The Trouble with Titan Revisited (2016)
**** (out of 4)
Have you ever heard of OPERATION TITIAN? Probably not but it has a connection to Roger Corman as well as three other films that would use footage from it for "new" movies. This includes PORTRAIT IN TERROR, which was an edited version of the film as well as BLOOD BATH and TRACK OF THE VAMPIRE, two other Corman produced films that would be shown in drive-ins and theaters. This eighty-one minute video essay can be found on Arrow's 2-disc release of BLOOD BATH and is one of the best things you're ever going to see in regards to breaking down unknown and rather forgettable movies.
Tim Lucas wrote about these films in the early days of Video Watchdog but he's able to update and add even more with the essay here. He talks about how this project got started, which has connections to Francis Ford Coppola and his DEMENTIA 13. From here we learn about Corman's involvement and how the original film wasn't sell-able and then we get into the television edit, Jack Hill's original version of BLOOD BATH and the further editing, which resulted in TRACK OF THE VAMPIRE. There's a lot going on with the history of this product but Lucas does a masterful job at breaking everything down and giving you a true education on the subject.
Usually this type of essay is saved for "important" or "major" films and those labels certainly can't be said about any of the films in this collection. What's so impressive is that so much love and detail was given to these rightfully forgotten films and it's really too bad more people probably won't get to hear this essay simply because of how unpopular the movies are. Even if you hate the movies or have no interest in them, this essay still manages to be very entertaining because the history is just fascinating and it also gives you a great idea of how Corman worked back in the day. As the essay rightfully points out, most people don't know the history of "this" project but Corman would do the same thing with Peter Bordanovich's masterpiece TARGETS.
**** (out of 4)
Have you ever heard of OPERATION TITIAN? Probably not but it has a connection to Roger Corman as well as three other films that would use footage from it for "new" movies. This includes PORTRAIT IN TERROR, which was an edited version of the film as well as BLOOD BATH and TRACK OF THE VAMPIRE, two other Corman produced films that would be shown in drive-ins and theaters. This eighty-one minute video essay can be found on Arrow's 2-disc release of BLOOD BATH and is one of the best things you're ever going to see in regards to breaking down unknown and rather forgettable movies.
Tim Lucas wrote about these films in the early days of Video Watchdog but he's able to update and add even more with the essay here. He talks about how this project got started, which has connections to Francis Ford Coppola and his DEMENTIA 13. From here we learn about Corman's involvement and how the original film wasn't sell-able and then we get into the television edit, Jack Hill's original version of BLOOD BATH and the further editing, which resulted in TRACK OF THE VAMPIRE. There's a lot going on with the history of this product but Lucas does a masterful job at breaking everything down and giving you a true education on the subject.
Usually this type of essay is saved for "important" or "major" films and those labels certainly can't be said about any of the films in this collection. What's so impressive is that so much love and detail was given to these rightfully forgotten films and it's really too bad more people probably won't get to hear this essay simply because of how unpopular the movies are. Even if you hate the movies or have no interest in them, this essay still manages to be very entertaining because the history is just fascinating and it also gives you a great idea of how Corman worked back in the day. As the essay rightfully points out, most people don't know the history of "this" project but Corman would do the same thing with Peter Bordanovich's masterpiece TARGETS.