ZGRADE

To be honest, I hadn't really spent much time following AL GORE's career path since he lost the election to the big W. I guess in some way I always distrusted him, but ironically it was because of Tipper... and her short-lived music censorship plans of the 90s. I can also vaguely recall the big hullabaloo the media made over Al's new "mysterious beard" look a while back. But then again, I hold the media in the same high regard as I do the latest administration.

But then I caught the latest WIRED Magazine issue where there is a neat article about his upcoming film release... and an insightful interview with the ex-vice president himself, along with the new environmental order being directed by consumers. My interest was piqued.

1972 {aka: LOS AMIGOS}
This was a later Spaghetti Western gem I had not had the pleasure of seeing yet, so it was with much surprise to discover a scheduled showing of DEAF SMITH AND JOHNNY EARS on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) the other night. What a great oddball gem for the genre, with FRANCO NERO hamming it up completely, with ANTHONY QUINN (as the deaf one) playing the straight man. But my main goal in wanting to see this particular film, was to see the lovely PAMELA TIFFIN. I had no idea that she had some brief nude scenes in this, as seen from a distance by both the viewer and Nero's character Johnny Ears. Not sure if she used body doubles or not, but I guess it could have easily been done with a shot like this. Of course, I wasn't even sure this was her at first, regardless, because her trademark brunette hair had been dyed a brash platinum blonde. Later on, a love-making scene, that may or may not have been edited by TCM, nearly reveals a topless Pamela up close, so who knows? At times throughout the film, she is wearing what appears to be a near transparent full-length nightie that reveals peeks now and then. Maybe this was Pamela cutting loose a bit, after her earlier "good girl next door" roles. All in all, quite enjoyable and recommended viewing.

1973 {aka: FIVE MINUTES TO FREEDOM}
This is some piece of work. This rare slice of schlock cow-pie is best left for the heartiest of ROSS HAGEN fans... and most cult film fans barely know who he is anyway. The setting is modern times, but concerns a gang of washed-up crooks that get busted while attempting a bank robbery dressed as nuns. After getting locked-up and put on a chain-gang, they eventually plot an escape, get sprung by some of their other buddies, and prepare for their next big score. The hapless crew pulls off their next heist successfully, and they head out into the desert on dirt bikes... runnin' from the law. They wind up in Mexico at a whorehouse and play with the naughty wimmin (hmmm...sound familiar yet?), and then eventually are holed up and surrounded by the cops in a beat-up shack. Cue the slo-mo SAM PECKINPAH cinematography and audio... as all the miscreants bite the dust one at a time, all the while joking and singing a drunken bar tune.

1958 {aka: SHIRO HEBI KOMACHI / WHITE SNAKE WOMAN}
This DAIEI film is a stunning period atmospheric ghost (yokai) story. It's initially a story of love denied. While transporting a bride-to-be in a closed carriage (kago) while during a thunderstorm, a group of servants and onlookers suddenly come upon an apparition of a ghostly white-draped female figure floating down to the ground. As she turns to face the crowd, the woman reveals the disfigured right side of her face. As the procession stands in utter horror, the ghost then takes flight again and down a side street. After the shock wears off, the bride is checked on and everyone is safe in the group. Once the wedding party finally arrives at the groom's home, they apologize for the delay... and proceed to open the kago, only to realize that the bride-to-be is now missing... and all that's left in the carriage is a single white snake slithering about.

Cue the title sequence and eerie theremin music score. The future father-in-law then reveals a bit of his past privately to his son, about the fact that he is cursed by a woman named Omiyo (RUMIKO KOMACHI), a servant that worked for his family years ago. Basically, the curse is that he will no longer be able to marry, and either will his sons. The father reveals to his son that he and Omiyo were in love, but he was forbidden by his family to marry her. Then a mysteriously strange accidental(?) fire occurs, and horribly scars the woman's face. Although not made perfectly clear in the film, she commits suicide over being distraught about her disfigured face and her forbidden relationship.

1976 {aka: THE HOUSE BY THE LAKE}
This is a lesser-known entry into the backwoods brutality genre of films started by the classic BRENDA VACCARO) accompanies her playboy swinger dentist friend Harry (CHUCK SHAMATA) to his country house to join several others for a weekend-long party. On the way, he allows her to take the wheel of his souped-up Corvette sports car and she engages a gang of hillbilly hoodlums in a dangerous road chase, which ends with the four miscreants crashing their hot rod Camaro off the road and into a creek bed, and the Vette speeding away.

1970
{aka: THE SHADOW WITHIN}
This is an interesting subversive psychological film from the MATSUMOTO SEICHO SERIES of VHS releases in Japan. MATSUMOTO SEICHO is a very famous and gifted writer from Japan, and this series of VHS tapes utilize the best films based on his novels and screenplays. This particular movie starts out like an adultery-themed melodrama, but as the story unfolds, it becomes a strange and twisted tale of deception. In the beginning we meet middle-aged Japanese salaryman Hamajima (GO KATO) who is not very satisfied with his life and marriage at the moment.

1969 {aka: YOTSUYA KAIDAN: OIWA NO BOREI}
This rare DAIEI horror gem utilizes the legendary Yotsuya Kaidan storyline. This version is by director KAZUO MORI (aka: ISSEI MORI) who is best known for the excellent ZATOICHI series of films. The complicated storyline takes place around 1786 and concerns the life of a masterless samurai, Iemon (KEI SATO) who is unhappy in marriage with his ill wife Oiwa (KAZUKO INENO) and hates working for a living doing assembly piecework for umbrellas. After he hires thugs to be part of an elaborate scheme to attack the young and rich Oume (CHIKAKO MASAGO), Iemon battles them off (all planned of course) so that he appears to be a superior swordsman. In gratitude, Oume (and her caretaker) are grateful... and Iemon concocts a plan for an arranged and profitable marriage to this rich young lady so that he can live the life he desires. Later, Iemon receives a gift of "medicine" from the caretaker to give to his sick wife Oiwa. A few days later, the caretaker drops by to visit, and informs Iemon that the "medicine" is poison and is for the purpose of killing Oiwa.

Here is a selection of the latest batch of rare factory original Japanese VHS Z-Grade collectibles currently on auction this week on e-Bay. On tap this week is some rare J-horror (The rarest JIGOKU film version from '79) to a Pink exploitation gem (MOMOJIRI MUSUME: LOVE ATTACK - part of the PEACH BUTT GIRL film franchise by NIKKATSU) along with some assorted horror (GHOULIES and NIGHTLIFE), schlock comedy (BABY LOVE aka: LEMON POPSICLE 5), and sci-fi (the stupendously stupid SPACE MUTINY starring the late JOHN PHILLIP LAW). Z-Grade pick of the week has to be the extremely rare WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND (1961) starring a young HAYLEY MILLS (fresh off her starring role in THE PARENT TRAP) in glorious black & white and presented in widescreen. A twisted strange religious-themed UK drama, based on a novel written by Hayley's mother... MARY HAYLEY BELL. Check out the widget posted here and get all the info on this week's latest batch of gems. And remember... NO BOOTLEGS EVER with Z-Grade.

URL: American Cinematheque
PLACE: Egyptian Theatre & Aero Theatre

Happy Halloween! Dusk to Dawn Horrorthon at American Cinematheque!
American Cinematheque hosts all night horror movie night for Halloween every year, so we went there again this year :D