Patreon Post - THE HOUSE OF CLOCKS (1989)

Here's a LINK to my latest post on Patreon in which I reevaluate this late period Lucio Fulci horror effort. Strange what 20 plus years can do to your perceptions. 

The Bloody Pit #210 - STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY (1991)

At long last Mark Maddox returns as we wrap up our look at the first six Star Trek feature films with STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY. Since this is the last movie to showcase the entire original cast, we take the opportunity to mention how happy we are that VI was the film they went out on and that everyone gets chances to shine. I’m just thrilled we finally get Captain Sulu!

We discuss the production push to get this into theaters to coincide with the 25^th anniversary of the premiere of the TV show. We praise the return of Nicholas Meyer to the director’s chair and point out the many touches that seem to stem from his involvement. This includes the joy of having the Wold Newton family tree brought into onscreen Star Trek, which is probably peak geekiness. The intricate nature of the film’s plot comes under scrutiny with us listing the various elements that are woven together perfectly to move the story forward. We discuss the dialog with a few clips to give a taste of the intelligence of the script. Our admiration for the performances gets plenty of time and we single out Christopher Plummer’s fantastic turn as Klingon General Chang. Just how much Shakespeare can be wedged into a Trek film, anyway? And is Chang the series’ best villain? Others may disagree with us but we make our case.

If you have anything to add to the show thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to write. We love hearing from you and if you want to work ahead it looks like we will be talking about the Star Trek animated series in the future. Thank you for listening and we’ll be back soon. 

TERROR OF THE RED MASK (1960) Poster Art

For those wanting to follow along with Adrian and I on our new Wild, Wild Podcast season, TERROR OF THE RED MASK will be our next subject. It can be seen on YouTube with generated English subtitles or on Tubi in its English audio dub. Be aware that the dub has some audio drop outs at certain points but it comes back in randomly. 

 

Wild, Wild Podcast - THE BLACK DUKE (1963)

Who is the Black Duke? Who is the Red Carnation? Who is actually the hero of this film? These are just some of the questions that may or may not get answered in this new episode, where your two intrepid podcasting musketeers delve ever further into the forgotten realms of cult Italian cinema.

After a winter spent besieging castles and fighting our enemies, Adrian and I are back with a new season of forgotten Italian films. Dubbed "Rapiers and Ruffles", these are medieval adventure films which had a surge of popularity off the back of the success of the "Sword and Sandal" films of the early sixties. So stick your jerkin on, grab your sword and jump onto the nearest available horse; this is going to be a long campaign.

You can get in touch with us (we love hearing from you!), follow us on social media, buy our merch, all that stuff, through this link: https://linktr.ee/wild_wild_podcast

Poster Art for Classic Serials

I'm about to dive back into watching some classic serials!

 

The Untold Legend of Batman Motion Comic!

If I had ever been aware of the fact that this existed I somehow forgot it until today. In 1980 DC issued an audio version of this excellent Batman three issue mini-series as it was published and a fine YouTuber has used the audio to create a 'motion comic' version. If you've never read the comics then you are in for a treat. The series was written by the great Len Wein with art by John Byrne and Jim Aparo. These three issues were my childhood introduction to the detailed origin of Batman and I still picture many of the individual panels when I think of the character. 

Poster Art for STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY (1991)

 

Classic ROM Comic Book Cover Gallery

 

What I Watched in December 2024

Among the many (obvious) joys of Robert Egger’s new NOSFERATU (2024) is a reaffirmation of the timelessness and malleability of the core Dracula story. Each of the three film versions to bear this title tell essentially the same tale but emphasize very different things. And while each has grown organically out of the times in which they were produced they seem to reflect the specific creative ideas burning within their directors. The 1922 classic is a brilliant exploration of then new cinematic ways of employing German Expressionism to visualize horrific images that had never been attempted onscreen before. This was the cutting edge of stage and screen storytelling at the time with the film seeming like a call to others to elevate their visuals. Herzog’s 1979 vision was of societal destruction by a plague of evil and the overwhelming sense that the event was unstoppable and inevitable. This bleak view of the horrors of the (super)natural world clawing at the thin veneer of civilization was typical of the director’s harsh opinion of humanity. Egger’s film shifts the focus to the character who sacrifices herself to end the horrors being visited upon the entire world. His movie centers her struggle with both mental illness and the ways the world treats her affliction because of how it is viewed by the people around her. She is the inevitable hero character and she suffers in more ways than any person should have to with her only solace being that she can save humanity through self-sacrifice. All three films contain each of these elements but the focus shift is fascinating and shows why I hope I live to see another version made in the future. 

