Don't Mess with These Chicks

Switchblade Sisters (1975) aka The Jezebels
Dir - Jack Hill
Weird Wednesday


I saw this trailer on a trailer compilation a while back and had forgotten how much I wanted to see it. I was not disappointed. Some great performances and action involving this teen girl gang. Fun fact: it features Lenny Bruce's daughter as one of the gang.

Can You Dig It?

The Human Tornado (1976)
Dir- Cliff Roquemore
Weird Wednesday


This is only my second Dolomite movie and it's just as fascinating as the other, Disco Godfather. This film has a lot of awesome to it from Rudy Ray's stand-up at the beginning, to the crazy white mafia basement shenanigans, and the clothes. Holy crap, the clothes! Someday I will make millions by releasing the Dolomite Collection and selling exclusively to gullible hipsters.

What Your Mother And I Must Know Is...

Black Christmas (1974)
Dir - Bob Clark

My absolute favorite Christmas flick, and one of my favorite films of all time. This pre-dates Halloween as a slasher film and really creates a highly suspenseful, frightening atmosphere without showing much of any graphic violence. One of the few films to really give me the creeps, and if you know anything about me that's saying quite a bit. I watch this every Christmas and it's one reason to actually look forward to the season for me.

Yes, this is directed by the same guy who made A Christmas Story.

Business Ladies

The Working Girls (1974)
Dir - Stephanie Rothman
Weird Wednesday

Great little exploitation flick about a group of girls, their sordid relationships and how they earn a buck. Probably most famous for having Cassandra Peterson in her pre-Elvira days plays a stripper who goes topless. Something so memorable that one of the alternate titles of the film is Elvira Naked. A very nice scene indeed.

Starving Sleeping Quarters

Death Bed: The Bed That Eats (1977)
Dir - George Barry
Horror Movie Night

O.M.G.

You can read my full thoughts HERE at Horror's Not Dead.

No Capes Here

Abar, The First Black Superman (1977)
Dir - Frank Packard

I honestly don't remember too much about this one. That's what I get for waiting weeks before entering it in this blog. Sigh.

However, there is some pretty atrocious acting (especially with the kids) and there is little-to-no attempt at masking the "message" of the film. Two outstanding moments have to do with one of the kids calling the other a "watusi wobbler", whatever the fuck that is, and the other is the shocking revelation at the very end of the film. Speechless.

We Are Going to Eat You!

Zombi 2 (1979)
Dir - Lucio Fulci
Midnight Madness

My triumphant return to the Inwood's midnight series for some big screen Fulci. Like I was really going to let that go by without watching.

This is my second time seeing this classic in a theater but my frist of the new restoration. It looks beautiful and there isn't as much obvious make-up/prosthstetic lines as expected - though the underwater zombie does look pretty bad in certain shots.

Of all Fulci's films this is not even close to my favorite but it's still great and deserves all the accolades and attention it gets.

Softcore Nanny

Jailbait Babysitter (1977)
Dir - John Hayes
Weird Wednesday

This is basically porn without any hardcore sex. According to the write-up in the Drafthouse guide Lars was originally distracted by all the boobs, but there were far less than I anticipated. Not much about this was interesting, but there are some bitchin' vans!

Eye on Your PIc-i-nic Basket

Grizzly (1976)
Dir - William Girdler

Thought I'd seen this before but quickly realized I had not. Some fun animal amok-ness and surprisingly violent for a PG film. That's always a plus. Good times with Christopher George and a killer bear, I must now watch Day of the Animal to see the director, CG and the bear reunite.

Run Logan, Run

Logan's Run (1976)
Dir - Michael Anderson

First time watch for me and overall I really enjoyed this. There are some cheesy FX, which are to be expected, but some really great ideas. I have some problems with parts of the story and logical things therein but I guess that's to be expected. After watching I went to a used bookstore and bought a copy of the source novel to read soon. I hear there are some pretty big differences.

Spies Like Them

S*P*Y*S (1974)
Dir - Irvin Kershner

A 70s spy spoof starring Elliot Gould and Donald Sutherland? Hell yeah! This is a rather funny look at a couple of capable, yet bumbling, spies with some fun dog owning anarchists and a lot of double crossing. Don't remember what made me add this to my Netflix queue but I'm glad I did.

