Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell

(1968) Directed by Hajime Satô; Written by Kyûzô Kobayashi and Susumu Takaku; Starring: Teruo Yoshida, Tomomi Satô, Hideo Kô, Masaya Takahashi, Nobuo Kaneko, Eizô Kitamura, Yûko Kusunoki, Kazuo Katô and Kathy Horan; Available on DVD (included in the Criterion Eclipse set, “When Horror Came to Shochiku”) 

Rating: ***½ 

“There’s a theory that aliens actually exist… That somewhere, in this vast universe, there are creatures far more advanced than human beings. According to this theory, it’s only a matter of time before these highly intelligent beings set their sights on planet Earth. The flying saucers sighted around the world have been reconnaissance missions before an attack, yet people refuse to believe an attack is on the way. They deny the existence of extraterrestrials. They’d rather fight their wretched wars, hating and killing one another. We’re so busy killing each other that aliens have a golden opportunity to attack. Mankind is foolishly oblivious to the danger. The Gokemidoro are right. With things as they are, humanity’s annihilation is inevitable.” – Toshiyuki Saga, the scientist (Masaya Takahashi)

If we were attacked by a hostile alien intelligence, would humanity band together to face the threat, or would we succumb to our petty squabbles and differences? Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell suggests the latter, in its portrayal of a microcosm of society under duress. Director Hajime Satô* (probably best known for 1966’s The Golden Bat), along with writers Kyûzô Kobayashi and Susumu Takaku, crafted a profoundly bleak, discomforting vision of humanity in a pressure cooker. 

Fun Fact #1: Before he became a filmmaker, Satô prepared for a career in economics.

A small airliner enroute to Osaka receives a bomb threat, forcing its crew to return to their point of origin. Once again, however, they are made to change course by a hijacker (Hideo Kô) (Yes, friends, there’s a bomber and a hijacker). Things turn from bad to worse when the crew encounter a UFO, which causes one of the engines to flame out, while the instruments go haywire. The plane crashes in a remote region, but the survivors are unable to call for help, due to a smashed radio. Among the survivors thrown into the mix are Japanese senator Gôzô Mano (Eizô Kitamura), arms dealer Tokuyasu (Nobuo Kaneko), a teen, would-be bomber, and Mrs. Neal (Kathy Horan),* an American woman traveling to a U.S. air base, to retrieve her husband’s remains. First officer Sugisaka (Teruo Yoshida) and flight attendant Kazumi Asakura (Tomomi Satô) try to help the survivors and restore order to the ensuing chaos. Their problems are compounded by the realization they have no idea where they are, with no means of contacting the outside world. Meanwhile, outside the wreckage, a sinister extraterrestrial force, the Gokemidoro, take control of the hijacker’s body, transforming him into a bloodsucking fiend.   

* Fun Fact #2: American-born Kathy Horan was an ex-Air Force brat who worked as a model and actress in Japan. She enjoyed a brief film and television career from 1966 to 1969, before returning to the States. In addition to Goke, Horan appeared in genre favorites King Kong Escapes (1967), Genocide (1968), and Latitude Zero (1969).

Goke illustrates how people’s true natures are revealed through adversity. Senator Mano is only interested in his re-election, no matter the cost, while the obsequious war profiteer Tokuyasu, attempts to curry the senator’s favor by offering his wife Noriko (Yûko Kusunoki) in the bargain. When asked why he initiated a threat, the teen bomber replies simply, “‘Cause the world’s a boring place.” All this aberrant behavior is a petri dish for the psychiatrist. Rather than regarding himself as an unwitting participant, he views the ensuing drama with clinical detachment. No one emerges unscathed. The film suggests that Japan itself is a victim of the current state of affairs. Its residents witnessed nuclear devastation first-hand (one character links the bombing of Hiroshima to the appearance of flying saucers), only to be caught in the crosshairs of a global cold war between two superpowers. The omnipresent threat of widespread nuclear annihilation is further compounded by the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam war (represented by the Mrs. Neal character).  

