Ronald Gans Movies

This plodding, derivative slasher opus -- a surprise box-office hit -- stars Exorcist vet Linda Blair as one of a quartet of sorority and fraternity pledges required to spend the title evening of their initiation inside the spooky Garth Manor. The mansion was the site of a gruesome multiple murder, wherein the owner killed his wife and three of his four deformed children before taking his own life. After the four pledges bed down for the night (mainly with each other, though Blair is called upon for the standard "virginal heroine" role here), mischievous upperclassmen descend into the house, intending to scare them out of their wits...but something even more repulsive than a pack of drunken frat-boys beats them to it. It comes as no surprise that Garth's fourth child -- apparently the most monstrous of the bunch -- is still roaming the premises, and doesn't take kindly to strangers. An early foray onto exploitation turf for director Tom de Simone, this film has a fairly stylish look, though mired by underlit photography and silly performances. Blair is appealing, but her role is sadly underwritten. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

As king of the jungle, Tarzan (Mike Henry) helps the female journalist Myrna (Alizia Gur) look for a mysterious jungle boy. Eric (Ronald Gans) has survived a plane crash which killed his father seven years earlier. To find the boy, the two team up to battle evil native Magambi (Rafer Johnson) and the usual jungle dangers. The party must travel into the wilds of Zagunda to save the boy, who for the last seven years has managed to get along just fine on his own in this predictable, routine jungle romp. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

The Jupiter 2 is inexorably drawn towards a planet ruled by a creature consisting of a blue mist, which is nourished by stark, raw, fear. In order to "feed" on the visitors from earth, the creature works overtime to terrorize Will (Billy Mumy), beginning with making the members of the Robinson family disappear, one by one, and planting the seeds of paranoia in the boy's mind. But when the creature is unable to strike fear into the heart of Will, its only recourse is to destroy the youngster--with a maddened Dr. Smith (Jonathan Harris) as the destroyer! This episode represents the only appearance of the Jupiter 2's much-talked-about power core. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi