reviewId int64 363k 588k | userId int64 33.9k 15.9M | itemId int64 1 1.42M | rating float64 1 10 | title stringlengths 1 10.9k ⌀ | content stringlengths 81 11.6k ⌀ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
518,982 | 8,239,592 | 83,111 | 8 | A tense , gritty and harrowing " Deliverance " variant | 1973 : Nine excessively macho , arrogant and incompetent National Guardsmen doing basic weekend maneuvers in the Louisianna bayou get hopelessly lost . One of the Guardsmen ( an amusingly puckish Lewis Smith ) loses his cool and fires at some local Cajuns with a machine gun that's loaded with blanks . The understandably incensed Cajuns decide to pick off the rude and disruptive hot heads . This extremely intense and harrowing " Deliverance " variant greatly benefits from mean'n'lean action film specialist Walter Hill's tight , muscular direction , a fine flavorsome score by Ry Cooder , gorgeously crisp and evocative cinematography by Andrew Laszlo , and shocking outbursts of ferociously raw and savage violence ( the exceptionally well-staged and exciting climax in particular is positively nerve-wracking ) . Keith Carradine and Powers Boothe are both outstanding as the key token smart and level-headed protagonists , with equally sturdy supporting work by Peter Coyote , T . K . Carter , Fred Ward , Franklyn Seales , Les Lannom and Carlos Brown as the other members of the unit . A barely recognizable Brion James simply shines as a one-armed Cajun fur-trapper and Sonny Landham pops up as one of the angry Cajuns . Tough , gripping and frequently thrilling , with a steady pace and a potent'n'pungent brooding atmosphere , this baby rates as a real solid and satisfying winner . |
517,956 | 8,239,592 | 470,705 | 8 | A dark , disturbing and often wickedly funny portrait of a severely messed-up codependent relationship | Sad , lonely and rundown Agnes ( a marvelously fierce and heartbreaking performance by Ashley Judd ) isn't having a good time of it : she resides in a dingy , squalid motel room , works at a sleazy lesbian bar , and her no-count abusive ex-husband Jerry ( a surprisingly creepy and convincing portrayal by Harry Connick , Jr . ) has just been paroled from prison . Agnes meets and becomes involved with Peter ( superbly played with seething understated intensity by Michael Shannon ) , a strange , mysterious , yet charming loner who suffers from extreme delusions and paranoia . Pretty soon Agnes sinks deeper into a grim quagmire of severe madness and despair . Director William Friedkin , working from a bleak and tight script by Tracy Letts , keeps things very edgy and intimate , relating the grimly compelling plot in a taut and absorbing closed-in manner while expertly creating a gritty and unnerving claustrophobic atmosphere . Michael Grady's prowling , restless cinematography further enhances the overall skin-crawling mood of dread and unease . But what really makes this film so potent and effective is the hauntingly tragic and poignant codependent love story between two totally doomed and damaged people that states in no uncertain ( and truly unsettling ) terms the considerable danger of becoming attached to the wrong person . Moreover , there's an often wickedly funny sense of pitch-black humor evident throughout which substantially adds to the picture's profoundly uncomfortable tone . Judd , Shannon and Connick , Jr . all turn in excellent and praiseworthy work . Lynn Collins likewise impresses as Agnes ' sassy and concerned lesbian best friend R . C . The shockingly downbeat ending is positively devastating . Offbeat , original and well worth checking out . |
519,440 | 8,239,592 | 60,789 | 8 | Amusingly goofy Italian spy spoof | The immense success of the James Bond movies in the 60's not surprisingly beget a slew of entertainingly campy cheapo cash-in copies . This tongue-in-cheek Italian romp might very well be one of the silliest of the whole lot . Diabolical madman Rether ( a deliciously wicked Folco Lulli ) sabotages all the U . S . moon-bound rocket launches from his secret underwater lair near Cape Kennedy . It's up to suave , handsome Lt . Harry Sennet ( amiable Anthony Eisley ) and sassy'n'sexy Captain Patricia Flanagan ( lovely Diana Lorys ) to stop the nefarious Rether . Director Antonio Margheriti and screenwriters J . C . Balcazar and Jose Antonio de la Loma cram this baby with all the right wacky stuff to make this film qualify as an endearingly goofy hoot : we've got leering sexism ( Sennet's snide comments about women certainly wouldn't make him a hit with the feminists ) , a light , frothy tone , a groovy swinging lounge score by Riz Ortolani , lovably rinky-dink miniatures , dippy sound effects , a bevy of beautiful babes ( besides Lorys , there's also the luscious Luisa Rivelli and the delectable Wandisa Guida ) , polished widescreen cinematography by Riccardo Pallottini , tacky gimmicks galore ( one villainess sports a water pistol that shoots acid ! ) , laughably lousy dubbing , funky pop-art sets ( Rether's underwater lair is very cool ) , clumsily staged action scenes , and , of course , the inevitable explosive conclusion . Granted , this movie is complete asinine nonsense , but you can't be too hard on a flick in which the main bad guy sells beer on the side and puts his enemies in a frozen state of suspended animation . An infectiously inane riot . |
518,617 | 8,239,592 | 65,643 | 8 | A pleasingly nice'n'naughty piece of choice 70's soft-core smut | Saucy , husky-voiced , totally liberated and uninhibited free spirit Sally McGuire ( a winning performance by the lusciously bouncy'n'bountiful redhead soft-core starlet Sharon Kelly ) gleefully disrupts the drab tranquility of a sleepy armpit California burg by broadcasting from the back of her mobile van . Sally's shockingly ribald pirate radio program heats up the airwaves and turns on an avid libidinous swinger audience with a tantalizingly salacious mix of raunchy music , naughty sex talk , and ecstatic moans of pure pleasure Sally makes while caressing herself , masturbating and even making love live over the air . Naturally , a bunch of comically uptight no-fun guardians of the tediously repressive status quo want to nab Sally and put her out of business , but both Sally and her rascally hillbilly engineer partner-in-crime Toby ( the ever-wacky George " Buck " Flower in peak goofball form ) are far too quick and wily to be easily apprehended . Since this was written , directed and produced by Bethal Buckalew , the man responsible for such tasty low-grade trash as " Country Cuzzins " and " Sassy Sue , " we all know what to expect : broadly caricatured goonybird characters , ripely hammy acting , a groovy soundtrack loaded with fuzztone guitar-burning rock tunes , grainy cinematography , and more hilariously giddy tongue-in-cheek stupidity than you can shake a microphone at . Better still , the copious semi-pornographic sex scenes are every bit as sweaty , strenuous and steamy as they ought to be , with the definite highlight being when Sally and Toby dance the horizontal mambo in the back of Sally's souped-up shaggin ' wagon . A satisfyingly sloppy sliver of 70's sin cinema . |
519,178 | 8,239,592 | 69,979 | 8 | An immensely enjoyable Italian male buddy Mafia crime opus | Steely , powerful gangster supreme Frankie Diomede ( the always terrific Lee Van Cleef in fine rugged form ) has himself arrested and sent to prison so he can rub out a traitorous partner sans detection . Fawning goofball small-time hood and wiseguy wannabe Tony Breda ( an amiable portrayal by Tony Lo Bianco ) gets busted as well . Frank and Tony form an unlikely friendship behind bars . Tony helps Frank break out of the joint and assists him on his quest to exact revenge on a rival group of mobsters lead by the ruthless Louis Annunziata ( smoothly played by Jean Rochefort ) . Director Michele Lupo , working from an absorbing script by Sergio Donati and Luciano Vincenzoni , relates the neat story at a constant brisk pace , sustains a suitably gritty , but occasionally lighthearted tone throughout , and stages the rousing action set pieces with considerable rip-snorting brio ( a rough'n'tumble jailhouse shower brawl and a protracted mondo destructo car chase rate as the definite thrilling highlights ) . Van Cleef and Lo Bianco display a nice , loose and engaging on-screen chemistry ; the relationship between their characters is alternately funny and touching . The ravishing Edwige Fenech alas isn't given much to do as Tony's whiny girlfriend Orchidea , but at least gets to bare her insanely gorgeous and voluptuous body in a much-appreciated gratuitous nude shower scene . Riz Ortolani's groovy , pulsating , syncopated funk / jazz score certainly hits the soulfully swingin ' spot . The polished cinematography by Joe D'Amato and Aldo Tonti is likewise impressive . A really nifty and entertaining little winner . |
518,711 | 8,239,592 | 65,692 | 8 | A strikingly original and compelling experimental oddity | In the late 60's up until the late 70's Stacy Keach appeared with pleasing regularity in a sizable volume of seriously offbeat try-and-do-whatever defiantly unconventional and noncommercial oddball indie movies . These pictures include John Huston's beautifully downbeat " Fat City , " the gloomy dope addict feature " Watched , " the wonderfully outré " The Ninth Configuration , " Jack Starrett's delightfully giddy'n'quirky crime romp " The Dion Brothers , " and this truly idiosyncratic cinematic marvel of deeply depressed late 60's anarchy , disillusionment and spiritual malaise , which is arguably the strangest of the whole kooky bunch . Keach delivers a typically all-out loopy performance that's all fried nerves , eroding mental stability and spaced-out behavior as Jack Horner , a recent dejected college graduate who seeks psychological help from wacko unorthodox maverick shrink Doctor D ( an extraordinarily nutty turn by a bearded , slender James Earl Jones ) . Doctor D encourages Jack to " do his own thing , " a treatment which prompts Jack to get a job at a college as an English professor . Pretty soon Jack is having an adulteress fling with the neglected unhappy wife ( superbly played by Dorothy Tristan ) of a crazed , pompous colleague ( marvelously essayed to smug , callous perfection by Harris Yulin in his film debut ) , a precarious situation which begets tragic consequences for all concerned . Addressing such pertinent topics as loss of identity , commonplace violence in contemporary society , abortion , drug use , infidelity , insanity and the sheer lunacy and bleak emptiness of middle class American existence with a bracing and fiercely pointed sense of sardonic humor , this grim social satire that was co-written by Terry Southern and garishly shot by Gordon Willis never lets up on its nihilistic , everything's-going-to-hell acid-soaked tone , thus making for a properly harsh , often funny and frequently provocative ridicule of trippy uninhibited 60's excess and messed-upness . |
518,797 | 8,239,592 | 64,691 | 8 | A real kitschy 60's sci-fi Western hoot | A gang of nefarious criminals lead by arrogant evil rich jerk J . J . Hubbard ( nicely essayed with deliciously wicked relish by Warren Mitchell ) plan on hijacking a small asteroid made of valuable sapphire and landing it on the moon . It's up to stalwart space pilot for hire Captain William H . Kemp ( a likable performance by James Olson ) and plucky Clementine Taplin ( the fetching Catherine Schell ) to stop them . Competently directed by Roy Ward Baker , with an endearingly cornball script by Michael Carreras , a hilariously dated " groovy " psychedelic rock theme song , sexy go-go dancers at a funky nightclub , a funky-diggin ' score by Don Ellis , an astonishingly inept slow motion barroom brawl sans gravity , a nifty animated opening credits sequence , and several clumsily staged action set pieces , this hopelessly ridiculous sci-fi / Western handy dandy combo hybrid makes for a good deal of amusingly campy fun . The cast struggle gamely with their silly roles : Adrienne Corri as fiery sheriff Elixzabeth Murphy , Ori Levy as Kemp's jolly engineer Korminski , Bernard Bresslaw as Hubbard's hulking henchman Harry , Dudley Foster as smarmy brainiac Whitsun , Sam Kydd as the gregarious Len the Barman , and Michael Ripper as a testy card player . Paul Beeson's polished cinematography , the cool special effects , and the bleak lunar landscapes are all surprisingly up to par . A total laugh riot . |
519,180 | 8,239,592 | 53,219 | 8 | An entertaining sequel to the classic original | Late scientist Andre Delambre's ambitious son Philippe ( a solid and sympathetic performance by the handsome Brett Halsey ) decides to continue his father's experiments with teleportation . His worried uncle Francois ( the always superb Vincent Price ) disapproves . Philippe gets betrayed by his treacherous assistant Ronald Holmes ( a pleasingly slimy turn by David Frankham ) , who turns poor Philippe into a grotesque half-man , half-fly hybrid creature . Writer / director Edward Bernds eschews the heart-wrenching pathos of the first picture in favor of a less subtle , but still enjoyably lurid crime noir sensibility . The good acting from an able cast helps a lot : Halsey does impressive work in the lead , Price makes a welcome return , plus there are praiseworthy contributions by Dan Seymour as sleazy fat hoodlum Max Berthold , John Sutton as the helpful Inspector Beechum , the luscious Danielle De Metz as Philippe's charming and comely fiancé Cecile Bonnard , and Janine Grandel as loyal housekeeper Madame Bonnard . Brydon Baker's crisp black and white widescreen cinematography gives the movie an effectively gritty look . The moody , rousing score by Paul Sawtell and Bert Shefter likewise does the trick . The mutated fly-man is genuinely creepy . One definite skin-crawling highlight occurs when Holmes crosses a luckless police officer with a guinea pig ( Holmes actually crushes said squealing guinea pig with shockingly sadistic relish ! ) . Nice , pulpy fun . |
517,916 | 8,239,592 | 83,017 | 8 | Oh those naughty Nazis ! | Loyal , fanatical and ambitious SS officer Hans Schellenberg ( a perfectly slimy and over-the-top crazed portrayal by Gabriele Carrara ) is assigned by General Berger ( a fine Ivano Stacioli ) to find traitors who exist amidst the top echelon of the Third Reich . Hans gathers together ten beautiful whores to accomplish this particular daunting task . The lovely ladies are taught all the tricks of the trade by the classy Madame Eva ( the luscious Macha Magall ) , the cruel Frau Inge ( a marvelously venomous Marina Daunia ) , and the equally vicious Professor Jurgen ( a pleasingly wicked performance by Luciano Pigozzi ) . The harlots learn everything from ballet to fencing to weight lifting to the proper way to brandish a machine gun . Then they are sent out to seduce various lecherous high-ranking Nazi officers and get them to confess about any plans they may be plotting against Hitler . Director / co-writer Bruno Mattei loads this gloriously raunchy and ridiculous Nazisploitation junk with lots of tasty distaff nudity , sizzling soft-core sex , a rousing bloodbath conclusion , more nudity , several stirring action scenes , a cheerfully sordid tone , and still more nudity . Better still , we've got all kinds of blithely kinky and depraved carnal activity on display : lesbianism , bondage , one lass does just what you think with a grotesquely malformed hunchbacked freak , voyeurism , sadomasochism , and even bestiality ( a prostitute engages in coitus with a German Shepherd ! ) . Emilio Giannini's glossy cinematography , Gianni Marchetti's bubbly , jaunty score , and a positively infectious sense of joyfully unbridled decadence further add to the overall sleazy fun of this deliciously trashy Italian grindhouse treat . |
517,993 | 8,239,592 | 53,240 | 8 | A neat Russian fantasy outing | Evil witch Louhi ( wizened old crone Anna Orochko ) kidnaps sweet fair maiden Annikki ( lovely blonde Eva Kivi ) from her peaceful village in order to get her rugged blacksmith and magician brother Ilmarinen ( solid Ivan Voronov ) to build her a magical device known as a sampo . After honest , decent woodmans Lemminkainen ( likable Andris Oshin ) and Ilmarinen rescue Annikki from Louhi's vile clutches , the wicked old hag retaliates by stealing the sun and putting the village in a permanent state of dark bitter cold . Director Aleksandr Ptushko relates the compelling and imaginative story at a steady pace and does a sound job of maintaining a pleasant , charming tone throughout . Moreover , there's a cool sense of quirky creativity evident in the narrative : Among the funky oddball touches are a field of deadly snakes that Lemminkainen has to plow , a killer flying cloak , a whiny talking tree and talking road , and the villagers making magic harps to combat the witch with . Best of all , the simple and straightforward plot about good versus evil proves to be quite engaging thanks to its refreshing lack of pretense . Igor Morozov's sweeping , dramatic score , Marvin Miller's melodious narration , the nifty special effects , and the crisp cinematography by Gennadi Tsekavy and Viktor Yakushev all further enhance the considerable appeal of this nice little movie . |
517,941 | 8,239,592 | 65,677 | 8 | A nifty giallo outing | Beautiful , but sexually repressed young housewife Minou ( a marvelously luminous performance by luscious redhead stunner Dagmar Lassander ) gets assaulted on the beach by a cunning blackmailer ( a compelling portrayal by Simon Andreu ) who tells Minou that her struggling businessman husband Peter ( smoothly played by the handsome Pier Paolo Copponi ) is a fraud and a killer . Minou's world becomes topsy-turvy as the blackmailer plots to seduce her and she gives in to her previously neglected carnal desires . Director Luciano Ercoli , working from a sharp script by Ernesto Gastaldi and May Velasco , relates the engrossing story at a snappy pace and does an expert job of creating and sustaining a captivating sensuous and mysterious atmosphere . Although the sexuality featured in this film is pretty hot and kinky , it's nonetheless handled with surprising taste and restraint ; the sex never becomes too graphic or sleazy , which in turn actually heightens rather than diminishes the overall deliriously erotic tone . Moreover , there's also an infectiously sly and bouncy sense of playful humor evident throughout which further enhances the movie's considerable entertainment value . The acting is uniformly sound , with a delightfully sassy turn by the lovely Nieves Navarro as Minou's racy and uninhibited best gal pal Dominique rating as a particular stand-out . Alejandro Ulloa's crisp , sparkling cinematography gives the picture an attractive glossy look . Ennio Morricone's lush , bubbly , harmonic score likewise hits the saucy spot , with Edda Dell'Orso's exquisite soaring soprano singing dreamy wordless vocals like some kind of naughty fallen angel . The nice surprise ending neatly wraps things up in a solid and satisfying way . Good , crafty and spicy fun . |
518,153 | 8,239,592 | 197,857 | 8 | A choice filthy chunk of vintage 70's drive-in sleaze | Sullen , reserved Frank ( excellently played with brooding intensity by Gary Kent , who also doubled as the movie's production manager ) and his retarded , infantile brother John ( a genuinely creepy portrayal by John Stoglin ) are a couple of severely misogynistic wackos who get their sick kicks abducting lovely young ladies and holding them hostage in the dingy basement of their remote countryside home . Of course , the decidedly unwholesome sibling pair treat said gals like complete animals and play all sorts of depraved games with them ( John in particular likes to play twisted adult versions of doctor and leapfrog with the girls ) . Writer / director Donald M . Jones does a bang-up job of creating and sustaining a dark , grim and seamy tone that never lets up for a minute and stays bitterly true to itself right until the perfectly depressing bummer ending . While not that graphic , this film still manages to cast a powerfully bleak and unsettling spell because of its unsparingly harsh and gloomy oppressive atmosphere : a pervasive sense of foul dread and unease hangs heavy throughout like some kind of wretched invisible fog . The uniformly sound acting from the capable cast helps out a whole lot : veteran B-movie thespian Kent delivers a bravura characterization as a soft-spoken psycho who's prone to frightening sudden mood swings , " Macon County Line " ' s Cheryl Waters ( Cheryl appears in this flick under the pseudonym Leah Tate ) , Merrie Lynn Ross ( Perry King's pregnant wife in " Class of 1984 " ) and Suzanne Lund are solid and credible as the brothers ' hapless and scared victims , Stafford Morgan does well as likable college professor hero Robert Matthews , and Stoglin makes your skin crawl with his full-bore lunacy as the single most unnervingly unbalanced man-child fruitcake this side of Sid Haig in " Spider Baby . " Jones ' script covers all the necessary slimy bases : we've got rape ( the scene with Frank forcing himself sexually on one of the ladies is pretty ugly and upsetting stuff ) , nudity , incest , perversion , voyeurism , soft-core sex , and cold-blooded murder . Ron Garcia's rough , yet lively cinematography gives the picture a properly grainy and unpolished look . Josef Powell's offbeat score neatly alternates between groovy jazz and droning atonal weirdness . Highly recommended viewing for 70's exploitation cinema buffs . |
519,013 | 8,239,592 | 70,078 | 8 | A hugely enjoyable Amicus horror anthology winner | Dismal fates befall various customers who buy items at a seedy antique shop run by a sinister proprietor ( a splendidly creepy Peter Cushing ) . 1st and most chilling tale , " The Gate Crasher " - Edward Charlton ( the always fine David Warner ) purchases a mirror which has a murderous ghost residing inside of it who forces Edward to kill pretty young girls so he can live again . 2nd and most ironic vignette , " An Act of Kindness " - Wimpy former army officer Christopher Lowe ( an excellent Ian Bannon ) befriends amiable beggar Jim Underwood ( a wonderfully quirky Donald Pleasence ) and falls for Underwood's fetching daughter Emily ( an extraordinary performance by the lovely Angela Pleasence , whose Donald's real life daughter ) . Diana Dors amuses as Lowe's blowzy spouse Mabel . Moreover , the punchline for this particular segment is fantastic . 3rd and funniest anecdote , " The Elemental " - A pesky demon terrorizes wealthy Reggie Warner ( nicely played by Ian Carmichael ) and his wife Susan ( the solid Nyree Dawn Porter ) . Reggie hires eccentric clairvoyant Madame Orloff ( a delightfully dotty Margaret Leighton ) to rid himself of this troublesome fiend . 4th and most eerie vignette , " The Door " - William Seaton ( the terrific Ian Olgilvy ) acquires a door which acts as a portal to another past time . A wicked devil-worshiping nobleman from that past time wants to use William's wife Rosemary ( the ravishing Lesley-Anne Down ) as a human sacrifice . Capably directed by Kevin Connor , with a clever script by Robin Clarke and Raymond Christodoulou , crisp cinematography by Alan Hume , a spooky score by David Gamley , and uniformly sound acting from a stellar cast , this omnibus outing makes the grade as a real fun and entertaining affair . |
