Edward D. Wood, Jr. is widely known as one of the worst directors with whom Hollywood has ever had the pleasure of dealing. While I’ve seen Plan 9 from Outer Space, the film that is considered his “masterpiece,” many times, I’d never seen any of his other movies. I decidedContinue Reading
Before writing Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton penned the script for and directed a movie about another technology-driven amusement park where the attractions go amok: 1973’s Westworld. Instead of genetically modified dinosaurs running rampant, Westworld features human-like robots that ignore their programming and go after the tourists. The film sets upContinue Reading
Based on a novel by Jack Finney and itself a remake of the 1956 film adaptation, the 1978 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers defies the odds by being exceptional on its own merits. Featuring a stellar cast, including Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Leonard Nimoy, and a young Jeff Goldblum,Continue Reading
In this simplistic atomic-age monster thriller, a giant octopus rises from the depths of the Pacific Ocean and attacks San Francisco. But not before it sinks a fishing boat and tangles with a nuclear-powered submarine. Since that isn’t enough to fill out an hour and 20 minute run time, aContinue Reading
Whenever a studio remakes a classic film to “update” it for a new generation of viewers, the result is usually a pale imitation of the original. 1988’s The Blob, an update of the 1958 movie of the same name, is an underappreciated example of how that’s not always the case.Continue Reading
When a small town doctor accidentally takes pills developed by an animal researcher, he develops an affinity for the blood of the townsfolk. That’s the premise of 1957’s The Vampire, a low-budget horror flick directed by Paul Landres. What sets The Vampire apart from most other low-budget quickie horror filmsContinue Reading
When Dr. Jan Benes, a scientist carrying Cold War secrets inside his brain, is nearly assassinated, a medical team and their submarine are miniaturized and injected into his blood stream to help save him. Sounds completely plausible, right? That’s the plot-line of 1966’s Fantastic Voyage. The film opens with aContinue Reading