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Now displaying: May, 2022
May 30, 2022

“You know, I mostly get your basic dorks around here. They seem to gravitate toward me… I don’t know why!” Hmmm. Guys go to a strip joint looking for a stripper and find vampires? May the dork be with you. Join your faithful Grue-Crew – Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, Crystal Cleveland, and Jeff Mohr  – as they check out the force of nature known as Grace Jones in Vamp (1986).

Decades of Horror 1980s
Episode 207 – Vamp (1986)

Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel!
Subscribe today! And click the alert to get notified of new content!
https://youtube.com/gruesomemagazine

Two fraternity pledges travel to a sleazy bar in search of a stripper for their college friends, unaware it is occupied by vampires.

 

Crystal is a big Grace Jones fan so it’s no surprise that Vamp is Crystal’s pick. She has such a good time laughing along with this movie that she enjoys it just as much, maybe more, watching as an adult.  She describes Grace Jones as a work of art in Vamp and gives Gedde Watanabe a big thumbs up for his performance.

Chad’s view of Vamp is that if you love cheesy, 80s horror, there’s not much to criticize. There’s a lot of silly 80s stuff, but it’s good silly 80s stuff. He loves Robert Rusler, Chris Makepeace, Grace Jones, and, of course, the vampires! Vamp is an odd little, very 80s film according to Bill and he likes the Nosferatu-like vampires. Grace Jones has such a [resence and her dance is iconic. Jeff is also in awe of the performance given by Grace Jones and is impressed with the effects work. To his surprise, he kind of got into the college-guy humor in Vamp.

The 80s Grue-Crew universally enjoys Vamp!  If you hear anything that sparks your interest, Vamp is currently available to stream from Tubi (free w/ads) as well as a variety of subscription and PPV options. If physical media is your thing, Vamp is available as a Special Edition [Blu-ray] from Arrow Video and as a Blu-ray from Image Entertainment. That’s all “as of this writing,” of course.

Every two weeks, Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1980s podcast will cover another horror film from the 1980s. The next episode’s film, chosen by Chad will be Evil Dead Trap (1988), a no-holds-barred journey into J-horror courtesy of Toshiharu Ikeda.

Please let them know how they’re doing! They want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans:  leave them a message or leave a comment on the gruesome Magazine Youtube channel, on the website or email the Decades of Horror 1980s podcast hosts at feedback@gruesomemagazine.com

May 25, 2022

“I can’t work with animals anymore! I must have humans!” Damn the ethical principles of human experimentation! They’re such a bother. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they witness the shenanigans going on in Horror Hospital (1973).

Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 163 – Horror Hospital (1973)

Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel!
Subscribe today! And click the alert to get notified of new content!
https://youtube.com/gruesomemagazine

Two British companions who met on a train heading to the rural countryside stay with a bizarre host of characters in a secluded, curious mansion. Unknown to them, there is a sinister secret behind closed doors.

IMDb

 

Horror Hospital is Doc’s pick and it proves to be so much better than he remembers. Of course, it’s not a good movie, but it is kind of great. There’s a crazy aunt, Frederick’s antics, biker henchmen, and victims right and left. What he can’t figure out, is why this film seems to be forgotten?

Despite his low expectations, Bill enjoyed every minute of Horror Hospitalcalling it a crazy, nutty, hoot. Bill has an affection for good-looking, low-budget, British movies and has enjoyed many of producer Richard Gordon’s other movies. Horror Hospital scores on both counts and though it’s not a good movie, it is an enjoyable movie. Chad’s first impression is, “What the hell is going on around here?” The film’s craziness turns out to be a good crazy as he enjoys Horror Hospital’s generous helpings of humor and weirdness, amplified by the performances of Michael Gough and Skip Martin. Jeff also had a blast watching it, loving Michael Gough’s performance as well and, oh, those beheadings.

If you haven’t experienced the cheesy fun of Horror Hospital, the 70s Grue-Crew wonders what you’re waiting for? At the time of this writing, Horror Hospital is available to stream with ads from Tubi and PlutoTV or PPV from Amazon. The film is available on physical media as a DVD from DigiComTV and as an import Blu-ray from Odeon.

Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1970s is part of the Decades of Horror two-week rotation with The Classic Era and the 1980s. In two weeks, the next episode in their very flexible schedule, chosen by Jeff, will be Invasion of the Bee Girls (1973). Oh, Jeff.

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 feedback@gruesomemagazine.com.

May 25, 2022

On episode 496 of Horror News Radio:

  • The Grue-Crew review… MEN (2022).

Warning: possible spoilers after the initial impressions!

Be sure to subscribe to the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel to catch all the HNR episodes.

This is HORROR NEWS RADIO, the official GRUESOME MAGAZINE podcast. For this episode, the HNR Grue-Crew are teaming up with the HEROES AND DROIDS hosts to bring you this crossover review.

Back with Doc Rotten once again are the scariest, goriest, bloodiest co-hosts on the 'Net.

  • Award-winning Film-maker, Christopher G. Moore
  • Guest-Host, BRIAN W. SMITH
  • Guest-Host, VANESSA WRIGHT, director of the RENEGADE FILM FESTIVAL

MEN (2022, A24)

A young girl tries to understand how she mysteriously gained the power to set things on fire with her mind.

  • Available in Theaters Beginning May 20, 2022
  • Directed by Alex Garland
  • Written by Alex Garland
  • Cast: Jessie Buckley, Rory Kinnear, Paapa Essiedu

CONTACT

May 21, 2022

“That’s the darndest thing I ever saw. The way that thing’s unscrewing.” It sounds just like a metal lid on a mason jar. Join this episode’s Grue-Crew – Chad Hunt, Daphne Monary-Ernsdorff, Jeff Mohr, and special guest host Dave Dreher – as they discuss another science fiction horror classic of the 1950s, H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds (1953).

Decades of Horror: The Classic Era
Episode 125 – The War of the Worlds (1953)

Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel!
Subscribe today! And click the alert to get notified of new content!
https://youtube.com/gruesomemagazine

ANNOUNCEMENT
Decades of Horror The Classic Era is partnering with THE CLASSIC SCI-FI MOVIE CHANNEL, THE CLASSIC HORROR MOVIE CHANNEL, and WICKED HORROR TV CHANNEL
Which all now include video episodes of The Classic Era!
Available on Roku, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, AndroidTV, Online Website.
Across All OTT platforms, as well as mobile, tablet, and desktop.
https://classicscifichannel.com/https://classichorrorchannel.com/https://wickedhorrortv.com/

A small town in California is attacked by Martians, beginning a worldwide invasion.

This early-50s gem from producer George Pal features excellent special effects and unique plot elements for the time. Jeff has been an H.G. Wells fan since he was a tyke so it’s no surprise that The War of the Worlds is his pick. Even so, he was a bit put off the first time he saw it, wondering where the Martians’ tripods were. Once he got over that change in Wells’ story, he fell in love with the film, observing that many of the cast and crew tackled this endeavor early in their careers. He is especially impressed with Gene Barry’s performance.

Dave recounts his grandfather telling him about the Orson Welles adaptation of this story for radio and how this film version blew him away. The effects in The War of the Worlds are outstanding for the time and still amaze him. It looks so good when the Martian ships are destroying the city. Daphne also really loves The War of the Worlds and is really impressed with the color. She is also surprised when the darkness of society surfaces with the mob attacking the trucks. When he was a kid, The War of the Worlds was pretty creepy, scary stuff to Chad and kept him on the edge of his seat. The idea of a story with no superhero-type leading man and no hope in sight fascinated him.

If you’re as impressed with The War of the Worlds as your Grue-Crew, it’s high time you checked it out again. If you’ve managed to miss this true classic, it’s high time you filled that gap. At the time of this writing, The War of the Worlds is available to stream from Amazon Prime, Paramount+, and multiple other subscription or PPV streaming services. If physical media is your thing, a Blu-ray is available from Criterion.

If you’re an H.G. Wells fan, check out these other Decades of Horror podcast episodes:

Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror: The Classic Era records a new episode every two weeks. Up next in their very flexible schedule is one chosen by Daphne: Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell (1968), a unique take on vampires!

