Maurice Good Movies

Set in the years before World War I, this film is about Robert, a young man growing up in a wealthy family in Toronto who is burdened by a distant, cool mother and a father dedicated to duty, both highly conservative people. When Robert loses his beloved invalid sister in a car accident he is further tormented by the family's decision to kill her pet rabbits - and quarrels with them so intensely that he enlists in the army and goes off to war. Once "over there," he discovers brothels and romance, and in a climactic scene, decides to free a barn full of horses from certain death - in spite of contrary orders from his superiors. The juxtaposition of Robert's internal conflict and the external horrors of combat may have been intended to illustrate the nature of "war," although that is difficult to surmise since the evidence in the film is not that strong. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Anthropologist Dr. Brockton (Joan Crawford) believes she has discovered the missing link in this flat science fiction drama. The creature is found in a cave and brought to her laboratory to undergo tests for her research. The hairy beast with the face of a monkey loves classical music and hates rock & roll. When one of the slack-jawed yokels opens his cage, he escapes and goes on a killing rampage as he tries to return to his cave. In a gentle moment with a little girl, the beast shows a tender side that recalls a scene from Frankenstein. Soon troops are called in, despite Brockton's protest to entomb the creature by dynamiting the entrance to the cave. This was the last film for Joan Crawford, an inglorious way to end a legendary film career. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Nigel Kneale's Quatermass TV series spawned a brief film series produced over an eleven-year period; 1967's Quatermass and the Pit, released in the US as Five Million Years to Earth, was the third and (until 1979's Quatermass Conclusion) last. As in previous chapters in the Kneale saga, the film begins with a baffling scientific discovery. This time it's a bunch of prehistoric skulls, discovered during a subway excavation in the heart of London. Sequestered in a lab, the skulls start to emanate a bizarre force over the populace, resulting in death and destruction. Professor Quatermass (Andrew Keir) concludes that the skulls are the residue of an extraterrestrial invading army -- a theory which (as usual) is scoffed at by the authorities until it's almost too late. Blessed with superb special effects and an expertly sustained tension level, Quatermass and the Pit is easily the best of the short-lived "Quatermass" series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this sci-fi drama, an alien spaceship breaks down and crashes on the moon. These creatures need help to make repairs and so use their powers to possess a few scientists and use them as slaves. Unfortunately for them, one scientist has a metal plate in his head and cannot be controlled. It is he who travels to the moon and has a little chat with the aliens and suggests they might get more help, if they simply asked for it. The story is based on Joseph Millard's book The Gods Hate Kansas. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the four-part story "The Gunfighters," the Doctor (William Hartnell) and his companions Steven (Peter Purves) and Dodo (Jackie Lane) may very well meet their doom as the Earps and the Clantons shoot it out at the OK Corral in Tombstone, AZ. Complicating matters is Doc Holliday (Anthony Jacobs), who hasn't yet decided which side he will take in the climactic showdown. Written by Donald Cotton, "Johnny Ringo" was originally telecast on May 21, 1966. For the record, "The Gunfighters" was the last Doctor Who adventure to contain separately titled episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the third episode of the four-part story "The Gunfighters," the plot continues to thicken in the hours just prior to the gunfight at the OK Corral. Rescued from a lynch mob, Steven (Peter Purves) faces a new threat in the form of gunslinger Johnny Ringo (Laurence Payne). The Doctor (William Hartnell) is torn between rescuing Steven and coming to the aid of the still-imperiled Dodo (Jackie Lane). Written by Donald Cotton, "Johnny Ringo" was originally telecast on May 14, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Adapted from the Robert Bloch short story "The Skull of the Marquis de Sade," this inventive gothic chiller from Amicus stars Peter Cushing as Professor Maitland, a collector obsessed with obtaining artifacts reputed to have occult powers -- including the title object, believed to be from the crypt of the notorious French nobleman. Shortly after the Professor brings home his latest find, the skull begins making nightly rounds (the gliding camera peers through the eye sockets for the nifty "skull-cam" point-of-view shots) before eventally dominating Maitland's will. Despite the potentially cheesy premise (which sounds better suited to a William Castle project), the film is remarkably subtle and spooky thanks to the deft hand of director Freddie Francis and an excellent performance from Cushing. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Invited to visit the country estate of a renowned historian, Cathy discovers that her host has vanished and that his highly suspicous ward (Janine Gray) has taken his place. Before long, Cathy finds herself being stalked by a shadowy assassin. Will Steed arrive in time to save Cathy from a grisly fate -- and just who is her mysterious assailant? Written by Brian Clemens, "Don't Look Behind You" was first telecast in England on December 14, 1963. American viewers who saw the episode for the first time on March 19, 1991 would recognize guest star Janine Grey for her appearance on two other "cult" spy series, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Get Smart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally scheduled as a live telecast on March 18, 1961, this Avengers episode was instead committed to videotape and broadcast on April 8. Steed and Keel put a tail on recently released convict Frank Preston, hoping that he will lead them to the money that he stole. But before Preston can reach his destination, he is waylaid by a gang of crooks, who likewise want to get their hands on the stolen lucre. The episode comes to a nailbiting climax as a wounded Preston forces Keel to help him retrieve the loot, which is secreted in a slimy sewer. "Hunt the Man Down" was written by Richard Harris. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

To make the Rising of the Moon, American filmmaker John Ford returned to his Irish roots. An obscure and highly personal film for Ford, it is comprised of three episodes--each offering insight into Irish culture and values. All are introduced by Tyrone Power. In "The Majesty of the Law," a police officer is assigned to arrest an Irish curmudgeon who hit the neighbor who sold him a lousy batch of homemade whiskey. But this is no ordinary arrest as the old man is a traditionalist who loathes the new directions his beloved Eire is going. Out of respect, the cop eschews his car and walks to his cottage. The two have a conversation and the old man mourns the loss of the old ways and expresses his frustration over the encroachment of modern amenities that are destroying the Irish heritage. The sympathetic cop offers to free him if the old man will pay a small fine, but though the codger has more than enough to pay it, he refuses on principal. Even when the man who filed the charges offers to pay the fine, the coot refuses to give in and stoically heads off to serve his time. As he walks with the officer to the jail, the whole town comes out to honor the old man. Set at a train station "A Minute's Wait" offers a humorous look at Irish conceptions of time as train's brief scheduled stop to pick up some lobsters for an important dinner stretches out into a long, leisurely pause. The final vignette, "1921" features members of Dublin's Abbey Theatre and tells the story of how they engineer an elaborate rescue of an Irish patriot from prison. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide