So many films ... so little time ...

It was on this day in the great nations of Canada, India, and the United States of America all the way back in the year 2006 when audiences were treated to the theatrical premiere of Slither.

Written and directed for the screen by James Gunn, the Horror/Thriller included such talent as Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Rooker, Don Thompson, Gregg Henry, Tania Saulnier, Xantha Radley, Dustin Milligan, and others.

According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:

"From the depths of the endless space, a flaming meteorite crashes into the dark woods of the sleepy town of Wheelsy, South Carolina.  As the scorched rock reveals its silent content -- a baneful parasitic organism -- a subtle alien invasion commences, and the war's unlucky first victim is the town's local business, Grant.  Little by little, as an internal change transforms Grant into an utterly hideous monstrosity, his wife, Starla, starts to feel that something's been eating at him the last few days.  Now, before the unstoppable extraterrestrial attack, no one is safe, and to make matters worse, Grant's transformation is far from over yet.  Who can stop the slithering army from outer space?"

A quick search of Google.com indicates that Slither was a box office failure despite positive praise from some critics.

-- EZ

So many movies ... so little time ...

It was on this day in the United States of America all the way back in the year 2012 that homebound audiences were thrilled beyond belief by witnessing the end of life as we know it -- well, maybe life as we know it in Seattle -- with the broadcast television premiere of Seattle Superstorm.

Directed by Jason Bourque from a story by David Ray and Jeff Renfroe, the SciFi/Thriller starred such illuminaries as Esai Morales, Ona Grauer, Jared Abrahamson, MacKenzie Porter, Martin Cummins, Jay Brazeau, Dominika Juillet, Michelle Harrison, Matty Finochio, Jesse Moss, and others.

According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:

"NASA scientist Tom Reynolds thought everything would be fine when he moved to Seattle to be with his fiancé, Navy Lieutenant Emma Peterson. But when his gearhead son Wyatt can't stop fighting with her green-minded daughter Chloe, they realize that this new family may not make it. And things aren't just stormy on the home front; when an unidentified object is shot down by the military and crashes into Puget Sound, it sets off a series of strange weather phenomena: earthquakes, tornados, lightning storms... and they're spreading. Now, this new family must find a way to work together to save the city, and each other, before it's too late."

-- EZ
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(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters.  If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment.  If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
 
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Julie, an American on vacation in Mexico, spots a giant, one-eyed amoeba rising from the ocean, but when she tries to tell the authorities, no one believes her. She finally teams up with a marine biologist in an attempt to destroy it.”
 
On the commentary track for 2025’s new release of Film Master’s Monster From The Ocean Floor, film critic and historian Tom Weaver gets producer Roger Corman to admit that the chief idea behind the picture’s relatively simple story was this: Corman had seen a theatrical short featuring this brand-new one-man submersible, and he was so enthralled with the invention that he wanted to feature the craft on the big screen.  From there, he hired screenwriter Bill Danch to pen some underwater yarn; and the rest – as they say – is history.
 
Well …
 
It isn’t exactly good history.
 
What evolves as an adventure exploring a watery beast feels all wet most of the time.  There’s no relative progression for the plot: once Julie Blair (Anne Kimbell) hears a local legend that may or may not be linked to underwater nuclear testing back in 1946, she’s convinced that the resulting radiation must’ve somehow found its way into this particular cove, infected a conventional octopus, grew it to (reasonably) mammoth proportions, and gave it a single big human eyeball.  That’s really all a storyteller like Corman needed back in the day to set the wheels in motion, and Monster makes the best of such lean efficiency from start-to-finish in unspectacular style.
 
Along for the ride is Julie’s guy-friend – marine biologist Steve Dunning (Stuart Wade) – who just happens to be in the area testing out that aforementioned submersible, a nifty contraption that figures prominently into the story at each and every chance.  Unfortunately, Dunning dismisses so much of what Julie learns as little more than ‘fish stories’ as no true ‘man of science’ like him would be caught dead suspecting there could be anything more than a conventional explanation to some mysterious shenanigans going on ‘round these parts.  Still, she looks goods, so he’s willing to hang around for all of this nastiness to pass, having announced that he could be falling for the lady after only spending a mere day or two in her presence.  Wow.  Ain’t love grand?
 
