What I Watched in June 2025

28 YEARS LATER (2025) is one of the best films I've seen all year. In many ways it was an unexpected surprise. I did not expect this mostly forgotten series to suddenly spring back to life with possibly its best entry so far and I did not expect the story to be so emotional or touching. I did expect the violence and action which was very well handled in all cases. And I certainly did not expect that bizarre final scene setting up another film. But I'm onboard after this one! Bring it on. 

The List

BRING HER BACK (2025) – 8 

BARBARA (1970) – 5 (interesting if meandering coming-of-age, sex drama)

UNKNOWN WORLD (1951) – 5 (rewatch)

PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS (2025) – 8 

THE PHOENCIAN SCHEME (2025) – 8 

MOUNTAINHEAD (2025) – 7 (dark comedy about tech billionaire scum) 

TERROR OF THE BLACK MASK (a.k.a. The Invincible Masked Rider) (1963) – 8 (rewatch)

BALLERINA (2025) – 7 

ROGUE ONE (2016) – 8 (rewatch after ANDOR)

THE NIGHT THE WORLD EXPLODED (1957) – 6 (small sci-fi disaster tale)

THE UNDERWATER CITY (1962) – 6 (interesting science fiction story)

THE VISITOR (1979) – 5 (rewatch) (so aggressively strange) 

THE UGLY STEPSISTER (2025) – 9 

NIGHT OF THE BLOOD BEAST (1958) – 6 (rewatch on Blu) 

THE CURSE OF THE YELLOW SNAKE (1963) – 7 (excellent krimi)

FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES (2025) – 7 

28 YEARS LATER (2025) – 9 

TALK TO ME (2022) – 8 (rewatch)

A FAMILY AFFAIR (1937) – 7 (first Andy Hardy film)

STRAIGHT-JACKET (1964) – 7 (rewatch on Blu)

Tales of the Zombie Cover Gallery

 

The Bloody Pit #198 - HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD (1980)

HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD (1980) is no normal Italian zombie film. Coming hard on the heels of both George Romero’s genre-defining DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978) and the now classic ZOMBIE (1979) from director Lucio Fulci this Bruno Mattei/Claudio Fragasso effort ‘borrows’ elements from both. In some cases, the things recycled are surprising, such as the chunks of music composed by Goblin for Romero’s film being inserted into the soundtrack. Other things that get borrowed are to be expected, like an attempt to one up the famous Fulci eye trauma sequence that made audiences worldwide to shudder. But the things that cause HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD to stick in most viewers’ memories are the strange asides, terrible dialog, unexpected nudity and slow-motion stock footage of animals. Oh – and the bizarre tutu scene! No one ever forgets that. Three stalwart defenders of this twisted zombie epic join me to discuss the haphazard, sloppy film that was produced. They want to call it a classic. I just want to call it over! 

Troy Guinn, Jeff Nelson and John Hudson vigorously lay out a series of justifications for what I see as cinema crimes and finally manage to get me to admit to a few points of agreement. We examine the odd actions that characters in zombie films make for no discernable reason. We spend some time trying to figure out if the script was working its way through an exploitation checklist or if there was a less mercenary reason for the way things unfold. Each of us relates our history with the film and pick out favorite Bruno Mattei films from across his career. At some point we get lost in the possibilities of a 21st century BetaMax rental business but we retreat from that financially doomed idea soon enough. And we end the show with a unique musical contribution from Troy’s oft-mentioned brother! 

If you have any comments about HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD or any Italian zombie films thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. Thank you for listening! 

THE MAD GHOUL (1943) Lobby Cards and Poster Art

Podcast on the way!

 

Then Is Now Podcast #70 - THE LIVING DEAD AT MANCHESTER MORGUE (1974)

I have previously guested on this fine podcast in an episode in which the host and I discussed the Polizziotechi film, Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man. Today we dive into the excellent Spanish horror film The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue, also known as Let Sleeping Corpses Lie, Don’t Open the Window and a slew of other titles! 

Italian heartthrob Ray Lovelock stars as George, an antiques dealer who ends up accidentally traveling with a girl named Edna to her sister’s country house. The two get lost and end up embroiled in a terrifying scenario of the dead coming back to life, presumably because of a machine designed to kill insects! This classic, hidden gem is starting to become more well known, and owes a lot to George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead! It's a surprisingly smart take on the zombie film and shows how the genre would shift and grow in the wake of Romero's influential classic. Check it out at the links below. 

