Amazon.com

Vincent Price brings a theatrical flourish to the role of Roderick Usher, a brooding nobleman haunted by the dry rot of madness in his family tree. This being Poe, there's a history of family madness and melancholia, a premature burial, and a sense of doom hanging over this gloomy, crumbling mansion. Roger Corman sold stingy AIP pictures on the concept by claiming "The house is the monster," or so goes the oft-told story. True or not, Corman (with the help of his brilliant art director Daniel Haller and legendary cinematographer Floyd Crosby) creates an exaggerated sense of isolation and claustrophobia with the sunless forest and funereal fog that holds the house and its inhabitants prisoner in a land of the dead. It doesn't quite look real (some of the effects are downright phony, notably the apocalyptic climax), and none of the costars can hold a candle to Price's elegant, haunted performance (often speaking in no more than a stage whisper), but it's a triumph of expressionism on a budget. Shot in rich, vivid color and CinemaScope, from a literate script by genre master Richard Matheson, this is stylish gothic horror in a melancholy key. It was such a success that Corman reunited his core group of collaborators for the follow-up The Pit and the Pendulum the very next year. Corman's "Poe Cycle" was born.MGM's widescreen disc also features commentary by director-producer Corman, his first-ever such contribution. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (37)

Lavish Gothic horror`
This was the first film that Roger Corman made, when he hit upon the idea of adapting the Edgar Allen Poe classics, and it's the best one. Apparently, it was a huge success when first released, and it still retains much of it's power. Vincent Price plays the tormented Roderick Usher, last in the line of a cursed family living in a crumbling mansion. An outsider comes with the intention of marrying his sister, and soon the horrible truth is revealed. Much of the film looks beautiful, colours are deep and lavish, and the set of the house is suitably creepy, with ghoulish portraits of all the hideous Usher ancestors lining the walls. The cast is small, and Price chews his way through his part as ever, with many flowery speeches and gestures, but the film still delivers, especially in the spectacular fiery climax. Obviously, they aren't making them like this any more, and it all looks a bit dated, but as an example of 60's costume horror, it looks great.

classic VINCENT PRICE at its best
Vincent price is the "Lord of Horror" according to me. The Fall of the House of Usher is a classic horror movie that is very enjoyable. A great story, just great.

The story is based on an Edgar Alan Poe story. Roger Corman, the director, was the first to bring Poe poem to the silver screen; and here it is!

The story pulls you into it and you get a real feeling for the characters. The acting is what it is for that time period; enough said. This is a classic horror film! GET IT AND LOVE IT

"I heard her first feeble movements in the coffin..."
Director Roger Corman and AIP had great success relating the tales of Edgar Allan Poe to the screen, and it all started here with The Fall of the House of Usher (1960). While not always exactly faithful to the source material (how many are?), the films sure are fun to watch.

House of Usher stars Vincent Price as Roderick Usher, Myrna Fahey (who once dated Joe DiMaggio and received a death threat because a deranged fan couldn't stand to see DiMaggio with anyone other than Marilyn Monroe) as his sister Madeline Usher, Mark Damon as her fiancé Philip Winthrop, and Harry Ellerbe as Bristol, the butler. Scripted by famed horror/fantasy/sci-fi writer Richard Matheson, who also worked on the later Corman/Poe/AIP films like Pit and the Pendulum (1961), Tales of Terror (1962), and The Raven (1963), The Fall of the House of Usher marked new ground for AIP and Corman. Previously, the studio was content in putting out two black and white films at the same time for minimal cost, Corman convinced the studio heads to take the money to make two of those films and let him use it to make one film in color, and the result, this film, turned out to be a huge box office draw in 1960.

Anyway, the film starts off with Philip riding up to a massive, dark, and as we find out later, crumbly house of Usher. The grounds around the house show no signs of life, but only death and decay. The house actually looks a lot like the creepy house you always see that the beginning of those old Scooby Doo cartoons. Seems he's come to see about his fiancée Madeline, as they had met in Boston where they both lived, and she has since returned home. This is when we meet Roderick Usher, a handsome, yet odd sort of fellow, who we learn has a painfully acute sensitivity of all the senses, preferring the dimmest of light, the blandest of food, the softest of clothing, the mildest of odor, and the quietest of sounds. We also learn, from Roderick, that Madeline is sick, and no one is allowed to see her. Philip, not understanding what's going on, refuses to leave until he can see Madeline, and Roderick finally acquiesces. She seems all right, but later we learn what the sickness is...one, not so much of body, but of a madness supposedly passed down through the Usher lineage. You see, the house and the grounds were once fertile, and full of life, but evil overtook the Usher line, displayed in the many crimes perpetrated by the various ancestors, poisoning the family and the estate, or so says Roderick. The presence of malignance is so oppressive, it's causing the centuries old house to crumble under its' own weight. I personally think it's due to lack of upkeep, but what do I know? Anyway, Philip pushes to take Madeline away from the house, but Roderick is intent on keeping her there until such time as she and he pass, effectively ending the Usher family line. His fear is that she should leave and procreate, extending the evil that has survived so long. The question of evil and its' ability to be passed down is brought up, along with the idea of evil being not so much limited to an abstract idea but a real, almost tangible quality that infects and destroys people and objects. Where does evil live? In the mind? The soul? Can it be transferred? Can a place, with a history of evil acts performed within, actually become so seeped in evil that it becomes evil itself?

Well, soon Madeline suffers a heart attack and passes, due to all the excitement that Philip has brought, so says Roderick. Madeline is put into the family crypt in the basement (that's convenient), but is she really dead? Maybe not...seems there's a history of narcolepsy, a disorder characterized by sudden and uncontrollable, though often brief, attacks of deep sleep, sometimes accompanied by paralysis and hallucinations and would sometimes make the sufferer to appear dead, in the Usher family. Did Madeline suffer from such a malady? If so, then I'd hate to be her when she wakes....

The film moves along nicely, except for maybe the dream sequence. Corman always seemed to like throwing in crazy dream sequences in his Poe productions, and sometimes they helped add to the film, sometimes they sort of ground the proceedings to a halt, in my opinion. Never being really a big fan of the cinematic dream sequence anyway, this one, at least, was short. Price and his costars all do a wonderful job, and I especially liked Fahey near the end. Price seems to envelope the role of Roderick Usher, fitting into character perfectly. If I ever read the actual Poe story, I know I'll always have a picture in my mind of Price as Roderick. What an interesting visage she provides...very scary, even for the hardened horror fan. The music, by the accomplished composer Les Baxter, really complements the visuals in creepy fashion, filling out the overall effect provided by really excellent sets.

The wide screen print here looks really good, but there are occasions where speckling and print damage were noticeable. It's very slight, and did little to lessen my enjoyment of the film. Special features include a theatrical trailer for the film, and a separate commentary track by Corman himself. I have to say, I think this is not only one of the best Corman/Poe films of the eight that were made, but one of Corman's best films period.

Cookieman108

THE FALL OF ACTING COMPARED TO NOW!!!!
The story and plot was great!!! It had great storyline and the actual story was marvelous. There were some bad parts to this movie even so. I think the acting was just ok, partly because it was made over 60 years ago. Some of the special effects and props looked so fake. The best part to this movie was the part when Madeline goes mad and comes out of her coffin. SHe has bloody hands and drips a trail of blood up to her brother's bedroom. I like all teh blood on the doorknob. The music also added to the suspense. All in all it was great!!

