Sunday, March 9, 2008

THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD - Dimitri Tiomkin - "It's Not Dead" (1951)

Dimitri Tiomkin gets the real music composition credits for "The Thing", but the playing of the theremin by Dr. Samuel Hoffman in key scenes is just as important in the overall soundtrack. We already touted the amazing skills of both these two men, and you can find it in our archives, so there's not much more to add, except, Enjoy this little piece from a film unlike any other!!
 Doesn't really turn out that he's so smart after all! 
 
When "The Thing" wakes up, it's "Exit! Stage right!!" Guns a blazing, because...That Thing's Alive!!
 When I was a kid and I first saw this picture for the original artwork from John Campbell's book in Famous Monsters Of Filmland magazine, I thought it was one of the scariest images I'd ever seen!!

Saturday, March 8, 2008

LA MUJER MURCIELAGO (The Batwoman) - Leo Acosta - "A Brief Musical Synopsis" (1968)

Translated into English as "The Batwoman"
 Italian born Maura Monti as The Batwoman was, and is still to this day, Hot!! 
 
The Batwoman's black convertible T-Bird is red hot, in that 113 degree heat!! 
 
Maura Monti was also in some other outstanding Mexican wrasslin' movies like "Santo El Enmascardo De Plata vs La Invasión De Los Marcianos" and "Blue Demon Destructor De Espías!!!!" 
 The music in this film by Leo Acosta is as fine as the best tequila in your local mercado, and sometimes as confusing as the name of this boat. Is it now, or an homage to another era?? 
 
Nifty little poolside record player! You'll have to try and find a copy of this movie to see how bad that 45 is warped! Buena Suerte!!!

Friday, March 7, 2008

FACE OF THE SCREAMING WEREWOLF - Luis Hernández Bretón - "Werewolf Rampage" (1964)

That Jerry Warren was one bent cat. Andy Partridge of the English Band XTC, had an album where he reused a bunch of his old stuff all mixed together in a new form, and he called it, "The Lure Of Salvage," and I think that explains the Jerry Warren phenomenon as good as anything. Always hoping to find or create buried treasures, "Face Of The Screaming Werewolf" was a mix of two Mexican films, "La Casa Del Terror" from 1960 and "La Momia Azteca," from 1957 with some added footage from Jerry in an effort to make it more cohesive supposedly! Werewolves are quite a vicious lot as a whole, whereas Vampires move slow and slink around in the dark, Werewolves just come after you with everything they got!!!! The very dynamic music by Mexican composer Luis Hernández Bretón works so well in this scene where the Werewolf is going after these doctors tooth and nail, it is a perfect.............Werewolf Rampage!!! I do believe I could outrun Frankenstein or a Mummy, but I sure don't want to tangle with no Werewolf!!! This would be the last time Lon Chaney Jr. played a Werewolf in a film!

Thursday, March 6, 2008

BLOOD OF DRACULA'S CASTLE - Don Hulette - "TJB Mood" (1969)

The only musical credits on "Blood Of Dracula's Castle" besides the title tune we presented a few months back, go to Don Hulette, who only gets credited for additional music in the music department, but was probably responsible for this music. A couple more of his soundtrack accomplishments from the 60's are "They Saved Hitler's Brain" and "The Madmen Of Mandoras." 
 
I'd say they were very lucky to be able to shoot this opening sequence of scenes at "Marineland!" 
 
The photographer inherits a castle, and thinks it will make a good backdrop for his photos, so maybe he can sell them to Universal (The people who brought us "Frankenstein" etc!) Get it? 
 
Los Angeles circa 1969! It's quite understandable why this music sounds vaguely like "The Tijuana Brass!" You know, it was just that era, and that "TJB Mood" was quite popular! 
 
They go up in the 320 foot "Sky Tower", and you get a chance to see something you'll never see again in your lifetime, open fields and open land right along that old Southern California coastline in Palos Verdes!
 
This is just a taste of what the happy couple has waiting for them!! 
 Vampires always suck, but this Al Adamson vehicle, and this vampire couple really suck on more than one level, and let me tell you something, that ain't V-8 they're drinking!!!

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

QUATERMASS 2 - James Bernard - "In The Pub" (1957)

Arguably the first ever movie to use the number 2 in a title to signify that it was a sequel, "Quatermass 2" is part of an ongoing series of TV shows and movies that has continued up until 2005! We predict it must be about time for a new one!!!! 
 
 This scene consists of the entering of the pub, with a jig playing, and after the blonde Madelyn shows them how it's really done, she walks over to the jukebox and plays a very swingin' tune.
 
Right about here the facade is dropped and the questions really start flying. Favorite lines are "I'm a police officer!" "We don't have any police here." "Well, you have now, turn that music off!!"
 
We've never written anything about James Bernard before, and that is quite astonishing considering his body of work as soundtrack composer. Actually, there are too many titles to list them all, but just for instance, besides a couple of "Quatermass" films, you've got the absolute best Hammer classics, "Dracula" and "The Curse Of Frankenstein," then, there's "X: The Unknown," "The Hound Of The Baskervilles," The Terror Of The Tongs," "The Gorgon," "Torture Garden" and lots lots more!!! This movie is over 50 years old and still very cool!!! Imagine that!! Think about it! Wink, wink, nod, nod! "2 beers and a double!!"

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

NIGHT TIDE - The Paul Horn Combo - "Hey, Wait A Minute" (1961)

Here's one last brief, but very cool little tune that The Paul Horn Combo did for the club scene in "Night Tide."

Maybe it's because I was trying to figure out how a person can be in a bar and just ask a complete stranger why somebody was talking to them, and what did they say? 

"Night Tide" could possibly be remade with Angelina Jolie as the mermaid, the only person who could even remotely be as good as the ravishing Linda Lawson was! 

I don't know why I didn't include this song in the last write up on "Night Tide," but it's too good to leave behind because they did a completely brilliant job on this..... Jazzy Little Tune!!  

You don't even want to know what's going on in this octosex nightmare scene! 

Curtis Harrington did a fantabulous job of writing and directing! Dennis Hopper did a fine job of waiting!! They would work together again in 1966 on "Queen Of Blood!"

Monday, March 3, 2008

NOT OF THIS EARTH - Ron Stein - "Theme & Later" (1957)

So, Tonight's special feature is the very cool 1957 film, "Not Of This Earth," because it's got all the vital elements that we hold so near and dear down here!!! Produced and directed by Roger Corman! Music by none other than Ron Stein! Of course there's a creepy theme and a great little scene with parked kids and music in the background. This movie also has both Dick Miller and Jonathan Haze in it, and special effects by Paul Blaisdell. It's hard to ask for much more than that! 
 
We spent a lot of time trying to figure out just the right movie for tonight, this #313 post; I wanted to use something from "Eegah!!" and of course Tabonga had something more vegetable in mind, more family oriented like "From Hell It Came," so after quite a tussle, we chose a common ground for #313, which Tabonga pointed out, for all you astute people, is the same backwards and forwards!! Amazing!! Here's "Not Of This Earth"!! Cheers!!!! 
 
Hey, wait a minute! That's Impossible!! What the............. 
 
Movie and TV stalwart Paul Birch is perfect, what a look!! 
 
Looking at Paul's career is like looking through a copy of a 1960's TV guide! 
 
His buddy just came out of the closet, literally!!
 
1950's birth control, "If my father dug this scene, he'd put small round holes in your head!" Yessiree!!

Monster Music

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