All posts by Andrew Swartz

I am a life long fan of popular culture. This web site is filled with links to clips of musical, movie, and media video clips of things I have found of interest over the years. I hope you find some of this stuff to your liking. Drop me a line and let me know.

“Space Probe Taurus” (1965) – Time Capsule of Antiquated Thought

I was struck immediately by two things in this movie. “Taurus” follows a spaceship journeying out from Earth to look for a new habitable planet for humans to reside on. On the trip, we become aware of the rampant similarity this ship and its crew have to earlier, similar cinematic journeys. Think of “Destination Moon (1950), “Conquest of Space” (1955), and “Rocketship X-M” (1950), to name just a few. A small crew ambles around a rather spacious space vehicle and spends the majority of their time talking about what they’ll do when they get home and other details of their illustrious pasts. In other words, a bunch of boring bantering.

Another distressing element of this film is its view of the female crew member as not being on an equal level with the other men on the ship. The lady is a doctor but is alternately referred to as probably not being the right person for the job and too weak to survive such an arduous trip. That’s forward-thinking screenwriting at its best!

Enjoy the two freaky aliens our intrepid travelers stumble upon: A tongue flicking, exposed brain creepizoid and a thinly disguised underwater beasty that is an otherworldly cousin of “The Creature from the Black Lagoon”.

“Friday The 13th Part 3” (1982) – Watch out or Jason will poke your eye out

Three dimensional film effects highlight the hijinx in the continuing adventures of slasher Jason Vorhees. The filmmakers trot out a new batch of interchangeable teen characters and proceed to have Jason creatively dispatch them in novel ways. It all becomes tedious and nauseating before long as objects like spears and knives thrust into the camera on their way to impaling and destroying said teens.

Jason himself receives a machete to the cranium but never fear, he cannot die and his useless spirit continues on for at least seven more film adventures. Similar in nature to the “Halloween” franchise that lumbers on to this day with its equally unstoppable central character.

Just a note: email me at aswartz40@gmail.com and the first response I get will receive a $25.00 Amazon gift card. Happy Halloween!

“Dracula vs. Frankenstein” (1971) – Shit Sideshow of Monsters and Mayhem

Schlock director Al Adamson resurrected some classic Universal monsters for this low grade monster epic. Some tall cat named Zandor Vorkov plays Dracula with his voice heavily processed with reverb. Interesting effect but probably not necessary. Dracula pays a visit to Dr. Durea who runs a carnival monster exhibit upstairs but has a fully equipped laboratory in the basement to carry out his experiments. In fact, Durea is a direct descendant of the infamous Dr. Frankenstein. And we all know that the Franken-family has that overreaching desire to resurrect the dead coursing through their veins! Dracula wants Durea to perfect an elixir that will make the vampire king nearly invincible. Dracula has also recovered the original Frankenstein monster and wants it revived as well to join his legion of monsters who will bring Mankind to its knees. Vorkov plays Dracula with a psuedo-sophistication based on Adamson’s script and I can tell you that Lugosi has no reason to be concerned that his performance of the vampire is in any danger of being surpassed. Vorkov’s ring that he wears shoots lightening bolts. That’s new! The Frankenstein monster is a hulking dude who has a face that looks like a pool of dried oatmeal. Not impressive.

A lot of the trappings of the old Universal monster movies appear. Durea has a laboratory that is full of flashing lights, electrodes and sparking equipment just like Dr. Frankenstein had down in his lab. Some of the footage of lights is leftover film of the sex machine from “Horror of the Blood Monsters” (1970), another Adamson turkey. Nice. Lon Chaney Jr. is onboard and even dons a werewolf mask for a second just like he did in “The Wolfman” (1941). Otherwise, he plays a drug-induced, axe-wielding, homicidal manic who procures fresh bodies for Durea’s experiments. J. Carrol Naish plays Durea who happens to be confined to a wheelchair. He and Chaney Jr. acted together 25+ years earlier in “House of Frankenstein” (1944).

So much for Dracula reviving the Frankenstein monster, though. They have a falling out over a club singer and start brawling. Take note: This monumental confrontation happens in the LAST 10 minutes of the movie. What a rip-off! Dracula pulls the monster apart but realizes too late that the Sun is about to rise. Bad timing!

