Mondo Monday Mixtape: Vol 1

Curated by Parisa Eshrati

Mondo Monday Mixtape is a mix CD and mini-fanzine showcasing B-movie soundtracks from films featured at the Mondo Monday series at The Loft Cinema in Tucson.  It's a mixtape for those with good taste in bad music!  This first installment shares sci-fi scores from late '50s budget films, heavy rock 'n roll from Satanic Panic spoofs, extraterrestrial disco, rockabilly slasher thrasher themes, and so much more!

Tracklist 
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1. “Main Title” - Trevor Duncan (Plan 9 from Outer Space)
2. “Partytime (Zombie Version)” - 45 Grave (Return of the Living Dead)
3. “Rock ‘n Roll High School” - Ramones (Rock ‘n Roll High School)
4. “Montage scene” - Foleyvision (Turkish Star Wars)
5. “Main Title” - Richard Delvecchio (Green Slime)
6. “Rock Invasion” - Black Roses (Black Roses)
7. “Let’s Buzz” - Richard Cox (Slumber Party Massacre II)
8. Garbage day Interlude
9. “Don’t Let Go” - John “Juke” Logan (Slumber Party Massacre II)
10. “Nature of the Beast” - Michael Bradley (Voyage of the Rock Aliens)
11. “Let’s Dance Tonight” - Pia Zadora (Voyage of the Rock Aliens)
12. “When the Rain Begins to Fall” - Pia Zadora & Jermaine Jackson (Voyage of the Rock Aliens)
13. “Dinosaur Man” - Simon Stokes and the Black Whip Thrill Band (Tammy and the T-Rex)

Film synopsis provided by Loft Cinema Program Director, Jeff Yanc, and music blurbs provided by Parisa Eshrati. Special thanks to Jeff for the contributions and for the always amazing programming!

“Main Title” - Gordon Zahler, Trevor Duncan
Plan 9 from Outer Space, 1957

One of the all-time Bad Movie champs, Ed Wood, Jr.’s notorious 1959 sci-fi/horror epic has
endured for all these years not just because of its hilariously chintzy, paper-plates-on-strings SFX, ludicrous plot (what happened to the first 8 plans from outer space?) and bizarre performances (led by Ed Wood’s wife’s real-life chiropractor holding a cape over his face as a stand-in in for the late Bela Lugosi), but because of the director’s unbridled enthusiasm for making the best film he could, no matter what. No movie this entertaining could ever truly be considered “The Worst Film of All-Time.” - Jeff Yanc (JY)

This naturally had to be the first track in the mix, as Ed Wood is essentially the godfather of B-movies. This track, whether as a standalone piece or in context of the film, is an iconic introduction to the movie that’s become synonymous with campy sci-fi. Eerie synths, haunting strings, and a grand composition to get you stoked to see some bootleg extraterrestrial delights! - Parisa (PE)

“Partytime (Zombie Version)” - 45 Grave
Return of the Living Dead, 1985

Alien screenwriter Dan O’Bannon’s 1985 directorial feature debut is, severed hands down, the best apocalyptic teenage punk rock zombie flick ever made – a horror comedy that’s actually horrific and actually funny, with the added bonus of cinema’s most memorable solo graveyard dance number performed by ‘80s Scream Queen Extraordinaire, Linnea Quigley. - JY
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A song that is genuinely too good to be on this mixtape, but this is an absolutely KILLER death rock/goth rock classic from one of the greatest punk rock movies out there! (Also a big shout out to Return of the Living Dead for being the first Mondo Monday back from the pandemic, and breaking in Theater 1 as the new Mondo home, which admittedly I was very opposed to at first, but have come to love it.) - PE
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“Rock ‘n Roll High School” - Ramones 
Rock ‘n Roll High School, 1979

A wacky late ‘70s update of the “teens gone wild” drive-in flicks of the ‘50s, Rock ‘n’ Roll High School gets an A+ for its stellar B-movie cast (including P.J. Soles, Mary Woronov and the great Clint Howard), its wildly anarchic spirit (which leads to a literally explosive finale that would never fly today), and, of course, the film debut of one of the world’s best punk rock bands, The Ramones.  This movie is further proof that Roger Corman’s New World Pictures gifted us with some of the best Mondo movies ever made. - JY

​Similar to the last track, we're easing into this mixtape with some genuinely good music before it all goes downhill. And of course this movie is “bad” but in a way that is so punk rock and unironically incredible. “Hey pizza! It’s great, let’s dig in!” - PE

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“Montage scene” - Foleyvision 
Dünyayı Kurtaran Adam (The Man Who Saved the World aka Turkish Star Wars), 1982

