“Dang creature . . . I’m gonna get my shotgun and make a rug outta that damn thing!” And Jack Elam is just the one who can do it! Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they make a trip to the bayou to check out Creature from Black Lake (1976) and its new Synapse Films Blu-ray, released December 13, 2022. It’s a beauty!
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 178 – Creature from Black Lake (1976)
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 young students from the University of Chicago hear of the mysterious happenings at Black Lake and armed with a van packed with scientific equipment set out to solve the mystery.
To begin with, your Decades of Horror 1970s Grue Crew are universally impressed with the quality in the look and sound of the new Synapse Films Blu-ray release of Creature from Black Lake. In the past, many of the crew had seen the film in a cropped, pan-and-scan version on TV or videotape. They discovered that Creature from Black Lake is an excellent movie that had been marred by the poor quality of many of the prints to which they had access. The Synapse Blu-ray release is a great showcase for Dean Cundy’s cinematography and facilitates a far more enjoyable viewing experience. As far as bigfoot movies of the era, Creature from Black Lake moves to the top among a select few. Synapse did a great service to horror fans in restoring Creature from Black Lake to this pristine, widescreen format.
After gushing over the Synapse Blu-ray, the Grue-Crew gushes equally over the movie itself. A great cast of character actors led by Jack Elam, Dub Taylor, Bill Thuman, Dennis Fimple, and John David Carson, supported by a well-cast group of locals, makes Creature from Black Lake a heck of a fun watch. In fact, they were having so much fun, they forgot to mention that Cathryn Hartt (credited as Catherine McClenny), who played Eve-the-waitress, is Morgan Fairchild’s sister. And be assured, there are plenty of creature shenanigans to supply the tension required in a good bigfoot film.
The crew’s thanks go out to Synapse Films for supplying them with the Blu-ray screeners! The official release date is Tuesday, December 13, 2022. You can purchase your copy at Creature from Black Lake (1080p Blu-ray + Limited Edition Slipcover) – Synapse Films. You know you want it!
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 will be Count Dracula (1970), directed by Jesús “Jess” Franco and starring Christopher Lee, Herbert Lom, Klaus Kinski, Maria Rohm, and Soledad Miranda. Yes, Grue Believers, this is their first Jess Franco movie.
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.
“You’re a strange girl, Lizzie, one minute as hard and cold as a grave so, next as loving as any father could wish. Wonder what goes on in that mind of yours, I guess I’ll never know.” Actually, he’s about to find out right quick. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they check out the representation of the most infamous crime involving the numbers 40 and 41 as depicted in The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975).
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 177 – The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975)
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: In 1893 Massachusetts, Lizzie Andrew Borden is put on trial for murdering her father and stepmother with an axe.
The Legend of Lizzie Borden, an ABC Monday night movie of the week, is Bill’s pick. He’s always loved Elizabeth Montgomery and this film blew him away. He describes it as far creepier than most TV fare of the time and though the blood now seems understated, it was plenty enough for the time.
Learning it was a true story after hearing his mom recite the rhyme, Chad then watched The Legend of Lizzie Borden with his mom. It gave him nightmares as a youngster and though not as creepy now, it’s still a compelling thriller. Jeff points out the emphasis on women’s plight – their position in society of the time – given in The Legend of Lizzie Borden. He also loves the well-known character actors in the cast – Katherine Helmond, Fionnula Flanagan, Bonnie Bartlett, Ed Flanders, and Don Porter – and the first reappearance of Gloria Stuart after a 29-year absence from film.
The 70s Grue Crew gives unanimous praise to Elizabeth Montgomery for her Emmy-nominated performance and gives the movie a strong recommendation. As of this writing, The Legend of Lizzie Borden is available to stream from Amazon Prime.
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, in a departure from what was originally announced, will be Creature from Black Lake (1976) starring Jack Elam and Dub Taylor and featuring the cinematography of Dean Cundey.
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.
“There’s a bald maniac in there, and he’s going bat shit!” Believe it or not, this is an accurate description of several scenes in this movie. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they check out this representative of the 70s LSD-scare hype, Blue Sunshine (1977) from Jeff Lieberman, the director of Squirm (1976).
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 176 – Blue Sunshine (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 bizarre series of murders begins in Los Angeles, where people start going bald and then become homicidal maniacs. But could the blame rest on a particularly dangerous form of LSD called Blue Sunshine that the murderers took ten years before?
Blue Sunshine is a request from a Grue Believer that has popped on and off the 70s schedule depending on its streaming availability and that of other films on the Grue Crew’s list. At long last, it made it through to the recording schedule as Jeff’s pick for this episode and he is impressed with the surprisingly good cast of actors familiar to TV viewers of the time. He kind of likes the idea of the chromosome-altering, 10-year time bomb included in a designer version of LSD, and the trippy music – highly appropriate for the period and the subject – is to his liking. However, Zalman King’s overboard approach to method acting, though he’s directed to do so as a red herring, is off-putting.
