Summer of Terror-The Universal Monsters: The Invsible Man

     HG Wells' The Invisible Man was inspired in part by references to invisible men in a WS Gilbert poem and Plato's Republic. It, along with War of the Worlds and The Time Machine, would be seen as one of the classics from Wells. The film version began production as early as 1931, but ran into a number of production problems. The film had multiple treatments with wildly different takes on the story, including one set on Mars. RC Sheriff (who wrote Journey's End, which director James Whale had produced on stage in 1928) eventually found the original novel in a secondhand bookstore, and wrote the script around that. Even that had issues, as the script was helped by then-famed science fiction writer Phillip Wylie (later known for proto-superhero work Gladiator and When Worlds Collide, who integrated elements of his novel The Murderer Invisible into the script) and future Oscar winner Preston Sturges, who were then taken off the project. Director Cyril Gardner was replaced by the reliable James Whale. Originally, Boris Karloff and Colin Clive were considered for the role of the Invisible Man. However, Whale had a small falling out with Karloff and Clive declined, so the role went to a newcomer to film named Claude Rains. Rains, a British World War I veteran, had been a rising star on the London stage (thanks, in part, to him modifying his Cockney accent into a trans-Atlantic accent) , and had been an instructor in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, where John Gieglud and Laurence Olivier were his students. He had appeared in a silent film in 1920, but largely remained a theater actor and came to Broadway in 1928. In 1931, he was offered a screen test for an RKO picture called A Bill of Divorcement. While the screen test failed, James Whale happened to overhear it, and impressed by Rains' voice, hired him as the Invisible Man. Even still, production remained troubled, with a fire breaking out at one point, shutting down production. The Invisible Man effect was well-regarded in its time. Wires on set were used to display the invisible man running around, but the actual effect when Rains took off his mask was achieved through a special velvet black suit Rains wore against a velvet black background, which was combined with a location shot through a matte. Released in 1933, the film was Universal's biggest success after Frankenstein , and would launch Claude Rains into an incredibly illustrious film career. Wells himself would have mixed feelings on the film, commenting that while he enjoyed it, he didn't like that the scientist had gone insane from the process.

    A bandaged man (Claude Rains) walks into a hotel and asks for a room. It's revealed that this bandaged stranger is in fact, Dr. Jack Griffin, a scientist working for Dr. Cranley (Henry Travers, aka "Clarence" from It's a Wonderful Life), and engaged to Cranley's daughter Flora (Gloria Stuart). They, and Dr. Kemp (Willaim Harrigan) have concerns for Griffin, especially when they come across a dangerous formula in his collection. Sure enough, when the innskeeper (Forrester Harvey) tries to kick him out, Griffin dispatches him, and grandly reveals that he has gained the ability to become invisible. 

    So, the special effects hold up really well. The invisibility effect is extremely well-done in close up, and I was shocked when I read up on how it was done (hence why I noted it in the intro.) It also helps that the other invisibility effects are also well-done, making the character feel present even if you can't see him. Claude Rains does well in his de facto film debut, delivering the grand villainous monologues with energy and gusto that makes him very appealing to watch. Helps that he also has legitimate malice and menace to him that makes him a very real threat. I also liked that the film had some good intentional humor that was legitimately funny, but also felt more like fun than the relatively dour films prior to it. It also has a conclusion that feels like an actual conclusion, rather than feeling like something was cut out.

    Some parts, like the opening and some of the middle, were a bit confusing and hard to follow. I only learned from looking at the synopsis what a discovery in the middle of the film actually meant, and some of the extensive middle part felt confusing. Also, the way he's dispatched at the end was a bit anti-climatic, especially with his grandiose gesturing throughout the film.

    Pretty entertaining film overall, and an interesting companion piece to the very recent remake (if you managed to see it in theaters before... everything.) I'd say I prefer the new one a little more, but this is definitely worth a watch, if only for the insane monologues Claude Rains delivers and the incredible special effects. 

    Next up, the very  first sequel in the Universal Monsters franchise with The Bride of Frankenstein.

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre- The Devil's Backbone

     Guillermo del Toro wrote the screenplay to this film in the mid-80's as a film student at University of Guadalajara. It was influenced by Del Toro's longtime fascination with ghost stories, including his interactions with apparations as a child and how his uncle became a ghost, and was originally set during the Mexican Revolution with a "Three-armed Christ". When his 1993 feature film debut Chronos was screened at the Miami Film Festival in 1994, del Toro ran into Spanish director and producer Pedro Almodóvar, who loved the film, and was willing to produce del Toro's next feature. Almodóvar and his brother Agustin produced the film through their company El Deseo. Despite this, del Toro went through some troubles before he could get into his passion project. His Hollywood debut, Mimic, was distasteful behind the scenes because of the interference of the producers: The Weinstein brothers. Not helping was when his father was kidnapped for ransom. Finally, he and the Almodovar brothers were able to move forward with the project after Mimic's release. By then, the story was shifted to Spain during the Spanish Civil War, and a ghost boy was made the focal point. Other influences included the Spanish graphic novel Paracuellos by Carlos Gimenez, who served as a storyboard artist. Made for $4.5 million, it would make $6.5 million, and become critically acclaimed, cementing Del Toro as one of the finest directors of his era. On del Toro's part, he says this and its spiritual successor Pan's Labyrinth are his favorite and most personal films.

     During the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930's, young Carlos (Fernando Tielve) is dropped off in a orphanage run by Republican sympathizers Dr. Casares (Federico Luppi) and Carmen (Marisa Paredes) after his father dies fighting the Nationalists. The groundskeeper Jacinto (Eduardo Noreiga) is involved with both Carmen and teacher Conchita (Irene Visendo), but secretly wants some gold he had found in the orphanage, and plans to destroy it to cover his tracks. While Carlos has trouble fitting, he soon befriends the bully Jaime (Íñigo Garcés), and has an encounter with an apparition. He soon learns of Santi (Junio Valverde), an orphan who seemingly died in an aborted bombing. However, Santi's story may have more to it.

  Starting off, the lighting in this movie is great. There's a surrealness to it, both in the scenes set in the hot sun and at night, which helps ground the viewer in the world the characters inhabit and the eventual supernatural elements which gradually reveal themselves over the course of the film. It also is just good to look, with enough realism that you are able to accept the scenario much as the characters in the film have. I liked how the political nature of the film is very subtle. The cruelty of the villain Jacinto is juxtaposed towards the cruelty of the fasicst allied nationalists, and the heroes are explicitly helpful and kind, as well as very strongly affiliated with the Loyalists/Republicans. The image of the defused bomb sitting in the orphanage was a fantastic center for the entire film, and helps with showing the shadow of war the characters constantly live under. And it has del Toro's tropes, which he always does masterfully, from the monstrous, but very handsome villain and the strange creature turning out to be less threatening than said villain. I liked that he can juggle multiple characters and plotlines without any of them feeling too rushed or I honestly think one should see this film to soak it in fully, because just describing it doesn't really put up the scale of this film, and how it really gives a great mood.

    I don't have many criticism. Maybe that it was a bit too long, but it never feels dragging and none of the scenes were unnecessary.

    This is del Toro. He's a personal hero of mine, and I've never disliked any of his films. I'd say I'd prefer Pan's Labyrinth, but that is a perfect film on all measures, and I prefer it over almost all films. That said, this is still a masterpiece, and anyone and everyone should watch it no matter if you like horror or not. It is great, and I am very glad I watched it.

   So, apologies for the lateness of this. I haven't had the best October, shall we say, and Saturday was especially hard, because of circumstances beyond my control. Anyway, tomorrow, we go from arthouse horror homage to Pleasantville horror homage, with The Final Girls.
      

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre- Earth vs. the Flying Saucers

      In 1947, a businessman and pilot named Kenneth Arnold was flying near Mt. Rainier in Washington state when he came across a bunch of strange lights he compared to "saucers", among other things. The press would come to dub these objects "Flying Saucers". This sighting was one of many during the late 40's and 50's, when people around the world began to report seeing strange objects in the skies, which was soon attributed to beings from the stars. One of the biggest proponents of this was Marine aviator Maj. Donald Keyhoe, who wrote some bestsellers with information from official sources (though with differing interpretations of those sources and the eyewitnesses listed than either the Air Force or scientists probably would've) regarding the phenomenon. Of course, Hollywood smelt an opportunity, and made many alien invasion films during the period.With the (fairly dubious) prestige of Major Keyhoe, a film was made, "suggested" by his book, Flying Saucers from Outer Space. After going through titles like Attack of the Flying Saucers and Invasion of the Flying Saucers, the title Earth vs. the Flying Saucers just felt right, apparently. Ray Harryhausen did the effects for the film, and the producer was his regular one Charles Schneer. To help the film, Harryhausen sought the guidance of George Adamski (known for his... bizarre UFO sightings). The screenplay was written by Bernard Gordon (who had to take the alias Raymond T Marcus, due to being blacklisted), George Worthing Yates, and Curt Siodmak (known for writing The Wolf Man for Universal). Stock footage of the sinking of the HMS Barham and V-2 launches during World War II were among the effects used in the film to describe the alien attacks in the film. The film is regarded as something of a classic, with Tim Burton extensively homaging the film in Mars Attacks, but Harryhausen himself has admitted it was his least favorite of the films he had done.

      Flying saucers are everywhere, being seen by pilots, farmers, and all sorts of people. This includes Dr. Russell Marvin (Hugh Marlowe) and his wife Carol (Joan Taylor), who are driving to Project Skyhook, a military effort to launch satellites as the first shot in space exploration efforts (this was 1956, right before Sputnik). They decide to keep it secret, but is informed by Carol's father, General Hanley (Morris Ankrum) that many of the satellites have been fallen back to Earth, and the current launch goes disastrously. One of the flying saucers lands on Earth, and the occupants, after being attacked by the US military, attack back, and kidnap General Hanley. They subsequently reveal to Hanley (and later Marvin) that, after being encountered with hostility, they have decided to attack the Earth, and have mysterious designs for the sun. Now, it is a race to figure out what the aliens are going to do.

