Beach of the War Gods (1973)

 I really thought that I had talked about this movie here before, and yet, the search engine pulled a big ol' bowl of nothing!  The Blu Ray release is nothing short of amazing, and it is almost like seeing the movie for the first time again.  It makes my cranky old spirit happy to see all these rareties show up on home video, even if the demand for them is less and less.  Stupid companies not wanting to pay cast and crew royalties!  But that is my issue and I will deal with it.  Maybe, someday, not soon of course.

585. The Gorgo Story continues in Comic Book form!

                    Our final chapter in the Gorgo trilogy is the comic book version!  We review both a book and and issue from 1963!

HOTW- Zatara

 

From Wiki- Giovanni "John" Zatara, simply called Zatara, is a fictional magician and superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #1 in 1938 during the Golden Age of Comic Books, making him one of DC Comics' oldest characters.  Giovanni Zatara originates from an Italian family with strong magical lineage. His grandfather, Luigi Zatara, is a renowned stage magician who served as a significant inspiration. At a young age, Giovanni receives a magic kit that triggers his passion for illusion and prompts him to pursue a career as a professional magician. However, his early attempts at performing are met with disappointment until he recognizes the importance of honing his showmanship skills. While attempting to translate Leonardo da Vinci's journals, Giovanni learns that he can use magic by speaking words backward. Combining his natural gifts with his stage magic expertise, Giovanni becomes an esteemed stage magician and crime-fighter.^[7]  Back to me:

584. Prehistoric Planet Monster Gappa!

                 Here I talk a lot about this fun movie, and discuss whether it is a ripoff of Gorgo.  Listen and find out!

'Cause I'm A Blonde - Julie Brown

              "... my goal is to become a veterinarian because I love children!"  This song is really funny.

583. Waldo Kitty 07-09, jungles, horses, and ventriloquism!

                  Dang it Filmation, you were frustrating in the 70s!  Aside from Star Trek, that is.

Calvin and Hobbes Monday- 01-16-1986

 Susie is pretty driven to get into college.  This is a bit unusual for someone in first grade- I sure didn't know what college was at that age.

582. Gorgo, a monster only a mother could love!

                  Here's a look at a classic, but almost great, giant monster movie, Gorgo!  Sure and it could have been a bit better.

RIP Tom Lehrer

              Just heard that the great Tom Lehrer has passed on to his Great Reward.  He was 97 years young at the time.

GD Splanations Mini-sode 02!

                   Got the new Aquatic Gorgo from Titanic Creations yesterday, and did an unboxing of it.  You can see it here!

581. Reviewing Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain (1983)

              This is a very influential movie from Tsui Hark, but that doesn't mean it is the greatest thing ever.

Zu Warriors From the Magic Mountain 1983

 

From Wiki- 

Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain (Chinese: 新蜀山劍俠) is a 1983 Hong Kong supernatural wuxia fantasy film directed by Tsui Hark and based on the xianxia novel Legend of the Swordsmen of the Mountains of Shu by Huanzhulouzhu. The film has been noted for combining elements of Hong Kong action cinema with special effects technology provided by a team of Western artists including Robert Blalack.^[1] It served as an influence for the 1986 American film Big Trouble in Little China.

Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain received five nominations at the 3rd Hong Kong Film Awards: Best Action Choreography for Corey Yuen, Best Actress for Brigitte Lin, Best Art Direction for William Chang, Best Film Editing for Peter Cheung, and Best Picture. Back to me:

580. Gay Purr ee, or Cats in Paris!

                  Here's one very interesting movie that I have one question about it.  What is that question?

Earth Girls Are Easy (1988) Original Trailer [FHD]

                     I am on the fence about watching this movie tomorrow.  I know it is a comedy, and should be right up the squad's alley...

579. The Young Ones meet Bambi! 07-09

             Series Two of the Young Ones starts here, and these are hilarious episodes.

Goldface- the fantastic upgrade!

