Among the hidden European cult cinema subgenres, the German Western
is one of the least well explored outside of its country of origin. While every
film fanatic could list off his favorite Italian westerns most would give a
blank stare when quizzed about the German variety. The most successful German
Westerns are the adaptations of adventure novels by 19th-century author Karl
May. These films usually feature Winnetou, a noble Apache chief, and Old
Shatterhand, his white American scout blood brother. In the hopes of drawing
attention to these fine movies we present this episode focused on the first big
budget Karl May western adaptation from 1962.
Author Holger Haase joins me to dig up the TREASURE OF SILVER LAKE! Unlike many of the dozen or more follow up films in the series, it is available with an excellent English dub making it easy for new American audiences to absorb it. The film rewards the viewer with glorious widescreen color vistas that put many similar productions of the time to shame. The movie introduces Lex Barker as Old Shatterhand and Pierre Brice as Winnetou setting the successful series on its way even as it mangles and twists the source material into shapes more pleasing to the big screen than the printed page. It is an hour and forty-five minutes of action, gunfights and chases with villainy provided by the dastardly Herbert Lom as a murderous bandit intent on gaining the titular treasure. We discuss numerous aspects of the film, take a trip through a lengthy plot synopsis and make fun of a few oddities that German audiences would not have noticed. It’s a fun time!
If you have any comments about this film or German westerns in general thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks for listening.
If you are interested in Holger's Krimi magazine check it out HERE.
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In a dystopian Milan, a failed revolution has left the
Fascists in charge and the streets littered with dead rebels. Antigone (Britt
Ekland) seems to be the only sane person left, determined to defy the
authorities and her parents to retrieve the body of her brother and give him a
proper burial. When she meets a mysterious man who has great hair but speaks an
unknown language (played by Pierre Clementi), their destinies in this strange
tyrannical world become entwined. Oh, and also her boyfriend is Tomas Milian.
In this episode we are exploring the early work of the
important and often controversial director Liliana Cavani, and although we have
not started a cannibal film mini-season (as has been frequently requested by
some listeners), this is still a fascinating and important piece of work which
was neglected at the time but is hopefully becoming reappraised, at least by
us. Join us for some serious discussion about the impact Cavani's early
television documentary work had on her subsequent cinema career, the often
unsung but heroic work of background extras, and whether or not that really is
Britt Ekland running naked through the streets of Milan.
We would love to hear from you about your favorite Italian
female filmmakers, or your recommendations for other late 1960s revolutionary
films.
You can get in touch with us, follow us on social media, buy our merch, and all that stuff, through our LINKTREE.
The Naschycast returns to the world of Jess Franco for an erotic ramble through late 1960’s Lisbon and Berlin. Bob Sargent joins Troy and I to examine SUCCUBUS (1968) because Bob wanted to rewatch the film. Two of us had not watched it in years and the third had never even seen it before! We turned this into a trip to the unwatched DVD pile again to take a look at the starting point for a certain type of Franco cinema. Your tolerance for the director’s sense of humor and the absurd will determine your level of enjoyment.
We use Stephen Thrower’s excellent book on the work of Franco to guide us and to provide a brief synopsis of the film. We waffle through a discussion touching on the cast connections to Paul Naschy but mostly talk about our reactions to the often surrealistic events involving S & M stage performer Lorna (Janine Reynaud). She seems to be navigating a strange period in her life with reoccurring visions of a different life impinging on her supposed reality. We see her interact with various romantic partners who end up dead at her hands - or is that really what is happening? Along the way we get striking images, amusing commentary on arthouse pretentions and philosophical silliness draped in an encroaching ennui that seems to define Lorna’s confused life. Can cinema be therapy?