518,937 | 8,239,592 | 236,638 | 8 | A pleasingly nice'n'nasty French horror outing | A motley coed quintet of attractive , but untalented young thespians are hired by a flaky , testy , crippled millionaire ( a wonderfully loud and flamboyant turn by Francois Berleand ) who resides in an opulent castle abode located deep in the remote woods to put on a play for his scarily quiet autistic grandson . A vicious rapist and serial killer with a foul penchant for butchering lovely young lasses has been conducting a brutal campaign of terror in the same sylvan area . Come nightfall many of the actors and actresses start getting bumped off in assorted ghastly ways . Could it be the serial killer or someone else who's behind the gruesome killings ? Director Lionel Delplanque carefully establishes a genuinely spooky and unnerving tone in the deliberately paced opening third before cutting loose with a breathtaking series of ferocious murder set pieces . Better yet , Delplanque adroitly blends the brooding midnight-in-the-graveyard gloom-doom atmosphere of 60's Gothic horror features with the more graphic gag-you-with-a-pitchfork gore that proliferated in gritty 70's fright films into a potently creepy and jarring synthesis . The strikingly savage kill scenes make inspired nasty use of a nail gun , a harpoon , scalding acid , and other deadly implements . And since this is a European movie , there's an explicitly pronounced kinky sexual angle to further spice things up : stunningly comely starlet Clotilde Courau doffs all her duds to show us what she's got ( plenty and it's all good , man ! ) some fifteen minutes into the picture , plus we have lesbianism , voyeurism and the fabulously full-figured Maud Buquet takes a welcome steamy shower . While the story quite frankly suffers from severe lapses in logic and admittedly lacks originality , this movie nonetheless still rates as a satisfyingly harsh , serious and properly twisted shockathon that does the trick with considerable style and aplomb to spare . |
519,160 | 8,239,592 | 91,680 | 8 | A total gut-busting riot | Affable aspiring cartoonist Hoops McCann ( a wonderfully engaging performance by John Cusack ) and his best buddy George ( the deliciously deadpan Joel Murray ) go to Nantucket for the summer following graduation from high school . Hoops , George , and several newfound pals come to the aid of Cassandra ( Demi Moore at her most charming ) , a singer who's family house is being threatened with demolition by the greedy Beckersted clan . Writer / director Savage Steve Holland offers an often hilariously wacky and zesty nonstop barrage of admittedly broad and dumb , but still very funny jokes . The constant madcap lunacy has a real giddy , good-natured and infectiously inane vitality to it that's impossible to either dislike or resist . Moreover , the lively and enthusiastic acting from a fine game cast adds immensely to the zany merriment : Bobcat Goldthwait as the spastic Egg Stork , Tom Villard as his goofy brother Clay , Curtis Armstrong as the sweet Ack Ack Raymond , Mark Metcalf as evil rich jerk Aquilla Beckersted , Matt Mulhern as the mean Teddy , Kimberly Foster as the fetching Cookie , Joe Flaherty as the gung-ho General Raymond , William Hickey as cranky Old Man Beckersted , Jeremy Piven as smug preppy bully Ty , and John Matuszak as hulking biker Stan . Isidore Mankofsky's slick cinematography , the hip thrashy soundtrack , Cory Lerios ' cool rockin ' score , and the funky animation are all uniformly excellent . Single funniest scene : Egg in a Godzilla suit terrorizing a posh dinner party . An absolute hoot . |
518,062 | 8,239,592 | 299,754 | 8 | A grimly compelling short film | Frustrated artist Christopher ( a fine performance by Mark Baranowski ) can't handle failure and rejection anymore , so he commits suicide by taking an overdose of pills . His loving wife Yvette ( well played by the fetching Ryli Morgan ) discovers her husband's corpse , sinks into a heavy funk , strips naked , and kills herself as well . Writer / director Baranowski presents this unremittingly bleak story in a very engrossing and straightforward manner ; the rough , grainy , fuzzy shot-on-video cinematography , the monotonous , but still effectively shuddery score , the plain lighting , the methodically slow pacing , and the spare , laconic script further enhance the suffocatingly gloomy tone . As a tasty added bonus , the luscious Morgan spends the bulk of her screen time showing off her nice , shapely body in all its deliciously nude splendor . Provocative downbeat philosophical point : Life isn't what you make of it ; it's what life makes of you that really counts . Sure , this film makes for extremely depressing viewing , but it's still a strangely haunting and unsettling descent into sheer despair just the same . |
518,920 | 8,239,592 | 74,455 | 8 | The decay and decline of Western civilization | Tobe Hooper's worthy and shamefully underrated fright film follow-up to his phenomenal debut horror movie " The Texas Chainsaw Massacre " rarely gets the attention and appraisal it truly deserves . Neville Brand delivers a gloriously crazed , intense and uninhibited performance as certifiably nuts backwoods motel proprietor Judd , a sexually repressed and rigidly self-righteous murderous muttering moralist on a self-appointed mission to rid the world of foul sinful folks who make the grievous error of renting a room at his dilapidated ramshackle establishment . The fiercely acrid and incisive script by Kim ( " The Last Night at the Alamo " ) Henkel , Alvin F . ( " Bummer " ) Fast and producer Mardi Rustam offers nothing less than a savagely caustic critique of the decay and decline of Western civilization . This pervasively seedy sense of moral erosion is best epitomized by sleazy and lascivious good ol ' boy Buck ( a marvelously mean portrayal by Robert Englund in his first-ever horror film role ) , a swaggering and antagonistic redneck lout with an unsavory penchant for sodomy which suggests that underneath his macho hick veneer Buck is really a latent homosexual who's in complete denial about his true gay nature . Additional examples of a sordid world that's coming apart at the seams and going to seed are the animal attractions at Judd's scuzzy motel who are all either sickly or dead , William Finley as a deranged unemployed dad who's been driven mad by the loss of his job , Stuart Whitman as an earnest , but ineffectual nice guy sheriff , and Mel Ferror as a man dying of cancer who's searching for his missing runaway daughter . Robert Caramico's luridly stylized cinematography , an odd , atonal score by Hooper and Wayne Bell , the first-rate soundtrack of melancholy country and western songs , the blatant artificiality of the ratty sets , and a terrific cast which includes Carolyn Jones ( Morticia on " The Adams Family " ) as a saucy whorehouse madam , " The Texas Chainsaw Massacre " heroine Marilyn Burns as Finley's fed-up , long-suffering wife , Crystin ( " Ruby " ) Sinclaire as Ferror's loyal , loving other daughter , " Halloween " ' s Kyle Richards as a much-terrorized little girl , Janus ( " The Hills Have Eyes " ) Blythe as a small town tramp , and the ever-lovely Roberta ( " Caged Heat " ) Collins as a forlorn prostitute further enhance the ripely scroungy and brooding gloom-doom atmosphere of this shamefully under-appreciated psycho horror exploitation winner . |
519,026 | 8,239,592 | 197,851 | 8 | An amusing send-up of cruddy Bigfoot documentaries | This often amusing and always enjoyable parody of cheesy 70's Sasquatch documentaries pokes jolly fun at schlockmeister filmmakers in general by making the main character a Grade D blood'n'guts dreck horror flick hack director who decides to do a Bigfoot documentary . The doc is sponsored by a local beer company ; gratuitous ( and uproariously blatant ) product plugs for the brew appear throughout the entire feature . Furthermore , the time is constantly shown on screen throughout the picture for no real apparent reason . Better still , the whole thing is shot in shaky , wobbly , vertigo-inducing , you-are-there intimate hand-held camera veritate fashion ala MTV's " The Real World . " This spoof centers on three different fanatical Bigfoot true believer groups and their obsessive search for the legendary uptight walking shagrug . The first group , called simply the Bigfoot Society , are a motley assortment of hopeless pathetic dweebs which include a crippled , wheelchair-bound midget and a terminally braindead Heavy Metal dunce . The second group , the American Hominid Association , are a government-financed team of arrogant " professional " snobs lead by a Robert Morganesque ramrod jerk . The third and arguably freakiest group , the Michigan Cryptozoological Institute , are a truly nutso organization fronted by a flaky rich guy ; these paramilitary kooks reside in a remote woodland redoubt and teach a form of martial arts that's patterned after Bigfoot ! Then there's Dr . Prick , a stuffy , scholarly , studiously academic Grover Krantz-like scientist . Moreover , we also get the expected greedy opportunistic corporate businessmen eagerly capitalizing on Bigfoot fever , the scoop-hungry media eagerly covering the scene , interviews with batty local yokels who claim to have seen Sasquatch , a nice send-up of the infamous Patterson film , a tacky reenactment of a hunter's harrowing encounter with Mr . Hairy Behemoth , and even a bunch of protesters claiming that Uncle Sam's funding of Bigfoot research is a gross waste of tax payer's money ! The gigantic hirsute Goliath makes a dramatic last reel appearance being chased by the documentary filmmakers : he runs into a UFO and takes off into the skies ! This baby goes as far as to make Bigfoot out to be some portly schmo in an abjectly obvious , cruddy , not-convincing-for-a-second cut-rate gorilla suit and concludes with a neatly rollicking country-rock theme song . Totally silly stuff for sure , but still a quite funny and entertaining tongue-in-cheek romp just the same . |
518,750 | 8,239,592 | 486,051 | 8 | A nice'n'spooky little horror sleeper | A sassy lady college student ( sharply played by the lovely Emily Blunt ) hitches a ride with a sullen oddball classmate ( a marvelously brooding performance by Ashton Holmes ) for a cross country jaunt so she can get home for the Christmas holidays . The pair get caught in a snow storm and find themselves stuck on a remote backwoods road that turns out to be haunted . Director Gregory Jacobs , working from a clever and intriguing script by Joseph Gangemi and Steven Katz , relates the arresting story at a deliberately slow pace and does an expert job of creating a supremely eerie and ambiguous atmosphere . Cheap scares and fancy digital effects are in refreshing short supply here ; in there place you'll find a divinely creepy and unnerving mood that becomes more progressively chilling as the tricky narrative unfolds . Moreover , there's a commendable marked emphasis on the complex interaction between the two central characters . Blunt and Holmes do sterling work with their substantial demanding roles ; their edgy chemistry keeps the picture humming throughout . Popping up in nifty secondary roles are Martin Donovan as a menacing , mysterious highway patrolman and Ned Bellamy as a helpful snowplow driver . Dan Laustsen's polished cinematography , Clint Mansell's shivery score , and the strikingly desolate wintry landscape further enhance the overall spine-tingling spookiness of this subtle and satisfying little fright feature winner . |
518,159 | 8,239,592 | 83,052 | 8 | A touching domestic drama | Vain , neglectful former race car driver turned automobile dealership owner Ken Colby ( a fine portrayal by Tony Lo Bianco ) and his sweet , but fed-up wife Valentine ( a marvelously warm and appealing performance by Karen Black ) are having marital problems . Not only does Ken have his hands full with his faltering business , but he's also having an affair with fetching co-worker Sheila ( lovely Katherine Justice ) . When Valentine discovers Ken's infidelity , she has a fling of her own with nice , decent college student Jerry Lansing ( the always affable David Naughton ) . This tasteful and thoughtful feature represents a radical departure for director Howard Avedis , who usually made such enjoyably trashy exploitation fare as " The Teacher , " " Texas Detour , " and " They're Playing With Fire . " Avedis eschews his standard gleeful wallowing in the sleaze to offer instead an observant and compelling portrait of the difficulty found in sustaining a romantic relationship throughout the years and the severe toll a lack of open communication can have on said relationship . The uniformly excellent cast play their well-drawn and engaging true-to-life characters with commendable conviction : Lo Bianco and Black do stellar work in the lead roles ( Black in particular is a total delight and looks absolutely gorgeous ) , with sturdy support from Arlene Golonka as Valentine's loyal , supportive best gal pal Annie Donahue , Sharon Farrell as Valentine's perky friend Karen Haskell , William Windom as Ken's excitable business partner Huey Block , Noah Hathaway as the Colby's darling son Jason , and Jack Carter as jolly bar owner Barney Brodsky . Both Dean Cundey's slick cinematography and the jazzy , tuneful score by John Cacavas and Bonnie Becker are up to speed . A poignant little dramatic sleeper . |
518,020 | 8,239,592 | 74,434 | 8 | Don't go to the dismally dingy drive-in of death and doom | A choice cheesy chunk of wonderfully rancid and wretched two-cent 70's grind-house garbage about a putrid Califonia passion pit that's beset by a shocking series of gruesome murders perpetuated by some mystery maniac . It's up to a couple of bumbling and portly homicide detectives played by ubiquitous B-movie bit player / screenwriter John Goff and fellow perennial schlock film regular Jake Barnes to catch the crazy kook before he kills again . Boy , does this alarmingly abominable and mind-numbingly moronic bilge strike out something stinky in every conceivable department : We've got uniformly awful acting , dire dialogue , flimsy plotting , no tension or suspense to speak of , poky pacing , ragged editing , ugly , eye-straining cinematography , wafer-thin characters , a horrendously redundant and annoying score , tacky gore , and flat-footed ( non ) direction by Stuart Segall , who also helmed such hard-core porn classics as " Teeny Buns " and " Insatiable " under the unlikely pseudonym of Godfrey Daniels ( ! ) . Still , there's a certain blatantly crummy , filthy and scroungy deep-seated rattiness and all-out unapologetic ineptitude to this thoroughly foul'n'fetid feature which makes it both strangely endearing and hugely enjoyable . The late , great , sorely missed George " Buck " Flower ( who co-wrote the trashy script with Goff ) has a hilarious cameo as a deranged machete-wielding lunatic who chases his real-life daughter Verkina around a mangy warehouse while repeatedly exclaiming , " I'm gonna cut all that poison out ! " One of my all-time favorite so - horrible - it's - downright - happening sleazoid slasher flicks . |
518,662 | 8,239,592 | 91,651 | 8 | Klaus Kinski shines in this moody , melancholy and atmospheric vampire horror picture | Late , great wacko fruitbag iconoclastic actor Klaus Kinski gives a marvelously threatening , overwhelming , terrifyingly bestial and sometimes even strangely touching performance as Nosferatu , an evil , indestructible , all-powerful vampire who preys upon an affluent aristocratic family in Venice , Italy during the bleak , hopeless , fear-ridden time of the Black Death . Dedicated dying vampire hunter Christopher Plummer and pious , self-righteous priest Donald Pleasence make a futile and foolhardy stand against the foul , parasitic , yet anguished subhuman creature of darkness . Under Augusto Caminito's able , stately , subdued direction " Nosferatu in Venice " bravely explores mankind's stark fear of and inability to accept his own mortality as well as man's profound , but impractical desire to somehow transcend said mortality . But as the eternally tormented Nosferatu proves immortality can be more of a burden than a blessing , because he and all others like himself are perpetually cursed to endure the suffering of countless mortal others . Tonino Nardi's beauteous , misty , breathtaking cinematography and Luigi Ceccarelli's wondrous , elegant , potent orchestral score prodigiously contribute to the considerable substance of this frighteningly ( and , yes , even fascinatingly ) morbid , oddly affecting , soulful beauty of a film . The movie's unflinchingly desolate , flesh-crawling , funereal ambiance , relaxed , lulling pace , pervasively nonchalant air of insurmountable nihilism , and somewhat disjointed narrative isn't for every taste , but viewers who are willing to accept this disturbing , challenging , gripping and powerful feature on its own macabre and twisted terms should find it to be very rewarding . Kinski's forceful and singularly wicked presence alone distinguishes this picture as an extraordinary work ; few other actors can even begin to convey the same harrowingly tangible sense of extreme unbreakable demonic menace that Kinski effortlessly exuded . A gallant , tough-minded , thematically rich and grotesquely lovely addition to the vampire horror genre . |
519,056 | 8,239,592 | 74,433 | 8 | A very funny and entertaining 70's low-budget comedy treat | This enjoyably wacky and frantic film centers on a single wild'n'crazy night at a Texas drive-in theater called the Alamo . The interconnecting stories include nice , but shy guy Orville Hennigson ( the supremely affable Glenn Morshower ) taking sweet , yet sassy Glowie Hudson ( adorable brunette spitfire Lisa Lemole ) on a date , a couple of inept would-be big time thieves attempting to hold up the concession stand , two rival gangs confronting each other in the parking lot , and a henpecked dude sharing a joint with his unsuspecting nagging hag of a mother . Meanwhile , a hilarious mock disaster opus named - - what else ? - - " Disaster ' 76 " plays on the big screen ; this honey pokes blithely silly fun at everything from " Airport ' 75 " to " The Towering Inferno " to " Jaws . " Director Rod Amateau , working from a colorful and eventful script by Bob Peete , does an expert job of maintaining both a nonstop snappy pace and amiably breezy tone throughout . Moreover , Amateau injects a positively infectious sense of zany and inspired good-natured fun that's impossible to either resist or dislike . The lively and enthusiastic acting from an appealing no-name cast rates as another major asset : Gary Lee Cavagnaro as Orville's precious and mischievous younger brother Little Bit , Billy Milliken as cocky jerk Enoch , Regan Kee as the geeky Spoon , Trey Wilson as bumbling crook Gifford , Gordon Hurst as Will's equally blundering partner Will Henry , Kent Perkins as swaggering local stud Bill Hill , the luscious Ashley Cox as Hill's fed-up girlfriend Mary Louise , Louis Zito as the cranky , no-nonsense drive-in manager , and Bill McGhee as an extremely antsy Dr . Demars . Granted , the characters are a bunch of broad Texas caricatures ( the often witty dialogue in particular is peppered with a sidesplitting surplus of goofy good ol ' boy expressions and the thick Lone Star state accents are simply great ) , but they are still amusing and likable just the same . Extra props are in order for Robert C . Jessup's polished cinematography and the first-rate soundtrack of tuneful country songs . A real delight . |
519,354 | 8,239,592 | 83,040 | 8 | A solid and exciting revenge action thriller | 1968 , Saigon : An elite group of army soldiers leave their Vietnamese political officer guide Nguyen ( well played by Park Jong Soo ) behind after they get ambushed by the Vietcong . Ten years later the embittered Nguyen tracks down and kills the various squad members . Among the targets of Nguyen's lethal wrath are tough take-charge former leader Kip Moore ( an excellent performance by Perry King ) and his rowdy , rugged best pal Buddy Grant ( a typically fine and robust Don Stroud ) . Capably directed in a mean'n'lean straightforward style by William Fruet , with polished cinematography by Rene Verzier , a steady , snappy pace , several rousing action scenes ( a protracted martial arts fight between Buddy and Nguyen rates as the definite stirring highlight ) , a driving , pounding , throbbing hard-rock score by FM , gorgeous Canadian locations ( the Niagara Falls looks absolutely breathtaking ) , engaging main characters , a harrowing climactic cat and mouse chase on the streets of a crowded city , and nice supporting turns by Tisa Farrow as Kip's concerned girlfriend Kate Barchel , George Kennedy as no-nonsense detective Anthony Fusqua , and Tony Sheer as Fusqua's jerky partner Frank Malone , this bang-up little sleeper overall makes the grade as a solid and satisfying revenge action winner . |
518,388 | 8,239,592 | 70,039 | 8 | Another solid horror winner from the ever-reliable Paul Naschy | Evil warlock Alaric De Marnac ( the one and only Paul Naschy ) gets beheaded for his crimes against humanity in 15th century France . His wicked mistress Mabille De Lancre ( ravishing redhead Helga Line ) is also tortured and executed . In the modern age Alaric's descendant Hugo ( Naschy again ) , painter Maurice Roland ( solid Victor Alcazar ) , Sylvia ( foxy Betsabe Ruiz ) , and Paula ( tasty blonde Cristina Suriani ) go to a remote rural town to dig up De Marnac's body . De Marnac and De Lancre return to life so they can wreak more havoc . Director Carlos Aured does an adept job of creating a gloomy tone , maintains an eerie atmosphere throughout , delivers a nice smattering of gratuitous female nudity , and piles on the nasty gore with suitably vicious aplomb . While the film drags quite a bit at the start , it does get progressively sleazier and thus picks up more steam in the third act : we've got creepy zombies , heart eating , hot naked women , and a perfectly grim conclusion . Better still , the fetching female cast is real easy on the eyes ; lovely brunette Emma Cohen in particular looks absolutely delectable in her birthday suit . Manuel Merino's sharp cinematography and Carmelo A . Bernaola's groovy , moody , spooky score are both up to par . Well worth watching for Paul Naschy fans . |
