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Now displaying: 2017
Jan 26, 2017

M. Night Shyamalan surprises us once again with a twist no one saw coming with his latest Blumhouse Production collaboration, Split. Featuring Anya Taylor-Joy and James McAvoy along with Carrie (1976) actress Betty Buckley, the horror-thriller follows a man with 23 personalities who kidnaps three girls for some nefarious purpose. Most of the film is unraveling the mystery behind what the disturbed young man has in store for his captives, but the ending unwraps the experience and dresses it in an entirely new lights. Gasp, wow, what! The HNR Grue-Crew chime in with their thoughts.

Dave guides the Horror News of the Week with the sad news of the passing of genre character actor Miguel Ferrer (Night Flier, Robocop). Also up for discussion is the teaser for Colossal and the upcoming Netflix show The Discovery. As the year begins, HNR sets its eyes on a number of horror film festivals to attend throughout the year. Up first is Nevermore Horror Film Festival in Durham, NC on February 24 - 26, 2017.

Co-hosts Doc RottenSantos (The Black Saint) Ellin Jr.Dave Dreher and Thomas Mariani are back again this week to give you the best in horror as they recap, review and obliterate all that is horror this week! Oh, and don't forget - Stump the Saint! (Brought to you by Gruesome Magazine)

Horror News Radio
Episode 199 – Split (2017)
Subscribe – iTunes – Facebook – Stitcher

 

Feature Review: Split (2017)

Wow! Okay, did not see that coming. Split may be one of the more engaging and surprising horror films to come out in January in quite some time. At least, in a good way. M. Night Shyamalan continues his successful relationship with Blumhouse Productions releasing his latest film cementing his return to form. With Split, he provides star James McAvoy a wide variety of roles to dive into as Kevin, a man with 23 personalities. Anya Taylor-Joy balances the broad extremes of McAvoy's character with a quiet, reserved, dedicated performance as Casey Cook, Kevin's captive. But, when you think Shyamalan, you think "twist" - and the talented mad man pulls a good one with Split with a surprise ending that ages well as more thought is given to the implications of that twist. Inspired and exhilarating, Split is the topic this week.

 

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE

  • [00:00:40]: Intro
    • [00:03:19]: Days of the Dead
    • [00:04:12]: Nevermore Film Festival
  • [00:05:27]: Horror News of the Week
    • [00:05:49]: RIP Miguel Ferrer
    • [00:10:50]: Netflix to share The Discovery
    • [00:13:29]: A Phantasm Box Set is coming our way
    • [00:17:23]: Cameron Says "I'll Be Back" for Terminator
    • [00:20:49]: Colossal dances its way into our hearts
  • [00:24:50]: Support HNR
  • [00:25:35]: Split
  • [01:21:11]: Stump The Saint

NEXT WEEK ON HNR

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter 

 

GRUESOME LINKS

Gruesome Magazine Spring 2017 is coming! That's right, the very first issue of an all-new horror magazine from the Grue-Crew behind Horror News Radio and Gruesome Magazine website will land late February 2017. The tag line "Horror Festival Hits - Independent Films - The Future of Horror" reflects the focus of the magazine on the up'n'coming horror film makers and their films in Horror Film Festivals across the globe. Check out the GM page for more details.

Jan 26, 2017

"You can't leave. She won't let you." Sam Neill as Dr. William Weir warns as the intrepid crew of the Lewis and Clark tries to escape the endless abandoned void of the Event Horizon. Director Paul W.S. Anderson's first dip into the horror genre is one that directly clashes with the endless void of space. Where terror can't be heard in the airless vacuum of the outside world. It's almost like Alien... Meets Hellraiser. Or a hell of a lot of other things meets Hellraiser. Can Thomas Mariani and his own intrepid guest escape the horrors of space? Only time will tell.

Decades of Horror 1990s
Episode 07 – Event Horizon (1997)

Celebrating 20 years since its release, Event Horizon presents an interesting crossroads for big budget horror. Coming out right after the death nail of the slasher genre yet before films like Blade or Paul W.S. Anderson's Resident Evil franchise took the genre to ridiculous actions heights, Event Horizon is a curious beast of pop culture pastiche. You've got bits of AlienThe Shining2001 A Space Odyssey, Lovecraftian horror, Galaxy of Terror and so much other stuff wrapped into one bizarre package. One that was clearly sliced on the cutting room floor as much as the doomed crew of the Lewis and Clark end up being. Yet, despite the clear homage influences, there's really no other film like Event Horizon. It's a big budget gorefest with a cross reference of character actor talent like Sam Neill and Laurence Fishburne throwing everything at the screen and seeing what sticks. Surprisingly, it's a more favorable ratio than you'd think.

