cinemalover: Confessions of a Video Junkie

[Bogie]

Personally most of the TCM Underground stuff doesn't interest me. Now if they morph it into a monster movie/blaxploitation block then i'd be all over it!

[cinemalover]

Hey Bogie-man,
Well, I'd defintiely categorize Sugar Hill as Blaxploitation. They've had a few others that would fit that description too, though none of what most would consider the "classics" of the genre (Shaft, Superfly, etc...).

[cinemalover]

On the continuing journey through Vincent Price’s resume…

Date watched: 5/29/2008
Title: Witchfinder General (The Conqueror Worm) Made: 1968
Genre: Historical Horror Studio: MGM
Format: DVD Extras—Trailer
Number of times viewed: 2

Director: Michael Reeves

Stars:
Vincent Price—Matthew Hopkins
Ian Ogilvy—Richard marshall
Rupert Davies—John Lowes
Hilary Heath—Sarah Lowes
Robert Russell—John Stearne
Nicky Henson—Trooper Robert Shallow
Tony Selby—Tom Salter
Michael Beint—Captain Gordon
John Trenaman—Trooper Harcourt
Boll Maxwell—Trooper Gifford

Tagline:
He’ll hang, burn and mutilate you. He’s the Witchfinder General.

The year’s most violent film!

There’s lots of screaming when there’s this much at stake!

It’s 1645 in England and the populace seems to believe that there are witches everywhere they look. Or at least it’s a good excuse to get rid of that neighbor you don’t like, or that pretty girl that won’t give you the time of day. But this is much too complicated of a science to properly detect witches, this is a job for professionals. Fortunately for the south of England, which is controlled by Cromwell’s “roundhead” soldiers, such a professional exists and happily lends his services wherever needed. Such a man is Matthew Hopkins (Price), affectionately known as the Witchfinder General. He is always accompanied by his sadistic associate, and head torturer, John Stearne (Russell). Hopkins also gets plenty of cooperation from local officials wherever he goes, because none of them want to end up on his “list”. Hopkins is judge, jury and executioner as he and Stearne force confessions from their victims and then execute them in horrorific manner.

We are introduced to roundhead soldier Richard Marshall (Ogilvy) who is visiting his beloved Sara Lowes (Heath) in Brandeston, where she lives with her priest/uncle John Lowes (Davies). Richard has just received permission from John to marry Sara, which he will return to do when he gets some time off from his military duties. He leaves to return to his troop walking on air because he is ecstatically happy.

Brandeston is the next destination for the Witchfinder as he has heard rumors of a local priest who is a devil-worshipper. That priest just happens to be Sara’s uncle. When Hopkins arrives he is given the welcome of a rock star as the peasants gather around his like groupies needing a fix. They are more then prepared to unload their burdensome accusations on his professional ears.

Villager #1, “John Lowes is his name!”
Villager #2, “An evil man!”
Villager #1, “A Papist!”
Villager #3, “Yeah, burning candles and all.”
Hopkins, “That is no proof of witchcraft in itself.”
Villager #2, “Dressed himself in devil’s garments, he did.”
Villager #4, “And made unholy signs.”
Villager #3, “Yeah, he did. I saw him!”
Hopkins (calmly and reassuringly), “I will find out the truth for you. Have no fear, friends.”

They storm the church where John Lowes preaches. His protests are ignored as Stearne does what he does best, cruelly tortures John, trying to force an untruthful confession out of him to stop the pain. Typically they will torture their victims until they surrender into a false confession, not always understanding that a confession is their own death warrant. John refuses to give in, and they pause their pain inflicting until the next day. Sara is afraid for her uncle’s life and she offers herself for Hopkin’s pleasure if he’ll only let her uncle live. He takes her up on her offer, nightly. Hopkins is temporarily true to his word and orders Stearne to chain John in a prison cell, but to cease the torturing. Stearne isn’t happy to have his favorite pastime suspended and wants to know why. That night he follows Hopkins to Sara’s room and spies on their deeds.

When Hopkins is called to the next village for the day he leaves Stearne in charge of the proceedings. He decides to take charge of Sara also and rapes her in a field. When Hopkins returns one of his many spies informs him of what Stearne did. Instaed of being furious with Stearne he simply refuses to touch the now dirty Sara again and considers their bargain broken. He orders Stearne to continue the torture of John Lowes. They pretend to hear a confession that was never voiced and execute him with two other village “witches”. All three were given a fair chance, they were given the drowning test. A true witch will not drown, and those not touched by the devil will not be able to stay afloat and survive. One of the witches drowns, proving her innocence. I’m sure her family felt much better about that. John and the other witch who did not drown were hung as proven devil worshippers.

Soldier Richard Marshall hears about the trouble in Brandeston with the witchfinder. He leaves his duties to ride fast and check on his fiancé Sara. He learns of John’s brutal murder and of Sara’s rape, he vows vengeance on those responsible. He continues to proclaim his love for Sara and sends her to far off Lavenham to be safe.

Richard sets off on the Witchfinder’s trail and catches up to Stearne, giving him a solid beating before he slithers away to warn Hopkins of the hate-filled soldier who is after their blood. Hopkins calmly insists that they have no worries. If young Richard continues on his current path they can simply accuse him of witchcraft and have done with him. Hopkins feels that he is pretty well untouchable at this point with the powers that have been bestowed upon him by a fearful public.

Richard must temporarily delay his quest and report back to his unit or face charges of desertion. Richard is promoted to captain for his bravery in the field and assigned his own men. He is ordered to check out a rumor that the imprisoned king has escaped and is looking for a way to get to mainland Europe. While investigating that matter he hears of the Witchfinder’s presence in Lavenham where Sara has gone to hide. Richard takes his men with him as he heads to Lavenham to confront Hopkins and his traveling evil show.

At Lavenham Hopkins is experimenting with new methods of killing, as the same old ones have begun to bore him. His latest method is to tie the witches to the top of a tall ladder and lower them face first into a blazing pyre. During the course of his duties in Lavenham Hopkins spots Sara and rightly assumes that Richard cannot be far behind. Hopkins plans to solve all his worries by accusing both Sara and Richard of witchcraft and setting fire to all his problems. With the help of the local magistrate, whom Hopkins convinces to accuse both Sara and Richard of being witches even though he’s never met them, they arrive to take the pair into painful custody.

Hopkins to Richard, “What do you have to say, soldier?’
Richard, “I’m going to kill you, Hopkins!”

We are then treated to yet more torture as Stearne inflicts major pain on Sara in an attempt to get Richard to confess to save her. The screams just keep on coming as over half the movie seems to be filled with anguished screams, either in the foreground or filling up the empty spaces behind. Will Richard be able to save himself and Sara and put an end to the evil reign of the Witchfinder?

I enjoy almost all of Price’s period horror films that were produced in the 60’s but this one proves to be the exception. I had only see this once before, and that was many years ago. I didn’t remember disliking it this much. It is a very dry, grim story, told in a straight forward manner. Price plays it completely ham-free, which makes it a long day at the office. The amount of scream time devoted to torturing and killing is just depressing and the non-stop screaming just gets on one’s nerves. There is just a foul feeling to the entire proceedings. At one point Karie strolled through the room, having heard the screaming from other parts of the house, and commented, “How can you stand listening to all that screaming!? What a stupid movie.”

