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I first saw The Sadist at the Dublin Drive-In Theater in Dublin, Georgia in either the late 1960's or early 1970's as a young child. It left a very distinct impression on me. I discovered this great and underrated low-budget classic, along with Night of the Living Dead on the drive-in screen at around the same time. The Sadist stuck with me until I managed to see it again many years later on first VHS and then on DVD. I just managed to acquire the DVD that features director Joe Dante's own 35mm print remastered digital transfer. The thing that struck me and stuck with me about The Sadist has always been the tense and suspenseful atmosphere which never lets up throughout most of the film's approximately 92-minute running time. It also greatly conveys a tremendous sense of the genuine frustration, desperation and hopelessness with which the film's sympathetic characters find themselves trapped in, a situation that begins almost from the very start until the very end. The film's screenwriter and director, James Landis does a first-rate job and his direction is both spare and tight. He uses a minimal set and production values to great and maximum effect. The acting is above average, with Arch Hall, Jr. stealing the film as Charlie Tibbs. His real-life cousin, the very beautiful blonde Helen Hovey, plays schoolteacher Doris Page. Quite sadly, Miss Hovey passed away on July 18, 2009. Richard Alden and Don Russell are also good as the other two teachers on their way to Dodger Stadium for an afternoon game. This is a true 1960's classic and remains one of the all-time greatest B-Movies ever made. It just goes to prove what can be done on a low or limited budget, with little known or unknown actors. And also that low-budget does not have to mean low quality. It still seems that The Sadist remains a little known gem outside the realm of film buffs. Someone suggested that maybe Quentin Tarantino should attempt to do a remake. I for one hope not. This film proves that you do not need graphic violence, profanity, sex and nudity to make an effective movie. It is a nail-biter and it keeps you on the edge-of-your-seat. It ropes you in and engrosses you from the very start until the very end. What more could you possibly ask for in a film?

I had seen episodes of The Real McCoys as a very small child during the original airings in the early 1960's. Many years had passed before I had the chance to see it again. Except for the ill-advised sixth and final season, without the lovely and talented Kathy Nolan as Kate, it is a heart-warming and wonderful family show that all too sadly is of the kind that is no longer made anymore. It is just great that the entire series is being released on DVD. I will certainly add the first five seasons to my collection. As for the sixth season, the show had lost it's heart with the departure of Kathy Nolan. Not until Don Knotts left The Andy Griffith Show did such a loss cripple a show again. Yes, The Real McCoys was basically a comedy show, but it often had touches of realism and drama you never saw on the later classic The Beverly Hillbillies. It had solid acting throughout, even down to the supporting cast. It also had a heart.

I first saw Gas Pump Girls (originally to be called Super Duper Service Station) at a drive-in theater in Dublin, Georgia during the summer of 1979. I went to see it mainly for Kirsten Baker, who had previously appeared on the 1970's t.v. series, James at 16. She was last seen in Friday the 13th Part 2 as one of the camp counselors. I briefly owned Gas Pump Girls on VHS video and it has just recently been released on DVD. I have the DVD and after scanning through it, I must say that the quality could have been a whole lot better. Anyway, the film itself is fun and really nothing more than that. It is nice to see the old veteran actors, Huntz Hall, Joe E. Ross and Mike Mazurki. A few of the other actors, such as Ken Lerner, went on to more respectable efforts. Apparently there was even a soundtrack album released from the film!! I'll bet that it is a very rare find these days and would be worth some money now. If you want to see a film that is a painless 90 or so minutes of pretty girls, a bit of topless nudity, some juvenile hijinks and some last performances by a few old veterans, then check out Gas Pump Girls.

I love Monk. It is such a great show and so perfectly acted by the entire cast. Tony Shalhoub is the one-and-only Adrian Monk. I would love to see more episodes with Adrian's brother Ambrose and their father Jack. I personally like Natalie more than Sharona, although I did like Sharona, too. I can't help but wonder if they will ever do a flashback episode where Adrian's wife Trudy is killed by the car bomb. Also if Adrian will ever find love again. Maybe this will be what it takes to make him better, if not cure his OCD?? Or maybe it will take finding and bringing Trudy's killers to justice?? I guess time will tell, anyway. I hope the show runs for a long time yet and they don't end up writing a hasty conclusion to everything. In my opinion the only show currently on at the moment that even comes close to Monk in quality is House and I think it is a distant second.

According to the posters for "The Teacher":"She corrupted the youthful morality of an entire school!!" Nothing could have been further from the truth. She only got involved with one 18-year-old graduate of the school. Noted film critic Leonard Maltin calls "The Teacher" trashy but enjoyable. Maybe to some it is trashy or sleazy, as some other reviewers have commented. But not to me. It amazes me that the "American Pie" series was released by Univeral Studios, thus also having huge budgets, have made millions and millions and spawned some truly dreadful sequels. In my opinion, yes they are funny and realistic, but they are far trashier and sleazier than "The Teacher". I personally don't find "The Teacher" to be trashy or sleazy at all. Angel Tompkins is stunning, sexy and fully believable in the title role of Diane. Jay North, as her student and neighbor Sean, while not ever a great actor, is also believable, earnest and sincere. He is also very likable. Anthony James plays the disturbed Vietnam veteran Ralph very well, although I found the subplot of his obsession with and stalking of Diane to be out-of-place and not needed in this film. I have to say that it is the only real flaw in the film, along with the ending. If you have never seen the film, it will stun you. I have seen the film many times, originally at a drive-in, on VHS and now on DVD. I fully intend to watch it many more times. Some have commented on Diane having a Corvette, a swimming pool and a boat. Well maybe she had a wealthy family? Teachers are not known for being well-payed. Her husband Russ was briefly seen and heard near the end of the film phoning her. All we are really told about him is that he races his motorcycle all over the place and is a drifter. He apparently just took off and left Diane to do this. Yet one reviewer commented that Russ had been completely faithful to Diane while he was away. Where did this come from?? One thing that others have also noticed is that Sean's mother Alice, played by German born, 1961 Miss Universe, Marlene Schmidt seemed to have a thing for her son. I didn't really feel this, but she certainly did seem to be trying to play matchmaker between Diane and Sean, despite Diane being married!! I love this film and it is one of my all time favorites. To each their own.