City of the Dead aka Horror Hotel
01:07:01
About
Once again, all of them witches as we visit “The City of the Dead” (aka “Horror Hotel”). A British film masquerading as an American one, with a variety of success on the accent front; in which several lone women give lifts to a sinister Man In Black who isn’t Johnny Cash; and Christopher Lee’s modern home boasts an en-suite gargoyle and bird-murdering annex. Along the way we discuss “Studio 666”, “The Gorgon”, “Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer”, BBC comedy “The Witchfinder” and our increasing excitement over Robert Eggers’ forthcoming “The Northman”… Watch (or re-watch) to avoid spoilers, and join us. APOLOGIES FOR ANY SOUND/SPEECH QUALITY ISSUES - THIS EPISODE WAS RECORDED REMOTELY, THROUGH THE TRAPDOOR IN THE FLOOR, UNDER THE RUG.
Transcript
Show full transcript
LeeGood evening and welcome to horror. I'm Lee.
ChrisI'm Chris.
AdamAnd I'm Adam.
LeeAnd we are here, two of us are very sick, but we are here nonetheless.
Leewe this evening will be covering the 1960 black and white classic in my opinion, much overlooked, City of the Dead, also known as Horror Hotel over here in Sunny Old Blighty.
Adamwhich, which title do we prefer? Or we can come back to that later.
LeeI always, I always knew it only as Horror Hotel and I always loved the film and thought it was a dreadful name. Yeah, well,
AdamHorror Hotel is, is the US release.
AdamOh, okay. And the City of the Dead is the UK name.
LeeOh, my bad. See, I don't do the research. I just watch it.
AdamYeah. Yeah, but I think I think that's the point is because it's it's one of those films that then came back under a different name. You know, like a lot of them do. You know, and so yeah, I think it had come back over, so a lot of people watched it as Horror Hotel over here on like when it was first released on like video and stuff, because rather than no one was bothering going to ask Amicus for a print. So they yeah. we used to get all the American ones. So yeah. Nice. So, but I'm I'm half and half with it. I really am.
AdamBecause City of the Dead is quite possibly the least exciting title with Dead in it.
ChrisWell, also like, is is it a city? It seems
LeeIt looks like five houses in the.
ChrisYeah, that was the bit.
AdamVillage of the Dead.
ChrisYeah, like
AdamWhich immediately would sound slightly better because Village is a slightly more evil word than City.
ChrisYeah. It's got V in it.
AdamAnd that's for Vampire. So clearly.
ChrisOr vich.
AdamYes.
LeeRight, so before we get into that, though,
LeeChris, have you been watching anything?
ChrisI know you've been busy.
ChrisNo, I've been terrible. I've been on holiday for nearly two weeks and so yeah, done nothing.
ChrisI'm awful and I apologize, but
ChrisI want to go watch The Northman.
LeeYes.
ChrisWho wants to go with me?
LeeYes.
ChrisI do.
LeeYes.
LeeBecause that just came out as I realized.
ChrisAnd so yeah.
AdamOh, is Claire coming as well?
AdamDon't do your voice again.
LeeNo.
AdamYeah.
AdamThat's that's one of Claire's favorite things from Simpsons or Family Guy, Family Guy, isn't it? Yeah.
LeeYeah.
ChrisWe just be a crowd of people, we go yeah.
LeeNo.
AdamSo.
LeeYeah, it does.
LeeIt looks
Chrisfantastic. I I've heard I've heard from Adam, yeah, that some people like it.
Adamyes, I believe some former former guests of the show have mentioned that they've seen it.
ChrisThat's the response.
ChrisWhat were you thinking, Lee?
Leeyeah.
ChrisWhat were you gonna say, Lee?
LeeOh, yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean, Robert Eggers as well. So even though it doesn't technically fall into horror, I think that gives it a a pass, really.
AdamIt's weird that The Lighthouse, regardless of it being hallucinogenic or not, you know, in terms of is it fantasy, is it reality, is it within the mind, is it actually happening?
AdamIt does feature it's the weirdest horror film that's not been called a horror film that features spunk in the eye and like necrophilic mermaid doings.
AdamIt's sort of, yeah.
Christhat's probably not going to appeal to many people outside of of horror.
AdamYeah.
AdamIt's going to be it's it's not it's not it's not tropes from a romantic comedy.
