What I Watched in April 2026

Last year I caught director Kristoffer Borgli’s excellent, uncomfortable DREAM SCENARIO (2023) and loved it. Darkly observant about human foibles the film was willing to allow the viewer to sit with painful emotional moments without turning away from their universality. The only cushioning it gave the audience was its base fantasy idea of a universally shared dream about a single unimportant man. With his new film Borgli has stripped even that slight bit of distancing from the story he tells and forces the audience to confront things baldly. This pays off in amazing ways as the tale told in THE DRAMA (2026) is more recognizable in kind if not in its particulars. It presents the question of how far a person’s basic human empathy and romantic commitment can be pushed. Can you love the actual, flawed person, or do you only love the sanitized image you’ve built of them in your own mind? This is a question I’ve wrestled with my entire adult life and being shown this film’s nightmare of conflicting emotions so well presented was both enlightening and distressing. It had me reexamining my own romantic relationships with a dark view of expectations and needs. The movie gives no easy answers because there are none in the reality presented. THE DRAMA is one of those rare, provocative satires that trusts its audience enough to sit with extreme discomfort and absorb the various points of view. It balances sharp dialogue, existential relationship dread, and laugh-out-loud awkwardness with flawless precision. It is easily one of the most audacious, thought-provoking, and unforgettable films I’ve seen in years and I haven’t been able to get it out of head for weeks. So, you have been warned, I guess. 

THE LIST

WARRIOR QUEEN (1987) – 3 (terrible tale of Pompei and Vesuvius) 

EYE WITNESS (1989) – 7 (Bava thriller about a blind crime witness)

THE LADY IN THE MORGUE (1938) – 7 (Crime Club entry is top notch)

GINA (1975) – 6 (slow-burn Canadian rape/revenge film)

THE WITNESS VANISHES (1939) – 6 (interesting Crime Club mystery)

MICHAEL SHAYNE, PRIVATE DETECTIVE (1940) – 7 (rewatch)

DRESSED TO KILL (1941) – 7 (rewatch) (one of the best of the series)

THE DREAMING (1988) – 7 (Australian horror tale of ghosts)

THE DRAMA (2026) – 9 (excellent look at fear and trust in a relationship)

JUST OFF BROADWAY (1942) – 6 (Michael Shayne mystery that stretches credulity)

TIME TO KILL (1942) – 7 (Shayne tale adapted from a Chandler novel)

DESTINY (1944) – 6 (rewatch)

TRUCK TURNER (1974) – 7 (rewatch)

Lee Cronin’s THE MUMMY (2026) - 7 (basically a remake of EVIL DEAD RISE)

SEX BEYOND THE GRAVE (1984) – 5 (Shaw Brothers combine Poltergeist, The Shining and the Exorcist and the Evil Dead to little effect)

DEATHSTALKER (2025) – 6 (the dialog is too modern but the creatures are well done)

DUST BUNNY (2025) – 9 (simply marvelous)

SPECTERS (1987) – 6 (Italian horror - feels like Fulci would have been the perfect director)

NORMAL (2026) – 7 (great little crime tale)

NIGHT OF THE JUGGLER (1980) – 7 

ORGY OF THE DEAD (1973) – 7 (rewatch on Blu) (a.k.a. The Hanging Woman)

TREASURE OF SILVER LAKE (1962) – 8 (rewatch) 

 

What I Watched in November 2024

Until the final credits rolled I was unaware that CONCLAVE (2024) was based on a novel by Robert Harris but it did not come as a shock. I have been impressed by previous adaptations of his work such as FATHERLAND (1994), ENIGMA (2001) and especially THE GHOST WRITER (2010) so if had known about the source material I might have seen the film sooner.

