Imported Horror

Some people keep promises. Some people watch good movies. I did neither this week and let my intrusive thoughts convince me to watch Desert Monster (China, 2022) on Hi-Yah, a self-important monster flick that tries to deny it's B-movie bonnafides. Thankfully, Grady watched a good movie, Oddity (Ireland, 2024) on Shudder, a chilling blend of creepy house and Jewish folklore. We mourn the impromptu passing of Melissa, who was abducted and devoured by flying meatballs. Also, was Little Nicky a good movie or a great movie? 

There are shark movies and there are shark movies. Ninja vs Shark (Japan, 2023) is definitely the former - a bonkers Power Rangers-y shark flick that gets derailed by tone deaf plotlines and an irredeemable protagonist. Also, two folk horror flicks drop this week: the somber Starve Acre (United Kingdom, 2024) on Shudder and the part-Japanese, part-found footage Bloat (France, United States & Japan, 2025) on VOD and limited theaters. 

Do you prefer your cave monsters heavy and scary, or wildly ridiculous? Do you like happy birthdays, or celebrations with weird dialogue and flat jokes? Do you like playing with puppets? We ask the real questions this week as we go spelunking with The Cave (Germany, Australia & USA, 2005) on VOD, wonder if some "cult" films should stay forgotten with The Birthday (Spain, 2004) on Shudder and have weird fun with short films Stuffed and Meat Puppet on YouTube and Short of the Week.

What's the last unfamiliar vampire trope you encountered? Did it involve aristocratic face paint? This week, we get folksy with unique bloodsuckers in The Vourdalak (France, 2023) on Shudder and vengeful with The Sermon (United Kingdom, 2018) on Shortverse. Plus, we chat about the deep xenomorphic roots of the Metroid franchize and why you should avoid the cringey edgelord Coffee Table movie dropping on Shudder. 

Did "The Creature from the Black Lagoon" need kung fu? Does an off-the-wall zombie plot twist need the B-movie treatment, or can it work in a serious movie? What do the top men at Tubi think of your genetics? This week, we get wild with Water Monster (China, 2019) on Hi-Yah and get amnesia with Die Alone (Canada & USA, 2024) on Tubi. We also play around with My Test Tubi and highlight fantasy horror, spooky nuns and mid-life crises dropping on VOD.

How do you judge a monster movie? If it's all about the practical effects, then The Tank (New Zealand, 2023) should slither into your eyeballs. If you want a creature feature with a sense of humor, though, head into the outback with Carnifex (Australia, 2022). Both are on Tubi. Also, a record-breaking Thai flick inspired by The Evil Dead hits Netflix and a vampire movie with the most on-the-nose title in history hits Shudder.

Does evil come from within us, or from family vacations to weird islands? What about weird sci-fi tunnels that close randomly? This week, we get gothic as all get out with Nosferatu (USA, United Kingdom & Hungary, 2024) and try to keep from spoiling Get Away (United Kingdom, 2024), Nick Frost's latest quotable horror comedy. Also, Marcus gets creeped the hell out by the short film Tunnelen (Norway, 2016, AKA The Tunnel) which Grady and Melissa manage to shrug off. 

Every vampire movie feels familiar for a reason. This week, we dive into the OG horror flick - the century-old Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (Germany, 1922), a film that's easier to appreciate and admire than enjoy. Plus, we also flag "elder millennial" references in the short film Last Orders (United Kingdom, 2021) on Shortverse, chat about Florence Stoker and Joseph Campbell, and Marcus and Melissa make huge historical errors. One of them is funny; the other came from misremembering Queer for Fear on Shudder, a great documentary mini-series that I should rewatch before misquoting.  

