Like wow, man, “A Bucket of Blood” is now available for the first time ever on Blu-ray – transferred from the original 35mm film – on sale Oct. 20th from The Film Detective (distributed by Allied Vaughn).
Directed by undisputed schlockmeister Roger Corman from a screenplay by Charles B. Griffith (“Little Shop of Horrors, “Death Race), 1959’s “A Bucket of Blood is a darkly comic satire that will delight fans of Corman, horror and classic, cult filmmaking. One of the most prolific and successful film producers ever, Corman’s ability to find and develop talent is virtually incomparable. With an almost unparalleled influence on modern American cinema, Corman received an Honorary Academy Award for lifetime achievement in 2009.
In “A Bucket of Blood – which was produced on a $50,000 budget, shot in five days and shares many of the low-budget filmmaking aesthetics for which Corman’s work is known – a dimwitted, impressionable young busboy (Dick Miller, “Little Shop of Horrors, “The Terror) at a Bohemian café in southern California is inspired by a beatnik artist’s performance to try his hand at sculpture.
While working, he accidentally kills his landlady’s cat and, in desperation, covers its body in clay to hide the evidence. When the suspiciously life-like figure earns him a reputation as a brilliant sculptor, he is pressured to create similar works … and his muse becomes murder!
In “The Bat,” mystery writer Cornelia van Gorder (Agnes Moorehead, TV’s “Bewitched,” “Hush … Hush,” “Sweet Charlotte,” “Citizen Kane”) resides in a town terrorized by a mysterious murderer known only as “The Bat,” said to be a man with no face who kills women at night by ripping out their throats with steel claws.
Breaking into Cornelia’s countryside home one night, he releases an actual bat, which bites her maid Lizzy (Lenita Lane, “Compliments of the Season,” “While America Sleeps”), sending her into a panic that she has caught “the rabies.” Cornelia calls her doctor, Malcolm Wells (Vincent Price, “Edward Scissorhands,” “House on Haunted Hill,” TV’s “Batman”), who happens to be conducting research on bats.
Little does Cornelia know that the good doctor has an ulterior motive for coming to her assistance—a thief who has stolen $1 million in bank securities has confided in Wells, leading him to believe the stash is hidden within Cornelia’s home. After dispatching with the thief, Wells plots to claim the missing treasure.
When additional break-ins and murders by the Bat continue, local police chief Andy Anderson (Gavin Gordon, “Bride of Frankenstein,” “The Scarlet Empress”) comes to the house with suspicions of both Wells and Cornelia’s butler Warner (John Sutton, “Jane Eyre,” “Return of the Fly”).
Also featuring Darla Hood (of the Little Rascal’s Our Gang in her final film appearance), “The Bat,” with its hand-wringing twists and turns, will leave you guessing until the astonishing reveal at the end. A non-stop thriller sure to get your blood pumping!
“The Bat” is presented in original widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and mono sound with English subtitles.
“A Bucket of Blood” is digitally restored from original 35mm film elements and both titles will be available for the 1st Time on Blu-Ray, October 20th.
