Podcast | JOHNNY HAS THE KEYS

In 1799, young constable Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) is sent from New York City to a small town called Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of murders. There, Crane discovers that three of the killings were of the most notable men in town. The town council says that the murders are the work of the legendary headless horseman, the ghost of a Hessian soldier who was beheaded in battle. With help from a young sidekick and the beautiful Katrina Van Tassel (Christina Ricci), Crane’s investigation leads him to answers bordering both logic and the supernatural.

Happy Halloween! We couldn’t think of a better film to celebrate the haunted holiday than Tim Burton’s masterful Sleepy Hollow (1999). Join us as we discuss this work steeped in history and influence, from the original Washington Irving short story, through Burton’s love of gothic horror and Hammer film studios. Listen, as Johnny Has Keys gallops furiously through the dark and foggy woods, seeking to escape a headless demon in pursuit!

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Westworld is a futuristic theme park where paying guests can pretend to be gunslingers in an artificial Wild West populated by androids. After paying a sizable entrance fee, Blane (James Brolin) and Martin (Richard Benjamin) are determined to unwind by hitting the saloons, and brothels, and shooting their guns. But when the system goes haywire and Blane is killed in a duel with a robotic gunslinger (Yul Brynner), Martin’s escapist fantasy suddenly takes on a grim reality.

Westworld (1973) may not be scary by today’s standards, but to a young, impressionable child of 1973–take it from me–Yul Brynner was absolutely terrifying. Join us for some rip-roaring nostalgic fun as we dive into our second Michael Crichton offering of the year, discussing the recurring motif in his work as well as its seminal influence today. Listen, as Johnny Has the Keys travels to yet another amusement park, one where things also run amuck on a smaller but no less dangerous scale. 

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One of the most profitable horror movies of all time, this story of an exorcism, is based on actual events. Young Regan (Linda Blair) is acting odd — swearing, levitating, speaking in tongues… Her mother (Ellen Burstyn) seeks medical help, to no avail. A local priest (Jason Miller) thinks the devil may possess the girl. He requests to perform an exorcism, and the church sends in an expert (Max von Sydow) to help with the demanding job.

Déjà vu? Yes, we have covered this movie before. Way back in our first season (pre-YouTube video channel), we did cover this landmark in American horror movies. Now, with the recent franchise reboot and the fiftieth anniversary, we thought we’d make it the first of four (video) reduxes we’re hosting this season. Join us as we discuss the history of the film… from novel to celluloid, casting, and keys. What is it about this frightening tale of a little girl in Georgetown that resonates with us still? Listen, as Johnny Has the Keys opens that closed door at the end of the frigid hallway, seeking to encounter an ancient evil yet again. Welcome back to… The Exorcist.

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 Joanna Eberhart (Katharine Ross) moves to the quiet town of Stepford with her husband (Peter Masterson) and children. The town seems perfect — maybe a little too perfect. There’s something not quite right with the suburb’s women: they’re vapid, unfathomably devoted to housework and completely subservient to their husbands. Joanna teams up with another recent transplant, Bobby (Paula Prentiss), to investigate the mystery of Stepford’s wives and makes a horrific discovery.

Today we return to the world of Ira Levin (Rosemary’s Baby) to a little sci-fi classic from the mid-1970s. The Stepford Wives (1975) is an ambitious, if not a very well-executed film. Join us as we discuss the pros and cons of the film, including the director, screenplay, and costumes. Listen, as Johnny Has the Keys travels to the quaint village of Stepford, where behind the gorgeous facade we discover sinister machinations lurking!
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Dr. Warren Chapin (Vincent Price) has made a surprising discovery—the spine-chilling sensation that people get when scared is due to a parasite that he dubs the tingler. Chapin concludes that in extreme circumstances, prolonged fear can cause the creature to damage a person’s spine and even cause death if the victim can’t scream, a theory that Oliver Higgins (Philip Coolidge) uses to deadly effect on his wife (Judith Evelyn). Soon the tingler that killed the woman is on the loose.

