Bronx Warriors 1 & 2 - Soundtracks

A treat today for fans of Enzo G. Castellari's post-apocalyptic Bronx double. Filmed in 1981, the plot is heavily influenced by The Warriors and Escape From New York but pulled off with enough comic book verve by Castellari and a healthy Fabrizio De Angelis production crew - including their noted composers Walter Rizzati and Francesco De Masi.

In this Italo-centric view of 1990 New York, the Bronx is a lawless slum ruled by ridicoulously dressed thugs who ain't got nothin' on The Orphans! The loose plot has an heiress (Stefania Girolami, the director's daughter) venture into the Bronx badlands and the clutches of the most stupid gang you will ever see, the Zombies. Thankfully, she is rescued from their absurd appearance by tough kid Trash (Mark Gregory) who beats the crap out of them in slow motion. Trash rides with the only biker gang in town named, uh, The Riders and is played by a 17 year old with no acting experience that the director spotted at a gym. Naturally, the family want their heiress back so they send in Hammer, a no-nonsense mercenary (Vic Morrow in his second last performance) to get her back and clear out the Bronx - with extreme prejudice. Fred Williamson hams it up enormously as Ogre, the leader of fellow gang The Tigers, who teams up with Trash to face a common enemy. It all ends very abruptly with Morrow being dragged away to his doom. Sure, it's complete nonsense, but it's all very enjoyable in a comic book kinda way.

The sequel was filmed a mere 18 months later and has an almost interchangeable plot - with Henry Silva taking on the ruthless mercenary role - but probably has the edge with more action and tighter pacing than the original. There's even less of a pretense of a plot this time around, with an evil corporation enlisting the services of a tough nut ex-prison warden (Henry Silva filling in the Morrow role) to clear out the Bronx - with even more extreme prejudice. Useless bit of trivia: future porn starlet Moana Pozzi has a minor role.

These films will always hold a nostalgic charm for me. They were amongst the very first films I saw, thanks to a rich school friend who had one of the 2 or 3 vcrs in town. We're talking early eighties here. I guess I would've been about 7 at the time. Even though they charged me for the privelige (20 cents, if memory serves - explains why they were rich) I saw a swag of cheesy, violent pulp cinema that left a major impression. Thanks to the glorious early days of home video, I witnessed Cannibal Apocalypse, Mad Max, Schizoid, Happy Birthday To Me, The Soldier, Bloodsucking Freaks, The Last Hunter, Mother's Day - and this Bronx double all before my 8th birthday.

Anyway, back to the reason you came here, and that's the tunes. First up is the complete soundtrack for Walter Rizzati's score for 1990: The Bronx Warriors, and a rollicking good time it is. Following that is Francesco De Masi's score to the sequel, Escape From The Bronx / Bronx Warriors 2. Unfortunately, I haven't able to source the complete score (Beat records issued a full soundtrack on LP for the film's release - anyone out there have it to share?) so I'm presenting 'selected highlights' that were issued on CD for a De Masi comp a few years back. As per usual, there's a few bonus odds n ends to be heard at the end.

1 - Bronx 1990 (Walter Rizzati)

2 - Fire Knights (Walter Rizzati)

3 - Trash & Annie (Walter Rizzati)

4 - Radioprogramme (Walter Rizzati)

5 - Hammer Boss (Walter Rizzati)

6 - Bronx Suspense (Walter Rizzati)

7 - Learning To Die (Walter Rizzati)

8 - Bronx Traffic (Walter Rizzati)

9 - Skaters Group (Walter Rizzati)

10 - N. Y. Suspense (Walter Rizzati)

11 - Spillo's Death (Walter Rizzati)

12 - Ring Mystery (Walter Rizzati)

13 - Trash & Annie (Walter Rizzati)

14 - The Warriors (Walter Rizzati)

15 - A Bar In The Bronx (Walter Rizzati)

16 - Fear & Death (Walter Rizzati)

17 - Still & Again (Walter Rizzati)

18 - Slow Run (Walter Rizzati)

19 - Escape Sequence (Francesco De Masi)

20 - Escape Sequence 2 & 3 (Francesco De Masi)

21 - Escape Sequence 26 (Francesco De Masi)

22 - Escape Sequence 27, 28, 29, 30 (Francesco De Masi)

23 - 1990 Bronx Warriors - Trailer (edit)

24 - 1990 Bronx Warriors - choice dialogue

25 - 1990 Bronx Warriors - drum solo

LINK IN THE COMMENTS

R.I.P. Franklyes

It's just come to my attention that one of my favourite soundtrack sharing sites has bitten the dust :-( Franklyes and the many regular sharers/posters/requesters were a friendly, helpful bunch and will be sorely missed. Thank you for all the great music. It was one of the direct inspirations for this here blog and I may re-post some of that stuff somewhere down the track.

