Horror Movie Talk

Godzilla vs Kong is a complicated, mind bending thriller that will have you asking what is real. It’s got me wondering if movies will ever be the same again.  @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. https://youtu.be/odM92ap8_c0 Synopsis The story starts with an attack by Godzilla upon a private megacorp out of Pensacola, Florida, called Apex. It seems that he has turned from a good ultra-monster to a bad one, and everyone is very concerned about it. The leading mind scientists in the world decide that earth’s only hope is to take Kong out of his enclosure on Spider-Skull island to do battle with Godzilla. Shit starts to go sideways when Monke realizes he can’t swim, and everyone gets more big bonk energy than they bargained for. Review There is no way to prepare the audience for Godzilla vs Kong. All we can do is tell you to find a table, get under it, and start blowing mud in your big boy pants. Once your pants are full, pray that society will mend itself before you have to throw your own turds at the biggest monkey you’ve ever seen. Honestly, there is nothing that I can say that you don’t already know. Even if all you know is the title of this movie, you know everything.  There is either a gigantic hole in your life that only monkey punches can fill, or there isn’t.  I’m not going to lie, I liked this movie more than I thought I would. This is a hard movie to quantify because it’s so obvious in so many ways.  Watch Kong: Skull Island Watch on Amazon Buy Now! Some of the things I struggle with in reviewing Godzilla vs Kong are: Top tier talent behind the helm and on the screen. This is directed by Adam Wingard, who also directed V/H/S and You’re Next, which are some horror films I loved. It also stars and features,  Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Julian Dennison, Lance Reddick, and Demián Bichir.  On the other hand, none of them give a good performance in this, and are as melba toast boring as you can possibly imagine.  But, Godzilla does fight with King fucking Kong.  The sound design is unbelievable, and this whole movie seems like one big Dolby display for massive crunching and roaring sounds, which could be a drawback if you are looking to sip some wine and fall asleep on the couch.  But, Godzilla does fight with King fucking Kong. In my opinion this isn’t as good as movie as Kong: Skull Island, or Godzilla (2014). But, Godzilla does fight with King fucking Dong.  So, you have a choice ahead of you. You can watch this movie and be pummeled by monster fights the likes of which you’ve never seen before, or you can save yourself two hours and pretend like you saw this movie and no one will ever be able to tell the difference.  I will say that this felt pretty similar to The Meg, but now all I can think is who would win if Godzilla and Kong fought the Meg.  Score 4/10 Get 20% Off + Free Shipping, with the code HMT at Manscaped.com Get 13% Off your order at NightChannels.com when you use code HMT at checkout.

The Thing is the thingiest thing that ever thinged. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. https://youtu.be/5ftmr17M-a4 The Thing is available for rent on all the places. Synopsis The Thing takes place in an Antarctic research station, where they are studying… snow or something. Their sleepy routine is broken when a dog with shifty eyes appears while being chased by crazed Norwegians with guns in a helicopter. It turns out that the dog with shifty eyes is some sort of evil…thing. When the researchers discover that the dog has turned into a tentacle monster, they start to become suspicious. The thing turns out to be an alien that can imitate any animal or man exactly. When the researchers can’t identify which of them is human or thing, everyone, as gen Z says, becomes sus. Leprechaun in the Hood Poster Review of The Thing I went into this thinking great ANOTHER remake. What was wrong with the 1951 original? Well, this one won me over. Just kidding, The Thing is The Thing. It stands as one of the best practical effects horror films of the 80s, which is saying a lot. The story has tension baked in, and John Carpenter sucks every drop of tension out of it.  The character development is pretty thin, but you end up rooting for Kurt Russell to win, because he’s Kurt Russell. Overall, the cast is great, and the acting is excellent. The two main characters though, are the snow and the thing. The thing is one of the best monsters in horror, and lends itself to unlimited creativity when it comes to horrific appearances. The practical effects and puppetry are the things of a hentai addicts wet dream. It is really disturbing and surreal whenever the thing attacks or goes through a transformation. It’s one of the tentpoles of the genre, and is a must watch for any horror fan. Score 10/10 The Thing Watch it now or add it to your collection Buy Now Get 20% Off + Free Shipping, with the code HMT at Manscaped.com Get 13% Off your order at NightChannels.com when you use code HMT at checkout.

We saw The Wolf of Snow Hollow and were pleasantly surprised by a character driven movie with more good acting than I’ve seen in a while. The Wolf of Snow Hollow is a slice of life, horror-comedy that transforms from a mild mannered movie into a hairy, scary thriller that will rip you to shreds. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. https://youtu.be/q03zOoH-hGo Synopsis The quiet life in a small mountain town is disrupted when bodies are discovered mutilated in gruesome fashion.  This story follows officer Marshall who has been struggling with alcoholism, and gaining respect from his co-workers, father, and his daughter. Each time the body count rises, it’s a full moon, which leads the townsfolk to suspect a werewolf. It also adds increasing stress to officer Marshall who seems certain that it’s just a very large man, but no one seems to respect his opinion.  As the tension rises, so does the volume as officer Marshall seems to believe that shouting at everyone is the best way to lead, but in the end, everyone gets more wolf than they bargained for. Review I knew nothing about The Wolf of Snow Hollow when I started watching it, and found myself delighted at the writing, acting, and characters within this comedic, horror/thriller.  Watch The Wolf of Snow Hollow Watch on Amazon Buy Now! This is the second feature length directorial credit to Jim Cummings name, and it has placed him in the upper echelon of up-and-comers that I will be watching for the next few years. As it happens, Jim Cummings plays our imperfect protagonist, which is great because he is a total hunk. My wife walked into the room as I was watching this and had a hard time remembering my name, which is fine because I couldn’t remember it either. The small-town characters are straight out of Groundhog Day and the banter is both charming and real.  The lack of respect that is paid to officer Marshall echoes how I imagine everyone feels in their life as they try to prove themselves competent and worthwhile in a sea of people who only want to put them down. While this was not a tongue-in-cheek comedy, like Butt Boy, it feels like a slice of life. The incredible brutality of the murders are offset by some very fun and lighthearted moments for the first two acts before The Wolf of Snow Hollow takes a deadly serious turn in the final act. The Wolf of Snow Hollow is a very relatable and well-made movie that just happens to feature some very tense moments. It’s more fun than I bargained for, and the twist is quite good once you put together what it all means for all the characters involved. Score 9/10 Get 20% Off + Free Shipping, with the code HMT at Manscaped.com Get 13% Off your order at NightChannels.com when you use code HMT at checkout.

It’s Lep in the hood, and he’s up to no good. No seriously, it’s pretty bad. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. https://youtu.be/40P3TYKEdKA Leprechaun in the Hood can be found streaming on ad supported Peacock, and for rent everywhere else. Synopsis Leprechaun in the Hood can be found streaming for free with ads on Peacock or available for rent wherever. Leprechaun in the Hood, or “Lep in the Hood” if you’re cool, is the fifth entry in the Leprechaun series about an evil Leprechaun. This time he’s in the hood. The Leprechaun played by Warwick Davis is awakened inadvertently when his gold doubloons, magic flute, and necklace are stolen by three aspiring terrible rappers from a pimp/music producer played by Ice-T. Leprechaun in the Hood Poster Review of Leprechaun in the Hood You should know what you are getting into when you watch a fifth sequel to a straight to video franchise. This is not a good movie per se, but it can be enjoyable. This movie enters the realm of so bad it’s good. The cheap production design, bad acting, and the aggressively corny rhyming dialogue all make this to be a great movie to mock with friends. It’s also entertainingly out of date and worth a watch this St Patrick’s Day in my opinion, just know what you’re getting into. Score 3/10 Leprechaun in the Hood Watch it now or add it to your collection Buy Now Get 20% Off + Free Shipping, with the code HMT at Manscaped.com Get 13% Off your order at NightChannels.com when you use code HMT at checkout.

