Podcast appearances and mentions of troy guinn

Our second episode focused on the films of Stuart Gordon brings us to FROM BEYOND (1986). Troy Guinn joins John Hudson and I as we flip on the Resonator to see the unseen, squishy horrors hiding in the dark. The uncut version of the film has only been widely available since the 2007 DVD release and we discuss some of the things that were spit onto the cutting room floor. The film sports a fantastic cast with Barbara Crampton and Jeffery Combs returning from REANIMATOR with the addition of Ken Foree they form a crime investigation team that gets far more than sane people are ready to accept. We examine the film's story structure and the clever scripting that allows for escalating weirdness without compromising the characters. The wild cinematography is discussed as is the use of colored lighting to represent the shift into visions of the hidden monsters all around us. We talk a little about the film's production as well as our reactions to the movie across the years. Hold onto your pineal glands and step into the attic with us, won't you! If you have anything to say about this film or any others that we have covered thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. We thank you for listening and we'll be back soon.

274 - The Monster Squad w/Troy GuinnSteven is joined by Troy Guin to discuss The Monster Squad! Troy is the co-host on The Bloody Pit and the NaschyCast podcasts. He is also one of the members of The Secret Commonwealth and The Exotic Ones musical groups. Below is the link to their Bandcamp pages.⁠⁠Music | The Secret Commonwealth⁠⁠https://www.theexoticones.com/Please send feedback to DieCastMoviePodcast@gmail.com or leave us a message on our Facebook page.Thanks for listening!

257 - Young Frankenstein Discussion w/ Troy Guinn Steven is joined by Troy Guin to discuss 1974's Young Frankenstein! Troy is the co-host on The Bloody Pit and the NaschyCast podcasts. He is also one of the members of The Secret Commonwealth musical group. Below is the link to their Bandcamp page. Music | The Secret Commonwealth Please send feedback to DieCastMoviePodcast@gmail.com or leave us a message on our Facebook page. Thanks for listening!

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.

Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn of the NaschyCast

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 cover thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. Thank you very much for listening. We'll be back soon. 

HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD (1980) is no normal Italian zombie film. Coming hard on the heels of both George Romero's genre-defining DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978) and the now classic ZOMBIE (1979) from director Lucio Fulci this Bruno Mattei/Claudio Fragasso effort ‘borrows' elements from both. In some cases, the things recycled are surprising, such as the chunks of music composed by Goblin for Romero's film being inserted into the soundtrack. Other things that get borrowed are to be expected, like an attempt to one up the famous Fulci eye trauma sequence that made audiences worldwide to shudder. But the things that cause HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD to stick in most viewers' memories are the strange asides, terrible dialog, unexpected nudity and slow-motion stock footage of animals. Oh – and the bizarre tutu scene! No one ever forgets that. Three stalwart defenders of this twisted zombie epic join me to discuss the haphazard, sloppy film that was produced. They want to call it a classic. I just want to call it over! Troy Guinn, Jeff Nelson and John Hudson vigorously lay out a series of justifications for what I see as cinema crimes and finally manage to get me to admit to a few points of agreement. We examine the odd actions that characters in zombie film make for no discernable reason. We spend some time trying to figure out if the script was working its way through an exploitation checklist or if there was a less mercenary reason for the way things unfold. Each of us relates out history with the film and pick out favorite Bruno Mattei films from across his career. At some point we get lost in the possibilities of a 21st century BetaMax rental business but we retreat from that financially doomed idea soon enough. And we end the show with a unique musical contribution from Troy's oft-mentioned brother! If you have any comments about HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD or any Italian zombie films thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. Thank you for listening!

205 - Scrooge (1970) Movie Discussion with Troy Guinn Merry Christmas! We hope that enjoy this discussion aboy Scrooge (1970) between Steven and Troy Guinn! Troy is the The Bloody Pit and the NaschyCast podcasts. He is also one of the members of The Secret Commonwealth musical group. Please send feedback to DieCastMoviePodcast@gmail.com or leave us a message on our Facebook page. Thanks for listening!

December brings our annual Holiday Horror episode! John Hudson and Troy Guinn join me to discuss the anthology film A CHRISTMAS HORROR STORY (2015) – we like it. We keep the conversation almost completely spoiler free with only a few third act details being alluded to as we go along. We talk about the possibility that Shatner might have ad-libbed some of his dialog as DJ Dangerous Dan and marvel at his ability to bend a syllable. Each of us picks our favorite of the stories presented and Troy points to some paths he thought the narrative might take that were skipped past. The darkly humorous nature of elements of the film are discussed with attention to how the laughs add to the entertainment level. We also bring up a couple of other recently seen Christmas horror movies as examples of our annual desire to see more of this subgenre. Toshi the cat visits us to rub up against the microphone and disrupt our trains of thought, such as they are. And the show ends with a brief tale about Mr. Hudson having been recognized as a recently published Cinema Sewer interviewer. Cool stuff! We hope everyone has a Happy Holiday season and if you have any comments about the show thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. Stay safe and hug your loved ones. Thank you for listening.