“The longest hour-and-a-half he’s had to sit through” is how Chad describes Blue Sunshine. He didn’t care for the story or the characters and Zalman King’s character’s lack of feeling for personal space is annoying as hell. On the plus side, he is hilariously amused by Ray Young’s portrayal of Wayne (or “Biff,” as Chad calls him) and his final rampage. Bill agrees with Chad on the unlikeability of King’s character calling his performance more like meth-head acting than method acting. He doesn’t buy into the conspiracy presented, but admits, Blue Sunshine is definitely a 70s film. Doc had a great time with Blue Sunshine. The bizarre and quirky lead, Bryon James flapping around, “Biff’s” murder spree, and the crazed bald maniac look are just a few of his trigger trippers in this movie.
Blue Sunshine certainly isn’t for everyone, but if you’re a director Jeff Lieberman (Squirm, 1976) completist or are in the mood for some LSD-fueled political intrigue dressed up as a horror movie, this should fit the bill. At the time of this writing, Blue Sunshine is available to stream from Shudder.
Be sure to check out The Black Saint’s and Doc Rotten’s take on Squirm in Decades of Horror 1970s #6!
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 Bill, will be The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975), an ABC TV movie of the week starring Elizabeth Montgomery. How does that go? Forty this and forty-one that or something like that?
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.
“I walked the streets, brooding on the bitter irony that all I wanted to do for humanity, for life, would be cheated by death… unless I could cheat death.” And eventually, he discovered… you can’t cheat a cheater. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they discuss Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde(1971), a Hammer film with a twist on the classic Robert Louis Stevenson story.
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 175 – Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971)
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 Victorian scientist tests a serum that transforms him into a sensuous murderess.
Bill describes Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde as a mid-level Hammer film searching for the magic mix that can reverse the company’s fortunes during the beginning of its decline. At the same time, he gives the filmmakers credit for their creativity and for the transformation scenes that, though not perfect, are well done. Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde was not at the top of the list of Hammer films he hadn’t yet seen, but Jeff’s glad he did experience it. He praises the filmmakers and actors for depicting the Jekyll and Hyde variations as somewhat androgynous, helping to make the transformations believable. He also likes the triple threat of Jekyll/Hyde, Jack the Ripper, and Burk & Hare nicely combined into one story by writer Brian Clemens. Doc, who chose Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde for this episode, also describes it as an example of Hammer reaching for some answers. To him, the way the film’s themes are handled doesn’t really hold up while admitting the failure might be a product of the times in which it was made. He also describes Dr. Jekyll as a role more complex than many, possibly making it Ralph Bates’ best Hammer role.
The 70s Grue-Crew universally laud Martine Beswick’s performance and lament the absence of any character in the film for which to root. For those wishing to watch, or rewatch, Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde, the film is available to stream from Tubi, Freevee, The Roku Channel, Peacock, Hoopla, and several PPV sources. The film is also available as a Blu-ray disc from Scream Factory. Of course, this information is as of the time of this writing.
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 Blue Sunshine (1977). That one should be a fun trip. (See what I did there?)
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.
“That bugs me, man. That really bugs me.” This ends up being Glenn Ford’s key line in his short appearance in this episode’s movie. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they come away with a slew of questions after watching The Visitor (1979) and its star-studded cast.
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 174 – The Visitor (1979)
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: The soul of a young girl with telekinetic powers becomes the prize in a fight between forces of good and evil.
Chad chose The Visitor for this episode’s discussion, but he confesses that he had no idea what was going on at any given moment during the film. On top of his confusion with the storyline, he was “bored off his hindquarters” while some scenes dragged on forever and ever and ever… To him, it felt like a ripoff of The Exorcist (1973) and The Omen (1976) with a little science fiction twist thrown in. Of course, there was the hate-eliciting kid, dripping with evil, and the inappropriate music backing many scenes.
Though competently made, according to Bill, The Visitor is a mess. The incoherent story seemed to go a little Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) while still not making a lick of sense. Echoing Chad’s feelings about the kid, he admits he cheered when Shelley Winters’ character slapped her. He finishes with, “Of all the WTF 1970s movies we’ve done, this is the WTFest.”
Jeff agrees with Chad that The Visitor is way too long with what seemed like some endless sequences. Once he realized it was an Italian film, the presence of a confusing storyline kind of made sense. The second time he watched it the plot became somewhat less opaque, but he would never recommend that anyone else watch it twice.
The Visitor took some life out of Doc and made his brain hurt trying to figure out what was happening. For him, it plays a lot like Damien: Omen II (1978) with Lance Henriksen even playing a similar part. He also found some unintentionally comedic scenes and while the film has its moments, on the whole, he had to fight to not fall asleep.
Despite the 70s Grue-Crew’s poor impressions, The Visitor does have a cult following and sports an excellent cast that outperforms the material. At the time of this writing, The Visitor is available to stream from Shudder, Peacock, Kanopy, Tubi, and Freevee. The Visitor is also available on physical media as a Blu-ray from Drafthouse.
