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A textbook example of '50s-era science fiction, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers boasts not only a solid script and competent performances, but some genuinely impressive stop-motion effects courtesy of one of the industry's uncontested masters, Ray Harryhausen. Scientist Hugh Marlowe (who faced a more benevolent invader from space five years earlier in The Day the Earth Stood Still) discovers that UFOs are responsible for the destruction of a series of exploratory space rockets launched by his space exploration project. The saucers' helmeted pilots land on Earth and deliver an ultimatum to humanity via Marlowe: fealty or complete annihilation.

Harryhausen's painstakingly intricate saucers and the destruction they wreak (particularly during an assault on Washington, D.C.) are the film's unquestionable highlights, but Marlowe and Joan Taylor (as his wife/partner) are capable leads, and veteran B director Fred F. Sears doesn't let the dialogue and expositional scenes fall apart in between the barrage of effects. Earth vs. the Flying Saucers is a fun and effective slice of sci-fi that should please younger audiences as well as nostalgic return viewers. Sears later reused some of the effects footage for his jaw-droppingly awful 1957 effort, The Giant Claw. --Paul Gaita ... Read more

Reviews (54)

Harryhausen Fun Factor
So far as story goes, the title says it all, and you won't find any brilliant performances, acclaimed writing, high-concept storylines, or big budgets here. But you will find Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion special effects, and that counts for a lot.

This is not among Harryhausen's more elaborate works--those would come a bit later in his career--but even so he creates some very interesting effects. Unlike most sci-fi efforts, including recent ones with computer-graphic effects, Harryhausen's flying saucers actually move in a way completely unlike anything you've seen anywhere, suggesting completely alien intelligence and machinery. In fact, the saucers are so interesting to watch they assume the role of the film's main character!

Kids weaned on Star Wars-style special effects will probably be bored by the film, and the even more forgiving fans of 1950s science-fiction flicks will find the over-all movie tepid. But the Harryhausen fun-factor cannot be denied, and fans of his work won't want to miss this one.

Flying Saucers! Paranoia! Aliens Attack!
_Earth vs. the Flying Saucers_ is vintage sci-fi from 1950s cold-war America. Plotwise, the title says it all.

The film's acknowledged highlights are the impressive special-effects sequences by stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen. Harryhausen manages the difficult task of giving these flying saucers a personality of their own. In fact, these spinning machines display more nuance and character than any of the film's human actors. But perhaps that's as it should be. After all, if you plan to watch a film called _Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, you're not really looking for taut psychological drama.

The extras on this DVD are adequate, but no better. Two of the disc's three featurettes have been featured on other Harryhausen discs, so if you already own a title in the "Harryhausen Collection," you'll discover quite a bit of overlap. A photo gallery and some trailers round out the package.

P.S. The flying saucers (along with a good deal of the plot) in Tim Burton's hilarious _Mars Attacks!_ were lifted from this film. See the original first, and you'll get most of the jokes.

Entertaining 50's scifi, with plenty of extras
"Earth vs. the Flying Saucers" is one of those movies that helped define the science fiction thriller of the 1950's. It features a lantern-jawed scientist as hero, his intelligent but doting love interest, and a very straightforward flying saucer invasion.

Like "Independence Day" the movie is a race against time -- the scientists and military must find a way to defeat the aliens before they succeed in their plan to conquer the Earth-- but "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers" is a better movie than "Independence Day". It's leaner, meaner and better-written. And Ray Harryhausen's special effects still look great today.

And what a great, great job Columbia did with this disc. The film has been digitally cleaned up and presented in widescreen, and there are some great extras -- Joe Dante interviews Ray Harryhausen about the film, and there is a short promotional film about Harryhausen's Dynamation process. A commentary track would have been welcome, but for a B-movie from the 50's, this is above and beyond. Thanks to everyone at Columbia who made it possible.

One of the movies spoofed by "Mars Attacks"
I went back and forth between 2 and 3 stars on this one. Basically, what this movie has going for it are the special effects by Ray Harryhausen, which were pretty advanced for their time ... but the plot is such a collection of cliches that it's hard to sit through, nearly 50 years out.

If you're a fan of 1950s s-f movies, or just want to see one of the movies that inspired "Mars Attacks," this is worth watching. Otherwise, skip it.

It's easy to see why Ray does not like this movie....
It was a very difficult movie to make as Ray recounts in the making of featurette, He used models that were tedious to move one frame at a time, he was using cameras that could not photograph them correctly, he prefered using cameras with high speed filming abilities but the budget did not allow it. The budget for this movie was actually so low that he had to make all the models with the cheapest of materials. Glue, wood, plastic, and just hope they would last until filming was complete. It was a hard movie and much of this footage was used in later B-movies, a kind of insult to Ray, I belive. It's no wonder that he wanted to move toward making movies on stories on Greek Mythology afterward. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

All That and Thurber, Too
What most reviewers miss about this romantic comedy is that it's primo for its style -- Good Neighbor Sam, Please Don't Eat the Daisies -- and they decided to spice up the montages by animating Thurber comics (since the central figure is a misanthropic cartoonist who falls in love in spite of himself). It's an old fashioned comedy, funny like they used to be: two dimensional characters, a conflicting love interest (Jason Robards taking a break from O'Neill for a change) interjected to put the heat on and help things come to a boil, and a flock of children each responding to the situation in a different way -- like the second tier comedia del arte characters. Give yourself a break, get a bottle of wine, a pizza, and a friend with a sense of humor and make an evening of it.

