THE RETURN OF DOCTOR X / He Lives To Kill And Kills To Live! - 1939

Here's a weird one that is easily forgotten, especially compared to the super creepy original, DOCTOR X, which was in color. I remember seeing stills from this one in early issues of Famous Monsters. In this story, a newspaper reporter finds himself out of a job after he claims to have found a famous actress dead in her apartment. The problem is that she shows up alive the next day and threatens to sue the paper! Determined to investigate the incident, the reporter and his doctor friend discover her involvement with a strange doctor who is an expert on human blood. They then find a connection to a series of gruesome murders where the victims were all found drained of blood.

It stars Humphrey (THE BIG SLEEP) Bogart as Marshall Quesne, aka Doctor X, Rosemary (GOLD DIGGERS IN PARIS) Lane as Joan Vance, Wayne (THE DYNAMITERS) Morris as Walter Garrett, Dennis (TEAR GAS SQUAD) Morgan as Michael Rhodes, John (FLIGHT TO MARS) Litel as Dr. Flegg, Lya (MURDER IN THE AIR) Lys as Angela Merrova, and with Huntz (MASTER MINDS) Hall as Pinky!

Newspaper reporter Walter Garrett walks in to her apartment to find actress Angela Merrova laying on the floor, dead! Then, the next day, she shows up at the newspaper office to sue them over the false story of her death. The boss fires Walter over the apparent mistake.

Check out the Venetian blind shadows in this shot, jeez! Here's Michael visiting his gal pal, Joan. She has a rare blood type and is there for a transfusion.

Later, Michael is visiting Dr. Flegg about rare blood types and meets Marshall Quesne, also an expert on the subject. After Michael shakes his hand, he notices that it is ice cold!

This is Dr. Flegg, love his goatee and skull paper weight...

When Walter and Michael return to get more answers, Quesne gets tense with the questions and breaks the glass he's holding! Could the good guys be zeroing in on his secret?

Walter goes to the newspaper building to try and get some dirt on Quesne and hits the jackpot!

Our boys keep pressing Dr Flegg, so, he decides to show them what he has been working on...

He shows them that he has discovered the secret of bringing the dead back to life by reviving a dead rabbit. And, the boys totally believe him!

Problem is though, the ones brought back to life must have transfusions of a rare blood type to keep living. Quesne tells Joan that he has come to pick her up and take her to Michael and Walter, which is a lie. The boss and the boys find out where they're going and follows them.

Joan gets tied up and 'Doctor X' prepares her for his transfusion. The make up on Quesne reminds me of the dude in THE MAN WHO TURNED TO STONE!

The cops also show up and there's a shootout reminiscence of the old crime movies where they surround the place and shoot it up. Finally, our boys are able to get to Joan and untie her.

Doctor X escapes to the roof where he's shot and falls off onto the ground, bringing our classic tale to an end! Tune in Wednesday where Eegah!! will keep the Dungeon Ball of Craziness rolling along...

DIE HARD - "Peace On Earth, And Good Will To Man" (1988)

Tonight's Saturday Night Special is everybody's favorite Christmas movie,

"Die Hard"

 Made in 1988, this year is the 30th anniversary of "Die Hard." I don't feel a need to try and explain this movie, but there seems to be an ongoing debate whether "Die Hard" is a Christmas movie or not. It might not exactly be a Christmas movie, but it does happen at Christmas time, so that does make it a Christmas movie, and here are some shots to prove it!

 Christmas Tree!

Christmas Party!

 Stuffed Toy Christmas Present!

 This looks amazingly like a shot from a 1940's Fleischer "Superman" cartoon!
 Impressive!

 Bruce Willis spends most of his time sneaking around trying not to be seen just like Santa Claus!

 And when the time is right, he delivers the gifts to all the needy and deserving guys!

 Christmas at the office!

 Can Santa save the day?

 Nope, Santa's gonna be late this year!

 "Keep your eye on that tree, I don't trust it!"

 This looks like some future Christmas tree Dalek about to attack this guy!

If gas ever gets down to this price again, it will truly be a "Miracle On 34th Street!!

