It’s the New Year, and the start of 2026 has been busy — and it gets busier come February. But in January, I still managed to watch a lot of stuff.
I started with finishing the final season of Stranger Things and finished with a flick of Lovecraftian horror that I hadn’t seen for years. In between I dove back into to Paul Naschy’s wolfman films as I work on the final drafts of my (official) El Hombre Lobo novel, Werewolf’s Curse. (With luck, it will be out by the end of 2026, or maybe sooner. Keep your bloodshot eyes peeled!) Naturally, there were plenty of other movies and shows, too, with both old favorites like Godzilla and new discoveries (like a film about a sunken island) making appearances. So, let’s roll film and get going!
* – 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.
Stranger Things (S5) **** Stranger Things returns for a 5th and final season. We have a lot of pieces to pick up from last time, and the “kids” from the original series have aged up a lot, too. (Though their class’ graduation only happens at the series’ end.) Dungeons & Dragons parallels abound as Henry/Vecna plots the end of the world — or something — while Max remains in a coma, El trains up to defeat him, and the rest of our kids and newcomers deal with their personal lives and the monsters leaking into our world from the Upside-Down. The army, led by Linda (Terminator) Hamilton, has arrived and taken over the town to either handle the problem or weaponize it, or both. Our heroes spend a lot o time on the run from one faction or the other, spend time trying to rescue people from the Upside-Down or the military, and in the last few episodes spend a lot of time chatting to work out their relationship issues. That last (especially) means this series could be tighter, but despite that kind of fan service, overall the series comes to a heartfelt and satisfying conclusion. If you liked the rest, you’ll like this, too.
Eagle Shadow Fist (1973) ** There’s plenty to fight about during the Japanese occupation of China, pre/early WWII. Not only are the Japanese using brutality to control the populace, their martial arts schools are also looking to wipe out competing Chinese Kung Fu schools. If you’ve seen FIST OF FURY (with Bruce Lee), you know the drill. This flick is just more of that, but without Bruce and with the usual melodramatic repression O course, it all comes down to heroic battles between the oppressed Chinese and the evil Japanese. I have no problem with that, but this just isn’t that interesting, and “headliner” Jackie Chan has only a minor part. The other issue is that the “HD” version I purchased is both 4/3 aspect ratio (like an old TV), but also blurry DVD quality at best. Maybe I’d find a full HD restoration more amusing.
Kung Fu Wonder Child (1986) *** The cult of an evil kung fu magician captures a good kung-fu spirit, setting up a battle between two warring martial arts/magic schools. On the side of good, we have a kung fu girl, a kung fu boy (played by a woman, Hsiao-Lao Lin, who often did such roles), and two bumbling assistants. There’s attempted clan school infiltration, magical flying battles aplenty in this flick and even some hopping vampires. It’s all good fun if you like such things, and I do — though I kept wondering if we’d get a “Hey, she’s really a girl,” reveal, but… Nope. Just a woman playing a super-cute boy/youth.
Wu Tang Clan – Da Mystery of Kung Fu (1998) **(*) Members of the rap/musical Wu Tang Clan led by GZA (minus RZA) talk about their work and its relationship to kung fu and martial arts movies that they used to see in grindhouse theaters. In between the chats, there are clips from kung fu movies, a lot o clips, and pretty much all fight scenes. There’s no plot here, just talk of philosophy of performance and how that relates to the movies. So, if you like the Wu Tang Clan, and/or you like lots of kung fu flight clips, you can give this the extra star.
Primitive War (2025 rewatch) ***** I’ve wanted to rewatch this 2025 dinosaur flick for a while, and New Year’s weekend seemed a perfect time to do it. A squat of Vietnam soldiers, the Vultures, is sent into the jungle ostensibly on a mission to rescue some missing comrades, but also to scout the position of a secret scientific base behind enemy lines. The base possesses a secret that could make the country possessing it dominant in the world. What one of the Vultures suspect is that between them and their objective are dinosaurs — real live dinosaurs. On my second viewing, I enjoyed this film nearly as much as the first time. It’s amazing what the Australian director and crew did with a very minimal (by US standards) budget. This and Godzilla Minus One show what clever use of resources can do. Highly recommended.
Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb (1971) **(*) A group of archeologists finds the tomb of an evil queen whose uncorrupted body had its hand cut of when she was buried At the same time the queen is found, one of the team members’ wife dies in childbirth, though the baby miraculously survives Years later, that child is a grown woman who has inherited the queen’s fabulous ruby ring, but has she inherited the queen’s wicked personality, too? This movie is a mess, and I just gave you a more coherent storyline than it does (as did Svengoolie when he showed it last night). Easily the least of Hammer’s mummy movies, it seems to have the right pieces, but the troubled production and sloppy script never quite pulls them together. Only fans of Hammer or the stars should give it that extra star. (And don’t watch it on Svengoolie, because they blur the brief nudity, the wall paintings, and the under-boob of Valerie Leon’s outfit, which are the best things in the flick)
Attack of the 50-Foot Woman (1958) **(**) The rich town drunk encounters a “satellite” (UFO) on a deserted road, but no one believes her. When she finds it again, the aliens inside (or their radiations) change her into the 50-foot giant of the title. She then takes revenge on her cheating husband, his mistress, and the remote town in general. Sure, it’s cheap on almost every level, but for SciFi buffs this film is a cheesy classic that folks like me can enjoy again and again. The cast is actually good, with Allison Hayes (title character) and Yvette Vickers especially sexy and sleazy. The original poster art of the giant woman straddling a highway is iconic..
Krapopolis (S3) **** The animated series switched things up this season by having Ty step down as king, making his father the manotaur Shlub king, and his mother Deleria as “Goddess Queen” from early in the season, and that definitely brought a little freshness to the formula of an ancient Greek city struggling to survive. We also got a possible love interest for Ty, a forgotten anniversary gift for his parent, and a “child” for sister, Stupendous. It’s all good fun, but with only 12 episodes — unlike previous seasons — it ends much sooner than expected.
Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators (S1) **** Frank Hathaway is a down-on-his luck private detective whose fortunes change when he’s hired by Luella Shakespeare to investigate her fiancé, whom she met online She soon finds herself both unmarried and unemployed and decides he needs a full-time partner. Their aided by their gay “secretary” Sebastian, an aspiring thespian with a penchant for cosplay (he’s a very pretty young man). The cases they get tend to be quirky, and the detecting is generally filled with lighthearted comedy as the old dog and new dog try to teach each other tricks. Mysteries include a funeral director under threat by mobsters, a disgraced magician whose trick went wrong, a man who claims to be Frank’s uncle, and more. I’m delighted to discover that there are quite a few seasons to watch of this show I just discovered.
Goblin Slayer (S1) ***(*) In something very much like your standard Dungeons & Dragons world, there’s an adventurer’s guild that hands out quests to guild members. Most heroes bypass goblin-based adventures, but new adventurers often underestimate how dangerous the small green creatures are. One young priestess finds that out the hard way, when her party is killed (and raped) in an underground ambush She only escapes because the mysterious Goblin Slayer shows up and saves her. He only takes goblin-based assignment, due to a tragedy in his past, and she soon becomes his companion, trying to draw him out of his shell. This is a fairly standard, almost Lit RPG, Japanese fantasy anime, though the goblins, what they do, and how the heroes kill them is more graphic than most. If you can stand that, give it the extra star.
Maze, The (1953) ***(*) A man (Richard Carlson) becomes the lord of a remote manse when a relative dies, but soon breaks things off with his fiancée and becomes a recluse. When she and a friend come to talk him out of it, they are swept up in the old dark house with a mysterious maze out back. They are forbidden to leave their room at night, and may never enter the maze at all Originally shot in 3D, the film is a bit over-lit at times for the mood, and it might be slow for some. But I dig its Lovecraftian atmosphere, even if it does make us wait unil the end to reveal monstrous secret of the Maze.