     The effects of the flying saucers are very well-done, while appearing very simply at first. It seems like it's just hung from a string, but if you look closely, you can see them being rotated very quickly. It gives them more of a realistic feeling, especially as they go around the sky, and very much when they land. The scene where the saucer is on the ground before the aliens attack was very tense primarily because of that effect and the weird distortion used for the force field. The alien suits are less than impressive (and phallic), but the make-up once they are unmasked is pretty good. The climax where various landmarks are destroyed with stop motion is practical effects is amazing, some of the best of the period that I've seen, I like the use of stock footage very subtly as an indication, especially the photo-negatives of sun (always good to see astronomical imagery) I also like that there is more of an international presence in the plot of the film (even if it focuses primarily on the US).

    The movie has something of a fast pace. It goes immediately from Dr. Marvin and Carol seeing the UFO to the UFO ruining the launch to the invasion starting. As a result, it gets a bit hard to follow, since you need to keep up with each and every detail in order to follow it. This especially applies to the ending, where the military has to deal with the aliens in Washington, but it doesn't really say how they are dealt with worldwide. I also wish the aliens had a better motivation, than just growing hostile immediately and wanting to rule the Earth. There's apparently a comic series that explores the film from their perspectives, so I might check that out. Also, for a film with this large a scale, it is way too short to really soak in the sheer terror of a menace to the entire planet.

   I kind of agree with Harryhausen that this is his weakest film. However, it's mostly in terms of plot. The effects are still top-notch, and I can see why the film became so iconic. If you like alien invasion film, science fiction films of the 50's, or the work of Ray Harryhausen, definitely give it a watch.

   Tomorrow, we return to Wes Craven with his 1991 cult classic The People Under the Stairs.

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre-- The Fly (1986)

     I don't think I've done a David Cronenberg film during the 6 years I've been doing this, and that's a huge blindspot, given his immense influence on the genre. Born in Toronto, he was inspired by college classmate David Secter's film Winter Keeps Us Warm to go into filmmaking, starting with small arthouse productions before going in partnership with fellow Canadian filmmaker Ivan Reitman, who produced his breakthrough 1975 film Shivers, the first to show his signature brand of body horror. By the 1980's, he had gotten more acclaim for surreal horror films like Videodrome, Scanners, and The Dead Zone. He was working on an early draft of Total Recall (adapted from Phillip K. Dick's story, "We Can Remember For You Wholesale") for producer Dino DeLaurentiis when he was approached to a remake of The Fly, which he had to turn down due to that prior commitment. The idea to remake The Fly originated from producer Kip Ohrman, who approached screenwriter Charles Edward Pogue (Psycho III, The Hounds of Baskerville) to write the project. Together with producer Stuart Cornfield, they pitched a remake idea to 20th Century Fox,  with the conceit that, unlike the original's sudden transformation, the remake would feature a gradual metamorphasis. Fox was impressed, but was unimpressed with Pogue's first draft. Cornfield was able to get Fox to distribute the film if they got a new producer. Mel Brooks (yes, that one) agreed to be that producer. (He produced a number of serious films, including David Lynch's Elephant Man, through his company Brooksfilms and kept his name off the credits so that people wouldn't expect a comedy, which he also did here). Eventually, Cronenberg left Total Recall over creative differences, and was able to accept the role as director, as well as completely rewriting Pogue's script, only keeping the element of gradual metamorphosis. A then-mostly unknown Jeff Goldblum was cast after many actors were approached or auditioned, in spite of the studio fearing that he couldn't carry a feature film by himself. Chris Walas, a special effects and make-up artist whose credits included Airplane, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Gremlins, did the effects for the film, including the legendary transformation sequences. Released in 1986, the film would gross $40 million at the box office, and would garner critical acclaim, and even an Oscar for Best Make-Up. The film still holds a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, and the tagline "Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid" is now a cultural touchstone.

      Scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) wants to impress journalist Ronnie Quaife (Geena Davis), so he shows her his newest project: a teleportation device. Brundle wants Quaife to remain silent on the issue, at least until he could test it appropriately. Quaife documents Brundle's experiments and eventually becomes romantically involved with Brundle, earning the ire of her jealous editor Stathis Borans (John Getz). After a failed experiment with a baboon and a successful one with the baboon's brother, Brundle decides to take the plunge himself, testing the device with himself inside. However, he doesn't seem to notice a fly coming into the other pod. And while he emerges fine, he starts to exhibit strange symptoms.....

     First, the special effects and production design of the film are stellar. Especially the teleportation and transformation sequences, and Goldblum's make-up. The pods look distinct, the computers look real. The dark corridors of the lab, lightened only by the lights of the teleportation or blue street lights, help set the mood of the film, especially at the end. The make-up and effects on Goldblum as he steadily transforms into a bizarre fly-human hybrid is very terrifying and visceral,, especially as it reaches its later stages. It is hard to watch because it is so disgusting (especially the skin). That in and of itself might've worked all to sell the horror on its own, but what really cements it is Goldblum's performance. Not only does he subtly show the personality changes the character goes through, but he shows a lot of physicality in his performance, making subtle changes to his gestures, movement, and voice as the transformation ramps up, and he has to deal with both wanting to change back and the increasing fly take-over of his mind and body. This kind of subtle acting shines through, even under the layers of make-up. I complained about the slow story in the original, but since this one has more of an emphasis on the gradual transformation, it works to build up the eventual monster, and the pain it causes both for Brundle and Quaife.  Finally, the score by Academy Award winner Howard Shore is very creepy and gives an impression

    If there was a problem, it's a bit too short. I feel more could've been done to show Goldblum's transformation before the physical changes become more and more prominent. The changes to his personality and physiology worked incredibly well, and I wish they had more scenes focusing on that, especially since it could showcase Goldblum's performance even more.

     I think I love this movie. It was so good, it's somewhat stunning. This movie is of course, something of a cultural milestone, but I didn't expect it to be this good and this powerful. This is quite a masterpiece, and I highly recommend to anyone, not just fans of horror and science fiction. Even if it is disgusting, the craftmanship is so well-done, it can be forgiven.

     Alright, we continue on Friday with the first Scream. 

Masterpieces of Horror Theatre- The Fly (1958)

       It's that time of year again! Yes, boils and ghouls, it's the annual Masterpieces of Horror Theatre, where we look at horror film past and present. And to begin the last one of these for the 2010's, we will discuss both the seminal 1958 horror film the Fly and its 1985 remake. (Just as a reminder, I don't spoil anything in the synopsis, but I do in the benefits/flaws sections.)

       French-British writer George Langelaan had an interesting life, serving as a spy during World War II, helping the French resistance, escaping a Nazi death camp, participating in the Normandy invasion, and being friends with occultist Aleister Crowley, among other things. However, his biggest legacy was his short horror story "The Fly", first published in Playboy magazine in 1957. The story of a scientist who becomes a monstrous hybrid of man and fly during a mishap with his teleportation device was noticed by Kurt Neumann, a German born director who had been working in Hollywood since the early 30's, focusing on B-movie pictures. He showed the story to Robert Lippert, the head of 20th Century Fox's subsidiary Regal Pictures, who decided to make the feature. While Lippert was initially announced as lead producer, Fox, fearing the repercussions of Lippert's then-conflict with the Screen Actor's Guild over residuals, replaced him with Neumann (who also directs the film) and made the film an official Fox release instead of a Regal one (though Lippert would remain an uncredited producer, and Regal, known for their low budget production style, would handle much of the film.) Screenwriter James Clavell (later a prolific screenwriter and director, known also for The Great Escape) stayed close to the original short story, only changing some elements. Fox boasted in publicity material that much of the equipment used in the film was army or air force surplus loaned to them. Make-up artist Ben Nye made a 20 pound fly head for actor Al Hedison (who would later go by his middle name David, and would be cast as James Bond BFF Felix Leiter in the 70's and 80's), which Nye would remain very proud of. Multiple sources list different budgets for the film, with one going as high as $495,000. Regardless, the film was a smash financially when it was released in July of 1958 (though Neumann would sadly not live to see it, having died a month later.) Though the critical reception was decidedly mixed upon release, it has come to be seen as a classic in the genre.

      At a Montreal laboratory, a night watchman (Torben Meyer) witnesses scientist Andre Delambre (Al or David Hedison, whichever works) crushed under a press, and his wife Helene (Patricia Owens) fleeing the scene. While Helene confesses the murder to Andre's brother François (Vincent Price), she becomes more erratic when interrogated by François and Inspector Charas (Herbert Marshall), and obsessed with flies, in particular a white headed fly. François knows how happy the couple and their child Phillippe (Charles Herbert) were, and in a bid to get the truth, claims to have the white headed fly, which prompts Helene to divulge the true circumstances of his death. Largely, how his tireless pursuit for an effective teleportation machine ultimately isolated him from his family, and lead him to a very... small place.

    First and foremost, this is a very immaculate production design. The house that serves as the primary setting, the laboratory, the outdoors, all of it looks great, and very appealing to the eye, which helps keep the viewer watching. This extends to the two big special effects of the film. The fly costume looks great, very terrifying to watch whenever it's on screen, especially the head and the claw arms. Apparently Hedison disliked the make-up, but it honestly works to make his performance a lot more physical, showing the angst as he struggles with his mind slipping and his grotesque appearance. The second big effect is Hedison's head in the fly's body, which, while only on screen for a moment, is quite terrifying, and leads to a horrific final scene. The terror is still present, even some 60 years later, and it is quite disturbing, especially since a lot of it is off screen. It is very suspenseful at times, particularly when Delambre is fully revealed as a monstrous hybrid.