518,015 | 8,239,592 | 435,653 | 8 | A pleasingly spooky and unsettling supernatural horror chiller | Three old college friends - - mature Harris ( Dominic Purcell ) , happy-go-lucky Sid ( Marcus Thomas ) and sultry Kira ( the lovely Josie Maran ) - - are reunited at the funeral of a fellow college chum . After the funeral they all sneak into a cemetery at night , get drunk , read a sinister incantation poem , and dance on several graves . The trio unwittingly resurrect the deadly spirits of a lethal axe murderess , a deranged child pyromaniac and a vicious , depraved rapist who proceed to haunt them for an entire month . If the ghosts aren't laid back to rest right away , they will grow increasingly stronger and more dangerous as the month progresses . Director Mike Mendez gradually develops a truly creepy and unnerving atmosphere with great skill and conviction prior to pulling out all the stirring stops in the rousing and hair-raising final third . The three leads all give fine and appealing performances ; they receive bang-up support from Clare Kramer as Harris ' sweet wife Allison , Tcheky Karyo as eccentric paranormal investigator Vincent and Megahn Perry as Vincent's cute spunky assistant Culpepper . The cadaverous skull-faced ghouls are genuinely freaky and frightening . David A . Armstrong's smooth , gloomy cinematography , the admirably serious and sincere tone , Joseph Bishara's eerie score , the well-drawn and engaging main characters , and the excellent special effects further enhance the overall sound quality of this very solid and satisfying supernatural horror shocker . |
519,274 | 8,239,592 | 122,070 | 8 | A fun 80's slasher flick | Hot-tempered macho jerk Charlie ( the extremely annoying John Batis ) and his more amiable easygoing buddy Steve ( likable Dean Russsell ) go hiking in a remote forest . Their wives Sharon ( pretty brunette Tomi Barrett ) and Teddi ( lovely blonde Ann Wilkinson ) also go camping in the same exact woodland area . They not only run afoul of crazed cannibal hermit John ( well played by burly B-flick perennial Gary Kent ) , but also encounter the ghosts of his slain adulterous wife ( a memorably bitchy Jeanette Kelly ) and his children Jennifer ( cute Becki Burke ) and John , Jr . ( future " Silver Spoons " TV sitcom regular Corky Pigeon ) . Competently directed by Don Jones ( who has a small role as a friendly forest ranger ) , with solid acting from a capable cast , a deliciously cheesy flesh-crawling synthesizer score by Richard Hieronymus and Alan Oldfield , nice dollops of ghastly gore , rough , grainy , but pretty polished cinematography by Stuart Asbjorsen , a steady pace , a good deal of tension ( the opening murder set piece is especially strong and suspenseful ) , several corny soft-rock songs occasionally blaring away on the soundtrack , engaging well-drawn characters , an eerie tone ( the offbeat and inspired supernatural element greatly adds to the overall creepiness ) , and stark and unflinching outbursts of raw violence , this film does the trick as a really enjoyable backwoods horror item . Familiar character actor Stafford ( " Cleopatra Jones , " " The Alpha Incident " ) Morgan briefly appears as one of John's victims . Fans of slice'n'dice body count movies should probably dig this one a lot . |
518,834 | 8,239,592 | 82,966 | 8 | Another creepy and gory winner from Italian horror master Lucio Fulci | The Boyle family - - father Norman ( likable Paol Malco ) , mother Lucy ( lovely Katherine MacColl ) and their cute son Bob ( angelic blonde tyke Giovanni Frezza ) - - move into a large mansion in Masachussets . They discover much to their dismay that a past owner was a demented wacko named Dr . Freudstein ( Giovanni De Nava in incredibly hideous make-up ) , a lethal lunatic who still resides in the basement as a grotesque murderous ghoul . Pretty soon a handful of brutal killings occur and the Boyles find themselves in considerable jeopardy . Director Lucio Fulci relates the horrific story at a gradual , stately pace , staging the gore set pieces with his trademark ferociously protracted aplomb and deftly creating a grim , surreal , nightmarish atmosphere which culminates in a marvelously macabre , disgusting and nerve-wracking climax . Gino De Rossi's great grisly make-up f / x really deliver the revolting goods ; repulsive splatter highlights include a knife through the head , a vicious stabbing , a juicy throat slicing , and one poor guy having his throat torn wide open . A harrowing bat attack sequence rates as another especially startling moment . Dagmar Lassander pops up as a doomed real estate agent . The alluring Ania Pieroni has a nice part as a weird , but foxy live-in babysitter . Both Sergio Salvati's crisp , polished widescreen cinematography and Walter Rizzati's groovy-spooky score are excellent and impressive as well . Moreover , there's an effectively eerie subplot about a mysterious little girl ( adorable freckled redhead Silvia Collatina ) who tries to warn Bob about the house which has a wonderfully haunting and poetic pay-off at the film's nifty conclusion . Essential viewing for Fulci fans . |
518,981 | 8,239,592 | 74,419 | 8 | A hilariously horrible and hence enjoyable howler of a 70's killer animal horror flick | The 70's revolt-of-nature fright film craze reaches its uproariously abysmal apex with this gloriously ghastly , yet often funny and hence strangely enjoyable stinker . For reasons which are never completely clarified the numerous assorted canines in a sleepy armpit California college hamlet join into one huge vicious pack and start turning on wholly deserving personality-less homo sapien drips with heartwarming bloodthirsty panache . David McCallum of " The Man from U . N . C . L . E . " fame drably portrays the did - nothing - good - whatsoever - for - his - rapidly - fading - career role of Harlan , a glum , bearded , beer-swilling and bluejeans-wearing smarty-pants biology professor with a dreadful Beatles shag haircut and all the charisma of a can of dried-up spam . Harlan is such a grossly unlikable and unappealing jerk that the more cheerfully misanthropic viewers out there can easily root for the murderous mutts with a clear conscience . Boasting such tried'n'true endearingly awful bad movie ingredients as all-thumbs direction , zero suspense , ugly , poorly lit , barely watchable nighttime cinematography , gory , but way bogus make-up f / x , uniformly insipid'n'atrocious acting from the entire cast ( Mel Brooks feature regular George Wyner cops the thespic booby prize as a nerdy fellow biology professor ) , seriously uninvolving toothpick lean characters , and plenty of horrendously botched animal attack scenes ( a little old lady gets mangled by a Doberman after the dobie tears apart a biker , a pre - " Dallas " Linda Gray gets chomped in the shower in a gut-busting homage to " Psycho , " an obnoxious curly-haired fat slob crashes through a glass door in show-stopping slow motion , and so on ) , this stunningly shoddy schlocker overall sizes up as one hopelessly lame puppy . And that marvelously irresolute sequel set-up non-ending ought to be thrown a bone . |
517,996 | 8,239,592 | 70,140 | 8 | An immensely entertaining female warrior romp | Fiery Antiope ( well played with admirable gusto by gorgeous blonde stunner Alena Johnston ) becomes queen of a mighty tribe of formidable Amazon women and enforces a strict code to keep them strong . Bitter rival Oreitheia ( a suitably fierce portrayal by lovely brunette Sabine Sun ) tries to have Antiope dethroned . Further complications ensue when Antiope has to mate with charming and noble Greek king Theseus ( an engaging performance by Angelo Infanti ) and winds up falling in love with him . Director Terence Young relates this wild and melodramatic tale of savage conflict and inflammatory passions at a swift pace , stages the exciting battle sequences with considerable aplomb , and loads this flick with a pleasing plenitude of tasty bare distaff skin ( the definite highlight occurs when Antiope and Oreitheia participate in a ferocious anything-goes catfight clad solely in their birthday suits ! ) . Moreover , we also get a few vigorous rough'n'ready swordfights , a memorably steamy wrestling match between two delectable half-nude honeys , and even a little lesbianism to further spice up the already delicious cinematic brew . Of course , having such luscious ladies as Helga Line , Rosanna Yanni , Malisa Longo , and Luciana Paluzzi in sizable supporting roles doesn't hurt matters in the least . The expansive cinematography by Aldo Tonti and Alejandro Ulloa gives the picture an impressively massive sense of scope . Riz Ortolani's full-bore robust'n'rousing orchestral score likewise hits the stirring spot . A really fun flick . |
518,554 | 8,239,592 | 78,749 | 8 | A fun'n'funky piece of early 80's Italian sci-fi / horror splatter cheese | A surprisingly groovy , frenetic and fairly suspenseful subterranean creature feature earthbound " ALIEN " swipe about these ravenous shape-changing extraterrestrial rock monsters which prey upon a vapid assortment of spelunking youths exploring a deep , dark , dank remote cave . The ham-fisted direction , tin-eared dialogue ( " Even he can't stop the monsters " ) , the cramped , creepy , claustrophobic cavern setting that's nicely redolent of both " The Boogens " and " The Descent , " a throbbing Goblinesque score by Oliver Onions ( who also supplied the rousing music for the snazzy , stirring post-nuke sci-fi / action zinger " 2019 : After the Fall of New York " ) , an incomprehensible , logic-defying narrative , the gorgeous , bewitching brunette Belinda Mayne's perky portrayal of the hypersensitive psychic heroine , the tacky special effects , the righteously gruesome gore , the generally flat acting from a non-star cast , an occasional sappy pop ballad blasting on the soundtrack , a hilariously idiotic climactic chase sequence which takes place in an abandoned bowling alley , future Italian horror film director Michele ( " Stagefright , " " The Church " ) Soavi as one of the dumbbell kids , a light sprinkling of charmingly unnecessary filler ( i . e . , faded , worn-out newsreel footage , a needless scene depicting a jeep pulling out of a garage and driving down the street , etc . ) and a side-splitting concluding on-screen title statement which ominously proclaims that " YOU MAY BE NEXT ! " all make this shamefully ignored hoot an extremely tasty and tantalizing slice of lovably shoddy and stupid spaghetti splatter schlock . |
517,969 | 8,239,592 | 435,631 | 8 | A hugely enjoyable piece of low-budget horror / action trash | Rough'n'tumble half-breed holy akicker demon hunter Jake Greyman ( a superbly rugged portrayal by Sean Patrick Flanery of " The Boondock Saints " ) fights various forms of evil for the Catholic Church . He's assigned by Cardinal White ( nicely played by William Bassett ) to stop nefarious lustful hell spawn Asmodeus ( a marvelously creepy and reptilian Billy Drago ) and his loyal servant Succubus ( gorgeous brunette knockout Tania Deighton , who sports cute little horns ) from procreating with fallen Los Angeles prostitutes . Compassionate unorthodox nun Sarah Ryan ( a likable performance by striking hottie Colleen Porch ) helps Jake out on his desperate mission . The fate of mankind hangs in the balance . Director Scott Ziehl , working from a blithely schlocky script by Mitch Gould , loads this enjoyably silly supernatural claptrap with several rousing bash ' em up fight scenes , a decent smattering of gratuitous nudity , a dab of grisly gore , and even a smidgen of steamy soft-core sex . Moreover , Ziehl keeps the pace rattling along at a satisfying steady clip throughout this movie's short'n'sweet 78 minute running time . Flanery's scruffy , apathetic and cynical character makes for an engagingly hard-around-the-edges anti-hero . Robert C . New's slick , agile cinematography , the wailin ' , head-bangin ' rock soundtrack , Jon Lee's roaring score , and some laughably lousy CGI effects further add to the overall entertainingly trashy fun . |
519,199 | 8,239,592 | 74,415 | 8 | Good silly 70's Southern-fried drive-in movie fun | After their moonshiner pappy ( Mark Millner ) gets bumped off by big , nasty bossman Dade ( a splendidly smarmy'n'slippery turn by unsung fat guy thesp Stanley Adams ) , Millner's two spitfire daughters Patsy and Dixie decide to get revenge by stealing Dade's tremendous amounts of money and redistributing the cash back to the poor country people Dade's been bilking bread from . Directed with customary zippy élan by former 60's soft-core sex picture filmmaker turned 70's drive-in feature auteur Lee Frost ( who also co-wrote the cheekily effective script with longtime collaborator Wes Bishop , who also pops up in a sizable co-starring role as the sleazy , trigger happy , dangerously blundering Deputy Frank ) , this Southern-fried ozoner revenge potboiler offers a pleasingly ramshackle and richly colorful evocation of the South , what with jubilant bluegrass music on the soundtrack , solid themes concerning family ties and loyalty , an odious Yankee villain trying to buy up everyone's land , cops and crooks mingling with each other just like buddies , poverty and unemployment keeping honest folks down , the occasional lively car chase , a token rowdy bar fight , and two sassy good old gal protagonists who use everything they got to get ahead in life . Jane Anne Johnstone and Kathy McHaley are wonderfully breezy and appealing as the sexy , pretty , very spunky and supremely self-sufficient distaff leads , with sturdy supporting performances by the always dependable Warren Oates as Mack , an amiably scraggly motorcross bike champ who the girls confide in ( an uncredited Steve McQueen doubles for Oates in the motorcross race sequences ) ; Christopher George as a nice guy sheriff on the take , and R . G . Armstrong as a venal bank president with feet of clay . Spirited and entertaining , " Dixie Dynamite " serves up a considerable heap of punchy'n'rollicking kick up the dirt animated fun . |
519,000 | 8,239,592 | 74,408 | 8 | One of Jess Franco's best and most disturbing horror movies | Seemingly compassionate and respectable Dr . Dennis Orloff ( a creepily credible and compelling Klaus Kinski ) is really the vicious and evasive serial killer Jack the Ripper , a savage sexual psychopath who preys on prostitutes in Victorian-era 19th century London , England . It's up to dedicated Scotland Yard Inspector Selby ( a solid Andreas Mannkopff ) to catch the foul fiend . Selby's ballet dancer girlfriend Cynthia ( the lovely Josephine Chaplin ; Charlie Chaplin's daughter ) uses herself as bait to lure Bloody Jack . Writer / director Jess Franco , whose films tend to be very hit-or-miss type of affairs , comes through here with one of his best , most shocking and disturbing forays into the horror genre : the brooding gloom-doom tone is potently rendered , the sets and costumes are surprisingly lavish , the rich , vivid and flavorsome period atmosphere rings true , the murder set pieces are suitably harsh , graphic and upsetting , and there are even a few amusing touches of raw earthy humor sprinkled throughout . William Baumgartner's spooky score and Peter Baumgartner's slick cinematography are likewise fine and impressive . Nice supporting performances by Herbert Fux as the affable Charlie the Fisherman , Hans Gaugler as a perceptive blind beggar , Olga Gebhard as concerned land lady Mrs . Baxter , Esther Studer as saucy hooker Jeanny , and the always alluring Lina Romay as bawdy ballroom tart Marika . But it's the inspired central casting of Kinski in the lead that really makes this picture work as well as it does : With his sharp facial features , pale , piercing blue eyes and extremely intense'n'edgy presence , Kinski qualifies as a frightfully convincing madman . Only the crummy dubbing distracts a bit from this otherwise strong and praiseworthy effort . |
518,856 | 8,239,592 | 65,738 | 8 | A typically solid and enjoyable Hammer horror entry in the Frankenstein series | Baron Victor Frankenstein ( splendidly played to icy perfection by the always terrific Peter Cushing ) has become completely driven , ruthless and obsessed with his research . Frankenstein forces nice young psychiatrist Dr . Karl Holst ( a fine Simon Ward ) and his equally sweet fiancé Anna Spengler ( an appealing turn by the gorgeous Veronica Carlson ) to assist him with abducting the mentally ill Dr . Frederick Brandt ( George Pravda ) so he can perform an operation on Brandt's brain . Directed with great style and assurance by Terence Fisher , with a sharp and compelling script by Bert Batt , a grimly serious tone , a rich and flavorsome evocation of the repressive Victorian era , crisp , bold color cinematography by Arthur Grant , a constant steady pace , a roaring dramatic score by James Bernard , a gloomy , misty atmosphere , a strong and provocative central message about the evil corrupting influence of fierce ambition run dangerously amok , and an exciting fiery conclusion , this movie certainly makes the grade as a superior and satisfying Hammer fright feature . The excellent acting from a sturdy cast rates as a substantial asset : Cushing is marvelously hateful as an arrogant and unlikable Frankenstein , Ward and Carlson make for sympathetic protagonists , Thorley Walters amuses as the huffy'n'haughty Inspector Frisch , and Freddie Jones delivers an exceptionally moving and captivating performance as the remarkably tragic and pitiable " monster " who has Brandt's brain transplanted into his body . Director Fisher impresses with several well mounted scary set pieces : Frankenstein frightening a prowler while wearing a grotesque mask , a ruptured water main causing a corpse to burst forth from the ground , and a brief , yet jolting sequence with Frankenstein brutally raping Anna . Highly recommended to both Hammer fans in particular and horror film buffs in general . |
518,556 | 8,239,592 | 82,951 | 8 | A really nasty , effective and above average early 80's slasher item | June 28th , 1945 : A jilted World War II soldier dressed in combat fatigues pitchforks his two-timing girlfriend and her lover during a graduation dance . June 28th , 1980 : When the graduation dance is held again after many years of inactivity , the grisly murders start anew . Director Joseph ( " Missing in Action , " Invasion U . S . A . " ) Zito manages to wring plenty of suspense from the formulaic script , nicely creating a bleakly haunting small town atmosphere ( the movie was shot on location in my home state of New Jersey in the hoppin ' resort community of Cape May ) and staging the shockingly ferocious kill scenes with considerable skill and style . Moreover , the solid supporting performances by Farley Granger as the folksy sheriff and the always great Lawrence ( " Midnight , " " Reservoir Dogs " ) Tierney as a mean , crippled old grouch lift this picture well out of the rut . Both Raoul Lumas ' polished photography and Richard ( " Shock Waves " ) Einhorn's spooky score are likewise up to par . Popping up in nifty minor roles are future " Riptide " TV series regular Thom Bray as a bespectacled nerd and Cindy ( " Humanoids from the Deep " ) Weintraub as a promiscuous harlot who winds up having her throat slit wide open while enjoying an evening dip in a pool . However , it's the incredibly ghastly and gruesome gore make-up f / x by Tom Savini which give this film an extra brutal and upsetting edge ; said hardcore graphic splatter moments include a bayonet in the neck , a particularly vicious impalement on a pitchfork ( this murder set piece happens to an attractive young lady who's taking a shower ) , a bayonet through the head , and the killer's head being blown up with a shotgun ( this latter bit is quite bloody and alarming ) . The excellent Blue Underground DVD offers a bang-up widescreen presentation along with the theatrical trailer , an extensive poster and still gallery , behind-the-scenes videotape footage of Savini at work , and a lively , enjoyable and informative commentary by Zito and Savini . |
518,146 | 8,239,592 | 122,037 | 8 | A totally funky late 80's zombie horror splatter blast | Mysterious amnesia victim Jane Doe ( a game portrayal by luscious brunette stuntwoman Cheryl Lawson ) gets sent to an asylum where twenty years ago the deranged Dr . Colin Ramzi ( a pleasingly creepy Danny Gochnauer ) was conducting sadistic brain experiments on the hapless inmates . A sudden earthquake resurrects Dr . Ramzi so he can embark on a new campaign of terror . Director / co-writer Brett Leonard and co-writer Gimel Everett do a bang-up job of creating and maintaining a grim , morbid and absolutely twisted brooding gloom-doom atmosphere : the dank and depressing tone rarely lets up for a minute , there's no goofy comic relief to speak of ( however , this film does have a wickedly macabre sense of pitch-black gallows humor ) , Ramzi's lobotomized zombie victims are genuinely hideous and unsettling ( the climactic lively zombie rampage seriously smokes , too ) , and we've got a handy helping of grisly gore ( brains are scooped out , the tops of heads are cut off to expose peoples ' glistening cerebrums , and long , sharp needles are thrust into several folks ' skulls ) . The slick cinematography by Marty Collins makes neat use of shadowy lighting and gives the picture an attractive glossy look . Dan Wyman's spirited shivery'n'spooky score likewise does the skin-crawling trick . Moreover , the solid cast all play their parts with tremendous enthusiasm : Steffen Gregory Foster delivers an utterly engaging performance as charming explosives expert Christian Meyers , Joan Bechtel is deliciously hateful as the cruel and domineering Nurse Kygar , plus there's sturdy supporting work from Jeremy Slate as friendly head psychiatrist Dr . Gerald Swan , Geha Getz as unhinged nun Sister Clair , Mara Everett as the sweet Nurse Robbins , and Jack A . Sunseri as affable orderly Jimmy . As a yummy extra bonus , the gorgeously voluptuous Lawson spends a fair share of her screen time clad only in a tight tank top and skimpy panties ( and she also even briefly bares her beautifully bountiful breasts as well ! ) . All in all , this fright feature sizes up as a great deal of good'n'ghastly ghoulish fun . |