Direct Podcast Show LINK 

Apple Podcast LINK 

Beyond Naschy #33 - THE NIGHT OF THE SORCERERS (1974)

The Naschycast returns to the films of Amando De Ossorio for a romp through the jungle!

THE NIGHT OF THE SORCERERS (1974) a.k.a. The Night of the Witches follows a small group of researchers seeking to document the endangered species of a fictional country in Africa. They make camp near a (miniature) village and then learn from a native about the supernatural history of the area. Of course, we have been made aware of the odd rituals of ‘Bumbasa’ in a 1910 prologue showing the kidnapping, rape and beheading of a British lady on an altar that seemingly transforms her into a leopard demon! Or, at least, a fanged disembodied head that can turn and snarl at the camera! It’s a wild ride.

Troy and I hack our way through the jungle foliage to get a good look at this strange little film. As he had done with his Blind Dead movies Ossorio is clearly trying to create a new monster of his own design. But the leopard demons offer some technical hurdles that the writer/director’s usual low budget is often unable to jump. We discuss the various forms in which we see the creatures onscreen trying to decide which of them is most effective. Since these three forms are simply leopard stock footage, fake leopard heads partially hidden by leaves and female members of the cast running in slow motion through the jungle night it can be difficult to make a conclusive choice. And Ossorio throws in enough sex and blood to keep an exploitation audience distracted from the inherent silliness of the pieces of his narrative that don’t always work. But where does this film fall in the legacy of this legendary Spanish horror filmmaker? We share our opinions and hope to hear yours.

The podcast can be reached at naschycast@gmail.com where you can send your thoughts on this episode’s film or Amando De Ossorio’s career as a whole. We’d love to hear from you! And we end the show with a song from Nashville band Peachy - check them out! Thank you for listening and we’ll be back soon with more from the Golden Age of Spanish Horror.

Peachy BandCamp Page

Apple Podcast LINK 

MP3 Direct Download LINK 

DEAD & BURIED (1981) - Classic 80's Horror

Something strange is happening in the foggy northeastern coastal town of Potters Bluff. A vacationing photographer (Christopher Allport) is snapping shots on the local beach when he's interrupted by a beautiful barefoot girl (Lisa Blount). She flirts shamelessly with him, captivating him completely until a group of people attacks him from behind. The disparate group beat him mercilessly, ties him to a post on the beach and burns him with a can of gasoline. That night the photographer's body turns up in his wrecked microbus on a nearby road. He appears dead until the local mortician/coroner William Dobbs (Jack Albertson) touches him and the hideously charred body screams in pain. Sheriff Dan Gillis' (James Farentino) investigation finds that the victim was checked into a local hotel and that the sheriff's own wife had visited the man the day before. Gillis' wife Janet (Melody Anderson) explains that she was buying photo equipment for her grade school class from the man; when her story doesn't gibe with the school's principal the lawman begins to doubt her. The poor photographer barely has time to come out of his coma before his beach seductress slips into his hospital room and finishes him off for good.

 

Faster than you can say 'murder-crazed mob' another visitor to the area is attacked and viciously killed by folks that appear to be normal members of the community. When this body turns up, Gillis knows he definitely has a murderer on his hands and is starting to think the two dead bodies must be related. To complicate matters, Gillis hits a pedestrian with his truck on a late night patrol. Horrified that he may have killed someone, the sheriff's even more stunned when the person's severed arm takes on a life of its own and the fellow pops up and runs off... pausing only to retrieve the missing limb! When particles of the arm test as dead flesh at least three months old, Gillis begins to question Dobbs about the possibility of reanimating corpses. Dobbs scoffs at the notion. Then a murdered hitchhiker's corpse disappears from the mortuary and the photographer's body goes missing from his coffin. A supernatural explanation seems to be more and more likely...

