Decades of Horror | Horror News Radio

"Oh what do you know. Haven't you heard of suspension of disbelief?" Edward D. Wood Jr. (Johnny Depp) thinks he knows what the true craft of movie making is. Released in 1994, Tim Burton's Ed Wood tells the story of a true underdog. A young man looking to carve out his place as a Hollywood filmmaker. Trouble is... he's terrible at it. His scripts are incoherent. The sets are made of cardboard. And he can't construct a shot to save his life. But he's got one thing that all the other cheap guys don't have: heart. And doesn't that makeup for a complete lack of talent?

Decades of Horror 1990s Episode 16 – Ed Wood (1994)

Despite winning two Oscars, Ed Wood didn't set the world on fire in 1994. Coming after Tim Burton's controversial Batman Returns, Ed Wood felt like a major departure for the director. After making big splashes with genre-driven films like Edward Scissorhands or Batman, a dramedy biopic about the man responsible for Plan 9 from Outer Space seemed like a sudden turn. Yet, there's a lot of Burton's usual subject matter here. Ed Wood is a very much the misunderstood loner protagonist Burton relates to, finding solace in a weird group of friends. There's socialite actor Bunny Breckinridge (Bill Murray), TV psychic showman Criswell (Jeffrey Jones) and barely intelligible wrestler Tor Johnson (George "The Animal" Steele). However, the strongest connection is with washed up monster icon Bela Lugosi (Martin Landau). Lugosi becomes a mentor of sorts for Ed, as Ed helps him cope with addiction and depression. A beautiful friendship that resulted in gloriously bad cinema.

To delve into all of this, Thomas Mariani enlists the help of Kaycee Jarrard. A fellow podcaster and writer, Kaycee shares a love for the old school Universal Monsters with Thomas. Naturally, Ed Wood became the must-cover topic. Sure, it isn't a horror film, but it's tied to centrally to both horror history and the nature of horror fandom. The group of misfits Ed Wood buddies up with are reminiscent of the type of lovable oddballs you find in the horror fan community. Kaycee and Thomas also discuss the lack of need for factual basis in a biopic, how much they miss Johnny Depp trying and how true this is to Tim Burton's directorial spirit. Well, at least more than a live action Dumbo probably will.

Contact Us

We want to hear from you – the coolest, most gruesome fans: leave us a message or leave a comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1990s podcast hosts at [email protected] or tweet Thomas @NotTheWhosTommy. Also, make sure to give us some love via iTunes reviews and ratings. Helps us get more notice along the way.

The intro and outro is "Suck City" by Black Math. Look for more of their music via Free Music Archive.

Next Episode

The Mummy (1999)

Welcome to American Gods Fan Podcast, Episode 5 "Lemon Scented You". This is the unofficial podcast about the hit Starz television program American Gods by fans for fans as brought to you by HorrorNewsTV.com, DocRotten.com, and GruesomeMagazine.com. The Grue-Crew behind the Hannibal Fan Podcast reunites to dive into the latest blood-soaked effort of Bryan Fuller as he brings to life the acclaimed novel from Neil Gaiman! Let's set on a cross-country trip across America with Shadow Moon and Mr. Wednesday.

Episode Five dives back into the story following Shadow Moon (Ricky Wittle) and Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane) after Shadow's "dead wife" Laura (Emily Browning) reappears in his hotel room. Before all that can be explain, Mr. Wednesday and Shadow get arrested for robbing the bank a few episodes back. While in lockup, the duo is visited by Media (Gillian Anderson), Technical Boy (Bruce Langley), and Mr. World (Crispin Glover). A few secrets are revealed and the war of the gods is properly seeded. Meanwhile, Mad Sweeney (Pablo Schreiber) bursts into the hotel room to confront Laura about getting his coin back. Sweeney's bad luck is in full swing.

