This week on SVENGOOLIE...

[Rita Hayworth]

Well, there's still a little freshness in this tired old line-up. The impressively bad KING KONG ESCAPES was on last night. Now I know why I hadn't seen it before! Awkawrd dubbing is the least of this movie's offenses. It has some of the worst special effects I've ever seen. That is, if you can even call them effects. What it is, is people wearing monster costumes! Dinosaurs, robots, and of course, one very well fed monkey! I can't say I even paid much attention to the story. I was thinking about other things. I'm pretty confident I didn't miss much!

I watched that horrible movie last night nursing a slight cold Red River and it's impressively bad ... I like it as a KID; but as an ADULT ... it's depressing beyond belief. I watched the first hour and moved on to something better ...

[Western Guy]

KING KONG ESCAPES is a classic compared to this:



Scott Brady and Kent Taylor really reached a career low with this turkey.

[RedRiver]

I so hope Svengoolie shows this someday!

[The Ingenue]

Next week is THE INVISIBLE MAN'S REVENGE. This is the one with John Carradine as the scientist, Jon Hall as the subject of his mad experiment. It's not very good, as I recall. But it's not one that turns up all the time either. I don't recall Svengoolie showing it before. If Bette Davis is not on another channel, it's worth a couple of hours on a Saturday night!

Alan Curtis is in it. That's reason enough to see it.

Take a look and tell me, would you, if it's really Alan risking life and limb--not to mention that gorgeous face--in the flames of Carradine's laboratory. Looked to me like it was him.

[RedRiver]

I'll try and remember to do that.

[RedRiver]

I let you down, Ingenue. I was more or less awake during the "struggle in the lab scene". But not attentive enough to distinguish between between actor and stunt man. This movie is pretty weak. There are a lot of confrontations with The Invisible One that are really just...one actor! "Hey! Let me go. Ow! Stop poking me with your invisible fist." It's like kids playing in the backyard! "Woof! Woof! Here comes the invisible dog." It's not a terrible movie. But not one I'd go out of my way for.

Next week is THE INVISIBLE RAY. You can't go wrong with Boris and Bela; the two giants of the genre. But this one leaves me cold. (That's more than you can say for Karloff as he glows in the dark!) I like the boys in THE RAVEN, THE BLACK CAT. This one, with its elements of science and archeology, fails to excite me. I'll give it another chance. Sometimes a repeat viewing, at just the right time, will open my eyes. It says a lot about my social life that I have nothing better to do on Saturday night!

[Rita Hayworth]

Next week is THE INVISIBLE RAY. You can't go wrong with Boris and Bela; the two giants of the genre. But this one leaves me cold. (That's more than you can say for Karloff as he glows in the dark!) I like the boys in THE RAVEN, THE BLACK CAT. This one, with its elements of science and archeology, fails to excite me. I'll give it another chance. Sometimes a repeat viewing, at just the right time, will open my eyes. It says a lot about my social life that I have nothing better to do on Saturday night!

THE INVISIBLE RAY ... I just might give this a chance too!

[Western Guy]

Gosh, I like THE INVISIBLE RAY. Some great scenes between the two "B'" boys - including their climactic encounter which I will not give away for the benefit of those who have not seen the film. The production as a whole is certainly more ambitious than the two previous Karloff and Lugosi outings (forgetting entirely GIFT OF GAB) and it is always refreshing to see Bela play on the side of the angels -- yet with just enough of a sinister undertone not to completely diminish his screen reputation. Boris, too, has a sympathetic edge to his characterization that makes his Dr. Rukh more tragic than evil.

[The Ingenue]

I let you down, Ingenue. I was more or less awake during the "struggle in the lab scene". But not attentive enough to distinguish between between actor and stunt man.

Even if it couldn't be done, thanks for having been willing, Red.

My one viewing of "The Invisible Man's Revenge" left me with memory of plot points and little else, I confess. Can't recall what I thought of the movie--except that I was very much surprised when I thought I saw Alan Curtis himself in the fire scene. Considering the training he'd had as a model, I was shocked that he would risk it.

One of these days I'll take another look at the movie and find out.

[CineMaven]

I only WISH I could have the ME channel on my Optimum service. I'd watch every blasted minute of these great bad B horror flicks. I haven't seen "The Invisible Man's Revenge" in eons.

I'm jealous.

[RedRiver]

A lot of people like INVISIBLE RAY, Western Guy. It might be that I just wasn't in the mood for it. I'm a pacing nut. You slow down, you lose me!

[Western Guy]

You're right, R.R. - THE INVISIBLE RAY does have a slower pacing and certainly does not have the frenetic, almost serial-like speed of THE BLACK CAT and THE RAVEN. But I think the character development between Karloff and Lugosi is better established here. I found I cared more about their characters than in the previous two K & L outings. More poignancy at the climax, IMO.

[Rita Hayworth]

I'm definitely checking out THE INVISIBLE RAY ...

[RedRiver]

I'm just glad somebody else gets this fun channel. A lot of people don't!

[RedRiver]

Well, I'll be watching INVISIBLE RAY tonight. But in my TV market, Boris and Bela will have some competition. Our PBS outlet is showing I WANT TO LIVE! I've seen this Robet Wise drama a number of times. No need to miss Svengoolie. But I like it a lot. I hope fans who are not into mad scientists will enjoy the other movie!