Our latest episode features a very special interview with a legendary filmmaker who put his own unique stamp on horror movies. His initials are B.I.G., and size is also one of the major themes of his movies which featured giant lizards, giant grasshoppers, giant cats, giant spiders, giant rats, giant ducks and yes, even giant teenagers.
I’ve had the pleasure of talking to Mr. Bert I. Gordon, who, starting in the Fifties, created many beloved B movies like THE CYCLOPS, THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN, BEGINNING OF THE END, EARTH VS. THE SPIDER, ATTACK OF THE PUPPET PEOPLE, VILLAGE OF THE GIANTS, FOOD OF THE GODS, and many others as a director, writer, producer, and special effects creator. He’s also done fantasy movies like THE MAGIC SWORD, thrillers like THE MAD BOMBER, and even sex comedies like HOW TO SUCCEED WITH SEX or THE BIG BET. In 2009, he released his autobiography, THE AMAZING COLOSSAL WORLDS OF MR. B.I.G., and in 2014, at age 92, and sixty years after his first feature, he released a wonderful new black-humored psychological thriller called SECRETS OF A PSYCHOPATH.
The amazing Mr. Gordon is now 98 years young, and I was able to talk to him over the phone about his life and his movies with a little help from his daughter Christina. Bert even teases a new screenplay that he has been working on!
The interview was conducted in connection with our German-language companion podcast Lichtspielplatz – so if you speak German, make sure to check out our episode #48, which features an entertaining journey through the monster movies of the Fifties and Sixties, including several of Mr. Gordon’s films and also movie by contemporaries such as Jack Arnold.
So without further ado, here’s Talking Pictures with Bert I. Gordon!
The mp3 file can be downloaded HERE.
Photos: (C) Bert I. Gordon
Special thanks to Christina Gordon for her help in setting up and conducting the interview.
Thanks to Dr. Wily, my Lichtspielplatz podcasting partner for audio editing. The music was created by Clark Kent.
