JAPANESE TRAILER TRASH TALKIN' (1955 - 1967)

 I was watching some of these trailers for Japanese monster movies the other night, and decided it was a good time to give you an early X-Mas present, so what I've got here are more exploitionary descriptions of what you could expect from any of these films!

Welcome to a Wild But Winsome Wednesday down in The Dungeon!

They're not all savage, but this one from the 1955 monsterpiece "Jû Jin Yuki Otoko" or "Half Human" certainly was!

 Getting a little personal there in the 1956 film "Sora No Daikaijû Rado," or as it's better known......

 

....."Rodan."

 The 1959 film "Uchû Sai Sensô" put the Earth in a precarious predicament!

 

 Poised and ready to take care of business!

 The English title was of course, "Battle In Outer Space!"

 In 1959 they came out with double feature that doubled as a double shocker!

One of the films was the French movie "Les Yeux Sans Visage," also known as "Eyes Without A Face!"

The second half of this terrifying double feature was "The Manster!"

There wasn't much left after this 1961 film called "Sekai Daisensô," or "The Last War!"

Alles ist Kaput!

Also in 1961, even though the world had been destroyed, there was still time for the spectacle that was known as "Mosura" or "Mothra."

And because being different just wasn't enough, this is what we got in 1962 from "Yôsei Gorasu" also known as "Gorath."

I guess it could, at least for a little while, but there's still plenty of time for this scenario!

These two are also from "Gorath."

I don't think the world was quite ready for the 9th Wonder in 1963, but the makers of "Kaitei Gunkan" or "Atragon," had a different idea!

Still in 1963, things got even scarier in "Matango," or as it is better known, "Attack Of The Mushroom People!"

In 19 and 65, the thrills and horror got even stranger in "Furankenshutain Tai Chitei Kaijû Baragon," or "Frankenstein Conquers The World!" It's hard to imagine there was much even left of the world at this point!

In 1966, we were subjected to the masterful suspense of yet another Furankenshutain!

Starring Tom Thumb himself, Russ Tamblyn, and the movie with one of the worst songs in recorded history, "Furankenshutain No Kaijû: Sanda Tai Gaira or "The War OfThe Gargantuas" was anything but "Filmed in absolute realism!"

I hope you can swim if you watch the 1967 flick "Kingu Kongu No Gyakushû," that is "King Kong Escapes!"

Last, but not least, also from 1967, is "Uchû Daikaijû Girara," aka
"The X From Outer Space!"

This last one from "The X From Outer Space" probably gives the most simple and yet best advice!

Just go watch the damn thing!

THE BEAT GENERATION - "Way-Out Parties Beyond Belief!" (1959)

Tonight's Saturday Night Special is the result of my reinvigorated interest in Vampira and her very cool career, and the path led me here, because in 1959 Albert Zugsmith, produced four movies that were all very fascinating for a number of reasons, but what I found most interesting was how they used a large number of the same actors in all four movies (Ala Roger Corman), and then each film also had it's own group of other special individuals.

Let me try and explain.
No slouch in the production department, Albert Zugsmith had already produced three of my favorite movies, "Written On The Wind," "The Incredible Shrinking Man," and "Touch Of Evil," before this, and in 1958 he produced "High School Confidential," starring Russ Tamblyn, but also in the cast were Mamie Van Doren, Ray Anthony, Jackie Coogan, Charles Chaplin Jr., and Norman Grabowski who would all be in his next three or four movies too, along with a lot of other notable names like Vampira!

The first movie of the 1959 series was "Night Of The Quarter Moon," and the second one was "The Beat Generation."
The third movie was called "The Big Operator," which I'll tell you more about on Wednesday, and the fourth was called "Girls Town."

So rather than try and explain all the complex intricacies of this movie called "The Beat Generation," I'm just going to introduce you to some of this crazy amazing cast!
Steve Cochran has the lead role in this film, and is the co-star of "The Big Operator."
He was also in the "Twilight Zone" episode titled "What You Need."
At the age of 48, Steve sailed off in his yacht to Guatemala, but died of a lung infection before he ever got there.