Death in Paradise S15 Christmas Special **** During an office party Christmas vacation to St. Marie, a man turns up shot dead in the pool of the office mates’ rented villa. Mysteriously, the murder weapon is discovered locked in an office drawer back in England, along with the one staff member not invited along, but St Marie’s former Chief Superintendent. Meanwhile, newbie DI Mervin Wilson is struggling with Christmas blues, wondering if his newly discovered brother will call, and trying to avoid the local Christmas pageant Aside from the intriguing murder, it’s the kind of holiday warmth we’ve come to expect from British mystery Holiday Specials, and I dug it.
Goblin Slayer – Goblin’s Crown (2020) *** This movie starts with what’s basically a half-hour recap of season 1 of Goblin Slayer, the premise, characters, etc., which takes up 1/3rd of the runtime. The rest of the movie is about another group of young adventurers who’ve underestimated goblins, and the one woman who survived but has a mysterious brand. This leads Goblin Slayer, the Priestess, and their band of companions to a huge goblin fortress populated by even bigger, badder goblin types. Much goblin slaughter ensues. Pretty standard.
Skull, The (1965) **** Peter Cushing is a collector of occult objects. When he has the chance to own the skull of the Marquis de Sade, his friend (Christopher Lee) tells him not to, but naturally Cushing can’t. He does try but the Skull keeps pulling him back into its evil sway, no matter what he has to do to obtain and keep it. One of the best Amicus films, this shocker based on a story by Robert Bloch feels very much like a good Hammer film in eerie pacing and production, and of course two of its stars. Recommended.
Brokenwood Mysteries 4-1 Fall from Grace (rewatch) ***** Mike, Kristin, Breen, and Gina are in a park, preparing to celebrate Mike’s birthday when a man literally falls out of the sky and lands nearby. Turns out, the man is Kristin’s ex, was a skydiver, and has a very complicated history with his family of fellow skydivers. My local PBS station is playing older Brokenwood eps, and since I don’t have Acorn right now, I’ve decided to rewatch some of them. This one has a lot of great character interaction an a surprising “shock” near the end
Brokenwood Mysteries 4-3 The Scarecrow (rewatch) ***** A local farmer is found dead, dressed as a scarecrow and tied to a pole with fishing line His death has something to do with his farm’s organic honey, competition with neighboring beekeeping farms, and a businessman wanting to buy them all out. Another Brokenwood with a lot of good character moments amid our regulars — Mike, Kristin, and Breen — and a surprisingly emotional finish. Also, the killer in this episode later returns to the series as a regular.
Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror (1968) ***(*) Waldemar Daninsky, a roguish playboy played by Paul Naschy, tries to help locals track down a savage killer, who turns out to be a werewolf and bites our hero. This messes up Waldemar’s life, and things only get worse when he and his friends try to find a cure. This is the film that made Naschy an iconic Euro-Horror actor and writer, and is the first in his Daninsky series (10 official known film). Kino has just recently released a restored blu-ray 3D edition of this classic, but they were working with remaining degraded elements, so I have to admit being disappointed by the result; the old DVD looks better. The old DVD was closer to the original cut, too, as this is base on Sam Sherman’s US cut, with the absurd Frankenstein title, which means a lot of the chacter stuff from the first 10+ minutes got trimmed. I watched it in 2D, but may later try to check out the 3D version, which is in both 3D TV and anaglyph glasses versions. Docked a star for less-than-perfect presentation, though I’m glad to have it anyway.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010) *** The book series is brilliant fun, but this Chris Columbus adaptation mucks it up, largely by combining Percy’s best friend-girl, Annabeth, with his chief rival, Clarise, and calling her Annabeth. It helps that her character is played by the always-amusing Alexandra Daddario, but… Young Percy Jackson discovers that his ADHD and dyslexia are not because of some flaw, but because he’s hired-wired to be a Greek demi-god hero. He goes to demi-god camp and gets a quest to retrieve the stolen lightning bolt of Zeus. Columbus makes white bread out of the rich multi-grain origins, but it’s still okay, especially if you dont’ know the source material.
