Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery - Cover Gallery

I really wish I had grabbed a few of those hardcover reprints of these a few years back. 

Trailers From Hell - THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN (1942)

I return to this one over and over again. 

Poster Art - ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. (1966)

The Bloody Pit #105 - Sam Irvin Visits!

Every now and then you meet a true raconteur. Someone who not only has the ability to tell tales in an amusing way but who has enough life experiences accumulated to have stories that seem to be inexhaustible. Sam Irvin is such a person!

Sam is a filmmaker who got his start in the industry working with Brian De Palma in the 1970’s on THE FURY (1978), HOME MOVIES (1979) and DRESSED TO KILL (1980) but his journey began as a movie obsessed Monster Kid in North Carolina. While just a grade school kid, he started his own movie fanzine in which he reviewed horror, science fiction and fantasy films as well as conducting interviews with his horror film idols. Over his high school years he interviewed Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Vincent Price, Freddie Francis, Terence Fisher and even managed to travel to England to speak with them in person. The story of his visit to the set of THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN (1974) is incredible and one of the funniest celebrity tales I've ever heard.

In the 1980’s he shifted to being a producer, directed his first short film and worked as the Vice President of Marketing for several film distribution companies before finally getting to fulfill his dream of becoming a feature director. And then there’s the little story of making the amazing ELVIRA’S HAUNTED HILLS (2001) with the great Cassandra Peterson. But I should just let Sam tell you his story since he does a much better job than I ever could.

Among all his other projects Sam is also an author and our current pandemic Hell has fueled his creativity in an odd way. Along with artist Dan Gallagher he has produced the book Sam’s Toilet Paper Caper! Styled as a parody of the classic children’s series of Little Golden Books it relates the mostly true adventures of Sam as he attempts to replenish his supply of white gold – rolls of TP. It’s available in both ebook and print editions with links done below. All profits from the sales of this book go to the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. To learn more and to donate, you can visit this website: LINK

So, sit back and enjoy this couple of hours with Sam Irvin as he lets us in on some of the more incredible parts of his wild life. If you have any questions or comments the email address is thebloodypit@gmail.com or you can join us over on the show’s FaceBook page. Thanks for listening and we’ll be back soon.

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HUDSON RIVER MASSACRE (1965)

A few years ago, when Troy and I got the job do a commentary track for an Amando De Ossorio film I decided to track down his earlier movies as part of my research. I felt it would be a good idea to get a sense of what he was doing then to get into the position to be able to create his Blind Dead films as well as his other horror movies. I knew that seeing his first features outside the horror genre would allow me to see his progression as an artist. Among these early pictures was one that I was very happy to spot among his list of credits called REBELS IN CANADA (1965). It's generally described by Ossorio and his biographers as one of a couple of westerns he made for producers to prove that he could bring in a film on budget and on time. But for me it was a chance to see one of my favorite horror filmmakers from Spain trying his hand at a Canadian Mountie movie! Rare indeed.

Long time readers of this blog will realize that I have a soft spot for tales of the Canadian Mounted Police for no good reason that I can really put into words. I have been fascinated with them ever since reading a collection of Pulp short stories centered around the Canadian police force years ago. I especially love with stories of this force that take place in the late 1800's so this film check marks several of the boxes to get me interested. I was excited recently to discover that this movie, under a different title, has now been released on Blu-ray. Having really enjoyed the film even just above and beyond my general love of Canadian Mounted Police stories I was happy that I would eventually be able to tell people that they could see this movie without resorting to the darker corners of the internet. I’m pretty sure this is the first time REBELS IN CANADA has been released on home video in the US but, sadly, I have to report that the MVD Classics Blu-ray of this film under the title HUDSON RIVER MASSACRE is extraordinarily subpar.

The print of the film used for the Blu-Ray is bright and colorful but the film has been mastered onto the digital format very poorly. If the image is still things looks great but the second there is any movement the picture becomes grainy and smears appear. I’m not well versed enough in the art of crafting high definition product to know exactly what went wrong but it seems as if there was not enough care taken to make sure this obscure little movie looked as good as possible before slopping it out onto disc. It’s a complete failure of quality control that makes suspect the entire MVD line might be as poorly done. This a real shame as the movie is a pretty good film with a few surprises and one really impressive battle sequence along the way. Lead George Martin is an acrobatic actor with the perfect look for these kinds of tales. He does his job well even in the sometimes violent action scenes when the bloodier side of the director’s leanings come to the fore. The female cast is strong, playing out the typical clichés of this tale with verve and energy. Top marks to Diana Lorys as a singing salon girl who loves Martin’s character but can’t catch his attention. My research tells me that there is possibly a longer version of the film out there someplace but it seems never to have been brought to video anywhere in the world. (I’ve hunted!)

