Horror Business

Greetings, and welcome back to Horror Business. We have one awesome episode in store for you guys: we’re discussing the works of Mario Bava, with Hatchet For The Honeymoon and Bay Of Blood.

First and foremost we want to give a shoutout to our sponsors over at Lehigh Valley Apparel Creations, the premiere screen-printing company of the Lehigh Valley. Chris Reject and his merry band of miscreants are ready to work with you to bring to life your vision of a t-shirt for your business, band, project, or whatever else it is you need represented by a shirt, sweater, pin, or koozie. Head on over to www.xlvacx.com to check them out. Thanks!

We start by talking about what we’ve seen or done lately in the field of horror. Liam talks about seeing the film Dead Shack, and Justin talks about seeing My Friend Dahmer and A Quiet Place.

Up first we talk about Hatchet For The Honeymoon. We give a brief outline of the film and discuss the concept of the Italian giallo genre, as well as a background in Bava’s work.

We talk about the style of giallo films, and the impact Hatchet had on slasher films as a whole. The somewhat misleading title of the film is briefly touched upon, as is Liam’s fascination with dubwork actors.

Bava’s visual style is discussed, as is how that style shaped the genre.

Up next we talk about Bay Of Blood. We talk about the awesome habit of European horror films having a ton of different insane titles. The films sampling of different horror genres is examined, as is the surprising amount of gore.

The films responsibility in creating several modern horror tropes is discussed.

As always thanks to everyone and anyone who donated on Patreon, checked this episode out, or shared a tweet/shared a post on FB/gave us love by recommending us to someone. We love you forever for listening. Any questions, comments, suggestions for movies and guests, or if you yourself want to join us for a movie viewing or even an episode, can be sent to [email protected]. We would love to hear from you!

Thanks always to Justin Miller and Doug Tilley for their technical contributions and fliers, Mike Smaczylo for the shirts and fliers (you can check more of his work out at here), and also thanks to Josh Alvarez for the theme song, Chris, Brad, Alexis, and LVAC for the support and buttons (check them out at www.xlvacx.com), and a HUGE thank you to anyone who retweeted us or shared something on Facebook that we posted. Follow us on Twitter at @thehorrorbiz666, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/thehorrorbiz66, and remember to rate, review, and subscribe to us on ITunes. In fact, if you write us a review, email us with your mailing address and we’ll send you some free pins and stickers! Check out www.cinepunx.com for more info on some of our other podcasts, some ultra stylish Cinepunx related merchandise, and how you can donate to our Patreon! Until next time…thanks!

Greetings, and welcome back to Horror Business, we have one awesome episode in store for you guys. On this episode we’re discussing The Night Of The Demon and Shriek Of The Mutilated

First and foremost we want to give a shoutout to our sponsors over at Lehigh Valley Apparel Creations, the premiere screen-printing company of the Lehigh Valley. Chris Reject and his merry band of miscreants are ready to work with you to bring to life your vision of a t-shirt for your business, band, project, or whatever else it is you need represented by a shirt, sweater, pin, or coozy. Head on over to www.xlvacx.com to check them out. Thanks!

We begin by briefly talking about our personal opinions on the matter of Bigfoot, with Liam being a staunch skeptic and Justin staying in the camp of ‘it doesn’t sound as crazy as some other things people claim to see.” We then talk about what we’ve seen or done lately in the field of horror. Liam talks about My Friend Dahmer, and Justin talks about attending some recent horror conventions and watching the Netflix original film Veronica. We briefly discuss the recent short film released by the Modern Horrors podcasting network, Bedtime (which can be viewed here). Thank you to Luke and the rest of the Modern Horrors crew for reaching out!

Up first we talk about Night Of The Demon. We begin by talking about a history of Bigfoot related horror films. We give a brief plot outline of the film. The weak narrative structure of the film is discussed, as is the way Bigfoot is revealed through constant flashbacks to an event prior to the film.

The weird conflation of Satanism and Bigfoot in both of these films is briefly touched upon. We again talk about the sloppy and inconsistent narrative and dissect the various ways Bigfoot dispatches the characters in the movie.

This tendency in modern Bigfoot films to constantly highlight Bigfoot’s lack of aggression and how that stands in sharp contrast with several historical accounts of a rather aggressive Bigfoot.

The various problematic aspects of Bigfoot cinema are examined, including the callbacks to tropes of early 20th century adventure films in which a white woman is in peril from the “savage beast of the jungle.”

