A B Movie Overview
MR.SARDONICUS (1961)
Director: William Castle
Running time: 89 minutes
Stars: Ronald Lewis, Audrey Dalton, Guy Rolfe, Oscar Homolka.
William Castle strikes again! A reclusive count with his face frozen in a weird grin lures his wife’s boyfriend/doctor to his castle to cure him. This was originally presented with the Punishment Poll where you could decide the villain’s fate with a Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down card. Only one ending was filmed because Castle knew the audience would always vote Thumbs Down. Ray Russell scripted from his novella “Sardonicus.”
HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL 1958)
Directed by William Castle
Running time: 75 minutes
Stars: Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Richard Moore, Alan Marshal, Elisha Cook Jr., Carolyn Craig, Leona Anderson
In this William Castle classic, millionaire Price offers $10000 to his guests if they spend a night in his haunted house and survive. The house has a murderous history. Originally featured Emergo, which had plastic skeletons coming into the theatre audience via carefully-placed strings. But you won’t have to worry about that. Just sit back and enjoy the campy fun.
CHOPPING MALL(1986)
Director: Jim Wynorski
Running time: 76 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Stars: Kelli Mulroney, Tony O’Dell, John Terlesky, Russell Todd, Paul Bartel, Mary Woronov, Dick Miller, Karrie Emerson, Barbara Crampton, Suzee Slater, Mel Welles, Gerrit Graham
Originally titled “Killbots,” this concerns five teenagers trapped in a mall where the security system, enhanced by security robots, goes amuck. The robots go crazy and start killing. An early effort by the prolific Wynorski,
ROTTWEILER DOGS OF HELL(1982)
Director: Worth Keeter
Running time: 89 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Stars: Earl Owensby, Bill Gribble, Robert Bloodworth, Kathy Hasty, Ed Lillard
A pack of Rottweilers, bred and trained by the U.S. Military to kill humans, escape and start killing people in a small town. It’s up to the local sheriff to protect the townspeople. Owensby also produced this Southern-style thriller originally in 3D.
VALLEY OF THE GWANGI (1969)
Director: James O’Connolly
Running time: 95 minutes
MPAA Rating: G
Stars: James Franciscus, Gila Golan, Richard Carlson, Lawrence Naismith, Dennis Kilbane
An expedition in Mexico stumbles upon a prehistoric monster and get the idea to display their find in a traveling circus. Enjoy this “King Kong” variation (based on a story by Willis O’Brien) with Ray Harryhausen’s special effects
EMPIRE OF THE ANTS (1977)
Director: Bert I. Gordon
Running time: 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Stars: Joan Collins, Robert Lansing, Albert Salmi, John David Carson, Robert Pine, Jacqueline Scott
In this adaptation of H.G. Wells’ story, vacationers find themselves at the mercy of giant ants that got that way from feeding on a barrel of radioactive waste. From the director of “Village of the Giants,” “Attack of the Puppet People,” “The Food of the Gods and “Tormented,” among many others.
FIVE MILLION YEARS TO EARTH/QUATERMASS AND THE PIT (1968)
Director: Roy Ward Baker
Running time: 98 minutes
Stars: James Donald, Barbara Shelley, Andrew Keir, Julian Glover, Maurice Good, Duncan Lamont.
Workers unearth a spaceship and the remains of an alien crew in modern London. The third and considered the best of the “Quatermass” series. Maltin: “a fine example of what can be done on a meager budget.”
ROCKETSHIP XM (1950)
Director: Kurt Neumann
Running time: 77 minutes
Stars: Lloyd Bridges, Osa Massen, Hugh O’ Brien, John Emery, Noah Berry Jr.
Astronauts (Lloyd Bridges, Osa Massen, John Emery, Noah Beery, Jr., and Hugh O’Brien) blast off to explore the moon on. Because of craft malfunction and some fuel calculations, they end up landing on Mars. On Mars, evidence of a once powerful civilization is found. The scientists determined that an atomic war destroyed most of the Martians (Who suprisingly look like humans). Those that survived reverted to a caveman like existance.
