Day Of Anger(1967)

Theatrical Poster

Director: Tonino Valerii

Rating: M

"Day of Anger" is a Spaghetti Western film that tells the story of Scott Mary. Mary is a poor "bastard" that cleans the streets of his town Clifton. He is constantly bullied by everyone, until he meets Frank Talby. Talby is known to be one of the greatest gunmen ever, and Mary instantly begins to admire him. After saving Talby's life, Mary is taken under his wing to teach him to be the best at gun-fighting.  What Mary doesn't know is Talby's real motives, and no matter how much people warn him, he does not listen. A tale of betrayal and revenge then begins, making a climax one will never forget. 

The film stars Giuliano Gemma as Scott, Lee Van Cleef, Walter Rilla as Murph, and Christa Linder as Gwen. 

The Spaghetti Western genre has always been hit and miss for me, because there are the occasional movies that tell very powerful stories, and some that are just plain boring. Luckily, "Day of Anger" created a schema of what every Western should be. There was beautiful cinematography, wonderful scenes of action, engrossing characters, a grandiose and triumphant score by Riz Ortolani, and grit that will leave an impact on the viewer. I really love how the film balanced the action and story, because a lot of Westerns have too much of one of those, and not enough of the other. Also, the plot was much more than your typical "Cowboy flick," as it brought up themes of morality and corruption. I watched the hour and 53 minute Italian version of the movie, and while I believe it could have been a little shorter, there was not a moment that I was bored. 

Arrow Blu Ray Release

The copy of "Day of Anger" that I acquired was the Blu Ray/DVD set from Arrow Video. This three disc collection gives the viewer the definitive look at this film. On the Blu Ray disc, there is the original Italian version of the movie with option of Italian or English language, and there is also a shortened version that is only in English. All of these are available on the two DVD discs also included. The transfer for the film was absolutely beautiful, with a picture so clear that the movie didn't look its age, and the sound filled the air. The special features included are also good, with interviews with direct Tonino Valerii, screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi, and film critic/author Roberto Curti. Also featured is a deleted scene, trailers, a booklet by Howard Hughes, and a reversible sleeve with artwork approved by Reinhard Kleist.  This set is so worth the money, because it gives a full look at the movie, and truly does it justice. 

"Day of Anger" was a pleasant surprise in my movie watching, and I can honestly say its one of my new favorites in the Western genre. It is a very powerful and action packed flick, and it will not disappoint. Definitely check out this criminally underrated film, because it will blow you away.

Grade: 9.5/10

Blu Ray Grade: 10/10

Plan 9 From Outer Space(1959)

An image of a UFO in "Plan 9 From Outer Space"(can you see the strings?)

Director: Ed Wood

Rating: Not Rated

A trio of aliens come up with a plan to bring people back from the dead and use them as an army to save the world. 

The film stars Bela Lugosi as "Ghoul Man," Vampira as "Vampire Girl," and Tor Johnson as Clay.

I went into "Plan 9 From Outer Space" expecting the worst film ever made, and that is exactly what I got. With terrible acting, writing, directing, and laughable special effects, this movie is a clunker in every way. Luckily, the flaws that are present make the film much more enjoyable, resulting in one of the most hilariously entertaining movies of all time. Terrible dialogue like "Your stupid minds! Stupid, stupid," will forever be hysterical, and the string powered UFO's will always make me chuckle. I thought the narration was also extremely funny, because it gave the vibe of a cheesy movie trailer, rather than being the film itself. 

2012 Blu Ray release from Legend Films

The release of this movie that I purchased was a Blu Ray disc from Legend Films. This set includes B&W and color versions of the film, a commentary with Mike Nelson of "Mystery Science Theater 3000," Ed Wood home videos, commercials Wood made, and subtitles with trivia about the movie. This is a very worthy purchase, because it gives the definitive look at this historical film. 

Fans of B-Movies should look no farther than "Plan 9 From Outer Space," because it is the holy grail of the genre. The film is so terrible that it will charm you and have you laughing hysterically. Ed Wood was the master of bad movies, because he lacked the merit of film-making(to his advantage). So definitely check out this film, because it will not disappoint. 

Grade: 10/10 (A horrendously bad movie, but perfect for what it is).