TAINTED BLOOD......
The first of Roger Corman's Poe cycle films is probably the most simple. A cast of four and a spooky old house are the characters. The house being a malignant symbol of the evil and depravity lived in it by the Usher family. Roderick Usher (Vincent Price) and his sister Madeline (Myrna Fahey) are the sole surviving members attended to by the long suffering family servant Bristol (Harry Ellerbe). Roderick, pale, clean shaven and with white hair, is hypersensitive to light, sound, touch and taste. He is convinced that he and Madeline suffer the curse of the Ushers---incipient madness. When Madeline's fiance Philip (Mark Damon) comes for her to marry her, Roderick forbids Madeline to leave. He doesn't want their tainted blood to continue. Philip refuses to believe Roderick's morbid stories and refuses to leave without Madeline. But he notices that the house is crumbling, cracking and shaking as if it wants to fall apart---as if the house itself is tired of bearing the curse. Then Madeline suffers a cataleptic stroke and falls into a coma, causing Roderick to declare her dead and bury her in the family crypt. But things are not as they seem and soon Madeline's screams can be heard throughout the house. Then things REALLY hum. "House of Usher" is low budget but Corman does wonders with minimilism. The use of red, normally a vibrant color, is used here to depict morbidity and death. Red candles, red furniture upholstery, Madeline's blood red dinner gown, Roderick's jackets and Madeline's own blood---all vividly captured amid the dark gloom of the house. Price gives another of his patented eccentric performances but who else could deliver lines based on Poe so well? Richard Matheson's script is efficient and literate leaving little room for open ends. Damon and Fahey are well suited as the lovers if a little inexperienced next to Price. And Les Baxter's score is moody and spooky. For 80 minutes, this is a pretty tight little film. Certainly one of the better horror films ever made. If you're a fan of the Price/Corman/Poe films this is the first and a collector's item. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

The Best Of The Beach
Beach Blanket Bingo is the best of AIP's Beach Party films. Unlike the other films in the series, there are actual attempts at some clever tongue and cheek writing here, Annette finally displays some of here phenomenal body, Frankie actually has a tan, and the supporting cast is much better this time around. Here we have Harvey Lembeck as Erick Von Zipper (what a great character!), Linda Evans, Marta Kristen, John Ashley, Buster Keaton, Don Rickles and the great, demented, Timothy Carey.

Director William Asher had Roger Corman's Poe movie cinematographer Floyd Crosby on this film, making it the best looking of the series. The color is rich, the compositions dynamic and the camera more mobile than usual, giving the film a greater sense of excitement.

Finally, series composer Les Baxter also had a bigger hand in writing and arranging the songs this time around, and they are much better than usual for this series -- the title tune is a standout.

If you have a taste for American-International's Beach Party pictures, this is the best, and if you've never seen one before, this is the one to start with... Loads of fun!

actually more enjoyable than the ORIGINAL "Beach Party"!
BEACH BLANKET BINGO is considered by many as their favorite "Beach Party" movie. In order, my three favorites are BEACH BLANKET BINGO, PAJAMA PARTY and BEACH PARTY.

In this sequel, Dee Dee (Annette Funicello) and Frankie (Frankie Avalon) decide to take skydiving lessons from the hard-nosed pilot John Ashley and the late Deborah Walley.

Things get complicated when up-and-coming pop singer Sugar Kane (Linda Evans) ends up in Frankie's arms - literally - and the ... Deborah decides to make Frankie an afterschool sweetheart!

Dumb-as-stumps Deadhead (Jody McCrea) falls in love with an elusive mermaid (Marta Kristen) and the always-annoying Eric Von Zipper (Harvey Lembeck) and his "Rats" show up to kidnap the lovely Sugar Kane...

Featuring a memorable title song as well as great musical turns by Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello and Donna Loren.

There are also great cameo roles from Earl Wilson, Don Rickles, Paul Lynde, Buster Keaton and Bobbi Shaw (reprising her role as Keaton's dizzy sidekick).

The DVD includes the trailer. (Single-sided, single-layer disc).

a fun movie even for beach party movie haters
most beach party movies are pretty bad, mainly because frankie and annette are pretty insufferable. but this movie is sharp and funny. there's a comedy killer trio with harvey lembeck, don rickles and my alltime favorite, timothy carey as south dakota slim, an evil man with a heart of gold. linda evans looks incredibly young and beautiful, while donna loren is beautiful and terrific in her number. as much as pure junk can be a good movie, this is it. besides this one, any beach party movie with dick dale in it is good. the guy just rocks, rocks, rocks.

Frankie Avalon's Best Movie
A Good movie and the Best scenes are Frankie Avalon singing the theme song and the romantic song "These Are The Good Times" in the movie a song he later sang in a episode of "The Patty Duke Show".

a masterpiece of silly fun
I want to slap Frankie Avalon silly and Annette seems like a very attractive stuffed chair. But I really, really like this move. Young Linda Evans is a slice of female heaven, Harvey Lembeck is always good no matter how lousy the Beach Party movies are, but the crowning glory is Timothy Carey as the zonked out ultra hipster South Dakota Slim, a pool playing biker sadist kidnapper tapdancer who is basically a nice guy. He has been my hero ever since I saw this movie. Lots of good dancing and music, too. I must also praise Jody McCrea as Deadhead and his lovely mermaid girlfriend. Highly recommended from a guy who really knows movies. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Embittered by his experience working with 20th Century Fox on The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967), and weary of the Poe films for American International Pictures, Roger Corman was in dire need of inspiration for his next production. He found it in Life magazine, which featured a photo of the funeral of Mother Miles, head of the Sacramento, California, Hell's Angels. From this picture came both The Wild Angels and the biker-movie genre itself. Peter Fonda, who replaced George Chakiris, stars as brooding Angels chieftain Heavenly Blues. When his pal Loser (Bruce Dern) is shot by police, Blues attempts to bury him in a small town, but the locals resist, and a brawl ensues. Audiences and critics were alternately appalled and thrilled by the extensive drug use and violence, but beneath Angels' leathery hide beats the heart of a Western, especially in its ruminations on personal freedom. Charles Griffith's script (cowritten by Peter Bogdanovich, who also cameos in the film) helped make Angels the sole U.S. entry for the 1966 Venice Film Festival, which irked the State Department enough to try and revoke the honor. Corman's direction, freed from AIP's period pieces, is lean and exuberantly active, aided by Monte Hellman's editing. The film helped give Fonda the counterculture clout to later make Easy Rider, and boosted the careers of Dern and then-wife Diane Ladd; Nancy Sinatra, however, renounced the picture, fearful of its effect on her image. Mike Curb's score features Davie Allan and the Arrows' fuzz-tone-soaked hit "Blues' Theme." --Paul Gaita ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Pure Kitsch
It's nice to see that Peter Fonda has redeemed himself in recent years ("Ulee's Gold", "The Limey", "The Passion of Ayn Rand" et al.), and even has a couple of Golden Globes and an Oscar Nomination to show for it. But he certainly wouldn't want to be remembered for this awful piece of drive-in drivel (although "Easy Rider" will probably be marked on his gravestone). I gave it three stars for kitsch value. Otherwise, it doesn't deserve any. This movie is bad, but in a very amusing way.

"The Wild Angels" is "Easy Rider" written by Fred Durst. The plot is pretty weak, juvenile, and has plenty of holes in it. The actions the characters make echo the song "Break Stuff"; at the beginning of the film, when Loser's (Bruce Dern) Boss ask Heavenly Blues (Fonda)if he's "one of those dumb angels", Blues replies snidely and restrains him needlessly. And the dialogue is mediocre and poorly executed.

If you're looking for compelling drama, look elsewhere. If you're looking to amuse yourself, then by all means take the plunge!

The original biker movie
I'm not a movie critic, I'm a motorcyclist. I have this film on video and watch it fairly often, along with Beyond The Law, Hells Angels on Wheels and Angels Hard As They Come (the most underrated of biker flicks). Fonda, Dern, Ladd, Buck Taylor and Norman Alden are great. Nancy Sinatra was terrible and totally miscast, if she' repudiating this movie it's due to her terrible acting. I can't see Micheal J. Pollard as a biker (but he was wonderful in Little Fauss and Big Halsy). The star of this movie is Fonda's chopper, to me, it's more beautiful, and subltly understated, than that ultimate movie chopper in Easy Rider, the Captain America Bike. This movie is really about Heavenly Blue's changing values as his friend Loner dies. Girlfriend Sinatra realizes the change that's come over him, "it's like a piece of you went with him". He reveiws his life and sees it empty, without purpose without his closest compadre The Loser, as in the final line "there's no where to go" as he stays to bury his friend while others flee The Man. They go on to continue the life of carousing and hell raising while Blues follows through on a duty to a friend, and to me symbolically buries himself, his up-to-then life, as well as his only friend.

Not just sexist, but racist.....
as exhibited by the comments and attacks on a group of Mexicans. Fonda is about as animated as a cigar-store Indian, Nancy Sinatra is woefully miscast, Diane Ladd is over the top and predictable. In fact, the best performance may be delivered by Bruce Dern.....as a corpse.

A Must Have for Any Biker Video Collection
"We want to be free to do what we want to do without being hassled by the man! And we want to get loaded!" "YEAH!"

What more can I possibly add?

Oh yeah. Theme music by Davie Allan.

People think Easy Rider was good but this movie defined the bikesploitation genre.

Disturbing, yet interesting
Oddly, though the characters in this movie are all dispicable individuals, in some ways, I could still find myself sympathizing with their rebellion against "the man". This movie definitely has more of a '70's feel to it than the '60's, and holds up well today.

I will admit, I did find the use of the swastikas and iron crosses to be offensive. But, I think such individuals in the '60's used them more to shock those who tried to control them, than as a support of what they truly represented...and to have realism, they had to be included.

One technical aspect to the movie...and two to the DVD on which I need to comment:

1. Did the movie always end so abruptly, with no closing credits or even a "The End" caption? Or is this poor editing?

As for the DVD...

2. The print from which this movie was taken was in terrible condition. At some points the picture is beautiful. But others show dirt, hair, and sprocket marks. Worst of all is a tear in the film, patched with tape, which is readily visible. This occurs in the scene in which Sinatra has just entered the door of the hospital, and the camera is panning over to the nurse's station.

3. There also seem to be some areas of the film which are out of focus. I primarily noticed this when Nancy and Peter are talking alone on the boat before leaving for the funeral.

All in all, this picture can be viewed more as a snapshot of an era than as pure entertainment. If taken as such, it proves somewhat interesting. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Fall of the House of Usher's success in 1960 spurred American International Pictures to quickly launch another production based on an Edgar Allan Poe story. While producer-director Roger Corman had hoped to next adapt "The Masque of the Red Death" (which wasn't produced until 1964), Pit and the Pendulum (the onscreen title) became the second in AIP's long-running Poe series. Set in post-Inquisition Spain, the film stars John Kerr as a young Englishman who travels to the seaside castle of his brother-in-law (Vincent Price) to uncover the circumstances behind the death of his sister (a dubbed Barbara Steele). Price is tormented by memories of his mother's premature burial by his inquisitor father (also Price) and fears that this sadistic legacy has contributed to Steele's demise. Furthermore, he believes that Steele was also buried alive--a belief compounded by the mysterious destruction of her room, and the sound of her harpsichord playing in the night...

Structured almost identically to Usher, Richard Matheson's script fleshes out the brief original text with a fast-paced and twist-filled plot that never loses sight of the psychological themes of Poe's work. It also provides Price with the richest of his many AIP/Poe roles, a sympathetic, deeply emotional man who is unhinged by the sins of his father. Corman's direction is equally driven and fluid, and features some impressive quasi-psychedelic visuals in the tense climax. Also noteworthy is art director's Daniel Haller's impressive design of the title set piece. MGM's widescreen DVD features commentary by Corman, which focuses primarily on the film's technical aspects. Also included is the original trailer and a prologue (shot by Norma Rae producer Tamara Asseyev) featuring costar Luana Anders, which was added to fill out the film's 1968 television broadcast. --Paul Gaita ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Vincent's Finest Hour? I Think It Might Be!
"Pit And The Pendulum" is definitely one of those "watch it late at night with the lights out during a thunderstorm" kind of motion pictures. All the elements are present here to elicit the appropriate "scary movie" emotions from the viewer -- Shock, terror, suspense, fright, uneasiness, and fear. (And maybe a few others as well.)

The setting of this 1961 film couldn't have been better presented on screen if they had tried. And Vincent Price, who was 50 years of age when the film was first released, gives a lively performance as "Don Nicholas Medina", a man who is slowly but surely going out of his mind.

The climactic scene in the "Pit" is simply astonishing. One of the best scenes in any horror film ever made!

This MGM DVD contains a Widescreen version of this color film (2.35:1 ratio). And, although not an Anamorphic (enhanced for 16x9 TV sets) disc, this DVD still offers up better-than-average video quality. The audio is Dolby Digital Mono (English and French tracks). Plus: this cover art is exceptional.

A few bonus items are on the disc, including a fun audio commentary by Director Roger Corman. The Original Theatrical Trailer and an "Original Theatrical Prologue" are also included here.

Before his death on October 25, 1993 (at age 82), Vincent Price appeared in 127 feature films (plus hundreds and hundreds of TV shows and radio plays) --- with "Pit And The Pendulum" being one of his very best, in my view.

If you like scary, atmospheric motion pictures, you have no choice but to be entranced when watching this DVD of "Pit And The Pendulum".

THE PENDULUM SWINGS......
The second of the Corman/Price/Poe films is a masterwork of Gothic horror and features one of Vincent Price's most outre' performances. He's Don Nicolas Medina, son of an infamous Spanish inquisitioner going mad in an eerie castle off the coast of Spain after the unusual "death" of his wife Elizabeth (Barbara Steele). Elizabeth's brother Francis comes to the castle seeking information on his sister's death and the terror begins as the ghost of Elizabeth seems to be roaming around causing Nicolas to feel he buried her prematurely. Flashbacks explain Elizabeth's weird "death" and Nicolas's own childhood trauma witnessing his insane father (also Price) torture his mother and wall her up alive in the torture chamber. But Elizabeth is anything but dead and Nicolas goes over the edge becoming his own father in madness and putting the dreaded Pendulum kept in the Pit to use...with Francis as his victim. Elizabeth gets her own just rewards in the torture chamber. Beautiful Gothic mounting, costumes and a tight script by Richard Matheson keep this completely watchable throughout. Good acting from Steele, John Kerr as Francis and Luana Anders ("Dementia 13") as Dona Catherine Medina--Nicolas's worried sister, and Corman regular Antony Carbone as the evil Dr.Leon. But it's Price who keeps things humming---going mad scene by scene until he's full blown insane and working the Pendulum on poor Kerr. Excellent moody music score from Les Baxter, too. I consider this a classic along with "Masque of the Red Death", "House of Usher" and "Tomb of Ligeia". All of them are first-rate films from the Corman/Poe cycle of the 60's. Just enjoy....

After House on Haunted Hill, my favorite Price movie.
After House on Haunted Hill, the Pit and the Pendulum is my favorite Price movie. The best 50's and 60's Horror/Sci-Fi movies are all about atmosphere, and thats what I love about Pit. Great gothic atmosphere, eerie music, and georgously vivid and horrific set pieces. I especially liked Price's and Ander's performances. If you are like me and like best the eerie, moody, 50s and 60s horror pics, which along with great stories, really emphasize the eerie atmosphere, this has to be at the top of your list.

Nowhere near as good as the video version
If you're thinking of buying this widescreen DVD to replace your pan and scan video version, take my advice. Don't bother. The sound is very low and of poor quality; the image, though clear, is very dim and the colors are pale. While in the video version, the colors are rich; the image is bright and the sound level is high and of excellent quality.

In fact, the only reason for buying this DVD is to see the original trailer and the movie in their original CinemaScope format. The disc has commentary by the director, Roger Corman, the sound level of which is twice the level of that on the film and without distortion. However, film afficianados shouldn't take his reminiscences too literally. For instance, he says what a marvellous score Ronald Stein wrote for this movie, when he of all people should know that it was Les Baxter who wrote the score for The Pit and The Pendulum, not Ronald Stein.

