Imported Horror

What do you get when you mix an eclipse, a teenage girl, a Ouija board and a blind nun named Sister Death? Turn around, fright eyes, for a novel possession flick drenched in 90's nostalgia. Also, if you were possessed, what famous exorcist would you rather attempt to save you?

Motion Picture Terror Scale: 3 (Marcus) / 2+ (Melissa). Quality: 5/4+ Enjoyment: 5/4+

Articles mentioned in this episode:

"Is 'Veronica,' the New Netflix Horror Movie, a True Story?" by Andrew Whalen in Newsweek

"Interview with Veronica star Sandra Escacena," by James Prestridge in Close-Up Culture

"Paco Plaza • Director" by Alfonso Rivera in CinEuropa

"Spain profile - Timeline" in BBC News

"The Games that changed Spain: 25 years on from Barcelona '92," by Jose Samano in El Pais

Sometimes, fear is quiet. It lurks in anxiety and expectations, hiding among old souls and deafening silence. Bram Stoker gave vampires a dashing legacy but the freshest take on the genre in years explores the subtle horrors and sorrows of an undead child. Marcus and Melissa discuss the history of bloodsuckers and debate undertones present in the Swedish original but removed from the British/American remake.

Motion Picture Terror Scale: 2 (Marcus) / 3 (Melissa). Quality: 5. Enjoyment: 4+ / 5

Articles mentioned in this episode:

"Vampires: Folklore, Fantasy and Fact - Michael Molina" in TedED on YouTube

"Bram Stoker Claimed That Parts of Dracula Were Real. Here's What We Know About the Story Behind the Novel," by Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker in Time

"The Blood is Life: A Brief History of Vampires in Film," by Meagan Navarro in Bloody Disgusting

"Movie History – Vampire Films, From Nosferatu to Twilight," by Sara Davis for AMC

"Exclusive Interview: Let The Right One In Director Tomas Alfredson," by Katey Rick in CinemaBlend

"Interview: Tomas Alfredson on "Let the Right One In," by Aaron Hillis for IFC

"10 Sharp Facts About Let The Right One In," by Matthew Jackson in Mental Floss

"WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS CAST ON SEASON 2 GROWTH, WITCHES, AND WHY 'WE ARE ALL GUILLERMOS'" by Tara Bennett in SyFy Wire

If a sneaky little girl wearing red stalked you in the woods, would you notice? What if she climbed up your walls? Marcus and Melissa explore urban legends and murky narratives in one of Taiwan's first major horror flicks. Also, what would you rather see make an appearance in What We Do In The Shadows - gargoyles, talking cats or sirens?

Motion Picture Terror Scale: 3 (Marcus) / 4 (Melissa). Quality: 3 / 4- Enjoyment: 4 / 5

Articles mentioned in this episode:

"5 Scary Ghost Videos You Shouldn't Watch Alone," by Sir Spooks on YouTube

"Netizens dub lantern 'most creepy in Taiwan,'" by Sophia Yang in Taiwan News

"Star of the Month — December, 2015," by Chun-mu Ho in the Taipei Film Commission

"The Tag-Along Is a Breath of Frighteningly Fresh Air for the Asian Horror Scene," by Rob Hunter in Film School Rejects

"The Rise of Taiwanese Horror: Corpse Brides and Little Girls in Red," by Hélène Belaunde in The News Lens

Imported Horror took a week off to participate in the Black Lives Matter march for George Floyd in Houston. We stand opposed to racism and bigotry and united in peaceful protest. We'll be back with Taiwan's "The Tag Along" next week. In the meantime, which ancient Greek myth would you rather have stalk you through a labyrinth: Cerberus, Medusa or a minotaur?

It's part goblin, part monster, part phantom and part delusion. It likes to eat children's toes. The tokoloshe is all those things and more - breadth that leads to intriguing mythology but confusing films. Also, what musician would you rather see star in a horror movie?

Motion Picture Terror Scale: 2 - . Quality: 2 (Marcus) / 3 (Melissa). Enjoyment: 2 / 3

Articles mentioned in this episode:

"Tokoloshe" in CryptidWiki

"The Tokoloshe" in Astonishing Legends

"Writer-director Jerome Pikwane talks about the South African Supernatural Thriller The Tokoloshe," by Daniel Dercksen in The Writing Studio

"Die Antwoord - Evil Boy (Explicit)" on YouTube

We've all seen zombie films - somebody gets bitten, there's screaming, they turn bad and then there's more screaming. What if a bite weren't enough? What if you had to be rejected from the underworld to return, dead, to the land of the living? Or what if you were immune? Marcus and Melissa explore two novel indigenous approaches to zombie horror. They share a commitment to authentic representation, but their tones and attitudes are dramatically different. Also, what zombified animal would you rather fight?

