THE MIGHTY BOOSH: 'Bollo' - BBC 2003

It's my last post in July, so, time to blow the lid off this joint!.. I love this whacked out British TV series and have all three seasons on DVD in my collection, cut is from episode 3, season 1.

Eegah!! sent over this kick ass, rockin' sound clip to freakin' amaze us, sooooo, you can push the big red 'GO' button there by the musty old gorilla suit, NOW, Ralphie The Tarantula! Here's our audio offering for... THE MIGHTY BOOSH... HIT IT!!

Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding play odd couple zoo attendants, Howard Moon and Vince Noir, they have a ton of wild, surreal adventures! Check them out if you haven't, besides the amazing sets and insane stories, the music is always very cool!

Bollo, the zoo's gorilla, is very ill and could die, Vince attends him in his time of need.

Howard's job is to fill in for Bollo. Here, the zoo manager, Bob Fossil, has a talk with Howard about his unconvincing depiction of a gorilla, the paying customers are complaining! He then tells him to put his mask back on, he's scaring the kids.

Death shows up to take Bollo back to Hell with him, but, ends up taking Howard instead for obvious reasons!

Howard has a friendly chat with Death as they cruise in space toward their destination. Howard actually takes a liking to the Grim Reaper as he gets to know him better!

Back on Earth, Bob, Vince, Bollo and others prepare to bury an empty coffin in the name of long lost Howard!

Vince seeks the aid of their guru, Naboo, who sits around all day smoking hash with his pals.

Naboo gives Vince a potion and sends him through a dimensional mirror portal to Hell...

Vince finds Howard tied up in the basement and ready to be dropped into the hot burning pit!

Vince talks The Ape Of Death into a new hair style and the results couldn't be better!

HIT IT!!..

This unholy mandrill lays down some deadly riffs as you can hear in the sound clip. As a guitarist myself, all I can say is that this tune gives me a big rockin' boner!!

There's lots of dancing and new hair styles, Hell is a fun place now, thanks to the boys!

The Ape Of Death is one happy camper, as you can see for yourself!

And, here's the magical substance that got Howard and Vince out of Hell, what else?!.. Naboo's Miracle Wax!!.. Tune in Wednesday when we'll have more crazy stuff to show and tell.

THE WHITE REINDEER (1952)

Greg Goodsell has returned -- the film tonight in the Dungeon is THE WHITE REINDEER, Finland's most famous horror film! In spite of this cheerful poster, THE WHITE REINDEER has shape-shifting, themes of revenge, a lethal femme fatale and just a dash of vampirism thrown into the mix -- proceed at your own risk.

THE WHITE REINDEER is an unsung, elegant classic of international art horror! What is especially unsettling about this film is that a lot of it takes place in broad daylight against the white, snow-covered vistas in Lapland.

Here are the film's two lovebirds, Pirita (Mirjami Kuosmanen) and Aslak (Kalervo Nissilä). Say that ten times fast! Now, everything seems pert and hopeful, but believe you me, it all goes downhill very fast!

Aslak falls hard and fast for the charms of Pirita, the purtiest durn gal in his Lapland shepherd community -- but as we shall see -- Pirita has a dark, hidden side to her –

It turns out that she’s the illegitimate daughter of a witch who died in childbirth. In flashback, we meet her mother -- played by the same actress, taken in by those who pity her – where she gives birth and then passes away.

The two Laplanders get hitched in a boozy ceremony -- pledge their allegiance -- but if there weren't complications, there wouldn't be a movie now, would there?

Pirita waves goodbye to her beloved while he herds some reindeer to  market -- and things get might darn lonely out in snow-covered Finland!

Pirita enlists the aid of a local shaman to cast a love spell for her, but everyone knows that such backdoor deals NEVER turn out for the best! The shaman casts his "runes" -- and Pirita will get her wish -- but at a VERY heavy price!

Pirita goes to a ghastly shrine and is instructed to kill the first thing she sees -- which is, natch, a white reindeer.

