Shudder Day: The White Reindeer (1952)

 While Shudder has some Holiday Horror to check out, it is a bit early.

Instead, let me check out a Film that is still set in Winter and might be a hidden gem.

This is...

In the Intro, a Choir (a la The Greek Chorus) tell us of a woman who was a Witch and died, but only after giving birth to a daughter.

She would share her curse.

That girl is now Pirita.

She finds love in Lapland amongst her people (the Sami) and marries a fellow Reindeer Hunter.

See- this is festive as hell, right?

While they are married, he must leave for a long season to follow the group of Reindeer across the vast, snowy countryside.

She gets lonely and desperate, going to a Shaman.

If she sacrifices something (a young reindeer) to the Stone God, she will get her wish.

Unfortunately, like most wishes, there is a big downside.

She is made irresistible to all of the Reindeer Hunters...because she is unwillingly transformed into the titular White Reindeer.

One of them hunts her, but she turns human again and kills him (off-camera).

Later, another tries to shoot her, but his gun blows up in his face.

At first, she doesn't seem to be aware of these transformations.

When she does realize it, she tries to stop them before her Husband goes to hunt her down, lest he die too.

Will she succeed?
To find out, stream it now.

A fun, if dense, tale of Folk Horror.

I'm born and raised in a State that hasn't seen snow in my lifetime.  As such, it is a bit fun to see Movies that are full of nothing but snow.

This one appears to be rooted deeply in local folklore and it gives it a nice charm.

In many ways, this one is ahead of American Films of this era.  A female Horror Character was rarely allowed to kill anyone, let alone men (see Dracula's Daughter).

This one also feels quite similar in its tone to The Wolf Man, a Film so good it is still acting as my mouse pad.

No, it is not like She-Wolf of London- that one didn't actually have a transforming lady.

If you're in the mood for something different and want to see legit Folk Horror, give this one time to simmer and it might just sell you on its beauty.

An engaging and legit Folk Horror Film from the past.  While it is creaky at times and bloodless, it is still quite good.

Tubi Thursday: Krampus- The Return (2024)

 As Krampus Nacht is nigh, I have to cover another one of these.

This one is a recent one too, so it must be good...right?

A guy calls his Sister wanting her to come back and help him deal with Krampus.

The titular creature shows up and kills him.

She goes to his House in the aftermath.

The killer creature makes sure to...kill a random businessman and a prostitute?

He was in the House at the beginning...but alright.

He also kills a Gardener.  Cool?

He briefly appears to talk to our Heroine and then vanishes.

That...was something.

With about 20 minutes left in the Film, we finally get Krampus in the House with them.

We got to this amount of runtime by adding some random drama that I won't bore you with.

Given that our leftmost victim looks like the least fortunate victim from In A Violent Nature, I don't like her odds.

To find out what happens, check out this Promo Image for the Film that has since been deleted from Facebook...I mean, the Movie.

No, I didn't make this.

The Poster cliche continues!

A Film that I was momentarily thinking could be good.

Sadly, it quickly turns into the usual Direct-to-Streaming Horror Film that seems to pop up 3x a month from Britain.  They have fields, latex and plenty of free time, I guess.

Is this better than those Leprechaun Films?  Not really.

The Krampus mask looks cool- I like the horns.  I just wish they had an actual full outfit for him.

If the mouth actually moved, that would have been nice too.

The Film's opening narration talks about how the German Villages fought an army of Krampus beings (or Krampi).  They don't show this, so screw you.

This is super generic and even the kills aren't interesting.  No amount of 3rd Act Twist can save this- sorry.

Just imagine a more interesting Film- in AI Slop form.

A Film that starts out strong...and quickly loses steam.  If they put the effort into the rest of the Film, this might not have sucked.

Bail Bond: Diamonds are Forever (1971)

 Lazenby is out.  Connery is in... again.

This is Diamonds are Forever, the 1971 Feature that serves as Connery's send-off.  For real this time- honest!

He's certainly not going to come back in a random Film in the '80s.  No, sir!

With Connery back (after Burt Reynolds and Adam West turned it down), the Plot continues off of the last Film- continuing to screw up the Book Continuity.
What kind of dork reads Books that became Movies though?

