Category: Z-View

“The Hidden” (1987) starring Kyle MacLachlan & Michael Nouri / Z-View

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The Hidden (1987)

Director: Jack Sholder

Screenplay: Jim Kouf (as Bob Hunt)

Stars: Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Nouri, Claudia Christian, Clarence Felder, Clu Gulager, Ed O’Ross, William Boyett, Larry Cedar, Katherine Cannon, John McCann, Lin Shaye, James Luisi, Frank Renzulli, Duane Davis, Kristen Clayton and Danny Trejo.

Tagline:  A new breed of criminal.

The Plot…

Los Angeles Police Detective Tom Beck (Nouri) is informed that he will partner with FBI Special Agent Lloyd Gallagher (MacLachlan) to capture Jack DeVries.  DeVries until recently had never committed a crime.  Then without warning DeVries went on a crime spree robbing, killing and leading police on a high speed chase.  DeVries was now at the hospital suffering from multiple gunshots and injuries from a car crash.  He was not expected to live through the night.

Gallagher tells Beck to join him.  They rush to the hospital.  They find DeVries dead body on the floor.  Strange thing is, that Jonathan Miller, the comatose man that shared the room is missing.  Gallagher tells Beck to put out an APB on Miller.  But it is too late.  Miller has already beaten a store owner to death, killed three people at a Ferrari dealership and stolen one of their best cars.

Beck begins to realize that this crime wave isn’t of this Earth.  What else could he be missing?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Watch for Danny Trejo to show up long enough to get killed.

The most interesting part of the film to me takes place as Nouri’s character comes to realize what he’s dealing with.

The Hidden (1987) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Corpse Vanishes” (1942) starring Bela Lugosi / Z-View

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The Corpse Vanishes (1942)

Director: Wallace Fox

Screenplay: Harvey Gates; story by Sam Robins, Gerald Schnitzer

Stars: Bela Lugosi, Luana Walters, Tristram Coffin, Vince Barnett and Angelo Rossitto.

Tagline:  KIDNAPPED BRIDES Are The Victims Of His Terror! Prepare to shudder when you see the strange practices of this doctor who sacrificed beautiful women for the sake of a mad love!

The Plot…

Someone is killing young brides on their wedding day.  No one can figure out why they are dying. Or who is stealing their corpses.  Then Patricia Hunter (Walters), a young reporter, notices the brides are all wearing orchid corsages. She decides to investigate.

The clues lead Patricia to Dr. Lorenz (Lugosi).  Lorenz lives in a remote mansion with his younger wife.  Dr. Lorenz seems nice enough, but the wife is a bit cold.  When a terrible storm hits and washes out the bridge to town, Patricia is forced to spend the night.

What Patricia doesn’t know is…

  • …Dr. Lorenz has been behind the murders of the brides.  Lorenz takes their glandular fluids for injection into his wife.  These fluids make his elderly wife appear young for a brief time.
  •  …in the Doctor’s cellar laboratory a crazy old hag and her two sons live.  One of the sons is a cruel dwarf.  The other is a feebleminded hulk.  The three assist Dr. Lorenz with the murders.
  • …also in the cellar is a room with the bodies of the dead brides.

Patricia doesn’t know these things… but she is about to find out.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Beware of poor copies.  The movie is in the public domain.

Angelo Rossitto plays the dwarf son.  Mr. Rossitto is best known for his roles in Tod Browning’s Freaks and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.  His career spanned 60 years and over 100 resume credits.

The Corpse Vanishes is a low-budget, quickly shot B picture and it plays like one.

The Corpse Vanishes (1942) rates 2 of 5 stars.

WRECKED: AN IQ NOVEL by Joe Ide

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WRECKED: AN IQ NOVEL by Joe Ide

First sentence…

“Do you know what Abraham Lincoln said after a six-day drunk?” Jimenez said.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Isaiah Quintabe, who everyone calls IQ because of his superior intellect, is back.  IQ was in high school when his brother was killed in a hit and run.  It was at that point that IQ began earning money from neighborhood folks needing help. After IQ found a a runaway young girl word spread. Soon he was getting requests for assistance with “cases the police couldn’t or wouldn’t touch.” The cases didn’t pay much and sometimes the reward was food or a service IQ needed.

