trimbolicelia Reviews

Conquest of Space (1955)

Conquest of Space (1955)

[8/10 · 5 March 2023]

Pretty good mid 50's color sci-fi film. Astronauts based on a space station circling the Earth are preparing for a momentous mission when their mission becomes even more momentous. Their orders change from the moon to Mars. But on the way to the red planet the general in charge starts losing his mind. Once on Mars he goes totally religious zealot crazy and seriously impairs the astronauts' chances for survival and his son, the captain, tries to stop him and accidently kills him. The general's faithful dog of a subordinate blames the son and refuses to recognize any flaw in his idol. If all of that wasn't enough now the space jocks have to survive a year with little food and water before they can successfully depart back to Earth.

Now what I like about the film and what i find hard to swallow. First off, the effects are pretty good for the 50's. I particularly liked the space scenes. The multitude of stars are beautiful and the mood music that accompanies these scenes is eerie but fitting. The space station is nice and typical for the era. There is gravity station wide. Is that at all scientifically feasible? The part when visitors arrive from Earth and are pushed, essentially via freefall, from the ship to the station seems dangerous and foolish. Without even a tether? The wrong push would send them off to deep space with no hope of rescue. The ship that jets off to Mars has wings. I guess it looked good. Life on the station has its pluses and minuses. The men not on Mars training eat almost too well. Gluttony must be a problem. The Mars trainees live on water and food flavored pills. How can they not lose weight. Only in 50's sci-fi films. When the astronauts take off for Mars the takeoff pressure pulls at them, flattening their faces. I'm not savvy when it comes to space travel. Is that possible? Good special effect though. The faithful subordinate stows away on the Mars mission. Wouldn't that affect the weight of the ship and have a negative on the mission? The set for Mars was unimpressive and disappointing. Also, I don't believe for one second that you can grow a flower or anything else on the Martian soil with only a seed and water. The film needed some aliens or monsters to liven thing up. Dry as the Martian parts were this film had a lot going for it, despite all the discrepancies. Not my favorite sci-fi film but I liked it. The Paramount DVD is excellent quality. No extras but highly recommended.

My Son, the Hero (1962)

Arrival of the Titans (My Son, the Hero)

[7/10 · 13 February 2023]

Ok early 60's Italian, French co-produced color sword-and-sandal adventure. One of the Seven Titans (he appears to be the youngest, smallest brother) falls in love with a sequestered princess and fights her evil despotic father. At times it is played somewhat for laughs, but it has some good action. The leads are attractive. The Creature Feature Videos DVD-R is very good quality. The color is brilliant, and the picture is clear. Some of the dialogue, near the beginning, is in Italian but the rest is in English. There are no sub-titles. At 111 minutes it is rather long, but it appears to be the complete film. Since there appears to be no pressed DVD or Blu-ray available on this side of the pond, this burned DVD-R is worth getting.

The College Girl Murders (1967)

The College Girl Murders (1967)

[10/10 · 29 October 2022]

One of the better Edgar Wallace West German made, English-dubbed late 60's color crime thrillers. A scientist concocts a lethal gas and, in the act of selling it to a high bidder gets offed by a whip wielding red frocked masked monk. From here we go to a men's prison where an inmate is smuggled out to do a dastardly deed and smuggled back in.

From there college girls at a boarding college start dropping from the poison gas. Why? Has some good atmosphere and even some spookiness. This is the first Edgar Wallace film I ever saw, on New York's Channel 9, and it got me hooked. I have the Dark Sky DVD version, and it is probably the best available. Highly recommended.

The Navy vs. the Night Monsters (1966)

The Navy vs. the Night Monsters (1966)

[8/10 · 28 October 2022]

Pretty good B-grade so-bad-it's-good color mid-60's sci-fi/horror flick. A plane, bringing plant and animal specimens from the Antarctic, suffers an incident on board and lands on a South Seas Island Naval base with only a shell-shocked pilot and a mystery with no answers. After a while, things start hopping on the base with mysterious disappearances, deaths, acid dripping on walls and the traumatized pilot stalking the area. Chock full of second-string actors who do a good job with what they've got. I know the movie was filmed on a set and it's supposed to be a jungle island, but some scenes show it to be a bleak and barren place. The Cheezy Flicks DVD is, typically for Cheezy Flicks, pretty poor to fair quality. When is a re-mastered DVD or Blu-ray going to be released? Please, no DVD-Rs or Blu-ray-Rs. For lovers of 50's and 60's drecky Horror and Sci-Fi films I highly recommend this film. I don't recommend the Cheezy Flicks DVD, but as far as I know it's the only one available.

