HORROR 101 with Dr. AC

THE BLACK CAT (1934) d. Edgar G. Ulmer (USA)

Bearing no resemblance to the original story by Edgar Allan Poe, Universal's atmosphere-drenched 1934 offering, The Black Cat, from Austrian expatriate Edgar G. Ulmer, is a superior piece of filmmaking, made all the more historic for marking the first and finest on-screen teaming of horror icons Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. The storyline of mysterious doctor Vitus Werdegast (Lugosi) and an American couple (David Manners, Julie Bishop aka Jacqueline Wells) taking refuge during a rainstorm in a secluded Hungarian mansion is a bit muddled (due in part to studio interference and editing by Universal). But Ulmer and his two leads make up for it with sheer presence, swift pacing, and a dreamlike "atmosphere of death," as one character puts it, that pervades throughout. Karloff (as resident Satanist/scientist Hjalmar Poelzig) and Lugosi square off admirably, playing a figurative and literal game of chess with one another, their characters' dark history revealing itself layer by layer, with the tension mounting to a memorable and satisfying climax. The delight in watching these two hugely popular stars at the top of their game is palpable, and one can easily forgive the minor flaws in logic and dull supporting characters. The director's heightened noir is stylized, to be sure, but undeniably engaging, with special kudos to Charles D. Hall's exemplary art direction. Tonight, AC and his awesome panel of guests (Aaron AuBuchon, Stan Hyde, Bobby Zier) celebrate 90 years of The Black Cat, an extraordinary slice of Universal Classic Horror ripe for rediscovery by a new generation. ------------------------------ AARON AUBUCHON is a film professor and writer, and also an editor, director, motion graphics artist and producer. He is also co-host of the Discover the Horror podcast. STAN HYDE teaches, examines, and consults on international film programs for students (International Baccaluareate's Film Course), as well as writing about model making, film history, and some fiction. He is winner of the Mangled Sky-Scraper Award for helping bring G-FEST, the annual Godzilla Convention in Chicago to life since 1995, and is a 2021 Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association Hall of Fame recipient for his work with science fiction conventions, clubs, and fanzines. BOBBY ZIER has a passion for Dracula and runs a TikTok and YouTube channel called Lugosi Theatre. He recently received his second "Monster Kid of the Year" Rondo Award for his efforts in keeping classic horror alive and well. ------------------------ Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!!

I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (1978) I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (2010) I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE 2 (2013) I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE: VENGEANCE IS MINE (2015) I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE: DEJA VU (2019) GROWING UP WITH I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (2019) (documentary) Join AC and his incredible panel of guests Art Ettinger (Ultra Violent Magazine), Adam Rockoff (Going to Pieces, The Horror of It All), and superfan Kate Hansen as they discuss one of most infamous, notorious, and thought-provoking exploitation films ever released. This far-ranging conversation explores the original film's legacy, including one of the most unlikely franchises to be thrust upon an unsuspecting public. Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!!

THE BROOD (1979) d. David Cronenberg (Canada) Canadian writer/director David Cronenberg has become so synonymous with the term "body-horror" that when a project is referred to as being "Cronenbergian," we actually have an idea of what this might mean. Cronenberg has often said that he does not see disease and mutations as good or bad – they simply are – a viewpoint that shows up time and again in his cinematic output. The Brood, his third commercial genre effort following Shivers and Rabid, represents a huge artistic leap forward for the Canadian auteur, working with a larger budget and name-brand stars in the form of British actors Oliver Reed and Samantha Eggar, alongside fellow countryman Art Hindle. We also see Cronenberg beginning to assemble members of the artistic team that would prove influential to his career: Production designer Carol Spier, composer Howard Shore, cinematographer Mark Irwin, as well as producers Claude Heroux and Pierre David. It also represents one of his most personal films, cited as an artistic catharsis for his own traumatic divorce and custody battle, themes at the forefront of this sci-fi thriller, where fame-seeking therapists encourage their patients to physically manifest their rage, with terrifying and tragic results. Met with scorn and disgust upon its initial bow in 1979, The Brood has undergone a dramatic reappraisal as Cronenberg has been accepted and recognized as a visionary artist in recent years, and many fans and critics now cite it as their personal favorite of his works. Tonight, AC and his awesome panel of guests (Don Bapst, Christianne Benedict, Vanessa Morgan, Frank Merle, S.A. Bradley) celebrate 45 years of Psychoplasmics, the Somafree Institute, and The Shape of Rage. ------------------------------------------- DON BAPST is an American-Canadian novelist, filmmaker, and playwright whose titles include The Hanged Man, Recalculating Euphoria, and Doppelgänger. He's currently developing a horror film set in the Yukon. (https://donbapst.com) CHRISTIANNE BENEDICT is a cartoonist, film writer, malcontent, and Bloginatrix at https://krelllabs.blogspot.com. S.A. BRADLEY hosts the "Hellbent for Horror" podcast, is the author of "Screaming for Pleasure: How Horror Makes You Happy and Healthy," and lectured at Webster University and The College of Idaho. His show, "My Horror Manifesto," played in NYC. https://hellbentforhorror.com/ FRANK MERLE is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker originally from Chicago, IL. He has written and directed several award-winning and critically-acclaimed films, including The Employer (2013), starring Malcolm McDowell and Billy Zane, and From Jennifer (2017), starring Derek Mears and Tony Todd. Next up is Namaka, a dark fantasy starring Jamie Kennedy and David Howard Thornton. VANESSA MORGAN is the author of several horror novels and film guides (When Animals Attack, Strange blood, Evil Seeds) – available from Amazon https://amzn.to/3Hzm0wN. She's also the creator of Traveling Cats, the first travel blog for cat lovers. https://traveling-cats.com. ----------------------------------------- Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!!

SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004) d. Edgar Wright (UK) When Edgar Wright's Shaun of the Dead, a romantic comedy with zombies (or zom-rom-com, as it was immediately dubbed by pundits) hit theaters in 2004, it instantly earned a place alongside The Return of the Living Dead and Peter Jackson's Braindead (aka Dead-Alive) as one of the best horror/comedies of all time, as well as a winning tale of love and true friendship. The script, co-written by Wright and actor Simon Pegg, is a brilliant, witty, affectionate, raucous, clever, and splatterific love letter to George Romero's flesh-chomping zombi-verse and the genre fans that have grown up loving it. There is plenty of gore for the hounds, sharp witty dialogue jammed with inside jokes, and wonderfully drawn characters fleshed out with gusto by a cast of lovable wackos. But the movie's dedicated investment to its onscreen situation is its true triumph, elevating it far beyond the sophomoric hi-jinks of Scary Movie and its ilk. Two decades later, Shaun of the Dead remains a feast for the eyes, ears, and, dare I say, souls of horror fans everywhere. So join AC and his awesome panel of guests (Kevin Matthews, Katie McLean Hainsworth, Chris Hainsworth, Michelle Courvais, Jess Ader) as we draw a pint, grab a packet of Hog Lumps, and settle in at the Winchester, where the Queen (on the jukebox) is loud, the records are flying in the backyard, and love and zombies conquer all. ----------------------------------------- JESS ADER is a fellow appreciator of movies and deep synth soundtracks. Former radio-TV-film student making money elsewhere but never giving up the love of all "moving" forms of media and art. He likes peanut butter. MICHELLE COURVAIS is a board-certified health coach, empowerment self-defense instructor, student of herbalism (code for WITCH) and sometimes a Chicago actor. CHRIS HAINSWORTH (he/him/his) is an actor/writer/director represented by Big Mouth Talent Chicago. He is a DeathScribe winner 2009 for the audio drama "Remembrance" and author of The Fourth Wall, part of Motel 666 (2015). KATIE MCLEAN HAINSWORTH is a Chicago-based performer/writer, whom you can regularly find on both the DARK NEXUS and FAWX & STALLION podcasts. She's happily guested on HORROR 101 a few times as well as on Roll For Impact's THE STRANGER. KEVIN MATTHEWS posts a movie review daily on the For It Is Man's Number blog, and is one quarter of the Raiders of the Podcast team who have been putting out weekly episodes for over six years. https://linktr.ee/raidersofthepodcast ---------------------------------------------- Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