518,609 | 8,239,592 | 74,395 | 8 | A very grim , graphic and downright nasty serving of Italian Nazi exploitation filth | The hapless Jewish female prisoners at an SS Special Section concentration camp are subjected to all kinds of torture , sadism and depravity by their brutal Nazi captors . Fed up with all the gross mistreatment they are forced to endure on a regular basis , the women join together to plot to escape and turn the tables on their cruel oppressors . Writer / director Rino ( " Werewolf Woman " ) Di Silvestri really delivers the lowdown sleazy goods in a fiercely explicit and unflinching manner : there's plentiful nudity , two group shower scenes , pubic hair shaving , rape , lesbianism , voyeurism , catfights , degradation , castration ( one of the women hides a razor blade in her vagina ! ) , and perversion galore . Moreover , the production values are surprisingly polished and up to par : Sergio D'Offizi's slick cinematography ( the smooth tracking shots and sturdy hand-held camera-work are both quite impressive ) , an unrelentingly bleak , stark and gritty tone , solid and credible acting from a good cast ( John Steiner in particular makes for a perfectly strict , haughty and merciless degenerate creep of a camp commandant while Solvi Stubing likewise does well as a mean guard ) , a thrilling last reel jailbreak and Stelvio Cipriani's melodic , gloomy , haunting score are all on the money fine and effective . Although it's way too grim , rough and depressing to be much fun , this potent little item nonetheless still qualifies as a very gripping and harrowing movie . |
519,234 | 8,239,592 | 814,140 | 8 | A nifty and informative making of documentary . | This very thorough and engrossing featurette covers the making of the spooky low-budget indie horror film " Room 6 . " The people who are interviewed are co-writer / co-producer Mark A . Altman , actress Ellie Cornell , producer Mark Gottwald , special effects make-up artist Robert Hall , director / co-writer Michael Hurst , co-producer Chuck Speed , cinematographer Raymond Stella , and co-producer / stunt coordinator Danny Wayne . Hurst reveals that the story for the movie was inspired by a real-life stay at a hospital for an injury ( the inherent creepiness of hospitals is talked about in some length as well ) . The opening car crash was actually staged two times . Hall notes that he tried to come up with an original look for the demons . Wayne dwells on the exacting nature of the stunt set pieces and the arduous work that wire gags entail . Everyone praises Christine Taylor for the vulnerability she brings to the role of the troubled Amy ( Taylor was actually five months pregnant when she did the picture ! ) and confesses they were all excited to work with actor / stuntman Kane Hodder . Cornell admits that she had fun playing the change-of-pace part of scrappy whitetrash mom Sarah Norman . Stella used fluorescent lights for the practical locations . The burn victim zombies were based on photos of the hideous genuine article . Overall , it's an interesting and illuminating documentary that's well worth seeing for fans of the film . |
518,114 | 8,239,592 | 74,383 | 8 | Gloriously ludicrous 70's martial arts exploitation trash | A multi-racial trio of lethal and indestructible ace martial artist assassins - white guy ( beefy Ron Marchini ) , black dude ( brawny Joshua Johnson ) , Asian man ( lithe Michael Chong ) - - go around the city and bump off various folks for their evil dragon lady boss Madame Lee ( a hysterically campy and vampy Mari Honjo , who can barely speak English and mumbles all her dialogue ) . Boy , does this deliciously dippy and dreadful dreck possess all the right wrong stuff to qualify as an enjoyably awful piece of gut-busting schlock : we've got fumbling ( mis ) direction by Paul Kyriazi ( who also co-wrote the nonsensical script ) , lousy acting from a lame no-name cast , a token hot naked babe , crude cinematography by Donald Rust , hilariously inept fight choreography ( sidesplitting highlights include the death machines wiping out an entire school of karate students , the white guy beating up dozens of cops while escaping from a police station , and our deadly threesome opening up a king-sized barrel of hurting on a biker gang in a diner ) , slipshod editing , excessively bloody tomato paste-style violence , and a stupid " it ain't over yet " sequel set-up ( non ) ending . Bonus booby points are in order for Chuck Katzakian's alarmingly overblown portrayal of hot-tempered crime boss Mr . Gioretti and the supremely wired'n'wonky zoned to the funky bone synthesizer score by Don Hulette . In fact , this uproariously messed-up movie often plays like an unintentional ( ? ) parody of a cheesy 70's drive-in action flick . An absolute cruddy hoot . |
518,912 | 8,239,592 | 35,679 | 8 | An enjoyably creaky Grade B mystery thriller potboiler | A motley group of people are forced to seek shelter at a remote inn run by the snooty , sarcastic , but suave Amos Bradford ( a perfectly unctuous George Zucco ) because of a raging thunderstorm that has flooded out the bridge and the roads alike . These eclectic individuals include a vengeful escaped convict whom Bradford put in jail , a meek geeky bank teller who's trying to embezzle $50 , 000 bucks , a mean , ruthless mobster who also wants to get his grubby paws on the hot loot , a young couple who are planning to get married , and the huffy , overbearing , disapproving father of the bride-to-be . Naturally , a vicious killer starts bumping folks off . Efficiently directed in a briskly straightforward and economical no-frills manner by Sam Newfield , with an endearingly hokey script by Fred Myton , plenty of sharply sardonic dialogue , stark , gritty black and white photography by Robert Cline , a booming , melodramatic score by Charles Dunworth , and game acting from a solid cast ( Glenn Strange in particular contributes an amiable performance as Bradford's clumsy , cowardly , oafish assistant Andy while Charlie Middleton registers strongly as a jerky ramrod sheriff ) , this wittily enjoyable Grade B mystery thriller potboiler delivers a reasonable amount of cheap thrills . A fun little quickie . |
519,016 | 8,239,592 | 416,664 | 8 | An enjoyably screwy mess | Screenwriter Joyce moves to a remote old house so she can work on a script . She winds up being terrorized by a rot-faced , razor-fingered , Freddy Kruegeresque freaky demon spirit dude . Meanwhile , spunky lady private investigator Jackie butts heads with a gang of nasty criminals . Director Edgar Jere sloppily blends together two separate stories into a disjointed and barely coherent , yet somehow oddly arresting and entertaining mess . Jere crams this flipped-out flick with a nice smattering of gore and several all-out wild martial arts fight scenes , plus delivers a rousing shoot-out on a yacht . James Langton's score alternates between shivery'n'shuddery ooga-booga scareshow stuff and cool-blastin ' rock . Adding to the lunacy are a Taoist monk with a pair of hopping vampire slaves , an obnoxious fat vampire kid , and a welcome last reel appearance by some third-rate RoboCop clone . Dumb and ridiculous nonsense for sure , but still a whole lot of infectiously mindless fun all the same . |
518,820 | 8,239,592 | 104,534 | 8 | A very funny and enjoyable Peanuts Noel holiday special | The Peanuts gang return for this breezy and entertaining romp . The ever-hapless Charlie Brown tries without any success to sell wreaths door to door in order to raise twenty-five dollars so he can buy a gift for the adorable Peggy Jean , Peppermint Patty struggles with a book report , Sally tries to memorize the one line she has to say in the upcoming Christmas play , and Snoopy gets into his usual mischief which includes posing as a sidewalk Santa . Director Bill Melendez and writer Charles M . Schulz string together an amusing series of random vignettes while maintaining a pleasingly wry tone and snappy pace throughout . The delightfully jaunty'n'jazzy score by Vince Guaraldi and David Benoit and beautifully fluid animation both help matters a lot . The voice actors all do fine work , with stand-out contributions from John Christian Graas as the precocious Linus , Lindsay Benesh as bespectacled brainiac Marcie , and Deanna Tollo as the sweet Peggy Jean . The Christmas play rates as a definite hilarious highlight , with Peppermint Patty forgetting her one line as a sheep ( " Baaa ! " ) . Granted , this program isn't as poignant or thoughtful as the terrific classic original , but it still makes for a perfectly amiable diversion just the same . |
518,311 | 8,239,592 | 100,705 | 8 | A really fun and enjoyable low-budget futuristic sci-fi hoot | In the bleak near future Los Angeles has become a dangerous war zone with cops pitted against assorted law-breaking lowlifes . Sergeant Arliss Ryder ( well played with customary wired intensity by the always great Wings Hauser ) has an electronic device put into his back that turns him into an out-of-control psychotic killer and put on the Strike S . Q . U . A . D . ( an acronym for Scum Quelling Assault Urban Devision ) , which is a unit of crazed cops assigned by Captain Bill Quinton ( a typically gruff Alex Cord ) to rid the City of Angels of criminals by using any means necessary . The only problem is that Arliss discovers what's going down and decides to put a stop to all this madness . Director Gregory Dark's second futuristic sci-fi / action outing is a considerable improvement over the flawed , but still pretty decent " Dead Man Walking " : the action is more plentiful and nicely staged , the plot's much tighter and more thrilling , the pace moves at a snappier rate , and the budget appears to be a little bigger . This picture further benefits from amusing supporting performances by notorious Watergate crook G . Gordon Liddy as mayor candidate Jim Miller , an absolute deranged lunatic who gets his sick kicks by having prostitutes whip him while wearing leather dominatrix outfits ( ! ) ; Sy Richardson as unhinged homosexual policeman Joker , and an especially hilarious Brion James as demented fire'n'brimstone street preacher J . J . Mony , who in the film's definite sidesplitting wacko highlight douses a slimy pimp with gasoline and sets the man ablaze . A cool and unjustly overlooked end-of-the-world science fiction sleeper . |
518,635 | 8,239,592 | 100,707 | 8 | A strong , gritty and disturbing portrait of the grim plight of destitute homeless kids | From the makers of the phenomenal , trend-setting " psycho murders peel artists " milestone " Stripped to Kill " and the outstanding offbeat existential vampire horror knockout " Dance of the Damned " comes this grim , tough , unflinchingly realistic down'n'dirty exploitation thriller about young , strung-out , totally on her own illiterate Venice Beach , Los Angeles prostitute Dawn ( a strong , unglamorous , very endearing and somewhat startling performance by Christina Applegate ; Kelly Bundy on " Married . . . With Children " ) , a fiercely self-reliant teenager who turns tricks in order to eke out a meager existence and support her heroin habit . Dawn has a near-fatal run-in with brutish , sadomasochistic sleazy teen hooker killing cop Lumley ( a cogent , creepy , live-wire portrayal of frighteningly deep-seated seething psychosis by Ed Lottimer ) , who relentlessly stalks Dawn and savagely picks off her scruffy homeless street people pals throughout the rest of the movie . David Mendenhall offers a solid and likable turn as the naive , slumming rich kid who develops a crush on Dawn and gets caught up in her tawdry and thankless day-to-day lifestyle . " Streets " is something of a surprise : it's a gritty , gutsy little B picture ( Roger Corman gets credited as the executive producer ) that successfully manages to relate a compact , seamy , highly credible slasher narrative while simultaneously delivering a rich and vivid exploration of how unemployed folks at the bottom rung of the socioeconomic ladder somehow manage to barely squeak by and how people with real power and authority in our society can get away with cruelly preying on those hapless and helpless individuals whose utter powerlessness and political vulnerability make them easy targets for constant victimization . Katt Shea Ruben's sturdy , no-nonsense , unsentimental direction ( Ruben also co-wrote the rough-edged , pungently insightful script ) , the garishly lit , evocative cinematography , a brooding melancholy score ( the sad , haunting ballad that's beautifully sung by Elizabeth Daily which plays on the soundtrack during the opening and end credits is especially poignant and effective ) , the top-notch acting ( besides the three excellent leads , both Kay Lenz and Starr Andreeff have nice cameos as lady police officers ) , an authentically grungy depiction of L . A . ' s desolate beach-side milieu , and the uncompromisingly downbeat ending all give this shamefully overlooked and underrated scrappy gem a potent scroungy verisimilitude that's extremely compelling and powerful . A real sleeper . |
519,379 | 8,239,592 | 65,760 | 8 | Corman's enjoyably screwball end-of-the-world hippie counterculture oddity | This gloriously gaga dippy hippie early 70's end-of-the-world counterculture cinematic artifact deals with a man-made airborne germ warfare virus which accelerates the aging process , thus killing off everybody who's twenty-five and older . Only young kids are left to inherit the world and maintain some semblance of civilization . Naturally , in the hands of these crazy , carefree , amoral , unsupervised , and totally uninhibited youths all-out anything-goes anarchy , hedonism , and pandemonium soon become widespread : California degenerates into a fascist Nixonian police state , football-inspired brutality reigns supreme in Texas , greasy bikers enforce conservative moral rectitude on the golf links ( ! ) , and horse-riding , pistol-packing psycho cowboy bandit car thieves terrorize the dusty back-roads of America . Directed with customary gusto by legendary exploitation movie maestro Roger Corman , adopted from a bold , biting script written by the great , ever-underrated George Armitage ( who later wrote and directed the terrific " Miami Blues " ) , further enhanced by Ron Dexter's garishly excessive , heavy on the bright lurid colors and flashy psychedelic visuals cinematography and a groovy , fuzz-tone and saxophone blastin ' lowdown blue-eyed soul rock'n'roll score by Country Joe and the Fish , this breezy , irreverent , playfully mordant black comedy riot satirizes both the establishment and the counterculture alike , biker pictures , brooding Gothic horror films ( Edgar Allen Poe appears as a grimly philosophical Greek chorus astride a black chopper with Eleanor as his motorcycle mama ! ) , and apocalyptic sci-fi cinema in general . Robert Corff and Elaine Giftos are quite affable as the increasingly confused leads , while Ben Vereen as an angry black militant , Cindy Williams as a chirpy , pregnant ditz , Talia Shire as a daffy , rock music-loving flower child , Bud Cort as a smarmy longhair , and Armitage as the deranged Billy the Kid contribute deliciously grotesque supporting performances . A wonderfully kooky and cockeyed one-of-a-kind delight . |
518,378 | 8,239,592 | 65,761 | 8 | A solid and engrossing early Dario Argento giallo mystery thriller | Determined newspaper reporter Carlo Giordani ( an excellent and engaging performance by James Franciscus ) and shrewd , feisty blind puzzle maker Franco Arno ( superbly played by Karl Malden ) join forces to investigate a brutal bunch of shocking murders . The duo uncover a sinister medical conspiracy which places them both in great danger . Writer / director Dario Argento relates the tricky and compelling plot at a gradual , but steady pace and stages the bloody murder set pieces with bravura rip-snorting panache . Moreover , Argento wisely downplays his usual overwrought visual flourishes in favor of a more low-key and restrained style which adds substantially to the film's overall plausibility . This in turn gives the picture a firm grounding in a certain everyday reality that's both credible and commendable in equal measure . Erico Menczer's graceful , sumptuous cinematography and especially Ennio Morricone's supremely spooky'n'shuddery funky-groovy avant garde prog-rock score are likewise fine and effective . The scenes between Arno and his sweet niece Lori ( the adorable Cinzia De Carolis ) are genuinely touching . The strikingly beautiful Catherine Spaak makes a strong impression as smart and spunky rich love interest Anna Terzi . The affably natural chemistry between Franciscus and Malden is a true joy to watch . The climactic confrontation between Giordani and the killer is extremely tense , gripping and exciting . A real solid and satisfying giallo . |
518,149 | 8,239,592 | 47,590 | 8 | A very likable nifty 50's sci-fi delight | Kindly Professor Arnold Nordstrom ( the excellent Taylor Holmes ) and humane , no-nonsense Dr . Ralph Harrison ( a lively and engaging performance by Charles Drake ) create a robot called Tobor ( Lew Smith in a cool metallic suit ) who can feel human emotions and has superhuman strength . Tobor develops a telepathic link with Professor Nordstrom's smart , mischievous grandson Gadge ( an endearingly spunky portrayal by Billy Chapin ) . When Nordstrom and Gadge are kidnapped by a no-count gang of covert agents , Tobor comes to their rescue . Director Lee Sholem relates the neat story at a steady pace and does a solid job of maintaining an amiably lightweight tone throughout . This film further benefits from winningly sincere acting by a sturdy cast : Karin Booth as Nordstrom's fetching daughter Janice , Steven Geray as the nefarious foreign spy chief , William Shallert as folksy reporter Johnson , Franz Roehn as Nordstrom's grouchy assistant Karl , Henry Kulky as mean brute Paul , and Peter Brocco as the antsy Dr . Gustav . John L . Russell's stark black and white cinematography and Howard Jackson's robust , stirring score are both up to snuff . The warm relationship between Tobor and Gadge is genuinely charming and touching while the scenes of Tobor in action are very cool and exciting . But what really makes this film so special and appealing is its marvelous surplus of pure heart . A disarmingly sweet little treat . |
519,358 | 8,239,592 | 117,826 | 8 | An amusingly lowbrow horror comedy romp | Goody-goody two shoes Katherine Verdoux ( blonde cutie Erica Eleniak ) hires sleazy private investigator Rafe Gutman ( a deliciously smarmy and sarcastic Dennis Miller ) to finding her obnoxious missing punk brother Caleb ( a perfectly grating Corey Feldman ) . Rafe traces Caleb to a remote whorehouse on the edge of town that's disguised as a mortuary and populated by luscious lady vampires led by the evil and alluring Madam Lilith ( ravishing redhead Angie Everhart having a whale of a wicked time ) . Director / co-writer Gilbert Adler really pours on the tasty gratuitous female nudity , gleefully over-the-top graphic violence , and often crudely amusing dopey puns . Miller has a ball playing the slimy anti-hero ; he keeps things bouncy and funny throughout . Moreover , the solid supporting cast likewise does the trick : Chris Sarandon as slick , sanctimonious televangelist Jimmy Current , Aubrey Morris as Lilith's eccentric henchman McCutcheon , Phil Fondacaro as obsessive explorer Vincent Prather , William Sadler as a pompous mummy , and Kiara Hunter as enticing dominatrix bloodsucker Tamara . WARNING : Possible SPOILER ahead . The definite sidesplitting sick highlight occurs when Lilith's vampire harem gets slaughtered while " Ballroom Blitz " blares away on the soundtrack . Good , trashy tongue-in-cheek fun . |
518,725 | 8,239,592 | 74,597 | 8 | A very amusing & enjoyable 70's cross country road race romp | This immensely lively and entertaining 70's tongue-in-cheek cross country road race romp stars Michael Sarrazin as the rich businessman who sponsors an illegal event from New York to Long Beach , California which attracts a colorfully flaky assortment of hardcore nutty car race enthusiasts . Among the race's kooky participants are the always great Tim McIntire as Sarrazin's bitter , yet amiable rival , an especially hilarious Raul Julia as a hysterically lecherous womanizing Italian driver ( the lovely Colleen Camp pops up as a sweet young honey Julia happily jumps in the sack with ) , Nicholas Pryer as Sarrazin's anxious college professor co-pilot , Susan Fannery and Joanne Nail as a pair of sassy'n'sexy good-time gals , Gary Busey in his usual wild redneck yahoo role , Harvey Jason as a maniacal motorcyclist , and Vaughn Taylor and J . Pat O'Malloy as a couple of lovably laid-back doddering old guys . Norman Burton gives an uproariously broad performance as the ramrod killjoy police detective determined to stop the race . Director Chuck Bail keeps the pace zipping along at a speedy rate , staging the copious vehicular carnage with a genuinely rousing rip-snorting panache , stoking the sidesplitting silly humor to a cartoonishly high-pitched degree and eliciting engagingly spirited performances from a uniformly solid cast . The opening third is a tad drawn-out , but once the race itself gets underway the film kicks into third gear , pops the clutch , and puts the pedal to the metal by really delivering the expected tire-screeching , rubber-burning , automobile-wrecking goods with infectiously carefree and giddy go-for-it abandon . Both Richard Glouner's vibrant cinematography and Dominic Frontiere's delightfully sprightly score greatly enhance the overall irresistibly goofy and good-natured merriment . To sum up , " The Gumball Rally " makes for a sound source of exuberantly wacky and light-hearted fun . |
