The Wasp Woman (1959)

After diving into the They Crawl set yesterday, I decided that I needed to find something mindless to help me truly process the end of Twin Peaks: The Return. With that in mind, I dove back into the 12 Creature Features set for the 1959 Roger Corman entry, The Wasp Woman.

Plot/ A cosmetics queen develops a youth formula from jelly taken from queen wasps, failing to anticipate the typical hoary side effects.

No one can draw me into classic no-budget horror/sci-fi than Roger Corman. I know that I grew up a little late to enjoy the classic Saturday afternoon matinee, but I did have a chance to enjoy the afternoon and midnight Horror Hosts and his movies were a staple. This one may be one of his more creative efforts and a flick that is extremely entertaining. Most importantly, it has become a staple on multiple box sets that are readily available. This one has an interesting, yet predictable storyline that actually shows some depth with some small subtle twists. It also features some solid performances, decent pacing, and some suspense. Yes, there are some uneven effects that push the limits and the overall cinematography does suffer from the extremely low budget, but what else would you expect from the era of schlock-filled sci-fi gems. In the end, this one is better than most flicks on this latest box set and a movie that those who enjoy classic sci-fi schlock should enjoy. If you are a Corman fan or a person who just loved the classic creature feature, check it out.

Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959)

As I wait for the final two episodes of Twin Peaks: The Return to start tonight, I decided to finish up one of the flicks I watched yesterday. That film is the 1959 low budget/ no budget entry Attack of the Giant Leeches.

Plot/ A backwoods game warden and a local doctor discover that giant leeches are responsible for disappearances and deaths in a local swamp, but the local police don't believe them.

How can you not enjoy anything that Roger Corman is involved with? Honestly, just the name alone should draw you into a low budget schlockfest. That is exactly what this film is, although it actually offers some depth in the scripting department (albeit with some plot holes). This movie offers a solid combination of comedy, drama, and even some horror elements and a decent understanding of the cultures involved. Yes, the production values are limited by the low budget and there are some (okay many) laughable moments with uneven performances and low dollar effects, but that is part of the charm. In the end, this is a decent flick to spend some time on, even if it is a time that you are just searching for a few laughs.

The Alligator People (1959)

After spending the weekend dealing with rain and heat at a USSSA Memorial Day Super NIT softball tournament, I needed some down time today to recover (and I didn’t even play). Having some time before heading out to grab the kids, I decided to kick back and watch something different. I decided on the 1958 creature feature The Alligator People.

Plot/ A woman in a hypnotic state recounts to two doctors the details of a horrific experience from her past life that began with the mysterious and sudden disappearance of her husband.

After talking with my youngest brother earlier today, I was in the mood for a classic 1950s creature feature and I settled on this one. I am glad that I did because what I found was much more entertaining than I expected. Complete with a solid cast including Beverly Garland and Lon Chaney, this film offered an interesting storyline, inspiring cinematography, and some decent effects for the era and budget. I definitely looked like a film that would have been done on a larger scale. Yes, there are some rough moments and some of the performances are uneven, but honestly, that is part of the charm with the classic no-budget creature features of that period. In the end, if you are looking to pass 75 minutes, this is a great choice; it is one of the better 1950s Creature Features out there.

The Killer Shrews (1959)

As my week wound down at the institute, I decided on my drive that I was heading to Family Video to grab some stuff for the weekend. One flick I decided on is a sequel, a movie over 50-years in the making. Before I get to that one, I decided to revisit the original and enjoy some of cheesy 1950s horror. What is the movie? It is the 1959 schlockfest The Killer Shrews.

Plot/ On an isolated island, a small group of people are terrorized by giant voracious shrews in the midst of a hurricane.

Cheesy B-Grade horror flicks of the 1950s are always a mixed bag and this one is no different. Yes, it is bad, complete with laughable effects and a campy storyline that is often incoherent at best. However, this fun and entertaining schlockfest has some awesome characters and decent acting. Sure, it is far from perfect and truly let down by the budget and direction, but it is a fun let-down.  In the end, this movie is one of the more entertaining no-budget thrillers of the era. If you love this type of flick and can get past the low-budget and absurd special effects, you should enjoy it.   Check it out!

The Angry Red Planet (1959)

While tonight, I am sitting through The Hunger Games, as I have tickets to take the daughters to the opening of Catching Fire tomorrow, yesterday was a different animal. I am still not sure how I feel about this Agenda 21 propaganda I am watching now, but that does not matter. Last night, I continued my recent trip into classic era Sci-Fi, and I decided on the 1959 gem The Angry Red Planet.

Plot/ The first spaceship to Mars, presumed lost, is found in space and brought back to Earth by remote control. Once safely on Earth, the scientists learn of the terrible dangers awaiting anyone venturing into the diverse Martian ecosystem.

