The second of nine films made by director Jess Franco and writer-producer Harry Alan Towers over the course of only two years, The Girl from Rio is their jazzy, featherweight riff on the spy-fi genre, a heady blend of international intrigue and semi-science-fictional elements, popular (especially in Europe) in the wake of the James Bond films. It’s also a sequel of sorts to Towers’s earlier film The Million Eyes of Sumuru, directed by Lindsay Shonteff, based on the exploits of the Sax Rohmer super-villainess. Though in this film, for some inexplicable reason, the character is regularly referred to as Sunanda (obviously and not very convincingly dubbed in post) and listed in the credits as Sumitra. Blame it on Rio!
Like many a Franco film, The Girl from Rio opens with a protracted erotic dance routine: Clad only in a webbed body stocking, Yana (Beni Cardoso) does her number for a recumbent man,...
Like many a Franco film, The Girl from Rio opens with a protracted erotic dance routine: Clad only in a webbed body stocking, Yana (Beni Cardoso) does her number for a recumbent man,...
- 9/27/2023
- by Budd Wilkins
- Slant Magazine
In the tradition of Barbarella and Danger: Diabolik comes this swinging ‘60s action orgy as bisexual super-villain Sumuru (the luscious Shirley Eaton of Goldfinger) launches a diabolical plan to enslave the male species with her army of lusty warrior women. But when Sumuru kidnaps a fugitive American playboy, she crosses a sadistic crime boss the sexes that will bring Brazil to its knees in more ways than one. Richard Wyler (The Bounty Killer) and Maria Rohm (Eugenie) co-star in this kinky cult favorite from producer Harry Alan Towers (The Blook of Fu Manchu) and director Jess Franco (Venus in Furs). Also known as Rio 70, Future Women, and The Seven Secrets of Sumuru, The Girl from Rio is now presented in a brand-new 4K restoration from the original camera negative, totally uncut and uncensored with all its eye-popping nudity, torture, and lesbianism in Dolby Vision Hdr!
Enter for your chance...
Enter for your chance...
- 9/24/2023
- by Slant Staff
- Slant Magazine
Harry Lime in "The Third Man" is one of cinema's greatest villains and certainly not the kind of person you'd want to spend much time with in real life. He's a sociopathic black marketeer whose cynical line in diluted penicillin causes untold suffering and death to his many child victims. Yet, played with typical charm and devilment by Orson Welles, he is simply irresistible. Even on repeat viewing with full knowledge of his heinous activities, it's impossible not to be captivated by him from the moment he first appears in a doorway with an incorrigible smirk spread across that big moon of a face.
Lime is onscreen for less than 10 minutes but he may be Welles' greatest performance as an actor, tapping into the elusive enigma of the multi-faceted artist and self-proclaimed charlatan. After leaving the U.S. for self-imposed exile in Europe in 1947, he took the role for money,...
Lime is onscreen for less than 10 minutes but he may be Welles' greatest performance as an actor, tapping into the elusive enigma of the multi-faceted artist and self-proclaimed charlatan. After leaving the U.S. for self-imposed exile in Europe in 1947, he took the role for money,...
- 2/12/2023
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
Anthony Perkins in Edge Of Sanity (1989) will be available on Special Edition Blu-ray June 21st from Arrow Video
Anthony Perkins builds upon his legendary status as cinema’s seminal psycho in Edge of Sanity, a delirious conflation of Robert Louis Stephenson’s classic horror novella ‘Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ and Jack the Ripper’s real-life reign of terror over Victorian London.
When his experiments into a powerful new anaesthetic go hideously awry, respected physician Dr Jekyll (Perkins) takes off into the night, casting aside the shackles of upper-class propriety as he disappears into the shadowy decadent demimonde of Whitechapel in pursuit of sensual pleasures under the guise of ‘Mr Hyde’. As his wife Elisabeth (Glynis Barber) passes her time in charitable work, rehabilitating the district’s fallen women, Hyde is drawn into an escalating cycle of lust and murder that seems to know no bounds.
Produced...
Anthony Perkins builds upon his legendary status as cinema’s seminal psycho in Edge of Sanity, a delirious conflation of Robert Louis Stephenson’s classic horror novella ‘Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ and Jack the Ripper’s real-life reign of terror over Victorian London.
When his experiments into a powerful new anaesthetic go hideously awry, respected physician Dr Jekyll (Perkins) takes off into the night, casting aside the shackles of upper-class propriety as he disappears into the shadowy decadent demimonde of Whitechapel in pursuit of sensual pleasures under the guise of ‘Mr Hyde’. As his wife Elisabeth (Glynis Barber) passes her time in charitable work, rehabilitating the district’s fallen women, Hyde is drawn into an escalating cycle of lust and murder that seems to know no bounds.
Produced...
- 5/18/2022
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
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By Darren Allison
In 1965, maverick British producer and writer Harry Alan Towers (The Bloody Judge) scored a hit with The Face of Fu Manchu, a thrilling revival of Sax Rohmer’s super-villain imperiously portrayed by Christopher Lee. Powerhouse/Indicator have lovingly brought together all five films in the series and in the process produced a rather spectacular collection.
Christopher Lee was of course no stranger to playing maniacal, Asian characters. He had already played Chung King, leader of the Red Dragon Tong's in Hammer’s movie The Terror of the Tongs (1961) directed by Anthony Bushell. Tall, dark and menacing in his stature, Lee was perfect casting for novelist Sax Rohmer’s notorious Chinese criminal mastermind. Produced by Harry Alan Towers and Oliver A. Unger, The Face of Fu Manchu was a British / West German co-production. Behind the camera was Australian-born British film director Don Sharp,...
By Darren Allison
In 1965, maverick British producer and writer Harry Alan Towers (The Bloody Judge) scored a hit with The Face of Fu Manchu, a thrilling revival of Sax Rohmer’s super-villain imperiously portrayed by Christopher Lee. Powerhouse/Indicator have lovingly brought together all five films in the series and in the process produced a rather spectacular collection.
