Dismembering Horror

Old Kruges is back in action, hammin’ it up as per usual—but this time he’s got his gloved hands full with some resilient, troubled/gifted teens. Oh, and of course adult Nancy gets in on the action, too! Continuing the debate on what makes a third installment impactful, the guys were thrilled to dismember this one, giving it another “box set buy.” Join us and find out which “Big Bad” we like more: Jason or Freddy.

A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

Directed by Chuck Russell

Written by Wes Craven, Bruce Wagner, Frank Darabont, and Chuck Russell

Where we watched: Hulu 

RecommenDEADtions: Mysterious Island / The Void

Next week’s film: Halloween Kills (2021)

Welcome to OCTOBER, the official month of spookiness. This year, the guys decided to cover the 3rd installments of the big three great horror franchises: “Friday the 13th,” “Nightmare on Elm Street,” and “Halloween.” We know what you’re thinking, “but that’s only 3 and there are 4 weeks in October!” Don’t worry, we explain right off the bat before we dismember the 3D masterpiece that marks the dawning of Jason Vorhees’ iconic hockey mask! Earning a double “box set buy” from Tim and Ryan, you can be assured that there were lots of body parts flying at you in this dismemberment.

Friday the 13th Part III (1982)

Directed by Steve Miner

Written by Martin Kitrosser and Carol Watson

Where we watched: Blu-ray 

RecommenDEADtions: A Dangerous Method / Evil Dead II 

Next week’s film: A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

It’s anthology time! This week the guys head overseas once again to South Korea, for a series of tales of terror wrapped in a nice little serial-killer bow. Getting hung up on more than just a couple aspects, “Horror Stories” unfortunately didn’t rise to a level that appealed much to Tim and Ryan. Though in its defense, it did garner two sequels. Like they say, art is subjective, so an “avoid” from Ryan and a “stream” from Tim was where the guys wound up. You be the judge, though!

Where we watched: YouTube

Horror Stories (2012)

Directed by Im Dae-woong, Jung Bum-sik, Hong Ji-young, Kim Gok, Kim Sun, and Min Kyu-dong

Written by Im Dae-woong, Jung Bum-sik, Byun Hye-joo, Kim Gok, and Kim Sun

RecommenDEADtions: School of Rock / Son

Next week’s film: Friday the 13th Part III (1982)

Much like the characters in this week’s film, Tim and Ryan agreed for the most part, but ultimately tried to kill each other over their divergent views. Earning a “rent” from Tim up against a hearty “buy” from Ryan, the guys covered a lot of what makes the Universal Monster movies so interesting and how this one, when viewed as part of the canon of films, may benefit from a more contextual viewing. Nevertheless! There was plenty of exciting dismemberment to pull apart and maybe put back together (not unlike a Bela Lugosi Frankenstein)!

What an absolutely perfect reimagining/continuation of one of the great, subversive commentaries in horror. Taking all of the best elements of the original “Candyman” and expanding on them was just what the guys were hoping for, whether they knew it or not! From style to substance and everything in-between, “Candyman” delivered so much more than we could cover in a single podcast, but Tim and Ryan did their best to give at least the highlights of what this film did so well. Earning it a rare “double buy,” if you haven’t seen the new “Candyman” yet, you absolutely must (with our recommenDEADtion of watching the original first).

Candyman (2021)

Directed by Nia DaCosta

Written by Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld and Nia DaCosta

Where we watched: Theaters

RecommenDEADtions: Ed Wood / Candyman (1992)

Next week’s film: Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman (1943)

Our first Vincent Price movie was quite something to behold! Though maybe not the best all around, “The Last Man on Earth” was a thrill nonetheless, providing plenty to dismember. Based on the acclaimed novel “I Am Legend,” which of course has spawned more than one film adaptation, this first take nailed the eerie, post-apocalyptic thing, feeling reminiscent of “The Twilight Zone.” All in all, the guys enjoyed this one enough for a solid double “stream;” fine and fun for a casual, weekend afternoon watch.

The Last Man on Earth (1964)

Directed by Ubaldo Ragona, Sidney Salkow

Written by Logan Swanson, William F. Leicester

Where we watched: Blu-ray

RecommenDEADtions: Gimme Shelter / Wait Until Dark

Next week’s film: Candyman (2021)

“The Black Cat in the Bamboo Grove,” or as we know it, “Kuroneko,” is another entry in films we’ve covered by “Onibaba” director Kaneto Shindo, and so far he’s two for two! A beautiful and tragic love story set in a dreamlike feudal Japan only scratches the surface of the many themes swirling around this folktale-based story. Incredibly photographed in black and white, “Kuroneko” was and will remain high on the list for both Tim and Ryan who rated it a “rent” and a “buy” respectively. If you are in any way a fan of cinema (which we gotta assume you are), this one should not be missed.

Kuroneko (1968)

Written and Directed by Kaneto Shindo

Where we watched: The Criterion Channel

RecommenDEADtions: Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets / Castle Rock - season 2 (TV show)

Next week’s film: The Last Man On Earth (1964)

Back to 1957 with the first installment in Hammer Horror's Frankenstein series starring none other than the incomparable Peter Cushing! And although it has its limitations, there was still plenty for the guys to enjoy. Who doesn't love a fresh take on a classic anyway? In color, no less! This one was a fan favorite as well, making a ton at the box office and ushering in six more films in the series. Ryan and Tim gave it a kind of middling rating with a "rent" and a "stream" respectively, but don't let that keep you from checking this one out!

The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)

Directed by Terence Fisher

Written by Jimmy Sangster

Where we watched: HBO Max

RecommenDEADtions: Frankenhooker / What If...

Next week’s film: Kuroneko (1968)

"The best found footage film of the decade!" Well, we did not exactly agree with this assessment, but we still had plenty to dismember! So much so, that Ryan gave a rare “avoid” while Tim was able to squeak in a “stream,” due to a few fairly interesting ideas and a couple cool visuals. Ultimately “Noroi: The Curse” was a pretty big miss on the execution of those ideas, and the guys struggled to say much on the positive side. But hey, not every movie may be for us, and (as always), we learn from what doesn’t work.

Noroi: The Curse (2005)

Directed by Kōji Shiraishi

Written by Kōji Shiraishi and Naoyuki Yokota

Where we watched: Shudder

RecommenDEADtions: Festival / Troll Hunter

Next week’s film: The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)

Let’s do it like the French do! “Diabolique,” or as its known in France, “Les Diabolique,” is a suspenseful, supernatural, murder-mystery thriller from the mid-1950’s...a twisted and turning, tense tale of deception that, although not without a few issues we address, ultimately was a really well-constructed yarn, with some memorably moody black and white cinematography to boot. Earning a double “rent,” it’s another one that’s considered a classic for good reason.

Les Diaboliques (1955)

Directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot

Written by Henri-Georges Clouzot and Jérôme Géronimi

Where we watched: The Criterion Channel

RecommenDEADtions: A Face in the Crowd / Skinny Dip (novel)

Next week’s film: Noroi: The Curse (2005)