Claws & Saucers

  • SCI-FI SERIALS: RETRO CLASSICS

    SCI-FI SERIALS: RETRO CLASSICS If you really want to appreciate classic sci-fi films, you can’t just watch the feature films; you need to watch the serials.  The episodic rhythm of a sci-fi serial is a little like that of a TV show or a comic book, but there’s something larger and more urgent about it,…

  • “Edward Scissorhands” (1990) Review

    EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (Tim Burton, 105 min, color, 1990) What’s Happening: An invented man is fated to have scissors for hands Famous For: Last feature film appearance for Vincent Price Writer-producer-director Burton’s first film, the six-minute “Vincent” (1982) had featured Vincent Price’s voice.  Now, after the success of Pee-wee, Batman, and Beetlejuice, the great Burton got…

  • “SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT” 1-3 Review

    Here’s a combo review of the first three (1980s) SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT Christmas horrors… SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT (Charles E. Sellier Jr., 85 min uncut, color, 1984) What’s Happening: Traumatized on Christmas Eve, boy grows into Killer Santa Famous For: Most famous Killer Santa in horror film history I won’t argue that creating this…

  • Black & White & Shiny All Over: Robots in Classic SF Films

    BLACK & WHITE & SHINY ALL OVER: ROBOTS IN CLASSIC SF FILMS Robots (or “iron men” or “mechanical men”) occupy one of the most important positions in science fiction film history.  Some great classic robots appeared in color, like Robby from Forbidden Planet, 1956, or Gog and Magog from Gog, 1954.  But since most robots…

  • “Werewolf of Woodstock” (1975) Review

    “WEREWOLF OF WOODSTOCK” (1975) Review THE WEREWOLF OF WOODSTOCK (John Moffitt, 66 min, color, 1975) What’s Happening: Old werewolf attacks young hippies in Woodstock, NY Famous For: Obscure TV werewolf movie Six years after the Woodstock festival, Dick Clark’s TV production company concocted this guileless and half-decent combination of werewolf movie and hippie movie. Perhaps…