Sunday, February 24, 2008

THIS ISLAND EARTH - Mancini/Salter/Stein - "Opening Credits" (1955)

Time for yet another killer classic, and this time the musical credits all go to Henry Mancini, Hans J. Salter and/or Herman Stein, and might just as well be credited to musical supervisor Joseph Gershenson for all we know. Now this music doesn't rock or swing, but it's Very spacey and just a taste of what you're about to see and hear in this amazing film! 
 
Not quite "Forbidden Planet", but still a great film to watch with one of the coolest and classic monsters of all time. 
 
This Woody looks like the one Ted used to own, bet you anything, it's got a flathead six in it! 
 
It's funny how Rex Reason is completely unrecognizable in this picture, but you can still tell it's Faith Domergue! 
 
What a difference a few hours can make! Larry, Moe, and wait, there's two Larry's and one's a woman! That's what the sight of Mutant Monsters will do to you! 
 
Actress Milicent Patrick was the person who designed this classic 'Mutant' monster, and she also is credited with designing , are you ready, "The Creature From The Black Lagoon." I say the whole world owes a monstrous debt of gratitude to Ms. Patrick. Can we hear one big collective Thanx Milicent!!! 
 If there's a monster heaven, the 'Mutant' from "This Island Earth" is having the time of his life with Frankenstein, The Thing, Godzilla and the rest of his buddies up there! 
 
This shot looks like a piece of classic art!!! 
 
The one thing I don't get, is with all their advanced technology, you would think these space people could at least design a seat that you can sit in without having to slouch over or sit on the edge!

Saturday, February 23, 2008

WOMANEATER - Edwin Astley "Theme and Bongos" (1958)

Spotlight on a different member of the family, presenting Tabonga's second cousin, "Womaneater!" Composer Edwin Astley had a lengthly career spanning three decades and besides this film, composed the soundtracks for many other films including "Devil Girl From Mars", "The Giant Behemoth", and the Herbert Lom version of "The Phantom Of The Opera." 
 
Bongo Boy has to always set the scene with one of his bongo solos, kind of like saying grace before dinner! Here's a little sound collage that should make you want to go and get your own copy of this great film! As it is also known, Get ready for ...................."The Woman Eater"!!!
 Now "Womaneater" isn't as mobile as Tabonga, so he can't chase the pretty girls down, they have to bring them to him, which always adds that extra fun element of going out to bars etc, to pick up chicks! Edwin came up with some great lounge music in the background In The Bar
 
So what have we learned here? Even if your boyfriend's a scuzzball, it's still always better than accepting a drink and going home with some freak!!!!! Well, maybe she deserves it, really! You decide!
 Dinner's served!! 
 
Novel idea, using the monster as a cameraman!! Wonder if it got paid double?

Friday, February 22, 2008

BLUE DEMON CONTRA LAS INVASORAS (1969)

Not dead yet, so don't worry Little Billy, we still got enough material for 2, or maybe 3 months yet. Tonight we've got another Blue Demon film that we don't know a whole lot about, "Blue Demon Contra Las Invasoras" , or "Blue Demon Y Las Seductoras" as it is sometimes called. Tabonga's copy was taped off of Mexican TV back in the 80's, so the sound and stills aren't that great, and since it was never released in English, we don't even know the spacewench's name who is singing this song, but it's got to be either Griselda Mejía, Gilda Mirós, Gina Morett, or Regina Torné. If you know, let us know, and we'll update the info, but this song is just too good to be left behind. The rest of the soundtrack is very solid because it's the same rockin' sounds that were in "Blue Demon Contra Las Diabolicas." 
 
This gal from space appears to be normal enough in a seductive sorta way. 
 
And she obviously got this guy's attention!!! 
 
Female space invaders? Okay, you got a better idea?? 
 
Blue Demon in his Mustang!! Spanish Spacewench Seductress Song Oh yeah!!!!!!! Cheers and Jeers to the MonstersHD TV Channel! Cheers for recently showing some of our favorite titles Like "Horror Of Party Beach", "Frankenstein Meets The Space Monster", "Blood Of Dracula", "Invasion Of The Neptune Men" and "Playgirls And The Vampire", all doctored up and lookin' good in cool Hi-Def!! Jeers for only rotating 3 or 4 titles in a 24 hour period! But at least they're showing them, and nobody else is doing it, so we'll take what we can get! Keep 'em coming!!!

Thursday, February 21, 2008

GAMERA TAI UCHU KAIJU BAIRASU (Destroy All Planets) - Kenjiro Hirose - "Gammera's Theme" (1968)

Sheesh!! Been doing this blog for 7 months almost nonstop, take a couple of days off to rest up, and come down with some kind of distant cousin to "Captain Trips" flu, so let's just get the ball rolling again, so I can go back to bed, with something quick and cool. From the 1968 film "Destroy All Planets" or as some people know it "Gamera Vs Viras", here's what I'm told is the real Gammera theme! As in all 1960's Young Guy A Go-Go movies, the music here is by Kenjiro Hirose!
 
