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Now displaying: November, 2018
Nov 30, 2018

For our 300th episode, we are honored to interview Robert Kurtzman, the legendary effects artist who also oversaw the effects for THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE. The Grue-Crew also review THE NIGHT EATS THE WORLD (2018) from director Dominique Rocher, due to a troll-worthy recommendation from the one-and-only Stephen King. 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 300 - The Night Eats the World
Interview Robert Kurtzman - The Haunting of Hill House
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ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • HNR Is brought to you by the generous contributions to our Patreon account
    Thank you to our patrons
  • NEW YORK CITY HORROR FILM FESTIVAL: Thursday, November 29 - Sunday, December 2, New  York, New York

INTERVIEW: Robert Kurtzman

The Grue-Crew discuss the effects that went into the phenomenal NETFLIX horror TV show, THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE with the legendary effects artist Robert Kurtzman. He also shares some memories and behind-the-scenes secrets from his long list of effects credits, including Evil Dead 2, Intruder, Army of Darkness, From Dusk Till Dawn, and John Dies at the End.

HORROR NEWS OF THE WEEK

  • R.I.P. Nicolas Roeg, director of Don't Look Now, The Witches, and more
  • Friday the 13th stars team up for the indie film - 13 FANBOY
  • We get our first solid look at David Harbour as HELLBOY
  • THE WALKING DEAD kills off another main character - amid controversy - and gets scary again.

FEATURE TOPIC: The Night Eats the World (La Nuit a dévoré le monde)

The morning after a party, a young man wakes up to find Paris invaded by zombies.

Director: Dominique Rocher
Cast: Anders Danielsen Lie, Golshifteh Farahani, Denis Lavant

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Thanks to Rocky Gray for our killer new HNR theme song
Next Week on HNR: The Possession of Hannah Grace

 

 

Nov 29, 2018

“... I leave before the dark. We live over in town, miles away. … We couldn't hear you. In the night. No one could. ... No one will come any nearer than that. In the night. In the dark.”  Okay, get the picture? Hill House is an inviting and comforting place to stay, right? In fact, you’ll feel so at home, you might never want to leave. Join this episode’s Grue Crew - Whitney Collazo, Chad Hunt, and Jeff Mohr - as they brave a few nights in Hill House with The Haunting (1963)!

Decades of Horror: The Classic Era
Episode 46 – The Haunting (1963)

Dr. Markway (Richard Johnson), a researcher in psychic phenomena, has gained permission to stay in Hill House, a 90-year-old mansion with an evil, deadly history. Markway invites six people with a variety of psychic abilities to accompany him as research assistants, but only two take the bait: Eleanor (Julie Harris), a woman with a history of poltergeist phenomena, and Theo (Claire Bloom), who has proven ESP abilities. Luke (Russ Tamblyn), a member of the owning family and a skeptic, comes along to keep an eye on his property. Mrs. Dudley (Rosalie Crutchley), one of the caretakers of Hill House, makes an appearance early on to ominously warn the researchers that after dark, they will be alone and no one will come to help them. Almost immediately, Hill House begins to exert its power over the interlopers. They only last three nights and not everyone survives The Haunting.

The film is brilliantly directed by Robert Wise, sandwiched between his Oscar-winning efforts on West Side Story (1961) and The Sound of Music (1965). Wise, one of Val Lewton’s acolytes at RKO, exhibits mastery of Lewton’s preference for implicit, rather than explicit, danger in The Haunting. The screenplay by Nelson Gidding, adapted from Shirley Jackson’s novel, The Haunting of Hill House (1959), deftly establishes the four personalities of the research team members, their interpersonal relationships, and how Hill House interacts with and affects them. The acting, cinematography, and music fit the filmmakers’ vision perfectly, ramping up its nearly unbearable, sinister atmosphere.

