Amazon.com

"Joel, don't you have anything better to do than psychoanalyze a bunch of robots?" Apparently not in this hilarious installment of MST3K, in which Joel Hodgson and the robots of the Satellite of Love deconstruct this starched and stiff juvenile delinquent drama with everything from art projects to a giant mobile representing the hero's roiling subconscious. Square high school kid Jimmy is on trial for murder in this cautionary drama told in flashback, in which we learn all about this nice boy driven to lies, crime, and the arms of a nightclub floozy by a negligent father, an alcoholic mother, and his own utter stupidity. The film's cheesy nightclub number inspires Joel and the bots to put on their own version: Gypsy lip-synchs the lyrics while the other three pop in and out of costume to play the entire audience. "Seriously, Joel, who would you accuse?" --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (56)

This is the one where the kid accuses his parents.
This was the first Joel episode I watched and I thought I was going to have a stroke I was laughing so hard (or maybe it was because I smelt toast. I'm not sure). The short about truck farming is dark, and not even Joel or the 'bots can really save it. As it is, a lot of the farmer jokes fall a little flat (and yes I get them. I am from Nebraska). As it is, the segments also are not anything to write home about. Although the one where Joel tries to analyze the 'bots psyches is probably the best, in my opinion, segment.

However, the movie is pure gold. It's a 1940's morality play created to get parents to realize that they can't just go out and party day and night and ignore their stupid 20 year old kids. Jimmy is so slow that he gains mob ties without trying to, and goes on the lam just long enough to decide he has to come back. Add this and the songs that Jimmy's love interest belts out and it really is no wonder the MST3K team made this into a great episode.

I recommend it highly and think that every MiSTie should see it, but not over the great eps like "Manos: The Hands of Fate" or "Mitchell."

Just remember that should you ever get in trouble with the law just accuse your parents and you'll get off scott free.

Oh, my mom. She's swell...........Liar! liar! liar!
Well, even though this isn't one of the best mst3k episodes i've seen, it still made me laugh till I passed out. The Truck Farmer short is so depressing. And, I kid you not, but I swear that I see my grandma and great grandma in the fields picking vegetables! And they did do that work back then in that area! "My Grandma" is the one where Joel comments, "A preteen is put to work, her beauty will soon fade." Too bad they're not alive anymore to back my story. But the movie was hilarious, with that poor dumb clod Jimmy, who's one big liar, and a real complicated haircut. There's a drunk mom, a corpse for a dad, and a girlfriend with a weird profile. Also the mob is involved somehow. Add a hamburger garnished with french fried potatoes and you got I accuse My Parents! Enjoy!

One the funniest, most charming episodes with Joel as host
This DVD from Rhino offers up one the funniest -- and most charming -- episodes of the legendary TV show "Mystery Science Theater 3000," where they take on a 1944 drama/gangster movie/message flick called, "I Accuse My Parents." There are few episodes of the show I recommended higher for all-around quality.

For those of you unfamiliar with "Mystery Science Theater 3000," (MST3K for short) it is a ninety-minute show featuring a silhouette of a man and two robots (Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot) in movie theater seats projected in front of a bad movie. The hosts provide hysterical, satiric, and culturally-savvy wisecracks to accompany the movie. The episodes also includes sketches and songs and adds up to some of the most hilarious comedy you will ever see.

"I Accuse My Parents" is episode #507, from the last days of Joel Hodgson's run as host. Although the movie itself is actually not that bad, this episode comes at point in the show's development when the writers and performers were at the peak of the powers, and the result is one of the most hilarious episodes, and one that really grows on you with its sense of warm parody. It's a good episode for newcomers as well, since the film is average enough so that its awfulness doesn't distract from the wisecracks. (I've noticed that when I show an episode of the show to a friend who has never seen it before, the worse the movie being parodied is, the more my friend focuses on the movie instead of the hosts. This, therefore, is a good "training" episode.)

The camaraderie between the cast is quite wonderful here, and the warm, jocular style of the Joel years is at its strongest. After Mike Nelson took over as host (a few episodes later), the comedy style became more satiric and antagonistic toward the film. I love both hosts, but there is something rather magical and pleasant about the comedy of Joel's stint as host, and this episode displays that style perfectly. It is one of quintessential Joel Hodgson episodes.