Corman's best
A great gothic horror film. Worthy of any Hammer Horror film. ... Read more

Reviews (47)

Vincent Price as Dr. Phibes plagues his victims to death
Not since Dante came up with appropriate eternal punishments for those sent to the Inferno has there been such a macabre genius for taking vengeance as "The Abominable Dr. Phibes." The title character, played to the hilt and beyond by Vincent Price, seeks revenge upon the nine doctors he feels are responsible for the death of his beloved wife, Victoria. As inspiration, Anton Phibes uses the Plagues of Egypt, knocking off victims (including Terry-Thomas) with frogs, locusts and the like with the help of his silent assistant Vulnavia (Virginia North), while playing his grand pipe organ. Poor Inspector Trout (Peter Jeffrey) tries to get one step ahead of the Good Doctor, but he cannot even keep up as the murders progress. Phibes saves the best for last: Dr. Vesalius (Joseph Cotten), the man who botched the operation, at least in Phibes twisted view. By this point Phibes is up to the Death of the First Born and Dr. Vesalius has to operate on his son to the boy from suffering the same fate as Phibes.

"The Abominable Dr. Phibes" is like "Richard III" and "Silence of the Lambs" in that you find yourself rooting for the villain. This might be camp but it is done with such style and flair, not to mention a macabre (if not sick) humor. I love the fact that Vincent Price does all of his lines as a sort of disembodied voice. His lips never move, a result of having his character's mouth currently being in the side of his neck (what did you expect in a film that is so tongue in cheek?). This 1971 film, directed by Robert Fuest, was scripted by James Whiton and William Goldstein, a pair of decidedly sick human beings. Followed the next year by "Dr. Phibes Rises Again," Price did another camp revenge film, "Theater of Blood" in 1973. But be warned: most women do not consider these films appropriate for dates.

One of Price's best baddies!!
I remember "discovering" this movie as a teenager; I came across it one night on Channel 7 in NYC, at around 3 in the morning.

It was love at first sight.

Vincent Price plays Dr. Anton Phibes, an organ-playing Super-Genius, who seeks revenge on the 9 people he holds responsible for the death of his Wife: The 8 Doctors and the Nurse who failed to save her after an accident. Phibes and his lovely assistant, Vulnavia, operate out of a secret lair, complete with a ballroom and clockwork orchestra of Phibes' own creation, and as the film begins, their plan is already well underway: they will kill the "responsible" parties using the 10 Biblical plagues of The Pharoes- Boils, Bats, Blood, Frogs, Beasts, The Death of the First-Born, Locusts, Rats, Hail, and Darkness.....Let the fun begin....

What is so great about this movie is that, in my opinion, there ARE no other movies like this one. It's a surreal period-piece (The film takes place in the 1920's), that deals with grusome murders, has a wicked sense of humor, and a villain straight out of a comic-book (Comic readers will find Phibes to be a cross between Doctor Doom and The Joker). The sets and locations are great, and Vincent Price is superb, as usual. You can tell he had a great time playing the good Doctor. The ending is weirdly satisfying, and again, is one-of-a-kind. The cast is superb, and Joseph Cotten is a great foil for Price. Their scene in the operating theater is phenomenal.

The DVD is short on extras, just a Theatrical trailer, which is a hoot. And anyone who has had to suffer through awful-looking Television airings will love the crisp look of the film in Widescreen.

Anyone who is a fan of either Horror movies or Vincent Price MUST add this film to their collection. As the Policeman says early in the film, "There are a lot of strange people practicing medicine these days!"

DON'T BOTHER WITH THIS DVD
MGM Midnite Movies, not to put too fine a point on it, stink! I bought this DVD at Best Buy and it didn't play. I returned it and got another one - and it didn't play. I tried a third time - and it didn't play. They actually had to give me my money back. So, then I see it at Amazon.Com. I bought it. It didn't play. I exchanged it, it didn't play. I finally had to send it back to get a refund. Is anyone awake at the quality control at MGM?

I have not problems with the movie - I think they are great (incidentally, the Dr. Phibes Rises Again has the same problem), it's the DVD's that are bad.

I thought it might be my DVD player - nope - nothing wrong with it. None of them played on any DVD player (we even tried ones at Best Buy).

grand guignol busby berkely style
from the beginning shot to somewhere over the rainbow,
this highly enjoyable film can be described as witty, beautiful, hip, and perverse.
it is also the very much missed vincent price's most original and stylish work.
a great midnight movie indeed

Malpractice Insurance...
Vincent Price is devilishly cool as Dr. Phibes, a brilliant man driven to insanity by the death of his wife, Victoria. You see, she died on the operating table under the collective knife of a nine person surgical team. Her grieving, enraged husband soon "died" in a fiery auto accident. Now, years later, the very same doctors and nurse are turning up dead in odd yet ingenius ways. Who could be responsible for this? Who else?! With the aid of his beautiful, mute, and mysterious assistant, Vulnavia, Phibes has set out to exact his vengeance through biblical means. Using the ten plagues of ancient Egypt, he knocks off his victims with bats, rats, locusts, a strangulating frog mask, and other gleefully ghoulish methods. Scotland Yard is on the case, with a befuddled inspector Trout doing the leg-work and getting the grief whenever a new body pops up. The head doctor, and main target of Phibes' twisted medicine is played by none other than Joseph Cotten (Gaslight). TADP is a macabre masterpiece of horrific humor and spooky surprises. One of Price's best characters. Highly recommended... ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Look out Mike Myers...Dr. Goldfoot might get you
The successful spoofs Mike Meyers has been doing, most recently "Goldmember" owes it's mad capped nonsense to those who have boldly gone before him...namely Vincent Prince! In his run of movies for AIP and Roger Corman, he also did a couple of gems - the other "Comedy of Terrors" *****, and they make a great popcorn double-feature for a Saturday Night. Both movies showcase the rarely seen fun-side of the very talented Vincent Price.

In Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine - total mindless fun - Dr. Goldfoot (Price - a sly, wicked performance having a hoot of a time) has made a machine to manufacture a bikini clad army of robots who are programmed to seek out wealthy men, marry them and charm them into signing over their assets, before bumping them off. With passing pokes at Princes own AIP films and the Bond films, it is good giggles. Not as sharp as "Comedy of Terrors", it's still great for Prince Fans, people who enjoyed Myers spy spoofs, or those looking for a time-capsule blast from the past, this is an enjoyable diversion!

With Frankie Avalon, Craig Steven, Dwayne Hickman, Deborah Wally turning in good support performances, the Supremes giving a catching theme song, and claymation credits it's perfect popcorn fun. Give a skip on the sequel - Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs - not as stylishly done.

A silly, but fun, spy spoof
Vincent Price is my favorite actor, and he is what makes this silly AIP "teen" movie worth watching. It is the story of Dr. Goldfoot (Price) and his diabolical plan to take over the world by having all of the wealthy men on the planet marry his robot bombshells. He will have the robot "bikini women" sign over all of the wealth to him, and voila...the world!

There are some great moments featuring the beach blanket stars of the day, including Frankie Avalon, and good ol Annette makes a cameo appearance. The chase scene at the end of the film is a classic!

The DVD transfer is great, and the film quality makes this nice to watch. Includes the Midnite Movies standard bonus of the theatrical trailer.

To sum it up, this is a silly, silly movie. Don't expect anything profound and I think you'll be surprised at what fun it is to watch.

Frankie Avalon plays secret agent "Craig Gamble"
Frankie Avalon stars in this fun and funny comedy movie playing secret agent "Craig Gamble" and is good in the role.Frankie is like always at his best comedy acting.If you like Frankie then you will like the movie.

If you like the dvd cover, you'll love the movie.
Susan Hart. Vincent Price. All you need to know.

Especially Susan Hart.

Where are the robot girls now?
I liked the robots. Nice girls. I liked robot 11, Diane, played by Susan Hart. Frankie Avalon, the bumbling secret agent was charming. A fun movie not to be taken seriously. I know San Francisco and how difficult it is to find parking and drive through the crowded strets in 2003 is. What a breeze was 1966. Uncrowded streets and parking was availble.

