“I’d buy that for a dollar!” Despite 30 years of time passing, Robocop has satire that’s pretty on point. The innocuous entertainment. Tonally disproportionate news items. Commercials that hawk consumer products that do nothing for their customers. All of it speaks to the world we currently live in. Luckily, Paul Verhoeven manages to slip in some ultra violence, amazing special effects and strong character work in between to make us a bit less depressed. Robocop may not be a […]
“Every nightmare has a beginning… This one never ends.” The dream logic of Dressed to Kill is ever present. Director Brian De Palma isn’t nearly as interested in a coherent story as he is the visuals. So many elaborate split diopter shots. More than a few split screens. That weird soft focus that was a thing in the 1970s. But none of this answers the question. Is Dressed to Kill more than just a technical exercise? Tune in to […]
“Whoa, whoa. You better watch what you say about my car. She’s real sensitive.” Arnie Cunningham (Keith Gordon) is rather protective of his 1957 Plymouth Fury named Christine. He worked hard to restore it, pretty much rebuilding it from the ground up. Arnie doesn’t appreciate when people mince words in front of her. Or worse, lay an unprovoked finger on her person. Then again, Arnie doesn’t need to do a thing. Christine speaks for herself. And her words […]
“Welcome to Fright Night. For Real!” Jerry Dandridge (Chris Sarandon) welcomes a few guests into his home. Shame they welcomed him into their own. Fright Night is one of the more beloved examples of vampire films in the 1980s. Respecting the older examples while adding more than a few hallmarks that entered vampire lexicon in the years that followed. Fright Night was an auspicious debut for director/writer Tom Holland. How does this film-of-its-era hold up to modern scrutiny? There’s […]
“See you in the movies!” Eric Binford (Dennis Christopher) loves movies. The classic black and white films of old. Gangsters. Dashing cowboys. Universal Monsters. All are welcome in his escapist fantasies of the theater or his own memorability filled room to hide from reality. Sound a bit familiar? Yes, the protagonist of Fade to Black is a bit too close to home in certain ways to the average movie buff. But there’s one line of his […]
http://traffic.libsyn.com/docrotten/MMP107-TheKeep-1983.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download“Obey me! Or I will return you to the diseased state I found you in… and then I will slay BOTH of you!” Radu Molasar (Michael Carter) warns Dr. Theodore Cuza (Ian McKellan) not to question his judgement. Or else! Why he’s suggesting he’s going to return him to his earlier state and then kill him instead of just doing the latter is up for debate. One of many […]
“They’re Here.” Carol Anne Freeling (Heather O’Rourke) becomes an iconic character in the history of horror. Poltergeist sent shockwaves through audiences when it premiered 35 years ago. Taking the traditional suburban landscape and sending ghosts through it. Giving a whole generation fears of trees, TV sets and clowns. The nightmare fuel is palpable to this day, as Poltergeist still has the type of imagery that resonates. Now, Poltergeist is getting the Decades of Horror treatment, as the show celebrates its one-year anniversary with another […]
“Damn! Come back from the grave and ran out of ammunition.” Big Ben (Richard Moll) laments his inability to hunt down prey. Specifically, the curly locks of Roger Cobb (William Katt). A successful writer trying to get past his recent divorce, missing child and Vietnam PTSD. Where could he possibly seek refuge from his inner demons? Why, in the House where his aunt killed herself, of course! Nothing too ominous or spooky about that. The Decades […]
“You wanna see something really scary?” Submitted for your approval, a podcast looking back at an anthology film that’s a remake of a classic TV show. Four segments. Four directors. Analyzed by four men. Attempting to figure out which is better. What caused the infamous tragedy on the film’s set? Which one makes the most lasting impression? Who can possibly remember that Bill Mumy isn’t Ron Howard? All these questions lay linger… in The Twilight Zone… The […]
“I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass… and I’m all out of bubblegum.” Nada (Rowdy Roddy Piper) comes out of his consumer coma and is ready to blow some aliens away. The satirical sci-fi actioner from horror master John Carpenter is a schlocky example of 80s cheese… with an actual brain behind it? Decades of Horror 1980s Episode 103 – They Live (1988) They Live is a bit of a departure for […]
“This is it, Jennifer: your big break in TV. Welcome to prime time, bitch!” Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) literally breaks Jennifer (Penelope Sudrow) through the fourth wall. Signaling Kruger’s break away hit into pop culture icon status. What better way to celebrate its 30th anniversary than with a whole Decades of Horror 1980s episode dedicated to it? Decades of Horror 1980s Episode 102 – A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) After his […]
“Roses are red, violets are blue, one is dead, and so are you.” – The killer from My Bloody Valentine leaves a colorful limerick for Mabel – before throwing her into a dryer set on extra-dead. The Grue-Crew revisit the Canadian slasher film from 1981. Let the fun begin! Thomas Mariani, Doc Rotten and Christopher G. Moore tackle another gruesome horror film from the 1980s. Decades of Horror 1980s Episode 101 – My Bloody Valentine (1981) […]
“A woman died, Tommy.” – Dennis Quaid scolds David Patrick Kelly midway through Dreamscape (1984) who replies with dry wit, “Everybody dies…” Dude, that’s cold. The Grue-Crew dive into one of three films in just over a year to explore the horrors surrounding entering peoples dreams…and nightmares. Let the fun begin! Thomas Mariani, Doc Rotten and Christopher G. Moore tackle another gruesome horror film from the 1980s. Decades of Horror 1980s Episode 100 – Dreamscape (1984) The […]
“He thinks that’s funny. He thinks that’s a funny thing he’s doing.” – Crispen Glover cracks wise in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter as one of the teens in peril as Jason slaughters his way through the night. Meanwhile, Corey Feldman shaves his head and sharpens his machette to give Mrs. Voorhees’ favorite son a deep cut. Let the fun begin! Thomas Mariani, Doc Rotten and Christopher G. Moore tackle another gruesome horror film from […]
http://traffic.libsyn.com/docrotten/MMP098-LittleShopOfHorrors-1986.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download“Excuse me, I couldn’t help noticing that strange and interesting plant. What is it?” The question on the minds of every patron that walks into Mushnik’s Flower Shop. The Audrey II is all the rage thanks to Seymour Krelborn (Rick Moranis) and his secret gardening tips. Those tips just so happen to involve blood coming from the tips of his fingers. Pricked from the tips, to be exact. It’s […]