     I could tell that this was particularly close to the source material, and that works against the film. The long build-up would likely work better in a short story, but the film drags a little as it goes into Andre slowly becoming estranged from his family and acting strangely, and Helene's obsession with the flies and where it leads. It's only an 1 hour and 33 minutes, so it doesn't get too tedious, but it does feel the mystery of it did need to be shortened a little. It is, after all, called The Fly, and people won't be confused by the infusion of a monster called the Fly.

     Right as I was watching the scene where the Fly monster is revealed, an actual fly landed outside my window. That was a funny little anecdote about the film. Anyway, this was pretty good and still very scary, despite being 60 years old with 60 year old effects. It was still very scary and somewhat depressing to watch, especially towards the end. I highly recommend it to horror fans and fans of old science fiction films all the same.

    So, tomorrow, I will take a look at David Cronenberg's version of these events.   

Reason for the Season- Twilight Zone (2019)

    A couple years ago, I did a piece on this very blog lamenting that science fiction anthologies were not as common (relegated to season long anthologies at that time). In that piece, I mentioned that they shouldn't do another *Twilight Zone*, because there were at least two others before it. Well, they went and did it anyway, so that's why I decided to review it: to see if this lives up to any of the previous incarnations and to see how the anthology format holds up now. Just a reminder, these are more free-form, stream of consciousness than my typical reviews, and I include spoilers with abandon.  Also, I want to make this an official series, so there's a title. (Get it? Because TV series are organized into seasons and... you get it.)


    Okay, of the three version of this show, this is easily worst. I've said this for weeks as it has been released. For a long time, I regarded the 2002 version as the weakest one. Even that had some highlights and some good episodes (especially the sequel to "It's a Good Life," with Bill Mumy himself). This, however, has the weakest set of episodes so far. And it starts off fine. The Comedian episode with Kumail Nanjiani was pretty good, with a Twilight Zone-esque twist and very universal themes. It goes downhill from that almost immediately with the second episode, a very loose remake of Nightmare at 20,000 Feet called Nightmare at 30,000 Feet, which had... a podcast, I think, and Adam Scott running an airplane. Honestly, I don't remember a lot of it, and that's the problem with a lot of these. They don't really have those clincher moments that the standard Twilight Zone episodes do. Like, take the classic episode *Time Enough at Last*, of course about a dude who just wants to read, but is constantly distracted by the people in his life. At the very end, he has the time to read all the books he wants, since everyone else was wiped out by the apocalypse, but just he is about to, he breaks his glasses. That is a very iconic and very memorable moment. That is largely absent from this new incarnation, and in its place is... attempting to comment on modern social issues. Like, in the least subtle manner possible. The worst offender is "The Wunderkund", about John Cho as a political advisor who gets an 11-year old elected President. It is very clearly about Trump, and it is so painful to watch. Like, imagine all those hacky Trump jokes from like, Jimmy Kimmel and Bill Maher, and make them into a *Twilight Zone* episode and here's what we've got. "Not All Men" could've been interesting exploration of toxic masculinity, but doesn't really demonstrate that and has an ending that just contradicts itself. "Point of Origin" could've been as biting as an episode of the original, with a focus on the current immigration crisis. Again, though, it doesn't really explore these issues or really makes a point about them. It's just "yep. This is happening." People have defended (correctly) that the Twilight Zone from the 60's was political, but it always felt complete, and further more, held up as stories in their own right with universal themes. "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street" could be held as a commentary on McCarthyism and the Red Scare, but could be seen as a simple story about mass hysteria and the dangers of paranoia. Hell, the 2002 one had an update that was pretty good, while also commenting on the hysteria following 9/11. A lot of these, beside being unsubtle, are just not really good or memorable. Okay, there is one, and it's the best one of this season "Replay". There is a strong undercurrent about police brutality and racism, but it never feels too attached to that. Instead, it has more of an overriding theme about changing the past and trying to build a future. That makes it work a lot better, since it combines contemporary themes with more universal ideals. Aside from that, it just isn't very memorable. I've heard "Six Degrees of Freedom," was touted as a highlight, but I didn't care for it, especially the end. I can't tell you anything that happens in "A Traveler" or "Blue Scorpion". The very last episode of the season "Blurryman" is also pretty mediocre for the most part, though its message about how people ought to explore and expand art in all different directions and explore new ideas and worlds, and that something can be both good art and good entertainment was decently handled in the closing narration (the episode leading up to it was decidedly less adept at this message). That narration reminded me a lot of how Rod Serling, a long suffering TV writer who had scripts regularly censored by sponsors for their too-close-for-comfort stories, was able to use SF/Fantasy to explore contemporary themes and new ideas. (They might've also taken influence from the old Tower of Terror ride in Disney California Adventure with their TZ homages) The thing with this is that it has potentially good ideas and has a stellar cast and crew. Thus, none of it is really bad per se, but at that point, it just doesn't reach the level of being good. It's solid mediocrity, and that's probably the worst part. It just doesn't evoke an emotion within you. I'll probably never see any of these episodes again, and I've rewatched plenty of the *Twilight Zone* from all its incarnations. It is revived for a second season, and hopefully, it does get a lot better, because I do see potential in this series, if they can look at what didn't work for people and fix it, this could be a great show. Finally, Jordan Peele does a decent job as narrator. I honestly preferred Forrest Whittaker during his short stint, or even the unseen narrator from the second season of 80's series. 

Well, with that out of the way, join me in a little bit as this year sees the next Summer of Terror with the Nightmare on Elm Street series.

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre- Hellboy II: The Golden Army

     (Okay, a bit of explanation. I couldn't find Spirit of the Beehive online anywhere. I assumed it was on Hulu, but for some reason, it wasn't there. Since getting a DVD of it would take a couple days, I decided to make a last minute pass, and choose something that was more easily available. To compound manners, I twisted my foot over the weekend, and had to spent time recovering from that. With that out of the way).

      Not much history, as to be expected from a sequel. Guillermo del Toro had intended a trilogy with the character, and with the success of the first one, the sequel was to be released in 2006. However, Revolution Studios, which had produced the original, went bankrupt, and Columbia stepped in to distribute. After bouncing around a few ideas (including reinterpretations of classic monsters and elemental titans) and some stories from the comics to adapt, del Toro and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola wrote an original story. The film finally entered production after Pan's Labyrinth won many accolades. Released in 2008, the film was both financially and critically successful, and a third film was in development, before it faltered, and a reboot (currently slated for 2019 with Stranger Things' David Harbour in the lead role) was deemed necessary.

     On Christmas Day, 1955, Trevor Bruttenholm (the late John Hurt) tells his adoptive son Hellboy (Montse Ribe) about the legend of the Golden Army. How humans and elves went to war many years ago, and how the Golden Army was created by Goblin engineers for the elves to destroy humanity. However, the elf King Balor ( Roy Dotrice) sees the destruction wrought about by his new army, and how he created a pact with mankind. However, Prince Nuada (Luke Gross), who had tempted his father to creating the Golden Army, is dissatisfied with this, and leaves to be called back at some indeterminate time, while the Golden Army is sealed away with the elf crown being the key to opening it. Sure enough, in the present day, Nuada decides his time has come to destroy the humans, and retrieves their portion of the crown from an auction at a museum. He then kills Balor, and takes his portion, while his sister Nuala (Anne Walton) flees with the final portion. Hellboy (Ron Perlman) and fellow Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD) agents Liz Sherman (Selma Blair) and Abe Sapien (Doug Jones, now doing both voice and body) investigate the initial attack, and find themselves the victims of tooth fairies (which are not as innocuous as they sounds). They defeat them, but Hellboy is exposed for the first time to the public, prompting fallout with the higher ups, particularly BPRD head Tom Manning (Jeffrey Tambor). They take one tooth fairy, and have their new team leader, Johann Krauss (John Alexander and James Dodd for body, Seth MacFarlane (!) for the voice) a German whose body is now a strange ectoplamsa material contained in a suit, examine it. This leads them on a course that will intersect them with Nuala and then, having to stop Nuada from reviving the Golden Army.

      I don't know where to start with how good this film is. It has great effects, an engaging story, great performances, great action, a larger sense of world building and mythology, some nice homages here and there (including references to the films of John Landis and Ray Harryhausen). Unlike the more mysterious original, this one has a more of an action-packed, urban fantasy feel to the proceedings, which actually works in that it still feels like it's in the universe of the original. It also has the character grow from the original, and grow throughout the film. The Golden Army itself was built up well, especially with their ability to regenerate, making their threat very clear, and forcing a unique solution beyond a direct confrontation.

     This is one of those films where every flaw I could think of actually works upon revisitation. I suppose the length.... nah, I'm kidding, it's 2 hours long. I think a little bit more backstory was needed for somethings. Like, if the elves were solely restricted to the British Isles and Ireland or were more worldwide, and a bit more on Johann Krauss and what happened to him (since he turns to the heroes side due to a tragedy in his life). It might've helped flesh out the story a bit more.

    I was harsh on the original Hellboy. I think I didn't really appreciate it for what it was, a fun romp with many different references and complex worldbuilding. I think this is better than the original, and a whole hearted recommendation to anyone who loves horror, urban fantasy, action, or del Toro films. Just, maybe watch the original first, however.

   We're at the home stretch, so Friday will see the modern classic American Psycho. 

