1980's Sword and Sandal Movie Poster Art

 

YOR, THE HUNTER FROM THE FUTURE (1983) Poster Art

Day of the Sword Man?

 

The Bloody Pit #196 - SONS OF STEEL (1988)

John Hudson and Bobby Hazzard join me for a raucous discussion of this bizarre Australian oddity. Are we able to figure out the story? What do we think of the main character? Do we maintain our sanity before the invisible chimp rears his furry head to fling poop everywhere? Thank goodness for the laughing audience in the room to keep us on track and aware of how silly we can be.

SONS OF STEEL (1988) is a film built out of bits & pieces of earlier movies but without the budget necessary to pull it off. It seems to be assembled from random parts of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Blade Runner, Back to the Future, Max Headroom and a little barbarian imagery for texture. The film follows Black Alice, a pompous singer strutting around a dystopian near-future momentarily mourning his dead girlfriend and trying to become a rock star. Strangely, he is also somehow an environmental peace activist – or at least we are told this by agents of the Oceana government. (Did I mention that 1984 is ripped off as well?) The movie is a series of music videos struggling to tell a tale of revolution, love and violence but the most memorable moments are the very 80’s songs scattered across the soundtrack. In Spiritus Wank’em!

If you have any thoughts on Black Alice, SONS OF STEEL or the sequel novels penning by the writer/director, thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. Thank you for listening to the show!

Umberto Lenzi's IRONMASTER (1983)

The flood of barbarian movies that stormed across movie screens in the early 1980s was at best a mixed blessing. A direct result of the big box office of CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1982), the slew of rip-offs was inevitable as was the variable quality level from production to production. Barbarian movies don’t require much in the way of big budgets and if you’re fairly clever it is possible to create a moderately believable fantasy realm with sword wielding men and women saving oppressed people from evil warlords. If you want to include a wizard slinging around magic spells the price tag might go up a little (‘Find me a cheap FX man, now!’) but there were ways to make that pay off well if it made the film stand out from the crowd.

To be completely clear, none of these movies are classics of cinema. In fact, I would say that most of them would be considered bad movies by non-aficionados of strange cinema. But when you get the desire to see muscled non-actors swing swords and flatly toss out poorly scripted dialog about their beloved princesses and nefarious evil plans there are few options other than cueing up a barbarian movie from the 1980s! The crazy costumes are a big plus as well with the evil characters often wearing objects that a lively audience can spend the film’s entire running time trying to identify.

One of my favorites of the barbarian rip-off genre is Umberto Lenzi’s IRONMASTER. This film is a cut above the average of its type with a good story, some impressive South Dakota scenery and a good amount of well integrated stock footage of dangerous animals. The battle scenes are well done and usually believable in their harshness as the actors work hard to sell the physical nature of their characters. And only a group of mad Italians would have the audacity to conclude such a gory, violent movie with a call for non-violence and pacifism. Chef’s kiss!

 

 

The Bloody Pit #181 - STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK (1984)

 

Mark Maddox returns for a discussion of the third Star Trek film – THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK! The odd numbered films are generally derided but both of us feel the positives outweigh the negatives in this one. Of course, we pick at every nit we can spot but we do also praise the film for the elements that stand tall and resurrect the dead!

 

We dig into the genesis (he he) of the story with Leonard Nimoy’s desire to step into the director’s chair leading to several interesting choices. We discuss what it means to be the middle chapter of a trilogy with Mark claiming that The Undiscovered Country is part of the story as well. I bring in details and story additions from the excellent novelization of the film by Vonda McIntire that enhance the story and the secondary characters. The casting of the Klingons is a point of contention with Doc Brown as an alien bad guy becoming an amusing cinema crossover I had not considered before. We lament the stage bound nature of the Genesis planet segments and agree that some location filming would have improved things overall. The special effects get some attention with the destruction of the Enterprise being singled out for praise and we also express our pleasure at having another performance from Mark Leonard as Sarek. This is turning into a fun revisit to this series of movies!

 

If you have any comments about Star Trek or anything else we’ve covered on the show thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. We’d be thrilled to hear from you. Thank you for listening and we’ll be back soon. 