 Looking as good as ever, in this film, the versatile Mamie Van Doren plays a slutty tramp, but in "The Big Operator," she's Mrs. Everyday Housewife. She was also in "Girls Town."

 Ray Danton is a nasty serial rapist in this film, and in "The Big Operator," he plays an evil hit man called The Executioner. Personally, I like Ray better when he plays more humorous characters.

Jackie Coogan, aka Uncle Fester, is in three of the four movies. In this one he's a cop, In "The Big Operator," he's a crook!

 At this point in time, no one knew what an impact the cartoon character's of Charles Addams' world would have on pop culture. Did you know that when Maila Nurmi developed her Vampira character, one of her main influences was the wife in The Addams Family cartoons, who at that time, wasn't even known as Morticia yet? 

In "The Beat Generation," Maila was a beat poetess, and in "The Big Operator" she plays a hip gallery owner! She doesn't get enough screen time in either movie in my humble opinion!

 I also find it fascinating that in both movies, she is billed as Vampira. That would be kind of like billing Bela Lugosi as Dracula I think.

 
Trumpet playing band leader Ray Anthony is in all five of Albert Zugsmith's 1958-59 films!
Ray also performed the original theme song in Zugsmith's "The Incredible Shrinking Man."


Famed accordionist from Fresno, Calif, Dick (Daddy-O) Contino is also in "Girls Town."

 Just like me, Albert Zugsmith must have been a big music fan, because all of these films have music in them. Cathy Crosby performs a song in all but
"The Big Operator."

 
Margaret (13 West Street) Hayes was also in "Girls Town."


 Bill Daniels is also in three of the four movies, but he was also better known as a singer!


One of the characters working in all four of the 1959 Zugsmith films was the comedy relief guy Norman Grabowski. Not exactly a household name, Grabowski as they call him, is one of the most important people in this movie, especially to hot rod fans around the world since he was literally the creator of the T-Bucket style of hot rod. He also designed Kookie's hot rod in "77 Sunset Strip." That bit of information makes this pose a lot more understandable! Four to the floor and pedal to the metal!!

That brings us to another category! Charles Chaplin, Jr. was not only in all five of the 1958-59 films, he was also one of many actors used by Albert Zugsmith who were children of other very famous stars, in this case, Charlie Chaplin!


Robert Mitchum's son James or Jim, who has a stunning resemblance to his Dad, was also in "Girls Town!" Not in this movie, but other actors like this are John Drew Barrymore and Harold Lloyd Jr.


Albert Zugsmith either really liked music, or he knew that it really gave a film that extra punch, so when he wasn't using musicians as actors, he was using musicians as musicians, like Louis Armstrong.
In "High School Confidential," there was an appearance by Jerry Lee Lewis, and The Platters show up in "Girls Town."
Also, the main soundtrack for "The Beat Generation" was written by the guy who also did most of the music for Mr. B.I.G., the swingin' Albert Glasser!


And that brings us to a list of all the various and sundry actors and musicians of all ilks who make up the balance of very interesting characters in these movies like Fay (Hercules Conquers Atlantis) Spain!

Irish (Sheena: Queen Of The Jungle) McCalla!

Professional boxer turned actor, Slapsie Maxie Rosenblum! And the list of characters in the five films goes on and on with names like Michael Landon, Nora Hayden, Mel Welles, Julie London, Dean Jones, Agnes Moorehead, Nat 'King' Cole, Frank Gorshin, Mickey Rooney, Mel Torme, Jim Backus, Jay North, Leo Gordon, Paul Anka, Elinor Donahue, Gloria Talbott etc. etc. etc.
If you watch "The Beat Generation" and "The Big Operator" back to back, it can surrealistically seem like it's a continuing story. Steve Cochran quits his job as a cop and divorces Fay Spain, and Steve and Mamie Van Doren get married and have a kid, while Ray Danton goes from serial rapist to hit man, and Vampira never notices any of it because she's way too cool!!

13 WILD BIKER POSTERS FOR A FRIDAY

Here's 13 wild biker posters for a Friday! These movies were popular in the sixties and seventies, they were brutal in their depiction of mixing drugs, booze and violence with motorcycles. A sign of freedom and individualism at the time...

