As we bemoan the state of the world today and endure the anxiety of this cryptofascist, post-truth reality, we risk losing sight of the real danger to us all: savage fish men! Today we go right back where it all started, Universal's seminal entry in this monster subgenre, Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), directed by Jack Arnold. We then skip lightly over its first sequel and focus on its under-rated third entry, The Creature Walks Among Us (1956).

Fair warning: we go into the plots of both films in some detail, including the endings, but these films are over 70 years old and the storylines don't have much in the way of twists in any case, so we won't be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for either of them.

Want to get in touch? You can reach us on [email protected]

Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

"Walk Into The Sea" by Johnny Marr

In the future... it pays to be more than human. And it also pays quite well to be more than machine. What can I tell you, the future is highly discriminatory. In this bonus episode, Ted joins Rob and Joe to make a bit of a mess of explaining the plot of Nemesis (1992), directed by Albert Pyun. Cyborgs, bullets, bottoms, and dusters with shades - it's the quintessence of dystopian trashy sci-fi action.

Given how challenged we were by the impenetrable plot, which is of secondary importance at best, anyway, we simply don't bother with Spoiler Territory this week. Meaning, we do talk about the whole plot, but honestly it doesn't really matter.

Want to get in touch? You can reach us on [email protected]

Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

"Killer" by CHVRCHES

We're going back to the 1960's, this time to Swinging London and the Carnaby Street scene. It's not so much groovy, man, as smashing, luv! Justin Kerswell joins us to discuss a couple of near forgotten emanations of this peculiarly British reaction to the spirit of the age. We start off with Smashing Time (1967), directed by Desmond Davis and follow that up with Haunted House of Horror (1969), directed by Michael Armstrong.

We don't think you can really spoil Smashing Time, whose plot is somewhat surplus to requirements, but we will call out Spoiler Territory for Haunted House of Horror. If you want to skip ahead from that point, you can rejoin the conversation at the 2:17:53 mark to avoid spoilers.

Want to get in touch? You can reach us on [email protected]

Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

"Smash It Up" by The Damned

We're chock full of punk energy this week! RP Fox joins us as we check out Hard Core Logo (1996) directed by Bruce McDonald, and Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979) directed by Allan Arkush. A tragicomic road trip across western Canada with thrashing guitars, personal demons, toxic masculinity and lots of gobbing, followed by an absurdist slice of Greaseploitation from the house of Corman, but with added Ramones - which doesn't make much sense but is of course a wonderful thing regardless.

It's not really possible to spoil Rock 'n' Roll High School, but we will call out Spoiler Territory for Hard Core Logo. If you want to skip ahead from that point, you can rejoin the conversation at the 1:34:07 mark to avoid spoilers.

Want to get in touch? You can reach us on [email protected]

Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

"I Just Want to Have Something to Do" by The Ramones

We take a sharp U-turn into Utah for a very unique cult double feature this week. Jose and Mike from the Watch Skip + podcast drop in to check out Beaver Trilogy (2001), directed by Trent Harris and infamous "bad movie", Troll 2 (1990), directed by Claudio Fragasso. From a moving work of post-modern film art to a bizarre exercise in weird acting and incomprehensible plot, we have plenty to talk about this week. And we do! Because it's a podcast.

We don't think you can really spoil Troll 2 (surely any light we can shed on the plot is as welcome before or after you watch it), but we will call out Spoiler Territory for Beaver Trilogy - or at least, we will give away details revealed in the documentary about the film, Beaver Trilogy: Part IV (2015). If you want to skip ahead from that point, you can rejoin the conversation at the 1:31:12 mark to avoid learning things about the film's subject Groovin' Gary that you might prefer to learn after seeing the film.

Want to get in touch? You can reach us on [email protected]

Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

We revisit the dream of the freakadelic 60's this week with a couple of films which both celebrate and mourn the spirit of the age. Mark Evans of Sonic Coins + Icons joins us to discuss Easy Rider (1969), directed by Dennis Hopper and The Trip (1967), directed by Roger Corman. Bikes, weed, LSD, hippies and rednecks abound. Tune in, turn on, and drop out.

