The Beast With A Million Eyes (1955) - Movie Review

Official Score = 1 Devil

Have you ever seen a movie that is just not quite there? What I mean by this is that movie has all of the elements to be something good, but for whatever reason this movie just was not what it should have been?

The reason that I asked is because I have seen more then a few of them during my time reviewing horror and science fiction, but the one I have most recently seen is, The Beast With A Million Eyes (1955)!

Had a lot of potential, just couldn't cut it...

Written by: Tom Filer (The Space Children) & Directed by: David Kramarsky (The Crybaby Killer), & Roger Corman (Death Race 2000). Starring: Paul Birch (Cannon Ball), Lorna Thayer (Five Easy Pieces), Dona Cole (The Long Gray Line), Dick Seargent (Bewitched), Leonard Tarver (The Lonesome Trail) & Bruce Whitmore.

Ultimately this movie is not horrible, it just wasn't great, and what I mean by this is that the movie had a great premise... A story that was about an Alien visitor... A emissary from a dying world that has to take over a body and make it the host in an effort to survive, now the thing is, is that they survive on, 'Hate'... Which apparently the Human race has in abundance...

Well it looks like the Alien has decided to use the, 'Kelley' family, and the surrounding animal population to experiment on, and as the animals start getting more and more violent, well ultimately it will be up to the, 'Kelley' family and their servant, 'Him' to stop this Alien from invading Earth and taking over!

The Kelley clan confronting the ultimate evil on Earth, and it's servant... A man it kidnapped!

Ultimately the story is great, the special effects are that awesome, 'B' movie special effects that Roger Corman has always done so well with... The problem is, is that the acting is far over the top (and not in that style that still keeps it fun.)

Anyway, this movie is not the best, and I will be honest and say that this one may be a stretch for B Movie fans as well.. But if you are, give it a try, because again, (this movie is not the best to have come out by Mr. Corman, but it certainly is not the worst movie to have ever come out!)

5 Uncommon Killer Weapons In Horror Movies

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="450"] The umbrella... Definitely an item you don't see as a murder weapon frequently in horror movies![/caption]

You know we all know the standard tools that killers use in horror movies, I mean Jason has his Machete, Freddy has his glove, and even Michael Myers has his kitchen knife... So I thought that I would mention, '5 Uncommon Killer Weapons In Horror Movies'....
Now before I go on, I will say that each one of these have been in more then 1 horror movie, but tend to be seen in less horror movies then you might think!

With that in mind, lets get stared...

At number 5: Garden Shears.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="427"] The new killer in Crystal Lake is trying out some new instruments of destruction![/caption]

Now this one I have found in my travels to be a little more common, but still this one is quite cool, from it's use by, 'Fake Jason' in Friday The 13th: A New Beginning (1985), to gouge out horny teens eyes, to it being Cropsey's weapon of choice in, The Burning (1982), this item has been one of the more unusual choices for weaponry in horror movies, but it definitely has it's place in the annals of horror movie history!

At number 4: A Drill.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="420"] This guy is so good with both the, 'drill' and the, 'guitar' that he decided to show a group teens at a slumber party his, 'killer style'![/caption]

This one is fairly common in the one time kill category, but I thought that I would mention this one because, the drill was made famous as the popular way that the, 'Driller Killer' used to kill people in the, 'Slumber Party Massacre' series, and real briefly in the, 'Sorority House Massacre' series, (both by the way are awesome slasher film series that were produced by Roger Corman!)

At number 3: A Ruler.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="546"] Chucky has decided to take educational tools in a new direction![/caption]

This one is real rare... I mean I have personally only seen this once, and that was in Child's Play 2 (1990), when Chucky beats Andy's school teacher to death with it after Andy leaves!

At number 2: A Corn Row.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="620"] This is one corn field that doesn't want people picking it's corn![/caption]

You don't see that to often, but it is kind of a unique way to kill people that was first popularized in the, 'Children Of The Corn' movie series, and remains one of the reasons in my opinion that the, 'Children Of the Corn' series is still one of the better supernatural movie series of all time!

At number 1: Ice Cream Cone.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] This guy is serving up a little more then just his customary, 'Mint Chocolate Chip'![/caption]

This one is one of the more interesting ones, you see, this one was popularized by the brief but popular 90s horror movie series, 'The Ice Cream Man' and is still one of the most unique ways to kill people in a horror movie that I have seen to date!

In the end, in the history of the horror film, there has been quite a few ways killers have killed people in these films, but these are definitely some of the more unique ways I have seen of it being done, and definitely helped set the tone for the series that they would eventually produce!

http://youtu.be/9KgUcni8OxM

http://youtu.be/8BUlBD76ek8

http://youtu.be/tNYW8hyN3G0

http://youtu.be/Nh9vVd2R6to

http://youtu.be/5Idh6YHc5Ic

Piranha (1978) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_385" align="alignright" width="353"] Official Score = 2 Devils[/caption]

You know one of my favorite horror movies when I was a child was the movie, Jaws (1975)... Besides the fact that the movie itself was really exciting, I saw it at a young enough age, where the movie was still really terrifying, and when my family used to go to the beach like the day after... Boy was it exhilarating!