Has a Tinder date with a screenwriter ever gone really, really badly? Do you enjoy yoga on a picturesque bluff? Have you ever been trapped in a phone booth, or a vicious dictatorship with oblivious media censors? If so, good news! We take a slow walk in the woods with In A Violent Nature (Canada, 2024) on Shudder, get vengeful - maybe? maybe not? - with Play. Pause. Kill. (France, 2020) on Shortverse and get trapped in an absurdist Terry Gilliam-ish nightmare with La Cabina (Spain, 1972) on YouTube. Also, we recall the unrepeatable sex appeal of David Bowie and highlight a singy Bollywood horror comedy dropping on Netflix and the Swedish Evil Dead on Screambox and Tubi. Articles mentioned in this episode: "LA CABINA · THE PHONE BOOTH | Antonio Mercero | Review · Analysis" by Kristonkino on YouTube

Are you trapped in an existential crisis? Do you have aging parents with creepy woodworking talents? Have you ever refused to pay an exterminator? If so, good news! You'll feel seen by our episode this week as we chat about The Piper on Tubi, The Amazing Digital Circus on Netflix and Creswick on Shortverse. Also, if a meteor reversed Earth's polarity, how quickly would you get eaten by seabed monsters?

Guess who's back ... back again. We've got a new job, more sleep and a clean-ish bill of health, so we're hopping back on the spooky train. We chat a bit about the last few months and share quick thoughts on Werewolves (awesome), Blood and Snow (definitely not awesome), The Well (ehhhh), Clock Tower (awesome) and a few other flicks and games. 

What's your favorite 90s monster quote? Does un-funny office horror work? Could you read from a screen without tongue tying yourself? Get down on Friday with us this week as we get wild with the popcorny Carnifex (Australia, 2022) on Tubi, shrug at the wasted potential of The Belko Experiment on Tubi and get creeped out over late night snacks with Milk on Shortverse. Also,  movies about bad dads and the wilderness are dropping this week and Melissa reminds us what George Romero called them instead of zombies.

What's more frightening: anticipation, or realization? Amorous zombies, or giant holes in the ground? We get weird this week with Japanese folk horror classic Onibaba (1964) on Max, ultra-Italian bizarro flick Cemetery Man (1994) on Shudder and the trippy Canadian short Deja Vu on Shortverse. Plus - what major Asian city has not been attacked by a giant monster?

Why is it always rainy after the end of the world? If a serial killer is incompetent, does that make him more or less scary? Why was Wer so meh? Discover the answers to these questions - and more! - as we chat about Into the Abyss (Argentina, 2022), a SciFi noire horror somewhere between Blade Runner and 28 Days Later, and Angst (Austria, 1983), a true crime-inspired story of brutal murder. Also, Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color (Japan, 2023) might be a gimmick but its a magnificent gimmick, one of the protagonists from Wer (Romania & USA, 2013) gives Jar Jar Binks a run for his money, and we mourn the absence and passing of co-host Melissa, who was comically murdered by Lucifer herself. Articles mentioned in this episode: "Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color and the rise of the de-colorized version," by Matt Schimkowitz for The AV Club

Would you defend a werewolf in a court of law, even after it jumped the shark into a totally different movie? Would you hide from a villian named Scissorman? Would you pause a movie after discovering your toddler is afraid of the dark? We did! Join us this week as we chat about Wer (Romania & USA, 2013), Godzilla Minus One (Japan, 2023) and Monolith (Australia, 2022), plus upcoming video game remakes of slasher classic Clocktower, splattery zom-com Lillipop Chainsaw and spookfest Until Dawn.

After a waterlogged hiatus, we're pack to slice through the 2024 Chainsaw Awards. Which is better - The First Omen or Late Night With the Devil? Why were Sister Death and Project Wolf Hunting snubbed, and why is When Evil Lurks nominated for best wide release and best international movie? Pick a lane, Fangoria! Also, love you Nick Cage, but Longlegs (Canada & USA, 2024) is not a modern Silence of the Lambs. a bit overyped. We cut through the hype. Also, we revisit The First Omen and unpack trippy scifi arcs and unfortunate creature design in Joko Anwar's Nightmares and Daydreams (Indonesia, 2024). Articles mentioned in this episode: "The Wait Is Over: Here Are The 2024 FANGORIA CHAINSAW AWARDS Nominees," by Allison Melanson for Fangoria "How ‘The First Omen' Channels '70s Horror Imagery and Remixes the Most Terrifying Scares From the 1976 Original, and What a Sequel Might Look Like," by William Earl for Variety "‘The First Omen' Filmmaker's Pitch Was Bold Enough to Get Disney to Bite — and the MPA to Balk," by Kate Erbland for IndieWire

