DEADLIER THAN THE MALE - Malcolm Lockyer/John Franz/Scott Engel "Beware My Brother, Beware" (1967)

I dig Spy, Secret Agent and Detective flicks, it's just that simple! Beautiful women and locations, fancy weapons and the latest inventions, and needless to say, there's most likely going to be a cool soundtrack, and tonight's feature, "Deadlier Than The Male", is no exception! The main score was created by a man who died way back in 1976, Malcolm Lockyer. Malcolm has some fine titles to his name, some we've done, some coming up in the future, like "Dr. Who And The Daleks," "Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians," "The Vengeance Of Fu Manchu," and "Island Of The Burning Damned!"

What's really interesting about the music is that one of the coolest main themes you're ever going to hear, was written by Scott Engel and John Franz, and sung by The Walker Brothers, and for some reason, it's clear as a bell in the credits, but oddly is not mentioned at all on IMDB. That's just weird!! Here's a picture of a 45 I sold on Ebay before I even realized that a young kinda rockabilly Scott Engel was indeed the same guy as Scott Walker after he packed up and left Ohio and headed over to the UK where he scored some big hits with that rich deep baritone, and songs like "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore!" At one point in the 60's, The Walker Brothers were actually more popular than The Beatles in Europe!

The always stunning Elke Sommer has the role of the badass Irma Eckman, a gal who is indeed, "Deadlier Than The Male!"

That stogie had what we used to call a load in it, but the loads we used to put in other peoples cigarettes only blew off the tip, unlike this one that shoots a bullet right through the back of your neck!! Irma looks quite smitten with herself!

I'm not really sure why Irma went to all the trouble except to fill her not so well hidden sadomasochistic desires, since she ends up blowing the whole plane to kingdom come anyway!

Sylva Koscina is the more than interesting Penelope, Irma Eckman's sidekick! Smart and beautiful, Sylvia was 5'10½" and 39-25-37, and studied Physics at Naples University before becoming an actress!

So much for racial profiling, these two are every airport security worker's dream come true!! Sorry ladies, we're going to have to pat you down!

After the two dolls harpoon this cat, they abscond with a tape off a good old fashioned tape recorder that is going to lead to some reel important information!

As The Coasters would so succinctly put it in their hit song "Searchin" it's time to bring in one of the big guns of the genre, Mr. Bulldog Drummond!

Sylva Koscina passed away back in 1994, but left a legacy of 119 appearances in mostly Italian films ranging from "Hercules Unchained" to "Lisa And The Devil!"

Besides all her obvious talents, Elke Sommer is also an accomplished artist, and you can actually buy her original art for a pittance at This Place!

In the meantime, these two have been given another assignment by The Boss!

Pretty cute, huh?

That has got to be the biggest phone I have ever seen in my life!

The legendary Bulldog Drummond was played by Richard Johnson! Richard would reprise the role of Bulldog Drummond in 1969, in the impossible to find, "Good Girls Do!" Richard has worked steadily since 1950, was also in "The Haunting," and "Zombie" among others, and believe it or don't, he's filming a TV movie this year called "The Other Child!"

They make it seem like you're suddenly on some tropical island, but it's just a framed moving background in this stool pigeon's pad! Bulldog is able to obtain some pertinent information!

All you clothes designers take notice, open back, very sexy, or does she just have her blouse on backwards?

Bulldog Drummond is pretty laid back most of the time, but when it comes time to take care of business, he's all over it!!

I never was cool enough to have one of these kinds of pedestal phones with the dial on the bottom!

"Did somebody order a pizza?"

You Fool! I specifically said, "No Anchovies!"

It's really hard to capture good action shots in any movie, but here's a good example of how to deal with bad guys like Milton Reid as Chang! Milton has an unforgettable mug that you've seen in "Blood Of The Vampire," "Terror Of The Tongs," "Night Creatures," and "Dr. No." Just like all our favourite characters, Milton was also a professional wrassler! He started in 1952 as Jungle Boy, and as his career progressed, he became best known as The Mighty Chang! After his career fell apart, Milton went to India to act, and sometime in the late 80's, he mysteriously disappeared, and they still haven't figured out what happened to him!

If you want to live, never drive somebody to the edge, unless you plan on pushing them over! The Bulldog's about to snap!

