Friday, November 30, 2012

THE NAKED KISS / Leon Fromkess-Sam Firks Productions - 1964

It's just another Friday with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon!.. We gots a film by Sam Fuller, a pioneer of independent film making, it's pretty gritty and deals with a few taboo subjects. Sam has credits in 12 different film catagories, produced SHOCK CORRIDOR a year earlier and even had an acting credit in 1997, the year he died!

Kelly's a prostitute who knows how to get back at people who done her wrong! Here, she's worn a wig as a disguise to fool this fool, he ripped it off just before she cold-cocked him and then took the cash he owed her!

Eegah!! sent over a rough and tumble swingin' little soundclip for our enjoyment, sooooo, you can push that big red 'GO' button over there, NOW, Rufus The Gnat! Here's our audio offering for... THE NAKED KISS!

Dungeon fave Anthony Eisley plays police Captain Griff, we remember Ant from such flicks like ONIONHEAD, THE WASP WOMAN, 3 NUTS IN SEARCH OF A BOLT, THE NAVY vs THE NIGHT MONSTERS, JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF TIME, THE MIGHTY GORGA, THE MUMMY AND THE CURSE OF THE JACKALS, THE WITCHMAKER, DRACULA vs FRANKENSTEIN, THE DOLL SQUAD, MONSTER, DEEP SPACE and EVIL SPIRITS!

Griff checks out some new hot tail in town!

Kelly (Constance Towers) gets a job at the children's hospital and then gets engaged to local millionaire, J.L. Grant, played by Michael Dante. Everything seems to be going her way, but, there is such a thing as karma...

Kelly pays Candy back by cramming cash into her mouth, as heard in the soundclip.

This prop ('Charlie') she's leaning on gets a freakin' film credit!

Eventually, Grant is caught with the goods and has to explain to Kelly why he's attracted to young girls!

She doesn't really like his explanation... Oh, and, the wedding's off!

Griff gets the job of interrogating Kelly for Grant's murder, but she claims temporary insanity for her defense.

The only way for her to verify her story is to find the little girl from her prison cell and have her tell Griff the story!

FYI - 'Naked Kiss' is the kiss of a pervert!

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

PERCHÉ QUELLE STRANE GOCCE DI SANGUE SUL CORPO DI JENNIFER? - Bruno Nicolai - "Ptttt!!!" (1972)

I've had a rough last couple of months, two funerals, a two day stay in the hospital, and a case of food poisoning, so I haven't been in the mood for any bullshit lately, so it doesn't happen very often, but I quit watching this movie after 20 minutes, put it back in it's little red envelope and sent it back where it came from! Ciao baby!!

"The Case Of The Bloody Iris" really pushed my buttons! I didn't even use to like Giallo movies, but then I discovered that many of them are very well written and can be cinematographically quite stunning, and maybe I didn't give this one enough time, but what I saw was stupid and hollow, and the voiceover work sounded like a bad Power Rangers episode! The only reason I wanted to see it was because Edwige Fenech was in it, but that was hardly enough! The high point was the music by Bruno Nicolai, but I don't think it's even some of his better work!

As always, I'm absolutely sure this is someone's favourite movie, but if you'd like, you can call me to find out if I care! Here's your early X-mas present, I didn't waste a lot of your time telling you how great this movie is, because this time there wasn't always room for Giallo!

Monday, November 26, 2012

WILD GUITAR / Fairway International Pictures - 1962

It's Musical Monday with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon!.. We gots a cool lil' flick produced by Fairway International, who also brought you EEGAH! and THE SADIST. Unfortunately, they also produced the ultimate stink bomb... DEADWOOD '76!

Eegah!! sent us over a musical smathering of tunes from the movie for our listening enjoyment, sooooo, you can push the big red 'GO' button there by the lead curtain, NOW, Ralphie The Tarantula! Here's our audio offering for... WILD GUITAR!