Almost completely missed in its original theatrical run, Dead & Buried is one of the lesser known cult horror films of the '80s. Its reputation grew slowly over the last few decades by virtue of repeated cable broadcasts, its single VHS release and finally Blue Underground's DVD and Blu-Ray releases. Like a lot of the film's fans I caught up with it on HBO in the early '80s and rented the videotape from my local video store repeatedly. I will never forget the shock of the last image of the film, one that turns a solid little horror movie into a true classic. The film is very well produced on nearly every level with good to great performances, creepy cinematography and a screenplay that knows just how much not to say! Director Gary Sherman proves himself to be quite adept at blending the small town New England feel and the undead creepiness to make a smooth and frighteningly different zombie story. His use of long, single takes and odd camera placement always enhances the terror and dark humor. His choice to keep red out of the film's color palette is very effective, as is the slightly retro look of much of the town. Potters Bluff feels like a contemporary town most of the time but every now and then a vintage detail will make the place seem adrift somewhere in the mid-1950s. 

Of course, knowing that this was Jack Albertson's last film always makes me a little sad. Not because Dead & Buried isn't a worthy final bow, but because he's so much fun here that it would've been great to have him reprise the role. In one of the extras on the DVD set Robert Englund mentions that Dobbs the mortician could've been a franchise character much like Freddy Kruger and I agree. He certainly has a much more interesting motivation than some other sequelized boogeymen, but looking at the diminishing returns for the Tall Man character in the Phantasm movies maybe it's best that the film stands as a 'one & done'. Strangely, the two roles I'll always remember Jack Albertson for are Uncle Charlie in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and this one — saint and sinner.

I've been such a fan of Dead & Buried for so long that it was a shock to hear director Sherman talk about his disappointment with the way it turned out. On his commentary track with BU's David Gregory, he explains that originally there was much more black comedy in the film. He points out how much of the humor was removed, more gore was added and several scenes rearranged to meet the requirements of the money people. It's a shame that even though Sherman put together his own cut of the film, the print was destroyed so that the distributors wouldn't have to spend money to keep both versions. It's enough to make a film nut cry! To think there was an even more unusual version of this dark little gem, one we'll never get to see, is a bit like getting poked through the eye with a long needle. Still, Dead & Buried is a great little movie. Shrouded in fog, cloaked in mystery and haunted by the sounds of Dobbs' beloved Big Band music, Potters Bluff is a place I love to visit... even if I wouldn't want to live there.

Brief Thoughts - ZOMBIES ON BROADWAY (1945)

After owning this film on DVD for over a decade I finally got around to watching it and was surprised that it was enjoyable - not good but also not as bad as I had assumed it was going to be. My expectations were dialed very low because, in general, the combination of Bela Lugosi and comedy is a sure sign that you're in for cinematic trouble. For me, all horror comedies from this period pale in comparison to the all-time great ABBOT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948) and so I generally expect the worst but hope for the best. The level of humor in horror comedies of the 1940’s was usually pitched at around the level of the broadest of vaudevillian stylings and that never has translated well to the screen for me. Maybe because I've spent the last year catching up with about a dozen previously unwatched Abbott and Costello films, I've grown accustomed to the type of humor commonly found in this decade and therefore I’m more easily amused by them than I would have been in the past.

The old-fashioned joys of this film are the kinds of things that more and more I find myself enjoying as I explore the lesser known efforts of the comedy genre. One of the best elements is the cast with Bela Lugosi getting to play it straight and, in the one scene in which he participates in some actual physical comedy, he is perfect! It couldn’t have been easy to work with a monkey that continues to appear and disappear in a chest of drawers but he actually is spot-on in his timing, expressions and delivery. Plus, any movie in which I get to see Sheldon Leonard playing a quick-to-anger gangster is worth my time. ZOMBIES ON BROADWAY (1945) not a great movie but it's also not bad so I found myself actually enjoying the film for its brief running time. It is far from a classic, but it is a pretty interesting time waster for fans of the star and for comedies of the period.

The Bloody Pit #113 - PRIMAL RAGE (1988)

The late 1980’s were an odd time for Euro-trash exploitation filmmakers. The slasher genre was played out and no other type of horror film was considered a sure bet so, what to do? Why not find a way to somehow piece several sub-genres together to see if, combined, they will make a coherent film and rake in the profits! So they took a little from the animal attack sub-genre with a dash of mad scientist then added in some biting rage zombies and rape-happy frat scumbags to see what would happen. And then they sold it as if it were a slasher film! Madness, thy name is PRIMAL RAGE (1988).