AdamI will say.
AdamAlthough if you do want that for a romantic comedy, watch Spring.
AdamYeah.
LeeExcellent, yes, so for Chris's choice of our next episode, we will be going to the cinema to check out The Northman.
LeeSo stay tuned for that in a fortnight's time, you lucky devils.
AdamRight.
ChrisAbsolutely.
LeeAs long as I don't get COVID again.
Lee
AdamYou're coming in a fucking bubble, bitch.
LeeYeah.
Leewouldn't be the first time.
LeeSo,
Adam
Leeyes, Adam.
AdamYes.
LeeWhat have you been watching?
Adamwell, like I said, I said off off screen, I too have been off off air.
AdamI too have been somewhat ill.
AdamSo I've had a fairly blurry three days, but I have before that, I did manage to pack in quite a bit.
Adamso I've watched the Netflix Jimmy Saville, a British horror story, which has got horror in the title.
AdamAnd
Adamyeah, I mean it's it's nothing it's nothing new particularly, but it does put a lot in fucking context.
AdamAnd hopefully would be let's let's just say hopefully it means that they'll stop talking about those plans to put up a statue to Mr. Thatcher.
AdamBecause yeah, it's yeah, it's really invidious, horrible stuff.
AdamSo yeah.
Adamon a slightly lighter note, I watched The Torture Garden.
Adamthe
ChrisWhat is that?
ChrisI've heard of it as a as a club.
AdamI thought you might have done.
ChrisI have I got that look about me?
AdamNo, it's just I I I know I know some of your history and it's like.
AdamI I I've seen some of your clubbing gear. So I'm assuming that you would have heard of The Torture Garden.
ChrisI did I did very nearly go. I got invited to once and I thought, that's just, it's just beyond me. It's just I'm not quite there. I don't think.
ChrisBut they did play, I did love the music they played there, some of my favorite producers.
AdamYeah.
AdamYeah, that was
AdamIt was fucking heavy.
ChrisYeah.
AdamBut no, this is and this is absolutely nothing to do with it. Unfortunately, this is a another Amicus
Adamanthology that I just got on.
AdamI got big stack of Blu-ray, which actually have now turned into an anniversary.
Adampresent from my own dear Claire, because basically I said, look, I got this lot for 50 quid and she said, I'll give you 50 quid.
AdamThat could be an anniversary present. And I shit you not, that is a fucking amazing first anniversary present.
AdamIt's it's like, I thought I got a great deal, but is there any deal better than free and with love? Wow.
AdamSo, thank you.
Adambut yeah, and part of that, I also bought got The Gorgon.
Adamand that is a fucking weird Hammer film, that is.
Chris
AdamIt is very strange and it sort of speaking like we were talking earlier like when you were talking earlier Chris about like the mythology book that you bought Jennifer because you wanted you'd bought her Norse, but she'd wanted Greek, but you couldn't find a Greek mythology one.
AdamAnd this is the weirdest fucking thing because this the Gorgon basically resets the figure of a Gorgon into like sort of I don't know what sort of Prussia, sort of the sort of Germanic areas of Europe.
AdamSo you've got like a burgomaster and stuff like that, but there's also a Gorgon.
AdamAnd but and you've got Chris I mean, you've got you've got the the full the full Hammer compliment of Cushing and Lee.
AdamAnd it's and Barbara Shelley.
AdamAnd yeah, it's a really good film.
AdamThe only trouble is I think and this might have been when I was starting to feel ill, actually.
AdamIs that it has oddly long passages where there's literally nothing, not even score happening.
AdamAnd so there were a few bits where I was like, well, I think I might have drift off there and then suddenly there's there's a clang and there's a Gorgon.
AdamSo it really works.
AdamAnd yeah, it's I enjoyed.
ChrisDid you say if this was earlier or later Hammer?
AdamThis is, I think this is actually after possibly after Hand the Baskervilles, so it's fairly early.
Adambut it was kind of like I think basically it was Hammer's next thought was we another monster and they went female monster, but rather than go bride to Frankenstein because that I think there's some I think Bride of Frankenstein because it's not it's based on Mary Shelley, but it's it's like I think Universal have some copyright on the character of the Bride of Frankenstein that isn't on Frankenstein himself.
