STRANGE ILLUSION (1945)
Article 3056 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 9-19-2009
Posting Date: 12-26-2009
Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer
Featuring Jimmy Lydon, Warren William, Sally Eilers
Country: USA
What it is: Crime Thriller with mystic overtones

While on a fishing vacation, a teenager has a nightmare in which his family is threatened by a shadowy figure who plans to marry the boy’s widowed mother. When he returns home, he discovers that his mother has become attached to a strange man, and, bit by bit, he finds the elements of his dream coming true.

This movie is definitely more of a crime thriller than a supernatural one, but the precognitive dream does drive the action; it is the similarity of events in real life to those of his dream that pushes the boy into investigating further. This is one of Edgar G. Ulmer’s better known movies, though it is important to take note that it came from PRC, the bottom of the Poverty Row studio heap, and that means it doesn’t have the production values that would really make it fly. Still, give it its due, and it does deliver enough bang for its buck. As for the fantastic content, outside of the precognitive dream, there’s the fact that the villain is a serial killer of sorts. The dream sequence is done with enough imagination and power that you remember it throughout the movie, which is handy when aspects of it start coming true. This is another example of how well a ‘B’ movie can work with discipline and imagination.

SON OF SAMSON (1963)
aka Maciste nella valle dei re
Article 3054 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 9-17-2009
Posting Date: 12-24-2009
Directed by Carlo Campogalliani
Featuring Mark Forest, Chelo Alonso, Angelo Zanolli
Country: Italy / France / Yugoslavia
What it is: Sword-and-Sandal fantasy of the evil queen variety.

The son of Samson (known as Maciste) comes to ancient Egypt to do battle with an evil queen who has joined forces with the Persians to enslave the villagers and steal their lands.

If ever there was a series of movies that seemed plotted with a Mad Libs book, it would be the evil queen variety of the sword-and-sandal epics from the sixties; just change the locations, the names, and a few details, but otherwise, it’s the same plot. Still, Chelo Alonso may be one of the sexiest evil queens of the bunch, and she does a mean belly dance as well. Mark Forest plays Maciste this time around, and his waist is so thin while his upper torso is so developed he looks almost insectoid. This one is bloodier and more brutal than most, with a couple of memorable scenes; in one, we see villagers buried up to their heads (or shins, for those buried the opposite direction) in a field full of snakes, and in another, one of those chariots with bladed wheels runs through a crowd of enslaved villagers. Maciste’s great strength and a charm that puts a man under hypnotic control are the fantastic elements here. Outside of the hackneyed plot, its worst problem may be its pacing; it wanders around for its first hour and then tries to pack as much of its plot as it can into the last thirty minutes.

I must be nearing the end of these…

SERGEANT DEAD HEAD (1965)
aka Sergeant Deadhead the Astronaut
Article 3053 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 9-16-2009
Posting Date: 12-23-2009
Directed by Norman Taurog
Featuring Frankie Avalon, Deborah Walley, Eve Arden
Country: USA
What it is: Beach party movie transmogrified into a non-Disney shopping cart movie with a military milieu.

Sergeant Deadhead is accidentally shot into space with a monkey. The space trip alters his personality, and when he returns, the military echelon decides to hide his aggressive new personality by locking him up and finding a look-alike to take his place. Hilarity ensues.

Though it isn’t strictly a ‘beach party’ movie, this American International comedy has a lot of the same actors and the same basic feel as those movies. It made me think about the similarities and differences between the ‘beach party’ movies and the Disney ‘shopping cart’ movies. The Disney movies had better special effects; the ‘beach party’ movies had more songs. The ‘beach party’ movies were sexier, but the Disney movies were smarter. Both made use of big-name actors, and occasionally pulled their talent from the same sources (Annette Funicello isn’t in this one, but she’s one obvious example). And both types of movies were bright and colorful.

This one is pretty dumb; the songs are weak, the plot is a mess, and it wastes Buster Keaton in a big way. Still, it did net me a couple of laughs, and there’s some fun to be had with the cast of name actors (which, along with those mentioned above, includes Fred Clark, Cesar Romero, Gale Gordon, John Ashley, and Harvey Lembeck). It’s a good-natured enough time-waster, but there’s better ones out there.

THE SECRET OF THE BLACK TRUNK (1962)
aka Das Geheimnis der schwarzen Koffer
Article 3050 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 9-13-2009
Posting Date: 12-20-2009
Directed by Werner Klingler
Featuring Joachim Hansen, Senta Berger, Hans Reiser
Country: West Germany
What it is: Son of Edgar Wallace krimi, with slight horror elements.

A series of knife murders have an odd feature about them; the victims find that their luggage has been packed for them just before their deaths. Scotland Yard investigates, and discover that the murders are linked to an addictive drug called Mescadrine.