Joining me to talk about this bizarre mixture is Bobby Hazzard who starts things off diving deep into the Claudio Simonetti produced collection of songs that pepper this film. This was released back when a major selling point for a movie was the multi-artist soundtrack album featuring hoped for hit tunes and at times film’s the dialog is often less noticeable than the music. We argue about which song is worse and I sprinkle samples from most of them into the show. You’re welcome/I apologize!

We discuss the film’s ‘rage virus’ and how it, at times, feels a little like a dry run for 28 DAYS LATER (2002). Bobby takes great pleasure in noting the motor vehicles that this film shares with that other Florida-shot Italian-made horror film NIGHTMARE BEACH (1989) made by the same team. We lament the lack of Umberto Lenzi’s directorial touch and wonder about the song this movie shares with a certain Dario Argento film. Of course, we comment on the clothing choices and the odd hairstyles because the 80’s were a dead space for taste and this film is a document of those sad times. My favorite moment in the show is when Bobby rattles off a detailed list of every mad costume he could spot in the chaotic Halloween Party climax. Luckily this entertainingly sleazy, bloody mess moves at a good pace, making talking about it fun.

Let us know what you think about this film or our overlong conversation about it at thebloodypit@gmail.com or over on the show’s FaceBook page. We’d love hear your opinion of this jumbled Italian horror mess.

iTunes LINK

Direct MP3 Download LINK

What I Watched In October

There’s always the fear when a beloved property gets a new interpretation that the new version will fumble the ball. That it will focus on the wrong elements or that the flavor of the entire affair will somehow be off in a way that undermines the original intent destroying the chance for a new audience to experience the idea. I’m happy to report that THE ADDAMS FAMILY (2019) successfully gets things right in bringing Charles Addams’ creepy creations to the world of big budget animation. Pulling ideas from the original magazine cartoons and the live action television show from the 1960’s the film keeps the joy of the darker side of life centered as it tells multiple interlocking stories of the Addams crew getting to know their new neighbors down the hill. The movie starts with a slightly unnecessary origin story about Gomez and Morticia’s wedding but serves as a nice amuse bouche before settling in for the entire meal. The film is scary and funny in the way fans have come to expect and the voice talent is top-notch bringing fantastic nuance to the relationships of the family and the situations that propel the narrative. Good fun all around and I hope it does well enough for a sequel!

Some might think that was pretty audacious to assume that it would be possible to make a successful sequel a full decade after the original film came out and was an unexpected worldwide hit. But the fact is that the people who made the first Zombieland film had no idea that it was going to be a massive hit and really had no idea for a direct follow-up in 2009. Of course, the franchise hasn't been totally moribund in the past 10 years. There was a failed TV series pilot done for Amazon that showed promise but garnered little interest. That could have taken the idea into a potential fun area but maybe the concept requires more than weekly TV can allow for. Now I think we can be very happy that, if you were a fan of the first movie, the writers had as much time as they did to come up with something as fun as this sequel. ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP (2019) picks up right after the first film and follows our mismatched but loveable quartet to the White House where they set up safe residence and then slowly become bored. In fact, the group dynamics eventually sends the youngest off on her own to find a romantic entanglement that home-life cannot provide. And then the happy couple of the team suffer a crisis of the marital kind making a cross-country journey necessary again. This leads to meeting new survivors in Zombieland and further funny adventures trying to keep everyone alive. This one is at least as fun as the first movie and may actually be better thought out and emotionally satisfying than its predecessor. If they are going to make another one, I hope it happens before 2029. 

The List 

THE MASK OF SATAN (1960) – 9 (rewatch on Blu) 

INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1978) – 8 (rewatch on Blu)

THE DEVIL’S NIGHTMARE (1974) - 7 (rewatch on Blu)

FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980) -6 (rewatch) 

MUMMY’S BOYS (1936) – 3 (sad attempt at comedy) 

ABBOT & COSTELLO MEET THE KILLER, BORIS KARLOFF (1949) – 7 (rewatch) 

INSEMINOID (1980) – 4 (rewatch on Blu) 

THE BLACK ROOM (1935) – 7 (Karloff period horror) 

THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935) – 8 (rewatch on Blu) 

THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER (1960) – 8 (rewatch on Blu) 

THE ADDAMS FAMILY (2019) – 8 

BEETLEJUICE (1988) – 9 (rewatch at Drive-In!) 

SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939) – 9 (rewatch) 

EL CAMINO (2019) – 8 (solid coda to Breaking Bad) 

IN THE TALL GRASS (2019) – 7 (well done King/Hill adaptation) 

CONTAMINATION .7 (1993) – 3 (a.k.a. The Crawlers) Euro-trash plant monster mess) 

THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTIEN (1942) – 7 (rewatch) 

ALIEN (1979) – 10 (40th anniversary rewatch on the big screen) 

MARK OF THE WITCH (1970) – 5 (OK reincarnated witch tale) 

SLEEPAWAY CAMP III: TEENAGE WASTELAND (1987) – 5 (silly but fun) 

SATAN’S DOLL (1969) – 6 (fairly sloppy Italian gothic thriller) 

THE CORRUPTION OF CHRIS MILLER (1973) – 9 (rewatch on Blu) 

MALEVOLENT (2018) – 7 (solid British ghost tale) 

FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2 (1981) – 7 (rewatch on Blu)

THE ENDLESS (2017) – 7 (well done sci-fi looper) 

THE FOG (1980) – 9 (rewatch) 

THE MUMMY (2017) - 7 (rewatch) 

RETURN TO HORROR HIGH (1987) – 3 (pretty bad horror/comedy) 

BOO! (2018) – 3 (dull, slow horror tale) 

THE INVISIBLE MAN (1933) – 8 (rewatch on Blu) 

ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP (2019) – 8 

THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN (1966) – 8  (rewatch) 

HOUSE OF THE WITCH (2017) – 4 (mediocre, tame haunted house movie) 

THE MUMMY’S CURSE (1944) – 6 (rewatch) 

THE INVITATION (2015) -8 (very good slow burn drama/horror) 

ELVIRA’S HAUNTED HILLS (2001) – 7 (rewatch)

THE UNCANNY (1977) – 6 (not bad anthology horror) 

PET SEMETARY (2019)

Unlike a lot of people, I've never been a huge fan of the 1989 adaptation of Stephen King's novel Pet Sematary. I've given the movie three tries over the past three decades and each time I've come away unimpressed with its poor acting and uninvolving direction. That first film has one good performance (Fred Gwynn) but that is its only standout element. It's just not a very good movie. Therefore, it fits the classic criteria for a remake in that it's a film with a good idea that (in my opinion at least) was done very poorly on first attempt.

So last week I finally checked out the 2019 version and I'm happy to say I think the second time they may have actually managed to make a good movie. I should say up front that I'm not someone who is a knee-jerk hater of remakes. I kind of enjoy seeing variations on classic films even when I think the remake may fail or turn out to be a weaker rendition of the general story. I think it's fun to see these older stories reimagined for a new age and often times you get a new version of an old story that can stand up next to the original movie. In the case of PET SEMETARY I think there was nowhere to go but up.

This new film has a much stronger cast with Jason Clarke doing very good work as the father that makes the fateful choice to use the titular plot of land. Replacing the late Mr. Gwynn is the excellent John Lithgow who continues to demonstrate his seemingly effortless ability to create sympathetic characters onscreen. The new film is stylishly directed moving from point to point swiftly without ever feeling as if it’s in a hurry to tell it’s tale. If you’re familiar with the earlier film or the book there will be few surprises other than in presentation but this is a well-done reworking of the story that finally gives the Stephen King book an effective screen adaptation. There is only one disappointment I can point to. The Blu-Ray has an alternate ending that I think works better than the one chosen for the finished picture. Both endings get to the same place but the mechanics of the revival and the time required for the Semetary to do its work is more believable in the unused ending. Plus, the final image of the alternate version is a much more potent finish for the story. 

