skip to main |
skip to sidebar
AKA Face The Music.
"...you fool you. Why don't you leave the chicks alone?"
Brad Bradley (Alex Nicol) is a famous American jazz trumpeter, on his first trip to England. Having met a beautiful young female singer, he ends up at her apartment. The next day he finds out she has been murdered and he is the chief suspect, being as he was the last person to see her alive. As usual in these things he determines to clear his name and find the killer. First stop is her sister Barbara Quigley (Eleanor Summerfield).
Standard film noir fare, from the moody black and white cinematography, through to the protagonists voice over. But this holds the attention more than most of the quickies that Hammer produced during the period.
AKA Edgar Rice Burroughs' At the Earth's Core.
"Now you scoundrel."
A Victorian scientist (Peter Cushing) has invented a drilling machine and with his assistant David Innes (Doug McClure). They are testing it when they go further than intended and end up in a strange underground kingdom. A kingdom ruled by giant telepathic birds, prehistoric creatures and primitive slaves. One of whom, Dia (Caroline Munro) catches the eye of David. But more important to David is how are he and the professor going to get back to the surface and away from this brutal land?
Connor followed up The Land That Time Forgot with another Buroughs adventure treading similar boys own territory. As with the previous film don't look for state of the art special effects, or even a half decent script, but this is still an entertaining adventure.
AKA John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13.
"There are no heroes anymore, Bishop. Just men who follow orders."
Bishop (Austin Stoker), a newly promoted police Lieutenant, is given the routine task of closing precinct 13 as the station moves to another location. On hand are a couple of secretaries and a sergeant, packing the few remaining items. This routine assignment suddenly gets more complex when a prison bus pulls into the station with the notorious Napoleon Wilson (Darwin Joston) on his way to death row. Then in stumbles an incoherent man, who unknown to them has killed a number of gang leaders. Soon the peace is shattered as the gang attack the station determined to wipe out all inside. Cut off from the outside world and very limited resources, how will they survive?
Carpenter builds an almost tangible sense of pensive unease, which finally explodes when the assault begins. The film is a homage to the western and is peppered with references to his favourites - see how many you can spot. A modern classic, from the brooding cinematography, through to the repetitive four note synthesizer theme.
AKA La venganza del sexo. The Curious Case of Dr. Humpp.
"They made you into a nymphomaniac."
The titled doctor (Aldo Barbero) uses deformed freaks to kidnap couples and holds them prisoner, in order to drain a special fluid from them whilst they have sex. To do so he gives them a drug to 'enhance' their sexual abilities. And why does he need this fluid? Why to prevent himself from being transformed into a monster - obvious really!
One wacky movie, that crams as much sex and mutilation into it's story as possible. But essentially there's not enough going on to keep my attention, other than watching various couples pawing each other endlessly. A cult classic this may be but it's one that i found ultimately less than enthralling.
AKA Let's Twist Again.
"How did she ever get into that? She better not take a deep breath!"
Ted Haver (Lang Jeffries) is a TV producer, tasked with creating a "Twist Spectacular" for his network. His big problem is that he only has one month do this, so he gets Dulcie Corbin (Mari Blanchard), a fashion designer friend to help him. Between them they hunt for talent and find a variety of acts including Chubby Checker, Linda Scott, Vic Dana, and Gene Chandler.
Columbia's attempt to capitalise on the Twist dance craze. It has the expected thin plot, there only to showcase the various performers, none of whom apart from Chubby Checker are real names in the annals of rock n roll, but they do perform some fine musical numbers. Watch as the middle-aged audience wonder at Chubby doing the twist as if it's a marvel of the age! Light weight but fun.
AKA Warlords of the Deep.
"A city. A city in the middle of the Atlantic ocean?"
A team of scientists on the hunt for Atlantis are attacked by a giant octopus, which drags the team to the bottom of the sea. There they find an alien race running a civilisation based on slavery. The group are put to work, but they soon plot to escape and return to the surface.
A rip roaring adventure featuring the ever reliable Doug McClure. Boys own stuff, that will never earn any awards, (what with the wooden acting and the cheap effects), but it entertains in a good honest way - what more can you ask for.
AKA Face The Music.