Dead Lands: Motion Picture Terror Scale: 1. Quality: 4 (Marcus) / 5 (Melissa). Enjoyment: 5

Blood Quantum: MPTS: 4 / 4+. Quality: 2 / 2+. Enjoyment: 2 / 4

Articles mentioned in this episode:

"How The Dead Lands hopes to change New Zealand television," by Alice Webb-Liddall in The Spinoff

"How THE DEAD LANDS Brings Authentic Indigenous Storytelling to Horror (Exclusive)," by Rosie Knight in Nerdist

"Latest All Blacks Haka intimidates the French," on YouTube

"Blood Quantum's Jeff Barnaby on the history and horror of his Indigenous zombie movie: 'I feel like I barely got out of this one alive'" by Sarah-Tai Black in The Globe and Mail

"So What Exactly Is 'Blood Quantum'?" by Kat Chow in NPR's Code Switch Podcast

American horror often brings nightmares to Anytown or Mayberry - idyllic hamlets besieged by horrors. What happens when terrors come to slums already engulfed by cartel violence? Would the Losers Club be losers if they were homeless? This week, Marcus and Melissa explore a unique blend of Stephen King, Guillermo del Toro and Niel Gaiman. Also, which of Jerry Stiller's real and fictional kids would you rather see star as a slasher villain?

Motion Picture Terror Scale: 2 (Marcus) / 2+ (Melissa). Quality: 5. Enjoyment: 5.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

"How Tigers Are Not Afraid director made one of Stephen King and Guillermo del Toro's favorite new movies," by Clark Collis in Entertainment Weekly

"[Interview] Writer/Director Issa López for TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID," by Adrienne Clark in Nightmarish Conjurings

"Jerry Stiller, Comedian With Enduring Appeal, Is Dead at 92," by Peter Keepnews in The New York Times

Teenagers in the woods with a psycho killer. You've seen this movie before, right? Are you sure? Marcus and Melissa dive into the murky depths of Lake Bodom, a twisted slasher film born from Finland's most notorious unsolved murder mystery. They also explore overlap between true crime and horror and challenge the monstrous "murder hornet."

Motion Picture Terror Scale: 3 (Marcus), 2+ (Melissa). Quality: 4 / 4- Enjoyment: 5 / 4

Articles mentioned in this episode:

"Lake Bodom (2016) soundtrack - The Obsession" on YouTube

"The Real Unsolved Murders of Lake Bodom," by Julia Kaminski in ScreamFest

"Campsite Killer: The Unsolved Mystery of the Lake Bodom Murders," by Jake Rossen in Mental Floss

"'Murder Hornets' in the U.S.: The Rush to Stop the Asian Giant Hornet," by Mike Baker in The New York Times

"Fire Ant Frequently Asked Questions," by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Not every vampire is suave and sophisticated. Some hop and lurch, clumsily thirsting for violence - or awkward romance. Marcus and Melissa explore two modern revivals of Hong Kong's "hopping vampires," campy horror-comedy monsters from the 1980s with roots in Chinese legends. They also liken coronavirus safety to an especially grim 1990s sitcom and a carnivorous Would You Rather.

Rigor Mortis

Motion Picture Terror Scale: 1 (Marcus) / 3 (Melissa). Quality: 3. Enjoyment: 3 / 4.

Vampire Cleanup Department

MPTS: 0. Quality: 3. Enjoyment: 1.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

"Chinese Vampire" in TV Tropes

"'Mr. Vampire': The Definitive Jiangshi Movie," by Tristan Shaw in supchina

"Rigor Mortis revives the hopping-vampire movie," by Ignatiy Vishnevetsky in the A.V. Club

"RIGOR MORTIS: INTERVIEW WITH JUNO MAK," by Pam Jahn in Electric Sheep Magazine

"Anthony Yan and Hang Chi interview: Vampire Cleanup Department," by Andrew Daley in Eastern Kicks

"Dinosaurs Is the Only Family Sitcom Grim Enough for This Moment," by Lili Loofbourow in Slate

A man wakes up in a morgue. Before long, he's running down a dark hallway - fleeing a ruthless killer that gleefully hits every 80s slasher trope he can find. Marcus and Melissa also celebrate the triumphant return of What We Do In The Shadows and debate which mythological Asian creatures would be most helpful in a zombie outbreak.

What We Do In the Shadows: Motion Picture Terror Scale: 0. Quality: 5. Personal Enjoyment: 5.

122: MPTS: 3 (Marcus) / 4 (Melissa). Quality: 3+ / 4. Enjoyment: 4+

Articles mentioned in this episode:

"'122', 1st Egyptian movie to use 4DX technology premieres in Dubai," in Egypt Today

"WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS SEASON 2 PROMISES MORE SURPRISE GUESTS AND WILDER ACTION" by Tara Bennett in SyFy Wire

"WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS CAST ON SEASON 2 GROWTH, WITCHES, AND WHY 'WE ARE ALL GUILLERMOS'" by Tara Bennett in SyFy Wire

"That Ohio protest photo looked like a zombie movie. Zombie movie directors think so, too." by Maura Judkis in The Washington Post.

"SXSW and Amazon Announce Shorts-Heavy Free Virtual Festival Lineup," by Kate Erbland in IndieWire