American Gods Fan Podcast: Season One Episode 5 – Lemon Scented You Aired May 28, 2017, on Starz

The Grue-Crew explore each element of the show in an extended episode needed to cover how stuffed this particular week is. A lot happens in "Lemon Scented You" with a plethora of favorite scenes and fun bits. The biggest of which - at least for Doc Rotten - is the introduction of Mr. World played by fan favorite Crispin Glover who all but steals the show. The confrontation between Mr. World, Media, & Technical Boy and Mr. Wednesday & Shadow Moon is spectacular with revealing moments, foreshadowing, and character building. The war of the gods is set in motion. The dialog is also a delight especially when spoken by Laura Moon - although Mad Sweeney gets a few good lines as well. Director Vincenzo Natali captures the stunning beauty buried in the horror of the week. Great stuff, fun discussion ... and some listener feedback as well.

Each week, the Grue-Crew will present some of their favorite scenes in two spotlight segments. The first segment is The OMG Moment of the Week where they choose the bloodiest, goriest, most bizarre, most outrageous moment of the week's episode. The second episode of American Gods offers more fantasy oriented choices, far less bloody than last week. Which shocking twist will the hosts decide upon? The second segment is The Folklore Feature of the Week where they look back at the Americana moment of the week or the historical moment dealing with the American Gods themselves. As their story unfolds and their journey across America continues what riches will they present to the audience. Discover which richly flavored storyline peaked the hosts' interest this week.

We also want to hear from you! American Gods Fan Podcast is designed with the fan in mind and listener feedback is encouraged. That's right, we want to hear from you! To help you out, we have a Speakpipe account set up for you to leave your Voice Messages. Click on this link and leave Dave, Christopher, Doc and Thomas your thoughts. The service is free and no number is required, all you need is a PC and mic.

We also want to be sure to thank Neon Devils for their killer track "American Godcast'" which we use for the intro and outro.

"Now you're being rude, and I hate rude people." Surprise, Fannibals! The Hannibal Fan Podcast has been mostly dormant since the series Hannibal ended in 2015. The Grue Crew hasn't been totally silent about the titular cannibal in some form or another. After doing Manhunter on the Decades of Horror 1980s podcast and Silence of the Lambs on the 90s, we just couldn't stay away. Unfortunately, maybe we should have. Our topic for this special bonus episode - in honor of Alien Covenant being recently released - is Ridley Scott's Hannibal (2001). Featuring the return of Anthony Hopkins to the role that won him an Oscar, Hannibal came out to be a major box office success. But how well does it hold up? Listen as Doc Rotten, Dave Dreher, Christopher G. Moore and Thomas Mariani discuss!

Hannibal Fan Podcast Bonus Episode 1 – Hannibal (2001)

After a decade's worth of varying production attempts to get a Lambs sequel off the ground, Hannibal had a lot going against it on the way in. Lambs director Jonathan Demme and Hopkins' co-star Jodie Foster both declined to be involved due to their issues with the Thomas Harris novel. One can't really blame them, given the story of Hannibal centers on Clarice Starling (now played by Julianne Moore) sulking around dwelling on her past with the genius cannibal. She's offered a chance to find Hannibal - now in exile abroad - thanks to an investigation sparked by Mason Verger (Gary Oldman). He's a wealthy handicapped man with a grudge against the man who severely scarred his face. That man (Anthony Hopkins) is in Italy trying to lay low, impersonating a librarian and eating where he can. That is until a corrupt Italian detective (Giancarlo Giannini) attempts to spoil his peaceful life to bring him to Verger. Nothing a game of "bowels in, bowels out" can't fix.

The Hannibal Fan Podcast crew is happy to be back together discussing another product of Thomas Harris' universe. Unfortunately, they wished it was under better circumstances. No, the Crew isn't the hugest fan of Hannibal. Especially with how well Bryan Fuller integrated many of these elements into the TV show they mutually loved. There's a lot of comparing and contrasting of the Mason Vergers, the Clarice/Will Graham role and of course Hopkins vs. Mads in similar scenarios. One can guess which one wins out. There's also much discussion of Ridley Scott's style, the prosthetics used to show us Ray Liotta's inner workings and how much Anthony Hopkins actually cared. Mileage may vary, but one thing is for certain; Hannibal made this group appreciate their beloved departed TV show even more.