519,008 | 8,239,592 | 87,289 | 8 | A very cute , funny and charming French comedy version of " Frankenstein " | Brilliant cybernetics expert Victor Frankenstein ( an extremely able and affable performance by Jean Rochefort ) fulfills his infamous family heritage by creating Frank ( an endearingly oafish portrayal by 60's French pop singer Eddy Mitchell ) , a cultured , but clumsy and super strong humanoid being . Victor teaches Frank proper table manners and how to drive a car . But poor Frank feels lonely and unloved . So Victor and his patient , supportive and understanding fiancé Elisabeth ( marvelously played by the strikingly lovely and appealing brunette beauty Fiona Gelin ) decide to make Frank a perfect female companion named Adelaide ( delectably embodied by stunningly gorgeous knockout Herma Voss ) . Director Alain Jessua , who also co-wrote the delightfully witty and lighthearted script , concocts an extremely cute , funny and engaging modern-day comic version of " Frankenstein " that blends a certain tasty sweetness and plenty of often uproarious quirky humor together in a highly disarming way that's a true joy to watch . Armando Trovajoli's classy , graceful score , William Lubtchansky's crisp , handsome cinematography , and the infectiously frothy'n'frivolous tone further enhance the considerable idiosyncratic charm of this utterly irresistible little treat . |
519,141 | 8,239,592 | 320,708 | 8 | A pleasingly creepy Mexican supernatural shocker | An evil witch gets burned at the stake , but vows to return and get her revenge prior to being torched . A hundred years later a family - - architect father Fernando ( Julio Aleman ) , naggy pregnant wife Lorena ( attractive Nuria Bages ) , daughter Gaby ( Gianella Hassle Kus ) , twin sons Pedrito ( Ernesto East ) and Jaimito ( Carlos East , Jr . ) , sweet niece Paulina ( the fetching Gabriela Hassle ) , and Paulina's affable occult enthusiast boyfriend Julio ( an engaging performance by Pedro Fernandez ) - - decide to vacation at a summer home located in the same immediate countryside area where the witch was killed . Trouble ensues when Gaby finds a doll possessed by the lethal spirit of the malevolent witch . Director Rene Cardona III eschews graphic gore in favor of creating and sustaining a creepy ooga-booga atmosphere that becomes more progressively eerie and frightening as the story unfolds . Said uncanny mood culminates in an especially intense and harrowing last third . Moreover , the capable acting from a uniformly solid cast , Luis Medina's polished cinematography , the likable characters , the exciting fiery conclusion , Eugenio Castillo's shivery , ominous score , plenty of unsettling visuals ( the bleeding tree and walls are truly scary and unnerving while the shots of vile rotting food covered with bugs , rats and snakes are just plain gross ) , the constant pace , and the crude , yet effective special effects further enhance the overall sound quality of this nifty little horror picture . |
518,492 | 8,239,592 | 95,900 | 8 | A hilariously horrendous late 80's satanic horror schlockfest | A nasty sect of evil monks led by the sinister Father Thomas Seaton ( dreadfully overplayed with shameless eye-rolling hammy brio by William Beckwith ) sacrifice virgins every thirteen years in order to appease Lucifer and remain immortal for perpetuity . The sect plans on carving up sweet , but repressed goody-goody two shoes social worker Alexandra Parkman ( the singularly woeful Christine Moore ) on the altar . Brave nun Sister Angela ( a hopelessly dire performance by Mavis Harris ) infiltrates the cult so she can put a stop to these foul heathens once and for all . Misdirected with alarming ineptitude by Roberta Findley ( who also did the surprisingly passable cinematography ) , with a hackneyed script by Ed Kelleher and Hariette Vidal ( for example , the devil worshipers are your standard bunch of creepy folks in black hoods and robes chanting wicked incantations ) , a poky pace , a generic ooga-booga shivery and ominous score by Walter E . Sear , clunky dialogue ( " He's not breathing ; he wouldn't talk to me . My guess is he's dead " ) , a few clumsily staged fight scenes , a generous sprinkling of tasty gratuitous female nudity , and a last reel appearance by a laughably hokey rubbery puppet Satan , this admittedly lousy , yet still oddly entertaining tripe certainly possesses the right wrong stuff to rate as an amusingly awful clunker . The lame no-name cast all fail to impress with their uniformly atrocious acting , with top thespic dishonors going to Max Jacobs as Alexandra's scheming , diabolical grandfather George Parkman , the ever-foxy Ruth Collins as reformed junkie Cathy , Tim Gail as Alexandra's stolid assistant college professor fiancé Bill King , George Krause as hulking psycho lackey Ben , Amy Brentano as Alexandra's ditsy gal pal Brett , Jeanne Marie as bitter foul-mouthed teenage hooker Judy , and Gary Warner as drippy Detective Dann Carr . Ed French provides some nifty gore and gnarly make-up f / x . A deliciously cruddy Grade Z hoot . |
519,135 | 8,239,592 | 109,294 | 8 | A very cool and inspired Western sleeper | Armand Assante gives a marvelously assured and charismatic performance as Canaan , a blind and embittered Civil War veteran turned roving gunslinger who travels across the country with a baby in tow . Canaan stops off in a lawless small town and runs afoul of a foul gang of desperadoes led by the ruthless Alacran ( Robert Davi in fine nasty form ) . Alacran and his men want to gain possession of a stash of silver coins that's being guarded by an ever-diminishing handful of U . S . Cavalrymen . Canaan agrees to help the desperate soldiers , but only if he gets paid 200 pounds worth of silver for his troubles . Ably directed by Richard Spence , with a neat and engrossing script by Daniel Knauf , the gritty-funky look and feel of a vintage 60's Italian spaghetti Western , a steady pace , polished cinematography by Jack Conroy , several rousing and well-staged action set pieces ( Canaan's pre-credits introduction is absolutely priceless ! ) , and a nice line in dark humor , this nifty little number makes for a fun and engrossing viewing experience . While Assante clearly owns the show with his spot-on portrayal of the wry , likable and dangerous Canaan , kudos are nonetheless still in order for the excellent supporting cast : Elisabeth Shue as feisty nurse Caroline , Adam Baldwin as the ramrod Sergeant Hastings , M . C . Gainey as vicious lackey Bull , Clayton Landey as folksy bartender Ernie Fowler , Jimmy Herman as a crazed demolitions-obsessed Native American shaman , Ian McElhinney as the shady Father Malone , and a then unknown Jack Black in a funny small part as a jerky private . This offbeat and entertaining film is well worth a watch . |
519,448 | 8,239,592 | 57,160 | 8 | A fun 60's horror quickie | Architect Scott Campbell ( a solid Ronald Foster ) and his wife Nancy ( a spunky performance by the fetching Merry Anders ) check out an old castle located on a remote hillside in California . They are joined by lawyer Joseph Schiller ( nicely played by Richard Crane ) and his snippy spouse Loy ( a charming turn by the lovely Erika Peters ) . Moreover , there's something else in the castle that wants them out of there pronto . Competently directed by veteran journeyman Maury Dexter , with a steady pace , stark , yet polished black and white cinematography by John M . Nickolaus ( the use of fades and dissolves is quite nifty ) , a fair amount of creepy atmosphere , a tight 62 minute running time , a pleasingly shivery'n'spooky score by Henry Vars , acceptable acting , a cool array of grotesque circus freaks ( Ayllene Gibbons as a friendly fat lady and Richard Kiel as a mute , menacing giant are both especially memorable ) , and an unexpected , but satisfying ending , this pleasant little low-budget quickie makes for a perfectly painless diversion . |
518,686 | 8,239,592 | 60,418 | 8 | A nifty & absorbing Monte Hellman Filipino action thriller | Monte Hellman's unique , obscure , deliberately paced and highly cerebral cinematic meditations on all-consuming and often self-destructive obsession may not be everyone's cup of tea , but for those discriminating viewers who are seeking a bold change of pace from more mundane mainstream multiplex fare such sterling Hellman efforts as " Two-Lane Blacktop " and " Cockfighter " will always do the trick , mainly because they offer a substantial amount of food for thought that alas you really can't find anymore in most mindless big budget blockbusters churned out on a regular basis by Hollywood . This typically grim and moody Hellman outing , which can be best described as a thinking man's low-budget B-movie action / adventure opus , was shot in the Phillippines on a shoestring budget concurrently with the war picture " Back Door to Fury . " Both films star a then unknown , pre-stardom , up-and-coming Jack Nicholson , who later rejoined forces with Hellman for the outstanding existential Westerns " Ride in the Whirlwind " and " The Shooting . " The plot for " Flight to Fury " centers on six ruthless , desperate survivors of a doomed plane flight that crashes in the humid , dangerous Filipino jungle who spar with each other over a cache of expensive diamonds . Cardboard cut-out hunk Dewy Martin's blah , underwhelming performance as the ineffectual decent dude would-be hero leaves a great deal to be desired , but luckily Fay Spain , Jack Nicholson and especially longtime favorite Filipino exploitation feature character actor supreme Vic Diaz are also on board to compensate for Martin's off-putting blandness . Platinum blonde firecracker Spain portrays a bewitching , aggressively flirtatious femme fatale with wickedly alluring come-hither aplomb . Nicholson , intense and restrained , excels as a caustic , mustached , cheerfully murderous killer with a smooth smartaleck attitude and a sick infatuation with death . And Diaz , sporting a full head of shiny slicked-back hair , a neatly tailored suit , and a haughty , unctuous disposition , does a splendidly sleazy'n'smarmy Peter Lorre-like turn as a sickeningly suave'n'slimy calculating worm of a diamond smuggler who refuses to let a broken leg impede his chances of getting his fat grubby paws on the loot . A bleak , cynical , fatalistic , extremely amoral and relentlessly downbeat rumination on the severe repercussions of blind , unthinking greed and brutal , unyielding self-preservation at any cost , " Flight to Fury " benefits significantly from Hellman's taut , no-frills direction , Nicholson's terse , tight , profound , sharply penetrating , but never pretentious script , several shockingly bloody outbursts of sudden , savage , yet quite stirring violence , Mike Accion's stark , polished black and white cinematography , a sweaty , paranoid , claustrophobic atmosphere which never lets up for a second , Nester Roble's nicely brooding gloom-doom score , and a compact , briskly paced 73 minute running time that gets right down to business with a pleasingly straightforward sense of no-nonsense narrative economy . Highly recommended . |
518,780 | 8,239,592 | 52,846 | 8 | A winningly cheap'n'cheerful piece of 50's giant monster creature feature fun | More divinely dumb no-budget shot-in-Texas over-sized thingofabobbit on the murderous rampage creature feature tomfoolery from the same fine folks who gave us the equally inane , but still immensely entertaining " The Killer Shrews . " This time it's a laughably lethargic giant mutant reptile terrorizing libidinous teenage hot-rodders in a dusty desert armpit burg . The ludicrously melodramatic opening narration deftly sets the enjoyably goofy tone for the ample unintentional high camp hilarity to come ; this honey's other winningly wretched bad film vices ( or is that virtues ? ) include clunkily sincere acting , sluggish pacing , grainy black and white cinematography , a spacey theremin-ripping score , a dreary excess of dull talk , and an ahead-of-its-time heavy-handed " have sex and die " moral which later became a fundamental component of 80's slasher flicks ( the beast's first two victims are a pair of young lovers doing just what you think in a car on lover's lane ) . The gila monster itself is a big , fat , hissing , sleepy , pitifully unimpressive and unconvincing not - remotely - scary - for - a - second lizard that's made to appear enormous and intimidating by having it lumber around on riotously obvious chintzy miniature sets and by shooting it with crummy macro lens photography , neither of which even come close to making the drowsy behemoth seem slightly fearsome or threatening . Drippy goody-goody two shoes would-be teen scream idol lead Don Sullivan belts out a sensationally sappy'n'stinky wimpoid Christian pop song at a swinging barnyard sock hop which our titular monster rudely crashes by sticking its head through a wall . Producer Ken Curtis eventually found greater fame playing Festus on the popular , long-running Western TV series " Gunsmoke . " Director Ray Kellong , who also did second unit work on both John Ford and Howard Hawks pictures , went on to give John Wayne his thesping orders for the notoriously abysmal rightwing Vietnam war movie atrocity " The Green Berets . " Sure , " The Giant Gila Monster " is extremely dopey and silly , but overall it's way too good-natured and strangely pure in its very clumsiness to dislike . Okay , I'll admit it - - I really dug this baby and think it's a good deal of amiably asinine two-cent fright film fun . |
518,892 | 8,239,592 | 100,504 | 8 | A delightfully raucous blast of inspired teen comedy stupidity | Rowdy high school student Jessie Davis ( Corey Feldman in peak mischievous form ) and his gnarly band the Eradicators take a stand against evil and oppressive authoritarian new vice principal Doctor Vadar ( the sublime Mary Woronov at her most divinely wicked and over the top ) , who refuses to let the Eradicators play at the prom and turns Ronald Reagan High School ( school motto : " Just Say No " ) into a prison complete with electric fences and surveillance cameras . Writer / director Deborah Block brings a lively and engaging sense of playful anarchy to the blithely inane and absurd material ; the humor is amusingly dumb and ridiculous , but never too gross or mean-spirited . Sidesplitting comic highlights include Jessie and his bandmates wreaking havoc at a school dance , a hilariously horrible band auditioning for the prom , the infamous pee drinking scene , and Doctor Vadar getting naughty with a hot brawny boy toy . The enthusiastic acting from the appealing cast qualifies as another substantial plus : Feldman easily carries the film with his breezy charisma , Woronov makes for a perfect uptight killjoy foil , plus there are fine contributions by Larry Linville as the meek Prinicpal McGree , Evan Richards as the zany Mag , Liane Alexandra Curtis as brash punkette Stella , Sarah Buxton as sweet and sexy substitute teacher Rita Mea , Jason Lively as snobby preppie Donovan , Brynn Horrocks as weird , yet alluring Goth witch chick Tabatha , and Michael Cerveris as connected hipster Eaglebauer . Mojo Nixon has a cool cameo as the Spirit of Rock'n'Roll . The funky rock soundtrack is simply awesome ; the Eradicators in particular are a supremely smoking band . A total hoot . |
518,837 | 8,239,592 | 140,581 | 8 | A terrifically tasteless and trashy hoot | This sublimely sleazy and wonderfully warped jaw-dropper rates highly as the greatest cheeseball low-budget indie fright flick ever made about a grotesquely misshapen murderous mutant fetus . In fact , I'm pretty sure this deliciously dreadful and disgusting doozy might very well be the only horror movie thus far ever made about a grotesquely misshapen murderous mutant fetus . The extremely tasteless plot centers on a young couple who go to a scuzzy bordello on the outskirts of town so they can get an illegal abortion ( the film takes place in the early 70's prior to the famous Roe Vs . Wade verdict ) . The aborted fetus gets rudely disposed of by being flushed down the toilet ( yes , you read that correctly ) . The poor little bugger winds up in the filthy sewer and mutates into a huge , lethal , clawed , fanged , goofy-looking humanoid beast after being exposed to toxic waste . The foul ferocious subhuman fiend proceeds to go back to the squalid brothel and terrorize the occupants inside , which include the fat Southern madame , various skeevy prostitutes and their scummy customers , and even its own scared parents . Man , does this gloriously ghastly marvel possess all the so - thoroughly - wrong - they're - paradoxically - right schlocky stuff to qualify as a real four-star stinkeroonie . For starters , there's the hilariously horrendous acting from a rank amateur no-name cast . The ratty'n'ragged cinematography and annoyingly redundant droning synthesizer score are likewise suitably sub-par . The wonderfully wretched dialogue is absolutely priceless . The fact that the uproariously inane story is treated with utmost seriousness by the filmmakers only makes matters that much more enjoyably absurd and abominable ( the filmmakers have the gall to claim said story is based on an actual real-life event ! ) . The murderous mutant monster itself rates as one of the single most laughably ludicrous man-in-a-rubber-suit creatures to ever scamper its way across the screen ( the creature strangles and decapitates its victims with its lethal prehensile umbilical cord ! ) . Moreover , this fabulously fetid flick delivers a handy helping of grotty gore and a nice smattering of gratuitous nudity . The Elite Entertainment DVD for this terrifically tacky , trashy and twisted cinematic treasure offers a grainy , but acceptable widescreen ( ! ) presentation with the trailer as the sole extra . |
518,762 | 8,239,592 | 47,559 | 8 | A nifty 50's low-budget sci-fi alien invasion flick | A major American city gets evacuated because of an impending alien invasion . A motley assortment of six desperate people - - shrewd , dashing Richard Denning , feisty , but lonely and depressed Kathleen Crowley , raucous drunk Richard Reeves , Reeves ' brassy dame main flame Virginia Grey , antsy , panicky paranoid Mort Marshall and dangerous , volatile wanted fugitive criminal Robert Rourk - - are accidentally left behind and have to fend off the aliens by themselves . Sherman A . Rose's tight , sturdy , no-frills direction , working from a clever and arresting script by Bill Raynor , James Nicholson and Wyott Ordung , starts the movie out on a strong note , with a beautifully eerie and enigmatic atmosphere and exquisitely desolate shots of unnervingly empty and abandoned city streets . Alas , the feature falls a bit flat when the aliens materialize , mainly because said aliens are clunky-looking box-like waddling robots which prove to be more laughable than menacing . However , the uniformly solid acting ( longtime favorite 50's sci-fi picture perennial Whit Bissell in particular acquits himself well in a sizable supporting role as a helpful scientist ) , Guy Roe's gorgeously crisp black and white cinematography , the compelling characters , the commendably serious , no-kidding tone , Paul Dunlap's booming , robust , spooky score , the intriguing premise and the pleasingly trim 75 minute running time all keep this film on a steady and satisfying course throughout . A really fun and neat little B item . |
517,906 | 8,239,592 | 95,924 | 8 | Nifty little late 80's sci-fi / horror sleeper | Young boy David ( a winning performance by Joey Lawrence of the TV show " Blossom " ) is spending the week with his estranged , hard-working father Bill ( the always solid Cliff De Young ) and new stepmother Ellen ( a fine Roxanne Hart ) . David notices that the electricity in the house has taken on a lethal and malevolent life of its own , but can't convince either his dad or stepmom that something's amiss . Writer / director Paul Golding makes this fantastic premise seem fairly credible and extremely chilling by carefully evoking a thoroughly plausible everyday mundane world that's ripped violently asunder by a bizarre and inexplicable phenomenon ( Golding's stubborn refusal to provide some kind of valid explanation for why the electricity is acting up adds a truly eerie and unnerving ambiguity to the picture ) . Moreover , Golding successfully creates believable and sympathetic characters and offers a gradual build-up of skin-crawling tension which culminates in a positively harrowing and nerve-wracking climax with all the electricity going dangerously haywire . Peter Lyons Collister's exceptional macro photography , Jay Ferguson's shuddery score , and the first-rate special effects further contribute to the film's sterling quality . Kudos are also in order for the uniformly ace acting ; veteran character actor Charles Tyner has a colorfully quirky supporting part as a nutty old paranoid electrician and Robert Romanus ( Mike Damone in " Fast Times at Ridgemont High " ) pops up in a cool cameo as a smooth-talking TV repairman . Spooky and intense , " Pulse " rates as a real nifty little sci-fi / horror sleeper . |
518,626 | 8,239,592 | 360,033 | 8 | Pretty strong stuff | Eager former cop turned aspiring crime writer Ann Rule ( an excellent performance by Barbara Hershey ) documents a brutal series of murders stretching from Utah to Seattle . Unbeknonst to Ann , the killer is the extremely smart , charming and affable Ted Bundy ( a chilling and convincing portrayal by Billy Campbell ) , a close personal friend who works with her at a local suicide hotline . Ably directed by Paul Shapiro , with a tight script by Matthew McDuffie and Matthew Tabak , a rattling , shivery score by Joseph Conlan , a reasonably gritty tone , slick cinematography by Ron Orieux , a steady pace , and several fairly nasty murder set pieces , this made-for-TV movie makes for very gripping and harrowing viewing . Hershey and Campbell both contribute superb work in the lead roles . The supporting cast are likewise fine and impressive : Kevin Dunn as a hard-nosed detective , Suki Kaiser as Bundy's adoring prison pen pal and eventual wife Kelly Parker , Brenda James as Bundy's chipper , unsuspecting girlfriend Margo , and Meghan Black as Ann's feisty teenage daughter Leslie . This movie commendably refuses to explain Bundy's severe seething psychosis ; instead it just merely states that evil folks like him simply exist and leaves it at that . A grimly fascinating true crime flick . |
