Tag Archives: Lisa Marie Bowman

Retro Television Review: T and T 3.20 “Wild Willie and the Waves”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a new feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Fridays, I will be reviewing T. and T., a Canadian show which ran in syndication from 1987 to 1990.  The show can be found on Tubi!

This week, the second-to-last episode of T and T is all about the Czar of Canadian Surf Guitar!

Episode 3.20 “Wild Willie and the Waves”

(Dir by Don McCutcheon, originally aired on May 19th, 1990)

A fat bald man named Willie (Gordon Masten) walks into Decker’s gym and tells Turner that he needs helps getting into shape.  Turner looks at Willie and says, “That’s a lot to take off, brother.”  Willie explains that he’s planning on making a comeback.  “A come back from what?”  Turner growls.  Willy reveals that he’s actually Wild Willy, the Czar of Canadian surf guitar!

T.S. Turner has never heard of Wild Willy but Decker is a huge fan.  He’s even written a song called Surf Cincinnati, in tribute to his hero.  However, Decker points out that Wild Willy died years ago in a plane crash in Brazil.  Willy says that his manager convinced him to fake his own death as a way to push up record sales.  Willy says that he’s spent the past two years lost in the Brazilian jungle.  (So how did he get so fat?)  Decker believes him but Turner is skeptical.

But, after Wild Willy tries to break into his old house to see his wife Francine (Terri Hawkes) and confront his manager, Big Steve (Nigel Bennett), Turner starts to change his mind.  Big Steve claims that this Wild Willy is an imposter but, after Willy is nearly killed by a miswired electric guitar, Turner does some digging and discovers that Big Steve is about to sign a record deal to release all of Wild Willy’s previously unreleased material.  “Willy is worth more dead than alive!” Terri exclaims.

Fear not.  It all works out.  Big Steve is defeated by Turner, Willy, and the power of rock and roll.  Wild Willy doesn’t lose any weight but he still makes a comeback.  He also steals Decker’s song and turns it into a hit.  Decker is heart-broken but Terri says, “That’s rock and roll!”  Hey, Terri — you’re a lawyer.  Maybe you could help Decker file a lawsuit as opposed to just making fun of the poor guy?  I mean, it seems like a good idea to me but what do I know?

This episode felt very familiar.  People were always wandering into Decker’s Gym and claiming to be someone famous.  The main problem with this particular episode is that Wild Willy was such an annoying and over-the-top character that it was hard to really care about whether or not he made his comeback or not.  Add to that, why is Decker writing songs about Cincinnati when it’s totally obvious that T and T takes place in Canada?

Next week …. it’s the final episode of T and T!  How will the saga end?

Bonus Song of the Day: The Love Boat, performed by Jack Jones

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

 

It’s not a horror song but, considering the amount of hours that I’ve devoted to The Love Boat over the last two years, there was no way that I couldn’t take a moment to acknowledge Jack Jones, the singer who sang the show’s iconic theme song.  Jones passed away on Wednesday at the age of 86.  But his voice will live on.

Now, let’s set sail for adventure….

Horror Scenes That I Love: Swimming With The Creature From The Black Lagoon

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s horror scene that I love comes from one of my favorite films, 1953’s Creature From The Black Lagoon.  In this scene, Julia Adams goes for a swim.  Little does she realize that, under the water, the Creature is following her every move.  Wonderfully directed by Jack Arnold, this creepy yet oddly lovely scene is one of the best of the 50s.

(By the way, I’m happy to say that I will be viewing this wonderful movie on the big screen this weekend!  I can’t wait!)

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special Jack Arnold Edition

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!

Today, we honor the one and only Jack Arnold, who was responsible for some of the best sci-fi/horror films of the 1950s.

4 Shots From 4 Jack Arnold Films

It Came From Outer Space (1953, dir by Jack Arnold, DP: Clifford Stine)

The Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954, dir by Jack Arnold, DP: William E. Snyder)

Tarantula (1955, dir by Jack Arnold, DP: George Robinson)

The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957, dir by Jack Arnold, DP: Ellis W. Carter)

Horror Film Review: Tormented (dir by Bert I. Gordon)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

“Tom Stewart killed me!” shouts the spirit of Vi Mason (Juli Reding).