The attempt of the filmmakers to emulate the style of gory filmmaking of the likes of Lucio Fulci is discussed.

Up next we talk about Shriek Of The Mutilated. We begin by giving a brief plot outline of the movie. The absolute degree of badness this movie represents is examined, in that it falls short in every single thing it sets out to do.

The shoddy set pieces of the film are talked about at length. The movies obsession with Eastern stereotypes is touched upon. The racially charged and problematic nature of a character presumably owning a Native American is discussed at length.

If that's not enough, we explore the films fetishization of Eastern culture, as well as, it's utter inconsistency on whether or not the Yeti is actually real.

The exoticification and festishization of 'the Other' in cinema is briefly talked about, as is the theme of the 'wholesome white boy' under threat of immoral forces. We conclude by talking about Michael Findlay’s filmography, which was rather heavily laden with exploitation and soft-core pornography.

As always thanks to everyone and anyone who donated on Patreon, checked this episode out, or shared a tweet/shared a post on FB/gave us love by recommending us to someone. We love you forever for listening. Any questions, comments, suggestions for movies and guests, or if you yourself want to join us for a movie viewing or even an episode, can be sent to [email protected]. We would love to hear from you! Thanks always to Justin Miller and Doug Tilley for their technical contributions and fliers, Mike Smaczylo for the shirts and fliers (you can check more of his work out at here), and also thanks to Josh Alvarez for the theme song, Chris, Brad, Alexis, and LVAC for the support and buttons (check them out at www.xlvacx.com), and a HUGE thank you to anyone who retweeted us or shared something on Facebook that we posted. Follow us on Twitter at @thehorrorbiz666, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/thehorrorbiz66, and remember to rate, review, and subscribe to us on ITunes. In fact, if you write us a review, email us with your mailing address and we’ll send you some free pins and stickers! Check out www.cinepunx.com for more info on some of our other podcasts, some ultra stylish Cinepunx related merchandise, and how you can donate to our Patreon! Until next time…thanks!

Greetings, and welcome back to Horror Business, we have one awesome episode in store for you guys. On this episode we’re discussing The Night Of The Demon and Shriek Of The Mutilated

First and foremost we want to give a shoutout to our sponsors over at Lehigh Valley Apparel Creations, the premiere screen-printing company of the Lehigh Valley. Chris Reject and his merry band of miscreants are ready to work with you to bring to life your vision of a t-shirt for your business, band, project, or whatever else it is you need represented by a shirt, sweater, pin, or coozy. Head on over to www.xlvacx.com to check them out. Thanks!

We begin by briefly talking about our personal opinions on the matter of Bigfoot, with Liam being a staunch skeptic and Justin staying in the camp of ‘it doesn’t sound as crazy as some other things people claim to see.” We then talk about what we’ve seen or done lately in the field of horror. Liam talks about My Friend Dahmer, and Justin talks about attending some recent horror conventions and watching the Netflix original film Veronica. We briefly discuss the recent short film released by the Modern Horrors podcasting network, Bedtime (which can be viewed here). Thank you to Luke and the rest of the Modern Horrors crew for reaching out!

Up first we talk about Night Of The Demon. We begin by talking about a history of Bigfoot related horror films. We give a brief plot outline of the film. The weak narrative structure of the film is discussed, as is the way Bigfoot is revealed through constant flashbacks to an event prior to the film.

The weird conflation of Satanism and Bigfoot in both of these films is briefly touched upon. We again talk about the sloppy and inconsistent narrative and dissect the various ways Bigfoot dispatches the characters in the movie.

This tendency in modern Bigfoot films to constantly highlight Bigfoot’s lack of aggression and how that stands in sharp contrast with several historical accounts of a rather aggressive Bigfoot.

The various problematic aspects of Bigfoot cinema are examined, including the callbacks to tropes of early 20th century adventure films in which a white woman is in peril from the “savage beast of the jungle.”

The attempt of the filmmakers to emulate the style of gory filmmaking of the likes of Lucio Fulci is discussed.

Up next we talk about Shriek Of The Mutilated. We begin by giving a brief plot outline of the movie. The absolute degree of badness this movie represents is examined, in that it falls short in every single thing it sets out to do.

The shoddy set pieces of the film are talked about at length. The movies obsession with Eastern stereotypes is touched upon. The racially charged and problematic nature of a character presumably owning a Native American is discussed at length.

If that’s not enough, we explore the films fetishization of Eastern culture, as well as, it’s utter inconsistency on whether or not the Yeti is actually real.

