Hockey came to an end so congrats to the Vegas Golden Knights. With hockey out of the way I’m left with some extra time for another movie or two over the course of the month in between Blue Jays baseball games. Seems like I wallowed in plenty of low budget and horror efforts this month. Not by design but just titles that either jumped out at me from the shelf or in some cases shoehorning them in while looking for something in the 75 minute range.

1930’s ….

La llorona (1933) Indicator blu ray. South of the border thriller/horror title tells the tale of The Crying Woman. According to the blu ray intro this is the first horror film to come out of Mexico which would go on to produce plenty of monster movies in the years ahead. It’s pretty creaky overall in telling the story of how The Crying Woman came to be and what evil she brings with her to the young children she seeks to steal from their warm beds. I chalk this one up as a learning experience in broadening my understanding of the legend of La llorona and cinema history in general.

The Three Musketeers (1939) Universal DVD.

Comical version of the famed literary tale finds Don Ameche as D’Artagnan teaming with what he believes are the Three Musketeers to fight tyranny. This is where the story takes a twist to hit at our funny bones. The Musketeers are briefly out of action when Ameche comes calling. Instead he finds a trio of innkeepers, The Ritz Brothers, donning Musketeer clothing and enlists the trio to follow him onto battle against the likes of Lionel Atwill. Can’t help but watch and wonder why The Three Stooges were not used in feature films like this. Funny, though I wish it was in color with Gloria Stuart, Binnie Barnes and John Carradine also stopping by.

1940’s ….

Honky Tonk (1941) Warner Archive DVD.

It’s called STAR POWER.

Clark Gable meets Lana Turner in this frontier effort that sees Gable and his sidekick, Chill Wills, looking to fleece all suckers and that includes taking over a town run by the crooked Albert Dekker. Gable is torn between the saloon gal Claire Trevor and the virginal Lana. Maybe Miss Turner can make an honest man of him. Maybe. Great cast includes Frank Morgan, Marjorie Main and long time character players like Will Wright and Ray Teal.

Scotland Yard Investigator (1945) Rarefilmm : Cave of Forgotten Films.

Enjoyable 68 minute time filler from Republic. Might be the first time I watched a movie that had C. Aubrey Smith scoring top billing. Here he’s pitted against Erich Von Stroheim in a struggle to possess the Mona Lisa. The famous painting has been England under C.A.’s watch but now that the war is over it is to be returned to France. Not if Erich gets his hands on it. The title is off and doesn’t fit but this one is easy to recommend.

Murder Is My Business (1946) Classic Flix DVD. Hugh Beaumont steps into the role of Private Detective Michael Shayne for the first of five appearances now that Lloyd Nolan had stepped aside. Minor entry that finds Beaumont hired on by a wealthy socialite who soon ends up dead. So who did the killing? Could be any one of her greedy family members.

1950’s ….

Wyoming Roundup (1952) Warner Archive Monogram Western Set Vol. 2 DVD. Strictly a formula B pic with Whip Wilson getting hired on to play town tamer when the likes of screen baddie Robert J. Wilke are gunning down people in the back.

Three Ring Circus (1954) TCM.

Martin and Lewis comedy meant to tug at the heart when they fall in with the circus roadies following a stint in the military. Zsa Zsa Gabor and Joanne Dru costar in this effort meant to showcase Lewis’ clown as opposed to Dino’s singing style.

The Vampire (1957) Scream Factory blu ray. Low budget 50’s thriller with John Beal as a Doctor accidently taking the wrong pills in more of a Jekyll/Hyde twist than an outright vampire movie even if he does like to feed of the ladies in the dark of night. Like James Caan in Misery, he really needs his pills if only nurse Colleen Gray will give them to him. Better than you might think and nice to see Kenneth Tobey and Dabbs Greer along for the chills.

The Mummy (1959) Second Sight blu ray.

Multiple viewings never dulls this one for me. Hammer classic looks gorgeous on blu ray in this beautifully packaged release from Second Sight. Peter Cushing is the archaeologist, Christopher Lee rises from his sleep as The Mummy. Yvonne Furneaux plays the reincarnated love of Lee’s Kharis. Hammer was hitting homeruns at this point with Terence Fischer directing once again.

Uncle Was A Vampire (1959) Severin Christopher Lee Box Set Vol. 2 blu ray. Lee is wisely cast in this Italian comedy that sees him playing “Dracula” or better still, straight man to comedian Renato Rascel. Lee’s vampire is off to Italy to stay at the castle of his last living descendant, Rascel. What he doesn’t realize is that Baron Rascel is broke and has lost his castle to hotel financers who have turned his ancestral home into a tourist hotspot. Comical hijinks soon follow with Sylva Koscina a prime target for a vampire’s fangs. Lee’s second appearance in a cape though not counted among his official performances as Stoker’s Count.