Brief Thoughts - ZOMBIES OF MORA TAU (1957)

I've only watched this movie a couple of times in my life and months afterward I can barely recall that I did watch the thing. On my most recent viewing I realized why it's so forgettable - there are almost no memorable scenes in this movie. The only a few scenes that even approached being memorable and they are that way because they're slightly silly. Not really silly. They never become cartoonishly funny but just remain at a constant level of mildly silly in a sort of low-budget-film, got-to-get-this-shot kind of way. These silly moments include the sight of a supposedly underwater trip via diving helmet in which the illusion of being underwater is accomplished by having a bubble machine attached to the back of the actor. It’s a not very effective attempt at convincing the audience that water is surrounding the character and it’s mildly daft. Another cheap effect is faking the firing of a flare pistol by merely turning an off-camera bright light on and having people shield their eyes and squint. As I said, silly but not silly enough to warrant more than mild amusement.

But the strangest element of this movie, and one that eventually irritates me over the course of its short running time, is that there are multiple times in the narrative when the most natural thing for characters to do is simply set fire to the zombies! Set them on fire, dammit! At several junctures there are cans of gasoline or kerosene, torches with open flames and a room full of walled-off zombies. Light those suckers up and get rid of your problem. Done. But this being a mid-50s low-budget affair (thank you Sam Katzman) what we get is something much sillier. You know - like pouring the flammable fluid on the ground and lighting it so that the zombies don't follow you. The script is such a sloppy mess that there are points where even the actors seem to have lost the thread of just what is going on. Oh well. I guess in another 10 years or so I'll have forgotten enough about this movie to be willing to watch it again.  It's a shame it's not better. Maybe I should have watched it with a beer or four?

Why Do I Keep Watching ZOMBIE 3 (1988)?

Over the past 20 years I have watched  this particular film  at least half a dozen times. I have no defendable excuse for this fact because there is no good reason to watch it more than once - Ya know- for the experience!  So there is no good reason to own Zombie 3 on Blu-ray. In fact, there is no reason for Zombie 3 to even exist on Blu Ray. It is without a doubt one of the worst examples of zombie cinema made before the advent of cheap digital photography. It has a terrible script, awful acting, crappy sets, awful makeup effects, depressingly stupid ideas and a total lack of intelligence. For roughly 85% of its running time it is a nonsensical ramble thought half-formed scenarios that go nowhere. It is without a doubt one of the worst horror films I have ever watched more than once. The fact that I have to express my feelings in these particular terms will show you just how sick a horror fan I am.

So, why do I own it on Blu-ray?

Two reasons, I guess.

One is that clearly I'm a sucker. There's a part of me that seriously hopes that one day I will watch a horror film that I think of as absolutely terrible and find hidden depths or buried qualities that I was just too youthful or inexperience to discern on previous viewings. Sometimes it happens. Not often anymore, but sometimes it does and so hope springs eternal.

The second reason is that I am an incredible sucker in another way which might be worse. If there is a brand new sparkling HD edition of even a film as marginal and bad as Zombie 3 it can draw me in. Usually it's with the idea that somehow just being able to see the image more clearly may make me appreciate the film more. That has rarely happened but I can't stop thinking down that deadly path. So, Severin got me to pony up for their new Blu-Ray of this awful movie. I'm such a sucker!

Should I also admit that I bought their Blu of ZOMBIE 4 as well? How much shame can one man bear?

Trailers From Hell - ZEDER (1983)

Here's the great Ernest Dickerson talking about the brilliant Pupi Avati! The subject is one of Avati's amazing horror films and Dickerson effectively lays out what makes the film fantastic and why it might not be for every horror fan. Check this out to see if ZEDER is something you might want to add to your Haloween watch list.

The Bloody Pit #53 - THE BEYOND (1981)

This episode we take a trip to the dank, mist enshrouded, sweat covered land of Louisiana for a blast of gore drenched Italian horror from maestro Lucio Fulci! The Three Stooges of Euro-Trash descend into the cellar of the Seven Doors Hotel to see if they can find the Book of Eibon while dodging the outstretched arms of eye-gouging zombies. Sense and nonsense merge into a rich tapestry of mad events loosely connected to the hotel and it's new owner Liza (Catriona MacColl). Can handsome doctor McCabe (David Warbeck) unravel the mystery at the heart of the horror or will he, too, succumb to the dark forces from The Beyond?