The movie is a competently shot 'B' programmer from low-budget studio PRC. Our hero is Jimmy, a really stupid high school graduate who has to get a job at a shoe store despite his skills at essay writing (he won an essay content and mentions it endlessly). While lying to impress a girl, Jimmy idiotically ends up getting into debt and having to go to work as a courier for a gangster, while he also romances the gangster's girl Kitty (played by actress Mary Beth Hughes, who also appears in another MST3K episode, "Last of the Wild Horses.") Well, pretty soon our poor fool is in trouble with the law and the mob and on the run. And when it all explodes in his face, whom does he accuse? Yep, the title gives it away: His Parents! And why? Because they drink and argue. See, it's all their fault.

What makes this episode so dang funny is not that the film is particularly rotten looking or the acting is awful, but because the film's premise and main character are so stupid. The hosts lance into the characters at every point: Jimmy's incessant lying ("I liberated France while you were out dancing"), Jimmy's constant bragging about winning an essay constant ("Welcome to the Annual Essay Awards Ceremony!") his alcoholic parents who keep throwing money at him ("I'm up here with the D.T.s, honey! Would you get the yellow lizard out of the bathroom?"), Jimmy's rank stupidity ("Sir, I just don't get the holy spirit. Is it a bird?"), and the extremely obvious gangster organization ("Organized crime, please hold...organized crime, please hold...). This is a very 'character'-driven episode, and it's hilarious. There's also some great sketches between movie watching. In one sketch, Joel and the Robots psychoanalyze Jimmy to show that more than just 'drunk folks' are behind his problems. (Crow, or course, determines that Jimmy is just stupid.)

This DVD is a laugh riot, and a quintessential Joel episode. It feels like plunking down on the couch and watching a film with your best buddies; I think that's the main charm of the Joel years of the show. Newcomers and old fans alike will want this classic. (There are absolutely no extras on the DVD, however, but the episode is such a gem, it doesn't matter.)

Joel and the 'bots save another lame movie from obscurity
Sometimes I think the greatest contribution "Mystery Science Theater 3000" made to society was reintroducing hundreds of terrible movies that most people would never have watched again and warned us all how not to tell a story. Case in point -- "I Accuse My Parents." A young man, ignored by his parents, falls into a life of crime by becoming a courier for a mobster, is blissfully stupid enough not to NOTICE he has become a courier for a mobster, falls for the mobster's girlfriend and then lays the whole thing at his parents' feet when he winds up in court. And all this from a kid who actually won an essay contest.

The movie, naturally, was meant to preach a point about parental responsibility, and does it in such a heavy-handed, "beating you over the head" sort of way that even the title seems like a sermon. Thank Heavens for Joel and the 'bots. As always, they tear this terrible flick apart with their usual wit, savvy and sheer zaniness. From a hysterical spoof of the nightclub scene in the movie to the fastest one-liners ("Do you think he'd ever accuse us?"), they make yet another turkey bearable.

As with most MST3K solo DVDs, this one is pretty sparce in the special features department. On the other hand, what is there to really add to something like this? Sure, it'll most likely appeal to fans of the show only, but if you're not a fan of the show, you don't know what you're missing anyway.

"Maaaad About The Boy!"
A Classic MST3K right from the start! We all know of Tom Servo's huge ego, but when Crow paints him entirely pink, all Servo can do is admire his "nakedness" in a mirror and sing "I'm just maaad about the boy!" Until Joel and Crow pop his balloon by reminding him that he has no legs and his arm's dont work!

The short, "Truck Farming" reminds us how greatful the Mexicans are to come across the border to harvest our delicios carrots so young white people up North can receive their proper nutrition in winter! Plenty of 'bot cannon fodder here! It gives plenty of incentive for children to bend and stoop for a living!