GODZILLA VS. MEGALON (1973) d. Jun Fukuda (Japan) A far cry from the anti-nuke statement that spawned the large lizard's origins, this entry (#13) serves up twice the monster mashing and half the "plot" of other installments. Throwing caution and physics to the winds, this installment features the underwater race of Seatopians who, ticked off by another round of nuclear testing, unleash the giant beetle-looking monster Megalon to destroy Tokyo. In response, the Ultraman-inspired Jet Jaguar robot enlists the help of Godzilla, whereupon the Seatopians bring back Gigan from outer space, and the remainder of the movie is an oversized wrestling match for the ages. The dubbing is awful, the effects cheesy, the human characters inane, and logic entirely absent. However, as a purely ribald roaring rumble, it delivers the goods, along with a couple good flying drop-kicks from our favorite rubber-suited hero, later immortalized in MST3K's opening credits. Join AC and guests Barry Kaufman (House of Monsters), Stan Hyde (G-Fest), and Dave M. Gray (Raiders of the Podcast) as we celebrate this amazing slice of celluloid cheese which endeared the Big G to oodles of Western youngers in the 1970s and whose legacy endures to this day. ----------------------------------- BARRY KAUFMAN is busy programming awesome cinematic events like Facets Cinematek's recent HORROR-RAMA in Chicago (featuring three nights of lesser-celebrated genre efforts) and sharing his wares at various horror conventions throughout the country. Find him at http://houseofmoviemonsters.net STAN HYDE has been helping to put on G-FEST for twenty-eight years and has been a Godzilla fan since he was 7 years old. Professionally he teaches, examines and consults on international film programs for students. Besides Godzilla, he writes about model making, film history, and has published some fiction. He is winner of the Mangled Sky-Scraper Award for helping bring G-FEST to life, and is the 2021 Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association, Hall of Fame recipient for his work with science fiction conventions and clubs. DAVE M. GRAY can be found weekly on Raiders of the Podcast, where he is considerably more vulgar. He has yet to make it to G-Fest, and often whines about it on Raiders of the Podcast. --------------------------- Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!!

THE TERMINATOR (1984) d. James Cameron (USA) TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1991) d. James Cameron (USA) TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES (2003) d. Jonathan Mostow (USA) TERMINATOR: SALVATION (2009) d. McG (USA) TERMINATOR: GENISYS (2015) d. Alan Taylor (USA) TERMINATOR: DARK FATE (2018) d. Tim Miller (USA) Released in 1984, The Terminator captivated critics and audiences alike with its mind-blowing special effects, intriguing characters, and well-written time-travel storyline. Pitting a relentless killer android from the future against two ordinary humans with the fate of mankind lying in the balance, this whirlwind tour-de-force combined horror and sci-fi elements with breathtaking action sequences. Not bad for a film with an unproven director and an actor known more for his bulging biceps than his acting chops. Writer/director James Cameron spun his tale about an assassin from the future from an actual nightmare he'd had and, teaming up with producer Gale Ann Hurd, the resulting effort is a lean, mean piece of adrenalized storytelling. After years of attempting to transition from Herculean bodybuilder to Hollywood star, 7-time Mr. Universe Arnold Schwarzenegger was perfectly cast as the titular menace, his Teutonic accent and powerful build put to excellent use. Similarly, rising makeup and special effects star Stan Winston's career took a massive leap forward, crafting gooey gory set pieces alongside some solid old-school stop-motion sequences, with Brad Fiedel's pounding electronic score setting the pace. Join AC and his fantastic panel of guests (Mark Easteadt, Kate Hansen, Daniel Millhouse, Tim Palace) as we celebrate 40 years of The Terminator, which, like its antagonist, remains unstoppable, with sequels, TV spin-offs, and videogames galore. He said he'd be back, and since then, he's never gone away. ---------------------------------------- MARK EASTEADT is a movie-lovin', trivia-spoutin', music-sharin', pop culture nerd that loves talking about all of the above. KATE HANSEN is a music teacher with a penchant for horror. She has been published in magazines like Ultra Violent and Horrorhound. She likes dogs, enjoys the smell of campfires, collects VHS, is afraid of heights, and has only ever received two speeding tickets. DANIEL MILLHOUSE joyfully returns to review films with Dr. AC and friends! As an Assistant Professor at the College of DuPage, he cherishes his Theatre, TV/Film, and Motion Capture acting experiences. He is one mischievous, charming, goofball. TIM PALACE was born and raised on horror from an early age in Chicago, IL. A lifelong devotee to the genre and the preservation of physical media, 2024 should be the year he hits the 10,000 mark for titles in his collection. --------------------------------------- Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

THE BEAST FROM HAUNTED CAVE (1959) d. Monte Hellman (USA) THE GIANT GILA MONSTER (1959) d. Ray Kellogg (USA) THE KILLER SHREWS (1959) d. Ray Kellogg (USA)

The good folks at Film Masters have taken it upon themselves to rescue oodles of public domain titles, some of which they've even gone through the time and effort to give the stand-up, high-def presentations these orphaned films deserve. Or do they?

