What's this? A new TV trailer reveals Jack Black will return as R.L. Stein in Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween. The Grue-Crew review the "other" Jack Black family-friendly horror film A House with a Clock in Its Walls from director...Eli Roth. And, look for the "Worth Watching" segment about the horror comedy Slice. Join Dave Dreher, Doc Rotten, Christopher G. Moore, and Vanessa Thompson as we discuss Horror News of the Week and review the latest horror offerings.
As always, the HNR Grue-Crew would love to hear from you! Reach out via email at feedback(AT)horrornewsradio(DOT)com. Also, please like us on Facebook and join the Horror News Radio Facebook Group.
Horror News Radio
Episode 291 – The House with a Clock in Its Walls - Slice
Subscribe – iTunes – Facebook – Stitcher
A young orphan named Lewis Barnavelt aids his magical uncle in locating a clock with the power to bring about the end of the world.
Director: Eli Roth (w/ Eric Kripke)
Cast: Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Owen Vaccaro, Kyle MacLachlan
THIS MONTH ON PATREON
http://horrornewsradio.com/patreon
HNR T-SHIRTS
http://horrornewsradio.com/tees
When a pizza delivery driver is murdered on the job, the city searches for someone to blame: ghosts? drug dealers? a disgraced werewolf?
Director: Austin Vesely
Cast: Zazie Beetz, Joe Keery, Hannibal Buress
Thanks to Rocky Gray for our killer new HNR theme song
Next Week on HNR: Hell Fest
"I met this... six-year-old child with this blank, pale, emotionless face, and... the blackest eyes - the Devil's eyes." There’s absolutely no doubt you know who says that and who he is talking about. Join your faithful Grue Crew - Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr - as they prepare for 2018’s neo-sequel by taking a nostalgic, but fear-filled trip back to Haddonfield and the first time he came back. Yup, it’s the big one. They’re talking Halloween (1978).
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 82 – Halloween (1978)
Whether or not you knew about John Carpenter before the release of Halloween, you certainly knew about him after its release. There have been a total of 10 Halloween films, 9 of which include the fellow with the “blank, pale, emotionless face, and … the blackest eyes - the Devil’s eyes,” but the first one is by far the best.
Carpenter’s and Debra Hill’s script takes its time developing a place in time and space and with people that feel familiar and even comfortable, making the presence of The Shape all the more menacing. Establishing the characters and relationships of the three girls - Jamie Lee Curtis, P.J. Soles, and Nancy Kyes - adds to the familiarity and comfortableness of the world the filmmakers have created. Donald Pleasence’s performance as Dr. Loomis exponentially ramps up the feelings of dread and Nick Castle’s performance as The Shape reinforces the idea of the presence of pure evil. Combine the script and the acting with Carpenter’s direction, his landmark, chill-inducing score, and Dean Cundey’s cinematography, and Halloween becomes one of the top horror films of the 1970s.
Of course, the members of the Decades of Horror 1970s Grue Crew shout their praises for Halloween. Chad is impressed by Jamie Lee Curtis’ portrayal of Laurie Strode as the somewhat shy, good-hearted girl without a boyfriend who obviously isn’t very experienced at smoking pot, but is a formidable opponent for The Shape. Jeff points out the time the filmmakers take to create suspense and dread, for example, Laurie’s 90-second walk across the street to come to her girlfriends’ aid. Cundey’s and Carpenter’s shot construction and camera movement earn Bill’s admiration. For Doc, it’s also about the time taken for each kill, building tension to the breaking point.
Yes, the lot of them slobbered and drooled their appreciation and love all over Halloween throughout the podcast. What did you expect? Frankly, this classic deserves a few more viewings in preparation for its new sequel, Halloween (2018).
We want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans: leave us a message or leave a comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1970s podcast hosts at docrotten@decadesofhorror.com.
Netflix delivers killers trailers for the original film THE APOSTLE and THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE 10 episode series. Shudder is delivering a horror film each week this Halloween season. Christopher, Dave, and Doc review THE PREDATOR. And, DIG TWO GRAVES director Hunter Adams joins Christopher, Doc, and Vanessa to discuss the mind-bending masterpiece MANDY. Join Dave Dreher, Doc Rotten, Christopher G. Moore, and Vanessa Thompson as we discuss Horror News of the Week and review the latest horror offerings.
As always, the HNR Grue-Crew would love to hear from you! Reach out via email at feedback(AT)horrornewsradio(DOT)com. Also, please like us on Facebook and join the Horror News Radio Facebook Group.
Horror News Radio
Episode 289 – The Nun
Subscribe – iTunes – Facebook – Stitcher
CONTESTS
When a young boy accidentally triggers the universe's most lethal hunters' return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled science teacher can prevent the end of the human race.
Director: Shane Black (w/ Fred Dekker)
Cast: Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Sterling K. Brown, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen, Augusto Aguilera, Jake Busey, Yvonne Strahovski
THIS MONTH ON PATREON
http://horrornewsradio.com/patreon
HNR T-SHIRTS
http://horrornewsradio.com/tees
Mandy is set in the primal wilderness of 1983 where Red Miller, a broken and haunted man hunts an unhinged religious sect who slaughtered the love of his life.
Director: Panos Cosmatos & Chris 'Casper' Kelly
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough, Linus Roache
Thanks to Rocky Gray for our killer new HNR theme song
Next Week on HNR: THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS
“Whiskey and soda mix, not whiskey and science.” This statement is heard early in the cult classic, The Hideous Sun Demon, and this episode’s Grue Crew doesn’t buy it for a second. Join Chad Hunt, Joseph Perry, and Jeff Mohr as they study the statement’s validity and have a ball along the way with The Hideous Sun Demon (1958).
Decades of Horror: The Classic Era
Episode 41 – The Hideous Sun Demon (1958)
Dr. Gilbert McKenna has “an accident” when he is handling highly radioactive material while suffering from a hangover. Gil seems to quickly recover, but when exposed to direct sunlight, he rapidly transforms into the hideous sun demon. Gil’s doctor prescribes avoiding the sun’s rays, but for a guy like Gil, that’s not as easy as it sounds. When the sun is down, Gil restlessly cavorts about town and encounters the beautiful Trudy (Nan Peterson) who is singing and playing air-piano at a rundown nightspot. Unfortunately, he also runs into her thuggish boyfriend George (Peter Similuk), who proves to be a problem. While all this is happening, Gil’s coworkers, Ann (Patricia Manning) and Dr. Buckell (Patrick Whyte), work to find a cure for Gil’s newly acquired condition.
A low budget creature feature inspired by the financial success of The Astounding She-Monster (1957), The Hideous Sun Demon is the brainchild of Robert Clarke who produces, directs, co-writes, and plays the lead in the film. Primary writers of the screenplay are E. S. Seeley Jr. and Doane R. Hoag.
Your Grue Crew wasn’t sure what to expect with The Hideous Sun Demon, but it turned out to be a barrel of fun, despite its low-budget related flaws. Jeff points out Clarke’s extensive use of family members in bit parts on the film. Chad feels it was like watching two different movies; one a fairly standard, radiation-created creature feature and the other, a noirish story complete with brutish thugs and a femme fatale. Joseph agrees that at times, it seems like Nan Peterson was channeling Marilyn Monroe with the lilt of her voice and the way she played a scene. At any rate, The Hideous Sun Demon was fun throughout and the Grue Crew gives it a big low budget, cult classic thumbs up!
The Decades of Horror: The Classic Era Grue Crew plan to release a new episode every other week. The next episode in our very flexible schedule will be the silent scream, The Phantom of the Opera (1925)! They can’t wait to discuss the brilliance of the legendary Lon Chaney!
Please let us know what you think of Decades of Horror: The Classic Era! We want to hear from you! After all, without you, we’re just four nutjobs talking about the films we love. Send us an email or leave us a message, a review, or a comment at GruesomeMagazine.com, iTunes, Stitcher, Google Podcast, or the Horror News Radio Facebook group.
To each of you from each of us, “Thank you for listening!”
The Halloween 2018 second trailer is here and it impresses - as does its premiere at TIFF. October looks fantastic! Rest in peace Burt Reynolds - thank you for Deliverance, Smokey and the Bandit, Cannonball Run, and so much more. Guest host Jeff Mohr joins Christopher, Vanessa, and Doc to review The Nun! Join Dave Dreher, Doc Rotten, Christopher G. Moore, and Vanessa Thompson as we discuss Horror News of the Week and review the latest horror offerings.
As always, the HNR Grue-Crew would love to hear from you! Reach out via email at feedback(AT)horrornewsradio(DOT)com. Also, please like us on Facebook and join the Horror News Radio Facebook Group.
Horror News Radio
Episode 289 – The Nun
Subscribe – iTunes – Facebook – Stitcher
CONTESTS
A priest with a haunted past and a novice on the threshold of her final vows are sent by the Vatican to investigate the death of a young nun in Romania and confront a malevolent force in the form of a demonic nun.
Director: Corin Hardy
Cast: Demian Bichir, Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet, Bonnie Aarons
THIS MONTH ON PATREON
http://horrornewsradio.com/patreon
HNR T-SHIRTS
http://horrornewsradio.com/tees
Thanks to Rocky Gray for our killer new HNR theme song
Next Week on HNR: The Predator
"Action...Excitement...Spectacle beyond your wildest dreams!" Action? Check. Excitement? Check. Spectacle beyond your wildest dreams? Check! Join your faithful Grue Crew - Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, and Jeff Mohr (much to his chagrin, Bill Mulligan was unable to join us for this one) - as they discover a film that actually lives up to its tagline, and of course, it’s a Shaw Brothers film! Yes, they are talking about The Mighty Peking Man.