Please let them know how they’re doing! They want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans: leave them a message or leave a comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror: The Classic Era podcast hosts at feedback@gruesomemagazine.com

May 17, 2022

On episode 495 of Horror News Radio:

  • The Grue-Crew review… FIRESTARTER (2022).

Warning: possible spoilers after the initial impressions!

Be sure to subscribe to the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel to catch all the HNR episodes.

This is HORROR NEWS RADIO, the official GRUESOME MAGAZINE podcast. For this episode, the HNR Grue-Crew are teaming up with the HEROES AND DROIDS hosts to bring you this crossover review.

Back with Doc Rotten once again are the scariest, goriest, bloodiest co-hosts on the 'Net.

  • Award-winning Film-maker, Christopher G. Moore
  • Guest-Host, BRIAN W. SMITH

FIRESTARTER (2022)

A young girl tries to understand how she mysteriously gained the power to set things on fire with her mind.

  • Available in Theaters Beginning in Theaters and on Peacock Beginning May 13, 2022
  • Directed by Keith Thomas
  • Written by Scott Teems
  • Based on the Novel by: Stephen King
  • Cast: Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Sydney Lemmon, Michael Greyeyes, Gloria Reuben, Kurtwood Smith

CONTACT

May 16, 2022

“I mean, in a sense, we’re all vampires.” Everyone is draining the life out of everyone else in one way or another? Hmmm, that’s a dark take, but a fair point. Join your faithful Grue-Crew – Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, Crystal Cleveland, and Jeff Mohr  – as they drain everything possible from Tobe Hooper’s Lifeforce (1985).

Decades of Horror 1980s
Episode 206 – Lifeforce (1985) Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel!
Subscribe today! And click the alert to get notified of new content!
https://youtube.com/gruesomemagazine

A race of space vampires arrives in London and infects the populace, beginning an apocalyptic descent into chaos.

Lifeforce is the first of three films Tobe Hooper made with Cannon, followed by Invaders From Mars (1986) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986). As Bill’s pick, it’s a film he frequently revisits trying to understand the choices made during its making. He’s always liked the film, even while feeling a bit baffled. Chad first read about Lifeforce in Fangoria. He loved how crazy and wild it was when he first saw it and he still does. Chad’s never quite sure what he thinks of Steve Railsback’s performance because to him, he’ll always be the Charles Manson he portrayed in Helter Skelter (1976). The excellent practical and visual effects are what pull Jeff into this movie. 

All three of this episode’s Grue-Crew compare Lifeforce to the feel of Hammer’s Quatermass and the Pit (1967) and indeed, may have been a better picture if Hooper had gone full-Quatermass. And of course, they all agree that Mathilda May is phenomenal at portraying the female vampire with style and grace while spending nearly the entire film unabashedly nude.

For other Decades of Horror discussions of Tobe Hooper films (and Quatermass and the Pit to boot), checkout the following episodes:

If you so desire, at the time of this writing, you can stream Lifeforce from Tubi and PlutoTV with ads, or from various PPV streaming services. If physical media is what trips your trigger, Lifeforce (Collector’s Edition) (4K UHD) is scheduled for release May 24, 2022 from Scream Factory. And let’s face it, it’s always time to revisit Tobe Hooper’s films.

Every two weeks, Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1980s podcast will cover another horror film from the 1980s. The next episode’s film, chosen by Crystal will be Vamp (1986), featuring a speechless Grace Jones. 

Please let them know how they’re doing! They want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans:  leave them a message or leave a comment on the gruesome Magazine Youtube channel, on the website or email the Decades of Horror 1980s podcast hosts at feedback@gruesomemagazine.com

May 11, 2022

“I’m going to bypass your forebrain and speak directly to your amygdala” Bypass the which and go directly to the ”whatdala?” Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr- as they assimilate the AI presaged in Demon Seed (1977).

Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 162 – Demon Seed (1977)

Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel!
Subscribe today! And click the alert to get notified of new content!
https://youtube.com/gruesomemagazine

 A scientist creates Proteus, an organic supercomputer with artificial intelligence which becomes obsessed with human beings, and in particular the creator’s wife

 

Demon Seed is Chad’s pick and for him, it’s a little hard to look at what are supposed to be advanced computers back in 1977. Even so, he really likes the performances from Fritz Weaver, Gerrit Graham, and especially Julie Christie. And, oooh, that baby! Bill observes that for a low-budget movie with a dopey, ridiculous premise, the filmmakers get a lot of things right in this forward-looking take on artificial intelligence. Bill, too, lauds Gerrit Graham’s performance but compares the trippy visual effects to really bad screen savers. The “ridiculous premise” of Demon Seed puts Jeff off a little; he just can’t buy the articulating polyhedron-puzzle-thingee that is produced and manipulated by Proteus even though he agrees it is pretty cool. When Doc first viewed Demon Seed as a youngster, he was struck by how the computer took over the house and shocked the young girl. Conceptually, he enjoys the “ahead-of-it’s-time” feel of Demon Seed. In the end, what really saves this movie, in Doc’s view, is Julie Christie’s performance.

If you’re in the mood for a 1970s prediction of AI and a really creepy, brass-plated baby, don’t forget about Demon Seed. As of this writing, it is available to stream from multiple free-with-ads streaming services, including tubi and Wicked Horror TV. Demon Seed can also be streamed from many PPV sources and is available on physical media as a Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray.

Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1970s is part of the Decades of Horror two-week rotation with The Classic Era and the 1980s. In two weeks, the next episode in their very flexible schedule, chosen by Doc, will be Horror Hospital (1973). Is it a good sign when a movie has multiple titles and release dates?

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 feedback@gruesomemagazine.com. 

May 9, 2022

On episode 494 of Horror News Radio:

  • The Grue-Crew review… DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS (2022).

Warning: possible spoilers after the initial impressions!

Be sure to subscribe to the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel to catch all the HNR episodes.

This is HORROR NEWS RADIO, the official GRUESOME MAGAZINE podcast. For this episode, the HNR Grue-Crew are teaming up with the HEROES AND DROIDS hosts to bring you this crossover review.

Back with Doc Rotten once again are the scariest, goriest, bloodiest co-hosts on the 'Net.

  • Award-winning Film-maker, Christopher G. Moore
  • Guest-Host, Christopher Slattery, THE SLATTMAN! from the Heroes and Droids Podcast
  • Guest-Host, Vanessa, Podcasting Rockstar & International Cosplay Queen from the Heroes and Droids podcast

DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS (2022)

Dr. Stephen Strange casts a forbidden spell that opens the doorway to the multiverse, including alternate versions of himself, whose threat to humanity is too great for the combined forces of Strange, Wong, and Wanda Maximoff.

  • Available in Theaters Beginning May 5, 2022
  • Directed by Sam Raimi
  • Written by Michael Waldron
  • Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Rachel McAdams

CONTACT

May 7, 2022
“The slightest move will send a bullet crashing through your stiff British spine.” What’s all this, then? Join this episode’s Grue-Crew – Whitney Collazo, Chad Hunt, Daphne Monary-Ernsdorff, and Jeff Mohr – as they discuss another pre-code vehicle for Boris Karloff, The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932).

Decades of Horror: The Classic Era
Episode 124 – The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932)

Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel!
Subscribe today! And click the alert to get notified of new content!
https://youtube.com/gruesomemagazine

ANNOUNCEMENT
Decades of Horror The Classic Era is partnering with THE CLASSIC SCI-FI MOVIE CHANNEL, THE CLASSIC HORROR MOVIE CHANNEL, and WICKED HORROR TV CHANNEL
Which all now include video episodes of The Classic Era!
Available on Roku, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, AndroidTV, Online Website.
Across All OTT platforms, as well as mobile, tablet, and desktop.
https://classicscifichannel.com/https://classichorrorchannel.com/https://wickedhorrortv.com/

Englishmen race to find the tomb of Genghis Khan before the sinister Fu Manchu does.

Chad is familiar with Fu Manchu as Shang-Chi’s father in The Hands of Shang-Chi: The Master of Kung Fu series of comics. When he saw that The Mask of Fu Manchu was available on the Classic Horror Movie Channel, he decided it was a good time to learn more about the genesis of the character and chose it for this episode. He describes the film as unquestionably racist and, as a pre-code film, it’s also a bit on the racy side. If, he promises, you’re able to get past the racism in The Mask of Fu Manchu, you’ll find a good adventure story that is reminiscent of the old serials. 

