Master Minds
When Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall grew too paunchy for their Dead End Kid personas they simply switched gears and became the Bowery Boys—older and far dumber versions of their former street-smart selves. Low-brow and low-budget, the Boys took a Stooges-like slapstick approach to their adventures and 1949’s Master Minds is one of their most polished efforts. It’s a horror comedy featuring a mad scientist bent on swapping Hall’s barely functional brain with a hulking monster played by Glenn Strange (who does a great Huntz Hall imitation).
About Joe Dante
Joe Dante is a lifelong film buff who turned his obsession into a career. He got his start cutting trailers for Roger Corman and later directed the hit movie Gremlins, as well as Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Innerspace and Small Soldiers for producer Steven Spielberg. His feature films include The Howling, Piranha, Matinee, The ‘burbs , Looney Tunes Back in Action, The Hole (first winner of the 3D Persol Award at the Venice Film Festival) and the zom-com Burying the Ex. His TV directing work includes: Police Squad, Amazing Stories, the HBO film The Second Civil War, the Masters of Horror titles Homecoming and The Screwfly Solution, and episodes of Eerie, Indiana, CSI: NY, Hawaii 5-0, Witches of East End, Legends of Tomorrow and Salem. His most recent big screen credit is an episode of the anthology film Nightmare Cinema. Joe is also the frequent co-host of Trailers From Hell’s official podcast, The Movies That Made Me, available everywhere podcasts are streamed and downloaded!