This week, Melissa explores a new-to-us website for short films and jives with Rhyme Or Die (United Kingdom, 2021), a blend of 8 Mile and Saw with killer beats. Grady watches Howl From Beyond The Fog (Japan, 2021), a fantastic practical effects kaiju flick with behind-the-scenes footage and a mischevious cat. Marcus watched Brazilian B-movie Cemetery of Lost Souls (2020) solo - big mistake, it needs a distracted crowd - and celebrated the campy alien action vibes of The Lair (UK, 2022). Also, Melissa just got back from a vacation that was very Colorado and Marcus' toddler relives the last scene of your favorite found footage movie. Here's a link to the Texas Monthly article we mentioned. Not horror, but an interesting read.

Sharks are our friends! We should swim with them! Join us as we dive into the chummy waters of the Seine for the "platonic ideal" of so-bad-it's-good shark flicks, Under Paris (France, 2024). Then, watch the sincere but flawed folk horror Black Forest (Brazil, 2018), but if you jump ahead to the 1:18.20 mark, you'll be treated to the finest wild, cheesy, and splattery B-grade goodness that Tubi has to offer. Also, Marcus gets thoroughly creeped out by Stopmotion (United Kingdom, 2023) and a very Tales from the Crypt-y anthology series from Indonesia hits Netflix. (Sidebar: Shark attacks are pretty rare and most of the time you can safely swim with many of them, Shark Week is coming up soon ... but we're not about to let that get in the way of fine cinema.)

What's scarier: Creatures from the uncanny valley crawling up to do horrifying things that shouldn't be possible for stop motion animation, or generations of serial killers stalking and scalping their victims? If you answered stop motion, you're right - that's undeniably freakier - but both options are totally worth watching. This week, Grady and Melissa are thoroughly chilled by Stopmotion (United Kingdom, 2023) and Marcus popped some popcorn for thirty years of creepy Danish slashers with Nightwatch (1994) and Nightwatch: Demons are Forever (2023). Plus - inky body horror and a Tubi surprise are dropping this week, and technical difficulties reawaken the AI-generated "Funk Bot" in the last seven-ish minutes. Articles mentioned in this episode: "Stopmotion director says his brand of animation is necromancy," by Tasha Robinson for Polygon "AMC Networks Promotes Emily Gotto to Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Production for Shudder," by AMC Networks. Note: My memory of this release was fuzzy and I got some important details wrong, but the head of international acquisitions is still getting a big promotion and we still Stan Shudder.

Dive deep into fear with us this week as we wander into open waters, haunting forests and chilling catacombs. Melissa goes camping with a grisly throwback slasher in Cub (Belgium & Netherlands, 2014), Grady swims with cocaine-addled sharks that are just barely so-bad-they're-good in Deep Fear (UK & France, 2023) and Marcus gets lost in the ruins under Paris in the other Deep Fear (Belgium & France, 2022). Also - sure you've seen insane apocalyptic car chases before, but should you see Furiosa anyway? And, will the shark flick swimming onto Netflix next week be better?