In the meantime, a handful of soundtrack blogs still exist, mine included :-) Which reminds me, anyone out there with a related blog to promote (soundtracks, cult, trash, Euro-schlock, etc...) feel free to leave a link in the comments section.

The New York Ripper - Soundtrack

Music by Francesco De Masi to the eyeball slashing gorefest that is Lucio Fulci's Lo Squartatore Di New York. Released in 1982 and following the success of his previous Gothic projects (The Beyond, House By The Cemetery, City Of The Living Dead), this film - essentially a gory giallo with a vicious killer stalking New York - was a disappointment for fans and something of a turning point in his career. Having the killer adopt the voice of Donald Duck to taunt the police is just plain stupid and the leaden pacing and flat photography make the gore scenes a chore to get through. The hard-gore/soft-porn misogynistic nature of the film also managed to alienate all but the most hardened splatter fan and the film was subsequently banned in many territories (including my own, Australia). It doesn't help that lead actor Jack Hedley looks like he would rather be ANYWHERE else. However... it does feature another fine score from Francesco De Masi, composer of Thunder, Lone Wolf McQuade and a whole bunch of Spaghetti Westerns. The track "April Night" (performed by Walter Rizzati) also turns up in the Australian video trailer for "Cannibal Apocalypse". Weird, eh? And as a useless bit of trivia, the screenwriters of this film (Vincenzo Mannino & Gianfranco Clerici) later re-worked the screenplay to become Ruggero Deodato's Off Balance / Un Delitto Poco Comune (1988).

EDIT: This updated version has a more consistent bitrate (@320) as well as a few cover versions of the title theme. Thank you to those musicians; I'm hoping in the spirit of Fulci-ness, they won't mind me sharing their fantastic versions!

LINK IN THE COMMENTS

1 - New York One More Day

2 - Phone Call

3 - New York One Night

4 - Puerto Rico Club

5 - The Ripper

6 - New York One More Day (Funk)

7 - Fay

8 - Where Is The Ripper?

9 - New York One Night 2

10 - Puerto Rico Club 2

11 - Suspense And Murder

12 - Waiting For The Killer

13 - New York One More Day (Funk - Long Mix)

14 - Fay (Alternate)

15 - New York One More Day (Funk - Alternate Mix)

16 - April Night (Walter Rizzati)

17 - Porn Scene Song (I Got A Misery?)

18 - New York One More Day (Another Dead Junkie)

19 - New York One More Day (Jazz Version)

20 - New York One More Day (Island Rocks)

Bonus - Original Trailer

The Goblin Project 2

Due to popular demand... Well, kind of... A follow-up to my previous Goblin collection, this volume collects some of their lesser known projects. First up, is the Discocross album, a groovy dancefloor disco beast arranged by one Giorgio Farina and performed by the classic line-up of Goblin circa 1978. Only 3 tracks, but well worth a listen.

Next up is the later studio album "Volo" (or "Flight") which featured only the remnants of the original line-up (Fabio Pignatelli being the mainstay), added some studio musicians and some pretty mellow pop tunes with Italian vocals. It's not an outright disaster, but I'm not sure it's the sound you want to hear Goblin associated with. It's worth noting that it's the release of this album from 1982 which led to the Tenebre spoundtrack not receiving an official Goblin credit at the time. The pleasant tune "Est" was also later reworked for the "Notturno" soundtrack.

Finally, we have some (otherwise unreleased) music from "Squadra Antimafia", the follow-up to the Thomas Milian/Nico Giraldi vehicle "Squadra Antigangsters". The audio is taken straight from a video source, complete with snippets of sound and dialogue, so thanks to the original ripper.

