[josemas]

Movie Nights have been someone scarce this Summer what with various people going off on vacations and all but we did squeeze one in recently-

The Mad Doctor-1941-Paramount-  Basil Rathbone has the title role playing a villainous role (a man who marries woman and then kills them for their money) in between his appearances as Sherlock Holmes.  Apparently based on some actual events.

The Wolf-1926-  One of my buddies picked up a nice 16mm print of this film.  Fearless the dog is the hero of this 2 reel flick.  Dog heroes were very popular in the 1920s with Rin Tin Tin and Strongheart being the best known.

plus episodes of The Son of Tarzan (1920) and The Dick Van Dyke Show (1965).



Some of what the Lil Missus and I have been watching-

The Invisible Man Returns (1940)-Universal-  I have a special fondness for this entry in the series because it was the first one I ever saw as a kid (not counting his cameo in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein).

Mega Piranha (2010)-The Asylum-  This company-The Asylum- seems to specialize in doing quick ripoffs of popular movies that go straight to video (they came out with a Thor movie just before the recent theatrical release) and cable (SyFy runs quite a few of their films).  Some are just awful but some, like this one, can be fun as long you don't expect much.

The Invisible Woman (1940)-Universal-  They go for laughs with this one.  Fine cast including John Barrymore, Virginia Bruce, Charlie Ruggles, Edward Brophy and Shemp Howard.

The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)-  One of our favorite John Wayne movies features fine Henry Hathaway direction, a rousing Elmer Bernstein score and and an excellent cast that includes Dean Martin, Earl Holliman, James Gregory, George Kennedy, Dennis Hopper and Paul Fix.

Rikki Tikki Tavi-1974-Chuck Jones-  I remember seeing this cartoon adaptation of the Rudyard Kipling story on TV back in the 70s so was very happy to find it on a DVD collection of six Chuck Jones cartoons that I ran across at Big Lots.

plus episodes of Hogan's Heroes (1965), The Addams Family (1965), Ark II (1976), Honey West (1966), The Wild Wild West (1965), Voyagers (1982), Zorro (1958), The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1957), Mad Men (2008), The Munsters (1964), Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1956) and some Disney Pluto cartoons from the 1950s.

Some odds and ends-

Sukiyaki Western Django (2007)-  Takashi Miike directs this wild take on Spaghetti westerns- Japanese style.   Filmed in English (although you'll probably need to use the subtitles as most of the actors seem to be speaking their lines phonetically and aren't always easy to understand).

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)-   I'm on a Woody Allen kick now and trying to catch up on some of his more recent films that I have missed. This one is an interesting romance story with Scarlett Johansson. Rebecca Hall and Javier Bardem.  Filmed on location is Spain. 

Shock (1977)-  Italian horror king Mario Bava thriller.  Okay but no where near as good as some of his 1960s classics (Black Sabbath, Black Sunday).

Man in the Saddle (1951)-  Decent Randolph Scott western.  Great Technicolor location shooting and a nice knock-down drag-em-out fight sequence between Scott and John (Lawman) Russell help enliven it.

Flying Leathernecks (1951)-  John Wayne and Robert Ryan head the cast in this Technicolor WWII flick (produced by Howard Hughes) that makes use of quite a bit of actual 16mm color documentary footage (easily distinguishable because of the difference in sharpness and wear between it and the new 35mm footage).  First time viewing this one since the 1970s.

The Host (2006)-  Korean monster flick.  Cool looking monster but at two hours it goes on a bit too long.

Plus a few more Tennessee Tuxedo cartoons (1963) and the first episode of the the King Kong cartoon series from 1966 featuring Kong and friends as well as Tom of T.H.U.M.B. 

Best

Joe

[profh0011]

There's been a lot of tv cartoon series based on movies, but I think the KING KONG series having a live-action spin-off with KING KONG ESCAPES has to be almost unique, doesn't it?  And the crazy thing is, it wound up being (in my opinion) one of the BEST Japanese giant-monster movies ever made!  (Certainly one of my top favorites.)

[Menticide]

About the only reason to watch this is Christopher Lee.

[profh0011]

ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN

Bela Lugosi is SOOOO cool in this film.




FRANKENSTEIN  (1931)
THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN  (1957)

First time I ever watched these 2 back-to-back, and in the same night!

There's only one scene in the Hammer Film that really mirrors the Universal one, and it's when they cut down the criminal hanging by the roadside.

