BLOOD BATH (Track Of The Vampire) - Ronald Stein - "Sordi" (1966)

"Spider Baby" creator and Francis Ford Coppola associate Jack Hill just misses the mark on this film, which I chalk up to casting mostly, but despite all that, this movie has one of the jazziest scores that Ronald Stein has ever composed, unfortunately, this terrific music fails to rescue this movie from the doldrums!!!

It's quite a stretch to think that Sordi's art really appeals to this lady, but then, the original name of this film is "Blood Bath"!!!!

Some costumed revelers celebrating come across Sordi as the vampire and the one guys says, "Man, Look at those fangs, they're better than mine!"!!

William Campbell is really excellent as demented artist/vampire Antonio Sordi, and all the women he kills are great, but the counter character lot of beatnik artist wannabees still just doesn't work.

The production company for this movie was "Avala Film" who produced 400 movies since 1947, and besides this film, you'd be lucky if you had ever heard of one of them unless you are from Yugoslavia!!! Amazing!!!!

THE GORGON - James Bernard - "Gorgon Theme" (1964)

"The Gorgon" had a reoccurring theme that was played every time a new victim was about to get turned to stone. Once again composer James Bernard was the man responsible for the eerie sounds as he would continue to do for years!!! 

 

The first victim of "The Gorgon" is a model!! She's going to be more likely to become a sculpture rather than a painting! 

 

Prudence Hyman as "The Gorgon" looks kinda scary even though she was only a mere 5'4" Tall. Seems like the victims would have been looking right over the top of her head most of the time, instead of into her eyes!! Christopher Lee was over a foot taller than her, maybe that was why he didn't think she was a very frightening presence! 

 

I sat here and watched this movie thinking the whole time, that Richard Pasco was Tommy Kirk, and I just couldn't remember that Tommy was in this film! Good trick!! 

 

"The Gorgon"

NEUTRON CONTRA EL CRIMINAL SADICO (Neutron Vs. The Maniac) - The Gay Crooners/Margie/Héctor Cabrerra - "Black Angels - Tequila Blanco" (1964)

Wow, Good Luck finding a copy of "Neutrón Contra El Criminal Sádico" and if you find a good one, please let us know, because we're always looking for a better copy, and what a shame, because, what a great movie! 

 

First up, you've got one killer theme that swings hard. Then, Margie steps up with the backing of Oswald And His Popular Orchestra, doing "Black Angels." 

 

Then we get the treat of The Singing Voice Of Venezuela, The Revelation Of Latin America, Héctor Cabrerra, singing his latest hit song, "Forgive Me My Darling!" Best favorite new line "You still don't get it, do you, you stupid scarecrow!" 

 

Then Margie comes back with a reprise of "Black Angels" but in costume this time!!!! 

 

Not a whole lot of monster action, but you got Neutron, and, the music is like a "Coachella Festival" circa 1964. 

 

And if that ain't enuf, from the furthest point of left field, let's just go back inside the bar, because The Gay Crooners have just come up on stage! 

 

Where did these guys come from??? The Gay Crooners have got character at least 20 yeasrs ahead of their time! Have fun pondering that thought, cause in between all this, Neutron is kicking some major butt inside the sanitarium! 

 

Neutron says, If justice were to be served, Link Wray would be in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, and this movie would have won an Oscar for Best Soundtrack! 

 

Really sorry about the sound quality on some of this, blame it on Tequila, Jalisco and bad VHS Copies, but at least when it's tracking bad, you get some cool rainbows!!

STAR PILOT (2+5: Missione Hydra) - Nico Fidenco - "Space Walk" (1966)

It's a pretty simple formula, if you think about it, really! 2+5: = 2(Sex & Space) X any 5 random shots in this Italian feature, and this is what you got. "Missione Hydra." #01, She forgot she didn't have any pants on. Sex! 

 

#02, Really scary looking alien guy. Space! 

 

#03, The guys all have long sleeves and jackets on, the females of the spieces have small form-fitting outfits with black mesh and cut-outs! Definately about Sex! 

 

#04, They make it onto the other ship with dead pilots on it, and they don't even smell anything, even though, it's been closed up for who knows how long, and the bodies are totally decayed! That's gotta be Space! 