Superb Underrated Comedy/Drama!!!
This Movie is a superb underrated Comedy/Drama.Lemmon/Harris Rules in this film!!It's a must see!!

Half-forgotten treasure; To be rediscovered.
***Possible Spoilers***

-Peter: "Will this operation be of any help?"
-Oculist: "Your chances are less than 50%"
-Peter: "And if we don't operate?"
-Oculist: (Turns out the light).

These are the prospects that cynical, sloppy, family-hating cartoonist Peter Wilson (Jack Lemmon) faces, when he stumbles over the beautiful legs of Terry Kozlenko (Barbara Harris), a divorced mother-of-three. This rendez-vous results in a marriage.

Who, do you think, suddenly emerges at the wedding, takes photos, cuddles the kids, flirts with the bride, kisses the bride, and even carries her over the door-step? You guessed it: her ex.

Steven Kozlenko (Jason Robards), a photographer in war zones with a taste for young girls, has the habit of coming and going as he pleases. With devastating results on the psyche of his children: Caroline, 16, follows daddy's example (with boys), stammering Linda (Lisa Gerritson) tries very hard not to betray her feelings, and David, 6, sleeps on door-steps out of fear that his daddy nr.2 will sneak away too...

Nonetheless Peter tries to be a caring step-dad for the children, despite many mishaps: losing his trousers and even his towel in front of the kids, trying to explain the facts of life to them, only to discover that they know more than he does, even "saving" David from drowning, only to be saved himself by Steven (how embarrassing!).

After one night of heavy drinking Peter and Steven end up fighting the "war between men and women" - against cartoon-women. (This is a brilliant sequence, mixing real-life with cartoon-characters. "Peter Wilson" was modeled after James Thurber).

Next morning, Peter is missing something: his eyesight. He is shocked when he discovers that Terry and the children knew all about his imminent blindness right from the start, despite his efforts to keep everything secret. Never will he accept their charity...

This film is not flawless. Some gags don't work, and some are blue. Yet the actors cope wonderfully with their dialogue. Robards plays with charm and a chuckle, Harris is feisty, but a little heartless, and Gerritson makes an art-form out of her stammer.

Best of all, of course, is the star of this film. Jack Lemmon is funny when he should, sexy (and he could!), irresistible in his embarrassment and deeply touching in his sorrow. In tragi-comic roles he never had an equal. (Tom Hanks is flaccid by comparision, and Robin Williams schmaltzy). But Lemmon was touching because he was real. He had substance.

This film is a half-forgotten treasure: to be rediscovered. I can honestly recommend it. A very funny film for the whole family.

Bitter sweet comedy in a classic sense
Jack Lemmon and Barbara Harris were a perfect match in this classic comedy. The special effects with the cartoon drawings incorporated into the movie were excellent. I first saw this movie when I was a kid and it still makes me laugh.

Enjoyable romantic comedy
War Between Men and Women is a warm hearted romantic comedy based on the works of James Thurber. Similar in style to the old tv show, My World and Welcome to It, the film incorporates animated figures representing Thurber's drawings and commentary on the eternal battle of the sexes. Jack Lemmon is perfectly cast as the "man" who hates women, children, and dogs but falls for Barbara Harris, the "woman" who comes bag and baggage with all three. If your a Barbara Harris fan and consequently regret she didn't make more movies, this is the picture that proves she had the talent to be a star. One sour note, this video has been edited for content. Some scenes have "offensive" bits of dialogue bleeped out. In other words brief silence on the soundtrack ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An Excellent College Campus Thriller!!
In this 1970 film written by Eric Segal(Love Story).Anthony Quinn portrays a liberal thinking professor who becomes College President after the former College Professor is bounced out by the student activists. a peaceful Quinn is then put at odds by those same activists when they threaten to use violence on their own campus for their own gains.This is an excellent College Campus thriller that was so reminscent of that period in the late 60's and early 70's!! ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Another Harryhausen classic and one of his best creations
This is the type of film I love. Good story,good effects and a GREAT monster THE YMIR to boot. This is what hollywood needs to do is go back look at films like this and realize that its substance to a movie not CGI effects that tell and make a story. Im 24 and have a old school style when it comes to sci-fi/horror which I TRULY LOVE. If you are a monster fan or a sci-fi/horror movie collector this is a must see and have movie either for the first time or for your movie collection. To me this is one of Harryhausens best creature designs and the creature himself has substance that makes you want to root for him. For the sci-fi lover in you rent this or buy this but whatever you do see this masterpiece from the golden-age of science fiction. Bring back the old school!