THE RAVEN(1963)
Directed by Roger Corman
Running time: 86 minutes
Stars: Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, Hazel Court, Jack Nicholson, Olive Sturges.
Using only the name of Poe’s famous poem, this horror satire finds two magicians challenging a power-hungry sorcerer. Three great horror stars give it their all in this tale which features a sorcerer’s duel. The screenplay is by Richard Matheson
PIRANHA (1978)
Director: Joe Dante
Running time: 92 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Stars: Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies, Kevin McCarthy, Keenan Wynn, Dick Miller, Barbara Steele, Belinda Balaski, Bruce Gordon, Paul Bartel
In this spoof of “Jaws,” a group of piranha set their sites on a new resort about to open. From the Roger Corman New World factory. Said by Steven Spielberg to be the best “Jaws” imitation.
CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954)
Director: Jack Arnold
Running time: 80 minutes
Stars: Richard Carlson, Julia (Julie) Adams, Richard Denning, Antonio Moreno, Whit Bissell, Nestor Parva, Ricou Browning, Red Chapman
An Amazon expedition encounters the deadly gill of the title in this often-copied 50s monster movie, originally in 3-D, but according to Leonard Maltin’s Classic Movie Guide, is “just as good without it” with great underwater photography sequences directed by James C. Havens and Scotty Welbourne. Followed by two sequels, “Revenge of the Creature” and “The Creature Walks Among Us.”
THE BLOB (1958)
Directed by Irwin S. Yeaworth Jr.
Running time: 86 minutes
Stars: Steven McQueen, Aneta Corsaut, Earl Rowe, Olin Howlin.
In this “endearlingly campy classic of cheap 50s sci-fi” (Leonard Maltin’s Classic Movie Guide), a giant glop of Jello from outer space attacks a typical small town leaving teenagers to go into battle to stop it. The first staring role for Steve McQueen, years before “Bullitt.” Burt Bacharach composed the title song.
MA AND PA KETTLE AT THE FAIR (1952)
Director: Charles Barton
Running time: 78 minutes
Stars: Marjorie Main, Percy Kilbride, Lori Nelson, Byron Palmer, Loring Smith, Lowell Gilmore, Mabel Albertson, Esther Dale, Ida Moore.
The Kettles attempt to win money at the county fair (with Ma’s cooking) to send their daughter to college. The fourth entry in this popular series also has Pa in a crazy horse race.
Zombie Abomination – The Italian Zombie Movie Part 1
While investigating the brutal death of his twin brother, a brave soldier, a sexy psychic, an evil succubus, her oafish boyfriend, two mysterious aliens and the Michigan Militia inadvertently join forces against a Landfill of the Living Dead! Part 1 of this two-part, no-budget homage to (and parody of) European horror movies from the 80′s was recently named to Fangoria Magazine’s DVD Chopping List (May 2010) and was called the “best movie experience” by reviewer Terrance Aldridge at last summer’s Tromadance-Indiana 2009. It concludes in Zombie Atrocity – The Italian Zombie Movie Part 2 also playing at the B-Movie Celebration!
Zombie Atrocity – The Italian Zombie Movie Part 2
Part 2 of this epic no-budget miniseries picks up the action right where Part 1 left off. Zombies have everyone surrounded, friends have been betrayed, lovers have been cast aside – Is there any hope for our heroes as they try to solve the mystery of the Landfill of the Living Dead? Given “4 out of 5 enthusiastic headshots” by Derek Koch of Mail Order Zombie and winner of the “Best Sequel, Fan Film or Remake of 2009 Award” by Horror Movie Central, Zombie Atrocity is the clever, funny and often ridiculously gross conclusion to The Italian Zombie Movie miniseries.
The Dead Matter
Tells the story of a vampire relic with occult powers that falls into the hands of a grief-stricken young woman who will do anything to contact her dead brother.