We don't think you can really spoil The Trip, which is literally too tripped out to bother with a storyline, but we will call out Spoiler Territory for Easy Rider. If you want to skip ahead from that point, you can rejoin the conversation at the 1:21:16 mark to avoid spoilers.

Want to get in touch? You can reach us on [email protected]

Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

Our closing music this week comes courtesy of Sonic Coins + Icons and their track "Beneath the Veil" (M. Evans) © 2025. Their new album Sohar is available at all the usual places: iTunes, Spotify, etc

Mark's great music can also be explored via the following links:

https://scicons.co.uk/

https://soniccoinsicons.bandcamp.com

Threads

Instagram

Facebook

Soundcloud

It's time for us to go back to Friday the 13th for another mismatched double feature program from the franchise. Al joins us once again, this time on a trip from the sublime to the ridiculous as we start with Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986), directed by Tom McLaughlin. This was generally considered a return to form for the franchise and has since been lauded as an exercise in metahorror quite ahead of its time.

The flip side, of course, is our B movie, Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989), directed by Rob Hedden - a film which often vies for the title of worst in the series. We may have something to say about that. Or maybe not. But you'd hope so, as this is supposed to be a podcast about movies.

Let's just say, plot is not really the reason to watch either of these films. so we won't be announcing a Spoiler Territory section for either of them.

Want to get in touch? You can reach us on [email protected]

Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

"The Crystal Lake" by Grandaddy

Days of future past - in the total utopia of 2026, we can now look back and laugh fondly at the dystopic cyberpunk visions of the 1990's... OR CAN WE??? Nick Langdon drops in this week to check out a pair of high-tech / low life visions from the mid-90s, when William Gibson's words weighed heavy on the sci-fi genre. We start with Strange Days (1995) directed by Kathryn Bigelow, and follow it up with Johnny Mnemonic (1995) directed by Robert Longo. Download, plug your SQUID in, and tune out...

It's not really possible to spoil Johnny Mnemonic, but we will call out Spoiler Territory for Strange Days (although it's possible Rob does heavily hint who the killer is early on). If you want to skip ahead from that point, you can rejoin the conversation at the 1:31:37 mark to avoid spoilers.

Want to get in touch? You can reach us on [email protected]

Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

"Wires" by Athlete

Classic film noir meets sleazy Italian exploitation this week as Sakana and Dr Ethan drop by to check out The Glass Key (1942), directed by Stuart Heisler, and the magnificently named Strip Nude For Your Killer (1975), directed by Andrea Bianchi. We dive deep into the lives and travails of The Glass Key's wonderful cast (including Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake and Brian Donlevy) and the its striking similarities with Coen brothers' later masterpiece, Miller's Crossing. Then, stay tuned for Ethan, Joe and especially Rob trying hard not to embarrass themselves expressing their... appreciation for Edwige Fenech in Bianchi's lurid giallo.

This time, we manage to have a deep discussion without spoiling the plots of either film, so we won't be calling out Spoiler Territory this week.

Want to get in touch? You can reach us on [email protected]

Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp

"Stripped" by Depeche Mode

Happy New Year, folks! The party's heating up at our place: Luigi Pistilli is still looking a little moody, but Steve James is benchpressing Geoffrey Keen (much to his chagrin), Henry Silva and Lance Henriksen are grinning evilly at each other, and Andrea Bianchi is getting a bit gropey (I think Charles Bronson has noticed and he's about to do something violent). So we figured we'd duck out of the festivities long enough to count down our Top 5 first-time watches of 2025 for you. Just a quick episode before we head back and launch into Auld Lang Syne.

See you later this week for the first episode of Season 3!!!

Want to get in touch? You can reach us on [email protected]

Theme music: "The Cold Light of Day" by HKM. Check out HKM on #SoundCloud or Bandcamp