941)
Old Mother Riley’s Jungle Treasure (1951)
Omoo-Omoo The Shark God (1949)
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970)
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Once Upon a Midnight Scary (1979)
100 Pigmies and Andy Panda (1940)
One Minute Before Death (1972)
One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing (1975)
One of Our Spies is Missing (1966)
Orlak, the Hell of Frankenstein (1960)
Orloff Against the Invisible Man (1970)
Orochi, the Eight-Headed Dragon (1994)
OSS 117 – From Tokyo With Love (1966)
OSS 117: Mission for a Killer (1965)
OSS 117 – Murder for Sale (1968)
Out of the Devil’s Reach (1959)
N Movies
Naked Girl Killed in Park (1972)
The Naked World of Harrision Marks (1967)
The Name of the Game is Kill (1968)
National Lampoon’s Class Reunion (1982)
La nave de los monstruos (1960)
The Navy vs. the Night Monsters (1966)
Ne joeuz pas avec les Martiens (1967)
Ne le criez pas sur les toits (1943)
Neither the Sea nor the Sand (1972)
Neutron Against the Death Robots (1960)
Neutron Battles the Karate Assassins (1965)
Neutron the Atomic Super-Man and the Black Mask (1962)
Neutron vs. the Amazing Dr. Caronte (1963)
Never Pick-Up a Stranger (1979)
The New Adventures of Tarzan (1935)
The New Lord of the Town (1908)
The New Original Wonder Woman (1975)
The Next Voice You Here… (1950)
Night after Night after Night (1969)
The Night Before Christmas (1905)
The Night Before Christmas (1933)
The Night Before Christmas (1941)
The Night Before Christmas (1946)
The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave (1971)
Night has a Thousand Eyes (1948)
The Night Life of the Gods (1935)
The Night My Number Came Up (1957)
The Night of a Thousand Cats (1972)
Night of the Blood Beast (1958)
Night of the Bloody Apes (1968)
Night of the Cobra Woman (1972)
Night of the Death Cult (1975)
The Night of the Following Day (1968)
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
The Night of the Sorcerers (1974)
The Night of the Strangler (1972)
The Night of the Vampire (1970)
Night of the Zombies II (1981)
Night Star, Goddess of Electra (1964)
The Night that Panicked America (1975)
The Night the World Exploded (1957)
The Night They Killed Rasputin (1960)
The Night We Got the Bird (1961)
Nightmare at Shadow Woods (1987)
Nightmare Classics: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde / A Turn of the Screw (1989)
The Nightmare Never Ends (1980)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Nightmares in a Damaged Brain (1981)
984: Prisoner of the Future (1982)
1990: The Bronx Warriors (1982)
Ninja III: The Domination (1984)
The Ninth Configuration (1980)
Nonsense Story D One: Monkey Island (1931)
Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (1979)
Now You See Him, Now You Don’t (1972)
Number 5: Circular Tensions: Homage to Oskar Fischinger (1949)
A Christmas Carol (1984)
A Christmas Carol (1984)
Article 6078 by Dave Sindelar
Date: 12-7-2022
Directed by Clive Donner
Featuring George C. Scott, Frank Finlay, Angela Pleasence
Country: UK / USA
What it is: You know the story
Ebenezer Scrooge finds himself haunted by spirits intent on making him understand the greatness of Christmas and to abandon his miserly ways before it’s too late…
This version of the Dickens favorite came highly recommended to me from several people, most of them stressing the excellent performance of George C. Scott. And though I have no issue with Scott’s grounded and nuanced take on the Scrooge character, it isn’t the main attraction for me here. Rather, it’s the well-constructed script which keeps a razor-sharp focus on the story it’s telling. It’s clear that this version’s goal is to emphasize just what needs to happen to Scrooge for him to make the necessary changes to his character to emerge as he does in the final moments. That is not an easy task; the story is so famous that it’s easy to get lost in the little traps, such as turning Scrooge into a icon of miserliness or turning the whole show into one big Christmas party. And, like the Alastair Sim version, by keeping its focus, it helps me to appreciate and understand the roles that certain characters play in Dickens’ story; for example, it’s the first movie version where I really felt Fezziwig was a necessary character. The movie has a few very minor flaws, but it is one of the best versions out there, and I’m always glad to see David Warner cast against type, here playing Bob Cratchit.
Santa Claus (1925)
Santa Claus (1925)
Article 6077 by Dave Sindelar
Date: 12-4-2022
Directed by Frank E. Kleinschmidt
Cast unknown
Country: USA
What it is: Santa’s life on film
Two children wait up for Santa and ask him how he spends the rest of his year.