Just a quick update this week - zoomer humor slays in the trailer for Killer Body Count (Canada & South Africa, 2024), possibly the most Tubi movie to ever Tubi, and the original Nightwatch (Denmark, 1994) has all the offbeat Blockbuster Energy vibes and some himbo-y surprises. Plus, we're taking a week to get stoked for patriarchal nightmare fuel In Flames (2023, Pakistan & Canada) and animated chills in Stopmotion (United Kingdom, 2023). Articles mentioned in this episode: "‘In Flames' – Exclusive Clip from Pakistani Psychological Thriller Has Visions of the Dead," by John Squires for Bloody Disgusting "Killer Body Count | Official Trailer | A Tubi Original" on YouTube

Cops have challenging jobs. One day, you're dealing with ghost parties and a possessed dog, and the next you've stumbled through a portal to hell. This week, we patrol the not-so-mean New Zealand streets with Wellington Paranormal (2018-2022) and get pulled into Turkish nightmare fuel with Baskin (2015). We also get swarmed by skittering spiders and an uneven tones with Infested (France & USA, 2023. Plus, a thirty-year-old Danish crime horror and its new sequel hit Shuddre this week along with the most vicious elevator in all of Amsterdam.  

Grab your JNCOs and bleach your hair - the 90s called to say hello this week. We chat about the  What Is Buried Must Remain (Lebanon, 2022), a found footage flick with all the turn-of-the-century vibes, and marvel at the gravitas of the legendary "Mystery Guest Star" in the so-bad-it's-good stab-fest Mute Witness (United Kingdom, Russia & Germany, 1995). Plus - Abigail is surprisingly affirming, the ending of Late Night with the Devil slaps and the next week is crawling with kaiju and spiders. Articles mentioned on this episode: "Exclusive Interview: Elias Matar (What Is Buried Must Remain)," by Peter "Witchfinder" Hopkins for Horror Asylum

Last week, we saw the moon blot out the afternoon sun. It made us spiral out of control into a binge of cringe, frustration and the worst sequel you've never heard of. Grady unpacks Spiral (Japan, 1998), which begins as an also-ran sequel to Ring and descends into weird softcore porn. Marcus struggles with math in Spiral (Canada, 2019), a queer horror with a clever ending but a frustrating and unlikeable protagonist. Melissa is baffled by the upcoming American remake of Speak No Evil (Denmark & The Netherlands, 2022). Can she look at James McAvoy the same way ever again? Plus - The First Omen is the more satisfying Coke to Immaculate's Pepsi, a spinoff of the manga Parasyte hits Netflix and Late Night with the Devil finally hits Shudder. Articles mentioned in this episode: "I'm Afraid of Other People and Myself: Christian Tafdrup on Speak No Evil," by Isaac Feldberg for RogerEbert.com

Creepy convents, ghoulish nostalgia and full frontal science fiction - we've got something for everyone this week. We give an enthusiastic recommendation for Late Night with the Devil (Australia & United Arab Emirates, 2023) even though a movie theater fire robbed us of the ending, and we debate the Twitter crossfire about its brief use of generative AI. We unpack the chills and flaws of Immaculate (Italy & USA, 2024) and consider how personal religious experiences shape our contrasting interpretations of its disturbing ending. Marcus also gets nerdy talking about Lifeforce (United Kingdom, 1985) with Duane Barry and Jean Luc Picard.  Articles Mentioned in this Episode: "‘Late Night With the Devil' Directors Explain Using AI Art in the Film, Say They ‘Experimented' With Three Images Only (EXCLUSIVE)" by William Earl for Variety "Immaculate star Sydney Sweeney explains that 'animatronic thing' and the gonzo, bloody ending" by Lauren Huff for Entertainment Weekly "Let's Talk About The Shocking Ending of Immaculate" by Dais Johnson for Inverse

If we had a nickel for every time we watched a movie with a demonic feline this week, we'd have two nickels - which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. This week, Grady and Melissa try to explain the fathomless House (Japan, 1977), an unspeakably weird cult classic from the nightmares of a ten-year-old girl. Marcus unpacks The Legend of the Demon Cat (China, 2017), which has a killer hook - a spectral black feline with a penchant for eating eyeballs - but uses it for historical fantasy rather than horror. Also, we swim with crocs in Rogue (Australia and USA, 2007) and plan a weekend double feature with Immaculate and Late Night with the Devil.

