50 Date Night Screams

"The Midnight Warning” is a mystery based on an urban legend. The plot follows the legend which might be called "The Vanishing Hotel Room" or "The Vanishing Lady.” A woman insists her brother was staying in a hotel room, but the hotel staff says they have no record that he was ever there. Mike and Amber go through this plot, which has some interesting twists, but falls flat at the ending, which wa...

"Death in the Shadows” is a mystery/thriller set outside of Amsterdam. When a woman is murdered, her high school aged daughter is left orphaned and looking for answers. Along the way she discovers some unpleasant truths, and becomes a target for the murderer herself. Mike and Amber take on this quirky little film that demonstrates why adults shouldn’t try to outsmart teenaged girls. Title: De...

“The Wasp Woman” is a monster of the week movie that has many facets. It makes use of some tired tropes, but it also brings something new to the genre. The founder of a cosmetic company is afraid of losing her looks as she ages, and decides to use an experimental treatment to look younger. The script plays fast and loose with wasp morphology and society in order to make the premise work. Mike and...

"The Phantom," a thriller/mystery from 1931 may in fact be a parody. It’s an early "talkie," and was the final film for silent movie star Allene Ray. It is filled with some of the tropes we are familiar with today: a daring prison escape, a masked killer, mistaken identity, and characters who provide some comic relief through overacting. It’s a worthy effort for the time, and Mike and Amber discus...

We still don’t know if the title of this move, "The Invisible Killer” from 1939, referred to a person or to the method used for the murders. It’s a whodunit crime drama that has a few comedic moments, although those might not play as well for modern audiences. Mike and Amber try to give this movie a fair shake, and Mike admits to a significant parasocial relationship with the lead actress and her...

Mike and Amber once again dig into the plot of a poverty row thriller/whodunit: "I Killed That Man” from 1941. A man who is sentenced to be executed is murdered in a room full of witnesses, but nobody knows how he died or who did it. The plot then combines many familiar elements, including a plucky reporter, a hapless police department, a crime boss hiding in plain sight, and a not-so unique murde...

The Italian film, Baba Yaga or Kiss Me, Kill Me, is a story of a photographer who finds her life complicated by a relationship with a mysterious woman. This film really tries to do a lot: it’s a social commentary, a mystery, and erotica all rolled up together. Unsurprisingly, that gives Mike and Amber lots to discuss as they make their way through this art film that is perhaps spread too thin to m...

When is a documentary not a documentary? Amber and Mike are not certain that this movie is what it is purported to be. Supposedly a movie about a man who is tasked with protecting the fishing industry, it is actually a look into the culture of animal cruelty. A ship captain and his crew take to the Gulf of Mexico to find “Killers of the Sea” from the title, but it’s actually they who do all of the...

Venice is the backdrop for "The Embalmer,” a horror movie set in the catacombs below the city. Women are missing, but the police and city leaders don’t seem too concerned. A reporter is on the trail, trying to solve the disappearances, until he gets pulled into the mystery himself. Mike and Amber go through the ups and downs of this film which is inventive even for today, let alone in the Italian...

Amber and Mike are excited to review “Grave of the Vampire,” a solid vampire movie from 1972. A couple is assaulted by a vampire, and the woman later gives birth to a child that will only drink blood. When he reaches adulthood, the child hunts down his vampire father, who is passing for human and teaching classes at a university. The movie features prolific character actor Michael Pataki, who turn...

A scientist experiments on Michael, the child of his partner, eventually leading the boy to kill his own parents. After serving 17 years in an institution for the murders, Michael vows to track down the scientist and kill him. He talks his girlfriend and two other friends into coming on vacation with him with the ulterior motive of killing the scientist who is now running a local clinic. Amber and...

When the sister of reporter Karl Schein dies after a heart transplant, it’s discovered that the serum which may have saved her life from organ rejection is missing. Dr. Otto Frankenstein stole the serum, to treat Mosaic, a man he created from the body parts of other people. Mosaic, nonverbal and in pain, escapes from Frankenstein’s private lab and reigns terror on the women of the city. Title...

"Daughter of the Tong,” is an outdated crime drama that tells the story of a young woman who is trying to rescue her brother from a gang. It is set during the early days of the FBI, who are trying to infiltrate the gang. Amber and Mike discuss the obvious problems of this film, which go beyond the plot and into social issues. Title: Daughter of the Tong Director: Raymond K. Johnson IMDB...

