Reviews

Just saw this on Blu-Ray. It's true. It does drag. Doesn't have the pacing of better drive-in movies at the time. Some mild chuckles from the slow motion nurse, crackers, dialog etc. Yes, surprisingly Jonathan Demme is in this. But doggone that is the Detroit Tiger great Mickey Lolich as a security guard. I wonder how that came about. Oh well, Mickey shouts his one line out OK, I think. Lolich fans are probably better off getting his baseball card than this Blu-Ray. I elevated this to a score of two in honor of being Lolich's only movie nonetheless. As melting space monster movies go, I agree with some other reviewers who stated that The First Man In Space (1958) is a much better movie. The flimsy excuse for the Melting Man's condition was even more ridiculous than most 50's sci-fi and the disappointing space sequence was mercifully short. And yes that creek DOES look like the one in Without Warning (1980).

What a cast with so much character. Hard to pick a favorite. Edward G.'s middle age gangster return is right up there with Cagney's in White Heat. Bogart's disillusionment and cynicism creates a complexity that ranks as one of my favorite roles for him. 'Why should I stick my neck out for anybody?'. Read a few negative reviews of Bacall's performance. I thought she was believable as a war widow. Amongst all the character; somebody had to be more understated. Trevor's Oscar; well-deserved; pure character. Barrymore's performance and scene trying to get out of wheelchair and praying for the hurricane to destroy the hotel; great. Dan 'I'm the electrician'is a hoodlum/punk almost as memorable as Elisha Cook's Wilmer in The Maltese Falcon (Huston seemed to have a knack for these characters). But the character that I've been noticing more after a few viewings is Thomas Gomez as the assistant to Johnny Rocco. Gum chewing and eyes relentlessly shifting and surveying the situation. Trying to put off Bogart, Bacall, Barrymore,and all with a pleasant affront with barely concealed badness. He exudes a convincing familiarity with Johnny Rocco; nervously anticipating him and trying to keep him from losing his cool. As great a supporting role as you can get I think. Also noteworthy are Marc Lawrence as Ziggy. The sheriff character is good, too. One of my all-time favorites. The only negative I've read here that I could agree with is it may be too stagy for some. With that I give it 9 out of a 10. Lastly say 'She sells sea shells by the seashore' five times.

Actually this is one of my favorite 50's sci-fi films and one of my favorite films of 1959. I agree with Clarke's self-evaluation (liked his notes on DVD) on his direction 'It moves'. Instead of the usual 10 minutes of set-up laboratory scenes; it goes directly into the aftermath of the accident. More sense of action in this one, too, than usual. The camera angles seem good to me with lots of 50's L.A. cityscapes, coastal highways, beach, and oil fields. I enjoyed the 'why me' scene and Clarke's performance a lot. His presenting himself as a flawed character lead was a step above the usual bland 50's sci-fi character lead. His film-noir affair with Nan Peterson was definitely a plus. Definitely more than one would expect from a film that has been depicted as a turkey or one star movie in film guides. Anyhow, kudos to Clarke, and hope to find his autobiography someday.

Not sure if this one's in print or not. Picked this one up in VHS form at the flea market. Rosa Gloria Chagoyan is teacher in this one who has a relative or loved one (not sure; don't understand Spanish so well) murdered by leather-jacketed 80's drug dealing punks. Anyhow this one really picks up when Rosa becomes a motorcycle riding, machine gun toting vigilante. I noted a little similarity between this movie and the U.S. movie Cyclone with Heather Thomas on a motorcycle of vengeance. Both came out about the same year; not sure if one influenced the other or not. Plenty of action in this one for sure, though Rosa's escaping gunfire out in the open on her motorcycle more than once is not totally believable. Rosa Gloria Changoyan is a striking lady and looks convincing enough on the bike. Odd is her relationship with dwarf sidekick. Living together? Friends? Once again a language problem. Her triumphant smile at the end is great. I see La Guerrera Vengadora II exists. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to come across it.

