With March almost here, I wanted to let you folks know about a few changes here at The Lair. With the work that goes into the pod cast and with my desire to bring you folks high quality reviews, I have to revamp my schedule a bit. So here’s what you can expect now.

Mondays will be the same as always, Italian film of all shapes and sizes when I take a look at what happened Once Upon a Time in Italy. I’m trying to get away from covering so many gialli, but there’s so many I haven’t seen that I feel sure there will still be quite a few. Still look forward to some comedies, dramas, and action films coming your way soon.

Tuesdays will be the day to come by the Lair or fire up iTunes and catch the latest episode of Sinful Cinema with me and my co-host Rev. Phantom. We’ve got lots of great stuff planned for this month so no matter if you like Australian exploitation action comedies, Nazi zombies, Larry Cohen, or Sergio Martino, then you’ll find something to check out on this month’s shows. Thanks everyone who’s been listening, and we’d love to hear from you all. Drop us a line at sinfulcinema@charter.net.

Wednesdays will bring back one of my most popular segments. After taking a couple of months off, it's time for Hitch on the Hump to make its return. I’ve still got more than twenty titles to get though before I’ve exhausted the Master of Suspense’s catalog, and I can’t wait to get into them. Look out for my first installment when Hitch’s only R rated film, Frenzy, gets the Hump treatment. Hmm, that sounds wrong. Oh, well.

Don’t worry your head though, I still have room for the Ladies, and Thursdays I will continue to bring you great films starring the Beautiful Ladies of Genre. There are so many films and so many great actresses to cover (or uncover as the case may be). This month look out from films from foxy ladies like Ursula Andress and Claudia Jennings as well as another installment of Fran Goria and Ms. Directed’s Ladies Night. (Speaking of Fran, she took a month off herself, but she’ll be coming back this month with another installment of For the Love of Price. I for one can’t wait to see which of Vinnie P’s gems she’s got lined up.)

By now you’re probably wondering where the horror went, and I don’t blame you. I’d be wondering the same thing. It seems like forever that Terrifying Tuesdays has been a mainstay of the Lair, but now they are no more. Don’t fret though because horror has a new home on Fridays, Frightening Fridays to be exact, and I’ve got some great films lined up. So get ready to call on Cthulu, eat a dose of The Stuff, and Link your Blood with Michael Moriarty.

As for Saturdays, well, that’s going to be this Bugg’s day off. So you’ll have to wait for Sundays to check out my monthly feature, and this month one of my favorites is back. That’s right, it’s time for the second annual celebration of William Shatner and his many films when You Don’t Know Shat! makes its triumphant return. I’ve got four great films lined up, and it all begins with my first selection, White Comanche a.k.a Rio Hondo where Shatner plays a cowboy and his “ruthless Indian half brother”. If you thought evil Kirk in the Mirror, Mirror episode was funny, then just wait until you see Shatner go mano e mano with himself in this one.

So there you go the new schedule at the Lair. There are sure to be a few surprises along the way, and would you expect anything more from the ever lovin’ blue eyed Bugg? I think not. So come on back tomorrow for a taste of Italy, and I hope to see you all hanging around the Lair this month.

There are many things I’m afraid of. To begin the list you could start with snakes or spiders, but coming in at a close third you could put bees. I have no idea why I’m so scared of bees, but if I see one at a distance, I’ll immediately start planning on how to get away from it. My wife always tells me to keep still and they’ll ignore me, but to hell with that, I’m going to be out of there like The Roadrunner leaving only a smoky outline of myself. So the idea behind tonight’s film, The Swarm, is terrifying to me. An invasion of killer bees would rank up there with my worst nightmares, and some people warned me that the film itself might be pretty nightmarish. Still, I decided I should face my fear and the film that so many people had warned me about.