A mysterious billionaire is doing something strange involving diamonds, so Bond must go to America to deal with it.  What happens in Vegas, does not stay in Vegas this time!

Can Bond save the day in the US of A?  Will this be a fitting send off for the original Bond (or 2nd if you're a real nerd)?

To find out, read on...

In the Cold Open, Bond beats up/kills some folks to get to Blofeld.  Remember that he killed his Wife in the last Film.

This time, Blofeld is Charles Gray (last seen as someone else in Connery's previous Bond Film), no longer bald and not paralyzed.

Bond kills him and returns to base.

He was also killed in that Film, so his track record is terrible!

He's briefed by M about an issue across the Ocean involving diamonds.

Many are going missing and some chicanery is afoot.

Off to Holland, Bond!

Meanwhile, a pair of hitmen named Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint are killing those that could tie up the loose ends, from a Dentist to a dealer.

Famously the Effects Budget was cut to make up for Connery's $1.25 million fee.
Can you tell?

He has to work undercover as a Diamond Trafficker and ends up aligned with Tiffany.

She's hesitant, but persuaded to help when the other Bond Girl (Plenty O'Toole) is killed when mistaken for her.

Also, Bond slaps her with a glove, because Connery.

They track the diamonds and the whole operation to a mysterious Mr. Whyte, an enigmatic billionaire that nobody ever sees (clearly based on Howard Hughes).

Bond learns that it involves lasers, but then has to escape the building in a Moon Buggy...on their fake Moon Landing Set.

Trolling Flat Earthers back in 1971.

Since we are in the '70s, we get some more Car Chases.

Specifically, this one edges *just* into silly territory when Bond turns the car on its side wheels to escape down an alley (and somehow reverses it too!).

Apparently, the Director (who was British) hated American Cars, so enjoyed smashing them here.

Bond breaks into Whyte's Building and learns the truth.

Blofeld is actually alive- Bond killed one of his doubles.
He's been impersonating Whyte as part of his big plan and has one double left.

He's launched over a Satellite with his new laser on it.  He's going to hold the World ransom.

The only way to stop him- switch the tape that apparently programs the targeting.

No, really.

There's a whole big fight and Bond crashes Blofeld (or his double?) into the base to destroy it.

In the Epilogue, he's on a cruise back with Tiffany when Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd try to kill him.
He douses one in fire (who is now wearing gloves) and kills the other with his own bomb.

The End.

A fun Film, but it is not clear if this is trying to be somewhat satirical or not.

The Plot- a massive rewrite from the actual Book by Tom Mankiewicz- is kind of very silly.  Blofeld steals diamonds to make a laser for his satellite.

If you are younger and saw Austin Powers Films without seeing these, you'd feel like things fit right in.
There's even a guy doing the Launch Countdown a la the 2nd AP Film.

That's not to say it is a bad Plot- just kind of silly.
I'm just not clear if the Filmmakers are leaning into that or it is pure coincidence.
Then again, it features Bambi and Thumper...so maybe.

There's still plenty of action and one-liners.  Connery isn't the most vibrant here, but he also said that he spent every waking hour NOT Filming in the Casinos, so he might have just been hired.

In many ways, this was intentionally a callback to Goldfinger (with Shirley Bassey doing the Theme and the US Setting) and it nearly feature Gert Frobe back as Auric's twin!

For better or worse, this is a shallower Bond Film, but good fun.  Isn't that right, Sid Haig?

Next up, I'm going to take a Bond break until 2026 when we get to my favorite Bond.  Until then, let me check out some Films from my past as a Theater Employee in 2005-6.  Stay tuned...

Shudder Day: Good Boy (2025)

 Back from the Holidays to end the Month strong.

This is a well-reviewed Indy Film from this Year and now it's on Shudder, so let's see who is in fact a...

A young guy experiences some illness and is taken to the Hospital.

Waiting for him when he returns is his dog.

Even as a cat person, that dog is adorable.

In a weird move to try to and gain some control in his life, he uproots himself from his Apartment in the City (by his Sister) and moves to his Grandpa's Cabin in the Woods.

Nothing good happens in those.

The dog starts to see and hear strange things around the hose.

Our Human Lead (shown mostly in shadow and silhouette) does not.

Can the dog figure out the danger in the House AND manage to warn him?

