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Now displaying: April, 2017
Apr 27, 2017

The Grue-Crew gather to see if the Phoenix can rise from the ashes and not be Forgotten on the 212th episode of Horror News Radio. Co-hosts Doc Rotten, The Black Saint, Dave Dreher, and Thomas Mariani ponder why Phoenix Forgotten even got a theatrical release and take a look at the Shudder Exclusive We Are The Flesh. Dave steers the Horror News of the Week segment with mentions of a King Kong Skull Island TV series and the announced release date - finally - for the Friday the 13th game. Thomas challenges The Black Saint to another round of Stump the Saint that should not be missed.

As always, the HNR Grue-Crew would love to hear from you, the listeners, the fans. You can always reach out via email at feedback(AT)horrornewsradio(DOT)com or find us on Twitter: Doc Rotten | Dave Dreher | The Black Saint | Thomas Mariani. Also, like us on Facebook and join the Horror News Radio Facebook Group.

Horror News Radio
Episode 212 – Phoenix Forgotten (2017)
Subscribe – iTunes – Facebook – Stitcher

SHOWNOTES

INTRO [00:00:39]

HORROR NEWS OF THE WEEK [00:02:33]

SUPPORT HNR [00:22:51]

FEATURE REVIEW [00:23:46]

  • Phoenix Forgotten (2017)
  • Director: Justin Barber. Writers Barber w/ T.S. Nowlin. Cast: Florence Hartigan, Luke Spencer Roberts, Chelsea Lopez

ANNOUNCEMENTS [00:45:27]

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING [00:47:30]

  • We Are The Flesh (2016)
  • Director/Writer: Emiliano Rocha Minter. Cast:  Noe Hernandez, Maria Evoli, Diego Gamaliel

STUMP THE SAINT [01:11:17]

FEEDBACK [01:21:09]

  • Humter Eyjiin suggests an HNR Drinking Game!
  • Thanks to Tear Out the Heart and Victory Records for use of the song Undead Anthem for the intro and outro of the HNR podcast

NEXT WEEK [01:25:00]

  • Colossal
Apr 26, 2017

“What if he can read our minds?” “He’ll be real mad when he gets to me.” Join the Decades of Horror: The Classic Era’s Grue-Crew - Chad Hunt, Erin Miskell, Jeff Mohr, and Joseph Perry - as we go vegan and digest some tasty, carrot-like, side dishes cooked up from The Thing From Another World (1951).

Decades of Horror: The Classic Era
Episode 7 – The Thing From Another World (1951)

More than 30 years before John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982) came The Thing From Another World. In fact, John Carpenter’s The Thing is often asked, “Who’s your daddy?” to which the answer is always, “The Thing From Another World.” Do they share some sort of prequel/sequel relationship? Absolutely not. The two films are more like fraternal twins, coming from the same source material, but ending up with a little different DNA. Being both daddy/offspring and fraternal twins does bring up questions of metaphorical incest, but we digress.

Our feature film for Episode 7, the original The Thing From Another World, was produced by Howard Hawks’ Winchester Enterprises, directed by Christian Nyby, and written by Charles Lederer from John W. Campbell Jr.’s award-winning short story, “Who Goes There?” The Thing From Another World tells the story of an alien found frozen near a polar outpost and then thawed when mistakenly covered by an electric blanket that’s cranked up to 11. Well, maybe not actually to 11, but it was definitely off-the-scale stupid! The title creature (see what I did there, Crew?), played by the James Arness, proceeds to make short work of two scientists and the sled dogs while escaping.

Lead scientist Dr. Carrington (Robert Cornthwaite) is all for preserving the Thing at all costs, even losing human lives, in the interest of knowledge. The Air Force personnel at the outpost, along with some of the scientists, are all about their own survival. The titular leader of our intrepid good guys is Capt. Patrick Hendry (Kenneth Tobey) but Nikki (Margaret Sheridan) has his number and is the functional/spiritual leader of the team, providing most solutions in an offhand, oh-by-the-way manner. Topping off the mix, Crew Chief Bob (Dewey Martin) provides ongoing moral support while Scotty (Douglas Spencer) contributes comic relief grounded in common sense and reality. We also encounter some other recognizable faces (or voices), including John Dierkes, William Self, George Fenneman, and Paul Frees.
.

During the podcast we try to answer some nagging questions about The Thing From Another World. Exactly who directed this film? Who contributed to the screenplay? What is the best way to kill James Arness? No one figured it out on Gunsmoke. Why would anyone put an electric blanket over a block of ice encapsulating an alien with creepy eyes? What did Jame Arness think about what turned out to be an iconic role? What execution was Scotty talking about when he was cut off by the Thing? What’s behind that sly smile on Nikki’s face and what does she have on Captain Hendry? And why does everyone talk so darn fast?

If you’re paying attention, you’ll hear which of us makes these memorable comments:

  • You’re ugly, but hey, I’m not going to cover you up just because you’re ugly.
  • You’re in danger, girl!
  • We all kind of become plant food in the end.
  • How about a rabbit with shiny things?

