March 2025 is something of a blur, because I spent a chunk of it prepping for (minor) surgery on the first day of April. So, let’s take a look and see what we have for this month…
First off, we have the return of the beloved Monster Kid Radio Saturday Twitch stream, not every week, but about every 2 weeks. After a long absence, it’s nice to have Derek & the crew back together on a regular basis. (I just finished recording an episode of MKR, too.) So, you’ll find a few odd & interesting things in the list because of that.
Because Gary Con was in March, I also dived back into Dark Shadows, to better run an unofficial Role-Playing Game (RPG) adventure based on the show. (I also ran two dinosaurs vs. human-themed adventures. My wife and I continued our love of Longmire, and I continued blasting through Death in Paradise and other mystery shows, including a triumphant return of Father Brown.
I also started watching the films of low-budget filmmakers Ray Dennis Steckler and Al Adamson via the super-cool box set collections of their works. More about those 2 in the coming months, I’m sure. Happily, we also get a brand new film from retro-SF/Horror auteur, Christopher R. Mihm. So, let’s get to it!
Here’s the usual ratings system:
* – This film is not good. Avoid it unless you tolerate dreck well.
** – A flawed film. You may enjoy it if you like this genre or the folks in it.
*** – A good solid film. If you like this genre, you’ll probably like this film.
**** – A superior film within its genre. Thoroughly enjoyable.
***** – An outstanding film on many levels. A great example of its genre.
Note that some shows I’ve given a parenthetical star rating, usually adding (occasionally subtracting) stars, depending on how your amusement may differ from mine. I’ve explained the meaning in the reviews themselves. Mostly.
Cult of the Cobra (1955) *** A bunch of GIs in post-WWII Asia buy their way into spying on the titular cult as a lark before heading back to the US. But when one of their number foolishly tries to snap pictures, the forbidden ceremony turns into a riot & the Americans flee. That doesn’t stop the cult leader from cursing them, though, & the vengance of the Cult of the Cobra follows them back home, killing them one by one. Is the beutiful girl that one of them has just fallen i love with responsible? Unlike many Universal films from the 1950s, this flick has a supernatural, not a science fiction, base — and that makes it much more enjoyable. No copping out or fake monsters here! It’s pretty dark & stays that way.
Daikon Film’s Return of Ultraman (1983 fan film) *** When a giant monster from space attacks, the Space Patrol (or whatever they’re called here) are forced to wipe out what’s left of a small town in order to try to save humanity. When that fails, they’re about to resort to nuclear weapons when one of their own members transforms into Ultraman (strangely without the usual uniform and helmet — probably for reasons of copyright). It’s weird to see an ultraman looking just like a giant human with glasses and hair, but the SPFX are sincere & the miniatures — cities, space ships, etc — very well done. Aside from Ultraman just being a giant guy, this closely mimics a standard Ultraman episode. Though the monster is a little cheesier than the usual cheesy monsters — very home made. It even has its own theme song(s), though I don’t know if those are original or lifted from the TV shows.
Godzilla Apex (2021 fan film) **(*) A years-long fan project done entirely with toys. (Live manipulation, not stop motion.) In an apocalyptic future, a small group of people decide to brave the wastelands to destroy Godzilla, whom they blame for the ruin of their lives. (Probably rightly.) Along the way, they have some Road-Warrior-like adventures, meeting other toys, all of whom are about as friendly & helpful as you’d expect from a RW film, or the Walking Dead. Eventually, there are a series of pretty-darn cool monster battles, including very gory splatter FX for both humans & daikaiju (giant monsters), which made me wonder how many toys gave their “lives” to make this film. Lots, I’m betting. The film, assembled I think from shorter chapters made over nearly a decade, is crazy long (2 hours 45 minutes!) & often drags during the chatty human scenes. But the action is sometimes surprisingly great. And the love behind the project is evident in every frame (if indeed it can be said to have frames). There were moments where I laughed at the audacity & applauded the outcomes. So, people who can put up with long, “experimental” cinema (like me) can give it that extra star. If they trimmed it down to just the essentials (losing maybe an hour of runtime), I might give it more stars. My wife, though, who doesn’t generally like kaiju flicks declared it “the best Godzilla film ever” because of all the monster deaths. (She doesn’t like that most kaiju are indestructible.)
