Saturday, April 23, 2011

PSYCHOMANIA - Cameron/Whtaker/Worth - "The Death Wheelers" (1973)

Well, what do you know? It's a back to back Easter weekendmania! The title of tonight's feature is "Psychomania," but I think they really meant "Deeply Misunderstood Psychomaniac Dead Bikers" or something along that line, which is much better that the alternate release title, "The Death Wheelers," which I think was really pushing it!

The music was composed by John Cameron, whom we've never written about before because this "Psychomania" was basically his only horror outing, but he did do the music for some classic 90's TV remakes of "Frankenstein," Jekyll and Hyde," and "Jack The Ripper!"

Not real scary, but that's a pretty cool skull head logo that The Living Dead gang have going on! "I don't want a pickle, I just wanna ride on my motor sickle" - Arlo Guthrie

The Living Dead moto-psycho gang are a pretty tough group, and they do really mean things like knocking over traffic cones! Shame on you people!!

There's a mess of froggy hocus pocus going on and what ends up happening is that the leader of the Living Dead, Tom Latham, finds out that it is possible to achieve immortality, and here's the kicker, as long as you believe you're going to make it to the other side and be immortal when you die, so he kills himself!! Tom's a true believer!

At the funeral, the guy on the left lipsynchs a very smaltzy song called "Riding Free" written by David Whitaker and Johnny Worth and sung by Harvey Andrews! The rest of the Living Dead flesh out the scene in their classy funeral attire! There's Abby, Jane, Bertram, Hatchet, Chopped Meat, Gash, and Hinky, and that's dead Tom sitting upright on his bike in the hole!

After the funeral and later that night, Tom comes back to life, and blasts out of the grave on his bike, goes to town, calls home and talks to his Mom, has a drink, and leaves a wake of dead bodies in his path!

Nicky Henson has the role of Tom Latham! From dead bikers to Demetrius in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Nicky has done it all, and is still active today!

As expected, the rest of the gang can't figure out what the Hell is going on, so they shank this guy who must be an impostor, and when he doesn't die, they become believers! Tom has truly rumbled from the grave!

Jane has got the biggest balls and the self confidence it takes to pull off this little trick, and she boldly eats it out on the highway!

In no time at all the immortal twosome are out terrorizing old ladies again!

Tom and Jane have come back from the dead like Jesus, and the best thing that they can think to do is to give somebody the raspberries, thumb their noses at them, and slash their tires!

There's so much crap going on that the rest of the gang gets arrested, and we get to see the sheer power of the dead when Tom and Jane bust them out!

Well, that display of strength was enough to finally convince the rest of the gang, and so one by one, they each commit suicide in their own particular manner like jumping out the window of a high rise building, or........

.........Drowning........or.....

........jumping off an overpass into traffic!!

And Jane and Tom approve each and every successful rite of passage to the other side!

Which presents the age old question, if you were able to achieve immortality, what would you do with your time? Would you use it to intimidate, bully, and coerce innocent women, children and babies in the supermarket? The Living Dead are not a bunch of rocket surgeons, that's for sure!

Everybody in the gang cashed in their chips except Abby, so Tom tries to get her to crash through a wall with him, but she takes the living route instead and pisses him off!

Tom's Mom is a clairvoyant and has had enough of her dead son and his dead friends antics, so she throws a different spell on them. She is joined by Shadwell, her manslave butler, and Dungeon Hall of Famer, George Sanders!

The ending will come as no big surprise to anybody, except now you know why there were those weird looking stone forms during the opening credits! I'm sure Mrs. Latham would have been a lot more forgiving if the gang had just found something constructive to do with their time!

Friday, April 22, 2011

BLOOD MANIA / Jude Productions - 1970

Welcome everbloody to Friday Night Drive-In with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon! Tonite we gots the second billing from this Crown international 'BLOOD' oriented double bill...

The plot's about a sex-crazed rich girl who tries to hasten her father's death because she wants to use the inheritance to provide for her loser boyfriend. But, her sister ends up with most of the money!

The tagline reads... See it - Feel it - Taste it - Once you have had it you will never be the same!!!

And, also known as PORNOMANIA. Gary Kent was production manager!

The effective music is by Don Vincent, who had a total of 5 composing credits, and, this was his only horror film. The psychedelic music is by anybloody's guess!

Now, it's time to bring in our littlest Dungeon pal and button pusher, yes... Rufus The Gnat! He sez he's all ready to start our Eariffic Earclip for... BLOOD MANIA!

Eric Allison plays the dying Mr. Moneybags, Ridgeley Waterman. With a name like Ridgeley, you know he has money. No little person would ever name his kid, Ridgeley!! Of course, he's a total jackass and likes to bully people around!

There's plenty of naked bodies to be gandered at!

DOH!!.. Why, Mrs. Robinson, you're not wearing any...

1970... Sez it all!!

Amyl Nitrate was popular when I was stationed at Fort Lewis in 1968. I knew a specialist who liked to pop a capsule while driving his car!! He worked at the dispensery and had a pet rabbit.

Eek!.. I don't think I should have swallowed that razor balde!!

Euro Suave! Cinematography was by Gary (SATAN'S SADISTS) Graver and Robert (THE ASTRO-ZOMBIES) Maxwell. Camera work was by award winning King of the Grips, R. Michael Stringer.

Intermission time, boys!..

Dude, that's not MOTHRA, quit freaking out!..

We're at a Country Fair in the Topanga Hills, or, somewhere! Sure, look thru, and, be a goofus to the 3rd power!

Dude, just take the stupid thing and shoot it yourself!.. Security!!

Damn, where's Dick Cheney when you could actually use him?!!

I wonder what she's working on!

Here's a couple of nice shots before Gail gets her head bashed in.

Actions have consequences! Loverboy gets to dispose of the sister's body.

I dunno... I just woke up like this!

Knock, knock... Who's there?.. Boo!.. Boo who?.. Oh, I'm sorry I made you cry!

Ghoulnight Everbloody!!..

Monster Music

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