Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Arriva Eurospy Compilation
I've posted this one before, but most of these tracks have not been released on official CD-releases and I haven't found this re-uploaded elsewhere, so enjoy!
Below is the track order:
1) Main Theme 2:32 Piero Umiliani (Duello Nel Mondo)
2) Bossa Nova Jet Set 2:55 Piero Umiliani (Duello Nel Mondo)
3) The Way to Gabia 0:34 Piero Umiliani (Duello Nel Mondo)
4) Fantabulous 3:35 Sandro Brugnolini (Fantabulous Inc)
5) Main Suite 1:30 Sandro Brugnolini (Fantabulous Inc)
6) Morpho Grotesque 1:04 Jerry van Rooyen (Two Undercover Angels aka Sadisterotica)
7) Flamingo Strip Club Groove 2:28 Jerry van Rooyen (Two Undercover Angels)
8) Flamingo Strip Club Groove 2 2:36 Jerry van Rooyen (Two Undercover Angels)
9) Hong Kong Parlor Fight 1:43 Piero Umiliani (Duello Nel Mondo)
10) Possessive Lesbian Bossa 1:30 Jerry van Rooyen Two Undercover Angels
11) Airplane Service 1:04 Egisto Macchi (LSD Inferno)
12) Main Theme 2:39 Egisto Macchi (LSD Inferno)
13) Bong Workout 1:55 Egisto Macchi (LSD Inferno)
14) Diamonds, Diamonds 2:08 Giuseppe Cassia & Robby Poitevin (Hot Diamonds in Cold Blood)
15) $10 Million Dollar Hotel Check-in 1:04 Daniel White (The Girl From Rio)
16) Main Theme 2:26 Franco Pisano (Arriva Dorellik aka How to Kill 400 Duponts)
17) Crash Bang boom 1:55 Margaret Lee (Arriva Dorellik)
18) Femina Propaganda 0:40 Shirley Eaton (The Girl From Rio)
19) Main theme 2:28 Daniel White (The Girl From Rio)
20) Rooftop Bossa 2:49 Daniel White (The Girl From Rio)
21) Femina Tiki 3:11 Daniel White (The Girl From Rio)
22) Clowns Chase in Rio 2:55 Daniel White (The Girl From Rio)
23) Chasing the Girl 1:14 Coriolano Gori (Four Times That Night)
24) Models A-Go-Go 1:27 Coriolano Gori (Four Times that Night)
25) Main Theme 2:41 Coriolano Gori (Four Times that Night)
26) Main Theme 1:16 Claudius Alzner (Spy Around the World)
27) Main Theme 1:20 Carlo Savina (The Killers Are Challenged)
28) Ypotron (Agent Logan) 1:14 Nico Fidenco (Ypotron)
29) End Titles 0:24 Piero Umiliani (Duello Nel Mondo)
DOWNLOAD LINK:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XZPY4DEJ
(Make sure to save first, and after downloading, us winrar to unzip the individual tracks).
Eurospy Christmas Compilation
The rate of writing on this blog is exceptionally low, but hopefully this posting more than makes up for it:
A Christmas Compilation Eurospy-style. If you like what you hear, please buy the original releases of these artists.
