"Swamp Shark" Premiere on Syfy!!!!

If you can't get enough of Syfy's shark-themed movies (and God knows there's a ton of 'em), you're probably psyched for Saturday's premiere of "Swamp Shark." I know I am.

The plot sounds pretty basic: a mutant shark swims amuck (no pun intended) in the Atchafalaya Basin. Expect a lot of rednecks to become shark bait and a pretty high body count.

The cast is pretty interesting: Kristy Swanson (still looks awesome), D.B. Sweeney, Robert Davi and baseball great Wade Boggs(!!!!).

Making this movie must have been deja vu for Swanson, who starred in another movie about sharks in a swamp "Red Water."

Anyways, catch the action on Syfy at 8 p.m. central.

Five Super Movies Every Fanboy Should See

"Green Lantern" opens in theaters this week. Fanboys are polishing their power rings and ready to recite the GL oath. I am not thrilled about Ryan Reynolds as the lead, but I'll take what I can get in a super hero movie.

This has already been a super year for comic movies: "Green Hornet," "Thor," "Almighty Thor" (on SyFy and DVD), X-Men: First Class." Plus, "Captain America" is due next month.

While this is a banner year for costumed heroes in movies, there are a host of cool comic movies available on DVD, Netflix or cable.

So, here are the Weekend Drive-In's Top Five Super Flicks:



5) "Swamp Thing" (1982): This is my favorite Wed Craven movie. Yes, Swamp Thing's suit is obviously rubber, but this movie still rocks. Based on DC cult favorite, "Swamp Thing" follows the transformation of Dr. Alec Holland (Ray Wise) into an intellectual muck monster (Dick Durock). Adding a little sex appeal...okay, A LOT of sex appeal...and some romance is the lovely Cable (Adrienne Barbeau). Louis Jourdan plays arch fiend Arcane, who dukes it out with Swampy. Lot of action, monsters, swamp chases and of course, a love story for the ages.



4)"Conan the Barbarian" (1982): This movie made Arnold Schwarzenegger a star, and it still holds up. Regardless of his recent problems, "Conan" still rocks. Okay, the title character isn't really a super hero, and he was originally a pulp character before appearing in Marvel Comics. I'll still list it though. Great cast: Mako, Sandahl Bergman, surfer Gerry Lopez, Max Von Sydow. And James Earl Jones is absolutely awesome as villain Thulsa Doom. Great orchestral score and cool sword fights. Arnold's new son should be proud!



3) "Flash Gordon" (1980): The special effects have not held up very well. Still "Flash Gordon" is a trippy classic thanks to psychedelic backgrounds, gory violence and rock soundtrack (by Queen). Having solid actors like Max Von Sydow (as Ming), Timothy Dalton (as Barin), Brian Blessed (as Vultan) and Topol (as Zarkov) helps. Oh yeah, Sam J. Jones does a good job as the title character. I was disappointed that a sequel was never made, but have many found memories of this B-classic.



2) "Spider-Man 2" (2004): I can't believe that they're already rebooting the "Spider-Man" franchise. The third film in the first series sucked, but this one is excellent. Spidey battles Dr. Octopus (Alfred Molina in an excellent performance). The fight scenes look like they're lifted straight from a comic book, and director Sam Raimi treats the material with respect. Never too cute, never too serious, "Spider-Man 2" appeals to both fanboys and non-comic fans alike.



1) "Batman Returns" (1992): Fanboys will probably call me an idiot for not listing "The Dark Knight" in this list. Sorry, but I didn't like that movie...but I have great memories of this Tim Burton classic. The caped crusader (Michael Keaton) takes on the Penguin (Danny Devito) and Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer). Corporate tyrant Max Schreck (a scene stealing Christopher Walken) also complicates matters for Bats. This isn't as serious as the Christopher Nolan downers, but it's still fairly dark. It's nearly 20 years old, but I think it's held up fairly well. It might not be true to DC's vision of the masked manhunter, but "Batman Returns" balances cartoon imagery with wicked humor to remain an odd, fun classic.

