Monday, February 8, 2010

INVISIBLE AVENGER - "The Shadow Knows" (1958)

Well, here it is, not to be confused with the impossible to find 1954 Japanese film, "Tomei Ningen" or in English, also "The Invisible Avenger," this "Invisible Avenger" is a cool little film about an early kinda Super-Hero fellow, Lamont Cranston as The Shadow!!

The Film starts in Nawlins' just off of Bourbon Street, and we get the special treat of hearing this jazzed up Calypso number by this cat whom I'm sure is some kinda Big Easy regular, but I can't figure out what the Hell his name is, so you're on your own! Everybody's having a good time, they just got the news!!

As the film opens, we find disposed Santa Cruz El Presidente Pablo Rameriz and his daughter Fellatio, telling jazz musician with a sympathetic ear, Tony Alcalde about his plan to take his country back! You know, politics 1958, go figure!! Pablo is Dan Mullin, and Felicia is Jeanne Neher!!

Maybe they shouldn't be talking so loud, since Lee Edwards as The Colonel, and his girlfriend played by Jan Carr, are sitting at the table right behind them, sucking in every word!

Tony goes to call his jazz digging amigo in New York, Lamont Cranston, aka The Shadow!!! The Shadow is played by Richard Derr who starred in "When World's Collide." The Shadow was actually a handful of episodes of a show made for TV that never happened, so they took what they had, and made it into a short movie!

But it's too late for Steve Dano as Tony, and this was the only film he was ever in! His solo in this song is over! Check out that wall, guess these guys lean up against it a lot when they're talking!

Lamont can't figure out why Tony hung up, so he and his best buddie, Jogendra, fly on out to 'The Birthplace of Jazz'!!

And, just like last night, The Saints went marching in!!

Welcome to "The Last Door" Meester Cranston!!

Hi, I own this joint, My name's Tara, what's yours? Tara O'Neill was portrayed by actress Helen Westcott, the daughter of acting parent's who started her acting career at the ripe age of four years old! She also was Cynthia Stedman in "13 Lead Soldiers," Vicky Edwards in "Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," and Nurse Molly Riordan in "Monster on the Campus," just to name a few!

Leo Bruno as Rocco Martinez is just about as welcoming as a knife poked between yer ribs!

Lamont Cranston gets a ride in a the back of a cab!

The cab driver, Sam Page, who just like Steve Dano, Dan Mullin, Leo Bruno, and Lee Edwards, sees or doesn't see Lamont disappear just like their careers in film did! Helen Westcott had more than ten times as many acting roles as all these guys put together!!

"How can you see a shadow if there ain't nobody there?"

Lamont and his mentor Jogendra, relax like guys have a tendency to do! Mark Daniels played the part of Jogendra, or in a direct translation, we're talkin' 'The Master Of Yogis.' Now, personally, I think Ranger Smith might have something to say about that, and by the way, Don Messick, who did Ranger Smith's voice, also did BooBoo's voice, so he might have two things to say about it. Did you know that on the same Yogi Bear show, the voice of Yakky Doodle was done by Jimmy Weldon, host of "The Webster Webfoot Show" and "Phantom Planet" fame! Don't care? Well, The Shadow knows and he thought you might want to know too!

The walls have ears, and the fence has eyes! The tree's got a nose, and the street has teeth!

Good shot of Rocco getting ready to do what he does best!! Not being nice!!!!

Now is this sweet, or what? The Shadow can turn the knobs on the television!! WTF! The very first remote control!!!

The band is swingin' but Lamont notices one guy left an extra horn on the stage and split, so he gets Jogendra to put his mind power on this other dude, and make him play the wrong horn!! Turns out there was a secret message in it!! I thought it was going to be full of thrill pills considering how hyper these hipsters were!

If they ever remake this movie, and put me in charge of casting, I'm going to get David Bowie to play the part of this crazy cat Jogendra, he'd be a ringer!!! The first two films Mark Daniels appeared in were "Marihuana" and "Sex Madness!" What a way to start a career!!

Who do these chumps think they are dealing with anyway?? Really, The Shadow is not invisible, it's just that he puts this freaking mind spell on you, and you can't see him any more. Kind of a moot point, and it gets the job done either way!

Remember El Presidente? When he comes out of hiding, the revelers hoist him up on their shoulders as crowds sometimes do, but some of the people are the bad guys, so they just kind of float him on a sea of hands and off into a waiting car. Maybe you'd have to be there, but I thought it was hilarious!

Tricky guys then transfer El Presidente into a coffin, because the autorities won't mess with a funeral procession!!

The Santa Cruz heavies succeed in getting El Presidente onto their waiting Yacht, and are heading out to sea, but Lamont, Jogendra, and Felicia managed to sneak on board, and Jogendra does one of his mind jobs on the guy steering and whoops............What the hey??