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 Hammer’s Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971). That won’t be confusing at all.
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.
“Trust in Allah! … but tie up your camel!” Always! Trust, but verify, right? Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they revel in the wonder of Ray Harryhausen’s creations in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad(1973).
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 173 – The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (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
Sinbad and the vizier of Marabia, followed by evil magician Koura, seek the three golden tablets that can gain them access to the ancient temple of the Oracle of All Knowledge.
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad features the stop-motion animation of Ray Harryhausen and Caroline Munro so no one should be surprised that it is Bill’s pick. In fact, Ray Harryhausen is his hero and this is the movie that made him fall in love with moviemaking. He’s poured over the Kali scene frame-by-frame, over and over. He still can’t believe how cool everything is and how great it looks, loving it then and loving it now.
Jeff also digs The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, calling it his favorite of the Harryhausen adventure movies. It’s a better movie overall in his view and he appreciates Tom Baker’s turn as the film’s villain. Watching The Golden Voyage of Sinbad had reawakened Doc’s love of these movies. The special effects are seamlessly melded into the story, the villain is cool, the creatures are fun, and it is such a good time.
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad is currently available to stream from Tubi and various PPV sources. It’s also available on Blu-ray as a stand-alone or as part of Ray Harryhausen – The Ultimate 7 Film Collection, both from ViaVision Entertainment/Madman/Columbia Pictures.
Also, check out our other Decades of Horror episodes on Ray Harryhausen films:
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 The Visitor (1979), starring Glenn Ford, John Huston, Lance Henriksen, Shelley Winters, Mel Ferrer, and Sam Peckinpah.
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.
“You’ve made an unbreakable vow. In the name of vengeance, you must foreswear all human emotions, all love and hate, everything.” Your basic all-inclusive vow, then? Got it. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they check out the major influence for Tarantino’s Kill Bill Duology, Lady Snowblood(1973).
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 172 – Lady Snowblood (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: A young woman is trained from birth to be a deadly instrument of revenge against the swindlers who destroyed her family
Lady Snowblood, the horror-adjacent inspiration for Tarantino’s Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) & Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004), is Jeff’s pick and he loves this movie, describing it as a visual feast with a non-traditional story structure incorporating Japanese culture and history. It is so much fun!
Seeing Lady Snowblood for the first time with excellent visual quality, Bill is completely absorbed in the film. He was already familiar with the lead actress, Meiko Kaji, from Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41 (1972), which he also loved, and he loves her performance. It’s the kind of performance the viewer can read a lot into. He describes the character and Kaji’s performance as a female version of Clint Eastwood’s “man with no name.”
This is Doc’s first time watching Lady Snowblood and he falls in love with the movie. The simple story with an interesting structure, amazing sound effects, plenty of gore for the gorehounds out there, and the great screen presence of the lead actress all contribute to him cherishing every moment of Lady Snowblood.
You’ve probably guessed by now that the Decades of Horror 70s Grue Crew heartily recommend Lady Snowblood. At the time of this writing, it is available to stream from HBOmax, the Criterion Channel, and various PPV sources. In terms of physical media, it is available in The Complete Lady Snowblood (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray], which also includes Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance (1974). And if you are as infatuated with the acting of Meiko Kaji, you might want to check out her Female Prisoner series – Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (1972), Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41 (1972), Female Prisoner Scorpion: Beast Stable (1973), and Female Prisoner Scorpion: #701’s Grudge Song (1973) – all of which are currently available to stream from Shudder.
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 Bill, will be The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973. Ray Harryhausen, Caroline Munro, John Phillip Law, Takis Emmanuel, Tom Baker, Robert Shaw, and the usual assortment of stop-motion animation creatures? Oh yeah!
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.
“May God bless you. This message was pre-recorded and automatically programmed.” It’s so nice to know they gave it the personal touch. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they check out a nuclear apocalypse as imagined in Chosen Survivors (1974).
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 171 – Chosen Survivors (1974)
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: After being selected at random by a computer to seek safety in an underground bomb shelter on the eve of a nuclear attack, a group of refugees makes a horrible realization: They are sharing the space with a colony of vampire bats.
Chosen Survivor is a movie Grue-Believers will remember as one mentioned more than once by The Black Saint. It took the 70s Grue Crew a while, but they are finally covering it. Chad describes Chosen Survivors as an apocalyptic tale with cool actors that he kind of likes but with which he is also kind of bored to tears. In the end, he was hoping the bats would eat everyone. Chosen Survivors feels like a 70s TV movie to Bill and most of it looked to him almost like it was shot through gauze. On top of that, a fear of bats is not one of his phobias and the inaccuracy in the film’s depiction of vampire bats took him out of the movie.
Jeff thinks the Chosen Survivors has a lot of cool visuals despite the omnipresent soft focus. He enjoys it even though the plot is a bunch of nonsense and found it a little interesting in conjunction with the actual plan the government had formulated in the event of a nuclear apocalypse. The pure, 70s-gold cast is the high point for Doc. Describing Chosen Survivors as more science fiction than horror with reasons to like it, in the end, he admits it’s not very good.