Blu Ray Grade: 8/10

Suspiria(1977)

Promotional poster of the film

Director: Dario Argento

Rating: R

A young girl named Suzy begins to attend a ballet academy in Germany, and is instantly terrified by the tragic occurrences taking place. She begins to look for help, and tries to uncover what the cause is. 

The film stars Jessica Harper as Suzy, Stefania Casini as Sarah, Flavio Bucci as Daniel, Alida Valli as Miss Tanner, and Joan Bennett as Madame Blanc. 

Right from the start of "Suspiria," I knew I was viewing a very special piece of art. The wild colors and loud music gave such an intense emotion, and there was a underlying tone of suspense that instantly captivated me. When I saw the first murder, I was jawdropped at how unrelenting and warped Dario Argento's paranormal masterpiece actually was. While the overall storyline is nothing extravagant, Argento used his distinct style to make one of the scariest and technically beautiful movies of the horror genre. There were so many times where I could do nothing but stare at the screen because I was so shocked about what happened. While the violence was not frequent, it really left an impact on its viewer, because there were instances that I had never seen before. The acting was also amazing, with an amazing leading performance by the stunningly beautiful Jessica Harper. One of the things that stuck out to me the most(along with the crazy lighting and colors) was the wonderful soundtrack by Goblin. The heavy and intense progressive sounds were absolutely perfect at making the viewer even more scared than before, because they captured the raw emotion of the characters' fear. 

South Korean Blu Ray release

The release of "Suspiria" I bought was a copy from South Korea. This Blu Ray is quite bare bone when it comes to special features, but I can honestly say that the transfer is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. The picture was clear as water, and the sound blared to make everything scary as can be. I honestly would recommend this release, because while it only comes with a trailer, it definitely gives the experience of the movie that it deserves. 

I honestly can't recommend "Suspiria" enough, because it is the most beautiful movie I have ever seen, and it is also extremely scary. On top of being the best Argento film I have seen thus far, I may be able to call it my favorite horror movie. Definitely check out this masterpiece, because it will blow you away. 

Grade: 10/10

Blu Ray: 7/10

Wake Up and Kill(1966)

Arrow Video Blu Ray Release

Director: Carlo Lizzani

Rating: Unrated

"Wake Up and Kill"(aka "Wake Up and Die") tells the story of infamous criminal Luciano Lutring. Lutring was a jewelry thief during the 1960s in Italy, France, Amsterdam, and other places around the world. After meeting the love of his life Candida, more pressure is put on him to steal, because he wants to impress her with riches. Candida heavily disapproves of the criminal activity, but it is hard for her to leave the life she is leading with him. She then begins to realize that the only thing she can do is help the police find her husband, but she does not know how to do this without Luciano's life being taken.

The movie stars Robert Hoffman as Luciano, Lisa Gastoni in her Golden Globe winning performance as Candida, Gian Maria Volonté as Inspector Moroni, and Claudio Camaso as Franco. 

"Wake Up and Kill" was a total shot in the dark for me, as I had never heard of the film before seeing it on Amazon. The plot was intriguing enough in text, so I felt like the movie was worth a chance. I'm so glad for trying it though, because this film is a criminally underrated masterpiece. Even with a long running time of over two hours, there was not one moment where I was anything less than engrossed with what was happening. The main success of this film is the emotion and intensity that the cast and Lizzani's direction enabled. There is not an abundance of action, and there is not a lot of excess throughout, but there is the constant threat of Lutring being caught, which keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat. The film is also much more than a crime flick, and the focus of Lutring and his wife really helps the viewer form an emotional connection. While it is apparent that their marriage is not healthy at all, there is still a lot of power in seeing how far Candida would go to protect her troubled husband. Every member of the cast gave Oscar worthy performances, because their emotion and characterization were beyond authentic. Hoffman became Luciano, and it was amazing to me that he was able to portray the decay of his character. Gastoni excelled as Candida, because she depicted the pain and stress that the wife of a gangster would be under in a convincing manner, and she made the audience care about her. Stylistically, this movie was quite flawless. There were amazing heist and car chase scenes, the cinematography was beautiful, and the score was very effective at portraying the emotions the characters were feeling. The ending was extremely suspenseful, and it left the viewer at an abrupt conclusion. As a viewer of this film, there was nothing I would change about it, because it was very enjoyable and beautifully made. The only thing that could have been improved was the title. I understand that "Wake Up and Kill" was a way to draw in audiences, but there was so much more substance and complexity to the story than this name suggests. 