Ray Harryhausen's classic Sci-Fi Creature Creation
"Twenty Million Miles to Earth" is a superb example of 1950's sci-fi story telling and special effects at their very best. The film has so many different things to offer a sci-fi buff like myself, top notch work by genius Ray Harryhausen, wonderful on-location photography in the beautiful Eternal City Rome, and one of the best monster creations of the entire 1950's decade in the famed "Ymir" from Venus. Indeed "monster" is not really an appropiate title in this case for this visitor from beyond the stars is a creature very much in the "King Kong" mode of being a sympathetic victim of man's lack of care and understanding in bringing him out of his own environment into a strange new world he does not understand.

"Twenty Million Miles to Earth" tells the tale of the return to Earth of the first exploration spaceship to reach the planet Venus. Unfortunately the ship crash lands into the sea just off the coast of Sicily killing all crew members with the exception of Col. Robert Calder (William Hopper). Just prior to it sinking the local Italian fishermen manage to save the Colonel and one of the local boys Pepe (Bart Braverman in an endearing performance)finds a strange capsule washed up on the coast after the ship sinks. Unaware of its strange contents which in actual fact is a baby creature found on Venus by the crew and preserved in a liquid, it is sold off to Dr. Leonardo (Frank Puglia) who decides to take the strange creature to Rome. However what is soon discovered is that the creature begins to grow at an alarming rate until it is twenty feet tall and then breaks loose and roams the countryside looking for food and protection. Many memorable moments occur as the creature tries to cope in its new world from the unforgettable attack in the farmers barn to its eventual capture under an electric net by the army. Once taken to Rome where it is housed in Rome's Zoo the creature revives and goes on a frantic rampage throughout the city destroying famous sites in the eternal city along the way. The climax of the story in shades of "King Kong", takes place atop the Colosseum where after a stirring fight the poor creature is shot down by the army.

Ray Harryhausen excelled himself with his creation for this film. The Ymir from Venus, despite its scaley appearance and threatening reptilian manner takes on a whole character of its own and in the scenes of it going on a rampage you can almost feel its frustration and panic as it is cornered and pursued by soldiers and shot at. It certainly is one of Harryhausen's greatest creations and a real joy for Sci-Fi buffs and there numerous wonderful stop motion scenes created for this classic story. Memorable are the creatures rampage through the old Roman Forum, his battle with the elephant in the streets of Rome and all the scenes that take place at the climax within the Colosseum. Actors and storyline really take second place to the action particulary in the second half of the film but William Hooper and romantic female lead Joan Taylor do well in their respective roles which may not be too challenging but are delivered with a certain degree of conviction.

For all lovers of 1950's science fiction "Twenty Million Miles to Earth" is one of the very best examples of movie making in this genre. Long before computer generated special effects removed any real artistry from monster construction, efforts like this showed the brilliance of earlier film makers who worked for months often to create their special effects that have a charm and vivacity all their own. This is a classic "monster on the rampage" story but it is one with a fascinating "Lead Monster" who will definately get you on side. Enjoy classic 1950's Sci-Fi adventure with the Ymir from Venus in "Twenty Million Miles to Earth".

Don't Overlook This Little Miracle.
My review is aimed primarily at viewers who have not seen this film and who are serious Harryhausen fans ( I mean viewers who realize that Harryhausen is a genuine artist and not just a Hollywood entertainer) and who are willing to make the effort to deepen their understanding and appreciation of his work.
Let me begin by noting that 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH has, unfortunately, some of those characteristics that make so many 50's sci-fi/monster films very stimulating and very frustrating at once: it wastes so much precious time on all that typical tiresome tripe instead of feeding and building those essential sparks that alone make it worthwhile into the real and gratifying fire it could be. By the time it gets around to what matters the film is basically over.
This is one of those films.
BUT, BUT, dear reader, I am not contradicting myself in saying that this is one of Harryhausen's really important films because in spite of the mediocre work that other people bring to it, this is the film in which Harryhausen's genius fully breaks through into clear visibility. It is with the creation of the 'Ymir', the alien creature that is the CENTRAL CHARACTER of this film, that we first fully see Harryhausen's essential gift and vision. The Ymir is one of Harryhausen's finest and most sensitive creations. And ironically it is because of the mediocrity of the rest of this film that one can get a particularly focused look at the creature: It is like an eruption of deep, intense color and form against a bland gray background that is haunting and unforgettable. Don't buy this film because it is a great genre film, it isn't. Buy it because it is a fabulous introduction to the genius of Ray Harryhausen. Don't buy it for what it should have been: a classic of its type. Buy it for what it is: an unexpected little miracle in the midst of banality.
I can only laugh when people refer to Harryhausen's creations as 'dated'. The Ymir is alive, is en-souled, as no computer generated creature ever has been or probably ever will be.
Long live Ray Harryhausen!

