Atlas Against the Cyclops (1961)

- Maciste nella terra dei ciclopi
"Now we'll have some entertainment. Take him to the pit!", 27 May 2009

In Atlas in the Land of the Cyclops, our hero aciste (Maciste, Atlas, Samson, Hercules - what's in a name?) must safeguard the life of a young prince whose father has been killed by the evil Queen Capys. The Queen wants the child so that she can break a centuries old curse by handing the baby over to the Cyclops she keeps chained in a pit. At first she attempts to use her womanly ways on Maciste, but to no avail. And as predictable as the sun following the night, the Queen ends up falling for Maciste. But there are others in the Queen's court who still seek the child and an end to the curse. Can Maciste rescue the baby and defeat the Cyclops before it's too late?

Atlas in the Land of the Cyclops is what I'll call an above average example of the peplums or sword and sandal movies being pumped-out of Italy from the late 1950s to the mid 1960s. Gordon Mitchell is on hand to provide the beef of the title role. He may not have been as big as Steve Reeves (who all Italian movie muscle men must necessarily be compared) or some of the others, but he's got a winning smile and a definite athleticism about him. Chelo Alonso as Queen Capys is a real beauty and quite good in her role. In fact, the whole cast is quite nice. The Cyclops is very well done and another example of the fine, creative work being done before the advent of CGI - even by low-budget Italian filmmakers. Lots of good fight scenes, very few long drawn-out dialogue filled moments, and plenty of guys running around with those scrub-brush looking helmets - what's not to love. I guess my biggest complaints are with the dubbing and the state of available DVD transfers. The dubbing is incredibly stilted. In a few scenes, Mitchell sounds a bit like Tonto from the old Lone Ranger series. As for the available transfers, I can only assume that my enjoyment of Atlas in the Land of the Cyclops would have been enhanced had it not seemed I was watching the movie through dirty dishwater. Even with these negatives, and I realize I may be overstating things a bit here, I'll go ahead and give it a 7/10 and recommend it to fans of peplums.

7/10

Invasion of the Neptune Men (1961)

- Uchu Kaisoku-sen
Very Early Sonny Chiba, 5 May 2008

To be honest, Invasion of the Neptune Men is about as bad a movie as I've seen. Maybe it's the cut of the movie I've seen or maybe something is lost in the translation from Japanese or maybe it's meant for a different age group, but whatever, it's bad. (Note: I haven't rated the movie a 1/10 because although it's bad, it's not offensively bad.) Instead of getting into the myriad of problems, I want to focus on why I've now seen The Invasion of the Neptune Men at least four times. I can think of two reasons off the top of my head to explain why I continue to re-watch Invasion of the Neptune Men.

One, (and I admit I'm pushing it here) the chance to see an early Sonny Chiba. I'm not an expert on Chiba, but what I've seen, I really like. From his work in The Street Fighter, Golgo 13, and up to and including Kill Bill, Chiba is the MAN. So it's really cool to get the chance to go back and watch him in what is really his second movie. He's barely recognizable as the lame hero, Space Chief.

Two, Invasion of the Neptune Men is one of my very favorite episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000. While I may only rate the movie a 2/10, I give this episode a 5/5 on my MST3K rating scale. Some of the riffs are laugh out loud funny no matter how many times I've heard them. The bits about Space Chef, the Hitler building, and the kids in their shorts are hysterical. As I said, I've seen this episode at least four times and can probably re-watch it many more without getting tired of it.

2/10

Erik the Conqueror (1961)

- Gli invasori

Bava and the Vikings, 1 April 2008

Two very young Viking brothers are separated during a battle that claims the life of their father. One brother, Eron, is brought up to one day take his father's place as the leader of the Viking people. The other brother, Erik, is brought up by his adopted mother Queen Alice to one day rule England. But when Eron and the Vikings invade England and take Queen Alice hostage, these two brothers will lead their armies into battle against one another. What will happen when these two brothers discover their common bond?

