Featuring the music of Sean Bonniwell, who’s sounds are featured in my music blog, this was one of the first Manson Exploitation flicks ever created. I’ll get the link up to my review over at The Deuce soon, but for now I just want you see the start up of this film. It may not be that accurate, it did capture that dread and darkeness of that moment in history.

The film was Produced by Wade Williams, who would release it in 1971, but it was a good guess that it was possibly only a limited run due to both the anger that the story caused in many leading not to play it in theaters. The film was finally officially released as The Helter Skelter Murders in 1976, following on the heels of the hit TV movie Helter Skelter. The film was also re-issued in 1979, a decade after the events that took the lives of actress Sharon Tate and others through two nights done by those who were connected to Manson.

The music by Bonniwell captured the mood perfectly, and was actually far more better than the film deserved, but it only made it far more interesting. the song featured here is the instrumental version of The Music Machine’s classic “Dark White.”

Time for another classic trailer, and one that was not put on the Troma release of this classic bad film from Florida. Filmed in 1969, and starring Ross Harris, Eugenie Wingate, Suzanne Stewart, Larry Swanson, and Cult legend Chris Martell (seen in various Florida flicks from the Late 60′s), this is certainly a bottom of the budget happening. The trailer tried to sell this as some kind of “Hip” flick, and at least Martell is believable as he was actually fronting a local band at that time as well (The Odyssey, I think also in Musical Mutiny), but it’s just a typical Horror flick with some of the worst special effects for it’s time.

The story surrounds Janet Wells (Wingate) and her interest in the painting of Charles Butler (Swanson), who’s disfigured looks are a little too inspired. Her ever-domineering boyfriend Ross is very critical about the artist, citing his style as being too crude and trendy, and is very suspicious about him. As a token hipster, Martell is the leader of a local rock band who hips the gang onto that staple of 60′s Exploitation, LSD, and his band is actually pretty good (Their one song should be posted somewhere…).

Using a College Art course as a backdrop, one can slightly see Florida film regulars Brad Gritner as a teacher (Earning plenty of laughs already…check out his flicks to see why) and Bunny Ware as a model. The film was released in May, 1969, but was actually rated an R much later around 1973.

Not that suspenseful, but some of the acting actually comes off half-way decent if this would have been geared more as a Drama, but the crap attempts at humor and very bad special effects ruin it. Still, it’s overall not a bad way to waste time, best seen late at night (or at least on Elvira’s show).

…Guessing Time…The film’s writing credits read Larry Cohen, but further research suggests that it may not be THE legendary director/Writer. Knowing how people change names and that as he was quite a busy guy then, it might be logical, although this certainly not as intelligent as his works. I never found this connection in the Re/Search Incredibly Strange films book I have, which features a seriously detailed interview. His middle initial is G and the original credits in the AFI book (p. 945) say that it was by Laurence Robert Cohen, so right now I’m not going with the popular opinion until I see more proof. I’m still thinking that it’s another Larry Cohen.

This is a major TV highlight, and a good starting point for the start of what we know as Punk Rock. The Peanut Butter incident that’s now a true highlight in rock history. Their 1969 debut album already sent a few shock waves through the industry (Billboard peak #106) and their small listening audience, and soon Funhouse would be recorded to further the mania.

RIP, David Hess.

The infamous Ruggero Deodato film that Co-Starred David Hess and Giovanni Lombardo Radice was Distributed in The States through Bedford Entertainment – who also brought Shocking Asia and Unsane, aka the infamous cut version of Dario Argento’s Tenebre. It was worth the wait from it’s original release in Italy in 1980, and still remains a pretty sleazy flick, perfect for a 42′nd Street audience in 1985. as well as you in the safety of your own home. Creepy flick – Grindhouse classic!.

I apologize for the long wait in posts, but I hope that this shot of that God Damn Rock and Roll will be cool with you.

June 13, 1978 – The Cramps, already causing shock waves with their Alex Chilton-produced cover of “Surfin’ Bird,” were on tour with The Mutants and wound up with a gig at the Napa State Mental Institution, recorded as a classic piece of Punk Rock history. Some time before this, the legendary Synth Punk band The Screamers had a gig at the Camarillo State Mental Hospital that went well, and that was pretty much the spark to make this gig a go. Thankfully, the show was a success both for the music, which is killer Cramps in their legendary Lux-Ivy-Bryan-Nick line-up, and for the WTF history of Punk that’s so far better to look into than any social-political-serious thesis because it’s RAW and ALIVE!

The original studio recording of “Domino” was released in that year as the B-Side to the classic “Human Fly,” their second release.

More later…

This is the trailer to what is one of the most saddest attempts at a comeback in the world of film. Reportedly made in 1967, but not released until 1970 through John Rickett’s Cine World, this was the Brad Gritner flick with Veronica Lake playing a scientist who uses maggots for some kind of anti-ageing process and winds up being the one to help out some aged Dictator secretly flown in. Many Florida Exploitation notables are in this one, including Chris Martell playing a Cuban…I don’t make these things up! Sadly, Martell does not go into a number here.

Oddly enough, this was reported to have played the Drive Ins well. I guess they will take their dates to ANYTHING…for the right reason, though, and watching the film was not one of them.

:03 – Ooooh, look at the pretty colors! That was the sad “Color Treatment” that the Maggots were subjected to.

:07 – Dumb ass reporters who forget to shut the phone booth on a hot story deserve their fate.

:20- The one playing the dead woman was the best actress in this flick!

:54 – Sadly, this was Veronica Lake shortly before she passed away.

Arlene Sue Farber is one of the Scene’s most under-rated legends of the world of Exploitation. Her characters usually were the kind of woman that you would find almost anywhere, suitably trashy (This flick, Tow Girls for a Madman, Female Animal…you get the picture), perfect for a small town trailer park complete with the must have Beehive and Mini Skirt. Yes!

This was Jerry Gross’ first major hit film…meaning of course huge Drive In Hit that exploited the interest in the “Sexual Revolution” that was happening at that time. Judy Ange plays the “Swedish” Health Teacher with an accent that’s as convincing as a Three Dollar Bill, and Farber is our main focus student who lies about having a baby. Fred Willard (Later of Real People TV fame) and Alex Mann (Later of many other NYC Exploitation flicks) get in the picture here.

This film, following Roadshow Sex Ed Flick roles, also manages to show the Birth of a Baby in full color. The success of this must have inspired some to actually revive this once-thought-dead formula, and I have a feeling that Donn Davison dropped his Yo Yo and Spook Show activities for something like this.

Jerry Gross is also in this as the Trucker.

:48 – The sight of Arlene sue that you don’t get to see in the main film. Sell it, Jerry! (Did Divine see this? Watch Female Trouble, and you will think this as well.)

:57 – Looking at least about 18! Not fooling us a bit.

1:37 – The Dance Scene that was the rule for these films! I’m sure I saw that geeky looking mop top guy in Two Girls… (“I can make it rhyme any old time!”)

1:56 – KFC never had an ad THIS good!

2:38 – Meet the Producer/Director/Distributor!

On DVD by Code Red with Teenage Graffiti.

There’s a LOT of nice Hammer glamour around in this film, which I’m sure must have played to many satisfied Drive In customers. Distributed through 20′th Century Fox in The States, this nice time waster stars Martine Beswick, a Screen favorite through films such as Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde, One Million Years BC, and From Russia With Love.

In a bad situation? Watch this! Enjoy.