THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD (1985) – 40 YEARS LATER!

Tonight we're discussing The Return of the Living Dead (1985), the cult-classic zombie comedy that redefined the undead genre. Screenwriter Dan O'Bannon (Alien, Lifeforce) makes his directorial debut with this wildly exuberant black comedy that mixes terrific comic performances with good old-fashioned flesh-chomping horror.

Packed with gory makeup effects, hilarious slapstick energy, a killer punk soundtrack, and a balls-to-the-wall finale, Return of the Living Dead became an instant genre favorite — spawning sequels (of varying quality!) and a generation of BRAAAAINS-loving fans.

Join AC and his undead panel of guests (Eric Anderson, Aaron Aubuchon, Kristy Jett, Tim Palace) as they celebrate 40 years of THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD!
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ERIC ANDERSON was not allowed to watch horror movies as a kid and he is now making up for lost time with a vengeance. He works in a large urban public library and spends as much time outdoors as possible.

AARON AUBUCHON is a film professor and writer, and also an editor, director, motion graphics artist and producer. He is also co-host of the Discover the Horror podcast. https://discoverthehorror.com/

KRISTY JETT, faithful horror nerd of 40+ years, resides in Buffalo, NY and is the mother of nine cats. She remains now and forever the world's biggest fan of the film Popcorn (1991). 

TIM PALACE is a lifelong Chicago-based genre fan with a particular devotion to the horrific. A committed collector of physical media, Tim has amassed close to 13,000 titles he's excited to share with his new terror tyke Oliver.
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

TRILOGY OF TERROR (1975) d. Dan Curtis (USA)

Tonight we're talking about Trilogy of Terror, the beloved horror anthology movie from producer/director Dan Curtis starring Karen Black which premiered on ABC television March 4, 1975.

Curtis was already a household name in 1975, having created the legendary vampire soap opera Dark Shadows, as well as The Night Stalker, the highest-rated made-for-television movie released at the time, alongside well-received adaptations of Dracula and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (both starring Jack Palance). So when he hired the legendary Richard Matheson to adapt three of his short stories, it seemed like a can't-miss proposition.

Black, who was a two-time Golden Globe-winner and Oscar nominee at this point, was apparently reluctant to do the project, but there is no evidence of reticence in her performances, plural as she plays the lead characters in all three segments, including that of twin sisters in the second. Black literally throws herself into the various scenarios with such gusto that it's no wonder this has become one of her most recognizable film projects.

Often remembered as "That Movie with the Little Zuni Doll," the preceding two chapters simply can't compete with the final chapter's breathtaking assault, and that's too bad, since they are both worthwhile suspenseful entries and Black is equally captivating in three separate roles. But there's also a reason the Zuni Fetish has become the poster child for the film, because it's hard to beat a little puppet chasing a full-grown woman around her apartment for good-natured thrills and chills.

This anthology showcase for Black and Matheson, served up with panache and chutzpah by Curtis, stands as one of the most enduring slices of television terror ever created for the small screen and remains essential viewing for all horror fans, casual or committed.

Join AC and his awesome panel of guests (Jorge Didaco, Dwan L. Hearn, Brett Neveu, Sako Tumi) as we celebrate 50 years of TRILOGY OF TERROR! 
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JORGE DIDACO is a Brazil-based teacher on theatre, performance, and film. He contributed the essays for The Innocents for Horror 101: The A-List of Horror Films and Monster Movies and In a Glass Cage for Hidden Horror.

DWAN L. HEARN, more affectionately known as "The Moon", is an author [The Copperwheat Collection, 2023], co-host of "The Sako and the Moon Horror Podcast," and host of "The Moon = Wrestling Podcast", film-maker with Hallowed Hills Entertainment, and a two-time award-winning screenwriter.

BRETT NEVEU is a professor at Northwestern University where he teaches writing for the screen and stage. His film/TV screenplays include Eric LaRue (dir. Michael Shannon) and Night's End (dir. Jennifer Reeder) with Shudder/AMC. Past theatre productions include Revolution with A Red Orchid Theatre, Verböten with House Theatre and Red Bud with The Royal Court Theatre. Brett is also a recipient of a Steinberg/ATCA New Play Citation, The Marquee Award from Chicago Dramatists, The Ofner Prize for New Work and the Emerging Artist Award from The League of Chicago Theatres.

SAKO TUMI (aka Cass Voit) is a self-published horror author based out of Northern Virginia. She is also a professional Photographer, Illustrator, Bellydancer and Flow Artist
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

MASTERS OF HORROR was a horror anthology series like none before, making its small-screen bow on the cable channel Showtime in October 2005.

Created by Mick Garris, the show brought together some of the most renowned names in horror filmmaking to direct hour-long episodes that showcased their unique visions. Predating the wave of multi-voiced anthology films like V/H/S and ABCs of Death, each episode was a self-contained story, with genre icons such as John Carpenter, Dario Argento, Tobe Hooper, Stuart Gordon, John Landis, Joe Dante, and Don Coscarelli, alongside newer voices such as Lucky McKee and Takashi Miike, exploring different themes and scenarios ranging from supernatural terror to the murderer next door.

The idea behind the series emerged from informal dinners hosted by Garris, with established horror directors sharing ideas and mutual admiration for one another, as well as discussing the genre's rich history and diversity.

The first season, featuring 13 episodes from 13 directors, received praise for its bold storytelling and atmospheric tension, pushing the boundaries of cable television, delivering graphic content that rivaled R-rated horror films and giving these horror auteurs a creative freedom rarely found, especially on television.

20 years later, Masters of Horror remains a cult favorite, ripe for rediscovery by a new generation. A bold artistic experiment that ended up being a cultural, critical, and commercial success for Mick Garris and his merry band nightmare makers. Join AC and his intrepid panel of anthology fans (Jay Kay, Eli LaChance, Tim Palace) as we celebrate two decades of MASTERS OF HORROR!
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ELI LACHANCE is a horror writer, chemist, and paleontology enthusiast. He is currently starting his last year in UMSL's MFA in creative writing program. He resides in St. Louis, Missouri with his wife, dog, and two cats, one of which may be the living dead. Some of his writing can be found in Medium Chill and on Channel-31.com. When he's not writing, he loves walking with his dog, bird watching, and hunting fossils. https://channel-31.com/

JAY KAY is the creator of the Rondo-nominated horror podcast, Horror Happens, where he has conducted hundreds upon hundreds of interviews with genre celebrities. He is also a staff writer with HorrorHound Magazine.

TIM PALACE is a lifelong Chicago-based genre fan with a particular devotion to the horrific. A committed collector of physical media, Tim has amassed close to 13,000 titles he's excited to share with his new terror tyke Oliver.
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!!

CURTAINS (1983) d. Richard Ciupka/Peter Simpson (Canada)
PSYCHO II (1983) d. Richard Franklin (USA)

Tonight we're jetting back to 1983 to discuss a couple of undersung gems from the heyday of the slasher boom, one a belated sequel to a groundbreaking masterpiece, the other a curious Canadian feature made all the more appealing by its troubled production, release, and subsequent obscurity.

In PSYCHO II, Norman Bates (once again played by Anthony Perkins) has finally been released from the mental institution where he's been incarcerated since he was discovered running around in Mother's housedress 22 years earlier. Despite trepidations about returning to the house on the hill, Norman's future seems hopeful. But then he starts seeing a certain female shape in the window, receiving ominous phone calls, and before long, the bodies start piling up. With a clever, knowing script by Tom Holland, assured directing from Richard Franklin, and a stellar performance from Perkins, Psycho II is much, much better than it has any right or need to be.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the border, CURTAINS centers on tyrannical director Jonathan Stryker (played by John Vernon) as he auditions six female candidates for the lead role in his upcoming film project at his secluded mountain cabin getaway. However, this is a role that people would kill for, and well, they start doing just that. Containing a curious and disjointed narrative, several stylish set-pieces, one creepy frowning doll, and a hag-mask-wearing, sickle-wielding killer, Curtains remains surprisingly watchable, especially when its troubled genesis is taken into account.

Join AC and his fantastic panel of guests (John McDevitt, Nicola McCafferty, Ian Simmons, Barry Kaufman, Matthew Amador) as they discuss this unusual double feature of suspense and strangeness, discovering strange and unexpected parallels within!
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NICOLA MCCAFFTERY is a PhD candidate in the department of Radio, Television, and Film at Northwestern University whose current research focuses on how screen representations of nonhuman women (think mannequins, cyborgs, and humanoid aliens) help us gain insights into the categories of both humanity and femininity. Outside of her at times all-consuming grad school pursuits, Nicola runs an Etsy store (https://www.etsy.com/shop/vvitchroom), where she sells enamel pins, stickers, and prints inspired by horror and cult films from the 1960s to today. 

BARRY KAUFMAN is busy programming awesome cinematic events like Facets Cinematek's recent HORROR-RAMA in Chicago (featuring three nights of lesser-celebrated genre efforts) and sharing his wares at various horror conventions throughout the country. Find him at http://houseofmoviemonsters.net

MATTHEW AMADOR is an Actor and Psychotherapist. Check out his recent efforts on Station Eleven (streaming on Max) or http://www.MatadorChicago.com.

IAN SIMMONS runs the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel on which he posts movie reviews, interviews, and critics round tables. He is also a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and has conflicted feelings about referring to himself in the third person. https://www.youtube.com/@KickingtheSeat

JOHN MCDEVITT is a lifelong cinephile who currently works as Community Engagement Manager at FACETS and programs Fetish Film Forum at the Leather Archives & Museum. (https://leatherarchives.org/) John is fascinated by all genres of cinema and appreciates horror most of all for its willingness to explore what makes us uncomfortable and for the compassion it often extends to its characters and the viewer. 
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!!

BLOOD AND BLACK LACE (1964) d. Mario Bava (Italy)
AMER (2009) d. Bruno Forzani / Helene Cattet (Belgium/France) 

In 1963, director Mario Bava made The Girl Who Knew Too Much and gave birth to the Italian film genre known as the Giallo. Named after a series of crime paperbacks with yellow covers, the Giallo was boldly contemporary, eschewing the cloaks and capes of Hammer's Gothic melodramas. A year later, Bava made the film that would define and popularize the giallo for years to come, Blood and Black Lace.

Set in a large fashion house in Rome, the story contains all the trappings of a classic whodunit, with a series of murders, multiple suspects, and a secret-filled diary, but the plot is nothing more than a thread for Bava to string his pearls of exquisitely crafted, colorful, imaginative, and violent set-pieces. Instead of being repelled by the horrific images, viewers are seduced their visual bravado and panache, with shadowy rooms filled by flashing red and green lights, blue fog rolling through the exteriors, and every drop and smear of blood meticulously dabbed onto the moving canvas.

45 years later, Belgian husband and wife filmmaking team Bruno Forzani and Helene Cattet created a stunning tribute to Bava and his brethren with their 2009 feature film debut, Amer, a three-pronged examination of a young woman's life, shot through the Italian horror lens. And like their forerunners, the story and deeper meanings seem almost secondary, heavily masked, like a black-gloved killer waiting for the right moment to strike.

Tonight, AC and his awesome panel of guests (Nicola McCafferty, Barry Kaufman, Jason Coffman, Chris Scales, and Craig J. Clark as our "Mister E. Man") examine these two singular examples of visual storytelling, defying such easy dismissals as "style over substance," recognizing that style is, in fact, substantial, and murder, in the right hands, can be magic. 
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CRAIG J. CLARK watches a lot of movies. He started watching them in New Jersey, where he was born and raised, and continues to watch them in Indiana. He is a frequent contributor to Crooked Marquee and writes the monthly Full Moon Features column for Werewolf News. He is not a werewolf himself (or so he says).

JASON COFFMAN is the Unrepentant Cinephile. He is a former contributor to Daily Grindhouse and Film Monthly (RIP), the director of the feature film Housesitters, and an occasional "recording artist." Jason is the proud owner of 35mm prints of Andy Milligan's Guru, the Mad Monk and Zalman King's Two Moon Junction. You can find him on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/rabbitroom/

BARRY KAUFMAN has been committed to spreading the gospel of obscure horror and science-fiction cinema since writing the fanzines Monsters of Japan and Demonique in the 1970s and 80s. He ran All-Horror Video out of a house in the woods in Homewood, Illinois through the 1980s, followed by his shop The House of Monsters in Chicago from 1996 to 2007. He now vends at genre related shows and programs festivals in the Chicago area featuring his inconspicuous film favorites.

NICOLA MCCAFFERTY is a PhD candidate in the department of Radio, Television, and Film at Northwestern University whose current research focuses on how screen representations of nonhuman women (think mannequins, cyborgs, and humanoid aliens) help us gain insights into the categories of both humanity and femininity. Outside of grad school, Nicola has a few stray bylines at Dread Central and runs an Etsy store (https://www.etsy.com/shop/vvitchroom), where she sells enamel pins, stickers, and prints inspired by horror and cult films from the 1960s to today.

CHRIS SCALES is a lifelong horror fan, aspiring horror screenwriter, and horror panelist.
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

KING KONG (1933) d. Merian C. Cooper / Ernest B. Schoedsack (USA)
SON OF KONG (1933) d. Ernest B. Schoedsack (USA)

It's almost impossible to overstate the importance the original 1933 King Kong has had on the monster movie genre and on the history of cinema overall. As such, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that there was a time before Kong, and that there were individuals who brought the character and the film surrounding him into existence. People like producers Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, writers Edgar Wallace, James Creelman, and Ruth Rose, special effects wizards Willis O' Brien and Marcel Delgado, composer Max Steiner, sound effects pioneer Murray Spivack, and stars Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot, and the legendary Fay Wray. 

