The Avengers: 'The Town of No Return'

The Town of No Return (1965)
Starring: Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, Terrence Alexander, Patrick Newell, Juliet Harmer, Alan McNaughten, and Jeremy Burnham
Director: Roy Ward Baker

Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

When several of their collegues vanish while investigating odd happenings in a small sea-side village, top government agents John Steed (Macnee) and Emma Peel (Rigg) are sent there undercover to determine their fates. 

"The Town of No Return" was the inaugural episode of the fourth season of "The Avengers", and it marked a change in direction and tone for the series. The character of John Steed had been evolving since the second season, from a trenchcoat-wearing tough guy to an eccentric, bowler hat wearing, fey throwback to an earlier age--and that transformation was complete now. With Steed's final metamorphosis also came a lighter tone for the series overall. 

The biggest change to the series, however, is the debut of Diana Rigg as Mrs. Emma Peel, the first steady partner Steed had had since he was made the lead character of the series during the second season. Mrs. Peel was introduced without much fanfare, with a sense that her and Steed had bene acquainted for some time and had possibly even worked together in the past. They seem well aware of each other's strengths and limitations. It's a nice in media res approach that gets things going quickly and gives the sense to viewers that we are about to embark on a dangerous mission with a pair of seasoned, capable secret agents. (And although Mrs. Peel is new to the viewers, we are swiftly introduced to her background and varied skillset through her banter with Steed and the friendly fencing match they engage in, right there in her living room. Not only do we see how physically capable Peel is, but their conversation reveals that she regularly publishes papers in scientific journals.)

We are further introduced to Mrs. Peel's talents for investigation and undercover work once she and Steed arrive in the titular Town of No Return, a strangely sparsely inhabited sea-side village where the inhabitants are decidedly unfriendly and the inn keeper (Terrence Alexander) is entirely too friendly, as she poses as a teacher sent by the Department of Education to help the local school. We also get to see Steed being absolutely coldhearted and brutal--and while he rarely kills on screen, some of his interactions with villains in this episode leaves no doubt that he could do so. All-in-all, this a great introduction to a pair of characters who compliment each other, portrayed by an actor and actress who work well together and have great onscreen chemistry. Macnee and Rigg make Steed and Peel seem absolutely believable as friends and colleagues who are dedicated to each other and their jobs as government investigators and, well, avengers. 

This first episode is also a prime example of what makes this series so much fun. Like all the best episodes, the action and the plot is almost secondary to the witty banter and friendly flirtations between Steed and Peel, and the comedic elements of the show exist easily alongside a growing atmosphere of dark mystery and deadly danger--with each augmenting and heightening the effectiveness of the other. Since this episode is directed by Roy Ward Baker, who was an expert at generating suspense and terror on the screen, it is not surprising that the air is thick with tension and mystery as soon as Steed and Peel arrive in the village. 

Like many episodes in Season Four of "The Avengers"--including some of the best ones--the plot of "The Town of No Return" comes apart if you examine it closely, but the ride you're on is so much fun that you shouldn't feel a need to think about the pure nonsense of pieces that don't quite fit. (At the risk of spoiling the episode for you, I will say that the one part that bothered me is that the fate of the villagers who are replaced by the invaders is not fully explained to my satisfaction. Are they all dead? Are they imprisoned somewhere? It seems reasonable that they're dead, but I would have liked to know one way or the other, even if it might have made the show much darker.)

"The Town of No Return" opens a chapter of greatness for "The Avengers"... and it opens it on a powerful high note. It is a classic bit of 1960s gonzo spy action, and it's well worth checking out.

2021: The Year of the Avengers

Not too long ago, I realized that there were 51 episodes of "The Avengers" that co-starred Diana Rigg and Patrick Macnee. So, the decision was made on the spot that 2021 was going to be the Year of the Avengers at Shades of Gray, like 2000 had been The Year of the Hot Toddy.

The flaw in that plan, though, is that 26 of the episodes starring Diana Rigg are in black and white, but the rest are in color, with the episodes for the 1965 season being the last that were shot in black-and-white before the show converted to color in 1966.

Still, starting tomorrow, and then on every other Thursday for the rest of the year, I intend to post my thoughts on an episode of the series that originally aired on television in 1965. On the "off-weeks", there will be a photo-gallery related to "The Avengers" and its cast members.

If things go well, I'll revive my old Watching the Detectives blog and cover the 1966 color episodes over there.

I hope you will come by for my comments on these television classics, as I watch them for the first time. Despite all I've heard about the Patrick Macnee/Diana Rigg-led episodes of "The Avengers", it's just now that I'm getting around to them. (Previously I've only seen a few of the episodes where Honor Blackman played John Steed's partner, Cathy Gale. The promotional photos I'd seen for the 1965/66 seasons, as well as what I've heard, made it clear there was a drastic shift in tone when they gave Steed a permanent partner.)



By way of a warm-up, here's a pre-credit sequence that was added to the series when it was broadcast in the United States. In 1964, the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) brought the rights to "The Avengers", and the series aired more or less simultaneously in both the U.S. and its country of origin, Great Britain. It was felt the characters and what they did needed a proper introduction to the Americans, so this very neat little opener was created. 