What would you do if a ghost joined you in the bathtub, or if a demon judged your sex life? Find out this week as we explore the occult with Extra Ordinary (Ireland & Belgium, 2019), jump from a super-scary procedural to a super-okay exorcism in Belzebuth (Mexico, 2017), act surprised when a record player skips in the short film Antikk (Norway, 2020) and get down with the sickness with short film The Plague (Uruguay, 2017). Also - is Satanic Hispanics the anthology to beat this year, and does a Netflix gnome movie really belong on Tubi?

Why do haters gotta hate? Was Lucio Fulci full of crap? Who would you bribe to slap a TV-MA label on a PG parody? Find out this week as we discuss the Mexican and Native American roots of True Detective: Night Country, Hammer fanfic and "action" in Wrath of Dracula (United Kingdom, 2023) and influential classic horror in The House that Screamed (Spain, 1969). Plus - we get some help from Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, learn why you shouldn't adopt a ghost and/or vampire and get distracted by Elmo's preemo slasher villian potential. "How Mexico City influenced the icy Alaska mystery of ‘True Detective: Night Country'" by Bernice Vautista for the Associated Press "True Detective: Night Country's indigenous representation offers hope for decolonising television," by Agata Lulkowska for the Conversation

We've got something for everyone this week. Grady gets blood splatter on his shoes with The Witch Part 1: The Subversion (South Korea, 2018), a John Wick-y action horror that pulls no punches. Melissa watched the French short film 3:36 (2017) four times and swears she had a different interpretation every time. Marcus loved the raw ambition of Out of Darkness (United Kingdom, 2022), a Stone Age monster flick with spectacular drone shots. Plus - Scandinavian disasters, Scottish killers wearing pig masks and campy desert monsters are all dropping on streaming this week.

What if Footloose was secretly about Slovakian witches? What if Daren Aronofsky - or Alfred Hitchcock - directed a twisty Mongolian flick? What if a tire came to life and killed you with psionic powers? Talk a walk on the weird side with us this week as we discuss Nightsiren (Slovakia & The Czech Republic, 2022), Aberrance (Mongolia, 2022) and Rubber (France, 2010). Plus, a chanty Thai horror movie drops on Netflix this week.

We've got something for everyone this week. Grady gets his face melted off by an evil doctor with Eyes Without A Face (France & Italy, 1960), a noire chiller that works with classic film censors, not in spite of them. We fall out of tune with PussyCake (Argentina, 2021), a punk rock scifi horror with killer ideas that can't quite find its own beat, and Marcus kicks some ass with former UFC star Brandon Vera in Day Zero (Philippines, 2022). Also, a movie called Werewolf Santa drops on Tubi this week, and it's got a cameo from everyone's favorite drive-in movie critic.

Lucio Fulci - the man, the myth, the legend. We stroll down Bourbon street towards the gates of hell with The Beyond (Italy, 1981), a vintage gorefest with no thoughts but plenty of drippy grindhouse vibes. Melissa gets spooked and emotionally wrecked by the short film The Shop of Eternal Life (China & USA, 2016), Marcus gets underwhelmed by Huesera: The Bone Woman and Mongolia's first horror movie hits VOD. Plus, we chat about the just-announced film adaptation of Until Dawn, a fantastic horror video game that could really flop as a movie.