We watched Butt Boy, and to be honest, it’s simultaneously exactly what you think it is and nothing like you’ve ever seen. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. https://youtu.be/0sRvZ8siWLY Synopsis Butt Boy is the story of Chip (Tyler Cornack), a disaffected man in his midlife, and Russ (Tyler Rice), a greasy detective with a drinking habit.  Chip realizes one day that his life is missing something – killing innocent people and animals for his own perverse enjoyment.  Chip realized he has gone too far when he kills a little baby. He swears off killing and joins Alcoholics Anonymous to find the support he needs to help quell his addiction. Nine years later Chip meets Detective Gutchell at his weekly AA meeting and becomes his sponsor. Subsequently, Chip is spurred to kill again by Detective Gutchell’s stories of his love of alcohol, and the high it gets him. What Chip doesn’t realize is that Detective Gutchell is the man assigned to the missing boy case – the very boy Chip killed. What ensues is a terrifying game of cat and mouse, will Chip keep killing? Will Detective Gutchell crack the case? Now, every iteration of the word “kill” above and replace it with “shoving things and people up his butt” and you have Butt Boy. Watch Butt Boy Watch on Amazon Buy Now Review Butt Boy is an incredibly funny movie by writer/director/lead actor Tyler Conack came up with. It’s deadpan delivery and serious tone lend such an air of sophistication to such an incredibly absurd premise that all you can do is laugh. This movie takes deadly serious topics of serial killing and detective work and throws the biggest wrench it possibly can into the works, to see what happens when shit gets real. Butt Boy takes a color-drenched neo-noir world with serious characters and forces the most emotionally vacant character to enjoy shoving things, animals, and people up his butt so much that he becomes a serial butt-shover.  But my enjoyment goes so far beyond the delivery and the premise of Butt Boy. When you start to realize what is happening, that a grown man can somehow cram picture frames, and dogs into his butt the movie starts to force you to ask, “”Is he going to shove that up his butt?” every time Chip looks at something a little too long.  The tension is Butt Boy is handled with deadly seriousness and for some reason it works. The name works against and for the movie. I’ll say this, it makes it really difficult to convince people that they should watch it, and they should. But when they do start watching it, they will immediately ask, “is that butt boy?” or “is butt boy going to put that up his butt?” or “no butt boy, don’t put that up your butt!” I have to say, after having watched Young Frankenstein recently, it’s astonishing to see how far genre comedy has come in 50 years. It’s become simultaneously so sophisticated and so crass that I have to laugh. Score 8/10 Get 20% Off + Free Shipping, with the code HMT at Manscaped.com Get 13% Off your order at NightChannels.com when you use code HMT at checkout.

Society is gory goopy 80s fun. This film should be at the top of your watch list if you are a fan of body horror. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. https://youtu.be/inrBU8juGI8 Society can be found streaming on Amazon Prime and Tubi for free, and for rent everywhere else. Synopsis Society is about 17 year old Bill Whitney (Billy Warlock) who has a sneaking suspicion that something is strange about his upper class family. Plagued by grotesque visions, he turns to his therapist for answers, but is reassured that he is just hallucinating. His suspicions don’t go away, and a series of freak accidents follow him whenever he is close to getting answers. In the end, he gets more Society than he bargained for. Society Poster Review of Society Society is probably one of the most well known body horror movies because of the last 30 minutes. If you want goopy eighties body horror, this is your movie, but be advised that you can probably skip the first hour. This is a movie that feels like it could have been a short film. There is really nothing going on in the first hour other than a teenager feeling suspicious. Overall, it’s goofy and tasteless fun, but I just wish there was more to it. Score 6/10 Society Watch it now Buy Now Get 20% Off + Free Shipping, with the code HMT at Manscaped.com Get 13% Off your order at NightChannels.com when you use code HMT at checkout.

My Bloody Valentine is another slasher from the early slasher days, where the formula is generic, the kills are frequent, and there’s probably a boob floating around out there for the dudes in the audience. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. https://youtu.be/YYHWUP_FKQU Synopsis My Bloody Valentine is the story of a small mining town in the rural US in the early 80’s. This town is celebrating Valentines day for the first time in 20 years.  The town is full of young couples who plan on partying during their new Valentines celebration.  But everyone seems to have forgotten the reason why this town didn’t celebrate Valentines, because on this day many years ago there was a terrible min accident that left a man named Harry Warden crazy and seeking revenge every February 14th. Everyone ends up with more candy hearts than they bargained for. Review My Bloody Valentine got in near the ground floor of the slasher craze in 1981. This is the same year that Friday the 13th Part 2 and Halloween 2 were released.  It was directed by George Mihalka, and manages to be a better than average slasher. My Bloody Valentine has a few things going for it: Interesting setting Decent acting Fun characters Good budget Unique villain Watch My Bloody Valentine Watch on Amazon Buy Now Unfortunately it just doesn’t set itself apart from the vast array of other slashers very well. For it’s time it was a head above the rest of the competition, and probably one of the most notable slashers behind the big boys.  However, today My Bloody Valentine just doesn’t have any memorable moments that make it undeniable. Sleepaway Camp is so over the top and crazy with the pedophiles, and shocking conclusion that it stakes out a spot in your memory. My Bloody Valentine is full of nostalgia, but that’s not enough. Score 5/10 Get 20% Off + Free Shipping, with the code HMT at Manscaped.com Get 13% Off your order at NightChannels.com when you use code HMT at checkout.

We went and saw Saint Maud, and Oh god, Oh God, Oh gooood! @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. https://youtu.be/EXs2-TY9qok Saint Maud can be found on Epix streaming and on Region b/2 bluray. Synopsis Saint Maud is about a devout christian English nurse named Maud played by Morfydd Clark, who takes a job as an in house hospice nurse for an American ex-pat Amanda, played by Jennifer Ehle. Amanda is an ex-dancer/choreographer of some fame, that still holding onto as much drama and vanity as she can in her final moments. Maud becomes enamoured with Amanda and quickly takes her on as her personal project to save her soul before she dies.  Maud starts off looking like a typical naive, but earnest believer, but soon is eventually revealed as a dangerously unhinged zealot.  Review of Saint Maud This is my type of movie. It’s another film suggested by hard fucker Dustin Goebel.  It is the best example of a slow burn. While not the same thing at all, this is the infinitely better version of “I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House”. Unlike the aforementioned, the pacing is excellent. There is plenty of room given for character development and for things to unfold in a very natural way. Without much hand holding, you are given everything you need to know to unravel the puzzle that is Maud. If it weren’t for a couple disturbing flashbacks in the beginning of the film, you would never expect that this would be a horror movie.  It really is impressive how off balance this film kept me. It felt like it could have gone in dozens of different directions. I think I would have been satisfied with any of them, because I was thoroughly on-board by the mid point of the movie. The last act really ups the tension because of the uncertainty of how it is going to end, and when it comes it is deeply disturbing and satisfying. I highly recommend seeing this movie. It’s up there with anything by Ari Aster or Robert Eggars. Score 10/10 Saint Maud Watch it now Buy Now Get 20% Off + Free Shipping, with the code HMT at Manscaped.com Get 13% Off your order at NightChannels.com when you use code HMT at checkout.

