What Was the Last Movie You Watched?

[DannyBoy]

Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) starring Christopher Lee, Andrew Keir, Francis Matthews, Barbara Shelley, Suzan Farmer & Philip Latham. 10 years after being destroyed by Van Helsing, Count Dracula is resurrected by his servant Klove and preys upon the unsuspecting visitors to his castle. Dracula: Prince of Darkness marks the third film in Hammer Films' Dracula series, with Terence Fisher taking the directors chair once again and featuring the return of Christopher Lee to the title role in all his ferocity 8 years after the first film. Notably & interestingly Dracula never speaks a word in this film, only lets out a few hisses, which perhaps makes the character even more frightening. Once again Lee is excellent in the role of Dracula, and other standouts include Andrew Keir as the unconventional priest Father Sandor and Philip Latham as Dracula's creepy servant Klove. Once again this is a Dracula film which features great special effects and first-rate costumes & sets, though the castle set is a bit different from the one used previously in Horror of Dracula, but I guess that's to be expected since they were made 8 years apart. Dracula: Prince of Darkness is a superb horror film, and is definitely one of the best films produced by Hammer and arguably the best sequel to Horror of Dracula.

Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966) - IMDb



Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968) starring Christopher Lee, Rupert Davies, Barry Andrews, Veronica Carlson, Ewan Hooper, Barbara Ewing & Michael Ripper. Dracula is resurrected again and goes after the niece of the monsignor who exorcised his castle. Dracula Has Risen from the Grave is the 4th film in Hammer's Dracula series and takes place a year after the previous film. Once again Christopher Lee is excellent as the vampire Count and he also gets to speak again in this film. The special effects, costumes & sets are all top notch as expected. Though one confusing issue that arises soon after the film begins is that an entirely different set is used in this film for Dracula's castle compared to the set in the previous film, which kinda hurts the continuity between the two films. If you watch Dracula: Prince of Darkness & this film back to back then it's certainly noticeable, but perhaps it's only a minor gripe. It can also be said that Dracula's resurrection in this film is a bit silly/ridiculous, though on the other hand Dracula's destruction in this film is one of the coolest ones in the series. That all said, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave is still a very good & entertaining entry in Hammer's Dracula series.

Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968) - IMDb

[DannyBoy]

The Arizonian (1935) starring Richard Dix, Preston Foster, Margot Grahame, Louis Calhern & James Bush. A newly appointed marshal teams up with an outlaw to clean up a town run by a corrupt sheriff & his henchmen. The Arizonian is a western from RKO starring perennial genre star Richard Dix. The film is well paced with plenty of action, highlighted by a particularly thrilling climactic shoot-out on a smoke filled street. Included is a fine all-around cast, with memorable performances by hero Richard Dix, anti-hero Preston Foster & Louis Calhern as the despicable sheriff. The Arizonian is an outstanding and superbly entertaining western.

The Arizonian (1935) - IMDb



Arizona Legion (1939) starring George O'Brien, Laraine Day, Chill Wills, Carlyle Moore & Harry Cording. A federal agent goes undercover to infiltrate a gang of outlaws that's taken over a western town and discover the identity of their secret leader in order to put a stop to their reign of terror. Arizona Legion is a western from RKO starring George O'Brien in one of his best films in the genre. O'Brien gives a fine performance as the hero Boone Yeager and Chill Wills, here in one of his first prominent roles, is memorable as the tall tale telling Whooper Hatch. The film is short with a running time of only 59 minutes, but there's plenty of action & thrills packed into that 59 minutes. Arizona Legion is short & sweet, and quite simply a fun & entertaining western.

Arizona Legion (1939) - IMDb



Apache Trail (1942) starring William Lundigan, Lloyd Nolan, Donna Reed, Ann Ayars & Chill Wills. A notorious outlaw & his brother who manages a stagecoach station find themselves trapped in a stagecoach station under siege by rampaging Apaches out for revenge and desperately trying to survive along with stagecoach passengers & employees. Apache Trail is a B-western from MGM. The film's story is an interesting one and somewhat tragic. William Lundigan is a likeable good guy, Lloyd Nolan shines as his nasty, selfish outlaw brother, and a young Donna Reed is lovely & shows some hints of the talent the would win her an Oscar over a decade later. The fight for survival inside the stagecoach station provides some nice suspense & thrills. Apache Trail is a good little B-western.

