Decades of Horror | Horror News Radio

"That evil noose was made when they found farmer Berkeley murdered in his field. They accused ferryman Douglas of the crime and hanged him. He swore that he was innocent, but that didn't stop them. It was then he spoke his curse." Yikes! Evil noose? Deadly curse? Sounds right up our alley! Join Jeff Mohr and Joseph Perry, along with guest host Mike Imboden, as we take our first trip to Poverty Row and brave the foggy swamp of Strangler of the Swamp!

Decades of Horror: The Classic Era Episode 34 – Strangler of the Swamp (1946)

Strangler of the Swamp tells the story of a ferryman, wrongly accused of murder and lynched, who curses his murderers before his death. Since that day, several members of his lynch mob have died strange accidental deaths which, not so coincidentally, resemble hangings. Motives of love, revenge, guilt, and money combine with supernatural elements to weave the threads of this story together.

Co-written and directed by Frank Wisbar, Strangler of the Swamp is a loose remake of Fährmann Maria (1936), a German film also co-written and directed by Wisbar. A Producers Releasing Corporation production, Strangler of the Swamp was shot on a shoestring budget like most Poverty Row films. The set was covered with a thick blanket of fog throughout the movie to hide the lack of a swamp or any water whatsoever. The cast wes filled with character actors and newcomers that included Rosemary La Planche; Blake Edwards, who went on to write and direct well known comedies such as the Pink Panther films; Robert Barrat; Charles Middleton, who played Ming the Merciless in the Flash Gordon Serials; Effie Laird; and Nolan Leary.

This episode's Grue Crew comment that, even though the fog served a budgetary purpose, it is effective at creating an eerie atmosphere that serves the film well. Though you'll never find Strangler of the Swamp on a traditional "best of" list, it can be placed in the top tier of Poverty Row pictures. Joseph, Mike, and Jeff recommend this film if you have any interest in Poverty Row films and maybe, just to see Blake Edwards before he hit the bigtime.

We plan to release a new episode every other week. The next episode in our very flexible schedule is Invisible Ghost (1941), another Poverty Row gem starring Bela Lugosi, selected by Chad Hunt.

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 films we love. Send us an email or leave us a message, a review, or a comment at GruesomeMagazine.com, iTunes, Stitcher, or the Horror News Radio Facebook group.

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

Horror on TV has never been as spectacular as it is at present, genre fans are getting everything from Stephen King adaptations to American Horror Story to franchise reboots on the small screen. None have been as deliriously gory and fun as the addition of Ash Vs Evil Dead on Starz. Each week Christopher, Dave, and Doc will cover the show on a weekly basis. On this episode "The Mettle of Men," we bid Ash, Pablo, Kelly, and Brandy a fond farewell as not only this season but the series itself comes to an end. Ash faces a 60 foot tall Kandarian demon as the Evil Dead attack Elk Grove...and the world. [cue scary music] Join Doc Rotten, Dave Dreher, and Christopher G. Moore as they discuss Ash Vs Evil Dead.

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 like us on Facebook and join the Horror News Radio Facebook Group.

Horror News Radio Ash vs The Evil Dead – Season 3 – Episode 10 - The Mettle of Men

"Amazing companions on an incredible adventure... that journeys beyond imagination!" the tagline for Silent Running promises a sci-fi spectacle but the film is instead a rather intimate tale of astronaut Freeman Lowell descending into madness. Director Douglas Trumbull's space-epic is perhaps better known for the three small drones, Huey, Duey, and Luey. Join your faithful Grue Crew - Doc Rotten, Bill Mulligan, Chad Hunt, and Jeff Mohr - as they join Bruce Dern on his adventures aboard the Valley Forge.

Decades of Horror 1970s Episode 73 – Silent Running (1972)

Written by the impressive team of Deric Washburn, Michael Cimino, and Steven Bochco, Silent Running has a lot to say between the lines. While the film focuses upon its lead character, Freeman Lowell as played by Bruce Dern, the story dives into environmental and corporate politics, theories, and dire warnings of a not-to-distant future doomed to set Earth on a collision course with disaster. Visual effects pioneer, Douglas Trumbull, steps behind the camera to guide the spectacular visuals, some of which, were borrowed from unused scenes for his work on 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). His creation of the three drones would fascinate audiences in 1972 and directly influence the famous droids seen George Lucas' Star Wars (1977). Silent Running, despite is calculated pacing, is an influential film that bridges the gap between 2001 and Star Wars.