We watched Pieces on Shudder, and it was a fun if extremely dated slasher from 1982. It’s got intensely awkward scenes, lots of nudity, and is the ultimate form of copycat slasher bullshit. Listen to Horror Movie Talk’s take on this fun and puzzling slasher. Pieces can be found on Shudder and Amazon. Watch the trailer for Pieces: https://youtu.be/S1cnjEAZOjk Pieces starts with a young boy putting a smutty puzzle together. His mom walks in on him fiddling around with this puzzle and does what any good mom would do; she flips out. The boy leaves and comes back within ten seconds wielding an ax that he uses to murder the bejesus out of his mom. This supposedly happens in the 1940s, which is weird because I don’t know for sure, but I imagine it was remarkably hard to get your hands on a smut puzzle from the ’80s in the ’40s. We fast forward in time 40 years to a university that is having some issues with a grizzly series of chainsaw murders. The movie transforms into a who done it with plenty of potential suspects that could be the shadowy killer who seemingly only targets attractive, naked co-eds. Pieces wants to be a fun, funny, cult slasher, and to some extent it is. It tried so hard to cash in on the early slasher craze that it actually ends up being a fun, funny, cult slasher because of how hard it falls on its face. It is good because it’s bad, and it’s funny because it’s not. Gratuitousness and bad irony are what rules the day in Pieces, and I had a pretty fun time watching this. My Rating 3/10 On paper, this movie is a solid 2/10, but somehow, through silly bullshit and charm, it edges it’s way up into a pretty watchable piece of camp fun. Spoiler for Pieces In the opening where the little boy kills his mom, the goof-factor is already off the charts. How did this boy make it to ten years old without already killing his mom? So much about this scene is silly that I immediately knew I was in for a good time. When the police entered the room where the boy murdered his mother, they found her severed head in the closet, and I laughed out loud at how alive the actor who played his mother was behind that dresser. I think I saw her eyes move. Cutting up your mom really can take it out of you. The stars of Pieces are all B movie and TV actors, with the only two actors of any real note being Lynda Day George (Mary Riggs, the hot undercover cop/tennis player) and Christopher George (Lt. Bracken who looks an awful lot like a young Roger Moore). There was a lot of audio dubbing and voice over work in this movie, which was distracting at first, but after some time it just added to the campiness of it. Weird Storytelling The who done it aspect of Pieces is only interesting enough for you to say, “Hey, they are trying to do some sort of Clue ripoff.” However, then you would be terribly wrong because Clue didn’t hit theaters until three years later in 1985 – silly you. The story is very heavy-handed in its suggestion that the antagonist is Professor Arthur Brown, which leads you to believe that it’s probably him. Professor Brown is in charge of the Anatomy Dept. and is always sneaking around where he shouldn’t be. It also insinuates that the killer might be the beefy groundskeeper with the shifty eyes who enjoys stroking his chainsaw when he isn’t raking the grounds of the University or shiftily shifting his eyes. Shifty eyed groundskeepers are prime chainsaw massacre suspects…duh. Pool Sex? At one point in Pieces, a girl asks one of the lead characters, Kendall, if he wants to have sex in the school pool. He answers in the affirmative, then becomes sidelined by a plot point. As she waits for him in the pool, she is murdered, which is a good thing because let me just say, you should never have sex in a pool. Not only is pool sex gross for everyone else who has to use the pool after you, but it can also cause some nasty UTI’s and other infections that can mess up your system for weeks, maybe months. This girl is extremely lucky that she was killed before having sex in the pool. Insane Deaths The deaths in Pieces are ridiculous to the point of being hilarious. Some of the ways that people die in Pieces are: Skateboarding through a mirror Chainsaw in the pool room Chainsaw in the garden Chainsaw in the elevator Waterbed stabbing Ax to the noggin Death by pool skimmer Death by dick grab Pieces also include a tremendous amount of what is almost stock-footage-level boring shots and scenes. Some of the most notable boring bologna that you will have to sit through includes: Stock Footage Bonanza The killer solving a smutty puzzle Jazzercise The lowest energy tennis match I’ve ever seen at any level, let alone “pro” level Boring chit chat The ending of this movie reminded me of the 2018 The House That Jack Built ending. The lousy Dean was building a corpse replica of his mother out of the PIECES of his victims. It made me wonder if The House That Jack Built was paying some respect to this somewhat lovable

This week we rewatched Mel Brooks’ comedy horror masterpiece, Young Frankenstein, and with the recent passing of Cloris Leachman, I’m starting to think that the cast are immortal warriors battling until the last man standing ala Highlander. It looks like Gene Hackman and Terry Garr are setting their sights on each other. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. Finally we review a comedy horror classic. Next up, Dracula, Dead and Loving It. https://youtu.be/ZL9Q_0JtMNA It can inexplicably only be found on Starz subscription as of this recording. Young Frankenstein Synopsis Young Frankenstein is a satire remake of the Universal Frankenstein movies. It stars Gene Wilder as Frederick Frankenstein, the grandson of the infamous mad scientist Victor Frankenstein that created a monster out of dead flesh. This YOUNGER Frankenstein, seeks to distance himself from the infamy of his family, but finds himself being driven by destiny to follow in his grandfather’s Vootshteps. Along the way he is assisted by Marty Feldman as Igor the stock minion that comes with his family castle, Cloris Leachman as Frau Blucher the housekeeper, and Terri Garr as Inga the lab assistant. The cast is rounded out by Frankenstein’s fiancee Elizabeth played by Madeline Kahn and the monster played by Peter Boyle.  Young Frankenstein is a loving homage to the Universal horror movies of the 30’s and a lot of care is taken to match the look and feel of the original Frankenstein. But more to the point, the film is a platform to make dick jokes while playing on man’s greatest fear: Germans. Review of Young Frankenstein Mel Brooks, who directed and cowrote with Wilder sees Young Franknestein as his best film, and third funniest behind Blazing Saddles and The Producers (Both starring Gene Wilder coincidentally). I would agree with that. As an homage to black and white gothic horror, and specifically the 1931 original, this film hits dead center on target. However, a resulting downside is that the pacing matches the slow and measured progression of its source material.  The cast of Young Frankenstein is perfect, and each are excellent comedians in their own rights, but Gene Wilder stands head and shoulders above the rest of the cast with a pitch perfect mad scientist that swings from mania to bottled rage. Watching him in this film is a master class on silence and timing in comedy. There are a ton of jokes and gags, that are as funny and juvenile as you would expect from any Brooks film, but most of the laughs come from the line delivery and reactions of the amazing cast. Score 9/10 Young Frankenstein Add the Blu-ray to your collection or stream it now Buy Now Get 20% Off + Free Shipping, with the code HMT at Manscaped.com Get 13% Off your order at NightChannels.com when you use code HMT at checkout.

We have been told that we needed to see The Dark and the Wicked by several of our friends and listeners, and I can see why. This is a scary movie if paranormal subject matter is your thing. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. Watch The Dark and The Wicked Watch on Amazon Click Here to Watch https://youtu.be/Hk1mVaGq_t0 Synopsis The Dark and the Wicked is the story of a family of grown, adult children Louise (Marin Ireland) and Michael (Michael Abbott Jr.), and their aging parents.  Their mother (Julie Oliver-Touchstone) has been taking care of their father (Michael Zagst) whose health is failing leaving him non-responsive and bedridden. Mom has also been doing her best to take care of the family farm, in an unmentioned American rural area somewhere in the heartland. The kids are back at home trying to help their mother with the care of their ailing father. Mom seems to be haunted by something that creeps onto the property at night, and begs her children to leave. As the story progresses we begin to learn about the family’s lack of faith and everyone gets more dark and wicked shit than they bargained for. Review This movie was Directed by Bryan Bertino, who was the writer and director for The Strangers and Producer for The Blackcoat’s Daughter, this is similar and ambiance to those movies. It was released in November of 2020. The Dark and the Wicked is a serious movie that doesn’t offer a lot in the way of light moments or levity of any kind. It starts serious and spooky, and does a good job of keeping that ramp going until the end. It felt a lot like The Lodge from 2020, in it’s super serious tone. The settings are bleak and run-down, and the characters are sad and in a state of mourning almost constantly. Add to that, there is something that seems to be preying on this family and trying to tear them apart, and you have a movie that might not be for everyone. With that being said, we here at HMT are pretty jaded but this set my spook detector off more than a few times.  The imagery is disturbing. The scares are not always easy to feel coming, and there are a few scenes that made me distinctly uncomfortable. The Dark and the Wicked is a strong entry into the paranormal horror sub-genre and is a must-see for anyone who really needs to be subjected to unpleasantness.  Score 8/10 Final Recommendations This is a paranormal fan’s dream come true. It’s also pretty great for anyone who enjoys possession movies.

