The Really Awful Movies Podcast

A truly baffling exposition-fest, coming-of-age, caveman /cannibal curse/vampire movie, Don’t Gear Near the Park is one of the more odd cinematic experiences one can have in the realm of horror. It fulfilled two criteria for review on this site: a) it was a Video Nasty, and b) it had “don’t” in the title, a subset of films one of us refers to as “admonition movies.” A caveman sibling duo, is cursed with advanced aging. And the only way to slow down the runaway train of wrinkles, is to…feast on the entrails of victims…in a park…And to fully alleviate the curse, the brother half (Gar) has to father a child, on whom both he and his caveman sister can feed. Full points for originality. Fast-forward 12,000 years to present day California, and Gar has changed his name, and found his betrothed (played by Linnea Quigley, scream queen extraordinaire). She gives birth to a girl, Bondi, who is the apple of Gar’s eye. Will Gar feed on his offspring? Will the curse be lifted? Does any of this make a lick of sense? But this isn’t even a coming-of-age tale about Bondi. Don’t Go Near the Park features child actor Meeno Peluce as a runaway, Nick, who befriends a curmudgeonly writer, played by Aldo Ray (seemingly there to provide endless exposition about strange curses…and so the old guy can drone on about the park in question, while mentoring the kid). Featuring some dollar store bloodletting, day-for-night continuity issues, appalling hair/makeup effects, a narrative that makes Umberto Eco’s body of work look like A Cat in the Hat, this is one BIZARRE BIZARRE film. Check it out!    

Solarbabies. A box office mega-bomb that burned out in the 80s, but which we hope to revive today, so that modern audiences can warm to its cheesy (and multi-faceted) pleasures. Made on a budget of 26-27 million, this made back a mere smidgen of that, at best. And it was critically lambasted almost universally. However, it’s a future wasteland / post-apocalyptic movie. And we’re all about those, on the Really Awful Movies Podcast. It’s such an inane, yet fun, genre. Solarbabies refers to a gang of good guys…roller blading good guys…who compete in a post-apocalyptic sport not unlike lacrosse, called “skateball.” And to endear them to the public, the Solarbabies are…orphans…But it’s worse than that. They’re doomed to a labor camp life, under the jack boot and watchful eye of a bunch of evil no-goodniks called, The Protectorate. These guys control all the world’s scant water resources. And they’re mean and nasty. And it’s ultimately up to the Solarbabies, to try and get control of the water back, so that it can be more broadly distributed to what’s left of humanity. Why is this film called Solarbabies, you might ask? Good question. It’s about water. It should’ve been called Aqua Babies. But that’s neither here nor there. Solarbabies also features a deity of sorts…a glowing orb that has mystical powers. It bears many of the genre’s hallmarks, but is highly unique in that it’s very PG, has barely any violence, and is…pretty chaste.

The Stepfather is a unique horror / thriller, featuring an amazing performance by Terry O’Quinn. On this episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast, a discussion of the long-lasting appeal of The Stepfather, how we came to have it cross our radar, and the phenomenon of depicting divorce and blended families on television in the 1980s. The film, directed by Joseph Ruben (who most will know from his work behind the camera directing Sleeping with the Enemy and Money Train) is an understated, low-key flick with a few over-the-top moments of inanity. Still, there’s much going for it (solid performances and a killer score) and it inevitably spawned countless sequels. In a suburban enclave in Washington State, we see button-up business man Henry Morrison (O’Quinn). He washes off blood in a bathroom, cleaning up the aftermath of a crime scene. This is before changing his appearance (snipping off a ratty beard) and putting his belongings into a suitcase, and tossing them into Puget Sound. After packing his things, Henry leaves through the front door of his house, nonchalantly passing the butchered remains of his family in the living room. One year later, Henry — now operating as an uber square real estate agent named Jerry Blake in the suburbs of Seattle — has married the widow Susan Maine. And Maine has a teen daughter, Stephanie. The relationship between Steph (Jill Schoelen) and new dad Jerry is strained to say the least.  

Whoa. 2008’s The Love Guru, pretty much sank Mike Myers. And that’s a DAMN shame. It’s a terrible movie, to be sure, but a terrific comedic talent like Myers, deserves another shot. Despite supporting cast-mates like Justin Timberlake, Stephen Colbert, Jim Gaffigan, John Oliver and Sir Ben Kingsley, The Love Guru really lays a big-time egg. This is a monumental stinker, and while not on the level of Master of Disguise, it’s still something to behold. Juvenile zingers, tepid puns…sure, these were present in Austin Powers, but that had an indelible (eponymous) lead that left his mark on pop culture forever. Not so here. The Love Guru is lost in no man’s land, neither satirical enough to pot-shot self-help culture, nor lascivious enough to be a Charles Manson-type figure. It just hangs there on a vine. In a nutshell (“help, I’m in a nutshell!” – see, Austin Powers was the kind of quotable film The Love Guru is not), Guru Pitka is brought in to help a Toronto Maple Leaf star get back together with his wife, so that he can win the Stanley Cup, and help get the Guru to the top of the Guru heap (usurping Deepak Chopra). Behold, the movie that left Mike Myers in the dust as a comedic force. On this episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast, we talk about: Scarborough, the east end of Toronto that inspired some of Myers’ greatest characters, such as Wayne Campbell. The early days of SNL Mike is back, as the host of, of all things, The Gong Show? The Toronto Maple Leafs, our sorry excuse for an NHL team, once mighty, and now pretty much a shell of their former selves (or, uh, selfs?) Why is it that comedians in movies have such a short shelf life? What should Myers do next?

With the passing of George Romero, on this episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast, we look back at the famous horror film director, and examine a real classic from his oeuvre: Martin. “He could be the boy next door,” is the tagline, and this “boy” (played by John Amplas) is en route by train from Indianapolis to Pittsburgh, where he is put under the care of great uncle Cuda. Along the way, we get a glimpse of the “vampire” in action (the question as to whether Martin is a blood-sucker is open-ended indeed), where he feeds on a fellow passenger, knocking her out cold with an anesthetic before meeting Cuda on arrival in the Steel City. It’s an unsettling scene, creepy as all hell, in a film with many wonderful, shocking, and memorable vignettes. Martin is a strange beast, a terrific film that explores some of the rich themes Romero brings up in Night of the Living Dead, Day of the Dead, and Dawn of the Dead: man’s inhumanity to man, the “undead” as a reflecting of ourselves, the animalistic nature of our being, corralling chaos into order…and many more. Here, Romero deftly uses Martin as a conduit to tell a coming-of-age tale, a family drama (which just happens to have a bunch of juicy murders along the way), where a youngster is just trying to find his way in an often confusing world. This, as Martin struggles to controls his Freudian “drives” and turns to a late night talk show to provide a sounding board for the modern-day difficulties inherent in being an Old World vampire. Assuming he is Nosferatu, which is a big assumption. So join us as we remember George Romero, Toronto’s adopted son, and the man who made horror films critically acceptable (to a point). Sure, he’s known for bringing zombies into the public consciousness, but let’s not forget that Martin completely upturned expectations surrounding the vampire mystique.