Living with Monsters – A History of Super Fauna (2024) *** Fan-made or perhaps DVD-extras-made film looking at the supposed history of giant monsters as if it were a 1950s-style documentary science film. The clips are good, as are the SPFX used in them. While not a blockbuster, almost sure to get a smile from any Monster Kid.
Gamera vs. Viras (1968) *** Gamera had hit its “programmer” level by the time this story about space aliens (in bumblebee colored black & yellow ships) come to Earth with the usual ideas of conquest. Naturally, opposed to them are a couple of kids who start the story by reprogramming a mini-sub in a way that they can drive, but makes it dangerous to anyone else. Soon, they befriend Gamera underwater & barely escape the aliens’ attempt to capture the giant flying flame-breathing turtle. Squid-like Viras, it turns out, is a form of an alien zoo specimen that the bad guys magnify to try & kill the super turtle hero. It’s all good kiddy fun, but nothing spectacular.
Dan Curtis’ Dracula (1974 Sven) **** The creator of Dark Shadows brings his direct, muscular directing style to the story of the vampire count, which is a good match for Jack Palance’s powerful portrayal of the Transylvanian nobleman. Curtis also brought the “reincarnated lost love” backstory from DS’s Barnabas Collins to the Dracula mythos… And it’s stuck ever since. (Which I find annoying.) That aside, this is an interesting adaptation, with Dracula trying to regain his lost love while still battlling Van Helsing & company. Shot in locations, rather than sets, gives it a unique look.
Thing that Couldn’t Die, The (1958) ***(*) On a western farm, the cute girl with psychic powers & a dousing rod turns up an ancient chest under an old tree. But instead of holding treasure, it holds the decapitated head of a warlock, executed centuries before. The head (the titular Thing) uses it’s strong mental powers to dominate the ranch folk, turning them against each other & making them search for its body, so that it can live again. Sure, the plot is fairly standard, & the budget fairly low, but I still find this later Universal monster production fun & compelling. Give it the extra star if you like this kind of fluff, too.
Alice in Wonderland (2010) ***(*) Tim Burton’s take on Alice has a much older girl avoiding her smothering family’s betrothal ceremony by falling down the traditional rabbit hole & having various adventures in Wonderland. She encounters the usual characters, including the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), who’s her insane but devoted friend — apparenlty from her pretvious visit when she was a child. (Which she thinks as a dream or delusion.) She must face the Red Queen & eventually fight the Jabberocky (voiced by Christopher Lee). Lovely FX make this a fun romp through Burton whimsy for me. Your mileage may vary.
Around the World Under the Sea (1966) *** A diverse group of scientist including Lloyd Bridges, the dad from Flipper (Brian Kelly), a foxy woman (Bond Girl, Shirley Eaton), Keenan Wynn, & more that slip my mind undertake an around the world voyage beneath the waves to place seismic equipment that will help civilization avoid a series of catastrophic earthquakes & tsunamis. Be sure to watch this in widescreen to get the most out of the underwater photography. A bit slow in places, but beautiful in a way that only 1960s outdoor films can be. Plus has some nice suspense sequences, too.
Dinotopia: The Temptation (2002) *** After the cool mini-series, they did a short-lived Dinotopia TV series. When that didn’t last long, they apparently combined episodes of the series into “2 hour” TV movies. Like the Kolchak movies long ago, they didn’t seem to care taht the 2 episodes combined may not have much if any continuity. In this story, we first have our heroes — Earth brothers stranded in Dinotopia after crashing during a storm — contacting a group of shipwrecked people via jury-rigged radio, trying not to only help those folks but maybe escape. Then, the boys travel to part of Dinotopia where the warlike townsfolk fear & hate the dinosaurs, rather than working with them. (In Dinotopia, dinos & humans work together, & some dinosaurs even talk.) Not bad, but I’d hav rather seen the individual episodes. Sadly, they’re not easily available.
