Monday, January 4, 2016

THE OUTER LIMITS / The Man With The Power - 1963

Here we go again with the start of another week, this time an episode from the first season of THE OUTER LIMITS that stars the great Donald Pleasence. The story's about a milquetoast college teacher who lacks the ability to stand up to anyone, especially his shrewish wife. But, after an operation on his brain (adding a transistor unit) so that he can aide in a space project to mine asteroids, a giant electrical vortex appears when he gets angry, unleashing the Earth's magnetic field against the offender.

I have a sound clip for your approval, sooooo, you can push the big red 'GO' button located there by our caged storm cloud, NOW, Ralphie The Tarantula!.. Here's a little sample from... THE MAN WITH THE POWER!

Donald plays Harold J. Finley, and, after his operation, he's simply... The Man With The Power!

Two county workers are blocking the road and that makes Harold angry, a minute later the electrical vortex shows up and toasts their asses but good!

At home, Harold's wife is a total serial nagger, makes this old monster happy to be a bachelor!

At the lab, Harold displays an amazing amount of mental power, the scientists don't quite understand what to make out of it.

Harold is readied for his next experiment...

When he fully concentrates, he bends the metal bar like he's Superman!

After nagging Harold while cleaning the windows, the vortex shows up and wifey falls off the ladder. This is one hard fall for actress Priscilla Morrill, really!

The Dean of the college denies Harold's request to work at the lab because he has no tenure, so, this is what happens to him!

Harold realizes the truth and is helpless to stop the vortex from its purpose after it appears.

Harold wants the transistor removed, but, before it can be accomplished, the vortex is set free and it attacks the doctors!

There is only one way to stop the nightmare, so, Harold lets the thing attack him! We're back on Wednesday with more new year terror!

Saturday, January 2, 2016

SAMPO - "The Day The Earth Froze" (1959)

Man, something smells really bad in here like rotten fish! I looked all around, and guess what I found? It was the "Sampo!" Go figure! Tabonga and I don't ever really discuss the different films we're doing, so it's pretty odd that we're doing two Russian films in a row, although technically this is a Finnish-Russian production! Too bad there wasn't another boat with a squirrel head!

 I'm taking off the kid gloves for this one cause this is one stinky mofo like rotten potatoes and the dirty diaper stench of really old kale!
IF you're looking for a painful brain full, then you've come to the right place!

Today would have been my Dad's birthday! He would not have appreciated this movie either!
I really got taken in on this one! From the looks of this poster, I thought "The Day The Earth Froze" was set in the 20th century! (Or maybe that's just what I was hoping!)

They were kind of limited in the casting department since the lead man also had to know how to ride a log down a river!

This is the flower child Annikki. Her brother Ilmarinen is the one who knows how to make a Sampo, but his hands are tied by the fact that for some reason, he can't make a Sampo until Annikki falls in love! Weird rules, but that's how it works! And to think that Hippiedom wouldn't come into prominence for another ten years!

This olde witch that looks like a man doesn't want the couple to be very happy, so she sets out to ruin their lives! She kidnaps Annikki and forces her brother Ilmarinen to make her a Sampo when what she probably really needs in some shampoo!

They need a boat to go after Annikki, so they hollow out the biggest tree they can find! Pretty impressive!

How's this bondage scene for weird looking? 

So what the Hell is a Sampo you ask? Well, there's only a couple of people who know how to make one, and when it's all ready to go, the Sampo yields unlimited amounts of grain, salt, and gold, the three things essential to good living!

After Ilmarinen makes the witch her Sampo, the couple is reunited!
I'm sure this is truly a wonderful story, I just think something got lost in the translation!

 Watching this movie was actually agonizing!
Some of the picture's like these two that I'm showing you look pretty cool, but don't be fooled, because what happens in between these stills is excruciatingly tedious!

The hero of the movie is Lemminkäinen as played by Andris Oshin in his only performance on the big screen! This movie just might have worn him out!

What a band! Maybe they are actually members of the band called The Band!

Besides Hippies, "Sampo" also introduced pogo dancing to the world!

Can't go wrong with pretty Finnish Russian girls!

Somebody please get the stage light out of the shot!

This is what is known as freezing your ass off!

I lived in Alaska for a couple of years, and had more than one opportunity to see the Northern Lights! I highly recommend it if you ever get a chance!

Lemminkäinen releases the sun from captivity......

..........and then everything thaws out, and life is groovy once again!

 
For me probably the most interesting thing about "The Day The Earth Froze," is that on this American poster, Narrator/Announcer extraordinaire Marvin Miller gets the biggest credits for his meager contribution! Marvin has some awesome career credits, but my favorite by far is that he was the voice of Robbie The Robot! I'm pretty sure that someone just ridiculously assigned the names Nina Anderson and Jon Powers to Eve Kivi and Andris Oshin to make them more palatable for American tastes!

Friday, January 1, 2016

COSMIC JOURNEY / Mosfilm, Soviet Union - 1936

Welcome to 2016 at The Dungeon!.. "Kosmicheskii Reis" (original name of this silent movie) was first shown in Soviet theaters in January, 1936, it's a fairly realistic journey to the Moon, made in the early days of special effects. Scientist Pavel Sedikh, impatient with the restrictions of the Soviet space institute in Moscow, builds his own spacecraft, and, accompanied by a female astronaut and a boy, embarks on the first trip to the Moon.

I have a wild musical sound clip for your approval, sooooo, you can push the big red 'GO' button located there by our Moon Goon ride, NOW, Rufus The Gnat!.. Here are some moments from... COSMIC JOURNEY!

This walk around shot of the rocket being constructed on this giant miniature set is amazing, it takes a few minutes to complete and is definitely worth the price of admission!

And now, it's time to hit the old stardust trail. Using a huge long ramp, like what George Pal used in WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE, the crew speeds away into the night sky.

A shot of the rocket's control center, notice the freaking steering wheel there!

In 1936, this is the face of the future!..

This shot shows the space travelers in compartments filled with water for the take off, that way, the G-force will have no effect on them, which is true. When I worked at a special effects studio (that did work for NASA) in 1992, one of our supervisors (a Navy Seal) told me that in order to fly some of our top secret aeronautic projects, the pilots would have to be placed in compartments filled with water in order to withstand the quick moves and turns. My supervisor wasn't into BS and was referring to flying saucers.

When I was kid, I loved this kind of viewport design, and, still do.

The scientists on Earth are keeping an eye on the event using their giant telescopes!

Okay, the dude said to take a right at the asteroid, then, a quick left at the comet tail... I hope that 3-eyed weirdo knows what the deuce he's talking about, I'm starving!

Looks like walking in Moon shoes is a little awkward. But, what the Hell, lets go for a walk.

What would a Moon adventure be if there weren't any perils?!.. A big pile of crap, that's what!

The top shot looks like a cover to a vintage science fiction pulp magazine. Pulp magazines were the thing back then, especially in the 1930s. The bottom scene reminds me of how my imagination works.

Moscow, we gots a problem!..

Anyway, the crew makes it back to Earth and get a tickertape parade for their bravery and success!.. Makes me wonder what Eegah!! is getting ready for us tomorrow, so, see you then!

Monster Music

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