We plan to release a new episode every other week. Our upcoming schedule includes Freaks (1932), The Queen of Spades (1949), The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1924), and The Last Man on Earth (1964). Sorry folks, but Waxworks (1924) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935) have been rescheduled due to circumstances beyond our control. That and we changed our minds. Don’t worry, though. We will most assuredly cover them in the future.

Please let us know what you think of Decades of Horror: The Classic Era and what films you’d like to hear us cover! We want to hear from you! After all, without you, we’re just four nut jobs talking about the movies we love. Send us an email (chadhunt@gruesomemagazine.com, erinmiskell@gruesomemagazine.com, jeffmohr@gruesomemagazine.com, or josephperry@gruesomemagazine.com) or leave us a message, a review or a comment at GruesomeMagazine.com, iTunes, the Horror News Radio App, or the Horror News Radio Facebook group.

To each of you, a great big “Thank you for listening!” from each of us!

Apr 25, 2017

"They're Here." Carol Anne Freeling (Heather O'Rourke) becomes an iconic character in the history of horror. Poltergeist sent shockwaves through audiences when it premiered 35 years ago. Taking the traditional suburban landscape and sending ghosts through it. Giving a whole generation fears of trees, TV sets and clowns. The nightmare fuel is palpable to this day, as Poltergeist still has the type of imagery that resonates. Now, Poltergeist is getting the Decades of Horror treatment, as the show celebrates its one-year anniversary with another Tobe Hooper film. Well... whether or not it's that is up for debate.

Decades of Horror 1980s
Episode 106 – Poltergeist (1982)

Poltergeist has a pretty solid pedigree. Written and produced by Steven Spielberg, the 1982 ghost story was made concurrently with Spielberg's directorial effort E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. To the point where Drew Barrymore got her role in the latter by auditioning for the former. Then again, who could possibly see Poltergeist without Heather O'Rourke as the adorable Carol Anne? Or Craig T. Nelson and Jobeth Williams as the endearing heads of The Freeling family? The entire cast makes for an incredibly convincing family unit, one whose struggles with the paranormal are made all the more terrifying by finding them investing. Even the paranormal investigative crew manages to have emotional resonance. Beatrice Straight grounds the investigation with a quiet sense of wonder and Zelda Rubinstein gives an authentic sense of authority that proves "size matters not."

This Poltergeist episode also means the first year anniversary for Decades of Horror 1980s! A year ago, Doc Rotten, Christopher G. Moore and Thomas Mariani covered Tobe Hooper's Texas Chainsaw Massacre II. Now, they're debating if Mr. Hooper even had anything to do with this one! There's definitely plenty of Spielbergian touches, but Hooper occasionally peeks his head in for the more technical aspects of the haunts. Yet, Hooper doesn't seem as capable of capturing the afterlife's sense of wonder as Spielberg. Or the tight nit grounded family dynamic. Or the suburban solidarity that gets torn apart by the titular spectres. Whoever did end up directing, the results can't be denied. Poltergeist is still one of the most popular films of the decade and no amount of sequels, TV shows or remakes can recapture the unique blend of the original.

We want to hear from you – the coolest, most gruesome fans:  leave us a message or leave a comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1980s podcast hosts at thomasmariani@decadesofhorror.com or docrotten@decadesofhorror.com.

Apr 24, 2017

Welcome to American Gods Fan Podcast. This it the unofficial podcast about the hit Starz television program American Gods by fans for fans as brought to you by HorrorNewsTV.com, DocRotten.com, and GruesomeMagazine.com. The Grue-Crew behind the Hannibal Fan Podcast reunites to dive into the latest blood-soaked effort of Bryan Fuller as he brings to life the acclaimed novel from Neil Gaiman! Let's set on a cross-country trip across America with Shadow Moon.

Returning to co-host the American Gods fan podcast is Doc Rotten, Thomas Mariani, Dave Dreher and Christopher G. Moore. For the following 8 weeks, they will recap and review each episode. Tonight, they are looking forward to the upcoming season with a special episode ZERO show to examine the cast and characters. Thomas, Christopher, and Dave share their thoughts about the book and what they think the show will have to offer.

American Gods Fan Podcast: Season One
Episode 0 – OMG!

Join us on episode 00 for an introduction to the hosts of the podcast, the source material, and the cast & crew of the first season of American Gods premiering on Starz in the US on Sunday, April 30, 2017. Bryan Fuller is the main creative force behind developing the show based on the acclaimed book by Neil Gaiman. He is joined by but not limited to Dauri Chase, David Coatsworth, Adam Kane, and Michael Green. David Slade, Adam Kane, Vincenzo Natali, Guillermo Navarro, and Craig Zobel take rotating director's duties with scripts by Fuller, Gaiman, Green, and Robert Richardson. The music is by Brian Reitzell with cinematography by Darran Tiernan, Jo Willems, and Aaron Morton. Most of these individuals are familiar names to the Fuller family, coming to this show from NBC's Hannibal.