As always we want your feedback so drop us a line at [email protected] and we'll talk next time as we continue to bring you our recipe for fear with HORROR NEWS TV HANNIBAL FAN PODCAST. Tell us if you want to see us cover Red Dragon (2002), Hannibal Rising (2007) or even the first season of the show! Send in your impressions today at http://horrornewstv.com/feedback/ or send an email to [email protected]!

The Alien franchise returns to theaters this past weekend with Ridley Scott's Alien: Covenant. While it is a direct sequel to Prometheus, featuring fan-favorite David (Michael Fassbender), the film suggests a new origin for the xenomorph species....and a plethora of gory, gruesome special effects! For the What Have You Been Watching segment, Thomas visits David Lynch's Twin Peaks The Return on Showtime. Dave dives into the Horror News of the Week with the Sony announcement that Tom Hardy is Venom, George Romero is shopping Road of the Dead, and Universal has relabeled its upcoming monster franchise Dark Universe. Closing out the show Thomas and Santos participate in a battle of wits with this week's Stump the Saint!

As always, the HNR Grue-Crew would love to hear from you, the listeners, the fans. You can always reach out via email at feedback(AT)horrornewsradio(DOT)com or find us on Twitter: Doc Rotten | Dave Dreher | The Black Saint | Thomas Mariani. Also, like us on Facebook and join the Horror News Radio Facebook Group.

Horror News Radio Episode 216 – Alien: Covenant (2017) – Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) Subscribe – iTunes – Facebook – Stitcher

SHOWNOTES INTRO [00:00:42] HORROR NEWS OF THE WEEK [00:04:15] SUPPORT HNR [00:40:09]

• Patreon
• HNR & Gruesome Magazine T-Shirts
• Gruesome Magazine 2016 Yearbook

FEATURE REVIEW [00:40:52]

• Alien: Covenant (2017)
• Director: Ridley Scott / w. Jack Paglen & Michael Green and John Logan & Dante Harper
• Cast: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Demian Bichir, Carmen Ejogo, Jussie Smollett, Callie Hernandez, Amy Seimetz, Nathaniel Dean, Alexander England, w/ Javier Botet, James Franco, Guy Pearce, & Noomi Rapace

ANNOUNCEMENTS [01:31:24]

• Gruesome Magazine has launched the American Gods Fan Podcast
• Doc recaps the events at the Crimson Screen Horror Film Festival
  • Crimson Screen Horror Films Festival (5/19-22 Charleston SC)
  • Check out the shorts Lucid, The Corner, Born Again, Death Metal, and Puppy
• Convention and Film Festival Appearances
  • Wizard World Philadelphia (June 1-4 Philadelphia, PA)
  • Raleigh Supercon (July 14-16, Raleigh, NC)
  • Monster-Mania (Cherry Hill, NJ - Aug 18-20)
  • DRAGON CON (Atlanta, GA, September 1 - 4)
  • Genre Blast (Winchester, VA, September 8-10)
  • Wreak Havoc (Greensboro, NC, Sept 22-23)
  • Monsterama (Atlanta, GA, Sept 29-Oct 1)
  • Nightmares Horror Film Festival (Columbus, OH, October 19-22)
  • Santos will once again be involved with the New York City Horror Film Festival (NYC October, 26-29)

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING [01:35:58]

• Twin Peaks: The Return (2017)
• Creator: Mark Frost & David Lynch
• Cast: Kyle MacLachlan, Sheryl Lee, Kimmy Robertson, Russ Tamblyn, Madchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook, Ray Wise, Grace Zabriskie, Everette McGill, Amy Shiels