The alchemy of the entire production team coalesced into a masterpiece of action, adventure, drama, and romance that broke box office records during the height of the Great Depression, and grossed even higher returns during its re-releases in 1938 and 1952. Including its own sequel, Son of Kong, which amazingly premiered in December of 1933, a mere 9 months later, King Kong has inspired remakes, spin-offs, rip-offs, and the entire giant monster movie subgenre. The entire world knows the name of Kong, The Eighth Wonder of the World.

The immortal ape is our subject tonight, and AC is joined once again by another truly epic panel: Stan Hyde, Doug Long, Michael Weber, and Bobby Zier.
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STAN HYDE teaches, examines, and consults on international film programs for students (International Baccaluareate's Film Course), as well as writing about model making, film history, and some fiction. He is winner of the Mangled Sky-Scraper Award for helping bring G-FEST, the annual Godzilla Convention in Chicago to life since 1995, and is a 2021 Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association Hall of Fame recipient for his work with science fiction conventions, clubs, and fanzines.

DOUG LONG teaches film-related classes at DePaul University and writes book reviews for film journals, including Film Quarterly and mise-en-scene.

MICHAEL WEBER is an actor, director and currently the Artistic Director of Porchlight Music Theatre. A Chicago native his fascination with classic horror began with WGN's legendary Creature Features and The Son of Svengoolie. And avid fan of the Golden Age of Radio and he is author of the play, WAR of the WELLeS (about Orson Welles' infamous radio broadcast.) 

BOBBY ZIER has a passion for Dracula and runs a TikTok and YouTube channel called Lugosi Theatre. He recently received a Rondo Award for his effort in keeping classic horror alive and well.
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!!

PHANTASM (1979) d. Don Coscarelli (USA)
PHANTASM II (1989) d. Don Coscarelli (USA)
PHANTASM III: LORD OF THE DEAD (1994) d. Don Coscarelli (USA)
PHANTASM IV: OBLIVION (1998) d. Don Coscarelli (USA)
PHANTASM V: RAVAGER (2016) d. David Hartman (USA) 

When Phantasm premiered in early 1979, it was unlike anything horror fans had seen before. It was a coming of age tale that also dealt with death, loss, and abandonment. It had science fiction elements, Villainous morticians, bizarre magic, and gory set-pieces, all centering around a mysterious estate and an evil, if convoluted, plot to steal and enslave the dead, with terrific special effects on a minimal budget.

The film was a huge hit in theaters, and found an even wider fanbase on television and home video, ultimately leading to four sequels and a labyrinthine mythology surrounding the Tall Man and his army of brain-sucking chrome spheres.

Tonight, join AC and his amazing panel of guests (Matthew Amador, John W. Bowen, S.A. Bradley, Eric Fritzius) as they celebrate 45 years of Phantasm and its creators, led by writer/director Don Coscarelli (The Beastmaster), a tight-knit group who, over the course of five films, have reflected our world back to us through a crazy funhouse mirror where four-barreled shotguns and 1971 HemiCudas are your best friends... right alongside your best friends.
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MATTHEW AMADOR is an actor and owner of Matador Behavioral Health, where he utilizes narrative fiction as a means to process trauma and anxiety through psychotherapy.  www.MatadorChicago.com 

JOHN W. BOWEN has been a columnist, reviewer and feature writer for Rue Morgue magazine since 1999, and has also written sporadically for more (...cough...) "civilized" publications, including the Kingston Whig-Standard, The Toronto Star and Kingston Life Magazine. Born in Dallas and raised in Kingston, Ontario, he is also a professional musician and recovering strip club DJ.

S.A. BRADLEY hosts the "Hellbent for Horror" podcast, is the author of "Screaming for Pleasure: How Horror Makes You Happy and Healthy," and lectured at Webster University and The College of Idaho. His show, "My Horror Manifesto," played in NYC. https://hellbentforhorror.com/ 

ERIC FRITZIUS writes things, acts in others and records mouth noises sold in the form of audiobooks. You can find his stuff at www.MisterHerman.com 

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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE d. Jack Arnold (1953) (USA)
INVADERS FROM MARS d. William Cameron Menzies (1953) (USA) 
WAR OF THE WORLDS d. Byron Haskin (1953) (USA)
ROBOT MONSTER d. Phil Tucker (1953) (USA)

By the closing of the 1940s, it seemed that audiences had grown weary of the classic monsters of yesteryear, and were hungry for new thrills. Those exciting new stories came not from moldy crypts or ancient curses, but rather from beyond the stars. With space exploration already a going concern among the world powers and reports of UFOs starting to make their way into the public consciousness, it was no surprise that filmmakers also cast their gaze to the heavens, imagining what fresh wonders and threats might make their way toward our little planet. 

With Destination Moon, and Rocketship X-M leading the charge in 1950, and The Day the Earth Stood Still, When Worlds Collide, and The Thing from Another World appearing the following year, the stage was set for a literal invasion of sci-fi thrills from studios large and small, and audiences couldn't get enough of it.

Tonight, AC and his interstellar panel of guests, Jon Kitley (Kitley's Krypt, Discover the Horror), Dave Kosanke (Liquid Cheese), Alan Tromp (We Belong Dead), and Doug Long (DePaul University) will be celebrating a quartet of features that have endured for 70 years in the hearts and minds of genre fans, four films that, despite their wildly disparate budgetary constraints and artistic visions, have earned a devout following and share a multitude of ideas and conceits, if not box office receipts. 

Our show tonight is entitled, "It Came from 1953," and the world has never been the same since.

Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE (1943) d. Jacques Tourneur (USA)
THE LEOPARD MAN (1943) d. Jacques Tourneur (USA)
THE SEVENTH VICTIM (1943) d. Mark Robson

From 1942 to 1946, when rust was appearing on the Frankenstein Monster's neck bolts, Dracula was growing longer in the tooth, and swaddled, swollen mummies were limping along, both literally and figuratively, a savior appeared on the horror horizon, who would provide welcome counter-programming to the usual parade of fur, fangs, and putty. That man was Val Lewton, and his debut production with RKO, 1942's Cat People, heralded a new style of horror, where less was infinitely more, where shadows grew ripe with menace lurking just beyond the edge of the frame.

Tonight, we'll be discussing Lewton's 1943 follow-ups to Cat People, all three of which are celebrating their 80th anniversary: I Walked With a Zombie, The Leopard Man, and The Seventh Victim.

Join AC and another fantastic panel of guests, S.A. Bradley (Hellbent for Horror), Stan Hyde (G-Fest), and Bobby Zier (Lugosi Theatre) as they discuss the Lewton Legacy. In the dark. In the quiet. In the shadows....
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S.A. BRADLEY hosts the "Hellbent for Horror" podcast, is the author of "Screaming for Pleasure: How Horror Makes You Happy and Healthy," and lectured at Webster University and The College of Idaho. His show, "My Horror Manifesto," played in NYC.

STAN HYDE teaches, examines, and consults on international film programs for students (International Baccaluareate's Film Course), as well as writing about model making, film history, and some fiction. He is winner of the Mangled Sky-Scraper Award for helping bring G-FEST, the annual Godzilla Convention in Chicago to life since 1995, and is a 2021 Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association Hall of Fame recipient for his work with science fiction conventions, clubs, and fanzines. 

BOBBY ZIER has a passion for Dracula and runs a TikTok and YouTube channel called Lugosi Theatre.  He recently received a Rondo Award for his effort in keeping classic horror alive and well.
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!!

GHIDORAH THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER (1964) d. Ishiro Honda (Japan)
GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA (1974) d. Jun Fukuda (Japan)
GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE (1989) d. Kazuki Ōmori (Japan)
GODZILLA VS. SPACE GODZILLA (1994) d. Kensho Yamashita (Japan)
GODZILLA: FINAL WARS (2004) d. Ryuhei Kitamura (Japan)

Ever since the original Gojira debuted in Japan in 1954, followed by 1956's even more successful international cut, Godzilla king of the monsters, the giant radioactive lizard has been a going concern for 70 years. And one thing that director Ishiro Honda, FX wizard Eiji Tsuburaya, and screenwriter Shinichi Sekizawa quickly discovered was that as enjoyable as the Big G was on his own, he was even more entertaining when tangling with another oversized mutant, creature, or Interstellar menace.

Join AC and his fantastic panel of guests (Tim Palace, Stan Hyde, Eli LaChance, and Jef and Al Burnham) as we celebrate a "Godzilla vs." film from each decade the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, each celebrating a significant anniversary. G-Force Unite!!!
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JEF BURNHAM (he/him) and AL BURNHAM (they/them) co-host the Silver Bolo Award-winning CadaverCast: A Monster Movie Podcast. When not podcasting, Jef is a screenwriter/screenwriting instructor and 12-year-old Al enjoys gaming and studying martial arts.

STAN HYDE teaches, examines, and consults on international film programs for students (International Baccaluareate's Film Course), as well as writing about model making, film history, and some fiction. He is winner of the Mangled Sky-Scraper Award for helping bring G-FEST, the annual Godzilla Convention in Chicago to life since 1995, and is a 2021 Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association Hall of Fame recipient for his work with science fiction conventions, clubs, and fanzines.

ELI LACHANCE is a horror writer, chemist, and paleontology enthusiast. He is currently starting his last year in UMSL's MFA in creative writing program. He resides in St. Louis, Missouri with his wife, dog, and two cats, one of which may be the living dead. Some of his writing can be found in Medium Chill and on Channel-31.com. When he's not writing, he loves walking with his dog, bird watching, and hunting fossils.

TIM PALACE was born and raised on horror from an early age in Chicago, IL. A lifelong devotee to the genre and the preservation of physical media, 2024 should be the year he hits the 10,000 mark for titles in his collection.
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

LEPRECHAUN (1993) d. Mark Jones (USA)
LEPRECHAUN 2 (1994) d. Rodman Flender (USA)
LEPRECHAUN 3 (1995) d. Brian Trenchard-Smith (USA)
LEPRECHAUN 4: IN SPACE (1996) d. Brian Trenchard-Smith (USA)
LEPRECHAUN 5: IN THE HOOD (2000) d. Rob Spera (USA)
LEPRECHAUN 6: BACK TO THA HOOD (2003) d. Steven Ayromlooi (USA)
LEPRECHAUN: ORIGINS (2014) d. Zach Lipovski (USA)
LEPRECHAUN RETURNS (2018) d. Steven Kostanski (USA)

Throughout the slasher boom of the 1980s, nearly every holiday was offered up on the proverbial chopping block, from Halloween to Valentine's Day to Mother's Day to Christmas, from birthdays to prom nights and everything in between. However, one holiday remained untouched until 1993, when writer/director Mark Jones decided to put a horror spin on a certain date initially designed to honor an Irish bishop, Saint Patrick. And when our thoughts turn to Ireland, we instantly think of that mythical creature neatly filed between fairies, elves, and sprites, the Leprechaun!

Across 30 years and eight films, our Little Green Man has been been all over the place, from the sticks to the Strip, from the darkest inner city alleys to the deepest reaches of space, and he shows no sign of slowing down with his patented brand of creative kills and rhyming criming. He's hundreds of years old, always bold, enjoys his gold, and he'll kill you stone cold. It's the Leprechaun, and he's coming for you!

Join AC and his intrepid crew (Eric Anderson, Gert Verbeeck, Vanessa Morgan) for their St. Patrick's Day Odyssey through the entire Leprechaun franchise. It's more fun that a pint of Guinness... and cheaper too!
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ERIC ANDERSON was not allowed to watch horror movies as a kid and he is now making up for lost time with a vengeance. He works in a large urban public library and spends as much time outdoors as possible.

VANESSA MORGAN is the author of several horror novels and film guides (When Animals Attack, Strange blood, Evil Seeds) – available from Amazon https://amzn.to/3Hzm0wN. She's also the creator of Traveling Cats, the first travel blog for cat lovers – https://traveling-cats.com.

GERT VERBEECK is a filmmaker, musician and writer from Brussels, Belgium. He likes his books, movies and music diverse, nuanced and intense. This reflects his look on life as well, with a little sense of humor added. 
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

EYES OF FIRE (1983) d. Avery Crounse (USA)

When celebrated photographer Avery Crounse set out to make his feature film debut, he didn't opt for the simple route of an escaped psycho wielding a butcher knife like so many of his early '80s contemporaries. Eyes of Fire is instead an epic venture into the realm of magical realism, following a pair of families in 1750 on the run from their Puritanical community's torches and pitchforks. As they escape into the wilds of the American Frontier, they encounter not only justifiably hostile Native Americans defending their territory, but also tree demons and tortured spirits bent on taking their lives, stealing their souls, or worse.

Crounse's visual eye is stunning, capturing the struggle between Man and Nature in bold relief, with breathtakingly beautiful tableaus trading beats with ambitious and creative practical effects. Eyes of Fire is a testament to artistic vision realized on a tiny budget, and, after years of obscurity, is thankfully enjoying a renewed wave of awareness, thanks to its inclusion in Severin's outstanding folk horror box set, All The Haunts Be Ours.

Join AC and his awesome panel of guests (Aaron AuBuchon, S.A. Bradley, Alan Tromp, John McDevitt) as they celebrate this hidden gem, now revealed to a new generation of adventurous genre fans looking for something outside the proverbial box.
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AARON AUBUCHON is a film professor and writer, and also an editor, director, motion graphics artist and producer. He is also co-host of the Discover the Horror podcast.

S.A. BRADLEY hosts the "Hellbent for Horror" podcast, is the author of "Screaming for Pleasure: How Horror Makes You Happy and Healthy," and lectured at Webster University and The College of Idaho. His show, "My Horror Manifesto," played in NYC.

JOHN MCDEVITT is a lifelong cinephile who programs two monthly screening series: SUPER-HORROR-RAMA at FACETS and Fetish Film Forum at the Leather Archives & Museum, both in Chicago. John is fascinated by all genres of cinema and appreciates horror most of all for its willingness to explore what makes us uncomfortable and for the compassion it often extends to its characters and the viewer.

