THE NIGHT CALLER (1965)
(a.k.a. NIGHT CALLER FROM OUTER SPACE/BLOOD BEAST FROM OUTER SPACE)
Article #458 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing date: 6-16-2002
Posting date: 11-9-2002

A strange sphere from outer space lands on our planet; it turns out to be a matter transportation device that brings a sinister alien monster to our planet.

The first half of this “alien-on-the-loose” epic, where scientists investigate a meteor that turns out to be a small cold sphere, is the better half of the movie; it starts the fuse burning and leads you to believe that you’re watching an effective little thriller. Things don’t run quite so smoothly in the second half, though; despite an interesting progression of the story and some quite good character roles, one is left with the feeling that the fuse is being left burning too long without adaquate pay-off; in short, it starts getting dull. And the denoument, though it manages to be a bit of a surprise, also manages to be lame, anti-climactic, loaded with message, and at odds with the rest of the movie, and it garners a Rubber Brick award for movies with bad endings. And though I won’t go as far as to say that the movie’s theme song stinks, I will say that there are some movies where a theme song is distinctly out of place. Like this one. This one is best watched for the good moments and for John Saxon.

NIGHT UNTO NIGHT (1949)
Article #377 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing date: 3-27-2002
Posting date: 8-20-2002

A man suffering from epilepsy but allergic to the medicine escapes to Florida, but finds himself in a relationship with a troubled widow.

WARNING: If you’re primarily interested in fantastic cinema, I suggest you read the last paragraph before you read the next one; it just might save you from wasting your time.

You know, there’s a good, solid basis for a tear-jerking drama buried somewhere in the depths of this movie, and you can see hints of it if you make it to the last twenty minutes. Unfortunately, up to that point you will have to contend with the interminable first two-thirds of the movie, where for endless scene after endless scene you will hear people pontificate ponderous profundities; I swear, each scene of this movie thinks it’s the deepest, most important scene of the movie. I knew this movie was getting to me when I found myself hoping that the Ritz Brothers might come in and lighten up the proceedings. I’m reminded of a writing rule I once heard; when it comes time to edit what you’ve written, find the part you consider the most brilliant, and get rid of it. In this case, it might have involved eradicating about sixty minutes of script, but it would have been the better for it.

Of course, the BIG question here is; just what in blazes does this movie have to do with Fantastic cinema? Well, the troubled widow thinks her husband’s ghost is in the house. Then, for about five seconds in the middle of the movie, we hear his voice, and it’s most likely just her imagination. That’s it. In other words, this movie is about as marginal as you can get. Consider yourself warned.

THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (1955)
Article #376 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing date: 3-26-2002
Posting date: 8-19-2002

A homicidal preacher terrorizes some children in the hope of getting them to reveal where ten thousand dollars of stolen money is hidden.

Charles Laughton only took to directing once in his career; it’s a crying shame he stopped with one. The one he left us is fascinating, at once terrifying and lyrical, it’s a nightmare/fable/fairy tale, as scary for adults as it is for children. Robert Mitchum’s performance is stunning; his preacher is perhaps the most terrifying psycho in movie history, partially because we know what he’s capable of and partially because we know how effectively he can deceive those around him. Lillian Gish also gives an impressive performance as the frail old woman who still has the will and the power to stand up to the preacher; you want to stand up and cheer when she says “and he ain’t no preacher, either” and chases him off the farm with her shotgun. This is an amazing movie, one of a kind, almost biblical in its portrayal of hope and strength standing up in the face of omnipresent evil.

NOT OF THIS EARTH (1957)
Article #280 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing date: 12-21-2001
Posting date: 5-6-2002

An alien from another planet masquerades as an earthling in order to get the blood he needs to survive.

This is an efficiently directed, well-written variation on the vampire theme directed by Roger Corman and written by Charles B. Griffith. It holds up quite well with time, keeping the interest level throughout, and it is filled with excellent performances, including a scene-stealing bit by Dick Miller as a vacuum cleaner salesman. Paul Birch plays the alien, Beverly Garland his nurse, and Jonathan Haze his servant. It’s a shame this one has never had an official release on video; it’s one of Corman’s best early efforts. In contrast, the latter day remakes of this film are all too easy to find.

NIGHTMARE IN WAX (1969)
Article #279 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing date: 12-20-2001
Posting date: 5-5-2002

A mad wax museum artist is putting up displays of actors from a movie studio; unfortunately, the actors always end up missing.

I was going to describe this one as a cross between MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM and HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER with Cameron Mitchell, but it doesn’t quite capture the feel. It may be a comedy; it’s hard to tell. After seeing the scarred Cameron Mitchell sitting in a bar and being flirted with by several beautiful ladies (including one of the dumbest blondes I’ve seen in a movie in years), or seeing the scene where the museum tour guide walks around and interacts with the wax figures in the museum (and I can’t tell you how much I was hoping that this character was about to be the next victim), or watching Cameron Mitchell getting very interested in a rubber tire, or the ending which would deserve a Rubber Brick award if I would have had the strength left to be appalled by it, I decided that the movie is actually one of those starving animals you see in the street that you take into the house and give it some food so it won’t die of malnutrition. Heaven knows the poor thing doesn’t seem capable of taking care of itself.

