Classic Sci-Fi Trailers, Vol. 7 (Sinister Cinema). [Category: Commercial]

More and more trailers from science fiction movies from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. This tape seems to focus mostly on humanoid monsters, alien invasions, and scientific experiments gone wrong. Gets 5 extra points for throwing in some drive-in ephemera.

Highlights:

• The trailer for Untamed Women features the classic line, "Shoot anything with hair on it that moves!" I hope that includes that creepy, unshaven guy who speculates upon the "other motives" of the Untamed Women.
  
• The Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas is coming to this theater! Maybe he has a date with the Tingler!
  
• The Human Vapor is "the most terrifying experience in scientific history!" I'd like to read the journal article that supports that claim.
  
• D-Day on Mars was "adapted in 1966 from The Purple Monster Strikes." That would imply that this incredibly creaky film from the 1940s was passed off to 1960s audiences as something new!
  
• Msties, take note: contains the trailers for Rocket Attack U.S.A., The Killer Shrews (not the classic one with Radford Baines, alas), The Amazing Transparent Man, The Slime People, and Marooned (a.k.a. Space Travelers).
  

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.

How to Hold a Husband (film #6 on Exploitation Mini-Classics, Vol. 2 (Sinister Cinema)). [Category: Sleaze & Outsider]

Mainly it involves wearing skimpy lingerie. Like How to Undress, it's purportedly aimed at women, but I seriously doubt any women went into the kind of theaters that showed this. Quite short and very cheesy.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: **.

Drive-In Werewolf (extra on Monsters Crash the Pajama Party Spook Show Spectacular DVD (Something Weird, 2001)). [Category: Outtakes & Obscurities]

Hey, folks, it's intermission time! Time to go on out to the snack bar and...TURN INTO A WEREWOLF!!!! This clip from a cheap exploitation flick looks as if it has had an "alternate" soundtrack dubbed in. I doubt if the werewolf in the original movie complained about eating Japanese food, but who knows? A fun little extra on a DVD full of fun little extras.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.

Universal Pictures Newsreel (intermission item on Walk-In Double Feature #3 (Sinister Cinema)). [Category: News]

The shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald and JFK's funeral are documented in this 1963 newsreel. It's hard to imagine that this was news to any of the theater-goers of the time, considering the extensive tv coverage of these events. The film of Oswald's shooting was taken from tv footage, in fact. It all just goes to show why newsreels died. It's an interesting relic of the newsreel's death throes, though.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: N/A. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.

Atomic Power at Shippingport (film #172 on Prelinger Archive). [Category: Military & Propaganda]

This film documents in great and technical detail the building of the first nuclear power plant at Shippingport, Pennsylvania. As such, it has lots of historical interest, but it's boring, boring, boring to anyone who's not a nuclear power geek. One slightly fun moment is at the end when the plant is first switched on and we see a series of neon signs in a local city light up. But most of this film will put you right to sleep.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ***.

Americans at Work: Barbers and Beauticians.

This film, made by the AFL-CIO, gives us a detailed view of what barber and beauty shops were like before the 60s revolution turned them into Unisex Salons. It's pretty straightforward, with a mildly campy sequence where Dad and Junior have to wait for Mom and Sis to come out of the beauty shop (Dad chainsmokes 3 cigarettes while waiting!). Still, there's a lot of historical interest here.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: **. Weirdness: **. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ****.

Betty in Blunderland (extra on Drive-In Discs, Volume One: The Screaming Skull & The Giant Leeches DVD (Elite Entertainment 2000)) [Category: Hollywood]

. Betty goes through the looking glass and ends up in Alice's Wonderland. This is pretty much a hybrid of the Alice stories and Betty Boop cartoons. It starts to get away from its source somewhat when a huge dragon (who's suppoed to be Jabberwocky) comes out of the Mad Hatter's hat and attacks Betty, turning the proceedings into a typical little-guys-against-the-big-bad-guy cartoon. Not bad, but it could be weirder.

Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ***. Overall Rating: ***.