Imported Horror

What's scarier: Creatures from the uncanny valley crawling up to do horrifying things that shouldn't be possible for stop motion animation, or generations of serial killers stalking and scalping their victims? If you answered stop motion, you're right - that's undeniably freakier - but both options are totally worth watching. This week, Grady and Melissa are thoroughly chilled by Stopmotion (United Kingdom, 2023) and Marcus popped some popcorn for thirty years of creepy Danish slashers with Nightwatch (1994) and Nightwatch: Demons are Forever (2023). Plus - inky body horror and a Tubi surprise are dropping this week, and technical difficulties reawaken the AI-generated "Funk Bot" in the last seven-ish minutes.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

"Stopmotion director says his brand of animation is necromancy," by Tasha Robinson for Polygon

"AMC Networks Promotes Emily Gotto to Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Production for Shudder," by AMC Networks. Note: My memory of this release was fuzzy and I got some important details wrong, but the head of international acquisitions is still getting a big promotion and we still Stan Shudder.

Dive deep into fear with us this week as we wander into open waters, haunting forests and chilling catacombs. Melissa goes camping with a grisly throwback slasher in Cub (Belgium & Netherlands, 2014), Grady swims with cocaine-addled sharks that are just barely so-bad-they're-good in Deep Fear (UK & France, 2023) and Marcus gets lost in the ruins under Paris in the other Deep Fear (Belgium & France, 2022). Also - sure you've seen insane apocalyptic car chases before, but should you see Furiosa anyway? And, will the shark flick swimming onto Netflix next week be better?

Just a quick update this week - zoomer humor slays in the trailer for Killer Body Count (Canada & South Africa, 2024), possibly the most Tubi movie to ever Tubi, and the original Nightwatch (Denmark, 1994) has all the offbeat Blockbuster Energy vibes and some himbo-y surprises. Plus, we're taking a week to get stoked for patriarchal nightmare fuel In Flames (2023, Pakistan & Canada) and animated chills in Stopmotion (United Kingdom, 2023).

Articles mentioned in this episode:

"'In Flames' – Exclusive Clip from Pakistani Psychological Thriller Has Visions of the Dead," by John Squires for Bloody Disgusting

"Killer Body Count | Official Trailer | A Tubi Original" on YouTube

Cops have challenging jobs. One day, you're dealing with ghost parties and a possessed dog, and the next you've stumbled through a portal to hell. This week, we patrol the not-so-mean New Zealand streets with Wellington Paranormal (2018-2022) and get pulled into Turkish nightmare fuel with Baskin (2015). We also get swarmed by skittering spiders and an uneven tones with Infested (France & USA, 2023. Plus, a thirty-year-old Danish crime horror and its new sequel hit Shuddre this week along with the most vicious elevator in all of Amsterdam.

Grab your JNCOs and bleach your hair - the 90s called to say hello this week. We chat about the What Is Buried Must Remain (Lebanon, 2022), a found footage flick with all the turn-of-the-century vibes, and marvel at the gravitas of the legendary "Mystery Guest Star" in the so-bad-it's-good stab-fest Mute Witness (United Kingdom, Russia & Germany, 1995). Plus - Abigail is surprisingly affirming, the ending of Late Night with the Devil slaps and the next week is crawling with kaiju and spiders.

Articles mentioned on this episode:

"Exclusive Interview: Elias Matar (What Is Buried Must Remain)," by Peter "Witchfinder" Hopkins for Horror Asylum

Last week, we saw the moon blot out the afternoon sun. It made us spiral out of control into a binge of cringe, frustration and the worst sequel you've never heard of. Grady unpacks Spiral (Japan, 1998), which begins as an also-ran sequel to Ring and descends into weird softcore porn. Marcus struggles with math in Spiral (Canada, 2019), a queer horror with a clever ending but a frustrating and unlikeable protagonist. Melissa is baffled by the upcoming American remake of Speak No Evil (Denmark & The Netherlands, 2022). Can she look at James McAvoy the same way ever again? Plus - The First Omen is the more satisfying Coke to Immaculate's Pepsi, a spinoff of the manga Parasyte hits Netflix and Late Night with the Devil finally hits Shudder.

Articles mentioned in this episode:

"I'm Afraid of Other People and Myself: Christian Tafdrup on Speak No Evil," by Isaac Feldberg for RogerEbert.com

Creepy convents, ghoulish nostalgia and full frontal science fiction - we've got something for everyone this week. We give an enthusiastic recommendation for Late Night with the Devil (Australia & United Arab Emirates, 2023) even though a movie theater fire robbed us of the ending, and we debate the Twitter crossfire about its brief use of generative AI. We unpack the chills and flaws of Immaculate (Italy & USA, 2024) and consider how personal religious experiences shape our contrasting interpretations of its disturbing ending. Marcus also gets nerdy talking about Lifeforce (United Kingdom, 1985) with Duane Barry and Jean Luc Picard.

Articles Mentioned in this Episode:

"'Late Night With the Devil' Directors Explain Using AI Art in the Film, Say They 'Experimented' With Three Images Only (EXCLUSIVE)" by William Earl for Variety

"Immaculate star Sydney Sweeney explains that 'animatronic thing' and the gonzo, bloody ending" by Lauren Huff for Entertainment Weekly

"Let's Talk About The Shocking Ending of Immaculate" by Dais Johnson for Inverse

If we had a nickel for every time we watched a movie with a demonic feline this week, we'd have two nickels - which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. This week, Grady and Melissa try to explain the fathomless House (Japan, 1977), an unspeakably weird cult classic from the nightmares of a ten-year-old girl. Marcus unpacks The Legend of the Demon Cat (China, 2017), which has a killer hook - a spectral black feline with a penchant for eating eyeballs - but uses it for historical fantasy rather than horror. Also, we swim with crocs in Rogue (Australia and USA, 2007) and plan a weekend double feature with Immaculate and Late Night with the Devil.

What would you do if a ghost joined you in the bathtub, or if a demon judged your sex life? Find out this week as we explore the occult with Extra Ordinary (Ireland & Belgium, 2019), jump from a super-scary procedural to a super-okay exorcism in Belzebuth (Mexico, 2017), act surprised when a record player skips in the short film Antikk (Norway, 2020) and get down with the sickness with short film The Plague (Uruguay, 2017). Also - is Satanic Hispanics the anthology to beat this year, and does a Netflix gnome movie really belong on Tubi?

Why do haters gotta hate? Was Lucio Fulci full of crap? Who would you bribe to slap a TV-MA label on a PG parody? Find out this week as we discuss the Mexican and Native American roots of True Detective: Night Country, Hammer fanfic and "action" in Wrath of Dracula (United Kingdom, 2023) and influential classic horror in The House that Screamed (Spain, 1969). Plus - we get some help from Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, learn why you shouldn't adopt a ghost and/or vampire and get distracted by Elmo's preemo slasher villian potential.

"How Mexico City influenced the icy Alaska mystery of 'True Detective: Night Country'" by Bernice Vautista for the Associated Press

"True Detective: Night Country's indigenous representation offers hope for decolonising television," by Agata Lulkowska for the Conversation