518,053 | 8,239,592 | 100,528 | 8 | A hugely enjoyable monster-on-the-loose horror romp | One part end-of-the-world thriller , two parts werewolf-like nocturnal beast on the rampage horror picture , and all parts quick-moving , animated , get right down to business butt-stomping fun , this hugely enjoyable romp makes for a most pleasant surprise . An ancient rhunestone that's the prison for a centuries old clawed , fanged , highly lethal lupine humanoid monster gets unearthed in a Pennsylvannia coal mine . When the gigantic rock is sent to New York City so it can be displayed in an art gallery , naturally our hairy , hulking , none too friendly or sociable whatchamathingie wakes up from its lengthy slumber and boy is he one grumpy SOB ! Pretty soon it's racking up a hefty corpse tally as a gruesome preliminary to a possible apocalypse said beast is a harbinger of . Of course , your usual colorfully mixed bag of courageous protagonists - - skeptical artist Joan Severance , her hunky boyfriend Tim Ryan , plucky teen Chris Young , and eccentric clockmaker Alexander Godunov - - have to stop this vicious critter or it's curtains for us all , baby ! Besides the inspired and imaginative handy dandy multi-genre combo narrative which scores bonus novelty points for making Armageddon part of a Nordic prophecy rather than the standard hackneyed Christian religious hooey , this surprisingly well-produced and energetically executed little number further benefits from William Carroll's brisk , capable direction , a steady , unflagging forward-ho pace , David Newman's rousing score , some nice witty touches , a cool monster , handsome photography , several lively kill scenes , and a properly spooky atmosphere that positively reeks with ominous portent . The performances are uniformly stellar as well , with Peter Riegert giving a wonderfully rough-edged portrayal of a coarse , irascible , candy-noshing homicide detective and delightfully crusty cameos by Lawrence Tierney as a gruff police chief , William Hickey as a flaky elderly mythology expert , and Arthur Malet as an amiably yappy fuddy dud museum curator . Dynamic , thrilling and refreshingly bereft of any needless pretense or condescending campy humor , this vastly entertaining and charmingly old-fashioned fright film overall rates as one completely worthwhile and satisfying bloodthirsty behemoth on the loose in the Big Apple horror blast . |
518,374 | 8,239,592 | 65,851 | 8 | Not your standard Frankenstein flick | This offbeat and inspired spoofy early 70's Hammer horror entry sure ain't your average Frankenstein flick . For starters , Baron Victor Frankenstein ( deliciously played with blithely amoral aplomb by Ralph Bates ) is anything but a Victorian gentleman ; instead he's a thoroughly depraved and decadent womanizing heel who will ruthlessly do whatever it takes to make his unholy creation . Moreover , director / co-writer Jimmy Sangster milks the wonderfully warped plot for often dryly amusing black-as-pitch gallows humor . Not surprisingly , the monster ( the hulking David Prowse ; Darth Vader in the " Star Wars " pictures ) turns out to be an uncivil and murderous brute , but he's still nowhere near as scary or disturbing as his cruel and wicked creator . This movie chillingly blurs the fine line between man and monster , showing that Frankenstein and his creation are essentially one and the same . The robust and enthusiastic acting from a game cast helps matters a whole lot . Dennis Price is a sleazy riot as a cheerfully vile graverobber Frankenstein hires to procure body parts for him . Jon Finch ( Jerry Cornelius in " The Final Programme " ) has a nice supporting part as a dashing policeman . Graham Jones does well as Frankenstein's wide-eyed reluctant assistant Wilhelm . Better still , the women are breathtakingly beautiful : buxom blonde Veronica Carlson looks ravishing as the hapless Elizabeth and foxy brunette Kate O'Mara supplies a tasty eyeful as sexy , but clumsy housekeeper Alys . Moray Grant's bright , pretty cinematography and Malcolm Williamson's classy , moody score are likewise solid and impressive . The hilariously ironic ending really hits the sidesplitting spot , too . A misunderstood and unjustly vilified change-of-pace tongue-in-cheek parody hoot . |
518,081 | 8,239,592 | 65,852 | 8 | A hilariously horrible hoot from our reliably schlocky pal Al Adamson | This uproariously atrocious Al Adamson $1 . 50 sci-fi / horror patch-up job rates highly as one of Al's single most sublimely stinky pictures to ever disgrace celluloid . This beautifully bad and berserk baby boasts John Carradine at his all-time crankiest , Brother Theodore's gut-busting wheezing histrionic opening narration , poorly tinted black and white giant creature footage from the moldy oldie items " One Million Years B . C . " and " Unknown Island , " cheap cardboard spaceship sets , a quick cameo by Adamson as a vampire with wicked sideburns , a particularly ridiculous heavy-breathing sex scene , a pretty sorry trash cinema ensemble cast that includes Vicki Volante , Jennifer Bishop and Robert Dix , chintzy cinematography by Vilmos Zsigmond , such hysterically goofy monsters as hairy cave-dwelling bat demons , swamp-residing lobster men , snake men , and two warring cavemen tribes , and a stupendously silly plot concerning a fearless team of astronauts traveling to a hostile alien planet so they can thwart a severe extraterrestrial vampire plague that's ravaging Earth ! This isn't by any stretch of the imagination a good movie , but it is nonetheless an often unintentionally amusing and hence hugely enjoyable Grace Z low-budget crap camp classic . |
518,859 | 8,239,592 | 65,854 | 8 | A worthy and hugely entertaining British horror anthology winner | No-nonsense Inspector Hollaway ( a solid turn by John Bennett ) investigates the disappearance of a famous thespian and uncovers the wicked past history of a creepy old house . First and most mundane tale , " Method for Murder " - Successful author Charles Hillyer ( nicely played by Denholm Elliott ) is haunted by images of the murderous fiend he's writing about in his latest book . Although this particular outing is too obvious and predictable to be anything special , it does nonetheless build to a real dilly of a genuine surprise ending . Second and most poignant anecdote , " Waxworks " - Lonely Philip Grayson ( the always outstanding Peter Cushing ) and his equally lonesome friend Neville Rogers ( the splendid Joss Ackland ) both become infatuated with the beguiling wax statue of a beautiful , but lethal murderess . Third and most chilling vignette , " Sweets to the Sweet " - Quiet , reserved and secretive widower John Reid ( a typically terrific Christopher Lee in a rare semi-sympathetic role ) hires nanny Ann Norton ( the fine Nyree Dawn Porter ) to take care of his seemingly cute and harmless daughter Jane ( a remarkably spooky and unnerving performance by the adorable Chloe Franks ) . This stand-out scary episode is given a substantial disturbing boost by the exceptional acting from gifted child actress Franks , who projects a truly unsettling sense of serene evil lurking just underneath a deceptively sweet and innocent angelic veneer . Fourth and most amusing yarn , " The Cloak " - Pompous horror movie star Paul Henderson ( delightfully essayed to the haughty hilt by Jon Pertwee ) purchases a mysterious cloak that causes him to transform into a vampire whenever he wears it . This item makes for good silly fun and further benefits from the awesomely pulchritudinous presence of the luscious Ingrid Pitt as enticing vampiress Carla . Director Peter Duffell , working from a deliciously macabre and witty script by noted horror scribe Robert Bloch , maintains a snappy pace throughout and does an ace job of creating a suitably eerie atmosphere . Kudos are also in order for Ray Parslow's crisp cinematography and the shuddery score by Michael Dress . Highly recommended to fans of omnibus fright fare . |
519,081 | 8,239,592 | 74,529 | 8 | An excellent and unjustly overlooked action / revenge winner | An evil corporation tries to pressure a bunch of Arkansas farmers and ranchers to sell their land so they can strip-mine it for coal . The fiercely proud and stubborn Hunter family refuse to give in . This leads to a bitter conflict that results in several casualties . Eventually the take-charge no-nonsense Tom Hunter ( superbly played by Peter Fonda ) exacts a harsh revenge on the villains with the help of his bow and arrow . Capably directed by Jonathan Demme ( who also wrote the smart , compact script ) , with sharp , picturesque cinematography by Michael W . Watkins , a strong and deliciously vivid evocation of the rural south , a wealth of pleasingly quirky incidental details , a flavorsome country score by Bruce Langhorne , likable well-drawn characters , a constant quick pace , and plenty of exciting action , this bang-up little picture really hits the spot . The stellar cast helps matters a whole lot : the ever-lovely Lynn Lowry as Tom's concerned girlfriend Lorene , John Doucette as Tom's feisty , amiable dad Jeff , Philip Carey as slimy mining company tycoon Pierce Crabtree , Scott Glenn as Tom's rugged brother Charlie , Harry Northup as the ineffectual Sheriff Len Skerritt , and Noble Willingham as the crooked Senator Hingle . The lean and lanky Fonda makes for a totally credible and engaging action lead . The climax with Fonda singlehandedly taking on the bad guys is extremely tense and thrilling . A really solid and satisfying unsung sleeper . |
518,601 | 8,239,592 | 74,540 | 8 | A delightfully dreadful 70's killer mutant animals running amok horror howler | Notorious Grade D fright flick schlockmeister extraordinaire Bert I . Gordon really outdoes himself with this deliciously cheesy cinematic bastardization of a classic H . G . Wells short story . Some mysterious gloop which bubbles forth from out of the ground causes all the animals such as rats , wasps and even chickens ( ! ) on an isolated island to mutate into deadly , grotesque and gigantic rampaging monsters which attack and chow down on a handful of hapless humans who include former child evangelist turned hack 70's drive-in picture perennial Marjoe Gortner ( sporting a very mod Mr . Brady-style white guy Afro ) , an extremely obnoxious Ralph Meeker , the ever-adorable Pamela ( " And Soon the Darkness " ) Franklin , future " Hill Street Blues " TV show regular Jon Cypher , and Ida Lupino ( the latter gives a hilariously over-the-top histrionic performance complete with an uproariously ripe Quaker Oats-type accent ) . Man , does this baby boast all the right so - totally - tacky - its - downright - tremendous crummy junk film stuff : embarrassingly hysterical acting from a choice exploitation feature cast ( Marjoe in particular is his usual reliably wretched self while Franklin let's it all hang out as a coarse lady scientist who curses worse than a truck driver ) , seriously stinky ( not remotely ) special effects , a few genuinely gross and creepy moments ( the sequence where Lupino is assaulted in her kitchen by these disgusting big worms is truly unsettling ) , and plenty of unintentionally funny scenes ( the giant crazed rooster which Gortner fights in a barn and kills with a pitchfork is absolutely sidesplitting ) . Among the other highlights to be witnessed in this splendidly shoddy swill are Lupino exclaiming " Oh Laa-wd , please don't let me be eaten by the raaa-hhts , " a pregnant Belinda Balaski going into labor as the rats besiege a farmhouse she's trapped in , and a meat cleaver-brandishing Lupino's incredible confrontation with one of the ferocious over-sized rodents . A topflight trashy treat . |
518,796 | 8,239,592 | 265,138 | 8 | A hilariously ridiculous mess | Poor Maria is married to a hideously abusive and impotent old cripple . She's having an affair with the hunky gardener Roberto . Her cousin runs Roberto over with his car . Maria goes to an old witch lady and has a spell done so both she and Roberto will be reincarnated twenty years later . Cue twenty years later . Maria , sad and lonely , meets the reincarnation of Roberto , but alas he's married and hence not interested in her . So Maria enlists the aid of an evil , cackling , snake-worshiping sorcerer to cast a spell on Roberto so she can finally have him . Got that ? Well , I'm not quite sure if that above plot synopsis is entirely correct , but it's the best I can do . Director Yeung Kong fails miserably to add any much-needed coherence to this often uproariously awful and muddled mess of a supernatural romantic horror flick . Luckily , there's a wealth of tasty female nudity and a handy helping of sizzling soft-core sex scenes to keep things pleasingly sleazy throughout . ( However , in one hysterically strenuous sex scene involving the evil lascivious sorcerer and a hapless young lady a big glowing white dot covers the woman's pubic area ! ) . The funky , throbbing score , a gnarly tribe of nasty cannibal dwarfs , and a smidgen of suitably gross last reel gore further add to the strangely compelling and frequently unintentionally sidesplitting anything-goes surreal fun of this enjoyably senseless head-scratcher . |
519,086 | 8,239,592 | 87,198 | 8 | An amusingly lowbrow redneck soft-core comedic romp | Treacherous Cora ( robustly played with mucho lip-smacking gusto by the incomparable Shelley Winters ) marries men and then murders them for their money . Cora more than meets her match in Ellie ( a spunky performance by juicy blonde beauty Sheila Kennedy ) , who's the smart and sexy daughter of Cora's latest victim . Ellie gets revenge on Cora by using her gorgeous body and feminine wiles to bump off Cora's three no-count sons - - slick , hunky Tom ( Edward Albert ) , fat , infantile Billy ( James Gaspard ) , and mean , ornery Frank ( Robert Keith ) - - in various unfortunate " accidents . " Competently directed by Peter Wittman , with a blithely dopey script by Glenn Allen Smith , pretty , polished cinematography by George Tirl , and a folksy , harmonic country score by Bob Pickering ( the funky Southern rock theme song in particular seriously smokes ) , this cheerfully lowbrow hayseed black comedy makes for a perfectly enjoyable diversion . Popping up in amusing supporting roles are Pat Paulsen as a lusty sheriff with the hots for Cora , George Gobel as an addled , doddering old priest , Ouida White as a daffy home buyer , and Patrick Tovatt as Cora's lazy , disgusting sleazeball brother . Best of all , the delectable Kennedy isn't the least bit bashful about baring her fine physique in a couple of yummy nude scenes . Troma offers a nice fullscreen presentation of this pleasingly silly hoot on a nifty DVD triple bill with the endearingly inane redneck romps " Preacherman " and " Hot Summer in Barefoot County . " |
518,090 | 8,239,592 | 100,589 | 8 | A laughably lousy slasher variant starring a lethal berserk baboon | Slice'n'dice fright flicks featuring glassy-eyed psycho fruitcake killers hacking up jerky teenagers with all the charisma and personality of used , parched Play Dough were all the rage in the 80's , so it was only a matter of time before some desperately reaching hack screenwriter decided to cook up a would-be " high concept " entry in the slasher horror sub-genre which substitutes a crazed , screeching bloodthirsty baboon for your usual insane , heavy-breathing sanguinary subhuman lunatic . " Shakma " is that film ; it's an often unintentionally uproarious riot that isn't scary for a minute , but does manage to be hugely amusing and entertaining straight-to-video trash just the same . A bunch of bonehead college students playing a Dungeon and Dragons-type game in a high rise medical research center are stalked and killed by the titular deranged simian . Directors Tom Logan and Hugh Parks wearily go through the shopworn body count paces without ever injecting any vitality or originality into the threadbare proceedings . Roger Engle's trite script likewise skimps on the novelty , with all the creativity beginning and ending with the central gimmick of replacing a madman with a mad monkey . The baboon itself , played by the loud , irritating , uglier-than-a-horse's-a Typhoon , proves to be more funny than fearsome ( the scenes with this shrieking beast running down the halls after its victims are absolutely sidesplitting ! ) . Most of the killings take place off screen and the gore is pretty mild . The irony of casting former " Planet of the Apes " series mainstay Roddy McDowell as your stereotypically well-meaning , but misguided scientist who's responsible for the whole bloody mess is a nice touch . The rest of the cast alas ain't so hot : onetime teen idol Christopher Atkins , the adorable Ari Meyers and Amanda Wyss ( Freddy Krueger's first victim in the original " A Nightmare on Elm Street " ) all fail to believably bring their roles to life . All that criticism aside , this honey still qualifies as a total gut-busting campy hoot . |
518,014 | 8,239,592 | 100,586 | 8 | A solid , satisfying and underrated sci-fi / horror sleeper | Stalwart Captain Hickock ( a solid and engaging performance by David Beecroft ) is sent to investigate the mysterious death of a member of a dream research project that's conducting experiments in a vast and isolated subterranean lab . Head scientist Dr . Van Fleet ( a brief , but cool appearance by the always terrific James Hong ) accidentally brings into our world a powerful deadly being with the scary ability to fatally use our worst fears against us . Writer / director J . S . Cardone , who also gave us the terrifically trashy " The Forsaken " and the pleasingly eerie " Wicked Little Things , " maintains a snappy pace throughout , stages the genuinely startling shock scenes with considerable harrowing aplomb , and does a deft job of effectively creating a clammy , creepy and downright unsettling nightmarish claustrophobic atmosphere . The strong cast qualifies as another major asset : Louise Fletcher as the mad Dr . Erhardt , Shawn Weatherly as the fetching Dr . Kidwell , Frederick Flynn as hearty computer technician Tommy Shivers , Lu Leonard as gruff cook Ms . Cutter , and Miguel A . Nunez Jr . as abjectly craven , spineless , sniveling janitor Wiley . Karen Grossman's dark , fluid , moody cinematography , Richard Band's supremely shuddery'n'spooky score , and Mark Shostrom's good'n'gruesome make-up f / x are all likewise on the money excellent and impressive . The gory murder set pieces hit the splattery spot with a perfectly grisly bull's eye . As a nice extra bonus , the lovely Maureen Flaherty as a sleeping psychic spends all of her screen time completely in the buff . A really nifty and unjustly neglected little low-budget sci-fi / horror winner . |
517,900 | 8,239,592 | 74,504 | 8 | A pleasant diversion | I own a G-rated alternate cut of this film entitled " The Treasure of Jamaica Reef ; " I watched it and found it to be a very pleasant and enjoyable diversion . A motley assortment of intrepid and adventurous divers who include Stephen Boyd as the laid-back leader , a pre - " Charlie's Angels " Cheryl Ladd as the token feisty hottie chick , the hulking Rosey Grier as a gregarious steamboat captain and Darby Hinton as a brash young kid go searching in the Caribbean sea for a sunken Spanish galleon which contains a fortune in gold coins . Naturally , finding said galleon and retrieving the coins proves to be an extremely difficult and challenging task . Virginia Stone's snappy direction , working from J . A . S . McCombie's lively , colorful script , keeps the nonstop pace hurtling along throughout , maintains a charmingly breezy'n'easy goofy tone , elicits spirited performances from an amiable cast , and stages several stirring action set pieces with considerable panache ( a rousing car chase , some rough'n'tumble fisticuffs and a thrilling beat-the-clock rescue operation are the definite highlights ) . The lovely , picturesque widescreen cinematography ( the underwater photography is especially breathtaking and impressive ) , the gorgeous Jamiacan locations , Christopher Stone's bouncy score , and the spectacular sight of the tiny , delectable Ms . Ladd in a skimpy bikini further add to the infectiously frothy merriment . An engagingly silly and good-natured piece of lightweight fluff . |
519,438 | 8,239,592 | 122,116 | 8 | An incredibly awful ( and hilarious ) 70's blaxploitation hoot | Successful and respected black doctor Kenneth Kincade ( the hopelessly wooden J . Walter Smith , who comes across like a poor man's William Marshall ) and his family move into an affluent California suburb populated by grotesquely hateful and intolerant evil snobby white jerks . Said jerks not only protest in front of the Kincade's house and leave a coffin on the front lawn , but also string up the family's pet cat after they brutally butcher the poor kitty . Dr . Kincade enlists the aid of bold and fearsome black militant Abar ( bald , charismatic Tobar Mayo ) and his followers to protect his family . After his son gets killed by the vile racists , Dr . Kincade injects Abar with an experimental serum that makes him indestructible and gives him special psychic powers . Sporting an immaculate blue suit and red shirt , Abar decides to clean up the streets : Among the good deeds he performs are turning wine into milk , making a purse snatcher return his stolen item to its rightful owner , forcing a bunch of graffiti artists to repaint a wall they just defaced , and , best of all , unleashing a hurricane and plague of rats on the wholly deserving Caucasian villains . Boy , is this one fabulously freaky and stunningly clunky micro-budget blaxploitation oddity : Frank Packard's plodding ( mis ) direction , James Smalley's talky , yet genuinely offbeat and unpredictable script , the authentically grimy inner city Los Angeles locations , the endearingly amateurish acting by a no-name cast ( Roxie Young as Ms . Kincade cops the grand booby prize ; check out her big crack-up scene after discovering the mangled body of her murdered son ) , Ron Garcia's rough , static cinematography , the infrequent ineptly staged action scenes , the funky 70's TV cop show-style score , and the totally unexpected from out in left field uplifting conclusion all make this deliciously loopy doozy one of the single most gloriously weird and original jaw-droppers produced during the 70's blaxploitation craze . Must be seen to be ( dis ) believed . |