ALAN TROMP is a golden age Monster Kid, who has published articles in Filmfax, Twilight Zone Magazine, and We Belong Dead publications in the UK. He was scriptwriter for the shot-on-video nightmare, The Soul Eaters.
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

AUGUST UNDERGROUND (2001) d. Fred Vogel (USA)
AUGUST UNDERGROUND'S MORDUM (2003) d. Fred Vogel (USA)
AUGUST UNDERGROUND'S PENANCE (2007) d. Fred Vogel (USA)

Inspired by the videotaped home invasion scene from Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer and the documentary aesthetic of both Man Bites Dog and The Blair Witch Project, makeup artist-turned-writer/director Fred Vogel elected to burrow below the surface of human depravity for his 2001 debut feature, August Underground. Playing the lead character (Peter) himself, Vogel takes the viewer, or perhaps kidnaps is a more appropriate word, on a journey alongside a thrill killing monster who seeks to match his damaged psyche blow for blow against an unsuspecting world.

Two sequels followed, August Underground: Mordum and August Underground: Penance, each more damaging in their own way than their predecessor.

Over the past two decades, thanks to publications like Ultra Violent and Rue Morgue, as well as tireless hours on the convention circuit, August Underground and Vogel's production/distribution company Toe Tag have carved out an avid, rabid fan base for their particular brand of confrontational horror. They are a legendary success story in the realm of DIY regional filmmaking, and now, thanks to Unearthed Films' recent Blu-ray sets of all three August Underground films, they are ready to be discovered by a new generation. Question is, as it has always been, are horror fans ready for what lies beneath?

Join AC and his amazing panel of guests Art Ettinger (Ultra Violent Magazine), S.A. Bradley (Hellbent for Horror), Michelle Kisner (The Movie Sleuth), and superfan Allana Sleeth as we chat about these notorious bad boys of horror.

Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

JAWS (1975) d. Steven Spielberg (USA)
JAWS 2 (1978) d. Jeannot Szwarc (USA)
JAWS 3D (1983) d. Joe Alves (USA)
JAWS: THE REVENGE (1987) d. Joseph Sargent (USA)

From its harrowing opening sequence to the breathtaking climax, Steven Spielberg's hugely successful masterpiece of suspense and thrills, JAWS (1975), scared audiences out of the water and into theaters in record-breaking numbers. On the surface, the plot is simplicity itself: The locals of the northeastern island town of Amity start turning up as fish food when an enormous great white shark materializes, leaving fear and body parts in its wake.

Peter Benchley's adaptation (with able help from Carl Gottlieb) of his own bestseller charts the wise course of creating vivid characters that are as memorable as the scenes of teeth-chomping terror. Armed with a top-notch cast of Roy Scheider as the local sheriff with a healthy fear of water, Richard Dreyfuss as a feisty oceanic expert, and the brilliant Robert Shaw as the gnarled shark hunter Quint, there is nary a wasted onscreen moment.

Despite being plagued with endless technical problems during production, the 26-year-old Spielberg ratchets up the tension time and again, each sequence more nail-biting than the last. And his efforts are made all the more effective by John Williams' Oscar-winning score, one of the most famous in movie history.

By focusing equally between its engaging, likable human protagonists and the monster shark's mayhem, a modern horror classic emerged, one that still commands our respect and enthusiasm a half-century later.

Join AC and his crew of landlubbing enthusiasts (Fraser Coffeen, Katie McLean Hainsworth, Anish Jethmalani, Kevin Matthews, Ryan Olson) as we celebrate 50 years of JAWS!!
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FRASER COFFEEN is the co-host of Creepy History, a podcast dedicated to all the creepy stuff you wish they taught you in High School. He's been published in Horror Homeroom magazine and How to Analyze and Review Comics.

KATIE MCLEAN HAINSWORTH is a Chicago-based performer/writer, whom you can regularly find on both the DARK NEXUS and FAWX & STALLION podcasts. She's happily guested on HORROR 101 a few times as well as on Roll For Impact's THE STRANGER.

ANISH JETHMALANI is Chicago Actor who has been on stages and screens for 30 years. You may recognize him from the horror flick Girl on the Third Floor with CM Punk. He is passionate Cinephile who contributed an essay on The Omen for the original HORROR 101: The A-List of Horror Films and Monster Movies. You can find him on letterboxed at https://letterboxd.com/ajet/ 

KEVIN MATTHEWS posts a movie review daily on the For It Is Man's Number blog, and is one quarter of the Raiders of the Podcast team who have been putting out weekly episodes for over six years. https://linktr.ee/raidersofthepodcast 

RYAN OLSON (aka S. Ravenlord of The Cold Beyond music group) is the owner of Deadspeak Design and Night World Records, as well as a member of the Synapse Films street team and a regular on the Synapse Films podcast. His work has been featured in Liquid Cheese, Horrorhound, & Evilspeak Magazines.
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954) d. Jack Arnold (USA)
REVENGE OF THE CREATURE (1955) d. Jack Arnold (USA)
THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US (1956) d. John Sherwood (USA)

One of the best sci-fi/horror efforts of the 1950s and must-see material for any card-carrying genre fan, Creature from the Black Lagoon was the brainchild of producer William Alland who blatantly riffed on King Kong's storyline of a legendary beast sought out by civilized man for selfish designs. Screenwriters Harry Essex and Arthur Ross worked alongside legendary genre director Jack Arnold (who helmed such fare as It Came from Outer Space, Tarantula, and The Incredible Shrinking Man) to create an onscreen antagonist so fantastic that audiences could not help but empathize.

The story follows a team of scientists (led by Richard Carlson, Richard Denning, and Julia Adams) who head into the wilds of South America in search of a mythical "living fossil," a scaly humanoid amphibian that could serve as a missing link between land and sea creatures, leading to a fierce battle of wits and sheer animal instinct that will leave the Amazonian waters red with blood....

The famous aquatic ballet between Kay and the lovestruck Gill Man remains one of the most iconic sequences in horror history. Credit to Scotty Welbourne and James C. Havens for their excellent underwater photography, made all the more challenging for being shot in 3D. Though makeup department head Bud Westmore received sole credit, it quickly became common knowledge that the memorable monster design came from the skilled mind of Millicent Patrick, brought to life by suited performers Ben Chapman (on land) and Ricou Browning (swimming sequences). 

Creature's famous three-note trumpets-blaring theme music was composed (uncredited) by Universal staff composer Herman Stein, with additional contributions from his studio staff colleagues Henry Mancini and Hans J. Salter, as well as cues from Universal's stock music library.

Join AC and his awesome panel of guests (Dan Kiggins, Lee Price, Bobby Zier) as they celebrate the last of the classic Universal Monsters on its 70th Anniversary!
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DAN KIGGINS has worked on a number of independent features, shorts, TV shows, and innumerable commercials over the past 15 years as a Jack of all trades. A self-proclaimed cinephile, he has a vast collection of film ephemera including over 3000 movies.

LEE PRICE is dedicated to preserving and celebrating our history, culture, and monster movies through his work with the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts and freelance writing. Occasional guest blogger at "Wonders in the Dark." 

BOBBY ZIER has a passion for Dracula and runs a TikTok and YouTube channel called Lugosi Theatre  @DustyOldMovies  He recently received a Rondo Award for his effort in keeping classic horror alive and well.
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

DELLAMORTE DELLAMORE (aka Cemetery Man) (1994) d. Michele Soavi (Italy)

Dellamorte Dellamore (aka Cemetery Man) is arguably the last great Italian horror movie of that country's heyday, and yet somehow still struggles for a place of respect amidst the masters. Originally a novel by Tziano Sclavi, and later adapted by Gianni Romoli and directed by Argento protege Michele Soavi, the story follows Buffalora Cemetery groundskeeper Francesco Dellamorte (Rupert Everett) spends his days helping the living put their loved ones to rest, and his nights keeping the dead in the ground.

He sleepwalks through life, gunning down zombies and leafing through old phone books, with his only companion the semi-mute Gnaghi (Francois Hadji-Lazaro), until one day he meets a young and stunning widow (Anna Falchi) who awakens passion within him.

An array of comic misadventures follows, with enough bloodshed, nudity, and WTF moments to satisfy the gorehounds, yet elevated by its extraordinary camerawork, gorgeous score, and thoughtful meditations on life, death, love, and human existence.

Join AC and his amazing panel of guests (Dave M. Gray, Jon Kitley, Ryan Olson, Lawrence P. Raffel) as they celebrate this exemplary slice of Italian zombie cinema on its 30th anniversary of release (as well as Severin Films' extraordinary 4K Blu-ray release)! Ngah!
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DAVE M. GRAY is just one alias for alien invasion advanced scout Yargnivad. This diabolical plan can be uncovered by decoding Raiders of the Podcast episodes (Raidersofthepodcast.blogspot.com or any podcast platform of your choice).

JON KITLEY has been running his website, Kitley's Krypt for 25 years. He's a columnist for HorrorHound magazine, a co-host on the Discover the Horror podcast, and attends multiple conventions and all-night horror movie marathons at the drive-in theaters!

RYAN OLSON (aka S. Ravenlord of The Cold Beyond music group) is the owner of Deadspeak Design and Night World Records, as well as a member of the Synapse Films street team and a regular on the Synapse Films podcast. His work has been featured in Liquid Cheese, Horrorhound, & Evilspeak Magazines.

LAWRENCE P. RAFFEL started Monsters at Play in 2000, a DVD review site that started out as an experiment that grew into a thriving genre community. He joined with FEARnet (a multi platform horror network) in 2006, and oversaw editorial and all digital assets for FEARnet.com until 2014.
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS (1953) d. Eugene Lourie (USA)
GODZILLA (1998) d. Roland Emmerich (USA)
CLOVERFIELD (2008) d. Matt Reeves (USA)

Ever since King Kong tore up the town in 1933, New York City has played host to a number of giant monsters stomping their way down 5th Avenue and giving colossal headaches to insurance companies. Tonight, we'll be paying homage to a trio of cinematic goliaths, all of which are celebrating significant anniversaries this year.

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, which premiered in 1953, marked stop-motion legend Ray Harryhausen's first solo venture, and it was an astounding success, one that proved influential not only to its creator, who went onto such classics as The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Jason and the Argonauts, and It Came from Beneath the Sea, but also to an entire subgenre of giant monster mashes to come, inspiring not only big bugs like Them and Tarantula, but also foreign frights like Japan's Godzilla and other massive kaiju friends and foes.

Speaking of the Big G, 1998 saw its first Americanized iteration from the team of Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin, who had just enjoyed a huge success with Independence Day. While the film made a ton of money at the turnstiles, the film was lambasted by both critics and fans and has becomes something of a cautionary tale in the quarter century since its release.

Finally, 15 years ago in 2008, producer J.J. Abrams and director Matt Reeves served up an inversion to the classic tropes of giant monster invasion movies with their found-footage sensation Cloverfield, which took viewers out of the scientific laboratories and military boardrooms, and put us on the very shaky and crumbling ground of Manhattan under siege from a gigantic menace lurking just offscreen.

AC is joined by another awesome panel of fans (Darren Callahan, Tim Palace, Daniel Ekholm) to discuss the highs and lows of these three films.

Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!!

MESSIAH OF EVIL (1974) d. Willard Huyck (USA)

Clearly inspired by Night of the Living Dead and possessing the dreamlike, doom-laden tone of Let's Scare Jessica to Death, 1974's Messiah of Evil is a thoughtful, introspective, original and regrettably neglected low-budget horror effort.

Directed by Willard Huyck and co-written with Gloria Katz (later the screenwriters for American Graffiti and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – as well as Howard the Duck), Messiah creates its own unique blend of horror and political commentary. When a young woman arrives in a small California coastal town looking for her father, she discovers little is as it seems. Despite his minimal budget, Huyck cultivates a sinister, dreamlike atmosphere that conveys a sense of moral and physical rot, clinging to the village's residents like a malignant cancer. While it may require patience and willingness to overlook some of the rougher technical aspects, there are many rewards in store for the adventurous.

Join AC and his awesome panel of guests (Jason Coffman, Darren Callahan, Lucy Ba'al, Nile Arena) as they discuss this low-budget gem on its 50th anniversary of release.

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Nile Arena has created cinema collectives, worked the film festival circuit, and lent his voice to podcasts dedicated to the silver screen. His literary/weird fiction journal, Success Stories, is available now at some of the places books are sold.

Lucy Ba'al is a demonic creature from the wrong side of Sesame Street who runs and operates the Laaaaast Video Store on Earth over on TikTok and hosts It Came from the Public Domain on Twitch, sharing lesser seen cult and horror films. All things Lucy Ba'al: https://linktr.ee/lucy_baal 

Darren Callahan is an award-winning writer, director, and composer who has written drama, fiction, and non-fiction for many major outlets, mostly focused on the horror genre. He has also released nearly 100 records, from pop to noise to ambient to film soundtracks.  His website is darrencallahan.com and his IMDB is http://www.imdb.me/darrencallahan. 

Jason Coffman is the Unrepentant cinephile. Former contributor to Daily Grindhouse and Film Monthly (RIP). Director of Housesitters and occasional "recording artist." Proud owner of 35mm prints of Andy Milligan's Guru, the Mad Monk and Zalman King's Two Moon Junction. On Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/rabbitroom/ 
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

THE WICKER MAN (1973) d. Robin Hardy (UK)

Released the same year as The Exorcist, The Wicker Man also wrestles with religious rituals and fading faith. However, while the former was an instantaneous sensation that garnered Oscar nominations and huge box office receipts, its poor British relation suffered the indignities of studio-imposed edits and general public disinterest. However, as time has shown, this literal cult classic has endured for 50 years and is now regarded as one of the finest horror movies of the early 1970s.