LINK IN THE COMMENTS

1 - Farina's Suite (Discocross)

2 - Tawawa's (Discocross)

3 - Suite Slide Return (Discocross)

4 - Polvere Blu (Volo)

5 - Fortuna (Volo)

6 - Giornata Isterica (Volo)

7 - Agrodulce (Volo)

8 - Armonia (Volo)

9 - Volo (Volo)

10 - Punta Di Rottura (Volo)

11 - Est (Volo)

12 - Squadra Antimafia 1

13 - Squadra Antimafia 2

14 - Squadra Antimafia 3

15 - Squadra Antimafia 4

Cannibal Apocalypse - Soundtrack

This is the soundtrack for Antonio Margheriti's Cannibal Apocalypse (aka Apocalypse Domani, Invasion Of The Flesh Hunters, Virus, and many others...), a rip-roaring bit of exploitation nonsense starring John Saxon. Vietnam veterans return to America with a cannibalistic virus and run amuck! As the virus spreads and the police edge closer, the desperate group of cannibals hide in the city sewers. Not really a zombie or cannibal film, although the film is clearly inspired by Dawn Of The Dead (screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti manages to throw in a biker gang and a trip to the mall). It's all pretty silly but there's the occasional jolting gore scene (John Morghen has a gaping hole blown thrown his torso, for example) to perk things up. Then there's the alternatively funky and creepy score from Alessandro Blonksteiner, who really oughtta have composed more Euro Schlock scores. Still awaiting a CD re-issue, this is the longest version available, complete with some bonus bits n pieces...

LINK IN THE COMMENTS

1 - Jane

2 - Apocalypse

3 - Impossible Love

4 - Apocalypse & Love

5 - Boys & Girls

6 - Underground Fugue

7 - Market Suspense

8 - Jane 2

9 - Station Service

10 - Impossible Love 2

11 - Dreadful Night

12 - Jane 3

13 - Target Firing

14 - At The Hospital

15 - Cannibal Apocalypse m20

16 - Cannibal Apocalypse m27

17 - Cannibal Apocalypse - Suite 1

18 - Cannibal Apocalypse - Suite 2

Bonus - Original Trailer

Requests!

Hello there fellow film music fan, hope you're enjoying the posts. Going to take the opportunity to issue a few requests for albums that have somehow escaped my grasps. I'm not aware of any CD re-issues. Any assistance would be much appreciated!

- La Preda (Vince Tempera & Fabio Frizzi) - Cinevox LP MDF 33/77

- Amore Libero (Fabio Frizzi) - Cinevox LP MDF 33/76

- Brivido Giallo (Simon Boswell) - Cinevox LP/Cassette

- Red Light Movies (Nico Fidenco) - Beat LP

Sex Suites

Now that I have your attention... A collection of sexy themes from some of the sleaziest films of Italian Schlock Cinema. Is it any surprise Joe D'Amato's name is behind most of these titles? Lots of sweet funky tunes (and some downright rude background noise). And I have no idea why Fabio Frizzi's theme from End Of Innocence / Emanuelle's Daughter Blue Belle turned up again in 7 Notes In Black. Must have felt it was just to good to waste on a sexploitation flick. Listen to it with someone you love... As usual,

LINK IN THE COMMENTS

1 - Yellow Emanuelle (Nico Fidenco)

2 - With You / End Of Innocence (Linda Lee & Fabio Frizzi)

3 - Annie Belle / End Of Innocence (Linda Lee & Fabio Frizzi)

4 - Mandinga (Marcello Giombini)

5 - Waves Of Lust (Marcello Giombini)

6 - Images In A Convent (Nico Fidenco)

7 - Pleasure Shop On 7th Avenue (Bruno Biriaco)

8 - Hard Sensation (Alessandro Alessandroni)

9 - Orgasmo Nero - Sensual Suite (Stelvio Cipriani)

10 - Orgasmo Nero - Climax Suite (Stelvio Cipriani)

11 - Porno Holocaust - Title Theme (Nico Fidenco)

12 - Porno Holocaust m2 (Stelvio Cipriani)

13 - Porno Holocaust m3 (Stelvio Cipriani)

14 - Porno Holocaust m4 (Stelvio Cipriani)

15 - Porno Holocaust m5 (Stelvio Cipriani)

16 - Porno Holocaust m6 (Stelvio Cipriani)

17 - Porno Holocaust m7 (Stelvio Cipriani)

18 - Play Motel (Ubaldo Continiello)

..... and a special message from a sexy friend!