Leo Gordon was the toughest tough guy in film. He was shot in the stomach while committing an armed robbery, survived that, served 5 YEARS IN SAN QUENTIN, where even the guards were afraid of him, then turned his life around and had a successful career as an actor and screenwriter. I didn't know this when I was a kid, but I always found him watchable, and still do.
An excellent review . The best part was your comments about learning to grow old gracefully . As a guy who’s staring down 70 , I’m constantly amazed by such wisdom coming from someone as young as you . It took me a lot longer to learn what you , clearly , already know . I look forward to your next offering of thoughtful insight . Cheers !
I appreciate how serious you took this movie - an easy movie to dismiss. Also, I did see it as a very young child(preschool) and remember running into the next room when the monster appeared. I watched the rest of the movie from the door way....
I'm glad RUclips's algorithm recently recommended your channel. Really impressed how thorough, thoughtful, funny, and interesting your book and movie reviews are. You're probably tired of endless well-meaning suggestions but consider doing videos on 1) Movies that always make you cry 2) Movies that scared you as a kid 3) Fave theme songs, music, etc. Keep up the good work! 🙂
Thank you! I'm glad you found it. :) I did do a video once about movies that scared me when I was little--ruclips.net/video/sVJWNNFZBG4/видео.html But that was years ago. Movies that make me cry would be a fun one, but I bet it would be tough to film, haha. I can't even describe some scenes (like a certain one in The Fox and the Hound) without starting to unravel. I'd definitely love to talk more about scores, soundtracks, and music in general, and will do so as the opportunity comes along!
And Roger Corman is still with us at 97! Meet him once at a convention in 2000 in northern Virginia. It was my pleasure to drive him & his wife to the Smithsonian art museum. An incredible experience I will always remember!
I've always thought Roger Corman pretty well invented the "so bad it's good" genre. I know a lot of folks would give that "honor" to Ed Wood, but for me, Wood's movies do not demonstrate any competence of any phase of filmmaking, which Corman's movies are clearly made by a competent filmmaker. And you raised such a great question, "low point" versus "high point?" I think Corman's low points are the high points! It's where the magic lives in these movies! Anyway, yet another fantastic review, Jerome.
Nice to see that pointed out. We are fans of VeSota. Interesting career in so many quirky character parts---and pretty unforgettable in that faux Tennessee Williams part in ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES.
My mother was a beautiful blonde and had a lot of professional success but after the age of 45 this success went completely down hill. She tried to keep her self-confidence but as the years went by she became more and more bitter. Many very nice looking women out there believe their success is mostly due to competence but how much is actually due to their beauty or charisma? No matter if you're male or female, even if there is competence, depending on the business environment being young and good looking will definitely be a plus for your career.
I subscribed because of your sincere empathy towards Susan Cabot. According to some sources, this film left her with facial scars/burns, which ended her career. I can't verify that.
I enjoyed your comments about ageing toward the end of the review. (I'm guessing that it's a subject that was on your mind before watching the film?) As Mark Twain wrote, “Do not complain about growing old. It is a privilege denied to many". I find people who age gracefully are far more attractive than insecure people that foolishly attempt to preserve their youth through surgery, or having poison injected into their body. Sadder still is seeing young people wasting time worrying about the way they look because one of the truths revealed by ageing is that youth is beauty. Keep up the good work! (And please review Jason And The Argonauts - it was my favourite film as a boy and I love it still.)
Great points, Jerome! I have a soft spot for this movie and for Susan Cabot. Her story truly is a sad one, but I really enjoyed her in this film and in her westerns, especially the ones with Audie Murphy, "The Duel at Silver Creek", "Gunsmoke", and "Ride Clear of Diablo".
I'm a retired teacher and lifelong movie buff. The first movie I saw in the theater was Forbidden Planet in 1956 and have loved 50's and 60's sci fi ever since. It's fun to hear a young person's opinions on these films. My favorite TV show of the early 60's was The Fugitive, but I also liked the WW2 drama Combat [1962-67]. You should check it out.
I'm enjoying your excellent, well-researched and informative reviews of 1950s sci fi B movies because, unfortunately, 1950s B sci fi movies have been mostly forgotten. I suggest you review some of Ray Harryhausen's movies from the 1950s. Speaking of Leo Gordon, I remember him from an episode of THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW in which he played an ex-con who is just released from prison and wants to visit the man who put him in prison----Sheriff Andy Taylor, who assumes Gordon wants revenge. This episode is possibly inspired by Gordon's real past in which he was shot by a policeman during a break-in, and while in prison, he saw the light and used his time in prison to find redemption as an actor and writer. This is similar to Steve McQueen, a Marine who was AWOL with his girlfriend , apprehended in Raleigh, North Carolina (where I went to college) and while in the brig, he realized he was headed down the wrong path and decided to become an actor. Since you're having problems with receiving library dvds, I've heard some libraries have free streaming with other libraries, but I'm not familiar with the details, but you might want to look into it as an alternative to interlibrary loans. My library advertises Hoopla and Kanopy, but, again, I haven't used them.
Great suggestion. I'm sure Jerome has seen them and would do an excellent job reviewing them. I grew up with them and they were so much fun, either on the big screen or small.
Yes, I've enjoyed a number of Harryhausen films over the years, and I'm probably overdue to review one. (I did talk about One Million BC a couple weeks ago, but that was the 60s.) Oddly enough, the movie I've been waiting for all this time is The Valley of Gwangi (1969), which has Harryhausen effects. My county's library network doesn't have a copy, so I ordered one (of three available copies) from the bigger, statewide inter-library loan network. Unfortunately, that service is much slower. It also doesn't help that, when my movie finally DID arrive on Friday morning, the librarian checked it out to me and then, instead of putting it on the holdshelf, dropped it back in the delivery bin! It's on its way home now, even though it's still checked out to me. If I'd known it was going to be like this, I'd have just streamed it on Prime for $2.99. But now I'm kind of stuck...
Thank you for your review of the Wasp Woman. This was an excellent review of the film. I, also, only saw this film for the first-time last month. It is a film that I found quite enjoyable. There was a remake of the film in 1995 of the same title. That is the version that I saw first. Also, thank you very much for sharing your thoughts and wisdom about aging and not to let oneself succumb to methods of trying to keep you. Instead, to embrace it and that it is a part of life not to be embarrassed about. Thank you for sharing your time and talent for viewing and reviewing these classic films. I wrote to you once before and, in those comments, I mentioned that I am also a huge Godzilla fan as well. I do not know if you read or heard, but a film entitled "GODZILLA MINUS ZERO" is being released in Japanese theaters in the beginning of November. It is supposed to reach U.S. theaters in the beginning of December.
Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the video! I thought I had replied to your comment about Godzilla Minus Zero, but perhaps I only thought I did? It's been one of those months. Anyway, yes, I watched the teaser right after it was released. I look forward to seeing it in December, provided I can get myself to the theater in time. It's got an intriguing setting, and as others have noted, the Godzilla design looks like a cool mix of Heisei and Millennium, plus HUGE feet!
