The Shadow - Pulp Cover Gallery

My pulp reading continues.

 

Video - THE 1000 EYES OF DR. MABUSE (1960)

If you've never seen this fantastic thriller then now is your chance! Bringing the Mabuse character back from its 1933 grave this film was the beginning of a series of six films in the early 1960's. Each of them are worth seeing but this is the Fritz Lang entry they descend from. Now, if only they were all easier to see in English! Podcast on the way.

The Spider - Pulp Cover Gallery

I just read another of these over-the-top crime tales! I can't get enough of them.

The Bloody Pit #188 - THE INVISIBLE MAN'S REVENGE (1944)

Troy and I return to the Universal Horrors of the 1940’s to check out the fifth and last of the Invisible Man series. THE INVISIBLE MAN’S REVENGE (1944) is sometimes seen as a strong final entry but both of us find far too many loose ends and discordant elements to fully enjoy the film. I must caution you that we spoil this one completely early on and I find myself cursing more than normal as we discuss the questions the movie throws in our faces. Sorry about that.

 

This is an interesting film but mostly for the wrong reasons. We try to pinpoint all the spots where the original, nastier version of this story peeks through the softened final product. The amazing Gale Sondergaard is a victim of the alterations to the story and disappears after only two scenes – we were displeased by this! The timeline of the Robert Griffin character is confusing and neither of us can work out how he carried around a piece of paper with his name on it for five years but didn’t know his own identity. I spend time marveling at how unlikable Griffin is throughout the story. Jon Hall does a great job in the role but he is playing a man with no redeeming qualities and a hair-trigger propensity for violence. This is our hero? Following on from the previous sequels we get the series’ now standard irritating ‘humor’ culminating in a dart competition that goes on forever. Both of us found this to be the weakest of the Universal Invisible Man cycle and would be curious to find fans of the film to defend it.

 

If you do want to stick up for THE INVISIBLE MAN’S REVENGE drop us a note at thebloodypit@gmail.com – we really are interested in hearing a defense of this one. 

What I Watched in December 2023

Sorry this is being posted later than normal. I completely forgot about this regular monthly listing of my movie viewing! My only excuse is that I'm swamped with setting up and recording new podcasts and researching a new commentary track with a very short deadline. As you can tell from the list the Big G's latest screen adventure was the best film I saw in December and I suspect I am not alone in feeling that way. 

The List 

GODZILLA MINUS ONE (2023) – 10 

THE LADY IN THE MORGUE (1938) – 7 (second Bill Crane mystery is better than the first) 

SIROCCO (1951) – 5 (flat Bogart gun smuggler tale – it wants to be CASABLANCA so hard!) 

THE EARTH DIES SCREAMING (1964) – 6 (slight British sci-fi alien invasion film) 

THE FAMILY SECRET (1951) – 7 (Lee J. Cobb and John Derek in a crime drama) 

IT’S A WONDERFUL KNIFE (2023) – 7 (flawed but well done Christmas slasher) 

WHEN THE CLOCK STRIKES (1961) – 5 (Edward Cahn noir that is just too sappy)

THE HARDER THEY FALL (1956) – 7 (Bogart’s last is a tough look at the criminal side of boxing) 

SCOTLAND YARD INSPECTOR (1952) – 6 (Lady In The Fog) (Cesar Romero & Lois Maxwell in a British noir)

A CHRISTMAS HORROR STORY (2015) – 8 (rewatch) 

A FORCE OF ONE (1979) – 5 (poorly directed, sloppy Chuck Norris crime film) 

THE NINTH GUEST (1934) – 6 (play adaptation that is very similar to And Then There Were None) 

SCROOGE (1970) – 9 (rewatch) 

THE LAST MATCH (1991) – 4 (rewatch on Blu) (sloppy, silly and often dull Italian action film)

THE GOOD LIAR (2019) – 8 (excellent crime/con story) 

RAT MAN (1988) – 5 (bizarre, sloppy Italian horror effort – I may need a second viewing for clarity)

YANKEE (1966) – 7 (Tinto Brass spaghetti western) 

CHRISTMAS PRESENT (1986) – 7 (estranged friends play poker on Christmas Eve)

ALL THE CREATURES WERE STIRRING (2018) – 5 (interesting anthology Christmas horror) 

THE ADVENT CALENDAR (2021) – 8 (excellent Belgian Christmas horror) 

MERRY LITTLE BATMAN (2023) – 8 (fantastic animated Christmas tale) 

SPAWN OF THE NORTH (1938) – 8 (Alaska set adventure of fish rustlers) 

THE SPECTER OF TERROR (1973) – 5 (OK serial killer film from Spain - Maria Perschy is stalked)

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS (1972) – 6 (solid Christmas set TV movie with an excellent cast) 

CURSE OF THE DOG GOD (1977) – 8 (Japanese folk horror) 

THE LEAGUE OF FRIGHTENED MEN (1937) – 6 (Nero Wolfe murder mystery)

THE BIG GUNDOWN (1966) – 8 (rewatch on Blu – Italian version) 

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

A THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS (1945) – 6 (colorful, light and too silly to matter – but fun enough) 

KING KONG LIVES (1986) – 5 (rewatch on Blu) (once it starts, I can’t look away!) 

HELLHOLE (1985) – 5 (nudity filled WIP film with Mary Warnov and Ray Sharkey) 

THE PACK (1977) – 7 (rewatch on Blu) 

AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM (2023) – 8 

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

ARABIAN NIGHTS (1942) – 7 (grand adventure with Jon Hall and Maria Montez) 

Wild, Wild Podcast Season 7: Episode 1 - KRIMINAL (1966)

The Wild, Wild Podcast emerges blinking into the night after the long dark Christmas break to bring you a new season dedicated to the heroes and villains (but mostly villains) of the films adapted from or inspired by the fumetti neri publishing phenomenon of the sixties (which is still going strong today in Italy).

Our first episode sees us going toe to toe with a devious, ruthless, devilishly handsome villain, Kriminal. He's self-serving, mean-spirited and will stop at nothing to get what he wants, in the comics at least. The films have him toned down a bit, as we explore in this discussion, which also covers such vital topics as the best way to shave and how to deal with your dad being Mussolini.

If you want to do some background reading on the most popular Italian comics of the sixties, there's a great resource here on Comic Vine.

We would love to hear from you if you have any favorite Italian comic-based films, or if you ever got beaten up and robbed by a man in a skull mask. You can contact us on Twitter and Instagram or by email at wildwildpodcast@gmail.com. Please also remember to rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice!

Random Peplum Poster Gallery

Not sure why but this is where my imagination is today.