Video - Star Wars Crossed with Space: 1999!

A friend alerted me to this amazing combination of the classic season one opening theme from Space: 1999 and the original STAR WARS (1977). Barry Gray's music has always been a heart-pumping thrill ride and this edit of scenes works very well. Kudos! 

Paul Naschy Poster Art Gallery

Every time I seek out poster art images for Naschy films I stumble across examples I've never spotted before. In this group the one titled L'ORGIA DEL MORTI is new to me - and impressive!

Naschycast #74 - WEREWOLF VS THE VAMPIRE WOMAN (1971) with Robert Kelly

Troy and I are joined by fellow podcaster Robert Kelly, host of Record All Monsters and author of Record All Monsters: the Book of the Essays from the Podcast. Don’t worry – he eventually explains the book’s title and his fascination with kaiju films.  

Robert came to his love of Naschy in a very different manner than either of your Naschycast hosts, getting an unexpected full-strength version of WEREWOLF VS THE VAMPIRE WOMAN (1971) as a gift at far too young an age. The ways in which this may have warped his movie loving mind come under discussion as well as his more adult thoughts about the werewolf as a monster. We use the recent Vinegar Syndrome Blu-Ray as a reference to compare some of the differences in the Spanish and English dubs with crazy Pierre getting attention once again. The conversation ranges from odd spots in the narrative to random details that stick in our minds so don’t expect a coherent march through a synopsis. We were much more interested in picking each other’s brains about Naschy’s werewolf films and other favorites from his career. If you have half as much fun as we did you’ll completely enjoy yourself!

If you have any comments or questions naschycast@gmail.com is the place to write. We do plan to record an email episode in the near future so now is the time. Thank you very much for listening and we’ll be back soon.

 

 

Trailers From Hell - THE UNINVITED (1944)

In this Trailer From Hell Larry Cohen talks a bit about a classic ghost tale and the lead actors' careers. THE UNINVITED (1944) has been a favorite of mine for years helping to foster my love for Ray Milland along with MINISTRY OF FEAR (1944) and PANIC IN YEAR ZERO (1962). If you've never watched any of those three films I recommend seeking them out. Also, THE BIG CLOCK (1948). And THE LOST WEEKEND (1945). And ALIAS NICK BEAL (1949). And THE PREMATURE BURIAL (1962). 

The Bloody Pit #190 - EATING RAOUL (1982)

I am joined by the bane of my podcasting existence John Hudson and the much nicer Bobby Hazzard to heap praise upon EATING RAOUL (1982).  This is the film I’ve always though of as ground zero for Paul Bartel appreciation and more than forty years later I think it still holds up as the perfect introduction to his comedic sensibilities. If you laugh your way through this film, chances are good that you will love his other movies as well. Even the ones that don’t involves running over little old ladies to win a cross-country race or cannibalism.

We jump into the discussion by detailing our history with Bartel’s work and what each of us find so appealing about his screen persona. All three of us bring some tales of the production history to the table with the start and stop nature of the filming process leading to information about locations and casting. We do eventually get to a synopsis of the plot and spoil most of the funnier moments so be aware that you should probably watch the movie before listening to us giggle our way though the many deaths by frying pan. Our peanut gallery has returned for this episode taking the time to laugh with and at us during the show. Long time podcast fans will recognize Beth and Steph from previous episodes but we also get some very funny contributions from Laura as well. Luckily, she keeps John in line and I will take any help I can get corralling the monkey-mad Mr. Hudson. Strap in for this one, folks and stay out of the hot tub!

The show can be reached at thebloodypit@gmail.com where we’ll be thrilled to hear from you. You can also find the show on our Facebook page and wherever odder podcasts are downloaded. Thank you for listening.

What I Watched in January 2024

An astonishing film! POOR THINGS (2023) tells the tale of Bella Baxter, a reanimated woman with the mind of a child and her growth into a functioning, independent adult. Like most of us, she gets sidetracked by her discovery of sex, learning the pitfalls of carnality and how the world commodifies human need and misery. Her journey is one of both education and revelation that allows her to eventually build the life she wants to live. The film creates a gorgeously artificial steampunk-style universe that elevates the story to fairy tale status without losing sight of the curious character at the center of the story. It’s fascinating in multiple ways with my favorite detail being the parallels that come to light as we learn more about Bella’s mad scientist father's childhood. This film provides ever expanding eye candy but even more serious food for thought as it comments on everything from the form of its own story and the places from which it draws inspiration to the larger meaning of life. What an entertaining work of art! 