This just wasn’t an enjoyable experience, as Richard is the only real likable character in the movie and he’s not the brightest flame in the fire. Sara was awfully quick to give herself up to Hopkins, a day after getting engaged to Richard. Yes, she was trying to be noble, but reputation alone should have told her she couldn’t trust Hopkins.

Doom and gloom and no humor to lighten the mood at any point. I have heard many people support this film but I just find it disturbing. This print ran 87 minutes and the list time is 98 minutes, so maybe the good stuff was cut from this print, or perhaps some censor just spared us form another 11 minutes of torture.

3* (out of 10) Just say no. Parts of it may well be historically accurate, but that doesn’t mean I have to watch it.

[cinemalover]

Here are the final four chapters in this exciting serial 9with the previously reviewed chapters in green). Is this Wasp’s sting deadly or just a buzzing annoyance…

Date watched: 6/1/2008
Title: Mandrake the Magician Made: 1939
Genre: Serial Studio: Columbia
Format: DVD Extras—Poster gallery, Biographies, Serial trailers.
Number of times viewed: First

Director: Sam Nelson/Norman Deming

Stars:
Warren Hull—Mandrake
Al Kikume—Lothar
Doris Weston—Betty Houston
Rex Downing—Tommy Houston
Edward Earle—Dr. Andre Bennett
Forbes Murray—Professor Houston
Kenneth MacDonald—James Webster
Don Beddoe—Frank Raymond
??????? – The Wasp
Dick Curtis
John Tyrrell
Stanley Brown
Beatrice Curtis
Robert Sterling
Sam Ash
Lester Dorr

Tagline: Black magic conjures up a flaming holocaust of thrills!

This serial is based on the comic strip character created by Lee Falk and Phil Davis.

Premise: Professor Houston (Murray) has been working to perfect a machine to produce radium energy. There is an evil mastermind, the Wasp, who will stop at nothing to get control of the invention. It seems there are a multitude of dishonorable deeds the machine could accomplish. The Professor’s daughter, Betty (Weston), is a good friend of the world-famous magician, Mandrake (Hull). She has asked Mandrake to help them when she feels that her father’s life is in danger due to the Radium machine. While the Wasp is backed by an army of thugs and a nifty silver costume, Mandrake must rely on his man-servant Lothar (Kikume), his wits and his magic to save the day.

Chapter 1: Shadow on the Wall

The serial opens on board the S.S. Mohawk, on a voyage from the Orient back to the States, where Mandrake is providing the entertainment for the cruises’ passengers. We witness men in the cabin next to Mandrake’s eavesdropping on everything that transpires in Mandrake’s room. When he receives a telegram he reads it aloud to Lothar. It is his old friend Betty Houston requesting that he come immediately to the Houston home. She says that the radium machine that her father is perfecting is putting him in a potentially dangerous situation and she wants his help. Mandrake says that an old lama told him the secret formula for mixing platnite (the “hardest substance known” and “as rare as radium”) with steel to create a new super metal. Professor Houston is going to need this formula to create this super metal to house his invention once it is at full strength. He will be able to make a working model with standard metals, but they won’t hold up to the strain over time. Mandrake also says that platnite can only be found in one place, and that happens to be in America. But the exact location will remain Mandrake’s secret until he sees the Professor. The men who have been listening in to these conversations have learned what they are seeking.

Next up, we are treated to watching Mandrake’s show as he entertains the well-to-do passengers. Hull actually performs some of the simple tricks but much of the show is a close up on a set of hands (of a real magician) doing impressive slight of hand tricks while we hear Hull’s voice addressing his audience. The grand finale of the act involves Mandrake entering a walk-in box to disappear. Just as he closes the door behind him two masked members of the audience (the majority of the audience is in festive costume) jump up and fill the box with lead. They then run off before the stunned passengers can react. Mandrake magically appears from another doorway and concludes his act as though the shooting were part of the performance. Once the curtain draws to a close he assures Lothar that he is okay. (In this opening act Hull has already shown more flair and charisma than most serial stars show in their entire serial).

Cut to Professor Houston’s lab which is in the back part of his home. The Professor is absorbed with his work on his new invention when a silhouette of a wasp suddenly appears on the wall next to him. The wasp figure is accompanied by an annoying buzzing sound.
Professor (gasping), “The Wasp!”
Disconnected voice, “Yes, Professor Houston, the Wasp! Keep up your good work on your machine and complete it! Complete it for me!” (Insert evil laugh!)
Okay, that’s a little creepy.

Cut to the lair of the Wasp. His stooges know when he wants to talk to them when that same annoying buzzing sounds, a Waspish ring tone. When it buzzes they all gather around a big-screen TV to watch their boss give them instructions. The Wasp is stylishly attired in a silver wrap-around cape emblazoned with the Wasp symbol. He also wears a brimmed hat with a silver mask below it that covers the top half of his face. It’s the very latest in super-villain formal dress. None of the flunkies know the Wasp’s identity, because to discover it would be a death sentence. The Wasp tells them that Mandrake will be flying his own plane from Highland Airfield to the Professor’s location. He dispatches his goons to leave a little surprise for Mandrake in his plane before he arrives.

Mandrake hops in the plane and takes off. Shortly after becoming airborne he finds the controls not responding. The plane goes into a series of uncontrolled loops and wild dips. Mandrake realizes that it is a lost cause and bails, opening his chute in time to carry him gently to the ground. Conveniently Betty Houston had seen the aircraft in trouble and had sped there in her car. She’s on the ground waiting for mandrake when he lands. Betty heads for home with the magician in tow.

Two of the Wasp’s men had also been strategically placed and observed through binoculars Mandrake’s safe descent. They grab their auto and chase after Betty’s car. They soon catch them and a high speed game of cat and mouse evolves as the two cars weave around construction obstacles. The villains zig when they should have zagged and fly over the edge of a ravine. Betty stops the car so they can look back at the wreck.

Mandrake, “Those men won’t be following us anymore!” Not quite as pithy as a James Bond line, but at least we know he can be callous when warranted.

One little set back doesn’t bother the Wasp as he has plenty more henchmen at his disposal. He has already sent another couple of thugs after the Professor, hoping that they can capture him before Mandrake makes a magical entrance. Close but no stogie as Mandrake barges in just as the two minions are roughing up the Professor. Fisticuffs ensue and stumbles out into the front yard. The two scumbags jump in their escape vehicle, but we have learned that Mandrake is very capable with his pugilistic efforts.

The Professor demonstrates his invention for Betty, Mandrake, his friend Dr. Bennett (Earle) and James Webster (MacDonald), an engineer who Mandrake has invited to help with the super metal process. The demo is successful and Dr. Bennett requests that the Professor repeat the demo for his colleagues that evening. The Wasp, who seems to have ears everywhere, learns of the planned demo and sends more men to steal the invention prior to the demonstration. While his colleagues gather in his living room the Professor is alone in his lab fidgeting with the machine. The villains burst in and nab him, forcing him into their car. One of them puts on the protective mask and gloves that are used when operating the machine. These completely obscure his face so know will know he’s not the Professor as long as he keeps his yap shut. Mandrake comes to fetch the professor and tell him they are ready for the demo. Mandrake is tipped to the fakery and scuffles with the imposter. When mandrake slips it gives the guy enough time to turn on the radium machine and direct it towards Mandrake. Sparks and flames are prevalent when the ray ignites a tank of hydrogen…

Chapter 2: Trap of the Wasp

The Wasp’s men take off with the radium energizer, fighting their way through Lothar to get to their vehicle and hit the gas. Mandrake and Lothar grab their car to follow. They don’t get very far before their car dies out, the victim of sabotage. The Wasp’s men now have both the Professor and the radium machine.