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre- Q: The Winged Serpent

        Before I discuss this, I will briefly discuss its writer and director Larry Cohen. Originally a TV writer and creator of shows like Coronet Blue and The Invaders, he would transition to directing in the 70's, and would have a smash with It's Alive, a horror film about a killer newborn, and followed by God Told Me To, a science fiction thriller about mass killings. The film mostly originated from Cohen's desire to see a King Kong style monster movie for the Chrysler Building (which he had admired in terms of design), and figured the Aztec god Quetzelcoatl (described as a feathered serpent in most accounts) would do as the big bad. After getting fired off another project, he decided to move ahead with this idea He was able to get big stars like David Carradine (who he had served with in the army), Richard Roundtree, and Michael Moriarty to sign on (a young Bruce Willis auditioned, but was ultimately rejected by Cohen). After multiple rejections, the film was able to be shot on location in the Chrysler building, and the special effects team of Randy Cook (who would later win three Academy Awards for his work on Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy) and Dave Allen was contracted to make the stop motion creature based on Cohen's designs. The film was released in 1982 to mixed critical reception, but relative box office success and later cult classic status.

       Something is picking off people in New York! From a window cleaner to sunbathers to just people standing on rooftops, someone-or something is killing off many New Yorkers. Investigating this strange turn of events are Detective Shepard (David Carradine) and Sergeant Powell (Richard Roundtree). Wow, two Die Hard references in two reviews!). The former soon finds a connection between the seemingly ritualistic killings and ancient Aztec sacrifices. Sure enough, a cult has brought back the god Quetzelcoatl back through human sacrifices, who is now killing multiple people. Eventually, Shepard deduces what is happening, and needs to find their hideout. Luckily, small time criminal and part musician Jimmy Quinn (Michael Moriarty) came across a strange lair while escaping a botched robbery, with a large egg in the center.

         The creature design was very well done, as was the stop-motion. At first I was a bit iffy on it, due to the fact the viewer doesn't see much of it, but once it can be shown in its full glory, it is very impressive in its scale. I like that it combines the look of a bird and a dragon, a more realistic look for a being shown in Aztec paintings as a serpent with wings. The stop motion is well done, and as a bit of an homage to King Kong, the stop motion is supplemented by larger effects for its head during the climax. Many people bring up Michael Moriarty as the highlight, but honestly, Carradine was the best actor for me. He brought an edge and seriousness to the character that makes him more credible as he realizes the true nature of what's happening.

       The main problem with the film is mostly its length. The first 40 minutes could be condensed easily into 20 or even 10. Most of what happens could easily just fit into 10 minutes without losing anything significant. It would've worked better had the build-up been shorter, since more of the film could be focused on the creature itself and the attempts to stop it. As is, it meanders a lot, with the creatures various killings, Shepard investigating, and Quinn getting into trouble with his fellow robbers. This is not just restricted to the first 40 minutes. Most of the film has filler to it to pad out the run time. Had they leaned in more to the creature, it might've helped cut down much of the filler.

       This felt more like an extended television episode of an anthology show or an action show than it did a feature film. Not to say it was bad. It was entertaining and interesting enough to have kept me watching. If you want a film to watch in the background or just want to see some monster shenanigans, I recommend this. Honestly, though, it was a bit of a disappointment.

     Next week, we move to one of the most influential horror films of the modern era: The Blair Witch Project

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre- Re-Animator

      HP Lovecraft "Herbert West-Reanimator" was originally published in Home Brew (a small fanzine run by a friend) in 1922. Centering on the titular character resurrecting the dead (as well as a satire of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein), Lovecraft was dissatisfied with it, having only done it for money. (Reading the story makes that clear, with how much of it seems to have been written on auto-pilot), and is generally considered one of his worst. Accordingly, unlike many of Lovecraft's other story, it was not republished at first. Chicago playwright Stuart Gordon first came across the story after a discussion with friends lamenting the number of Dracula movies and not a lot of Frankenstein ones, whereupon a friend recommended it. Gordon had been a fan of Lovecraft for years and after reading, decided to try to adapt it: first on stage, then as a TV pilot. Originally wanting to emulate Lovecraft's setting, they ultimately decided to update to modern day Chicago for budgetary concerns, and later expanded it to an hour. Eventually, special effects director Bob Greenberg (known for John Carpenter's Dark Star) convinced him to make it into a feature film, and introduced him to producer Brian Yuzna, which allowed the production to move to Hollywood. Special effects director John Naulin would use both morgue shoots and books on forensic pathology to help make many of effects used as bodies and make-up in the film, using 25 gallons of fake blood in the process.  The cast would themselves spend time in a morgue and insane asylum to fully prepare for their roles in the film. The film was largely shot over 18 days, with Richard Band composing the score over three weeks (having to spend money due to overtime). It was released to financial success and critical acclaim, and continues to be a cult classic, though Lovecraft fans (despite the story being considered one of his weakest) are split on it.
     Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs), a medical student is kicked out of the Swiss institution he was studying at, after a mishap with his Professor Hans Gruber (sadly, not Alan Rickman, but Al Berry) ends with Gruber walking and acting strangely while bleeding out of his eyes. He moves into Miskatonic Medical School, where he bonds with Dan Cain (Bruce Abbot), and clashes with Dr.Carl Hill (David Gale), whom West accuses of plagiarism. Cain is dating Megan (Barbara Crampton), the daughter of Miskatonic Dean Alan Halsey (Robert Sampson). Cain allows West to room with him, over Megan's objections, where he conducts strange experiments. Sure enough, one day, Megan discovers their cat in West's fridge. West says the cat had died due to an accident, but Cain and Megan are skeptical. Then, Cain finds West attempting to find the cat and seeing him kill it, even though it was explicitly dead earlier. Cain is upset, before West reveals a formula that brings the cat back to life. Megan is understandably horrified, and her father subsequently bans Cain and West from campus. Undeterred, they sneak into the campus morgue (do medical schools have those?) at night to test the formula on humans. The dean hears about it, and tries to stop them, only to be killed by a corpse they were able to resurrect. Hill hears about it, and now wants to hear their secret....
     This film is pure schlock. How is this a good thing? Well, it's shlock, but it decides to fully embrace it. It is a messy, gore-filled, supernatural enfused B-movie, and it is incredibly fun, helped by great effects that make it as disgusting and revolting as needed Not to mention, it is incredibly earnest. The acting and writing take every moment very seriously. It takes Lovecraft's worst story, excises a lot of it, and leaves the bare bones story to play around with. Probably the best way to adapt material like that. It is very entertaining, in the way it was intended. I like that the villain, previously shown as a bit of a snobby, cantankerous fellow, to become a depraved monster, unhinged by traditional morality, after his own death and West resurrecting ....his head. No, really, West resurrects his head after beheading him, and it is still able to control his body. Once again, this is a hell of a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed watching it.
      There was a couple of minor problems following the narrative. Mostly, sometimes things happen off-set or just not explained, and some scenes were a bit hard to follow. Similarly, it is quite short at only 86 minutes. I feel more could've been explored.
     It might be hasty to say this, but I think this is one of my new favorite horror films. I really loved the experience of watching it, and it is truly an underrated classic, like I've heard from many sources. This is a true Halloween movie, with various horror elements put together to make a great viewing experience. As such, I highly recommend to horror fans of any stripes.
    Tomorrow, we go back to gods and monsters with Q-The Winged Serpent.

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre- Frankenstein Conquers the World

      I talked a bit about Willis O'Brien (best known as the special effects director of the original King Kong) last time, and this film is, in a sense, bourne from him as well. In 1961, he came up with a proposal for a film called King Kong meets Frankenstein, which is exactly what reads: King Kong fighting a massive version of Frankenstein's Monster in San Francisco. He eventually sold the idea to producer John Beck who shopped it around to various studio (including Kong rights holders Universal and RKO), before getting interest from Japanese studio Toho. Toho had wanted to make a King Kong film for a while, but eventually changed Frankenstein's Monster into Toho's own monster, Godzilla. Thus, King Kong v. Godzilla was made and released in 1962. They returned to the large Frankenstein's monster concept for a proposed sequel, Frankenstein vs. Godzilla, where Frankenstein's monster would be irradiated and grow to giant-size, prompting a fight with the Big-G. Eventually, Toho dropped Godzilla. Eventually, they would enter with American production company Henry G. Saperstein Enterprises (previously animation studio UPA) to produce the film. This new American involvement prompted the creation of a new monster called Baragon to replace Godzilla (and Godzilla actor Haruo Nakajima plays him), and allowed American actor Nick Adams (notable for his friendship with James Dean and Elvis Presley) to star. The titular Frankenstein was played by Koji Furuhata, who got the role through an open audition. Ishiro Honda, the director of the first Godzilla and some others in the series, directed, and Eiji Tsuburaya did the effects as he did with other Kaiju films.Originally, Frankenstein was to fight a giant octopus in a callback to King Kong vs. Godzilla, which was filmed but this was ultimately chucked from final release, due to Saperstein being dissatisfied with it.  Honda stated that this was one of several alternate endings filmed. The film had Nick Adams speaking English, while his cast mate spoke Japanese, and dubbing each other for each release. Released as Frankenstein vs. Baragon in Japan and Frankenstein Conquers the World in the US, it was enough of a success to prompt a sequel, War of the Gargantuas in the US.

        During the final days of World War II, Dr. Risendorf (Peter Mann) finds his experiments disrupted by an SS officer and goons, who steal a chest over the Doctor's protests. The chest is transported by U-Boat to their allies in Imperial Japan. The chest is revealed to hold the heart of Frankenstein's Monster, which cannot be destroyed and can be used for presumably stem-cell sorts of activities. The researchers are in Hiroshima, however. 15 years later, Doctors James Bowen (Nick Adams), Seigo Togami (Kumi Mizuno) and Ken'Ichiro Kawaji (Tadao Takashima) are alerted to the presence of a strange child (Sumio Nakao) roaming the streets of Hiroshima. They take him in, where they note that he has a strange resistance to radiation and a massive appetite. Sure enough, the child grows more and more, breaking from any cage he's in. Eventually, after investigation, they learn that the child was likely grown from the irradiated heart of Frankenstein. The aged Risendorf suggests cutting off a limp to test this. However, the child escapes and rampages through Japan. Meanwhile, Kawai (Yoshio Tsuchiya), who brought the heart to Hiroshima and now works for an oil company, witnesses Baragon (Haruo Nakajima) emerge. Baragon also rampages, which is blamed on Frankenstein (over the objections of Bowen and Togami). Now the researchers must race to capture Frankenstein before more harm comes to him or anyone else.

