My movie reviewing in April 2026 got cut short by the first long vacation my wife and I have taken in years. (We went to the Southwest US, Grand Canyon, California, and a Ray Harryhausen exhibit.) Nevertheless, I still managed to cram a bunch of movies and shows into the time before we hit the road.
Highlights from the month include the 2nd film from Vinegar Syndrome’s Reviver series, a few Hercules/peplum films, a bunch of Biblical epics (for Eastertime/Passover), and mysteries, both old and rewatches of things I love. Let’s get to it!
* – 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.
Paradise of Terror (1965) **** While flying over enemy territory in Southeast Asia, the crew of an airplane carrying two Americans, two Filipinos, and some kind of special agent with a briefcase attached to his wrist are shot down by enemy fire. Forced to bail out, they make their way through the jungle until they find a strange mid-century modern house that seems to be totally unoccupied. Weirdly, when the go inside they find food and plates set out for five, and then stranger things start happening… Another film from Vinegar Syndrome’s REVIVER #2 blu-ray, it’s possible that nobody ever say this film when it was originally completed. Yet, it’s a very good, complete and pristine horror/suspense flick with supernatural overtones. Baffling that this never saw the light of day, and as with The Horror from Beyond, we all owe VS a dept of thanks — and increased sales — for continuing to save gems like this from oblivion.
Ten Commandments, The ***** The stories of Moses, the Exodus, and the origin of the Ten Commandments from the Bible is rendered in glorious technicolor by Cecil B. DeMille (a reimagining of his own 1923 silent film). The cast is packed with great actors, from Charlton Heston (Moses) to Vincent Price (the Master Builder), all bringing their best high-drama, classical-style, totally serious acting to their roles. This is myth as glorious melodrama, and if you can accept that, the whole is exciting and moving. It helps that the state-of-the-art special effects still look glorious, whether on the big screen or in 4k on a small one. This is one of the most beautiful films ever made on every level. Let it carry you away, even if it doesn’t carry you into the arms of God, as DeMille probably wanted. He won Best Picture for The Greatest Show on Earth, but this is his masterpiece.
Gospel According to St. Matthew, The (1964) **** This ambitious black and white film tells the story of Jesus from his conception to resurrection using only words taken from the gospel of its title, and that decision works. Italian artist-director Pasolini made this story of Jesus in a neo-realist style using people who were not film actors and actual locations (in Italy) that appear appropriately ancient. The result is that this film feels almost like a documentary, avoiding the melodrama of most Biblical epics. And all that puts the focus on the words/text and actions portrayed on film and in the Bible itself. I read that in 2015 the Vatican said this was the most faithful film about the life of Jesus ever, and I can agree with that. Though other Biblical interpretations are more filmic and moving. Check it out.
Roger Corman: The Pope of Pop Cinema (2021) **** This hour-long documentary, made while Corman was alive, covers his career in filmmaking from the start up to the time it was made and includes interview with the producer-director, his brother, his wife, and many of the filmmakers who he helped break into the industry. It has plenty of clips to entice you to watching various phases of Corman’s career. My only beef is that it could have been longer.
Ghost Galleon, The (1974) ***(*) A rich sporting goods magnate hires two beautiful women to get “lost” and then rescued at sea. But when they encounter a weird ghost ship, they actually go missing. So, the magnate and his friends, including a friend of the original girls the man basically kidnaps, go to search for the missing girls, and find the ghost galleon, too. Of course, it’s filled with undead Templar knights — the Blind Dead — who feed on the blood of the living, which doesn’t portend well for either the original women, or the new folks arriving on the ship. Yes, the boat looks like a toy in long shots, but I kind of love this crazy 3rd installment in the Blind Dead series. If Euro-horror with gore is something you like, give it that extra star.
Predator: Badlands (2025) ****(*) In this flick, we get the first look at the Predator (alien) civilization, and honestly, it seems about as dickish as you’d expect. A young Predator, Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) goes to a super-deadly planet to prove himself worthy of his dribe by slaying a legendary monster. There, despite himself, he teams up with a damaged android, Thia, (who he calls “Tool”) who’d been on a similar mission. A lot of great action and twists and turns follow, which I don’t want to spoil. Just go watch it and enjoy. For me, this was better than Project Hail Mary — and if you like SF with a lot of action, give it that extra star.
