Dismembering Horror

It’s the perfect month to dive into one of the queerest horror films out there! Clive Barker’s epic Nightbreed gets a much-deserved director’s cut. From design, to representation, to commentary, there was much to discuss. Not to mention, BAPHOMET (one of Tim’s favs)! This revamp in line with Barker’s original intentions earned a “stream” from Tim, and a “rent” from Ryan. Remember to always let your freak flag fly, and be who you want to be!

Nightbreed: The Director's Cut (2014)

Written and Directed by Clive Barker

Where we watched: Blu-ray

RecommenDEADtions: Saving Face / Fringe

Next dismemberment: Crimes of the Future

At long last the guys were able to bridge their love of horror with Tim’s love of Marvel movies. You’ll be happy to know the love affair continues with Doctor Strange (2). How could it not, though? With the incomparable Sam Raimi at the helm, this was bound to titillate the senses and exhilarate the nostalgia buttons. Albeit through the slightly tinted rose colored glasses, Tim was without question a “buy,” while Ryan remained measured with a “stream.”

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Directed by Sam Raimi

Written by Michael Waldron

Where we watched: Theaters

RecommenDEADtions: All That Heaven Allows / Our Flag Means Death

Next dismemberment:  Nightbreed: The Director's Cut

A tasty treat for you all this week as we cover Hulu’s Fresh. And fresh indeed, this one really surprised the guys with its style, form, and substance—a delectable tale of terror wrapped up in poignant and evocative themes. Tim and Ryan both felt that the simple story was a strength, and that overall it was a tasty piece of filmmaking. Earning a “rent” from Ryan and a “buy” from Tim, Hulu certainly picked a good one to excede expectations.

Fresh (2022)

Directed by Mimi Cave

Written by Lauryn Kahn

Where we watched: Hulu

RecommenDEADtions: The Doors / Starfish

Next dismemberment: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Well, we finally did it. After years of Ryan asking if Tim watched his recommenDEADtion from episode 37, the guys decided to dismember "I Saw The Devil," and boy oh boy was Ryan right. This film is absolutely incredible and a must see. Violent, upsetting, action-filled, tense, beautiful...the adjectives go on and on. Earning a clear double “buy,” there wasn’t enough time to express how great "I Saw The Devil is," but Tim and Ryan packed as much as possible into this episode.

I Saw the Devil (2010)

Directed by Kim Jee-woon

Written by Park Hoon-jung

Where we watched: Blu-ray

RecommenDEADtions: Chicago / Moon Knight (TV series)

Next dismemberment: Fresh

This week we go back in time to the WWII era via a British horror film (and one of the first horror anthologies), “Dead of Night,” giving us serious “Twilight Zone” vibes long before it was even a thing. Tim and Ryan were pretty into it, agreeing its wraparound story is one of the better they’ve seen, and rated it a classic “DOUBLE RENT.” 

Dead of Night (1945)

Directed by Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Robert Hamer, Basil Dearden

Written by John Baines and Angus MacPhail

Where we watched: Blu-ray

RecommenDEADtions: Going for a walk (physical activity) / The Batman

Next dismemberment: I Saw the Devil

Homage is only the half of it! Ti West melds together his horror chops with the vibes of the 70’s classics in this week’s film. Leaving us wanting more, Tim and Ryan were really excited with what was ultimately a triumph. Not without its idiosyncrasies that gave us pause, the end result was still an incredibly pleasing commentary on horror itself. Earning a highest “rent” and a “buy" from Tim and Ryan respectively, it goes without saying that we're already excited to revisit this one.

X (2022)

Written and Directed by Ti West

Where we watched: Theater

RecommenDEADtions: Hacksaw Ridge / A Promising Young Woman

Next film: X (2022)

Can you believe it? Another St. Patrick’s Day has arrived, and with it we couldn’t resist resurrecting a classic franchise to celebrate. “Leprechaun Returns” seemed like the perfect way to do just that, so we strapped on our red beards, donned our green bowler hats, put a little lilt in our voices, and made our own pot of gold with this week’s dismemberment. What a dismemberment it was, with Tim and Ryan coming to as wide of a difference in their enjoyment of this sequel as can exist. An “avoid at all costs” and a “buy” respectively, the guys still managed to “crack on” for the love of horror.

Leprechaun Returns (2018)

Directed by Steven Kostanski

Written by Suzanne Keilly

Where we watched: iTunes rental

RecommenDEADtions:  Menace II Society / The Rescue

Next film: X (2022)

That’s right, we are "requeling" it up with the Netflix installment of the, sorry no “the”, Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Doing all the things that are in vogue these days: ignoring the sequels, bringing back characters from the original, trying to be a commentary and failing, you know, all the greatest hits. Sadly, in spite of these tried and true methods of modern filmmaking, this one succeeded only in giving us some absolutely gruesome kills and a handful of pretty, cinematic shots. Earning a “rent” from Tim and an “avoid” from Ryan, who really just couldn't get on board.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)

Directed by David Blue Garcia

Written by Chris Thomas Devlin

Where we watched: Netflix

RecommenDEADtions:  Reincarnation / The King’s Man

Next film: Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)

That’s right, we’re back for more SCREAM (2022)! We are once again joined by special guest Peter Warden from Retro Reviews, this time to dismember the aspects of “Scream” aka Scream 5 that we didn’t think quite worked as well, as well as some fun things of note. We ask the question “what could they have done to make it all work better?” Come on in and join us for the rest of our discussion!

Where we watched: Theaters

Scream (2022)

Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

Written by James Vanderbilt, Guy Busick, Kevin Williamson

RecommenDEADtions:  LA Story / Censor / Better Things

Next film: Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)

AND WE ARE BACK! Coming in hot with PART 1 of our dismemberment of the latest installment to the Scream franchise, with thrills and chills as expected. As a special treat we also bring you special guest Peter Warden from Retro Reviews for a second time to discuss every facet of Scream (5). All three of the guys rated this a “buy,” so you know they had lots to talk about, getting deep into not only the inner workings of this new Scream, but also a breakdown of how it stacks up against the previous versions and if it matched the things that make a Scream movie truly great.

Where we watched: Theater

Scream (2022)

Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

Written by James Vanderbilt, Guy Busick, Kevin Williamson

Next Week: Scream (2022) PART 2