Best of Woodstock CD

Once again I have chosen to give my opinion on a CD instead of a B movie. Up for review today is the CD "The Best Of Woodstock." Just finished listening to it on my way to work this morning, and here is what I have to say about the disc:


This CD is a pretty good representation of some of the best acts at the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival. This is more of a best of the festival as opposed to a best of the bands. A lot of the groups that performed at the festival were trying to make a change to their sound. Ecspecially The Who and Jimi Hendrix. The Who played a lot of their material from "Tommy" at the festival. "We're Not Gonna Take It" is the chosen Who song for this CD. The song is great, and Pete Townshend sacrifices his guitar at the end. "Tommy" was new and so was the sound. Jimi Henrdix's classic version of the "The Star Spangled Banner" and "Purple Haze" are his entries on the disc. They are definately great versions of both songs and the guitar solo at the end of "Purple Haze" will knock you out of your seat. As always Hendrix shines the brightest.

An extremely underrated guitarist named Alvin Lee from the band Ten Years After get the blood pumping with their blues rock hit "I'm Going Home." Lee is a little hard to understand, but his guitar playing makes up for the vocals. Another long jam is Santana's "Soul Sacrifice." This song starts at a full run, and never lets up. If you've ever seen the movie this song is a little more interesting on video. Carlos is playing with only five strings on his guitar. I guess he broke the third string on the song before "Soul Sacrifice" and they just keep on going. This also features Mike Shrieve's intense drum solo. Jefferson Airplane turns in a pretty decent version of "Volunteers" taking into consideration that their set began somewhere around six in the morning!

The first songs are from the acoustic acts that played early at the festival because the electric equipment could not set up as it had not arrived yet due to traffic. Richie Havens is the best of these guys for sure. He played for over three hours, and the song "Freedom" on this disc was made up on the spot. It's a loose version of "Motherless Child." It doesn't make a lot of sense, but Richie is so into the song the listener won't mind it at all. John Sebastian from The Lovin' Spoonful was another musician not on the original bill that ended up playing an acoustic set by himself. He is really stoned and his song "I Had A Dream" is just ok. Country Joe McDonald's timeless "Fish Cheer" is really great as it is the only time one may get to hear 400,000 scream F**K at the same time. His acoustic version of "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" is great. It really sets the tone for the war in Vietnam, and the state of the nation at the time of this concert.

Canned Heat, who are another underrated band play their classic "Goin' Up The Country. The last two good bands on the disc are Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, and the great Joe Cocker. CSN&Y are represented with "Wooden Ships" from CSN's first album. "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" from Woodstock is better, but Neil Young didn't play on that one, and it wouldn't be right to leave him off the disc. The cool thing about CSN&Y's set was this was the second time they had ever played together, and they were letting us know of the great things to come. Joe Cocker of course blows the crowd away with "With A Little Help From My Friends." As he finishes his set the famous cloud burst happens. The only part of this "Best of" I can't handle is Joan Baez's song "Joe Hill." She was signing it for her husband John St. Clair who was in prison at the time. She is extremely annoying to me. Arlo Guthrie was left off of this disc, and that is a real shame as his music at Woodstock was a lot better than the Baez material.

A lot of great bands were left off of this set. Some of the bands that played at Woodstock like Janis Joplin and The Grateful Dead misses the movie and the soundtrack altogether. They still should have been on the soundtrack. Again, like I said earlier it is more of the best of the festival than a best of the bands. I'm sure by 1969 Jimi was tired of playing "The Wind Cries Mary" day in and day out. Woodstock was the last great music festival of the 60's. It is really hard to decide which songs were the best, but I think this disc is a fair representation of the bands at Woodstock. Although Mountain and Paul Butterfield's Blues Band should have been on this disc.

The Concert For Bangla Desh

This is not a B-Movie by any means, but I just recently listened to this all the way through for the first time in years. So I thought I would share my opinion of this album.


George Harrison organized this benefit concert in August of 1971. It was the first of it's kind. His band included Eric Clapton and Badfinger. This was the first major charity event held. This concert was for the relief of the famine ravaged people of India. Fresh off of the release of "All Things Must Pass" Harrison, my favorite Beatle, is in great form. I have this on a 3 record set, and while it isn't of the best sound quality it is a great concert. An entire side of the record is Ravi Shankar playing "Bangla Dhun." If you've ever wondered what sitair music was this probably the best way to hear it. Shankar played similar music at the Monterey Pop Festival, but I still think it was passing fad of the 60's. The music is great, but this is the best representation for it's kind without buying a Shankar record.

Billy Preston guests with his "That's The Way God Planned It." A gospel tinged tune with plenty of back up singers. Ringo Starr sings his hit "It Don't Come Easy", and mumbles his way through most of it. I would think this was during his party days with Keith Moon from The Who. From what I have read those two were the leaders of sex, drugs, and rock n' roll during the early 70's. Harrison returns to the stage to play "Beware of Darkness" a great song, and George of course is so very pleasant on the vocals.

The introduction of the band is next. Eric Clapton highlights next with "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." A song which we all know he played the lead guitar on for the White album. I guess it's the least he could do after stealing George's wife with "Layla." She must have been hot, because Donovan wrote one for her as well. Leon Russell, the man behind Joe Cocker's "Mad Dogs and Englishman" is in top form with a medley of "Youngblood" and "Jumpin' Jack Flash." This guy is full of soul. He can walk it and talk it. It's a shame "Tightrope" wasn't released at this time. He may have stole the show. Harrison returns to play "Here Comes The Sun." At the beginning it sounds like the mics are working against him, but as always he comes through with a great song.

The great Bob Dylan is up next. The crowd reaction is awesome. I think sometimes Bob could walk on stage and walk off and get a standing ovation. Dylan hadn't realeased and album for a while before this performance. Actually, his last album "New Morning" was released in 1970. It would be four years before "Blood On The Tracks" came out. He ws in a still period in his career. His performance at this concert is the best part of the whole soundtrack. He plays "Hard Rain", "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It's Takes A Train To Cry", "Blowin' In The Wind", " Mr. Tamborine Man", and "Just Like A Woman." Bob Dylan is a hit and miss singer when he is live. I've seen him three times, and it's like seeing three different singers. I will say the crowd at this Madison Square Garden show got some of the best he has to offer. If you listen closely he bumps the microphone a couple of times wit his harmonica.

Harrison returns to the mic with "Something" from his Beatles days. This is the most covered song ever. Elvis always included this in his Vegas shows. We all know Harrison does it best though. The concert ends with Harrison's song "Bangla Desh." Harrison proved he was a great humanitarian, and this was truly a great concert.

Alexander "Skip" Spence's "Oar"

I know that my blog says this is for my reviews of B-Movies, but I thought I would also throw in a few forgotten albums as well. This is my review of Skip Spence's only solo recording "Oar."

"Oar" was the only album Alexander "Skip" Spence ever recorded in his brief career. Skip was the original drummer on Jefferson Airplane's first album. He was a guitarist by trade, but Marty Balin wanted him to play drums? He lasted only for the first album with the Airplane as he took an LSD filled trip to the coast with some ladies before a big show and was kicked out of the band. Skip rebounded to become a member of the band "Moby Grape." This was a band quite like Cream, who was conflicted with too much talent, and met an untimely end. He did write a wonderful song called "Omaha" with Grape it's one of my favorite songs from the 60's sound as a whole.

Skip went crazy one day in the studio with Moby Grape, and tried to kill pretty much anyone in the way with a fireman's axe. He was committed to a New York psychiactric hospital.----Upon his release Columbia records still had enough faith in his songwriting abilities to offer him a one shot recording deal for this album. Skip took the $1,000 that the record company gave him up front and bought a Triumph motorcycle that he rode to the Nashville recording studios to make this album."Oar" was written, played, produced, and recorded by Skip in a few short days.

There are sounds that one may compare to Johnny Cash or Bob Dylan on this album. It's not full of catchy tunes, but I find it to be true loss for those who love the sounds of any true original. They are pleasant and relaxing songs. A lot of this album reminds the listener of early Grateful Dead or latter Jefferson Airplane. Which I still feel Skip is responsible for. Spence, a guitarist by trade shows his abilities openly on "Oar." "Little Hands Clapping" sounds like a full band in total unity, but keep in mind it's Spence alone playing everything. "War In Peace" is very hard to understand, ecspecially the vocals, but the music is incredible. Spence recorded a lot this at almost a whisper. The song ends with a hard plucking version of "The Sunshine Of Your Love."

