deathsport (1978)

"Take away my body and my soul will still be mine."
A distant post-apocalyptic future sees Lord Zirpola (David McLean) capture the Desert Range Guides Kaz (David Carradine), and Deneer (Claudia Jennings). He then forces them to fight to the death in a savage motorcycle race called Deathsport.
The best thing about this film is the poster! A weak and cheaply made b-movie that lacks the humour of much of Corman's output.

battle beyond the stars (1980)

"OK, what's the big idea?"
The planet Akir is threatened by the tyrant Sador (John Saxon). In desperation the elders send Shad (Richard Thomas), to seek out someone who help them fight to save their planet. He returns with a ragtag bunch of mercenaries (inc Robert Vaughn, Sybil Danning, & George Peppard).
A not particularly interesting and spaced out version of the Seven Samurai,

the big doll house (1971)

aka Women's Penitentiary III. Bamboo Dolls House. Women's Penitentiary .
"Green, scared and pretty..."
Collier (Judith Brown) arrives in a Philippine's prison, and soon finds it is a hell hole, a private playground for the warders. Unable to take the torture any more she plots with four others, (inc Pam Grier), to escape. They plan to take the despotic warden Dietrich (Christiane Schmidtmer) hostage with the reluctant help of a couple of fruit vendors.
An exploitation film, that has a verve about it that makes it stand above the rest.

war of the satellites (1958)

"The warning from outer space was valid. It came from a superior intelligence."
The United Nations is funding manned satellite research, but they are are being destroyed by an unknown force. Then Aliens reveal they are declaring war on Earth when the U.N. refuse to stop building the space stations. It's up to Dave (Dick Miller) and Sybil (Susan Cabot) to save the day.
Run of the mill sci-fi, with little of note to recommend it.

attack of the crab monsters (1957)

"There are many things that I do not understand..."
A group of scientists studying the effects of nuclear radiation on the wildlife of a remote pacific atoll encounter an number of mysterious events, and come to realise that they are not the only intelligent life there...
A cheaply produced piece of hokum, with the most frightening thing being Pamela Duncan's painted on eye brows! Still as b-movie creature features go, this provides much unintentional fun.

piranha (1978)

"Do you think there is a way to pull the plug on this thing?"
A couple accidentally release Piranhas into a river. Unfortunately this waterway runs right past a couple of summer camps, and the fish soon get a taste for tourists. So it's up to Maggie (Heather Menzies) and Paul (Bradford Dillman) to try and atone for their mistake before the predators chomp too many.
A tongue-in-cheek flick made to catch some of that Jaws action, with enough thrills and in jokes to keep most engaged for 90 minutes. Watch out for appearances from Barbara Steele, Dick Miller and Paul Bartel.

t.n.t. jackson (1974)

aka Dynamite Wong and TNT Jackson.
"You want it black, you got it black!"
A bad ass young woman, Diana Jackson (Jeannie Bell) visits Hong Kong in an attempt to find her brother's killer. She soon befriends a Chinese guy called Joe (Chiquito), and is in the thick of the action battling a drug lord and his bitchy girlfriend.
A weak attempt to meld the martial arts and Blacksploitation worlds, lacking the charisma and fluid action of other better known Blacksploitation flicks.

the undead (1957)

"Though art the author of the piece and Satan is the critic."
A pair of psychic researchers hynotise their test subject (Pamela Duncan), sending her back in time. She finds herself in medieval England about to be executed for being a witch, something she is anxious to avoid. One person, Pendragon (Richard Garland), tries to help her, but is hindered by Livia (Allison Hayes), who wishes to keep him to herself and whom happens to be a real witch.
An interesting and entertaining cheapy, produced it is said in six days.

Beast From Haunted Cave (1959)

"There's a cave not far from here..."
Ski guide Gil Jackson (Michael Forest) takes some tourists on a cross-country trip, but unknown to him, they are a gang out to steal gold bullion. The robbery goes to plan, with them using an explosion in a cave to distract everyone. But tensions rise whilst they have to wait out a blizard at a cabin, and then a deadly cave creature, disturbed by the explosion, starts to attack them.
A well made, though only partially successful study in tension.

Big Bad Mama (1974)

"Don't shoot my mamma."
Mama McClatchie (Angie Dickinson) does what she can to bring up her daughters in depression era America. She sees a way out of their poverty through bootlegging and bank robbery, and inevitably they criss-cross the country trying to stay one step in front of the law.
Trashy, campy and dagnabbit, entertaining slice of hockum featuring William Shatner as a conman amongst others. Cue the banjo music...

carnival rock (1957)

"You're gonna pay for this baby."
Greek nightclub owner Christy (David J. Stewart) employs Natalie (Susan Cabot) as his star attraction, whom he is in love with; but she only has eyes for Stanley (Brian G. Hutton) a local businessman. When Stanley wins the club, Christy plots to destroy it and sweep Natalie off her feet.
Cabot gives her usual solid bad girl routine, ably supported by Dick Miller, in this entertaining drama with added music.

last woman on earth (1960)