The Amityville Horror has spawned a seemingly countless number of both sequels and imitators. All the stuff we’ve come to expect from the genre is here: the devil, cat scares, warnings, strange doings, a wigged out pet, creepy dolls, the works… The 1979 American supernatural horror film, directed by Stuart Rosenberg (who is best known for Cool Hand Luke), is based on Jay Anson’s 1977 novel of the same name, which was a big hit. It’s Installment 1 of the Amityville franchise. A remake was produced by Michael Bay in 2005, and starring Ryan Reynolds. Neither of us saw it, or intends to, but that’s neither here nor there. The Amityville story is based on alleged supernatural events experienced by the Lutz family who bought a new home on 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, Long Island, New York. The infamous abode is a house where a mass murder had been committed the year before, a whole family gunned down while they slept. After the parents (here played by James Brolin and Margot Kidder) moved into their new house, they claimed a series of frightening paranormal events occurred, many of which were demonstrated to be false. There’s not much to be said about this film, but its reputation does precede it. The opening Lalo Schifrin salvo is haunting (but the children’s chorus bit has subsequently been overused). The performances are all over the map. Robert Ebert, who in his review of the film said he met and spoke with George Lutz once at an airport, said this: In order to be a horror movie, a horror movie needs a real Horror. The creature in “Alien” was truly gruesome. The case of possession in “The Exorcist” was profoundly frightening. The problem with “The Amityville Horror” is that, in a very real sense, there’s nothing there. That’s probably right. The first third is dynamite and it slowly erodes all the goodwill built up. Listen for yourself!

On today’s episode, a journey to the Valley of the Sun…”death” valley, as it were in this serviceable, yet flawed remake of the Wes Craven classic, The Hills Have Eyes. In this 2006 flick, Alexandre Aja is behind the camera lens (he of, the new-wave French classic, Haute Tension and Piranha 3D). And we get a little preamble featuring some nuclear scientists in hazmat suits and Geiger counters, roaming around in a desert setting. Soon, they’re poleaxed / bludgeoned to death…and we know something is lurking in this highly radioactive locale. Cut to a more conventional horror set-up: the road trip. There’s nothing more American than going away for a long weekend in an RV or a trailer with the family, and venturing out somewhere along one of the many interstates that dot the nation. In The Hills Have Eyes, the Carter Family (which includes pops, mom, their two daughters, son, grand-daughter and son-in-law) is out crossing the desert to try to get to California. That staple of the horror film, the seedy gas station attendant, leads the Carters down the garden path when he suggests there’s a short-cut that’ll save the family “two hours!” Soon, a spiked belt stops the family’s pickup and Gulfstream trailer, sending them careening into a rock. And whoops, they’re stranded. And we all know what’s lurkin’ in them hills. On this episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast, we explore the millennium phenomenon of remakes, the various horror franchises that were given a re-imagining in the 2000s, how nuclear weapons/warfare is treated in the original Hills Have Eyes compared with its successors, where Wes Craven stands in the pantheon of horror directors, the sensibilities of Alexandre Aja, characterizations that focus on Red / Blue state cultural differences, female characters, pet demises, and much much more!!! Tune in each and every week to the Really Awful Movies Podcast for genre films of all stripes, predominantly horror.

It’s a rite of passage for many North American kids: being sent to summer camp. In the late 70s, early 80s, a spate of summer camp movies came out, usually with some maniac hell-bent on murdering counselors. However in Meatballs, we venture into uncharted territory on the Really Awful Movies Podcast, as this is our first “raunchy teen comedy.” No body count. Both of us attended summer camp, with decidedly mixed results. It twas the best of times, it twas the worst of times, as we variously had a blast, or were socially shunned. It’s an experience many kids face. And who’s there to ease the transition, living on your own in the middle of the bush? Acne-addled camp counselors usually too preoccupied with, shall we say, other teen pursuits to properly care for the campers. In Meatballs, there are rival camps – literally. We’ve got Mohawk, we’ve got North Star. And Tripper (played by Bill Murray), has a quip for all occasions. He is an aging camp counselor who befriends young social outcast Rudy, against a backdrop of the usual camp hi-jinks, the pantsing, the crappy mess hall beans, the inane athletic competitions, and of course, the awkward social dynamic between the boys and the girls. This one was directed by Ivan Reitman, the Canadian legend best-known for Ghostbusters, Dave, and Twins (and to horror fans, for Cannibal Girls). Does this film hold up this many years later? Take a gander at Bill Murray’s film debut, and get a sense of the mega-star he’d later become. And join us every week on the Really Awful Movies Podcast, for fun, sharp, genre film discussions.

Conan the Barbarian is a sword and sandals epic, which meant a lot to us as youngsters. Ergo, we have to visit it (or revisit it) for the Really Awful Movies Podcast. The 1982 American fantasy adventure film was directed and co-written by John Milius (and co-written by legendary crank Oliver Stone). The adventure is based on stories by Robert E. Howard, a 1930s pulp fiction writer. The novel chronicles the eponymous Conan in a fictional pre-historic world of black magic and savagery. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as our hero and James Earl Jones as the chief antagonist. Conan the Barbarian tells the story of a young barbarian (Schwarzenegger) who seeks vengeance for the death of his father at the hands of the fantastically-named Thulsa Doom (Jones), the leader of a snake cult. Buzz Feitshans and Raffaella De Laurentiis produced the film for her father Dino De Laurentiis, with Edward R. Pressman as an executive producer. Greek musician Basil Poledouris (RoboCop / Red Dawn) composed the music. Roger Ebert said this about Conan the Barbarian: “The movie is a triumph of production design, set decoration, special effects and makeup. At a time when most of the big box-office winners display state-of-the-art technology, “Conan” ranks right up there with the best.” On this episode of the podcast, Jeff and Chris examine: monomyths watching terrible television in Israel awful mullet hairstyles the epic soundtrack the a la carte mythology early Arnold Schwarzenegger movies steroids and Hulk Hogan