Dr. Jekyll & the Werewolf (1972) ****(*) Waldemar Daninsky is back in another (or a continuing) incarnation, cursed with being a werewolf. Here, a pretty woman he’s rescued takes him to London to be cured by the descendant of Doctor Jekyll. Jekyll’s bold plan is to inject Waldemar with the Hyde serum, which will overwhelm the werewolf personality, and then cure Hyde. Good plan, but of course it goes awry in suitable horror film ways. Naschy’s Hyde may be the creepiest ever on film, and of course his werewolf, El Hombre Lobo, is legendary. Try to see the extra-twisted uncut version. For me and Naschy fans, this is a 5-star Euro Horror masterpiece. For others, maybe only 4 stars.
Curse of the Devil (1974) **** My Naschy rewatch (I’m writing a book) continues with this El Hombre Lobo film set at the end of the 19th century. The Daninsky’s ancient Devil-made curse, inflicted on a Middle Ages knight is reactivated in the current Waldemar Daninsky by a seductive witch. He then causes havoc as a werewolf while two sisters try to court and seduce him. Needless to say, it all ends in blood, gore, and tears. I admire the dark, somber production and werewolf makeup here. Not as much admired in the series as I think it should be.
Night of the Werewolf (1981) ****(*) Paul Naschy directs this remake of his own film (Werewolf and the Vampire Woman) with a few tweaks here and there, more nudity, and overall better production values. When a cursed Waldemar Daninsky from the era of Elizabeth Bathory is revived, he tries to help three women investigating Bathory’s tomb. Unfortunately, one of the women betrays her friends and resurrects Bathory, who turns her into a vampire. Bathory and her acolyte then spread vampirism and chaos locally. Only Daninsky’s werewolf alter-ego can oppose them, but at what cost? One of my favorite Daninsky films. If you like Euro-Horror and werewolves, you can give it that extra star, too.
Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, The (2023) **** In this Hunger Games prequel, we discover how Coriolanus Snow (the original series’ villain) came from a difficult background and strict schooling to first defy the fascist system and then gradually fall under its sway. Along the way, he mentors a Hunger Games contestant, the Songbird of the title, and must make difficult personal and political decisions. The production and action sequences are good, and I was surprised that I enjoyed what’s essentially a villain origin story — mostly because of the situations and characters he interacts with. Which makes what he later becomes that much more tragic.
Under Siege (1992) **** Steven Segal is a cook aboard an advanced US battleship that is taken over by terrorists — including Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey — bent on causing chaos, getting rich, all the usual stuff. Unknown to any of the bad guys, Segal, who has been locked in a freezer by an asshole ranking officer, was actually a super-commando type before being busted down for insubordination. When he gets loose, the bad guys are in big trouble in this “Die Hard on a Ship” actioner. A post-Playboy pre-Baywatch Erika Eleniak does a good job as a stripper (for the Captain’s retirement party) sucked into the battle to re-take the ship. This is a fun watch, and if there’s a better Steven Segal film, I don’t know what it is.
Flight 7400 (2014 – Sven Squad) **(*) A diverse group of upper-middle class folks from diverse backgrounds start experiencing weird supernatural events aboard a jumbo jet during a long flight. The characters are decently acted but rote, and the supernatural events are fairly standard, too. The real problem is that the supernatural stuff doesn’t have any real consistency to it — though I guess maybe you could say it does once we get to the “surprising” ending that we’ve seen before. It might have been surprising if they’d just thought it out a bit more, or given the ending an extra twist. As it is, I’m giving it an extra star for some nice parts and the Sven Squad, who hosted the showing I watched. For everyone else, 2 stars only.
Red Dwarf (S1) **** A low-level ship maintenance man, Dave Lister, gets slapped into a cryogenic unit as punishment just before a disaster wipes out all the rest of the crew of the Red Dwarf starship. Revived 3 million years (and far away) later, Lister’s only companions are a hologram of his annoying ship roommate, Rimmer, and the evolved descendent of Lister’s pregnant cat, who is now a humanoid called Cat, and a surly computer. Lost-in-space-far-from-home laughs ensue in this classic British SF series. The comedy is often pretty low, but it made me laugh a lot. I’d seen some later episodes, and this is a very stripped-down version of the long-running show.