Sharing their thoughts about the film, the Grue-Crew relive the first time they saw the film back in the 1970s - Jeff in the theater, Doc on TV, and Bill later on video in college. Bill's take is based more of the political nature of the film, while Doc is focused on Bruce Dern and the drones. Chad and Jeff admire the film's visual excellent and careful storytelling. Doc shares his experience seeing the film for the first time in nearly 40 years on the big screen at the FantasticRealm Film Series at the Carolina Theater in Durham, NC. Regardless of their take, the Grue-Crew agree the film is important to film history and rise of science fiction film.

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].

"The question of death selection may be the most important decision in your life." What?! You get to select your own death? That's usually not the case but in the world of John Frankenheimer's Seconds (1966), that's exactly what the character played by John Randolph and Rock Hudson has to do. Yes, you read that right. They play the same character. Join Jeff Mohr, Chad Hunt, and Joseph Perry, along with guest host Bill Gabriel, as we spend a lot of seconds digging into Seconds!

Decades of Horror: The Classic Era Episode 33 – Seconds (1966)

This film's title does not refer to the seconds on your watch, but to second chances. Seconds tells the story of one Arthur Hamilton (John Randolph), a middle-aged banker that has lost all interest in his life, his job, his wife (Frances Reid), and even his daughter. An old friend (Murray Hamilton) who Arthur thought was dead, reaches out to give him an opportunity to begin anew, a second chance if you will. Arthur looks into this possible new life and after some debate and eventually some blackmail, "decides" to take advantage of the offer. After his "death" and some plastic surgery, Arthur looks a lot like Rock Hudson and is rechristened Tony Wilson. As you probably suspect, even though the Company has orchestrated some female companionship (Salome Jens) for him, Tony's new lease on life turns out not to be the panacea he expected.

Adapted for the screen by Lewis John Carlino from the novel by David Ely, Seconds has gone from box office failure to classic in the 50+ years since its release. Director John Frankenheimer surrounded himself with a high quality crew on all accounts, including cinematographer James Wong Howe who received an Academy Award nomination for his work on Seconds. Frankenheimer also enlisted a superb supporting cast, including Will Geer, Richard Anderson, Jeff Corey, Khigh Dhiegh, Wesley Addy, Nedrick Young, and Karl Swenson.

This episode's Grue Crew gives Seconds the highest accolades and recommends it to all Grue Believers. Each of them also holds the opinion that Rock Hudson and James Wong Howe should have received Academy Awards for their work on this films. Don't give this underappreciated classic a second thought. You must see Seconds!

We plan to release a new episode every other week. The next episode in our very flexible schedule is the Poverty Row gem, Strangler of the Swamp (1946), selected by Joseph Perry.

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 films we love. Send us an email or leave us a message, a review, or a comment at GruesomeMagazine.com, iTunes, Stitcher, the Horror News Radio App, or the Horror News Radio Facebook group.

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

Horror on TV has never been as spectacular as it is at present, genre fans are getting everything from Stephen King adaptations to American Horror Story to franchise reboots on the small screen. None have been as deliriously gory and fun as the addition of Ash Vs Evil Dead on Starz. Each week Christopher, Dave, and Doc will cover the show on a weekly basis. On this episode "Judgement Day," Ash faces Ruby and Kaya...and the Dark Ones, Pablo tries to close the rift, and Brandy battles the Deadites alone with only the Boomstick to save her. Join Doc Rotten, Dave Dreher, and Christopher G. Moore as they discuss Ash Vs Evil Dead.

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 like us on Facebook and join the Horror News Radio Facebook Group.

Horror News Radio Ash vs The Evil Dead – Season 3 – Episode 9 - Judgement Day

George and the Rock give the Grue-Crew the finger this week as we review Rampage. Vanessa Thompson from the Gruesome Magazine Podcast joins Dave and Doc to take a look at some goofy, silly, but ultimately entertaining Kaiju action with this week's big theatrical release. Doc also takes a look at Blumhouse's Truth or Dare and Dave shares his thoughts on the book The Ultimate Guide to Strange Cinema from author Michael Vaughn. And, of course, Horror News of the Week starts off the show.

