Yambao (1957)

Not what I was hoping for, 11 February 2017

I'm going to be real lazy here and just copy the plot summary from IMDb - "Cuba, 1850. On a sugar-cane plantation, the master and his wife are happy : they're expecting a child, their slaves are quiet. But tonight, as the full moon rises, the sound of the drums are in the air. Yambao, the grand-daughter of a sorceress killed 15 years ago, has come back.. With her grand-mother's spirit." Much better and more succinct that I could ever have put it.

Overall, I'll call Yambao a disappointment. From what little I'd read in the past about the movie, it is neither as good or as scandalous as I'd been led to believe. I'd call it a fairly lame, predictable melodrama with way too much dancing, drumming, and chanting. Star Ninón Sevilla is the one bright spot. I'm not familiar with her other work, but here, she really gives it her all. Sevilla shines in every scene. She's a naturally sensuous woman and conveys that sensuality in her every move. The script here, however, lets her down. Co-star Ramon Gay is too bland to give her much to work with. A real disappointment.

4/10

The Hideous Sun Demon (1959)

"Liquor and science don't mix well, apparently.", 11 February 2017

Dr. Gilbert McKenna (Robert Clarke) is a research scientist who is accidentally exposed to a new type of radiation. At first, he seems to be doing remarkably well. However, once in direct sunlight, Gil's body begins to change. He goes through a devolution process and turns into some sort of out-of-control, lizard-type creature.

"Hideous" is the right word to describe Gil's transformation. The special effect suit is about as good as I've seen in a 1950s era sci-fi/horror film. I'd rate it right up there with the suit from Creature from the Black Lagoon. It's really nicely done. The acting is hit or miss. Clarke does a good job playing the tortured victim. I also enjoyed Nan Peterson as Trudy Osborne - not because she's a particularly great actress, but she channel's Marilyn Monroe quit well. Some of the performances, however, are laughable. I'm thinking of the dude who played the gangster - I think it was Peter Similuk. Just awful.

The problem with The Hideous Sun Demon and the thing that keeps me from rating it higher is there's really not much plot here. The movie is full of padding. The runtime is only 74 minutes, but I'd bet at least 20 of those minutes felt like filler. For example, I think there are more scenes of people driving around California than there are scenes devoted to the titular Sun Demon.

5/10

Secret of the Incas (1954)

"I've seen so many women cry it doesn't impress me anymore.", 28 January 2017

Harry Steele (Charlton Heston) is working as a tour guide of sorts in the Peru. However, his ultimate goal is the treasure he believes he can find high in the mountains at Machu Picchu. Into his life walks a woman with the answers to his prayers - a plane that can get him to the top of the mountain. But she brings something else - he falls for her. In the end, what will it be - treasure or love?

As others have pointed out, the comparisons with Indiana Jones are more than obvious - dress, map room, search for treasure, etc. When Secret of the Incas focuses on the adventure and the search for gold, it's very good. Too bad melodrama too often gets in the way of a good time - but wasn't that the case in a lot of these 50s era adventure films. Charlton Heston is quit good here and very believable. Nicole Maurey, whom I don't remember seeing before, is a revelation. One of the real stars has to be the locations. The real life Peruvian sets are spectacular. Overall, not a bad way to spend 90 minutes.

6/10

Double Dynamite (1951)

"The girl, caucasian, brown hair and eyes. Height 5 -7, weight 135 pounds... extremely well distributed.", 6 December 2015

Johnny (Frank Sinatra) and Mibs (Jane Russell) are bank tellers who would like to marry, but money gets in the way. Quite by chance, Johnny saves a mysterious big-time gambler and is rewarded with $60,000. As luck would have it, at the exact same moment, a large bank outage is discovered. How can Johnny prove the money is really his and stay out of jail when he doesn't even know the name of the mane who gave it to him? 

I'd call Double Dynamite harmless enough with a couple of moments of comedy that rise to a level that makes the whole thing slightly above average. The comedy bits come from Groucho Marx. I've never really cared much for the post-Marx Bros' Grouch (and I'm including You Bet Your Life). Most of Groucho's later work is a shadow of what he did early in his career. But here, he has a few moments that are very nearly laugh-out-loud funny. The scenes where he poses as a millionaire and entertains the bank president are nicely written and staged. 

