Month: February 2019

The Cremators (1972)

THE CREMATORS (1972)
Article 3333 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 8-13-2010
Posting Date: 9-29-2010
Directed by Harry Essex
Featuring Maria De Aragon, Marvin Howard, Eric Allison
Country: USA
What it is: Alien invasion movie

People are being incinerated by a giant rolling ball of fire from outer space. A scientist tries to figure out what is going on.

The only name I recognized from the opening credits was for the original music; it’s none other than Bert I. Gordon favorite Albert Glasser. His music attempts to instill suspense and terror by blaring at you, and it’s not unlike having someone grab you by the shoulders and shake you while screaming “Be Scared! Be Scared!”, and your reaction is much the same; no fear, but a great amount of annoyance. But at least he’s out there trying to generate excitement when everyone else in the movie seems to be sleepwalking; the movie is unfocused, torpid, muddled, confusing and dull. It has a handful of nice effects (the wind blowing away the ashes of the incinerated people, the glowing rocks, the fireball rising from the water) which are then overused to the point where they too become boring. The movie was directed by Harry Essex, who worked on the scripts for IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE and CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, but this is much more similar to his previous directorial effort, OCTAMAN; in fact, it was probably the worst movie he ever worked on. Forgettable.

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Countess Dracula (1975)

COUNTESS DRACULA (1975)
Article 3332 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 8-12-2010
Posting Date: 9-28-2010
Directed by Peter Sasdy
Featuring Ingrid Pitt, Nigel Green, Sandor Eles
Country: UK
What it is: Hammer’s version of the Countess Bathory story

When an aging countess discovers that the blood of a chambermaid restores her youth, she has her own daughter kidnapped and proceeds to impersonate her, and she romances a young horseman. But she discovers that the youth she has regained is temporary, and so she must kill again…

This movie seems to be mostly famous as a vehicle for the beautiful Ingrid Pitt, and that is perhaps what it should be remembered for; it’s pretty difficult to take your eyes off of her or her costumes. Beyond that, I like the period flavor of the movie as well as the fact that it addresses the theme of class distinction at least marginally. Beyond these elements, though, I find this one of Hammer’s most forgettable movies, more interested in palace intrigue and soap opera than in horror. The plot is pretty predictable; I was in particular not surprised to discover who the final sacrifice victim was going to be. I’d have to rank this overall as one of Hammer’s most disappointing movies.

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Bug (1975)

BUG (1975)
Article 3331 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 8-11-2010
Posting Date: 9-27-2010
Directed by Jeannot Szwarc
Featuring Bradford Dillman, Joanna Miles and Richard Gililand
Country: USA
What it is: Killer bug movie

A small community is hit by an earthquake which opens a fissure from which emerge insects capable of lighting fires. A scientist from a local college investigates their nature.

This was William Castle’s last movie, though he did not direct; he produced and helped with the script. The movie doesn’t have a very high reputation, and I suspect that’s because the movie starts off in one direction and ends up going in another. The first half of the movie sets up the usual killer bug scenario, and at certain points it looks like it’s going to explore just how this community is effected by the arrival of the bugs in an interesting way. However, once it has been established that the insects in question carry the seeds of their own destruction (they are sluggish and unable to breed due to having come from an environment from much greater pressure), the movie veers off in a different direction when the scientist, driven to madness by the death of his wife at the hands (or is it legs) of the insects, becomes inexplicably obsessed with finding a solution to the insects’s breeding problem. The problem here is that you spend the last half of the movie watching the scientist behaving with truly reckless stupidity. Throw in some bizarre PHASE IV style plot elements (Ken Middleham served as insect director on both movies, as well as THE HELLSTROM CHRONICLE), and a somewhat head-scratching ending with possible mystical overtones, and you end up with a movie that strains credibility. Still, I like that the movie pays a little more attention to details about the insects, which I suspect is from the original source novel; I also hear that the source novel doesn’t end at the same point as the movie does. Apparently, William Castle’s intended gimmick was to have it seem as if the bugs had invaded the theater, but I’m glad that he passed on the idea; I’m sure it would have backfired.

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The X-Ray Fiend (1897)

THE X-RAY FIEND (1897)
Article 3330 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 8-10-2010
Posting Date: 9-26-2010
Directed by George Albert Smith
Cast unknown

A man gets fresh with a woman, but they’re both unaware they’re being viewed through x-rays by a passerby with an x-ray machine.