War Is Over (2023 short) ***** This animated short tells the story of two chess players, one on either side of the war lines (which resembles WWI), who conduct a game with each other via carrier pigeon — until a final assault is called. The action plays out to the music of the Lennon-Ono song with the same title. It’s brilliant.
Monk (S2) **** OCD Detective Mon settles in for a second season with a better handle on the supporting cast and how they relate to Monk. The mysteries are still good and still complicated by Monk’s mental illness. Sharona, who gets on my nerves frequently, is still his assistant, though she’ll leave later in the series. If you liked the first series, or the characters, or Tony Shalhoub, you’ll surely like this. Tim Curry makes a memorable appearance, too.
Marca del Hombre Lobo, La (1968 – The Mark of the Wolf Man) ****(*) Earlier, I reviewed FRANKENSTEIN’S BLOODY TERROR from its new 3D blu-ray (though I saw the 2D version). This is the original European/Spanish film from which that US cut is made. I had to get a European blu-ray to see the original, uncut, and I’m very glad I did. This is the first Waldemar Daninsky/El Hombre Lobo film and, as always, has Paul Naschy portraying the character and writing the story. Waldemar is a mendicant Polish nobleman who gets bitten fighting a werewolf, Imre Wolfstein, brought back from the dead. Waldemar’s friends try to help him break his curse, but the specialist doctors they bring in to help turn out to be vampires. If that sounds fun to you, you’ll like this flick. If you’re a fan of Naschy or seminal Euro Horror, you’ll probably love it as much as I do.
Hellboy (2019) **** This reboot (?) of the Hellboy franchise features David Harbour (Stranger Things) in the title role and Mila Jovovich as the supernatural baddy he’s pitted against. It also has Daniel Dae Kim as an agent hunting Hellboy, and Ian McShane as Hellboy’s “dad.” The most memorable part for me is a bloody battle between Hellboy and some giants fairly early on. Other action is good, though sometimes the CGI is less involving than the giant fight. I was surprised how much I liked it and also that it didn’t do well enough in the box office to get a direct sequel.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians (S2 – 2026) **** The young actors from S1 return in the new season of Percy Jackson, which adapts the second book of the best-selling Rick Riordan kids’ fantasy-mythology series. The kids are growing fast, which is a sad problem in the long-production-time streaming-series era we live in. Grover has been kidnapped, and Percy and Annabeth get swept up into Clarise’s quest for the Golden Fleece, which Camp Half-Blood needs to cure their wounded friend-transformed-into-a-tree that protects the camp from monsters. Of course, Kronos and his rebel demi-gods have other plans. Again, I like this adaptation which is more faithful (and much longer) than the original movies, which ended after the 2nd installment. Next season: previously unseen tales!
Preacher (S1) **** A preacher of a troubled southern congregation gets possessed by an “angelic” power that gives him the ability to make people do what he says. This seems at first a gift, though his new best friend the vampire and his former lover the sassy assassin aren’t so sure. Not surprisingly, the power does not solve all the town’s problems, though maybe that has to do with the preacher being a former bad guy, too. The premise sounds like a joke — a preacher, a vampire, and an assassin walk into a bar — and this supernatural/SF drama has plenty of black comedy. But it’s the interesting characters that really make it for me, though I didn’t really get the arc of the villain (Jackie Earle Haley) until I checked online afterward. There’s a lot to pay attention to and remember. Looking forward to S2.
Tarzan’s Magic Fountain (1949) *** Discovery of the downed plane of an heiress from years earlier leads Tarzan to find the sole survivor living among a lost tribe. Though she should be 50, she remains in the flower of youth because of the tribe’s magic fountain of youth. The woman decides to go claim her inheritance, but then returns when her youth quickly fades. Her new husband comes with her, along with two untrustworthy men who want the fountain’s secret. The bad guys follow, as Jane leads the woman back to her tribe, while Tarzan falls afoul of an evil band of isolationists in the tribes. Some fun adventure, but weirdly, we don’t get to see the de-aging of the woman who returns home.
