MST3K – Squirm (1976) - Re-post

Director Jeff Lieberman's worm revenge tale Squirm (1976) is one of those movies that I could watch a zillion times (and probably already have) and still dig it, so adding the ongoing commentary from our MST3K pals adds to the entertainment factor. Enjoy!

Beyond and Back (1978) Re-post

Re-post with updated feature 
plus the addition of a trailer + lobby cards.

Beyond and Back (1978) 

This Sunn Classic Pictures documentary made the rounds of cinemas, drive-ins, and early cable television for some time before fading from wide viewings.

Sunn Classic Pictures was an independent production company based out of Utah; where this was filmed. They put out a number of movies, including In Search of Historic Jesus (1979), In Search of Noah's Ark (1976), The Lincoln Conspiracy (1977), The Bermuda Triangle (1979), and Hangar 18 (1980).  

James L. Conway directed this and some earlier titles for Sunn before trying R-rated horror with 1981's The Boogens, then moving to an ongoing and successful career in television work. In spite of Sunn Classics heavy Christian editorial stance; this was shot by cinematographer Henning Schellerup, who had also filmed pornography in the late '60s/early '70s and continued to work on many exploitation/horror films.

 

the trailer

the feature

Vice Squad (1982)

Released in 1982, Vice Squad initially came into my orbit thanks to a less than flattering review from Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel that peaked my interest. Didn't make the scene while it played theaters, but I immediately grabbed it for a rental when it popped up in my local video store.

Directed by Gary Sherman (Raw Meat, Dead & Buried, Poltergeist III); Vice Squad delivers a dark, slimy, and violent experience for the viewer. The movie offers more than one might expect from similar genre films and reportedly received strong praise from celebrated director Martin Scorsese.

Taking place on the mean streets of downtown Los Angeles, the film centers on Princess (Season Hubley), a street prostitute who is pressured to aid the police in apprehending the psychotic and hyper violent pimp Ramrod (Wings Hauser) after he murders a prostitute named Ginger; this cameo is played by Nina Blackwood. Of course this simple plan is further complicated when Ramrod escapes police custody with murderous revenge on his mind.

 the trailer

the feature

Deranged (1974)

Distributed through American International Pictures, 1974s Deranged was a Canadian/U.S. co-production which told the tale of the profoundly disturbed Ezra Cobb. After the death of his mother, Cobb became completely unhinged, first digging up body parts and corpses from the local cemetery for decorations in his home before then killing local women to further his cause. Deranged was based on the real life exploits/horror story of Ed Gein's morbid and murderous ways in Wisconsin.

Co-directed by Jeff Gillen and Alan (Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things, Deathdream) Ormsby,  Deranged also had Bob (Porky's, A Christmas Story, Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things, Deathdream) Clark working as an uncredited producer on the film.

Veteran actor Roberts Blossom plays Ezra Cobb and among his many film credits he is often most remembered as the foul tempered old man who sells Arnie the title car in Christine or as Old Man Marley, the scary neighbor who with a shovel smack down, saves Kevin from the evil doers in Home Alone. 

Sorry about the French subtitles on the feature.

the trailer

the feature

the making of...

The Van (1977)

Produced by Crown International Pictures, 1977s The Van is a sex comedy focusing on the exploits of recent high school grad Bobby, played by Stuart Goetz who a few years ealier was seen as the nice guy who Marcia blows off for a football player on a 1973 episode of The Brady Bunch.

Bobby lusts for the shapely blonde Sally but her current beau, tattooed tough guy Dugan is not amused by Bobby's interest. Bobby works at a car wash, where his boss (Danny DeVito) also sidelines as a bookmaker. Along the way, Bobby gets into goofy shenanigans, eventually purchases his dream van, and continues to get into R-rated hijinks in his quest for sex.

The van itself is quite a sight. A heavily tricked out and customized 1977 Dodge D300 Tradesman van, extras found inside include a waterbed, mirrored ceiling, an eight-track player, and a toaster; among other items. It also sports a custom paint job, with "Straight Arrow" emblazoned on both sides.

Musician Sammy Johns provides material for the soundtrack, including his 1975 hit single "Chevy Van" even though Bobby's van is a Dodge. Actor Stephen Oliver would return in his role as tough guy/bully Dugan in Crown International Pictures 1978 feature Malibu Beach.

the trailer

the feature

Blood Beach (1980)

"Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water - you can't get to it." 

