Friday, April 5, 2013

EL INCREIBLE PROFESOR ZOVEK / Azteca Films - 1972

It's Mexican Horror Friday with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon!.. A lot of people don't know who Zovek is, he was an extraordinary athlete with highly developed mental powers, and, created death defying acts that outdid the incredible Harry Houdini! It's all documented.

That's the ever popular Tin-Tan being attacked by a zombie in the photo insert.

Zovek was also a martial arts instructor, he died at age 31 in a helicopter crash in 1972 before the release of his second movie, BLUE DEMON Y ZOVEK EN LA INVASION DE LOS MUERTOS, the Mexican version of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD!

Eegah!! sent over a cool little musical soundclip with horns from this flick, sooooo, you can push the big red 'GO' button there next to the potted Triffid, NOW, Rufus The Gnat! Here's our audio offering for... EL INCREIBLE PROFESOR ZOVEK!

Zovek hypnotizes this lady to try and get some clues to a strange mystery...

She tells him about a group of mysterious scientists, interested in corpses!

In the meantime, Zovek performs a death defying act on Mexican television.. Dude has to make a living, ya know!

No, this isn't an act, Zovek gets captured by the sadistic Dr. Druso and ends up in yet another death defying prediciment!

The doctor is fast at work in his lab, creating all kinds of abominations from his stolen corpses! He keeps them locked up in the basement.

This corpse was pretty crusty when they got it! Looks like a reworked mummy mask from some other production.

This poor guy has a problem, when the place burns down at the end, he can't get away.. Yow!

Then, there's this feamale Frankenstein monster!..

This girlie has a big hole in her head with her brain hanging out... An awkward make-up effect!

Dr, Druso in all his glory. On a whole, for me, Mexican madmen were the most insane and sadistic! They always had interesting scientifical equipment too.

Here's the doc verifying cup size!

Zovek puts this dude in a death cradle!

The push button age was awesome! Zovek lets all the inmates out of the asylum. Better watch out, Dr. Druso!!

In a very satisfying move, Zovek puts out this ass hole's only good eye!!

And, like ants, the many freaks created by the doctor just mow down anything that gets in their way!!

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

THE INTRUDER - Allied Pictures Corporation (1933)

You know what I like about 1930's movies, they're short, and clocking in at right about an hour, "The Intruder" fits into that category quite nicely! "The Intruder" was released on March 13, 1933!

With a film this short, the filmmaker doesn't have to waste a bunch of time explaining crap, they can just get on with it, so that's what we're going to do too!

I have no idea why I like this shot, I guess it's the symmetry of the two portholes and the fact that the main character has his back to you, like he really cares!

The S.S. Intruder is a cruise ship, and there has just been an ax murder on board! William B. Davidson is the San Francisco Detective doing the investigating, but besides the fact that they're on a boat, there's something fishy about this guy! William B. Davidson only lived to be 59, but somehow in that amount of time he managed to rack up some 318 films and shorts to his credit! At least 6 of his films had the word blonde or redhead in the title, "Redheads On Parade," "Blondie Meets The Boss," "Lady With Red Hair," "Blonde Ransom," "Incendiary Blonde," and "Blonde Alibi!" He was also in "Mystery Of  The Wax Museum," "Man Made Monster," "Hold That Ghost," and "Dick Tracy's Dilemma!"

The cruise ship runs into something, and all the passengers have to bail out. Detective Samson makes sure all the prime suspects are in the same lifeboat together, and they make it safely to some supposedly deserted island!

Monte Blue as John Brandt is the main suspect, since he was seen arguing with the victim sometime before the murder. There also seems to be some jewels missing from the victim's stateroom, which causes even more passengers to be suspected! Monte Blue has a cool name, and was no slacker himself with 284 credits, and he lived into the TV era where he ended up getting a lot of air time in cowboy TV shows of the 50's like "Rawhide," "Rin Tin Tin," and "Wyatt Earp" often in the role of a Native American sporting assorted handles like Bright Eagle, Wankawa, Brave Bull, Low Dog, Buffalo Horn, Red Raven, Thunderbird, and Lone Eagle!

For me, the highlight of the movie is these two gals!

On the left is Lila Lee as Connie Wayne, and boy does she have some interesting history! Lila was born Agusta Appel in 1901, and lived it up until 1973! Her last film made in 1967 was titled "Cottonpickin' Chickenpickers," and in that film her character's name was Viola Zickafoose! I don't know why but I get the biggest kick outta stuff like that! Lila's son was James Kirkwood Jr., the writer of "A Chorus Line!"

Not related to Lila was blonde bombshell Gwen Lee as Daisy! More fun with names, Gwen's God given name was Gwendolyn La Pinski, and in 1937 she was in a short called "Candid Cameramaniacs" as a character named Drowzina!!! Yowza!!

Once on the island, the cast is confronted by a scary "cave of skeletons.........."

..........."a wild man roaming the island"...........played by Mischa Auer. Imagine, if you will, that you were at a party, and you met Mischa and asked him what roles he played in the movies, and this would be his answer, "besides The Wild Man in "The Intruder" I had roles as Swami Yormuda, Volkov, Manu the high priest, DeCobra, Sadik, Smith, Tully, Ameel, Hassan, Dimitri, Suraj Ud Dowlah, Tanaga, Monk, Mahotin, Zan, the hunchback, Prince Muratov, Count Sandor, Kolenkhov, Bibenko, Boris, Badabof, Cosmo, Pepi, Stanislaus Noodnick, Bolo, and Gomez, just to name a few!"

....... and a "killer gorilla!"............. Well, you might of missed it this year, but it's not too late to start planning for next year, so mark your calender,  because January 31st is "National Gorilla Suit Day!"

Monday, April 1, 2013

INVADERS FROM MARS / Cannon Pictures - 1986

It's April Fool's Monday with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon!.. What we gots is the $12,000,000 April Fool version of that classic fifties sci-fi movie with the same name. My son was an extra on this one, the day they shot at the school the a-frame for the swing lost a leg and it slowly tipped over and came down on a kid.. He wasn't hurt, but, it was very surrealistic!

Eegah!! sent over this lame staccato spacey theme soundclip, soooo, you can push the big red 'GO' button over there by the empty pot-o-gold, NOW, Ralphie The Tarantula! Here's our audio offering for the 1986 version of... INVADERS FROM MARS!

David Gardner sees a freakin' gigantic spaceship with crazy psychedelic lights land in his back yard! Oddly enuf, he's the only one who spots it!!

When I compare the original family characters to these guys, I dunno, just makes me want to go fall off a cliff somewhere!

Louise Fletcher plays David's lab-frog eating teacher... Oh, that's right, it's a slapstick comedy too!

Here's the $12,000,000 version of David's ally, school nurse Linda Magnusson played by top-billed Karen Black. Originally she was known as Dr. Pat Blake and played by the convincing actress Helena Carter.

David follows his teacher to a cave at Bronson Canyon, once inside, it's the brand new Invaders From Mars kiddie ride at Dizzyland!

David and Linda go to the Marines to make their case! And, they buy it...

It's all like a wild 'n' weird ride at The Dungeon Funhouse!

Here are the replacements for the mutant goons from 1953. Looks like THE DEADLY SPAWN was an influental flick. In the lower still, Louise Fletcher's character gets chomped!!

The fight is on!!

Oh yeah! Three... Two... One!!!

What else, David wakes from a dream, only to have the this whole damn waste of time to start over again!!!

Monster Music

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