Saw this one at the drive-in back in '80 and knew as I was watching it that I was watching a drive-in classic. I seem to recall (in my mind anyway)as 1980 being the last great drive-in horror movie year. I had already seen Humanoids From The Deep that summer and Phantasm there the previous year. I recall that the film had a nice updated 1950's sci-fi feel to it (like Humanoids, a little atmosphere, some laughs (frisbees etc.), hammy performances (Landau Palance) and Larry Storch. The ancient grainy Kingston Trio 'Things Go Better With CocaCola' ad at intermission seemed to fit in with it well. I can't recall what was on the bill with It Came Without Warning; but I recall leaving pretty satisfied. I've looked through many video stores to rent or buy it but can't locate it. Nice to see some other folks fondly remember this one and would like to see it on DVD,too.

Really enjoyed some of the reviews of this movie. Mel's drive-in costumes, Love a cross between Duane Eddy & Michael Rennie; hilarious. And surprised to see so many positive ones. I think with some budget and some help, Graeff could have done some good stuff. As it is, I was totally taken by this one as a kid on TV in the 60's. Thor was a disturbing presence with a higher body count than The Blob, The Thing and other space invaders. Definitely a Terminator ancestor. And Thor? Derek? What, a Nordic planet? Found Derek to be cool at time, but in retrospect seems a bit nerdy and wimpy. Still he's way cool in attaining teenage goals in mere hours. Gets a free pad, drives a car (no permit)and kisses (at least once- the camera moves away)a girl. Also note how Betty never complies with Derek's requests to 'stay back' or 'stay here', a ready for the 60's girl for sure. And their smooch has to be one of cinema's first interplanetary love scenes; definitely preceding Captain Kirk or David Bowie from Man Who Fell To Earth. I guess 1959 was to early for an a happy and consummated alien/human marriage unlike I Married A Monster From Outer Space. Visually the ray gun blasts in cozy Leave It To Beaver like settings were unsettling then too.(Anyone know what town this was filmed in?). Also Thor slugs a middle aged nurse (well played by Helen Sage I thought). Shocking! The worst performance was by the Gargon sighting observatory worker. I agree with a lot of reviewers that though the lead performances were amateurish and stilted, some kind of engaging earnestness shines through. One of my favorites if not favorite cheapo sci-fis from the last bumper crop year: 1959, edging out Attack Of The Giant Leeches, Killer Shrews, Alligator People. Heck I even like this better than the big budget sci-fis of '59: On The Beach (good but kinda boring)and The World Flesh and The Devil (ditto). I hope the undoubted negatives of being associated with this movie didn't affect Graeff's and Dawn Anderson's early passings

I thought I had heard awhile back that Jacques Tourneur didn't want to show the demon. Does anybody know if this is so? Having worked with Val Lewton, this would seem possible. If so, it's a shame Tourneur isn't around to put a director's cut on the DVD instead of Curse Of The Demon which is a little redundant being on the same DVD as Night Of The Demon. I found the demon scary when I was 12 years old and would not have enjoyed the film as much without it. Now, of course, the film would seem better without it. The atmosphere of Tourneur's work that I've seen; this,I Walked With A Zombie, Out Of The Past, and that Twighlight Zone episode (one of the best) of the elderly lady getting calls from her deceased husband consistently has that great nocturnal, shadowy and mysterious quality to it. This body of work alone is enough to make him one of my favorite directors. Even if this isn't one of Dana Andrews best performances, his stubborn skepticism is convincing enough to contrast nicely with Carswell's over politeness. As old horror movies go; this ranks up there with The (original) Haunting, Eyes Without A Face, Black Sunday and early Universals as the best among the old black and whites for me. Strangely enough, I happened to have watched it earlier this (yesterday now) evening October 28th which IS the night of the demon. Coincidence? **** out of *****