It would be sad to see how the beautiful Robot girls and Susan Hart look now in 2003. Aging spares nobody. ... Read more

Description

Russ Meyer's "Big Girls" return in an all new cult movie from William Winckler Productions. See big, busty Chastity Knott (Kitten Natividad) use her new amazing abilities, as the super-stacked costumed crime fighter, the DOUBLE-D AVENGER, to stop villainous bikini bar owner Al Purplewood and his sexy, murderous strippers. Starring KITTEN NATIVIDAD of Russ Meyer's "Beneath the Valley of the Ultravixens", HAJI, of Russ Meyer's classic "Faster Pussycatt, KILL! KILL!", RAVEN DE LA CROIX, of Russ Meyer's "UP" and Sci-Fi Fantacy Icon FORREST J ACKERMAN. Also starring Mimma Mariucci, Sheri Dawn Thomas, Andrea Anna Persun, Lunden De'Leon, Larry Butler and Gary Canavello. The DVD contains special features with behind the scenes photos of the making of film, the movie trailer, and classic Kitten Natividad photos.Ginemotographer/Editor - Raoul J. Germain Jr., Written & Produced by William Winckler. Color-2001 - Ages 18 and over. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Pure slock
This movie is pure corn in that it takes every opportunity to include every bad joke about women's ta-tas. But on a late evening after a hard day, it's enough. Yep, sometimes we need to view cheesy bad movie to appreciate the times that we can view high quality films. This movies does a great job. Big breasted women exploited for all they are worth with low budget laughs. Satisfied my craving for pure slock.

This is the Joe Bob Briggs Presents Version!
This is the second DVD version of "The Double-D Avenger," from Elite Entertainment, which features Joe Bob Brigg's hilarious audio commentary, along with other new bonus features, including a "Making of" documentary, new images, trailers, and more.

The special "Making of" documentary is a total GAS, with stars like Kitten Natividad fouling up their lines, making complete arses out of themselves! Director William Winckler is also seen doing stuntwork, dressed in Kitten Natividad's superhero costume! It's a complete riot!

The movie is very, very campy, and famous drive-in movie critic Joe Bob Briggs makes it even campier!!! A fun movie guarenteed to give audiences big laughs. . . . something everyone needs right now! It's as close to "Mystery Science Theater" as you can get nowdays!

Probably the last time audiences will see their favorite Russ Meyer movie stars, all together, starring as leads in a film! A special treat for B-movie buffs!

A-plus, hilarious, crazy entertainment!! It's real low-budget, B-movie fun! As Joe Bob Briggs says, "check it out!"

Double D Fun
The Double D Avenger is a uniquely entertaining DVD starring former stars of Russ Meyers films. Kitten Natividad has always been my fav, and even though she's on the plus side of 50, Ms. Natividad still delivers the goods. This movie is for the kind of men (and women) who like good-humored fun, like the original "Batman" TV series. The girls are buxom and there's lots of double entendres and politically incorrect humor (like an early John Waters movie without the X-Rated stuff). The "Crockazilla Plant" scene is as funny as anything I've ever seen in a movie, and the character of "Orbs, Leader of the Ta Tas" should have her own film. Just lots of fun and a real guilty pleasure. Plus...Forrest J. Ackerman has a cameo!

Joey

A Great Cult Film !!!
I love cult films and this one is great ! The Double-D Avenger is the Russ Meyer filmstar reunion movie.

Like a lot of Russ Meyer fans, I preferred Meyers' early work- the black and white 60's films like 'Faster Pussycat Kill Kill'. I feel that the ones he made in the 70s became lousy, disjointed sleaze.

The Double-D Avenger has all the positive Russ Meyer movie elements, plus it's full of other cult movie elements, including good ol' Uncle Forry - Forrest J Ackerman. A++++

Benny Hill Fans Rejoice !
This B-movie is an absolute riot ! Very few flicks today can come close to the clever cheekiness of Benny Hill's comedy. This one definitely does ! The risque slapstick, saucy humour, visual gags, and innuendo are reminiscent of Benny Hill. And just like Benny Hill, this movie does not resort to offensive gratuitous nudity. Bravo to this film's creators ! ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Love That Ambiguity
This film strikes a very interesting balance. On the one hand, it is relatively intelligent for a 1950s alien movie, has half-decent dialogue, and the characters aren't a bunch of shoot first, ask questions later imbiciles. On the other hand, the alien and his ship look hillarious, some of its actions are quite silly (when you learn what its supposed plan is, it is so illogical you can shoot a million holes into it and a much simpler solution to its problems is obvious (see below for mine)), and you can, e.g., see some very obvious backdrops and it makes relentless use of fog machines (although with an explanation). As a result it lives up to neither extreme of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" or "Plan 9 From Outer Space", so while it definitely has a charm all its own and is worth watching, it isn't an absolute classic (cheese or otherwise).

Basically, a planet ("X") of mysterious origins is going to pass near the earth. A good scientist, his attractive daughter, a dashing reporter and a bad (but not mad) scientist are in the small English town where the planet will pass nearest to investigate, and they discover a spaceship and its passenger (who happens to have a mind control device) in the moors. The most interesting aspect of the film is that you are never quite sure of the alien's motive. Is it friend or foe? Even the ending manages to cleverly keep this concealed (it helps that it is quite difficult, even after hearing the supposed plan, to quite figure out what the alien hopes to accomplish through its actions). This movie is a fun, entertaining little diversion.

SOLUTION TO ALIEN'S PROBLEM (SPOILER WARNING): If your planet is too cold and you have the technology to change it's orbit so it will precisely pass near a warmer, habitable planet, why not just move your planet into a decent orbit?!?!

The WEIRDEST Visitor the Earth has ever seen!
That's one of the taglines for this United Artists release. After watching this movie, my first impression was "Man, what a cornball movie." But after a little more thought, and realizing that this came out in 1951, I soften a bit. Yeah, it was corny, but it did have its' charms.

Robert Clarke stars as John Lawrence, a newspaper reporter called to a Scottish moor by his friend, Professor Elliot, to cover what will be the story of his lifetime. A seemingly stray planet is headed in the general direction of Earth, and the moor is the location that it will pass closest to Earth. Prior to this event, they find a strange, alien object on the moors, followed by actual alien spaceship fashioned in classic 50's sci-fi fashion. Not only that, but the alien spacecraft is inhabited by a pretty funky looking humanoid creature. If you've ever seen the Honeymooners episode where Ralph dresses up as a spaceman, then you will have a pretty good idea of what this alien looks like.

Anyway, they try to communicate with it, with the help of another scientist, Dr. Mears, played by William Schallert, the only actor I recognized as he's been on like a bazillion TV shows, probably most famous being The Patty Duke Show, and a whole mess of movies. Seems he has rather a dubious past, and his intentions are less than admirable when dealing with this advanced creature from another world.

When Mears starts throttling the alien for his space secrets, the alien takes off, and things start to get a little hairy as the alien begins to set his plans into action. What is this alien's connection to planet X? What are his intentions on our planet? Wait until the end of the movie to find out, because while throughout most of the movie the plot slides along at the pacing somewhat akin to a snail, we see the pace quicken like a jackrabbit in the last ten minutes or so, including a huge, steaming pile of rather clunky exposition to fill the viewers in to what's going on...and a really unintentional question asked at the end by the female lead that made me wonder if she had even experienced the events in the movie because the question really contradicted everything that happened, at least in my opinion.

My only real gripe with the movie is Robert Clarke. Quite a handsome man at the time, looking sort of like Errol Flynn, he just didn't seem to fit in well in this genre. He seemed a little too sophisticated, a little to debonair, with his pencil thin mustache, to play the part he was given. I envisioned sci-fi veteran Richard Carlson playing the part much better.

This is a really good-looking print, but don't expect any extras other than a trailer. I do appreciate MGM releasing these Midnight Movies at a reasonable price, and I know they've started doing double bills for the same price, but not here, as this DVD was released prior to that worthwhile change. Are there better sci-fi movies of that time period out there? Sure, The Thing, and War of the Worlds to mention two, but this one ain't so bad, if you got 71 minutes to kill and an interest in classic science fiction movies.