The cast for American Gods is nothing short of spectacular with Ricky Whittle poised to take American by storm as the lead character Shadow Moon. Fan favorite Ian McShane stars alongside Whittle as Mr. Wednesday with Orlando Jones rounding out the crew as Mr. Nancy. Yetide Badaki and Pablo Schreiber appear early in the series as Bilquis and Mad Sweeney. Everyone is excited to see Peter Stormare as Czernobog. Rounding out the cast are Emily Browning, Cloris Leachman, Gillian Anderson, Kristin Chenoweth, and Crispin Glover. Check out what the Grue-Crew think of these maestros of madcap mayhem on this episode and then join us each week as we review each episode.

We also want to hear from you! American Gods Fan Podcast is designed with the fan in mind and listener feedback is encouraged. That’s right, we want to hear from you! To help you out, we have a Speakpipe account set up for you to leave your Voice Messages. Click on this link and leave Dave, Christopher, Doc and Thomas your thoughts. The service is free and no number is required, all you need is a PC and mic.

We also want to be sure to thank Neon Devils for their killer track “American Godcast’” which we use for the intro and outro of this show.

Apr 20, 2017

The Grue-Crew rev up their engines for a brief detour this week as they cover the star-studded over-the-top action film THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS. The cast includes regulars Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, and Nathalie Emmanuel as Dominic Torreto's lovable rat-pack of street racers turned International spies. It's Bond on wheels and all about ... family. Jason Statham returns in a major way to punch things up while Kurt Russell makes a welcomed appearance and Helen Mirren cameos. Mad Max: Fury Road's Charlize Theron is on board as Blofeld...er...Cypher, the film's villain. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

Thomas grabs the wheel in attempts to course correct HNR back into the world of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy with a look at Netflix's Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return. The Black Saint and Dave ring in with their thoughts on Joel Hodgson's reigniting the franchise as it looks satirically back a number for forgotten gems...well, maybe not "gems" but...nevermind, they're bad...oh, so, bad. You know you're in for a special time when it is "Avalanche" for the win.

Dave pilots this week's edition of Horror News of the Week with the long-anticipated trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the rumor that Universal is eyeing Bill Condon to direct The Bride of Frankenstein, and the casting of Sam Elliot in The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot. HNR and Gruesome Magazine are heading to a number of horror conventions and film festival in the coming months Crimson Screen Horror Film Festival in May to Dragon Con in September.

Co-hosts Santos (The Black Saint) Ellin Jr.Dave Dreher and Thomas Mariani are back again this week to give you the best in horror as they recap, review and obliterate all that is horror this week! Oh, and don’t forget – Stump the Saint! (Brought to you by Gruesome Magazine)

Horror News Radio
Episode 211 – The Fate of the Furious (2017)
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Feature Review: The Fate of the Furious (2017)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's not a horror film but the Grue-Crew, on occasion, dive into the action pool to see what else lies in the cinematic wasteland of Hollywood offerings. The Fate of the Furious is just crazy enough to lure HNR's attention in that direction. Combined with some genre favorites (c'mon Kurt Russell!) and the promise of incredible stunts, it's too delicious to resist. Well, for everyone save Dave, who still refuses to join Dom's family. High octane hilarity awaits!

 

What Have You Been Watching: Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return (2017)

Netflix continues to win genre fans' hearts with the return of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Thomas leads the review of the first four episodes of every madcap, laff-track minute, featuring riffs on everything from Reptilicus to Avalanche. Even Peter Cushing isn't spared as they skewer his film At the Earth's Core. Check out how Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return fares and stands up next to the original.

 

Outline of the Episode

  • [00:00:40]: Intro
  • [00:02:36]: Horror News of the Week
    • [00:02:51]: Star Wars: The Last Jedi Teaser
    • [00:09:55]: Bill Condon to Court The Bride of Frankenstein?
    • [00:15:41]: Spike TV's The Mist!
    • [00:18:42]: Sam Elliot IS The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot
    • [00:23:13]: Phoenix Forgotten Trailer
  • [00:29:38]: Support HNR
  • [00:30:19]: Feature Review - Fate of the Furious
  • [01:08:44]: Announcements
    • [01:08:48]: Gruesome Magazine 2016 Yearbook is Out!
    • [01:09:25]: Convention/Film Festival Appearances!
  • [01:10:37]: What Have You Been Watching - Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return!
  • [01:30:32]: Stump The Saint

NEXT WEEK ON HNR

Pheonix Forgotten (2017)

 

GRUESOME LINKS

Gruesome Magazine Spring 2017 is coming! That's right, the very first issue of an all-new horror magazine from the Grue-Crew behind Horror News Radio and Gruesome Magazine website will land late February 2017. The tagline "Horror Festival Hits - Independent Films - The Future of Horror" reflects the focus of the magazine on the up'n'coming horror filmmakers and their films in Horror Film Festivals across the globe. Check out the GM page for more details.

