“Crash Goes the Hash” (1944) starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Crash Goes the Hash (1944)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay:  Felix Adler

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Dick Curtis, Bud Jamison, Symona Boniface and Vernon Dent.

Tagline:  None.

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Larry, Curly and Moe get hired as reporters.  They’ll get a $100 bonus if they can get a photo of Prince Shaam of Ubeedarn (Curtis) and Mrs. Van Bustle (Boniface) who are rumored to be on the verge of marriage.  The boys get jobs as a cook and waiters for a big party at Mrs. Van Bustle’s mansion.  Hijinks follow…

Crash Goes the Hash is one of the most popular Stooges’ shorts.  Sadly during it’s filming Curly had his first small stroke.  There’s a scene where one of the characters tells the boys they’re acting like the Three Stooges and the boys are offended.

Crash Goes the Hash earns 4 of 5 stars.

“Angel’s in Disguise” (1949) starring The Bowery Boys / Z-View

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Angel’s in Disguise (1949)

Director:  Jean Yarbrough

Screenplay:  Charles R. Marion, Gerald Schnitzer, Bert Lawrence (additional dialogue)

Stars:  Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Gabriel Dell, Mickey Knox, Richard Benedict, William ‘Billy’ Benedict, Joe Turkel, David Gorcey, Benny Bartlett, Bernard Gorcey,  Ray Walker andRory Mallinson.

Tagline:  It’s their Funniest Fightin-est Film!

The Plot…

When Slip (Gorcey) and Satch (Huntz) learn that their buddy Gabe, a police officer, was shot, they head to the hospital.  They learn that Gabe will survive, but his partner, who was also shot, has died.  Gabe explains that members of the notorious Loop gang were the killers.  Slip and Satch decide to pose as gangsters to infiltrate the Loop gang and bring them down.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

The Bowery Boys work best when the drama is kept to a minimum.  Although there is a scene where Leo Gorcey lays it on thick and brings tears to his eyes, Angels in Disguise turns out to be one of the Bowery Boys’ better outings.  Gorcey provides a voice-over and the film has scenes shot like detective/noir films of the era.  The humor is still there and works well with this dynamic.  The best scene is the introduction of Slip’s gang.

Angels in Disguise earns 3 of 5 stars.

“Three Little Twerps” (1943) Starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Three Little Twerps (1943)

Director:  Harry Edwards

Screenplay:  Monte Collins, Elwood Ullman

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Chester Conklin, Stanley Blystone, Heinie Conklin, Bud Jamison, Anita Sharp-Bolster,  Al Thompson, Blackie Whiteford and Duke York

Tagline:  None.

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Larry, Curly and Moe get involved in hijinks at the circus.  When the circus owner finds them selling discounted tickets to the amusements, he takes after them with the police.  Highlights include Curly being mistaken for the Bearded Lady’s blind date, Curly and Larry hiding in a horse costume and Curly running for his life from the wild “Sultan of Abudaba”.

Three Little Twerps earns 3 of 5 stars.

“From Nurse to Worse” (1940) Starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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From Nurse to Worse (1940)

Director:  Jules White

Screenplay:  Clyde Bruckman from a story by Charles L. Kimball

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Vernon Dent and Ned Glass

Tagline:  None.

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

An insurance salesmen tells the boys that if they purchase a policy on Curly and then he acts insane, they can collect big.  They buy the policy.  Moe and Larry put Curly on a leash and take him to the doctor.  Curly is so convincing that the doctor thinks Curly is dangerously insane.  His cure to to operate on Curly’s brain!  When Moe and Larry attempt to rescue Curly the hijinks are on!

From Nurse to Worse earns 4 of 5 stars.

“Flat Foot Stooges” (1938) Starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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Flat Foot Stooges (1938)

Director:  Charley Chase

Screenplay:  Charley Chase

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, Chester Conklin and Harry Myers

Tagline:  None.

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

When an irate salesman’s plan to blow up a fire engine backfires it sets the fire house ablaze.  The salesman and a young woman are unconscious as the fire grows closer.  Unlucky for them, the fireman manning the station are Larry, Curly and Moe.