As loosely adapted from David Pinner's 1967 novel Ritual by playwright Anthony Shaffer, Edward Woodward stars as the hard-as-nails Sgt. Howie who arrives on the remote island community of Summerisle searching for a missing child, Rowan Morrison. To his surprise, most of the inhabitants deny the existence of the child and, when pressed, express no remorse at her absence. As Lord Summerisle, Hammer horror stalwart Christopher Lee turns in one of his finest performances, and extraordinary support is provided by Britt Ekland, Ingrid Pitt and Diane Cilento, as well as the entire ensemble.

Director Robin Hardy skillfully crafts an atmosphere-drenched mystery, with Paul Giovanni's quirky folk songs adding an unexpected high-spirited frolic to the dread proceedings.

Like the celebrated apples of Summerisle, The Wicker Man is a film that succeeds when it shouldn't, and endures as a truly original, mesmerizing, and unforgettable cinematic experience.

Join AC and his amazing worldwide panel of guests (Jimmy Seiersen, Alan Tromp, Vanessa Morgan, Katie McLean Hainsworth, Christopher Hainsworth) as we honor The Olde Ways while heading into The New Yeare.

Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, Most of All, Keep Sharing the Scare!

DRACULA (1979) d. John Badham (USA)
NOSFERATU (1979) d. Werner Herzog (Germany)
LOVE AT FIRST BITE (1979) d. Stan Dragoti (USA)
THIRST (1979) d. Rod Hardy (Australia)
VAMPIRE (1979) d. E.W. Swackhamer (USA)
SALEM'S LOT (1979) d. Tobe Hooper (USA)

The year was 1979, and it was a time of disco, political unrest, walkmans, and vampires. No fewer than six major film and TV projects premiered across the globe, providing a spectrum of bloodsuckers not seen before or since. Played for laughs (Love at First Bite) or steeped in social commentary (Thirst), from tortured souls (Nosferatu) to top of the food chain (Vampire), adapted from literary works old (Dracula) and new (Salem's Lot), or completely original storylines, you just couldn't keep the undead dead, and the shock waves have continued to reverberate throughout history. Some of the finest performers in history have lined up to either inhabit or combat the fanged menace onscreen, and we the viewers have reveled in their efforts over the past half century.

Join AC and his fantastic panel of guests (Chris Hainworth, Bobby Zier, Mike Mayo, Chad Hawks) for this amazing round table celebrating the VAMPIRES OF 1979!!! 
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Chris Hainsworth (he/him/his) is an actor/writer/director represented by Big Mouth Talent Chicago. He is a DeathScribe winner 2009 for the audio drama "Remembrance" and author of The Fourth Wall, part of Motel 666 (2015).

Chad "The CryptKicker" Hawks is a Producer, author, and full-time fanged freak. He grew up a fanatic of monsters, the macabre, and the Halloween holiday, all of which he adores to this day. https://linktr.ee/thecryptkicker

Mike Mayo has written several books about film and popular culture, among them VideoHound's Horror Show and American Murder. He is also the author of the Jimmy Quinn historical suspense novels set in Prohibition-era New York.

Bobby Zier has a passion for Dracula and runs a TikTok and YouTube channel called Lugosi TheatreH. e recently received a Rondo Award for his effort in keeping classic horror alive and well. 
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939) d. Rowland V. Lee (USA)
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974) d. Mel Brooks (USA)

From the moment the original Frankenstein from Universal Studios was released in November of 1931, the landscape of cinema changed forever as Mary Shelley's creation became a household word overnight. Unsurprisingly for Hollywood, further adventures featuring the Frankenstein monster followed, some critically acclaimed, others derided, while the fan base grew, passed on through generations of horror fans.

Tonight, we examine the third film in the Universal canon, Son of Frankenstein, celebrating its 85th anniversary, as well as the legendary comedy from Mel Brooks, 1974's Young Frankenstein, celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Join AC and his amazing panel of film fans (Doug Long, Dave M. Gray, Michael Weber, Fraser Coffeen) for a hilarious round table discussion celebrating these two classic spins on the Frankenstein mythos.
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FRASER COFFEEN is the co-host of Creepy History, a podcast dedicated to all the creepy stuff you wish they taught you in High School. He's been published in Horror Homeroom magazine and How to Analyze and Review Comics.

DAVE M. GRAY is just one alias for alien invasion advanced scout Yargnivad. This diabolical plan can be uncovered by decoding Raiders of the Podcast episodes (Raidersofthepodcast.blogspot.com or any podcast platform of your choice).

DOUG LONG teaches film-related classes at DePaul University and writes book reviews for film journals, including Film Quarterly and mise-en-scene.

MICHAEL WEBER is an actor, director and the current Artistic Director of Porchlight Music Theatre. A Chicago native, his fascination with classic horror began with WGN's legendary Creature Features and The Son of Svengoolie. An avid fan of the Golden Age of Radio, he is author of the play, WAR of the WELLeS (about Orson Welles' infamous radio broadcast.)
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

THE TERROR (1963) d. Roger Corman (and others) (USA)
TARGETS (1968) d. Peter Bogdanovich (USA)

1963's THE TERROR, celebrating its 60th anniversary, is a legendary curiosity item from producer/director Roger Corman, more famous for its origins than the finished product. According to legend, when Corman wrapped shooting on The Raven ahead of schedule, he took advantage of Boris Karloff's two extra contracted days to slap together this tale of a reclusive baron with a dark secret.

With the sets for the previous film being torn down around the actors' ears, Corman and others shot all of Karloff's scenes back to back, then composed the rest of the movie to fit. Relative novice and Raven co-star Jack Nicholson stars as a Napoleonic officer whose beachside encounter with a beautiful young woman leads him to reclusive Karloff's castle sanctuary and the ghostly haunts that lie within.

Five years later, those mysterious two extra days that Karloff supposedly owed Corman showed up again when the latter approached neophyte writer/director Peter Bogdanovich with a proposition of using 20 minutes of footage from The Terror, shooting 20 minutes of new footage with Karloff, and filling out the rest with… whatever else Bogdanovich could come up with. Against all odds, the rookie auteur spins a fantastic yarn with TARGETS, juxtaposing the real-life horror of a Charles Whitman-like assassin against Karloff's fading brand of Gothic frights, with the 80-year-old veteran rendering one of the finest roles of his long career.

We've assembled another fantastic panel (David Lee White, Jon Kitley, Gavin Schmitt) primed to chat about these two examples of environmental filmmaking (i.e. reduce, re-use, recycle), so bring your popcorn and enjoy the conversation about these excellent Karloff showcases, especially since Film Masters has just released The Terror to Blu-ray!

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Jon Kitley has been running his website, Kitley's Krypt for 25 years. He's a columnist for HorrorHound magazine, a co-host on the Discover the Horror podcast, and attends multiple conventions and all-night horror movie marathons at the drive-in theaters!

Gavin Schmitt is a criminal historian, podcaster, and the author of many books, including a biography of Karl Freund. But most of all, he loves chili dogs.

David Lee White is a playwright and performer based in New Jersey. His plays "Slippery as Sin" and "Ways to Be Happy" have just been published by Next Stage Press.
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

HEREDITARY (2018) d. Ari Aster (USA) 
MIDSOMMAR (2019) d. Ari Aster (USA)
BEAU IS AFRAID (2023) d. Ari Aster (USA)

From his Sundance smash debut, Ari Aster has been a rising star in the "elevated horror" firmament, challenging audiences with features packed full of adult themes, metaphor-laden subject matter, superlative performances, and gorgeous attention to production design. Polarizing as his works might be, there's no denying that he is a filmmaker who deserves and demands our full attention and stamina. (Three-hour running times, amirite?) 

Tonight's episode is entitled, "We Have to Talk About Ari Aster," and AC is joined once again by another outstanding panel of film fans: Owais Ahmed, Dominic Conti, and Mariana Reichman.

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Owais Ahmed is a Chicago based Actor and movie lover. Aside from movies, Owais loves biking, cold plunges, and being a dreamer. You can catch him onstage at Northlight Theatre in Selling Kabul: Jan 25th - Feb 25th.

Dominic Conti is a Chicago-based writer and actor. His first novel, Your Book Club, is now available. (Orders can be placed at dcontimail@gmail.com, or you can just say hi.)

Mariana Reichman has lived in Chicago for the last 6 1/2 years. She has a two-year-old Supermutt from Puerto Rico named Parcha that she is obsessed with. Mariana enjoys being active, trying new foods, and watching movies. (Even scary ones.)

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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

GREMLINS (1984) d. Joe Dante (USA)
GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH (1990) d. Joe Dante (USA)
GHOULIES (1985) d. Luca Bercovici (USA)
GHOULIES 2 (1987) d. Albert Band (USA)

The early 1980s were a magical time for fans of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy fare at the cinema, with genre fare being cranked out by the fistful and practical effects ruling the day, making viewers gasp, gag, gawk, and greedily gobble up all they could find. Tonight, we'll take a look at two franchises birthed by two mighty masters of the art form, at different points on the budgetary spectrum.

Please join AC and his awesome panel of guests (Dodd Alley, Kevin Matthews, and Derrick Carey) for a lively discussion about these two rubber monster franchises from the 1980s! YUM YUM.
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DODD ALLEY is an author (Gamers and Gorehounds: The Influence of Video Games on the Contemporary American Horror Film) and has a Masters in Film Studies from Ohio University, where he taught courses on Cult Cinema and Hollywood Reflexive films.

DERRICK CAREY has worked in front of and behind the camera for almost 30 years, as a director, producer, editor, sound man, colorist, and actor. He is also the driving force behind the Astro Radio Z podcast. https://linktr.ee/AstroRadioZ

KEVIN MATTHEWS posts a movie review daily on the For It Is Man's Number blog, and is one quarter of the Raiders of the Podcast team who have been putting out weekly episodes for over six years. https://linktr.ee/raidersofthepodcast
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

RE-ANIMATOR (1985) d. Stuart Gordon (USA)
BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR (1990) d. Brian Yuzna (USA)
BEYOND RE-ANIMATOR (2003) d. Brian Yuzna (Spain)

Stuart Gordon's debut feature Re-Animator is a fast-paced, tongue-in-cheek blend of horror, sci-fi, and dark comedy that helped define the splatter subgenre of the 1980s. Loosely based on H.P. Lovecraft's serialized novella and set at the fabled Miskatonic University, the wildly intense Herbert West (deliciously played by Jeffrey Combs) embarks on a series of experiments to bring the dead back to life—with increasingly chaotic and outrageous results. Re-Animator leans fully into its mad-scientist premise, delivering practical effects that are by turns grotesque, absurd, and weirdly funny.

Bruce Abbott, Barbara Crampton, Robert Sampson, and David Gale round out the cast, grounding the onscreen madness with enjoyably full-blooded characterizations. Balancing horror and satire with sanguinary flair, Re-Animator is gleefully macabre and wickedly entertaining. Its over-the-top tone, energetic pacing, and fearless style earned it cult status, two sequels, a stage musical, and enduring adoration from genre fans of all ages. It's a manic, fluorescent-green celebration of science-gone-wrong—and it still feels delightfully messy, manic, and totally unpredictable—a dizzing rollercoaster of science-gone-wrong that still feels fresh, funny, and furiously unhinged.

Join AC and his dazzling panel of guests (Sarah Binion, Anna Ceragioli, Mike Mayo, Chris Wylie) as we celebrate 40 years of RE-ANIMATOR!!
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SARAH BINION is a self-taught horror fan who has turned the simple question "What's your favorite horror movie?" into a personal mission to uncover hidden gems and overlooked masterpieces in the genre.

ANNA CERAGIOLI is a Chicagoan who lives for horror movies. From throwing horror-themed dinner parties, playing Monster Bash in her pinball league, or chilling with a Goblin vinyl, it's all horror all the time for her.

MIKE MAYO has written several books about film and popular culture, among them VideoHound's Horror Show and American Murder. He is also the author of the Jimmy Quinn historical suspense novels set in Prohibition-era New York. https://www.mike-mayo.com/

CHRIS WYLIE is the co-host of Deep Cuts Horror Trivia in Chicago, and an avid lover of psychological and trash horror. He believes we need to stop shaming people for not having seen certain movies, and has had his ass kicked by Batgirl on film.
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD (aka THE GATES OF HELL) (1980) d. Lucio Fulci (Italy)

Tonight we're returning to the eerie and bonkers world of Italian horror with a film that defies conventional storytelling — Lucio Fulci's City of the Living Dead, known to American audiences as The Gates of Hell.

Following up on the success of Zombie the year before, City of the Living Dead marked a turning point in Fulci's career, steering him away from the multitude of genres he had previously worked in, into the surreal, apocalyptic horror that would ultimately come to define his legacy within the genre.

Working with screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti, composer Fabio Frizzi, and special effects wizard Gino de Rossi, Fulci crafted a story where atmosphere outweighs logic, favoring mood and shock value over a linear plot. Despite — or perhaps because of — its fragmented narrative, this is a film that you feel more than follow, a surreal, almost metaphysical approach to horror, one that leaves audiences disoriented, fascinated, deeply unsettled, and hungry for another viewing

Join AC and his amazing panel of guests (Jonathon Lucas, Dave James Parker, Larry Sternshein, Nathaniel Thompson) as we explore City of the Living Dead's place in Fulci's career and in Italian genre cinema, and why it continues to resonate with horror fans 45 years later.
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JONATHON LUCAS is a horror fiend from Australia whose love for the genre predates his brain's ability to form memories. He contributed the essay for At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul for Hidden Horror.

DAVE JAMES PARKER is a YouTube film reviewer, collector, and former indie actor who has been running the Mr. Parka YouTube channel and podcast for over 15 years. In recent years he has started a deep dive into 1980s horror films where he often collaborates with horror journalist, podcasters, and authors to discuss an assorted mix of genre films. He has made appearances in notable indie horrors Headless and Applecart.

LARRY STERNSHEIN is a lifelong movie fan in Colorado and host of the movie memories podcast "Reel Early." Not only does he love talking about horror and action cinema, but is also a big pro wrestling fan.