Rod Barnett & Troy Guinn of the NaschyCast 

Beth Morris and Troy Guinn visit the show again to discuss another Sherlock Holmes film. This time out we fan away the fog to examine one of the gothic horrors of the series, THE SCARLET CLAW (1944)! Good timing, huh? After all, our detective duo start the tale by being hired by a dead woman! That is creepy.  We talk about the production of the film which started out as a potential return of Moriarty but eventually became ‘Sherlock Holmes in Canada' before the final bloody title was chosen. The story pulls heavily from The Hound of the Baskervilles but also seems to crib elements from the MGM film LONDON BY NIGHT (1937) as well. Of course, it also has a touch of Edgar Allan Poe evident in the name of the murder-stricken village. This is where the series leaves behind most of the modern details that were so much a part of the first three films Universal made. The traditional Holmesian Victorian period reasserts itself here with only the occasional 1940's feature entering the frame to remind us of the real world. We point out several problems we have with the film including the need to show Holmes being a bit of a doofus on more than one occasion. There has to be a better way to extend the mystery than making the great detective seem incompetent! Of course, we love the cast and have a lot of fun trying to remember the names of the movies and obscure serials in which certain actors had memorable roles. For the record, Virginia Horne played a Chinese villain in SECRET AGENT X-9 (1945) but neither Beth or I could pull that title from our fevered brains!   If you have any thoughts on the Rathbone Sherlock Holmes films thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. Thank you for listening and we'll be back soon. 

I am joined by Troy Guinn and Jeff Nelson to talk about a Lucio Fulci movie once again! This time we swipe away the fog and try to get a clear look at CONQUEST (1983). This was the director's one entry in the brief 80's resurgence of the sword & sorcery genre inspired by the success of CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1982) and THE BEASTMASTER (1982) and it has many more detractors than defenders. Where do you think we fall?   We talk about the history of bad VHS prints of the film and make a defense of the foggy, misty visual style of the cinematography. We do not defend the furry nunchakus, though. The film's main characters and the mythological stereotypes they fall into causes much discussion with the older mentor and younger student reversal becoming our focus. Of course, considering the period of Fulci's career in which this was made, we can't help but notice the movie's fascination with violence and depictions of the damage to the human body. We examine the puzzle of the villain's odd choice of hallucinatory substance to snort and wonder how this odd effect was discovered in this cruel world. The various cool monsters and dangerous creatures in the film get some love from us but the inclusion of zombies is questioned as a possible late addition. It's a lively conversation and we hope you'll enjoy it!   If you have anything to say about CONQUEST thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send your thoughts. Thank you for listening! 

182 - El Caminante (The Traveller) 1979 also known as The Devil Incarnate with Troy Guinn of the NaschyCast Steven was extremely lucky to have Troy Guinn, of the NaschyCast and The Blood Pit podcasts, join me to discuss the Paul Naschy classic El caminante! Troy is a frequent co-host with Rod Barnett on both of those podcasts. He is also part of The Secret Commonwealth, the band has been Middle Tennessees most enduringly popular Celtic band since 1993! Please leave feedback at DieCastMoviePodcast@gmail.com or one our Facebook page. Thanks for listening!

Troy Guinn joins me to discuss another Universal horror film of the 1940's! Although it is a mad scientist film THE MAD GHOUL (1943) stands out from the other films of its type in many ways. It's literate, mature script weaves interesting adult relationships into its fantastical narrative of college student zombification and graveyard surgery. Troy makes the claim that the film would be worth seeing even if the titular Ghoul was not part of the story but I think we all know why people were buying tickets – cardiectomies! Still, the more adult nature of the romantic complications in the story are interesting and the script gives the great George Zucco many chances to utter dialog that is a cut above the usual level of horror tales of the period. Often his delivery of a line is what makes a scene both believable and entertaining.  We discuss the cast and crew with an eye toward what the actors thought of the process and each other. We revel in the nasty details of the story and talk about the surprisingly dark stuff the film gets away with. Robert Armstrong as the comic reporter character gets some time in the spotlight as we fight the urge to call him by his KING KONG character name. And we express disappointment that although Evelyn Ankers gets a lot more to do in this movie than in SON OF DRACULA we still don't get the chance to hear her sing.  If you enjoy THE MAD GHOUL or even if you don't thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send your opinions, comments or suggestions. We'd be glad to her from you. Thank you for listening! 