The exoticification and festishization of ‘the Other’ in cinema is briefly talked about, as is the theme of the ‘wholesome white boy’ under threat of immoral forces. We conclude by talking about Michael Findlay’s filmography, which was rather heavily laden with exploitation and soft-core pornography.

As always thanks to everyone and anyone who donated on Patreon, checked this episode out, or shared a tweet/shared a post on FB/gave us love by recommending us to someone. We love you forever for listening. Any questions, comments, suggestions for movies and guests, or if you yourself want to join us for a movie viewing or even an episode, can be sent to [email protected].

Greetings, and welcome back to Horror Business. We have one awesome episode in store for you guys. On this episode we're celebrating the Women In Horror Month, and we were lucky enough to be joined by Ashlee Blackwell from Graveyard Shift Sisters to discuss the role of black women in horror films. In a bit of a departure from our usual format we'll be discussing three short films instead of two feature length films: R. Shanea Williams Paralysis, Maria Wilson's Venefica, and Bree Newsome's Wake.

First and foremost we want to give a shoutout to our sponsors over at Lehigh Valley Apparel Creations, the premiere screen-printing company of the Lehigh Valley. Chris Reject and his merry band of miscreants are ready to work with you to bring to life your vision of a t-shirt for your business, band, project, or whatever else it is you need represented by a shirt, sweater, pin, or coozy. Head on over to www.xlvacx.com to check them out. Thanks!

We begin by talking about what we've done in horror recently. Ashlee talks about seeing The Ritual and the current season of Syfy's Channel Zero, as well as the Exorcist TV series. Justin talks about rereading Joe Hill's horror fantasy comic series Locke & Key. Liam talks about reading Red Dragon. 

Ashlee begins by talking about why she started Graveyard Shift Sisters. She talks about being a "minority within a minority" and starting the website in order to bring black women in from the outskirts of the horror community and within horror films, and to highlight the role black women often play in horror films. She notes that the underrepresentation of black women in horror films, both starring in and consuming, is something that needs to be addressed. The problem of horror being a culture somewhat resistant to addressing issues of race and misrepresentation/underrepresentation is discussed, as is the concept of the 'white gaze' in horror film. There is a brief discussion on Jordan Peele's work in the film Get Out and how it brought to light subjects some people were uncomfortable with.

First up is 2010's Wake. Ashlee talks about her acquaintance with the film, and how it personifies the idea of a "Southern Gothic horror film." She talks about the recent phenomenon of black women staying single, or "black women ain't gonna get married", and the desirability of black women as a whole. The phenomenon of rootwork is touched upon, and black horror's highlight of non-Christian religions and folk magic is discussed. Ashlee argues that the three bystanding women in the film represent society as a whole telling black women they aren't good enough for a man. Some of the technical aspects of the film are discussed, as are some of the tragic aspects of the film. The idea of gaining power in a world in which you have none is discussed. The concept of short films being great because of their length is briefly touched upon.

Up next is R. Shanea Williams' 2015's Paralysis. Ashlee talks about her background with the filmmaker and about being a fan of her other works. She talks about Williams' ability to craft well defined characters, as well as her ability to craft mood and tone. The difference between the feeling of "horror" and "terror" is discussed. Justin talks the recent upswing in interest in the concept of sleep paralysis, and how the film deals with the idea of questioning ones own sanity. The idea of which is scarier (external forces acting upon you, or your own mind creating something) is examined. The idea of the unknown, and the uncertainty around it, being truly scary is touched upon. The lack of access to mental health care black women suffer from is discussed. Ashlee discusses seeing the film with an all black audience and how that lent to the experience.

Finally we have 2016's Venefica. We talk about how the film was written, directed, and starred by one person, the unspoken way some of the more horrific elements of the film are introduced. Justin talks about how he loved the abrupt ending of the movie and the horror it suggests. Ashlee talks about her background with the film and how she became acquainted with it, and also the idea of the horror of the unknown. Liam talks about the way the film misleads the viewer, and encourages people to watch the short films on Shudder more often.