Dr. Goldfoot Double Feature!!!!

Vincent Price will always be remembered as a horror legend, but he made some wacky comedies too. Today, THIS is running a marathon of kooky 1960s comedies. Among today's films is a double feature of Vincent Price's "Dr. Goldfoot" pics.

These were very silly...and very 60s (and no doubt inspired "Austin Powers")...mad scientist movies starring Price as the diabolical title character and yesteryear's teen idols (Fabian, Dwayne Hickman, Frankie Avalon) trying to foil his fiendish plots.

First up is "Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine" at 4 p.n. The evil Dr. Goldfoot (named for his taste in shoes) constructs an army of robot babes to seduce wealthy bachelors. Avalon and Hickman also star.

At 6 p.m., "Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs" transplants the action from groovy California to swinging Italy. The tagline is "Meet the Girls with the Thermonuclear Navels!" It's directed by horror legend Mario Bava ("Black Sabbath," "Planet of the Vampires").

Remembering James Arness

An American hero has left the building.

James Arness died on June 3 at the age of 88.

Of course, Arness will be remembered as lawman Matt Dillon on "Gunsmoke." For 20 years, Arness portrayed the tough, quiet U.S. Marshal. We can thank John Wayne for turning down the role of Dillon and recommending friend Arness for the series. Arness was perfect for the part. Standing 6'7", Arness was maintained a strong presence on screen but handled the role as if he were an "everyman." As Dillon, Arness came across as someone that might live down the street from you. That quality made him instantly likable. Add to that his sheer size, and Arness was a very credible lawman.



Arness had plenty of film credits to his name before he was cast on "Gunsmoke." Many of them were westerns (including a few with friend and mentor John Wayne), but the Weekend Drive-In will always recall Arness playing the title character in "The Thing from Another World." He also starred in giant ant epic "Them."

Luckily, Encore Westerns carries the original "Gunsmoke" series and the TV movies that followed. Also, TVLand airs 1970s-era "Gunsmoke" episodes and has online episodes.

Happy trails, James Arness!

Get Some Crackers! Cheesy fun on Hallmark Movie Channel!

These days, Disney is know for big budget blockbusters like the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series and numerous animated hits. Back in the day, Disney made tons of corny B-comedies starring former TV stars and up-and-coming actors...like Kurt Russell.

Next Friday, classic cheesefest "The Barefoot Executive" airs at 3 p.m. (CST) on HMN.

How's this for a plot? Russell plays a mailroom clerk for a TV network who discovers a chimp who has a knack for picking hit TV shows! Honestly, this sounds cooler than the upcoming "Rise of the Planet of the Apes!"

I have not seen this in many years, but it used to be a staple on NBC's "Wonderful World of Disney" back in the 1970s (along with clunkers like "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes" and "Superdad."

Beware the Naughty Nanny!

Gotta love Lifetime and the Lifetime Movie Network. Mrs. Drive-In Mike got me hooked on these channels, which feature some of the coolest B-thrillers on TV.

This weekend, Lifetime has a great one, "While the Children Sleep." The plot centers on a family (Gail O'Grady and Lifetime movie czar William Moses) who needs a little help around the house. After they hire a nanny, some weird things start to happen. Friends start disappearing, neighbors die mysteriously...stuff like that. It doesn't help that the nanny (a hot and very creepy Mariana Klaveno)has a thing for Moses.

This is a great Saturday afternoon sleazefest, so grab a cocktail, cuddle up with your spouse and enjoy!

Some movie hounds might recall that this movie was retitled "The Sitter" when released on DVD in 2008.

"While the Children Sleep" airs at 2 p.m. (CST) on Lifetime.

Weekend Drive-In is Back Online!

Not sure how many people missed reading Weekend Drive-In updates, but the blog is back. Due to an out of country work assignment and recent loss of a family member, I haven't had much blogging time. Anyways, stay tuned for more preview, reviews and possible interviews.