HILLBILLYS IN A HAUNTED HOUSE (1967) ** Begins as a film interspersed with entirely irrelevant country music videos, but degenerates into nothing but videos. No big deal, the movie wasn't that great anyway and some of the songs are pretty good (Merle Haggard). While the film's still going on there are some funny parts, as you would expect knowing that Jean Yarbrough's elements are Chinese spies, a gorilla, ghosts, a southern mansion, Ferlin Husky, Lon Chaney, Jr.; Joi Lansing (a prototype Dolly Parton without as much charm or talent), Basil Rathbone (still stylish in his final role, but not as vile), a possessed television set, John Carradine, and a secret missile formula. The scariest part is probably how, whenever someone starts to sing for no apparent reason, they're accompanied by invisible instruments! Haunted house, I'm tellin' ya. No, wait, actually, the scariest part is the way the audience are dressed at the Jamboree! The saddest part is that, what with all this music goin' on, they didn't do an ensemble piece with Merle, Basil, Lon, Joi, the ghost and the gorilla. "Riders in the Sky," maybe, with lyrically improvised verses, no re-takes, a bottle of moonshine going around, and lots of laughter.
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