Reviews (9)

Haunting ethereal drama
First, Meg Tilly is an awesome actress - I was very disappointed to learn that she stopped appearing in films to give her sister, Jennifer, a chance to also be noticed in her own right. Second, Meg is absolutely beautiful in an unusual way. Reviewers who don't appreciate her beauty have become too used to expecting magazine-cover girls.

Third, it's true that the English antique-porcelain collector guy is not sexy or so impactful (although his portrayer's acting also is breathtakingly perfect so I wouldn't be surprised if he's sizzling elsewhere) - He's not supposed to be sensually erotic like Karin - That's part of the story. Fourth, the supernatural images are not superfluous - They're also a central story element: Karin's emotions & actions are so intense and horribly tragic that they manifest themselves in palpable psychic energy and cruel, indirect, unrelenting reminders.

It's not at all hard to believe, at least not while watching this film. I've only ever been able to believe two films' horror elements instead of finding their scare attempts transparent, often accompanied by poor special effects. Only The Girl In A Swing and The Exorcist made me believe what I was seeing - Consequently I don't intend to ever see either again. I don't particularly like being frightened but if you do, or you're seeking exceptional artistry in film, check it out.

The only reason Girl in a Swing didn't garner my 5th star is that some of the supernatural occurrences are too confusing at first however they do make sense when your mind's been able to go over them enough times - like mine did for weeks even though I didn't want it to.

good movie
this is a haunting movie-i cried at the end-don't watch it if you are in a good mood because it is sad. meg tilly is beautiful and does well aside from the annoying accent. the english lead is a bit too stiff. most of all, the movie makes a powerful statement about the choices people make for love, guilt, morality, society, etc

Horrible Love Story
Meg Tilly is absolutely brilliant in the part. Maybe her accent (German? Swedish? Supernatural?) is as heavy as other critics point out, but who cares? Maybe she is not as beautiful (as another critic claims) as the book suggests, but who cares. Forget about what critics say, watch her performance and judge for yourself. It's like watching raw acting talent without a body... If she doesn't make you cry in the first fifteen minutes of the film, than I agree, she's the wrong choice for you, so stop watching the film.
I admit, that the male lead has zero sex appeal, but he also transcends normal acting to the point where he just forces you to accept him. In other words, he's better than he appears. The two seem so mismatched, that you can believe they actually might like each other.
Anyway don't be fooled into thinking that the couple are progressing towards insanity as the film develops; it's the director who ends up going crazy. It's like he started out cooking a pot of soup, got bored halfway through, than just tossed all the ingredients in at once hoping that something great would come out of the spontaneity.
Don't try to figure out the latter part of the film- it's just stupid overindulgence. It could have been an interesting love story (how far will a person go for love?) without the introduction of tiresome existential philosophy and needless supernaturalism. An almost beautiful film ruined by its maker.

A poor substitute for the novel.
Alan Desland is a cultivated English bachelor who has taken over his family's antique porcelain business. On a business trip to Copenhagen, he meets and immediately falls in love with Karin, a stunning German beauty. After only a couple of weeks they marry, honeymoon, and settle into life in Alan's hometown. At first their erotically charged relationship seems like paradise, but this, of course, cannot last. Karin has told Alan virtually nothing of her past, and her dark secret eventually manifests with supernatural trappings and threatens everything.

"The Girl in a Swing" is based on the 1980 novel by Richard "Watership Down" Adams. The film has one thing going for it; the script does an admirable job of lining up and hitting a good number of the novel's main plot points and scenes. Otherwise, this overwrought melodrama has little to recommend it.

There is so much to criticize--from the passionless direction to the insipid soundtrack, awful costuming, and poor casting. Meg Tilly in the role of Karin is particularly troublesome. While she is a fairly attractive woman, she does not project the sort of unearthly eroticism that the character requires. Worse, her muddled, affected German accent obscures most of her dialogue. When Tilly isn't screeching "Alan!" she is mumbling and slurring her most important lines. Director Gordon Hessler does little to salvage things, as he opts to film most of the important supernatural and erotic sequences in one of two modes--either flat or melodramatic.

While very few films adapted from novels can attain the dense subtext of their source material, such a film might at least evoke the essence of the story by establishing a strong mood consistent with the novelist's vision. This film, however, aspires to nothing so worthy. It neither succeeds as an adaptation of Adams' complex novel nor as a worthy cinematic effort in its own right.

Haunting Erotic Love Story
Apparently, people either love this movie or they hate it. I happen to be a Meg Tilly fan, and I rather liked this film and her performance in it. The film is based on a book by the author of "Watership Down," and it is a rather haunting love story. The film concerns an English antique collector who meets a young German woman on one of his trips. They fall in love, though the young woman has some dark secrets which she is unwilling to reveal. The film is at times a little frightening, and there is a prevalent melancholic, supernatural atmosphere. I have read the book, and I think the film is at least equal, if not superior, to the novel.

Meg Tilly is an American actress but she assumes a rather thick German accent for this film. There is a dreamy, pensive quality to her performance that fits in well with the tone of the film. The film is an English production, so perhaps it will seem too "European" for the usual American audience. Nonetheless, given the current revival of spooky movies in the last few years, this is a film which certainly deserves more attention than it received during its initial release in the late 1980s. Give it a try; you may like it. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Please, release it on DVD!
I saw this movie on TV once, Way Back When. I didn't understand it then, and I still don't now, but one thing's for sure; this movie *must* be released on DVD! It's a cult classic, right up there with "Plan 9 From Outer Space" in its' (unintentional) badness. KISS fans, unite; petition the band to get this movie released on Special Edition DVD--featuring a "making of" documentary, of course!!! 'Nuff said.

"The Phantom"
There is only about 30 minutes worth of actual KISS members in the film, but there is some outstanding live in-concert film from the show at Magic Mountain in the spring of 1978. Some of the show is the actual live recording, not dubbed music. This is the made for TV movie that came out on Halloween of 1978.

I believe this video is out of print, so grab it if you can find it somewhere. A must for any diehard KISS fan.

"Its the cosmic forcefield that protects our talisman."
I think it helps if you're a KISS fan to enjoy this movie as much as I do, but I loaned it to a friend who was never into them at all and it became a cult favorite of his which he quotes to this day. This 1978 masterpiece was directed by Gordon Hessler who did tv shows like Hawaii 5-0, Kung Fu, and Wonder Woman and I think the influence is apparent. Also, the film is produced by Hanna-Barbera (as in Yogi Bear & the Flintstones) and that influence is extremely present!

The plot! involves KISS playing live at Magic Mountain where there is lots of cool things going on like a Peter Criss look a like contest! Anthony Zerbe (Omega Man, First Deadly Sin) plays the mentally unstable Abner Devereaux (the Phantom), creator of all the rides at the park and also the machanical apes. Anyway, he starts losing it when some biker dorks mess with his ride so he sends them to his haunted house to get sucked down these big pipes and....wo! My brain stings...hang on. Ok, so Abner ends up losing his job and he totally flips out and creates a little microchip thing that fits behind the ear and turns whoever is wearing it into a mindless robot. He's also jealous of KISS, not to mention hates their music so he creates a duplicate KISS to destroy the original KISS. Whew!