Full View of Blu Ray Release

The version of the movie that I purchased was Arrow Video's release. This two disc set includes Blu Ray and DVD transfers, which feature the uncut Italian and shortened English versions of the movie. I watched the Italian cut on Blu Ray, and I have to say I was very impressed by the overall look. There were occasional specks throughout, but for the rarity of this film, this was more than acceptable. Most of the picture was clear as can be, and the sound was great too. The special features were quite scarce, with only a trailer being on the disc. While this was a little bit disappointing, I would not discourage buying the set, because it is still the definitive way to own this wonderful movie. The booklet that was included with the film was extremely interesting, and it gave information about the fact vs. fiction of the movie, Lizzano's career, more about Lutring's life, information about the cast and crew, a description about the restoration process of the film, etc. The reversible artwork for the sleeve is also very well done, and it adds to the physical appeal of the package. I would definitely recommend buying this copy of "Wake Up and Kill," because I think that it is great that a company like Arrow would take this little known movie, and make it available to the public. 

I cannot recommend "Wake Up and Kill" enough, because it is a very engrossing crime-drama that will leave an impact on its viewer. I am so glad that I was able to experience this film, because it gave me even more appreciation of Italian cinema, which I had already loved. All cinephiles should view this movie at some time, because it is a hidden treasure that needs to be uncovered. 

Grade: 10/10

Blu Ray Grade: 8/10

Spider Baby(1968)

Arrow Video Blu Ray

Director: Jack Hill

Rating: Unrated

"Spider Baby" is a horror-comedy about the Merrye siblings and their guardian Bruno. Each member of this family has been plagued with a disorder called "Merrye Syndrome," which makes them mentally regress back to the pre-natal stage, causing them to be crazy and cannibalistic. Bruno tries to watch over them, because he made a promise to their father long ago, but as their antics become more erratic and brutal, he knows he has to put a stop to it. 

The movie stars Lon Chaney Jr. as Bruno, Jill Banner as Virginia(aka "Spider Baby"), Sid Haig as Ralph, and Beverly Washburn as Elizabeth. The supporting cast includes Carol Ohmart as Emily, Quinn Redeker as Peter, Karl Schanzer as Schlocker, and Mary Mitchel as Ann. 

"Spider Baby" captivates its viewer right from the beginning, because of the wildly creative and frightening theme song by composer Ronald Stein, which includes vocals by Lon Chaney Jr. As the menacing music fills the atmosphere, and the wildly disturbing animation graces the screen, the audience knows they are in for a bizarre treat. What makes the theme song especially memorable though is the grand laughs from Chaney, and the piercing screams from an unknown woman, because they were so sinister and mindblowing. This quirky and creepy nature is really the basis of the entire film, because "Spider Baby" is the most unpredictable and infectiously fun hour and a half one could spend in the cinema. With off the wall humor, truly freaky scenes of horror, and powerful moments of unconditional love, this low budget treasure has everything. If you mashed together "The Addams Family" with "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," and put a little bit of drama in too, then that would be a pretty accurate depiction of what "Spider Baby" is. The cast was absolutely wonderful, because each actor was so deep in their character that one would believe that the movie was actually real. The standouts for me were Chaney, because of his deep conviction and heartbreaking emotion in the character of Bruno, Haig, because of his absolutely hilarious insanity throughout, and Banner as Virginia, because she was so evil at times, yet she would still seduce you into loving her with her unreal beauty and innocent persona. Hill's direction in this movie was quite brilliant, because he nailed the macabre aspects of the story, and also kept such a lighthearted and goofy vibe throughout. Finally, the ending was awesome, because it left the viewer to their imagination, and gave a good laugh to conclude.  