The main movie is an example of Doctor Spock psychoanalysis, but set in the World War 11 generation, and they even attempted to make it a musical! Sure, the father is wooden and the mother is a Honky Tonk lush, but the son's problems do not rise out of that, they rise out of his constant LYING, LYING, LYING! and sheer stupidity! As the "mobile" skit by Joel and the bots exemplify, all his excuses are tiny little things to that huge "STUPID" floating mobile that always interferes and blocks the view of the others!

THe bots do an excellent job in trashing all the stupid songs we have to endure in this stinkburger, and this movie envites all the commentary that can be vomited on it!

Get this one! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Good Fun
I have the video version of this film. The dialogue is suprisingly well written for a low budget movie, though attitudes toward women are old fashioned. Does anyone know if the scene with Sid Melton, after he is attacked by the triceratops, is in the DVD version? It was stupidly dropped from my video version which is in otherwise excellent shape. I don't want to purchase the DVD version if that scene is still missing.

Excellent for its time (1951)
Considering the time in which this movie was made (1951) and considering the limitations on budget, actors, special effects, etc., this film is probably one of the best science fiction films per cost that has ever been made.

Above-average Image DVD of crude, enjoyable dinosaur flick
Not the greatest Sid Melton science fiction movie (that would be The Atomic Submarine), Lost Continent is still lots of cheesy fun, one of those "cross-genre" flicks that should appeal to pretty much any B-movie fan. You get SF, war movie, and jungle adventure cliches neatly combined with some of the most pitiful stop-motion dinosaurs ever. The quintessential B-cast includes Cesar Romero (TV's Joker, Week-end in Havana, Captain from Castile), John Hoyt (When Worlds Collide, Attack of the Puppet People), Whit Bissell (Teenage Werewolf & Frankenstein, Time Tunnel), Hugh Beaumont (Ward Cleaver, Michael Shayne), Chick Chandler (Music Man, Blondie), and Sid Melton (Make Room for Daddy, Green Acres), with Acquanetta (Captive Wild Woman, Tarzan & the Leopard Woman) and second-billed Hillary Brooke (Ministry of Fear, Invaders from Mars) in cameos. To the movie's credit, the plot moves at a brisk pace (except during the seemingly interminable 'climbing scenes'), Romero and Chandler execute some great flyboy banter, and the earthquake stock footage from One Million B.C. is actually pretty well integrated into the movie, particularly during the surprisingly exciting (if rather implausible) climax. The script by Richard Landau (Girl in Black Stockings, TV's Wild Wild West) and direction by veteran PRC schlockmeister Sam Newfield (Nabonga, White Pongo, Flying Serpent) are also slightly above-average for this type of thing. Unfortunately, when we eventually encounter the extremely lame stop-motion brontosaurus, pterodactyl, and triceratops (and one live lizard for laughs), any semblance of credibility generated up to that point is completely destroyed, leaving the movie dangling on the edge of "so-bad-it's-good" rather than "really-not-half-bad". Still a great Saturday-afternoon time-waster for the low-budget cinema set. Serious stop-motion fans beware.
Image upgrades their typical DVD package a bit with this release (perhaps feeling the heat from Anchor Bay?). The disc comes in the superior 'keep case' box and the main menu is animated (not that I really care that much). Twelve chapter stops, five trailers in an Easter egg, and a very good-to-excellent if rather scratchy LC trailer are the usual extras, plus you get informative Tom Weaver liner notes, and an isolated music and effects track so you can listen to Paul Dunlap's rousing score minus the wisecracks. Source print quality is generally excellent with terrific grayscale, brightness, contrast, sharpness, and detail. There is some light speckling and blemishing (some sporadic horizontal 'banding' toward the beginning of the movie), but otherwise there is no major damage. The plateau scenes are tinted green as in the original release. While I commend Image for presenting the movie in its original format, these scenes are not as easy on the eyes as the crisp B&W of the rest of the movie. The only sour note in the whole shebang is the extremely hyperbolic commentary ("beautifully crafted," "excellent production values") by Wade Williams on the box. Pity the fool who purchases based on his glowing review. Overall a step up from Image's usual offerings and as close to a definitive release as this film is likely to see. Three stars for the movie, 4 or 5 for the DVD. Cheese-lovers, go for it.

