CASUS KIRAN - "Spy Smasher" (1968)

Let me see if I can remember how I ended up here!!  If I recall correctly I was at the WFMU Ichiban Blog and then I clicked on the sidebar link to J.R. Williams Prints Of Darkness blog, and I ended up on a post of his about Trailers and Scenes From Vintage Exploitation Films which took me to The Internet Archive, and there was something there that had a keyword of psychotronic, which I clicked on, and the next thing I knew there was handful of wack Turkish movies that included tonight's feature, "Spy Smasher!"

"Spy Smasher" doesn't appear to have an original thought in it's head, and this version is one of the worst copies of anything I've ever seen. The sound is choppy, and the video is washed out at best, but does that make this rockem-sockem rollie coaster ride any less enjoyable? Hell no! In fact, this movie is hypnotizing, and when it's over, you'll sit there just trying to figure out what in the heck just happened!!

"Spy Smasher" is non-stop action right out of the box! Obviously, there are no musical credits, because the music seems to be cribbed from stuff by Davie Allan and the Arrows, to "Wipe Out,"  and "Baby Elephant Walk!"

Spy Smasher is played by Irfan Atasoy, and his darling girlfriend and sidekick is Sevda Ferdag!

This evil cat is the boss of the gang of spies, and is known as "The Mask!" Who knows who he is, he's always wearing a mask! He is joined here by his confidante Suzy, who was played by the temptuous Suzan Avci! I find it interesting that the word 'Boss' is translated to 'Patron' in both Turkish and Spanish!

"The Association of Protecting Spies from Accidents!" Now, that's an organization that demands some respect!

Some of The Mask's spy guys break into Sevda's father's house looking for Spy Smasher, but she fools them into thinking this suitor of hers is Spy Smasher! Something appears to have gotten confused in the translation of the sub-titles, I think they meant dork!

Here's a shot from The Mask's training area for up and coming female assassins!

The mask's right hand man is the Black Glove!  Even though she is dedicated to The Mask, Black Glove is Suzy's main squeeze!

I should have counted them, but there must be at least 30 fight scenes or more in "Spy Smasher!"

Finally Spy Smasher gets caught and unmasked by The Mask's henchmen! Such language! Do you kiss your Mother with that mouth??

Just for kicks, go and check out the Bored Panda's website and this cool post about "13 Popular Movie Poster Cliches." Number four is the 'between the legs shot' and examples of 42 movie posters that have used that theme!

Part of the sound clip includes some of Suzy's performance at the club! The music sounds like it's being performed on sitar and tablas, but the guys in the band are playing sax, guitar, keyboards and drums! Amazing!!!

Sevda wears the latest in flip-up lens shades!!

There's so much action, and it is so fast and furious, it was very difficult getting any decent screen caps, but you get the idea from this shot from the fight in the club!

Spy Smasher's pal, and the source of the comedy relief is a moron named Bidik!

Yep, that Spy Smasher is a real party pooper!! Nobody can have any fun when he's around!!

In the end, Spy Smasher has the final say.......

......and him and darling Sevda ride off into the sunset!!

In one last final attempt to show you how original "Spy Smasher" is, on the right is the poster from the 1967 Italian film "Mister-X" and on the left is the poster from "Spy Smasher" made one year later! Oh, well, it's still a helluva lot of mindless fun!!!

LOS CANALLAS / Filmica Vergara S.A. - 1968

Itz Mexican Monday with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon! We gots a pretty cool lil' flick starring Mil Mascaras and sultry Regina Torné in a story about a local 'pack of dogs' causing a ton of trouble in Mexico City. Mil Mascaras get involved after he arrives there for a series of wrestling matches... Alternate title is ANGELES INFERNALES.

This was Mil's very first film, he'd go on to star in LAS VAMPIRAS, THE CHAMPIONS OF JUSTICE, THE MUMMIES OF GUANAJUATO, THE CHAMPIONS FIVE SUPERMEN, THE BEASTS OF TERROR, MACABRE LEGENDS OF THE COLONY, LAS MOMIAS DE SAN ANGEL, BLACK POWER, MYSTERY IN THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE and MIL MASCARAS vs THE AZTEC MUMMY! Love it, whenever Santo or Blue Demon talk to Mil, they always call him by his full name, Mil Mascaras! That's cool to me, respect... He's still kicking at age 70.

Regina is the leader of the pack of dogs, they hang out at an underground club where they groove out to rock music, as heard in our soundclip, sooooo, you can push the big red 'GO' button there located next to the uranium ore sample, NOW, Ralphie The Tarantula! Here's our audio offering for... LOS CANALLAS!

Mil has his own plane, making it easy for him get around. After his first match he's attacked by Regina's gang in the locker room...

