Review of “The General” (1926)

A friend of my dearly beloved has been involved in the restoration of an old theater in Fullerton, California, for some years. The theater was originally built in 1925, in the days of silent movies. My dearly beloved remembers seeing movies there in the 80s. As a treat for some friends (and in hopes ofContinue reading “Review of “The General” (1926)”

Review of “The Haunting of Hill House” by Shirley Jackson and “The Haunting” (1963)

The Haunting (1963) was our Saturday bad movie and pizza night offering. I remember seeing bits and pieces of it years ago on something called broadcast TV. I’ve read that the book it was based on, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, was one of the best horror novels. (Yes, the same ShirleyContinue reading “Review of “The Haunting of Hill House” by Shirley Jackson and “The Haunting” (1963)”

Review of “Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat” (1989)

Plot:Vampires have been hunting humans for centuries, but times change. Under the leadership of Count Mardulak (David Carridine) a group of vampires has set up shop in a town called Purgatory somewhere in the desert of the American West. They will learn to co-exist with humans, with the help of sunblock, sunglasses, and artificial blood.Continue reading “Review of “Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat” (1989)”

Review of “Rapture-Palooza” (2013)

What would Saturday night pizza and bad movie be without a bad movie? It had its moments, but it also had moments of ICK. Plot:Lindsey Lewis (Anna Kendrick) and her boyfriend Ben House (John Francis Daley) missed the rapture. Lindsey’s mom was raptured but was sent back, complete with white robe and number, after sheContinue reading “Review of “Rapture-Palooza” (2013)”

Review of “The Maze” (1953)

This black-and-white horror flick was a recommendation from my friend Tracy. She has yet to steer me wrong. Plot:Kitty Murray (Veronica Hurst) and Gerald MacTeam (Richard Carlson) are enjoying a vacation in the south of France. They expect to be married in two weeks. With them are Kitty’s Aunt Edith (Katherine Emery) and the about-to-beContinue reading “Review of “The Maze” (1953)”

Review of “The Pit and the Pendulum” (1961)

The past Saturday pizza and bad movie night was a return to the schlock of yesteryear. Plot:In the sixteenth-century, Englishman Francis Barnard (John Kerr) arrives at a foreboding castle seeking news about his sister Elizabeth’s (Barbara Steele) recent death. His sister’s widower, Nicholas Medina (Vincent Price), and his younger sister, Catherine (Luana Anders), give himContinue reading “Review of “The Pit and the Pendulum” (1961)”

Review of “Godzilla” (1954) and “Godzilla King of the Monsters” (1956)

I. Godzilla (1954) In 1954, a Japanese film appeared with a monster named Gojira—Angelized as Godzilla—that terrorized people near the (fictional) island of Odo near the Japanese coast, destroying ships before taking on Tokyo. Survivors describe their disasters: “It was like the sea exploded.” The people of Odo Island see their fishing nets come backContinue reading “Review of “Godzilla” (1954) and “Godzilla King of the Monsters” (1956)”

Review of “Three Amigos!” (1986)

Our latest Saturday night pizza and bad movie was one my dearly beloved had seen, but I hadn’t. It was a silly flick with a silly premise. Plot: I’ll preface this by saying that my Spanish is shaky on a good day, so those who speak it better than I do (and there are many),Continue reading “Review of “Three Amigos!” (1986)”

Review of “The Bride of Frankenstein” (1935)

This is our latest Saturday pizza and bad movie offering, a horror flick with a little bit of everything, including song and dance. Plot:The beginning is framed by a discussion among Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (Elsa Lanchester), Lord Byron (Gavin Gordon), and Percy Bysshe Shelley (Douglas Walton) about the story this innocent young girl has justContinue reading “Review of “The Bride of Frankenstein” (1935)”

Review of “The Black Cat” (1941)

Our last pizza and bad movie night of the year! We watched the flick with a black cat snoozing on the couch on his bed between us—after we finished the pizza. Unfortunately, the little guy can’t be trusted around pizza. The Plot: Elderly, infirm Henrietta Winslow (Cecilia Loftus) has called her family together to letContinue reading “Review of “The Black Cat” (1941)”