Last Seen 70s/80s Movie

[FryeDwight]

DAWN:PORTRAIT OF A TEENAGE RUNAWAY (1976). The always entertaining PSYCHOTRONIC magazine referred to DAWN as "..the Drive-In comes to America's Living Room" as the TV film can get quite tawdry. Dawn (Eve Plumb from THE BRADY BUNCH-!) is fed up with her dull life and alcoholic mother and decides to head to Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the streets are tough and finding it impossible to get a job, she has to resort to teen prostitution. Luckily, She has a friend who also is a prostiture, so He can understand her dilemma and offer her some stability, although she sure doesn't seem appreciative. Throughout, she sounds like a snippy Jan Brady. Some coolness factor added with Bo Hopkins as a pimp, Georg Sanford Brown (THE ROOKIES, STIR CRAZY) as a tough talking yet emphatic Parole office as well as Suzanne Crough (Tracy from THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY) also playing a runaway. Even more coolness factor added by having "Cherry Bomb" by The Runaways playing on the soundtrack. **1/2

[hammerfan]

Originally Posted by FryeDwight

THE HOWLING 2: YOUR SISTER IS A WEREWOLF (1985). For years, I've heard nothing but bad about this and after finally seeing it yesterday,I must confess that the negativity was punctuated with too much kindness. H2YSIAW is truly one of the worst, poorly put together and ridiculous films I've ever seen. The acting isn't good (especially the two leads), the werewolf effects look hokey and WHAT is with the awful band being allowed to play the same song so many times. Christopher Lee, in what must have been a "Mortgage" role slums throughout (I came across a website with a review and a photo of him "...looking like He wants to die". Sybil Danning looks lovely and she provides the film with any spark it might have. She had requested not to do so much nudity and a compromise of sorts was reached. Her bit is lovely as always, but the producers pulled a sneaky move and justifiably Sybil was not happy about it. Pass this by and watch the great original. 1/2

In a documentary that Christopher Lee did, he said about Howling II "the less said about that the better."

[FryeDwight]

Originally Posted by hammerfan

In a documentary that Christopher Lee did, he said about Howling II "the less said about that the better."

I can imagine him saying that

J.D.'S REVENGE (1976). Kind of a goofy premise, but quite entertaining tale of a young law student/taxi driver who is persuaded by his wife and their friends to go out to relax. First to a Strip Joint (This wouldn't be my idea of a couple's evening out, but what the heck!) then to a hypnotist. While under hypnosis, the spirit of a long dead gangster/black marketeer/all around bad ass enters his body for revenge on the people who murdered him. It's kind of funny seeing Glynn Turman (RAISIN IN THE SUN, SUPER 8 and great as Mayor Royce on THE WIRE) go from a burned out albeit lovable guy into a jive talking , street hustling, hyper sexual, violent Bad-Ass MoFo! You'll love the hair style and outfits He ends up wearing. I had wanted to see this for some time and certainly not bad at all. ***

[FryeDwight]

PUMPKINHEAD (1988). Lance Henriksen is great as a father trying avenge the death of his young son caused by the foolishness of an asshole motorcycle driver and his friends. However, He finds it's not as easy to stop something as it is to start it. The rest of the cast is less than memorable and the story meanders something fierce, although the title monster is pretty cool. **

[hammerfan]

Dracula A.D.1972

[FryeDwight]

TERROR IN THE AISLES (1984). Odd collage of scenes from various scary movies with somewhat dry narration fromDonald Pleasence and Nancy Allen. It goes as far back as BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN up to around 1982. This actually played in the theaters-I saw it a couple of times-and it encouraged Me to seek out some of the films like ALONE IN THE DARK, MS 45, VICE SQUAD, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, plus a lot of the usual suspects. Not necessary, but a fun little watch, especially if You have some background. One Caveat Emptor is TITA is jammed with spoilers or showing "The Good Stuff", so be ready for that. ***

[FryeDwight]

IMPULSE (1974). Absolutely looney film with William Shatner, due to a traumatic childhood experience, has become a leisure suited gigolo/psycho going after affluent widows and not for long term either. Bill sweats and twitches, but the women just love him, although the daughter of the most recent girlfriend sees through him astute She is, but also a TOTAL brat! While Shatner has nothing good to say about the film-very low budget- it's off beat enough to check out. Also with Ruth Roman (THE WINDOW, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, THE BABY) and Harold Sakata (OddJob himself from GOLDFINGER). **1/2

[TaeKwonZombie]

played the Texas chain saw massacre game and was disappointed, so I decided to watch the original movie again to clean my palate, one of my all time favorites, love the opening scene, aswell as the closing, just classic.

[Sculpt]

Originally Posted by TaeKwonZombie

played the Texas chain saw massacre game and was disappointed, so I decided to watch the original movie again to clean my palate, one of my all time favorites, love the opening scene, aswell as the closing, just classic.

How does the Texas chain saw massacre game go? Do you play someone trying to escape their house or something?

[FryeDwight]

SHARK KILL (1976). TV movie obviously made due to the success of JAWS and even borrowing a good deal of the story from that film. A prickly ichthyologist notices a Great White Shark hanging around an oil rig and despite warnings, the work goes on and a couple of fatalities occur. A bounty is put on the shark and the scientist and the cranky brother of a victim decide to team up collect the reward. An accident happens where they end up in the ocean with the fish out there...somewhere (I'm thinking the makers of 2003's OPEN WATER may have seen this).

Not really bad as TV movies go, but loaded with stock footage and oddly a virtual cast of unknowns. The only name performer I recognized was Jennifer Warren (SLAP SHOT, NIGHT MOVES) and Roxanna Bonilla who was the only actress in the previous year's HARK'S TREASURE. **