WHITE ZOMBIE In Color - 1932

Allied Artists just colorized a number of old horror movies available on Prime. Besides this one they also did THE SCREAMING SKULL, THE MANSTER, MONSTROSITY, THE BAT and others. I'll be posting these as we go along. Of course this is a redo of our original black and white White Zombie version which we have already posted.

It stars Bela as 'Murder' Legendre, zombie master. Other stars are Madge Bellamy, Joseph Cawthorn, Robert Fraser, John Harron and Brandon Hurst. The story is about a rich young man who seeks the help of a white witch doctor to lure the woman he loves from her fiancé, but she ends up as a zombie slave instead.

Madeline Short and Neil Parker are in Haiti to have their wedding at Charles Beaumont's plantation there.

After getting through a night of the dead ceremony in the middle of the road, Madeline and Neil are approached by a sinister character who ends up snatching Madeline's scarf from her.

At Charles Beaumont's home, Madeline and Neil have arrived, and a friend, Dr. Bruner, is there to greet the young couple, whose wedding is set for the next evening.

But something is screwy, Charles has set up a meeting with the witch doctor, 'Murder' Legendre that same night. When Charles gets there, he sees zombies turning a huge stone grinding sugar cane as Beaumont watches with disbelief as to what he's seeing.

He's instructed by a zombie to follow him...

Beaumont explains his problem.. He's madly in love with Madeline and wants Legendre to interfere with the wedding tomorrow, so that he can hide her for a month and persuade her to change her mind about Neil.

The only thing that Legendre gives him is this vial and tells him that just a drop of the liquid in a drink or a drop on a rose will put her in a trance and that they can bring her out it later.

And of course, Charles is desperate and puts a drop on a rose before the wedding. Madeline thinks he's just a friend after she met him earlier during a vacation.

As Neil and Charles stand at the door of the crypt, Madeline is put to rest.

I mean, like, Neil is nearly insane with grief and just stays drunk all the time.

Lagendre then has his zombies bring Madeline to his place in her casket.

Neil goes to Dr. Bruner's place for help, and the doctor tells him that his wife may not be dead, she has most likely been put in a zombie state by Legendre.

Beaumont is staying at Lagendre's place and has been trying to get Madeline to respond to him, but to no avail. Charles is confused and frustrated.

When Legendre pours Charles a drink and toasts to the success of their deception, well, Charles has sipped down some zombie juice, poor sap.

Dr. Bruner has been taking care of Neil, who's resting near this location, that's Legendre's castle looming over the Haitian shoreline.

Now the evil double-double crosser has Beaumont as his first 'thinking' zombie, which was probably a huge oversight on his part.

Neil has wandered in and collapsed upstairs. Legendre orders Madeline to go upstairs and stab Neil with a big old knife!!

As she's ready to plunge the knife into Neil's heart, Dr. Bruner grabs her hand, breaking her spell for a moment.

After Neil and the doctor get rid of the zombies, of all things, Beaumont, still thinking, grabs Legendre and tosses him over the edge of the castle.

And we get to watch 'Murder' Legendre plummet to oblivion!! Well, hope you enjoyed this colorized classic, breathing a little more life into it... It was a treat for me.

BATMAN AND ROBIN "Poison Ivy - You Can Look But You Better Not Touch" (1997)

 

Welcome to the first Saturday Night Special of the year 2022. In the case of "Batman And Robin," the word special doesn't necessarily mean good. There are some good Batman movies out there, but this just isn't one of them, unfortunately.

I don't usually talk crap about movies, and I was warned not watch it by a good friend, and I have to say "Batman And Robin" is just not a good movie. Sure, in over two hours you're going to have a few decent moments, but that's about all you're gonna get.

I'm sure "Batman And Robin" is the favorite film of some people, but I think it was mostly a waste of 125 million dollars.

Arnold Schwarzenegger actually gets top billing over Batman as Mr. Freeze. Unfortunately Mr. Freeze is just as stupid as Arnold is in real life.

Uma Thurman is without a shadow of a doubt, the star of the show!

The movie really gets going right about here. It's a gala costume ball, and all of Gotham's finest have turned out for the party!

I think George Clooney makes a good enough Bruce Wayne if he had just been given some decent lines.

Oh, no, did I just give away Batman's secret identity?

 The wonderfully provocative Uma Thurman is the beautiful, but incredibly deadly Poison Ivy.

The crowd at the costume party dig her too! During her entrance the music morphs into a very cool instrumental version of the song "Poison Ivy" that was a big # 7 hit for The Coasters in 1959. I always thought "Poison Ivy" was a song about a girl that would drive you crazy with desire, but Wikipedia states that "Poison Ivy" is a metaphor for a sexually transmitted disease, which I guess makes sense, but I never thought about it like that before. Kind of takes the romance out of the whole concept!!

I want a Gotham City snow globe! Should have asked for one for Christmas!

"She's pretty as a daisy but look out man she's crazy."

 Truer words have never been spoken.

The other interesting person in this film is Jeep Swenson as Bane, Poison Ivey's main man. Jeep Swenson was a legitimate professional wrestler who wrestled using the moniker The Ultimate Solution. Jeep was 6'4" and over 400 pounds when he died from heart failure at the young age of 40.

"A common cold will fool ya, And whooping cough will cool ya, But poison ivy Lord, will make you itch."

 You don't have to think too hard to guess what her name would be if they made this film today!

The Snowy Cones Ice Cream Club is literally cool!

Poison Ivy and Bane are in disguise, but are caught on camera skulking around.

Bruce Wayne gets the call!

"Late at night while you're sleepin', Poison ivy comes a-creepin' around."

 

"You're gonna need an ocean of calamine lotion!

You'll be scratchin' like a hound, The minute you start to mess around Poison ivy."

 

Looks like I ran out of time, and I never even got around to Chris O'Donnell as Robin, and Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl, but that's okay, because the movie would have been just as good or bad without them.

BEANY AND CECIL / "Davey Cricket" - 1962

Well, here's our last post in the difficult year known as 2021. So, my plan is to go back to the happy past with a fun Beany & Cecil cartoon!

The gang's out exploring the old south in their converted Leakin' Lena wagon pulled by Cecil and his little pony pal...

Cap'n reads an article in the newspaper which says that $100,000 is being offered to anyone that brings Davey Cricket to Hollywood to star in a slapstick western!!

On a map, he then points to the place they're going to in Tennessee, Davey Cricket's Thicket.

And of course DJ reads the same article. He's a talent agent for his movie company, Citrus Pictures. You can read the rest of the joke there on his phone booth.

DJ speeds away to Tennessee in his company airplane, that's all the budget would allow for.

At Davey's place, the little cricket is beating the crap out of all the critters there that want to take him on. Davey wins every scuffle.

DJ jumps out of his plane and falls into Davey's fireplace, trying to get to the little guy ahead of any other agents that may pop in.

DJ wants Davey to sign his CONtract and tells him about all the things he can afford as a star in Hollywood.

Like owning lots of homes and land, cars and a butler to top it off.

But, Davey's not having any of it...

Davey has DJ act out a part with him, then he attacks!!

DJ tries to get away but Davey's hot on his trail, riding a bear skin.

Here's how it ends for DJ, stuck in a wooden wheel on his way to oblivion!

Then Beany and the gang show up and ask Davey to sigh their contract to star in a movie. Davey says no way to the boys...

But Cecil has a little surprise to show him!

It's Leading Lady! Davey can't resist and signs the contract, then they all head back to Hollywood for another adventure... So, like, let's all hold our breath and dive into 2022, Eegah!! will be here tomorrow with our first post of the new year!