Dismembering Horror

For Poltergeist II we had the pleasure of the presence of a Polter-guest: none other than Peter Warden, from the podcast Retro Reviews! We crossed over into “the other side” and had a consensus of “rent it” for this endearing-enough sequel to one of our favorite horror movies. Join us as we talk mess monsters, evil mezcal worms, the merits of Steven and Taylor’s rivalry, and finally settle the score for when Peter made us watch one of our least favorite films we’ve covered. 

Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)

Directed by Brian Gibson

Written by Mark Victor, Michael Grais

Where we watched: Blu-ray

RecommenDEADtions: Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack / The Perfection / (Peter's) Aubrey Plaza "Child's Play" talk show appearances

People say the titular Martin is a vampire, but he insists there’s no “magic stuff,” just “sexy stuff.” This week we got an injection from George A. Romero’s take on Nosferatu, and boy oh boy did Tim and Ryan get a full dose! Both giving it a “rent,” the guys couldn’t get enough of the late 70’s vibes dripping from Martin, even leading Tim to take the nostalgia train to his smoke-filled childhood.

Where we watched: DVD

Martin (1978)

Written and Directed by George A. Romero

RecommenDEADtions: Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster / The Necronomicon (book)

In true Jarmusch style, we peel back the layers of reality with a zombie movie that repeatedly reminds us “You gotta kill the head.” And also... Bill Murray! You gotta just give a listen as we do our best to dismember as much as possible, including a topic very near and dear to Tim: theater etiquette; or “What it’s like to sit next to the worst human being on the planet.”

Where we watched: AMC Burbank 16

RecommenDEADtions: Horror Queers (podcast) / Cheap Thrills

The Dead Don’t Die (2019)

Written and Directed by Jim Jarmusch

“It's time to play!” Nothing quite says horrifying like the spawn of a Satanic cult possessing multiple dolls, and by proxy, Denise Crosby’s daughter… (except maybe Rip Torn’s attempt at a mexican accent). Ryan and Tim had a surprisingly fun time with “Dolly Dearest,” despite its inherent, low-budget trappings. It really hit the sweet spot for Ryan’s sensibilities, and as Tim said: “This movie sucks, but it’s fun.” Earning a “stream” and a “rent,” it also lead Tim to the discovery of ANOTHER original, doll-themed film by none other than Ryan himself!

Where we watched: Amazon Prime

Dolly Dearest (1991)

Directed by Maria Lease

Written by Maria Lease, Rob Nave and Peter Sutcliffe

RecommenDEADtions: Burning / The Canal

Oh 1973… yes, you gave us "The Exorcist", but you also gave us "Arnold." So how did 1973 fare for this week’s haunted house film? Not even Roddy McDowall could save "The Legend of Hell House" (nor an overexcited pyrotechnics guy). Tim settled on an eventual “avoid” while Ryan was able to channel his inner demon-cat and rate it a “rent.”

Where we watched: Shudder

The Legend of Hell House (1973)

Directed by John Hough

Written by Richard Matheson

RecommenDEADtions: Fright Night (1985) / Chernobyl

What do you get when H.P. Lovecraft, Stanley Kubrick, Franz Kafka, and David Cronenberg have a lovechild? A gooey, tentacled, phallus, ooze-monster, of course! And boy-oh-boy did Ryan and Tim drip/pour/gush praise all over this new favorite with the most coveted of ratings: a double “buy it.” Get into the madness and brilliance of "Possession" as we grow our own little primordial, relationship demon. 

Where we watched: Blu-ray 

Possession (1981) 

Directed by Andrzej Żuławski 

Written by Andrzej Żuławski and Frederic Tuten

RecommenDEADtions: American Movie / Repulsion

This week we embark on a majestic, beautiful, and magnificent journey with the classic Japanese anthology film, "Kwaidan." With virtually nothing that didn’t work for either Tim or Ryan, it’s no surprise they rated this a “rent” and “buy,” respectively. The guys gush over the artistry and depth of these four ghost stories, as well as take care of clearing up Tim’s pronunciation of Ms. Dushku’s first name from our Wrong Turn episode.

Where we watched: Blu-ray

Kwaidan (1964)

Directed by Masaki Kobayashi

Written by Yoko Mizuki

RecommenDEADtions: The Gate / Pontypool

Don’t let anyone inside when you’ve got a baby inside your belly, or else the outside-person will want what’s inside you! That’s a confusing way to say that this week’s film is "Inside"—part of the wave of notorious “New French Extremity” films. Ryan and Tim agree that for all its gore and intended shock value, "Inside" is a swing-and-a-miss, earning a double “stream” that came dangerously close to “avoid.” But hey, in addition to our usual dismemberment, at least we get some insight into Tim’s past as a bartender.

Where we watched: iTunes rental

Inside / À l'intérieur (2007)

Directed by Julien Maury

Written by Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo

RecommenDEADtions: Calvaire / Raw

There's a mom-ghost, ghosts... and Satan’s slaves. Also—zombies? We tried really hard to make sense of this week’s film by way of Indonesia. Sadly, it fell a little short. Ryan and Tim both gave it a “stream,” although Tim was a near “avoid.” Also, Ryan continued to be possessed by the demons of Paranormal Activity and shared some of his new findings.

Where we watched: Shudder

Satan’s Slaves / Pengabdi Setan (2017)

Written and Directed by Joko Anwar

RecommenDEADtions: The Wolf of Wall Street / Ash vs The Evil Dead

This week we take an interesting and unassuming dive (let’s call it “the Dushku effect”) into a quintessential film in Ryan’s adolescence, "Wrong Turn." Tim and Ryan take an arrow to the eyeball for this mid-2000’s, hillbilly-horror vehicle: not even Eliza Dushku or “Mr. Serious“ could completely save this “stupid, stupid, stupid” film. Despite Ryan’s deep love for it, (and the subsequent high school game of “Dushku” it spawned) he gave it a “rent,” while Tim handed it a weak “stream.” 

Where we watched: Amazon rental

Wrong Turn (2003)

Directed by Rob Schmidt

Written by Alan B. McElroy

RecommenDEADtions: I Saw The Devil / We Are What We Are