STUMP THE SAINT [01:47:27] FEEDBACK [01:55:21]

• Thanks to Tear Out the Heart and Victory Records for use of the song Undead Anthem for the intro and outro of the HNR podcast

NEXT WEEK

• Hounds of Love and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

"This is a very rare book. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone. … Who knows what you may learn from it. You might end up by gaining a fortune or losing your precious soul." So said a wizened, antique bookseller (Ivor Barnard) to Captain Herman Suvorin (Anton Walbrook) as he sold him a tome of supernatural secrets. Join the Decades of Horror: The Classic Era's Grue Crew - Chad Hunt, Erin Miskell, Jeff Mohr, and Joseph Perry - as they journey back to 1949 and take a gamble on The Queen of Spades.

Decades of Horror: The Classic EraEpisode 7 – The Queen of Spades (1949)

Is The Queen of Spades the best horror film of 1949? It is according to Bloody Disgusting and Rotten Tomatoes. The film was thought to be lost until 2009 and when Jeff noticed it was now available for streaming, he excitedly added the film to the schedule as his next pick. The Queen of Spades tells the story of a young countess who strikes a Faustian bargain with the devil and exchanges her soul for the ability to gamble and win at Faro. Years later, a lower class, army officer, who resents the aristocracy and is obsessed with gaining comparable status in society, stalks Lizaveta Ivanova (Yvonne Mitchell), the ward of the now elderly Countess, to gain access to the secret of the cards. In the process, he causes the death of the Countess and finds himself haunted by the woman's spirit.

After viewing The Queen of Spades, your intrepid Classic Era Grue Crew couldn't agree on whether it was a horror movie or not. Erin, Joseph, and Chad questioned its horror bonafides while Jeff stuck with the hand he dealt himself and played his "deal with the devil" and "evil haunting" cards. After all, it was the best horror film of 1949, right? However, Joseph is quick to point out the competition in 1949 was as thin as a playing card, causing us all to question the value of it being referred to as the "year's best."

If you have not heard of the 1834 Alexander Pushkin story on which the film is based, you will find yourself in the same boat as we did when we were surprised to learn there had been over twenty adaptations of the story over the years. It's also likely you have not heard of the film's director, Thorold Dickinson. You will be shocked to learn what Martin Scorsese has to say about Dickinson in general and The Queen of Spades specifically. Even Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel) has something interesting to say about this film.

We also discuss the answers to these burning questions. Does the performance of Dame Edith Evans, as the elderly Countess Ranevskaya, live up to her reputation as the greatest actress on the English stage in the 20th century? Why did Anton Walbrook flee Germany? Where have I seen Ronald Howard, who plays Suvorin's aristocratic friend Andrei, before? Which of these actors played Sherlock Holmes in the 1950s? What does Mary Poppins have to do with The Queen of Spades? Which of the film's actors also appeared in a Hammer film? What was used for the snow to depict the Russian winter?

If you're paying attention, you'll also hear which of us makes these memorable comments:

• "I am down with the young people!"
• "There are many old bitty horror films ... you know, that's a subgenre, I'm not being mean."
• "The higher the hair, the closer to God."
• "At first I thought it was film grain, but I think there were actual bees flying in and out of that thing."
• "Because I'm anal."

If you'd like to listen to the "The Queen of Spades" radio episode of Mystery in the Air, starring Peter Lorre and first aired in 1947, you can check it out here.

We plan to release a new episode every other week. Our upcoming schedule includes The Last Man on Earth (1964), Village of the Damned (1960), Viy (1967), and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920).

Please let us know what you think of Decades of Horror: The Classic Era and what films you'd like to hear us cover! We want to hear from you! After all, without you, we're just four nutjobs talking about the movies we love. Send us an email ([email protected], [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected]) or leave us a message, a review or a comment at GruesomeMagazine.com, iTunes, the Horror News Radio App, or the Horror News Radio Facebook group.

To each of you from each of us, "Thank you for listening!"