To Corman, Danch, and director Wyott Ordung’s credit, Monster is surprisingly feminist.  Whereas other flicks of the bygone era might’ve cast their leading ladies as little more than damsels-in-distress, the irrepressible Julie Blair gets the lioness’s share of the screen time entirely as its central character.  Sure, she needs to ultimately be rescued by Dunning and his incredible underwater machine in the final reel – social mores weren’t that progressive in the mid-1950’s – but it’s the lady and her take-no-prisoners attitude that fuels what little narrative there is, even if that means dipping into the murky drink entirely on her own to do some deep-sea investigating.  She may not be Ellen Ripley (from the hugely successful Alien film franchise), but Blair was certainly no slouch.
 
Still, Monster isn’t the kind of picture that probably registered on anyone’s cultural radar back in the day.  At just over 60-minutes running time, it’s all-too-brief an affair to register with audiences.  Furthermore, the procedural is far too chatty in too many sequences, opting to divulge a great deal of local folklore and even a bit of marine science in some cut-and-paste sequences that feel tacked on more out of necessity than they do anything organically unfolding.  Danch adds aboard a few smaller roles to give all of it a kinda/sorta local flair, but these folks are painted more as superstitious simpletons, never having the chance to be anything greater than a screenwriter’s invention.
 
Monster From The Ocean Floor (1954) was produced by Palo Alto Productions.  DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Film Masters.  As for the technical specifications?  While I’m no trained video expert, I’ll attest that most of the picture looks surprisingly smart: Film Masters reports that this has been newly restored in 4K from the original 35MM camera negative.  (The underwater sequences are occasionally underwhelming; and there are some rather obvious redubbing throughout a great deal of the flick.)  Lastly, if you’re looking for special features?  There’s a solid commentary from film historian Tom Weaver along with a few other items heralding Corman’s legacy and Bob Baker’s work on the picture.  Heck, there’s even a few more items – including a collector’s booklet – giving this one a thumbs up entirely on the extras even though the film isn’t much to be desired.
 
Alas … only Mildly Recommended.
 
Corman purists can delight with how good 1954’s Monster From The Ocean Floor looks, although they might have some complaints over the surviving sound mix (it’s a bit muddled here and there).  While the flick isn’t exactly what I’d call a good one, I suppose it retains about as much charm as any of the auteur’s earliest works do (which is to say not a great deal).  Even creature feature fanatics will likely be disappointed with just how little monstrousness is in here – it’s exceedingly thin, maybe only a few minutes – so the Deep Blue Sea gets far more treacherous than audiences were subject to here.  Not a complete miss but very, very, very close.
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Film Masters (via Allied Vaughn) provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Monster From The Ocean Floor (1954) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review.  Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.

-- EZ
​

So many movies ... so little time ...

It was on this day all the way back in the year 1978 in the United States of America that the good and bad people of Dayton, Ohio were treated to an exclusive theatrical premiere event of the latest and greatest Horror/Thriller: Jennifer was first screened locally, and a good time was had by all.

Directed by Brice Mack (1917-2008) from a story by Kay Cousins Johnson (1923-1980) and Steve Krantz (1923-2007), the motion picture starred such names as Lisa Pelikan, Bert Convy (1933-1991), Amy Johnston (1954-2021), Nina Foch (1924-2008), John Gavin (1931-2018), Jeff Corey (1914-2002), Louise Hoven (1949-2024), Ray Underwood (1953-1993), Wesley Eure, Florida Friebus (1909-1988), and others.

According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:

​"Ostracized at a snooty private school because of her impoverished rural Virginia background, scholarship student Jennifer Baylor is tormented to the point of exacting revenge by using her psychic control over snakes."

Essentially what one gets with Jennifer -- as best as I've been able to surmise -- is the picture appears to have been an early attempt to capitalize on the Horror phenomenon created by director Brian De Palma's adaptation of the Stephen King novel Carrie which was delivered to theaters in 1976.  In fact, Jennifer's Wikipedia.org page has more than a single citation in which critics compared the two features to one another, though actress Pelikan's work may or may not have been the single greatest difference between the like-minded projects.