Daphne is a fan of Myrna Loy from her appearances in the Thin Man series of films and loves the costumes she wears in The Mask of Fu Manchu. Even though the blatant racism makes it hard to watch, she enjoys the manufactured perils the characters are subjected to and finds it to be a fun adventure movie. For Whitney, the aesthetics are as wild as the adventure and really sucked her into The Mask of Fu Manchu. She is also glad Karloff uses his authentic voice rather than going for an Asian accent. Myrna Loy is a newfound love for Jeff and he points out that Karen Morley’s character figures out the danger before any of the other characters but no one listens to her warnings.

The talk of the yellow peril and conspiracies to destroy the white race aside, The Mask of Fu Manchu, with its alligator-pit perils and Strickfaden electromagic, is a fun ride. As of this writing, The Mask of Fu Manchu is available to stream from the Classic Horror Movie Channel and various PPV options. 

Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror: The Classic Era records a new episode every two weeks. Up next in their very flexible schedule is one chosen by Jeff: The War of the Worlds (1953)!

Please let them know how they’re doing! They want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans: leave them a message or leave a comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror: The Classic Era podcast hosts at feedback@gruesomemagazine.com

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

May 2, 2022
“He was my patient for fifteen years. He became an obsession with me until I realized that there was nothing within him, neither conscious nor reason that was… even remotely human. An hour ago, I stood up and fired six shots into him, and then, he just got up and walked away. ” He shot him! Six times! …or was it seven? Join your faithful Grue-Crew – Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, Crystal Cleveland, and Jeff Mohr  – as they count the shots The Shape takes from Dr. Loomis in Halloween II (1981).

Decades of Horror 1980s
Episode 205 – Halloween II (1981)

Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel!
Subscribe today! And click the alert to get notified of new content!
https://youtube.com/gruesomemagazine

While Dr. Loomis hunts for Michael Myers, a traumatized Laurie is rushed to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, and The Shape is not far behind her.

Halloween II, the sometimes denigrated sequel to the original, is Jeff’s pick. The film picks up right where Halloween (1978) left off but with much more of an 80s slasher feel than the first entry in the franchise. Jeff laments the “apparent” loss of Dr. Loomis and thinks Laurie Strode is more of a target than an active participant. Crystal advises viewers that if they watch Halloween II without thinking too much, they’ll have a good time. She doesn’t care one way or the other about the reveal that Laurie is Michael’s sister and points out Michael’s move into the realm of the supernatural with his ability to survive umpteen point-blank gunshots.

Chad is glad Halloween II is different from the first entry in the franchise. To his mind, it would have failed if the filmmakers had tried to copy John Carpenter’s seminal work. He agrees that the filmmakers beefed up the gore and the violence to compete with early 80s slashers. He liked it coming out of the theater in 1981 and he still likes it. Though admittedly not fond of the Halloween franchise, Bill enjoys Halloween II more now than when he first saw it. He still doesn’t care for the Laurie-is-Michael’s-sister twist, pointing out that the idea doesn’t really go anywhere in this specific movie.

Collectively, your 1980s Grue-Crew enjoy Halloween II and though admitting it doesn’t reach the heights of its predecessor, give it a hearty recommendation. Hey! It’s Halloween! At the time of this writing, Halloween II can be streamed from Shudder and Tubi (w/ads) and is available on physical media as a SHOUT! Factory Collector’s Edition [4K UHD] and on Blu-ray as a stand-alone or in a variety of box set combinations from multiple companies.

For more Halloween franchise-related podcasts, check out these episodes from the Gruesome Magazine family of podcasts:

Every two weeks, Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1980s podcast will cover another horror film from the 1980s. The next episode’s film, chosen by Bill will be Tobe Hooper’s Lifeforce (1985). 

Please let them know how they’re doing! They want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans:  leave them a message or leave a comment on the gruesome Magazine Youtube channel, on the website or email the Decades of Horror 1980s podcast hosts at feedback@gruesomemagazine.com

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