The Killer Shrews (1959)

A disparate group are trapped on a remote island by a hurricane. On the island, a doctor works to make humans twice as small as we already are. This, apparently, will help prevent over population. Unfortunately, his experiments have also created some giant shrews. As the shrews run out of smaller animals to eat, they move in on the people in the house. Starring James Best, Ingrid Goude (Miss Sweden 1956), and Ken Curtis. A classic Sci-Fi horror movie filmed in Texas. Are those dogs dressed up as giant shrews?

Alien Species (1996)

A fleet of UFOs is circling the Earth and a top scientist races to discover their true intentions for the planet. When the UFOs begin an attack the Earth, the scientist finds himself thrown in with a sheriff and his deputies transporting some prisoners to jail. The unlikely group is forced to seek shelter from the alien attack in a nearby cave—not knowing how significant the location is to the alien’s plans to dominate planet Earth. Starring Charles Napier, Hoke Howell, and David Homb. Those aliens keep attacking us, what do they think it is, Independence Day? Pretty good special effects here for this Retro-Movie.

Werewolf of Washington (1973)

A reporter who has had an affair with the daughter of the U.S. President is sent to Hungary. There he is bitten by a werewolf, and then gets transferred back to Washington, where he gets a job as press assistant to the President. Then bodies start turning up as the werewolf strikes. Yikes! Sounds like the way things are going these days. Starring Dean Stockwell, Katalin Kallay, Henry Ferrentino and Michael Dunn.

The Creeping Terror (1964)

A newlywed sheriff tries to stop a shambling monster that has emerged from a spaceship to eat the citizens of an American town. A creature that looks like a cross between a Chinese dragon puppet and the Pope sucks up people into its maw. The sheriff, his wife, and a “handsome” scientist battle it to the end, with a sub plot about the evils of bachelorhood. Starring Vic Savage, Shannon O’Neil, and William Thourlby. One of those so-bad-its-good movies of the early 60s. Ed Wood, where have you gone?

Horror High (1973)

A nerdy high school super whiz experiments with a chemical which will transform his guinea pig “Mr. Mumps” from a gentle pet into a ravenous monster. In a fit of rage against his tormentors at the high school, Vernon Potts (Pat Cardi) goes on a killing spree, eliminating all of those who ever picked on him—the Gym Coach, the School Jock, The Creepy Janitor (Mr. Griggs) & his hated teacher, Ms. Grindstaff. In the end he gets the jock’s girlfriend for himself but his happiness is short-lived as the potion turns him into a monster hunted by the towns lame police Lieutenant—Bosman. Starring Pat Cardi, Austin Stoker, and Rosie Holotik. Yea, high school pretty much sucks.

Horror Express (1972)

In 1905, an English anthropologist has discovered a frozen monster in the frozen wastes of Manchuria which he believes may be the Missing Link. He brings the creature back to Europe aboard a trans-Siberian express, but during the trip the monster thaws out and starts to butcher the passengers one by one. Starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and Telly Savalas. This is not a train to be on! Is it a bigfoot or an alien?

Dracula vs Frankenstein (1970)

Also known as Assignment Terror. Aliens from a dying world plot to conquer Earth by preying on man’s superstitions. Bringing two dead scientists back to life, they use their knowledge to re-animate various monsters, including the werewolf Waldemar Daninsky, Frankenstein’s monster, the mummy Tao-Tet, and the vampire Count de Meirhoff. Starring Michael Rennie of The Day the Earth Stood Still, Karin Dor, and Craig Hill. An Italian horror movie with all the monsters you could possibly want… wait, where are the Mole Men?

Fire Monsters Against the Son of Hercules (1962)

Maxus, the nomadic son of Hercules, rescues Idar, a prince of a sun-worshipping tribe, from a lake monster. When a band of cave-dwelling moon-worshippers descends on the Sun People and kidnaps their women for human sacrifice, Maxus leads a counterattack. He rescues the captured women but is abducted himself, before escaping with beautiful moon-worshipper Moah. But ahead are more battles with beasts and the Moon People, now allied with an even nastier tribe. Starring Reg Lewis, Luciano Marin and Margaret Lee. Maybe this was an early use of solar panels?

Atlas in the Land of Cyclops (1961)

Strongman Maciste must battle the one-eyed Cyclops monster that is ravaging the land of Sadok, while at the same time fending off the advances of the evil Queen Capys, who wants to do a little ravaging of her own. Starring Gordon Mitchell, Chelo Alonso, and Vira Silenti. We should look for cyclopean walls when we see the land of the Cyclops. Ray Harryhausen look out!

Hercules and the Captive Women (1961)

King Androcles of Thebes (Ettore Manni) commands a ship searching for a threat to Greece predicted by oracles. Hercules (Reg Park) is part of the crew, but the strongman falls overboard in a thick fog. Washed ashore, he saves a young girl, Ismene (Laura Altan), from a shape-shifting creature. She takes Hercules to Atlantis, where he discovers that her mother, the evil Queen Antinea (Fay Spain), has captured Androcles. Hercules schemes to rescue him and thwart Antinea’s dream of world conquest. Also known as Hercules and the Conquest of Atlantis. Reg Park is great as a British body-builder Hercules. Where is Rod Stewart when you need him?

