The first theatrical release of 2017 is Underworld: Blood Wars – the fifth film in the Underworld franchise – with Kate Beckinsale returning as Selene, the vampire death dealer. Anna Foerster steps into the director’s chair to charge the end of the war between the last of the vampire clans and the Lycans. Fans of the series get what they come for while the general public – and most horror fans – will likely get bored out of their ever-lovin’ minds. Stupid fun, but … oh, so stupid.
For this week’s What Have You Been Watching segment, Thomas Mariani shares his thoughts on the J.A. Boyona feature A Monster Calls. The films features Lewis MacDougall, Felicity Jones, Signourney Weaver, Tobey Kebbell, and Liam Neeson (voicing the monster). What we learn this week is that Thomas does not like to manipulated, his tears must be earned. Shame on you, A Monster Calls, shame on you.
Dave guides the Horror News of the Week with the trailer for Don’t Knock Twice, the announcement that The Cult of Chucky is on its way, and Drew Barrymore leads the cast for Santa Clarita Diet. As the year begins, HNR sets its eyes on a number of horror film festivals to attend throughout the year. Up first is Nevermore Horror Film Festival in Durham, NC on February 24 – 26, 2017.
Co-hosts Doc Rotten, Santos (The Black Saint) Ellin Jr., Dave Dreher and Thomas Mariani are back again this week to give you the best in horror as they recap, review and obliterate all that is horror this week! Oh, and don’t forget – Stump the Saint! (Brought to you by Gruesome Magazine)
Horror News Radio
Episode 197 — Underworld: Blood Wars (2017) — A Monster Calls (2017)
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Feature Review: Underworld: Blood Wars (2017)
Thomas Mariani reviews Underworld: Blood Wars on Gruesome Magazine, the home of Horror News Radio, mirroring what Doc thinks of the film but giving it far more praise than either The Black Saint or Dave Dreher are willing to grant the werewolf vs vampire flick. While Kate Beckinsale still looks fabulous in the Selene outfit, she seems to be over the role while her co-star Theo James seems lost. Charles Dance, like much of the cast, collects a check but Lara Pulver seems to be having a grand time in her villainous turn. If you’re a fan, you’ll enjoy the film well enough…maybe.
What Have You Been Watching: A Monster Calls (2016)
Thomas Mariani earns his “busiest man in podasting” as he leads the What Have You Been Watching review once again discussing the J.A. Boyona film, A Monster Calls. The director of The Orphanage stops offs to hang with Liam Neeson and Sigourney Weaver long enough to crank out A Monster Calls before moving on to tackle Jurassic World 2. While Thomas likes much of the film, he lets the film provoke his darker side as A Monster Calls manipulates him into shedding a tear. Bah, humbug.
OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE
- [00:00:39]: Intro
- [00:03:00]: Horror News of the Week
- [00:03:16]: Don’t Knock Twice Trailer
- [00:05:52]: Predator casting
- [00:10:27]: The Cult of Chucky Announcement
- [00:15:00]: Santa Clarita Diet Commercials
- [00:18:37]: The Lure horror musical
- [00:21:36]: Support HNR
- [00:22:15]: Feature Review – Underworld: Blood Wars
- [00:54:54]: What Have You Been Watching – A Monster Calls
- [01:08:37]: Stump The Saint
NEXT WEEK ON HNR
The Bye Bye Man / The Barn
GRUESOME LINKS
- Dragon Con
- Patreon
- Gruesome Tees
- Horror Pack
- Nevermore Film Festival (Durham, NC – February 24-26, 2017)
- Crimson Screen Horror Film Festival (Charleston, SC – May 19-22, 2017)
- Nightmares Horror Films Festival (Columbus, OH – October 19-22, 2017)
Gruesome Magazine Spring 2017 is coming! That’s right, the very first issue of an all-new horror magazine from the Grue-Crew behind Horror News Radio and Gruesome Magazine website will land late February 2017. The tag line “Horror Festival Hits – Independent Films – The Future of Horror” reflects the focus of the magazine on the up’n’coming horror film makers and their films in Horror Film Festivals across the globe. Check out the GM page for more details.
Doc a lifelong fan of horror films, sci-fi flicks and monster movies first discovering Universal Monsters and Planet of the Apes as a young child in the 1970's searching out every issue of Famous Monster of Filmland (and, later, Fangoria). Favorite films include Jaws, The Car, The Birds, The Tingler, Vampire Circus and The Exorcist. Still a huge fan of horror films from the 70s, Doc continues consuming horror films to this day for the site, for the podcasts and for the fun of it all.