Jaws is the archetypal monster movie blockbuster, and for good reason, It’s great! Spielberg and the principle actors do a fantastic job of capturing the dread and dangers of the sea and the eponymous shark. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. Patrons voted, and we rewatched Jaws, and if you don’t like this movie, you don’t like movies. https://youtu.be/U1fu_sA7XhE Jaws can be found on HBO Max as of this recording, and any where else you rent movies. Jaws Synopsis Jaws is about the origins of one of the most popular James Bond Henchmen. We learn about how he gained his signature steel teeth and brute strength in this emotional coming of age tale. That’s not the Jaws YOU watched? OH JAWS. The shark film by that up and comer Stevie Spielberg? OK, I’ve seen that, we can talk about that instead. That movie is based on the Peter Benchley novel of the same name about a huge killer Great White Shark terrorizing the island community of Amity. Review of Jaws Jaws is Jaws. It’s pretty much the shark movie, every other shark movie is compared to, and for good reason, it’s the best one! There are many imitators, but none live up to its example. This film is great at portraying a known, but not fully respected actual killing machine. But what makes the movie great is the skill of the direction, and the great acting of the principle cast. Score 10/10 Jaws Add the Blu-ray to your collection or stream it now Buy Now

Our patrons decided that it was time for us to review Hellhouse LLC, and frankly, I’m not even mad. This is a found footage movie about a Halloween spookhouse from 2015 and it does a pretty great job at unnerving me late at night. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. Watch Hellhouse LLC Watch on Amazon Click here to Watch https://youtu.be/kZ40kOmOgEI Synopsis Five years after a disaster at a local spookhouse known as Hellhouse LLC where 15 people lost their lives, a documentary crew goes back to the scene to try and determine what really happened. What they learn is that a group of young but somewhat experienced spookhouse creators bought the abandoned Abaddon hotel, which they planned to make into a spookhouse for the Halloween season. Good news for the documentary crew – the Hellhouse LLC crew decided to take video footage of their whole project from beginning to end.  The premise at the start is that it’s a documentary, which draws my attention quite well. At some point it seems to shift into a first-person perspective of the Hellhouse Crew. and then it remains that way for almost the entire rest of the movie. This includes buying the Abaddon hotel, and trying to make it safe enough, clean enough, and scary enough to be a Halloween destination. As the group fix up the hotel, they also live there, because otherwise the cost-benefit-analysis doesn’t add up, and as you might imagine, it gets weird.  This prop clown keeps showing up all over the house and it seems like there might be someone else living there.  As Halloween draws nearer, they start to lose it, and end up with more Hellhouse than they bargained for. Review Hellhouse LLC and both sequels, were written and directed by the same guy, Stephen Cognetti. I immediately was hooked because it was a better-than-average found footage movie from the outset of the movie. The thing that struck me immediately was how they kept talking about “the incident” as though it was this astonishingly terrifying occurrence, and it sucked me in from there. Almost the entire movie is set within this already spooky place that they are fixing up to be even spookier, so the set almost always includes weird imagery and backdrops. The characters are jaded enough to be believable in their ability to live in such a place, which makes the premise solid enough to be believable. Really, Hellhouse LLC boils down to a solid premise with a very scary setting and a lot of hype.  Ultimately the payout at the end is pretty intense, but I can see how some might be underwhelmed when it’s been built up so much by the documentary portion of this film. In terms of scary movies, this is one to me, and that’s something of an accomplishment in itself. Score 8/10 Final Recommendations If you enjoy found footage horror, Hellhouse LLC is one of the good ones. I would also recommend this to anyone who digs on clown related horror – blech!

This week we are having a different kind of show. This show we are looking back at the delightsome year that was 2020, and awarding the best and worst of Horror Movie Talk. This is fine. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. Best ad Ju-on (The Grudge) Gators ade (Crawl) Blumhouses The Brady Bunch (Fantasy Island) Donald Deadly Doll Emporium (Brahms: The Boy 2) Paganism (The Wicker Man) Virginity Incorporated (It Follows) The Company (Alien) Wormhole to go (Event Horizon) Sincorporated: Hedonism (Seven) Jigsaw’s Seesaws (Saw) Anti-Santa Home Defense (Better Watch Out) Best new drop Chompa Chompa (Crawl) Bye Bye Man (Bye Bye Man) Oh Hey Ho, a Squirrel (Wrong Turn) Tits, Boobs, Boobies…Machines (Wrong Turn) Paganism (The Wicker Man) Drain Addict slew Candy Man Song (The Candy Man) It’s thick (Around Scream) Can I see one Titty? (Ghost Ship) Ew David (Friday the 13th part 2?) Best new Bit FNict or Fcagetion Don’t Blank on The Blank (CAndyman) BAconator (Tremors)  Horror Movie or Frankie MacDonald Guess That Death (The Exorcist) Horror Movie Whoooores (Event Horizon) Christmas Wishlist by Country Living (Krampus) Best Guest Garrett (Event Horizon) Erin (Trick R Treat) Brad (Rats) David’s Mom (Rosemary’s Baby) Magnus (Bye Bye Man (Bryce)) Marc (Alien) Dustin (Possessor) Best Interview JJ Villard (Friday the 13th) Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street) Cat Solen (It Follows) Derek Carl and Hank Huffman (The Brain that Wouldn’t Die) Tara Westwood (Color Out of Space) Thirstiest Moment Tara Westwood interview (Color Out of Space) Cop in Invisible Man Micah Monrow (It Follows) Drew Barrymore Riley Keough Booty Shorts Janelle Monet Ass shot Best Tagline The Platform: The Hunger Games part 2 Gretel & Hansel: and that was the last time the German’s used ovens for evil Wrong Turn: Looks like their Genes took a wrong turn Wrong Turn: its as if cable made a movie for itself Never Trust a Swede Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The what not to do part of to do portion of the chainsaw safety course The Brain That Wouldn’t die: Could you fuck a head? Asking for a friend. Antebellum: The Village, Woke Edition Antebellum: If ye ain’t fer bellum, you’re anti bellum Terror Train: Trapped on a train with the true terror, illusionists Terror Train: We run a train on your terror Worst Horror Movie We Watched this year Bats The Turning The Bye Bye Man Event Horizon Terror Train Rats Best Horror Movie We Watched this year Alien Texas Chainsaw Massacre The Exorcist Seven Possessor Uncut Rosemary’s Baby The Blair Witch Project Worst New Horror Movie of 2020 Gretel & Hansel The Lodge Antebellum Fantasy Island Underwater The Turning Best New Movie of 2020 Possessor Uncut Invisible Man His House Color Out of Space The Platform The Brain that Wouldn’t Die Interesting Scoring Stats Looking through the scores we’ve given for all the movies we’ve reviewed, it was interesting to see where we agreed and disagreed. Perfect 10s All of these films received a perfect 10/10 score from both Bryce and David. Alien Texas Chainsaw Massacre The Exorcist Seven Possessor Uncut Rosemary’s Baby The Blair Witch Project Lowest Scored These were the lowest scoring movies, including our first movie to receive a 1/10 from both of us (Rats). The Bye Bye Man Event Horizon Terror Train Rats Biggest Discrepancies in Scores The Lodge (David=9, Bryce=4) Host (2020) (David=4, Bryce=9) Best Co-Host David Day Bryce Hanson

Terror Train is slasher set on a train during New Years Eve. That’s pretty much all you need to know.  @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. https://youtu.be/MLTllP-_i58 Synopsis It’s set in an alternate universe where people celebrate new years, by chartering a train for an eyes wide shut style costume party fuck fest, people never disclose pertinent life and death information, and David Copperfield is sexy.  At the opening of the film, we are introduced to a group of friends including the ring leader Doc (Hart Bochner), and a sorority sister, and final girl expert Jamie Lee Curtis playing Alana. By the way, this was shot only a year after the release of Jamie’s breakout role in Halloween. The beginning of the movie is set 3 years prior, on a fateful new years celebration where this group of friends punk-ed a fraternity pledge student so hard that he spun himself into an insane asylum. 3 Years later, during the train ride, the students start getting murdered by a mysterious… almost magical killer. Review or Terror Train I picked Terror Train because I was trying to find a horror movie set during New Year’s, and apparently the picking is very slim, because this is considered “the good one”. It isn’t. The plot, like most slashers, is incidental, and is held together by a thread composed of awful dialogue and terrible direction. I was honestly confused about what happened in the opening scene, because I didn’t know if I was supposed to understand that the dead body featured was a murder victim, or a medical school cadaver. I guess all we need to know is that the victim of the prank was pranked TOO HARD. The dialogue is truly laughably bad, it feels like the adlibbed lines in the fast forwarded parts of pornos. I was bored throughout the whole film, and not because I was tired, but because it was boring and dumb.  The most dread filled moment of the movie was when I checked the time code, and I had half of the movie left to watch. There were two things that almost saved the movie for me though. David Copperfield as the magician reminding me that only a magician can be as creepy as a magician. The ending was so dumb I laughed out loud. Score 2/10 Terror Train Add the Blu-ray to your collection or stream it now Buy Now Support Cinema 21 in Portland by buying merch or gift certificates at https://cinema-21.square.site/  Go to https://www.clarityincrazy.com/ and get 10% off your first order with the code: HORROR