Longmire (S3 – 2014) ***** This season of Longmire focuses on elements left hanging at the end of last season, with more a season arc than a series of stand-alone tales. Branch drives himself nearly crazy, thinking that the man who shot him at the end of last season is a Native American man believed dead. Walt Longmire delves deeper into his wife’s death, while the authorities look at Walt as their prime suspect. Vic’s relationship with her husband continues to deteriorate over her devotion to the police force & Walt, while she is stalked by an ex-lover. And after all that comes to a head — and a lot of resolution — we get a shocking season ending reveal & cliffhanger. Great stuff!
One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing (1975) *** Amusing Disney family feature where stolen plans from an Asian power (sadly portrayed in yellowface by Peter Ustinov) get placed in a dinosaur bone in the British Natural History Museum. The great Helen Hayes leads a group of dedicated older woman trying to find the secrets & keep them from the bumbling Ustinov & company. Eventually, this involves kidnapping one of the dinosaur skeletons from the museum & driving it in a wild chase through the fogbound streets of 1920s London. Slight but amusing. Sadly, no living dinosaurs.
Shadow of the Cat (1961) **** In an interesting twist, greedy family kills their matriarch for an inheritance, only to fall prey one by one to the late woman’s cat — despite the heirs’ efforts to kill the kitty. Each time I watch this, I find it more amusing. Shot beautifully in black & white, it’s definitely worth seeing. I wont’ say m ore to avoid ruining any surprises.
In the Shadow of Shelley (Barbara Shelley) **** Interesting blu-ray extra interviewing Hammer starlet Barbara Shelley about her career & films. Made not too long before her death, she talks fondly & candidly on her work. On the SHADOW OF THE CAT blu-ray in Universal Horrors Collection, Set 6. (Currently out of print.)
Pumpkinhead (1988) **** After a man’s son dies in a hit & run motocross motorcycle accident, he sells his soul to conjure up the vengeful demon Pumpkinhead. Naturally, the monster then picks off the responsible teens one by one. The two things that make this horror film interesting are its atmospheric cinematography, & great monster FX makeup/creature by Stan Winston & crew.
Wynona Earp: Vengeance (2024) ***(*) In this sequel to the Wynona Earp series, she, her sister, & their cohorts have their seemingly settled down lives disrupted by the return of a vengeful demoness. There’s drinking, brawling, some (non-explicit) sex, danger galore, & all of the stuff you usually expect from a Wynona tale. If you enjoyed the series, as I did, you can give this the extra star.
Female Bunch, The (1971) *** After a series of bad experiences with men, a gang of women band together to fend for themselves. They life wild & free lives, running drugs over the Mexican border, having casual sex (mostly with men) & generally causing havoc wherever they go. This Al Adamson film actually makes more sense than a lot of his others & has a nice 1970s exploitation feeling to it. It also features Adamson “regulars” Russ Tamblyn & Lon Chane, Jr. I actually liked it.
Blood & Flesh – The Reel Life and Ghastly Death of Al Adamson (2019) **** Pat of the Al Adamson boxed set, this documentary looks at the filmmaker’s life as well as his movies, giving a good overview of the films he made, how he made them, & why the often got recut & rereleased under other titles to exploit changing markets (& drive-in movie opportunities). It also goes into great detal on the man’s sad & grisly murder, resuting both from him being pinching pennies too often & too trusting of the wrong person. Despite that sad end & never paying actors & crew much, people seemed to genuinely like the man. Good overview of his life.
Doctor Who – Joy to the World (Xmas 2024) ***** In another great Christmas Special, the Doctor checks into a multi-dimensional time hotel, only to find himself trapped in a small hotel on Earth, with nothing to do but wait for a year until another time portal opens to let him leave. This results in the kind of interesting character development & tie travel theories that I’ve coe to expect from Steven Moffat. If all the upcoming season episodes are as good as this kickoff, it will b a very good year for the Doctor. It even got a little dusty for me at the end.