Wild, Wild Podcast S5 E12 - THE FINAL EXECUTIONER (1984)

It's time for our epic journey across the irradiated wastelands to come to an end, so what better film to bring things to a satisfying conclusion than THE FINAL EXECUTIONER? Join Adrian and I as we struggle to find anything positive to say about this late entry in the pastapocalypse cycle while still remaining upbeat. Some would say that we are scraping the bottom of the barrel but sometimes there are tasty bits left behind. Is that the case here? Or is this a film that even its mother would have left out in the desert to fend for itself? Luckily there is violence, sexytime and the occasional bit of funky synth music so it's not all bad.

We would love to hear from you if you have any favorite post-apocalypse films. You can contact us on Twitter and Instagram or by email at wildwildpodcast@gmail.com. Please also remember to rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice!

Video - THE FINAL EXECUTIONER (1984)

YouTube is making things a little easier if you want to follow along with the films we cover on the Wild, Wild Podcast. Our next episode focuses on this example of the post-apocalyptic genre that neither Adrian or I had ever seen before. Check it out!

The Bloody Pit #177 - STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982)

Mark Maddox and I return to the Star Trek feature films! This time we tackle the big one – the one that kept the franchise alive – STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982). It’s an important film for Trek fans and also an important part of the astonishing list of genre releases from that year. We briefly discuss the other films from 1982 to demonstrate the pivotal nature of the cinema of that time and its long-term effect on the genre. For this episode we assume you have some knowledge of the film and spoilers are in every corner of every deck. You have been warned.

 

We each relate our personal history with the film starting with theatrical viewings and then we dig into the details that make this one a classic. The selection of Nicholas Meyer as director is pointed to as the choice that probably guaranteed the project’s success with his melding of the various script ideas into a cohesive whole. The cast is discussed with Shatner, Nimoy, Kelley and Montalban singled out for praise for their excellent performances. Mark recounts his discouraging encounter with an odd form of homophobia when seeing the film for the first time and we compare the first film’s special effects to the smaller budgeted sequel. The story’s commentary on aging comes under scrutiny as both of us think about the changes in ourselves since this film came out. We ain’t getting any younger, that’s for sure!

 

If you have any comments about Star Trek thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. We’ll be back in a few weeks to continue this journey with Kirk and the gang and we hope you’ll join us. 

Wild, Wild Podcast Season 5 Episode 8 - EXTERMINATORS OF THE YEAR 3000 (1983)

Adrian and I return with a Road Warrior rip-off that really doesn’t try very hard to hide its swipes. Shifting the focus of the post-apocalypse survivors from fuel to good old H2O is the biggest change if you put aside the obvious budget differences. But with characters named Alien and Trash you just know that things are going to be interesting! The film’s fast and furious car action scenes are discussed as well as western influences that go beyond merely filming in the same Spanish locations that hundreds of spaghetti westerns were made. This one is a lot of fun!

We would love to hear from you if you have any favorite post-apocalypse films. You can contact us on Twitter and Instagram or by email at wildwildpodcast@gmail.com. Please also remember to rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice!

Wild, Wild Podcast Season 5 Episode 8 - RAIDERS OF ATLANTIS (1983)

In this episode we leap from helicopter to nuclear sub to mysterious island in our pursuit of the Atlantis Interceptors and their quest for, well, who knows. It may not make any sense, or even really be post-apocalypse, but it fun will be had along the way - and after all, perhaps the true meaning of Atlantis was inside us all along.

Yes, it's the late Ruggero Deodato's bonkers Filipino action film Raiders of Atlantis, an odd entry in the Pastapocalypse sub-genre, but one that belongs there nonetheless. We discuss its origins, try to get to grips with its plot, and even find time to mention Oliver Onions again.

We would love to hear from you if you have any favorite post-apocalypse films. You can contact us on Twitter and Instagram or by email at wildwildpodcast@gmail.com. Please also remember to rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice!

