UGETSU MONOGATARI / Daiei Studios - 1953

It's Friday at The Dungeon with Tabonga!.. We gots a complicated little tale from Japan from 1953, it's all about Genjurô, a family man, farmer and craftsman who travels the countryside selling his wares and makes a small fortune during the Japanese Civil Wars of the sixteenth century. Their village is attacked and looted, so, the families flee and survive, Genjurô decides to leave his wife and son on the bank of the river, promising to return in ten days, adventures ensue. This movie has a ton of titles!

Eegah!! sent over a sound clip with classic Japanese music for our earjoyment, sooooo, you can push the big red 'GO' button next to the atomic powered samurai sword, NOW, Rufus The Gnat! Here's a taste of... UGETSU MONOGATARI!

Here's Genjurô working pottery in his studio, making his items to sell, and, before the trouble.

After Genjurô gets separated from his wife and son and has to do whatever it takes to avoid the attackers as he flees their onslaught.

He sneaks up and hides under a house where he watches a samurai behead the owner!

If it isn't the samurais, he's being confronted by locals as he tries to make his way back home.

Finally, he gets back and greets his wife, who has been worried sick waiting for his return.

I just really dig this shot of this abode, that's all... Hey, make a story up if you like!

Genjurô's brother is killed during the siege, so, Genjurô vows to live his life in his honor.

Peace has returned, Genjurô, his wife and son continue to be productive in their beautiful setting... What's really great about this flick are all the amazing visual textures shown throughout the production! Tune in tomorrow when Virus Man will bring you a weird one, don't miss it, GOT IT?!!

A 001: OPERAZIONE GIAMAICA - Marcello Giombini - "Our Man In Jamaica" (1965)

No more dealing with impostors or impersonators, tonight's Dungeon Spy Feature is about Agent Double 01 and is appropriately titled "A 001: Operazione Giamaica" or "Our Man In Jamaica!" This poster kills, and it has nothing to do with the movie at all! Fantastico!!

So first things first, our man hasn't even got there yet, so let's try and find out why he's going! I don't usually spend a lot of time talking about directors, but I think it's worth noting something that might make "Our Man In Jamaica" just a little bit different from your standard Eurospy flick, and that is the fact that Mr. Mel Welles was the predominant director for the movie!  Mel of course, is a major Dungeon hero for his work on and in "Attack Of The Crab Monsters," "The Undead," "Rock All Night," "The Little Shop Of Horrors," and "She Beast" etc!

Our man who hasn't gone to Jamaica yet, is Larry Pennell as Agent 001 Alessandro Pennelli, or in the English version, Ken Stewart Agent 001! Larry Pennell was the character called Dash Riprock on "The Beverly Hillbillies," a suave movie actor who was quite attracted to Elly May! He was also in the "Outer Limits" episode called "The Mutant," and was Kemosabe in "Bubba Ho-Tep!" Larry just passed away a little less than a year ago!

"So what do you mean, you have a job? Last night you said you were a secret agent, and we were supposed to get married today!"

So Agent 001 has been called into the office to be given his new assignment, but he's still daydreaming about the action from the night before! Next stop............

....JAMAICA!!

I don't know who is singing that wild and fairly horrendous theme song, but the music credits go out to Marcello Giombini of "War Of The Planets," "Battle Of The Stars," and "War Of The Robots" fame and fortune!

This creepster dude is very intent on this dancer! In fact he's down right delusional!

So when 001 waltzes up to the bar, and the dancer ask him to buy her a drink, it really pisses off the creep because he thinks she's his girlfriend, and then all Hell breaks out!

Bad Brad Harris gives 001 a muchly unappreciated assist, because 001 prefers to fight his own fights!

By the luck of the draw, it just so turns out that I've ended up with two copies of "Our Man In Jamaica" so I'm going to give away one copy free, courtesy of  The Cult Action Team to the first person who leaves a comment with the correct answer to this question! Not in this movie, but in real life, what number 8 is Brad Harris quoted as saying that he believes is essential to good health?