Psycho A-Go-Go (1965) **(*) Another Al Adamson film that has a recognizable plot, a ruthless gang pulls of a diamond heist, killing one of their own, wounded members (Adamson), before accidentally losing the diamonds in the back of a pickup trick near the crime scene. The jewels end up in a little girl’s doll, & the gangsters end up tracking down first the father of the family, & eventually the mother & girl, leading to a chase through snow covered hills & cliffs in the climax. Another Adamson film that got recut into another feature: The Fiend with the Electronic Brain, and then another: Blood of Ghastly Horror.
Blood of Dracula’s Castle (1969) ** Tepid vampire film with the Count & Countess living in a remote castle & luring victims to their abode to feast on &/or sacrifice them to the Great God Luna. They also have a psycho friend, Johnny, who kills during the full moon — mostly. John Carradine is their evil butler, but even that cannot help this anemic story. Nor can its attempts at humor, which almost always fall flat. See also review of Dracula’s Castle.
Horror of the Blood Monsters (1970) **(*) Al Adamson took a Filipino horror movie with cave men & monsters & then shot some framing sequences in the US, turning the whole into an adventure on a prehistoric planet. Shades of Roger Corman, Prehistoric Planet(s), etc.! In any case, because the Filipino movie is in B&W, Adamson & crew color tinted that footage, and… Well, it’s kind of a mess. But there’s enough wacky stuff in the Filipino original — including lake & bat monsters — that I find this film fun to watch. Otherwise, it’s a 2-star affair.
Dracula’s Castle (1969) **(*) This is an alternat cut of Blood of Dracula’s castle & appears as an “extra” on the blu-ray. It is largely the same, except for w things: first it’s in Full Screen (3×4) rather than widescreen. Second, and more importantly, in this version of the film, Johnny turns into a werewolf during the full moon (aside from at the end — because who expects consistency from Adamson?). Believe it or not, that change makes the movie substantially better, at least for me. Though, like the other cut, it still falls short on sex & violence to be satisfying as exploitation.
Psych The Movie (2017) **** In the aftermath of their beloved (by me) series, Gus & Shawn have moved the Psych detective agency to San Francisco because… Well, who knows. Reasons. Juliet has also gone to SF to join the PD there, & you can bet that most of the rest of the original cast will show up, in one way or another. Shaw is avoiding proposing to Juliet until he can locate his grandmother’s stolen ring to propse with. But when Juliet’s partner is shot, naturally Shawn & Gus are on the case. Part super-long Psych show, part feel-good reunion, I really enjoyed this & I’m sure most fans will, too.
Three Bad Girls Who Find a Gun & Become Vampires (2025) **** The title says it all in the latest Christopher R. Mihm film, the first that Mihm has made “deliberately bad,” in homage to the Juvenile Delinquent exploitation films of the 1950s & 60s. Usually, Mihm’s films are loving homages, and I suppose you could call this one that, too — though it’s more delierately arch & over-the-top than the rest of his ouvre. (Which I should point out that I love.) Three “young” girls looking for thrills (some of whom are actually young), Alice Mihm, Elizabeth Kaiser, & Jackie Baker, decide to get payback for all the imagined slights of their lives. Things escalate when they find the titular gun. Unfortunately, one of their first intended victims turns out to be a vampire… Things go downhill for them after that. WE laughed a lot at this. Another fun film from Mihm & friends.
Jungle Cruise (2022) *** Emily Blunt is a scientist looking for an obscure plant that can cure — well, I guess everything. Dwayne Johnson runs the titular Jungle Cruise on the Amazon during WWI, bilking tourists with fake thrills while not hiring his African-Queen-like ratty boat out for private expeditions. Things become complicated when a German nobleman (with the name of a real person, it turns out), chases Emily’s character to gain the same plant she’s after. Oh, and he has a submarine & unlimited resources. Things get even more complicated because the jungle in question is haunted by undead conquistadors who also wanted that plant & soon team up with the German. If you think it sounds like there’s too much going on in this movie… You’re right! They could have streamlined out at least one of the plot elements, cut the run time, & made a better picture. But still, it’s a Disney movie based on a ride trying to follow in the footsteps of Pirates of the Caribbean, right? So, it MUST have as many of the same elements as possible. Despite too much of everything, the Indiana Jones-type parts of this are pretty entertaining & the SPFX are mostly good.
National Treasure (2004) **** If you want a better Disney adventure film than Jungle Cruise (above), you can turn to the first National Treasure, starring the far-more-engaging Nicholas Cage as a history expert who uncovers a plot to steal the US Declaration of Independence, not for what it is, but because on the bakc of it is the (invisible) key to finding a huge treasure. Cage’s foe in trying to acquire the treasure is Sean Bean, which is always a good thing. The characters here are engaging, the thrills fittingly Indiana Jones-like, and, heck, it’s just a whole lot of fun, & even has a few unexpected twists. Maybe. In any case, it made me what to see the sequel, which I haven’t managed to (re)watch yet.
Death in Paradise (S13) ***** With his life in turmoil from the world’s worst breakup, the last thing Neville needs is for his chief to be shot & a number of cases that seem even more complicated than usual. After that surprising start to this series, things proceed at a heightened pace with a little more continuity than usual. (Though this show has always had some ongoing plots, mostly related to the main detective being a fish out of water.) Plots include an electrocution related to crypto currency, someone murdered while alone in an elevator, & a passenger disappearing & turning up dead on a flight while Inspector Neville dozed on the same plane. We also get the return of some old characters, & a resolution to Neville’s storylines as we ready for a new main character next season. Unlike the series’ first replacement of a main character (tragically bad), this seasons resolution is satisfying.
Expedition Bigfoot (S6 2025) **(*) This season’s monster hunting consists of a lot of the usual stuff, taken up a notch as the regular crew — Mireya (worth watching), Russel (rugged), Bryce (master of the near miss; I don’t trust him, fear he’s a tool of the producers) and new woodsman Biko (I like him), tromp through the Pacific Northwest working on the theory that a certain area is a ‘chokepoint” for bigfoot migration. Following the series recent pattern, there are a lot of close calls, and some intriguing footage — but virtuallly no follow-up or after-action analysis. Early seasons of the series always had a summing-up show, at the end; that stopped at least a couple of seasons back. Also, for at least the last 2 seasons, the show has had some kind of cliffhanger every episode, which they show DURING the credits roll. Not only can’t you see what’s going on fully, but then the next week’s follow up seems to somehow never explore adequately. Combinging that with the series (now) never pausing to catch its breath long enough to do _serious_ scientific analysis has made the last 2 seasons (at least) frustrating. I still like Mireya, Russel, & the new Biko (for my extra star), but I wish we had some actual summing up & final analysis we coudl trust. As always, now, the season ends just when it seems the team might be getting somewhere, and they’ve brought in new tech that could actually make a difference. Except — Whoops! — it’s over! On to some other location (with no follow-up) next season — assuming their is a next season.
Murder on the Blackboard (1934) *** Edna May Oliver stars as Hildegarde Withers, school teacher & amateur sleuth. When the music teacher at her school turns up dead & the body vanishes, Hildegarde & her policeman boyfriend (James Gleason) investigate — with the usual amount of bickering. Naturally, there are obscure clues — including some written on a blackboard — narrow escapes, and all the stuff you’d usually expect in a mystery programmer. But these kinds of films always entertain me.
War Wagon, The (1967) **** John Wayne & Kirk Douglas are rivals/frienemies plotting — mostly together — to get back at a mutual enemy who’s running a huge load of gold in the titular armored-car-like wagon. Along the way, there’s lots of western complications & adventure. And it’s really fun, and occasionally funny, & I really like it. The cast & production are of the high value that you expect from a Wayne or Douglas movie — and there’s quite a bit of enjoyment watching the two leads trying to out-macho each other. Who wins? You decide!