AdamSo, you know, other people can use that character and stuff, but I think, yeah, so they I think they went down like a sort of they needed a female monster or whatever like that and so they hit upon the Gorgon.
AdamAnd the thing is it's like it's basically like a werewolf film because it's so who is the Gorgon and it's like there's three women in this and one of them has lines.
LeeYes.
AdamSo it's but
AdamYeah, I think there's a it's but also the Gorgon doesn't look like the person. So I don't know if it would be an appealing role to take if you see what I mean.
AdamIt's like Dracula you get to be, you know, you you actually act a part rather than just be, yeah.
AdamIt's like this sort of weird creature that's not even played by you.
Chris
LeeInteresting.
AdamAnd then and also finished watching The Witchfinder, the Tim Key Daisy May Cooper thing.
AdamI don't know, did you finish it, Lee?
LeeI did, yes.
AdamYes.
AdamI thought that that I really just got better and better as it went along.
AdamBecause I was
Adamkind of I was I was definitely sold on Tim Key, like and and his character and I was sort of with the Daisy May Cooper character and Jessica Hynes as well.
AdamBut,
AdamYeah, there were a few so I was like, half and half with everything and then as it went on, I was really getting into it and I really I did enjoy the character and and everything and it's like it's a proper story.
LeeYeah.
AdamIn as much as it's not, it's not, I think a lot of people assumed it was going to be a sitcom and it's like, no, this isn't like, here's a caper for half an hour, it's like, here's half an hour in a longer sequence of time.
LeeYeah.
AdamAnd yeah, so so I think a lot of people weren't necessarily prepared for that.
AdamAnd then,
Adamand I fucking called it, the first thing I said was, is, well, if they've done a film thing called The Witchfinder, if Matthew Hopkins is in it, if he is not played by a member of the League of Gentlemen, they have fucked up, because clearly they just don't know what they're doing.
AdamAnd then, low and behold, Mr. Reece Shearsmith click clacks in on his copper shoes.
AdamAnd and also a really lovely take on it was that they have a sorry, this is a kind of spoiler. So if you do go, if you want, you know, go and watch it but skip for a minute or so. but the fact they have like a false outcome where you meet the Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins and he's played by Julian Barrett.
LeeYeah.
AdamAnd it's Julian Barrett in full actor mode, you know, and he sort of and it's like, that's what you expect of Matthew Hopkins, this sort of commanding theatrical figure.
AdamAnd then that turns out to be the con man and then the real one is a fusty little tedious man in lifts.
AdamAnd it's sort of like, yeah, no, that is that is distinctly Matthew Hopkins.
LeeYeah.
AdamAnd
ChrisAnd I got to thank you briefly, right, for bringing back a memory of we watched a little while back now Killing Eve and I didn't realize Julian Barrett was in it as quite a weird guy if you've seen that. I didn't know quite how weird he was going to get.
AdamBut he he he doesn't show up in it as well.
ChrisYeah, yeah, you're right.
ChrisHe does, yeah, not he's he's a significant role in MI6, but he's not in it that often.
AdamRight.
ChrisBut yeah, it's
ChrisJulian Barrett, it did get quite eerie like in in sort of the style changed a bit, I thought from how it had been, but
LeeYeah.
ChrisNo, sorry, carry on.
Adamand, well,
Adamthat's all the weather, that's me that's me off me ha else.
LeeExcellent.
LeeRight, I've caught up with a couple of things.
Leeso I watched The Foo Fighters movie, Studio 666.
AdamYep.
Leefantastic fun, really, really enjoyed it.
LeeI think I was messaging Adam at the time while we were watching it and I sort of said, oh, you know, Food Fighters are one of those bands, I have a lot of respect for what they do, and I love them as people, but their music has never really appealed to me greatly.
ChrisYeah, that's is interesting.
LeeBut their music in this sounded like Red Fang, and I was like, why don't they always sound like this? It sounds amazing.
AdamI'll have to check out the soundtrack then, definitely.
AdamBecause again, they are they are not a they are not a band that pissed me off by appearing on the radio.
LeeNo.
Adamand yeah, it sort of just quite it's just weird that that seems to be everyone's take on The Foo Fighters.
AdamIt's like, everyone everyone loves them.
AdamAnd obviously RIP Taylor.
LeeYes.
Adam
AdamAnd
AdamYeah.