My enjoyment of CONCLAVE (2024) rests on three sturdy pillars. First, the gripping performances from a cast that seems nearly perfect at every turn. Both the big emotional moments and the dozens of smaller more nuanced things that need to be quietly communicated are handled brilliantly by the veteran ensemble of international actors. It was, in fact, the cast list that primarily drew me to the theater for this dramatic thriller in the first place and it was a joy to revel in their fine work. Second, the gradual mystery at the heart of the story that is only slowly revealed is fascinating and, cinematically, felt like a classic Hitchcockian careful build of tension. I went into this viewing with no knowledge of the high stakes mystery at the heart of the film’s story. I was under the impression that the movie was a straight drama about political intrigue so when the main character shifts into Sherlock Holmes mode I was surprised and pleased. (Have movie-goers been cheated of a potential excellent Holmes performance from Ralph Fiennes? Asking because I want it!) And third, my outsider’s curiosity about the hidden rituals and ceremonies of the Catholic Church. Having been raised in a much less structured church I find the complex details of older religious denominations to be a strange window to another world. This film allows a vision behind the scenes of one of the more organized and controlled processes of Catholicism. Few events both capture the attention of the entire world and serve as an example of the highly systematized form of religious leadership choice. I suppose I’ve always known that such circumstances would be rife with warring factions and larger decisions about the direction of the billion strong Church but this dramatization shows the battle in colorful strokes. I’m sure CONCLAVE is a simplified version of the wrangling that goes on when choosing a new pope, but the dark complexity of inescapable human nature gives the story a feeling of verisimilitude.

 

The List 

DRACULA VS FRANKENSTEIN (1971) – 4 (Al Adamson’s sloppy, silly monster mash) 

THE HAUNTING OF ROSALIND (1973) – 7 (TV movie of Henry James ghost tale)

CHILDREN OF THE CORN II: THE FINAL SACRIFICE (1993) – 5 (less bad than the first but still not good)

A WOMAN’S VENGENACE (1948) – 7 (noir tale)   

THE SCREAMING SKULL (1973) – 6 (TV movie)

CHILDREN OF THE CORN III: URBAN HARVEST (1995) – 4 (awful but the ending monster scene has to be witnessed) 

CHILDREN OF THE CORN IV: THE GATHERING (1996) – 4 (wastes three good actors)

CONCLAVE (2024) - 9 

CHILDREN OF THE CORN 666: ISSAC’S RETURN (199) – 4 (just nothing going on here) 

ACID - DELIRUM OF THE SENSES (1968) – 5 (drama/documentary on acid use) 

EXTRACTION II (2023) – 8 

I WAS A SHOPLIFTER (1950) – 7 (tight little noir) 

FERRYMAN MARIA (1936) – 6 (German original of Strangler of the Swamp) 

STRANGLER OF THE SWAMP (1946) – 7 (rewatch)

THE VULTURE (1966) – 6 (rewatch on YouTube) 

BATTLE OF THE CORAL SEA (1959) – 6 

THE WEB (1947) – 8 

THE BAT (1926) – 8 

ODDITY (2024) – 8 (rewatch)

THE ADVENT CALENDAR (2021) - 8 (rewatch)

PENNIES FROM HEAVEN (1981) – 8 

LARCENY (1948) – 7 (noir with a great cast)

THE BAT (1959) – 7 (rewatch on Blu)

HERETIC (2024) – 8 

KISS THE BLOOD OFF MY HANDS (1948) – 5 (very mediocre noir)

TOMIE (1998) – 7 (Japanese horror tale that spawned many sequels)

ABANDONED (1949) – 7 (solid noir about a sordid crime) 

THE MURDER OF DR. HARRIGAN (1936) – 6 (fast murder mystery)

 

Retro Review - I HATE MY BODY (1974)

Philandering husband Ernest is out partying in a nightclub with some co-workers one night. He gets in his car to take one of the secretaries home for the evening for a little mattress bounce but has overestimated his ability to drive while drunk. One crash later the secretary is dead and he is on an operating table breathing his last. Enter mad scientist/doctor of insane medicine Adolph who is pressed by his nurse into continuing his concentration camp experiments on poor Ernest. A gleeful Adolph takes the fellow’s brain out of his dying body and pops it into the body of Leta. It seems that she’d had a terminal brain tumor but her body is in fine shape so it’s a perfect match- right? You would think so - especially if you were a Nazi doctor hell-bent on proving his mad theories to the world.

Of course if you’re a super macho man suddenly placed inside a woman’s body you might think otherwise. Ernst is shocked at his transformation and disgusted by the attention he/she gets from men. He’s still the same old pussy hound with the same old womanizing urges and the idea of sex with a man is just not going to work for him. (Alternate titles - Creation of a Lesbian!; Night of the Lesbian; The Lady Wears a Tie; Is That a Boobie in Your Bra or Are You Just Happy to See Me?) 