This puts the sucking in I’m Gonna Git You Sucka? Anyway, here’s a terrific African American vampire movie…a portmanteau of black and Dracula (obviously). And that movie is: Blacula. The flick stars the imposing, booming-voiced actor, William Marshall (a Bard-trained theater guy brings great gravitas to the role of The Count. . He plays an 18th-century African prince named Mamuwalde, who is turned into a vampire (and later locked in a coffin) by Count Dracula in the Count’s castle in Transylvania in the year 1780 after Dracula refuses to help Mamuwalde suppress the North African / European slave trade. Two centuries later, in the year 1972, two very effete interior decorators from modern-day La La Land, travel to Eastern Europe and unknowingly purchase a rare piece of furniture – Blacula’s coffin. They have it shipped to Los Angeles…and you guessed it… All hell breaks loose. Blacula was followed by the sequel Scream Blacula Scream in 1973 and inspired a wave of blaxploitation-themed horror films. On this episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast, Jeff and Chris break down: Vampire movies Our love of blaxploitation The terrific performance of William Marshall The ways in which Blacula differs from traditional horror and traditional blaxploitation

The phrase “human highlight reel” is pretty shopworn. In the world of sports, it’s used for the one-namers, your LeBron, Kobe, Jordan, etc. Jackie Chan DEFINITELY qualifies, albeit in a different medium. And here, Drunken Master (1978) is a showcase for all his wild, over-the-top, ground-breaking antics. Whether you like it or not, this film put comedy kung fu on the map. It’s not exactly to our taste, as we like our Shaw Brothers productions, but there’s no denying the spectacular talent that is, Jackie Chan. Directed by Yuen Woo-ping, fight coordinator for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Matrix and the Kill Bill films, Drunken Master finds Chan in peak form as a knave who runs afoul of the wrong people, and then is forced to study a variety of martial arts and eat crow, in order to best his enemies. Chan plays title character Wong Fei-Hung (also referred to as Freddie Wong) who disgraces the family name by hitting on a distant cousin and by attempting to con a restaurant. He is sent by an embarrassed papa to study martial arts under the tutelage of the aged, yet incredibly limber vagrant, Beggar So (sometimes So Hi depending on the dubbing). So is played by genre staple Yuen Siu-tien, who was an inspiration for the unhinged late rapper, Ol’ Dirty Bastard. But really, it’s not about the plot. It’s about the beat-downs. On this episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast, your genial hosts Jeff and Chris discuss: Chan’s early roles Bruce Lee VHS tracking Janet Jackson (!) and the similarities between adult films and kung fu films (!) Our favorite kung fu films Bolo Yeung Asian cinema..and much more! Tune into the Really Awful Movies Podcast every Friday!

Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the most f-ed up of them all? On this episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast, a discussion of the long-time coming, plagued Andrew Getty-directed/written production, The Evil Within. The Evil Within came and went in 2017. However, it did generate media coverage. Just not the good kind. The Guardian weighed in on the production of the film, some 15 years in the making, and discussed the labour of love which eventually brought it to, if not the big screen, then the Amazon streaming screen. Andrew Getty (he of the Getty oil fortune) put his heart and soul into this film, his one and only movie as this was released posthumously when Getty died at the age of 43. At the heart of The Evil Within is a story of brotherly love, John as custodian/caretaker of mentally-challenged Dennis. Dennis, is plagued by terrible nightmares, the only respite from which is doing the bidding of the evil “Storyteller” (played by the inimitable Michael Berryman, who communicates with Dennis through an antique mirror). Once the requests become more and more sinister, the homestead/community is threatened. Dennis goes from animal killing / taxidermy, to prey of the two-legged variety, offing the local ice cream girl. This is set against the backdrop of brother John, and his current squeeze Lydia, who is not happy with what she perceives as a figure, Dennis, who’s dragging down hers and John’s romance and future nuptials. The Evil Within, despite being nearly a decade and a half in the making, comes with well-earned scares. It’s a shame it’s been overlooked. On this episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast: Freud, Jung, and dreams Horror films featuring mirrors The meaning behind mirrors The man, the legend, Michael Berryman What plagues our own nightmares Howard Stern’s Wack Pack/Matthew McGrory How long does it take for something to be considered a cult classic?

In a world…where a gruesome blood sport placates a docile public…That’s the milieu of Rollerball, a Norman Jewison-directed, James Caan-starring 70s dystopian hit. Houston is the best team on the planet, led by crafty veteran uh, “rollerballer” Jonathan E (played by Caan). Globalism is the order of the day, and the New World Order includes corporations ruling the world. And corporate interests fund this sport, which is an odd hybrid of roller derby, baseball, football, basketball, hockey, and pinball! (but with spikes. Oh, and motorcycles). Rollerball practitioners live high on the hog, indulging in splendor the likes of which none of us can imagine, women, pills, booze, etc. Of course, this isn’t different from any major sport today. What IS different, is that corporate interests occasionally interfere, making the game that much more dangerous…and keeping its more “dissident” elements in check (that being, reluctant superstar Jonathan E). So, this nasty spectacle keeps the populace entertained, as they know no racial or economic strife, yet have their individual freedoms curtailed. So, is the flick successful? On this episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast: What’s with James Caan and 70s hair? What are the different kinds of dystopian films? What was Jewison up to and what was his purpose? What other movies is Rollerball similar to? What’s the deal with “futuristic” movies and their aesthetic? Would we take part in, or watch Rollerball if it existed in some form today? Join us!  

Charitably listed as a “comedy” on IMDb, the laughs are always unintentional in the horrific, From Justin to Kelly. And the synopsis is thus: “A waitress from Texas and a college student from Pennsylvania (‘the Pennsylvania Posse’, a group that includes the fro-ed Justin Guarini) meet during spring break in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and come together through their shared love of singing.” They certainly don’t come together in any other sense as this thing is TAME TAME TAME. The occasional beer is quaffed (not nearly as many as we’d regularly consume during a podcast recording) and an endless array of set pieces prevent Justin (Guarini) from finally meeting up with Kelly (Clarkson). And no fireworks can be had. Not the barest of sprinkles, or the faintest of explosions. So why this musical? We actually like musicals, and have discussed several on the Really Awful Movies Podcast, a program devoted to genre cinema. If you’re a fan of American Idol or The Voice, you’ll know that while the latter consistently struggles with “putting over” (to use a WWE term) its talent, American Idol has actually produced a few bona fide stars. Kelly Clarkson is one of them, a pop culture supernova immortalized in the 40-Year-Old Virgin. Justin Guarini, is not one of them. So it’s interesting to see where their careers headed after this shameless cash grab. So, sit back, take a listen to a few of the tunes, and of course…WATCH THE MOVIE FIRST and join us for a discussion of…From Justin to Kelly. And subscribe too.  

