From Far & Wide, From High & Low Vol 5
A wildly diverse list of 100 films from multiple genres.
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- DirectorJames L. BrooksStarsShirley MacLaineDebra WingerJack NicholsonFollows hard-to-please Aurora looking for love and her daughter's family problems.TERMS OF ENDEARMENT swept the Oscars with 11 nominations and took home 5 top honors including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay. It was also one of the biggest box office hits of the 80s. James THE SIMPSONS MOVIE L. Brooks directed this lovely and heartfelt drama about the friendship & rivalry between Aurora Greenway and her daughter Emma (the unforgettable Shirley MacLaine & Debra Winger). Jack THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK Nicholson plays Aurara's love interest offering up another charming and eccentric performance. Also appearing in this sentimental tear-jerker were Danny BATMAN RETURNS DeVito, John 3RD ROCK FROM THE SUN Lithgow & Jeff SPEED Daniels. Larry THE LAST PICTURE SHOW McMurtry wrote the novel on which the film was based and it's immediate sequel; THE EVENING STAR.
- DirectorRobert HarlingStarsShirley MacLaineBill PaxtonJuliette LewisAfter the death of her daughter, Aurora struggled to keep her family together, but she has a grandson in jail, a rebellious granddaughter and another grandson living almost on the poverty line.Robert STEEL MAGNOLIAS Hartling directed this charming adaption of the best-selling novel by Larry BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN McMurtry which he also adapted into a screenplay. The film stars Academy award winner Shirley BEING THERE MacClaine as Aurora Greenway who struggles with the complexities of motherhood, friendship and relationships with her usual passion, good humor and occasional exasperation. Her Oscar winning co-star from TERMS OF ENDEARMENT Jack THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK Nicholson reunites with MacClaine in this sequel which wasn't well received by critics or fans. I'd watch it just for the cast which includes Juliette Lewis, Bill ALIENS Paxton, Marion HAPPY DAYS Ross, Scott V: THE SERIES Wolf, Ben THE LAST PICTURE SHOW Johnson and Miranda THE CRYING GAME Richardson as Patsy; Aurora's oldest rival and dearest friend. It's a lovely, good natured film and a wonderful follow up to the classic tearjerker from 1983.
- StarsLeVar BurtonRobert ReedJohn AmosA dramatization of author Alex Haley's family line from ancestor Kunta Kinte's enslavement to his descendants' liberation.Alex Haley's sensational best-selling novel ROOTS: THE SAGA OF AN AMERICAN FAMILY was the basis for this unforgettable mini series which ran over 8 nights & shot to the absolute top of the ratings capturing 140 million views in the United States alone. ROOTS remains one of the most watched television series to this day & is ESSENTIAL, powerful viewing even after all these years despite the controversies. Haley settled out of court with a writer named Harold Courlander who wrote a novel called THE AFRICAN 9 years before the publication of ROOTS which was more than similar to the point of plagiarism. Critics were also concerned that the author had falsified much of his ancestry calling into question the historical accuracy of the magnificent book which had been promoted as 'non-fiction'. Regardless, legendary Hollywood producer David THE THORN BIRDS Wolper scooped up the rights and set about making one of the most challenging, brave & influential television series in history. ROOTS told the story of a young African man named Kunta Kinte played by STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION's LaVar Burton who is taken to American as a slave at the turn of the 18th century & the subsequent generations born from him who struggle to overcome their lowly station in life. At times heart-breaking and painful to watch this epic saga unfolds with an unflinching eye fixed squarely on the disgraceful period of slavery that existed in the United States. One of the most prestigious casts ever assembled propels this masterpiece to even greater heights. You'll see everyone from Maya THE COLOR PURPLE Angelou to Cicely FRIED GREEN TOMATOES Tyson, from Lorne BONANZA Greene to Ed LOU GRANT Asner, from Richard SHAFT Roundtree to Sandy VALORIE'S FAMILY Duncan and future stars like Todd DIFFERENT STROKES Bridges and Tracy FULL HOUSE Gold in supporting roles. Everywhere you look, there's a star! There's also a meaty supporting role for O.J. THE TOWERING INFERNO Simpson which is painful and cringe worthy when glimpsed today. ROOTS went on to win a total of 9 Emmy awards out of an astonishing 37 nominations and was followed by a sequel mini-series called ROOTS: THE NEXT GENERATION, a tv movie called; ROOTS: THE GIFT in 1988, a spin off mini-series called QUEEN: THE STORY OF AN AMERICAN FAMILY in 1993 & a remake mini-series produced in 2016 for the History channel.
- CreatorErnest KinoyStarsDebbi MorganDorian HarewoodPaul KosloThe dramatization of Alex Haley's family line from post Civil War America to the writer's search for his roots.ROOTS: THE NEXT GENERATION was a 7 part 'event' mini-series from producer David WILLY WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY Wolper who spared no expense assembling one of the greatest casts ever to grace network tv. The stellar line up includes; Marlon SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE Brando, James STAR WARS Earle Jones, Ruby D, Irene FAME Cara, Kristoff BIRDS OF PREY St. John, Debbie A DIFFERENT WORLD Allen, Andy MATLOCK Griffith, Kim THE FACTS OF LIFE Fields, Philip MIAMI VICE Michael Thomas, Pam FOXY BROWN Grier, Henry TENTACLES Fonda Debbie ALL MY CHILDREN Morgan Diahann DYNASTY Carroll & Robert THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO Culp to name a few. These actors focus on those next generations of African Americans born out of slavery to combat another century of racism as their stories are told from the start of 20th Century and WWI to the Great Depression straight on through the turbulent Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. This amazing story was drawn from the final 7 chapters of ROOTS: THE SAGA OF AN AMERICAN FAMILY which had been left untold at the time of the 1977 series. This Emmy winning mini series was seen by over 110 million people in the USA alone but it's not held in the same reverence as the 1st.
- StarsJonathan Rhys MeyersMalachi KirbyForest WhitakerAn adaptation of Alex Haley's "Roots." Chronicles the history of an African man and his descendants sold into slavery in America.Mark Wolper & the History Channel brought this 4 part mini series to television screens based on the classic novel :ROOTS: THE SAGA OF AN AMERICAN FAMILY by Alex Haley. Malachi Kirby (best known for episodic appearances in series like EASTENDERS & DOCTOR WHO) stars as Kunta Kinte; a young African enslaved & transported to America where he and his descendants must learn to survive & rise above the genocidal hate & racism this new world has to offer. ROOTS isn't bad but it suffers by comparison to the original. It's not as impactful culturally or artistically as the 1977 mini series & it lacks the depth David Wolper much longer version afforded in translating the novel to film. I don't think this articulation of the book was especially well cast either. I didn't hate ROOTS, far from it! But I'd watch the original over it every time.
