“This is the ant. Treat it with respect, for it may very well be the next dominant life form on our planet.” It seems we’re moving in that direction. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they shop for prime real estate in the Empire of the Ants (1977).
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 170 – Empire of the Ants (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
Con artist Marilyn Fryser tries to sell bogus real estate deals in an area overrun by giant ants.
IMDb
Chad chose Empire of the Ants, his second H. G. Wells-related pick in a row after The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977) in episode 166 and his second Bert I. Gordon pick after War of the Colossal Beast (1958) on episode 80 of Decades of Horror: The Classic Era. (This is also the second Bert I. Gordon film featured on Decades of Horror 1970s after Food of the Gods (1976) on episode 28.) Chad does recognize his hometown where some of Empire of the Ants is shot, but it is not a terribly good movie, just terrible. To him, it feels like a TV Movie of the Week. The nasty effects and nasty acting, however, are not counterbalanced by how big the ants are.
Robert Lansing is a plus for Jeff in Empire of the Ants but Joan Collins is a minus. Add in the terrible effects and jeff is in agreement with Chad. The movie is just terrible. Even though the movie is bad from its dreadful beginning to its terrible ending, Bill retains an affection for Bert I. Gordon and his work even though it doesn’t work well in Empire of the Ants. Waiting for a bunch of unlikable characters to start dying is a bit of a drag. Doc is on board with the TV-movie-of-the-week feel to Empire of the Ants, adding that it is just bad and boring. To him, it seems workmanlike, but there is no pizazz to hold a viewer’s interest. This one definitely fits into the “not-so-good” classification.
The Grue-Crew also go through some feedback, during which they promised to provide the link to Grue-Believer Scott’s “erratically published” blog, so here it is. Check out his musings at Saturday Mad Theater.
If for any reason imaginable, you’re looking for a way to watch Empire of the Ants, as of this writing, it is streaming from Plex w/ads and as PPV from Apple TV and Amazon.
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 Chosen Survivors (1974), a film oft mentioned by The Black Saint, starring Jackie Cooper, Bradford Dillman, Richard Jaeckel, Gwenn Mitchell, Lincoln Kilpatrick, Barbara Babcock, Diana Muldaur, and Alex Cord.
We want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans: comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1970s podcast hosts at feedback@gruesomemagazine.com.
Welcome to HORROR NEWS RADIO for August 29, 2022. JOIN US FOR casting news for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and The Front Room, along with trailer news for Terrifier 2 and My Best Friend's Exorcism. All this, and more, coming up next…
I am your host Doc Rotten and this is HNR, the official GRUESOME MAGAZINE HORROR NEWS podcast. Back with me again are the scariest, goriest, bloodiest co-hosts on the 'Net.
Live-Action KING KONG series coming to DISNEY+. Produced by James Wan's Atomic Monster. Written by Paper Girls creator Stephany Folsom. The series will explore the mythology of King Kong’s origin story and the supernatural mysteries of his home based on IP from Merian C. Cooper’s original books and the new King Kong novelizations by Joe DeVito. source: Deadline
HALLOWEEN ENDS going day-and-date to Theaters AND Peacock on October 14, 2022. Source: Deadline
https://deadline.com/2022/08/halloween-ends-peacock-theatrical-release-1235098413/
EVIL DEAD RISE dropped from HBOMax, will now release in theaters on April 21, 2023. Source: Deadline
What to watch this weekend (September 2), you ask…
Owen Teague cast in Disney's KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. Source: Deadline
https://deadline.com/2022/08/planet-of-the-apes-owen-teague-20th-century-1235097948/
The Eggar Brothers, Max Eggers (The Lighthouse) and Sam Eggers (Olympia), set to direct THE FRONT ROOM for A24. Cast includes Brandy Norwood (Queens), Kathryn Hunter (The Tragedy of Macbeth), Andrew Burnap (Snow White) and Neal Huff (Waves). Original short story by Susan (The Woman in Black) Hill. Source: Deadline
CAMP PLEASANT LAKE casts Jonathan Lipnicki (Jerry Maquire, Stuart Little) as the film's…Villain! Source: Deadline
TERRIFIER 2 is Gruesome-tacular!
Prime Video presents MY BEST FRIEND'S EXORCISM in October
Directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead return with SOMETHING IN THE DIRT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SU1dZ5sWYM
Chad White: Great show everyone
Adam Burling: Love it, great reveiw. Love all your reviews.. horrors live on!