1960’s ….

Konga (1961) Kino Lorber Studio Classics blu ray.

If you’ve a taste for ham then be sure to check out Michael Gough as a brilliant scientist back from the jungles with a small chimpanzee in tow. Gough is clearly insane and injecting his pet chimp with a serum that only increases his size to epic Kong like proportions. Gough has a talent for making one’s skin crawl and to see see him fawn over a college girl about 25 years younger then he is is enough to turn my stomach inside out. Off screen I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the nicest guy in the world but on camera he could sure play creepy but without the charm that made actors like Price, Cushing and Lee beloved actors of the horror and fantasy genre.

The Blancheville Monster (1963) Arrow Video blu ray. Visually stunning Euro horror sees a young woman returning to her brother and the ancestral home/castle. Is someone trying to drive her crazy? Who is the scarred man chasing her in the night? Good fun and nice to see Arrow restoring these thrillers that play like they’re in a parallel universe to the Poe/Corman/Price films for AIP.

Shenandoah (1965) Kino Lorber Studio Classics blu ray. Revisiting a longtime personal favorite starring Jimmy Stewart.

The Witch (1966) Arrow video blu ray.

I really liked this Euro thriller starring Richard Johnson who is hired on as a librarian in a dusty mansion by a creepy old dame, Sarah Ferrati. It’s her beautiful daughter, the mysterious Rosanna Schiaffino that lures him into the position. Not only is she Sophia Loren gorgeous but she’s very sexual and open to his advances. Still there’s already a librarian in place, Gian Maria Volonte, who isn’t about to give up the job or Rosanna. There’s an evil presence throughout and while we might know what’s going on, Johnson doesn’t aside from the fact that he’s becoming a pawn in a blood soaked plot. I’ll be revisiting this one.

The Third Eye (1966) Arrow Video blu ray. Heavily influenced by Psycho, this thriller has a young Franco Nero set to marry Erika Blanc but he’s got an overbearing mother who doesn’t approve. Good thing he has a hobby. Taxidermy. Just like Norman Bates. There’s more to the plot than just Nero strangling women. He’s got a housekeeper who is just as psychotic as he is and things heat up when Erika’s sister turns up played by Erika in a dual role.

1970’s ….

One More Train to Rob (1971) Code Red blu ray.

Light hearted western with George Peppard taking the fall for fellow thief, John Vernon, and doing a three year stretch. Turns out Vernon double crossed him and Peppard returns for his share of the loot and Diana Muldaur who Vernon also stole from our leading man. Maybe these two can repair their relationship by teaming up to steal a fortune in gold from Chinese Immigrants led by Richard Loo and Soon Tek-Oh. No classic but with long time veteran Andrew V. McLaglen directing this one plays fine delivering solid entertainment.

Blackenstein (1973) Severin blu ray. The worst blaxploitation flick ever made? Could be. Embarrassingly bad or hysterically funny. Depends on your frame of mind or how many beverages you’ve had prior to pressing play on this abomination of Miss Shelley’s original story. If I can offer any advice it would be to watch Blacula instead.

Golden Needles (1974) Kino Lorber Studio Classics blu ray. Robert Clouse once again gives us an action flick. This time starring Joe Don Baker attempting to track down a priceless statue that holds secrets the evil Burgess Meredith is longing for. Jim Kelly reunites with his Enter the Dragon director to join in the fun. I liked the trailer …..

Five Women For the Killer (1974) Vinegar Syndrome blu ray. Ho-hum. Francis Matthews who I know best from some Hammer films of the 1960’s turns up in this Giallo thriller where a madman is on the loose killing …. women of course.

The Fury (1978) Arrow Video blu ray.

I’m always a bit torn on this De Palma thriller. I don’t think it’s all that good but at the same time it’s undeniably watchable. Kirk Douglas stars as the father trying to get his son Andrew Stevens out of a Government operation headed by John Cassavetes. John is recruiting those who are gifted with powers like we’ve seen in Carrie and Firestarter. Bloody and over the top as it nears it’s finale. Nice to see Kirk and John facing off with a top flight cast around them including Amy Irving, Charles Durning, Carrie Snodgress and Fiona Lewis.

Angel’s Brigade (1979) VHS.

Drive -in specialist Greydon Clark once again directs a low budget effort with plenty of familiar faces combined with an eye catching plot for the male members of the audience. Seven attractive ladies with poor acting chops take it upon themselves to go vigilante on a drug operation run by baddies Jack Palance and Peter Lawford. Also turning up are Neville Brand, Alan Hale, Pat Buttram and Jim Backus. Laughably bad at times but what the hell and anything with Palance commanding your attention always draws me in.