Port Sinister (1953) **(*) A treasure hunter discovers that a pirate island, Port Royale (?!), that sank into the sea will resurface via volcanic action. When the ship’s trustworthy young skipper is hospitalized, modern pirates in disguise take over the expedition, bringing the pretty young expert along as a cover. The hero recovers and charters a sea plane, and all of them end up on the lost island, which features a giant crab monsters, hot lava, and quicksand. I enjoyed this despite a murky print, and I have a feeling if there were a good restoration, it’d be a real hoot. If you can stand murky public domain prints, give it that extra star.
King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962 Sven) **** The original mashup of the giant monsters has satirical undertones, and though the Kong suit looks pretty ratty at times, the action is so much fun that it hardly matters. A sub accident frees Godzilla from an iceberg, while a greedy businessman brings King from a remote island for publicity purposes. Naturally, things don’t go as planned and the titans end up in several clashes. Fun.
Miss Scarlet (S6) **** Miss Scarlet returns for another season without the Duke, and that’s a good thing, as far as I’m concerned. Her relationship continues with the Inspector Blake, the widower with a daughter, as does the relationship of her housekeeper (now Scotland Yard secretary) with her new husband the coroner. Job issues for both of them, though Miss Scarlet’s job troubles seem to have settled down. We get returns of some characters from past seasons, and it all wraps up in a satisfying whole, leaving the series future open and expansive. Very good.
Red Dwarf (S2) *** Something odd happened between the 1st and 2nd seasons of Red Dwarf, with the series seeming to decide the series had been too ship-bound or something. This results in some variations from the formula that don’t always work, and the cast and comedy don’t feel as comfortable as they did, though I know that this season introduces characters that will appear in later seasons. Just not as funny as S1, but still moments worth watching.
Plot Thickens, The (1936) *** When a rich man takes his young maid out for a drive, he ends up shot, and her chauffeur boyfriend tries to cover up the crime. Of course, that only leads to him being framed. Fortunately, Hildegarde Withers is there to help her police detective “boyfriend,” Oscar Piper (James Gleason), sort out the clues and solve the mystery, which ends up involving the theft of a priceless art object from a museum. The whole thing ends with the usual denouement of gathering all the suspect together — but has a bang-up twist at the end. Standard mystery programmer, but I enjoyed it, though ZaSu Pitts is not nearly as good as Hildegarde as Edna May Oliver usually is.
Nightmare (1964) *** A young woman, Janet, comes home from boarding school to the house where her mother stabbed her father to death years ago. Since her mother was sent to a asylum, Janet fears she might have inherited insanity, and soon she begins having nightmares, walking in her sleep, and seeing a ghostly woman with a scarred face. Pushed to the edge by this “haunting,” Janet stabs the woman — who turns out to be her guardian’s new wife — when the wife appears in the flesh at a birthday party. Janet is confined to an asylum, but of course, not all is as it seems. Will she escape and get her revenge? Hammer regulars, writer Jimmy Sangster, and director, Freddie Francis, make this an amusing if somewhat predictable suspense romp.
Snow Creature, The (1954) **(*) American Himalayan explorers become obsessed with capturing a yeti in the first-ever Abominable Snowman film. (Why they didn’t call it that, I don’t know.) The monster is eventually captured and taken to the US where it escapes and causes a bit of havoc in this low-budget drive-in-friendly flick. It’s amazing that producer/director W. Lee Wilder (Billy’s brother) manages to make the very familiar setting of Bronson Canyon (Robot Monster, Batcave, etc.) into a fairly convincing snowy landscape, aided by stock footage, etc. What’s not so amazing is the snow creature costume, which appears to be a Killers from Space (also by Wilder) jumpsuit covered with ratty fur — all of which is much clearer than ever before in the new blu-ray release, which looks great. I have an unreasonable tolerance and even love for this kind of cheese. If you don’t, take off that 3rd star.
Love Slaves of the Amazon (1957) ** American adventurers go to the Amazon looking for treasure rumored to be held by a lost tribe of women. They battle local pirates, a traitor, and eventually those Amazons. It has amusing points, some lowbrow sexist-stereotypes, and more than a few moments where I thought, “If they did THIS, the threat would end now…” Rumor has that writer/director Curt Siodmak made this film when he ended up with 10,000 extra feet of film while making Curucu, Beast of the Amazon, and that certainly fits this lackluster adventure.
