31 Days of
Drafts and Darkness: VOL 2!
"A Bucket of Blood" (1959)
As a director, Roger Corman is mainly associated with schlock.
Not just for filming it, but making an entire career of it. Directing countless
low-budget horror and exploitation films, Corman indulged audiences with
violent and cheesy tales. Think of him as the king of B-movies. Many of
Corman's films are creature features, but some earlier work ventures
into dark satire. Tonight's entry is one such film.
It's also one of the earliest horror/comedies I can think of.
Shot in only five days, "A Bucket of Blood" isn't
nearly as violent as its title suggests. The film draws its creepiness less
from blood and guts and more from a twisted premise. It's only the idea behind
the plot that's visceral, but none of the imagery plays out on-screen. Our
imaginations fill in all the nasty details.
Alongside the horror, the film wields an interesting dose of
timely sarcasm. Written and filmed in the 1950's, "A Bucket of Blood"
pokes ample fun at the beatnik movement. For all the hip lingo and fancy
attire, it's clear the supposed cool
characters are more full of themselves than they are the philosophy they babble.
Though the beatnik movement doesn't exist in present day, it's penchant for
irony and self-aggrandizing will surely remind you of hipster or celebrity culture.
Is "A Bucket of Blood" a silly B-movie? Sure it
is. But it still has some interesting things to say about the nature of
fame.
The Plot:
We begin our tale at the Yellow Door, the most hip, swinging
night club in town. Most of its patrons see themselves as artists, expounding
on the human condition and bleakness of life. In reality, most are drunks with
little else to do. Their social circle is a self-congratulatory one. Everyone
strives to be seen as cutting-edge, spouting dangerous or provocative poetry
for the crowd.
And right in the middle of it all is poor old Walter Paisley.
Walter is a bumbling busboy at the Yellow Door. Though he's the furthest thing
anyone would classify as hip, Walter idolizes the poets and their nightly
performances. They see him as little more than a walking mop. Despite his
wooden plank of a personality, Walter persists in becoming an artist so he can
fit in with the popular crowd. And in doing so, hopefully win the affections of
coworker Carla.
Unfortunately, Walter has zero artistic ability.
One night, while fussing around with a sculpture (lump of
clay), Walter overhears a meow coming from inside his apartment wall. It seems
the landlady's cat has gotten stuck again. Though Walter means well, his
chosen tool for extracting the trapped kitty - a knife - isn't the
wisest of choices. Panicking, Walter decides to hide the cat's body in clay,
encasing it from head to toe. Though aghast, Walter's also impressed by how
life-like his 'statue' appears. The following day, he brings it into work.
And suddenly, Walter's a super-star. His artwork is praised,
hailed as morbidly brilliant. The crowd wants to see more. And therein lies
Walter's dilemma: if he wants hang with the cool kids, he'll need to produce
more statues.
The Flavor:
"A Bucket of Blood" is more satire than anything
else. The stories centers around a serial killer who gets accolades from his
peers for being edgy. They just have no idea how edgy he actually is. As much as
the crowd admires danger, they can't see it when its literally inches away from
them.
As people start disappearing, more statues are put on
display. Suspicions begin to crop up as Walter struggles to maintain the
illusion. The Yellow Door is a frequent hang-out for undercover cops, as
patrons often carry in drugs. Walter's first human victim is one such officer,
mistaking Walter for a junkie. Walter kills him accidentally, but decides to
dispose of the body by displaying it to his adoring fans. He breaks out the
clay, and the audience is none-the-wiser.
Granted, Walter makes for an unlikely villain. Played with a
"not-the-brightest-bulb" vibe by Dick Miller, Walter starts out more
naive than murderous. He's a bit weird, but seems harmless. He never intends to cause trouble, but once the siren song of fame nods a
beautiful head in his direction, the trap is sprung. We feel for the character,
for dim as he is, all he wants is acceptance. Once he gets it, the obsessive
desire to keep it, at any cost, is what makes a monster out of him.
The film has ample schlock but makes for a fun thriller.
Think of it as a quirky "Twilight Zone" episode. Though the statues
are each dead bodies, there's little in the way of gore. Most of the violence
is encased behind layers of clay, which actually makes it even creepier. It's
the idea of the statues, literal molded caskets, that gives you the shivers.
Best Paired with:
For a taste of old-school B-movie charm, "A Bucket of
Blood" is perfect Halloween viewing. A bit hokey, but creepy when it needs
to be, and the story keeps you interested throughout. How far will Walter go, and
how long will his spree last?
There's also some wry humor at play. For all their
talk of enlightenment, it's the artists who are fooled by Walter's scheme. They
actually celebrate it, blind to the grim reality. Those most in vogue, in
touch, actually have no idea.
Accompanying Brew:
Tonight, for an older film, I'll recommend something more traditional. Less your standard cinnamon and pumpkin mix, though still a blend. "A Bucket of Blood" took an old-school approach to combining comedy with horror, so let's blend two old-school brew styles into something new.
Name: Belgian Style Pale Ale
Brewery: White Birch Brewing
Where Brewed: Hooksett, NH
ABV: 6.5%
Style: Belgian/pale ale fusion
Color: Golden, and
richly so, almost to the point of being orange.
Aroma: The scent of Belgian yeast is unmistakable. Dry,
sweet, and with a slight tangy quality to it. Imagine a sweet scent with very
delicate wood and white grape notes.
Taste: Many flavors
dance around with each sip. The beer's profile actually changes half-way
through a taste. At first, the softer, sweeter qualities of the beer hit
you. The sweetness is mellow, and like the scent, carries with it a Belgian
character. Again, very slightly tart, almost like white grape, mixed with a
woody dry quality. As the beer rushes to the back of your mouth, a shot of hops
appears on the center of the tongue. This changes the overall flavor
considerably. The hops have a nice spicy bitterness to them which cuts much of
the sweetness. However, the bitter factor does not wash away the more tangy notes
of the Belgian yeast, so you're left with a half-bitter, half-tangy character.
It's almost as if you bit into some strange, exotic fruit. Very unique.
Aftertaste: The bitter/tangy flavor clings to the tongue
after each sip. You have a good few moments to sit back and reflect on the
flavors. While I enjoy traditional Belgian Triples and Quads, I really like the fresh
quality the hops bring to this fusion brew. They really balance out the flavors. By
tempering the sweeter qualities in between sips, you're able to
isolate that distinct zing of Belgian yeast. The hops bring it forward for you
to appreciate.
Body: Lightly carbonated, White Birch's Belgian Pale Ale has
a smooth, velvety body. As the carbonation is more fine, you can expect a heavier quality to the beer, though nowhere near that of something like
a stout. However, this is not a brew to be consumed quickly. Savor slowly and
soak up the flavors.
Pair: The mineral-rich flavor of a white fish, especially
one less fishy and more mellow, would work very well. I
recommend flounder or haddock fillets alongside this unique and tasty brew.
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