GIANT CLAWS - "When Nature Rebels, All Hell Breaks Loose" (1980)

This is a pretty fishy Weird Wednesday presentation, but I kinda liked it!

This thing is called "Island Claws," it was made in 1980, and it is a legitimate monster movie that wasn't made in Japan!

Just to start off with the writers are Jack Cowden and Ricou Browning! What do these two men know about underwater adventures? Jack Cowden was the main writer for the "Flipper" TV series, and Mr. Ricou Browning was also a writer for "Flipper" but will always be remembered around these parts for being the man inside the rubber suit in all three of Universal's 'Creature' films!

Considering his creds, the music is not as great as it could have been, probably because Bill Justis was just trying to show he had soundtrack skills! The real story is Bill arranged and led studio bands in Memphis in the 50's for people like Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis! 

Bill also had the killer smash number two hit in 1957 called "Raunchy!"

Bouncing back from his creepster role in Hitchcock's "Misadventure," 

Barry Nelson is research scientist Dr. McNeal!
Did you know that Barry Nelson was the first actor to play James Bond, not Sean Connery. In the 1954 TV series called "Climax." Season 01, Episode 03 was titled "Casino Royale," and Barry played James Bond! Peter Lorre was the villain!

Since they need some women to be attacked by crabs, we've got Martina (Ghost) Deignan and Jo (The Munster's Revenge) McDonnell joining Barry Nelson, and the other fellow is Steve (Mega Shark Vs. Mecha Shark) Hanks as Pete Adams!

Take away the silly story, and you've almost got a top shelf high school biology class film!

The beer mug art on the wall looks like an ice cream soda instead of beer, but it's beer all right. You just wait and see!

The "4-D" man Robert Lansing is in there as a guy whose name describes him best, Moody!

What was I telling you about the beer? These guys are thiristy, and there's lots of beer drinking going on inside the "Half Shell Bar."

Mal (Yeah, he was in "Flipper" too) Jones is the innocent enough musician named Ames, and the first crab casualty!

Ames says Aaaaaahhhhhh!!

Most people think this is a bad movie, and it is, but at least it's a good bad movie!

It's not so fun when crabs have a gang or pack mentality!

More beer drinking!

The local crabs are getting larger. Growth hormones and nuclear waste make for a mighty potent cocktail!

What's all the screaming about??

Oh, Nevermind!

I was pretty impressed with the fact that they built a full-size giant crab!

"Squeeze me, Please me, Never tease me!"

So I think you get the general idea. Slow start and action packed ending, and just like "The Hokey Pokey,"
 that's what it's all about!

The good news is they've got free crab cakes for weeks!

An alternative title could have been, "Break Out The Butter!"

 Whatever you do, don't confuse the alternate title of "Giant Claws" with.........

.....The classic 1957 film, "The Giant Claw!"

THE HANDS OF ORLAC / They Have A Life Of Their Own! - 1924

Here's a silent German classic from 1924, the story goes like this... A world-famous pianist, Paul Orlac, loses both hands in a train accident. When new hands are grafted on, Orlac doesn't know they once belonged to a man accused of murderer, and who was put to death just before the operation.

This flick stars Conrad (THE MAN WHO LAUGHS) Veidt, Alexandra (RASPUTIN, DEMON WITH WOMEN) Sorina, Fritz (THE GREAT LOVE) Strassny, Paul (THREE TALES OF TERROR) Askonas, Carmen (THE MAN WITH THE LIMP) Cartellieri, Hans (IMMORTAL MELODIES) Homma and Fritz (BLUEBEARD - 1951) Kortner.

Poor pianist Paul Orlac is in a horrendous train wreck. Well, at least he's alive, even though he probably won't be able to play the piano any more...

Paul gets a new pair of hands, grafted on by Dr. Serral after the accident. But, he can only play a Troll's Dirge, he seems to have no control over them!.. They suck!!

Orlac goes out and buys a newspaper. Check out that vintage newspaper stand, wow! So, he reads an article about himself and finds out that his new hands are those of a murderer named Vassuer!

Orlac is going crazy, he visits his doctor and tries to pull his hands off!!

Then, Orlac tries to write a note but Vasseur takes over in a maniacal manner.

Paul is to receive his father's estate, but he finds the old man dead on the floor! Problem is, did Paul kill him?!

Orlac is out wandering in the streets after he found his dead father, a dude named Nera is now stalking him.

Orlac and Nera go to a cafe and discuss a few things, like the fact that Vasseur's fingerprints were found at the scene of the crime...

Orlac has been arrested, but Nera has to take off his fake arms. From a voice in the shadows, a woman tells the police that Orlac is innocent, and, Nera is the real killer!

Now we know how Nrea did it, very scientific for an oaf!

Orlac is happy as Hell, his hands are clean! He acts like a total spaz the whole movie. You call that progress?.. Sheesh!

It's off to the zoo for Nera, he almost got away wif' it... Tune in Wednesday where we'll bring you another twisted installment, here, at The Dungeon!!..

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!)