December brings our new Holiday Horror episode with John Hudson and Troy Guinn dropping in to hang the mistletoe. This year we examine the Christmas time tale WHOEVER SLEW AUNTIE ROO (1971) starring Shelly Winters and a host of British character actors. It turns out I am the only member of our trio who had watched this film before 2025 opening up a number of questions about why Troy chose it! Privileges may need to be rescinded. 

A major part of our discussion revolves around director Curtis Harrington’s memories of the movie and its cast. After years of holding my tongue, I finally air my complaints about his rather plodding directorial style and point to a scene that I feel needed a different sensibility behind the camera. Actors Micheal Gothard, Lionel Jefferies, Hugh Griffith and Ralph Richardson are dutifully admired with each adding unique flavors to this very odd holiday dinner. The stand out child actors are given their due with a prominent face from the 1970 version of SCROOGE making all of us fantasize about ending Tiny Tim’s life. We also marvel that unlike what is usually expected from the ‘hag horror’ genre Winters’ character isn’t a mean-spirited villain but instead a grief crippled mother too susceptible to conmen in her life. And then we debate the relative evil of the two main child characters with me leaning toward innocence more than malice. This is something best left to each viewer to decide on their own, methinks! 

If you have any comments about this year’s Holiday Horror or possible choices for the next [email protected] is the place to send them. We hope everyone has a great end of year celebration and we will be back soon with a short episode about our favorite films of 2025. 

A fairy tale? DOLLS (1987) was the third released feature film directed by Stuart Gordon but the second one shot. Does it measure up to his Lovecraft adaptations? Well, I am joined by John Hudson and Troy Guinn to compare notes on this deviation from the energetic gorefests we had come to expect from Mr. Gordon. We have much to say even though Troy is dialing in from an undisclosed location. What is his day job, anyway?

 
We examine the genesis of the project and relate numerous behind the scenes tales from the director and the scriptwriter Ed Naha. John tells us of his longtime appreciation of Naha with a story from his childhood. We talk about the various fairy tale stereotypes that the film’s characters fall into and are amused by all the anti-ques. We discuss the excellent stop-motion special effects and the skill on display technically throughout the movie. I gush about the cinematography and point out some lovely visual moments. And we are all thrilled to have Mr. Sardonicus show up as a (relatively) good guy and use that film’s Punishment Poll as a guide for judging this movie. We have no shame.

 
If you have any comments about Stuart Gordon movies or our plans to talk about which ones to cover [email protected] is the address to send them. Thanks for listening! 

After avoiding podcasting about the Planet of the Apes franchise for years it is finally time to talk about one of the weakest parts of the classic run. The 1974 television series lasted only fourteen episodes and was one of the most expensive shows produced up to that time. Author Mark Clark joins me to discuss the entire run and we go on for far too long than is healthy. Bear with us for the full running time as we dig out the interesting elements and lament the missed opportunities of this nearly forgotten show. Is this truncated series of adventures with two time-displaced astronauts and an ape companion worth discovering or revisiting? We make our case.

 
Seen as part of the ongoing 1970’s journey of the science fiction story from the four sequel films, the POTA TV series is clearly a Cul-de-sac branching away from the established road. The first episode both negates a connection to the previous stories and tries to link it to the original film with an earlier astronaut landing spoken of by the leaders of Ape society. Mark makes a strong argument for how the show could take place in one of the two timelines set up in the films already but I am skeptical. We go through each episode pointing out the usually hackneyed plots and overused clichés that litter the stories being told. Often the scripts could easily have been written as installments of a 1960’s western show and simply repurposed for the world of the apes. But the few times the show leans on its science fiction premise are more interesting even if it inevitably leads to very little. 
If you’ve never watched this series, I hope our spoiler filled podcast won’t put you off at least a partial exploration of our favorite episodes. We can’t claim it’s our most loved part of the franchise but it has its points of interest and entertainment.

 
If you have any comments about the Planet of the Apes TV series or our plans to talk about the sequel films [email protected] is the address to send them. And if you are interested in the projects Mark speaks about near the end of the show there are links below. Thanks for listening! 

SCREEM Magazine

Jack Hill book

It’s Monster Rally time! Troy and I have been looking forward to discussing this Universal Horror film for a long time. Easily one of the most fun of the studio’s 1940’s horror films HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1944) has extraordinary highs and some bizarre lows. We dig into every single one we can think of including my obsession with werewolf footwear. I’ll admit that I may have been overprepared for this episode which explains how the show’s running time stretches to double the length of the film itself!

Of course, this movie marks Boris Karloff’s return to the Frankenstein series but in a new role as a mad scientist. He is fantastic here with his short-sighted goals always overruling wiser choices. Stepping into the oversized boots of the Frankenstein Monster for the first time is Glenn Strange, causing us to look at the common use of his version of the character in products aimed at fans. John Carradine becomes Universal’s new Dracula in the episodic film’s first segment but I make the argument that he might be playing an imposter. “Is you is, or is you ain’t my Dracula?”

