Toxic Schlock

We wrap up our final mini series with an exploration of the South Korean monster movie modern classic THE HOST! We explore the controversial events that inspired the film, and the cultural influences that director Bong Joon-Ho mirrored in the fim. We're then joined by friend of the show Jesse Akman to discuss Korean cinema, Bong Joon-Ho, and all things the HOST. Stick around after the episode to hear the final words from host Michael Kent as Toxic Schlock comes to a close and discusses future horror related projects. 

Our Monster Movie series enters the golden age of practical FX with an exploration of David Cronenberg's 1986 classic THE FLY! We covered Cronenberg's early career in our episode on THE BROOD during our Body Horror series, and now we follow it up with a deep dive into his incredible run of Scanners, Videodrome, and the Dead Zone, leading to his botched attempt at TOTAL RECALL, and the tragedy that made his work on The Fly possible. We're then joined by returning guest Sam Sutherland (155 Podcast) to discuss Cronenberg, Canadian horror, practical FX, and the many allegorical readings of the Fly!   Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook

Our Monster Movie series continues with a deep dive on the king of all monsters GODZILLA! We explore the slew of tragic historical events that led to the inception of the 1954 Kaiju classic GOJIRA, the early life of director Ishiro Honda, and the cultural impact left in the film's wake. We're then joined by Winston Ward of the fantastic magazine and podcast INFINITE WORLDS to discuss the history, evolution, and legacy of one of cinema's most iconic creations.        Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook

In a very special bonus Monster Movie episode, John Darnielle (The Mountain Goats) returns to the show to discuss 50s b-movies, the evolution and perception of Monster Movies, MST3K, and his film pick, the 1958 gem THE CRAWLING EYE. As we discuss in the intro, since this was a last minute addition to our Monster Movie series, this episode skips our usual historical/cultural background section and jumps straight to our deep dive into all things CRAWLING EYE!   Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook

Our special Halloween bonus episode has come around once more, and Michael is again joined by his wife Sam, but this time around, they do a ranking of the Halloween franchise!! Its not as bad as they make it sound in the episode, and most of the Halloween movies have some great moments, but its also a series with some absolute absurdity in between them. Where do Rob Zombie's remake films rank in the series? What about Halloween Kills? Only one way to find out! Evil Dies Tonight! Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook

We kick off our final Toxic Schlock mini series on Monster movies by going back to where it all started: FRANKENSTEIN! We explore the early life of author Mary Shelly and the road to the creation of her debut novel, and how it ended up in 1931 as the most iconic horror film of all time. We're then joined by the hosts of Horror Vanguard to discuss Shelley, Boris Karloff, and the politics (and many adaptations) of Frankenstein!  Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook

A special mini episode addressing the future of Toxic Schlock. If this show has ever meant anything to you, we truly appreciate you listening in. Thank you.    Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook

Michael is joined by his pals Matty and Sam from the podcast 2MUCHTV to discuss the wildly underrated 2020 Korean horror film THE CALL!  The Call is available now on Netflix and is such a unique take on contemporary horror! Pull it up on your TV and watch along as Michael, Sam, and Matty explore the film, Woodstock 99, Nu Metal, the incredible wave of new South Korean horror films, and so much more!     Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook

In the early 20th century, HP Lovecraft revolutionized horror literature by bringing horror to a cosmic level of despair and incorporating a philosophical level of pessimism to mankind's place in uncaring universe. This concept has been expanded and developed in recent decades, with authors like Thomas Ligotti and Eugene Thacker helping bring cosmic horror into mainstream pop culture like True Detective and Jay-Z music videos.  In a special between season episode, we are joined by Tomas Lindberg of Swedish Death Metal icons At The Gates to discuss Lovecraft, cosmic horror, pessimist philosophy, and their influence on the upcoming At The Gates album "The Nightmare of Being" Stick around after the interview to hear the announcement of our upcoming listener's choice mini series, where you can vote for what you want us to cover in our next mini series!   Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook

In 1693, the infamous Salem Witch Trials ended in nineteen innocent people being executed. Although this is the most famous case of witch killings in America, the decades before showed New England being gripped by Witchcraft with hysteria, with accounts of alleged demonic possessions and subsequent executions, setting a precedent for the Salem controversies that followed.  We end our series on Satan in horror with an exploration of the cases of Elizabeth Knapp and Goody Ann Glover, where religious paranoia gripped entire communities. We are then joined by Meredith Graves (Kickstarter Music, ex-Perfect Pussy/MTV News) to discuss Robert Egger's modern classic film The VVitch. We discuss the film's profound historical authenticity, magick and witchcraft in contemporary culture, the failings of a puritan patriarchal culture and how it fails eldest daughters, the wide cultural impact of the film, and much much more. The conversation with Meredith begins at 19:30 Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook  

