#2851  
Old 09-29-2014, 06:55 AM
FryeDwight FryeDwight is offline
Evil Dead
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 2,855
THE CURSE OF THE FLY (1965). Although no flying insects are here and Vincent Price is sorely missed (According to the featurette, VP was working at AIP and could not get out, thus Brian Donlevy as the only name actor here), the teleporter is still being used with less than desirable effects. Not a bad little film with some creepy scenes throughout. It also looks like David Cronenberg got some inspiration for parts of his 1986 FLY film. ***
Reply With Quote
  #2852  
Old 10-02-2014, 06:07 PM
Sculpt's Avatar
Sculpt Sculpt is offline
ventricle


 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: USA, IL
Posts: 6,141
The Vampire Bat 1933
3/10

Majestic Pictures took advantage of the upcoming release of Mystery of the Wax Museum (which was to have a long post-production time) and grabbed it's two stars: Fay Wray and Lionel Atwill (who were done shooting Wax), leased Universal Pictures sets (formerly used for Frankenstein), and made and released The Vampire Bat a month before Wax Museum was finished and released.

The sets and cinematography are pretty good, and you get to see the great Dwight Frye try to make something out of a mentally handicapped bit part, Herman, who has lines like, "Herman get for you." Film needed Frye to star, because there wasn't much there for any actor. The story is a hodge-podge of horror elements: vampirism, hypno-telepathy, and the creation of artificial life. At least there's a mystery, but it's really MST2K fodder.
__________________
.
.
.
.


Last edited by Sculpt; 10-02-2014 at 06:11 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #2853  
Old 10-06-2014, 08:13 AM
FryeDwight FryeDwight is offline
Evil Dead
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 2,855
THE SNORKEL (1958). Hammer noir that starts out quite well, then becomes a long Nancy Drew mystery with an incredibly annoying teenage girl.
POSSIBLE SPOILER>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ..
Could have ended with SUCH a bang, but probably not able to end it on such a bleak note back then, so had to tack on lame ending. Shame. **1/2
Reply With Quote
  #2854  
Old 10-07-2014, 09:02 AM
FryeDwight FryeDwight is offline
Evil Dead
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 2,855
MANIAC (1962)-Another Hammer noir that is quite salacious and sadistic, but loses impact towards the end. ***
Reply With Quote
  #2855  
Old 10-11-2014, 04:59 PM
hammerfan's Avatar
hammerfan hammerfan is offline
HDC's old chick

 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: In my rocking chair
Posts: 14,568
Watching Brides of Dracula right now. Having myself a little Hammer marathon. Starting with this, then will move on to Curse of the Werewolf. Tomorrow I'll continue with Phantom of the Opera, Paranoiac (which I highly recommend to neverending and everyone), The Kiss of the Vampire, Nightmare, Night Creatures, and ending with The Evil of Frankenstein.
__________________
<a href=http://s169.photobucket.com/user/margie1959/media/Christopher%20Lee_zpsdbzag3w5.jpg.html target=_blank><img src=http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u230/margie1959/Christopher%20Lee_zpsdbzag3w5.jpg border=0 alt= /></a>
Reply With Quote
  #2856  
Old 10-12-2014, 06:23 PM
Sculpt's Avatar
Sculpt Sculpt is offline
ventricle


 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: USA, IL
Posts: 6,141
Quote:
Originally Posted by hammerfan View Post
Watching Brides of Dracula right now. Having myself a little Hammer marathon. Starting with this, then will move on to Curse of the Werewolf. Tomorrow I'll continue with Phantom of the Opera, Paranoiac (which I highly recommend to neverending and everyone), The Kiss of the Vampire, Nightmare, Night Creatures, and ending with The Evil of Frankenstein.
Brides of Dracula was always my favorite Hammer film, beautiful cinematography and engrossing.




The Birds
7/10

Been a long time since I've seen the Birds. Forgot about the opening story of the very forward Tippi Hedren breaking into a stranger's house to drop off Love Birds and then staying at his ex-girlfriends place. I now notice the birds are matted over the human scenes. Never noticed that the first time.

Nice to see the beautiful Jessica Tandy, lookin fine. Of course Tippi and Suzanne Pleshette are quite fetching as well. I forgot Veronica Cartwright was in this. Bizarre coincidence, I had just watched veronica about the same age in the Twilight Zone episode "I Sing the Body Electric", not to mention a few Leave It to Beaver episodes. She was perhaps best known as the blonde in Alien.

In "Psycho fashion", there's the 'left turn' at the 1/3, or so, point of the flim, and the birds muscle in. I forgot how quickly the film ends after the first attack. Seems to end abruptly.

Impactful as horror-suspense (I think less so circa 2014), but not a particularly strong narrative, nor strong characters.
__________________
.
.
.
.


Last edited by Sculpt; 10-12-2014 at 06:24 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #2857  
Old 10-13-2014, 03:12 AM
Straker's Avatar
Straker Straker is offline
Midnight toker
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Across the pond.
Posts: 2,244
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sculpt View Post
The Vampire Bat 1933
3/10
That's a bit harsh isn't it, Sculpt?!

Its a decent little murder mystery, with a great atmosphere for the time. It might fall apart a bit in the second half, but its not that bad. The cast alone have gotta lift this beyond a 3/10.... I'm sure you can find an extra couple of points for this fun little flick, don't be so tight.
Reply With Quote
  #2858  
Old 10-13-2014, 05:21 AM
MichaelMyers's Avatar
MichaelMyers MichaelMyers is offline
Horror Fan

 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Haddonfield, Illinois
Posts: 7,827
I, too, was shocked and disturbed by Sculpt's 3/10 for Vampire Bat.
__________________
I command by the power of Christ and the Gospel for this evil spirit that is inside this man or woman to come forward now and to face the judgment of God.

Reply With Quote
  #2859  
Old 10-13-2014, 10:14 AM
Sculpt's Avatar
Sculpt Sculpt is offline
ventricle


 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: USA, IL
Posts: 6,141
Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelMyers View Post
I, too, was shocked and disturbed by Sculpt's 3/10 for Vampire Bat.
Shocked and disturbed? LOL Comon now, MM. In my rating system, 7/10 is a good film. I like to leave room for more impressive works.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Straker View Post
That's a bit harsh isn't it, Sculpt?!

Its a decent little murder mystery, with a great atmosphere for the time. It might fall apart a bit in the second half, but its not that bad. The cast alone have gotta lift this beyond a 3/10.... I'm sure you can find an extra couple of points for this fun little flick, don't be so tight.
I can reconsider.

It does have good atmosphere, and at least there is a mystery, but it's not a particularly good mystery... with each murder they discover the body has no blood, and never anything more. Let's face it, either the detective sucks, or the script.

Although the shot is a bit static, I did like the opening scene with all the men around the table, decent dialogue & acting. What the blood was being used for was... what's the word... gumptious.

I'll take it on good advice to upgrade to: 4/10
__________________
.
.
.
.


Last edited by Sculpt; 10-13-2014 at 10:15 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #2860  
Old 10-15-2014, 03:58 AM
FryeDwight FryeDwight is offline
Evil Dead
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 2,855
RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE (1944). A Dracula in all but name from Columbia Studios that is slow plodding with two of the most limpid leading ladies ever and a talking werewolf (swear to God!) who carries a bundle under his arm and looks like a cairn terrier. Bela Lugosi, as usual, carries the film with decent support from Miles Mander. **1/2
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 01:28 PM.