Apr 19, 2017

"What's the matter? Afraid of the rough stuff? Welcome to showbusiness, morons!" The snarky spirit of Alex Winter's Freaked continues to entertain nearly a quarter of a century after its release. Jabs at everything from the entertainment industry to corporate overreach to... milkmen? Well, they had it coming especially. It's a zany manic ride that may just be thee most 90s thing the show has yet to cover. The question is, does this Liquid Television-era MTV inspired film still get many laughs all these years later? Also, is it a horror movie? Was this the role Randy Quaid was born to play? Or, perhaps most importantly... is someone could to wipe Worm's ass?

Decades of Horror 1990s
Episode 13 - Freaked

Freaked is probably the least horror related production to be covered on this show, but it was especially chosen by our listeners in a poll. Freaked beat out heavy hitters like Interview with a Vampire and Tales from the Hood to get here. How in the hell did that happen? After all, when it was first released in 1993, no one really payed attention to it. The satiric comedy follows sleazy actor Ricky Coogan (Alex Winter) and his buddies being mutated into hideous freaks by a crazed carnival broker/freak show proprietor (Quaid) and a key part in the resistance of freaks he's imprisoned. Freaked eventually found a following on home video, but then again one can't be certain that it would have been all that successful even if it had a wide release. With its edgy 90s satire and extensive disturbing creature design, Freaked couldn't really be made at any other time, before or since.

To join Thomas Mariani is Gruesome Magazine's own Adam Thomas. Adam considers himself a child of the 90s and Freaked to be right up his alley. The two talk about the insanely eclectic cast, which includes Keanu Reeves as a dog man, William Sadler as the head of the Everything Except Shoes corporation and Academy Award Nominee John Hawkes as a half man/half cow creature. There's also much talk about the amazing practical effects work throughout, designed by Screaming Mad George, Steve Johnson and The Chiodo Brothers amongst others. It's probably the most horror driven aspect of Freaked, but that doesn't stop Thomas and Adam from talking about it. Or, occasionally talking in between fits of laughter.

Contact Us

We want to hear from you – the coolest, most gruesome fans:  leave us a message or leave a comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1990s podcast hosts at thomasmariani@decadesofhorror.com or tweet Thomas @NotTheWhosTommy.

Next Episode

Alien3

Apr 13, 2017

The Grue-Crew settle down to tackle the latest film from director Sean Byrne titled The Devil's Candy. The film universally surprised the crew with its heavy metal sensibilities and strong family core brilliantly blended with a horrific tale of madness, murder, and possession. Featuring Ethan Embry, Shiri Appleby, Kiara Glasco, and Pruitt Taylor Vince, The Devil's Candy hits hard and fast with a quick paced 79 minutes. Highly recommended, a review to grab your attention.

For this episode's What Have You Been Watching Segment, the Grue head over to Netflix to take in a sci-fi thriller from director Charlie McDowell and writer Justin Lader. The film is The Discovery. The premise is strong where a group of scientist proves the existence of the afterlife but the film drives off course for its over-explained finale. Regardless, the ideas are fascinating and the cast is rich featuring Robert Redford, Jason Segel, Rooney Mara, and Jesse Plemons.

Dave pilots this week's edition of Horror News of the Week with the trailer for Thor Ragnarok, the announcement of a Haunting TV series from Mike Flanagan, and unearthed alternate endings for The Blair Witch Project. HNR and Gruesome Magazine are heading to a number of horror conventions and film festival in the coming months Crimson Screen Horror Film Festival in May to Dragon Con in September.

Co-hosts Santos (The Black Saint) Ellin Jr.Dave Dreher and Thomas Mariani are back again this week to give you the best in horror as they recap, review and obliterate all that is horror this week! Oh, and don’t forget – Stump the Saint! (Brought to you by Gruesome Magazine)

Horror News Radio
Episode 210 – The Devil's Candy (2017)
Subscribe – iTunes – Facebook – Stitcher

Feature Review: The Devil's Candy (2017)

The first three months of 2017 are already promising enough with films like Split, Get Out, and The Void claiming spots in the Grue-crew's top 10 for the year. The film this week, The Devil's Candy, is a last minute substitute feature review when the original choice was discovered to be unavailable. Wow! What a fortuitous alternative. The Devil's Candy is yet another strong contender for the best of the year with great performances from its cast, a killer soundtrack, and shocking tale of horror. Check this one out!

 

What Have You Been Watching: The Discovery (2017)

With a cast like this, expectations are high for The Discovery. Certainly, Robert Redford, Mary Steenburgen, and Rooney Mara are fantastic, Jason Segel and Jesse Plemons are no slouches either. But the film, directed by Charlie McDowell, despite its incredibly fascinating setup, drops the ball, in the end, leaving the Crew a little underwhelmed. Yet, the journey was not entirely fruitless. The divisive film gets put through the wringer this week.

