Funny Friday: Pass/Fail
Night Monster (Universal, 1942)
Murder stalks the guests in the sinister home of a man (Ralph Morgan) left crippled by three doctors (among them Lionel Atwill), a man whose sister (Fay Helm) fears for her own sanity as well. Can plucky Dick Baldwin (Don Porter) unravel the mysterious goings-on and protect Dr. Lynne Harper (Irene Hervey), a psychiatrist summoned …
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Sunday Fun: Just in Time
The Man with Nine Lives (Columbia, 1940)
Boris Karloff shines as usual as a mad scientist, this time one committed to cryogenic research. In fact, he himself is a beneficiary, when, after being frozen alive, he and those frozen with him are revived by a younger doctor who makes use of “frozen therapy” to treat cancer. Unfortunately, the scientist’s monomania, though it …
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Sting of Death (1966)
This low-budget monster movie set in the Florida Everglades features mad science, college jerks, bright colors, an odd-looking creature, and the singing of Neil Sedaka (singing “Do the Jellyfish”). There’s no particular reason to see the movie, but it manages to be somewhat entertaining despite its limitations. Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is …
Sunday Fun: Spoiler
The Mysterious Rider (Paramount, 1938)
Unusual casting — Douglass Dumbrille as the lead and Sidney Toler as his sidekick — and polished performances by these actors, with effective contributions from the rest of the cast, including Russell Hayden, elevate this western tale of an old outlaw, who was driven to a life of crime when framed for murder, returning to …
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Muñecas peligrosas (1969)
Three black-clad agents — the Tigresses: Emily, Diana, and Barbara — battle the master criminal Garrick, who is after a secret formula, though their efforts are complicated by the fact that one’s boyfriend actually works for the evil villain. A maid who wants to become an agent herself provides some comic relief. A fairly entertaining …
A Bay of Blood (1971)
Rather a jumbled plot, as the murder of a wealthy woman by her husband sets in motion a series of killings, including a couple that served as inspirations for scenes in later slasher movies. There’s no one to root for, really, in the film, directed by Mario Bava and originally titled Ecologia del delitto, and …