THE GHOST GOES GEAR - Spencer Davis Group/Joan Shakespeare - "Polly Put The Kettle On, The Drum Floated Away" (1966)

"The Ghost Goes Gear" comes across like the bastard son of "A Hard Day's Night" and "The Ghost Of Dragstrip Hollow," but not near as good as either one of them! Kind of like one long and very annoying Spencer Davis music video variety show, the music is very good, of course, but the film is full of extremely irritating secondary characters who are in the movie for no reason but to bother you. 

 

If the band's manager, and his constant cloying, "Spencer, Oh Spencer" isn't bad enough, you've got that other old man, and let us not forget about Polly, and can you believe they made Steve push the wheelbarrow. I guess it figures, he was the youngest! 

 

I was really going to slam Sheila White's portrayal of Polly as being one of the worst and aggravating performances ever put on film, but after doing some research, I figured out that she was only 16 at the time, and it was her first ever performance, so probably, the blame really lies with the lame director who was telling her and the others to act so cuckold, it really grates on my nerves and she looks like she needs to wash her hair! 

 

Spencer Davis just keeps on smiling and Polly just keeps on gyrating!! There is literally a ton of music in this film, but some of the"Chasing The Drum Down The River" and "Polly Dancing In The Kitchen" music is the best, and stuff you've probably never heard before. Sounds a lot to me like a bit of what the future Traffic would sound like. Maybe it's just the sax, but there are some good grooves, and if you don't have to watch the maddening other characters, you can really enjoy the music, and you have Joan Shakespeare to thank for a lot of it! 

 

There's about 87 more songs in this movie including some Acker Bilk, The Lorne Gibson Trio, David Berry, The Three Bells, St. Louis Union, and M6! We might do more sometime, maybe not! It gets to be a bit much when the whole movie is music!! As bad as this movie is, anybody who loves 60's music like we do should get a copy, and it's usually available on Amazon for less than 10 bucks!!

...4 ...3 ...2 ...1 ...MORTE (Mission Stardust) - Antón García Abril & Erwin Halletz - "What About That Button?" (1967)

Okay, Here's your new favorite movie, a 1967 Italian film called "Mission Stardust" and you're oh so lucky, because this is a film that is actually relatively easy to get on DVD, and I'm sorry, but you just have to love that fact that director Primo Zeglio also worked under the name of Anthony Greepy, and that's just for starters! 

 

The music is boss, rumbles and definately rocks!!! Dig in kids, because this stuff will get your foot a tappin', with a money back, "It Just Doesn't Get Much Better"!!! 

 

Right about here the music turns to space smaltz, Hum, hum! Hum hum hum!! "Are you saying a naked girl is of interest to a man?" "More or Less!" Right!!!!! 

 

The incredible music is the product of the combined forces of Austrian composer Erwin Halletz, and Spanish composer Antón García Abril! And truly incredible it is, you've got a theme with icy soaring shrill vocals, and what about those chattering background chants and it's all driven by a monster rocking freak beat! When you listen to the theme, make sure there's no crystal in the room, or get ready to sweep up some glass!! 

 

So, here's your choices, evil from earth on the left, or not so bad from space on the right, where will your allegiance lie?? 

 

You can only imagine what's going to happen next in this scene!! 

 

The rest of the soundtrack is without restriction, limitation or restraint, and is a whole lotta fun to listen to, and the movie has a whole lot of eye candy like this to keep you awake too! 

 

Favorite line after this scene, "Well now, I suppose you two would like to unscrew your heads and go hide in the closet!" Okay, you can have it now Charlie!!!

PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE - Gordon Zahler - " I Saw A Flying Saucer!" (1959)

The music in "Plan 9 From Outer Space" is stock music from at least 12 different composers, so I guess the credits go to the guy who put the puzzle all together, Gordon Zahler. First off, we've got Criswell and the theme! 

 

Then there's some decent big band from the background music in the patio BBQ scene. "I don't think I've ever seen you in this mood before!" 

 

"I saw a flying saucer!"

 The movie from last night, "Creation Of The Humanoids" and tonights film "Plan 9 From Outer Space" both had an actor with the best stage name ever, Dudley Manlove! In this film, he is "Eros" and in "Humanoids" he plays a clicker named Lagan. Costume design by none other than Dick Chaney!! Practically everything else was done by Edward D. Wood Jr. The rest has all been said before! 

 

Talk about life imitating art, I guess they knew this would happen someday!! R.I.P. Vampira!!!

CREATION OF THE HUMANOIDS - I.F.M. - "Electronic Harmonics" (1962)

You know I'm starting to see a pattern here! If you combine a freaky weird vision and anything with shrill but soothing ethereal voices from the farthest nether regions of outer space, then you have probably reached the uttermost point of some film score composer's conceptual dream! I'm thinking the "Creation Of The Humanoids" theme is a perfect example of what I'm trying to convey here, if you get my meaning, if you feel my drift! 

 

The musical credits go to "Electronic Harmonics by I.F.M." which might stand for 'Inspired by Famous Monsters'!!! 

 

A warm spot for a cold heart!! 

 

Don McGowan is another one of those characters that is the epitome of 1950's and 60's TV and movies, but beyond all that, he has the distinction of being the guy who wore the "gill man" suit when the creature was on land in "The Creature Walks Among Us." So now, you've got a reason to see two movies!! 

