Saturday, May 26, 2012

DANGER 5: SEASON 1



DIRECTOR:
Dario Russo

WRITERS:
Dario Russo
David Ashby

CAST:
David Ashby
Aldo Mignone
Sean-James Murphy
Natasa Ristic
Amanda Simons
Carmine Russo
And many others....


The DANGER 5 crew is ( from top left clockwise )... Tucker ( Sean-James Murphy ), Jackson ( David Ashby ), Claire ( Amanda Simons ), Pierre ( Aldo Mignone ), and Ilsa ( Natasa Ristic )


The Australian television show called DANGER 5, takes place in some sort of "what if" alternative universe.

Hitler is still alive and causing mayhem every chance he gets. He's hell-bent on ruling the world, and only DANGER 5 can stop him.

DANGER 5 is a live action tribute to men's adventure magazines. It also seems to have been influenced by 1960s spy shows, and a few other things.

Season one of DANGER 5 is apparently composed of seven 25 minute episodes. They are as follows...




PILOT ( AKA DIAMOND GIRLS )

We're introduced to the DANGER 5 team. Their mission is to stop Hitler at all costs.

QUOTES
Tucker: "He never misses a chance to see Madame Giulietta and her sinful thighs"
Tucker: "They call us danger 5"








I DANCED FOR HITLER

Hitler is stealing most of the world's monuments, but for what purpose?... For EVIL REASONS dum-ass!

QUOTES
Colonel: "Shut up girl!"
Rene: "Son of a whore!"
Pierre: "I burn for you!"
Dog robot: "Sexy bitch mode activated"








LIZARD SOLDIERS OF THE THIRD REICH

Hitler is using dinosaurs in his latest quest for world domination, and DANGER 5 must stop him.

QUOTES
Tucker: "How dare you sneak up on me, with that willy-nilly improvisational gibberish!"
G.I.: "It's as big as a house, get out of here!"
Flying reptile: "Bleed!, bleed!"








KILL-MEN OF THE RISING SUN

Japanese planes are controling Chinese skys with the help of Hitler. So it's up to DANGER 5 to stop them... Oh, I almost forgot to mention that Japan has disappeared!

QUOTES
Tucker: "Hey Claire, I won, I'm the winner"
Claire: "You can't treat me like one of your opium harlots!"








HITLER'S GOLDEN MURDER PALACE

The team goes to Hitler's Moroccan casino to stop him from producing gold guns.

QUOTES
Ilsa: "American arsehole"
Jackson: "I'm banging her Rommel... I'm banging her Rommel... I'm banging her Rommel"
Claire: "Who needs a gun, when you have imagination?"








FRESH MEAT FOR HITLER'S SEX KITCHEN

Hitler takes over the PALOMINO whorehouse in Switzerland... Fun times for all!

QUOTES
Pierre: "Lemon San Diegos?, I don't believe I've tried those before"
Nazi evil doer: "What's a matter Burger, you a fruit or something?!"
Hot nazi babe: "Screw me, you American dog!"






FINAL VICTORY

The DANGER 5 team goes to the no longer "lost" city of Atlantis. Their goal is to obtain a weapon that might defeat Hitler.

QUOTES
Killroy: "What's a matter Tucker, chicken?"
Pierre: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"







VIDEO INFO
Online
WIDEscreen
Color
Region - Not applicable
Company - DINOSAUR / CYAN FILMS / SBS
NOT rated
Extras - Not applicable
Inserts - Not applicable



OBTAINED AT - YouTube
PRICE - Free



DO I WANT MY MONEY BACK?:
NOOOOO!!!!!...

I fucking love it!

DANGER 5 is incredibly clever, funny, and sexy!

I also love their use of miniatures and stop motion animation.

Everyone involved with DANGER 5 did a truly outstanding job.

There are some "running gags". They involve, Hitler jumping out of a window, retro style TV commercials ( integrated into each episode ), and recipes for alcoholic beverages.



The DANGER 5 DVD was released by SBS in Australia ( which is region 4 territory ).

Even if it was a "region free" or "multi region" DVD, I would not buy it, because I've had nothing but problems with those types of discs.

Anyway, several people have posted complete episodes on YOU TUBE.

I'm happy I was able to watch the entire season... Now, if they would only release a REGION ONE DVD....

BLOOD ON THE MINK



A undercover government agent tries to bring down counterfeiters.

Along the way, two other criminals get involved. So now the agent has three groups of criminals, two women, and one old Hungarian man to deal with.

The story NEVER gets confusing... It's a quick and smooth read all the way through.

There's tons of greed, betrayal, misunderstandings, lust filled hearts, bullets, blood, death, destruction, and one extremely exciting car chase.


BOOK INFO:
ISBN ( 978-0-85768-768-5 )
AUTHOR - Robert Silverberg
COVER ARTIST - Michael Koelsch
COMPANY - Hard Case Crime
OBTAINED AT - Barnes & Noble
PRICE - $9.95
SOFTcover
SIZE - approximately 5" wide by 8" tall
PAGES - approximately 224



DO I WANT MY MONEY BACK?:
HELL NO!...