 
J. Carrol Naish appears as the hunchbacked assistant to Karloff and the actor does his usual excellent job playing a character that swings wildly from brutal murderer to pitiable, lovelorn soul. We also discuss several of the returning bit players that always show up in these movies and lament that Goerge Zucco doesn’t get more screentime. At a certain point we realize that we have gotten lost on the brain swapping carousel trying to figure out which noggin should get which lump of gray matter. Luckily the film has a proper torches and pitchforks villager attack to bring things to a destructive end. Plus – quicksand!

 
If you have any comments about this film or any of the Universal horror movies [email protected] is the place to send them. Thank you for listening and Happy Halloween!

Think of this episode as an unofficial eleventh entry in the most recent season of Wild, Wild Podcast. When Adrian Smith and I discovered that ZORRO THE AVENGER (1962) had no real connection to Italy we dropped it and reviewed another Zorro movie instead. But we had already watched this one and wanted to talk about it as well. Since this is a Spanish production it has many connections to the films of Paul Naschy so we could have just as easily made this an episode of the Naschycast. And wait until you learn who wrote the script!

We ramble a bit but were trying to keep this show as brief as Adrian prefers the Wild, Wild Podcast episodes to be. We fail in the attempt, but there was a solid effort made, I promise! The history of cinematic Zorro adventures is touched on with favorite versions of the character listed. As I state in the show, most Zorro films seem to tell the same tale with a few variations so the joys here are noticing the choices made in casting and emphasis. American actor Frank Latimore plays our hero and the legendary Howard Vernon is the villainous Colonel Clarence. The cast of female actors includes Maria Silva years before she was a victim of the Blind Dead or clashed with a certain Spanish werewolf. We don’t spoil the film as it is easy to catch online but we do make a plea for a better-looking version to be made available. 

If you have any comments about Zorro or anything else we covered in this episode (we really did ramble) [email protected] is the place to send them. Thank you for listening and we’ll be back soon!

Mark Maddox returns to discuss a giant monster movie from Denmark! Yes – REPTILICUS (1961) is either the shame or pride of Danish cinema depending on who you ask. Much like THE GIANT CLAW (1957) it asks a lot of the audience whenever the titular creature is onscreen. For many fans of genre film, the willing suspension of disbelief is too heavy a lift even though the first act setup involves an intriguing premise. So what do Mark and I think of it? Hang on tight!

We discuss the origin of the project and the various creators who brought this movie to the world. Sidney Pink and Ib Melchior get the biggest share of our attention as they were the writers and director of the project. We quote American International Pictures’ Sam Arkoff about his discovery of the major mistake in the English dialog that had to be corrected by looping the entire film. The monster special effects go under the microscope with both of us relating the style and form to the Gerry Anderson TV shows that were gaining popularity in the early 1960’s. The differences between the AIP English version and the version made for Danish consumption are touched on with special mention of the added musical number that drives Mark nearly insane. (Yes, I included it in the show.) Topping things off is my co-host’s reoccurring Swedish Chef impression which is either cultural appropriation, an insulting caricature or a confused cry for help. Or all three. And this entire affair goes on for two hours! That is clearly too long, but take heart in the knowledge that this is the edited version of our conversation.

 
If you have any comments about REPTILICUS or any of the other things we’ve covered on the show [email protected] is the place to send them. Thank you for listening and we’ll be back soon.  

Chris Herzog returns to the show to discuss one of the best of Republic Pictures’ serials. NYOKA AND THE TIGERMEN (1942) is a fantastic example of the chapterplay form but gets forgotten when people talk about the best the studio produced. Revisiting this action-packed adventure proves that it deserves to be mentioned as one of the finest serials ever made. Where is the Blu-Ray?

We discuss the cast in some detail and relate a few behind the scenes anecdotes. Since this is one of only eight serials lead by a female character, we spend some time on how Nyoka both conforms to and breaks from the usual conventions of the format. It’s nice to have an action hero woman mixing it up in the fights and killing bad guys rather than finding new ways to be knocked unconscious! The lead villain is a woman as well giving us a driven Queen Vultura bent on destroying all who stand in her way. Dangerous females indeed! We also get the future Lone Ranger as one of the good guys ably assisted by the excellent stunt team that Republic always used. They will make you believe in leaping over tables and from great heights. And I can’t stop myself from pointing out how many members of the cast show up in various Poverty Row horror films with Bela Lugosi. Sorry about my fixations but you really should see the trainwreck that is BLACK DRAGONS (1942). And did we mention the gorilla named Satan? 

If you have any comments or suggestions about the show [email protected] is the place to send them. We love hearing from you and hope you enjoy the podcast. 

Universal’s output in 1944 was packed with horror tales and MURDER IN THE BLUE ROOM seems a likely addition to that list of chillers. At least until you realize that a firm 20% of the film’s scant running time is taken up by song & dance numbers! Yes, its another horror comedy with a script that started life as a Ritz Brothers feature, but don’t let that scare you off. The chills may be lacking but the entertainment value is surprisingly high. And there is a ghost enlivening the proceedings. Oh! And a murder as well. 

