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Now displaying: October, 2018
Oct 30, 2018

"Stephen King's masterpiece of terror directed by the master himself." the tagline for Maximum Overdrive promises the masterpiece horror film of 1986. Hell, the trailer amped up that pledge with Mr. King proclaiming he would "scare the hell out you!" However, when the machines take over the world, shit gets real. Christopher G. Moore is joined by Stephen King aficionado, Dave Dreher.

Decades of Horror 1980s
Episode 140 – Maximum Overdrive (1986)

Filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina, Maximum Overdrive brought not only the Stephen King short story Trucks to the big screen but also had the maestro himself behind the wheel providing the screenplay and sitting in the director's chair. While the film tanked at the box office upon its 1986 release, it has garnered a cult following over the years with the "Green Goblin" truck becoming iconic, the bombastic AC/DC soundtrack, and the legendary rumors of on-set turmoil & chaos. The cast includes Emilio Estevez, Pat Hingle, and Laura Harrington.

Christopher G. Moore and Dave Dreher revisit the classic/no-so-classic monster-piece recounting the time they saw the film for the first time and how it holds up today. They discuss its path to becoming a cult classic and the troubles and rumors along the way. The cast and the effects are examined along with the conflicting internal logic the film sometimes follows. It's all here for a special episode demanded by the DoH listeners: Maximum Overdrive.

When Earth passes through the tail of Rea-M rogue comet, the machines come to life and start to kill mankind. A group of survivors is under siege from fierce trucks at the Dixie Boy truck stop gas station and they have to fight to survive.

 

 

Oct 27, 2018

THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA, ANNABELLE 3, and DEATH HOUSE top the horror news of the week. The Grue-Crew review HALLOWEEN (2018), Michael Myers is back to terrorize Laurie Strode 40 years later. And, he's brought a film full of carnage and mayhem. Netflix and Mike Flanagan thrill genre fans with a top-notch horror TV series, THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE - this week, we take a look at the bottom 5 episodes, six through ten. 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 295 - Halloween - The Haunting of Hill House
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ANNOUNCEMENTS

HORROR NEWS OF THE WEEK

  • Spring 2019 brings THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA from Michael Chaves and James Wan
  • Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson to appear n ANNABELLE 3 which begins filming this week
  • Can you find your way out of the...ESCAPE ROOM
  • Sly Stallone faces a monster in a film from an abandoned sci-fi RAMBO script
  • Georgie from "It" to scare us again w/ THE PRODIGY trailer
  • LeBron James on board to bring us the return of FRIDAY THE 13TH. WTF?
  • The Expendables of Horror is coming: watch the DEATH HOUSE trailer
  • SHUDDER shares All Hallow's Eve love with the Ghoul Log

FEATURE TOPIC: Halloween (2018)

Laurie Strode comes to her final confrontation with Michael Myers, the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.

Director: David Gordon Green
Cast:  Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak

SUPPORT HNR:

THIS MONTH ON PATREON
http://horrornewsradio.com/patreon
HNR T-SHIRTS
http://horrornewsradio.com/tees

WORTH WATCHING: The Haunting of Hill House (eps 6 - 10)

Flashing between past and present, a fractured family confronts haunting memories of their old home and the terrifying events that drove them from it.

Director: Mike Flanagan
Cast:  Mckenna Grace, Carla Gugino, Michiel Huisman

FEEDBACK: feedback@horrornewsradio.com

EXIT

Thanks to Rocky Gray for our killer new HNR theme song
Next Week on HNR: Apostle (2018)

Oct 25, 2018

"The Hands of Jack the Ripper Live Again...As His Fiendish Daughter Kills Again...And Again...And Again..." Time for another Hammer Films production from the 1970s! Join your faithful Grue Crew - Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr - as they tear (notice I didn’t use “rip”) into Hands of the Ripper (1971).

Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 83 – Hands of the Ripper (1971)

This somewhat lesser-known Hammer film is directed by Peter Sasdy and written by Lewis Davidson from a story by Edward Spencer Shew. Hands of the Ripper tells the story of Anna (Angharad Rees) who is Jack the Ripper’s daughter, and Dr. Pritchard (Eric Porter) who thinks he can save Anna from the family curse. You see, when Anna was a toddler, she witnessed the death of her mother at the hands of dear old Dad. Now, as a young woman, she seems to be carrying on her father’s work, but is it the result of psychological trauma or is she possessed by her father’s murderous soul? As Pritchard searches for the answer, the body count rises.