Other than Groucho, the rest of the movie is pretty routine. Sinatra is too milk-toast and Russell can't act. The musical numbers aren't overly memorable and are so infrequent they don't really fit with the rest of the film. Double Dynamite does feature a strong supporting cast including a favorite of mine, Nestor Paiva. The ending is reasonably entertaining. The discovery of the missing bank money is actually clever. 

Overall, a 6/10 from me.

6/10

North by Northwest (1959)

"How does a girl like you get to be a girl like you?", 2 December 2015

I'd like to kick myself in the seat of the pants for just now getting around to watching North By Northwest. I've been meaning to sit down with it for years and finally got around to it this week. It's a case of too many movies and too little time. Anyway, what a treat! It's Alfred Hitchcock and Carey Grant doing what they do best and treating us to one of the most entertaining pieces of film I've ever seen. I don't throw 10/10 ratings around like candy. Over the years, I've taken the time to rate 2,575 entries on IMDb. Of those, I've only given 52 (well, now 53) 10/10 ratings. To me, a movie has to be really special to deserve a 10. And North By Northwest is a very special movie.

I've read more than a few of the North By Northwest reviews on IMDb and many cover the positive aspects of the movie much better and more intelligently than I ever could. Instead of trying to write a real review, I'm just gong to make a few comments on the film:

1. I've read a few reviews that complain about the unrealistic aspects and situations in the movie. I hope no one thinks that Hitchcock was ever going for a realistic look at crime. In an interview I read, he calls the movie, "A fantasy of the absurd". I'd call it a PERFECT fantasy of the absurd. The movie flawlessly mixes action, suspense, and comedy to create a wonderfully entertaining experience. And as I've said any number of times, I watch movies to be entertained. 

2. Apparently, Hitchcock selected Grant in the lead over James Stewart. No offense meant to Stewart, but I cannot imagine anyone in the Thornhill role other than Grant. His comedic touch, mixed with his good looks, his acting ability, and his ability to play a put-upon wrong man type role make him ideal. He may not have been the "everyman" Stewart was, but there's still something in his character that makes him eminently relatable. 

3. Like any movie fan, I was aware of the crop duster scene. It's an iconic movie moment that has transcended the movie. And it's just as good as I could have hoped. But I wasn't aware of the auction scene. That has to be one of the best moments I've experienced in a movie. It's just so perfect. 

4. As much as I enjoyed North By Northwest, there are a few moments that, if they could be changed, the movie would have been even better. Chief among these is the scene fairly early on in the movie where The Professor and his cronies are sitting around a table, discussing the Thronhill situation. I feel they give away too much of the plot's twists too soon. I would have preferred to have discovered George Kaplan's secret when Thornhill does. Playing along with the character might have made a fantastic movie even better.

I'll stop. I could literally write pages. I'll sum it all up by saying that if you've never seen North By Northwest, do yourself a favor and check it out. It's not to be missed.

10/10

Untamed Youth (1957)

2.0? Come on - it's better than that!, 11 December 2009

Untamed Youth is the story of a couple of sisters headed to California to make their fortunes in show business. Along the way, the pair are picked-up on a trumped-up charge and sentenced to serve 30 days hard labor on a cotton farm. The sisters aren't alone – the farm is teaming with young people who are little more than slave labor for the less than upstanding cotton plantation owner.

This early teen exploitation film is an absolute blast. The IMDb rating of 2.0 is criminally low. It's not perfect, but it is better than a 2.0 rating would indicate. I feel sorry for anyone who can't watch a movie like Untamed Youth and enjoy it for what it is. You can't take this stuff seriously. I suppose part of the reason behind the low rating is that Untamed Youth appeared on Mystery Science Theater 3000. There are far too many people out there who foolishly assume that if a movie appeared on MST3K, it must be bad. That's just not the case. An interesting (albeit predictable) plot, Mamie Van Doren, rock-n-roll, a scandalous subplot involving unmarried pregnancy (racy stuff), the train-wreck of a relationship/marriage between the judge and the plantation owner that's impossible not to "enjoy", fights, dancing, a good baddie (John Russell is excellent), the always cute Lori Nelson, Eddie Cochran (though I admit he does very little for me), a sense of fun about the whole thing – it's one cool movie!

