Horror Business

Episode VII: Say No To Drugs But Say Yes To Horror Business

Greetings, children of the night, and welcome back to another timber shivering episode of Horror Business, the podcast that came here to chew bubble gum and kick ass and it’s not only out of bubblegum but is hosted by two flabby weirdos who couldn’t fight their way out of a paper bag. Thanks always for checking us out, because ultimately we do this for you.

This episode deals with the rather touchy subject of addiction, be it to drugs, alcohol, an abusive relationship, or whatever weird blue stuff Alymer secretes in our first film Brain Damage. All joking aside, addiction is undoubtedly one of the more horrific aspects of society that is often used merely as a vehicle in horror films instead of actually being examined and commented upon as an actual phenomenon.

The episode starts out with a brief discussion on the life and work of H.P. Lovecraft, who’s death anniversary fell on March 15th when this episode was recorded. His impact on the world of horror and weird fiction is undeniable, but unfortunately his rather unsavory views on race were equally undeniable. We briefly discuss the concept of separating the work from the creator, and ponder as to whether or not it was even possible to do so with Lovecraft, and ultimately decide that while the impact of Lovecraft’s work cannot and should not be denied, his legacy should contain something of an asterisk after it and his personal views should not be brushed under the rug. The recent film The Witch is also discussed, and how the difference between “terror” and “horror” have impacted the way modern horror audiences view and digest horror films.

The first film of the episode, as previously mentioned, is Frank Henenlotter’s 1988 film Brain Damage. The obvious parallels between the relationship between the parasite Alymer and the protagonist Brian and that of an addict and drugs is discussed. Similarly, the abusive nature of that relationship is brought up in how it resembles an actual abusive relationship between two individuals even without drugs being involved. Henenlotter’s intent in making the film is a focal point of the discussion: did he make it in an attempt to bring attention to the plight of an addict, or was he merely using the subject of addiction as a vehicle to further a plot? Was it a social commentary upon the public perception of addiction at the time (the tail of end of the Reagan Era and the subsequent ‘War On Drugs’)? The seesawing tone of the film is discussed, in that the film goes from humorous and silly to extremely dark and grim: despite being about a brain eating parasite driving a character to murder by keeping him addicted to its own secretions, there is an underlying flavor of silliness to most of the movie with the exception of a few parts. Henenlotter’s other work, primarily Basket Case, is brought up in an attempt to ascertain a more serious message to the film. A minor point is made on the aesthetics of the film; it takes place in late 80s New York City, just prior to the ‘Disneyification’ of the city.

 

The second film of the episode is Guillermo del Toro’s 1993 vampire film Cronos. The genre of the film is discussed; is it a fantasy movie? A straight up vampire film? A tragic horror film? Again, as with Brain Damage, the parallels to real world addiction is discussed, although unlike the first film Cronos takes a far more delicate and sympathetic stance on addiction in that it largely treats addiction as an actual phenomenon and disease rather than something that is used merely to further a plot. The possibility of recovery that is symbolized by the conclusion of the film is examined, and the weirdly hopeful tone it gives the film as opposed to the bleak and nihilistic tone of Brain Damage. The motives for drug use are discussed in how they are presented in the film. Attention is given to del Toro’s stylistic choices,...

Episode 6: Love In The Time Of Octopi And Cronenberg, Or: When Things Fall Apart, Can We Make A New Start? Not Likely.

 

 

Greetings, creeps and weirdos! Welcome to the sixth episode of Horror Business, the podcast that would thrill Tom Atkins time and time again. This episode, in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, Liam and Justin go against their better judgment and take a look at a couple of movies that exemplify the absolute dread that is the abomination of love gone absolutely wrong.

The first film that is discussed in David Cronenberg’s The Brood. Focal to this conversation is Cronenberg’s fascination with the grotesque and it’s intrusion into every day life and his obsession with detailing the interaction of the internal and external. In this specific case, it is the repressed emotions of a woman who had been abused as a child manifesting themselves as monstrous children that she births and the proceeds to unleash upon those she has perceived as having wronged her. The possibility of this film serving as a vehicle for Cronenberg’s criticism of pharmaceuticals and “New Age” therapies that could end up doing more harm than good, as is the extremely personal nature of the film due to it reflecting Cronenberg’s own frustrations with his divorce. Cronenberg’s cold and clinical style of film is discussed, as is the possibility of misogynistic tendencies in his films. On a humorous note, the overt and dominating masculinity of Oliver Reed is discussed at length, and Liam vents about his anxieties involving 1970s America.

Up next is the late Andrzej Zulawski’s Possession. Central to this conversation is the religious and mystical nature of the film, due to several of the characters constantly making references to God and the divine, and the possibility of there being no god. The possible demonic nature of the entity that is seducing Isabella Adjani’s character is likewise discussed. The nonsensical and apparently surreal nature is examined in an attempt to find some sort of meaning in the apparent chaos of the film. How the film treats the nature of romantic loss and jealousy is discussed at length, and the tragedy of a relationship falling apart is central to this discussion, central to which is Sam Neill’s descent into madness and his switch from the sympathetic character into a wholly unsympathetic character. Perhaps most interesting in the discussion of Possession is the role of politics in the film; while it is wrought with imagery of the Cold War (Sam Neill’s character is a spy of some sort and the actual Berlin Wall is seen in the background throughout much of the film) any actual political message is hard to discern. In other words, despite the heavy use of political imagery, the film remains a psychologically based horror film with some political imagery rather than a political film with horror overtones. Zulawski recently passed, but we recorded before this happened so we do not discuss it on the show.