John Saxon and Burt Young chew the scenery as frustrated detectives while beach goers increasingly get chewed up by Blood Beach. It's an enjoyable horror romp which might have benefited from a little humor/camp and continues the Jaws inspired terror at the beach theme found in other films such as Tintorera: Killer Shark (1977) or Piranha (1978). A U.S. co-production with Sir Run Run Shaw, Blood Beach was distributed by The Jerry Gross Organization and also features a score from Gil Melle (The Andromeda Strain, Night Gallery, Columbo, Killdozer). 

Director and co-writer Jeffrey Bloom was originally a professional magician but went on to extensive television work including episodes of The Dark Room series as well as other films such as Nightmares (1983) and Flowers in the Attic (1987).

the trailer

the feature

Grizzly (1976) - Repost

Repost with working links for the trailer and feature.

If you enjoy watching Christopher George chew the scenery and kick ass in his cinematic roles as much as I do, then 1976s Grizzly is worthy of at least a single viewing. Shot in Georgia and directed by William Girdler (Abby, Sheba Baby, Day of the Animals, The Manitou) Grizzly is one of several "animals on the attack" films that emerged after the blockbuster success of 1975s Jaws. 

the trailer

the feature

Peopletoys (1974) aka Devil Times Five

A bizarre and brutal seventies horror/exploitation film, Peopletoys follows what happens when a van carrying a group of extremely disturbed youngsters crashes off an icy mountain road. The children make their way to a lodge populated by a relatively annoying assortment of wealthy and/or unpleasant folks. The family and their group welcome the little wanderers into the warm and inviting home but come to regret this decision after both the telephone and power cut out while the adults begin meeting violent ends.

Sorrell Booke is (for me) the most notable face among the cast; seen here five years prior to his blockbuster role as Boss Hogg on the Dukes of Hazzard. A very young Leif Garrett plays one of the murderous children, his sister Dawn Lyn also plays one of the youngsters, and their mother Carolyn Stellar is also among the film's cast.

Peopletoys was a work horse exploitation film and was re-released multiple times under different titles such as Devil Times Five, The Horrible House on the Hill, and Tantrums.

the trailer

the feature

Devil Times Five (1974) by TheCryptoCrew

Riot on Sunset Strip (1967)

In the spirit of blitzkreiging exploitation films, MGM began filming Riot on Sunset Strip about a month and a half after the actual teenage uprising on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles had occurred. Unfortunately producer Sam Katzman felt the major studio was dragging their feet and not moving forward quickly enough so he sold the film to American International Pictures. The youth rock'n'roll scene is represented here through performances from The Standells and The Chocolate Watch Band.

the trailer

the feature

Cronenberg on Cronenberg - 2013 Interview

Canadian director and favorite of mine, David Cronenberg speaks here in footage on 3sat (a public, advertising-free, television network in Central Europe that broadcasts in German) from 2013. He recounts his life and his progress as a film maker in a great interview that is both extensive in scope but very laid back in questioning, with much time allowed for him to expand on his answers.  

Shock Waves (1977)

This is a re-re-post with updated, working links. 

The 1977 film Shock Waves would make a great double feature with Death Ship since they both deal with Nazi inspired supernatural terror on and near the high seas.

First viewed this when it aired on Night Flight in the 1980s.  Director Ken Wiederhorn (King Frat, Eyes of a Stranger, Meatballs 2, Return of the Living Dead 2) does a superb job creating tension and terror on a very low budget. Brooke Adams along with horror veterans Peter Cushing and John Carradine are the most notable faces in the film. 

They story follows a group of vacationers who charter a boat to tour, fish, and dive around some Caribbean Islands. The weather becomes odd, the boat collides with a mystery freighter, and the hull is damaged. This forces the crew and passengers to seek refuge on a small island where they encounter Peter Cushing's character and things take a terrifying turn for the worse.

 

 
the trailer




the feature

The Candy Snatchers (1973)

Released in 1973, The Candy Snatchers is a sleazy movie that follows a crew of three anti-social miscreants who hatch a plan to kidnap a teenage girl on her way home from Catholic school and then make a pile of loot by making her family pay a substantial ransom for her safe return.