A very special thanks to Ashlee for being gracious enough to join us and bless us with her presence. This episode was a long time coming and it definitely was worth the wait. You can find out more on her work here and she can be followed on Twitter at @GraveyardSister. As always thanks to everyone and anyone who donated on Patreon, checked this episode out, or shared a tweet/shared a post on FB/gave us love by recommending us to someone. We love you forever for that. Any questions, comments, suggestions for movies and guests, or if you yourself want to join us for a movie viewing or even an episode, can be sent to [email protected]. We would love to hear from you! Thanks always to Justin Miller and Doug Tilley for their technical contributions and fliers, Mike Smaczylo for the shirts and fliers (you can check more of his work out at here), and also thanks to Josh Alvarez for the theme song, Chris, Brad, Alexis, and LVAC for the support and buttons (check them out at www.xlvacx.com), and a HUGE thank you to anyone who retweeted us or shared something on Facebook that we posted. Follow us on Twitter at @thehorrorbiz666, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/thehorrorbiz66, and remember to rate, review, and subscribe to us on iTunes. In fact, if you write us a review, email us with your mailing address and we’ll send you some free pins and stickers! Check out www.cinepunx.com for more info on some of our other podcasts, some ultra stylish Cinepunx related merchandise, and how you can donate to our Patreon! Until next time…thanks!

Greetings, and welcome back to Horror Business. We have one awesome episode in store for you guys. On this episode we’re celebrating the Women In Horror Month, and we were lucky enough to be joined by Ashlee Blackwell from Graveyard Shift Sisters to discuss the role of black women in horror films. In a bit of a departure from our usual format we’ll be discussing three short films instead of two feature length films: R. Shanea Williams Paralysis, Maria Wilson’s Venefica, and Bree Newsome’s Wake.

First and foremost we want to give a shoutout to our sponsors over at Lehigh Valley Apparel Creations, the premiere screen-printing company of the Lehigh Valley. Chris Reject and his merry band of miscreants are ready to work with you to bring to life your vision of a t-shirt for your business, band, project, or whatever else it is you need represented by a shirt, sweater, pin, or coozy. Head on over to www.xlvacx.com to check them out. Thanks!

We begin by talking about what we’ve done in horror recently. Ashlee talks about seeing The Ritual and the current season of Syfy’s Channel Zero, as well as the Exorcist TV series. Justin talks about rereading Joe Hill’s horror fantasy comic series Locke & Key. Liam talks about reading Red Dragon. 

Ashlee begins by talking about why she started Graveyard Shift Sisters. She talks about being a “minority within a minority” and starting the website in order to bring black women in from the outskirts of the horror community and within horror films, and to highlight the role black women often play in horror films. She notes that the underrepresentation of black women in horror films, both starring in and consuming, is something that needs to be addressed. The problem of horror being a culture somewhat resistant to addressing issues of race and misrepresentation/underrepresentation is discussed, as is the concept of the ‘white gaze’ in horror film. There is a brief discussion on Jordan Peele’s work in the film Get Out and how it brought to light subjects some people were uncomfortable with.

First up is 2010’s Wake. Ashlee talks about her acquaintance with the film, and how it personifies the idea of a “Southern Gothic horror film.” She talks about the recent phenomenon of black women staying single, or “black women ain’t gonna get married”, and the desirability of black women as a whole. The phenomenon of rootwork is touched upon, and black horror’s highlight of non-Christian religions and folk magic is discussed. Ashlee argues that the three bystanding women in the film represent society as a whole telling black women they aren’t good enough for a man. Some of the technical aspects of the film are discussed, as are some of the tragic aspects of the film. The idea of gaining power in a world in which you have none is discussed. The concept of short films being great because of their length is briefly touched upon.

Up next is R. Shanea Williams’ 2015’s Paralysis. Ashlee talks about her background with the filmmaker and about being a fan of her other works. She talks about Williams’ ability to craft well defined characters, as well as her ability to craft mood and tone. The difference between the feeling of “horror” and “terror” is discussed. Justin talks the recent upswing in interest in the concept of sleep paralysis, and how the film deals with the idea of questioning ones own sanity. The idea of which is scarier (external forces acting upon you, or your own mind creating something) is examined. The idea of the unknown, and the uncertainty around it, being truly scary is touched upon. The lack of access to mental health care black women suffer from is discussed. Ashlee discusses seeing the film with an all black audience and how that lent to the experience....

Greetings, and welcome back to Horror Business. We have one awesome episode in store for you guys. On this episode we’re discussing The Deadly Spawn and Grabbers.

First and foremost we want to give a shoutout to our sponsors over at Lehigh Valley Apparel Creations, the premiere screen-printing company of the Lehigh Valley. Chris Reject and his merry band of miscreants are ready to work with you to bring to life your vision of a t-shirt for your business, band, project, or whatever else it is you need represented by a shirt, sweater, pin, or coozy. Head on over to www.xlvacx.com to check them out. Thanks!