​-- EZ
​

So many movies ... so little time ...

On this day in the United States of America all the way back in the year 1984, Iceman enjoyed its first release when it was screened exclusively for audiences of the USA Film Festival.  (FYI: its full U.S. theatrical release would follow about two weeks later.)

Directed by Fred Schepisi, the script shows attributed to Chip Proser and John Drimmer.  The film starred John Lone, Timothy Hutton, Lindsay Crouse, Josef Sommer, David Strathairn, Philip Akin, Danny Glover, Amelia Hall, Richard Monette, James Tolkan, and others.

According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:

"An anthropologist who is part of an arctic exploration team discovers the body of a prehistoric Neanderthal man who is subsequently resuscitated. The researcher must then decide what to do with the prehistoric man and he finds himself defending the man from those that want to dissect him in the name of science."

Interestingly enough, I do remember seeing this one back in the day; and I distinctly remember being quite moved by it.  Lone's performance as the somewhat reanimated caveman was particularly impressive, and Hutton -- as the scientist who befriends the Neanderthal -- was also very solid.  I can also recall being a bit disappointed by the somewhat predictable finale: it isn't as if there was a great deal they could do with the story -- ultimately one was to wonder how possible it would be to introduce a man of limited means to a whole new world of tomorrow, and that's pretty much where they went with it.  Still, I'd argue that if a flick deserves to be rediscovered for modern audiences then Iceman is something deserving of another look.

-- EZ
​

So many movies ... so little time ...

​On this day in the United States of America all the way back in the year 1999, a little something-something titled Beowulf enjoyed a limited theatrical run domestically.  I've no way of knowing just how far and wide this one played, but methinks it likely wasn't but a few theaters at best.  That tends to happen with these smaller releases -- perhaps they had some contractual agreement to play on screens, and that's all that was accomplish -- but we'll have to take IMDB.com's word that it did his the multiplexes for a brief period.

​Directed by Graham Baker (who also directed 1988's Cult/SciFi gem Alien Nation), the script shows attributed to "Anonymous," Mark Leahy, and David Chappe.  (Like all of you, I'm assuming this all must tie-in with the Old English legend of the heroic warrior who slays beasts anyway.)  Amongst its cast were such names of Christopher Lambert, Rhona Mitra, Oliver Cotton, Gotz Otto, Charles Robinson, Brent Jefferson Lowe, Patricia Velasquez, Roger Sloman, Layla Roberts, and others.

According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:

"This post-apocalyptic future story is based on the 8th century Saxon epic poem about the knight who battled a monster in a medieval castle. In this story, Beowulf is a wanderer who learns about a man-eating creature called Grendel which comes in the night to devour warriors trapped at the Outpost. The Outpost is ruled by Hrothgar. He has a daughter, whose husband may have been murdered by the Outpost's master of arms."

-- EZ
​

Ach ... this one hurts, folks.

While he certainly hasn't been part of any major production in some time, Richard Chamberlain was the kind of talent that was all over the big and small screen in the days of my youth.  Actually, I can remember quite a few of his TV appearances -- major miniseries from the 1970's and early 1980's -- and even a few of his guest stops.  He was the epitome of the big star for that bygone era, knowing just how to handle himself in just about anything that came along, be it Drama, Action, and maybe even a bit of tongue-in-cheek comedy.

No, no, and no: he wasn't exactly what one might call a big genre star.  Indeed, some of what he did falls squarely into the realms of the Fantastic -- with a bit of stretching on my part, which I'm apt to do for some of my favorites.  Let me give you a rundown from my glance over at IMDB.com this afternoon.

Because I've always loved The Three Musketeers (the book and many adaptations), I'll give it the proper shout here.  The 1973 incarnation from director Richard Lester is, arguably, one of the most celebrated; and Chamberlain definitely did the character of Aramis well.  He returned for the sequel in 1974 -- The Four Musketeers: Milady's Revenge -- and that was all I really have to say about that.