 

Outline of the Episode

  • [00:00:40]: Intro
    • [00:02:09]: Cinema Wasteland Report By Dave
    • [00:03:46]: We Go On Contest Winners!
  • [00:05:01]: Horror News of the Week
    • [00:05:18]: Thor Ragnarok Trailer
    • [00:12:59]: A Haunting of Hill House Series for Netflix
    • [00:21:27]: SyFy Grindhouse Show
    • [00:25:45]: Nails Trailer
    • [00:28:04]: The Blair Witch Project Alternate Endings Unearthed
  • [00:31:34]: Support HNR
  • [00:32:06]: Feature Review - The Devil's Candy
  • [01:07:39]: Announcements
  • [01:08:52]: What Have You Been Watching - The Discovery
  • [01:33:11]: Stump The Saint
  • [01:41:08]: Listener Feedback

NEXT WEEK ON HNR

Fate of the Furious (2017)

 

GRUESOME LINKS

Gruesome Magazine Spring 2017 is coming! That's right, the very first issue of an all-new horror magazine from the Grue-Crew behind Horror News Radio and Gruesome Magazine website will land late February 2017. The tag line "Horror Festival Hits - Independent Films - The Future of Horror" reflects the focus of the magazine on the up'n'coming horror film makers and their films in Horror Film Festivals across the globe. Check out the GM page for more details.

Apr 13, 2017

“There are certain unseen things that are more real than those which you can see and touch. I know that.” Join the Decades of Horror: The Classic Era’s Grue-Crew - Chad Hunt, Erin Miskell, Jeff Mohr, and Joseph Perry - as we go for It! … NO, NOT THE STEPHEN KING It. Give us a break! After all, we are The Classic Era Grue-Crew. We’re talking about the exclamation-point-ended, 1967-released, Roddy McDowall starred-in, pseudo-Hammer produced, tree-golem monstered IT!

Decades of Horror: The Classic Era
Episode 6 – It! aka Curse of the Golem (1967)

Written and directed by Herbert J. Leder, whose other accomplishments include Fiend Without a Face (1958) and The Frozen Dead (1966), It! builds on the Jewish folklore of the golem. What if a nervous nebbish of an assistant museum curator named Arthur Pimm (Roddy McDowall) discovered the long lost Golem of Prague? What’s more, what if he discovered the power to control the golem? What would this nervous, nebbishy, assistant museum curator do with such power? Well, it’s definitely not what we would do.

When the omnipotent golem runs amok, as all indestructible creatures are want to do, how would you stop it? Even though it might sound like Superman, Kryptonite won’t do the trick. I mean come on, IT!’s made of clay. Can IT! be drowned? Can IT! be burned? Can IT! be destroyed by any man-made means?

By the way, what the heck is Mr. Pimm doing with his mother? I guess he does look a bit like a shorter Norman Bates, but his mother has much nicer jewelry than Mrs. Bates does. And what integral part does Pimm’s mother fetish play in the plot of IT!? Or does it!?! (See what I did there?).

Find out why Erin talks so much about The Legend of Hell House when we’re discussing IT! Speaking of Erin, how does Pimm’s infatuation with Ellen Groves (Jill Hawarth) lead Erin to bond with her in sisterhood. Erin also philosophizes on whether she is a pickle or a hamburger. It’s not what you think! Hear about Chad’s bro-mance with the square-jawed American (Paul Maxwell) that comes to Ellen’s rescue! And what possible connection can there be between IT! and Lucio Fulci?

Of course as usual, if you’re paying attention, you’ll hear which of us makes these memorable comments:

  • I’m picturing Pimm punching the golem to the moon!
  • Too much cheese before the podcast.
  • Oh, he dug up his mother and took her coffin with him and they’re off with that silly statue to do whatever.
  • I AM THE MASTER!

We plan to release a new episode every other week. Our upcoming schedule includes The Thing from Another World (1951), Freaks (1932), The Queen of Spades (1949), and Waxworks (1924)

Please let us know what you think of Decades of Horror: The Classic Era and what films you’d like to hear us cover! We want to hear from you! After all, without you, we’re just four nutjobs talking about the movies we love. Send us an email  (chadhunt@gruesomemagazine.com, erinmiskell@gruesomemagazine.com, jeffmohr@gruesomemagazine.com, or josephperry@gruesomemagazine.com) or leave us a message, a review or a comment at GruesomeMagazine.com, iTunes, the Horror News Radio App, or the Horror News Radio Facebook group.

To each of you, a great big “THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!” from each of us!

 

Apr 11, 2017

"Damn! Come back from the grave and ran out of ammunition." Big Ben (Richard Moll) laments his inability to hunt down prey. Specifically, the curly locks of Roger Cobb (William Katt). A successful writer trying to get past his recent divorce, missing child and Vietnam PTSD. Where could he possibly seek refuge from his inner demons? Why, in the House where his aunt killed herself, of course! Nothing too ominous or spooky about that. The Decades of Horror Crew only has one question; is there a guest room they could record in?