But that was over a decade ago.  Now IQ is famous in the neighborhood for the “cases” he’s resolved.  IQ’s the go-to guy when folks need a detective or issue resolved.  IQ became so busy that he brought on his childhood friend, Dodson to assist.  If IQ is the brains of the outfit, Dodson is the one with street smarts. Dodson used to run with a rough crowd, but those days are over.  Now he’s married with a young daughter.  His job is to make IQ a legitimate detective.  One with a social media presence.  One who gets paid with cash instead of new tires or a carpet cleaning.

When IQ meets a local artist named Grace, he begins to fall for her.  She needs help.  Grace hasn’t seen her mother in decade.  Grace wants IQ to find mom and fast.  Her mother has something that could get some bad men sent to prison for a very long time.  These guys are killers and will stop at nothing to get what they want.

To complicate matters, Seb, the African gangster responsible for IQ’s brother’s death has IQ in his crosshairs.

The race is on to find Grace’s mother.  Even IQ gets there first, how can he protect her from the killers closing in?

+++++

Joe Ide has another winner.

Rating:

“The American Dream: The Dusty Rhodes Story” (2006) / Z-View

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The American Dream: The Dusty Rhodes Story (2006)

Stars: Dusty Rhodes, Dick “the Bruiser” Afflis, Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson, Eric Bischoff, Tully Blanchard, Gerald Brisco, John Cena, Ted DiBiase, Ric Flair, Terry Funk, Superstar Billy Graham, Mike Graham, Jimmy Hart, Bobby Heenan, Jerry Lawler, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Vince McMahon, Dick Murdock, Gene Okerland, Pat Patterson, Roddy Piper, Bruce Prichard, Harley Race, Dustin Rhodes, Ron Simmons and Hulk Hogan.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

The life story of Dusty Rhodes.  Born the son of a plumber in Austin, Texas, he became one of the most beloved professional wrestlers in the world.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Dusty Rhodes, at one time, was one of the highest paid and most successful wrestlers in the world.  Everywhere he went Rhodes rose to the top.  Even when Dusty Rhodes was older, he was wanted as a writer and booker for promotions.

What I admire about Dusty is that he was able to figure out how to make each situation he was in work.  Even when Vince McMahon gave Rhodes a silly persona and a polka-dot outfit, Rhodes was able to make the character a fan favorite.

Rhodes was king on a microphone.  His “hard times” speech is considered a classic by wrestling fans.  One of my favorite Rhodes’ quotes is: “I have wined and dined with kings and queens and I’ve slept in alleys and dined on pork and beans”.

The American Dream: The Dusty Rhodes Story (2006) rates 4 of 5 stars.

“White Zombie” (1932) starring Bela Lugosi / Z-View

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White Zombie (1932)

Director:  Victor Halperin

Screenplay: Garnett Weston based on THE MAGIC ISLAND by William Seabrook

Stars: Bela Lugosi, Madge Bellamy, Robert Frazer, John Harron, Brandon Hurst, Clarence Muse and Frederick Peters.

Tagline:  With These Zombie Eyes he rendered her powerless – With This Zombie Grip he made her perform his every desire!

The Plot…

Madeleine Short (Bellamy) and her fiancé Neil Parker (Harron) arrive in Haiti. They are guests of Charles Beaumont (Frazer) and staying on his huge plantation.  Charles secretly loves Madeleine and wishes she would marry him.  Desperate to have Madeline, Charles visits ‘Murder’ Legendre (Lugosi).

Murder is the owner of a huge plantation.  Everyone knows that Murder’s plantation is worked  by Haitian zombie slaves. Murder has the ability to turn people into mindless beings that follow his every command.  Charles wants Madeleine to love him.  He believes Murder can make this happen.

Murder agrees to help.  But the truth is he has other plans for Madeleine.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

White Zombie was filmed in less than two weeks on a budget of $50,000.00.  Reportedly up to 10% of the budget was Lugosi’s salary.

White Zombie was one of Bela Lugosi’s favorites of the films he made.

Beware of poor copies since the film went into public domain in 1960.