Mandrake sets his mind to rescuing the Professor. The trail leads to a house at 1240 Harbor Drive. Mandrake enters stealthily, not knowing what to expect. In an upper room his finds a man dressed as a Rajah. Then other men descend upon him with guns. He pulls out one of his own to fend them off. Mandrake has a trick or two up his sleeve as he pulls out some exploding smoke bombs and escapes in the confusion.

Back at the Professor’s Mandrake is convinced that there is a listening device planted somewhere in the house because the Wasp knows every move they make before they make it. He deliberately talks about where he will be driving that evening and that he will be carrying a supply of the rare platnite. He knows that the Wasp will set a trap for him, and that’s exactly what he wants. Mission accomplished when the bee-boys pick him up on the road and take him back to the hive. Once there they realize that he doesn’t really have any of the platnite they plan to “make him talk” about its location.

Meanwhile Betty and Lothar had been following Mandrake from a safe distance and arrive at the hideout. They enter as Mandrake has slipped his bonds and is wrestling with the minions. Lothar joins in the fight while Betty places herself strategically next to the elevator door so that the villains can easily grab her and set up a cliff hanger. Sure enough one of the thugs grabs her and jumps into the elevator which goes into a free fall. It appears that the shaft extends for hundreds of feet downward. Betty may be going splat…
But that’s not all, folks. We’re treated to a double cliff hanger as both Mandrake and Lothar are overcome by the superior numbers (if not intelligence) of the henchmen. They lay unconscious as the rats scurry out. Scalding steam fills the room from busted pipes…

Chapter 3: A City of Terror

The Professor remains a captive guest of the Wasp. The Wasp tells him that Mandrake has met with an unfortunate accident (the steam) and is no longer alive to come to his rescue. In fact, if the Professor doesn’t decide to start cooperating the next “accident” may strike closer to home (Betty). That Wasp is a rascal indeed!

Meanwhile Mandrake has captured one of the Wasp’s men and is attempting to get the location of the Professor from him. Mandrake does some hocus pocus to convince the man that he only has two minutes to live unless Mandrake provides him with an antidote. He’d better speak up while he still has a chance. Just as the words begin to dribble off his lips he is struck by a deadly blow dart, ending the conversation permanently. On the bright side, he won’t have to worry about the antidote anymore.

A man arrives at Mandrake’s door claiming to be Professor Frederick Leland, a well-known hypnotist and magician. He is really named Regan, and is a former assistant of Leland’s who was fired. But he does have hypnotic skills and the Wasp has sent him to hypnotize Mandrake. Regan pretends to discuss a business proposition (that they join their acts together) but really puts Mandrake into a hypnotic state while they talk. He then commands Mandrake to accompany him and “the boys”.

Betty has received a message that if she wants to learn about the condition of her father she needs to go to the offices of radio station RBS that evening which is fitting since the message is nothing but BS). Without Mandrake around to advise her, she plows ahead.

Mandrake, who has been pretending to be under the influence while being driven to the hideout, overhears the Wasp’s plan for the radio station. He realizes that Betty is in trouble and that he must stop her from going there. Mandrake uses his magic to cause the car to start smoking, causing the driver to stop and investigate. That’s all the opportunity that Mandrake needs to break free. Mandrake enters the radio station and grabs Betty just as the Wasp activates the radium energizer which is directed at the radio station. The walls start to shake and crumble as the entire building begins to collapse in on itself…

Chapter 4: The Secret Passage

The Wasp is still desperate to possess the platnite and the formula for creating the super metal. He will only be able to use the radium energizer a limited number of times in its present metal housing. He will need the super metal to complete his plans of world domination, and he wouldn’t be a worthy villain if his goals were any less lofty.

He sends some more flunkies to search Mandrake’s place for the formula (of course, I don’t think these thick-skulled boys would know a formula from a cross word puzzle). They’re bust rifling the drawers and basically making the maid’s next visit a nightmare when mandrake walks in. A three against one struggle completely redecorates the living room. Mandrake grabs a dropped gun and freezes two of the intruders, but the third flees. Mandrake locks these two in a metal cage that is part of his magic show.

Little Tommy Houston (Downing as Betty’s brother) is trying to contribute to the cause and learn where his dad is being held. He is hanging around the magic shop hoping for an epiphany. Amazing, and only in serial-land, one arrives. He spots a couple of suspicious characters coming out of the trick shop. Tommy, big on bravery, short on grey matter, hops in the rumble seat as the pair drive off. From the back he overhears that Regan, the man who imitated Professor Leland, is performing his own magic show that night at the Miller River Inn. Tommy hops out to get that vital info to Mandrake.

Mandrake drops in on Regan backstage as he’s preparing for his act. Regan admits that he was hired by the Wasp. Mandrake insists that he will wear Regan’s magic costume (which includes a mask with adorable devil’s horns) and go on stage for him. Why he does this isn’t really clear, but okay. The Wasp’s men show up to warn Reagan that Mandrake is on his way. Once they deduce that it is Mandrake on stage they bust up the act and send the club’s patrons screaming to the exits. The men attack mandrake on stage. At the back of the stage is a big water wheel that rotates around for show. Mandrake jumps on it and it elevates him to the balcony above the stage. But his is met at the apex by more thugs who introduce him to their knuckles. Mandrake goes down, getting caught in the wheel as it is rotating towards the ground …and as the narrator informs us, Mandrake was, “hurled into the whirling blades of a mill wheel, facing certain death…”

I will have to admit that Mandrake is one of the few comic heroes that I never had any interest in, so I don’t know how this representation of him stacks up against the comics, but I like what I see so far. Hull is a very genial hero with good range and it just feels like he was having fun. With some stars you can feel that they’re just going through the motions, kind of embarrassed to be in these bottom-of-the-glamour-barrel productions, but Hull seems to love it. Hull also starred in other serials as the Spider (The Spider’s Web and The Spider Returns) as well as playing the Green Hornet (The Green Hornet Strikes Again!).

This is a very entertaining serial to this point. It is well paced and never lags. The Wasp is unique enough to be interesting and has some fun gadgets to play with. This was produced by Columbia, which while not quite in Republic’s league for serial quality, proved that they could make a fun-filled cliffhanger. Between 1937 and 1956 they produced a total of 57 of these chapter plays. Their resume includes some pretty impressive titles, having success with Superman, Batman, the Phantom, Captain Midnight, Terry and the Pirates and more. At the top of my “must see’ serial list are their highly regarded serials The Spider’s Web 1941 and The Spider’s Return 1941. As noted above Warren Hull also starred in both of these.

Chapter 5: The Devil’s Playmate

The Wasp’s men are buzzing after Mandrake and Lothar in speeding cars. They approach a bridge that has a road block across the entry. Luthor slams on the brakes, bringing them to an instant stop. While the villains whiz by, flying off the end of the unfinished bridge and into the drink. That’ll teach them not to drink and drive.