For this very special episode five people have gathered to discuss an influential part of their childhood – H. R. Pufnstuf!  In particular we examine the movie that grew out of the children television show's immense popularity – PUFNSTUF (1970). So, grab your magic flute and come to Living Island for an adventure you'll never forget – no matter how hard you try. Wild, man! I am joined by Beth, Troy Guinn, John Hudson and Steph to talk about the biggest hit of Sid & Marty Krofft's many Saturday morning TV programs. Each of us relate our history with the various shows and what we thought of them as kids before diving into the specifics of the big screen version. We dig into the Krofft brothers' background as puppet performers, their early successes on the stage and the genesis of Pufnstuf as a character. We take note of a fun Universal Horror related song from their early 1960's adult puppet show and then turn things toward the amazing songs created for the film. We talk about the cast with Jack Wild's place in the hearts of young girls becoming a subject of some amusement while Billie Hayes' immortal Witchiepoo is lauded as the best reason to watch either the film or the television show. Favorite lines of dialog are quoted and we wonder aloud if some of the best bits were adlibbed by Miss Hayes or not. We also talk about Mama Cass Elliot's excellent performance as Witch Hazel and single out her song as a highlight. This really is a delightful movie! If you want to share your own memories of the old Sid & Marty Krofft shows thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to send them. We hope you enjoy this slightly chaotic trip into Saturday mornings past. Thank you for listening!

On this spooky season edition of Parallax Views, Troy Guinn and Rod Barnett of the Nashcycast joins us to discuss the overlooked cult movie career of Jacinto Molina, better known by his stage name Paul Naschy. For the uninitiated, Naschy has often been referred to as the Spanish Lon Chaney or Lon Chanery Jr. due to his playing such characters as the Mummy, Fu Manchu, Frankenstein's monster, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, and, most famously, the cursed werewolf Waldemar Daninsky. Naschy's take on horror and the gothic harkened back to the classic Universal Studios monster but with a 70s twist vis-a-vis the inclusion of sex and violence. However, when one delves deeper into these films it becomes apparent Naschy's films are more than just monster mashes, carrying with them their own distinct style and charms as well as highlighting Naschy's thematic obsessions. Among his more well-know titles are Howl of the Devil, Frankenstein's Bloody Terror, The Werewolf and the Yeti, Horror Rises from the Tomb, Dr. Jekyll and the Wolfman,  The Werewolf and the  Vampire Woman, The Beast and the Magic Sword, Night of the Werewolf, and many others. Over the years Naschy's cult following has grown with such directors as Joe Dante, John Landis, and Guillermo del Torro singing his praises. In this conversation we'll discuss the importance of Naschy, his bitter over the film industry in his latter years, Naschy's growing up under the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco in Spain and the influence of that on his work, censorship and Paul Naschy movies, and much, much more!

Lucio Fulci's MURDER ROCK (1984) is not considered the director's finest work but in this episode Troy Guinn, Jeff Nelson and I mount a defense of the film. We take a look at several aspects of the film that are rarely discussed including the excellent cinematography and the script's clever red herrings. It's standard for a murder mystery to throw suspicion on most of the cast but several of the suspects in this case are real nasty pieces of work! How often do you have one character falsely confess to the killing and another try to use the murder method to cover their own desire to be rid of a rival? It certainly keeps things lively even if it makes for a difficult knot to untangle. We discuss the cast while marveling at the number of actors/dancers that don't get screen credit. The central dream sequence comes under scrutiny as part of the mid-80's intrusion of music video style into cinema. We mull over the nearly bloodless nature of the murders as a possible concession to the angry response Fulci received for his previous New York set thriller. We also give our opinions on the often-derided score from the legendary Keith Emerson who seems destined to be insulted for his contributions to this film for eternity. In all, it is a fun ramble through an often-overlooked giallo. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions thebloodypit@gmail.com is the place to write or drop a recording of your thoughts. We love hearing from you so jump in! Thank you for listening.

Sherlock Holmes takes center stage again with Rathbone and Bruce traveling to America to secure a secret document.   I am joined by Beth Morris and Troy Guinn for a detailed look at the third in the Universal Holmes series, SHERLOCK HOLMES IN WASHINGTON (1943). This is one of the few that we all dreaded as memory told us we were in for a weaker entry. Imagine our surprise to find a much better movie than we expected. Exciting!   We dig into the production with some neat information culled from my ever-expanding pile of reference books on the subject. Beth finds some highs and lows in the deductive reasoning the script gives Sherlock and Troy finds his first viewing of this one to be his favorite of the run so far. We talk about the excellent cast and spend some time on the great George Zucco's career as well as heaping some deserved praise on the screenplay. This being the first of the series with a completely original story Universal was wise in its choice of screenwriter Bertram Millhauser who went on the pen four more Holmes scripts for the studio. We lament the limited screentime of Henry Daniell and question the steady cruelty of Holmes to Watson throughout the story. We were all pleased to see Clarence Muse given a solid supporting role as a train porter where he gets to play directly with Rathbone as the search for clues ramps up. And, because I have a dirty mind, I spot a subtle sex joke that was sly enough to get past the production code. Busy, busy!   We end the show with three emails from listeners one of which pushes us into a long discussion of favorite actors in the Watson role. The email address is thebloodypit@gmail.com and we'd love to hear from you too. Thank you for listening to the show and we'll be back soon. 

