The Really Awful Movies Podcast

That's it folks! After 10 excellent, fun-fueled years, I have decided to hang up my cleats (or rather, turn off the mic) and put this show to rest. Really appreciate everyone listening! Episodes will remain online for at least a year or so. All the best...

On this episode of the podcast, two films that represent two of the three archetypes of the modern horror film, Longlegs and Halloween Ends. Tune in and sub!

Welcome to Wrexham. We start the new year with something a bit different, a documentary (sorta) about a Welsh soccer club. And efforts by actors, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, to revive the team's fortunes.

Happy Friday. Thanks for tuning in, once again. Today's episode, a brief outreach about where the Really Awful Movies Podcast is heading as we progress to year's end. The show is nearing 500 episodes and a decade (!) in existence...so... Seeking feedback for how or if the Really Awful Movies show should continue, and what kind of direction I should take it in. All feedback, constructive criticism, praise, plaudits, indifference, accepted. Feel free to reach out on Facebook's Really Awful Movies page, by commenting on this post, or via Instagram at HorrorandAction. Taking a short break, hope to hear from you soon and see you in the New Year.

On this episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast, the quirky 2021 feature, The Advent Calendar. A paraplegic woman, Eva, who works a humdrum job at an insurance company, gets a strange gift from her best friend: an advent calendar she purchased in Munich, Germany. Every midnight, Eva opens a door and finds a different kind of chocolate. And of course, much more, as this strange box is a cursed antique.

This week on the Really Awful Movies Podcast, another sequel in a well-known horror franchise: Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice. Time for some hicksploitation... And it comes in the form of a "corny" sequel to an 80s quasi-classic, featuring a bunch of rustic, Bible Belt folk. Tune in, and subscribe! (if you're interested in a discussion of the first Children of the Corn, give it a listen)

Happy Halloween! And Happy Halloween III: Season of the Witch is the subject of today's show. On this episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast, a look back at this idiosyncratic (and still underappreciated) sequel from the 80s. Topics: Tom Atkins Halloween-related films that are not in the Halloween franchise John Carpenter's anthology series vision Blumhouse's take on the franchise and much more!

Ah, the comfort of an '80s slasher. This week on the podcast, a star-studded flick, The Initiation - which features the combined forces of Clu Gulager (Return of the Living Dead) and Vera Miles (Psycho, Psycho II). And in the lead, the incomparable Daphne Zuniga (Spaceballs). On this episode of the show: Greek culture (not the country, or the yogurt...but frats and sororities). Variety in 80s horror College campuses in the horror genre YouTuber, Geekin' with James Hancock A Cut Below: a Celebration of B Horror Movies, the new book by Daily Dead's Scott Drebit Volunteering for research studies The iconic poster art

Today on the podcast, a mockumentary (or rather, a rockumentary) that is undoubtedly one of the funniest films ever made. Turn this up to 11, as the Really Awful Movies Podcast dives into This Is Spinal Tap, a master class in improvisation and character development.

This week, The Black Phone. From the director of the Ethan Hawke-starrer, Sinister, this is one of the better Blumhouse productions (not saying much, to be fair). On this episode, a dissection of the at times quite excellent horror/thriller.  

This week, the Netflix doc, Mr. McMahon. If you're not a fan of wrestling, maybe pass on this one? Or better yet, give it a shot. It's about the brains (so to speak) behind pro wrestling and his seedy background promoting the enterprise which fused sport and entertainment, the WWF / WWE. So, brother...step into the squared circle, and throw yourself off the top turnbuckle. Tune in, and don't forget to sub.

To the 80s we go, and investigating another backwoods horror film, The Forest. A micro-budget affair, this one sees California hikers set upon at a remote park in the Sierra Nevada mountains. But this isn't your run-of-the-mill slasher. No, it's a multi-genre horror extravaganza! Tune in and subscribe to the Really Awful Movies Podcast. And don't forget to support the show by picking up a copy of Mine's Bigger Than Yours! The 100 Wackiest Action Films or Death by Umbrella: The 100 Weirdest Horror Movie Weapons.

This week on the show, some Canadian horror. And an IP that's filmed in Ontario, this reviewer's home province. Since making waves at Sundance, In a Violent Nature is continuing to provoke discussion as it moves to Shudder. Is it a plodding bore, or a sinister masterpiece? Are we witnessing the next Art the Clown, another addition to the Mount Rushmore of Horror occupied by Pinhead, Freddy, Jason, Michael, Norman, etc? Listen for yourself.    