We watched Krampus because it’s one of the biggest blockbuster releases in recent memory that is Christmas themed and for a PG-13 movie, it wraps a nice little present. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. Watch Krampus Watch on Amazon Click here to Watch https://youtu.be/h6cVyoMH4QE Synopsis Krampus is the story of Max, a young boy who still believes in Santa, and his family who are visited by some bummer relatives.  As the relatives whittle on Max’s last nerve, he loses the Christmas spirit, which is the straw that breaks this town’s back in terms of being on Krampus’ good side. Or maybe a better way to explain it is to say, Max’s village loses their Krampus protection plan when he loses faith in Christmas. Krampus comes, bringing a slew of “helpers” and a devastating blizzard that seems to gut the entire town.  As Max and his family fight to survive, we learn the importance of family, and keeping the spirit of Christmas alive. Review Director Michael Dougherty, who brought us holiday themed cult classic Trick ‘r Treat has deigned to bestow this holiday themed treat upon us. Krampus is kind of like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation if it included the fictional anti-santa myth, Krampus. It’s based around a “perfect family” and their super trashy relatives who show up and turn everything wrong. If that isn’t enough for you there is also a jack-in-the-box that resembles a massive worm that’s capable of eating people and a Krampus that looks like Satan and eats whole villages raw. While this is not the most impressive movie I’ve seen, it’s damn solid and very full of Christmas feels. It’s got lots of fun characters, and enough creepy imagery and tension to keep you on your toes while sippin’ on some nog. I can remember watching this in theaters and being somewhat surprised at how well it held my attention, but on second viewing I did lose interest around the ¾’s mark.  It does a decent job of not being too long and is a great movie to watch with kids who can handle really scary imagery, because it’s not terribly violent. Overall, if you are in need of a Christmas horror movie, I would say this, and Gremlins are the best choices when you have to keep your family entertained. Score 6/10 Final Recommendations If you have family over and want to watch something very Christmassy but also horrorish, Krampus is your jam. Keep your Christmas spirits up to keep him out of your face!

Better Watch Out is one of the strongest christmas themed horror movies of recent memory. It’s a unique viewing experience and worth your time this holiday season. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. https://youtu.be/1BDxAsaoM1Y Better Watch Out is available on Shudder and various streaming platforms for free if you don’t mind ads. Synopsis Better Watch Out starts out as a home invasion thriller, and turns into something completely different. Young Lucas (Levi Miller) is a twelve year old that has the hots for his only five years older babysitter Ashley (Olivia DeJonge). He’s got a whole night planned out to seduce Ashley with horror movies and his mid-pubescent body.  As they are hanging out having pizza, someone starts terrorizing them. You won’t believe who it is. Click through to horrormovietalk.com to find out! Review of Better Watch Out This is a pleasant surprise of a home invasion movie. It stays on the well laid trope tracks until about third of the way through the film, then it goes off the tracks and then onto essentially the same tracks again. The concept was interesting, and they did do a lot with it. I think it could have gone farther with the set up and delay the twist a little longer. Another gripe was that the villain was way too broad a lot of the time. Score 7/10 Better Watch Out Add the Blu-ray to your collection or stream it now Buy Now Go to http://manscaped.com/ and get 20% off + free shipping with the code: HMT #manscapedpod  Go to okdrugs.co and get 10% off your first order with the code: HORROR

Dead End aims to finally answer the questions “are we there yet?” This is a tight package of a movie and the simplicity really sells it for me. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. Watch Dead End Watch on Amazon Click here to Watch https://youtu.be/j_ihzCUh_k4 Synopsis Dead End is the story of a family who are on their way to their grandma’s house during Christmas Eve. Husband Frank (Ray Wise), Wife Laura (Lin Shaye), son Richard (Mick Cain), daughter Marion (Alexandra Holden) and her boyfriend William (William Rosenfeld) are pretty much the only characters throughout the majority of the movie. As they make their way down the road, things become strange when they pick up a women in white holding a baby.  Slowly, the passengers start to realize that this road doesn’t seem to end, and they are haunted by a terrible car that occasionally drives by. Review Dead End is a French movie by Directors Jean-Baptiste Andrea, and Fabrice Canepa and like so many French horror movies, it packs a punch. It remains off most people’s radar for reasons that elude me, because this is a special gem. Our blogger, Keith, reminded me of this vaguely Christmassy movie, and I knew I had to review it.  Dead End takes a car ride and slowly builds it from something mildly disconcerting to something so horrifying and perverse that I knew it was something special many years ago after I first watched it.  The dry comedy and believable characters add a charming element that make this something special.  When you add in the seemingly supernatural goings on around this road that they are driving on and the interesting twist at the end, I think you have a solid horror movie that is sure to make you laugh, and will stick with you in the grossest way possible. Score 8/10 Final Recommendations I really enjoy this movie because of how it handles comedy and the characters who are believable but kooky. While it’s not a well-known movie, I think it’s worth a watch because you probably won’t forget it, and that’s what we all love about horror movies.

Where did Remi Weekes come from, and why is he out of the gate, such an amazing horror director? That is the first question I have for this film. His House has instantly become one of my favorite horror movies. That may seem like hyperbole, but I have legit not seen anything like this film, and have rarely felt the same amount of emotion while watching a horror movie. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. https://youtu.be/DYY0QJhlXjc His House can be found only on Netflix. Synopsis Two Sudanese refugees Rial (Wunmi Mosaku) and Bol (Sope Dirisu) arrive in the UK after a perilous journey. After a stay in a detention center, they are granted asylum and a new place to live, which they are assured isn’t just a shit hole, it’s a palatial shithole. They are given a set of rules that all refugees are given to maintain their status, that being, they are only to live off the meager wage the gov’t provides and not seek employment, and to definitely not move away from their apartment. The couple who have definitely seen some shit… start seeing shit in the apartment. Soon it is apparent that there is an evil force preying on them. Review of His House Without hyperbole, this is one of the best horror movies I have ever seen. I’m reminded of my experience with Hereditary, where I asked myself, “How is this director so good on his first film and where did he come from?”. The main difference between Hereditary and this film, is that I don’t think I’ve ever seen a horror movie like His House before. Sure, at its core, it is a haunted house movie, but the aesthetic and subject material are uniquely new to me. The best horror movies in my opinion are those that have a human core, that focus on character and relationships while drawing a line to real horrors that people experience every day. Rosemary’s Baby uses the fear of the unknown and social pressure during pregnancy. The Exorcist uses the terror of having an undiagnosable, severely sick child. The Shining uses Jack Nicolson. In this film, it uses the lived experiences of refugees of war torn countries and the trauma associated with it. This is exactly the type of storytelling that the horror genre excels at. It amplifies real human emotions and fears to the level of overload, resulting in a uniquely empathetic experience. I’m very excited to talk about this movie, and also excited to see what Remi Weekes, the director will do next.  Score 10/10 Go to http://manscaped.com/ and get 20% off + free shipping with the code: HMT #manscapedpod  Go to okdrugs.co and get 10% off your first order with the code: HORROR

This is the final episode of the series, and it focuses on the Red Room and how everyone finally escapes the pull of the dreaded Hill House.

In this episode we finally learn what happened “that night” with Liv and the Red Room.

This episode marks the beginning of the end of the series. Luke has gone missing, It’s Halloween, and while Steve and Hugh try to find Luke, Theo and Shirley deal with some nefarious goings on at the mortuary.

In this episode Hugh Crain tries to slowly make amends with his estranged family and we learn more of the history of the Hill House from the groundskeeper. Also, black mold is bad. The Haunting of Hill House

In episode six, Two Storms we get to witness the most impressive technical achievement of the series, the long-shot cinematic cuts of this episode. We also get to see two storms, one in the present day and one set in Hill House. These storms did a great deal to shape the characters, and this episode does a great job of showing that this series is more than just stellar writing and character development.

As the title of this episode states, we witness the origins of the Bent-neck lady, and learn more about Nell leading up to her death.