This story is wall to wall action. Once I started reading it, I couldn't stop.

FYI: We don't find out the agent's real name til the end.

BLOOD ON THE MINK has become one of my favorite HARD CASE CRIME books.

Someone needs to make this into a movie ( theatrical or cable ).

Or how about a TV series?.. I think the undercover agent in this book is far more interesting than the main character from the cable series called MAGIC CITY ( STARZ cable channel ).

TWO short stories by Robert Silverberg are also included. They are as follows...

DANGEROUS DOLL... A mob courier's libido and impatience, gets him into big trouble.

ONE NIGHT OF VIOLENCE... A really great story about a traveling salesman named Mike Keller, and the hellish night he spends at a mob infested motel.

This book is divided into the following sections...
BLOOD ON THE MINK - Pages 1 - 157
AFTERWORD - Pages 159 - 162
DANGEROUS DOLL - Pages 163 - 179
ONE NIGHT OF VIOLENCE - Pages 181 - 217

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

A BRIEF SALUTE TO DALTON TRUMBO



Dalton Trumbo ( 1905–1976 )... He was one of the countless victims of the McCarthy era BLACKLIST.

He is also one of my favorite showbiz folks.... Below is a sample of Mr. Trumbo's work.



Spartacus ( screenplay )



Terror in a Texas Town ( as Ben Perry )



The Brothers Rico ( as Ben Perry )



Rocketship X-M ( uncredited )



Gun Crazy ( as Millard Kaufman )



QUOTES BY DALTON TRUMBO....
"Show me the man that informs on friends, who have harmed NO one, and there after earns money, he could not have earned before, and I will show you NOT a decent citizen, NOT a patriot, but a miserable scoundrel... who WILL, if new pressures arise, or the price is right, betray not just his friends, but his country itself"

"I do NOT know one Hollywood informer who acted, except under duress, or money. Such men are to be watched. I can NOT imagine, they are NOT watched"


This post is dedicated to all the people who speak out against the wrongs they see.

This post is also AGAINST all the COWARDS, and ASS-KISSERS that GO-WITH-THE-FLOW.

The two-faced hypocrites that lost their spines at birth.

Against the COWARDS that hide behind flags, holy books, children, majority rule, UNjust laws, and anything else that's convenient, AND which makes it easier for them to justify their hatred and persecution of others.

To all those, whose life philosophy is conformity, and persecution of those that do not conform. Your cowardice, betrayful, and hateful ways will come back to you a hundredfold....

THE IRON SNATCH, OR WHY I HATE MOVIES THAT GLORIFY POLITICIANS



WARNING, rant ahead...

It's election season in the United States... You can NOT escape it!... If the NEVERending stream of HEADACHE-INDUCING, OBNOXIOUS, and FRAUDULENT TV commercials don't make you sick, then the radio, and internet ads will!

I HATE election season. Even when I was a kid, I hated it!

Let me REMIND YOU that POLITICIANS ARE ONE OF THE LOWEST FORMS OF LIFE on this planet. In terms of respectability, they're only a few notches above murderers, child molesters, and rapists!... The only interests they're looking out for, is their own, and that's NEVER GOING TO CHANGE!





POLITICIANS and governments make our lives as complicated and miserable as possible. Unfortunately, the only alternative is anarchy, and as we all know, that's far worse.

The only thing I HATE more than POLITICIANS, are MOVIES THAT GLORIFY POLITICIANS!

Which brings me to one of this year's ACADEMY AWARD WINNING CRAPFESTS. It's called THE IRON SNATCH, excuse me, I meant to say THE IRON LADY... NO, that's NOT true, I meant to say THE IRON SNATCH!

Oh well, this movie joins a LONG list of cinematic cures for insomnia. It's also another example of a film that has been given accolades it did NOT deserve!

Speaking of accolades, does Meryl Streep really need another award? Is she the only actress in existence?... It's just business as usual for the CLUELESS SHITHEADS at AMPAS.

I can honestly say, that I do NOT know a single person that has seen the IRON LADY. Even more importantly, I do NOT know anyone that wants to see it!... Remember the fuss about CHARIOTS OF FIRE?!





Do you also remember when AMPAS gave an OSCAR to that FUCKING LOWLIFE POLANSKI?!... If POLANSKI's name were John Smith, lived in their neighborhood, and was a doctor or auto mechanic, do you think they would treat him with respect?! Would they KISS his ass, or KICK his ass?!

Does that surprise you?... It shouldn't. The folks at the ACADEMY AWARDS are even MORE OUT-OF-TOUCH than the MPAA!

One thing is for certain, most award shows stand for MEDIOCRITY, ASS-KISSING, and NEPOTISM!





I'm also NOT surprised they gave awards to THE ARTIST. It's safe and NON-offensive. But at least THE ARTIST is LOVED BY REAL PEOPLE.

