[elGiron]

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) !!!

I bought this flick for $1 at Walmart several years ago and completely forgot about it. I'm definitely going to check it out again. Thanks for your post. I'm currently watching Batman Returns What can I say? I saw it as a child in the theatre and have been a fan since.

[profh0011]

Today's movie (*****SPOILERS!!!!!*****):


A young blonde woman drives out into the middle of nowhere and checks in at an old, run-down, creepy place, has a disturbing run-in with someone, and then-- ABRUPTLY-- is MURDERED-- STABBED TO DEATH-- halfway through the movie.

Now that they've KILLED the person who appears to be the film's main character... a friend of hers spends the 2nd half of the film determined to retrace her steps and find out what happened to her.

The wild thing about this film is-- it isn't PSYCHO!!!!

From Milton Subotsky...  CITY OF THE DEAD  (released in the US as HORROR HOTEL) !!


Christopher Lee does a VERY convincing American accent in this one... and Valentine Dyall is his usual sinister self.

[profh0011]

From Italy, one of the most entertaining films I've seen all year!!!

MISSION: STARDUST  (1967)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEC-EofeNZs

[Captain Audio]

Mission Stardust is a very entertaining movie. I had been looking for this film in English for a long time then found I had it on DVD in a collection of old sci fi films I had been given years ago.

It was well made for its day with plenty of action and beautiful women.

I noticed on the page you linked to they had a link to the 1968 film "Mission to Mars" staring Darin McGavin and Nick Adams. I've been looking for that film for years.

[profh0011]

I think there's at least 3 version of MISSION STARDUST on Youtube.  I found one with English titles, but it's full-screen, and those titles LOOK boring.  The Italian titles are animated-- like Sergio Leone's westerns-- lots more fun to watch.  And, it's widescreen.  I wasn't sure until the story started if it was dubbed into English-- IT WAS.  I suspect the 3rd version may be in Italian (or, is it German?).

It cracks me up when I think how I watched this movie.  The other week, I started clicking on Youtube links to sci-fi films and bookmarking them. I had NO idea what MISSION STARDUST was until I started watching!  Then-- the credits, the music, WOW! And when I saw the name "Perry Rhodan", I flipped out.  I can't figure how it's possible they never did a sequel to this.

The movie has a horrible rep.  I don't care... MANY of my favorite films get nothing but hate-filled reviews.  What's ironic is, there's more GOOD reviews on Youtube than at the IMDB-- usually, the Youtube crowd are a lot more rude & insulting.

I don't know who did the dubbing-- it was very well done-- but through the whole film, "Perry" reminded me of Lee Majors.


My favorite bit... 

"That was a primitive act."
"Sorry. I'm only level 4.  I could EASILY slip to level 3 !"

Hilarious implied threat   

[profh0011]

In my latest DOCTOR WHO marathon-- this time, watching the individual episodes for the 1st time since the 80s (I have "Inferno" up to "Terminus" that way). I just reached the point where I was painfully reminded that the writing FELL RIGHT OFF A CLIFF.

Yep... "LOGOPOLIS".

I swear... Christopher Bidmead is like the exact opposite of Eric Saward.  He's a MUCH better story editor than he ever was a writer.  Plus, this was his first of ONLY 3 scripts he ever did on his own.  And it was a rush job.  What you get is a mixture of fascinating ideas... and REALLY terrible characterization and dialogue.  Tom Baker, Mathew Waterhouse, Sarah Sutton, Anthony Ainley... all were wonderful in "The Keeper Of Traken".  Yes, even "Adric".  And NONE of them come off good in this one.  In fact, more than ever before, I was renminded of what a WONDEFFUL character "Tremas" was... so intelligent, reasonable, warm... he deserved better.  He deserved a return appearance... not to be MURDERED so that a ONE-dimensional erratic bad parody of Roger Delgado should take his place.

Frankly, I think they only come off looking acceptable because Janet Fielding-- who I KNOW is a nice person off-camera-- came across as such a TOTAL B**** as "Tegan" (my LEAST-favorite WHO companion of all time).