If a group of people locked up in a facility far underground during a nuclear apocalypse while under attack by unnaturally behaving vampire bats is your thing, you need to check out Chosen Survivors. At the time of this writing, it is available to stream from YouTube and on physical media as a Kino Lorber 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 Jeff, will be Lady Snowblood (1973), complete with swordplay and blood galore.
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.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“She is a disturbing child.” It doesn’t reach the heights of his USS Indianapolis monologue in Jaws, but Robert Shaw delivers this line with grim resignation. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they check out A Reflection of Fear (1972), a relatively unknown film starring Sondra Locke, Robert Shaw, and Sally Kellerman.
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 167 – A Reflection of Fear (1972)
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 disturbed young girl starts believing that there is something very sinister at work after her estranged father visits her at her mother and grandmother’s house with the woman he plans to marry.
Doc chose A Reflection of Fear for the Jaws connection delivered by Robert Shaw in his starring role. He admits it’s kind of a stupid movie but he still enjoyed it for its 70s flavor. There are a few creepy elements present and he really likes Shaw’s and Sondra Locke’s performances.
Chad took one look at the cast and thought A Reflection of Fear would be a great movie, but instead, he is very bored with it all. Even though he loves Shaw and Locke in it, and yes, there were some creepy parts, he was expecting a whole lot more than a predictable twist. A Reflection of Fear got under Bill’s skin a little, but the two twists really date the movie. He thinks Sondra Locke is a perfect choice for her role and that Robert Shaw is terrific but there just isn’t enough there to maintain interest. Jeff doesn’t buy Sondra Locke as the teenager she is playing and points out some huge continuity jumps in a couple of the film’s edits. He enjoyed Sally Kellerman’s and Mitchell Ryan’s performances the most, but not enough to become a fan of A Reflection of Fear.
Your 1970s Grue Crew has a fairly lukewarm reaction to A Reflection of Fear, but if you are so inclined, it is available for viewing. At the time of this writing, the movie can be streamed from Tubi.
If you’re craving some more Shaw sauce to top off your summer, now would be a great time to revisit the Decades of Horror 1970s 2-part episode on Jaws! You can check it out here:
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 Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man (1973).
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.
“His is the hand that makes. His is the hand that hurts. His is the hand that heals. His is the House of Pain. He who breaks the law shall be punished back to the House of Pain.” And you definitely don’t want to go to the House of Pain. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they take another trip to the tropics to visit H. G. Wells’ The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977).
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 166 – The Island of Dr. Moreau (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
Synopsis: A shipwrecked survivor discovers a remote island owned by a crazed scientist who is carrying out sinister experiments on the island’s inhabitants.
Chad picked The Island of Dr. Moreau because it “wowed” him as a kid. Watching it now, he can see its flaws but still likes it. Burt Lancaster, Michael York, and the Humanimal special effects makeup are high points for him.
Jeff loved the book and was irritated by the plot changes in this movie version when he first saw it in the theater back in the day. Now, the first half seems like a lot of running through the jungle, but the tension ramps up as soon as Moreau begins transforming Michael York’s character. When he first saw the movie, Bill had read the Marvel comic book and was bitterly disappointed that the ending of the film had been cut and didn’t match the Marvel version. For him, The Island of Dr. Moreau is not terrible but will always reside in the shadow of Island of Lost Souls (1932). He also laments that most of the story takes place in the daylight which hurts the makeup effects. When he first saw The Island of Dr. Moreau, Doc was not a fan and his opinion has not changed. While he appreciates the effort and the cast, it just seems like a weak sauce compared to the gravitas of Island of Lost Souls.
Despite the 70s Grue-Crew’s lukewarm reception, they all agree that The Island of Dr. Moreau is worth a watch. At the time of this writing, the film can be streamed from Tubi and several PPV sources. The film doesn’t appear to be currently available on domestically produced physical media.
If you’re a fan of H. G. Wells’ work, check out these other Decades of Horror episodes:
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 A Reflection of Fear (1973) starring Sondra Locke, Robert Shaw, and Sally Kellerman.
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.
“They had their chance to learn about my ideas 15 years ago. *evil chuckle* Now they’ll pay for their scorn! I’ll exact vengeance upon those fools who treated me like a madman and drove me into the shadows! *maniacal laugh*” And with the help of his robotic daughter! Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they go to Toho-land for Ishirô Honda’s Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975).
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 165 – Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)
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
Attempts to salvage Mechagodzilla are thwarted, causing an INTERPOL investigation that uncovers the work of a shunned biologist and his daughter, whose life becomes entwined with the resurrected machine.