The 1980s was an era defined by fear of Satan and the Occult, with a prevailing sentiment that we were all surrounded by an evil cabal of devil worshippers. Regardless of the fact that this was fiction, it shaped culture for years to come. In 2009, Ti West released the film THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL, where we see what it would like if these evil cults were real. In today's episode of Toxic Schlock we explore what led to the Satanic Panic, and how it shaped an era. We're then joined by Scott Hicks of NC punk band Totally Slow to discuss Ti West's film, and its approach to 1980s aesthetics, nostalgia, and cinema.   Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook  

Michael is joined by former guests Erik Button and Dylan Wachman of Dollar Signs to watch John Carpenter's 1982 all time classic, THE THING! The Thing recently won our March Madness bracket as the best horror film of all time, so it was a real treat to sit down with two friends and former guests to talk about the film, John Carpenter, body horror, the wettest and slimiest horror film imaginable, Zack Snyder, David Cronenberg, modern horror, Kurt Russell, Day of the Dead, Lovecraftian horror films, movie remakes, and so much more! Join our Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/toxicschlock to hear the full episode in its entirety

Our series on Satan in Horror rolls on with an exploration of the iconic 1976 classic THE OMEN! We dive into the rise of doomsday conspiracy theories in the early 1970s, and how this speculation completely changed the landscape of both mainstream religion and pop culture forever. We're then joined by returning guest Chris Colohan to discuss The Omen, it's iconic soundtrack, the self written mythology of a cursed production, how it compares to it's predecessors like ROSEMARY'S BABY and THE EXORCIST, and its cultural footprint on horror! Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook

Raise those horns and invert those crosses, because we're kicking off our series on SATAN in Horror with an exploration of the 1968 all-time classic film ROSEMARY'S BABY. We dig into the early history of the devil in pop culture, the original novel's author Ira Levin, b-movie director William Castle's bid to make an adaptation, and director Roman Polanski's traumatic early life experiences. After that, we're joined by Ivotres Littles to discuss the film, it's incredible performances, it's place as the origin of high brow horror, its impact on the wave of blasphemous horror films to follow and much more! Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook

We bring our slasher series to a close with a deep dive into the film that redefined and resurrected the genre, Wes Craven's 1996 blockbuster "SCREAM". We explore the career of Craven, his continuous impact on the genre for 3 decades in a row, and the path to his 90s masterpiece . We're then joined by Tom Breihan (Stereogum, Av Club) to discuss the film's stacked cast, the John Hughes-esque writing of Kevin Williamson, the sad state of slasher cinema in the early 1990s, and how SCREAM's meta horror approach redefined the genre for a new generation. Stick around after the interview, where we'll reveal our new mini season!   Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook

Michael sits down with the folks from the Blood Buddies podcast to watch the 1988 Fantasy Slasher classic CHILD'S PLAY! Pull up the movie on your TV and watch along as they discuss the film's origins, the greatness of Brad Dourif, awkward celebrity encounters, childhood toys, and the bizarre life and legacy of the Child's Play saga!   Join our Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/toxicschlock to hear the full episode in its entirety

Pack your sleeping bag, because this week we are going to Camp Crystal Lake for a deep dive into the most iconic Slasher film series of all time: FRIDAY THE 13TH! We explore the film's original HALLOWEEN knock off origins, Shaun Cunningham's early career with Wes Craven, the invention of Jason, Tom Savini's FX, and it's impact on the Slasher genre. After that, Inge Johansson (Gatuplan, ex-Against Me/Totalt Java Morker/ The International Noise Conspiracy) returns to the show to discuss the best Friday film: The Final Chapter, and we answer the immortal question "hey ted, where the hell's the corkscrew?"