What's scarier: Islamic horror, Anglican horror, or a Japanese teenager with a chainsaw? What about all three in one podcast episode? This week, we dive into Shudder exclusives Kandisha (France, 2020) and Martyrs Lane (United Kingdom, 2021), two spiritual hauntings with very different vibes, and then chainsaw our way into something completely different with the Japanese manga Saitama Chainsaw Shoujo. Also, we unpack our wildly subjective favorites from 2023 and get confused by excitable doggos in an upcoming streaming drop. Articles mentioned in this episode: Saitama Chainsaw Shoujo, unofficial English translation on MangaKakaLot

We're back! Melissa checks out neighborly horror Nail (Mexico, 2017) on YouTube, Marcus gets himself to a freaky nunnery with Sister Death (Spain, 2023) on Netflix and Grady sees right through efforts to prank him with Mad Spider Sea (Taiwan, 2020). Also, will True Detective: Night Country be a return to form? Sites mentioned in this episode: Wicked Worldwide: International Horror Shorts on Alter Horror's YouTube Chanel

We interrupt your holiday cheer to bring you tales of the gothic, monstrous and macabre. This week, the posse unpacks tentacled dream horror in Housewife (Turkey, 2017) and uncanny puppet violence in Don't Hug Me I'm Scared (United Kingrom, 2022). We're also overwhelmed by the triumphant return of everybody's favorite kaiju in Godzilla Minus One (Japan, 2023) and underwhelmed by a spiteful demon in When Evil Lurks (Argentina & USA, 2023). Big shout out to Faith, our gateway gargoyle and friend of the podcast. Feel better! We've got a Letterboxd list of gateway horror flicks to cheer you on. We'll be back full time on January 11, 2024. Websites mentioned in this episode: 16 days 16 films

Stick a fork in Thanksgiving. Listen to our blooper reel instead. We'll be back with actual episodes in December.

Is it a slow burn if every character is unlikeable? This week, we're pining for the fjords as we trek to Norway for Sacrifice (United Kingdom, 2020), an underwhelming Lovecrafty horror with too much angst and too few tentacles. We also watch a graphic betentacled affair between an alien and the protagonist of The Untamed (Mexico & others, 2016) and look forward to chilling goats and benthic arachnids as When Evil Lurks (Argentina & USA, 2023) and Mad Spider Sea (Taiwan, 2020) drop on streaming this week.

Do you have big feelings about divorce and tentacles? Have you ever writhed in agony on the floor of a subway? If so, Possession (France and West Germany, 1981) is the cult horror classic for you! We thought it was overrated, to be honest. Also, Chinese crocodiles Eastern European kidnappers and Japanese slashers are all dropping this week, plus a cursed ring tries to Final Destination Melissa's cat.

It's your last week as chief of police and a gnarly body floats down the river in a canoe. Better head into the hinterlands with your ex-girlfriend and her ex-boyfriend and check it out - there might be cosmic body horror afoot. This week, we trek into the Great White North with The Breach (Canada, 2022), the best horror film to ever be scored and produced by Slash. Also, Melissa dives into international short films on the Alter Horror channel on YouTube and Tubi and we discuss Mongolia's first horror flick.

Welcome to Cthuluween! We're celebrating the most wonderful time of the year with a month-long series of cosmic tentacles. First up is Dagon (Spain, 2001), a fun low-budger romp with fish people and a horny water god. You'll never guess what HP Lovecraft story it's based on. We also review Blood Glacier (Austria, 2013), a Thing adaptation that peaks with the Asylum-y line, "Stop eating that banana while you're crying!" before nose-diving with a super uncomfortable pet death scene and odd choices. Also, British werewolves, Thai monsters and a slasher wearing a lamb costume are all dropping this week, plus the triumphant return of the Funk Bot.

Horror doesn't just happen. It takes devoted special effects artists and a quirky sense of humor. This week, we head south of the border to answer the question, "What if Portlandia, but horror?" with Los Espookys (Mexico & The United States, 2018-2022), an offbeat NBC-ish horror comedy about making spooky happen. We also review Folklore, a pan-Asian anthology series, get distracted by The Perfect Host and No One Will Save You, and look forward to dream and classic gateway horrors dropping this week.