Christopher Lee was of course no stranger to playing maniacal, Asian characters. He had already played Chung King, leader of the Red Dragon Tong's in Hammer’s movie The Terror of the Tongs (1961) directed by Anthony Bushell. Tall, dark and menacing in his stature, Lee was perfect casting for novelist Sax Rohmer’s notorious Chinese criminal mastermind. Produced by Harry Alan Towers and Oliver A. Unger, The Face of Fu Manchu was a British / West German co-production. Behind the camera was Australian-born British film director Don Sharp,...
- 11/3/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
The Fu Manchu Cycle—1965-1969
Blu ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1965 – 1969 / 96, 93, 91, 94, 92 min. / 2:33:1, 1:85, 1:66
Starring Christoper Lee, Tsai Chin
Cinematography by Ernest Steward, John Von Kotze, Manuel Merino
Directed by Don Sharp, Jeremy Summers, Jesús Franco
Arthur Henry Ward was born in Birmingham in 1883—at the age of 20 he adopted the pen name of Sax Rohmer, specializing in standard issue crime fiction and otherworldly tales of terror. In 1912 he folded both genres into one sinister figure from the East, a so-called “devil doctor” named Fu Manchu. The book covers alone were xenophobic horror shows and if there was any doubt the stories themselves were wildly racist, the author confirmed it in the description of his star villain: “the Yellow Peril incarnate in one man.”
An authority on philosophy, medicine, and idiosyncratic torture devices, Manchu made his debut in The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu which was quickly followed by The Return of Dr.
Blu ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1965 – 1969 / 96, 93, 91, 94, 92 min. / 2:33:1, 1:85, 1:66
Starring Christoper Lee, Tsai Chin
Cinematography by Ernest Steward, John Von Kotze, Manuel Merino
Directed by Don Sharp, Jeremy Summers, Jesús Franco
Arthur Henry Ward was born in Birmingham in 1883—at the age of 20 he adopted the pen name of Sax Rohmer, specializing in standard issue crime fiction and otherworldly tales of terror. In 1912 he folded both genres into one sinister figure from the East, a so-called “devil doctor” named Fu Manchu. The book covers alone were xenophobic horror shows and if there was any doubt the stories themselves were wildly racist, the author confirmed it in the description of his star villain: “the Yellow Peril incarnate in one man.”
An authority on philosophy, medicine, and idiosyncratic torture devices, Manchu made his debut in The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu which was quickly followed by The Return of Dr.
- 10/31/2020
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
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By Hank Reineke
Blue Underground’s double-feature Blu Ray issue of Code 7… Victim 5 and Mozambique is a generous release considering the company chose to simultaneously issue both films as standalone DVDs. Both films are among the earliest big screen efforts of notorious exploitation producer Harry Alan Towers. Both were adapted from Tower’s own semi-original scenarios (under his usual pseudonym of “Peter Welbeck”) and both were penned by the Australian screenwriter Peter Yeldham with British director Robert Lynn at the helm.
Both men had been working in television and, like Towers, were now gingerly testing the waters of the international movie business. The films, modest thrillers financed by Tower’s UK Company “Towers of London,” nonetheless share a continental roster of technicians and actors. The films are serviceably entertaining as thrillers, but are most ambitious in conveying a jet-setting ‘60s ambiance. The fact...
By Hank Reineke
Blue Underground’s double-feature Blu Ray issue of Code 7… Victim 5 and Mozambique is a generous release considering the company chose to simultaneously issue both films as standalone DVDs. Both films are among the earliest big screen efforts of notorious exploitation producer Harry Alan Towers. Both were adapted from Tower’s own semi-original scenarios (under his usual pseudonym of “Peter Welbeck”) and both were penned by the Australian screenwriter Peter Yeldham with British director Robert Lynn at the helm.
Both men had been working in television and, like Towers, were now gingerly testing the waters of the international movie business. The films, modest thrillers financed by Tower’s UK Company “Towers of London,” nonetheless share a continental roster of technicians and actors. The films are serviceably entertaining as thrillers, but are most ambitious in conveying a jet-setting ‘60s ambiance. The fact...
- 1/30/2018
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
An admiring nod to ’60s dream siren Daliah Lavi! American-International leaps into an epic Jules Verne comedy about a trip to the moon, a good-looking but slow and unfunny farce that must squeak by on the goodwill of its cast of comedians. Burl Ives is excellent casting as P.T. Barnum, promoting a Greatest Show Off the Earth.
Blast-Off
Blu-ray
Olive Films
1967 / Color/ 2:35 widescreen / 119 99, 95 min. / Street Date March 21, 2017 / Those Fantastic Flying Fools; Jules Verne’s Rocket to the Moon / available through Olive Films / 29.95
Starring: Burl Ives, Terry-Thomas, Gert Fröbe, Lionel Jeffries, Troy Donahue, Daliah Lavi, Dennis Price, Hermione Gingold, Jimmy Clitheroe, Graham Stark, Edward de Souza, Judy Cornwell, Allan Cuthbertson, Sinéd Cusack, Maurice Denham.
Cinematography: Reginald H. Wyer
Film Editor: Ann Chegwidden
Original Music: John Scott
Written by Dave Freeman, Peter Welbeck (Harry Allan Towers) inspired by the writings of Jules Verne
Produced by Harry Allan Towers
Directed by Don Sharp...
Blast-Off
Blu-ray
Olive Films
1967 / Color/ 2:35 widescreen / 119 99, 95 min. / Street Date March 21, 2017 / Those Fantastic Flying Fools; Jules Verne’s Rocket to the Moon / available through Olive Films / 29.95
Starring: Burl Ives, Terry-Thomas, Gert Fröbe, Lionel Jeffries, Troy Donahue, Daliah Lavi, Dennis Price, Hermione Gingold, Jimmy Clitheroe, Graham Stark, Edward de Souza, Judy Cornwell, Allan Cuthbertson, Sinéd Cusack, Maurice Denham.