Erik the Conqueror was one of the few films directed by Mario Bava that I had not seen until last night. Overall, it's a very entertaining, if not overly original, Viking epic. If you've seen the 1958 movie The Vikings with Kirk Douglas, a lot of the plot in Erik the Conqueror will seem similar. Still, with Bava's directorial touches, his eye for color, and his interesting camera movements, there's enough here to keep things feeling fresh and to overcome a limited budget (if you look close enough, you'll see the same extra die at least five times in the opening fight scene). The opening shot alone featuring skulls, two lovers wrapped in barbwire, and dancing girls is as visually pleasing as any of Bava's other movies. The cast is solid. Cameron Mitchell (always a favorite of mine) and his blond crew cut fit the role of the Viking Eron quite nicely. George Ardisson might even be more impressive in the role of Erik. They are joined by the Kessler twins who, while not the greatest thespians to appear on screen, are perfect in their roles. Add to it a slew of extras, some impressively staged fight scenes, and a nice looking castle set, and Erik the Conqueror is a must see for Bava fans like me.

6/10

Hamlet (1961) (TV)

Dreary, 1 December 2007

There's really not much need to begin this little review with a plot synopsis. I mean it's Shakespeare's Hamlet for goodness sake – probably one of the best known plays ever written. I'm not embarrassed to admit that I came to this version of Hamlet the way most people on IMDb have – through Mystery Science Theater 3000. While the show may not be the best venue to use to judge a movie, in this case I cannot imagine attempting to watch it without the comedic quips. In a word, this German, made-for-TV version of Hamlet is dreary. 152 minutes? No way! It's too dark and depressing to be anything I want to spend almost three hours on. I've said it any number of times, but entertainment is the thing for me. And this wrist-slitter is far from entertaining. I will, however, give it a couple of points for what I felt was some reasonably good acting. A 3/10 sounds about right to me.

As much as I enjoy MST3K, their comments don't help to make Hamlet any more palatable. There are a few good riffs here and there, but overall, Hamlet is just the wrong movie for MST3K. Shakespeare is far too talky to allow the comedy to have any sort of rhythm or flow. As much as it pains me, I've got to give Hamlet a 1/5 on my MST3K rating scale.

3/10

The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961)

"Feed soda pop to the thirsty pigs.", 18 October 2007

Yucca – the perfect word to describe the experience that is The Beast of Yucca Flats. As I sit writing this, I cannot think of a single instance where The Beast of Yucca Flats is either entertaining or interesting and I cannot think of a single frame of film that looks as if someone with a shred of movie-making talent filmed it. I cannot understand how Coleman Francis found the funding to make these monstrosities he churned out in the 60s. As far as I'm concerned, Francis has to be in the conversation of worst directors of all-time. His movies are junk. Actually, calling The Beast of Yucca Flats a movie does a disservice to the definition. It's little more than a series of seemingly ugly, random shots of random people with the thinnest of plot threads imaginable holding it all together. The movie's too cheap to include on-screen dialogue. Everything is done either off-screen or through a voice over narration. And what narration it is! It's as random as the images on screen.

"Flag on the moon. How did it get there?"

"Nothing bothers some people, not even flying saucers."

"Twenty hours without rest and still no enemy."

Huh? Did I miss something? What's that gibberish got to do with anything? As bad as Francis was as a director, he may have been even more offensive as a writer.

Call me a masochist, but I have now seen The Beast of Yucca Flats three times. Fortunately for me, I watched the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version this time. Whether it's The Beast of Yucca Flats, Red Zone Cuba, or The Skydivers, the guys and gals on MST3K did some of their best and funniest work with the Coleman Francis directed movies. Hysterical stuff and worth a 4/5 on my MST3K rating scale.