Shawn Parks: Terrifier 2 trailer incoming? YES, please!
Thank you for hanging out with the Grue-Crew. Be sure to hit the LIKE, SUBSCRIBE buttons, or Share with a Friend. Every click counts. Check out the Patreon link below and we'll see you next week.
“The Angel of Death hovers over a great house. I see it in ruins. Weeds, vines growing over it, bats flying in and out the broken windows.” Do you see anyone marrying a corpse or living in a grave, too? Join this episode’s Grue-Crew – Chad Hunt, Daphne Monary-Ernsdorff, and Jeff Mohr – as they discuss Son of Dracula (1943), the third entry in the series of Universal Dracula films.
Decades of Horror: The Classic Era
Episode 132 – Son of Dracula (1943)
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/
When Katherine, a beautiful Southern girl obsessed with thoughts of eternal life, invites Count Alucard to come to her mansion in the U.S., she unleashes a Pandora’s box of horror on unsuspecting relatives and neighbors.
IMDb
Son of Dracula is Chad’s pick and he’s surprised at how much he likes it! For him, Lon Chaney Jr. has an imposing presence as Count Alucard/Dracula even though he is sans accent and doesn’t feel as dignified as Lugosi’s version. Overall he thinks it’s a cool story and the effects were better than he expected; especially the smoke/vapor transformations.
For Daphne, Son of Dracula feels more like Kay’s (Louis Allbritton) story than Dracula’s. Although Lon Chaney Jr. is physically imposing as Dracula, she is a little let down by his performance. She is, however, impressed with some of the actors and Robert Paige’s performance as Frank reminds her a little of some of George Bailey’s (James Stewart) frantic dashes to come in It’s a Wonderful Life (1946).
On the surface, Son of Dracula felt a little lame to Jeff but once he got into it, it was better than he remembered. He also loves the smoke effects and the bat transformations and really appreciates the character of Queen Zimba, as short as her appearance is. The Classic Era Grue-Crew universally lament the plight of poor, poor, pitiful Frank.
As of this writing, Son of Dracula is currently available to stream from the Classic Horror Movie Channel, Wicked Horror TV, Tubi, Plex, and various PPV options. Of course, the Blu-ray is available in Dracula: Complete Legacy Collection [Blu-ray] and Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection [Blu-ray].
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 Fly (1958).
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!”
On Gruesome Magazine episode 346, Jeff Mohr interviews Josh Robins of the Invincible Czars, “Austin’s Emperors of Eclecticism,” as they prepare for their biggest tour yet, performing their original soundtrack LIVE with these 100th-anniversary showings of NOSFERATU (1922). The Alamo Drafthouse called this multi-faceted collective of musicians one of the best silent film orchestras in the nation. Jeff and Josh talk about Nosferatu, the upcoming tour (September 5 – October 31, 2022), silent film, how the Czars got their name, how they worked their way into silent film accompaniment, and more!
Check out their upcoming tour dates and links to purchase tickets from the individual venues at their website: https://invincibleczars.com/nosferatu
Grue-Believers do not want to miss this!
Welcome to HORROR NEWS RADIO for AUGUST 22, 2022. JOIN THE GRUE-CREW FOR casting news for the MONSTERVERSE TV series heading to Apple+, along with trailer news for Tim Burton's WEDNESDAY series on NETFLIX. All this, and more, coming up next…
I am your host Doc Rotten and this is HNR, the official GRUESOME MAGAZINE HORROR NEWS podcast. Back with me again are the scariest, goriest, bloodiest co-hosts on the 'Net.
Regal Theaters Brings George A. Romero's DAWN OF THE DEAD back to theaters this Halloween… NOW IN 3-D!
What to watch this weekend (August 26), you ask…
Don Joe: Doc is going beast mode with the beard! Haha! I do enjoy this new News segment and wish I'd discovered you guys sooner. Saw 10 - bring it on, I love this series so much. I'd love a reboot (not happening, I know) to bring John Kramer back. I'm down with any King adaptation, no matter how good or bad it turns out, they're always interesting. All of those new streaming films look good but since I've never seen Orphan and ending got spoiled for me, I'm looking forward to watching them both now. Lisa Frankenstein - love the many takes on this story and how it has become it's own sub-genre of horror. GDT's COC (lol) - amazing, looks so good and makes me extra excited for my fav time of year.