Pretty simple trick film; while the man and the woman interact, the fiend of the title points his x-ray camera at them, and suddenly we see skeletons in their place. The skeletons are played by people in skeleton suits. They appear to be unaware how they look, and I don’t know if the x-ray part of the short has anything to do with the eventual result of the man’s attempt at seduction, but given that the movie is only one minute long, I see no reason to pursue it that much further. It’s a very early trick film by someone other than Melies, and that gives it a certain novelty value in itself.

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Baron Blood (1972)

BARON BLOOD (1972)
aka Gli orrori del castello di Norimberga
Article 3329 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 8-9-2010
Posting Date: 9-25-2010
Directed by Mario Bava
Featuring Joseph Cotten, Elke Sommer, Massimo Girotti
Country: West Germany / Italy
What it is: Evil comes back from the grave

An American arrives in Austria to learn about his heritage, especially concerning an evil ancestor who tortured the local villagers. He ends up reviving the evil Baron, but finds him easier to conjure up than to get rid of…

It’s seems as if it’s been quite a while since I’ve covered a Mario Bava movie. I remember seeing this one as a kid, and it really didn’t do much for me back then. Having seen it again, I’m afraid I still feel the same way. Bava is a creative director, all right, and there are moments where the wonderful cinematography and the exquisite use of light bring the movie to life, especially in a scene where the Baron chases a woman (Elke Sommer) through the streets of the town. Unfortunately, I’m just not impressed with the script, which is by turns cliched, banal and muddled. The performances also do not impress me, though I’m sure in some cases that may be due to the dubbing. I’m particularly disappointed with Joseph Cotten’s performance as the mysterious man who buys the castle; it seems self-consciously eccentric, and not in a fun way. In the end, the movie just doesn’t make much impact on me. It’s not awful, mind you, but I think it’s far from Bava’s best.

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Las Vampiras (1969)

LAS VAMPIRAS (1969)
aka The Vampires
Article 3328 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 8-8-2010
Posting Date: 9-24-2010
Directed by Federico Curiel
Featuring John Carradine, Mil Mascaras, Maria Duval
Country: Mexico
What it is: Mexican masked wrestler movie

Vampires are on the loose, and it’s up to Mil Mascaras to defeat them.

A name horror actor in a Mexican wrestler movie? The idea boggles the mind somewhat, but now that I know one exists, I’m not surprised the actor in question is John Carradine. He appears to be having the time of his life as well; his performance is gleefully over the top, so much so that you’ll wonder if his aged vampire character is caged up throughout most of the movie because he’s suffering from senility. The aptly named Mil Mascaras dons quite a few different masks during the length of the movie, though he eventually settles on a red one during the last half of the movie; my favorite mask has a spiral on it that I’m sure would have made his opponent in the ring dizzy. The female vampires in this movie are a hoot; not only do they flap their arms about even when they aren’t bats, but they’re the world’s worst drivers (they wreck two cars during the course of the movie). I just wish it was all subtitled in English; I have no idea what’s going on most of the time, though it is entertaining. It is rather jarring, though, to hear the voice they used to dub Carradine.

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Hercules the Avenger (1965)

HERCULES THE AVENGER (1965)
aka The Challenge of the Giant, La sfida dei giganti
Article 3327 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 8-7-2010
Posting Date: 9-23-2010
Directed by Maurizio Lucidi
Featuring Reg Park, Gia Sandri, Giovanni Cianfriglia
Country: Italy
What it is: Sword and Sandal

When his son’s soul is held in bondage after a lion attack, Hercules must go into the underworld and rescue him. Meanwhile, Anteaus, the son of an Earth Goddess, impersonates Hercules and becomes a tyrannical dictator over the kingdom of Syracuse.

You know, given the number of sword and sandal movies that emerged from Italy in the early sixties, I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of them borrowed footage from earlier movies to pad out the proceedings. If they did so, however, they did so with restraint. That’s not the case here. My first hint was a sense of deja vu during a visit to a soothsayer. However, once Hercules does battle with an old man who turns into a lizard creature, I knew that this movie was pillaging footage from HERCULES AND THE CAPTIVE WOMEN, and shortly after that, it started pillaging from HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD as well. At any rate, that explains why this one is so bizarrely structured. What original footage exists seems to involve the home life of Hercules and the machinations of Antaeus, and the complicity of a misguided (as in opposition to evil) queen who agrees to his impersonation as a ruse to get rid of unwanted suitors. Though the final scene of the fight between Hercules and Antaeus is new footage, it’s not really all that novel, as I remember the character appearing in HERCULES UNCHAINED, which also used the gimmick that Antaeus could not be defeated while his feet were on the ground. At any rate, this is an unnecessary movie, as its footage is taken from much better sword and sandal movies.

