Trailers From Hell - NINJA III: THE DOMINATION (1984)

The next episode of The Bloody Pit podcast has a lot to say about this insane Cannon film even if it isn't the true focus of the show. The 1980's was Ninja ground zero! 

John Carter of Mars Comic Strips

From 1941 to 1943 John Coleman Burroughs adapted his father's John Carter of Mars stories as a Sunday newspaper comic strip. You can see all of them at the ERBzine website as well as a number of excellent examples of other such strips. I recommend looking around there for some fun pulp reading as well as news about current comic adaptations and expansions of ERB's work.

Click on the images to enlarge. 

Video - An Ode to Stop Motion Animation

This fantastic collection of bits of stop motion work stretches from the silent era to the 1990's. It demonstrates the effectiveness and the pure fun of the form. 

Gerry Anderson Toys!

And now I have the theme tunes from several of these shows looping through my head! 

YouTube - KILMA, QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE (1975)

Here is the first section of the rare Spanish jungle girl movie by the director of THE WEREWOLF AND THE YETI (1975). Not sure if there will ever be a great release of this film so this might be your only chance. And Paul Naschy plays a hunter on a strange safari so that is well worth seeing! 

The Bloody Pit #109 - NOTHING UNDERNEATH (1985)

I’m very excited to welcome author and podcaster Amanda Reyes to the show for the first time! She edited and co-wrote the excellent overview book ‘Are You In the House Alone: A TV Movie Compendium’ and hosts the TV Mayhem Podcast where she hosts discussions of every type of television film imaginable. I’ve been a fan of her work for years and her focus on TV movies putting her near the top of any list of current experts in the field. But her knowledge of cinema ranges much wider than just the small screen. With her love of the thriller and horror genres pushing her into often strange territories she can find fascinating parallels that other viewers would miss. On more than one occasion I’ve been stunned by her deep understanding of obscure horror movies often forcing me to reevaluate my opinion. Plus, her podcasting tendency to go off on great tangents has made for some amazing discoveries of hidden treasures lurking on actor’s resumes!

I asked Amanda what subject she would like to tackle and she brought up the little-known Italian high fashion world thriller NOTHING UNDERNEATH (1985). I had only caught up with the film about a year ago and really enjoyed it so it seemed like a perfect small topic to dig into. Little did I know that Miss Reyes and I would have so much to say about it! We talk about the film for well over two hours and even discuss the bat-crap crazy ending. Be aware, we give you plenty of warning if you want to avoid spoilers but we just had to talk about the final scenes. Not that the mystery element is the only thing here to enjoy about the movie. We delve into the cast and their careers with some surprising details about certain projects. We debate the effectiveness of fake accents; the treatment of the story’s sleazier aspects; the 1980’s fashion; the plot’s red herrings; the film’s rural versus urban visual motif and the telepathic sibling element that drives the entire affair. We had a great time with this film and I hope you have half as much fun listening in.

If you have any comments or suggestions the show can be reached at thebloodypit@gmail.com or over on the podcast’s FB page. Let us know what you think and feel free to guess about what Amanda and I will be discussing the next time we record!

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What I Watched in June

Poster art from three of the pleasant discoveries of last month. All three are recommended if you can find them. 

THE LIST 

HAUNTED HONEYMOON (1940) – 8 (rewatch)

FACES IN THE DARK (1960) – 7 (excellent British ‘Gaslight’ styled thriller)

RAPE (1976) – 5 (Spanish mystery/horror with Nadiuska)

TWINS OF EVIL (1972) – 8 (rewatch)

FANTASY ISLAND (2020) – 5 (well mounted but falls apart near the end)

THE LEECH WOMAN (1960) – 5 (rewatch on Blu)

ROBIN HOOD AND THE PIRATES (1960) – 5 (Italian adventure with Lex Barker)

NEVER A DULL MOMENT (1967)- 5 (Disney crime comedy with Dick Van Dyke and Edward G. Robinson)

THE H MAN (1959) – 7 (rewatch on Blu)

THE FALCON GOES TO HOLLYWOOD (1944) – 6 (rewatch)

BLADE RUNNER 2049 (2017) – 9 (rewatch)

THE BLANCHEVILLE MONSTER (1963) – 5

DAKOTA (1945) – 6 (Republic studios/John Wayne western)

THE BLACK ARROW (1948) – 7 (swashbuckler)

GENTLEMEN WITH GUNS (1946) – 5 (very low budget Buster Crabbe western)

BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE (1959) – 6 (beautiful Toho science fiction adventure)

THE FALCON IN SAN FRANCISCO (1945) – 6 (a darker, almost noirish entry)

THE GOLDEN CLAWS OF THE CAT GIRL (1968) – 7 (interesting French crime/espionage film)

MAN, PRIDE AND VENGEANCE (1967) – 6

SKYFALL (2012) – 9 (rewatch)

THE MONSTER AND THE GIRL (1940) – 6 (rewatch on Blu)

CAPTIVE WILD WOMAN (1943) – 6 (rewatch on Blu)

NOTHING UNDERNEATH (1985) – 7 (rewatch)

CLASH OF THE TITANS (1981) – 8 (rewatch on Blu)

MACHETE MAIDENS UNLEASHED (2010) - 8 (rewatch)

ARABIAN ADVENTURE (1979) – 7 (fun old-style fantasy film)

YOU’LL FIND OUT (1940) – 6 (silly musical/comedy with Karlof, Lugosi and Lorre giving it some juice)

JUNGLE WOMAN (1944) – 4 (limp sequel to CAPTIVE WILD WOMAN)