(I say "neat", even while wondering if the writer wo scripted the voice-over and the executive who approved it had even watched so much as the first episode with Diana Rigg as Emma Peel. It is clear from the outset that, like John Steed, Mrs. Peel is a top, professional secret agent and not a "talented amateur" as she is described... unless they're referring to the fact that she dabbles in several advanced science disciplines? Although, as I typed that sentence, I remembered references here and there during the series that also seemed to hint at Mrs. Peel not being a full-time agent. Personally, I find that notion fantastic, given what Steed involves her in, time and again. I realize that "The Avengers" is basically a live-action comic book, but even with Emma Peel's background as the sole heir to her father's company and fortune--especially because of that background--it taxes my imagination that she is some sort of volunteer or part-time consultant.)



(This opening is NOT included in the DVD collection that is forming the basis of the reviews series. I consider this an oversight. It should have been included as an "extra" or "bonus feature.")

Musical Monday with the Moody Blues

It's the Moody Blues, standing outside a castle, and they're performing "Nights in White Satin". What else you could you possibly need to know? And could there be a better way to celebrate the first Musical Monday of a brand-new year? Click on the video and enjoy!

The Avengers: Too Many Christmas Trees

Beginning in January 2021, we'll be featuring bi-weekly reviews of the final batch of episodes of "The Avengers" that were made in black-and white. As a sneak-peek--and because it's Christmas--we present this review!

Too Many Christmas Trees (1965)

Starring: Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, Mervyn Johns, Edwin Richfield, Alex Scott, Jeanette Sterke, Robert James, and Barry Warren
Director: Roy Ward Baker

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

Top-troubleshooter for the secret services of Great Britain John Steed (Macnee) has been having strange Christmas-related nightmares. As he attends a holiday costume party with his partner Mrs. Emma Peel (Rigg), elements of his nightmares seem to be manifesting themselves in the real world.

"The Avengers" was a television series that generally focused on British secret agents working cases where other operatives had failed and been and been captured or worse. It began as a straight spy drama, but by the fifth batch of episodes debuted, with Patrick Macnee as the eccentric life-long soldier and spy for Britain John Steed; and Diana Rigg as the glamorous, multi-talented and independently wealthy Mrs. Emma Peel in the lead roles, the series had followed down the path of the James Bond films by adding more comedy and other fantastic elements into the mix. It was during 1965 - 1967 that the show was at its most popular, and it was also during this time where never quite knew what you would get. Sure--there'd be the witty banter between Steed ad Peel, but beyond that viewers might get a straight-up spy/Cold War story, a murder mystery, a sci-fi adventure, a screwball comedy, a horror-tinged thriller--or a combination of any or all of the above. 

"Too Many Christmas Trees" is part mystery and part supernatural thriller, as Steed and Peel must find the truth about why Steed's dreams seem to be prophetic... and to stop the death and mayhem they seem to predict (with their guillotines and killer Father Christmases). Eventually, the show ends up incorporating what at the time could have been viewed as science fiction: It's ultimately revealed that Steed is under mental attack by psychics working for an enemy power that are trying to weaken his defenses and literally pick his brain for the secrets he knows.

The comment about psychics being at the root of the problem in this episode could possibly be viewed as a spoiler, but it's a minor one at best. Although the enemy psychics are key to the storyline, they are revealed early on... and Steed and Peel (and the viewers) have many more mysteries to solve and threats to confront during this episode and it's virtually impossible to predict where it's going to end up. 

Highlights of "Too Many Christmas Trees" are the sequences showing Steed's nightmares; Peel's discovery of a murder victim under very spooky circumstances and the fight scene that follows shortly afterward; and just the over all flow of the plot that keeps viewers guessing until the end. (The chilling atmosphere in many scenes is not surprising when one considers this episode was directed by Roy Ward Baker, a gentleman who helmed a good number of chillers and thrillers from British production companies such as Hammer Films and Amicus. He directed a total of seven episodes of "The Avengers" with the Macnee and Riggs in the lead roles, and they are among the best of the batch.)

One very funny fourth wall inside joke happens when Steed is going through his Christmas cards and happily remarks on one from his former partner, Kathy Gale, that was sent from Fort Knox, U.S.A.. The character had been played by Honor Blackman, who, at the time this show originally aired had just co-starred in the smash-hit James Bond film "Goldfinger" which featured an attempt to rob the gold depository at Fort Knox.

This is just one of the many very funny moments that exist along side the very dramatic, very high-stakes action of this episode... but this easy co-existence of the goofy and self-referential  or satirical material alongside deadly serious plot elements is among the things that makes "The Avengers" episodes with Macnee and Rigg so much fun. 

Nat King Cole brings 'The Christmas Song'

Christmas is almost here. Here's a performance of "The Christmas Song" from Nat King Cole in 1961 that even fills Krampus and the Grinch with the Spirit of the Season when they hear it.

And this year, everyone can all use a little extra Christmas cheer, so we at Shades of Gray hope this classic will bring you some.

'The Indian Scarf' will entertain fans of a variety of old-time movies

The Indian Scarf (aka "Das Indische Tuch") (1963)
Starring: Heinz Drache , Corny Collins, Klaus Kinski, Ady Berber, Gisela Uhlen, Hans Nielsen, Hans Clarin, and Elisabeth Flickenschildt
Director: Alfred Vohrer
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

After a wealthy man is strangled to death, his greedy relatives gather at home for the reading of his will. Here, they learn, they must spend a week together and that anyone who leaves early does not get a share of the inheritance. Within hours, family members start dying, each strangled with Indian silk scarves. The estate's executor, Tanner (Drache), sets out to match wits with the killer, hoping to discover his identity before he (or she) completes the murder spree.