        First, I really like the fight scenes in this. They are sufficiently long, they never overstay their welcome, and they end rather satisfyingly. Originally, it seems that Baragon and Frankenstein are unrelated, just to build up the final fight. However, I do like that they do integrate the two, such that they are related in more than the fact they are giant monsters. I liked the Frankenstein's Monster itself. It was distinct from previous interpretations, but still recognizable. The make-up is well done, and both actors do well in adopting the more animalistic mannerisms that is supposed to have. Finally, the concept is very creative, with radiation prompting a full creature to form from a regenerating heart. It seems sort of like a Marvel comics character.

     This is not directly the film's fault, but the translation felt off. Like, it seems very curt and to the point, and doesn't seem to translate the full sentence. This could just be how the film was. I also found the ending to be underwhelming, when Frankenstein is just put into a large pit and presumably dies. It feels like there should be more. Apparently, a lot of this film was cut down, so that could be the reason.

     This was a pretty good monster movie, and probably a good Kaiju film (as someone who hasn't seen many Kaiju films). I recommend it on those grounds, or just some fun 60's era B-movie action. It was never boring and always entertaining, while never going into outright cheesy. Certainly see why this is a cult classic.

    Next week, we take a look at the Lovecraft adaptation Re-Animator. 

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre- The Beast from 20000 Fathoms

     "The Beast from 20000 Fathoms" was a short story by Ray Bradbury originally published in the Saturday Evening Post in 1951. The basic story is about a sea serpent attracted every night by the sound of a lighthouse fog horn that resembles its mating call. Ray Harryhausen (Bradbury's friend from their time as friends of sci-fi superfan Forrest Ackerman) saw the similarities between the short story and a film he was working on called "Monster from Beneath the Sea", particularly one scene at a light house, after Bradbury pointed it out. Given Bradbury's reputation, producers Hal Chester and Jack Dietz bought the rights to the short story, changed the name, and added "Suggested by the Saturday Evening Post story by Ray Bradbury" into the credits. (Bradbury would change the name of the short story to "The Fog Horn"). The original film itself was more or less inspired by King Kong, with Dietz and Chester getting Harryhausen (who was the apprentice of Willis O'Brien, the special effects director of that film) to do the effects. The creature used was based off an illustration used in the original Saturday Evening Post, as well as the illustrations of early Paleoartist Charles R. Knight (whom Harryhausen admitted was a massive influence). The creatures (a quadripedal archosaur) was originally going to breathe fire, but due to budget limitations, this was scaled back. Ultimately, Warner Brothers would buy the distribution of the film, and replaced the original score by Michael Michelet with something more "dramatic" by David Buttolph. It was a massive box office success, and would spark off the giant atomic monster craze of the 1950's.

      "Operation Experiment" (real original name there) is an atomic test being conducted by the US government in the Arctic. After a successful detonation, the radar operators find something strange emerging from the test range. When investigators, including physicist Dr. Tom Nesbitt (Paul Christian) come to area to investigate the event, they see a strange four legged creature walking around in the snow. Nesbitt is injured, and he is dismissed as insane after describing the creature. He is sent to a psychiatric ward, where he learns that a strange sea creature has been attacking fishermen. He tries to convince paleontologist Dr. Elson (Cecil Kellaway), who also dismisses him. Elson's assistant Lee (Paula Raymond) is sympathetic, and after another attack, she convinces Nesbitt to identify the creature. Sure enough, he finds it to be Rhedosaurus, a creature from the Mesozoic. With another account, he and Lee convinces Dr. Elson. Now, as the creatures destroys lighthouses and ships, they must work with the military to put a stop to it.

     The best  part of this film is the creature attack scenes. It shows a stunning amount of technical acumen, from the creature to the sets it destroys to the way it integrates this footage into the scenes of people running, or the military trying to bring it down. It creates some truly excellent scenes. The Rhedosaur itself is very well designed, showing both classical dinosaur design with a menacing design. The texture was especially impressive. Despite it's jerky movement, it feels like a real animal walking around. I like that the characters are fairly rational in dealing with the creature, dealing a reasonable amount of skepticism until it is undeniable.

     This is surprisingly short, at only 80 minutes. It conveys most of the action and plot well during this period, but I feel more should've been there. Maybe the creature rampaging through the country, or more planning against it, but it feels a little too short as is. I feel that maybe show a little sympathy for the creature might've helped, especially seeing it writhing in pain at the end. The film clearly shows it as a great "the monster is gone" moment, but it is a bit difficult to watch, and maybe more of an acknowledgment of it.

     This was a very good monster movie, with all the good ingredients (good monster, good effects, good characters). If you like monster movies or stop motion monsters, this is likely the premiere example of the genre. Even if you don't, it's just a fun film to watch, with some excellent scenes of destruction. Certainly one of the best monster movies I've seen thus far.

     We continue looking into monster movies with Frankenstein Conquers the World.

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre- Night of the Living Dead (1990)

          I mentioned last time the original went into the public domain due to a mishap regarding the title card and the copyright notice. Sadly, this, and a lengthy legal battle with the distributor, meant Romero himself did not profit much off the original. He feared, given this, that a remake would be made without his involvement (indeed, a spiritual successor was made in 1985, Return of the Living Dead, with the involvement of screenwriter John Russo, and several unofficial sequels were made). So, when Menachem Golan (formerly of Cannon Films, and now the head of "21 Century Film Corporation") had interest in remaking the film, Romero, Russo, and original producer Russell Steiner signed on.  Tom Savini, who I've mentioned numerous times, was chosen to direct. Romero had hoped he could do the effects for the original, but he had been drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. After years of working together, Romero encouraged Savini to direct the remake. Romero was still heavily involved, rewriting the original screenplay he wrote in the 60's, and even ghostdirecting some scenes. When he was off-set, however, Savini would clash with the producers on a regular basis. This led to an unpleasant experience for him, especially since his ideas were vetoed. Like the original, the film was shot in and around Pittsburgh, though, obviously, with the prestige now attached to this project, extras from as far away as Kentucky were recruited. In the lead roles of Ben and Barbara were Tony Todd and Patricia Tallman(the latter was Savini's college acquaintance). With a much higher budget of $4.2 million, it managed to make a profit, but was savaged by critics, with Siskel and Ebert putting it on their worst of the year list. However, it would eventually see renewed interest on home video, and today stands at a 68% on Rotten Tomatoes.

      The plot remains unchanged. Barbara (Patricia Tallman) and Johnny (Bill Moseley. Yes, that Bill Moseley) are visiting their father's grave, when Barbara is attacked by a mysterious assailant with pale skin. She escapes while Johnny fights him off, but finds more figures with severe scars and pale skin following her. She eventually finds a farmhouse, which is also infested by these creatures. However, Ben (Tony Todd) comes in, and they fight them off together. As they contemplate their situation, they met other survivors Harry and Helen Cooper (Tom Towles and McKee Anderson) with child Sarah (Heather Mazur), and Tom (William Butler) and Judy (Katie Finneran). They find that these "ghouls" have infested the place, and they struggle to survive the night.

     The impression I had from reading this was that it was mostly a straight remake of the original, with the original script. That is not true. It has some distinct differences, which work in its favor as a remake. It modernizes the film, it explains some aspects, it fleshes out some of the characters. This makes the film distinct enough from the original to be considered its own product, along with implementing the themes of the later Dead films, which show humans as just inherently flawed as the unthinking zombies. At the same time, despite being in color, Savini manages to emulate the way the original used shadows and spacing as the main focus, and was able to create an experience similar to watching the original. While the ending doesn't have as much shock as the original, it is still satisfying, with the full extent of the events weighing on the characters.

     The main problem I have with the film is largely that its leads feel too .... Action movie. The original mostly kept the characters as competent, but realistically, and were largely powerless when the situation went south for them. However, here, they regularly beat zombies in such a manner that stretches imagination. It ruins the emersion for me. Like I said, the ending didn't have as much impact now, since the lead survives and joins the vigilantes. Also, one of the characters (who was unambiguously hostiles) is killed in what seems to be a moralistic choice.

      I liked this. Obviously, it wasn't as good as the original, but it managed to capture what worked about the original, whilst doing its own thing. So, I'd recommend it to those who like the original, or those who like zombie movies.

       Next time, we go to another classic, this time of monster movies with The Beast from 20000 Fathoms.

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre's Summer of Terror- Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter

          By 1983, the slasher genre that had been popularized by films like Halloween and the original Friday the 13th was waning in popularity, and with diminished returns on the last film, producer Frank Manusco, Jr. decided to end the series. The director this time was Joseph Zito, then known for the slasher film, The Prowler, (and later known for Chuck Norris vehicles Missing in Action and Invasion USA), who was to write the film, but decided he was better at directing, so secretly used his writing salary to hire Barry Cohen to write the film. This one has people you've heard of in it, namely Corey Feldman and Crispin Glover. The production was troubled, namely due to Zito's callousness and him forcing the actors to perform dangerous stunts by themselves. It eventually got to the point that the Jason for the film, veteran stuntman Ted White (who had doubled for Clark Gable and John Wayne during the course of his career) threatened to walk off the film because of it. Feldman maintained a bratty persona to deal with Zito's direction. White would go uncredited, due to his combative relationship with Zito. Like before, it wasn't a hit with critics (especially Siskel and Ebert), but  a financial success, and they decided not to end it (which is why I've got  7 more of these to go.)

