Author Archives: chipkaufmann

…or may ever want to see him again. 1968’s CORRUPTION is surely the most uncharacteristic movie Cushing ever made. Not that he isn’t his usual dignified self, it’s just that every thing around him seems so whacked out. Actually it’s vice-versa. This is Swinging London ca. 1967 and in this enviornment Cushing seems as outContinue reading “CORRUPTION: Peter Cushing As You’ve Never Seen Him Before…”

BLACK TORMENT was a movie I read about in books on British horror films but it was one which I had never seen until I was recently able to rent it locally. I was so impressed that I went out and bought it. It’s not a classic but it is very well done. BLACK TORMENTContinue reading “THE BLACK TORMENT: A Genuine English Gothic”

Director Michael Winner (1935-2013) made a number of my favorite films during the 1970s. It started out with LAWMAN (1971) followed by his breakthrough year, 1972, when he made THE NIGHTCOMERS, with Marlon Brando and 2 Charles Bronson flicks CHATO’S LAND, and THE MECHANIC. 1973 saw SCORPIO with Burt Lancaster and then came the reviledContinue reading “THE SENTINEL (1977): Stylish Horror Thriller Even Better On Blu-Ray”

To mark the passing of Michael Winner and to celebrate the film’s 30th anniversary(2013) the time would now seem to be propitious to finally release this movie on DVD even if it’s only a DVD-R as most older movies are these days. Of course it all boils down to who currently owns the rights. OriginallyContinue reading “THE WICKED LADY (1983): Historical Romp Or Melodramatic Trash?”

A number of reviews love to trash this version by comparing it to the Bogart/Bacall original but it’s really an apples to oranges comparison. They are two very different films removed by a generation from each other. The 1946 version is a classic Hollywood film noir that is loaded with atmosphere but heavily waters downContinue reading “THE BIG SLEEP (1978): Comparing Apples & Oranges”

When British filmmaker Michael Winner died in 2013, I decided to go back and revisit several of his movies (which I have done on many occasions) and the one that always makes the biggest impression is LAWMAN. When I first saw it on the big screen back in 1971, I was impressed with the bigContinue reading “LAWMAN (1971): One of Michael Winner’s Finest”

During the 1960s there was an entire subgenre of films, most of them German, based on the works of prolific English author Edgar Wallace (1877-1933) who is best known in America for having written the original draft script of KING KONG. He was immensely popular during his lifetime but his reputation rapidly declined after hisContinue reading “CIRCUS OF FEAR Is An Edgar Wallace Crime Thriller Not A Horror Film”

Although it was short-lived (only 3 double feature DVDs in 2006), I take my hat off to Lionsgate for making available these Samuel Z. Arkoff Cult Classics in first class, high quality prints. Of the three discs released, this one is by far and away my favorite. HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER combines elements ofContinue reading “AIP Hypno-Horror Double Feature Worth Revisiting”

BLACK ZOO marks the third and final teaming of producer Herman Cohen and actor Michael Gough and the results are definitely mixed. This is a pity because the other two movies, the incredibly lurid HORRORS OF THE BLACK MUSEUM and the deliriously outrageous KONGA are guilty pleasures of the first order. ZOO doesn’t quite measureContinue reading “BLACK ZOO: The Third Time Is Not The Charm”

Leave it to B movie mogul Herman Cohen (I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF) to give us two movies for the price of one low budget effort and that’s what KONGA is. The first hour of the film is remarkably well done with an intelligent script (under the circumstances) and a creative use of color forContinue reading “KONGA Is Two Movies In One”