Flat Foot Stooges was the first short to use Three Blind Mice as the Stooges’ theme music.

Flat Foot Stooges earns 3 of 5 stars.

“The Man Who Cheated Himself” (1950) Starring Lee J. Cobb, Jane Wyatt & John Dall / Z-View

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The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950)

Director:  Felix E. Feist

Screenplay:  Seton I. Miller, Philip MacDonald

Stars: Lee J. Cobb, Jane Wyatt, John Dall, Lisa Howard, Tito Vuolo, Marjorie Bennett, Alan Wells, Morgan Farley, and Howard Negley.

Tagline:  For a woman like this … a man would do anything … even murder.

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Andy Cullen (Dall) newly promoted to Detective is assigned to partner with his brother, Lt. Ed Cullen (Cobb).  Andy is a hot shot looking to prove himself.  Their first case involves the murder of Howard Frazer, found shot dead at the airport.  An older couple witnessed a man driving away from the body.

Ed says the case looks like a robbery gone wrong, but Andy’s not ready to jump to that conclusion.  A few things don’t feel right.  After Ed and Andy talk to the dead man’s wife, Lois (Wyatt), Andy is even more sure something’s not on the level.  What Andy doesn’t know is that Lois killed her husband and Ed moved the body from her house to the airport.  Ed’s in an affair with Lois and thought he could cover up the crime.  But with Andy on the case and digging deeper…

Lee J. Cobb’s Ed Cullen is a cynical cop who knows his affair won’t turn into anything more.  Yet, he feels compelled to help his lover cover up the murder.  The screenwriters do an excellent job of making it look like things can be explained in a way that gets the case moving away from Lois, but then Andy finds another clue that takes it closer.  Kudos to screenwriters Seton I. Miller and Philip MacDonald, as well as director Felix E. Feist for creating a scene where a book’s binding creates tension and suspense.  The final scene with Lois talking to her attorney and then getting a light from Cullen is worth the price of admission.

The Man Who Cheated Himself earns 4 of 5 stars.

“Troll” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I liked the Troll teaser and am really diggin’ the Troll poster and full trailer.  Deal me in.

When an explosion in the Norwegian mountains awakens an ancient troll, officials appoint a fearless palaeontologist to stop it from wreaking deadly havoc. This fantasy-action film stars Ine Marie Wilmann (“War Sailor”) and was directed by Roar Uthaug (“Tomb Raider” and “The Wave”).

“London After Midnight” & “Curse of the Wolfman” Graphic Novels are Coming in 2023!

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Here’s some cool news for monster movie and comic books fans.  Source Point Press and Chaney Entertainment have teamed to create two new graphic novels for 2023.  The first, London After Midnight is based on the most famous lost film in the world.  Made in 1927, London After Midnight starred Lon Chaney as a vampire!  The second, The Curse of the Wolf Man will be a sequel to The Wolf Man (1941) which starred Lon Chaney, Jr.

Writer, Dirk Manning and artist Marianna Pescosta will be the creative team for London After Midnight.  The Curse of the Wolf Man will be written by Josh Werner with illustrations by Stan Yak and colorist Colin Johnson.  Ron Chaney (Lon Chaney’s great-grandson and CEO of Chaney Enterprises) will be involved with the creative teams. Look for London After Midnight and The Curse of the Wolf Man on Kickstarter in the spring of 2023,

Source: Rue Morgue.

“The Hot Scots” (1948) Starring The Three Stooges / Z-View

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The Hot Scots (1948)

Director:  Edward Bernds

Screenplay:  Elwood Ullman

Stars: Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Shemp Howard, Herbert Evans, Christine McIntyre and Theodore Lorch

Tagline:  Hoot Man! …And Hoot Loud at the Stooges’ maddest funfest!

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

After graduation from a correspondence detective school, Larry, Shemp and Moe apply for jobs at Scotland Yard.  They’re hired as janitors.  While cleaning the grounds they get a lead on a rich man who needs guards for his valuables while he is away from his spooky castle.  Little does the man know, but it is his hired staff who plan to rip him off!  The would-be thieves decide to scare the Stooges into leaving and hilarity follows.

