Video - The History of the Monster Cereals: Count Chocula, Franken Berry, Boo Berry

This video is a good explainer for those curious about how the Monster Kid craze of the 1960's gave birth to the General Mills Monster cereals and the color changing controversies that made bathroom trips concerning! If only Yummy Mummy was available every year at Halloween time. 

THE MUMMY'S CURSE (1944) Lobby Cards and Poster Art

 

The Bloody Pit #222 - HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1944)

It’s Monster Rally time! Troy and I have been looking forward to discussing this Universal Horror film for a long time. Easily one of the most fun of the studio’s 1940’s horror films HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1944) has extraordinary highs and some bizarre lows. We dig into every single one we can think of including my obsession with werewolf footwear. I’ll admit that I may have been overprepared for this episode which explains how the show’s running time stretches to double the length of the film itself!

Of course, this movie marks Boris Karloff’s return to the Frankenstein series but in a new role as a mad scientist. He is fantastic here with his character’s short-sighted goals always overruling wiser choices. Stepping into the oversized boots of the Frankenstein Monster for the first time is Glenn Strange, causing us to look at the common use of his version of the creature in products aimed at fans. John Carradine becomes Universal’s new Dracula in the episodic film’s first segment but I make the argument that he might be playing an imposter. “Is you is, or is you ain’t my Dracula?”

 

J. Carrol Naish appears as the hunchbacked assistant to Karloff and the actor does his usual excellent job playing a character that swings wildly from brutal murderer to pitiable, lovelorn soul. We also discuss several of the returning bit players that always show up in these movies and lament that George Zucco doesn’t get more screentime. At a certain point we realize that we have gotten lost on the brain swapping carousel trying to figure out which noggin should get which lump of gray matter. Luckily the film has a proper torches and pitchforks villager attack to bring things to a destructive end. Plus – quicksand!

 

If you have any comments about this film or any of the Universal horror movies thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. Thank you for listening and Happy Halloween!

Trailer - ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948)

Because we all need a few laughs these days. 

Video - Trailer for HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1944)

This film is on my mind this week as I prepare for October podcasting! 

THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN (1942) Lobby Cards and Ad Art

 

The Bloody Pit #214 - DEAD MAN'S EYES (1944)

Troy and I return to the Inner Sanctum movies for the third in the series. DEAD MAN’S EYES (1944) presents us with Lon Chaney Jr. as a painter this time but he is once again involved in a low-simmering romantic triangle. There is hope for all of us, huh? A terrible accident renders him blind and in need of replacement corneas. Soon, a convenient murder is committed and we start to examine the small cast to figure out whodunnit.

 

We dig into the cast and praise their work – for the most part. Troy puts forth an excellent alternate scenario that might have made the film more interesting while I complain that the first thirty minutes of the film plays like a tragic romance drama. Of course, once the corpse hits the floor things perk up with Thomas Gomez sliding into place as the police detective trying to find the killer. We wonder what director Reginald Le Borg thought of having to once again put Acquanetta through her stiff paces. And we debate the mystery the film is built around, arguing its merits and imagining different options.

If you have any comments about the Inner Sanctum films or anything else we might have touched on, thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. Thanks for listening! 

The Bloody Pit #211 - THE CLIMAX (1944)

We take a trip to Vienna to see what Boris Karloff looks like in color! Or is that colour?

 

Troy and I discuss THE CLIMAX (1944), Universal’s attempt to craft a follow-up to their 1943 hit remake of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. They took a 1909 stage play, grafted on some Phantom elements and used the same sets from the previous year’s film to create a beautiful looking final product. They even carried over some of the cast in similar roles. But did they make a good movie?

 

We dig into the things we like and dislike about this often overlooked entry in the horror films of the 1940’s. Both of us marvel at the opulent sets while being impressed by Susanna Foster’s singing talents. We examine some of our favorite cast members including Gale Sondergaard and Thomas Gomez. The multiple audiences that the film was trying to appeal to comes under scrutiny as we lament the fact that the horror portion of the mix seems to get little attention. Sometimes striving for broad appeal results in a work that pleases no one. As the episode goes on we give voice to our many questions about the story’s details that require an almost supernatural suspension of disbelief.

 

If you have any comments about THE CLIMAX thebloodypit@gmail.com is the address. If you want to hear me ramble on about movies and media even more my Patreon page is active. Thank you for listening!