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To the Devil a Daughter (1976)

TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER (1976)
Article 3326 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 8-6-2010
Posting Date: 9-22-2010
Directed by Peter Sykes
Featuring Richard Widmark, Christopher Lee, Honor Blackmon
Country: UK / West Germany
What it is: Devil worship story

An occult writer takes over the care of the daughter of a repentant Satanist in the hopes that the information he learns will make for a great book. Unfortunately, he finds himself in over his head when the Satanists turn out to be very serious and very dangerous, and he must come up to speed very quickly if he hopes to save her life… and the world.

This was Hammer’s swan song, and based on its rating on IMDB, I’m guessing it isn’t a particular favorite. Nevertheless, for the most part I like it. The story is confusing for the first half of the movie, but it does come together at about the halfway point. Both Christopher Lee and Richard Widmark give excellent performances, though it takes some getting used to Widmark’s distinctly American accent in this context. Oddly enough, it doesn’t feel like a Hammer film, though it is interesting to speculate what the studio’s product would have been like if this had not been their last production. It’s biggest problem is a very weak ending, which apparently was not the original one in the script; the original ending was shot, but none of the footage survives. I find it rather hard to believe that Olivia Newton-John was also in consideration for the role played by Nastassja Kinski here. All in all, I found the movie quite interesting, and sometimes quite grotesque.

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Theatre of Death (1967)

THEATRE OF DEATH (1967)
Article 3325 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 8-5-2010
Posting Date: 9-21-2010
Directed by Samuel Gallu
Featuring Christopher Lee, Julian Glover, Lelia Goldoni
Country: UK
What it is: Horror / Mystery

A series of vampire-style murders is plaguing Paris. The murders are somehow connected with a Grand Guignol-style theatre known as the Theatre of Death.

I watched the beginning of this movie many years ago when it popped up on late night TV, but lost interest very quickly. It was interesting to compare my memories of that attempted viewing with my observations on this viewing. Back then, I thought the movie looked cheap and chintzy, but I’m willing to bet that was more due to a poor print; this one looks very nice indeed, and I like the use in color particularly. The movie has several interesting moments, some of which are creatively photographed; there’s no doubt that some skill went into the direction, editing and cinematography here, and the acting is quite solid. The story also has some interesting twists and revelations. Yet, for some reason, the movie is mostly dull; it never really builds up much story momentum, and the events seem distant and uninvolving. As a result, my interest remained muted during the viewing. I wish I could pinpoint exactly where and how the movie loses my interest, but I didn’t sense one iota of real suspense during my viewing. It’s a pity; this one could have been much better.

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Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)

CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (1972)
Article 3324 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 8-4-2010
Posting Date: 9-20-2010
Directed by J. Lee Thompson
Featuring Roddy McDowall, Don Murray, Ricardo Montalban
Country: USA
What it is: Fourth in the PLANET OF THE APES movie series

After having been raised secretly by a circus owner, the son of Cornelius and Zira is appalled to discover that during his life at the circus, apes have been enslaved by humans and forced to perform menial tasks. However, he becomes a fugitive when he is heard to speak in reaction to abuse given to a fellow ape, and when his owner dies trying to protect him, he vows to lead his ape brothers in revolution against their tyrannic masters.

When PLANET OF THE APES spawned a whole series of movies, this one seemed inevitable; eventually, a movie would have to made about the ape revolution, and here it is. It’s really a tribute to Roddy McDowall’s acting abilities, and once again he delivers despite having to emote through elaborate make-up. I’m less impressed with the story as a whole; it’s a little too one-dimensional and repetitive, and the ending features way too many speeches. It’s also a little short of humor, though it does have a few stray moments, especially when Caesar starts his revolution by having the apes start performing certain small but amusing acts of rebellion. In the end, the movie ends up being a little too ordinary. Granted, from the sound of it, the movie was compromised for its initial release; its original ending was considered too dark, and the final speech was amended to be less so. This is a shame; they could have come up with a better fifth movie if the ending of this one hadn’t been compromised.

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