Nice review. One note of interest, in case no one has mentioned it. Michael Mark, who portrayed Dr. Zinthrop, also played Ludwig the father of Maria, the little girl accidentally drowned by Boris Karloff in 1931's Frankenstein. He also appeared in Son of Frankenstein, Ghost of Frankenstein and House of Frankenstein.
A background note: From the mid 1950's, Royal Jelly, a bee secretion, was widely hyped as a fountain of youth, beauty, and health. That' was the then-current trend the movie tied into. (Since then, the FDA has refuted such claims.)
I was born in 1956 and it seemed to me there was never a time when I didn’t know who Leo Gordon was, as he always seemed to be either on screen at the local movie theatre or in tv, almost always playing a bad guy, and not just any bad guy but the worse of the bunch. Later on, when I learned he was also a writer it came as a real surprise. Considerably less surprising was the fact that he was also an ex-con. Interestingly, one of the few times he was allowed to portray someone who wasn’t a villain was in another Roger Corman movie, The Intruder, opposite a young William Shatner, and though I vaguely recall seeing the movie in the theatre as a kid, I don’t remember Gordon, so maybe he was simply better at playing the bad guy.
Nice review. Saw this movie many years ago. The monster makeup was the best part of the film for me. Was too young to understand much of the underlying message. Your summing up in the last few minutes was excellent, some words to the wise. Nice job as usual jw.
I always found Susan Cabot's performance fascinating to watch. I believe her real life unhappiness influenced her acting. Unusual for a female company head in the '50s.
Right on sister, I loved your commentary on aging at the end. Totally agree with it 100%. Also your review put this film on my radar for a future late night watch. Thanks.
That is interesting that those films with similar themes were released so close together. Susan Cabot's life was indeed tragic. I can't wait for your review of Sound of Freedom! I celebrate the success of that film!
I'd like to be able to go see it this week, but I'm not sure I'll make it. The showtimes haven't been convenient, and it looks like its limited theatrical run may end on Wednesday or Thursday. I might have to wait until it comes out on dvd/Blu-ray.
EXCELLENT review and research! Being born in 1950 these films were part of my frantically scanning the Sunday newspaper TV section for the weekend Creature Feature type films. I did see this one first run and have always loved it along with similar of its ilk like Tarantula, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, Th Mole People etc etc etc. I really love the care and detail you put into these older films! As Darth Vader said "Impressive. Most impressive." :)
I was really surprised when I saw your thumbnail. Jerome reviewing one of MST3K's favortie movies to riff????😆😆😆😆Any way it definately drew me here. I was pleasently surprised of your review. You always do great reviews and this is no exception. Giving it a background that is very interestin especially about the sobering tale the life of Susan Cabot life equally engaging. As for Roger Corman, who has been called the more educated Ed Wood, the movies which he is infamous for making on a shoe string budget and in less than a week, yet I think a lot of them have symbolic themes. There is a message in each of them. but sometimes you got to look hard. Famous actors like Jack Nicholson, Peter Fonda, Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd, to name a few who started in Corman films and even directors like Peter Bogdanovich and Martin Scorsese got there start with Corman, and as low budgeted as his films were, each of these people have said they learned a lot from Roger Corman on how to make movies.
Having recently seen The Wasp Woman, I appreciate your insights and research, especially on Susan Cabot's sad life. Thanks a lot. Good job as always. Byyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
I've never seen the wasp woman but it comes up in horror movie lists often and has made a resurgence in popularity lately. As far as your speech about aging that is quite relevant to me. I just hit the big 5 - oh a few months ago. Definitely been feeling my age, especially as I work in a factory doing manual labor. But this old guy can out work people half my age. Also 6 weeks ago I took the plunge and transfered to another department. Now I do inspections & repair. Which is surprising as I am (was) not the most mechanically inclined person. But now I routinely pull motors from appliances and diagnose problems. All in all thank you for the video.
I actually remember hearing about her (Susan Cabot’s) death at the time… the son with dwarfism and King Hussein details brought it back clearly… but I didn’t know who she was when she died. I have to come clean… I’ve seen this movie a number of times thanks to Cinematic Titanic. Sorry, lol. I always watch your videos when I can’t sleep. I’ll keep watching… ciao!
What gave this genre of Roger Corman oddities its pizzazz was the tympanically-driven MUSICAL dramatis personae. The angularity and neo modernism of those movies' added musical flavors have made for a rediscovered cinematic experience each and every time I revisit the works of Corman from this mill/ camp. If you're somewhere looking over my shoulder reading my continuous decades-connected raves,, in adult life (barely reaching the planet back then as a toddler) I am deeply enamored by your work. Wherever you are, take it from me personally," you're one of the greatest!" 🎉Mr Corman. You will be missed, even though the times have changed 180- degrees outward around the arc since this period, my favorite!. ❤
Hi friend! I may need to revisit this movie now! I know I may have seen it at least once...or maybe I didn't finish it...either way, one of those fun popcorn entertaining movies! Great review as usual and that was a nice message you shared at the end. There is a quote I remember from a character, Professor Arturo in TV series Sliders that said, "That which is beautiful is not always good. That which is good is always beautiful." =) That may have been a real quote from someone else... not sure...but it has always stuck with me.
We used to go to kiddee matinee on Saturdays at the Garmar Theater in Montebello, Ca. back in the late 50's and early 60's. We used to see all these 50's B-sci-fi movies including The Wasp Woman. Susan Cabot was a decent B-movie actress but I think Beverly Garland was the queen of the 50's sci-fi B-movies. Cabot was actually better in "The Viking Women And Their Voyage To The Waters Of The Great Sea Serpent (how's that for a title!) because they all wore skimpy clothes and that was very important for us 10 year old kids. Wow!!
I really like Susan Cabot as the shaman/priestess in Corman's "Viking Women and the Sea Serpent". It's an example of a good actor making something out of nothing.
Another solid movie that is watchable and a lot of the movies that you review I can see on TCM as I hate to watch a review without seeing the movie. Please keep up the great work that you do with these older films as they do get much love these days.
I appreciated that the a security guard was shown carrying a Detex clock on his rounds. I've been a security guard for over 24 years and actually got to use one of these at my first assignment. It was fun, but I'm sure they've all been decommissioned by now.
Good Morning, Sister Jerome! It's about 0148 here in Whitney, and I just enjoyed watching your review of one of my favorite monster movies. I have no idea how many times I 've seen THE WASP WOMAN, between watching it a bunch of times on SHOCK THEATER as a child, on 8 ALL NITE as a young adult in the Seventies, or enjoying it on DVD, which I did again a couple months ago. I was probably seven when I first saw it, and yes, it scared the footies offa my PJs back then. Even now, I get a nostalgic frisson when I watch it. One thing that I experience whenever I watch a movie like this is a kind of envy; I find myself wishing that I could have been in the right place and time to have worked on or in a film by Roger Corman, Al Adamson, Ed Wood, or others who produced these seat of the pants drive -In classics. I know, from reading accounts of the making of these films, that it was often rough sledding (imagine wrestling a phony rubber octopus in ice-cold water at three am), but the fan in me would have jumped at the chance. I remember hearing about Susan Cabot's murder at the time, and feeling sad and disgusted, that life is so often so cold. Well, it's 0209, and I must get some sleep. Thank you for your passion, your zeal, and your charm.
