The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)
Anyone familiar with the hip-hop super-group the Wu-Tang Clan knows that “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin” (a.k.a. “Shaolin Master Killer”), directed in 1978 by Liu Chia-Liang, is essential viewing for any martial arts movie fan. This movie started the whole…
Primal Rage (1988)
Virtually a little unknown b-grade campus-based oddball shocker that’s efficiently catered for, but doesn’t break any ground with its unspectacular story structure (written by Umberto Lenzi) and systematic thrills, despite its unsparingly nasty tone (which goes overboard in the film’s…
Fright Night (1985)
It’s impressive F/X? The story? Who knows. Time made justice to “Fright Night”, one of the best vampire movies ever and probably the best of the 80’s. When it came out in 1985 the Slasher genre was on it’s highest…
The Final Terror (1983)
Produced by Samuel Arkoff, this is one of those low-budget (albeit tolerably directed) jobs with several different titles (“The Campsite Murders” and “Forest Primeval” to name a couple) and two or three different release dates between 1980 and 1985 (I…
Re-Discovering the Miracle Of The Movies
This is a season of hope. It is Christmas, the time of year when we should reflect on the past as well as the promise of the upcoming year. Yesterday I attended a sold-out screening of “Christmas Vacation” at The…
Without Warning! (1952)
This film noir is a typical Hollywood B picture of the early fifties, made on a low budget and with obscure talent. However, it works very well. It was the first film directed by Arnold Laven, whose subsequent career, which…
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)
Captain Sinbad must save a miniature princess and the peace between two kingdoms in this monumental adventure film from producer Charles Schneer and director Nathan Juran. Sinbad must get the shell of the legendary Roc’s egg on Colossa Island as…
Seconds (1966)
SECONDS decries the dehumanization of the middle class. The protagonist is a successful banker, though successful at banking, in late middle age finds his life devoid of purpose. Given an opportunity to completely start his life over he jumps at…
The Price of Fear (1956)
The Price of Fear is directed by Abner Biberman and adapted to screenplay by Robert Tallman from a story by Dick Irving Hyland. It stars Merle Oberon, Lex barker, Charles Drake and Warren Stevens. Music is by Heinz Roemheld and…
Deadly China Doll (1973)
“Yes”, because Angela Mao is indeed a doll, and pretty deadly in this one. “No”, because there are too many side characters taking away the focus from Angela – don’t get me wrong, they all can fight, but in a…
Nightforce (1987)
If Leonard Pinth-Garnell, the Bad Cinema maven from SNL, ever compiled a list of ten examples of “Truly Bad Cinema,” this epic would have to be on it. Now, I usually don’t consider films like this one to be worthy…
Fathom (1967)
Welch looks good in this, to be sure. But she also carries across the oddball charm this movie is attempting to convey. She looked good in Bedazzled and Myra Breckinridge as well, but wasn’t given much to do. Here she…
Don’t Knock the Twist (1962)
Hollywood just never did get it when it came to rock & roll in the early years, did they? I think I know one thing that was wrong with movies about rock in the pre-‘Easy Rider’ days–they were full o’…
Sorority Girl (1957)
Stunning Susan Cabot is Sabra, a troubled young woman indeed. Despised by her mother and hated by her sorority sisters, Sabra has plenty of dough but no friends and nothing but hatred for the world and everybody in it, including…
Satanik (1968)
The level of success of SATANIK as a film is entirely dependant upon the audience viewing it. An audience expecting something along the lines of OPERAZIONE PAURA or CASTLE OF BLOOD will be disappointed. This isn’t a horror film. Even…
Sabata (1969)
Lee Van Cleef stars in the first of the Sabata films. Here he plays cat and mouse games with the leaders of a town who have attempted to steal an army payroll. Sabata stops their scheme and then attempts to…
1,000 Convicts and a Woman (1971)
The gorgeous Alexandra Hay, who sadly died only 49 years old, convincingly plays a nymphet terrorising the warders and inmates of a peculiarly liberal prison. It’s an inviting set up and there could be few more enticing exploitation subjects, and…
The New Movie Theater Reality
I really love the Christmas season. The bustle of people as they go about their way shopping for people they love. The flickering of lights against the night sky and the realization that maybe we all have some connectivity to…
The Fastest Guitar Alive (1967)
Singing guitar-slinger Roy Orbison (as Johnny Banner) and hunky sidekick Sammy Jackson (as Steve Menlo) battle more Indians than Union soldiers as they work “undercover” for President Jefferson Davis and the Confederacy. When the Civil War ends, a booty of…
Soul Brothers of Kung Fu (1977)
Fans expecting a light hearted Jackie Chan-esque Martial Arts movie or people expecting a fun blaxploitation film will be disappointed by “Soul Brothers of Kung Fu.” This film is definitely NOT for the sensitive. This film DOES feature some spectacular…