Tarzan’s Hidden Jungle (1955) *** Tarzan is the muscular Gordon Scott in this new series outing, and he continues to expand his vocabulary beyond “Me Tarzan.” In it, evil hunters become obsessed with a remote jungle area where a hostile tribe protects the animals against any outsiders. After losing one of their party to the natives (Yay!) the two remaining hunters pretend to be photographers and attach themselves to a humanitarian doctor. Naturally, Tarzan has to sort this out, No Jane in this one, probably to open romantic possibilities in the future. Pretty standard.
Exodus: Gods & Kings (2014) *** Ridley (Alien, Gladiator) Scott did this adaptation of the Exodus story, giving it action, and downplaying the supernatural elements to some extent. You know the story, Moses and Ramses are raised together, but Moses is discovered to be a foundling Jew and sent into exile, rather than becoming a Prince of Egypt, because the Jews are Egyptian slaves. (There’s no historical proof of that, BTW.) Moses has an encounter with God (a small boy) in the wilderness, and returns to Egypt to set his people free. Though in this film, he comes to rais an army, while God works in mysterious ways. It’s interesting and well made, though nothing like the DeMille film we all know (and love).
Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941) **** W.C. Fields’ last major start vehicle (sadly) this tells the story of Fields (himself) pitching a movie to a skeptical movie executive. We then cut to the story, which involves Fields and his niece (delightful young Gloria Jean), taking a trip on an airplane with an open air observation lounge, him jumping off after a dropped bottle or booze, and landing atop an isolated plateau where a mother (Margaret Dumont) and her beautiful daughter live a man-free existence. Reality and this fantasy intermix, and then it all ends with a crazy car chase to get to the maternity ward, but not why you might think. Another madcap delight, it’s sad that this was Field’s final outing. He was a comedy gem.
Brokenwood Mysteries 5-2 Bride Not to Be (rewatch) ***** On the morning after a hen (bachelorette) party, the bride-to-be, Ophelia, is discovered floating in a river near the isolated hotel where the party was happening, dead. Turns out, she was a prominent tennis player, and her beau and his mates — one of whom is deaf — crashed out at the local tennis club. This gives Kristin a chance to show off her signing skills, as she, Mike, and Breen (plus coroner Gina, of course), have to sort out conflicts amid the bride’s bad-girl friends, the groom’s slacker bros, and local characters involved with one or the other or both. Another good episode that I was happy to rewatch.
Silver Chalice, The (1954) **(**) Paul Newman is a Greek sculptor in the 1st century A.D. hired to create a silver chalice to hold Christ’s cup from the Last Supper. (Thereby, being an origin story for the Holy Grail.) This plays out against conflict between Rome and Christians and political machinations, all set in against a surrealist background and sets. Add on top of that, Simon the Magician (Jack Palance), angling to break the cult of Christ and maybe become the Messiah himself. It’s melodramatic and over the top, and Newman gives perhaps the worst performance of his life. But I LOVE it, because it’s so darn crazy! For me, it gets a frequent rewatch and those 2 extra stars. See it in Cinemascope widescreen, if you can.
Scandal: The Trial of Mary Astor (2018) **** Documentary talking with film experts and the star’s daughter about the scandalous trial of Mary Astor, where her explicit personal diaries were exposed to the world in an ugly custody battle. Despite all the press, it seems that the judge did a good job reigning in the circus. And happily, Astor’s career survived the trial, and her film following did very well. An interesting look on the double-standards and “slut shaming” attempts back in the day. Astor’s bravery shines as brightly as her works.