Terror of Mechagodzilla, aka Mekagojira no gyakushu, is Bill’s pick and even he is a bit surprised how little Godzilla is in the film. Even though Titanosaurus isn’t normally held in high regard, Bill thinks he’s a cool kaiju. Jeff is a relative newcomer to the world of Toho kaiju and he feels lucky to be shepherded through his introduction by the other members of the Grue-Crew. He gets into the campiness of Terror of Mechagodzilla, especially the fight scenes which seemed to him like a mashup of pro wrestling, boxing, and the Three Stooges. Chad loves all Godzilla films and sees him as emblematic of a good character that can be dropped into any situation – whether it be a comedy, child-oriented, or serious – and still tell a good story. He loves Terror of Mechagodzilla even though Godzilla does show up rather later in the story. Wacky aliens, a scientist that looks like Colonel Sanders, a robot daughter, and Godzilla appearing out of nowhere are all elements that pulled Doc into Terror of Mechagodzilla. He notes that even though this movie has a darker tone than recent Godzilla fare, it is still a lot of fun.
If you’re a fan of Godzilla, and we know you are, check out these other Decades of Horror podcasts on films from the Showa Era:
At the time of this writing, Terror of Mechagodzilla is available to stream from HBOmax, the Criterion Channel, tubi, and various other streaming services. In terms of physical media, it is available in Godzilla: the Showa-Era Films, 1954–1975 (the Criterion 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 Chad, will be The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977) from the H.G. Wells novel, starring Burt Lancaster, Micahel York, Barbara Carrera, Nigel Davenport, and Richard Basehart.
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.
“We’re uptight. You’re uptight. I’m uptight. We’re all uptight. … They’re dropping like flies, Agar. They’re dropping like flies.” It’s no wonder everyone’s uptight! Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they sample the visual delights of Invasion of the Bee Girls (1973), the film Roger Ebert called, “the best schlock soft-core science fiction movie since The Vengeance of She (1968).”
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 164 – Invasion of the Bee Girls (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
A powerful cosmic force is turning Earth women into queen bees who kill men by wearing them out sexually.
Invasion of the Bee Girls is Jeff’s pick, mainly because he’s a William Smith fan. After watching it, he confirms that it does star William Smith, along with a surprising number of good character actors, and though it is not a good movie, but it is certainly a crazy movie. Chad says Invasion of the Bee Girls fits into the “not so classic” category of each episode’s introduction. He doesn’t have any idea if the filmmakers are intentionally trying to be funny, but he laughed all the way through the movie. Of course, he loves William Smith and anything he’s in but he is also dumbfounded by the storyline. Bill sees it as one of those softcore sex flicks from the 70s with enough science fiction elements to entice viewers to stick with it through the constant flow of boobs and butts. He never did get the ultimate goal of the bee girls in Invasion of the Bee Girls. Doc did not realize Invasion of the Bee Girls is as “skinemax” as it is and even though it’s silly, it has a kind of stupid charm to it. It’s a bizarre film with a weird science fiction thing going on and a strange level of innocence despite the topic.
If you’re in the mood for some William Smith, or some of that other stuff, Invasion of the Bee Girls might be just the ticket. As of this writing, the movie is available to stream from Amazon Prime, and with ads from Tubi/ Unfortunately, the Scream Factory Blu-ray is sold out.
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 Bill, will be Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975).
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.
“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 Hospital, calling 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.
Grue-Believers, the Grue-Crew is proud to present an early episode of Doc Rotten’s MONSTER MOVIE PODCAST recorded nearly 10 years ago around the same time HORROR NEWS RADIO (and subsequently Gruesome Magazine) was being born. HNR co-host and extraordinary human being, SANTOS ELLIN, JR. (The Black Saint), took on a guest spot to discuss his and Doc’s favorite subject: HORROR MOVIES of the 1970s!
For over 2 hours The Black Saint and Doc rattled on about their favorite films from that Groovy Gory age of Horror, recounting an influential film from each year between 1970 and 1979, a concept that would give birth to DECADES OF HORROR 1970s. Join Santos and Doc for part two covering the second half of the decade.
Enjoy!
B-Movie drive-ins, Blaxploitation, grindhouse and Roger Corman, beyond Jaws, The Exorcist and Halloween lies a graveyard of forgotten gems, underrated classics and much loved worst films ever. It’s the Seventies and co-hosts Doc Rotten and Santos Ellin, Jr. are joining forces to take a look at their favorite Horror Films from the grooviest decade of terror, from 1970 to 1979. Get Ready!
Despite constantly having opposing views on modern horror over at the Official HorrorNews.Net Podcast, Doc Rotten and Santos share a deep rooted love for all things horror in the Seventies. It’s the decade where horror grew up and began to take the genre serious producing huge hits and dozens of classic and influencial horror films. Check out a short list beyond those listed above: Dawn of the Dead, Alien, Phantasm, Last House on the Left and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. But, this is not a podcast about those films, this digs just a little bit deeper.
To tackle the subject, Doc and Santos are picking one film per year to spotlight. They are choosing one film that affected them, made a particular impact, shaping their love for horror films. The two hosts dig the decade so much the conversation went well over length and is being brought to you in two parts. Part two, episode 55, takes on the second five years from 1975 to 1979. Groovy!
