Frankie Ray Movies

Speed kills, but not as fast as malevolent ghosts, in this edgy horror/suspense opus. Thuggish Hector (Brad Hunt) and his girlfriend Dorena (Cyia Batten) are a pair of low-level drug dealers who are looking for a big score that will allow them to get out of the business. Hector has noticed that there's a big demand among his customers for "crystal meth," a powerful amphetamine; Dorena has learned how to make the stuff, so the couple steal the ingredients for a massive supply of crystal, and go into partnership with Hector's friend Merle (Patrick McGaw), who has found a big old house in the woods where they can "cook" and avoid the prying eyes of the police. Dorena decides it's prudent to make up all the crystal in one marathon cooking session, so she gets to work and Hector stands watch, using their own product when their energies begin to flag. However, Merle happens to mention a local legend that the house where they're cooking is haunted, and after several days of speed-fueled sleeplessness, Hector and Dorena aren't sure if they're hallucinating, or if there really are evil spirits ready to do them in. Cookers marked the feature film debut for director Dan Mintz. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In flashback, Sgt. Saunders (Vic Morrow), Lt. Hanley (Rick Jason) and the men of King Company recall the events surrounding their landing at Omaha Beach on D-Day. Pre-invasion highlights include a battle between Saunders and Hanley over the affections of a pert English lass (Pat Dahl), and the efforts by wheeler-dealer Braddock (Shecky Greene) to win a cash pool by picking the correct date for the landing (he wins, but doesn't feel so lucky after all--and for good reason!) Once the men have established a beachhead, they are ordered to capture a farmhouse where several American paratroopers are being held prisoner. Most of this program is comprised of re-edited footage from Combat's hitherto unseen pilot episode, which explains the occasional discrepancies (for example, Hanley is still a sergeant, and supporting character Caje [Pierre Jalbert] is referred to as "Caddy"). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Producer-director Roger Corman serves up another thinly plotted musicfest in Carnival Rock. Corman regular Susan Cabot stars as Natalie, a singer for an oceanside carnival. Smitten by Natalie, high-stakes gambler Stanley (Brian Hutton) wins the carnival in a poker game so that he can be near the girl. Christy (David J. Stewart), the carnival's ex-owner, is likewise in love with the girl, so he stays on as a baggy-pants burleycue comic. As in most films of this nature, the plot can be blissfully ignored in favor of the musical highlights, which in this case are performed by the likes of The Platters, David Houston, Bob Luman, The Shadows and The Blockbusters. And what would a Roger Corman flick be without Dick Miller in a supporting role? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide