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[profh0011]

 You never know what you'll find online.

I've been watching movies on Youtube and the like since January. After 7 years of nothing but reruns, I guess something finally snapped. Anyway, Many of these I have no idea what they're about until I'm watching, which can add to the fun. (I can never understand people who want to know everything about a film before they watch, including the ending!)

Anyway, yesterday was a Steve Reeves film, so I figured, today, science-fiction.

"THE SHIP OF MONSTERS"-- or, "LA NAVE DE LOS MONSTRUOS".

Despite some of the wild, outrageous stuff I've seen lately, this one surpassed them all. No kidding!

It's a science-fiction western musical comedy. From Mexico. Thank goodness it's got subtitles, or I'd be completely lost.

This could have been subtitled "VENUS NEEDS MEN". All males have been wiped out due to radiation, so these 2 gorgeous Mexican babes are sent in search of the "most perfect males". We miss the bulk of the mission, where they kidnap specimens. But they run into engine trouble, and their clunky-looking robot tells them they have to set down at the nearest planet so he can repair the ship. He describes it as one his own people wanted to explore at some point, but never got around to. It's believed intelligent life lives there, but, they don't know what they want, so they enjoy destroying each other.

Sure enough-- it's Earth. We also get a glimpse of their captives-- which look like something out of a monster movie. As one reviewer said, they didn't send the brightest chicks on this mission, did they?

And then we meet the other main character-- a hard-drinking habitual lier (or, funny storyteller, take your pick) who sings on horseback and argues with his horse about how he's supposed to be man's best friend.

You can't make up stuff like this!!

Only one comment on Youtube referred to the film as "total crap". Everybody else was loving it for EXACTLY what it is. Me, I can't stop laughing. That's good enough for me!

[bowers]

Last night we said goodbye to an old friend, "Falling Skies". After five seasons the loose ends were all wrapped up and our planet is once again our own. The little "thank you" to the  viewers in the closing credits was a nice touch. I'll miss this show.  Best of luck to actor/producer Noah Wylie on the upcoming second season of his "Librarian" series. First season was awesome! Cheers, Bowers.

[narfstar]

I will very much miss Falling Skies. Good old hard core alien invasion scifi. One bad season of weirdness but they got back to basics and ended it well. Defiance was also enjoyable and ended well with a little bit of stupid save the bad aliens at the cost of Nolan.

[Captain Audio]

You never know what you'll find online.

I've been watching movies on Youtube and the like since January. After 7 years of nothing but reruns, I guess something finally snapped. Anyway, Many of these I have no idea what they're about until I'm watching, which can add to the fun. (I can never understand people who want to know everything about a film before they watch, including the ending!)

Anyway, yesterday was a Steve Reeves film, so I figured, today, science-fiction.

"THE SHIP OF MONSTERS"-- or, "LA NAVE DE LOS MONSTRUOS".

Despite some of the wild, outrageous stuff I've seen lately, this one surpassed them all. No kidding!

It's a science-fiction western musical comedy. From Mexico. Thank goodness it's got subtitles, or I'd be completely lost.

This could have been subtitled "VENUS NEEDS MEN". All males have been wiped out due to radiation, so these 2 gorgeous Mexican babes are sent in search of the "most perfect males". We miss the bulk of the mission, where they kidnap specimens. But they run into engine trouble, and their clunky-looking robot tells them they have to set down at the nearest planet so he can repair the ship. He describes it as one his own people wanted to explore at some point, but never got around to. It's believed intelligent life lives there, but, they don't know what they want, so they enjoy destroying each other.

Sure enough-- it's Earth. We also get a glimpse of their captives-- which look like something out of a monster movie. As one reviewer said, they didn't send the brightest chicks on this mission, did they?

And then we meet the other main character-- a hard-drinking habitual lier (or, funny storyteller, take your pick) who sings on horseback and argues with his horse about how he's supposed to be man's best friend.

You can't make up stuff like this!!

Only one comment on Youtube referred to the film as "total crap". Everybody else was loving it for EXACTLY what it is. Me, I can't stop laughing. That's good enough for me!

After they introduced the "Silver Angel" character on "The Strain" I looked up a few of the Mexican Luchadore horror films. I just downloaded the El Santo (the Saint) movie "Santo vs. las Mujeres Vampiro " (aka Sampson VS the Vampire Woman) dubbed in English.
Santo always wore a silver mask. When he first went into films they gave him his choice of three possible names, one of which was the Angel, so if he had chosen differently he could have been the Silver Angel like the character in the Strain.
One of his co stars was injured and had to retire from films and wrestling just like the Silver Angel character.

[profh0011]

I just saw the coolest movie today, and I can't believe I never saw it before!

*****SPOILER WARNINGS!!!!!*****

It's about a microscopic organism that came to Earth from some other planet millions of years ago, and survived by entering Earth organisms. It could absorb memories, and if its "host" was killed, it could take over another, in effect "become" that creature-- or person. After being found frozen in a block of ice, it was being taken back to civilization for study when it came back to life and started KILLING people.

Sound familiar? The setting was a passenger train in Czarist Russia!!

The stars-- Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and Telly Savalas.

The movie-- HORROR EXPRESS (1972) !!!

[narfstar]

I don't remember that one either Prof. Captain Audio, I would guess that the writers or producer of the Strain is a fan of those movies. I was when I was a kid but not so much now

[profh0011]

PIRANHA  (1995)

This movie has a TERRIBLE reputation... but, frankly, I've seen far worse, and, lately!  (I know, hardly high praise-- heehee.)

I was mainly interested because it featured 2 of my favorites-- William Katt & Alexandra Paul (SIGH!), plus, with Monte Markham as the slimy corporate developer baddie, it wound up with no less than 3 PERRY MASON alumni (I can't believe that was a coincidence).  Katt played Paul Drake Jr. in the first 8 Raymond Burr TV-movies in the 80s, Paul was in the first 2 movies after he left (along with William R. Moses-- I was always surprised that she didn't stick around longer), and Markham starred in the ill-advised revival in the early 70s.

All I can say is... it HELD my attention, and I managed to plow thorugh it with fewer breaks than a LOT of Corman-produced films.  (It was funny how they actually made reference to several of his 70s films in the dialogue, including one of the "women in prison" films.)

[profh0011]

The other day...

"Well the way I see it, everyone COULD have done it, and everyone had a reason for DOING it. It's absolutely incredible!"

[profh0011]

THE most brilliant moment in tonight's movie...

"I'll tell you something else he doesn't know.  I am NOT Mister Lombard!"

[Captain Audio]

Just watched a sci fi pilot film from 1971 "Earth 2".
A very well done film, the subject matter ahead of its time with the creation of an International Space Station devoted to peaceful research.
Special effects were very convincing considering it was done old school without modern CGI.

[profh0011]

I don't LIKE the phrase "old school".  It's too "new-fangled".  (It was also meant in a decidedly DEROGATORY fashion when it first came into use.)

[betaraybdw]

I don't LIKE the phrase "old school".  It's too "new-fangled".  (It was also meant in a decidedly DEROGATORY fashion when it first came into use.)

sorry, can't help myself:  Old School, old School, old school....

[Captain Audio]

For those who appreciate the skill and effort that went into pre CGI special effects "Old School" is definitely not derogatory.
My Sis reviewed films for a major newspaper for decades and she said it best that old school special effects had the illusion of weight and presence that CGI simply can't as yet match.

Forced perspective takes more skill and work than simply manipulating the image digitally.
Model builders put something of themselves into their creations. Modern CGI effects are just Ones and Zeros stored on a disc. The Armature wrapped in rabbit fur used to bring King Kong to life still exists and has physical presence.

[profh0011]

I like the older phrase "old-fashioned", or even better, "traditional".

[profh0011]

The best use of miniatures I ever saw in a sci-fi TV show was on Gerry Anderson's SPACE PRECINCT (1995), which was done at a point where using miniatures was somehow thought of as "out of date".

[profh0011]

THE TWO FACES OF DR. JEKYLL

Hammer had an amazing way of doing rather classy films that were adaptations of classic stories that somehow had NOTHING to do with the source material.  I'm amazed that I never saw this before.  Christopher Lee, in a supporting role, plays a kind of character I have NEVER seen him do before, an adulterous cad with a gambling problem.  In at least one scene, he's almost falling-down drunk.  He also gets more "romantic" than I've ever seen him before, with Dawn Addams as the married woman who's cheating on her scientist husband.

[Captain Audio]

I watched Two faces of dr Jekyll a couple of years ago, and I agree with your remarks about the character Lee played. The film while it departed from the source in a number of ways was a interesting take on the story. A reimagining as they say.
Jekyll looked a bit crude while Hyde was a refined young monster. In a way Lee's character reminded me of a less refined Oscar Wilde while Hyde reminded me of Dorian Grey.

[profh0011]

A couple years back I watched every version of the story I have on videotape.  There's a few more I've seen but don't have in my collection.  what I find fascinating is that EVERY film version of "DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE" I've seen has been DRASTICALLY different from every other one.  I would describe them as "variations on a theme".