We'll start with THE HOT ANGEL from 1958 because the lobby card shows motorcycles in the insert. Cycling seems to be a fairly tame sport at the time, this one stars Ed (EARTH vs. THE SPIDER) Kemmer and Lyle (ATOM MAN vs. SUPERMAN) Talbot.

By 1965, the train was off the rails! MOTOR PSYCHO is about three bad boys who get their kicks by raping other people's women and generally being a public nuisance. The movie stars Alex (THE GODFATHER) Rocco in his first acting role and a cameo by director, Russ Meyer.

ANGEL UNCHAINED is a story about Angel, a biker who joins a commune of hippies near a small town in Arizona. But, when the town's jackass rednecks attack them, Angel calls up some of his bad ass biker buddies to exact a little revenge!.. With Aldo Ray!

In ANGELS FROM HELL, a sadistic ex-motorcycle gang leader comes home from Vietnam to resume his life in freakin' Bakersfield, CA, and wants to form a powerful cycle gang there, and, have the police running scared for a while. I wonder how many locals they used in the cast?

In THE DIRT GANG poster, well, looks like the gang has a beef with the Fuzz!! The story's about a film crew that's shooting a movie in the desert, they're terrorized by a vicious outlaw motorcycle gang on dirt bikes! They are after the women in the production, what else.

HELL'S CHOSEN FEW is about a biker falsely accused of a murder committed by the drunken sheriff. His Vietnam vet bro doesn't believe the accusation, so, decides to join the Hell's Chosen Few biker gang in order to find out the truth. Directed by David L. (THE WIZARD OF MARS) Hewitt, familiar faces include William (THE MIGHTY GORGA) Bonner, Gary (SATAN'S SADISTS) Kent and Titus (VISIT TO A SMALL PLANET) Moede.

The chicks are brought in with SHE-DEVILS ON WHEELS! An all-female motorcycle gang called 'The Maneaters' hold motorcycle races, but, also terrorize the residents of a small Florida town. They clash with an all-male rival gang of bikers and the nut-busting fun ensues! Produced by Herschell Gordon Lewis.

In Al Adamson's SATAN'S SADISTS, the Satans are a cruel biker gang led by a cat named Anchor! The gang goes to a diner in the middle of nowhere in the California desert and begin to terrorize the locals. After some killings, one of the cafe patrons manages to escape from the bikers and needs to get to the nearest town before the Satans catch up with him. Stars Russ (THE HAUNTING) Tamblyn, Scott (JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF TIME) Brady, Kent (THE CRAWLING HAND) Taylor and Robert (DRACULA'S CASTLE) Dix.

THE GLORY STOMPERS (great name, we love the word, stomp) looks like a whole lotta stompin' goin' on!! Chino is the tough leader of a motorcycle gang who starts a biker war when he abducts and mistreats the leader of the enemy gang, A tale of revenge! Stars include Dennis (GIANT) Hopper, Jock (THE LAND UNKNOWN) Mahoney and Casey (THE INCREDIBLE 2-HEADED TRANSPLANT) Kasem.

DEVIL RIDER is all about a young rebellious girl who hooks up with a biker gang, her mother hires a private detective to find her and bring her back home. So, the detective goes undercover as a biker to search for her.

That's one wild poster for THE DEATH WHEELERS, we love skulls too! This story's about a gang of young bikers that call themselves the Living Dead! They terrorize the population in the small town of Surrey, England, and after an agreement with the devil, they are to gain eternal life. They all commit suicide to attain their eternal life but things don't turn out as expected...

WEREWOLVES ON WHEELS is one messed up flick, a biker gang visits a monastery where they encounter monks engaged in worshipping Satan. When the monks try to persuade one of the female bikers to become a satanic sacrifice, the bikers smash up the monastery and leave. The monks have the last laugh, though!

A good place to end is with Roger Corman's NAKED ANGELS! We'll just let the poster do the talking here... So, hope you enjoyed the show, we're back tomorrow with something special, just for you!