The initial scheme goes off well and in short order the girl is grabbed and buried alive in a field, with only a small tube providing her with air. An autistic and mute boy is a witness to the crime but due to his condition cannot communicate this to his parents. Things quickly go south as the kidnappers discover her step father is not the rich dude they assumed he was, in fact he is rooting for her demise since he stands to inherit money in that scenario. The gang fights among themselves as dread and desperation overtake them and eventually lead to a truly nihilistic conclusion.

the trailer

Eyeball (1975)

Umberto Lenzi's 1975 film Eyeball is a curious giallo/proto-slasher movie. Punctuated by a unknown killer, notably dressed in a red hooded raincoat and wearing red gloves, who not only slices and stabs the numerous victims among a tourist group visiting Barcelona, but also gouges out an eyeball as a finishing touch to each murder. Italian soundtrack favorite Bruno Nicolai adds to a threatening atmosphere with a well crafted score. 

the trailer 

the feature

Cut-Throats Nine (1972)

This grim and somewhat obscure Euro-Western from 1972 provided patrons with a terror mask upon admission to a showing, in case the on screen carnage proved too much to handle they could avert their gaze. Filmed entirely in Spain by director Joaquin Romero Marchent, Cut-Throats Nine shifts the action to the snowy mountain sides instead of the dusty desert local so often used as the backdrop for standard spaghetti westerns.

The story centers on Sgt. Brown, a tough hombre who has to transport seven severely nasty criminals from an active mine to Fort Green for sentencing/jail time. Also along for this ride is his daughter, Cathy, so the seven bad dudes (who are chained together for the voyage) plus the Sargent and his daughter make up the nine referenced in the films title. Further complicating matters, the Sargent eventually reveals to his daughter that he believes one of these seven reprobates was responsible for the rape and murder of her Mom, his wife. Shortly after the group leaves the mine, a gang of robbers over take the wagon in search of any gold being transported away from it's source. This violent confrontation leaves the wagon drive dead, the horses gone, and one of the group now sports a broken leg. Things go from very bad to worse quite quickly and the film has a few tricks up it's sleeve as well.


Extremely violent and gory for it's time, Cut-Throats Nine offers a tale of man versus man coupled with man versus nature that brings to mind the existential struggle of many a Werner Herzog film. Not easy to find, the film is presented below.

the trailer

the feature

Cut-Throats Nine 1972 full movie by ursula-strauss

The Big Doll House (1971)

This 1971 women-in-prison genre defining film is another jewel in the crown of skilled director Jack Hill. The Big Doll House was shot in the Philippines and features Sid Haig. This movie is also notable as Pam Grier's first major film role. She also contributed to the soundtrack, performing the song "Long Time Woman." 

the trailer

the feature

Pam Grier "Long Time Woman" 

Ginger (1971)

Starring the statuesque, platinum blonde actress Cheri Caffaro; 1971s Ginger is an all out, exploitation classic that truly delivers the cinematic sex and violence. Ginger is a rich gal who gets recruited as bait by the local police to expose a gang whose specialties are kidnapping and further sleazy actions. Aside from the obvious and copious prurient interests displayed within, this film is also of note as the screen debut of off beat character actor Tracey Walter. This was the first in a series starring Ms. Caffaro as tough gal Ginger, which also includes The Abductors (1972) and Girls Are for Loving (1973)

the feature

When Time Ran Out... (1980)

Producer Irwin Allen made this film towards the end of the disaster movie heyday. In this case, a volcano provides the destructive mayhem when it erupts near a newly constructed Pacific island resort, also threatening a local village. 

As is usually the case with his disaster films, Allen had a multitude of name actors under contract and this feature was loaded with stars, including: Paul Newman, Jacqueline Bisset, William Holden, Edward Albert, Barbara Carrera, Burgess Meredith, Ernest Borgnine, James Franciscus, and even Pat Morita. Legend has it that Paul Newman refused to appear in The Towering Inferno 2 and instead took this role to finish off a contractual obligation to Allen plus use his salary as seed money for his salad dressing company.

 

Seizure (1974)

This cinematic oddity from 1974 was Oliver Stone's directorial debut, plus he was also the co-screenwriter. Packed with notable faces, the film features: Jonathan Frid, Martine Beswick, Hervé Villechaize, and a favorite of mine, Mary Woronov.

The plot deals with a horror writer (played by Mr. Frid) who becomes noticeably alarmed when the denizens of his frightening novels materialize to torment + attack him and his family.

X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963)

 

X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963) 

Presented below is my favorite Roger Corman directed feature.

The Boogens (1981)

The Boogens (1981)

Here's the second part of a double feature from director James L. Conway, 1981s The Boogens. 

Thanks to Dennis Duncan for posting