Author Archive: Retro

A naive young girl is forcefully kidnapped while babysitting the son of a wealthy food mogul; she and the boy are held hostage by an ex-stuntman and a vengeful movie star.

The hippie underground newspaper is in financial trouble and might be bought by a big time publisher. The in-fighting, bickering, jealousies and bed hopping by the young, idealistic staff make up the main, simple plot of the film but the cast and the sharp script make it a pleasure to watch. The film is CHOCK FULL of some of the best, young American actors doing some of their earliest film work: Jeff Goldblum is hystercial as the constantly stoned music critic who is always dead broke, Bruno Kirby (pre-Godfather II, When Harry Met Sally) is almost unrecognizable, pre- L.A. Law Jill Eikenberry, Lindsay Crouse, Joe Morton (Terminator II, Lone Star, City of Hope), a very young pre-TAXI Marilu Henner as a stripper and TV’s 7th Heaven, Stephen Collins who plays a real jerk in the film

The two-part TV movie Hitler’s SS: Portrait in Evil crystallizes that evil by concentrating on two Berlin brothers. In 1931, Helmut Hoffman (Bill Nighy) a brilliant student and self-styled opportunist, joins Hitler’s SS. At the same time, his younger brother Karl (John Shea), a top athlete and idealist, becomes a chauffeur for the “S.A.” (storm troopers). When the SS topples the SA from power, Karl ends up in Dachau. He is rescued through his brother’s influence–if you can describe sending Karl to fight on the Russian Front a “rescue.” As he watches the Third Reich deteriorate, Helmut at long last suffers pangs of conscience. As if the story of the rise of Nazism needed any further melodrama, Hitler’s SS shoehorns in a romantic triangle involving Karl, Helmut, and beautiful nightclub-singer Lucy Gutteridge. The all-star supporting cast of Hitler’s SS includes Carroll Baker as the Hoffman brothers’ anguished mother; Tony Randall as an androgynous entertainer named Putzi (shades of Cabaret’s Joel Grey); and David Warner, repeating his Holocaust role as SS head [...]

Horror anthology containing three episodes, “The Drop of Water”, “The Telephone” and “The Wurdalak”. All are introduced by Karloff, who stars in the last segment–his only appearance as a vampire. Written by Mario Bava. English dubbed. Dir. Mario Bava

Donna and Joel Gregory are researching a book about long dead Hollywood goddess Lorna Love. They are staying at Lorna’s estate while interviewing old “friends” of Lorna. Joel, whose father had a passionate affair with Lorna, becomes obsessed with Lorna. Donna must try to break the spell that has her marriage in trouble and their very lives in jeopardy.

A hit man played by Chow Yun Fat is unorthodox and gruesome in this crime.

An L.A. cop and a reporter team up to find a masked serial killer.