Once again, the Decades of Horror: The Classic Era Grue Crew have a much greater appreciation for the film they discussed than they had going into this episode. Whitney loves the character of Eleanor and Julie Harris’ portrayal. She also likes the way the story walks a tightrope between the supernatural and insanity. On the other hand, Chad is all over the supernatural justification of events in The Haunting and loves the scenes with the inexplicable pounding on the Eleanor’s and Theo’s bedroom walls. Jeff was entranced with the optical distortions created by Wise’s intentional use of a not-ready-for-primetime lens and loved the introductory “history of Hill House” scenes. Of course, Chad managed to, yet again, find a Batman reference. Your Grue Crew highly recommends The Haunting (1963) as one of the top haunted house films in history, and especially now as a comparison to the recent Netflix series, The Haunting of Hill House.

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 Herk Harvey’s one-off classic, Carnival of Souls (1962).

Please let us know what you think of Decades of Horror: The Classic Era! 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, or the Gruesome Magazine Horror News Radio Facebook group.

To each of you from each of us, “Thank you so much for listening!

Nov 24, 2018

New genre films are announced for Bad Robot and Blumhouse. Look for FOODIES and KNOB GOBLINS from co-host Christopher G. Moore on Hulu and Amazon Prime. And, it looks like they've made a crappy sequel to THE CAR (1977). The Grue-Crew review MAY THE DEVIL TAKE YOU (2018) from director Timo Tjahjanto, currently streaming on NETFLIX. 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 299 - May the Devil Take You (2018)
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ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • HNR Is brought to you by the generous contributions to our Patreon account
    Thank you to our patrons
  • NEW YORK CITY HORROR FILM FESTIVAL: Thursday, November 29 - Sunday, December 2, New  York, New York

HORROR NEWS OF THE WEEK

FEATURE TOPIC: May the Devil Take You

When her estranged father falls into a mysterious coma, a young woman seeks answers at his old villa, where she and her stepsister uncover dark truths.

Director: Timo Tjahjanto
Cast: Chelsea Islan, Pevita Pearce, Ray Sahetapy

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EXIT

Thanks to Rocky Gray for our killer new HNR theme song
Next Week on HNR: The Night Eats the World (d. Dominique Rocher, La Nuit a Dévoré le Monde)

Nov 21, 2018

"Greetings to you, Earthlings. I am Princess Dragon Mom. I have taken over this planet. Now I own the Earth and you'll be my slaves for all eternity." Oh no! What will we ever do? Never fear fellow Earthlings! Infra-Man to the rescue! Join your faithful Grue Crew - Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr - as they try to describe the indescribable.  Of course, the topic for this episode is the Shaw Brothers 1975 classic, Infra-Man, the man beyond bionics!

Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 85 – Infra-Man (1975)

What could be more fun than a band of ten-million-year-old mutant monsters and thirty henchmen bent on owning Earth and enslaving all Earthlings? What if their fearless leader’s curiously translated title is Princess Dragon Mom? And what if the Earthlings just happen to have, at the ready, a complete set of plans for a being to battle Princess Dragon Mom and her minions? A sort of Chinese Superman, if you will? With another curious translation - and there are plenty of them - this Chinese Superman, aka Zhong guo chao ren, became known in the U.S. as Infra-Man!

Under the category of more curious translations, in the original Chinese dub, the monsters of Infra-Man are named Demon Princess Elzebub, Witch Eye, Fire Dragon, Spider Monster, Plant Monster, Drill Arm, Long-Haired Monster, and Iron Armor Monsters.  However, they are renamed in the English dub as Princess Dragon Mom, She-Demon, Emperor of Doom, Giant Beetle Monster, Octopus Mutant, Driller Beast, Laser Horn Monster, and Iron Fist Robots.