12 to the Moon (1960) **(*) 12 people from various countries & ethnicities bundle into a very crowded seeming rocket & go to the moon to explore in this widescreen, black & white flick. For most of the film, there is really no plot save exploration & mostly only brief sketches of character & conflict. Really, there probably shoudl be only half the number of characters for this (lack of) story & budget. There are plenty of meteor threats (Yay!) both in space & on the surface of the moon, moon quicksand, hidden aliens who are fond of human lovers & cats… And then a global deep freeze to greet the returning survivors for the bang-up crazy ending. If you like wacky space exploration movies, like I do, give it that 3rd star up into “Good.”
Murder of Roger Ackroyd, The (1999 – Poirot 7-1) **** My wife read the book, so I rewatched this classic Christie tale. In the book, one of the characters narrates, but because this is TV, Poirot narrates from a secret diary if the killer, who — of course — won’t be revealed until the end. Wealthy industralist has recently annoyned the engagement of his adopted son & a pretty young maid from a poor family. Then, he turns up dead, stabbed in the neck, but mysteriously, a doctor is called to the scene by a phone call before anyone in the house knows Ackroyd is dead. Apparently, the TV takes some liberties with the story, including an extra death, & an action climax. I get it, but… You gotta trust Christie. She was the master! Still, it’s a very good TV mystery, if the start of the series “gloomy period.” (Which continues to the series’ end.)
Murder in Paradise 2024 X-Mas Special (start of S14) **** The movie length opener of Murder in Paradise S14 starts a character short, the series having lost its lead (again) at the end of the last season. So, when three men in Santa Claus suits end up shot with teh same gun, it looks like the department will be short one genius detective to solve the case. Fortunately, DI Mervin Wilson (Don Gilet) is on Saint Marie for personal reasons. He’s ordered by his commanders to help with the case — which is quite a puzzler, as usual for the series — and naturally, by the time the solution rolls around, it seems he may have to stay on the island longer than he maybe intends. In fact, I’m sure none of us would be surprised if he stays on for the season that always follows the Christmas special. And as Wilson is the first black chief detective on the show & since his fish-out-of-water story is different than those of the previous DIs, I’m just fine with that.
Murder on a Honeymoon (1935) *** This installment of the Hildegarde Withers (Edna May Oliver) series starts on a plane trip to Catalina Island (California) filled with suspicious characters, one of whom will naturally turn up dead before too long. Sure enough, when they land, one of the other passengers is no more, and plenty of those on the plane seem to have motive for murder. Was it the annoying film director giving sips from a suspicious flask? The honeymooners? The struggling starlet? The former rum runner? The pilots? Naturally, nobody believes Hildegarde much until she solves it. A fun programmer, as usual.
Creature from the Black Lagoon, The (1954) ***** One of the best monster movies of the 1950s & probably of all time, with what is almost certainly the best monster suit/costume of all time. Creature is a classic on every front, at least for this Monster Kid. And if you can see it in 3D, it’s also one of the greatest 3D movies of all time. A group of scientists goes far upriver in the Amazon trying to find a fossils that link humanity to sea creatures. Instead, they run afoul of the titular monster, an amphibian looking to protect his domain — and maybe run off with an entrancing swimming scientist, Kay (Julie Adams). If you love monster movies, this is one not to miss. Often imitated in the decades since, but never duplicated.
Operation Condor 2 – Armour of God (1986/1991) ***(*) Jackie Chain is the Asian Hawk/Condor in the first of the Operation Condor movies, released _second_ in the US & going by OpCon2 rather than it’s original title: Armour of God. This is one of those films where Jackie almost killed himself doing his own stunts (as usual) in the prologue scene. And while the whole thing is interesting, it drags quite a bit — even in the fights — until near the end, when it goes like a rocket. Jackie is hired to gain the aforementioned armor & also takes the job to rescue a former girlfriend, with her clumsy current beau tagging along for comic relief. There’s some uncomfortable stereotyping (from Hong Kong at that time), but for me the action at the climax raises it up into that extra star territory.
