Description

At California's Malibu Beach, you'll find everything: hot, hunky, sun-bronzed surfers; bikini-clad chicks stacked to Pasadena; rock n' rollers; beatniks; booze; beer and something else--a hideous reptilian monster with a hunger for bitchin' babes. Dance to the rockin' tunes "Monster in the Surf" and "More Than Wanting You." Chill to the ghastly monster as it stalks its prey. Thrill as the surf-studs ride the big ones in a drive-in '60s romp that will scare the yell out of you! Great fun. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

It's no Creature from the Black Lagoon; nice DVD though!
For some reason, American International Pictures never properly exploited the huge potential crossover appeal of their highly successful beach party and horror genres (witness the tepid Ghost in the Invisible Bikini). Attempting to fill this void, kiddie-show producers Edward Janis and Joan Gardner concocted this mildly enjoyable, very low-budget beach/horror item (fondly remembered as Monster from the Surf on TV). The story is primarily a dysfunctional-family melodrama: it seems oceanographer dad (Jon Hall) is losing his grip because son Richard (Arnold Lessing, looking rather more than teenaged) is being distracted from his studies by the surf and sand set, and also apparently because frustrated, shrewish wife Vicki (Sue Casey) is stepping out on him. Meanwhile, an alleged "sea monster" is bumping off errant teens (the minute a stray couple heads down the shore you know they're toast). The production is 'enhanced' somewhat by the participation of puppeteer/voice artist/sculptor Walker Edmiston (who plays the crippled sculptor Mark, wrote the song "Monster in the Surf," and sculpted the creature's head) and more so by surfing photographer Dale Davis, who supplied some nice footage of hot-dogging tube action. Also on the upside: BG&TM offers probably the largest chunk of halfway-decent instrumental surf music to make it onto a movie screen during the craze years (Dick Dale, The Pyramids, et al. were usually not allowed to play their best [instrumental] stuff in the Beach Party movies). The main title theme, repeated throughout the film (minus the horrendous opening vocals), and a "spooky" reverb guitar-and-sax theme actually hold up pretty well today. No musical group is credited so apparently these and the vaguely Brubeckian cocktail/spy-jazz cues are courtesy of Frank Sinatra Jr. (yes, THAT Frank Sinatra Jr.) The movie also generates a modicum of sleazy Adults Only ambience, mostly thanks to Ms. Casey, whose cold-eyed, acid-tongued demeanor begs comparison with Meg Myles in Satan in High Heels, Tura Satana in Faster Pussycat, and other definitive "bad girl" performances. And trash film junkies will have fun snickering at the Edwoodian dialogue ("I still believe that a human clawed that girl to death, not a fish, no matter how big"); ultra-chintzy, overlit monster suit; and some of the least convincing rear-projection driving scenes ever committed to film (check the size and trajectory of some of those following/passing vehicles!). Unfortunately, the homely beach girls, lacklustre party scenes, and cringeworthy vocal numbers and 'blackout' jokes cause one to reflect only on how brilliantly these elements were handled by William Asher in the AIP series. Cult status or no, "More Than Wanting You" is just lame, and the singing hand puppet is, well, a singing hand puppet. According to several of the principals, the film was actually directed 'by committee' and it shows. The writing, performances, editing, and continuity are consistently amateurish (watch the white MG transform into a different auto as it heads over the cliff in the finale); plot points are telegraphed by obvious, heavy-handed dialogue; and nominal director and star Jon Hall (looking puffy and bug-eyed) overacts wildly throughout. Hard to believe he was once the debonair ladies' man romancing Maria Montez on-screen. SF/horror fans will groan at the cop-out ending and the entire picture will most likely disappoint straights expecting an actual Good Movie. However, Beach Girls and the Monster does offer a sizable chunk of cheese for low-budget schlock aficionados to snack on. Makes a great double bill with Horror of Party Beach (still MIA on DVD).
Yet another fine Image/Wade Williams presentation, Beach Girls is offered here in probably the definitive DVD edition. The source print has been transferred in anamorphic widescreen, matted at 1.85:1, and other than some light speckling and blemishing, and sporadic, barely noticeable lining it looks great, with generally excellent brightness, contrast, sharpness, and shadow/highlight detail (limited at times by the quality of the original cinematography). The full-frame BG&TM trailer looks a little dupey but still very good, with only some light speckling apparent, and the usual five bonus WW Collection trailers are included in a cookie. The disc also features an extensive gallery of stills, on-set candids, and advertising art (some of the photos are in color), and an underwhelming eight-page extract from the original script in Adobe PDF format. The Dolby Digital 1.0 mono sound is clear and full, the main menu is nicely animated, and there are informative liner notes by Tom Weaver in the keep case. One of the nicer packages in the Image/Williams series. Three stars for the movie, five for the DVD, equals four overall.