519,422 | 8,239,592 | 78,379 | 8 | A fun 70's redneck drive-in exploitation flick | Rugged ace stunt driver Clay McCarthy ( a not half bad performance by the Duke's son Patrick Wayne ) , his shy , amiable aspiring country singer brother Dale ( affable Mitch Vogel ) , and their hot babe sister Sugar ( super cutie Lindsay Bloom ) are held up and have their van stolen by a trio of escaped convicts while driving through the Lone Star State en route to Nashville . While waiting for ornery , ineffectual sheriff R . G . Armstrong to find their van , the unlucky threesome decide to work as farm hands for arrogant , overbearing , ill-tempered rich jerk John Hunter ( huffy ham Cameron Mitchell at his most cranky and disagreeable ) . Clay develops a hankering for Hunter's sweet , lovely daughter Claudia ( appealingly essayed by fetching " Three's Company " TV series regular Priscilla Barnes ) , Dale falls for the sheriff's forward , lascivious daughter Karen ( mouth-wateringly sumptuous eyeful Kathy O'Dare ) , and Sugar romances nice guy gas station attendant Billy ( likable lunk Michael Mullins ) . Unfortunately , Hunter's vile degenerate son Beau ( a truly creepy portrayal by veteran B-movie baddie Anthony James ) also wants to get in Sugar's pants , which leads to Beau savagely raping the hapless lass . After Beau gets fatally knifed in a bar fight , the blame naturally falls on Clay , who with Dale , Suger and Claudia in tow goes on the lam as a wanted fugitive . Compactly written and capably directed by the always dependably sleazy seasoned exploitation filmmaker Hikmet Avedis , " Texas Detour " covers all the necessary bases to quality as a sound and satisfying Southern-fried drive-in trash romp : a reasonably swift pace , randy rolls in the hay with luscious good ol ' gals and boys , tasty honeys parading about in severely cut denim hot pants and tightly tied blouses with no bras underneath , dippy dialogue ( " I'm so hungry I could eat one of these horses " ) , a ridiculously convoluted and meandering narrative , a typically heavy-handed young folks gotta do their own free-spirited thing central message , solid , sparkling ultra-bright cinematography by Massoud Joseph , a clutch of lively , crackling rock tunes by ex-Turtles and former Frank Zappa back-up singers Flo and Eddie , a gratuitous musical interlude at a seedy tavern that's immediately followed by a rowdy barroom brawl , beautiful bucolic scenery , a few rousing motorcycle chases , an amusingly dopey climactic car chase which comes complete with a nifty van jumping over a bridge gag , and , of course , the senseless destruction of several police cars , and , best of all , the delectable Priscilla Barnes baring her gorgeous body in a much appreciated protracted topless scene . What's not to like ? |
519,328 | 8,239,592 | 57,295 | 8 | A creepy , bizarre and highly effective Japanese horror oddity | A yacht containing seven people gets damaged in a severe storm and winds up on a deserted island . The shipwreck survivors run afoul of both poisonous mushrooms that cause them to mutate and grotesque humanoid fungi monsters that inhabit the place . While the premise sounds laughable and ridiculous , this film works remarkably well thanks to Ishiro Honda's capable direction , an initially light and breezy tone which becomes more progressively dark , despairing and nightmarish as the absorbingly strange story unfolds , Hajime Koizuma's bright , fluid , polished cinematography , the stunningly hideous make-up effects , the believably drawn characters , Sadao Bekku's brooding gloom-doom score , the deliciously spooky and mysterious atmosphere , convincing performances by the sturdy cast , Takeshi Kimura's intriguing and wildly imaginative script , and a potent and provocative central theme on how such basic human weaknesses as lust , greed and selfishness sow the seeds of man's ruination . Offbeat , original and well worth checking out . |
518,319 | 8,239,592 | 74,729 | 8 | A nice'n'slimy serving of nasty Italian Nazisploitation sleaze | Compassionate Maria Black ( well played by the lovely Lorraine De Salle ) is forced to work as a medical assistant at a Nazi concentration camp and witnesses firsthand the various brutal and inhumane scientific experiments being conducted by the Third Reich at the place . Director / co-writer Bruno Mattei delivers the lowdown harsh , grimy and appalling goods in an unflinchingly graphic and upsetting manner : Among the foul stuff to relish herein are naked women being severely whipped , a lady have her uterus surgically removed so it can be transplanted in a sterile woman , ladies being put to death in a gas chamber , a frozen guy getting revived by the sexual body heat of a hot nude prostitute ( he of course then makes love to said hooker ! ) , an unsuccessful attempt at curing gay men of their homosexuality , one poor gal slowly dying after being shot with a poisoned bullet , and several vile rapes . Moreover , we also get some lesbianism , a catfight , and plenty of full frontal female nudity . The despicable Nazi swine villains make for a memorably hateful rogues ' gallery : Ivano Staccioli as the cruel , unhinged Commander Wieker , Ria De Simone as the predatory chief capo Marta , Giovanni Attanasio as the bald , cackling , depraved cretin Kurt , and Gabriele Carrara as the sadistic Oberleutnant Otto Ohlendorff . Sonia Viviani contributes a solid supporting performance as fetching and fragile female prisoner Cristina . Alessandro Alessandroni's moody , shivery score , the grim , humorless tone , Luigi Ciccarese's slick , yet grotty and washed-out cinematography , and the uncompromisingly downbeat bummer ending all further enhance the unsparingly bleak and depressing atmosphere of this perfectly ugly and offensive piece of deplorable trash . |
517,984 | 8,239,592 | 299,988 | 8 | A surprisingly solid and enjoyable belated sequel | Still severely traumatized by his near fatal run-in with deranged roving serial killer John Ryder , Jim Halsey ( ably reprised by C . Thomas Howell ) decides to surmount his demons by returning back to the lonely stretch of West Texas backroads where the initial agonizing ordeal occurred . Jim's gutsy and loving girlfriend Maggie ( an engagingly feisty Kari Wuhrer ) tags along for moral support . The pair encounter another shrewd psychotic hitchhiker named Jack ( essayed with marvelously maniacal relish by Jake Busey ) , who naturally proceeds to put Jim and Maggie through absolute nerve-shredding bloody hell . This belated straight-to-video follow-up turns out to be a surprisingly solid , suspenseful and satisfying sequel : It's directed with style and gusto to burn by Louis Morneau ( who previously scored with the superlative " Retroactive " ) , acted with comparable aplomb by the entire cast , with sumptuously adept , gliding , sinuous cinematography by George Mooradian , a bracingly swift rat-a-tat-tat pace that never drags for a second , a shivery , pile-driving score by Joe Kraemer , a considerable amount of gut-ripping tension , a sharply sardonic sense of humor , and a hair-raising lump-in-your-throat shoot-the-fireworks bravura action finale . A surefire winner that almost matches the sterling quality of the simply astonishing original , this honey's a whole lot better than expected and definitely worth checking out . |
518,170 | 8,239,592 | 95,775 | 8 | A nifty little Italian monster horror picture | Best-selling horror novelist Cheryl ( a solid and sympathetic performance by the lovely Virginia Bryant ) , her husband Tom ( the likable Paolo Serra ) , and their son Bobby ( nicely played by Patrizio Vinci ) go to a remote castle located in the countryside for summer vacation . Local legend claims that the area is cursed . Cheryl discovers a creepy , hairy , nasty ogre ( hulking David Flosi in a strikingly hideous costume ) living in the basement . Cheryl has to surmount her deep-seated childhood fear of the beast so she can defeat the foul find . Director / co-writer Lamberto Bava does an expert job of creating and sustaining an eerie and unnerving nightmarish mood . Moreover , Bava eschews the standard blood'n'guts fright flick routine in favor of crafting a compelling and provocative dark adult fairytale-like fable on how the best way to overcome that which frightens us is to face said source head on . Sturdy supporting turns by Sabrina Ferilli as friendly school teacher Anna , Stefania Montorsi as hottie babysitter Maria , and Alex Serra as batty painter Dario . Gianfranco Transunto's glossy cinematography boasts a few fluid tracking shots and plenty of great atmospheric lighting . Fabrizio Sforza's gnarly make-up f / x , Simon Boswell's splendidly spirited spooky'n'shuddery score , and the dank , dark , cobweb-covered cellar set all hit the skin-crawling spot . Well worth watching . |
517,970 | 8,239,592 | 64,939 | 8 | A pleasingly nasty'n'scuzzy piece of low-grade biker trash from the always reliable Al Adamson | This fabulously fetid flick may very well be the foulest , most offensive and utterly insalubrious hunk of disgusting biker exploitation junk to ever ooze its vile way onto celluloid . In fact , if this wonderfully rancid cheeseball was any more slimy and abhorrent , the negative would probably have fungus growing all over it . A thoroughly despicable gang of cheerfully repugnant Harley hounds led by a deliciously hammy Russ Tamblyn kill old geezers Kent Taylor and Scott Brady . They incur the wrath of take-charge , no-nonsense Vietnam veteran Gary Kent , spike a group of young girls ' coffee with LSD and rape ' em while they're tripping , and generally conduct themselves in a rather distasteful , anti-social and unruly manner which could be most politely described as somewhat lacking in proper decorum . The remarkable Regina Carrol really ignites the screen with her searing portrayal of Tamblyn's delectable motorcycle mama Gina , " the freak-out girl " ( Carrol's slutty tabletop dance at a grungy diner rates as a definite highlight ) . Future schlock movie director Greydon ( " Without Warning " ) Clark also scores with his offbeat turn as Acid , a doped out of his skull biker whose brain has become irrevocably addled due to the ingestion of far too many sunshine tablets . Fellow future schlock movie director John " Bud " Cardos likewise impresses as Mohawk-sporting Native American biker Firewater . Gary Graver's chintzy cinematography captures the assorted sordid antics in all their ghastly glory . The opening credits theme song " Satan " smokes in no uncertain terms : " I was born mean / By the time I was twelve I was killin ' / Killin ' for Satan " . This inarguable sludgewad masterpiece was made by the late , great Al Adamson , who also blessed us with such choice nickel'n'dime drive-in dross as " Dracula vs . Frankenstein , " " The Female Bunch , " and " Death Dimension . " |
519,336 | 8,239,592 | 57,320 | 8 | A solid and satisfying 60's soft-core sexploitation melodrama from the ever-reliable Joe Sarno | Shrewd , unhappy and pragmatic housewife and part-time stenographer Joan Rand ( excellently played by sultry brunette Tammy Latour ) starts her own suburban prostitution ring that caters to a rich clientèle . Pretty soon Joan has a booming business on her hands . Meanwhile her drunken neglected husband has an affair with his enticing 18-year-old babysitter . Writer / director Joe Sarno crafts a wickedly smart and insightful portrait of the naughty things that go on underneath the respectable veneer of staid upper-class small town America ; he also maintains a steady snappy pace throughout and coaxes solid acting from a sturdy cast . Fine supporting performances by John Aristedes as smug , arrogant golf pro Al Jordan , Joe Santos ( Lt . Dennis Becker on " The Rockford Files " ) as a weary vice detective , and the adorably slinky Jan Nash as the luscious Nancy Preston , who becomes the most prized and desired girl in Joan's stable . The ravishing Fatima does a smoking hot belly dance at a wild poolside stag party . The crisp color cinematography by Jerry Kalogeratos and Anthony Lover gives the picture an attractive polished look . Stan Free's great boppin ' jazzy lounge score and the cool swingin ' theme song both really hit the groovy spot . While the film's content is decidedly mild , there's still a nice racy vibe which permeates the engrossingly sordid story and thus makes this movie a good deal of entertainingly tawdry fun . |
519,271 | 8,239,592 | 87,132 | 8 | A total trashy hoot | Celebrity impressionist Carl C . Clooney ( a marvelously manic Michael Pataki ) , hulking aggressive rapist Dick Peters ( Bob Minor in peak lecherous form ) , and gay Bruce Wilson ( the supremely wacky Stephen Stucker of " Airplane ! " fame ) are a trio of dangerous sexual deviates who escape from an asylum for the criminally insane . The demented threesome head towards an all-girls school for some depraved carnal fun . Director / co-writer Gregory Corarito loads this enjoyably nutty comedic romp with plenty of blithely lowbrow raunchy humor , doesn't skimp on the tasty female nudity , and elicits zesty performances from a game cast of familiar 70's exploitation cinema regulars . The ladies in particular are incredibly hot and appealing : radiant Irish redhead Sharon Kelly has a ball as feisty martial artist Greta , Jane Steele is absolutely adorable as the cute Betsy , Zoe Grant likewise impresses as foxy gym instructor Ms . Crowley , and legendary busty pin-up model Roberta Pedon almost steals the whole show as the luscious Carla . Popping up in cool supporting parts are the ubiquitous George " Buck " Flower as grubby , henpecked farmer Earl , John Alderman as uptight principal Dr . Baxter , and 70's trailer voice guy Ron Gans as a television newscaster . The tasteless jokes about rape are admittedly crude , but still quite hysterically funny all the same . Other sleazy highlights include a regrettably brief lesbian scene and a strenuous knock-down drag-out no-holds-barred catfight . The funky score by Randy Johnson and Fred Selden hits the groovy spot . Louis Horvath's rough , gritty , but fairly polished cinematography does the trick as well . A real gut-busting riot . |
518,298 | 8,239,592 | 74,703 | 8 | A fun'n'funky 70's blaxploitation horror flick | New Orleans , 1942 : Vicious , abusive hoodlum J . D . Walker ( a sneering , splendidly nasty turn by David McNight ) slices a woman's throat with a switchblade , then gets promptly shot dead for committing the brutal , heinous misdeed . Cut to New Orleans in 1976 : Sweet , likable , struggling law student Ike ( frequent second banana co-star actor Glynn Turman , giving a fine , engaging performance in a rare substantial lead part ) is possessed by J . D . ' s malevolent , vindictive spirit , which transforms Ike from a harmless , mild-mannered college kid into a vile , lethal , womanizing , straight razor-toting cad who exacts a terrible revenge upon all those individuals responsible for J . D . ' s untimely demise . One of the best , most frightening and effective entries in the short-lived 70's blaxploitation horror craze ( prime examples of this nifty sub-genre include both " Blacula " movies , " Abby , " and " Sugar Hill " ) , " J . D . ' s Revenge " emphasizes mood over violence , with seasoned B-picture veteran Arthur ( " Bonnie's Kids , " " Bucktown " ) Marks ' typically sturdy , stylish , self-assured direction and Jaison Starkes ' craftily plotted script deftly milking the creepy , mysterious , unsettling Southern Gothic-style ambiance for all its worth . Said scary gloom-doom tone , further reinforced by a vivid evocation of that uniquely lazy , luscious and exotic Big Easy atmosphere and Marks ' ever dark sense of humor , insinuates itself upon the viewer in a low-key , yet forceful manner . The always great Louis Gossett , Jr . offers a dazzling , dynamic portrayal of Elijah Bliss , a flashy , grand-standing , two-faced preacherman with something to hide . The lovely Joan Pringle is strong and sympathetic as Ike's concerned girlfriend Christella . Harry May's gorgeous , polished cinematography gives the film a sumptuous professional sheen which totally bellies the low budget . The eerie , groovy , understated score by Robert Prince ( who also co-wrote the forgettable ending credits theme song " I'll Never Let You Go " ) is likewise on the money fine . Reportedly one of Samuel Jackson's longtime favorite movies , this baby rates as a real nice one all around . And Turman does wonders in a touch , demanding part ; ironically , Turman was ultimately dissatisfied with how the film turned out . |
519,245 | 8,239,592 | 83,296 | 8 | Michael Ironside makes for a memorably nasty and scary psycho in this underrated early 80's Canadian woman-in-jeopardy thriller | Vicious misogynistic psycho par excellence Colt Hawker ( a truly chilling and convincing portrayal of seething brutality by the always intense and effective Michael Ironside , who's positively terrifying in a substantial full-blown villain role ) assaults feisty and outspoken feminist TV reporter Deborah Ballin ( a fine Lee Grant ) in her home after she delivers a scathing put-down of male chauvinism on live television . The badly wounded Ballin barely survives the attack and gets taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for her injuries . Hawker follows Ballin there so he can continue his relentless campaign of terror against her . Director Jean-Claude ( " The Vindicator " ) Lord keeps the film mostly tight and suspenseful throughout , delivering one jolting shock after another until the movie culminates in a harrowing showdown between the two bitter adversaries . Lord strives for gritty realism and generally succeeds with this goal , adeptly creating a hard , rough and above all pretty plausible edge which in turn makes the unflinchingly ugly and sadistic violence that much more potent and disturbing . Moreover , Linda Purl offers strong support as a sympathetic nurse ( the sequence where Ironside assaults Purl in her house is genuinely bloodcurdling ) while both Harvey ( " Meatballs " ) Atkin and Helen ( " Incubus , " " Blue Monkey " ) Hughes pop up as two of Hawker's unfortunate victims . On the debit side the rather drawn-out 105 minute running time causes the picture to drag in spots and the usually more manic William Shatner is strangely subdued and soporific as Ballin's insufferably insipid stuffed shirt of a boss . Unjustly ridiculed by a majority of critics when it was first released and often erroneously tagged as just another mindless hack ' em up slasher item ( which it most certainly isn't ) , " Visiting Hours " rates highly as a smart , gripping and overall superior thriller that's much better than its unfairly lousy reputation would suggest . |
519,001 | 8,239,592 | 87,127 | 8 | A deliciously cheesy chunk of early 80's low-budget sword and sorcery sleaze | Muscular blond-maned wannabe heroic scruffy barbarian Deathstalker ( the hunky Rick Hill ) gets assigned by the all powerful King Tulak to rescue his lovely fair maiden daughter Princess Codille ( stunningly beautiful'n'bountiful Playboy Playmate Barbi Benton ) from the vile clutches of evil sorcerer Oghris ( a delectably hammy performance by Richard Brooker ; Jason in " Friday the 13th Part III " ) . Aiding Deathstalker on his dangerous mission are lecherous wizard Munkar ( the funny Bernard Erhard ) , brawny mercenary Kang ( dorky Victor Bo ) , and feisty warrior babe Kaira ( the luscious Lana Clarkson ) . Director James Sbardellatti , working from a blithely low-brow script by Howard R . Cohen ( who also wrote " Unholy Rollers " and " Space Raiders " ) , loads this delightfully cheap'n'cheesy sleaze exploitation sword and sorcery fantasy romp with a tasty plenitude of gratuitous nudity ( both Barbi and Lana bare their hot bods ) , ineptly staged swordfights , mudwrestling half-naked slave girls , a reasonable amount of bloody violence , a kung-fu fight , and even a huge hulking humanoid pigman freak . Sure , this hilariously dopey dreck definitely ain't no work of sophisticated cinematic art , but it still does the trick just the same as a pleasingly trashy little hoot . |
518,186 | 8,239,592 | 100,403 | 8 | An enjoyably over-the-top sequel to the excellent original | This jaunty , ultra-violent sequel to the top-drawer original has the titular nasty extraterrestrial ( the massive Kevin Peter Hall ; the murderous mutant bear in " Prophecy " ) hunting for hapless'n'helpless human prey in bleakly futuristic Los Angeles , which by 1997 has been turned into a brutal and chaotic urban war zone hell that's practically run by two opposing drug cartels . Out to bag the pernicious intergalactic fiend are loose cannon maverick cop Mike Harrison ( a game portrayal by Danny Glover ) and arrogant military scientist Keyes ( a typically lively performance by the ever-crazed Gary Busey ) . Although completely predictable and pretty mindless , " Predator 2 " nonetheless still sizes up as an enjoyably over-the-top sci-fi / action item thanks to Stephen Hopkins ' brisk , stylish direction , first-rate make-up f / x by Stan Winston , a stirring score by Alan Silvestri , wall-to-wall in-your-face explosive action set pieces , a breathless frenetic pace , and plenty of excessive graphic splatter . The capable and interesting supporting cast qualifies as another substantial asset : Ruben Blades as Harrison's amiable partner Danny , Maria Conchita Alonso as foulmouthed female flatfoot Leona , the always delightfully dynamic Bill Paxton as cocksure badge bandit Jerry Lambert , Robert Davi as jerk fed Heineman , Calvin Lockhart as flamboyant Jamaican drug lord King Willie ( his back alley confrontation with the Predator is one of the picture's definite highlights ) , veteran character actress Lilyan Chauvan ( Mother Superior in the splendidly sleazy sicko Santa slasher classic " Silent Night , Deadly Night " ) as a stern coroner ( Lilyan easily cops the film's best line when she explains that one victim was " boned like a fish " ) , and , in an especially adroit piece of casting , infamously odious tabloid TV talk show host Morton Downey , Jr . as obnoxious loudmouth reporter Tony Pope . Foxy popular porn star Teri Weigel briefly appears clad solely in her birthday suit . Good , trashy fun . |
518,414 | 8,239,592 | 52,929 | 8 | An enjoyable 50's sci-fi / horror outing | Evil invisible aliens resurrect the dead in order to take over the Earth . It's up to an intrepid handful of folks to figure out a way to stop them before it's too late . Competently directed by Edward L . Cahn , with a steady pace , a roaring melodramatic score by Paul Dunlap , a reasonable amount of spooky atmosphere , a pleasingly tight 67 minute running time , nifty and acceptable low-fi special effects , crisp black and white cinematography by Maury Gertsman , a nice sense of mounting dread , and cool moments of mass destruction , this modest , yet effective affair makes for an entertaining quickie romp . The sound acting from an able cast helps a lot , with especially praiseworthy work by John Agar as the rugged , no-nonsense Major Bruce Jay , Philip Tonge as the weary , disillusioned Dr . Adam Penner , Jim Hutton as the stalwart Dr . John Lamont , and Jean Byron as Penner's fetching daughter Phyllis . The ubiquitous John Carradine only appears briefly as the ill-fated Dr . Karol Noymann , but both his gaunt , cadaverous face and deep , gloomy voice are put to satisfyingly creepy use . Moreover , the central plot serves as a neat precursor to " Night of the Living Dead ; " the shots of pasty-faced zombies trudging across the landscape are pretty eerie and impressive . A fun fright flick . |