The List 

LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND (2023) – 8 (fascinating end of the world tale) 

THE INVISIBLE MAN’S REVENGE (1944) – 5 (rewatch on Blu) 

NEEDFUL THINGS (1992) – 7 (rewatch of 191 min. cut on Blu) 

POOR THINGS (2023) – 9 

TOP LINE (1988) – 4 (terrible mish-mash of SF, action and conspiracy theories but Franco Nero is great) 

THE SINISTER DOCTOR ORLOFF (1984) – 6 (Franco’s umpteenth Orloff tale) 

THE 1000 EYES OF DR. MABUSE (1960) – 8 (rewatch)

KRIMINAL (1966) – 7 (rewatch) 

THE MARK OF KRIMINAL (1968) – 7 

PREY (2022) – 8 (excellent Predator tale) 

NIGHT OF THE HUNTED (2023) – 7 (well done thriller) 

CAKE OF BLOOD (1971) – 6 (rewatch)

STAR PILOT (1965) – 5 (a.k.a 2+2=5 Mission Hydra) 

THE UNSEEN (1945) – 7 (excellent thriller) 

LAW OF THE LASH (1947) – 5 (first starring role for Lash LaRue) 

THE RETURN OF DR. MABUSE (1961) – 7 (rewatch)

SCREAM OF THE WOLF (1974) – 6 (Dan Curtis/Richard Matheson TV movie – good but predictable) 

THE KILLER SHREWS (1959) – 6 (rewatch on Blu) 

EYE OF THE CAT (1969) – 6 (odd thriller written by Joseph Stefano) 

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES (2023) – 8 (shockingly entertaining) 

THE INVISIBLE DR. MABUSE (1962) – 7 (third 60’s Mabuse adventure) 

THE FEAR (1995) – 6 (solid horror effort)

THE TESTEMENT OF DR. MABUSE (1963) – 7 (number 4)

DR. MABUSE VS SCOTLAND YARD (1963) – 7 (the fifth)

THE DEATH RAY MIRROR OF DR. MABUSE (1964) – 5 (the last) 

BOSTON BLACKIE’S CHINESE VENTURE (1949) – 6 

EVIL DEAD RISE (2023) – 8 (rewatch)

THE WRETCHED (2019) – 7 (well done witch tale) 

EATING RAOUL (1982) – 7 (rewatch) 

VENGEANCE IS MINE (1967) – 7 (spaghetti western) 

BOSTON BLACKIE BOOKED ON SUSPICION (1945) – 6 

A WHITE DRESS FOR MARIALE (1972) – 5 (not as interesting as I’d hoped) 

ATTACK OF THE ROBOTS (1966) – 7 (fun early Franco with Eddie Constantine)

ALIAS BOSTON BLACKIE (1942) – 6 

 

 

Wild, Wild Podcast Season 7: Episode 2 - SUPERARGO VS DIABOLICUS (1966) and SUPERARGO & THE FACELESS GIANTS (1968)

In this episode Adrian and I grab our bulletproof spandex and head for the wrestling ring for a tag team bout with Superargo! Based on his previous form, it's not likely to end well for our two middle-aged podcasters. Yes, Superargo is here, in a double-bill featuring maniacal mad men, secret underground lairs, killer robots, deadly swamps, femme fatales and extremely valuable cocktail olives!

Valentines Day Wishes From the Batman Family

I think I remember giving out some of these in grade school.

 

Weird Tales Cover Gallery

In the winter months I read a lot of pulp fiction from the 1920's through the 1940's and the creepy stories published in Weird Tales are a favorite.

 

Video - SUPERARGO VS DIABOLIKUS (1966)

Wild Wild Podcast on the way!

Mothra Art

 

The most colorful kaiju continues to be an inspiration for artists from all over the world. 

The Bloody Pit #189 - 1960's Mabuse Films!

I welcome writer Holger Haase to the show to discuss the 1960’s Dr. Mabuse films! Holger has written an essay published for Kindle called ‘The Many Masks of Dr. Mabuse: Mabuse in the 1960s’ and reading this prompted me to finally talk directly to Holger. The two of us have known each other for decades but it took our mutual love of these German crime films to use the internet to speak in a non-text based way. It was a little weird. 

We go (mostly) chronologically through the six films discussing each in turn. If you want to follow along at home here’s a list of the movies we talk about in this episode:

1. THE 1000 EYES OF DR. MABUSE (1960)

2. THE RETURN OF DR. MABUSE (1961) 

3. THE INVISIBLE DR. MABUSE (1962) 

4. THE TESTEMENT OF DR. MABUSE (1962)

5. DR. MABUSE VS SCOTLAND YARD (1963)

6. THE DEATH RAY OF DR. MABUSE (1964)

We touch on the cast members with extra attention to the ones that show up in multiple films even when their character’s names mysteriously change. Scriptwriter Ladislas Fodor’s impressive career is discussed as well as directors Fritz Lang and Harald Reinl who brought their many talents to the series. This series of films seems to have been forgotten over the past couple of decades, overshadowed by the original Lang films from 1922 and 1933. We hope to spur some interest in cinema fans curious to discover the hidden joys of these clever crime movies. They really are addictive!

 

If you have thoughts on the Mabuse films or the krimi cycle that they parallel thebloodypit@gmail.com is where you can send them. We’ll be happy to hear from you. Thanks for listening. 

 

Hanna-Barbera Comic Books

When I was a kid I would never have spent my hard earned allowance money for these comic books. But now, I would love to read them.