Five star sedative
This movie used to play periodically on late Saturday night Philadelphia TV in the 60s. My family and I must have watched it at least a dozen times without ever seeing the end. It got to be a real joke. We used to watch for it in the listings, and every time it would play we would gather together in front of the tube resolving to stick it through to the end, only to fall asleep once again. Twenty years later I finally got to see the end, but I won't ruin it for you.

Monster From the Surf
Monster From the Surf was this movies original title, I think it still is. I was shocked to know they changed it's name because I have been searching for this everywhere. Well I would not reccomend this to anyone no matter what type of movies you like. As a classic horror fan I was dissapointed to see this, they spend half the movie showing people surfing LITERALLY, watch for yourself it's actually almost half the whole movie showing clips of people surfing, looks like they stole the footage from somewhere, and to watch the whole movie and find out theres no monster but a guy in a suit was a huge dissapointment as well, I do love the design of the monster though. Horny directors try to get [rearend] shots of the gals in this flick and even breast close-ups while the girls are dancing! I mean come on, how horny do you have to be to sneak something up like that. There is no nudity in this film or much violence, if you want to call the "monsters" attacks violence. Theres not much I can say, just a jealous father getting his revenge whatever it may be, personally I don't care. But if your into collecting strange movies like me then I suggest you get it,. otherwise forget about it.

"There's a Monster in the Surf, yeah! yeah! yeah!
The above is the title to another song in this surf and monster opus of the California surf. After a girl named "Bunny" puts mustard on her boyfriends hot dog (he deserved it), he chases her but she gets away, right into the hands of Jon Hall (former Ramar of the Jungle) who is dressed up as a monster. It seems he resents the surf set for distracting his son from the scientific work which ole dad had planned for him. This is hokey stuff with bad acting, bad writing horrible music (although written by Chairman of the Board, Jr.) and girls whose wild bikinis are sometimes a little too stuffed. Still, its worth a look just for laughs. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Enjoyable 1950s Adventure Series
Jon Hall stars as Dr. Tom Reynolds, or "Ramar" in this jungle adventure series set in Africa and, later, India. The series ran 52 episodes over a two year period from 1952 to 1954 and was broadcast well into the 1960s in syndication. The stock scenes of wildlife were good, but didn't always mesh well with scenes set in obvious studio "jungles." Besides Hall, also in the weekly cast were Ray Montgomery as Professor Howard Ogden and Nick Stewart as their native guide, Willy-Willy. Look for Woody (billed as "Woodrow") Strode in two of the four episodes on this DVD.

Alpha Video's DVD presentation is reasonably good, considering the age of the broadcasts; video contrast is, for the most part, good and the audio is clear throughout all four episodes. The show isn't great, but it's enjoyable enough on its own terms and will certainly bring back lots of memories for Baby Boomers and those who enjoy television from the early days. Alpha has also released a second volume on DVD with an additional four episodes. Episode titles on this first volume include "Dark Venture," "Voice of the Past," "King of the Watus," and "Lady of the Leopards."

My rating is closer to *** & 1/2. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Round Two of Ramar
Here's another four episodes of the 1950s jungle adventure series that starred Jon Hall as Dr. Tom Reynolds, Ray Montgomery as Professor Howard Ogden, and Nick Stewart as their guide Willy-Willy. All four episodes are, again, set in Africa. If you already have Volume 1 of Ramar, you will undoubtedly enjoy these four additional episodes. The audio/visual quality of this set is on a par with Volume 1 . . . audio is clear and the video portion is relatively defect free, though I doubt that Alpha Video did anything in the way of digital restoration. Woody Strode does not appear in any of the episodes on this set as he did on Volume 1, but look for a young Bernie (billed as "Bernard") Hamilton in the "Savage Challenge" episode. Hamilton went on to a long career in television and films; this is one of his earliest appearances. Nick Stewart, from the Amos and Andy television series, seemingly adds a little more humor to these episodes than those in Volume 1.