Or is the guy too far gone?

Given that his Grandpa is Larry Fessenden, the odds are not in his favor.

To find out what our titular Good Boy can do, stream it now.

A Film that gets an A for Effort and a strong C for Execution.

The idea of Good Boy is, well, good.  It's what Bad Moon was kind of supposed to be (the Book Thor follows the events from the dog's POV).

We're getting more creative approaches to basic Horror these days and that includes switching of perspectives.
See the controversial but still recommended In a Violent Nature for a good example.

Indy as the Lead is truly the best part of this.  That's not a knock on the other Actors- obviously.
The Dog is just so emotive and makes the premise work so well.

That said, this has all of the Indy Horror issues- like dark lighting to hide the Effects and an odd Pacing- that make it stand out.

It truly is a double-edged sword.

Jaded Horror Fans will like this, but I'm just not sure if it stands up on repeat viewings.  Time will tell.

A Film that delivers in many good ways.  That said, it is hard to see everything and the pacing is a bit off.

Fiction vs. Fiction: Superman IV- The Quest for Peace

 Two books in one month- too bad this isn't Middle School.  I'd get a prize if it was.

Instead, my reward is getting to watch Superman IV yet again.

Being an Adult kind of sucks sometimes.

This is the showdown between...

**************

This was also written by the Author of Superman 3's Book.

What's the Same?

This is a Novelization, so the Plot is untouched.  That said...

Canon Films was going through financial difficulty and basically had to sell the distribution rights to Warner Bros just to finish making the Film.
They also slashed the budget (some say in half).

Oh, and they also cut anywhere between 30-45 minutes from the Film before release!
So, the Book is based on the Script and not the final Film.

Are you already lost?  I don't blame you.

In short, some stuff here is not in the final Film, but its original cut.  So...

What's Different?

Like the other Book, some stuff is tonally darker.  There's just much less here.

For instance, the Film shows (above) that the Guards survived Luthor's escape.  The Book doesn't.

In the Book, Lex steals a hair donated by Superman to work on a creation.  He unties it.
In the Film, he cuts it with bolt cutters...despite the fact that it could somehow hold 1,000 lbs!

The final Film cut almost all of the stuff after Jeremy pleads to Superman to stop potential nuclear war.

The Scene where Superman actually meets him at Schol- cut after the bad Screening.

It's available online- obviously.

In addition, there's a big chunk of the Story that was cut entirely.

After they steal Superman's Hair (more on that later), they make a clone...that sucks.

It fights Superman (which is somehow worse in the final Film) and dies.
Lenny then takes the goop (which is just dust in the Film) and they make the more famous and less terrible version.

In the Book, one of Lex's arm dealer pals stashes the stuff on a missile that Superman is going to toss into the Sun.
In the Film, he (a famous criminal) dresses like Patton, gets on a base and does it himself.

Is this worse than when Pryor did it in Superman 3?

In the Book, Superman battles the creation around the World and it wrecks the Great Wall of China.
The Book just says that 'he fixes it.'

In the Film, he...shoots blue lasers that reverse the footage?!?

There's a reason that the Film is viewed as too silly.

In the Book, N. Man wounds Superman and he's weakened.  A shot from him sends Superman flying away, leaving...his costume behind.  Is he...naked now?

In a rare improvement, the Film has the CAPE be left behind and recovered.

There's also a Scene that is not in the Novelization (but I guess in the Script).
In it, Clark reveals his identity to Lois, talks about what he should do with the nukes and... then mind wipes her again with a kiss.

B.B. was right to cut this.

Lastly, the Finale plays out mostly the same.  The Book describes NM turning into a missile.
The most the Film can do (in a cut bit) is a yellow ball of energy.

Final Thoughts

The Novelization is a pretty good version.  It is the full version, so you get all of the context and things make sense.

Well, make sense in a very relative sense that is.

It was clearly written for a younger Audience as well, as every Chapter is about 4-6 pages long.  It makes for a quick read though, letting me do a second one this Month.

Simple, but fun.

What is Better?

The Book.

The Movie- in its proper form- is a mess in so many ways.  When you cut 45 minutes out of a 2-hour or so Film, things are going to be confusing.

It is still the story of Superman IV, so, set your expectations appropriately.