 

#05, The men and the women don't seem to have the cut-out window in their uniforms in the same place for some reason! You think it has something to do with Sex!!! There you go, Here's "2+5: Missione Hydra" Search "Star pilot" in the archives for more information about the magnificent composer Nico Fidenco!!

THE MAD MAGICIAN - Arthur Lange/Emil Newman/Dr. Samuel Hoffman - "Spooky Theremin Theme" (1954)

"The Mad Magician" was an excellent outing for theremin maestro Dr. Samuel Hoffman, and added to the music of composers Arthur Lange and Emil Newman, it makes for some pretty creepy music!! Tra La La Boom De Ay!!!! 

 

That's what this movie is about anyway, Creepy!!! And I'm sure Dr. Hoffman should officially get credit for sending chills down more people's spines than anyone else on earth! Although he died in 1967, Dr. Samuel Hoffman's achievements will live on until time stands still!! 

 

Vincent Price looks downright debonair without the ever present moustache that we've all grown so accustomed to! Donald Randolph as Ross Ormond seems a bit perplexed by Vincent's charm! 

 

Here we have the always stunning Eva Gabor as Claire Ormond in what was possibly her only horror appearance until she portrayed Lisa Douglas on "Green Acres" and "Petticoat Junction." And for all of you people out there that can't read and thought this was about "Mad Magazine" Go Here for the official "Mad Magazine" site!!

UCHU DAISENSO (Battle In Outer Space) - Akira Ifukube - "See You Later" (1959)

One of the earlier outings for the Toho, Honda, Ifukube team, the credits are filled with more familiar names and faces. 

 

All the early Japanese Sci-Fi stuff is worth searching for, no matter what, there's always lots of excellent eye candy, and this music is just absolutely crazy! 

 

Last time we saw Yoshio Tsuchiya, he was a "Human Vapor." Here, in the role of Iwomura, he just wants to go kiss some girls!! 

 

In "Battle In Outer Space" we only get a brief glimpse of the jazz skills of Akira Ifukube, as some hot music is playing on the radio before the car gets transported through space and time. 

 

Pretty cool sequence of shooting through time conceptually pre-dating "2001" by almost a decade with drums from beyond anywhere! 

 

And so Iwomura ends up in traffic in the middle of the city and has no idea what happened, with a look on his face not too far removed from Dorothy in the "The Wizard Of Oz." 

 

This is just a great shot! period!! Nuff said!!

BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA - Duke Mitchell & Sammy Petrillo - "Deed I Do Too Soon" (1952)

Before Steroids, way before Milli Vanilli, going back before P.T. Barnum, and right to the very roots of civilization, there's always been, and there always will be people going for the cheap con! In 1952, one example was "Bela Lugosi Meets A Brooklyn Gorilla"!! 

 

In this case, you had a guy, Sammy Petrillo, who sometimes looked and acted more like Jerry Lewis than Jerry himself, and so, the people with the money added a suave partner, a fella named Duke Mitchell (who was a good sport, but a mere shadow of a character like Dean Martin), play it up big, add a 'big name' star like Bela Lugosi, make a cheap movie, and hope you dupe enough people into thinking it's the real thing. It really is quite uncanny!! 

 

Information dissemination was slow back in 1952, so it was easy to get away with cheap stunts like this. Even though Sammy was brought on originally as the character of a baby Jerry Lewis, Jerry couldn't take it, had his manager take on Duke & Sammy's career, and made sure they stayed out of work, so, at least one of Jerry's kids was left behind!! For a great and timeless interview, thanks to WFMU, go here:"Sammy Petrillo Speaks Out!"

 Duke Mitchell belts out "Deed I Do" composed by Walter Hirsch and Fred Rose, and later sings "Too Soon" by Nick Therry, to the lovely Charlita, who was playing the native girl Nona. Richard Hazard rounds out the musical score with some sweet island lounge music!!! 

 

Bela Lugosi looks quite poised and relxed throughout this whole film. 

 

I'm thinking he was pretty amused by the whole lookalike situation! Sammy has nothing but nice things to say about Bela in the interview! 

 

Pretty big budget really, I mean, at least they could afford two gorilla suits!!!