We begin by talking about what horror related things we had done lately. We discuss the Netflix original film The Ritual, the recent addition to the Cloverfield franchise The Cloverfield Paradox, the recent Hellraiser film (Hellraiser: Judgment) and Day Of The Dead: Bloodline.

Up first we talk about The Deadly Spawn. We discuss the low budget nature of the film and how it succeeds in spite of that low budget due to the filmmakers recognizing their limitations and wisely working within them.

We talk about the special effects, the look of the monsters, the blending of nostalgia for ‘50s movies combined with some rather effective gore, and the unconventional narrative of the film in which certain characters traditionally considered safe in horror films are constantly in danger.

We examine the claustrophobic nature of the movie and some of the lackluster acting that, while being technically bad, ultimately ends up being charming. The ‘stinger’ style ending, another throwback to ‘50s movies, is discussed.

We conclude by talking about the movie inhabits a weird area of not quite underrated/unappreciated yet isn’t as well known as some other ‘80s monster movies are.

Up next we talk about Grabbers. We begin by giving a basic plot outline of the movie. We talk about how the movie is of a unique kind of movie that was “festival ready” with a “snappy” script, and how if we had seen it at a festival we wouldn’t mind it as it is a good “filler” movie.

We talk about how despite us not being crazy about the movie, it is not necessarily a bad film and is actually quite competent. We dissect the film further, picking apart the character development (or lack thereof), the reliance upon worn out character tropes, and the possibly problematic nature of a movie that relies heavily on the stereotype of Irish alcoholism.

This issue with the plot is further examined when we point out and pick apart the fact that this plot development doesn’t really ultimately help the characters in the end and seems to be little more than a marketing gimmick. The possibility of the film not really doing it’s best with what it had is discussed.

We talk about how the film actually succeeds in the FX department in that it has a compelling creature design and the actors convincingly interact with the CGI creatures. The formulaic nature of the movie ultimately overwhelming everything else about is discussed. The strange logic and decisions some of the characters make in order to prolong the plot all the while introducing weird imagery is discussed.

As always thanks to everyone and anyone who donated on Patreon, checked this episode out, or shared a tweet/shared a post on FB/gave us love by recommending us to someone. We love you forever for listening. Any questions, comments, suggestions for movies and guests, or if you yourself want to join us for a movie viewing or even an episode, can be sent to [email protected]. We would love to hear from you! Thanks always to Justin Miller and Doug Tilley for their technical contributions and fliers, Mike Smaczylo for the shirts and fliers (you can check more of his work out at here), and also thanks to Josh Alvarez for the theme song, Chris, Brad, Alexis, and LVAC for the support and buttons (check them out at www.xlvacx.com), and a HUGE thank you to anyone who retweeted us or shared something on Facebook that we posted. Follow us on Twitter at @thehorrorbiz666, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/thehorrorbiz66, and remember to rate, review, and subscribe to us on ITunes. In fact, if you write us a review, email us with your mailing address and we’ll send you some free pins and stickers! Check out www.cinepunx.com for more info on some of our other podcasts, some ultra stylish Cinepunx related merchandise, and how you can donate to our Patreon! Until next time…thanks!

Greetings, and welcome back to Horror Business. We have one awesome episode in store for you guys. On this episode we’re discussing The Deadly Spawn and Grabbers.

First and foremost we want to give a shoutout to our sponsors over at Lehigh Valley Apparel Creations, the premiere screen-printing company of the Lehigh Valley. Chris Reject and his merry band of miscreants are ready to work with you to bring to life your vision of a t-shirt for your business, band, project, or whatever else it is you need represented by a shirt, sweater, pin, or coozy. Head on over to www.xlvacx.com to check them out. Thanks!

We begin by talking about what horror related things we had done lately. We discuss the Netflix original film The Ritual, the recent addition to the Cloverfield franchise The Cloverfield Paradox, the recent Hellraiser film (Hellraiser: Judgment) and Day Of The Dead: Bloodline.

Up first we talk about The Deadly Spawn. We discuss the low budget nature of the film and how it succeeds in spite of that low budget due to the filmmakers recognizing their limitations and wisely working within them.

We talk about the special effects, the look of the monsters, the blending of nostalgia for ‘50s movies combined with some rather effective gore, and the unconventional narrative of the film in which certain characters traditionally considered safe in horror films are constantly in danger.

We examine the claustrophobic nature of the movie and some of the lackluster acting that, while being technically bad, ultimately ends up being charming. The ‘stinger’ style ending, another throwback to ‘50s movies, is discussed.