 

Director Wesley Barry was an interesting guy, having been an actor since a stint in a 1916 film entitled "Maybe Moonshine." He acted in over 60 films before deciding to go to the other side of the camera as director and producer. "Creation Of The Humanoids" was the last film he produced! Unfortunately, nobody lives forever, and Mr. Barry passed away in 1994 in Fresno, Calif, but his massive body of work will live on forever thanks to modern technology like in this movie!! See it on Monsters HD!!

TORMENTED - Albert Glasser/Calvin Jackson/ Margie Rayburn - "Tormented Trilogy" (1960)

Albert Glasser did most of the music for this Bert I. Gordon classic, but as the credits state, there are "additional modern jazz sequences" by Calvin Jackson, and the "Tormented" song is sung by Margie Rayburn! Born in Madera, Calif., Margie is generally considered a one hit wonder, because she had a pop single, "I'm Available" go to #9 in the Billboard charts in 1957. The songs "I'm Available" and "Tormented" have nothing in common at all, which proves Margie had a number of styles at her disposal! 

 

If you haven't seen this movie, the problem is Juli Reding as Vi, the singer of "Tormented" in the movie, is dead, and she and her music just won't go away and stop bothering poor Richard Carlson! I mean it's not like he pushed her! 

 

How ironic that she recorded a song called "Tormented" and that's just what she's doing to him. What are the odds of that? Bad luck on his part I'd say! 

 

Like one Vi wasn't bad enough!!! I don't think this is the kind of three way he was dreaming about!! 

 

I don't really get what the big deal is, I think anybody could get used to Vi setting around after awhile. Maybe he should just drill a hole in her head and stick some flowers in there, she might make a pretty good talking vase! Here's what we call the "Tormented Trilogy"!! Music from at least three scenes, and it really does sound like it was recorded in a lighthouse with some bad acoustics!! SOUNDCLIP NOT AVAILABLE

THE ILLUSTRATED MAN - Jerry Goldsmith - "Want A Cup Of Coffee?" (1969)

"The Illustrated Man" is curious but unsatisfying all at the same time. It's a very uncomfortable movie, and I'm sure that is just the way author Ray Bradbury would like it to be, but something just doesn't click right, it's beautiful to look at and unpredictable as can be, but manages to end up just being kind of meaningless, and you wish you had your hour and a half+ back, so you could watch "Mission Stardust" or something fun like "Creature Of Destruction" instead! That's it, the movie just takes itself too serious!  

 

Rod Steiger is just kind of obnoxious in a boorish kind of way, and you just wish he'd get on with whatever's bugging him and get over it, but then I guess there'd be no story! 

 

Incredible 10 or 20 hour days of make-up! James E. Reynolds is the man to thank for the "Skin Illustrations!" 

 

Composer Jerry Goldsmith has a massive resume including composer of the music for 18 episodes of Boris Karloff's "Thriller" and another 7 episodes of "The Twilight Zone!" Classically trained, he wasn't afraid of experimenting with sound or electronics, as you will hear when listening to this piece. Jerry passed away in 2004, but sure left us a ton of music to enjoy! Thank-You Sir!!!! 

 

Now you really can't blame these evil kids for not wanting to give up this cool playground!! Better than the fort we used to have! 

 

You guys are a bunch of weenies, what do you mean you're cold and tired? 

 

Right about this point in the film, you really start to squirm, and the actors just seem really miserable, and it's like, can you just get out of the rain please, or I'm going to have to go to the restroom! Now if none of this makes any sense, then you're just going to have to go out and rent this film yourself to really understand, but that might not even do the trick!

SPACE MONSTER - Marlin Skiles - "Dreams and Doctors" (1965)

The 1965 made for TV movie,"Space Monster" was written, directed, and produced by Leonard Katzman, who would go on to produce many episodes of "Wild Wild West", "Hawaii Five-O", "Gunsmoke", "Dallas" and more, before passing away in 1996! A lot of people don't like this movie, but it's really a gem, and it's got some music that is out of this world, and that is because it has the extremely talented composer Marlin Skiles at the helm. Martin was making music for movies as far back as 1934, and gets the credit for stock music in films like "20 Million Miles To Earth" and "The Giant Claw!" 

 

First, we have the scene where Dr. John Andros, played by Baynes Barron, is daydreaming about a beach in a tropical paradise, and we get a way too short treat of some extra funky sax surf music. You didn't hear many bass lines like that in 1965! 

 

Kinda figures, since the last time we saw him, he was known as Chief Maranka on another island in "From Hell It Came!" 

 

The best line is right here, as class act, James Brown, as Colonel Hank Stevens says..."I'll bet you have!" as he responds to John Andros saying, "I've seen a lot worse than our lady doctor!" 

 

Then, after some enlightening guy talk, we switch over to the lab where the good doctor is trying his best to get next to Dr. Lisa Wayne, who has all the answers, and none of them include him! Minnesota girl Francine York as the good doctor was very busy acting up til just a couple of years ago!! The music is swingin' in the background! 

 

This film is incredibly lame and stupid, but you gotta love it!! Here they re-used the dumb little wrinkled head guy from "Wizard Of Mars." I used to have a little rubber head guy like that you could stick your hand in and morph his face all around with your fingers! Seems like I won it as a prize at The Pike in Long Beach! We got fan mail from some flounder, and as an extra bonus, he sent along this wallpaper for you, of his interpretation of the ultimate 1950's Monster Boy! Remember, You seen it here first!! Happy New Year!!