Grue-Believers, the Grue-Crew is proud to present an early episode of Doc Rotten's MONSTER MOVIE PODCAST recorded nearly 10 years ago around the same time HORROR NEWS RADIO (and subsequently Gruesome Magazine) was being born. HNR co-host and extradentary human being, SANTOS ELLIN, JR. (The Black Saint), took on a guest spot to discuss his and Doc's favorite subject: HORROR MOVIES of the 1970s!
For over 2 hours The Black Saint and Doc rattled on about their favorite films from that Groovy Gory age of Horror, recounting an influential film from each year between 1970 and 1979, a concept that would give birth to DECADES OF HORROR 1970s. Join Santos and Doc for part one covering the first half of the decade.
Enjoy!
B-Movie drive-ins, blacksploitation, grindhouse and Roger Corman, beyond Jaws, The Exorcist and Halloween lies a graveyard of forgotten gems, underrated classics and much loved worst films ever. It’s the Seventies and co-hosts Doc Rotten and Santos Ellin, Jr. are joining forces to take a look at their favorite Horror Films from the grooviest decade of terror, from 1970 to 1979. Get Ready!
Despite constantly sharing opposing views on modern horror over at the Official HorrorNews.Net Podcast, Doc Rotten and Santos share a deep rooted love for all things horror in the Seventies. It’s the decade where horror grew up and began to take the genre serious producing huge hits and dozens of classic and influencial horror films. Check out a short list beyond those listed above: Dawn of the Dead, Alien, Phantasm, Last House on the Left and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. But, this is not a podcast about those films, this digs just a little bit deeper.
To tackle the subject, Doc and Santos are picking on film per year to spotlight. They are choosing one film that affected them, made a particular impact, shaping their love for horror films. The two hosts dig the decade so much the conversation went well over length and is being brought to you in two parts. Part one, episode 54, takes on the first five years from 1970 to 1974. Episode 55, coming in one week, is set to contain the latter half of the best decade in horror, the 1970′s. Groovy!
Blood: “You know, Albert, sometimes you can be such a putz…” Vic: “A putz? What's a putz? It's somethin' bad, isn't it? You better take that back or I'm gonna kick your fuzzy butt!” Blood: “[sighs] Yep, definitely a putz.” Putz: a stupid, foolish, or ineffectual person; (US vulgar slang) penis (Merriam-Webster). Hmm. Yep, definitely a putz. Join your faithful Grue Crew - Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr and Daphne Monary-Ernsdorff - as they relish A Boy and His Dog (1975), based on Harlan Ellison’s Nebula award-winning novella, written and directed by L.Q. Jones, starring Jason Robards and a young Don Johnson.
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 159 – A Boy and His Dog (1975)
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 young man and his telepathic dog wander a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
IMDb
Be forwarned. Bill and Jeff go all fanboy over Harlan Ellison during this episode. A Boy and His Dog is Bill’s pick and he already loved Ellison’s amazing writing by the time he saw this film. He was a little disappointed at first because of the low budget, but he has grown very fond of the film, liking it more each time he sees it. He also points out the direct line from A Boy and His Dog to George Miller’s “Mad Max” movies. The smiley-faced mushroom cloud on the poster put Chad off A Boy and His Dog for a long time, but he now sees it as a pretty cool apocalyptic story that gets a little weird at times. He loves the dog and the depiction of Man falling back to baser instincts. Chad first heard of Harlan Ellison in “The Brute that Shouted Love at the Heart of the Atom,” an incredible, classic storyline in The Incredible Hulk No. 140. The violence and the post-nuclear war setting disturbed Daphne the first time she saw A Boy and His Dog, wondering how people would be affected and how they would act in that situation. This time around, she really likes it and vows to read more Ellison. At first, Jeff had a little trouble reconciling the inherent differences between print and film media but has come to love A Boy and His Dog. He sees the creation of this movie, through the coming together of L.Q. Jones and Harlan Ellison, to be an amazing and serendipitous accomplishment.
When you rewatch A Boy and His Dog, and you know you will, it is readily available. At the time of this writing, the movie can be streamed from Kanopy, Tubi w/ads, and a variety of other subscription and VOD streaming services. A Boy And His Dog (Collector's Edition) [BluRay/DVD] is also available from Shout Factory and includes a fascinating and entertaining, 50-minute one-on-one between L.Q. Jones and Harlan Ellison.
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, Decades of Horror 1970s is trying something new while taking a relatively short break from producing new episodes. Instead, you, Grue-Believers, will be treated to some classic episodes of Monster Movie Podcast featuring Doc Rotten, The Black Saint, et al. Monster Movie Podcast is the original incarnation of what led to Decades of Horror podcasts.
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.
“It's elevens. Tens are for booties.” Shouldn’t that go without saying? Join your faithful Grue Crew - Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, Daphne Monary-Ernsdorff, and Jeff Mohr - as they cozy up to a film director Freddie Francis calls his favorite, which was originally released as Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny & Girly (1970) in the UK, but retitled, somewhat salaciously, as Girly in the US.