"I've so little to say and nobody who'll listen."
A rich businessman, Harold Gern (Antony Carbone), is supposedly vaccationing in Puerto Rico, with his young and bored wife Evelyn (Betsy Jones-Moreland). But for him business is never far away and here is no exception, with his young attorney in attendance, Martin joyce (Robert Towne). Then one day they surface from a diving trip to find the world changed. A catastrophe has killed everyone but them. Now they must learn to live with each other...
A brooding psychological study in differing peoples wants and needs. Spoilt only by the speedy ending!

tomb of ligeia (1964)

"She will not rest because she is not dead."
The film opens on Verden Fell (Vincent Price) burying his recently deceased wife, whilst the tomb is watched over by a stray cat. He subsequently meets and falls for the Lady Rowena (Elizabeth Shepherd), and they marry. But thoughts of Ligeia his first wife are never far from his mind...and the cat continues to plague the pair.
One of Corman's gothic horrors, which although entertaining, lacks the stylised atmosphere of his other Poe adaptations, due to the heavy usage of location filming, rather than the more usual studio sets.

the haunted palace (1963)

"From this night onward you shall bear my curse."
Charles Dexter Ward (Vincent Price) inherits a house in a small village. He soon learns the village lives under his great grandfather's curse, and he soon starts to come under his Great grandfather's influence...
Price gives another of his stage ripping performances, in this somber gothic horror, full of the stylised atmosphere we've come to expect from Corman.

not of this earth (1957)

"I came for a transfusion of blood."
Johnson (Paul Birch) is a mysterious gentleman, of few words, who turns up at a doctors demanding a blood transfusion. When the doctor refuses without knowing more about his medical history Johnson reveals he has no blood! Once he recieves his transfusion Johnson hires the nurse (Beverley Garland) to continue his treatment. Meanwhile we find out Johnson is actually an alien sent to try and save his dying race by taking over the world.
Film that suffers slightly from uneven pacing, due to the talkyness of the script, but is otherwise a fine low budget alien invasion flick; and all for the price of some contact lenses and a large rubber bat type creature.

the intruder (1962)

aka I Hate Your Guts. Shame.
"That's what we have on our hands, a great big black flood."
'Social reformer' Adam Cramer (William Shatner) arrives in a small southern U.S. town on the eve of intergration. The white population arn't happy, but it looks like it will be a peaceful event, until Cramer gets involved. Determined to stir up racial hatred, he does just that, but has he created an uncontrollable mob?
An important and interesting film, that shows bigotry comes in all shades, and is most dangerous in the hands of a charismatic leader. Abrasive due to its racist language and attitudes, this is a provocative film for the time, where even Shatner ups his game and produces a stalwart performance. Who would have thought Corman had it in him!

machine-gun kelly (1958)

"I didn't want to be public enemy number one!"
Machine-Gun Kelly (Charles Bronson), is a bank robber, who pushed by his moll, Flo (Susan Cabot), decides to up his game by moving into kidnapping. He happens upon a little girl waiting for her nurse and snatches her for ransom, along with her nurse. But things start to unravel when Apple (Richard Devon) makes a play to take over the gang, resulting in one fat mountain lion, and one less gang member.
A fictionalised account of the life of George "Machine Gun" Kelly, that far from eulogising the gangster, shows him as a manipulated and self-loathing thug, and worthy of it. A nicely made small scale noirish thriller, by Corman.

the day the world ended (1955)

"There are two forms of life fighting for survival here in this valley, and only one of them can win and it's got to be us."
A rancher, Jim Maddison (Paul Birch), his daughter Louise (Lori Nelson) and friend Rick (Richard Denning), have their home invaded by Tony Lamont (Mike Connors), an unsavory character, and his girlfriend Ruby (Adele Jergens). This disperate group of people have come together to survive the mutants that now roam a post nuclearholocaust world. Whilst Rick and Tony fight over Louise, further complications come when Rick brings back a high irradiated man, who against all odds survives and spends much of his time alone in the woods.
An early Corman production, that features a decent enough tale, nicely played out by all concerned. As usual Corman comes up with a better then average film, from the limited resources available to him.

x (1963)

AKA x: the man with the x-ray eyes.
"My dear doctor, I'm closing in on the gods."
Dr. James Xavier (Ray Milland) is a scientist determined to develop man's eye sight, convinced the eyes are not used to their potential. To do so he develops some eye-drops, which in true sci-fi style he uses on himself. The drops change his sight giving him the power to see through objects and people. Unfortunately due to a surgical accident he ends up on the run, in need of money to continue his work. With Dr Fairfax (Diana Van der Vlis) a former assistant trying to help him, he sets out to get as much as possible, before his sight develops any more and his increasing perception of the universe and how it is put together possibly sends him mad...
A fine sci-fi by Corman, that delves into the possibility that there are some things that scientists are not meant to tamper with.

the raven (1963)

"You sly old thing you."
Dr Craven (Vincent Price) is a has-been sorcerer who helps the magician Bedlo (Peter Lorre), who had been turned into a raven. Once returned to his human form, the pair go to confront the evil Scarabus (Boris Karloff), the reason why Bedlo was a raven. Craven tags along as Bedlo tells him that his long lost wife Lenore (Hazel Court) is in reality alive and well and living with Scarabus.
A wonderful comedy horror, with three great actors hamming it up and making the most of the witty script.