Watching KISS try to act is endless fun. Gene has a few lines like "Starchild!" and other times just opens his mouth and a prerecorded animal growl comes out! Paul says stuff like "Easy Catman, these guys are serious." and shoots a laser beam out his eye so he can listen to what people are saying far away. Ace says "Ack" and can teleport the whole band out of sticky situations (like when be attacked by samurais or cat people in disco suits, stuff like that.). I never found out what Peter's power was but I know his real voice isn't in the film, its a famous cartoon voice like Aquaman or something. He does have some great lines like "without them we'd be ordinary human beings." This is in response to a question about their talisman, which are these little glowing objects they keep in a little briefcase in their apartment. They get their powers from these things you see. Anyway lots of KISS tunes and scenes that are pricelessly cheesy and unintentionally (I think) hilarious. Like when the cops go to question KISS about a Gene look alike bashing up property in the park and all 4 of them are sitting on high lifeguard stools at their pool dressed in their normal black leather and also silver hooded robes sweating their butts off! This scene always gets me. "Rock and rollers don't bathe."

I found this at a dept. store for cheap on VHS and now I wish I would've bought more copies because it's very out of print. I hope it comes to DVD someday but KISS aren't very proud of it so they probably want it to be buried. However, since KISS will usually sell anything for a buck including a big coffin with their autographs on it, maybe their greed will make them put this timeless cheezeball from 1978 on special edition DVD with interviews about why they hate it! I love this movie! "Rip & Destroy!"

kiss meets the phantom of the park
loved this movie as a kid and wants to share the experence of it with her kids!

KISS Meets The Phantom Of The Camp?
Anyone who is a KISS fan will tell you this is not the greatest effort they've ever done. KISS themselves will tell you that, and they take pride in the fact that they don't own the rights to it. When asked, they say, "we don't own that one, fortunately!" But to needle it down to what appears to be racist and predjudiced remarks (Paul's double with a double chin and Ace's double a "kungfu black man") shows no real merit. What makes a double chin and BLACK SKIN on the doubles so bad? The cool thing about KISS is they can do these kind of things and get away with it. The possibilities are endless, and that is something we should all enjoy. I'm a lifelong die-hard myself, and there are points in the movie that I would love to crawl under the seats in the theaters right along with KISS. Fortunately, there are markers in life by which we grade our accomplishments and make adjustments where necessary. I think for no other reason, this was a great movie to really gaze at the costumes and effects (albeit cheezy) and be taken away. It's a FANTASY, not reality. What does it hurt? Nothing. People can say what they want negative about the movie, but it STILL SELLS like wildfire and the demand has YET to slow down for it. Long live the KINGS OF ROCK! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Loved Kolchak
I remember enjoying the show when it was on. It scared me to death. Then in it's repeat later, I enjoyed it again. I had been waiting a long time for it to come out on vhs and maybe, I've missed it, but now I'm glad I've found it. I don't own it yet, but you can be sure I will own it shortly.

I also have a comment about the certain "federal agent". I can't help it. I adore Mulder. And it shows a compliment to the creaters of Kolchak that an unknown writer, (Chris Carter) would use the ideas and put a twist on it.

Kolchak is the man !
The " Night Stalker" ( as Kolchak is known to many of us who watched the series as children, ) is much more entertaining, endearing, and human than a certain 'federal agent ' of recent near- cultism. Vincenzo ( The editor ) is always on our hero's back, only to be frustrated to his wit's end when Kolchak comes through, despite the obstacles faced him.

GREAT only words to describe it!
Darren Mcgavin is awesome in the night stalker possibly the best 70s original show this tape is 2 of the best episodes fans get a real treat listening to Mcgavins wit and humour as well as his serious side fantastic series.

Great Video - Horror & Comedy Combined
Hmmm, I suspect this is the episodes "The Ripper" and "The Vampire" combined together. They're not the absolute best of the 20 Kolchak episodes produced in 1974-75, but they're definitely in the top 10. The Night Stalker is a series that combines horror and comedy - reporter Carl Kolchak is a bit of a bumbler, and is as likely to run in terror from the approaching monster than confront it. Darren McGavin carries the show, capturing the many facets of Kolchak from buffoon to fast-talker to reluctant hero. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Yes, it's definitely going to take more than one scream to get throughthis one. Scream and Scream Again is a truly bizarre late-1960s relic. It is a cheerfully sadistic movie and uses a few tactics that are a bit more disturbing than they're meant to be, such as a long, ogling pan along a nude corpse. Horror king Vincent Price gets top billing, but in fact the master is saved until the end of the film. In the meantime, we follow three mysterious interweaving plot lines: a series of sexualized murders, a torturer's monstrous rise to power in an unnamed totalitarian nation, and a hapless captive undergoing a truly horrific medical procedure. Scream and Scream Again certainly offers the viewer an interesting ride, careening as it does between the effectively chilling and the merely off-putting. There is an engaging chase as the London police try to put everything together, but of course the real treat of the movie is getting to watch Price's performance. He is calmly, perfectly assured, managing to achieve menacing reserve and full-on creep-out at the same time. A complete pro, Price even did one of his own stunts to ensure a good close-up, submerging himself in goo for the cause. Watch him at work and scream. And then scream again. --Ali Davis ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Not strange enough to satisfy
There is a difference between strangeness and incomprehensibility. Lindsay Anderson's 'O Lucky Man!' is strange, but it makes sense throughout. This film is just bollocks most of the way through. I liked enough though, especially the bits with Michael Gothard. He's gorgeous, cold and irresistable to dumb birds in clubs. He's also got superpowers, fancies a bit of blood now and again, and knows when the game is up and they've got him nicked.

Vincent Price is brilliant towards the end. He's controlled, capable and queerly visionary. Indeed, his monologue explaining his work is deeply moving. Cushing is hardly it the thing long enough to make an assessment. Christopher Lee vibrates with clear, orderly purpose. Unlike the rest of the coppers in the film, he maintains his dignity and his class. Not to mention, style.

There are some really ugly scenes in this film that sully things overall. The crypto-fascist state could have been handled better. It could have been sexier. What is the point in having a dead-cool sex killer who comes on like the bionic man--if you are going to put lousy, flabby cops and "fascists" in the same film? Then there is the music: cheesy jazz that oddly works in the scenes with Keith and his pursuers. I don't know why it works, actually. It just seems to. Just like the car chase seems absolutely perfect somehow. Too bad the rest of the film lacks the energy of the scenes with Gothard, Lee, and Price.

