The Little Shop of Horrors (1960), dir. Roger Corman, the Filmgroup/Santa Clara Productions
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Roger Corman had already earned a reputation for cranking films fast, but how fast could he go? After finishing a Bucket of Blood early, Corman and the crew shot another film with the same set in about forty-eight hours.
The Spirit is Willing (1967), dir. William Castle, William Castle Productions
William Castle's work as a director was always workmanlike but his attempts at comedy tended to be mixed at best.
Rope (1948), dir. Alfred Hitchcock, Transatlantic Pictures
The Leopold and Loeb case was one of the most shocking murder trials of the 1920s, so why shouldn't Hitchcock tackle it?
The Great Buddha Arrival (1934), dir. Yoshiro Edamasa, Giant Buddha Movie Factory
We end our lookback at giant monsters with what may very well be the first giant monster from Japan, or at least the earliest one on record.
The Lost World (1925), dir. Harry O. Hoyt, First National Pictures
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Geoges Melies may have set the standard for special effects, but Willis O'Brien raised the bar and here we see the results.
Mighty Joe Young (1949), dirs. Merian C. Cooper/Ernest B. Schoedsack, RKO Radio Pictures
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The giant monster craze really hadn't kicked off proper yet, at least not in the United States. The old master, Willis O'Brien, was still going but there was a new kid on the stop motion block-Ray Harryhausen. This film would be the only where the two men ever worked together.
Son of Kong (1933), dir. Ernest B. Schoedsack, RKO Radio Pictures
A cash in? A quickly rushed into production sequel? Why not both?
