Tomb of Torture (1963)

- Metempsyco
Thank goodness for Mario Bava, 28 February 2008

20 years ago, the Countess Irene disappeared somewhere in her castle. She took with her the secret to her hidden treasure. Flash forward 20 years and a psychiatrist is bringing his daughter to the very same castle. He hopes that this new surrounding and his daughter's possible connection with the Countess Irene (she a dead-ringer for the dead Countess) will help cure his daughter of her debilitating nightmares. (Personally, I'm not sure how putting the girl in touch with a dead Countess is going to help, but I'm not the doctor.) Complicating matters is the one-eyed hunchback who still haunts the castle's dungeon and enjoys using its various torture devices on young women.

After watching Tomb of Torture, all I can say is thank goodness for Mario Bava. I would hate to think what Italian horror might have become had Bava not been around. If Tomb of Torture is any indication, Italian horror would have been too dull to take much notice of. The movie gets off to a promising start with the torture and death of two women, but it all goes downhill rather quickly. It's over an hour later before anything else of interest happens. And by then I was way past caring. Most of the movie seems to consist of people wandering around doing a whole lot of nothing – at least that's what I got out of it when I was able to hold my eyes open. The real torture was sitting through this thing.

3/10

The Mad Executioners (1963)

- Der Henker von London
Enjoyable in its own unique way, 19 February 2008

The Mad Executioners actually has two seemingly unrelated plot lines. The first involves a powerful, but secret society operating outside official channels that has set up its own court of sorts. They hold trials, render verdicts, and carry out sentencing. Their cases seem to focus on criminals who have slipped through the loopholes of the regular system. But even though these criminals are quite guilty, Scotland Yard tends to frown on hanging people. The second plot line involves a serial killer who dumps headless corpses around London. A desperate detective decides to use his girlfriend as bait. But can he get to her before she becomes the next victim?

Based on my limited experiences with these German-made thrillers, I would say The Mad Executioners is about average. When the film focuses on the secret trials and hangings, it's very good and quite interesting. The opening trial scene, for example, is very creepy with the unknown hooded judges and the foggy Thames hanging sight. But when the movie focuses on the serial killer, it doesn't work. The secret lab, for example, seems silly when compared with the serious tone of the rest of the movie. Not that cutting off someone's head isn't serious, but the serial killer's methods are overly elaborate. Until they converge in the end, these two disparate plot lines feel as if they're from different movies.

Another big plus for me is the soundtrack. The Mad Executioners has that jazzy, smokey score that I've come to expect and enjoy in these krimis. The music sets just the right tone.

While I've yet to find a German Edgar Wallace movie that knocks me off my feet, I think I'll keep looking. So far, I've found these movies enjoyable enough in their own unique way.

6/10

The Slime People (1963)

"I don't even want to think about slime people!", 5 October 2007

The Slime People is the story of a band of creatures from the Earth's interior, driven to the surface by underground nuclear testing. The creatures set up a fog dome around Los Angeles and attempt to conquer the city for their new home. With almost everyone else either dead or driven out of city, it's up to an ill-prepared band of survivors to defeat the creatures.

While there are a couple of enjoyable aspects of The Slime People, the movie represents some of the worst aspects of low-budget film-making. Spotty acting, inane dialogue, uninteresting characters, poor editing, bad lighting, poor location and set choices, and amateurish direction – The Slime People has it all. Top it off with no pacing and you've got one very bad and dull movie. And even during those moments when the movie should be exciting, director Robert Hutton (who has double duty as the film's unappealing hero) finds a way to muck it up. The final fight scenes are unfortunately fought in the dark with way too much fog so that you can't tell what's going on.

But as I said, there are some things about The Slime People that I actually found myself enjoying. Chief among them is the creature special effects. They're not great by any stretch of the imagination, but they are better than what I expected. There are a couple of shots where a creature is shown back-lit, holding a spear that are amazingly well done given everything else that's so bad about the movie.

2/10

Atragon (1963)

- Kaitei gunkan
And I so wanted to embrace this movie, 25 August 2007

Japan and the rest of the world are under the threat of attack from the mysterious underwater kingdom known as Mu. Their plan is to turn the land into their colonies and enslave the surface dwellers. The people of Mu fear only one thing – Atragon, a super-secret (so secret in fact that no one knows about it) flying submarine that has the potential to defeat the Mu. But Atragon is being built by a Japanese officer from WWII who is unaware of his countries surrender. He's reluctant to use his new submarine for anything but the greater glory of Japan. But when the Mu kidnap his daughter, he softens his stance and finally agrees lead the charge against the Mu.

Overall, I can't help but be very disappointed by Atragon. The movie sounded so good – a flying submarine, a mysterious underwater kingdom called Mu, and a giant snakelike creature named Manda. What could go wrong? Well, the plot is what went wrong. Nothing much happens during the first ¾ of the movie. I don't know how many times I found myself waking up and reversing the movie. There's not enough flying submarine, Mu kingdom, or Manda to make Atragon exciting. It's not until the finale that something exciting finally happens.

And it's a shame because I find I usually go for the more offbeat of the Toho movies that stray from the usual Godzilla storyline. For example, movies like Matango or The Mysterians are among my favorite Toho films. And Atragon had Ishiro Honda directing and a cast that included several familiar and solid actors. Atragon also features the standout Toho miniatures I always enjoy. But in my opinion, everyone involved was letdown at every opportunity by a less than stellar screenplay. I just expected (or at least hoped for) better.

5/10

The Crawling Hand (1963)

"No rats, not allowed!", 28 June 2007

A space capsule is destroyed upon re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere sending a shower of wreckage across a Southern California beach. A teenager finds the astronaut's dismembered arm and (inexplicably) takes it home. How could he possibly know that the arm is possessed by a killer force or that he too will come under its influence?

I've watched a lot of really bad movies lately, but The Crawling Hand is far from the worst. In fact, it's almost "good" in comparison with dreck like Monster A Go-Go and The Starfighters (yes, I've been on something of a MST3K binge lately). The movie has its share of problems (hit and miss acting, obvious budgetary constraints, a ridiculous premise, etc.), but there are some nice moments mixed in here and there. Chief among them is the scene in the malt shop when the owner is attacked. The action, lighting, sound, and cinematography found in this scene far exceed anything you might expect to see in a movie with the reputation of The Crawling Hand. The two biggest problems I have with the movie seem to rarely get mentioned – the shift from the hand of the movie's title to "teen angst" movie and the amount of padding used to extend the film's runtime. So while I may never think of The Crawling Hand as a masterpiece, I certainly see it in a better light than the majority of comments I've read.

As The Crawling Hand is from the first season of MST3K, it suffers from the same lack of consistent riffing that plagues most of the early episodes. But in comparison with the other first season episodes I have seen, it's among the best. There is a bit involving a telephone that is very funny. Overall, I'll give this episode of MST3K a very generous 3/5 – a wishy-washy average rating.

3/10

Colossus and the Headhunters (1963)

- Maciste contro i cacciatori di teste
Pass the caffeine, 1 April 2007

Colossus and the Headhunters should come with a warning similar to those found on bottles of medicine. Inducing drowsiness or sleep is an understatement - leaving the viewer comatose is more like it. Colossus and the Headhunters is the very definition of a dull movie. Every single moment is a complete and utter bore. Erupting volcanoes and battles between armies have all the excitement of taking a bottle of sleeping pills. The actors certainly don't help matters any. The present all the life and vitality of a tree stump. Kirk Morris as Colossus (actually he's called Maciste (pronounced ma-cheese-steak) in the movie) is the worst offender. You would have to search far and wide to find a more unappealing, do-nothing hero. He's even late for the film's "climatic" battle scene.

If you must watch Colossus and the Headhunters, make sure you've just had a good nap, load-up on the caffeine, and grab some toothpicks to help hold your eyes open. You're gonna need it.

1/10

The Curse of the Crying Woman (1963)

- La maldición de la Llorona
An effective, creepy tale, 19 July 2006

Just when you get all smug and begin thinking there are no really good Gothic horrors left to be seen, someone comes along and releases a film on DVD that challenges your mistaken notions of having seen it all. That's the case with Casa Negra's recent release of The Curse of the Crying Woman. It's got everything a fan of Gothic horror could ask for – a slow-burn story that allows for atmosphere, women in black flowing dresses, a crazed madman caged in the attic, a dead witch in the cellar, a deformed and brutish henchman, a creepy old castle, and wonderfully beautiful black & white photography. As a fan of films like Mario Bava's Black Sunday, I'm overjoyed to have discovered The Curse of the Crying Woman. The films share more than their central plot points of bringing a long dead witch back to life, director Rafael Baledon seems to have used parts of The Curse of the Crying Woman to pay homage to Bava. The similarities between the first image of the black-haired Selma standing with her Great Danes is so similar to Barbara Steele's introduction in Black Sunday that it cannot be mere coincidence. Although obviously hampered by budget constraints (again, similar to Bava), Baledon nevertheless was able to craft an effective, creepy tale. It's not the jump scare kind of horror – it's much more subtle than that. It's the kind of movie that, if you allow it to, will get under your skin. It's very well done and new favorite of mine.

