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This week, on our trippiest episode to date, we take a look at two horror films that both feature LSD as a major plot point. First up is the recent Shudder release Spoonful of Sugar, a twisted and often stunning domestic nightmare that features a star-making performance by Homeland co-star Morgan Saylor, a set of truly disturbing family dynamics, and an ending that packs in some serious "wow" factor. And then, things get really weird when we check out the late 70s cult oddity Blue Sunshine, another movie that includes a enjoyably loopy leading performance (from Zalman King, whose later exploits in the film industry were, uh, pretty saucy), as well as the scariest bald people ever put on film, an absurdist climax set in a mall, and a Hitchcockian plot that mixes (unintentional?) comedy and surprisingly shocking horror moments. Trust us: it's WILD. All that, plus: Nick and Chris chat about genre heavyweight Jamie Lee Curtis's recent Academy Award win, Brandon Cronenberg's buzzworthy Infinity Pool, and an indie movie from the 90s that really deserves some love in 2023!
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Well, the theme of this episode is "witches," but if you're expecting pointy hats, eyes of newt, or anyone getting burned at the stake, you're bound to be disappointed. Still, we've got a couple of fascinating flicks to talk about this week, both of which have at least some version of a witch in them... or, in one case, at least in the title? Anyway, first up is the 1983 folk horror oddity Eyes of Fire, an obscure film that we -- and, apparently, the folks at Shudder -- think ought to be more well-known to fans of 80s horror as well as the artsier side of genre cinema. This period piece, set in pre-Revolutionary America, finds a sleazy preacher and his flock running afoul of ancient terrors deep in the primeval forest, and it features some striking imagery and a fair amount of scares in its chronicle of adulterous colonists, rugged trappers, and vengeful forest spirits. And then, we've got our more modern pick, the South Korean film The Witch: Part 1 - The Subversion, which sure sounds like a horror movie but, it turns out, is much more of a bloody, R-rated sci-fi/superhero concoction... and, also, a touching story of a young girl attempting to save her family by winning an America's Got Talent-like TV game show. Yes, really. Chris and Nick are both HUGE fans of South Korean cinema in general, but does this (somewhat) action-packed film live up to that country's choicest genre-movie exports? Listen and find out! Plus, Nick can't stop gushing over Return of the Living Dead 3, Chris finally checks out M3gan, and we discuss a brand-new found-footage sensation that's left quite an impression on the one of us who's seen it thus far.
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This week, we're all about the zombies... sort of. That flesh-eating, world-ending, gore-splattering subgenre of horror -- currently enjoying its latest resurgence thanks to HBO's The Last of Us -- is the unifying theme for the two films we reviewed, but neither one is your standard zombie saga, exactly. First up is writer/director Rob Jabbaz's recent effort The Sadness, a film that unleashes some of the most disturbing, plentiful carnage and mayhem ever filmed on an unsuspecting Taipei. Does it live up to its billing as the "most depraved zombie movie ever made?" The answer, probably, is yeah. But, does that alone make the film worth seeing? Tune in and find out... And then, definitely stick around for our discussion of the third film in the Return of the Living Dead franchise, a film that mixes comedy, action, and a surprisingly heartfelt love story into the usual zombie-movie stew. We're BIG fans of Dan O'Bannon's original Return film, but while this "three-quel" retains its basic premise and some of its lighter-hearted tone, it also stakes out some unusual new territory for the series -- and offers up a showcase for the directorial talents of genre legend Brian Yuzna. And, much like the living dead themselves, our "recommendations" segment returns again, with some more Skinamarink talk (don't worry, not that much) and a few other prime cuts from recent horror history. Enjoy, and... send more paramedics!