She kills the poor defenseless thing! Don't worry, she'll get hers!

AHHHHHH! Pirita is transformed into the ghastly, accursed white reindeer of Finnish legend! Economically suggested by a negative of the film!

Pirita regrets her decision -- but it's too late now, sweet cheeks!

In the guise of the reindeer, Pirita lures the town’s shepherds to their deaths and drinks their blood!

Wracked with guilt, Pirita tries to undo the curse --

But -- BOO! Pirita has had a taste of blood and wants even more! The vampire fangs in this film are only glimpsed and seen twice. Do we see a hint of director Mario Bava in the lighting and composition? Mighty impressive, as Bava was a long way off from directing the year this was filmed, in 1952!

Pirita's husband begins to suspect the worst -- do we also see a hint of the angst swirling around in such features around this period such as INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, when we fear our loved ones because they are no longer what they used to be?

The couple then attend a wedding. Pirita as a newly blessed hell creature, is extremely uncomfortable. Gorgeous music heard in this scene. As I suggested to Eegah, I thought this feature would be a perfect fit for the Dungeon -- and he heartily agreed! Here's just a taste of the haunting theme!

A beautiful young woman rendered otherworldly and alienated. I see more than just a dash of Barbara Steele going on here as well. Finland is a pretty isolated country with a limited film industry, so maybe the Finns were prescient about the state of coming fantastic cinema.

After the white reindeer has killed several people, the townspeople work on weapons -- said hell beast can only be killed by "cold steel," i.e.  a spear fashioned without a furnace. The artisans in town get busy!

The hunters begin their quest to find the white reindeer as our heroine tearfully tries to hide in a snowbank!

In a last ditch attempt to reverse the curse, she returns to the shaman's house --

Too late! The evil sorcerer is as dead as a doornail! She's just going to have to ride this out to its deadly conclusion!

Transformed once again into the reindeer, Pirita leads her husband to a ravine in which he can land a fatal blow. This dovetails with some werewolf lore where the monster can only be killed by someone who loves them!

A tragic ending as Pirita dies for her transgressions and her husband is left with -- snow. Lots of it. But seriously folks, THE WHITE REINDEER calls to mind equal parts of Carl Dreyer and Igmar Bergman, as well as the future films of Canadian madman Guy Maddin! See this film at your earliest convenience.

UGETSU MONOGATARI / Daiei Studios - 1953

It's Friday at The Dungeon with Tabonga!.. We gots a complicated little tale from Japan from 1953, it's all about Genjurô, a family man, farmer and craftsman who travels the countryside selling his wares and makes a small fortune during the Japanese Civil Wars of the sixteenth century. Their village is attacked and looted, so, the families flee and survive, Genjurô decides to leave his wife and son on the bank of the river, promising to return in ten days, adventures ensue. This movie has a ton of titles!

Eegah!! sent over a sound clip with classic Japanese music for our earjoyment, sooooo, you can push the big red 'GO' button next to the atomic powered samurai sword, NOW, Rufus The Gnat! Here's a taste of... UGETSU MONOGATARI!

Here's Genjurô working pottery in his studio, making his items to sell, and, before the trouble.

After Genjurô gets separated from his wife and son and has to do whatever it takes to avoid the attackers as he flees their onslaught.

He sneaks up and hides under a house where he watches a samurai behead the owner!

If it isn't the samurais, he's being confronted by locals as he tries to make his way back home.

Finally, he gets back and greets his wife, who has been worried sick waiting for his return.

I just really dig this shot of this abode, that's all... Hey, make a story up if you like!

Genjurô's brother is killed during the siege, so, Genjurô vows to live his life in his honor.

Peace has returned, Genjurô, his wife and son continue to be productive in their beautiful setting... What's really great about this flick are all the amazing visual textures shown throughout the production! Tune in tomorrow when Virus Man will bring you a weird one, don't miss it, GOT IT?!!