White Zombie (1932) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Tarzan and the She-Devil” (1953) starring Lex Barker, Joyce MacKenzie & Raymond Burr / Z-View

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Tarzan and the She-Devil (1953)

Director: Kurt Neumann

Screenplay: Karl Kamb, Carroll Young; based on characters created by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Stars: Lex Barker, Joyce Mackenzie, Raymond Burr, Monique van Vooren, Tom Conway, Michael Granger, Fred Aldrich, Ben Astar, Ben Astar, George Barrows, Robert Bice, Mara Corday and Henry Brandon.

Tagline: TARZAN FACES HIS GREATEST PERIL!… when he clashes with the ruthless, alluring Queen of the Ivory Thieves… in the BEST of all the Tarzans!

The Plot…

Vargo (Burr) convinces Lyra, the She-Devil (van Vooren) to take her “soldiers” and join him on an expedition to kill a large herd of elephants for their tusks.  Vargo isn’t worried about Tarzan.

But he should be.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The fifth and final Tarzan film starring Lex Barker.

I wish the movie was a nice as the poster.

Tarzan and the She-Devil (1953) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“The Eichmann Trial” (2023) directed by Elliott Levitt / Z-View

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The Eichmann Trial (2023)

Director: Elliot Levitt 

The Plot…

Fifteen years after the end of World War II, Nazi Adolf Eichmann was captured where he was living in Argentina.  Eichmann was then transported to Jerusalem to stand trial.  Eichmann was charged with crimes against humanity, war crimes, crimes against the Jewish people, and membership in a criminal organization.

The trial lasted 56 days and garnered world-wide coverage.  Over 100 witnesses were called.  There were thousands of pages of documents.  Eichmann admitted that he didn’t like Jews and viewed them as the enemy.  Eichmann further admitted he made the statement: “I will leap into my grave laughing because the feeling that I have five million human beings on my conscience is for me a source of extraordinary satisfaction.”  Eichmann claimed his statement was about the Soviets.  Eichmann’s defense was that he hadn’t personally killed anyone and he was just following orders.

Eichmann was found guilty on 15 counts of crimes against humanity, war crimes, crimes against the Jews, Poles, Slovenes, and Roma, and membership in three criminal organizations (the Gestapo, the SD, and the SS).  The judges ruled that Eichmann had not simply been following orders but had been a Nazi true-believer and one of the key principals in genocide.  Eichmann was sentenced to death by hanging.

Appeals for clemency were heard by the Israeli Supreme Court and Israeli President Yitzhak Ben-Zvi to no avail.  Adolf Eichmann was executed by hanging on June 1, 1962.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Eichmann Trial is an excellent documentary.  Kudos for director Elliott Levitt for his use of trial, news and other vintage footage to not only cover the trial but to place its importance in a historical context.

The Eichmann Trial (2023) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“Man on Fire” (2004) written by Brian Helgeland, directed by Tony Scott, starring Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning & Christopher Walken / Z-View

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Man on Fire (2004)

Director: Tony Scott

Screenplay: Brian Helgeland based on MAN ON FIRE by A. J. Quinnell

Stars: Denzel Washington, Christopher Walken, Dakota Fanning, Radha Mitchell, Marc Anthony, Giancarlo Giannini, Rachel Ticotin, Jesús Ochoa and Mickey Rourke.

Tagline:  You don’t need a saint… You need a savior.

The Plot…

Ex-CIA operative John Creasey (Washington) is in a bad way.  He’s burnt out, out of shape and drinks too much.  Creasey’s guilt over past missions makes him question living.  Then an old CIA buddy, Paul Rayburn (Walken) throws Creasey a lifeline.

Samuel Ramos (Anthony), a wealthy Mexican, needs protection for his young daughter Pita (Fanning). Kidnappings in Mexico are on the rise.  Ramos’ insurance policy requires a full time bodyguard.  Creasey is reluctant to take the job, but needs the work.  Initially cold and professional to Pita, she slowly wins him over.  Creasey stops drinking as much.  His attitude towards life improves.

Then the unthinkable happens.

As two crooked Mexican Federales block the street kidnappers come for Pita.  Creasey kills four but is shot repeatedly as Pita is kidnapped.  Negotiations for Pita’s return go on as Creasey recovers.  Ten million dollars is the demand for Pita’s return.  When the ransom drop goes sideways, the money is taken, but Pita isn’t returned.

The family gets a call from the kidnappers.  Because of the ambush, Pita will be lost forever.

