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Eclectic Film Discussion
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Monday Oct 05, 2015
Monday Oct 05, 2015
It's October again! Time to enjoy all the things we love about the Autumn season and the fantastic month leading to the most scary day of the year - Halloween! In the spirit of all the festive creepiness we all know and love I present this year's music mix for your listening pleasure. It's a rollicking hour and twenty minutes of creepy, often funny songs sprinkled with trailers of classic (and not so classic) movies. I hope you get a kick out of it.
1. Intro
2. Jackie Morningstar - Rockin' in the Graveyard
3. Trailer - House on Haunted Hill
4. Deep Purple - Vincent Price
5. Trailer- Werewolf vs. the Vampire Woman
6. Round Robin - I'm a Wolfman
7. Bert Convy - Monster's Hop
8. Phantom Five- Graveyard
9. Trailer -Berzerk
10. Reverend Horton Heat - The Halloween Dance
11. Sweet - Hellraiser
12. Trailers- Terror & Friday the 13th
13. The Moontrekkers - Night of the Vampires
14. Trailer - The Leech Woman
15. Dave Gardner - Mad Witch
16. The Swingin' Neckbreakers - No Costume, No Candy
17. Trailer - The Chosen
18. Popcorn!
19. Tony's Monstrosities - Igor's Party
20. Teddy Durant - The Beast of Sunset Strip
21. Trailer - Atom Age Vampire
22. The Idols - The Prowler
23. Trailer - Tales From the Crypt
24. Ronnie Self- Go Go Cannibal
25. Southern Culture on the Skids & Zacherly - Sinister Purpose
26. Trailer -Frankenstein
27. Bobby Please - The Monster
28. Chance Halliday - Bury Me Deep
29. Trailer - Humanoids From the Deep
30. The Dead Elvi - The Creature Stole My Surfboard
31. Jack and Jim - Midnight Monsters Hop
32. GMRX
33. Trailer- Plan Nine From Outer Space
34. The Bomboras -A Fistful of Terror
35. Trailer - Tales of Terror
36. Alice Cooper - Last Man on Earth
Sunday Sep 27, 2015
Sunday Sep 27, 2015
A rock 'n' roll Godzilla movie? Yeah, that seems to be what we have with GODZILLA: FINAL WARS (2004). Director Ryûhei Kitamura was tasked with bringing his kinetic style to the Millennium series which may (or may not) have been a mistake. His love of the crazier Big G films of the 1970's certainly shines through in this entry giving the proceedings a strange throwback quality that previous movies in the series had steered clear of. The fan reaction to GFW was very split and as this was to be the last Godzilla movie - possibly ever- and also the film released in celebration of Gojira's 50th anniversary it is easy to understand how nearly nothing could have pleased everyone. Sadly, the Matrix/X-Men elements have not aged nearly as well as the bad-ass monster battles - of which there are many. I think any film that causes me to utter the phrase 'unnecessary plot clutter' clearly has its problems.
As you might expect on a film this divisive there is some disagreement between Troy and I on the qualities Kitamura brought to the table. If the standard split of opinion on this one is 'fan boy vs. fan' then our discussion will mirror that divide pretty closely. Of course, before we get to GFW we talk a bit about my inevitable viewing of another Eli Roth disaster and Troy's recent trip into the Lon Chaney scented Inner Sanctum. Don't ever say we aren't diverse in the horror movie topics that get randomly discussed when we start babbling! So get off your ass and come down here. Rock 'n' Roll ain't no riddle, man. To me it makes good, good sense.
We have a very full mailbag at the end of the show this time out. Several listeners sent their thoughts and corrections to us about both our kiaju episodes and the epic CONTAMINATION show as well. It's nice to know there are folks out there that are enjoying what we do and, rest assured, we intend to keep it up. We have some great shows on the way in the next few months. If you have any comments about the show - or corrections - you can write us at thebloodypit@gmail.com where we'll be thrilled to hear what you have to say. Remember that you can send MP3's or WAV files of your comments as well and we'll blend them into the feedback section next time out. Thank you for downloading and listening!
Tuesday Sep 01, 2015
Tuesday Sep 01, 2015
Our series of spoiler filled shows focused on the films of Antonio Margheriti continues with one of the director's westerns. Of course, the name in the credits is his standard pseudonym Anthony M. Dawson but we all know who made this excellent combination of Spaghetti Western and Blaxploitation genres. TAKE A HARD RIDE was financed by 20th Century Fox after having great success with Margheriti's previous western for the studio THE STRANGER AND THE GUNFIGHTER (1974). Teamed again with that film's star Lee Van Cleef Margheriti is able to show his skill again by directing one of best of the very few examples of a western with a mostly black lead cast. Further, this movie has the distinction of reuniting the three male leads of THREE THE HARD WAY (1974) for the last time until Fred Williamson would take it upon himself to cast them all in his 1982 film ONE DOWN, TWO TO GO. A team this good shouldn't have had to wait seven years for another big screen adventure but that's Hollywood I guess.
Co-host John Hudson and I take a run through this fun film discussing not just the director and stars but also the location shooting; the script's detailed characterizations; the bad guy's deep bench; a possible snake death; the horror of swinging bridges and the many joys of watching Jim Brown and Fred Williamson spar onscreen. It will be clear that we hold this film in high esteem and it will also be clear that John's cat Snowbell has some things to say as well. She makes her presence known throughout the show, so those meows you hear from time to time are not a ghost feline stalking you as you listen tom the podcast.
Be warned that we start the show with a few minutes of talk about what we've been reading and watching since we last podcasted together. This time out John came prepared to list off some interesting recent viewings. I take the opportunity to relate that I've been reading an excellent crime novel by the author of 'Money Shot' but I repeatedly refer to the writer by the wrong name. The author of 'Choke Hold' and its predecessor is Christa Faust NOT Christina Faust as I call her in the first part of the show. I apologize to her and to anyone out there that might go in search of her great books and wonder why they can't find them! Sorry!
If you have any comments or suggestions you can reach us at thebloodypit@gmail.com and we'll be glad to include your email in future episodes.
Saturday Aug 01, 2015
Saturday Aug 01, 2015
It was a year ago that Troy, Jeff and I sat down and podcasted together and the film under discussion that time was the mad Umberto Lenzi zombie epic NIGHTMARE CITY. Proving that we only seem to want to talk on the record about completely insane Euro-Cult horror movies we now sit down to hash out our feelings about Luigi Cozzi's incredible (in every sense of that word) CONTAMINATION. If you have never seen this slice of 1980's cinema madness allow our conversation to push you toward a viewing first because we spoil the holy living crap out of the film from begging to end. If you have any love for bizarre movies you will find much to love - and much to make you scratch your head in wonder. After all, when you are watching a film that is trying to copy Ridley Scott's ALIEN but on a very low budget there are going to be some interesting compromises along the way. Due to budgetary constraints writer/director Cozzi had to set the film on Earth but kept the idea of the alien eggs and a large monstrous creature from the Scott film and even titled his script 'Alien Arrives on Earth' so you know it has to be great. God, I miss the days of cheap Italian rip-off cinema! So much fun!
Please join the three of us under "Absolute Maximum Security" as we travel from New York City's sewers to the coffee fields of Columbia to the planet Mars (!) in our quest to understand and share this amazing film. Listen as Troy re-titles the movie FOOTBALLS: THE RIPENING and wonders why it wasn't called CONTAMI-GASM while I express my belief that the movie is "Nonsensical to the point of genius." Jeff has done a deep dive and brings some fascinating details from the graphic novel adaptation of the script that Cozzi has produced and that is available as an extra on the new Arrow Films Blu-Ray release. Will wonders never cease?
If you have any comments or suggestions you can send them to thebloodypit@gmail.com and we'll respond in our next Italian Horror episode. Thank you very much for downloading and listening!
Thursday Jul 09, 2015
Thursday Jul 09, 2015
After a short delay John Hudson and I finally sit down to discuss two of director Antonio Margheriti's scary films. This time out we delve into his Gothic Horror output with the Barbara Steele featuring CASTLE OF BLOOD (1964) and Margheriti's remake of that film WEB OF THE SPIDER (1971). Yes, you read that correctly - much like about a dozen other filmmakers Margheriti remade his own film and in this case seems to have used the same script. And the same score too! But since the score is by Riz Ortolani that might have been a mark of brilliance instead of a cost cutting move. To add to the differences, the first film was made in glorious, shadow-filled black & white while the remake was filmed in color. Does this end up making or breaking the story?