In this episode we learn quite a bit about Luke and his bond with drugs, the Hill House ghosts, and his twin sister, Nell. This episode really helped me to see the humanity in addicts, and those who have suffered a loss.

In this episode we are given Theodora’s back story and are shown how keenly perceptive she is as a therapist as she helps a young girl being haunted by “Mr. Smiley”.

This is the story of how Theo became the funeral director that she is today. It also does a good amount of setup for many episodes to come. The Haunting of Hill House

In the first episode of the series, we are introduced to the Crain family, both past and present. First we are shown the young Crain family being awoken by the young Nell (Violet McGraw) who apparently had seen “the bent neck lady”.  Her father Hugh Crain (Henry Thomas) explains how her dreams spilled over and that she was just imagining seeing the scary lady. Jumping forward, we see all the children now as adults with adult problems and an extreme amount of baggage in relation to the Hill House.  Something terrible happened in the past that led the family to flee from the house, and now in the present, it seems it is calling back to them. The Haunting of Hill House

Rosemary’s Baby is probably in the top ten most influential horror movies ever made. It prays on the rational and irrational fears of something truly universal, pregnancy. This movie is controversial, well-done, and important. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. Watch Rosemary’s Baby Watch on Amazon Click here to Watch Synopsis Rosemary’s Baby is the story of Rosemary, a seriously delusional and paranoid woman who is impregnated and kept safe by her loving husband, and caring neighbors. She gives birth to a totally normal baby and all is well.  Actually, Rosemary’s Baby is kind of the inverse of everything I just said. Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and her husband Guy (John Cassavetes) move into a new apartment in New York City, and are immediately greeted by super-nosey neighbors, Minnie (Ruth Gordon) and Roman (Sidney Blackmer).  Small hints of things not being normal are dropped continuously throughout, but the young couple decide to try and have a child.  Their neighbors, the Castevets, offer a bit too much help for comfort, even in the friendly age of the 60’s with everything from advice to daily vitamin shakes for the newly pregnant Rosemary. Her entire life seems to become supplanted by offerings and suggestions made by the neighbors and enforced by Guy, her actor husband.  Guy has come into a bit of good luck as the understudy for a play, but it’s because of the misfortune of the lead of the pla (obviously).  As the gaslighting of Rosemary progresses, the audience knows that something is up, but it’s hard to read too much malice into it until the end. Review Rosemary’s Baby is one of the most influential films of the 60’s and is a masterpiece of storytelling and suspense. Direction and screenplay by Roman Polanski, it’s just as horrific and perverted as him. Everything about this film is wonderful, but the casting, acting, and story is really what makes this movie shine. It’s not full of the most artistic shots, and it’s as slow as they come, especially for today. Perhaps the real triumph here is the effort that goes into stringing the viewer along. There are tons of little clues and nudges that we receive as we make our way through this sometimes innocent, sometimes diabolical journey that poor Rosemary is forced to endure. It’s always interesting to see movies that tap into our most innate fears, and what could be a more natural minefield for worry than a mother’s journey through pregnancy? Rosemary’s Baby takes the little flap of cuticle and peels it all the way up to the elbow. It was clearly the inspiration for many movies and moviemakers since. While watching this, I kept drawing parallels with Hereditary. Watching this movie is like scaling Mount Everest – it’s a slow and dangerous journey, but the view from the top is second to none.  Score 10/10 Final Recommendations This is one of the easiest recommendations I have ever made. Everyone except, or maybe especially those who are pregnant or are trying to become pregnant should see this movie.

At long last, and after much misunderstanding, we turn to the 1984 cult classic (at least in Sweden apparently) Rats: Night of Terror. We did it. It’s done. Let’s never talk of it again. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. https://youtu.be/NlOcKL2l_m0 Rats can be found on streaming platforms for rent now. Rats: Night of Terror Poster Synopsis A tribe of rats called the Jellicles must decide yearly which one will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new Jellicle life. Oh wait that’s not right. Rats is about a post nuclear apocalyptic world in which all vegetation is destroyed and humans are separated in to two factions, one above ground and one below. This has little to nothing to do with the actual plot of this movie, but the filmmakers thought it important that you know this.  Rats is really about killer rats. That’s it. Review of Rats: Night of Terror Rats is bad. Sure it can be argued that it is so bad it’s good, and there are many times that I can point to where I laughed that the ridiculousness of certain scenes, but when it comes down to it, it’s a bad movie. What makes it worse is that we were forced to watch it, which in essence makes this a school book report. No one likes reading books for a book report. It took me about 2.5 hours to watch a 1.5 hour long movie, because I had to just take a break from the boredom every couple minutes. The worst part about Rats is the snails pace in which anything happens. Even if you are looking for a gory exploitation horror film, this one falls short. Most rat attacks just look like a bunch of dead rats being dumped on someone, proceeded by the victim lazily rolling around among some lazy and disinterested rats. Score 1/10 Rats Add the Blu-ray to your collection or stream it now Buy Now Go to http://manscaped.com/ and get 20% off + free shipping with the code: HMT #manscapedpod 

Friday the 13th Part 2 is the continuation and borderline recreation of the first part in the franchise.  The old proverb, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” rings so true in this sequel that I’m not even mad that I watched the same movie all over again.  @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. Watch Friday the 13th Part 2 Watch on Amazon Click here to Watch There were new counselors at Camp Blood, er, I mean Camp Crystal Lake and damnit, they had to pay! They never seem to learn, and that’s what I love about kids these days.  https://youtu.be/FX5Cf77kM-E Synopsis Friday the 13th Part 2 picks up the reins from the first movie and just does it all over again.  Holy moly, come to think of it as this episode of Horror Movie Talk releases, Friday the 13th is in just 2 days! Part 2, 2 days, coincidence? There is a new camp in town around Crystal Lake, and wow, it looks pretty much just like the camp from the first movie. The driveway, the doom prophet, the buildings, the boobs, it’s all the same. Two things have changed – there is a new group of campers and a new killer. Our last killer, Mrs. Voorhees, was killed by beheading while seeking vengeance for her son Jason, who died due to (in her eyes) negligent camp counselors.   This time around we get to learn a bit more about Jason, and what makes him tick. Review While Friday the 13th Part 2 doesn’t do much to add anything new to the story, it does give us Jason, and to be honest, that’s enough for me.  I can’t quite pin down the difference in my opinion between Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees, but they are the two least complicated and most iconic slasher baddies. I can say, I tend to prefer Jason. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s the super distilled execution of the script – Horny youth must die. Maybe it’s the unapologetic grab at quick cash – Horny youth pay to see horny youth while horny. Maybe it’s the, well, that’s probably enough. This is a paint by numbers slasher, but it was released only a year after arguably the first honest-to-goodness modern slasher, and that was the original Friday the 13th. So, whatever. It’s still the basis for most slashers to this day and it’s maybe the most engaging of the bunch that I have seen with the exception of meta slashers, like Scream Score 6/10

In which we apologize for an egregious recent error on our part.

We watched Bats on Tubi because Magnus, our Swedish super-fan has been clamoring for it for months. Our fans have united behind Magnus and demanded that we review Bats, and I have to say, I get it! It was a fun movie with a decent but goofy premise and some B-list actors that you will definitely remember from the 90’s! @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. https://youtu.be/3NWlsXlHT9Q Synopsis Bats is about, you guessed it, killer bats. These bats have been genetically tampered with and now have a taste for blood.  This small town in Texas has been hit hard with this new strain of genetically modified bats, and our small team of bats biologists and police need to get it under control before they spread across the continent in exactly the same way that real life scientists told us killer bees would take over in the 90s.  Eventually, the military is called in and everyone gets more bats than they bargained for. Review  Bats is a very stereotypical creature feature from a time when Jurassic Park, Gremlins, and Anaconda were big hits. There was a formula, and if you stuck to it, generally speaking, it paid off.  In this instance, they stuck to the formula but it didn’t pay off, and I’m not totally sure why. Is Bats an undeniably great movie? No. Does it deserve the kind of ire that it drew from critics at the time? Maybe a little bit, but I would argue, no. Bats had me laughing more than a few times, and it definitely left me wondering why I had never heard of this made-for-cable movie. Watch Bats Watch on Amazon Click Here to Watch I was never left totally amazed but I had a good enough time. I think the reason this movie got waylaid the way it did was because it was released on the tail-end of a totally fucked-out concept. By the time Bats was released, everyone was tired of this super generic creature feature  kind of movie because it had been done to death.  I think if it had been released in 92 instead of 99 we would all remember this movie fondly, instead of never having heard of it at all.  Score 5/10 Final Recommendations If you like fun, campy 90’s creature features, this is totally that kind of thing. Is it good? No. Does it make sense? Yeah, pretty much. It’s mostly a good time and a laugh.