Overall, a few dynamic performances are wasted in a story that should have been fuller and more meaningful. As it is, the end isn't nearly as potent as it should be. Really, the last 10 minutes are fantastic. They just aren't set up properly. The results are rather empty, emotionally.

Awful film that I recommend you avoid!
The story, such as it is, of this incoherent "thriller" starts with a series of "vampire murders" in London. It turns out that these are being perpetrated by the creation of a mad scientist (Vincent Price) who is working as part of a global secret scientific society to create a superior human race through surgery. When the police refuse to investigate due to political pressure a young coroner (Christopher Matthews) starts doing his own investigation. He is soon in over his head and that's when things get really stupid. (Oh, and along the way we take side-trips to some military dictatorship in a vaguely east European country where a shadowy functionary is killing leaders with the Vulcan death grip! Ah, and then there's Christopher Lee in a board room with British intelligence officers discussing a downed spy plane. does it all come together Sort of.)

As awful as this film is, all the actors put in good performances, considering the weak incoherent script and inane lines they deliver. While Cushing, Lee, and Price get top billing, Cushing is only in one scene (and it's a pointless one at that) and Lee's presence isn't much more than Cushing's. Both actors could easily have been left out and the film would probably have been stronger for it; they are associated with the "Eastern bloc country" plotline. Price's role is larger and very important to the story, but his screen time is still very limited and he doesn't have much to do. His presence is almost as big a waste as that of Cushing and Lee.

And the score, the easy-listening rock/jazz fusion score, is almost too painful for words!

All in all, this film should go on the "must-miss" list, except for those who might be looking for the worst "day-for-night" shots since Ed Wood stopped making Z-grade thrillers and turned to Z-grade pornos. It makes the worst of the Hammer Film efforts look like the work of Orson Wells. What's even more embarrassing for this film is that it looks like it probably had a bigger budget than several Hammer Films combined, based on the number of locations and aerial shots featured.

Waste of talent, complicated story, but still very enjoyable
An incredible misuse of the talent (Price, Lee, Cushing), but not especially bad performances. Vincent Price, though limited in his appearances, does have some great lines which he reads with the kind of expertise and style only he was capable of. The final shot of Price in the film is a creative use of angles.

The sci-fi/horror plot was far too complicated, however. A mix of hip counter-culture, government espionage, zombies, and mad scientists is far too much to fit in this film. It reminds me of a Faulkner novel, where you can't possibly understand how all of the subplots fit together until you get to the end. And, in this case, it isn't especially clever when you do realise how.

In addition, some of the scenes are just ridiculous. I realize that its not supposed to be terribly realistic, but none of the police officers have firearms in this movie, leaving the viewer to question the seriousness of the lengthy chase scene.

In any case, few can deny the campy, tounge-in-cheek quality of this charming film. Anyone who enjoys hearing Vincent Price belt out lines about Ruling The World will revel in this piece of guilty entertainment.

The biggest waste of talent ever on screen.
How can you unite the three greatest horror stars of our time in one film and then hardly use them? That is the big question in this muddle ludricrous tale from Hammer's rivals of the time Amicus films. Vincent Price appears in a couple of short scenes and then dissapears until the end. Christopher Lee pops up in four short scenes and Peter Cushing dies in his one and only scene. I expected this to be one of the best horror films ever but i was dissapointed beyond belief. The story concerns a scientist (Price) who has created a master race. One of that race being a superb Michael Gothard who keeps us mildly entertained between the brief scenes of the main stars but after he is dissolved in acid it falls flat completely. To sum it up is a simple waste. Check out the later "House Of The Long Shadows" for a better uniting of Price, Cushing, and Lee.

The best science fiction movie ever
This is very nearly my favorite movie ever, certainly the best SF film I've ever seen. The first movie to team Vincent Price, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, three of the greatest actors of the century, this is a brilliant and bizarre crime drama/espionage/political thriller/horror film. Indeed, one might say that what the X Files tries to do this film does perfectly. Several seemingly unrelated story threads gradually merge in a great climax. Lee and Cushing have limited screen time but play well written and very unusual roles. It would reveal too many surprises to review this film at length, so I'll only say that a series of strange crimes lead the police (and certain other characters) to a scientist engaged in secret research played by Price. This movie is a must if you are a fan of one or all of the three great stars, and features a tremendous performance by a nearly unknown actor named Marshall Jones. See it! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

An...interesting...movie experience
This movie was great fun to watch...possibly because I was laughing incredulously and making sarcastic comments the whole time.
The movie seems to be composed largely of a series of completely random coincidences. The ship's raggedy captain suddenly reveals himself to be the Spanish court lady's father. The samurai escapes from prison JUST IN TIME to save his "young lord", who has coincidentally escaped at exactly the same time.
There are also some things that are SO FAKE it's unbelievable. For one thing, I'm no sailor, but I doubt that you're supposed to leave all the ship's sails up in a wild storm. And that completely impossible and really fake-looking backward somersault in one fight scene was BAD.
That being said, I must admit that the movie wasn't ALL bad. It had interesting bits of East/West contrast, such as a great contrast shot of the Japanese and Europeans praying, Ye Olde Katana-versus-Toledo-Steel debate, and the crowning scene of a JOUSTING MATCH between an armored knight and a samurai with a spear.
The ending was wonderful, actually. The Moroccan sultan's last line ("...infidel, you teach me the meaning of honor") was memorable and quite uplifting. The skinny red-haired boy's promotion to captain was funny. The samurai's expression when the lady kissed his "young lord" was PRICELESS. And the very last line..."under perfect conditions, forever"...aah! So cute and sweet!
So basically, I spent most of the movie laughing and being loudly sarcastic, and the last five minutes loving it. If that's the experience you want to have, you're welcome to watch it.

Without question, the worst movie I've ever seen!
I can't believe anyone would make a movie like this! This flick is a classic example of ignorant people assuming that Asian Martial Arts are the best in the world. The moronic stunts that guy pulled with that katana are impossible! No sword, least of all a katana, can slice through good European plate armour like that! I refer the reader to the recent record-setting "kabutowari" achieved by Toshishiro Obata. This cut holds the world record, and measures a mere handful of centimeters. None of that "slicing helmets in half" crap in the real world. People wore armour because it worked, folks. And there are people who've seen this movie who totally believe this fiction.

History lesson: European steel and metallurgy was vastly superior to contemporary Japanese sciences. Native Japanese steel occurs only in extremely small deposits of black iron-bearing sand, called tamahagane. The excessively complicated process the Japanese smiths developed for forging a sword was necessary due the the incredibly poor quality of their ore. Moreover, the technique of combining hard, high-carbon steel with softer, more resilient iron was well-known in Europe during the Dark Ages. It was employed by the Norse centuries before their ever was such a thing as a katana. Europe's technology had advanced sufficiently by the time the Japanese got around to it, and it was all but obsolete in the West. In fact, when the Europeans first showed up in Japan, the Japanese almost immediately begin European metal. Finally, many, many samurai wisely imported European armour, recognizing that it was far more protective than their own.