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We're back again, and this week, it's all about the bloodsuckers! We really wanted to cover Kathryn Bigelow's directorial debut, the cult classic Near Dark, back when we made our own debut on The Shuddering, but the film was pulled from Shudder's library right before we sat down to record. Well, now it's back on Shudder, and we couldn't be happier to finally take on the 1987 vampire/western that features a movie-stealing performance from the late, great Bill Paxton (and he's just the start of this film's amazingly stacked supporting cast!). Our modern pick for the week is the Irish vampire comedy Boys from County Hell, which puts a fun spin on the old Bram Stoker vampire mythos and has some truly witty dialogue to go along with its blood-draining mayhem. It's not exactly the horror version of The Banshees of Inisherin, but it's not so far off from that, either. And, in our typically jam-packed "recommendations" segment: Chris revisits some mid-2000s horror that's well worth a second look and, of course, we've got some discussion of the controversial Shudder release Skinamarink, too. Nick shares his thoughts on the film, to the best that he's been able to collect them, anyway...
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At long last, we're back with our first episode of 2023 (sorry about the wait!). This week, Chris and Nick check out a pair of Japanese films that, it turns out, have very little in common aside from their country of origin. First up is Tetsuya Nakashima's The World of Kanako, a brutal mystery/crime film that strays a little bit from the conventions of horror but nevertheless remains one of the most disturbing (yet also wildly energetic and complex) films we've seen in a long time. And then, with Evil Dead Rise right around the corner, we thought we'd spend an hour and change with the "Japanese Evil Dead," which goes by the amazing title Bloody Muscle Bodybuilder in Hell. This 1995 film, not released until nearly two decades after it was made, is a madcap no-budget reimagining of Sam Raimi's iconic horror/comedy franchise from writer/director/star Shinichi Fukazawa. Clearly a great appreciator of Raimi's films, Fukazawa tries on the well-worn shoes of Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell in a movie that is an obvious and reverent labor of love, made on a shoestring but never skimping on the splattery goodness that its inspiration brought so spectacularly. And, keeping with the Evil Dead theme, we discuss our thoughts on Rise and the 2013 Fede Alvarez reboot; we also get into the latest works of filmmaker Edgar Wright and Rodney Ascher, both of which are "horror-adjacent" movies that we think our listeners might want to look into.
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The holidays are here, and we at The Shuddering are celebrating the most wonderful time of the year with a couple of films that forcibly injected some Christmas spirit into our beloved horror genre. First up on this final episode of 2022 is the classic Black Christmas, directed by the late, great Bob Clark -- the filmmaker who, less than a decade later, would bring us the very different (but also quite fondly remembered) A Christmas Story. Does this Yuletide-themed early slasher film hold up nearly a half-century after its release? We've got some thoughts! Then, it's on to a recent Shudder offering, Christmas Bloody Christmas, the latest effort from V.F.W./Bliss director Joe Begos. This one features a robot Santa Claus on a killing spree, but -- as fun as that concept obviously sounds on paper -- we're here to figure out whether this is a new film to add to the all-time holiday horror canon or simply another so-so cinematic stocking stuffer. Plus, we address the recent personnel shake-up at Shudder and its parent company (not exactly cheery holiday news), as well as the psychedelic new Shudder original A Wounded Fawn, some of our favorite films of 2022, and lots more! Thanks again for listening, and have a happy holiday and an amazing 2023... We'll catch you again in the new year!
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This week, we're looking at the work of a filmmaker who's been a major figure in the horror genre for more than a half century: Dario Argento. Chris and Nick are both big fans of the Argento films they've seen, but with a filmography as extensive as the Italian master's is, there's still a lot left for us to check out. First up on our all-Argento episode (the first on The Shuddering, but likely not our last!), we review his most recent film, 2022's Dark Glasses. A throwback to Argento's legendary giallo films, this Rome-set mystery thriller was a surprise premiere on Shudder, and it features Argento's daughter Asia in a pivotal supporting role -- as well as one of the best movie dogs in recent memory. And then, it's on to a bona fide Argento classic, which one of us has just experienced for the very first time. 1985's Phenomena, also released in a heavily edited version known as Creepers, stars Jennifer Connelly in one of her first major film roles, as a teenager who tangles with a brutal serial killer at a Swiss boarding school. Oh, and she has a powerful psychic connection to the insect world. Also, a chimpanzee is a major character, playing several scenes opposite the legendary Donald Pleasance. And all of that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of this movie's mind-blowing bizarreness. We had a LOT of fun discussing this one (BTW, let us know what you think of Nick's alternate title), and we hope you enjoy this especially super-sized episode of the show, on which we also get into Netflix's 1899, the recently released Bones and All, and more!