Danny Lee plays Infra-Man and because this is the third of his films covered by the Grue Crew in 2018, Doc has proclaimed Lee their actor of the year. The Oily Maniac (1976) and The Mighty Peking Man (1977) are the other two of Lee’s Shaw Brothers releases they’ve covered. Chad saw this film at the time of its U.S. theatrical release. He loved it then and he loves, loves, loves it now! He also points out some pant-splitting moments in the film that Bill and Jeff missed; they’ll have to watch it again! Though he wasn’t ga-ga over Infra-Man the first time he viewed it, Bill has gained an appreciation of the film over the years. He jokingly wonders how Infra-Man decides when to use his powers and when not to use his powers. They all agree it’s a bit of a mystery that only adds to the film’s appeal. Only Jeff had not seen Infra-Man before preparing for this podcast and he is forever grateful to Chad, Doc, and Bill for introducing him to its wonders and thinks it is one of the funniest movies he’s seen in a long while. In fact, he’s so enamored of the film, he promises his next step is to introduce it to his grand-munchkins and to search out the pant-splitting.

The members of the Grue Crew all agree Infra-Man is not a good movie by any stretch of the imagination. However, watching it is more fun than a movie should be allowed to be. It’s time to make it a family viewing tradition! The Black Saint and Chad had often trumpeted their love of Infra-Man and Princess Dragon Mom in the past and the Decades of Horror 1970s Grue Crew decided now was the time. This one’s for you, Santos.

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.

Nov 21, 2018

"Once it gets inside you, it will do anything to get out!" the tagline for Parasite 3-D .promised buckets of 3-D gruesome gore. The film partially delivers with Stan Winston creature effects that hold up and the presence of a young Demi Moore. And, then there is the 3-D, effective and restrained, not as over-the-top as later films or the previous Comin' At You. Christopher G. Moore is joined by co-host, Doc Rotten to discuss a Charles Band classic seen in its original 3-D presentation at the Carolina Theater in Durham, North Carolina..

Decades of Horror 1980s
Episode 141 – Parasite (1982)

On Horror News Radio, week after week, as the Grue-Crew mentioned the upcoming Splatterflix Film Series, Christopher shared his memories of seeing stills from Parasite in Fangoria, specifically the shot of a victim with a hollow pipe sticking out of his chest with blood dripping out the far end. Each week, we would eagerly announce that Parasite would be showing at the event. To see Parasite in 3-D would certainly be amazing. On Saturday, October 13, 2018, Christopher is finally able to see this scene on the big screen...and in its original 3-D presentation thanks to Jim Carl, from the Carolina Theater and Harry Guerro, from Exhumed Films. Finally, all is right in the world.

But, let's not forget this is a Charles Band film. Despite his reputation, Parasite proves there is more to the low-budget legendary director than mere schlock and exploitation...well, yes, there remains plenty of that too; but...the film holds up remarkably well. This is mostly due to the terrific early effects work from Stan Winston, a quick plot, and retro-fueled fascination in its 80s 3-D work. While not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, it may be better than the discouraging reviews heaped upon the film during its release. Christopher and Doc take a look at the film, the cast, the director, the 3-D, and the Parasite creature itself this week. It's in 3-D, so you know Doc is happy. Ha! Take a listen, and you may be convinced to give the film a second chance...maybe.

Paul Dean has created a deadly parasite that is now attached to his stomach. He and his female companion, Patricia Welles, must find a way to destroy it while also trying to avoid Ricus, his rednecks, and an evil government agent named Merchant.

 

Nov 17, 2018

Finally, the gang wraps up their thoughts about CASTLE ROCK. Pop culture geekdom says goodbye to a legendary icon, Stan Lee. And, horror fans may get to see a lost George A. Romero film from 1973, THE AMUSEMENT PARK. The Grue-Crew review OVERLORD (2018) from director Julius Avery. 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 298 - Overlord (2018)
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ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • HNR Is brought to you by the generous contributions to our Patreon account
    Thank you to our patrons
  • NEW YORK CITY HORROR FILM FESTIVAL: Thursday, November 29 - Sunday December 2, New  York, New York

HORROR NEWS OF THE WEEK

FEATURE TOPIC: Overlord (2018)

A little squad of American soldiers finds horror behind enemy lines on the eve of D-Day.