For further reading, I recommend: Arms and Armour of the Samurai by Ian Bottomley, any of the Osprey books by Anthony Bryant, and anything by John Clements for comparison of Western and Asian martial technique.

Great Movie
Excellent movie... But Sho Kosugi plays Mayeda not Toshiro Mifune.

Swashbuckling tale of shogun warriors
This video was originally released in the UK as "Shogun Warrior" and stars David Essex as an evil Spanish nobleman who is determined to win the day at all costs. Nothing stands in his way, except a heroic shogun warrior called Mayeda, played by Toshiro Mifune. Great combat scenes and a particular nasty ending for the evil Don Pedro. Has a love interest too as the shogun battles to save a ladies honor from the clutches of Don Pedro. Also stars John Rhys Davies (famous as Indys arab sidekick in the Indiana Jones Movies). Altogether a very enjoyable tale of tragedy, love and adventure.David Essex fans will not be disappointed. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Ugly, the Bad, and the Good
When you buy one of those DVDswhich include several films for acheap price, you often get whatyou pay for; PRAY FOR DEATH is anoutstanding case in point. THE UGLY: One reason why I gotthis one is NIGHT OF THE DEATH CULT, which is the fourth of theBlind Dead series, and I'm sorry to report that the picture qualityis atrocious. It clearly came froma substandard videotape source, and is full of the sort of hideous artifacts that plagued budget VHStapes. Let's hope for a bettercopy of this title someday soon. THE BAD: The prerelease infoindicated that the notorious MARKOF THE DEVIL PART 2 was part ofthis package, but if you orderedit for that reason, you're goingto be bumming, as DEATH CULT is the only announced title which isactually included...come on, guys! THE GOOD: As to the movieswhich ended up being included,THEWEREWOLF VS THE VAMPIRE WOMAN is acampy Paul Naschy vehicle which isentertaining in its goofy fashion.SISTERS OF DEATH features an oddperformance by 1950s Sci-Fi heroArthur Franz as he menaces, amongothers, the ill-fated Playboy model Claudia Jennings...this oneoffers better acting than usuallyseen in such low-budget fare. Andlastly we have the ubiquitousSATANIC RITES OF DRACULA in apretty decent letterbox print. Iguess that Hammer must really notcare about this title, judgingfrom the number of cheap DVDs onwhich it can be found. All threeof this group are watchable, if not exactly DVD demo material. VERDICT: All in all, it's OKfor the price, but I'll be morewary in the future.

Excellent martial arts action. Villains are evil.
This movie is a classic martial arts gem. The fight scenes are well done, and the main villain is extremely evil which makes the ending even more appealing. This is a must see, if you like good martial arts scenes, and like to see really bad villains get theirs in the end. ... Read more

Amazon.com

John Phillip Law stars as the legendary sailor this time around as he finds a talisman and sets sail with his crew for an uncharted island. With a beautiful slave girl (Caroline Munro) in tow, Sinbad takes on the evil sorcerer Koura (Tom Baker), who wants Sinbad's golden talisman to complete a spell. En route to the island, Koura brings the ship's figurehead to life to wreak havoc on the ship and crew. Once there, Sinbad and crew must do battle with a six-armed figure of Kali brandishing a sword in each hand, as well as an enraged Cyclops centaur and a winged griffin, and also deal with the treacherous Koura.

This 1974 entry in the Sinbad franchise is a bit of a mixed bag. On the onehand, the film's production values are quite good, and of course the RayHarryhausen effects are as beautiful as ever. The set design (especially for the scenes inside the cavern) is striking and inventive, and there's Miklós Rózsa's score gracing the soundtrack. On the other hand, the story definitely tends to drag a bit, and Law's indeterminate accent often wavers toward a weird Slavic inflection. Pointing to the film's age, Law and company often tend to look like poncey rock stars with their long hair, beards, and harem pants. That's all nitpicking, though; the action segments, though they're fewer and farther between than in other Sinbad films, redeem the movie with Harryhausen's incredible artistry. It's worth owning just to see the fluid, complex movements of the animated Kali flailing away at six men with her swords. And of course, scream queen Caroline Munro never looked better as the slave girl Margiana. This is rich, well-crafted fantasy fare that the entire family can enjoy. --Jerry Renshaw ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Good Sunday Matinee
First let me say I own all of Harryhausen's movies. I love his work so if I seem a little critical on a couple it is only because I know how great he can be. This movie may not be Harryhausen's best stop motion animation, but it is still a fine film. The hair on the centaur seems to move a little odd and the motion in the Centaur and Griffon fight scene is not as natural looking as the skeleton fight scenes in "Jason and the Argonauts". Otherwise this movie is very well done and packed with creatures. I especially liked the job he did on the magicians familiars. It entertains and has good locations and a decent cast. Those fans of Tom Baker in Dr. Who will enjoy him as an evil magician. It is good Saturday afternoon fare for the entire family. I recommend it to anyone that enjoys movies like "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad", "Clash of the Titans", "Willow", and "Krull". I bought this on DVD in the Sinbad Collection set and I am very happy with how well the transfer to DVD was done.

Tie up your camel!
Sinbad embarks on another adventure of magic and monsters. In the pre-George Lucas/Steven Spielberg days, the greatest fantasy adventure films were the ones that featured the eye-popping special effects of Ray Harryhausen. This 1974 movie recalls the halcyon days of the late '50s and early '60s when Saturday matinees at the local movie theater ruled the entertainment world of pre-teens. Although this flick suffers in comparison with the superior "7th Voyage of Sinbad," there is enough to like about it to recommend viewing and ownership. The monsters are good, especially the centaur/cyclops that threatens the delectable Caroline Munro. The sword fight with the multi-limbed statue of the goddess Kali recall's RH's previous work in "Jason and the Argonauts" with the hydra-headed dragon and the army of skeletons. The animation and non-computerized FX are eye pleasing enough that one wishes for more screen time for the monsters. The plot occasionally gets in the way of the action. Once the FX kicks in, things get livelier. John Phillip Law is okay, if a little bland, as Sinbad. Caroline Munro in a slave girl costume distracts the male viewer from quibbling over minor faults along the way. Sometime Doctor Who, Tom Baker, is effective as Koura, the evil magician. This is good "G" rated entertainment that pleases Ray Harryhausen fans and pre-teens of all ages. Suspend disbelief and have fun. ;-)

Not as Good as the 7th Voyage.
Second Sinbad movie in the Ray Harryhausen film series (although it is not a sequal to the much superior 7th Voyage), kind of drags on it's heels and never quite takes off largely due to a poor script, the wooden acting of Law in the title role, and the absense of Bernard Herrmann not scoreing the music. The absense of him as well as a different film crew working on the movie never acheives the magic and sense of wonder that made 7th Voyage a special picture.

