Hello!

Here’s something so simple even I can appreciate it. Resourceful web-scrounger Michael McQuarrie uncovered this interesting recording of the James Bond Theme — in full stereophonic sound.

Michael doesn’t think it’s the original, but he believes that it must be a John Barry recording … all elements are a match.

That was something that seemed cheap back in the day — when subsequent Bond pictures returned to the original theme, we often heard the exact same monaural cue.

Over at the interesting web page  Scifist, writer Janne Wass has been reviewing science fiction movies for several years now, going chronologically. He’s just about up to 1960 now. That’s a year or two before the late Bill Warren imposed a cut-off date for his own encyclopedic overview of the genre.

Mr. Wass usually reviews individual movies; we’re knocked out by his coverage of truly obscure or hidden pictures from Europe and the Third World.

This thorough article covers a full slate of 1950s monster and spaceship titles we never heard of, all put on film down Manila way. Several appear to be totally lost. It was all news to me. Who knew that the 1950s spawned a full feature about a giant gecko?  Among the genuine films reviewed is a Godzilla rip-off, replacing Raymond Burr with Philipino talent.

Thanks for reading! — Glenn Erickson