Director: Julius Avery
Cast:

  • Jovan Adepo ... Boyce
  • Wyatt Russell ... Ford
  • Mathilde Ollivier ... Chloe
  • Pilou Asbæk ... Wafner
  • John Magaro ... Tibbet
  • Iain De Caestecker ... Chase
  • Jacob Anderson ... Dawson
  • Dominic Applewhite ... Rosenfeld
  • Gianny Taufer ... Paul
  • Joseph Quinn ... Grunauer
  • Bokeem Woodbine ... Rensin
  • Erich Redman ... Dr. Schmidt

SUPPORT HNR:

THIS MONTH ON PATREON
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EXIT

Thanks to Rocky Gray for our killer new HNR theme song
Next Week on HNR: May the Devil Take You (d. Timo Tjahjanto, NETFLIX)

 

Nov 15, 2018

“Look, Ann, this is a mistake any one of us might've made. And I'm getting a little sick of being called an irresponsible drunk, now believe me I am.” Who hasn’t accidentally unleashed a pack of killer creatures while irresponsibly drunk? Join this episode’s Grue Crew - Whitney Collazo, Chad Hunt, Joseph Perry, and Jeff Mohr - as they journey to a remote island and are trapped with The Killer Shrews (1959)!

Decades of Horror: The Classic Era
Episode 45 – The Killer Shrews (1959)

Gordon McLendon, the owner of a chain of drive-in movie theaters and a network of radio stations, decided to cut out the middle man and formed a short-lived movie production company to crank out a pair of typical, regional horror films. He enlisted Ray Kellogg as his director and Jay Simms as his screenwriter. The products of their efforts are The Killer Shrews and The Giant Gila Monster (1959).

The Killer Shrews tells an oft-told tale of pseudoscience gone wrong. Scientists on a remote island experiment on shrews in search of a way to reduce food shortages and the effects of population growth by making people smaller. Instead, they manage to enlarge the tiny creatures to the size of large dogs.  Entering this cozy enclave is the captain of a charter vessel delivering supplies and his crewman, coincidentally arriving as a hurricane hits the island and are trapped. They soon learn that one of the island-dwellers recently released the enlarged shrews while “irresponsibly” drunk. The result is a horde of hungry, teeth-gnashing, rampaging killer shrews on the loose!  

The original residents of the island are played by Baruch Lumet (Dr. Craigis), Glendon McLendon (Dr. Baines), Ingrid Goude (Dr. Craigis’ daughter, Ann), Ken Curtis (Ann’s fiance), and Alfredo de Soto (Mario, their assistant).  James Best is Captain Thorne Sherman and Judge Henry Dupree is Rook Griswold, his crewman.

No one will ever mistake The Killer Shrews as a great movie. The effects, the dialogue, and some of the acting rank high on the cheese-factor scale. It is, however, a boatload of fun! Whitney recounts seeing the film as a child with her grandmother and gives us the “You do what you have to do” mantra of the low-budget, independent filmmaker. Though he has come to love it, Chad hated the movie when he saw it as a child. He also wishes Judge Henry Dupree and Alfredo de Soto had lasted longer into the film, though they both did have heroic deaths. Joseph points out that Baruch Lumet was director Sidney Lumet’s father and opines that James Best is giving it his all as the lead protagonist. The colorized version of The Killer Shrews gets a short test run from Jeff and he also reveals the connection between Ken Curtis and legendary director John Ford. Unsurprisingly, your Grue Crew gives a unanimous, cheese-dipped, thumbs-up to The Killer Shrews!

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 Haunting (1963). We thought it was time to revisit the original following the recent release of The Haunting of Hill House as a Netflix series.

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!

Nov 9, 2018

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, THE WALKING DEAD, and LEPRECHAUN RETURNS top the horror news of the week. The Grue-Crew review SUSPIRIA (2018) from director Luca Guadagnino which promises to be a divisive and challenging horror film, possibly one that will be discussed for years and years. 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 297 - Suspiria (2018)
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ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • HNR Is brought to you by the generous contributions to our Patreon account
    Thank you to our patrons
  • NEW YORK CITY HORROR FILM FESTIVAL: Thursday, November 29 - Sunday December 2, New  York, New York

HORROR NEWS OF THE WEEK

FEATURE TOPIC: Suspiria (2018)

A darkness swirls at the center of a world-renowned dance company, one that will engulf the artistic director, an ambitious young dancer, and a grieving psychotherapist. Some will succumb to the nightmare. Others will finally wake up.