During the 1960s, there was a brief period when Japanese genre films, particularly those from Shochiku, purveyed an especially dark, apocalyptic vision. While all the films in the Criterion Eclipse box set are well worth seeking out, despite a condescending write-up by Sight and Sound’s Michael Atkinson, Goke, the crown jewel of the collection, is not so easily dismissed. Despite its unrelentingly bleak vision, you’re unable to take your eyes away. Generally overlooked by mainstream critics, it’s remained only a footnote in Japanese cinema (if it's mentioned at all), but it’s long overdue for reassessment by modern audiences. Hajime Satô’s film takes a dim view of humanity and how a group of disparate individuals would deal with a crisis (Spoiler: not well). Because of hatred, widespread violence, and self-serving behavior, society is being torn apart bit by bit, leaving us vulnerable to attack. Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell reminds us that we are our worst enemy – to borrow an insightful line from Walt Kelly’s classic Pogo comic strip, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.” 

 

Sources for this article: “Apocalypse Wow!” by Chuck Stephens (essay in the Eclipse box set, “When Horror Came to Shochiku”); “Shochiku’s Schlock Wave,” by Michael Atkinson, Sight and Sound (January 2013); “Reflections of Miss Airlifter! Kathy Horan Remembers Her Acting andModeling Career in Japan!” by Brett Homenick, Vantage Point Interviews (2006) 

December Quick Picks and Pans

 

The Mysterious Castle in the Carpathians (1981) This imaginative, quirky fantasy/ comedy by director/writer Oldrich Lipský (based on a novel by Jules Verne) recalls the work of fellow Czech filmmaker Karel Zeman (with a heaping helping of Terry Gilliam). The opera-singing Count Teleke (Michal Docolomanský) embarks on a quest to find his lost love, Salsa Verde (Evelyna Steimarová), who was abducted by the shadowy Baron Gorc z Gorcu (Milos Kopecký). Teleke’s journey leads him to the Baron’s castle, filled with a host of fanciful inventions (brought to life by animator/prop-maker Jan Svankmajer) by the mad scientist Orfanik (Rudolf Hrusínský). If you’ve had your fill of Hollywood’s cookie-cutter approach to fantasy films, this movie might be just what the doctor ordered. 

Rating: ***½. Available on Blu-ray, Tubi and Kanopy

 

Invisible Ghost (1942) Bela Lugosi stars as respected citizen Charles Kessler in this Poverty Row production. Despite the promising title, the film harkens back to the whodunits of the silent era, bereft of any supernatural occurrences. Set entirely in Kessler’s house, where a series of murders have occurred (Guess who’s responsible?). If you’re looking for a taut, suspenseful psychological thriller about a man with a tormented mind, you might want to look elsewhere, but it's an entertaining enough potboiler if you don’t dig too deep (Spoiler: The butler didn’t do it). 

Rating: ***. Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Prime Video

 

The Guyver (1991) What if a makeup effects team directed a movie? It might look something like The Guyver (based on the manga by Yoshiki Takaya). Directed by Screaming Mad George and Steve Wang, it’s essentially a movie built around their freaky/fun creations (although a jive-talking monster voiced by Jimmie ‘JJ’ Walker is a bit much). Sean Barker (Jack Armstrong) is an aspiring karate master with impulse control issues (and the personality of a turnip). He unwittingly becomes fused with an ancient alien biomechanical device, transforming him into a powerful cyborg. He’s caught in a tug-o-war between CIA investigator Max Reed (Mark Hamill) and power-hungry CEO Fulton Balcus David Gale (along with his mutant sidekicks). If you’re in the right mood for some good practical effects and not much else, it’s diverting enough. 

