Santo battles a devil-worshiping villain from out of the past, in a movie that also provides the viewer the story of the origin and powers of the wrestler’s silver mask. A must-see for fans. Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great. Movie 219 for 2021.
Shen da (1975)
In this film, also known as The Spiritual Boxer, a con man who pretends to be possessed by the gods, ends up having to battle real bad guys who expose his trickery when he stands up to them. There’s a fair amount of humor as well as some OK fight scenes in the latter half …
Border Phantom (Republic, 1937)
Cowboy Larry O’Day (Bob Steele) and his sidekick aim to help a young woman accused of murdering her entomologist uncle in a plot that also involves the smuggling of illegal aliens across the border. An odd plot but still somewhat entertaining for fans of Bob Steele. Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, …
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Mr. Moto’s Gamble (Twentieth Century Fox, 1939)
Mr. Moto (Peter Lorre) investigates when a boxer is killed in the ring … but from poison rather than a blow. Originally planned as a Charlie Chan film and rewritten for the Mr. Moto series, but still with Charlie’s Number One Son Lee Chan (Keye Luke) on hand to help with the investigation, the mystery …
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A Swingin’ Summer (1965)
Two guys wangle a job organizing the entertainment at Lake Arrowhead (thanks to the influence of one’s girlfriend) in this beach musical featuring Gary Lewis & the Playboys, the Righteous Brothers, and more, and with an early role for Raquel Welch (who even gets to sing). The plot’s fairly standard but essentially irrelevant, as the …
Code Name Alpha (1965)
Stewart Granger is a government agent sent to Hong Kong after another operative investigating smuggling was murdered; there, he works with another agent (played by Rosanna Schiaffino), who infiltrates the criminal organization as a teletype operator. The plot is standard and the pacing seems a bit lethargic, and Granger is not particularly convincing as a …
Secret Shaolin Kung Fu (1979)
In this fairly standard action movie, originally titled Hu die shi ba shi, a young man works at a restaurant, where he is picked on, even as he tries to learn martial arts, while at the same time a mysterious man is carried about the country calling on people who in turn commit suicide after …
I’ll Name the Murderer (Puritan, 1936)
A newspaper columnist (Ralph Forbes) whose friend is implicated in the killing of a nightclub singer uses his society column to needle the real murderer as he works to clear his friend, eventually promising his readers that he will identify that party in his next column. A reasonably entertaining low-budget mystery. Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously …
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Phantom Ranger (Monogram, 1938)
An abducted government engraver is being used to create counterfeit bills, and a federal agent is sent west to track down the source of the phony money in this slight but reasonably enjoyable Tim McCoy outing, in which he pretends to be a crook to get an in with the gang holding the engraver. As …
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Operacion 67 (1967)
Not content with battling mad scientists and supernatural terrors, here Santo, el enmascarado de plata, is teamed with an Interpol agent (Jorge Rivero) in a battle against international criminals plotting to use counterfeit money to achieve their goals. The usual trappings of a 1960s spy movie, including interesting gadgets, make for a nice change of …