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We're back! And, with Halloween now (sadly) several weeks behind us, it's time to get back to business as usual -- well, to some extent. Our latest attempt to broaden our horror-movie horizons by way of the Shudder library brings us to Norway, from which we've picked both a highly respected genre classic and a recent film that's generated a lot of buzz in the horror community. First up is Lake of the Dead, a 1958 film that plays like a finely crafted Nordic twist on the old "cabin in the woods" setup and features what has been called the most famous shot in all of Norwegian film. Combining an old-fashioned murder mystery with some eerie supernatural and folkloric elements, this film might not be too well-known outside of its country of origin, but thanks to Shudder, it's a piece of horror history that's ripe for rediscovery. After that, we explore one of the most disturbing films your humble hosts have seen in some time, writer/director Eskil Vogt's The Innocents. This tale of preteen kids reckoning with superhuman abilities has a little bit of a Stephen King vibe, but it's far bleaker and more unsettling than pretty much anything he's ever created. It's also beautifully shot, exceptionally well directed, and features some of the most remarkable performances you'll ever see from child actors. Even by our standards, though, this was a tough watch -- you'll have to listen to the show to find out whether we thought it was worth it! Plus, our thoughts on the unlikely recent blockbuster Terrifier 2, the incredible career of genre legend Lance Henriksen, and -- in our continuing celebration of "Cenovember" -- the first few Hellraiser sequels, up through 2000's Inferno.
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Well, here we are: our first Halloween season on The Shuddering is drawing to a close, and we've got just one more episode to celebrate on before October kicks the proverbial bucket. Good thing we've got a couple of really wild Halloween-themed Shudder offerings to review -- one of which might just be an unheralded classic of so-bad-it's-good cinema! First up is the recent, buzzed-about Shudder exclusive Deadstream, a unique found-footage movie that marries Sam Raimi-style supernatural shenanigans with a heavy dose of social media culture. Did we enjoy it as much as the rest of the horror community seemed to, or did it just make us feel old, irrelevant, and out-of-touch? We'll leave that up to you to find out! And then... Man, where do we even start with 1982's Trick or Treats? You've probably seen the bad reviews this forgotten (supposed) slasher spoof has earned over the years, and maybe you've scrolled by the generic poster art thinking, "Yep, just another cheap knockoff of Halloween and Friday the 13th." But, folks, take it from us: this movie is so much more, and so, SO much less than what it presents itself as. Join us on our descent into bad-movie madness as we discuss a film that is so mind-bogglingly terrible, it might just be brilliant. Or, maybe it's just the stupidest movie we've ever seen. But, either way, we had a lot of fun digging through the dumpster-fire that it is, and we couldn't have thought of a better way to close out our Halloween! Have a great one, everybody, and we'll see you in November!
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Happy Halloween, gang! This week, on the first of two episodes we'll be dropping in the lead-up to horror's most hallowed holiday, we're discussing a couple of films that we thought would be especially suitable for the season. First up, though, Nick and Chris have to catch up on all of their other spooky-season viewing thus far, including some revisiting of franchises like Scream, Hellraiser, and -- of course -- Halloween, as well as some lesser-known picks and a new Netflix series from one of our favorites, Mike Flanagan. And then, it's on to our review of 1981's Dark Night of the Scarecrow, a made-for-TV movie that, small-screen origins aside, brings a surprising amount of atmosphere and craft to its creepy small-town revenge tale. We follow that up with a look at the 2015 found-footage flick Hell House LLC, a movie that combines heavy Halloween atmosphere and a deliriously creepy setting in its story of a haunted Halloween attraction gone terrifyingly awry.
