How Cat-Girls know about chess and Buddah, got me?! Oh well, set look cooler than MISSILE TO THE MOON!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
THUNDERBIRDS IN OUTER SPACE - Barry Gray - "Richochet-Sun Probe" (1965-66)
The subject of "The Thunderbirds" is a little too massive for me to take on, but if you really want to get a whole lot more info with some very cool sights and sounds, check out this "Thunderbirds" homage site!! It should keep you plenty entertained for a couple of hours!!
KLA - True pirate radio!! The music in all "The Thunderbirds" TV shows and movies was by Barry Gray, who also did 20 episodes of "Space:1999" in the 70's, and numerous other interesting TV and movie projects before passing away in 1984!
"Thunderbirds in Outer Space"
The end segment entitled "Flying High" is performed by Gary Miller!
"Thunderbirds In Outer Space" is a little tricky to find information about, but as it turns out, it is really a movie made in 1981 strictly as a video release, that was a combination of two 1960's "Thunderbirds" UK TV episodes. Those two episodes were Series 01, #11 entitled "Sunprobe" from 1965, and #5 from Series 02, called "Ricochet," from 1966.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL - Bernard Herrmann - "Take Care" (1951)
Now we're talking really classic in "The Day The Earth Stood Still," a movie that left us with images that are iconic to this day. What can possibly be said that hasn't be said before, and in who knows how many languges? Released on September 28, 1951, with a soundtrack scored by the incredible Bernard Herrmann, this film set a standard that has been rarely reached even to this day!
You might recognize Bernard from his musical credits of various sorts, running from composer to arranger, conductor, and music director on some little films with titles like "Citizen Kane" or "Fiend Without A Face." He was the orchestrator for Hitchcock's "Vertigo" and was the composer of the theme for 69 episodes of crack TV western "Have Gun, Will Travel" starring Richard Boone as Paladin, and some of the original "Twilight Zone" episodes, and that just scratches the surface
Hello everybody, I just flew into town, and boy are my arms tired!! Now just put down the guns, please!!
Three years later, Patricial Neal would go into space in "Stranger From Venus" a multi-faceted disaster!
You couldn't have lived through the 50's in the USA without knowing who Billy Gray was, as he played Bud in ever popular TV series "Father Knows Best!"
Saturday, May 24, 2008
THE THREE STOOGES IN ORBIT - Paul Dunlap - "Space Twist" (1962)
We love this movie!!! When you combine the genius of director Edward Bernds with the musical prowess of Paul Dunlap, and add in almost everybody's favorite slapstick heroes, The Three Stooges, how could you possibly go wrong? It looks like a cross between a Stooges episode and "The Queen Of Outer Space" and sounds like everything from "Angry Red Planet" to "Godzilla Vs. The Sea Monster." This movie will keep you and the kids transfixed for at least a good part of it!!
Just to start off with, you get about a half a dozen of these neato cartoons during the opening narration!
Would you rather get hit in the head twice with a pan or take a straight shot to the forehead with a raw egg like the landlady??
Moe Howard was already 65 years old when "The Three Stooges In Orbit" was made, Larry Fine was 60, and Joe DeRita was only 53!
This Polka Dot Toothpaste ad is wild, and out of context sounds like a "Firesign Theatre" bit!! "Tastes like pizza!"
The twisted music by Paul Dunlap combined with this whole white-out scene is simply hilarious, this movie is well worth watching just to watch that 65 year old Moe dance!!! Go Moe, Go!!
"What's the matter? Are you killing ants?"
This "Twist" music is wound up real tight, kind of like in "The Sound Of Horror" but with a kickin' added trumpet, it's surprising, in retrospect, how really good it is!!
Friday, May 23, 2008
THE HAUNTED HOUSE OF HORROR - The Pretty Things - Reg Tilsley - "The Dark" (1969)
It's Friday night and it's time to rock!!! Long overdue for the credit it deserves as being one of the first ever 'slasher' movies, and almost impossible to find anywhere, "The Haunted House Of Horror" is a killer movie on a number of levels. The location is Mod Carnaby Street London 1969, and most of the rockin' music (too bad a lot of the time it's way in the background) is by one of the most underrated and coolest longhair bands of the 60's, The Pretty Things!! Just like the theme, when the Pretty Things weren't rocking the joint, the background music you'll hear was provided by composer Reg Tilsley, who also wrote the music for a couple of Benny Hill episodes among his other many accomplishments!!
1960's ballad singer turned actor Mark Wynter belts out what sounds like a classic drunken pub tune written by Peter Marcus, entitled "Responsibility"!!
This movie is so odd, you've got Frankie Avalon in the starring role as Chris. At this point Frankie's beach party movies were a good 4 or 5 years behind him, and his career consisted of mostly TV shows. It's shocking right from the beginning watching him smoke and drink and talk about his drug arrests, and all that's long before the blood starts flowing, but somehow this movie is just not recognized for it's very early effort in the 'slasher' movie genre, even though it's about young people, has multiple gruesome killings, and has an unsuspected killer with at least a couple of personalities!! This movie is much more related to "Halloween" and "Friday The 13th" than "Psycho" is, and last but not least, it's in color and there's real honest to goodness rock and roll!!! So, what's up with all that? How come this movie doesn't get the praise heaped on it that it deserves, and instead, for all rights and purposes, the master copy probably doesn't even exist anymore for all we know!!! Wha'Happen??? I don't get it!!! All we know is after you hear this music, you're not only going to want to find a copy of this film, but you're also going to be wanting to hear some more of The Pretty Things, one of the best bands of the 60's, period!! Try not stomping your foot along with this party music!!
Let's not forget to give Cinematographer Jack Atcheler a big hand for his part in the awesome look of this film!! "Look, it's a hole!"
Still to this day, one of our favorite things to do is get drunk and have a seance in a haunted house!
Jill Haworth as Sheila comes into this very chic club to talk to Chris and the Inspector as some band wails "A Very Cool Tune" in the background! It looks like the name on the drum is Jazz Mine or something like that! Oh, yeah, nice outfits, and how about the fact that their friend was just violently murdered but Chris is still horny and he smiles a lot!!
Here we have Chris and Richard portrayed by Julian Barnes face off!! It's up to you to decide who the real psycho is!! It's said that David Bowie was originally chosen for the role of Richard, but that A.I.P. felt that David and Frankie Avalon would clash on screen!! Aw!!! Too bad!!!! Like this flick isn't cool enough already!!!!!
"The Haunted House Of Horror" is definitely worth searching out. The only place I could find a copy of it on the whole Internet was on www.ioffer.com sold by the seller named 'sirrastus.' Just go there and do a search, he has pretty dang nice copies! I don't even like 'slasher' films, but this classic horror fest has got it all, conceptually, musically and visually! Dig In Fiends!!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
THE SHE-CREATURE - AIP 1956 - (Ronald Stein music)
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
FROZEN ALIVE (Der Fall X701) - Eric Spears - "Look Here J.B." (1964)
This West German production had so much cool music in it, that this will be the fourth and last installment of information from this film! If you want to know more about composer Eric Spears, please just search our archives for a whole bevy of information and even more cool music from "Frozen Alive."
Besides the super fantastic score, this movie is worth watching just to see this big porthole door!!
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