Thank you for hanging out with the Grue-Crew. Be sure to hit the LIKE, SUBSCRIBE buttons, or Share with a Friend. Every click counts.
“What… the eff was that?” That’s a very good question! Join your faithful Grue-Crew – Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they check out this legendary low-budget film with big-budget effects, The Deadly Spawn (1983).
Decades of Horror 1980s
Episode 213 – The Deadly Spawn (1983)
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
Alien creatures invade a small town and four teenagers, along with a young boy, attempt to escape from them.
IMDb
The Deadly Spawn is Jeff’s pick by way of Doc Rotten. For him, this movie is balls out once the title characters appear. Charles, the film’s monster kid, saves the day while everyone else flounders. He loves the scene with the women’s group, the head removals, and the body thrown out the upstairs window.
Chad first heard of The Deadly Spawn in Fangoria, but it never seemed to be available for him to view it. He finally got it on DVD and holy cow, he loves this movie. The creature is absolutely bonkers and with characters that are interesting, the movie is a fun-as-hell, crazy romp. Crystal can’t believe how low-budget The Deadly Spawn is and how good the acting and the special effects are. Bill also first heard of The Deadly Spawn in Fangoria but assumed it would be one of those movies where the monster looked good in the stills but not so good in the movie. Instead, he found a really good, practically iconic creature feature. It’s hard to believe the budget is so low and yet the monster is better than those in some pictures from Holywood with much bigger budgets.
If you haven’t seen this legendary film, the 80s Grue-Crew command that you do. As of this writing, The Deadly Spawn is streaming from Shudder and is available on DVD from Synapse 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 Bill, will be The Fly II (1989) with Eric Stoltz and Daphne Zuniga and directed by Chris Walas.
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
“You know, my son, I wouldn’t be Emperor of the Galaxy if I didn’t have some powers at my disposal. Imperial Battleship, halt the flow of time!” Yup. That could come in handy. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they check out Starcrash (1978), starring Caroline Munro, Christopher Plummer, Marjoe Gortner, David Hasselhoff, and Joe Spinell. What’s not to like?
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 169 – Starcrash (1978)
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
An outlaw smuggler and her alien companion are recruited by the Emperor of the Galaxy to rescue his son and destroy a mysterious superweapon designed by the evil Count Zarth Arn
Bill picked this one and he remembers originally liking Starcrash a lot more than he does this time around. Caroline Munro is still fetching, even though Candy Clark dubs her, but every actor seems to be acting in a different movie. There is a colorful, comic-book style to this weird oddball movie, but as Bill points out, sometimes you can’t go back again.
Jeff has been wanting to see Starcrash since Decades of Horror 1980s covered Maniac, another film starring Caroline Munro and Joe Spinell. Jeff sees the obvious similarities to the recently released Star Wars (1977), but the bad dialogue and long, drawn-out fight scenes cause Starcrash to… crash. Doc remembers great-looking stills in magazines of the time, but their quality does not lead to a good film. The dubbing is laughably bad and the movie is just awful. Still, there is a sort of weird charm to it.
If you have a hankering for late-70s, cheesy, space opera, Starcrash is available to stream with ads from multiple services, and on physical media as a Shout Factory! 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 Chad, will be H. G. Wells’ Empire of the Ants (1977), starring Joan Collins and Robert Lansing.
We want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans: comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1970s podcast hosts at feedback@gruesomemagazine.com.
Welcome to HORROR NEWS RADIO for August 15, 2022. Tonight, we have casting news for LISA FRANKENSTEIN and THE POPE'S EXORCIST, along with trailer news for THE MENU and CABINET OF CURIOSITIES.
I am your host Doc Rotten and this is HNR, the official GRUESOME MAGAZINE HORROR NEWS podcast. Back with me again are the scariest, goriest, bloodiest co-hosts on the 'Net.
Dave Dreher, the lead news writer at Gruesome Magazine
Crystal Cleveland, the Livin6dead6irl
And Vanessa, Podcasting Rock Star and International Cosplay Queen
Lionsgate sets October 27, 2023 for the next installment of the SAW franchise (Saw X?). "Kevin Greutert, who directed Saw VI an Saw: The Final Chapter and edited Saw I through V and Jigsaw, will helm the latest installment"
https://deadline.com/2022/08/saw-sequel-halloween-2023-release-1235092699/
The Bohemia Group is set to adapt one of Stephen King's "Richard Bachman" bestsellers, THE REGULATORS. George Cowan is scripting the western horror-thriller.