A Decent Harryhausen Flick
Before proceeding with the reading of this review, I have a message for those reading it: If you haven't seen "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad," go do that. Don't worry about this movie, just go buy that one right now. That is the best of the Sinbad movies (and, in my opinion, the best of the Harryhausen films, but I won't profess that above my own opinion.) It is worth owning regardless and you should own that before you even consider this installment.

With that out of the way, I will now begin the review of THIS Sinbad film.

This begins on a sunny day, when Sinbad's crew spots a little gargoyle monster flying over the ship, carrying a piece of gold. One man shoots the gold and Sinbad takes it, despite warnings of its evil, and wears it around his neck. That night, he has dreams of a woman with an eye on her hand, a man in dark clothing, the golden item, and the flying monster. There is also a storm that night, allegedly brought on by the bad luck of the gold. On shore the next day, Sinbad is confronted by Koura, an evil magician who owns the gargoyle creature and wants the gold piece back from Sinbad. The legendary sailor is chased into a keep, where he greets the golden-helmeted Vizier, whose face was burned by Koura's fire. He explains that the gold piece is one of the three that form a map to a place where they must be brought to recieve three powers. Koura listens in via one of the little monsters and hatches a plan to follow Sinbad and the Vizier to the island. Sinbad also picks up a lazy drunk and a slave girl who he sets free, who just happens to have an eye tatoo on her hand.

I'll let it be known now: aside from the homonculi (the flying gargoyle things), there really aren't any stop-motion monsters for a good 30-40 minutes, when the statue at the front of Sinbad's ship is controlled by Koura. The plot holds your attention throughout this, but just barely, as due to the complexities apparent, like the Vizier's face and Koura's aging with each spell he casts.

The acting is... it's ok. Nothing great, but not noticably bad. There are some very cheesy moments, mostly involving the above mentioned drunk whom Sinbad is paid to take on the ship as a sailor. The writing isn't all that great either, but it lasts enough for the stop-motion effects to take over. What I'm saying is, you won't be bored, but you'll be pretty near close.

As for the monsters, they're up to Harryhausen's usual calibur. This movie's grandiose feature is the six-armed Kali statue. The fight between the statue and the sailors is very impressive, especially with how the arms are constantly moving and fluctuating with the movements of the swordsmen. There's still a good 30 minutes to go after that, which are mostly taken up in pursuit of a cycloptean centaur who takes the slave girl away into the caverns of Marabia to eat, as she has been sacrificed by the natives due to the single eye on her palm.

The centaur is probably one of the few Harryhausen monsters (perhaps the only one) that I found mildly disturbing. It looks like it should have some form of speech, and it even sounds as though it could, but it makes the noise of monsters, as if it's a human shouting and screaming like an animal. It's a very creepy sound, and while Harryhausen wasn't responsible for it, he puts it to decent effect.

The centaur battles a griffin later on. The Vizier notes it that the two beasts had been battling eternally, symbolizing the endless struggle between good and evil. They had fought before, and the only reaosn the result changed from the two walking away neither winner or loser was because of the interference of humans.

This is a decent fim, but only worth buying if you are a Harryhausen fan. The DVD doesn't have many features compared to certain other Harryhausen DVDs (*cough*7thVoyage*cough*) but it's better than nothing, which is what many DVDs offer. The second best of the three Harryhausen Sinbad films.

The movie is hamperd by wooden acting and a bad script...
The casting of Law for the role was a bad choice. He really plays the sailor with little creditablity. Regretfully that is only one of a thousand things wrong with this movie in addition to the terrible music score and the below par effects work. Between the script and the bad acting by everyone, it shows that even a Ray Harrysausen film can not stand up with no one doing their best to make it look good. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Cry in the Wilderness
This TV movie first aired in 1974, but it is not in the least bit dated. It's the story of a family of three who have just moved from their comfortable life in Chicago to a run-down farm in the wilds of Oregon. When the father, played by George Kennedy, is bitten by a rabid skunk, he chains himself to a post in the barn and sends his wife (Joanna Pettet) in the pickup truck to bring back a doctor...if it's not already too late! In the meantime, young son Gus (Lee H. Montgomery) is charged with keeping up the chores and bringing food to Dad in the barn. Mom has all sorts of problems getting to a doctor, and it's in this part of the story that we meet a range of secondary characters, mostly bad guys, and it seems like she will never make it. Not helping things any is the fact that heavy rains are building up a huge volume of water behind a tangle of trees and rocks upstream from the farm, putting Dad and Gus in mortal danger. But Gus has previously been told in no uncertain terms not to believe anything his chained up father says to him because of the possibility of madness brought on by the rabies, and so Gus doesn't believe his father about the flood danger.

This is a typical TV movie -- entertaining but not a great classic. You can tell it's made for TV by the periodic fade outs for commercial breaks. These do not detract from enjoyment of the DVD. Best thing about this DVD is the superb picture quality. It's full frame, and that's the way it was photographed, so you get lots of nice sharp detail and excellent color. Anyone who is a fan of George Kennedy, Joanna Pettet, or Lee H. Montgomery will love this DVD.

Unintentionally hilarious
This is a hokey, dated, low-budget quasi-drama which crumbles despite a potentially interesting premise: a possibly rabid man ties himself to a post. Unfortunately, high jinx ensue, and whatever drama could have existed is obscured by child anti-star Gus' stereotypically bad acting and shaggy (anti)haircut. My favorite scenes are when Gus brings blankets (for no apparent reason) and gets socked in the kisser. The hallucinatory scene where the guy gets attacked by a Davy Crockett hat takes the cake though. Truly one of the funniest bits ever captured on film. Inconsequential sideplots abound, naturally... and what a conclusion! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Dogs breakfast of a movie adapted from an excellent book
When you consider the source material, this adaptation from Sven Hassel's bestseller Wheels Of Terror (one of a series of more than 10 books) about a German Penal Regiment fighting their way through battle after battle on the Russian front, should have been better than it is. Instead of making a gritty war movie with amusing moments in the style of the book, they've turned it into a caper movie trying to get cheap laughs with little substance. The music is straight out of a "Carry-On..." film, and the comedy elements really don't work at all. The C grade cast just about manage to get from A to B in the script without giving any real meat to their characters, and the whole thing goes off like a damp squib. Which is a shame when you think this could have been a late 80's Cross Of Iron instead of the second rate Kelly's Heroes that it turned out. It's hard to believe this film was made *after* Platoon had revised the way war movies are made. The Misfit Brigade is like a throwback to the less-than-serious war movies of the 60's - no bad thing if it's done well, but it's not.
Oliver Reed and David Carradine only appear for a combined screen time of about 5 minutes, so having them at the head of the cast list is stretching things a bit. One bizarre factoid though is that the kid that played the young Russian soldier in Peckinpah's vastly superior Cross Of Iron is all grown up and cast as Sven Hassel, the author, here, although he's reduced to a mere face in the crowd with little or nothing to do for nearly the entire feature.