In between Lon Chaney Jr.(40's) and Oliver Reed (60's), I give Michael Landon a slight edge over Steven Ritch (The Werewolf 1956) as favorite werewolf of the 50's. The high school jacket and occasional drool give this werewolf a different slant. I notice this was directed by Gene Fowler who did I Married A Monster From Outer Space (another great title)in which, like this movie, the monster gets attacked by a dog. I still like the fight, woods scene, and gymnasium scene. A previous reviewer mentioned that Elvis was dating Yvonne Lime around this time and visited the set. This WOULD have been a great Elvis vehicle. 'He rocks He sings He Howls!'. Ah what could have been. Also another reviewer mentions that Michael Landon's character was too self-assured and that an unassured and unconfident teenager misled by the good doctor in hope of the teenager being more confident and popular would have been better. I agree, that would have been more plausible than Whit Bissell's ridiculous reasons and maybe more involving to the viewer. Still, I like Michael's performance (I'll take this over a Highway To Heaven rerun)and regard this as the best AIP horror picture(For whatever that's worth). The movie doesn't drag too much, though,I don't think ** out of *****

Although this was made in 1978, I recall seeing this with Don't Go In The House in 1980 at the drive-in theatre. Oddly enough I was attending psychiatric technician training at the time. Bo Hopkins after introducing himself to the unfortunate disco heroine as 'your friendly psychiatric technician' goes on to deliver a good performance with convincing menace beneath a superficial cheery 'therapeutic' demeanor. Sharon Farrell is convincing as a patient. The always creepy Anthony James gives one of his best performances and, horror fans, Robert 'Freddie' Englund is also on hand as a patient. Toss in some disco and you got some kind of late 70's semi-classic drive-in entertainment.If nothing else, watching Bo Hopkins puffing on a cigarette as he worked reminded me of 1980, when it was commonplace to see staff and patients smoking on a unit. Note too, that Bo appears to be working AM, PM (Swing) and Noc shift in this movie. No doubt racking up some good OT money but perhaps driving himself to some of the behaviors he displays. (For me) nostalgic fun ** out of *****

especially if you think, like myself, he ranks with the greatest actors of all time. Although it was nice to see The Ghoul get DVD treatment, this would be more deserving as this ranks, as previously reviewed, among his best. I don't know if anybody else notices this; but especially in this movie, it seems Boris has an odd resemblance to Keith Richards at times. Especially when he's playing the evil Gregor and leering and sitting in a chair with a leg over the side. Anyhow nice to find this one even if it is on VHS. Not familiar with other cast members in this one, as its not a Universal setting I'm more familiar seeing Boris in, but the acting is good and the sets are great. The all onyx black room is interesting. I hope Boris will be remembered among the greats as this century progresses.

The only way you can`t find this a great movie is if you have a problem with black and white, expect too much (the chills are subtle), or need a steady dose of computer-generated effects to keep you excited. Robert Wise perfects what he learned from Val Lewton: the unseen is far more frightening than seen. The wall image/sound of crying child gives me goose bumps every time where a hundred other horror films don`t. I like the cast OK in this one. I`ve read complaints of Claire Bloom`s character, but she is at least believable. I`ve come to appreciate Russ Tamblyn`s glib, disbelieving character which sort of gives the film a center of balance among the other eccentric characters. My favorite supernatural movie. Along with West Side Story and The Set-Up (recommended) definately in my top 20. Looking at Robert Wise`s IMDB list makes me want to check out Blood On The Moon. I saw parts of Sand Pebbles and I Want To Live when I was a kid. This guy has to be one of the best. I could rave on about this movie but with the many good reviews already there don`t feel the need to as apparently I don`t walk the halls of Hill House alone. ***** out of *****

Overshadowed by the more heralded The Champion in 1949, I like this movie better. Maybe the grittiness of this one with its unrelentingly seedy environment and no obvious feel good outcome made it less popular at the time. After seeing it for years on cable, a most welcome sight on DVD. Certainly an Oscar caliber performance by Ryan. The direction and cinematograpy also Oscar worthy. The boxing match itself is a classic, convincingly choreographed. The whole cast down to the smallest part is uniformly fine, with many memorable faces. The sense of anxiety we feel for Stoker mixed with hope and fleeting elation makes quite a compelling story. The movie is 71 minutes and is in `real time` ****1/2 out of *****