Director: Luca Guadagnino
Cast: Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, Doris Hick

SUPPORT HNR:

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EXIT

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

 

Nov 7, 2018

"So think about it and try to tell yourself wherever you may be, in the quiet of your home, in the safety of your bed, try to tell yourself, It couldn't happen here." As all horror fans know, of course, it could happen here. It always happens here! Join your faithful Grue Crew - Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr - as they journey back to 1970s Las Vegas with Carl Kolchak in search of The Night Stalker (1972).

Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 83 – The Night Stalker (1972)

Before it premiered in 1972, no one predicted the impact The Night Stalker would have on the horror genre as seen on network television. Produced by Dan Curtis, directed by John Llewellyn Moxey, written by Richard Matheson from a novel by Jeff Rice, the film unexpectedly set a ratings record for TV-movies. Its success led to a follow-up telefilm, The Night Strangler (1973), and a legendary TV series, Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974-1975). To top it off, The Night Stalker was the first film in the successful pairing of Curtis and Matheson that would last for half-a-dozen films through Dead of Night (1977).

The story of The Night Stalker is told through a series of audio tape recordings, documenting an unprinted story written by Carl Kolchak, a rebellious, idealistic reporter. Kolchak believes a series of killings have been committed by a vampire but, not surprisingly, he can’t seem to convince anyone else. When the powers-that-be are finally forced to face the truth, a temporarily triumphant Kolchak discovers he’s been playing a rigged game all along.

Darren McGavin is Carl Kolchak as he creates an iconic character from Matheson’s brilliant screenplay. McGavin is supported by a cast of venerable character actors that include Simon Oakland as Vincenzo, Kolchak’s editor; Ralph Meeker as Bernie Jenks, one of Kolchak’s few allies; Claude Akins as Sheriff Butcher; Kent Smith as D.A. Paine; Charles McGraw as Chief Masterson; Elisha Cook Jr. as Mickey Crawford, Kolchak’s key source; and Larry Linville as Coroner Makurji. The superlative cast of The Night Stalker is rounded out by Carol Lynley and Barry Atwater, as Kolchak’s girlfriend Gail and the vampire Janos Skorzeny, respectively.

The 1970s Grue Crew all saw the television premiere of The Night Stalker and are adamant regarding how well it holds up. Chad reflects on the after-effects experienced by his young self when he first saw the film, and emphatically declares his love for all things Kolchak. As a vampire aficionado, Bill is impressed by the feral nature of Atwater’s portrayal of Skorzeny, and voices his appreciation for the unique elements this film brings to the vampire canon. Jeff talks about how well Bob Cobert’s score enhances the film and gives some shoutouts to the classic era of horror by means of a short quiz about two of the film’s many character actors. Kolchak’s signature attire (porkpie hat and shabby suit) gets Doc fired up and the final confrontation between Kolchak and Skorzeny fans his flame even higher.  As the Grue Crew’s fearless leader, Doc does his usual masterful job keeping everyone on track and what would a Gruesome Magazine podcast be without a demonstration of his skill at the innovative pronunciation of names? How many ways can you say "Janos Skorzeny?" (We love you, Doc!)

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.

Nov 3, 2018

NIGHT OF THE COMET, DAWN OF THE DEAD, and THE POSSESSION OF HANNAH GRACE top the horror news of the week and we remember the prolific character actor James Karen. The Grue-Crew review APOSTLE (2018) from director Gareth Evans who hides something far more supernatural than a dangerous cult in his harrowing period film. 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 296 - Apostle
Subscribe – iTunes – Facebook – Stitcher

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • HNR Is brought to you by the generous contributions to our Patreon account
    Thank you to our patrons
  • NEW YORK CITY HORROR FILM FESTIVAL: Thursday, November 29 - Sunday December 2, New  York, New York