"The Indian Scarf" is a film that mixes attempts at capturing the tongue-in-cheek feel of the "dark old house" mysteries of the late 1930s and early 1940s, and a bone-chilling brutality that predicts the murder scenes that became a hallmark of early Dario Argento and 1970s B-movies. It's an interesting attempt putting disparate elements together in a single story, and it mostly works because even in the goofy sections we're treated to stylish cinematography and film-norish lighting that takes full advantage of the black-and-white medium. The outdoor scenes, of which the film has quite a few more than is the norm for pictures like this

Another strength of the film is its cast. Their look and the characters they play reflect the "dark, old house" vibe the film is going for, and this goes a long way toward "The Indian Scarf"'s effectiveness. I particularly appreciated Heinz Drache as Tanner, who is both the romantic lead and co-comic relief with Ady Berber as the obligatory creepy man-servant character. The jokes don't always land, but a running gag involving Tanner's detective work is fun, and Drache's plays it up perfectly as the film progresses. Corny Collins and Gisela Uhlen, meanwhile, are both fine as the pretty (but possibly murderous) feminine/love interest presence in the film, while Klaus Kinski serves as a perfect (perhaps too perfect) possible killer. The second half of the film is really driven by the actors and their performances, with every cast-member getting a turn in the spotlight and making a good showing of themselves.

Perhaps one of the most remarkable things about "The Indian Scarf" is its strong ending, one which I didn't see coming, and I'm certain you won't either. Too many old mystery films seem to run out of steam at the end, sputtering to a close, or just stopping rather than ending with a proper denouement. Here, we get a wrap-up that's both punchy and a punch-line. Although there are several humorous misfires, the film goes out strong.

I think fans of directors like Mario Bava and Dario Argento, as well as those who enjoy 1940s mysteries and the "old dark house" genre will enjoy this one.

Witness the birth of the modern zombie

Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Starring: Judith O'Dea, Duane Jones, Karl Hardman, Marilyn Eastman, Keith Wayne, Judith Reilly, and Kyra Schon
Director: George Romero
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

When the dead rise to eat the living, a small group of people board themselves up in a house and attempt to hold out against an army of hungry zombies.

"Night of the Living Dead" is perhaps one of the most effective horror movies ever made. While its budget constraints are occassionally evident, and the acting leaves something to be desired at times, it still emerges as one of the scariest, most intense, films ever, with near-perfect pacing, great camera work, and sparse but effective set design and special effects. It's also arguably the most influential film of modern times, and many creators of horror and suspense films from the past 20 years probably owe quite a bit to Romero for inspiriation.

The key to the films success is that it incorporates a bit of the morality play aspect that exists at the core of most horror movies with a complete sense of claustrophobia and a certain doom. Although a national (possibly worldwide) disaster in unfolding, the action of movie is mostly confined to a single house, and the threats that those barricaded within come not only from the undead hoard outside, but also from each other as their various character flaws are explosed and amplified due to their situation. (Of course, it also features one of the most disturbing zombie flesh-eating scenes that have ever been put on fillm... if you've seen the film, you know what I mean, and if you haven't yet, you will know as soon as the moment happens.)

Despite recognizing this as a true classic fillm, I also admit it's not perfect. In addition to the acting, there's a couple of plot holes. I recently watched the movie again, and I still find the opening cemetary sequence strange beyond words, and I still am not certain what Barbara's ultimate fate is. (One thing I am certain of is that it's not a racist movie. I watched the film again, because I heard how it was supposed to have racist undertones throughout--undertones that are fully exposed at the film's climax--and since I'd never noticed that, I figured I'd watch the film again. Well, I'm here to tell you that anyone who finds racism in this movie is probably a racist themselves who are engaging in a bit of projection.)

This film is one of the most commonly found in the massive DVD multipacks, and it is a highlight of every package it's in; it plus one or two additional movies you're interested in will make the set worth its purchase price.

If you haven't seen this classic and are a fan of zombie movies and horror movies in general, this is a must-see. It's the original of the "modern zombie" and a damn fine movie to boot.

Good idea, lousy execution in "Castle of Evil"

Castle of Evil (1966)
Starring: Scott Brady, Virginia Mayo, David Brian, Lisa Gaye and William Thourlby
Director: Francis D. Lyon
Rating: Four of Ten Stars

A mad scientist (Thourlby) invites his relatives to his remote estate where his robot double proceeds to stalk and kill them in order to avenge a disfiguring accident he suffered years before.


I don't usually give away story twists in my teaser summaries, but in the case of "Castle of Evil", it doesn't matter. Despite the rating of 4, I don't recommend that you waste your time with this movie.

Which is too bad, because the script for this film is actually pretty good. It's a great retro-fusion of the "dark old house" and "mad scientist" film genres that flourished in the 1930s and 1940s, and the featured actors all give respectable performances in their various parts.

Unfortunately, the writer and cast are let down by an incompetent director. The staging of every scene is flat and lifeless, no opportunity for padding is left untapped--except for the ending that is inexplicably sudden and abrupt--and all the bad choices sap every bit of life from the film, driving even the most friendly-minded viewer into a stupour of boredom.

I love the "mad scientist" and "dark old house" movies--as the countless reviews of films in those genres here attest to--and I really wanted to like "Castle of Evil". But, it's just too incompently done. That is a terrible shame, because there's an excellent script that went to waste here.

(THIS is the kind of movie that Hollywood big shots sould be remaking, not "Karate Kid" and other movies that were already good. They should show themselves to be REAL artists and filmmakers who, if they are so devoid of creativity that they can't make original films, should at the very least take misfires and give them second chances.)

'Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster' review

Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster (1965)
Starring: Marilyn Hanold, Lou Cutell, Robert Reilly, Jim Karen, and Karen Grant
Director: Robert Gaffney
Rating: Two of Ten Stars

A sexy alien queen (Hanold) and her pointy-eared second-in-command Dr. Nadir (Cutell) come to Earth to abduct bikini babes to replenish the breeding stock on their homeland. Unfortunately for them, their arrival on our world interferes with the test-flight of a cybernetic astronaut (Reilly), causing his ship to crash near the alien landing site.

Some movies derive their entertainment value from the fact that you will spend the entire time you're watching wondering if what you're watching was really that nonsensical on paper, and how one director could make so many bad decisions in the course of one movie.

Even in 1964, the "Mars needs women"-type scenario must have seemed silly, although it does provide an excuse to show attractive women in little bikinis so one can understand why the filmmakers and viewers ran with it. But one wonders what bizarre fetish the writers or director must have been trying to bring to the screen with the oddball "physical exam" that the aliens use to determine the fitness of the women for alien breeding stock.

That said, for a film that was clearly designed to show off fit birds (to borrow a phrase from Joe Bloke's excellent blog) the director made a bizarre choice in casting Playboy-Bunny-turned-actress Marilyn Hanold and yet hardly showing her body off at all. Viewers can see hints of a sexy costume, but she spends most of the movie seated, so it hardly gets shown off.

The only thing that makes the film mildly interesting, aside from the bikini babes if you're hard up, is when the heroine gets grabbed by the aliens and almost becomes chow for the Spacemonster of the film's title, and the runaway robot who stumbles his way through the movie to ultimately serve as something of a literal deus ex machina plot device. Unfortunately, he doesn't quite qualify as a "Frankenstein" in any sense, but instead serves as an illustration of the illiteracy that seems to have been a mainstay of the movie business from the get-go.





(By the way, if I had watched this this movie three-four weeks ago, "ROLF: Attack of the Commies from Jupiter" may have been an unauthorized adaptation of this film given there are some similarities content-wise. Heck... there may still be one forthcoming, given its mostly designed. :) )

Jess Franco at his near-best

The Awful Dr. Orlof (aka "Screams in the Night") (1964)
Starring: Howard Vernon, Diana Lorys, Conrado San Martin, Ricardo Valle, Maria Silva, and Perla Cristal
Director: Jess Franco (as "Jess Frank")
Rating: Five of Ten Stars

A former prison doctor turned mad scientist (Vernon) is abducting party girls with the intent of grafting their skin onto the body of his daughter who was horribly burned in a fire. A none-too-bright Police Onspector (San Martin) is assigned to catch him, but it's the Inspector's lovely girlfriend (Lorys) who does much of the detective work to break the case... and then falls into the maniac's clutches.

If you've ever wondered what Hammer Films' celebrated gothic horror flicks would have looked like without the touch of an brilliant director like Terrence Fisher, you don't have to look any further than "The Awful Dr. Orlof".

What we have here is a film that's pretty damn good by the standards writer/director Franco sank to later in his career, but when compared to other entries in the gothic horror genre from the late 1950s and early 1960s, it's visually flat, unevenly plotted, and generally un-engaging due to the fact that we never get a real sense of how the various characters in the film fit together. Sure--we know the Inspector and his ballerina girlfriend are soul-mates, but why on earth do Dr. Orlof's henchmen stick with him? Why did he break them out of prison in the first place? And why is he using a blind man to help him with the killing--it's a creepy twist, but it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Without knowing the answers to these, we never really understand what motivates half the film's main characters... although it's clear Franco thinks we should empathize with them for some reason or another.

This film could have been a crushing bore if not for some fairly effectively staged murder scenes (featuring hints of the gratuitous nudity and sadism that is a hallmark of most of Franco's and the occasional visual flourish where Franco takes full advantage of the black-and-white medium. (The still above is taken from the very best of these... a scene so effectively lit and staged that it's what made me think of Fisher's efforts for Hammer Films.)

"The Awful Dr. Orlof" was not as bad as I had expected it to be, but there are far better films in this genre to check out before you get to this one. That said, I suspect Franco fans will love it, if they haven't already checked it out.

Psychic or Psychotic? That's a question for a'Seance on a Wet Afternoon'

Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964)
Starring: Richard Attenborough, Kim Stanley, Judith Donner, Nanette Newman, Gerald Sim, and Patrick Magee
Director: Bryan Forbes
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

A spineless husband (Attenborough) is bullied by his would-be-celebrity medium wife (Stanley) into kidnapping the daughter of a wealthy industrialist and demand a ransom, so she can use her "psychic powers to save the child. As he executes the hoax, he starts to fear that his increasingly delusional wife will cause the girl's death.

This is a slow-moving, deliberate, and decidedly talky psychological thriller where the fate of a naive child rests entirely in the hands of a man too weak to either stand up to his unhinged wife, or to get her the help she needs. In the end, his weakness brings a predictable doom down upon him, but the way its executed is brilliantly done.

With the only remotely action-oriented scenes being the ones surrounding a ransom drop and the nominal hero of this tragic story's efforts to avoid the police, this is a film that succeeds due to the superior acting abilities of the cast and the well-crafted script they had to work with. If a lesser performer than Kim Stanley--as a psychotic woman who has been encouraged in her delusions of a psychic gift since childhood and who now is driven to desperate measures to gain the recognition she believes she deserves--had been portraying the part, this is a character who would come across as ridiculous instead of sinister and obnoxious instead of pity-worthy, despite the depth of her madness and evil.