If, like me, you are curious to see Ossorio’s early non-horror output this is a film to seek out. I wish the Blu-Ray was better but if you can find it for a cheap enough price it will allow you to at least see this rare northern adventure. Maybe someday another company will take the fine print used to make this disc and process the picture for a better looking disc. This isn’t a great movie but it worth seeing especially if you have a fondness for the European westerns of the period. Or Canadian Mounties!

Video - Old Hollywood Bloopers

I get a kick out of these kinds of collections. It's quite fun to see some of the greats from the Golden Age of Hollywood flubbing lines and becoming frustrated with themselves. 

'Nuts!" 

Ki-Gor Pulp Magazine Covers

I'm back to reading my collection of the Ki-Gor pulp tales and decided to check out more of the magazine's covers. I wonder how many casual browsers would have been shocked to learn that Ki-Gor was the jungle man in the background of most of these paintings. The scantily clad lady placed front and center seems to somehow be the usual focus of attention. I can't imagine why. 

The Bloody Pit #104 - THE MUMMY'S SHROUD (1967)

Hammer Studios made four feature films in the ‘mummy’ subgenre and THE MUMMY’S SHROUD (1967) is usually listed as one of the least of them. I’ve never understood this general attitude and not just because I have a soft spot for tales of undead Egyptian monsters stalking grave desecrators. This movie has a lot to offer including a substantial role for the great character actor Michael Ripper. In his last Hammer film director John Gilling brings a number of fascinating ideas to bear and manages to find some new ways to present the usual story of cursed tombs and horrible retribution. In fact, the level of violence meted out by the silent killer in this tale brings to mind some of the darker aspects of the stalk and slash genre of later years. Could this bloody nastiness be one of the reasons the movie has been so derided by fans of the studio’s earlier output?

I’m joined by Mark Maddox to look at this film and dig into why we like it. We examine our discovery of the movie in years past and how it holds up now as it makes its way to Blu-Ray release. We talk about how it sticks to the tropes of the usual mummy story but finds ways to change things up enough to be more than a replay of past efforts. We discuss the cast beyond just the excellent turn by Ripper and the angular beauty of co-star Maggie Kimberly. I put forth the (fairly obvious) idea that the opening section of the film set in ancient Egypt seems to have been meant to be presented without the voiceover the film gives it. Of course, any time you get Mark talking there are going to be bizarre sideroads in the conversation and this episode is no exception. His ability to remember the details of what network showed which movie on what night back in the 1970’s stuns me!

If you have any comments or question thebloodypit@gmail.com is the email address or I can be reached over on the FaceBook page. Thank you for listening to the show and stay safe out there. Cloth wrapped feet are not the only deadly thing lurking in the night!

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Trailers From Hell - SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939)

Someone found the original trailer for this film and Trailers From Hell got it! This features several alternate takes and scenes not in the actual movie so it really is a unique piece of Universal Monster history. 

Joe Dante walks us through the clip and gives some info about this exciting find. 

Price & Karloff Sing!

And now for something completely different! 

From 1968 we have Boris Karloff and Vincent Price performing 'The Two of Us' on The Red Skelton Hour. 

What I Watched in April

April was the first month in years in which I did not go out to see a film in the theater. Of course, the reason is obvious but it still feels like a vital part of my life has been smothered with every movie house closed up and the fear of infecting or being infected lingering in the air. 

Still, I have always seen far more films at home than theatrically and the increased time at home has allowed for a few viewings that otherwise might have had to wait. The trio of 1970's TV movie thrillers was a fun YouTube discovery that reminded me that I need to catch up with a lot more such efforts from that period. Why I rewatched a Bruno Mattei nunsploitation film I cannot explain! 