Back at Professor’s Houston’s home, Mandrake is still aware that the house is wired so that the Wasp’s men hear everything they say. Mandrake uses that to his advantage to set a trap for them. He talks about how he is going to go to the Commercial National Bank the next morning to pick up the formula for Platnite that he has stored in a safe deposit box. Lothar and Mandrake show up at the bank expecting an ambush, but with plans of their own. Instead of falling prey they become the hunters and grab one of the Bee-boys as a prisoner and escape with him. The prisoner spills the beans, informing them that the Wasp is up to no good at the Interstate Power Plant. Mandrake and Lothar head there to put a stop to the Wasp’s evil plans.

The Wasp however knows that one of his men was nabbed and assumes that he’ll talk. He warns his men at the Power Plant to expect company. Mandrake and Lothar get into a big rumble with the henchmen when they arrive (what else is new?), giving all the stuntmen another day’s pay. The flunkies badly outnumber mandrake and Luthor and eventually win out. Lothar lays unconscious on the floor while the villains tie Mandrake to an electrical panel. The bad boys hightail it out of the plant as the Wasp, cozy in his headquarters, aims the radium energy machine towards the power plant to blow it into smithereens….

Chapter 6: The Fatal Crash

The Wasp calls in his head henchman that led their team in the fiasco that was the power plant plan. He speaks to his flunky via the giant television screen. He informs his second in command that there is no room for failure in his organization. The room begins to fill with a deadly gas as the employee learns that all doors leading out have been locked and he’s a goner. The Wasp will have to hang out the “now hiring” sign once again.

Professor Houston is still in the custody of the Wasp’s men, but manages to use his machine to shack his guard into temporary unconsciousness. The Professor uses that moment of freedom to contact Mandrake with the radio. He doesn’t know exactly where he’s being held, but he’s able to give Mandrake some valuable clues before the guard recovers. With a little research Mandrake deduces that the Professor is being held at an old iron works plant in Carterville, roughly 50 miles away. Mandrake pilots his plane to get there with maximum speed. The Wasp anticipates this move and sends one of his men up in a plane to stop Mandrake. The Wasp’s man is in an open cockpit bi-plane which allows him to use his pistol to shoot at Mandrake’s plane. In one of the most amazing displays of marksmanship you’ll ever see he manages to severe one of the strut wires on Mandrake’s rudder. This causes Mandrake’s plane to spin out of control and take a nose dive right into a crash landing…


Chapter 7: Gamble For Life

During the confusion of the Wasp’s men watching Mandrake’s plane getting shot down by their compatriot, the Professor manages to escape into the woods. Miraculously he just happens to run right into mandrake who had parachuted from his failing plane. The two run together to avoid the henchmen on their tail. They are fortunate enough to find one of the gang’s cars left alone. They steal it and hit the road. The Wasp is never less than disappointed in his bumbling crew. He tells his new second in command, Dirk, to watch the Professor’s home and recapture him.

Dirk, “Your orders will be carried out at once!”
Wasp, “They better be, Dirk. You wouldn’t want to make a second slip, because that would make it necessary for me to assign another lieutenant in your place! Do you UNDERSTAND??!!!”

Mandrake, Lothar, Webster, the doctor and the whole Houston clan gather at Mandrake’s home to plan the next step in defeating the Wasp. The Wasp’s men have already been there, tapping the phone lines to continue to stay one step ahead.

At Mandrake’s, in what they all consider to be a safe environment, the Professor begins to build a new radium energy machine to replace the one that the Wasp stole. This one will be built with Platnite to make it even stronger. To make that Platnite Mandrake, Lothar and Mandrake will have to go dig up some of the ore that will be required to complete the super metal.

Meanwhile, the Waspettes are snooping around a construction crew that is putting up new telephone poles to increase the size of their communication network. Once the work shift ends and only one lowly guard is on the site the Wasp’s men knock him out and start their mission of destruction. They begin tearing down all the new phone poles that have been established. Mandrake and company just happen to be driving past the work site on their way home from gathering ore. They are flagged down by the guard who has recovered from his attack. The guard tells them what’s happening and they rush to intercede.

The required fight ensues with mandrake ending up fighting a flunky in a cable car, suspended high above a chasm. The two men’s struggles strain the hook that holds the car to the cable, causing it to snap. The cable car plunges towards a rocky landing….

Chapter 8: Across the Deadline

Mandrake and his pals are following a group of the Wasp’s employees. The villains detonate a bomb on a cliff side intended to bury their pursuers, but the timing is off and Mandrake’s car only receives a cloud of dirt instead. It did turn out to be just enough of a distraction for the criminals to flee unseen.

After clipping the phone lines at Mandrake’s house as a ruse, the Wasp sends in two of his followers disguised as phone repairmen. Mandrake wasn’t home when they rang, but young Tommy lets the fake workers in. Mandrake arrives home to find them going through his office. After a brief struggle (Mandrake uses a phony phone from his magic act that “shocks” the repairmen) the men are in pain, but still run away from the house.

The Wasp’s next priority is to use the radium energy machine to blow up a dam. This is all part of his “gaining control over the public utilities” masterplan. His men practice for the big event by blowing up a miniature model of the dam. Now for the real thing.

Mandrake and Lothar have gotten themselves into a spot of trouble once again and are duking it out with some of the bad guys in the valley below the dam, unaware of the Wasp’s planned explosion. When the dam is blown, courtesy of the radium machine, the valley floods with a torrent of water, devastating everything in its path….


More fights and fun with our master Magician. Warren Hull continues to be a charismatic lead that makes the adventure fun. He doesn’t take it so seriously that his demeanor becomes stiff or starched as many leading men do in these chapter plays. The Wasp hasn’t worn out his welcome yet, and it’s always fun to see the master villain dispose of his own men when they live down to their own level of incompetence.

Chapter 9: Terror Rides the Rails

A gas station attendant claims to have information for Mandrake involving the Wasp’s identity, and if he’ll come to his station he’ll give it to him. The Wasp’s gang has the phones tapped and therefore overhears this conversation. They blow up the gas station (and the attendant) before Mandrake arrives. One more clue up in smoke.

The Wasp learns that Mandrake will be picking up the Platnite formula that evening and orders his men to stop him and steal the formula. Mandrake, Lothar and Webster are driving to the train that Mandrake and Lothar plan to catch. They are ambushed by a carload of the Wasp’s man when the two vehicles engage in a speeding gun battle. Mandrake and friends are able to elude their pursuers and safely arrive at the train station where Webster sees Mandrake and Lothar off on their journey.

Having lost the opportunity to stop them before they gained access to the train the Wasp will simply resort to other methods. He trains the energy of the radium machine on the moving train (this machine has amazingly accurate long range effects!) and it starts to shake drastically on the tracks. It shakes right off the tracks and plunges into a ravine…


Chapter 10: Unseen Monster

Lothar and Mandrake survive the burning train wreck, though mandrake is unconscious. Lothar goes to find a doctor to aid his friend. While he’s gone an unmarked ambulance pulls up and loads Mandrake into the back, exiting quickly. Lothar returns just in time to see the ambulance pull away.