Cinematography: Reginald H. Wyer
Film Editor: Ann Chegwidden
Original Music: John Scott
Written by Dave Freeman, Peter Welbeck (Harry Allan Towers) inspired by the writings of Jules Verne
Produced by Harry Allan Towers
Directed by Don Sharp...
- 6/9/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Happy Memorial Day, everyone! While you’re off enjoying some much-needed downtime with friends and family, we’ve gone ahead and put together a recap of this week’s horror and sci-fi home entertainment releases that are coming our way on May 30th.
For those of you cult film aficionados out there, get those wallets ready, because there’s a bunch of great titles arriving on Blu-ray this Tuesday, including Blackenstein, Evil Ed, The Blood of Fu Manchu / The Castle of Fu Manchu double feature, The Hearse, The Undertaker, Slaughterhouse Rock, and Hide and Go Shriek.
As far as new genre films go, The Blackcoat’s Daughter (one of my personal favorites of 2017) and Rupture are making their way to Blu-ray and DVD, with the Shock-o-Rama box set also coming out on DVD.
The Blackcoat’s Daughter (Lionsgate, Blu-ray & DVD)
Beautiful and haunted Joan (Emma Roberts) makes...
For those of you cult film aficionados out there, get those wallets ready, because there’s a bunch of great titles arriving on Blu-ray this Tuesday, including Blackenstein, Evil Ed, The Blood of Fu Manchu / The Castle of Fu Manchu double feature, The Hearse, The Undertaker, Slaughterhouse Rock, and Hide and Go Shriek.
As far as new genre films go, The Blackcoat’s Daughter (one of my personal favorites of 2017) and Rupture are making their way to Blu-ray and DVD, with the Shock-o-Rama box set also coming out on DVD.
The Blackcoat’s Daughter (Lionsgate, Blu-ray & DVD)
Beautiful and haunted Joan (Emma Roberts) makes...
- 5/30/2017
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Dark Horse's The Strange Case of the Disappearing Man comic book series tops today's Horror Highlights, which also includes Wizard World Cleveland, new releases (respectively) from Cavity Colors and Blue Underground, Apocalypse Kiss, and the New Jersey Horror Con.
The Strange Case of the Disappearing Man Comic Book Series: Press Release: "Milwaukie, Ore., (March 14, 2017)—Victorian horror fans, rejoice! Dark Horse is delighted to announce the follow-up to 2011’s cult classic The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde, with The Strange Case of the Disappearing Man. Mr. Hyde’s Cole Haddon brings fans even more Thomas Adye adventures, while Sebastián Cabrol (Thief: Tales from the City, Caliban) lends his beautiful art to the story, and Hernán Cabrera (Caliban) brings the art to life with his gorgeously grotesque color palette.
The Strange Case of the Disappearing Man finds Inspector Thomas Adye of Scotland Yard struggling to return to normalcy after his run-in with...
The Strange Case of the Disappearing Man Comic Book Series: Press Release: "Milwaukie, Ore., (March 14, 2017)—Victorian horror fans, rejoice! Dark Horse is delighted to announce the follow-up to 2011’s cult classic The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde, with The Strange Case of the Disappearing Man. Mr. Hyde’s Cole Haddon brings fans even more Thomas Adye adventures, while Sebastián Cabrol (Thief: Tales from the City, Caliban) lends his beautiful art to the story, and Hernán Cabrera (Caliban) brings the art to life with his gorgeously grotesque color palette.
The Strange Case of the Disappearing Man finds Inspector Thomas Adye of Scotland Yard struggling to return to normalcy after his run-in with...
- 3/15/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
At the bitter end of a ten-year slide into ever-cheaper productions, The Cannon Group sends stars David Bradley (a nice guy), Steve James (everyone's favorite) and Marjoe Gortner (a stiff) to South Africa for an anemic entry in this series. Cannon is considered a 'fun' subject this year because of those funny documentaries that came out. Savant cut the trailer for this particular picture, so takes the opportunity to talk about the wild life and times in the Cannon trailer department. American Ninja 3: Blood Hunt Blu-ray Olive Films 19 / B&W / 2:35 1:85 widescreen / 1:37 flat Academy / 90 min. / Street Date August 16, 2016 / available through the Olive Films website / 29.98 Starring David Bradley, Steve James, Marjoe Gortner, Michele Chan,Yehuda Efroni, Alan Swerdlow. Cinematography George Bartels Film Editor Michael J. Duthie Original Music George S. Clinton Written by Gary Conway from characters by Avi Kleinberger & Gideon Amir Produced by Harry Alan Towers Directed...
- 8/30/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
June is ending on a quiet note for horror and sci-fi home entertainment releases, as we only have six titles coming our way on June 28th.
Blue Underground has shown some love to two cult classics with their Blu-ray double feature of Circus of Fear and Five Golden Dragons, and Arrow Video is resurrecting another cult classic (albeit one that is a bit more recent) with their Return of the Killer Tomatoes Special Edition Blu-ray.
Other notable titles being released this Tuesday include Alien Strain, Shark Exorcist, Forgotten Tales, and Hotel Inferno.
Alien Strain (Mti Home Video, DVD)
After his girlfriend vanishes without a trace on a camping trip, he quickly goes from witness to suspect. Now, a year later, she returns to the very spot from which she was taken, but not like she was before.
Circus of Fear/Five Golden Dragons Double Feature (Blue Underground, Blu-ray)
Circus Of Fear...
Blue Underground has shown some love to two cult classics with their Blu-ray double feature of Circus of Fear and Five Golden Dragons, and Arrow Video is resurrecting another cult classic (albeit one that is a bit more recent) with their Return of the Killer Tomatoes Special Edition Blu-ray.
Other notable titles being released this Tuesday include Alien Strain, Shark Exorcist, Forgotten Tales, and Hotel Inferno.
