CULT Beat Girl (1959) Also known as Wild For Kicks, this seamy flick provides an interesting glimpse of Great Britain's take on the juvenile counter-culture that provided fodder for some of the very best American youth exploitation films. A trifle grittier in some ways that its Yankee counterparts, it has much to recommend it to cult film camp followers. In addition to the requisite strippers, beatniks and too cool music, there's Christopher Lee as a sleazy club owner and British rocker Adam Faith. And watch the dance floor for Oliver Reed as a moodily twitching delinquent. Acting: B+ Atmosphere: B- Fun: B- RETURN TO TOP Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla (1952) Webster ought to run a still from this flick alongside his definition for "cult." Movies don't get any "cultier." Herman Cohen produced and William Beaudine directed this poverty-row "comedy," which features Martin and Lewis impersonators Duke Mitchell and Sammy Petrillo menaced in a threadbare jungle setting. It's both heartening and sad to see Bela give his typical full-throttle performance amid such shabby surroundings. Acting: C Atmosphere: D- Fun: C RETURN TO TOP Beware (1946) The shape and history of popular music would be very different were it not for Louis Jordan. Hailed by many as a father of rock and roll, and unquestionably one of the most influential figures in all of jazz, Jordan is captured on film at the peak of his popularity in this, his first starring feature. The plot is a trifle and budget nowhere in evidence -- but who cares? Jordan dominated the Rhythm and Blues charts for more than a decade and the hits recounted here clearly demonstrate his appeal -- from the rollicking title tune to the hip history lesson "In the Land of the Buffalo Nickel." Acting: C- Atmosphere: D+ Fun: A+ RETURN TO TOP Blackhawk (1952) Some might argue that serial king Kirk Alyn was far more agreeable as Quality Comics' determined air ace Blackhawk than he was in his two turns as Superman. There is little doubt that Alyn cuts a heroic comic figure as the black-clad leader of a clandestine squadron of freedom fighters. Produced by the dean of 'get it done,' Sam Katzman, it was co-directed by B film stalwarts Spencer (Atomic Submarine) Bennet and Fred (Earth Vs. the Flying Saucers) Sears. Though breathlessly paced, the acting and obvious miniature work leave something to be desired, but as the halcyon days of the great serials dragged to a close, it's heartening to realize that such energy was invested in bringing one of comics' undeniably inspired creations to the screen. Admirably, producers gave screen credit to comic artist Reed Crandall, pre-eminent draftsman of the Golden Age. Acting: D Atmosphere: C Fun: B+ RETURN TO TOP Bride of the Gorilla (1951) This incessantly talky jungle melodrama serves up more chatter than a barrel of starving monkeys. Poor Raymond Burr (as a Brazilian plantation overseer!) is surprisingly credible as the loutish killer who believes he's turning into a gorilla. Paul Cavanaugh barely survives the opening credits and Tom Conway seems humbled by another thankless role as a jaded physician. Sarong-wrapped Barbara Payton is the principle attraction, but her formidable feminine allure is stretched thin. Director Curt Siodmak delivered another lifeless Amazonian shocker some years later -- Curucu, Beast of the Amazon. Acting: B- Atmosphere: D Fun: C- RETURN TO TOP Champagne For Caesar (1950) Long lost in the scramble to reappraise the screwball comedies of the 30s and 40s, this winning concoction makes its long overdue "official" video debut. Richard Whorf directs an engaging cast, fronted by Ronald Colman as super-brain Beauregard Bottomly. Colman's character seeks to topple the industrial empire of magnate Vincent Price (in one his very best performances) by winning every cent of the prize money offered by the game show Price sponsors. The grab bag cast of stand outs includes Celeste Holm, Art Linkletter and Mel Blanc as the voice of Caesar. Watch for Robert "Sun Demon" Clarke in a cameo as an actor on a drive-in screen. Acting: A+ Atmosphere: A Fun: A+ RETURN TO TOP Edgar G. Ulmer: King of the Bs The publicity sums this set up as "All Day Entertainment's ongoing DVD celebration of the films of legendary indie pioneer Edgar G. Ulmer." Thus far, two volumes showcasing the