Rating: ***. Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Tubi

The Undertaker and His Pals (1966) This would-be horror/comedy from director/writer T.L.P. Swicegood (who was obviously taking notes from H.G. Lewis’ Blood Feast) wears out its welcome in a hurry. The owners of a ramshackle diner (that appears to only have one menu item at any given time) are in cahoots with a shady mortician. Their establishments mutually benefit from a fresh supply of bodies, although it hardly seems to be a sustainable business model. The acting is lackluster at best, the effects are sketchy, and worst of all, the film thinks it’s funnier than it is (including sad trombone sounds for extra “hilarity”). Life is short…there are better choices on Tubi. 

Rating: **. Available on DVD and Tubi

 

Psyched by the 4D Witch (1973) Mercifully, this is the only film from writer/director Victor Luminera. Cindy (Margo), a naïve young college student, becomes possessed by the evil spirit of a 17^th-century witch (Esoterica), who takes her on a string of sexual escapades, one more depraved than the other. The washed out, scratchy print on Tubi suits the seedy subject matter, and the theme song plays over and over throughout the film, in case you forgot what the movie was about (spoiler: You’ll wish you did). Lacking any dialogue, the flick is narrated by Cindy and others who succumb to the witch’s control. In the many hallucinatory sequences, “demons,” represented by dollar-store masks and cheap rubber toys, prance about (you don’t need to be a scholar of Sigmund Freud to know what the toy serpent represents). The whole thing looks like it was shot and edited by kindergartners, but if you’re curious, any random five-minute sequence will probably tell you everything you need to know. 

Rating: *½. Available on DVD and Tubi

 

 

Danger: Diabolik

 

(1968) Directed by Mario Bava; Written by Dino Maiuri, Brian Degas, Tudor Gates and Mario Bava; Based on the comic by Angela Giussani and Luciana Giussani; Starring: John Phillip Law, Marisa Mell, Michel Piccoli, Adolfo Celi, Claudio Gora and Terry Thomas; Available on Blu-ray and DVD 

Rating: **** 

Special thanks to Rebecca from Taking Up Room, for hosting the On the Spot Blogathon, an eclectic event dedicated to the first title participants can think of. So, what movie popped up in my head? Read on…

“San Francisco dropped you out of the medical register, but if you’re lying, I’ll drop you out of the human register.” – Ralph Valmont (Adolfo Celi)

Everyone remembers that annoying meme “You may be cool, but you’re not [fill in the blank] cool.” The thing is, I know I’m not cool, but Diabolik (John Phillip Law) is the textbook definition of cool. Starting in 1962, Diabolik appeared in an immensely popular fumetti neri (Italian “black comics”) series, created by two sisters, Angela and Luciana Giussani. An attempt was made to bring Diabolik to the big screen a few years before the 1968 version, with a different cast and crew, but it never materialized. Finally, under producer Dino De Laurentiis* and director Mario Bava, the titular character made it to the big screen as Danger: Diabolik (the word “Danger” was added to the title for the English language market). 

* Fun Fact #1: Although budgeted for $3 million, cost-conscious Bava finished the film for approximately $400,000.

In the opening scene, Diabolik (John Phillip Law),* our (anti)hero, pulls off a daring heist of $10 million in cash, much to the dismay of Inspector Ginko (Michel Piccoli). Diabolik hastily retreats, along with his shapely companion, Eva (Marisa Mell),**/*** to celebrate in his underground lair (by making love on a rotating bed covered in a heap of stolen cash). This is merely child’s play, however, for a master thief, as he sets his sights on a priceless emerald necklace owned by the wife of a British dignitary. As the authorities are thwarted at every turn by the elusive criminal, they resort to more unorthodox measures to bring Diabolik to justice. Knowing “It takes a thief to catch a thief,” the police enlist the aid of notorious crime boss Ralph Valmont (Adolfo Celi) to even the playing field. But for Diabolik, an even greater challenge lies ahead. 