- DirectorSpencer Gordon BennetStarsBuck JonesTim McCoyRaymond HattonThe Rough Riders are called upon to help save a stagecoach line.Back in 1929 William Colt MacDonald published the 1st novel (Restless Guns) to feature two of the three character who would become quite well known as THE THREE MESQUITEERS. The trio made their debut in print with 1933's The Law of the Forty Fives and were immediately embraced by Republic Pictures who cranked out FIFTY ONE B&W B-movies between 1936-1943. The name is obviously a play on the word mesquite and the classic French novel THE THREE MUSKETEERS by Alexander Dumas. The popularity of the films did not go unnoticed by poverty row studio Monogram Pictures who hired Raymond SIX GUN GOSPEL Hatton away from Republic to their own branded cowboy trio. Hatton played Sandy Hopkins. Buck FORBIDDEN TRAILS Jones played Buck Roberts and Tim GHOST TOWN LAW McCoy played Tim McCall. All three had been kicking around the back lots since the silent era and were displaced by the glut in the market for 'Singing Cowboy' western/musicals. The Monogram rip-off marketed as THE ROUGH RIDERS series (beginning with ARIZONA BOUND) was surprisingly well produced although lets attribute the movie's broad appeal to the undeniable rapport between the lead actors. It's among their best work. Monogram produced 8 films between 1941-1942 with good intensions of making 8 more the following year however it was not to be. Tim McCall enlisted with the US army and was unavailable to star in the 9th Rough Riders film. Rex Bell (a perfectly suitable replacement) was brought in as a new cowboy for the 1st planned film of the second series DAWN ON THE GREAT DIVIDE but tragedy halted future productions when a fire broke out in the Coconut Grove nightclub killing star Buck Jones before the film's release in 1942. That put the nail in the coffin for this obscure franchise. ARIZONA BOUND is a well crafted, formulaic oater about our heroes tracking stage robbers led by Tristram CAPTAIN VIDEO OF THE STRATOSPERE Coffin. Retro genre fans will appreciate it for what it was, when it was. Adelede Buffington (aka: Jesse Bowers) & Oliver RIDERS OF THE WHISTLING SKULL Drake wrote the amiable, pedestrian script for director Spencer THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN AFRICA: MIGHTY JUNGLE ADVENTURER Gordon Bennet. Followed by THE GUNMAN FROM BODIE.
- DirectorSpencer Gordon BennetStarsBuck JonesTim McCoyRaymond HattonBuck poses as a wanted killer and Sandy as a cook as the trio help ranchers stop a ruthless crook from taking over the area s water rights and help an orphaned baby.Tim BELOW THE BORDER McCall, Buck DOWN TEXAS WAY Jones & Raymond RIDERS OF THE WEST Hatton return in their 2nd Monogram Picture to feature THE ROUGH RIDERS. This entertaining B-movie franchise was a close copy of Republic's enormously popular THE THREE MESQUITEER western horse operas even going so far as to cast Hatten who starred in 9 previous movies based on the William Colt MacDonald novels. Here the lawmen are trying to find out who hired a band of murderous outlaws to terrorize a rancher and his family. Frank THE SINGING SHERIFF LaRue, Christine DAWN ON THE GREAT DIVIDE McIntyre & Dave REEFER MADNESS O'Brien co-starred in this regrettably forgettable horse opera. Frequent series writer Adelede ARIZONA BOUND Buffington wrote the script under the alias Jesse Bowers for director Spencer CAPTAIN MEPHISTO AND THE TRANSFORMATION MACHINE Gordon Bennet. This modest success was followed almost immediately by FORBIDDEN TRAILS; the 3rd of 9 in this cultish western movie series. B&W
- DirectorRobert N. BradburyStarsBuck JonesTim McCoyRaymond HattonWhen two outlaws are released from prison, they travel to Arizona to "take care of" the newly retired Marshal that put them behind bars.This would be the final film for director Robert SING, COWBOY, SING! Bradley and the 2nd collaboration between writers Oliver BOSS OF HANGTOWN MESA Drake & frequent THE ROUGH RIDERS scribe Jesse Bowers (aka: Adelede THE GUNMEN FROM BODIE Buffington). This would be the third film in Monogram Pictures THE THREE MESQUITEER copy THE ROUGH RIDERS which starred a trio of lawmen (Buck LAW OF THE TEXAN Jones, Tim RIDERS OF BLACK MOUNTAIN McCoy & Raymond OUTLAWS OF STAMPEDE PASS Hatton) hunting recently released bandits. Christine MR. RIGHT GOES WRONG McIntyre, Tristram COSMO JONES AND THE SPY SMASHER Coffin & Charles THE WISTFUL WIDOW OF WAGON GAP King co-starred in this unfashionable horse opera that gets by much of the time on the good graces of the aging male leads. Beyond that this is turgid and overly familiar oats & cheese. This B&W Monogram franchise showed promise but was derailed by WWII and a fire at the Coconut Grove night club which left the producer burned and star Buck Jones dead. How many of you remember the catchy theme song which introduced/closed each adventure? It was a manly ballad written by Ed Kay. How many of you know that every movie ended with the trio saying their goodbyes & riding off in opposite directions until they meet again? "So long, Rough Riders!" To be exact. Not many. And probably fewer who even care. I love these oft overlooked, slices of American western lore even if they don't always make great movies. FORBIDDEN TRAILS is about par for the course in terms of quality and was followed by the similar BELOW THE BORDER.
- DirectorHoward BrethertonStarsBuck JonesTim McCoyRaymond HattonA gang of rustlers blackmails young Joe Collins into helping them, Sandy poses undercover as a janitor in the leader's saloon, and Buck impersonates a well-known crooked fence.
- DirectorHoward BrethertonStarsBuck JonesTim McCoyRaymond HattonWhen two of their Marshal friends are killed, the Rough Riders are sent to investigate. They have to find the killers in a ghost town where the houses and an old mine are interconnected by secret passages and tunnels.
- DirectorHoward BrethertonStarsBuck JonesTim McCoyRaymond HattonThe sixth film of Monogram's eight-film series, "The Rough Riders," has U. S. Marshals Buck Roberts (Buck Jones) and Tim McCall (Tim McCoy) coming to a Texas town to visit their friend, U. S. Marshal Sandy Hopkins (Raymond Hatton), only to learn that he has disappeared, and is suspected of the murder of John Dodge (Jack Daley), owner of practically the whole town, except the hotel Sandy owns and runs when he isn't on an assignment as a Marshal. The murder has been committed by the henchmen of Bart Logan (Harry Woods), who intends to take over the dead man's property and whose men are holding Sandy prisoner to make it appear that he fled after arguing with and killing Dodge. Just before the murder, Logan sent a letter to Dodge with the news that the latter's long-missing wife is returning, and in a short while, Stella (Lois Austin), a Logan accomplice, arrives posing as the missing Ann Dodge, thus establishing her right to the Dodge property. Sandy, allowed to escape, returns unsuspectingly to town and is jailed by Sheriff Trump (Glenn Strange). Mary (Luana Walters), Sandy's niece, appeals for help to Dave Dodge (Dave O'Brien), the murdered man's son, who doesn't know his mother since she left when he was a baby. Meanwhile, Tim has taken charge of the town under his authority as a U.S. Marshal, and Buck, pretending to be a fugitive criminal, has worked his way into the Logan gang. Locating a photograph of the real Mrs. Dodge, he confronts Logan with the picture, who confesses the plot. Buck immediately arrests the whole gang, but Logan escapes. Dave traps him in an old mine, where he is captured by Buck and Tim.
- DirectorHoward BrethertonStarsBuck JonesTim McCoyRaymond HattonCorrupt businessman Mason and larcenous banker Miller combine to rustle the cattle and foreclose on the mortgages of local ranchers to gain control of the valley. but the undercover Riders thwart their plans.