And, they unmask him for the trophy! Luckily, he was wearing another mask under that one so they couldn't see his real face.

Not to worry though, he has plenty more masks in his arsenal!

Regina has a plan to get her jail bird brother and hook hand pal out of jail by communicating with them through a converted toy piano! Wow, Mexican prison uniforms are rather stylish! Seems to me though, that if they were hardcore criminals, they'd like wear their caps crooked or something just to show their contempt and all!

Regina is a real kitten with a whip, she and her pals are into elaborate dance numbers and the occult too...

Mil, wearing his 'don't mess with me' mask, meets with Regina at the club only to be drugged by her!

Regina's pals bring out the machine gun to take care of Mil, but are tricked into killing one of their own!

No matter what's going on, Mil still has to keep all his 'in ring' obligations!

Hook hand turns on Regina's bro, no more BFF!!

Don't mess with me!!..

LADY IN A CAGE - Paul Glass - "Have We An Anti-Satan Missile?" (1964)

Tonight's feature is a movie that literally freaked me out the first time I saw it back in the 60's. As far as I can remember, "Lady In A Cage" was the first film I ever saw that had truly vile, despicable, disgusting and depraved characters in it who were willing to kill just for the sheer joy of it!

The brilliant opening theme written by serious composer Paul Glass is a jittery and edgy stop and go affair that sets the scene to perfection and some of the best opening credits you'll ever feast your eyes upon!!

The warnings are all there right from the beginning, because what looks like a normal suburban neighborhood is actually fraught with danger and should be approached with caution!!

1964 was indeed a simpler time that we'll never be able to return to! AM radio wasn't dominated by right wing talk shows, but was actually the medium that would bring you music from the likes of  The Beatles, The Trashmen, Dean Martin, Al Hirt, Roger Miller and The Temptations, all on the same channel!

"Lady In A Cage" is sick on multiple levels! What kind of guy calls his mother Darling?? It's a movie about obsession and oppression!

In the 1930's Olivia de Havilland was in movies like "The Adventures Of Robin Hood," and "Gone With The Wind." In 1964 she was in "Lady In A Cage," and "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte!" Her character here is that of possessive Mother Cornelia Hilyard! She has to use an elevator to get to the second floor of her home  because she fell and broke her hip! Her son as played by William (The Monster That Challenged The World) Swan is on his way out the door, never to return!

It's a hot and sultry Summer Day, and the elevator just got stuck!

In no time at all, a drunken bum played by Jeff (Superman And The Mole-Men) Corey stumbles into what he considers to be a virtual goldmine, at least as far as the local pawn shop is concerned!

Three punks just happen to catch wind of the whole scene because they're also in the pawn shop to hock some stuff they've stolen!

This would be Jame Caan's first starring role in the movies, he had an earlier small role in "Irma La Douce" but other than that , he had only worked a bit in televsion! His pal was played by Rafael (Agent For H.A.R.M., The Astro Zombies) Campos, and his beat up girlfriend was Jennifer (C.C. And Company, The Thirsty Dead) Billingsley in her film debut!

Since this was the first time I ever saw anybody smoke pot in a movie, I didn't even know what they were doing!

Ann Southern has the role of the cheap whore who tries to help the bum steal some of the stuff. I didn't really find her character to be that necessary, in fact, she is later just basically pushed into a room, locked in and forgot about!

"Lady In A Cage" is a very good example of what kind of movie you can make with a minimum cast and set, and still be very effective! Pretty good disguises too, do you think anybody will be able to recognize them?

I found it interesting that James Caan's loathsome character chose to wear sandals!

James Caan has of course gone on to have an amazing career, and is still quite active today with at least five movies scheduled for release in 2013!

Olivia has just about had enough to make her go completely screaming yellow bonkers!

James looks like he's doing a pretty good job of channeling Jack, and seems like he would have been a prime candidate to star in "The Shining!"

The guys from the pawn shop show the kids what a bunch of pussies they really are!

In most movies, the viewer is thrilled when bad people finally get their just rewards, but after James first gets his eyes poked out by Olivia, and then wanders out into traffic and gets his head run over, you might think it's a bit more than he deserved! Out of all the movies I've seen in my life, this is a shot I will never forget since the first time I ever saw it, some forty plus years later, it has still remained etched in my cranium!!  Yeecchh!!!

In the end, Olivia figures out that she herself is a monster when she realizes she has driven her own son away from her to the depths of despair and possibly suicide! The unwitting and stunned looky-loos stare on in horror without having a clue as to what has really happened!! Written and produced by Luther Davis, "Lady In A Cage" is tough and gritty, and is available from Netflix!