Noah (2014) **** Generations after Adam & Eve, the world of Aronofsky’s Noah is covered with savage city states led by the descendants of Cain. Noah and his family live a nomadic existence, trying to stay out of the chaos. But when Noah receives the message from God to build an ark, because the world would be flooded, he uses a seed from Eden to create a forest to build his ship. Which puts him at odds with the Cain followers, though fortunately Noah has fallen angels in rocky giant form to help. The vision of this film mixes fantasy (from the book of Enoch and others) as well as Biblical texts, to create a surprising blend that I really enjoy.
Samson (Sansone 1961) *** In this sword & sandal actioner, Samson (who looks like Hercules), returns to a land where he is well known, only to run into a fugitive strongman, Millstone, The two wrestle around before Samson is captured and taken before the rulers, who have replaced the queen he knew. Naturally, they are despots, and try to imprison Samson and his friends, and he must then team up with Millstone (who looks like a more likely Samson) and give the villains their comeuppance. Pretty standard, but at least Amazon has a nice widescreen print.
International House (1933) **** The International House hotel in China is to host the bidding for a prototype television device that can receive anything, even of-the-day vaudeville acts. Among the bidders, are a Russian General (Bela Lugosi), a stuffy brit, and an American with fiancee troubles, among others. Into that mix comes a gold-digger, Peggy Hopkins Joyce (playing herself), George Burns and the brilliant Gracie Allen, and a show-stealing W.C. Fields, as an inveterate rich drunkard flying a mixed-up autogyro. Some of the acts — Little Rose Marie and Cab Calloway — are brilliant, and we have the first of numerous Fields crazy car chases. All of those and Allen elevate this pre-code film above standard fare to something special.
Shakespeare & Hathaway S2 **** Luella Shakespeare & Frank Hathaway (and their aide-de-camp Sebastian) continue their (mosly) lighthearted mystery solving in the 2nd cinema, with the series formula more clearly established — in a good way. Storylines include a murder at a LARPing event, a man with no memory who someone is trying to kill, imposters trying to ruin the rep of the S&H agency, and by the end, some revelations about Frank’s past and why he has the relationship that he does with the police. Good fun.
Operation Crossbow (1965) *** In World War II, the Brits are trying to figure out what kind of rocketry tricks the Nazis may have up their sleeve, in order to prevent even more devastation from coming to England. The film starts with what I assume is the creation of the “Buzz Bomb,” while Churchill and company plan a spy mission to get their people into the secret bases where the Germans are developing and building weapons. George Peppard and some others are chosen for the super dangerous mission, and naturally things go wrong along the way. Since this is a 70s war picture, it would be a mistake to think that everybody is going to make it out of this caper to stop the V2 rocket alive. Decent on suspense but only heavy on action at the end.
Nanook of the North (1922) **** This progenitor of the documentary film tells the story of Eskimo hunter Nanook and his little family as they hunt and struggle against the brutally hostile environment of the Canadian Arctic. There’s lot of desolate but beautiful scenery and hunting scenes that will make animal-lovers cringe, but it’s a very effective portrayal of a difficult and vanishing way of life. However, critics say that a lot of the action was planned and set up, and the whole is not an accurate portray of Inuit life, though the director claimed to have based it on his own experiences living among the people he’s portraying. Since the film is more than 100 years old, it’s difficult to know what exactly the truth is, now, but Nanook is an interesting and thought-provoking film.
Father Brown S13 **** Father Brown, housekeeper Brenda, church secretary Mrs. Sullivan and her new husband Detective Sullivan return for another series of cozy mysteries for the intrepid Catholic priest to solve. The characters are well established by this point, though the newlywed Sullivans are having trouble achieving marital bliss. This seems to stem mostly from British politeness and the fact that Fr. Brown is always solving Inspector Sullivan’s cases. There’s also an ongoing subplot with a superior priest, angling for a bishop’s miter, who despises our soft-spoken hero. The writers struggle with giving the inspector things to do in the case, but other than that, it’s a great series. We also get the return of some characters who were previously regulars. All in all, I look forward to the next series.