Similarly, if a lesser actor than Richard Attenborough had been playing the wimpy, conflicted Billy--with brilliant subtlety in contrast to Stanley's over-the-top, in-your-face performance--he would have come across as sniveling instead of distraught and disgustingly pathetic instead of deeply sympathetic.

Although this is film with virtually no likable characters--with the exception of the kidnap-victim played ably by cute child actress Judith Donner--Attenborough and Stanley nonetheless make us care about the people they are portraying. (The cops come across as basically unlikable, because as the film unfolds, we become emotionally invested with Billy and his wife, so we them from their point of view.) We want Billy to grow a spine and to do what he knows is right before it's too late for him and the innocent child.

And we are kept guessing up to the very last moment of the film whether Billy's weakness has turned him from kidnapper to killer, with one final tense scene and seance on the titular wet afternoon.

This is an excellent film that anyone who appreciates psychological thrillers should seek out.

'Horrors of Spider Island' is horrible

Horrors of Spider Island (aka "The Spider's Web", "It's Hot in Paradise", and "Girls of Spider Island") (1962)
Starring: Alex D'Arcy, Helga Franck, and a bunch of washed-up dancers and wanna-be porn actresses.
Director: Fritz Boettger
Rating: Two of Ten Stars

An impresario (D'Arcy) and his Girl Friday (Franck) are on their way to Singapore with a recently hired troupe of obnoxious, bitchy strippers and chorus girls when their plane crashes. They take refuge on a desolate south sea island, where the heat makes the girls strip down to bare essentials, where they are menaced by a goofy-looking spider puppet, and where their fearless leader (who's named Gary) is soon transformed into a hideous half-man, half-spider creature. And that's when things get REALLY boring.


I understand there's an "adults only" version of this film that was released, That's not the version I saw. Maybe nudity makes it more interesting, although I sincerely doubt that. Aside from being boring and full of unsexy sexiness, this film features such slipshod use of stock footage that even Edward D. Wood, Jr would grab director Fritz Boettger by the lapels and scream, "What in God's name were you doing man?!" For example, the doomed plane that carries Gary and the babes to Spider Island starts as a two-engine jet, becomes a four-engine plane while in the air, and transforms into a completely different kind of plane (a bomber, I think) as it crashes.

The only horror you'll find in this film is the realization you will never get the 80 minutes you spend watching it back.

'Never Take Sweets from a Stranger' is an undervalued gem from Hammer Films

Never Take Sweets from a Stranger (aka "Never Take Candy from a Stranger") (1960)
Starring: Janina Faye, Patrick Allen, Gwen Watford, Allison Leggatt, Frances Green, Bill Nagy, and Patrick Aylmer
Director: Cyril Frankel
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

After his daughter (Faye) is victimized by a pedophile, a school principal (Allen) finds himself faced with indifferent law enforcement and fearful citizens of the small town he lives in... because the man who abused his daughter is the patriarch of the rich family who unofficially runs the community.

If you're prone to write off Hammer Films as merely the creators of old horror movies and cheap thrillers, you need to see this movie. It's the one of the most realistic treatments of a child molestation case to ever be put on film, with its portrayal of people willing to allow a known pedophile prey on their children in order to preserve their jobs and reputations, and with its portrayal of the difficulty the justice system can face when attempting to address criminals like this--especially when they hire ruthless attorneys with morals not much different than their own.

Painfully and frighteningly realistic--and perhaps even depressingly so, as not much seems to have changed when it comes to the world turning a blind eye toward and making excuses for rich and powerful pedophiles--this is a film that builds steadily and relentlessly toward a shocking finale... which must have seemed even more-so to audiences in 1960 when this film was first released. Great performances from child actress Janina Faye and Patrick Aylmer go a long way to making this movie as great as it is--Faye is perfect as girl around which the story swirls, coming across as believable and realistic throughout; while Aylmer manages to portray menace and outright evil in his scenes without uttering a word. The talent of these two performers is what makes the climax of the film as harrowing as it is... especially once it becomes clear that the filmmakers are going to break one of the biggest film taboos of all and that a little child will be dead by the hands of a human monster before the end credits roll.

Although this is probably not one of Roman Polanski's favorite films--not only does it deal with the damage pedophiles can do to victims (even when they don't rape them, like he does) the pedophile here is ultimately brought to justice--it is worth seeing by anyone who can appreciate a well-made drama.

A better movie than I had expected

Anatomy of a Psycho (1961)
Starring Darrell Howe, Ronnie Burns, Pamela Lincoln, Michael Granger, Frank Killmond, Judy Howard, and Don Devlin
Director: Boris Petrof
Rating: Five of Ten Stars

An emotionally unstable young man (Howe) is driven over the edge when the brother he hero-worships is executed for murder. He embarks on a campaign of revenge against those he blames for his brother's death, starting with assault, moving onto arson, and ultimately murder.

"Anatomy of a Pyscho" is one of those juvenile delinquent dramas that seemed to be very popular fare during the 1950s and into the 1960s, but which I have only seen a precious few that weren't either so deadly dull and/or bone-achingly preachy that I wanted to start hitting myself over the head with a hammer just to make watching less painful. Either I have been unlucky in my picks, or this film genre saw a higher quotient of crap than most others because the fact that I have to count "The Violent Years", which was written by Edward D. Wood Jr. and directed by a fellow not much more competent than he was, as one of the best examples of the juvenile delinquent drama. (Even if most of the juveniles seem to be in their early 20s, as is usually the case with these movies.)