Pin (also known as Pin: A Plastic Nightmare) is a 1988 Canadian-made horror film released in 1988 that many people haven’t seen. Directed by Sandor Stern and starring David Hewlett, Cynthia Preston and Terry O’Quinn, the unconventional psychological thriller is based on the novel of the same name by Andrew Neiderman. Pin went the direct-to-video route, released in the United States on January 27, 1989. The IMDb synopsis says it all: “Isolated by his strange parents, Leon finds solace in an imaginary friend, which happens to be an anatomy doll from his father’s doctor office. Unfortunately, the doll begins to take over Leon’s life, and his sister’s life as well.” The strange parents include Dr. Linden, who puts his kids through the paces before bed, with math puzzles (doesn’t sound like the guy who’ll have a mug that reads “World’s Greatest Dad”) and the imaginary friend, from which this film’s title derives (and is short for Pinocchio). Kids Ursula and Leon, are not allowed to be in their pop’s doctor’s office alone with the anatomical doll (as we find out, this is because the doctor speaks through it like a ventriloquist). However, the strange, stoic, plastic face of the “creature” becomes more of a malevolent force. This is weird stuff, folks. On this episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast, Chris and Jeff discuss: How we came to discover this underseen Canadian tax shelter horror movie How as we get older, we come to appreciate psychological horror rather than merely gore Similarities between Pin and Hitch’s Psycho The surprise man behind the pin-doll’s voice Coming-of-age sexual dyanamics (and much much more!) Check out new episodes every Friday!

On this special episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast…two movies “inspired” by the great JAWS, The Car and Grizzly. We’re gonna need a bigger boat…and we’re going to need a special guest too. We decided to bring back one of our favorite people in the horror community, a gentleman and a scholar, Scott Drebit from Daily Dead (who’s previously joined us to talk about all sorts of terrific eco-horror films) to chat about these two very similar films. If there’s ANY type of creature, from the slimiest little protozoa to the largest blow-hole spewing whale, that’s going around killing people…SIGN US UP. We really dig animal attack fare, and yes, The Car is a a killer sentient vehicle…but in the film, the title car still adopts the mannerisms of a predatory creature…huffing and stalking its human prey. And both films feature the killer POV as a car/grizzly hunts down victims. The 70s was a fertile time for horror, and it’s easy to forget just how weird and undeniably fun the films were. On this episode of the podcast, we delve into these topics: Blumhouse offerings, from Get Out to Split and Sinister The Editor The Void Why it is that certain creatures in the animal kingdom are frequently depicted, while others not The excellent square-chin presence of iconic Christopher George The similarities between the characters chasing the giant bear in Grizzly, to the cast in Jaws The awesome force that was the late William Girdler The predatory instincts of sentient vehicles The fantastic facial hair of James Brolin How everyone does not love a parade How it is that someone playing a French horn met their demise Ratings and how films were violent and yet easily accessible to the (younger) masses in the 70s. What’s up with John Carpenter The upcoming summer blockbuster season And much much more!

Nightmare is also known in some circles as Nightmares in a Damaged Brain. It’s a 1981 horror film, made during the height of the slasher boom, and seems to have been forgotten amidst all the titles that were being churned out during the period. Directed by Romano Scavolini, the lurid low-budget affair gained instead street cred when it was added to the Video Nasty list in the UK, and its distributor jailed for failing to remove some of its violent content. Still, when compared with others of its ilk, Nightmare is fairly tame. The film also courted controversy by adding special effects man Tom Savini to its promotional materials, despite it being a movie Savini denies having worked on. In the film, George Tatum (Baird Stafford) is given an experimental drug treatment by psychiatrists. Then, on the lam, he sojourns back down to his home in Florida. Along the way, he has recurring nightmares (hence the name) of a violent incident from his childhood, which forces him to spree kill. On this episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast, Jeff and Chris discuss: how we came to watching this film the peep show circuit in major cities (a phenomenon that’s since disappeared) the involvement of Tom Savini in Nightmares mommy issues in horror films daddy issues in horror films depictions of New York City in horror, and other types of films. Join us, as we delve into (say it with us) NIGHTMARE. There’s even a Bette Midler reference! Every week, we upload new episodes of the Really Awful Movies Podcast. Send us an email if you like what you’re listening to.    

Elvis Presley. The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Here he is, or was, at near the peak of his powers (or just about to level off) in one of the many, many terrible movies he appeared in, FUN IN ACAPULCO. The massive pop culture icon plays Mike, a former member of a flying trapeze circus act, who finds himself lost in…Acapulco, and needing to find work to make ends meet. Jeez, that old yarn. He gets connected with a little kid, who becomes his manager, landing him singing gigs at all the best hotels/clubs in the Mexican town, usually accompanied by horrible mariachi singers. Along the way, there are a couple of love interests (one of whom is played by Bond babe, Ursella Andress) and of course, a fierce (well, not really) rivalry between gringo Mike and a competitive cliff diver (again…once you’ve seen one mano a mano tilt between a lounge singer and a competitive cliff diver, you’ve pretty much seen ’em all). On this episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast, Jeff and Chris break down the phenomenon of Elvis Aaron Presley with a discussion about: Graceland The period when Elvis left to join the army How we came to become familiar with The King The movies Elvis made Colonel Tom Parker Graceland The “27 Club.” Whether Fun in Acapulco has any good songs Fat Elvis, the Vegas years And much, much more. So thank you for listening…and…thank you…thank you very much.  

The Sentinel is a 1977 American horror film based on the 1974 novel of the same name (which we haven’t read). The source material is courtesy of author Jeffrey Konvitz (who assisted penning the screenplay). His co-writer was the film’s director Michael Winner. Winner wowed us with, if you’ll excuse us, a real “winner” in the Death Wish Series. That one is pretty darn awesome. And here, we’re back in New York City (although in Death Wish, as filming there became cost-prohibitive later in the series, it started to look less and less like anything resembling The Big Apple). The Sentinel is about a young NYC model who’s on the market for a pad (And this was before the days when you’d have to fork over $2500 / month for a studio the size of a sedan). She finds a place to rent! It’s Brooklyn Heights shambolic mansion that has been converted into different apartments, each populated by a bunch of weirdos, including a fay Burgess Meredith traipsing around with a budgie. The guy residing on the top floor though, is an excommunicated priest…and the building is…wait for it…A PORTAL TO HELL! People, always check the rental agreements…Between that an a landlord asking for an illegal security deposit, it’s a tough grind out there for a tenant! Please see, Roman Polanski’s…uh…The Tenant. The Sentinel stars a bunch of pretty notable folks: Cristina Raines, Chris Sarandon, Ava Gardner, Burgess Meredith, Sylvia Miles, and Eli Wallach. The film also features Christopher Walken, Jeff Goldblum, John Carradine, Jerry Orbach, Martin Balsam, Tom Berenger, and Beverly D’Angelo. On this episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast, we always love it when we can discuss a good, tense, terse, solidly put together supernatural horror film. It’s definitely our least favorite genre, but when it’s done well (as is the case here) boy are the goods delivered. The Sentinel holds up terrifically well. It’s worth checking out, as is our podcast, uploading EVERY FRIDAY for your listening pleasure.  

