Santo Contra los Zombis (1961)
Predating Night of the Living Dead by seven years, Santo was already battling zombies before it was cool, then played out. That’s because the police can’t deal with the shambling walking dead, so they turn to the man in the silver mask to drop elbows on them. There’s one harrowing scene where the zombies set an […]
Five Minutes to Live (1961)
It doesn’t matter how many hipsters embrace Johnny Cash. Cash transcends labels and goes beyond demographics. As a teenager, that photo of him violently thrusting his middle finger toward the camera got me through high school. And his book, Cash: The Autobiography is filled with the kind of amazing BS stories that probably aren’t true but totally […]
The Devil’s Partner (1961)
Directed by Charles R. Rondeau and produced by Hugh Hooker, an actor and stuntman. The two teamed up before in 1958 to make The Littlest Hobo. Hooker would do stunts for years while Rondeau would work mainly in TV after this. Writer Stanley Clements played one of the East Side Kids, Stash, and when Leo Gorcey […]
PURE TERROR MONTH: Anatomy of a Psycho (1961)
The only thing this movie has in common with Psycho is the title, but that seemed like reason enough to try and drag people into the theater. It does have Ronnie Burns, the son of George and Gracie, as the lead, which is something, right? And Pamela Lincoln from The Tingler! After his brother is sentenced to […]
Night Tide (1961)
Written and directed by Curtis Harrington — one of the leaders of New Queer Cinema and also the director of Queen of Blood, What’s the Matter with Helen?, Who Slew Auntie Roo?, Ruby and so many more — this film was always one I wanted to see as it features Marjorie Cameron in a small role. Harrington had also shot […]
The Devil’s Messenger (1961)
I know that Lon Chaney Jr.’s career highlight was being in the Universal monster movies. I realize that the end of his life seems sad — he suffered from throat cancer and heart disease after decades of hard drinking and smoking. In fact, Robert Stack claimed in his autobiography that Chaney and Broderick Crawford were […]
CHILLING CLASSICS MONTH: The Devil’s Hand (1961)
Also known as Witchcraft, The Naked Goddess, Devil’s Doll and Live to Love, this black and white film is all about some people in Los Angeles who want to be ahead of the Black House’s curve in San Francisco and start worshipping Satan…err, Gamba, the Great Devil God. Probably the most interesting thing that I can […]
CHILLING CLASSICS MONTH: Werewolf in a Girl’s Dormitory (1961)
This entry was written by Bill Van Ryn, who is behind the amazing Groovy Doom and Drive-In Asylum. Bill knows more about movies than probably anyone I’ve ever met before and teaches me something new every time we talk. Did you ever wonder what it takes to be a member of law enforcement in a […]
BAVA WEEK: Hercules in the Haunted World (1961)
Using some of the same sets from Hercules and the Conquest of Atlantis, Mario Bava (Blood and Black Lace, Black Sunday) created a masterpiece with this film. Featuring Reg Park (who appeared in four Hercules films and was considered a mentor to Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Christopher Lee (The Satanic Rites of Dracula, The Wicker Man, everything good and right […]
CHRISTMAS CINEMA: The Night Before Christmas (1961)
This movie is brought to you by our friend Paul Andolina, who created the website Wrestling with Film. He loves Russian and Christmas movies more than anyone I know. This is literally at the center of both of his loves, so I invited him to share it with all of you: As I sit at my […]
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