AdamIt's but but yeah, they sort of like this weird, they sort of existed in this weird realm of, oh, I really like them. And it's like, do you like their albums? No. Yeah.
LeeNo.
AdamMaybe maybe they're on often enough.
LeeYeah, maybe that's what it is, yeah.
LeeBut yeah, I mean they worked perfectly well for this. It had a not quite a Beatles feel, but it was a similar sort of, you know, like help and those type of like a really good film centered around them as a band.
Leeyeah, and I just I I absolutely loved it.
LeeI enjoyed it way more than I thought I was going to.
LeeI thought it might be a bit of a sort of cash in thing because they hadn't done anything for a while.
LeeWhen I was like, oh, is just this just their way of reminding people that they're still, but I don't think it is.
LeeI think.
LeeThey
Lee
LeeYeah.
LeeI think they loved the opportunity to be in a horror film and did a really good job of it.
LeeSo yeah.
AdamI would expect Dave Grohl to probably be a fan of stuff like what is it? Kiss versus the Martian Save Christmas or whatever it is.
AdamSo I can imagine that's kind of, you know, in that sort of spirit in in a way, you know, it's those kind of films or like The Ramones what is it, Rock and Roll High School.
ChrisBut so has this has this made you consider playing Food Fighters more?
Leeyeah, yeah, I think it has to be honest.
Lee
ChrisThat's interesting.
LeeYeah.
LeeI thought I really liked it. The music they were making in it, all that was obviously part of the storyline.
LeeYeah, it was way more the type of stuff that I'd actually listen to.
LeeBut yeah, I mean they are really good musicians.
LeeYou know.
Leeyeah, and I just I found them thoroughly likable characters and they were really good. They were surprisingly good actors, really considering.
LeeSo yeah, I got really drawn in and yeah, thoroughly enjoyed it.
ChrisExcellent.
Leeso following on from that, I then watched because I nearly chose this as my birthday choice, but then changed my mind at the last minute.
LeeSo I decided,
Leewell, I've dug the DVD out now, so I'm going to watch it. 2007's Jack Brooks Monster Slayer.
AdamOkay.
LeeThis is a sort of medium budget movie.
Leethere's nobody in it you'll recognize apart from Robert England doing what I, you know, I I've got a lot of time for actors like this who make their name in horror and then do lots of lower budget stuff and sort of lend their name to things that they think are worthwhile.
LeeYou know what I mean?
Adam
Leeyeah, and it's just again, it's a really good fun, silly, it's basically it's a a guy who's a plumber and he's he's got anger management issues.
LeeHe keeps going to his shrink and losing his temper and chucking stuff about all the time because his parents were murdered by monsters when he was a kid, which you see right in the opening, so it's not a spoiler. and his college professor is Robert England, who's moved into a big house on the edge of town, and he's having wo problems.
LeeAnd he goes there and basically Robert England, one way or another, ends up becoming possessed by a monster and setting more creating more monsters and setting them loose and Jack Brooks has to go and smack the shit out of them all.
Leeyeah, it's really good fun.
LeeIt's it's
Leewhat I like about it as well.
LeeIs they don't immediately go down that right, let's go and get a load of guns root.
LeeLike it's a bloke with anger management issues.
LeeSo everything he deals with is his bare hands, or a wrench, or a pipe from the back of his van, and he just beats everything to death.
LeeThe effects are really good.
LeeYeah, it's it's just a really good fun film.
LeeIt's another one that people don't really talk about, but I I'm always always happy to watch it and Jennifer was surprised how much she enjoyed it as well.
LeeSo.
LeeSo yeah, there you go.
LeeSo go and check out Jack Brooks Monster Slayer.
AdamStill never seen, still never seen it.
LeeYeah, but it's one of those.
AdamNo,
AdamI do need to, because I know I know how much you I know how much you rate it.
LeeSo.
LeeOh, it's it's one of those, you know, when you just need something to cheer you up, you're like, I want I'm in the mood for something silly and over the top with loads of gore and it's it's it's perfect for that mood.
LeeIt's really, really good.
Leeyeah, but a bit sort of evil dead type of vibe to it.
LeeSo.
Leeright, so onto this evening's main event, Horror Hotel or City of the Dead. So, I'm imagining this was your first viewing, Chris.