Scared the living daylights outta me when I was six.
I don't have time to write a lenghty treatise here, but this film was successful in scaring the living daylights out of me when I saw it in the theater as a six year old. I have to give it 5 stars because of the impact it had on me. Looking at it now as an adult, it seems almost comical. But it was effective then. Also, this is one of the first films (if not the first) with the theme of alien invasion. Important film in my life. It definitely is worth a look. This is a classic film of the sci-fi genre. Watch it and enjoy.

An intriguing and subversive little film
Under the guise of a low-budget science-fiction movie, 'The Man From Planet X' (why 'Man'?) is a subversive work featuring typically atmospheric Ulmer visuals. Its starting point seems simple enough: coming from a mysterious planet which is rushing towards Earth, a spaceship ends up in Scotland; various stock characters - professor Elliott and Dr. Mears, scientists with contrasting personalities; prof. Elliott's daughter Enid; Lawrence, a dashing reporter; and, later, a group of anonymous officers and inspectors - try to learn more about the spaceship and its strange-looking pilot. At first sight, the villain (Mears) and the heroes (both Elliots, Lawrence, the officers and inspectors) seem clearly identified, but there's more than meets the eye. The spaceship's pilot, by far the film's most important character, is neither an outright hero nor an enemy; his motivations are never revealed, and the way humans react around him tells a lot about them. If the creature eventually becomes hostile, it's because Mears resorted to violence in order to obtain secrets he planned to use for his sole profit; but this, in turn, is caused by prof. Elliot and Lawrence, who let Mears alone with the creature. Furthermore, fears of a possible invasion are based on assumptions which are never verified, because late in the film both 'enemies' (Mears and the now hostile creature) die and planet X doesn't crush the Earth. The irresponsible choices made by the 'heroes' thus prevent the initial contact with non-humans from bringing interesting information to both races, and what appears to be a semi-happy ending is only, at best, a return to status quo.

Fun flick
While i have to define this movie as cheesy, i mean it in the nicest way. This film was about as low budget a shoot as ive seen and yet it is well acted enough to make it a pretty good watch. As Planet X approaches the Earth a space ship arrives with a strange visitor. Due to abuse at the hands of a rather crazy scientist we never know if the stranger would have been friendly given nicer treatment. After escaping his tormenter the alien begins preperations to help his race take over earth. Not a classic but a fun movie to enjoy. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Only the gods see everything," cautions one scientist as Dr. James Xavier (Ray Milland) experiments with a formula that will allow the human eye to see beyond the wavelength of visible light. "I am closing in on the gods," he responds with the hubris that is doomed to destroy his overreaching ambition. A mix of Greek tragedy and sci-fi potboiler, Roger Corman's X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (simply identified as X in the eerie, odd opening credits) is a familiar tale of a scientist who risks everything to explore the unknown and is finally driven mad by, literally, seeing too much. Peeping through the clothes of comely women is all good adolescent fun until the gift becomes a nightmare as his sight rages out of control. The possibilities suggested in the hints of addiction and inconsistent bouts of megalomania remain tantalizingly unexplored in the unfocused script, and Corman's cut-rate special effects are often more hokey than haunting (the "city dissolved in an acid of light" that Xavier poetically describes becomes fuzzy photography through a series of color filters). Don Rickles offers a venal turn as a scheming carnival barker turned blackmailing con man, and Diana Van der Vlis is understanding as a sympathetic scientist who tries to rescue Xavier from his spiral into tortured madness, but in the tradition of Greek tragedy, he is doomed to be destroyed by the very gifts he desires.

MGM's widescreen disc also features commentary by director-producer Corman. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (20)

An interesting Concept on Medical REsearch Hubris
Roger Corman struck gold with this film. Ray Milland plays a dr. who develops special drops which allow him to see the ultra-long spectrum, i.e. x-rays. Using this power, he is able to save a little girl's life, only to be condemned for bucking established procedure.
Needing more money to continue his experiments, he runs the table at Vegas, only to run afoul of the mob. Fleeing from them, he runs afoul of the law.
It's a commentary on how research, for whatever supposed good, must be guided by ethics and morality. Since machines were capable of providing the same info, Milland's desire is pure egotistical, to do something no one else can.
He gives a stellar performance, with good supporting roles. Corman once again demonstrates his social satire skills on a low budget.

Oedipus Milland
"X" - THE MAN WITH THE X-RAY EYES is one of the better movies produced by Roger Corman. The DVD gives the option for his commentary and I was intrigued by his remark from the late Ray Milland, that the two movies of which he was most proud, were LOST WEEKEND (for which he won an Academy Award) and this movie, "X". The other reviews give a pretty good synopsis: Milland plays a doctor who uses experimental drops on his own eyes to give him x-ray vision. Either because of obsession or addiction, he keeps taking the drug and when opposed by a colleague, he accidentally kills him. He becomes a fugitive from the law and one could also argue, from himself. He is warned early on that the drops might also affect the brain. This might explain why he goes into quick rages and makes impulsive decisions. Of course, a doctor experimenting on himself is not too swift either, as Dr. Jekyll could say about his Mr. Hyde.

A warning about scientific hubris is given at the very beginning of the film. Is he challenging the gods? At the film's closure he sees through to the light beyond the vast darkness of space. He sees a cosmic eye that sees all and knows all. This element might be lost on the casual viewer. This distant eye sees Dr. Xavier (Milland) and knows he is watching back. This proves too much for Dr. Xavier. While we might know God by faith, represented by the people in the last scene's revival tent, the Old Testament tells us that no one can see the face of God and live. The temptation from the serpent in the garden is realized, "you will become as gods." It was a lie in the beginning and it is still a lie. We are convicted as weak and sinful men and women.

Dr. Xavier says that he has not come to be saved, but to tell what he sees. He becomes a prophet, so to speak. His vision is condemned as from the devil. It may be the truth, but maybe there are some things we are not meant to know?

Can science go too far? Or, is the problem not science, but a lack of caution and discipline? Can faith and science compliment each other? This is only a movie, but it makes us think about many questions.

>No nudity although bare shoulders and legs demonstrate the ability to see through clothes.

>Plot violence includes a man falling out a window and a car crash.

>Little gore although at the very end he does something to his eyes reminescent of Oedipus. Enough said!

The most atypical and probably the best Roger Corman film
One of the reasons that "X - The Man With the X-Ray Eyes" looks half-way decent in Ray Milland's film career is that when he started his spectacular drop from winning the Oscar for his performance in 1945's "The Lost Weekend" he was still almost a decade away from making "The Thing With Two Heads." I always figured this 1963 film from director Roger Corman was inspired by the infamous add for X-Ray specs that appeared inside the front cover of virtually every comic book produced when I was a kid. However, the screen play is credited to Robert Dillon ("Muscle Beach Party," "French Connection II") and Ray Russell ("Mr. Sardonicus"), based on a story by Russell. The plot is as simple as the ad: Dr. James Xavier (Milland), is a world famous scientist who is experimenting with human eyesight and develops a serum that will allow him to see fun things like ultraviolent rays and (gasp!) through objects. Of course, this is one of those things that seems like a good idea at the time...

The film is really much more of a science fiction film than it is the traditional sort of horror film you expect from Corman, who has a script that suits his ability to bring out the weirdness in situations. The film has remarkably little to do with voyeurism and actually more to do with the nature of reality. It is ultimately a psychological drama, because as Xavier sees human beings reduced to their skeletons, he becomes incapable of dealing with them on a personal level.

In terms of movies where the mad scientist goes off the deep end with a god complex, this one makes the main character the victim of his own experiments (contrast this with Claude Reins in "The Invisible Man"). After accidentally killing a colleague, Xavier hides out in a carnival sideshow where he works as a faith healer. Clearly his x-ray vision functions as a metaphor for the ability to have insight into the sad side of life, but, ironically, Xavier cannot see where his own life is heading. His "visions" become increasingly worse until a fateful meeting with an evangelist at a revival meeting in the desert.

Although not a traditional horror or monster movie, "X - The Man With the X-Ray Eyes" has a sense of bleakness that becomes rather overwhelming by the end. As always, Corman is working with a limited budget, and while this does not affect his direction, it does limit the film's effectiveness because the special effects (i.e., optical tricks) can barefly suggest the depths of Xavier's "visions." However, if you get into the spirit of things you can let your imagination carry the load. Considered by many to be Corman's masterpiece, it remains a most atypical Corman film, which makes a kind of sense. Certainly, this has the most unforgettable ending of a Corman film.