Christmas Eurospy-style
As with all parties, we need something to start off right and on familiar footing. For this, tonight's DJ uses the under-rated classic theme for the Persuaders by John Barry, followed by Shawn Lee, who uses Barry-esque motifs in his remix of electronica act Thievery Corporation. The track "Ursula Shake" from the dystopian La Decima Vittima (Tenth Victim) and "Das Booty" from Shawn Lee has guests witness a young Ursula Andress shaking her ass during our Christmas party while smoking her cigarette in a bored manner. Finally, some of the punch with alcohol takes hold, and some of the presents come out for the Christmas-atmosphere Slalom themes. Unfortunately, a call from Ralph Valmont who makes a dishonorable offer to Inspector Ginko distracts us from the party mood. We continue the party with the Italian versions of "Deep Deep Down" and "Man for Me" from Ennio Morricone (who is a main act on this compilation due to his use of sleighbells and wordless vocals) who composed these tracks for Danger Diabolik and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Some of the guests are gossiping the punch has been spiked by Valmont, and are complaining that they are seeing psychedelic visions as "Driving Decoys" plays in the background and "LSD Party" by Piero Piccioni. Despite this, after a moment people start feeling more relaxed as the band Combustible Edison take the stage to play "Spy vs Spy" to great acclaim by the audience, followed with an encore by contemporary act Balanco of their hit "Theme from Cocktail Nova". After these performances, it is time for some more classics, such as the Kriminal main theme followed by some Bruno Nicolai's bossa and jazz tunes from Lucky the Inscrutable and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, respectively. The worldess vocals of Armando Trovaioli's score for the Seven Golden Men follow, as well as more tracks from Bruno Nicolai from Upperseven and Lucky the Inscrutable. Piero Umiliani's mod score for 5 Dolls for an August Moon and finally, Francesco de Masi's score for Your Turn to Die round out the party.
Tracklist
1-The Persuaders Theme 2:14 John Barry
2-Gentle Dissolve (Shawn Lee Ping Pong Orchestra Remix) 3:49 Thievery Corporation
3-Ursula Shake 1:47 Piero Piccioni
4-Das Booty 2:03 Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra
5-Sestriere (Slalom) 2:30 Ennio Morricone
6-Criminal/Justice Solution (D) 0:45 Ennio Morricone
7-Deep Down 3:03 Ennio Morricone
8-Man For Me (italian version) 3:04 Ennio Morricone & Bruno Nicolai
9-Valmont Philosophies 0:39 Ennio Morricone
10-Driving Decoys (Spy Theme) 2:08 Ennio Morricone
11-Lsd (alt) 1:33 Piero Piccione 1
12-Spy vs. Spy 3:35 Combustible Edison
13-Theme from Cocktail Nova (Balanco) 5:28 Balanco
14-Kriminal Seq.1 2:37 Roberto Pregadio & Romano Mussolini
15-L'alibi (party music) 2:18 Ennio morricone
16-Agente Speciale LK - Lucky Bossa 3:02 Bruno Nicolai
17-Kiss Kiss Bang Bang 1:30 Bruno Nicolai
18-Seven Golden Men 1:18 Armando Trovaioli
19-Ping Pong 1:36 Armando Trovaioli
20-Spy Chase 2:29 Bruno Nicolai
21-Upper Seven #1 2:56 Bruno Nicolai
22-Cinque Bambole [Vers. Coro] 3:30 Piero Umiliani
23-Bambola Omicida 1:59 Piero Umiliani
24-Altalena Party 3:42 Francesco de Masi
Download Link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=FE7M7GXR
Saturday, January 19, 2008
KALEIDOSCOPE (1966)
Above: Kaleidoscope patterns introduce this great caper
Kaleidoscope is by any means, a film that is enjoyable if one is prepared to enter and indulge one’s sense of the sixties as a free-wheeling time of groovy mod chicks, trips to Monte Carlo, London and other cosmopolitan places, and dastardly villains that use firethrowers to dispose of poor-functioning insubordinates all the while comfortably ensconsed in their castle. Luckily for the reader, this reviewer is more than prepared to do so! Adding to the fun is a groovy, sitar-laden soundtrack by Stanley Meyers (recently re-released as a limited edition CD) and psychedelic kaleidoscope transitions to this enjoyable jet-set caper flick from the sixties.
Warren Beatty plays Barney Lincoln, a professor of some sorts who is introduced to the viewer in the same way as many a cat-burglar – while scaling the rooftops of London. Barney’s plan is to modify the kaleidoscope pattern on the back of playing cards so he can read the cards and beat the odds – and the casinos.
Barney (Warren Beatty) scaling the Kaleidoscope company's building to change the card pattern - in his favor
Traveling all over Europe to earn his ingenious’ plan winnings, Barney falls for Angel McGinnis (Suzannah York), a fashion designer. Unfortunately for Barney, her father "Manny" McGinnis (Clive Revill) is an inspector at Scotland Yard who offers Barney a choice – get caught with his scheme or play Harry Dominion (Eric Porter), a drug trafficker with his own high-stakes poker game for rich European playboys. While Barney attempts to get out of the situation, he finally accepts that he has to play Harry at his own game.