Fright (1956)

Fright (Spell of the Hypnotist) 1956

[6/10 · 25 October 2022]

A little-known mid-50's mild psychological thriller. A psychiatrist helps a woman who seems to have a split personality. Because the doctor publicly helped the police deal with an escaped murderer that puts him in the sights of a yellow journalist and his sleazy tabloid rag. When the hack finds out about the doctor's latest case, he figures there's a headline there. He barrels into the doc's office when the doctor not there, discovers the session tapes with the split personality woman and relays them to his newspaper causing a scandal and risking lawsuits. Now, I have a few problems with just about everyone's behavior in this whole situation. One would expect rag hack to have zero scruples, so his behavior is reprehensible but believable and not surprising. When the hack barges into the doctor's private office why didn't the secretary call the cops to eject him. The newspaper publishing the doctor's private sessions with a patient!? I don't know about then but now that would be violating doctor/patient confidentiality and would be wildly against the law. Wouldn't it? The publisher even mentions lawsuits but lets the editor do whatever he pleases. Lastly and most inappropriate the doctor and his patient develop a romantic relationship. Nowadays that would be definitely against the law. Everybody's behavior in this film is way out of line. Still, it is interesting to see this film play fast and loose with the rules. Or is it that people, as a rule, are out of control. The Alpha Video is adequate quality, but the film Fright needs re-mastering. Being an obscurity, it won't get re-furbished any time soon.

El fantasma del convento (1934)

El Fantasma del Convento (The Phantom of the Monastery)

[9/10 · 23 October 2022]

Pretty good Mexican-made, Spanish language (with English sub-titles option) early 30's horror film. Dripping with spooky atmosphere. A trio of lost travelers, two who are flirting with adultery, are taken to a monastery by a weird monk and his very silent dog to a huge monastery. There they find a gaggle of more monks, as weird as the first, who have taken a vow of silence. At dinner the lead monk treats them to a morality tale of sinning, adultery, and the punishing consequences. The rest of the night the travelers prowl the monastery, finding more and more spookiness. In the morning a caretaker finds them and tells them the truth of the monastery. The Indicator Blu-ray is the best available but Zima Entertainment DVD is pretty good too, but it has no sub-title options. The film is very worth seeing and highly recommended.

Gunsmoke: Susan Was Evil (1973) Season 19, Episode 12

Gunsmoke: Susan Was Evil

[7/10 · 26 September 2022]

I have to agree with other reviews of this episode. Yes, Susan is evil with all her plotting and selfishness. Leaving the way station and seeing something of the world, in itself, is not wrong. A lot of people need new sights, new experiences, new people. It's a learning experience and can form a wiser, better person. For a girl in the 19th-century travel could also find her a husband since women at that time had few life options. But selling the way station would be a mistake. It is a source of some income and the money from selling it would not last long. Also promising the girl what she wants and then denying her is cruel. It would be fair to be honest with her from the get-go. At the end the girl is left alone at the way station with zero options. Even the handyman who offered to take her where she wanted to go rejects her in the end. Not a bad man who would have treated her well, but he was the only man around. An example of few options. I know what it's like to be promised things and cruelly told tough when promises are broken. But I didn't do evil. I just was angry, simmered, and didn't trust the promiser from then on. I guess I'm the only reviewer who has some measure of understanding and sympathy for Susan. But I agree that her evil actions give her deserved repercussions.