The Swarm was directed by the disaster movie impresario Irwin Allen who produced and co-directed the films The Towering Inferno (1974) and The Poseidon Adventure (1972). (His credit on IMDB for Inferno and Poseidon lists him as directing the action scenes, and, presumably, the other director handled the drama.)After the success of those two films, Allen was ready to have the canvas director’s chair all to himself, and so he chose to direct The Swarm without a partner. Like his other disaster epics, he assembled a deep cast of actors, Michael Caine, Richard Widmark, Richard Chamberlain, Olivia de Havilland, and Henry Fonda just to name a few. He even secured powerhouse composer Jerry Goldsmith and veteran cinematographer Fred J. Koenekamp for the film. Everything seemed set for a repeat of his previous efforts, but little did Allen know that if you mess with The Swarm, you’re bound to get stung.

The film starts in the aftermath of a disaster at an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Silo where nearly everyone has been killed. When General Slater (Richard Widmark) and his men arrive at the silo, they find few survivors, but they also find entomologist Brad Crane (Michael Caine) lurking about. Much to the General’s chagrin, the culprit for the deaths seem to be a swarm of killer African bees, and the President personally puts Crane in charge of defeating the menace before they overrun the sleepy Texas town of Maryville. Crane calls in his scientist pals Dr. Hubbard (Chamberlain) and Dr. Krim (Fonda) to help him find a way to defeat the bees, but their efforts seem fruitless and the bees nearly level the small town before making their way to Houston.

That synopsis doesn’t even begin to cover the plot threads running though this film. I didn’t even get a chance to bring up Katherine Ross as Helena, Brad Crane’s love interest, or the elderly love triangle between Fred MacMurray, Ben Johnson, and Olivia de Havilland. The latter of these two storylines was the most forced, and the conclusion of that thread is spectacularly unsatisfying for how much time was spent on it. Now when I started watching the film (via Netflix instant view), I had the IMDB up as usual and saw it had a nearly two hour running time. After an hour and half, I started wondering how they were going to wrap this up and I checked where I was in the picture only to find I had another hour to go. The version I was lucky enough to see was the extended cut of The Swarm that runs nearly a half hour longer. Why or how this version happened (I assume it can’t be a director’s cut as Allen wouldn’t even talk about this film after it flopped), but I can assure you that you have no reason to track it down.

While I enjoyed a few of the performances, for the most part this movie is full of painful acting and more painful dialog. Michael Caine is saddled with lines like, ‘The bees have always been our friends.”, and by the second half of the film Richard Widmark’s General drops gems like “Will history blame me or the bees?”. It should also be noted that Widmark’s General spends the second half of the film dropping part of his foe’s name. While he starts off wanting to fight the “African killer bees“, by the end of the film he’s down to simply “the Africans”. The script was written by Stirling Silliphant (based on a book by Arthur Herzog Jr.) who is usually fairly dependable. Not only did he write Allen’s previous disaster epics, he also penned classics like Village of the Damned, In the Heat of the Night, and Circle of Iron. Again, it’s a mystery as to how such a stalwart writer penned such a travesty, but I suppose when you’re writing disaster one’s bound to happen to you eventually.

While overall the film was way to long, way to boring, and way too meandering, there was something about it I rather liked. It had this unintentional silliness that made it nearly come off as a parody of the ‘70’s disaster trend. It was also cool to see all those famous faces share the screen. I mean when the fate of the world is in the hands of Allen Quartermain, Jack Carter, and Abraham Lincoln you have to feel pretty safe. Also, for me at least, it contained some horrifying footage of bee attacks. I don’t care of they looked a little cheesy; they were harrowing to watch. I do have to say that the giant bee hallucinations that some people had after being stung were less cringe inducing and more laugh producing. Overall, The Swarm is not a movie I can’t with a clear conscience encourage people to watch, but I kind of had a good time watching it. Although I might have had a better time if it had been the regular version and not super sized. So if bees bug you or if you’re a big fan of any of the famous names involved, then check it out. Otherwise, I think you can buzz right by this one.

Miss Directed and I were originally going to review a completely different movie this month, but in honor of Women in Horror month, we decided on a film that showcased one of our beloved scream queens, the lovely and talented Miss Brinke Stevens. So, without further ado, Ladies Night presents.....

Teenage Exorcist (1991) Directed by Grant Austin Waldman. Written by Fred Olen Ray (story), Brinke Stevens (screenplay). Starring: Brinke Stevens, Eddie Deezan, Jay Richardson, Elena Sahagun, and Robert Quarry.