Technically, it’s debatable whether or not Tom Stewart (Richard Carlson) actually killed Vi.  As is seen during the opening moments of 1960’s Tormented, Vi actually slipped and was clinging onto the lighthouse’s balcony for dear life before she fell to her death on the rocks below.  Tom didn’t push her and he didn’t force her to fall.  However, Tom did refuse to pull her up.  After she fell, he ran into the ocean and thought he had dragged back to safety.  But then it turned out that he was just dragging around a bunch of seaweed.

To a certain extent, Tom is glad to be done with Vi.  Vi was his ex-girlfriend and she was determined to keep Tom from marrying the rich and innocent, Meg (Lugene Sanders).  Meg’s father (Harry Fleer) already hates Tom because he’s not only a pianist but he’s also a jazz pianist!  Still, Meg loves Tom and, in a somewhat disturbing way, Meg’s little sister, Sandy (Susan Gordon), seems to be kind of obsessed with Tom as well.  “Why can’t I get married!?” Sandy demands.  BECAUSE YOU’RE LIKE TEN, YOU LITTLE BRAT!

Still, it’s not helping Tom that he keeps hearing Vi’s voice and seeing her ghost.  Everyone in the village think that Tom is acting strangely but they dismiss it as pre-wedding jitters.  (And, of course, his future father-in-law just assumes that Tom is being weird because he’s one of those jazz pianists.)   If it wasn’t bad enough that Tom is having to deal with Vi’s ghost, he’s also got a hepcat blackmailer named Nick (Joe Turkel).  Nick was hired to take Vi out to the island where Tom lives.  When Vi doesn’t return to pay him, Nick goes to Tom for the money.  When Nick overhears that Tom is about to marry a rich woman, Nick decides that he needs even more money.

Joe Turkel was one of the great character actors.  A favorite of Stanley Kubrick’s, he appeared in Paths of Glory and later played Lloyd the Bartender in The Shining,  Turkel also played Eldon Tyrrell in Blade Runner, in which he made the mistake of talking down to Rutger Hauer’s Roy.  In the role of Nick, Tukel is the best thing to be found in Tormented.  Turkel delivers all of his dialogue with a wonderfully insolent attitude.  He’s the type of character who, in the style of Robert Mitchum in Cape Fear, refers to everyone he meets as “Dad.”  He’s a lowlife and criminal but he’s got the spirit of Kerouac and Cassady in him and it doesn’t take him long to see straight through Tom.

Tormented was directed by Bert I. Gordon, who was best-known for his movies about giant monsters.  There aren’t any monsters in Tormented but there is a really shrill ghost and a truly unlikable protagonist.  There’s a lot flaws to be found in this film but Joe Turkel makes up for a lot of them.  And the scene where Vi’s ghost objects to Tom’s wedding is a lot creepier than it really has any right to be.  This is probably the best film that Bert I. Gordon ever directed, which does not necessarily mean its a good film.  Bert I. Gordon was still Bert I. Gordon.  But Tormented is definitely entertaining.

Live Tweet Alert: Join #FridayNightFlix For Kill, Baby, Kill!

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in a few weekly live tweets on Twitter and Mastodon.  I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday, I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday, and I am one of the five hosts of #MondayActionMovie!  Every week, we get together.  We watch a movie.  We tweet our way through it.

Tonight, at 10 pm et, #FridayNightFlix presents 1966’s Kill, Baby, Kill,, directed by Mario Bava!

If you want to join us this Friday, just hop onto twitter, start the movie at 10 pm et, and use the #FridayNightFlix hashtag!  It’s a friendly group and welcoming of newcomers so don’t be shy.

Kill, Baby, Kill is available on Prime!  See you there!

Horror On The Lens: Carnival of Souls (dir by Herk Harvey)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Well, there’s less than a week to go until Halloween and, traditionally, this is when all of us in the Shattered Lens Bunker gather in front of the television in Arleigh’s penthouse suite, eat popcorn, drink diet coke, and gossip about whoever has the day off.

Of course, after we do that, I duck back into my office and I watch the classic 1962 film, Carnival of Souls!