As always, the HNR Grue-Crew would love to hear from you, the listeners, the fans. You can always reach out via email at media(AT)horrornewsradio(DOT)com. Also, like us on Facebook and join the Horror News Radio Facebook Group.

Horror News Radio Episode 263 – Rampage Subscribe – iTunes – Facebook – Stitcher

INTRO

• Use the promo code 'GRUESOME' for a 30 day free trial at Shudder!

HORROR NEWS OF THE WEEKS

• RIP R. Lee Ermey (TCM, Frighteners, Willard, Toy Story, Full Metal Jacket)
• RIP Harry Anderson (as adult Richie Tozier in It / 1990, Night Court)
• Joe Bob Briggs bringing his talents to SHUDDER
• Pet Sematary gets its new Louis Creed
• AMC bringing NOS4A2 to the channel!

FEATURE REVIEW: Rampage

• Rampage (2018)
• Director: Brad Peyton
• Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Naomie Harris, Malin Akerman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING: Blumhouse's Truth or Dare

• Blumhouse's Truth or Dare (2018)
• Director: Jeff Wadlow
• Cast: Lucy Hale, Tyler Posey, Violett Beane

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN READING: Ultimate Guide to Strange Cinema

• Ultimate Guide to Strange Cinema by Michael Vaughn

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Horror on TV has never been as spectacular as it is at present, genre fans are getting everything from Stephen King adaptations to American Horror Story to franchise reboots on the small screen. None have been as deliriously gory and fun as the addition of Ash Vs Evil Dead on Starz. For the first two seasons, Thomas covered the show in written form but we're mixing it up for season 3. Now, each week Thomas, Dave and Doc will cover the show on a weekly basis. On this episode "Rifting Apart," Ash and Pablo formulate a dangerous plan to save Kelly and Brandy from the Rift. While Ash dives into the Rift for the rescue, Pablo faces a Deadite menace. Join Doc Rotten, Dave Dreher, and Thomas Mariani as they discuss Ash Vs Evil Dead.

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 | Thomas Mariani. Also, like us on Facebook and join the Horror News Radio Facebook Group.

Horror News Radio Ash vs The Evil Dead – Season 3 – Episode 8 - Rifting Apart

Be very very quiet. After all, it's a podcast. Yes, The Grue Crew are covering the mega-successful horror film A Quiet Place this week. John Krasinski has graduated from being Jim from The Office into the new "it" director/writer/actor as this small budget horror film managed to blind side everyone with a massive opening weekend. Now, Doc Rotten, Thomas Mariani, and Yonathan Habtemichael are here to see if the hype is real. But first, there's horror news of the week to talk about! Even without Dave Dreher, there's a gaggle of trailers ranging from Upgrade to The Meg, Stranger Things heading to Halloween Horror Nights and Platinum Dunes promising no more horror remakes! It's so exciting you'll wanna scream... BUT DON'T!

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 | Thomas Mariani. Also, like us on Facebook and join the Horror News Radio Facebook Group.

Horror News Radio Episode 262 – A Quiet Place Subscribe – iTunes – Facebook – Stitcher

INTRO [00:00:38]

• Use the promo code 'GRUESOME' for a 30 day free trial at Shudder!

HORROR NEWS OF THE WEEK [00:05:00]

• Trailer Round Up!
  • Solo: A Star Wars Story
  • The First Purge
  • Upgrade
  • The Meg
• Stranger Things coming to Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights
• Platinum Dunes vows "No More Horror Remakes"

ANNOUNCEMENTS [00:41:23]

• Check out our Decades of Horror podcasts as well as the Gruesome Magazine Podcast!

FEATURE REVIEW: A Quiet Place [00:42:36]

• A Quiet Place (2018)
• director: John Krasinski
• cast: John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe

SUPPORT HNR [01:31:35]

• Patrons at Patreon who donate as low as $1 can vote for an exclusive HNR podcast and one Decades of Horror episode every month!