Without Peter Cushing or Christopher Lee, Hammer’s frequent headliners, Hands of the Ripper was bound to receive less attention than films featuring one or both of them. The cast, however, does an excellent job. Rees and Porter are supported by Jane Merrow, Pritchard’s son’s blind fiance Laura; Derek Godfrey as Dysart, a character despicable in all aspects; Dora Bryan as Mrs. Golding, a fake psychic; Margaret Rawlings as Madame Bullard, a real psychic; Marjie Lawrence as Dolly, Pritchard’s housemaid; Keith Bell as Pritchard’s son; and Lynda Baron as Long Liz, a local prostitute,.

Despite not featuring Frankenstein or Dracula, Hands of the Ripper is a worthy addition to the canon of Hammer Films. Jeff is intrigued by the killer’s innovative use of everyday items to stab their victims. This one has long been a favorite of Doc’s and he points out the use of the Baker Street set at Pinewood Studios and how it added to the atmosphere and tone of the film. As an aficionado of Ripper lore, Chad thinks this story has a unique take and notices that Long Liz, one of the real Jack the Ripper’s victims, is used as the name of a character in this film. Bill ponders whether the killer suffers from some psychological or supernatural influences and ranks this film squarely in the middle of the pack as Hammer films go. Even though the story lays its cards on the table very early, the Decades of Horror 1970s Grue Crew think The Hands of the Ripper is absolutely worth a watch.

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.

Oct 22, 2018

“You're a fool, Andreas! A complete, utter fool! Your fate is to be what you are - as mine is to be what I am... your Master!”  It’s always best to know your place, and who could resist the commanding voice of Bela Lugosi, right? Join this episode’s Grue Crew - Joseph Perry, Chad Hunt, and Jeff Mohr (Whitney Collazo was on special assignment, but should be back next episode) - as they chase down the hidden 1940s gem, The Return of the Vampire.

Decades of Horror: The Classic Era
Episode 43 – The Return of the Vampire (1943)

Remember that classic sequel to Tod Browning’s Dracula (1931)? The one featuring Bela Lugosi’s second appearance as Dracula? Well, this is it, except this is not a Universal Picture and Lugosi doesn’t play Dracula. Instead, The Return of the Vampire is a Columbia Picture and the names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent.

Directed by dependable journeyman Lew Landers, and written by Griffin Jay from an idea by Kurt Neumann, The Return of the Vampire features the legendary vampire, Armand Tesla. Really. His name is Tesla. Lugosi does double duty as Tesla and Dr. Hugo Bruckner, the famous vampire expert. The film also features an unexpectedly articulate, talking werewolf, whose lines are ably enunciated by Matt Willis. The hero of the story is Lady Jane Ainsley (Frieda Inescort), a very smart, take-charge scientist who out matches Sir Frederick Fleet (Miles Mander), the Scotland Yard Inspector on the case. The focus of Tesla’s efforts is the young and beautiful Nicki Saunders, played by the impressive and versatile Nina Foch. The cast is rounded out with some comic relief from two gravediggers (those guys are always funny) and a couple of detectives reporting to Sir Frederick Fleet.

Despite its relatively low budget, The Return of the Vampire has an impressive cast and crew and the Grue Crew all agreed it is far better than one might have expected at first. Joseph saw this as youngster and the final scene has stuck with him for all the decades that have passed. The werewolf looked more like a dog to Chad, but even so, he appreciated the character and the genuine arc he had. Jeff, on the other hand, was really impressed with the quantity and quality of the fog in the graveyard. At any rate, this episode’s Grue Crew strongly recommends The Return of the Vampire as somewhat of a hidden gem of the 1940s.

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 Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), the runaway winner of our latest Patreon Poll. Yay! More Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr., and Jane Randolph and our first film with Glenn Strange!

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 so much for listening!

Oct 21, 2018

GLASS. PET SEMATARY. ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE. It's a trio of killer trailers. Netflix and Mike Flanagan thrill genre fans with a top-notch horror TV series, THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE - this week, we take a look at the first 5 episodes. The Grue-Crew review BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE, Drew (Cabin in the Woods) Goddard's exciting thriller featuring Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, and John Hamm. 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 294 - The Haunting of Hill House - Bad Times at the El Royale
Subscribe – iTunes – Facebook – Stitcher

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HORROR NEWS OF THE WEEK

  • M. Night brings on the bad guys with the second trailer for GLASS
  • Sometimes Dead is Better! The trailer for PET SEMATARY is here
  • DRACULA returns to Netflix/BBC
  • New Trailer for ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE dances into your heart - and then eats it.
  • You'll believe in the legend of 'The Boogey-geezer' once you bear witness to the trailer for 'Halloween 60'
  • Kevin Williamson returns to horror - 'Tell Me A Story' - coming to CBS ALL ACCESS.

