What a year it has been! We have reviewed films and provided reports on so many topics! Our pilot episode was Event Horizon, The first official episode was a review of Pet Sematary (1989), its sequel, and the novel by Stephen King. Then we moved on to An American Werewolf in London. The next film we discussed was The Faculty, think Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but with pomade. We then argued about C.H.U.D., where Jake defended it while Bryan was resoundingly luke warm on the classic. Mimic wa...
Jan 06, 2020•1 hr 47 min
One was a direct-to-video rehash of a fledgling studio's biggest success; the other, was a multimillion dollar behemoth that should have taken the world by storm. How do they compare? This is our first "VERSUS MODE" episode, and we plan to pit more comparable movies against each other in the future. Please let us know what you think! Demonic Toys, released 1992, was shot on a shoestring budget with handpuppets. These puppets would go on to make cameo appearances in The Dollman vs. The Demonic To...
Dec 30, 2019•1 hr 29 min
Sure we are too late for Krampusnacht, but we are int time for Santa Day! This movie has a special space in the shriveled black blood-pumping hearts of Bryan and Chad, who saw it together in theaters years ago. Since then, every year they exchange some form of Krampus present to celebrate Christmas. The film starts Emjay Anthony as Max Engel, a child trying to reconcile being too old to believe in Santa and the aftermath of his Kevin McAlister-style outburst. Adam Scott (Parks and Rec, Ghosted, ...
Dec 23, 2019•1 hr 51 min
I can feel your confusion radiating through time and space. Sword and sorcery on a horror podcast? Now wait one sanctimonious second! First off, it is based on a book by Michael Crichton named EATERS OF THE DEAD, which aside from being totally metal, is also pretty horrific. The book is about cannibalistic cavemen that torment viking villages dressed like the monster from The Village. Next, they use swords, which means? Yes, they are literal SLASHERS! Now, the original cut of the film by John Mc...
Dec 16, 2019•2 hr 6 min
Imagine you're Chris Columbus, y'know, the dude who wrote The Goonies, but before that. Oh, and before you directed Home Alone... and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York... and two Harry Potter Films... and Adventures in Babysitting. Imagine you are living in squalor and the rats in your New York City apartment inspire you to write about creepy crawlers. Then, suppose Steven Spielberg, director of Jaws, E.T., and Indiana Jones buys that script and wants to produce it. Without that almost unfathomably...
Dec 09, 2019•1 hr 39 min
Let's start off December with a chilling tale of mountain horror, brought to you by Dean R. Koontz! His novel, Phantoms, pre-dated Stephen King's IT and there are so many similarities, it borders on suspicious. An ancient creature, that can shapeshift, hires lackeys to do its bidding, travels through the sewers, and systematically preys on a small town. There are more similarities between Pennywise and "The Ancient Enemy" of course, and we get into them! We also discuss the similarities between ...
Dec 02, 2019•1 hr 53 min
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we would like to share our gratitude for all of our loyal listeners and give you a bonus episode! This is a Q&A we did recently at a screening of Artik with director, Tom Botchii, actors, Jerry G. Angelo and Matt Mercer, and cinematographer, Martin Moody. Even if you haven't seen the film, it is an interesting discussion. Learn how Tom basically bankrolled the movie himself, rather than wait patiently for studio involvement. Plus, get a glimpse into Tom's writi...
Nov 28, 2019•40 min
No, not the movie where they buried Howie Mandel in blue makeup and prostheses and put him across from Fred Savage, the flick with Academy Award Winning actress, Lupita Nyong'o! Fresh off her award-winning performance in 12 Years a Slave, which-- oh yeah, was her feature film debut! Lupita opted to try out comedy in an absurd dark comedy, which adds rabid fourth graders to the classic Rom Zom formula, mastered by Peter Jackson (Dead Alive/ Brain Dead) and Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead). She cr...
Nov 25, 2019•1 hr 26 min
Some have called it "The Studio that Dripped Blood," and for good reason; Hammer Films was one of the most prolific horror production companies of all time and its legacy has permeated many forms of media, whether acknowledged or not. Founded by William Hinds and James Carreras, Hammer Film Productions, Ltd. was initially in the business of "quota quickies," which were cheap and uninspired filler films. After being presented with a film project to rejuvenate the Frankenstein brand, the studio op...
Nov 18, 2019•1 hr 34 min
Yōkai (妖怪, ghost, phantom, strange apparition), the term is basically a catchall for Japanese supernatural monsters, spirits, and demons in folklore. The word itself is made up of the kanji for "bewitching; attractive; calamity" and "spectre; apparition; mystery; suspicious." Yokai were apparently the first monumental monster card game, pre-dating Pokemon by about a thousand years. Yokai have spawned comics, video games, cartoons, movies, media, and collectibles. There are many subsets of Yokai,...
