This may be my favorite episode of Kolchak – The Night Stalker TV series. Kolchak ends up on an ocean cruise to do a fluff piece on the singles scene. It ends up being anything but a pleasure cruise for the intrepid reporter. A series of brutal attacks on the paying customers ensue and Kolchak theorizes that a werewolf may be responsible. It turns out one of the guests is harboring a dreadful secret that has a nasty habit of getting completely out of control when the full moon rises. This is a very suspenseful show full of dark shadows, memorable acting and plenty of spooky scenes. Eric Braeden (see “Colossus: The Forbin Project”) turns in a powerful performance as the tortured soul who suffers the curse of the werewolf. Well worth seeking out!
This was an episode from Kolchak – The Night Stalker TV series. This series was spun off after the popularity of the Kolchak TV movies, “The Night Stalker” and “The Night Strangler”. Unfortunately, the series was only to last one season. Series star Darren McGavin was involved with the production of the show and after about 5 years of association with the Carl Kolchak role, I think he had had enough and “buried” the burden of Kolchak. Check out the excellent DVD release of all the TV episodes bundled together.
“They Have Been, They Are, They Will Be…” deals with our friends (?), the aliens. Kolchak investigates the strange deaths of zoo animals and a mysterious black ooze that is left behind after the forceful attacks. The ooze also crops up on residential home lawns. There are also thefts and scary occurrences where the culprit responsible cannot be seen. How do all these elements relate to each other and who is behind it all? Nice, atmospheric scenes inside a planetarium and Kolchak’s repeatedly interrupted attempts to attend/ listen to a Chicago Cubs baseball playoff game are among the episode’s many charms.
Disgusting cash-in sequel which capitalized on the classic “Halloween” fright flick directed by John Carpenter. Carpenter is not directing this time but producing, taking a writing credit and providing the music. Still, Carpenter must take his share of credit for this turd. The formula stays the same: Asylum escapee Michael Myers is stalking fresh victims and Jamie Lee Curtis, more or less in that order. Dr. Loomis, portrayed by Donald Pleasance, pursues Myers. This time a face off takes place in a hospital where Curtis recovers from the assault she took from Myers in the previous flick. Curtis is nothing more than a crawling, mute presence here. Her character shambles around in a perpetual state of shock and then lurches around the hospital trying to find a hiding place from “the boogie man”, Myers. It all feels rather empty like the hospital. No characters are developed to care about. The scumbag hospital attendants who spend a lot of their time cavorting in empty hospital beds and whirlpool tubs are dispatched in abundance. Myers basically murders everyone in his path. He utilizes a lot of hospital equipment to accomplish these deeds in “novel” ways. We are given some small bits of revelatory information to add to the storyline/back story of Myers. Myers is shot repeatedly but manages to get back on his feet with twice the murderous force as before the bullet bath. I really stopped caring after awhile. I’d seen it all before.
An enjoyable time filler fantasy picture that follows a team that captures a live abominable snowman or yeti. Forrest Tucker plays a sham naturalist who talks of sharing the capture of a yeti to the world as a scientific wonder. As the movie progresses, we find out that he is in fact a P.T. Barnum in the making who wants to parade the beast around the world at fair and make a killing at the box office. Peter Cushing is a more traditional scientist who comes to detest the intentions of Tucker. Very atmospheric music and sets when the team actually manages to catch one of the elusive beasties. Dread, then sets in for the human party.
A sad excuse of a cash in, Halloween 5 is full of screeching teenager and kid victims. Scares, interest and originality are lacking. Michael Myers, the unstoppable bogeyman of the Halloween franchise, lumbers in the shadows and then emerges to massacre the human fodder who pass for characters in this dreck. Repetitive, noisy, cliched, wretched. The “creative” team behind this mess were willing to pass off this trash for a quick buck. Since Michael will never die, expect this shambles of a series to continue on indefinitely.
Earth versus The Space Bugs in this intense action film. We have a new enemy that is trying to wipe out our species so Earth fights back and sends some of its military finest to engage the threat. Four young recruits are followed from their basic training days up until they become battle hardened soldiers. The scenes of war between the gigantic, alien insects and the Roughneck ground forces are amazing special effects sequences! Lots of body parts flying, gore splattering everywhere and gun play. Directed by Paul Verhoven of Robocop fame, this is a semi satirical, gut busting science fiction/action flick. Truly enjoyable!
A motorcycle is destroyed during the course of this short film. Take it on good faith that the destroyed machine really was on its last legs. Now to haul it away….Can’t remember how that was accomplished.
A different approach to mastering your musical instrument is demonstrated here. Not the most cost effective way….but, a way. Strongly influenced by The Who and their auto destruction phase.
Creepy interpretation by Roger Corman of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Pit and the Pendulum. Richard Matheson scripted this adaptation. Vincent Price adds his diabolical presence. Love the creaking of the pendulum as it winds its way down toward the intended victim. Part of Corman’s Poe cycle of film adaptations. Nice 60’s horror atmosphere.
Placed here for laugh value only. Truly, one of the worst movies I have seen. Cash in on the stalker/slasher and alien film genres popular with movie goers at the time. Here we have an alien visitor to our planet vaporizing innocents with his laser blasting eyeballs. William Devane to the rescue to deliver us from the unwarranted alien barbequing of earthlings. A suitable double bill partner for other frightful turkeys of the ’70’s such as Nightwing, The Car, The Manitou, etc.
This picture was made on a small budget and sports some Ray Harryhausen style stop motion animation effects. Pretty good effects at that. Sometimes the figures and models look out of scale with their background but the motion achieved is more than adequate. This is a good flick for a lazy Saturday afternoon: enough thrills to keep you occupied but nothing spectacular either. Kid finds blaster in the desert which allows him to blow things to smithereens. Cool! The unfortunate side effect of the weapon is that it turns the kid into a hideous green- hued monster. The alien owners of the weapon show up and reclaim it from the kid but not without a fight. I suppose it is a cautionary tale: don’t mess with what you don’t understand. An otherwise innocent youth not even in his prime is corrupted by the awesome force he uncovers and is corrupted absolutely. Sounds like too much TV, movies, and Internet usage.
This is the full movie version of Tales From The Crypt (1972). A couple of nice segments in this British horror anthology. Fantastic ghoul makeup applied to Peter Cushing.
A varied collection of unusual movie and music video clips.