We continue our Slasher series with a deep dive into one of the best and most important horror films of all time THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. We kick it off by exploring the early life of director Tobe Hooper, the real life inspirations behind the film, and the shoestring budget under which it was created. We're then joined by Sam Sutherland (155, Extremely Online, Junior Battles) to discuss the film, what sets it apart from other slasher films, traumatic movie experiences, the film's unique soundtrack, the intense creation of the film, and much more! Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook

Michael reunites with the folks from Neon Brainiacs to sit down and watch the 1974 OG holiday slasher classic BLACK CHRISTMAS in its entirety. Pull up the movie on your TV and watch along with us as we discuss the film, it's impact on all slasher films to come, the careers of it's stacked cast, our favorite holiday flicks, and a whole lot of digressions in between! Join our Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/toxicschlock to hear the full episode in its entirety  

Time to kick off our next mini-series: SLASHERS! In this episode, we dive into the early films that begat the blood soaked Slasher boom of the 1980s, with an in-depth exploration of the man who helped define the genre: MARIO BAVA! We explore his early work in cinematography, the creation of the Giallo genre with films like BLOOD AND BLACK LACE, and his film that kick started the Slasher genre: A BAY OF BLOOD! After that, Michael sits down with indie filmmaker William Hellfire to discuss the film, the proto slashers like PSYCHO and THE HOUSE THAT SCREAMED that inspired it, Bava's legacy, and how the film created many of the tropes now associated with the genre! Stick around after the discussion to hear our listener's thoughts on what defines a Slasher film! Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook  

Our Body Horror series is going out with a bang!  We're going to Japan to explore the 1989 Cyberpunk classic TETSUO: THE IRON MAN! We explore his early Kaiju passions, the influence of Akira Kurosawa, dealing with disapproving parents, and how his debut film came to be! We're then joined by Gregg Harrington of the podcast Neon Brainiacs to discuss the film, Nine Inch Nails, d-beat soundtracks, the incredible industrial score, and how this film impacted the future of horror cinema worldwide. Stick around after the interview for the reveal of our next series!    Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook  

Our Body Horror series rolls on with a dive into Stuart Gordon and his slimey classic FROM BEYOND. We explore Stuart's early radical theater roots, run-ins with the law, HP Lovecraft, and Re-Animator. We are then joined by Ben Roberts of the fantastic new comic CHILDREN OF THE GRAVE to discuss From Beyond. Stick around after the interview for our first mailbag segment!   Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook

FULL EPISODE AVAILABLE ON PATREON! Michael and his Misfits Monday cohort Eric Kelly catch up on their Halloween season movie watches, and then watch Glenn Danzig's Trashsterpiece Verotika in it's entirety. Pull up the movie on your TV/Computer, turn down the volume, pop on the subtitles, and watch along with us one of the most confounding but wildly entertaining movies since The Room. Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook

Bust out your candy apples and razor blades, because its time for another Toxic Schlock Halloween Episode! Sam Poe said that she would return for another Halloween episode on one condition: we had to do a deep dive into the 2008 teenage vampire romance Twilight! We touched on everything from the cast, to the soundtrack, to the impact on pop culture, to the questionable impact it had on it's viewers. Alongside Twilight, we list our individual top 5 favorite vampire roles, and a whole lot more!   Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook

We enter episode 2 of our Body Horror series with an exploration into the mind of the man most associated with the genre: David Cronenberg! We explore his early scientific background, his arthouse origins, early films, and much more! We are then joined by JR Hayes of Grindcore legends Pig Destroyer and Mike Prophet of Screamo icons Pageninetynine to discuss Cronenberg's first truly iconic film: THE BROOD!   Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook

Toxic Schlock has risen from it's pandemic induced grave and is back and better than ever. We kick off our 4-part series on Body horror with a dive into David Lynch's arthouse classic ERASERHEAD! We explore Lynch's artistic origins and influences, the creation of the film, and the contemporary reaction to it. We are then joined by Erik Button of the Charlotte punk band Dollar Signs to explore the just what makes this movie so special! Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook

After 41 episodes of Toxic Schlock, we are turning the page and beginning a new chapter for the show! Listen here for what to expect in the future! ...... Join our Patreon! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter , Facebook

Bust out your drill guitars, because this week Michael is joined by Carolina Hidalgo of the fantastic music history podcast No Dogs in Space to discuss the 1987 slasher sequel classic SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE 2!  Listen in as the two discuss the original film's feminist satirical origins, the brilliance of Roger Corman, MANDY, DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW, being impressionable as a kid, the complicated nature of researching the Misfits, greaser slashers, her origin story with the Mads, and much more!

This week on Toxic Schlock, Michael and Dylan Wachman of Dollar Signs dig into the underrated modern classic "DRAG ME TO HELL". Michael and Dylan dig into the career of director Sam Raimi, the film's dark humor and (perhaps questionable) CGI, terrible movie theater experiences, THE LIGHTHOUSE, A24 movies, video games to get through quarantine, and much more!