Let's be honest here folks, when you are still young enough, and impressionable enough to be seeing this kind of movie, the first thing you as a kid are going to believe when going in to the ocean, is that, 'Jaws' is going to get you... And heading in anyway, and facing your fear, is like a pulse pounding edge of your seat experience that you will never forget!

Well obviously, 'Jaws' never got me, and when I went to Universal Studios and saw the, 'Jaws' attraction, that fear and heart pounding exhilaration pretty much quickly turned in to just a life long enjoyment of the ocean and all it represents!

Now you might be wondering why I mention this... Well the reason that I mention this, is because as I grew up, so did my love of under water monster movies, and recently I had the chance to see the Joe Dante (Innerspace) B Movie classic, Piranha (1978) for the first time!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="150"] A true classic![/caption]

Written by: Richard Robinson (Kingdom Of The Spiders), John Sayles (The Spiderwick Chronicles) & Directed by: Joe Dante. Starring: Bradford Dillman (Sudden Impact), Heather Menzies-Urich (Ssssss), Kevin McCarthy (UHF), Keenan Wynn (Once Upon A Time In The West), Dick Miller (The Terminator), Barbara Steele (Pit And The Pendulum), Belinda Balaski (The Vampire Hunters Club), Melody Thomas Scott (The Shootist), Bruce Gordon (Tower Of London), Paul Bartel (Escape From L.A.) & Janie Squire (The Great American Girl Robbery).

There is something rotten about to happen in the Lost River area... You see, it all starts when a couple who happens to be hiking through that area and camping, end up coming upon an old Army base that basically looks deserted, and the two of them end up deciding to take the last swim of their lives!

When the hikers end up going missing, 'Maggie Mckeown' (Heather Menzies-Urich) is hired to try and find them... Well, her first stop in the area is to pick up her guide... a surly pain in the ass by the name of, 'Paul Grogan' (Bradford Dillman)...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Maggie and Paul as they begin their investigation in earnest![/caption]

Well the next stop they go to is the old Army base, and when they get there they begin looking for any sign of the missing hikers... At one point Maggie goes as far as deciding to take on her own initiative to empty out the little pool out in the courtyard area... This is when the two of them are stopped by Dr. Robert Hoak  (Kevin McCarthy).

Well they knock him out before Dr. Hoak has a chance to tell them that they just let loose a whole ton of genetically altered, 'Piranha' in to the river... And that these Piranha are about to head in to an area that is about to become heavily populated!

Well after Hoak destroys their only means of traveling on land to get to the right people to stop this mistake from becoming deadly, it will be up to Maggie, Paul & Doctor Hoak to travel the same river that the Piranha are now in, and get ahead of them, so that they can coordinate with the authorities to stop the Piranha, before the Piranha can destroy the grand opening of a recently made lake (this lake is what the river with the Piranha flow in to, and to ensure that the mountain of swimmers that are about to arrive, are not food for the Piranha!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="610"] A snack![/caption]

In the end, this movie had all the great elements of a Roger Corman (Death Race 2000) a great cast of almost unknown talent, some groovey special effects that are still great even though they aren't CGI and a story that is completely fun, and the vision of a great director! The main problem that I had with this movie, is that like Roger Corman movies, it has some build up time... The problem is, is that unlike most of his other movies... There is to much build up time and after awhile it becomes a little distracting!

In the end, this movie is a fun one, and if you are a horror fiend like me, then there is a scene in this movie that you really shouldn't miss... Anyway check this one out, you might like it!

http://youtu.be/XoCKGvVlNYM

Pit And The Pendulum (1961) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_557" align="alignright" width="307"] Official Score = 3 1/2 Devils[/caption]

Before I became a fan of both the Horror and Science Fiction genres my father was the huge fan of both Horror and Science Fiction movies (and to some degree, books.)

As a matter of fact I would have to contribute my love of horror movies and Science Fiction movies to my father, and the times that we would watch horror movies and Science Fiction movies together (such films as the Alien movies series, some of the, 'A Nighbtmare On Elm Street' movies, etc...)

Anyway a couple of the scary stories that he told both me and my sister was the story of, 'The Crawiling Eye' and, 'The Pit And The Pendulum'.

Now the first time I heard these stories, I thought that they were just stories, (The Pit And The Pendulum as it turns out really was a story that had been written by Edgar Allan Poe, and had been turned in to a movie by American International Pictures), but the rest of these stories that my dad had told us actually had been movies that my Dad had seen when he was a kid!

And now that I have had a chance to see, Pit And The Pendulum (1961), I can understand why my Dad liked it so much!

Written by: Richard Matheson (I Am Legend) and Directed by: Roger Corman (Death Race 2000). Starring: Vincent Price (Madhouse), John Kerr (South Pacific), Luana Anders (Dementia 13), Anthony Carbone (A Bucket Of Blood), and Barbara Steele (Black Sunday).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Nicholas Medina (Vincent Price) with Frances Barnard (John Kerr) as Nicholas is about to play a deadly game with his house guest![/caption]

During the, 'Inquisition' people were being tortured as a regular practice, Pit And The Pendulum tells the tale of a post, 'Inquisition' family by the name of, 'Medina', (a family who's father, 'Sebastian' (Played by Vincent Price), used to torture people as a regular practice!)