Hercules & the Conquest of Atlantis (1961 a.k.a Hercules & the Captive Women) *** This movie starts with Hercules and his son Hylas having a big tavern brawl, because that’s what Greeks do. But otherwise, things are rough in Greece right now. So, King Androcles basically kidnaps Herc to get his help finding out who’s causing the trouble. After a shipwreck, Herc rescues a woman from the shape changing Proteus, and she turns out to be an Atlantean princess. But the Atlanteans are raising a supernatural clone-type army to take over Greece (and the rest of the world). Muscular battles follow, and it’s all pretty good fun. Someday, I’ll get a better print than the PD ones available online.
Brokenwood Mysteries 5-3 Tontine (rewatch) **** Our local PBS station has been playing random older BM shows, and I was watching along, until I discovered that I could actually start from the start using the On Demand function. It’s a great series, funny with good twists, that I’m happy to rewatch. In this episode, a local landowner dies leaving an unusual will to his heirs — each of whom he seemed to dislike. It’s a tontine, a deal where all share equally ,but if any of them die, the others’ shares increase. It seems more of a revenge scheme than an inheritance, especially when members of the tontine start dying in mysterious circumstances. Mike, Kristin, and Breen must figure out who’s aiming to be the last survivor, and why.
Brokenwood Mysteries 1-1 Blood & Water (2014 rewatch) **** The original episode of this great series has Detective Mike Shepherd arriving in Brokenwood to investigate the apparent suicide of a widower found drowned at the foot of a bridge. The local inspector steps aside in the case, which annoys locals Detective Kristin Sims and Sam Breen, who find Shepherd’s ways odd and off-putting. But Shepherd believes that the man was murdered, and the murder has something to do with the suspicious death of his wife years ago. A good introduction to the characters and a strong start to the series, which continues to this day.
Tarzan & the Lost Safari (1957) *** When a plane full of rich tourists crashes in Africa, Tarzan (Gordon Scott) must lead them through the wilderness to safety and away from hostile natives. Unfortunately, one of the people rescuing them, a hunter, would rather sell the white folks to the natives, who plan to sacrifice them to their lion god. The hunter will be rewarded with ivory, but of course Tarzan soon tumbles to his treachery. Scott continues to be good as the jungle hero, but this is pretty standard fare.
King Richard & the Crusaders (1954) ***(*) Factions among the Crusaders puts their leader, King Richard the Lionheart (of England) in mortal danger. Naturally, the goal is to free the Holy Land for Christians, but Richard’s allies seem more interested in scheming against him (and each other) than against Saladin and his Muslim forces. A Scots knight drifts in and out of favor with the king (he has designs on a noble daughter), but the real surprise comes when that knight and the king run into a clever Muslim (Rex Harrison) who both heals the king and seems to support him. The twist here is pretty obvious (to me, anyway), but I enjoyed the ride anyway. There’s plenty of action and betrayals, and if you don’t mind Rex Harrison playing an Arab, you can give it that extra star.
Klute (1971) **** Donald Sutherland is Klute, a private eye who becomes obsessed with a high class call girl. Bree Daniels (Jane Fonda), who is somehow mixed up with the disappearance of an executive whose company has hired Sutherland, hoping to find the missing man. Bree’s profession has her mixed up with a variety of odd characters, including a fellow prostitute who may have known the missing man, but tracking down the clues to what happens proves as labyrinthian as Bree’s personal life. Despite this, Klute falls for her charms, and soon both are endangered by the secrets they’re withholding from each other. An excellent 1970s-era mystery.
Brokenwood Mysteries 1-2 Sour Grapes ***** Trouble with judging at a Brokenwood’s annual wine-tasting contest leads to a man being drowned in a vat of wine. Mike, Kristin, and Breen must navigate the various wine-making approaches and rivalries to discover what really happened and why. With interesting characters, including a perfectionist female vintner on the autism spectrum, plus some good twists, another fine entry in the series. On first watching, it took me about 2 seasons to understand this series quirks, but this time through, it seems much more obvious from the start.
Gas-s-s-s! (1970) **(*) Trippy Corman studios production about a gas that wipes out the establishment and leaves a small band of twenty-somethings traveling across the country trying to figure out the meaning in their new lives. More a series of incidents than a traditional plot, this still may be of interest to those who like cinema of the era, and therefore would give it an extra star.