Good stop motion includes Pterodactyl!!
Surprised to see a stop motion Pterodactyl in this one. Great scenes of attacking dinosaurs killed violently by bloodletting gunfire. I found the story to be boring but the dinosaur scenes were green tinted, exciting and also greatly scored. Not sure who did the music but it was first rate!! Better than 'Unknown Island' but I still prefer 'The Land Unknown' or 'The Land That Time Forgot' for a good, cheap dino-adventure. Gee Wally, that Eddie is such a creep...

Hey! Romero did a dinomovie!
This is a typical 50's atomic era adventure/sci-fi film. Ceasar Romero leads a military expedition toa ridiculously high mountaintop to find a lost rocket. And I do mean RIDICULOUSLY high. About 1/3 of this movie is footage of them climbing the mountain. Atop the escartment, they find a green-tinted world inhabited by play-doh dinosaurs. One of the few dinomovies not to have a predatory dinosaur. An entertaining movie nonetheless. ... 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

Description

Based on the classic writings of James Fenimore Cooper, this exciting frontier adventure series vividly captured the daring exploits of Hawkeye, "first of the long rifles," and his faithful blood brother Chingachgook, last of the Mohicans. Set in New York's Hudson Valley of the 1750s, the series was filmed almost entirely in Canada from 1957 to 1958 utilizing authentic outdoor settings and carefully observed period detail. Athletic and handsome John Hart, famous for playing the title role in Jack Armstrong, The All-American Boy (1947) and numerous action adventure movies, is a natural as Nat 'Hawkeye' Cutler. Lon Chaney, Jr. plays the Chingachgook role with relish, years after he had gained fame for his starring role in Of Mice And Men and the classic Universal movie The Wolfman.Episode 1 - The Search: Hawkeye and Chingachgook rescue an elderly woman from the clutches of two Indians. She enlists their help in finding her son who was abducted 18 years ago by the same tribe.Episode 2 - The Delaware Hoax: The Delaware, an Indian tribe with ties to Chingachgook, are framed by white men for murder and robberies they did not commit. Hawkeye sets out to clear the tribe's name.Episode 3 - False Witness: Army payroll messengers are found murdered, victims of a band of renegade highwaymen. Hawkeye and Chingachgook go undercover, managing the local trading post, to find the culprits.Episode 4 - Hawkeye's Homecoming: Hawkeye learns that his brother Tommy has become a red coat soldier.When Tommy is killed by a corrupt Indian companion, Hawkeye seeks justice. ... Read more

Description

Dead Men Walk--In dead men walk we are treated to two George Zucco's, as he plays twin brothers; one being a doctor, and the other a student of the occult. Dwight Frye plays the vampire’s assistant.Frye would later go on to fame as Renfield in the classic Tod Browning version of Dracula. Monster Maker--Mad Scientist J. Carrol Naish exacts his revenge by injecting victims with acromegaly.Also stars future Frankenstein Glenn Strange. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Chilling Fun!
Well worth the money.These two lesser known horror features from the forties are just the thing to satisfy those looking for vintage chills.
Fun movies, well presented.
Lets see more like this on DVD.

Two of Sam Newfield's better horror cheapies on one DVD
Volume 8 of Horror Classics presents a pair of horror cheapies from director Sam Newfield, who turned out 23 films just in 1943. One of those was "Dead Men Walk," which stars George Zucco and Dwight "Renfield" Frye in a tale of science, the occult and vampires. Zucco plays Dr. Lloyd Clayton and his deceased twin brother, the evil magician Elwyn. Frye is Zolarr, Elwyn's hunchbacked servant who accuses Lloyd of Elwyn's murder. The doctor claims it was self-defense. But even from beyond the grave, Elwyn's evil reaches out to Lloyd's niece Gayle (Mary Carlisle) and her fiance Dr. David Bentley (Nedrick Young). It does not get more basic than this and the whole thing is crammed into 67 minutes of horrific fun. Newfield made "Monser Maker" in 1944 and this is clearly the better flick of the pair. This is a gruesome 62-minute film about mad scientist Dr. Igor Markoff, played by J. Carrol Naish, who infects his victims with the acromegaly virus that cause gross deformities. Ralph Morgan plays victim Anthony Lawrence and Glenn Strange, who would go on to play the Frankenstein monster for the first time that same year, plays Markoff's giant-size henchman, Steve. There are some tacky moments involving a gorilla, but there are a couple of real shocks here. It is nice to see that the heritage of B-Movies is being preserved on DVD, especially the schlock put out by PRC.