Above: Barney (Warren Beatty) scours the Monte Carlo Casino
Initially, the poker game (of course) features Barney’s winning cards, but quite a lot of tension is built up when Barney (and the viewer) find out that his cards are being exchanged for other playing cards (which foils Barney and Manny’s plan) and Barney has to bluff his way through the game. The ensuing ending has Barney chase Harry down to his medieval-style castle (something which is quite unusual in caper and heist flicks) to save Angel, who has seemingly gone with Harry of her own volition but is actually being used as collateral by Harry.
Dastardly Drug Trafficker Harry (Eric Porter) is an ace shot
Quite a lot of fun can be had with this one, but for now, Kaleidoscope can only be found as an expensive German import (titled “Der Gentleman Zinker”) from Xploitedcinema.com, but is highly recommended if you enjoy the more outrageous examples of why sixties European cult cinema can be a lot of fun (read: groovy chicks, time-shots of various European cosmopolitan cities, and outrageous fashions).
Monday, December 31, 2007
Jack of Diamonds (1967)
This cat burglar/heist movies contains an interesting cast. George Hamilton plays Jeff Hill, who is the Jack of Diamonds, a world famous cat burglar, and Joseph Cotton as his mentor, the Ace of Diamonds. The movie opens with Hamilton dressed in black, scaling a highrise in New York in the middle of the night in order to steal jewelry from actress Zsa Zsa Gabor (in a cameo). Hamilton’s cat burglar has an elaborate country-side bachelor pad set-up with a trapeze to practice his acrobatic skills and a diamond-cutting room where he can cut up his loot. The cutting room is entered by punching a boxing ball in the gym. Not very difficult for someone to discover, one would imagine!
Preparing to steal Zsa Zsa Gabor's jewels
Hamilton’s cat burglar is too obnoxious. While stealing Zsa Zsa Gabor's jewelry, he writes in lipstick on a mirror that he hated her last movie but thought she was quite fabulous! Not very subtle for a catburglar who's supposed to sneak in, do the job, and get out. As it turns out, the Jack of Diamonds has been leaving plenty of signatures behind to demonstrate his cat-burgling skills. Perhaps this explains why Jeff needs to leave New York in a bid to avoid being captured by police, as hot on the heels is a detective Von Schenk (Wolfgang Preiss who played Dr. Mabuse in the Mabuse movies). Of course, for all we know the reason is that this gives the U.S.-German co-production plenty of opportunities to show off the German country-side and making the settings for the rest of the film in Germany.
German countryside - meet Jack of Diamond's car
While in Munchen, Jeff is asked by Nicolai Vodkine (Maurice Evans) to pull of a heist for a $5million collection of jewels with Olga (Marie LaforĂȘt) a rival cat burglar who also happens to be Nicolai’s daughter. Nicolai is an old friend of the Ace of Diamonds, which is why Jeff decides to pull off this last heist before retiring They have to steal the plans for the safe in a police bureau before doing the actual jewel heist. Naturally, Hamilton’s character sets off the alarm and a thrilling chase scene ensues across rooftops with search lights and policemen giving chase.
Ace of Diamonds (Joseph Cotton) checks the diamonds
Despite an impressive heist preparation scene rivalling Jules Dassin’s Rififi (1955) in detailed-oriented nature, things don’t go as planned. To top it off, Von Schenk is closing in on the quartet!An added bonus to this U.S.-German co-produced caper is that Hamilton's character has a quite annoying accomplice who speaks with a horrible German accent and looks quite demented. The ending is quite baffling and comes quite unexpectedly and puts it squarely in the camp of the caper movie. Not quite a classic, but memorable for the Diabolik-esque suit (Mario Bava’s Danger Diabolik (1968) would not be released until the year after) Hamilton wears and a co-starring but underused Joseph Cotton. The movies is scored by Peter Thomas (well-know for his work on the Bond-by-way-of-Germany Jerry Cotton Eurospy movies)