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ROCK-A-DIE BABY is the second of two horror TV movies featuring singer/songwriter/actor Kim Milford and his band Moon, originally broadcast on ABC's late night Wide World of Mystery in 1975. For many years, it has been reported that both films were lost, but recently Stash Wagner, the bassist for Moon, who appears in the movies, has uploaded copies of this film and it's predecessor SONG OF THE SUCCUBUS, that were taped from a later television broadcast, to You-Tube, and they are now available for viewing.

I had seen SONG OF THE SUCCUBUS when it was originally broadcast in 1975, but I had never seen this one before. I like both of them a lot! In both, the band members are plagued by supernatural forces, and there is a mystery to be solved. The movie begins and is interspersed with actual performances by the band, which are very good. Kim Milford is the leader, but all the members are talented seasoned musicians. They are all also respectable actors. In the first movie, the focus is of the mystery is mostly on Kim Milford, but here the focus is more on Stash Wagner. The movie obviously had a low budget, but is very well done. There are elements that are very unusual for a TV movie from a major network in 1975, including a surprising amount of violence (though not graphic), and the surprising twist to the conclusion to the mystery, that I don't want to give away. I doubt that they would have thought about broadcasting it in prime time then. I mean that as a compliment!

It seems as though there might have been plans for further episodes of this series of movies, but sadly they did not come about. Both movies close with a performance of a song called "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark", which may have been the title of a proposed series. I am very happy that Stash Wagner has made them available for viewing again. I would really love to see an official release of these movies and the music of Moon released.

SONG OF THE SUCCUBUS is the first of two made for TV horror movies featuring Kim Milford and his band Moon. It was originally broadcast on ABC's late night WIDE WORLD OF MYSTERY in 1975. I saw it when it was first broadcast and liked it, but then it seemed to disappear. It had been allegedly lost since 1990, and was never released on VCR or DVD However, Stash Wagner, one of the members of Moon has recently uploaded to You-Tube a copy that was recorded from a later television broadcast, and I was able to recently re-watch it again almost 50 years after its initial broadcast, and I still like it a lot!

Kim Milford, the younger brother of actress Penelope Milford, was a very talented actor/singer/songwriter who often seemed right on the verge of stardom, but never really found it prior to his untimely death from heart failure in 1988 at the age of 37. He was briefly the lead singer of the Jeff Beck Band, and performed onstage in HAIR, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, and THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. Here he plays the leader of a rock band who is haunted by the ghost of a Victorian era singer (Brooke Adams). Kim and his bandmates attempt to solve the mystery surrounding her death. The movie begins and ends with performances by the band, and they are actually very good. The excellent screenplay was written by Robert Thom, who wrote WILD IN THE STREETS, BLOODY MAMA, and DEATH RACE 2000, among others. This was obviously produced on a very low budget, but the actors acquit themselves well, especially Kim Milford, who had a lot of charisma, and Brooke Adams, very early in her career. The other band members were also all talented musicians. Stash Wagner was a member of The Fraternity of Man, and still performs in Australia. David Foster became a famous movie and music producer and has won 16 Grammy Awards.

I would love to see this movie and it's sequel ROCK-A-DIE BABY get a proper video release someday, and the music of Moon be released in some other form, but now I'm just glad the movie is available again for viewing thanks to Stash Wagner.

THE GUN HAWK was advertised in theaters as a typical action packed shoot em up western, which must have disappointed the drive-in fans who were expecting that. What they saw instead was a thoughtful, superbly acted character study written by Jo Heims, who would later write PLAY MISTY FOR ME for Clint Eastwood. Rory Calhoun and Rod Cameron both prove they are excellent actors, bring nuanced performances to roles similar to those they had both played in countless B westerns. Rod Lauren, Ruta Lee, and Morgan Woodward provide excellent support. I think this movie got lost in the era between the 50's B westerns and the 60's spaghetti westerns, neither of which does it fit comfortably in, which is a shame. Highly recommended!