Vintage Batman Merchandise

I've been doing some online Christmas shopping and this is what I end up finding. Madness! 

Vintage Monster Movie Poster Art

I'm in a classic monster movie mood! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Turkey Day! We will be eating pork because that is what I could find at the store but it is still Turkey Day. 

Trailers From Hell - FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1962)

And here, once again, is Brian Trenchard-Smith walking us through the trailer for the second Bond screen adventure. Lots of information in this one, too! 

Trailers From Hell - DR. NO (1962)

Brain Trenchard-Smith introduces the American trailer for the first James Bond film and gives a short primer on the series' background and genesis. He knows his stuff! 

The Bloody Pit #118 - DR. NO (1962) & FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1963)

When the news broke last month that Sean Connery had passed away it didn’t come as much of a shock. He had made it to 90 years of age and I can’t be the only person that was surprised that he had such a long run. For decades he had been the epitome of masculine charism onscreen even as he aged into an elder cinema statesman in dozens of movies. Able to project calm no matter what chaos surrounded him and believable as an intense man of action regardless of the crazed nature any film’s plotline he was more than a movie star – Connery was a legend. His entire career he was underestimated even though he was a supremely talented actor who made what he did seem effortless. In fact, it may have been his skill at making it all seem easy that made it difficult for critics to acknowledge his ability. Of course, it was his performances as British spy James Bond that made him an international star even as the character became a weight around his neck. He tried for years to break away from that persona and succeeded to a large degree because of his determination to pick varied roles although it was another tough guy role that won him an Oscar in 1988. We will not see his like again. 

Mark Maddox joins me to dig deeply into the first two Bond films DR. NO and FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE. Finely crafted adventure tales they both stick closely to the Ian Fleming source material and, perhaps because of that, are fantastic spy tales. We talk about the films production with some added insights from the rare Criterion Laser disc commentaries that EON productions yanked as soon as they heard them! Mark brings his personal history with the character to bear explaining how his relationship with the movies have changed repeatedly over time. The differences between the books and the screenplays are discussed with some fun details about the possible reasons for certain changes. I make note of some scenes that the producers might have thought about editing from the finished movies if only to hedge their bets on mid-1960’s special effects. We also take a brief look at some of Connery’s post-Bond films to marvel at the variety of things he tried.

 

If you have a special place in your heart for Connery and his portrayal of James Bond let us know. Which of his films is your favorite? How many of his 1970’s movies have you seen? Write the show at thebloodypit@gmail.com and we’ll add you to the discussion next time. Thanks for listening! 

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Direct MP3 file Download LINK 

More Naschy on Blu-Ray! (or DVD)

Full Moon has finally put on sale their new Blu-Ray of ORGY OF THE LIVING DEAD a.k.a. THE HANGING WOMAN! While I might wish for more extras on this fun film the fact is that that they are including the alternate cut of the movie that was released on Wizard Video back in the 1980's. That's pretty cool for old VHS freaks. I'm glad to be able to add an HD version of this one to the Naschy shelf and Full Moon is offering a good deal on it and their other new release THE HAND THAT FEEDS THE DEAD (1974). That film stars Klaus Kinski and is a sleazier version of the classic French horror film EYES WITHOUT A FACE (1959) which should have you immediately curious. Check them both out as a Euro-Trash double feature!

 

Cool Monopoly Games!

As are most people at this time of year I am being inundated with ads for various Christmas type gift things. Usually I can barely click delete fast enough but, I have to admit, these caught my eye. I know some folks who would love these and I would really enjoy digging into the Godzilla game with a group of kaiju fans. I guess that will have to be a dream deferred for now but these could still be good gift ideas with an eye to when we can safely gather round a table and play such games again. 

Conan the Barbarian Winter Comic Book Covers

I know I'm rushing the season but I am feeling a strong pull toward these kinds of images and stories. 

The Falcon Film Series (1941-1946) Poster Art

I recently finished a run through the entire RKO Falcon film series and really enjoyed them all. It was a bit rocky getting over the various actor changes along the way including the rather harsh jump from one brother to the other as the main character but the writing was smooth enough to manage. I recommend these for any fan of mysteries from the period and suave classic Hollywood films of the 1940's in general.