The episodes included in Volume 2 include: "Idol Voo-Doo," "Mark of the Bola," "Curse of the Devil Doll," and "Savage Challenge."

As was the case with Volume 1, my rating is closer to *** & ½ stars. It would be interesting to see some of the Ramar episodes that were set in India; hopefully Alpha Video will consider releasing some of the Indian episodes if there is ever a Volume 3 release. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

More of the Early Adventures
Alpha Video's "Ramar of the Jungle" DVD series continues with four more early episodes from the show's first season that were originally broadcast in 1952.All of the adventures on this DVD include Charlie, the Cockney guide who leads Dr. Reynolds and Professor Ogden through the sometimes treacherous jungles of Africa.Video quality on this release is about average for the series; that is to say that fans who have been searching for episodes on the DVD format will probably appreciate these episodes, but casual fans unaccustomed to lesser visual quality will likely be put off.Volumes 1 and 2 of Alpha Video's "Ramar" series continue to offer the best in visual quality and are recommended to those who only want a sampling of the best looking episodes available.All other volumes, to date, are primarily for collectors of this enjoyable jungle adventure series. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The great John Ford directed this rousing 1937 adventure with such invigorating physicality that the movie is never compromised by its cornball plot. It's an island adventure from the old school of tall tales, and the title says it all--the tropical romance between native girl Dorothy Lamour and suntanned hunk Jon Hall is established simply so it can be tested by a meddlesome island governor (Raymond Massey) and a tropical storm that provides one of the most physically impressive climaxes ever filmed. The storm remains as awesome as ever simply because it triumphantly captures the power of nature in the throes of a raging tempest. Massive waves, driving wind, and expert use of miniatures make The Hurricane a marvel of late-1930s special effects, but the sheer spectacle is more than matched by Ford's efficient economy of story. The romance is lush and primitive, in keeping with the sun-drenched setting on the fictional island of Manikoora, and as Hall's heroic character must endure wrongful imprisonment and the rigors of escape, Ford maintains a constant atmosphere of foreboding. The director's masterful use of sound and picture is best captured in the lonely peal of a church bell--it's both a reaffirming sign of life and, when the bell finally goes silent, a dreaded signal that the hurricane has taken its ultimate toll. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Your jaw will drop
Wow. Incredible special effects close out the last half hour of this film, in which a small Pacific island near Tahiti is obliterated by a collossal hurricane. The action scenes are amazing, as buildings, boats, people and trees are swept away by unstoppable nature. The plot revolves around the noble seafaring Terangi, a native who runs afoul of an unbending legal system, and has to go to great lengths to return to his family, and to prove his valor and nobility. Played by athlete-turned-actor John Hall, Terangi has a major "me Tarzan" quality to him, but is compelling nonetheless. Dorothy Lamour, in her trademark sarong, also plays a Polynesian. If you can get past the silliness of these white folks playing "ethnic" roles, this is a superior, and quite stunning film. As ever, a tightly crafted movie by director John Ford.

A special effects storm that has never been surpassed
The main reason to watch this 1937 film directed by John Ford is for the special effects as the title storm wrecks the fictional island of Manikoora. Certainly the cornball romance between the native girl Marama (Dorothy Lamour) and the sailor Terangi (Jon Hall) is not particularly captivating. Terangi is unjustly imprisoned for a murder he did not commit and escapes just as a hurricane strikes the island and makes it difficult for him to return to his wife. The hurricane sequence is what justifies five stars for this film as giant waves and battering winds destroy the sets and miniatures. Let me put it this way: the special effects in this 1937 film are at least as impressive as anything you see in "The Perfect Storm." The supporting cast features Raymond Massey as the heartless Governor De Laage, Mary Astor as his more sympathetic wife, John Carradine as the warden, C. Aubrey Smith as Father Paul and Thomas Mitchell as Dr. Kersaint in an Oscar nominated role for Supporting Actor. If you can track down a copy of "Hurricane" check it out, but do not do so on a dark and stormy night.