That's the question we'll be asking tonight as we look at Film Masters' first two Blu-ray releases, Monte Hellman's feature debut, The Beast from Haunted Cave (1959), and Roger Corman's Ski Troop Attack (1960), as well as The Giant Gila Monster and The Killer Shrews, both from 1959 and both directed by special effects wizard Ray Kellogg. AC is joined in the studio by another intrepid band of classic horror fans (Nile Arena, Alan Tromp, Jon Kitley) to discuss this tryptic of terror from 1959, where gangsters talk like beat poets amidst the snow-capped Black Hills of South Dakota, and giant beaded lizards and costumed canines cavort in and around the Lake Dallas area. Good times abound! -----------------------------------------NILE ARENA has created cinema collectives, worked the film festival circuit, and lent his voice to podcasts dedicated to the silver screen. His literary/weird fiction journal, Success Stories, is available now at some of the places books are sold. JON KITLEY has been running his website, Kitley's Krypt for 25 years. He's a columnist for HorrorHound magazine, a co-host on the Discover the Horror podcast, and attends multiple conventions and all-night horror movie marathons at the drive-in theaters! ALAN TROMP is a golden age Monster Kid, who has published articles in Filmfax, Twilight Zone Magazine, and We Belong Dead publications in the UK. He was scriptwriter for the shot-on-video nightmare, The Soul Eaters. ---------------------------------------- Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!!

CASTLE OF BLOOD (1964) d. Antonio Margheriti (as Anthony Dawson) (Italy) THE LONG HAIR OF DEATH (1964) d. Antonio Margheriti (as Anthony Dawson (Italy) Even if you're a fan of Italian horror cinema, one name that continues to labor for recognition is Antonio Margheriti, in some respects due to the fact that he was often billed by his Anglicized moniker, Anthony M. Dawson. Like his contemporaries, Margheriti made a tremendous assortment of films, from Westerns to comedies to sci-fi, and dabbled in numerous horror subgenres, from atmospheric ghost stories to gory splatterfests, and everything in between, delivering exciting and entertaining features for nearly four decades. Tonight, AC and his awesome panel of guests Bryan Martinez (The Giallo Room), Jon Kitley (Kitley's Krypt, Discover the Horror), and author Troy Howarth (Splintered Visions: Lucio Fulci and His Films, So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films) discuss his two 1964 black-and-white Gothic masterpieces, Castle of Blood and The Long Hair of Death, both celebrating their 60th anniversary and both starring the unforgettable Barbara Steele. You might want to get out your notebooks, because we're about to add a few more names and titles to your viewing list, as we honor the one and only Antonio Margheriti! Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!

CURTAINS (1983) d. Richard Ciupka/Peter Simpson (Canada) PSYCHO II (1983) d. Richard Franklin (USA) Tonight we're jetting back to 1983 to discuss a couple of undersung gems from the heyday of the slasher boom, one a belated sequel to a groundbreaking masterpiece, the other a curious Canadian feature made all the more appealing by its troubled production, release, and subsequent obscurity. In PSYCHO II, Norman Bates (once again played by Anthony Perkins) has finally been released from the mental institution where he's been incarcerated since he was discovered running around in Mother's housedress 22 years earlier. Despite trepidations about returning to the house on the hill, Norman's future seems hopeful. But then he starts seeing a certain female shape in the window, receiving ominous phone calls, and before long, the bodies start piling up. With a clever, knowing script by Tom Holland, assured directing from Richard Franklin, and a stellar performance from Perkins, Psycho II is much, much better than it has any right or need to be. Meanwhile, on the other side of the border, CURTAINS centers on tyrannical director Jonathan Stryker (played by John Vernon) as he auditions six female candidates for the lead role in his upcoming film project at his secluded mountain cabin getaway. However, this is a role that people would kill for, and well, they start doing just that. Containing a curious and disjointed narrative, several stylish set-pieces, one creepy frowning doll, and a hag-mask-wearing, sickle-wielding killer, Curtains remains surprisingly watchable, especially when its troubled genesis is taken into account. Join AC and his fantastic panel of guests (John McDevitt, Nicola McCafferty, Ian Simmons, Barry Kaufman, Matthew Amador) as they discuss this unusual double feature of suspense and strangeness, discovering strange and unexpected parallels within! ----------------------------------------------- NICOLA MCCAFFTERY is a PhD candidate in the department of Radio, Television, and Film at Northwestern University whose current research focuses on how screen representations of nonhuman women (think mannequins, cyborgs, and humanoid aliens) help us gain insights into the categories of both humanity and femininity. Outside of her at times all-consuming grad school pursuits, Nicola runs an Etsy store (https://www.etsy.com/shop/vvitchroom), where she sells enamel pins, stickers, and prints inspired by horror and cult films from the 1960s to today. BARRY KAUFMAN is busy programming awesome cinematic events like Facets Cinematek's recent HORROR-RAMA in Chicago (featuring three nights of lesser-celebrated genre efforts) and sharing his wares at various horror conventions throughout the country. Find him at http://houseofmoviemonsters.net MATTHEW AMADOR is an Actor and Psychotherapist. Check out his recent efforts on Station Eleven (streaming on Max) or http://www.MatadorChicago.com. IAN SIMMONS runs the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel on which he posts movie reviews, interviews, and critics round tables. He is also a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and has conflicted feelings about referring to himself in the third person. https://www.youtube.com/@KickingtheSeat JOHN MCDEVITT is a lifelong cinephile who currently works as Community Engagement Manager at FACETS and programs Fetish Film Forum at the Leather Archives & Museum. (https://leatherarchives.org/) John is fascinated by all genres of cinema and appreciates horror most of all for its willingness to explore what makes us uncomfortable and for the compassion it often extends to its characters and the viewer. -------------------------------------- Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!!