So, given my past experience, it was a pleasant surprise to find this film to be quickly paced, decently acted, and refreshingly free of heavy-handed messaging. The dialogue is awful--vacillating from over-the-top 1950s hep-catness to old-school over-the-top melodrama, but the effort put in by the cast of the film goes a long way to proving the adage that a good actor can save a lousy script as everyone featured elevates the material to a level beyond its natural worth. Heck, Pamela Lincoln and Michael Granger must have been downright acting geniuses, because they manage to make their cheesy, stilted lines sound completely natural.

Still, not even the greatest actors of them all can overcome the shortcomings of indifferent cinematography and lighting, and a weak director who seems to lose his grip on the movie in the final few minutes. After building to what promises to be an explosive finale with the titular psycho going on a rampage that will at the very least destroy himself, the filmmakers chicken out at the last moment and we're left with a badly edited, boring and repetitive closing scene.

It's a shame the film's director and/or screen-writers (which some sources claim include Edward D. Wood Jr. working under the pen-name Larry Lee) couldn't keep it together for the 70-minute run-time, because the weak ending drags this one to the very low end of average.

'Scream of the Butterfly': Sexploitation with interesting twists

Scream of the Butterfly (1965)
Starring: Nelida Lobato, Nick Navarro, William Turner, Alan J. Smith, Robert Miller, and Richard Beebee
Director: Eber Lobato and Howard Veit
Rating: Five of Ten Stars

Gorgeous and over-sexed Marla (Lobato) strings along her rich husband (Turner) while taking up with a hot boy-toy, David (Navarro), whom she meets on the beach. Soon, she is plotting to kill her husband so she can have the cash and the sex without the unnecessary complications. But her lover is two-timing as well... two-timing with someone far deadlier than Marla's milksop husband. Someone with whom he shares a dark secret.

When this film first appeared in 1965, I imagine that parts of it must have been quite a shock to the viewing audiences. The film's sexuality was a bit more pronounced than the norm at the time, and the hot guy that Marla takes up with is actually young, hot and hardbodied in contrast to the usual dumpy, middle-aged guys that adulterous women always seemed to take up with in film s like these. But the part that was really shocking, I'm sure, is the dark secret that her lover kept, and the nature of the lover that he was betraying with Marla.

Marla's boyfriend is bi-sexual and his main relationship is a homosexual one, with a domineering and psychopathic queen (played with chilling effectiveness by Alan J. Smith, who co-wrote the screenplay with Howard Veit). By revealing that, this is one of those rare occasions where I provide "spoilers", but it's such an unusual element for a film of that day that it is perhaps the main reason to see it. (Although I haven't given away all the film's secrets... there's another twist hiding between the opening and closing credits that I haven't spoiled.)

Another reason to see it is as an illustration of just how much attitudes have changed in the film industry in the decades that have passed. Despite the film's frankness about Marla's sex life, the creators get all skittish and circumspect when it comes to discussing homosexuality, something which makes the scenes of lawyers discussing what would be a fair and just punishment for him, now that he is a murderer. They never mention that David is homosexual and/or bi-sexual, even though they talk about wanting to spare him from having dirty laundry aired in pubic. These days, films will go into homosexuality and heterosexuality with equal abandon, but not so 45 years ago.

Quickly paced--even if a bit herky-jerky due to the fact the action is split between the "present-day" scenes of attorneys having a conference about a murder case, and the sexy flashback action of Marla frolicking about in very little clothing--the film is made even more entertaining by some consistently creative camerawork and direction that drive the story almost by themselves.

And, yes, it also helps immensely that Nelida Lobato is an actress with two huge talents that always seem like they're about to pop out of the outfits she's almost not wearing.

It's a thriller that's almost thrill free

The Embalmer (aka "The Monster of Venice") (1965)
Starring: Gin Mart, Anita Todesco, Maureen Brown, and Luciano Gasper
Director: Dino Tavella
Rating: Three of Ten Stars

A homicidal maniac in SCUBA gear abducts women from the streets of Venice and brings them to his secret lair under the canals where he embalms them after changing into a skull mask and monk robes. Will the only intelligent man in the city (Mart) stop the killing before his overly inquisitive girlfriend becomes the next victim (Todesco)?

"The Embalmer" dates from the late 1960s, but it feels more like something from someone studying at the feet of such master hacks as William Beaudine and William Nigh but who either didn't pay attention or who is nearly devoid of talent. In a similar vein, it feels like it was made by someone who wanted to make a movie like the 1962 hit Mario Bava's "The Girl Who Knew Too Much" or the horror-tinged Val Lewton oddities from RKO twenty years earlier, but who didn't pay attention to what made these movies from classier directors work either.

This movie features the same sort of long-on-looks-but-short-on-personality hero and the stupid, indifferent cops that were mainstays in so many Beaudine and Nigh directed films, as well as an outrageous plot just like many of their movies. But this film is slower and more repetitive than either the worst Beaudine or Nigh effort, with the lead-up to the abductions and the freeze-frame that identifies the victim becoming tiresome by the third time we are walked through the process (just in case we didn't catch it the first two), and the supposedly spooky ramblings of the girl-collecting mad man getting longer and stupider as the film progresses instead of shorter and creeper. Basically, it's a non-thrilling thriller in just about every way.