Up Periscope (1959) *** James Garner is a marine specialist assigned to a submarine run by a by-the-book commander. Garner’s attempt to infiltrate a Japanese island base, steal communications secrets, and sabotage the place may be a suicide mission, especially since the whole sub will be in danger if it lingers in the area too long, waiting to pick him up. A good war picture that fans of the genre or Garner will surely like.
Valley of Gwangi (1969) ***** While trying to recapture a stolen miniature horse, a group of cowboys, led by Gila Golan and James Franciscus, discover a lost valley of dinosaurs. The ruler of the this realm is a huge allosaur, Gwangi. The cowboys decide to try to capture the beast for their western circus. What could possibly go wrong? With animation by the legendary Ray Harryhausen, nothing goes wrong at all with this cowboys vs. dinosaurs thriller, featuring a classic roping segment and special FX that still stand up today. Great. Classic.
Artemis II: To the Moon & Back (2026) ***** Airing only a week after the Artemis II astronauts return from their trip around the moon, this documentary details the process of the mission and introduces the crew. It’s a great summary, though obviously they didn’t have time to go into great detail of the mission and still make their air date. Still, thrilling. Great to be going back to the moon!
Queen of Blood (1966) ***(*) Roger Corman productions took footage from several Soviet-era SF films and then added a new story around it about American astronauts being sent to Mars because of a possible alien signal. Once there, they rescue a voluptuous alien, who is not the damsel in distress that she seems. John Saxon leads the astronauts, and Dennis Hopper becomes an early victim of the titular monster in this sci-fi/horror flick. I think it’s really well done and clever in its use of old footage, and if you like low-budget SF/H or ballsy appropriation, give it that extra star.
Dementia 13 (1963) *** This low-budget, Corman-produced horror thriller was created and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, his first producing credit. In it, a shifty young woman goes to an Irish manor in search of an inheritance. Once there, she ingratiates herself with her “in-laws,” but discovers the pall of a young girl’s death “haunts” the house — and someone is willing to kill to protect the family secrets. Proto-slasher fun.
Tarzan’s Fight for Life (1958) ***(*) A local witchdoctor, Futa, clashes with a modern doctor, trying to cure the African natives of various ills. Tarzan (Gordon Scott) and Tartu (Tarzan’s adopted son) get involved when Jane has appendicitis, and the clinic is threatened by the witchdoctor’s supporters (Including Woody Strode). The chief’s son is also sick, and the witchdoctor will do whatever it takes to prove he is more powerful than western medicine. Luckily, Tarzan is there to help sort things out. Extra star for Strode fans.
Parents (1989 Sven Squad) **(*) A boy becomes convinced that his strange parents — Randy Quaid & Mary Beth Hurt — are keeping horrible secrets from the rest of the world. They eat so much meat, in odd ways, that he soon believes them to be cannibals. This deeply weird film was directed by (actor) Bob Balaban, and honestly, I’m not sure what to make of it. It didn’t strike me right the night I saw it, but I suspect that part of that was watching it cut up with commercials on the House of Svengoolie (with the Sven Squad). Thus, the extra optional star.
Roman Scandals (1934) **** Vaudevillian turned movie star Eddie Cantor plays a man who runs afoul of local corrupt officials, but when walking out of town, he’s hit on the head and wakes up walking into the suburbs of ancient Rome. There, he is enslaved and has various musical comedy adventures with the locals, a kind of California Yankee in Caesar’s court. The songs are good and the Busby Berkeley musical numbers clearly come from the last gasp of the pre-code era, being both highly sexy and highly amusing. If you see one Eddie Cantor film, I suggest this one.
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988) ***(*) Horror hostess Elvira (playing herself) at a low point in her fictitious TV career, inherits an old (falling down) mansion and leaves town to scandalize the tight-ass town residents. She has also inherited a spell book, which she thinks is a cook book, coveted by an evil antique-collector/warlock. Naturally, things go comically wrong for everyone, and Elvira’s hot bod gets to shake and shimmy her way through the whole adventure. Will the town finally except her and her weirdo ways? An extra star for Elvira fans, like me.