LeeWas this
Leemore the Satanic cult that you were after that you didn't get from Rosemary's Baby? That's what I was hoping.
ChrisYeah, well, yeah, that that is exactly the right way to put it, really.
ChrisYeah, there's there's it's very charming film again, I mean I think most of the films with Christopher Lee in seem to have that aesthetic, no matter how long he's on screen for it's but, you know, yeah, just the whole thing was just seemed really well produced, enjoyable, yeah, yeah, it was really really good film.
Chrisand and it was black and white and you know, you know, I struggle to get back into the the eras, but yeah, it's just worked really well.
ChrisStill, I like the acting.
ChrisI liked the the characters.
LeeIt's it's a really easy film to get your hands on as well.
LeeI think it not sure if it is public domain, but it's one of those I own about four different copies of it because it's one of those whenever you get like a box.
LeeLike a box set or one of those three films on a DVD, it's always on there.
Leebut yeah, Adam and I have both treated ourselves for this special viewing, we both went out and bought the arrow release, the new 2K restoration job. Oh, and it looks so shiny.
AdamI was shocked. I'll be honest.
AdamIt's what it was certainly the clearest we've ever seen it because it's it's
AdamBut like you say, I mean, that's the thing is we were saying like with
Adamso we we got it back here as Horror Hotel. So it was like a print of a print of a print of something that fell out of someone's fucking boom.
ChrisBut that's good.
Christhat it still held up, though, because you you know, I guess sometimes when they get bought up to say 2K or even 4K, then it's you might lose something.
ChrisBut it seems like you know, it didn't try and go crazy with the effects, it was it was all very, I think tastefully done.
LeeIt's atmospheric is what I like about the film. It kind of it doesn't show you a lot, but it builds such an atmosphere.
LeeAnd and I mean that big crescendo at the end in his in the graveyard is just fantastic.
Leebut yeah.
LeeI really enjoy myself there.
AdamIt's an incredible set, that image, like whitewood, yeah, that's it.
ChrisYeah.
Adam
Adamis I mean it's quite a small set as you can sort of see on it, but it's really well done.
AdamAnd
Adamlike I mean it's fog shrouded and you know, it permanently night time and it's sort of just which in many ways hides a multitude of sins if you've got a lower budget.
ChrisYeah.
AdamSo they've just got, they, you know, they've really turned turned this out.
AdamBecause I don't think it was a particularly high budget film.
LeeNo.
Adamat all.
Adam
Adamthere was
AdamYeah, I think I think I saw that there was a basically they got it was because this is.
AdamSorry, yeah, I do apologize. yeah, this is basically the first Amicus film.
Adamthey it was Milton Subotsky and
AdamOh, I can't remember his partner's name.
AdamHe's bloody.
AdamThat's alluding me, sorry, I do apologize.
AdamIt has been a somewhat trying.
ChrisWell, while
Chriswhile you're working, I was just going to say, having mentioned the fog, I sort of laughed.
ChrisAnd yeah, like it wasn't terrible, but one of those details you sort of wonder about.
ChrisBut picking strange men up on the road as a single woman driver.
LeeIt's
Leetwo
Leetwo women picked that random, I mean you picked an older guy, like, you know, you think maybe they're
AdamWell, he is extremely sinister.
ChrisYeah.
ChrisExactly, and then what he said, he said to see me is a special privilege.
ChrisReserved for a chosen few.
ChrisI'm glad I get to.
AdamEspecially especially because you know it's two blokes drive drive through.
AdamDoes he appear there?
AdamDoes he follow.
LeeYeah.
LeeYeah.
AdamHe's Yeah.
LeeYeah.
LeeYeah.
AdamYeah.
LeeBut the other thing with the budget, so on IMDb, it's got an estimated budget of 45,000.
Leepounds.
LeeWhich is ridiculously low.
Leeyou won't get a car for that now.
Leeyeah, that was
LeeBut it it I think it works in its favor, particularly one of the things that I've always loved about this is the opening titles.
LeeThose illustrations of just the hooded figures, they just set the atmosphere so well.
LeeIt's such a kind of, yeah, sinister dark creepy.
LeeBut with without doing anything, it's just very plain black and white drawings.
LeeBut they're so creepy.
AdamThe whole, I think that's the whole sort of effect of it, because it's essentially unless you're in.