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Happy October, everybody! It's high time for horror right now, and we're kicking things off with the first of several Halloween episodes that will hopefully give you a (severed) leg up in your seasonal film-viewing selections! Our theme this week is "possessed by aliens," and while both films we reviewed do indeed feature extraterrestrial takeovers of puny human minds, that's really about all they have in common. First up is the wild South African midnight movie Fried Barry, a Shudder exclusive written and directed by Ryan Kruger. Featuring a star-making lead performance by little-known actor Gary Green, a handful of scenes that are sure to gross out even the hardiest horror viewers, and a surprising amount of humor and heart to go along with all its weirdness, sex, and sleaze, this dark comedy is... well, it's really something, that's for sure! On the opposite end of the spectrum is our vintage pick, Horror Express, a comparatively classy movie feature genre royalty Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing in the lead roles. Set on the Trans-Siberian Express in 1906, this sci-fi/horror hybrid from director Eugenio Martín features a vampiric alien menace that's been hiding out for millennia in the body of a prehistoric human. Oh, and let's not forget Shuddering favorite Telly Savalas, who puts in a memorable supporting performance that might be worth the price of admission on its own! Of course, with Halloween just around the corner, Chris and Nick also catch up about their "extracurricular" horror movie binges, including everything from current theatrical releases to classic 80s franchises to Shudder originals that might someday warrant their own episodes!
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Alright, here's a question: would you rather be trapped overnight in an enclosed space with a pack of psychotic murder clowns OR kill-crazy mall security robots? The two films up for review on this episode should help you make up your mind! Up first is the 80s-tastic cult flick Chopping Mall, and while we love its breezy 77-minute running time, we think there's a lot more to appreciate in this sci-fi/horror/comedy hybrid than brevity alone. In a wide-ranging discussion of a B-movie that repeatedly delivers the goods while refusing to take itself seriously, Chris and Nick reminisce about the malls of their youth, discuss the illustrious career of exploitation veteran Jim Wynorski, and marvel at just how much mall mayhem you could make on a sub-million-dollar budget back in 1986. Then, it's on to our review of Rob Zombie's 31, one of the director's least-loved films -- but also one that features a lot of VERY distinct Rob Zombie-ness (like him or not, the guy is definitely an auteur!) in its production design, casting, and all-around depravity. We've got a lot of thoughts about Zombie's film career to date, and with his latest effort, The Munsters, just about to debut, we thought it might be a good time to point our critical lens at his "hillbilly horror" oeuvre for the first time. Dig through the ditches and burn through the witches and enjoy, everybody!
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Our run of summertime slasher flicks and creature features now behind us, we decided to switch things up a little for our first September episode. This time around, we're looking at psychological horror, and on the docket is a pair of films that take VERY different approaches to somewhat similar narrative setups. Our modern pick is 2018's Possum, a British film that's light on dialogue but heavy on oppressive atmosphere, grungy production design, and (we know you've seen that utterly terrifying poster) nightmare-inducing imagery. Then, we step back in time to review the 1982 "Oz-sploitation" film Next of Kin, a movie that's a favorite of Quentin Tarantino's and features an unusually chipper and heroic appearance by famed Wolf Creek villain John Jarratt. Plus, a few literary recommendations for your Halloween horror-reading pleasure, and some thoughts about what films actually qualify as psychological horror -- and what films in that category have scarred us for life!
