Tales of Tomorrow offers this nice little gem in the realm of science fiction. Drama, intrigue, and insights into human behavior highlight this episode from early television. The DVD I saw had 6 other episodes on it. I liked this episode the best. It contained good acting, plausible reactions from the characters, an interesting sci-fi plot. All the episodes on this disc come complete with the original commercials. Masland Sportswear sponsored this episode. Both the show and the commercial are interesting if for no other reason but to view an early part of television history. "What you Need" though is more than just a part of history. It can still hold your interest today and it makes an enjoyable story. Well worth the short amount of time it takes to watch it. Thumbs up for "What You Need".
Reviews
112 Reviews
The future being 1960!
24 February 2009
"Sneak Attack" is a sci-fi episode of a possible "pearl harbor" type attack that happens in the future. The future being 1960. The episode was shown on December 7th, 1951. This is a good example of the use of TV how it helped promote the red scare of the 50s. The average American would be watching this and to them it was a real possibility. Viewing this episode would concern adults and scare the children. Could this happen in their lifetime? Countries are not named but the enemy's identity would be very transparent to the viewer of 1951. What terrible crisis did they think the future could bring? Watch this episode and find out. It's a great little movie to watch and enjoy both for its entertainment and historical value.
Quite a nice little treat.
23 February 2009
Wealthy industrialist Wayne Crowder uses all his company's assets to build a private spaceship and become the first man in space. He pushes at all costs to achieve his goal. What will happen?, well that's what this story is about. Very low budget TV "play" from the early years of television. A nice little surprise twist puts this short selection to a close. Listen to the dramatic background music, very reminiscent of old radio shows. Test flight is quite a nice little treat. The DVD that I saw was complete with commercials from Jacques Kreisler watchbands. If you don't like the old stuff, stay away. If you get a kick out of B movies, maybe even old radio shows, this is for you.
Wish I could see all the episodes.
22 February 2009
I watched "Blunder" on a DVD that had 7 episodes with the original commercials. I wish I could see all the episodes. I enjoyed watching the commercials almost as much as the movie. The first commercial for this episode was from "CARE" speaking about, and showing the problem of the many displaced people of World War II. Another commercial asks the viewers to buy United States Defense Bonds. Both the commercials help the viewer understand a little of what it was like at the time that this episode was originally viewed. 1951 was a different world then the one we live in today. "Blunder" is an early science fiction story warning of the possible dangers of nuclear experimentation. I was surprised to see a couple of negative remarks about censorship in the film. They were probably pretty bold for the time. This show was a half hour long, so it moves along fairly quickly. It seemed to be just right for "Blunder". I think a sci-fi fan with an interest in history will really enjoy this episode.
Early warning of nuclear dangers.
15 February 2009
I viewed this on a DVD that had 7 different episodes of 'Tales of Tomorrow", complete with original commercials. It was a real surprise to me to be able to have this great chance to see an example of early TV science fiction. Back when this came out, this was not in theaters or drive ins but could only be seen on TV, an emerging form of entertainment that could be seen by those lucky enough to even own a television. The acting in "Verdict From Space" is overly dramatic but the actors do hold your interest. The show uses a low budget set so don't expect anything fancy. I think this episode was ahead of its time, the plot contains one of the early warnings of the possible dangers of nuclear bombs and experimentation that was to be a main theme of many future sci-fi films. The background music is definitely dated, as are some of the terms spoken by the characters. You won't be able to forget that this was from 1951. I liked the episode not only for it's historical significance to early television but it also had an interesting story in a short, quick episode. I was happily surprised to see that the original commercials were included. The commercials are from "Watchbands by Jacques Kreisler". It's really interesting, even a little comical, to see the beginnings of early television advertising. Entertaining in many ways, "Verdict From Space" is a fun film, well worth the short amount of time it takes to watch it.
Les amazones du temple d'or
(1986)
Watch this one for the laughs.
25 June 2006
Stupid scenes, bad acting, poor dialogue, lots of topless scenes. Liana (Analía Ivars) is the heroine and main character of the movie. You'll be seeing a lot of her. She'll be running around topless throughout the whole movie. Amazons kill her gold hungry missionary parents and Liana is raised in the jungle away from civilization. Although she does seem to find a way to maintain a perm. When she matures, Liana decides she has to avenge her parent's death and with an odd assortment of characters she picks up on her quest, she goes after the Amazons. Not that hard a task. I don't recall seeing more than 7 in any scene. The movie has lots of nudity, violence, but no real gore. There are some scenes that if it wasn't for the nudity, you might think it was a children's film. It's a very cheaply made film with lots of mistakes. The more you question things, the worse it gets. For me, this was one of those it's so bad it's good movies. It's entertaining in a humorous way. Not to be taken seriously. Wait until you meet the witch doctor Koukou. Watch this one for the laughs.