Pissed at his new lot in life and suffering some decided shock he seethes with anger. Only able to take being locked up in the hospital for a short time he/she starts a distracting fire, shoves Adolph into it and makes an escape. A visit to his ex (?) wife reveals that she’s now sleeping with his best friend/co-worker and living comfortably off the million dollar insurance policy Ernest left behind. Hard up for money Leta/Ernest tries to get Ernest’s old job at the engineering firm. After all - she has the same qualifications. When that doesn’t work (he/she actually calls his old boss a male chauvinist!) she tries to convince a psychiatrist of her predicament but he dismisses her story. Or he does until he realizes that this is the escaped crazy woman who burned old Dr. Adolph to death! At this point Leta decides to visit her new body’s parents for a break. But Ernest soon learns that Leta has a son from a youthful out of wedlock relationship! Oh my. Not just a woman but a mommy! He/she leaves almost as quickly as he/she arrived exiting the old hometown, setting up house in a boarding room and getting a job in a factory. But when this and a bar job don’t work out Leta hits on a much better plan for cash. It’s time to blackmail Ernest’s wife for half the insurance money.

This is a pretty good but not great slice of sleazy trash. A movie like this often teeters on the edge of unintentional humor but for the most part I HATE MY BODY maintains its balance. In the 1970's the idea of a man in a woman’s body is much more likely to be played for laughs than drama and there are some things in this story that are impossible to present without a bit of humor. I laughed out loud at Leta’s reaction to learning about her son. But for every scene that veered toward amusement there was another that pushed things in the other direction. Once Leta starts making her moves on the insurance money she also tracks down Dr. Adolph’s nurse and beats the hell out of her with a whip. And if there was any doubt about how the film was to be taken the downbeat ending should erase all confusion.

This is by far the weakest of director Leon Klimovsky’s movies that I’ve seen. That doesn’t mean its bad at all, but it doesn’t measure up to his better work. It’s well worth a look for the Euro-curious and it’s a shame the only way to get it is the dubbed scratchy print as it deserves a restored release. 

 

What I Watched in July 2023

I was impressed by OPPENHIEMER (2023) and was happy to see such a smart drama being released to strong business in the good old summertime. For all the whining and crying about how Hollywood pumps out nothing but big budget entertainments fit only for children I have to note that there are still plenty of adult stories being produced even if most of them are on television. The fact that films aiming for a broader audience than a period drama usually garners are the norm isn’t a sign of the dumbing down of cinema any more than the release of CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG was in 1968. I’m still amused by this type of constant complaining but it shows a lack of understanding of the business of movie making.

The biggest surprise of OPPENHIEMER (2023) for me was the final act of the film. I did not expect the detailed exploration of the nasty, petty political machinations that featured later in the main character’s life. I found it fascinating and of particular interest in relation to its parallels to the sad, needy animals that function today as our elected officials. There were no ‘good old days’, my friends. Only the distance of time seems to make it so.

The List

SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDERVERSE (2023) – 7 (good but not as good as the first)

CONQUEST OF SPACE (1955) – 6 (rewatch on Blu)

BOG (1979) – 4 (low budget Wisconsin lake monster movie)

PLANET OF THE FEMALE INVADERS (1966) – 5 (silly but interesting Mexican SF)

TRESPASSERS (2018) – 5 (mediocre home invasion variation)

FLIGHT COMMAND (1940) – 6 (standard military training drama with good cast)

IKARIE XB-1 (1963) – 8 (excellent Czechoslovakian SF film)

GREEN HELL (1940) – 4 (Whale’s not great jungle adventure)

BEATRIZ (1976) – 6 (Spanish folk horror tale)

THE FATAL HOUR (1940) – 6 (rewatch on Blu)

DOOMED TO DIE (1940) – 5 (rewatch on Blu – Karloff’s last)

BIG BUSINESS GIRL (1931) – 5 (slight, creaky, predictable romantic comedy)

KING OF KONG ISLAND (1968) – 5

THE AMUSEMENT PARK (1975) – 6 (interesting allegory about the aging people of society)

THE KILLER IS STILL AMONG US (1986) – 6 (giallo based on a real case with an inconclusive ending)

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING PART ONE (2023) – 7 (exciting but exhausting)

INFLUENCER (2023) – 6 (interesting thriller with a female killer)

STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982) – 9 (rewatch)

DUDE COWBOY (1941) – 5 (Tim Holt B-western)

THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS (1957) – 6 (rewatch on Blu)

OPPENHIEMER (2023) – 9

SAMOA, QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE (1968) – 5 (Edwidge Fenech as a jungle girl) 

DieCast Movie Podcast - WIVES UNDER SUSPICION (1938)

I once again join Steven Turek on the DieCast Movie Podcast! This time out we discuss yet another James Whale film WIVES UNDER SUSPICION (1938). This is part 15 of the show’s loving look at Whale’s career but this one stands out as a true oddity. It is a remake of the director’s earlier effort THE KISS BEFORE THE MIRROR (1933) with that film’s Pre-Code frankness blunted in interesting ways in this second version. A few months ago Steven and I talked at length about the first film so we wanted to return to the story out of cinematic curiosity. Comparing the two movies makes for a pretty darned good conversation and shows how Hollywood had to adapt material to avoid censor board attention. Check it out!

The Bloody Pit #156 - BOOGIE NIGHTS (1997)

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 pornography business either. We had so much fun talking with her that the conversation went on for nearly an hour and a half with more than a few digressions! Hopefully you’ll enjoy her tales as much as we did.

We end the show with some classic adult film recommendations from Mr. Hudson which just might send you off to your favorite DVD/Blu-Ray retailer to satisfy your curiosity. If you have any comments or suggestions thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to write. Or you could join us over on the FaceBook page but keep it clean or the Zuck will get us for sure. I’ve added a song from The Exotic Ones to cap things off and thank you for listening!

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JOKER (2019)

I finally got around to seeing JOKER (2019) and found it to be an exceptional film. Much like its R rated cousin DEADPOOL (2015) this film moves the comic book movie genre into a new area but, instead of just ramping up the violence and telling dick jokes, this film is an adult drama about the generational effects of poverty and poor mental health. The film is about may things but it is unique in the genre for focusing on the elements of the human psyche that cause pain. Not just the physical kind but the much more insidious mental pain that can be the catalyst for other types. The movie uses the darkest depths of mental illness to dig into the motivations of truly hideous actions. The focus, of course, is on the title character but the illness of Arthur’s mother is laid bare in more subtle ways that point to the dangers of cycles of pain repeating themselves. But the cruel blind spots of Thomas Wayne also seem evident as he is shown to be a man with a narcissistic personality unwilling to help an individual he sees as lesser. His arrogant self-centered view of Gotham as a place he can fix even as he ignores the helpless begging for aid of people from his past was one of the smaller dark moments that mirrors many of the larger moments in the story. 

I found myself coming back to the descriptor ‘sick’ over and over again as we follow Arthur Peck through his sad day-to-day existence. His suffering flows from many things but it is his sickness – his mental illness - that makes inevitable his acting in ‘sick’ ways.  He is doomed in many ways but it is the pain caused by a childhood instance of violence that slowly destroys him and, through him, much of the city.  Yes, JOKER is basically an amalgamation of TAXI DRIVER and THE KING OF COMEDY with an even darker back story but it works brilliantly.  It’s a depressing drama and it’s good to know that the comic book genre can stretch to include such fascinating movies as this.

Trailers From Hell - THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND (2018)

Joe Dante explains the long gestation period of Orson Welles' final film and expresses my own feelings about it's qualities. It's a masterpiece and one of the best movies of the past decade or the decade in which it was made - take your pick. 

The Bloody Pit #78 - HELL DRIVERS (1957)

Here's a post-Christmas treat!

Artist Mark Maddox has had a very busy year. He remains in high demand for book and magazine covers along with all his other work. 2018 saw him finally branch out into Blu-Ray art, doing the spectacular rendering of Christopher Lee for the cover of Scream Factory's new disc of DRACULA - PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1966). Hopefully the strong, positive response to that piece will get him the opportunity to do more in that vein and soon. Fingers crossed.

But, because Mark has been so busy, he and I haven't had the chance to record a show together all year - until now! HELL DRIVERS (1957) was a film I was totally unaware of before Mr. Maddox started talking about it a few months ago. I don't know how I missed it considering the talented people involved. There is a host of future British television and film stars packed into this tight little drama including a Doctor Who, a James Bond and at least two other soon-to-be small screen espionage agents. Oh! And the great Herbert Lom as an Italian expatriate working in England and romancing the lovely Peggy Cummins. Writer/director Cy Endfield shows his skill at crafting a strong script with believable characters but also knows how to stage exciting action scenes. We watch huge trucks barreling down roads that are clearly too small for that type of traffic while at the same time the complicated personal relationships become more deadly as well. But the film offers more than just bar fights and lustful quandaries. Just why would a company run these young drivers so hard?