Alien Strain (Mti Home Video, DVD)
After his girlfriend vanishes without a trace on a camping trip, he quickly goes from witness to suspect. Now, a year later, she returns to the very spot from which she was taken, but not like she was before.
Circus of Fear/Five Golden Dragons Double Feature (Blue Underground, Blu-ray)
Circus Of Fear...
- 6/28/2016
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Sharks, female convicts, Christopher Lee… what more could a fright fan ask for?
Death Becomes Her
• Release Date: Available April 26th on Blu-ray
• Written By: Martin Donovan, David Koepp
• Directed By: Robert Zemeckis
• Starring: Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis, Goldie Hawn
Here we go, creeps — a real milestone moment here in the ol’ Crypt o’ Xiii… we are going to get someone else to talk a bit about the feature at hand (I know, I can scarcely believe I’m going to shut up for a second or two either); in this case, the 1992 laughs and lacerations pic Death Becomes Her! So let’s put our claws, flippers… whatever the hell you may have together for my wife Hatelyn Xiii!
Daniel Xiii. So why don’t ya give my loyal coffin club the rundown on ol’ Dbh?
Hatelyn Xiii. Ok, this flick features a long standing rivalry between two women (one...
Death Becomes Her
• Release Date: Available April 26th on Blu-ray
• Written By: Martin Donovan, David Koepp
• Directed By: Robert Zemeckis
• Starring: Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis, Goldie Hawn
Here we go, creeps — a real milestone moment here in the ol’ Crypt o’ Xiii… we are going to get someone else to talk a bit about the feature at hand (I know, I can scarcely believe I’m going to shut up for a second or two either); in this case, the 1992 laughs and lacerations pic Death Becomes Her! So let’s put our claws, flippers… whatever the hell you may have together for my wife Hatelyn Xiii!
Daniel Xiii. So why don’t ya give my loyal coffin club the rundown on ol’ Dbh?
Hatelyn Xiii. Ok, this flick features a long standing rivalry between two women (one...
- 4/11/2016
- by DanielXIII
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
Holliston: Friendship is Tragic, the graphic novel based on the Holliston TV series from Adam Green (Frozen), features characters from the show and will be released in October. Also: Alexandre Aja’s curator collection on Shudder, Circus of Fear and Five Golden Dragons double feature Blu-ray details, a Viktorville poster, and a Shark Exorcist trailer.
Holliston: Press Release: “Source Point Press has announced they are currently in production on a graphic novel titled “Holliston: Friendship is Tragic”, based on the horror sit-com Holliston tv series created by filmmaker Adam Green. This announcement coincides with Source Point’s debut publisher booth at C2E2 in Chicago, and to celebrate the announcement the first promotional image for the comic will be available as a C2E2 exclusive art print limited to only 50 copies. Writer Greg Wright, artist Stephen Sharar, Editor Travis McIntire, and colorist and letterer Joshua Werner will...
Holliston: Press Release: “Source Point Press has announced they are currently in production on a graphic novel titled “Holliston: Friendship is Tragic”, based on the horror sit-com Holliston tv series created by filmmaker Adam Green. This announcement coincides with Source Point’s debut publisher booth at C2E2 in Chicago, and to celebrate the announcement the first promotional image for the comic will be available as a C2E2 exclusive art print limited to only 50 copies. Writer Greg Wright, artist Stephen Sharar, Editor Travis McIntire, and colorist and letterer Joshua Werner will...
- 3/18/2016
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Marquis de Sade’s Justine
Written by Harry Alan Towers (as Peter Welbeck)
Directed by Jesús Franco (as Jess Franco)
Italy/USA/Germany/Liechtenstein, 1969
Justine was the first of 30 Jesús Franco films I watched over the past year. While many have been quite enjoyable (and several have been quite deplorable), this 1969 feature remains my favorite. Others come very close, and there is a solid argument that Justine is in fact a mostly uncharacteristic Franco film, but as a movie that shows the genuine, often untapped talent that this eclectically erratic filmmaker possessed, it is exceptional.
Out now on a new Blue Underground Blu-ray, Justine—officially, Marquis de Sade’s Justine—bears the subtitle, “The Misfortunes of Virtue,” which is indeed the essential theme of the picture. Played by an 18-year-old Romina Power (the character is 12 in de Sade’s novel), Justine is “too good to be true,” according to her dubious sister,...
Written by Harry Alan Towers (as Peter Welbeck)
Directed by Jesús Franco (as Jess Franco)
Italy/USA/Germany/Liechtenstein, 1969
Justine was the first of 30 Jesús Franco films I watched over the past year. While many have been quite enjoyable (and several have been quite deplorable), this 1969 feature remains my favorite. Others come very close, and there is a solid argument that Justine is in fact a mostly uncharacteristic Franco film, but as a movie that shows the genuine, often untapped talent that this eclectically erratic filmmaker possessed, it is exceptional.
Out now on a new Blue Underground Blu-ray, Justine—officially, Marquis de Sade’s Justine—bears the subtitle, “The Misfortunes of Virtue,” which is indeed the essential theme of the picture. Played by an 18-year-old Romina Power (the character is 12 in de Sade’s novel), Justine is “too good to be true,” according to her dubious sister,...
