Saturday, August 6, 2011

DR. WHO AND THE DALEKS - Malcolm Lockyer/Barry Gray - "Flash Back" (1965)

It's not like we really ever have time to plan things around here, it's just that while I was diggin' for info on the "Dr Who" TV show, I stumbled upon the fact that the movie based on the series, made in 1965 and titled "Dr. Who And The Daleks" while not available on Netflix, streams quite beautiful for free thanx to the good folks at HULU, and is really quite the wonder to behold, so without any further delay, let's rock, Dalek style!!

Here's the basic gang right after they've landed or ended up on The Dead Planet, the only thing different is this time we have From left to right, instead of William Hartnell as Dr. Who, it's Peter Cushing, and instead of Carole Ann Ford as Susan Foreman, it's Roberta "Not in Front of the Children" Tovey, and instead of William Russell as Ian, it's Roy "Biff Bailey" Castle, and instead of Jacqueline Hill, it's Jennie "Nightmare" Linden as Barbara! Talk about your time and space continuum!

And so I repeat, Dr. Who's vehicle is called the TARDIS, an acronym for "Time and Relative Dimension in Space" and is part time machine and part space craft, in other words, once he starts twiddling the controls, they can end up anywhere with no space or time constrictions! This super cool metal monster is a relic from some long lost civilization on this dead planet that TARDIS just brought them to!!

Dr. Who's granddaughter is a willing participant, but Ian and Barbara got on this trip by mistake, and want to go back home, but after accidentally discovering a lost city, Dr. Who messes with the TARDIS, so they can't disembark without getting some Mercury, which means taking a trek down to the city he wants to explore so bad! It doesn't matter whether it's William Hartnell or Peter Cushing, it's always in the name of science!

The outside of TARDIS looks like a police telephone booth, but it's massive inside!

Once they get down to the city, it doesn't take long before Barbara gets into trouble, and they finally get some decent use out of that tacky outfit she's got on! It's almost time to meet The Daleks!

Ta-Dum!!! The Daleks!! Introducing Stan and Ollie, or is it a spaced out Cheech and Chong? Grungebots and Monkeys!! They might not be much to look at, but these boy bots are dangerous!!

This beautiful shot could be right out of "Ironman" because it is STARK!!

They obviously had more money to blow on the film than they did on the TV show, but those still look like an advanced version of real toilet plungers The Daleks use to push everybody around with! WTF!? But it works!! The Daleks themselves do look boss in colour!

In this security camera shot, The Daleks look like they are watching an old "I Love Lucy" rerun or something!

I'm going to go out on a limb here, but I think three Lava Lamps in one shot has got to qualify for some kind of record!!

The music in the film was composed by Malcolm Lockyer, and the electronics are credited to Mr. Barry Gray! Malcolm's name has been popping up around here lately for his work on titles like "Deadlier Than The Male," and "Island Of The Burning Damned." Barry Gray, of course, is Mr. "Space:1999," or Mr. "Thunderbirds" himself, however you want to look at it, which reminds me, we need to do another "Thunderbirds." Barry was also musical assistant to Eartha Kitt and Hoagy Carmichael. Barry was perfect for this job, because his Dad's job was "Stationary Traveller" whatever the Hell that is! I guess if you travel around, but don't move, he must have been some kind of time traveler!

Susan makes contact with The Locals, The Thal People, and The Thal's goal in life is to make some serious fashion and makeup statements! On the left we have this time, Geoffrey "Hell Is Sold Out" Toone as Funky King Temmosus, Barrie "The Day Of The Jackal" Ingham as Alydon on the right, and down below is the ravishing Yvonne "The Pleasure Girls" Antrobus as Dyoni!

Just like in the original, we're given just a glimpse of what kind of creatures are inside running the Daleks! I'll bet if you could see the whole creature, they would look a lot like the gargoyle monkeys in "The Wizard Of Oz!"

One of the most obvious differences between the TV show and the movie, is the age of Dr. Who's granddaughter Susan!

The Thals attempt a rescue mission, but it turns out to be a trap, and wouldn't you just know it.....falling for the ruse of free fresh fruit, "Terror Of The Tongs" Temmosus eats it at the hands of The Daleks, if they had hands!

This is just like a cool family portrait shot of The Daleks, like they're watching old family home videos!!

Uh, supposedly, this was a movie made for kids! Awesome full moon!

"Dr. Who And The Daleks" is dazzling in colour, but for some reason, I liked the cheap B&W TV show version better, and I think it's because it was just grittier!!

"Now my guns are blazin', Bloodclot I can see 360..." - Rancid

I'm assuming the different colours distinguish rank, but maybe each one of them just had their choice of colour schemes!

Ian and Alydon get a chance to turn the tables on the dirty little bastard Daleks! I'm trying to imagine how foul-smelling it must be inside those things!

The non-violent Thals finally get a chance to let their pent up aggressions loose and kick Dalek ass all over the place!

Fun and Free, and HERE is where you'll find it! I don't know what you're waiting for, they have a couple of commercial interruptions, but that's like a public service, so you can go and pee, or grab something to chow on!

Friday, August 5, 2011

TALES OF TOMORROW / The Fury Of The Cocoon - 1953

Welcome to Friday Night Sci-Fi TV with your host Tabonga, here at The Dungeon!.. I thought I'd follow our last post with another TV episode from classic science fiction television, this time though, from ten years earlier and this side of the pond...

Flip the switch, now, Igor!

Bobby Christian and Irving Robbin are credited for the original music. Irving also worked on some CAPTAIN VIDEO episodes.

If it's Friday, well, that means it's time to bring in our littlest Dungeon pet and button pusher, Rufus The Gnat!!.. Rufus sez he's been lifting his lil' weight and is ready to start our show! So, push the big red 'GO' button, now, Rufus!! Here's!.. THE FURY OF THE COCOON!

A scientific expedition at a meteorite impact site in the jungle disappears, so, a relief team arrives at the camp to see what has happened. That's Borden, Brenegan and their native porter there in the back.

The lone survivor, Susan, tells them that they were attacked by invisible insect-like creatures that came out of a meteorite!!

Borden and Brenegan find the meteorite under a cover inside the hut. Weird, looks like it has roots!

Susan needs to catch up on her beauty rest!..

Brenegan reads in the journal that they made a plaster cast of the thing!

And, they find it!..

With a little imagination, you can see a similarity to the Martians in QUATERMASS AND THE PIT!

Nothing like a big old close-up of perspiration. The lights were probably that hot!

In the fifties, if you couldn't understand or handle a situation, there was only one solution...

One question, doc!.. How the Hell do you shoot something if you can't see it?..

Okay, okay, we get the picture! Yes, the invisible creature is choking you!.. They used the same gimmick in THE SOUND OF HORROR. I told Eegah!! one time that it'd be fun to make a comedy with an invisible monster!

Susan throws Brenegan the rope there, then, off camera, you hear him struggle with the creature for a while. Finally, cut back to Brenegan, the invisible monster is now all tied up and restrained on the bed!.. That's how cheaply they had to do things back then!

I don't care how much you pretend (it wiggles), you'll never convince me that there's a killer insect monster like the plaster cast securely tied up in that rope there!

Portrait of our little monster!

The next Tale Of Tomorrow we review will have a man-eating plant!!

Monster Music

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