Nov 11, 2019•1 hr 29 min
You may recall from last episode that Marvel Zombies was conceived by Mark Millar (Kickass, Kingsmen, Wanted, Nemesis, Starlight, and The Magic Order). After his initial Ultimate Fantastic Four storyline "Crossover," he gave over the Zombies imprint to Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead, Invincible) and Sean Phillips (Judge Dredd, Hellblazer, Sleeper, Criminal, Incognito, Fatale). After Millar, Kirkman, and Phillips moved on, the franchise was picked up by Fred Van Lente (Cowboys & Aliens, Arc...
Nov 04, 2019•1 hr 30 min
What started as an outwardly mocked pitch by Mark Millar in the break room at Marvel, turned into the best selling trade paper back of all time and a monumental franchise: Marvel Zombies. In this episode, Jake shows off just how deeply rooted his nerdism goes, rifling off trivia no one, not even the artists and creators who made this stuff, actually care about. You might know Millar's name from pioneering The Ultimate Universe with Brian Michael Bendis, which was integral in creating the Marvel ...
Oct 28, 2019•1 hr 23 min
Masterpiece or abomination? According to like, 90% of people, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is a peerless magnum opus; however, according to Stephen King and a few of his cronies, it's uglier than a naked old lady rotting in a bathtub. Let's compare, shall we? Kubrick directed 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, and Full Metal Jacket. King directed Maximum Overdrive. Ahem... MOVING ON! This film has been embroiled in controversy and skepticism since its debut in 1980. There are theories t...
Oct 21, 2019•1 hr 54 min
Truly, this film is legendary. With performances by Simon Pegg (Star Trek, The World's End, Hot Fuzz) and Nick Frost (Paul, Attack the Block, Into the Badlands) that have been often imitated, but never duplicated. Atop a stellar script by Edgar Wright (Baby Driver, Scott Pilgrim) and Pegg, there is very little to change, even from the most critical perspective. Originally, this started out as a bit in an episode of Spaced, where Pegg, Frost, and Wright worked together. There, the idea to create ...
Oct 14, 2019•1 hr 28 min
In space... no one can hear anything but my annoying nasally voice yelling at my wife and best friend about how much I love Alien! Written by Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett, the film was O'Bannon's reintroduction to Hollywood after living in a think-tank on the ill-fated Jodorowsky's Dune. The time abroad served invaluable, as it introduced him to H.R. Giger and his hideously sexual brooding art that would take an admittedly lacking story and turn it into a classic with the help of director, Ri...
Oct 07, 2019•1 hr 33 min
This is probably our most ambitious episode yet. This week, we create a bracket of 16 of North America's greatest cryptids, pitting them against each other to determine who's the best! Think Pokemon... from hell! Our contestants: jackalope, chupacabra, mothman, manipogo, Ozark Howler, wendigo, skinwalker, thunderbird, snallygaster, Jersey Devil, hodag, sasquatch, waheela, frogmen, Beast of Busco, and the squonk. The rules are quite simple, to advance to the next tier a monster needs a minimum of...
Sep 30, 2019•1 hr 34 min
Looking on the bright side of the legend, Wesley Earl Craven's passing, is that we can do a comprehensive biography on the fellow for your listening pleasure. Craven was an enigmatic character to say the least. He was raised in a strict religious household and only developed a love of film in his adult life, after pursuing another career entirely. He would go on to write and direct such films as The Last House on the Left, The Hills Have Eyes, Swamp Thing, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The People U...
Sep 23, 2019•1 hr 47 min
Another IT episode? That's right, two episodes dedicated to film adaptations in as many months. The legendary novel by Stephen King gets adapted much more competently in Andy Muschietti's very ambitious film series. If you are listening to this as a precursor to It: Chapter 2, fear not-- we announce when our discussion gets into spoiler territory. 2017 stars the magnanimous Bill Skarsgård as It / Pennywise, Jaeden Lieberher as Bill Denbrough, Jeremy Ray Taylor as Ben Hanscom, Sophia Lillis as Be...
Sep 16, 2019•1 hr 39 min
Have you ever seen a movie shot on 16mm that was supposed to be a 10 minute short film, that turned into a life-changing four year endeavor? That is this movie and the journey make's Frodo's little jaunt into Mordor look bland by comparison. Peter Jackson's debut, Bad Taste, features a cast and crew of his co-workers from his day job, who he suckered into getting together almost every Sunday for four years. You can see the brilliance that would become his Academy Award Winning style in this gore...
Sep 09, 2019•1 hr 50 min
Bill Gaines changed the comic industry in multiple ways, in multiple eras, it just so happens that our favorite involved schlocky gore and stolen stories. The "source material" included works from Ralph Murphy, Robert Florey, F. Marion Crawford, Arthur Machens, W.F. Harvey, H. P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe, Ray Bradburry, David H. Keller, and Carl Theodor Dreyer. In the episode, we try to herald the artists of the comic, including Wally Wood, Johnny Craig, Graham Ingels, George Evans, Jack Kamen...