Sad. Very, very, utterly sad. No movie should be left out in the rain as long as this one was.

NECROMANCY (1972)
(a.k.a. THE WITCHING)
Viewing date: 12-19-2002
Posting date: 5-4-2002

A woman and her husband move to a small town that is run by a Satanic cult.

Bert I. Gordon takes another stab at horror with this witchcraft opus at least partially inspired by ROSEMARY’S BABY (one of the video titles to this movie is ROSEMARY’S DISCIPLES). I’ve never considered Gordon a great director, but his science fiction and fantasy movies have a certain charm to them; I’m less taken with his horror work, however, and this movie certainly doesn’t change my mind. It’s talky and dull until it gets near the end, where it starts getting messy and confused.

I do have to reserve some judgment on this one; the copy I was able to snag was a reissue made about a decade later that added several ridiculous nude sequences, though as far as I can tell, the movie was left largely intact other than that. There’s a scene with rats in it, which shows that Bert I. Gordon had seen WILLARD. Orson Welles is on hand; I hope he took home a good paycheck.

THE NUTTY PROFESSOR (1963)
Article #258 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing date: 11-29-2001
Posting date: 4-14-2002

A meek college professor tries to win the heart of a student by concocting a potion that will make him irresistible. He turns into an obnoxious lounge singer named Buddy Love.

Jerry Lewis’ take on DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE isn’t really that funny, though there are a few good sight and sound gags scattered throughout. Of course, it’s humorous value isn’t what makes this movie a cult item; it has a lot more to do with the way he played with his image and ended up with a character that didn’t really seem that far from how his own character would be perceived in years to come, although it was most likely meant to be a parody of Dean Martin. For horror fans, the most interesting moment is the transformation sequence, which is played (for the most part) surprisingly straight.

If you’ve ever wondered what the French see in Jerry Lewis, here’s an experiment you can try; the next time you’re watching one of his movies, pretend that all the voices are in a foreign language and that you’re reading what they’re saying in subtitles. Maybe it’s just my imagination, but it does seem a lot funnier that way.

Also, after having seen this gimmick in several movies, I’ve come to this conclusion: wisecracking birds are rarely funny.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968)
Article #257 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing date: 11-28-2001
Posting date: 4-13-2002

A group of people find themselves trapped inside a farmhouse fending off an attack of cannibalistic zombies.

Though I’m not necessarily fond of the direction horror movies took as a result of this movie, there is no denying its impact. A lot of the credit goes to George Romero, who got around the low budget by casting an excellent group of actors, and using creative editing to add to the intensity. I love the way we see the characters engaged in their acts of survival while the radio or television, bit by bit, provides a steadily escalating vision of horror about the nature of the ordeal they are undergoing. I also like the air of deadly seriousness; it adds to sense of danger and dread that pervades it. Even if he had never made another movie, this one guaranteed George Romero a place in horror movie history.

THE NEANDERTHAL MAN (1953)
Article #256 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing date: 11-27-2001
Posting date: 4-12-2002

A scientist, angry at being scoffed at by the Naturalists’ Society, decides to experiment with a drug that turns animals into their prehistoric counterparts on himself. After turning his cat into a saber-toothed tiger, he turns into a Neanderthal man and goes on a killing spree.

This SF/Horror film is pretty bad; it’s overlong, overwritten, and incredibly talky. There are scenes where characters talk endlessly about other scenes that you’ve already seen. Robert Shayne also plays the rudest scientist I’ve ever seen; I suspect that the Naturalists’ Society threw him out not because of his theories, but because he insulted them with every other sentence he’d deliver. This is definitely not a high point in fantastic cinema. Beverly Garland is also on hand in this one, but she’s given little to do.

NIGHT OF TERROR (1933)
Article #240 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing date: 11-11-2001
Posting date: 3-27-2002

A homicidal maniac is on the loose on the grounds of a mansion in which a scientist is conducting strange experiments in suspended animation.

We’re in “old dark house” territory once again, in which murders are committed, and everyone (especially Bela Lugosi) acts suspicious. We’ve also got Wallace Ford as (you guessed it) a wise-cracking reporter (and he does get some good ones off), the terrified black man-servant, some cops, a number of forgettable characters, and a seance where someone gets killed when the lights are out. Adding to the usual cast of suspects are the rather bland scientist and a homicidal maniac whose face looks like ten miles of bad road.

SPOILER (?)

Plus, at the end, the maniac comes back to life and threatens to kill you if you reveal the ending (which is, or course, the ending of the movie, so I’m in deep trouble). “Old Dark House” movies don’t come goofier than this.