Josh Robbins returns to Toxic Schlock to discuss the Alfred Hitchcock murder mystery classic REAR WINDOW. Michael and Josh dig into the horror vs thriller dynamic, the best and worst of found footage films, Hitchcock's iconic style, Arnold Schwarzenegger, envisioning a remake of Rear Window, and much more!

Recorded from their individual quarantines, Michael and Eric remotely dig into the 1950s sci fi schlock of CREATURE FROM GREEN HELL. Along with digging into the film and the Misfits song it spawned, the fiends catch up on Danzig's upcoming Elvis covers album, bootleg shirts, staying sane during Covid19, Verotika, ranking the 10 Misfits movies thus far, and much more! We did have some technical difficulties and sound level issues. We are still finding the best way to record remotely, so bare with us!

Bust out your VCRs, because this week on Toxic Schlock, Michael talks with Ben and Gregg of the Neon Brainiacs podcast to do a deep dive into the horror films of the 1980s. They ask the question "why was this decade so iconic for horror and what made this era different than the ones before it?", and touch on classics films like THE THING, EVIL DEAD 2, KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE, VIDEODROME, TETSUO THE IRON MAN, DEMONS, NIGHT OF THE CREEPS, and much more!

Grab your Venom and NASA patches, because this week we sat down with Matty Morand of Pretty Matty to discuss the 1987 Canadian classic "THE GATE". Matty and Michael dig into the power of family friendly horror, the reality of pre teen metal heads, the impact of ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK, the best (and worst) of modern American horror, and much more! 

In podcasts, no one can hear you scream! Michael sits down with Connor Jacobus of The Districts to discuss their mutual favorite film, ALIEN. They dive deep into the morbid genius of HR Giger, the b-movie origins of the plot, the power of a slow burn, and much more! But first, Michael also catches up on a slew of recent horror releases like THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE COLOR OUT OF SPACE, and THE LODGE!

Death comes ripping this week on Toxic Schlock when Michael sits down with actor/comic creator David Dastmalchian. David talks about his fantastic horror comic series Count Crowley, and his life long journey to see it made. They also touch upon David's work in some of the best genre films of the last 15 years, and then dive into the 1933 Universal monster classic The Invisible Man!

The fiends are coming to get you Barbara, because this week on Misfits Mondays, Michael and Eric revisit George A Romero's zombie classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. The fiends dig into the greatness and legacy of Romero's work, the classic Misfits track of the same name, VEROTIK, recent Misfits gossip, The MANDALORIAN, THE GIRL ON THE THIRD FLOOR, Darren Aronofsky, Johnny and Gilbert Ramone, the brilliance of Tom Savini, and much more!

Whip out those peacemakers, because this week on the show we've got Tim Kasher of indie/post hardcore legends Cursive and The Good Life to dive into the underrated Stephen King adaptation SILVER BULLET. They dig deep into the film, as well as being an early adopter of VHS, falling deeper in love with horror later in life, the tragic brilliance of Gary Busey and Corey Haim, the PHANTATSM-SILVER BULLET connection, the film's gloriously obscured werewolf costume, Stephen King's signature dialogue, just how deep Tim's connection with the film gets, CHRISTMAS EVIL, the most promising rising filmmakers, and much more! Catch the dates for Cursive's upcoming western American tour at: https://cursivearmy.com/tour-dates/

In a very special episode, Michael sits down with his Misfits Mondays co-host Eric Kelly to look back at the 2010s in horror cinema. From their favorite films like THE WITCH and MANDY, to the stellar 2012 EVIL DEAD remake, to some of the not so great horror films, Michael and Eric discuss it all! The 2010s were a really special period for horror, so there was no shortage of cinema for the fiends to tear into!

Rev up those chainsaws, because this week on Toxic Schlock, Michael chats with Jessie Clavin of Bleached about one of the greatest horror movies of all time, Tobe Hooper's THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. Michael and Jesse discuss the film's fairytale origins, cleverly implying gore, the unique experience of growing up in Los Angeles, the trauma of CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, the soul purifying experience of falling in love with horror, and much more!

Toxic Schlock goes back to high school this week with a chat with Sam Woodring (formerly of modern emo/indie greats Two Inch Astronaut and now of Mister Goblin) about the modern darkly comedic film Jennifer's Body. Sam and Michael dive into this deeply under-appreciated film, it's miscalculated promotion campaign, it's relevance in the modern landscape, the pitch perfect depiction of late 2000s adolescence, and much more!

Prime Directive: EXTERMINATE! The fiends return for a jam packed episodes of Misfits Mondays. Eric and Michael dig into the 1968 b-movie THE ASTRO-ZOMBIES, the recently announced Philly show, their Halloween retrospectives, Danzig's hilarious 80s movie reviews, The Mandalorian, the latest edition of absurd Misfits merchandise, and the toxicity of binge-watching culture.

