film lover 293

"Taste the Blood of Dracula" (1970)--Starring Christopher Lee and Veronica Carlson, directed by Peter Sasdy. Excellent entry in the Hammer series of Dracula movies. Movie gets off to a fast, sensational start and gallops on from there. Dracula is back in Victorian London, and nobody is what they seem. After the halfway point, I could predict what would happen, but the film is so well done, it was fun anyway. Lee was excellent, as always, and Carlson was a credible damsel in distress. Movie is Not Politically Correct, and forgets about a minor character, but other than that, film was a fine watch. This one's worth staying up for or recording. 3.2/4.

"Rasputin, The Mad Monk" (1966)--Starring Christopher Lee and Barbara Shelley. Film shows how Rasputin had a gift for healing, a talent for hypnosis and how he used enthrallment to make himself rich and get his way with anyone he could use. Lee is excellent as Rasputin, the monk in early 1900's Russia who reputedly had healing powers over the Czar's son. Shelley is also good as one of the Czarina's maids. She is especially good at implying what the script didn't state. Films' script is ok. The women's hairdos are very 1960's, not 1910. The score is ok, although it reacts for the viewer, which annoyed me. An enjoyable melodrama that takes a turn toward horror film in the last thirty some minutes. It wisely never answers the question of whether Rasputin really healed people or not, and lets the viewer decide for themselves. Film is worth a watch. 2.5/4.

Lawrence--You're correct! If you haven't seen the movie, click on "Other reviews on the TCM webpage for BotE--then click the link for "SF, Horror, and Fantasy Review" near the bottom left--that page has links for the Preview and the movie--didn't try the full movie link, but the Preview is worth seeing, even though it's grainy. Your thread, Lawrence.

Correct. Your thread, shutoo.

The U. S. Army threatens to nuke Chicago to avert Armageddon in this horror/sci-fi movie. Mass panic about the films' monsters has happened before the Army comes to this conclusion. Name the movie and two of the stars.

Proscenium Trepidity

Lawrence--You're correct. The video is on YouTube, and is a minor gem of tacky silliness. Watch for the throwaway gags, the things you glimpse out of the corner of your eye. a sign one of the monsters carries: "Loch Ness Or Bust!!" Your Thread, Lawrence.

Monday, Oct.23--Christopher Lee--three good ones I can't find online. All times E.S.T.: 3:15 p.m. "The Gorgon" (1964)--I found this earlier on archive.org, but it's gone. Christopher Lee, Barbara Shelley, and Peter Cushing. Good Hammer entry is hard to find. 4:45 p.m. "The Curse of Frankenstein" (1957)--Hammer Studios' version of the classic story. 9:30 p.m. "Dracula, Prince of Darkness" (1965)--Excellent Hammer entry, with Christopher Lee. Barbara Shelley and Suzan Farmer are the ladies in peril.

Unashamed Next--ENSOTSCU LADARCU

Attack of the Puppet People (1958)?

I watched five movies for the first time the past two weeks: "Hombre" (1967)--Is a cold, uninvolving, cynical western. Paul Newman is the title character, and plays him as stone faced, with no emotion except anger. Fredric March as the crooked Indian agent and Barbara Rush as his wife are both good. Diane Cilento is the only funny character; she provides a welcome touch of humanity to the film. A disappointment. "City of the Dead" aka "Horror Hotel (1960)--Comcast showed a crystal clear print that had the alternate title City of the Dead. Film starred Christopher Lee. College coed is doing a paper on Colonial Witchcraft, is referred by her professor (Lee) to a small town and inn, where a witch had been burned to death 300 years ago. You can guess the plot from there. Although the heroine is naive to the point of being dimwitted (her brother's no smarter), film is enjoyable horror. This was the first time I'd seen it offline, and the print was beautiful--Thanks TCM. "The House That Dripped Blood" (1970)--British anthology horror film that starred Christopher Lee, Ingrid Pitt, and others. Five stories are in the film. Framework story is about a Scotland Yard Inspector who doesn't believe in the supernatural. The other four stories star: Denholm Elliott as a novelist who gets too involved with his new character; Peter Cushing as a widower who becomes obsessed with a statue of Salome: Lee as a father who won't let his daughter have dolls: and Pitt as an actress who wears a certain cape, with unexpected results. Uneven film, but a fun watch. "Planet of the Vampires" (1965)--The stars of the show aren't the actors, or the murky plot, they're Antonio Rinaldi's cinematography, and director Mario Bava's psychedelic color scheme for the film. Wild, multi-color swirling mists of red, blue, green, and white are mixed with a dark orange spaceship. The spaceship crashes, and Something possesses the crew and tries to kill them. "Voyage of the Rock Aliens" (1984)--Watchably silly spoof of sci-fi, horror, beach party and motorcycle films must be seen to be believed. The film stars Pia Zadora, Jermaine Jackson, Ruth Gordon, and Craig Sheffer. Sharp eyed viewers will spot an MTV video of the films' hit song "When the Rain Begins to Fall" ( the song peaked at #54 on Billboard's Hot 100 in the U.S., and went platinum overseas) shoehorned into the first ten minutes of the film. Jackson is a fine singer, and Zadora holds her own in their duet; she's a better singer than actress. Unpretentious movie is good silly fun, with listenable music and more laughs than groans. A fun watch. Favorite--Voyage of the Rock Aliens (1984). Least Favorite--Hombre (1967).

Correct. Your thread, Lawrence.

Daughter of Horror (1955). Dementia. Ed McMahon was the Narrator. It was also seen in The Blob (1958).

Nobility from Boise

Sting?

LawrenceA--That's not the film. This one's a bit more recent; emphasis on "the leading lady's past performances can be forgiven. Hint--A MTV video is grafted into the first ten minutes of the film. The song and video achieved moderate, if short lived, popularity.

This low budget sci-fi musical spoof was lucky enough to have a major film cinematographer and one of its' songs hit the charts after it was released. The film plays like a channel surfing music video and the leading lady has a good enough voice her other performances can be forgiven. Please name the film, cinematographer, and three stars.

Princess of Tap--You're correct. Two memorable musicals. Your thread, Princess.

"TransAtlantic Tunnel" (1935). The project was a underground tunnel linking England and the U.S. It starred Richard Dix, who had starred in the Oscar winning "Cimarron" (1931).

Yes it is Lawrence. Howard Anderson was responsible for the Special Effects. His work varied in quality. I remember him best for "Varan, The Unbelievable" (1962) where the monster resembles...a flying squirrel. Your thread, Lawrence.

This pre-1950 British film is a predecessor of "Jurassic Park". Name it, the director, and two stars.

Director: Peter Fonda Film: "Idaho Transfer" (1973). Had to look this one up--only film I knew he directed was "The Hired Hand" (1971).

This directors' first and last completed films were musicals. Please name the director, the two films, and two stars from each film.

Bing Crosby; he sang the song in "Holiday Inn" (1942) and "White Christmas" (1954); song is "White Christmas"?

Stanley Kubrick. Sci-fi film--"2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968). Horror film--"The Shining" (1980).