A few other thoughts – first, Mamie can't sing. Every song she belts out sounds just like the one before. Call me crazy, but I don't think she was hired for her vocal talents. Second, what was in that dog food they were feeding the kids? Must have been something good for them – pickin' cotton all day and rock-n-rolling all night. Third, it's hard to believe that Lori Nelson made this AFTER she made Revenge of the Creature. I would have thought that movie might have done more for her career. Third, Mamie in the shower – wow!

7/10

Giant from the Unknown (1958)

"All white men die!", 24 November 2009

Local geologist Wayne Brooks (Ed Kemmer) teams up with visiting archaeologist Dr. Fredrick Cleveland (Morris Ankrum) to search the local mountains for the remains of a 300+ year old Spanish conquistador and a reputed giant of a man named Vargas. Another draw for Brooks is the opportunity to spend a little time with the Dr.'s vacuous but attractive daughter, Janet (Sally Fraser). The team is about to give up when Janet accidentally discovers a Spanish graveyard. But is there more here than helmets and breastplates? It's not long before the giant Vargas makes his return and sets his own sights on young Janet and anything else he can maim and destroy.

By all rights, I've most likely overrated Giant from the Unknown. It features a multitude of easily identifiable weaknesses – a plot that moves at the break-neck pace of a slug, the dim-witted Janet randomly stumbling on the Spanish artifacts, Sheriff Parker's beyond ridiculous persecution of Brooks (Why in God's name would anyone think that Brooks would be running around the country-side slaughtering cows and destroying hen houses?), Bob Steele's laughably bad performance as Parker, the whole notion of Vargas "living" in a sort of suspended animation for 350 years, and the poorly done special effects in the film's finale. Giant from the Unknown literally has everything you could hope to find in any regular bad movie. It would be easy to write it all off as badly made 50s junk, but for whatever reason and despite these many shortcomings, I found myself inexplicably enjoying the movie. Entertainment can be different from one person to the next. And, it's often difficult to put a finger on what you find entertaining in a movie. All I know is that for most of Giant from the Unknown, I was entertained. I went for the characters, I got a kick out of legend Jack Pierce's Vargas make-up, and I enjoyed the acting of Keemer and especially Ankrum. Ankrum is one of those actors who's good in everything I've seen him in. Sure, it takes some patience to get through the slow parts in Giant from the Unknown (and there are a bunch of 'em), but it's worth it. There's a good little movie here if you just look for it. Like I said, it's difficult to explain, but I'm giving this one a 6/10.

6/10

Teenage Zombies (1959)

What a nothing movie!, 16 October 2009

An obvious attempt at cashing in on the success of I Was a Teenage Werewolf and even I Was a Teenage Frankenstein, Teenage Zombies is a complete disaster. It makes those other two movies look like masterworks in comparison. The problem – well there's really too many to mention, but at the top of the list is the lack of anything remotely interesting in the plot. What a nothing movie! I'm having trouble thinking of a movie that bored me quite as much as Teenage Zombies with its nothingness. Dull doesn't begin to describe it. The 70-something minute runtime was the longest hour and ten minutes I believe I've ever spent in my life. The title may evoke images of teenagers being turned into mindless zombies, but that never happens. Instead we see naturally mindless teenagers walking around an island, driving a boat, and trying to carry on conversations. Exciting, huh? The teens do run into a band of Communist types bent on world domination, but if this sad group of teens is able to take them down, they really never posed much of a threat. If the movie wasn't bad enough already, with about ten minutes to go and out of nowhere, the director decided to throw a gorilla into the proceedings. What was that all about? A desperation move that fails epically. And then there's the ludicrously bad acting, the often inappropriate music, the strange silent pauses at every turn, and the poor sets. No matter how you slice it, Teenage Zombies is one badly made, dull as dishwater movie.

1/10

The Monolith Monsters (1957)

"From infinity they come. Meteors!", 23 September 2009

The residents of the small California desert town are under attack. The fragments of a meteor that struck nearby the community of San Angelo possess the strange capability of growing to skyscraper proportions when activated by water. The alien monoliths crumble under their own weight, shattering into even more pieces capable of growing and destroying everything in their path. But the danger goes beyond the destruction caused by the falling rock formations. Any living being that comes into contact with the monoliths is turned into stone. It's up to geologist Dave Miller (Grant Williams) and a band of plucky locals to find a way to stop the threat to San Angelo and, ultimately, the world.

