Record #66 - Wild, Wild Winter - Soundtrack

If you really know me (which you don't, but that's okay), then you most certainly know that I LOVE Beach Party movies. All the ones with Frankie and Annette, It's a Bikini World, The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini, and even the non-Beach Party, but Beach Party-esque films, Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine, Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs, Sergeant Deadhead, and Village of the Giants.

Interestingly enough, those folks in the mid 60s decided for some reason they needed to move away from the hustle and bustle and sunshine of the beach, and move into the cold, snowy winter. It started with Ski Party, with Frankie Avalon (with only a cameo from Annette! Blasphemy! Although, there is Yvonne Craig... Hmmm... I forgive them, I guess.). Apparently that went well, so Universal decided to rip off American International Pictures (as is the custom in Hollywood), and film the masterpiece Wild, Wild Winter, the second of the three Beach Party-esque (and only) films directed by Lennie Weinrib, the original voice of Scrappy-Doo and H.R. Pufnstuf. Um... yeah.

It's not filmdom's finest hour and a half, but it gets the job done. The premise of the movie is as follows (if you can follow along at all, you win a gold cookie) - Two frat brothers go to the mountains, bringing their surfer friend, Ronnie Duke (a surfer name if I've ever heard one (and I have)) along to seduce the head of a sorority, who also happens to be the dean's secretary. Apparently the head of the sorority, Susan, has brainwashed the other female students to avoid dating all the boys in school for some reason. Of course, Ronnie finds a way to become the captain of the ski team and wins over Susan from her evil fiancee, John Harris (such an evil name). Hilarity ensues.

Oh, and did I mention he joined the ski team to help save the school from its financial troubles? I didn't? Oh well.

As with all Beach Party movies, this one has a soundtrack (that's not available on CD, mind you) featuring a few 60s pop groups, and this is the part of the blog where I tell you about it. This soundtrack is chock (well, actually half) full of some great pop songs by some of the "exciting hit groups" of their day. They are - Jay and the Americans, The Astronauts, The Beau Brummels (who are also featured in Village of the Giants), Dick and Dee Dee, and last, but not least, Jackie and Gayle. Jackie and Gayle also perform "Our Love's Gonna Snowball" (GET IT?!? BECAUSE OF WINTER!! HAHAHA), the unofficial theme song to the movie.

In case you were wondering what you're getting into here, here's Jay and the Americans performing their song "Two of a Kind" in the film!

The flip side of this disc includes some of the score/incidental music from the film, which is actually pretty cool. You don't usually get that kind of stuff from these 60s B-movie type thingamajigs. The main title song is by Chester Pipkin, and the rest are by Jerry Long, whose score is, as the back cover states, "the tastiest treat you've had in a long, long time". Wonderful.

This was another super groovy record store find, and while I may be two dollars poorer, I am forever rich with the ultimate happiness bestowed upon me by this record.

Wild, Wild Winter (1966)

1. Jay and the Americans - Two of a Kind

2. The Astronauts - A Change of Heart

3. The Beau Brummels - Just Wait and See

4. Dick and Dee Dee - Heartbeats

5. Jackie and Gayle - Our Love's Gonna Snowball

6. Chester Pipkin - Main Title

7. Jerry Long - Latin Source

8. Jerry Long - Wild Watuse

9. Jerry Long - Hawaii to Military

10. Jerry Long - The Chase

11. Jerry Long - End Title

Download it HERE.

Enjoy!

Article #32124 - The Darkwing Duck Scripts (Part 2 of 4)

Today is the 20th anniversary of the premiere of Darkwing Duck. I remember coming home from school every day, running straight to the TV and turning on the Disney Afternoon to watch my favorite show. I credit Darkwing Duck with being the biggest influence on my sense of humor, and even as I still watch it today, I laugh just like I did when I was 6 years old. I still love it, and I still miss it. Also, I feel really, really old.

Today, I bring you the second of the four Darkwing Duck scripts. This one's from the episode "Disguise the Limit". In this episode, Darkwing gets ZAPPED by another one of Dr. Sara Bellum's (puns!) ray guns, which makes Darkwing transform over and over into duplicates of other people, including this week's villain, NEGADUCK!! Hilarity ensues!

Download the "Disguise the Limit" script HERE!

This episode is available on the second volume of Darkwing Duck DVDs, buuut if you don't have it, check it out below!