Macumba Love (1960)

Macumba Love (1960)

[6/10 · 15 August 2022]

Not bad so-bad-it's-good film about an evil voodoo cult based in Brazil out to get an author writing about it. They also zero in on his son-in-law. Some footage of voodoo ceremonies in the jungle. The best thing about the movie is the voodoo priestess. An imposing person you don't want to enrage. Filmed in Brazil and as such has beautiful beach and jungle scenes. This film is obscure and hard to find but I found a DVD-R. Unfortunately, the quality is bad. The color is reddish and faded and the picture is not clear. I have a DVD that happens to have a trailer for Macumba Love and the color and picture is stunning. I wish this film would be re-mastered and released on DVD or Blu-Ray. NOT DVD-R. I gave this film 6 stars only because of the DVD-R quality. The film, though not great, is entertaining and deserves a higher rating.

Battle of the Worlds (1961)

Battle of the Worlds (1961)

[9/10 · 13 August 2022]

FINALLY, a near perfect Blu-ray release of Battle of the Worlds. An asteroid, which turns out to be artificial, comes near to Earth and sends saucers to destroy any Earth vessels that come near. Now it's up to an irascible scientist, played by the great Claude Rains, to come up with a way to stop the artificial asteroid and save Earth. The scenery where the scientific outpost is located is interesting. It is a near barren island with only a few scrabbly shrubs. It looks like one imagines a habitable alien planet. The music also sounds weird and spacey. The transfer is great. The picture is clear and sharp, but at 82 minutes it is short by 2 minutes. The editing is near the beginning when the young couple are speaking to a creepy psychic woman. One can see the omissions if you have seen the film before. Also, though the Film Detective Blu-ray has some extras it does not have the trailer. Other than that, this Blu-ray is a great buy. Highly recommended.

Exit (1996 Video)

Exit (1996)

[6/10 · 8 August 2022]

One of the better Shannon Whirry sexy thriller films. She plays a college student that keeps the bills paid by being a stripper at night, all the while keeping her job a secret from her fireman boyfriend. His dad is the head of the police department and doesn't want his son marrying an unknown after only six weeks of dating. He has a point. Any way the girl goes to her night job and now has a real problem. Three thugs decide to rob the place and things that are already bad go really awry. Luckily a former SWAT leader is in the strip club and he and the girl work together to save the day. At the end her boyfriend finds out his girl's night profession and is now kind of ambivalent about their relationship. I think she and the former cop would make a better pair. Any way he's hotter and seems more tolerant than the boyfriend. I found an OK quality DVD-R. This film was once available on VHS but has not been released to DVD. This film is not bad and OK for fans of Shannon Whirry.

La endemoniada (1968)

La Endemoniada (1968) (aka A Woman Possessed)

[8/10 · 6 August 2022]

Not bad Mexican-made Spanish language horror film. No subtitles or dubbing. In the 1500's a vampire and his lover create havoc in the region and are stopped and eliminated by the Spanish Inquisition. Before the woman's demise the vampire vows to bring her back. 400 years later he gets his chance. He moves back to his old mansion which happens to be near to the house of a dysfunctional family. You have the matriarch, a controlling old harpy who keeps a tight reign on the family funds and complains about her children and their spouses. A daughter, the daughter's husband who is a disinterested father, and their little girl. A boozy older son who gripes about his mom's controlling ways and wishes her dead, and his beautiful sexy wife who is a ringer for the vampire's lover. There is also the sexy wife's old friend, a young man with whom she has a platonic friendship. Somehow the vampire brings back his old love but to keep her and himself permanently alive they must eliminate the family and incorporate the lover's spirit into the sexy wife's body. The actress Libertad LeBlanc, who plays the sexy wife is beautiful but her hair is badly styled or is a worse wig. Pretty OK and thankfully not gory. The Nopal Films DVD is very good quality. Recommended.

Secret of the Red Orchid (1962)

The Secret of the Red Orchid (1962)

[7/10 · 6 August 2022]

Not bad early 60's West German-made, English-dubbed Edgar Wallace Krimi crime thriller. Not as good as the more spooky mystery entries though. A bunch of Chicago crime lords take their act to London when the heat gets too hot in the colonies. I got the Severin Films Blu-Ray and it is excellent quality. I wish more of these films would be released to good quality Blu-Ray.