I swear, the ONLY actor in this who comes across well in this is, surprisingly, John Fraser as "The Monitor".

Looking back, I wish to God that John Nathan-Turner had left after this one year.  Because I KNOW... as wonderful as Peter Davison is as a person and as an actor... the BULK of his 3 years was EVEN WORSE than this.  BAD writing, BAD directing, BAD acting across the board.

This time around, I've been skiping any stories I just don't like.  I managed to get all the way through Tom Baker's 7 years and ONLY skip one single story (one that I simply have seen too damn many times for something that horrifically downbeat and disturbing).  I'm wondering if I'll even watch HALF of Davison's stories?

I know one thing... as soon as I'm done with his, I'll be pulling out CAMPION to watch again.  Man, I LOVE that show!!!

[paw broon]

Very interesting points, prof, but I see it a bit differently.  Tegan is a nasty piece of work at times but she's one of my favourite companions and Davison is my 2nd. favourite Doctor, after Troughton.
But back to Logopolis and before I say anything more, I should admit that it's been ages since I watched it.  At first broadcast, I thought it was good, featuring a nasty Master and Davison's Doctor being so watchable. Now you've set me thinking and I need to dig it out to see it again.
Where I do agree wholeheartedly with you is about JNT and I feel the show would have been much better had almost anyone else been in charge.
Like you, I'm a big fan of Campion and have the box set, bit I'd like to recommend another Davison vehicle, The Last Detective, based on the books by Leslie Thomas.  A well done, low key police series and the genius casting of Sean Hughes as his pal Mod.
As I'm not watching Who in any particular order, I've recently watched the first episode of Enemy of the World, which I only bought last week; the 2 Peladon stories and the current series with Capaldi.

[profh0011]

Managed to plow through ALL 53 episodes of ULTRAMAN TARO !! --despite them being in Japanese with no dubbing and no sub-titles!  A few episodes have turned up online dubbed into English, but those, the picture quality sucks real bad, and, the voice-dubbing is awful.  I've really enjoyed the showe, but so many times, I wish I knew what they were talking about, I know I'm missing so much.

This morning-- the 1st episode of ULTRAMAN LEO.  Took a bit to find it at all-- it's on some 3rd site other than Youtube or Dailymotion.  Fortunately, it's a sharp, crisp print, but while it's again in Japanese, this time, it has SUBTITLES!!  Yay!

After the generally more light-hearted tone of TARO, LEO looks like a step back toward "serious" (in the same way TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA was, around the same time).  After going so much into the "brothers" in ACE, and the more convoluted family doings in TARO, I wondered how they were going to continue with yet another ULTRA guy.  Simple-- this one comes from an entirely different star system, one whose planet was destroyed by a pair of monsters.  He's been living on Earth as a human for years already, when the same 2 monsters show up here.  And the story starts with them fighting-- and KILLING (!!!) -- ULTRA 7 !!!

SEVEN's human host, Dan Moribushi, it turns out, is a regular on this show-- now in command of the Space Patrol's MAC (Monsters Attacking Command) space station.  HE urges "Gen Ootori" (LEO's human form) to join the MAC, and defend the Earth HIMSELF.  At a key point, Gen is frustrated at being the only one who knows those 2 monsters are out there, and wants to go off on his own to fight them-- while Dan (now his commanding officer) insists that, while living on Earth as humans, they have to follow the rules of the humans.  Just then, a report comes in the 2 monsters are attacking Tokyo, bent on total destruction, and he goes into action... and is in the process of having his head handed to him when we get to the cliffhanger.  MAN!  This show is determined to "raise the stakes"!

[crashryan]

I didn't stick with Ultraman, but I remember fondly watching the original series when I was attending college. This was long before the whole anime/manga mania so the show came totally out of left field and we loved it (and became obsessed with speaking in dubbed-dialogue style). The same station also showed Yusha Raideen. That was my first exposure to giant robos. Again, I loved it. Bought several Raideen books at the local Japanese store. One even came with a mini phonograph record featuring two cut-down episodes. I still have a beautiful little (6-inch tall) die-cast Raideen. Wonder if anybody would buy it.