That's not to say the film's a waste of time. I didn't find it at all funny (although the slapstick score was obviously telling me where and when I should be laughing) but maybe I felt let down by the fact that I was expecting something a little different to what I got. It's certainly not a bad film, it's about 20 years too late for the niche market it was aiming for and as such it'll probably rot on video for the rest of its days.

Don't do what I did and expect a reasonable adaptation of a great rollercoaster ride of a book, if you do you'll be disappointed. It has its moments, but turning a blind eye to Germans fighting WW2 using East European post-1960 tanks is a bit harder to do when the film doesn't give you much in return. It's more of a curio than anything else. If you want to see the Germans at war watch Das Boot, Cross Of Iron, or All Quiet On The Western Front. If you want to see an old fashioned style WW2-set caper movie in the style of Kelly's Heroes or The Dirty Dozen (but nowhere near as good) then The Misfit Brigade might be what you're looking for. At least it's better than the TV movie sequels they made for The Dirty Dozen. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Dogs breakfast of a movie adapted from an excellent book
When you consider the source material, this adaptation from Sven Hassel's bestseller Wheels Of Terror (one of a series of more than 10 books) about a German Penal Regiment fighting their way through battle after battle on the Russian front, should have been better than it is. Instead of making a gritty war movie with amusing moments in the style of the book, they've turned it into a caper movie trying to get cheap laughs with little substance. The music is straight out of a "Carry-On..." film, and the comedy elements really don't work at all. The C grade cast just about manage to get from A to B in the script without giving any real meat to their characters, and the whole thing goes off like a damp squib. Which is a shame when you think this could have been a late 80's Cross Of Iron instead of the second rate Kelly's Heroes that it turned out. It's hard to believe this film was made *after* Platoon had revised the way war movies are made. The Misfit Brigade is like a throwback to the less-than-serious war movies of the 60's - no bad thing if it's done well, but it's not.
Oliver Reed and David Carradine only appear for a combined screen time of about 5 minutes, so having them at the head of the cast list is stretching things a bit. One bizarre factoid though is that the kid that played the young Russian soldier in Peckinpah's vastly superior Cross Of Iron is all grown up and cast as Sven Hassel, the author, here, although he's reduced to a mere face in the crowd with little or nothing to do for nearly the entire feature.

That's not to say the film's a waste of time. I didn't find it at all funny (although the slapstick score was obviously telling me where and when I should be laughing) but maybe I felt let down by the fact that I was expecting something a little different to what I got. It's certainly not a bad film, it's about 20 years too late for the niche market it was aiming for and as such it'll probably rot on video for the rest of its days.

Don't do what I did and expect a reasonable adaptation of a great rollercoaster ride of a book, if you do you'll be disappointed. It has its moments, but turning a blind eye to Germans fighting WW2 using East European post-1960 tanks is a bit harder to do when the film doesn't give you much in return. It's more of a curio than anything else. If you want to see the Germans at war watch Das Boot, Cross Of Iron, or All Quiet On The Western Front. If you want to see an old fashioned style WW2-set caper movie in the style of Kelly's Heroes or The Dirty Dozen (but nowhere near as good) then The Misfit Brigade might be what you're looking for. At least it's better than the TV movie sequels they made for The Dirty Dozen. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Not strange enough to satisfy
There is a difference between strangeness and incomprehensibility. Lindsay Anderson's 'O Lucky Man!' is strange, but it makes sense throughout. This film is just bollocks most of the way through. I liked enough though, especially the bits with Michael Gothard. He's gorgeous, cold and irresistable to dumb birds in clubs. He's also got superpowers, fancies a bit of blood now and again, and knows when the game is up and they've got him nicked.

Vincent Price is brilliant towards the end. He's controlled, capable and queerly visionary. Indeed, his monologue explaining his work is deeply moving. Cushing is hardly it the thing long enough to make an assessment. Christopher Lee vibrates with clear, orderly purpose. Unlike the rest of the coppers in the film, he maintains his dignity and his class. Not to mention, style.

There are some really ugly scenes in this film that sully things overall. The crypto-fascist state could have been handled better. It could have been sexier. What is the point in having a dead-cool sex killer who comes on like the bionic man--if you are going to put lousy, flabby cops and "fascists" in the same film? Then there is the music: cheesy jazz that oddly works in the scenes with Keith and his pursuers. I don't know why it works, actually. It just seems to. Just like the car chase seems absolutely perfect somehow. Too bad the rest of the film lacks the energy of the scenes with Gothard, Lee, and Price.

Overall, a few dynamic performances are wasted in a story that should have been fuller and more meaningful. As it is, the end isn't nearly as potent as it should be. Really, the last 10 minutes are fantastic. They just aren't set up properly. The results are rather empty, emotionally.

Awful film that I recommend you avoid!
The story, such as it is, of this incoherent "thriller" starts with a series of "vampire murders" in London. It turns out that these are being perpetrated by the creation of a mad scientist (Vincent Price) who is working as part of a global secret scientific society to create a superior human race through surgery. When the police refuse to investigate due to political pressure a young coroner (Christopher Matthews) starts doing his own investigation. He is soon in over his head and that's when things get really stupid. (Oh, and along the way we take side-trips to some military dictatorship in a vaguely east European country where a shadowy functionary is killing leaders with the Vulcan death grip! Ah, and then there's Christopher Lee in a board room with British intelligence officers discussing a downed spy plane. does it all come together Sort of.)

As awful as this film is, all the actors put in good performances, considering the weak incoherent script and inane lines they deliver. While Cushing, Lee, and Price get top billing, Cushing is only in one scene (and it's a pointless one at that) and Lee's presence isn't much more than Cushing's. Both actors could easily have been left out and the film would probably have been stronger for it; they are associated with the "Eastern bloc country" plotline. Price's role is larger and very important to the story, but his screen time is still very limited and he doesn't have much to do. His presence is almost as big a waste as that of Cushing and Lee.

And the score, the easy-listening rock/jazz fusion score, is almost too painful for words!

All in all, this film should go on the "must-miss" list, except for those who might be looking for the worst "day-for-night" shots since Ed Wood stopped making Z-grade thrillers and turned to Z-grade pornos. It makes the worst of the Hammer Film efforts look like the work of Orson Wells. What's even more embarrassing for this film is that it looks like it probably had a bigger budget than several Hammer Films combined, based on the number of locations and aerial shots featured.

Waste of talent, complicated story, but still very enjoyable
An incredible misuse of the talent (Price, Lee, Cushing), but not especially bad performances. Vincent Price, though limited in his appearances, does have some great lines which he reads with the kind of expertise and style only he was capable of. The final shot of Price in the film is a creative use of angles.

The sci-fi/horror plot was far too complicated, however. A mix of hip counter-culture, government espionage, zombies, and mad scientists is far too much to fit in this film. It reminds me of a Faulkner novel, where you can't possibly understand how all of the subplots fit together until you get to the end. And, in this case, it isn't especially clever when you do realise how.