A mind-altering exercise in cinematic appropriation, this crazed Turkish rip-off of the original 1977 Star Wars makes hilariously liberal use of scratchy/faded  “borrowed” footage from George Lucas’ space epic (but just the spaceships and the explosions … you know, all the “good stuff”), as well as distracting music cues from Raiders of the Lost Ark, all in service of a bizarre superhero story that has nothing to do with that other famous movie , but that does include zombie children, slow-mo kung fu and Muppet monsters with big teeth.   A crown jewel in the Turksploitation genre of the ‘70s/’80s. - JY
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This may have been one of my favorite Mondos of last year! The first ever English translation of the film was done courtesy of Foleyvision, an Austin, Texas-based comedy troupe that also created an entirely new soundtrack and new sound effects. While normally us shitty film snobs may be sticklers for “originals”, the soundtrack absolutely rips and still gives way for all the bootleg Star Wars themes. This montage scene is a great example of the ensemble recreated that ‘80s Turkish folk rock influence with a kind of fuzzed out, lo-fi production, as if the tape had been sitting on the shelves for years. This English version aired in 2004, and Foleyvision troupe leader Buzz Moran stated that the translator had told them that "It doesn't make any more sense in Turkish." - PE
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“Main Title” - Richard Delvecchio
​(composed by Charles Fox)
Green Slime, 1968

A totally groovy piece of late ‘60s sci-fi strangeness, The Green Slime shows you what can happen when a big Hollywood studio (MGM) joins forces with Japan’s Toei Company  to produce a kooky rubber monster movie set in outer space (or more specifically, on Space Station Gamma 3), with a story that suspiciously foreshadows the 1979 Alien.  Aside from its spectacular, shrieking monsters with flailing arms and sore red eyeballs, The Green Slime is justifiably famous for its outlandish, hard-rocking theme song by Charles Fox used in the American version of the film.  “Greeeeeen Sliiiiiiime!”   This movie’s so good/bad, it was the very first film riffed in the pilot episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. - JY
This is, without a doubt, my favorite song that’s ever been featured in a Mondo. 

The theme song to this sci-fi disaster has reached cult status over the years, and upon first listen you’ll know why. A boisterous vocal performance about toxic slime, groovy sitar jams, a shreddy guitar solo, with an EeEeeEerie theremin line in the background - it’s one of the most epic productions for a movie with zero production value. The original Japanese soundtrack was composed by Toshiaki Tsushima, but the production companies hired Charles Fox to re-score the US version (who had made theme music for Love Boat and Monday Night Football). There is some conflicting information online as to who actually performed this song. It’s largely credited as being The Ventures but there’s also credits for Richard Delvecchio. Plus, some dude in the YouTube comments left this note:

“When I got back from India in 1968, our drummer, Richard Delvy was working for MGM and asked me to play sitar on this song. I can still play my part. Rick Lancelot (later with Skyoats and then Frank Zappa) is singing lead. Rob Edwards, who I'd played with since high school, is on guitar. The Theremin player is the same on the Beach Boys song "Good Vibrations". When Rob wanted to form a band, we added Jim Keltner and David Jackson. With that line up we recorded the title to John Severson's film "Pacific Vibrations"... (Rick Griffin asked me to do it). I was running a West Coast Office for Albert Grossman Management by the time that I began to work on Severson's last movie.”

Wow...the more you know! - PE
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“Rock Invasion” - Black Roses 
Black Roses, 1988

Heavy Metal Horror that beautifully and ludicrously exploits the late ‘80s Satanic Panic with its confusing tale of a demonic rock band that seduces a small town’s teen population with their huge hair, hot licks and rubber monsters from hell.   A true “must see,” if what you must see are such things as Vincent Pastore (“Big Pussy” from The Sopranos) getting eaten by a stereo speaker.   Real hard-rocking zaniness from the director of that OTHER amazing ’80 Heavy Metal Horror classic, Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare. - JY

This track serves as the anthem for Black Roses - the fictitious band corrupting the youth of a small town with their Satanic heavy metal music. A great spoof of 80s hair metal with power vocals, heavy riffs, poorly fitted teased wigs, and lots of unforgivingly tight spandex (which somehow you can just hear in the music, right?) The actual band playing the music is King Kobra, featuring drummer Carmine Appice who formed the band after playing with Ozzy Osbourne from ‘83 - ‘84. He was also in Vanilla Fudge, played with Rod Stewart and a slew of other various groups and has been considered an influential drummer to many heavy metal drummers we know and love. Though we all really know, the highlight of his career is being the backing back for this godawful Satanic Panic spoof gone wrong. - PE
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“Let’s Buzz” - Richard Cox 
Slumber Party Massacre II, 1987

Roger Corman’s beloved Slumber Party Massacre series continues with this seriously goofy, A Nightmare on Elm Street-inspired sequel that combines an all-female teen rock band, a black leather-wearing greaser/serial killer (who gives off serious Andrew Dice Clay vibes) wielding an unforgettable red electric guitar equipped with a deadly phallic power drill, and, of course, a slumber party where most everyone dies.   Mostly a comedy, as any film featuring a woman’s head turning into a giant, exploding zit must be. - JY

​This song really sticks out for me in the mix because yes, we all know and love our heavy metal spoofs, punk rock flops, '80s disco garbage extravaganzas, but how many times have we specifically gotten a rockabilly thriller killer? Something about watching this Final Girl scene with the heroine screaming and crying while a dude with a slicked back pompadour, shit-eating grin and Elvis-swingin'-hips along with his murder drill guitar is honestly very unsettling. As quote by TV Guide, "The rockabilly killer is probably the most entertaining slasher ever to grace the screen—sort of like Elvis Presley playing Norman Bates, complete with musical numbers" - PE
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"Garbage day Interlude"
Silent Night Deadly Night 2, 1987