I just love these 1950s era Universal sci-fi/horror movies. They're so much fun to watch. From the steady, enjoyable cast (headlined by Grant Williams and Lola Albright) to the crisp, clean black and white cinematography to the familiar but effective stock monster music, The Monolith Monsters is the kind of movie that never fails to provide a great deal of entertainment value given its relative modest budget. I get a kick out of the number of Universal films from this era that take place in some small, remote South Western desert town like San Angelo (you can thank Jack Arnold for the desert setting). It's a perfect location or this kind of movie. The Monolith Monsters also features some nice special effects. I'm sure it was difficult task to make rocks look menacing. The scene where one towering rock formation after another rises from the desert floor and crushes a small farm is very effective. Another plus for The Monolith Monsters is the intelligent script (again, you can thank Jack Arnold for this). Sure, the movie is filled with a lot scientific mumbo-jumbo, but in this case, it actually has an air of believability to it. Finally, The Monolith Monsters benefits greatly from the steady hand of director John Sherwood. He may have only directed three movies, but he capably pulls all of the elements I've mentioned together with nice pacing and interesting camera shots to create a rock solid (pun intended) movie experience. Overall, it's a job well done.

7/10

The Black Scorpion (1957)

"What's the tequila for?", 28 August 2009

The Black Scorpion is yet another example of the big bug movie craze of the 1950s. And as far as these movies go, it's not a half bad example. The plot centers on American geologist Hank Scott (Richard Denning) and his Mexican counterpart Artur Ramos (Carlos Rivas) who are investigating the aftermath of a volcanic eruption in Mexico. They soon discover that that the eruption opened a fissure in the earth's surface through which giant scorpions are emerging and terrorizing the countryside. Along the way, they'll meet Scott's love interest played by Mara Corday, an annoying pest of a boy named Juanito, a bevy of concerned Mexican officials, and dozens of venom-dripping gigantic scorpions. They'll also have to come up with a way to stop the creatures before they rampage through Mexico City.

The highlight of The Black Scorpion is without a doubt the stop motion scorpions. Willis O'Brien, of King Kong fame, gets most of the credit, but Pete Peterson did the lion's share of the work. Insects like scorpions are particularly well suited for stop motion animation. The jerky movements of the animation is well-suited to match the natural motion of the scorpions. The first attack on the linemen, the descent into the fissure, and the final showdown in the bull ring are all wonderful examples of the excellent job of animation done on The Black Scorpion. My biggest complaint with the scorpions is the all too frequent close-ups of their faces. They look terrible. The drooling, motionless faces don't fit with the otherwise excellent special effects. Seeing the close-ups once or twice might have been fine, but after about a dozen shots of scorpion puppet faces literally dripping with venom, it gets to be ridiculous.

As for the rest of the film, while nothing may be overly spectacular, it is immanently watchable. For a fan of 50s big bug sci-fi, The Black Scorpion is a lot of fun. It's also nice to see a movie from this period set in a place like Mexico. In most of these 50s sci-fi films, you would think that there's nothing beyond the borders of the U.S.A. The acting is okay. The three leads (Denning, Rivas, and Corday) give solid, but not necessarily memorable, performances. The direction is likewise solid but not overly spectacular. The film's pacing is nice with few dull spots to slow things down. I suppose director Edward Ludwig could have built a bit more tension before revealing his giant scorpions, but it's not like we didn't know they were coming anyway. Like I said to begin this, The Black Scorpion isn't a half bad way to spend almost 90 minutes. I'll give it a 6/10.

6/10

Pharaoh's Curse (1957)

The very definition of plodding, 6 August 2009

The soul of an ancient mummy is transferred to one of his followers so that he might punish everyone involved in the desecration of his tomb. The soul transference makes the young man age at a tremendous pace until he himself resembles a mummy. One by one, the blood is drained from those involved in the dig.