Holiday Horrors returns for 2021!   John Hudson, Troy Guinn and I discuss the amazing French Christmas film DIAL CODE SANTA CLAUS (1989). Although we had never even heard of this movie until Vinegar Syndrome released it on disc last year it has become a fast favorite for all three of us. It's an amalgam of horror, action and coming of age stories that manages to hit nearly every emotional beat that it targets. On Christmas Eve, ten-year-old Thomas is determined to get evidence of Santa's existence so he sets up his high-tech equipment to videotape him on his rounds. Unfortunately, the lad has accidentally gained the attention of a crazed man who dresses himself as the jolly old elf and makes the little boy the object of his homicidal curiosity. With his mother working late it is up to Thomas alone to protect his aged grandfather and stop the deadly St. Nick from killing all through the house. Who will survive? Simultaneously beautiful to look at and tensely suspenseful DIAL CODE SANTA CLAUS is a worthy addition to the list of scary stories centered around the year end holidays. Filled with Christmas atmosphere and luminous visuals it checks all the boxes for candy colored feel-good sentiment but then drops its likable characters into a vicious home invasion scenario. The killer Santa's motivations are never revealed which makes his actions all the more terrifying and unpredictable. And although this film plays out a story similar to 1990's HOME ALONE, there are real consequences to violence in this movie and truly deadly stakes if Thomas fails to defeat his nearly silent adversary.   We talk about the film's production taking note of the combination of real locations and elaborate stage work. The director's ability to seamlessly meld the real and unreal allows the film to achieve some surprising moments and it's not a shock to learn he went on to do high quality work in Hollywood. We have a good time discussing this great little movie with only a few short tangents about illegal VHS tape dubbing along the way. Oh! And at one point we are interrupted by a stack of my new Blu-Rays tumbling over into my chair. Sorry. I've been too busy to put them away.   The show winds down with an email from a fan of the show and a text from another co-host. They're trying to wear me down, folks! If you have any comments or suggestions thebloodypit@gmail.com is the address. Thank you for listening! 

It's Naschy November as Jeff and Richard discuss the life and career of Paul Naschy, focusing on three specific movies: Vengeance of the Zombies (1973), The Mummy's Revenge (1975), and The Beast & the Magic Sword (1983.) They disagree on which one is their favorite, but not on the fact that, while Paul Naschy films may be an acquired taste, they're often a delicious Eurohorror feast. . Check out the video companion on our YouTube channel. It contains exclusive content not available in this month's podcast that you don't want to miss! . Call us at: (616) 649-2582 That's (616) 649-CLUB or email: classichorrorsclub@gmail.com, or... ...join us in our clubhouse at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/classichorrors.club/ We'd also appreciate if you'd give us an honest rating on Apple Podcasts or SoundCloud. Thank you! Songs: Dusty Ideas by Count Waldemar Daninsky, from the album, Into the Void. Glass Half Full of Hope by Count Waldemar Daninsky, from the album, Dreams. Both are available on Apple Music. Our Plugs: Find Jeff at Classic Horrors Club http://classichorrors.club or... DC Comics Guy https://www.dccomicsguy.com/ or... The Reaction Shot: https://www.thereactionshot.com/ Find Richard at Kansas City Cinephile: http://www.kccinephile.com/ or... Dread Media http://www.dread-media.com/ Monster Movie Kid: https://monstermoviekid.wordpress.com/ To purchase Troy Howarth's book: https://www.amazon.com/Human-Beasts-Films-Naschy-Color/dp/1718835892/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=human+beasts+the+films+of&qid=1636911713&s=books&sr=1-2 To listen to Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn on NaschyCast: https://naschycast.podbean.com/ To read Stephen D. Sullivan: https://stephendsullivan.com/ To listen to Bill Mize on Monsters by the Minute: http://billmakespodcasts.com/ To listen to Chris Franklin on The Fire & Water Podcast Network: http://fireandwaterpodcast.com/

