Monday, August 1, 2022

NIGHT GALLERY / "The Doll" - 1971

Here's a great episode from NIGHT GALLERY,  It's all about a British Army Colonel who has to go up against his niece's evil doll. It stars John Williams as Colonel Masters, Shani Wailis as Miss Danton, Henry Silva as Pandit Chola and Jewel Blanch as the Colonel's niece, Monica.

Colonel Masters has retired from the British Army and ends his tour in India. His niece Monica has a hideous doll sent from India that she thinks was sent by her uncle.

But, the Colonel; assured them that he did not send it. He's repulsed by the doll and gets another one for Monica, a friendly looking one.

One night, the Colonel and Miss Danton find Monica crying, saying that the doll from India was being mean, and...

It tore the Hell out of the new doll!!

Then they look up to see the evil doll with a creepy smile on its face!

The Colonel is resting in the study when a mysterious figure appears after just walking into the house. His name is Pandit, he's the one that sent the doll, an undying doll that has a mission, kill the Colonel! He accuses the Colonel of being the one who sent an order for his radical brother to be put to death by firing squad. The Colonel tells Pandit that he would do it again, and, if possible, he would have  Pandit put to death too, because of his radical views! We also find out that the Colonel is very familiar with the mystical side of India.

The Colonel decides to put an end to the doll's evilness, but finds it sitting at the top of the stairs!, smiling! Creepy, legs with no feet!

Anyway, the thing attacks the Colonel, who gets a bad wound on his arm.

In the study, the Colonel has Miss Danton bring the damned doll down to him.

The doll ends up in the fireplace.

Miss Danton asks the Colonel if he wants a doctor, but he says that he'll be dead before the doctor arrived, apparently he's been poisoned.

He has one last request for Miss Danton, he has a letter to be mailed ta a friend in India, and it says that it has happened, he'll know what to do...

Pandit is in his room (in India) when a currier brings in a box addressed to him. It's a present from the deceased Colonel Masters.

Curious, Pandit takes a peek at the contents inside...

Pandit is frightened by what he sees in the box.

It's a doll of the Colonel, and the sight fills Pandit with terror!

Time for some ironic revenge, it's your turn now, Pandit. This is a really good episode, the acting is superb, the sets are great,, the dolls are creepy, what more could you want?!

Saturday, July 30, 2022

13 MYSTERIES - "Something Ain't Right In North Cactus City" (2017)

This week's Saturday Night Special is an independent film made in 2017 titled "13 Mysteries."

 
"13 Mysteries" was written and directed by Julia Noel, and the Executive Producer was Edward Parker Bolman, who has been leaving a lot of informative and interesting comments here lately.
 
 
"13 Mysteries" is a lengthy film running a full hour and forty-six minutes, and there is no way I could try and explain it to you in this format. For that matter, I might not even be able to explain it in person over a bottle of wine, so first off I'll just tell you that one of the stars is a telephone!

The phone is in various locations and is plugged into the ground!

Not quite sure what the make and model of this phone are, but I like the modern design!

 
There's even a phone worshiping cult that lives in a remote cave in Hollywood.

 The mysteries unfold, one by one.

 Edward Parker Bolman is our hero Milton 'The Investigator' Firebrace! While out wandering around in the middle of nowhere, he comes across a phone, and then it starts ringing.
 A voice on other end of the line speaks the olde language, and Milton doesn't understand a word, so he decides it's time to move on the the next mystery.
 
For security reasons, large portions of this story have been redacted!
 
So rather than me trying to explain this film, let me tell you about just some of the people involved in this project!

Percival Baird is the flamboyant Mayor of North Cactus City and is played by a gentleman named Buzzsaw!

Dr. Broccoli is played by Teddy (Necromancy) Quinn. Teddy is also a musician and has a recording studio out in the desert!
 
The talented
Maritza (Night Of The Zomghouls) Brikisak is a character named Elemental.
 
Comix artiste Carrie McNinch has the role of Number One.

Steve Moramarco is Mayoral candidate Phillip Daird. Steve was the Associate Producer for the film "Tenacious D In The Pick Of Destiny." 
 
Another very interesting participant in this project was Janet Housden, the former drummer for the 70's & 80's punk band Red Kross. Janet has the role of Hypatia Spitzenberg, one of the residents of North Cactus City.

 
There's not enough room here to name the whole cast, and I apologize if I identified anybody incorrectly. The great thing is that you can make your own evaluation and consideration for what's going on here for nothing, by going HERE, where "13 Mysteries" streams for free!
 
"13 Mysteries" is set in an alternate 1970's, and here's a picture of me in 1970, just in case that explains anything, if not then just beam me back up!

 This is some pretty serious jive, and Milton 'The Investigator' Firebrace just might have gotten in over his head a bit!

It's beautiful how an overexposed black and white picture is still so readily identifiable as a
Bougainvillea!

Friday, July 29, 2022

13 8mm And SUPER 8 HOME MOVIES With HORROR And SCI-FI BOX ART

I started with a few older titles, like this one, THE DEVIL BAT, starring our main guy, Bela Lugosi. Wow, what a great example of box art, just imagine monster kids in 1962 at the store going through the titles, talk about a goldmine of fun! As far as I remember, they were edited down to about 7-8 minutes, showing all the best parts.

Here's another one starring Bela, an example of great artwork from the graphics department for MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE, the horror monster show!

This FRANKENSTEIN artwork is really intriguing, so simple with that red background setting the whole thing off, nice.

And we have 1 MILLION B. C. starring Lon Chaney and Victor Mature as cavemen, sprinkled with prehistoric monsters to battle with.

This INVADERS FROM MARS artwork is so deceiving... First of all, the leader in the jar ain't that creepy. Secondly, look at those mutants, what the Hell man, that ain't the ones I remember! Thirdly, what's up with those flying saucers?! Hey, there was only ONE saucer, dude! And hey, that ain't what they look like, dummkoph. They got the people right though.

Then we have MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD, but the artwork is totally weak compared to what they could have created. It's even from United Artists!

Now, THE SPIDER box art kicks ass, definitely one I'd want in my collection, if I had one.

The box art here for THE GIANT BEHEMOTH is very attractive, good job!

Man, this is another very fine example of eye catching 8 mm movie box art. As a monster kid, how could you not want to add this one to your collection!

FRANKENSTEIN 1970 is retitled for this Castle Films release, and the box art looks great!

THE CLAW MONSTRERS is a TV movie from 1966, it is the edited movie version of the Republic serial, PANTHER GIRL OF THE CONGO, on the screens in 1955. Great artwork.

Wow, here's some more eye catching box art for THE GIANT CLAW, another title I'd love to have in my imaginary collection of 8 mm home movies!

I saved BEAST FROM HAUNTED CAVE for last because it's so funky, I love it! The best part is that it has the very best version of The Beast I've ever seen! There you go, some eye candy to feed your brain on a Friday, here at The Dungeon!!

Monster Music

Monster Music
AAARRGGHHH!!!! Ya'll Come On Back Now, Y'Hear??