Wild, Wild Podcast Bonus Episode - The Last Hunter & Treasured Films

It's time for another special bonus episode, and this time Adrian chats with Graeme Lloyd and Tom Lee Rutter at Treasured Films, the new UK Blu-ray label responsible for releasing a fantastic uncut and restored edition of the spaghetti combat classic THE LAST HUNTER (1980, Antonio Margheriti). We also cover their distribution site Film Treasures, some upcoming releases, the trials of establishing a new label in a crowded field, and why the BBFC seem to be going out of their way to make life difficult.

You can order this superb release direct from TreasuredFilms, and if you do they will send you a double-sided poster! You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter. Their sister company Film Treasures is the go to place for importing international releases, which you can find HERE.

Wild, Wild Podcast Season 5: Episode 6 - ENDGAME (1983)

It's time to pull your leather trousers on, apply some Ziggy Stardust-style make-up and grab a shotgun as we bravely head into the Endgame arena for the reality show battle of our lives! Along the way we'll have some psychic alone time with Laura Gemser and go toe-to-toe once again with Joe D’Amato's lucky mascot, George Eastman.

We talk about how impressive the poster art is for this film and how it seriously oversells things the movies does not contain. We also find time to discuss the fact that we are living in a golden age if you are a fan of cult Italian cinema, which of course you are, and Rod makes a surprising revelation!

We would love to hear from you if you have any favorite post-apocalypse films. You can contact the show on Twitter and Instagram or by email at wildwildpodcast@gmail.com. Please also remember to rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice! And thanks for listening. 

Wild, Wild Podcast Season 5: Episode 4 - 2019: After the Fall of New York (2019 - Dopo la caduta di New York, Sergio Martino, 1983)

 

Join us and Michael Sopkiw as we hit the road in our not-ripping-off-Mad-Max hotrod for some not-ripping-off-Death-Race car-smashing action in the deserts of Utah and a quarry just outside Rome. And that's just the prologue to the real story, which is not-ripping-off-Escape-From-New-York at all. Yes, 2019: After the Fall of New York is the fruit salad of Italian post-apocalypse films, throwing in a bit of everything and then pouring the synth stylings of the De Angelis brothers over the top in the hope that you won't notice the joins or the obvious miniature work. But we love it! Along the way we discuss the ubiquity of George Eastman, ponder the difficulty of finding the last fertile woman on Earth if no one has told you her name or what she looks like, and reminisce about Dogtanian and the Three Muskerhounds.

We would love to hear from you if you have any favorite post-apocalypse films. You can contact us on Twitter and Instagram or by email at wildwildpodcast@gmail.com. Please also remember to rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice!

Wild, Wild Podcast Season 5: Episode 3 - 2020 TEXAS GLADIATORS (1983)

In this episode Adrian somehow had the wrong mic recording so everything on his end sounds like he's down a well. Perhaps a good place to survive the apocalypse?

Yes, we're still in a dystopian future world, and this time we're in the safe hands of uncle Joe D'Amato and George Eastman. 2020 Texas Gladiators can be found on YouTube if you want to play along at home, and this is one film you won't want to miss!

We would love to hear from you if you have any favorite post-apocalypse films. You can contact us on Twitter and Instagram or by email at wildwildpodcast@gmail.com. Please remember to rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice and thank you for listening!

Wild Wild Podcast Season 5:Episode 2 - 1990:THE BRONX WARRIORS (1982)

Join us as we get our skates and shoulder pads on to head into the Bronx for one of Italy's most enjoyable New York-set dystopian future movies – 1990: The Bronx Warriors! In this episode we ponder why no one seems to have a gun, why there were so few light-up skulls for the bikers, and why we can't all have drummers playing in the background during difficult moments in life. We discuss the fascinating cast, the smart editing and how much violent fun can be had in a pretty dismal place.  

CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1982) Poster Art From Around the World

Wild, Wild Podcast's Luigi Cozzi Season Episode 3 - HERCULES (1983)

Listen in as Adrian and I put on our tiny leather skirts, grab our weapons (mind out of the gutter!) and jump into adventure. We discuss both of Cozzi's 1980's Hercules films starring Lou Ferrigno and a double handful of familiar Euro-cult faces. We talk about how these Cannon produced movies came about, how Cozzi was brought in to helm them and why the second one is so damned much stranger than the first. Luckily, the writer/director is on record about these movies so we have lots of fun behind the scenes tidbits and some real insight into the reasons these memorable throwback sword & sorcery films were successful for Golan & Globus.

If you have any favorite Luigi Cozzi films we'd love to hear from you. You can contact us on Twitter and Instagram or at wildwildpodcast@gmail.com with an email or recorded voicemail. And please remember to rate and review us on your podcast listening platform of choice! Thank you and we'll be back soon. 

The Bloody Pit #160 - CODE NAME: WILD GEESE (1984)

Adrian Smith joins me as we return to our long-term discussion of the films of Antonio Margheriti. In the 1980’s he made several ‘military men on a mission’ films for various producers. These movies aped everything from THE DIRTY DOZEN to RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART 2 (1985) accomplishing much with meager budgets. Margheriti’s expertise in special effect work and miniatures were a major help in keeping costs under control. These sometimes great and sometimes insane effects are part of the fun, especially as we get higher definition prints that allow for certain crazy details to become evident.

CODE NAME: WILD GEESE (1984) was the first of trio of jungle action movies Margheriti made with British actor Lewis Collins in the lead and it is easy to see why Collins was briefly considered to play James Bond. He projects ‘tough guy’ hardness well and is a solid actor to boot. This film surrounds him with an international cast including an Oscar winner (Ernest Borgnine) and a couple of classic screen bad guys playing nice (Lee Van Cleef and Klaus Kinski) giving everything a sweaty sheen of near-respectability, even if Kinski is very oddly dubbed. Throw in a ridiculous car chase, a few dozen explosions, gratuitous Mimsy Farmer, a surprise villainous turn and it is easy to overlook the regularly disappearing plot, ill-defined motivations and bizarre effects choices. This one is fun in all the over-the-top ways that 1980’s action cinema aimed to be. So, hop into that small helicopter and let’s torch some opium fields for exciting but vague reasons! Woo hoo!

The show’s email is thebloodypit@gmail.com and we’d love to hear your thoughts on this or any of Antonio Margheriti’s films. And join Adrian and I on our other program Wild, Wild Podcast as we start a season focused on Luigi Cozzi! Thanks for listening!

The Bloody Pit #157 - RED SONJA (1985)

Cort Psyops returns to the show to talk sword and sorcery!

 

RED SONJA (1985) is a film that gets very little respect even among hardcore cult film fans. Cort and I feel this is an oversight and we take about two and half hours to make our case! Hopefully you will join us on our quest.

 

Both of us are coming off of seeing the film on high-definition disc which enhances our appreciation of the visuals, especially the old school special effects craftsmanship. Who cares if that strange giant spider doesn’t really work! Wheel that sucker out there and photograph it correctly for the desired effect.

 

We discuss the movie’s strange production with last minute casting of the lead and extended participation from Arnold Schwarzenegger bending the story into different shape. I lament the lack of a novelization but I do point out some fascinating information that can be gleaned from the Marvel comics adaptation. We discuss the multi-ethnic cast, the gorgeous cinematography and the incredible production design that shows off every penny of the budget. We talk a bit about the slight differences that make for a PG-13 rating rather than an R with this film flashing enough blood to make us wish for a more violent cut. The film’s stunt coordinator is given his due as we praise the visceral feel of the sword fights as well as the many ways that the wonderful score brings the entire movie to life. This really is a fun adventure film and I’m glad to see that it has aged well.

 

If you also love this odd sword & sorcery film thebloodypit@gmail.com is where you can send your memories of seeing it for the first time. Are you like Cort who caught it between HBO screening s of BEASTMASTER? Or did you get to see it in the theater in 1985? Podcasters want to know! And thanks for listening. 

RED SONJA (1985) Comes to Blu-Ray and 4K!

There is no defendable reason I can give to be happy about this news. It is without a doubt a bad film. Terrible in fact. Despite being directed by Richard Fleischer, having a script co-written by George MacDonald Fraser and boasting a fantastic score by Ennio Morricone it is an absolutely awful movie. All the acting is bad, the story is so thin it wouldn't pass for a good comic book tale, the kid character is irritatingly obnoxious and the villain is just silly.

BUT - I will love watching this again in HD. I will.