"Broken Heart" is about people we hold as experts of their trades having something go wrong at the very end. "Books Of Moses" is an extremely creepy song as Spence gets a little Biblical on us. You can hear thunder and a hammer pounding in the background. I don't know if he is trying to sing about the end of the world and Christ being nailed to the cross or not. This is the most outstanding track of the album. "Unless he knows us" Skip repeats this over and over is a little too deep for me to understand. He ends the song the with a last gasping breath on the mic. "Dixie Peach Pomendae" (Yin For My Yan) follows. Skip goes onto say you'll be spending the night under me. He goes from one extreme to the next with his songs. He continues with "Lawrence From Euphoria" it has a touch suggestive lyrics, "She's Vivian from oblivion, she's does it free for my friends and me." Far from the biblical stuff in "Books OF Moses." Simple chords with a Spence drum roll throughout.

"Grey/Afro" uses a vocal overdub. It is very hard to understand, but the drums roll with a heavy bass. Very essential for the 60's lover of psychedelia. "Oar" was recorded in less than week and Skip took his bike and rode it to California after the sessions. It is easy to say he may never have heard it after it was released. It was Columbia's lowest selling album upon it's time of release, but Greil Marcus finished his 1969 Rolling Stone review of the album by saying "Get ahead of the game and buy Oar before you no longer have the chance." Skip Spence died a man plagued with mental illness and drug addiction on the streets of Santa Monica from lung cancer in 1998. A great loss to music. Like Hendrix, he was a shooting star. Alexander Spence may never be put on the same level as Bob Dylan or Robert Hunter as a songwriter, but he is a very talented musician that should NEVER be left out of a conversation containing psychedelic music and it's true meaning. Thank you Skip.

Swashbuckler

For once Robert Shaw got a leading role in a film, and guess what? It SUCKS! He spent most all of his acting career playing the bad guy. He played the blonde headed Nazi in Battle Of The Bulge, Red Grant in From Russia With Love, and the subway terrorist in The Taking Of Pelham 1-2-3-. Shaw will always be know for his role as Quint in Jaws from here on out. A role that was turned down by Lee Marvin, because he had a prior engagement at the time. If you ever have a chance to see Custer Of The West, a 1968 Siodak film. Shaw does his best Pre-Quint trying to explain to why the Indian War was necessary. Of course Custer dies just like Quint in a battle he can't win.

Swashbuckler was directed by James Goldstone, who tries real hard to make this effort a Errol Flynn feel good pirate film like The Seahawk and Captain Blood. Robert Shaw plays Captain "Red Ned" Lynch, a man feared by the English Empire in 1718 Jamaica. What kills this movie is the main bad guy Lord Durant, played by Peter Boyle. He acts about as much British as he did in Young Frankenstein. The other non British bad guy of this movie is the British commander, Major Foley, who is played by Beau Bridges, who is simply terrible. Slapstick is used too much, and it is really not funny at all. James Earl Jones plays Shaw friend, Nick DeBrett that he saves from a public hanging at the beginning of this movie. This of course makes all the bad guys want to kill Red Ned.

This film has a couple of good sword fights in it, but that's about all. Once again Shaw , who was the only clear spot of the film got the bad end of the deal, and ended up a poorly directed and produced piece of film garbage. Robert Shaw died in 1978 from a heart attack. Obviously from making films like this. Leaving a third wife and 10 children behind in his wake of wasted talent.

The Monster At Camp Sunshine

I bought this movie from Reel Wild Cinema many years ago. Reel Wild Cinema was a show that was hosted by Sandra Bernhardt on USA back in the early 90's real late on Saturday nights. This is by far the worst movie ever made to my knowledge. Monster At Camp Sunshine makes Ed Wood look like he had a budget! This movie was made circa 1964 by Ferenc Lergoet. At least that what the credits say. Marta, the lead girl and narrator works at a experimental lab that never really tells you what they are making. A highlight of the movie shows her hanging from a window being attacked by lab rats who have been subjected to the secret serum. Her roommate Claire, models for the new magazine "Urban Nudist." She thinks a weekend at Camp Sunshine will do Marta some good.

The formula that makes the rats go nutty is thrown into the river by their nudist scientist friend where it makes it way to Camp Sunshine. Hugo, who is the simple grounds keeper at Camp Sunshine gets a little thirsty and drinks from that very stream. He then becomes "THE MONSTER AT CAMP SUNSHINE!" The thing that makes this movie so funny, and totally watchable is the way they try to kill the monster. First of all it's at a nudist camp, and second of all is the way "The Army" is called into help the poor naked folks at the camp. Okay, I really don't know how to explain this, but the director uses footage from a Civil War movie, beach landings during WWII, and Brigadoons from a British war movie that I can't figure out which one it is. During the onslaught all the women are laying on the ground naked and screaming.