Not that bad. Actually very exciting and good!
This typical nice 50's scince fiction thriller is about this spacecraft crashing in Italy from Venus that uncovers only 1 human survivor, and a growing organism brought back from the planet. The survivor meets a girl in a hospital and falls in love with her. Then, the otganism starts growing, and finally gets in the stage of a human sized monster. In one of my favorite scenes, after the monster had killed a farmer stabbing him in the back with a pitchfork, the scientist and his men go by the torn up body of the dog and the farmer without even flinching!!! Ha ha! I like the later parts in the film when the monster as big as King Kong throws stone bricks on soldiers, crushing the life out of them!!! Finally, foreign gasfire overcomes the monster, and the scientist marries the girl. No more info needed, so enjoy this little campy sci fi flick with popcorn and Root Beer...

20 Million Miles: Still Packs a Wallop
There is a handful of horror/big bug movies from the 50s that the astute viewer can usually spot right away. A large and dangerous creature is either brought to earth from outer space or is roused from a long state of suspended animation to wreak havoc on a densely populated city. Army units are trucked in to battle the creature and soldiers carrying M1 rifles leap out to face a monster that is given face and form by the master of slow motion animatronics, Ray Harryhausen. In 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH, the obvious dating of the film does not detract from the audience's enjoyment of a creature that curiously enough brings in a number of cinematic subtexts. The first is the punishment that humanity invariably incurs when it dares to Learn Things Man Was Not Meant To Uncover. In this case, a seventeen crewman rocket ship returns from Venus to crash into the sea off Sicily. A tiny reptile/human hybrid survives the crash only to grow every day to outsized proportions. The havoc the reptile dumps on Rome is a not so subtle reminder of the dangers that Prometheus faced when he too tried to steal fire and thunder from the gods. A second subtext is the constant clashing between scientists who wish to study a dangerous creature and the military who wish to kill it for the same reason. Remember in THE THING when scientist Robert Cornthwaite dashed up to the marauding plantman to shout, 'You are wiser than we. They (pointing to the miliary types) wish to kill you.' In 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH, director Nathan Juran tries a clever reverse by having a US Army colonel played by William Hopper take on the politically myopic scientist role who begs the Italian mayor to spare the creature in the name of science. Then finally there is the eternal Hollywood custom of subordinating the educated and lovely female scientist (Joan Taylor) to the two-fisted uniformed manly male (Hopper) so that a romance blossoms even as the creature romps in their very midst.

I had not seen this movie for nearly twenty years until I bought it on VC, and I was astonished at how well I remembered the plot. The special effects by Ray Harryhausen are still second to none. In fact, Harryhausen's genius brought in a final subtext. His ability to make the creature bounce and move gave it a personality that I immediately connected to King Kong. Both were creatures that ruled their respective home planets. Both were neither evil nor amoral. They simply acted in accordance to a nature that humanity refused to acknowledge. And both sought higher ground at the end with each trumpeting out a final roar of defiance before overwhelming military might. The emotions that well up in the one's heart as he sees what happens when strong and independent animals clash against man and his infinitely confusing artificial laws leave one with the unsettling notion that perhaps there really are Things Man Is Not Supposed to Know. 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH says this as well as any film can. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Horrible, horrible, quality!
I love "Fantasy Island," but never in my life have I seen a DVD with picture quality this bad!

Nicely Done TV Movie!!
Mr Roarke(Ricardo Montalban)and Tatoo(Herve Villechaize)are back in this nicely done 1978 TV Movie where 3 fantasies are brought to life 1.A couple ventures to meet the daughter that they gave up for adoption 12 years ago as long as they don't divulge their identity to her which Mr.Roarke has taken strict measures to enforce.2.A beautiful executive is lured to the island under false pretenses assuming that she is striking a lucrative business deal but is tricked by her employee who wants to confess his love for her.3.A young couple whose wife suffers from amnesia caused by a mysterious incident 4 years ago.Their past is recreated as a cure for her sickness.Guest stars in this cast include Adrenne Barbeau,Pat Crowley,Joseph Campanella,Karen Valentine,Laraine Day,Joseph Cotton and Cameron Mitchell. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Horrible, horrible, quality!
I love "Fantasy Island," but never in my life have I seen a DVD with picture quality this bad!

Nicely Done TV Movie!!
Mr Roarke(Ricardo Montalban)and Tatoo(Herve Villechaize)are back in this nicely done 1978 TV Movie where 3 fantasies are brought to life 1.A couple ventures to meet the daughter that they gave up for adoption 12 years ago as long as they don't divulge their identity to her which Mr.Roarke has taken strict measures to enforce.2.A beautiful executive is lured to the island under false pretenses assuming that she is striking a lucrative business deal but is tricked by her employee who wants to confess his love for her.3.A young couple whose wife suffers from amnesia caused by a mysterious incident 4 years ago.Their past is recreated as a cure for her sickness.Guest stars in this cast include Adrenne Barbeau,Pat Crowley,Joseph Campanella,Karen Valentine,Laraine Day,Joseph Cotton and Cameron Mitchell. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Horrible, horrible, quality!
I love "Fantasy Island," but never in my life have I seen a DVD with picture quality this bad!

