THE AVENGERS - "Return Of The Cybernauts" (1967)

Here we go again, it's time for the Saturday Night Sequel down here in The Dungeon!

 

The internet seems a little confused about "Return Of The Cybernauts." The IMDB has it as the first episode from Season number six of "The Avengers," that aired on February 21, 1968, and Wikipedia says that it is episode number seventeen of Season five, and aired on September 30, 1967.

 

Here's another interesting piece of information, starting with Season five, all episodes of "The Avengers" were filmed in colour, but since they didn't begin transmitting in colour until November of 1969, they were all still broadcast in black and white when first shown!

This outing we have the venerable Peter Cushing as the evil Paul Beresford.

Paul Beresford is worse than evil, because he's pretending to be John and Emma's friend, but his real intentions are to kill them in the most horrible way possible!

Instead of sending out a mercenary robot to kill people, Paul is sending out robots to kidnap people, smart guys who will be able to conjure up the most painful way of dying.

Why is Paul so mad at Steed and Mrs. Peel? It's because he believes they caused the death of his brother Dr. Armstrong played by Michael Gough in the other episode, and he wants them to pay for it!

6'5" perennial bad guy Terry Richards has the role of The Cybernaut.

Terry was in four more episodes of "The Avengers," an actor and stunt man in many films, and was the Arab swordsman that gets shot in "Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark," in this memorable scene!

Even though his intentions are to murder Emma Peel, Paul obviously also desires her!

Ami (Rentaghost) MacDonald almost steals the show as the secretary with a crush on herself, who gets tossed across the room by The Cybernaught.

Diabolical Paul has everything, including a huge two-way mirror so he can spy on his guests.

Who's that knocking at my door?

Patrick Macnee was born into a wealthy family, but his Father, a horse trainer, pissed it all away drinking and gambling, and so Patrick was raised by his Lesbian Mother, and her lover Uncle Evelyn.

Paul's captive scientists come up with a device in the form of a watch that turns the person wearing it into a virtual zombie, aware, but powerless to do anything except take commands, or in other words, it basically turns them into human cybernauts! This one is for Mrs. Peel.

Mrs. Peel is now powerless!

What an idiot, she's completely under his control, and all he wants to do is kill her. I think I could come up with something better than that!

Steed notices there's something wrong with Mrs. Peel, but not before she judo chops him in the neck!

Frederick (The Persuaders, The Pretenders, The Protectors) Jaeger reprises the role that he had in the other episode as the Bunsen burnin' Benson.

Ouch, that hurts!

They end up turning the tables on Paul, and the cybernaut squeezes the life out of him!

The cybernaut is deactivated, and this time Steed gets to push it over with one finger!

THE AVENGERS - "The Cybernauts" (1966)

Right now, nothing appeals to me any better than "The Avengers," so that's what you're going to get on this fine Wednesday, March 2021! 

"The Cybernauts" was the third episode from the fourth season of "The Avengers," and aired March 28, 1966, almost exactly 55 years ago, and it's still just as good as the day they made it!

 

People are getting killed and there always seems to be an ink pen involved!

Not even a shotgun can stop the mayhem!

Steed remarks that this would be a good shotgun for shooting chandeliers!

Something big is at the door!

And after the death and destruction, another pen is at the scene of the crime!

This gal is supposed to be pretty tough, but Mrs. Peel disposes of her easily!

 

 This is a pretty funny moment that made me wonder if it was in the script or impromptu. Mrs. Peel is dusting the room, and then she dusts off Steed a little bit too.

 

Try and wrap your brain around this fact. KISS have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but neither Patrick Macnee or Diana Rigg do!!

 

The guy in charge of all the mayhem is Dungeon Hero Michael Gough, as mean Dr. Armstrong! Shame, shame, Michael Gough also does not have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!

 

The big Cybernaut robots under Dr. Armstrong's control are tuned in to anyone who has one of his guidance pens on them, so he kindly gives one to Steed!

 

Boy, would I like to have this table full of toys!

Steed finally gets to meet the big guy while he's in his dormant state, but that doesn't last for long!

