RE/SEARCH Incredibly Strange Films: Carnival of Souls (1962)
This 1962 American independent horror film is literally an auteur production: it was written, produced and directed by Herk Harvey, as well as featuring him in the role of the spectral figure that haunts its heroine. While teaching and directing plays at the University of Kansas, Harvey started working for the Centron Corporation as a film […]
RE/SEARCH Incredibly Strange Films: Wild Guitar (1962)
Nicholas Merriweather, who wrote this, is Arch Hall Sr. He wanted to make his son, Arch Hall Jr., into a star. Before that, he was a legitimate cowboy and even had a Native American name: Waa-toe-gala Oak-Shilla, which means Wild Boy. In fact, when he died, he was buried in a full Sioux ceremony led […]
RADIANCE FILMS BLU RAY RELEASE: Le combat dans l’île (1962)
Clément (Jean-Louis Trintignant) is the rich son of an industrialist who has come to join a far right terrorist group. Despite being married to a former actress named Anne (Romy Schneider) and having anything he wants, he blows up the home of a socialist politician, killing the man and having to hide in a windmill […]
RADIANCE FILMS BLU RAY RELEASE: Elegant Beast (1962)
Directed by Yuzo Kawashima and written by Kaneto Shindo (Onibaba), this is the story of the Maeda family. They live in a small apartment and are always ready to hide just how much money they have, all so they can continue the plans of their father figure, ex-naval officer Tokizo (Yunosuke Ito). Tomoko (Yūko Hamada) […]
Slaughter of the Vampires (1962)
Roberto Mauri isn’t talked about as often as he should be. There’s his oddball King of Kong Island, his Westerns like He Was Called Holy Ghost and his masterful Madeleine: Anatomy of a Nightmare. Now, after this, I need to look up more of his movies. Released in America on TV as Slaughter of the Vampires and then […]
THAN-KAIJU-GIVING: The Whale God (1962)
A small Japanese village of fishermen has decided to join together to kill the monstrous whale that has been ruining their catches. It becomes such a cause that the richest man in town (Takashi Shimura) offers his power, his land, his money and his daughter (Kyoko Enami) to whoever can kill the kaiju-size whale. This works […]
MILL CREEK SCI-FI CLASSICS: Eegah (1962)
In The Golden Turkey Awards, the Medveds claim that Arch Hall Jr.’s performance as Tommy is “one of the low points in the history of American cinema” and that he has “a face only a mother could love.” He was sixteen when he made this movie, so that feels like a lot of punching down. Well, […]
CHILLER THEATER MONTH: Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
EDITOR’S NOTE: Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? was on Chiller Theater on January 12, 1974 and September 4, 1976 at 11:30 p.m. After a viewing of this movie at a very young age, I decided that I’d never have chaffing dishes in my house. That may never come true just because I doubt I’ll ever […]
CHILLER THEATER MONTH: The Nostradamus films (1961, 1962)
EDITOR’S NOTE: How amazing is it that the Mexican Nostradamus vampire movies were on Chiller Theater? The Monster Demolisher was on the show on December 9, 1967 and August 23, 1969. Genie of Darkness was on the show on August 5, 1967. Blood of Nostradamus was on July 15, 1967 at 11:20 p.m. and December […]
CHILLER THEATER MONTH: Amphibian Man (1962)
EDITOR’S NOTE: Amphibian Man was first on Chiller Theater on Saturday, October 3, 1970 at 11:30 p.m. It also aired on May 29, 1971. I can’t even believe it. I wonder what people thought of this. Based on the 1928 novel by Alexander Beliaev, Amphibian Man seems timeless even as its tech seems ancient. It feels like […]
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