We rented Trick ‘r Treat, and it’s Pulp Fiction for horror fans. This episode we are joined with my wife and discuss some of the recent one-star reviews we have gotten. The salt flows, and then we play a new game “Sense and Stabability”. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. https://youtu.be/AoBx7F-q2CA Trick ‘r Treat can be found on streaming platforms for rent now. Synopsis This movie reminds children of their worst fear during Halloween. Bryan Singer! Trick ‘r Treat is an anthology film set during Halloween in suburban Ohio. Seven short stories are loosely interwoven with each other in a non-linear narrative to tell the dangers of eschewing Halloween traditions. Wearing costumes, giving out candy, and lighting Jack-o-lanterns are all a part of ancient traditions whose purpose are long forgotten, but are made… kind of apparent in this movie. Review of Trick ‘r Treat Trick ‘r Treat basically accomplishes in one movie what John Carpenter wanted to do with the Halloween franchise when they made Season of the Witch. That is, telling an assortment of spooky tales set during Halloween.  The seven stories told throughout the film are of varying quality and complexity, but the non-linear narrative structure keeps the audience engaged and never dwells on one story long enough to bore the audience. Most of the stories do little in the way of set up, and prefer to jump right to the good scary part. It’s a decent film that deserves to be on the rotation during the Halloween season. Score 6/10 Trick ‘r Treat Add the Blu-ray to your collection or stream it now Buy Now

We saw Possessor Uncut, which is a new flick released in 2020, and wow, what a disturbing masterpiece. This came highly recommended to us by our hard-fucking artist, Dustin Goebel, and I was not let down.  @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. https://youtu.be/D0Gh9nOIV3w Synopsis Possessor Uncut follows Tasya (Andrea Riseborough), who is the most incredible mercenary for hire ever.  She works for a secret organization that uses brain-implant tech to put her consciousness into the bodies of people who can get close to important people – aka targets. Her job is to inhabit the consciousness of strangers, take control of their body, and use their body to assassinate people for, presumably, very rich corporations and clients. As we follow Tasya, we learn that she is the best at what she does, but also that there seems to be a time-limit on how long you can possess others before there is a danger that you can lose yourself in the process. As the movie progresses, we get a real look into what makes us empathetic humans, and the real ramifications of our actions if we let our moral compass slip for too long.  Review Possessor Uncut is directed by Brandon Cronenberg and is more than just an interesting concept, it’s the complete package. Tremendous effort has gone into setting the dark/sad mood, and Possessor Uncut presents some very fucked up ideas into what seems like a not-so-distant, real future. Possessor Uncut Watch it on Amazon Buy Now The acting and film-craft is stellar, but the imagery and ideas in this movie are so much more depraved than even the most intense gore-porn entry, because it seems like we aren’t far off from this being a potential reality. There were parts in this movie where I actually covered my eyes because I was fearful that I would see something that I couldn’t unsee.  This is definitely an artistic film, but it doesn’t hang its hat on the art. It really stands on the concept that it presents, which is the loss of privacy, and the danger of losing control of one’s self. Our inherent lean toward the voyueristic can result in the loss of self, and that may be the scariest and most insidious thing I can imagine.  Score 10/10 Final Recommendation If you like disturbing ideas and visuals, it doesn’t get a lot more crazy than this unless you are talking about the fringe-type movies like A Serbian Film or I Spit on Your Grave. This is a well-made movie with some incredible concepts, watch it. https://www.horrormovietalk.com/2018/11/21/hereditary-review/

Halloween III: Season of the Witch is available for rent at your local Blockbuster Video. What do you think of, when you think of the horror franchise Halloween? Ok, What do you think of when you think of witches? Well none of that is in this movie. Halloween 3: Season of the Witch is a mystery wrapped in a riddle wrapped in an enigma inside a dumpster fire. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. Synopsis A murder/suicide at a hospital sets off the attending doctor to investigate the crime. Stuff happens that involves the Irish, Stonehenge, Halloween Masks, laser technology that turns heads into rotten bug/snake infested fruit, and robots. https://youtu.be/9MnaYzBhx0A Review of Halloween 3 I hear a lot of talk about how Halloween 3 is a underrated gem, and that the backlash of fans expecting Michael Myers skewed the opinion of this film. The reality is, the critics got it right the first time. This film is not underrated. It is rated. It’s bad. A series of poor decisions, and I assume plentiful cocaine led to this mess of a movie. The characters in this film are all the type of one dimensional fodder of slasher films. Instead of entertaining the audience with frequent kills and chases, Season of the Witch tries to weave a complex mystery to sustain interest. However, instead of an intriguing mystery, we get a wacky mad libs plot of completely incongruous and random concepts.  Score 2/10 Halloween III: Season of the Witch Add the Blu-ray to your collection or stream it now Buy Now For a better time, check out Halloween II (1981) or the original, Halloween.

Man, what a great show! On this episode we talk about what worked and didn’t work for us about Netflix’s, The Haunting of Bly Manor. THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR (L to R) AMELIE SMITH as FLORA and TAHIRAH SHARIF as REBECCA JESSEL in THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR Cr. EIKE SCHROTER/NETFLIX © 2020 We are so happy that you made the journey with Horror Movie Talk and hope that you choose to subscribe to us and continue on our weekly journey into the scarier depths of the movie archives. We appreciate your time and will do our best to keep you entertained!

In this final episode we see the fate of the inhabitants at Bly Manor, and have a lengthy Epilogue for those that survive the Lady in the Lake. (1:02) – Intro (2:16) – Synopsis (3:18) – Spoilers (41:29) – Outro THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR (L to R) AMELIE SMITH as FLORA in THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR Cr. EIKE SCHROTER/NETFLIX © 2020

This is an episode where we get to learn a bit about Viola, AKA the lady of the lake. Almost the entire episode takes place in a time long lost to history, and frankly, this is my favorite episode in the series. It’s sad, mournful and has some wonderful storytelling. THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR (L to R) AMELIE SMITH as FLORA and VICTORIA PEDRETTI as DANI in THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR Cr. EIKE SCHROTER/NETFLIX © 2020

Episode 7 starts to weave all the story lines together as Rebecca and Peter are revealed to Dani, and the story of Rebecca’s death is told. We learn of Peter’s motivations in the afterlife and how it may have dire consequences for the living. (1:02) – Intro (2:45) – Synopsis (4:20) – Spoilers (48:15) – Outro THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR (L to R) AMELIE SMITH as FLORA in THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR Cr. EIKE SCHROTER/NETFLIX © 2020

In episode six we learn quite a bit of backstory about the family as a whole, but mostly about Henry. There’s a decent bit to learn about Flora in this episode as well, and she is kind of the B storyline here, which I found very sad.  THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR (L to R) HENRY THOMAS as HENRY WINGRAVE in THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR Cr. EIKE SCHROTER/NETFLIX © 2020 While this is a long episode at over an hour, it’s also the most full of intrigue and depth of any of the series so far.

This episode is the Hannah Episode. This episode keeps the audience off-balance by jumping back and forth through time and between memory and reality. As confusing as it can be, there are also a lot of revelations. We finally learn what that crack is all about, we see more about how Rebecca gets entangled with Peter, and we even see why the lady in the lake is so dangerous. (1:02) – Intro (3:30) – Synopsis (6:05) – Spoilers (40:36) – Outro THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR (L to R) AMELIE BEA SMITH as FLORA , BENJAMIN EVAN AINSWORTH as MILES, and T’NIA MILLER as HANNAH in THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR. Cr. EIKE SCHROTER/NETFLIX © 2020

In this episode we get to learn a little more about Dani and her background with the man in the mirror.  THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR (L to R) VICTORIA PEDRETTI as DANI in THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR Cr. EIKE SCHROTER/NETFLIX © 2020 Overall, this episode had a sad vibe of regret and loss, which was hard for me to watch. There wasn’t a ton of scares in this one, but it did do a great job of telling us why Dani is the way she is.