The army general is one guy by himself in a halloween army outfit screaming in a bullhorn. He is the only one who isn't part part of the stock footage. The monster is a cardboard cutout with fireworks going off around him. One of the best parts of the movie, and worth the price of purchase for me is a guy in his underwear, who just happened to have dynamite and a tommy gun in the trunk of his car fighting off the cardboard monster! This guy is possibly the funniest moment of cinemaitc history ever. He is smoking a cigarette and lighting dynamite and shooting at the monster in his tighty whities.

The true highlght of this film is the use of silent movie style title cards to introduce each scene. I would have to think this movie was on a $100 budget from start to finish. One has to love the actors and the director, because this is what making a terrible film is all about. This film doesn't have a John Carradine or a drug ridden Bela Lugosi, but it does have a script that I don't even think they would have touched. According to my copy this turkey sat on a self for over 30 years before it was available to the public. I suggest finding it as soon as possible! I have shown this to people that don't like B movies, and they couldn't turn it off. It makes absolutley no sense, and the stars are probably the directors drinking buddies. If you ever wanted to see something that was way below budget and extremely funny this is your movie.

The dude that plays the monster is billed as "Ron Cheney" it's almost like Lon Chaney was the monster, right? If any Al Adamson or Ted V. Mikels fans read this and haven't seen this film please try to make it a point and do so. I love Ed Wood and William Beaudine (Jesse James Meets frankenstein's Daughter), they have all gone through great lengths to make rubber monsters a part of life. I feel this is a keeper for all you lovers of the psychotronic film age.

The Wild Angels

This is one of the best bad movies in the world. Fonda did this one three years before the classic "Easy Rider." This movie is pretty rough for 1966, there is open drug use and some pretty brutal beatings as well. First of all I will give director Roger Corman (Deathrace 2000) a big thumbs up for the inclusion of Bruce Dern. No psycho-biker from hell movie is complete without Mr. Dern. He is the definition of crazy drug fueled madman. Nancy Sinatra stars as "Heavenly Blues" (Fonda) girlfriend, and Diane Ladd stars as "Loser's" (Dern) old lady. Of course in real life the latters are the parents of actress Laura Dern.

Our journey begins with Blues and Loser on a mission to steal back Loser's chopper from a mexican gang in the desert. Wouldn't you know it they get into a fight with the cops! Dern ends up stealing one of the cop's bikes, and tries to split town on it. The cops catch up with Dern and shoot him in the back. They capture Dern and take him to the hospital. The Angels then bust him out and take him back to the hideout. While taking his dying breathe Dern calls for a last puff on a joint, and then he dies. Bummer man. But wait it's not over yet! The gang decides to take Dern back to his hometown for a decent burial. From there it turns into a beer swilling, hell raising, free for all. There is a little suggestive rape along the way as well.

This film is a first of it's kind to say the least. There were others like it to follow The Glory Stompers (1967) with Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson, and Cycle Savages (1969) which also stars Bruce Dern. This movie also has the other standard crazy movie man, Michael J. Pollard as a far out member of the Angels. This film was made with the help of the Hell's Angel as well. It's great to watch for all the older bikes throughtout the movie. On the other hand the music struggles from start to finish. It's a cross between surf and crap. The outfits are great and everyone wants to have a party, and they are tired of the man. They make it to there destination, but I'll save the predictable cop versus biker ending for you to figure out.

Corman once again brings us a first of it's kind. He is the king of the lowbudget up all night movies. The Wild Angels is not as important in movie history as Easy Rider, but if you enjoy rowdy biker movies and far out cats that talk that 60's hip lingo this is a must. It's extremely dated and the acting is a little poor, but that's what makes it so fun to watch.

Dolemite

I first remember hearing Rudy Ray Moore do his rap "Dolemite" as a teenager. This guy does not care what he says or who he says it to. Moore's classic film Dolemite is about a pimp/night club owner who was wrongly imprisoned by arch enemy Willie Green. Dolemite is busted by the FBI with a Cadillac full of stolen furs and cocaine planted by Willie Green and his crooked cop buddies. Of course, during his arrest Dolemite goes down swinging. The movie opens with Dolemite, Queen Bee played by Lady Reed, and the warden of the prison he is being held at. It is hard to truly explain Dolemite with a clean explanation. He is released back onto the scene because Willie Green's gang murders Dolemite's nephew Little Jimmy in a drive by shooting. Upon Dolemite's release he is met at the prison gates by a huge Cadillac full of Kung-Fu babes, who bring his Pimpin' clothes. He proceeds to strip down in front of everyone while he dons the coolest 70's attire one could imagine.