* Fun Fact #2: Law was under contract from producer Dino de Laurentiis to appear in Barbarella. He was cast as the lead in Diabolik after producer Dino de Laurentiis brought the actor into Bava’s office.

** Fun Fact #3: Diabolik’s distinctive, face-conforming rubber mask was created by practical effects wizard Carlo Rambaldi.

*** Fun Fact #4: Catherine Deneuve was originally cast as Eva, but was replaced by Marisa Mell early in the production.

Diabolik, as portrayed by John Phillip Law, is almost a supernatural force, always one step ahead of the authorities, and impossible to contain – for long. Brazen, suave, and armed with a sly sense of humor, he flaunts his ability to give the cops the slip at every turn. Bava biographer Tim Lucas referred to Diabolik as a terrorist, but that doesn’t quite fit the character. If anything, he’s an anarchist, not aligned with any specific ideology or anyone but himself. We get the impression that while he enjoys the fruits of his labors, it’s the thrill of his dangerous endeavors, as well as his love for Eva, that keeps him going. Compared to Robin Hood, he doesn’t give directly to the poor, but I would opine that his undermining of the foundations of an oppressive government is his way of giving back to the common people. Besides, it’s tough to find sympathy for a government run by inept bureaucrats who couldn’t be trusted to find sand on a beach. His lover and partner in crime Eva is the yin to Diabolik’s yang.* Much more than a damsel in distress or a pretty accessory (like the dimwitted floosies that hang around with Valmont), she’s always there to get him out of a jam. Eva enjoys the chase nearly as much as he does, using her feminine wiles to manipulate naïve men. 

* Fun Fact #5: The filmmakers followed the comic’s color scheme, with black for Diabolik (including his Jaguar E-Type) and white for Eva (and matching car).

Husky actor Adolfo Celi is perfectly cast as Diabolik’s underworld rival, Ralph Valmont. He says everything with a sneer, barking orders to his underlings whom he regards as nothing more than a means to an end. He uses his private airplane to conduct meetings and conveniently drop his enemies out of a trapdoor.* When he kidnaps Eva as leverage to get what he wants from Diabolik, we just know his days are numbered.   

* Fun Fact #6: Bava used a G.I. Joe doll as a stand-in for the actor being dropped out of Valmont’s plane.

British comic actor Terry Thomas amuses as the bumbling Minister of Finance. In a scene that wouldn’t be out of place in the ‘60s Batman TV series, he holds a press conference, to discuss the government’s new hardline policies against criminals. Fortunately for our protagonists but unfortunately for the official, Diabolik and Eva are one step ahead, administering “exhilarating gas” to everyone (Good thing Diabolik happened to have his trusty “anti-exhilarating gas” capsules. No, really!). Predictably, the whole event turns into a circus, with everyone in the room, sans criminals, succumbing to fits of hysterics. After Diabolik bombs the government tax office, the beleaguered Minister of Finance holds another press conference, bemoaning the lost records, where he innocently appeals to the citizens’ honesty to send in the taxes they owe.  

While Diabolik has been compared to James Bond by some, he seems more closely aligned with the gentleman thief Lupin III. I can’t confirm that Hayao Miyazaki ever saw Bava’s film as inspiration for his Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, but parallels with the two characters give one pause. A scene depicting Diabolik scaling a precarious castle wall with suction cups seems to mirror a similar sequence in Castle of Cagliostro (Perhaps it’s simply a case of great minds thinking alike?).

Ennio Morricone’s infectious score is a driving force in the movie, combining experimental electronic sounds, jazz riffs and electric guitar with more traditional instruments to create a breezy, fun-filled mood. Morricone’s score elevates the action scenes and enhances the more lighthearted sequences. I challenge you not to have the song “Deep Down” (sung by Maria Cristina Bancucci) rattling around inside your skull for days after watching this. 

* Not-So-Fun-Fact: According to Tim Lucas, Morricone’s stellar score was never released in any format, and the original tapes are now presumed lost.