[josemas]

There's been a lot of tv cartoon series based on movies, but I think the KING KONG series having a live-action spin-off with KING KONG ESCAPES has to be almost unique, doesn't it?  And the crazy thing is, it wound up being (in my opinion) one of the BEST Japanese giant-monster movies ever made!  (Certainly one of my top favorites.)

Until recently I never knew that the Kong cartoon series was related to the movie.   I saw the movie for the first (and I believe last) time about two years after the series ran and remember next to nothing about it but you have piqued my interest so I'll have to see if it's available on DVD.

I didn't remember much about the cartoon series either (except for the cool theme song which has been engrained in my head since the age of eight) until I picked up this set.  Rankin and Bass (best know for the Holiday animated classic Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer) produced the series under the name of Videocraft but the actual animation was farmed out to Toei Studios giving the cartoon an anime look of sorts.

Best

Joe

[josemas]

About the only reason to watch this is Christopher Lee.

So which of the two TV movies is this from?  My three decade plus memory of them is that they were both pretty mediocre (although I still had the Lil' Missus record them for another look).

Curious 

Joe

[Menticide]

About the only reason to watch this is Christopher Lee.

So which of the two TV movies is this from?  My three decade plus memory of them is that they were both pretty mediocre (although I still had the Lil' Missus record them for another look).

Curious 

Joe

It could have been the first one, but I was watching the second one at the time, and just thinking about how awful Reb Brown was, and how much I hated the costume. I am such a Cap fan, that I can be awfully forgiving, and I probably was very forgiving when I first saw those, but boy has Cap ever been mistreated by filmmakers over the years. I'd say so much so, that even if this new movie is only so-so, it would be such an improvement over the past that fans like me will feel the need to praise it.

Just an observation...

[paw broon]

I've never seen these tv Cap. shows.  I dug out the serial the other night and had another go but it's pretty poor.  Apart from carrying a handgun, he doesn't really get to use it as it's always kicked/knocked out of his hand. Not a lot of technology available back then to make the shield hit umpteen things and come back to his hand. 
We've been watching New Tricks, re-runs of Castle and The Mentalist (both of which are on tonight) and I borrowed a copy of Caltiki, The Immortal Monster which I saw about 10 years ago.  It's still good entertainment.  Time to tell me I've no taste?

[Menticide]

I've never seen these tv Cap. shows.  I dug out the serial the other night and had another go but it's pretty poor.  Apart from carrying a handgun, he doesn't really get to use it as it's always kicked/knocked out of his hand. Not a lot of technology available back then to make the shield hit umpteen things and come back to his hand. 
We've been watching New Tricks, re-runs of Castle and The Mentalist (both of which are on tonight) and I borrowed a copy of Caltiki, The Immortal Monster which I saw about 10 years ago.  It's still good entertainment.  Time to tell me I've no taste?

The two TV movies were an attempt on the part of CBS to develop it into a full-fledged series. They also tried it with Doctor Strange (one pilot movie, nothing else), Spider-Man (which lasted for about thirteen episodes, I have a few of them on VHS, and a DVD-R copy of the pilot) and of course their one true success in this venture was the Incredible Hulk.

[josemas]

The two TV movies were an attempt on the part of CBS to develop it into a full-fledged series. They also tried it with Doctor Strange (one pilot movie, nothing else), Spider-Man (which lasted for about thirteen episodes, I have a few of them on VHS, and a DVD-R copy of the pilot) and of course their one true success in this venture was the Incredible Hulk.

My vague memory of the Dr. Strange TV movie is that it was was much better than the two Cap movies.  I'd certainly like another look at it. 
I'm surprised that the old Spider-Man TV series hasn't gotten a DVD release what with the success of the theatrical movies in recent years.  I did catch a couple episodes of those again on TV when sci-fi (or someone) ran them a few years back.  Not too bad but hampered by the budgets and effects technology of the era.

Best

Joe

[profh0011]

I've only ever seen the DR. STRANGE movie once, when it was first-run.  But the following things always stuck in my head...

1 - Peter Hooten looked like he stepped right out of Frank Brunner's artwork

2 - it was better than SPIDER-MAN, HULK and CAPTAIN AMERICA

3 - Both "The Ancient One" (an English actor, John Mills) and "Morgan Le Fey" (Jessica Walters, of PLAY MISTY FOR ME) seemed to have stepped right out of the previous year's run of SPIDER-WOMAN (Wolfman & Infantino) more than any DR. STRANGE comics ever done.  Was someone reading the wrong comics for inspiration?

Since then, I read, to my surprise, that FRANK BRUNNER actually worked as a consultant on the film.  WHOA!!!