In 1954, The Hot Scots was remade as Scotched in Scotland and reused much of the same footage from the original film.

The Hot Scots earns 4 of 5 stars.

BEACH BODIES by Nick Kowlakowski

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Nick Kolakowski has a new novella that was just released.  It’s titled Beach Bodies.  Here’s the synopsis…

This billionaire’s luxury doomsday bunker has everything: spectacular ocean views, a full-service kitchen, three bedrooms, a broadband connection, and concrete thick enough to keep any kind of horror out.

Today, the bunker’s caretakers are about to discover those concrete walls are good—too good—at keeping them trapped with the horrors inside. Twenty feet below the world’s most beautiful beach, they’ll face the ultimate evil—one that transcends death itself.

If you want me, I’ll be in the bunker.

Beach Bodies Paperback

Beach Bodies Kindle

“The Tingler” (1959) Directed by William Castle & Starring Vincent Price / Z-View

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The Tingler (1959)

Director:  William Castle

Screenplay:  Robb White

Stars:  Vincent Price, Judith Evelyn, Darryl Hickman, Philip Coolidge, Gail Bonney and William Castle.

Tagline: Amazing NEW TERROR Device Makes You A Living Participant in the FLESH-CRAWLING ACTION! PERCEPTO!

The Overview:  Beware of spoilers…

Dr. Warren Chapin (Price) discovers that the tingling people feel along their spine during cases of extreme fear is caused by a parasite.  Chapin names this creature “the tingler”.  As a person becomes more afraid, the tingler grows in size and strength ultimately causing the victim to die.  Interestingly enough, if the person screams, the tingler stops growing.  Dr. Chapin decides to conduct experiments on people to learn more about the tingler.  What could possibly go wrong?

Producer/Director William Castle was the king of gimmick films.  The Tingler‘s gimmick was that some seats in theaters were hooked with buzzers set off when the tingler was loose.  The buzzers vibrated seats causing theater goers to scream.  The Tingler also holds the distinction of being the first Hollywood mainstream feature film to depict LSD use.  The Tingler is also famous for being a black and white film that has bright red blood flowing in a sink and a full bathtub while everything else in the scene remained black and white.  If you’re a William Castle fan or low-budget horror movies, you’ll enjoy The Tingler.

The Tingler earns 2 of 5 stars.

“D.O.A.” (2022) – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I like both the poster and the trailer for D.O.A..  I’m a fan of the genre, the original 1950 film and most likely this 2022 reboot.

Frank Bigelow is a private detective hired to follow the husband of a St. Augustine socialite. It’s a routine assignment until he discovers that he’s been secretly poisoned and has only days to live. With the clock ticking, Bigelow descends into a world of crooks and double-dealers, treacherous women and violent men, slashing through a tangle of conspiracies to figure out who “killed” him and why. Along the way, he must also confront the toxic effects of his own isolation. Can he solve the mystery, exact his revenge, and save his own soul before time runs out?

Houndstooth Films presents D.O.A.
Directed by Kurt St. Thomas
Written by Nicholas Griffin
Story by Kurt St. Thomas & Nicholas Griffin
Based on the story by Russell Rouse & Clarence Greene.

The script for D.O.A. was written by Nicholas Griffin (Matchstick Men, FX’s Terriers). While the story shares a title and premise with the original 1950 movie starring Edmond O’Brien, most of the plot elements are original.

Produced by Kurt St. Thomas, Emma Keating & Nicholas Griffin.
Director of Photography: Peter Berglund
Original Music: Jaimee Jimin Park
Edited by Kurt St. Thomas, Emma Keating & Keaton Bicknell
Production Design by Bonnie Druckenmiller
Casting Director: Lorraine Berglund.
Starring
John Doe (Frank Bigelow)
Paola Duque (Rita)
Matt Pinfield (Det. Parker)
Lucinda Jenney (Grace)
Anne Gaybis (Mrs. Phillips)
Jake La Botz (Chester)
Tony V (Whitey)
Pam Rickard (Kitty)
and John Byner (Arthur Majak).

B&W. Running time: approx. 83 minutes. 2022.