While the cinematography is officially credited to Antonio Rinaldi, it’s widely accepted that the camerawork was done by Bava, himself. Bava also created the impressive matte paintings, including Diabolik’s futuristic underground complex, which still impresses today. Utilizing every camera trick in the book, Danger: Diabolik appears to be a much more expensive film. Instead of straying from the movie’s origins, Bava embraces them, replicating the comic book aesthetic at every turn.

When I think of a comic book movie, this fits the bill. Unlike many modern deconstructionist interpretations of the format, there’s no brooding superheroes or scenes so shadowy you’ll question whether you have cataracts. Danger: Diabolik proves that comic book films don’t always need to be Oscar bait to be a worthwhile viewing experience. Sometimes, it’s refreshing to watch a movie that knows what it is, and never takes itself too seriously (if a film could wink at the audience, this would be it). Danger: Diabolik is gleefully over the top from start to finish, reminding us how fun comic book films can be.

 

Source for this article: Blu-ray commentary by Tim Lucas

The John Saxon Blogathon Is Here – Final Recap

 

Well, dear readers and blogging friends, we’ve reached the end of the John Saxon Blogathon. I’d like to thank everyone who graciously donated their valuable blogging time to making this event a success. Whether this is your first blogathon with us or your 10^th (Can you believe this was our 10^th collaboration?), we’re so happy you were able to join us. We all lead busy, complicated lives, so I truly appreciate your hard work dedicated to one actor’s body of work. It’s been a joy reading so many sensational posts, so far. I’m still catching up with reading all the submissions, and if you haven’t heard from me yet, you’ll likely hear from me soon.

Big thanks to Gill for proposing this blogathon, and for her constant encouragement as a fellow writer. I look forward to our blogging partnership in the upcoming year, with two more blogathons planned (Trust me, you won’t want to miss them). Until next time, stay well and keep on bloggin’!

 

Be sure to visit the recaps from days One, Two and Three: 

Day 1 

Day 2 

Day 3 

 

Here are today’s final submissions:

 

Don’t touch that dial, because Kayla from Whimsically Classic examines the classic Mary Tyler Moore Show episode “Menage-a-Phyllis” (1974).  

Tigerhearts Tales shows us there’s more to learn about The Girl Who Knew Too Much (aka: The Evil Eye) (1963). 

Rebecca from Taking Up Room let us know if Lancelot: Gurardian of Time (1997) is worth our time. 

Sally Silverscreen from 18 Cinema Lane is eager to tell us about The Reluctant Debutante (1958). 

…And Glen from The Psychotronic Kinematograph reviews Night Caller from OuterSpace (1965). 

The John Saxon Blogathon Is Here – Day 3 Recap

 

Whew! It’s already Day 3 of the John Saxon Blogathon, hosted by Yours Truly and Gill Jacob of Realweegiemidget Reviews. I don’t know about you, but these past three days have flown by too quickly. Today’s batch is the biggest yet, with seven new posts!

Note: Since Gill and I are posting our Wrap-Up post on Tuesday, please send any late posts to both of us. If your post isn’t quite ready, we’ll post your link on Tuesday’s Wrap Up post. Post a comment below, email me at barry_cinematic@yahoo.com, or reach me on Bluesky (@barrycinematic.bsky.social), Instagram (@barry_cinematic), or Twitter (@barry_cinematic). You may also contact Gill by commenting on her post, through her blog’s Contact Me page, or on Bluesky (@realweegiemidge.bsky.social).

 

Be sure to visit the recaps from days One and Two: 

Day 1 

Day 2  

… And now, on with Day 3’s submissions (and stay tuned for Tuesday’s wrap up):

Terence from A Shroud of Thoughts reviews A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). Sweet dreams!

 

 

Catch Dubsism’s look at The Rockford Files episode, “Portrait of Elizabeth” (1976). 

