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. 

Music - STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK (1984) Score

Here is the full James Horner score for The Search for Spock. I've been listening to it recently as prep for our next podcast and it is much more impressive than I remembered it being.

 

1960's Science Fiction Movie Posters

1950's Science Fiction Movie Posters

Strange Tales Cover Gallery

 

What I Watched in August 2023

As you might already know, THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER (2023) is an adaptation of The Captain’s Log chapter from Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula. In most film adaptations of the story the travel from Transylvania to England is passed over quickly so the story can get to the ‘good stuff’. But what if the good stuff began on that ill-fated ship transporting the Count and his boxes of home earth? Sure, we all know the fate of the ship and that Dracula makes it to his destination but what are the details of the voyage? This film expertly tells that tale with much more energy, atmosphere and grue than I expected. This is a pleasing exercise in lush period horror and harsh vampire creepiness that is far more immersive and involving than some adaptations of the entire story. The filmmakers smartly keep the reality of the time and place centered, adding plenty of detail to the characters and shipboard working life in the 19^th century. I found myself caught up in learning about how things are done on the ship and actually wanted to spend more time with the cook and other members of the crew. The cast is excellent never becoming easily readable ‘types’ and acting like real people aware of their circumstances. The slow progression of their dawning knowledge of what is happening is well played with a consistent tone and a firm handle on how these folks would react to each escalation.

One of the best things about the film for me is the realization that is often overlooked by horror fans that each human death is a tragedy. Each person on this ship had a life stretched out before them that is being cut short so a monster can simply travel to a new land. THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER makes us feel the loss of nearly every member of the crew making its point early on with a shocking choice of innocent victim. This is dark tale and it is told in a manner that causes empathy in the audience from the outset. It provides the requisite thrills but remains a strong condemnation of the horrible actions it depicts. This is supernatural monster story and, one could argue, merely a portion of the whole tale but it plays like a complete piece that is satisfying on its own while begging for a continuation that will sadly never be made. It’s a shame that period horror films seem to be the one form of the genre that cannot find a way to be profitable.

The List

CONVICT 99 (1938) – 6 (fun comedy with Will Hay as a prison warden)

LEGION OF SUPERHEROES (2023) – 5 (mediocre animated try at the Legion)

BARBIE (2023) – 9

TIGER OF THE SEVEN SEAS (1962) - 6 (fun Italian pirate adventure)

A MAN CALLED RAGE (1984) – 6 (very flawed but entertaining Italian post-apocalyptic tale)

CALLING DR. DEATH (1943) – 6 (rewatch on Blu)

WEIRD WOMAN (1944) – 7 (rewatch on Blu)

THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER (2023) – 8

DEATH GAME (1977) – 7 (finally caught up with this nasty little gem)

COME ON DANGER (1942) – 5 (standard Tim Holt western)

WILD MONEY (1937) – 7 (fun newspaper tale with Edward Everett Horton)

CONQUEST (1983) – 7 (rewatch on Blu)

LAKE OF THE DEAD (1958) – 7 (Norwegian folk horror)

TILBURY (1987) – 6 (Icelandic folk horror)

BLUE BEETLE (2023) – 8

THE FINAL EXECUTIONER (1984) – 6 (post-apocalyptic Most Dangerous Game variant)

FOUR MEN AND A PRAYER (1938) – 7 (John Ford drama with some wild tone shifts)

WARRIOR OF THE LOST WORLD (1983) – 3 (thought I had seen this – woof)

KING OF THE BULLWHIP (1950) – 6 (pretty good Lash La Rue B-western)

STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK (1984) – 7 (rewatch)

JUST PALS (1920) – 6 (silent John Ford film with Buck Jones)

TALK TO ME (2023) – 7

REVENGE (2017) – 7 (bloody and effective French rape/revenge tale) 

TARZAN AND THE GREEN GODDESS (1938) – 6 (edited from a serial - this thing moves fast)

$10,000 BLOOD MONEY (1967) – 7 (very solid spaghetti western)

The Bloody Pit #180 - CONQUEST (1983)

I am joined by Troy Guinn and Jeff Nelson to talk about a Lucio Fulci movie once again! This time we swipe away the fog and try to get a clear look at CONQUEST (1983). This was the director’s one entry in the brief 80’s resurgence of the sword & sorcery genre inspired by the success of CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1982) and THE BEASTMASTER (1982) and it has many more detractors than defenders. Where do you think we fall?

 

We talk about the history of bad VHS prints of the film and make a defense of the foggy, misty visual style of the cinematography. We do not defend the furry nunchakus, though. The film’s main characters and the mythological stereotypes they fall into causes much discussion with the older mentor and younger student reversal becoming our focus. Of course, considering the period of Fulci’s career in which this was made, we can’t help but notice the movie’s fascination with violence and depictions of damage to the human body. We examine the puzzle of the villain’s odd choice of hallucinatory substance to snort and wonder how this odd effect was discovered in this cruel world. The various cool monsters and dangerous creatures in the film get some love from us but the inclusion of zombies is questioned as a possible late addition. It’s a lively conversation and we hope you’ll enjoy it even if you don't like the movie!

 

If you have anything to say about CONQUEST thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send your thoughts. Thank you for listening! 

Wild, Wild Podcast Season 5 Episode 13 - Ranking the Pastapocalypse!

 

We've reached the end of the irradiated road, so join us one last time in the apocalypse, as we rank the ten films viewed in this season. Also, as a bonus, we discuss the Italian-adjacent post-apocalypse masterpiece that is WARRIOR OF THE LOST WORLD (1983). Often the story of how a film gets made is more interesting than what ends up on the screen.

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

Happy Breakaway Day!

On this day in 1999 (in a fictional universe) the Earth's moon was blasted out of orbit and began a mad journey through the cosmos. To commemorate this science fiction event you can watch an episode of the show or go over to the Gerry Anderson website for the festivities. Enjoy! 

Posters and Fan Art for BLADE RUNNER (1982)