Diane (Stevens) is a meek and mousy graduate student who just moved into an old mansion. It seemed like a dream come true until odd things started happening. Diane calls her sister, Sally (Sahagun), and brother-in-law, Mike (Richardson), to stop by and keep her company. When the two arrive, they find Diane has gone from meek to sexpot. They soon realize that Diane has been possessed by the evil spirit of the house. With the help of would- be suitor, Jeff, and Priest, Father McFerrin (Quarry), they try to exorcise the spirit. When the situation becomes more dire, an unsuspecting pizza boy (Deezan) arrives, and all hell breaks loose.

I love a film with its own theme song, and Teenage Excorcist has just that! The movie captured my attention right off the bat, with this rockin’, eighties style opening theme. Things just got better from there. From the subtle sight gags, to the slap-stick comedy, to the slightly absurd story line, and to the fine acting, this movie pleased me from beginning to end. The film is essentially a comedy with horror overtones. All elements worked together to create a piece of cinema that is just plain fun.

Miss Stevens has been a scream queen ever since she appeared as Linda in 1982’s Slumber Party Massacre. She refers to it as the movie that launched a thousand screams. She is the total package scream queen with both talent and looks. But she is more than just a pretty face, Brinke has a Master’s Degree in marine biology, she majored in both biology and psychology, and she studied 7 foreign languages. In tonight’s feature, Brinke Stevens stars as Diane, the grad student who becomes possessed. Miss Stevens does a fantastic job as the meek, boring, probably still a virgin, grad student. Then, after the possession, she plays a seductress/ dominatrix, and she great in that role too, and she delivers the comedy well. She does all this while rewriting the script, and looking fantastic in a black leather bikini. Brinke Stevens is a wonderful actress who is truly worthy of the title scream queen.

The rest of the cast was talented as well. Especially Jay Richardson, he really stood out for me. As soon as he said “I have a feeling this isn’t the last gag we’ll see tonight.” I knew it was the truth. Richardson delivered the one-liners and slapstick with perfect comedic timing. Then there was Robert Quarry. His Father McFerrin was a joy. I honestly could not picture anybody else performing card tricks for zombies, but Quarry really owned it. Many may remember him as Count Yorga, but I remember him most from his roles in the Vincent Price films Madhouse (1974) and Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972). There is also a tasty appearance by Michael Berryman from Weird Science (1985) and The Hills Have Eyes (1977).

The one liners and funny storyline were not the only comedic elements of the film. There were also some sight gags I fell in love with. First, the “rats” on the stairs were great. Each character reacted to, and referred to them as rats, but they were obviously a pair of ferrets, and just to drive it home, there was a close up of a cute little ferret face. This made me giggle. Then there was the bird cage with a stuffed penguin hanging in the demon’s lair. This also made me giggle. The whole film has hidden elements to deliver the funny. I highly recommend this movie. It is an all around good time. Teenage Exorcist really delivered it all. I had a great time watching it, and I am sure it will be just as great the second time around.

Brinke Rating

Freddie Francis was one of the more prolific directors of horror schlock beginning with his 1962 film The Brain and ending with a 1996 episode of Tales from the Crypt entitled “Last Respects”. Along the way Francis made plenty of notable low budget films such as 1965’s The Skull with Peter Cushing, 1970’s Trog with Joan Crawford, and 1985’s Burke and Hare inspired film The Doctor and the Devils. How in the world I’ve gotten this far and never brought up Mr. Francis on the Lair is beyond me. So you can believe that this may be the first time he’s mentioned here, but it won’t be the last. For that first film, I checked out the campy 1974 film Craze starring Jack Palance.

Palance stars as antique dealer Neal Mottram who, in his off time, serves as a high priest of a cult that worships a statue of the African God Chuku. The deity is supposed to bring wealth and good fortune, but Mottram’s antique business is struggling. That is until an exiled cult member struggles with Mottram and gets impaled on the statue. (And that is why your idols should not have sharp edges.)The next day he finds gold in a desk he’s about to sell and becomes convinced that more sacrifices will bring him more wealth. So he starts killing off ladies and his fortunes continue to improve, but when his nervous clerk Ronnie (Martin Potter) finds out what he’s up to, it may prove to be his undoing.