DEAD MEN WALK and THE MONSTER MAKER make a fun time!
Roan Archival presents perhaps one of its most entertaining, if not distateful, volumes of "Horror Classics" devoted to preserving the "Poverty Row" pictures of Monogram and PRC. THE MONSTER MAKER is a particularly enjoyable (if not tasteful) hour of sick fun. J. Carrol Naish is superb as Dr. Markoff, a specialist in an elepantitis-like disease. Markoff uses his knowledge to gain control of his foes. In this particular story, he desires the hand of the daughter of brilliant pianist Frank Morgan. When Morgan refuses, he is injected with a virus that turns him into a deformed mess. When Naish discovers a cure, he uses it as a bargaining tool in a very sick and twisted way. This particular films is full of "mad scientist" cliches, yet I couldn't help but be utterly enthralled, especially by the higher-grade casting. As for the techincal side of this film, the print is a better than average one in quality. For the most part, THE MONSTER MAKER looks and sounds beautiful. But like most Poverty Row flicks, it is met with scrathes, speckled and at least one minor film jump. These are not distracting, however. The other side of the disc contains the campy DEAD MEN WALK with menacing George Zucco and the brilliant Dwight Frye (1931 DRACULA). What we have here is basically DRACULA told for the umpteenth time. The similarities in plot and in characters are oh so obvious. What saves this film are superb performances by Zucco as twins (one, if you haven't guessed, is cursed with VAMPIRISM!)and by Dwight Frye in one of his final roles. As for the technical side of this film, you get about the same quality as MONSTER MAKER print wise. DEAD MEN WALK seems to be more frequented by scracthes, splotches and speckles and a couple of film jumps, but overall its not distracting. Both films have attractive menus that are easy to navigate. This is definitely a GREAT value and highly recommended to those interested in this genre ... Read more

Amazon.com

Released in 1943 by the low-budget outfit Producers Releasing Corporation, The Black Raven offers what amounts to a watered-down "old dark house" mystery. George Zucco is in top form as Amos Bradford, the criminal owner of the Black Raven Inn. When a nearby bridge is washed out in a raging storm, the usual assortment of characters is forced to spend the night at the Black Raven. Not surprisingly, murder and mystery soon follow.

While falling back on many clichés of the genre, the film also has much to recommend it. The spooky lighting and sporadically noir-like photography manage to hit a few high points, and the murder mystery is moderately engaging. The weather effects are surprisingly good (you'll really believe the actors are caught in a downpour!). --Mark Savary ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Nice A / B Package
This is another worthwhile release in the Roan Archival series. The A picture is a nice clean print of 20th Century Fox's The Gorilla (1939), an "old dark house" farce featuring the Ritz Brothers. There are some nice directorial touches by Allan Dwan and good performances from a solid cast that includes Bela Lugosi, Lionel Atwill, Joseph Calleia and Patsy Kelly. How much you enjoy it will depend on how you respond to the Ritz's, a slightly higher brow version of the Three Stooges. The B side of the disc is PRC's Nabonga (1944) with Buster Crabbe, Barton McLane and a very young Julie London. Produced by prolific low budget veterans Sig and Sam Neufeld, the film has all the disadvantages of a no budget jungle picture - cheap sets, potted plants, a familiar looking gorilla suit and grainy stock footage of people on safari and various jungle critters. On the plus side, Sam keeps the story moving, Crabbe and McLane turn in solid performances and London looks good in a sarong. However, it's easy to see why she never had much of a career on the screen. This is actually one of Sam Neufeld /Newfield's better B's - it has more action than you usually see in a PRC, some nice comic bits and a surprisingly modern portrayal of a black African servant. While tthe print is worn and a little ragged in spots, it is certainly watchable. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

