THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) Poster Art and Lobby Cards

For many this film was a regular part of their annual holiday viewing but I have never associated it with this time of year. That being stated, I haven't watched it in years and it might be time to visit the yellow brink road again.

 

Wild, Wild Podcast - RITA THE MOSQUITO (1966)

Italian star Rita Pavone is a mischievous schoolgirl with a confusing crush on her sleepy music teacher, who is living a double-life as a singer in a beat band. Can she stop pranking him long enough to make it as a new ye-ye pop sensation whilst navigating the exclusive private school life and these new romantic feelings? And sing loads of songs as she goes along?

After a brief break we are back with a new mini-season focusing on female filmmakers in Italian cinema. In this episode Adrian tricks Rod into watching a musical, directed by one of Italy's most commercially successful female directors of all time, Lina Wertmüller. Will Rod ever forgive him? Will the podcast ever be the same again? Tune in to find out.

We would love to hear from you about your favorite Italian female filmmakers, or if you are a fan of Rita Pavone and her brand of powerhouse 1960s pop.

You can get in touch with us, follow us on social media, buy our merch, and all that stuff, through our LINKTREE.

The Bloody Pit #196 - SONS OF STEEL (1988)

John Hudson and Bobby Hazzard join me for a raucous discussion of this bizarre Australian oddity. Are we able to figure out the story? What do we think of the main character? Do we maintain our sanity before the invisible chimp rears his furry head to fling poop everywhere? Thank goodness for the laughing audience in the room to keep us on track and aware of how silly we can be.

SONS OF STEEL (1988) is a film built out of bits & pieces of earlier movies but without the budget necessary to pull it off. It seems to be assembled from random parts of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Blade Runner, Back to the Future, Max Headroom and a little barbarian imagery for texture. The film follows Black Alice, a pompous singer strutting around a dystopian near-future momentarily mourning his dead girlfriend and trying to become a rock star. Strangely, he is also somehow an environmental peace activist – or at least we are told this by agents of the Oceana government. (Did I mention that 1984 is ripped off as well?) The movie is a series of music videos struggling to tell a tale of revolution, love and violence but the most memorable moments are the very 80’s songs scattered across the soundtrack. In Spiritus Wank’em!

If you have any thoughts on Black Alice, SONS OF STEEL or the sequel novels penning by the writer/director, thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. Thank you for listening to the show!

The Bloody Pit #194 - GHOST CATCHERS (1944)

Troy and I poke our heads into a Universal Studio haunted house, spot vaudeville act Olsen & Johnson and run away. Well – not really. But our first viewing of this nearly forgotten comedy horror film is not the fun we might have hoped. Did we enjoy it at all? Give the show a listen and we’ll point out the highs and lows.

GHOST CATCHERS (1944) stars a number of very talented actors and singers but it also stars Olsen & Johnson – or, as I will eternally think of them, Faster & Louder. Nearly none of their supposed gift for humor translates effectively from the stage if this film is any indicator. The movie’s silly plot is actually two different story ideas welded together with four songs and a lot of flat jokes. For both of us the film squandered what little goodwill we may have had for it in a certain horsey scene, but we’ll let you discover that along the way. We were surprised that a couple of the songs were pretty great but when a horror comedy’s highlight points out that it is more successful as a musical than anything else, there is a problem. But funny is in the eye of the beholder so you may actually enjoy this odd Universal effort. And did we mention Lon Chaney’s very small role?

If you have any comments about this film or vaudeville more broadly thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to write. Thank you for listening. 

What I Watched in April 2024

I had heard good things about WONKA (2023) from reputable sources so when it popped up as a streaming option I took the plunge. Rarely have I been so unexpectedly pleased with a film of this type! I watched the film with few expectations other than curiosity about the cast and found myself wide-eyed and mouth agape for most of the running time. Charming, heartfelt, funny and life affirming barely begin to describe the joys this astonishing film has to offer. After seeing this I looked up the creators and realized that they made the two recent Paddington films that I have been told I need to see as well. If they exhibit the same storytelling magic that this glorious confection displays then they may become new favorites. It is not often that a family friendly film can manage to crack open my cynical heart and make me smile as much as WONKA managed. Normally it takes a clever R rated wallow in the horror genre to give me this feeling of contented cinematic discovery, but by the final ten minutes of this beautiful movie I was happier than I’ve been in months. This is a film that didn’t just brighten my day – it improved my outlook on life. It’s been a long time I could say that about a movie. Obviously, I need to watch those Paddington movies soon. 

The List

WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953) – 8 (rewatch on Blu)

CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1982) – 9 (rewatch of the extended version on Blu)

 

HOUSE OF LOST SOULS (1989) – 5 (rewatch)

 

THE QUEST (1986) – 7

 

DUNE (1984) – 7 (SpiceDiver edit)

 

DUNE PART 2 (2024) – 9

 

CATMAN OF PARIS (1946) – 6

 

ZERO WOMAN: RED HANDCUFFS (1974) – 7

 

MARLOW (2023) – 7 (Neeson is too old for the part but the script is fun)

VOODOO BLACK EXORCIST (1974) – 3 (woof!)

