THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS - David Buttolph - "Today Is X Day" (1953)

It's Friday night, and you know what that means, it's a good time for Giant Monster fun, and one surefire classic Giant Monster movie was "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms."

 

Am I the only one who thinks it's pretty creepy that these guys are in charge of setting off atomic bombs at the North Pole in 1953?? 

 

Seems like a lot of the time this Ray Harryhausen production gets left in the shadows of some of Ray's other classics, but this is a great movie! Here's one of the first sightings of the creature! 

 

Prolific composer David Buttolph shines in one of his rare horror outings, although he had done a lot of crime and detective films among other things in the 30's & 40's! Here it's music on the radio! 

 

Gee, those cliffs in the background kind of look like a New York City skyline, imagine that!! Great sketch!! 

 

I thought the random shot from off of the radio of "what was that guy smoking?" was pretty wild for 1953 until I realized that, oh, yeah, some of director Eugène Lourié's other shining moments have been steeped in drug culture with titles like "Confessions Of An Opium Eater" in 1962 and "Wild Weed" way back in 1949!! 

 

Extra, Extra, read all about it!!!! Monster Death Toll Mounts!! 

 

When that Monster starts tromping through New York, and the shoebox has to drive on the sidewalk, get the Hell out of the way! 

 

Time to bring in the S.W.A.T. Team!!!! 1953 style!!! 

 

So finally the Big Monster gets to Coney Island in New York, except it's really The Long Beach Pike in California! 

 

And when all the little babies are through sniveling, it's time to finally bring in a real man to do the job, one of the few people on earth able to put the fear into Clint Eastwood, Mr. Bad himself, Lee Van Cleef!! 

 

Too bad he wasn't within range and they have to ride the roller coaster to the top carrying a radioactive isotope and wearing the craziest hoods you've ever seen so they don't get nuclear burned, and you start to think maybe they're vulnerable after all! 

 

Based on a story by Ray Bradbury, the film adaptation leans a lot heavier on the fiction than it does the science, but don't worry, because Lee's got that sucker in his sights!!! See, here's the deal, you need to show your kids movies like this when they are really young before their little brains get jaded by modern production and they can't see the beauty of a black and white film until they are in their 20's or 30's! You see what I'm saying??? There is no present or future without the past! Go rent this movie, you'll love it, your kids's and co-workers will love it!!! You can be a hero too!!

BACK FROM THE DEAD / Regal + Emirau 1957 / Music by Raoul Kraushaar & Dave Kahn

Raoul Kraushaar work on THE UNKNOWN TERROR (Already post here) and THE 30 FOOT BRIDE OF CANDY ROCK! But, best thing is conductor for INVADERS FROM MARS!! (Already post here) So, give big listen to... "You used to like it!"

 It below Tabonga dignity to try understand such stupid flick! Here kinda what going on... What you hear is record on record player. Where you get such record in 1957 is anybloody guess!! So, Arthur playing it for his sister who come to stay with him and girlfriend, or wife, because!.. "You use to like it, remember!" What kind gurl like that?!!.. Okay, now guess what? Sister either get out of loonie bin or just get back from dead, not sure, but anyhow, she try relaxing on couch to recuperate from ordeal! But, no... Arthur want play that music for her?!!.. That only tip of iceberg why Tabonga want kick this flick's scrawny ass... 

 

Man, Tabonga look boss driving convertible '57 Dodge!

 Arthur girlfriend, or wife, get to sit in back!! 

 

Later, sis get a little more interesting!

 Cute doggie bark at sis... 

 

So, she ready to even score! 

 

SIS LOOKIN' GOOD!!

 Lady fascinated by big wood doorknocker!.. Something Tabonga know all about!.. Wood doorknocker..

 Great part this old lady have! 

 

OH!!.. NOW WHAT?!!

 "I swear on a stack of pancakes!"

THE CYCLOPS - Albert Glasser - "Theme & Mexican Cantina Music" (1957)

The theme from "The Cyclops" by Albert Glasser just sounds, you know, B.I.G!!! 

 

Lon looks like he's having a pretty good time! He loved doing those films with eatin' & drinkin' scenes!! I guess the Latin music, in the background, while sounding quite authentic, is also by Señor Alberto Glasser! 

 

Right about here is where the good times stop!! 

 

That's a really Big lizard Bert!! 

 

The Cyclops himself is classic, a lot of the other effects just weren't! 

 

Gloria Talbott had a real look to her, and here she's looking at what used to be her husband, and just starting to wonder why she even cares anymore! 

 

Another attempt for a touching moment that no one ever believes is going to change anything!! 

 

Last but not least, let's give some credit to Ralph D. Helfer for his 'snake fight supervision.'

MONSTER FROM GREEN HELL / Gross-Krasne Productions 1958 / Music by Albert Glasser

Hey, everybloody, guess what?!! Yep!.. Tonight is 1 year anniversary of Dungeon blog!! So, as treat, Tabonga get stills from Elvira's Attack of the 'B' Movies '90s TV Special with Screech and other 'Bell' gang making fun like MST! Well, it have MONSTER FROM GREEN HELL colorize version! 

 

Albert Glasser been around the monster music block! Work on all Mr. BIG production in '50s!! He make more big stuff!.. GREEN HELL!

 Here, Jim Davis be scientific and play around with little monkey! 

 

Then, later, he play around some more and wake up sleeping beauty with friendly nudge! 

 

Guess where you going?! 

 

Jim have classic 'serious smoker' pose! 

 

WHATINTHEHELL!!!

 This big wasper has to fight giant snake!.. Was snake in space ship too?! 

 

For flick in jungle, this dude look lost! Belong in movie call THE PHAROH'S CURSE or something!! 

 

Pretty good effect! 

 

Jim get to lead because he big star! 

 

NOTHING CAN STOP... SUPER MONSTER!!

 Hey, wait!.. Volcanos in Africa explode and kill all giant waspers and bury under red-hot lava?!!.. WHAT GIVES?!

DR. TERROR'S GALLERY OF HORRORS (Gallery Of Horror) - "The Ending Credits" (1967)

The other Dr. Terror movie that had the Biff Bailey Voodoo Jazz was so brilliant, you just knew any other Dr. Terror title would have something great in it!! Wrong!! Seems like "Dr. Terror's Gallery Of Horrors" is the biggest wannabe Hammer film ever, that makes it on absolutely no levels at all. It's filmed in Hollywood, the stories are terrible, the acting is worse and there's not even any credits for the music, but it does actually have one saving grace. The music from the closing credits is an inspired Zappaesque hodgepodge of sound that, well, while it's not worth sitting through the movie for, should be heard, so here you be, the very intelligent "Ending Credit Music" from one of the stupidest films I've ever seen! What a dichotomy!!!

John Carradine as the narrator is used once again for his name alone!!

The guy on the left looks a little like William Shatner, I guess that's a plus!

This guys pretty ugly and kind of creepy!!

This camera angle works really well when Freddie Francis uses it or in a "Doom" game, but it's overused to ill effect in this film!

Lon Chaney's talent is completely wasted, but it does look like he has three hands in this shot!!

This is exactly how I felt after watching this film too, so dazed and confused, even John Carradine couldn't bring me back to reality.