          I might as well place a madlibs for this one. Jason (Ted White), after his alleged death in the last one, gets up and wanders the morgue and kills the nurses. Meanwhile, a group of teenagers come to Crystal Lake, and settle in a vacation home. Jason begins a-killing. To be fair, there is a new element in this film in the form of the Jarvis family, including the mother(Joan Freeman), Trish (Kimberly Beck), and Travis (Corey Feldman), who the teens briefly meet. Trish and Travis later meet a hitchhiker Rob (E. Erich Anderson), who has a particular mission in Crystal Lake.

          I'll say this about the film, I like that they add more elements to this to spruce up the formula. There is the element of the brother and sister, and Rob, who is revealed to be avenging the death of his sister (Sandra Dier from the last film). The way Travis finally dispatches Jason is clever and adds a little more menace to a character other than Jason.

        I'm running out of things to say about these films. This was tedious, it follows the same structure as the last two, it got a little absurd. Even the good stuff is starting to get tiring. There really isn't anything in this one I didn't already say about the other two.

       Was it bad? No, I daresay it was better than the last one, but it is basically a functional product. It does its job at fundamental level, and has little more to offer beyond that. It is basically unexceptional, is what I'm saying. So, if you want to marathon these films or want a horror movie to have fun with, I'd say give it a watch, just don't expect a great film.

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre's Summer of Terror- Friday the 13th, Part 2

       So, this came from a realization, whilst planning out when I would review this and other Friday the 13th films. After looking, I found that, if I were to do each on Friday the 13th in October, it would take me until the end of this century to finish. Given I might not be alive by then, I then thought to do one every Friday the 13th of a year, but that proved impractical as well. Eventually, I just decided to just spend this July, leading up to this Friday the 13th, just getting these out of the way. So, everyday up until this Friday the 13th, I will review each of the Friday the 13th sequels leading up to the most recent one. So, let's begin with this.

(Note: I will not give spoilers in the synopsis. However, to fully articulate my feelings on the films, there will be unmarked spoilers in the good and bad sections, so be warned)

          So, not much history here. After the massive success of the first film, a sequel was inevitable. Like its (to be charitable) "inspiration" Halloween, it was originally an anthology which would focus on the general theme of "Friday the 13th", but this was squashed after executives took a brief joke of Jason at the end, and decided to run with it, and make Jason the main villain. Because of this, director Sean Cunningham, screenwriter Victor Miller, and special effects Tom Savini (who all found the idea ridiculous) all left, though Cunningham would return to help with additional scenes. Instead, Cunningham's protege Steve Milner directed from a script by Ron Kurz, with Carl Fullerton doing effects. Fullerton was behind the final design of Jason in the film. Adrienne King, who played Alice (the final survivor of the first film), opted to just return for one scene, given she had been a victim of an obsessive stalker after the release of the first film. Whilst critically panned like the first one, it had been a financial success, though not to the same degree as the first one.

       Shortly after the events of the first film, Alice  (Adrienne King) is still traumatized by the experience. One day, whilst wandering around her house, she is briefly scared by her cat, and when getting some cat food, finds the head of Pamela Voorhees in her fridge, and is killed by a mysterious assailant. Five years later (which would weirdly place the film in the then-future of 1984), a new counselor camp has opened up near Crystal Lake, under the tutelage of Paul (John Furey), and includes his assistant Ginny Field (Amy Steel), wheelbound  Mark (Tom McBride), Sandra (Marta Kober), Jeff (Bill Randolph), Vickie (Lauren-Marie Taylor), Terry (Kirsten Baker), and Scott (Russell Todd). The legend of Jason Voorhees (Steve Daskawisz and Warrington Gillette) still haunts the camp grounds, as warned by Crazy Ralph (Walt Gorney), who is killed by the same mysterious assailant. Whilst Paul dismisses the possibility of Jason's resurrection, it seems that most legends have a basis in fact, as Jason is in fact alive, and prepared to get some new blood....


     First and foremost, I liked this better than the first one. Whilst the first one was more-or-less a straight Halloween lift, this manages to be more original in its presentation. It has a more original way of showing its killer, first showing his legs to give a sense of menace and scale. Jason comes off like a Universal monster in this sense. I do like the pillowcase look for him, very realistic for his circumstances. It also fleshes out the characters a little more. Not in-depth character pieces, but enough that you do feel when they are chased and killed by Jason. Once again, the effects are great, and there is more a sense of dread in each scene. Jump scares are also well-done, since they lead into the actual scares.

    It is a bit short, running at only 87 minutes long. I felt that some more time was needed to fully explain Jason's deal (as in, how he survived for 30 years, how he knew about the events of the first one, and if that final scare in the first one was really Jason). It also felt at times a bit too much like the first one, in terms of plot and characters. Even some of the kills are reminiscent of the first one (though enough is changed for me to tell the difference.)

     Like I said, I liked this better than the first one. If you liked the first one, or if you want to see the debut of the Jason, then this will probably satisfy you. If you didn't like the first one, as I did, maybe even you could find some level of enjoyment in this. Some compare to this to Halloween II, which came out the same year. Honestly, it's better than that.

   Alright, so ten films to go. Tomorrow, it's Part III (fancy with the Roman numerals and everything)

Current Film Reviews- Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

         When I was an early adolescent, I picked up a book at an airport called Z-Raptor.  Apparently, a sequel to another book called Z-Rex  (which I hadn't heard of until I read this book), it centered around this kid learning his father's research as a video game designer (somehow) has been used to create dinosaurs. The first book was about them creating an advanced T-Rex, now it was apparently a raptor. I never read this book beyond the first few chapters, but based on my limited experience with it, these two are very similar in terms of plot. Not making accusations or anything, but that was the immediate thing running through my mind as I watched this picture

      Based on the film franchise in turn based on the novel by Michael Crichton, the film is set three years after the original (apparently, since it says that the first Jurassic World was set in 2015), and it turns out that Isla Nublar, the island that Jurassic Park and later Jurassic World is situated on, is on a hitherto unmentioned dormant volcano, which has become active, and threatens the remaining dinosaurs (the fact that there is another island of dinosaurs, Isla Sorna from the other sequels, seems not to factor in at any point). Claire Dearings (Bryce Dallas Howard), the executive in the first one (note: the first one in this case will refer to the first Jurassic World in all other mentions), is now an activist trying to evacuate Dinosaurs from the volcanic eruption. After government intervention is prohibited thanks to the testimony of Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum, on screen for about the amount of time you can read this entire paragraph), she is approached by Eli Mills (Rafe Spalls, doing his best Charlie Day impression) , who works for Sir Benjamin Lockwood (James Cromwell), John Hammond's hitherto unmentioned business associate, who hopes to evacuate the dinosaurs using his own resources. She is brought in to recruit Owen Grady (Chris Pratt, looking incredibly bored and disinterested throughout the film), who is reluctant, until Claire reveals that Blue, the velociraptor that he had a strong connection to in the first film, is still alive on the island. They set out with Dr. Zia Rodriguez (Danielle Pineda) and Franklin Webb (Justice Smith), to retrieve the Dinosaurs. However, as they proceed with the mission, they find that there is a far more sinister agenda at play here, as found by Lockwood's granddaughter Isabella Sermon.

      I'll give the film this: this is actually a good idea for a sequel. Especially since it has gotten into a formula, and it does shake things up. Honestly, this could've worked as a sequel to the original Jurassic Park. I do appreciate that they commit to continuing the combination of real effects and CGI, and it doesn't look that bad honestly. Michael Giacchino's score is also entertaining, and fitting any scenario. Some of the actors are trying. There are couple good scenes towards the third act, which utilize great set piece, and have a bit of a horror edge to them.

       I hated the nostalgia pandering the first one did, and this ramps it up. From the inclusion of Jeff Goldblum, to Cromwell's inclusion as a fake John Hammond to the constant evocation of the original. It gets tedious, and makes me really want to see the original. Whilst it has a good idea, it squanders it by basically rehashing both The Lost World and the first Jurassic World. As a result of that, and scenes that feel less enticing and more boredom inducing, I just wasn't that interested, especially with it being as long as it is at 2 hours. I found myself confused as to what was happening, since stuff is barely explained or so heavily drenched in foreshadowing for future films, it forgets to forshadow for this one, (with twists that either are obvious or barely register as such) and staring in bafflement at the more absurd stuff. Oh, trust me, there is insane moments, especially from Chris Pratt, who has apparently gotten superpowers, and while they do show him compromised, manages to survive any ordeal given to him. It also botches its moral quandaries, when, instead of focusing on the endangered species angle, instead continues with the "dinosaurs as weapons" idea from the first. Apparently, guns and bombs don't exist in this world, and if they did, dinosaurs are completely impervious to them (except when they aren't). Oh, yeah, and the big bad at the end (I won't spoil it), was a complete let-down and boring as hell.

     It is somewhat refreshing to know that something seemed bad, turned out to be bad. A nice little bit of consistency in a very chaotic universe. Anyway, if you liked the first Jurassic World, I'm not sure you'll even like this, since it basically does the same thing. Hell, I was basically fine with the first one, and I disliked this one. If you liked the Jurassic Park movies, and want to see this for completion sake, fine, but, as someone who has seen all the films, it is the worst entry of this series. If you've never seen a Jurassic Park film, don't bother.  