1/10

Rocket Attack U.S.A. (1961)

Film-making at its most abysmal, 22 August 2007

Rocket Attack U.S.A. is film-making at its most abysmal. There is absolutely nothing positive I can come up with to say about the movie. Both artistically and technically the movie is horrible. When you watch something this bad you at least hope to have a laugh or two along the way. Rocket Attack U.S.A. is so deathly dull that it's not even "so bad it's good". The movie seems to have been made as a propaganda piece in the wake of the successful launch of a Russian Sputnik satellite. But I cannot imagine this movie did anything to get the people behind a U.S. missile program.

I'm not sure how much anyone should expect from a no-budget movie with Barry Mahon as director. Take a look at some of his other directorial credits - The Adventures of Busty Brown (1964), Hot Skin, Cold Cash (1965), or Fanny Hill Meets Dr. Erotico (1967). Is there any real surprise that Rocket Attack U.S.A. is as bad as it is?

1/10

Muñecos infernales (1961)

- The Curse of the Doll People
The "dolls" certainly are creepy little buggers, 20 August 2006

I feel very fortunate to have seen the original Spanish version of Munecos infernales instead of the cut, poorly dubbed American film known as The Curse of the Doll People. If you go into Munecos infernales expecting great cinema, you'll probably come away disappointed. But, if you lower those expectations a bit and enjoy the film for what it is, you might just have fun with it.

The plot concerns a group of men who have returned from a trip to Haiti. While there, they witnessed a voodoo ritual and managed to steal a voodoo idol. Before they could get away, however, the voodoo priest put a curse on the men and their families. Now, one by one, the men are dying mysterious deaths.

The best part of Munecos infernales has to be the "dolls". In reality, they're nothing more than midgets with paper-mâché masks that resemble their last victim. It may sound silly, but these are some creepy little buggers that actually manage to create a little atmosphere and sense of dread. On the downside, the film fells terribly padded to extend the runtime. For example, there are a couple of scenes where we see people going through windows that seem to go on forever. I previewed The Curse of the Doll People and, unfortunately, the cuts made to it don't include scenes like this.

6/10

The Phantom Planet (1961)

"I grow more and more convinced that the wisest and the best is to fix our attention on the good and the beautiful.", 23 July 2006

While on a mission to find the whereabouts of a missing space ship, Captain Frank Chapman (Dean Fredericks) is forced to make a crash landing on a roving asteroid. There he discovers a race of people only a few inches tall. Before he quite knows what's going on, he is shrunk to their size. With little hope of escape, Chapman helps the tiny people in their ongoing battle with a racing of warring creatures. Also, and quite unexpectedly, Chapman finds love on this strange planet.

Even with 4/10 rating I've given The Phantom Planet, I realize that may be too high. There are obvious weaknesses, but I just don't think the movie is as bad as its reputation would suggest. Just as I wrote about Teenagers from Outer Space, underneath the cheese is a nice little story just aching to get out. The acting isn't the best, but everyone seems to give it their all, especially Fredericks in the lead role. Other than the creature special effects, the rest are nicely done given the time period The Phantom Planet was made and the obvious budget constraints. Without being overly original, the plot kept me fairly entertained throughout. And isn't that why we all watch movies in the first place – to be entertained?

4/10

Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961)

Deborah Walley is certainly no Sandra Dee, 2 April 2006

In many respects, Gidget Goes Hawaiian is a better movie than Gidget. Some of the comedy is actually funny, it's less sappy, and Carl Reiner is a much better father. Also there are fewer of the seemingly endless surfing scenes that make up almost half of Gidget's runtime. Unfortunately, however, not every aspect of Gidget Goes Hawaiian is better. The biggest and most obvious problem is Deborah Walley in the title role. In short, she's HORRIBLE! I couldn't believe I found myself missing Sandra Dee. Dee possessed qualities (bubbly, spunky, cute) that are sadly missing from Walley. I could never get past her or her performance long enough to enjoy what the film had to offer.