The recent GrindHouse Releasing Blu-Ray of this seminal horror film was the catalyst for Jeff, Troy and Rod to rewatch this violent creep show and high definition does nothing to dampen their love. Easily the best the film has ever looked on home video it gains so much in detail and visual depth that it becomes an even better experience. The movie's many narrative lapses and structural oddities are discussed as well as it's dread filled atmosphere and superlative Fabio Frizzi score. Clearly Fulci was more interested in realizing a long series of surrealistic, nightmare-like sequences concocted to unnerve and disturb, but among his dream imagery assault are moments of pure Gothic beauty as well. One of a kind filmmaking and a classic regardless of it's faults.

If you listen to the show on iTunes please rate & review the podcast there. It helps others find us and generally makes us feel good! You can join us on the Bloody Pit Facebook page as well where show links are posted along with odd images from the movies we cover. Thank you for listening and we'll be back soon! Oh! And I do refer to the podcast as The Bloody Podcast at the beginning of the show. This is not a rebranding attempt! It's just me verbally stumbling as we get back into the groove of recording. 

iTunes LINK

Direct Download LINK 

What I Watched in February

SPLIT (2016)  marks the third  M. Night Shyamalan project in a row that I've liked. Considering the fact that I had written him off completely after four or five miserable misfires this is something of a cinematic miracle. This film is a tight, taut creeper that wastes no time getting to the point and then meting out details in a way that keeps thing interesting. It helps that James McAvoy is fantastic in the lead role pulling off multiple characters inhabiting the same body with what seems great ease. Veteran actress Betty Buckley is also great as the psychiatrist trying to help the various personalities come to an understanding and coexist. This is a sharp little thriller and I now look forward to what Shyamalan will do next.

While I'll be the first to admit that the RESIDENT EVIL series has had it's fair share of ups and downs, I remain a fan. None of the sequels have held together as well as the first movie but I've enjoyed the crack-pot madness the films have embraced and I've been willing to go along for the ride. Sadly, this latest (and supposedly last) entry is one of the weaker ones. After flirting with incomprehensible millisecond-cut editing in earlier films hack director Paul W.S. Anderson finally embraces the suck and makes all the action scenes in this one a mish-mash of overly tight shots placed together seemingly at random. I would not be surprised to learn that these scenes were originally edited much more intelligibly  but Anderson wanted something 'edgier'. This disastrous choice destroys the first hour or so of the film because you can't give a crap about what is happening when you can't see it. Someone needs to tell the idiot director that if you are going to define your characters through action we have to be able to understand what the hell action is taking place to care. Moron.

Strangely, once the story reaches it's endgame I was interested again. The wrap-up they have invented for the Alice character(s) is pretty good and felt like a natural way to explain many different plot elements from the series. Now, if someone could go back in and fix the first hour or so we'd have a fun little movie.

I, like most people who saw it, loved the first John Wick film. It took the clichéd idea of the retired hit man drawn back into the game to new heights of visceral action. It was exciting, intriguing and emotional beyond what I could have expected. The sequel picks up right after the first one and dives into the unfortunate fallout from picking those guns back up. The action scenes are what you come to see in these films and they more than deliver with inventive fights and dazzling gunplay that is as beautiful as watching Gene Kelly dance - if Kelly wielded weapons like a vengeance seeking demon!

The best thing for me was the broadening (hello, Rome) and deepening (interesting relationships) of the dangerous world inhabited by these high level assassins. The codes they live by and work by are well thought out and rigid but clearly in place for everyone's benefit. The rules of this world are fascinating and the breaking of them is what is going to make the next film even more absorbing. Bring on the third entry - I'm ready!

Quite simply, A CURE FOR WELLNESS is the best Dario Argento film in thirty years. The fact that he didn't make it is a sad thing, but the film exists and that means that the audience wins!

Seriously, this is very much the kind of film I wish Argento was still able to craft. The film takes place in modern day but feels like it could be set any time in the past forty years. Lockhart, an ambitious young executive (played well by Dane Dehaan) for a large financial services firm in New York City, is sent to retrieve the company's CEO Mr. Pembroke from an peaceful but mysterious "wellness center" at a remote location in the Swiss Alps. This reason for this assignment is to get the CEO back to the US to sign off on a huge corporate merger. The company's board are concerned after receive a troubling letter from a seemingly demented Pembroke and emphasize to Lockhart the importance of his job. Upon arriving at the wellness center Lockhart is met with some resistance by the staff, particularly Dr. Heinreich Volmer (the always excellent Jason Isaacs), in his attempts to speak with Pembroke. He eventually succeeds in getting through to him, but a car crash forces him to recover as a patient in the center with a broken leg. From there things get progressively stranger.

