Bad But Good Movies

Director: Roy Del Ruth
Certification: -
Reviewed: 12/05/08

There is something funny going on down in swampland. Joyce Webster's husband goes walkabout after receiving a mysterious letter. The poor woman frantically tries everything to track her wayward husband down, finally to discover a murky path through the Louisiana swamp country to the Cypresses plantation house. A doctor has been experimenting on human subjects with an alligator hormone treatment used to replace limbs and cure serious injuries. This is when the fun starts, naturally the treatment fails leading the recipient to change into an alligator person.

Director: Kevin Connor
Certification: PG
Reviewed: 04/01/07

The ever likeable Peter Cushing and Doug McClure take an Edwardian trip on the wild side when they pilot an iron mole machine that drills into a soft centre. David Innes (McClure) and Dr. Abner Perry (Cushing) really have their work cut out when they discover more than they bargained for during an expedition to the earth's core. Their machine loses direction leading the happy couple to a land of an assortment of creatures and primitive peoples. As David and Abner explore the subterranean world they are attacked by a giant birdlike-dinosaurlike-creature, but luckily are saved by a band of apelike-pig-men called Sagaths, only to be enslaved by them and taken to a city ruled by The Majar. The Majar are intelligent pteranodonlike creatures that have mesmeric and telepathic powers and have been enslaving humans that also dwell down in the depths. Are you getting all this? Because I think I've lost my way.

Anyway this is fun for all the family and well worth looking out for, as the trailer commentary says "thrilling suspense at the very edge of disaster", very true, very true indeedy.

Dr. Abner Perry: "You cannot mesmerise me! I'm British!"

Directors: Tom Boutross & Robert Clarke
Certification: PG
Reviewed: 06/05/06

Dr. Gilbert McKenna, an atomic research scientist, is working on some newly developed radioactive isotopes in the lab when he accidentally gets exposed to radiation and is found unconscious. He seems fine at first after his mishap but later discovers that whenever he is exposed to the rays of the sun he turns into a human lizard, or rather a man in a lizard costume.

This is great fun, you really have got to feel sorry for the poor old chap as he bemoans his predicament, that's if you can stifle your laughs. The overly serious dialogue is the main reason the movie is so funny, along with a 'scary' man in lizard costume and the bad overacting. This is a good low-budget b-movie classic.

Director: Ray Kellogg
Certification: PG
Reviewed: 06/08/06

Two guys sail to a remote island to drop off supplies for a scientific team. There is a hurricane brewing so the two sailors expect to have to stay on the island for one or two days but are not expecting to have to defend themselves from mutant killer shrews. Who would?

The main thing that makes this movie fun is the fact that the so called killer shrews are dogs dressed up in unkempt dog sized wigs and false teeth. They also don't come across as too aggressive and you half expect one of them rather than attack their prey to give it a lick and wait for a pat on the head. It's a bit of a shame that this movie didn't have much in the way of nonsense dialogue but all the same it's a pretty good hoot.

Ann Craigis: "But I'd rather be dull and alive than..." Thorne Sherman: "I'll take a dull, alive woman every time."

Directors: William Girdler
Certification: 18
Reviewed: 13/02/08

If you find an unusual bump on your neck, I'm quite sure the last thing on your mind would be that this is the foetus of an ancient Native American Indian. Karen Tandy has this predicament though - the bump on her neck is fast turning into a malignant midget! The spiteful little fella soon hatches out to cause all sorts of mischief, as you'd expect him to. Who you gonna call? An Indian medicine man that's who. Stands to reason. Brilliantly ridiculous.

Stars: Tony Curtis, Michael Ansara & Susan Strasberg

Director: William F. Claxton
Certification: X (Original Rating)
Reviewed: 28/04/06

A plague of rabbits is becoming a problem so a scientist is asked to help eradicate them. Whilst the scientist is busily conducting his experiments his young daughter takes it into her head to save a mutant rabbit which later escapes into the wild. Very shortly afterward there are numerous giant killer rabbits holed up in a mine. The owner of the mine is attacked and killed by the rabbits which then continue to go on a rampage of slaughter.

Not for one minute was this scary because watching a bunch of ordinary domesticated bunnies run around on miniature sets just doesn't work, other than to make you laugh. When the action is up close it is obvious the homicidal bunny is actually a man in a furry costume. How could anyone really think that a bunch of giant domesticated rabbits would be frightening? It wasn't but the end result is fun to watch.

Stars: DeForest Kelley, Stuart Whitman, Janet Leigh and Rory Calhoun

Officer Lopez: "Attention, attention, ladies and gentlemen, attention. There is a herd of killer rabbits headed this way and we desperately need your help."

Director: Edward D. Wood Jr.
Certification: PG
Reviewed: 06/05/06

Aliens try to contact earth to warn us that we will discover the 'solarmanite' one day and we must be stopped either be it in a friendly manner or unfriendly ways. The governments of the world are refusing to acknowledge the aliens existence and so Plan 9 is put into action. This plan is to resurrect the dead and to use these zombies against the living.

A truly shocking movie directed by the infamous Ed Wood. It is shocking because the acting is wooden, the sets are poor, the script is scrappy and the dialogue hilarious. Almost everything is amazingly poor but this is its charm which has gained it notoriety amongst fans of this genre.

Paula Trent: "Now, don't you worry. The saucers are up there. The graveyard is out there. But I'll be locked up safely in there."

Director: Phil Tucker
Certification: -
Reviewed: 15/07/06

An alien Ro-Man has been sent to Earth to destroy all human life. Ro-Man has done well, only eight humans have managed to evade destruction after being injected with a cure-all serum that an archaeologist professor developed.

Ro-Man is actually just a guy in a gorilla costume wearing something like an old style diver's helmet with aerials sticking out the top. The plot is ridiculous and wanders around the place not knowing what to do. The movie is full of material for the bad movie connoisseur to enjoy; ludicrous acting, terrible special effects, and a plot that a five year old could write, also expect to see 'dinosaurs' fighting for no apparent reason. It's hilarious how bad this really is, I'm laughing just thinking about it.

Ro-Man: "I cannot - yet I must. How do you calculate that? At what point on the graph do must and cannot meet? Yet I must - but I cannot!"

Director: Jack Arnold
Certification: PG
Reviewed: 22/11/07

Working on a growth nutrient isotope thingy to solve world hunger and so that everyone can have a leg for their Sunday lunch, Prof. Gerald Deemer has the neat idea of using the potion on a rabbit, a guinea pig and yes a tarantula. Like many good b-movies, the nasty ugly one gets out and then grows to gigantic proportions wreaking havoc, stripping them clean like peeling a banana! Come on Clint save the day...

Dr. Matt Hastings: "That's an isotope isn't it?"

Well spotted! A seemingly innocuous liquid in a bottle must be an isotope.

Director: Quentin Lawrence
Certification: PG
Reviewed: 16/05/08
Also Known As: Creature from Another World, The Crawling Eye (USA)

People are losing their heads over climbing the Trollenberg Mountain in Switzerland. The reason for the mountaineers random decapitation are unclear, but is suspected that a strange radioactive cloud could have something to do with the mishaps. Professor Crevett who works at an observatory on a nearby mountain and his friend, Alan Brooks from the United Nations, both try to get to the bottom of the mystery. An undercover reporter and a pair of psychic sisters also join in to help with the investigation.