Arch Hall, Jr. plays Bud Eagle, a country boy who gets a break in Hollywood and signs a music contract with what else, Fairway Records, run by savy businessman Mike McCauley, played by Arch Hall, Sr.

Mike bribes Bud with a new guitar (Fender Jazzmaster) to get him to sign, Ray Dennis Steckler directs and plays Mike's creepy weirdo assistant, Steak!

Just like these shots, one of my favorite lines from fifties rock 'n' roll is... "Nobody likes a square record!"

Nancy Czar plays Bud's girlfriend, Vickie, which is also a classic love tune by Arch Hall and The Archers. Nancy was an Olympic ice skater and she totally shows off in one scene at the ice rink. She worked background on a few Elvis movies but quit acting in 1970 and became a coach to the South Korean figure skating team!

Mike wants to break up Bud and Vickie, so, he has Steak bring in a showgirl to seduce Bud!

Robert Crumb, not the comic artist, plays has-been alcoholic Fairway Records artist, Don Proctor. Steak don't like him hanging around Mike's place, drinking his booze and running his mouth, so, pushes him down some stairs!

Bud gets kidnapped by a small gang of losers for a ransom, but, they end up working with him to even things up with Mike, who's been cooking the books in his own favor!

Steak delivers the ransom to the specified location, a garbage can! Steak pretends to disappear but hides behind a hedge to find out who the kidnappers are... Duh!

There's a showdown at the end when Bud's older brother shows up. Steak swings away but is the one who gets decked! Everything works out and Mike decides to go legit when confronted with his options.

And, we'll stop here with a happy WHERE THE ACTION IS type ending!

Saturday, November 24, 2012

JACK THE GIANT KILLER - THE MUSICAL (1962)

Sometimes when you think it just can't get any weirder, all of a sudden it does, and just like going to dinner after a funeral, and everybody gets food poisoning, tonight's Super Duper Saturday Night Special is a number one candidate in the 'Who'd of Thunk?' Department, and to be honest with you, I still haven't quite figured it out, but it does exist, so here you go! Brought to you once again via "The Trash Palace" it's my honor to present to you "Jack The Giant Killer - The Musical!"

This was the original title card, and as you can well see, it was changed, so as not to be so austere, and to make the whole thing look a lot brighter and happier! If you would like to see Tabonga's review from a couple of months ago of the original "Jack The Giant Killer," you can find it right HERE!!!

So just what the F is "Jack The Giant Killer - The Musical?" Well, it's the same movie as the 1962 feature "Jack The Giant Killer," except with one difference, in a minimum of six key places, the dialogue and whatever original music there was, has been mixed in or replaced with real Broadway musical style songs by the producer Edward Small. Here, let me give you an example!

In the original movie, it's the Princess's birthday, and THIS is how the local denizens react!

BUT, in the musical version, The People Are Quite A Bit More Festive, much more on the scale of a Disney cartoon!

It's a great scene when Walter Burke as Garna comes flying into the room to tell Torin Thatcher as Pendragon that the monster has been defeated by the young farmer named Jack as you will hear in this short Audio Clip! Suddenly a great film seems almost stagnant when you compare that scene to.....

.......how it all goes down in the musical version with "We Have Failed, Master, We have Failed!"

There's so much more, but I can't do it all in one setting by any means, so I'll leave you with this little ditty from the final climactic fight scene between Jack and the dragon himself! Here's just a small taste of what it sounds like the regular super melodramatic way!!

And here's what the souped up version  sounds like with the Leprechaun cheering Jack on to victory with "C'mon Jack,You Can Do It"

Maybe if enough people ask I'll do a sequel someday that will include the theme song, the love song, and a number I call "The Spectacular Spectacle!" All in all, it's pretty much just the way Brian Horrorwitz described it to me, the original is a right fine film, but it just seems flat after you've seen and heard the musical version! I could think of a lot more movies that could use a treatment like this!!!