"See you in the movies!" Eric Binford (Dennis Christopher) loves movies. The classic black and white films of old. Gangsters. Dashing cowboys. Universal Monsters. All are welcome in his escapist fantasies of the theater or his own memorability filled room to hide from reality. Sound a bit familiar? Yes, the protagonist of Fade to Black is a bit too close to home in certain ways to the average movie buff. But there's one line of his we haven't crossed yet... hopefully: Murder! But at least he has some cosplay appropriate attire to do it in.

Decades of Horror 1980s Episode 108 – Fade to Black (1980)

Fade to Black is a rather obscure footnote in horror film history. Released in 1980 to little fanfare, Fade to Black hasn't had a home video release since 1999, due to the endless licenses that would have to be approved. Showing clips from Creature from the Black Lagoon, White Heat and The Public Enemy, the legalities are pretty tied up. Not to mention some of the likenesses involved, like Marilyn Monroe look-alike Marilyn O'Conner (Linda Kerridge). She's the object of Eric's desires. The only non-movie related thought that gets him through being harassed by his Aunt Stella (Eve Brent), his boss Marty Berger (Norman Burton) and his beefy co-worker Richie (a fresh-faced Mickey Rourke). Eric is on edge and ready to snap at any moment. Luckily, he has plenty of elaborate costumes to show off his metaphorical Fade to Black.

Doc Rotten, Thomas Mariani and Christopher G. Moore managed to see this diamond in the rough thanks to Amazon Prime. While Doc enjoyed revisiting it, Thomas and Christopher viewed it for the first time. One found Fade to Black to be a tragically fascinating gem ahead of its time in predicting the type of obsession culture of the Internet age. One... wasn't as impressed. The results may shock you. The trio discusses the film references, Dennis Christopher's tragic performance, and that weird cop subplot. Yeah, they're not even sure why it's there. Still, Fade to Black is one to check out... while you still can!

We want to hear from you – the coolest, most gruesome fans: leave us a message or leave a comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1980s podcast hosts at [email protected] or [email protected].

Welcome to American Gods Fan Podcast, episode 4 "Git Gone". This is the unofficial podcast about the hit Starz television program American Gods by fans for fans as brought to you by HorrorNewsTV.com, DocRotten.com, and GruesomeMagazine.com. The Grue-Crew behind the Hannibal Fan Podcast reunites to dive into the latest blood-soaked effort of Bryan Fuller as he brings to life the acclaimed novel from Neil Gaiman! Let's set on a cross-country trip across America with Shadow Moon and Mr. Wednesday.

Episode Four follows the life and death and life of Laura Moon (Emily Browning) as she meets Shadow, falls in love with him, marries him, and betrays him. Only to be resurrected by him. Her story takes place during the first three episodes of American Gods season one, ending on the very note presented in the previous episode. And, it is remarkable.

American Gods Fan Podcast: Season One Episode 4 – Git Gone Aired May 28, 2017, on Starz

For many in the Grue-Crew, this episode starts off troubling most of the hosts - all, except Thomas. At least, initially. By the midway point, however, the entire Crew is fully on board. The hosts discuss what it all means. Doc ponders does she now have the "sun coin" within her and what happens when Mad Sweeney insists on retrieving it. What will Shadow do now that he has been hurt so badly by Laura and finds her sitting across from him - apparently alive once again? Will she continue to color the show blood red with crimson splatter? The show continues to impress, proving worthy of the early second season renewal. Thank you, Starz!

Each week, the Grue-Crew will present some of their favorite scenes in two spotlight segments. The first segment is The OMG Moment of the Week where they choose the bloodiest, goriest, most bizarre, most outrageous moment of the week's episode. The second episode of American Gods offers more fantasy oriented choices, far less bloody than last week. Which shocking twist will the hosts decide upon? The second segment is The Folklore Feature of the Week where they look back at the Americana moment of the week or the historical moment dealing with the American Gods themselves. As their story unfolds and their journey across America continues what riches will they present to the audience. Discover which rich storyline peaked the hosts' interest this week.

