Bucket of Blood

A Bucket of Blood (1959)

Directed by: Roger Corman

Written by: Charles B. Griffith

Starring: Dick Miller, Barboura Morris, Antony Carbone, Julian Burton, Ed Nelson, John Brinkley, John Shaner, Judy Bamber, Myrtel Damerel, Bert Convey

I watched this with some friends the other day - yesterday, to be quite accurate. I was feeling under the weather, so they brought some chicken gumbo in a can and we watched this. I have nice friends.

Anyway, this is about a guy who works at a coffee house and longs to be an sculptor so he can gain the respect of the beatniks he serves and the attentions of the girl he's got a pash on. Unfortunately for him, he can't sculpt for shit. Fortunately, he accidentally kills his landlady's cat and covers it in clay (he does that on purpose). Unfortunately, he's asked to make another statue. Fortunately, he accidentally kills an undercover cop who he believes is going to shoot him. And then covers him in clay. Unfortunately, they think he should do a female nude. Fortunately, the annoying model who is always very mean to him is back in town. Then he starts killing people on purpose.

Anyway, the whole thing feels very much like a cross between House of Wax and Psycho (which hadn't been made yet), with some very Poe-esque guilt thrown in there. I imagine it owes a lot to House of Wax, though, seeing as this was about the time Roger Corman started using Vincent Price in everything.

And the Psycho thing is really just because the main character is like a more sympathetic version of Norman. He's not as psycho, but he's still a little funny. And I do sympathize with Norman more than I probably should, but this Walter Paisley guy (who wore Paisley a few times during the movie) is just kind of sad. I mean, he lives alone and makes pancakes. It just rips my heart out and steps on it with it's stiletto heels. Yes, I'm very dramatic.

The two big problems I had with it were the poor sound quality (Roger Corman apparently saved money by not using mics in this), which may be due to the poor quality of the DVD (Killer Creature Double Features. It came with The Giant Gila Monster (which I am familiar with because of El Mundo only). We didn't watch that. I'll have to check on the sound quality of their other DVDs. I have a few - Anatomy of a Psycho/Hatchet of the Honeymoon and The Screaming Skull/Werewolf vs. the Vampire Woman). Also, there wasn't a full bucket of blood in it. There was a bucket (more of a pail, actually) with some blood in it, but it could hardly be called a bucket of blood.

It was pretty stupid, too - I mean, why didn't the people recognize the statues? - but who cares about that. It was funny. I was sick with laughter. I really, truly was. Ha.

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