EDITOR’S NOTE: The Bermuda Depths was on the CBS Late Movie on October 7, 1983, May 30, 1984 and April 18 and July 11, 1985.

When Rankin/Bass and Tsuburaya Productions, two powerhouses in the film industry, join forces, they create something truly unique. Their collaborations are always a bit off the beaten path, but none are quite as intriguing as this one. This film, with its ghost girl, childhood trauma, and the iconic kaiju turtle, is a testament to their innovative spirit.

It was written by William Overgard, who created the comic strips Steve Roper and Mike Nomad and Rudy and wrote scripts for several collaborative films like The Last Dinosaur, The Ivory Ape and The Bushido Blade. He also wrote episodes of ThunderCats and Silver Hawks. He also worked with Arthur Rankin Jr.* on this story.

Directed by Tsugunobu “Tom” Kotani, the mastermind behind all these bizarre American/Japanese films, this one takes the cake in terms of its outlandishness. When I say weird, I mean it’s the kind of film that will leave you scratching your head, but in the best possible way.

Magnus Dens (Leigh McCloskey, who was in Inferno and now paints art based on occult, alchemical and esoteric themes) is asleep on an island when he is woken up by Jennie (Connie Sellecca) who claims to know him. He’s been dreaming of his childhood and she may be the girl he remembers from it, the love of his life who watched a turtle hatch on the beach with him and craved J+M into its shell before she rode that giant turtle into the sea and disappeared forever. This happened on the very same night that a monster emerged from the cave beneath his house and killed his father!

Our hero also has a job working alongside another childhood friend, Eric (Carl Weathers), for marine biologist Dr. Paulis (Burl Ives!). Paulis informs him that Jennie doesn’t exist and is the name of a legend in which a beautiful but vain woman was saved from a storm by a mysterious god and given eternal life at the cost of never again being able to live on land.

With a harpoon-shooting bazooka known as Horror, women with glowing green eyes, the mid-movie appearance of a giant turtle wiping out most of the cast, and a total downer ending, this movie was made for me. The ending alone is enough to make you wonder how it all wraps up. I can’t even imagine what people thought of it when it ran on ABC on January 27, 1978.

*Rankin loved Bermuda so much that he moved there after making this.

You can download this from the Internet Archive.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Killdozer was on the CBS Late Movie on January 13, 1976; March 17, 1977 and January 19, 1978.

Originally airing on February 2, 1974, on ABC, this Theodore Spurgeon adaptation presents a unique premise that answers the question we’ve all been asking: “Who would win in a fight to the death—a man or a bulldozer?” Sure, a mysterious meteorite is behind it all, but this one is all about machine-on-man violence.

This one boasts a stellar cast including Clint Walker (The Phynx, as well as TV movies like Snowbeast and Scream of the Wolf), James Wainwright (TV’s Beyond Westworld), Carl Betz (Donna Reed’s TV husband), Neville Brand (Eyes of the Night and Without Warning), James A. Watson Jr. and Vega$ star Robert Urich. They all face off against an alien aura-possessed Caterpillar D9 bulldozer that takes them out individually.

The story and movie were so popular that Marvel Comics published an adaptation in Worlds Unknown #6, which was released the same year as the film.

Thanks to Conan O’Brien, this film has become a punchline and the name of a somewhat famous band. But beyond these pop culture references, Killdozer is a product of its time—a 1970s TV movie on a low budget—that has managed to entertain and intrigue audiences, earning it a place in the pantheon of cult classics.

UPDATE: This cult classic is now available on Blu-ray and DVD from Kino Lorber, offering a new generation of viewers the chance to experience it in high definition.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Murder On the Moon was on the CBS Late Movie on June 29, 1990.

Directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg and written by Carla Jean Wagner, this is also known as Murder By Moonlight.

After nearly launching a nuclear war, America and Russia decided to work together to colonize the moon. But when several NASA astronauts are found dead, Dennis Huff (Gerald McRaney!) sends Lieutenant Maggie Bartok (Brigitte Nielsen) while Russian drafts Major Sorokin Kirilenko (Julian Sands) to figure out who the killer is.

Can these mismatched space detectives solve the case, compare haircuts and fall in love?

Michael Lindsay-Hogg had a wild career and life. His wife hinted when he was old enough to understand that his father may have been Orson Welles. A DNA test was inconclusive, but Gloria Vanderbilt confirmed the fact for him. He was a director on the British music show Ready Steady Go!, which led to him making clips that later would be known as music videos for the Beatles (“Paperback Writer,” “Hey Jude,” “Revolution,” and “Rain”) and the Rolling Stones (“2000 Light Years from Home,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “Child of the Moon). He also directed The Rolling Stones’ Rock and Roll Circus and The Beatles’ Get Back, where the Apple rooftop performance comes from and the footage Peter Jackson used for his documentary.