Do you hate your job? Would a zombie apocalypse feel like a vacation? Do you giant love sharks and sexy flight attendants? If so - Zom 100 (Japan, 2023) is going to make your week. We break down differences between the original manga, the anime series that's releasing week-to-week on several platforms and the live action Netflix movie. If you've got time for it, the anime was our favorite. Also - Melissa defends her favorite sing songy penguin body horror short film, Grady gets disturbed by the "Funk Bot," Marcus shares a weird dream and everybody gets excited for Islamic and Jewish folk horror dropping this week on Shudder.

Telekenetic ghosts, heroic kaiju, bleak folk horror and ... a movie about a man dressed up as a dog? We've got a little bit of everything this week as we unpack The Enfield Haunting (United Kingdom, 2015), Gamera Rebirth (Japan, 2023), Gwen (United Kingdom, 2018) and Good Boy (Norway, 2022). Also, an offbeat Chilean dictator vampire comedy and a queer Canadian werewolf movie drop this week on streaming and VOD.

This week, we get cartoonish with a pair of off-the-wall animated horror comedies. Sprite Fright (The Netherlands, 2021) pits awful teenagers against cheerful, bloodthirsty forest creatures who don't resemble smurfs in the slightest. Enjoy with salty snacks. The other, Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires (United Kingdom, 2018), gives 80s action tropes and drunken zombies a compelling claymation makeover. Too bad so many of the jokes are toxic and distracting. SAD! Also - Gamera makes a triumphant return and a creepy Norweigan movie about a "dog" drop this week. Articles mentioned in this episode: "Sprite Fright" by Blender Studios on YouTube "Sprite Fright: Production Notes" by Blender on YouTube "Chuck Steel Night of the Trampires Official Behind the Scenes" by Chuck Steel Night of the Trampires on YouTube  

The jungle is a scary place. It's filled with vicious snakes, cackling brujas and plenty of surprises. This week, we hop a bus to Panama for the deliciously campy Diablo Rojo (PTY), a shameless flick full of 80s tropes with a killer ending. We also get stuck in Quicksand (Colombia, 2023), a plodding survival horror where a giant snake is the most likeable character. We also celebrate the triumphant return of Spirit Halloween and condemn the ceaseless War on Halloween. Quicksand: Terror Scale: 1. Quality: 2. Enjoyment: 2 Diablo Rojo (PTY): T: 2. Q: 4. E: 4.5 Articles mentioned in this episode: "‘Quicksand' Interview: Star Allan Hawco Surfaces For Terrifying Survival Drama" by Mary Beth McAndrews for Dread Central "Q&A WITH SOL MORENO, DIRECTOR OF DIABLO ROJO (PTY)" in Cult Projections "An Interview with Sol Moreno, Director of Diablo Rojo PTY" by Mike Haberfelner for Search My Trash

Need a hairy gateway horror for a pre-teen? Want to watch something freaky on your laptop after the kid is asleep? We've got your Friday night all planned out with Viking Wolf (Norway, 2022) and Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (South Korea, 2018). Note: We recorded this "backup episode" back in April. We chat about Night of the Killer Bears (Thailand, 2022) which we hadn't seen at the time. We reviewed it back in June - it's a shameless scream-y banger - and it's since dropped on Tubi. Plus, we talk Fulci and the Last Drive In and I give a quick review of The Meg 2: The Trench. Articles mentioned in this episode: "‘Gonjiam' director energizes horror once again" in Korea JoongAng Daily "The Haunted Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital: Gone But Not Forgotten" by Ashley for The Curious Archive "Controversial action-cam horror film 'Gonjiam' sure to thrill and chill," by Ko Dong-hwan for The Korea Times

Is Mother Nature trying to kill you? Are sadistic guards crafting plots to break you? Do you like weird camera angles? If so, this double feature is for you - we get earthy with trippy eco-horror Gaia (South Africa, 2021) and debate the value of exploitation classic Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (Japan, 1972). Also - a creepy doll, a queer ghost and an empowering zombie apocalypse are all dropping over the next two weeks. Articles mentioned in this episode: "Jaco Bouwer Interview: Gaia," by Graeme Guttmann for Screen Rant "The Japanese cult classic that paved the way for the modern female action hero," by James Balmont for Little White Lies "Film Analysis: Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (1972) by Shunya Ito," by Rouven Linnarz for Asian Movie Pulse