I didn’t know that Edgar Wallace’s son also wrote thrillers, but this movie was apparently part of a competing series of krimis that were based on his works. It’s not a bad one, though krimis seem to have the same basic elements; a strange mystery, a confusing story, and a comic relief character are three of the elements that pop up quite a bit. The comic relief character here isn’t too bad; he’s a “soundhound” that goes around recording random sounds, noises, and conversations, and some of the humor comes from the titles he gives each of his sounds. On top of the slight horror elements that usually crop up in these movies, we may have a little science fiction element as well, as I’m not sure whether the drug in question actually exists or is a figment of the author’s imagination. The middle of the movie does get quite confusing, but it sorts itself out towards the end, and the explanations for the murders are not bad. This one was moderately entertaining.

SECONDS (1966)
Article 3049 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 9-12-2009
Posting Date: 12-19-2009
Directed by John Frankenheimer
Featuring Rock Hudson, Salome Jens, John Randolph
Country: USA
What it is: Cautionary science fiction tale of a dream turning into a nightmare

A middle-aged banker is drawn into a business deal with a clandestine organization that specializes in allowing people to change their identity, regain their youth, and start a new life. However, as he finds out, starting a new life requires knowing what you want to do with your own life and being willing to leave the old one behind. And if you can’t…

Of the great movies that John Frankenheimer made during his classic period in the early-to-mid sixties, this is the one with the greatest amount of fantastic content. The premise certainly seems like a dream come true, especially for those who have reached that mid-life crisis that leaves them wondering if they have wasted their lives (just having recently turned 50 myself, I can understand the appeal), but the ominous undercurrents are there from the beginning; the abrupt revelations, the strange room of desk clerks, the blackmail scheme, and the unanswered questions (just where does the organization procure its corpses for the faking of the deaths?) should all leave you with the ominous feeling that all is not quite right here. The story is gripping, the direction is strong, the cinematography by James Wong Howe (which uses a number of fascinating lens distortions) is memorable, the score by Jerry Goldsmith is strong, and all of the acting is effective, with special notice going to John Randolph and Rock Hudson (as the before and after main character), Will Geer, Salome Jens, and Murray Hamilton. You should also recognize Jeff Corey, Richard Anderson, and Khigh Dhiegh. The movie is powerful and memorable, and the ending won’t soon be forgotten. Highly recommended.

SCREAM OF THE DEMON LOVER (1970)
aka Il castello dalle porte di fuoco
Article 3045 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 9-8-2009
Posting Date: 12-15-2009
Directed by Jose Luis Merino
Featuring Ema Schurer, Carlos Quiney, Agostina Belli
Country: Italy / Spain
What it is: Spanish / Italian period horror of the damsel-in-castle variety

A female biochemist is hired to work for a baron who is suspected of having killed all of his mistresses with the help of two savage dogs. She is hired to help develop a way to regenerate burnt human flesh. She begins to suspect the baron is guilty of the murders… or is he? One thing’s for sure; it’s not the dogs that are responsible.

This is one of those movies that had me wondering at first just how familiar it would be; I’ve seen a lot of Italian horror movies with women in castles with murderers. To its credit, the movie has a few twists to add to its familiar tale, and it even dredges up a bit of mystery when it becomes clear that two different explanations could be tendered for the events. Unfortunately, the script is quite clumsy at times; all too often, the characters act in ways that make no sense, especially the female biochemist. Still, its best scenes are quite effective, and in some ways it reminds me of HORROR CASTLE, though the plots aren’t really that similar. It’s no classic, but it is somewhat better than I expected it would be.

THE SAVAGE BEES (1976)
TV-Movie
Article 3044 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 9-7-2009
Posting Date: 12-14-2009
Directed by Bruce Geller
Featuring Ben Johnson, Michael Parks, Paul Hecht
Country: USA
What it is: Killer Bee Thriller

A boat from Brazil inadvertently brings a swarm of killer bees to New Orleans during Mardi Gras.

I haven’t seen every killer bee movie ever made yet, but I’d have to say that I think the TV-Movies did a better job with the concept than the theatrical ones. This one does a nice job of following different story threads at the beginning, with a sheriff investigating the death of his dog, a ship that is mysteriously bereft of crew, and a child who goes to church and doesn’t come back. Granted, it isn’t really that mysterious (once the title comes up, you know what’s tying them all together), but it’s solid, well-acted, and does a decent job of giving you the willies. It flirts a little with the theme of stalling bureaucrats, though it really doesn’t develop the theme fully and instead keeps focused on the action at hand. Ben Johnson does a great job as the sheriff doing his best in difficult circumstances, and James Best pops up in a small role as one of the aforementioned bureaucrats. This TV-Movie was popular enough to spawn a sequel, TERROR OUT OF THE SKY. I have to give special notice to Norman E. Gary, the bee wrangler for this movie (which used hundreds of thousands of real bees) and to the gutsy cast who often allow themselves to be enveloped by their tiny co-stars. There were very few bee-related injuries on the set.