HNR LINKS:

• Patreon
• HNR & Gruesome Magazine T-Shirts

"I have never known birds of different species to flock together. The very concept is unimaginable. Why, if that happened, we wouldn't stand a chance! How could we possibly hope to fight them?" Yikes! The ornithologist has a darn good point! Join Chad Hunt, Joseph Perry (He's ba-a-a-ck!), and Jeff Mohr, along with guest host Dan Sellers, as we take a bird's eye view of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963).

Decades of Horror: The Classic Era Episode 32 – The Birds (1963)

Based on Daphne du Maurier's short story of the same title and adapted to the screen by Evan Hunter, The Birds tells the story of Bodega Bay, a California coastal town terrorized by inexplicably aggressive and belligerent birds.The film stars Tippi Hedren (Melanie), Suzanne Pleshette (Annie), Jessica Tandy (Lydia), Veronica Cartwright (Cathy), and Rod Taylor (Mitch) under the direction of Alfred Hitchcock.

The stars are surrounded by a cast populated with some of the best character actors in the business, including Ethel Griffies as the ornithologist, Charles McGraw as the fishing boat captain, Lonny Chapman as the innkeeper, Doreen Lang as the hysterical mother, Karl Swenson as the drunken prophet, Joe Mantell as the cynical businessman, Ruth McDevitt as the owner of bird shop, Malcolm Atterbury as the deputy, Richard Deacon as Mitch's neighbor in San Francisco, Doodles Weaver as a fisherman helping with a rental boat, and William Quinn as a man in the diner. You might not recognize all of their names, but if you watched many movies or television shows from the 1950s through the 1970s, you will most assuredly recognize their faces.

Jeff points out The Birds has been called Hitchcock's monster movie. Chad proclaims his love of Albert Whitlock's matte paintings and explains the method used by longtime Disney employee Ub Iwerks in providing the special effects for The Birds. Joseph marvels at Hitchcock's ability to build and hold tension and suspense, and they all agree the credit should be shared with editor George Tomasini. Dan discusses the prototypical "Hitchcock blonde" and confides to the Grue Crew that he's just glad to be doing a podcast without Sammie Cassell.

We plan to release a new episode every other week. The next episode in our very flexible schedule is John Frankenheimer's Seconds (1963), selected by Jeff Mohr.

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 films we love. Send us an email or leave us a message, a review, or a comment at GruesomeMagazine.com, iTunes, Stitcher, the Horror News Radio App, or the Horror News Radio Facebook group.

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

"There's a legend 'round here. A killer buried, but not dead. A curse on Crystal Lake, a death curse: Jason Voorhees' curse." Our narrator (Walt "Crazy Ralph" Gorney) details the legend of Jason Voorhees. After being stuck at the bottom of Camp Crystal Lake in the last film, Jason is awoken by a young lady named Tina (Lar Park Lincoln) with psychic abilities. It's essentially Carrie vs. Jason... at least that's the intent. So is this a slashing entry in the franchise or is Pamela going to warn her son that "They're All Gonna Laugh at You?" Listen to find out!

Decades of Horror 1980s Episode 134 – Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)

Released in 1988, Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood came out near the end of the slasher genre's reign. It was a time when the MPAA became more critical of violence, causing the iconic kills the franchise was known for to be cut down severely. Director John Carl Buechler has been publically against how this turned out and we've only seen daily footage of the kills. Some of them were pretty gruesome, but alas not to be. Which makes some of the teen stuff all the more of a slog to get through.

Luckily, Doc Rotten, Christopher G. Moore and Thomas Mariani are here to take a closer look at Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood. All of them appreciate the final fight with Tina and the ambition of having a superpowered heroine fight Jason. Especially when that Jason is played for the first time by iconic stuntman Kane Hodder. Yet, there's plenty of issues to have with the editing and lack originality amongst the supporting cast. All this and more is discussed on Decades of Horror 1980s!

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 1980s podcast hosts at [email protected] or [email protected].

Special thanks to Neon Devils for their awesome song Bone Chillin!

Remember to vote in our two year anniversary poll about The Top 10 Best 80s Horror Music Videos!

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