He is then pursued by a carload of bad white dudes which he proceeds to shoot up, and then they make this one poor guy dance only to shoot him and then castrate him!!!! Dolemite proceeds back to his club where he again takes his clothes off to satisfy a favorite gal. Ho's abound throughout this movie. The funniest part is Dolemite is a pimp and night club owner, and the people love him. I guess he gives back to the community in several different ways. We are introduced to "Creeper" the local heroine addict. He is this movie's version of Huggy Bear. He knows all that goes on the street while he is hustlin' hamburgers. Dolemite refers to him "The Hamburger Pimp." Just as Creeper is about to tell Dolemite Little Jimmy's killer the door busts open and Creeper is shot by a guy with the world's largest 'Fro. Of course, Dolemite kicks all their butts with his less than smooth karate. Dolemite is way tougher than Shaft ever thought of being. I guess you could say he is Superfly with a bigger hat and gut!

Dolemite returns to another of his clubs to find that Willie Green has turned it into a distasteful house of sex. He reclaims the club by what else? Kicking the nuts off of everyone there. Dolemite performs his all time classic "Signifying Monkey" and "Shine And The Titanic." These are a real treat for the viewer who is not familiar with Rudy Ray Moore's raps. Willie Green is also tied in with the mayor, who we get to see naked! I could have went the rest of my life and not missed seeing that. Dolemite has a final showdown with Willie Green back at the club. Just when you think Dolemite is going to get whipped he rips Green's heart out and shows it to him!

Dolemite made $18,000.00 the night it opened in Chicago. The theme song is a total riot, and the cars and wardrobe are worth the price of purchase or rental. Rudy Ray Moore took black cinema to another level with this movie. We were used to Shaft and Superfly at the time. Those to were great movies, but they aren't even comparible with Dolemite. The raw language, open sex scenes, and the triumph over the man are done with no restraint. The budget is non-existent and the acting is even less than that, but this deserves a spot in movie history for it's cutting edge approach to gettin' down and dirty. See it, you no business havin', born insecure, mutha......... You know the rest.

"Cuban Rebel Girls"

In the late 1950's Errol Flynn and Victor Pahlen owned a theater in Cuba. They were there when the Castro Revolution began in the streets of Havana. Flynn was a huge supporter of Castro at the time. Although I have read that Castro was not too thrilled with Flynn. Flynn was really down and out by this time, and his hardcore lifestyle was really beginning to take it toll physically on him. He no longer looked like Captain Blood or The Seahawk by this time. Errol Flynn had already made a movie in 1957 called "Night In Havana" or "The Big Boodle" that was also filmed in Cuba. As luck would have it the Castro Revolution began right in front of Errol Flynn and his friends.

They made a film which has just recently become available to the public called "Cuban Story." Flynn narrates and has bit parts in the film. All of this excitement of revolution brings us to the no so classic "Cuban Rebel Girls." It is also know as "Assault Of The Rebel Girls." This film was produced and directed by Barry Mahon. He was also Flynn's agent at the time. The only point of watching this film for some people is Errol's 17 year old girlfriend, Beverly Aadland who plays one of the Rebel Girls. Of course the movie poster called her Flynn's protege! The rest of the cast includes Marie Edmund, Jackie Jackler, and John MacKay.

Errol Flynn plays himself and along with his 17 year old girlfriend they help the Castro rebels overthrow the Batista Government by smuggling arms to outposts in the Cuban countryside. The advertisement for the film also stated that it contained "actual footage shot during the star's real life adventures with Cuban rebels!" The movie is almost unwatchable, and the acting is terrible. Errol Flynn looks like a zombie. He is very swollen and bloated. He died before the film was released. That was probably a good thing for him. He was ailing physically, and had already had a heart attack. It was said during his last years he drank almost 4 quarts of Vodka daily. It is however a very important film in the respect that Errol was really there when the revolution started. The film "Cuban Story" is probably the better of the two films.

