VAMPYR / French-German / 1932

Welcome to Moldie Oldie Monday here at the Dungeon... Today's feature is a surreal Euro look at vampirism from way back in 19 and 32! Alternate titles are NOT AGAINST THE FLESH, VAMPYR- DER TRAUM DES ALLAN GREY, CASTLE OF DOOM and THE VAMPIRE.

Julian West starred in and produced this title, his only venture into film! Weird!!.. I was able to get this decent restored print of the film off TCM. Originally filmed with no sound, dialogue was added later!

Original music is by the prolific Wolfgang Zeller, who had 87 composing credits from 1926-59 with titles like BRIDE 68, QUEEN OF ATLANTIS, THE LOST ATLANTIS, PAN, GOAL IN THE CLOUDS, MORITURI and MY 16 SONS (take that, Fred MacMurray)!

Okay, here's little Dungeon helper, Rufus the Gnat, and he's all excited to push the big red 'GO' button and send our Eariffic Earclip directly to yer awaiting eardrum! So, hit it, Rufus!.. VAMPYR!

Actor/producer Julian West is said to have been as spacey in real life as he was playing the character, Allan Grey!

Allan takes a vacation to a country village outside of Paris, there's a strange feeling in the air...

I thought this guy was pretty damn creepy! Excellent makeup, or, is it?!

The washed out and spotty look of the print was actually done deliberately. Cinematographer Rudolph Matté had accidently opened a can of exposed film, when director Dreyer saw the result he was delighted with the effect. Today, it would be referred to as a 'happy accident!'

Love those two pics!!

One of the infected sisters needs a blood transfusion.

Death is always lingering somewhere in the background!

In this unnerving nightmare sequence, Allan can only watch through a window in the coffin lid as he's taken to his own gravesite for burial!

Even more mysteries are revealed as this grave is exhumed.

Allan and Gisele are caught in an impressionist painting!

And, the old man gets buried with flour at the old flour mill...

BE BACK WEDNESDAY FOR MORE WTF?!..

DONOVAN'S BRAIN - Eddie Dunstedter - I Saw Mommy Kissing A Brain (1953)

There are very few classic 50's movies that we've haven't showcased here already, but tonight's freak show is one I've been holding on to for some special occasion, and since the honorary president of The Girl Scouts of America, Nancy Davis's birthday was just 4 days ago, I do believe the tide is high for "Donovan's Brain" to make it's grimy little appearance!

Nancy Davis, here as Janice Cory, married President-to-be Ronald Reagan the year prior to making this movie, and after the way she gets treated in this film by her husband, Lew Ayres as Dr. Patrick J. Cory, I'm sure Ronald was a breath of fresh air. A lot of people don't know that Nancy was already 3 months pregnant when her and Ron tied the knot!

Lew Ayres was a very interesting character for a number of reasons! He was a big band pianist before getting into the movies, a conscientious objector during the war, an action that didn't win him any fans at all, and almost completely destroyed his career, even though he did serve under fire as a medic, and he is buried in Los Angeles next to Frank Zappa, of all people!

Ain't it funny that both Ronnie and Nancy made movies with monkeys? Once they got into politics, it would be standard operating procedure!

The composer of the music for "Donovan's Brain" was Eddie Dunstedter, who was also a songwriter and musician, but who is known mostly for his incredible organ, and his renditions of classic X-Mas songs!!

Why is it that brilliant scientists don't know how to do basic things like wash their car?

Sacrifices have to be made in the name of science, and so sadly, Nancy's little pal gets turned into cream of brain in formaldehyde soup!

Methinks that Eddie got the job, because after all, the brain is an organ too!

So just in case for some unknown reason you have never seen this film, the bottom line is there was a rich guy named Donovan in an airplane crash, and all they could salvage of his existence was his brain, and since they were working on brain out of body experiments anyway, up rose the prefect opportunity! Co-Star Gene Evans as drunken lout Dr. Frank Schratt still has enough wits about him to question the whole thing! Gene Evans was possibly in every cowboy TV show in the 50's and 60's, many times in recurring roles including 39 episodes of the Saturday morning series, "My Friend Flicka" as Rob McLaughlin!

Just to see Nancy in a shot with a brain is good enough for me!!

Gene decides to make his bid for Vice President!!

BEX62677 - Madison 1234 - Yellow 1001! They're trying to tell us something, can you figure out what it is?

Bank Manager John Hamilton was none other than Perry White in 102 episodes of the TV show, "Adventures of Superman!"

Gene and Nancy can't believe that Mr. Donovan's brain has remotely but completely taken over Dr. Cory, but it's true, I tell you!!

When he attempts to shut off the juice to the brain, Gene finds the good stuff!!

This one is dedicated to A Daft Scots Lass because we like to make people quiver!!

Twin beds for married couples seem criminally unjust until you get punched in your sleep a couple of times!! Married couples in twin beds always makes me think of "The Dick Van Dyke Show," and who would be the one to make the move?

By this time in the film, Dr. Cory is dressing exactly like Mr. Donovan, and smoking his same brand of cigars. Believe it or not, people are starting to get suspicious!

The creepy lighting throughout the whole feature is deftly provided by genius Cinematograper Joseph F. Biroc. At this point Nancy has had enough, just can't take it anymore, and decides to answer her true calling as First Lady of the United States!

el TRIUNFO de los CAMPEONES JUSTICIEROS / Mexico + Guatemala - 1974

Welcome everbloody, to Friday Night Drive-In with host Tabonga and li'l Dungeon helper, Ralphie the Tarantula! Tonight's feature is the 3rd and final episode of 'The Champions Of Justice' trilogy, and boy, is it a weird one!! Filmed in Guatemala...

There's a circus backdrop for this alien invasion drama, and features Blue Demon, Superzan, El Fantasma Blanco and Venus! The aliens look like little people but are actually, yes... Bug Eyed Monsters!!

The music is by anybloody's guess, but, it's good! And, Eegah!! has put together a nice slice o' sounds!!!

So, on wif' da show!.. Ralphie sez "time for go to bed!" Wait, no, it's time for our Eariffic Earclip to leave the station, like, RIGHT NOW!!.. el TRIUNFO de los CAMPEONES JUSTICIEROS!

Here are the fearsome invaders from the endless void! Wow...

They employ the use of their normal-sized robot slaves to do all the dirty work. The robot dudes look pretty big when the cameraman shoots from a knealing position.

And, here they are, those well composed Champions Of Justice!

Here are two pics from the circus where the elephant gently steps over a bevy of reclining women, then pretends to almost step on a girl! Fun stuff!!

El Fantasma Blanco and Superzan watch as an alien resorts back to it's original form, a BEM!

The robots shoot at Blue Demon as he chases them in his Cessna.

El Fantasma Blanco and Venus rush to the tower in his white Fiat to help their pal Blue Demon.

What else, the aliens are there!

Time out for a few important messages!

Oh, and here's another important message!

The robots try to do some peeping under the circus bleachers! But, they're stupid and looking in the wrong direction!!

Now, don't mess around Clownie! Take off that outfit, I want it!

Blue Demon sez... "No, really, we need to use this gizmo, look what it does!"

When it comes to using creative colors on crappy sets, the Mexicans win hands down!

Blue Demon uses his gizmo to explode the aliens and send them back to where they belong... Wherever the Hell that is!!

Next Friday = our 1000th post!!