Have a go at a viewing of this generally shoddy effort. But beware that the You Tube video available is heavily pixelated and difficult to watch.

“Day The World Ended” (1955) – The Struggle Is Only Beginning

Produced and directed by genre icon Roger Corman, this is an interesting premise of a group of survivors of a nuclear holocaust randomly seeking shelter from the toxic elements in a mountainside residence. The home is populated by a father and his daughter. He is ex-military and foresaw this day of calamity coming and stocked his place with weapons, food and water – for three people. The uninvited guests will prove to be a burden on the limited supplies. Along with the wandering humanity, the hills are populated with mutated monsters that were once men. None of the survivors is sure if the radiation is making them sick and shortening their lives or not. Doubt and paranoia run deep as the people in the house jockey for control and the mountain monsters start to stray close to the house looking for fresh meat.

This movie was remade in 1967 as “In The Year 2889”. I must say that I enjoyed the remake better. It is literally a note for note copy of the original but doesn’t seem as repetitive. I mean how times can the characters in “Day” talk about not going into the radioactive fog (The Light….Hehe!). At only 80 minutes in length, that topic seems to be done to death.

This is an otherwise good Corman production and is recommended.

“Something Evil” (1972) – Demonic House For Sale, Cheap!

This is a moderately interesting tale of a city family happening upon an old country home for sale, deciding to buy it, and taking the plunge headlong into strange occurrences and demonic possession.

This movie is of note because of an early directorial turn by Steven Spielberg. He followed up the classic “Duel” (1971), with this effort. “Duel” was definitely better but this movie is distinguished by impressive camera work and unorthodox shooting angles befitting the twisted nature of this tale of possession. Darren McGavin is also onboard, just recently removed from his performance as Kolchak from “The Night Stalker” TV movie success. He is more of a disbelieving bystander in this one rather than the beast slayer.

I must say that there is a disturbing sequence where star Sandy Dennis tries to locate the source of a baby crying, ends up in the work shed, and uncovers a pulsating (red) jar of protoplasm! That is not normal!

I guess the place wasn’t such a bargain after all.

“Monster of Piedras Blancas” (1959) – Pretty B&W Cinematography, Ugly Story

This is another one of those flicks I watched in my youth, 10,000 years ago, that frightened me. Watching it now, I am struck by the loveliness of some of the black and white film cinematography but bored by the dull goings on and the lumbering, costumed monster.

I now remember what creeped me out all those years ago and it has to do with the beast’s predilection to behead his victims. Never pleasant in any era. So, we have a giant sea monster that walks on two legs and apparently lives in a cave near a lighthouse. The lighthouse keeper feeds the beast, thus keeping it at bay from sampling the culinary delights of Humankind. Well, that effort falls short somewhere along the line and we have a rash of mysterious deaths in the area.

The ending of this thing is a doozy. I think a young Steven Spielberg must have taken some inspiration from the proceedings. When presented with an opportunity to kill the monster before it does in the cornered lighthouse keeper, the posse armed with rifles, refuses to take a shot at the creature until it has succeeding in capturing its prey. Brings to mind some of the latter day scenes from “Jurassic Park” where the dinosaurs are somehow more cunning and noble than their human counterparts and are able to admirably fend off puny Man. A digression, yes.

Still, it is a fun Saturday afternoon/evening horror viewing.

“Invitation To Hell” (1984), Wes Craven moonlighting gig

Wes Craven, creator of Nightmare on Elm Street, and Scream directed this ’80’s science fiction horror film for television. The money must have been right. The movie is a clear cut example of good folk versus evil folk and it has a somewhat annoying 1980’s sheen to it. Robert Urich relocates his family to his new work site and residence. It turns out that the influencers in the community all belong to a fashionable country club. Low and behold, the country club harbors a malignant force that guarantees success or failure in the suburban, gated community that the family moves to. Play Satan’s game or pay, essentially.

The science fiction element to this melodramatic farce includes a space suit Urich is working on that can detect non human life forms and withstand extreme temperatures. See where this is leading to? It is also equipped with a powerful laser weapon. Unfortunately, it is not used enough in the bizarro conclusion to this film. It has to be seen to be believed. Brings back memories of “House of Evil” (1978).

Good time waster, I guess. Craven cashed out bigtime!