Kristina brings us our third double-feature of the blogathon, The Swiss Conspiracy (1976) and Cross Shot (1976). 

 

 

Hey, what’s eating you? Don’t forget to check out John’s (at Tales from the Freakboy Zone) review of Cannibals in the Streets (1980). 

 

Frank from Smoke in the Library tries The Glove (1979) on for size.

Eric Binford from Diary of a Movie Maniac is back for a review of The Cardinal (1963). 

… And Yours Truly presents a look at Dario Argento’s stylish giallo, Tenebrae (1982).

See you Tuesday!

Tenebrae

(1982) Written and directed by Dario Argento; Starring: Anthony Franciosa, Giuliano Gemma, John Saxon, Christian Borromeo, Mirella D’Angelo and Daria Nicolodi; Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Rating: ***½

This post is part of the John Saxon Blogathon, hosted by Gill Jacob from Realweegiemidget Reviews and Yours Truly, shining the spotlight on one of cinema’s most versatile and recognizable character actors. Be sure to check out all the great posts about this singular talent.

Peter Neal: “Well, I’ve made charts. I tried building a plot the same way you have, tried to figure it out, but I just have this hunch that something is missing, a tiny piece of the jigsaw. Somebody who should be dead is alive, or somebody who should be alive is already dead.” 

Captain Germani: “Explain that.” 

Peter Neal: “You know, there’s a sentence in a Conan Doyle book: ‘When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.’”

Giallo (or the plural, Gialli) films, named after a popular type of Italian pulp novel, are curious murder mysteries, famous for their labyrinthine plots, spectacular death scenes and wild titles. There are several giants of the genre, but few have earned the praise that Dario Argento has garnered. Argento didn’t invent the giallo movie, but considering some of the classics he’s created, including The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Four Flies on Gray Velvet, and Deep Red (no, Suspiria isn’t a giallo), it would be easy to make that oversight. Argento returned in top form with Tenebrae (Italian for “darkness”),*  displaying his usual panache for creating suitably over-the-top imagery to match the grand themes of his stories. 

* Fun Fact #1: The film’s title was changed to Unsane in the U.S.

Successful American mystery writer Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa)* arrives in Rome to a controversy. Someone** seems to be emulating his latest novel, Tenebrae, perpetrating a series of violent murders based on his work (one victim is found slashed to death, with pages of the book stuffed in her mouth). He’s immediately questioned by police detective Germani (Giuliano Gemma), who’s a big fan of his books, and familiar with the various modus operandi he employs. His dedicated secretary Anne (played by Argento’s frequent collaborator and former partner, Daria Nicolodi)*** tries her best to make him comfortable throughout the ordeal, while his agent Bullmer (John Saxon) endeavors to keep the police and press at bay. He’s grilled by Tilde (Mirella D'Angelo), a critic, about the alleged misogyny in his books (a little self-reflexive moment for Argento, regarding criticisms of his own movies). Little does she suspect, however, that she and her lesbian lover Marion (Mirella Banti) will be the next victims. As bodies continue stacking up, Neal initiates his own amateur investigation, while confronting repressed memories of an incident in his younger years. The film flashes back to Rhode Island, where he witnessed the murder of a mysterious woman in white with red shoes (Eva Robins). By becoming entwined in the case, he discovers the truth could be fatal. 

* Fun Fact #2: Argento’s first choice for Peter Neal was Christopher Walken. 

** Fun Fact #3: The killer’s black-gloved hands belong to none other than Dario Argento, who often stood in for the murderer in his movies. 