The Legend of Gator Face
(1996)
A good family movie. Kids will love it.
12 May 2006
Gator Face is a movie suitable for the whole family but is particularly aimed at kids. It's an adventure film that kids will wish happened to them, a movie where kids shine. This film teaches us to try to understand things that are different and not to use violence first. You will experience fear, humor excitement, sympathy, friendship, sadness and ultimately joy. It's one of the few "monster" movies out there that is pretty tame and safe for kids to watch yet still be exciting. The younger viewer can watch other kids be heroes and best of all, in the end, right triumphs over might, and understanding over ignorance. This is an example of the type of movies that should be made with children in mind.
Law of the Jungle
(1942)
Mantan Moreland's acting is what makes this film.
2 April 2006
The main plot of the movie is espionage and adventure in the African Jungle. Nazi agents try to incite a native uprising against the British. This is drama and adventure with a healthy dose of comedy by Mantan Moreland. This film was made in 1942 and is certainly dated. You have to watch this film in the context of the times. Today this film will be looked upon as politically incorrect and demeaning to blacks. Mantan Moreland had what was considered a supporting role in Law of the Jungle but today he should be seen for what he is. This man is a good actor and a great comedian. Mantan Moreland playing Jefferson "Jeff" Jones is the main reason to watch this movie. Mantan Moreland may be better known to viewers for his roles as Birmingham Brown in the Charlie Chan movies of the mid 40s but he is great in law of the Jungle. Moreland is so good, he is even used as the main attraction on the cover art of the DVD. His acting is what takes Law of the Jungle a notch above being a blah boring movie.
Jungle Siren
(1942)
If you like the oldies, try it.
26 March 2006
Two Americans with the free French played by Buster Crabbe and Paul Bryar are sent to Carraby, a small village in Africa to build an airfield. They have to contend with restless natives under the influence of the evil Chief Schlangi who is in turn controlled by a married couple that are Nazi agents. The Nazis want to take this area for themselves and plan on stopping the two Americans sent there. Enter Ann Corio as Kuhlaya, the white woman brought up by natives after Chief Schlangi killed her parents when she was a child. Kuhlaya is at home in the jungle and basically a female version Tarzan. She is the so called Jungle Siren. An older, kind hearted but alcoholic white doctor acts as a substitute father and friend to Kuhlaya. Both the doctor and Kuhlaya are pro allies. You don't see many wild animal scenes like I thought would be in a picture like this. There is some drama, adventure and romance all 1940s style. When this movie came out, one of the main attractions to this movie was the opportunity to see the beautiful Ann Corio in her jungle garb. For today's audience, there is nothing to this. It's very mild and tame by today's standards. This is a short movie in black and white. It has some sound problems. The sound is sometimes scratchy and when the characters speak softly you have to listen carefully. Some of the terminology used is straight from the 40s and may be a bit hard for the uninitiated to understand. It's politically and historically incorrect but what movie from that period isn't. You've really got to like the older films to enjoy Jungle Siren. If you can't appreciate the older films, don't even try with this one you would be wasting your time. The younger generation will be lost watching this movie. I found it to still hold my attention and thought it was entertaining. It doesn't have the same kick as it would have had in the 40s but it's a fun film. If you like the oldies, try it.
Make a Wish
(2002 Video)
Alright, not good, not bad just alright.
26 March 2006
Make a Wish is another variation of the typical slasher movies. The variation here is that the main characters are lesbians. It's very simple. A group of lesbian friends, lovers, exlovers go on a camping trip and one by one get picked off along with a few men that happen to be wandering around in the woods. It has some usual twists and turns and the viewer has to figure out who is doing this and why. For men that may want to watch this expecting to see a lot of hot lesbian sex scenes and lots of blood and gore, this isn't for you. This film is just like the other typical slasher movies. There are lots of kissing scenes and a few R rated sex scenes but not much. It's not a prominent part of the movie. For the blood and guts, again typical, I've certainly seen a lot more but I've also seen less. This is a low budget film but it does entertain. It's alright, not good, not bad just alright.
SideFX
(2004)
A good variation on zombie movies.