Trailers From Hell - CAPTIVE WILD WOMAN (1943)

Joe Dante relates some details about this fun Universal thriller that we covered a while back on The Bloody Pit. Sadly, one detail is wrong. 

The Bloody Pit #206 - THE PEARL OF DEATH (1944)

Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce return to the show! I am joined by Beth Morris and Troy Guinn to discuss the next in Universal’s long running Sherlock Holmes series featuring the legendary detective in the 1940’s. This entry uses one of Arthur Conan Doyle’s original short stories to provide the basic plot – or does it? We look at the film’s very strong ties to a certain American crime fiction writer’s famous story that the script seems to borrow from. Is this a mash-up of two tales that taste great together?  

THE PEARL OF DEATH (1944) is a movie that doesn’t spring to mind as one of the best of the Universal Holmes films but perhaps it should. The series’ regulars are in fine form and returning guest actor Evelyn Ankers gets a lot to do as the main female baddie. She seems capable of getting any job in London and can disguise herself effectively in the bargain. In fact, this film has her character, Sherlock and the lead bad guy Giles Conover so often pretending to be someone else that it plays like there is a contest between them! And the film also sports the first screen appearances of Rondo Hatton as The Creeper. We talk a good deal about the way the plot unfolds and take note of how the screenplay seems to be digging into a Holmes character flaw to drive the story. Of course, there are the usual odd asides including a Tolkien reference that is quite out of place and a short debate about the correct size of a Yamaka or skullcap. We try to use our meager deductive reasoning skills but we tend to be more Watson than Holmes.

Thank you for listening to the show and thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send any thoughts. Stay warm and we’ll be back soon.

Universal Monsters Tarot Cards

I'm not a collector of Tarot cards but this set seems crafted to appeal directly to me. Check it out here.

THE MUMMY'S GHOST (1944) Poster Art and Lobby Cards

The Bloody Pit #203 - THE MUMMY'S GHOST (1944)

Troy and I return to the quartet of mummy movies that Universal released in the 1940’s! This time we examine one of the best of the lot, THE MUMMY’S GHOST (1944). The film has a number of great elements including an underappreciated heroic dog named Peanuts! As with all of these movies, the limping rhythms are the same but it’s the style and energy of the piece that makes it a standout.

 

We discuss the three decade time jump from the previous movie and marvel at 1970’s technology. The age of college students becomes a source of amusement as does the ineffectuality of the local police’s attempts to capture the rampaging mummy. We talk a bit about the cast, noting where we’ve seen a number of the players before in Universal horror pictures. There is some speculation on the possible health effects of being shot at point blank range given that George Zucco’s character from the last film is still alive decades later. And we are pleased to point out the rare chance to physically emote that Lon Chaney is afforded in a few scenes. Is this his best performance as a mummy?

 

If you have any comments on the Universal mummy movies or any other film we’ve covered thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. Thank you for listening. 

JUNGLE WOMAN (1944) Poster Art

When the film isn't great - use some leg art to sell that sucker!

 

The Bloody Pit #199 - JUNGLE WOMAN (1944)

Troy Guinn and I return to Universal Land for the sequel to CAPTIVE WILD WOMAN – JUNGLE WOMAN (1944)! Is this the worst film the studio produced in the 1940’s? We’ll let you decided as we give our opinions and posit ways the film could have been better. Much better!

 

Attempting to imitate the successful Val Lewton productions at RKO, the producers of this non-jungle epic seemed to feel that simply aping the structure of CAT PEOPLE and copying the memorable set-pieces from that classic would be a winning formula. Sadly, that is far from the case as JUNGLE WOMAN comes up short in every category. Troy and I try to puzzle out the reasons for certain choices and debate the qualities of the acting in the titular role. Of course, any film with J. Carrol Naish has points of interest just because of his talent, but he seems to have been given a number of obstacles to creating a memorable ‘mad’ scientist. A rushed production and a sub-par script are rarely a combination for a classic. On that point, we discuss the film’s dialog with a certain line becoming a reoccurring audio drop in the show. Sorry about that!

  

If you have any comments about this film or any of the movies we’ve covered thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. Thank you very much for listening. We’ll be back soon. 

DRACULA (1931) Lobby Cards and Poster Art