FEATURE TOPIC: The Haunting of Hill House

Flashing between past and present, a fractured family confronts haunting memories of their old home and the terrifying events that drove them from it.

Director: Mike Flanagan
Cast:  Mckenna Grace, Carla Gugino, Michiel Huisman

SUPPORT HNR:

THIS MONTH ON PATREON
http://horrornewsradio.com/patreon
HNR T-SHIRTS
http://horrornewsradio.com/tees

 

WORTH WATCHING: Bad Times at the El Royale

Seven strangers, each with a secret to bury, meet at Lake Tahoe's El Royale, a rundown hotel with a dark past. Over the course of one fateful night, everyone will have one last shot at redemption - before everything goes to hell.

Director: Drew Goddard
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson

FEEDBACK: feedback@horrornewsradio.com

EXIT

Thanks to Rocky Gray for our killer new HNR theme song
Next Week on HNR: Halloween (2018)

Oct 12, 2018

James Wan chooses a director for THE CONJURING 3, Disney announces the name of the new Star Wars TV show, and Walking Dead fans bid farewell to actor Scott Wilson. The Grue-Crew, along with guest-host Michelle Iannantuono, review VENOM, the new Sony/Columbia Pictures Spider-man-less Spider-man universe film featuring Tom Hardy as everyone's favorite anti-hero. 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 293 - Venom
Subscribe – iTunes – Facebook – Stitcher

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HORROR NEWS OF THE WEEK

FEATURE TOPIC: Venom

When Eddie Brock acquires the powers of a Symbiote, he will have to release his alter-ego "Venom" to save his life.

Director: Ruben Fleischer
Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed

SUPPORT HNR:

THIS MONTH ON PATREON
http://horrornewsradio.com/patreon
HNR T-SHIRTS
http://horrornewsradio.com/tees

FEEDBACK: feedback@horrornewsradio.com

EXIT

Thanks to Rocky Gray for our killer new HNR theme song
Next Week on HNR: Bad Times at the El Royale

Oct 5, 2018

James Wan has a big week in horror news with the announcement that he will produce the U.S. version of TRAIN TO BUSAN, that THE NUN is the highest grossing Conjuring Universe film, and that ANNABELLE 3 has found its lead. The Grue-Crew review HELL FEST, the new slasher film that launches the Halloween season for 2018. 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 292 – Hell Fest
Subscribe – iTunes – Facebook – Stitcher

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

HORROR NEWS OF THE WEEK

FEATURE TOPIC: Hell Fest

A masked serial killer turns a horror-themed amusement park into his own personal playground, terrorizing a group of friends while the rest of the patrons believe that it is all part of the show.

Director: Gregory Plotkin
Cast: Bex Taylor-Klaus, Reign Edwards, Amy Forsyth

SUPPORT HNR:

THIS MONTH ON PATREON
http://horrornewsradio.com/patreon
HNR T-SHIRTS
http://horrornewsradio.com/tees

FEEDBACK: feedback@horrornewsradio.com

EXIT

Thanks to Rocky Gray for our killer new HNR theme song
Next Week on HNR: Venom

Oct 5, 2018

“Feast your eyes--glut your soul on my accursed ugliness!”  Remember the old if-a-tree-falls-in-the-woods question? If Lon Chaney has a line in a silent-film and no one hears it, is it still a quote?  This episode’s Grue Crew says, “Yes! If it appears in quotes on an intertitle card!” Join this episode’s Grue Crew - Whitney Collazo, Chad Hunt, Joseph Perry, and Jeff Mohr - as they make their third trip to the land of silent screams and visit the Paris opera house as depicted in Universal’s The Phantom of the Opera (1925).

Decades of Horror: The Classic Era
Episode 42 – The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

After the success of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923), Universal Pictures’ Carl Laemmle needed another vehicle for the considerable talents of Lon Chaney and seized on the timeless story told in Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel, Le Fantôme de l'Opéra. Directed, at least in part, by Rupert Julian, The Phantom of the Opera tells the tale of a man, disfigured in both appearance and character. He is infatuated with a beautiful woman and plots to gain her trust by mentoring her singing career and follows that with subterfuge, manipulation, and coercion in an insane attempt to win her hand.

The cast of The Phantom of the Opera features Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin, and Norman Kerry. Of course, Chaney is the star of the film. Not only does he knock it out of the park with another groundbreaking effort in makeup artistry, but his performance as the Phantom/Erik is truly inspired. Universal’s Stage 28 set, designed by Ben Carré, deserves its own star billing as the grandeur of the Paris Opera House is recreated complete with stage, giant chandelier, opera boxes, cellars, and underground torture chambers.

