Sunday, December 14, 2008

THE BEAST OF HOLLOW MOUNTAIN / United Artists - 1956 / Music by Raúl Lavista

Well, we're zeroing in on the end of the world as we knew it, but, we're celebrating here at the Dungeon anyway, no matter what! Last Tuesday, Tabonga posted a Western Horror 'flick,' so, we'll just keep that ball rolling right into tonight's classic...

Here's a movie that my dad took me to see, way back when... We all loved cowboys and my favorite was Wild Bill Elliott, who was played by Guy Madison. One reason I liked Wild Bill was that he drew his guns cross handed, so, the pistols were in backwards in their holsters, handles facing out!.. Freakin' cool!!

Music master Raúl Lavista is up again for that Tex-Mex flavor. Raúl also worked on these other fine Mexican projects: DR. CRIMEN, THE BRUTE, THE WITCH, LOST SOULS, CONQUISTADOR OF THE MOON, LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD and THE MONSTERS, ADVENTURE AT THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, LA LOBA and, on, and, on, and, on!

Enjoy the BEAST OF HOLLOW MOUNTAIN!

First, there's Pancho and his son Panchito. Pancho loves Tequila which adds some humor to the mix, even though he drinks because his wife died! Guy and Patricia Medina flirt on the side, even though she's engaged to an a-hole named Enrique Rios!

Enrique sees Guy with his girl so he decides to Pearl Harbor him with a whip! Check out the second pic where Guy gives a 'south-of-the-border' sucker punch!!

This is one down and dirty, physical movie, you really had to know your stuff to be in it, and, basically, do your own stunts, like Guy Madison was capable of doing. It looks like someone really got hurt doing one stunt with a horse.

Cool, a festival in the village!

Okay, so, its 61 minutes into the movie when this goofy set of dinosaur feets finally lumbers into view, then turns to face the camera! Cut to the monster standing there! You really have to watch this part closely to see the bad match of the two segments. For one thing, where's the tail?!

Mario Navarro plays Panchito, the kid can act!!

Patricia and Panchito get trapped inside this feed house as The Beast tries to get to them.

Oops!! Enrique didn't stay far enough away!

There's Guy doing another tough stunt. He lures The Beast into some quicksand and brings tonight's posting to an eventual end!

Saturday, December 13, 2008

THE LEECH WOMAN - Irving Gertz - "Off The Wagon" (1960)

So many places to get lost, so many side streets, and dark alleys full of rappin' rats and other nefarious creatures of prey and play, yeah, that's what we're talkin' about here, one sleazy flick, "The Leech Woman" is a very special movie for a gigantic host of reasons, and now she has finally arrived to get her unfair share of your attention!!! Hell, you could have a blog and have it only be about this one movie, it's got that many different elements to explore! This movie is inherently evil leaving the viewer with no choices between evil, eviler, or evilest!

So, let's get started with the basic appetizers!! Phillip Terry as Dr. Paul Talbot hates his bitchy alcoholic wife June, played by Coleen Gray!

The oldest woman in the world shows up at his office, so, it's off to Africa in search of something akin to the fountain of youth, well, not so much fountain of youth, you get old, you just don't die!!! Small detail! You do get real leathery, that's for sure!!

So June goes along to the jungle as disgruntled as can be, but when she gets a chance to pick a volunteer to donate blood to her youth project, to his surprise, she picks her husband Paul!!

Then the local chapter of The Beatles Fan Club shows up to make the festivities complete!! Beatles more popular than Tabonga, that's why he doesn't like this movie!!

Good-bye Paul the jerk husband, Hello youth and beauty! That's a fair tradeoff in anybody's world, isn't it?

Oh, Man, the effects don't last that long, now she's got to just keep on killing if she wants to stay young!

Needless to say, June makes it back to the states, and with her ever increasing need for blood, she heads on down to the local dive, and that's when the jazz stylings of Irving Gertz with the assist of Hans J. Salter and Henry Vars kicks into high gear with some of the best!! Sadly, Irving Gertz just passed away last month, but what a legacy of music he left behind!!!

Enter cheap con man Jerry Lando, always on the lookout for an easy prey! And speaking of cheap cons, it's time for a slight diversion because the uber sleazy Jerry Lando was played by none other than Arthur Batanides, a class actor who's credits go all the way back to his role in 58 episodes of the obscure early 1950's TV space opera "Rod Brown of the Rocket Rangers!"