The List 

THE HOUSE OF WITCHCRAFT (1989) – 6 (Lenzi supernatural horror) 

THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION (1968) – 5 (sexual freedom ain’t free)

GLADIATOR II (2024) – 8 

BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974) – 9 (rewatch on Blu) 

THE RETURN (2024) – 8 

MISSILE TO THE MOON (1958) – 4 (rewatch)

FRANKENSTEIN’S DAUGHTER (1958) – 7 (rewatch on Blu)

SHE DEMONS (1958) – 6 (rewatch)

GIANT FROM THE UNKNOWN (1958) – 7 (rewatch on Blu) 

SUPERMAN III (1983) – 4 (rewatch on Blu)

WEREWOLVES (2024) – 4 (nice practical effects but the film is blah)

LARCENY INC. (1942) – 7 (comedic crime with Edward G. Robinson)

INVASION USA (1985) – 5 (rewatch on Blu) 

THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT (2023) – 4 (interesting idea but poor execution) 

COVER UP (1949) – 7 (good noir set at Christmas) 

SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE (1987) – 4 (rewatch on Blu)

NERCROPHAGOUS (1971) – 5 (rewatch on Blu) 

NOSFERATU (2024) – 9 

THE TREASURE OF SILVER LAKE (1962) – 7 (excellent German western)

The Bloody Pit #209 - FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER and MISSILE TO THE MOON (1958)

This episode is the second part of my discussion of the films of Richard Cuhna with author Mark Clark. We focus on FRANKENSTEIN’S DAUGHTER and MISSILE TO THE MOON (1958) before we ramble off into talking about the Planet of the Apes franchise. Staying on topic is difficult for both of us!

The cast of FRANKENSTEIN’S DAUGHTER (1958) is examined with lots of love directed at the amazingly villainous Donald Murphy as a descendant of grand-daddy Frankenstein. One could only imagine what his character might have accomplished if he could gain some control over his libido. We look at the various funding methods used by mad scientists and the ways that suburban homeowners can somehow forget entire areas of their house exist! We also lament the lack of Jack Pierce’s contributions to the monster makeup and wish he could have returned after his work on GIANT FROM THE UNKNOWN as the film’s monster look is oddly non-gender specific. As a science fiction/horror tale, the movie actually has a very rare pair of competent police officers, although their detective skills don’t mean they will live through the investigation.

When our conversation turns to MISSILE TO THE MOON (1958) we praise the excellent rock monsters and a few of the performances but struggle to find more to love. Perhaps shifting from original screenplays to remaking a not very good film wasn’t the best idea for Cunha and his collaborators. Still, there are things to enjoy in the movie, especially if you have a soft-spot for 50’s science fiction tales told with more enthusiasm than fidelity to reality.

If you have any thoughts about the four genre films directed by Richard Cunha thebloodypit@gmail.com is where to send them. We both love these movies and return to them regularly. With some luck the missing two can be rescued from YouTube by an enterprising Blu-Ray company soon. 

Cauldron's Lamberto Bava 'Brivido Giallo box set'

Cauldron Films is thrilled to release all 4 films from the Brivido Giallo collection  (Until Death, Graveyard Disturbance, Dinner with a Vampire, and The Ogre), collected on Blu-ray for the first time in a limited edition 5 disc set (4 Blu-rays / 1 CD soundtrack) fully uncut and restored from 4K scans of the 35mm film negatives, loaded with brand new cast and crew featurettes by Eugenio Ercolani, an exclusive new interview with composer Simon Boswell, all housed in a rigid outer box with 4 folded posters featuring new artwork by Eric Adrian Lee!

The set is still available for pre-order at a reduced price through 1/17/25. Go check out the details HERE.

 

Video - MISSILE TO THE MOON (1958)

Here's a YouTube option to see the second feature we will discuss in the next episode of The Bloody Pit. 

FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER (1958) Poster Art and Lobby Cards

 The film is viewable here!

Video - SHE DEMONS (1958)

For those that want to see the second picture featured in our current episode of The Bloody Pit podcast, here is your chance. 

Happy New Year!

2025 promises to be a bastard but let's keep our chins up and do our best.