- 12/21/2015
- by Jeremy Carr
- SoundOnSight
Shock looks at the experimental film shot on the set of Jess Franco’s Count Dracula, Cuadecuc, Vampir. In 1969, while Spanish filmmaker Jess Franco was shooting Harry Alan Towers’ production of El Conde Dracula, starring Christopher Lee in one of his few non-Hammer “Dracula” pictures, avant-garde filmmaker Pere Portabella haunted the set, ostensibly making a…
The post 3 Clips From Spanish Christopher Lee Experimental Film Cuadecuc, Vampir appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
The post 3 Clips From Spanish Christopher Lee Experimental Film Cuadecuc, Vampir appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
- 12/16/2015
- by Chris Alexander
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Shock remembers the late, great producer Harry Alan Towers. Although he departed this mortal coil in 2009, Shock would like to take a moment to recognize the birthday of one of cult cinema’s most storied and important producers, the wild, wonderful gentleman rogue of Eurogenre films, Mr. Harry Alan Towers. Born on October 19th, 1920…
The post Happy Birthday to Harry Alan Towers appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
The post Happy Birthday to Harry Alan Towers appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
- 10/19/2015
- by Chris Alexander
- shocktillyoudrop.com
By Hank Reineke
Perhaps it is only fitting that area meteorologists would forewarn ominously that the Mahoning Drive-in Theater’s “Christopher Lee Tribute” might take place on a cold and dark and stormy night. After all, it was the villainous film legacy of the actor – who passed away at age 93 on June 7th of this year – to have frightened generations of moviegoers in such a bleakly nightmarish rain-soaked setting. As it happened, while the shivery autumnal chill on Saturday night was undeniable, there was – happily - nary a sprinkle of precipitation to obscure one’s windshield view of the drive-in’s massive CinemaScope screen.
The Mahoning Drive-in, located amidst the Pocono Mountains surrounding Lehighton, Pennsylvania, is – quite frankly – an anomaly amongst the anomalies of surviving drive-in theaters. Whilst most remaining drive-ins have been forced to move cautiously and expensively to digital projection systems or else suffer their screens going dark,...
Perhaps it is only fitting that area meteorologists would forewarn ominously that the Mahoning Drive-in Theater’s “Christopher Lee Tribute” might take place on a cold and dark and stormy night. After all, it was the villainous film legacy of the actor – who passed away at age 93 on June 7th of this year – to have frightened generations of moviegoers in such a bleakly nightmarish rain-soaked setting. As it happened, while the shivery autumnal chill on Saturday night was undeniable, there was – happily - nary a sprinkle of precipitation to obscure one’s windshield view of the drive-in’s massive CinemaScope screen.
The Mahoning Drive-in, located amidst the Pocono Mountains surrounding Lehighton, Pennsylvania, is – quite frankly – an anomaly amongst the anomalies of surviving drive-in theaters. Whilst most remaining drive-ins have been forced to move cautiously and expensively to digital projection systems or else suffer their screens going dark,...
- 10/4/2015
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
The day monster kids have dreaded for some time has arrived. Mournful, nostalgic, and melancholy – it’s the end of an era for more than one generation of horror fans. It seemed like Christopher Lee would live through all eternity, but unlike some of the characters he played, there’s no bringing him back to life this time. He made it to 93 and went out on a high note, appearing in the final Hobbit film just this past winter. He had an amazing career of fantastic performances and remains the greatest villain actor in film history. Rip to the last classic horror star and thank you for all the monster memories.
Christopher Lee was married to his wife Birgit (Gitte) for 54 years.
Here, according to Movie Geeks Jim Batts, Dana Jung, Sam Moffitt, and myself, are Christopher Lee’s ten best roles.
10. Frankenstein
It’s only fitting that The Curse Of Frankenstein,...
Christopher Lee was married to his wife Birgit (Gitte) for 54 years.
Here, according to Movie Geeks Jim Batts, Dana Jung, Sam Moffitt, and myself, are Christopher Lee’s ten best roles.
10. Frankenstein
It’s only fitting that The Curse Of Frankenstein,...
- 6/11/2015
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
For the last week of July, there may not be a lot of titles being released onto DVD and Blu-ray, but the ones that are making their debut are absolutely an impressive bunch.
On Tuesday, Synapse Films is bringing the 1983 cult classic Curtains to Blu-ray for the very first time ever and Paramount is making every Twin Peaks fan’s dreams come true this week with their Twin Peaks: The Entire Mystery box set, which includes all the missing footage that we’ve all been waiting to be released for decades. Other titles coming out include the indie thriller The Den as well as a new Mystery Science Theater 3000 collection from Shout Factory.
Curtains (Synapse Films, Blu-ray & DVD)
John Vernon (Chained Heat, National Lampoon’s Animal House) and Samantha Eggar (The Brood, The Exterminator) star in this horror classic from the golden age of the slasher genre.
A...
On Tuesday, Synapse Films is bringing the 1983 cult classic Curtains to Blu-ray for the very first time ever and Paramount is making every Twin Peaks fan’s dreams come true this week with their Twin Peaks: The Entire Mystery box set, which includes all the missing footage that we’ve all been waiting to be released for decades. Other titles coming out include the indie thriller The Den as well as a new Mystery Science Theater 3000 collection from Shout Factory.
Curtains (Synapse Films, Blu-ray & DVD)
John Vernon (Chained Heat, National Lampoon’s Animal House) and Samantha Eggar (The Brood, The Exterminator) star in this horror classic from the golden age of the slasher genre.
A...
- 7/29/2014
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Article by Jim Batts, Dana Jung, Sam Moffitt, and Tom Stockman
The film career of legendary English actor Sir Christopher Lee began in 1948 and continues to the present day. Lee is best known for his roles in horror films, especially the string of seven Dracula movies he starred in for Hammer Studios between 1958 and 1974, but be may be best known to younger audiences for his roles in the Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films. Almost all of the roles that Lee has played have been villains and here, according to We Are Movie Geeks, are his ten best.
10. Frankenstein
It’s only fitting that The Curse Of Frankenstein, the film that truly began England’s Hammer Studios’ theatrical run of full color gothic horror epics, should team (well, they’re both in the 1948 Hamlet, but have no scenes together) their greatest stars, Peter Cushing as Baron Victor Frankenstein...
The film career of legendary English actor Sir Christopher Lee began in 1948 and continues to the present day. Lee is best known for his roles in horror films, especially the string of seven Dracula movies he starred in for Hammer Studios between 1958 and 1974, but be may be best known to younger audiences for his roles in the Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films. Almost all of the roles that Lee has played have been villains and here, according to We Are Movie Geeks, are his ten best.