Troy Guinn and I jump back to the 1940's for our next Universal horror film of that decade.  NIGHT MONSTER (1942) has two ‘horror stars' first billed in the credits – Bela Lugosi and Lionel Atwill – leading first time viewers to expect them to feature heavily in the scary tale being told. But both actors are relegated to supporting roles which gives unexpected players the chance to step forward and take the position of possible villain. This sidelining of Lugosi and Atwill has been cited for years as the reason this is less well known than it might otherwise be, but I would argue the opposite should be true. By allowing actors not usually associated with the genre to step forward and take on the prime roles NIGHT MONSTER becomes a rare thing in Universal's horror output on the 40's – a real mystery! And, to make it more impressive, the film attempts to create an entirely new screen monster that the studio could have used in the future. That the choice was made to continue producing Frankenstein, Dracula and Mummy sequels probably speaks more to making safe money decisions than to a desire for new, creative monsters and that is a shame.  We enthusiastically dive into this film asking all the usual questions horror movie fans have posited for decades. We don't have all the answers but we do have some solid speculation and a few guesses. We remark on the casting choices including having a female doctor play such a prominent role. The treatment of Hindu mysticism in the story without the expected condescension for such ‘foreign' religions is surprising, as is the relatively adult tone of the entire affair. The film strikes a more modern attitude in several ways even if it still seems to take place in a time oddly unaware of the then current war. We also note that the film seems to drop at least one character (Lugosi's!) from the finale without ever letting us know if he was complicit in the crimes taking place in and around the crazy old dark house. The oddest point in the show might be when I conjure a fictious Three Dog Night song out of thin air leaving only a little blood on the floor!  If you have any comments or questions about the show thebloodypit@gmail.com is the email account and we'd love to hear from you. Thank you for listening to the show! 

It's that time of year again. Time for our annual Holiday Horrors episode with Troy Guinn and John Hudson! We are a festive trio.   This year I got to choose the film and I went with a very recent movie about which I had heard good things. It turns out to have been a good choice but the first thing anyone listening to this episode needs to know is that we do spoil this movie. A lot! And in this case that would be very detrimental to a first-time viewing. So, as we say in the episode, see this movie before you hear us talk about it. We discuss this movie all the way through straight to the end credits and it would be much better for everyone to see this movie before knowing the various twists and turns that this clever script has in store for you. It is available to stream on several platforms with Amazon Prime being the most easily accessible. You have been warned!   BETTER WATCH OUT (2016) is an Australian made thriller that takes place in the merry month of December. This allows the filmmakers to drench the movie in colored lights, Christmas decorations and dark deeds! This does cause a short burst of the old ‘Is it a Christmas movie or is it a movie set at Christmas' discussion but we move quickly past that to dig deeply into the joys of this twisted tale. The set-up is classic – a teenaged babysitter is in charge of a twelve-year-old as his parents attend a holiday party. The young boy's lustful intentions toward are interrupted by a joking friend and then by a home invasion! Things get stranger as the evening wears on and the character's fates become less predicable with each unexpected revelation. There really is no way to predict where this one ends up!   We hope you are having as happy a holiday season as possible in 2020. If you have any comments or question please write to the show at thebloodypit@gmail.com or drop us a line on the FaceBook page. Stay safe and healthy out there folks. Let's all try to make it to 2021 intact. 

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. 

As every hard-rock-and-horror-lovin’ soul knows, there’s a void in the musical fabric that can only be filled by a new Alice Cooper album. Whether the results are a stud or a dud, there’s a shiver of anticipation that runs spider-like down our spines when fresh tunes are spun out from Alice’s web, as we hope to be snagged and drawn up into that dark lair of rage, rancor and riffs that is the mind of Alice Cooper. So it was with the arrival of PARANORMAL in the summer of 2017, coming as it did on the heels of an Alice tour that saw him reunite for a couple of brief, barnstorming sets in Nashville, Tennessee with his cronies from the great Alice Cooper Band. This reunion found its way into the studio to record some tracks, and in addition to the ACB we also have the return of past heroes/enablers/contributors of the Alice legend, producer Bob Ezrin and guitarist Steve Hunter, plus distinctive work from U2 drummer Larry Mullen and the inimitable Billy Gibbons.                 Be that as it may, on the Coopercast we’ve all seen how having a lot of big-name cooks doesn’t always make for a sumptuous kitchen…the prime ingredient is the song. Did Alice deliver choice cuts for this, his 27th studio album? Well, give your Coopercasters –Bobby Hazzard, the lovely Ms. Hazzard, The Naschycast’s Troy Guinn, and special guest Dr. Gangrene – a listen and we’ll break it all down for you, track-by-track, smack-by-smack, and let you know who emerges triumphant: Alice Cooper or Father Time.