Electric State, The *** In an alternate history, there was a war between humans & robots starting sometime around the Clinton administration (1990s). The leader of the robots was an animatronic version of Mr. Peanut, not Jimmy Carter, but the Planter’s Nuts icon who’s the size of a normal human. After that apocalypse, Millie Bobby Brown wanders the wasteland with a cute but malfunctioning robot who reminds her of her missing brother. As she searches for her bro, she meets up with charming scavenger, Chris Pratt, who’s something of a robot experrt & runs into other weird charactters. Despie being filled with good, popular actors, & a lot of expensive FX, this film never rises above being merely enjoyable. And the end is a mixed blessing of upper & downer. With a predictable credits tag.
Psych (S2) ***** Season 2 of Psych really hits its stride with both Gus & Shawn filling out their quirky, semi-comic personas, more charming & funny development of the supporting cast at the police station, & plenty of quirky mysteries. Plus, it ends with a cliffhanger family moment that I didn’t see coming (& which pays off in unexpected ways next season. Very rewatchable, too.
Reacher (S3 – 2025) ***** What starts as an apparent kidnapping & shooting, with Reacher caught in the middle quickly changes to something else, with our hero caught in the middle between smugglers, gang lords, & an old enemy that Reacher thought was dead. Amid this all we get a young man trapped in his father’s bad choices, a team of semi-rogue government agents — one of whom I totally love, being from the Boston area — and some of the most reprehensible bad guys and tough guys in the series so far. My wife & I really enjoyed this season. We found it much more satisfying than S2 (which relied too heavily on CG in the climax helicopter fight. But my good friend David Anandale & his wife despised the opening segment so much thta it soured them on the rest. Not even sure they will ever finish it. Different strokes…!
Dark Shadows (Set 18) **** The Leviathan story gets into full swing, with the rapidly growing annoying series of children becoming an equally annoying Jeb Hawkes (Christopher Pennock). Quentin has amnesia & an identity crisis. Barnabas is still controlled by the Leviathans, though maybe not quite so much. Julie is trying to put all the pieces together & Angelique is leading a happily married life in secrret. How long can any of this last? Many consider the Leviathan storyline, with its lurking unseen monster, to be one of the weakest Dark Shadows storylines, but with more knowledgge of Lovecraft & binge-watching the series, I like this much better the 3rd (or is it 4th?) time around. I can even admire Pennock’s hystrionic performance. Barnabas hits Quentin with a car! Jeb & Quentin have a fist fight! Sure, it’s slower paced & more psychological than the rip-roaring 1897 storyline that came before it, but now I actually like the change of pace. Take a deep breath, because the writers know the fans aren’t digging this & things will soon change.
Father Brown (S12 – 2025) ***** Father Brown & company are back with a series of episodes that veers from standard good ones into highly amusing ones with things to say about the publishing industry & other topical events. It made me laugh more than once, & the mysteries are good, too. We also get to follow the development of Mrs. Divine’s engagement & pending wedding to Brown’s frienemy Inspector Sullivan. All of which leads to one of the most satisfying final episodes of the series. Highly recommended.
Manos the Hands of Fate **(**) We all know I’ve seen this film before. I wrote 2 books adapting it & a role-playing game adventure based on it. (Which maybe I’ll manage to publish in 2025 or so. Maybe. So, we know I like it & that’s where the 4 stars come in. Others have (wrongly) said it’s the worst film ever made. A Father, mother, child, & dog go on vacatin to the Valley Lodge, but instead arrive in a strange house tended by a stranger caretaker, Torgo, who serve The Master — an undead fiend in red-and-black robes (made to look like giant hands) & his bevy of bickering undead wives. With a better director and/or more nudity (any nudity), it might be considered a low budget classic. Some of us STILL see it as a classic of ambitious (if bad) cinema. I even think the “shock ending” works pretty darn well. MST3K made it famous.
Day of Horror, A (1964, short) *(**) Low budget, handmade horror film about a bunch of kids/teens playing in the woods, only to have one of them kidnapped by a hunchback/Frankenstein-Monster-type monster. A chase to an old spooky house ensues, & eventually the cops show up to deal with the situation. If you don’t like films that look like home movies in B&W, you won’t enjoy this, but I thought it had a surprising amount of atmosphere & integrity for what it is.
Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living & Became Mixed-Up Zombies (1964) **(*) Ray Dennis Steckler directed & stars (as Cash Flagg) in this flick which may have the longest title of any feature-length film — and definitely numbers among the strangest. A woman fortune teller works a carnival act where she hypnotizes victims, scars them with acid, & then “collects” them. I guess. Of course, once Flagg encounters the evil woman, his relationship falls apart, & unders certain stimulus, he becomes a crazed killer without a conscience. This happens more & more frequently until he’s hounded to a seaside climax. But before then, we have some musical numbers, a bit of (tame) stripping, & plent of other oddness. And if you think this film is as straightforward as I’ve made it sound, you’re wrong. Yet, somehow, I find the homemade nature of it all charming, like much fo Steckler’s work. So for me, it gets that extra start.
Godzilla vs. Monster Zero (Sven – 1965) ***** This is one of those films that when it’s on, I will watch it — at least for a little while. And often for the whole thing. Party of my “holy trinity” of godzilla films — this, Mothra vs. Godzilla (G. vs the Thing), and Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster — there’s tons to like about this. A mysterious Planet X is discovered by our intrepid spacefaring heroes. The X-ians ask for help to defeat Monster Zero (Ghidrah/Ghidorah) from Earth Monsters Godzilla & Rodan. Naturally, the dealings with Planet X don’t turn out that easy. Blessed with a great cast including Kumi Mizuno & Nick Adams, superior special effects, memorable music, and Ishiro Honda’s strong direction, this is the last hurrah for Toho’s monsters before they became more kid friendly. I like everything about it save the Godzilla dance, which heralded the changes to come in the series.
To Have & Have Not (1944) ***** Bogart, “Steve,” is a charter boat captain whose clients are looking to run out on their accumulated bills. Bacall, “Slim,” is an American girl down on her luck and stranded in Martinique. It’s World War II, and Nazi factions are about to make life hard for both of them trying to quash the local resistance. The Nazi-affiliated corrupt local government basically traps Steve & Silm in the local hotel, forcing Steve to take a dodgy assignment bringing resistance leaders onto the island. Things get even messier from there. This film introduced Bogart to Bacall, and the two of them light up the screen both together and separately. Bogart is at his tough-guy-with-a-heart-of-gold best; Bacall is stunning & perfectly cast. Walter Brennan is amusing as Bogart’s drunk First Mate, and we get a great assortment of supporting players, some of whom were even in Casablanca with Bogart. Oh, did I mention Hoagy Carmichael is the piano player, Cricket, dispensing original tunes? Howard Hawks bet Hemmingway, upon whose work this film is based, that he could make a great film out of Hemmingway’s worst book — and did Hawks ever deliver! Classic.
Oz the Great & Powerful (2013) *** This Disney film by Sam Rami features James Franco as the title character & tells the origin of the Wizard of Oz. Oz goes from being a carnival huckster of questionable ethics to someone willing to protect the land of Oz from evil witches — which he is (partly) responsible for. The film looks great. It has hints of the classic Wizard of Oz in it (actors playing 1 character on Earth, another in Oz), & the SPFX are generally really good. Even the story has a lot of good points in it. Yet, somehow, this flick never manages to emotionally grab me. Thus, for me it never rises above just “good.” I think the problem may be Franco, who even when he’s trying to be likeable, seems somehow smarmy to me. Wicked is better. So is Return to Oz, if I remember right. I’ll let you know about Muppet Wizard of Oz & some others when I get to them.
And that’s the show for March 2025. Total for the month is 48, bringing our total so far this year to 161 films, series, & notable other programs.
NEXT MONTH: I had (minor) surgery on April 1, 2025 (No Joke!), and as I write this — at month’s end — I’ve only jus been cleared to return to normal activities. So, I really don’t know how April turned out. You’d think that I might have had time to watch more stuff, but it’s surprising how much time & energy one can spend just healing. One thing for sure, though: April was Red Skelton month on TCM, so I definitely ended up watching more of the comedian’s movies than I would have otherwise. How soon will I post about it? We’ll see what the start of May brings (aside from Football Season for my daughter’s semi-pro Women’s Tackle Football League – the Midwest Mountain Lions)!
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