AdamWell, even Christopher Lee's gaff does come with a on suite gargoyle.
AdamAnd that's blonding and a pigeon stabbing area in the lounge.
AdamBut,
Adamyou know, it's relatively normal.
Adam
Adamand yeah, Whitewood is just pure sort of because it gets really like almost like sort of 30's German expressionism.
AdamSort of.
AdamBecause you've got like the the silhouette sequence at the in the graveyard at the end.
AdamAnd
Adama lot of the bits and pieces like that, it's it's really again, making a strength of the fact.
AdamIt's not it's not it's in black and white because it was the cheaper film stock they could purchase.
AdamIt's in black and white so we think about how we do this. Because obviously by the 60s, you know, the color films were.
Adamfairly commonplace.
AdamSo although people were still using black and white, it was they were people who were like, well, we've got to do it.
AdamBut if we make if if we make City of the Dead, we can really make it a taken advantage of the black and white photography.
AdamYou know, it does it really, really looks the part.
LeeIt does.
LeeActually mentioning the fact it's 1960, the other film that I'd forgotten how sort of almost similar to this that came out the same year, Psycho.
LeeThis has exactly the same thing of killing off who you think is going to be your main character you're going to follow all the way through.
LeeAnd then killing her off, you know, a third of the way into the movie.
Lee
Leeyeah, and the fact that this came out the same year and has a very similar black and white look.
LeeThere's actually quite a lot of crossover between the two of them.
AdamApparently and this is the interesting thing.
AdamCity of City of the Dead came out over here before Psycho came out over here.
LeeOh.
AdamSo because there, you know, it would be a wouldn't necessarily be a staggered schedule.
AdamStuff would get released in the same year.
AdamBut it wouldn't necessarily be married up across all territories or whatever like that.
AdamSo, yeah,
Adamso Psycho actually only appeared in Britain after City of the Living Dead came out.
AdamSo probably a few people are going, that bloody Hitchcock.
AdamLike what he's doing, he's gone black and white, the lass gets killed at the start.
AdamYou know.
AdamAnd you think you think you're with her.
AdamHer name's Nan. Don't know what it's for, I think it's short for Nanny.
AdamAnyway,
LeeOh, speaking of shortening people's names, I hadn't noticed before in this when the brother meets Pat, the the daughter of the priest.
LeeYeah, and he says, my name's Richard, and she phones him up immediately and goes, Dick, and I was like, you can't just go shortening people's names without checking with them.
LeeLike, he specifically said, my name is Richard.
LeeDon't just go shorten it without checking.
LeeWhat's wrong with you, woman?
LeeNo wonder you ended up on the slab.
AdamI think no, I think I think the worst worst part about that is.
AdamIs that he he he just took it.
LeeYeah.
AdamIt's like,
AdamDick, yes.
LeeYeah.
Leethe other thing I was going to ask Adam, if it turned up in your research.
LeeWe were saying about how good the arrow print is and how various copies that I've got of this kind of from I'm imagining some kind of public domain site or old stock.
Lee
LeeI have watched this film probably a dozen times, never realized before, Christopher Lee is trying to do an American accent.
AdamOh, yeah, it's yeah.
Adamis I think it's actually he he it's everyone, everyone in this is an English production.
AdamEveryone in is English.
LeeOh, really?
AdamSo.
AdamYeah.
AdamWhich which I think I'm pretty sure everyone it is English.
AdamI'll say
Adamcertainly Valentine Dyall is and the the I can't think of what his name is, the the brother.
AdamNot the Jeez, we are.
LeeYes.
AdamDick Braden, that bloke.
Adam
Adambut like yeah, Nan's brother, I can't think what his name is, but he
Adamhe was actually a he he was mostly famous as like a singer and dancer.
AdamHe was, I suppose actually it'd be like something like Roy Castle being in Amicus.
LeeOh, okay.
AdamYou know, I think he's that kind of a that kind of a person.
Adamhe was yeah, he was like he won top male singer in Melody Maker's 1957 poll.
AdamRichard Barlo, there we go.
Adamand he is,
Adamhe was from South Africa.
Adam
Adambut he was like sort of a big hit.
AdamOver here.
AdamThen obviously you got Christopher Lee, Patricia Jessel are both amazing, but yeah.
LeeAmazing.