We also want to hear from you! American Gods Fan Podcast is designed with the fan in mind and listener feedback is encouraged. That's right, we want to hear from you! To help you out, we have a Speakpipe account set up for you to leave your Voice Messages. Click on this link and leave Dave, Christopher, Doc and Thomas your thoughts. The service is free and no number is required, all you need is a PC and mic.

We also want to be sure to thank Neon Devils for their killer track "American Godcast'" which we use for the intro and outro

The Grue-Crew catch a pair of VOD horror offerings this week with Mike Mendez' Don't Kill It as the feature review and Dan Berk & Robert Olsen's Stake Land 2: The Stakelander in the What Have You Been Watching segment. What they find, despite both being written by the Berk & Olsen team, is that mileage varies. One of the films lands on the positive side of the draw while the other dips into a less favorable reaction. At least there's plenty of Dolph Lundgren! Dave sadly shares the Horror News of the Week with the passing of two legendary character actors: RIP Michael Parks and Power Booth. Closing out the show Thomas and Santos participate in a battle of wits with this week's Stump the Saint!

As always, the HNR Grue-Crew would love to hear from you, the listeners, the fans. You can always reach out via email at feedback(AT)horrornewsradio(DOT)com or find us on Twitter: Doc Rotten | Dave Dreher | The Black Saint | Thomas Mariani. Also, like us on Facebook and join the Horror News Radio Facebook Group.

Horror News Radio Episode 215 – Don't Kill It (2017) – Stake Land II (2017) Subscribe – iTunes – Facebook – Stitcher

SHOWNOTES INTRO [00:00:41] HORROR NEWS OF THE WEEK [00:03:06]

• RIP Michael Parks
• RIP Powers Booth
• Jennifer Lawrence puts her heart into the new one sheet for 'Mother'
• 'Game of Death' Starring Daniel Radcliffe from 'Deathgasm' Director
• Thom York bringing the music to Suspiria remake

SUPPORT HNR [00:23:15]

• Patreon
• HNR & Gruesome Magazine T-Shirts
• Gruesome Magazine 2016 Yearbook

FEATURE REVIEW [00:23:40]

• Don't Kill It (2017)
• Director: Mike Mendez / w. Dan Berk & Robert Olsen
• Cast: Dolph Lundgren (as Jebediah Woodley), Kristina Klebe (as Agent Evelyn Pierce), James Chalke (as Pastor Erikson)

ANNOUNCEMENTS [00:47:59]

• Gruesome Magazine has launched the American Gods Fan Podcast
• Convention and Film Festival Appearances
  • Crimson Screen Horror Films Festival (5/19-22 Charleston SC)
  • Wizard World Philadelphia (June 1-4 Philadelphia, PA)
  • Raleigh Supercon (July 14-16, Raleigh, NC)
  • Monster-Mania (Cherry Hill, NJ - Aug 18-20)
  • DRAGON CON (Atlanta, GA, September 1 - 4)
  • Genre Blast (Winchester, VA, September 8-10)
  • Wreak Havoc (Greensboro, NC, Sept 22-23)
  • Monsterama (Atlanta, GA, Sept 29-Oct 1)
  • Nightmares Horror Film Festival (Columbus, OH, October 19-22)
  • Santos will once again be involved with the New York City Horror Film Festival (NYC October, 26-29)

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING [00:52:13]

• Stake Land II: The Stakelander (2017)
• Director: Dan Berk & Robert Olsen / w. Nick Damici
• Cast: Nick Damici, Connor Paolo, Laura Abramsen

STUMP THE SAINT [01:11:53] FEEDBACK [01:18:24]

• Thanks to Tear Out the Heart and Victory Records for use of the song Undead Anthem for the intro and outro of the HNR podcast

NEXT WEEK

• Alien: Covenant

"Through the darkness of futures past. The magician longs to see. One chants out between two worlds. 'Fire walk with me.'" The world of David Lynch and Mark Frost's Twin Peaks was one of the more inventive examples of television in the early 90s. The titular Washington town had rich characters, surreal horrors and some damn fine coffee. However, in the 25 years since Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) first visited that sleepy town, has Twin Peaks stood the test of time? Or has it disappeared into The Black Lodge?