The ambulance delivers Mandrake to the Green Valley Rest Home, which is merely a cover for the Wasp’s nefarious activities. He is strapped to a table in one of the patient rooms and will await whatever the Wasp is up to. Back at Mandrake’s home, Lothar is rallying the troops and sending them to scout out all the hospitals in the area to find their fallen comrade.

Webster is also a captive at Green valley as the wasp’s men captured him at the train station after he saw Mandrake and Lothar on their way. Then Betty and Dr. Bennett show up at the front door, looking for Mandrake. Bennett searches around back while Betty goes in the front and she is taken captive. Mandrake uses his skills with ropes to slip his binds and free himself from his room. The Wasp is always one step ahead as he ahs a monitor that tracks the location of Mandrake at all times, which allows the Wasp to lower panels that block off doorways every direction that Mandrake tries to flee. While seeking an exit mandrake finds Betty and takes her with him. The Wasp has maneuvered mandrake and Betty toward the east wing where he has a surprise waiting for these two pains in the neck. As soon as they are in the perfect position the Wasp ignites a blast that destroys that section of the building with Betty and Mandrake contained within….


Chapter 11: The Stroke of Eight

After the explosion at the rest home all of the Wasp’s men have buzzed away, to set up camp at another location. Mandrake and Webster return to the wreckage to explore a vault door that Mandrake had seen the Wasp’s men escape through. They find that if funnels down to a garage that exits on the opposite side form the rest home. In that garage Mandrake finds a clue that will help him track down the Wasp.

Mandrake requests that all of his allies meet at his house at 8pm because he has something to share with them. Until then he and Lothar have some investigating to do as Mandrake believes he may be narrowing in on the Wasp’s identity.

Professor Houston has been working on a device to nullify the effects of the radium machine, but it is not working yet. Mandrake intends on telling everyone that it really is working in the hopes of flushing out the Wasp, whom he has become convinced is one of his supposed allies.

Meanwhile, back at the Wasp’s headquarters, he’s taking care of business.

Wasp, “Dirk you’ve been a great help to me…up to now.”
Dirk (slightly panicked), “What do you mean?”
Wasp, “You know more about the Wasp than any living man.”

The Wasp offers to show Dirk something in the next room. Dirk foolishly enters the room. Once inside panels slide down to block the exits and the room fills with a deadly gas. Another Wasp lieutenant bites the dust.

That night all concerned gather at Mandrake’s to hear his announcement. The Wasp uses this opportunity of having all his enemies in one spot to train the radium machine on them. Mandrake’s mansion begins to crumble and quake as it collapses around the occupants heads…

Now if the Wasp were one of the victims, as Mandrake believes, why would he have put himself in danger….


Chapter 12: Reward of Treachery

The final chapter opens with Lothar and Mandrake combing the wreckage of his house for survivors and clues. Mandrake is sure he now knows the true identity of the Wasp, but would like some actual proof. Mandrake back-tracks the Wasp’s path and comes to his hideout. Mandrake finds himself trapped in the same room that the Wasp fills with gas to terminate his failed employees.

Through a speaker the voice of the Wasp taunts him, “You have found the Wasp’s nest, Mandrake, but it’s the end of the trail for you!”

But of course, it’s not. Mandrake manages to get his hands on the Wasp to unmask him, revealing the truth.

Mandrake to his former friend, “You’re ambition for power has warped your brain!”

But the Wasp escapes, so these two can have one final struggle to determine a winner. This is a slam-bang conclusion that appropriately tops off an entertaining story. By Chapter 9 the writers had pretty much forgotten that Mandrake was a magician and so no more magic was sprinkled throughout the final third. This is unfortunate because this was one angle that made the serial unique from most others, but mandrake is still a rough and tumble hero with his fists so all is forgiven.

7* (out of 10) A quality chapter play with minimal cheats and no lulls in the action. This serial was restored by VCI Entertainment and is in excellent condition. The picture is very clean and clear with only very, very minor speckling in a few spots. The audio is great.

[MikeBSG]

I've seen so many people refer to "The Conqueror Worm" as Vincent Price's greatest film that it didn't impress me that much when I first saw it. I think you were a little too hard on it here, but I agree that it is by no means a horror masterpiece.

Still, it is far better than "Cry of the Banshee," which attempted to copy the witch-hunting setting of "Conqueror Worm." "Cry of the Banshee" is my candidate for Price's worst horror movie.

[Bogie]

I've seen so many people refer to "The Conqueror Worm" as Vincent Price's greatest film that it didn't impress me that much when I first saw it. I think you were a little too hard on it here, but I agree that it is by no means a horror masterpiece.

I haven't seen a ton of Price's work but from what I've seen I think his best movie was The Last Man on Earth.

[cinemalover]

Mike,
I love Vincent Price, I just found this movie a severe disappointmnet. I've heard many people champoin it as a great movie but it didn't hit me that way. A lot of times my mood will affect how much I appreciate a movie at any given time, but I just can't see myself enjoying this one very much, under any conditions. Those that don't like Price when he overacts (which is a frequent, but entertaining occurance) would appreciate his staying true to a grim character, but I found that rather boring. The period setting was good and this was a handsome production, I just prefer a little macabre humor with my Price.

[cinemalover]

Bogie,
I'm glad you're back. I enjoy The Last Man on Earth, it's a little less campy than Heston's The Omega Man.

Has anyone seen the new Wil Smith version?? I must say I've felt zero desire to check it out up to this point and have not heard very positive word of mouth.

[cinemalover]

Date watched: 6/1/2008
Title: The FBI Story Made: 1959
Genre: Drama Studio: WB
Format: DVD Extras—Anamorphic WS, Trailer
Number of times viewed: 2

Director: Mervyn LeRoy

Stars:
James Stewart—Agent Chip Hardesty
Vera Miles—Lucy Ann Hardesty
Murray Hamilton—Sam Crandall
Larry Pennell—George Crandall
Nick Adams—Jack Graham
Diane Jergens—Jennie Hardesty
Jean Willes—Anna Sage
Joyce Taylor—Anne Hardesty
Victor Milan—Mario
Farley Baer—Harry Dakins
Fay Roope—Dwight McCutcheon
Ed Prentiss—US Marshal
Buzz Martin—Mike Hardesty

Tagline: The fury of America’s fight for decency!

The movie immediately sucks you into the action as we watch a man plant a suitcase that encloses a bomb into the luggage compartment of an airplane that his mother is about to depart on. He makes sure she signs the airport insurance form, made out to him, “just in case.” Suspenseful music plays as we see a close-up of the suitcase within the plane and then cut to an exterior shot as the plane explodes in mid-air.

FBI Agent Chip Hardesty’s (Jimmy Stewart) narration walks us through the steps of the FBI’s investigation of the disaster. He tells of the minute clues that the modern FBI (circa 1959) is able to turn into potential leads or case defining evidence.
Chip, “It wasn’t much. One time a crowbar won’t bend a cobweb. Another time, a falling leaf will start an avalanche.”

Then the film jumps back in time to 1924 and Chip’s fledgling career in the then ill-defined Federal Bureau of Investigation. As with much of the film we sill spend a disproportionate amount of time studying Chip’s personal life. Chip enters the local library looking very serious. He approaches the prettiest if the two librarians and asks her for help seeking a book. She takes him to the correct shelf, which just happens to be towards the back and obscured from the other occupants of the library. They then engage in some serious lip-lock. This does not appear to be related to any official case that Chip may be working on. The librarian is Lucy (Miles), soon to be Mrs. Hardesty.

