Tag Archives: American International Pictures

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The Mystery of Christopher Jones

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A truly peculiar Hollywood mystery involved Christopher Jones, who became an overnight sensation in the mid-1960s but abruptly walked away from show business after five years in the spotlight. Michael Gregg Michaud, the film historian who documented the life of another troubled Hollywood star in the excellent 2010 book “Sal Mineo: A Biography,” does a brilliant job in excavating the complex story of Jones’ turbulent life in his new work “Christopher Jones – Wild in the Streets – A Biography.”
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The Bootleg Files: Sinbad Jr. and His Magic Belt

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BOOTLEG FILES 912: “Sinbad Jr. and His Magic Belt” (1965-55 syndicated animated series).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube and other online video sites.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It fell through the proverbial cracks.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely at the moment.

The other day, I was scrolling through an animation history forum on Facebook and I saw a post where someone asked a question about a series called “Sinbad Jr. and His Magic Belt.” While I would like to imagine that I have some degree of expertise regarding animated television series, I found myself stumped – this was the first time that I ever saw any mention of “Sinbad Jr. and His Magic Belt.”
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The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)

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This 1971 feature from the American International Pictures fun factory is a work at odds with itself. It wants to be campy, but it is never that funny. It wants to be a horror film, but poor direction dilutes the effectiveness of the chills. And while it succeeds as a Vincent Price vehicle, it fails to bring along the rest of the cast for the ride.
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