Still not fully recovered, Creasey promises to kill everyone involved in Pita’s kidnapping.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Screenwriter Brian “LA Confidential” Helgeland was in a video store.  He asked the clerk to recommend a good movie. “Man on Fire” (1987) was suggested.  The clerk who suggested the film was Quentin Tarantino.

For filming in Mexico, bodyguards were provided for the stars.  Tony Scott had been warned his production had been targeted.  Several crew members ended up being robbed at gunpoint.  Mexico City’s Chief of Police served as a consultant.  It was his hope the movie would raise awareness about the rash of kidnappings.

The novel takes place in Italy, but when this version was being made, Mexico had become infamous for kidnappings.  So the location was changed.

If you enjoy noir, then Man on Fire is for you.

Dakota Fanning is amazing in this role.  Watching her and Denzel Washington in their scenes is like viewing a masterclass of acting.

Christopher Walken has a great line when he says about Denzel’s character: “A man can be an artist… in anything, food, whatever. It depends on how good he is at it. Creasy’s art is death. He’s about to paint his masterpiece.”

Man on Fire (2004) rates 5 of 5 stars.

“The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald” (1964) / Z-View

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The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald (1964)

Director: Larry Buchanan

Screenplay: Larry Buchanan

Stars: George R. Russell, George Edgley, Arthur Nations and Bill Thurman.

Tagline:  Not a Newsreel…A Full Length Motion Picture, Filmed Secretly in Dallas

The Plot…

This low budget film simulates/speculates how the trial of Lee Harvey Oswald would have went down had he not been murdered.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

With a running time of 98 minutes we get an abridgement of the “Cliff Notes” version of the trial.

It’s hard to believe that the trial for the murder of the century could be so boring.

The actors who appeared in this film didn’t go on to become big stars.  Bill Thurman appears as a witness.  The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald is the first credit on his resume.  Thurman would go on to appear in films such as The Last Picture Show; The Sugarland Express; Close Encounters of the Third Kind; Places in the Heart and Silverado.

The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald (1964) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Love Lies Bleeding” (2024) directed by Rose Glass, starring Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian & Ed Harris / Z-View

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Love Lies Bleeding (2024)

Director: Rose Glass

Screenplay: Rose Glass, Weronika Tofilska

Stars: Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Ed Harris, Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov, Matthew Blood-Smyth, Tait Fletcher and Keith Jardine.

Tagline: Revenge gets ripped.

The Plot…

Lou’s (Stewart) life sucks.

Lou and her dad, Lou Sr. (Harris) don’t talk. He’s a major drug dealer and a killer.  Lou Sr. appears to be a business man that owns a gun range and a warehouse gym.  They’re just fronts.  Lou manages the gym.  FBI agents have tried to get Lou to turn against her dad.  As much as she hates him, Lou refuses to cooperate. The only reason Lou sticks around is her sister Beth.  Beth’s in a terrible marriage.  Her husband is physically and mentally abusive.

So yeah, Lou’s life sucks.

Then one night Jackie (O’Brient) comes into the gym.  Jackie is a bodybuilder on her way to Vegas for a competition.  Lou and Jackie hit it off.  One thing leads to another and Lou invites Jackie to stay at her place.  In no time, Lou and Jackie fall in love… or at least a volatile relationship.

Who would guess it would lead to murder and reveal her father’s buried secrets?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Katy O’Brien used to be a competitive body builder and is a former three time champion.  She exudes charisma.

There are a couple of times where what we see on screen isn’t actually happening but is instead a metaphor for changes the character is feeling.  It’s a bold move.

Love Lies Bleeding (2024) rates 4 of 5 stars.

ONE SHOT by Lee Child / Z-View

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ONE SHOT: A JACK REACHER NOVEL by Lee Child

First sentences…

Friday.  Five o’clock in the afternoon.  Maybe the hardest time to move unobserved through a city.  Or maybe the easiest.  Because at five o’clock on a Friday, nobody pays attention to anything.  Except the road ahead.

The man with the rifle drove north.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

After a mass murderer kills five people with just six shots the police get lucky.  Evidence accidentally left behind leads to the killer’s capture before the day is done.

James Barr fits the profile.  He’s an ex-military sniper.  He’s had a difficult time adjusting to civilian life.  The police are giving high-fives all around.  This will be an open and shut case.  James Barr says two things: he’s innocent and he will only speak to Jack Reacher.