Let me start off to say that the transfer of Craze contained on a four pack of films entitled “Slasher Cinema” is not the crispest looking film I’ve ever seen. The sound and video are both pretty shoddy, and it appears to be a low quality transfer from an already soft looking VHS copy. Even so, I found this film to be fairly entertaining. On IMDB, Craze is listed as a horror/comedy, and while there were comedic elements, I’m not so convinced that they were purposely inserted into the film. Most of them involve Palance going way, waaaaaay over the top, and if there’s one thing I love it’s when Jack starts chewing the scenery.

Palance goes all out in this one, and the caterpillar looking mustache that adorns his face really doesn’t help if you try and take him seriously. As far as being a “slasher”, Palance’s Mottram needs some help. His first murder is accidental, the second sloppy, and the third results in a massive amount of overkill (unless you have to put a stake into the heart of old ladies whom you’ve already scared to death). At least by his last victim, a hooker/dominatrix/masseuse played by Sally Kendall (Torso, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage) he finally chooses someone who’s at lest not connected directly to him. The character is absurd, but I suppose his actions make sense in a way. After all what does a failed antique dealer know about murder? Of course the better question is how does the same antique dealer end up worshiping an African God? Naturally there’s no explanation for this at all.

I was a bit surprised to find out that Henry Seymour, the novelist who wrote the book the script was based on, bothered to actually pick an actual African god. I couldn’t find anywhere that mentioned material wealth in exchange for blood sacrifices, but rather I found that Chuku was a creator deity of the Ibo people of Nigeria. I found one interesting myth about the God, and I thought it was worth sharing with you folks. “Once he sent a dog messenger to men, advising them that, should anyone die, they should be laid on the ground and strewn with ashes, after which they would return to life. The dog, however, was tired and so delayed, so Chuku sent a sheep with the same message. It too got delayed, stopping to eat on the way, and on arriving had forgotten the wording of the message it had brought. Guessing, the sheep told men that they should bury a corpse in the earth. When the dog arrived later with the correct message, it was not believed, and so death was established on the Earth.” You just can’t trust sheep to get things right can you?

Back to the film itself, it’s a little hard to judge what the film looked like from the transfer I watched, but it seemed to be put together at least competently. Apart from Palance the other characters are pretty non-descript, and this especially goes for the stock policemen. The only other character that caught my eye at all was Dolly Newman played by Diana Dors. Ms. Dors was quite fetching and seemed a bit like a cross between a Russ Meyer girl and a R. Crumb fantasy. Craze really needed a better foil for Palance, but Martin Potter was such a wet blanket as Ronnie that he never rises to the occasion. That’s really what Craze is missing, conflict. The plot looks great on paper, but the lack of a strong character to stand in opposition to Palance makes the film feel more like the adventures of a blundering serial killer than a horrific thriller.

Freddie Francis made some better films. I won’t say much better films, but better. Craze I can only really recommend if you, like me, are a big fan of the genre work that Jack Palance did in the ‘70’s. If not, then this is a film you’re probably just as well to skip. There’s definitely a nugget of a good idea, but it would take more than a few sacrifices to a God of good fortune to make this one come out on top. I’ll have to revisit Mr. Francis soon since this was hardly an auspicious start for him on The Lair. He might be a prolific genre film maker, but this is one film that is definitely not going to start a Craze.

There doesn't seem to be a trailer out there. So instead here's a musical selection from Jack taken from his country album PALANCE...um, enjoy?

So last week I took some for watching non-traditional giallo The House with Laughing Windows and coming away with less than a smile on my face. For this week I thought I would look at another giallo that doesn’t fit the typical mold. While La ragazza dal pigiama giallo (a.k.a The Pajama Girl Case or The Girl in the Yellow Pajamas) definitely doesn’t try to be your average giallo, but it maintains some elements including the amateur detective (sort of), stylish locales (well, Australia), and foreigners (in this case an Italian) living abroad. By taking elements from gialli and mixing them up with a clever twist, director Flavio Mogherini created a singular film that stands out from the legion of rote gialli.