As you might expect when discussing two separate but very similar films we speak about the points of departure the later film makes from the first incarnation while trying to determine which is a better version of this ghostly tale. There is much to discuss when comparing the legendary Barbara Steele to the lady that took on her role seven years later. It turns out that French actress Michèle Mercier had quite an interesting career and serving as a replacement for a horror icon might have been a step down for her.
If you have any comments of suggestions for future podcasts you can drop us an email at thebloodypit@gmail.com and we'll take your thoughts under advisement. Mr. Hudson and I will be continuing our trip through Margheriti-ville soon by dipping into his westerns so we hope you'll come back for that. Thank you so much for downloading and listening.
Sunday Jun 28, 2015
Sunday Jun 28, 2015
In this episode Troy and I return to our Controversial Kaiju series to talk about GODZILLA MOTHRA KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL OUT ATTACK (2001) and marvel at more than just the length of the title. The third film in the 'Millennium' run from Toho it follows the standard for that series by ignoring all previous Godzilla film save the classic 1954 original. Yes- this movie is a direct sequel to GOJIRA and that might explain why for some Big G fans it might be considered controversial. I think the only thing controversial about it is that the director (Shûsuke Kaneko) has not been allowed (or forced!) to make several more awesome Godzilla epics!
As is typical with these giant monster movies from Japan, I play catch up as Troy takes me to school dropping knowledge about everything in sight. Luckily there is much to talk about as I complain about the title and suggest a more accurate and less serious alternate name for the film. Troy discusses the originally desired monster lineup and his own preferred roster while I express my amazement at the monsters' stance on Japan's juvenile delinquent problem. We were both surprised by the fun way the film addresses the names given to the various monsters which leads me to rename Gamera the Flaming Flying Death Disc while Troy simply shakes his head in shame. Adding to the discussion (and nearly derailing it) is a sideline conversation about Toho's WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS (1966) because I finally got a chance to see this supposed sequel to the topic of the last episode. We do stay on point for the majority of the show but there is a brief bit about 1950's TV westerns that is apropos of absolutely nothing, so be warned.
If you have any comments or question the email address is thebloodypit@gmail.com where are thrilled to answer any question you might pose. Indeed, this month we answer several queries and I have to once again confess to not having seen a (not so) classic dinosaur film. Add it to the list and I'll eventually get it! Jeeze! Thank you for downloading and listening to the show!
Tuesday Jun 02, 2015
Tuesday Jun 02, 2015
I have always strived to include as many guest hosts on The Bloody Pit as possible and this time I'm finally joined by a friend with whom I've planned to record for over a year. It should never have taken so long but we only see each other every May so a missed opportunity means twelve months slip by before we can make another try. Luckily this year we made the time and ended up talking about FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD at length. Of course, talking monster movies is second nature for Mark and myself so the subject matter isn't all that odd, but let me introduce my esteemed co-host for Bloody Pit #24.
Mark Maddox is a fantastic painter and illustrator whose work has appeared on the covers of most of my favorite monster magazines. Chances are good that if you read Little Shop of Horrors, Screem, Mad Scientist, HorrorHound or Monsters From Hell you have seen his artwork and been impressed by it. Besides being an award winning creator of visual excellence he shares a love for classic horror movies that rivals my own and he is more than willing to debate, discuss and even argue over the merits of his favorites. (And if I'm lucky one day I'll get him on the record about our mutual love of Spaghetti Westerns as well!) If you haven't seen his work you are in for a treat and I suggest a quick trip over to his website HERE for a peek. I'm thrilled to have a print of his beautiful piece inspired by John Carpenter's THE THING hanging in my bedroom, creeping me out each night before I go to sleep.