Another great review here! Yeah, I do remember seeing the Wasp Woman once, but it’s been a little while. I may have to go back and rewatch it…but if I remember right, it seemed to be decent for what it was, though probably not among my favorites. That’s an interesting comparison of the Wasp Woman to, in some ways, a sort of “Larry Talbot” kind of character….it does seem like there were similarities there. I definitely agree with you on Not of this Earth…I remember that one being very good! I enjoyed the video, and look forward to more reviews!
Hello JW. Thank you for the insightful and informative review. I saw The Wasp Woman as a little boy and, yes, it did scare me a lot. All of the movies where people transform into monsters had that effect on me. I guess I need to watch this one again to see how I react, especially since it's easily available. There's even a colorized version here on RUclips. By the way, following your channel led me to finding Daisuke Beppu and his reviews of various Criterion releases (he seems to have all of them). Many thanks to both of you for what you do.
Hi J. I was impressed by the acting and the music. That xylophone player was pretty busy. One of my favorite scenes is when the police are trying to track down the scientist, with that 'we'll get to the bottom of this' music playing. I'd want them to look for me, if I needed finding. Another thought, the poster. I wonder if these artists were given any information as to what to draw. "I dunno, she's a woman who turns into a wasp. Use your imagination!" I think the same is true for the fifty foot woman and other posters as well. I did enjoy this one, thanks for the review, take care.
Yes, it's one of the more hilariously inaccurate posters of the genre. It's like they were given a piece of information--"the movie's about a woman who turns into a wasp"--but they accidentally went in the opposite direction, drawing a wasp with a woman's head instead of the other way around. The effect is rather delightful, ha.
I think that's Roger's brother at 14:07 on the far right. I think, but could be Roger. They resemble each other quite a bit. I have a photo of Roger directing on the set, so maybe I should dig that out and see if there are clues. Great review and very fair-handed. With a much better creature make-up and better score (like one by Ronald Stein) this could have been a solid minor classic. As one low-budget producer once said "never cheap-out on the monster. in the title..It's really what a lot of people go to these movies to see."
I champion this whenever I can, sly Corman with his proto feminism of ripping unfair beauty standards to shreds. Janice is stunning and somehow deemed decrepit. One of the cleverest B movies.
This one is tough for me to get through. I much prefer THE LEECH WOMAN, if only because star Coleen Gray was one of my best friends. But then, Coleen liked the movie, too!
I loved Leo Gordon in The Night of the Grizzly and his appearance in the Andy Griffith show. He did great with this story. Even if the special effects with the wasp makeup wasn't the best, I loved the storyline and characters. I like to feel for characters in movies, so I took this very seriously and was scared when the monster appeared and caused injuries or deaths.
FWIW: I agree with JW, do not _'fret'_ over growing older. I turned 62 in early 2023. I _still_ have almost all my hair, which is still mostly brown. I started wearing my hair shoulder length or longer after retiring from the military in 2003. My Mom passed in 2015 at age 96, and she still did not have too much gray in her hair at that time. {I presume I inherited my hair from her.} My BEARD, unlike what you see in my current 10+ year old il profile photo, is a lost cause: OVER 50% gray...🤭 I say all that to support the statement that I DO NOT -- and NEVER WILL -- dye my hair or beard to hide the gray. I have NO PROBLEM WHATSOEVER with others who do so, but I will not. Also: If my hair ever DOES fall out, I will shave my head and NEVER DO A COMB-OVER. I grew up in the land of comb-overs -- ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA -- and IT AIN'T NEVER HAPPENING...😉
This seems like something I should have seen on Mystery Science Theater 3000 but apparently I didn't because I can't find a record of the episode. It was taken on by Cinematic Titanic though.
I really like most Corman movies, this one included . . . mostly for the campy B movie quality I admit. Considering the budget this movie probably had the special effects aren't the worst I've seen in other movies of this genre/period (the mask does seem to be at least inspired by "The Fly"). I saw this movie, and many others in this genre when I was very young, and none shook me up but one - "The Hypnotic Eye" you referenced. I didn't like its premise at all. I could shrug off Wasp women, Alien body snatchers, Murderous monsters from Mars . . . but this movie really bothered me. I've never watched it again. Susan Cabot actually reminds me of a maternal Aunt of mine! Whenever I see her in a movie, I remember my Aunt, who was very sympathetic and likeable. Human or animal, if it was hungry she'd feed it. Cabot is a very tragic figure indeed. Leo Gordon always strikes me as a perfect veteran policeman. Pair him with James Whitmore's character in "Them!" and you have the makings for a good detective movie or series. Another great review! 🙂
I think the young dog is a doberman with its ears uncut, so it didn't only got younger but got its ears regenerated in the process. Why not the tail though?
Even without Susan Cabot, Barboura Morris was interesting in everything she appeared in. One good role of hers is in the laundromat scene of Roger Corman's THE TRIP.
I'd love to hear you talk about Sound of Freedom. I don't go to the movies, so I haven't seen it. But my coworker saw it and she loved it. A couple from my Sunday school class also thought it was pretty good.I've also seen some positive reviews on RUclips.
Unfortunately I don't know if I'll be able to catch it in its theatrical run. I wasn't aware it was only a limited release, but I was checking out showtimes for this week and there's nothing after Thursday. I rarely go to the movies, but it covers such an important topic, and all the reliable sources I've heard talk about it had nothing but praise for the film itself and its handling of the material. I'm just not sure if it's going to work out for me time-wise. But if I do miss my chance, you can be sure I'll talk about it later when it gets a physical release.
I like low budget b/w horror, however, few did it well. I recommend Alfred Hitchcock Hour - The Glass Eye, Freaks, Ed Wood's Final Curtain, Night of The Ghouls, Dead of Night, Carnival of Souls, Black Sabbath (color), Magic (color), ...
Wow just found your channel. Great movie reviews. I was doing some research on The Wasp Woman and saw your review. Very interesting little movie. I saw that you reviewed Bava's Planet Of The Vampires and was wondering if you have seen his other films like Black Sunday and Black Sabbath and if so what was your option? You have 8 years of movie reviews here so I should start catching up!
I saw this for the first time last year and really liked it. I was impressed that it passes the Bechdel-Wallace Test in pretty short order. I just wish they has put the more effort into the wasp transformation. The writing and the acting are all on-point but that dopey mask just looks lazy.