Synopsis: Peaceful suburban life on Poplar Street in Wentworth, Ohio is shattered when four vans containing shotgun-wielding “regulators” terrorize the street’s residents, cold-bloodedly killing anyone foolish enough to venture outdoors. Houses mysteriously transform into log cabins and the street now ends in what looks like a child’s hand-drawn western landscape. Masterminding this sudden onslaught is an evil creature who has taken over the body of an autistic boy whose parents were killed in a drive-by shooting several months earlier.
https://deadline.com/2022/08/the-regulators-film-based-on-stephen-king-novel-in-works-at-bohemia-group-1235089181/
What to watch this weekend, you ask…
Screen Gems' THE POPE'S EXORCIST expands its cast with the legendary actor Franco Nero as…The Pope
Synopsis: Portrayal of a real-life figure Father Gabriele Amorth, a priest who acted as chief exorcist of the Vatican and who performed more than 100,000 exorcisms in his lifetime. (He passed away in 2016 at the age of 91.) Amorth wrote two memoirs -- An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories -- and detailed his experiences battling Satan and demons that had clutched people in their evil.
https://deadline.com/2022/08/the-popes-exorcist-adds-laurel-marsden-franco-nero-cornell-s-john-more-1235088253/
Carla Gugino and more join the cast of LISA FRANKENSTEIN written by Diablo Cody. Zelda Williams directs.
Synopsis: In 1989, an unpopular high school girl named Lisa accidentally re-animates a handsome Victorian corpse during a lightning storm and starts to rebuild him into the man of her dreams by using the broken tanning bed in her garage.
https://deadline.com/2022/08/lisa-frankenstein-adds-carla-gugino-liza-soberano-joe-chrest-more-1235090223/
GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S CABINET OF CURIOSITIES arrives on NETLIX on October 25, 2022
Searchlight Pictures releases THE MENU on November 18, 2022. Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Ralph Fiennes, John Leguizamo, Judith Light, Hong Chau. Mark Mylod directs. Synopsis: A young couple travel to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.
SHUDDER streams the Senegal action/horror thriller SALOUM on September 8, 2022. Directed by Jean Luc Herbulot. Synopsis: 2003, three mercenaries extracting a druglord out of Guinea-Bissau are forced to hide in the mystical region of Saloum, Senegal.
Thank you for hanging out with the Grue-Crew. Be sure to hit the LIKE, SUBSCRIBE buttons, or Share with a Friend. Every click counts. Check out the Patreon link below and we'll see you next week. Be sure to catch our film reviews on GRUESOME MAGAZINE and our retro reviews on DECADES OF HORROR:
“What did I ask from you? A little affection, and mostly peace. And see what you made me do?” Wait. Who is the victim here? Join this episode’s Grue-Crew – Whitney Collazo, Daphne Monary-Ernsdorff, and Jeff Mohr – as they make the Decades of Horror’s eighth trip south of the border with The Skeleton of Mrs. Morales(El esqueleto de la señora Morales,1960).
Decades of Horror: The Classic Era
Episode 131 – The Skeleton of Mrs. Morales (1960)
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 taxidermist decides to murder his wife after having to put up with her after twenty years of hellish marriage.
IMDb
The Skeleton of Mrs. Morales is Whitney’s pick and is, as she describes it, a black comedy complete with los tóxicas y chismosas (the toxic and the gossipy). The unhealthy relationships in the film lead to murder with a dose of humor. Daphne loves The Skeleton of Mrs. Morales, lauding its atmosphere, its beautiful cinematography, and its winning combination of the grim and the playful. The Skeleton of Mrs. Morales got funnier each time Jeff watched it, even though there are some very disturbing events in the film. Its award-winning cast and crew, including the director of Ship of Monsters (La nave de los monstruos, 1960), have created a tour de force in The Skeleton of Mrs. Morales.
Your Classic Era Grue Crew highly recommends The Skeleton of Mrs. Morales. At the time of this writing, it can be streamed from the Classic Horror Movie Channel, Tubi, and YouTube. There is also a Blu-ray available from VCI.
If you’re interested in Mexican cinema, check out these other episodes of Decades of Horror:
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 Chad: Son of Dracula (1943).
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!”
Welcome to HORROR NEWS RADIO for August 8, 2022. Tonight, we have casting news for HAUNTED MANSION and THE EXORCIST, along with trailer news for THE HARBINGER and GLORIOUS.
