TABONGA'S TV-MOVIE CREDITS (1986 - 1988)

Tonight I've got a most special Whacked-Out Wednesday X-Mas present for you!!
In the 1980's Tabonga moved to L.A. and tried his damnedest to carve out a career in the movies!
He was the guy known as 'The Extra!'

 In 1986 the movie "Stand By Me" came out, so to get in on the whole MTV video type scene, they brought out the original singer of "Stand By Me" Ben E. King to make a video that included some of the kids from the movie! 

Tabonga got a gig as an extra in the crowd, the guy up in the top left corner! It's almost like Tabonga was the precursor to the whole photobomb movement, and who else was cool enough to have shades on? Nobody in this scene! Tabonga's roles in both this video and movie dominate the screen, and have left viewers gasping for more! And here's what I'm talking about:

This shot is even better, you can see how he demanded to be center, and to further prove his talent, if you watch the video, you'll see that he's the only one swaying in the right direction, everyone else is going the other way! 

I don't know how the Director could put up with that many people out of synch! Check it out for yourself right

HERE!

 In 1987, Tabonga, on the right, had the almost co-star, but not quite credited hillbilly-in-long-johns role in "Timestalkers!"
 

Then in the 1988 James Woods' movie "Cop," they needed somebody with strong character to stand in the background with his pregnant wife answering cop questions while the main action was a conversation between the two detectives!

 Tabonga killed it in this performance! It was so easy for him, he even got to smoke a cigarette!
 

 And not to be content with that, Tabonga was one of the Storm Troopers in the 1988 Michael Jackson project, "Moonwalker" He's the one circled on the poster, and yeah, I know anyone could make that claim, but this time, it's actually true!!
The man was an icon of the late 80's, despite the fact that nobody knew it!

And finally, here he is on the left, in the yellow bumpcap as Race, on the legendary L.A. public access TV show "Offbeat" as one of the Offbeatniks, and to his left, or my right, is me! The other characters are the Brain on the bass, and Andy and Reverend Tom in the background! It wasn't weird at all, it just looks that way!

GAMERA AND HIS GIANT MONSTER FOES!

Here we go with another week of fun, here at The Dungeon!.. Today, we take a look at the original GAMERA flicks and the giant monsters what asses he kicked! The posters are original Japanese releases...

We start with GAMERA: THE GIANT MONSTER from 1965. In this one, Gamera, like Godzilla, is not a nice person, and doesn't like kids yet! Dungeon great Brian (THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT, QUATERMASS II) Donlevy has a small part as an American General.

In GAMERA vs. BARUGON from 1966, our big pal takes on a giant monster that emits a destructive ray from its back! Keeping up with the Godzilla movies in the sixties, Gamera is now the friend of children!! Damn, Barugon looks like a freakin' goof ball...

In 1967 we get GAMERA vs. GAOS, a gigantic bat emerges from a volcano to terrorize Japan, and, only one thing can stop it!.. Yeah, you know what.

A year later in 1968, Gamera falls under the spell of evil aliens, but two children free him and he returns to Earth to fight the aliens' deadly tentacled monster in GAMERA vs. VIRAS!

In GAMERA vs. GUIRON from 1969, aliens kidnap two children and take them to another planet for the purpose of getting knowledge from their brains, but Gamera follows and tries to rescue them! This is one of the weirdest flicks ever conceived, wow, totally freakin' bonkers!!

When an ancient statue is moved for display from its original location, a giant Triceratops-like monster is released. The monster goes to Japan in pursuit of the statue and ends up battling our big old hero in GAMERA vs. JIGER from 1970.

Space aliens arrive on Earth with their giant shark and intend to take over the planet in GAMERA vs. ZIGRA from 1971, My favorite part in this kwazy flick is the space chick that runs around in her tiny little bikini... Check out that rock stuck on Zigra'a nose!

Last on the list is GAMERA: SUPER MONSTER from 1980, which uses clips from his previous movies. This time, Gamera deals with alien forces sending all the monsters Gamera has faced in one final battle to rid the planet of its last hope!

Hey everbloody, we just added our Dungeon movie trailers there on the side bar, go ahead and check it out, you'll like 'em!!

DRAGNET - "The Big .22 Rifle For Christmas" (1952)

 Welcome to the first Saturday Night X-Mas Special 2017 in The Dungeon!

