American International Pictures released A Bucket of Blood on 21 October 1959.
I’m not a huge fan of Roger Corman. And I think he was predatory as a businessman. But there is no doubt that he was a good director. And no one was better at making one-room films interesting. Outside of the Poe Cycle, I think A Bucket of Blood was his best film. As I’ve noted before, “It’s funny and gruesome and kind of sweet.”
Dick Miller plays Walter Paisley. He is a waiter at a beatnik club. He’s a simple-minded guy. But he wants the hipcats who surround him to appreciate him. Luckily for him, his accidental killing of a cat and subsequent effort to hide this fact leads to everyone thinking he is a brilliant sculptor.
Unfortunately, when you luck into creating sculpture, there is no clear path forward. But his luck holds. Until it doesn’t. You know Walter ain’t getting out of this film alive!
There isn’t a lot to A Bucket of Blood. But it is irresistible. There is a very dark basis for the film. But the film itself is breezy and fun. And Miller is great in the role — especially if you are familiar with his whole career where he didn’t play characters like this.
The film is a great starter for anyone who thinks they might like psychotronic film. It’s extremely low budget, features only two real locations, and treats death as kind of a joke. Plus, it’s funny! It’s the kind of film you want to watch in your pick-up truck with your sweetheart at the drive-in!
So let’s celebrate the birthday of this classic film by watching it in a way it was never meant to be watched: streaming at home on a computer!
Other 21 October Psychotronic Birthdays & Releases
Filmmakers
- Hy Averback (1920-1997): Director of Chamber of Horrors, I Love You, Alice B Toklas, and other films before moving to TV.
- Everett McGill (1945-): Actor known for Quest for Fire, The People Under the Stairs, and much more.
- Carrie Fisher (1956-2016): The one, the only, Princess Leia. Other than that, not much of a psychotronic actor.
- Ken Watanabe (1959-): Actor known for The Last Samurai and Inception.
Films
- Chamber of Horrors (1966): A one-handed man attaches various things to his stump to kill people. Strangely, this is not a comedy.
- Bigfoot (1970): A biker gang rescues two women kidnapped by Bigfoot.
- Damnation Alley (1977): Post-apocalyptic road movie.
- The Dead Zone (1983): After a coma, a man can see the future — and he sees that a Senate candidate will destroy the world.
- Lair of the White Worm (1988): People start disappearing after a strange skull is uncovered.
- The Puppet Masters (1994): The government reacts to a space alien invasion in the Midwest.
- Hallow’s End (2003): Evil spirts turn a college haunted house into the real thing.
- Doom (2005): Thin plot based on the classic game.
- American Scary (2006): Documentary about weekend horror hosts. See my article, “Shock Theater” and the Hosted Horror TV Show.
- Trailer Park of Terror (2008): Stranded high school kids in a mostly abandoned trailer park.
A Buck of Blood poster via Wikipedia under Fair Use.