Don’t Look in the Basement, aka, The Forgotten, is a 1973 independent horror, shot on a shoe-string budget. The film is set on the secluded grounds of Stephens Sanitarium, an insane asylum that’s considerably understaffed. Its chief psychiatrist (Dr. Stephens) employs treatment methods which are not altogether useful. One of the patients (known as “Judge”) hacks the good doc with an axe when they’re out in the wilderness chopping wood (one of the odd therapeutic techniques). That’s when Nurse Beale arrives on the scene, a staffer hired by Dr. Stephens. She’s made aware that doc is stone dead, and it’s her interactions with the various patients at the facility that drives this pretty much plot-less film. So, what to make of Don’t Look in the Basement? Because this is a 1973 horror movie, you get lots of Freudian weirdness, and the exploitation dial is ratcheted up. On this episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast, your genial hosts Chris and Jeff explore: -why so many Ramones songs are about the psychiatric profession -life expectancy and what’s a good age to conk out -the prevalence of axe murderers in horror movies, when it’s not exactly the most easily-wielded weapon (you know, it’s heavy, and blows aren’t often fatal). -the grotesque practice of lobotomies -the promise of, and the of late lackluster offerings, by director M. Night Shyamalan -twist endings, and finally… -basements A reminder: episodes of the Really Awful Movies Podcast are uploaded every Friday for your listening enjoyment, and we delve into genre films of all stripes, including vetsploitation, kung fu, horror movies, post-apocalyptic wasteland films, run-of-the-mill musicals, robot monster movies, Italian cannibal fare, you name it. And of course, if you’d like to have us chat about a particular genre film, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our contact info is freely available. We’ll give you a shout out as well. And don’t forget to review us on iTunes if you appreciate what we’re doing.

Train to Busan is a 2016 South Korean zombie apocalypse action thriller that has achieved considerable acclaim. It’s directed by Yeon Sang-ho and stars Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, and Ma Dong-seok. Train to Busan takes place on a passenger train to the large South Korean city of Busan, just as a zombie apocalypse is afoot. As if a daily commute wasn’t bad enough? A young dad is accompanying his daughter to Busan, to visit her mother. He’s a fund trader, and absentee father so we know he’s supposed to meet with something redemptive, but that’s neither here nor there. Anyway, along for the ride, a baseball, and assorted other commuters on this train, who have to cope with a viral outbreak that’s turning the populate into frothing, mutant undead. You know how it goes. So, is Train to Busan all that and a bag of chips? Or is the Asian zombie film a small cup of guacamole on the side? Check out the Really Awful Movies Podcast every Friday!

The Giant Gila Monster is not only a 1959 monster movie, there’s a sci fi component too. And hell, it’s a hot rod juvenile delinquent flick too. The Giant Gila Monster was directed by Ray Kellogg and produced by Ken Curtis. It’s a decidedly low-budget affair, meant to be an accompaniment to the equally less-than-spectacular The Killer Shrews (another Ken Curtis production), a film perhaps best known for being sent up on Mystery Science Theater 3000. The film stars failed matinee idol Don Sullivan, a veteran of several low budget monster and zombie films, and Lisa Simone, the French contestant for Miss Universe of 1957 (who had zero acting chops), as well as “comic relief” of Shug Fisher and KLIF disc jockey Ken Knox. The effects included a live Mexican beaded lizard (not an actual Gila monster) filmed on a scaled-down model landscape. A drive-in cash-in, the film is a pretty good example of the kind of creature feature the 1950s were famous for. In our discussion of the film on the Really Awful Movies Podcast, we delve into 50s sensibilities, the singing abilities of Don Sullivan (and the infamous Mushroom Song), our total inability to speak Spanish (which we butcher like a hog), language use, and of course, spinning platters.

Technology and horror. And where these intersect. It’s interesting subject matter, whether it’s ghost hunters trying to record evidence of supernatural beings, or new technologies that are changing the way we communicate with one another through an online interface. Kevin Chabot is currently a Ph.D. student in Cinema Studies at the University of Toronto. He earned a Master’s degree from Carleton University where he completed a thesis titled Bodies Without Borders: Body Horror as Political Resistance in Classical Hollywood Cinema. His dissertation project will examine the paranormal, and found-footage cycle of horror films and how they engage with the changing technological media landscape. His research interests more broadly include horror film, classic and contemporary film theory, medium specificity, and intermediality. Chris from the Really Awful Movies Podcast chatted with Kevin at the University of Toronto, in a discussion that focuses on: The Exorcist Friday the 13th Halloween Paranormal Activity Black Christmas The Purge The Fly …and many more

A thematic sequel to the legendary Italian horror Suspiria (1977), Inferno is the second part of Dario Argento’s Three Mothers trilogy. The long-delayed concluding entry, The Mother of Tears, was released in 2007, and one of us caught it at the Toronto International Film Festival. All three films are partially derived from the concept of “Our Ladies of Sorrow” (Mater Lachrymarum, Mater Suspiriorum and Mater Tenebrarum) originally devised by author Thomas de Quincey in his 19th century work, Suspiria de Profundis. Inferno received a very limited theatrical release and was unable to match the box office success of its predecessor. The initial critical response to the film was mostly negative…and it’s gotten some more positive attention more recently (if not from us). The music, for starters, doesn’t match the thunderous beats Goblin graced other Argento films with. Here it’s the cheesy music of one of the dudes from Emerson, Lake and Palmer. The filming of Inferno took place mainly on interior studio sets in Rome, Italy but a short amount of time was also set aside for location shooting in The Big Apple, including Central Park (the setting for one of the film’s few memorable moments).