It's sequel time! On this episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast, a re-examination of Lamberto Bava's Demons 2, the less popular of the two canonical series entries. Here, condo dwellers are trapped in their building once zombies are unleashed through a movie that's playing on TV. Tune in, and don't forget to sub. Support the show by picking up these nonfiction titles, Death by Umbrella! The 100 Weirdest Horror Movie Weapons or Mine's Bigger Than Yours! The 100 Wackiest Action Movies.  

This week on the podcast, we head to Charles Band Land and the 1980s, for a curious post-apocalyptical sci fi horror and Demi Moore's uh...breakout role? Dr Paul Dean was compelled to create a bio-weapon for an evil corporation on behalf of the mysterious group, The Merchants. Once he realizes the error of his ways, he tries to destroy it...BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE. Tune into the latest episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast, and support the show by purchasing one of the two nonfiction film books associated with this IP. Thanks!

On today's truncated version of the podcast, a few impromptu thoughts on the the disappointing remake of the 90s classic, Candyman. This is a shorter podcast than normal. But rest assured, back to regularly scheduled more in-depth shows in September!  

This week on the podcast, WWE wrestler, Stone Cold Steve Austin stars in Damage. You'd be forgiven for thinking that oh, 50% of action films released these days feature clandestine pit-fighting tourneys. And you'd be half right. We are back in beautiful BC, portraying Washington State as it often does, in this cheap but undeniably fun meat-head action flick. Austin plays an ex-con, Brickner, who's trying to live life on the straight and narrow after being released from a lengthy pen stay. In the joint, he made promises to the wife of a man he effectively murdered, to make restitution however he could. And turns out, her daughter needs a lifesaving heart surgery. And what better way to earn a 6-figure sum quickly, than the underground pit fighting circuit? (Walmart greeters make more, but hey, it's fiction). On the Really Awful Movies Podcast, we've followed the Texas Rattlesnake as he was known in the squared circle, to BC for efforts like Recoil and Hunt to Kill. And here, he's fun delivers lots of ass whoopins. Tune in!    

This week on the podcast, 2004's Creep. A woman en route to a party finds herself stuck overnight at the Charing Cross tube station in London, near Piccadilly Circus. A dark, stinky, atmospheric horror which stars Franka Potente (Run Lola Run).

A bunch of desperate young people sign on for a big pharma drug trial, with terrifying results. If you're into body horror, check out the Irish production, Double Blind. Tune in and don't forget to subscribe to the Really Awful Movies Podcast.

Funeral Home, aka, Cries in the Night is a relatively obscure Canadian horror flick from the 80s. It never reached the masses to the extent fellow Canuck offerings - Prom Night, Happy Birthday to Me, My Bloody Valentine, Shivers, Curtains, etc - did. And probably with good reason. This isn't fantastic. Here's a short episode of the Really Awful Movies podcast, with longer, more in-depth ones to come in the fall. Tune in!  

From Jack the Ripper to boy bands? Well, here we are... A slight diversion on the Really Awful Movies podcast, exploring the compelling new Netflix doc, Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam. This one tells the story of sleazy Svengali Lou Pearlman, who masterminded the creation of both Backstreet Boys and NSYNC. Tune in, and expect the unexpected (well, not really - there will likely be a return to horror and 80s/90s action shortly). Tell your friends, and don't forget to sub to the show. You can also support it through purchasing either of the two fab nonfiction books associated with this site, Mine's Bigger Than Yours! The 100 Wackiest Action Movies and Death By Umbrella: The 100 Weirdest Horror Movie Weapons.  

On this episode of the podcast, with the recent passing of Donald Sutherland, now seemed like the right time to revisit the Bob Clark thriller, Murder by Decree. This is a late 70s feature, imagining Sherlock Holmes and Watson on the hunt for the infamous Whitechapel butcher. And the cast is absolutely top-drawer, with Christopher Plummer, James Mason, John Gielgud, and Dead Ringers' Geneviève Bujold. Sutherland makes an appearance as a psychic, and he's pretty great, though nothing like the real-life character on which his character is based. The last time we tackled similar subject matter, was a podcast recorded in London the night after we did the Jack the Ripper tour. For those who are interested, here is a link to Hands of the Ripper, which Jeff and I recorded after a few beers from our South Kensington hotel accommodations.  