When a woman’s body in yellow pajamas is found on an Australian beach, the police are baffled, but retired detective Inspector Thompson (Ray Milland) takes the opportunity to get back to solving crimes. Glenda Blythe (Dalila Di Lazzaro) is a promiscuous young woman with a trio of lovers, a distinguished college professor, a macho lunkhead, and a sweet waiter who worships her. She marries the waiter, but that doesn’t stop her from seeing her other lovers. As Thompson closes in on the killer, his story and Glenda’s draw ever closer. When they meet, the solution to the crime becomes all too clear.

In some ways Mogherini’s film is like an ancient episode of Law & Order, and if Milland’s Inspector was not retired, I would be tempted to call this one more of a poliziotteschi than a giallo. Another thing that might almost knock it from the giallo label is the absence of a pile of bodies as the film only boasts two murders. What was key to me deciding if I was going to call this one a gialli were the earmarks that were present. Other than the amateur detective, foreignness in a far off land, and cosmopolitan feeling of the film, there were plenty of red herrings, striking images, and lovely ladies to go around. The concept of the giallo stems directly from pulpy thriller novels, and Mogherini definitely captures that feeling.

Perhaps the thing I liked most was the performance of Ray Milland. I’ve always enjoyed Milland ever since I first saw him in Dial M for Murder, and even his performances in lackluster films like Frogs and X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes did nothing to dull my love for the actor. In the mid- to late ‘70’s, many forgotten American actors found work in foreign cinema, and Milland starred in films such as Cuibul salamandrelor (a.k.a The Billon Dollar Fire) and The Pajama Girl Case. Though Milland’s Inspector Thompson does have a few moments of unintentional (or maybe intentional, it’s hard to say) creepiness, he cultivates an endearing character that seems like one part Colombo and one part everyone’s Grandpa. The scene that best illustrates his character comes when the police decide to put the dead girl’s body in a glass case in hopes that someone will identify her. The solemn, disappointed, pained expression that Milland conveys when he visits the deceased young woman that has been turned into a curiosity perfectly conveys everything you need to know about the character.

There are several other performances that deserve to be noted. Dalila Di Lazzaro really captured my eye as I watched the film not only because of her good looks (and she’s got plenty), but also because of the raw vulnerable performance that she turns in. In the back half of the film, Di Lazzaro character really hits an emotional low that is both painful and revolting to watch. I wish I could go further into her scenes, but her most powerful moments all but giveaway the central conceit of the film. I do have one thing to say about her character Glenda. I don’t know what you have to do to make a lesbian pass at her and make sure she knows it, but it must be an astounding feat. Also turning in fine performances were Ramiro Oliveos as the misguided police inspector Ramsey, Michele Placido as Glenda’s doting husband, and Mel Ferrer as Glenda’s lover the dickish college professor.

Perhaps the strangest thing about this film is that, unlike most gialli, The Pajama Girl Case was based on a real murder in Australia. It seems that back in 1934, while walking his new prized bull toward his home in rural Albury, Australia, Tom Griffith spotted something strange. When he went over to take a look at it, it seemed to be a mangled and burned corpse. After the authorities were called in, they determined it to be a petite female, in her twenties, who had been shot in the throat, and bludgeoned. The only clue to her identity being the partial, oriental-style silk pajamas that survived the flames, identification of the victim proved difficult, and when a couple of missing persons leads didn’t pan out, the local authorities allowed the body of the now dubbed “Pyjama Girl” to be moved to Sydney, where it was embalmed, preserved, and put on public display for identification. I bring this up because it adds an extra layer to the film that, when I read about it, added to my appreciation of the film. (There's a pretty interesting Newsreeel about the case that can be seen here)

Getting back to the film, Mogherini really picked some great people to work with on this one. The soundtrack was written by Riz Ortolani with songs written by model, and one time girlfriend of Roxy Music’s Bryan Ferry, Amanda Lear. Ortolani provides great tense music throughout the film, but the real standouts were Ms. Lear’s two songs. At first when the title song, “Your Yellow Pajama” came on, I didn’t think much of its Leonard Cohen meets Roxy Music meets sad Blondie vibe. Yet when it came back around in the film, I really appreciated how much it actually fit the tone, and that goes equally, if not more, for the other track, “Look at Her Dancing”. The cinematography of the film, which boasts some great lighting and perfectly placed swooping shots, was handled by two men, Raul Artigot (Ghost Ships of the Blind Dead, The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein) and Carlo Carlini (Cry of a Prostitute, Seven Deaths in a Cat’s Eye). These two experienced men translate Glenda’s oppressive, murky world of sex and Thompson’s strange investigation to the screen perfectly.