Nicely Done TV Movie!!
Mr Roarke(Ricardo Montalban)and Tatoo(Herve Villechaize)are back in this nicely done 1978 TV Movie where 3 fantasies are brought to life 1.A couple ventures to meet the daughter that they gave up for adoption 12 years ago as long as they don't divulge their identity to her which Mr.Roarke has taken strict measures to enforce.2.A beautiful executive is lured to the island under false pretenses assuming that she is striking a lucrative business deal but is tricked by her employee who wants to confess his love for her.3.A young couple whose wife suffers from amnesia caused by a mysterious incident 4 years ago.Their past is recreated as a cure for her sickness.Guest stars in this cast include Adrenne Barbeau,Pat Crowley,Joseph Campanella,Karen Valentine,Laraine Day,Joseph Cotton and Cameron Mitchell. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Tell 'em old Frankie is back!
Back in the days when drive-ins still brought in the crowds, you could still make movies for about a buck and a half and have them distributed. Out of that came performers like Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper.

Suffice it to say, there ain't nothing like them in here.

Frankenstein's Daughter is a very guilty pleasure. Clearly made for the price of dinner for four at Sizzler, this demented flick throws everything it can think of at you- not one, but two monsters, bathing-suit clad teens bopping to the song "stylings" of Page Cavanaugh and his trio, and Harold Lloyd, Jr (who is noted as the liner notes as being a masochist. I heard the boy sing. I am here to tell you, that boy is a sadist.) The idea is that Mr. Frank (enstein, get it?), the infamous doctor's grandson, has weasled his way, lock, stock, and Igor into a plum gig as the assistant for Dr. Morton, who keeps a convenient lab in his west LA home, complete with stadium sized wine cellar and loads of arcing electrical equipment. (The good doc, may not notice all of the bodies being wheeled around behind his back, but won't he notice the Edison bill?) Mr. Frank, you see, is determined to keep up with Grandad's work- he's going to make his own monster, if he can just find a head for it. While he has his version of Igor scuttling about accident sites looking for one, Mr. Frank whiles away the hours by alternately trying to seduce and turing into a monster his employers comely neice. Though the doctor comes across as fey as Liberace, he tries jumping both the niece AND the nieces busty blonde friend. Mr. Frank isn't a guy to take no for an answer- when the niece slaps him, he gives her drugged "fruit punch" turning her into a blue faced unibrowed monster, and when busty rejects him, he mows her down with his car! Making the best of things, he decides to use busty's head to complete his monster, who promptly runs amuk causing much (cheaply done) havok. The Mr. Frank decides the monster can be used to destroy those who oppose him, leading to another one of those "Johnnie, my uncle's been killed by the mad scientist who tried to kill me and killed my best friend who's now a murderous monster and the policemen guarding the house are all missing and the door to the lab is ajar so let's go investigate" Which lets Mr. Frank (now happily calling himself Frankenstein) get to actally say the line "you meddling kids" Which means that he is immediately dispached with a face full of acid- thrown accidentally, of course, so that the monster can mourn his passing (talk about co-dependant!) by catching herself on fire. Which paves the way for another pool party where they can cook more scarily huge kebabs and have a reprise of "Daddy Bird" (aieee!)

These down-at-heel shockers are incredibly fun- innocent, schlocky and hammy, they beat hands-down most of the calculated sceamfests foisted on the screen today. Buy this one right now.

...isn't she lovely?
"Frankenstein's Daughter" is a guilty pleasure of mine. It was shown frequently on the Zacherley-hosted "Chiller Theater" TV show in the early 1960s, and yours truly was actually frightened by it! (I was only about 7 years old at the time) The film is ludricous and cheaply produced, and helmed by Richard Cunha, who also directed "Missile to the Moon" (a remake of "Cat Women of the Moon"), "Giant From the Unknown", and another personal favorite of mine, "She Demons", starring the late Irish "Sheena" McCalla. "Frankenstein's Daughter" has "Oliver Frank", a descendant of Dr. You-know-who, living in southern California! He is assistant to Dr. Carter Morton. Together, they are experimenting with a dangerous drug called DiGenerol. Slimy Oliver uses Morton's niece Trudy as an unwitting guinea pig for the DiGenerol, by way of his homemade "fruit punch". Trudy turns into a crackle-faced demon, prowling around the neighborhood clad in a bathing suit, frightening the neighbors. And that's only the first part of the film! Oliver has also been carrying on in the family tradition, creating his own monster, unknownst to Dr. Morton. All he needs is a brain, and he gets one from Trudy's girlfriend Susie Lawlor, a bleached blonde in a tight black cocktail dress (he runs her over with his car-some date!) The result is the strangest-looking female monster in cinema history. The monster is played by Harry Wilson, who used to bill himself as "The ugliest man in Hollywood". Mr. Wilson's most notable screem appearance (other than this opus) is as one of George Raft's henchmen in "Some Like it Hot" ("Hey! Join us!"). "Frankenstein's Daughter" is typical, 1950s drive-in fare, replete with misunderstood "teenagers", laughable dialogue, tinsel sets, and outrageous monster makeups. The cast is a hoot. Donald Murphy is appropriately smarmy as Oliver (You'd expect to meet him in a "Swingin' Singles" bar), Dr. Morton is floridly overplayed by Felix Locher, father of Jon Hall, Susie is played by Mamie Van Doren clone Sally Todd, Trudy is played by pretty Sandra Knight (the future Mrs. Jack Nicholson), and her boyfriend Johnny is played by the late John Ashley (he was Troy Apollo on "The Beverly Hillbillies", and appeared in numerous beach party flicks). The supporting players include Harold Lloyd Jr., Wolfe Barzell, and Voltaire Perkins (he was the judge on TV's "Divorce Court" in the 1960s). There is also the obligatory "barbecue" sequence, featuring the songs "Daddy Bird" and "Special Date", performed by Page Cavanaugh and his trio. Move over, Bill Haley! The picture quality on the DVD is remarkable, with razor-sharp detail and rich greys (I don't think the restored "Citizen Kane" looks this good!), so you can see the seams in the sets, and the sound is very good. There is also a picture gallery on the disc as an added bonus. "Frankenstein's Daughter" is sweetly dumb, and holds very pleasant memories for me, of a far less complicated, innocent time. A long time ago in a galaxt far, far away...