I’m rather surprised that I haven’t reviewed this one yet. This 29-minute silent short which purports to tell us how Santa Claus spends his time during the rest of the year is a genuinely charming Christmas short, in which I learn (among other things) that Walruses are goblins, the Easter Bunny drops by and trades information with Santa about the children they visit, and that Santa spends Saturdays visiting his closest neighbors, the Eskimos. Sure, these amount to little more than whimsical details, but it displays a certain creativity and is highly entertaining. If I were to put together a collection of the best Christmas shorts I’ve seen, this one would be on it.
M Movies
Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm (1951)
Ma femme est une panthere (1961)
The Machine that Kills Bad People (1952)
Maciste in King Solomon’s Mines (1964)
Mad Doctor of Blood Island (1968)
The Mad Doctor of Market Street (1942)
The Madness of Dr. Tube (1915)
Madonna of the Seven Moons (1945)
Magdalena, Possessed by the Devil (1974)
The Magic Land of Mother Goose (1967)
The Magic Voyage of Sinbad (1953)
Malatesta’s Carnival of Blood (1973)
The Man and the Monster (1959)
The Man Called Flintstone (1966)
The Man in Half Moon Street (1944)
The Man in the Back Seat (1961)
The Man in the White Suit (1951)
Man of a Thousand Faces (1957)
The Man They Could Not Hang (1936)
The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959)
The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1936)
The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970)
The Man Who Lived Again (1936)
The Man Who Lived Twice (1936)
The Man Who Reclaimed his Head (1934)
The Man who Turned to Stone (1957)
The Man Who Wagged his Tail (1957)
The Man Who Wanted to Live Forever (1970)
The Man Who Wouldn’t Die (1942)
The Man With Nine Lives (1940)
The Man With the Rubber Head (1901)
The Man With the Twisted Lip (1921)
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Manhunt in the African Jungles (1943)
Manhunt of Mystery Island (1945)
Ein Mann Geht durch die Wand (1959)
Manos, the Hands of Fate (1966)
The March of the Machines (1927)
Maria Marten, or The Murder in the Red Barn (1935)
Maria, the Magic Weaver (1960)
Marianne de ma Jeunesse (1955)
Marie Chantal contre Dr. Kha (1965)
Marquis de Sade’s Justine (1969)
Mary, Mary, Bloody Mary (1975)
I Marziani hanno dodici mani (1964)
The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
Massacre at Central High (1976)
Mater and the Ghostlight (2006)
Un matrimonio Interplanetario (1909)
The Mechanical Handy Man (1937)
The Mechanical Monsters (1941)
The Medusa vs. the Son of Hercules (1965)
Menace from Outer Space (1957)
The Merry Frolics of Satan (1906)
Mesmerist and Country Couple (1912)
Messalina Against the Son of Hercules (1964)
Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (1984)
La metamorphose du papillon (1904)
Mickey’s Mechanical Man (1933)
Midnight at Madam Tussaud’s (1936)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1968)
A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream (1909)
Mighty Mouse and the Magician (1948)
Mighty Mouse and the Pirates (1945)
Mighty Mouse in the Great Space Chase (1982)
Mighty Mouse Meets Jekyll and Hyde Cat (1944)
Milano odia: La polizia non puo sparare (1974)
Mill of the Stone Women (1960)
Million Dollar Countdown (1967)
The Million Dollar Duck (1971)
The Million Eyes of Sumuru (1967)
Minotaur, the Wild Beast of Crete (1961)
Miracle in Paradise Valley (1948)
The Miracle of Marcelino (1955)
The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima (1952)
The Miracle of the Bells (1948)
A Miracle Under the Inquisition (1904)
The Misadventures of Merlin Jones (1964)
Mission Galactica: The Cylon Attack (1979)
Mr. Hurry-Up of New York (1907)
Mr. Incredible and Pals (2005)
Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948)
El misterio del rostro palido (1935)
Misterios de la magia negra (1958)
The Mistress of Atlantis (1932)
Mole Men Against the Son of Hercules (1961)
Molly Moo-Cow and Rip Van Winkle (1935)
Il monello della strada (1950)
Monsieur clown chez les Lilliputiens (1909)
The Monster and the Ape (1945)
The Monster and the Girl (1941)
The Monster and the Stripper (1968)
Monster from Green Hell (1958)
The Monster from the Ocean Floor (1954)
The Monster of Camp Sunshine (1964)
The Monster of Highgate Ponds (1961)
The Monster of London City (1964)
The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959)
The Monster that Challenged the World (1957)
Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit (2008)
The Monsters Demolisher (1962)
Monstroid – It Came from the Lake (1980)
Il monstruo de los volcanes (1963)
A Moonlight Serenade, or A Miser Punished (1904)
Moresque obiettivo allucinante (1967)
Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment (1966)
The Most Dangerous Game (1932)
Most Dangerous Man Alive (1961)
Mother Goose on the Loose (1942)
Mother Goose’s Birthday Party (1950)
The Mummy and the Curse of the Jackals (1969)
El mundo del los muertos (1970)
Murder at the Baskervilles (1937)
Murder in the Blue Room (1944)
Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
Murders in the Rue Morgue (1971)
The Music of the Spheres (1984)
My Brother has Bad Dreams (1972)
My Brother Talks to Horses (1947)
My Friends Need Killing (1976)
Mysteries from Beyond Earth (1975)
The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu (1929)
Mysterious Doctor Satan (1940)
The Mysterious Intruder (1946)
Mysterious Island of Beautiful Women (1979)
The Mysterious Island of Captain Nemo (1973)
The Mysterious Mr. Wong (1934)
The Mysterious Portrait (1899)
The Mysterious Stranger (1948)
Mystery in Dracula’s Castle (1973)
The Mystery of the Marie Celeste (1935)
The Mystery of the Rocks of Kador (1912)
The Mystery of the 13th Guest (1943)
Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933)
Mystery on Monster Island (1981)
Ditto (1937)
Ditto (1937)
Article 6076 by Dave Sindelar
Date: 11-18-2022
Directed by Charles Lamont
Featuring Buster Keaton, Gloria Brewster, Barbara Brewster
Country: USA
What it is: Buster Keaton talkie short
An iceman falls in love with one of a pair of twins.