Hurricane
Don't watch this dvd if you are afraid of hurricanes! The last time I saw this marvelous John Ford film was on the morning of August 23, 1992-AMC Movie Channel, as bad coincidence would have it, was broadcasting The Hurricane, as Hurricane Andrew was tear- ing into Miami. I don't know which was more terrifying, the winds outside, smashing trees to the ground-or seeing the priest playing the organ as the walls came caving in, and the churchbell silenced........it is, for it's time, THE most realistic depict- ion of a hurricane as you are likely to get. And very advanced social commentary, that the imposition of rigidly-observed col- onial rules damaged those whom it was imposed on, that it drained the life out of them. Not to mention rigidity on a personal lev- el wrecked relationships, ruining love. Rather a parable of para dise lost and destroyed-to great effect. What could have been a humdrum boring sermon became an electrifying tale under the sure hand of John Ford. John Hall and Dorothy Lamour really never had such a workout of their craft again!

Doesn't spare any puches. There's a terrifying scene of an is- lander mother giving birth in a canoe, surrounded by her family and the doctor, being jounced around and battered by the storm in all it's fury-you have to buy this. You won't regret it. It has not lost any of it's punch, it is as applicable today as then.

Category 5 Hurricane
Bliss of islanders Terangi (Hall) and Marama (Lamour) is threatened by overzealous, rigid (yet tenderly devoted to wife Germaine) colonial governor De Laage (Massey), obsessed with the letter of the law--until nature intervenes to settle the conflict and soften De Laage's heart. Enduring a lengthy period of false incarceration, Terangi is reunited with beloved Marama and young daughter Tita--on the eve of the hurricane that will overwhelm their tiny island, yet ironically, despite great human toll, reconcile persecutor and persecuted. Awesome, riveting hurricane sequence still is unsurpassed after more than sixty years. Ever intensifying gale force winds tear away the tattered tricolor, signalling the end of colonial government's vain attempt to impose bureaucratic order on the island. Storm surge violently and indiscriminately carries away trappings of church and state, as nature asserts its primacy over man. Top notch cast, especially Mary Astor as De Laage's gracious wife Germaine, more than hold their own with the hurricane--the real star of the film.

Hurricane is Rare Event
This film is very exciting and has good production. It the head of its time in the seventh art for its high quality effects. The message of the film is about destructive natural hurricane with its similar hurricane of human life represented in black side of man. I.e. hatred injustice and conspiracy. These bad things are the true hurricane that travels inside man which would get ride of what it meets like natural hurricane. This is quite clear in the film the ruler(Raymond Massey ) and the young man(Jon Hall ). The similarity between the two films is the destruction of every thing that the hurricane meets. It among lines message which the film seeks to convey. ... Read more

Description

Dr. Tom Reynolds and his associate Professor Howard Ogden travel the dark and dangerous jungles of Africa and India. Accompanied by a succession of local guides, Dr. Reynolds, respectfully known as Ramar (Great White Doctor) to the native tribesmen, becomes involved in a series of adventures which set him against an assortment of villains. Witch doctors, smugglers, mad scientists and exotic wildlife keep Ramar and company on their toes in every thrilling episode. "Ramar of the Jungle" was created by and starred Jon Hall. The show was wildly successful during its short run of two years, offering an exciting and sometimes violent picture of distant lands.Evil Trek - Premiere Episode: In the series premiere episode, the origin of Dr. Tom Reynolds is revealed during his very first adventure into the African Jungle. While beginning their medical research project, Ramar and Howard learn of a mysterious White Goddess who uses a witchdoctor's secret formula to remain young and reign over a tribe of savages. Playing the Goddess is beautiful Millicent Patrick, who later became a special effects monster designer for Universal, responsible for creating the Gill-Man from The Creature From The Black Lagoon, among others.Contraband: Two greedy poachers devise a plan to steal a large shipment of ivory tusks being transported by natives through the jungle to a nearby trading post.Jungle Terror: A small plane crashes in the jungle and Ramar sets out to rescue the survivors from a hostile tribe of bloodthirsty cannibals.Striped Fury: Wild animal trapper Jack O'Malley is in search of two tigers that escaped during a shipment from India. The beasts are slaughtering natives who believe the tigers are demons controlled by Ramar's "black magic." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Ramar's Origins
Volume 7 of Alpha Video's "Ramar of the Jungle" series is notable as it includes the series' premiere episode "Evil Trek" which sets the stage for the adventures of Dr. Tom Reynolds (Ramar) and his assistant, Professor Howard Ogden in Africa.The episodes included here are all part of the first 13 episodes and feature James Fairfax as "Charlie," Ramar's Cockney guide from Capetown.After the conclusion of the first 13 episodes, the series would shift to India for another 13 episodes (with Victor Milan as Zahir, the Indian guide), and then return to Africa for the remainder of the series (with Nick Stewart as Willy, the native African guide).The early episodes include elements that are, for the most part, indicative of the entire series . . . . . jungle diseases, greedy hunters, peaceful and violent native tribes and, of course, the ubiquitous wildlife stock footage that's not always well integrated into the studio scenes.This was a childhood favorite that, I'm happy to say, holds up reasonably well with age.

