In this wild fantasy (also known as Ginseng King and Three-Head Monster), a boy tries to get help from the Ginseng King to save his dying mother, who has been bitten by a Nazi zombie, even as a group of malicious monsters seek to capture the Ginseng King on behalf of a three-headed demon. A …
Month: August 2021
Riders of the West (Monogram, 1942)
In the last film for the Rough Riders trio of Buck Jones, Tim McCoy, and Raymond Hatton, rancher Ma Turner (Sarah Padden) turns to the boys for help to stop the rustling of cattle. As usual, there’s some undercover work, though this time around Buck doesn’t take on that task. Tim, however, pretends to be …
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Funny Friday: Under the Bounding Main
Horror Rises from the Tomb (1973)
A sorcerer (Paul Naschy) and his mistress (Helga Liné) are executed in the fifteenth century for their crimes, but not before they curse their executioners, including the sorcerer’s brother, and promise vengeance on their families as well. In the current day, a group that includes the descendant of the sorcerer’s brother (Paul Naschy again), dabbling …
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La marca del muerto (1961)
A mad scientist abducts and kills women to perform experiments using their blood, in a quest for immortality, but he is captured and pays the penalty for his many crimes. Many years later, his grandson becomes obsessed with his grandfather’s research and begins his own crime spree to revive his ancestor. Fairly slow-paced, but occasionally …
Comando de asesinos (1966)
Spies from various countries compete — and sometimes cooperate — to try to secure a scientist’s formula for specially hardened steel in this moderately entertaining but unmemorable Eurospy effort set in Lisbon. Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great. Movie 277 for 2021.
Law of the Panhandle (Monogram, 1950)
A gang of outlaws is terrorizing ranchers into selling their land and moving away — but why? U.S. Marshal Johnny Mack Brown is called in by the local sheriff to put a stop to the depredations, figure out the reason, and identify and capture the crooks. The story moves along at a good clip, and, …
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Dark Streets of Cairo (Universal, 1940)
Stalwart Ralph Byrd and comic pal Eddie Quillan are archaeologists caught up in an investigation into a jewel robbery, for which a missing man is blamed, though Ralph has reason to hope it isn’t true, as he has fallen for the man’s daughter (Sigrid Gurie). Decent atmosphere is provided by the sets and photography, and …
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La bambola di Satana (1969)
A young woman (Erna Schurer) inherits a castle from her uncle but is urged to sell it, and various creepy — or simply odd — happenings, including murder, follow, in this fairly atmospheric Gothic thriller, also known as The Doll of Satan. Certainly not the best of this sort of movie, but a decent lead …
Der Mann mit dem Glasauge (1969)
This later German Edgar Wallace Krimi packs plenty of both action and humor into its running time, as Scotland Yard investigates murder tied to a nightclub, as well as drug dealing and human trafficking. Inspector Perkins (Horst Tappert) is the lead investigator; his boss, Sir Arthur (Hubert von Meyerinck) takes a hand from time to …
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