This is a true candidate for a midnight cult classic. To see Errol Flynn trying to help the young Cuban Rebel Girls across a stream with arms for the rebels is priceless. They all look really out of place. At the end of the film Errol Flynn wishes us luck in whatever revolution or cause we believe in fighting for. I could never figure out if he was pro communism or not. Errol Flynn died in 1959 of a heart attack in Vancouver at the age of 50. He was trying to sell his yacht, The Zacca. He was tired and broke. Not to mention breaking the law with an underage girlfriend. Flynn lost most everything he had on the unfinished "William Tell." I have a copy of this film I bought from a dealer a long time ago. It was a copy of a copy. "Cuban Rebel Girls" is not easy to find, and it is not too easy to sit through. A sad farewell for the world's greatest swashbuckler

Al Adamson's "The Female Bunch"

This sleazeball grade Z classic was filmed in 1969 by the late Al Adamson. I feel that everyone must endure this film at least once in their life! It features horror legend Lon Chaney Jr. in his last speaking role, and last released film. By this time Chaney was dying from throat cancer and his voice is very coarse. Chaney was also one of the worst alcoholics I have ever read about in the movie business. He has been quoted as telling directors "I hope we can film my shots quickly, because after two o'clock I am useless to everyone." If you ever get a chance to compare Chaney's looks in "The Wolfman" to the sad condition he is in here you almost won't believe your eyes.

"The Female Bunch" is a sleazy drug film based loosley on Sam Peckinpah's "The Wild Bunch." The thing that really pushes this one over the edge is the fact it was filmed on the Manson family ranch! This film also includes Russ Tamblyn, who you may know from "West Side Story" and the original "The Haunting." He too was far from what he was. Tamblyn, made a lot of sleazy biker movies in late 60's. His most popular, which I don't know if that is a good was to explain it is "Satan's Sadist." It to was filmed in 1969. His first was a hard to find pro-drug biker flick, "Free Grass." Of course this movie is filled with sexy women as do all of Adamson's movies. There is a lot of open drug use, and a blurry lesbian scene as well.

The girls in this movie live on a hidden ranch in the desert. They are a group of men hating beer swilling terrorist. Their favorite activity is to ride on horseback across the Mexico boarder and terrorize the locals. They begin with burning this poor guys home and farm down and then killing him. They have a local bar that they go to and raise hell all night, and then ride back to the ranch. They seduce the men at the bar, but don't let their leader Jennifer Bishop catch you, because there will be hell to pay! Russ Tamblyn, falls for one of the girls and will do anything to see her. In a drunken stooper in the back of a car his girl tells him the location of the ranch. He then sets out to rescue her from the gang. Well, he ends up getting branded on the forehead and stabbed to death with a pitchfork. Yes, it's a little disturbing as all the above mentioned gore is shown in full. At least they didn't use a swastika branding iron. Which I have seen in other films like this one. Very disturbing which I might add. He has a friend with him that falls for one of the girls, but is a little more cautious than Tamblyn about getting her off the ranch.

Lon Chaney Jr. plays a hired hand that tends to the horses and stable for the girls. He is also a drug pusher from what I can tell. Lon is in love with their leader, and is lead to believe she loves him as well. One very sad part of the film shows Chaney in a bad edit shot drinking hot vodka straight from the bottle and spilling a lot of it on himself. There wasn't any acting there for sure. Poor guy. Regina Carrol, who was director Adamson's wife is a girl that is brought to the gang for new membership. As part of their initiation they are buried alive! She made a few movies of this nature with her husband. They were definately cutting edge for those days. She as well is best known for her part in "Dracula vs Frankenstein" for her acid eating freak out girl role which she duplicates in this movie. In the end Tamblyn's friend escapes with one of the girls, and Chaney ends up being the hero as he shoots and kills the gang leader, who is in pursuit in a airplane and then horseback. Before the end of the movie Chaney is beaten on the head with a hammer, and then shows up at the end to stop the madness. I thought he was dead before all of this, but I guess the hammer wasn't made of silver and used by someone who loves him. Lon Chaney Jr. died in 1972 finally falling victim to his cancer.

Director Al Adamson was found buried under his own house after being murdered by his gardner. A strange end for a strange man. "The Female Bunch" is far from a good movie, but the cast is interesting, and like all of Adamson's movies it is totally watchable for the sheer shock value. I found this movie through Sinister Cinema if you have any interest in seeing it. I am a huge Lon Chaney Jr. fan, and it was sad for me to see him end up this way. Even in his poor condition he proved that he could still act with the best of them. John Carradine played in a lot of Adamson's movie as well. I guess when you are a aging horror star Adamson was your only hope of getting work in the late 60's. View "The Female Bunch" at your own risk, and please stay away from that ranch!