Decades of Horror 1980s
Episode 105 – House (1986)

House, the 1986 horror comedy from Steve Miner (Friday the 13th 3-DLake Placid) is an odd beast. A goofy comedy with rather serious horrific trappings, House sought to balance the silly with the starkly darkest subjects. The goofy ghosts that cause mischief are followed up with disturbing flashbacks to Vietnam and lost children. It's distinctly 80s, including a really out of place synth score and a break up song scored body disposing montage. Something that the kids are definitely not gonna get in their modern blockbusters. They also won't get Norm from Cheers himself George Wendt as a lovable neighbor forever in search of a beer and movie night with his new neighbor. Ah, the things we miss from the 80s.

To reminisce about all of this, Christopher G. Moore and Thomas Mariani welcome back Doc Rotten from his hiatus! Plus, Adam Thomas is along for the ride! Three in a row! The four have varying opinions on House. Some love the tonal whiplash. Others find it jarring. It's a lively discussion full of questions of tone and purpose. Doc is full of insights into the production. Christopher relates the VHS wear and tear he put into his copy. Adam is curious as to how the physics of any of this works. Thomas just wants to know how the hell House II: The Second Story fits into the continuity. Still, one thing all of these gentlemen can agree on: William Katt's shirtless v-neck sweater is 80s fashion at its finest.

We want to hear from you – the coolest, most gruesome fans:  leave us a message or leave a comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1980s podcast hosts at thomasmariani@decadesofhorror.com or docrotten@decadesofhorror.com. We also want to be sure to thank Neon Devils for their killer track “Bone Chillin’” which we use for the intro and outro of this show.

Apr 7, 2017

For our special anniversary episode of Horror News Radio, the Grue-Crew scoured and scraped for a film worth to be included. They found the film they were looking for in the film THE VOID from directors Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski. The film unfolds like a classic gore-fest from the Eighties complete with gruesome practical effects and splatter galore. The film is swimming in crimson goo with monsters and mayhem around every dimly lit corner. Ah! A match made in heaven...or...it that elsewhere....?

This episode marks four years since the Grue-Crew first gathered to record the podcast, featuring a review of the Evil Dead remake. A few fans sent in questions and congratulations - and there may a familiar voice heard among them. In the What Have You Been Watching segment David and Doc discuss the season finale of The Walking Dead and the surprising turn of events in Bates Motel.

Dave pilots this week's edition of Horror News of the Week with a round up of recent trailers from It to Annabelle: Creation to The Mummy. HNR and Gruesome Magazine are heading to a number of horror conventions and film festival in the coming months Crimson Screen Horror Film Festival in May to Dragon Con in September.

Co-hosts Santos (The Black Saint) Ellin Jr.Dave Dreher and Thomas Mariani are back again this week to give you the best in horror as they recap, review and obliterate all that is horror this week! Oh, and don’t forget – Stump the Saint! (Brought to you by Gruesome Magazine)

Horror News Radio
Episode 209 – The Void (2017)
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Feature Review: The Void (2017)

The Black Saint says it best that The Void draws upon the classics in the genre: Hellraiser, John Carpenter's The Thing, even Halloween II and many others. But, as Thomas agrees, it doesn't do so to simply reference or homage those classics. The film uses those concepts to build into its own unique and bloody narrative. It is a treat for horror fans, especially those who remember watching classics from the local Mom and Pop VHS shop. Aaron Poole leads the cast which features Ellen Wong, Kathleen Munroe, Kenneth Walsh, Amy Groening, Evan Stern, Stephanie Belding, and Art Hindle. A must see!

 

What Have You Been Watching: The Walking Dead Season 7 Finale (2017)

Dave Dreher and Doc Rotten reflect on the Seventh season of The Walking Dead as the season finale airs. The expected grand extravaganza ended up being a bit of a whimper as the drop in ratings illustrates. The finale had a moment or two - mostly surrounding Negan - but the end result was a bit of an anticlimactic let down. Dave and Doc quickly turn their attention to the far more successful but no less controversial recent episodes of Bates Motel that weave Marion Crane (Rihanna) into the TV version. For Dave and Doc the variation on the classic "shower scene" was a season highlight while many across the internet have been panning the choice. Regardless, the performances from Eddie Highmore and Vera Farmiga are extraordinary.

 

Outline of the Episode

  • [00:00:40]: Intro
    • [00:03:00]: Night of Something Strange Swag Bag Winner!
    • [00:04:26]: 4 Year Anniversary Celebration!
  • [00:32:27]: Horror News of the Week
    • [00:32:42]: Stephen King's It Trailer
    • [00:39:35]: Dimension 404 and Mick Garris
    • [00:44:41]: Annabelle: Creation Trailer
    • [00:50:24]: Empire Box Set
    • [00:56:40]: The Mummy Trailer
  • [01:03:01]: Support HNR
  • [01:03:39]: Feature Review - The Void
  • [01:35:35]: Announcements
    • [01:35:40]: Gruesome Indiegogo Has Completed. Huge thank you for help reaching our goal!
    • [01:36:24]: Convention Appearances
  • [01:37:36]: What Have You Been Watching - The Walking Dead Season 7 Finale
  • [01:43:11]: What Have You Been Watching - Bates Motel
  • [01:46:47]: Stump The Saint

NEXT WEEK ON HNR

To Be Determined

 

GRUESOME LINKS

Gruesome Magazine Spring 2017 is coming! That's right, the very first issue of an all-new horror magazine from the Grue-Crew behind Horror News Radio and Gruesome Magazine website will land late February 2017. The tag line "Horror Festival Hits - Independent Films - The Future of Horror" reflects the focus of the magazine on the up'n'coming horror film makers and their films in Horror Film Festivals across the globe. Check out the GM page for more details.