December brings our annual Holiday Horrors episode! This year my two co-hosts have chosen a tale told twice and adapted from a 1953 comic book story by the legendary Johnny Craig. The story is about a murderous wife who decides to off her husband on Christmas Eve but then has to deal with an escaped axe welding killer dressed in a Santa Claus costume. The best laid plans of mice and murderers often go awry and this short story shows us a fine example. 'And All Through the House' was first filmed as part of the Amicus anthology movie directed by Freddie Francis in 1972. This may or may not have been the first instance in cinema of a killer Santa but it certainly struck home for viewers as it is the story that most people recall with great clarity even years after a viewing. Creepy, chilling and sinister in tone it is a difficult effort to beat. In 1989 director Robert Zemeckis retold the tale as one of the first episodes of HBO's wildly successful series Tales From The Crypt. Adapted by Fred Dekker and lengthened out to fill a half hour time slot this version throws in a few extra curves, amps up the dark humor and broadens the performances for a more comic effect. The results are still pretty darned good but - as with any remake - the debates will never rest. Listen in as Troy Guinn, John Hudson and I discuss all three tellings of this Holiday Horror. We break down the differences and consider the qualities that each film brings to the table. We dig into the alterations, the motivations and the relative skill each version imparts to the main character as well as the portrayal of the nearly silent killer Kringle. As is usual for the three of us, we get off-track a few times with my show opening gambit of asking about favorite childhood Christmas toys pushing the conversation into odd territory. Who knew a show about an EC Comics Christmas tale would reference The Six Million Dollar Man so frequently? If you want to tell us about your favorite youthful Christmas gift the email address is thebloodypit@gmail.com where we'll be happy to hear what you miss from years gone bye. You can also join us on the Bloody Pit FaceBook page where new links of interest get posted. Thank you for downloading and listening to the show and have a safe and happy Holiday season.

HORROR RISES FROM SPAIN is back with a special episode for December 2017. It is called Miscellanea and it is about all good and bad things on 2017 DVD and BR Spanish Horror releases. It is second time for three amazing guests, first but not best, Latarnia fearless leader and Paul Naschy expert Mirek Lipinski and, finally, Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn, the famous naschycasters. It also includes some technical difficulties, lots of love and best Xmas wishes for all of you!

This time around on Coopercast, your hosts Bobby Hazzard, (of Spring Break Forever) his royal consort Ms. Hazzard, and the Naschycast’s Troy Guinn first give you our eyewitness, up close and personal accounts of Alice’s two historic reunion performances with his former Alice Cooper Band cronies in Nashville this past May of 2017. Alice, Dennis, Michael & Neil seem to be having a grand ol’ time together, recording some new material for Alice’s new studio release and getting all of us to cross our fingers in hopes of a full reunion tour.                 With that in mind, it seemed topical and sensible to do a show that spotlights the time when Alice and the band had freshly parted ways. Alice was taking a path into Nightmare, Hell, asylums and, oh yes: MEGA-STARDOM while mssrs. Dunaway, Smith, and Bruce were just trying to scratch out a place to rock and roll (and dress as robots and fight onstage, as you do) and step out from under Alice’s boozy shadow.                The result? The Billion Dollar Babies and their lone opus, BATTLE AXE. Listen in on our examination of the Alice Cooper Band’s hard-to-find post-Alice album, as well as the extra tracks from the sessions. We discuss why the project ultimately failed, how a factor here and there might have helped it succeed, and most importantly, help you decide if YOU should put the time into tracking down this elusive, forgotten effort. Because, as always, we at the Coopercast are your guide to all things ALICE!  

It’s never typically a bad thing to hear the words “Alice Cooper” and “concept album” conjoined; after all, the Theatrical One has worked in that long-form genre perhaps more than any popular artist with the possible exception of The Kinks. As we here on COOPERCAST complete our examination of Alice’s studio albums to date, we find him delivering not one but TWO concept-ers. The first, 2008’s ALONG CAME A SPIDER, is such an obvious and natural idea – Alice inhabiting the mind and motivations of a particularly delusional serial killer – it’s surprising it took so long to happen. The second is remarkable for the ballsy-ness of the idea: WELCOME 2 MY NIGHTMARE is nothing less than a sequel to Alice’s career-defining, iconic first solo album. Think of it as though Pink Floyd attempted a sequel to THE WALL, or if The Who had tried a follow-up to QUADROPHENIA and you understand how daring this idea was, and likely to be scrutinized heavier than any of Alice’s previous work. Whether from confidence or from trepidation, Alice invited tons of friends and guest-stars to help on WELCOME 2, everyone from Bob Ezrin & Steve Hunter to Kip Winger, Rob Zombie, members of the original Alice Cooper Band to (shudder) Ke$ha. The proof is on the turntable, however, and do these twin conceptual works achieve immortality, or lay two eggs over easy, or does the truth lies somewhere in between? Well, for the answer to that, kids, you’ll have to listen to this, the COOPERCAST. Spoiler alert: host Bobby Hazzard doesn’t like piano ballads. Joining Bobby is the lovely Ms. Hazzard, physician of fright Doctor Gangrene (wrapping up his stint on COOPERCAST and we wish him well!) and Naschycast’s Troy Guinn. To answer the question you’re dying to ask: Does covering the last Alice album mean the end of COOPERCAST? Not a bit of it. In future episodes, we’ll be delving into other Alice ephemera: live recordings, videos, side musical projects, what have you, including a report on the show from his newest tour!

