INVADERS FROM MARS - Raoul Kraushaar - "Theme & Escape" (1953)

Tonight's classic feature from way, way back in 1953, is "Invaders From Mars"! This film is a wonder to behold again, and again, and unlike a lot of these old movies, there are quality copies of "Invaders From Mars" out there that you can get your grimy hands on. The theme is as classic as "The Wizard Of Oz" and offbeat jazzy in that "Dementia" sorta way. From there you'll be taken to the end of the feature and a surreal collage of sounds and music that will sound like it goes on forever and ever!!  

I honestly think this might be the most beautiful lobby card I have ever seen in my life. What do you think?? 

For being a macho character his whole career, there's something not too flattering about this pose there, Morris! What do you think Art? 

Doesn't it just defy the imagination to know they could make a simple hole in the ground this fantastic! Musical director Raoul Kraushaar's work goes Way back to 1937 cowboy movies with titles like "Rhythm of the Saddle" and "Rootin' Tootin' Rhythm." The amazing Mort Glickman also gets credit as composer for stock music as he did in over 100 movies dating back to the early 40's! These guys were music-makin' machines, and they were very good at what they did, so enjoy it, because after the invasion, you won't be able to! 

Okay, sure, there's a whole lot of running back in forth in those tunnels, and some of the Martians need to do a few sit-ups, but overall, "Invaders From Mars" gets a 13 on a scale from 1 to 10! 

Here's a funny 3 shot sequence I made to show you how this dumpy Martian falls down. You need to go out and buy your own copy so you can watch in in slow-mo again and again! It's great therapy!

THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS - Walter Greene - "Theme, BBQ and Steve's Lust" (1957)

John Agar is the king of B movies, and if I counted correctly, he was in 15 Horror or Science Fiction movies from 1954 to 1967, and we've written about quite a few of them here because, well, John Agar and good music just go good together, like a martini and a good smoke. Tonight it's another John Agar classic, from 1957, "The Brain From Planet Arous." First off, you've got the theme by Walter Greene pounding you into the ground like Marvin The Martian riding a jackhammer, and then after the theme, there's the bar-b-que party background music, and it continues until Steve (now an alien from outer space) comes back with some serious lust in his head, not his heart! 

 

Classic character actor Thomas Browne Henry enters the scene as Mr. Fallon, and if you watch the movie, you'll see that the level of liquid in his glass mysteriously goes up and down without him drinking from it, as the scene progresses. Something to do with Mystery Mountain maybe? 

 

Even though they look nothing alike, I always get Mr. Henry and Morris Ankrum mixed up in my old memory base, mostly because they both played a lot of the same type of authority roles, Captain, Chief, Doctor, you get the picture. Meanwhile, John Agar, the other man of a thousand faces, girds his grid for the big one! 

 

Preceding "The Shining" by a number of years, here's the face of a Johnny that Shirley Temple woke up to for a couple of years! 

 

I'm sure it took every ounce of John's acting ability to effectively scratch and growl in this scene like some creature from outer space who just realized how hot human females really are! I'm surprised he didn't bite her! 

 

John's still grinning, and once again, it's through a window, that's making a sign of a cross. Very curious! Are you starting to see a pattern here? 

 

Please do go out and get yourself a copy of "The Brain From Planet Arous" so you can fully appreciate the difficulties of dealing with a superiour race with a hatchet! Go get 'em John!!!

THE DEVIL'S HAND - Allyn Ferguson/Manuel Francisco - "The Voodoo Club" (1962)

"The Devil's Hand" is probably the best voodoo club movie on the market, a classic that stands up well over the weathered hands of time! We posted up the title theme music up for you last year, but here's some of what was going on inside that seamy sleazy place! 

 

This movie has everything you want, bongo/congo percussion, wooden flute, and an exotic dancer to set the mood just right! 

 

A Crazy Gorgeous Blond and a handsome hero type played by the ever so popular, Robert Alda. 

 

Bruno VeSota always finds his way into some of the best movies! It's like some kind of funky miracle! 

 

Nice shot of the rather torturous club induction process! 

 

Then we get just a taste of that magnificent theme song again, as they wait in the bar for the witching hour! 

 

The club was evil, it had to burn!

IDO ZERO DAISAKUSEN (Latitude Zero) - Akira Ifukube - "Latitude Attitude" (1969)

I was flabbergasted by how bad movie this really was, and it's not hardly worth a mention here. There's so much money and talent wasted, and it comes across as a bad 'Power Rangers' episode with plastic acting by almost everyone!

 

It's Toho, it's Ishirô Honda, it's got Richard Jaeckel right after doing "Green Slime," and there's Akira Takarada and Jospeh Cotten all doing the worst performances of their life! 

 At the beginning, you think it's going to be camp like a 'Batman' TV series with Cesar Romero as 'The Joker' but no, instead it's mostly just crap, and Patricia Medina as Lucretia possibly turns in one of the most atrocious acting jobs ever! Ouch!!!! 

 Now, they're back, all immune in their gold lame Elvis outfits to make them completely invulnerable!

 Then, somebody decided they didn't look stupid enough, so they put on the gold caps and goggles!! Sheeesh!! "Are we not men??" 

 

This stupid stuffed animal looking monster looks cross-eyed and this professor and his daughter look like they are watching the dailies of this dumb movie!! The moronic giant rats and guy in a stuffed animal lion suit didn't fare much better either!

 Some of the postcard pics of their underwater nirvana look pretty neat, but that's not quite enough to save this film! And even the music by Akira Ifukube is really not that special this time! It's a whole bunch of "Latitude Attitude" and all you get is a big ZERO!

HOUSE ON BARE MOUNTAIN - Pierre Martel - "The Halloween Party" (1962)

Stretching the definition of a "Monster Movie" to the outer limits would be to suggest that a film like "House On Bare Mountain" was even remotely close to be a horror, science fiction or monster movie, but, to be sure, this very insipidly stupid film has some really great music in it!

 

It takes off with a greasy sounding take on "The Green Door" and then goes into some ultra swingin' 60's Vegas strip bar burlesque surf music with some Southern baked chicken pickin' guitar and seemingly endless honkin' sax! 

 

Pierre Martel is given the musical credits. Information on Pierre was hard to come by, he's either a professional wrestler, a banker, or got a liver transplant, but most likely, none of the above! It's possible the only information on the man is when the credits roll by! Music...........Pierre Martel!

 These type of movies sure didn't come to our little town when we were kids!! Pretty scary!!

 

Frankie spikes the punch and that's when all the inhibitions leave and all the tops fly off!

 This right here is the scariest part of the movie, oh, and Bob Cresse in the part of Granny Good, that's pretty frightening too!

 

In this one shot, it really looks like they were slam dancing back in 1962!! This movie is available on Netflix! They don't have "Forbidden Planet" but they have "House On Bare Mountain!" Go figure!!!! What kind of a world do we live in??

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!

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!