The wellness center is as gorgeous a piece of old world stone and brick architecture as you are likely to see on film. Once the movie gets to this location the feeling of modernity falls away and a calm, gothic atmosphere envelopes the tale. Everything onscreen gives the impression of having stepped back into a time long passed - there are no computers, phones are mounted on walls, clothing is generic or crisply white and everyone is serenely going about their business. Both patients and staff seem to calmly pass each day comfortable in the routine of rest, relaxation and regular medical treatments. Ah, but what are those treatments?

Very much in the vein of SUSPIRIA or INFERNO the film does wallow a bit in it's own beauty and, to a degree, shares those movie's plot problems. Not all the story dots line up perfectly with at least one thing still puzzling me days after the fact. Even with the film purposely and cleverly confusing things at points with possible hallucinations it makes itself clear at the end except for one nagging element that I can't wait to discuss once more people have caught up with the film. The only other problem I had was the feeling that the movie is a little too long. But this is such a lovely, creepy tale that, in a way, I'm kind of happy for the extra time to soak in the sensations.

THE LIST 

SPLIT (2016) - 8
RESIDENT EVIL: THE FINAL CHAPTER (2017) - 4 (weak ending with spastic editing)
THE WOMAN WHO WOULDN'T DIE (1965) - 7 (well done thriller)
JOHN WICK CHAPTER 2 (2017)- 8
THE TOMB (1986) - 3 (terrible Fred Olen Ray horror mess)
CIMARRON (1931) - 8 (excellent western epic)
EYE IN THE LABYRINTH (1972) - 7 (interesting Euro-Trash mystery hokum)
HAPPY HELL NIGHT (1990) - 2 (awful slasher)
ALONE IN THE DARK (1982) - 6 (interesting cast - OK film)
I, THE JURY (1981) - 5 (rewatch)
MOON ZERO TWO (1969) - 4 (sad Hammer SF)
WEEKEND OF TERROR (1970) - 6 (solid TV movie with good cast)
THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. (2015) - 9 (rewatch)
A CURE FOR WELLNESS (2017) -  8
THE HYPNOTIC EYE )1960) - 4
DARKMAN II: THE RETURN OF DURANT (1995) - 6 (rewatch)
DARKMAN III: DIE, DARKMAN, DIE (1996) - 5

The DaddyBones - "ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE"

These guys always put a smile on my face! 

Naschycast #56 - Revisiting HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB

In this episode we do change the script a bit. There have been some great new Blu-Ray releases of Paul Naschy films and we wanted to give each of them a look to see what new information about the great man might be gleaned from them. So, in the first segment of the show we discuss the CRIMSON and COUNT DRACULA'S GREAT LOVE discs at length giving our opinions of these fresh presentations. No one will be surprised that this leads to discussion of the merits of the two films as well so be prepared. This is the Naschycast after all.

Then we turn to the main topic of the evening - a look back at HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB (1972). We originally podcasted about this classic over six years ago in episode #2 and for an in depth scene-by-scene dissection I will point everyone to that show. Here we speak more broadly about the movie and the elements that we still find impressive and of value. To add to the discussion this time we convinced fellow podcaster and all around good guy Christopher Page to send in his thoughts on the film. He has only recently begun to discover Naschy's work and his point of view informs how your longtime co-hosts dig into the beating, bloody heart of HRFTT. With a little luck we'll be incorporating other fan's thoughts on the classic films of Naschy in the future.

We end this episode with what turns into a rant. The topic is one that hadn't been on our minds until recently but once broached we felt it should be talked about. Thanks to longtime listener Villa Wolf for sparking this discussion and helping both co-hosts come clean about our past fanboy tactlessness. Down with the gate-keepers!

If you would like to contact us the email address is naschycast@gmail.com and if you listen to the show through iTunes please rate and review us over there - It gets more eyes on the podcast. Also, if you'd like to help us pay the hosting fees for the show there is a Donate button on the right side of the blog page - every little bit you send our way puts more lead in our pencils! Thanks for downloading and listening.

iTunes LINK  

Direct MP3 Download LINK