Joining Thomas on this mission is Will Torres. Will may have been at the mercy of a sloppy internet connection. Damn Skype. However, his knack for snark and quick wit still shines through as he and Thomas list out the various homages Anderson sneaks, wonder how arousing the infamous blood orgy video really is and try to link together the missing character beats lost to the severe edits. Things may be choppy in terms of audio quality, but it doesn't stop Will and Thomas from descending into space madness aboard the barely functioning ship that is Decades of Horror 1990s. Seriously, it's being kept together by duct tape and gum. You can read more of Will's antics via his twitter account Nazhair.

We want to hear from you – the coolest, most gruesome fans:  leave us a message or leave a comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1990s podcast hosts at thomasmariani@decadesofhorror.com or tweet Thomas @NotTheWhosTommy.

Jan 23, 2017

"Something is after Jessica. Something very cold, very wet... and very dead..." - the tag line for Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971) sets the mood for this atmospheric, creepy, overlooked thriller. Zohra Lambert provides the film with a powerful performance while director John D. Hancock weave a terrifying tale of paranoia. Let the fun begin! The Black Saint and Doc Rotten tackle another groovy horror film from the 1970s. Joining the grue-crew is Gruesome Magazine contributor Jeff Mohr.

Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 45 – Let's Scare Jessica To Death (1971)

Let's Scare Jessica to Death is one of those classic Seventies titles that immediately sum up a tale and attract any horror fan's attention. Usually these films were all marketing and little content with the films being dismal. Most were Drive-In fare and many were instantly forgotten. It is a shame that many modern horror fans know very little of this terrific gem from 1971 - outside of, perhaps, knowing of the film's title. What horror fans are missing is a terrific little film with great performances, an intriguing tale, and moody, atmospheric direction. The film is directed by John D. Hancock and features Zohra Lambert, Barton Hayman, Kevin O'Connor, Mariclare Costello, and Gretchen Corbett.

Jeff Mohr joins the Grue-Crew for another look at a Seventies horror classic, seeming falling for Zohra Lambert in the process. The Black Saint and Doc Rotten agree with Jeff that she makes the film with a riveting, subdued, and haunting performance. The Grue-Crew find very little disparaging about the film, urging DoH fans to look out for Let's Scare Jessica to Death, praising the film for its tone, approach, direction and acting. The film looks great, Lambert deserves accolades for her role of Jessica, and the films ambivalence about its own details and origin provide an ominous conclusion to keep you thinking long after the film ends - in typical Seventies down-beat style. Decades of Horror approved.

Jan 19, 2017

Another week in January 2017 and another genre release. Woot! This week, the film landing in theaters across the States is The Bye Bye Man from director Stacy Title. The PG-13 horror feature sets its sights on establishing a new icon with the titular character. "Don't Think It. Don't Say It." urges the tag line. While the Black Saint finds some fun with his audience for the movie, Doc and Thomas share no love for the early contender for worst picture of 2017. Uh, oh...

A horror film festival favorite, The Barn is up for discussion on the What Have You Been Watching segment. The low budget film lives and breathes its Eighties VHS classic influences with a fun romp, full of gore and mayhem. The film also introduces three new horror creatures to enjoy, The Boogeyman, Hallowed Jack, and The Candycorn Scarecrow. The film is written and directed by Justin M. Seaman.

Dave guides the Horror News of the Week with the sad news of the passing of William Peter Blatty, the man who wrote The Exorcist and directed the best Exorcist sequel, The Exorcist III. As the year begins, HNR sets its eyes on a number of horror film festivals to attend throughout the year. Up first is Nevermore Horror Film Festival in Durham, NC on February 24 - 26, 2017.

Co-hosts Doc RottenSantos (The Black Saint) Ellin Jr.Dave Dreher and Thomas Mariani are back again this week to give you the best in horror as they recap, review and obliterate all that is horror this week! Oh, and don't forget - Stump the Saint! (Brought to you by Gruesome Magazine)

Horror News Radio
Episode 197 – The Bye Bye Man (2017) – The Barn (2016)
Subscribe – iTunes – Facebook – Stitcher

Feature Review: The Bye Bye Man (2017)

Let's just get this out of the way: the Grue-crew slaughter this film. Even Doc labels it "a blemish on the face of horror." Thomas just laughs at the damn thing. However, the Black Saint finds some fun in the film siting the jubilant, teen-age crowd as raising the fun factor for the film. Regardless, he still calls The Bye Bye Man a "bad" film. Head-scratching ensures as the Grue-Crew try to figure out how - and why - Carrie-Anne Moss and Faye Dunaway are in the picture. What?