This is another one of those great campy Sci-Fi gems of the 1950s and 1660s. Made with a low budget (with effects to back that up), this flick is a fun and entertaining look at the Martian landscape. While it is a decent entry from that time, there are some of the typical B-Movie flaws one should expect for that era. The acting is so-so, the characters are flat, and the effects are definitely special… Yet, this is one of the more entertaining films I have watched from that time. In the end, if you enjoy classic Sci-Fi cheese-fests, you should definitely check this one out. 

Beast From Haunted Cave (1959)

As I was recovering yesterday from the final 48 hours of Chiefs Induction, I decided to sit back and enjoy some more flicks. My decision was to back a few years for the 1959 creature feature Beast From Haunted Cave.

Plot/ Gangster Alexander Ward, his girl friend, Gypsy Boulet, and two henchmen come to Deadwood, South Dakota with the idea of stealing a few gold bars. They enlist the aid of a local ski instructor, Gil Jackson, and plan to use him as a guide out of the territory after the robbery. However, a blizzard forces them to take refuge in Jackson's cabin, where the giant spider-like creature they disturbed will set out for vengeance.  

This 1950s low-budget flick is far from a great creature feature. In fact, I would say this is more of a crime drama than creature feature, but that’s just me. This fun and entertaining B-Movie actually succeeds a little more than others of the era with some decent character development, great use of scenery and some very good atmospheric elements tied to the tension between characters. Unfortunately, that is where the positives end. The pacing is way off plodding along until the last 15 minutes or so, the acting is uneven, the scripting and dialogue poor, and the effects and make-up (especially the creature) are beyond laughable. However, it is entertaining and a great example of the low-budget flicks that made the midnight creature features what they were. Not for everyone, I believe classic horror fans and creature feature lovers will at least enjoy it (with a few laughs along the way).

The Tingler (1959)

Now that Cryptozoology Week is over, it is time to catch up on some of the great movies I have watched this week besides ones featuring unknown creatures. Well, some do that as well, but do not fit into the Cryptozoological realm. One such feature is William Castle’s 1959 Vincent Price Classic, The Tingler

Plot/ After years of research, a scientist discovers a caterpillar-like parasite that grows in the human spine when someone is afraid. Unless the victim screams, the parasite can grow large enough to be deadly. Soon, he names this creature the tingler.

Even after all of these years, this movie stands as one of the most interesting horror movies ever made. Yes, it is the picture of low budget B movie heaven boasting a great idea, laughable script, poor dialogue and uneven acting. However, even with Castle's signature gimmicks, the film really works. Price is in full glory, with one of his best performances (complete with an awesome acid trip).  The effects are solid and the monster itself is a classic. In the end, this film is something special and a definite Must See!

Teenage Zombies (1959)

While waiting for the next set of college football games to start because the selection on TV was miserable, I stumbled onto the 1950 “B” movie Teenage Zombies. With boredom setting in I rolled the dice, I couldn’t be any worse than Pitt vs. Syracuse.

Plot / Teenagers Reg, Skip, Julie and Pam go out for an afternoon of water skiing on a nice day. They come ashore on an island that is being used as a testing center for a scientist and agents from "an eastern power." They seek to turn the people of the United States into easily controlled zombie like creatures. The agents steal Reg's boat, stranding the teens on the island. The four friends are then held captive in cages able only to speculate on their fate. However, they have already been testing the formula on convicts and drunks, the enemy scientist and agents plan to conduct final tests on the teens before they use it on the rest of America. Meanwhile, two of their friends, whom the captives had planned to meet later, search for their missing friends. After a series of suspicious encounters, they urge the corrupt sheriff to search the island where their friends are trapped.

Wow, I really have no idea where to start, pretty much everything this flick had to offer was pretty bad! The script, the acting, the plot, really everything was sub par even realizing the genre and era of the movie. However, there is something about it, that even with all its faults it was catchy. Hell, you cannot get much better than the man in the cheap gorilla suit, it truly is fun. Yes, the horror is non-existent, but there is at least something in here that makes it tolerable. While not for everyone, this will at least make an enjoyable hour when wasting time between games!

The Giant Gila Monster (1959)

Now that I have returned from my trip to Phoenixville and the annual celebration of the classic movie the Blob at Blobfest, it was time to relax. After hanging out and talking with some horror hosts (old and new), I was left craving some more of the movies from the classic era of horror and sci-fi cinema. With that in mind, I broke down and re-watched the Giant Gila Monster!

