Reg Park stars as Hercules in the next film about the Devil’s Work in DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies. Arriving home after his previous adventure, he learns that his beloved princess, Deianira (Lenora Ruffo) is in a supenatural coma, and that he, and his friends Theseus (George Ardisson) and Telemachus (Franco Giacobini) must venture…
Tag: 1961
Thunderball (1961) – Ian Fleming
The ninth book, and eighth full novel,in Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 series is up this week. And this one is a bit of a special case. It was originally concocted as a screenplay, and early editions gave sole credit to Fleming, whereas future editions, much like the film(s) that would later be developed from…
Gorgo (1961) – Eugene Lourie
What would happen if England got in on the Godzilla craze? Well, I found out as I explored DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies book and came across Gorgo as I continue to explore the chapters on dragons and dinosaurs. When a group of sailors capture a strange beast off the coast of Ireland and…
Werewolf in a Girl’s Dormitory (1961) – Paolo Heusch
It’s time for another hairy werewolf movie as I continue to delve into DK Canada’s Monsters in the Movies book. This time around, the entry, Werewolf in a Girl’s Dormitory, is a bit of a letdown, considering it’s rife with exploitation potential. An Italian film that was dubbed for its North American release the story…
Goliath and the Vampires (1961) – Sergio Corbucci & Giacomo Gentilomo
Monsters in the Movies, by director John Landis and available from DK Canada, keeps the vampire films coming as I continue to stake my way through the chapter on the undead. That brings me to this odd and dubbed entry from Italy that adds (?) to the sword and sorcery genre with some strange trappings…
Jerry Lewis: 10 Films Collection
No matter one’s opinion of Jerry Lewis, you can’t deny he had an effect on slapstick, and comedy during the 50s and 60s. Paramount Pictures now releases a ten movie collection spanning that era that showcases Lewis’ talent both in front of and behind the camera in a set that shares some of his classic…
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) – Blake Edwards
Based on the novel by Truman Capote, and featuring music by Henry Mancini, this romantic classic stars Audrey Hepburn, and George Peppard. It is also the next stop on the Romantic and Melodrama chapter of the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film. The film, as solid as it is, features Mickey Rooney’s racist and…
West Side Story (1961) – Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins
Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins direct the film that brings me back to the musical genre in the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book. Stephen Sondheim pens the lyrics for this Academy Award winning musical (including Best Picture) that is an updated retelling of Shakespeare’s beautiful tragedy Romeo & Juliet with Richard Beymer…
The Twilight Zone (1961/1962) – Five Characters in Search of an Exit, A Quality of Mercy, and Nothing in the Dark
It’s time to dive back into The Twilight Zone with The Complete Series collection from Paramount Pictures. First up this week is Five Characters in Search of an Exit. Series creator Rod Serling writes the teleplay using Marvin Petal’s short story as his source material. Airing on 22 December, 1961 the tale finds an army…
The Twilight Zone (1961) – It’s a Good Life, Deaths-head Revisited, and The Midnight Sun
Paramount Picture’s The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series starts off with a classic episode this week. So good, it was remade by Joe Dante in the feature film (and it was very much suited to his storytelling style). Hold onto your happy thoughts as the series creator Rod Serling penned teleplay from a story by…
The Twilight Zone (1961) – A Game of Pool, The Mirror, and The Grave
Paramount Pictures just keeps guiding me deeper and deeper into the Twilight Zone with their Complete Series on blu-ray. This week’s trio of episodes are a lot of fun. First up is A Game of Pool, penned by George Clayton Johnson, this episode first aired on Halloween, 31 October, 1961. Honestly I would have expected…
The Twilight Zone (1961) – The Arrival, The Shelter and The Passerby
The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series from Paramount Pictures takes me further this week, as we move deeper into Season 3. First up is The Arrival, penned by series creator, Rod Serling, this episode had its debut on 22 September, 1961. Grant Sheckly (Harold J. Stone) is an aviation investigator, but even he’s not sure…