We conclude by talking about the movie inhabits a weird area of not quite underrated/unappreciated yet isn’t as well known as some other ‘80s monster movies are.

Up next we talk about Grabbers. We begin by giving a basic plot outline of the movie. We talk about how the movie is of a unique kind of movie that was “festival ready” with a “snappy” script, and how if we had seen it at a festival we wouldn’t mind it as it is a good “filler” movie.

We talk about how despite us not being crazy about the movie, it is not necessarily a bad film and is actually quite competent. We dissect the film further, picking apart the character development (or lack thereof), the reliance upon worn out character tropes, and the possibly problematic nature of a movie that relies heavily on the stereotype of Irish alcoholism.

This issue with the plot is further examined when we point out and pick apart the fact that this plot development doesn’t really ultimately help the characters in the end and seems to be little more than a marketing gimmick. The possibility of the film not really doing it’s best with what it had is discussed.

We talk about how the film actually succeeds in the FX department in that it has a compelling creature design and the actors convincingly interact with the CGI creatures. The formulaic nature of the movie ultimately overwhelming everything else about is discussed. The strange logic and decisions some of the characters make in order to prolong the plot all the while introducing weird imagery is discussed.

As always thanks to everyone and anyone who donated on Patreon, checked this episode out, or shared a tweet/shared a post on FB/gave us love by recommending us to someone. We love you forever for listening. Any questions, comments, suggestions for movies and guests, or if you yourself want to join us for a movie viewing or even an episode, can be sent to [email protected]. We would love to hear from you! Thanks always to Justin Miller and Doug Tilley for their technical contributions and fliers, Mike Smaczylo for the shirts and fliers (you can check more of his work out at here),

Greetings, and welcome back to Horror Business. We have one awesome episode in store for you guys. On this episode we’re discussing Jacob’s Ladder and They Look Like People, and we were lucky enough to be joined by Jon The LitCritGuy!

First and foremost we want to give a shoutout to our sponsors over at Lehigh Valley Apparel Creations, the premiere screen-printing company of the Lehigh Valley. Chris Reject and his merry band of miscreants are ready to work with you to bring to life your vision of a t-shirt for your business, band, project, or whatever else it is you need represented by a shirt, sweater, pin, or coozy. Head on over to www.xlvacx.com to check them out. Thanks!

We begin by talking about what horror related things we had done lately. Jon opens the conversation by talking about recently teaching Alien and Ex Machina to his classes and hosting screenings of those films. We briefly discuss the intellectualization of the horror genre and the nature of horror fandom in America. Liam talks about seeing Brawl On Cellblock 99, and Justin talks about seeing Phoenix Forgotten, The Open House and Before I Wake. There is a brief discussion on the Truth Or Dare trailer and Godzilla: Planet Of Monsters, and Liam mentions the trailer for the upcoming ‘Bigfoot behaving badly’ movie Primal Rage.

Up first we talk about 1990’s Jacob’s Ladder. We begin by talking about our initial exposure to this film. Jon talks about specific scenes in the film that had an effect on him, especially the ‘gurney’ scene in the hospital.

Justin talks about the impact it had on the aesthetics of horror films in the 1990s, especially the ‘headshake’ effect the film pioneered and that many films and music videos went on to use. Liam talks about seeing the film on late night basic cable as a kid. Jon talks about the impact the film had on the video game franchise Silent Hill, as well as the overall bleakness of the film. Tim Robbins’ performance is discussed, as are the numerous twists and turns the film takes.

Some of the deleted scenes and the strength of having them removed are discussed, and the nature of the cinematography (quick flashes of something horrific as opposed to long looks at something horrific) is discussed. The existential nature of the film, in that it examines the horror and anxiety of every day life, is examined. Liam briefly talks about the weirdly optimistic ending. Jon compares the gurney scene in which Danny Aiello’s character rages against the hospital staff as another example of we, in every day life, cling to our every day life despite it being horrific. Some of the theological aspects of the film are examined, including those of Meister Eckhart who is quoted in the film.

There is a discussion on whether or not Louie and Jezzie are separate entities from Jacob Singer i.e. the film is entirely psychological and NOT mystical in nature, with Justin arguing the former and Liam arguing the latter. The plotline of drugs being used on unknowing soldiers in Vietnam being somewhat unnecessary and weird is discussed. We talk about the legacy this movie has, in that it had a tremendous impact on a certain age group while remaining somewhat obscure to the younger generation.

