The Bloody Pit #194 - GHOST CATCHERS (1944)

Troy and I poke our heads into a Universal Studio haunted house, spot vaudeville act Olsen & Johnson and run away. Well – not really. But our first viewing of this nearly forgotten comedy horror film is not the fun we might have hoped. Did we enjoy it at all? Give the show a listen and we’ll point out the highs and lows.

GHOST CATCHERS (1944) stars a number of very talented actors and singers but it also stars Olsen & Johnson – or, as I will eternally think of them, Faster & Louder. Nearly none of their supposed gift for humor translates effectively from the stage if this film is any indicator. The movie’s silly plot is actually two different story ideas welded together with four songs and a lot of flat jokes. For both of us the film squandered what little goodwill we may have had for it in a certain horsey scene, but we’ll let you discover that along the way. We were surprised that a couple of the songs were pretty great but when a horror comedy’s highlight points out that it is more successful as a musical than anything else, there is a problem. (And we even get the title of the best song wrong in our discussion!) But funny is in the eye of the beholder so you may actually enjoy this odd Universal effort. And did we mention Lon Chaney’s very small role?

If you have any comments about this film or vaudeville more broadly thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to write. Thank you for listening. 

Pirate Movie Poster Art!

I might need to watch some classic pirate movies this summer!

 

Wild, Wild Podcast S7: Ep 3 - ARGOMAN (1967)

Argoman or Psychoman? That's the question posed in this episode as we take a look at the pop art-infused crazy world of Sir Reginald Hoover, noted criminologist, playboy and masked criminal. Other questions raised by this film include "Is ten minutes of pleasure worth losing your powers for six hours?" and "Can you really take over the world by being able to make metal bendy?"

The fumetti season is well underway! If you want to do some background reading on the most popular Italian comics of the sixties, there's a great resource here on Comic Vine.

We would love to hear from you if you have any favorite Italian comic or masked hero/ villain-based films, or if your hovercraft was ever forced onto the beach by a man with non-specific mind powers. Or if your hovercraft was ever full of eels. You can contact us on Twitter and Instagram or by email at wildwildpodcast@gmail.com. You can also find our YouTube channel here.

Please also remember to rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice!

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?