Pimps and Hoes

Truck Turner (1974)
Dir - Jonathan Kaplan
Weird Wednesday

A classic blaxploitation I had yet to see and now it will probably become one of my favorites. Isaac Hayes is fantastic in the lead role and it's a very different way to see Star Trek's Nichelle Nichols. Some great action, an incredible death scene and some hysterical pimp outfits.

Palance Poliziottesco

Mr. Scarface (1976) aka I padroni della citta'
Dir - Fernando Di Leo
Weird Wednesday

This week's WW pick took us to the world of Italian crime films. In this one Jack Palance is a dirty boss who our main characters are trying to rob to retire to Brazil. I know this because Tony wears a Brazil shirt, his apartment is covered in posters from the country and he mentions it repeatedly. I thought his cohort, played by Al Cliver, looked really familiar and when I checked him on IMDb it's because he was  in tons of Fulci's films. Can't believe I didn't recognize him. While parts of the film get a tad slow the end shoot-out and chase scenes more than make up for it all.

In the Woods Now

Rituals (1977)
Dir - Peter Carter
Horror Movie Night

A nice surprise. Pretty dark and has some rather frightening moments. Great acting, script and terror.

Full review coming soon to Gordon and the Whale.

Put Yo' Weight on It

Disco Godfather (1979)
Dir - J. Robert Wagoner
Weird Wednesday

This is my first full Rudy Ray Moore film and I probably should have started with a double feature of Dolomite & The Human Tornado but oh well. There is a lot of disco dancing and some heavy handed anti-drug messages being shoved down your throat. Not that I'm saying PCP is a good thing but come on. Luckily the last 15-20 minutes are amazing! Crazy hallucinations and some batshit scenarios. Not quite sure if it makes up for the first 70 minutes but it is definitely special.

Who is Dr. Star?

Asylum (1972)
Dir - Roy Ward Baker

An Amicus horror anthology from the early 70s that is full of win! Each story is great and backed up by a wonderful cast. Seeing Charlottle Rampling and Britt Ekland together is lovely. This makes me remember what is so great about the anthology film and want to watch more, as well as more Amicus releases. I also want a Byron doll quite badly, but I'm sure that won't happen. Sigh.

We're Gonna Need an Even Bigger Boat

This Polish poster really gives the wrong impression about this film. If the shark had two mouths that would have been cool.

Jaws 2 (1978)

Dir - Jeannot Szwarc

For whatever reason I think I've only seen this installment once before, and I don't think I've ever seen part 4 (but will soon). I spend all of my Jaws time with the original and the badass third flick. Shut up, Jaws 3 rules! 

Anyway, this is a great follow-up with Brody. I love his touchy demeanor and how he begins to unravel and the thought of another shark coming to Amity Island. We see a lot more of the shark out of the water in this one and that is always a good thing. I'll have to remember not to neglect this one in the future. 

I Love Black Gloves

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970) aka L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo
Dir - Dario Argento

A great, genre changing giallo film from the maestro. Really enjoy this movie but am sad about the transfer on the new Arrow Video blu-ray. The DP went crazy chopping it from 2.35:1 to 2:1 and messed with the color timing so all the warmth and vibrance is very cold looking. Some good extras but I'm glad I still have the Blue Underground Blu for the better looking transfer.

Mind the Doors

A very awesome, but very misleading, poster.

Raw Meat (1973)

Dir - Gary Sherman

A very interesting British horror film from the early 70s with some great performances. Donald Pleasence's turn as the Scotland Yard inspector is quite brilliant and really adds to the fun of the film. The sequences in "the tube" with "The Man" are fairly creepy and showcase a few great FX gags and one rather startling moment. Something that surely inspired Christopher Smith's 2004 film Creep, which I should watch again.

When Will It End?

Deliver Us From Evil (1977)
Dir - Horace Jackson
Weird Wednesday

If there was one way to describe this movie it would be awkward. This means the acting, the editing, the cacophonous screaming and the straight-to-camera speech at the end. The message is to stop black-on-black crime and boy does it beat you over the head with the message. While it has a good cause behind it I'll probably steer clear of the film in the future.

What are the quotes for and where is the question mark?