She deeply loves him but to this point has refused to marry him unless he quits the FBI, after all, it’s obviously a nowhere job. He loves her enough that he is willing to give up his law career to be her husband. Just one string attached, they must travel to Washington D.C. so that he can resign in person. She happily agrees to the condition. They quickly get married before Chip resigns.

After returning from a honeymoon they board a train for D.C. when they discover that Chip’s friend, and fellow FBI agent, Sam Crandall (Hamilton) just happens to be there. Sam tries to talk Chip out of quitting, he understands his frustrations but they need good men like him to make the outfit into what it has the potential to be. Sam admits that the FBI, as is, isn’t very good.
Sam, “That’s the terrible part, Chip. It could be (good)!”
Chip, “Oh, I suppose, if you get water to run uphill!”
Sam, “Then it will have to run uphill. We need a bureau, the country’s growing. Crime will grow with it!”

When Chip arrives in D.C. he is all set to turn in his resignation. But his arrival just happens to coincide with J. Edgar Hoover taking over the reigns of the FBI. Chip sits in on his introductory speech and is hooked in the idea that this man is going to make a difference. Hoover is going to reinvent the entire infrastructure and mold it into an effective crime-fighting machine. After hearing this Chip is reinvigorated and wants to remain with the bureau. The hardest part will be telling Lucy that he’s got to go back on his word. Her response is to tell Chip that they are expecting, but she still reluctantly accedes to his decision.

Chips first assignment under the new regime is to tackle the Ku Klux Klan down south. Chip explains who they were, “They had one minor complaint. They didn’t like the Bill of Rights.” Also he noted that, “It was a secret organization…that was so powerful it didn’t have to be a secret.”

The Klan isn’t just going after minorities, they also target any whites that don’t see things their way. When a local editor runs articles against what they’re doing he receives a late night visit.
Klansman to the editor, “You know about bottom fishin’? We’re going to tie you up, weight you down, and send you to the bottom!”

The story continues to follow agent Chip Hardesty and his fellow agents on a series of vignettes as we witness each case slowly arrive at conclusions as the agents carefully follow the trails of evidence. The growth of the FBI as an effective legal organization is contrasted with Chip’s growing family and his responsibilities to them. Each business triumph is often punctuated by a personal setback. When Lucy loses a baby Chip is ready to quit the Bureau to get out of these backwater towns that he continues to get assigned to and plant his family in a more proper setting. This time the attitude towards the job has come full circle as it is Lucy that talks him out of quitting.

The stakes go way up starting with his next assignments the Bureau targets hardcore gangster Baby Face Nelson. At this time the FBI was not allowed to carry firearms and often found themselves at a lethal disadvantage when facing these criminals that knew they were unarmed. When the FBI finally receives governmental approval for guns Lucy is the only one not ecstatically pleased. As she informs Chip, “I don’t look good in black!”

But Chip is not destined to be the first casualty in this new age of the FBI. That honor falls upon his friend and partner, Sam Crandall. Sam’s death comes as a devastating blow to both Chip and Lucy. Lucy hates the violence and lives in terror that Chip will be the next to lose his life in the service of his country. She packs up the kids and moves them to her parent’s house to send Chip a very clear message. Once there Lucy gets the opportunity to tease her parents a bit.
Lucy (to her mother), “You know, Mother, I never realized what Dad has to put up with. You’re a nag! A real nag!”
In these moments Vera Miles gets to shine as the loving daughter, mother and wife. But her character comes to realize that it’s not so easy without her husband around. After their kids complain that the youngest couldn’t find any Easter Eggs and that Dad always left a few out in plain sight for her to find, “What kind of person am I? I can’t even hide Easter Eggs without Chip!”
Melodrama at its finest!

Time marches on and Chip narrates all the evidence gathering and analyzing advances that the Bureau makes. These informative inserts tend to be very detail oriented, but also really slow down the flow of the story. They are somewhat interesting, but the film could have used some tighter editing to shorten up this almost 2 ½ hour drama. Give me more details about the fight with Baby Face Nelson and other exciting do-badders and less melodrama about Chip’s kids and their agonizing career choices. Give me more gunplay and less domestic squabbles. Heck, give me J. Edgar in drag, anything to perk up the pace. The film tends to unfold at the normal speed of Jimmy’s dialogue, which is, as usual, very leisurely.

Overall the film covers the Bureau from Chip’s perspective from 1924 into the late 50’s. Jimmy is his regular low-key self, and the scenes that are filled with his casually awkward movements or attention getting bits (watch his hands in several scenes, each time they are used to keep the focus on his character) are the most entertaining. The story borders on an epic scale but is dragged down on the insistence of too much of life’s daily minutia. If more attention had been paid to the details of the Bureau and the specific cases it would have been much more interesting than little Mikey deciding that he wants to be a Marine. This film had the potential to go to another level entirely and fumbled it away. Jimmy is always watchable, but this isn’t his most interesting vehicle.


5* (out of 10) Intriguing subject matter that tried to become a family picture. It would have made a much more entertaining show if the violence and danger of the Bureau would have been given priority.

[cinemalover]

Just a little reminder, the FINALS of the Bestavorite Noir competition are happening as we read, right now!

There is a very close race for the championship belt going on between Touch of Evil and Out of the Past.

The voting ends at the end of day tomorrow. If you haven't voted yet, and even if you haven't participated up to this point at all, we would love to have your voice heard.

This is to choose the Top Noir for SSO for 2008!

[cinemalover]

The cast and plot looked interesting so I picked this up cheaply as a used DVD at a certain national chain…

Date watched: 6/4/2008
Title: Smokin’ Aces Made: 2007
Genre: Crime Drama Studio: Universal
Format: DVD Extras—Alternate Ending, Deleted Scenes, Behind the Scenes Featurette, Anamorphic WS.
Number of times viewed: First

Director: Joe Carnahan

Stars:
Andy Garcia—Stanley Locke
Ben Affleck—Jack Dupree
Jason Bateman—Rupert “Rip” Reed
Common—Sir Ivy
Alicia Keys—Georgia Sykes
Ray Liotta—Donald Carruthers
Jeremy Piven—Buddy “Aces” Israel
Ryan Reynolds—Richard Messner
Wayne Newton—Himself
Joseph Ruskin—Primo Sparazza
Alex Rocco—Serna
Peter Berg—Pistol Pete Deeks
Martin Henderson—Hollis Elmore

Taglines:
May the Best Hit Man Win!

Nobody gets away clean!

The only way to even the score….is to take Buddy Israel out of the game!

Buddy “Aces” Israel (Piven) is a Vegas magician and “Entertainer of the Year” five years running. He should be happy with his lot in life and on top of the world. He’s not. Buddy decides that he wants to be the cool kid on the block and make friends with the Vegas mob, ala Sinatra. He even wants to become the “real thing’ so he sponsors a few minor hold-ups which gradually spins into something more serious. The taste of “bad boy danger” gives him a thrill he’s unable to achieve elsewhere in life. Suddenly he becomes “a Vegas lounge act turned legitimate thug!”