SPIDER-MAN (1977)
TV-Movie
aka The Amazing Spider-Man
Article 2984 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 7-9-2009
Posting Date: 10-15-1009
Directed by E.W. Swackhamer
Featuring Nicholas Hammond, David White, Michael Pataki
Country: USA

After being bitten by a radioactive spider, a college student / photographer develops super powers. He uses them to do battle with an evil man who has developed a method of mind control.

I think some TV-series were launched with the hope that they would eventually kick in and find a home with the TV viewing audience even if the pilot wasn’t promising, and I suspect that was the hope when they decided to make “The Amazing Spider-Man”. I don’t think it was on the strength of this rather weak pilot. About the best thing I can say about this one is that the special effects are quite passable for a TV-series, and I do like the fact that Spider-Man here actually does seem like an spider at times as he scurries up and down the walls. What it lacks is compelling characters; Nicholas Hammond is quite bland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man, and David White never really gets into the spirit of J. Jonah Jameson, a role that could potentially have been a lot of fun. In fact, Michael Pataki’s Captain Barbera character seems to have more of a J. Jonah Jameson feel than Jameson himself; unfortunately, he chews the scenery overmuch, is given the worst dialogue of the movie, and is saddled with a comic relief sidekick. Like most super-hero TV shows of the era, it dispensed with the super-villains they faced in the comics in favor of more conventional action-adventure-TV-type villains, which I suspect was due to the fact that super-villains would have blown out the special effects budget. It’s watchable, I suppose, but hardly encouraging. Nonetheless, it did make it to a series, though not one that lasted very long.

SLAUGHTER (1976)
aka Dogs
Article 2954 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 6-9-2009
Posting Date: 9-15-2009
Directed by Burt Brinckerhoff
Featuring David McCallum, Sandra McCabe, George Wyner
Country: USA

In a small California college town that is the home of a secret government experiment, dogs start banding together to kill people.

Sometimes you can just tell, can’t you? Though this is not a TV-Movie (it’s far too bloody for that), there was something about this the one (the style of photography, the pacing, the choice of music, etc.) that just screamed TV-Movie, and a quick check on Burt Brinckerhoff’s oeuvre shows only a tiny handful of feature films and a huge amount of TV work. There’s one or two chills here, but the rest is a cheesy concoction made of one part NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, one part FROGS, and a bit of JAWS (and I’m willing to bet that somewhere along the line somebody was thinking of calling it PAWS). No explanation is ever given for the dogs acting this way, though I’m sure the film-makers assumed you would tie it to the secret government project about which we know nothing. Two things in particular stood out on the negative side of things here; Sandra McCabe has one of the worst screams in cinema history (it sounds like she’s auditioning badly for an opera), and the ending (which implies that another group of pets will also start going on the rampage) made me snicker rather than shudder. This one makes THE PACK look pretty good.

STAR WARS EPISODE V: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980)
Article 2939 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 5-25-2009
Posting Date: 8-31-2009
Directed by Irvin Kershner
Featuring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
Country: USA

Luke Skywalker seeks to become a Jedi warrior with the help of an elusive Jedi master called Yoda, while his friends try to elude capture from Darth Vader and the empire.

Now that all three of the prequels to the original Star Wars saga have come out, one debate I often encounter concerns the best order in which to watch the whole series; there are those who advocate watching the prequels first and then watching the original series. I’m not of that group; for me, the revelations flow smoother and more satisfyingly in the original series, and it gives you the option to ignore the prequels in their entirety if you wish. Certainly, the introduction of Yoda as a character in this movie would have seemed overly coy if you already knew who he was and how he looked. This one is often considered the best of the series, and you won’t get a dissenting opinion from me in this regard; the skill with which it deepens, fleshes out and darkens the themes of the original to compensate for the fact that the concept itself is now not quite as fresh as it was in the first movie shows that the original three movies were indeed conceived as a series, albeit one that could have been truncated with the first movie should it have proved not to have been a hit. The acting from the principals shows a marked improvement, which also helps compensate somewhat for the fact that we have no new name stars to add to the mix, and the ones from the original (Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing) have either disappeared from the plot or been reduced to cameos. Of course, certain series fanatics probably like the movie because it introduces Boba Fett the bounty hunter, but I could care less about that; a cool helmet doesn’t make for a compelling character. On a side note, the original movie (STAR WARS) was one of the first movies I covered for this series, and I feel a bit of irony from the fact that it has taken me a longer gap of time before I covered the sequel than it actual took between the releases of the two movies.