Reacher is a former military cop.  Now he’s a civilian.  Reacher sees a news report about the shooting.  He remembers James Barr well.  Reacher brought Barr up on charges for a killing spree in Kuwait.  Despite overwhelming evidence, Barr was never charged.  That never sat well with Reacher. Now he plans to inform prosecutors of Barr’s past.

Reacher is shocked Barr requested to see him.  They hate each other.  When Reacher asks to speak to Barr, he discovers that Barr was badly beaten while in custody.  Making things worse Barr cannot remember much about the day of the shooting.  Barr knows Reacher’s an exceptional investigator who won’t rest until the truth is revealed.  Reacher doubts Barr’s innocence, but decides to look at the evidence.

The shots came from just 35 yards out.  Yet, there were six shots and only five kills.  Barr wouldn’t have missed at that range.  Why was one shot a miss?  Then there’s the evidence that led to Barr.  He wouldn’t have left behind a shell casing with a fingerprint.  And what killer would take the time to put a quarter (with another fingerprint) in the parking meter where he was shooting from?  Things weren’t adding up.

As Reacher digs deeper, he becomes the next target.

+++++

Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels are always a fun ride.  ONE SHOT is no exception.

Rating:

“‘Salem’s Lot” (2024) written & directed by Gary Dauberman / Z-View

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‘Salem’s Lot (2024)

Director: Gary Dauberman

Screenplay: Gary Dauberman; based on ‘SALEM’S LOT by Stephen King

Stars: Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh, Jordan Preston Carter, Alfre Woodard, Bill Camp, John Benjamin Hickey, Nicholas Crovetti, Spencer Treat Clark, Alexander Ward, Danielle Perry, Debra Christofferson, William Sadler, Timothy John Smith, Cade Woodward, Joseph Marrella and Pilou Asbæk.

Tagline: Be careful what you invite inside.

The Plot…

R.T. Straker (Asbæk), a mysterious foreign man, recently moved to Jerusalem’s Lot.  Straker bought the infamous, old Marston house. No one lived there for years because of the murders. Since Straker arrived strange things have been set in motion.

On the way home from school Ralphie Glick (Woodward) disappears.  Search parties find no clues.  Soon others will disappear or die with no logical explanation.  But how could one logically explain a vampire is preying on those in ‘Salem’s Lot?

A writer named Ben (Pullman), his girlfriend Susan (Leigh), Dr. Cody (Woodward) and eleven year old Mark Petrie (Carter) come to realize they are facing a vampire.  The infestation is spreading.  What chance do they have?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

This is the fourth adaptation of Stephen King’s novel.  Tobe Hooper directed the 1979 Salem’s Lot mini-series.  Larry Cohen helmed the 1987 theatrical release A Return to Salem’s Lot.  A new Salem’s Lot mini-series aired in 2004 and starred Rob Lowe.

I liked this version, but feel that it might have been better served as a mini-series.  Writer/director Gary Dauberman has a great feel for the material.  There were several interesting/iconic scenes and shots but overall the story felt rushed.  We needed a slow burn/discovery of exactly what was going on in ‘Salem’s Lot.  I wanted to see more.

Kudos for coming up with the tree house scene.

If there is ever an extended cut for ‘Salem’s Lot, I’m there.

‘Salem’s Lot (2024) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Invaders from Mars” (1953) starring Helena Carter, Arthur Franz and Jimmy Hunt / Z-View

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Invaders from Mars (1953)

Director: William Cameron Menzies

Screenplay: Richard Blake; story by John Tucker Battle

Stars: Helena Carter, Arthur Franz, Jimmy Hunt, Leif Erickson, Hillary Brooke, Morris Ankrum, William Phipps, Milburn Stone, Fay Baker, Barbara Billingsley, Peter Brocco, Charles Cane, John Eldredge, Luce Potter and Richard Deacon.

Tagline: Murderous Martian creatures from out of space!

The Plot…

Late one night a thunderstorm wakes young David MacLean (Hunt).  Looking out his bedroom window David sees a flying saucer land just beyond a hill out back.  David runs to wake his parents, but they brush it off thinking David had a bad dream.