I shared a hospital room with someone who insisted on watching home shopping networks whenever possible and...several times a day a cosmetic product is presented often by a “celebrity” spokesperson who could be a stand in for Janet Starling. We’re in the third decade of the 21st century and ideas of women, aging and beauty are literally identical to a B horror film from the dawn of television. The fault may not be in the stars here, is all I’m saying.
I've seen The Wasp Woman many times. At the time there was a string of movies about women growing older and either through their actions, or their man's actions, it has tragic results. There was some validity to it in acting and modeling at the time. In acting is was a matter of accepting you're going to have to accept more mature parts. The original Twilight Zone did an episode about an actress who was unwilling to accept she'd no longer get leading lady parts. Yes, it is often sad to read biographies of actors, especially ones who were relatively young when they stopped appearing in movies.
Poor Susan Cabot .. you might have noticed that many of the '50s Sci--Fi ladies came to tragic endings .. Yvette Vickers, Mari Blanchard, Alison Hayes, Peggie Castle & especially Barbara Payton
Starting at eighteen minutes, Jack Hill ['Spider Baby', 'The Big Doll House', 'Coffy', 'Foxy Brown', 'The Switchblade Sisters'] discusses shooting 20 minutes additional film for the TV version of 'Wasp Woman'. (Left click for 'open link' to open new page while keeping Jerome Weiselberry on this page) ruclips.net/video/9QtWJVbetY8/видео.html
I remember watching The Wasp Woman in my childhood and was terrified of the creature and more afraid of older girls, thinking they would turn into a horrible monster. I have the movie in my DVD collection, and seeing it again many years ago reminded me of the original Fly movie, this one of the opposite gender. My favorite sci-fi movies of the past are Rodan (1956) and Monster that Challenged the World (1957). Have you ever reviewed those?
The 1995 remake has a good looking monster design (besides the bazongas) but in exchange it's closer to The Rejuvenator/Rejuvenatrix than the original movie.
I'm glad that you saw that this film deals with eternal themes of aging and the way that it can impact a persons self-worth in society, as true today, sadly, as it was then. People will often try crazy and even dangerous things to try to look and appear more attractive or more youthful, this applies to both men and women, but much more so to women I feel. Social media is full of these idea and trends, many which either prove useless or worse damaging, sometimes permanently. Roger Corman was a passionate low budget Director who made a great number of films some terrible, some great and many inbetween, his importance isn't so much based on the quality of his output but of the opportunities he gave to people in the business, many now famous, there's a good overview of his career done here: ruclips.net/video/n4A9Nc7F_7I/видео.html By the way, an interesting thing which you may not know, but the term 'Wasp' or 'Waspish' was used to describe a woman who was ill-mannered, curt or badly tempered, it's now fallen from common usage, I've often wondered if this was known by Roger Corman when making this.
I'm a 1950's sci-fi and monster fanatic and noticed there are many of these like The Wasp Woman and others on youtube that have been colorized. I was wondering what your opinion is on this. If you mentioned it already in previous videos, I probably missed it.
Yes, I noticed that. Personally I don't like it. Even when it's painstakingly done, I don't feel it adds much, and when it's done poorly, it becomes an ugly distraction. I get that some people have trouble relating to black and white, but to me, watching a colorization is kind of like watching a dub of a foreign-language film. What you're experiencing is a heavily altered version of the original, and depending on how wonky it is, that can negatively affect your response to the movie.
@@WeiselberryYes! I agree completely. Plus, black and white films were lit differently than when filming in color, so it makes no sense to apply color. It's like taking a neorealism painting and changing it to an impressionist. But I guess it is stupid to try to analyze it on the basis of the creative process because those decisions are always about money, not art.
The dvd copy I have is really terrible picture quality and seems to be the extended television version, I did see the original cut on TV in good quality though. I kind of like this film, classic tragedy style plot where all of it could have been prevented except for bad luck and poor decisions.
Always a treat when JW mentions a movie I've never heard of, and provides a beautiful backstory -- you definitely need to consider a second channel, sort of a "behind the scenes" type commentary on how a particular movie got created. Also, the movie is on RUclips, so I'm watching tonight: ruclips.net/video/JpPAN6frZmU/видео.html
Hello and thank you for replying back to me. I must clear something up. When I mentioned I had written to you prior, it was under a different video that you did. It wasn't for this video for the Wasp Woman and the soon to be released Godzilla movie that I mentioned here. I was only stating that in my previous writing to you that I mentioned being a huge Godzilla fan. So, no, it's alright that you did not reply to my first communicae that I sent to you. Please, do not think that I am offended or expected you to write back. However, I am very glad that you did write back to me! In one of your other videos, you mentioned that you are a Christian. So am I. I know that you have reviewed a few Christmas films. Have you ever seen the 1948 live action Christmas film "The Bishop's Wife?" It stars Cary Grant (my favorite actor of all time), Loretta Young and David Niven. This is a film that I have been watching on Christmas Eve night for the past twenty years. Of course, depending on what other festivities take place, sometimes I don't get to watch it. Yet, this is a truly great film with good, moral messages. I won't go into any more details of the film. However, it is my all time favorite Christmas movie. If you have not seen this movie, I do recommend it.
Leo Gordon was the toughest tough guy in film. He was shot in the stomach while committing an armed robbery, survived that, served 5 YEARS IN SAN QUENTIN, where even the guards were afraid of him, then turned his life around and had a successful career as an actor and screenwriter. I didn't know this when I was a kid, but I always found him watchable, and still do.
An excellent review . The best part was your comments about learning to grow old gracefully .
As a guy who’s staring down 70 , I’m constantly amazed by such wisdom coming from someone as young as you .
It took me a lot longer to learn what you , clearly , already know .
I look forward to your next offering of thoughtful insight .
Cheers !
I appreciate how serious you took this movie - an easy movie to dismiss. Also, I did see it as a very young child(preschool) and remember running into the next room when the monster appeared. I watched the rest of the movie from the door way....
I'm glad RUclips's algorithm recently recommended your channel. Really impressed how thorough, thoughtful, funny, and interesting your book and movie reviews are. You're probably tired of endless well-meaning suggestions but consider doing videos on 1) Movies that always make you cry 2) Movies that scared you as a kid 3) Fave theme songs, music, etc. Keep up the good work! 🙂
Thank you! I'm glad you found it. :) I did do a video once about movies that scared me when I was little--ruclips.net/video/sVJWNNFZBG4/видео.html But that was years ago. Movies that make me cry would be a fun one, but I bet it would be tough to film, haha. I can't even describe some scenes (like a certain one in The Fox and the Hound) without starting to unravel. I'd definitely love to talk more about scores, soundtracks, and music in general, and will do so as the opportunity comes along!
And Roger Corman is still with us at 97!
Meet him once at a convention in 2000 in northern Virginia. It was my pleasure to drive him & his wife to the Smithsonian art museum. An incredible experience I will always remember!