The List

EDGE OF THE AXE (1988) – 6 (rewatch on Blu)
SUPERNOVA (2000) – 7 (rewatch on Blu)
BOMBSHELL (1933) – 8 (screwball comedy with Jean Harlow)
CROWHAVEN FARM (1970) – 6 (TV movie)
A COLD NIGHT’S DEATH (1974) – 7 (good TV movie with Robert Culp and Eli Wallach)
THE STRANGE AND DEADLY OCCURRENCE (1974) – 6 (solid TV movie)
FORTY GUNS (1957) – 7 (rewatch on Blu)
THE BEING (1983) – 4 (interesting but not very good monster tale)
EL PASO (1949) – 6 (western that takes some odd turns)
PARDON MY SARONG (1942) – 6 (Abbot & Costello antics)
THE MAN CALLED NOON (1973) – 8 (solid western) 
PLAGUE (1979) – 5 (low budget Canadian thriller)
ISLAND OF THE LIVING DEAD (2007) – 3 (Bruno Mattei mess)
WAR OF THE PLANETS (1966) – 6 (rewatch)
THE LAND UNKNOWN (1957) – 6 (rewatch on Blu)
THE LIMEHOUSE GOLEM (2016) – 7 (beautiful period mystery)
SPELLCASTER (1988) – 5 (passable creepy castle tale)
PREY (2019) – 6 (island survival monster story)
SATANICO PANDEMONIUM (1975) – 7 (Mexican nun art-house horror)
THE OTHER HELL (1980) -6 (rewatch on Blu)
TWO MALES FOR ALEXA (1971) – 7 (interesting drama/thriller with Rosabla Neri and Emma Cohen)
TANK GIRL (1995) – 7 (rewatch on Blu)
THE 5000 FINGERS OF DR. T (1953) – 8 (wonderful fantasy by Dr. Seuss)
THE RETURN OF THE APE MAN (1944) – 6 (rewatch on Blu)
WHO DONE IT? (1942) – 7 (excellent Abbot & Costello mystery)
MISSION STARDUST (1967) – 7 (surprisingly good on rewatch)
THE MUMMY’S SHROUD (1967) – 7 (rewatch on Blu)
BAHIA BLANCA (1984) – 8 (excellent Jess Franco drama)

KAB Radio, Antonio Bay - The Complete Source Tracks!

Some genius has found and strung together the source tracks that Stevie Wayne plays in John Carpenter's THE FOG (1980)! What a wonderful world we live in! 

My thanks to the person (or people) responsible for this gift. 

The Bloody Pit #103 - MISSION STARDUST (1967)

Created by German science fiction authors K. H. Scheer and Walter Ernsting, Perry Rhodan is the central character in the world’s longest running science fiction book series. Publication began in 1961 and a new novella has hit newsstands in Germany every week ever since!  That means there have been more than 3000 Perry Rhodan stories in the past 59 years as well as 850 additional spinoff novels with no end in sight. In fact, the series passed the one billion copies sold mark all the way back in 1986. There was an attempt to bring the series to American in the 1970’s with the first 139 entries being translated into English and published but financial disputes ended this arrangement in 1979. I also suspect that they weren’t as popular over here as in their home country which has kept the continuing galaxy spanning tales of Perry Rhodan from the English-speaking world ever since.

Strangely, there has only been one attempt to bring this epic science fiction series to the screen. MISSION STARDUST (1967) uses the first two Perry Rhodan novellas to bring a version of the character and his world to the movies. The basics of the printed tale set things in motion (minus the more interesting/expensive parts) and then the story is melded with a standard Euro-Spy plotline to give us one of the stranger variations on the genre that the 1960’s ever produced. On his Antonio Margheriti Blog, Adrian Smith pointed out that this film’s special effects were done by Margheriti and his team sometime after the completion of the Gamma One films.  Dr. Smith suggested that the film was worthy of a conversation and after a rewatch I had to agree. It’s a bizarre genre mash-up that works far better than it really should even if the fans of the book series have every right to treat this film with the same disdain that the female alien Thora has for the human race!

If you have any comments or suggestions for the podcast please write to thebloodypit@gmail.com or comment over on the show’s FaceBook page. Thank you for listening and we’ll be back in a few weeks.

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Classic Sword & Sandal Poster Art

They don't make movies OR poster art like this anymore.