To be as brief as possible, Pharaoh's Curse is quite the lackluster affair. While the movie does present a few good, original ideas (blood sucking mummy's, soul transference, interesting make-up effects, the arm ripping scene, etc.) and a few atmospheric moments, the direction and pace are the very definition of plodding. To make matters even worse, the first 15 of the film's relatively short 66 minute runtime consist of nothing much more than padding. I usually go for these slow moving mummy movies, but Pharaoh's Curse tests even my patients. The cast helps very little. With only one exception (Ziva Rodann is the lone bright spot – wish the movie could have focused more on her mysterious character), the cast is as dull as the screenplay. Finally, I don't know whose idea it was to put the mummy-looking servant in what appears to be pajamas, but it's a laughable, ridiculous look for a creature that supposed to instill fear in the audience.

Despite my mostly negative comments on the Pharaoh's Curse, I'm going to rate it a 4/10. Not a good rating to be sure, but generous given all the problems I have with the movie.

4/10

Tarantula (1955)

"No blood! No sign of a struggle! The bones just stripped clean like peeling a banana!", 5 August 2009

A couple of well-intentioned scientists set out to solve the Earth's food shortage problems by developing a new, revolutionary growth formula. They inject the usual rats and guinea pigs to test their formula with remarkable success. But for some reason known only to the screenwriters, the scientists also test their formula on a tarantula. A fire in the lab destroys all of the animals with the exception of the tarantula that escapes unnoticed into the desert. Unnoticed, that is, until ranchers start reporting the unusual deaths of a number of their herds. But the now giant tarantula has a taste for more than just cattle. Can the arachnid be stopped before the whole town of Desert Rock is wiped out?

I'm going to echo what most others have written about Tarantula – of the many giant bug movies churned out during the 50s, Tarantula is probably only second to Them as far as the best goes. Good acting, good locations, and good cinematography are keys to the film's success. Jack Arnold is another of those keys. He was about as good as anyone working in horror/sci-fi at the time. His snappy, well-paced direction are a real asset to the film. As far as big bug special effects in films from the 50s, Tarantula is easily one of the best. The effects in this film are often compared with Burt I. Gordon's Earth vs. the Spider made a couple years later. As far as I'm concerned, there's really no comparison. Sure, there's at least one or two times where the tarantula seems to be walking on air, but overall, it's a job well done by some talented people. And I so much prefer it to any of that lifeless CGI that would be used today. For what it's worth, a very strong 7/10 seems about right to me.

7/10

The Headless Ghost (1959)

Lifeless, 11 June 2009

I suppose that The Headless Ghost is harmless enough, but honestly, movies don't get much more bland than this. It's a bit like eating a mayonnaise sandwich on white bread - not very exciting with nothing to look forward to. The plot is laid out in the first 10 minutes and everything that follows fits nicely in place with nary a surprise in sight. While touring a supposed haunted castle, three college students hide out so they can spend the night and write about their experiences. They soon meet a whole gang of ghosts - one of which is missing his head. To get out of the castle, the intrepid trio will have to help the ghost find his head. Unfortunately, that's about all there is to it. What a big bland way to spend an hour or so of your life! The college students are as dull as dishwater, their comedy bits are too lame to be funny, there's not a thrill or fright to be had, and the dialogue is stilted and uninteresting. In fact there's really not an exciting moment to be had in all of The Headless Ghost. A 3/10 from me.

3/10

The Beast with a Million Eyes (1955)

The Shiny Spinning Coffee Pot in the Desert, 17 April 2009

Not a very hard plot to describe: an alien force lands in the desert and soon begins to use animals (and a few weaker-minded humans) to do its bidding. The terror begins when the animals go berserk and start attacking the humans. In the end, the creature is discovered and defeated by something it cannot understand – love (no, I'm not making that up).

The Beast with a Million Eyes was the third movie in a three picture deal Roger Corman had worked out with the cleverly named American Releasing Corporation (later AIP). Because this was the last movie in the deal, there wasn't much money left for a budget as is painfully obvious. Corman's plan to use a mostly invisible, unseen creature that attacked people through thought waves was genius in that it could be done cheaply with little to no special effects. Unfortunately, it makes for one very dull experience. Instead of a cool creature, the movie relies on acting. And as with the special effects, there's little to no real acting taking place in the movie. Most everyone involved is horrible. The only thing of interest to be found in the cast is a very young Dick Sargent of Bewitched fame in his first credited role. The script doesn't help. Actors are forced to say the silliest, most unnatural lines imaginable. The "Million Eyes" of the title are more metaphorical than anything else. The Beast uses the million of eyes of the animals and humans it dominated to see with. Get it? Clever, huh? In fact, the whole title – The Beast with a Million Eyes – is, to say the least, misleading. But I suppose it drew a bigger crowd than a more accurate title like The Shiny Spinning Coffee Pot in the Desert would have. Finally, there's that whole beyond hokey ending where (once again) love conquers all. Oh please! Can we be just a bit more cliché?

