The Classic Horror Cast
Episode 25 - Black Sunday (1960) - Italian Gothic This month, Erik, Kyle, and Sean dive into a Spaghetti Gothic... a term Kyle just made up. This is Mario Bava's first major work in the horror genre, 1960's BLACK SUNDAY, a film which arrived at the same time as a number of other groundbreaking horror films. They discuss what makes an Italian horror movie distinctly Italian, and whether Bava is a true auteur or not. Next month: We close out the year with all work and no play...
Direct download: Black_Sunday.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:27pm EDT

Episode 24 -- The Night of the Hunter (1955)

This month, Erik, Kyle, and Sean return to the black and white era to discuss Charles Laughton's sole directorial effort, the thriller/noir/horror morality fable The Night of the Hunter. If a review of a classic movie about an evil preacher chasing two kids for $10,000 isn't enough, the boys also have some spooky recommendations for your Halloween enjoyment! Next month--Mario Bava!

Direct download: The_Night_of_the_Hunter.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:39pm EDT

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET - Bad Dreams from a Horror Maestro

This month, we put our initial plans on hold just for a moment in order to pay tribute to the passing of one of horror's undisputed kings, Mr. Wes Craven. Erik, Kyle, and Sean discuss his 1984 film A Nightmare on Elm Street, dream logic, the legacy of Freddy Krueger, and about Craven's films in general. Few were as innovative or as willing to reinvent themselves and the genre as Wes Craven. He leaves a massive whole in the world of cinema.

Direct download: A_Nightmare_on_Elm_Street.mp3
Category:Horror -- posted at: 3:53pm EDT

Episode 22 - The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - Hannibal Lecter and Psychological Horror

This month, Kyle, Sean, and Erik try to psychoanalyze a psychopath while discussing Jonathan Demme's 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs, which is arguable to some whether or not it's even a horror film. We take that as read here and get into why this movie's so effective, especially in the performances of Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling and Anthony Hopkins as the world's most charming cannibal, Hannibal Lecter. There's also lots to talk about regarding the film's OTHER monster, Buffalo Bill. Is he much of a monster at all?

Next month - Charles Laughton's Night of the Hunter.

Direct download: The_Silence_of_the_Lambs.mp3
Category:Horror -- posted at: 11:09am EDT

An American Werewolf in London (1981) - Beware the Moon

This month, Kyle, Sean, and Erik talk about what is the high water mark for a very low pool, the best werewolf movie ever made, An American Werewolf in London, written and directed by John Landis in 1981. Is it truly a good horror movie or is it just a good movie with horror in it? Or is it even a good movie? Your intrepid horror hosts get to the bottom of it, and think of how many different versions of "Blue Moon" they can think of.

Direct download: An_American_Werewolf_in_London.mp3
Category:Horror -- posted at: 9:27pm EDT

Dracula (1931) - Two Films, One Plot

This month, it's a double-header, double-feature, or double-bladed lightsaber of a month because Erik, Kyle, and Sean are discussing two films with one script. First, the 1931 Tod Browning-directed Universal horror classic Dracula starring Bela Lugosi, and the 1931 Spanish-language version of the same movie being made on the same sets at night. We all know the Bram Stoker novel (or at least its million adaptations), but never before have two films been so similar and yet so incredibly different as these two are. Which is better? Is the Spanish one really the superior, or is that just the hipster mentality? And what exactly happens to Renfield when the Brides get him?

Direct download: Dracula.mp3
Category:Horror -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Ep 19 - JAWS (1975) Get out of the water!!

This month, Erik, Kyle, and Sean learn that Amity means "friendship" when they head into a boat to hunt a maneating Great White in the classic blockbuster 1975 film Jaws. They discuss a film of two halves, a puppet of minimal usage, a mission of three guys who don't really like each other, and the power of frame-stretching. But is it a horror movie at all? They don't necessarily agree.

Direct download: Jaws.mp3
Category:Horror -- posted at: 8:38pm EDT

Island of Lost Souls (1932) - Are we not men?!

This month, Kyle, Erik, and Sean talk about an underappreciated gem, Erle C. Kenton's 1932 film Island of Lost Souls, adapted from the landmark H.G. Wells novel, The Island of Doctor Moreau. The fellas discuss Charles Laughton's amazing performance, the very idea of turning animals into men and playing god, and whether shocking things from the '30s still shock today. Devo also gets mentioned.

Direct download: Island_of_Lost_Souls.mp3
Category:Horror -- posted at: 11:02pm EDT

Repulsion (1965) - Terror, Hatred, and Feminism

This month, Erik, Kyle, and Sean are shutting the blinds, not answering the phone, and ignoring the rotting rabbit corpse in the kitchen as they discuss Roman Polanski's 1965 film Repulsion, starring the brilliant Catherine Denueve. The movie brings up topics such as the male gaze, the subjective camera, and the idea of Pure Cinema. It also happens to be one of the most disturbing glimpses into a human psyche ever committed to celluloid. So, enjoy that, horror hounds.

Direct download: Repulsion.mp3
Category:Horror -- posted at: 11:24am EDT

The Haunting (1963) - Some Houses Are Born Bad

This month, the fellows discuss Robert Wise's 1963 understated yet unimaginably effective The Haunting, based on Shirley Jackson's novel The Haunting of Hill House. Topics include the cinematography, the use of sound effects, the psychosexual terror of the main character, paternal and vindictive ghosts, and Julie Harris' layered central performance. 

Direct download: The_Haunting.mp3
Category:Horror -- posted at: 3:32pm EDT

Alien (1979) - A Haunted House in Space

Greetings, boils and ghouls! Erik, Kyle, and Sean are back from their various holiday excursions to talk about an honest to goodness horror blockbuster, which is often (we think erroneously) lumped in with science fiction simply because of its setting, that of course being Ridley Scott's 1979 film Alien, which was initially developed under the title Star Beast. Wonder why that one didn't stick. Points of contention for this episode include whether the dystopian future elements, plus the actual sci-fi stuff, get in the way of the scares, not to mention the overall H.R. Giger-ness of everything.

Direct download: Alien.mp3
Category:Horror -- posted at: 11:15am EDT

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