Toxic Schlock gets extra gorey this week with Matt Harvey of Death Metal giants EXHUMED. Michael and Matt dig deep into the 1980 Fulci classic CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD, where they discuss the power of Italian horror, the distinctions between Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci, 80s euro sleaze horror, the intensity of Bay Area Powerviolence, the staggering popularity of late 80s thrash metal, and much more!

Michael and special guest Samantha Poe light up some jack o lanterns and celebrate the Halloween season by waxing poetic on childhood horror movies, Halloween memories and costumes, and then doing a deep dive into some of the best and worst horror films of 2019 such as MIDSOMMAR, US, THE HAUNTING OF SHARON TATE, IT CHAPTER TWO, and more! This was a fun one where we got to take it easy and talk about the most wonderful time of the year!

We're coming to get your Barbara! Michael sits down with Mike Taylor of Virginia screamo legends Pg 99 and Pygmy Lush to discuss one of the all time horror classics: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. Along with discussing the creation, reaction, and legacy of George Romero's zombie classic, they dig into the early influences of the sound associated with screamo, what made that scene special, zombie movies, early video store experiences, and some of Mike's favorite Halloween memories. Stick around after their talk to hear the announcement of the winner of the first Toxic Schlock SCARE PACKAGE!

Pull out your tongue and pluck out your eyes, cause this week the fiends dig into the Herschell Gordon Lewis schlock classic BLOODFEAST! Michael and Eric dig into the the influential career of Lewis and the classic Earth AD song that he inspired! They also dig into toxic fandom culture, the sonic power of Earth Ad, the importance of looking at films critically but without malice, the problems of IT CHAPTER TWO, the end of the Misfits reunion (?), the Elvis covers album, and a whole lot more!

Ready your mondo horror heads for this one folks! Michael sits down with Jay Gambit of experimental metal crushers Crowhurst to discuss the 1978 exploitation cult phenomena FACES OF DEATH. This is a film that should need no introduction, but for the uninitiated, this faux documentary has become a rite of passage for curious teenagers worldwide. Michael and Jay also dig deep into the world of underground cinema and tape collector culture. Michael also gives his two cents on the recent horror blockbuster IT:CHAPTER TWO. Listen in also for details on our first ever contest!

Bust out your capes and fangs, because this week Michael sits down with Francis Kano of punk/metal dark lords DEVIL MASTER (and the live bass player for INTEGRITY) to discuss Werner Herzog's 1979 classic: NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE! Both Michael and Francis share adoration for this darkly atmospheric film, and they go all-in on discussing it's creation, the POPOL VUH soundtrack, Klaus Kinski's performance, and much more! Francis also tells about his familial ties to vampire mythology, CIRQUE DU FREAK, NOROI: THE CURSE, Ann Rice, and much more!

The Fiends come back ripping with a dive into the 1971 cult classic "THE MEPHISTO WALTZ". Along with tearing into the film, Mikey and Eric catch up on MIDSOMMAR, JAWS, NEUROSIS, VEIN, CRAWL, WARTHOG, energy drinks, the upcoming MISFITS show at Madison Square Garden, Danizg's film VEROTIKA, their dream classic Misfits show, and much more!

This week on the show we've got Dan Nielsen, drummer of post-punk giants ICEAGE on the show to discuss the 2016 Korean gem THE WAILING! Along with picking apart their theories for the dark events in the film, Dan discusses digging into classic horror cinema in Denmark during the turn of the century, his love of TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, being a part of the first generation to use the internet for film discovery, and much more!

Fire up those Murdergrams, because this week all hell breaks loose as Michael and Eric dive into the 1971 Horror gem Twins of Evil! But this creepshow was too much for them to take on alone, so they are joined by Jake and James of the new podcast The Nimrods. Along with with tearing into the film, the Fiends and The Nimrods dip back into their earliest experiences with Dan and the gang, recent Misfits news, lots of Green Day jabber, and a whole lot more. Stick around til the end to see what movie the Fiends will rip into next month!

This week on Toxic Schlock, we show you some blood with Ian Shelton of modern Powerviolence rippers Regional Justice Center! We dive deep into the 1976 classic THE TENANT! Along with discussing Polanski's underrated headtrip of a film, we also dive deep into Ian's filmmaking background, growing up in the age of remakes, the models of Blumhouse and A24, as well as a loving tribute to Roky Erickson!