In the 70s, he had great success with Brideshead Revisited and Nasty Habits. In the 80s, he made Simon and Garfunkel’s The Concert in Central Park, Neil Young’s Neil Young in Berlin and Graceland: The African Concert with Paul Simon. And as the 90s came, he made TV movies like Ivana Trump’s For Love Alone.

This has an interesting cast, including Brian Cox, David Yip (Wu Han from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) and Ricco Ross (Private Frost from Aliens). There’s also a completely out-of-left-field trans element that is just as wild in 2023 as it had to be back in 1989.

Sources

Michael Lindsay-Hogg – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Lindsay-Hogg

EDITOR’S NOTE: Red Flag: The Ultimate Game was on the CBS Late Movie on November 2, 1984.

Major Phil Clark (William Devane) and Major Jay Rivers (Barry Bostwick) share a unique bond. Having flown together in Vietnam, they were later assigned to the elite Red Flag Air Force Fighter Weapons School at Nellis AFB, Nevada. Clark, with his loud and self-confident demeanor, is a stark contrast to the quiet Rivers. Their friendship, however, is strong. But when Rivers begins to outshine his mentor, Clark, the dynamics of their relationship are put to the test. Can they maintain their friendship?

Chuck Yeager was the advisor on this, and you get some great F-4 Phantoms in flight. However, a substantial part of the film delves into the on-the-ground relationship drama between Rivers and his wife Marie, played by Joan Van Ark. This aspect of the film adds emotional depth and character development, making it more than just a military action movie.

The IMDB trivia page for this and the goofs are filled with deep military knowledge, so if you want to know what medals Devane has or why some parts are wrong, well, some servicemen are happy to help.

Red Flag: The Ultimate Game was directed by Don Taylor, a seasoned filmmaker known for his work on Stalag 17, Ride the Wild Surf, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, The Final Countdown, The Island of Dr. Moreau and Damian: Omen II. The script was written by T.S. Cook, who also penned the screenplay for the acclaimed film The China Syndrome. With such a talented creative team, you can expect a compelling and well-crafted film.

You can watch this on YouTube.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Ivory Ape was on the CBS Late Movie on May 25, 1984 and May 10 and July 24, 1985.

Rankin/Bass had some experience working with Japanese filmmakers after making King Kong Escapes, the Desi Arnaz Jr. feature Marco, Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July, Willy McBean and His Magic Machine, The Bushido Blade (which has Mako, Sonny Chiba, James Earl Jones, Richard Boone and Laura Gemser all in the same movie), The Bermuda Depths and The Last Dinosaur there.

The last two movies we mentioned and this one were made with Tsuburaya Productions, the company that brought us Ultraman.

While this debuted on ABC on April 18, 1980, an extended version would later play theaters in Japan.

A rare albino gorilla has escaped somewhere in Bermuda, and the hunter who caught it once before (Jack Palance!) is set to destroy it. Can Steven Keats (Bronson’s son-in-law in Death Wish) and Céline Lomez (originally going to play Linda Thorson’s part in Curtains) stop him in time?

Kotani’s work, including The Bushido Blade, is a fascinating blend of Western and Eastern elements. The film, which stars Richard Boone leading sailors versus samurais under the command of Toshirô Mifune, is a unique exploration of cultural dynamics. If that’s not enough to pique your interest, the fact that Laura Gemser is in it might. Kotani’s diverse filmography also includes Pinku redi no katsudoshashin, a feature-length movie about Mie and Keiko Masuda, two idol singers whose Japanese success was imported to the shores of the U.S. Their song “Kiss in the Dark” reached #37 in America, making them the first Japanese act to chart here since Kyu Sakamoto’s “Sukiyaki” in 1961. Sadly, their Sid and Marty Krofft developed series – The Pink Lady and Jeff – only lasted six weeks on NBC during Fred Silverman’s disastrous year of 1980, which also unleashed the Supertrain on an uncaring television audience. Kotani’s other works include The Last Dinosaur and The Bermuda Depths.

There’s something about the 70s TV movies from Rankin/Bass that’s truly unique. Each one carries a certain level of darkness and palpable sadness, making them the perfect choice for a snowy day in 1981 when all you wanted to do was stay under the covers. They still possess that same strange magic today, evoking a sense of nostalgia and appreciation for the historical significance of these films.

You can watch this on YouTube.