And as Dungeon fate would have it, you got it, Arthur was the 5th guy, so he didn't make the cover, but this did, here's the "Rocket Ranger Song"!! I think I know where the space guys in "Gorath" got their inspiration now!! Like Boy Scouts in space!! Just for kicks, here's their credo!!

I shall always chart my course according to the Constitution of the U. S. of A.
I shall never cross orbits with the Rights and Beliefs of others.
I shall blast at full space-speed to protect the Weak and Innocent.
I shall stay out of collision orbit with the laws of my State and Community.
I shall cruise in parallel orbit with my Parents and Teachers.
I shall not roar my rockets unwisely, and shall be Courteous at all times.
I shall keep my gyros steady and reactors burning by being Industrious and Thrifty.
I shall keep my scanner tuned to Learning and remain coupled to my Studies.
I shall keep my mind out of free-fall by being mentally alert.
I shall blast the meteors from the paths of other people by being Kind and Considerate.

Meanwhile, Arthur's taken Colleen out to park and the music keeps on swingin'!! Can you say sooiiee??

You gotta love it, he wants to kill her for her jewelry and she wants to kill him for his blood!! No offense kids, but this is some extra sleazy stuff!!

Classic performances by Monster Movie stalwarts, Grant Williams, and Gloria Talbot! To this day, totally recognizable people!!

So when Collen's young, she's putting the squeeze on Grant, which is making Gloria wanting to squeeze the trigger!!

Collen beats Gloria to death to obtain more blood!!

Bummer!! There's a hitch in the didgiwidget! A woman's blood doesn't work!!!

Friday, December 12, 2008

IPNOSI (Nur Tote Zeugen Schweigen)(Hypnosis) - Francesco De Masi-Angelo Francesco Lavagnino-Roman Vlad - "Dummy Of Death" (1962)

This was the best print that Tabonga could get by trading his recently vacated toilet seat to some fool, so the stills are few! This title card reflects the German title! It was released in the U.S.A. as "Hypnosis"!!

Pretty dang suave-a-voo club, with some stylish entertainment including Guy Ballet!!

The main act is none other than Massimo Serato as Georg von Cramer! I love this part, Massimo also acted under the handle of John Barracuda, and I don't know why, but that's funny to me!

Dummies are never funny, just like ugly ceramic dolls!!!! Nothing but evil and creepy!!

What cool music for such a horrid scene is what struck me first at the beginning of this Italian film! Here's what happens, back in his dressing room, Georg gets robbed and knocked out, and when his buddy Erik finds him, instead of helping him, he decides it's the perfect opportunity to beat Georg's brains in, and blame it on some somebody else, since he wants his woman! Erik pretty much defines the term, 'best friend!'

There was so much neat music throughout the whole film, it was almost impossible to trim it down to this short 6 minute piece, and that's probably because "Ipnosi" as it is known in Italy had three composers, Francesco De Masi, Angelo Francesco Lavagnino, and Roman Vlad working on the music, who, between the three of them had like 380 movie credits! These guys knew how to work all the genres, and they were used here to full effect!!

The dummy's eyes tell the rest of the story!!! Find a copy if you can!!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

CESTA DO PRAVEKU aka JOURNEY TO THE BEGINNING OF TIME / Czechoslovakia - 1955 / Music by E.F. Burian & Frantisek Strangmüller

Tonight Tabonga go out on prehistoric limb. Here is hard to find Czech flick by master flickmaker Karel Zeman. He also make THE FABULOUS WORLD OF JULES VERNE, THE FABULOUS BARON MUNCHAUSEN, ON THE COMET and others.

Music is total dudsville except for beginning and end, so turn out okay. Sound like cool Sci-Fi Jazz! BACK IN TIME!

Okay, so, 4 wild and crazy kid go to American Natural History Museum in NY!

They go in row boat and paddle into past through tunnel-o-love!.. Jus' kidding!!

They have to push boat through Ice Age... Row boat not work that great on ice!!

They see Woolly Mammoth and they goof aroun' in caveman' cave!.. They kinda nosey!!

Duuuhhh... Which way did they go, George?!!

So, kid keep going back farther in time and keep seeing very cool creature along way!

It seem pretty obvious, Karel dig FANTASIA!

Kid find dead Stegosaurus an' climb on like carnival ride!

Tabonga need beret wif' puff ball on top!

Kid just keep goin' back in time until they reach 'The Beginning.' Then guess what??!.. They wake up from nap an' are back to present inside museum all safe an' sound!!.. What gives?!

Monster Music

Monster Music
AAARRGGHHH!!!! Ya'll Come On Back Now, Y'Hear??