Video - TWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE (1972)

Here's Edgar Wright talking about one of his (and my) favorite Mario Bava films! He describes it as a kind of Tom & Jerry murder story and that is just about perfect. But I think I prefer the BAY OF BLOOD title. 

Poster Art for Ghost Movies!

 

Italian Vampire Movie Poster Art

 

Video - THE SOUND OF SUPERMARIONATION

This is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the creation of not just the incredible sound effects of the Gerry Anderson Supermarionation TV shows but at the entire editing process. Even if you aren't necessarily a fan, this is a compelling view of the ways that creative people craft visual entertainment. 

Wild, Wild Podcast - TIGER OF THE SEVEN SEAS (1962)

Has the man you love ever killed your father and stolen your pirate ship? Have you ever seduced a Spanish governor to gain access to his private dungeons? Have you ever dug for buried treasure whilst under attack from your enemies? If so, you might not want to listen to this week's episode. But if all that sounds kind of fun, then join Adrian and I for the latest episode in our new season Rapiers and Ruffles, as we set off across the Seven Seas with Tiger and his red-headed daughter Consuela looking for adventure.

If you want to play along at home you can find a version of TIGER OF THE SEVEN SEAS on YouTube but be aware that it's badly cropped.

You can get in touch with us (we love hearing from you!), follow us on social media, buy our merch, and all that stuff, through our LINKTREE.

Animated Star Trek Title Cards

I've been revisiting the Trek animated show from the early 1970's for a future podcast. It has been fun but a few of the episodes are as bad as I remember. Luckily, the good ones are very good.  

 

What I Watched in January 2025

I love it when a horror film is able to hide what it is doing from me long enough for me to start to be concerned that it doesn’t have an actual destination. Such is CUCKOO (2024) which bends its narrative into something I could not predict from the first half of the story. This might be off-putting for some but I found it an intriguing change of pace. The film begins with an American family arriving in the German Alps for the parents to begin a new job. Teenager Gretchen has been brought along by her father but she has a strained relationship with her step-mother and mute step-sister. The recent death of Gretchen’s mother hangs over her and this grief is clearly making the transition to her new surroundings very difficult. After taking a part time hotel clerk job offered by her father’s new employer, she gradually becomes aware that there are strange things happening in this isolated location. First is a lurking, cloaked person that seems to only come out of the woods at night and second is a creepy man that checks into the hotel. Gretchen begins to investigate the odd events she witnesses and folk horror and mad science rear their unlikely heads. The film has a great cast and a fascinating, oblique approach to its unfolding secrets that kept me curious the entire time. I suspect this won’t be everyone’s idea of a good time but I loved it. 

The List

DEPORTED (1950) – 7 (criminal is sent to Italy but will he reform)

NAKED EVIL (1966) – 6 (British tale of voodoo)

I HATE MY BODY (1974) – 7 (rewatch)

NAKED ALIBI (1954) – 8 (blistering noir)

WICKED (2024) – 7

RINGU (1998) – 8 (rewatch)

TERROR CREATURE FROM THE GRAVE (1965) – 7 (rewatch)

THE GENTLEMEN (2020) – 8 (rewatch)

KILLERS FROM SPACE (1954) – 3 (I thought I’d seen this boring sucker)

BEHIND THE MASK (1932) – 6 (chiller with Jack Holt and Karloff)

STAR TREK IV: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY (1991) – 9 (rewatch)

THE THREAT (1949) – 7 (tight B-noir tale)

KRAVEN (2024) – 5 (a lot works but it never becomes what it was trying to be)

CUCKOO (2024) – 8 (fascinating modern folk horror)

FAST CHARLIE (2023) – 6 (Brosnan is good but the story is mostly a retread)

MIND FIELD (1989) – 4 (muddled Canadian thriller)

REBEL RIDGE (2024) – 8 (excellent action film)

THE KEEP (1983) – 6 (rewatch on Blu)

THE BLACK DUKE (1963) – 7 (Cameron Mitchell as Cesare Borgia)

WOLF MAN (2025) – 4 (never really works)

FEMALE PRISONER: CAGED (1983) – 6 (good roman porno)

THE HOUSE AND THE BRAIN (1973) – 6 (ghost story TV movie)

THE EXECUTIONER (1974) – 7 (Sonny Chiba action film)

RINGU 2 (1999) – 6 (pretty good follow up)

TERROR OF THE RED MASK (1960) – 7 (Lex Barker adventure tale)

THE HOUSE OF CLOCKS (1989) – 6 (rewatch on Blu)

PRESENCE (2025) – 7 (Soderberg chiller)