Jerry Lee Lewis: Great Balls Of Fire (1957) - Song Review

Jerry Lee Lewis doing, 'Great Balls Of Fire Live'! 

Now I have to admit that I was the exception to the rule in the group of metal heads that I hung out with in High School... What I mean by this, is I started with a lot more easy listening music... Let's just put it this way, while I was listening to songs like Seal's, 'Kiss From A Rose', most of my friends were listening to music like, Anthrax's, 'Bordello Of Blood'... 

Well believe it or not, what changed my interest, and what made me begin to get interested more in rock 'n roll and eventually got me interested in heavy metal, and all of that was when my step-dad at the time basically lent me most (I don't remember if it was all, or if it was most,) of his classic rock collection! 

I got introduced to a lot of the greats then... My favorite from that selection being the Beatles, but it got me interested in most other classic rock songs, and so I started on a path to getting in to a ton of really great music... And you know what, Jerry Lee Lewis's, 'Great Balls Of Fire' (1957) is one of those amazing songs! 

A fantastic song!

Written by: Otis Blackwell & Jack Hammer, and recorded at Sun Studios (The same studio that gave Elvis Presley his start!) Back in 1957, this song, which was original also apart of the movie, Jamboree (1957), has gone on to become an icon of American pop culture... This song has been heard on TV, in other movies, (including the name of the song being the title of the biopic of Jerry Lee Lewis's life, starring Denis Quaid (Jaws 3-D)!) 

And that is just to mention a few! 

As a matter of fact, the only thing I am gonna say that I didn't like about this song is the fact that it was to short! And well... The other thing I am going to say is that due to the prevailing interest by the most recent modern generation to forget about all of the amazing music that came before the most recent year, that this song probably won't translate with most of the younger generation, unless they are in to more variations of music. 

But if you haven't heard this song yet, then check it out, you might find you really like it!   

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Buddy Holly: Peggy Sue (1957) - Song Review

Official Score = 2 1/2 Devils

One of the things that I really enjoy about reviewing stuff for this site is that some times I get to find a true classic that I had at one time or another enjoyed, or have never before experienced (although, considering... This could be something of a mixed bag...)  Regardless, it is a blast!

And recently I was able to find one that I hadn't heard in years, that well I have admit that I quite enjoyed! That song being Buddy Holly's, 'Peggy Sue' (1957), which would eventually be released on his second and one of his last albums, 'Buddy Holly', which was released in 1958... And the reason why it was one of his last was because about a year after the release of the album, Buddy Holly would die in a plane crash!

Buddy Holly doing, 'Peggy Sue' live on the Ed Sullivan show.

Well regardless, the song is one of his more popular songs, having had a ton of singers doing the song since he died, and all the way up to a few years ago! A couple of the notables that have done covers for this song have included: John Lennon, George Harrison, Bob Dylan & blink-182, and that is just to name a few!

This song in some fashion or another can also be seen in such TV shows, such as: Quantum Leap, when the lead character of the series helps Buddy pick the name for the song!

In  the end, this song is an absolute blast... The only problems that I had with it, is the fact that this song is short and dated... But if you like this type of, 'Classic Rock', give it a try... I mean it is a fun one!

Elvis Presley: Jailhouse Rock Single (1957) - Song Review

[caption id="attachment_325" align="alignright" width="263"] Official Score = 3 Devils[/caption]

We all know who Elvis Presley is... I mean this  guy was the true King of Rock! I mean this guy is still a chart topper! What with his JXL remix for, 'A Little Less Conversation,'  hitting the U.S. and U.K.  number 1 about a decade ago... So you know if this guy is still producing mega topper hits literally decades after he passed away that his music is still pretty bad ass!

Also, I mean Elvis's discography has a list of not just classic chart toppers but truly historically valuable  legendary masterpieces such as, Blue Seude Shoes, Tutti Fruitti, Heartbreak Hotel, Shake Rattle & Roll, Hound Dog, Don't Be Cruel,  Love Me Tender, Loving You & Jailhouse Rock... to name just a few!

And speaking of Jailhouse Rock, This in my opinion maybe one of his most recognizable songs... At least, I found that to be the case...