I am your host Doc Rotten and this is HNR, the official GRUESOME MAGAZINE HORROR NEWS podcast. Back with me again are the scariest, goriest, bloodiest co-hosts on the 'Net.
Dave Dreher, the lead news writer at Gruesome Magazine
Crystal Cleveland, the Livin6dead6irl
And Vanessa, Podcasting Rock Star and International Cosplay Queen
Clu Gulager, beloved actor who most fans remember from RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD (1985), has passed away at the age of 93.
https://deadline.com/2022/08/clu-gulager-dead-horror-film-actor-was-93-obituary-1235086691/
Production is set to start on INSIDIOUS 5, directed by Patrick Wilson. Insidious 5 is scheduled to hit theaters via Sony Pictures’s Screen Gems on July 7, 2023. Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne and Ty Simpkins return. Sinclair Daniel, Peter Dager, and Hiam Abbass (Hellraiser 2022) join.
https://deadline.com/2022/08/insidious-5-sinclair-daniel-peter-dager-hiam-abbass-1235085898/
Disney's HAUNTED MANSION movie adds Jamie Lee Curtis and Jared Leto. Jamie Lee Curtis will portray Madame Leota, while Leto will play the "Hatbox Ghost." Also starring are Rosario Dawson, LaKeith Stanfield, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, and Tiffany Haddish. Director Justin Simien (Bad Hair) helms the film. Haunted Mansion movie opens March 10, 2023
https://ew.com/movies/disney-haunted-mansion-movie-jared-leto-jamie-lee-curtis-characters/
Casting begins on Blumhouse's THE EXORCIST with Ann Dowd (The Handmaid's Tale, Hereditary) joining Leslie Odom Jr. and Ellen Burstyn, who is reprising her role as Chris MacNeil.
Josh Monkarsh's nuclear zombie apocalypse feature, AS WE KNOW IT, adds Oliver Cooper, Chris Parnell, and Pam Grier to its cast. You had us at "Pam Grier."
https://variety.com/2022/film/news/pam-grier-chris-parnell-as-we-know-it-movie-1235330712/
Screen Media Films is set to scare audiences with THE HARBINGER on September 2.
Daniel and Theresa Snyder move their troubled young daughter Rosalie to a quaint Midwestern town. Soon after they arrive, neighbors begin to die. The townspeople suspect Rosalie and shun the Snyder family. Fearing something evil followed them, the tormented parents seek the advice of a Native American seer who tells them that only death can save Rosalie. When more people die and a detective starts looking into the mysterious deaths, the Snyders must do whatever it takes to protect their family.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMov6M-rQZo
SHUDDER plans on making public restrooms even more frightening than they already are with GLORIOUS, streaming on AUGUST 18.
A heartbroken man finds himself trapped in a bathroom with a strange voice who says he may be the only hope in stopping a terrible event. Starring Ryan Kwanten and J.K. Simmons.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esqxTzc3lgM
“You see my dear, immortality exacts a handsome price. Both for those who must claim it and those who must pave the way.” Seems like a simple equation. Join your faithful Grue-Crew – Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they check out Tom Savini as the ripper in this straight-to-video effort, The Ripper (1985).
Decades of Horror 1980s
Episode 212 – The Ripper (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
An old antique ring turns a college professor into a homicidal maniac when he puts it on. The ring originally belonged to Jack the Ripper, and the Ripper’s spirit possesses whoever wears it.
The Ripper caught Chad’s eye as it had many times on the video rental store shelf, but this time he went for it. The verdict? He’s never seen such a long, drawn-out movie where entire scenes were of no use and were stretched out for no reason. He chose this movie for the 80s Grue Crew because of the presence of Tom Savini, who plays the title character, but he wasn’t enough to outweigh the bad.
Bill also loves Tom Savini, but not this film in which even the padding is padded and long dialogue scenes go nowhere. On the plus side, the effects work is fairly well done for lowbudget gore. Agreeing with Chad and Bill, Jeff describes the script as mundane with very bad jokes. He likes the general idea of the story but the execution needed to capitalize on that idea is missing from The Ripper.
If you’re a Savini completist or just want to see what the 80s Grue Crew is talking about, at the time of this writing, The Ripper can be streamed from Tubi and Screambox.
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 Jeff, will be The Deadly Spawn (1983), filmed in artist Tim Hildebrandt’s house and featuring the effects of John Dods!
