Earlier in the month, all three of your hosts descended into Strongsville, OH for one of our favorite conventions around, Cinema Wasteland. While we were there having a blast as usual, we actually did a little recording, talking to different fans there as to why they come out to this one-of-a-kind show. And here is the result! Make sure you like and subscribe to our Discover the Horror YouTube channel, where we will have more content coming!
The Ghost of Sierra de Cobre (1964), Crowhaven Farm (1970), and Cruise into Terror (1978)
With this being our 3rd episode covering these little television terrors, one would get the idea that there is a lot of teleplays, or TV-movies, out there that deserve our attention. And you would be correct! From the ’60s into the early ’80s, there was a plethora of amazing features being made for the little boob tube, not to mention a wide variety to talent behind them too!
Unfortunately, a lot of these titles still wander in limbo with never getting a legitimate release, some never even seeing a VHS release. While you can find a lot on YouTube, we’re all hoping for a real legitimate release at some point. Until then, we do what we must to see some incredible cinema!
So, grab your notepad because we’re going to discuss 3 titles that are definitely worth your time, and hope to spark you to take a little further adventure into Made-for-TV Terrors!
During conversations with serious film collectors, you might hear terms like inter-positive, or first negative, or even OCN, and have no clue to what they actually mean. Don’t feel bad because a lot of us are in the same boat. These are some of the many terms used when discussing the preservation and archiving of films, not to mention the amount of work that goes into doing just that. Plus, we’re not talking about the latest title coming from the MCU, but ones that were made for pennies a half a century ago, or longer, that got very little distribution, sometimes not even here in the states. But due to the thankless job (that we’re hoping to change) of some dedicated cinephiles, they are doing their best to bring those titles back from nearly being a lost film.
To help educate us on some of those terms, the processes, and just the sheer craziness of it all, we’ve asked Vault Manager and Archivist Oscar Becher from Vinegar Syndrome to do just that. While we’re not covering films, I’m pretty sure you’re going to learn a thing or two, maybe be even amazed at hearing some of this stuff, about the processes that go into bringing you that nice and spiffy new Blu-Ray of one of your favorite films.
Chained (2012), Honeymoon (2014), and Relic (2020)
With over 60 episodes so far in our podcast history, we realized that in all that we covered, we had never covered anything by a woman director. We knew we needed to change that. Going through the history of women directors, we realized that not only wasn’t something new, but have been working in the industry since the beginning of film. And in the last two decades, have really started to show their stuff. So, to help celebrate Women’s History Month, we figured it was well past due that we tackle three films that were directed by women, once again, picking three random titles, but amazed to find just how similar they were to each other, not to mention being very effective in their craft, and storytelling.
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943), House of Frankenstein (1944), and House of Dracula (1945).
Some say that the monster rally films marked the end of the Universal creature features, which could partially be true, but we feel it is for different reasons than the actual films themselves, and they still have a lot of merit to them. While the studio heads might not have cared too much about getting them made, those involved did their best with what they had. One of the biggest highlights of these titles is the cast of actors in them, some making their last appearances. You get to see Karloff, Chaney Jr., Carradine, J. Carrol Naish, George Zucco, Lionel Atwill, Dwight Frye, and so many other regular faces that will bring a smile to your face when they pop up onscreen.
While maybe running a little thin on ideas and decided to start combining monsters to hopefully bring back bigger box office returns, they still made films that we all still feel are entertaining and we feel are more than worth your time.
This truly is a great time to be alive as a crazy cinephile. Just about every day, new amazing looking releases of some of our favorite films are announced, as well as some almost forgotten films brought back from the edges of obscurity for a whole new generation of fans to enjoy. And one of the companies at the forefront is Severin Films, who continues to amaze us fans with the quality of their releases. From their massive box sets to the incredible special features that accompany all of their releases Severin is educating as well as entertaining a whole generation of horror, cult and exploitation fans.
To help us discuss all things Severin, we figured why not invite the man behind the label, co-founder David Gregory himself! Join us while we talk about Video Nasties, how Severin got started, and why they continue to do what they do!
Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors (1965), The House that Dripped Blood (1971) and Tales from the Crypt (1972)
Amicus Productions was most known for their anthology films, even though that was a small percentage of the types of films they did make in over the years. But because of the quality of the films, the power of the stories they were based on, and the incredible cast of actors they would hire, they always made an impact on fans. In this episode, not only do we cover three of our favorite Amicus’ anthology titles, but we’re joined by producer/director Lawrie Brewster, the man behind the resurrection of Amicus Productions, that is currently working on a new anthology film to be released under the Amicus name!
Bigfoot (1970), Creature from Black Lake (1976), and Abominable (2006).
Tales of a mysterious, giant beast that wanders the wooded areas of the U.S., has never really proven to exist, but even to this day, is believed by many to really be out there, still hidden from mankind. Starting with Bigfoot in 1970, our furry giant became the subject of many movies and documentaries, and even on TV shows, such as The Six Million Dollar Man and even his own Saturday morning series, Bigfoot and Wildboy (1977). All this did was increase the interests in the subject matter, even if it didn’t make any new believers. It’s a subject that is still being used today with more modern-day films taking on this sub-genre, in many different variations and strange interpretations. So, join us as we discuss three different styles of the Bigfoot genre and see if you believe in Sasquatch!
Satan’s Slave (1976), Prey (1977), and Terror (1978)
There are a lot of directors out there that might not have a huge filmography, or even be that well known to the general population of film fans, even in the horror genre. So, there is always room to discover them! In this episode, we take a look at three films by British independent director Norman J. Warren, who didn’t make a lot of films, but we feel the ones he did make, make him a worthy subject for us to discuss. Honestly, it might make sense to read a little about him before diving into the films, or at least, do it afterwards but I think he is a good example of knowing what he had to make what he did, for us, makes them a little more impressive. You’ll get blood, you’ll get nudity, and a lot more than you’d expect in these three very British tales of horror.
Another year ending means another Wrap Up episode where we go over our top picks for the year, as well as discussing some other titles we’ve seen in 2023. While most of the films we do cover here as our favorite viewings for this year are from the last few years, they are not all from 2023. But as we’ve pointed out many times before, if you’re watching it for the first time, no matter when it was released, as far as we’re concerned, it still counts as a new movie to you!
2023 has been a great year for the horror genre, especially when you look outside the U.S., which we all hope everyone out there does, because there are some incredible titles coming from Spain, Malaysia, Argentina, Japan, and more. So hopefully our listeners are not restrained by films that are “only in English”, because those folks are sadly missing out on some incredible cinema.
For this episode, we strongly suggest you have a notepad and pen close by to jot down some titles because we think we’re going to give you more than a few that we feel you should be checking out.
And a special HUGE thanks to those that continue to tune in and listen to us ramble on about the genre we love. With this being our 60th episode, it seems our following is growing day by day, so thank you for your continued support and in 2024, we’ll continue to help you Discover the Horror!
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