And I thought all Mexican horror movies featured masked wrestlers battling werewolves and vampires. I can't wait to see what Casa Negra comes out with next.

9/10

The Sadist (1963)

Shockingly Good, 18 May 2006

I had heard good things about The Sadist, but to be honest, I was skeptical. I haven't seen everything listed on Arch Hall, Jr.'s filmography, but I've been less than impressed with what I have seen. Like a lot of other people, I am shocked by just how good The Sadist truly is. It's a wonderfully sick and twisted tale with tons of suspense and tension. There's an undeniable atmosphere of menace in almost every scene. I might not think much of Arch Hall, Jr., but he's perfect in the role of the crazed Charlie Tibbs. Think of him and his girlfriend as a 60's version of Mickey and Mallory from Natural Born Killers. It's the same kind of ruthless, almost gleeful, lack of respect for human life. It's good stuff and definitely one of the better public domain type films I've run across.

Finally, I'm amazed that this is the only film credit listed for Helen Hovey (Arch's cousin). I thought she played the vulnerable, frightened character quite well. I would have liked to see her in some other movies.

8/10

Violent Midnight (1963)

If you can get past the spotty acting and the less than stellar production values, you'll discover an interesting early slasher., 17 April 2006

Violent Midnight (Psychomania) is a nice little film in the Psycho tradition that, for the most part, manages to overcome the handicap of a very limited budget. If you can get past the spotty acting and the less than stellar production values, you'll discover an interesting early slasher. The script is far smarter than many films of this type. Violent Midnight actually manages to have the police believably cast their suspicion on two different characters at the same time that the viewer knows to be innocent. Lesser scripts struggle to generate enough credible evidence and circumstances to suggest one person, let alone two, is a believable suspect. And when the killer is finally revealed, you could have knocked me over with a feather. I would have never guessed the outcome.

In some ways Violent Midnight was ahead of its time. Today's audiences might find it incredibly tame, but I would guess that 1964 audiences found the sex and violence in Violent Midnight shocking. Personally, I was amazed at how effective and provocative some of the racier scenes were. As for the violence, though nothing explicit is shown as in the Psycho tradition, there's a fair amount of blood for this type of film.

Finally, I got a real kick out of the cast. My favorite cast member has to be the relatively soft and sometimes goofy Dick Van Patten in the role of the tough, no nonsense cop. Talk about working against stereotype! And to my surprise, he pulls it off. He's easily the best "actor" in the bunch.

6/10

Gidget Goes to Rome (1963)

The worst of the Gidget films, 3 April 2006

Gidget Goes to Rome is easily the low point of the series. The comedy is lame and the story is neither original nor as sweet as Gidget. While Cindy Carol makes a better lead than Deborah Walley did in Gidget Goes Hawaiian, she's not going to make anyone forget about Sandra Dee. The series should have ended in Hawaii.

Maybe it's just me, but I found a few things about Gidget Goes to Rome a little weird. First, take the relationship between Gidget and Moondoggie as presented in this movie. James Darren looks to be about twice the age of Carol. Seeing the older Darren snuggling up to a girl half his age is just a little too creepy for me to enjoy. Second, Moondoggie spends the entire movie ignoring Gidget and wooing the hot Italian tour guide. He even asks her to marry him. Yet when she refuses and sends him on his way, Gidget takes him back with open arms and without any questions. Again, it's just too creepy.

3/10

The Pink Panther (1963)

"Take your filthy hands off my asp!", 25 February 2006

Reading through the various reviews on the internet, including those on IMDb, it's obvious that many consider the original The Pink Panther either among the best of the series or among the worst of the series. I'm one of those who considers it the very best. What does it have that the others lack? The quick answer is style. The movie is filled with the best style the 60s has to offer. The Pink Panther is full of sophisticated people in luxurious locations partaking in lavish parties and holidays. These are the jet-setters with money to burn who understood the importance of carrying themselves properly and looking smart.

Other areas where The Pink Panther excels in comparison with the sequels are plot, acting, and the handling of Inspector Clouseau.