18 March 2006
A good way to describe the plot of Side FX is to say it's a variation of a zombie movie. A new drug that's supposed to be 10 time better than ecstasy has a little side effect. It makes the user lose their normal state of mind and crave blood. By craving blood, I mean bite chunks out of other people's neck, arms, whatever, as a means of getting it, like the zombie films. The difference is that they can be killed just like you could kill a normal human being, but if you wait long enough the drug wears off. It's a nice variation on the living dead theme. This film was very well done for an Independent film company on a low budget. The special effects were good. The acting was OK and in the case of the main character "Tuesday" played by Amanda Phillips I thought it was pretty good. The special effects were effective. The music was good. All around I found it a very enjoyable movie. The second half of the movie definitely has the most action but there's plenty of blood throughout the film to keep the viewer on edge. It's a real blood bath. For horror fans, it's worth a viewing.
The White Huntress
(1954)
It's a blah movie.
13 March 2006
The USA title of "White Huntress" is way off base. The movie has nothing to do with a white female hunter. The title "Golden Ivory" isn't much better. You don't actually see any ivory either. What the movie does have is some African scenery, and wildlife, a little romance, some natives and a simple story line. There is very little excitement or action even by the standards of 1957. This is a very low budget black and white movie of relatively poor film quality. The purpose of the movie was to make an action adventure movie but it fails on many levels. The story is fairly simple. In 1890 a small band of white settlers set out into the interior of British East Africa with the purpose of establishing a farm. They hire two brothers, seasoned hunters as guides. The brothers real goal is to find a legendary gathering place of elephants and make it rich from the ivory. The two men fall for the same woman, in come some hostile natives, a few wild animals and a man who was searching for gold. It sounds like this could have been a winner but it's just a yawner. There are no big man vs wild animal hunting scenes. They are very plain and simple. The tagline is white woman vs. deadly python. There is no actual fight between woman and snake. This is a very tame and to be honest, boring movie. Like most movies, ignore the action cover art. It has no link to reality. It certainly isn't anywhere near the worst movie I've seen but it's so blah you'll feel like you wasted your time.
Tales of Frankenstein
(1958 TV Movie)
Short well done monster movie.
24 February 2006
Definitely something of interest for the lover of early monster movies. It's only a pilot and it's short but its good. If you liked the Frankenstein monster concept, this is a tidy tidbit of a good old monster movie that I think you will enjoy. This black and white gem has a good plot, good acting, great atmosphere and all you would expect from an old fashioned monster movie. Too bad the pilot was never picked up. What if there was a field of these little gems instead of just one. Oh well, we'll never know how a series would have done but do take a look at Tales of Frankenstein the one that was made. Have fun and enjoy this short well done monster movie.
Slash Dance
(1989)
Slasher vs dance company. Viewer loses.
30 November 2005
What a pathetically bad movie. As a slasher movie, the tension and excitement are non-existent. If you're looking for gore, blood and guts,this isn't for you either. If you blink a few times while watching the movie, you might miss what little there is. The acting is soooo bad. It's hard to tell if they are trying to be that bad to be funny or are they really that bad. The characters are pitiful. There seems to have been very little thought put into this film. They did try to interject some humor into the film, which just made it worse. So let's see, it isn't scary, exciting, or humorous and the acting is terrible. But at least you have the dancing. No, you don't have that either. What you have is several girls trying to act like they are professional dancers all the while saying one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight as they do their so-called dance moves. The dancing is a joke, they are terrible. There is nothing in this movie worth watching. It's dull, boring, and poorly acted. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Realms of Blood
(2004 Video)
Nothing new or exciting, run of the mill.
14 November 2005
Realms of Blood is a low budget film about a guy and his girlfriend betting each other that they can tell a horror story that will scare the other. The film then has three stories wrapped in a fourth story. All three of these tales are the stories told by the boyfriend and girlfriend betting on what kind of horror story is the scariest. The couple telling the stories actually makes a kind of fourth story. I don't know why, but the guy gets to tell two stories and the girl only tells one but that's how it is. The first story is called "Pain Killer" about a war veteran gone berserk and on a killing spree. Decent body counts but no originality in his killing style. It has a very predictable plot and a simple ending, very forgettable story and not very scary. The second story "The Cologne" is better but I didn't find it scary at all. I thought it was entertaining and humorous, nothing special but OK. The third tale is called "Blood Runs Cold". This is a short vampire story. I think it was the scariest but still it just doesn't have what it takes to really be a scary horror flick. It's a more serious story, no humor as in "The Cologne" but in it's own way it was again OK. None of the three stories are for the squeamish. You have lots of blood and guts. The film was intended to be scary but if you've seen a lot of graphic horror movies, this one is just run of the mill. The make up isn't that bad for a low budget film and the acting was adequate which was a nice surprise. Several scenes do contain nudity but it certainly isn't used to excess. The music isn't bad at all and fit in very well. The main problem I saw with this film was that the plots to the three stories goes nowhere and the endings are just so predicable. There's nothing new or exciting here. You really have to be a fan of modern low budget, independent movies to get anything out of this film. For extras on the DVD you could play it either with or without director commentary, you can see a preview trailer and a blooper reel. There are also two music videos with songs from the film featuring such hits as "And Crows Will Dig Your Grave" and "Planet Graveyard" both of which I found interesting and kind of catchy. Not a complete waste of time but there are far better choices out there waiting to be watched.