For years, the only version of this movie easily available was a multi-gen pan and scan fullscreen, as seen on YouTube.  The movie got a nice release in Italy, and some wonderful fan has dubbed it over with the English track.  Or maybe the disc had it anyway.  I've seen the movie twice, but the quality was awful.  

578. I Know Dino- the book review!

               Here's our weekly book review- this time featuring two books!

HOTW- Iron Man

 

From Wiki- Iron Man is the superhero persona of Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark, a businessman and engineer who runs the weapons manufacturing company Stark Industries. When Stark was captured in a war zone and sustained a severe heart wound, he built his Iron Man armor and escaped his captors. Iron Man's suits of armor grant him superhuman strength, flight, energy projection, and other abilities. The character was created in response to the Vietnam War as Lee's attempt to create a likeable pro-war character. Since his creation, Iron Man has been used to explore political themes, with early Iron Man stories being set in the Cold War. The character's role as a weapons manufacturer proved controversial, and Marvel moved away from geopolitics by the 1970s. Instead, the stories began exploring themes such as civil unrest, technological advancement, corporate espionage, alcoholism, and governmental authority. Back to me:

577. Fossil Bed Water Follies of 1975!

                   Here's a very fun short film about conserving water.  It aired late night here in Fossil Bed as filler between movies on occasion.

Mini-sode 01 with X7! Ultraman celebration!

               Something brand-new for us today!

The Donnas-Dancing With Myself (Billy Idol Cover)

                        I suppose this is also kind of new wave, but it really isn't, is it?  I really enjoy the Donnas, and should have some at least a greatest hits CD in my collection.

576. Waldo Kitty goes to space! 04-06

                 There were more labels, or tags, for this episode than I thought there would be.  How about that?

Calvin and Hobbes Monday 01-15-1986

 I think I only made one involuntary trip to the principal's office in my K-12 school career.  And that was for pretty much nothing.

575. The lost Bamboo Saucer of 1968!

                Here's a fun and odd example of trying something a little different for science fiction.  I saw it as a kid, and quite enjoyed it.

Cat Trek!

 This is adventure of the Starship Secondprize.  It is captained by Captain Herc, Mr. Krock is the science officer and the rest, here on Waldo Kitty's isle!  So far this is the best segment they have had on the show, and even uses some of Filmation's stock music from their Star Trek series.  I like the design of the ship as well.  Too bad some of the names are not that clever, but that is quite alright.

574. The Fist of Fury connection!

               I enjoy this movie a lot, one can see how much more comfortable Bruce Lee was in this movie.

The Bamboo Saucer 1968

From Wiki- 

The Bamboo Saucer is an independently made 1968 Cold War science fiction film drama about competing American and Russian teams that discover a flying saucer in Communist China.^[1] The film was re-released in 1969 under the title Collision Course with a reduced edited runtime of 90 minutes.

This was the final film for both actors Dan Duryea and Nan Leslie. Back to me:

573. The Girl Can't Help It! 1956

                This is one darn good movie!  The music is amazing, and the cast is great!

The Girl Can't Help It (1956) - Trailer - Frank Tashlin

                  This is the second time I have watched this movie, and danged if I didn't almost really love it.

572. The Young Ones 04-06 Bombs, Parties, and Floods!

 Sorry, UK and Ireland, this one won't be seen there.  Lesson learned!

The Girl Can't Help It drive-in ad

One of the really fun things about doing a magazine and a podcast is finding really cool stuff to use in both.  Since I will be reviewing this movie shortly I was looking for a poster and came across this wonderful drive-in ad.  I kinda miss drive-ins, but the very last time I went (saw Curse of the Were-Rabbit and some Tim Burton movie- oh yeah, the Corpse Bride.  It was fun, but the dang place was far too clean, the sound, through the car radio, was far too clear... somehow it seemed too nice.  Too generic, maybe.  Sometime next week I will think of the right word, you watch.  It is weird, I should welcome cleaner and nicer facilities, and better food, but alas, that seems to be part of the charm from way back when.

571. Godzilla e Company by Luigi Cozzi!

              Here is a book I have had in my collection for 25 years now.  How is that even possible?  

HOTW- The People's Poet, (p)Rick!

 

From Hero Fandom Wiki- 

"Hands up, who likes me?"

Rick is one of the characters in the 1980s British TV sitcom The Young Ones. He is a self-proclaimed anarchist who is studying sociology and/or domestic sciences (depending on the episode). Rick writes bad poetry, and styles himself as the "The People's Poet", believing himself to be the "spokesperson for a generation".

He was portrayed by the late Rik Mayall.  Back to me: 

570. The Age of Great Dinosaurs (1979) review!

             Here is a rarity- a dinosaur movie I have never seen!  It is hard to believe, but they do still exist!

Devo - "Beautiful World"

            The way they comb their hair makes me want to say...

569. Waldo Kitty episodes 01-03!

          Yeah, this is probably the most obscure series I have reviewed yet, but I liked it when I was ten...

Calvin and Hobbes Monday-01-14-1986

 Teachers sure did not like kids passing notes.  I have proof of this in a notebook.  Yes, I keep such things.

568. Return to the Angry Red Planet... in Cinemagic!

                 I'm kinda surprised I have "Mars" as a frikkin label here, Mr. Bigglesworth!  Still, I love this movie as I have stated.

The Adventures of Waldo Kitty 1975

 From Wiki (natch)- The Secret Lives of Waldo Kitty (later called The New Adventures of Waldo Kitty) is an American animated and partially live-action television series, produced by Filmation, which originally aired for one season on Saturday mornings on NBC from September 6 to November 29, 1975.^[1] Howard Morris, Jane Webb, and Allan Melvin provided voices for the three main characters on the series. The show follows a cat named Waldo who daydreams of being a superhero and defeating the villainous bulldog Tyrone. It was inspired by James Thurber's 1939 short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty", and his widow Helen Thurber sued Filmation in 1975 for creating the series without the permission of her husband's estate. The outcome of the decision resulted in the series being retitled in future broadcasts as The New Adventures of Waldo Kitty.^[2]  Now back to me!

567. Meet The NEW One Armed Swordsman!

                     I am not surprised the Shaws tried to create a new one-armed swordsman, and this is a good attempt.

The New One-Armed Swordsman (1971)

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: The New One-Armed Swordsman is a 1971 Hong Kong wuxia film directed by Chang Cheh and produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio, starring David Chiang. Chiang replaced Jimmy Wang, the star of the two preceding films in the series, The One-Armed Swordsman and Return of the One-Armed Swordsman. More from me now:  This is a fun movie, if not quite as epic as the original. The fights are a bit better, since the movies were headed that way.  It is mostly swords, with one exception!

566. Hey There, It's the Yogi Bear movie!

                      This is a pretty fun movie, aside from a few sappy songs.  That is true for most musicals though, right?

Jimmy Hunt Introduces Invaders From Mars 1953

                  I have already reviewed the movie here and on the podcast.  The trailer is here as well.  Now for something completely different!

565. Darling, they are the Young Ones 01-03!

              This is one of the greatest comedy series ever.  Period.  Music, laughs, you name it, it is here.

Happy Ultraman Day!

Today is the day, some 59 years ago, when Ultraman first appeared on television in Japan.  It was not the first episode of Ultraman, instead it was a live airing called The Birth of Ultraman.  This featured the stars of the show, along with Eiji Tsuburaya making an appearance.  The monsters also showed up, especially the ones from Ultra Q.  Naturally, the special was a big hit, and led to the series being an even bigger hit.  This led to the franchise which is still going on to this day.  Whether this is a good thing or not is up to conjecture.  I certainly haven't kept up with anything past Ultraman Mebius, aside from various movies and such.

564. Spider Man on TV Book review!

          What a great book this is!  I want to get the others J. Ballman has written.  

HOTW- The Destructor

From Comic Vine-  One of the longest-lived Atlas-Seaboard characters started with the amazing team of Archie Goodwin (writer), Steve Ditko (pencils), Wally Wood (inks) and Larry Lieber (editing).

Jay Hunter was a low-life, young thug-in-training. His father was a noble scientist trying to come up with a formula to expand man's senses, to create a super-hero. When Jay's crime lord boss marked him for death, both he and his father were mortally wounded. There was enough serum for one. His father gave it to him. He became the Destructor.

Almost an anti-Spider-Man, he was shunned by his high school crowd because he used to shake them down for money. Otherwise, this one stuck pretty close to the Spidey formula, down to the oath at the end of #1. Goodwin stayed for three issues... with Gerry Conway writing the fourth. Ditko handled the art on all four with Wood inking the first two and Al Milgrom inking the fourth. Back to me:

563. Godzilla Meets his Son in 1967!

                  Lora mercy YouTube kept me busy today. Just watch.  If you get to the end, you will see it.

Age of Great Dinosaurs 1979

 I had never heard of this before!

Bite Me Bambi-Do The Damned (Official Video)

                      I recently discovered Bite Me Bambi, thanks to YouTube, and this was the song that was suggested.  I do like ska music.

562. Adieu, Lovely Angels, Sayonara, Dirty Pair! 24-26 Series Finale!

             Well, here are the last three episodes (sort of) of the original run for The Dirty Pair.  Perhaps my expectations were too high when I first heard of them, way back in the late 1980s.

Calvin and Hobbes Monday 01-13-1986

 So here we see Susie naming one of her friends, though we never meet her.  Susie has to have other friends.

561. Maciste takes on the Fire Monsters in 1962!

               I do enjoy a fun peplum movie, and this one is a good one.  Lots of monsters, lots of action= tops!

Ultraman Story (1984)

 

Some fifteen years ago, I asked the question why this movie had not been fansubbed.  I think some ten years ago or so, it this happened, because I had a copy of it for many years.  I had watched it on VHS way back in the 90s, and liked it just fine.  It really isn't too difficult to figure out, even in Japanese.  It is the story of how Taro was trained to become an elite Ultra Warrior.  All in 93 minutes or so, which is counting the long credits.  It is a good movie, with lots of action, and only one small child (Taro himself at the beginning of the movie.  In fact, no humans are even shown!

560. Death Rides a Horse (1967) in review!

             This is the first time I have ever seen this movie.  This sort of experience gets rarer as a person gets to be of a certain vintage.

559. "Babes" in Toyland? Rrrright...

              Here's a review of a Disney movie I haven't seen in probably five decades.

X - I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts (Official Audio)

         Usually this post is a trailer for Sven's movie tomorrow night, but it is already here, and today is a holiday.

558. Robot Detective 23-26 Finale!

            This is it- the finale of the Robot Detective series on our podcast!

Maciste vs the Monsters (1962)

 From wiki- Fire Monsters Against the Son of Hercules (Italian: Maciste contro i mostri) is a 1962 film directed by Guido Malatesta that was filmed in Yugoslavia and Italy. Back to me:

I have talked about this movie before, and did an early podcast episode about it.  It was episode 81, back in the Spotify only days.  I sure have learned a lot since then, even getting video inserts.

557. A Review of The Mysterious Golden Book from 1976!

             Here's a fun book from almost fifty years ago.  These books were hugely popular with kids back in the 70s.

HOTW- Red Panther

 From Public Domain Fandom Wiki- The Red Panther gets his uniform, which supposedly comes from skin of the mythical Red Panther, from a tribal chief. He acts as a representation of the mythical Red Panther’s "stay" in the mortal world as protector of people who cannot defend themselves. Armed with his bow and arrow, the Red Panther fights using his great agility and superior strength against those who would prey upon the innocents of Africa.  Back to me:  

556. Happy Strange Brew Canada Day!

               OK so here's today's topic- yes, it is being posted on 2 July, but that's how it is.  So enjoy it, eh?

I Need To Know - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers with Stevie Nicks

              I knew Stevie had recorded this song, and have always enjoyed Tom Petty as well, but this might be the best of both words.

555. Dirty Pair 21-23: Disappearances and Con-Jobs!

            I quite enjoyed these episodes.  I think since I have gotten to know the Angels it is more fun.