What Have You Been Watching: The Barn (2016)

If you have not yet made your way to a Horror Film Festival in the past few years, you may not realize what treasures can be unearthed within their schedules. We've mentioned a number of them over the past nearly 200 episodes - such as recently championed gore-fest Night of Something Strange. This week, we introduce another such future classic, Justin M. Seaman's The Barn. The film caters heavily to fans of the VHS horror boom in the 1980s, features enthusiastic performances and contains terrific creature designs & gore effects.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE

  • [00:00:40]: Intro
    • [00:02:32]: Nevermore Film Festival
  • [00:03:41]: Horror News of the Week
    • [00:03:59]: RIP William Peter Blatty
    • [00:09:08]: The trailer for The XX debuts
    • [00:12:47]: The cannibal film Raw gets a release date
    • [00:16:23]: Jason Harry Pagan & Andrew Deutschman are writing House on Haunted Hill
    • [00:23:56}: The Mist is coming to Spike TV
  • [00:29:49]: Support HNR
  • [00:30:19]: Feature Review - The Bye Bye Man
  • [01:14:08]: What Have You Been Watching - The Barn
  • [01:36:48]: Stump The Saint
  • [01:43:01]: Listener Feedback

NEXT WEEK ON HNR

M. Night Shyamalan's Split 

GRUESOME LINKS

Gruesome Magazine Spring 2017 is coming! That's right, the very first issue of an all-new horror magazine from the Grue-Crew behind Horror News Radio and Gruesome Magazine website will land late February 2017. The tag line "Horror Festival Hits - Independent Films - The Future of Horror" reflects the focus of the magazine on the up'n'coming horror film makers and their films in Horror Film Festivals across the globe. Check out the GM page for more details.

Jan 16, 2017

"He thinks that's funny. He thinks that's a funny thing he's doing." - Crispen Glover cracks wise in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter as one of the teens in peril as Jason slaughters his way through the night. Meanwhile, Corey Feldman shaves his head and sharpens his machette to give Mrs. Voorhees' favorite son a deep cut. Let the fun begin! Thomas Mariani, Doc Rotten and Christopher G. Moore tackle another gruesome horror film from the 1980s.

Decades of Horror 1980s
Episode 99 – Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)

Despite being followed by eight more films (and counting, supposedly), the fourth installment subtitles itself, the Final Chapter. The Godfather of Gore, Tom Savini, returns to do special effects and does his best to bury Jason forever. Paramount's Frank Mancuso, Jr. strives hard to end Jason's reign as well. But, money is money. Savini crafts a barrage of deadly and crimson deaths but saves the best - and most graphic - demise for Jason himself. Writers Barry Cohen and Bruce Hidemi Sakow, along with director Jospeh Zito, provide the series with its hero in Tommy Jarvis (played by a young Corey Feldman) who would appear in the next two films as well.

Christopher G. Moore, Doc Rotten and Thomas Mariani revisit the franchise classic, discussing what makes it stand out among the others. While Roger Ebert described the film as "an immoral and reprehensible piece of trash" in his 1982 review of the film, the Grue-Crew strongly disagree, suggesting it is one of the best slasher films. The film has a distinct pace, creative use of lighting and a gruesome reveal of Jason Voorhees in an ending that rivals the original 1980 classic. And, where else do you get such wonderful Crispen Glover Eighties dance moves? Ch Ch Ch Ah Ah Ah!

We want to hear from you - the coolest, most gruesome fans:  leave us a message or leave a comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1980s podcast hosts at thomasmariani@decadesofhorror.com or docrotten@decadesofhorror.com. We also want to be sure to thank Neon Devils for their killer track "Bone Chillin'" which we use for the intro and outro of this show.

Jan 13, 2017

The first theatrical release of 2017 is Underworld: Blood Wars - the fifth film in the Underworld franchise - with Kate Beckinsale returning as Selene, the vampire death dealer. Anna Foerster steps into the director's chair to charge the end of the war between the last of the vampire clans and the Lycans. Fans of the series get what they come for while the general public - and most horror fans - will likely get bored out of their ever-lovin' minds. Stupid fun, but ... oh, so stupid.

For this week's What Have You Been Watching segment, Thomas Mariani shares his thoughts on the J.A. Boyona feature A Monster Calls. The films features Lewis MacDougall, Felicity Jones, Signourney Weaver, Tobey Kebbell, and Liam Neeson (voicing the monster). What we learn this week is that Thomas does not like to manipulated, his tears must be earned. Shame on you, A Monster Calls, shame on you.