What I mean by that is the fact that I grew up well over a decade after Mr. Presley died and to be honest, most of the people I know (including people who were old enough potentially to have been around to have listen to his music) had not really listened to his music, so I never really had the opportunity to really enjoy his music growing up! But the one song I frequently heard in movies or on TV in the background was Jailhouse Rock, and almost any time I would see one of those infomercials advertising the latest compilation of his music often times would give a segment of the famous music video that Mr. Presley did back in the 50s for this song!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Elvis Presley singing, 'Jailhouse Rock' in the music video for the song.[/caption]

Unfortunately though, I will admit that despite all of that, I didn't really get in to his music until I was watching the show, 'Las Vegas' a few years back and found that I really enjoyed the theme song to it, (which was the JXL remix of, 'A Little Less Conversation') and I gotta say that once I did I found that a lot of these ancient bands and groups were truly awesome, and I could definitely see why Elvis was in the top 10!

And once I started to really dig in to his music and started to listen to, Jailhouse Rock,  I found that I really enjoyed it! The reason for that is the fact that I found that I really enjoyed the truly classic nature of a jail  type set up that looked like it was taken straight out of the 50s... (I know that for that time that would have been considered to be modern, but I found the nature of it from my modern view point to be quite awesome!)

Also the song itself is pretty awesome! I mean from a historical stand point you could almost see how this song could be construed as the ancestor song for such songs as, 'Fuel' (From Metallica), 'Bordello Of Blood' (From Anthrax), and what I mean by that is that these song went to the extreme, and Elvis Presley was always pushing the barriers of what he could do... I think that, that may have been why he was always offending the middle class!

Anyway, the reason I mention this is because Jailhouse Rock was no different!

Another thing that made  this song so impressive is the fact that besides incorporating the obvious rock & roll overtones that are predominant through out this song, you can also get a sense of a sort of, 'Blues' influence with in the song!

And lastly... Lets just be honest... The song is just plain cool!

http://youtu.be/gj0Rz-uP4Mk

The Monster That Challenged The World (1957) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_325" align="alignright" width="263"] Official Score = 3 Devils[/caption]

Before Joe Dante (Innerspace) created the B Movie sensation in the monster movie having to do with Piranha (1978 ), and even before, Steven Spielberg (Minority Report) created the international monster movie sensation based on your standard Shark in the movie Jaws (1975), there was, The Monster That Challeneged The World (1957)!

Written by: Pat Fielder (The Vampire), and Directed by: Arnold Laven (Slaughter On Tenth Avenue). Starring: Tim Holt (Road Agent), Audrey Dalton (Titanic), Hans Conried (Lost In Space), And Gordon Jones (The Green Hornet).

The Monster That Challenged The World (A movie which inspirationally speaking I believe was direct ancestor of both Piranha and Jaws) tells the story of a small salt lake in the middle of the California desert that as it turns out is a top secret research facility for the U.S. Navy.

Now during an earthquake, a group of ancient sea monsters eggs that had been housing ancient sea monsters, that had been known as, 'Krakens' (creatures that are the ancestors of modern day Mollusks.

At first no one suspects anything until one day while during a parachute test, the parachutist and the launch that has been posted to pick up the parachutist go missing.

Well after they go missing, the communications operator informs a Naval Intelligence Agent by the name of, Lt. Cmdr John Twilliger (Holt), who when he and his team discover the launch end up discovering a substance that they end up sending to the lab.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320"] The Communications Operator informing the Commander about the Launch![/caption]

Now as Commander Twilliger begins to start assembling his team, which will include: a Navy Doctor by the name of, Dr. Jess Rogers (Conreid), Dr. Rogers assistant by the name of Gail McKenzie (Dalton), Sheriff Josh Peters (Jones), along with a small team from the Navy, and Sheriff Peters deputies, everyone in his growing team will discover a threat to the world that they will have to stop before these Kraken can escape from the Salt lake, and eventually make it out in to the ocean where they can begin to take over the world!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Commander Twilliger and his team as they are trying to destroy the monster![/caption]

As an ancestor of movies like Jaws and Piranha, I gotta say that this movie is an interesting one, you see, in Jaws, (as is with Piranha, i'm sure,) you get to see where some of the modern filmmaking legends came up with some of the stuff in their movies, and I believe that this is no exception. 

What I mean by this is:

1. In Piranha (1978) the monster is a group of genetically engineered Piranha, in Jaws (1975) it was a large Shark that was the monster. In The Monster That Challenged The World, it was a group of Giant Mollusk... All in all, creatures that for the most part can be seen in the ocean today.