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
“She is a sad romantic woman. She will fall in love with me. Then I will sacrifice her on the next full moon.” So says the Wolf Man wearing a gold, silk, disco shirt. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they check out the monster-filled world of luchadors enmascarado (masked wrestlers) in Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man (Santo y Blue Demon Contra Dracula y el Hombre Lobo, 1973).
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 168 – Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man (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
Synopsis: Masked wrestling champion and occasional crime fighter El Santo once again saves Mexico from the ravages of undying monsters in this blend of grappling and horror. While the great fighter is busy in the ring, two legendary monsters, the vampire Dracula and a werewolf named Rufus Rex are brought back to life by his enemies. As the monsters roam free and threaten the life of El Santo’s closest friends, he teams up with fellow wrestling icon Blue Demon to vanquish the creatures once and for all.
Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man is Jeff’s pick. He was turned on to the El Santo films by Joseph Perry, one of the founding hosts of Decades of Horror: The Classic Era and though it took him a while to get into the feel of the films, he loves them unabashedly now.
Bill likes any creator who lives the role and you can’t live the role any more than the luchadors enmascarado do. They even kiss their girlfriends with the mask on. You gotta love that! And just for kicks, the film opens and closes with wrestling matches. Chad has always enjoyed these movies and is impressed by the production values and vivid colors in this entry in the El Santo canon. And, as always, he digs the monsters and the wrestling. Once he warmed up to it, Doc had a great time with Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man as well. He admits that it takes a special mindset to enjoy these, the dumbest but most fun, movies.
Once you learn to love these films you won’t be able to get enough of them. Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man is available to stream from Tubi and Amazon Prime as PPV, and on physical media as one of the titles included in “Santo: El Enmascarado De Plata” Blu-ray Boxset from VCI Entertainment.
If you’d like to hear other Decades of Horror podcast episodes featuring the great El Santo, check these out:
We want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans: comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1970s podcast hosts at feedback@gruesomemagazine.com.
Welcome to HORROR NEWS RADIO for August 1, 2022. Tonight, we have casting news for THE POPE'S EXORCIST, THE THING ON THE DOORSTEP, and DUST, along with trailer news for PEARL, CHUCKY Season 2, and SPIRIT HALLOWEEN... the movie...
I am your host Doc Rotten and this is HNR, the official GRUESOME MAGAZINE HORROR NEWS podcast. Back with me again are the scariest, goriest, bloodiest co-hosts on the 'Net.
Dave Dreher, the lead news writer at Gruesome Magazine
Crystal Cleveland, the Livin6dead6irl
And Vanessa, Podcasting Rock Star and International Cosplay Queen
Alex Essoe and Daniel Zovatto join Russell Crowe in the upcoming Screen Gems feature, THE POPE'S EXORCIST, directed by Julius Avery (Overlord, Samaritan). The screenplay is based on the Father Gabriele Amorth memoirs, AN EXORCIST TELLS HIS STORY and AN EXORCIST: MORE STORIES.
Source: DEADLINE
https://deadline.com/2022/07/the-popes-exorcist-adds-alex-essoe-daniel-zovatto-1235081217/
Director Joe (Mayhem) Lynch has wrapped his next feature film based on the H.P. Lovecraft short THE THING ON THE DOORSTEP. The cast includes Heather Graham, Judah Lewis, Bruce Davidson, Johnathan Schaech, and Barbara Crampton. Crampton, along with Brian Yuzna, serve as producers. The screenplay is written by Dennis Paoli (Re-Animator, From Beyond).
Source: DEADLINE
https://deadline.com/2022/07/heather-graham-judah-lewis-barbara-crampton-horror-hp-lovecraft-1235079743/
DUST is set to film in late August with Sarah Paulson featured in the starring role. The Searchlight Pictures film is a HULU Original. "The film follows a woman who is trapped by increasingly perilous dust storms and is haunted by her past encounters with a threatening presence and takes extraordinary measures to protect her family."
Source: DEADLINE
https://deadline.com/2022/07/sarah-paulson-searchlight-horror-thriller-dust-1235075101/
SPIRIT HALLOWEEN The Movie (2022)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTF9ltgkRIQ
PEARL (2022, A24)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5PW5r3pEOg
CHUCKY SEASON 2 (October 5 - SYFY)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B44ik8o0mDA
HOUSE OF DARKNESS (2022, Saban Films)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mnuvcWZglY