THE WITCHING - Karger/Walsh - "Necromancy" (1972)

Tonight's hard to find feature is brought to you courtesy of The Trash Palace! This later B.I.G. production was originally released as "Necromancy" in 1972. It was beefed up with some added footage, and re-released in 1983 as "The Witching!"

Don't be taken in by that innocent cuddly teddy bear mug, that thing is evil! The Suspiriaish sounds of "Necromancy" were composed by Fred Karger who worked as composer or in the music department of some amazing musical flicks like "Don't Knock The Twist," Hootenanny Hoot," Elvis's "Kissin' Cousins," and "Harum Scarum," Herman's Hermits' "Hold On," "Hot Rods To Hell," "Riot On Sunset Strip," Roy Orbison's "The Fastest Guitar Alive," "Angel, Angel, Down We Go" and more! For the 1983 remake, some of the music was souped up by cartoon king Robert (My Little Pony 'n Friends, Transformers, Muppet Babies) Walsh!

The diminutive Pamela Franklin is Lori Brandon. She just had a mysterious miscarriage, and is not having a good time, nor will she ever for the rest of the movie!

It's time for a change, a time to get out of town, and start a new life, except the first thing that happens is during a disagreement with her husband, he starts driving too fast on the curvy mountain road, and causes these innocent people to crash and burn!

Somehow Lori is able to get down to the burning car, and retrieves a funny looking doll, that for some strange reason has fingernail clippings in it's pocket! Lori's loving dickhead of a husband Frank is played by Michael (Twin Peaks, Slap Shot) Ontkean!

Do these look like people you can trust?? I didn't think so! In fact, Lori's not going to meet one person she can trust, including her husband! Anybody who even leans toward trying to help her ends up dead!

At only five foot tall, Pamela was cute as a bug! Her first role was at 11 as Flora in "The Innocents." She met her husband Harvey Jason who she is still married to, on the set of "Necromancy." He had the role of the creepy Doctor Jay! He must have put some kind of spell on her!

"The Witching" was a different kind of Bert I. Gordon film, no big monsters, but you can't get much bigger than Orson Welles in stature and girth!! Just like "The Amazing Colossal Man," Orson Welles was bigger than reality!

If you don't do what Orson wants, and he just might eat you too!!

Supposedly Frank Brandon got a job as a toymaker in this little guarded town of Lillith, but in reality, he is in cahoots with Orson Welles as the mysterious Mr. Cato, to lure Lori into a Necromancy switch to bring Cato's long dead son back to life! Everything tastes bitter for a reason!!

Lori becomes very suspicious of her new friends and surroundings, and is ready to leave at any given time, but her husband keeps on coming up with excuses to stay for a few more days! Needless to say, Lori's predetermined fate is already in the cards!

This is not your average small town get-together and potluck, and nothing seems to be very sacred except how weird it all is!

Lori asks "Did you see a little boy?" and gets an answer somewhat akin to "No, what little boy? I don't see anything!!" Necro Nancy, she's so fancy, "with her children, they'll go far, she buys them toys to keep in practice, waiting on the war!" - Arthur Lee

Pam does get naked in this movie, but this is sexy enough for me!

It doesn't look good for our heroine!

Dreams, Devils, and The Damned, Lori never stood a chance! One of the many names they tried to market "Necromancy" as, was, get this, "Rosemary's Disciples!"

As the Necromancy is almost completed, Cato's son starts returning to human form!

In the days of Olde, Necromancy was considered to be one of the seven forbidden arts. The other six included Geomancy, Scapulimancy, Aeromancy, Pyromancy, Hydromancy, and Chiromancy or as it is better known, Palmistry!

ISLAND OF LOST SOULS / Paramount Pictures - 1932

It's Monday with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon!.. Our offering is a true horror classic from the novel by the awesome Mr. H. G. Wells, "The Island of Dr. Moreau." Director was Erle C. Kenton, who'd go on to direct THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN, HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN and HOUSE OF DRACULA.

Some teriffic poster art from The Thirties!

We have a soundclip from this film that includes a line borrowed by DEVO, so, push the big red 'GO' button located near or next to the revolving book shelf, now, Ralphie The Tarantula! Here's some sounds from... ISLAND OF LOST SOULS!

Stanley Fields plays our hero's nemesis, Captain Davies, still added for Douglas.

Charles Laughton and Richard Arlen star as Dr. Moreau and Edward Parker. Parker has ended up in the hands of Moreau as a result of a string of bad luck incidents, and, is now helplessly headed to the doctor's island... I swear, I love those white suits!

The doctor has a little surprise for Edward, Lota! You know, to help him kill some time while he's stuck there.

Then, Edward gets to meet the rest of the inhabitants on the island, the Manimals! Bela Lugosi gets second poster billing as head Manimal, Sayer Of The Law.