Classifying this one as a genre is a big stretch, but the final scenes of this one not only takes place fifteen years in the future, but it does feature some slight science fiction content; we see a flight of planes towing trailers after them. It’s merely the set-up for a joke that isn’t particularly satisfying, but this wasn’t during Keaton’s prime either. Still, there’s a gag or two that does work well enough to get a laugh, so I’m counting my blessings with this one. Otherwise, watching some of these forgettable shorts would be depressing when we think how brilliant he was during the silent era.
The House of Exorcism (1975)
The House of Exorcism (1975)
Article 6075 by Dave Sindelar
Date: 11-17-2022
Directed by Mario Bava and Alfredo Leone
Featuring Telly Savalas, Elke Sommer, Sylva Koscina
Country: Italy, West Germany, Spain
What it is: What happens when you can’t find a distributor
A priest attempts to find out why a tourist has become possessed by the devil.
When this movie originally came up on my hunt list, I opted to watch the original Mario Bava version called LISA AND THE DEVIL, which, despite a few caveats, I really liked. I was encouraged by several people to give this version a watch also, as there was enough new footage to make this reedit of the movie different enough that it became for all practical reasons a separate movie from the original. Having now seen it, I agree that it is substantially a different movie; but I far and away prefer the original.
Basically, in this version of the movie, the events in the original movie become backstory for the events in this one, but the backstory is still far more interesting than the exorcism angle in this edit; most of what happens here are pale imitations of similar scenes in THE EXORCIST, and what they don’t borrow from that movie is its attempt to tie the exorcist angle to the events in LISA AND THE DEVIL, which seems forced and silly. Telly Savalas still steals the movie, though his presence is entirely from backstory footage. The reason for this movie’s existence is that the original was unable to find a distributor, and this reedit was done to make the property more commercial. Bava wasn’t happy with this being done and I don’t blame him. And if the option comes up again to see this one, it’s definitely Bava’s version I’ll choose.
The Spirit of ’43 (1943)
The Spirit of ’43 (1943)
Article 6074 by Dave Sindelar
Date: 11-14-2022
Directed by Jack King
Featuring the voice of Clarence Nash
Country: USA
What it is; WWII Propaganda Piece
It’s payday for Donald Duck. Should he go out and spend his money, or should he save it for taxes?
The fantastic content in this short is not the presence of talking ducks; at this point of time the presence of talking animals is considered by me a tradition of the cartoon genre and not fantastic content per se. Rather, it’s because Donald is tempted by this cartoon’s equivalent of the devil/angel wrong path/right path concept; both the thrifty duck and big spending duck initially appear magically to lead or tempt Donald. It also took a little time for me to see why this cartoon appeared in my Banned Cartoons collection. The wartime setting had me expecting offensive stereotypes of Germans or Japanese, but none appear. It was only when my wife pointed out that the thrifty angel was Scottish that the stereotype alarm finally went off.
As for the cartoon itself, I am a bit in awe of what it was attempting to do, which was to try to make the paying of taxes appear to be a patriotic duty, using the war as its selling point. I do wonder how effective it was at its time; I certainly doubt that message would have any resonance today. Being a Disney cartoon, it is a well-mounted production, but I doubt it was very popular; it’s so focused on its message that it becomes rather tiresome, and Donald is really not given much to do. It’s best taken as a curio of its time.
Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings 