The Bloody Pit

Rod Barnett

Eclectic Cult Film Discussion

  1. HÁ 54 MIN.

    230 - DESTINY (1944)

    DESTINY (1944) is easily among the most hidden cinema efforts of the 1940’s. It has had no legitimate video release of any kind and hasn’t been shown on television in decades which means it is difficult to find and nearly impossible to stumble across. We consider that a shame because the higher quality elements of the film are well worth seeing. Constructed from a discarded segment of an anthology of supernatural tales and paired with newly shot noirish footage to bring it up to feature length it is an odd viewing experience. Join Troy Guinn and I as we discuss the film’s high points and odd plotting choices while marveling at the amazing work done in final act of the story. We talk a bit about the actors with some time spent on the familiar faces from Universal’s roster of supporting thespians. The film’s attempt to craft a story to use the existing footage is pulled apart and examined for its various flaws including the evolution of the main character from dopey patsy to murderer and rapist. We stare longingly into the sightless eyes of the lovely Gloria Jean and wonder how such a perceptive young woman could miss noticing the obvious louse that blunders into her home. And while both of us wish the story had remained in FLESH & FANTASY (1943) where it belongs, we would still pay good money to see a crisp Blu-Ray of this strange effort to salvage money the studio had already spent. What do you think of DESTINY (1944)? Drop us a note at thebloodypit@gmail.com with any comments or suggestions. Thanks for listening!

    1h 18min

  2. 5 DE MAR.

    229 - BLACK DRAGONS (1942)

    David Annandale and I walk back down Poverty Row just after the attack on Pearl Harbor to watch one of the most confusing and strange attempts at wartime propaganda a low budget studio could produce. BLACK DRAGONS (1942) has Bela Lugosi as a mysterious, menacing man who seems to be on a mission of revenge. But what does he have to do with the corpses that keep popping up on the steps of the Japanese embassy in Washington? Will FBI agent Clayton Moore be able to figure things out or will he spend his time chasing Joan Barclay around her uncle/father’s house until all the characters are dead? And how does David find a way to link Christopher Nolan and Bela Lugosi? Listen and learn! BLACK DRAGONS is probably the oddest of the nine films Lugosi made for Poverty Row film producers and certainly the one with the most unintentionally funny dialog. Just as it was about to go into production the decision was made to shoehorn in topical plot elements ripped from the headlines. This means that the original reason behind events in the script has been lost leaving bits of their probable supernatural nature flapping around in the film. This is the only explanation I can imagine for the never addressed ability of Lugosi’s Monsieur Colomb to seemingly teleport in and out of moving taxicabs! But David has an interesting take on the film as a bizarre treatise on the subject of ‘acting’ both onscreen and within the structure of the story. His idea is a bold way to look at the picture as a whole and certainly makes it more entertaining as you try to figure out what the hell is happening at any point in the film’s hourlong running time. Rarely has such a barely planned collection of quirks and gaffs been so mesmerizing! If you have any comments about this movie or any other film we’ve covered on the show thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. Thank you for listening and we’ll be back soon.

    1h 28min

  3. 19 DE FEV.

    228 - Bits and Pieces

    The best laid plans of mice and me are often undermined by circumstance. In this case I was unable to arrange events to record a new episode of the show for February so I had to come up with a backup plan. I have stitched together a few of my Patreon audio pieces from the past two years for a brief bit of movie discussion to tide you over. I start with an obscure British monster film with one of the most ridiculous explanations for the murderous creature in the history of horror. I move on to ramble about the TV version of NEEDFUL THINGS (1993) and how I cannot be satisfied! Then I wrap up things with an extended evisceration of the Children of the Corn film series that poses the question ‘Are any of these any good at all’? I hope you enjoy these bits from my Patreon and if you want access to more than a hundred more such babble fests you can hand over $3 and check it out HERE. Thank you for listening and we’ll be back with fresh movie talk in March.

    1h 4min

  4. 28 DE JAN.

    227 - SPACE MONSTER WANGMAGWI (1967)

    SPACE MONSTER WANGMAGWI (1967) has been hidden from view for decades. Locked away in a South Korean film vault since its original release and unseen by giant monster fans outside of rare Seoul screenings, it qualifies as a newly recovered cinematic experience. But is it a movie that stands honorably next to the other giant monster movies of the 1960’s? Does it even compare well with 1967’s other Korean rampaging monster film, YONGARY, MONSTER FROM THE DEEP? Mark Maddox and I have thoughts. Exasperated thoughts.  We discuss the film is painful detail and spoil it from head to toenail. We both suspect that one of the many reasons the movie wasn’t distributed outside its home country is that, unlike YONGARY, it was shot in black & white. Of course, the fact that the film looks like it had a $50 budget would have also mitigated against anyone wanting to give it a chance. Or spend the money for an English dub! The tone of the film is a strange combination of pre-marital anxiety and childish comedy sequences that play like poor improv bits. I argue that one of the few positive elements is the usually irritating punk kid character simply because he actually factors into the fight against the mildly destructive giant monster. His climb inside the ear canal of the creature is a unique sequence in these kinds of movies and is the best reason to see this below average example of the genre. Our advice is to not expect a forgotten classic and go with the flow. Luckily (?) it is available on YouTube so you can witness the madness.  If you have any comments about this movie or any other film we have covered on the show thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. Thank you for listening.

    2h10min

  5. 8 DE JAN.

    226 - 2025 Look Back!