As is the norm for a conversation between Mark and I, there comes a point where we go off track. In fact we went so far off track that it became difficult to know just how long we had been roaming around talking about something other than HELL DRIVERS! We drift into a discussion of toys including fan-made collectables, then move on to the British 'Carry On' film series and film humor in general with a surprising revelation or two from Mark. There are at least a dozen other topics that we charge right into with little reasonable concern for the fact that you folks might eventually be listening to us ramble. Sorry about that.

Oh! It turns out that this film is available to stream on Amazon Prime! The link is below. 

If you have any comments or if you'd like to correct either of us please write the show at thebloodypit@gmail.com where we'll be thrilled to answer all questions. Thank you for listening and we'll talk to you again soon.

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The Bloody Pit #77 - CHRISTMAS EVIL (1980)

For the fourth year in a row Troy Guinn, John Hudson and I dig into a festive themed film that fits the odd nature of this podcast. Holiday Horrors 2018 brings us to the often overlooked classic CHRISTMAS EVIL (1980). Written and directed by Lewis Jackson the film is available in a fine Blu-Ray release that shines a light on the a film that really should be better known. Kind of a cross between A Charlie Brown Christmas Special and Polanski's REPULSION it relates the sad tale of a man overly preoccupied with the holiday but seemingly unable reconcile himself to the realities of incorporating it into an adult life. Having spent years working for a toy manufacturing company he has wrapped himself in the warm message of December the 25th year round. But, this year, he begins to feel his sense of the season slipping away at the same time that his obsessive preoccupation with Christmas ramps up as the holiday approaches. The details of what might be real life and what could be fantasy become intertwined and often impossible to tease apart as our main character starts to act out his love of Christmas and his anger at the uncaring people that pervert it for selfish ends.

We discuss the film's production with a sleigh full of details straight from the Blu-Ray's three commentary tracks. The film's achievements and failings come under the microscope with each of us noting the moments that we love and the points we felt could have been better presented. We remark on the amazing cast of New York acting talent onscreen as well as a surprising connection to a certain New Jersey musical legend as well. The film's beautiful, glowing cinematography is discussed and the movie's fundamental similarity to another, much more famous New York set drama of the 1970's is noted. Anytime a way can be found to compare Travis Bickle to the Grinch you know you've hit on a supremely odd confluence of ideas!

So, join us for an accordion spiced Christmas episode with a few comedic surprises along the way. We rattle on a quite a while but we hope this year end show will put a smile on the faces of even the most curmudgeonly of the Christmas naysayers out there. The show can be reached at thebloodypit@gmail.com or over on Facebook where the Bloody Pit's page resides. Thanks for listening and have a Happy Holiday, whatever you might be celebrating. 

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Brief Thoughts - PRINCE OF THE CITY (1981)

I've known about PRINCE OF THE CITY (1981) since it was released. I remember the fanfare surrounding it specifically because of the lead performance by Treat Williams. At the time he was being touted as a probable Oscar nominee for the film and much attention was paid to him because of the expected attention this film would bring. This supposed star making role was talked about in the press with comparisons being made to Pacino and Deniro. Then the film was released, flopped and those wild speculations about Treat becoming another big dramatic actor screen presence faded. Williams went on to a solid but unimpressive career as a jobbing actor taking roles where he could in movies and television.

Now that I've finally seen PRINCE OF THE CITY (1981) I can understand why the film didn't do so well and why it's lead actor might not have blown people away. The film is a strong Sidney Lumet crime story based on real events with two major flaws. The first is that it's nearly three hours long. Although I was never bored while watching this on a recent Friday evening, it did feel a little overlong by about the two hour mark. Lumet was a master filmmaker, he has plenty of story to tell and he handles things well but it's just too long.

The other flaw is Treat Williams' much anticipated performance. I have to admit that I've never found Mr. Williams to be a particularly strong screen actor. I think he is competent but mannered and stiff. Here he advances his emotional arc within a scene far too quickly in some very important moments crippling his character's intent. The first time I noticed this was when he is explaining to two Internal Investigators why he is going to help them take down crooked cops. He goes from normal to frenzied with nearly no warning making it difficult for me to know if he was being honest with the IA cops or leading them on with a line of bull. He is actually sincere but this problem with him making emotional leaps with no subtly happens repeatedly in the movie. By the third one I realized that he was doing something that might have worked better on the stage but with the intimacy of film it comes off as phony.

Overall I think PRINCE OF THE CITY is a very good film but it has a critical weakness at it's center. That makes it a failed classic but a still worthy effort.