THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND / MGM - 1929

It's another Monsterous Monday with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon!.. Our classic feature took 3 years to complete with a budget of $1,130,000, and, was a silent film with sound segments added before it's release. It only grossed $55,000, but, the studio was saved by the box office hits BEN-HUR and THE BIG PARADE. Get this... Although fimed in 2-color technicolor, no color prints survive, only one reel exists tinted with Technicolor sequences and is held at the UCLA Film Archive.

Eegah!! has sent over a soundclip for our approval, sooooo, you can go ahead and push the big red 'GO' button there next to the petrified shrub, NOW, Ralphie The Tarantula! Here's some oldtime sound from... THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND!

The complicated story goes like this... On a volcanic island near the kingdom of Hetvia lives the benevolent leader and scientist, Count Dakkar. Him and engineer Nicolai Roget have designed a submarine which Roget pilots on its initial voyage just before the island is overrun by Baron Falon, despotic ruler of Hetvia. Falon sets out after Roget in a second submarine, they dive to the ocean's floor and discover a strange land populated by dragons, a giant octopus and an undiscovered humanoid race.

Lionel Barrymore plays Dakkar, here, he explains to his old pal Baron Falon his plans to launch his new submarine. Of course, Falon betrays him.

The Count's sub is launched and the crewmen explore the mysterious ocean depths surrounding Hetvia.

But, devious Baron Falon and his men follow in close pursuit in sub 2!

The men in the main sub encounter this very weird looking sea creature! Reminds me of that honking spider that chased little Juanito in the cave in THE BLACK SCORPION.

Once the are on the bottom of the ocean, they encounter a strange undersea civilization and a dressed up alligator filling in for a giant sea dragon!

The main crew try and use their diving suits to move through the little sea people.

Falon's crew gets a gander at some of the creepy things just waiting for them outside their ship!

The giant octopus barely misses grabing the sub as the crew make their escape from the ocean floor!

Baron Falon's port is blown the Hell up with torpedos, putting an end to its evil enterprise.

At the end, Dakkar is put inside his second sub only to submerge under the waves, never to be seen again...

Tune in Wednesday for another mysterious treat from Eegah!!

THUNDERBALL vs. THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO!

It was so popular the last time we did it, I've decided to have another special James Bond Grudge Match, so tonight's Saturday the 14th event is "Thunderball" vs. "Thunderbirds Are Go," or Thunder in the Jungle!! So let's get the ball and the bird rollin'....10 rounds, and no holds barred!

We'll lead off with "Thunderball" since it came out in 1965! The opening credits are spectacular no doubt!

But you've gotta admit, the credits for "Thunderbirds Are GO" which came out a year later in 1966, are much more brazen and bolder!

02 Handsome Leading Man

Even at his nerdiest, as in this rocketman getup, Sean Connery.....

....is going to be cooler than four or five puppets, now if it had been Muppets, that might have been a different story!

03 Hot Women

Although her voice is that of "Thunderbirds" co-creator Gerry Anderson's genius wife Sylvia, Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward just doesn't really do it for me! I don't know how to say this without being offensive, but she looks like a puppet!!

Martine Beswick as James Bond's assistant Paula, on the other hand does! Check out Martine's silhouette in the bottom picture, that's it, I am convinced the woman is perfect!

04 Hot Cars

Every way I turned, I read that Bond drove a Bentley Mark II Continental in "Thunderball," but after being corrected, I realized this was an Aston Martin DB5 as I first had thought! What a beautiful car!

This is the FAB1! It was based on the Chinese-six car, four in front and two in back, and was also known as the Bassackwards! They constructed a real-life copy to transport Gerry and Sylvia Anderson to the London premiere of "Thunderbirds Are GO," and the car broke down before they got there! Gerry and Sylvia were forced to take a taxi to the premiere, and I think that's funnier than Hell! As you can see, the FAB1 was also an amphibious vehicle!

05 Meeting of the Minds

This is a tough one, but I'm going with the extra big cut-out giant desk with the matching centerpiece in "Thunderbirds Are GO!" Pretty scary, but unless I miss my guess, that puts "Thunderbrids Are Go" ahead 3 rounds to 2!

06 Bathing Beauties

This isn't even worth discussing! Score is tied!!

07 Tantalizing Titillation!

"Thunderbirds" bounce back with fake little zine titled "Riviera," and the article "girls, girls, Girls," and the back cover is "TANS!"

08 Coolest Sunglasses

A strong choice by both contenders, I declare this round a draw!

09 Night Life!

Anything on a tropical island is amazing, but how can you compete with a restaurant called the "Swinging Star" that features outdoor dining on something akin to one of the rings of Saturn!

10 Explosions!

How is it possible that a fake explosion could be even better than a real fake explosion? Damned if I know!

So a puppet movie manages to beat out a classic James Bond adventure in a grueling ten round match? It was a split decision but that's the way the three judges, Jeff Tracy, Scott Tracy, and Virgil Tracy saw it!!! I think the real clincher was the music!!!

Cliff Richards and The Shadows puppets perform "Shooting Star"

And here's just a taste of the theme from "Thunderball" written by one of the masters, John Barry, and sung by the iconic aTomic Jones!

THE GHOST WALKS / Invincible Pictures Corp. - 1934

Happy Friday the 13th everbloody!! It's Friday Frights with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon! Our 69 minute feature goes like this... On a stormy night, a theatrical producer, his secretary, and a playwright are stranded when their car skids off the road and gets stuck. They take refuge in the nearby home of Dr. Kent, a friend of the playwright. One of Kent's patients who's staying at the house is acting strangely because it's the anniversary of her husband's murder. And, when the lights go out, the first in a series of mysterious and fearful events begin! ...Boo-Wah!!

Eegah!! sent this soundclip over, soooo, as to not be rude, you can push the big red 'GO' button , NOW, Rufus The Gnat! Here's some cartoonie corn from... THE GHOST WALKS!

Johnny Arthur plays the producer's secretary, Homer Erskine, a face every baby-boomer knows well from the LITTLE RASCALS series which played on TV almost every day during the fifties.

Like I said, their car gets stuck in the mud, so, they have to walk to the doc's house in the storm.

The lady who's acting strangely on the anniversary of her husband's murder comes down to hang out with the others, then, they all start accusing each other of the crime!

When the lights go out, this ghost shows up to give everyone a good scare!

Wouldn't you know it, there's a painting with the eyes cut out so that the villain can keep an eye or two on the situation.

Don't forget the peep-holes!

There's even a bed that can smother you, like in 13 GHOSTS! Homer dives out just in the nick of time.

Homer's scared and has to sleep with the producer, who's reading aloud about some creepy theories from psychics through the ages.

I will always try to include the sexiest still I can find from any given movie... This is the best I could do for this one.

Then, this lady gets chloroformed! Man, this flick has everything!!

People are disappearing! The cops and the remaining guests discover a secret entrance behind the huge mantle!

In the meantime, the villain is revealed. He has a pretty cool mad lab in the basement, too!

The gang's closing in on their nemesis...

They better hurry though, because, the dude's having visions of grandeur!

The cops break in and shut the old fool up!