Sunday, August 31, 2008

BLACK SUNDAY aka THE MASK OF SATAN / Alta Vista Productions (Italy) 1960 / Music by Roberto Nicolosi

Tonight we have the elegant ultra classic Italian film, BLACK SUNDAY, with our favorite girl, Barbara Steele! She is so hot!

But, she's been a bad girl, and, that ain't good!

The music here by Mr. Nicolosi gives a glimpse of the atmosphere he creates. It looks like he was a classic Italian drama composer mostly. Les Baxter did the music for the American version!! So, here's the theme, a piece at the Pub or Inn or wherever, and, then... HORROR! The Black Mask Of Satan On Sunday!

Did you know that the guy with the over-sized mallet is going to pound that mask onto the face of the bound and helpless, Babs?! And, were you aware of the fact that the inside of the mask is lined with spikes?!!

Although we are posting this one as BLACK SUNDAY, our print is THE MASK OF SATAN (which is a much better title). That's why we know Les Baxter doesn't do the music!

Scorpions come out of her eye sockets!!

The most beautiful witch in the world!..

Is that John Entwistle?!... Oh, well, who cares when you have a bar-maid like that?!

I'm so glad I missed this one when it came out! This part is damn creepy!!

Babs' evil helper has just uprooted his grave marker from below and is headed towards some mayhem!

Sensing danger!..

Barbara commands her servant to do her bidding!

"I'LL BE BACK!"

This movie was directed by the great Mario Bava, who also directed the Dungeon favorite CALTIKI, THE IMMORTAL MONSTER a year earlier!

Saturday, August 30, 2008

INVASION - Bernard Ebbinghouse - "The Lystrians" (1965)

Award winning director Alan Bridges was born September 28, 1927 in Liverpool, and is still chillin' today, as far as we know. Most of the body of his work is in British TV from the 60's to the 90's, and it appears "INVASION" was one of his rare outings into film! He was joined on this trip by composer Bernard Ebbinghouse, a man we haven't spoke of here before. They had worked together before on "The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre" 1960-62! It seems that Bernard also worked on an obscure 1969 Freddie Franics comedy killer/thriller called "Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly" or in the U.S. simply "Girly," that we're going to have to try an unearth a copy of ourselves! This piece of music by Masestro Ebbinghouse is unique, weird, timeless and we dig it a lot!

In a nutshell, they hit a space guy with their car, and bring him back to the lab to fix him, if they can! Really, they shouldn't feel that bad because the guy was walking straight at them in the middle of the road and the middle of the night! Comparisons to society today in general would be well beyond superfluous!!

The guy on the left is supposed to be watching the big dials on those gauges, but we're shown what he's really reading about in the right picture closeup!

I forgot why the Hell they used this upside down cat shot, but it's still funny!!

The Doctors have no clue what is going on! Nada, Nichts, Nothing!!!

The Aliens are all oriental and are like poison candy! They seem to be very sweet, but they kill!!!! "We did not mean to kill him" then they stab somebody else with a pair of scissors!

Most of the rocket footage looks like stock Air Force stuff, then, out of nowhere, they throw this at you!!

When it lands, it looks like this, but they get it all polished up before it takes off again!!

The music here ends with this paranoid sloshing through the sewers sequence! If that's what it takes to inspire cool music, so be it!!!

This is a curious UK film that is very well made, and fun to watch if you're ready to do some thinking, and as long as you're not looking for "Action City!"

Friday, August 29, 2008

SECONDS - Jerry Goldsmith - "Theme & Party" (1966)

Back in the 50's and 60's people worked all week and Friday and Saturday were the only times that seemed to matter most of the time. These days people seem to party all week long, but anyway that's why I like to try and do something a little special on Friday and Saturday night, and tonight, it's a film that I really liked the first time I saw it, and the last time I saw it! "SECONDS !!!

You want to start life over, the journey begins at the dry cleaners!

Then you have to go through the meat locker and into Honest Arnie, The Used Cow Dealer's, meat truck!

Now, how in the world are you going to resist Will Geer? Yes, it's Grandpa Walton!! We always knew that show was evil, and here's the absolute proof!!

This is the master plan for this particular transmutation!!

Veteran actor with a portfolio longer than Highway 101, John Randolph, turns in a great performance as the pre-Rock Arthur Hamilton!! This is his obituary!

