NIGHTWING - "The Night Is Theirs" (1979)

Tonight's Saturday Night Special is a weird flick from 1979 titled

"Nightwing!"

Nightwing" has a mystical vibe from the start right to the end!

There's no games and not much fun, but I think this movie is better than it is worser!

"Nightwing" is about an Indian Shaman guy named Abner. 

Abner is pissed, and has decided to end the world, and apparently, he has the right!

Nick (Night Magic, Night Of Terror) Mancuso is Youngman Duran.

Stephen (Memories Of Midnight, One Hot Summer Night) Macht is Walker Chee! 

Being from different tribes, Duran and Chee don't really like each other than much and have different ideas on how the Indian lands should be exploited or not exploited! 

George Clutesi is Abner Tasupi! 

Unlike Nick and Stephen, George is actually of Native American heritage. Abner raised Duran, and now confides in him that he will end the world tonight and then die!

Abner has opened up the circle, and the end of the world as enforced by plague-infested vampire bats begins!

The always incredible actor and amazing voice over artist David Warner is Phillip Payne,

The Vampire Hunter!

"Nightwing" is full of mesmerizing shots of the desert!

Some of the footage is so beautiful, it sometimes looks more like a National Geographic documentary than a hokey movie!

The bats first victims are this group of self-righteous Christians!

Now this is a real Batmobile!

Duran has a unique way of dealing with pressure, he eats a bunch of Datura root, also known as Jimson Weed, a very strong hallucinogenic, that can be very toxic, and will kill you if you eat too much! 

Besides seeing everything all wongo, Duran also sees and talks to Abner!

The killer bat footage is decent enough.....

......And this bat cave is pretty cool!

Duran is able to close the circle back up and burn up all the bats.....

....despite the fact that he's hallucinating like crazy!

For some reason, after watching "Nightwing" I had one of the wildest dreams I've had in a long time, and I'm pretty sure I was trying to save the world! 

I love the difference between the top poster and this one, it's almost like Heaven and Hell, just like the movie!

THE ALIEN / Bob Burns: Monster Kid Home Movies - 1952

Bob Burns is an interesting guy, he's also a world renown archivist and historian of props, costumes, and other paraphernalia from some of the greatest, and not that great, science fiction, fantasy, and horror motion pictures. He was a friend of Forry Ackerman and hung out with Paul Blaisdell, who can say that?

I just picked up a DVD called MONSTER KID HOME MOVIES with 30 shorts from the fifties to the eighties, pretty cool. Of course, the movie Eegah!! and I made in I think 1963, DR. HEKYLL AND MR. JYDE, was lost after I left it at my old girl friend's house!.. Figures!

Bob was 17 years old at the time, he seems to have had some help with the titles cards and locations. We start our story at Lerco, where, Dr. Ecks (pretty funny) is working in his lab...

Here's the doc, contemplating how to transport things from one place to another. He plays around with the vacuum tubes and gives it a try...

He'll start with a simple ladder, and, viola!.. I find that candy cane dealie interesting!

It's worth another try, this time though, he'll try to receive something!..

Well, what do you know?.. He transported a freakin' Alien!! The Alien shows the doc some of his tricks, like making letters appear on a chalkboard without touching it. Dr. Ecks decides to give him a make over so he can go outside to see the city...

The Alien looks like a real cool cat now (not really) and is ready to go out and play some fun tricks on the unsuspecting citizens!

After the Alien unlocks this forgetful dude's door and puts his car in the garage for him using hand gestures, the guy just wants to go back in his house and try to forget what just happened.

Later, the Alien figures out how to use a water fountain to get a drink... All by himself!

Then, he plays a trick on a mom by transporting her daughter from the swing to sitting at the top of some monkey bars!

Ho hum... Time for this one to transport home!..

And, before we know it, the Alien goes Poof and is gone forever... WTF!!

Also, all of Dr' Ecks; notes have been erased from his notebook and he has to start all over again!.. Tricky Alien! We're back tomorrow with more Dungeon Cargo, just for you!

MINNIE THE MOOCHER - "Call and Response" (1932 - 1980)

Call and Response, that's what they call it. One person says something, and another person or a whole crowd of people repeat the same word or phrase. It's a tradition notably originating in Africa, then used by the slaves as they toiled in the fields, and as the gospel in black churches.

When I was in the Army in basic training, call and response was used as a means of cadence while we were running, and the most popular verse was "Bo Diddley."
  

The song  titled "Minnie The Moocher" was written by Cab Calloway and Irving Mills, and was recorded in 1932. It is a classic and fun example of call and response, and that's why we're here!

"Hi-Di-Ho!"

 Cabell Calloway was an amazing and original American jazz singer, dancer, and bandleader!
Cab calls out the lead lines, and his band does the response!


God's gift to the world,
Cab Calloway was born on Christmas Day in 1907 and passed on November 18, 1994!
He might not still be around, but he left us this short from 1942 to enjoy forever!

Cab Calloway - "Minnie The Moocher"

 Cab Calloway first recorded "Minnie The Moocher" in 1931, and this Betty Boop cartoon featured the song in 1932!

I always thought it would have been funnier if Betty Boop's friend Bimbo was a dumb blonde instead of a dog, but alas, I'm not in charge!

 This version of "Minnie The Moocher" has always baffled me! It starts off with Betty not wanting to eat her dinner. She gets upset with her parents for yelling at her, so she runs away, and Bimbo joins her!

 Betty and Bimbo end up in this haunted cave full of ghostly characters doing a version of "Minnie The Moocher!" It's straight out of left field! The music and vocals are still by Cab Calloway and his Orchestra, but instead of Cab, we've got a walrus ghost calling out the lines.....

 ..........And a number of other strange ghosts doing the response!

 The walrus mimics Cab's dancing maneuvers to a T......

 .......And more weird ghosts respond to each verse!

You just really need to watch it!

Betty Boop - "Minnie The Moocher" 

 My actual first encounter with the song "Minnie The Moocher" was not Cab Calloway's version, but this 78 that my parent's had, by actor, crooner, and comedian Danny Kaye!

 Cab Calloway's version of "Minnie The Moocher" was basically already a novelty tune, but in 1942, Danny Kaye's version took it to a different level, adding verses in fake Chinese and what I'm guessing is Russian gibberish etc. The ending of "Minnie The Moocher" always ends with an extra long line, and once again, Danny Kaye took it to the limit with a very long last verse that is basically unrepeatable!
Here's the place where you can check it out yourself on the Internet Archive!

Danny Kaye - "Minnie The Moocher"

In the 1980 movie "The Blues Brothers," they brilliantly bring back the then 73 year old Cab Calloway for yet another version of "Minnie The Moocher," and he nails it one more time!

 "The Blues Brothers" is not really one of my favourite movies, but I give them a Helluva lot of credit for this killer version of "Minnie The Moocher," and also the scene that features James Brown as the preacher!

 When all the useless politicians are forgotten, I can only hope that the memory of Cab Calloway lingers on forever! It's an olde adage but true, they just don't make 'em like this anymore!

 In this version the call and response is between Cab Calloway and the audience!

 "Minnie The Moocher" was based on another song titled "Willie The Weeper" that is credited to Walter Melrose, Grant Rymal, Marty Bloom in 1904. Both songs are full of drug references!
Cab Calloway - "Blues Brothers" - Minnie The Moocher"
 

 Many, many versions of "Willie The Weeper," and "Minnie The Moocher" have been recorded over the years! Here's just a handful!
 Dave Von Ronk, Bobby Darin, The Kaleidoscope, Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, and The Hillbilly Goats!