 And in the 'why not?' department, here's a funny little tune from the scene where the submarine is out of control, because the kids got in and messed it all up! 
 

Sunday, February 17, 2008

TERROR OF THE BLOODHUNTERS - Jerry Warren - "Bloodhunters Dance" (1962)

Well, this is post #301, so do some exploring while you're here, there's a lot of treasures to be found. Tonight we have another island adventure with a great title, "Terror Of The Bloodhunters", that's not too awful scary, but there was a shot of a shrunken head, and it is a Jerry Warren film, and if "She Gods Of Shark Reef" is a horror movie, then so is this! Another one of those fantastic deep philosophical films with Jerry footage combined with some old movie he got somewhere. 
 
It really looked like he tried to blend them better on this one, but the foliage in Jerry's footage is like woods, not jungle, and his white girls native dancing is hilarious juxtaposed with the other footage he used. Oh, well, that's Jerry, you gotta love him, or it's unwatchable and we love him here, so on a one to ten scale, we give this film a thirteen! 
 
Look at that native girl do the "Death Shimmy!" 
 
From all we can find out, this is the only movie that Dorothy Haney was ever in. Here, as Marlene, she gives Whorf the look!! Oh, yeah, and what kind of name is Whorf? 
 
Another classic 'cheapest police station in the world' by Jerry Warren, this time in South America. It looks like he spent about 87 cents more on this set than the one in "Teenage Zombies." 
 
And what's with this shot where Robert Clarke as Steve is holding the branch in front of Marlene's eyes! 
 
Once again, it's Jerry doing the music in the guise of Erich Blomberg. We sneaked in some outrageous narration from the trailer, and then you will hear the cool tribal rhythms from the opening credits of "Terror Of The Bloodhunters"!!! Hey, I need to go wander around in the desert somewhere for a couple of days and clear out my head, and Tabonga took off chasing one of them Jerry Warren native girls. We should oughta find our way back in 2 or 3 days. Til then, Later...............Go rent a movie!!!

Saturday, February 16, 2008

LEMON GROVE KIDS MEET THE MONSTERS - Don Snyder - "We're The Lemon Grove Kids" (1965)

You might be wondering why we havn't covered anything by the other classic 1960's el-cheapo, no budget film maker, Ray Dennis Steckler here. Let me just tell you that all of Ray's films are still available, full of crazy and cool music, and out of all the people we've talked about here, he's the only one still out working and promoting his movies himself, and that you should go out and buy each and every one of them!!! Some weirdo named Greg Goodsell has been leaving a bunch of comments on this blog lately, and if you'll follow this link, you can read an article written by him that will tell you more about Ray Dennis Steckler. Greg just did an interview with Ray for "Screem" magazine coming out in March, so he's got a lot of inside and up to date information to share. Steckler for details: Ray Dennis Steckler's Incredibly Strange New Career Path 
 Here's a great 86 second blast From The Kids Band intro music. 
 
Ray Dennis Steckler, Gopher, Cash Flagg, Cindy Lou Sutters, Etc himself! 
 
Don Snyder wrote and sang the theme for "We're The Lemon Grove Kids", which is probably the best kid's movie ever made!!!

Friday, February 15, 2008

ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES - Alexander Laszlo - "Trilogy" (1959)

Unfortunately for all of us, at the end of last year we lost another one of the people that made the whole B-Movie scene as cool as it was. I'm referring to classic director Bernie Kowalski, who not only directed this great film "Attack Of The Giant Leeches", but also "Hot Car Girl" and "Night Of The Blood Beast" before doing a hoard of cowboy and cop TV shows until just a few years ago! Anyone who was ever lucky enough to meet Bernie, would tell you that he was always a class act, easy to talk to, and forever a gentleman! He'll be sorely missed, but at least the man left a legacy of film and video that will never be forgotten!!!
Okay, so here we have some of the exact same music from Alexander Laszlo in the theme that was used for the theme of "Beast In The Haunted Cave", but back in 1959, you didn't notice stuff like that!! Here's the opening theme music to "Attack Of The Giant Leeches".

The music on the jukebox is swinging as Lem the poacher, portrayed by George Cisar, is spinning his laughable tales of unknown critters.

Then Liz, portrayed by the ravishing Yvette Vickers enters the room!

There seems to be more to this story that what they're letting on. Now, why are Liz and Dave married? Was it arranged or deranged? She doesn't really seem to like him much!

Liz is disgusted by and despises her husband Dave, and yet she continues to tease him. 

Then Dave's good buddy Cal gives him some advice, yeah, he'll be around all right!

Two seconds later, Cal's ready to jump in the sack with Liz!! What a pal!! 
 
Dave, played by the master Bruno Vesota, is not really as dumb as Cal and Liz might have thought! 

Karma Time!!!
And this is all before the movie really gets going! I just read where someone just remade this movie, good luck it's pretty tough to remake perfection!!

Monster Music

Monster Music
AAARRGGHHH!!!! Ya'll Come On Back Now, Y'Hear??