The Father Of 3D: Sid Pink
Sidney W. Pink (March 16, 1916 – October 12, 2002) was an American movie producer and occasional director. He has been called the father of feature-length 3-D movies. He is also noted for producing early spaghetti westerns and low-budget science-fiction…
Mark Lester
Mark L. Lester (born November 26, 1946) is an American writer, producer, and director, primarily of action films. After his debut in 1970 with the film Just Can’t Reach, he went on to make his mark with such memorable drive-in…
Matt Helm
Matt Helm is a fictional character created by author Donald Hamilton. He is a U.S. government counter-agent—a man whose primary job is to kill or nullify enemy agents—not a spy or secret agent in the ordinary sense of the term…
Spaceflight IC-1: An Adventure in Space
The actual basic story idea of SPACEFLIGHT IC:1 is pretty interesting. However, considering how boring and badly the film was made, I assume that they must have hired chimps to write the script–it was that bad and that boring. It’s…
The Good, the Bad, and the Other
Why does it seem next to impossible to get punk right in movies? It is not just a Hollywood thing, although it is definitely exacerbated in Hollywood films more so than in independents. However, even independent—or relatively independent—pictures just can’t…
The Last Man On Earth
When a plague devastated life on Earth, the population died or became a sort of zombie living in the dark. Dr. Robert Morgan is the unique healthy survivor on the planet, having a routine life for his own survival: he…
Robert Lippert
Robert L. Lippert, the son of a hardware store owner in Alameda, Califorinia, was born there shortly after the turn of this century. Having little interest in his father’s business, young Lippert became enthralled with the new fascination of moving…
Five Quick Questions with Chanel Ryan
“Chanel Ryan let me lick her face without complaint (although she did scream a little.) I like her and think she is an incredible talent. Next time she gets to terrorize me. It’s only fair! She is a good friend…
The Curse Of the Fly
Remember that scientist that was trying to perfect a matter transportation machine but got fused with a fly when one of the little critters got into the transporter with him? Well, this story is about three of his descendents (a…
Vincent Price
A cultured and debonair star with a mellifluous voice, actor Vincent Price developed a reputation portraying campy villains in a number of horror films. Though he began his career on the British stage, Price made his name as a supporting…
Legend Of The Crypt
Writer/producer Val Lewton was the mastermind of a series of World-War-II-era RKO thrillers, most combining horror and film noir elements and gainfully employing some of the best, neglected actors in Holly wood. Lewton’s productions were subtle and unnerving and have…
Cotton Comes to Harlem
The Charismatic black nationalist leader Rev Deke O’Malley is trying to sell the people of Harlem a dream. Invest $100 in his company and live in Africa. But cops Gravedigger and Coffin know all about Deke and his fraudulent schemes…
For A Few Dollars More
The sequel to A Fistful of Dollars continues what is called the “Dollars” trilogy. Clint Eastwood returns, and Lee Van Cleef also appears in his first of many Italian westerns (his eyes are particularly well suited to the western: thin…
Announcing The Films For The 2014 B Movie Celebration
1984 was not all Big Brother, Big Hair & Big Pants — it was also a great year for movies. This year, the annual The B Movie Celebration wants the “B” movies of 1984 to take a bow. Many have…
Ten of Corman’s Best
In “Corman’s World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel,” Detroit-born producer-director Roger Corman is duly credited with launching the careers of several movie superstars including Jack Nicholson, Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro. And while the documentary is full of well-chosen…
Trail of the Rustlers
Saturday kiddie matinee oater to be sure…and there’s nothing wrong with that. Sony Picture’s Choice Collection line of hard-to-find library and cult titles has released Trail of the Rustlers, the 1950 B-Western from Columbia, the 43rd (!) entry in that…
Need For Speed
It’s been 21 years since the theatrical release of Super Mario Bros. kicked off what was supposed to be a wave of hit films based on video games. Since that time we’ve seen only a few actual hits. The Resident…
Cannon Fodder: Israeli Zombies
As if Israelis didn’t have enough reasons to worry, the streets of Tel Aviv were packed with thousands of pale, blood-dripping zombies on Sunday. They staggered along Rothschild Boulevard, threatening drivers of cars and pedestrians alike. It wasn’t an assault…
Back To God’s Country
Although a recognizable feature film industry in Canada was relatively unformed until the 1960s, there were several silent features made in Canada after the turn of the century. Many are lost forever, but a print of Back to God’s Country…
Ginger Snaps
t’s interesting to see when a horror movie gets labeled ” legitimate” by the press. In the case of Ginger Snaps, much ballyhoo was made by the alternative weeklies about how this kind of horror movie was “acceptable” because it…