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 156 – Girly (1970)
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 wealthy, fatherless British clan kidnaps bums and hippies and forces them to participate in an elaborate role-playing game in which they are the perfect family; those who refuse or attempt escape are ritualistically murdered.
IMDb
Doc Rotten and Bill Mulligan couldn’t make it for this episode but Daphne filled in admirably, even choosing the movie to be discussed. Though Girly is a bit cringy at times, she thinks some of the kills are fun and she enjoys Vanessa Howard’s performance as Girly. Despite some eye-rolling, “oh brother” scenes, Daphne gets a strong dose of nostalgia while watching Girly. On the extreme other hand, Chad is at once bored out of his wits and angered by everything from the title down to the characters. He loves Freddie Francis but Girly does not feel like a Freddie Francis movie to him. Jeff had been looking forward to seeing Girly because of both the Freddie Francis direction and a Joseph Perry recommendation. Describing it as very strange and quirky, he enjoys Girly in a weird sort of way, and he, too, lauds Vanessa Howard’s performance
Girly is most assuredly not for everyone, but Freddie Francis’s direction and his description of it as his favorite of the movies he’s directed will make it worth watching for many. As of this writing, Girly is available to stream PPV from Amazon, but versions on physical media appear to be scarce or out-of-print.
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 will be Flesh for Frankenstein (1973, aka Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein), chosen by Doc. The Decades of Horror Grue-Crew can’t wait to yak it up about this eclectic 70s flick!
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.
“He sought the ultimate in HUMAN AGONY... with instruments of TORTURE ghastly beyond belief!” Is he talking about Hellraiser? Wait. Wrong decade. Join your faithful Grue Crew - Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr - as they check out yet another visual treat from the imagination of Mario Bava: Baron Blood (1972).
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 155 – Baron Blood (1972)
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 young man, visiting the castle of a murderous ancestor in Austria, accidentally brings his dead relative back to life - searching for new victims.
Maybe surprisingly, Baron Blood was chosen not by Bill, our resident Bava maven, but by Chad. The story appeals to him and there were plenty of beautifully shot Bavaesque scenes to enjoy. Jeff also enjoys Baron Blood though he thought some of the execution was a bit clunky. Of course, Bava’s talent is apparent and he loves the castle setting. Bill didn’t care for Bava’s overuse of the zoom-in technique in Baron Blood and it feels to him a little like Bava is redoing some of his earlier films. On the other hand, he appreciates the usual Bava touches in shot setup and composition and he’d love to see more of the witch. Some shots in Baron Blood reminded Doc of House of Wax and The Haunting. He also would like to know, what’s up with the strange little girl in all these films?
Though not Bava’s best film, Baron Blood has plenty going for it. At the time of this writing, Baron Blood is available to stream from Tubi and Kanopy and on a Blu-ray disc from Kino Lorber.
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 will be Girly (aka Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny & Girl, 1970), chosen by Daphne. Time for bickies and tea!
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.
“Yeah! We're alive and we're safe... and we're shipwrecked. Two outta three ain't bad.” Yeah, that’s not a line from the hit Meatloaf song. Join your faithful Grue Crew - Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr - as they check out some stop motion animation and a lot of walking in Planet of Dinosaurs (1977).
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 154 – Planet of Dinosaurs (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 spaceship gets lost and is forced to make an emergency landing on an unknown planet. The planet looks much like Earth, only with no trace of civilization. Soon the crew discovers that there are dinosaurs on the planet and blood-thirsty buggers at that. The crew hopes to be found and rescued, but they have to struggle to survive until then.
IMDb
Being the lover of stop motion animation that he is, it’s not surprising that Bill picked Planet of Dinosaurs for this episode. For Bill, it’s immediately apparent that most of this film’s low budget is used to fund the stop motion animation. Bill enjoyed the effects and despite all the walking the characters do in Planet of Dinosaurs, he has a certain amount of affection for this film. Chad is a big fan of Doug Beswick’s and Jim Danforth’s work so he loves the stop motion animation in Planet of Dinosaurs. Outside of the dinosaurs, however, he calls it a horrible movie, stating that if you’re going to watch it, you should watch the RiffTrax version. Jeff, too, loves what he calls the amazingly smooth stop motion animation but laments that there is just too much not-dinosaur in the film. Doc went into Planet of the Dinosaurs with low expectations and those low expectations were met. He finds the movie to be charming, in a weird and cheesy sort of way, and even ambitious. In the end, though, Planet of Dinosaurs is just kind of awful.
If you’re a fan of stop motion animation, you should definitely check out Planet of Dinosaurs. At the time of this writing, the movie and RiffTrax: Planet of the Dinosaurs can be streamed from Amazon Prime and a variety of other streaming services.
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 will be Baron Blood (1972), chosen by Chad. Time for some more Mario Bava!
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.
“I swear I'm telling the truth! Do I look like a sex murderer to you? Can you imagine me creeping around, strangling all those women with ties? That's ridiculous. For a start, I only own two.” Does that sound like a believable denial to you? Join your faithful Grue Crew - Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr - as they check out Alfred Hitchcock’s penultimate film, Frenzy (1972).