Nothin’ else to say but…GARBAAAAGE DAAY!
Also shout out to Jeff for handing out candy to everyone in the Mondo crowd out of a trash can for a true Garbage Day jubilee! - PE
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“Don’t Let Go” - John “Juke” Logan 
Slumber Party Massacre II, 1987

Can’t help but add another Slumber Party Massacre II track in here. This one was written by Michael Monagan, though I can’t find out who actually performed this song. Honestly, as far as rockabilly goes, this ain’t that bad! - PE

“Nature of the Beast” - Michael Bradley 
Voyage of the Rock Aliens, 1984

A gloriously weird ‘80s teen sci-fi musical that’s kind of like Grease meets It Came from Outer Space, and that spoofs pretty much every B-movie genre imaginable, all in service of promoting the career of the fantastic, pint-sized bad movie dynamo, Pia Zadora, who is indeed “Zadorable” as she sings, dances and rocks an astonishing array of color-coordinated sweatbands and parachute pants while battling an alien invasion with her self-absorbed rocker boyfriend, Frankie.    Also starring Michael Berryman, Ruth Gordon and Craig Sheffer, and featuring a totally pointless yet utterly amazing Mad Max-inspired music video that finally brings together Pia Zadora and Jermain Jackson, just like you always wanted. - JY

Welp, where do you even start with a song like this…
I guess firstly, why does this exist? What did this song *really* have to do with the plot? I really do appreciate whoever uploaded this on YouTube and described this scene briefly as “Frankie from Voyage of the Rock Aliens opens up his sex dungeon inside the local high school. He goes on to lip sync a song and walk around with a cougar.” So I guess that explains that?

This scene truly displays one of the most horrific lip sync performances I’ve ever seen in my life. And somehow this scene and song get progressively worse with time (and by worse, I obviously mean better). The cheesy sax solo, the “sexy” backup dancers, his way-too-horny pushups while making direct eye contact with the camera. However, it’s the song itself that really shines here. A macho jock dude's attempt at vulnerability, desperately crooning how he doesn’t want to end up alone...really tugs at the heart strings or whatever. Unfortunately, this will get stuck in your head for weeks. Enjoy.  - PE
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“Let’s Dance Tonight” - Pia Zadora
Voyage of the Rock Aliens, 1984

​Pia Zadora, as Mondo regulars know, is an absolute B-movie ICON. An award winning actress (Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress), she’s a multi-talented threat. Singer, off-Broadway performer, dancer, actress - she’s done it all! Voyage of the Rock Aliens was basically a shameless attempt of boosting Pia’s singing career with this song being one of the lead singles. It was a flop in the states, but did become a #1 hit in Germany. Basically this track is like if you were to feed AI a bunch of uninfluential ‘80s disco songs with the most incredibly mindless and generic lyrics about dancing. It rules. - PE

“When the Rain Begins to Fall” - Pia Zadora & Jermaine Jackson
Voyage of the Rock Aliens, 1984

​Isn’t it incredible that the lead single of the film doesn’t even appear in the movie? Well, technically it does, as they added a superfluous opening scene where Pia Zadora and Jermaine Jackson dance together and feature literally zero other characters or plot points from the film. But here at Mondo Mixtape, we LOVE a shameless plug that’s purely for monetary gain and promotion, ESPECIALLY when it’s as fabulously cheesy and catchy at this! - PE

“Dinosaur Man” - Simon Stokes and
​the Black Whip Thrill Band 
Tammy and the T-Rex, 1994

One of the greatest WTF? trash movie romances of all-time stars ‘90s teen star Denise Richards as a high school cheerleader who boyfriend, played by Paul Walker, has been mauled and killed by a wild lion, only to have his brain saved and placed inside of an animatronic T-Rex by a mad scientist because … well, why not?   Will true love conquer all for Tammy and the T-Rex?    A legitimately insane movie that was originally filmed as a gory, R-rated horror/comedy, only to have all its nasty bits removed for its original, tween-friendly 1994 home video release, and then have them all replaced years later for its triumphant return to Mondo greatness.     - JY

If you’re gonna have a movie open up with a cardio montage filled with spandex jumpsuits, synchronized hair flips, and high kick-flips, well then you better have the music to match it! This main theme sets off this gory, Jurassic Park wannabe film in just the right tone. I forget that this music is from the mid ‘90s when I hear this song, because it’s pretty dated and ‘80s butt rock sounding…but only fitting as truly nothing else about this movie holds up either! - PE
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Mondo Monday Mixtape is also presented as a physical mix CD and zine. If you live in Tucson and would like a copy, you can find one at a Mondo Monday screening at The Loft Cinema. If you don't live in Tucson and would like a CD and zine mailed to you, please reach out via our Contact page. 

You can also view a digital version of the Mondo Monday Mixtape zine here. 

Submissions for song requests, artwork, and writing is open for the next issue! Only songs that have played at Mondo Monday will be considered. Reach out to us with any questions, comments or submissions!