Haven't seen it since the 70's, but recently, I did see the MANDRAKE movie from a year or so later.  DR. STRANGE was also WAYYYY better than THAT!

Essentially... from a time period (the late 70's) when damn near EVERYTHING on TV really sucked, especially adaptations of "classic" chartacters, DR. STRANGE... wasn't bad.  (Not "great", but NOT BAD!)

[Menticide]

I've never seen these tv Cap. shows.  I dug out the serial the other night and had another go but it's pretty poor.  Apart from carrying a handgun, he doesn't really get to use it as it's always kicked/knocked out of his hand. Not a lot of technology available back then to make the shield hit umpteen things and come back to his hand. 
We've been watching New Tricks, re-runs of Castle and The Mentalist (both of which are on tonight) and I borrowed a copy of Caltiki, The Immortal Monster which I saw about 10 years ago.  It's still good entertainment.  Time to tell me I've no taste?

I was thinking this morning that I needed to see that serial eventually. Later on today my wife, my daughter, and I were bouncing around some of the local thrift stores, and I found a copy of the complete Captain America serial from 1944 for a mere one dollar.

[profh0011]

I've seen the CAP serial 3 times. To me, it just keeps getting better.  The crusading district attourney, his beautiful yet tough-as-nails woman assistant (she packs a gun, too), the main villain who is one of the most UNSPEAKABLY evil, ruthlessly murderous S.O.B.s I've ever seen in an "old" movie (Lionel Atwill was NEVER this rotten in anything else I've seen him in), and of course, fight scenes that could have stepped right out of a Jack Kirby comic and an obsession with high explosives. What's it got to do with "Captain America"? WHO CARES?

Legend has it the film was well under way in pre-production as a MR. SCARLET serial when they realized MR. SCARLET had dropped in popularity, so they just changed the name and costume.  I know that's nuts, but it makes more "sense" (heh) than any ideas that they just "got" CAP all wrong.

Tragically, like Bruce Lee & ENTER THE DRAGON, the star died shortly after filming completed.  Damn. I wish they'd have done a 2nd one.



I need to see MORE serials!!! I always wondered, since there were so many of them, why some TV station didn't just get ahold of a whole PILE of them, and run them all in the same time slot, one chapter a day.  They could go on for a year or more without ever running the same episode twice! That's how I'D run a station. Give people a reason to KEEP tuning in!!

[Menticide]

Think Fast, Mr. Moto

I love all of these movies, but I was surprised to hear that Peter Lorre couldn't stand making them, and was more than happy to see the series end. What a shame, he was great in the role.

[narfstar]

I enjoyed Peter Lorre in pretty much anything he did. Many of the movie seriels are in pd and available online. I saw the new Cap movie and it was OK. Not great but pretty good. I don't think the 3D added much but had moments. I am not big on ranking things but my wife liked Green Lantern better than Cap although she liked both.

[Menticide]

I enjoyed Peter Lorre in pretty much anything he did. Many of the movie seriels are in pd and available online. I saw the new Cap movie and it was OK. Not great but pretty good. I don't think the 3D added much but had moments. I am not big on ranking things but my wife liked Green Lantern better than Cap although she liked both.

I was supposed to go see Captain America this weekend, but my plans fell through. I will more than likely see it pretty soon.

I found a boxed set of Mr. Moto DVDs this weekend for five bucks and I am currently working my way through them. I have been a big fan of Peter Lorre for as long as I can remember. I saw a copy of the Criterion Edition of Fritz Lang's M in a clearance bin at Borders last week. Lorre was excellently creepy in that movie. From what I have heard, they will be marking everything down even further starting today, I think it might a good day to check the store out again.

[josemas]

I need to see MORE serials!!! I always wondered, since there were so many of them, why some TV station didn't just get ahold of a whole PILE of them, and run them all in the same time slot, one chapter a day.  They could go on for a year or more without ever running the same episode twice! That's how I'D run a station. Give people a reason to KEEP tuning in!!

I remember back in the 1960s when Batman was very popular one of our local stations did run a Republic serial chapter (or maybe two-my memories a little vague on the details) each afternoon weekdays. I always made sure to get home from school in time to catch them.

When I was living in New Jersey attending the Kubert School we had a station that ran chapters of Buster Crabbe's three Universal Flash Gordon serials and his Buck Rogers serial each Saturday.  AMC, back in the 1990s and TCM more recently have also run chapter-plays on Saturday mornings.

I have older friends who remember regularly seeing serials run on TV in the 1950s.

