Video - ARGOMAN (1967)

If you've never seen this mad film - now is the time! Adrian and I will be talking about it soon on the next episode of Wild, Wild Podcast!

What I Watched in April 2024

I had heard good things about WONKA (2023) from reputable sources so when it popped up as a streaming option I took the plunge. Rarely have I been so unexpectedly pleased with a film of this type! I watched the film with few expectations other than curiosity about the cast and found myself wide-eyed and mouth agape for most of the running time. Charming, heartfelt, funny and life affirming barely begin to describe the joys this astonishing film has to offer. After seeing this I looked up the creators and realized that they made the two recent Paddington films that I have been told I need to see as well. If they exhibit the same storytelling magic that this glorious confection displays then they may become new favorites. It is not often that a family friendly film can manage to crack open my cynical heart and make me smile as much as WONKA managed. Normally it takes a clever R rated wallow in the horror genre to give me this feeling of contented cinematic discovery, but by the final ten minutes of this beautiful movie I was happier than I’ve been in months. This is a film that didn’t just brighten my day – it improved my outlook on life. It’s been a long time I could say that about a movie. Obviously, I need to watch those Paddington movies soon. 

The List

WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953) – 8 (rewatch on Blu)

CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1982) – 9 (rewatch of the extended version on Blu)

 

HOUSE OF LOST SOULS (1989) – 5 (rewatch)

 

THE QUEST (1986) – 7

 

DUNE (1984) – 7 (SpiceDiver edit)

 

DUNE PART 2 (2024) – 9

 

CATMAN OF PARIS (1946) – 6

 

ZERO WOMAN: RED HANDCUFFS (1974) – 7

 

MARLOW (2023) – 7 (Neeson is too old for the part but the script is fun)

VOODOO BLACK EXORCIST (1974) – 3 (woof!)

THE BIRDS II: LAND’S END (1993) – 5 (flat and uninvolving)

 

DREAM SCENARIO (2023) – 9 (amazing)

 

ROAD HOUSE (2024) – 7 (stylish, fun action film)

WONKA (2023) – 9 (what a wonderful surprise)

 

SHANGHAI JOE (1973) – 6

 

SUITABLE FLESH (2023) – 8 (rewatch)

 

THE KILLER IS NOT ALONE – 7 

My Most Recent Patreon Release - A Brief Preview

Secret Squirrel And Morocco Mole - Super Spy Record - 1966

My fascination with 1960's Hanna-Barbera cartoon shows and their record off-shoots continues with another James Bond inspired entry. Am I crazy for getting a kick out of these strange things?

 

Super Snooper & Blabber Mouse - James Bomb

I only occasionally caught a Snooper & Blabber Mouse cartoon as a kid. They were part of the Quick Draw McGraw show in the early 1960's and were not rerun in my area during my formative years in the 70's. But, now that I've seen a few of them, I admit to getting a few standard Hanna-Barbera chuckles from the show. I was recently reminded of this lesser known cartoon which sent me on a hunt for connected media and look what I found - an audio adventure in which the detectives respond to the James Bond phenomenon. Check it out! 

The Bloody Pit #193 - Revenge of the Email Sack!

It has been far too long since Troy and I gathered around the male bag….uuuhh…MAIL bag to find out what folks who listen to the podcast think! Or, at least if they want to make fun of me. I’ll take any attention, so - cool!

  

We are months behind checking out the email account so some of these messages date back to 2023. I apologize about this but also think sometimes the wait is worth it. I mean what other show has a discussion of Bruno Mattei, Japanese comedy/drama film series Tora-san, WAR OF THE WORLD’s symbolism and the thousands of film appearances of actor Morris Ankrum. Clearly, The Bloody Pit is filling an important niche in the movie discussion podcast world! And did I mention we have a visit from Vincent Price? Or possibly his ghost. With a cold. It’ll all make sense when you listen to the episode. Maybe.

 

And if you’re interested in the podcast mentioned in the show that dives into the Golden Age of Ninja movies, you can give it a listen at this LINK.

 

For those who want to contribute to the next email episode thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send your thoughts. And thank you for listening! 

Sword & Sandal Movie Poster Art

I'm feeling the springtime desire to watch some classic peplum!