Dave guides the Horror News of the Week with  the trailer for Don't Knock Twice, the announcement that The Cult of Chucky is on its way, and Drew Barrymore leads the cast for Santa Clarita Diet. As the year begins, HNR sets its eyes on a number of horror film festivals to attend throughout the year. Up first is Nevermore Horror Film Festival in Durham, NC on February 24 - 26, 2017.

Co-hosts Doc RottenSantos (The Black Saint) Ellin Jr.Dave Dreher and Thomas Mariani are back again this week to give you the best in horror as they recap, review and obliterate all that is horror this week! Oh, and don't forget - Stump the Saint! (Brought to you by Gruesome Magazine)

Horror News Radio
Episode 197 – Underworld: Blood Wars (2017) – A Monster Calls (2017)
Subscribe – iTunes – Facebook – Stitcher

 

Feature Review: Underworld: Blood Wars (2017)

Thomas Mariani reviews Underworld: Blood Wars on Gruesome Magazine, the home of Horror News Radio, mirroring what Doc thinks of the film but giving it far more praise than either The Black Saint or Dave Dreher are willing to grant the werewolf vs vampire flick. While Kate Beckinsale still looks fabulous in the Selene outfit, she seems to be over the role while her co-star Theo James seems lost. Charles Dance, like much of the cast, collects a check but Lara Pulver seems to be having a grand time in her villainous turn. If you're a fan, you'll enjoy the film well enough...maybe.

 

What Have You Been Watching: A Monster Calls (2016)

Thomas Mariani earns his "busiest man in podasting" as he leads the What Have You Been Watching review once again discussing the J.A. Boyona film, A Monster Calls. The director of The Orphanage stops offs to hang with Liam Neeson and Sigourney Weaver long enough to crank out A Monster Calls before moving on to tackle Jurassic World 2. While Thomas likes much of the film, he lets the film provoke his darker side as A Monster Calls manipulates him into shedding a tear. Bah, humbug.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE

  • [00:00:39]: Intro
  • [00:03:00]: Horror News of the Week
    • [00:03:16]: Don't Knock Twice Trailer
    • [00:05:52]: Predator casting
    • [00:10:27]: The Cult of Chucky Announcement
    • [00:15:00]: Santa Clarita Diet Commercials
    • [00:18:37]: The Lure horror musical
  • [00:21:36]: Support HNR
  • [00:22:15]: Feature Review - Underworld: Blood Wars
  • [00:54:54]: What Have You Been Watching - A Monster Calls
  • [01:08:37]: Stump The Saint

NEXT WEEK ON HNR

The Bye Bye Man / The Barn

 

GRUESOME LINKS

Gruesome Magazine Spring 2017 is coming! That's right, the very first issue of an all-new horror magazine from the Grue-Crew behind Horror News Radio and Gruesome Magazine website will land late February 2017. The tag line "Horror Festival Hits - Independent Films - The Future of Horror" reflects the focus of the magazine on the up'n'coming horror film makers and their films in Horror Film Festivals across the globe. Check out the GM page for more details.

Jan 11, 2017

"It is NOT in the file. It is not!" Lt. William Kinderman (George C. Scott) isn't having any of this as he investigates the bizarre murders that note the return of The Gemini Killer. But these killings aren't the only returning evil in Exorcist III. Kinderman must contend with the ghosts of his past as the come to haunt and destroy the friends and family he holds dear. The irrational reigns supreme over the rational as the line between man and meat puppet blurs. Hopefully, Thomas Mariani can make these murky waters far clearer as he talks Exorcist III.

Decades of Horror 1990s
Episode 06 – Exorcist III (1990)

After the multi Academy award winning The Exorcist and the infamously disastrous Exorcist II: The HereticExorcist III ended up sort of being lost in the shuffle. In a decade full of sequels to classic horror films that stood out for better or worse, Exorcist III merely existed in a vacuum that resulted in just enough profits to cover its budget. 27 years later, Exorcist III has gained a cult status for its out of the box conventions. William Peter Blatty - author of the original Exorcist novel and the Academy Award winning screenwriter for the film adaptation - stepped into the writer/director role for this outing, creating a horror film that took the uncinematic and made it cinematic. This story chooses to focus on some of the side characters from the original, as Lt. Kinderman investigates a series of murders that lead him straight to the rebirth of a serial killer with demonic connotations. Exorcist III has a phenomenally eerie vibe, thanks to some building tension of its mystery and powerful theatrical performances from George C. Scott and Brad Dourif.