10. Frankenstein
It’s only fitting that The Curse Of Frankenstein, the film that truly began England’s Hammer Studios’ theatrical run of full color gothic horror epics, should team (well, they’re both in the 1948 Hamlet, but have no scenes together) their greatest stars, Peter Cushing as Baron Victor Frankenstein...
- 8/6/2013
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Jess Franco, who has died aged 82, was a dedicated exponent of weird sex who leaves a vast and complex body of work
When the grand dames and gentlemen at Spain's 2009 Goya Film Awards sat drinking their champagne, I doubt many of them expected to see, before the night was through, a naked man and woman tied up and whipped in a circle of knives, two scimitar-wielding lesbians duking it out on a hilltop, a sadomasochistic orgy in a brothel or a coven of elderly witches massaging their nipples with a crucifix. Such, though, was the explosion of licentiousness in a montage of images from the career of Spanish filmmaker Jesús Franco Manera, aka Jess Franco, who received that night a lifetime achievement award.
Franco died in Málaga this week at the age of 82, but he leaves behind a vast and complex body of work – more than 180 movies in 54 years. Casual...
When the grand dames and gentlemen at Spain's 2009 Goya Film Awards sat drinking their champagne, I doubt many of them expected to see, before the night was through, a naked man and woman tied up and whipped in a circle of knives, two scimitar-wielding lesbians duking it out on a hilltop, a sadomasochistic orgy in a brothel or a coven of elderly witches massaging their nipples with a crucifix. Such, though, was the explosion of licentiousness in a montage of images from the career of Spanish filmmaker Jesús Franco Manera, aka Jess Franco, who received that night a lifetime achievement award.
Franco died in Málaga this week at the age of 82, but he leaves behind a vast and complex body of work – more than 180 movies in 54 years. Casual...
- 4/4/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
The Girl From Rio
Stars: Shirley Eaton, Richard Wyler, George Sanders, Maria Rohm, Herbert Fleischmann, Marta Reves, Elisa Montés, Walter Rilla, Beni Cardoso, Valentina Godoy | Written by Franz Eichhorn, Bruno Leder, Harry Alan Towers | Directed by Jess Franco
There is an argument that films that are described as “so bad they are good” aren’t actually good, they are just bad. What about films though that are bad, they should be seen as bad but you still like them? The Girl from Rio is a film that I can see is bad, I can list ways it just fails yet I will still say I honestly like it. I’m can’t say I’ve seen that many films directed by Jess Franco (though I may have unwittingly seen more than I realise) but the more I see the more I realise the man turned exploitation into an art form,...
Stars: Shirley Eaton, Richard Wyler, George Sanders, Maria Rohm, Herbert Fleischmann, Marta Reves, Elisa Montés, Walter Rilla, Beni Cardoso, Valentina Godoy | Written by Franz Eichhorn, Bruno Leder, Harry Alan Towers | Directed by Jess Franco
There is an argument that films that are described as “so bad they are good” aren’t actually good, they are just bad. What about films though that are bad, they should be seen as bad but you still like them? The Girl from Rio is a film that I can see is bad, I can list ways it just fails yet I will still say I honestly like it. I’m can’t say I’ve seen that many films directed by Jess Franco (though I may have unwittingly seen more than I realise) but the more I see the more I realise the man turned exploitation into an art form,...
- 1/30/2013
- by Pzomb
- Nerdly
House Of A Thousand Dolls
Stars: Vincent Price, Sancho Gracia, Herbert Fux, George Nader, Martha Hyer | Written by María del Carmen Martínez Román, Harry Alan Towers | Directed by Jeremy Summers
With a title like House of a Thousand Dolls, Vincent Price starring and an opening scene featuring a horse drawn hearse you would be forgiven for thinking that the film is horror based. You soon find out that this is not the case but it may at least be paying a cheeky homage to its iconic star. The fact is though that House of a Thousand Dolls is a very different beast.
While vacationing in the Tangiers a couple meet an old friend searching for his missing girlfriend who is believed to have been kidnapped by a group of slave traders. When the friend is killed the couple are dragged into investigating both the death and kidnapping which appears to...
Stars: Vincent Price, Sancho Gracia, Herbert Fux, George Nader, Martha Hyer | Written by María del Carmen Martínez Román, Harry Alan Towers | Directed by Jeremy Summers
With a title like House of a Thousand Dolls, Vincent Price starring and an opening scene featuring a horse drawn hearse you would be forgiven for thinking that the film is horror based. You soon find out that this is not the case but it may at least be paying a cheeky homage to its iconic star. The fact is though that House of a Thousand Dolls is a very different beast.
While vacationing in the Tangiers a couple meet an old friend searching for his missing girlfriend who is believed to have been kidnapped by a group of slave traders. When the friend is killed the couple are dragged into investigating both the death and kidnapping which appears to...
- 1/27/2013
- by Pzomb
- Nerdly
The Bloody Judge
Stars: Christopher Lee, Maria Rohm, Hans Haas Jr., Maria Schell, Leo Genn, Margaret Lee | Written by Enrico Colombo, Jesús Franco, Michael Haller, Harry Alan Towers, Anthony Scott Veitch | Directed by Jess Franco
During the sixties and into the seventies the sub-genre of the witch trial films was arguably sprung to life by Michael Reeves’ Witchfinder General. Vincent Price created a character that was memorable and strangely likable, even if we wanted him to fail in his dastardly deeds and die a grisly death. With Witchfinder General’s release in 1968. Moving into the seventies there were a number of exploitation movies (or hexploitation), most notably Mark of the Devil and of course Jess Franco’s Il Trono di Fuoco or as we know it The Bloody Judge.
The most interesting thing about The Bloody Judge is that it was based on a real historical figure. Chief Justice Jeffreys...
