nightwalker

Wait! You mean those were guys in suits? Next you'll be telling me that professional wrestling isn't "real"...

Okay, here's one. I was in over 200 movies and TV shows. I played characters of various ethnicities, but only once did I play one corresponding to my real ancestry. I'm probably best known for playing "bad guys" but I have actually been on the side of the angels quite a few times as well, and I've done some comedic parts as well. I once played the killer in a film from a well-known detective series, then went on to play that detective myself in a TV series. Who am I?

Agreed. Most modern films tend to rely a bit too heavily on blood, gore and special effects, as opposed to the older films' reliance on such outdated ingredients as plot, atmosphere and characterization

I don't know that these are the ten scariest (to me), but they are scary and they are classics, which to me means pre-1960: DRACULA, 1931 FRANKENSTEIN, 1931 FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN, 1943 THE INVISIBLE MAN, 1933 ISLAND OF LOST SOULS, 1933 THE MUMMY'S GHOST, 1944 THE RAVEN, 1935 THE UNINVITED, 1944 WHITE ZOMBIE, 1932 THE WOLF MAN, 1941

I agree it's a shame this terrific movie isn't better known. WPIX channel 11 in New York used to show it back in the 1960s and 70s, which is when I first saw it. Although the cast turns in uniformly fine performances, of particular interest is Peter Lorre's as a man who has lost hope in everything, but who just may find it again as the film nears its conclusion. It's also worth comparing this performance of Lorre's with that from 1951's DER VERLORENE (THE LOST ONE, which Lorre directed, btw), in which he portrays a man in similar (post-WWII) circumstances who has also lost hope, but concludes that there is nothing to hope for and, consequently, comes to quite a different end than the character does in HOTEL BERLIN.

> {quote:title=clore wrote:}{quote} > > Over at "Castle of Frankenstein" they used to take FM to task constantly for devoting so many pages to films like THE FLESH EATERS and THE CRAWLING TERROR. Joe Dante ended up on that magazine's staff doing the mini-reviews, along with editors Calvin Beck and Bhob Stewart. THE CRAWLING TERROR may deserve its rep as one of the worst, but actually, I've always liked THE FLESH EATERS. It's well photgraphed, with an interesting plot, clever though almost non-existent effects, decent acting and it has Martin Kosleck in it, too.

True, and its adherents are missing a great PR/ad campaign idea here, too.

I enjoyed the element of mystery and suspense as John Saxon attempts to discover the "secret" of the Night Callers, but I didn't care for the ending, in which a major character is killed and no one seems to care about it and the Night Callers are not penalized in any way for the callousness of their actions.

Back in the early 80s when I was living in Chicago, I used to watch "Son of Svengoolie" as played by Rich Koz on Saturdays. He was hilarious, and he also played good movies, everything from the AIP Poe movies to 1930s and 40s Universal classics. Of course, he also played films that were less-than-classic as well, but even when the film wasn't the greatest, Sven was worth watching. THE NAVY VS. THE NIGHT MONSTERS has a bad reputation as being one of the biggest stinkers ever, but I've always liked it. The acting's ok (even Mamie's), the plot's a little on the wild side but not totally, unbelievably out-there, and the effects are passable. In fact, the picture even delivered some chills as various cast members meet their demise at the hands (or branches) of the monsters. And yes, it, like FROM HELL IT CAME, is another in the fairly limited sub-genre of killer-trees-on-the-loose.

I can understand your needing a little time off for all that's going on, Judy, but I'd just like to add that I enjoy this thread and will miss your questions and look forward to your return. Also, I wish you well as you move and try to find a job.

You're quite welcome. Glad to have been of help.

Movie #1 = ABANDON SHIP!, 1957; Movie #2 = UNTAMED, 1955.

For those of us of a certain age, DESTROY ALL MONSTERS occupies a special place in our hearts. Certainly it's not an example of film making at its finest, but I've always considered it to be one of the most fun movies ever. You are correct about the monsters not fighting each other, however, according to the plot, they really weren't supposed to except near the end as they are breaking free from the Kilaaks' control. I will also agree that the version currently available lacks a certain indefinable something, but this is because it is not the version most of us saw years ago. That print, dubbed at Titra studios in New York and released by AIP, differs from the one currently available in that the newer one lacks several familiar voices from Titra and, somehow, they've managed to slow the action down without changing the video portion of the film in any substantial way! I would recommend searching out the original US dub if you can.

> {quote:title=rohanaka wrote:}{quote} >Martin Short was a much more entertaining "host" for all these festivities. :-) Really? I've never seen OSMOSIS JONES, so I'll take your word on that, but it is a little surprising to hear...

We could try telling those pesky antibodies that if they don't knock it off, we'll inject Dennis Quaid from INNERSPACE and set him loose on them.

Another suggestion for your course would be 1965's I SAW WHAT YOU DID, about two teenage girls who, having nothing better to do one evening, spend their time making prank calls whispering the title sentence to whoever answers the phone. Real trouble begins when they unknowingly try this on psycho John Ireland, who's just murdered his wife. Here, actual voyeurism isn't really an issue, since the girls didn't really see anything, but their willingness to take credit for it merely to further a joke really lands them in hot water when Ireland decides he's just got to eliminate these interlopers. A lesson to be learned about unintended consequences of our actions, however inconsequential those actions may seem to us at the time.

For a review/description of the film, see here: http://forums.tcm.com/jive/tcm/thread.jspa?threadID=102195&start=75&tstart=0 at the bottom of the page.

It's another film that may play better late at night with all the lights out.

> {quote:title=Bronxgirl48 wrote:}{quote} > Stately is another word for dull, right? Well, let's be charitable and call it "slowly paced" in spots. But really, it's still an ok film. If you get the chance, don't let that discourage you from watching it.

> {quote:title=judycwrite wrote:}{quote} > Prudence hunh? Okay nightwalker thanks! And I'll look into *Cat Girl*. Is it anything like *Cat* *People?* Yes, the films share a common premise, that of a young girl who inherits a curse which, at certain times, causes her to turn into a feline killer, but, unlike the earlier film (and like The Hulk), this happens when she becomes angry.

> {quote:title=judycwrite wrote:}{quote} > Which brings up an interesting question. When amnesiac Barbara becomes Megera on the full moon (still can't figure that werewolf reference), it did look like they used a different actress to play her, correct? I mean the one who had the snakes was older, look at her neck, and the eyes were different. Who was she? That was an actress named Prudence Hyman as "Megera." She was about 50 at the time.

Yes, I've seen CAT GIRL. I thought it was pretty good, but like many British films, the pacing can be a bit stately at times. Worth a look.

That was BAD COMPANY, from 1972, with Jeff Bridges.

Actually, Judy, FIVE MILLION YEARS TO EARTH is out on DVD from Anchor Bay, under its original title of QUATERMASS AND THE PIT, both as a stand-alone feature and also paired with QUATERMASS 2. I also feel that this is one of Hammer's best, with a little unusual casting in that Christopher Lee plays the more likeable doctor while Peter Cushing plays the more unpleasant one. Love that creepy, mysterious atmosphere and the way the Gorgon's back-story as a sister of the original one from Greek mythology is presented. Great ending, too!

> {quote:title=CineSage_jr wrote:}{quote} > Giant ants in the L.A. sewers! Aaaarghh!!! Run for your lives! Now we know...the rest of the story...