The Delinquents (1957)

The Delinquents (1957)

[7/10 · 4 August 2022]

Adequate late 50's juvenile delinquency film directed by Robert Altman. That and starring Tom Laughlin is its main claim to fame. A teenage couple going steady are broken up by the girl's dad. Seems dad wants his little girl to date a lot more guys. HUH!?! Then he'll be complaining that she's getting a bad rep for dating a lot of different guys. Some parents don't know what they want and they'll keep everyone confused while they never figure it out. Anyway the boy is at loose ends without his girl's steadying influence and gets involved with a bunch of teenage lowlifes. The singer in the club is great for a film that's not the greatest. I've seen a few J. D. films from this era that are a lot more entertaining. For an obscurity Olive Films has given this film star treatment. The quality is excellent. It even has the trailer which is rare for Olive Films to do. I wish a lot more obscurities that I really like would be released in this stellar fashion.

Prey (I) (2007)

Prey (2007)

[6/10 · 30 July 2022]

Not bad but not great nature against humans thriller. A family goes on a working holiday to Africa. While Dad does his job at a local dam, his new wife and his two kids from his first marriage go on a day outing in a Land Rover with a guide to view wildlife. When they're deep in the savannah the guide goes with the boy to answer the human call of nature. While out there they're attacked by lions. The guide becomes lunch. So much for being an expert. The boy makes it back to the Land Rover and now the three are trapped with no way of getting to the lodge. I guess the lions ate the Rover keys along with the guide. At one point a young poacher hides out in the vehicle with the family but the lions get him too. Another reviewer made a good point. With all the zebras and antelopes around, why would the lions zero in on humans and ignore their usual prey. As far as I know the only way animals veer from their usual behavior is if they are sick. Any way Dad and help eventually come the save the day. My main beef with this film is at the end the family is together and smiling, laughing and joking. They should be happy, but they just went through a traumatic and horrifying experience. One sees no sign of that. They act like now it's time for the next Disney adventure. DUMB. Other than that this film is not bad, just not great. The Ghost and the Darkness is far better. Now a similar film to Prey is coming out called Beast with Idris Elba. Hopefully it will be better.

The Brain from Planet Arous (1957)

The Brain from Planet Arous (1957)

[9/10 · 24 July 2022]

Fun, not to be taken seriously late 50's sci-fi film. An evil brain named Gor comes to Earth to pretty much take over the world. To do so he invades the body of a good guy scientist. He then proceeds to lay down the law on the local big wig generals at a local military base and bring down the occasional plane with his metallic, silvery eyes. Then a cop brain arrives to stop the bad brain. Wow, Planet Arous is spilling out brains like there's no tomorrow. Cop brain enlists the help of the scientist's girlfriend and inhabits the body of her beautiful white German Shephard. Can this get any more goofy. Well, Gor's Achilles' heel is the top of his brain when he's out of our hero's body.

Bonk that and Gor's out of the game. One question though. Once all that is accomplished how does the scientist prove all this? Don't examine this dreck too closely. Just enjoy. The Film Detective Blu-Ray is excellent quality. One gripe though is that it does not include the trailer. Why not?

Secret of the Blue Room (1933)

The Secret of the Blue Room (1933)

[8/10 · 11 July 2022]

Pretty good early 30's mystery. Twenty years after three people were murdered in a spooky mansion's guest room people start dropping again. The sets are great. The mansion is both beautiful and spooky. Gloria Stuart is at her most lovely. At 66 minutes it doesn't bore. Recommended.

The Meg (2018)

The Meg (2018)

[10/10 · 10 July 2022]

Despite all the negative reviews I've read, I LIKE THIS MOVIE. I can see the flaws mentioned but the whole point of a popcorn movie like this is to suspend belief and enjoy. I like the characters, has a kid that seems smarter than the adults, and it has not one but two grody looking gigantic Megalodons. Not every, or for that matter any, shark film is going to be another Jaws. Great action scenes. Some people will live, some will die. Just sit back and enjoy.