Nigel Green had the role of the Big Bad Boss Carl Petersen! Nigel had a great career that ran the gamut from playing Hercules in "Jason And The Argonauts," to being Nayland Smith in "The Face of Fu Manchu!" Nigel also had good roles in "The Skull," "The Masque Of The Red Death," and Dean Martin's "The Wrecking Crew," before 'accidently' overdosing on sleeping pills in 1972 at the age of 47!

For the grand finale, Carl Petersen challenges Bulldog Drummond to a 'killer' game of chess in his specially prepared game room!

C H E C K M A T E! ! !

DER FLUCH DER GRÜNEN AUGEN - Herbert Jarczyk - "Cave Of The Living Dead" (1964)

So now you know where the term came from, I don't know if this film really is one or not, but it's not bad! This is an interesting film because it plays more like a German Edgar Wallace thriller even though it's also a vampire movie! Pretty Cool!!

Being as it's "International Week Of The Living Dead," we're proud to present our second installment in Living Dead Filmalistic Hysterical Histrionics and Hijinks, "The Cave Of The Living Dead" and it's a goodurn, hailing auf Deutschland this go round!!

Literally translated, it's "Curse Of The Green Eyes" and the US version was titled the so very original, "Night Of The Vampires," but whatever you want to call it, this Ákos Ráthonyi directed film is well worth a watch!!

Setting the mood and tempo of the film right out of the box with an opening theme by Herbert Jarczyk that swings hard!! Some of Herbert's other accomplishments are, he wrote the theme song for the long running German TV show, "Der Kommissar" and wrote the score on some films like "Two Times Adam, One Time Eve," "The Phony American," and "The Foggy Night Murderer, but mostly worked on strictly German films!

Adrian Hoven as Inspector Frank Dorin has just wrapped up one case, and has other things on his mind like some rest and recreation!

But the phone rings, and as much as he tries to weasel out of it, he is forced to take the call! This is exactly the reason I have an answering machine!!

Next thing you know, he's headed out on a cruise, and it's not to some lovely South Pacific island with white sand beaches!! No, that's not the way Frank's luck works! He's going some place much darker!

This is an atmospheric and spooky little film, and there were about six murders before the first reel ever got rolling!

Do you think the local villagers might be on to something when they start all that jabbering gossip about vampires? Well, that's what Frank Dorin has come here to find out!!

Straight out of "Ripley's Believe It Or Not," Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting for your pleasure, The world's smallest fireplace!! Maybe he's expecting Dopey and Sleepy to come over and drink some brews with him!

Firmly entrenched in the weird, Adrian Hoven went on to do a number of films with Jesus Franco before passing away way back in 1981! Here he's investigating several murders and the local's claims of vampires, when he decides to consult the neighborhood witch!

The witch explains a few things and shows Frank a little dance number in the fire she's been working on!

Well, how bout that? There is actually a real cave! Behind Frank you'll see John Kitzmiller as John, the black servant. John Kitzmiller was the first black person to win a best acting award at the Cannes Film Festival, for his role as Sergeant Jim in the film "Dolina Miru."

"Oh, C'mon, don't tell me you are going to wear that same hat again in this year's stupid hat contest? You didn't even place in last year's event!"

Well, we've got a new dance and it goes like this, Bop shooba, bop a bop a shooba, so shake those buns, Twistin' with the Nuns!!!

Uh, Oh, she's supposed to be dead!! Hey, what's going on here??

I don't know, these villager dudes don't look like they have anything to be scared of, more like the other way around! I don't think any self-respecting vampire is going to latch onto one of these cats, because looks like their breath alone would be deadly, so I'm sure their blood must be poison!

The vampire babes seems to be multiplying; they have a tendency to do that, and they've got more than just an eye on Frank. Good thing the guy is smart enough to wear a good old-fashioned crucufix around his neck!!

You've got to be a bit more duplicitous than that, if you want to try and sneak up on a cop as sharp as Frank Dorin!!

Erika Remberg and Karin Field are the two femme fatale leads. Erika was also in "Circus of Horrors" and the 1970 slam bammer "Esotika Erotika Psicotika" or in English, "The Lickerish Quartet!" Whoa! Karin Field was also in some awesome titles like "Sex In The Office," "Meat Is Meat," "The Devil's Girls," and "The Sex Demons" just to name a few!

I don't know, man, what did you expect from us anyway?? We were following you!

The final score was 7 - 0, it was a close game at first, but the vampires lost bigtime in the end when their lead scorer went up in smoke! Still more Living Dead tales coming up on Wednesday and Friday, stay tuned!!