Cheezy Flicks.com and Music Video Distributors have teamed to release a slew of public domain favorites ranging from the classic Hollywood cinema (like THE BRUTE MAN, THE SON OF MONTE CRISCO, and the G-MEN VS BLACK DRAGONS serial) to 1970s exploitationers (like DEATH AT LOVE HOUSE, NIGHT OF BLOODY HORROR, and LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK). So what if every film in their catalog is released a hundred times over. So what if all their titles are full screen VHS transfers. So what if the artwork is terrible. So what if there are no extras. Cheezy Flicks fans will still shell out big money to obtain yet another release of BILLY THE KIDD VS DRACULA, HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, or GOD TOLD ME TOO.
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From the latest batch of Cheezy Flicks offerings comes the the 1972 Euro horror effort FRANKENSTEIN 1980, directed by Mario Mancini, the man who brought you the notorious FRANKENSTEINS CASTLE OF FREAKS. Mancini is also responsible for some prominent Euro westerns and war flicks including WANTED: SABATA (1970), MAY GOD FORGIVE YOU, BUT I DON'T (1968), and 36 HOURS TO HELL (1969). This film contains a dream cast for European genre fans including Gordon Mitchell, Renato Romano, John Richardson, and Xiro Papas as the monster. The plot concerns Dr Frankenstein's (Mitchell) plot to create an undead, sex crazed creature dubbed Mosaic (Papas). FRANKENSTEIN 1980 is the typical Universal Studios retread, but to its credit, director Mancini beefs up the sex and gore quotient to make things interesting. There are numerous scenes of Mosiac attacking and fondling his prey. Picture Boris Karloff rolling over in his grave. Cheezy Flick's FRANKENSTEIN 1980 full frame transfer is rather dark, but serviceable. What do you expect from a budget release?
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Talented Peblum specialist Piero Pierotti brings us HERCULES AND THE MASKED RIDER. Though the director has done some passable historical efforts like HERCULES AGAINST ROME (1964), THE PIRATE AND THE SLAVE GIRL (1959), and MARCO POLO (1961), HERCULES AND THE MASKED RIDER isn't one of them. Its not a bad film as far as these Peblums go, it just doesn't follow the rules of its own genre. The film takes place in ancient Greece, it is basically a re-tooling of the "Zorro" franchise, instead the hero is renamed to the Masked Rider (played by Mimmo Palmara). The usual Hercules (or Machiste, or Goliath, or whatever his name is) is relegated to a 5 minute walk on appearance. Heck, there are characters here right out of a Zorro flick including Don Juan, Don Romero, etc. So besides forsaking the Greek Gods scenarios and embracing the the Zorro and Robin Hood genres, HERCULES AND THE MASKED RIDER is not a bad film if you give it a chance. If you can handle Hercules demoted to a side kick role, then by all means check it out. HERCULES AND THE MASKED RIDER was originally shot in 2.35.1 ratio and Cheezy Flicks DVD presentation is full frame unfortunately, castrating much of the Piero Pierotti's widescreen cinematography. But the transfer if can live with it, essentially looks pretty watchable despite the loss. |
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United Artists' CURSE OF THE FACELESS MAN was directed by B movie maven Edward Cahn, who directed numerous 1950's and 60's genre efforts such as the superior IT, THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE (1958), THE SHE CREATURE (1956), and CREATURE WITH THE ATOM BRAIN (1955). CURSE OF THE FACELESS MAN features some hot young talent of the 1950s like Richard Anderson (aka Oscar Goldman), veteran actress Adele Mara from THE BLACK WHIP (1956), WAKE OF THE RED WITCH (1948), and THE VAMPIRES GHOST (1945), and Jan Arvan from THE SIGN OF ZORRO (1958), THE COBWEB (1955), and TRADER OF THE SOUTH SEAS (1954). The story concerns Quintillus, a man from ancient Pompei frozen in a volcano for hundreds of years only to awaken in contemporary times and pursue his long lost love now reincarnated as actress Elaine Edwards. Its essentially a remake of the classic Mummy movies only instead of the antagonist being wrapped in bandages, he is encased in rock. CURSE OF THE FACELESS MAN was originally filmed in 1.85.1 aspect ratio, and Cheezy Flicks full frame presentation is not too distracting as it is with the highly compromised HERCULES AND THE MASKED RIDER. The black and white full frame image here is free from defects making this a decent visual presentation. | |
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OOnOne of the better classic motion pictures efforts to get the Cheezy Flicks treatment is the Allied Artists' 1962 fear fest DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS which is based on John Wydhams' novel of the same name. This is a British production co-directed by Freddie Francis and it has his earmarks all over it. Howard Keel of THE WAR WAGON (1968), RED TOMAHAWK (1967), and ARIZONA BUSHWHACKERS (1966) stars as the only man on Earth who retains his eyesight after a passing heavenly body leaves the citizens of Earth blinded. Suddenly these alien plants turn up and start devouring the newly blinded human race. He stumbles across a young girl who also still has use of her eyesight and together they try to solve the mystery of the deadly monster Triffids. The British cast gives DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS a touch of class. This movie was filmed in 2.35.1 ratio and surprise, surprise, Cheezy Flicks offers up a decent non-anamorphic 2.35.1 which faithfully recreates the monster mayhem. If you get one Cheesy Flicks title, make it this one! this one.X | |
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