Since it's in each of our natures to start talking about horror films and never shut up we tried to limit the scope of our conversation to the film at hand but we do start off establishing a baseline. By that I mean that we talk about Lugosi in THE BLACK CAT and MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE and then about Cushing in BRIDES OF DRACULA before we finally get to Toho's brilliant riff on The Frankenstein Monster. If you wish to comment on the show or any previous episode you can email me at thebloodypit@gmail.com where I am sure to reply.
Thursday Apr 02, 2015
Thursday Apr 02, 2015
Antonio Margheriti is the Italian genre director most often forgotten or overlooked by fans of Euro-Cult cinema. It's not that his films are ignored but more that he is rarely looked upon as a filmmaker with a body of work worthy of serious attention. Starting with this episode John Hudson and I will be conducting a tour of some of the more interesting of his over thirty year career in the director's chair. As I state (repeatedly) in the show, Margheriti made films in nearly every genre possible and often crafted some of the best examples of each type. Usually hidden behind his pseudonym Anthony M. Dawson, he was responsible for more than just YOR, THE HUNTER FROM THE FUTURE!
This film has been known by many titles but we're going to use the one attached to the current Region 1 DVD - WAR BETWEEN THE PLANETS. I do, from time to time, refer to it as PLANET OF THE PROWL because that is just such a cool name but considering the various very similar titles given this and Margheriti's other science fiction tales I hope I can be forgiven. If you've never heard of the Gamma One films before hopefully this episode will give you some understanding of the group of four movies and possible spur you to check them out.
You can email us with your thoughts and comments at thebloodypit@gmail.com and we look forward to your input.
Wednesday Mar 11, 2015
Wednesday Mar 11, 2015
Troy and I return for our second Godzilla show and it is a big one! We dig in deep to discuss GODZILLA VS THE SMOG MONSTER from every angle we can think of and a few that occur to us as we wrestle with the film's odd nature. This movie has always been considered one of the most bizarre of the entire sixty year history of the character and it still retains its ability to puzzle, confuse and (somehow) delight viewers. Truly, this is a controversial kiaju film and fits perfectly within our series of podcasts on the stranger entries in the genre.
As you can tell from the epic run time of this episode, we have a lot to say about this film. We discuss many things including the two different English dubs; the director's inspirations and aspirations; the film's insanely high body count; the unexplained leaps in the narrative; the psychedelic fashions on display; the memorable score; the possible psychic connection between the Big G and the young boy character; the criticisms the film levels against nearly every strata of Japanese society; the very real (and grotesque) monster murder committed by Godzilla; the coded drug use of a central character and much more. It is easy to see why this is such a divisive film in the series but it is fascinating in a way that many other Godzilla tales just can't manage. It one of the strangest monster movies of all time and it is mesmerizing for just that reason!
We also take the time to respond to a email taking us to task for our kind words about the 2014 American made Godzilla film. Both Troy and I go point by point through this missive to delineate our disagreements with and occasional understanding of the problems raised. If you have any comments on the Smog Monster or any other Godzilla related topic please write us at thebloodypit@gmail.com and we'll be glad to address your thoughts in our next Controversial Kaiju episode.
Tuesday Feb 17, 2015
Tuesday Feb 17, 2015
Here's a short in-between episode to whet your appetite for what the rest of 2015 holds in store. I've pulled together a few pieces of interesting film music for your listening pleasure in hopes of making the current colds days seem a little less frigid. Enjoy!
1. Danger: Diabolik Part 1 - Ennio Morricone
2.
3. Hercules Theme - Enzo Masetti
4. The Saint - Cyril Stapleton
5. Space: 1999 - Geoff Love & his Orchestra
6. 2968 - Carlo Savina
7. 5 Dolls For an August Moon - Piero Umiliani
8. Nell'Assolata
9. UpperSeven - Bruno Nicolai
10. Frankenstein 80 - Daniele Patucci
11. '
12. Magic And Ecstasy - Ennio Morricone
13. A Man Called Dagger - Steve Allen
14. Supercolpu Shake - Nico Fedenco
15. Escape From
16. Truck Turner - Isaac Hayes
17. The Criminal Gang - Franco Micalizzi
18. Take a Midnight Ride - Phil Chilton and Pete Smith
19 Il Perfetto di Ferro - Ennio Morriconne
20. Special Agent LK - Bruno Nicolai