Moonfall (2022)

Moonfall (2022)

[6/10 · 9 July 2022]

Perfect popcorn movie. Not super great, rather over-budgeted, and a great premise but mediocre story. Great effects though. Turns out the moon is an alien construction created to watch over the human race, the descendants of a greatly similar humanoid race that is now extinct. This same race also constructed an Artificial Intelligence that became self-aware and decided that the humanoid race, or any similar organic race, was and is unnecessary. When the Apollo missions landed on the moon they unknowingly slightly damaged the mechanism of the moon, awakening the hostile AI. Things are quiet until years later when a shuttle mission comes too near the moon and the AI attacks. Seems the AI only attacks when it senses active technology and organic life in close proximity. Only one sole astronaut sees the AI attack, but when the mission returns to Earth no one believes him and he is disgraced and his life is ruined. What's unfair about this is that NASA has video proof about the AI's existence but just threw this poor guy under the bus and left him there. Now years later the AI is fiddling with the moon's innards and is sending the moon slowly but surely barreling to Earth. Now a conspiracy theory nerd, the disgraced astronaut and his former fellow astronaut must limp to the moon somehow to stop the catastrophe. Even after all this is hitting the fan NASA still will not admit that they knew something was strange up on the moon. The action is great and non-stop and the special effects art extremely good. The dialogue is at times corny, even silly. The acting is adequate; these people are there for a paycheck. What would have been cool is if one of the ancient humans have been in suspended animation on the moon as a guardian, and been awakened to help the present-day humans. Not a great film but a fun ride. One should never expect much from this kind a film except two hours of entertainment. Not Casablanca, Citizen Kane, or Gone with the Wind. Just turn off your brain and enjoy.

2012 (I) (2009)

2012 (2009)

[5/10 · 8 July 2022]

The one science fact this movie has (as far as I know and remember) is that Yellowstone is above an active caldera/underground volcano or whatever it is. It may blow tomorrow, in a hundred years, a thousand years, or ten thousand years. When it blows it might take out a good chunk of the US, impact Canada and maybe Mexico, and create a nuclear type winter that will, to varying degrees, affect the planet. That's all scientific reality this film has. What I don't believe is that the continents will split apart at superspeed. Come on. Yes, the governments may do something like build arks to save some humanity. Yes, the rich will be the first ones saved. Yes, great works of art will be saved; (The one thing in this movie I approve of). In this film they don't save some important scientists, why not? Any few mechanics and technicians that are there ate to make sure the arks stay in working order for the comfort of the richies. Any poor nobodies saved will be put in indentured servitude, again for the rich. At the end of the film it seems that Africa, where life began, survived fairly intact. What's going to happen? Any survivors that have settled there will be displaced by the rich and placed in servitude. I'm sorry but that's the scenario viewing this film put in my head. The special effects are fine, the acting is adequate, but one viewing was enough for me.

Tarzan the Ape Man (1981)

It's all about Jane

[6/10 · 30 June 2022]

Though it's a so-bad-it's-bad film, it does have its good points.

The good: The music is good. The photography and cinematography, to my uneducated eye, is nice and clear. The color is brilliant. The scenery is very nice. Bo Derek and Miles O'Keefe, as Jane and Tarzan, definitely look the parts. O'Keefe is probably, physically, the best Tarzan I've ever seen. Derek, though no matter what anyone says, is not a perfect "10". Her hips, bottom and thighs have not a particle of cellulite. When you consider it though her bottom is kind of flat and her hips are kind of non-existent. That does not take away from her beauty. On the whole she's one of the most beautiful women ever to grace the screen. Remember, the "10" ideal is really a question of personal taste.

The bad: The story is blech. The focus is on Jane and there is no explanation, or even questions, about where Tarzan came from. The acting is a laugh riot. I thought Derek in the film 10 gave a pretty good performance, but in this film she forgot whatever she may have learned. She is supposed to be an Edwardian era virgin but has no trouble getting drenched in clothes that when wet leave little to the imagination. Richard Harris, as Jane's dad, is a bombastic screamer. He chews up so much jungle scenery I'm amazed Sri Lanka (where this was filmed) didn't suffer a deforestation problem. I've seen John Philip Law do better. Maybe he was only there for a paycheck. The animals, for me were a problem. Chimps and lions are a given in Africa (where the story takes place) but Asian elephants and touchy-feely orangutans are not. The natives are played by local Sri Lankans who do not look like indigenous Africans. The fights, with both animals and bad guy natives, are long and filmed in slow motion. The bad guy native chief, though big and imposing, acts all sloth-like like he's getting over a twelve day bender. The film is nearly two hours long which makes the sloggy trek seem a lot longer.