5/10

Homicidal (1961)

"If you do not leave this house in the next minute, I will kill you!", 2 April 2006

I'm very impressed with Homicidal. William Castle accomplishes more with the obviously small budget he had to work with in Homicidal that a lot of filmmakers could have with ten-times the money. Homicidal is Castle's rather obvious attempt to cash-in on the success of Psycho, released the year before. And, he's mostly successful. The surprising thing is that Castle is actually able to outdo Hitchcock in some areas. Take the opening as an example. I can honestly say that I enjoyed the first 15 minutes of Homicidal more than anything in Psycho. This may be surprising to some and downright blasphemous to others, but I'm just being honest. It's a quirky beginning with some very unexpected violence. The ending of the film is almost as good. Castle is actually able to build some nice tension in the film's finale. You know there's a killer in the house and you know who it is, but you also know what they're capable of and you're not sure when the killer will strike. Anyone who has seen more than three movies will have guessed the twist before it actually reveals itself, but that hardly matters. It's how the twist is pulled-off that's important.

I couldn't do the film justice without saying hats off to Jean Arliss (it's actually Joan Marshall) for her work in Homicidal. She's completely over-the-top in her madness but never veers too far into camp. It's an excellent performance.

7/10

Gorgo (1961)

Godzilla it ain't, 18 February 2006

Gorgo follows the basic plot premise laid out by the much better known Godzilla. A giant monster is awakened from the depths of the ocean and begins destroying everything in its path. The difference, and this is a matter of personal preference, is that Toho did the giant rampaging monster better than anyone. For a lack of a better word, the Toho films are more "fun". I will give the makers of Gorgo credit, though, for the special effects. They are some of the best this sub-genre has to offer.

As for the rest of the film, it's lacking in a lot of areas. The acting is key among them. These people look like their sleepwalking through the film. They look bored to tears. A little energy on the part of the cast would have gone a long way to making Gorgo a better movie.

5/10

Konga (1961)

"There's a huge monster gorilla that's constantly growing to outlandish proportions loose in the streets!", 29 January 2006

The tag-line listed on IMDb for Konga reads – "Not since "King Kong"...has the screen exploded with such mighty fury and spectacle!" Here are a few ideas for tag-lines that would seem to me to be more appropriate (and truthful).

"SEE a chimpanzee magically transform into a man in a bad gorilla suit in mere seconds!"

"WATCH as Michael Gough chews more scenery than a Weed-Eater!"

"HEAR more pseudo-science babble than any one movie has a right to!"

"WATCH a brilliant professor throw his career away on one of the homeliest excuses for a college co-ed ever put on film!"

"SEE Barbie dolls thrown across the screen by the man in the bad gorilla suit!"

"WATCH the dullest movie ever made about a giant ape!"

3/10

The Devil's Partner (1961)

An okay way to spend an hour or so, 27 September 2005

A young man arrives in a small town (Pop. 1505 we are informed) after his Uncle, a local despised hermit, died. The young man moves into the Uncle's shack and immediately strange things begin happening. People are killed or maimed by a variety of animals and no one seems to be able to explain why. The only person who seems unaffected is the newcomer living in the old hermits shack.

What Works:

- Kill the Goat. I really wasn't expecting this much blood. Don't get me wrong, this isn't Braindead we're talking about, but for a movie from the very early 60s, I found it surprisingly graphic. The goat sacrifice (shown in shadows) is a nice touch.

- 60s Charm. This is a hard one to explain, but the movie has a certain charm to it that I can't help but enjoy. A lot of American made movies from this period (I Bury the Living, The Devil's Hand, 13 Ghosts, etc.) have a similar feel to them. Maybe it's the innocence of the characters and their reactions when faced with evil. Maybe it's the low-budget look. Maybe it's the willingness on the part of the filmmakers to experiment and take chances. Whatever, I'm a fan of this period of American horror.

- Storyline. Regardless of how successful the movie is or isn't, the whole idea of selling your soul to devil and writing a contract on an old goat skin with your blood is the stuff of nightmares.

What Doesn't Work:

- The Sheriff. I've always had a problem when supposed level-headed characters in positions of authority are so willing to accept wild explanations to strange events. In The Devil's Partner, not only does the Sheriff seem willing to accept the supernatural idea, he formulates the theory.