- DirectorHoward BrethertonStarsBuck JonesTim McCoyRaymond HattonThe Rough Riders arrive to fight Rand, Ludlow and their gang. Buck poses as a preacher, Tim as a preacher, and Sandy as an undertaker. Buck not only wants the outlaws, but also their unknown boss.Monogram Pictures was a legendary poverty row studio that ran between 1931-1953 churning out scores of B&W B-movies in every genre imaginable; from nudist documentaries to jungle adventures but found their greatest success with westerns. Robert Bradbury wrote/directed a slew of them featuring his son Bob Steele. The pair were a cornerstone of the studios lasting success. Steele was a fixture of the Republic Pictures franchise THE THREE MESQUITEERS and Monograms' THE ROUGH RIDERS was a close copy even going as far as to poach an actor synonymous with the brand. Raymond REQUIUM FOR A COWBOY Hatton who co-starred in 9 Mesquiteer pics jumped ship to play Marshall Sandy Hopkins starting with ARIZONA BOUND and would remain until the series folded unexpectedly in 1942. Top billed Buck LAW FOR TOMBSTONE Jones returned as Marshall Buck Roberts. Making his 8th and final appearance was Tim CODE OF THE CACTUS McCoy as Marshall Tim McCall. The patriotic McCoy gave up his acting career to enlist in the army with WWII raging. He was replaced in the aborted 9th THE ROUGH RIDERS flick by the unpopular Rex Bell who may be best remembered for his tumultuous marriage to the silent era movie queen Clara Bow. The trio are out to bust bad guys played by Harry DAYS OF JESSE JAMES Woods and Roy THE KETTLES ON OLD MACDONALD'S FARM Barcroft. This is as dry as toast by horse opera standards but genre addicts may want to have a look. The pedestrian story was prepped by Adelede Buffington under the alias Jesse Bowers for director Howard CHARLIE CHAN IN THE TRAP Bretherton. This isn't among their better work and made for a disappointing conclusion to THE ROUGH RIDERS which was abruptly cancelled with WEST OF THE LAW. Ed Kay's manly ballad which played over the credits throughout was heard one last time as Sandy, Buck & Tim parted ways in their traditional fashion; "So long, Rough Riders!". A new slate of eight films was to begin with 1942s DAWN ON THE GREAT DIVIDE however that would be the only one produced. Monogram scrapped any plans to even market the 9th entry as a part of the long forgotten brand. Their spirit would live on in similar Monogram staples like THE RANGE BUSTERS or the NEVADA JACK MCKENZIE adventures which starred Hatton in character as Sandy Hopkins 18 times!
- DirectorHoward BrethertonStarsBuck JonesMona BarrieRaymond HattonBuck Roberts is leading a wagon train of railroad supplies and Jim Corkle and his henchman Loder are out to stop them by using white men dressed as Indians for the attacks.Despite the underwhelming success of the 1st slate of western Monogram Pictures released under the umbrella; THE ROUGH RIDERS the B-movie studio was prepared to move forward with another 8 films for the 1942 kickoff. Unfortunately the star; Buck Jones (who played cattle rancher Buck Roberts since ARIZONA BOUND) kicked off before DAWN OF THE GREAT DIVIDE saw release! The silent era cowboy star died in the infamous Coconut Grove nightclub blaze that claimed the lives of 500 & nearly cost series producer Scott Dunlap his own! It was a PR disaster as was the loss of actor Tim McCoy who left poverty row to enlist in the US Army. McCoy, like Jones was a veteran actor displaced by a glut of 'singing cowboys' who found a late-in-life second chance at fame as one of THE ROUGH RIDERS. With two thirds of the trio gone Monogram cancelled the series refusing to even promote DAWN ON THE GREAT DIVIDE as part of a franchise. Raymond Hatton appeared in 9 enormously successful THE THREE MESQUITEERS matinees for Republic before jumping ships to play Marshal Sandy Hopkins in this copycat series. After it's cancellation Monogram paired Hatton (as Marshal Hopkins) opposite John Mac Brown in 18 spin-off films bannered under the brand; NEVADA JACK MCKENZIE. Clara Bow's ex; Rex TOMBSTONE: THE TOWN TOO TOUGH TO DIE Bell who was hired to replace McCall got lost in the shuffle, failing to leave much of a good impression and vanished from continuity never to be heard from again. This turgid western melodrama was based on a dusty old story written in 1913 called Wheels of Fate and adapted by Adelede JIGGS & MAGGIE OUT WEST Buffington for director Howard Bretherton. Bretherton was a hugely prolific B-movie director you probably never heard of but was responsible for many of the 66 HOPALONG CASSIDY features made between 1936-1948. Our heroes on horseback foil bandits out to rob a supply coach in this dusty, generic tale. Christine GASOLINE ALLEY McIntyre, Robert BATMAN AND ROBIN Lowrey & Harry MR. MOTO ON DANGER ISLAND Woods rounded out the respectable cast. The famous tune written by Ed Kay for THE ROUGH RIDERS series is absent from the opening/closing credits and the even more famous standardized ending to every previous film where the trio part ways with a wave and goodbye was eliminated, sadly. I'm knocking a star off for that lapse in judgement. DAWN ON THE GREAT DIVIDE won't disappoint fans of the genre but as you can imagine 80 year old B&W westerns are a hard sell in the new millennium even when you take into consideration that THE LONE RANGER's steed SILVER has a major supporting role!
- DirectorUlli LommelStarsSuzanna LoveJohn CarradineRon JamesThrough the reflection in the mirror, a girl witnesses her mother's boyfriend's murder.Cultish film-maker Ulli THE DEMONSVILLE TERROR Lummel co-wrote, produced & directed this pandering, stupid trash as a vanity picture for Dupont heirs Nick & Suzanna Love. Suzanne took top billing & shared scripting duties with her then husband Lummel while Nick was cast as her brother. THE BOOGEY MAN was a shameless rip-off of several popular movies including HALLOWEEN, THE EXORCIST, NIGHTMARE and THE AMITYVILLE HORROR & concerned a pair of grown siblings recovering from a childhood trauma. It seems the boy murdered his mothers' lover while she was engaging in child abuse and S&M foreplay. The nasty sequence is endlessly repeated in flashbacks until a mirror that 'witnessed' the murder is broken releasing an invisible demon that hurls pitchforks and assorted cutlery at the grown kids as well as their adopted family & neighbours. Neither are especially bad. Suzanne made a number of B movies throughout the decade including BRAINWAVES for her husband while Nick worked steadily into the new millennium & may be best remembered for TWIN PEAKS or WILD AT HEART. John THE HOWLING Carradine plays a quack investigating the bloody nonsense claiming the lives of the largely unknown cast. Craig Harris opened the cans of tomato soup which passed for special make up fx as he did on only 1 other flick; TOXIC ZOMBIES. THE BOOGEY MAN (aka; SPECTOR) sold enough VHS rentals to warrant several stock footage drenched sequels beginning with REVENGE OF THE BOOGEYMAN in '83.
- DirectorBruce PearnUlli LommelPaul WillsonStarsSuzanna LoveUlli LommelShannah HallLacey travels to Hollywood, to the home of a film director, where she brings along the last surviving haunted mirror shard from the end of the first movie as proof to her horrifying experiences.Ulli CURSE OF THE ZODIAC Lummel & his wife; Dupont heiress Suzanne RETURN OF THE BOOGEYMAN Love starred in this direct-to-video sequel to their unexpectedly popular slasher THE BOOGEY MAN. They also served as producers & wrote this DOG although neither would care to admit to having done so in the opening credits. Ulli is utterly unbelievable as a Hollywood director planning to make a movie about a possessed mirror. Love presents a shard of glass hoping to convince him the story is true but sets off another supernatural killing spree the day he's hosting a pool party. Bruce Pearn who was working as an electrician on CAMPSITE MASSACRE joined the fray as producer/director filming about 40 minutes of worthless new footage. Mostly the REVENGE OF THE BOOGEYMAN is material lifted from the 1980 pic rotten with child abuse & the rock bottom special effects of Craig TOXIC ZOMBIES Harris. Like the 1st, this nasty video scored enough VHS rentals from high school drop outs to warrant a sequel. In 2002 Lommel (now divorced) re-edited the mess to include 90% of stock footage borrowing also clips from I.F.O.: IDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT & BOOGEYMAN III! He called it BOOGEYMAN II: REDUX as if anyone cared. I've heard that fan boys produced webisodes of a BOOGEYMAN anthology series but IF they exist I have zero interest in seeing them or the rumoured BOOGEYMAN: REINCARNATION which was said to be cobbled together after Lummel's death in 2017.