I know folks that have gone out of their way to watch that movie. It actually deserved to win awards. The filmmakers took risks. I mean, when was the last time someone you know, saw a silent movie?!





Anyway, THE GREAT DICTATOR, ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, BLAZE, and DICK are the ONLY politically themed movies I've ever liked, or ever had respect for.


"PATRIOTISM IS THE LAST REFUGE OF A SCOUNDREL" - QUOTE BY Samuel Johnson


It felt good to get that off my chest....

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

DANGER 5 DVD RELEASED IN AUSTRALIA



The Australian tv series DANGER 5 has been released on DVD, but ONLY IN AUSTRALIA!

If you live in the United States - or anywhere else - you're shit-out-of-luck!... Oh well, bootlegs are bound to pop-up, sooner rather than later!

This is the land of PULP FICTION, so you would think, that they would release a region 1 disc. But no, we can only watch EXTREMELY SHORT WEBISODES on YouTube!





For those not familiar with DANGER 5, it's a video tribute to men's adventure magazines that were popular in the United States and a few other countries in the Americas. I've been told that they also existed in Australia.



DANGER 5 is pure popcorn munching goodness! It's got TONS of dark and sexy humor!



I remember buying pulps at some of the local swap-meets ( aka flea markets ), that were held at Southern California drive-in theaters every weekend ( during the 70's and 80's ) .

Most of the magazines I purchased were from the United States, but I also remember many titles from Mexico, and a few other countries.

Unfortunately, I no longer have any of them....




Tuesday, May 1, 2012

MYSTERY CLASSICS 100 MOVIES



MYSTERY CLASSICS 100 MOVIE COLLECTION is a great way to collect some of the most esential - and classic - noir / crime / thriller flicks ever made.

This is one of my favorite MILL CREEK collections.

This set contains 24 double sided discs in paper sleeves, but No booklet.

Video and audio quality varies from movie to movie.

It's far cheaper than buying these movies individually.

I've only been able to watch 22 movies so far, and I can tell you, that I don't remember seeing the MILL CREEK logo on some movies. But on a few other films, the logo does appear on screen for approximately 10 seconds. This only happens a few times during the movie.

Some of my favorites in this collection, are as follows; CAUSE FOR ALARM, FEAR IN THE NIGHT, WOMAN ON THE RUN, WHISTLE STOP, GUEST IN THE HOUSE, THE MAN WHO CHEATED HIMSELF, THE NAKED KISS, THE RED HOUSE, THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS, THE SECOND WOMAN, and many others.

It's a shame that UNIVERSAL, WARNER BROS, and other companies, don't have big bargain sets like this.

There are far too many films to list, so I'll just spotlight a few of my favorites....



CAUSE FOR ALARM!
Loretta Young's character is married to a sick man that also happens to be the very definition of the word "paranoid".

He thinks his wife and doctor - who also happens to be his wife's former boyfriend - are planning to kill him. So he writes a letter to the district attorney detailing the imagined plan to murder him.

A short time later, her husband tries to kill her. But he's the one that dies.

She has to get that letter back before it reaches it's destination, otherwise, her and the doctor are going to jail for murder.



FEAR IN THE NIGHT
DeForest Kelley plays a guy haunted by dreams of himself committing murder. The dreams are so real, that he asks his cop brother-in-law for help.

"Hey it's the guy from STAR TREK!", that was the first thing that came out of my mouth, the first time I saw this movie.



THE HOODLUM
Lawrence Tierney's character is released from prison. He gets a job working at his brother's gas station. A short time later, he's committing crimes again!

A lot of actors have made a living as "TOUGH GUYS", but Lawrence Tierney was the genuine article ( on AND off screen ).

Edward Tierney, Lawrence's real life brother plays his fictional brother in this movie!



THE NAKED KISS
This is one of my favorite Samuel Fuller movies. Constance Towers plays a prostitute that unknowingly marries a child molester. The pervert also happens to be a Detective's best friend.

This movie was ahead of it's time.

During the first few minutes of the movie, we see a bald Ms. Towers beating the hell out of her pimp with a purse! You'll never forget that opening scene!



THE SCAR AKA HOLLOW TRIUMPH

VIDEO INFO:
DVD ( 24 double sided discs )
FULLscreen - NOTE: THE NAKED KISS is in WIDEscreen.
Black and white - I think most of them are in black and white, but I'm not sure.
Region one
Company - MILL CREEK ENTERTAINMENT
Various ratings
Extras - None
Inserts - None


TOO LATE FOR TEARS


THE MAN WHO CHEATED HIMSELF

OBTAINED AT - Local flea market ( NEW and factory sealed )

PRICE - $15.00


WOMAN ON THE RUN


GUEST IN THE HOUSE

DO I WANT MY MONEY BACK?:
HELL NO!!!... It was only 15 dollars!

I highly recommend this collection, especially if you have limited storage space.