It smells like a hun
Tigers are running amok in the jungles of Damang, disrupting Allied communications and killing local natives. Frank (Bring 'Em Back Alive) Buck is called in to rescue the situation.
On his arrival at the MacCardle Rubber Plantation Buck discovers the natives chanting about 'chindags' - evil humans who assume the form wild animals, in this case tigers. After a little investigation Buck concludes "The japs, or the 'monkey people,' as they call 'em, have possessed the souls of the tigers."
TIGER FANGS was directed by Sam Newfield, who is probably most famous for THE TERROR OF TINY TOWN (1938), a western with an all-midget cast. Apparently he worked pretty fast; TIGER FANGS is one of sixteen movies he directed in 1943. Frank Buck is a credible actor, although it had to be because of his fame as a animal collector that he's in this one. Another kinda recognizable face is that of Duncan Renaldo, who played the Cisco Kid in movies and on television in the late '40s and early '50s.
TIGER FANGS is an entertaining little movie with the good guys triumphant in the end. Buck had a reputation for treating his animals humanely, so parents won't have to worry about scenes of animal abuse or mistreatment. There are some racists attitudes, like the above quote, that might make this one unsuitable for children in some households. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good George vs. Evil George...
George Zucco shines in a dual role as both Dr. Lloyd Clayton and his evil twin brother Elwyn. Dr. Clayton killed Elwyn in self-defense and must face an undead version of his wicked sibling, who is now a vampire seeking to kill his own daughter Gayle (Mary Carlisle). Dwight Frye (Dracula, Frankenstein) is his old weird self as Zolarr, Elwyn's servant. Can Dr. Clayton kill his brother a second time before he fulfills his nefarious scheme? Watch and see! Recommended for those who love movies about vampires, sorcerers, black magic, occult, etc... ... Read more

Reviews (1)

BUSTER IS STILL THE BEST!
I am 26yrs.old and many people can't understand how someone my age could be a fanatic over NABONGA and all the great movies and serials with BUSTER CRABBE.This film is on of my favorite ''BUSTER''flicks becuase it's clean,very enjoyable for anyone of any age and you get to see CRABBE do some swimming.For those who don't know,CRABBE was an olympic swimmer.All in all this and evey other ''BUSTER''flick is worth spending money on. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The beast in The Flying Serpent is Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent god ofthe Aztecs. Evil archaeologist George Zucco keeps this half-bird,half-reptile creature caged in a secret chamber within some New Mexico ruins,the better to guard a cache of Montezuma's hidden gold. The professor hasobviously cracked under the strain of his studies, leading his stepdaughterto deliver the immortal line, "I wish there was never any such thing as AztecIndians." (They probably feel the same way about you, honey.) The Q-monster'skillings are investigated by a radio sleuth, adding a weird wrinkle to thescenario; important revelations in the story have a funny way of happeningwhile the sleuth's show is live on the air. Two reasons for seeing this58-minute cheapie from rock-bottom PRC studio: George Zucco, the tireless, beetle-browed villain of countless '40s B movies (with the occasionalgoodie, such as Moriarty in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, thrown in),and the campy Quetzalcoatl, a forerunner of Japanese horror-movie monsters. In this film, the Aztec deity generally resembles a poorly crafted piñataflung across a wire--he flaps his wings with that weird,aerodynamically suspect motion familiar to Rodan-watchers. For more on theadventures of Quetzalcoatl, see Larry Cohen's 1983 thriller Q: The Winged Serpent, a nutty variation on the same creature. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (5)

What an Interesting Feather...
George Zucco plays the villain in this little film. The story is very similar to Lugosi Devil Bat but more rural.

Zucco has found a Quetzalcoatl and keeps it captive. The serpent bird is very protective of its feathers. Zucco collects them and gives them to those he has a grudge against. The creature is then released which attacks the holder of the feather. Of course good triumphs over evil as it usually does in these old films.

The effects of the creature and its flights are actually quite sophisticated. Zucco does his usual good job as the villain and gets good support from the rest of the cast.

A fun old B-film that holds together well even after all these years.

Great movie, bad audio quality
A great classic PRC Pictures cheapie. The only drawback is the audio quality of the disc.