1980’s ….

Nightmare City (1980) Arrow Video blu ray. Zombies raid the city in this gross out thriller from director Umberto Lenzi. It’s Hugo Stiglitz in the lead role doing his best to keep himself and his wife safe from the hungry “walkers” that have invaded city streets while General Mel Ferrer organizes the military to fight back. Perfect fodder for Fangoria Magazine back in the day.

Alone In the Dark (1982) Scream Factory blu ray. I put the spotlight on this ages ago but with the release of a blu ray edition, thought it was time for a rewatch to once again enjoy the performances of Jack Palance, Martin Landau and Donald Pleasence. A trio of real pros who know how to ham it up.

Deathrow Gameshow (1987) Vinegar Syndrome blu ray.

Ultra low budget flick that plays like a poor man’s version of The Running Man minus a budget or any location work. Instead it’s Let’s Make A Deal where men on death row volunteer for a gameshow where they have a chance at freedom. If things don’t work out then they are killed in spectacular fashion on television. Good for a laugh but not for a rewatch.

Mutant Hunt (1987) Vinegar Syndrome blu ray. Another low budget special finds androids taking over the world. Or at least a city block which is all this production could really afford. Cue the gore in this film that seems to find it’s inspiration in the works of exploitation specialist Al Adamson. Don’t miss out on the fight scenes. The choreography is not only hilarious but worth the price of admission. Well, almost.

Weekend At Bernie’s (1989) Paramount DVD.

A bona fide laugh fest when a pair of young bankers hoping to impress the boss find themselves at his beach side resort for the weekend after discovering some accounting “issues.” Their boss Bernie played by Terry Kiser is of course a crook and makes arrangements with the local mob to take the pair out. What follows is hilarity when Bernie dies but the youngsters decide to keep him “alive” for the weekend to continue partying and chasing women. There’s more to it but I’ll let you discover the fun for yourself if you haven’t already. Word to the warning…. skip the sequel.

Sundown : The Vampire In Retreat (1989) Vestron Video blu ray. David Carradine assumes the role his father, John Carradine, played frequently in this entertaining vampire spoof.

A 5 pack of Lethal Ladies movies I sat in on and featured some ass kicking ladies in Firecracker (1981), Savage Streets (1984), Catch the Heat (1987), Nowhere to Hide (1987), and Intent to Kill (1993). Have a look.

1990’s ….

Kingpin (1996) Paramount blu ray.

Having a good laugh with my two sons on Father’s Day. I hadn’t seen this Woody Harrelson led comedy in a while but that didn’t stop me from repeating many of the lines right along with Woody, Randy and Bill as the film moved along. I’ve no idea if there are more than two bowling movies out there, but both of them are hilarious in very different ways and pop culture classics. Kingpin’s plot? Just watch it and thank me later. The other bowling movie? Oh Come On!

Point Blank (1998) VHS. Low budget fodder with Mickey Rourke signing on for a Die Hard like tale that’s laughably bad. He’s an ex military specialist going rogue to take out a bunch of prison escapees holding and murdering a number of hostages in a shopping mall. Among them you’ll spot Danny Trejo as a crazed rapist with a gun and a hunger for cocaine. Honestly the best scenes in the film are the simple ones when Rourke is working the farm with his father played by old pro James Gammon. All down hill from there. Watch the trailer. It’s far better than the finished product.

as of late ….

Percy (2020) Crave.

It’s the classic David Vs. Goliath story done Canadian style. Based on a true story, Christopher Walken plays the title role. That of a Saskatchewan farmer fighting a big corporation all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada over his farming rights. Nice role for the legendary actor without all the Walken(isms) he is famous for.

Sisu (2022) Netflix.

Recommended to me by my son, Kirk, and seeing the trailer and learning it was from the same gang who gave us Rare Exports (2010) I was all in. Off the wall WW2 tale that finds an aging killing machine, Jorma Tommila, getting real nasty when the retreating Germans attempt to kill him and steal the gold that he has unearthed while prospecting. Violent, bloody, over the top and a whole lot of fun as Tommila seeks revenge against those who have left him for dead.

Totals

36 films seen.

20 new to me titles.

16 rewatches.

Among the new to me titles I’d suggest you take a look at are The Witch for an older title and Sisu for something of a recent vintage.

Favorite revisit goes to Shenandoah. Love that Jimmy Stewart film and it never fails to have me reaching for a tissue at the fadeout. I’ll also add that it was great to revisit Sundown after quite a few years.

A quick reminder that you can find me on the app Letterboxd under the handle MikesTake.

R.I.P. Mr. Alan Arkin.