Obviously, The Beast with a Million Eyes is far from the best sci-fi movie or the best Roger Corman related movie out there. But it does get a bonus point or two for effort and trying something different. Who knows, with a real budget, real special effects, a real Beast, a real script, and real actors, things might have turned out differently.

3/10

The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues (1955)

The Phantom from 10 Feet, 13 April 2009

The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues, huh? It's more like The Phantom from 10 Feet. The "Phantom" is as lame a creature as I've seen recently in a 50s sci-fi/horror movie. No movement to speak of, ridiculous looking, and only threatening if you get within 3 feet – we're not talking The Creature from the Black Lagoon here. And The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues commits one of the most unforgivable sins a bad sci-fi/horror movie can – it eliminates all tension and mystery by showing us a good, clear shot of the monster within the first 15 seconds of the movie. What a huge mistake! And when your monster is this bad, you really need to keep it under-wraps as long as you can. This is "Bad Movie Making 101" type stuff.

I'm a fan of 50s sci-fi/horror – even the bad ones. But when I run across one this dull, I've got to be honest and give it the rating it deserves. Actually, "dull" hardly seems strong enough. The paper thin plot is as dull as dishwater. We're promised death rays, but none are forthcoming. We're told of radiation burns, but the bodies are all conveniently face-down. And we're lead to believe that there's a large Oceanography Institute nearby, but all we see is a small office and an even smaller lab. What plot the movie does have takes a backseat to incessant conversations between characters I couldn't have cared less about. Can a movie be completely filled with padding in the form of pointless dialogue? The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues comes close. And what a group of characters! Again, about as dull as you'll run across – a misguided but dull scientist, his clueless and dull daughter, a good but dull scientist/hero, a nosey but dull secretary, a gruff and dull investigator, and an idiotic, homicidal, but ultimately dull lab assistant. I think I'm being generous with my 3/10.

Before I end this, there are a few things in The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues that I feel I must comment on:

1. The young hero/scientist comes walking out of the ocean and just happens to trip over the only person within sight – the film's female lead. What are the chances of that happening?

2. Are we really supposed to believe that the local fishermen, scientists, sightseers, the Oceanography Institute, and everyone else really share the same row boat? Were we not supposed to notice the same boat going out to sea over and over? That little boat sure gets some mileage.

3. How convenient is it that all the dead bodies and the aforementioned row boat always seems to wash up on the same spot of beach? Just a lucky coincidence I guess.

4. Did anyone else find it odd that the movie's young female lead dresses in the living room? For that matter, did anyone find it odd that the bathroom/shower was that close to the front door? And what about that scene where the hero helps the young heroine with her zipper? Can you say cliché?

5. Why the need for a subplot involving foreign spies? Granted, Helene Stanton is about the best thing The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues has going for it, but really, why is she here?

3/10

House on Haunted Hill (1959)

"Once the door is locked, there is no way out.", 12 April 2009

Frederick Loren (Vincent Price) is a wealthy man with some strange ideas about throwing a party. He rents a supposed haunted house, invites five strangers, and offers them each $10,000 if they can make it through the night. But when Loren's wife ends up at the wrong end of a noose, the fun's over (or is really just beginning). Is a killer loose in the house or is the House on Haunted Hill really haunted?

You know what I enjoy the most about older horror movies like House on Haunted Hill – they were made at a time when horror movies could still be fun. Ridiculous looking heads could pop out of suitcases, unexplained hands could grope from behind walls, and skeletons ruled the cellar. Sure, it was all unrealistic, but was it ever a blast. And that's exactly what keeps me coming back to movies like House on Haunted Hill – that sense of fun. Today's horror movies are too realistic, try too hard to be one big gross out, and have lost most of the enjoyable elements of old.

