Category: Movie Discussions
-
Doctor Jekyll (2023)
Before it was announced that the latest incarnation of Hammer Films was going to release Doctor Jekyll, I was intrigued by the fact that it starred Eddie Izzard, who was apparently going to play the titular character as a woman. What exactly did that mean? Was there going to be a reversal of gender, an…
-
Blood Suckers (1971)
After watching only 30 minutes of Blood Suckers (1971), I stopped the Blu-ray and turned off the television. I wan’t enjoying it at all and I simply could not continue. The next day I awoke knowing that I had to finish it. I figured there would be either another 50 minutes to grin and bear…
-
The Man Who Finally Died (1963)
The Man Who Finally Died (1963) completes a trilogy of films Peter Cushing made for British Lion in the early 1960s. However, it comes at the end of 10 films sandwiched between it and Suspect three years earlier. So prolific was the actor that you’d never have known that, according to author Jonathan Rigby, he…
-
Suspect (1960) aka The Risk
The movie Suspect (1960) was as much an experiment as the ones its characters perform. Producer/directors John and Roy Boulting wanted to “raise the level” of the supporting feature, or B-movie, shown at the bottom of a double bill. With the budget of a supporting feature, they completed the film in 17 days, hoping to…
-
Cone of Silence (1960)
Peter Cushing once claimed to have played only four villains during his lengthy film and television career. One of these was Captain Judd in Cone of Silence (1960) aka Trouble in the Sky. Sandwiched between two Hammer horrors, The Mummy and The Brides of Dracula, and following The Flesh & the Fiends, Cone of Silence…
-
The Headless Ghost (1959)
You can’t expect much from a one-hour movie made quickly with the sole purpose of serving as the bottom half of a double-bill with another movie. That’s exactly what The Headless Ghost (1959) delivers… not much. It also seems like an odd companion for a movie as dark as Horrors of the Black Museum (1959.)…
-
The Whale God (1962) aka Killer Whale
Twice recently I’ve seen a giant monster movie in which the characters and story steal the spotlight from the destruction and mayhem. The first, or course, was Godzilla Minus One, and now it’s The Whale God (1962) aka Killer Whale aka Kuijira gami. To be clear, though, this one features a real monster rather than…
-
The Mystic (1925)
The connective tissue among the three films on The Criterion Collection’s box set, Tod Browning’s Sideshow Shockers, is the director’s experience as a circus performer that he incorporated into a series of films such as The Unknown (1927), Freaks (1932), and today’s movie, The Mystic (1925.) This is the least “sideshow” of the trio and…
-
When Time Ran Out… (1980)
Disaster Film Checklist All-Star Cast (Oscar Winners): All-Star Cast (Oscar Nominees): All-Star Cast (Others): Multiple Lives in Danger: Warnings Ignored: Difference in Opinion about How to Proceed, Leading to a Dramatic Confrontation between Two Characters: Death of Someone Who Deserves It: Survival of Children: Daring Rescue: Characters & Relationships: Physical Handicaps: Themes: Thoughts Reputation and…
-
Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979)
Disaster Film Checklist All-Star Cast (Oscar Winners): All-Star Cast (Oscar Nominees): All-Star Cast (Emmy Winner): All-Star Cast (Others): Multiple Lives in Danger: Characters & Relationships: Handicaps: Themes: Thoughts One of two things may be the deciding factor for why Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979) sinks. One may be that the further it comes from the…
Classic Horrors Club 