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 81 – The Mighty Peking Man (1977)
Initially released August 1977 in Hong Kong. The MIghty Peking Man didn’t see a U.S. release until March 1980. Directed by Meng Hua Ho and written by Kuang Ni, this film is the Shaw Brothers effort to cash in on the hoopla surrounding the Dino De Laurentiis production, King Kong (1976).
An expedition, led by an amoral and unscrupulous businessman (Feng Ku) and an altruistic and heartbroken hero (Danny Lee) plucked from a bar, sets out to capture the legendary, titular beast depicted in The Mighty Peking Man. In their search for the giant ape, the expedition also encounters Samantha (Evelyne Kraft), a female version of the Tarzan legend, who has devloped a deep bound with the beast. Eventually, the Mighty Peking Man is captured and transported to civilization where he is shackled and put on public display in a stadium. Not surprisingly, the beast breaks free of its chains, creating panic and chaos. Even less surprisingly, the story works its way to an epic battle atop a skyscraper. Does this sound familiar?
Despite the story’s similarities with past big ape movies, The Mighty Peking Man has one key plot difference that Chad, Doc, and Jeff greatly appreciated. Samantha has been living in the jungle ever since she was a child when the Mighty Peking Man rescued her from a plane crash, solidifying an explanation for their long term bond.
Despite its low budget and relatively high cheese factor, this film has it all, including a boatload of fun! Chad has always loved the opening scene as the giant ape emerges from its lost world after an earthquake, wreaking havoc on the nearby village. Doc is particularly enamored with the sequence in which Samantha, adorned as usual in her 2-piece animal skin, climbs a light pole to escape a crowd. The Grue Crew is in agreement on the hilarity of some of the dialogue, admitting something might have been lost in translation.
The Mighty Peking Man gets an emphatic recommendation from the Grue Crew! In fact, after covering The Oily Maniac (1976) on Episode 70 and now The Mighty Peking Man, the Grue Crew vows to cover Infra-Man (1975), another Shaw Brothers masterpiece starring Danny Lee, in the not too distant future.
We want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans: leave us a message or leave a comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1970s podcast hosts at docrotten@decadesofhorror.com.
“You, too, can feel the joy and happiness of hating.” Hmmm, words like joy and happiness used to describe hate? Sounds enticing, right? Join Chad Hunt, Whitney Collazo, and Jeff Mohr, along with guest host Bill Mulligan, as they they celebrate the early product of Mario Bava’s genius known as Black Sunday (1960).
Decades of Horror: The Classic Era
Episode 40 – Black Sunday (1960)
“Viy,” a short story by Russian writer Nikolai Gogol, provides a loose foundation for the film’s screenplay, written by Ennio De Concini and Mario Serandrei. Mario Bava is the director and cinematographer of Black Sunday and a beautifully shot film it is. Even though Black Sunday is Bava’s first official credit as the director of a feature film, he has dozens of credits as cinematographer as well as a few uncredited turns as director.
Released in the U.S. by American International Pictures, Black Sunday tells the story of a brother and sister burned at the stake as vampires. Or is it witches? Just before having spiked iron masks slammed home on their face with a gigantic mallet, they curse all future generations of the family. Flash forward 200 years when an incredibly inept doctor breaks the seals on Princess Asa’s crypt and then her coffin, initiates her resurrection by dripping blood on her (The Doctor That Dripped Blood?) so she can seek vengeance on the current incarnation of her family. Her plan includes raising her brother Igor from the dead and swapping bodies with her beautiful lookalike descendent, Katia. Barbara Steele is brilliant as Princess Asa/Katia and Arturo Dominici plays her evil accomplice, Igor. Other key players include Katia’s father (Ivo Garrani) and the two doctors (John Richardson and Andrea Checchi).
Whitney is impressed by Barbara Steele’s ability to play two such dichotomous roles: the consummately evil Asa and the innocent Katia. It is the spiked, iron masks and how they are pounded in place in the opening scene that leaves an impression on Chad. Bill, an avowed Bava fan, extols the virtues of the black and white cinematography, the set design, and the shot construction. Wholeheartedly agreeing with Bill, Jeff adds how impressed he is with the camera movement within those sets. You’re probably not surprised the the Grue Crew thinks Black Sunday is a genuinely great film and is a sign of future promise Bava so expertly fulfilled.
We plan to release a new episode every other week. On the next episode in our very flexible schedule, we‘ll be covering the cult classic The Hideous Sun Demon (1958).