director's films have been issued. This edition compiles both. Disc one features Strange Woman, a weird period piece starring Hedy Lamarr as a Scarlett O'Hara-like schemer who manipulates and destroys the men in her orbit. The story is run-of-the-mill, and the film's chief virtues are Ulmer's canny exploitation of shadow and atmosphere. Also included is a strange, noirish, semi-musical called Moon Over Harlem, which Ulmer himself once likened to Porgy and Bess. (And if Edgar G. Ulmer's take on Porgy and Bess doesn't intrigue you ... ) Disc two is the conspicuous standout, as it features one of Ulmer's -- in fact, one of B-moviedom's -- true masterpieces, Bluebeard. Rarely has so much been accomplished with so little. (And never has a film been heralded so much for being unheralded. Let the unheralding cease. Consider the film hereby heralded!) Ulmer actually turns the film's absurdly obvious artificiality to its advantage, creating an unsettling, otherworldly, decidedly non-Hollywood work, tilting the camera, letting deep shadows do the work of 20 set designers. And John Carradine, who was born to play this homicidal puppetmaster, employs every decibel of his bravado to maximum effect. (Is it ever NOT fun to watch John Carradine?) The package includes never-before-seen color footage of the "puppet opera" sequence and a terrific reproduction of the original Bluebeard pressbook. This is a must-have. http://www.image-entertainment.com Acting: A Atmosphere: A+ Fun: A RETURN TO TOP   The Fabulous World of Jules Verne (1958) File this one under acquired tastes. This Czech production with the self-evident title is certainly innovative, but the result is a film so odd to look at, so European in its approach, that more jaded sci fi afianadoes will have great difficulty sitting through it. Director Karel Zeman combines live-action, miniatures and glass paintings resembling 19th-century engravings; a process he dubbed "Mystimation." Acting: C+ Atmosphere: C Fun: C RETURN TO TOP Galaxy Invader (1985) Critics sometimes run out of nice ways to say something is bad. So putting it bluntly, considering the budget, cast and locations, this film is exactly what you might expect from a family production filmed entirely in suburban Maryland. Cult-movie mascot George Stover leads an amateur cast seeking to capture a crash-landed alien creature. In fairness, the film succeeds as an homage to the drive-in flicks of the past, but intrinsically it ain't much. Acting: D Atmosphere: D- Fun: C- RETURN TO TOP The Golden Mistress (1954) A real curio for the die-hard cult-movie fan. John Agar stars as a world-weary seaman-of-fortune hired by beautiful Rosemarie Bowe (real-life Mrs. Robert Stack) to recover a mysterious lost treasure. It seems her dad was done in by a voodoo curse before revealing its whereabouts. Garishly Technicolored Haitian locations with honest-to-goodness Haitian actors highlight the film, directed by character actor Abner Biberman (aka Joel Judge). Acting: C+ Atmosphere: C Fun: C- RETURN TO TOP The Great Rupert (1950) Producer George Pal's innovative "puppetoons" are the feature attraction of this fuzzy, family yarn. Rupert, the animated squirrel for whom the film is named, inadvertantly rescues a vaudeville troop from depair. The casting is offbeat to say the least: Jimmy Durante, Terry Moore (Mighty Joe Young), Tom Drake and Queenie Smith are the featured players. Director Irving Pichel also helmed Pal's trend-setting Destination Moon. Acting: C+ Atmosphere: C+ Fun: C RETURN TO TOP The Intruder (1962) Wouldn't you know it -- the one Corman film that hasn't been seen a million times is the one that truly deserves to be seen. William Shatner is actually very good as a rabble-rousing, southern hate-monger. Written by Charles Beaumont, it features a shining supporting cast, Leo Gordon and Robert Emhardt among them. Corman claims it was his only film to be reviewed positively -- and the only one to lose money. Acting: A Atmosphere: A- Fun: A- RETURN TO TOP Island of Fire (1989) As Jackie Chan's effort to achieve stateside mega-stardom continues, more of the expert action films that made him the world's number one box office draw are becoming available. Though not ostensibly a Chan film, his charm helps leaven what might otherwise have been another turgid prison flick. Jackie's buddies