 

 

As always thanks to everyone and anyone who checked this episode out.. 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 can be reached on Facebook through the Horror Business page and you can follow us on Twitter at @thehorrorbiz666. Thanks always to Justin Miller and Doug Tilley for their technical contributions, and also thanks to Josh “Pineapple Jackson” Alvarez for being the Stephen Merritt-esque rendition of a great Misfits song for our theme. Until next time…stay creepy.

 

 

Episode V: Snow Day? Yes Way!

 

Greetings earth children! Welcome to the fifth episode of Horror Business, the podcast that proves yet again Justin Lore shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near anything he can broadcast his ideas through.

This episode was originally intended to be a Christmas themed episode due to the release of The Krampus, but due to scheduling conflicts and general laziness, we unfortunately ended up making it into a general winter themed movie episode that happened to include some Christmas movies.

The first film discussed is 2015’s The Krampus, with a particular focus on the instability of tone for the movie, the lack of any real likeable characters, and most importantly the near total lacking of any Krampuses. It’s safe to say we weren’t huge fans of this movie, but at least reasoning is provided as to why we weren’t huge fans. Compared with such horror comedies as Shaun Of The Dead, Gremlins, and An American Werewolf In London, this film falls woefully short in pulling off a sense of goofy horror. Also noted in the dissection of this film is the use of tired character tropes to propel the plot along as well some unpleasant connotations in what the film may or may not have been trying to say on the nature of belief.

The second film of the episode is 1974’s Black Christmas, chosen for it’s obvious connection to Christmas. Attention is given to how unlike some other Christmas themed horror films, Black Christmas is connected only very tenuously to the holiday in that it takes place on Christmas Eve and, unlike other films that are Christmas themed, doesn’t rely upon gimmicks or puns. The proto-slasher nature of the film is examined, as well as its impact upon horror films in general (POV aspects, young people in danger, etc.). The lack of an explanation for the motives of the killer are a key point in this area. However, the most striking aspect of the discussion of this film is the nature of it portrayal of women: is it’s portrayal of women as weak and vulnerable a self aware phenomenon, in that it is doing so in order to criticize such beliefs, or does the film do so unknowingly and actually perpetuate a sexist and somewhat misogynistic view of women? In this discussions the motives of several male characters (a local police officer, the father of one of the characters, the main characters boyfriend) are examined, and the way they interact with the largely female cast is also discussed.

The last film of the episode is 2010’s Trollhunter, a Norwegian film done using the “found footage” technique. The two main points of the discussion of this film are that it a) succeeds where other films using the found footage technique fail, in that it legitimately feels like footage that someone found and is watching in order to understand where it came from, a b) that despite being a one hundred percent serious film and having almost no jokes and zero irony, the tone of the film is nonetheless comedic. The difficulty of having a film remain serious and unironic while dealing with such subject matter as hunting trolls is discussed as well. The impressiveness of the computer generated imagery is brought up, and there is a discussion on how well the filmmakers blended traditional practical effects with that computer generated imagery to achieve the rather fantastic shots that the film stands upon.

As always thanks to everyone and anyone who checked this episode out. You have our eternal gratitude for giving us another chance! 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]. Thanks again to Justin Miller and Doug Tilley for their technical contributions, and also thanks to Josh “John Slade” Alvarez for being the incredible theme song. Follow us on Twitter at @thehorrorbiz666 and look for us o...

Welcome back, and behold the episode that breathes new life and blood into a flagging podcast! With the addition of Liam O’Donnell, renowned cinephile, celebrated Friday Night Lights fan and cohost of the Cinepunx podcast, Horror Business forges bravely forward into a new direction.

In the inaugural episode of the new format, we dissect two films: Nicholas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now and Dario Argento’s Opera. Special attention is paid to the subtext of Don’t Look Now (grief over the loss of a child and how that grief can affect the relationships with a partner, the nature of free will vs. fate, the horror that lies in doubting ones own sanity), the startlingly realistic depiction of a married life in Don’t Look Now and how that contrasts sharply with modern cinema’s obsession with an idealized version of sex as opposed to the “warts and Nowall” presentation of it in Roeg’s film. The initial morally ambiguous nature of many of the supporting characters and the resulting sinister portrayal of Venice, a city frequently romanticized in film, is also examined.

In regards to Opera, the rather distinct style of cinematography is a focal point of our discussion; in that it seeks to depict a similar sinister voyeurism as Don’t Look Now. Argento’s style, particularly his work in the giallo subgenre, and his impact on horror films, is examined, specifically in the rather peculiar yet groundbreaking reversal of the roles of men and women in horror. The pacing, acting, music, and visual style of the movie being literally operatic are discussed.

So without giving too much more away, thanks to everyone and anyone who checked this episode out. 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]. Big ups to Justin Miller for designing our awesome logo (you can see more of his work and purchase some of it if it tickles your fancy at his www.hauntlove.com.) Also large ups to Doug Tilley of “Eric Roberts Is The F@&#*!$ Man” fame for his web stuff wizardry and finally biggest ups go out to Josh “Bojangles” Alvarez for being an all around rad dude. Thanks!