Eegah!! and Tabonga! learned about vivisection in FAMOUS MONSTERS when they reviewed this movie!

I think those two stills compliment each other rather nicely! In 1939, Laughton played Quasimodo in THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, and, there's a colorized version of that one available on VHS.

Edward puts 2 + 2 together and figures out that Lota is actually a Panther Woman and that Moreau also wants him to mate with her!

Moreau's having a spot of tea when Edward comes in and decks him!

Edward's fiancee figures out where he is and shows up unannounced with her travelling partner. The Manimals like to watch her at night through the window. Leila Hyams plays Ruth Thomas, Leila was also in another classic film, FREAKS!

Moreau finally crosses the line with his creations and the freak show unleashes itself on their overlord!

Moreau tries to fend off the vengeful creatures with his trusty whip, but, it doesn't work this time!

The Manimals grab the doctor and then grab some of his medical tools from the case. Next stop... The House Of Pain!!

Here's a nice British 'Cert. X' poster.

BLACKENSTEIN - Cardella Di Milo - "I Can't Find No One To Love Me" (1973)

The original title is "Blackenstein," I don't know what brain pilot thought "The Black Frankenstein" needed to be added! Talk about redundancy!

This is Ivory Stone as Doctor Winifred Walker in her only film appearance ever!

This is Winifred's boyfriend, Joe De Sue as Eddie, a quadriplegic Vietnam veteran! This would also be Joe's only acting effort! "Blackenstein" is a story about love and devotion..........kind of!

John Hart is Doctor Stein! What a contrast! John Hart had a monstrous career that went all the way back to 1937, and he just passed away in 2009 at the age of 91! Everybody knows that Clayton Moore was the Lone Ranger, but from 1950 to 1953 John Hart had the role of The Lone Ranger for 54 episodes while Clayton Moore sat it out during a contract dispute. John also had his own TV show in 1957 that ran for 39 episodes called "Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans." He had the lead role as Nat 'Hawkeye' Cutler! If the set looks pretty amazing for a cheap movie, it's because they dusted off, and used some of the original lab equipment from "Frankenstein!"

After working on numerous cult titles like "The Cremators," "Baby Needs A New Pair Of Shoes," and "KISS Meets The Phantom Of The Park," cinematographer Robert Caramico went totally mainstream TV in the 80's, as the Director of Photography on "Lou Grant," "The Waltons," "Falcon Crest," and "Dallas!"

"Blackenstein" might be the only Frankenstein character on record who wears patent leather boots!

"Blackenstein" is pretty blase' until Eddie really goes on a rampage. All of a sudden he's ripping off limbs, ripping open blouses, and ripping his hapless victim's guts out!

The marvelous Liz (Thrill Killers, Nasty Rabbit, Hot Rods To Hell, Body Fever) Renay was awarded the role of one of the hapless victims!

You could take about three or four minutes of carnage out of "Blackenstein" and it would be rated 'G' instead of 'R'!

While James (Friday Foster) Cousar only ever acted in four films, Don Brodie, on the right, had 310 acting gigs, and also served as Assistant to the Producer on this film! Here's the most amazing fact of all, Don's mug was used by the animators of "Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs" as the model for the features of The Old Hag!!

For a minute there, I actually had convinced myself that "Blackenstein" was produced by Mr. B.I.G. but it's not!

Time to get on over to The Parisian Room, and the soulful sounds of Cardella De Milo, backed up by The Art Hilary Trio!

Now That's, three cool cats!

The writer and performer of the very soulful "I Can't Find No One To Love Me", is Cardella Di Milo as herself! Cardella Di Milo was also in some movies with Rudy Ray Moore like "Dolemite," The Human Tornado," and "Rude!"

The one major thing I don't get about this whole film is that Eddie is THE new reigning king of The Slowest Moving Monsters Ever Club! The Mummy moves like The Roadrunner compared to Eddie. I'm pretty sure a snail would win a race against him, but he still manages to catch victims with massive head starts! It's truly mind boggling! Not only does he manage to kill a bunch of innocent people, he also kills an amazing amount of on-screen time!!

One line was, "I saw a shadow 15 feet tall!" The guy on the right about to get pummeled is Roosevelt Jackson as Malcom, Doctor Frankenstein's assistant. Roosevelt only resurfaced for one other film, the 1992 blockbuster feature "Zhong Hua Jing Hua!"

Eddie would have been okay, if Malcolm hadn't juiced his DNA because he was so hot for Winifred! It's not a happy ending for anybody!

Here's another example of more good use of that original lab equipment!

Who let the Dawgs out? Two other titles cinematographer Robert Caramico was associated with were "The Doberman Gang" in 1972, and "The Daring Dobermans" in 1973, imagine that! For more information, you can catch Eddie and the gang on Netflix!