I liked this movie so much after I saw it when it was first released, that I named the next dawg I got, a little caca-poo,
"ZACHARIAH!" 
I had never seen a surreal musical western before "ZACHARIAH," and not only did it have, as seen here, the James Gang in it, it also starred one of the best bands of all time, Country Joe and the Fish!
On the left is Don (Miami Vice) Johnson as Matthew, and on the right is John Rubenstein as Zachariah, best buddies about to go on the adventure of their life! Both Don and John are still actively working today and have works in production! No musical slouch, John Rubenstein is also a singer, and has composed the music for a quite a few movies himself, like "The Candidate" and "Kid Blue!"
Here's Country Joe McDonald as the leader of bad-guy gang, The Crackers. How can you not love a movie that just takes it for granted that there were rock bands and electricity in the 1800's? What a beautiful concept! Country Joe and the Fish released their first LP in 1967, and it was called "Electric Music For Mind And Body" and is arguably one of the most psychedelic albums ever! How is it even possible that they are not in The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame? But then of course, you could say the same thing about Link Wray or Steve Miller!! Abba is in the Hall of Fame, and Guns and Roses is in there, but not Country Joe and the Fish, what a travesty of justice!
This is Barry Melton, amazing guitarist and sometimes vocalist for The Fish!
Much to the chagrin of nice guys all over the world, even back in the olde west it was true that the chicks dug the bad boys!
Chicken Hirsch and David Cohen were the original drummer and keyboard player for The Fish, but by the time this movie was made, they had been replaced by Duke Dewey and Mark Kapner!
"ZACHARIAH" is a film about trials and tribulations and is based on the book "Siddhartha" by Herman Hesse! At the beginning of the movie Zachariah has just gotten himself a shiny new pistol, and he and Matthew set off to make something of themselves, and the first thing they do is join up with The Crackers!
The boys devise a plan where they go into a new town, and The Crackers set up and start playing on one end of town, and while all the town folk are distracted, Zachariah and Matthew rob the bank on the other side of town!
Joe Massot wrote the main script, but all the jokes and one liners were written by our favourite band of zanies, The Firesign Theatre. The four members of The Firesign Theatre were Phillip Austin, Phil Proctor, David Ossman, and seen here in a small role as the bank teller is Peter Bergman, who I'm saddened to say, just passed away a couple of months ago on February 9th. R.I.P. Peter, we're sure gonna miss you!!
"ZACHARIAH" is a cornucopia of musical talent that you'll never see in one place again. The Ragin' Cajun Doug Kershaw has the role of 'The Fiddler,' and performs a manic version of a song also written by him, the "Ballad Of Job Cain!"
Job Cain is the baddest gunfighter in the West, and Zachariah thinks he's the one who can take him down, even though 'The Fiddler' told him that "20 man tried, and 20 men died, and you've killed only one!" When Zach and Matthew arrive at the lair of Job Cain, the house band is ironically enough, the James Gang!
Joining Joe Walsh on guitar were drummer Jim Foxx, and bassist Tom Kriss! After Joe Walsh left the band in 1971, he was replaced for a while by the fantastic Domenic Troiano, who two years later was replaced by the brilliant but troubled Tommy Bolin! The two awesome songs the James Gang perform are "Country Fever," and "Laguna Salada!"
Here he is, the man himself, one of the most dynamic drummers in the world, Elvin Jones, as Job Cain!
Elvin Jones played the traps with John Coltrane for six years, and recorded with the quartet one of the most beautiful jazz records ever put to vinyl titled "A Love Supreme!" Elvin also performed with other legends Charles Mingus, and Miles Davis. He also played with his two talented brothers, Hank, and Thad Jones!
After polishing off some nitwit in a showdown, Job Cain takes over from Jim Foxx and plays a powerful drum solo that just accentuates how bad he really is!
Zachariah wasn't ready to take on Job Cain just yet, and Zach and Matthew have a parting of the ways, and Zachariah heads off to Belle Starr's to become a man!
Talk about your cult musicals, Patricia Quinn who has the role of Belle Starr, was also Alice, in Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant!" The music at Belle Starr's joint is a song called "Grave Digger" and is provided by yet another great but mostly unheralded band, The New York Rock & Roll Ensemble! Before he passed away in 2002, Ensemble keyboard player Mark Kamen founded the now legendary Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation!!
Two round pegs in square holes were the duo of Byard Ray and Obray Ramsey from North Carolina who performed as White Lightnin'. Their musical contributions to "ZACHARIAH" were two great tunes called "Shy Ann" and "Down In The Willow Garden." They recorded at least two LP's, "Fresh Air" which was fairly traditional material, and "File Under Rock!" that features an odd amalgam of musicians including bassist extraordinaire Chuck Rainey and jazz trumpeter Jimmy Owens among others!
I well imagine that you're familiar with the expression "to ride off into the sunset," well, what kind of ending were you really expecting? Do something nice for yourself, you can get the movie from Netflix, or buy the soundtrack from Amazon, either way you can't go wrong!
It's Monster Monday with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon!.. This is another classic bad fifties flick that Eegah!! and I saw at the theater back in the day. In the movie reviews section of our '64 self published monster rag, DWRAYGER DUNGEON, well, what else, we gave it a bad review! Also, our band, HERMANOS GUZANOS, even did a sci-fi cover tune of it! 
...A few weeks ago, Riverdale, Illinois was just another quiet small town. Then, on that Saturday shortly after midnight, a living nightmare began!.. This is the only script Gordon Urquhart ever wrote. Bruno VeSoto directs, Ed Nelson stars and produces, Roger Corman is executive producer. And, this is the only movie Corinthian Productions ever produced! 
The music's by Tom Jonson, this is his only film credit. Anyway, get ready for our Terrorific Soundclip... Push the big red 'GO' button situated near and/or by the shelf of Tabonga Art, now, Ralphie The Tarantula! Here're some sounds of terror from... THE BRAIN EATERS!
One should never pass up the opportunity to show a beautiful 1956 T-Bird! The metallic 'alien' structure is actually quite large, I'm trying to imagine how much of the slim $30,000 budget it ate up. 
Senator Walter K. Powers shows up from Washington to find out what the Hell's going on around here! Played by Cornelius Keefe in his last role. 
Love this shot of Dr. Kettering scampering through the tubular interior of the structure. 
It was still legal to peddle Brain Eaters on the corner in 1958! 
The mayor is infected by one of the crazy critters and ends up going berserk! Check out those wild camera angles. 
Damn beatniks!.. 
Kettering accidently lets a small chunk of Brain Eater get onto his arm. His assistant, Alice, tries to help, but, what the heck can she do?.. Scream real loud!! 
There's nothing much more unsettling than small weird things creeping around in tall grass at night, but, those white pipe cleaners they use for the antennae seem plain goofy! No one takes credit for the creation of these weirdo little monsters. 
Alice is the next target of the underground conspiracy. This shot always bugged me... I don't know anyone who puts a light under their bed! 
This obedient dude takes a fresh Brain Eater out and places it on the floor in Alice's bedroom. Looks like a bunch of hair from a grody shower drain! 
A lot of people have been infected with the little parasite creeps! 
Inside the thing, they find the lost Professor Cole, played by a bearded Leonard Nimoy, spelled 'Nemoy' in the credits. You can hear him speak in the soundclip. 
After he barely escapes the rampant creatures inside with Professor Cole, Alice shoots Kettering at close range! Not his day. 
Kettering sacrifices himself to assure that the power lines fall directly onto the structure, thus electrocuting all the little nut-brained eaters!.. 
We'll end der show wif' 'dis cool Mexican lobby card!