Apache Trail (1942) - IMDb



The Arizona Ranger (1948) starring Tim Holt, Jack Holt, Nan Leslie, Steve Brodie, Richard Martin & Paul Hurst. A former member of Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders returns home to Arizona to head the new Arizona Raiders to instill law into the territory, this however alienates him from his father who wants him to run the family ranch. The Arizona Ranger is a western from RKO noteworthy for being the only film to co-star real life father & son Jack Holt & Tim Holt. This is a very interesting B-western, perhaps even ahead of it's time as it deals with everything from generational gap & spousal abuse to vigilante justice & fractured relationships. The Holts shine in their roles & unsurprisingly have good chemistry, and are backed by a good supporting cast as well. The Arizona Ranger is an exceptional B-western.

The Arizona Ranger (1948) - IMDb

[DannyBoy]

Diary of a Madman (1963) starring Vincent Price, Nancy Kovak, Ian Wolfe, Chris Warfield & Elaine Devry. A malevolent invisible being known as a Horla takes control over the mind of a French magistrate and wills him to do evil deeds. Diary of a Madman is a horror film based on a short story by Guy de Maupassant published in 1887. The film is a pretty decent, low-key horror film, but not as good as some of the other horror films Vincent Price made around the same era. The film is more about atmosphere and psychological effect, so there's not too much in the way of gore or special effects, which is fine because the film is effective in how it's presented. of course Vincent Price himself is enjoyable to watch as always and is the highlight of this film, and the Horla, voiced by Joseph Ruskin, sounds quite sinister. Diary of a Madman isn't Vincent Price's best film, but it's pretty interesting and required viewing for Price fans.

Diary of a Madman (1963) - IMDb

[DannyBoy]

The Devil's Own (aka The Witches, 1966) staring Joan Fontaine, Kay Walsh, Alec McCowen & Ingrid Boulting. Following a terrifying experience with witch doctors in Africa, a schoolteacher moves to a small English village only to soon discover that it's home to witchcraft as well. The Devil's Own is a horror film from Hammer Films featuring Joan Fontaine in the last feature film of her career. The film while it's a horror, isn't typical "Hammer Horror", but something a bit different from what Hammer was best known for. Though it has a bit of an unsettling vibe to it as well as an ominous atmosphere. Joan Fontaine shines here and gives a great performance, and even though she was pushing 50 at the time she was as beautiful as ever. Overall The Devil's Own is a pretty decent horror film with some good suspense, but is hurt in the end by a goofy climax.

The Devil's Own (1966) - IMDb



From Beyond the Grave (1974) starring Peter Cushing, David Warner, Donald Pleasence, Ian Bannen, Ian Carmichael, Ian Ogilvy, Angela Pleasence, Diana Dors & Leslie-Anne Down. An anthology of four short horror stories revolving around an antiques shop and its peculiar proprietor. From Beyond the Grave was the last in series of horror anthology films from Amicus Productions and here the stories are all based on works by author R. Chetwynd-Hayes. There's a large cast included, all of whom are fine in their roles, and headed by Peter Cushing who superbly plays the peculiar proprietor of Temptations Limited, an antiques shop where over the course of the movie four customers come into purchase (or steal) items, which leads to each of the four stories and a horrible fate that awaits those who cheated the shop's proprietor. Each of the four stories is different & unique and all are quite good horror tales, but for me the 1st story (involving a haunted/possessed mirror) & 4th story (about an old ornate door which leads to a mysterious blue room) really stood out and had a chilling atmosphere. From Beyond the Grave is an excellent horror film and certainly one of the best films from Amicus, as well as an exceptional example of the horror anthology subgenre.