Ultraman was shown in a dubbed version but Raideen was in Japanese with English subtitles which, according to the credits, were added by an Hawaiian TV station. The stupidest things stick with one...I still can sing snatches of the Raideen theme song. But I don't.

[profh0011]

Found out some strange stuff this year.

ULTRA Q was planned to be dubbed into English along with ULTRA MAN, by MGM (I think).  Rumor has it, they did, but then at the last minute decided B&W was no longer popular.  So, instead, United Artists dubbed ULTRA MAN.  best damn English dubbing I have ever encountered in my life for anything from Japan.  Anyone who complains about silly voices or poor lip-synching NEVER WATCHED that show!!!!!

My impression is, the first 3 episodes of ULTRA Q were actually filmed in color-- perhaps as a "pilot" film in case it didn't sell as a series.  But, the rest were done in B&W.  I recall, the pilot for VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA was filmed in color, while the rest were done in B&W, and that pilot was broadcast in B&W, the color version never turning up until the 90s.  I have seen ONE episode of ULTRA Q dubbed into English... and while nice, after seeing the entire series in Japanese (with NO subtitles, dammit), the English voiced didn't sound right!  (heh)  Also, one later episode I found in color-- but I d not believe it was filmed in color, but instead, in B&W, and "colorized" afterwards.  You could tell!!  (It looked kinda "gray".)

I'd dearlyr wish to see ULTRA SEVEN in Japanese with subtitles.  The American distributor who dubbed it into English in the mid-80s TOTALLY BASTARDIZED the show, with STUPID dialogue and tons of SEXIST attitudes.

I didn't really think to look for ULTRAMAN RETURNS in Japanese.  Only see one episode, dubbed into English.

Found MOST of ULTRAMAN ACE in English.  But still a pile I haven't seen yet.

I saw the first 3 or 4 episodes of ULTRAMAN TARO dubbed into English, but the prints were HORRIBLE, and the English voices were TERRIBLE!  It's no wonder, once I found it in Japanese, with sharp, clear, pristene prints (but, no subtitles or dubbing) I continued watching that way.  Even not knowing what was going on half the time, was better than those awful dubbed versions.

I'm so glad ULTRAMAN LEO has subtitles.  That I can deal with!




Most of the regulars on ULTRAMAN played different parts, usually as guest stars, in ULTRA Q.  That show was intended to be Japan's answer to THE TWILIGHT ZONE, but it's more like THE OUTER LIMITS crossed with THE NIGHT STALKER.  the girl who played Fuji on ULTRAMAN is the reporter on ULTRA Q, and looks MUCH cuter with short hair!  "Hayata" turned up as a scientist, "Mura" as a soldier (I think), while "Ito" turned up as a bank robber in a comedy episode (the guy had a real talent for humor).  "Harashi", meanwhile, returned as a regular on ULTRA SEVEN, but, playing a different character in the different defense team.

[Captain Audio]

The "Mission Mars" film was on the whole a disappointment. Despite excellent story idea and professional acting much of it seems like it was the work of high school kids.
Special effects were sparse, relying mainly on stock footage from early NASA lift offs. A few scenes had surprisingly good effects while other scenes had very amateurish effects.

The Astronauts had the most un convincing spacesuits ever. Little more than a jogging suits and crash helmet with no neck covering at all. Like you might see in the most low budget of Italian Sci Fi. The single Cosmonaut on the other hand wore a 60's Airforce surplus high altitude pressure suit.

This is one of a very few older films that deserves a properly done modern remake, the story idea is worth the effort though it would take a full rewrite.
In some ways the film reminds me of late 30's early 40's sci fi comic books.

[mr_goldenage]

This....warning content not for all

http://alkislarlayasiyorum.com/icerik/164102/maskeli-ucler-safiye-yanki-1971-56-dk

[crashryan]

What the HELL is this?? The site presents it as if it's a full-length movie, but it seems to be a compilation of random scenes. Love the realistic fights and the gym shorts on the masked heroes.