Bail Bond: On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

 Film.  One Film.

This is On Her Majesty's Secret Service, the lone Film that represents the Bond Career of one George Lazenby.

Was it too much too soon?  Was he a jerk?  Was he just impulsive?  Did the Studio clearly not have any confidence after a while?

One or more of those things is likely true, so let's just see what we get.

The Plot is a follow-up to You Only Live Twice and Bond is still after Blofeld.  As mentioned in that Review, his motivation comes from THIS Story though.
Can it work on its own?

Lazenby is joined by some big names here, such as Diana Rigg (aka Vincent Price's Daughter in Theatre of Blood) and Telly Savalas (aka Kojak).

Peter Hunt is the Director and he's moved up in the World.  He was the Editor on the first few Films, as well as Bob Hope's Call Me Bwana, which was referenced via billboard gag in From Russia with Love.

When he took over Editing for the last Film (after working Second Unit), he was given this gig as a reward.  This would be his only Bond Film- he'd turn down many- and he'd work steadily until 1991.

How did his career turn out better than our Star's?  To find out, read on...

In the Cold Open, Bond rescues a woman (Rigg) on the beach.

He fends off the final guy by catching him in mid-jump and giving him, well, an F5.

Before getting a 'thank you,' she runs off to her car and drives away.

That leads our new Bond to go full Deadpool and break the 4th Wall.

Bond goes to work and is called out for not catching Blofeld in the last 2 years (implying a real timeline for this Film).  

He quits, but gets leave instead.

After meeting back with the woman, sparks fly.
He's 'convinced' to meet Dad, who wants Bond to marry and 'tame' his Daughter.

This was almost Timothy Dalton?!?

She's reluctant, but the two do fall for each other.

A nice, romantic montage to the Film's Theme- We Have All of the Time in the World by Louie Armstrong- and now she's out of the picture (for now).

Bond has to go undercover as a genealogy expert hired by Blofeld.

Anyone else getting Benoit Blanc vibes?

He learns that Blofeld (now Savalas) is kept up on a private mountain and wants the guy (actually Bond) to say that he has Royal Blood and that he could 'earn a Title.'

In the meantime, Bond sleeps with one of the ladies- Blofeld has a full dozen (a first for a Bond Film).

Thankfully, he didn't try to do an accent.

Blofeld has a very complicated plan involving a virus that will somehow stop population growth.

He also tries to kill Bond, but he gets away on skis (sometimes convincingly and other times in front of an obvious screen).

Fleeing into Town, Bond runs into...Rigg?!?

Yes, she just happens to be in Town and they escape together in a car.

We get a fun Stock Car chase/shoot-out as a result.

Unfortunately, the pair can't outrun (stock footage of) an avalanche and she's captured.

As Blofeld prepares to release his ladies (including Joana Lumley!) to spread the virus, he keeps Rigg as a hostage.

Bond and Dad bring a small, private army to attack the base.  You know, kind of like that last Film did.

Blofeld escapes the base and they have a big fight in a toboggin.

The villain is standing up when they hit a branch and that's the end of him.  

In the aftermath, Bond marries Rigg and they live happily ever after.

That is, until, Blofeld (in a neck brace) and his assistant drive by and shoot the car, killing Rigg.

Aw...The End.

A Film that is honestly way better than you would think if you only know it by reputation.  I'll say it...

Lazenby made a good James Bond.

He plays a different kind of Bond, more like the Book (from what I can tell) version.  He has swagger.  He has charm.

He's not Sean Connery though.
You know who else isn't Sean Connery?  EVERYONE ELSE.

The Plot is really good.  At worst, you can argue that the pace is weird, focusing so much on Rigg and then dropping her until Act 3.  Granted.

It has some really good Action Scenes and Lazenby really does disappear into the role.  The villain's plan is the usual nonsense, setting up the seduction and chase Scenes.

Too bad we didn't get more Q and at least one Scene really hinging upon one of his gadgets.

After 5 Bond Films with Connery, this is a nice change of pace.  I guess it was too great of one, however, as, well, he's back next time.

Let it not be said that Lazenby's Bond never looked like a bad ass though...

Damn!

Next up, let's wrap up Connery's run as he returns one last time.  Will his swan song be his best yet?  Stay tuned...