NATHANIEL THOMPSON has recorded 300 audio commentaries and written five books, most recently The FrightFest Guide to Vampire Movies. You can see him in shows like Eli Roth's History of Horror and Horror's Greatest, and read him yammering about all kinds of movies at mondo-digital.com.
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

PEEPING TOM (1960) d. Michael Powell (UK)

A provocative psychological thriller and a daring exploration of voyeurism, Michael Powell's PEEPING TOM tells the story of Mark Lewis, a withdrawn cameraman filled with deep pain and dark secrets. Powell's brilliant examination of the human urge to look—but not be seen looking—turns Mark's camera into both weapon and mirror.

Peeping Tom is a film about watching, made in a medium built for being watched. Powell, fully aware of cinema's voyeuristic nature, floods the narrative with images of seeing, watching, and being seen—even including a blind character who "sees" more than others. Most disturbingly, Powell offers a psychopathic killer as the protagonist, forcing audiences not just to sympathize, but to identify with him—even more brazenly than Hitchcock's Psycho, released the same year to far greater acclaim and success.

Audiences in 1960 Britain were unprepared for such a confrontational and honest viewpoint, and the film was condemned, reviled, and effectively ended Powell's career at home. For decades, Peeping Tom languished in obscurity, more referenced than seen firsthand. Today, 65 years later, it is rightfully recognized as a visionary masterpiece—an unflinching look at the dark heart of cinema itself.

👁️ From taboo-breaking storytelling to its lasting legacy in the genre, Peeping Tom is more than a film—it's a lens into horror's darkest instincts. Join AC and his awesome panel of guests (Christianne Benedict, Dave M Gray, Mackenzie Parker, Lee Price) as they celebrate 65 years of PEEPING TOM!

📺 New horror history episodes every Friday night – Subscribe and hit the bell 🔔 to join the class!
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CHRISTIANNE BENEDICT is a cartoonist, film writer, malcontent, and Bloginatrix at https://krelllabs.blogspot.com

DAVE "M" GRAY is currently a test subject in a subterranean mad science lab and allowed to send proofs of life to Raiders of the Podcast (raidersofthepodcast.blogspot.com or anywhere you podcast) and Twitch (twitch.tv/sh4ggyr4nd) weekly.

MACKENZIE PARKER is a filmmaker living in Los Angeles. He studied at Northern Illinois University and the Moscow Art Theater. He has worked on TV shows such as Sons of Anarchy and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and is currently working as a staff editor for Digital Alliance.

LEE PRICE has dedicated his career to celebrating our history and culture (including horror films!) through freelance writing and 25 years with the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts. He is a guest blogger at "Wonders in the Dark."
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

MANIAC (1980) d. William Lustig (USA)

Celebrating 45 years of William Lustig's Maniac (1980) — a cult horror classic that's part slasher, part psychological descent, and all Joe Spinell.

Wildly controversial and undeniably influential, Maniac (1980) is one of the most unsettling slasher films of the early 1980s. Directed by William Lustig and starring Joe Spinell—who also co-wrote the screenplay—Maniac follows Frank Zito, a deeply disturbed and isolated man driven by trauma, navigating the grim streets of New York City.

Unlike many slasher movies of the era, Maniac is a psychological horror film that focuses less on body count and more on the fractured mind of its killer. Tom Savini's legendary practical effects are a standout, as is Lustig's raw portrayal of urban decay. Jay Chattaway's synth-heavy score and Robert Lindsay's gritty cinematography contribute to a haunting atmosphere that has helped cement the film's cult classic status.

Criticized upon release for its extreme violence and perceived misogyny, Maniac has since been reevaluated as a bold example of independent horror cinema—transgressive, unforgettable, and essential viewing for fans of character-driven horror.

Join AC and his awesome panel of guests (John W. Bowen, Art Ettinger, Nicola McCafferty) as we celebrate 45 years of MANIAC!
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JOHN W. BOWEN has been a columnist, reviewer and feature writer for Rue Morgue magazine since 1999, and has also written sporadically for more (...cough...) "civilized" publications, including the Kingston Whig-Standard, The Toronto Star and Kingston Life Magazine. Born in Dallas and raised in Kingston, Ontario, he is also a professional musician and recovering strip club DJ.

ART ETTINGER is the editor of Ultra Violent Magazine, a public defender, and a Razorcake record reviewer. He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where his lifelong obsessions with punk rock and horror/exploitation cinema continue to consume him.

NICOLA MCCAFFERTY is a PhD candidate in the department of Radio, Television, and Film at Northwestern University. Her research looks at screen representations of nonhuman women such as mannequins, dolls, robots, and aliens in order to deconstruct the overlapping categories of whiteness, humanity, and femininity. Outside of grad school, Nicola has a few stray bylines at Dread Central, has seen every Kristen Stewart movie, and runs an Etsy store (https://www.etsy.com/shop/vvitchroom/?etsrc=sdt) where she sells enamel pins, stickers, and prints inspired by horror and cult films from the 1960s to today.
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BATTLE ROYALE (2000) d. Kinji Fukasaku (Japan)

How did Battle Royale become one of the most influential survival horror films of all time? In this HORROR 101 panel, we dive into Kinji Fukasaku's controversial cult classic—an ultra-violent dystopian thriller where 42 students are forced to kill or be killed.

Based on Koushun Takami's novel, Battle Royale blends brutal action with haunting emotion, earning its place as a defining work of J-horror and 2000s cinema.

Join AC and his incredible panel of J-Horror enthusiasts (Michelle Kisner, Grant Kuchan, Tyler Pistorius) as we explore the film's horror roots, its commentary on youth, government control, and media spectacle, and how it helped shape everything from The Hunger Games to Fortnite.
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MICHELLE KISNER is a film critic, freelance writer, and physical media advocate. She has contributed to several websites to include The Cultural Gutter and The Movie Sleuth and is also a member of the Michigan Movie Critics Guild.

GRANT KUCHAN is a writer of pulp, wellness coach, and a real swell guy. He plays in any Jug Bands that let him. One day he'll finish another novel, which will probably be available on Amazon, as well as at most Darktower Comics locations across the greater Chicagoland Area. The horror movie that still gives him nightmares is Matango. He saw it when he was six, and still doesn't eat mushrooms.

TYLER PISTORIUS is an actor, screenwriter, and producer living in Chicago. His recent works include Death is Business and A Missed Connection, and is currently in development on a new project.
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1970 was a breakthrough year for vampire cinema — sexier, bloodier, and bolder than ever before. In this episode of HORROR 101, Dr. AC and his panel explore five iconic films that redefined the vampire mythos for a new era:

• COUNT YORGA, VAMPIRE (USA) – A modern bloodsucker stalks the streets of Los Angeles.

• HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS (USA) – Barnabas Collins goes full Gothic on the big screen.

• THE VAMPIRE LOVERS (UK) – Hammer Horror leans into eroticism with Ingrid Pitt as Carmilla.

• COUNT DRACULA (Spain) – Jess Franco directs Christopher Lee in a rarely faithful take on Bram Stoker's novel.

• THE NUDE VAMPIRE (France) – Jean Rollin's surreal art-horror vision blends sci-fi and sexuality.

🎙️ Featuring special guests: Chad Hawks, Barry Kaufman, Alan Tromp, and Bobby Zier.

If you're into classic horror, cult cinema, or just love a good vampire flick, this one's for you.
New episodes every Friday night!

REPULSION (1965) d. Roman Polanski (UK)

Co-written and directed by Roman Polanski, Repulsion (1965) is a landmark psychological horror film that explores the mental disintegration of a young woman, Carole (expertly played by Catherine Deneuve), living alone in London. Polanski's first English-language feature—and the first in his iconic "Apartment Trilogy," followed by Rosemary's Baby and The Tenant—Repulsion dives deep into themes of isolation, sexual repression, and psychological trauma. When Carole's sister leaves her alone for two weeks, paranoia and terrifying hallucinations take over her world.

Polanski masterfully uses the apartment setting (designed by Seamus Flannery), Gil Taylor's surreal camerawork, and Stephen Dalby's eerie sound design to visualize Carole's descent into madness. Cracking walls, grasping hands, and nightmarish shadows blur the line between reality and delusion, all set to Chico Hamilton's moody jazz score.

Join AC and his panel of horror enthusiasts (Dodd Alley, Matthew Amador, Thomas Puhr, and Elena Romea) as we analyze Repulsion's lasting influence, its place in horror history, the complicated relationship between art and artist, and why it remains one of the 1960s' most disturbing and enduring works.
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DODD ALLEY is an author (Gamers and Gorehounds: The Influence of Video Games on the Contemporary American Horror Film) and has a Masters in Film Studies from Ohio University, where he taught courses on Cult Cinema and Hollywood Reflexive films.

MATTHEW AMADOR is an actor and owner of Matador Behavioral Health, where he utilizes narrative fiction as a means to process trauma and anxiety through psychotherapy.  www.MatadorChicago.com 

THOMAS M. PUHR's writing has appeared in Bright Lights Film Journal and the Los Angeles Review of Books, among others. His book, Fate in Film: A Deterministic Approach to Cinema, is available from Wallflower Press. He is the co-host of Gut Punch, a new film podcast from Beneficial Shock! magazine.

ELENA ROMEA is the creator behind SpanishFear.com and Horror Rises from Spain. A researcher in literature and cinema, she holds a Ph.D. in Spanish Studies with a dissertation about the filmmaker José Val del Omar. Her work explores themes of estrangement, horror, myth, and cultural conflict.
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PHENOMENA (1985) d. Dario Argento (Italy) 

Perhaps the only "insect detective" movie out there on the shelves, featuring a very young Jennifer Connelly (released one year before Labyrinth) as the daughter of a famous American movie star sent away to study at an exclusive Swiss girl's academy, whose students just happen to be falling victim to a homicidal killer. But as this is an Argento movie, things are hardly what they seem.

Those familiar with Donald Pleasance primarily for his increasingly loony portrayals of Dr. Loomis in the Halloween series should check out his fine, subdued work here as a wheelchair-bound entomologist with a wavering Scottish accent, while Deep Red's Daria Nicolodi adds another winning portrayal to her CV as the troubled Frau Bruckner.

The strong opening half hour is followed by a middle section riddled with kinetic fits and starts, with a bizarre, gory ending that has "kitchen sink" writ large upon it. (All eyes on the monkey.) Argento elects for a song score comprised of myriad recording artists (including Bill Wyman, Motorhead, and Goblin), and while much of it works, it occasionally calls attention to itself rather than complementing the onscreen action (particularly with Iron Maiden's offerings). 

Potentially a bit much for the uninitiated, but those accustomed to Argento's lack of narrative logic and flair for the unexpected will enjoy the ride.

In honor of the film's 40th anniversary, we have a full house (of horrors): Jon Kitley (Kitley's Krypt, Discover the Horror), Bryan Martinez (The Giallo Room), Adam Rockoff (Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film, The Horror of It All), and Lawrence P. Raffel and Carl Lyon (Monsters at Play, FEARNet) sharing reminiscences about bootleg tape trading, early internet message boards and usernames, and, of course, their first encounters with PHENOMENA and how their feelings have changed (or not) over the years.

Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

LIFEFORCE (1985) d. Tobe Hooper (USA/UK) 

Based on Colin Wilson's novel, The Space Vampires, a team of astronauts encounter a ship lodged within the head of Halley's Comet and discover three impossibly beautiful humanoid creatures, two male, one female, encased in coffin-like crystalline blocks. And, as any genre film fan can predict, as soon as they get these strange creatures back to earth, blocks are going to crack and heads are going to roll.

Working with a spirited screenplay by Dan O'Bannon and fellow sci-fi vet Don Jakoby, Hooper does a fine job keeping the action moving as U.S. astronaut Steve Railsback and SIS agent Peter Firth attempt to track down and contain the interstellar menace. The insane scenes of panic and mayhem as the population of greater London is bled dry of their precious electrical blue fizzies and zombified are great fun, as is watching a young Patrick Stewart strut his stuff as a histrionic asylum official.

But, for a good many viewers, regardless of age or sexual orientation, Lifeforce's primary appeal lies in the glory that is French ballet dancer Mathilda May's stunning Vampire Girl. At a time when female nudity was employed in an exploitative and often sleazy manner, May transcends being a mere dazzling bit of eye candy, projecting a genuinely otherworldly and alien presence through her physical, and mostly nonverbal, performance.

With grand and gorgeous production design and Nick Maley's terrific makeup effects and animatronics dancing in step with Hooper's unique vision and O'Bannon and Jakoby's cheeky, chatty and occasionally campy twist to classic vampire mythos, Lifeforce is a film like no other, both a product of its time and a timeless cult classic.

Join AC and his awesome panel of guests (Fraser Coffeen, Cati Glidewell, John Kenneth Muir, Ryan Olson) as we celebrate 40 years of LIFEFORCE!!
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FRASER COFFEEN is the co-host of Creepy History, a podcast dedicated to all the creepy stuff you wish they taught you in High School. He's been published in Horror Homeroom magazine and How to Analyze and Review Comics.

CATI GLIDEWELL (aka The Blonde in Front) is a Chicago-based film critic, lifelong cinephile, film festival jury member, and a member of Chicago Indie Critics since 2020. You can find her on all social media platforms, as well as Post Mortem radio and Radio of Horror on YouTube.

JOHN KENNETH MUIR is the creator of the award winning-web series, Abnormal Fixation, which returns for its second season in 2026, and award-winning audio drama Enter The House Between. He is also the author of Horror Films of the 1970s (2002), and Eaten Alive at a Chainsaw Massacre: The Films of Tobe Hooper (2001).

RYAN OLSON (aka S. Ravenlord of The Cold Beyond music group) is the owner of Deadspeak Design and Night World Records, as well as a member of the Synapse Films street team and a regular on the Synapse Films podcast. His work has been featured in Liquid Cheese, Horrorhound, & Evilspeak Magazines.
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

MOTEL HELL (1980) d. Kevin Connor (USA)

"It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent's Fritters." So runs the tagline for 1980's Motel Hell, an endearing oddball combo of black humor and horror, featuring veteran character actor Rory Calhoun as Vincent, the proprietor of the Motel Hello, where the O on the neon sign keeps going on the blink.

Vincent and his equally wacky sister Ida (a pre-Porky's Nancy Parsons) make their living by ensnaring unsuspecting motorists to fill up the skins of their famous Farmer Smith sausages.

For his first American feature, Kevin Connor took a break from directing Amicus' fantasy epics (such as The Land that Time Forgot, At The Earth's Core, and Warlords of Atlantis) to helm the madness provided by the sibling screenwriting/producing team of Robert and Steven-Charles Jaffee, and does a smashing job balancing the chainsaws and chuckles.

Calhoun and Parsons are terrific in their respective roles, and the spirited set-up and multitude of off-the-wall vignettes have earned Motel Hell a lasting cult reputation, distinguishing it from the glut of slashers emerging around the same time.

Join AC and his awesome panel of guests (Jessalyn Abbott, S.A. Bradley, Eric Fritzius, Jen Olson, John Pata) as we head on down to the farm and celebrate 45 years of Motel Hell!
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JESSALYN ABBOTT is a writer, producer and editor. She produced and edited LIKE ME which premiered at the 2017 SXSW Film Festival and was nominated for a grand jury award. Her most recent effort, PuLL: A Dark Comedy, is currently in pre-production.

S.A. BRADLEY hosts the "Hellbent for Horror" podcast, is the author of "Screaming for Pleasure: How Horror Makes You Happy and Healthy," and lectured at Webster University and The College of Idaho. His show, "My Horror Manifesto," played in NYC.

ERIC FRITZIUS writes things, acts in others and records mouth noises sold in the form of audiobooks. You can find his stuff at MisterHerman.com

JENNIFER OLSON is a lifelong horror fan and mother of three monster kids. She is a former member of The Flint Horror Con, and currently part of the Synapse Films street team!

JOHN PATA lives in Wisconsin. He's made some horror films, he's hosted some horror stuff, and he's read some horror books.
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

DEAD OF NIGHT (1945) d. Various (UK)

A landmark horror film, 1945's Dead of Night was produced by Britain's famed Ealing Studios and directed by a team of mostly younger upstarts including Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden, and Robert Hamer, with veteran Alberto Cavalcanti and producer Michael Balcon marshaling their forces.

Widely regarded as one of the earliest and most influential horror anthology films, Dead of Night presents a quintet of eerie and imaginative stories linked by a chilling framing narrative: an architect arrives at a country house, only to realize he's been there before—in a recurring dream. As he shares this realization, the guests recount a series of supernatural tales involving haunted mirrors, ghostly hearses, creepy ventriloquist dummies, and more.

Combining original stories and adaptations, Dead of Night blends psychological horror with dark humor, setting the blueprint for anthology series like The Twilight Zone, Tales from the Crypt, and Black Mirror. Its influence still echoes through horror cinema today.

Lock your doors, pour yourself a cup of tea, and enjoy some bite-sized nightmares as AC and his incredible panel of guests (Christianne Benedict, Cati Glidewell, John McDevitt, Lee Price, Alan Tromp) celebrate the 80th anniversary of Dead of Night!

BONUS: Here's the link to Lee's article referenced throughout: https://wondersinthedark.wordpress.com/2025/05/15/dead-of-night-1945-50-clinical-observations/
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CHRISTIANNE BENEDICT is a cartoonist, film writer, malcontent, and Bloginatrix at https://krelllabs.blogspot.com

JOHN MCDEVITT is a lifelong cinephile who programs two recurring film events in Chicago: SUPER-HORROR-RAMA!, a weekly horror gathering with film screenings at Sideshow Gelato, and Fetish Film Forum, a monthly screening series about fetish, kink, leather, and BDSM at the Leather Archives & Museum. John is fascinated by all genres of cinema and appreciates horror most of all for its willingness to explore what makes us uncomfortable and for the compassion it often extends to its characters and the viewer. 

CATI GLIDEWELL (aka The Blonde in Front) is a Chicago-based film critic, lifelong cinephile, film festival jury member, and a member of Chicago Indie Critics since 2020. You can find her on all social media platforms, as well as Post Mortem radio and Radio of Horror on YouTube.

LEE PRICE has dedicated his career to celebrating our history and culture (including horror films!) through freelance writing and 25 years with the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts. He is a guest blogger at "Wonders in the Dark."

ALAN TROMP is a golden age Monster Kid, who has published articles in Filmfax, Twilight Zone Magazine, and We Belong Dead publications in the UK. He was scriptwriter for the shot-on-video nightmare, The Soul Eaters.
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HOUSE OF USHER (1960) d. Roger Corman (USA)
PIT AND THE PENDULUM (1961) d. Roger Corman (USA)

Journey into the heart of gothic horror with House of Usher, Roger Corman's moody and mesmerizing film version of Edgar Allan Poe's short story. Released in 1960, Usher marks the beginning of Corman's AIPoe series, his celebrated octet of Poe-inspired works, and it's an atmospheric triumph of mood and style.

Leading the cast is the legendary Vincent Price, in one of his most memorable roles, the fragile and haunted Roderick Usher—a man convinced that his family line is cursed and must come to an end. Price is joined by Mark Damon and Myrna Fahey, all making a meal of Richard Matheson's swirling dialogue.

Belying the film's moderate budget, Corman and cinematographer Floyd Crosby's rich dramatic lighting lend a grand, visual presence. Daniel Haller's stylized Usher sets become a living extension of the family's doom, while Les Baxter's moody musical cues evoke a decaying grandeur.

Join AC and his legendary panel of guests (Jorge Didaco, Dave M. Gray, David Del Valle) as we celebrate 65 years of HOUSE OF USHER!
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JORGE DIDACO is a Brazil-based teacher on theatre, performance, and film. He contributed the essays for The Innocents for Horror 101: The A-List of Horror Films and Monster Movies and In a Glass Cage for Hidden Horror.

DAVE "M" GRAY is currently a test subject in a subterranean mad science lab and allowed to send proofs of life to Raiders of the Podcast (raidersofthepodcast.blogspot.com or anywhere you podcast) and Twitch (twitch.tv/sh4ggyr4nd) weekly.

DAVID DEL VALLE is a renowned film historian, journalist, and commentator specializing in horror, science fiction, and cult cinema. He has contributed to publications like Fangoria and Cinefantastique, and produced Vincent Price's only interview focused on his horror career. Del Valle's books include Lost Horizons Beneath the Hollywood Sign and Six Reels Under.
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SHIVERS (1975) is a wonderfully squirmy milestone in body horror — and David Cronenberg's sleazy, slimy debut.

A high-rise residence is thrown into chaos when a strange parasite begins turning tenants into uninhibited, sex-crazed versions of themselves. Part science fiction, part sleazy exploitation, Shivers introduced many of the themes that Cronenberg would return to again and again throughout his half-century behind the camera: disease, transformation, sexuality, technology, ethics, identity, and isolation.

Not bad for a government-funded Canadian horror flick that can also be described as: "sex slugs take over the world."

Produced by Ivan Reitman (Stripes, Ghostbusters, Kindergarten Cop), Shivers also features a perfectly off-kilter pair of performances from horror legends Barbara Steele and Lynn Lowry, alongside gloriously gooey practical effects by makeup maestro Joe Blasco.

The film caused a media firestorm in Canada when word got out that taxpayer dollars had helped fund such a graphic and subversive movie — but that controversy only boosted its cult status and ticket sales.

In the 50 years since its release, Shivers has been reappraised as a bold, brainy, and deeply weird classic of horror cinema — a film that helped define Cronenberg's voice and changed the genre forever. 

Join AC and his awesome panel of guests ( Emily Barney, Jason Coffman, Kate Hansen, John McDevitt, Cullen Wade) as we revisit Shivers, dissect its legacy, and celebrate one of the most bizarre and brilliant debuts in horror history.
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EMILY BARNEY is a Chicagoan studying Czech language. She has an obsession for Czech and Slovak movies, which she blogs about at emily-barney.com. She's also a lifelong horror movie fan, the weirder the better.

JASON COFFMAN is the Unrepentant Cinephile. Former contributor to Daily Grindhouse and Film Monthly (RIP). Director of Housesitters and occasional "recording artist." Proud owner of 35mm prints of Andy Milligan's Guru, the Mad Monk and Zalman King's Two Moon Junction. On Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/rabbitroom/

KATE HANSEN is a music teacher with a penchant for horror. She has been published in magazines like Ultra Violent and Horrorhound. She likes dogs, enjoys the smell of campfires, collects VHS, is afraid of heights, and has only ever received two speeding tickets. 

JOHN MCDEVITT is a lifelong cinephile who programs two recurring film events in Chicago: SUPER-HORROR-RAMA!, a weekly horror gathering with film screenings at Sideshow Gelato, and Fetish Film Forum, a monthly screening series about fetish, kink, leather, and BDSM at the Leather Archives & Museum. John is fascinated by all genres of cinema and appreciates horror most of all for its willingness to explore what makes us uncomfortable and for the compassion it often extends to its characters and the viewer.

CULLEN WADE is the author of S(p)lasher Flicks: The Swimming Pool in Horror Cinema, out in 2025 from McFarland Books. Follow him on letterboxd @tobe_whooper and Bluesky @cullenwade.bsky.social
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

THE SHINING (1980) d. Stanley Kubrick (USA)
THE SHINING (1997) d. Mick Garris (USA)
DOCTOR SLEEP (2019) d. Mike Flanagan (USA)

The Shining (1980) remains one of the most iconic and unsettling horror films ever made. Based on Stephen King's novel but wildly reimagined through writer/director Stanley Kubrick's unique vision, this "masterpiece of modern horror" tells the story of Jack Torrance, an aspiring writer and recovering alcoholic who takes a job as the winter caretaker of the isolated Overlook Hotel. As the unforgiving Colorado winter traps him, his wife Wendy and their son Danny inside, supernatural forces send them spiraling into madness and unforgettable terror.

45 years later, The Shining continues to inspire filmmakers, critics, and horror fans alike, sparking endless analysis and debate, challenging us to look deeper with every viewing. Its eerie imagery, narrative ambiguity and dreamlike atmosphere have cemented its place as a lasting part of horror cinema history.

Join AC and his outstanding panel of guests (Kait Astrella, Ana Marie Cox, Daniel Ekholm, Anish Jethmalani, Bobby Zier) as we celebrate the film's groundbreaking cinematography, uncanny sound design, and timeless performances by Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Scatman Crothers, and little Danny Lloyd, as well as the deeper symbolism and hidden meanings that have surrounded The Shining for decades.
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ANA MARIE COX is a writer and podcaster. She co-hosts the sci-fi podcast Space the Nation and the work and life podcast Past Due. Her work appears in The New Republic and elsewhere. She lives in Austin and deeply trusts horror and sci-fi to tell the truth.

KAIT ASTRELLA is a librarian, archivist, and indie book publicist working in New York City. Find her posting about printed books and strange fiction on Instagram @kastrella2

DANIEL EKHOLM has written about film in several Swedish magazines, including Moviezine, which is the leading film magazine in Sweden. He also contributed the essay on The Blob (d. Chuck Russell, 1988) for Hidden Horror. Daniel would like to write his own book about horror films one day, but since fair use does not exist in Sweden, he started writing a children's book that he plans to finish at some point.

ANISH JETHMALANI is Chicago Actor who has been on stages and screens for 30 years. You may recognize him from the horror flick Girl on the Third Floor with CM Punk. He is passionate Cinephile who contributed an essay on The Omen for the original HORROR 101: The A-List of Horror Films and Monster Movies. You can find him on letterboxed at https://letterboxd.com/ajet/

BOBBY ZIER has a passion for Dracula and runs a TikTok/IG and YouTube channel called Lugosi Theatre. ‪@LugosiTheatre‬  He recently received his second "Monster Kid of the Year" Rondo Award for his efforts in keeping classic horror alive and well.
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

CUJO (1983) d. Lewis Teague (USA)
THE DEAD ZONE (1983) d. David Cronenberg (USA)
CHRISTINE (1983) d. John Carpenter (USA)

Four decades ago, in the latter half of 1983, three films based on the works of a rising horror star hit theaters. Having already attracted such established veterans Stanley Kubrick and George A. Romero, as well as rising stars like Brian De Palma and Tobe Hooper, to helm the big-screen adaptations of his novels, STEPHEN KING was quickly becoming a pop culture icon, such that having his name attached to a project (almost) insured box office success.

Tonight, AC sits down with authors Darren Callahan and Dan Caffrey to discuss three classic titles: CUJO (d. Lewis Teague), CHRISTINE (d. John Carpenter), and THE DEAD ZONE (d. David Cronenberg).

DARREN CALLAHAN: A fan of horror ever since he saw the groundskeeper's head chopped off in Coppola's Dementia 13, Callahan has written drama for the BBC and SyFy, had a few gothic plays produced, inked many killer screenplays, composed a few scary film scores, and is currently producing the shoegaze band The Loud Bangs.  He lives in LA... of course. http://darrencallahan.com/ 

DAN CAFFREY: Brooklyn-based playwright, screenwriter, podcaster, and lifelong horror fan Caffrey currently co-hosts The Losers' Club: A Stephen King Podcast and Halloweenies: A Horror Franchise Podcast, both on Bloody Disgusting's podcast network, Bloody FM. He received his MFA In Playwriting from UT Austin and has also written as a cultural critic for The A.V. Club, Consequence, Pitchfork, Vox, and elsewhere. His favorite horror movie is Halloween. His favorite movie-movie is also Halloween. https://www.dancaffreywrites.com/ 

Please let us know YOUR favorite Stephen King adaptation in the comments, as well as your thoughts on the three titles discussed herein. We love hearing from you!

Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

SE7EN (1995) d. David Fincher (USA)

"This isn't going to have a happy ending."

In a decade saturated with onscreen serial killers, David Fincher's 1995 thriller Se7en redefined the genre and left an indelible mark on modern cinema. Its bleak atmosphere, high-toned philosophy, and haunting narrative dared to confront viewers with uncomfortable truths about justice, morality, and human nature.

The story of two detectives, played by Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt, tracking a killer whose crimes are based on the seven deadly sins, Se7en is a film that is as meticulous as it is disturbing, as much a meditation on societal decay as it is a procedural. Andrew Kevin Walker's uncompromising script is elevated by Fincher's brilliant direction, alongside a host of other creatives at the top of their game.

30 years later, Se7en remains as relevant, provocative, and unforgettable as ever, a masterclass in tension and tone, and a chilling reflection of man's darker instincts. Join AC and his marvelous panel of guests (Dodd Alley, Dino Clark, Novotny Lawrence, Chris Hainsworth, Katie McClean Hainsworth) as we explore perhaps the darkest of 1990s serial killer flicks.
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DODD ALLEY is an author (Gamers and Gorehounds: The Influence of Video Games on the Contemporary American Horror Film) and has a Masters in Film Studies from Ohio University, where he taught courses on Cult Cinema and Hollywood Reflexive films.

DINO CLARK has been a horror fan since he was a wee lad, after his parents bought their first VCR in the mid-80s. Born and raised in Chicago, he loves attending horror cons & chatting about his fave horror films with fellow fans! He has been in Human Resources for most of his career, which can be a mini-horror movie at times.

WILLIAM NOVOTNY LAWRENCE is an Associate Professor of Cinema and Media Studies at Indiana University and serves as the Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Popular Culture. He is the co-editor of the anthologies Blaxploitation Cinema, Beyond Blaxploitation, and the recent Oxford Handbook of Black Horror Film, offering an expansive scholarly examination of Blackness within the horror genre, exploring its global dimensions and cultural significance.

CHRIS HAINSWORTH (he/him/his) is an actor/writer/director represented by Big Mouth Talent Chicago. He is a DeathScribe winner 2009 for the audio drama "Remembrance" and author of The Fourth Wall, part of Motel 666 (2015).

KATIE MCLEAN HAINSWORTH is a Chicago-based performer/writer, whom you can regularly find on both the DARK NEXUS and FAWX & STALLION podcasts. She's happily guested on HORROR 101 a few times as well as on Roll For Impact's THE STRANGER.
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Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

THE MUMMY'S HAND (1940) d. Christy Cabanne (USA)
THE MUMMY'S TOMB (1942) d. Harold Young (USA)
THE MUMMY'S GHOST (1944) d. Reginald Le Borg (USA)
THE MUMMY'S CURSE (1942) d. Leslie Goodwins (USA)

Tonight we unwrap the 1940s Universal Mummy films! Leaving behind the melancholy tone of the 1932 Boris Karloff original, we were introduced to a new mummy, Kharis, a shambling and bandaged silent avenger played first by Tom Tyler in 1940's The Mummy's Hand, celebrating its 85th anniversary, and by Lon Chaney Jr. in three subsequent sequels, The Mummy's Tomb, The Mummy's Ghost, and The Mummy's Curse.

Though often overlooked next to Dracula or Frankenstein, the Mummy series has its own weird and atmospheric B-movie charms, with each film picking up—at least loosely—where the last left off, transporting the action from Egypt to small-town New England to the swamps of Louisiana, all while ignoring the passage of time in any realistic fashion.

With brief running times and minimal budgets, these creature features found a formula that worked: moldy murders by moonlight, duplicitous high priests, and lots and lots of tana leaves, while also conjuring unique traits for every installment.

Join AC and his extraordinary panel of classic horror lovers (Barry Kaufman, Frank Merle, Michael Weber) as we pay our long overdue respects to this unfairly maligned franchise, the one that made the mummy a true monster icon in the Universal canon.
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FRANK MERLE is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker originally from Chicago, IL. He has written and directed several award-winning and critically-acclaimed films, including The Employer (2013), starring Malcolm McDowell and Billy Zane, and From Jennifer (2017), starring Derek Mears and Tony Todd. Next up is Namaka, a dark fantasy starring Jamie Kennedy and David Howard Thornton.

BARRY KAUFMAN has been committed to spreading the gospel of obscure horror and science-fiction cinema since writing the fanzines Monsters of Japan and Demonique in the 1970s and 80s. He ran All-Horror Video out of a house in the woods in Homewood, Illinois through the 1980s, followed by his shop The House of Monsters in Chicago from 1996 to 2007. He now vends at genre related shows and programs festivals in the Chicago area featuring his inconspicuous film favorites.

MICHAEL WEBER is an actor, director, and currently the Artistic Director of Porchlight Music Theatre. A Chicago native, his fascination with classic horror began with WGN's legendary Creature Features and The Son of Svengoolie. He is an avid fan of the Golden Age of Radio and the author of the play, WAR of the WELLeS (about Orson Welles' infamous radio broadcast.) 
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WOLF CREEK (2005) d. Greg McLean (Australia)
WOLF CREEK 2 (2013) d. Greg McLean (Australia)
WOLF CREEK (2016-17) d. Tony Tilse/Greg McLean (Australia)
HOSTEL (2005) d. Eli Roth (USA)
HOSTEL: PART II (2007) d. Eli Roth (USA)
HOSTEL: PART III (2011) d. Scott Spiegel (USA)

Tonight, we'll be discussing two films that helped change the face of horror when they hit screens in late 2005, both from young and hungry writer/directors who wanted to make a splash… or splatter, as the case might be: Wolf Creek from Australian Greg McLean and Eli Roth's Hostel.

Based loosely on real events in the Outback, Wolf Creek traded supernatural scares for realistic terror, introducing the relentless villain Mick Taylor, played unforgettably by longtime character Ozploitation character actor John Jarratt.

Meanwhile, Hostel shocked audiences with its raw depiction of human trafficking and sadism in Eastern Europe, playing upon Western tourists' worst fears and pushing boundaries that mainstream horror had rarely crossed.

Together, this dastardly duo helped pivot horror from an era of self-aware slashers and J-Horror remakes to something darker and more visceral. Ultimately, Wolf Creek and Hostel redefined what horror could show—and how far it could go.

Join AC and his gore-loving gang (Cati Glidewell, Ciara Wylie, Anna Ceragioli, Dominic Conti) as we celebrate 20 years of severed Achilles tendons, heads on sticks, and unsafe travels!

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ANNA CERAGIOLI is a Chicagoan who lives for horror movies. From throwing horror-themed dinner parties, playing Monster Bash in her pinball league, or chilling with a Goblin vinyl, it's all horror all the time for her.

DOMINIC CONTI is a Chicago-based writer and actor. His first novel, Your Book Club, is now available. (Orders can be placed at dcontimail@gmail.com, or you can just say hi.)

CATI GLIDEWELL (aka The Blonde in Front) is a Chicago-based film critic, lifelong cinephile, film festival jury member, and a member of Chicago Indie Critics since 2020. You can find her on all social media platforms, as well as Post Mortem radio and Radio of Horror on YouTube.

CIARA WYLIE is a lifelong horror fan and co-creator of Deep Cuts Horror Trivia in Chicago, IL. In her free time she can be found screaming into the uncaring void about Final Destination 3. 
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THE BODY SNATCHER (1945) d. Robert Wise (USA)
ISLE OF THE DEAD (1945) d. Mark Robson (USA)

Producer Val Lewton, the master of atmospheric horror, collaborated with legendary actor Boris Karloff on two memorable films: The Body Snatcher (1945) and Isle of the Dead (1945). Both films showcase Lewton's signature blend of psychological tension and poetic visuals, while allowing Karloff to deliver some of his most nuanced performances. They remain standout entries in both men's careers and in the horror genre at large.

The Body Snatcher, directed by Robert Wise, is a chilling adaptation of a Robert Louis Stevenson story. Karloff plays the sinister cabman John Gray, who supplies cadavers to a medical school through increasingly dark means. His menacing and strangely sympathetic portrayal perfectly embodies Lewton's predilections for morally ambiguous characters and subtle horror.

Isle of the Dead, directed by Mark Robson, is set during a plague outbreak on a quarantined island during the Balkan Wars. Karloff plays General Pherides, a rigid military man who gradually succumbs to superstition and fear. The film explores themes of death, isolation, and psychological unraveling, with haunting visuals that reflect Lewton's artful low-budget storytelling.

Join AC and his panel of classic-loving fanatics (Steve Archacki, Jon Kitley, Mike Mayo, Tyler Pistorius) as we discuss how Lewton and Karloff elevated horror beyond monsters and gore, focusing instead on dread, atmosphere, and the fragility of the human mind.
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STEVE ARCHACKI is a connoisseur and collector of all things EuroTrash (especially Italian/Spanish gothic and giallo films and anything Hammer Horror). He also identifies as an avid vinyl soundtrack collector, lapsing metalhead, direct mail marketing guru, and to this day, still harbors perpetual crushes on Rosalba Neri and Dagmar Lassander.

JON KITLEY has been running his website, Kitley's Krypt for 25 years. He's a columnist for HorrorHound magazine, a co-host on the Discover the Horror podcast, and attends multiple conventions and all-night horror movie marathons at the drive-in theaters! https://kitleyskrypt.com/

MIKE MAYO has written several books about film and popular culture, among them VideoHound's Horror Show and American Murder. He is also the author of the Jimmy Quinn historical suspense novels set in Prohibition-era New York. https://www.mike-mayo.com/

TYLER PISTORIUS is an actor, screenwriter, and producer living in Chicago. His recent works include Death is Business and A Missed Connection, and is currently in development on a new project.
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BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935) d. James Whale (USA)
WEREWOLF OF LONDON (1935) d. Stuart Walker (USA)

Tonight, we open the creaking doors to celebrate a pair of Universal classics that both turn 90 this year—Werewolf of London and Bride of Frankenstein, released in that golden year of genre cinema, 1935. While not always mentioned in the same breath, these two films mark an important moment in Universal Pictures' legendary horror cycle, one building on an already iconic legacy, and the other attempting to carve out a new path through uncharted territory.

Bride of Frankenstein, directed by James Whale, is often hailed not just as the first horror sequel, but one of the greatest horror films ever made. Operatic, strange, darkly funny, deeply human, with a unique blend of gothic horror and sly camp, it expands the mythology of Frankenstein's creation, brilliantly played by Boris Karloff, and introduces one of horror's most unforgettable figures—the titular Bride, played by Elsa Lanchester. Colin Clive reprises his role as the tormented Dr. Frankenstein, and Ernest Thesiger delivers a scene-stealing turn as the delightfully macabre Dr. Pretorius. With gorgeous cinematography by John J. Mescall and a haunting score by Franz Waxman, Bride is a masterclass in horror storytelling and style.

On the other hand, Werewolf of London stands as Universal's first attempt at bringing the hairy and the scary to the screen. Though overshadowed by 1941's The Wolf Man, it laid the groundwork for the werewolf mythos in cinema and boasts its own impressive pedigree. Leading the cast is Henry Hull as Dr. Wilfred Glendon, a botanist whose ill-fated expedition leads to a curse of Jekyll-and-Hyde lycanthropy. Behind the scenes, legendary makeup artist Jack Pierce—who also created Karloff's Frankenstein look—crafted the werewolf design with a distinctly different flavor than its successors. With its eerie London fog, memorable characters, and transformative makeup effects, Werewolf of London remains a fascinating chapter in the evolution of monster movies.

So, light the torches and join AC and his incredible panel of guests (Jenn Adams, Craig J. Clark, Larry Fessenden, Tom Mula, Jimmy Seiersen) as we explore 90 years of the themes, legacies, and lasting influence of these two genre-defining films, one a towering achievement, the other an underappreciated pioneer.
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JENN ADAMS is a writer and podcaster from Nashville, TN. She co-hosts The Loser's Club: A Stephen King Podcast, The Lady Killers: A Feminine Rage Podcast, Murder Made Fiction, and The Girls on The Boys. She is a contributor and columnist for Bloody Disgusting, Rue Morgue and Dread Central and creator of the Strong Female Antagonist blog.

CRAIG J. CLARK watches a lot of movies. He started watching them in New Jersey, where he was born and raised, and continues to watch them in Indiana. He is a frequent contributor to Crooked Marquee (https://crookedmarquee.com/author/craig-j-clark/) and writes the monthly Full Moon Features column for Werewolf News (https://werewolf-news.com/category/full-moon-features/). He is not a werewolf himself (or so he says)

LARRY FESSENDEN is a writer, director, producer, and actor who runs the New York production shingle Glass Eye Pix with the mission of supporting individual voices in the arts.

TOM MULA is a Chicago actor, director, and playwright, and author of the bestselling book and play, "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol."

JIMMY SEIERSEN from Sweden has written essays for the HORROR 101 and HIDDEN HORROR books, been a short film programmer for Lund Fantastic Film Festival (2010–2022), and creates short films that eventually make their way to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JimmySeiersen
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THE STEPFORD WIVES (1975) d. Bryan Forbes (USA)
REVENGE OF THE STEPFORD WIVES (1980) d. Robert Fuest (USA)
THE STEPFORD CHILDREN (1987) d. Alan J. Levi (USA)
THE STEPFORD HUSBANDS (1996) d. Fred Walton (USA)
THE STEPFORD WIVES (2004) d. Frank Oz (USA)

Sexy and funny, inflammatory and spooky, director Bryan Forbes and screenwriter William Goldman's adaptation of Ira Levin's bestseller The Stepford Wives is that rare animal: a socially relevant yet thoroughly entertaining sci-fi/horror thriller.

