DEMENTIA (Daughter Of Horror) - George Antheil - Shorty Rogers - "Wig City" and more (1955)

"Dementia" or "Daughter Of Horror" or whatever you want to call it, is the coolest beat-noir film ever, and it is so full of music, we've written about it twice already, so check the archives for a ton of more info, and in case you missed it the first time, here's a link to a great review written in 2004 from our buddy over at the now defunct flickhead blog..

"Dementia" The Flickhead Film Review! 

 

The medallion is where it all starts!! 

 

The first club they take you too has this dancer and some Cool Exotic Jazz to go with it!

 

I have no doubt that someday the Bruno Vesota bio movie will be made with Jack Black in the lead role! 

 

This is Bruno VeSota's wife Jebbie as the flower girl! Who they get to play her in his bio is going to be anybody's guess! How about Jessica Alba? 

 

So, you're watching this movie, and you have no idea how you got here, and now it's time for a rehearsal! 

 

Shorty Rogers and The Giants, the name alone lets you know these were the guys who understood the tongue in cheek humour of the whole deal! 

 

As The Chambers Brothers would later say, "Now the time has come", so here you go, Shorty Rogers and The Giants with "Wig City", one of, if not, the coolest tunes ever used in a movie!! Period!!! 

 

The hands really do tell the whole story!!! 

 

So, here's the deal! If you are hip enough to know what's happening in this film, then you are really, really going to dig it! If you watch this movie and don't have a clue what's going on, then you're going to hate it! It's that simple!! Mandatory viewing for all true jazz aficionados and artistes! For once in your life, experience the real thing, for this is truly untarnished Art! 

 

The original master of stand up comedy, Shelley Berman is one wacked out cool Daddy-O!!!

la Invasión de los Vampiros (aka) THE INVASION OF THE VAMPIRES / Internacional Sono Film S.A. - 1963 / Music by Luis Hernández Bretón

Well, here Tabonga go again, tonight have 'nother total crazy flick from Mexiko! Composer Bretón have hands full with this stuff... Get ready for horror fun house! Insane Vampire Attack!! Oh, K. Gordon Murray release US version in 1965. 

 

Vampire have nice bedroom! (Forry call 'bedroom'.. 'badroom!') 

 

Sometime, Tabonga wish he could live in cave! 

 

Whoa! This dude look like really know how to 'creep around'... Have look of professional! 

 

Maybe he not stare so much if you hang up curtain!!

 Now, gettin' good! This is giant bat who attack like crazy monkey!! Attack, Attack, Attack!!!

 This good shot of giant bat face! Look damn scary to kids in '60s!! 

 

Oh, no, Tabonga in love again!..

 Check out stake in heart! That one tough vampire gurlie!! 

 

Tabonga sign off for tonight...

THE VALLEY OF GWANGI - Jerome Moross - "Gwangi" (1969)

Okay, we probably should have saved this movie to present as a Sunday Night Classic, but you know, why be a lamebrain, there's only so many Sundays in a week, so tonight we get to feature the music from the 1969 Ray Harryhausen classic, "The Valley of Gwangi". 

 

Yeah, I guess Spain is south of the Rio Grande!! 

 

Who knew Richard Carlson could ride a horse?? 

 

"Morningside Productions" specialized in stop-motion animation and their list of releases is beyond reproach, featuring titles "20 Million Miles To Earth", "The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad", and "Jason And The Argonauts" besides this film! 

 

In this scene James Franciscus as Tuck Kirby and Laurence Naismith as the professor wax poetic about what they are going to do with their discovery! When you listen to it out of context, it sounds like The Velvet Underground's "Murder Mystery" or something equally peculiar as they talk all over each other. 

 

The music is composed by Jerome Moross and has a big heaping helping of "Gunsmoke", "Wagon Train," and "Big Country" mixed in! 

 

Utilizing English director Jim O'Connolly, who had produced and directed titles like "Konga", "Escapement" and "The Night Caller" was genius, and makes this a fun movie to watch! This is definitely not your typical cowboy dinosaur movie, and is well worth spending a Saturday afternoon with! 

 

Uruguayan born Gustavo Rojo does a great job of bulldogging this pterodactyl and is terrific through the whole movie! 

 

It takes 9 guys to keep Gwangi out, and Tuck Kirby is right in the middle of it!! 