The next morning in order to appease his son, David’s dad agrees to go check things out.  When dad returns, he is cold and emotionless towards David.  Before too long David sees his mother and neighbors behaving the same way.  So he goes to the police.  They don’t believe him either… but a county health care physician, Dr. Pat Blake (Carter) does.

Dr. Carter takes Jimmy and contacts the military.  Will they be too late to stop an alien invasion… even if they do believe her?

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Richard Deacon appears uncredited as an Military Police officer.  It was his feature film debut.  Deacon would become most famous for his role as Mel Cooley on The Dick Van Dyke Show.

Invaders from Mars is famous for it’s ending… was it just a dream?

The film starts off pretty good.  It has a nightmare quality and rightly so, but is hurt by too much stock footage and cheap looking “invaders”.

Invaders from Mars (1953) rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Murder by Death” (1976) written by Neil Simon, starring Peter Falk, Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, Eileen Brennan, Truman Capote, James Coco, Elsa Lanchester,David Niven, Maggie Smith, Nancy Walker, Estelle Winwood and James Cromwell / Z-View

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Murder by Death (1976)

Director: Robert Moore

Screenplay: Neil Simon

Stars: Peter Falk, Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, Eileen Brennan, Truman Capote, James Coco, Elsa Lanchester,
David Niven, Maggie Smith, Nancy Walker, Estelle Winwood and James Cromwell.

Tagline: By the time Eileen Brennan, Truman Capote, James Coco, Peter Falk, Alec Guinness, Elsa Lanchester, David Niven, Peter Sellers, Maggie Smith, Nancy Walker and Estelle Winwood figure out whodunnit, you’ll die laughing.

The Plot…

The eccentric and wealthy Lionel Twain (Capote) invites the five greatest detectives in the world for dinner. The guests include…

  • Sam Diamond (Falk) and his sexy assistant Tess Skeffington (Brennan)
  • Sidney Wang (Sellers) and his son Willie Wang
  • Monsieur Milo Perrier (Coco) and his chauffeur, Marcel (Cromwell)
  • Jessica Marbles (Elsa Lanchester) and her nurse, Miss Withers (Winwood)
  • Dick (Niven) & Dora Charleston (Smith) and their pet pooch, Myron

The guests arrive to Twain’s remote creepy old mansion.  They are  unaware that others were invited.  When everyone sits down for dinner, Twain pushes a button that locks all doors and windows.  He then announces that someone will be murdered at midnight.  Twain says that he will give one million dollars to the detective that solves the crime.

Slightly before midnight the butler is found dead.  Then right after midnight, Twain’s body is discovered.  He’s dead from twelve stab wounds.

Let the game begin.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Murder by Death is a parody of the great “old dark house” and movie detective whodunits of the past.  Sam Diamond is a hardboiled dick from the mold of Sam Spade.  Sidney Wang and his son is based on Charlie Chan and his #1 son.  Monsieur Milo Perrier is modeled on Hercule Poirot.  Jessica Marbles was inspired by Miss Marple. Dick & Dora Charleston are stand-ins for Nick and Nora Charles.

The theatrical film debut of James Cromwell.  It is also the final theatrical film of Nancy Walker.

The animated cartoon drawings of the detectives at the start  of the film were created by Charles Addams, the creator of The Addams Family.

The doorbell screams are Fay Wray’s from King Kong.

If you’re a fan of the type of movies parodied, you should enjoy this.  Everyone gets a moment to shine.

Murder by Death (1976) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Tarzan’s Revenge” (1938) / Z-View

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Tarzan’s Revenge (1938)

Director: D. Ross Lederman

Screenplay: Robert Lee Johnson, Jay Vann, based on characters created by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Stars: Glenn Morris, C. Henry Gordon, Hedda Hopper, Joe Sawyer, George Meeker, Howard Hickman and Al Thompson.

Tagline: TARZAN CALLS AGAIN…and new thrills sweep the jungle wilds!

The Plot…

An expedition into the jungles of Africa runs into trouble with a dangerous tribe.  Tarzan to the rescue.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Tarzan’s Revenge is really bad.  Poor acting equal to the poor story and direction.  Tarzan’s yell will make you laugh.

Glenn Morris gets the least amount of screen time of any actor who has played Tarzan.  For that you’ll be thankful.

Tarzan’s Revenge (1938) rates 1 of 5 stars.