Mike, I had heard that about TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA, but couldn't remember which film it was. The Baron escaped from the guillotine in REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN by "persuading" the priest to take his place and by taking the priest's place and leaving the prison in his clerical garb aided...

Interesting point, Moira, and as usual, well put. I've not read Sklar's book (though I have read his "Movie Made America") but he may be on to something there. Not sure I would agree about the sexual impotence thing, though, at least in WHITE HEAT. Mayo may hate Cagney, but I don't think i...

Johnm, exellent point about "torture porn." I couldn't agree more. I have never understood the appeal of these movies, nor why they keep getting made (other than that they must have some appeal to someone). I also agree that "good" horror films are not about gore and mutilation a...

That was an ocelot that Anne Francis as Honey West had for a pet. And it was John Richardson that she had for her other pet. I taped 20 of these off TVLand some years ago. Beginning as a spin-off from BURKE'S LAW, it actually is an enjoyable show and makes you wish it had been an hour instead of a h...

I think that inhabitants of other worlds (if there were any) would look something like us, and so, for that reason, Michael Rennie as Klaatu in THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL gets my vote.

A close second: Jeff Morrow as Exeter in THIS ISLAND EARTH.

Be warned, SueSue, Clayton Moore plays (gasp!) a heavy in both THE CRIMSON GHOST and RADAR MEN FROM THE MOON. See them only if your heart can stand it!

In addition to the above, I always liked KING OF THE ROCKETMEN. I wish I could have a rocket pack like Jeff King had in that!

I've seen 2001 in a widescreen theater, at home on TV and via cable and video and I have to say that IMO it's the most overrated sci-fi film ever.

I found it cold, sterile, pretentious and boring.

POTA movies were lots more fun.

For me, the Universal Frankenstein films get the nod, mostly because they have a bit more continuity to them. When the word was given from on high to write another sequel, the scriptwriter (Curt Siodmak or whoever) had to come up with a realistic explanation for the Monster's survival from the previ...

One good thing about THE MUMMY is that, as played by Lee, he could move and move fast, thus making the peril of the potential victims that much more real.

I also thought that John Garfield and Phyllis Thaxter were a pretty happy couple (at least, happy with each other) in THE BREAKING POINT. Keechie and Bowie in THEY LIVE BY NIGHT also seemed happy with each other, and in the case of each of those films, it was the intrusion of the "outside"...

Interestingly, Cagney also claimed in his autobiography to have been the one to come up with the idea of giving Cody a mother fixation and ran it by Walsh, who felt it was a good idea and might serve to raise the picture above the level of an ordinary gangster picture. Cagney also said that the scen...

Of course you're right, Dewey. A happy marriage would be a bit of an odd duck in the noir world. In fact, I think only the marriages of subsidiary characters (such as Sam Levene & Virginia Christine in the '46 THE KILLERS) can generally be seen as being "happy" in these films. And than...

As with Lays potato chips, I find that I can't pick just one, so I will list several that I've always enjoyed, although I should point out that I like all of the Univeral horror & sci-fi movies! Son of Dracula - although in some quarters it's become de rigeur to criticize Chaney (apparently just...

I don't know that it's my all time-fave out of all their movies, but one that I think ranks right near the top and which usually gets short shrift in discussions like this is THE GORGON (1964) with both Peter Cushing & Christopher Lee. It's moody & atmospheric with a hard-edged ending. Not o...

I also am struck by the fact that, in many noirs, DOA included, many of the structures that are normally seen as providing societal stability are called into question, particularly marriage. Here in DOA, the need of Pamela Britton's character to ensnare Edmond O'Brien into marriage is almost palpabl...