Please let us know what you think of Decades of Horror: The Classic Era! We want to hear from you! After all, without you, we’re just four nutjobs talking about the films we love. Send us an email or leave us a message, a review, or a comment at GruesomeMagazine.com, iTunes, Stitcher, Google Podcast, or the Horror News Radio Facebook group.
To each of you from each of us, “Thank you for listening!”
"If it bleeds, we can kill it!" One of the many famous lines in Predator (1987) spoken by the film's iconic star Arnold Schwarzenegger. The design of the alien hunter from FX maestro Stan Winston is one of the most recognizable creatures in cinematic history! Doc Rotten and Christopher G. Moore revisit the classic sci-fi/action/horror fils from director John McTiernan, the genius behind Die Hard.
Decades of Horror 1980s
Episode 138 – Predator (1987)
Released in 1987, Predator introduced horror fans to a brand new alien threat. No E.T. friendly, extraterrestrial love here, folks. This alien is out to hunt and kill its prey: humans. A gigantic hit when released due to its star-studded macho cast, the film registered with audiences and solidified Schwarzenegger's rising star power status. Alongside Schwarzenegger, the film cast Carl Weathers, Bill Duke, Jesse Ventura, Sonny Landham, Richard Chaves, and Shane Black as a group of mercenaries on a mission in Central America when they encounter a creature bigger and more powerful than they are. The Predator is played by Kevin Peter Hall who also played Bigfoot in Harry and the Hendersons and the alien in Without Warning.
Christopher G. Moore and Doc Rotten revisit Predator in time for the upcoming blockbuster film The Predator (2018) directed by Shane Black, who is featured in the 1987 original. The Grue-Crew find the film holding up remarkably well due to Schwarzenegger (and his co-stars) and the fantastic creature design by Stan Winston. Winston, interestingly, came into the feature late after the first designs didn't live up -- those designs were to be worn by Jean-Claude Van Damme who quit the film after only two days. "Get to the chopper!"
A team of special force ops, led by a tough but fair soldier, Major "Dutch" Schaefer, are ordered to assist CIA man, Colonel Al Dillon, on a rescue mission for potential survivors of a Helicopter downed over remote South American jungle. Not long after they land, Dutch and his team discover that they have been sent in under false pretenses. This deception turns out to be the least of their worries though, when they find themselves being methodically hunted by something not of this world.
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 christopher@gruesomemagazine.comor dave@gruesomemagazine.com or docrotten@gruesomemagazine.com .
Special thanks to Neon Devils for their awesome song Bone Chillin!
Mike Flanagan returns to Netflix with THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE, coming this October. Dwayne Johnson elaborates on his plans to reboot BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA. Michael Jackson's THRILLER is heading to IMAX in 3-D...for one week. And, Dave, Christopher, Vanessa, and Doc review the Puppet Master reboot, BLOOD FEST. Dave shares his visit to Horror Hound. Join Dave Dreher, Doc Rotten, Christopher G. Moore, and Vanessa Thompson as we discuss Horror News of the Week and review the latest horror offerings.
As always, the HNR Grue-Crew would love to hear from you! Reach out via email at feedback(AT)horrornewsradio(DOT)com. Also, please like us on Facebook and join the Horror News Radio Facebook Group.
Horror News Radio
Episode 288 – Blood Fest
Subscribe – iTunes – Facebook – Stitcher
Fans flock to a festival celebrating the most iconic horror movies, only to discover that the charismatic showman behind the event has a diabolical agenda. As festival attendees start dying off, three teenagers - more schooled in horror-film cliches than practical knowledge about neutralizing psycho killers - must band together and battle through various madmen and monstrosities to survive.
Director: Owen Egerton
Cast: Zachary Levi, Robbie Kay, Seychelle Gabriel
THIS MONTH ON PATREON
http://horrornewsradio.com/patreon
HNR T-SHIRTS
http://horrornewsradio.com/tees
Thanks to Rocky Gray for our killer new HNR theme song
Next Week on HNR: The Nun
J.J. Abrams and HULU join forces to build upon the themes and characters created by Stephen King in the 10 episode TV series CASTLE ROCK. For this episode of HNR, the Grue-Crew take a look at the next two hours of the show, "The Queen" and "Past Perfect," continuing "an epic saga of darkness and light" in the small town of Castle Rock, Maine. Join Dave Dreher, Doc Rotten, Christopher G. Moore, and Vanessa Thompson as we discuss the next episodes of HULU'S CASTLE ROCK created by Sam Shaw and Dustin Thomason.
As always, the HNR Grue-Crew would love to hear from you! Reach out via email at feedback(AT)horrornewsradio(DOT)com. Also, please like us on Facebook and join the Horror News Radio Facebook Group.
Horror News Radio
Episode 286 – Castle Rock S01E07 and S01E08
Subscribe – iTunes – Facebook – Stitcher
Memories haunt Ruth Deaver.
Newcomers set up shop in Castle Rock, Henry follows a clue.