Christopher Nolan's THE ODYSSEY crushed it at the box office this weekend, but this is far from the first film to bring the Greek myths to life on the big screen. While Cory maintains that Nolan ain't stoney, we found some myth movies that are! Plus we've got cannabis comic and mythology nerd Ngaio Bealum to find the right strains to send you on your very own quest for the Golden Fleece.
There is really no other movie we should begin with but this one. It's peak Ray Harryhausen with JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS from 1963. Harryhausen brings us the giant Talos, winged-harpies, the seven-headed Hydra AND the skeleton battle that may be the stop motion wizard's greatest achievement. Streaming on Tubi and Roku Channel (although Ngaio warns that the commercial breaks on Roku are "abrupt.")
Then, horror maestro Mario Bava drags our beloved demigod Hercules straight to hell in HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD (1961) aka HERCULES AT THE CENTER OF THE EARTH (UK version). This entry in Italy's sword and sandal cycle from the early 60s is "totally metal" according to Cory, and it's Bava so it has freaky wraiths rising from the tombs of Hades and trees that bleed bright red Hammer horror blood. English body builder Reg Park is Hercules and Dracula himself CHRISTOPHER LEE is the vampire sorcerer who opposes him. The U.S. version with trippy Filmation credits sequence is on Pluto (appropriately); the UK version is on YouTube; and the Italian cut with subtitles is on Prime. Take your pick.
As always, we begin by digressing with talk of rock shows and rock clubs we have loved, plus what to partake in before Nolan's three hour ODYSSEY and LISTENER MAIL! Please write to us at oldmoviesforyoungstoners@gmail.com. We love getting mail!
Hosts: Cory Sklar, Ngaio Bealum and Bob Calhoun
Greg and Philena are on assignment.
Old Movies for Young Stoners theme and "A Vampire in Van Nuys" courtesy of Chaki, the Funk Wizard. Get Chaki's new album, "From L.A. to the Bay" on BandCamp! https://chaki.bandcamp.com/album/from-l-a-to-the-bay-2
You can now hear Ngaio on CROSS-POLINATION, a 2-hour showcase of great music and comedy every Tuesday from 10am to Noon on Sacramento's KUTZ 95.7 FM. You can listen on the web at https://www.kutzfm.org.
"Hydra" by Huma Huma and "Heaven and Hell (Part 2)" by Jeremy Blake courtesy of YouTube Audio Library.
Trailer and archival audio courtesy of Archive.org.
Next episode: Documentary filmmaker Floyd Webb joins us once again for the Senegalese psychedelia of TOUKI BOUKI (1973) and THE LONG SHIPS (1964), a Viking epic with Richard Widmark and Sydney Poitier.
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