What did we want from Alice? Well, to be that gleefully sinister, morbidly funny, eternally juvenile perverted tempter of our rock ‘n’ rolling souls again, of course. Maybe this time, without so much self-destructive boozing and drugging. And whether Alice heard us, or just some inner voice, his first two studio albums of the new century, THE EYES OF ALICE COOPER and DIRTY DIAMONDS gives us exactly that! No more Mr. Preachy Industrial Grungy Whatever’s Trending Guy; with these albums, Alice gets back to his roots, and the results, if not instant classics, are pretty satisfying. Some tracks recall the glory days of the Alice Cooper Band and Cooper’s first solo efforts with Bob Ezrin, and like new bassist Chuck Garric, the production’s all lean with very little fat. Best of all, Alice is FUNNY again, with some classic laugh-out-loud lyrics.                 We’ll even forgive him the “grab for relevancy” by having Xzibit doing a guest spot. Hey, it could have been worse: it could have been Kid Rock.                 Join your hosts (who gave up on being relevant LONG ago) Bobby Hazzard, the lovely Ms. Hazzard, Physician of Fright Doctor Gangrene, and the Naschycast’s Troy Guinn as we sample both beers and Alice’s welcome return to ROCK AND ROLL!             

REPENT, YE SINNERS! And prepare thyselves to be judged by….ALICE COOPER?!? Yes, one day rock ‘n’ roll’s most hedonistic bad boy arose from his Budweiser-filled bathtub and remembered that he was once Vincent Furnier, son of a preacher man, and it was time that Alice got born again and brought the good word to the children. But, being this is ALICE, after all, there’s an awful lot of bone-burning, flesh-eating, ass-spanking, clown-fearing tough love on the way to salvation, and to get there you also gotta listen to 2000’s “BRUTAL PLANET” and 2001’s “DRAGONTOWN”, the albums under discussion on this, the 7th episode of COOPERCAST! As Alice judges the denizens of Brutal Planet and Dragontown (that means YOU, if you didn’t figure that out), so too does he get judged by your clean-living and morally-upright Coopercast team of Bobby Hazzard, the lovely Ms. Hazzard, Nashville’s physician of fright Dr. Gangrene, and Troy Guinn of the Naschycast. Join us as we wade through this musical metaphorical morass to get to the heart of that most theological of all questions: “Does it ROCK?” Leave us a comment and you just might win a Phil X signature “Ass” model guitar too!

Swing low, sweet cheerios! That’s essentially what your intrepid, decrepit Coopercasters are doing this time around, as we leave dear old Alice on the precipice of the year 2000, about to embrace the industrial metal age, and take the way-back deep-freezer to the late 60’s when he and his Alice Cooper Band compatriots are changing, arranging and embracing more musical trends than Spinal Tap and managing to sound like everything but the ACB the world would come to love and fear. Join host Bobby Hazzard, his lovely consort Ms. Hazzard, Nashville horror host Dr. Gangrene, and the Naschycast’s Troy Guinn as we examine some garage-rock “nuggets” released by the ACB band when they were known as The Spiders and The Nazz, followed by track-by-track discussions of the first two Alice Cooper Band albums, PRETTIES FOR YOU and EASY ACTION. In these early works, we find a band that can play the sh%t out of anything but thinks their appeal lies in the cult fringes of hippie freakout jams and Zappa-worshippers, and has no idea of the worldwide stardom that awaits them just around the corner…

Luigi Cozzi's science fiction epic STARCRASH is one of the wildest cinematic experiences of all time. The movie's script is a hot mess that feels like it was assembled in the dark from ideas jotted randomly on post-it notes. There is no logical progression from scene to scene or from idea to idea. When an explanation or solution was needed Cozzi just seems to have inserted a line of ridiculous dialog, had the characters smile at each other and kept moving. It is this almost total disregard for logic, sense or sanity that transforms this budget challenged Italian production to reach mad heights of near genius. When the idea of covering STARCRASH for the podcast suggested itself I found myself with an odd problem - everyone wanted to be part of this show! Randy Fox, Jeff Nelson and John Hudson all wanted the chance to talk about the film and relate their own love for it. Troy Guinn also wanted to participate but scheduling kept him away from our recording session but he found a way to be a part of the episode anyway! So, we gathered around a table one Friday night to go through this crazed movie marveling at it's odd twists and turns while trying to come to terms with our outsized affection for it. We touch on many of the plot elements that amuse us - there is no way to touch on them all in just two hours - while digging into the cool things that the film plays homage to and/or steals from classic genre movies. Since this show consists of a group of friends that have known each other for years you can expect a number of odd references (Peter Frampton 8-tracks?) and strange connections(Where's Waldo!) that will only make sense if you listen to our stream of conscious blather. If it gets out of hand, we apologize! We had a good time and we hope you do as well. I read out a couple of email messages at the beginning of the episode and if you would like to comment on the show the email address isthebloodypit@gmail.com. Drop us a line with any suggestions for future podcasts or to put us in our places if we've gone wrong. Thank you very much for downloading and listening! 