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This week, Chris and Nick see if they can keep the summertime vibes going just a little bit longer with a couple of Shudder offerings suitable for the season. First up is our vintage pick, Joe Dante's Piranha -- a knockoff of the king of summer blockbusters, Jaws, that manages to be a highly distinctive comedy/horror outing in its own right. We've got a lot to discuss in reviewing this razor-toothed cult classic, from a discussion of its legendary producer, Roger Corman, to the endearingly ridiculous sound design and the on-screen return of Shuddering favorite Barbara Steele. Dante, of course, went on to become a genre legend, but is this early effort an indicator of the mad genius that would emerge in classics like Gremlins and The 'Burbs? And, how does this Carter-era film stack up against the 2010 remake that memorably splattered the screen with all manner of gruesome aquatic carnage in eye-popping 3D? We touch on all of that in this episode, and then it's on to 2018's Party Hard Die Young, a modern spin on classic slasher-flick tropes set to a pulsing EDM soundtrack. It made both of your hosts feel a bit old, to be honest, but we also thought it would be a perfect film with which to wind down our summer horror-movie viewing. Check it out, and check in with us at [email protected] with comments, recommendations, or whatever else you'd like to share. And then, we'll see you in September... or, as we like to call it, Halloween Pre-Game Month!
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As we head into the second half of August and the spooky season approaches, we thought we'd seek out a little bit of last-minute summertime fun from the Shudder library. Our vintage pick this week is 1981's The Burning, a summer-camp slasher flick that went up against the mighty Friday the 13th franchise and... let's just say, got a little lost in the woods. While the film doesn't include any hockey masks, vengeful mamas, or brutal sleeping-bag kills, it does feature a very young Jason Alexander (a decade before his casting in Seinfeld) as well as some typically stellar FX work from Tom Savini -- who, at the time, was fresh off his experience on the first Friday film. And then, continuing the nostalgia trip in a slightly different way, Chris and Nick review the 2018 Shudder exclusive Summer of 84, a film that borrows heavily from Hitchcock's Rear Window and also gives off some serious Stranger Things vibes with its Reagan-era suburban setting and themes of boyhood friendship in the face of mortal terror.
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We've got a couple of possession-themed movies (well, sort of) to talk about on Episode 2 of The Shuddering, and as huge fans of The Exorcist, we've definitely got some strong opinions about this sort of thing. First up is 2014's The Taking of Deborah Logan, a found-footage take on the demonic-possession subgenre that has earned its share of critical and audience appreciation in its years on steaming services -- and launched a promising directorial career along the way! And then, we continue our deep dive into the filmography of Italian horror legend Mario Bava with 1974's Lisa and the Devil, a movie that Shudder itself describes as the director's "most unusual" work. The film, starring the always entertaining Telly Savalas (that's right, Kojak himself!), was later re-edited and partially re-shot for release as The House of Exorcism, but, since only the original version is available on Shudder, we decided to go with the O.G. cut -- and we think Bava himself would have approved of that decision! As always, we've got in-depth reviews of both films, as well as some discussion of found-footage as a subset of the post-millennial horror genre, thoughts on surrealism and dream logic in horror films, and Nick's rather embarrassing story of almost meeting Patrick Wilson (sort of relevant, but, feel free to skip if you want!).
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At long last, horror fans, welcome to The Shuddering! On our inaugural episode, co-hosts Chris Oliphant and Nick Rocco Scalia break down the nuts and bolts of the show, and then they take to Shudder to review a pair of films from first-time directors who both made a big impression right out of the (cemetery) gate. First up is Black Sunday, the 1960 film that first made Italian horror maestro Mario Bava a household name among fans of the genre. The film, a Gothic period piece about a vengeful witch rising from the grave to raise hell in early 1800s Moldavia, was ahead of its time not only for its shocking imagery but also with its masterfully realized atmosphere and Bava's incredible command of cinematic language; we couldn't have imagined a better film with which to kick off the show! And then, it's on to 2020's Caveat, a shocking Shudder exclusive that, thus far, is the first and only feature directed by Irish filmmaker Damian McCarthy. You've surely seen the poster, with its dead-eyed, wildly creepy stuffed rabbit staring straight into the depths of your soul, but does the rest of the film live up to that unforgettable image? Our thoughts on that, and so much more about these two films, on the premiere of The Shuddering!