Still not bad though not good.

I've yet to see a Tarzan movie that stayed strictly faithful to the books. The closest, that I've seen, are Greystoke, The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes came close but took a few left turns from the story and was rather somber. The second was Tarzan and the Lost City which was pretty good but also made some changes.

I just watched the Tarzan the Ape Man DVD and it was nice to see the good point of this film again. The Warner Brothers DVD is very good quality. If this your plate of jungle vegetation then I recommend it.

La duquesa diabólica (1964)

La Duquesa Diabolica (1964) Dos Caballeros de Espada II

[7/10 · 29 June 2022]

Sequel to Dos Caballeros de Espada. Mexican-made, Spanish language, no dubbing or sub-titles. Made in 1964, this film takes up where the first film left off. The evil noblewoman is saved from execution by a loyal minion who is an alchemist. She then plots and implements revenge against the noble swordsmen and noblewomen who thwarted her in the first film. Similar to Italian-made films of the same genre.

Dos caballeros de espada (1964)

Dos Caballeros de Espada (1964)

[7/10 · 29 June 2022]

OK 1964 Mexican-made, Spanish-language (no sub-titles) period adventure. In 1660s New Spain (Mexico?) a caballero and his son fight baddies who menace a gentlewoman and her daughter. Nicely filmed with pretty good costumes and sets. Not unlike similar 1960's Italian-made films of this genre. Its sequel is La Duquesa Diabolica, also made in 1964.

Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (1975)

Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (or Gold)

[5/10 · 24 June 2022]

I own and have read a great many of the Doc Savage paperbacks, and they are way better than this film rendition. I place no blame on the producer George Pal, who made other films. Some great, some not so, but he always had respect for the story. It seems studio bigwigs simply HAD TO interfere with the making of this movie. The film comes across as so extremely corny and campy it makes you both wince and cringe. The acting comes across as juvenile, like a bunch of highschoolers. The music, adapted from John Phillip Souza, adds to the cheesiness. Other adaptions before and after this film was made, such as Batman (1966), Superman (1978), and Dick Tracy (1990) were done right and come across way better. Ron Ely, as Doc Savage, looks more like the Man of Gold than the Man of Bronze. His white tuxedo jacket with gold lapels and bow tie is ridiculous. He always seems like the character himself is playing and dressing a part. Supposedly a new version is being filmed with Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) as the title character. He looks more like a Man of Bronze. Hopefully that version will be filmed straight with respect for the characters and story.

Cause for Alarm! (1951)

Cause for Alarm! (1951)

[7/10 · 23 June 2022]

OK, somewhat mediocre thriller. A woman slaves over her invalid husband, who makes a lousy patient. His doctor, the wife's old suitor, realizes the husband sanity is deteriorating and tells the wife. She doesn't believe him but finds she should have. The invalid writes a letter to the town D. A., stating the wife and the doctor are having an affair and are plotting to kill him. The wife mails the letter without knowing the contents. The invalid tells the wife what he's done and menaces her with a gun. In the excitement the invalid dies and leaves the wife with the enormous problem of running around trying to rectify her situation. Not Loretta Young's best film but it is an OK time-passer. The Reel Vault DVD-R is OK quality but the picture tends to wobble pack and forth.

Fire Over Rome (1965)

Fire Over Rome (1965) (aka Revenge of the Gladiators)

[8/10 · 23 June 2022]

Pretty OK mid 60s sword-and-sandal semi-historical film. A consul and his legion return to Rome after a victory to deal with a crazed Emperor Nero, his ambitious, cruel Praetorian Guard leader, and a bunch of persecuted, put upon Christians. Somewhat historically inaccurate but a good time-passer. At 82 minutes it doesn't drag. The Reel Vault DVD-R is very good quality. Recommended for fans of the genre.