AdamAnd and the guy, Jeff, the guy plays Jethro.
AdamValentine Dial.
Adam
Adamhe is English, he is the Man in Black, which apart from in Johnny Cash terms.
AdamIt was a character that used to be on the radio as the sort of crypt keeper presenter of tales.
Adamin appointments with fear.
AdamAnd basically yeah, in in this, he's doing an American accent.
AdamWhich annoys me slightly because I want to hear the full clear Valentine Dial.
AdamWhich is.
Adamjust like hearing a tomb speaking to you, it's just like the the fucking deepest, darkest, crag of rock voice.
Adam
Adamand yeah, he he was the he was called The Man in Black and he would present appointments with fear.
AdamAnd then in later years, there was another Man in Black, which was an act called Edward De Souza, who used to be on.
Adamhe used to appear in quite a few Hammer films.
AdamI think he was in Corry.
Adamlike like a few years back, I think now, you know, he's still around.
Adam
Adamand
Adamthen the third Man in Black was Mark Gatiss.
LeeOh.
Adam
AdamSo and and obviously Mark Gatiss that was like a proper that was.
AdamThat was sort of not necessarily on a par with getting the role of the doctor.
AdamBut he's sort of it's one to tick off the list, it's like if you got, well, I did get to play a very good Victor Frankenstein.
AdamOr, you know.
AdamIt's like that.
AdamI think it'd be the same sort of thing.
AdamIt's like, well, I am one of the three the Man in Blacks from.
Adamfrom the radio.
AdamSo.
Adambut yeah, that guy Valentine Dial is
Adamhe ended up doing loads of stuff with Spike Milligan.
AdamBecause I think he's so.
AdamI think he's such an extraordinary like voice that's somewhere between God and the devil.
AdamOf like this sort of stern crag of voice.
AdamAnd yeah, he he used to appear on The Goon Show loads.
AdamAnd he's in loads of like Spike Milligan films and stuff because yeah, he was just someone that he'd collected along the way who.
AdamI think in that it was that sort of Adam West thing of like, well, we know that if we give him a script.
AdamHe just says.
LeeYeah.
AdamNo fucks given, he's doing it.
Adamand and in in Doctor Who, he was a character called The Black Guardian who was kind of Satan, basically.
Adamhe was like the absolute embodiment of.
Adamall negative, well,
Adamof all negativity.
AdamAnd then you had the White Guardian who was the opposing force and everything else like that.
AdamBut.
Adamyeah.
AdamAnd Valentine Dial was black Guardian and it was like, yeah, I think this is.
AdamI mean,
Adamthey dressed they dressed.
AdamPaul Bass up like a git.
Adam
Adamhe had like a crow on his head.
AdamBut, but he still managed to get past that to make you still think.
AdamHe'd make your ass squeak.
AdamHe's fucking Jesus Christ, he's fucking terrifying when he starts talking.
Adam
AdamBut yeah, the
AdamI don't know why I didn't choose to do that in American accent, thinking about it.
AdamBut.
AdamIt's
AdamI think
AdamI think the heart was there.
Adam
Adamyeah.
AdamI that is the only reason that people seem to think.
AdamIs that it's probably because it's it's literally the whole O Lucifer.
AdamThe prayer.
AdamThe prayer and response thing between her and Jethro and which explains the film and also is probably the most.
AdamIt's probably because.
AdamIt's probably because you were saying about it's funny when you were saying about that with this sort of period is where everything opens up a bit with modern filmmaking and everything.
AdamYou do get that palpable sense of joy.
AdamFrom everyone involved and that they can do it.
AdamYeah.
AdamAnd I think that's what's brought that's why it's so energetic and feels so.
AdamSort of, you know, everyone's going for it.
AdamBecause it's like, oh, no, this is.
AdamThis this feels much more modern.
AdamAnd you know, a a a proper way to film this stuff.
AdamRather than like, as you say, present present it as a play.
AdamAnd.
Adamand point a camera at it.
Adamnow,
Adamthere's obviously we have quite a few
Adamclips from this appear in the video for bring your daughter to the slaughter.
LeeOh.
Adam
AdamAnd which makes me think you was like you were saying about with Lee with it being on.
AdamI wonder if Horror Hotel.
AdamIt's probably never been copyright over here.
AdamMaybe that's the fiddle.