Stars: Christopher Lee, Maria Rohm, Hans Haas Jr., Maria Schell, Leo Genn, Margaret Lee | Written by Enrico Colombo, Jesús Franco, Michael Haller, Harry Alan Towers, Anthony Scott Veitch | Directed by Jess Franco
During the sixties and into the seventies the sub-genre of the witch trial films was arguably sprung to life by Michael Reeves’ Witchfinder General. Vincent Price created a character that was memorable and strangely likable, even if we wanted him to fail in his dastardly deeds and die a grisly death. With Witchfinder General’s release in 1968. Moving into the seventies there were a number of exploitation movies (or hexploitation), most notably Mark of the Devil and of course Jess Franco’s Il Trono di Fuoco or as we know it The Bloody Judge.
The most interesting thing about The Bloody Judge is that it was based on a real historical figure. Chief Justice Jeffreys...
- 1/20/2013
- by Pzomb
- Nerdly
We’re going old school cult classic for a Monday, so prepare for a new years encounter with murderous witch finders, vampires, lusty warrior women and murderous magicians because Medium rare Entertainment are releasing four icons of cult/classic/horror, from the like of Jess Franco, Vincent Price and Christopher Lee. All are being released in January 2013 in the UK on DVD for the very first time. Here’s the low down on each.... The Bloody Judge (1970/ 18/ 89mins) Directed by Jess Franco, with Christopher Lee, Maria Rohn, Leon Gunn. Christopher Lee swops his cape for a wig and gown to play the notorious Judge Jeffreys, a real-life 17th century witchfinder who showed a ruthless, sadistic justice. His growing obsession with a local wench (Maria Rohm) fuels a jaw-dropping spree of torture, brutality and flesh-ripping perversion. Franco, Lee, Maria Rohm are reunited after The Vengeance of Fu Manchuin this lavishly murderous...
- 12/3/2012
- 24framespersecond.net
We’re going old school cult classic for a Monday, so prepare for a new years encounter with murderous witch finders, vampires, lusty warrior women and murderous magicians because Medium rare Entertainment are releasing four icons of cult/classic/horror, from the like of Jess Franco, Vincent Price and Christopher Lee. All are being released in January 2013 in the UK on DVD for the very first time. Here’s the low down on each.... The Bloody Judge (1970/ 18/ 89mins) Directed by Jess Franco, with Christopher Lee, Maria Rohn, Leon Gunn. Christopher Lee swops his cape for a wig and gown to play the notorious Judge Jeffreys, a real-life 17th century witchfinder who showed a ruthless, sadistic justice. His growing obsession with a local wench (Maria Rohm) fuels a jaw-dropping spree of torture, brutality and flesh-ripping perversion. Franco, Lee, Maria Rohm are reunited after The Vengeance of Fu Manchuin this lavishly murderous...
- 12/3/2012
- 24framespersecond.net
Fu Manchu for Mayor! Joe Dante explains.
Just look at this:
Click to make huuuuuuge.
Classic FemJep stuff, huh? (That’s females-in-jeopardy for you non-industry types.)
Karin Dor grapples with one of Fu Manchu’s dacoit assassins in the first and best of the sixties Fu Manchu series starring Christopher Lee, The Face of Fu Manchu, based on the Oriental arch-villain character created by Sax Rohmer in 1913 and continued in a series of novels through 1959.
“Imagine a person, tall, lean and feline, high-shouldered, with a brow like Shakespeare and a face like Satan, … one giant intellect, with all the resources of science past and present … Imagine that awful being, and you have a mental picture of Dr. Fu-Manchu, the yellow peril incarnate in one man.” – Rohmer in The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu
For obvious reasons, this yellow peril stuff has gone out of fashion, to say the least, although Rohmer...
Just look at this:
Click to make huuuuuuge.
Classic FemJep stuff, huh? (That’s females-in-jeopardy for you non-industry types.)
Karin Dor grapples with one of Fu Manchu’s dacoit assassins in the first and best of the sixties Fu Manchu series starring Christopher Lee, The Face of Fu Manchu, based on the Oriental arch-villain character created by Sax Rohmer in 1913 and continued in a series of novels through 1959.
“Imagine a person, tall, lean and feline, high-shouldered, with a brow like Shakespeare and a face like Satan, … one giant intellect, with all the resources of science past and present … Imagine that awful being, and you have a mental picture of Dr. Fu-Manchu, the yellow peril incarnate in one man.” – Rohmer in The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu
For obvious reasons, this yellow peril stuff has gone out of fashion, to say the least, although Rohmer...
- 9/13/2011
- by Danny
- Trailers from Hell
The Movie Pool takes in the new DVD release of Charlton Heston's The Call of the Wild!
The DVD is offered as part of MGM's "Limited Edition Collection" on DVD, which are available from select online retailers and are manufactured only when the DVD is ordered. The DVD features a simple menu with no menu for chapters or scenes. Manufacture-On-Demand (Mod) DVDs are made to play in DVD playback units only and may not play in DVD recorders or PC drives. This DVD did not play in our laptop DVD drive but did play in our Toshiba DVD recorder.
DVD Specs
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 enhanced for widescreen TVs
Running Time: 103 minutes
Rating: PG
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Subtitles: None
Special Features: None
The Set-up
A dog is kidnapped and sold to become a sled dog in the Alaska wilderness. Based on the book by Jack London.
Produced by: Harry Alan Towers...
The DVD is offered as part of MGM's "Limited Edition Collection" on DVD, which are available from select online retailers and are manufactured only when the DVD is ordered. The DVD features a simple menu with no menu for chapters or scenes. Manufacture-On-Demand (Mod) DVDs are made to play in DVD playback units only and may not play in DVD recorders or PC drives. This DVD did not play in our laptop DVD drive but did play in our Toshiba DVD recorder.
DVD Specs
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 enhanced for widescreen TVs
Running Time: 103 minutes
Rating: PG
Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0
Subtitles: None
Special Features: None
The Set-up
A dog is kidnapped and sold to become a sled dog in the Alaska wilderness. Based on the book by Jack London.
Produced by: Harry Alan Towers...