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 153 – Frenzy (1972)
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
London is terrorized by a vicious sex killer known as The Necktie Murderer. Following the brutal slaying of his ex-wife, down-on-his-luck Richard Blaney is suspected by the police of being the killer. He goes on the run, determined to prove his innocence.
IMDb
Frenzy is Jeff’s pick and, maybe not surprisingly, he loves it. He points out the huge jump from Hitchcock pushing the censorship line with a scene of a toilet flushing in Psycho (1960) to the lurid kills and their aftermath as depicted in Frenzy. Bill is impressed with Frenzy and finds it to be simultaneously old-fashioned and modern. He also identifies a few top-notch Hitchcockian sequences. Calling Frenzy pure unadulterated Hitchcock, Chad loves how small details early mean something big later in the film. He also delights in the scenes between the Chief Inspector and his wife. Doc is a huge Hitchcock fan but does not like Frenzy, finding it to be an indication of Hitch losing his touch. In fact, he doesn’t like the characters, the cast, the dialogue, or the ending and vows never to watch it again.
Depending on the Grue-Crew members’ individual points-of-view, Frenzy is either Hitchcock’s last hurrah or a film to be avoided. In either case, at the time of this writing, Frenzy is available to stream from the Criterion Channel and multiple PPV services, and on physical media as a Blu-ray from Universal Home Entertainment.
While you’re at it, check out Decades of Horror’s coverage of these Hitchcock classics: Classic Era #1 - Psycho (1960), Classic Era #32 - The Birds (1963).
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 will be Planet of Dinosaurs (1977), chosen by Bill. Time for some stop motion animation!
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.
“Weird, man. Way out. I mean, spooks, hobgoblins, black magic. All that jazz.” Groovy, man. Join your faithful Grue Crew - Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr - as they go tripping back to the faux, mod world of 1972 London in Hammer’s Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972).
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 152 – Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)
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
Johnny Alucard raises Count Dracula from the dead in London in 1972. The Count goes after the descendants of Van Helsing.
IMDb
Jeff has been watching a lot of Hammer films and reading “Little Shoppe of Horrors” (The Journal of Classic British Horror Films), but Dracula A.D. 1972 (with the exception of Stephanie Beacham, Caroline Munro, Peter Cushing, and Christopher Lee), though fun to watch, does not trip his trigger. He couldn’t get past what for him was an off-putting portrayal of the hip youth culture of early 1970s London. On the other hand, Bill likes Dracula A.D. 1972 despite its problems and even thinks it’s a great film in some ways. Dracula A.D. 1972 telegraphed too much of the plot for Chad’s liking and he too is bored to death with the young ‘uns. He does, however, find it far more interesting once Van Helsing and Dracula enter the scene and likes the cool way used to bring back the Count. Doc always loves Peter Cushing and Hammer and Dracula A.D. 1972 is no exception, especially the pre-title card scene. Despite the negative aspects pointed out by his crewmates, he loves every corny, zany minute of it.
As with all Hammer films, this is a must-see. As of this writing, Dracula A.D. 1972 is available to stream on HBO Max and various PPV services, and as physical media on a Blu-ray disc from Warner Archives.
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 will be Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy (1972), chosen by 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.
“You realize what you're up against, don't you? Evil.” What? A horror movie with evil? Go figure. Join your faithful Grue Crew - Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr - as they somewhat hesitantly approach Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977).
Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 151 – Exorcist II: The Heretic (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 teenage girl once possessed by a demon finds that it still lurks within her. Meanwhile, a priest investigates the death of the girl's exorcist.
IMDb
Exorcist II: The Heretic is Chad’s pick and he’s really not sure what to think of it. He sees it as a confusing but intimate story about a man seeking redemption and trying to find his faith again. Even though it tries to be this epic story with a great cast, he is dumbfounded by where they took it. Bill went in with a negative attitude but does find some nuggets of gold. Good vs. evil where evil seeks out exceptional good is a nice idea, but it subverts the theme of The Exorcist (1973), according to Bill. He just plain dislikes this film. After hearing overwhelmingly negative reviews, Jeff managed to avoid it all these years. He tried to go in with an open mind but the filmmakers lost him early on with the weird synchronizing machine concept and never got him back. Exorcist II: The Heretic was very confusing and left a bad taste in Doc’s mouth. It seems to him that this film is the opposite of what The Exorcist is and what audiences wanted in a sequel. This time around, however, it’s not as bad as he remembers.
Despite the 1970s Grue-Crew’s generally negative take, Exorcist II: The Heretic definitely has its legion of fans. If you’re one of them. Let them know what they got wrong. In the meantime, Exorcist II: The Heretic is currently available to stream from HBOmax and various PPV services as well as on a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray disc from Scream Factory!
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 will be Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972), chosen by Doc. Welcome back Hammer Films, Peter Cushing, and Christopher Lee!
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.