    We start 2026 with a new kind of episode – a look back at our favorite first views of 2025. Several requests for an annual wrap-up of this type came in, so I recruited John Hudson and Troy Guinn to provide a personal top five list for last year. The idea was to speak a bit about movies that we caught for the first time in the year regardless of when they were released. This allows us to talk about a number of mostly newer movies but some unexpected classics also show up as part of the discussion.   For the most part Troy and John stuck to the assignment as stated with only a couple of honorable mentions added to their list of five. But I came with a list that stretched toward twenty and I feel no shame! I saw a lot of movies last year and, although there were a number of clunkers, I was pretty pleased with 2025. Let the debating begin!   If you want to add your two cents or top five thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. We have a number of interesting movies up for episodes this year and we hope you enjoy the cinema paths we plan to tread. Thanks for listening!

    1h

  6. 18/12/2025

    225 - WHOEVER SLEW AUNTIE ROO (1971)

    December brings our new Holiday Horror episode with John Hudson and Troy Guinn dropping in to hang the mistletoe. This year we examine the Christmas time tale WHOEVER SLEW AUNTIE ROO (1971) starring Shelly Winters and a host of British character actors. It turns out I am the only member of our trio who had watched this film before 2025 opening up a number of questions about why Troy chose it! Privileges may need to be rescinded.  A major part of our discussion revolves around director Curtis Harrington’s memories of the movie and its cast. After years of holding my tongue, I finally air my complaints about his rather plodding directorial style and point to a scene that I feel needed a different sensibility behind the camera. Actors Micheal Gothard, Lionel Jefferies, Hugh Griffith and Ralph Richardson are dutifully admired with each adding unique flavors to this very odd holiday dinner. The stand out child actors are given their due with a prominent face from the 1970 version of SCROOGE making all of us fantasize about ending Tiny Tim’s life. We also marvel that unlike what is usually expected from the ‘hag horror’ genre Winters’ character isn’t a mean-spirited villain but instead a grief crippled mother too susceptible to conmen in her life. And then we debate the relative evil of the two main child characters with me leaning toward innocence more than malice. This is something best left to each viewer to decide on their own, methinks!  If you have any comments about this year’s Holiday Horror or possible choices for the next thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. We hope everyone has a great end of year celebration and we will be back soon with a short episode about our favorite films of 2025.

    1h 31min

  7. 02/12/2025

    224 - DOLLS (1987)

    A fairy tale? DOLLS (1987) was the third released feature film directed by Stuart Gordon but the second one shot. Does it measure up to his Lovecraft adaptations? Well, I am joined by John Hudson and Troy Guinn to compare notes on this deviation from the energetic gorefests we had come to expect from Mr. Gordon. We have much to say even though Troy is dialing in from an undisclosed location. What is his day job, anyway?   We examine the genesis of the project and relate numerous behind the scenes tales from the director and the scriptwriter Ed Naha. John tells us of his longtime appreciation of Naha with a story from his childhood. We talk about the various fairy tale stereotypes that the film’s characters fall into and are amused by all the anti-ques. We discuss the excellent stop-motion special effects and the skill on display technically throughout the movie. I gush about the cinematography and point out some lovely visual moments. And we are all thrilled to have Mr. Sardonicus show up as a (relatively) good guy and use that film’s Punishment Poll as a guide for judging this movie. We have no shame.   If you have any comments about Stuart Gordon movies or our plans to talk about which ones to cover thebloodypit@gmail.com is the address to send them. Thanks for listening!

    1h 42min

  8. 12/11/2025

    223 - Planet of the Apes Television Show (1974)

    After avoiding podcasting about the Planet of the Apes franchise for years it is finally time to talk about one of the weakest parts of the classic run. The 1974 television series lasted only fourteen episodes and was one of the most expensive shows produced up to that time. Author Mark Clark joins me to discuss the entire run and we go on for far too long than is healthy. Bear with us for the full running time as we dig out the interesting elements and lament the missed opportunities of this nearly forgotten show. Is this truncated series of adventures with two time-displaced astronauts and an ape companion worth discovering or revisiting? We make our case.   Seen as part of the ongoing 1970’s journey of the science fiction story from the four sequel films, the POTA TV series is clearly a Cul-de-sac branching away from the established road. The first episode both negates a connection to the previous stories and tries to link it to the original film with an earlier astronaut landing spoken of by the leaders of Ape society. Mark makes a strong argument for how the show could take place in one of the two timelines set up in the films already but I am skeptical. We go through each episode pointing out the usually hackneyed plots and overused clichés that litter the stories being told. Often the scripts could easily have been written as installments of a 1960’s western show and simply repurposed for the world of the apes. But the few times the show leans on its science fiction premise are more interesting even if it inevitably leads to very little.  If you’ve never watched this series, I hope our spoiler filled podcast won’t put you off at least a partial exploration of our favorite episodes. We can’t claim it’s our most loved part of the franchise but it has its points of interest and entertainment.   If you have any comments about the Planet of the Apes TV series or our plans to talk about the sequel films thebloodypit@gmail.com is the address to send them. And if you are interested in the projects Mark speaks about near the end of the show there are links below. Thanks for listening!  SCREEM Magazine Jack Hill book

    2h56min
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Sobre

Eclectic Cult Film Discussion

Informações

  • Criado por
    Rod Barnett
  • Anos de atividade
    2012 - 2026
  • Episódios
    100
  • Classificação
    Explícito
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2012 Rodney Barnett. All rights reserved.
  • Site do podcast
    The Bloody Pit

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