- 6/12/2011
- Cinelinx
Source: FilmShaft - Eurotica Season Planned For The Horror Channel
The Horror Channel are plotting a wonderful season of flicks on the theme of 'Eurotica'. And what does that mean, pray tell? Well it can best be summed up as European horror films with an erotic bent. Think iconic exploitation filmmaker, the mighty Jess Franco.
They've got titles such as Eugenie: The Story of Her Journey Into Perversion, Venus in Furs (isn't that a Velvet Underground song?) and The Bloody Judge - that one stars none other than Sir Christopher Lee. Below is the full press release - so read it.
"Jesus Franco, now a physically frail Octogenarian living in Spain, is regarded as one of the world's best exploitation auteur directors and the Horror Channel is dedicating the month of June to showing four of the higher-budgeted Franco films made in 1969 and 1970, the period when British producer Harry Alan Towers...
The Horror Channel are plotting a wonderful season of flicks on the theme of 'Eurotica'. And what does that mean, pray tell? Well it can best be summed up as European horror films with an erotic bent. Think iconic exploitation filmmaker, the mighty Jess Franco.
They've got titles such as Eugenie: The Story of Her Journey Into Perversion, Venus in Furs (isn't that a Velvet Underground song?) and The Bloody Judge - that one stars none other than Sir Christopher Lee. Below is the full press release - so read it.
"Jesus Franco, now a physically frail Octogenarian living in Spain, is regarded as one of the world's best exploitation auteur directors and the Horror Channel is dedicating the month of June to showing four of the higher-budgeted Franco films made in 1969 and 1970, the period when British producer Harry Alan Towers...
- 5/12/2011
- by Martyn Conterio
- FilmShaft.com
By Lee Pfeiffer
Harry Alan Towers, the legendary British producer of low-budget, high-profit B movies, has died at age 88. Towers had a long career and had remained active in the film business. He was working on his autobiography when he died. Towers was a master at selling low-budget movies with one major star in order to broaden international appeal. He worked many times with Sir Christopher Lee, and their collaborative efforts included the highly popular Fu Manchu films of the 1960s. Towers also dabbled in B spy movies and horror films with kinky sexual angles. In the 1990s, he also brought Michael Caine back to the role of Harry Palmer in a series of made-for-cable TV movies. He is survived by his wife, actress Maria Rohm.
(Cinema Retro writer John Exshaw covers the making of the Fu Manchu films in Cinema Retro issue #15, coming this fall. The story includes exclusive...
Harry Alan Towers, the legendary British producer of low-budget, high-profit B movies, has died at age 88. Towers had a long career and had remained active in the film business. He was working on his autobiography when he died. Towers was a master at selling low-budget movies with one major star in order to broaden international appeal. He worked many times with Sir Christopher Lee, and their collaborative efforts included the highly popular Fu Manchu films of the 1960s. Towers also dabbled in B spy movies and horror films with kinky sexual angles. In the 1990s, he also brought Michael Caine back to the role of Harry Palmer in a series of made-for-cable TV movies. He is survived by his wife, actress Maria Rohm.
(Cinema Retro writer John Exshaw covers the making of the Fu Manchu films in Cinema Retro issue #15, coming this fall. The story includes exclusive...
- 8/6/2009
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
British film and television producer/writer Harry Alan Towers has died of heart failure. He was 88.
Towers shot to fame as a child actor in the U.K., and went on to make more than 100 films during his career, sometimes producing under the alias Peter Welbeck.
He was working on his autobiography prior to his death on 2 August, according to his literary agent, Albert T. Longden.
As a producer, Towers worked on numerous British TV programmes, including The Scarlet Pimpernel and Tales From Dickens.
He also produced several underground film classics with Spanish director Jess Franco, including Venus in Furs, Eugenie, Marquis de Sade: Justine and Night of the Blood Monster.
Towers worked with numerous A-list stars during his long film career, including Orson Welles, Michael Caine, Richard Harris and Tony Curtis. His best-known movies include The Face of Fu Manchu, Ten Little Indians, Cry the Beloved Country and Klondike Fever.
He is survived by his wife, actress Maria Rohm.
Towers shot to fame as a child actor in the U.K., and went on to make more than 100 films during his career, sometimes producing under the alias Peter Welbeck.
He was working on his autobiography prior to his death on 2 August, according to his literary agent, Albert T. Longden.
As a producer, Towers worked on numerous British TV programmes, including The Scarlet Pimpernel and Tales From Dickens.
He also produced several underground film classics with Spanish director Jess Franco, including Venus in Furs, Eugenie, Marquis de Sade: Justine and Night of the Blood Monster.
Towers worked with numerous A-list stars during his long film career, including Orson Welles, Michael Caine, Richard Harris and Tony Curtis. His best-known movies include The Face of Fu Manchu, Ten Little Indians, Cry the Beloved Country and Klondike Fever.
He is survived by his wife, actress Maria Rohm.
- 8/6/2009
- WENN
Producer Bill Benenson has acquired film rights to Christopher Wilson's Dancing With the Devil: The Windsors and Jimmy Donahue. First published in 2000, the book asserts that the Duchess of Windsor had a sexual affair in the '50s with Donahue, a gay society figure who traveled in the same social circles as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. In association with Norman and Ted Tulchin's Maidstone Prods., Benenson, whose credits include 1990's Mr. Johnson and 1987's A Walk on the Moon, plans to develop a screenplay based on the book while also mounting a theatrical production. In January, the Tulchin brothers acquired London's Playhouse Theatre, which they plan to reopen next month with a production of Checkhov's Three Sisters, starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Kate Burton. Benenson's announcement sets up a conflict with another project devoted to the same subject. Last month, British producer Harry Alan Towers announced a film called The Bahama Triangle, which would also examine the relationship between the Windsors and Donahue. Towers himself said he has written a script for that project. But Wilson insists that his book unearthed the sexual affair, and his attorneys have asked that Towers turn over his screenplay to them by today. "Should Mr. Towers refuse our request, as seems likely, we may be entitled to assume that he has used my book as the basis for his film, or a significant part of his film," Wilson said.
- 3/14/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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