Movie review - "Blood Orgy of the She Devils" (1973) **

 Peak Ted V Mikels. Erratic acting, from the competent to bad Really dull blocking and framing. Some decent atmosphere. Attractive women with big hair. Fun moments.

There's a coven of witches who sacrifice people. A couple investigates. 

Fairly tame despite the screaming, and witches. Lots of chat. Some go go dancing. A few spooky bits. Bad acting. Fun in a way. Mikels couldn't direct. He could based on his first film. Wonder what happened.

Movie review - 'The Doll Squad" (1973) **

 A better known Ted V Mikels film, with its great title, some semi names-  Tura Satana, Michael Ansara, Francine York, Anthony Eisley - funky credit squence and ahead of the curve concept: all girl fighting team.

There's some splendid legs and hair on display. Mikels actually isn't much of a director - the blocking and staging is poor. I get he didn't have a lot of money.

Fantastic music. Ansara good, York is fine. Never as much fun as it could be. Not well put together. Too much time on York not enough on the squad. I forgot about them at times. Some good moments.

Movie review - "The Astro Zombies" (1968) **

 TV Mikels film is great fun if watched in right spirit and small screen. Bonkers plot which is part slasher part sci fi is actually ahead of the curve. Robots go on a killing spree. Wendell Corey slurs through exposition as a sort of CIA man. John Carradine is a mad scientist. Wayne Rogers from MASH worked on it. Tura Santana gets an actual lead role (no karate, alas, but she kills some people).

Movie review - "Strike Me Deadly" (1963) **1/2

Ted V Mikels became a cult favourite with some odd ball movies and an exotic lifestyle but this debut feature is a very accomplished piece of low budget movie making, as good as anything from Corman did in the late 50s (except for maybe Corman's Chuck Griffith classics).

The first third is terrific - fast action with a crazed shooter trying to kill Gary Clarke. It benefits from location filming in Oregon - its in the wilds, there are waterfalls and cliffs and a bushfire.

The film loses pace in flashback - it becomes this sort of intense drama between Clarke and a woman and... actually I got a little confused. Some impressive production values in the nightclub. I do wish there was more action. But the last act is action.

Totally non schlocky, a very impressive looking debut from Mikels.

Movie review – “Catalina Capers” (1967) **

Dopey beach party film was one of the last in the genre, but at least is cheery and unpretentious. The plot smacks a little of Disney TV – it involves two friends on holiday in Catalina who get caught up in the theft of some museum artifacts – so it’s entirely appropriate that Tommy Kirk plays one of the leads. Kirk is quite animated here, playing a Midwesterner who’s never seen the sea before. Catalina isn’t that pretty – it seems to be a good place to take your boat, really – but there are lots of dances and some decent musical numbers (including one from Little Richard!). 

The supporting cast play in a very broad, over the top style – you can see the influence of the AIP films in the casting, eg “here’s the Buster Keaton role, here’s the Keenan Wynn role”. Michael Blodgett is in it (he did the choreography) and Ted V Mikels was the DOP.