Brief Thoughts - LAST OF THE VIKINGS (1961)

In the glorious 1960’s Italian filmmakers tried their hand at every genre of film imaginable. Western, horror, crime tales, melodrama, war stories and comedies were churned out as fast as financing could be obtained. The general modus operandi for gaining production cash was to capitalize on the success of a Hollywood film to make similar movies in hopes of riding lucrative coattails to big box office returns. In 1958 Kirk Douglas produced the giant sized comic book of a film called THE VIKINGS and made a boat-load of money. It wasn’t long before the Italian copies and knock-offs started to appear. None of them reached the dizzying heights of THE VIKINGS but they still entertain in a big way – and there is nothing more fun than a full (or even half) scale Viking battle scene!

THE LAST OF THE VIKINGS (1961) has all the ingredients needed for a great Viking epic - beer drinking, sword & ax fighting, pig-tailed wenches, nasty back-stabbing villains and bloody battles. The story follows the return of two brothers, Harald and Gunther, to the Viking village of their birth after ten years of travelling and raiding in far away lands. They are devastated to find their home in ruins, their people scattered and their father traitorously murdered by a rival king. Harald vows to rebuild the village and kill the man responsible. His plan involves infiltration, kidnapping and (best of all) a huge attack on a fortified castle.

This is a fun example of the genre that smartly hides most of its budget shortfalls with crafty filmmaking techniques. Tim Lucas reports that Mario Bava was brought in to do some work on the film when production went over schedule and he makes a good argument for the master's hand being discernable. Certain scenes bear a rather distinctive Bava flair for the atmospheric and creepy beyond the simple needs of hiding the edges of a small set. In an interview with Lucas star Cameron Mitchell made no bones about the fact that Mario worked on the movie and since he was the there (playing Harald) it’s hard to ignore his testimony.

I hope that one day a good Blu-Ray of the film is made available as I think a sharp, clear version would go far to raise the film's reputation.

Trailer - TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME (1949)

Last night I suggested that we shift gears in our regular viewing and popped in the Blu-Ray of TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME (1949). I’m not the biggest fan of musicals but over the past few years I’ve found more and more of them that I enjoy. Turns out that this one is an excellent example of the classic Hollywood style of the genre!

I expected the three stars to be good but was even more impressed with supporting actors Jules Mushkin and Betty Garrett. Mushkin plays the team’s first baseman and the third clown between Sinatra and Kelly often given the best lines and making the most of even the smallest opportunity onscreen. He’s amazing. But Miss Garrett is phenomenal! She plays the young lady stricken with comical infatuation for Sinatra’s character and she shines like a blazing star. She is a joy to watch and seems capable of nearly anything. If she’s not literally picking up the undernourished Frankie-boy and walking off the field with him she is adding nuance to bits of business that make her character more lovable by the minute. I was sad to learn that she did most of best regarded work on the stage but in her elder days she turned to television and was on dozens of episodes of various series including extended runs on All In The Family and Laverne & Shirley. She was incredible and I hope to see more of her movie work in the future.

But most surprising of all for us was how perfect this movie turns out to be for viewing on the Independence Day weekend. There are multiple patriotic musical numbers scattered throughout and they engendered a warm, welcome feeling of nostalgia for times when I felt our country could pull together. The message of people of all types building a team to make a strong nation was beautifully handled and never cloying. It was a real joy to find this unexpectedly fitting entertainment for the first week of July and I highly recommend it.

Oh! And it also has a great Gene Kelly Irish themed musical number that pretty much stops the show. Brilliant stuff!

Universal Monsters Art!

Trailers From Hell - VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED (1960)

I've been thinking about rewatching this one and its sequel to do a quick compare and contrast. I think this one is better but I haven't seen the second film in years. This Trailers From Hell has Mary Lambert confessing to how this movie influenced her in an odd way. I get it. We were all pretty strange children, I guess. 

Alex Ross' Universal Monsters Art

 

The Bloody Pit #152 - THE MECHANIC (1972)

Author Paul Talbot has published two important books about Charles Bronson and his career. Both ‘Bronson’s Loose: The Making of the Death Wish Films’ and ‘Bronson’s Loose Again: On the Set with Charles Bronson’ are packed with information about the production of some of the most interesting action thrillers movies of the 1970’s and 80’s.

 

I was honored that Mr. Talbot agreed to join me on the show to talk about one of my favorite 1970’s Bronson movies. I’ve long been a fan of Bronson’s string of crime movies and THE MECHANIC (1972) is easily one of the best of the lot. We discuss the lengthy gestation period of the script, the major changes that it went through over time and the various actors that passed on playing the titular character. We also look at the location shooting on skid row in Los Angeles and how it offers modern viewers a window to another time and place. Director Michael Winner’s multiple collaborations with his star are touched upon and Mr. Talbot’s insights are backed up with his interviews with the sometimes controversial filmmaker. Of course, when you get two movie nuts talking it is difficult to stay on a single topic so a number of Bronson’s other vehicles are dragged into the conversation with both of us naming our three favorite Bronson films for comparison. These slightly off-topic sideroads are frequent but we do usually circle back to THE MECHANIC – I promise.

  

If you have any comments or questions thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. Thank you for listening to the show and I’ll be back soon with more. 

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Naschycast #69 - AGONIZANDO EN EL CRIMEN (1968)

Bob Sargent returns to the show to discuss a very early Paul Naschy screen appearance. Rescued from relative obscurity by the online fan-subbing community AGONIZANDO EN EL CRIMEN (1968) is a strange crime story centered on a serial killer obsessed with medical professionals - and their hands! This one is not easy to see but is it worth seeking out? Boy, do we have a lot to say.

Troy, Bob and I dig into the production of the film and how Naschy’s original job on this project was behind the camera. We spot a few interesting locations including a very familiar set of steps that are a big part of Naschy’s cinematic legacy. The film’s writer/star comes under scrutiny with Naschy’s pointed comments about the fellow leaving no doubt about why these two men never worked together again. On the other hand, this movie’s director, Enrique López Eguiluz, played a major role in making Jacinto Molina into the horror movie star we know and love to this day.

We take our time and really pull this one apart with occasional sideroads into the Hammer Dracula films and the on-set shenanigans of Klaus Kinski. It can’t be helped! We have a lot to say about the Juan Logar’s wide-eyed, maniacal but still somehow detached performance. We chuckle over the casual 1960’s style of misogyny and the silly idea that a woman might become a surgeon. Madness! And it all circles round to an embarrassing discussion of how best to hide a murder boner. We are a strange trio.  

We end the episode with a few new pieces of mail sent to naschycast@gmail.com and if you have anything you’d like to tell us, that is the place. Thank you for listening to the show and we’ll be back soon. 

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