[mr_goldenage]

Actually the first bit is the Trailer for the movie and then the Movie itself gets going right around the time Hatchet Man and Stripper/Dancer/naked girl stop and where Hatchet Man kills Smoking Fish Man @ Doc. From then it would help if it had subtitles.....but I've watched it plenty of times (I have a hardcopy) and even with the sound off (that actually helps sometimes - sometimes not.)Still for a B&W 1971 costumed crimefighters (and yes even a Female one!) It's not bad nor to hard to follow once you get past the trailer.....my bad I should have mentioned that.......... :-(

Richard


O and just got a new/copy of a I guess Complete Kizile Maske - progeny of the Turkish Phantom # II. From 1968, cool!

[narfstar]

That Turkish site has lots of Super Adam movies to watch also

[mr_goldenage]

yes and with the right free S/W you can"save" them too.FYI.

Richard

[profh0011]

after seeing as much as I've been able to recently of ULTRA Q, ULTRA MAN, ULTRA SEVEN, ULTRAMAN RETURNS, ULTRAMAN ACE, and ULTRAMAN TARO, this part week I started in on ULTRAMAN LEO.

While TARO was often light-hearted, sometimes slapstick, and almost every episode included children important to the plot, LEO-- made the same year as TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA-- goes completely the other way!!

So many differences... the newest defense force, MAC, has their HQ in a satellite orbitting the Earth (just like the 70s JLA).  Apart from the 2 main characters, we never get to know the rest of the squad, as they keep getting KILLED off with frightening regularity.  Instead of pro wrestling-style fights, we get KUNG FU!!! (With giant monsters!)  Dan Moroboshi, alias ULTRA SEVEN, returns as the commander of the MAC.  In the first episode, he's beaten so badly, not only is his leg broken, but the special glasses that allow him to transform into his true self, ULTRA SEVEN, are destroyed.  SEVEN is effectively DEAD!  The new guy, Gen Ootori, just like Dan, is ALSO an alien, who took on human form (NOT merged with a dead Earthman), coming to Earth to live after his own planet was wiped out by monsters-- the same ones who "kill" SEVEN.  And in each story, LEO gets his ass kicked early on, then has Dan put him through LIVING HELL training to learn special fighting techniques to defeat each new monster threat.  (And Dan used to be such a nice guy...)  This entire series is overshadowed by gloom doom, and death.  (I never should have looked at the Wikipedia page in advance...)

It finally hit me... this show was made the same year the martial arts fad was at its peak.  It's what you'd get if you crossed ULTRA MAN with Bruce Lee.

Lee-- LEO-- I get it!!!

This turned out to be the last ULTRA series for 5 years...

[Captain Audio]

After hearing of the passing of Robert Loggia I looked up episodes of "T.H.E. Cat" on youtube.
First thing I noticed was that in the Black and White episodes practically every frame of film was like Chiaroscuro artwork.

Theres a comic book based on the TV series, we may have files on this site.

The series is often very dark in mood.
In the episode I just watched a murderous Matador quoted lines from "Lament for Ignacio Sanchez Mejias" by Federico Garc

[narfstar]

Anyone else watching the new series Into the Badlands and Agent X. Both are OK but enjoying Badlands the most

[bowers]

Haven't seen Badlands yet, but like Agent X. Just finished BBC-USA's The Last Kingdom- quite good, similar to Vikings. Also enjoying the new season of Librarians. Cheers, Bowers

[profh0011]

Tuesday, December 22, 2015.

I went to the MOVIES today. The film started approx 9:15 A.M.!!!!! Yes, I know how crazy that is.

"SPECTRE"

Incredibly, this was the 1st movie I went to see since Tim Burton's "DARK SHADOWS".

Okay, it wasn't exactly what I'd call "highly entertaining"... but I did laugh in quite a few spots. And I would rank it as a "damn good movie".

The nicest surprises, I liked the new "M" (Ralph Fiennes) better than the last few (he actually reminds me of the one from the books and the comics more than Bernard Lee did, who was always a bit too hard-nosed and cold-blooded). And the new "Q" was also quite likable. And shockingly YOUNG.