Brokenwood Mysteries 1-3 Playing the Lie **** Mike, Kristin, and Breen are called in after a woman’s body disfigured by chemicals is found on a local golf course. Turns out, she’s one of the course’s Board of Directors, and she his not well liked by her board, her daughter, or seemingly anyone, save the young man she’s been carrying on with. Ah, but what secrets and slights could have led to her murder with chemicals long banned in New Zealand, where Brokenwood is set. Another fine, twisty mystery in the series.
Gamera, the Giant Monster (1966) **** Gamera the giant flying turtle kaiju makes his first appearance in this black & white feature. The monster is released from his icy, arctic prison by an atomic plane crash. He then wreaks havoc all the way down in Japan, but also saves a young boy from falling to death (which wouldn’t have happened without Gamera being there, but… hey, it’s a kids’ film). Lot’s of good miniatures and kaiju fun in this one, with few surprises, including the ending.
Ghosts, Italian Style (1967) *** Sophia Loren and her husband’s marriage is falling apart, as both suspect each other of cheating — and maybe they are; at least they’re both headed that way. When the husband happens upon a rent-free villa, which is allegedly haunted (thus, the free rent to lure other tenants back and convince them the place is safe), he moves the couple there. But he soon becomes convinced that the man sneaking around the place, trying to bed Loren, is a ghost. Euro comedy ensues. There is some supernatural stuff, eventually, but mostly it’s just mistaken identity. Fun. My mom, who was fond of European comedy, would have loved it.
Piranha(1978) ***** When a couple of tourists go missing, some well-meaning people looking for them empty the industrial pool where the couple died, accidentally releasing mutant piranhas into the water system. Corman produced and Joe Dante directed this SF/H cash-in on JAWS mania, but perhaps surprisingly, it’s a really great low-budget film. It has echoes of its predecessor, while not strictly imitating it. It also has some shocking ruthless scenes, and good acting by a cast that includes Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies, Kevin McCarthy, Keenan Wynn, and Barbara Steele, among others. A classic in its own right.
Scarpetta (S1) **** Nicole Kidman plays modern-day Kay Scarpetta in this series that uses the grisly murder of a woman in the present to reflect and re-examine Kay’s first case many years ago. The show has done a great in pairing the younger cast with the present cast, including the father & son team playing Pete Marino. And Jamie Leigh Curtis totally brings it as modern Kay’s sister; she and Kidman have some amazing scenes together. The story is about a serial killer mutilating women, which makes Kay and Pete wonder if they really caught the killer all those years ago. Very gory and tough-minded with a lot of nude dead bodies (she is a pathologist, after all).
How to Make a Monster (1958) *** A makeup expert is turned out by the money-grubbing new owners of a studio after years of service. To get his revenge, he decides to make the monsters he created come to life, using drugs, hypnosis, and his makeups — which include Teenage Frankenstein and Teenage Werewolf, and the unwitting actors playing those roles. This is an amusing semi-sequel to the two teenage monster films, which ironically are not available because of the split of the AIP properties after the death of the producers. Interestingly, though the film is mostly black & white, the final reel is in color.
Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure (1959) *** Gordon Scott’s Tarzan finally becomes totally literate (no more Me Tarzan — or Jane) as the series modernization continues. A group of killers led by a man named Slade dress as black Africans and steal supplies. Meanwhile with, a woman’s plane crashes in the jungle. Tarzan rescues her but also has to go after Slade, who he has a history with. With Slade is a villainous character looking for a lost mine, and also Sean Connery as one of Slade’s mercenary henchmen. The whole brew works together, Connery is really slimy, and it’s all a good intro to the “new” Tarzan.
And that’s it for April, 2026. Our total this month is 43 films, series, and notable shorts — more than I would have guessed — which brings our 2026 Total to 166. Do you keep track? How many have you done through April?
NEXT MONTH: Probably more films in May than April, though I won’t guarantee it because we were on vacation for the first chunk of May, too. Tune in in June to find out how it all turned out!
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