Decades of Horror 1990s Episode 15 – Twin Peaks Retrospective

Twin Peaks was the surprise hit of the spring 1990 TV season. With a cast chock full of quirky characters and the major mystery of the death of Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) at the heart of it's premise, it helped revolutionize what serialized television could be. Part over the top soap opera, part crime procedural, part surrealist horror. Twin Peaks wasn't like anything seen on television. Unfortunately, creators David Lynch and Mark Frost were forced by ABC to reveal their mystery early into the second season. Thus, we got a directionless tangent of episodes and an eventual cancellation on a cliffhanger. Lynch would return to the town of Twin Peaks with the feature film prequel Fire Walk With Me in 1992, which was met with diresion from critics and fans alike.

In celebration of Twin Peaks getting a mini-series revival for Showtime, Thomas Mariani and guest Christopher G. Moore are taking a look back at the influential series. Christopher describes his early love of the show during its heyday while Thomas came to the series much later. The two share mutual adoration for the balance of season one. And a mutual frustration over the wacky meandering of season two. Yet, there are plenty of clashing opinions, mainly over the resolve of Laura Palmer's murder and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. Journey with them into The Black Lodge to discuss the gum that will come back in style over some damn fine coffee, won't you?

Contact Us

We want to hear from you – the coolest, most gruesome fans: leave us a message or leave a comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1990s podcast hosts at [email protected] or tweet Thomas @NotTheWhosTommy. Also make sure to give us some love via iTunes reviews and ratings. Helps us get more notice along the way.

Next Episode

Ed Wood

"Unfortunately, in the state of society, as it exists today, we are not permitted to experiment on human beings. Normal human beings." - Christopher Lee's line in The Creeping Flesh (1973) sets up the odd tone of the film. Let the fun begin! The Black Saint and Doc Rotten tackle another groovy horror film from the 1970s. Joining the grue-crew is Gruesome Magazine contributor and the host of Decades of Horror The Classic Era Jeff Mohr. Rounding out the co-hosts this episode is Chad Hunt, Jeff's frequent co-conspirator on the Classic Era, joining the usual crew to discuss another awesome collaboration between horror icons Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.

Decades of Horror 1970s Episode 51 – The Creeping Flesh (1973)

Anytime we get to cover a Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee film, Doc is happy as a clam. The Creeping Flesh, despite its many flaws, lands in the win column for the good doctor. Jeff is equally delighted with the film, as is Chad regardless of his reservations. The Black Saint, however, is not thrilled with The Creeping Flesh one bit. He often challenges the group to back up their love for this oddball film. It isn't easy. The film has wonky pacing, illogical character decisions, bizarre side storylines that distract from the main tale, and not nearly enough of the title character. The Grew-Crew fear that many horror fans will side with The Black Saint on this one unless they are a Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee completist.

From time to time The Creeping Flesh scores with great acting from the two horror icons and typical high standards with costuming and set design. The creature's skeleton is quite marvelous as well, large and fascinating. The creeping flesh element of the film - however brief - is a highlight. And while actress Lorna Heilbron scores with Jeff Mohr her character's motivations for the final act come under question from the Grue-Crew. And, as often stated, whenever Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee share the screen, the film becomes immediately more entertaining. And, for those who love their Hammer Films, The Creeping Flesh comes complete with a brief, but welcomed, appearance from the one-and-only Michael Ripper. There's always that!

We want to hear from you - the coolest, grooviest fans: leave us a message or leave a comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1970s podcast hosts at [email protected] or [email protected].