In this episode we are given the backstory of the previous au pair Rebecca Jessel played by Tahirah Sharif, and Uncle Henry’s assistant Peter Quint played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen.  Peter and Miss Jessel have an affair, and soon the charming facade put on by Peter cracks and reveals a manipulative sociopath underneath. THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR (L to R) OLIVER JACKSON-COHEN as PETER QUINT in THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR Cr. EIKE SCHROTER/NETFLIX © 2020 (0:57) – Intro (2:10) – Synopsis (5:51) – Spoilers (41:15) – Outro

We pick up the second episode of The Haunting of Bly Manor as if no time has passed between the last episode and now. Dani has just come out of the closet (wink, wink) and the kids are apologizing like they didn’t just very intentionally shut her in there to begin with.  THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR (L to R) VICTORIA PEDRETTI as DANI and BENJAMIN EVAN AINSWORTH as MILES in THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR. Cr. EIKE SCHROTER/NETFLIX © 2020 This episode is one where Miles is much more fleshed out as a creepy character, and we get to learn a bit about why he is the way he is. This is a very Dani and the kids heavy episode, we are properly introduced to the gardener, Jamie, played by Amelia Eve. This also contains the spookiest scene in the first three episodes, with a rousing game of hide-and-seek before bed.

In this opening episode we are introduced to Dani Clayton played by Victoria Pedretti an, American who is hired to be an au pair to two perfectly splendid young orphan children. They live in a spacious estate in the countryside called, you guessed it, The Hill House, oh wait, Bly Manor. The children’s only surviving relative is Uncle Henry played by Henry Thomas, hired Dani, but he shows no interest in being involved with them.  Flora played by Amelie Bea Smith is the precocious 8 year old girl, and her 10 year old brother Miles played by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, is… in need of structure and discipline. There are other staff at the Bly Manor, including the cook Owen played by Rahul Kohli, the housekeeper Hannah played by T’Nia Miller, and Jamie, the groundskeeper played by Amelia Eve. As Dani gets to know the children and Bly Manor, strange and unsettling things start to happen, and the children begin to act strangely. (0:57) – Intro (2:25) – Synopsis (6:04) – Spoilers (36:47) – Outro

The Blair Witch Project is one of the most iconic films of the 90’s, and it’s even credited with starting the found footage genre, but I wasn’t looking forward to re-watching it. I saw this when it came out and figured it wouldn’t age well. I WAS WRONG! So, David did this illustration, which should really tell you how much we need Dustin. @dgoebel00 on Instagram. Follow him and check out his website. https://youtu.be/a_Hw4bAUj8A Synopsis The Blair Witch Project has the stunningly simple premise of, “let’s shoot a documentary about a spooky place/thing in the woods” and as we all know, nothing good ever happens in the woods. Three young adults, Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael C. Williams play themselves as a film crew that is headed into the woods of Maryland to document the “myth” of the Blair Witch.  Before heading into the woods they stop at the closest town and interview the locals about the likelihood of such a myth, and received varying stories of belief and terror mixed with skeptics. Watch The Blair Witch Project Watch on Amazon Click here to Watch As they venture into the woods things start to grow alarming and they start to wonder if they are lost.  Things take a turn for the worst as they realize that they got more witch than they bargained for. Review The Blair Witch Project is widely held to be the movie that kicked off the found footage genre. There are plenty of examples of found footage before this film, such as: Cannibal Holocaust Cannibal Ferox The Faces of Death Series The Connection The Last Broadcast 84 Charlie MoPic Guinea Pig 2: Flower of Flesh and Blood While these movies ranged in release date all the way back to the late 60’s the genre never gathered significant steam or public interest until the release of Blair Witch.  Many of these movies, including Blair Witch, capitalized on the mistaken assumption that the movie was actual footage of real-life events that just happened to be caught on tape. The hype train that surrounded the release of this movie was a sight to behold. This is one of, or maybe the first movie ever to rely primarily on an internet marketing campaign. Check out our review of Paranormal Activity 2 https://www.horrormovietalk.com/2019/08/07/paranormal-activity-2-review/ The movie itself is something of an anomaly, not quite a film, and not quite a home video. It is hard to place it squarely in a genre. With the added suggestion that the footage was real, it made this a real freak show.  The Blair Witch Project relies heavily on audience buy-in and it is able to accomplish it by being very believable by nature. This is how young twenty-somethings would act, and something they would do, and the scenario they find themselves in is pretty easily a universal nightmare to any viewer. I saw this in theaters upon release, and never again since. I was not looking forward to a rewatch because I thought I had this movie pegged from the first viewing. I did not. It still works! It’s still scary as shit, believable, and a crazy-fun ride from beginning to end. The poor footage quality, total amateur filming style and distant audio sound coupled with the setting of the New England woods, holds up well. While it lacks the polish and delivery that a true filmmaker’s film would deliver, it’s supposed to.  If you enjoy this movie you should also check out The Curse of the Blair Witch, a Sci-Fi Channel documentary that accompanied the theatrical release of the movie. Score 10/10

In this series of ten plus Aftershows we will be talking about the events of each episode of The second season of The Haunting of Hill House titled, The Haunting of Bly Manor. https://youtu.be/tykS7QfTWMQ Whodat WAP? This season is also written and directed by Mike Flanagan, the man who brought you The Haunting of Hill House, Doctor Sleep, Geralds Game, Hush and many more huge horror hits.  I have to say this show has really surpassed my expectations, especially in the realm of storytelling and character building. Netflix seems to have allowed Flanagan the creative license that he needed to get this twist on the classic novella The Turn of the Screw.  We had a great time watching this show and normally we only review horror movies, but im glad we were given the opportunity to review this show because it’s going to be a big one.  There’s a tremendous mystery at the core of this somber slash scary tale. It’s also a surprisingly touching show that focuses on personal relationships and loss.  Remember, The Haunting of Bly Manor premieres on Netflix on October 9th, so make sure you catch the shows and watch them in full before you dive into our Aftershows. You won’t be disappointed!

Antebellum is a fantastic concept with mediocre execution. It’s not bad, it’s just lackluster when compared to recent, more nuanced horror films about race from Jordan Peele. That being said, it is worth a watch if only to see historical African slavery through a new lens. @dgoebel00 on Instagram provided this amazing artwork. Follow him and check out his website. https://youtu.be/rtEaNK2PtPM Synopsis It’s pretty hard to give a synopsis of Antebellum without giving spoilers, but I’ll give it a shot. Janelle Monae stars as Veronica Henley a famous author and speaker on inclusion living in modern society, who finds herself suddenly living as Eden, an African American slave on a southern plantation. Veronica is forced to deal with living as a powerless slave while having the mind of a strong independent 21st century black woman. Veronica bides her time and submits to some of history’s greatest horrors to pick the right time to make her escape and find her way back to her life. Review of Antebellum This one is really tough for me. The premise is really solid. Set the everyday occurrences of Antebellum south in the US as a horror movie. I genuinely don’t think this has been done before, and is a fantastic way to address this historical atrocity. The trailer is pretty misleading though, and I feel really undercut the film by suggesting a much more interesting plot device than is actually used in the film. This is intentional, I think, because it is also suggested by the narrative structure of the first act. I could see how audiences would feel a bit of bait and switch and that there might be audible groans from some of the reveals. The writing doesn’t have any nuance, and many of the characters, especially the white characters are more caricatures than anything. The cast is very good, and does what it can for the film, but overall it squanders the opportunity to explore the horrific premise.  For these reasons, I think the film will be a huge disappointment for those expecting a film of the caliber of Get Out or US. Reviews have not been kind, it is in the low 30s on Rotten Tomatoes right now. What I can say is that it’s not that bad. While this is not the film that I expected, it’s still a very intriguing concept that is told in a passable way even if it’s not the route I would have chosen. It genuinely does portray the horrors of the antebellum south in a genre fashion, and that is really what is holding together the movie.  Score 5/5 Antebellum stream on Amazon Stream Now