The infamous flying bird/lizard monster movie from PRC
"The Flying Serpent" terrorizing everyone in this infamous Poverty Row Company production is Quatzalcoatl, the killer bird god of Aztec legend. However, when the monstrous puppet on strings shows up it is something of a welcome relief from the overacting of George Zucco as Professor Andrew Forbes, a demented archeologist who discovers the monster really exists. When he makes the mistake of giving his wife (Hope Kramer) one of the bird's feathers, only to see the monster track her down and kill her, he decides this is a golden opportunity to take care of some of his enemies. My favorite scene is when the reporter covers a couple of the murders live on the radio. This is one of those gloriously bad horror movies from the past; you have probably seen the cheesy monster at some point, so you might as well check out the rest of the story. This 60-minute 1946 film is credited on screen to director Sherman Scott, but that is just one of the pseudonyms used by Sam Newfield (the other was Peter Stewart). Newfield needed the cover because he was turning out a dozen films a year at that point in a career where he made over 200 films including a high of 23 in 1943. The obvious double-feature choice for "The Flying Serpent" is "Q," Larry Cohen's 1982 cult classic that deals with pretty much the same story.

Somewhat passable, for a grade Z effort
THE FLYING SERPENT has no aspirations of greatness. But it does have the coolly sinister George Zucco! A bargain-basement remake of another poverty row classic THE DEVIL BAT, this film passes the hour (running time: 59 minutes) serving up mild amusement. Zucco pretends to be innocent, but we all know (and so should everyone else in the movie) that he's behind the strange killings that are always preceded by the discovery of an unusual feather. Zucco's (admittedly average) performance really is the only thing that makes it worth a view.

As a lover of old low budget horror films, I give this one a "weak but fun". I'd recommend a rent instead of a buy, though, because the DVD is not a good value for the money. The picture quality is decent but the source material's quality is not very good. There are no significant extras included. It's only an hour long. Add those facts to a too-high list price, and you're best advised to buy it only if you KNOW you must have it.

great horror film from poverty row's best studio
George Zucco is excellent(again) as a mad scientist is this adapation of PRC's earlier effort Killer Bat (starring an aged Bela Lugosi). By leaving a beautiful feather from an ancient Mayan prehistoric bird by any intended victim, the angry bird kills that person in order to retrieve it's coveted feather. Great atmosphere shots with Zucco in cave with caged bird, and cool but clumsy shots of the serpent flying and attacking. This is not a B picture, but a Z picture (my favorites)and it's tops in that catagory. The wonderfully ill finaced PRC studio(Producers Releasing Corp)also gave us the Z horror classics: Black Raven, Man made monster, the Monster maker and the above mentioned Killer Bats. If you think Blair Witch Project was done on the cheap, you ain't seen nothing yet! ... Read more

Description

Wild Bill Hickok, Union Army hero and personal scout for General Ulysses Grant, is now working as a U.S. Deputy Marshal. Hickok's latest investigation takes him to the small town of Milton, New Mexico to see why large shipments of cattle purchased by his army buddy, Steve Norris, have been mysteriously disappearing during cattle drives.Wild Bill picks up the trail of the missing herds with help from his old friend "Whiney" Roberts and discovers a canyon where the cattle are hidden. Under the cover of night, he tracks down the deadly gang of rustlers, who are led by the ruthless "One Shot" Folsom. Hickok and Roberts must now rely on their frontier bravado and their skill with a revolver to bring the merciless band of thieves to justice. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

TIM MCCOY KEEPS PEACE HIS WAY.
The title refers to the "dead man's hand" held by Wild Bill Hickok when he was gunned down during a poker game, and which plays an important part in this limply directed Western that fortunately stars the always poised Tim McCoy, whose piercing glances enfeeble his rivals in his portrayal of "Gentleman" Tim Madigan, an unethical gambler whose finer instincts cause him to assist a beleaguered Mexican family near the California/Nevada border. Madigan survives by his wits as he carries no gun and is given some clever lines from the uneven screenplay, that McCoy delivers with aplomb, stealing the acting honors with ease in this rather subdued example of the genre, wherein recovery is the keyword: of pride, honor and property.
... Read more