In addition, some of the scenes are just ridiculous. I realize that its not supposed to be terribly realistic, but none of the police officers have firearms in this movie, leaving the viewer to question the seriousness of the lengthy chase scene.

In any case, few can deny the campy, tounge-in-cheek quality of this charming film. Anyone who enjoys hearing Vincent Price belt out lines about Ruling The World will revel in this piece of guilty entertainment.

The biggest waste of talent ever on screen.
How can you unite the three greatest horror stars of our time in one film and then hardly use them? That is the big question in this muddle ludricrous tale from Hammer's rivals of the time Amicus films. Vincent Price appears in a couple of short scenes and then dissapears until the end. Christopher Lee pops up in four short scenes and Peter Cushing dies in his one and only scene. I expected this to be one of the best horror films ever but i was dissapointed beyond belief. The story concerns a scientist (Price) who has created a master race. One of that race being a superb Michael Gothard who keeps us mildly entertained between the brief scenes of the main stars but after he is dissolved in acid it falls flat completely. To sum it up is a simple waste. Check out the later "House Of The Long Shadows" for a better uniting of Price, Cushing, and Lee.

The best science fiction movie ever
This is very nearly my favorite movie ever, certainly the best SF film I've ever seen. The first movie to team Vincent Price, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, three of the greatest actors of the century, this is a brilliant and bizarre crime drama/espionage/political thriller/horror film. Indeed, one might say that what the X Files tries to do this film does perfectly. Several seemingly unrelated story threads gradually merge in a great climax. Lee and Cushing have limited screen time but play well written and very unusual roles. It would reveal too many surprises to review this film at length, so I'll only say that a series of strange crimes lead the police (and certain other characters) to a scientist engaged in secret research played by Price. This movie is a must if you are a fan of one or all of the three great stars, and features a tremendous performance by a nearly unknown actor named Marshall Jones. See it! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Based on the series "The Master"
This was just a couple of the last episodes of the series. It was a very good series but it never lasted long on Television. However, if you really like Martial Arts action then this is one of those series you don't want to miss, if you can still find it on VHS.

An interesting video
I bought this video because I love the movie star Demi Moore and was very interested see the young Demi working in this vídeo. I like it very much.

Story Of a Master Ninja Looking for his daughter.
This movie is about a white older guy that has been trained in the secret arts of the ninja. He came to america after thirty years in Japan to find the daughter he never knew he had. He teams up with a young boy who tries to do right and always ends up in trouble everywhere he travels. This story is about the young boy meeting up with Demi Moore in a town where the sheriff is bad and is trying to make Demi and her father sell their land so the sheriff and some other rich guys can build a shopping mall. Well the boy and his friend the "master ninja" end up getting envolved and all kinds of caos happens including the master using his ninja skills to stop the criminals from hurting the young Demi Moore. This is a very exciting movie!! Lots of fun and has some comedy in it with the ninja techniques. I rented it to see Sho Kosugi, but he is only in it as a bad guy who is stalking the master ninja and trying to kill him for leaving Japan. If your watching this to see Sho Kosugi the ninja he is not in it very much at all. But if you like ninja movie check it out it is really good, and the master takes on a new student the trouble maker boy!!! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Based on the series "The Master"
This was just a couple of the last episodes of the series. It was a very good series but it never lasted long on Television. However, if you really like Martial Arts action then this is one of those series you don't want to miss, if you can still find it on VHS.

An interesting video
I bought this video because I love the movie star Demi Moore and was very interested see the young Demi working in this vídeo. I like it very much.

Story Of a Master Ninja Looking for his daughter.
This movie is about a white older guy that has been trained in the secret arts of the ninja. He came to america after thirty years in Japan to find the daughter he never knew he had. He teams up with a young boy who tries to do right and always ends up in trouble everywhere he travels. This story is about the young boy meeting up with Demi Moore in a town where the sheriff is bad and is trying to make Demi and her father sell their land so the sheriff and some other rich guys can build a shopping mall. Well the boy and his friend the "master ninja" end up getting envolved and all kinds of caos happens including the master using his ninja skills to stop the criminals from hurting the young Demi Moore. This is a very exciting movie!! Lots of fun and has some comedy in it with the ninja techniques. I rented it to see Sho Kosugi, but he is only in it as a bad guy who is stalking the master ninja and trying to kill him for leaving Japan. If your watching this to see Sho Kosugi the ninja he is not in it very much at all. But if you like ninja movie check it out it is really good, and the master takes on a new student the trouble maker boy!!! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Start the insanity
This movie is quite possibly the best movie ever made. Right from the start when he sticks his gun up that one guys butt to the end when he's jumping over cars, the action never stops. Sho Kosugi has one of the most expressive faces I've ever seen, from anger to fear to sadness he is able to portray any emotion. I'm deducting one star from this movie because of the scene when he throws the plastic toy wheel at the man in the truck like a throwing star it hit him slightly lower in the neck than I would have liked but overall this is an outstanding movie and I recomend it to anyone in the mood for action. ps Ray was on to something ... Read more

Reviews (5)

a howling good time
Cry of the Banshee is probably the least popular Vincent Price horror film but it's one of my favorites. aside from Price's usual great acting, what sells me on the movie is the mood and atmosphere of the film. i see nothing wrong with AIP capitalizing on the witchcraft genre with this, "The Oblong Box", and "Conqueror Worm". i liked all those movies, too. the trouble that most people have is that the stereotypical 'Vincent Price' isn't to be seen in these witch hunter flicks and for some reason, people can't learn to curl up on a cold day or a stormy night and plop in this rainy day movie and simply enjoy it for the entertainment. so what if the storyline sounds run of the mill or boring? on this film, Price plays Lord Edward Whitman whose family is cursed by Oona, a local witch. The Whitman boys and the only daughter look strinkingly similar to walk-ons and bit players on "The Oblong Box" and "Conqueror Worm"...well, the story tells about Oona sending a banshee to shack up with the Whitman's. i love the scene in which Price whips the stranger/banshee after catching him messing around with the daughter! i loved the hilarious ending that shows Price hop into his horse and buggy without noticing the driver falling over dead! the 'new' driver is none other than the banshee and as the horse and carriage speed off into the country side, we hear Price yelling "Bully Boy? Bully Boy..." and we see a close-up on the Banshee grinning! in a nut shell, Vincent Price films are always filled with great ACTING...this always wins over a bad script in my opinion. i feel that Vincent was right on the mark as the leader of this sadistic family and his cruel performance doesn't let you have any sympathy for him until the scene in which his entire family has been killed and you're rooting him on to go and kill Oona! this doesn't rank on the same level as the Roger Corman directed Poe films and it's unfair to compare "Cry of the Banshee" to any of them. for one thing, Banshee and the other witch-hunter films are in another genre and deserve to be compared with other witch movies...i'm afraid that many people see blood and gore and assume 'horror' which isn't the case on the witch-hunter movies. these are more like religious cult than true horror.