Frustrated NYC photographer Joanna (Katharine Ross) moves with her family to the idyllic Connecticut suburb of Stepford. Before long, the liberated lass observes that the local female population is a submissive, domestic lot, unnaturally preoccupied with fulfilling their husbands' every passing desire. 

Cautionary women's lib tale? Nail-biting conspiracy yarn? Satire on sexual politics? Science fiction or social fact? Audiences of the day saw all of this and more, sparking controversy and heated discussions and it is a testament to all the artists in front of and behind the camera that it still packs a wallop today. 

Join AC and his brilliant panel of guests (Kait Astrella, Joe B., Anna Ceragioli, Dino Clark, Nicola McCafferty) as they celebrate 50 years of better living through robotics, The Stepford Wives! 
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KAIT ASTRELLA is a librarian, archivist, and indie book publicist working in New York City. Find her posting about printed books and strange fiction on Instagram @kastrella2.

JOE B. is a dad, a social media luddite, a mediocre bass player, and a devoted consumer of burritos. He teaches high school English as his day job, and he loves talkin' books and movies.

ANNA CERAGIOLI is a Chicagoan who lives for horror movies. From throwing horror-themed dinner parties, playing Monster Bash in her pinball league, or chilling with a Goblin vinyl, it's all horror all the time for her.

DINO CLARK has been a horror fan since I was wee lad, after my parents bought our first VCR in the mid-80s. Born and raised in Chicago, love attending horror cons & chatting about my fave horror films with fellow fans! Human Resources for most of my career, which can be a mini-horror movie at times.

NICOLA MCCAFFERTY is a PhD candidate in the department of Radio, Television, and Film at Northwestern University. Her research looks at screen representations of nonhuman women such as mannequins, dolls, robots, and aliens in order to deconstruct the overlapping categories of whiteness, humanity, and femininity. Outside of grad school, Nicola has a few stray bylines at Dread Central, has seen every Kristen Stewart movie, and runs an Etsy store (https://www.etsy.com/shop/vvitchroom/?etsrc=sdt) where she sells enamel pins, stickers, and prints inspired by horror and cult films from the 1960s to today.
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DEEP RED (aka PROFONDO ROSSO) (1975) d. Dario Argento (Italy) 

🔪 Join us for a deep dive into Dario Argento's haunting giallo masterpiece! 🎬 Tonight, we dissect one of the most iconic films of Italian horror cinema.

Deep Red isn't just a slasher—it's a symphony of style, blood, and mystery. With brutal kills, dreamlike visuals, and an unforgettable score by Goblin, Argento blends murder and art like no one else.

Join AC and his blood-loving panel of horror enthusiasts (Derek Botelho, Darren Callahan, Kristy Jett, Bryan Martinez, Larry Sternshein) as we explore the film's themes of trauma and perception, its jaw-dropping set pieces, and how Deep Red capped the 1970s giallo heyday. Mirrors, Murders, and Music, we're pulling apart every detail.

Whether you're a die-hard Argento fan or new to the world of Italian horror, this discussion uncovers what makes Deep Red such a lasting influence—from its visual storytelling to its shocking final twist.

👁️ Who's the real killer?
🎵 What makes that Goblin score so spine-tingling?
🎥 Why does Deep Red still cut deep 50 years later?
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DEREK BOTELHO is an author, film journalist, playwright, and visual effects artist. Not one to rest on his laurels, nor do much about them either, he is currently writing his first novel. His book, The Argento Syndrome, is topically relevant and will only enhance this listening or viewing experience!

DARREN CALLAHAN is an award-winning writer, director, and composer who has written drama, fiction, and non-fiction for many major outlets, mostly focused on the horror genre. He has also released nearly 100 records, from pop to noise to ambient to film soundtracks.  His website is darrencallahan.com and his IMDB is http://www.imdb.me/darrencallahan.

KRISTY JETT, faithful horror nerd of 40+ years, resides in Buffalo, NY and is the mother of nine cats. She remains now and forever the world's biggest fan of the film Popcorn (1991). 

BRYAN MARTINEZ is a super cool cat, lives in the home burg of Svengoolie (BERWYN), and runs The Giallo Room (now stalking your favorite social media platform).

LARRY STERNSHEIN is a lifelong movie fan in Colorado and host of the movie memories podcast "Reel Early." Not only does he love talking about horror and action cinema, but is also a big pro wrestling fan.
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THE DESCENT (2005) d. Neil Marshall (UK)
THE DESCENT PART 2 (2009) d. Jon Harris (UK)

After a tragic accident, six friends reunite for a caving expedition, only to see their adventure go horribly wrong when a collapse traps them deep underground. Then, to make matters much, much worse, they find themselves pursued by bloodthirsty subterranean creatures.

The Descent, written and directed by Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers, Doomsday), is not only a well-made monster movie with strong female characters; it's an undeniable masterwork of indie horror and suspense that combines genuine drama and relationships, an atmosphere of palpable dread, and an abundance of gore and jump scares. Plus, it may be the first underground horror film that really works, capitalizing on every claustrophobic opportunity.

Grab your torches and carabiners and join AC and his amazing panel of guests (Katie McLean Hainsworth, Michael Klug, Kevin Matthews, Chris Scales, Mandy Walsh) as we celebrate 20 years of The Descent!
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KATIE MCLEAN HAINSWORTH is a Chicago-based performer/writer, whom you can regularly find on both the DARK NEXUS and FAWX & STALLION podcasts. She's happily guested on HORROR 101 a few times as well as on Roll For Impact's THE STRANGER.

MICHAEL KLUG was born and raised in South Dakota. He is an actor, screenwriter, film critic, screenplay consultant, novelist, filmmaker and overall movie nerd, living in Los Angeles. Long live George A. Romero!"  http://klugiverse.com/

CHRIS SCALES is a lifelong horror fan, aspiring horror screenwriter, and horror panelist.  KEVIN MATTHEWS posts a movie review daily on the For It Is Man's Number blog, and is one quarter of the Raiders of the Podcast team who have been putting out weekly episodes for over six years. https://linktr.ee/raidersofthepodcast

MANDY WALSH is a Chicago area actor and can be seen onstage this spring in Lifeline Theater's production of The War of the Worlds. 
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PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES (1965) d. Mario Bava (Italy/Spain)

A forgotten classic that blends the cosmic terror of space exploration with the eerie atmosphere of a Gothic haunted house, Mario Bava's groundbreaking 1965 sci-fi/horror film Planet of the Vampires presents a visually striking and deeply unsettling narrative whose influence reverberates throughout the genre, notably 1979's smash Alien.

Set on a desolate alien planet, Planet of the Vampires follows a crew of astronauts as they struggle to survive after responding to a mysterious distress signal. As they explore the barren landscape, a supernatural, otherworldly force begins to take control of their minds and bodies.

Using limited resources to create a grand sense of scale, Bava generates a relentless atmosphere of dread, isolation, and paranoia via his signature moody lighting amidst Giorgio Giovannini's breathtakingly eerie set designs. Add in the enthusiastic performances from Barry Sullivan, Norma Bengall, Ivan Rassimov, and Evi Marandi, all draped in Gabriele Mayer's stunning sleek leather costumes, the result is a sci-fi/horror flick like no other!

Join AC and his brilliant panel of sci-fi enthusiasts (Darren Callahan, Craig J. Clark, Troy Howarth, Stan Hyde, Alan Tromp) as they discuss this neglected masterpiece and its place in Bava's wider filmography. Don't forget your meteor deflectors! 

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DARREN CALLAHAN is an award-winning writer, director, and composer who has written drama, fiction, and non-fiction for many major outlets, mostly focused on the horror genre. He has also released nearly 100 records, from pop to noise to ambient to film soundtracks.  His website is darrencallahan.com and his IMDB is http://www.imdb.me/darrencallahan. 

CRAIG J. CLARK watches a lot of movies. He started watching them in New Jersey, where he was born and raised, and continues to watch them in Indiana. He is a frequent contributor to Crooked Marquee (https://crookedmarquee.com/author/craig-j-clark/) and writes the monthly Full Moon Features column for Werewolf News (https://werewolf-news.com/category/full-moon-features/). He is not a werewolf himself (or so he says)

TROY HOWARTH is a Rondo Award-nominated writer who specializes in European Cult cinema. His books include The Haunted World of Mario Bava, Splintered Visions: Lucio Fulci and His Films, So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films, among others. He has also contributed audio commentaries, audio essays, and liner notes to over one hundred DVD and Blu-ray releases from the U.S., the U.K., and Germany. He resides in Pennsylvania.

STAN HYDE teaches, examines, and consults on international film programs for students (International Baccaluareate's Film Course), as well as writing about model making, film history, and some fiction. He is winner of the Mangled Sky-Scraper Award for helping bring G-FEST, the annual Godzilla Convention in Chicago, to life since 1995, and is a 2021 Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association Hall of Fame recipient for his work with science fiction conventions, clubs, and fanzines.

ALAN TROMP is a golden age Monster Kid, who has published articles in Filmfax, Twilight Zone Magazine, and We Belong Dead publications in the UK. He was scriptwriter for the shot-on-video nightmare, The Soul Eaters
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GINGER SNAPS (2000) d. John Fawcett (Canada)
GINGER SNAPS 2: UNLEASHED (2004) d. Brett Sullivan (Canada)
GINGER SNAPS BACK: THE BEGINNING (2004) d. Grant Harvey (Canada)

Ginger Snaps, directed by John Fawcett and written by Karen Walton, is a unique and unforgettable Canadian werewolf feature that blends horror, coming-of-age themes, and dark humor, with a focus on the terrifying experience of transformation. The story follows two outsider sisters, Ginger (Katharine Isabelle) and Brigitte (Emily Perkins), whose lives take a horrific turn when Ginger is bitten by a vicious nocturnal beast. As Ginger's transformation begins, Brigitte must struggle to save her sister while also battling her own impending fate.

The film's fresh approach to the struggles of adolescence, with themes of bodily autonomy, female identity, and the complex bond between siblings, led to two sequels: Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed (2004) and Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning (2004), which continued to explore the tragic, supernatural world introduced in the original.

Join AC and his panel of hairy-scary enthusiasts (Jessalyn Abbott, Daniel Ekholm, Nicola McCafferty, Tim Palace) as they celebrate a movie packed with standout performances, amazing special effects, and a script that blends horror with emotional depth. 25 years after its release, Ginger Snaps retains its bite!
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JESSALYN ABBOTT is a writer, producer and editor. She produced and edited LIKE ME which premiered at the 2017 SXSW Film Festival and was nominated for a grand jury award. Her most recent effort, PuLL: A Dark Comedy, is currently in pre-production.

DANIEL EKHOLM has written about film in several Swedish magazines, including Moviezine, which is the leading film magazine in Sweden. He also contributed the essay on The Blob (d. Chuck Russell, 1988) for Hidden Horror. Daniel would like to write his own book about horror films one day, but since fair use does not exist in Sweden, he started writing a children's book that he plans to finish at some point.

NICOLA MCCAFFERTY is a PhD candidate in the department of Radio, Television, and Film at Northwestern University. Her research looks at screen representations of nonhuman women such as mannequins, dolls, robots, and aliens in order to deconstruct the overlapping categories of whiteness, humanity, and femininity. Outside of grad school, Nicola has a few stray bylines at Dread Central, has seen every Kristen Stewart movie, and runs an Etsy store (https://www.etsy.com/shop/vvitchroom/?etsrc=sdt) where she sells enamel pins, stickers, and prints inspired by horror and cult films from the 1960s to today. 

TIM PALACE is a lifelong Chicago-based genre fan with a particular devotion to the horrific. A committed collector of physical media, Tim has amassed close to 13,000 titles he's excited to share with his new terror tyke Oliver.
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MISERY (1990) d. Rob Reiner (USA)

Rob Reiner's 1990 psychological thriller Misery, based on Stephen King's bestselling novel, remains a masterclass in tension and suspense. Tonight, our panel of horror enthusiasts celebrates the unforgettable performances (James Caan, Kathy Bates, Lauren Bacall, Frances Sternhagen, and Richard Farnsworth), the film's themes of obsession and captivity, and screenwriter William Goldman's breathtaking adaptation which retains the spirit of the source material while also changing key elements for the screen. 

Foremost, however, we'll examine the dynamic between Paul and Annie, and how their complex relationship evolves under the oppressive circumstances, with Bates' Oscar-winning portrayal of Annie Wilkes balanced against Caan's nuanced and atypical sensitivity. 

Join AC and his awesome panel of guests (Jess Ader, Dodd Alley, Jordy Sirken, Freddie Young) as we tap into the heart of Misery's unsettling atmosphere and cultural significance. What makes Misery more than just a horror film? How does it tap into deep-seated fears and anxieties about fame, vulnerability, and fan culture? Be sure to bring your sledgehammers!
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JESS ADER is a fellow appreciator of movies and deep synth soundtracks. Former radio-TV-film student making money elsewhere but never giving up the love of all "moving" forms of media and art. He likes peanut butter.

DODD ALLEY is an author (Gamers and Gorehounds: The Influence of Video Games on the Contemporary American Horror Film) and has a Masters in Film Studies from Ohio University, where he taught courses on Cult Cinema and Hollywood Reflexive films.

JORDY SIRKEN is the horror-obsessed critic behind Jordy Reviews It (jordyreviewsit.com). Slashers, creature features, paranormal haunts, and everything in between, she's an avid fan of the macabre, and a HUGE enthusiast of practical effects. Since 2015, she's been reviewing genre films and is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. You can follow her on Instagram and TikTok at @jordyreviewsit

FREDDIE YOUNG is a NYC horror reviewer and frequent podcaster. He has been running the website Full Moon Reviews (www.fullmoonreviews.net) since 2006, telling it like it is and enjoys spreading the word on good and bad films, mainly in the horror genre. He's planning on a full-time return to podcasting within the second half of 2025, hoping to put some attention on some "misunderstood films."
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