LeePossibly.
LeeThere's also
AdamYou know, so I noticed.
Leeone of the sound bites as well has been used by Rob Zombie.
AdamYeah.
AdamI was going to say that's the other one, the fear superstition, fear superstition, jealousy.
AdamYeah.
LeeIsn't the start of Dracula.
AdamAnd if nothing else, that was quite nice because it just makes us as soon as I'm sitting there and it's like, right.
AdamI'm doing horror hotel and.
AdamOr well, I'm listening to Rob Zombie while I.
AdamWhile I look at the look this stuff up and everything.
Adam
AdamAnd also the clips from the the burning sequence at the start are used in Curse of the Blair Witch.
AdamYou know the really good documentary that the Blair Witch people put out like a week before it got released.
AdamLike on the Sci-Fi channel.
LeeYeah.
Adam
Adamso all of those.
AdamAll of those clips are appearing in there.
AdamSo I'm assuming it is out of copyright.
LeePossibly.
AdamAnd so therefore why it's ended up on like those.
AdamSort of three Vincent Price films in one on one disc.
AdamThings usually usually the back is in there somewhere as well.
LeeYeah.
Adamand,
Adamwith a sort of view to it obviously being a favorite of.
Adamhorror themed musicians or horror influenced musicians.
AdamDid you know that this movie featured on volume two of The Misfits.
AdamStraight to video presentation.
LeeWow.
LeeI want to see that.
AdamChiller Theater Fiend Club show where Jerry only and Doyle would act as horror hosts.
AdamShow an old movie.
AdamAnd then part facts and interview utterly unrelated guests.
Adam
Adamfor Horror Hotel the guest was Roger Corman.
AdamThere you go.
AdamObviously nothing to do with it.
Adam
Adambasically.
AdamThey made three of these things and released them on video and it was sort of obviously sort of like.
Adamlate 80s Misfits or whatever.
Adamyeah, and they they put three of these videos out and it was The Crawling Eye, aka The Trollenberg Terror.
Adamand.
AdamVolume three was The Hideous Sun Demon, aka Blood on his lips.
AdamI don't know that film.
AdamExactly.
AdamBut yeah, so volume two was Horror Hotel.
AdamAnd I've watched it, you can see it on YouTube, someone's hopefully put it up but just like the their bits.
AdamYeah.
Adamand it's sort of it's just and.
AdamI mean, I think Doyle speaks once and like the rest is just Jerry only sort of being like a sort of.
Adammuscly.
AdamElvira.
AdamHe's sort of, you know, sitting there going, and then a Horror Hotel returns.
AdamYou know, sort of.
AdamIt's yeah, it's quite a weird fucking thing.
AdamBut I and you know, it's weird that I just never heard of it because it's like Misfit stuff and I thought, you know, I would have I would have thought someone would have mentioned it.
AdamAnd that they did like their own Horror Ho.
Adamat some point.
AdamBut,
Adamno.
AdamApparently not.
LeeI will be looking that up, definitely.
AdamAlso,
Adaminteresting fact, utterly unrelated to the film, but it's related to Misfits.
AdamDo you know why he's credited why he's called Jerry Only?
LeeNo.
AdamI'll play fair, this is I learned this from Last Dogs in Space.
AdamApparently like they just Dansig misspelled his surname like his real surname when they wrote out the credits on their first record.
LeeOh.
AdamAnd he said, look, next time, just credit me as Jerry Only and he meant just as Jerry.
AdamYeah.
AdamBut Danzick just written out Jerry Only.
AdamAnd yeah, that's why.
AdamHe and.
AdamA fucking brilliant name.
AdamHe's born.
AdamBut yeah, that's why he called Jerry Only.
LeeNice.
LeeVery nice.
LeeRight.
Leeso,
Leewe shall wrap it up there.
LeeThanks ever so much everyone for listening.
Leego and check out City of the Dead or Horror Hotel if you have not.
LeeIt's a fantastic film, it's well worth your time.
Lee
Leeand if all goes according to plan and the stars are aligned, we will all be taking a little trip out for Chris's birthday to go and see The Northman, and we'll be covering that in a fortnight's time.
LeeSo, thanks for watching, everybody.
LeeSee you later.
LeeGood night.
ChrisGood night.
AdamGood night.
AdamGood night.
