Saturday, December 18, 2010

NACHTS, WENN DRACULA ERWACHT - Bruno Nicolai - "Count Dracula" (1970)

Tonight's shocking tale is a big bloody batch of holiday cheer, and greetings from "Count Dracula", Jesus Franco and Bram Stoker!!

One word rises to the top of the burning cauldron that is this movie, and that word would be Atmosphere!! Jesus Franco style!

"Break on through to the other side!" Does it not look like the mortar between the bricks of that wall are merely painted on? Is that degree of cheapness even possible in a film of this quality?

This film is a Christopher Lee vehicle all the way, and he drives it from this point where he is an old vampire, and into a tunnel of time painted with the lives and blood of young women, and the lure of eternal youth!

Did you see the size of that bed? What? Is this Hugh Hefner's Euro digs?

The very impressive cast includes Herbert Lom as Professor Abraham Van Helsing, also known in some circles as the vampire killer! A real class guy, Herbert Lom played the Phantom in the 1962 version of "Phantom Of The Opera" and "Captain Nemo" in "Mysterious Island!"

The amazing Maria "Venus In Furs" Rohm has the role of Mina Murray, and ...

....the always stunning Soledad Miranda steps out as Lucy Westenra to flesh out the cast!

Now that's a top notch cast, but, I don't know, something's missing, maybe it's my brain, or maybe it's something even more mysterious than that, but something is missing!

This is what the inside of Soledad Miranda's nose looked like, and what her face looked like while Dracula was chomping down on her jugular vein!

When Val Helsing has people over for barbecue, he likes to serve the stakes bloody rare!!

Since this is kind of a Giallo version of Dracula, it's no wonder that one of the busiest men on the circuit, the Masestro Bruno Nicolai, is once again at the musical helm!

Everybody neat and pretty??

Dungeon All-Star Klaus Kinski gets big billing as the mad Renfield, but for my money, he doesn't add much to the story! Actually, not many of the characters add much to the story!

Count Dracula telepathically told Renfield to escape, so he tries flying away. Talk about credibility, he actually survives this fall!

Christopher Lee looks like he just came off the set of some western movie, or maybe an episode of "Wild, Wild West!" He looks cool with his hair a little longer, and a moustache!

Not quite your average Night at the Opera, where's Harpo when you need him?

It was asking a lot for me to believe that those two guys could actually move that very large stone, but it seemed to convince the guy that it landed on!

Uh, Oh, Oh, No, they woke Dracula up, now they are in for big trouble!!

But what's this? They set his ass on fire? How clever is that?

"Count Dracula" is one movie I don't mind giving away the ending, because you know Dracula's going to die, but you also know he'll be back some day. I'm not sure if anyone really knows how many Dracula and/or vampire movies have been made over the years, but it's interesting that like Dracula himself, the genre will seemingly live forever!

Friday, December 17, 2010

ISLAND OF THE BURNING DOOMED / Planet Film Productions - 1967

Welcome everbloody to another end of the year Friday Frights, here at The Dungeon! Tonight we gots the lesser known half of the original double bill that was paired with what else, ISLAND OF TERROR! Stars our favorites Chris Lee, Peter Cushing and the lovely, Ms. Jane Merrow.

The original British title is NIGHT OF THE BIG HEAT, we have the US television version here.

The music is by Mr. Malcolm Lockyer, Malcolm had 23 composing and 7 soundtrack credits, other movies he worked on are SWEET BEAT, OPERATION CUPID, DR. WHO AND THE DALEKS, THE PLEASURE GIRLS, SECRETS OF A WINDMILL GIRL, ISLAND OF TERROR, DEADLIER THAN THE MALE, THE VENGEANCE OF FU MANCHU and NIGHTMARE. He passed away in 1976 at age 52.

Okay, let's bring in that lil' 6-eyed Dungeon helper, Ralphie The Tarantula, so's he can push the big red 'GO' button in the corner over there, which in turn starts the dominos a tumbling... Here's... ISLAND OF THE BURNING DOOMED!

