The Bloody Pit

The Bloody Pit #26 - CASTLE OF BLOOD and WEB OF THE SPIDER

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. 

The Bloody Pit #25 - GODZILLA MOTHRA KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL OUT ATTACK (2001)

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!   

The Bloody Pit #24 - FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD (1965)

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. 

The Bloody Pit #23 - WAR BETWEEN THE PLANETS (1966)

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. 

The Bloody Pit #22 - GODZILLA VS THE SMOG MONSTER (1972)

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. 

The Bloody Pit #21 - Movie Music Show!

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.  Babylon, I'm Coming - Piero Piccioni

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 Alhambra - Bruno Nicolai

9.  UpperSeven - Bruno Nicolai

10. Frankenstein 80 - Daniele Patucci

11. 'Salem's Lot- Henry Sukman

12. Magic And Ecstasy  - Ennio Morricone

13. A Man Called Dagger - Steve Allen

14. Supercolpu Shake - Nico Fedenco

15. Escape From New York - John Carpenter

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   

The Bloody Pit #20 - ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 (1976)

John Carpenter is easily one of my favorite filmmakers. He has made more than five movies that I hold to be of such enduring quality that I have lost count of the number of times I have watched them. Even in his weakest movies I can find lots to love and the film under discussion in this episode is NOT a weak one. ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 was only the second feature Carpenter directed but it shows his skill and abilities off brilliantly. I could go on and on but we'll get into that in the show!

In this episode I'm joined once again by my friend John Hudson who last sat down with me to talk about Carl Kolchak. This time out we dig into this film and use it as a reason to touch on other Carpenter movies was well. I'm proud to say that we were able to stay mostly on topic so there weren't as many barely related things discussed this time out. Of course, that doesn't keep either of us from relating some very odd analogies among the actual information so you have been warned. 

The Bloody Pit #19 - ALL MONSTERS ATTACK (1969)

After much behind the scenes wrangling we have finally produced an episode on Godzilla! And boy, have we found a way to come at this great character in a way guaranteed to confuse fans and confound listeners. That's right- we're going to talk about the stranger movies in the Big G's list of credits and what more bizarre place to start than this oddity also known as GODZILLA'S REVENGE. This will be the first in a series of shows Troy and I will be doing over the course of the next year focusing on the less well admired movies in the long running series. The series will be labeled Controversial Kaiju and we think it will be of interest to both major monster fans and those with a casual curiosity in the giant radioactive lizard.

Troy is a hard-core fan of the genre and Godzilla in particular while I am an untutored fan of the films with little knowledge to inform my appreciation. Luckily, for me, Troy has read extensively on the subject and brings his familiarity with the facts to our discussion. Hopefully he will be able to increase your appreciation of the film at hand as well as the genre as a whole.

If you have any information of your own to impart drop us a line at thebloodypit@gmail.com and let us know what your favorite or least favorite Godzilla film might be. We should be back in the Spring with another Controversial Kaiju entry! 

The Bloody Pit #18 - Halloween Mix 2014

It's that time of year again - The Merry Month of Halloween! Yes, I love this time of year for many reasons, from the crisp Autumn weather to the pumpkin flavored everything to the joy of a horror novel or the illicit chill of a creepy movie flickering across a screen nearby! October brings all that spine-tingling, goosepimply fun to the everyone's attention for thirty one fantastic days. I love every minute of it!

To help get you in the spirit I present this little audio gift of fun, scary music mixed with amusing trailers and other tidbits. Listen to it to get yourself primed for Halloween night, while you're searching for the perfect costume or when carving a Jack O'Lantern to scare the kiddies.  Everyone is due one good scare at this time of year, huh? 

1. Zacherly - Coolest Little Monster

2. Arctic Monkeys - Red Right Hand

3. Bobby Bare - Vampira

4. trailer - From Beyond the Grave

5. The Ghastly Ones - BansheeBeach

6. The Fog ghost tale

7. Midnight Syndicate -Lurking Fear

8. Frank N. Stein & the Creatures - Mostly Ghostly

9.  Peggy Lee- Bewitched

10. Jack Marshall -Munster's Theme

11. trailer- Hunchback of the Morgue

12. Gregory's Funhouse- It Only Happens on Halloween!

13. The Shades- Strollin' After Dark  

14. Daikaiju Attack

15. The Meteors - The Corpse Grinders

16. Loving it!

17. Redd Kross- Dracula's Daughter

18. Alice Cooper -Ghoul's Gone Wild

19. trailer - Horror Express

20. Dark Moor- The Bane of Daninsky

21. Castleberry's BBQ

22. Weird Al - Nature Trail to Hell!

23. Zombina and the Skeletones - Something Weird

24. trailer- Caltiki

25. The Addams Family Theme

26. Lord Luther - Teenage Monster

27. trailer - Godzilla

28. Blue Oyster Cult - Godzilla

29. trailer- Yog

30. Josie Cotton- Green Slime

31. Take It Easy on Our Ghosts

32. Matthew Sweet - Scooby Doo, Where Are You? 

The Bloody Pit #17 - Doc Savage!

If you’ve never read one of the Man of Bronze’s adventures this podcast can serve as an introduction to him and his world. Although the character is not very well known these days, Doc Savage has a long and storied history. Born out of the fertile imagination of the great Lester Dent in the Depression of the 1930’s he is the perfect heroic man meant to exist as a beacon of nobility for people to aspire to emulate. An adventurer and righter of wrongs with an unbreakable code of ethics, Savage was the type of pulp fiction hero that could be enjoyed by readers of any age looking for fast action and wild plots. Yes,  the violence often gets brutal in a Doc Savage novel but the bad guys will always be the ones that end up on the unfortunately placed sharp stick or at the bottom of that undiscovered deadly pit.

In this episode Doc Savage super-fan Brain Lindsey joins me for a conversation about all things Doc that ranges from the character’s background; his use of incredibly prescient gadgets; his five amazing companions; the best and worst of the novels and even the unfortunate 1975 George Pal produced film. As it appears that writer/director Shane Black is pushing to revive Doc as a film project in the near future we even speculate on who we’d like to see cast in the title role – we can be such conventional geeks! We also get into the details of the elements that make these books so much fun and pick apart some of the things that are a little questionable as well. If you’ve heard of The Shadow but never heard of Clark Savage, Jr. now is the time to let us escort you to the 86th floor of the EmpireStateBuilding and introduce you to one of the most impressive American fictional heroes of all time. I guarantee thrills and smiles aplenty!

If you want to drop us a line here at the podcast just write to thebloodypit@gmail.com and let us know what you think. Thank you very much for downloading and listening.