The boss played by Wolfgang Kieling shows up, and tell his thugs to take the troublemaker into his office! Behind closed doors, it's now revealed that Wolfgang's character is indeed a special operative himself, and the whole thing was just a ruse, so the two could meet together and not cause suspicion! Wolfgang was in Hitchcock's "Torn Curtain," and I love this fact, on German "Sesame Street," Wolfgang was the voice of Bert!

001 is searching everywhere to try and catch up with his old pal Larry Peacock who has suddenly mysteriously disappeared!  Linda (The 1000 Eyes Of Dr. Mabuse) Sini is Signora Cervantes, an art collector and a known associate of Larrys, and she has a real cool pad, but she doesn't have any real answers!

I love this very short scene where these two streetwalkers come up and ask Mr. Bigshot for a ride in his fancy car, and 001 politely tells them that it's a rental!

Heading over to Larry Peacock's office, 001 finds a strange woman in his ransacked office, but it turns out to be Larry's sister, who is also looking for him! Marvelous Margitta (Zimmer 13) Scherr is Lana Peacock!

Lana finds what appear to be some doodles by Larry, but when it's turned upside down, it points at nothing but trouble at some place called Flamingo Bay!

A pensive 001 gazes out over the pool!

It's a fact that Brad Harris does all his own stunts!

Barbara Valentin is Signora Cervantes' secretary Gloria! "Yeah, she makes me feel all right, G L O R I I I I A!" -  Them. Barbara's first role ever was in 1959 as the dancing girl in "The Head!" She kept working right up to the time of her death in 2002! "Somebody's ringing the bell, open the door and let 'em in!"- Paul McCartney

Larry Peacock finally shows up, but he's in no condition to answer any questions, in fact, he's not even breathing, and it turns out that he has been electrocuted and was just left leaning up against the door bell!

It seems it would be almost inhumanly impossible to have a 60's spy movie without a miniature tape recorder of some sort!

In the end they try to pry more information out of 001 by hooking him up to some electric dreadlocks, but just like every time before, 001 is just too tough to give it up!

 Just so that you know he lived through the whole ordeal, here's a final shot of 001 and Lana together safe and sound and riding off into the sunset. "Our Man In Jamaica" is just one more movie in a long line of 60's spy flicks worth checking out, and speaking of checking out, I'm outta here!

MARS ATTACKS! / Tim Burton Productions - 1996

It's Martian Monster Monday with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon!.. This Tim Burton production is (supposedly) based on the super classic Topps gum cards from 1962 and features a big pile of stars, many of which get killed off. This silly little movie made a staggering amount of money!

Eegah!! sent over a sound clip from this flick with some Tom Jones singing his hit "It's Not Unusual" as Rome burns, sooooo, you can push the big red 'GO' button there by the Martian Ray Gun, NOW, Ralphie The Tarantula! Here's our audio offering for... MARS ATTACKS!

This is a good place to start... Okay, why in the Hell would you make a movie called MARS ATTACKS! and use saucers stolen from EARTH vs. THE FLYING SAUCERS??!!.. I don't get it.

The Martians were originally designed by Super Dungeon Hero and Comic God, the amazing Wally Wood! I have a little surprise at the end of the post, so, hang on to the hand rail!

I really like this shot of Michael J. Fox, just before he gets turned into a yucky green skeleton!

Gung ho private Jack Black thinks his American flag is enough to stop the devilish invaders.

Lisa Marie's the Martian bombshell that bites off horndog Martin Short's finger and spits it into the fish tank!

The Martians in the mother ship pass time by watching American TV!

Danny DeVito gets a little more than he bargained for at the craps table!!

Here, Jim Brown teaches the Martians a little bit about the sweet science of boxing!

It seems that one particular song, "Indian Love Call" by Slim Whitman, drives them absolutely mad and makes their heads explode!! A handy secret weapon played over loudspeakers worldwide, bringing the invasion to an abrupt end!

HELLO!!!... EARTH vs. THE FLYING SAUCERS!!!

Jim Brown gets the last stomp!

Now, here's a blood curdling look at three original panels done by Wally Wood for Topps. You know, I'd prefer to see a movie based on the original story and cards! So, check back Wednesday for more from the Dungeon crew!