One big plus for House on Haunted Hill is the cast. Well, not all the cast, but the movie does feature a couple of outstanding, memorable performances. Horror icon Vincent Price was just getting his feet wet in the genre in 1959. He may not have been the scene-chewing, over-the-top actor that most of us remember so fondly, but he was still rock solid in the role of the wealthy Frederick Loren. Almost as good is Carol Ohmart. Whether playing the victim or the victimizer, she's equally adept. As for the rest of the cast, the less said the better. I know we're supposed to identify with and root for the characters played by Carolyn Craig and Richard Long, but they're both so annoying that I always want to see both take a swim in the acid bath.

Finally, what comment about House on Haunted Hill would be complete without a mention of the scene with the old lady in the basement. The horror in most of House on Haunted Hill may have been played for laughs, but when the hag in the cellar pops up, it's one of the best jump scares in the history of horror. I've seen the movie a dozen or more times and I know when the scene is coming up, but it still works.

7/10

World Without End (1956)

"We are a peaceful people. We are sick of weapons and war.", 4 January 2009

I've been struggling to write a plot synopsis of World Without End and finally decided to take a look at what was posted on IMDb. The posted synopsis from D.A. Kellough is much better than anything I've been able to come up with – "Four astronauts returning from mankind's first mission to Mars enter a time warp and crash on a 26th Century Earth devastated by atomic war. Our heroes meet with hideous mutant cavemen, giant spiders, love-struck beauties in short dresses, and jealous old geezers in sparkly skullcaps as they struggle to save humanity and build a new world." That sums it all up rather nicely.

At first glance, World Without End might seem like any number of the mass produced sci-fi clones that came out in the 50s. And in some ways, you'd be right. The poorly done rocket shots, the bizarre notion of having guns and hatchets on board a spacecraft, and the giant spider attacks are straight out of the 1950s Sci-Fi How To Guide. But for whatever reason, World Without End is more enjoyable than many of its brethren. The cast that features Hugh Marlowe and Rod Taylor is more than capable. The interesting script and the snappy direction of Edward Bernds help to create a nicely paced film with few dead spots. Even the more romantic, schmaltzy scenes don't drag the film down like in other sci-fi movies of the period. All of the "creatures" from Earth's future are adequately explained and (mostly) believable. And the film has a sense of fun about it that I enjoyed. I've got no problem recommending World Without End to fans of 50s sci-fi cinema.

I said that things were adequately explained. Well, for the most part that's true. One thing that's not is the difference between the men and women of Earth's future. The men are pasty, old, bloodless (that's what one of the characters from Earth's past call them) beings without a spark for life. The women, in contrast, are young and beautiful creatures with a need to live and to be loved. Why the difference? It's not really a weakness of the film, just something that nagged at me as I watched the movie.

7/10

A Blueprint for Murder (1953)

A nice performance from Jean Peters, 1 January 2009

After the mysterious death of his niece, Cam Cameron (Joseph Cotton) begins to suspect that the child's stepmother may be responsible. When the autopsy reveals the presence of strychnine in the girl's system, he's convinced that his dead brother's wife, Lynn Cameron (Jean Peters), is the only person with both a motive and the opportunity. Cam now begins to fear for the life of his nephew. He's got to act fast because Lynn intends to take the young boy to Europe.

While I've given A Blueprint for Murder a positive rating and I readily admit I mostly enjoyed the film, much of what I've got to write about is going to seem negative. As good as it is, it has far too many problems to be called great. A Blueprint for Murder is about the most straight forward mystery/thriller I've run across. And that's part of its biggest weakness. There's no mystery regarding the killer's identity. It's made quite clear early on that Lynn killed her niece. There seemed to be a half-hearted attempt to use Cam as a red-herring, but anyone with half a brain could figure out in 3.2 seconds that Cam couldn't have committed the crime - he wasn't there. Maybe I just imagined the light of suspicion being pointed at Cam because I so wanted to be thrown some kind of curve ball. Even though the killer is known, director Andrew L. Stone is able to wring some tension out of the final scenes as Cam tries to prove Lynn is a killer. You get the feeling that even though you know Lynn is responsible for the girl's death, she just might get away with it. These scenes are, however, undermined by an ending that's terribly rushed with action that, unfortunately, takes place off-screen. Too bad, because A Blueprint for Murder could have been much better.