Troy Guinn and I take a run through this humorous creeper and find ourselves having more fun than expected. The credit for that goes to the talented cast so we spend a lot of time talking about the stars and a few of the amazing bit players as well. Where else other than in this movie are you going to hear actor Ian Wolfe say the word ‘Zut’? The film has several great songs and I include Troy’s favorite tune in the show because it is far too catchy to ignore. We discuss the plot shenanigans and the script’s careful skipping past a subject usually forbidden by the Hays Code. Mention is made of the award-winning career of one of the screenwriters and we point to areas in the dialog where his efforts might be heard. Also, we point the curious to the first English language version of this tale, THE SECRET OF THE BLUE ROOM (1933), as a better source of horror thrills if not toe-tapping fun. This 1944 version might serve as a good pairing with that minor classic but only if we can ever get a better-looking print. Come on, Universal.

If you have any song recommendations from a scary film [email protected] is where to send them. And let us know what you think of this film and the podcast in general too. Thank you for listening! 

In the Cult Italian Movie category THE VISITOR (1979) stands out for many reasons. It is made up of equal parts science fiction, thriller and religious high strangeness shot through with touches of CARRIE and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND. For years it was considered one of the least comprehensible movies ever made but with the restoration of the full running time in 2010 it is now only mildly incomprehensible. Indeed, with enough squinting and reading between the lines it is almost possible to find a narrative thread that only occasionally feels absurd. Ridiculous to the point of silliness THE VISITOR defies rational concepts and logical progression of story. Let some other movie have police investigations that go somewhere or examples of simple cause and effect in human reactions to inexplicable events. This film scoffs at such needless exercises. And don’t get me started on the exploding basketball that everyone ignores!

 
Troy Guinn, Bob Sargent and I (Rod Barnett) are the three intrepid film nuts that stutter-step their way through this Euro-madness. We wrestle this monster to the ground, fight off seagull attacks, ponder the eternal battle between good and evil and marvel at the cast of Hollywood stars the producer conned into being in this thing. What other movie of this type can boast John Huston, Franco Nero (playing a blonde, blue-eyed Jesus), Glenn Ford, Mel Ferrer, Shelly Winters (playing Mary Poppins’ cousin Mary Slappington), Lance Henricksen and an out-of-his-depth Sam Peckinpah? Is this the most bizarre film ever shot in Atlanta? Was the city’s mayor bribed to indulge the film’s production? How many times will we reference A Flock of Seagulls? Is the amazing prop that Troy dubs ‘Switch-Beak’ silly or brilliant? I cannot promise answers but we will at least pose the questions. Lots and lots of questions.

 
If you have anything to say about THE VISITOR or any other film that we’ve covered [email protected] is the place to send them. We thank you for listening and we’ll be back soon. 

I’m happy to have author David Annandale return to the podcast to talk about low budget genre cinema again! Severin has issued a fantastic Blu-Ray of the film UNKNOWN WORLD (1951) so we use this release to dig into the little-discussed science fiction movie. Often seen in terrible, dark prints in various places around the internet this one deserves more attention, so we were both thrilled that it is now sharp and beautiful in its black & white HD glory. Did it look this good in ’51?

For a film produced by a couple of special effects artists UNKNOWN WORLD certainly has a lot on its mind. It is one of the earliest examples of apocalyptic nuclear ‘doom warning’ movies and we wonder if that fact is why it is less well known than later movies of this type. We discuss the cast and crew of this nine-day wonder including the oddity of the primary actor not getting screen credit. We lament the very few acting roles of the female lead and ramble through the credits of several other actors as well. We point out the solid effects work and marvel over the fantastic matte shots. Of course, we do acknowledge the weaknesses of the film and how its (intentionally?) dull middle segment can make the running time seem longer than it actually is. So, strap yourself in the Cyclotram and lets go caving!

If you have anything to say about this film or any others that we have covered [email protected] is the place to send them. We thank you for listening and we’ll be back soon. 

The show returns to the science fiction films of the 1970’s with author Randy Fox! This time out we tackle DAMNATION ALLEY (1877) and make a sad discovery – neither of us like the film. Generally, I don’t enjoy podcasting about films I’m not enthusiastic about but we explain how this episode came to be. Word to the wise – communication is key!

 
Anyway. We dig into the production of the film and go back to the source story from Roger Zelazny to compare page to screen. Spoiler alert – page wins. But we take note of the various films that seem directly inspired by Zelazny’s tale and relate ways that this movie could have benefited from sticking closer to the story as written. We discuss the slashing of the budget and the commensurate drop in special effects quality. Neither Randy or I like one of the lead actors which is always a problem for entertainment value. Couple this with excellent character actors dying far too soon, as well as the female lead being given nothing to do and the printed version of this tale looks better all the time. No matter that the producers thought, a futuristic Convoy was not what the public wanted.

 
If you like DAMNATION ALLEY, by all means, let us know why at [email protected] – we are curious. Thank you for listening and we’ll be back soon.