Nowadays I always seem to have two or three serials going.  I watch one every Friday morning (currently re-watching Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars-1938) and we always have one going at Movie Nights (currently Son of Tarzan-1920) plus the Lil' Missus and I occasionally work one into our movie watching schedule.  I tend to go for a chapter a week rather than one a day.

Most sound serials are extant and many are available on DVD so there are enough out there to keep me happy for years to come.

Best

Joe

[profh0011]

"What a shame, he was great in the role."

"Please don't be alarmed. I'm merely trying to break into the safe."

[profh0011]

Today:

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HOLLOWS  Part 2



Wow.

[Menticide]

"What a shame, he was great in the role."

"Please don't be alarmed. I'm merely trying to break into the safe."

This may sound a bit silly, but since he was a Judo expert, Mr. Moto was technically the first martial arts hero depicted in American cinema.

[narfstar]

Interesting observation great trivia fact

[josemas]

Today:
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HOLLOWS  Part 2

Wow.

The Lil' Missus and I recently watched the DVD of Part 1 and she is pestering me to take her to see Part 2 so I expect we'll be checking it out in the near future.

Best

Joe

[profh0011]

As might be expected, the overwhelming majority of reviews I read yesterday (after seeing the film) were complaining incessantly about this or that from the book wasn't in the movie, or was changed, etc...  There's a thread at the IMDB which focused on the idea that movie adaptations should be able to be stand on their own and be judged by their own standards.  I've never read the books (and probably never will with my current habits), and I enjoyed the first 7 films in a row immensely. I can't think of ANY other film series which didn't really go bad MUCH earlier than this.

I liked most of the 8th film... though I will admit, within its own internal logic, even I had a few problems.  But not enough to dismiss it like too many films. I do think it might have helped if it were, say, another 5 or 10 mintes LONGER, to fit in a lot of things that seemed essential, especially considering it was the grand finale of an 8-film storyline! (Has anyone, outside of TV, ever attempted anything like this???)

[profh0011]

THE AVENGERS:  MAN IN THE MIRROR

Not Much Fun at the Funfair     *****

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Steed catches hell from his latest superior, "One Six", for showing up late for a briefing, and for having a "lone wolf" attitude. A cipher clerk has (ALLEGEDLY!) committed suicide, and Steed's job is to find out if it was really that or murder. Re-doing all the secret codes (or not) hangs in the balance, though Steed wisely suggests they should probably be changed anyway.

Now, because Steed found a ticket for a "funfair" (combination penny arcade & haunted house) in the dead man's effects, he convinces (CONS!) his attractive singer friend Venus Smith into taking his dog Sheba for a walk there, and snapping some pictures while she's at it. And as luck would have it, WHO should turn up in one of the photos, but the man who supposedly COMMITTED SUICIDE a week earlier!

I'll be honest here... while I find myself getting into these early videotaped stories more and more, even I found this one a bit on the dull side. Had this been done on film (and possibly on location), the funfair at the very least could have made it quite visually interesting. But on video in a cramped studio, it's reduced to being a too-serious, somewhat twisted character study.

A few bits of business involve, will the wife of the funfair owner run off with the foreign spy when he gets the traitor out of the country? Is the wife of the traitor being up-front with Steed after she confides that she knows her husband is alive? And why DID Venus go back to the funfair ON HER OWN, anyway?

As usual for these 6 oddball episodes, it's Venus Smith that makes it worth sitting through. By this point, it's clear she knows what Steed does for a living, they just don't discuss it. "I believe you-- I BELIEVE YOU!! --THOUSANDS wouldn't." (Hilarious.) So when she finds the recording studio has been burgled while she was working, or when someone later starts pointing a gun in her face, she's not as surprised as she might have been a few stories ago. WORRIED, yes, but not surprised.

Steed shows a lot of what appears to be very genuine warm affection for her. I have no trouble understanding that. The more I watch her episodes, the more I find myself thinking, of all the "Avengers girls", Venus is the one I'd probably most like to have for a girlfriend.

Among the guest cast are Ray Barrett (the voice of "Commander Shore" on STINGRAY and "John Tracy" on THUNDERBIRDS) as the villain, and David Graham ("Dr. Beaker" on SUPERCAR, "Prof. Matic" on FIREBALL XL5, various voices on STINGRAY, "Gordon", "Brains" and "Parker" on THUNDERBIRDS, and Professor Kerensky in the Tom Baker-Lala Ward DOCTOR WHO story, "City Of Death") as Venus' record Producer.

[Menticide]

Just finished watching Dylan Dog Dead of Night, not bad, it was rather fun, but I still prefer the comic book, and I really do not see why they had to make so many changes for the film.