- Why Did He Do That? The movie presents very little in the way of character motivation to explain why the young man feels the need to summon animals to harm the citizens of the town. Is he seeking revenge? Is he out to get the only young, single woman in town? Is he simply evil? I suppose we, as viewers, are supposed to come up with our own ideas, but a little hint at the true nature of the young man's motivation would have been nice.

- Acting. This one is easy to complain about in these low-budget movies, but it's a fault nonetheless. With a couple of exceptions, the acting in The Devil's Partner is bad. Spencer Carlisle as the Sheriff tops of list of bad performances.

There are far worse ways to waste 73 minutes of your life than watching The Devil's Partner. It will never be confused with a great movie, but it's entertaining enough in its own low-budget, 60s sort of way.

5/10

Bloodlust! (1961)

The Brady Bunch go hunting, 9 February 2005

While on vacation, two young couples decide to explore what they believe to be a deserted island. They soon run into Dr. Albert Balleau (Wilton Graff) who offers them the hospitality of his home - the only one on the island. Dr. Balleau's house is decorated with the trophies from his various hunting expeditions. It seems he imports game to the island. Now, Dr. Balleau is looking for even more cunning and dangerous game to hunt on his island. The young couples learn that they are to provide him with the hunting thrills he seeks.

Bloodlust! was a much better movie when it was known as The Most Dangerous Game (1932). That movie is far superior to Bloodlust! in every way. Take the casts as an example. The Most Dangerous Game featured Joel McCrea and the original scream queen, Fay Wray. The insane hunter was played to perfection by Leslie Banks. In contrast, Bloodlust! features Robert Reed in one of his early roles. If the big name "star" of your movie is the future dad from The Brady Bunch, then you really don't have much. The hunter is played by Graff as a Vincent Price wannabe. It's really pathetic.

Another comparison, Bloodlust! goes for the cheap thrills by showing various body parts being prepared to be mounted for his trophy room. There is nothing that looks remotely real in this scene. The Most Dangerous Game leaves these images up to the viewers imagination. And (especially true with low budgets) the imagination is capable of creating far more horrific images than can be created by using a cheap rubber foot.

If you find the concept of a nut-job hunting people as sport appealing, watch The Most Dangerous Game. The Alpha DVD has a great image and can be had for about $5. The video appears to have been "taken" from the much more expensive Criterion DVD.

2/10

Scream of Fear (1961)

- Taste of Fear
Excellent B&W Hammer, 4 February 2005

Scream of Fear aka Taste of Fear (1961) is a marvelous, unknown (at least to me) Hammer film. The story concerns a girl in a wheelchair going to live with her Dad whom she hasn't seen in years. Upon arrival, she meets her stepmother for the first time and is informed that her Dad is away on business. That night, she investigates a strange light in the summer house and discovers here dead father. In her horrified state, she falls into the pool. After she's revived, an investigation of the summer house reveals nothing. As the strange events continue to occur, the local doctor begins to doubt her sanity. But, with the help of the chauffeur, she's determined to get to the bottom of the mystery before she is either killed or driven insane. Anymore of the story would ruin it for anyone who hasn't seen the movie.

I've seen some call Scream of Fear "predictable". While I agree to a certain extent, there are enough twists and turns in the plot to keep most anyone guessing. While I may have seen some of the events coming, I could have never guessed the ending. To me, it was an "edge of the seat" movie from start to finish.

The acting is first rate. All four of the major characters are brilliantly played. Susan Strasberg is convincingly fragile as the wheelchair-bound Penny Appleby. Ronald Lewis and Ann Todd are perfect as the chauffeur and stepmother, respectively. And, although all he does is come to dinner and talk psycho mumbo jumbo, Christopher Lee is mysterious and convincing as Dr. Gerrard.

Everything else about this film, from the beautiful black & white photography to the creepy score, is perfect. I've really got nothing bad to say.

8/10