- DirectorDeland NuseUlli LommelStarsKelly GalindoSuzanna LoveOmar KaczmarczykPoor Annie every time she falls asleep, her dreams are haunted by visions of a faceless man committing unspeakable crimes. Just like a kid afraid of the dark, the Boogeyman has made her afraid to close her eyes. Annie soon realizes her hideous dreams are predictions. If she can harness this terrifying power, perhaps she can prevent the bloody slaughter she forsees, and track down the Boogeyman before his body count climbs any higher. Their actions are very brave, but are Annie and her friends the hunters... or the hunted?
- DirectorStephen KayStarsBarry WatsonEmily DeschanelLucy LawlessA young man tries to deal with the childhood terror that has never stopped haunting him.
- DirectorJeff BetancourtStarsDanielle SavreMatt CohenChrissy CalhounA young woman attempts to cure her phobia of the boogeyman by checking herself into a mental health facility, only to realize too little too late that she is now helplessly trapped with her own greatest fear.
- DirectorGary JonesStarsErin CahillCharles HittingerMimi MichaelsWhen a college student witnesses the alleged suicide of her roommate, it sets into motion a series of horrific events that cause her to fear the supernatural entity. As she tries to convince the rest of her dorm that the Boogeyman does exist, the evil force grows stronger and her friends begin to pay the price. Now she must stop this ultimate evil before the entire campus falls prey.
- DirectorRob SavageStarsSophie ThatcherChris MessinaVivien Lyra BlairStill reeling from the tragic death of their mother, a teenage girl and her younger sister find themselves plagued by a sadistic presence in their house and struggle to get their grieving father to pay attention before it's too late.
- DirectorRay TaylorStarsRobert LivingstonRay CorriganSyd SaylorWhen a group of World War 1 buddies head west to farmstead, they run into trouble.In 1929 William Colt MacDonald published a western novel called Restless Guns that by 1933s The Law of the 45s had evolved into THE THREE MESQUITEERS brand.First Division was quick to rush an adaption of the best seller into theatres with others (Grand Nationals' TOO MUCH BEEF and R.K.O.'s. POWDERSMOKE RANGE) in the works but it was Republic Pictures who defined the property on film; churning out 51 enormously popular B-movies bannered under MacDonald's play on words. THE THREE MESQUITEERS was a fusion of the desert plant mesquite and the Alexander Dumas French novel The Three Musketeers. The cinematic trend of the trigger trio caught on leading to a glut in the market with THE ROUGH RIDERS, FRONTIER. MARSHALS and THE RANGE BUSTERS packing the Saturday matinee bijous. THE THREE MESQUITEERS famously starred Bob DEATH RIDES THE PLAINS Livingston as Stony Brooke (the 1st of 29), Ray SADDLE MOUNTAIN ROUNDUP Corrigan as Tucson Smith (the 1st of 24) and Syd THE CRAWLING HAND Saylor as Lullabye Joslin (just this once). This 20th century tale of WWI veterans homesteading out west was capably directed by the usually reliable Ray FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE Taylor. Mascot mogul Ned Levine produced this B&W cult classic based on a script by Jack HIS PRIVATE SECRETARY Hattford & Charles DAREDEVIL DRIVERS Condon. The cast included poverty row mainstays like J.P. DICK TRACY RETURNS McGowans and Kay RIDE, RANGER, RIDE! Hughes. Hughes would return for for the next film in the series but star Saylor would not. Max Terhune would would assume the part of Lullabye Joslin beginning with GHOST TOWN GOLD (the 1st of 21). THE THREE MESQUITEERS is a charming piece of western movie history that's hard not to recommend even though it undoubtedly felt fresher to audiences weened on the silent era.
- DirectorJoseph KaneStarsRobert LivingstonRay CorriganMax TerhuneThe three Mesquiteers try to recover the gold stolen by a gang in its effort to ruin the banker/mayor who ordered them to leave town.
- DirectorSam NewfieldMack V. WrightStarsRobert LivingstonRay CorriganMax TerhuneHackett, the executive of the local Cattleman's association which also runs the local orphanage is using the Association police to rustle cattle and embezzle its funds.
- DirectorJoseph KaneStarsRobert LivingstonRay CorriganMax TerhuneFlagg is relocating flood victims to Gunsmoke Ranch. The Three Mesquiteers know Flagg to be a crook and try to warn them. They ignore the warning and improve the land only to find that it has been condemned for a new dam.
- DirectorMack V. WrightStarsRobert LivingstonRay CorriganMax TerhuneGreedy rancher McGowan wants to have a local wild horse sanctuary closed, so he can capture and sell them while Tucson tries to break up Stony's marriage to a sexy, gold-digging saloon girl.
- DirectorJohn EnglishStarsRobert LivingstonRay CorriganMax TerhuneSmugglers hijack the Mesquiteers truck, but the police catch up, kill the smugglers, and then try to arrest the Mesquiteers as part of the gang. They escape but now have to prove their innocence while being hunted as wanted men.
- DirectorJoseph KaneStarsRobert LivingstonRay CorriganMax TerhuneWhen the circus owner friend of the Mesquiteers is framed for counterfeiting by his unscrupulous partner, the trio pledges to maintain his interests and care for his young daughter.
- DirectorMarina SargentiStarsKaren BlackYvonne De CarloWilliam SandersonA teenage girl begins receiving black magic power through an antique mirror that drips blood, not realizing the mirror is controlled by demonic forces.Marina CHILD OF DARKNESS, CHILD OF LIGHT Sargenti directed this unexpectedly popular VHS rental which managed to spawn 3 sequels! There's nothing special about MIRROR MIRROR except the cast which was led by everybody's favorite Scream Queen Karen CHILDREN OF THE CORN IV: THE GATHERING Black and the cultish Rainbow OLD ENOUGH Harvest who disappeared from the spotlight soon after. Black replaced Zelda POLTERGEIST Rubenstein who bailed at the 11th hour. She effortlessly delivers a solid performance as the mother of a bullied teenage girl ala CARRIE. Her daughter doesn't have telekinesis but did find a demonic mirror in their new house. The evil spirit behind the glass begins killing her enemies while those who care about her fear for her sanity. William NEWHART Sanderson, Ricky THE BLOB Paul Golden, Charlie TWIN PEAKS Spradling and Yvonne THE MUNSTERS De Carlo filled the cast smartly but it's still not very scary or bloody compared to the slasher movies filling drive ins at the time. The screenplay by the director, Yuri BAD DREAMS Zeltser, Annette DEADTIME STORIES Cascone & Gina GRAVEYARD SECRETS Cascone pulls it's punches. The small group of special effects people had little to no experience to make matters worse. John Reeves was the only 'name' with 1981s THE BOOGENS as his sole credit!. MIRROR MIRROR has a slick music video look but no substance. It's mildly engaging at best and not in the least challenging. Followed by MIRROR MIRROR 2: RAVEN DANCE.
- DirectorJimmy LiftonStarsTracy WellsRoddy McDowallSally KellermanThe discovery of a demon mirror sets off a bizarre series of "deadly accidents" when a young girl and her brother are caught in an intricate web of evil and deceit.Virginia Perfili and Jimmy Lifton were largely responsible for the poor make up and special effects that ultimately left MIRROR MIRROR a mediocre viewing experience. The pair wrote this sequel bringing to the table exactly no experience whatsoever composing a script and the end result is equal parts disappointing and banal. A young woman (Tracy MR. BELVEDERE Wells) and her orphaned brother are targeted by a sinister older sibling (Sally MEATBALLS III: SUMMER JOB Kellerman) who wants to swindle their estate with the help of an unscrupulous doctor (Roddy FRIGHT NIGHT PART II McDowall). A possessed mirror who communicates with the withdrawn boy holds the key to their salvation or damnation. The gaslighting plot should have worked with this cast but doesn't. The mild killing spree the mirror unleashed in response to the orphans plight is also lacking despite the presence of capable special effects artists (Gary CYBER TRACKER 2 Young, Jerry JACK FROST 2: THE ATTACK OF THE KILLER MUTANT SNOWMAN Macoluso, etc). Nothing about RAVEN DANCE (The videos credited title) works except casting director Ira Belgrade. Belgrade has worked with genre darlings like Sam ARMY OF DARKNESS Raimi, Larry MANIAC COP 2 Cohen and Dario TRAUMA Argento and his solid work on MIRROR MIRROR and this strangely non sequitur follow up almost makes this VHS rental palettable. Veronica INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS Cartright, Mark SHE HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW Ruffalo, Sarah SUPERMAN II Douglas and William BLADE RUNNER Sanderson wasted their time on MIRROR MIRROR 2: RAVEN DANCE unfortunately because Lifton (the director/producer/writer/etc) either spread himself too thin & didn't have an adequate budget. Why are there more sequels? The VHS box had a hologram of a raven crashing through a mirror. That cool bit of marketing is the only reason for MIRROR MIRROR 3: THE VOYEUR imo.