Buddy ingratiates himself into Primo Sparazza’s (Ruskin) “family” and is at least partially responsible for a division within the family that has deadly consequences to the infighting. Eventually, Buddy’s capers get him in over his head and bring him to the attention of the Feds. Buddy folds like a cheap deck chair when the Feds turn up the heat and he quickly offers to rat out his Mob idols to save his own backside. All is going well until word gets around that he’s going to sell his soul. Sparazza puts out a $1 million contract on Buddy’s life. Not only does the contract require that you kill Buddy, but you must deliver his heart to Sparazza in order to collect. Now that’s vengeance.

Every professional hit man and hit man wannabe within miles flocks at the chance to collect the payday of a lifetime. Buddy knows he’s in trouble and executes an escape from protective custody in an effort to negotiate himself a better deal with the feds. In order to do that he had to jump bail, which puts his bail bondsman, Rupert “Rip” Reed (Bateman as a fall down drunk), at risk of losing his guarantee to the courts. He hires bounty hunter Jack Dupree (Affleck) and his squad of morons to track down and bring back Buddy for a $50,000 reward. This pales in comparison to the possibility of $1 million however.

The Feds are also out to recover Buddy because, as agent Stanley Locke (Garcia) explains, “No former witness against the mob has been as crucial or as important as Buddy “Aces” Israel. He’s not only essential to our case, he IS our case! And understand that if an attempt is made on his life it’ll be made by those of the strictest professional caliber. They are amoral, ruthless, and without restraint. And…they must not succeed!”

The Feds are also keeping an eye on Sparazza at the same time. He is the ultimate prize if Buddy’s testimony goes through. While browsing through his large file one Fed officer notices what seems like an extreme number of surgeries he’s had over the years (a clue that will pop up with a later connection).
Fed, “You take every has-been actor in Hollywood, they haven’t been cut this much!”
But they also note that Sparazza has been quite the Teflon-man, no charges have ever stuck to him.
Agent Donald Carruthers (Liotta in a very typical role for him), “You can’t kill over a hundred people without knowing how to tip-toe!”

Buddy isn’t the brightest bulb on the strip and hasn’t done a very thorough job of covering his trail. He’s holed up on the penthouse floor of the Nomad hotel in Tahoe. He’s bribed the hotel to tell everyone that the penthouse is closed down for “construction”, but then has his bodyguards bring up a fresh group of hookers to party with him on a nightly basis. Discretion not being noted in that profession the whole world soon knows where Buddy’s at. Buddy is even willing to throw his own people under the bus if he has to.

The film follows several storylines as different hit men, or groups of hit men, as well as the Feds and those chasing his bail jump all converge around the Nomad. St this point the storyline becomes secondary to the set-ups of wild and violent action. You throw out the possibility of a million dollars and mix in enough arsenal to supply a small army and you know what the resulting carnage will look like. The resulting devastation to the poor penthouse makes Swiss Cheese look rock solid by comparison.

If you’re an action junkie and you just want to marvel at the blood patterns splattered everywhere, this one may be for you. Otherwise what starts out as an interesting premise with a very diverse group of actors falls into just another gun fest. This interesting acting ensemble plays a poor second fiddle to the pyrotechnics. There is one great Sam Peckinpah-like moment where Agent Carruthers and one of the hit men empty there guns within the closed confines of an elevator.

There are plenty of colorful characters that are developed just enough for the audience to appreciate their unique weirdness, but we don’t really get to know any of them well enough to care what happens to them. The fireworks and body count receive much more attention to their detail than do most of the characters. Is anyone going to survive this bloodbath? More importantly, will anyone care by the final frame? If you have the patience to get through all the bullet ballets you will have a bit of a surprise at the end waiting for you. A nice touch, but hardly worth the wait.


4* (out of 10) If you’re not interested in a compelling storyline and just like your action hot, heavy and applied with the discretion of a pyromaniac, this may be what you’ve been waiting for. An opportunity lost, it could (should) have been much more entertaining given the concept and acting talent.

[cinemalover]

I happened upon quite the deal at Costco today. They had the Ford at Fox DVD set for $179.99 with a $60.00 off coupon, making the set $119.99. That's still a big chunk of change, but a heck of a great price on this fabulous set. the coupon is only good through the end of the 8th so if you have access to a Costco and have been pondering this set, it's tough to beat this price.

[cinemalover]

Here we have another of MGM’s Midnite Movie double features. This one includes Ski Party 1965 as well as Muscle Beach party 1964. Here’s the colder of the two….


Date watched: 6/4/2008
Title: Ski Party Made: 1965
Genre: Beach Movie/Comedy Studio: AIP
Format: DVD Extras—Anamorphic WS, Trailer.
Number of times viewed: 3

Director: Alan Rafkin

Stars:
Frankie Avalon—Todd Armstrong
Dwayne Hickman—Craig Gamble
Deborah Walley—Linda Hughes
Yvonne (Bat Girl) Craig—Barbara Norris
Robert Q. Lewis—Mr. Pevney social director
Lesley Gore—Herself’
Bobbi Shaw—Nita Elksberg
Aron Kincaid—Freddie carter
Steve Rogers—Gene
Patti Chandler—Janet
Michael Nader--Bobby
James Brown and his Famous Flames
A quick cameo by Annette Funicello as a sex-ed teacher at the college.

Tagllines:
The coolest way to keep warm at 20 degrees below!

There’s only one way to get warm!

It’s where the He’s meet the She’s on Skis, and there’s only one way to keep warm!
With the trendsetting Beach party movies running on empty AIP tried to re-energize the series by shifting from sand to snow. The theme is still the same, all those well-mannered boys are still trying to score!

On a college campus our two heroes, Todd Armstrong (Avalon) and Craig Gamble (Hickman of Dobie Gillis fame), are worrying more about their inability to get past first base with the girls than they are about their studies. In fact, they must both be attempting to major in Babe-ology 101, though badly flunking out. The Big Man On Campus is Freddie Carter (Kincaid). All the girls flock to him and throw themselves on his mercy. He has so many babes that he has to make up excuses not to make out with them. Todd and Craig hate him for his successes and popularity just as Freddie hates them for their loser-profile. The two of them finally manage to wrangle up a double date with Linda (Walley) and Barbara (Craig) but fail to even lock lips. Todd is desperate to know why they can’t get anywhere and extols his own virtues in a plea to the girls, “But why? I’m a nice clean-cut American boy with a C+ average?”

Freddie is president of the ski club and has organized an outing for the ski club during a break from classes. Both Linda and Barbara are signed up to go and Todd and Craig don’t want them spending any time in a ski lodge around the babe-magnet that is Freddie. Either though neither one of them has ever strapped on a pair of skis they decide to join the group to keep an eye (and hopefully a lip or two) on “their” girls.

An entire busload of hormone enraged co-eds shows up at the ski lodge with more than slopw swooshing on their minds. The social director, Mr. Pevney (Lewis), steps in to lay down the law of the land.
Mr. Pevney (token nerdy authoritative figure), “I am delighted to report that I have received letters from all the fathers of the boys informing me that chaperones would not be necessary.”
Todd (winking at Craig in undisguised glee), “I like that!”
Mr. Pevney, “Unfortunately….I have received NO similar letters from the fathers of the girls. Therefore, we shall employ the honor system!”
Todd, “Hey, that’s great. You trust us and in return we behave. Just like West Point! Right!?”
Mr. Pevney, “Wrong! More like Sing Sing!”