Jan-Gel 3: Hillbilly Monster
(2003 Video)
Catchy title, boring movie.
22 October 2005
Hillbilly Monster has all the qualities you would expect from a film made as a grade school class project. The problem is, kids didn't make it. It's just a very low budget movie made with remarkably bland taste. The movie isn't scary and it isn't funny. It just kind of grinds along. I think there was an attempt to make this one of the movies that you say "it's so bad, it's good" and it does play on the Ed Wood connection of Conrad Brooks. Conrad Brooks is the director and plays a key character in Hillbilly Monster. He's had roles in quite a few "it's so bad, it's good" movies, including a few Ed Wood films. This one just doesn't make it. The title is the main attraction and holds the hope of horror and probably comedy but there's nothing to this film. It's boring and forgettable. Don't waste your time on a catchy title.
Memorial Valley Massacre
(1988)
Forgettable but entertaining
16 October 2005
Memorial Valley Massacre is one of many run of the mill slasher movies. The acting is very rigid and staged and the actors don't always fit the characters they play very well. Most of the movie looks scripted. You can almost feel them trying to say the right line. There is one character that in my opinion stood out. I do think that Jimmy Justice did a good job playing Zeke. For the most part though, most of the acting was pretty bad. The "slasher" bad guy was a big disappointment. He's not scary looking at all but he does manage to perform a good number of kills, some of them halfway decent. The killer's abilities and knowledge are totally unbelievable but there is so much in this film that just doesn't make sense that it really doesn't matter. Just shake your head, laugh and keep watching. What I did enjoy about this movie is that it's so simple, light and easy to follow. There's nothing complicated in this movie. Some of the kills were pretty good and a good portion of the film falls under the "It's so bad it's good" category. It might be better to say it's so bad it's funny. There are so many films out there that are much worse. At least this one has some entertainment value. Although forgettable, you could make a worse pick.
Terror in the Midnight Sun
(1959)
Sweden's version of a 50s, Sci/Fi, B monster movie.
8 August 2005
On the DVD I rented there were two versions of the same movie, Horror in the Midnight Sun, and Invasion of the Animal People. Although these are quite different, IMDb has these listed together as Rymdinvasion i Lappland. Horror in the Midnight Sun was a fairly decent movie. It's another low budget B movie from the late 50s. A lot of these have their problems and Horror in the Midnight Sun is no exception but it is an entertaining movie. It was also interesting to watch a movie of this genre that is Swedish/American made. It's a Swedish version of a B Sci/Fi monster movie. I'm glad I watched it. It was nothing special but still decent. Invasion of the Animal People was not as good and by itself would be a mess. When seen after watching Horror in the Midnight Sun, it does show how a movie can be cut up, pieces spliced in and the movie changed. Watching to see what and how the film was changed was the only thing I found interesting with Invasion of the Animal People. If you're really into 50s Sci/Fi B monster movies, you should take a look at Horror In The Midnight Sun but if you only have a chance to see Invasion of the Animal People, don't bother.
Crypt of the Living Dead
(1973)
When all is said and done, it's an OK movie but nothing special.
17 July 2005
"The Crypt of the Living Dead" is an odd, but run of the mill horror movie that will hold your interest but not leave anything memorable in it's wake. The acting is OK but the dialogue is pretty bad. There is an interesting assortment of strange characters but they are not shown in depth. A lot of the script just isn't realistic. What the characters do, how the act and react to circumstances just don't have the right feel to it. They had a chance of having some mystery in this film but two of the villains are revealed right at the start of the movie. The third, the vampire herself, is a given. For those looking for the horror aspect, there are some scary scenes and the locations have a Gothic feel. This movie was shot in Turkey and whatever spot they found, I have to give them credit. They found a good location. When all is said and done though, it's an OK movie but nothing special.