Christopher has a chat with Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn from the Naschycast! They talk about the works of Paul Naschy, the Spanish horror genre, and how all of it lead to them stepping behind the mics. Check them out at: http://naschycast.blogspot.com/, http://pitofrod.blogspot.com/, and http://rodbarnett68.podbean.com/

Welcome to Alice Cooper, late 80’s-early 90’s version, still testing and contesting with the musical trends, trying to find a comfortable crypt as the hair-anthems of the Eighties are giving way to the flannel-flyin’ grit of Nineties’ grunge. In this episode we traverse a trio of uneven but certainly NOT unworthy unspoolings of Alice: 1989’S TRASH, 1991’S HEY STOOPID, and 1994’S THE LAST TEMPTATION. It’s an odd array of killer riffs, hit-and-miss collaborations, slumming superstar guitar-slingers, montage-worthy choruses, face-palming ballads, phallic gun imagery, and even an appearance by Elvira, Mistress of the Dark! Plus, you’ll hear the launching of the first-ever Guy Mann-Dude fan club..and hear it close just as quickly. But where o where in all of this is Alice? That’s the question we’ll attempt to answer as your hosts Bobby Hazzard, the lovely Ms. Hazzard, physician of fright Dr. Gangrene, and Troy Guinn (of the Naschycast) journey deep into the eye of the hurricane to find if Alice has really become a wanking lil’ whiner or if he’s still the cruelly witty parent-baiting reptilian ringmaster we know and love!

May 22nd, 2016 The Bring Your Own Cinematic Trauma series continues with Troy Guinn of NaschyCast, Spring Break Forever’s Cooper Cast, The Bloody Pit podcast, as well as the bands The Exotic Ones, The Secret Commonwealth and numerous other projects. Troy is a true southern gentleman and a genuine renaissance man who graced us with his presence this week.  We talk about Blood and Lace and his experience with it.  It was a very fun and sometimes down right raunchy episode. Don’t Forget the contest guys and gals once we get 20 total honest reviews in iTunes and Stitcher, Cort will give away one brand new copy of Macabre from William Castle on DVD picked from those reviews and the winner will be given a chance to review the movie on the show with Cort and Matt!  Just email Cort your screen name or a screencap of your review and you are entered to win! Find us in: iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/cinema-psyops/id1037574921?mt=2 Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/cinema-psyops Also available on Google Play Music Every week an obsessed film collector, Cort, will subject his unwilling test subject, Matt to films from Cort’s childhood viewing habits and personal collection.  Has a lifetime of movie watching damaged Cort’s [...] The post CinePsyEP40 Bring Your Own Cinematic Trauma: Blood And Lace appeared first on Legion.

For the first of our annual podcasts focused on Holiday Horrors we tackle 1980's NEW YEAR'S EVIL. A much maligned and neglected slasher film, NYE boasts a number of high points that its terrible reputation would have you think could never exist. While it is true that this film is a muddled oddity, it has more than a few moments of brilliance. No one will ever call it a masterpiece movie but it is never boring and it is highly entertaining - sometimes for the wrong reasons. Plus- how many movies can manage to get you to root for a homicidal maniac murdering innocent victims on a strict time schedule? No matter what, that is a major cinematic accomplishment! I am joined this time out by my longtime podcasting partner from the NaschyCast, Troy Guinn as well as frequent Bloody Pit collaborator John Hudson. We pick apart NEW YEAR'S EVIL calling out it's bizarre structure and strange characters. Strangely, we find much to love in the movie as we spot more than a few successes among the number of glaring flaws. We relate our takes on the film as we discuss the story, comment on the unseal presentation of the Punk music scene, question the casting of certain roles, complain about the film's implausible timeline and posit some simple improvements that could have taken NYE from near-forgotten oddity to slasher classic. We prattle on for a quite a while with John fitting in several wrestling metaphors but only one porn reference. Must have been an off day. We discuss the short career of Roz Kelly and note her late 1990's brush with the law. It is sad to see what become of Pinky Tuscadero. As the show proceeds you'll hear me become stunned as I'm reminded of the existence of Leather Tuscadero, a character I had mercifully blocked from my childhood reminiscences. I guess you only remember the good things from your formative years, huh? We can be reached at the email address of thebloodypit@gmail.com where your comments would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for downloading and listening to the episode.