In trying to be like Bava or Lewton, Tavella only manages to make the mundane world existing around the horrific so mundane that it's downright boring, while consistently failing to deliver anything but flatly lit scenes filmed in an uninspired fashion. And what suspense there might be in a scene is usually dispelled by some of the most inappropriate jazzy soundtrack music you're likely to encounter.

And then there's the obligatory musical number at the halfway point of the film. Even that is painful to sit through.

For all that is bad with this movie, Tavella does start to get with the horror movie and/or suspense film program as we reach the final 10-15 minutes of the roughly 80-minute running time. The chases in the madman's underground lair, the final fate of the girlfriend, and even the final square-off between the hero and the killer all feel like they might belong in a different movie--except for the crappy soundtrack music, but even that is deployed a little more effectively here. All the moodiness that has been lacking up to this point is suddenly present on the screen, and our patience for sticking around is rewarded.

That said, the pay-off may not be good enough to waste an hour of your life on. Supposedly there's an edit out there that runs about 50 minutes. If it was cut by someone with skill and talent, maybe they managed to make the film worthwhile, although my experience has been that such hackery often makes things worse.

"The Embalmer" is available in multiple DVD editions on its own, or in a couple of different multi-packs. The only reason for checking it out would be if you're interested in examining movies that feature elements of what eventually became the "slasher movie" genre, so your best bet is to acquire it in a multi-pack and consider it a "bonus feature".




Note: It's entirely possible that I am being unfair to Dino Tavella by assuming he was trying to copy/pay homage to other filmmakers. It's entirely possible that his incompetence was born entirely of his own inspiration. This is one of two movies that Tavella wrote and directed in 1965. He died at the age of 48 in 1969, and I could learn little else about him during a quick web-search.

Apocalypse Corman! (or 'Three actors, three days, and three bucks')

Last Woman on Earth (1960)
Starring: Betsy Jones-Moreland, Antony Carbone, and Robert Towne
Director: Roger Corman
Rating: Two of Ten Stars

A crooked business man (Carbone), his wife (Jones-Moreland), and his young attorney (Towne) through a fluke survive a mysterious disaster that kills every living thing on the surface of Earth's northern hemisphere, perhaps in the entire world. They attempt to forge a life on the now deserted planet, but how long can two men tolerate each other with just one woman between them? Not very long.

There isn't much more to this film that that paragraph. If I told you that one man kills the other, and the remaining couple lives happily ever after, I wouldn't be spoiling the film, because that's the outcome that's set up early on, and it's an outcome that's never in any doubt.

The cinematography and acting is serviceable for a film which was probably written on the back of cocktail napkins, for which much of the dialogue was probably ad-libbed (the only explanation I can think of for inexplicably repeated lines within the same scene), and which was only made because "Creature from the Haunted Sea" wrapped a few days early and director/producer wanted to squeeze as much work out of the cast and crew he had brought to Puerto Rico as possible.

But for a movie that was probably made in a single-digit number of days, it isn't all bad. The characters are interesting in a community theater one-act play sort of way, and the story moves along at a quick pace. While there isn't a whole lot that happens in this film, you can still watch it and not get bored. Antony Carbone is particularly interesting as the crooked business man, mostly because you know that he's going to kill someone before the film's over. The only question is who.

That's not to say that it's necessarily worth watching unless you're interested in what an "artsy" Corman film might look like, or if you want to check out the humble beginnings of the writer of "China Town". But in the final analysis, this is yet another Roger Corman production where the poster art is more interesting than the film itself.

This file could probably have stayed hidden

Secret File: Hollywood (1962)
Starring: Robert Clarke, Francine York, Sydney Mason, John Warburton, Bill White, and Maralou Gray
Director: Ralph Cushman
Rating: Four of Ten Stars

A former private detective (Clarke) is hired by a scandal sheet to take pictures of celebrities for the publication. However, he soon discovers there is a dark and deadly side to the magazine's activities, and he find himself in the middle of blackmail schemes... and ultimately having to prevent his own murder.

"Secret File Hollywood" is a film that reminded me of the crime dramas from the old time low-budget studio PRC, an outfit that one could say was making film-noir movies before the subgenre existed. Like those films, "Secret File Hollywood" is populated almost exclusively by deeply flawed and unpleasant characters, living in a dank version of Los Angeles that feels all the more dirty and sleazy because of the cheap sets and low production values of the films. Glamour is the last thing you'll find in most PRC movies, although nihilism is present in large amounts.

The film's villain also shares a trait with many of those who moved through the plots of the PRC films with sneers, growls, and maniacal laughter; he is executing an insane revenge scheme in an unnecessarily complex fashion. And then there's the fact his secret identity isn't so secret, because the cast of characters is so small that there's only really one possibility as to who he might be.

The acting is decent and what you might expect if you consider the aura of a 1940s low-budget quickie that surrounds this picture. There isn't a scene where I wish they didn't pick up the pace a bit, but the actors generally provide solid performances of their stock characters.

'The Amazing Transparent Man' not worth seeing

The Amazing Transparent Man (1960)
Starring: Douglas Kennedy, James Griffith, Marguerite Chapman, Ivan Triesault, and Red Morgan
Director: Edgar G. Ulmer
Rating: Four of Ten Stars

Major Krenner (Griffith), the insane commander of a mercenary army forces an ex-Nazi scientist (Triesault) to perfect a process to turn living things invisible. He breaks Joey Faust (Kennedy), a famed bank robber out of prison to use him to do double-duty as a final field test and to steal an unstable radioactive isotope that will make the invisibility process more effective. But the psychopath failed to take into account the stubborn nature of the sociopath... and the now-invisible Faust runs wild.