Arthur is rebuilt and reborn as Tony Wilson! This is damn near a "Frankenstein" film!

The Corporation couldn't get Tony a gig as a professional tennis player, but they manage to set him up in his second dream, a working artist living in Malibu where he meets the unpredictable Nora Marcus on the beach! Nora was portrayed by Salome Jens who went on to play Mae Olinski in The "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" TV series and the female shapeshifter in 15 episodes of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" in the 90's!!!

So Nora takes Rock on a Hippie Bachanalia trip, and I'm pretty sure Doris Day would not approve of this behavior!

Drinkin' wine, smokin' dope, gettin' nekkid, Rock's starting to dig this role!

Man, what a good sport Rock was! These days, as a promo, they'd bottle this wine and sell it at high commidity prices! A Vintage Rock Hudson Burgandy 1966!

Then finally, "The Party Gets Rolling!!", and the music of Oscar winning genius Jerry Goldsmith kicks into gear. You might remember Jerry from a couple of his contributions to minor projects like "Star Trek", "Alien", "Rambo" and "The Man From Uncle!" A normal person could probably retire just on the royalties he got for writing the theme for, "The Waltons!"

So, Rock/Tony is having a dream come true listening to Elazabeth Fraser talk about changing 'sects'! Rock is hilarious in this scene!!!

Boozed and confused, you don't think this can go on much longer!

Then, just like a true champion, he's back up again! After you listen, I think you'll agree that Rock Hudson had a great laugh!!!

Totally gonzo and wasted out of his ever livin' gourd, "Looks as if our host is in orbit!"

Rock Hudson does such a great job in this film!! Drunker than a skunk, and still looking cool!

Now you crossed over the line Buddy, we're gonna have to send you back!

John Franenheimer's direction is amazing and some of the cinematography by James Wong Howe is very strange, like the people are on rollers. It all makes for a very nice unsettling and very creepy feeling in a film! This is a great movie and a highly recommended Netflix rental!

Thursday, August 28, 2008

PHANTOM FROM SPACE / W. Lee Wilder Productions - 1953 / Music by William Lava

This time Tabonga present underrated sci-fi classic, PHANTOM FROM SPACE! Hey, who know this fact?!.. Dungeon favorite dude, Forrest J. Ackerman, coin the famous phrase... 'sci-fi'!! See, now you informed!.. Also, this is earlier film by producer of KILLERS FROM SPACE, which I feature on Tuesday! W. Lee Wilder and brother make many flick in early '50s!! Phantom From Space

Tonight music genius is William Lava (great name!) who also work on these great flick!.. MYSTERIOUS DOCTOR SATAN, THE SMILING GHOST, THE GORILLA MAN, THE INVISIBLE MAN'S REVENGE, THE MUMMY'S CURSE, HOUSE OF DRACULA, SHE WOLF OF LONDON, MA AND PA KETTLE AT HOME and many many more!!.. He start in 1936! Okay, one more, Al Adamson's DRACULA vs FRANKENSTEIN in 1971, the year William die when he only 60!

Oh yeah, not to forget TV!.. THE (original) MICKEY MOUSE CLUB, THE TWILIGHT ZONE, Disney's ZORRO, CHEYENNE, PINK PANTHER, THE ROAD RUNNER SHOW, F TROOP, lots of Warner Bros. cartoon stuff and much more!! William is awesome!

So, Radar Ford track UFO to Santa Monica where it land or crash! Obviously, Phantom just here on vacation!!

Dungeon favorite Michael Marks tell 'dick' all about how he see same dude in drawing! Oh, and he have no face!!

And, here is new secret weapon!.. RADAR CHEVY!!

Everbloody meet at lumber yard and play fun game...'Catch that Phantom.' Nobody know why, but, Phantom like to run around on rooftop!.. One bad thing about Phantom though... He Pushy Pig!!

Trapped!.. Only one thing to do!... Off with the suit and helmet because!.. He invisible and dummies not see him!!

So what these rocket surgeons do when they find Phantom's stuff?!.. Try to burn it up!!!

Phantom need to put helmet on to breath better.

Science lady have fancy light to see Phantom!.. Going to kill her?! No, tapping out Morse Code for help...

Look like W. Lee very impressed with classic monster flick THE THING!! So, Phantom fall from apparatus and die, then turn to smoke and disappear!.. Earth sucks for vacation!!