I've always thought Roger Corman pretty well invented the "so bad it's good" genre. I know a lot of folks would give that "honor" to Ed Wood, but for me, Wood's movies do not demonstrate any competence of any phase of filmmaking, which Corman's movies are clearly made by a competent filmmaker. And you raised such a great question, "low point" versus "high point?" I think Corman's low points are the high points! It's where the magic lives in these movies! Anyway, yet another fantastic review, Jerome.
The actor playing the watchman was Corman regular Bruno Ve Sota, actor, writer, and occasional director.
Nice to see that pointed out. We are fans of VeSota. Interesting career in so many quirky character parts---and pretty unforgettable in that faux Tennessee Williams part in ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES.
Love the end of video message! Nice way to start the week, but that poor woman's life. Yikes!
Sound of Freedom was eye opening
My mother was a beautiful blonde and had a lot of professional success but after the age of 45 this success went completely down hill. She tried to keep her self-confidence but as the years went by she became more and more bitter. Many very nice looking women out there believe their success is mostly due to competence but how much is actually due to their beauty or charisma? No matter if you're male or female, even if there is competence, depending on the business environment being young and good looking will definitely be a plus for your career.
I subscribed because of your sincere empathy towards Susan Cabot. According to some sources, this film left her with facial scars/burns, which ended her career. I can't verify that.
I enjoyed your comments about ageing toward the end of the review. (I'm guessing that it's a subject that was on your mind before watching the film?) As Mark Twain wrote, “Do not complain about growing old. It is a privilege denied to many". I find people who age gracefully are far more attractive than insecure people that foolishly attempt to preserve their youth through surgery, or having poison injected into their body. Sadder still is seeing young people wasting time worrying about the way they look because one of the truths revealed by ageing is that youth is beauty. Keep up the good work! (And please review Jason And The Argonauts - it was my favourite film as a boy and I love it still.)
Thank you Miss “W” for the review (delivered in your unique style) and your wise perspectives at the end. Have a good week.
RIP Roger Corman.
Hey, I saw that movie once at the Redford Theatre in Detroit! Thanks for the neat review!
Yay Redford Township! ;-) Saw many a film at same theater many MANY moons (and suns etc etc) ago!
Great points, Jerome! I have a soft spot for this movie and for Susan Cabot. Her story truly is a sad one, but I really enjoyed her in this film and in her westerns, especially the ones with Audie Murphy, "The Duel at Silver Creek", "Gunsmoke", and "Ride Clear of Diablo".
Another great, well thought out and presented review of a Corman Classic.
I'm a retired teacher and lifelong movie buff. The first movie I saw in the theater was Forbidden Planet in 1956 and have loved 50's and 60's sci fi ever since. It's fun to hear a young person's opinions on these films. My favorite TV show of the early 60's was The Fugitive, but I also liked the WW2 drama Combat [1962-67]. You should check it out.
I'm enjoying your excellent, well-researched and informative reviews of 1950s sci fi B movies because, unfortunately, 1950s B sci fi movies have been mostly forgotten. I suggest you review some of Ray Harryhausen's movies from the 1950s.
Speaking of Leo Gordon, I remember him from an episode of THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW in which he played an ex-con who is just released from prison and wants to visit the man who put him in prison----Sheriff Andy Taylor, who assumes Gordon wants revenge. This episode is possibly inspired by Gordon's real past in which he was shot by a policeman during a break-in, and while in prison, he saw the light and used his time in prison to find redemption as an actor and writer. This is similar to Steve McQueen, a Marine who was AWOL with his girlfriend , apprehended in Raleigh, North Carolina (where I went to college) and while in the brig, he realized he was headed down the wrong path and decided to become an actor.
Since you're having problems with receiving library dvds, I've heard some libraries have free streaming with other libraries, but I'm not familiar with the details, but you might want to look into it as an alternative to interlibrary loans. My library advertises Hoopla and Kanopy, but, again, I haven't used them.
Great suggestion. I'm sure Jerome has seen them and would do an excellent job reviewing them. I grew up with them and they were so much fun, either on the big screen or small.
Yes, I've enjoyed a number of Harryhausen films over the years, and I'm probably overdue to review one. (I did talk about One Million BC a couple weeks ago, but that was the 60s.) Oddly enough, the movie I've been waiting for all this time is The Valley of Gwangi (1969), which has Harryhausen effects. My county's library network doesn't have a copy, so I ordered one (of three available copies) from the bigger, statewide inter-library loan network. Unfortunately, that service is much slower.
It also doesn't help that, when my movie finally DID arrive on Friday morning, the librarian checked it out to me and then, instead of putting it on the holdshelf, dropped it back in the delivery bin! It's on its way home now, even though it's still checked out to me. If I'd known it was going to be like this, I'd have just streamed it on Prime for $2.99. But now I'm kind of stuck...
Thank you for your review of the Wasp Woman. This was an excellent review of the film. I, also, only saw this film for the first-time last month. It is a film that I found quite enjoyable. There was a remake of the film in 1995 of the same title. That is the version that I saw first. Also, thank you very much for sharing your thoughts and wisdom about aging and not to let oneself succumb to methods of trying to keep you. Instead, to embrace it and that it is a part of life not to be embarrassed about. Thank you for sharing your time and talent for viewing and reviewing these classic films. I wrote to you once before and, in those comments, I mentioned that I am also a huge Godzilla fan as well. I do not know if you read or heard, but a film entitled "GODZILLA MINUS ZERO" is being released in Japanese theaters in the beginning of November. It is supposed to reach U.S. theaters in the beginning of December.
Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the video! I thought I had replied to your comment about Godzilla Minus Zero, but perhaps I only thought I did? It's been one of those months. Anyway, yes, I watched the teaser right after it was released. I look forward to seeing it in December, provided I can get myself to the theater in time. It's got an intriguing setting, and as others have noted, the Godzilla design looks like a cool mix of Heisei and Millennium, plus HUGE feet!
Nice review. One note of interest, in case no one has mentioned it. Michael Mark, who portrayed Dr. Zinthrop, also played Ludwig the father of Maria, the little girl accidentally drowned by Boris Karloff in 1931's Frankenstein. He also appeared in Son of Frankenstein, Ghost of Frankenstein and House of Frankenstein.
Great review! I really appreciate in-depth reviews of older movies that not everyone reviews and you do a really great job of it, thanks.
A background note: From the mid 1950's, Royal Jelly, a bee secretion, was widely hyped as a fountain of youth, beauty, and health. That' was the then-current trend the movie tied into. (Since then, the FDA has refuted such claims.)
I was born in 1956 and it seemed to me there was never a time when I didn’t know who Leo Gordon was, as he always seemed to be either on screen at the local movie theatre or in tv, almost always playing a bad guy, and not just any bad guy but the worse of the bunch. Later on, when I learned he was also a writer it came as a real surprise. Considerably less surprising was the fact that he was also an ex-con. Interestingly, one of the few times he was allowed to portray someone who wasn’t a villain was in another Roger Corman movie, The Intruder, opposite a young William Shatner, and though I vaguely recall seeing the movie in the theatre as a kid, I don’t remember Gordon, so maybe he was simply better at playing the bad guy.