"The Amazing Transparent Man" is a title that reflects more the hopes of the filmmakers than the actual end result. Joey Faust is one of the least amazing invisible men I've come across, being devoid of imagination or ambition and merely setting his mind to using his invisible state to resume his career as a safe-cracker. In some ways, Faust's lack of ambition seems to mirror that of the screenwriter behind this film. The script offers a constant promise of better things to come, yet the writer never manages to capitalize on those ideas.

This is a film that could have successfully merged sci-fi with film-noirish crime thrills in a way similar to the classic "The Walking Dead", or it could have heighten the horror present by bringing to the fore the darkness in the soul of an otherwise good person with the captured scientist becoming as ruthless as the heroine in "The Man Who Changed His Mind" in an attempt to save a loved one. At the very least, director Ulmer could have tried to live up to his own proven ability to direct movies that take full advantage of the darkness within the characters featured, like he did with "The Black Cat" and "Strange Woman".

I mention those films, because they all came to mind while I watched "The Amazing Transparent Man" as I saw opportunity after opportunity for some good slip by. The actors all give performances better than the script deserves and the same can be said of the technical crew, but nothing they do can make up for the fact that the film's story only works because the main characters behave the way they do or the story would fall apart, and the police are so dumb that even Inspector Clouseau would be embarrassed on their behalf.

What really does the movie in, though, is the inability of Ulmer or the writer to take advantage of the horror situation they've set up. Neither Major Krenner nor Joey Faust are used to their fullest potential as characters... neither exhibiting the dark and foul nature that their dialogue implies they possess and that other characters claim they have. Faust ultimately emerges as an interesting character because he takes on the hero mantle for no reason other than Krenner has ticked him off, but Krenner comes across as idiotic rather than evil; he's the leader of a mercenary army who is supposedly adept at forcing others to do his bidding by knowing their weak spots and exploiting them ruthlessly, yet he picks a man with no attachments to speak of and no concerns beyond fulfilling his own desires to be the subject for the ultimate trial of the invisibility process. That's the act of someone who is not crazy, but stupid.

The ultimate demonstration of incompetent story-telling in this film comes when the secret behind a locked door around much build-up has taken place is revealed. Supposedly, Krenner is keeping the young daughter of the ex-Nazi scientist prisoner in the room, but he forbids anyone to enter it. When Faust finally does break it open, there could have been an opportunity for tragedy, horror, or even pathos. Instead, it's anti-climactic disappointment. The gun over the fireplace might have gotten fired, but the only thing that came out of the muzzle was a flag with "Bang!" written on it.

"The Amazing Transparent Man" can be found in several sci-fi and horror-oriented DVD collections of old movies. You should save it for a time you've watched everything else whatever set you encounter it in has to offer.

Mediocre Gothic Thriller with a Goofy Title

Terror Creatures from the Grave
(aka "Cemetery of the Living Dead")(1965)
Starring: Walter Brandi, Mirella Maravidi, Barbara Steele, and Alfredo Rizzo
Director: Massimo Pupillo (credited to producer Ralph Zucker)
Rating: Five of Ten Stars

An attorney (Brandi) answers an urgent request to prepare a will for a country doctor living at an isolated estate. When he arrives, his strange wife (Steele) and neurotic daughter (Maravidi) tell him the doctor couldn't have written the letter as he's been dead for over a year. Before he can sort out the mystery, the doctor's old friends start dying as well, apparent victims of the ghosts evil sorcerers who spread a plague across the land 500 years ago.

We are informed during the main credits that "Terror Creatures from the Grave" was inspired by the writings of Edgar Allan Poe; it certainly bears more resemblance to them than several films that have claimed to be based on them (such as several Lugosi vehicles from Universal), I think I'll still have to go with the Real Thing over this movie.

The film's hero, an attorney visiting a house of secrets and madness, certainly feels like he stepped out of a Poe story, and Barbara Shelley, yet again playing another two-faced, treacherous bitch who causes not only her own downfall but also that of pretty much the entire cast, also could easily have been a Poe character, but the film never quite manages to be as creepy as a Poe story. It has some nice moments, but in general in plods along too slowly to generate any real sense of dread and fear in the viewer. The mystery of a dead man writing letters in intriguing, the array of characters present clearly set the stage for some Very Bad Things, but the film wastes too much time with overlong establishing shots and with too many meandering scenes for it to really add up to anything.

Except for roughly the last ten minutes. When the Plague Spreaders FINALLY make their appearance, we finally get some real spookiness. Although the climax is ultimately a bit rushed and relies a bit too much on the Deus Ex Machina, it's a pay-off worth waiting for. Steele's death scene is especially chilling and well-filmed.

(Oh... I don't think it's much a spoiler to reveal that Steele is the villainess and that she comes to a bad end. It's her place in most films she appeared in, and it's pretty obvious from the outset.)

There's nothing in "Terror Creatures from the Grave" that you haven't seen done better elsewhere, but it's main offense is its mediocrity. Fans of Barbara Steele will enjoy it more than most, but even for those it's not worth going to far out of your way for. But if present in one of those movie mega-packs, which is where I came across it, it's a bit of harmless filler that's worth checking out when you're in the mood of nightgowns and candlesticks and creepy castles.