HORROR NEWS OF THE WEEK

  • R.I.P James Karen (Return of the Living Dead, Poltergeist)
    https://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3529434/r-p-return-living-dead-poltergeist-star-james-karen-died/
  • Night of the Comet remake on its way from Director Roxanne Benjamin
    https://www.slashfilm.com/night-of-the-comet-remake/
  • Hmmm. A 3-D conversion of Dawn of the Dead (1978) exists...
    https://birthmoviesdeath.com/2018/10/23/a-talk-with-richard-p.-rubinstein-on-the-3d-version-of-dawn-of-the-dead
  • Trailer: The Possession of Hannah Grace
    https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/284475/284475/
  • Adam Scott takes on the Shatner role for Jordan Peele's Twilight Zone
    https://www.slashfilm.com/twilight-zone-reboot-cast/
  • NECA sends Valek (The Nun) set to haunt your toy shelf
    https://bloody-disgusting.com/exclusives/3529969/exclusive-neca-brings-demon-valak-toy-shelf-upcoming-nun-figure/
  • Not scary enough: Howzabout It!
    https://bloody-disgusting.com/toys/3529533/neca-reveals-ultimate-well-house-pennywise-action-figure/

FEATURE TOPIC: Apostle (2018)

In 1905, a drifter on a dangerous mission to rescue his kidnapped sister tangles with a sinister religious cult on an isolated island.

Director: Gareth Evans (The Raid/The Raid 2, "Safe Haven" V/H/S 2)
Cast: Dan Stevens, Michael Sheen, Lucy Boynton, Bill Milner, Kristine Froseth, Paul Higgens, and Mark Lewis Jones

SUPPORT HNR:

THIS MONTH ON PATREON
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FEEDBACK: feedback@horrornewsradio.com

EXIT

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

Nov 1, 2018

“I know you'll think I'm crazy, but... in a half-an-hour the moon will rise and I'll turn into a wolf.” “You and 20 million other guys!” Join this episode’s Grue Crew - Chad Hunt, Whitney Collazo, Jeff Mohr, and Joseph Perry - as they chuckle and guffaw their way through the comedy classic, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).

Decades of Horror: The Classic Era
Episode 44 – Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

Once director Charles Barton was on board, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello reluctantly signed on for the Universal International Pictures’ production of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. The film features a trio of Universal classic monsters - Dracula, Frankenstein (the monster), and the Wolf Man - as played by Bela Lugosi, Glenn Strange, and Lon Chaney Jr. respectively. Although the three monsters are there, the story-line doesn’t fit anywhere in the Universal monster canon, reinforcing its place as somewhat of a novelty among the other films.

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein’s plot features two baggage handlers, Chick (Bud Abbott) and Wilbur (Lou Costello), tasked with delivering two large, coffin-sized containers holding Frankenstein and Dracula to McDougal’s House of Horrors. Dracula is in league with Dr. Mornay (Lenore Aubert), a mad scientist of sorts. In the meantime, Lawrence Talbot is trying to prevent delivery of the crates. The cast is supported by Jane Randolph in her last credited role, and the ever-present Frank Ferguson. As the brilliant comic duo roam the castle, much hi-jinks ensue!

The Classic Era Grue Crew couldn’t stop gushing about Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. Chad goes into depth on the life of Bud Abbott and reminds us that this film includes Bela Lugosi’s second and last role as Dracula and Lon Chaney Jr.’s last role as the Wolf Man.  An infatuation with Jane Randolph, first revealed in Episode 37 (Cat People, 1941), is reiterated by Joseph. Whitney identifies noticeable differences in Lon Chaney Jr.’s makeup between that used in this film and 1941’s The Wolf Man (Episode 39), and expresses her appreciation for a strong female role as a scientist. Several connections with 1925’s Phantom of the Opera (Episode 42) are pointed out by Jeff, including cameraman/director of photography Charles Van Enger. They all remarked on this film’s ability to still have them rolling in the aisles after decades of watching it. Yes, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is still funny and it’s a great “horror” film to watch as a family!

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 Killer Shrews (1959), starring Roscoe P. Coltrane and Festus.

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!

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