- Plot – Unlike the sequels that follow, The Pink Panther has a fairly interesting heist plot at its core. The movie doesn't rely totally on slapstick. Take the first sequel, A Shot in the Dark, as an example. The plot in that movie is so thin as to be transparent. And, the further along you go in the series, the thinner the plots become.

- Acting – The Pink Panther has four leads that add their own wonderful elements to the film. Peter Sellers isn't asked to carry the film on his own. And, surprisingly, even though the movie features Sellers, David Niven, and Claudia Cardinale (names that should be familiar to many movie fans), it's the more unknown Capucine who gives my favorite performance. She's brilliant in the role of Clouseau's wife.

- Handling of Clouseau – If you can't tell from what I've already written, I'm not the biggest fan in the world of the sequels to The Pink Panther that focus almost entirely on Clouseau. Sellers is good as Clouseau, but I can only take him in moderation. In The Pink Panther, Clouseau is not the primary focus. The decision to allow Sellers to play a more subdued Clouseau was a good one.

7/10

Paranoiac (1963)

Nice B&W Change-of-Pace from Hammer, 10 September 2005

Hammer may be best known for remakes of classic period horror, but I'm quickly realizing that some of their smaller black-and-white films are among the best they produced. Although my experience with these films is limited, I've enjoyed the few I've been able to see. The story in Paranoiac is not dissimilar to that of Scream of Fear (another B&W Hammer film I've reviewed) – A young girl is believed to be mad. She believes that she has seen her brother who is believed to have drowned some eight years previous. Is she really insane or is someone trying to push her over the edge? When her dead brother does make his return, it becomes increasingly obvious just who is insane.

There are a couple of things that make Paranoiac really stand out. The first is Oliver Reed. He has always been a favorite of mine and in Paranoiac he gives a first rate performance. Reed has a tendency to be an over-the-top scene-stealer whether the plot calls for it or not. Reed's understated performance throughout most of the movie is deftly handled and a joy to watch. It's only when the script calls for his character to chew the scenery that he actually does. Overall, it's a nice, restrained performance.

The second area where the movie excels is the cinematography. Replacing the garish colors Hammer was famous for are some very nice B&W compositions that are quite simply stunning. Regardless of whether you enjoy the plot or not, it would be difficult for anyone to argue how beautifully filmed Paranoiac is.

Finally, the plot twists are a lot of fun to watch as they unfold. While I may have seen part of what was coming, the final twist is expertly handled and really caught me off guard.

7/10

Matango (1963)

A different kind of movie from Toho, 16 July 2005

Matango is an odd little movie. Coming from Toho, I expected rubber-suited monsters to dominate the action. But that's not the case. The creatures in Matango don't appear until the final 15 minutes of the movie. And when they do appear, they barely move at all. Not what I expected from the house that Godzilla built.

Instead of cartoon violence, Matango is a much darker movie than most of the other Toho movies I've seen. Instead of city-stomping monsters, Matango excels at atmosphere. The abandoned ship and the lush jungle island are wonderfully creepy places where anything could be lurking around the corner.

If you're so inclined, I suppose there are a lot of different messages that I you could read into the movie. There's the ease with which people can become uncivilized or the dangers of nuclear war or the effects of drugs on our society. I didn't let any of this get in my way of having a good time with the movie.

Finally, when the movie started, I thought I was watching the wrong DVD. The first 15 or so minutes play like an episode of Gilligan's Island. You've got a skipper, a first mate, a professor, a millionaire, a movie star type, and a girl next door. All of them are laughing and singing on board a yacht out for an afternoon cruise. And just like the ill-fated Minnow, the ship in Matango runs aground on a deserted island. Freaky!

7/10

The Skydivers (1963)

Gawd Awful, 26 February 2005

Coleman Francis' film, The Skydivers, is perhaps the . . . Oh, what's the point? It's one of the two or three worst movies I've ever seen. I really try hard to not rate movies 1/10, but with junk like this, it's hard not to vote a "1".

Almost everything about The Skydivers is abysmal. The acting, story, dialogue, effects, and anything else you can think of are ridiculous. Most any elementary school class could come up with a better production with more sophisticated production values.

One scene worth noting is the dance scene. Just when you think The Skydivers has scraped the bottom of the barrel, it succeeds in drilling a hole right through the bottom. Out of the blue, a dance party erupts on the airport runway. It really must be seen to be believed. Hysterical!