 

A lot of the time, my mind does not agree with the color of the dinosaurs in Gwangi, but in this hot and cold shot, it looks absolutely amazing!!

EVIL BRAIN FROM OUTER SPACE / Fuji Eiga Studio - 1964 / Music by Michiaki Watanabe

Hey, everybloody!.. Time for 'nother Tuesday with Tabonga. Tonight is EVIL BRAIN FROM OUTER SPACE from land of rising sun! Crazy music by dude with awesome resume that includes many cartoons, Mr. Mishiaki Watanabe! Actually, this flick is cartoon!! Play music, Jojo!.. (Jojo is Tabonga pet tarantula!) the EVIL BRAIN! Oh, yeah, narrator tell you the story, so, Tabonga don't have to!! 

 

All Starman movies start here... On space planet run by goofy morons! Then, somehow, they make Starman go to Earth, this time he fight bad guys who are controlled by evil brain from some other planet! Oh, see ring planet in background?.. It swing back and forth!.. Cool physics there!! 

 

These guy flail around as they ponder importance of sanity in the universe!

 

WOW!!.. Bad guys have super cool 'Escher Pad!' Man, so lucky... 

 

Oh, yeah, Evil Brain make this guy to scare crap outta citizens!! And, if touch you or Starman, DIE!!!

 Fight acting SOOOO embarrassing! Look more like silly ballet!! 

 

Tabonga miss good old days! Sigh!.. Just kidding, that look lame!! 

 

Now, Tabonga show you something really weird!.. THIS PIC!!

 Tabonga don't remember why, but, monster fall down and die! (Hey, poem!) 

 

Final blow come when good guy pour acid on Evil Brain From Outer Space!! Everything going black, now, good night! ~

ORLAK, EL INFIERNO DE FRANKENSTEIN (Orlak, The Hell Of Frankenstein) - Rosa de Castilla "Clubbin' With Orlak" (1960)

Here's an off-beat film for an off night, a 1960 Mexican film called "Orlak, El Infierno de Frankenstein". 

 

Shot in four parts either as a TV show or to dodge union regulations or both, this film directed by Rafael Baledón ain't really that bad of a Mexican take on the "Frankenstein" tale. Any musical credits have to go to Rubén Fuentes! 

 

To keep it lively, we get the treat of seeing Rosa de Castilla doing a couple of numbers where she goes out and mingles with the crowd in the club, and they applaud every little thing she does!!! It's even better than Las Vegas!! 

 

Wink, wink, nod, nod!! There seems to be a bit of doubt to the seriousness of the whole affair once you're safely in the club! 

 

The boxhead routine has never been truer to form than in this film. A lot of boxheads around the world have come and gone since 1960, but not one has surpassed the quality of the boxhead in this movie!! 

 

Good luck finding a decent copy, and don't bother looking for a copy in English, they don't even exist with sub-titles!!

THE FLY / 20th Century Fox - 1958 / Music by Paul Sawtell

Rodan here... Tonight's classic feature is none other than... THE FLY!! You know, the much better 1958 original version, not the 1986 remake! For me, this is one of three sci-fi movies from the '50s that is close to flawless! My other picks are FORBIDDEN PLANET and THE THING. Composer Paul Sawtell has an awesome resume of work that starts in the '30s! And, now!.. "The Fly!" 

 

This film is brutal!.. And, devistating!!.. It is hard to imagine anything more horrifying than this story by George Langelaan and James Clavell. A brilliant man and his beautiful wife, truly in love, they have it all!! And, he's on the brink of creating a gift of the gods! A giant technological leap ahead for man!.. (Like the Krell!!) 

 

I have always loved neon... This would make a great art installation! 

 

Everything seems to be operating exactly as designed! A true spectacle of genius!!

 But, wait, something has gone wrong! Now, try not to panic!.. 

 

David's fly hand will not stay under his lab coat!.. It has a mind of it's own!!

 Patricia Owens captures the horror of the gut wrenching situation with perfection!! And, let's give some credit to director, Kurt Neumann! 

 

Then... The veil comes off!!

 A horror beyond imagination! NOW, WHAT?!

 After a futile search for the fly with 'a white head,' dementia sets in and David starts destroying the lab! 

 

He, then, destroys himself via a giant metal press... 

 

At the end, Vinnie and the inspector both witness the gruesome fate of the fly with David's head!! 

 

The message of this movie is simple... Don't go places God forbids!!