Who knew Werner Herzog's Nosferatu had an unofficial sequel? Well, the production-plagued Klaus Kinski starrer, Vampire in Venice, aka Nosferatu in Venice, is a weird one - and while not as good as its predecessor, is nonetheless an oddly compelling, lovely film. I mean, it can't help but be - lensed in the gorgeous city of Venice. Tune in, as we tap the immortal undead. And don't forget, subscribe to the Really Awful Movies Podcast.  

Mission of Justice, aka, Martial Law. How does a movie so titled, NOT star Steven Seagal? Anyway, for all concerned it is a good thing it doesn't: after all, Jeff Wincott is pretty awesome. The Canadian a**-kicking sensation, displays some great martial arts chops, and plays a disgruntled cop out to solve the murder of his buddy. Meanwhile, Brigitte Nielsen plays a mysterious politico who has her own fascist militia ironically called, The Peacemakers. Tune in, and don't forget to sub to the Really Awful Movies Podcast!  

Oh no, a fight-to-the-death TV show, which entertains the masses in a far off, dystopian future! The Running Man can certainly count its place among...these kinds of movies. It's certainly not the worst of its type, and it's far from the best. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays an LA cop, who disobeyed a command which would've killed a bunch of innocents. For his recalcitrance, he's sent up shit's creek in the form of being an involuntary participant in a wildly popular game show. There are a bunch of movies like this, The Condemned, Rollerball, The Hunger Games, Battle Royale, No Exit - it's a pretty lengthy list beyond that too. And for the most part, they are pretty similar. But no less fun. Tune in!    

This week, a look back at the Wes Craven classic from 1977, The Hills Have Eyes. The Carter family takes a detour to check out a silver mine in the remote, Nevada desert. Soon, they find themselves at the mercy of...well...a nuclear family. Tune into the show, and don't forget: new episodes are uploaded every Friday.

This week on the show, some Euro horror in the form of Yummy. Medical tourists venture to some sketchy hospital in Eastern Europe for some cosmetic procedures only to find out...the surgeries are far from routine. What lurks inside the institution is...well...tune in and find out. If you're into body horror, laced with zany comedy, this Belgian production is for you.  

This week, we turn our attention to Bela Lugosi and the 1930s hit, White Zombie. Set in Haiti, this one was the first zombie film ever committed to celluloid, featuring the incredible Hungarian actor, Lugosi, in an iconic role.

This week on the podcast, an atypical 80s slasher: Fatal Games. In advance of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, we turn our attention to sports-related horror on the show. This shoestring effort dials back the gore, and dials up the eye candy. It's a spirited effort that benefits from strong performances and notable character actors like Sally Kirkland (The Sting) in lead roles. So, subscribe, check out the discussion of Fata Games and watch this not exactly podium-worthy entry into the 80s horror milieu.  

This week on the podcast, we venture into the 2000s for a film which has no right to be as good as it is, The Ruins. With a tepid description on Netflix, this is a film that resembles a typical stalk-and-slash tourism-related horror with central casting interchangeable college kids. But DO NOT sleep on this one. Tune into the show for a wide ranging discussion of tourism-related horror, the Italian cannibal genre, and tone setting in modern horror.

This week on the show, The Rejuvenator aka, Rejuvenatrix. But who are we kidding? This is basically Re-Animator! (which is basically Frankenstein). Anyway, this is a cult regional horror from New Jersey, which made few waves upon release in 1988. The plot? An ambitious scientist is mucking about with a brain serum anti aging agent. And one of his patrons, some Old Hollywood-styled dowager, insists he administer the experiential drug on her. What could POSSIBLY go wrong? Turns out, quite a lot. Tune into this week's discussion of The Rejuvenator!

A mom smothers her disabled daughter in a remote, Washington farmhouse. Run is unique in the thriller/horror realm in that a character confined to a wheelchair, is the protagonist. Tune in this week for a discussion of this popular and often very capable Hulu flick, later acquired for international distribution by Netflix.

This week on the show, the stellar and oft-talked about period horror, Late Night with the Devil. If you're a fan of Johnny Carson, David Letterman and company, this is one for you. But even if you're not, there's enough meat in this one to satiate any horror fan, even if the 70s references can be a bit ham-fisted. Tune in for a discussion of this solid talk show-centric horror.  

