Mark Maddox returns to the show to talk about a pair of Italian Muscle Man epics! Both movies tell tales of one of the oldest reoccurring characters of cinema – Maciste! And if you think you’ve never heard of him you might know him under one of several aliases – in this case, Samson. We start with a look at the first of the 1960’s film series, MACISTE IN THE VALLEY OF THE KINGS which was released in English speaking territories as SON OF SAMSON (1960). It stars Mark Forrest as the legendary stro...
Feb 08, 2023•2 hr 6 min•Ep. 166
Troy and I decided to record the Bloody Pit Mail Bag portion of things separately this time to keep the latest show from stretching near the three-hour mark. So, instead of an extended regular episode we present a quick forty minutes of questions, thoughts and our responses to some pretty good questions from listeners to the podcast. We learn about the German fascination with Frankenstein and discuss the joys of the Poverty Row Horror films before talking about Jess Franco commentary tracks and ...
Jan 29, 2023•42 min•Ep. 165
FLESH AND FANTASY (1943) is a film that should be much better known both in Horror fan circles and among fans of classic cinema in general. Directed by one of the giants of French cinema transplanted to America Julien Duvivier, this film shows the care and craftsmanship of a fine storyteller working with the full resources of a major studio. Following the template he had used in his earlier film TALES OF MANHATTAN (1942), this is an anthology with three vignettes linked by a framing device with ...
Jan 15, 2023•1 hr 58 min•Ep. 164
I’m joined by author David Annandale for a deep dive into the poverty Row horror film THE MONSTER MAKER (1944). Even among fans of these low budget efforts this one has a disreputable reputation as an example of the lines that these movies sometimes crossed. It is often singled out as one of the darker and more sadistic horrors of the 1940’s it does its best to creep out the viewer with the first onscreen appearance of a victim of acromegaly, the real disease that afflicted The Elephant Man, Joh...
Dec 29, 2022•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 163
This year’s Holiday Horror episode arrives! 2022 was Troy’s pick and he has chosen a British creeper set in the week between Christmas and New Years Eve called THE CHILDREN (2008). It is an underseen horror tale that uses the season effectively even if we question whether the story needed the holiday setting to be accomplish its goal. Still, there are fewer locations that cry out ‘Christmas’ as well as a secluded, snow-bound country house so it earns its place here easily. We try not to spoil th...
Dec 13, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 162
This episode I welcome writer Julian David Stone to discuss his new novel, It’s Alive! The book explores the struggle to produce FRANKENSTEIN (1931) at Universal Studio. Stone’s story uses the perspectives of Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff and studio head Carl Laemmle, Jr. to relate the difficult path to getting that revered classic film off the ground. We get inside the heads of this trio of talented people giving us an insightful view of each and their motivations during this important period in f...
Nov 25, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 161
Adrian Smith joins me as we return to our long-term discussion of the films of Antonio Margheriti. In the 1980’s he made several ‘military men on a mission’ films for various producers. These movies aped everything from THE DIRTY DOZEN to RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART 2 (1985) accomplishing much with meager budgets. Margheriti’s expertise in special effect work and miniatures were a major help in keeping costs under control. These sometimes great and sometimes insane effects are part of the fun, espec...
Nov 07, 2022•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 160
Cort Psyops returns to discuss THE HORRIBLE SEXY VAMPIRE (1970)! Just how many words in this title accurately describe the film’s contents? Woo boy. Your mileage may vary…… Recently rescued from dodgy video presentations by Mondo Macabro, this Spanish oddity is one of the stranger examples of Euro-Horror. We start our discussion remarking that the story behind the making of the film is probably more interesting than the film itself, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of onscreen elements t...
Oct 22, 2022•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 159
Troy, Beth and I convene to discuss the fourth of Universal’s Sherlock Holmes film series! Of course, the show is packed with spoilers but we just can’t resist. SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH (1943) is based on an original Holmes story by Doyle, ‘The Musgrave Ritual,’ and has our favorite detective investigating what might be a cursed family. Pressed into wartime service Doctor Watson has been helping out at Musgrave Manor which is serving as a convalescent home for shell-shocked Allied officers. H...
Oct 08, 2022•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 158
Cort Psyops returns to the show to talk sword and sorcery! RED SONJA (1985) is a film that gets very little respect even among hardcore cult film fans. Cort and I feel this is an oversight and we take about two and half hours to make our case! Hopefully you will join us on our quest. Both of us are coming off of seeing the film on high-definition disc which enhances our appreciation of the visuals, especially the old school special effects craftsmanship. Who cares if that strange giant spider do...