- DirectorRachel GordonVirginia PerfiliStarsBilly DragoDavid NaughtonMonique ParentA young man discovers a mysterious mirror and begins to have disturbing visions of forbidden passion and brutal murder. But when he also finds a beautiful woman back from the dead and a detective with a thirst for revenge, the real terror has only just begun. The mirror sees all...but what shocking secrets will it reveal?
- DirectorPaulette Victor LiftonStarsKim Mai GuestPaul EmersonMary Kathleen GordonAs a storm rages, five desperate people are caught in the mirror's power to reveal lost souls, broken dreams, second chances, and some very strange sexual vengeance.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsMatthew ModineR. Lee ErmeyVincent D'OnofrioA pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the Vietnam War has on his fellow recruits from their brutal boot camp training to the bloody street fighting in Hue.Legendary film-maker Stanley 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY Kubrick wrote/ produced and directed this sensational exploration of war & the psychology of soldiers who were manufactured then shipped overseas during the Vietnam conflict. He and Michael APOCALYPSE NOW Hess wrote this galvanising Warner Brothers release based on the novel The Short-Timers by Gustav Hasford (who also contributed to the brutal screenplay). FULL METAL JACKET (a reference to magazine casings) opens with a harrowing look at the basic training a group of recruits endure on their way towards becoming fearless killing machines. Lee THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING Ermey gives a breath-taking performance as a relentless drill sergeant who impacts the lives of 2 marines especially; privates Joker (Matthew HITLER: THE RISE AND FALL Modine) & Pyle (Vincent HAWKEYE D'onofrio). All 3 are extraordinary in their roles but only Ermey received the accolades in the form of a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor. The 2nd half of the visually arresting epic drama focuses on the marines struggling to survive the bloody battle raging inside their heads and all around. Anton THE COMPANY OF WOLVES Furst completed the production design while cinematographer Doug LONESOME DOVE Milsome aided Kubrick immeasurably in helping to compose those unforgettable sequences peppered throughout. The special effects were provided courtesy of John GLADIATOR Evans, Peter SUPERGIRL Dawson & Jeff SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE Clifford and shot in the famous Pinewood Studios. Kubrick's film wasn't a hit at the time of it's release nor was it given much recognition on Oscar night with only a nod in their direction for Best Adapted Screenplay. FULL METAL JACKET was over shadowed by SAVING PRIVATE RYAN in 1987 but collectors bought the film in droves ensuring it's cult for decades to come. Today FULL METAL JACKET is widely praised as one of the best war movies ever made and rightly so. This superlative motion picture is ESSENTIAL viewing IMO. Do yourself a favor and have a look.
- DirectorGeoff MeedStarsEric RobertsVeronika IssaJennifer Lee WigginsA global scientific summit fails on a plan to stop an asteroid heading for Earth - all countries are blaming each other. With communications tense, the daughter of a tech billionaire assembles her own team of specialists.Eric Roberts caught my eye decades ago with movies like KING OF THE GYPSIES and STAR 80. It's terrific that at nearly 70 he's still working but he's phoning it in for ASTEROID-A-GEDDON so don't expect much by way of a performance. That said, he stands head and shoulders above his lousy co-stars. While Roberts and a tiny internationally flavoured cast sweat their brows over an asteroid impact another tiny group of tatted and pierced scientists with a laptop try to save the earth from destruction with a laser beam. I love disaster movies; THE TOWERING INFERNO, DELUGE, THE DAY THE SKY EXPLODED, TITANIC, etc, etc but have never seen one worth watching released through this disreputable poverty row 'studio'. The Asylum to their credit wisely allowed Geoff Meed to write/direct this dismal sci-fi video. He's nobody you know but he's been a jack of all trades behind the scenes and as on camera talent for decades. The man has experience in Hollywood and it shows. As a writer/director he's made 4 HORSEMAN and THE AMITYVILLE HAUNTING in addition to the more recent JURASSIC DOMINATION (again, featuring the skilled Roberts). None are worth watching but all suggest Meed is capable of much better work. ASTEROID-A-GEDDON is crippled by it's casting choices and minuscule budget and by the nature of the business. The Asylum is a mockbuster sweatshop designed to rip off audiences with rip offs. Every now and then someone deserving of a shot to direct a film like C. Thomas Howell stumbles into that artless void and makes an impression, if nothing else. THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT, THE DAY THE EARTH STOPPED and WAR OF THE WORLDS 2: THE NEXT WAVE are nothing to write home about but you can see potential there in Howell just like Meed. The Asylum simply doesn't allow people to shine. They're not artists like Roger Corman or even Edward D. Wood, Jr. and love nothing about the business except what they can pick from your pockets. My fingers are crossed for Meed and for Roberts who deserves a lot better than this. Sasha MOON CRASH Barrows looks like she put in a couple days work on the atrocious cg is another reason not to watch.
- DirectorDavid TwohyStarsRadha MitchellCole HauserVin DieselA transport ship crashes and leaves its crew stranded on a desert planet inhabited by bloodthirsty creatures that come out during an eclipse.PITCH BLACK should have been a bigger hit than it was given the impressive track record of the people who made the cultish sci fi action pic. Genre addicts know the writers (Jim & Ken Wheat) for THE FLY II, THE BIRDS II: LAND'S END & IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE II while the director (David Twohy) who helped polished their script was also responsible for WARLOCK, THE ARRIVAL and G.I. JANE. The cinematographer (David Eggloy)) everybody should know for the original MAD MAX while the special effects artist overseeing the stunningly beautiful visuals (Brian Cox) designed them also for MAD MAX: BEYOND THUNDERDOME. DNEG & and a few dozed programmers created some still-striking animations. The company has been associated with a number of high profile films including DUNE: PART TWO, SHAZAM: FURY OF THE GODS, and THE AVENGERS: ENDGAME. Their work on PITCH BLACK has aged gracefully over the decades. Probably the greatest special effect on proud display was the man himself; Vin Diesel as RIDDICK making about as impressive a debut as Kurt Russell did when he introduced the world to Snake Plissken circa John Carpenter's ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK. Diesel is a galvanising screen presence you cannot take your eyes off and has the most commanding voice since James 'Darth Vader' Earl Jones. Despite all that PITCH BLACK didn't make much of an impression until a few years later when Diesel's career suddenly skyrocketed with hits like XXX and THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS roaring to the very top of the box office. DVD sales for PITCH BLACK convinced the studio there was more here than initially met the eye just as Joss Whedon's FIREFLY was briefly pulled from the ashes about the same time. RIDDICK is a dangerous anti hero with surgically altered vision being transported aboard a civilian space freighter that crash-lands on a planet orbiting 3 stars. The desperate survivors realise that every 22 years an omnivorous species of nocturnal predators emerge from darkness to devour the living during eclipse! It's a terrific premise and the cast sells the sharp & witty material like the pros they are. Rahda LONDON HAS FALLEN Mitchell, Rhiana FAR & AWAY Griffith, David THEY LIVE Keith & Wings' chip off the ol' block son Chad 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS Hauser etc are all spot on. Although Hauser's scurrilous character didn't survive the events of PITCH BLACK, the bounty hunter would return in the video game continuation The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay. Griffith's character 'Jack' did survive but was recast thereafter. After a sensational set up and a riveting 1st half PITCH BLACK falters towards the end. It loses some energy This movie is obviously made to cash in on the similar ALIEN and PREDATOR franchises but the creature fabrications aren't nearly as interesting. To my eye they resembled Gyos from the Japanese camp classic GAMERA VS GYOS but I still had fun. A very different sequel built around the instantly iconic RIDDICK hit screens in 2004's THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK. Recommended but not as strongly as you'd suppose.