.....the cat sees an iceberg in front of him, and loses control! Wow, that's a real cool trick!!

Dan Mullin also played El Presidente's evil brother Victor, and loses major points for coming up with this weird beard trim job for an alternate appearance!

C'mon, you knew from the start these buffoons didn't stand an ice cube's chance in a hot tub of outsmarting The Shadow in this show, in the pulps, the comics, or any other form of entertainment! It's like wrasslin', he's just too good for all those bozos, and he does it with style!!!

Saturday, February 6, 2010

HORROR OF THE BLOOD MONSTERS / Al Adamson - 1970

"You'll scream yourself into a state of shock!" screams the tagline from this very special Al Adamsom film!

In keeping with our 'Blood' theme from yesterday, here's today's Dungeon feature...

Al aquired b/w footage from a 1965 Philippine production, shot his footage in 1966, and released HORROR OF THE BLOOD MONSTERS in 1970. It had to take at least four years to put this puzzle together!!!.. A few alternate titles are VAMPIRE MEN OF THE LOST PLANET, SPACE MISSION TO THE LOST PLANET and BLOOD CREATURES FROM THE PREHISTORIC PLANET!!

They needed an explanation for coloring the Philippine footage, so's, ladies and gentlemen, may I present, ta da...

That's right, 'SPECTRUM-X' - Almost sounds like something cool!

The credits artwork kicks ass! Same guys who did the 'Blood Island' movies credit art. That's the narrator there behind Al's credit! Mike Velarde, who worked out of the Philippines, gets the music composer credits, but it sounds like Al added some local LA dudes for the smokin' music at the beginning in today's audiobyte... So, anyway, here's Tabonga!

Hello, everbloody, welcome to Saturday Wild an' Wooly Flicktime Matinee at the Dungeon!.. Eegah!! really give us one great 'earrific' soundclip for you an' Tabonga' enjoyment. Ralphie The Tarantula iz in da' house, anxious to push that big old red 'GO' button to start another Dungeon Delite Soundclip rolling home! So, HIT IT!!.. HORROR OF THE BLOODY MONSTERS!!

Here is Al in all his glory, part of a pack of vampire running amok on Earth, infecting everbloody with germ from some lost planet, out there!..

Hooker vampire, best way to go!

Boy, Al, really dorky!!

Okay, so, they in space now, in Goodship Lollipop... Err, no, Tabonga mean Spaceship XB-13! What the hell is dude looking at?

Here is shot to prove they in a spaceship, somewhere in space. Borrowed from THE WIZARD OF MARS...

"Go right!"

John is playing latest video game for space jockeys!

Now we lookin' at colorized satellite from WAR OF THE SATELLITES clip, 1958!

Now, THE WIZARD OF MARS again!

John trying to get away from all the bad actor that Al "hired." They getting him all mixed up!

Shot that save 15 million dollar! You think there is spaceship there, but, there is not!!! Save 15 million dollar!!! Distraction bonus, curvacious babe in white cheerleader boot coming down ladder that you borrow from neighbor!

Very strange, but, they have to make emergency landing on nearest planet, and, planet is Lost Planet they looking for!! How lucky is that?!

They go exploring an' find dinosaur and mammoth clip from ONE MILLION B. C.

How embarrassing, pretending you not holding 7 year old nephew's toy 'pop gun!'

...Especially when you going up against these guy!

Horny Earth dude gots a problem!

Look like Lost Planet Gurlies can take care of self, though!

Okay, time for some fun!..

You don't have to tell me twice, Dr. Studs Longtitude! Hey, does that machine of yours go up to 11?

Lemme check... Sorry, no!

Damn!!

Here's Robert (BLOOD OF DRACULA'S CASTLE) Dix, son of actor Richard (THE TRANSATLANTIC TUNNEL) Dix. He was Crewman Grey, one of the physically superior crewmen that manned the classic space cruiser C-57-D in FORBIDDEN PLANET!

Set designer very creative, Al give him budget of $27.38!!

...What else you were expecting?!

"BAT BOY FOUND IN CAVE!"

C'mon, seven eleven!.. Daddy needs a new pair o' shoes!

Dude, we just saved another 15 million dollars!!! That's a freaking total savings of 30 million dollars on just two shots!!.. DAMN!!

"This was a highly civilized and brilliant society at one time. It wasn't enough for them. Not only did they have to acknowledge having such weapons...they had to use them. I have no doubt we'll be equally brilliant one day."

...HUH?!

Oh boy, you take hood ornament off Oldsmobile 'Rocket 88' and add model parts for one, swell looking... spaceship?

Next stops are Tarzana, Azusa and Kook-amunga!.. Thank you for flying Adamson Spacelines!

CURSE YOU, AL!..

'Nuf said?!..

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