I'm only pissed that I have yet to see "SKYFALL" (the first Bond film I've missed since "LIVE AND LET DIE"), and this is clearly not only a direct sequel to that, but, ALL 4 films with Daniel Craig comprise ONE "big story" (which I suspected while watching the 2nd one).

[profh0011]

This year's "007" film, "SPECTRE", while admitedly an "original" story, contains elements from QUITE A FEW earlier films in the series.

However... it also contains at least 3 important elements that did NOT appear in any Ian Fleming novel, or any of the films from the 60s-- all 3 of which DID appear in a SINGLE Jack Kirby "NICK FURY" storyline from the 60s!!!

*****SPOILERS!!!!!*****

1 - "Quantum" is revealed to have been a subsidiary of "Spectre" all along.

STRANGE TALES #149 (Oct'66) -- "Advanced Idea Mechanics" (A.I.M.) is revealed to have been a subsidiary of "Hydra" all along.

2 - A major action set-piece takes place at a Spectre base in the desert of North Africa.

STRANGE TALES #150-152 (Nov'66-Jan'67) -- A major action set-piece takes place at an Egyptian temple in the desert of North Africa, which hides an undergrond "Hydra" base.

3 - The HEAD MAN in "Spectre" is revealed to be someone from Bond's past, who has been operating for 20 years under a false name.

STRANGE TALES #156-158 (May-Jul'67) -- "The Supreme Hydra" is revealed to be someone from Fury's past, who has been operating for 20 years under a variety of false names.

Any 1 of these I could figure was a coincidence. But all 3 in the SAME story? I think not. This strikes me as merely the latest in a LONG line of Hollywood films "influenced" by the writing of Jack Kirby-- UNCREDITED, unacknowledged, as always.

At this point, Disney would probably try to sue Eon if they suspected this were the case.

[narfstar]

Well Prof we just won't tell Disney now will we 

[jimmm kelly]

I wonder if there's anyone else on here who, like me, grew up in Vancouver during the '60s and watched BATMAN on channel 8.

I'm writing a blog on the debut of that TV show 50 years ago and I remember it being on at 5 on Tuesdays (initially, later it was moved to 7).

I was thinking I must be wrong--since all the sites say BATMAN was on Wednesdays and Thursdays. I'll have to get to the library and check the local papers from that week to see if I'm right or not. But I don't know if I'll have time to get there before the anniversary.

I know I must be right that it was on Tuesday, because I have a photo of Batman and Robin that I sent away to the TV station to get at the time--and on this photo it says that Batman is at 5 on channels 8 and 6 (6 was the Victoria station and usually didn't come in as well as channel 8 ).

I just don't know if channel 8 broadcast the first episode on January 11th--a day ahead of the American broadcast--or if the first ep debuted the following week in Vancouver, on January 18th. I'd like to believe it was on the 11th, since that would mean I got the jump on a lot of American kids.

I also believe that channel 8 showed both episodes back to back on Tuesday. Rather than showing them on different days as in the States. I didn't have to wait a day to see how B & R got out of the sticky situation they found themselves in every week.

[jimmm kelly]

I made the time to get to the library and check this out on the microfilm. I am right. BATMAN made its debut on January 11th in Vancouver. Those poor saps in Seattle had to be content with watching the first half on Wednesday at 7:30, on channel 4--and the second half on Thursday, same Bat-time, saome Bat-channel. Mind you, since we got channel 12 from Bellingham (if a bit fuzzy) in Vancouver, I expect those in Bellingham and surrounding areas could pick up channel 8 and see BATMAN early, as well.

BATMAN followed SOUPY SALES on our channel 8; meanwhile, SOUPY was up against FUN-O-RAMA (an hour of cartoons) on channel 12, then BATMAN competed head-to-head against SECRET SQUIRREL on 12.

On January 12th, LBJ gave his State of the Union Address on channel 12 and the other American stations--which I expect could have interfered with Batman's debut on ABC. Check your local listings.