- DirectorPeter ChungStarsVin DieselRhiana GriffithKeith DavidActing as a bridgepoint between "Pitch Black (2000)" and "The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)", this short film explains why Riddick decides to go into hiding and deliver Jack and Imam Abu al-Walid to New Mecca.Found this 36 minute cartoon included on the disc for PITCH BLACK (now known as THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK: PITCH BLACK) The brand was built around the original star Vin Diesel who's THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS pics were international blockbusters. The sequel was set 5 years after after the events of the 1st film so this anime was created as both a promotion and a way for Universal to address the shift in tone away from the nocturnal predators we saw before. As an adult watching I was bored. David WARLOCK Twohy got story credit while Brett SCREAM: THE SERIES Matthews worked on the screenplay which is too violent for kids to watch. Peter RUGRATS: THE SERIES Chung threw this advertisement for bobbleheads together with cg sweatshop DNA Productions. Diesel gives a bland voice performance that still sounds out of place along vocal talent known for their work on THE POWDERPUFF GIRLS & FUTURAMA. The character of Toombs the bounty hunter played by Nick 666 PARK AVENUE Chinlund would carry over to the 2004 feature as would Imam (David THE THING Keith).
- DirectorDavid TwohyStarsVin DieselJudi DenchColm FeoreThe wanted criminal Richard Bruno Riddick arrives on a planet called Helion Prime and finds himself up against an invading empire called the Necromongers, an army that plans to convert or kill all humans in the universe.
- DirectorDavid TwohyStarsVin DieselKarl UrbanKatee SackhoffLeft for dead on a sun-scorched planet, Riddick finds himself up against an alien race of predators. Activating an emergency beacon alerts two ships: one carrying a new breed of mercenary, the other captained by a man from Riddick's past.
- DirectorEdward BerndsStarsCesare DanovaSean McCloryJoan StaleyIn 1881, in Algeria, Michael Denning and Hector Servadac are fighting a duel when a comet brushing Earth takes the two men to the Moon where they discover a prehistoric civilization.This would be the final feature film for Edward Bernds who got his start as a sound tech before transitioning to a director with THE THREE STOOGES. The Columbia workhorse cranked out scores of B&Ws for whatever B movie genre that would have him. He was nominated for an Oscar once accidentally but found enduring fame because of his adorably bad films. Fans remember him fondly for QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE, THE RETURN OF THE FLY and this preposterous sci-fi adventure based on the obscure 1877 Jules Verne novel Off on a Comet. Al Zimbalist adapted the novel which was considered racist back in the day. The producer/writer working with Bernds eliminated everything from the book except the character of Servadac played by Cesare TENTACLES Danova and the premise which was all he really needed. He owned the rights to use the stock footage for 1940s ONE MILLION B.C. and saw an opportunity to recycle them here. Servadac and his frenemy are swept off the face of the earth by a passing comet. There they find a small prehistoric world cluttered with cavemen & dinosaurs who were captured by an earlier flyby. It's as jaw droppingly ridiculous as it sounds but no more so than 2012s JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND which I also enjoyed. Sean ROLLER BOOGIE McClory, Joan THE GHOST AND MR CHICKEN Staley and RODAN fill out the nondescript cast. The difficult novel was again adapted for the 1970 Eastern European film ON THE COMET and the 1979 cartoon version OFF ON A COMET but VALLEY OF THE DRAGONS has that cheesy flavour I like.
- DirectorEnzo G. CastellariLuigi CozziStarsLou FerrignoJohn SteinerRoland WybengaSinbad and his shipmates aid a young prince, who must battle an evil wizard to gain the hand of a beautiful princess.The Cannon Group was an indie film distributor & producer that rose to prominence very briefly during the explosion in the home video market and the thirst for VHS rentals. Menahem Golan & Yoram Globus were flashy hacks like Irwin Allen. Despite not having an artistic bone in their bodies they occasionally struck box office gold with hits like Sylvester Stallone's COBRA and a dozen others that come immediately to mind like MISSING IN ACTION, DEATH WISH II & NINJA III: THE DOMINATION. By the end of the 80s Cannon was in serious trouble financially with much of the blame centred squarely on the cousins' lavishly produced flops. By the time SINBAD AND THE SEVEN SEAS was dumped onto home video Cannon was in free fall because of the disastrous openings for INVADERS FROM MARS, MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE and the infamous SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE. The Lou THE TRIAL OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK Ferrigo action pic was filmed back in '86 when the studio was still rolling in dough. It was to be written/directed by the slightly notorious Luigi Cozzi who'd worked with the body builder on HERCULES and it's stock footage drenched sequel THE ADVENTURES OF HERCULES the year before. Cozzi was fired and the much worse Edward Castellari was bought on board along with his frequent writing collaborator Tito Carpi. They made a few low brow Italian MAD MAX rip offs (THE NEW BARBARIANS, ESCAPE FROM THE BRONX, etc) before together but had little talent. Their tale of wizardry, brawny warriors and seductive queens fizzled like the special effects work of Fronco THE FABULOUS JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH Prospero & Dino RED SONJA Galiano. Not to worry, you'll also be treated to decades old stock footage swiped from peplums like 1964s HERCULES AGAINST THE MOON MEN. Horrified by what they'd done and with their backs to the wall Cannon rehired Cozzi try to salvage what would one day considered to be one of the 100 Most Enjoyable Bad Movies Ever Made according to the founder of the Razzies. The respectable Daria DEEP RED Nicolodi was cast as a narrator joining actors John YOR: THE HUNTER FROM THE FUTURE Steiner & Ennio 1990: THE BRONX WARRIORS Girolami. Nothing could save SINBAD AND THE SEVEN SEAS from going down with the Cannon ship. This DOG was allegedly based on a short story written in 1845 by Edgar Allen Poe called The Thousand and Second Tale of Scheherazade but don't you believe it!
- DirectorBruno MatteiClaudio FragassoStarsLou FerrignoSybil DanningBrad HarrisA bandit leader endowed with supernatural powers by his sorceress mother makes yearly raids on a peasant village. However, the women of the village come into possession of a magic sword, and go in search of a hero who is able to wield it and save their village from the evil bandit.