This week on the podcast, add another critter to the list of creature features/nature run amok flicks. If you thought rabbits in Night of the Lepus was pushing the envelope, well...here...we've got beavers. Zombeavers is from the producers of American Pie, so there are of course lots of the expected jokes. This one debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival of all places, and is a bit smarter than you'd think (but not by much). Tune in and subscribe!  

This week, we examine the quirky action film and Bob Odenkirk starrer, Nobody. Odenkirk, of course, is best known for two exemplary shows, Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad, and is hardly the first actor to spring to mind when you think "action." But he acquires himself wonderfully here as a supposed family man with a shady shady past who crosses wires with some Russian goons. On this episode: John Wick Bob Odenkirk Road House Canadian suburbs A History of Violence/Eastern Promises Middle aged masculinity Tattoos in action films Tune in, subscribe to the podcast! New episodes are released every Friday. And if you're a fan of nutty genre films, check out two of the books I co-authored: Mine's Bigger Than Yours! The 100 Wackiest Action Movies and Death by Umbrella: the 100 Weirdest Horror Movie Weapons.   

This week on the show, Alice, Sweet Alice - a classic horror from the 1970s. A young girl, Karen (played by Brooke Shields) meets an untimely end in this religious-themed regional slasher by director Alfred Sole. Karen is murdered by an unknown assailant in a yellow raincoat and creepy translucent mask. And speaking of yellow, this one bears some of the hallmarks of giallo films from that era, despite these not being an influence on Sole.    

This week, a shortened version of the podcast, as befits a shortened week: Dolly Dearest. A few short years post-Child's Play, another sentient doll movie nearly graced cinemas. Well, some cinemas as this got minimal distribution. It features a cast that includes Denise Crosby and Rip Torn, so there's that. And the poster art is quite nice.  

On this episode, pain don't hurt. Here's a reboot of the Patrick Swayze 80s action film. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Dalton in this, a more comedic approach to the source material. It's set in the unlikeliest of locales, the Florida Keys, and has a twist that's based around the UFC. Tune in, check out the latest episode.  

This week on the podcast, some sword and sandal fun and games courtesy of Deathstalker. It combines the tournament conceit of something like Enter the Dragon, with the standard jerkin / fur / broadsword / wrist band aesthetic of Conan the Barbarian. Apparently, this one is getting a remake too! Anyway, this joint Argentinian American production is pretty wild and pretty exploitative. Tune in, and don't forget to subscribe to the show!

This week on the podcast, a trip back to arguably the greatest decade in cinema, the 70s, for the caper, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. A Tokyo transit delegation is visiting the Big Apple, getting a tour of the MTA headquarters, and learning how the city runs its transit. Against this backdrop, Hijackers commandeer a New York City subway train near Central Park, and threaten to kill a passenger a minute if their demands aren't met. Rip-roaring stuff, starring Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw. This one uses naming character conventions of Mr. Blue, Mr. Green, etc., which Quentin Tarantino paid homage to (err, ripped off) in Reservoir Dogs. Accept no substitutes, and no crummy remakes with Travolta and Denzel. The doors are now closing, stand clear of the doors! Tune in, subscribe, tell your friends. New episodes of the show are uploaded every Friday.

On this episode of the podcast, the killer monkey movie, Shakma! We turn our gaze to the 90s, and to this animal / nature run amok flick, which, all things considered, remains a lesser known sub genre entry. Roddy McDowall plays a research scientist, and he's working at a facility doing strange experiments. All the while, his colleagues are obsessed with live action role play and some elaborate game on the premises. Shakma has its moments, though can't be considered Olympic podium-worthy, when it comes to animal attack movies (that's reserved for Jaws, Back Country, Alligator, etc). Tune in, and tell your friends. Sub to the Really Awful Movies Podcast.

Stuck in a theatre and being attacked by...DEMONS! This week on the podcast, a look back at the inestimable Lamberto Bava classic, and all its weirdness. And there's no time like the present to tackle this one, especially on the heels of Demons 3. Tune in, subscribe, and enjoy the show.      

This week on the podcast, an unheralded "sequel" to the first two Demons, which Demons 3 has nothing to do with. Oops. At least Lamberto Bava is in the director's chair. We're in Southern Italy. An American family is coming down from Milan on vacation, and they have rented a sprawling castle. What could possibly go wrong? Turns out, a lot. Demons III: The Ogre contains no demons. But there is an ogre, so there's that.  