 

A comparison to Wes Craven’s The Serpent And The Rainbow is made, in that both films are non-traditional and non-linear approaches to the genre. Jon talks about the nature of horror film ascribed to each decade and how this film kind of bucks that trend. We discuss the possibility of the finished product being somewhat different from the screenplay and that it was a result of “director vs. screenwriter”.

Up next we talk about 2015’s They Look Like People. Jon opens up the discussion by approaching the film’s take on alienation from a Marxist perspective, as well as commenting on the intimate look of the film in that it is a very tightly shot film. Liam talks about the “smallness” of the film, in that it has a small budget and a small cast and turns that “smallness” into something truly effective.

The “horror of our emotional lives as humans” being used as an aesthetic is discussed. Justin talks about how, despite knowing from the beginning that the film is dealing entirely with phenomenon that exists only in the characters head and that there is no “they”, the film is still a terrifying look at how mental illness affects the lives of those who suffer from it, and how the tension comes from the main character knowing they have a problem and still not being able to get help. Jon talks about the tendency of horror movies to make the character with mental illness the villain and yet in this movie that character is not really in any sense bad and yet that is not enough for the film to be hopeful.

Justin talks about the fear of an unpredictable character being effective and this film successfully executing it. Liam talks about how the film, while being primarily about mental illness, the film could also be seen as an examination of a fear of religious people. We talk about how while the film deals primarily with the mental state of the main character, his friend who is seen as the more stable one is also not exactly thriving mentally.

The sense of isolation, alienation, and loneliness is discussed, in that the main character has willfully cut himself off from everyone he comes in contact with to try and improve himself in the eyes of his ex girlfriend despite being “desperate for attention” from anyone. The difference between Wyatt and Christian’s sense of loneliness, in that Wyatt’s is due to his mental illness while Christians is self imposed, is discussed.

The ambiguous nature of the ending, in that we don’t know that Wyatt’s problems just went away, is discussed. The general effectiveness of the ending, in how tense and terrifying it is, is discussed. Jon digs into the ending highlighting the high-risk nature of connecting with another human being, in that trusting another person in this case literally involves putting your body on the line.

Liam talks about how Christian letting Wyatt tie him up at the end was not an exercise in trust but more in a willful casting aside the desire to live and a sort of lackadaisical suicide attempt.

Thanks SO MUCH to Jon for being gracious enough to join us to pick these films apart. His work can be viewed at www.thelitcritguy.com, and he can be found on Twitter at @TheLitCritGuy. As always thanks to everyone and anyone who donated on Patreon, checked this episode out, or shared a tweet/shared a post on FB/gave us love by recommending us to someone. We love you forever for listening. Any questions, comments, suggestions for movies and guests, or if you yourself want to join us for a movie viewing or even an episode, can be sent to [email protected]. We would love to hear from you! Thanks always to Justin Miller and Doug Tilley for their technical contributions and fliers, Mike Smaczylo for the shirts and fliers (you can check more of his work out at here), and also thanks to Josh Alvarez for the theme song, Chris, Brad, Alexis, and LVAC for the support and buttons (check them out at www.xlvacx.com), and a HUGE thank you to anyone who retweeted us or shared something on Facebook that we posted. Follow us on Twitter at @thehorrorbiz666, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/thehorrorbiz66, and remember to rate, review, and subscribe to us on ITunes. In fact, if you write us a review, email us with your mailing address and we’ll send you some free pins and stickers! Check out www.cinepunx.com for more info on some of our other podcasts, some ultra stylish Cinepunx related merchandise, and how you can donate to our Patreon! Until next time…thanks!

Greetings, and welcome back to Horror Business. We have one awesome episode in store for you guys. On this episode we’re discussing Jacob’s Ladder and They Look Like People, and we were lucky enough to be joined by Jon The LitCritGuy!

First and foremost we want to give a shoutout to our sponsors over at Lehigh Valley Apparel Creations, the premiere screen-printing company of the Lehigh Valley. Chris Reject and his merry band of miscreants are ready to work with you to bring to life your vision of a t-shirt for your business, band, project, or whatever else it is you need represented by a shirt, sweater, pin, or coozy. Head on over to www.xlvacx.com to check them out. Thanks!