Apr 6, 2017

"Nobody cares for you anymore. You're tarnished! Filthy!" Mima Kirigoe (Junko Iwao) grapples with her nightmarish double and her grip on reality. Stuck between her old life as a pop idol, her newfound acting career and her own inner self, Mima must try to find herself within a turmoil of madness, celebrity obsession and murder. Can she connect the mysterious murders that happen around her? Is there a link that bridges the gap between the madness? Can she decipher what the hell a "homepage" on the "Internet" is in the late 90s? All the answers lie within her own Perfect Blue.

Decades of Horror 1990s
Episode 12 - Perfect Blue

The first film from acclaimed and unfortunately late director Satoshi Kon, Perfect Blue is the kind of head trip that must be seen to be believed. Originally conceived as a live action endeavor, Kon and his team of animators translated the maddening psychological horror into an anime art style that has to be seen to be believed.  Inspired by the surreal talents of Terry Gilliam, Perfect Blue weaves a dark elusive web of a mystery that enraptures the audience. Mima must try to weed through the madness to find some form of sense, but her nature as an unreliable narrator makes us dubious. Even as we see the world around her turn against her, we're unsure if it's all just a vision in her warped mind. We're not even sure if she can tell her reflection from herself, let alone guarantee she didn't murder anyone. It's terrifying, gorgeous and a bit of a thinker. In other words, this ain't no Pokemon.

To clarify this, Thomas brings on anime fan Yonathan Habtemichael. While defining a few anime terms for the average joe, Yonathan also helps to give a rather wide cinematic scale. He and Thomas go into the thematically relevant provocative imagery that parades Perfect Blue. Particularly with emphasis on the horror. Despite the anime style, Thomas and Yonathan are genuinely terrified by the graphic gore depicted. Yet, there's also more under the surface. The true horror of Perfect Blue is more personal to Mima, but universal to all of us. One that is extremely prescient to modern tech stalking that's everywhere today. Even on clunky old computers and with dated home pages, Perfect Blue has a type of disturbed obsession at its core the blurs the lines of reality and makes the horror all the more vibrant and human despite being animated in two dimensions.

Contact Us

We want to hear from you – the coolest, most gruesome fans:  leave us a message or leave a comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1990s podcast hosts at thomasmariani@decadesofhorror.com or tweet Thomas @NotTheWhosTommy.

Next Episode

The Listener's Choice Approved... Freaked (1993)

Apr 5, 2017

"Seven Suicides - and they roared back as The Living Dead." - the tag line for Psyhomania (1973) plays heaving on the "Living Dead" implications from NoTLD despite this not being a zombie film in any fashion.  Also known as The Death Wheelers, the film does involve, bikers, death, destruction, and the devil -- maybe. Let the fun begin! The Black Saint and Doc Rotten tackle another groovy horror film from the 1970s. Joining the grue-crew is Gruesome Magazine contributor Jeff Mohr and fellow contributor Jerry Chandler.

Decades of Horror 1970s
Episode 49 – Pyschomania (1973)

In the extras on the Psychomania Blu-ray, star Nicky Henson reveals that no one on the set thought that anyone would be talking about this film after its release; in fact, that is the reason he chose these types of films over TV work, thinking no one would ever see it. To his dismay, the film would be shown countless times on the late-nite feature securing it as a minor cult classic and a film he is most approached about decades later. Psychomania is also the final film for the late, great George Sanders known to many as the man who starred in All About Eve, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and the genre efforts Village of the Damned, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Jungle Book (voice of Shere Khan the Tiger), or Batman (TV - as Mr. Freeze). While the film may be light on scares, it is heavy on thrills with its "groovy" stunt, something the director Don Sharp had experience with his previous films. Sharp is also the director behind Kiss of the Vampire, Curse of the Fly, and The Brides of Fu Manchu.

Doc confesses to considering Psychomania as a guilty pleasure, sharing he first purchased the film as a blind-buy with an affordably priced "Goodtimes" VHS. The rest of the crew are not as warm to the film, but they all recognize that is does have some Seventies charm. While Santos generally dislikes the film, he does praise its score. The best part of the film is the oddball nature of how the film mixes the action with humor for the suicide scenes where the "Living Dead" off themselves so they can return to live eternal. The Crew debate the true nature of Sanders' character Shadwell and scratch their heads over all the "frog" imagery. Yes, the resurrection of the leader of the "Living Dead", Tom, as he flies out of his grave atop his motorcycle is the film's highlight. Psychomania is a unique film, a one of kind.