THE BIRDS II: LAND’S END (1993) – 5 (flat and uninvolving)

 

DREAM SCENARIO (2023) – 9 (amazing)

 

ROAD HOUSE (2024) – 7 (stylish, fun action film)

WONKA (2023) – 9 (what a wonderful surprise)

 

SHANGHAI JOE (1973) – 6

 

SUITABLE FLESH (2023) – 8 (rewatch)

 

THE KILLER IS NOT ALONE – 7 

The Bloody Pit #167 - PUFNSTUF (1970)

 

For this very special episode five people have gathered to discuss an influential part of their childhood – H. R. Pufnstuf!  In particular we examine the movie that grew out of the children television show’s immense popularity – PUFNSTUF (1970). So, grab your magic flute and come to Living Island for an adventure you’ll never forget – no matter how hard you try. Wild, man!

I am joined by Beth, Troy Guinn, John Hudson and Steph to talk about the biggest hit of Sid & Marty Krofft’s many Saturday morning TV programs. Each of us relate our history with the various shows and what we thought of them as kids before diving into the specifics of the big screen version. We dig into the Krofft brothers’ background as puppet performers, their early successes on the stage and the genesis of Pufnstuf as a character. We take note of a fun Universal Horror related song from their early 1960’s adult puppet show and then turn things toward the amazing songs created for the film. We talk about the cast with Jack Wild’s place in the hearts of young girls becoming a subject of some amusement while Billie Hayes’ immortal Witchiepoo is lauded as the best reason to watch either the film or the television show. Favorite lines of dialog are quoted and we wonder aloud if some of the best bits were adlibbed by Miss Hayes or not. We also talk about Mama Cass Elliot’s excellent performance as Witch Hazel and single out her song as a highlight. This really is a delightful movie!

If you want to share your own memories of the old Sid & Marty Krofft shows thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. We hope you enjoy this slightly chaotic trip into Saturday mornings past. Thank you for listening! 

PUFNSTUF (1970) Original Sound Track Album

What started as research for an upcoming podcast has become pure love. This album has turned into one of my favorite things to listen to every day for nearly a week! 

 

Trailer - TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME (1949)

Last night I suggested that we shift gears in our regular viewing and popped in the Blu-Ray of TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME (1949). I’m not the biggest fan of musicals but over the past few years I’ve found more and more of them that I enjoy. Turns out that this one is an excellent example of the classic Hollywood style of the genre!

I expected the three stars to be good but was even more impressed with supporting actors Jules Mushkin and Betty Garrett. Mushkin plays the team’s first baseman and the third clown between Sinatra and Kelly often given the best lines and making the most of even the smallest opportunity onscreen. He’s amazing. But Miss Garrett is phenomenal! She plays the young lady stricken with comical infatuation for Sinatra’s character and she shines like a blazing star. She is a joy to watch and seems capable of nearly anything. If she’s not literally picking up the undernourished Frankie-boy and walking off the field with him she is adding nuance to bits of business that make her character more lovable by the minute. I was sad to learn that she did most of best regarded work on the stage but in her elder days she turned to television and was on dozens of episodes of various series including extended runs on All In The Family and Laverne & Shirley. She was incredible and I hope to see more of her movie work in the future.

But most surprising of all for us was how perfect this movie turns out to be for viewing on the Independence Day weekend. There are multiple patriotic musical numbers scattered throughout and they engendered a warm, welcome feeling of nostalgia for times when I felt our country could pull together. The message of people of all types building a team to make a strong nation was beautifully handled and never cloying. It was a real joy to find this unexpectedly fitting entertainment for the first week of July and I highly recommend it.

Oh! And it also has a great Gene Kelly Irish themed musical number that pretty much stops the show. Brilliant stuff!

Brief Thoughts - ROSE MARIE (1954)

I caught up with the musical ROSE MARIE (1954) the other evening and have to admit I agree with the general critical assessment of it being fairly mediocre. It isn’t a bad film but it is flat and uninvolving for the most part. I wasn’t aware that this was the third film version of the stage production until after I saw this one, but I am now curious enough to want to see those earlier takes on the show to compare. I was initially interested in it because one of the main characters is a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police but the allure of the songs was strong as well. I’m not the biggest fan of musicals but a good one can always win me over. Sadly, most of the songs here are pretty forgettable with only two of them really sticking out. ‘I’m a Mountie That Never Got His Man’ sung by Bert (Cowardly Lion) Lahr is a funny tune and the film stages it well with Lahr getting to play off of his talented co-star Marjorie Main. Oddly, it was written for the film adaptations and wasn’t part of the original stage production.

But there is one song that I knew before watching this film but had no idea it originated here. ‘Indian Love Call’ is a tune that I have heard someplace before and actually heard in a way that made it stick in my memory. I suspect I absorbed a comedic take on the chorus in some short or cartoon but I just can’t remember where or when. Nevertheless, this song is now lodged in my brain for the first time in decades and I’m not sure that is a good thing. It is a bit strange no matter how you approach it. Check it out below to hear what I mean.