The Pajama Girl Case might straddle the line of what might or might not be considered a giallo, but in my eyes, either way you call it this is an excellent film. Anyone who has seen the film will know that there is a major twist about 20 minutes from the end. It was subtly telegraphed, but so expertly executed that it didn’t bother me. Instead it made the film for me. I wish I could share with you folks more about why I thought I was so good, but there will be no spoilers here. Like any great mystery, it’s one that I will have to leave you intrigued enough to pursue yourself. When a director takes a standard form and puts his own stamp on it, it can go two ways. In the case of The Girl with the Yellow Pajamas, the film itself goes in two directions and both are equally as satisfying.

Bugg Rating

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been celebrating Women in Horror month, but all of Rev. Phantom’s great posts for Blaxploitation History Month made me want to get in on some of that action-- and by action, I’m talking’ TNT Jackson. 1974 was a banner year for blaxploitation films with the release of Willie Dynamite, Abby, Foxy Brown, and Truck Turner. Director Cirio Santiago knew he needed something special to make his movie stand out. With a script partially written by Corman regular Dick Miller and Jeanie Bell (one of Playboy's first black playmates) lined up to star, Santiago brought the world of black cinema and marital arts together..

As soon as TNT Jackson (Bell) arrives in Hong Kong investigate her brother’s death, she gets jumped by a group of thugs on the street, but TNT is a “One Mama Massacre Squad!” and dispatches them with little trouble. TNT makes her way to Joe’s Haven, the last address she had for her brother. The owner, Joe (Chiquito), agrees to ask around for her, and soon all the clues point to the local drug dealers. TNT makes it her business to take down white king pin Sid (Ken Metcalf), his bitch girl friend Elaine (Pat Anderson), and suave up and comer Charlie (Stan Shaw). No matter if it means sleeping with the enemy or throwing down with some topless kung fu fighting, TNT is going to blow their operation wide open.

One the whole, Jeanie Bell might be lacking in the acting department, but she sure makes up for it with a zest for topless kung fu. The martial arts on display here are not crane style or snake style, and instead the practitioners seem to subscribe to the Rudy Ray Moore style. (And this came out before Dolomite, that’s how strong his influence is.) In other words, expect much posturing and making of faces when you check out TNT Jackson. Fans of ‘70’s chop socky or blackploitation film will really enjoy the over the top entertainment and the large amount of time devoted to kung fu fighting in this film.

Filipino born director Cirio H. Santiago, who often acted as a co-producer with Roger Corman, is perhaps best known now because of films like Vampire Hookers (1978) and Nam Angels (1989). I can’t say that I’ve ever seen any other films from Santiago’s catalog, but if TNT Jackson is any indication, Cirio knew how to make some extremely entertaining crap. I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up for this film. I want it to be clear that the acting and direction are mediocre at best, and most copies of this film out there are terribly soft looking, rough transfers. It is in no way a film that should stack up against the Shaft’s and Superfly's of the genre, but it definitely stands head and shoulders above most of the second tier titles.

There are a few standout things to point out. Stan Shaw (who also appeared in Truck Turner) turns out a charismatic performance as hustler Charlie, and Filipino actor Chiquito was really fun to watch as comic relief/cavalry Joe. Ms. Bell herself deserved a bigger career following this film. She continued to take on bit parts in films for the next few years, but she was never offered another lead role and retired from acting only three years later. One of the best things about TNT Jackson is how readily available it is. It appears on several collections or, thanks to its public domain status, it can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. So celebrate Black History Month by checking out a forgotten blaxploitation gem that will really blow your mind.