Three Generations of Crime(solvers): Nina Simon’s Mother-Daughter Murder Night

Lana Rubicon is a strong, independent woman, used to heading multimillion dollar construction projects and land deals. So, when she’s diagnosed with brain cancer, she assumes the surgical method will remove the issue and she will be back in action in a matter of weeks. Six weeks tops. Her daughter Beth is less optimistic, but […]

Marina! It Is Time to Feed the Fish: The Fish with the Eyes of Gold (1974)

The beautiful Belgian tourist Hilde (Susana Taber) is enjoying a private cover, swimming and sunbathing when a snorkeler in the rubber wetsuit comes along. At first, she is pleased to see him—does she know him, perhaps? Then, the knife appears. Passing boater Zachary Kendall (Ricardo Vázquez) stops off to help, but the murderer has gutted […]

Not So Violent Blood Bath: Penalty of Death (1974)

Oscar Bataille (Fernando Rey) is a French prosecutor who specializes in violent crimes, pleading punishments for murderers and fiends to the full extent of the law. He’s been a big proponent of the guillotine death penalty. Over his career, Bataille has killed dozens in this way, saving society from the burden of supporting monsters for […]

A Killer Inheritance: Night of the Skull (1974)

In a thunderstorm rocked manor in Louisiana, Lord Archibald Marian (Ángel Menéndez) reads a quatrain from his favorite book, Revelation, and soon discovers that his fate is intertwined with the message. Earth to bury us, water to drown, wind to buffet, and fire to burn. It’s a recipe for disasters, which will be realized when […]

Graveyard Humor: Arnold (1973)

Lord Arnold Dwellyn (Norman Stuart) had it all figured out. Getting married to his lovely mistress Karen (Stella Stevens) on the day of his death would leave his wife Lady Jocelyn Dwellyn (Shani Wallis) an ex-wife he could stiff in his last will and testament instead of a widow who inherited everything. His younger, good […]

Beware the Socialite Mystery Solvers: The Mad Miss Manton

When Melsa Manton (Barbara Stanwyck) spots a friend of her legging it from a house at 3AM, she’s intrigued. What was Ronnie Belden (an uncredited William Corson) doing in that old, dark house? Not trying to buy it from the Lanes … Inside, she comes across a diamond brooch and a corpse. She beats it […]

Primitive Sensitivities: The Sister of Ursula

Dagmar (Stefania D’Amario) and her sensitive younger sister Ursula (Barbara Magnolfi) are recovering from the unexpected death of their father. They travel to a lovely hotel, possibly in search of the mother who left them or perhaps to escape their problems. Alas, they’ve stumbled into some new ones. Fillipo Andre (Marc Porel) is a charismatic […]

Guilty Consciences and Bloody Hands: The Killer is One of 13

On the second anniversary of her husband’s death, lovely widow Lisa Mandel (Patty Shepard) hosts a reunion for her husband’s family, friends, and their spouses. Attendees include judgmental aunt Bertha (Trini Alonso) and her weirdo son Francis (Eusebio Poncela), flighty playboy Harry Stephen (Simón Andreu), businessman Guillermo (Eduardo Calvo) and his pretty wife Laura (Carmen […]

Every Witch Way But Loose: Sex of the Witch

Every now and again, it’s good to remind myself that there are some movies in the world that are so far out there that even a relatively worldly cinephile such as myself cannot find anything good to say about them. The Camille Keaton in Italy boxed set includes an interesting film, a fun film, and […]

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