Schlock Cinema 101.
The grandson of Dr. Frankenstein, posing as Dr. Oliver Frank, surfaces in America and carries on the family tradition. The late '50s and early '60s was such a great time for schlock horror flicks. This one is vintage 1958. I find it hard to complete this review because the merits of this film make me misty-eyed with emotion. Frank gives Pearl Pureheart, er, Trudy Morton a drink laced with secret ingredients that temporarily transforms her into a monstrous creature. Frank also needs viable body parts for his secret experiments. Trudy's hot friend, Suzie, catches Frank's eye. The eye of the camera is also captivated and lingers longingly on Suzie's hips as she walks. Frank, however, is more interested in her head. (No pun intended). Due to plot developments beyond our control, Frank grafts Suzie's deformed head to the grotesque body pieced together in his lab. Now, she looks like Rondo Hatton with big scars, wearing a Taliban-style head bandage and a rubber jump suit, complete with slinky curlicue wires. And dig that crazy herky-jerky walk. Hubba, hubba. There are now two "she" monsters on the loose. Sometime teenage heartthrob, John Ashley, tries to look cool and courageous amidst the mayhem. To ease the stress, Page Cavanaugh and the Flattops jive up Judy's backyard barbecue with nifty '50s rock-'n-roll. What's that? You have never heard of Page Cavanuagh? Incredible. The rest of the cast is obscure and undistinguished. Filmed in glorious B&W, this flick meets our low expectations. It deserves a place in the Schlock Horror Hall of Fame. Rank it right along "Teenagers From Outer Space," "The Brain That Wouldn't Die," and "The Attack of the Giant Leeches." Sensible viewers beware! ;-)

Terrific DVD of sleaze classic
One third of Dick Cunha's holy trinity, along with Missile to the Moon and She Demons (we won't talk about Giant from the Unknown), this has been a perennial late-show favorite of mine. Great D-movie cast including Sandra (then Mrs. Jack Nicholson) Knight, prefab whitebread teen idol John Ashley, Bob Dix, terminally wooden Felix Locher, Wolfe Barzell as Elsu, and John (TV's Folgers coffee buyer) Zaremba doing his sensible detective thing. The real treat, however, has to be Donald Murphy in a hilariously over-the-top performance as the lecherous, sociopathic Dr. Frank. Whatta slimeball! Plus you get three (count 'em) great sick/icky Harry Thomas makeups for the price of one, and some cringe-inducing musical numbers provided by lounge maven Page Cavanaugh and His Trio (reportedly one of the Rat Pack's favorite entertainers). True, when finally revealed, the diminutive monster (looking more like an accident victim in a track suit than the traditional Karloffian creation) isn't very imposing, but there is so much ripe cheese on display that bad film aficionados cannot fail to be entertained.
Image gives us what is certainly the definitive DVD of this film. The source print is absolutely superb! There is some very light, occasional speckling, but otherwise it's gorgeous: sharp and detailed, with excellent tonal scale, no annoying jump cuts or other damage. And, in addition to a fairly clean trailer and chapter stops, you get a photo gallery of behind-the-scenes stills from the set of FD (similar to those on Image's Missile to the Moon disc). A pleasantly unexpected bonus for a set like this. If you've been waiting on this one, wondering about the quality, wait no more. It's unlikely to ever get better than this.

Bad horror but great comedy!
This may not be for everyone but for anyone who likes old B-movies this one has it all. Over acting, stupid dialogue (some of the things Dr. Frankenstien says are hysterical). Don't watch it as a horror film but watch it as a comedy. You'll laugh at this one. For a B movie, the picture quality is one of the best transfers I've seen.

Tom Phillips ... Read more

Description

This black exploitation film, set during the 1960s, is based on the real relationship between activist Angela Davis and convict George Jackson who is wrongly convicted for a crime. The story is set within a turbulent, racially charged prison where white guards frequently abuse black inmates. Year: 1977 Director: Arthur Barron Starring:Bernie Casey, Vonetta McGee, Ron O'Neal ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Tell 'em old Frankie is back!
Back in the days when drive-ins still brought in the crowds, you could still make movies for about a buck and a half and have them distributed. Out of that came performers like Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper.