519,434 | 8,239,592 | 83,215 | 8 | A gloriously bizarre soft-core oddity | A hippie love cult led by the stern , yet charismatic the Divine One ( perfectly embodied by the delicious Laura Gemser ) lures young innocents for their money and corrupts them in the name of their cause . The blithely passive and brainwashed cult members fornicate like bunnies , frolic about in their birthday suits , prostitute themselves for cash , engage in ritualistic chants , and get brutally whipped when they disobey the stern rules . Complications ensue when loyal recruiter and disciple Dorian ( blonde doofus Christian Anders ) falls for the fetching Patricia ( lovely and voluptuous Simone Brahmann ) , who's the wealthy daughter of a powerful American senator . Writer / director Anders offers an enjoyably oddball cross between " Hair " ( the incredibly dippy disco theme song and a couple of crazy song and dance numbers are both totally sidesplitting , albeit unintentionally so ) and the infamous Jim Jones religious cult that certainly doesn't skimp on either the plentiful tasty nudity or the equally abundant sizzling soft-core sex ( we've got straight , lesbian , and interracial couplings served up hot and spicy for the viewer's delight ) . The heightened erotic atmosphere and Gemser's smoldering sensuous presence ensure that this film never becomes dull . Better still , Anders treats all the wild and raw carnality with complete seriousness , which in turn greatly enhances the picture's considerable campy charm ( a twisted ceremony involving the deflowering of the virginal youngest cult member rates as a definite loopy highlight ) . A delectably daft and decadent doozy . |
518,749 | 8,239,592 | 57,226 | 8 | A solid and enjoyable Hammer vampire outing | Gerald Harcourt ( affable Steven de Souza ) and his wife Marianne ( fetching Jennifer Daniel ) are two newlyweds who experience car trouble in a remote rural area . They seek refuge in a nearby small village . While staying in the village the Harcourts meet one Dr . Ravna ( the extremely suave Noel Willman ) . Unbeknownst to the Harcourts , Dr . Ravna is really the leader of a deadly vampire cult that includes his son Carl ( dashing Barry Warren ) and daughter Sabena ( the ravishing Jacquie Wallis ) . Director Don Sharp keeps the stately pace steady throughout and ably creates a pleasingly misty'n'spooky atmosphere . de Souza and Daniel make for very charming leads ; they receive excellent support from Clifford Evans as boozy , yet austere vampire killer Professor Zimmer , Peter Madden as friendly innkeeper Bruno , and Isobel Black as Bruno's vampire daughter Tania . The scene were Zimmer has to cauterize his bitten hand over a roaring flame is especially memorable . A lavish costume party rates as another definite highlight . Alan Hume's crisp color cinematography ( the artful use of fades and dissolves is highly impressive ) , James Bernard's lush orchestral score , and the stirring conclusion round off the goodies to be relished in this immensely entertaining romp . |
518,739 | 8,239,592 | 462,200 | 8 | Samuel Jackson and Christina Ricci are both outstanding in this strong and poignant tale of sin and redemption | Reclusive and angry former blues singer turned farmer Lazarus ( superbly played by the always excellent Samuel L . Jackson ) is in a hurting way after his wife Rose leaves him after twelve years of unhappy marriage . Brassy and tormented trampy white trash nymphomaniac Rae ( a remarkably raw and startling performance by Christina Ricci ) sure ain't feeling too good , either . Lazrus finds Rae's battered body on the side of the road . After nursing her back to health , Lazarus chains Rae to his radiator in order to help the troubled lass overcome her demons . Writer / director Craig Brewer uses the potentially lurid and tasteless premise to spin a surprisingly potent and poignant tale of sin , redemption and the intrinsic fallibility of human nature . Rae and Lazarus are two lost and broken souls who help each other heal and become whole again . Jackson and Ricci are terrific in the leads , with equally strong support from Justin Timberlake as Rae's loyal , long-suffering boyfriend Ronnie , S . Epatha Merkerson as Lazarus ' helpful lady friend Angela , John Cothran Jr . as the compassionate Reverend R . L . , and onetime 70's child actress Kim Richards as Rae's bitter estranged mother Sandy . The vividly brooding and flavorsome Southern Gothic atmosphere , Amy Vincent's polished cinematography , Scott Bomar's moody score and the first-rate soulful blues soundtrack are all likewise on the money as well . As an added treat , Jackson growls out a few fantastic get-down gritty blues numbers and Ricci even sings a touchingly sweet rendition of the gospel tune " This Little Light of Mine . " Offbeat , inspired and original , " Black Snake Moan " overall qualifies as an extremely moving , compelling and provocative winner . |
518,679 | 8,239,592 | 57,242 | 8 | An excellent and unjustly overlooked early 60's Cold War era drama sleeper | This extremely chilling and quietly powerful early 60's doomsday drama benefits substantially from Frank Perry's intelligent , understated direction , Eleanor Perry's equally smart and perceptive script , and the uniformly outstanding acting from an exceptional mostly kid cast . An alarm signifying an imminent nuclear bombing sounds off at a remote rural school . The school's principal ( future " St . Elsewhere " TV series regular William Daniels in his fine film debut ) has the teachers walk all the students home so they can seek shelter from the fall-out in the cellars of their parents ' homes . One obnoxiously bratty and overbearing girl allows five other kids to reside in her parents ' shelter , but refuses to let another girl she doesn't like in . This selfish action begets tragic consequences . The serious and starkly realistic tone vividly evokes the pervasive unease and paranoia of early 60's Cold War era America , the gradually mounting tension thankfully eschews hysterics in favor of a more organic and restrained feeling of encroaching dread , the assorted kids ' reactions are totally plausible and astutely observed ( the older ones instantly become aware of how awful the impending blast is while the younger tykes are blissfully ignorant of the whole crushing ordeal ) , and the ingenious ploy of having children face up to a situation of overwhelming gravity on their own gives the overall movie an intimate and very gut-wrenching emotional immediacy that's believable , engrossing , and ultimately quite devastating ( the downbeat ending in particular packs a strong and lingering punch ) . Inspired by actual events , this unjustly neglected sleeper deserves to be a lot better known . |
518,539 | 8,239,592 | 347,588 | 8 | A nifty Mexican sci-fi / horror outing | In a bleak near future the world has really gone to seed due to severe pollution . Toxic smog , acid rain , and grotesquely mutated animals are all direct results of this environmental decay . Ruthless industrialist Roberto Cervantes ( a nicely reprehensible portrayal by Gerardo Albarran ) makes matters worse by illegally dumping plutonium . Sweet , but feisty school teacher Irina ( a fine performance by the fetching Rosanna San Juan ) and kindly professor Axel ( winningly played by Miguel Angel Rodriguez ) try to stop Cervantes . Moreover , a giant lethal humanoid rat runs amok in Irina's house . Director Ruben Galindo , Jr . relates the interesting story at a steady pace , creates a substantial amount of tension ( the last third is especially stirring and suspenseful ) , and stages the rat attack scenes with considerable flair to spare . Kudos are also in order for the uniformly sound acting from a capable cast , Javier Cruz , Jr . ' s polished cinematography ( the Dutch camera angles and use of hand-held camera are both very neat and impressive ) , the funky guy-in-a-hairy-suit creature , Federico Chavez's rattling , shuddery score , an excellent and exciting protracted knock-down , drag-out , no-holds-barred rough'n'tumble fight between Axel and Cervantes , and the strong anti-pollution message . A fun flick . |
518,433 | 8,239,592 | 884,747 | 8 | An excellent period action drama winner | The evil Kuan ( a perfectly hateful Shek Kin ) steals two swords from the peaceful martial arts sect the Supreme Gate . Strong , willful master swordswoman Yuk Bin ( superbly played by the lovely Betty Loh Ti ) gets ousted from the Supreme Gate for being Kuan's daughter . Things become worse for Yuk Bin after she's blinded by Kuan in a fight . Kindly mentor Nam Chee ( affable Zhang Yang ) teaches Yuk Bin how to overcome her affliction and retain her sword-fighting skills . When the equally wicked , arrogant and power mad Sun Tai Yong ( marvelously essayed with rip-snorting cocky relish by Kelly Lai Chen ) takes over the Supreme Gate and defeats all the other master sword-fighters , only Yuk Bin remains to defeat him . Director Chiu Feng Yuan , working from a complex and engrossing script by Faan Yee , delivers a potent and gripping tale about honor , loyalty and betrayal . The astounding choreography and exceptional stuntwork are both on the money arresting and exciting , with lots of wild leaps and jumps as well as a copious amount of graphic bloodletting . The estranged relationship between Kuan and Yuk Bin is quite potent and moving . The breathtaking widescreen cinematography , the rousing , energetic , majestic score , and the beautiful rural countryside setting further enhance the sound quality of this solid , stirring and highly satisfying film . |
519,045 | 8,239,592 | 78,522 | 8 | A wonderfully wacky 70's car chase comedy | A wacky , sprightly and thoroughly enjoyable pre - " Repo Man " car repossession nab ' em , chase ' em and crash ' em comic caper yarn that's set in ritzy Beverly Hills and infused with a distinctly easy'n'breezy sense of extremely 70's nutty irreverent humor . Darren McGavin , as chronically crusty , frazzled , excitable , irascible and delightful as ever , stars as Michael Nolan , a square , sadsack , perpetually luckless straight-arrow middle-aged loser who's jobless , penniless and down on his luck . Nolan stumbles his way into employment working as a repo man for a loopy carjacker outfit run by the bawdy , lusty , sharp-tongued Flo ( Sylvia Miles in top-rate raunchy form ) . Nolan befriends and learns the ropes from sassy , spunky , smart-mouthed , fiercely self-reliant 16-year-old tomboy " Larry " ( saucily played by the Joe Fosterish Denise Nickerson ; the gum-chewing Violet in " Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory " ) . Complications ensue when Nolan falls for kooky , vampy , vivacious brunette spitfire Gloria ( a nicely flaky turn by the stunningly elegant and voluptuous Joan Collins ) , a hot mama in a smoking silver Trans Am that Larry is itching to boost . Directed with invigorating panache by Don Weis , further galvanized by John Beal's funky , syncopated , lowdown groovy disco score , a pleasingly zany tone , several rousing and capably executed car stunts , W . Lyle Richardson's tart script , a zippy pace , zingy slang-loaded dialogue ( " Let's pop that hop " ) , Don Birnkrant's whiplash-inducing cinematography , a seriously cool theme song , and the expected metal-mangling vehicular carnage , " Zero to Sixty " bristles with lots of souped-up brio and vitality , making a swift 96 minutes rip along at a dizzyingly breakneck clip . It's a testament to McGavin's remarkable talent that he effortlessly manages to create a winningly hapless and harried character amid all the frantic nonstop tomfoolery . Moreover , McGavin's terrific star performance receives able support from Miles , Collins , Nickerson , the Hudson Brothers as a trio of super-slick wiseguy hipsters , Lorraine Gary ( Roy Scheider's wife in the " Jaws " movies ) as a perky late-night diner waitress , and David Huddleston as a cantankerous millionaire . Ebullient , cheeky and buoyed by an infectiously carefree playfulness , this immensely lively little number roars across the screen in a most entertainingly goofy and dynamic manner . |
519,153 | 8,239,592 | 69,850 | 8 | An enjoyable slice of giallo Eurotrash fun | A vicious killer brutally bumps off prostitutes at a swanky Paris bordello run by the stern Madame Colette ( the lovely Anita Ekberg ) . The hard-boiled Inspector Pontaine ( an amusing performance by Humphrey Bogart impersonator Robert Sacchi ) investigates the murders . Propable suspects include the hot-headed Antoine Gottvalles ( moody Peter Martell ) , smarmy nightclub owner Pepi ( slimy Rolf Eden ) , and sinister Professor Waldemar ( Jess Franco film regular Howard Vernon ) . Director Ferdinando Merighi maintains a snappy pace throughout as well as delivers a smattering of sleazy soft-core sex , a sprinkling of tasty gratuitous female nudity , and a few dollops of tacky gore ( a couple of cheesy decapitations rate as the definite splatter highlights ) . Moreover , Merighi stages the grisly murder set pieces with deliciously garish psychedelic stylistic aplomb . The always welcome and enticing presences of beautiful cult Eurobabe starlets Barbara ( " Don't Torture A Duckling " ) Bouchet , Rosalba ( " The Arena " ) Neri , and Evelyn ( " The Mighty Peking Man " ) Kraft qualifies as another substantial asset . The polished cinematography by Mario Mancini and Gunter Otto makes nifty occasional use of a hand-held camera . Bruno Nicolai's pretty and melodic , yet groovy and jazzy score really hits the funky spot . Italian peblum muscleman star Gordon Mitchell pops up in a bit part as a nightclub patron . Good , trashy fun . |
518,267 | 8,239,592 | 69,851 | 8 | An amusingly bad and absurd piece of horror exploitation schlock | Suave and charming Count Frankenstein ( Rossano Brazzi , who surprisingly keeps his dignity and a straight face throughout ) kicks depraved , perverted , sniveling dwarf Genz ( the great Michael Dunn in his ignominious final film role ) out of his castle for being a disgusting little degenerate creep . Genz befriends Ook the Neanderthal man ( brilliantly played with grunting'n'growling primitive aplomb by Boris Lugosi ) and plots his revenge . Director Robert H . Oliver , working from an outrageously lurid and ridiculous script , puts an entertainingly crude and leering emphasis on sleazy sensationalism : there's a substantial smattering of gratuitous nudity ( the stunningly comely Christiane Royce warrants special kudos in this particular department ) , voyeurism , rape , necrophilia , softcore sex , and even a hunchback who enjoys rough sex ( thankfully this latter one occurs off-screen ) . Marcello Gigante's laughably inappropriate swingin ' lounge score is pretty funny . A big knock-down , drag-out , no-holds-barred climactic fight between Ook and Frankenstein's enormous hulk of a monster Goliath ( brawny behemoth Loren Bwing ) is likewise totally hilarious . Poor Edmond Purdom merely takes up place in an insignificant supporting part as an ineffectual constable . Heavy-handed morale : " There's a bit of a monster in all of us . Especially when there's fear . " A campy hoot . |
518,593 | 8,239,592 | 492,754 | 8 | A nifty indie horror winner | 19-year-old teenager Claire Parker ( a strong and engaging performance by the pretty Lauren Currie Lewis ) has nightmarish premonitions of her forthcoming savage death at the evil hands of vicious killer Duke Desmond ( a superbly creepy portrayal by Chris Ferry ) . Can Claire avoid this grisly fate or is she destined to be horribly murdered ? Writers and director Joshua and Jeffrey Crook do an expert job of creating and sustaining a powerfully eerie and unsettling mood , relate the absorbing story at a steady pace , skillfully develop a good deal of suspense , and pull off a total whammy of a startling surprise twist ending . Kudos are also in order for the uniformly sound acting from a capable cast : Lewis makes for a highly sympathetic heroine , Ferry likewise impresses as one genuinely scary crazed psycho , plus there are nice supporting turns by Cody Darbe as Claire's jerky , amorous boyfriend Jimmy , John P . Miller as the skeptical Sheriff Miller , Maureen Olander as Claire's weary mother , and Jessica DeLong as Claire's spunky best gal pal Jen . Evan Wilson's spirited shivery'n'spooky score does the skin-crawling trick . John Barrett Ashmore's polished cinematography , the flavorsome evocation of the rural region , the tight 80 minute running time , a cool alternative rock soundtrack , and several shocking outbursts of brutal violence ( the face peeling scene is especially nasty ) all further enhance the overall fine quality of this pleasingly trim , tense and truly terrifying low-budget fright feature sleeper . |
518,870 | 8,239,592 | 83,261 | 8 | A creepy , perverse and underrated early 80's horror sleeper | Los Angeles TV news reporter Jennifer ( the beautiful Barbara Bach of " The Spy Who Loved Me " fame ) and her two assistants Karen ( the appealingly spunky Karen Lamm ) and Vicki ( the pretty Lois Young , who not only gets killed first , but also bares her yummy bod in a tasty gratuitous nude bath scene ) go to Solvang , California to cover an annual Danish festival . Since all the local hotels are booked solid , the three lovely ladies are forced to seek room and board at a swanky , but foreboding remote mansion owned by freaky Ernest Keller ( deliciously played to geeky perfection by the late , great Sydney Lassick ) and his meek sister Virginia ( a solid Lelia Goldoni ) . Unfortunately , Keller has one very nasty and lethal dark family secret residing in his dank basement : a portly , pathetic , diapered , incest-spawned man-child Mongoloid named Junior ( an alternately touching and terrifying portrayal by Stephen Furst ; Flounder in " Animal House " ) , who naturally gets loose and wreaks some murderous havoc . Capably directed by Danny Steinmann , with uniformly fine acting from a sturdy cast , a compellingly perverse plot , excellent make-up by Craig Reardon , a nicely creepy atmosphere , a wonderfully wild climax , a slow , but steady pace , likable well-drawn characters , and a surprisingly heart-breaking final freeze frame ( the incest subplot packs an unexpectedly strong and poignant punch ) , this unjustly overlooked early 80's psycho sleeper is well worth checking out . |
519,014 | 8,239,592 | 113,449 | 8 | A deliciously cheesy serving of low-budget horror trash | Man , I can't believe the largely harsh and negative comments for this movie . Okay , it sure ain't no sophisticated work of cinematic art . But it is a good deal of entertainingly tacky fun . For starters , the titular pumpkin-headed supernatural killer dude has to be one of the single most laughably silly and unscary things to ever stumble in front of a camera ; he looks like something you would see in a fourth-rate carnival spookhouse . Secondly , the moderate gore is ridiculously fake and unconvincing , with the definite highlight occurring when this annoying uptight ultra-conservative woman gets electrocuted by a toaster . Then there's the always welcome presence of the ever-lovely Linnea Quigley , who's memorably introduced taking a nice , long , utterly gratuitous shower that goes on for two minutes . Amazingly , we also have appearances by deceased schlock picture legends John Carradine as an evil warlock and Cameron Mitchell as a horror TV show host . Moreover , scream queens Brinke Stevens and Dawn Wildsmith have fleeting cameos . Lead child actor Ryan Latshaw projects all the charm and acting ability of a moldy old tree stump . Pretty brunette Rachel Carter pops her top and bares her cute little breasts . The cruddy special effects are decidedly less than special . The score is suitably overwrought . Yet this film overall has a certain endearingly hokey appeal to it which in turn makes this honey a real delectably cheesy hoot to watch . |
518,052 | 8,239,592 | 100,466 | 8 | Not your run of the mill vampire horror picture . A fresh , interesting and genuinely inspired take on the bloodsucker premise | Brilliant , but eccentric scientist Dr . John Alcore ( the always marvelous Christopher Plummer ) hires nice guy virus expert and pharmaceutical genius Owen Urban ( an engaging portrayal by Andrew Stevens ) to help him with his groundbreaking experiments on genetic engineering and life extension at his clinic the Life Research Foundation . Owen discovers to his shock and dismay that Alcore and his associates have inadvertently become infected with a lethal new virus that has extremely dangerous side effects : folks with the bizarre blood disease have increased strength , an aversion to sunlight , and an insatiable appetite for human blood . In other words , they are basically vampires . Matters are further complicated when perky volunteer subject Paula ( a fearlessly wild and crazed turn by the lovely Heather Thomas ) becomes infected and goes murderously around the bend . Ably directed with tremendous style and verve by David Blyth , with a fresh , witty and intelligent script by Alan Moyle which offers a clever , original and even pretty plausible " Coma " - style medical thriller take on the concept of vampirism , slick cinematography by Ludek Bogner , a snappy pace , a spooky , stirring synthesizer score by Jim Manzie , plenty of wickedly funny dialogue ( " Yes , I'm a blood user , but I adore garlic and hate sleeping in coffins " ) , and an appropriately creepy and sinister tone , " Red Blooded American Girl " deserves praise for doing something refreshingly different and unconventional with your standard vampire premise . The cast in particular warrant kudos for their uniformly excellent acting ; Kim Coates makes an especially strong impression as Alcore's pathetic , predatory jerk of an obnoxious assistant and ravishing French redhead hottie supreme Lydie Denier has a memorably sexy'n'sultry cameo as a young woman Dennis has his wicked way with after making love to her first . There are some cool kinky touches featured throughout as well , such as Dennis masturbating in a hot tub with a bag of blood and Paula gleefully caressing herself with a steak knife . Offbeat , intriguing and well worth a look . |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.