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre- Day of the Dead

       Romero intended this to be the Gone with the Wind of zombie films. However, he had to scrap his original script when the budget was cut from 7 million down to 3.5 million. Even then, it went through three more revisions before the eventual shooting script was produced. The film was shot in Florida and Pennsylvania, with the former providing all above-ground shots, and latter all underground scenes. Because of budget, the cast and crew slept in the Pennsylvania mine it was shot in to avoid the cost of travel. Zombie extras were recruited from Pittsburgh natives, who got a copy of a newspaper from the film, $1, and a hat saying "I was a Zombie in Day of the Dead". Despite the production troubles, Romero stated this was his favorite of the Dead series. Despite relatively positive reviews, and good box office, this was the last time Romero worked with producer Richard Rubinstein as a director, and he later tried his hand at a studio picture with Monkey Shines, which I covered last time.

       The film is set (as Dawn of the Dead was) in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, and a military/research base is attempting to find how to stop the pandemic, by capturing zombies and researching them. Dr. Sarah Bowman (Lori Cardille) is part of a group of researchers at the base . Her associates include radio operator Bill McDermott (Jarlath Convoy), helicopter pilot John (Terry Anderson), fellow researchers Dr. Logan (Richard Liberty), and Dr. Ted (John Amplas, whose appearance here kind of makes this retrospective go full circle). They are guarded by a small contingency of soldiers, led by Major Cooper, and including Pvt. Steel(Gary Howard Klar) and  Pvt. Miguel Salazar (Anthony Dileo, Jr.), whom Lori has a relationship with . Major Cooper is killed off-screen (hence, no actor plays him in the film), and replaced by Captain Rhodes (Joseph Pilato). Rhodes is very hostile to the scientists, whom he feels aren't worth protecting as the zombie threat rises, and their research shows little. Dr. Logan, in turn, shows them a zombie he has been training named Bud (Sherman Howard), who is showing slow sentience. However, during one corraling of the zombie, Miguel is injured, and as Lori and Bill try to find morphine, they find that Dr. Logan has been doing shady things to get his results, which will only increase the tension between the soldiers and scientists.

     This isn't really a message film, in the way Night and Dawn were. It's not really satirizing or commenting on any phenomenon. (in a way, Dawn was a commentary on 80's consumerism, despite it being made in 1978). This is just a romp with zombies, and on that ground, it succeeds. This goes back to the traditional Dead formula of "characters trapped in location dealing with zombie hordes", which has proven effective in exploring tension. In this case, we see the characters, how they interact, and how those interactions pay off. Each character is identifiable, and there is moral grayness. While the military men are rough and war-like, the lead researcher Dr. Logan is doing underhanded things as well. The Savini effects, as with the other films, are very gory, very graphic, and incredibly good, and this film is possibly the best of those I've seen this month. I did like the little sub-plot with Bud, and the remnants of his intelligence. The climax is the best part, with a lot of action, and a lot of payoff.

    There are two dream sequences, which I've grown to loathe. It's only the two, so it's not like all the scares are those, but it is distracting. I  also feel the movie should've been longer. It feels short at only 100 minutes, and I feel more could've been done. The synopsis I provide is actually the first hour and 10 minutes of this film. It feels like there was meant to be more, but it was lost in the revisions. What is left isn't bad, but more needed to be there.

   Dawn was the better film, but this was still a solid entry, especially with its more action oriented approach. It also has enough zombies to satisfy. This would be fun romp to watch in a zombie marathon or if you want a good zombie film. It is also a great example of a Dead film, though I would watch Night and Dawn before this.

  (Note: realized I forgot to put this when first published)
    So ends our retrospective on the career of George A. Romero. He was a giant in the genre, and one of its most influential creators. He effectively created the modern zombie and he was able to use the creatures to explore various issues. However, as shown with these films, even without the zombies, he was still an effective horror director, knowing how to use characters to build the horror, and explore the dark issues that lies within all of us. He knew that horror was the best tool of social self-examination. His presence will be sorely missed. RIP.

We end this year's Masterpiece with an entry from John Carpenter, In the Mouth of Madness. 

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre- Invaders from Mars

      Invaders from Mars was an independent colored (as in, not black and white) science-fiction film released in 1953. It was inspired by a dream recounted to writer John Tucker Battle, by his wife. Directed by William Cameron Menzies (who coined the term "production designer", while working on the film Gone With the Wind), the film fits neatly into 50's science fiction filmmaking, an exploration of Martians invading the Earth using proxies and internal subversion, and one boy seeing it unfold before him. That sort of commentary on the 50's Red Scare would be explored further in films like Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The film today is largely regarded an underrated classic in the genre, with some filmmakers citing it as a childhood favorite. In 1978, the rights for the film were purchased by Wade Williams, millionaire science fiction fan. Eventually, he decided to commission a remake, with Cannon buying the rights for 50x the price that he had bought the rights for. Tobe Hopper, in the middle of his three picture deal with Cannon, signed on to direct, having been one of those influenced by the film in his youth. Dan O'Bannon and Don Jakoby once again wrote the screenplay. The effects for the film were done by special effects legends Stan Winston and John Dykstra. When producers Menachem Golan and Yoram Globus saw the finished product, they (after confusing it with their adaptation of King Solomon's Mines) hated the picture. Critics and audiences sympathized. It received overall negative reviews and $4.9 million on a $7 million budget. I did watch the 1953 film in preparation for this film, so I could how this version compares.

       One night, David Gardner (Hunter Carson) sees a UFO land in the small hill outside his house. His parents Ellen and George (Laraine Newman, Timothy Bottoms) are too late to it, but George promises to search the Hill when he wakes up. The next morning, David notices George acting strangely, and having a strange scar on the back of his neck. He also fails to come home the next night from his job as a military scientist. Ellen calls the Police Chief (Jimmy Hunt, who played the David role in the 1953 original) to investigate. When the Chief and another Policemen head over the hill, George suddenly reappears with neighbor Ed (William Frankfather). The policemen return, reporting nothing wrong, but acting strangely. Sure enough, the next day at school, he finds teacher Mrs. McKeltch (Louise Fletcher), with a bandage on her neck, eating a frog. Classmate Heather (Virginya Keehne) seems non-plussed at this. David confides in the school nurse, Linda (Karen Black, Carson's real-life mother). While initially not believing him, Linda becomes suspicious, and sees the bandage on McKeltch's back. She helps David escape. He accidentally sneaks into McKeltch's van, and she drives to an isolated location. David follows her into a cave, where he sees the truth: the UFO was indeed real, and the aliens are now kidnapping people and implanting them with strange devices to control them. While initially skeptical, Linda and David witness two investigators fall into the pit. Now, the two must find General Wilson (James Karen) at the base George worked at, and convince him to "send in the Marines", and stop this invasion from expanding.

    First, the aliens and their ship are incredibly well-done in terms of design and effects. Like I said in the introduction, the effects were done by two legends in the field (Stan Winston worked on works like Terminator, Jurassic Park, and Iron Man, John Dystra on Star Wars and Spider-Man), so the Martians are very distinct and memorable, as is their ship. The Master Intelligence in particular looks and moves very realistically (even if it looks like Krang). It's certainly a step up from the somewhat mundane Martians and the incredibly silly looking Intelligence from the original (the latter makes a brief cameo). The acting is good, if a bit over-the-top. Hunter Carson is good for what he has to do. Karen Black does well, if somewhat straining for horror (I get the feeling she was meant to be the mother, but, given that her son might be disturbed by the practical special effects, she decided to take the Nurse role, as she spends more of the film with him). The film improves some of the narrative from the original, which helps raise the tension and suspicion that David and the audience experiences. David also sees the Aliens earlier, which helps cement the conflict. Spoiler for both films, but when the Marines come in in this version, it feels less incongruous with the rest of the film. Finally, Hopper directs with a sort of innocent gloss that, even though it feels like a discount Spielberg riff, sort of feels appropriate for the film, capturing the terror this invokes for a child like David.

   Like Lifeforce, it definitely feels heavily edited. Certain scenes are definitely missing. While this works in some cases, like not seeing George investigate and fall into the pit, sometimes, it leaves out important details. The scene with the Marines is less incongruous than the 1953 film, but it still feels like a different film. There is also some scenes that feel entirely there for the weirdness factor than actually serve any purpose, like the frog-eating scene. A reviewer also pointed out to me that there seemed to be only two aliens made, so each shot only has one or two aliens.

   I  sort of see what Hopper was trying to do. He wanted to recreate in this remake, the feelings of terror he had watching the original. He wanted the children of that era to have that same experience watching this new version. He even said as much in an interview. It very much is a children's horror film, and I mean that in the best way. It is a movie that invokes the fear and powerlessness one feels as a child, much in the way the original did. It's a film that deserves at least one viewing. I think it deserves a little more attention than it gets. So, I'd recommend it. It wasn't particularly scary, but it definitely has some technical skill behind it.

    Next time, I end the Tobe Hopper retrospective full circle, with Texas Chainsaw Massacre II. 