- DirectorJuan Piquer SimónStarsKenneth MorePep MunnéIvonne SentisAlso known as "The Fabulous Journey to the Centre of the Earth" in the UK. The film is partially dubbed in English, but it has good cinematography.WHEN TIME BEGAN aka: THE FABULOUS JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH was a rip-off of a series of better produced fantasies made by British studio Amicus during the 70s. THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT and AT THE EARTH'S CORE weren't big budget movies but had a huge amount of raw talent behind the scenes and every cent on the screen. WHERE TIME BEGAN simply isn't in that league. Spanish director Juan Simon who also directed the cultish slasher PIECES and THE RETURN OF E.T. wrote/directed this impoverished but ambitious adaption of Jules Verne's 1864 classic novel with an assist from from Carlos SATAN'S BLOOD Puerto & James CAULDRON OF BLOOD Melson. The 1st half hour offers a long sequence where the cast slooooowly climb down a rope ladder to the center of the earth. It's the most pitiful 'action sequence' since Irwin Allen's BEYOND THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE where his cast spent 10 minutes climbing one! Only difference is that at least with Allen's cast I knew who the actors were. I only recognised a few of the people in this dreary mockbuster and even they were dubbed. At the 1 hour mark you get 2 minutes of dinosaur puppets behaving badly but you've have to make it till near the very end to see a man in an ape costume RAMPAGE. 1977 was also the year Dino de Laurentis' KING KONG was an enormous hit so Simon shot some ridiculous footage to insert where you'd expect T-rexes. Kenneth A NIGHT TO REMEMBER More, Pep THE GIRL WITH THE GOLDEN PANTIES Munne & Jack THE VAMPIRE'S NIGHT ORGY Taylor starred. In 1981 Simon produce MYSTERY ON MONSTER ISLAND which may remind folks of Jules Verne's THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND but I assure you nobody ever made a sequel to WHERE TIME BEGAN.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsMalcolm McDowellPatrick MageeMichael BatesIn the future, a sadistic gang leader is imprisoned and volunteers for a conduct-aversion experiment, but it doesn't go as planned.
- DirectorJoe DanteStarsDee WallacePatrick MacneeDennis DuganAfter a bizarre and near deadly encounter with a serial killer, a television newswoman is sent to a remote mountain resort whose residents may not be what they seem.
- DirectorPhilippe MoraStarsChristopher LeeAnnie McEnroeReb BrownA man discovers that his sister was a werewolf, and helps an investigator track down a gang of the monsters through the United States and eastern Europe.
- DirectorPhilippe MoraStarsBarry OttoMax FairchildImogen AnnesleyA female werewolf runs away from her family, and falls in love with a man who works in the movie business, while a sociologist who studies these creatures is looking for proof of their existence.Author Gary Brandner wrote THE HOWLING III and sold the rights to Australian director Philippe PTERODACTYLE WOMEN OF BEVERLY HILLS Mora. Both blamed the fiasco that was HOWLING II: YOUR SISTER IS A WEREWOLF on the production team and were determined to milk the damaged brand for all it was worth. Mora shot this bizarre, non sequitur sequel which bears no resemblance whatsoever to the book or earlier films & took credit for the terrible screenplay. A scientist (Barry STRICTLY BALLROOM Otto) discovers a species of primitive were-marsupials hiding in the outback who hopes to introduce them to polite society. Meanwhile, a young woman (Imogen EMMERDALE: THE DINGLES DOWN UNDER Annesley) flees her tribe to escape a sexually abusive were-dingo played by Max MAD MAX Fairchild and is eventually hired to star in a low budget horror movie. She becomes pregnant by a handsome man on the set (Lee THE YEAR MY VOICE BROKE Biolos) unaware werewolves are in pursuit. I liked the cast (especially Frank MAD MAX: BEYOND THUNDERDOME Thring as the Hitchcock-esque director) but NONE are capable of selling the script which defies description at times. Bob ESCAPE 2000 McCarron & Roger CATHY'S CURSE Cowland created the cheap & embarrassing special effects further undermining what little cred THE HOWLING PART III: THE MARSUPIALS had as a sequel to what many consider to be one of the best horror movies of the 80s. Followed by the significantly superior HOWLING IV: THE ORIGINAL NIGHTMARE.
- DirectorJohn HoughClive TurnerStarsRomy WalthallMichael T. WeissAntony HamiltonA successful author moves to a small town after suffering a mental breakdown and is tormented by demons and werewolves.John Hough is a British director who genre addicts remember for TWINS OF EVIL, THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE & THE WATCHER IN THE WOODS. He signed on to shoot this 4th direct-to-video instalment of the wildly erratic THE HOWLING franchise bringing far more style and expertise to this reboot than you'd expect if you had the misfortune of seeing HOWLING II: YOUR SISTER IS A WEREWOLF or THE HOWLING PART III: THE MARSUPIALS. HOWLING IV: THE ORIGINAL NIGHTMARE offers a new spin on Gary Brandner's trashy paperback best seller which Joe Dante wisely ignored back in 1981. Screenwriters Clive THE HOWLING: NEW MOON RISING Turner & Freddie HOWLING V: THE REBIRTH Rowe rather informally reference the book while telling a formulaic rehash of THE HOWLING sans the humour or eye-popping special effects. The weak script undermines this okay werewolf tale but additional behind the scenes turmoil involving dubbing and reshoots clearly damaged the project although it's still the only sequel that deserves a good look imo. Romy HOTEL MALIBU Windsor moves to Drago after seeing a ghostly nun. Things go from bad to worse when the unstable writer's husband (Michael 2000 MALIBU ROAD Weiss) takes up with a trampy lycanthrope & the entire town is revealed to be filled with demons. Despite it's flaws this isn't bad. The inventive low budget fx fron Steve SPIDER- MAN 2 Johnson are unique & well presented. Recommended.
- DirectorNeal SundstromStarsPhil DavisVictoria CatlinElizabeth ShéA group of strangers visit an ancient Hungarian castle and bring along a werewolf.HOWLING V: THE REBIRTH was written as an homage to Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians starring Phil NICHOLAS NICKLEBY Davis, Victoria TWIN PEAKS Catlin & Elizabeth She. The group travel to a cursed castle in Budapest only to find a werewolf picking the guests off one dark and stormy night. Elizabeth She would recur in Parts 6 & 7, btw. It's a strong, appealing cast carrying this direct-to-video horror pic. They share the honour with the Hungarian filming location which add an authentic gothic atmosphere by proxy. Atmosphere is all you get as there was almost no special effects to speak of. Garth ISHTAR Inns had enough cash for a furry claw & a snarly werewolf mask which appears in flash cuts. Director Neal SPACE MUTINY Sundstrum reported difficulties working with producer Clive THE LAWNMOWER MAN Turner as had John Huogh the year before while filming HOWLING IV: THE ORIGINAL NIGHTMARE. Clive also wrote the pedestrian adaption with an assist from Freddy Row who also contributed to part IV. This uninspired VHS rental was followed by the unnecessary HOWLING VI: THE FREAKS.
- DirectorHope PerelloStarsBrendan HughesMichele MathesonSean SullivanA villainous carnival owner traps a young werewolf to include in his growing menagerie of inhuman exhibits.Bruce RETURN TO HORROR HIGH Hughes stars as a good werewolf seeking to avenge his sister's death at the hands of an odd looking nosferatu in this eccentric and unsatisfying sequel to THE HOWLING. The burnt looking vamp (Bruce WARLOCK III: THE END OF INNOCENCE Payne) owns a travelling sideshow who intends to add the lycanthrope to his collection of oddities. Antonio WHORE Fargas, Carol SON OF BLOB Lynley & Deep RETURN TO OZ Roy flesh out the acceptable cast. Kevin Rock who was responsible for the infamous Roger Corman production of THE FANTASTIC FOUR scripted for director Hope CRITTERS, CARNIVORES AND CREATURES Perello. Neither put any effort in their work which is too bad because the cast was more than capable. Unlike HOWLING V: THE REBIRTH this episode had enough cash to hire Steve SPECIES II Johnson and Scott HOWLING II: YOUR SISTER IS A WEREWOLF Barnett to create special effects but none are especially good. If you thought VI was bad wait till you see HOWLING VII: NEW MOON RISING.
- DirectorClive TurnerRoger NallStarsJohn RamsdenErnest KesterClive TurnerA number of brutal, werewolf-like slayings begin occurring in a small California town after the arrival of an unfamiliar motorcyclist.
- DirectorJoe NimzikiStarsLandon LiboironLindsey ShawIvana MilicevicA teenage outcast discovers he is a werewolf, and must battle a pack of the brutal creatures when they threaten him and his new girlfriend.