Plot/ A couple of teenagers are reported missing in a small Texas town, and it is thought they eloped until their bodies are found in a ravine. Sheriff Jeff turns to his friend, Clarence Winstead, a garage mechanic and leader of a hot-rod gang for help. A series of tragic motor accidents occur and it becomes apparent that a giant gila monster is roaming the area and depleting the town of its hot-rodding teen-agers and might have plans on attending the record-hop party.

To me, this is a classic example of what a b-monster movie with ridiculous dialogue and dismal special effects is all about! This film has everything it needs to have to be entertaining. Yes, I know this film is bad; the monster is nothing more than a lizard on the ground with some miniature trucks, cars, buildings, and even a train. I know the acting is sub par and script is second rate. Yet, this movie has a draw and is full of heart and actually attempts to be a bit more than the typical entry of the day and that is what makes it so entertaining.

House on Haunted Hill (1959)

After spending the early part of the week going through some of the movies Vincent Price made famous in the 1970s, I felt it was time to take a step back. My choice for tonight was the 1959 Price classic House on Haunted Hill for my incarnation of Vincent Price Week on the Ringmaster’s Realm.

Plot/ Millionaire Fredrick Loren invites five strangers to a party in the House On Haunted Hill. The house has a past of brutal murders. Mr. Loren's fourth wife, Annabelle, warns the guests that her husband is insane and plans something that night. That is when everyone begins to suspect something is going on with Mr. Loren. At midnight, the doors are locked and there is no way to get out. Then when a game of murder begins and no one knows who is doing what there is no way to call for help.

To me, this classic version of the film is by far the best. Director William Castle does a great job in creating one of the most entertaining examples of the low-budget, black-and-white horror films that many of us were raised on. The low budget classic has a nice combination of thrills and chills and follows a very entertaining story while maintain great pace. As usual, Price does a masterful job at bringing his character to life, and is really at the top of his game taking advantage of all of the elements that the setting allows. In the end, this is truly a Price classic and very entertaining film, if you have not seen it pick it up now!

Vincent Price and Paul Naschy - The Perfect way to finish the first DVD of Undead: The Vampire Collection

Yesterday afternoon my three daughters and I enjoyed Scary Movie Sunday, while I continue to motor through Undead: The Vampire Collection. In all, I made it through two movies to finish one of the four disks off, The Bat (1959) and The Werewolf vs. The Vampire Woman. The first film of the day was Vincent Price and The Bat. I had seen it before, but it was a first for my daughters and they seemed to enjoy it as well. Although, I did find it a bit scary that my seven-year old wondered why this is on a Vampire box set (the same thing that I wondered).

Plot: Mystery writer Cornelia Van Gorder has rented a country house called "The Oaks", which not long ago had been the scene of some murders committed by a strange and violent criminal known as "The Bat". Meanwhile, the house's owner, bank president John Fleming, has recently embezzled one million dollars in securities, and has hidden the proceeds in the house, but he is killed before he can retrieve the money. Thus the lonely country house soon becomes the site of many mysterious and dangerous activities. The Bat is an interesting film. While it could never be mistaken for a classic, I have always found it enjoyable with a lot of unseen twists and turns. As always Price is tremendous and works well with the rest of the cast. In all, it is what it is , great entertainment on a rainy Sunday with the kids (especially after missing (Scary Movie Night Saturday)!

The Werewolf vs. The Vampire Woman

This evening as the girls were headed to bed, I watched The Werewolf vs. The Vampire Woman, a great way to close the evening. This is the first thime I have watched a Paul Naschy film since his death and it truly reminded me of how much he will be missed.

Plot: Elvira is traveling through the French countryside with her friend Genevieve, searching for the lost tomb of a medieval murderess and possible vampire, Countess Wandessa. They find a likely site in the castle of Waldemar Daninsky, who invites the women to stay as long as they like. As Waldemar shows Elvira the tomb that supposedly houses the countess, she accidentally causes the vampire to come back to life, hungrier than ever. Daninsky has a hidden secret of his own, but will it be enough to save the two girls from becoming Wandessa's next victims?

If you have not seen this film, shame on you! In my opinion, this is a true classic of the era and a perfect edition to any horror library (now is the ideal time with it falling on this box set). Yes, there are some very slow movie elements and flaws, this definitely has a very atmospheric feel and almost a eerie characteristic. The effects aren’t great, but they aren’t bad either and the cast does a great job feeding off of Naschy’s character. The story is good and kept my interest, especially the way it connected the silver cross to both the vampire and the werewolf’s demise. The idea to use a factual holiday Walpurgisnacht (Walpurgis Night) as a backdrop to the story as the night when Satan rules the earth and Wandessa will have all her powers was also a nice twist In all, a very entertaining movie and the best on Disk Four of

Undead: The Vampire Collection.

vote it up!