It starts with Jane Merrow here, as Angela Roberts, she has a secret past with Jeff Callum, local best selling author who's married and not ready for her unannounced invasion of his privacy! Jane says that this movie did a lot for her career, other things she appeared in are THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (Chorus Girl), THE GIRL-GETTERS, THE WOMAN THAT WOULDN'T DIE and HANDS OF THE RIPPER, also in the TV series and movies THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, THE SAINT, THE PRISONER, THE AVENGERS, STRANGE REPORT, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, MANNIX, UFO and LOVE, AMERICAN STYLE!

Here's Sydney Bromley as the aliens' first victim. And, that's the same cave in ISLAND OF TERROR... Go figure.

You can kinda see Sydney's open mouth screaming as the creatures fry his butt!

Chris Lee plays Godfrey Hanson, the impatient scientist who has very little time for people. Jeff has just brought him a package he's been waiting for, he rudely snatches the parcel and slams the door!

Jane now has an online site where she sports recipes and special meals for friends and relatives!

The locals are starting to hear and see things!

Chris plays his nerdiest role ever! He totally slammed this movie in his biography...

Pretty risque for the time!

The aliens leave a distinctive pattern on the TV sets when they're doin' their thang!

Oh, right! Here's a pic of Peter Cushing, just before he gets French fried! Chris gets to listen to him scream like a girl when he gets it.

This shot sez...Night Of The Big Heat!

Chris gets caught in the middle of a herd of aliens and it's not long before he becomes baked lasagna!

Kudos to the photography director!

Just when the heat and static get totally unbearable, it starts to rain, hard!

And luckily, water melts them alien hotheads into a big pile of goo! No, not the Goo from GUMBY!

Ghoulnight Everbloody!!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

TUTTI I COLORI DEL BUIO - Bruno Nicolai - "All The Colors Of The Dark" (1972)

Tonight's madness is "Tutti I Colori Del Buio," aka "All The Colors Of The Dark"! Not just some of them, but ALL the colors of the dark!
"Tutti Frutti Aw Rooty, A-Wop-Bop-A-Loo-Bop-A-Lop-Bam-Boom!" - Little Richard

Eye reet, aw rooty! "All The Colors Of The Dark" is a literal blood feast for the eyes!! Like biting into a Hershey's kiss and finding a syrupy sweet cherry and a razor blade inside!

Giallo Goddess Edwige Fenech, born December 24, 1948, real name - Edwige Sfenek! Happy Birthday Edwidge!

Nothing says this time of the year like a good Giallo flick or even a bad one, and once again, like in so many of these flicks, the music is composed by the Master, Bruno Nicolai! Grazie, signore!!!

Dreams that make you scream aren't dreams at all! They're the evil female spirits inside your head trying to get out!

Is there really possibly a way out?

"Tutti I Colori Del Buio" was directed by Sergio Martino, and the beautiful Cinematography was the work of Miguel Fernández Mila and Giancarlo Ferrando! How about a standing ovation for this shot?

Another great shot, this time of the place where all the nasty devil-dealing wicked sinful immoral stuff goes down!

And once inside, get ready for a big eyeful of evil and decadent debauchery!!

Depraved Devil worshiping hoardes of the lowest filth scum and slime abound in a series of rape and repulsive insane blood drinking rituals!

Eye Saw You coming back to me, over and over, again, and again!

Edwidge's character is named Jane Harrison, bedsides any number of other problems she has, she is also being followed everywhere by this creepy dude! See Sweet Jane Run!!!

Just when you think you have the upper hand, some jerk trips you up!

I don't know either, but it's really freakin' weird!!

"Tutti Frutti, good booty, If it don’t fit, don’t force it, You can grease it, make it easy" - Little Richard

The whole genre of Giallo movies are just simply the best made, bad movies there are! I like to call it Sick Eye Candy!!!!

Monster Music

Monster Music
AAARRGGHHH!!!! Ya'll Come On Back Now, Y'Hear??