Its reputation precedes it. But does Plan 9 from Outer Space (original title Grave Robbers from Outer Space) deserve all the derogation? Some say it is the worst film ever made. This is patently false. We’d go to our graves (speaking of robbing them), saying Dana Carvey’s The Master of Disguise is worse. Plan 9 is a 1959 independently made American black-and-white science fiction-horror film that was only released theatrically in 1959 by Distributors Corporation of America (as Valiant Pictures). The film is the product of an auteur. It was written, produced, directed, and edited by Ed Wood and stars Gregory Walcott, Mona McKinnon, legendary Scandinavian wrestler Tor Johnson, and hostess with the mostess, Vampira. And most people know that Hollywood icon Bela Lugosi died mid-production, only to be replaced by a larger gentleman covering his visage with a cape. The plot concerns extraterrestrials who are seeking to stop humanity from creating a doomsday weapon that could destroy the universe. The aliens implement “Plan 9”, a scheme to resurrect the Earth’s dead, referred to in the movie as “ghouls”. By causing bedlam, the aliens hope the crisis will force humanity to listen to them. If not, the aliens will then destroy mankind with armies of zombies. Or something. It’s a tad confusing. And there are continuity errors aplenty. Viewers will have a blast noting day for night issues, the number of times the narrator says “my friends,” and of course, the infamous string allowing the flying saucers to…not so much fly, as hover in the frame.    

A superficially straight-ahead ghost story, there’s much more to The Changeling than meets the eye. There’s also a political procedural aspect to this, which is probably a bit less than successful, but that which keeps things interesting. Well-known in horror circles as among the best of its kind, The Changeling will delight fans of the supernatural. You really can’t go wrong with George C. Scott. He was Patton after all. Scott portrays Professor Russell, a grieving music composition instructor who takes a gig teaching in the Pacific Northwest, after losing his family in a horrific crash. And he’s gotta find somewhere to live right? Well, what better place than a sprawling, creepy Victorian mansion? It’s rented to him by a woman, Claire, who provides a sounding board for Russell, who confides in her that he’s sensing unnerving things in the abode. And of course, a spiritual medium is called in to see who’s haunting the house. It turns out to be someone somewhat unexpected. Check out The Changeling, and be sure to check out new episodes of the Really Awful Movies Podcast, uploaded every Friday.    

There are a handful of movie stars who’re known by their first names. There’s Meryl, Clint, Harrison, Sylvester, and not to be outdone, Ah-nold. Commando blew out of the gates in the mid 80s, and it’s been tougher to recruit useless monosyllabic henchmen ever since. Commando is so bad for the health of moronic goons, it needs its own epidemiologist. That’s why as hosts of the Really Awful Movies Podcast, we absolutely had to discuss it. We love laying waste to goons! The plot couldn’t be more ridiculous: someone kidnaps Arnold’s (here, John Matrix) daughter, to get him to overthrow some tin-pot dictator. But he’s got other plans. And those plans include gunning down every conspiring third rate militia man off the California coast. He seeks out those who’ve captured the fruit of his loins, and is a one-man war machine, wreaking havoc/carnage all over. Commando is glorious fun, full of one-liners, over-the-top killings, and explosions. It’s must-see material.    

Frank Henenlotter’s Basket Case follow up, the equally fascinating Brain Damage. “Aylmer” is a slug-like creature which injects a liquid into its host, giving them psychedelic highs. When our hero Brian gets “attached” to the thing, it starts to give him visions…and they’re addictive ones to boot. However, there’s a catch. For in the pharmaceutical world, what goes up, must come down. He starts to become strung out. However it turns out, that Aylmer needs a steady diet of fresh brains to dine on, without which he cannot sustain his powers. This involves cajoling a now-willing Brian, to go out on the town. A terrifically fun (and very gross) feature from Henenlotter. Check it out!  

The coming together of two forces in the world of horror: Freddy vs. Jason! The gloved one has seen his power wane. And he needs to get kids scared of their dreams again. Why not bring the fear back? But again, he cannot get his strength back. So he enlists the help of none other than Jason Voorhees, rather than hitting the gym weights or doing push-ups. Suddenly, the body count begins to rise…and cops, residents, and figures of authority are concerned. Is ol’ Fred back? What’s going on? Freddy vs. Jason had no business being this fun. It could’ve been a total train wreck, but is surprisingly fun.  

This week, a look at the odd British cult horror, Psychomania. Tom is a shaggy-haired and quite amiable psychopath and the leader of a violent British teen gang, a la the Droogs from A Clockwork Orange. Tom barrels around on his motorcycle with his girlfriend and loves his doting mother. The gang, The Living Dead, dabble in black magic. Meanwhile, in a similar vein, his mother and her sinister butler Shadwell get their jollies out of holding seances in their home. With her help (and following in his deceased father’s footsteps) Tom returns from the dead, after driving his bike into a local river. One by one, he and his fellow bikers commit suicide with the goal of returning as one of the “undead”.

Some voodoo mumbo jumbo re-animates the dead (actually, some Etruscan mumbo jumbo to be precise). The dead, then go after the living. And the living try and escape! That’s the film Burial Ground (1981) in a nutshell. It’s an Italian Zombi knock-off, courtesy of director Andrea Bianchi. As a director, Bianchi is known for (among other things), Cry of a Prostitute (we haven’t a prostitute cry, but imagine it’s heart-wrenching) and What the Peeper Saw (we haven’t seen that one…but…you get the gist of what Bianchi, aka, Andrew White, is all about). He sure does like his crime / exploitation films. In Burial Ground, when the Gates of Hell open, and Lucio Fulci is nowhere to be found, you have to kinda settle for Bianchi. Bloody Disgusting said this about Burial Ground: [the film] “contains all the necessary elements for a good zombie movie including maggot-infested corpses, entrails eating… It’s definitely an oddball flick. It is most definitely weird and wildly perverse…all the good stuff. Be sure to tune in to the Really Awful Movies Podcast every week for fun genre film chat!    

What reigns supreme? LA or Seattle karate? That’s a good question. And that’s one that is explored in the wacky chop-socky Karate Kid knock-off, No Retreat, No Surrender. Jason Stillwell is a 3-year veteran of the deadly arts, but not nearly competent enough to either a) represent Seattle in a TV combat tournament or more importantly, b) defend himself against bullies. That’s where Bruce Lee comes in, not as inspiration, but from beyond the grave! Someone who bears a very superficial resemblance to Lee, tutors Jason about how to punch, kick, dodge punching bags, and find is inner chi/qi. That sets up the final showdown, as Jason is in the fight of his life, with none other than The Muscles from Brussels, Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg, better known as Jean-Claude Van Damme!  