*** Fun Fact #4: For the English version, Nicolodi’s voice was dubbed by American actress Theresa Russell.

Of course, Tenebrae wouldn’t be a self-respecting giallo without ample splashes of blood and flashes of skin. One of the most memorable murder scenes involves Marion as she relentlessly pursued by the crazed killer while clad in only a towel that seems in danger of flying off at any moment.* One of Argento’s hallmarks is the almost fetishistic presentation of broken glass, with shards flying everywhere in slow motion – all the better to cut the unfortunate victims to ribbons. Another component that makes an Argento movie special is the unmistakable, synth-heavy music of Goblin. While not officially credited to the band, for all intents and purposes it’s a Goblin score, featuring band members Massimo Morante, Fabio Pignatelli and Claudio Simonetti (who are credited separately). 

* In the preceding scene, when Marion seduces a young man in front of Tilde, she wears an ensemble that leaves little to the imagination, bringing to mind something my mother would often say: “That’s a nice outfit she’s almost wearing.”

The role of Bullmer is a nice change of pace for John Saxon, who’s often relegated to detective roles (or similar), in movies such as this. As Neal’s upbeat literary agent, it’s a relatively minor role, but Saxon milks it for all its worth. If nothing else, it illustrates how Saxon had a comic side, something rarely displayed on screen. When Neal questions Bullmer whether his favorite hat would stay on, he bobs his head in exaggerated movements, resembling a pigeon on acid. I don’t normally associate Saxon with “silly,” but this is a fun exception. Bullmer deflects the police and snooping reporters, but still has time for a little sugar on the side, having an affair with Neal’s mentally unstable fiancée Jane (Veronica Lario). Sadly, this plot thread is never quite fleshed out, but it adds another wrinkle to the list of suspects.

Although a slight step beneath his very best, only because the novelty of the genre’s conventions had worn a bit thin by the ‘80s, Tenebrae has a lot going for it. It’s artfully shot (thanks to cinematographer Luciano Tovoli), and the story keeps you guessing until the end. In her insightful commentary, critic/film scholar Maitland McDonagh observed that Tenebrae isn’t like an Agatha Christie story, where the plot is meticulously constructed in a way that you can logically deduce who the killer is. Instead, Tenebrae, like many of Argento’s films, relies on imagery and actions that frequently defy logic, colorful characters, and a cockamamie explanation for the killer’s motive. Considering the identity of the killer is a bit of a cheat, don’t strain your brain trying to figure it out. Like many giallo films (especially one by Argento), it’s best to sit back and enjoy the wild ride. 

 

Sources for this article: Blu-ray commentary by Maitland McDonagh

 

 

  

The John Saxon Blogathon Is Here – Day 2 Recap

 

Welcome to Day Two of the John Saxon Blogathon, hosted by Yours Truly and Gill Jacob of Realweegiemidget Reviews! We have another fine batch of reviews today, including two (count ‘em, two!) double features, B-movie favorites, and more.

If your post isn’t quite ready (like, ahem, mine) we’ll post your link on Day Three tomorrow, or Tuesday’s Wrap Up post. Post a comment below, email me at barry_cinematic@yahoo.com, or reach me on Bluesky (@barrycinematic.bsky.social), Instagram (@barry_cinematic), or Twitter (@barry_cinematic). You may also contact Gill by commenting on her post, through her blog’s Contact Me page, or on Bluesky (@realweegiemidge.bsky.social).

Don't forget to catch all the great submissions from Day 1!

Without any further ado, here are Day Two’s submissions below, and remember to drop by Sunday for a recap of Day Three, as well as a final recap on Tuesday.

Quiggy at The Midnite Drive-In presents a double feature of Saxon B-flicks with Blood Beach (1981) and Battle Beyond the Stars (1980).  

You won’t forgive yourself if you miss Emily’s (from The Flapper Dame) review of The Unforgiven (1960). 

We have another double feature of reviews, courtesy of John Rieber, who looks at Enter the Dragon (1973) and Black Christmas (1974).  

Brian from Films from Beyond the Time Barrier takes a terrifying trip into space to meet the Queen of Blood (1966). 

Eric Binford from Diary of a Movie Maniac paints a Portrait in Black (1960).

See you Sunday!