Tuesday, March 11, 2008

THE FLESH EATERS - "Rita Morely" - "It's A Wonder" (1964)

"Fish Heads, Fish Heads, Eat 'em up! Yum!" This fish looks like it might be just a little bit overcooked! Oh, it's "Flesh Eaters" not "Fish Eaters!" Now it makes more sense! Presenting: The insidiously evil Professor Peter Bartell and his best friend, a radioactive fish!! 
 
Rita Morley was great in "The Flesh Eaters" as the wealthy lush Laura Winters. The cinematography was excellent throughout this film by Carson Davidson, the only time he ever opted for the job, too bad, he had a great eye! 
 
This little song is from a particularity touching scene where Laura was trying to get her mobile liquor cabinet retrieved back from the ocean. After much research, I still haven't been able to determine exactly who to credit for the vocals on this song, but I have no reason to believe it's not Rita herself. 
 
So, here you go, before she gets the crap kicked out of her by that loving character Martin Kosleck as the insanely cruel and devious Professor Peter Bartell, here's "It's A Wonder!"
 Uh, Laura didn't quite exactly make it to the end of the movie, thanx to the professor!!!!
 This Daddy of all the little Flesh Eaters was a big ugly, smelly, noisey, good old fashioned for-real monster. All that fancy stuff they got today, but they just don't make monsters like this anymore!!! I guess it isn't such a wonder after all!

Monday, March 10, 2008

KISS ME , MONSTER (Bésame Monstruo) - "Sexodelic Disco Party" - (1969)

The subtlety of fake innocence was over by 1969, and it was time for a new era of debauchery. They were known as Dance Clubs or the dreaded Discos! 
 
In the movie "Kiss Me, Monster", the joint was jumpin' and the music was raw and pumpin', just one big sweaty rave-up, not like some square uptown city disco. Maybe Jerry van Rooyen did the music, and it doesn't swing like any of Dan White's work, so I think this band is just some local guys that Jesus Franco picked up somewhere, and they are jammin'!!!! 
 The scene might be a disco-type club, but the music is pure hardcore funk to the bone! 
 
I'm not really even sure why this fairly long scene is in this movie, but, do you care? Me neither! It makes as much sense as anything else in this film! Just Turn It Up Already!!! Jump, Shout, And Shake It All About!

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!!"

Monster Music

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