Dwellers in an underground city who cannot survive in sunlight are the bad guys in this sword and sandal movie, originally titled Maciste, l’uomo più forte del mondo, and Mark Forest portrays the titular muscleman. The plot includes slave raids, a battle with a ferocious ape, a scheme to end at least one family’s vulnerability …
Read the full post →“<em>Mole Men Against the Son of Hercules</em> (1961)”
The daughter (Mabel Karr) of a brilliant but unethical scientist who died of a heart attack after being censured by a scientific board vows vengeance against those she blames for her father’s death, and she kidnaps a stripper (Estella Bain), whom she equips with poisoned fingernails, to use her as a tool to destroy the …
Young Emilie De Blancheville (Ombretta Colli) returns to her family home to celebrate her 21st birthday, only to find it a place full of menace, where her brother (Gérard Tichy) has replaced all the servants, most notably with a lovely but sinister housekeeper (Helga Liné). A doctor (Leo Anchóriz) who seems to have a secret …
Read the full post →“<em>The Blancheville Monster</em> (1963)”
This prehistoric comedy stars Ringo Starr as a hapless caveman, ill-treated by his tribe, who nonetheless finds a place for himself through cleverness and invention. The rather sophomoric humor brings some chuckles. Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great. Movie 517 for 2021.
A plane searching for a missing atomic rocket crashes on a remote island, and its crew — including scientists accompanying the search — soon learn that there is something strange about the place where they’ve down. They set off to learn the explanation, and perhaps to find the missing rocket, but they soon find ample …
Some creepy sequences are the highlights of this Japanese tale of ghostly vengeance, in which a doctor and his sickly wife move to an old family home, where odd and menacing things begin to occur, as the ill deeds of the past haunt the present. Spooky enough. Also known as Black Cat Mansion and Mansion …
FBI agent Ralph Dickson (Grant Withers) goes undercover as a crook to infiltrate a gang involved in smuggling in illegal aliens, a gang led by the mysterious Carney (Evelyn Brent) and based in Chinatown. Modest amounts of action and a few engaging performers, including both Withers and Brent, but also Dorothy Short and Dave O’Brien, …
Black-masked wrestler Neutron has another round of battling the evil scientist (and wrestler) Dr. Caronte, who is himself aided by faithful henchman Nick and some manufactured zombies. There’s plenty of action, but not much plot. Original title: Neutrón contra el Dr. Caronte. Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great. Movie …
Read the full post →“<em>Neutron versus the Amazing Dr. Corante</em> (1963)”
In this tale of Pinocchio updated for the Space Age, the mischievous youngster (Peter Lazer) is turned back into a puppet for misbehaving and then must redeem himself, which he does by setting out to put an end to the depredations of Astro, the space whale. Pinocchio gains a new friend, Nurtle the Turtle (Arnold …
Read the full post →“<em>Pinocchio in Outer Space</em> (1965)”
Rocky Mulloy (Dick Powell) is back in town after five years in prison, freed because an old pal (Richard Erdman) has at last come forward to back up his alibi, though the viewer quickly learns that Rocky has never met this “old pal” before, and the guy is hoping to cash in on some hidden …