The members of the Grue Crew are universally moved by Chaney’s artistry and dedication. Whitney recounts the joys of using collodion for makeup effects, the impact of seeing the film as a five-year-old, and her affection for the metal-band musical connections to The Phantom of the Opera. The multitude of different versions of the film, which one should you watch, and the true story of Mary Philbin’s lost love send Jeff down the rabbit hole again. Joseph agrees that the various versions and the multiple, creative hands in the pie are evident in the film. The pain experienced by Chaney as a result of the makeup appliances used for the Phantom make an impression on Chad, but he still manages to find yet another connection to the Batman TV series.

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 Return of the Vampire (1943)! More Bela Lugosi!

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 so much for listening!

Oct 5, 2018

“Feast your eyes--glut your soul on my accursed ugliness!”  Remember the old if-a-tree-falls-in-the-woods question? If Lon Chaney has a line in a silent-film and no one hears it, is it still a quote?  This episode’s Grue Crew says, “Yes! If it appears in quotes on an intertitle card!” Join this episode’s Grue Crew - Whitney Collazo, Chad Hunt, Joseph Perry, and Jeff Mohr - as they make their third trip to the land of silent screams and visit the Paris opera house as depicted in Universal’s The Phantom of the Opera (1925).

Decades of Horror: The Classic Era
Episode 42 – The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

After the success of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923), Universal Pictures’ Carl Laemmle needed another vehicle for the considerable talents of Lon Chaney and seized on the timeless story told in Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel, Le Fantôme de l'Opéra. Directed, at least in part, by Rupert Julian, The Phantom of the Opera tells the tale of a man, disfigured in both appearance and character. He is infatuated with a beautiful woman and plots to gain her trust by mentoring her singing career and follows that with subterfuge, manipulation, and coercion in an insane attempt to win her hand.

The cast of The Phantom of the Opera features Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin, and Norman Kerry. Of course, Chaney is the star of the film. Not only does he knock it out of the park with another groundbreaking effort in makeup artistry, but his performance as the Phantom/Erik is truly inspired. Universal’s Stage 28 set, designed by Ben Carré, deserves its own star billing as the grandeur of the Paris Opera House is recreated complete with stage, giant chandelier, opera boxes, cellars, and underground torture chambers.

The members of the Grue Crew are universally moved by Chaney’s artistry and dedication. Whitney recounts the joys of using collodion for makeup effects, the impact of seeing the film as a five-year-old, and her affection for the metal-band musical connections to The Phantom of the Opera. The multitude of different versions of the film, which one should you watch, and the true story of Mary Philbin’s lost love send Jeff down the rabbit hole again. Joseph agrees that the various versions and the multiple, creative hands in the pie are evident in the film. The pain experienced by Chaney as a result of the makeup appliances used for the Phantom make an impression on Chad, but he still manages to find yet another connection to the Batman TV series.

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 Return of the Vampire (1943)! More Bela Lugosi!

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 so much for listening!

Oct 1, 2018

"What Evil Lives In The... Mausoleum" the tagline for Mausoleum sets us up for a bizarre, zany, gory, and often super-silly overlooked horror classic from 1983! The film features Bobbie Bresee in - and out - of full monster make-up complete with... monster boobs. Practical effects for the win! Doc Rotten and Christopher G. Moore are joined by Lunchmeat VHS madman Josh Schafer.

Decades of Horror 1980s
Episode 139 – Mausoleum (1983)

One of the few, if not only, films from director Michael Dugan and writers Robert Barich, Robert Maderon, and Katherine Rosenwink, Mausoleum represents a group of filmmakers desperately crafting their epic horror film. The movie is an often overlook early VHS horror classic with Bobbie Bresee in the lead staring opposite Marjoe Gortner. Norman Burton, Maurice Sherbanee, and LeWanda Page round out the cast. Given this film's history tied more to its VHS release than its lukewarm DVD release, the Grue-Crew have invited Josh Schafer to return to the podcast. Josh is the man behind Lunchmeat VHS and set up Video Vortex at the Alamo Draft House in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Josh shares how Mausoleum was a VHS staple for him growing up, watching the film over and over from the local video store. Doc shares that he caught the film first at a drive-in double feature paired with Lucio Fulci's The Gates of Hell. The film is perhaps best remembered for its better than expected, if not spectacular, monster designs and effects. If nothing else, the demon monster in Mausoleum is a memorable creation with its glowing green eyes, snarling mouth, and... yeah... monster-faced boobs. What else can you say? Sigh.

1