11.6.11

game of death (1978)


"One must share one's wealth with others."
A martial arts film star, Billy Lo (Bruce Lee), fakes his own death after an assassination attempt is made on his life. Following some plastic surgery, he's free to take revenge on a gang who were intimidating him.
Cobbled together mess following Bruce Lee's death in 1973. Making extensive use of archive footage of Bruce, and obvious body double's, the producers show real exploitation flair, even using shots of Lee's real funeral for the fake on! But on the plus side, there are a number of good action sequences.

the ghost goes gear (1966)


"A ghost!"
The Spencer Davis Group find out their manager Al Rice (Nicholas Parsons), is actually the Rt. Honorable Algernon Rowthorpe Plumley, when they visit his ancestral home, a run down haunted manor. Finding the family are on their uppers they suggest opening the house to the public. Cue a 'gear' happening featuring tea on the lawn and lots of groups.
Passable fluff that's little more than a showcase for SDG's soulful pop, along with those of the M.5, St. Louis Union, Sheila White, The Three Bells, and Acker Bilk etc.

just for you (1966)


aka Discotheque Holiday. Disco-Tek Holiday.
"All this lying about makes me dead tired."
A rudimentary plot, where Sam Costa, the DJ, is badgered to get up by his automated bed, but he would rather watch a number of pop videos from the likes of The Applejacks, Peter and Gordon, Louise Cordet, and Freddie and the Dreamers.
A wonderful dip into 60's beat pop.

house on bare mountain (1962)


"She was the newest member of our group, she was 12, but took a lot of vitamins."
Grannie Good (Bob Cresse), runs a girls school, where the caretaker is a giant werewolf, and she has a moonshine business on the side.
A run of the mill nudie cutie, with typical burlesque humour and where ever excuse to show women topless is ruthlessly exploited to the max.

bloody pit of horror (1965)


aka Il boia scarlatto.
"You are eternally damned."
A photoshoot in an old castle goes wrong when, even though they are told not to, they go into the dungeons! For these are the cursed and damned dungeons of the 17th century Crimson Executioner (Mickey Hargitay).
They break into a castle, they steal the owners wine, accidentally kill one of the models, and then carry on as if nothing much has happened. All in a days work for a photographer! A fun piece of hocum, that features some fantastic exotica music by Gino Peguri.

9.6.11

the werewolf of washington (1973)


"Guess you won't have Jack Whittier to kick around any longer."
A political correspondant (Dean Stockwell) returns from a trip to Hungary with a souvenier, a bite from a werewolf. Thus when he takes up his new position as the Presidents press agent, people start turning up dead, as if savaged by a wild animal.
A would be political comedy, with some horror on the side. Unfortunately it has too little of either.
American, Comedy, Horror, Diplomat,

the house that screamed (1969)


aka La Residencia. The Boarding School.
"All you have to do is obey me."
It's the 1900's and Teresa (Cristina Galbó) is sent to Mrs Fourneau's (Lilli Palmer) strict boarding school, and soon falls prey to the bullies who maintain order in the school. Also at the school is Luis, Mrs Fourneau's son (John Moulder-Brown), a housebound invalid, who still finds time to court some of the girls, behind his mother's back. But girls keep 'running away' and one of the bullies gets suspicious that they never hear of any of them ever again.
The slow paced murder mystery will not be to some people's taste, but it develops a brooding atmosphere, as the camera prowls the corridors, that holds your attention.