Cult-Tastic: Memories And Movies

Atlas (1961)

The Pit And The Pendulum (1961)

The Intruder (1962)

The Terror (1963) 

Von Richtfothen And Brown (1971)

The Student Nurses  (1971)

Night Call Nurses (1972)

Young Nurses (1973)

A Cry In The Wild (1990) /// 

Atlas (1961) Far more entertaining than the final film is the background behind Roger Corman's adventure in Greece to realize a sword and sandals epic. Budget gone, extras minimal, script thrown out. The miracle is an almost cohesive story in colorful locations.

The Pit And The Pendulum (1961) With a literate script, opulent sets and heady widescreen photography, Corman's gothic Poe is a gloriously unhinged tale of guilt, expertly directed and featuring a towering Vincent Price as well as the horrific titular torture device.

The Intruder (1962) Blistering, cautionary tale of fiery William Shatner's invasive racist arriving in a southern town to incite hatred and violence against the proposals of school integration. Unrelenting and single-minded, Corman's visual and dramatic control is compelling.

The Terror (1963) What started as two day shoot using sets from The Raven became a piecemeal production directed by Roger Corman, Francis Ford Coppola, Monte Hellman, Jack Hill and even star Jack Nicholson. Boris Karloff features in a fascinating mess.

Von Richtfothen And Brown (1971) Handsomely mounted World War I tale of rival pilots, the German Red Baron and his eventual Canadian nemesis. The dogfights are excitingly realized and Roger Corman directs with style, as well as providing a piercing anti-war intelligence.

The Student Nurses (1971) At first glance a superficial romantic drama told with a rough feel and periodic nudity, events also touch on 70s social issues, both personal and political, including abortion rights. Unconvincing characters and narrative either provocative or amateurish.

Night Call Nurses (1972) / Young Nurses (1973) With the template now set, the few narrative strands become less about social issues and more concerned with the visceral. Increasingly outlandish and dispiriting, a strange series of films never to be rebooted.

A Cry In The Wild (1990) After a plane crash lands in the Canadian Rockies, a teen must find a way to survive bears. Attractively shot with a low-key sense of realism, it lacks real character development and danger, though success as family entertainment meant three spin-offs.