From Beyond the Grave (1974) - IMDb

[DannyBoy]

Strike (1925) starring Aleksandr Antonov, Grigoriy Aleksandrov & Boris Yurtsev. A group of oppressed factory workers go on strike in 1903 pre-revolutionary Czarist Russia. Strike was the first full-length feature film by legendary director Sergei M. Eisenstein. The film, composed of six parts, tells a powerful, vivid story and the message which it conveys is really quite remarkable & evocative. The imagery in the film is also quite striking and at times utterly brutal, particularly actual footage of a live cow being slaughtered interspersed with scenes of the Russian military's violent suppression of the strike. The film very much has a gritty sense of reality and bleakness to it, it's sad & tragic. Strike is a masterpiece of early cinema, and displays Sergei Eisenstein's incredible talents as a director & storyteller.

Strike (1925) - IMDb



Battleship Potemkin (1925) starring Aleksandr Antonov, Vladimir Barskiy & Grigoriy Aleksandrov. In the midst of the Russian Revolution of 1905, the crew of the battleship Potemkin rebel against their brutal, tyrannical officers and try to ignite the revolution in their home port of Odessa. Battleship Potemkin was Sergei M. Eisenstein's 2nd film, made shortly after Strike, and presents a dramatized version of the mutiny on the battleship Potemkin in June 1905. The film is divided into five acts, and again is a film by Eisenstein which tells a powerful, vivid story and sends an evocative message. This film's imagery is just as striking as Strike's and perhaps even more violent, and extremely violent for the time. The Odessa Steps sequence where gathered citizens are attacked by the Cossack army is especially bloody & brutal, and produced one of the most famous images in movie history; that of a baby carriage rolling down the long steps. Battleship Potemkin is another masterpiece from Sergei Eisenstein, an influential & important one, his greatest film undoubtedly and one of the greatest films of all-time period.

Battleship Potemkin (1925) - IMDb

[DannyBoy]

Carnival of Souls (1962) starring Candace Hilligoss, Herk Harvey, Frances Feist & Sidney Berger. After surviving a fatal car accident, a church organist is haunted by a ghoulish phantom and becomes drawn to a mysterious abandoned carnival. Carnival of Souls is a low-budget independent horror film conceived & directed by Herk Harvey, a producer/director of industrial & educational films. Made for around just $30,000 USD (a minuscule film budget even for the early 60s), Carnival of Souls is a prime example that even on a tiny budget and without any real gore or special effects a horror can still be extremely effective simply through atmosphere, lighting & sound. The film uses striking black & white cinematography, a truly eerie & foreboding atmosphere, simple makeup for the ghouls and a ghostly organ score to maximum effect in order to create a chilling, uneasy tale of horror & suspense. Beyond his directing/producing duties, Herk Harvey also adds to the effectiveness and haunting imagery of the film through memorably playing the uncredited role of "The Man" (as he's simply referred to in the film), the silent, creepy main ghoul who pursues leading lady Candace Hilligoss throughout the film. Carnival of Souls is an absolute classic of the horror genre and may very well be the best low-budget independent horror film ever made.

Carnival of Souls (1962) - IMDb

[DannyBoy]

The Omega Man (1971) starring Charlton Heston, Anthony Zerbe, Rosalind Cash, Paul Koslo & Lincoln Kilpatrick. After biological warfare between Russia & China kills most of the world's population and turns the rest who survived into nocturnal albino-mutants, the seemingly last normal human alive fights to survive as he struggles to create a cure for the plague. The Omega Man is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi/horror film and the second film adaptation of the 1954 novel "I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson, the first being The Last Man on Earth starring Vincent Price in 1964. The film takes a number of liberties with the source material, particularly in changing the vampire-like creatures of the novel into albino-mutants in the film. Among the cast, Charlton Heston is great in the role of lonely scientist/monster hunter Robert Neville and Anthony Zerbe brings a menacing presence to the role of Matthias, former newscaster turned leader of the group of albino-mutants known as "The Family". The Omega Man is removed from Matheson's novel to a certain extent, but is a great, engaging 1970s post-apocalyptic film with a thought-provoking story, some good action sequences & an excellent score.