Sep 02, 2019•1 hr 34 min
For those of you pining for the days of old, when we released episodes on Wednesdays, suffer no more! Here is a bonus episode just for you! If you like what you hear in this episode, please support Shawn with his short film, Night of the Axe, and our friends over at Gorelords, who are hosting a film festival on 8/31/19 at The Colonial Theater in Sacramento. The screening includes multiple short films, culminating in a showing of Creepshow, with the proceeds going to The American Red Cross Disast...
Aug 28, 2019•45 min
When a group of troubled teens (played by a group of bad actors) retreat to the San Bernardino Mountains to find themselves, they also find mutated Ticks and a world of woes. The movie features Seth Green (Robot Chicken, IT, Austin Powers), Alfonso Ribiero (Fresh Prince of Bel Air), the legendary Clint Howard (Ice Cream Man, Apollo 13, The Waterboy), and his dad. With some charming special effects and a bit of a lame duck plot, the movie is a great example of schlock. Also, Jake basically decide...
Aug 26, 2019•1 hr 34 min
As we get ready for It: Chapter 2 coming out in September, please enjoy our raucous discussion on the 1990 made for TV movie. The film very competently shrinks 1,138 pages down to a comparatively breezy 192 minute event. Basically, the film is the Tim Curry show. His portrayal of Pennywise the Dancing Clown is so iconic, that it nearly dwarfs his other performances such as The Darkness and Dr. Frankenfurter. Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace (Halloween III: Season of the Witch, Fright Night Part 2),...
Aug 14, 2019•2 hr 35 min
As the world premiere of his new film, Artik, looms on the horizon, Tom Botchii Skowronski takes time out of his schedule to chat with Jake about his work, influences, and love of Krispy Kreme donuts. The film is about a serial killer (Jerry G. Angelo), obsessed with comic books. teaching his son (Gavin White) how to effectively take up his mantle. All of this is spoiled when a mysterious stranger (Chase Williamson) looks to help the struggling teen. The stranger implores a local counsellor (Mat...
Aug 12, 2019•1 hr 11 min
Remember when David Arquette just played a wrestler and was not actually having deathmatches on the weekends? Well, let's hope his real life persona does not replicate his role in this film, because I do not want to deal with giant, mutant spiders! This week is the 2002 flop Eight Legged Freaks. We analyze why the film likely failed based on its competition and as always, do a scene by scene analysis. The movie stars Arquette (Scream, Ready to Rumble) as Chris McCormick, the prodigal son of the ...
Aug 07, 2019•1 hr 38 min
Delirium has set in and you can hear it nowhere more clearly than this rambling journey to the car and into traffic. In this bonus episode, we recap the final day of Midsummer Scream. Of note, the 30 year retrospective on Tales from the Crypt and the Archaeology of the Haunted Mansion were the highlights. Please let us know if you found the show from our presence at the event, as we are considering getting a booth next year! horror, convention, event, halloween horror nights, knotts scary farm. ...
Aug 05, 2019•15 min
That's right, goons! Because of the wonderful support from our bodacious Patreon patrons, we were able to scrounge up enough cash to go to Midsummer Scream. This was our first horror event as a group and we are very excited for what 8/4/19 brings with day 2. In this mini bonus episode, we discuss which mazes we liked, what panels we appreciated, and what costumes we absolutely loved. If you would like to see us at more events in the future, please consider supporting the show, whether by subscri...
Aug 04, 2019•17 min
You've seen Steven Spielberg's Jaws, right? That movie we covered a few weeks ago? Yeah, well have you ever wanted to see the same movie with the guy from Dumb and Dumber and eight legs? Boom-- Arachnophobia! All kidding aside, this is a very fun film, written by Don Jakoby and directed by co-founder of Amblin Entertainment, Frank Marshall. The film stars Jeff Daniels, with possibly the best character captured on celluloid: Delbert McClintock, as played by the magnificent John Goodman. The movie...
Jul 31, 2019•1 hr 38 min
Have you ever wondered what it's like to have a rapid hallucination in a dizzying blur that was induced by cocaine, while reading a short story by Stephen King that did not make any sense? Well, that is basically Maximum Overdrive. Of all the stories he'd written, the man chose to adapt his short story, Trucks, which was famously compiled in the Night Shift compilation, to be his first (and only) feature film. All of the promotion materials basically had King criticizing all of the prior directo...
Jul 24, 2019•1 hr 42 min
While not as well-regarded as its source material, Dante Alighieri's Inferno, As Above, So Below certainly leaves an impression. The film was written and directed by John Erick Dowdle, with partial writing credits to his brother, John. The plot surrounds Scarlett Marlowe (Perdita Weeks) in her quest for the Philosopher's Stone, documented by camera man Benji (Edwin Hodge). Along the way, she joins up with estranged lover, George (Ben Feldman, Friday the 13th, Cloverfield). As they descend into (...
Jul 17, 2019•1 hr 45 min