"Carnage" is a 1986 horror film directed by Andy Milligan. The movie is known for its low-budget production and cult status within the horror genre. Amber and Mike discuss this haunted house film that tries really hard but never quite sticks the landing. The themes of the movie also include a cynical look at relationships, especially those between romantic partners and between parents and children...

In "The Devil's Sleep,” a con man named Umberto Scalli is using a “women’s health spa” as a front for a drug ring. He deals to women as well as teenagers. The local law enforcement is aware but they are only able to shut everything down after the judge’s daughter is blackmailed. Amber and Mike give some perspective on the reasons this film (and others) were made and how it fit into Ameri...

"The Dungeons of Harrow" is a 1962 low-budget horror film directed by Pat Boyette. The movie tells the story of a reclusive Count, who lives in a decaying mansion on a remote island. A shipwreck survivor named Jonathan arrives seeking refuge and becomes entangled in the Count's dark world. Amber and Mike go through this eerie and campy film, giving some perspective on the liberties taken with...

"A Shot in the Dark" is a 1935 American mystery directed by Charles Lamont. Amber and Mike go through the problematic plot which involves some unsolved murders at Dartmouth College. A student is found in an apparent suicide, but it turns out he was murdered. An amateur detective seeks to uncover the motive, which turns out to be buried deep under some family secrets. Title: A Shot in the Dark...

"A Face in the Fog" is a mystery from 1936 directed by Robert F. Hill. A killer known as “The Fiend” is terrorizing the local theater circuit. It’s not clear how the murders were committed because there’s no wounds on the bodies. Two newspaper reporters and their photographer get involved to try to solve the case. A playwright turned detective also tries to solve the case. The Fiend is going to ki...

"She Gods of Shark Reef" is a 1958 adventure film directed by Roger Corman and the topic of Amber and Mike’s discussion. The movie follows two brothers, Chris and Lee, who are stranded on a remote Pacific island. The island is inhabited by a group of native women led by the powerful and mystical Nani. As the brothers navigate their new environment, they become entangled in the tribal conflicts and...

Amber and Mike review “Night Tide,” a movie from 1961 starring Dennis Hopper and directed by Curtis Harrington. A young sailor, Johnny, becomes infatuated with a mysterious woman named Mora. As their relationship develops, he discovers that Mora is associated with the legend of the mermaid who lures men to their death. Johnny becomes uncertain about Mora's true nature and intentions, leading to an...

Title: Nabonga Director: Sam Newfield IMDB Rating: 4.2 out of 10 Rating: Unrated Content warnings: Animal cruelty, violence, prejudice, animal death Hilarious tagline: “A white girl rules the jungle...Her strength of power was “NABONGA!” IMDB:  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037115/?ref_=rw_urv Summary: When a treasure hunter seeks a downed airplane in the jungles of A...

Title: Midnight Phantom Director: Bernard B. Ray IMDB Rating: 4.5 out of 10 Rating: Unrated Content warnings: Controlling parents, murder, violence, police brutality, execution Hilarious tagline: "An unseen hand spreading terror!" IMDB:  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026711/?ref_=rw_urv Summary: The new police chief vows to clean up the corrupt police department and bring...

Title: Buried Alive Director: Victor Halperin IMDB Rating: 4.7 out of 10 Rating: Unrated Content warnings: Mental illness and ableism, Murder, Violence, Police Brutality, Execution Hilarious tagline: "Love finds its way... behind the gates of prison!" Summary: A prison trustee is soon to be released from prison when he ends up stopping a bar brawl involving one o...

Title: Anatomy of a Psycho Director: Boris Petroff IMDB Rating: 4.1 out of 10 Rating: Unrated Content warnings: Hostage Situation, Underage Drinking, Death, Death of a Loved One, Alcoholism, Mental illness and ableism Summary: Chet, the younger brother of a man sentenced to death for murder, becomes distraught over the execution. Chet’s sister, friends, and...

Title: City of Missing Girls Director: Elmer Clifton IMDB Rating: 4.9 out of 10 Rating: Unrated Content warnings: Abduction, human Trafficking, sexual predator, sexual situations Summary: A string of mysterious deaths and disappearances of young women have all been traced to a drama school, where all the girls were students. The district attorney suspects the school may be a fr...