#bernard gordon

[chuckbbirdsjunk]

[mariocki]

Zombies of Mora Tau (1957)

"We all die in good time, Mrs. Harrison. There's a grave waiting for all of us."

"You old hag! You're dead already, you just don't have sense enough to lie down!"

[screamscenepodcast]

From producer Sam Katzman and screenwriter Bernard Gordon comes THE MAN WHO TURNED TO STONE (1957, Kardos)! Starring Victor Jory, Ann Doran, Charlotte Austin, William Hudson and Paul Cavanagh, the film's villains target the most vulnerable among us, with Friedrich von Ledebur as the mute threatening monster!

Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 11:22; Discussion 29:28; Ranking 51:35

[vintage1981]

Horror Express | On This Day in Cult Cinema

On December 3, 1973 the science fiction horror film Horror Express was released in the United States. Produced by Bernard Gordon and Gregorio Sacristan, directed by Eugenio Martín and written by Arnaud d'Usseau and Julian Zimet. Horror Express (Spanish: Pánico en el Transiberiano, lit. "Panic on the Trans-Siberian Express") stars Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Alberto de Mendoza, Silvia Tortosa, Telly Savalas, Helga Liné, Alice Reinheart, George Rigaud, Julio Pena and Angel del Pozo.

Horror Express was filmed in Madrid, Spain between 1971 and 1972 and produced on a low budget of $300,000. Like all the Italian and Spanish films of the period, Horror Express was filmed mostly without sound, with effects and voices dubbed into the film later. Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Savalas all provided their own voices for the English market.

Horror Express was first titled Pánico en el Transiberiano and released as an officially selected film of the 1972 Sitges Film Festival on September 30th. Peter Cushing arrived in Spain for filming and immediately told Producer Bernard Gordon that he could not do the picture, as he felt it was too soon after his wife's death. Christopher Lee convinced Cushing to stay on by reminiscing with him about the previous movies they'd worked on together, much to the relief of Gordon. Savalas was paid $22,000 for his short stint on this movie.

Frequent airings on television throughout the 1970s and 1980s helped to gain this movie a devoted cult following amongst horror fans.

[theoscarsproject]

Krakatoa: East of Java (1968). In 1883, ship captain Hanson plans a shipwreck salvage mission in The Dutch East Indies to retrieve a cargo of pearls but an unexpected volcano eruption and a state-ordered transport of convicts upset his plans.

In keeping with the, errr, less than good movies I’ve watched recently for The Oscars Project, Krakatoa: East of Java is just a bit of a mess - bloated and overly lingering, it takes forever to trudge through scenes, plot and character arcs, ultimately making for a pretty dull viewing experience. It never quite hits its stride, and ultimately suffers for it. 3/10.

[mariocki]

Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)

"Listen to your watch, Doctor Marvin."

"It's stopped! It's supposed to be anti-magnetic."

"We generate a magnetic field stronger than the gravitational field on your Earth. This is the principle by which we move through space. We have adjusted the magnetic field to compensate for the normal loss of gravitational effect and atmospheric pressure. But your watch hasn't stopped; feel your pulse."

"I haven't any."

"Neither have I!"

"We operate in a very different time reference. You might say all this is happening between the ticks of your watch, or the beats of your heart."

[screamscenepodcast]

From director Edward Cahn and producer Sam Katzman comes ZOMBIES OF MORA TAU (1957)!

Often considered the missing link between Haitian zombies and Romero zombies, this horror B movie features Gregg Palmer, Allison Hayes, Autumn Russell and Marjorie Eaton.

Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 16:00; Discussion 37:13; Ranking 59:44

[theoscarsproject]

55 Days at Peking (1963). During the 1900 Boxer Rebellion against foreigners in China, U.S. Marine Major Matt Lewis, aided by British Consul Sir Arthur Robertson, devises a strategy to keep the rebels at bay until an international military relief force arrives.

Despite a compelling performance from David Niven, this movie is....not good. It’s held down by it’s gratuitous yellowface, it’s caricaturing of China, and it’s all around sense of ‘the poor white man’. It’s just weird, and feels like a really dated film. Still, the costumes and sets are great at least? 4/10.