2. In all 3 movies, the monsters threaten areas where swimmers usually swim.

3. Lastly, in similarity between The Monster That Challenged The World and Piranha, the monsters surfaced next to a U.S. Navy Research Facility, and in Piranha, the Piranha are from a U.S. Army facility.

The next thing that I thought that I would mention here is the acting. In the 50s and 60s the Special Effects in Science Fiction and Horror movies was not a great, but what they loose in special effects they gain in the amazing talent that the actors and actresses bring to the game, (and I gotta say that this movie's acting talent was amazing!)

All in all folks, if you’re a fan of Science Fiction or Horror movies of the 1950s, then you might like this one!

http://youtu.be/YM7b0-HoTlc

The Vampire (1957) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_322" align="alignright" width="258"] Official Score = 1 1/2 Devils[/caption]

Over the last few years, since I have been really begun delving deeper in to movies then I would have ever gone before, I have started watching these really great black and white movies, and you know what? I have found that I really like them!

Now I mention this for two reasons. The first reason that I mention this is that another interesting fact about movie goers that I am slowly beginning to realize is that a lot of movie fans primarily (but often not exclusively) tend to gravitate toward the movies that and styles of movie that they grew up watching when they were kids!

A great example of this is that I knew a guy who I was talking with about movies, and he was talking about all of these great movies from the new millennium that he just thought were truly fantastic (and I have to admit that more than a few he had mentioned genuinely were quite fun,) but at the time I was deeply involved in the works of Bela Lugosi, and trying to talk to him about it was going right over his head! (Of course there was a few that he was talking about that were going over my head as well.)

Now if you’re a fan of old black and white horror or science fiction movies then the other reason I mention the above is because I recently watched a kick ass classic black and white horror movie called, The Vampire (1957)!

Written by: Pat Fielder (The Monster That Challenged The World) & Directed by: Paul Landres (Daktari). Starring: John Beal (Amityville 3-D), Coleen Gray (The Killing), Kenneth Tobey (The Thing From Another World), Lydia Reed (The Seven Little Foys) and Dabs Greer (Invasion Of The Body Snatchers).

Now, The Vampire, is an interesting tale, you see in a lot of respects, although it does have elements of the, ‘Vampire’, story line, it is really more closely related to the tale of, ‘Dr.Jekyll & Mr. Hyde’.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="530"] Mr. Hyde... The Vampire![/caption]

What I mean by this, is that Dr. Paul Beecher (Beal) is a small town Doctor with a quiet little practice where he is liked by his patients and the rest of the community, and is respected with in the scientific community that has set up shop in the small town.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="671"] Dr. Paul Beecher (John Beal) as he is seeing patients... But before he begins to transform in to the man he is going to be... Literally![/caption]

One day though Doctor Beecher is called out to the base of operations for the lab that had been set up by Doctor Campbell (Played by: Wood Romoff). You see this solitary Doctor who had developed a drug that was supposed to eventually expand the intellect of mankind… The only problem is that the drug is hideously addictive and every time the person who is addicted to the drug doesn't take it, then the killer that the drug created is awaken (very Jeykll & Hyde, eh?)

Anyway, Doctor Campbell ends up dying, but before he does, he gives Beecher the drugs that he had been taken…. Well Beecher takes them home with him, but when he gets home, Doctor Beecher comes down with a headache and asks his daughter, ‘Betsy’ (Reed) to give him one of his headache pills from his coat pocket, big mistake!

You see the pill that Betsy ends up giving Beecher is the drug that killed Doctor Campbell, and now that Doctor Beecher is addicted, the more he tries not to take the drug, the more his own personal, ‘Mr. Hyde’ will go on his own literally blood thirsty rampage that will end up slowly destroying the Doctor!

Now I have to say that this movie is more of an interesting take on the old, ‘Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde’ premise, I mean there are elements of Vampirism in this movie, (when Beecher changes, he does appear to drink blood through the jugular,) but un like most vampires (who just kind of are vampires,) Beecher’s monster came out because of the drug, and the change was more like changing in to, ‘Mr. Hyde’ then any of the more traditional vampire archetypes that we are used to seeing in Vampire movies even going that far back!

With all of this in mind, this movie is a fun one, and if you like black and white movies, then you should atleast try this movie once!