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre- Lifeforce

    Before I talk about this film, I need to discuss the production company behind it, Cannon Films. Founded as a studio for low-budget independent films in 1967 (note that term carried a lot less prestige to it back then), it was bought by Israeli cousins Menachem Golan and Yeram Globus in 1979, who expanded the company's purview, churning low-budget blockbusters at a very fast rate during the 80's (some good, some successful, most neither). They are notable for the Death Wish series starring Charles Bronson,for introducing Chuck Norris as an action star, and for producing the fourth Superman film (the one with Nuclear Man). There is a fascinating documentary, Electric Boogalo (named for one of its most famous features, Breakin' II: Electric Boogalo), that details the insanity produced at Cannon, both on and off screen, that is, as of this writing, available on Netflix. In 1980, they managed to obtain the rights to Colin Wilson's 1976 novel The Space Vampires. The book was one of Wilson's riffs on Lovecraftian horror, one of a trilogy of sorts on the topic after Lovecraft's de facto estate executor August Derelith challenged Wilson (who had been critical of the late writer) to write a Lovecraftian novel. After years of trying to get the film made, they finally found a director when they signed Tobe Hopper on for three pictures in 1984. Hopper had recently come off  directing Poltergeist with producer Stephen Spielberg, but there was a massive controversy over who actually directed most of the film (most observers said that Spielberg had taken over directing duties from Hopper). Having little interest in Hollywood, Hopper signed on with Cannon, who, at least with big name directors, allowed them a degree of leeway with their works (hence, why John Cassavetes and Norman Mailer were among the directors who did films for them). Cannon had hoped this would be their breakout hit, pouring $25 million, higher than their usual. They also had the name changed to Lifeforce , as Space Vampires was too similar to the low-budget fare they normally produced. The screenplay was written by Dan O'Bannon, co-writer of Alien, and Don Jakoby who wrote... uh, Blue Thunder, the story to the Philadelphia Experiment, Death Wish 3, Double Team (that 90's movie with Dennis Rodman and Jean-Claude Van Damme.), and a bunch of other films you've never heard of. Though, theirs was the last of 8 drafts, and Hopper changed elements of it, including adding Halley's Comet (which was about to make its appearance on Earth in 1986), and moving the time setting accordingly (from the late 21st Century to the present). Hopper's 128 minute final cut was shopped down to 116 minutes for international audiences and 108 minutes for US audiences. The film opened to negative reviews and disappointing box office, but had a minor cult following, and a 67% on Rotten Tomatoes.

       The international shuttle Churchill (powered by a NERVA engine, which, as a space nerd, was a nice detail) is exploring Halley's Comet during its sojourn towards Earth, when it comes across a strange object that is 2 miles in length, that is orbiting the comet. The crew go inside the object, where they find thousands of strange bat-like creatures seemingly dead, before heading to a crystal room, where three humanoid creatures (Matilda May, Chris Jagger, and Bill Malin) are seeming in stasis. However, when they return, mission control is unable to make contact with the crew. The Columbia (which may or may not be the real life space shuttle) is sent to intercept the ship, and find the three humanoid creatures intact, but the crew seemingly dead. They are transferred to the European Space Research Center in London, where they are kept under the supervision of Dr. Hans Fallada (Frank Finlay) and Col. Colin Caine (Peter Firth). However, during the examination, the female humanoid comes to life, and escapes, sucking a strange substance (which Dr. Fallada calls the Lifeforce) from some of the guards. During the autopsy of one of those guards, he briefly comes back to life, and sucks the lifeforce from one of the morticians. When isolated, the guard disintegrates, showing that the vampires need a steady stream of this to stay alive. At the same time, the survivor of the Churchill mission , American Col. Tom Carlsen (Steve Railsback) lands in Texas in an escape pod, and is brought to London to brief on the situation. We learn that the crew gradually died as they transported the humanoids back, leaving him, and forcing him to flee. With the female vampire on the loose, Caine and Carlsen must find the vampire, and prevent them from killing more people.

     The first thing that popped out about this film was the score. Henry Mancini (famous for composing the score for Breakfast at Tiffany's and the theme to The Pink Panther) managed to create a score that evokes the mood for every scene. It helps set the mood for the film, and gives more emotion to it. Plus, it works in its own right. Look up the trailer for this film, and you get the idea for how intense this score is. The production design is also well-done. The alien ship around Halley is distinct and memorable in appearance. Some of the visuals and scares are very evocative. The plot has that sort of urgency that makes sci-fi B-Movies very enjoyable. Hopper said that he had wanted to make a "70 mm Hammer Film", and the largest influence I can see is the Quatermass series. As a fan of that series (Quatermass and the Pit is one of my favorite horror films), I appreciated how much this movie set out to emulate it, not only in the more methodical way the protagonists approach the problem, but the large scale disaster event which feels big and dangerous, even to the viewer at home. It also has the Gothic feel of many of Hammer's other films, which sets it apart from other science fiction horror films. It feels like a large-scale science fiction film, that just happens to have vampires in it.

     Like I said, this film was cut down, and it shows. There are plot holes on occasion, and it gets confusing, with characters occasionally appearing or disappearing from the film. The Lifeforce and space vampire also feel underexplained as concepts. There is enough there that the plot could be understood, but I felt a little more could've clarified certain scenes (including the ending). It also suffers from "middle syndrome", where it drags a little towards the middle of the film. Granted, not that much, but enough that it felt a little boring.

     Earlier this year, I watched a film called Life. It was a simple creature feature, but seemed to think itself as more thoughtful explorative film about extraterrestrial life. I felt then and now that film could've done what this film had done. This is a B-movie, and it knows that it's a B-Movie. Instead of running away from that, however, it embraces that label, and takes full advantage of its wonky premise. That's what makes it such an enjoyable film. It is campy enough that you are aware of its absurdity, but not so campy that you can't take it seriously. Thus, I highly recommend it to anyone wanting an enjoyable experience. It is also a legitimately good science fiction film, so if you like science fiction (and it's not really that scary, so you don't need to be a horror fan), this would be an interesting (if not good) watch.

   Next time, I continue with Hopper's three movie deal with Cannon with his remake of Invaders from Mars.

Masterpiece of Horror Theatre- 20 Million Miles to Earth

            At the beginning of this month, I discussed famed special effects director Ray Harryhausen. I mentioned that Harryhausen got his start making b-movie monsters. After becoming an assistant to his ideal Willis O'Brien (who did the effects for The Lost World and King Kong, and doing the legwork on the O'Brien film Mighty Joe Young, Harryhausen made his debut with the film The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. This cemented him as O'Brien's successor as Hollywood's premier stop-motion creator. This film was originally The Great Ymir, before it was changed (possibly to prevent the confusion between "Ymir" and the Arabic word "Emir", which is also why the creature's name is never said in the actual film). Harryhausen and actress Charlotte Knight wrote the main story, which was adapted to screenplay by Bob Williams and Christopher Knopf. Academy Award winning director (well, technically he won it as an art director, but still) Nathan Juran directed, and longtime Harryhausen collaborator Charles Schneer produced. Originally set in Chicago, Harryhausen decided he always wanted to visit Italy, so he changed the script accordingly. Filmed in the US and Italy, it was filmed in black and white due to budget. Harryhausen had wanted to film in color, and after Juran's death in 2002, worked to have it colorized (this is the version I saw.)  This was his last monster movie before he transitioned towards fantasy fare, and also his last black and white film.

    The film opens in a fishing village in Sicily, where several fisherman witness a rocket crashing into the ocean.  Mondello (Don Orlando) and Verrico (George Khoury), two of the fisherman, with young Pepe (Bart Braverman) in tow, investigate, finding two of the crew members, Calder (William Hopper) and Sherman (Arthur Space), unconscious. They bring them back ashore. Meanwhile, the Pentagon receives word that the ship had landed near Sicily, so General McIntosh (Thomas Browne Henry) goes to investigate. While on the beach, Pepe finds a strange metal capsule, with some strange green object inside. Mondello heads to the trailer of Dr. Leonardo (Frank Puglia), a zoologist, to help heal the men. While he can't help, his granddaughter Marisa (Joan Taylor, who inexplicably speaks with an American accent, despite being in Italy) goes, because she is a medical student. Pepe meanwhile, sells Dr. Leonardo the green object. Marisa comes in time to see Calder wake up, and try to wake up Sherman, who has some strange infection. Sherman says that the whole crew had been wiped out by this infection, before succumbing to it. Marisa returns to the trailer to find a strange creature, who had emerged from the green object. Leonardo and Marisa trap it in a cage they have, and plan to study it later. Meanwhile, McIntosh meets with Calder and the local police commissioner (Tito Vuolo), and an Italian government official (Jan Arvan) Calder and McIntosh inform them that the mission was actually to the planet Venus (which technically should make the title "24 million miles to Earth"), and the strange capsule was actually holding a creature they found on the surface. The spacecraft was pelted by meteors, which broke the capsule, and caused the infection. Pepe (after a strange hangup about keeping his cowboy hat), shows them the capsule, and tells them where Dr. Leonardo lives. Meanwhile, Leonardo and Marisa wake up to find the creature much larger than it previously was, and travel with it briefly, while Calder, McIntosh and the Commissioner follow them. Eventually, the creature escapes, and rampages through the Italian countryside, and may end up in a certain "Eternal City".

        Okay, the effects to create the Ymir was good, of course. I really hate to repeat myself on that matter. The actors seem to do fine interacting with it, even though during filming, there was likely nothing there. I like that the Ymir was not a vicious, bloodthirsty creature, but more a confused animal, increasingly scared at its new surroundings, and growing at an unnatural rate on this planet (as opposed to suffocating) There is also the fact the Ymir is not carnivorous. It actually consumes sulfur, which usually comes from volcanism (volcanism being a prominent feature on the Venusian surface), which actually plays into the story. The Italian setting is not cosmetic, it actually does serve some purpose in the story, with the different strategies of the American and Italian officials actually being a point of tension at one point.

    That said, it was really easy to tell who was an American playing an Italian, and an actual Italian. Some of them had really fake sounding accent. (the actual Italians were really apparent). This was somewhat distracting. Okay, at least they attempt the I don't think some things were ever explained. Like the infection. I think it was implied the Ymir brought it on board from Venus, but that was never really explicitly stated. Also, obviously there is a romance between Calder and Marisa, and it is basically slows the film, and is completely pointless.

       Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from this. The only reason I did it was because it was set in Italy. It was actually quite a surprise, in how good it turned out to be. This is the better version of the film The Thing from Another World, and is a much better execution of that idea. It's also a good monster movie, with plenty of rampages and large sets. And if you enjoy monster movies, this is a pretty good example of the genre.

      Next time, we take a look at a most recent critically acclaimed horror film, Occulus.