We begin by talking about what horror related things we had done lately. Jon opens the conversation by talking about recently teaching Alien and Ex Machina to his classes and hosting screenings of those films. We briefly discuss the intellectualization of the horror genre and the nature of horror fandom in America. Liam talks about seeing Brawl On Cellblock 99, and Justin talks about seeing Phoenix Forgotten, The Open House and Before I Wake. There is a brief discussion on the Truth Or Dare trailer and Godzilla: Planet Of Monsters, and Liam mentions the trailer for the upcoming ‘Bigfoot behaving badly’ movie Primal Rage.

Up first we talk about 1990’s Jacob’s Ladder. We begin by talking about our initial exposure to this film. Jon talks about specific scenes in the film that had an effect on him, especially the ‘gurney’ scene in the hospital.

Justin talks about the impact it had on the aesthetics of horror films in the 1990s, especially the ‘headshake’ effect the film pioneered and that many films and music videos went on to use. Liam talks about seeing the film on late night basic cable as a kid. Jon talks about the impact the film had on the video game franchise Silent Hill, as well as the overall bleakness of the film. Tim Robbins’ performance is discussed, as are the numerous twists and turns the film takes.

Some of the deleted scenes and the strength of having them removed are discussed, and the nature of the cinematography (quick flashes of something horrific as opposed to long looks at something horrific) is discussed. The existential nature of the film, in that it examines the horror and anxiety of every day life, is examined. Liam briefly talks about the weirdly optimistic ending. Jon compares the gurney scene in which Danny Aiello’s character rages against the hospital staff as another example of we, in every day life, cling to our every day life despite it being horrific. Some of the theological aspects of the film are examined, including those of Meister Eckhart who is quoted in the film.

There is a discussion on whether or not Louie and Jezzie are separate entities from Jacob Singer i.e. the film is entirely psychological and NOT mystical in nature, with Justin arguing the former and Liam arguing the latter. The plotline of drugs being used on unknowing soldiers in Vietnam being somewhat unnecessary and weird is discussed. We talk about the legacy this movie has, in that it had a tremendous impact on a certain age group while remaining somewhat obscure to the younger generation.

 

A comparison to Wes Craven’s The Serpent And The Rainbow is made, in that both films are non-traditional and non-linear approaches to the genre. Jon talks about the nature of horror film ascribed to each decade and how this film kind of bucks that trend. We discuss the possibility of the finished product being somewhat different from the screenplay and that it was a result of “director vs. screenwriter”.

Up next we talk about 2015’s They Look Like People. Jon opens up the discussion by approaching the film’s take on alienation from a Marxist perspective,

Greetings, and welcome back to Horror Business, the podcast that’s here to help you ring in the new year. We have one awesome episode in store for you guys. On this episode we’re discussing our favorite films of 2017!

First and foremost we want to give a shoutout to our sponsors over at Lehigh Valley Apparel Creations, the premiere screenprinting company of the Lehigh Valley. Chris Reject and his merry band of miscreants are ready to work with you to bring to life your vision of a tshirt for your business, band, project, or whatever else it is you need represented by a shirt, sweater, pin, or coozy. Head on over to www.xlvacx.com to check them out. Thanks!

We begin by talking about what horror related things we had done lately. Liam and Justin discuss both seeing It Stains The Sands Red.

We give honorable mentions to Alien: Covenant, Cure For Wellness, The Vault, Split, Devil’s Candy, The Lure, Better Watch Out, Prevenge, Sam Was Here, It Stains The Sands Red, Mayhem, and The Void.

Liam’s Top Ten Of 2017

 

 

Justin’s Top Ten Of 2017

As always thanks to everyone and anyone who checked this episode out, or shared a tweet/shared a post on FB/gave us love by recommending us to someone. We love you forever for listening. Any questions, comments, suggestions for movies and guests, or if you yourself want to join us for a movie viewing or even an episode, can be sent to [email protected]. We would love to hear from you! Thanks always to Justin Miller and Doug Tilley for their technical contributions and fliers, Mike Smaczylo for the shirts and fliers (you can check more of his work out at here), and also thanks to Josh Alvarez for the theme song, Chris, Brad, Alexis, and LVAC for the support and buttons (check them out at www.xlvacx.com), and a HUGE thank you to anyone who retweeted us or shared something on Facebook that we posted. Follow us on Twitter at @thehorrorbiz666, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/thehorrorbiz66, and remember to rate, review, and subscribe to us on ITunes. In fact, if you write us a review, email us with your mailing address and we’ll send you some free pins and stickers! Check out www.cinepunx.com for more info on some of our other podcasts, some ultra stylish Cinepunx related merchandise, and how you can donate to our Patreon! Until next time…thanks!