The TV series "DRAGNET" ran for eight seasons from 1951 to 1959, and then made another resurgence in 1967 for another four seasons up til 1970, then the movie with Dan Aykroyd came out in 1987, and still another TV show appeared for two seasons in 2003 with Ed O'Neill in the lead role!

That's a pretty good run!!

 The title was "The Big .22 Rifle For Christmas," and was episode seven of season two that aired on December 18th, 1952! It's very dark, and not festive at all! All the episode titles from this first run except the first one, are always prefaced with "The Big." It's kinda weird!

 The iconic Jack Webb is the equally iconic Sgt. Joe Friday, and his partner Officer Frank Smith was played by Herbert (The Party, Pete Kelly's Blues) Ellis! If I've done my math right, Herb will be 97 next month!!

This is the best shot ever of two guys synchronizing their watches!!

June Whitley Taylor was in three other "Dragnet" Episodes, and was all over the TV from the 50's through the 70's!  She's very distraught because her son is missing!

It seems that her son had got into his Christmas present early!

"Dragnet" was so revered that when Jack Webb died, he was given a full police burial, and his badge number 714 on the show was retired from the L.A.P.D. forever!

Jack Webb was a fascinating character, but my favourite piece of trivia about him is that he was a huge fan of jazz music, and had a record collection of over 6000 albums!

 If I ever take up painting again, this is going to be my first piece! I just love the fact that as simple as it is, you still know exactly what is happening, or at least I do anyway!

Sammy Ogg as Stanley Johnstone is in big trouble. He didn't actually kill his best friend, but he did get out the gun that his best friend accidentally shot himself with, and then felt so guilty, he tried to hide the body! Sammy was 13 here, and he quit acting when he was twenty! He was in 6 other "Dragnet Episodes" and before this, when he was 12, he was in "The Day The Earth Stood Still!"

Those heads held down tell the whole story! How do you break the bad news to a parent that their son is dead right before Christmas?

I believe "Dragnet," but when "Fargo" says it, I have my doubts!!

So is this not like the ultimate bummer of a Christmas story?
I'm not sure this story ever needed to be told! It's just sad!

In case you can't tell, that is a broken Christmas ornament!

I don't know what Tabonga has got up his sleeve for you next, but I've got some more weird X-Mas stuff for you on Wednesday, so stay tuned!!

Classic CASTLE FILMS 8mm HORROR MOVIE BOX ART Plus 2

School's out early today! No homework over the weekend either! Just sit back and check out the great examples of box art for some Castle Films 8mm horror movies. Then, I have two examples of kitschy cool box art from Heritage Films...

My aunt had a nice collection of Castle films that we would watch with my cousins in the early fifties. Of course, she didn't have any horror movies, but had plenty of cartoons and comedy.

We'll start with FRANKENSTEIN, man, that red pops like a mofo, I'd bet that you'd pay a pretty penny to find one of these for sale in this condition! Although, that phrase, 'the man created monster' is a little confusing!

SON OF FRANKENSTEIN is another nice example, here, the greatest monster of all time comes to life again! Better run like Hell... Boris and Bela star together in this one!

Boris is back in THE MUMMY, striking box art that gets in your face!!..

I think this box art from THE MUMMY'S CURSE kicks A, that red orange background really brings it to life! Lon Chaney stars as the mummy this time, I think I like this one the best.

THE MUMMY'S TOMB is another great looking example of Castle Films box art, the image was pretty much taken from an original Universal poster.

Lon chews up the carpet in THE WOLFMAN, Tale Of The Werewolf! As far as I can remember, these mini movies were only about 7 minutes long...

Here's a super attractive box for HOUSE OF DRACULA, featuring a pile of great horror stars!

Here's HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, Glenn Strange plays the monster, Boris plays the mad scientist! Check out the weird erotic composition, this one freaks me out a bit!

Here's a fun cover from ONE MILLION B.C., the perspective is goofy, but still an attractive box.

Another very fine piece, we move into the fifties with CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON. Man, Nestor Paiva sure played a lot of weird characters during his stint at Universal...

Wow, this is a super nice cover for FRANKENSTEIN 1970, or in this case, THE WRATH OF FRANKENSTEIN! Loved this movie when I saw it in 1958 at the theater...

Okay, now we check out this super kitsch Heritage Films box art for BEAST FROM HAUNTED CAVE! Looks like they brought in Mikey from the fifth grade to draw this one!

Mikey is back with his version of PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, the art is just the worst, love it! So, tune in tomorrow for even more little early Xmas presents...