One of the real highlights for me in A Blueprint for Murder was the acting. The performance of Jean Peters as Lynn Cameron is enlightening. I'm not overly familiar with her work, but she's marvelous as the apparent caring, wonderful parent who is hiding a cold, unfeeling heart. I may have to look for more of her work.

6/10

Sherlock Holmes "The Case of the Cunningham Heritage" #1.1 (1954) (TV)

Nice introduction to the series, 11 December 2008

"The Case of the Cunningham Heritage" is a nice introduction to the 1954 series creatively titled Sherlock Holmes. Ronald Howard plays Holmes and Howard Marion-Crawford is Watson. Both are more than adequate in their roles and present a nice change of pace for viewers more familiar with either the Rathbone films or the Brett television series. Howard gives Holmes a bit more humanity (for lack of a better word) than I've seen elsewhere. As for Crawford, fortunately he doesn't play Watson as the bumbling fool as Nigel Bruce often did. The pair is very capably joined by Archie Duncan as Inspector Lastrade. The Lastrade role is much larger than what's often found, but the character makes a nice foil for Holmes.

Being the first episode, "The Case of the Cunningham Heritage" is more concerned with character development than anything else. There's a murder, but it's hardly worth going into. The murder and its solution are ancillary to the viewer getting a feel for the characters. I, for one, appreciated this aspect of the episode. It sets a solid foundation for future installments. And, at less than 30 minutes in length, there's not much time for an overly involved mystery anyway.

Overall, not a bad way to get things started. I think a 6/10 is about right for this episode. I'm looking forward to watching the rest of the series.

6/10

Project Moon Base (1953)

"Anymore guff out of you and I'll turn you over my knee and spank you.", 4 December 2008

The plot of Project Moon Base is fairly simple – Colonel Briteis is selected to pilot a rocket on a lunar orbit in preparation of an upcoming lunar landing. It's simple enough until it is discovered that an enemy agent is on board with intentions of sabotaging the mission. So whether their superiors like it or not, Colonel Briteis and Major Moore aren't going to be able to complete their mission. They're going to have to try to land on the moon.

Many of the comments you'll see on Project Moon Base focus a lot of attention on the movie's treatment or portrayal of women. Is the movie sexist? Those who argue against it mention Colonel Briteis' (Briteis is a female) position on the space voyage or the fact that the President is a woman. Well so what? Project Moon Base is as sexist as they come. I pointed out some of the sexist comments in Rocketship X-M and that movie's got nothing on Project Moon Base. From the intentional mispronunciation of Colonel Briteis name (Bright Eyes – yeah, right) to General Greene's threat to give Briteis a spanking to Briteis' incapability of fixing the radio after several hours of trying when Major Moore is able to do it in mere seconds – it's about as sexist as I've seen. Sure, it was made in a different time, so don't take my comments as a slam. I'm just pointing out the facts as I see them.

Two things I'm glad to have discovered about Project Moon Base. First, the movie was originally meant to be a television serial. That goes a long way to explaining some of the disjointed scenes and fragmented story lines. Second, many of the props and costumes were also used in Cat Women of the Moon. I thought they seemed awfully familiar. Glad to know I'm not going crazy. Overall, Project Moon Base is a fairly dull programmer with little to hold the attention of the viewer. There aren't any real action scenes and any suspense or drama never materializes. Even by 1953 standards, the special effects had to feel weak and not awfully convincing. Finally, much of the plot is handled rather awkwardly. The notion of an enemy agent infiltration the space program might have been interesting, but here it comes off as just too stupid for words.

As is the case with many of the films I watch, there is another hand. So, on the other hand, Project Moon Base is too enjoyable despite the numerous flaws for me to rate it as a stinker. Donna Martell gives Colonel Briteis an infectious nature that's hard not to enjoy. She's a pleasure to watch. Some of the goofy sight gags are almost charming in their naïveté. Take the scenes on the space station where people walk on the ceiling or the chairs on the wall. Stupid, sure – but fun nonetheless. Finally, there's a real innocence to most everything in Project Moon Base that's often sorely missing from today's movies that I can appreciate. Take the ending of the film where Colonel Briteis is forced to marry Major Bill Moore so people won't talk. And, even though the attitudes of the filmmakers may have been chauvinistic, most of it is harmless enough. Maybe I'm living in the past, but I sort of enjoyed Project Moon Base.

5/10