Now this family has started getting past their horrible past, Sebastian's daughter, Donia Catherine (Anders) is living with her love in Barcelona, and Sebastian's son Nicholas has taken over the family home, and married an English noblewoman by the name of Elizabeth Barnard (Steele).

Now for the longest time, Nicholas and his wife are living a very happy and contented life as husband and wife, but when Elizabeth discovers the tragic past of her new family, she ends up killing herself in one of Sebastian's torture devices!

After her death though, various people start hearing Elizabeth's voice, hearing her play the harpsichord, etc, this happens to be slowly driving Nicholas insane (A role that Vincent Price played excellently!)

Anyway, after Doctor Charles Leon (Carbone), and Elizabeth's brother, 'Francis' shows up to investigate the death of his sister, these strange encounters start getting stronger and stronger and driving Nicholas worse and worse!

As these encounters start getting worse and worse, people begin to wonder if Nicholas has already lost his mind, or perhaps, has Elzabeth become one of the many ghosts that are sure to be haunting these tortured halls!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Don Nicholas (Vincent Price), with his wife Donia Elizabeth (Barbara Steele) in, 'Pit And The Pendulum' (1961)![/caption]

Now I have to say that everyone did a great job in this movie, but the truth is, is that besides the story, the best thing about this movie is Vincent Price!

I mean Vincent Price plays the role of, 'crazy' and, 'going crazy', perfectly! So much so that in my opinion, there is no one who has played these types of roles as well as Vincent Price did since!

So if your looking for a fun classic horror movie to really sink your teeth in to, then check t this one out as it is a fun one!

http://youtu.be/8xzdrffJ91E

The Terror (1963) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_330" align="alignright" width="220"] Official Score = 2 1/2 Devils[/caption]

There are very few artists in this world that can be said to be synonymous with the type of genre, or type of art that they do, more then Roger Corman (Queen Of Blood)…

Now I know there are a lot people who have come since Corman first started this, but the truth is, is that Roger Corman is the very embodiment of B Movies! I mean this guy has literally done hundreds of movie that would have never made it in the main stream… But you know what? The reason that they would not have made it in the main stream in all honesty is because no one can do what he does, like Roger Corman does… in some ways using the same elements that make up the mainstream?

What do I mean by this? Well simply put, this guy helped get some of Hollywood’s biggest names their start… or help them further careers, I mean here is just a small number of some of the amazing talent that this guy has worked with:

1. Ron Howard

2. Sylvester Stallone

3. Jack Nicholson

4. Robert De Niro

5. Boris Karloff

And that is just to name a few! Now you might be thinking, that If he had worked with such amazing A list talent that he must be an A Lister himself right? Well considering his legend he is more than an A-Lister, because in a way, Roger Corman helped sort of, ‘Mentor’ a lot of the Hollywood A-List of the 70s – 90s!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"] B Movie Legend, 'Roger Corman' with horror movie legend, 'Vincent Price'![/caption]

But the truth is, is that Roger Corman has made his career out of making awesome movies, that people who are fans of the Hollywood A list type of movie, would consider it to be a B Movie, and I just so happen to catch one of his awesome B movies in the form of, The Terror (1963)!

Written by: Jack Hill (Foxy Brown), Leo Gordon (Attack Of The Giant Leeches) & Directed by: Roger Corman. Starring Jack Nicholson (Batman), Boris Karloff (The Crimson Cult), Sandra Knight (Thunder Road), Dick Miller (The Terminator), Dorothy Neumann (The Ten Commandments) and Jonathan Haze (The Little Shop Of Horrors).

You see, this movie tells the story of a young French Lieutenant by the name of, ‘Andre’ (Nicholson) a soldier in Napoleon's Army, a soldier low on morale, and lost from his regiment, who one day while he was nearing the end of his ropes and lost in the middle of nowhere, somewhere in Germany, ends up coming upon a woman who nearly kills him…

After this occurs, Andre is taken in by a weird old woman and her mute servant… Now searching for the woman that nearly killed him, Andre questions the woman (only to find that the woman is trying to make him believe that there is no woman… But later on, the old woman’s servant, ‘Gustav’ sends Andre to the Castle of the Baron Von Leppe!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] The woman of this lowly Lieutenant's dreams may end up proving to be the woman of his nightmares![/caption]

Once he gets there though Andre is greeted by the kindly (but insane) old Baron Von Leppe (Karloff) and Von Leppe’s assistant. Now at this point Andre has forced his way in to the Baron’s home to stay for a while and will ultimately start an investigation in to the girl’s disappearance that will lead Andre, the Baron, and everyone around them in to a world that non of them will ever forget!

In the end, I found this movie is definitely worth a watch, and you might find this movie worth it as well!

http://youtu.be/N2YRo6dskac