The group still manages to find an excuse to all slip into swim trunks and bikinis at the lodge pool (with absolutely no evidence of cold temperatures, if you know what I mean). They engage in happy frolicking and plenty of bubble-gum rock sing-a-longs.

When the skiing finally starts Todd and Craig grab some skis and bravely hit the slopes. Craig gets cold feet before the downhill run starts attempts to leave.
Craig, “I forgot something…”
Todd, “What’s that?”
Craig, “That I’m a coward!”

They see that there is a beginner’s class for those that don’t know how to ski, but it’s only being taught for the girls. They figure that if they get these “easy” lessons that they’ll at least be able to get down the hill without killing themselves. So the natural solution to their dilemma is to dress in drag and join the girl’s class, right? Of course it is. Will these cross-dressers become cross-country slope experts? Not likely.

They pretend to be English exchange students to explain the sudden appearance of two new girls. The “girl” voices that they generate are more grating on the ear than nails on a chalkboard. This all leads to several UN-hilarious out of control ski highlights.

On the other end of the spectrum is the ever-smooth Freddie, who is so talented that he can swoosh through the moguls while reading “Casanova”. This leads to him crashing into Craig in drag. Freddie finds the female version of Craig to be very attractive and he starts to hit on him.
Freddie, “Come on baby. I’ll walk you back to the lodge.”

While alternating between their feminine and masculine personas the boys finally do make some slight inroads with the girls. But with lines like this you know they’ll come up short.

Craig (to Barbara), “I’d marry you tomorrow if I could get a raise!”
Barbara, “”I didn’t know you had a job?!”
Craig, “I don’t. I meant a raise in my allowance.”

So with their make=out plans out in the cold they go back undercover as girls to try to learn what the other girls look for in guys. This is “Some Like It Hot” for the Drive-In mentality. In other words, take everything down to the lowest common deDUMBinator.

These pictures were getting further and further out of touch with the teenagers of the day. It was 1965 and the counter-culture was up and running. This make believe world of goody-two-shoe guys, where the biggest problem they faced was getting a girl to kiss them, seemed awfully shallow when boys were getting shipped over to Viet Nam and those that stayed behind were experimenting with Free Love and other mind altering experiences.

I mean, where was Eric Von Zipper when you needed him? If his goofy gang had pulled up to the lodge on snow-mobiles, at least things would have been a little more interesting. In the middle of the film when Craig breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to the audience he could have been referring to the majority of the film.
Craig (to the audience), “Have a Coke or something. Nothing’s going to happen for at least ten minutes!”

The only time this “Party” really rocks is when James Brown shows up at the lodge (on skis with little wheels) with his Famous Flames and performs “I Feel Good!” The temperature soars as “the hardest working man in show business” lives up to his rep and sets the film on fire. Unfortunately, he only gets to do one number and then disappears into the plastic snow.

3* (out of 10) The least entertaining entry of this popular series. It really missed an infusion of Don Rickles or even Buddy Hackett humor. Robert Q. Lewis was a pale replacement for their type of character. At the end of the film the audience is invited back to come see a “Cruise Party” movie that was never made.

[cinemalover]

Are there any fans amongst us of the whole Beach Party series/genre?

If so, does any one of the films in particular stand out as a favorite for you or do they all kind of blend together?

Also, which of the "comic relief" comedians were your favorite?

[cinemalover]

After a short rest it’s time to hit the Grindhouse Experince Volume 2 once again….


Date watched: 6/4/2008
Title: Carthage in Flames (Cartagnine in Fiamme) Made: 1960
Genre: Peblum Studio: Lux Film
Format: DVD Extras—LB, Dbbed.
Number of times viewed: First

Director: Carmine Gallone

Stars:
Jose Suarez—Hiiram
Pierre Brasseur—Sidone
Daniel Gelin—Phegor
Anne Heywood—Fulvia
Terence Hill—Tsour
Paolo Stoppa—Astarito
Erno Crisa—Asdruble
Cesare Fantoni—Assian
Ivo Garrani—Thala
Edith Peters—Sarepta
Aldo Silvani—Hermon
Gianrico Tedeschi—Eleo

Score—Mario Nascimbene

Tagline:
Wild Roman hordes ravage a golden city!

Carthage…Rome’s great enemy!

It’s 146 B.C. and the world is Rome’s oyster, well most of it anyway. Rome has long considered Carthage to be a thorn in its sandal as it has stood tall and independent as Rome has conquered the world surrounding it. Rome’s pride will not allow this one tree to stand alone in the forest and it is now concentrating its forces on devouring Carthage as a fat diner would down a mint after a seven course meal. The Romans have cut off the supply lines into Carthage and are slowly closing in on the city, planning to catch it in an inescapable stranglehold.

The council in Carthage is meeting to determine their best course of action. Should they go down fighting, sticking to their beliefs, or should they concede the inevitable and try to negotiate the most advantageous surrender? The council is divided on the issue as both sides plea their views.
Councilman, “The time has come to set aside the illusion of victory. You all know that for years I have upheld you in the fight against Rome, but I cannot ignore our present position. Don’t you see that defenseless as we are, we cannot stop the Roman legions. Resist now and the destruction of Carthage shall be their answer!”

Also up to debate for the Carthagenians is their Roman captive, the lady Fulvia (Heywood). Many want to execute her as a symbol of their defiance to Rome, while calmer heads want to use her in the negotiations to gain an advantage, if possible. The hotheads rule the council and she is sentenced to public execution.

Hiram (Suarez) is a hero soldier of Carthage but was once saved by a Roman woman and he feels a debt to Fulvia. He determines to defy the council and save her life, causing him to become a fugitive form his own people. He escapes with Fulvia on a war ship. The Carthage council orders one of their warships to capture the escaped prisoners and bring Hiram back to face charges of treason. The two ships engage in a long and spectacular battle on the sea. The two ships are grappled together as the soldiers use every inch of both ships to engage in flashy sword fights. Ultimately the ship from Carthage is burned to the waterline as Hiram and his friends elude capture. The two ships look terrific and this is easily the highlight of this otherwise tedious movie.

Fulvia and Hiram are separated when their ship lands at its destination. Then the melodrama truly thickens as Fulvia has developed feelings for the hero that risked his life to save her, but he is committed to another. The love triangle is the focus of the center of the movie as one can sense the audience would have been shifting uneasily in their seats, anxious for the next moment of action.

Eventually the crisis in Carthage comes to a head and Hiram is forgiven so that he can lead their soldiers against the inexhaustible resources of Rome. By this point most of the audience may well have been snoring as it had been so long since anything other that court intrigue or moon—filled eyes had covered the screen.

The film is beautiful form a production and scenery viewpoint. The sets are excellent and colorful and the outdoor photography is above average. The battle scenes are filled with hundreds of extras, each immaculately dressed in pristine robes and gear. They all must have come straight from the dry cleaner because there wasn’t a stain to be seen.

If they had paid as much attention to a writing a coherent, entertaining script this could have been an entertaining film, as is, it’s just a pretty patience tester.


2* (out of 10) Tedium in a clean white robe is still tedium. This was the 13th of 20 films in this set and is a definite thumbs down. That brings our current score on the set to 9 ups and 4 downs.