NOROI NO YAKATA: CHI O SUU ME - "Lake Of Dracula" (1971)

 Tonight's Saturday Night Special is a 1970's vampire movie from Japan titled "Noroi No Yakata:Chi O Suu Me" or......

 ....."Lake Of Dracula."

Now I have to admit that I think the title "Lake Of Dracula" sucks, but this is actually a pretty good movie. It's a Toho film, so you know I'm probably right!

And yes, it's my understanding that it's also known as

"JAPULA!"  

(I'm really not kidding.)

 "Lake Of Dracula" starts off with a little girl looking for her small dog that has run off!

What really bothers me here is that, isn't that the ocean, not a lake?

I think the name should at least be "Ocean Of Dracula" or maybe "Sea Of Dracula!"

 What the little girl discovers is an olde creepy house!

 With an ever creepier owner!

 Aw, Hell No! I'm just getting started!

 

 Character actor Shin Kishida does a great job as Japula. He was also in the other 70's Japanese vampire movie, "Evil Of Dracula!"

 What it is, is a painting of a memory, or was it a dream?

That's the problem, distinguishing between the two!

 The Doctors can't quite figger out what happened here. I guess they never had time to go to the movies while they were in college!

 

 This gal decides to check out of the hospital on her own!

 Akiko, the haunted woman who doesn't know if she's dreaming or not is played by Midori Fujita. This was Midori's first film, and she was only in five more after it. It might have permanently scarred her!

 Japula is thrown off his deathlong mission by the glare of lights!

 Heroes is heroes, even if they don't understand everything!

 I'd be krazy too if this was my kitchen!!

Like, Wow!

 When you think of a Japanese movie with a dumbass title like "Lake Of Dracula," you don't expect much, but with this one, you might be surprised! All of a sudden, none of that matters! 

This guy really is Dracula!

 Drac's really busy!

 He wants this woman for a number of reasons I'm not allowed to elaborate on!

 Unfortunately, it's too late for her good lookin' Sister Natsuko!

(I just wrote that, and then looked up some bio info on Sanae Emi, the actress who played Natsuko, and found out she died at the age of 36 as the result of a homicide, but good luck finding out the real story).

What goes around, comes around!

 It wasn't a dream!

"Lake Of Dracula!"

Stupid name (Blame The Translation). Good movie!

 (Although, if you're any kind of vampire nut, you will see, and feel, the end coming!)

THE GHOST / The Black Sign Of Death Is On This House! - 1963

Here we go with another twisted Euro horror flick, this time from 1963. The story goes like this... A woman and her lover murder her husband. Soon thereafter though, strange things start happening, and they wonder if they really killed him, or, if he has returned from the dead to haunt them.

It stars Barbara (TERROR-CREATURES FROM THE GRAVE) Steele, Peter (I MARRIED A MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE) Baldwin, Elio (SAMSON IN KING SOLOMON'S MINES) Jotta, Harriet (THE HORRIBLE DR. HITCHCOCK) Medin, Carol (only acting credit) Bennet and Carlo (THE WILD, WILD PLANET) Kechler.

Old Dr. Hitchcock is sick, his personal physician pays regular visits to tend to him. But, he has suspicions that wifey is up to no good with the visiting doctor, and tells her...

Handsome Dr. Charles Livingstone's definitely there for the bonus points! In fact, the two are madly in love and come up with a plan to get rid of the old fart.

As Margaret shaves her husband, she day dreams about slitting his throat!

The medical mumbo jumbo is complicated and I have no desire in trying to 'splain it, watch the movie. Anyway, they poison him and he's pronounced dead...

The housekeeper, Mrs. Wood, tells Margaret that the key to the vault (where the family jewels are located) may be hidden in the house somewhere. After the key cannot be located, she tells them that the key may be in the jacket of Dr. Hitchcock, so, they go to his tomb, open the coffin and find the key on him.

As they are ready to open the vault, Mrs. Wood calls for Margaret, so, she goes downstairs to talk with the housekeeper. When she goes back to Charles, he claims that there were no jewels in the vault! Margaret goes banana split bonkers over the revelation!

Then, guess who shows up?.. Old gruesome! Is he still alive, or, is he a... GH, GH, GHOST?!

Still treasure hunting, Margaret goes back to the tomb and pushes the coffin over on its top, then uncovers a hidden chest. When she opens it, it stabs her hand before she discovers that it only has a freakin' skull inside!

Then it happens, Charles wants to leave! Everything is going to Hell in a hand basket (what's a hand basket?) and he wants out, like, see you later toots! His suitcase spills onto the ground, revealing the goddamn jewels!! Remember, he claimed that the vault was empty. Maragret sees a razor amongst the jewelry, and grabs it!

And, the thief is cut to shreds before she drags him wrapped in a rug to the tomb and sets him on fire! Another story of true love gone awry...

The for real Dr. Hitchcock shows up, it was just a ruse of course. When a person has this look, you know that they have something especially evil and sadistic in mind!

For remaining loyal to him, he empties his revolver into the housekeeper's back as she walks away to do another task!..

By mistake, Hitchcock swallows a poisoned drink. Margaret, now in a wheelchair, offers to give him the antidote...

Then, drops it on the floor! Margaret gets the last word! Tune in tomorrow when we're back with more dusty old Dungeon Cargo!..

THE ALFRED HITCHCOCK HOUR - "Misadventure" (1964)

Tonight's Wacky Wednesday Adventure is courtesy of Grant, who clued me in to it after the "Peter Gunn" post last month that featured Lola Albright!

It's season three, episode eight of "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" from 1964 titled "Misadventure," and the title is a very appropriate description of what the Hell's going on here!

I'll just let you bask in these surrealistic shots from the intro of "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour."

Like...WOW!

And then to show his wry sense of humour, the opening introduction is done from a kissing both with no patrons!

"Misadventure" starts off in the reflection of a toaster! I could probably just stop here, because that kind of says it all!

No chase scenes, no car crashes, not much action, and only four actors total, and one of them is only on screen for about 30 seconds, so essentially three actors, and one crazy ass story is all it takes!

Lola Albright is Eva Martin, and she's got big problems internally, and externally!

The classic George Kennedy is as classic as ever as Eva's husband George Martin.

The same year George was also in "Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte," and "Strait-Jacket," and went on to have almost 200 acting credits!

Lola is looking as good as ever, but she's over her husband and can't wait for him to go off to work so her boyfriend can come over.

But instead..........

.......This freak shows up!

Barry Nelson is Colin, the supposedly madly in love creeper peeper!

Barry was in The Twilight Zone Episode "Stopover In A Quiet Town."

Colin is a seriously messed up dude with a lot of fake mental and physical problems! 

First he's a man from the gas company, but he doesn't feel well, and wants to know if he can take a shower!

Then Eva comes in and he's in her bed!

Now his story changes, and he's a detective hired by her husband to spy on her and her lover!

Then he doesn't feel good again, and tells her that he's been spying on her and that he's deeply in love with her!

They end up having sex, and a plan to get rid of her husband!

Then we find out that he's actually George's very bitter brother with a massive scheme to get rid of his uptight stingy brother once and for all!

You just have to see it!

Alfred has to end up marking down the price of his kisses, and he still doesn't have any customers!

Thanx Grant!!