- DirectorJohn TrentStarsAnthony NewleyStefanie PowersIsaac HayesSweeney, a divorced man, is willing to do anything, even kidnapping, to win back his wife. He stands a fair chance as the ex-mates continue to sleep together, despite the fact that she's remarried. How far will he go to conquer his beloved once again? It's up to a team of New York cops to try and make sense of the crime.John MIDDLE AGE CRAZY Trent was a Razzie nominated Canadian director who scored a casting coup with IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME. Not only had the legendary composer Anthony DOCTOR DOLITTLE Newley agreed to star future HART TO HART actress Stephanie Powers signed on as the female lead. The lovers get mixed up in a fake kidnapping scheme & are pursued by cops Lawrence SCANNERS Dame and John THE CLOWN MURDERS Candy. Also appearing in this dated comedy were Isaac RETURN TO SLEEPAWAY CAMP Hayes, Lloyd DYNASTY Bochner & Yvonne THE MUNSTERS De Carlo. The script was written by Trent & David Main who also collaborated on the obscure sequel; FIND THE LADY with returning actors Candy & Dane. B movie auteur John THE DAY TIME ENDED Cardos served as assistant director and for the unpopular spin off.
- DirectorIrving PichelStarsJohn ArcherWarner AndersonTom Powers"Destination Moon", tells the tale of when Doctor Charles Cargraves and retired General Thayer approach Jim Barnes, the head of his own aviation construction firms to help build a rocket that will take them to the moon.DESTINATION: MOON was the 2nd of 2 pictures iconic producer George THE WAR OF THE WORLDS Pal made for England's Eagle-Lion studio. Their 1st was the box office flop THE GREAT RUPERT also directed by Irving DRACULA'S DAUGHTER Pichel who was blacklisted during the era of McCarthyism. This classic & influential science fiction epic was among the 1st to truly imagine what a trip to the moon would entail for humanity sans the elements of fantasy the fans had been flocking to see even before those charming FLASH GORDON serials of the 1930s. The story was prepared by Alford THE BAMBOO SAUCER Von Ronkle & James CONQUEST OF SPACE O'Hanlen then given considerable polish by novelist Robert STARSHIP TROOPERS Heinlein who also served as a technical adviser. The story begins with a team of engineers convincing wealthy American industrialists of the importance of reaching the lunar surface before it can be occupied by enemy hands and converted into military base. The patriotic astronauts (John I SAW WHAT YOU DID Archer, Dick JIM THORPE ALL AMERICAN Wesson, Warner PEYTON PLACE Anderson & Tom DOUBLE INDEMNITY Powers) experience the thrills of space travel in TECHNICOLOR which was a rarity at the time within the genre. Pals' film took off at the box office like the fabulous Luna rocket ship designed by FX artist Lee FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON Zavitz who received an Oscar for his considerable efforts. The stunningly beautiful matte paintings also earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Art Design. The producers friend Walter Lantz also allowed his famous cartoon creation Woody Woodpecker to narrate a memorable scene to great effect. DESTINATION MOON is a genuine sci fi classic modern audiences might find difficult to sit through but the same can be said for 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. Highly recommended.
- DirectorIrving PichelStarsJimmy DuranteTerry MooreTom DrakeA little squirrel with lots of charm accidentally helps two poor, down-but-NOT-out families overcome their obstacles.THE GREAT RUPERT was based on a short story by Canadian auther Ted BUTHUNE: THE MAKING OF A LEGEND Allan & adapted for the screen by Laszlo COPACABANA Vadnay. Producer George WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE Pal owned the rights to the charming comedy Irving QUICKSAND Pichel shot as part of a two picture deal with British studio Eagle-Lion (DESTINATION: MOON being the other). Vaudeville star Jimmy IT'S A MAD MAD MAD WORLD Durante led the cast as a washed up circus performer with a dancing squirrel named Rupert who he releases back to the wild unaware his fortune is about to change forever thanks a Christmas windfall. Terry MIGHTY JOE YOUNG Moore co-starred along with Sara LOVE LAUGHS AT ANDY HARDY Haden & Tom MR. BELVEDERE GOES TO COLLEGE Drake but the animated squirrel stole every scene hand's down. The stop motion fx was created by Fred FANTASTIA Madison & the future CEO of Legend Films Barry Sandew who's known today for his innovative 3D work on franchises like SHREK, TRANSFORMERS and THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN. This B&W film looks even better in color and is widely available in that format under the title A CHRISTMAS WISH.
- DirectorHenry CorneliusStarsStanley HollowayBetty WarrenBarbara MurrayResidents of a part of London declare independence after they discover an old treaty, which leads to the need for a "Passport to Pimlico".
- DirectorDavid GreeneStarsRobert UrichMeredith BaxterJeffrey TamborAn actor whose career has gone flat resolves to pursue a more stable occupation while also trying to save his troubled marriage.CBS developed this tv movie as a pilot for star Robert LOVE BOAT: THE NEXT WAVE Urich based on a script by William Link & Richard Levinson who created top rated series like MURDER SHE WROTE and COLUMBO. Urich plays a failed actor with a frustrated wife (lesbian actress Meredith AIRLINE DISASTER Baxter-Birney) looking to start a new life to escape the rut he's in. His gay BF (cancelled actor Jeffrey THE ROPERS Tambor) suggests opening a restaurant but will it be enough to save his marriage? This dramady was directed by multiple Emmy winner David ROOTS green who makes the most of his casts' sincere performances but the network sadly decided they'd seen enough.
- DirectorH. Bruce HumberstoneStarsDavid NivenVera-EllenCesar RomeroA chorus girl gets a ride from millionaire Bruno's driver. The cash-strapped theater director thinks, she's Bruno's girlfriend and makes her the lead. She meets Bruno, thinking he's a reporter. More confusion follows.
- DirectorMitchell LeisenStarsCarole LombardFred MacMurrayCharles ButterworthA hair-dresser stranded in Panama moves in with an ex-soldier and his hypochondriac roommate; she and the former fall in love, but their romance is threatened by success and the arrival of his old flame.
- DirectorUlli LommelStarsSuzanna LoveRobert Walker Jr.Donald PleasenceDr. Worley probes a witch's curse in Devonsville after three women arrive, angering misogynistic leaders. One is the reincarnated witch seeking vengeance on men. It follows the clash with the patriarchal town and curse investigation.The slightly notorious Ulli BOOGEYMAN II: REDUX Lommel made THE DEMONSVILLE TERROR as a star vehicle for his wife Suzanne REVENGE OF THE BOOGEYMAN Love. The real life Dupont heiress plays the reincarnation of a woman burnt at the stake 300 years prior for cavorting with the Devil. A historian (Donald THE PUMAMAN Pleasence) investigating the town's dark past falls under her evil spell as she seeks supernatural revenge against the sexists conspiring to kill her again for witchcraft. Suzanne isn't a bad actress but the script she helped Lommel write is pandering garbage. Fan boys will try to dress this 10th rate rehash of BLACK SUNDAY up as a 'feminist' horror pic but don't you believe one word out of their lying mouths! Women are subjected to torture and murder from start to finish and I was not impressed. Robert SON OF BLOB Walker (MGM CEO David Selznick's stepson) also went slumming in a supporting role. David MIRROR MIRROR 2: RAVEN DANCE Hewitt handled the bulk of the atrocious special FX with an assist from future Oscar winner Matthew BLACK ADAM Mungle who's 1st feature this was. Wisconsin's answer to Ed Wood; Bill Rebane served as a producer and shot his own THE DEMONS OF LUDLOW back to back utilising the same sets in addition to most of the unknown cast.
- DirectorRudolph MatéStarsRichard DerrBarbara RushPeter HansenAs a new star and planet hurtle toward a doomed Earth, a small group of survivalists frantically work to complete the rocket which will take them to their new home.