The curse of the man-god
Even when told by a colleague that his vision is excellent, Dr. Xavier is not entirely satisfied: he wants to see what no other man has seen before. To do so and close in on the gods, he has created a substance enabling nothing short of x-ray vision; he takes one drop of it in each eye, even though a monkey he tried it on just died. Taking more of the substance, he soon begins to challenge his colleagues's medical decisions, and is forced to flee after accidentally killing one of them. In the film's first half, Dr. Xavier goes from man to semi-god to exploited freak; eventually posing as Mantallo, he becomes a 'healer' who can't even heal himself. In the second half, his substance abuse gets worse: while trying to find a reversal, he uses more of it to better his chances of getting the money he needs. His voyage of self-discovery ends when he reaches a point of no return and recognizes it. This multi-layered film is rooted in a genre of fiction that we could call 'the curse of the (wo)man-god', and which goes all the way back to the Greek concept of 'hubris'; in such works, a human unsuccessfully tries to transcend his/her own nature through his/her specialised branch of knowledge. The most interesting of these inevitably carry theological and philosophical implications, and 'X' is no exception. The way the movie highlights the different stages of the character's downfall is especially effective: everything from the music, the shapes, the colors, and the editing to Milland's acting denotes this degenerative process.

Cool contact lenses!
Ray Milland's movie career took an interesting turn in the early 1960's...he signed on to do three films for American International Pictures, an outfit far removed from the majors like Paramount and 20th Century Fox. At the time, AIP was well-known for cranking out black and white cheapie fliks for the teenage matinee crowd, stuff like "The Day the World Ended" and "The She Creature." By 1963, when "The Man With the X-Ray Eyes" was released, AIP was enlarging their budgets by adding color, better sets, and employing good writers (Richard Matheson, Charles Beaumont) and actors (Vincent Price, Hazel Court, Peter Lorre, Basil Rathbone, Karloff). Milland's involvement was one more step up the "prestige" ladder for AIP. Mr. Milland had won an Academy Award (Best Actor, "The Lost Weekend" 1945) and was a touch of Hollywood royalty that AIP would not let go unexploited. The first film he did under their banner was "The Premature Burial," directed by Roger Corman. Then came "Man With the X-Ray Eyes," an interesting and philosophical sci-fi thriller. It contains an excellent Milland performance as "Dr. Xavier," who concocts a serum that allows him to see through any object. Eventually, overuse of the drops results in the doctor being able to see into Infinity...and what he finds there is enough to drive anyone insane (or is it? Check out the film!). Production values are good, if a little "TV-like," and director Corman keeps things moving at a quick pace. Mention should be made of Don Rickles (?!) contribution as a sleazy carnival hustler--he's truly obnoxious and completely believable! Not to mention surprisingly skinny! I loved the film's ending, and I, too, heard the legend about the cut line. Corman, in a commentary, remarks on it, giving us the full scoop on whether the scene was ever filmed. Even without this coda, the conclusion is a shocker! I love all of MGM's Midnite Movies--the quality of their presentation is beyond criticism, as far as I'm concerned. Beautiful prints, rich, vibrant colors, with great extras! What more could you ask for, especially at such a bargain price! Snatch "The Man With the X-Ray Eyes," pronto! And I'm keeping my fingers crossed that "Premature Burial" and Milland's third AIP feature--"Panic in Year )"--will soon make it to DVD! ... Read more

Book Description

Vincent Price lends his distinctively chilling voice to this spine-tingling collection of tales, spells, and things that go bump in the night. This hair-raising audiotape features classic horror stories by Edgar Allan Poe and John Cllier, as well as more practical tales such as ‘How to See Ghosts and Surely Bring Them to You.’ So turn down the lights and turn up the volume . . . if you dare!

... Read more

Amazon.com

High adventure and hooty special effects make At the Earth's Core a colorful camp treat. Doug McClure plays David Innes, the brawn to Dr. Abner Perry's brains. The two have developed the Iron Mole, a vehicle that bores through solid rock. A test run goes too well and before you know it they're neck-deep in scantily clad cave women and telepathic lizard-birds. Peter Cushing has a good time playing against his usual type as the absentminded Professor Perry, while McClure sticks to cigar-chomping macho swagger. Older kids will enjoy the colorful sets and fire-breathing animals, while adults will get a kick out of the hilariously outdated gender politics. At the Earth's Core is well worth turning off your brain and taking a look. DVD version includes the original trailer and French and Spanish subtitles. --Ali Davis ... Read more

Reviews (23)

At The Earth's Core
This film is about two Victorian scientists, Peter Cushing and Doug McClure, who use their drilling machine to discover a world within the Earth's core. They are captured by a warrior race, and enslaved with humans, but help start a rebellion and destroy the monsters ruling them. The special effects and monsters are good. The film ends with the two heroes returning back to their time.

What a guilty pleasure!
This is one of those rubber-monster movies that is so clumsily made and filled with stupid movie physics so common to this genre, but I love it! Sorry, I can't help it, but watching this one, and more like it(also recommended: THE PEOPLE THAT TIME FORGOT and HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP for more laughfests!) is funnier than any so-called comedy these days! Peter Cushing is Dr Abner Perry, a mad Victorian scientist who invents the Iron Mole, a steam-powered drilling machine(?!) financed by David Innes, a token American played by Doug McClure, a mainstay of 1970s B-monster-flix. When they get lost drilling they wind up, quite literally, at the earth's core and encounter telepathic dinosaurs with lions' tails(honestly), rock bridges over lava flow which cavemen cross with bare feet, an exploding fire-breathing toad . . . and Caroline Munro is on hand as Princess Dia. Basically our heroes have to help the cavemen defeat the Majar beasts(telepathic dinos) and a race of apemen which resemble cast-offs who failed the auditions for Planet of The Apes!
Cushing absolutely revels in his role as Dr Perry. Throughout his movie career, he made all kinds of weird and wonderfully amusing horror flicks and even played the big-screen incarnation of Dr Who in two Brit productions. He knows it, and in this one he can't help but act tongue-in-cheek, which works and is fun to watch.
The SFX are truly Godzilla-style in execution. We get close-ups of men in rubber suits that make them look bigger, Majar creatures on wires(you can see them), exploding mushrooms, a killer plant made from paintbrushes and a pink lava sky! 'This cannot be the Rhondda Valley!' Mr Cushing exclaims. And later on, he asserts to the creatures: 'You cannot mesmerise me, I'm British!' Great stuff!
Oh, and Caroline Munro, who made a great Bond villainness in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME a year later, looks delicious in a loincloth bikini. So, overall, if you love this sort of thing to poke fun at, you can't go far wrong. I get a strange satisfaction out of watching bad movies at times, and this is one of my cheesiest entries in my list of 'guilty pleasure' flix. One could also say that it might have inspired THE CORE(2003), a forthcoming disaster epic with equally silly physics!

Entertaining and a classic.
This movie starts good, but it get static, silly and stiff toward the mid-end of it. Overall: Fair to Good.

Another classic!
When I was a kid, Doug Maclure movies were a Sunday afternoon tradition. Giant rubber dinosaurs and paper mache monsters. Awesome!!! Still as much fun to watch today as they were 20 years ago.