 

As it turns out, Dr. Armstrong has another Cybernaut working for him too, but this one is not a hit man, he's a maintenance man.
 

 

I love all the monitors in Dr. Armstrong's lab!

 

They plant the homing device pen meant for Steed on the maintenance man robot, and the two Cybernauts duke it out!

 

Dr. Armstrong loses his shit! He can't believe he's been foiled by John Steed and Mrs. Peel!

The two robots beat each other senseless, and become comepletely non-functional, and Mrs. Peel can't believe she was able to push the hit man robot over with one finger!

I'll be back on Saturday with the followup episode they did in 1967 that's in colour, that was called "Return Of The Cybernauts," so stay tuned

The HORROR And SCI-FI MOVIES Of HERMAN COHEN 1952-77

 Okay kids, it's time to check out The Horror and Sci-Fi Movies of Herman Cohen, there are some very cool monster moments he's responsible for, so, sit back and enjoy the show!

First off, Herman was co-producer for BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA in 1952, one wild and wooly (ha ha) comedy flick! Also stars Duke Mitchell and Sammy Petrillo in their best Martin and Lewis imitation!

Next up is TARGET EARTH from 1954, I remember seeing this thing on TV in the fifties, it was okay because of the robot and menacing shadows. Still wish the robot looked like the awesome ones in the poster!!

In the zenith year for movie monsters, 1957, Herman produced BLOOD OF DRACULA. It's a decent flick and has some great music to swing to while we're waiting for Nancy to change into that weird looking vampire (?) who goes on a killing spree!

While I was putting this post together, it hit me... Check out the posters from the fifties, especially the next three, and notice how freaking awesome they are, what punch!! Then, check out the posters after that, they taper off to just a big pile of crap in comparison, the thrill was gone! That's why I like to emulate the fifties monsters in my art, in fact, I'd be an idiot not to!!

Herman kicks some butt with I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF, also in 1957. Of course, this poster was a re-release probably from 1959 because of the BONANZA reference.

Herman scores again with I WAS A TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN in 1957, it's always weird to see Whit Bissell in both of the TEENAGE movies! Notice, the last three movies feature a Vampire, a Werewolf and a Frankenstein Monster, smart!

HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER from 1958 is a great little flick, it gots both the Werewolf and Frankenstein Monster. The only beef I have with Herman was burning Paul Blaisdell's irreplaceable monster heads at the color ending without his knowledge or permission!!!

We used to have the 1-sheet poster from THE HEADLESS GHOST from 1959 in our collection. Not a great movie, slow and way too British for my taste...

Herman's back on track with HORRORS OF THE BLACK MUSEUM in 1959!! Michael Gough is freakin' awesome as the very evil, Edmond Bancroft, in this classic tale of terror!!

Michael's back as the bad guy in KONGA in 1961, a movie Eegah!! and I saw when it came out. Wow, by that time, FAMOUS MONSTERS clued us in to all the new movies coming out!!

Three times is a charm, Michael returns again with BLACK ZOO in 1963, He's just as sadistic as ever, him and his wife run a small zoo that has some deadly animals living there!

In 1965, Herman releases A STUDY IN TERROR, a tale where Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson join in the hunt for the notorious serial killer, Jack The Ripper!

Joan Crawford goes BERSERK! in 1967, in a story about a scheming circus owner, Joan, that finds her authority being challenged when the show is targeted by a vicious killer!

Then, Joan agrees to play Dr. Brockton in TROG in 1970, man, this is one strange movie that has a caveman from the past... I prefer DINOSAURUS! a lot more when it comes to cavemen!

In 1974, Herman comes out with CRAZE, starring Jack Palance... It's a voodoo tale about a nutty antiques dealer who starts sacrificing women to an African idol. Crap poster!!

Last on the list is WATCH ME WHEN I KILL from 1977. A pharmacist is killed, and, a woman happens to see the murderer leave the scene. She begins being stalked by the killer, and, her boyfriend tries to discover who the villain is.

Great stuff, we'll have more Halloween Countdown Pogey Bait for you on Wednesday...