Nice review. Saw this movie many years ago. The monster makeup was the best part of the film for me. Was too young to understand much of the underlying message. Your summing up in the last few minutes was excellent, some words to the wise. Nice job as usual jw.
great review. I was out and about yesterday when you posted and didn't see this until sunday morning. So good to see another review !
I always found Susan Cabot's performance fascinating to watch. I believe her real life unhappiness influenced her acting. Unusual for a female company head in the '50s.
Wonderful closing thoughts there, Miss Weiselberry, and beautifully conveyed. I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments expressed.
Right on sister, I loved your commentary on aging at the end. Totally agree with it 100%. Also your review put this film on my radar for a future late night watch. Thanks.
Awesome Review and love your comments. ♥
Thank you!
That is interesting that those films with similar themes were released so close together. Susan Cabot's life was indeed tragic. I can't wait for your review of Sound of Freedom! I celebrate the success of that film!
I'd like to be able to go see it this week, but I'm not sure I'll make it. The showtimes haven't been convenient, and it looks like its limited theatrical run may end on Wednesday or Thursday. I might have to wait until it comes out on dvd/Blu-ray.
@@Weiselberry Sometimes, that's how it goes. In any case, I'm glad you are going to check it out!
EXCELLENT review and research! Being born in 1950 these films were part of my frantically scanning the Sunday newspaper TV section for the weekend Creature Feature type films. I did see this one first run and have always loved it along with similar of its ilk like Tarantula, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, Th Mole People etc etc etc. I really love the care and detail you put into these older films! As Darth Vader said "Impressive. Most impressive." :)
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I was really surprised when I saw your thumbnail. Jerome reviewing one of MST3K's favortie movies to riff????😆😆😆😆Any way it definately drew me here. I was pleasently surprised of your review. You always do great reviews and this is no exception. Giving it a background that is very interestin especially about the sobering tale the life of Susan Cabot life equally engaging.
As for Roger Corman, who has been called the more educated Ed Wood, the movies which he is infamous for making on a shoe string budget and in less than a week, yet I think a lot of them have symbolic themes. There is a message in each of them. but sometimes you got to look hard.
Famous actors like Jack Nicholson, Peter Fonda, Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd, to name a few who started in Corman films and even directors like Peter Bogdanovich and Martin Scorsese got there start with Corman, and as low budgeted as his films were, each of these people have said they learned a lot from Roger Corman on how to make movies.
Having recently seen The Wasp Woman, I appreciate your insights and research, especially on Susan Cabot's sad life. Thanks a lot. Good job as always. Byyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
I've never seen the wasp woman but it comes up in horror movie lists often and has made a resurgence in popularity lately.
As far as your speech about aging that is quite relevant to me. I just hit the big 5 - oh a few months ago. Definitely been feeling my age, especially as I work in a factory doing manual labor. But this old guy can out work people half my age.
Also 6 weeks ago I took the plunge and transfered to another department. Now I do inspections & repair. Which is surprising as I am (was) not the most mechanically inclined person. But now I routinely pull motors from appliances and diagnose problems.
All in all thank you for the video.
Another great review; thank you so much! 🍻🍻
I actually remember hearing about her (Susan Cabot’s) death at the time… the son with dwarfism and King Hussein details brought it back clearly… but I didn’t know who she was when she died. I have to come clean… I’ve seen this movie a number of times thanks to Cinematic Titanic. Sorry, lol. I always watch your videos when I can’t sleep. I’ll keep watching… ciao!
Can’t wait to check it out thanks
What gave this genre of Roger Corman oddities its pizzazz was the tympanically-driven MUSICAL dramatis personae. The angularity and neo modernism of those movies' added musical flavors have made for a rediscovered cinematic experience each and every time I revisit the works of Corman from this mill/ camp. If you're somewhere looking over my shoulder reading my continuous decades-connected raves,, in adult life (barely reaching the planet back then as a toddler) I am deeply enamored by your work. Wherever you are, take it from me personally," you're one of the greatest!" 🎉Mr Corman. You will be missed, even though the times have changed 180- degrees outward around the arc since this period, my favorite!. ❤
I saw this in L.A. as a kid back in the ‘60s.
Excellent review. Thank you.
Hi friend! I may need to revisit this movie now! I know I may have seen it at least once...or maybe I didn't finish it...either way, one of those fun popcorn entertaining movies! Great review as usual and that was a nice message you shared at the end. There is a quote I remember from a character, Professor Arturo in TV series Sliders that said, "That which is beautiful is not always good. That which is good is always beautiful." =) That may have been a real quote from someone else... not sure...but it has always stuck with me.
We used to go to kiddee matinee on Saturdays at the Garmar Theater in Montebello, Ca. back in the late 50's and early 60's. We used to see all these 50's B-sci-fi movies including The Wasp Woman. Susan Cabot was a decent B-movie actress but I think Beverly Garland was the queen of the 50's sci-fi B-movies. Cabot was actually better in "The Viking Women And Their Voyage To The Waters Of The Great Sea Serpent (how's that for a title!) because they all wore skimpy clothes and that was very important for us 10 year old kids. Wow!!
I really like Susan Cabot as the shaman/priestess in Corman's "Viking Women and the Sea Serpent". It's an example of a good actor making something out of nothing.
She really was a very fine actress, turning in performances far above the quality of many of her films overall.
I haven’t watched this video yet but in general I like your attention to detail. And honesty. Don’t think it’s not noticed.
Another solid movie that is watchable and a lot of the movies that you review I can see on TCM as I hate to watch a review without seeing the movie.
Please keep up the great work that you do with these older films as they do get much love these days.
Very interesting review! Didn't know the movie before
I appreciated that the a security guard was shown carrying a Detex clock on his rounds. I've been a security guard for over 24 years and actually got to use one of these at my first assignment. It was fun, but I'm sure they've all been decommissioned by now.
I had carried one in the late 90s for my Pinkerton assignment.
Good Morning, Sister Jerome! It's about 0148 here in Whitney, and I just enjoyed watching your review of one of my favorite monster movies. I have no idea how many times I 've seen THE WASP WOMAN, between watching it a bunch of times on SHOCK THEATER as a child, on 8 ALL NITE as a young adult in the Seventies, or enjoying it on DVD, which I did again a couple months ago. I was probably seven when I first saw it, and yes, it scared the footies offa my PJs back then. Even now, I get a nostalgic frisson when I watch it.
One thing that I experience whenever I watch a movie like this is a kind of envy; I find myself wishing that I could have been in the right place and time to have worked on or in a film by Roger Corman, Al Adamson, Ed Wood, or others who produced these seat of the pants drive -In classics. I know, from reading accounts of the making of these films, that it was often rough sledding (imagine wrestling a phony rubber octopus in ice-cold water at three am), but the fan in me would have jumped at the chance.