Alien Adventure
(1999)
No point to this movie.
9 June 2005
Alien Adventure is a film that consists entirely of 3D effects. There isn't any plot. The entire basis of this film is to show special effects in 3D. I saw this DVD on a regular television screen losing the 3D effects. The special effects were still nice but since I couldn't see it in 3D and that was the main purpose of the movie, there was no real point of watching it. I don't understand why they didn't combine some plot, some point to the movie, with the 3D viewing. If you can't see this in 3D, don't bother to watch it. It's a waste of time. If you are able to see it in 3D, expect to see 3D and some great special effects but nothing more.
The Mole People
(1956)
Great 1950s semi classic sci-fi monster movie.
9 June 2005
I've seen this movie several times over the years. It's a real semi classic, great example of 50s sci-fi monster movies. You do get a good look at the actual mole monsters and see quite a bit of them. As good as the mole monsters are, they are only a small part of this film. It's also an adventure movie about exploring for a lost civilization. Most of the plot involves this civilization which also happens to include the Mole People. This is good stuff. The stuff that used to scare and entertain in the 50s. The thing is, if you've seen a decent amount of horror/sci-fi films from the 50s and early 60s and haven't found much that you liked, "The Mole People" is not for you. If you're a fan of 50s B movies, you'll love this one. It's a real must see.
Black Cobra
(1976)
Dull 70s nudie flick.
1 May 2005
I should have known better. I was actually expecting this film to be a combination of mystery, drama and horror. I knew from the box cover that there would be nudity. What I didn't know was that the nudity is the main feature of the movie. The movie has several nude women and many nude scenes. That would be OK if there was at least a stronger plot and a little bit more reason for making this movie other than showing skin. I know this type of film may have it's followers but even if viewed as a skin flick, it's boring and even a bit humorous. It was made in 1976. At that time it may have been exciting but compared to milder, soft porn movies of today, this would have to be classified as very mild, to the point of being almost dull. This movie was just too long for so few meaningful scenes. I can't think of any good reason for watching this film other than to have a nostalgic look at a 70s nudie flick.
Scared
(2002)
Nothing special but certainly not bad.
10 April 2005
Scared (Cut Throat) isn't a bad movie. It just isn't a great movie. I thought it was a decent film. It doesn't seem to be a very low budget production. The acting was adequate, nothing special but certainly not bad. You do have moments of tension and suspense as the body count rises and the blood splatters, although it may not be up to the expectations of die hard slasher movie fans. The movie quickly becomes a bit of a mystery as you try to figure out "who done it". A little twist is thrown in near the end and a final little twist at the very end. It's an OK movie and I enjoyed watching it but that's it. It was just OK. It's not going to be one of the more memorable thrillers I've seen. Certainly worth a look but it shouldn't be up in your must see list.
King Dinosaur
(1955)
Will make the science teachers cringe.
5 April 2005
"King Dinosaur" takes place on a new planet that has entered our solar system. Four astronauts are sent from Earth to explore it. The plot is about what happens to them during this exploration. The science that the kids saw while watching this movie must make science teachers cringe. Everything about this new planet is laughable and the explorers are a joke. It's just like being in the woods on Earth. The monsters are ordinary earth animals and insects. Some are enlarged, some have fins or other things put on them to change their appearance and some are just the way they look on Earth. Throw in some stock footage and you have "King Dinosaur". The astronauts are more on a camping trip than investigating a new planet. The two men are macho and the two women scream a lot. The so called special effects were bad in 1955 and are just laughable today. The main attraction to this movie is the humor you can find in it. The only entertainment value I found with this film was seeing how naive the characters were and how badly done the dinosaurs were. Oddly enough, it is bad enough to make it worth watching. It's good for laughs and to see what was around in the 50s. I wouldn't count on much more.
Scream Bloody Murder
(1973)
Simple, early B movie slasher film.
5 April 2005
What surprised me the most about this movie was how gory it was. For 1973 this is a very bloody movie. The plot is simple. The main character is crazy and for reasons in his own deranged mind goes around killing people. It's a B movie, lots of mistakes and plenty of unanswered questions but you have to expect that from a B slasher movie. It's very simple and easy to follow, no in depth characters. There are some pretty disturbing scenes and I do not recommend the squeamish, children, or those prone to nightmares to view this film. If you're a fan of blood and guts B movies here's an early one that you should see. For the mainstream movie viewer, I would advise passing on this one.
Tell Your Friends