Full View of the Arrow Release

Arrow Video has done nothing but impress me with the items I have bought from them, but this product went even farther beyond the others in quality. With both DVD and Blu Ray versions of the movie, a fantastic 39 page booklet about the film that includes writing by writer Stephen R. Bissette and interviews with the cast and crew, a reversible sleeve with two stunning artworks, and an outstanding amount of special features, this set gives "Spider Baby" the definitive tribute it deserves. The Blu Ray transfer of the film is absolutely beautiful, with completely clear picture, and wonderful sound. The booklet is so interesting, and it was the longest and most in depth that I have seen from the company so far. The special features had me hooked, and for once I actually watched them all in a row. They include a short film by Jack Hill called "The Host," which was a bizarre but intriguing student movie that he made starring Sid Haig. Director Francis Ford Coppola actually called this little known film his inspiration for the last parts of "Apocalypse Now." Also included were an audio commentary with Jack Hill and Sid Haig, an extremely interesting panel discussion that took place at the Academy's FILM-TO-FILM Festival, a very informative documentary about the movie called "The Hatching of Spider Baby," a short but wonderful featurette about composer Ronald Stein called "Spider Stravinsky: The Cinema Sounds of Ronald Stein," an extended scene, an alternative title sequence, the official trailer of the film, a featurette about the house "Spider Baby" was made in called "The Merrye House Revisited," and a photo gallery. I have never bought a Blu Ray that was so beautifully put together, and I will honestly say it is worth every cent. 

"Spider Baby" may not be a household name, but it is a cult classic for a reason. This gem from the 1960's is one of the funniest and most atmospherically creepy movies I have ever seen, and I was blown away from the start to the finish. I cannot recommend this film enough, because it should be seen by every fan of the cinema. 

Grade: 10/10

Blu Ray Grade: 10/10

Pit Stop(1969)

Arrow Blu Ray and DVD collection

A drag racer named Rick Bowman is bailed out of jail by a Figure Eight racing sponsor named Grant Willard. Throughout the film, we see the highs in Bowman's new-found fame, and the lows that show his true character.

The film stars Richard Davalos as Rick Bowman, Brian Donlevy as Grant Willard, Ellen Burstyn as Ellen McLeod, Sid Haig as Hawk Sidney, and Beverly Washburn as Jolene.

A large amount of B-Movies are technically bad films that the audience loves, but this picture beat that stereotype. "Pit Stop" is a brilliant early work by exploitation director Jack Hill. It has a really groovy blues soundtrack, awesome acting by Haig, Davalos, and Burstyn in particular, amazing scenes of racing and action, and a plot-line that is powerful and haunting at the same time. There is also a great balance between the humor and drama, which keeps the movie interesting throughout. I thought the black and white picture was a great idea for the film, because it showcased the vibe of a 50s drive-in movie. This also gave more grit to the atmosphere, which definitely wouldn't have been present in color. What stuck out to me most though was the ending of the film. There was such a deep and heartbreaking look at the person that Rick really is, and it left me with chills. I also liked how the conclusion left plot elements to the imagination, because it created a more realistic look at how the supporting characters would have felt. There wasn't really anything I disliked about "Pit Stop," because it was a brilliant and nearly flawless B-Movie that left me entertained the entire time.

Full view of the Arrow Release

Arrow Video's release of "Pit Stop" was an absolutely amazing collection, because it gave this little known film the release it deserved. The set includes both Blu Ray and DVD copies of the movie, which were approved by Hill himself. While the picture on the Blu Ray isn't flawless(there were occasional specs of dust and such), the transfer is still quite impressive being the available prints are most likely low quality. The extras in this set are much more extensive than any other release, and they include a booklet by critic Glenn Kenny and musicologist Gray Newell, a reversible sleeve, a featurette with Hill called "Crash and Burn," interviews with Sid Haig and Roger Corman, etc. This collection is one of the cheaper from Arrow, and it is definitely worth the money, because it gives a better experience of "Pit Stop" than ever before. 

"Pit Stop" may be an obscure film that most people haven't even heard of, but that does not mean that it should be passed up. I honestly feel that this movie is one of the finest in the underground, and it instantly has become a favorite of mine. There just weren't many films that could express so much in such a simple way, which shows its brilliance fully. I highly recommend "Pit Stop" to any cinephile, because it is a hidden treasure that needs to be found. 

Grade on a B-Movie: 10/10

Blu Ray Review: 9/10

A Note To All Readers

Hello to all of the readers of this website,

As you may have noticed, I have changed the name of my site to "The Good, The Bad, and The B-Movies." In the past, my page has only been horror reviews, but I began to think that maybe that was unfair. There are so many genres in the underground that deserve recognition, so I decided that the focus of this site will be about all B-Movies and cult films. There will still be plenty of horror to come, but there will also be glimpses of science fiction, action, blaxpoitation, etc. I hope you enjoy this change to the page, because that is what matters the most.

Sincerely, 

Ryan Gavalier- Author of "The Good, The Bad, and The B-Movies."