BATMAN: The TV Series Movie - Nelson Riddle (1966)

"Batman: The Movie" was made for only one reason, that being to capitalize on the immense popularity of the 1966 TV series of the same name! The amazing swinging version of the theme for the movie was created by Nelson Riddle! Nelson was no relation to The Riddler! Bam!

Adam West is Batman, and Burt Ward is Robin! Together they were known as the notorious odd couple, Batman and Robin! As bad as this movie is, it is arguably the truest to the original version of the comic! The TV series was awesome, but it was only a half an hour long, at almost three times that length, I have to admit, it gets a little tedious, but I only fell asleep five times!

The iconic Batmobile was created by the Maestro of Motors, George Barris!

In hot pursuit, Batman's leg gets a chance to experience how tuna feels on a regular basis!

Lee Meriwether has the role of The Catwoman! On the TV show, The Catwoman was played by Julie Newmar! Personally, I preferred Julie!

I never did like the painted on cowl eye makeup! That's my biggest complaint!

Any long-term reader of this blog knows that I love to use olde English! The original rebels dropped the e's as a slap in the face to the British hierarchy! Pow!!

This power trio from Hell couldn't save this film no matter how hard they tried! Left to right, Burgess Meredith as The Penguin, Cesar Romero as The Joker, and Frank Gorshin as The Riddler!!!

These sky written riddles express my feelings about this film to a tee! Fore!!!

FIVE BLOODY GRAVES / Dix International Pictures Inc. - 1970

It's another Friday Night Drive-In with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon!.. I have a number of Independent International 'Blood Collection' movies on DVD and have been watching them again, this time listening to the Sam Sherman commentary, which is usually lots more interesting than the movies themselves. Even though this flick is a straight western, it was marketed as horror. Sam Sherman, head of Independent International, started his career working for the great James Warren and learned a lot about gimmicks. An interesting note.. Nearly all of Sam's film titles had the word 'blood' in them, when they were shown on TV 'blood' was unacceptable and the titles had to be changed!

Eegah!! just sent over a soundclip from the flick, sooooo, you can push the big red 'GO' button there next to the bloody atomic tomahawk, NOW, Rufus The Gnat! Here's a little taste of... FIVE BLOODY GRAVES!

Robert Dix produced and stars in the movie, he was also in other Al Adamson films like BLOOD OF DRACULA'S CASTLE, SATAN'S SADISTS and HORROR OF THE BLOOD MONSTERS. He also played Crewman Grey in FORBIDDEN PLANET and Police Detective Dillon in FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER. In this story, he helps a group of stranded travelers try and make it through Indian territory to safety.

Then, there's Scott Brady, who ended up in movies like this, DESTINATION INNER SPACE, CASTLE OF EVIL, JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF TIME, THE MIGHTY GORGA and NIGHTMARE IN WAX.

At least there's a cat fight!

Of course John Carradine's in it, you crazy or something?! He plays a leering old man of the cloth.

Jim Davis plays a crazed, horny cowboy. He has found the clothes of Scott's girlfriend, who's bathing in the river, he takes them and inhales the aroma. Scott catches the pervert and beats the holy snot out of him!

John reads some phrases from his bible to Jim's angry rifle toting pal and totally befuddles his sorry ass!

When faced with death, Jim's all sorry for the bad stuff he's done and junk!

Nice grouping!!

One good stab deserves another!

Robert and this injun dude get their freak on in the desert heat!

Wait!.. There are only FOUR BLOODY GRAVES!! What gives?!

RAUMPATOUILLE - DIE PHANTASTISCHEN ABENTEUER DES RAUMSCHIFFES ORION - Peter Thomas - "Planet Ausser Kurs" (1966)

WWW.DDD = Welcome to Weird Wednesday Down Deep in The Dungeon!

Tonight we set the controls on the time machine once again to 1966 Germany, and the second episode of the very clever and charming German "Space Patrol," - Raumpatrouille - Die Phantastischen Abenteuer Des Raumschiffes Orion!

Episode II was called "Planet Ausser Kurs," and if I can get my translation straight this time, it should be something like "Planet Off Course" or as a Google translate, "Planet Except Price!" I think we'll go with the first one!!

Regardless of country of origin, for 1966 TV, "Raumpatrouille" is, and was, a wonder to behold, and with a musical soundscape by the always amazing Peter Thomas, it rises to the level of almost perfect!

Now if I could just understand what the fuck they were saying, I'd say it was perfect! The copy I have is in German, and was donated to the cause by that fine gentleman out of Texas, Professor Grewbeard! Don't know exactly what The Prof is up to these days, but I'm sure it's something amazing!

You can't tell me that it doesn't look like this planet just sneezed!!! ACHOOOOO!!!!

Everything about "Raumpatrouille" is clean and precise high-tech space eye candy!

Yes, it's true, there will be nerds in the future! Lots of them!

Jesus, not only do I need to go back to German class, I need to take algebra over too! So what would you call a green brassiere? An Algae Bra?

Here's two 1960's classic German space chicks, in the top shot is Charlotte Kerr as General Lydia Van Dyke, and in the bottom foto is Eva Pflug as Tamara Jagellovsk!!

Dude gets burnt real bad, and the viewer is exposed to the very first use of a spray on healing band-aid!

Here's a nice shot of that Planet Except Price!

Whoa, big explosion! Wouldn't you have liked to see this shot in living colour?

When everything settles down, it's back to the home base, drinks, dancing and a whole lotta love! Baby, I ain't fooling!

SON OF FRANKENSTEIN / Universal Pictures - 1939

It's Monster Monday with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon!.. I have all the Universal Monster Legacy DVD collections, so, time to break 'em out. There is no way that I'm going to post those movies in any particular order, random is a key word around here! Our feature stars horror greats Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and Lionel Atwill, 'nuf said? We watched the Hell out of the Universal movies on local Friday night thriller TV shows in the mid to late fifties, what a time that was, wow! You never forget that music.

Eegah!! sent over a soundclip from this classic flick, sooooo, you can push the big red 'GO' button there next to the old sulfur pit, NOW, Ralphie The Tarantula! Here's our audio offering for... SON OF FRANKENSTEIN!

Baron Wolf von Frankenstein moves his family into his infamous father's old mansion with a lab out back. He's interested in his father's work and wishes to persue it. The two photos show the sheer complexity of the place and the feeling of dread that overshadows it.

In a great role Bela plays old twisted neck Igor, a survivor of the gallows. He pops in at the old dilapidated lab while the Baron's inspecting it, he pushes that stone off the ledge, nearly killing the Baron. Igor tells him it was an accident!!

Great shot of the old sulfur pit, wouldn't want to fall into that!

Igor shows the Baron where he has been hiding the monster in a underground chamber. There's some interesting graffiti on his dad's tomb, reminds me of the title sequence in HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER for some reason.

Some nice stills showing the monster being pulled up from below, then, getting a checkup using the Baron's modern medical equipment!

I saw THE WASP WOMAN at the theater in 1959, Michael Mark was absolutely perfect as the old bee.. err, old waspkeeper, Mr. Zinthrop. He also had a small part as a watchman in RETURN OF THE FLY the same year, another flick I saw when it came out!

The butler is brought in to help out. Love this still, it looks like Frankie blew a fuse!

This is a great part, when the monster confronts the Baron and then gets a good look at himself in the mirror!

Igor causes lots of trouble from a distance, he uses his horn to signal the monster to kill his enemies in town!!

The jig is up, the Baron discovers that the monster has kidnapped his son, and, the angry villagers are on their way!! Looks like Dr. Suess did the set and miniature designs!