B-MOVIE OF THE MONTH - WITHOUT WARNING (1980)

Greetings All - It would be cool to do a post one time called the ten most essential B-flicks, sort of a B-Movie 101 thing. If that ever happened I would have to include this sci-fi horror classic from Graydon Clark (Black Shampoo, Satan's Cheerleaders.) This one's a don't pass go and don't collect $200 folks, just see it, Or watch it again. I'm not even going to begin to explain the plot except you have these flying disc things that attach themselves to people, in this case campers on an outing and kill and feed on them. Eventually these discs are tied to an alien, a hungry alien. A forerunner to 1987's Predator sort to speak and with a flat-out goofy cast. Jack Palance and Martin Landau, say what? And looking drugged out I might add but the real surprise here is veteran character actor Larry Storch, from the '60's, a guy who knew 150 dialects and here he is in this as a boy scout leader lol. Also known as It Came Without Warning, this gem is streaming free now only on Plex. 2.75 stars/2.75

Friday, December 24, 2021

TOMMY'S FIVE FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIES #2 - ARE YOU READY FOR A SINGING, DANCING ALBERT FINNEY AS "SCROOGE" (1970) A MUSICAL FULL OF TREASURES IF YOU LOOK FOR THEM



























"Time is short and suddenly you're not there anymore." - Ghost Of Christmas Present

Whereas most adaptions of The Christmas Carol have stuck to the character's precise verbiage from the 1843 story (some sickeningly so,) 1970's Scrooge dared to go way outside the box. The central characters not only express themselves through lavish musical numbers but also dramatic sequences wonderfully written to keep some of the classic lines but also build upon them. The film is surprisingly chock full of  little philosophical nuggets on life perfectly woven in.

A British production, mostly shot at Shepperton by the same company that had produced 1968's successful Oliver, another Dickens novel. For the Scrooge posters they put the clever tagline "What the dicken's have they done to Scrooge?" they hoped to prepare audiences for their musical take on things. While to this day some movie fans just won't bite. it mostly worked thanks to the legendary thespian Albert Finney. His performance is truly masterful. 

While most agree the songs themselves are not that special, the dramatic sequences more than make up for that and in particular the three Ghosts are all handled brilliantly. As the old lady that visits him as Christmas Past breaks down his life, you won't help but be reminded of your own past mistakes and failures. This whole sequence is fantastical but oh so poignant. The mood changes nicely when Christmas Present comes along and parties with Scrooge before flying him over to Bob Crachett's house to peek in on the family. This is also the only adaption to feature a scene where Scrooge goes to hell, literally, before waking up. Since this is a G-rated film the sequence was considered too heavy in the early '80's and cut from early VHS and DVD releases. It has since been restored and is included in modern releases. 

Like it or lump it, or until someone makes a better version, I still consider 1970's Scrooge to be the most outside the box but still entertaining for all audiences version of the classic story. Highly recommend.  3.5 stars/5
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B-MOVIE GAZETTE RATING SYSTEM

5 Stars - Only awarded to the precious few.
4 Stars - Excellent, see by all means.
3 Stars - Very Good, you should like.
2 Stars - Fair, like a frozen dinner.
1 Star - Poor, like a spoiled dinner.

ALL B-MOVIES, DRIVE-IN MOVIES AND TV MOVIES HAVE A MAX AWARD OF 2.75 STARS.