The Omega Man (1971) - IMDb



Soylent Green (1973) starring Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson, Leigh Taylor-Young, Chuck Connors, Brock Peterson & Joseph Cotten. In a future world ravaged by overpopulation & the greenhouse effect, an NYPD detective uncovers the deadly secret behind a mysterious synthetic food as he investigates the murder of a wealthy businessman. Soylent Green is a dystopian sci-fi/thriller and features the last appearance of screen legend Edward G. Robinson, who passed away just days after filming had finished. The film has a certain pulp fiction vibe to it and the story is quite engrossing as Heston's Detective Thorn gets closer to the truth. And Charlton Heston is great as the tough, gritty detective, but the standout is Edward G. Robinson, who's gives a truly fine & touching performance as Heston's crusty sidekick Sol Roth in his final farewell. Soylent Green is a fascinating & thrilling sci-fi film and quite profound in it's message, not-to-mention features one of the most iconic lines/quotes in movie history (which is won't repeat here because it may spoil the film for anyone who reads this and hasn't seen the it).

Soylent Green (1973) - IMDb

[DannyBoy]

Teenagers from Outer Space (1959) starring David Love, Dawn Bender, Bryan Grant, Harvey B. Dunn & Tom Graeff. Alien teenager Derek abandons his crew to search for a new life on Earth, he meets & falls in love with an Earthling as he's hunted by one of his crewmates who was sent to capture or kill him while their race enacts a plan to use Earth as a food-breeding ground for giant creatures known as gargons. Teenagers from Outer Space is a silly ultra low-budget sci-fi film, which honestly I only watched because it was shown as part of Doctor Madblood's 42nd anniversary special. Doctor Madblood is a horror host, à la Elvira or Svengoolie, except on a local level here in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. He had a weekly TV series which ran in one incarnation or another from 1975 to 2007 where he hosted a horror or sci-fi film interspersed with comedy vignettes featuring him & other characters, but the last 10 years he's only done a single yearly special around Halloween time. Anyway, Teenagers from Outer Space features a monster portrayed by a lobster and a 1950s dime store toy, a Hubley Atomic Disintegrator, which stands in as the aliens ray gun weapon. All in all, Teenagers from Outer Space is very cheap & pretty ridiculous film, but one that is considered by some to be a camp classic and is probably of interest to those who enjoy the "so bad it's good" type of film.

Teenagers from Outer Space (1959) - IMDb



If anyone happens to be interested in learning about Doctor Madblood, here's links to his website & Wikipedia page:
http://www.madblood.net/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Madblood

[DannyBoy]

The Brood (1979) starring Oliver Reed, Art Hindle. Samantha Eggar & Cindy Hinds. A man tries to uncover an unconventional psychologist's therapy techniques on his institutionalized wife, amidst a series of brutal murders committed by mutant children that coincides with his investigation. The Brood is a psychological horror film from writer/director David Cronenberg with his usual odd visceral touches and unnatural graphic transformation. The film is a pretty bizarre one, par for the course when it comes to Cronenberg, and has an uneasy vibe to it. Art Hindle is excellent as Frank Carveth, a father who's trying to take care of his daughter & protect her from sinister goings-on around them as he tries to uncover the truth. Samantha Eggar plays crazy superbly as Frank's institutionalized wife Nola, and Oliver Reed brings an imposingly cold demeanor to the role of the eccentric psychologist Hal Raglan. Cronenberg brings the blood & gore and gruesome special effects as usual, and it's well done though perhaps excessive at times. The Brood is a fascinating & somewhat disturbing film as well as engrossing, especially if you like David Cronenberg's unique brand of horror.

The Brood (1979) - IMDb

[DannyBoy]

Onibaba (1964) starring Nobuko Otowa, Jitsuko Yoshimura & Kei Satō. An old woman & her daughter-in-law survive a civil war in medieval Japan by killing & robbing lost soldiers and selling their belongings. Onibaba is a Japanese historical drama with horror overtones directed by Kaneto Shindō, and is quite is dark, disturbing, sensual & erotic. The film's story is poetic as well as tragic in a way, and is set in a rural field of tall reeds by a river and beautifully shot on-location. Nobuko Otowa & Jitsuko Yoshimura both superbly play a couple of savage women who ruthlessly kill soldiers that enter their field and strip them of their valuables to sell for food. Particularly memorable are scenes of an eerie encounter between the old woman and a samurai general wearing an odd demon mask. Onibaba is a creepy, fascinating & visually striking film, and a true classic of Japanese cinema.

Onibaba (1964) - IMDb