A punk band gets offered a seemingly lucrative gig, after tanking it at a crappy restaurant in front of indifferent dozens. But the band in GREEN ROOM ( the Ain’t Rights) doesn’t know what’s comin’ to them, as they answer the bell to open for Cowcatcher, a band that has a sizable neo-Nazi following. What could go wrong? Find out, and tune in to the podcast. But first, try and watch Green Room. It’s probably one of the better horror films released in the last few years, featuring an excellent performance by Patrick Stewart as an evil goon, as well as the late Anton Yelshin, whose talents will be greatly missed. Director Jeremy Saulnier is one to watch. We know this because of his superlative efforts, Murder Party and Blue Ruin.

There’s a race. And there’s death involved. In the then distant future, society is transfixed by a bloodsport, one that involves mowing down pedestrians in a cross-continental race. David Carridine, of the legendary familial acting dynasty, stars as Frankenstein, a popular and seemingly indestructible driver in Death Race 2000. He has to do battle with other drivers, and points are awarded according to cohort deaths: running over babies and the elderly garner the biggest scores. Cheery stuff! Actually, there’s a zany, over-the-top quality that was the hallmark of Paul Bartel films (he directs). But there’s more to Death Race 2000 than your run-of-the-mill roadster movie. The film asks a lot of pertinent questions too. Look out for Sly Stallone as Machine Gun Joe and Mary Woronov as Calamity Jane Kelly. Gentlemen (and gentle-women), start your engines! And tune in for new episodes of the Really Awful Movies Podcast every Friday.  

On this week’s episode of the podcast, Un Chien Andalou. You’ve probably seen the poster, even if you don’t recognize its origins. Un Chien Andalou is a 1929 silent surrealist short film by the Spanish director Luis Buñuel and infamous surrealist artist Salvador Dalí. The flick was Buñuel’s first film and was initially released in 1929 with a limited showing at Studio des Ursulines in Paris, but became popular and ran for many months later. Un Chien Andalou is not conventionally plotted. The chronology of the film is um, rather…episodic. It’s rather disjointed, jumping from the initial “once upon a time” to “eight years later” without the events or characters changing very much. It uses dream logic (somewhat of a contradiction in terms) in narrative flow that can be described in terms of then-popular Freudian free association, presenting a series of tenuously related scenes. As Roger Ebert put it, “Dreams were the nourishment of his films, and from his earliest days as a surrealist in Paris to his triumphs in his late 70s, dream logic was always likely to interrupt the realism of his films.”   Needless to say, this film uses a bunch of free association, and out of sequence chronology. It’s a real mind f*ck, as the kids would say. Join us for some surrealism.

Ah, title multiplication. Devil Times Five, aka Peopletoys aka The Horrible House on the Hill. There’s a positive correlation between number of titles and terribleness. “Not since Village of the Damned has death become so savage…” Um. Devil Times Five is a killer kid movie, but not just any killer kid movie. It’s also a home invasion movie, with weird soft-core exploitative elements. This is one downright odd film, full of plot holes as a result of being the work of multiple directors (see, multiple titles for another indicator of crapiness). As a bonus: teen idol Leif Garrett and Sorrell Booke (Boss Hogg from Dukes of Hazzard). Please watch this odd duck, and join us for our discussion!      

For some, the phrase “made-for-TV movie” is synonymous with crap. Those people are what we might call…”correct.” However, much like a basketball whipped overhand from half-court, there is the occasional one that connects and scores. Snowbeast, is not one of those. Duel is one of those. However, we are talking Snowbeast, an abominable Yeti creature feature featuring none other than the hulking Bo Svenson (not playing the creature). This 1977 production has a pretty game cast, but also some really odd romantic sub-plotting that our listeners will definitely get a kick out of. The plot couldn’t be any more simple: a monster is attacking skiers in a Colorado resort town. And it’s up to the resourceful townsfolk to, uh, cover it up…and then do something about it when it gets to the point where they finally do a cost / benefit analysis and realize dozens of deaths aren’t good for local tourism. It’s Jaws, on the slopes. Join us!    

Stone Cold is a 1991 action movie about a biker gang, The Brotherhood, who are going after legal officials. The brazen murder of a judge, sends the FBI into action. And that sent us into action. We love our action flicks, we love fights, we love explosions. The Really Awful Movies Podcast is all about that! Brian Bosworth is Joe Huff (a great action movie name if there ever was one), a tough Southern cop, on suspension for beating the snot out of dirtniks in a convenience store. He’s summoned by a wimpy agent, who along with colleagues, blackmail Huff into taking part in a dangerous mission: becoming a member of The Brotherhood, in order to infiltrate the gang. The gang’s got deep ties to the mafia, and is led by the charismatic Chains (Lance Henriksen). Meanwhile, Huff adopts a new ID: John Stone. Will he be able to go from prospect to biker, and take down the outlaws? Or will his terrible fashion sense get in the way? CHECK OUT, STONE COLD.

The Crazies has all the great elements you’d expect from George Romero. It’s a bio-hazard film, wherein an experimental “vaccine” is accidentally released into a town’s water supply when a military plane crashes. And wouldn’t you know it? Why, it’s not a vaccine at all, but a secret bit of bio-weaponry. Some of the townsfolk are resistant — to being quarantined that is, not to the bug. When you have rural USA, there are bound to be guns. So when a government edict goes out to round up the populace and stuff them in the school gym, well…that goes over like a lead balloon. And people fight back. Will government researchers be able to find a cure in time? Will our resistance fighter heroes survive the pathogen, and friendly fire? These and many other questions answered in our podcast of The Crazies.  

Slimy slimy slugs. Slugs is a gross-out 1988 Spanish/American co-production. People are dying due to mysterious causes, and naturally, because this is an eco-horror, there is a lone voice of reason calling for action (who’s being summarily ignored). It’s surprisingly gory for a nature-run-amok horror. Or maybe not so surprising. After all, this was directed by J. Piquer Simon, the Spaniard responsible for the inane and hilarious jigsaw slasher, Pieces. That movie had a chainsaw, kung fu, and Christopher George (City of the Living Dead), which automatically means it’s must-see material. Slugs is as well, only because its kills are so glorious and over-the-top. Sure the stuff in between is a let-down, but the slimy set-pieces and gore make it eminently watchable. We love Animal Attack / Nature Run Amok movies here on the Really Awful Movies Podcast. We’ve discussed The Nest, Shakma, Monkey Shines, Roar, you name it…

First Blood folks. RAMBO time. First Blood is the iconic 1982 Stallone-starrer directed by Ted Kotcheff. A troubled ‘Nam vet gets harassed by cops, then flees into the woods. He then has to rely on his formidable combat skills to fight off the police. Based on David Morrell’s 1972 novel of the same name it’s the first installment of the Rambo series. The film was released in the US on October 22, 1982. It got lukewarm reviews, and yet the film was a box office success. It actually grossed nearly 50 million at the box office. Since its release, First Blood has been getting a fairer shake, with many praising the roles of Stallone, Dennehy, and Crenna, and recognizing it as an influential film in the action genre. The brainchild of Stallone also spawned a franchise, consisting of three sequels (all which were co-written by and starred Stallone). For more genre film chat, check out the Really Awful Movies Podcast every week!