Sep 22, 2022•2 hr 31 min•Ep. 157
This is a very special episode. John Hudson joins me to discuss BOOGIE NIGHTS (1997) but that is only half the fun. We also got the chance to talk to actress Jane Hamilton who appears in the film as a judge. Under her stage name Veronica Hart, Miss Hamilton was a major star of adult movies in the period depicted in BOOGIE NIGHTS and is therefore the perfect person to answer questions about the industry and its onscreen Hollywood portrayal. She has many stories to tell and not just about the porn...
Sep 08, 2022•2 hr 50 min•Ep. 156
John Hudson and Bobby Hazzard return for a roundtable discussion of THE CANDY SNATCHERS (1973). Typical of exploitation cinema of the 1970’s this is a grimy, mean-spirited tale of crime and consequences. The story follows a trio of not-quite-as-smart-as-they-think low lives as they kidnap a jewelry store manger’s daughter. Expecting an easily scored diamond ransom their scheme goes sour and, when they start trying to turn their busted plan into a success, things get quickly worse. The sweat, fea...
Aug 24, 2022•1 hr 56 min•Ep. 155
Other projects have thrown off my podcasting schedule so I present this short episode as a bridge to our next full show. Troy joins me to respond to a couple of emails addressing some questions about THE MECHANIC. This includes some fascinating insight into director Michael Winner’s reputation from someone who has interviewed him! Exciting. We hint around about some of the projects that have been occupying our time recently without giving away any information we shouldn’t. I think. I also make p...
Aug 11, 2022•52 min•Ep. 154
Author Nicholas Schlegel joins me for a deep dive into the underappreciated genre of the ‘krimi’! These underseen films are German adaptations of Edgar Wallace crime novels. During their most popular period in the 1960’s more than four or five were being released every year and they remained a huge box office draw for nearly fifteen years. Mr. Schlegel has just published a book about these crime thrillers called ‘German Popular Cinema and the Rialto Krimi Phenomenon: Dark Eyes of London’ and it ...
Jul 24, 2022•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 153
Author Paul Talbot has published two important books about Charles Bronson and his career. Both ‘Bronson’s Loose: The Making of the Death Wish Films’ and ‘Bronson’s Loose Again: On the Set with Charles Bronson’ are packed with information about the production of some of the most interesting action thrillers movies of the 1970’s and 80’s. I was honored that Mr. Talbot agreed to join me on the show to talk about one of my favorite 1970’s Bronson movies. I’ve long been a fan of Bronson’s long strin...
Jun 22, 2022•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 152
During a recent rewatch of Dario Argento’s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1998) I typed out my real time reactions to the film on FaceBook. Several friends played along, seeming to share my dislike of the film and enjoying my detailing of the bits that struck me as nonsensical or bizarre. But one person stood up for this strange version of the Gaston Leroux tale and now he and I discuss our disparate takes on this odd effort. Troy Howarth returns to the show to defend the film that was many people’s ...
Jun 06, 2022•2 hr 3 min•Ep. 151
The show finally reaches episode #150 with a discussion of the 1943 version of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA! Join Troy and I as we swing on the giant opera house chandelier! Say what you will, but it gives us a good view of the film’s successes and failures. This often-derided film is one of Universal’s Oscar winners and on Blu-Ray it is a gorgeous thing to behold. We never thought we’d use words like opulent or big budgeted or colorful to describe a ‘horror’ film from the 1940’s but here we are! Of cou...
May 22, 2022•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 150
Lucio Fulci’s MURDER ROCK (1984) is not considered the director’s finest work but in this episode Troy Guinn, Jeff Nelson and I mount a defense of the film. We take a look at several aspects of the film that are rarely discussed including the excellent cinematography and the script’s clever red herrings. It’s standard for a murder mystery to throw suspicion on most of the cast but several of the suspects in this case are real nasty pieces of work! How often do you have one character falsely conf...
Apr 20, 2022•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 149
We enter into one of the odder areas of the 1940’s Universal Horrors with CAPTIVE WILD WOMAN (1943)! The few jungle girl movies made by the studio in the decade can be seen as a slightly faltering bridge between the occasional jungle themed serials of the 1930’s, the Weissmuller Tarzan series and the rapid growth of such film and television tales in the 1950’s. By the time the Jungle Jim and Bomba films were Saturday matinee staples Sheena and Ramar were also enticing young viewers at home. Thes...
Apr 02, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 148
Where is the line between grotesque horror and dark comedy? Paul Morrisey’s FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN (1973) explores that blurry line with colorful delight. Often known as Andy Warhol’s FRANKENSTEIN this is a one-of-a-kind experience and is now finally available on Bly-Ray! Mark Maddox and I discuss the film and our history with it as we look at what we like and/or love about this bizarre piece of cinema. The movie was produced without a full script while the director composed pages on the way to ...