This week on the podcast, Justin Long stars in the Kevin Smith-directed, Tusk. Wallace (Long), one half of a podcast duo, flies up to Winnipeg to interview a Lolcow to make fun of him. Unfortunately, the kid's got other plans so Wallace does as well. Needing content for his show, Wallace comes across a strange message in the men's room and decides to pursue the lead. And does so..AT HIS OWN PERIL. Tusk is a body horror comedy set in Manitoba that has its moments. Tune in and subscribe to the show. Apologies for the audio quality, as this was a phone recording. Back to the usual mic / recording set up for next week's show. THANKS.  

On today's episode, we turn to blood suckers and Hammer Horror for the criminally underappreciated and underrated, Kiss of the Vampire. Newlyweds find themselves in the company of a suave, debonair family in their ornate, stately home. You know the drill! That's always what happens. What makes this one interesting is neither Peter Cushing nor Christopher Lee is present, plus their are cultic elements. Tune in and subscribe!

Meatcleaver Massacre, AKA, Hollywood Meatcleaver Massacre! This is a 70s affair, with an intro by none other than Christopher Lee. Unbeknownst to the legend, he was to shoot an intro for a different movie, and ended up in this - resulting in a lawsuit. All said and done, however, this one is an interesting curiosity and more fun than it had any right to be!

This week on the podcast, Michele Soavi's Stage Fright AKA Deleria. This is an 80s Italian horror that's based around a theatrical production all about, you guessed it, a murderer on the loose. Does art imitate life? Is the Pope Catholic? This is a super fun flick from a protégé of Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci, who is of course, the masked quasi star of the excellent Demons. Genre fans will also get a kick out of Italian gore whipping boy, Giovanni Lombardo Radice as one of the dancers. Break a leg, and join us for a quick chat about Stage Fright!

We turn our eyes to Sweden on the podcast, and check in on the spirited and gory horror-comedy, The Conference. More accurately a corporate retreat, the folks behind a contentious shopping mall development head out to some rustic cabins to brainstorm and team-build and all that fun stuff. They do some zip lining, eat and drink, question a few barriers/headwinds the real estate development project could face, and generally have a swell time at first. That is, until, something incriminating is found on a laptop. Meanwhile, there is a killer on the loose. And he's masked, of course. The Conference has a lot of neat backstory, and some terrific kills. It's marred by slickness, but is overall a pretty compelling effort. Tune in and subscribe to the Really Awful Movies Podcast!

A New Year's horror as we enter 2024. On this episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast, the Canadian tax shelter horror, Ghostkeeper. This is a low budget affair about three snowmobilers caught in a blizzard in the Alberta Rockies, the most Canadiana plot ever for any horror film. The trio takes refuge in a seemingly abandoned ski lodge and encounter a strange occupant. Tune in, and don't forget to subscribe to the show and throw in a few iTunes reviews if you like what you're hearing. Remember, new episodes of the show - which focuses on horror and action, but also other genre films - are uploaded every Friday.

Merry Christmas, and happy holidays to everyone. Today on the podcast, the 70s horror curiosity, Silent Night, Bloody Night. The mansion. The madness. The Maniac. No Escape. A lawyer and his paramour are tending to an estate, converting a sprawling mansion into equity. The scion of the Butler family, Jeffrey, meanwhile, leaves California for New England to help settle the family matter as well. He soon finds that his grandfather's home, is cursed. And that the townsfolk are less than welcoming, claiming bad mojo about the dwelling that's persisted for decades. Genre heads will enjoy this, as we've got legendary John Carradine as a newspaper magnate and Mary Woronov as the mayor's daughter.  

On this episode of the podcast, Cannon time! Enter the Ninja is a silly 80s exploitation/martial arts filmed in, where else? The Philippines! Because of course it is. That was a very cheap place to film back in the day, and is the geographical backdrop for many a cult classic. And there's a fun genre cast including Django's Franco Nero, but also the Italian horror staple, Christopher George. When a couple of plantation landowners are harassed by a wealthy developer, the male half enlists an old war buddy to help - a man trained in the deadly arts of the ninja! Soon, the white ninja is beating the holy tar out of every village barfly, and even kicking the crap out of a man with a hook for a hand, a very Bond-esque villain. Tune in!