​In 1974, he ventured into the successful world of the big budget theatrical disaster series of films -- many of which were really finding their place in filmdom -- with a solid role aboard Irwin Allen's The Towering Inferno.

In 1977, his first authentic Fantasy gig came a'knocking; and the actor headlined The Last Wave for acclaimed director Peter Weir.  Honestly, I can't say much about this -- I believe I watched this on pay cable back in the day, but I don't recall the specifics -- and yet I do know that it was the kind of thing that racked up some awards mentions during that obligatory season.

In 1978, he teamed up again with writer/director Irwin Allen for a big part in the storyteller's Ecological Horror thriller The Swarm for Warner Bros.  I'm not certain if this was the first motion picture to cast those dreaded killer bees as the central villain -- there were a few from this time frame that had insects turning on mankind -- but I can say it isn't exactly fondly remembered.  A bit of a stinker, from what I've read.

​The success of the Indiana Jones films -- chiefly Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981) and Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984) -- had major studios looking into what like-minded fare they could pony up for a chance at box office fortune and glory.  So in 1985 the Cannon Group resurrected the character of Allan Quatermain for the silver screen -- from the H. Rider Haggard books -- and King Solomon's Mines gave Chamberlain the chance to play a somewhat suave action hero for audiences.  While these were cheesier than the Raiders features, there was still enough box office to go around, and the sequel -- Allan Quatermain And The Lost City Of Gold -- was greenlit, though it performed poorly.

​Alas, none of us lasts forever; and word reached the World Wide Web today of the much-praised actor's passing.  As I've tried to be clear, you young folks likely haven't heard much of his name; but rest assured he was quite a sensation for your parents and grandparents in entertainment's past.

Our warmest prayers are extended to the family, friends, and fans of Richard Chamberlain.

May he rest in peace ...

​-- EZ

From IMDB.com (with minor edits):

​A powerful screen presence, Richard Norton wins the applause of international audiences with his engaging ability to play either the hero or the heavy. Rare versatility and focused work ethic have enabled him to build an expanding library of almost 100 film and television titles. The disciplines that brought Norton success originated in his hometown of Croydon, Australia, and his early fascination with martial arts.

By age 17 he was a karate black belt working security for nightclubs and serving as chief instructor to 500 karate schools nationwide. He landed a job as bodyguard to The Rolling Stones during the band's Australian tour and experienced his first brush with the demands of global celebrity. Norton trained with Mick Jagger in 4:00 a.m. workouts after concerts.

His competency attracted a dazzling roster of other rock star clientèle including James Taylor, ABBA, Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie and Linda Ronstadt, who invited him to California as her bodyguard. Before Aussies invaded Hollywood in posses, Norton ventured there alone. A friendship with Chuck Norris brought him work in motion pictures. Norris cast Norton as the lethal Kyo, a masked ninja, in The Octagon (1980), and their grueling final combat endures as a classic cinematic fight scene. Director Robert Clouse chose Norton to be one of the ensemble heroes in Force: Five (1981), an international hit, and the young martial artist's career in movies took off. His reputation for stellar performances emerged largely from high-energy Hong Kong films directed by Sammo Kam-Bo Hung and starring Jackie Chan in the mid-'80s. Muscular charisma made Norton the perfect Anglo bad boy for Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars (1985) and Millionaires' Express (1986).

Taking the hits of his screen adversaries in those films earned Norton more Hong Kong work and, notably, Chan's abiding respect. Richard calls Jackie "the maestro of martial arts movies." Jackie has returned the compliment by recruiting Norton as one of just two Western actors to perform in several of his Hong Kong-based productions, including the comedic cult favorite Madam City Hunter (1993) and the darker Mr. Nice Guy (1997), directed by Hung. Hung encouraged Norton to play the "Guy" nemesis, a well-heeled gangster, with eccentric edginess. Norton embraced the direction and delivered one of the best co-starring performances in all of Chan's films.

