A Bucket of Blood (1959)

October 2, 2024 1:08 PM

[TRAILER] Walter Paisley (Dick Miller) doesn't fit in with the cool scene at the beatnik cafe where he busses tables. He attempts to woo his beautiful co-worker by making a bust of her. When his klutziness results in the death of his landlady's cat, he panics and hides its body under a layer of plaster. But when the gang at cafe enthuses over the resulting artwork, Walter decides to create some bigger and more elaborate pieces for which he will need... fresh materials to work with.

Also starring: Barboura Morris, Antony Carbone, Julian Burton, Ed Nelson, John Brinkley, John Herman Shaner, Judy Bamber, Bert Convy.

Directed by Roger Corman. Screenplay by Charles B. Griffith. Produced by Roger Corman for Alta Vista Productions/American International Pictures. Cinematography by Jacques R. Marquette. Edited by Anthony Carras. Music by Fred Katz.

69% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Currently widely available on streaming. JustWatch listing.

posted by DirtyOldTown (10 comments total)

Much more laugh out loud funny than I was expecting, and far less gory than its title implies.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:08 PM on October 2 [1 favorite]

Cool! *snaps fingers*
posted by SPrintF at 1:56 PM on October 2 [1 favorite]

Wait! Was this the movie in which one of the Beats takes out a "quantum gun" and shoots a painting? Rendering the painting less "formal" and more like "the universe"? As a statement about post-modern art, coming from Corman, it sticks in my mind.
posted by SPrintF at 1:58 PM on October 2

I don't think that's this one, no.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:10 PM on October 2 [1 favorite]

Thanks. I'm sure that the Beat characters showed up in more than one of Corman's films.
posted by SPrintF at 8:44 PM on October 2 [1 favorite]

You might be confusing it with Blood Bath? I know that one had beats talking about art as well.
posted by miss-lapin at 10:42 PM on October 2

Bert Convy? I'm in!
posted by Czjewel at 9:07 AM on October 3 [2 favorites]

"I don't want to make statues anymore, I wanna get married to you"...lol.
posted by Czjewel at 9:30 AM on October 3

Early in my relationship with my partner (nearly 30 years ago!), they came over while I was watching this movie, entering right at the part where Dick Miller stabs the cat in the wall (vegan warning obviously). My partner had never experienced a film where such a thing happens, not even remotely. So they became obsessed, as one does when they watch Dick Miller kill a cat and turn it into a statue to woo a co-worker. This movie became a short hand as part of our relationship for many years.

Needless to say, I have been a long time fan of this film.
posted by Ashwagandha at 11:37 AM on October 3 [2 favorites]

I have never had the pleasure of falling in love with a person during a cult movie. I am tremendously sad about that. I've only fallen in love with the movie.
posted by miss-lapin at 2:15 PM on October 3