Apr 3, 2017

Doc Rotten and Dave Dreher from Horror News Radio and Gruesome Magazine discuss the "It" trailer which finally dropped on March 29, 2017 on the first episode of the Gruesome Minute.

Apr 2, 2017

Paul Cardullo joins Doc Rotten to discuss the 10 films that played during the 18th Annual Nevermore Film Festival in Durham, NC, February 24-26, 2017. Each year, the highly anticipated film festival shares some of the best the horror genre has to offer - along with some sci-fi and thriller options as well. Ten films were presented during the weekend, 9 were in competition and one (The Love Witch) was an official release included during the event. Each film had something unique to offer. Doc and Paul share their thoughts on each film

Horror News Radio Extra
Episode 11 – The 18th Annual Nevermore Film Festival, Durham, NC, 2017
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Not only does the Nevermore Film Festival have some of the best horror films, it also schedules a number of terrific shorts in a series of 90-120 minute blocks. They too are always fantastic. While Doc and Paul concentrate on the features for this podcast, they also caught some fine examples of short films, including but not limited to The Call of Charlie, Born Again, Death Metal, and The Fisherman's Wife. Below are the ten feature films.

  • 2307: Winter's Dream
    In 2307, a future soldier is sent on a mission to hunt down the leader of the humanoid rebellion.
    • w./d. Joey Curtis
    • Paul Sidhu, Branden Coles, Arielle Holmes 
  • The Barn
    Its Halloween 1989, best friends Sam and Josh are trying to enjoy what's left of their final Devil's Night before graduating high school. But trouble arises when the two pals and a group of friends take a detour on their way to a rock concert, finding an old abandoned barn and awakening the evil inside. Now it's up to Sam and Josh to find a way to protect their friends and defeat the creatures that lurk within "The Barn".
    • w./d. Justin M. Seaman
    • Mitchell Musolino, Will Stout, Lexi Dripps
  • Capture Kill Release
    A couple plots to murder a random stranger just for the thrill of it, but things turn ugly when one of them decides not to go through with it.
    • w./d. Nick McAnuity, Brian Allan Stewart
    • Jennifer Fraser, Farhang Ghajar, Jon Gates
  • The Dark Tapes
    A genre-defying mixture of horror, sci-fi, myth, mystery and thrills told as four interlocking tales in one intelligent anthology. Ghosts, spirits, creatures, demons and more from the paranormal world collide with rational curiosity.
    • w./d. Michael McQuown, Vincent J. Guastini
    • Emilia Ares Zoryan, Danielle Baez, Katelyn Bailey
  • Gehenna: Where Death Lives
    A group visits Saipan to search for locations for their company's newest resort. As they find what they think is the perfect spot, they discover a hidden bunker on the property which they decide to explore. However, they soon find out that curiosity can kill. As each member faces their most private secrets and the secrets of the bunker itself, the results lead to a most shocking conclusion. ...
    • w./d. Hiroshi Katagiri / Nathan Long and Brad Palmer
    • Lance Henriksen, Doug Jones, Patrick Gorman 
  • The Love Witch
    A modern-day witch uses spells and magic to get men to fall in love with her, in a tribute to 1960s pulp novels and Technicolor melodramas.
    • w./d. Anna Biller
    • Samantha Robinson, Jeffrey Vincent Parise, Laura Waddell
  • Occupants
    A documentarian named Annie has roped her husband into a project that involves setting up cameras throughout their house. Complications arise when the cameras start showing that same couple in an alternate universe.
    • w./d. Russ Emanuel / Julia Camara
    • Robert Picardo, Briana White, Michael Pugliese
  • The Power
    Abducted and imprisoned by a Cult, Magda awakens in a filthy cell. Despite hearing distant voices, her screams for help go unanswered. She's a prisoner, seemingly without hope - In time, she befriends another hostage, a girl who provides some comfort.
    • w./d. Paul Hills
    • Grace Vallorani, Constance Carter, Valentine Pelka 
  • The Void
    When police officer Carter (Aaron Poole) discovers a blood-soaked man limping down a deserted road, he rushes him to a local hospital with a barebones, night shift staff. As cloaked, cult-like figures surround the building, the patients and staff inside start to turn ravenously insane. Trying to protect the survivors, Carter leads them into the depths of the hospital where they discover a gateway to immense evil.
    • w.d. Jeremy Gillespie, Steven Kostanski
    • Kathleen Munroe, Ellen Wong, Kenneth Welsh
  • Welcome to Willits
    Deep in the Northern California woods, in the heart of the notorious Emerald Triangle, lies a remote cabin. The residents struggle to fight off the repeated attacks and abductions by mysterious creatures that have plagued them for years. When a local pot farmer is caught up with a wayward group of campers the situation quickly escalates into total carnage.
    • w.d. Trevor Ryan / Tim Ryan
    • Anastasia Baranova, Dolph Lundgren, Garrett Clayton
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