“House Of Evil” (1978) – Plenty of Smoke and Broken Mirrors

I am trying to pinpoint the origins of how this movie was made. What haunted house film had come before that could provide “inspiration” to get this film produced? I have guessed “The Omen” (haunted in a different way) or maybe even “The Legend of Hell House” but I am not sure.

“House of Evil” is a mismatch of ghostly manifestations taking place in an abandoned mansion which has been recently purchased by a scientist as the site of a new research facility. A team of fellow scientists and assorted specialists join the professor in his new digs and then ultimately get offed in new and different ways through the course of this whackfest of a film.

The final moments of the movie are truly bizarre and, frankly, farfetched. A good way to pass a dark and stormy Fall night.

Without Warning (1980) – Titanic, Manic Acting

This alien on the loose in a small community film caper has the great advantage of having two acting legends as part of the cast: Jack Palance and Martin Landau. Add in their over the top characterizations, manic is a kind word, and this makes for a moderately memorable viewing experience. There are some nasty attack sequences by some flying nasties that clamp on and zombify their victims. The main alien actor is a towering apparition that appears closer to the end of the film to maintain some dread and mystery as to his purpose and appearance. Landau’s bug eyed recitations of conspiracy theories and Palance’s increasingly desperate attempts to contain the alien contagion are the true delights of this film and I recommend it.

The Terminal Man (1974) – Science For A Better Tomorrow

Author Michael Crichton made a career of fabricating yarns about scientific pursuits which are intended for the advancement and betterment of Man going horribly awry. Whether it be an unfailing belief in the infallibility of scientific advancement being a good thing and absolutely essential to our well being or just a catastrophic domino effect of good intentions and can’t fail scientific method crumbling into chaos, Crichton offered up a bevy of such cautionary tales about our experts overstepping their bounds with regard to natural order and development.

Case in point: The Terminal Man. This cinematic take explores what would happen if a psychologically damaged individual was administered a surgical procedure to curb his appalling tendency to succumb to seizure induced bouts of homicidal rage. Well, let us say, that it only makes things worse. Chalk up another big victory for science as it certainly meant well.

Great George Segal movie. He wildly swings from playing the weak, helpless subject of his laboratory masters to becoming a raging, menacing maniac. A modern day Frankenstein monster. Nightmarish.

May Segal rest in peace.

Monte Hellman, Dead

Monte Hellman was a director with three very iconic movies that can be counted to his credit: “Ride In The Whirlwind” (1966), “The Shooting” (1966) and “Two Lane Blacktop” (1971). “Whirlwind” and “The Shooting” were two Westerns which featured both Jack Nicholson and Warren Oates. Oates also appeared in “Blacktop”.

I can only recommend that you seek out these titles and explore their worlds of existential angst and sad depictions of idealized lives and dreams shattered in a moment’s notice. All these movies have achieved cult status as they demonstrate the bleaker side of life that can catch us unaware.

Truly absorbing work. Cheers to Mr. Hellman.

Charles Grodin, 86, R.I.P.

Eccentric actor and personality, Charles Grodin, passed away recently. There are two roles that I most strongly equate him with. One was as an opportunistic oil company executive who hopes to cash in on a motherload of an oil find in “King Kong” (1976.) Very humorous, comic performance. But I best remember Grodin for his playing of the newlywed schmuck who asks his wife for a divorce a day or two after getting married. “The Heartbreak Kid” contains this classic performance and it is linked here. It is a goodie!

The Atomic Submarine (1959) – What’s Under The Ice Is Not Nice

A black and white science fiction film from 1959 that asks the question: What is causing the disappearance of so many submarines in an area near the North Pole? A meeting of military experts convenes to try and come up with a plan to fins what is happening in the region. The nuclear submarine, “Tigershark” is dispatched to the area to investigate further. Be prepared for some crude but cool special effects miniatures work and a reveal of a USO, an unidentified submerged object, that is in fact a flying saucer. The military finds a way to temporarily subdue the alien vessel and board it! Things get a little farfetched at this point but, hey, this is speculative cinema! Anything goes. Some good face melting scenes ensue and a punctured giant eye. Will the Earth survive? Our resourceful military personnel will personally see to it! Very enjoyable viewing diversion. Worth a look.