Article #32123 - The Darkwing Duck Scripts (Part 1 of 4)

Today, we've got the first of my collection of four Darkwing Duck scripts. I purchased these teleplays about a year ago, from eBay, just thinking they were another awesome thing to add to my always growing Darkwing Duck collection. Little did I know, these scripts belonged to Ron Feinberg, the voice of S.H.U.S.H. (the secret spy organization Darkwing sometimes worked for) agent Grizzlikof!

Ron Feinberg was a character actor who, before moving to voice acting primarily, guest starred on many classic shows, such as Mission: Impossible, Hawaii Five-O, and the classically forgotten caveman sitcom, It's About Time!

All four of these scripts are obviously Grizzlikof-featuring episodes, and in fact are some of my favorites. Today's script is for "Bad Tidings", a Batman meets I Love Lucy style episode where Grizzlikof and Darkwing have to put their differences aside to stop Steelbeak (my favorite Darkwing Duck villain) and his evil organization F.O.W.L. (the Fiendish Organization for World Larceny) from conquering the world with their tidal wave machine. Yep. A TIDAL WAVE MACHINE. God, I love cartoons.

DOWNLOAD THE PDF OF THE "BAD TIDINGS" SCRIPT HERE

Sadly, this episode isn't available on DVD (YET!!), but here's the YouTube links to watch as you read along!

Enjoy!

Article #3 - The "¡Three Amigos!" Screenplay

Today, we have the REVISED FIRST DRAFT Screenplay for the greatest comedy film of all time, ¡Three Amigos!.

¡Three Amigos! is by far the funniest and most quotable film of all time, ya son of a motherless goat. See? I just quoted it right there! This amazing film was directed by John Landis, and written by the one-time writing trio of the always hilarious Steve Martin, SNL Executive Producer Lorne Michaels, and songwriter Randy Newman. Yes, THAT Randy Newman.

¡Three Amigos! follows the storyline of three down-on-their-luck silent film actors - Lucky Day, Dusty Bottoms, and Ned Nederlander. When a village in Mexico is being terrorized by the infamous El Guapo, they call out to the Three Amgios, a group of actors, who have just lost their jobs at Goldsmith Pictures. Unfortunately for everyone, the villagers think they are real gunfighters, and the Amgios think it's "just another show". Hilarity ensues… and I'm not being facetious when I say that. And, like all great films, ¡Three Amigos! features guns, drunks, music, Mexicans, dancing, sweaters, an invisible swordsman, and of course, the singing bush!

This screenplay is a revised first draft, dated 7/18/85. Like most early drafts, this one features many differences from the released film, as well as some notations in the margins. For example - Dusty's name in this version is "Lester", there's an alternate opening scene, an alternate introduction for the Amigos (featuring the Amgios in the studio mansion), and a scene where the Amgios encounter Indians who bury them up to their necks in sand. For an Amigo nerd like me, this is Heaven.

I've always been disappointed that I've never been able to see these scenes that I'd always read about… but the wait might finally be over! This November, the Blu-Ray will be released, and according to John Landis, it will include a plethora of extra scenes!


***UPDATE***
The Blu-Ray DOES include the alternate opening scene as well as the alternate Amigo introduction and song! GO GET THE BLU-RAY NOW!!

So sit back, grab a bottle of Tequila (it's like beer!), and enjoy reading the original screenplay for "¡THREE AMIGOS!"

Download the PDF HERE, you scum-sucking pigs.

ENJOY, BUTTERCUPS!!

Article #457 - The Darkwing Duck Bus Sign

"I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the batteries that are not included! I am Darkwiiiiiinnnng Duck!"

Today we have something extremely rare and super awesome - The Darkwing Duck Bus Sign.

As I've said before, I believe I have the world's largest Darkwing Duck collection, and if you don't believe me after seeing this, then you are in denial and must consult your local therapist.

Now if I know you (and I think I do), you must think I'm crazy because I own a bus sign. A Darkwing Duck bus sign, no less. But don't worry! As far as I know it was never actually ON a bus. So, maybe I'm not as insane as you may think. Or maybe I am...? Dun dun DUNNNNNNNNN. The plot thickens!

The thing that makes this so ultimately groovalicious to me though, is that it is a full size (5 feet x 2 feet) bus sign and signed by the voice of Darkwing and voice over god, Jim Cummings!

ENJOY!

CLICK on the photo to enable the ENLARGE-O-MATIC PHOTO EMBIGGENER®!!