BATMAN AND ROBIN / Chapter 2: 'Tunnel Of Terror' - 1949

In this vintage 15 chapter serial, antisocial Professor Hammil's remote control device, which enables the user to take over any motor vehicle within 50 miles (dang!), is stolen by The Wizard, a black-hooded mastermind, and his gang. Batman and Robin (who drive around in a Mercury convertible) must prevent the Wizard from obtaining the diamonds needed as fuel for the device, and, rescue magazine photographer Vicki Vale from periodic perils. And, the Wizard's base can only be reached by a freakin' remote controlled submarine!

It stars Robert (HOUSE OF HORRORS) Lowery as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Johnny (PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE) Duncan as Robin/Dick Grayson, Jane (THE BRUTE MAN) Adams as Vicki Vale and Lyle (AMAZON WOMEN ON THE MOON) Talbot as Commissioner Gordon.

Here are Dick and Bruce discussing their game plan, now that the Wizard has stolen Professor Hamil's remote control device...

Our heroes head out in their airplane to try and locate the Wizard's secret lair and recover the diamonds they have stolen. After they land and get out of the plane, the Wizard blows it the Hell up with a destruction ray!

So, Batman and Robin climb in the bad guy's plane and hide in the back compartment. Once the plane's in the air, Batman takes the diamonds out of the sleepy head's pocket and replaces it with another package!

Boy, this doesn't look suspicious at all... The crooks, thinking they have the diamonds, enter a secret opening under a huge boulder.

They go down into an underground cavern that houses a remote controlled submarine!

So, the Wizard opens the package and finds Batman's calling card! And, the diamonds he needs is just a pile of sand... His henchmen just cannot figure out how it happened!

I guess their Merc's in the shop because they're using this Ford to get around. Okay, this is a Batmobile?! Boy, how things have changed, love the missing hub cap too!!

The gang of bad guys have a special radio to keep in touch with the Wizard.

Robin drives the Batmobile and catches the freight train the crooks are trying to rob, so, our hero climbs onto a freight car to confront them!

A big fight ensues and Batman enters the tunnel of terror! Willy make it?.. Betty does!!

So, chapter 3 has Robin going on a wild ride, just the way we like it, here, at The Dungeon!! Eegah!! is back tomorrow with another special post, just for you! Oh yeah, and them!!

BLACK SANTA'S REVENGE - "One Man Delivers Hope...With A Vengeance!" (2007)

I guess it's about time to get the Yuletide log rolling so for tonight's Wild and Wooly Wednesday Saint Nick style feature, I've got "Black Santa's Revenge" for you!

I'm not trying to be funny when I say one of the best things about "Black Santa's Revenge" is that it's only 20 minutes long! It was refreshing to watch the work of somebody who gets it! Just like in the comedy shorts of yesteryear by Laurel and Hardy, or The Three Stooges, in a 20 minute movie, there's not a lot of time to waste on frivolous crap, and the filmmakers can focus on substance and style instead of filler! I admit I have a short attention span, so this format works for me!

Santa's tired, and his apartment sets the mood! I do think it would be funnier, and more interesting if they just called it "Santa's Revenge," and that you didn't know Santa was black until you saw it!  Why does it matter that Santa is black anyway? Who can prove it's not true?

Ken Foree is Santa! Ken turned a young 70 this year, and is still kicking ass, and not taking names!

Ken Foree has been all over your TV since 1977, and has been in such memorable movies as "Dawn Of The Dead," and "The Wanderers," just to name a couple!

Santa wasn't really into his gig that much until a crew of cheapass thugs steal all the toys donated to charity!

Santa tries, but the local law enforcement agency is no help at all! No wonder since the detective in this shot is Danny Bruno who is unforgettable as the Eisbiber, better known as the beaver Bud Wurstner in the "Grimm" TV series!

What else can Santa do but head on over to the local strip club? 

Oh, Yeah, this really isn't a film for the kiddies, unless they're used to the colloquialism "motherfucker," boob shots, and guys getting violently blown away, otherwise it's perfectly fine!

And then it starts, one of the A-hole punks walks into the strip bar and Santa is pissed!!

Santa goes one step further than Mike Tyson, and bites this sumbitch's whole ear off!

You'd really think that after all this time, dumbass people would learn a lesson, but........

No!

Santa turns out to be a hero as he well should be, So......

Joy To The World, The Lord Is Come,

Let Heaven And Nature Sing!!