Mar 20, 2022•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 147
John Hudson and Bobby Hazzard join me to discuss out first Filmirage production and, of course, it’s a horror film. BEYOND DARKNESS (1990) was directed by the man responsible for the astonishing TROLL 2, Claudio Fragrasso. That should let you know what kind of ride the movie will provide but it might not prepare you for the sheer madness. Consisting of ideas, characters and entire sequences cobbled together from at least six earlier films BEYOND DARKNESS serves up a low budget variation on the h...
Feb 26, 2022•2 hr 3 min•Ep. 146
After our recent discussion of BED OF A THOUSAND PLEASURES (1972) over on Wild, Wild Podcast Adrian Smith and I continued our conversation about Antonio Margheriti here on The Bloody Pit. Taking a look at this exceptional little ghost tale was long overdue and it is a shame that THE UNNATURALS (1969) is so difficult to see. It’s one of the director’s best gothic chillers and that is saying something. It feels very much like an early version of Bava’s LISA AND THE DEVIL (1973) and even shares som...
Feb 12, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 145
Following on our coverage of SHERLOCK HOLMES IN WASHINGTON (1943) we once again dig into the wealth of radio adaptations of the original stories. Beth has chosen two excellent audio versions of Arthur Conan Doyle tales with the connecting theme being that they involve an American character stirring up trouble. First we present The Noble Bachelor from the long running BBC Radio series starring Carleton Hobbs as Sherlock Holmes and Norman Shelley as Dr. Watson. This program aired from 1952 to 1969...
Jan 29, 2022•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 144
Sherlock Holmes takes center stage again with Rathbone and Bruce traveling to America to secure a secret document. I am joined by Beth Morris and Troy Guinn for a detailed look at the third in the Universal Holmes series, SHERLOCK HOLMES IN WASHINGTON (1943). This is one of the few that we all dreaded as memory told us we were in for a weaker entry. Imagine our surprise to find a much better movie than we expected. Exciting! We dig into the production with some neat information culled from my ev...
Jan 14, 2022•1 hr 55 min•Ep. 143
Holiday Horrors returns for 2021! John Hudson, Troy Guinn and I discuss the amazing French Christmas film DIAL CODE SANTA CLAUS (1989). Although we had never even heard of this movie until Vinegar Syndrome released it on disc last year it has become a fast favorite for all three of us. It’s an amalgam of horror, action and coming of age stories that manages to hit nearly every emotional beat that it targets. On Christmas Eve, ten-year-old Thomas is determined to get evidence of Santa’s existence...
Dec 12, 2021•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 142
John Kenneth Muir has been writing about film and television for more than twenty-five years. His published works range in subject matter from the horror films of various decades and books focused on individual movie directors to in-depth tomes about several different science fiction television series. His first published book was about a much maligned Gerry Anderson produced science fiction show from the 1970’s called Space: 1999. The two seasons of that show have recently been released on Blu-...
Nov 22, 2021•2 hr 9 min•Ep. 141
Troy and I rejoin the Universal Horror Films of the 1940’s, already in progress. With FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN (1943) Universal’s monster films took off in a radical and cinema altering direction. For the first time the studio combined characters from two different series into one new story regardless of the things that have to be ignored to make this work. In what decade are we supposed to think this movie is happening? It’s a sequel to THE WOLF MAN (1941) which took place firmly in the ...
Nov 09, 2021•1 hr 58 min•Ep. 140
I am joined by John Hudson and Bobby Hazzard to discuss another strange horror film from the 1980’s. EVILSPEAK (1981) is an independently made supernatural tale of teenage bullies and the righteous revenge eventually visited upon them. It introduces us to poor charity case Stanley Coopersmith (the great Clint Howard) attending a California military academy where he is the target of verbal and physical abuse from most of his classmates. Oddly, he is also insulted and demeaned by the faculty as if...
Oct 28, 2021•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 139
For your October listening pleasure here are a couple of spooky Sherlock Holmes radio tales! Beth has chosen these two as representative of the scary end of the classic radio format featuring the great detective. The first is from the 1940’s and is titles The Adventure of the Carpathian Horror so you know it’s going to be fun – with a splash of vampires! It has Nigel Bruce continuing his run as Dr. Watson and Tom Conway taking over from Basil Rathbone as Holmes. The second features Kevin McCarth...
Oct 23, 2021•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 138
Join Troy, Beth and I as we check out the second of Universal’s Sherlock Holmes adventures. SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEAPON (1943) is - as you might have guessed – another World War II tale full of intrigue and subterfuge. The story allows spy-master Holmes the chance for a few interesting disguises and the opportunity to match wits with his long-time rival Professor Moriarty! It seems that the Napoleon of Crime has hatched a plan to profit from the war regardless of the damage it will do ...
Oct 05, 2021•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 137