The Magic Sword (1962)

George, the son of the sorceress Sybil, has been watching the beautiful Princess Helene from afar and is very much in love with her. When she is kidnapped by the evil wizard Lodac, the king her father announces that she will be given in marriage to whoever rescues her. The first to volunteer is Sir Branton who expects to undertake the task alone. George, over his mother’s objections, also decides to save her and is accompanied by six ancient knights. The journey is perilous with Lodac and his knights facing a series of challenges. Many in the group do not survive but George must eventually face Lodac’s greatest challenge which is the great dragon. A great early 60s fantasy movie that was a big hit in Europe. Starring Basil Rathbone, Estelle Winwood, and Gary Lockwood. One of Basil Rathbone’s last movies. The search for the Holy Grail continues!

Beast From Haunted Cave (1959)

Gangster Alexander Ward, his girl friend, Gypsy Boulet, and two henchmen come to Deadwood, South Dakota with the idea of stealing some gold bars. They enlist the aid of a local ski instructor, Gil Jackson, and plan to use him as a guide out of the territory after the robbery. However, a blizzard forces them to take refuge in Jackson’s cabin, where Gypsy lowers the inside temperature by giving the cold shoulder to Ward, her former sweetie until she saw Jackson. Ward plans to kill Jackson after they have no further use of him, so he doesn’t care. But they had used an explosion in a cave to serve as a distraction during the heist, and this explosion had irritated a giant spider that lived there and, sure enough, all hands have to seek refuge in the cave from the fury of the storm. Starring Michael Forest, Sheila Noonan, and Frank Wolff. Those Hobbits battled giant spiders. Well, one shouldn’t hide in caves like that, mainly because bigfoot is probably there…

Mole Men Against the Son of Hercules (1961)

Maciste, the son of Hercules, arranges for himself and his new friend Bangor to be captured by a mysterious band of white-clad marauders and taken to an underground city. There the two are forced to turn an enormous wheel along with other captives as part of a gold-and-diamonds mining operation. The underground city’s queen, Halis Mosab, takes note of the handsome, muscular Maciste and chooses him to be her consort if he can meet such challenges as saving the kidnapped Princess Saliura from a gigantic ape. Maciste kills the ape and carries Saliura back to the aboveground world. The white-clad marauders can’t follow them if it means being caught in the sunlight which instantly dissolves them. Maciste then returns to the underground city to save the other captives. Meanwhile, high priest Kahab informs his son, Katar, that their queen is not one of them but, unbeknownst to her, was kidnapped as a small child from the “world above.” Starring Mark Forest, Moira Orfei, and Paul Wynter. It is time for Hercules to enter the underground world! Mole Men—Yikes!

Gargoyles (1972)

After receiving word about a mysterious skeleton unearthed in the Arizona desert, a father and his daughter visit the man who has it and grab the skull as they escape a shack the gargoyles have attacked. Once they do so, they, as well as the town, are besieged by a colony of gargoyles living in some nearby caverns. Who can stop these flying devils? Shown on television in 1972 and in theaters in Europe, it was the most-watched television movie of all time! Starring Cornel Wilde, Jennifer Salt, Grayson Hall, and Scott Glenn. Look out Mothman!

Road to Bali (1952)

Having to leave Melbourne in a hurry to avoid various marriage proposals, two song-and-dance men sign on for work as divers. This takes them to an idyllic island on the way to Bali where they vie with each other for the favours of Princess Lala. The hazardous dive produces a chest of priceless jewels which arouses the less romantic interest of some shady locals. Starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour. The last of the great Bob Hope-Bing Crosby comedies and the only one in color! We all want to go to the magical Hindu world of Bali, the last of the great Cham civilization!

Night Fright (1967)

A government space experiment into the effects of cosmic rays on animal life goes horribly wrong, creating a mutant monster that terrorizes a rural community. This monster is essentially bigfoot. When government experiments go wrong and bigfoot is created, things can get pretty screwed up. Starring John Agar, Carol Gilley, and Ralph Baker Jr. You know it’s a bad movie if John Agar is in it. An early bigfoot movie in all of its glory!

The Devils Hand (1962)

Rick Turner is engaged of Donna Trent and is having nightmares with a beautiful blonde woman dancing in the sky. One night, he is mysteriously driven to a doll shop, and in the next morning he returns to the place with Donna. He finds a doll that resembles his fiancé, but the owner Francis Lamont delivers another doll to him, with the face of the woman of his dreams, Bianca Milan. Rick looks for Bianca and is seduced and convinced by her to join a sect that worships the diabolic Camba, while the health of Donna is threatened by Francis and Bianca. Starring Linda Christian, Robert Alda, and Ariadne Welter. Best not to go into those weird doll shops… a creepy, sexy horror movie.

Kingdom of the Spiders (1977)

Investigating the mysterious deaths of a number of farm animals, vet Rack Hansen discovers that his town lies in the path of hoards of migrating tarantulas. Before he can take action, the streets are overrun by killer spiders, trapping a small group of towns folk in a remote hotel in rural Arizona. Yowks! Starring William Shatner, Tiffany Bolling, and Woody Strode. A great look at the Sedona area in the 1970s starring Captain Kirk from Star Trek!

The Ape (1940)

Dr. Bernard Adrian is a kindly mad scientist who seeks to cure a young woman’s polio. He needs spinal fluid from a human to complete the formula for his experimental serum. Meanwhile, a vicious circus ape has broken out of its cage, and is terrorizing towns people. Strange things get even stranger. Starring Boris Karloff, Maris Wrixon, and Gene O’Donnell. Is it a gorilla, bigfoot or a mad scientist? A great retro-bigfoot-gorilla film!