Not worth watching
Cry of the Banshee represents a low point in Vincent Price's acting career. I suppose that this is considered one of his Poe-based movies since they throw on a Poe quote at the beginning, but it has no real ties to the other movies in this series.

Similar to the flawed but still far superior Conqueror Worm, this movie has Vincent Price as the magistrate of a village who revels in his cruelty towards supposed witches. When he angers a real witch, a curse is visited upon him. If this sounds interesting in theory, it is not in execution.

Price looks like he is walking through his role, and despite his wooden acting, he is still the best in the bunch. Bad acting and writing makes this movie bad enough, but what kills it is that it's boring.

The only mildly interesting thing about this movie is the opening credit sequence, with Monty Python-style animation by Terry Gilliam, but even this misleads you into thinking that this movie might have some humor, which it doesn't. The only other good thing about this movie is it is relatively short (90 minutes) so it does eventually come to an end.

Vincent Price....shame on you!
Surprisingly, I did not care for this one much. I usually love my Vincent Price movies like "Pit and the Pendulum", "House of Wax" & "Fall of the the House of Usher". I guess I had a hard time with Vincent Price and the partial nudity thing. The whole thing didn't make much sense. The ending was just as silly as the beginning. Oh, well.....off to the video graveyard!

The Price is right; the movie ain't
Vincent Price is the only reason this cheesy flick gets the extra star. He's always a joy to watch. The supporting cast is all right, with Hilary Dwyer a standout in the thankless ingenue role.

The basic plot is not bad, but the cheap production values defeat it.

Monty Python fans alert: Terry Gilliam did the credit sequence artwork.

Pass me the greasepaint, I need a monster
You know those great classic horror films that grab your interest right away and hold you glued to the screen for the nexthour and a half or so? Well, this film is not one of those, but it is not one of the other kind either. This film can best be described as uneven, although the good slightly outweighs the bad.

The plot is Vincent Price and his soldiers break up a pagan ceremony (complete with lots of young people dancing around in bedsheets) and kill a couple of the participants. The woman they say is a witch puts a curse on Price and his family, she also sommons a "man" who is supposed to bring this revenge around. Price and his followers hear strange sounds that they at first think are howls of a wolf, although they sound more like cross between a warped audio tape and someone stomach after they ate something that did not agree with them at all. Eventually the curse goes into effect and Price tries to figure out what is going on and how to stop it.

The story is nothing new and puts together aspects of previous Price classics Masque of the red death and the Conqueror Worm. The costumes, sets and acting are overall good. The film has some good action and some scary parts, but the parts with the witch and sound of the banshee just makes me shake my head and wonder what the producer thought was beneficial about these scenes? The idea of a banshee is very interesting to me, but the horrible sounds are not impressive. When I actually see the creature, I could not believe their budget only allowed them halloween grease paint probably purchased at a local drug store. The film could have been called cry of the wolf or werewolf because they completely lose sight of what a banshee is. However, they do pull this one out with a good ending and by using Vincent Price more than a lot of films did at this point in his career.

In all fairness, I would have given this film two and a half is I could because it is certainly interesting enough to be average. This is one of three Vincent price films directed by Gordon Hessler and it is definitely better than the boring Oblong box and the sci-fi/horror stinker Scream and scream again. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

a howling good time
Cry of the Banshee is probably the least popular Vincent Price horror film but it's one of my favorites. aside from Price's usual great acting, what sells me on the movie is the mood and atmosphere of the film. i see nothing wrong with AIP capitalizing on the witchcraft genre with this, "The Oblong Box", and "Conqueror Worm". i liked all those movies, too. the trouble that most people have is that the stereotypical 'Vincent Price' isn't to be seen in these witch hunter flicks and for some reason, people can't learn to curl up on a cold day or a stormy night and plop in this rainy day movie and simply enjoy it for the entertainment. so what if the storyline sounds run of the mill or boring? on this film, Price plays Lord Edward Whitman whose family is cursed by Oona, a local witch. The Whitman boys and the only daughter look strinkingly similar to walk-ons and bit players on "The Oblong Box" and "Conqueror Worm"...well, the story tells about Oona sending a banshee to shack up with the Whitman's. i love the scene in which Price whips the stranger/banshee after catching him messing around with the daughter! i loved the hilarious ending that shows Price hop into his horse and buggy without noticing the driver falling over dead! the 'new' driver is none other than the banshee and as the horse and carriage speed off into the country side, we hear Price yelling "Bully Boy? Bully Boy..." and we see a close-up on the Banshee grinning! in a nut shell, Vincent Price films are always filled with great ACTING...this always wins over a bad script in my opinion. i feel that Vincent was right on the mark as the leader of this sadistic family and his cruel performance doesn't let you have any sympathy for him until the scene in which his entire family has been killed and you're rooting him on to go and kill Oona! this doesn't rank on the same level as the Roger Corman directed Poe films and it's unfair to compare "Cry of the Banshee" to any of them. for one thing, Banshee and the other witch-hunter films are in another genre and deserve to be compared with other witch movies...i'm afraid that many people see blood and gore and assume 'horror' which isn't the case on the witch-hunter movies. these are more like religious cult than true horror.

Not worth watching
Cry of the Banshee represents a low point in Vincent Price's acting career. I suppose that this is considered one of his Poe-based movies since they throw on a Poe quote at the beginning, but it has no real ties to the other movies in this series.

Similar to the flawed but still far superior Conqueror Worm, this movie has Vincent Price as the magistrate of a village who revels in his cruelty towards supposed witches. When he angers a real witch, a curse is visited upon him. If this sounds interesting in theory, it is not in execution.

Price looks like he is walking through his role, and despite his wooden acting, he is still the best in the bunch. Bad acting and writing makes this movie bad enough, but what kills it is that it's boring.

The only mildly interesting thing about this movie is the opening credit sequence, with Monty Python-style animation by Terry Gilliam, but even this misleads you into thinking that this movie might have some humor, which it doesn't. The only other good thing about this movie is it is relatively short (90 minutes) so it does eventually come to an end.

Vincent Price....shame on you!
Surprisingly, I did not care for this one much. I usually love my Vincent Price movies like "Pit and the Pendulum", "House of Wax" & "Fall of the the House of Usher". I guess I had a hard time with Vincent Price and the partial nudity thing. The whole thing didn't make much sense. The ending was just as silly as the beginning. Oh, well.....off to the video graveyard!

The Price is right; the movie ain't
Vincent Price is the only reason this cheesy flick gets the extra star. He's always a joy to watch. The supporting cast is all right, with Hilary Dwyer a standout in the thankless ingenue role.

The basic plot is not bad, but the cheap production values defeat it.

Monty Python fans alert: Terry Gilliam did the credit sequence artwork.

Pass me the greasepaint, I need a monster
You know those great classic horror films that grab yo