This is why in many cases I cannot judge a film based solely on how "authentic" is it or not.  In some cases, an "authentic" version is dull and almost unwatchable.  Some stories where I have read about the original stories (without actually having read them), I can SEE why they were changed radically for film adaptations.  Some films genuinely ARE much better than their source material.  (A perfect example, "TEN LITTLE INDIANS".)

For J&H, I've seen John Barrymore, Frederic March, Spencer Tracy, Michael Rennie, Jack Palance, Christropher Pennock (the DARK SHADOWS version) and Anthony Perkins.  What amazes me is how long it took me to get around to see the Hammer version.  (And they did TWO-- still have the other one to go...)

[profh0011]

Dawn Addams started out an an intensely beautiful girl-- I saw her in a Ronald Howard SHERLOCK HOLMES story.  As she matured, she sgtarted to play glamorous "BAD" girls.  It seems to me she was in maybe 4 different episodes of THE SAINT with Roger Moore, each time playing someone Simon Templar had fun with messing up her schemes.  It seems to me she was also in THE VAMPIRE LOVERS... as Ingrid Pitt's aunt!  (if memory serves)

[narfstar]

Forbidden Planet ah the classics

[betaraybdw]

Just wrapped up Jericho on Netflix. gonna have to finish the tale in the comics.

[Captain Audio]

Forbidden Planet ah the classics

I have a copy of the Simultaneous first edition hardback of Forbidden Planet in near mint condition with intact dust cover.
They held back publishing the book till the movie came out.

The book I have is in such great condition because it was among stacks of books and old LP records found in a vault of a local business. The vault had remained un opened for decades as the building changed hands several times. When they finally got ownership settled and obtained the combination they found the vault was packed with personal items of a previous owner.
I paid the grand price of 25 cents for this book. I've seen these listed in only fair condition with ragged dust cover for more than two grand.

[josemas]

Serials watched over the past year plus-

Man With the Steel Whip-1954-
The Secret Code-1942-
The Eagle of the Night-1928-
Dick Tracy Returns-1938-
Masters of Venus-1962-
Brick Bradford-1947-
Zombies of the Stratosphere-1952-
Hawk of the Wilderness-1938-
The Wolf Dog-1933-
Annette-1958-
Mystery Trooper-1931-
The Adventures of Dusty Bates-1947-
The Roaring West-1935-
The Black Widow-1947-
Who's Guilty?-1945-
Raiders of Ghost City-1944-
The Hope Diamond Mystery-1921-
Gangbusters-1942-
Junior G-Men of the Air-1942-
Rustlers of Red Dog-1935-
The Crimson Ghost-1946-
Radio Patrol-1937-
The Indians are Coming-1930-
The Adventures of Frank Merriwell-1936-
The Masked Marvel-1943-
The Secret of Treasure Island-1938-
The House of Hate-1918-
Jesse James Rides Again-1950-

and currently working my way through-

Mysterious Dr Satan-1940-
Deadwood Dick-1940-
The Mysterious Pilot-1937-
Jungle Queen-1945-

[josemas]

Shows I may be catching this season (depending on what I can work into my schedule and what's available on Hulu)-

Have already caught-

Dr Who-the Daleks are back!
Gotham- looks like another great season.
Scream Queens- I wonder how long they can stretch this story-line out?
The Mysteries of Laura- I like the change-up in the professional relationship between Laura and her ex.
Minority Report- I can't remember much about the movie this is based on so am not sure how close they are following it.

and still to come-

Once upon a Time, Supergirl, The Flash, Agents of SHIELD, iZombie, Manhattan, Criminal Minds, Arrow, Bones. Sleepy Hollow, The Blacklist, Grimm, The Last Kingdom, The Last Man on Earth, The Walking Dead, The Librarians, Haven, Elementary and possibly another one or two I'm forgetting..

[Yoc]

I just watched one of the most weird movies I've seen in a good long while -
Confessions of an Opium Eater (1962) with Vincent Price.
Now I like Price.  I'm not a fanatic but I do enjoy him when I see him.  This film has a bit of a reputation among those that watch drug themed movies of which there are countless.  The film is thick with the most strange dialogue, some that seem to be pulled from a completely different movie.  There's some creative use of slow motion and sudden complete lack of sound.  Price actually plays a bit of an action hero in this which is also very unusual for him.  The Last Man On Earth was about the only other one I can recall with so much physical work for him.

There's an excellent review of Opium Eater here.

-Yoc