I remember hearing about Susan Cabot's murder at the time, and feeling sad and disgusted, that life is so often so cold.
Well, it's 0209, and I must get some sleep. Thank you for your passion, your zeal, and your charm.
I love those old movies.
Another great review here! Yeah, I do remember seeing the Wasp Woman once, but it’s been a little while. I may have to go back and rewatch it…but if I remember right, it seemed to be decent for what it was, though probably not among my favorites. That’s an interesting comparison of the Wasp Woman to, in some ways, a sort of “Larry Talbot” kind of character….it does seem like there were similarities there. I definitely agree with you on Not of this Earth…I remember that one being very good! I enjoyed the video, and look forward to more reviews!
Hello JW. Thank you for the insightful and informative review. I saw The Wasp Woman as a little boy and, yes, it did scare me a lot. All of the movies where people transform into monsters had that effect on me. I guess I need to watch this one again to see how I react, especially since it's easily available. There's even a colorized version here on RUclips.
By the way, following your channel led me to finding Daisuke Beppu and his reviews of various Criterion releases (he seems to have all of them). Many thanks to both of you for what you do.
Nice review
Wonderful commentary!!
Another great review, J. It's a shame about what happened to Susan Cabot throughout her life. Enjoy the rest of your week and have a good day!
Thanks, and the same to you! Stay cool out there. :)
Hi J. I was impressed by the acting and the music. That xylophone player was pretty busy. One of my favorite scenes is when the police are trying to track down the scientist, with that 'we'll get to the bottom of this' music playing. I'd want them to look for me, if I needed finding. Another thought, the poster. I wonder if these artists were given any information as to what to draw. "I dunno, she's a woman who turns into a wasp. Use your imagination!" I think the same is true for the fifty foot woman and other posters as well. I did enjoy this one, thanks for the review, take care.
Yes, it's one of the more hilariously inaccurate posters of the genre. It's like they were given a piece of information--"the movie's about a woman who turns into a wasp"--but they accidentally went in the opposite direction, drawing a wasp with a woman's head instead of the other way around. The effect is rather delightful, ha.
I haven't seen this one. Will have to check it out.
Nothing can beat Robot Monster for laughable monster costume. Wasp Woman is a masterpiece in comparison to that.
Good review JW.
I think that's Roger's brother at 14:07 on the far right. I think, but could be Roger. They resemble each other quite a bit. I have a photo of Roger directing on the set, so maybe I should dig that out and see if there are clues.
Great review and very fair-handed. With a much better creature make-up and better score (like one by Ronald Stein) this could have been a solid minor classic. As one low-budget producer once said "never cheap-out on the monster. in the title..It's really what a lot of people go to these movies to see."
"I'm not convinced these dogs are the same breed." 😂🤣👏👍
I champion this whenever I can, sly Corman with his proto feminism of ripping unfair beauty standards to shreds. Janice is stunning and somehow deemed decrepit. One of the cleverest B movies.
This one is tough for me to get through. I much prefer THE LEECH WOMAN, if only because star Coleen Gray was one of my best friends. But then, Coleen liked the movie, too!
That Ford Falcon Looks so futuristic next to all those older designs 8:32
I just thought about Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds and Vertigo. Those were great
Roger Corman 💪
Edit no shame in getting old. If you make it that far, consider it a blessing!
Looks like such a fantastic movie! I'll have to put it on my list.
I’m 65 and okay with it; however, I did come across a wasp’s nest in my yard. Do you think that Royal Jelly stuff really works? Asking for a friend.
I loved Leo Gordon in The Night of the Grizzly and his appearance in the Andy Griffith show. He did great with this story. Even if the special effects with the wasp makeup wasn't the best, I loved the storyline and characters. I like to feel for characters in movies, so I took this very seriously and was scared when the monster appeared and caused injuries or deaths.
Very cool 💯
FWIW: I agree with JW, do not _'fret'_ over growing older.
I turned 62 in early 2023. I _still_ have almost all my hair, which is still mostly brown. I started wearing my hair shoulder length or longer after retiring from the military in 2003. My Mom passed in 2015 at age 96, and she still did not have too much gray in her hair at that time. {I presume I inherited my hair from her.}
My BEARD, unlike what you see in my current 10+ year old il profile photo, is a lost cause: OVER 50% gray...🤭
I say all that to support the statement that I DO NOT -- and NEVER WILL -- dye my hair or beard to hide the gray. I have NO PROBLEM WHATSOEVER with others who do so, but I will not.
Also: If my hair ever DOES fall out, I will shave my head and NEVER DO A COMB-OVER. I grew up in the land of comb-overs -- ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA -- and IT AIN'T NEVER HAPPENING...😉
This seems like something I should have seen on Mystery Science Theater 3000 but apparently I didn't because I can't find a record of the episode. It was taken on by Cinematic Titanic though.
I really like most Corman movies, this one included . . . mostly for the campy B movie quality I admit. Considering the budget this movie probably had the special effects aren't the worst I've seen in other movies of this genre/period (the mask does seem to be at least inspired by "The Fly"). I saw this movie, and many others in this genre when I was very young, and none shook me up but one - "The Hypnotic Eye" you referenced. I didn't like its premise at all. I could shrug off Wasp women, Alien body snatchers, Murderous monsters from Mars . . . but this movie really bothered me. I've never watched it again.
Susan Cabot actually reminds me of a maternal Aunt of mine! Whenever I see her in a movie, I remember my Aunt, who was very sympathetic and likeable. Human or animal, if it was hungry she'd feed it. Cabot is a very tragic figure indeed. Leo Gordon always strikes me as a perfect veteran policeman. Pair him with James Whitmore's character in "Them!" and you have the makings for a good detective movie or series.
Another great review! 🙂
Excellent review ✨✨✨✨✨
You Carry yourself with confidence, poise and happiness.
I think the young dog is a doberman with its ears uncut, so it didn't only got younger but got its ears regenerated in the process. Why not the tail though?
Even without Susan Cabot, Barboura Morris was interesting in everything she appeared in.
One good role of hers is in the laundromat scene of Roger Corman's THE TRIP.
I'd love to hear you talk about Sound of Freedom. I don't go to the movies, so I haven't seen it. But my coworker saw it and she loved it. A couple from my Sunday school class also thought it was pretty good.I've also seen some positive reviews on RUclips.
Unfortunately I don't know if I'll be able to catch it in its theatrical run. I wasn't aware it was only a limited release, but I was checking out showtimes for this week and there's nothing after Thursday. I rarely go to the movies, but it covers such an important topic, and all the reliable sources I've heard talk about it had nothing but praise for the film itself and its handling of the material. I'm just not sure if it's going to work out for me time-wise. But if I do miss my chance, you can be sure I'll talk about it later when it gets a physical release.
@@Weiselberry I know they're talking about releasing in alternative media so keep an eye out.
I like low budget b/w horror, however, few did it well. I recommend Alfred Hitchcock Hour - The Glass Eye, Freaks, Ed Wood's Final Curtain, Night of The Ghouls, Dead of Night, Carnival of Souls, Black Sabbath (color), Magic (color), ...