Joining Thomas for this episode is returning co-host Doc Rotten. The two discuss the troubled production of Exorcist III, with particular emphasis on the recently released Director's Cut made available on the recent Scream Factory blu ray release. Whether or not the studio's decision to reshoot many of Brad Dourif's scenes with The Exorcist star Jason Miller is heavily debated, particularly with the rather elaborate exorcism climax that literally drops a character in out of thin air. There's also plenty of talk about the moody lighting, grounded dialogue and one of the most effective jump scares in horror history. It's a lively discussion that makes the two question their faith in podcasting. They also question why the hell Fabio and Patrick Ewing are in this movie, as would anyone.

We want to hear from you – the coolest, most gruesome fans:  leave us a message or leave a comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1990s podcast hosts at thomasmariani@decadesofhorror.com or tweet Thomas @NotTheWhosTommy.

 

Jan 5, 2017

The Grue-Crew start off the new year by taking a look at the upcoming twelves month to countdown the Most Anticipated Horror Films of 2017 as voted on by the entire Grue-Crew and the Grue-Believers alike. 2016 was a great year for horror with a great number of films that fought for the best of lists just one episodes ago, 2017 looks to be chock full of films looking to shock, frighten, and disgust audiences each and every month.

For the What Have You Been Watching segment, Thomas goes solo with his review of the December release Nocturnal Animals.

Horror News of the Week weeps as the Force trembles with the passing of Carrie Fisher, known most famously for portraying Princess/General Leia Organa in the Star Wars films but was also known for being an incredible writer, a script doctor, and a insanely funny wit. She will be greatly missed. In addition R.I.P. to Debbie Reynolds and George Kosana from Night of the Living Dead.

Co-hosts Doc RottenSantos (The Black Saint) Ellin Jr.Dave Dreher and Thomas Mariani are back again this week to give you the best in horror as they recap, review and obliterate all that is horror this week! Oh, and don't forget - Stump the Saint! (Brought to you by Gruesome Magazine)

Horror News Radio
Episode 196 – Nocturnal Animals (2016) – The Most Anticipated Horror Films of 2017
Subscribe – iTunes – Facebook – Stitcher

What Have You Been Watching: Nocturnal Animals (2016)

Thomas Mariani steps in to talk about the surprisingly violent and occasionally scary Tom Ford film Nocturnal Animals. The film has an Oscar-bait cast featuring Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Isla Fisher, Ellie Bamber, Armie Hammer, Karl Glusman, Michael Sheen, and Laura Linney. The script which contains a "story inside a story" mechanism, fields a story where a family vacation turns violent and deadly. Thomas shares his thoughts and recommendations.

Special Feature: The Most Anticipated Horror Films of 2017

For the Special Feature this week, the Grue-crew turn their third eye to the future, discussing the upcoming horror films of 2017. After placing a poll up on Gruesome Magazine, Patreon, and Facebook, the Grue-Crew and the Grue-Believers voted on over two dozen films headed to theatrical release in the coming months. Doc, Thomas, the Black Saint count down the top 10 from that list, revealing their forecasts and predictions on The Most Anticipated Horror Films of 2017.

  • 10) Split - 02/20/2017 - d. M. Night Shyamalan
  • 09) The Belko Experiment - 03/10/2017 - d. Greg McLean
  • 08) A Cure for Wellness - 02/17/2017 - d. Gore Verbinski
  • 07) Get Out - 02/24/2017 - d. Jordan Peele
  • 06) Stephen King's It - 09/08/2017 - d. Andres Muschietti
  • 05) Stephen King's The Dark Tower - 07/28/2017 - d. Nicolaj Arcel
  • 04) Alien: Covenant - 05/19/2017 - d. Ridley Scott
  • 03) Cloverfield 3: God Particle - 10/27/2017 - d. Julius Onah
  • 02) War for the Planet of the Apes - 07/14/2017 - d. Matt Reeves
  • 01) Kong: Skull Island - 03/10/2017 - d. Jordan Vogt-Roberts

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE

  • [00:00:41]: Intro
    • [00:04:30]: Gruesome Magazine 2016 Yearbook
  • [00:05:08]: Horror News of the Week
    • [00:05:28]: RIP Carrie Fisher & Debbie Reynolds
    • [00:11:24]: RIP George Kosana
  • [00:13:34]: Support HNR
  • [00:14:41]: What Have You Been Watching: Nocturnal Animals (2016)
  • [00:26:30]: Special Feature: Most Anticipated Horror Films of 2017
  • [01:21:06]: StumpTheSaint

NEXT WEEK ON HNR

Underworld: Blood Wars

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