Doctor Who S19S5 Black Orchid **** Peter Davison, as the 5th Doctor, along with Tegan, Nyssa, and Adric, materialize in civilized 1925 England, a time of cricket, cotillion masked balls, and genteel society. Nyssa is a dead ringer for a local debutante, who was once engaged to a lost explorer. When mysterious things happen, the Doctor and friends must sort out the hidden secrets of high society in this satisfying 2-episode serial. I really like this one.
Doctor Who S1S3 Edge of Destruction *** Filling in between longer Doctor Who first season arcs, the Doctor, Susan, Barbara, & Ian find themselves stranded in a darkened TARDIS, that seems to have materialized in an eerie space beyond time. But are they all who they say they are, or has something invaded their time-ship home? This 2-episode story feels like a fill-in, but it is moody and does have some nice spots in among the crew being paranoid about each other.
Tarzan & the Slave Girl (1950) *** Jungle women are being kidnapped at the same time a strange illness is running through Tarzan’s African domain. A western doctor can inoculate against the bug, but the (white) people spreading the disease are a Lost Tribe, and also the ones kidnapping women to supplement their own losses. Jane ends up in their hands, and entombed with a woman she tries to help. Tarzan must rescue them and save the tribe from illness and it’s evil advisors. Lex Barker’s second turn as Tarzan. Fun.
War of the Colossal Beast (1958 Sven) *** The Amazing Colossal man returns from his dive off the Hoover Dam with a memorably half-skeleton mutilated face, no memory, and a huge appetite. His sister helps the authorities track him down and try to cure him, but things don’t go well and he ends up rampaging by the Griffith Observatory. Director Bert I. Gordon and his wife did their usual super-size special effects work in this amusing sequel. Sadly, the original film is hard to see now, because its rights are tied up by their owner.
Monster from the Ocean Floor (1954) *** An American artist visiting Mexico becomes convinced that a monster lurks in the deep waters offshore. At first, she is unable to convince the handsome marine biologist. But eventually, she gets proof, and the two confront the huge, one-eyed, octopus-like blob. Though the woman is the more active character through most of the film, her heroic beau in the one-man sub still rescues her in the end. Roger Corman’s first production is well suited for drive-in fare, directed by Wyott Ordung, and has an exciting sub-crash finish. Monster is a decent puppet.
Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957) **** A group of scientists go to a remote island in search of members of the last expedition that went there by mysteriously vanished. Soon, they begin hearing the voices of the lost crew, theorizing perhaps they’re lost in dangerous caverns below. What no one suspects is that the lost people are all dead, their consciousness subsumed by a huge, hideous, super-intelligent crab monster. Can the newcomers, including future Gillian’s Island Professor Russell Johnson, escape with their lives? This budget SF flick, produced and directed by Roger Corman, is way better than yo might expect. A drive-in classic!
Shuttered Room, The (1967) **** An urbane couple, played by Gig Young and the lovely Carol Lynley (The Night Stalker), return to the isolated childhood town of Dunwich, Massachusetts, to reclaim her family home, years after a terrible accident forced her to leave. The impoverished locals, including Oliver Reed in a creepy/outstanding role, don’t much like the couple returning to the house adjoining the abandoned “haunted’ mill. They harass the couple endlessly. And of course, in that inherited house is the room where no one goes — and lives. Adapted from an H.P. Lovecraft idea completed as a story by August Derleth, the filmmakers here actually improve the story by downplaying the Cthulhu Mythos elements of the story in favor of a modern folk-horror almost cinema-verité feeling. I liked this flick as a teen when I first saw it, and I like it even better now. Recommended!
So, that’s it for the start of 2026! Our total so far this year is 47 films, series, and notable shorts — not a bad start. Bring on the rest of 2026!
NEXT MONTH: The Olympics are here! (But I don’t usually review them.) Plus, some big (good) family changes have taken up my time, and mean figuring out what life is like when I’m not home alone all day. Which means, as I write this, my February movie/show count is way down. But we’ll see what the rest of the coming month holds. Hold on to your hats and wish us luck!
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