Wow just found your channel. Great movie reviews. I was doing some research on The Wasp Woman and saw your review. Very interesting little movie. I saw that you reviewed Bava's Planet Of The Vampires and was wondering if you have seen his other films like Black Sunday and Black Sabbath and if so what was your option?
You have 8 years of movie reviews here so I should start catching up!
I saw this for the first time last year and really liked it. I was impressed that it passes the Bechdel-Wallace Test in pretty short order. I just wish they has put the more effort into the wasp transformation. The writing and the acting are all on-point but that dopey mask just looks lazy.
Speaking words of wisdom. 🙂
I shared a hospital room with someone who insisted on watching home shopping networks whenever possible and...several times a day a cosmetic product is presented often by a “celebrity” spokesperson who could be a stand in for Janet Starling. We’re in the third decade of the 21st century and ideas of women, aging and beauty are literally identical to a B horror film from the dawn of television. The fault may not be in the stars here, is all I’m saying.
After Sound of Freedom, will you be seeing Oppenheimer or Mission Impossible?
I've seen The Wasp Woman many times. At the time there was a string of movies about women growing older and either through their actions, or their man's actions, it has tragic results. There was some validity to it in acting and modeling at the time. In acting is was a matter of accepting you're going to have to accept more mature parts. The original Twilight Zone did an episode about an actress who was unwilling to accept she'd no longer get leading lady parts. Yes, it is often sad to read biographies of actors, especially ones who were relatively young when they stopped appearing in movies.
I saw the movie on TCM have you seen the tingler a William Castle movie
Poor Susan Cabot .. you might have noticed that many of the '50s Sci--Fi ladies came to tragic endings .. Yvette Vickers, Mari Blanchard, Alison Hayes, Peggie Castle & especially Barbara Payton
Janice Starlin, one of the flavor sci-fi monsters/humans.
Starting at eighteen minutes, Jack Hill ['Spider Baby', 'The Big Doll House', 'Coffy', 'Foxy Brown', 'The Switchblade Sisters'] discusses shooting 20 minutes additional film for the TV version of 'Wasp Woman'. (Left click for 'open link' to open new page while keeping Jerome Weiselberry on this page) ruclips.net/video/9QtWJVbetY8/видео.html
I remember watching The Wasp Woman in my childhood and was terrified of the creature and more afraid of older girls, thinking they would turn into a horrible monster. I have the movie in my DVD collection, and seeing it again many years ago reminded me of the original Fly movie, this one of the opposite gender. My favorite sci-fi movies of the past are Rodan (1956) and Monster that Challenged the World (1957). Have you ever reviewed those?
Yes, I slipped a review of Rodan into my Godzilla review series. Here's a link: ruclips.net/video/cNnIOhVZp3c/видео.html
Your nice woman by tellin people not to worry gettin old. If your young inside full of caren and kindness you stay young.
The bees shown in the opening credits are actually honeybees and not wasps.
I think you would HATE the 90’s remake of this.
I believe that "Jerome" disliked the remake of "Not of this Earth."
Yeah, I probably would, ha.
@@HotDogRock I didn't watch it (and probably never will).
The 1995 remake has a good looking monster design (besides the bazongas) but in exchange it's closer to The Rejuvenator/Rejuvenatrix than the original movie.
I'm glad that you saw that this film deals with eternal themes of aging and the way that it can impact a persons self-worth in society, as true today, sadly, as it was then. People will often try crazy and even dangerous things to try to look and appear more attractive or more youthful, this applies to both men and women, but much more so to women I feel. Social media is full of these idea and trends, many which either prove useless or worse damaging, sometimes permanently.
Roger Corman was a passionate low budget Director who made a great number of films some terrible, some great and many inbetween, his importance isn't so much based on the quality of his output but of the opportunities he gave to people in the business, many now famous, there's a good overview of his career done here: ruclips.net/video/n4A9Nc7F_7I/видео.html
By the way, an interesting thing which you may not know, but the term 'Wasp' or 'Waspish' was used to describe a woman who was ill-mannered, curt or badly tempered, it's now fallen from common usage, I've often wondered if this was known by Roger Corman when making this.
I'm a 1950's sci-fi and monster fanatic and noticed there are many of these like The Wasp Woman and others on youtube that have been colorized. I was wondering what your opinion is on this. If you mentioned it already in previous videos, I probably missed it.
Yes, I noticed that. Personally I don't like it. Even when it's painstakingly done, I don't feel it adds much, and when it's done poorly, it becomes an ugly distraction. I get that some people have trouble relating to black and white, but to me, watching a colorization is kind of like watching a dub of a foreign-language film. What you're experiencing is a heavily altered version of the original, and depending on how wonky it is, that can negatively affect your response to the movie.
@@WeiselberryYes! I agree completely. Plus, black and white films were lit differently than when filming in color, so it makes no sense to apply color. It's like taking a neorealism painting and changing it to an impressionist. But I guess it is stupid to try to analyze it on the basis of the creative process because those decisions are always about money, not art.
The dvd copy I have is really terrible picture quality and seems to be the extended television version, I did see the original cut on TV in good quality though. I kind of like this film, classic tragedy style plot where all of it could have been prevented except for bad luck and poor decisions.
Ah The Wasp Woman. A classic. Disengage brain, graze on popcorn. Simples 😀
Always a treat when JW mentions a movie I've never heard of, and provides a beautiful backstory -- you definitely need to consider a second channel, sort of a "behind the scenes" type commentary on how a particular movie got created.
Also, the movie is on RUclips, so I'm watching tonight: ruclips.net/video/JpPAN6frZmU/видео.html
Hello and thank you for replying back to me. I must clear something up. When I mentioned I had written to you prior, it was under a different video that you did. It wasn't for this video for the Wasp Woman and the soon to be released Godzilla movie that I mentioned here. I was only stating that in my previous writing to you that I mentioned being a huge Godzilla fan. So, no, it's alright that you did not reply to my first communicae that I sent to you. Please, do not think that I am offended or expected you to write back. However, I am very glad that you did write back to me!
In one of your other videos, you mentioned that you are a Christian. So am I. I know that you have reviewed a few Christmas films. Have you ever seen the 1948 live action Christmas film "The Bishop's Wife?" It stars Cary Grant (my favorite actor of all time), Loretta Young and David Niven. This is a film that I have been watching on Christmas Eve night for the past twenty years. Of course, depending on what other festivities take place, sometimes I don't get to watch it. Yet, this is a truly great film with good, moral messages. I won't go into any more details of the film. However, it is my all time favorite Christmas movie. If you have not seen this movie, I do recommend it.
@JeromeWeiselberry >>> *_"...strikes me as a cheap knockoff..."_*
Hey, _ROGER CORMAN._
In the words of MST3K, "This movie has been thoroughly Cormanized!"
This is the first time I’ve ever been the first to watch a video.