"Come on Doc.....it can't be much further!"
Despite some of the more negative reviews for this movie, I found it really enjoyable! Sure, the monster special effects technology is not comparable with Jurassic Park, but keep in mind that this movie was made in the 1970's! Doug McClure and Peter Cushing made a very good team in this action-packed adventure film! The movie starts out in the Victorian age as scientist; Dr. Abner Perry (Peter Cushing) and his Geologic Engineering student; David Innes (Doug McClure) are embarking on a mission to test a manned underground drilling machine called "The Iron Mole". When the "Iron mole" goes off-course, the teacher and student duo end up in a place "like nothing on Earth", as stated by David Innes.
David and Dr. Perry end up getting captured and enslaved with humans, by Sagaths, the soldiers for the Majars who rule in the city of Pellucidar.
After finding a way to escape from the caves of the Sagaths, David, aided by a new human friend; Rah, returns to free the slaves and rescue Dr. Perry. The human tribes unite and Dr. Perry trains the tribesman on the skills of Archery, in order to revolt against the Majars and Sagaths, and destroy them.
I loved the comradery between David and Dr. Perry, and the protective nature that David showed for the doctor when they were being roughly treated by the Sagaths and all through the movie. David even, helped physically hold the doctor upright, on the long trip into the caves as they were being pulled along on a long chain of human captives, saying "Come on doc,...it can't be much further". David is a real gentleman, and he also was very courageous and protective for the woman he fell in love with, Princess Dia. He even fought for her protection against ugly men who attempted to "man handle" her!
The movie was filled with humor that may have been unintentional, by the "air-headed" character of Dr. Perry, and the "serious natured character" of David Innes. The antics of Doug McClure and Peter Cushing in this film, for example, when they were being chased by a giant "eagle-looking" bird, after crash landing at the earth's core, was comparable to the antics of the "Three Stooges". I couldn't help but laugh! I enjoyed this movie so much, I watch it frequently! It seems that I pick up on things that I did not previously notice before, the more times that I watch it! A fun and entertaining movie overall! Andrea Lynn Burcham ... Read more

Reviews (28)

DVD delivers beautiful print of legendary SF schlock classic
Is Angry Red Planet the greatest schlock SF movie ever made? If not, it's definitely in the running. For starters, it's in semi-gorgeous Eastman color by Pathe, and shot by the legendary Stanley Cortez (Magnificent Ambersons, Flesh and Fantasy). It's got a memorable combination-electronic/militaristic percussion score by Paul Dunlap, and "Cinemagic" effects credited to Norman (late-era Stooges cohort) Maurer. (Cinemagic is really just a combination of solarizing and tinting to cheaply combine live action with painted scenery and pencil drawings.) But the really great thing about Angry Red Planet is how everything about it perfectly emulates the look and feel of a 1950s SF comic or pulp novel, translated to the movie screen. The wild monsters (woman-eating plant, giant blob-creature, cool Basil Wolverton-look alien, colossal rat-bat-spider [immortalized on the cover of Misfits Walk Among Us]) and overall art direction and special effects are consistently imaginative and colorful, if not totally convincing. Plus, bad movie fans can relish the ripe dialogue and acting (particularly the sexist comments and leering manner of creepy 'leading man' Gerald Mohr); lots of deadpan, meaningless jargon/technobabble; and the bizarre "Iris sneaking a dab of perfume" montage (one of my favorite non sequitur moments in movie history).
The DVD includes no real extras other than the trailer (I don't count subtitles and chapter stops) but who cares! As with most of their other Midnite Movies DVD releases, MGM Home Video gives us a terrific print of both the movie and trailer. Other than some sporadic very light speckling/spotting the print looks gorgeous: bright, sharp, and detailed, with excellent contrast and great color (well, as great as Eastman color ever gets, anyway). Even the stock footage looks better than ever. You'll never see a finer print of this movie until someone digitally restores the negative; it makes my VHS copies look sick. Expect a small stampede as fans of this film rush to grab it at the bargain price.

Perfect Popcorn Fodder!
In spite of it's multitude of shortcomings, (for example, in the acting department, Colonel O'Bannion's demeanor in the first half of the film seemed more like that of a gigolo than a spaceship commander), I found "The Angry Red Planet" to be a delightfully entertaining film. Very original and creative in certain respects: the CineMagic red filtering gave the Martian landscape and atmosphere an eerie, glowing quality; the Venus (I mean Martian!) flytrap was just passable, but the giant bat-rat- spider-crab creature was cool; the giant ameoba with the rotating eyeball is an incredible, hilarious sight - intended or not, it's got to be one of the most comically imaginative creatures ever conceived! I would place "The Angry Red Planet" in the 3rd tier of the 180+ sci-fi films made during that era - better than dozens of dull, boring, unimaginative low budgies confined to the fourth and bottom rung, but well below the second tier ("When Worlds Collide"; "This Island Earth", etc.) and the "cream of the crop" top level, ("Forbidden Planet"; "War of the Worlds", etc.). Perfect popcorn fodder for both the die-hard 50's sci-fi fan and general family entertainment.

Terrible Effects But A Fun Film
The film is easily one of the worst ever done as far as effects goes. The backdrops are easily painted sheets and you can see where the sheet meet the ground in the film. Plus a lot of the monsters show their strings as well; like the bat-rat-spider.
Although the film has major flaws effects wise, the story is entertaining and pretty neat. Even the concept of some of the alien life forms were neat despite their flaws.
The acting is pretty bad but does have good parts. A lot of you might be asking, well since you keep talking about the film's bad sides, why did you give it 5 stars then? I gave it 5 stars because it delivers what it was supposed to: entertainment. The film is worth the buy if you are a fan of these types of movies. In the end, an entertaining film.

classic
This film has it all,mediocre special effects,sexist dialogue and stupid plot.Grab the popcorn!

Curiously overrated, but still fun
Hey, I'm all about some nifty 50's and 60's cheesy sci-fi flicks. Heck, I LOVE 'EM! But I have to say I think ANGRY RED PLANET is a bit overrated. I never saw "Cinemagic" displayed on the Big Screen, but it's fairly headache-inducing on my 27-inch t.v.

The plot has one decent gimmick, the framing device of using flashbacks (used to better effect in IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE) to tell the story. But really, the acting is atrocious, even for a B-grade sci-fi/monster flick.

On the plus side, the "batratspidercrab" thing is one of the more memorable beasties, strings and all. And the sets, though obviously painted backgrounds, are imaginative and just plain weird.

Picture and sound quality are what we've come to expect from MGM's Midnite Movies line: superb. So if this kind of film is your thing, you could do worse than ANGRY RED PLANET. But. . .you could also do a lot better. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Joan Collins stars in this hilarious giant bug epic. Producer-director Bert I. Gordon, the genius behind such stuff-grows-really-big films as The Amazing Colossal Man and Village of the Giants, brings us a cautionary tale of what can happen when pollution, real-estate scams, and social insects mix. Collins, an absolute portrait of the valiant trouper who keeps plugging away no matter how bad the script gets, stars as shady land developer Marilyn Fryer. Marilyn is by only a small margin the sleaziest of a band of characters so repellent it's hard not to root for the ants (who, by the way, grow really big). A ludicrous plot and jaw-droppingly bad dialogue make Empire of the Ants ideal for late-night viewing. Watch it with your most vicious circle of friends. DVD version includes the original trailer and French and Spanish subtitles. -Ali Davis ... Read more

Reviews (20)

"Oh my God! They're herding us like cattle!"
Run for the hills (or the Raid)! Bert I. Gordon, aka Mr. Big (due to his penchant for making films involving giant creatures, and also, it's his initials), brings on some serious cinematic pain with his rendition of author H.G. Wells story Empire of the Ants (1977). Other cinematic examples of Gordon's super-sizing include Beginning of the End (1957), The Amazing Colossal Man (1957), Earth vs the Spider (1958), Attack of the Puppet People (1958), and The Food of the Gods (1976). Gordon, certainly a man of many hats, not only wrote (adapted from an H.G. Wells story), directed and produced the film, but he also was in charge of the special effects. The film stars Joan Collins of TV's Dynasty, Robert Lansing, whose television credits are too numerous to mention but is most familiar to me from the 1959 film 4D Man, perennial 70's television stars John David Carlson and Jacqueline Scott.

In the beginning we get some painfully obvious foreshadowing involving stock footage, along with voice over, showing ants busy at work. We then cut to workers in HAZMAT suits on a boat, dumping clearly marked barrels of radioactive waste in the water. We see one of the barrels wash up on shore, as the ominous music plays on...Cut to preparations being made for an excursion by yacht to view swampy properties for sale, sponsored by some realty company called Dreamland Properties, o