1/10

The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963)

- La ragazza che sapeva troppo
Classic Bava, 13 February 2005

Nora Davis (Leticia Roman) is a young woman hoping to have a wonderful vacation in Italy. Within 24 hours of her arrival, she is almost mistakenly arrested for drug smuggling, the aunt she is staying with dies, she has her purse stolen, and she witnesses a murder. But the police can find no body and no signs of a murder. It seems that no on believes her. It's up to Nora to discover the truth to what happened that rainy night in the plaza.

Mario Bava is known for his magnificent use of color. So, it's a little odd that two of my favorite films that Bava made (The Girl Who Knew Too Much and Black Sunday) are black & white. Whatever the format, Bava again demonstrates his mastery of shadows and light very effectively. The film presents a series of images that are hard to forget. Each shot is perfection. One of my favorites is of the thief who steals Nora's purse as he moves from one side of the stairs to the other. It is admittedly a very minor moment, but Bava puts more care into this insignificant tracking shot than most director's do in the main scenes of their movies. It is one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much is an obvious (and not just in title) homage to Alfred Hitchcock. Bava has loaded the movie with moments that are done as I imagine Hitchcock would have done them. If the movie weren't in Italian, you would swear Hitchcock directed it.

But the thing that make this movie so effective is Leticia Roman as Nora. Her performance is one of the best I've seen in a Bava film. She comes off as fragile, yet determined, depending upon what the script calls for. She has a believability that is necessary for this kind of movie if the audience to feel concern when she is in peril. Roman is perfect in the role.

One final note, this movie is often cited as the first giallo. Whether this is true or not, I only know what I've read. The Girl Who Knew Too Much does establish a very elementary framework for later gialli to follow. But, it bears little resemblance to the gialli that would come later. It's not until Bava fleshed-out the giallo in Blood and Black Lace do we get look and "rules" that have become so familiar to fans of the genre.

8/10

The Kiss of the Vampire (1963)

Excellent Hammer Vampire Story, 5 February 2005

This was my second opportunity to see Kiss of the Vampire. Watching and enjoying a Hammer film is what I call a very comfortable experience. And, Kiss of the Vampire does not disappoint – it is very comfortable.

The basic story (with possible minor SPOILERS): A couple honeymooning in Bavaria becomes stranded. They soon meet the local "big man", Ravna, and are invited to visit with him and his family at their château. They are later asked to attend a party at the château. During the party, the husband and wife are separated. While the husband is being drugged, the wife is being bitten by Ravna and made a member of his vampire cult. The husband wakes and must do whatever he can to save his wife. Anymore of the story would be too much.

Most of the acting was at least adequate. The exception to this was Ravna's son as played by Barry Warren. A tree limb could show more emotion.

Being a Hammer film, you expect it to have that Hammer look. There was no disappointment here. The colors are as rich as you would expect. The ball gown worn by the wife has to be one of the most vivid shades of red ever filmed. In addition, there's plenty of the bright red blood so famous in Hammer films. Overall, this is a very visually pleasing film.

My biggest complaint with Kiss of the Vampire was that Lee and/or Cushing are missing from the proceedings. Either's presence could have easily made this one of Hammer's best vampire films.

8/10

Black Sabbath (1963)

- I tre volti della paura
Another wonderful Bava film, 5 February 2005

Black Sabbath is an anthology from the Italian horror master, Mario Bava. Throughout the film, his trademark use of lighting and unique camera work are evident. Truly impressive.

The first story, "The Telephone", is a basic thriller and, IMO, the weakest of the three stories. Most everything that happens is fairly predictable. But, Bava's direction makes an ordinary story very entertaining. Also, Michèle Mercier is a knockout and makes this segment worth watching. I'll give the first segment an 8/10.

Most people seem to think that the second story, "The Wurdalak", is the best. I'm in agreement. This segment could have easily been fleshed-out into a feature length movie of its own. Boris Karloff, Mark Damon, Susy Andersen, and the rest of the cast do a wonderful job. Karloff is as creepy as ever in this tale. And Bava is at his best. Many of the scenes are bathed in a wonderful blue/green light that adds so much to the overall atmosphere. Wonderful set locations are also a highlight of this story. I'm also a sucker for the more Gothic settings in "The Wurdalak". I'll give the second segment a 9/10.

The third segment, "The Drop of Water", actually had more elements to freak me out than the other two. There is just something about this segment that creeps me out every time I see it. Again, Bava's fingerprints are on every detail of this story. The flashing blue/green light becomes more and more frightening as the movie progresses. I'll give the third segment a 9/10.

Bava really does a masterful job with all three segments of this anthology. For anyone not familiar with Bava, IMO, this would be a good place to start.

9/10