Shivers (1975)
Shivers(1975) is a fascinating first film especially for a person who was learning to direct professionly on the job. An interesting part about this movie is that Cronenberg did Shivers(1975) without having a clue of what people in the film…
Frankenstein’s Daughter (1958)
Reviving the timeless adventures of the Frankenstein boys grandson Oliver Frank , Donald Murphy, who shortened his name from the famous Frankenstein, tries to succeed where his old man and grandpa failed, to create life, this time with the help…
The Legend of Hell House (1973)
Directed by John Hough and featuring a brilliant screenplay by Richard Matheson(upon who’s novel the film is based),1973’s The Legend of Hell House is perhaps the ultimate haunted house film.Filled with images of a fog covered Gothic mansion,strange noises,a frightening…
Gone in 60 Seconds (1974)
This is a very interesting movie for a lot of reasons — it’s a great car chase film for the drive-in crowd, and remarkably manages to create more vehicular devastation than bigger budget films like “The French Connection” and “Bullitt”…
Earth vs the Spider (1958)
There is a saying that a true artist can make an error into a masterpiece. While this doesn’t exactly apply to film-making, it can easily apply to film-viewing. Think of lots of 1950’s low budget sci-fi cliches (bad acting, bad…
Curucu, Beast of the Amazon (1956)
John Bromfield and Beverly Garland star in Curucu Beast Of The Amazon and the best thing this film has going for it is the location photography in the Amazon jungles of Brazil. One hates to think that where this film…
Squirm (1976)
Fly Creek is a small southern town best known for it’s “antiques” and the Grimes Worm Farm. During one particularly hot summer, while Mick (Don Scardino) is on his way on a bus to meet new girlfriend Geri Sanders (Patricia…
Horror Express (1972)
Judged on its own terms–as a 70s ghoul movie–this film should be rated a 10 out of 10! The plot is well-structured and tightly directed, and contains lots of great elements: 1906 setting, fancy trans-Siberian train ride, a ghoul, a…
The Astounding She-Monster (1957)
Despite the fact that “The Astounding She Monster” has all sorts of negatives as a film, it is strangely likable. I know I liked it. What makes it into a good film, despite the many questions one can raise about…
Monster from the Ocean Floor (1954)
“Monster from the Ocean Floor” is historically important as the very first film produced by a young Roger Corman, so it’s a shame it’s not more entertaining than it is. It does have some schlocky charm, but owing to an…
Inseminoid (1981)
Don’t expect a high quality sci-fi horror film. With all that was available to them, the cast and crew dished out an average effort. There is a decent amount of gore in this film. The killings are well orchestrated, however…
Beyond the Time Barrier (1960)
From Edgar G. Ulmer (director of `The Man from Planet X’ and `The Amazing Transparent Man’) comes this likable little sc-fi tale. A test pilot (Robert Clark) is catapulted into the future by a freak phenomenon, where a post World…
The Simple Things: Trending Back To What is Good
Our world as you probably realize by now is way too complicated. We have to hire specialists like lawyers and accountant to help navigate the morass of bureaucracy and regulation. Many professions have prospered because of the elimination of the…
King Dinosaur
Ray Harryhausen is most noted for using stop motion to create monsters. Bert I. Gordon is noted for using stock footage of animals or something and then projecting it in a way to make said thing look big. Harryhausen could…
When Nature Calls (1985)
When Nature Calls (1985) was a film made by Lloyd Kaufman’s brother. He made several films for Team Troma during the late seventies and early eighties. This was one of his last films. According to him, he wanted to make…
Cat-Women of the Moon (1953)
This film was originally released in full stereoscopic format in 1953, and a regular B/W print was released later under the title “Rocket to the Moon”. The film is of historic interest as it was one of the first (perhaps…
Flesh and the Spur (1956)
“Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake” director Edward L. Cahn helmed a variety of films during his prolific 31 year career, ranging from westerns, to war pictures, to horror chillers, to juvenile delinquent epics, and science fiction sagas. Unfortunately, too much…
The Tomb of Ligeia (1964)
Roger Corman is often celebrated for his economies, but nobody ever told me that he was also a wonderful cinematic craftsman. ‘The Tomb of Ligeia (1964)’ is my second Corman film (after the throwaway cheapie ‘The Little Shop of Horrors…
Gas! -Or- It Became Necessary to Destroy the World in Order to Save It. (1970)
Roger Corman’s Gas-s-s-s, his final film as director for AIP, is dated (and probably even was for the period it got released), but somehow it’s almost part of its charm. It’s an irreverent comedy about a noxious gas that wipes…
The Phantom of the Opera (1962)
This version of “The Phantom of the Opera” was the second remake of the oft filmed classic tale was produced by England’s Hammer Studios who remade most of the old Universal B&W classics of the 30s and 40s. An Opera…