Claws & Saucers

  • 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…

  • “Howling” Through the 80s

    “HOWLING” THROUGH THE 80s Have you read my rundown of “1980s Werewolf Movies” in Scary Monsters #131 (Summer 2023)?  Werewolf movies, like their close companions Jekyll/Hyde movies, tend to be a high quality bunch. Here, I post my review of the original The Howling, excerpted from the Claws & Saucers guidebook.  Below it, I add…

  • Big Bug Movies of the 1950s

    BIG BUG MOVIES OF THE 1950s One of the most enjoyable subgenres of 1950s science fiction film is the “Big Bug” subgenre, also known as the “Insect Fear” or “Giant Insect” subgenre. Compared with giant monster movies – Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Godzilla, It Came from Beneath the Sea, etc. – Big Bug movies offered…

  • “Peggy Sue Got Married” (1986) Review

    PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED (Francis Ford Coppola, 103 min, color, 1986) What’s Happening:  Middle-aged heroine awakens as her 18-year-old self Famous For: Coppola’s most sensitive film It’s also his most nostalgic film, taking the heroine back to 1960 when Coppola and his generation would be in high school or college.  The cars, clothes, music, furnishings,…