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CinemaBill
Reviews
Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957)
Great Example of 50"s Teenage SciFi
Frank Gorshen (TV's Riddler) and Lynn Oborne (from TV's Space Patrol) are the "adult" leads in the film. As traveling salesmen they find the saucermen and plan to make money by showing them around the country.
There is the "teenage" couple who also find the saucermen but are not believed by authorities. These are the two parallel story lines. This is one of the first movies to use the "teenagers save the world" theme that became popular during this period.
The saucermen makeup is well done by the makeup genius of that period, Paul Blaisdell. His balloon-headed, bug-eyed, mini-martians are still one of my favorites and their photos and other likeness still appear from time to time. Unfortunately, at the time of this review this movie is not available on Video or DVD. But we can hope!
Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957)
Haunted by this film for over 40 years...
I don't know why I am haunted by the movie. I first was it in the late 50's and for some reason it captured me. it is not shown much if at all anymore on TV. I had all but given up ever seeing it again let alone owning a DVD. I looked at all the sites that offered it and finally found it on DVD on Overstock.com. OH JOY! OH JOY!
Of course, I ordered it and found it to be every bit as entertaining as I had remembered. Mel Welles deliciously over-acting as did most of the cast. What a treat!
You don't have to wait long for the Crabs to attack. They hit as soon as the characters land on the beach. They begin dropping like flies.
If you get the chance, watch this forgotten little flick. I think you'll like it.
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
Loved it in the 50's; Still love it...
In the 50's I saw the Creature series (3 movies) out of sequence. I first saw the Revenge of the Creature first, then The Creature from the Black lagoon much later. I didn't see the last, Creature Walks Among Us, until the late 60's.
Universal sure had a way of using it's backlot to great advantage whenever they made a "monster" movie. The rickety, old boat chugging down the "Amazon" only to be stalked and then trapped by the Creature was a classic method of stranding both the characters and the audience in the middle of nowhere.
The music was perfect for the story and the four note "Creature intro" remains one of the most haunting and jarring in the history of fright.
While the sequel was arguably as good as the original, the third film lost just a step. It is well that another, fourth movie was not made at the time. The sight of the, now mostly human gill-less man, looking longingly out to his ocean home from the top of a beachside cliff and the his walking out to the sea and certain death ( since he can not longer live and breathe underwater) is a fitting way to end the trilogy.
I only hope that if Universal should plan a remake of this American Classic, they will not computer generate a Gill Man, and will choose to retain the man in the Creature suit. I believe the audience subconsciously picked up on the human mannerisms of the actor playing the Creature and wanted it to be safe and to live on.
Universal, Please don't fall into the Godzilla trap of a few years ago. Remember you don't mess with Icons.
Mad Dog Time (1996)
Enjoyable Film; See it for yourself
Why this film was savaged when it was released is beyond me. It's a comedy for Pete's sake, not Macbeth. I'll admit the structure is a little strange and the characters are quirky to say the least. But it reminds me of Barton Fink in style. Maybe you have to be in a certain mood to really enjoy it. But give it a chance. There's a bit of everything here; Henry Silva doing a great Burt Reynold's laugh right to Burt's face; Ellen Barkin as sexy and nutty as ever; Richard Dreyfuss as the manic mob boss; and last but not least Gabriel Byrne as the flunky who would be king. Maybe I'm mistaken, but I think the critics got this one waaaay wrong. So, watch it and make up your mind.
The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood Jr. (1995)
Best of the Ed Wood Documentaries...
This is the story of a group of people. Many of whom had worked for "Big Studios" at one time or another. Some were Stars that the Studios had kicked aside and all but forgot about. But they helped each other in their single-minded quest... TO MAKE MOVIES. In the past, they were the targets of countless documentaries slanted to portray Ed Wood and his Players as a Hustler and his Dupes. Their pride in their work prompted them to speak to these docu-vultures and lay themselves open for ridicule. BUT, FINALLY, THIS FILM DOES JUSTICE TO THEIR WORK. Each is given the respect due them. Each is allowed to tell his or her story without being made to look foolish. If you want to see a truthful look at the people who were the Ed Wood players... WATCH THIS MOVIE...