Jack Hill’s Spider Baby is a black horror film with comedic elements, shot in resplendent black and white in 1964, and released in 1968. It stars Lon Chaney, Jr. as Bruno, the aged chauffeur and caretaker of a trio of orphaned siblings who suffer from “Merrye Syndrome.” This affliction, explained in an introduction read from a family tome, causes them to regress mentally, socially and physically, starting in puberty. Subtitled, The Maddest Story Ever Told, one of the children, Ralph, is played by none other than Sid Haig, best known for House of 1000 Corpses, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill: Vol 2, etc.

Angela is having a party… Night of the Demons is a 1988 American supernatural horror film. Now, ordinarily we’ve made no bones of the fact we’re not necessarily the biggest fans of the supernatural genre, at least how it’s manifested itself now. However, in Night of the Demons, written and produced by Joe Augustyn and directed by Kevin S. Tenney, there’s a certain charming effortless that’s pretty captivating. The film stars William Gallo, Hal Havins, Amelia Kinkade, Cathy Podewell, and the ever–wonderful Linnea Quigley as high school seniors partying inside an isolated mortuary called Hull House. Jeez, when will these kids ever learn? NEVER investigated a nearly abandoned mortuary under ANY circumstances. When the kids decide to play a séance, things go haywire…one of them unknowingly unlocks a demon that was locked in the crematorium. The evil, demonic spirit begins to possess some of the partying teenagers and the remaining victims try to survive the night. Filming took place in South Central Los Angeles for two months, and Night of the Demons was released on October 14, 1988. During its theatrical run, the film grossed $3 million against its $1 million budget. It’s since achieved cult status. And like most movies of its type, it spawned sequels.  

On this episode of the podcast, from Toronto’s only horror convention, HORROR RAMA: JEFF LIEBERMAN. The director of the incredible Squirm, Blue Sunshine, and Just Before Dawn talks about the enduring appeal of killer worm movies, as well as what inspired Squirm. Also part of the chat, Lieberman’s love of boxing, and his take on drug culture and making satirical productions. WILLIAM LUSTIG. Bill Lustig chats with us about the making of Maniac, Maniac Cop, and his work at Blue Underground. We delve into the city of New York, the legacy of Robert Z’Dar and much more. GERETTA GERETTA. The star of the Italian classic Demons, talks about how she got started in acting, and what it was like to star in Lamberto Bava’s incredible film. For genre reviews, please see: https://reallyawfulmovies.com/

We had the pleasure of taking part in a panel discussion on horror movie deaths and our book, Death by Umbrella! The 100 Weirdest Horror Movie Weapons, at Toronto’s only horror convention, Horror Rama. The panel is moderated by Luis Ceriz, proprietor of Toronto’s Suspect Video and co-organizer of Horror Rama, along with Shock Till You Drop’s Chris Alexander.

Oliver Reed and familial disintegration. Join us as we chat Burnt Offerings and The Brood, which both star ol’ Ollie. We’re happy to have Scott Drebit, recurring guest, on the show. He’s of course the guy behind Drive In Dust Offs and It Came from the Tube, both columns at Daily Dead. He’s one of a handful of writers worth reading every single week in the horror space, as his affection for horror, both new and old, is infectious.(There’s a reason we thank him so prominently in our book, DEATH BY UMBRELLA! The 100 Weirdest Horror Movie Weapons). We think listeners will love both of these films, as they create little worlds unto themselves and are both, in their way, unforgettable. BURNT OFFERINGS: In the case of Burnt Offerings, where a family takes over a sprawling house a la The Shining you can get a chance to see latter day Bette Davis, which is always a treat. She plays a playful aging aunt to young Davey. Oliver Reed plays a mild mannered (!) dad who’s driven batty by the house. Karen Black is as well, and she’s his loving, but increasingly distant spouse. THE BROOD: And of course, there’s The Brood, an early Cronenberg favorite exploring the weirdo mystical therapeutic techniques of one Dr Raglan (Oliver Reed) on his charges, including a woman under his spell played by Samantha Eggar. It’s splendidly restrained, horror fun. Apart from the presence of noted souse Reed, ultimately the common thread here is familial breakdown. Tune in, and don’t forget to subscribe and let us know what you think on iTunes. Cheers and see you next week! https://reallyawfulmovies.com/

Don’t Go in the Woods (or, Don’t Go in the Woods…Alone) is a 1981 slasher, which benefited from its inclusion on the UK Video Nasties list. But really, it has none of what we’ve come to associate with said list, namely the nudity and the conspicuous gore. A bunch of campers, led by a wilderness guru Craig, are lost in the Utah backwoods. And if that wasn’t bad enough, there’s a maniac lurking about. No bears though. Check it out!

Robert Z’Dar. The unmistakable face (and chin) of genre films, starred in Maniac Cop, alongside Tom Atkins and Bruce Campbell. Many people are fearful of law enforcement, and this Larry Cohen-penned feature exploits that very fear. Under the direction of William Lustig (Maniac), we enter a dark, sinister, urban landscape…and a rogue cop is laying waste to the citizenry. You have the right to remain silent. Forever. Check out Ep 145 of the podcast, and reviews over at: https://reallyawfulmovies.com/

On this episode, we look at the 1973 giallo feature, Torso. Set amidst the pristine historic backdrop of Perugia, Italy, there’s a black-gloved killer on the loose. Of course. And he’s hunting down college students in this gorgeous setting, using a silk scarf as his MO. Directed by Sergio Martino, the man behind the infamous The Mountain of the Cannibal Gods, Torso has its moments, but ultimately falls flat. It does have lots of nudity though. https://reallyawfulmovies.com/ https://www.facebook.com/reallyawfulmovies

A swashbuckling vampire hunter? Sign us up. Check out Captain Kronos, a late-era Hammer Horror production that is heaps of fun and well worth a look. Directed by Brian Clemens (best known for the 60s Brit spy series The Avengers), it co-stars Caroline Munro, the lovely and talented star of Starcrash and Maniac. The tale upends what we’re usually used to seeing in the vampire genre. And because it’s Hammer, it’s lushly ornate. Captain Kronos, a movie that came out when Hammer’s influence was on the wane, is all sorts of entertaining. Find out why in this episode of the podcast.