Reportedly, David Lynch is a huge fan of Carnival of Souls and, when you watch the film, it’s easy to see why.  The film follows a somewhat odd woman (played, in her one and only starring role, by Candace Hilligoss) who, after a car accident, is haunted by visions of ghostly figures.  This dream-like film was independently produced and distributed.  At the time, it didn’t get much attention but it has since been recognized as a classic and very influential horror film.

This was director Herk Harvey’s only feature film.  Before and after making this film, he specialized in making educational and industrial shorts (some of which we’ve watched on this very site), the type of films that encouraged students not to cheat on tests and employees not to take their jobs for granted.  Harvey also appears in this film, playing “The Man” who haunts Hilligoss as she travels across the country.

Enjoy Carnival of Souls!

And remember, don’t stop for any hitchhikers!

Horror Song of the Day: Main Theme From Prince of Darkness by John Carpenter

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s horror song of the day comes from the great John Carpenter!

Here is the main theme from his criminally underrated 1987 film, The Prince of Darkness.  Carpenter is really fortunate in that he not only has a vision but he also has the talent to create the music to go along with that vision.

Music Video of the Day: The Valley by Bill Wyman and Terry Taylor (1985, dir by Michele Soavi)

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s music video of the day is for an instrumental piece that was composed by Bill Wyman and Terry Taylor for Dario Argento’s 1985 film, Phenomena.

Put together by Michele Soavi, this music video features not only scenes from the film but also clips of Dario Argento directing both Jennifer Connelly and Fiore Argento.  Soavi, of course, went on to have a directorial career of his own, directing four classic horror films before stepping away from feature films to take care of his ailing son.  Soavi has since returned to directing, though most of his subsequent work has been for Italian television.

Enjoy!

Late Night Retro Television Review: Highway to Heaven 2.22 “Sail Away”

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Thursdays, I will be reviewing Highway to Heaven, which aired on NBC from 1984 to 1989.  The entire show is currently streaming on Freevee and several other services!

This week, Jonathan helps a novelist get in touch with his long-passed muse.  He also helps him repair his relationship with his grandson before it’s time to move on.

Episode 2.22 “Sail Away”

(Dir by Michael Landon, originally aired on April 2nd, 1986)

Two novelists travel to a remote island.

Frank Worton (Lew Ayres) grew up on the island and was inspired to write a series of paperback romances based on his love for a girl named Jenna.  Sadly, Jenna died when Frank was a teenager and his books were his way of trying to get continue their relationship, if just in his imagination.

Todd Worton (David Einser) is Frank’s grandson.  Todd writes 3,000 words a day and is very strict about his routine.  He’s never written anything as successful as his grandfather’s pulpy romances and he feels that his grandfather has never respected his work.  What Todd doesn’t realize is that Frank feels the same way about him.

When they travel to the Island, Frank starts to act strangely.  He moves into the abandoned house where Jenna lived and claims that it still looks the same as it did when he was a young man.  At one point, he thinks that he sees Jenna walking along the beach.  Is he going senile or is he being haunted by a ghost?

Or is he being prepared for death?  Jonathan and Mark are running a ferry service, taking people to and from the Island.  (I can understand Jonathan knowing how to do all of this, as he’s an angel.  But how does Mark casually go from job to job?  That man’s resume must be a mess at this point.)  Just as he did with Eli Wallach a few episodes ago, Jonathan is preparing Frank to move on.  By the end of the episode, Frank is boarding a sailboat and heading off with his beloved Jenna.  But not before Todd reads the last novel that Frank wrote about Jenna and Frank reads the novel that Todd wrote about him.  The two finally make peace and Jonathan, in voice-over, tells us that both books became best sellers.

Awwww!  What a sweet episode.  This episode is largely a showcase for Lew Ayres and he definitely delivers, giving a heartfelt performance as a man haunted by his past.  If you don’t cry when he gets on that boat, you don’t have a heart and you might want to get that checked out.  You need a heart to live or so they tell me.

In the end, this is an episode that will make you want to sail away.  And while Highway to Heaven has never exactly been known as a subtle show (and I imagine that was by design), I am somewhat impressed at the restraint it must have taken to not include Styx’s Come Sail Away on the soundtrack.