MONSTROSITY (The Atomic Brain) - Gene Kauer - "She Thinks She's A Cat" (1964)

"The Atomic Brain" is a freaky little movie that seems a lot older than it is. Composer Gene Kauer, sometimes working as Guenther Kauer seemed to either have a penchant for, or just needed the money for, quite a string of freaky little movies. Titles like "Cape Canaveral Monsters", another 'Atomic' monster movie, "Beast Of Yucca Flats", "Mother Goose A Go-Go", and "Agent For H.A.R.M.", just to name a few, before ending his career with the music for the original "Faces Of Death" series. In 1958 Gene co-wrote two songs with Johnny Cash for a feature film "Five Minutes To Live", the title song and another song called "I've Come To Kill!" The film which starred Johnny Cash wasn't released until 1961, and was later re-released with added footage in 1966 as "Door-To-Door Maniac!" Quite an interesting and prolific tunesmith, Gene passed away back in 1983!! 

 

Normally playing a cop, a captain or a cowboy, Frank Gerstle does a good job in his only mad doctor role as Dr. Otto Frank. Combine his names in this film and he's Frank Frank!! 

 

It's pretty darn hard not to be weird, when you're talking about brain transplants because some evil rich old bag wants the body of a young woman!! 

 

So.....They transplanted a cat's brain into this lady, and so now what do you do with her? She eats mice and doesn't brush her teeth, and probably would be very popular on myspace!! 

 

The music from "The Atomic Brain" is odd, brash, eerie, pungent, spacey and will slap you in the face, and kick you if you go down, so listen with caution!!! 

 

Revenge really is sweet, and Dr. Frank's bad karma cup was filled to the brim and overflowing!! Go get a copy to find out his fate!!

THE BLACK ZOO - Paul Dunlap - "King Come On" (1963)

As far as cool jazz scores for monster movies goes, Paul Dunlap is definitely one of the names at the very top of the list with mandatory titles like "Angry Red Planet", "I Was A Teenage Werewolf," "Blood Of Dracula," "How To Make A Monster," "Frankenstein 1970" and so much more, including this great film "The Black Zoo"!!! Now, while "The Black Zoo" is often thought of as the last corner of the Michael Gough horror trilogy that also includes "Konga" and "The Horrors Of The Black Museum," there is one difference, and that is those other two Herman Cohen masterpieces, while both being very swingin', had soundtracks composed by Gerard Schurmann, yet another truly super talented individual!! 

 

First we're introduced to Mr. Jeffrey Stengle, played by Jerome Cowan, who passed away back in 1972, but whose legacy will live on forever through his work. He had been in the movies since 1936 and had gone on to be in a ton of TV shows of every ilk and flavor. Cowboys, cop shows, and comedies, Jerome did them all! 

 

Here we get a big dose of Michael playing the organ. Just about the time that you think he's going to break into "In A Gadda Da Vida" is when it cuts to........ 

 

This scene where Mike's wife Edna, played by the charming Jeanne Cooper, who was born in the big town of Taft, Calif. in 1928, lights a smoke, and starts listening to the radio when she gets the real news! If you don't have a life, you may have seen Jeanne in one of her continuing performances as Katherine Chancellor in the TV soap opera "The Young And The Restless", that she has been doing from 1978 right up to the present day. 30 years and almost 300 shows!! Now this woman is a real actress!!! 

 

"Carl, Did you take the truck and one of the animals and drive Mr. Conrad into Hollywood last night?" This is a difficult movie to find these days. The only place I had any luck rounding up a copy was ioffer.com. Good Luck!!

IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE - Gertz/Mancini/Hoffman - "The Theme" (1953)

More crazed theremin from the master, Dr. Samuel Hoffman, mixed with the incredible orchestral talents of Irving Gertz and Henry Mancini, and you're going to get an extra spooky winner each and every time!! There is no way to lose with that combination of talent, and the theme from the classic  is no exception! 

 

This is either what the desert looks like driving home from the local cantina after drinking too much tequila reposado, or from the view of a one-eyed monster from outer space!!! 

 

This is either what those two girls look like you picked up at the cantina after drinking too much tequila anejo, or what two future dead hillbillies look like to a one-eyed space monster! 

 

This would be the one-eyed space monster himself, the third amazing creation of the fabulous Milicent Patrick in the trilogy of horror annals, along with 'The Mutant' from "This Island Earth," and "The Creature From The Black Lagoon!" Three icons all created by one amazing woman, so lift that shotglass high, this one's for Milicent!!! 

 

"It wasn't the right time for us to meet. They'll be back!"

KISS ME MONSTER (Küß Mich, Monster) - Jerry Van Rooyen - "Red Lips Hot Band" (1969)

Here's your Saturday night special!! The music in this Jess Franco masterpiece, "Kiss Me Monster" will blow you away from start to finish. The music is attributed to Jerry van Rooyen, and this twin saxes number from Janine Reynaud and Rosanna Yanni performing as "Red Lips" is definitely as good as it gets ever!!!! 

 

When Professor Bertrand mysteriously gets killed, Janine is shocked, and their song suddenly falls apart............ 

 

The backing back has to just spontaneously take off, and it's one of the best little rockin' musical bits ever filmed!! I don't know anything about this band except that they were way past cool! Anybody out there got any clues?? 

 

"Hey, Hey, Hey Love"...........A highlight in the world of Monster Movie Music history!!! 

 

Unfortunately, our new favorite unknown band's rockin' sound gets pushed into the background as this drunk enters the scene. 

 

Then there's this whole big scene where this black hooded conehead's meeting gets disrupted, aw, I'm not even going to try and explain it, you just have to see it! This film stands out like a burning star in a sea of steaming hot monkey dung, and it is actually available on Netflix last time I checked! Do yerself a favor..............

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!!