Suffice it to say, there ain't nothing like them in here.

Frankenstein's Daughter is a very guilty pleasure. Clearly made for the price of dinner for four at Sizzler, this demented flick throws everything it can think of at you- not one, but two monsters, bathing-suit clad teens bopping to the song "stylings" of Page Cavanaugh and his trio, and Harold Lloyd, Jr (who is noted as the liner notes as being a masochist. I heard the boy sing. I am here to tell you, that boy is a sadist.) The idea is that Mr. Frank (enstein, get it?), the infamous doctor's grandson, has weasled his way, lock, stock, and Igor into a plum gig as the assistant for Dr. Morton, who keeps a convenient lab in his west LA home, complete with stadium sized wine cellar and loads of arcing electrical equipment. (The good doc, may not notice all of the bodies being wheeled around behind his back, but won't he notice the Edison bill?) Mr. Frank, you see, is determined to keep up with Grandad's work- he's going to make his own monster, if he can just find a head for it. While he has his version of Igor scuttling about accident sites looking for one, Mr. Frank whiles away the hours by alternately trying to seduce and turing into a monster his employers comely neice. Though the doctor comes across as fey as Liberace, he tries jumping both the niece AND the nieces busty blonde friend. Mr. Frank isn't a guy to take no for an answer- when the niece slaps him, he gives her drugged "fruit punch" turning her into a blue faced unibrowed monster, and when busty rejects him, he mows her down with his car! Making the best of things, he decides to use busty's head to complete his monster, who promptly runs amuk causing much (cheaply done) havok. The Mr. Frank decides the monster can be used to destroy those who oppose him, leading to another one of those "Johnnie, my uncle's been killed by the mad scientist who tried to kill me and killed my best friend who's now a murderous monster and the policemen guarding the house are all missing and the door to the lab is ajar so let's go investigate" Which lets Mr. Frank (now happily calling himself Frankenstein) get to actally say the line "you meddling kids" Which means that he is immediately dispached with a face full of acid- thrown accidentally, of course, so that the monster can mourn his passing (talk about co-dependant!) by catching herself on fire. Which paves the way for another pool party where they can cook more scarily huge kebabs and have a reprise of "Daddy Bird" (aieee!)

These down-at-heel shockers are incredibly fun- innocent, schlocky and hammy, they beat hands-down most of the calculated sceamfests foisted on the screen today. Buy this one right now.

...isn't she lovely?
"Frankenstein's Daughter" is a guilty pleasure of mine. It was shown frequently on the Zacherley-hosted "Chiller Theater" TV show in the early 1960s, and yours truly was actually frightened by it! (I was only about 7 years old at the time) The film is ludricous and cheaply produced, and helmed by Richard Cunha, who also directed "Missile to the Moon" (a remake of "Cat Women of the Moon"), "Giant From the Unknown", and another personal favorite of mine, "She Demons", starring the late Irish "Sheena" McCalla. "Frankenstein's Daughter" has "Oliver Frank", a descendant of Dr. You-know-who, living in southern California! He is assistant to Dr. Carter Morton. Together, they are experimenting with a dangerous drug called DiGenerol. Slimy Oliver uses Morton's niece Trudy as an unwitting guinea pig for the DiGenerol, by way of his homemade "fruit punch". Trudy turns into a crackle-faced demon, prowling around the neighborhood clad in a bathing suit, frightening the neighbors. And that's only the first part of the film! Oliver has also been carrying on in the family tradition, creating his own monster, unknownst to Dr. Morton. All he needs is a brain, and he gets one from Trudy's girlfriend Susie Lawlor, a bleached blonde in a tight black cocktail dress (he runs her over with his car-some date!) The result is the strangest-looking female monster in cinema history. The monster is played by Harry Wilson, who used to bill himself as "The ugliest man in Hollywood". Mr. Wilson's most notable screem appearance (other than this opus) is as one of George Raft's henchmen in "Some Like it Hot" ("Hey! Join us!"). "Frankenstein's Daughter" is typical, 1950s drive-in fare, replete with misunderstood "teenagers", laughable dialogue, tinsel sets, and outrageous monster makeups. The cast is a hoot. Donald Murphy is appropriately smarmy as Oliver (You'd expect to meet him in a "Swingin' Singles" bar), Dr. Morton is floridly overplayed by Felix Locher, father of Jon Hall, Susie is played by Mamie Van Doren clone Sally Todd, Trudy is played by pretty Sandra Knight (the future Mrs. Jack Nicholson), and her boyfriend Johnny is played by the late John Ashley (he was Troy Apollo on "The Beverly Hillbillies", and appeared in numerous beach party flicks). The supporting players include Harold Lloyd Jr., Wolfe Barzell, and Voltaire Perkins (he was the judge on TV's "Divorce Court" in the 1960s). There is also the obligatory "barbecue" sequence, featuring the songs "Daddy Bird" and "Special Date", performed by Page Cavanaugh and his trio. Move over, Bill Haley! The picture quality on the DVD is remarkable, with razor-sharp detail and rich greys (I don't think the restored "Citizen Kane" looks this good!), so you can see the seams in the sets, and the sound is very good. There is also a picture gallery on the disc as an added bonus. "Frankenstein's Daughter" is sweetly dumb, and holds very pleasant memories for me, of a far less complicated, innocent time. A long time ago in a galaxt far, far away...