Craving some midnight indie insanity? We've got you covered. The world's first "Swissploitation" flick, Mad Heidi (Switzerland, 2022), dunks every grindhouse trope in cheese with gleeful side references to Starship Troopers, Gladiator and more movies than we could count. Then, zom-com One Cut of the Dead (Japan, 2017) hits turbo mode with a killer tracking shot and plenty of surprises. Also, is the biggest horror release of the year an Australian film dropping this week? Articles mentioned in this episode: "‘Mad Heidi' Star Casper Van Dien Is Breaking New Ground With The World's First “Swiss-sploitation” Movie," by Will Harris for Decider "Tokyo: ‘One Cut of the Dead' Director on How the Zombie Hit Made 1,000 Times Its Budget," by Gavin J. Blair for The Hollywood Reporter

You can't understand the ways of the country. Satan lurks in the fields and the forests are full of deviants. This week, we explore the lesser-known middle entry of the "Unholy Trinity" of British folk horror, The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971), and pack our bags for the rural rape revenge flick Even Lambs Have Teeth (Canada & France, 2015). Also, "Swissploitation" hits VOD and how many timelines do you really need in a movie? Articles mentioned in this episode: "The haunted history of folk horror: Filmmaker Kier-La Janisse on the growing subgenre," by Doug Gordon for Wisconsin Public Radio "How Piers Haggard's The Blood On Satan's Claw Became A Cornerstone Of Folk Horror," by Lee Adams for Slash Film "Dutch Features signs Czech horror ‘Repulse' at EFM (exclusive)," by Ben Dalton for Screen Daily

Need a fun gateway horror to watch with the kid(s)? Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai (2023) is full of Chinese folklore, classic chaos demons and a few genuine scares, plus killer performances from James Hong and George Takei. Want to watch something bat crap crazy after they go to bed? Hellhole (Poland, 2022) has wild and gruesome convent horror with a twisted sense of humor. Also - jungle terrors, urban sensory deprivation and radio station stalkers are all dropping this week. Articles mentioned in this episode: "“Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai” – Showrunner Tze Chun on Joe Dante's Advice and Staying True to the ‘Gremlins' Brand [Interview]" by Meagan Navarro for Bloody Disgusting "Netflix Viewers Are Getting Nauseous Over This Terrifying Horror Movie," by Riley Presnell for Collider "As Poland's first proper horror storms to No1 on Netflix, TFN talks to director Bartosz M. Kowalski about his ode to the B-films he grew up with," by Alex Webber for The First News

Is the British film industry terrible, or just very self-aware? This week, we dive into a pair of gruesome meta horrors from the United Kingdom. Scream of the Wolf (United Kingdom, 2022) is a throwback splatterfest combining old Hammer tropes, filmmaking stereotypes and a very hungry werewolf. Stalker (United Kingdom, 2022) locks a vain actress in a dingy elevator with her stalker, but is there a twist? We also preview Lithuania's first slasher flick and Lovecrafty body horror on the Porcupine River. Scream of the Wolf: Motion Picture Terror Scale: 1.6. Quality: 3. Enjoyment: 4. Stalker: MPTS: 3.5. Quality: 3.6. Enjoyment: 3.5 Articles mentioned in this episode: "‘Scream of the Wolf' Trailer – Indie Horror Movie Features an Impressive Practical Werewolf" by John Squires for Bloody Disgusting "Wolf Manor Interview: Dominic Brunt – ‘It's a very gory horror film, but there's a lot of goodwill'." by Garry Arnot for Cinema Perspective "Interview: Director Steve Johnson, Writer Chris Watt & Actor Stuart Brennan discuss new thriller 'Stalker'" by Kat Hughes for The Hollywood News