The success of Norton's Hong Kong work made him an established star in action films and a frequent cover subject for global martial arts and movie magazines. His collaborations with Cynthia Rothrock catapulted them to a level of fame that inspired a British magazine to deem them the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers of martial arts movies. The recurring partners produced two Rage and Honor (1992) movies, besides co-starring in China O'Brien (1990) and Lady Dragon (1992), among other titles. They reunited for Redemption (2002) with 'Don 'The Dragon' Wilson'. Norton nurtured his leading man status in crime dramas, MIA pictures and futuristic adventures that often featured his real-life training partners in supporting roles, such as Chuck Jeffreys in Rage (1993) and Benny Urquidez in The Fighter (1989). With standout performances in The Sword of Bushido (1990) and Under the Gun (1995), Norton displayed his attraction to heroes with dimensions, even flaws, that force them into action. H

is style of action incorporates the humor essential to humanizing a hero. It is the dark comedy in Mind Games (2003), directed by Adrian Carr, that enables Norton to triumph in another well-textured role as a suspicious Texan, demonstrating that he takes risks as an actor who ventures beyond action genres. Norton's credits behind the camera have become as diverse as his screen roles. Apart from acting and producing, he is a sought-after stunt/fight coordinator, choreographing action in films such as Nomad: The Warrior (2005), produced by Milos Forman, and Devil's Pond (2003), with Tara Reid and Kip Pardue. Despite a busy career, he continues to achieve black belts in the martial arts, always a motivating force for Norton's accomplishments

- IMDb Mini Biography By: William Gantt

So many movies ... so little time ...

It was September 18th all the way back in the year 1976 and all the way across the seas in the great land of Hong Kong that the Shaw Brothers served up their own unique form of justice with the release of ... The Oily Maniac!

Directed by Meng-Hua Ho from a story by Lam Chua, the Superhero/Horror starred Danny Lee, Ping Chen, Lily Li, and others.  According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:

"A cripple takes revenge on criminals by using a magic spell that transforms him into an oily monster/superhero."

Readers interested in checking out the citation directly can click on the below picture and be transported to the Daily Citation Page for September 18th.
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It was on March 11 in the year 1983 across the seas in Hong Kong that Shaw Brothers first released their Fantasy/Horror Portrait In Crystal to the masses-at-large; and now that event has been added to the appropriate Daily Citation Page of March 11th here on SciFiHistory.Net!

Directed by Shan Hua from a story by Wengui Chen, Nai-Pin Tsai, and Ying Wong, the Fantasy/Horror starred Jason Piao Pai, Yu-Po Liu, Jung Wang, and others.  According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:

"Several mysterious killings take place in the underworld and a war fighter is trying to find the culprit behind these murders."

Those wondering where they can find the information need look no further than clicking on the picture link right here:
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Interestingly enough, I was just alerted to the fact that our good friends at Imprint Films have an all-new home video release of Portrait In Crystal, a limited edition release that will be unveiled on May 28, 2025.  Readers who might be interested in securing a copy for their very of physical media collection can simply click on the above picture and be transported over to the company's portal where pre-orders are already up for commerce.  You'll also find the advanced publicity information posted below for posterity's sake.

-- EZ
​

​The master of the modern day crime thriller lends his directing skills to this amazing kung-fu crime fantasy. Hua Shan impressed audiences with such films as The Criminals trilogy, then dazzled them in an entirely different way by helming the superheroic Super Inframan and Flying Guillotine 2.

He combines those two genres in this adventure of a mystical mass murderer loose in the underworld. Pai Piao, long the favorite “go-to guy” for most of Shaw Brothers’ best kung-fu filmmakers, shines as the star in this unusual and popular epic.

A noble martial artist discovers that a living statue trained in the art of assassination is responsible for a series of killings in the underworld, and that more murderous statues are on their way if he doesn’t stop them.

1500 copies only.

Special Features & Technical Specs:

• 1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray 
• NEW Audio Commentary by critic / filmmaker Justin Decloux
• NEW Critic James Mudge on ‘Portrait in Crystal’
• Aspect Ratio 2.35:1
• Audio: LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English Subtitles
• Limited Edition Slipcase with unique artwork