Samo Hung (who directed) and Andy Lau take center stage, navigating a tenuous plot that plays like a Hong Kong Cool Hand Luke. To no one's surprise, the fights and stunts are peerless, the sentiment heavy and the comedy strained but winning. Acting: B- Atmosphere: C Fun: A RETURN TO TOP A Kiss Before Dying (1956) The video release of this slick, somewhat soapy but nevertheless engrossing psycho-drama is loads of fun for B movie cast watchers. Robert Wagner at his smarmy best is the star, but the supporting cast is sparked by a terrific assortment of cult film notables: Mary Astor (The Maltese Falcon), George Macready (The Alligator People), Robert Quarry (Count Yorga, Vampire) and most conspicuously, Virginia Leith in the female lead. Leith's brief flirtation with stardom (she's billed ahead of Joanne Woodward) ended in a tangle of tubes and electrodes when she tackled the title role in The Brain That Wouldn't Die. The peppy pacing is the work of noted Outer Limits director Gerd Oswald. Acting: B+ Atmosphere: B+ Fun: B RETURN TO TOP Krakatoa, East of Java (1969) As every devotee of film archania knows by this time, Krakatoa is actually WEST of Java. Big deal. The greater question is why we would review this legitimate "A" film just now making it's video debut -- because it was directed by Bernard Kowalski, who also gave us Night of the Blood Beast and the unforgettable Attack of the Giant Leeches. Krakatoa on the other hand is most forgettable. Maximilian Schell leads a dreary cast through a plodding story that exists only as a prelude to some terrific volcano and tidal wave footage. Acting: C+ Atmosphere: D- Fun: C+ RETURN TO TOP Louisiana Hussy (1958) Sordid, meandering story of a manipulative swamp vixen who comes between two Cajun fisherman. Top-heavy Nan Peterson (of Hideous Sun Demon fame) is the bayou babe who's made a hobby of homewrecking. Several surprisingly suggestive scenes place this one in the same league with sleaze pics such as Shanty Tramp and Poor White Trash. With Peter Coe, Harry Lauter and Betty Lynn (Barney's gal, Thelma Lou on the The Andy Griffith Show.) Acting: C+ Atmosphere: D+ Fun: C- RETURN TO TOP Mesa of Lost Women (1953) This one has a lot to recommend it to schlock lovers, from the flamenco guitar soundtrack to Jackie Coogan's pre-Fester hamming as the evil Dr. Arana, giddily turning spiders into women (or is it women into spiders?) You owe it to yourself to sit through this one, at least once! As a bonus, the ubiquitous spider puppet that saw screen time in Missile to the Moon, Women of the Prehistoric Planet and others, is once more pressd into service. Set aside your notions of logic, coherence and plot -- this is entertainment! From director Ron Ormond, who also gave us Untamed Mistress and The Monster and the Stripper. Acting: C- Atmosphere: D+ Fun: A RETURN TO TOP The Saint's Double Trouble (1940) The big screen's peerless cad, George Sanders, had little regard for his work as B filmdoms' smoothest sleuth, The Saint. When author Leslie Charteris disapproved of RKO's handling of the character, the studio simply rechristened the lucrative gumshoe The Falcon. Sanders was hustled through yet another series of grade B programmers before bequeathing the role to brother Tom Conway. Sander's disdain notwithstanding, The Saint films are being released at last on video as a series of double features and Double Trouble is among RKO's better cut-rate thrillers. Sanders is in fine smarmy form playing both The Saint and an evil doppelganger called The Dutchman. Of no little curiosity value is the presence of Bela Lugosi, wasted as a second string henchman. Acting: A- Atmosphere: B+ Fun: B RETURN TO TOP Teenagers From Outer Space (1959) Produced, directed and writen by Tom Graeff, this one's talky, cheap, poorly acted and terrific fun. The plot, such as there is, chronicles the exploits of a grouchy alien band that plans to use earth as the breeding ground for the gigantic lobsters on which they subsist. One renegade alien played by David Love decides to spare the earth this ordeal, and foils the efforts of his otherworldly cohorts. Not for a moment is any of this believable. The monsters themselves are simply the silhouettes of actual lobsters, unconvincingly enlarged. Tacky and decidedly worth watching. Acting: D Atmosphere: C- Fun: A- RETURN TO TOP