Schlock Cinema 101.
The grandson of Dr. Frankenstein, posing as Dr. Oliver Frank, surfaces in America and carries on the family tradition. The late '50s and early '60s was such a great time for schlock horror flicks. This one is vintage 1958. I find it hard to complete this review because the merits of this film make me misty-eyed with emotion. Frank gives Pearl Pureheart, er, Trudy Morton a drink laced with secret ingredients that temporarily transforms her into a monstrous creature. Frank also needs viable body parts for his secret experiments. Trudy's hot friend, Suzie, catches Frank's eye. The eye of the camera is also captivated and lingers longingly on Suzie's hips as she walks. Frank, however, is more interested in her head. (No pun intended). Due to plot developments beyond our control, Frank grafts Suzie's deformed head to the grotesque body pieced together in his lab. Now, she looks like Rondo Hatton with big scars, wearing a Taliban-style head bandage and a rubber jump suit, complete with slinky curlicue wires. And dig that crazy herky-jerky walk. Hubba, hubba. There are now two "she" monsters on the loose. Sometime teenage heartthrob, John Ashley, tries to look cool and courageous amidst the mayhem. To ease the stress, Page Cavanaugh and the Flattops jive up Judy's backyard barbecue with nifty '50s rock-'n-roll. What's that? You have never heard of Page Cavanuagh? Incredible. The rest of the cast is obscure and undistinguished. Filmed in glorious B&W, this flick meets our low expectations. It deserves a place in the Schlock Horror Hall of Fame. Rank it right along "Teenagers From Outer Space," "The Brain That Wouldn't Die," and "The Attack of the Giant Leeches." Sensible viewers beware! ;-)

Terrific DVD of sleaze classic
One third of Dick Cunha's holy trinity, along with Missile to the Moon and She Demons (we won't talk about Giant from the Unknown), this has been a perennial late-show favorite of mine. Great D-movie cast including Sandra (then Mrs. Jack Nicholson) Knight, prefab whitebread teen idol John Ashley, Bob Dix, terminally wooden Felix Locher, Wolfe Barzell as Elsu, and John (TV's Folgers coffee buyer) Zaremba doing his sensible detective thing. The real treat, however, has to be Donald Murphy in a hilariously over-the-top performance as the lecherous, sociopathic Dr. Frank. Whatta slimeball! Plus you get three (count 'em) great sick/icky Harry Thomas makeups for the price of one, and some cringe-inducing musical numbers provided by lounge maven Page Cavanaugh and His Trio (reportedly one of the Rat Pack's favorite entertainers). True, when finally revealed, the diminutive monster (looking more like an accident victim in a track suit than the traditional Karloffian creation) isn't very imposing, but there is so much ripe cheese on display that bad film aficionados cannot fail to be entertained.
Image gives us what is certainly the definitive DVD of this film. The source print is absolutely superb! There is some very light, occasional speckling, but otherwise it's gorgeous: sharp and detailed, with excellent tonal scale, no annoying jump cuts or other damage. And, in addition to a fairly clean trailer and chapter stops, you get a photo gallery of behind-the-scenes stills from the set of FD (similar to those on Image's Missile to the Moon disc). A pleasantly unexpected bonus for a set like this. If you've been waiting on this one, wondering about the quality, wait no more. It's unlikely to ever get better than this.

Bad horror but great comedy!
This may not be for everyone but for anyone who likes old B-movies this one has it all. Over acting, stupid dialogue (some of the things Dr. Frankenstien says are hysterical). Don't watch it as a horror film but watch it as a comedy. You'll laugh at this one. For a B movie, the picture quality is one of the best transfers I've seen.

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Reviews (2)

Horrible, horrible, quality!
I love "Fantasy Island," but never in my life have I seen a DVD with picture quality this bad!

Nicely Done TV Movie!!
Mr Roarke(Ricardo Montalban)and Tatoo(Herve Villechaize)are back in this nicely done 1978 TV Movie where 3 fantasies are brought to life 1.A couple ventures to meet the daughter that they gave up for adoption 12 years ago as long as they don't divulge their identity to her which Mr.Roarke has taken strict measures to enforce.2.A beautiful executive is lured to the island under false pretenses assuming that she is striking a lucrative business deal but is tricked by her employee who wants to confess his love for her.3.A young couple whose wife suffers from amnesia caused by a mysterious incident 4 years ago.Their past is recreated as a cure for her sickness.Guest stars in this cast include Adrenne Barbeau,Pat Crowley,Joseph Campanella,Karen Valentine,Laraine Day,Joseph Cotton and Cameron Mitchell. ... Read more