I did however see this on TV in the late 60`s. Gemini/Apollo had already made the rocket and base seem ridiculous. Informal staff or what? I did stick with it and enjoyed the fleeting glimpses of the creature and plot weirdness. Possible shock landmarks: First movie with alien pregnancy? Near beheading? A previous review mentions a hairy chest.I recall that I too was smitten with Georgiana Carter somewhat and thought she had a contemporary beauty as compared to other 50`s sci-fi ladies. Unfortunately The Wild Ride with Jack Nicholson was all else she was in. Also thought Michael Emmet was OK in this and Attack Of The Giant Leeches. And of course Ed Nelson smokes cigarettes and adds energy to the proceedings. All in all one of my favorite 50`s schlock/sci-fi movies. Available at a nice price from Collectables. On the strength of being THE Georgianna Carter movie ** out of *****

Lucky enough to catch and record this off of AMC a few years ago. The only thing about this movie that makes me want to view it again is to see what Gene Vincent was like at near the height of his fame. Gene, of course, does 'Be Bop A Lula' in color in 'The Girl Can't Help It' but he has some dialog in this one and does TWO songs with the Blue Caps in this one: 'Dance In The Street' and 'Baby Blue'. You get a good look at Gene's 2nd lead guitarist (after Cliff Gallup); Johnny Meeks and his greasy hair-do and dancer Tommy Facenda doing a frenzied shimmy. Also some Gene stage moves. Apparently his staring up into space and singing was something of a trademark. Anyhow, missing the 50's, this'll have to do for catching Gene. Oh yeah, the rest of the movie. Always nice to see the AIP logo and nice opening credits race scene down some street in the LA are in the 50's. A couple of fights, dances and less hot rod action that I expected. John Ashley apes Elvis the best he can and sings more songs than Gene (boo). ** out of *****. *** if you're a Gene fan.

Nice to see this added to one of my all-time favorites. Unlike 'The Wolfman', which I've seen several times, I hadn't seen 'Werewolf Of London' in about 20 years or so. Some things I liked: The music score; da-da-duh-dah, fog, nice threads (best dressed werewolf), Henry Hull originating the cool, hunched 'wolfman walk' used later by other werewolves, another neato Universal laboratory, Californian Tibet in the moonlight, Warner Oland's sorrowful but desperate character and Valerie Hobson (luminous one previous reviewer described her). Nice picture and sound along with 'The Wolfman' and the extras that were on THAT DVD plus Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman and She Wolf Of London available at Target or Wal-Mart for about $20.00. Good stuff. Way to go Universal. I wouldn't mind if they did the same with The Mummy and The Invisible Man and their sequels. Even a Karloff/Lugosi set. Heck even a Chaney Jr. Inner Sanctum package. What about it, Universal?

Nothing too original here. The lighting sort of helps the movie at times; hiding the creature, but overall sort of a murky movie. Pretty much a waste of Steve Railsback (so good as Duane Berry in X-Files and Manson in Helter Skelter)and Joe Flaherty(the comic relief a little flat). Not only that but Railsback gets second billed to the creature. But still some decent action scenes (nice beheading) and fair amount of predictable drama. The hospital,unbelievable as it may be, provides a fairly good setting. A previous reviewer astutely mentioned the 'Alien' imitations. That's pretty much what you got here: 'Them' crossed with 'Alien' and not as good as either, of course. Still worth the $3.00 I spent for it at the flea market. ** out of *****

For years I've had the TV version (Monster From The Surf) on VHS off of TV. Despite it's shortcomings, I watch it once in a while. Maybe it's the surfish soundtrack (nice minor key whammy-bar during the monster scenes); I've added the opening credits theme to my surf guitar repetoire. I also enjoyed the character Mark, the sculptor,(Walker Edmiston's finest moment?) who really digs the surf crowd (rather vacuous and dull in this movie) but can't seem to connect with them. I wonder if Frank Sinatra Jr. really composed the music. I also wonder if Jon Hall actually got in the monster suit. I doubt it. For his sake I hope not as the performance of the monster was awful. Note how after 'brutally murdering' the 1st victim he makes sure not to drop her on the ground hard. Anyhow I was surprised to see this on DVD but didn't think it deserved the price it was selling for. Later I found it used and happily picked it up. No outtakes or commentary (I doubt there's a huge public outcry) but some good liner notes about the cast & movie. *1/2 out of *****