In terms of the number of volumes that Alpha has released to date, this volume is recommended primarily for collectors of the series, though casual fans might be interested in seeing the first episode of the series.Reflecting its somewhat rare status, the visual quality of this release, while far from perfect, is certainly watchable.However, anyone expecting modern day high definition quality will be sorely disappointed.

Normally, I rate the Ramar releases from ** & ½ to *** & ½ stars, mostly because of the visual quality, as opposed to the entertainment factor.The visual quality of this release is no better than most of the others, but the inclusion of the first episode of the series merits ****.
... Read more

Reviews (1)

(Mostly) The Early Adventures
Volume 6 of Alpha Video's continuing series of "Ramar of the Jungle," includes three of the first 13 episodes set in Africa, and one episode from the second half of the last season.The first three episodes are notable because they include Ramar's Cockney guide, Charlie and his parrot, Walter.These are among the more difficult episodes to see of the series and mark the first time that "Charlie" has appeared on DVD.Alpha has also uncovered another four "Charlie" episodes (including the premiere episode) with its subsequent Volume 7 release.

The video quality of this release is about average for the series . . . . . that is to say that it will never win any awards for its visual quality, but it is watchable and the fact of the matter is that no other commercial releasing company has come even remotely close to releasing as many episodes as Alpha has.Given the rarity of this series, the less than pristine visuals are certainly acceptable.As mentioned in reviews for earlier volumes, casual fans of the show would do well to stick with volumes 1 and 2 which offer the best visual quality, while subsequent volumes are mostly for collectors of this entertaining jungle adventure series.

My rating is closer to *** & ½ stars.
... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good Early DUKE Vehicle...
Just three years or so away from stardom in "Stagecoach", this 1936 movie shows all of the things that made fans love John Wayne.

The story follows John Blair (Wayne), and his pal Larry Adams as they leave the Pony Express when it folds. Given two thoroughbred horses each by the defunct mail service, The DUKE sets his mind to opening up a stage line.

When crooked stage line operator Drake sells them the Crecent City run, it looks like John and Larry have wasted their money. Crecent City went bust after the local gold mine played out, and Drake forced all the business to his city. Too bad Drake didn't know he was tangling with The DUKE!

Blair almost singlehandedly brings the town back to life one piece at a time. The one final step in his plan is a stage line mail contract, and it's the Drake line vs. Blair & Adams in a race to Sacremento. The winner gets the big contract, and Drake is out to stop DUKE by hook or by crook!

There's a pretty good plot in this one, and a surprising amount of humor along with the action. Although clocking in at only 55 minutes, there's a lot of young DUKE action!

A fun ride, "Winds of the Wasteland" on this DVD is a great bargain for the price, and no DUKE fan should miss it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great John Wayne B's!!!
This DVD "Winds of the Wasteland" and "Lucky Texan" offers two great early John Wayne westerns. Basically, if you enjoy the old 1930's B westerns you should purchase this DVD. I am buying all of the B movies I can find so I can be certain I'll have them preserved on DVD for my grandchildren to enjoy. ... Read more