BLOOD AND BLACK LACE (1964) d. Mario Bava (Italy) AMER (2009) d. Bruno Forzani / Helene Cattet (Belgium/France) In 1963, director Mario Bava made The Girl Who Knew Too Much and gave birth to the Italian film genre known as the Giallo. Named after a series of crime paperbacks with yellow covers, the Giallo was boldly contemporary, eschewing the cloaks and capes of Hammer's Gothic melodramas. A year later, Bava made the film that would define and popularize the giallo for years to come, Blood and Black Lace. Set in a large fashion house in Rome, the story contains all the trappings of a classic whodunit, with a series of murders, multiple suspects, and a secret-filled diary, but the plot is nothing more than a thread for Bava to string his pearls of exquisitely crafted, colorful, imaginative, and violent set-pieces. Instead of being repelled by the horrific images, viewers are seduced their visual bravado and panache, with shadowy rooms filled by flashing red and green lights, blue fog rolling through the exteriors, and every drop and smear of blood meticulously dabbed onto the moving canvas. 45 years later, Belgian husband and wife filmmaking team Bruno Forzani and Helene Cattet created a stunning tribute to Bava and his brethren with their 2009 feature film debut, Amer, a three-pronged examination of a young woman's life, shot through the Italian horror lens. And like their forerunners, the story and deeper meanings seem almost secondary, heavily masked, like a black-gloved killer waiting for the right moment to strike. Tonight, AC and his awesome panel of guests (Nicola McCafferty, Barry Kaufman, Jason Coffman, Chris Scales, and Craig J. Clark as our "Mister E. Man") examine these two singular examples of visual storytelling, defying such easy dismissals as "style over substance," recognizing that style is, in fact, substantial, and murder, in the right hands, can be magic. ----------------------------------------- CRAIG J. CLARK watches a lot of movies. He started watching them in New Jersey, where he was born and raised, and continues to watch them in Indiana. He is a frequent contributor to Crooked Marquee and writes the monthly Full Moon Features column for Werewolf News. He is not a werewolf himself (or so he says). JASON COFFMAN is the Unrepentant Cinephile. He is a former contributor to Daily Grindhouse and Film Monthly (RIP), the director of the feature film Housesitters, and an occasional "recording artist." Jason is the proud owner of 35mm prints of Andy Milligan's Guru, the Mad Monk and Zalman King's Two Moon Junction. You can find him on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/rabbitroom/ BARRY KAUFMAN has been committed to spreading the gospel of obscure horror and science-fiction cinema since writing the fanzines Monsters of Japan and Demonique in the 1970s and 80s. He ran All-Horror Video out of a house in the woods in Homewood, Illinois through the 1980s, followed by his shop The House of Monsters in Chicago from 1996 to 2007. He now vends at genre related shows and programs festivals in the Chicago area featuring his inconspicuous film favorites. NICOLA MCCAFFERTY is a PhD candidate in the department of Radio, Television, and Film at Northwestern University whose current research focuses on how screen representations of nonhuman women (think mannequins, cyborgs, and humanoid aliens) help us gain insights into the categories of both humanity and femininity. Outside of grad school, Nicola has a few stray bylines at Dread Central and runs an Etsy store (https://www.etsy.com/shop/vvitchroom), where she sells enamel pins, stickers, and prints inspired by horror and cult films from the 1960s to today. CHRIS SCALES is a lifelong horror fan, aspiring horror screenwriter, and horror panelist. ---------------------------------------- Keep Searching, Keep Exploring, and, most of all, Keep Sharing the Scare!