Welcome to our first venture into the weird and wacky world of William Castle, the producer/director version of P.T. Barnum. Join us as we discuss the delightful gimmicks he used to promote such classics as The House on Haunted Hill (1959), 13 Ghosts (1960), and, of course, The Tingler (1959). Listen, as Johnny Has the Keys takes on a killer parasite that attaches to your spine and kills… however, the louder you scream, the better chance you have at surviving!

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From the book by H.G. Wells, a scientist and builds a time machine and uses it to explore the distant future where there are two races, a mild gentle race, and a cannibalistic one living underground. His machine is stolen by the underground race and he must risk being captured (and eaten) to return to his own time.

In this sequel to Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Union POWs escape a Confederate camp via a hot-air balloon and end up stranded on a South Pacific island, inhabited by giant plants and animals. They must use their ingenuity to survive the dangers and devise a way to return home. agues Under the Sea’.

DOUBLE FEATURE! And who better than to pair together than classic sci-fi writers H. G. Wells and Jules Verne? Though The Time Machine (1960) may fare better to the test of time than Mysterious Island (1961), both films are super fun dives into some classic nostalgic fare. Join us as we discuss what made these films endearing to us now and then, including directors, screenplays, casts, and special effects. Listen, as Johnny Has the Keys cracks open classic tomes of literature, to see what marvelous adventures await.  

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Handsome, young, but morally corrupt Dorian Gray (Hurd Hatfield) has his portrait painted. As the years pass, he does not age, but evidence of his sins is apparent in his portrait, which grows uglier with each transgression. He keeps it safely hidden in the attic. But his mysterious behavior and ageless appearance lead to his eventual demise.

Classics, anyone? Oscar Wilde is an infamous author, journalist, and playwright, but was never attributed as a horror writer. However, his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) has always been closely associated with the genre. Out of several adaptations, we chose this one which has the highest critical acclaim, as well as a terrific cast. Join us as we discuss the pros and cons of the film, including its screenplay, direction, and Faustian influence. Listen, as Johnny Has the Keys seeks internal youth for just a mere tidbit of a price… our eternal soul. 

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In 1972, playwright Richard Collier (Christopher Reeve) is fascinated with a photo of Elise McKenna (Jane Seymour), a turn-of-the-century stage actress. As his obsession grows, Richard learns from a friend that time travel may actually be possible through hypnosis. Richard travels in time to meet Elise, and the two appear destined to be together. However, Elise’s jealous manager (Christopher Plummer) sees their courtship much differently.

Welcome to the third of our four visits to the worlds of Richard Matheson (we’re saving the last for April). Somewhere in Time (1980) is a bit of a departure for us because it is a genuine romance movie (Tim would argue that 1986’s The Fly was a romance, too, but that is another story!). Join us as we discuss why this time-traveling romance (a personal favorite of David’s) remains a classic, including its fabulous cast, screenplay, and setting. Listen, as Johnny Has the Keys journeys back to the early 20th century, where obsession turns to love, and jealousy is alive and well, and ready to thwart destiny. 

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THE LAST MAN ON EARTH (1964) It is three years since a plague either killed everyone on earth or turned them into vampires. Dr. Robert Morgan is the sole survivor and lives a perilous existence where at night the vampires attack his house and during the day he seeks out the undead and permanently kills them. The monotony and isolation of his existence are getting to him – is this all to life there will ever be?

THE OMEGA MAN (1971) Robert Neville has survived a war waged with biological weapons. The plague from war has killed everyone else except for a group of albino-like survivors, led by a former newscaster now calling himself Matthias. His group is sensitive to light and heat and is bent upon smashing all remnants of the prior civilization, especially Neville.

Welcome to our second of FOUR Richard Matheson stories—FIVE, considering this episode is a DOUBLE FEATURE! The Last Man on Earth (1964) and The Omega Man (1971) are the first two feature film adaptions of Matheson’s seminal novel I Am Legend (the third being I Am Legend, 2007). Unfortunately, none of these adaptions have lived up to the phenomenal source material (many consider Night of the Living Dead (1968) a better option). Join us as we take on these two films, discussing the pluses (few) and minuses (many) that give these films—flawed as they are—a special place in our genre-loving little hearts. Listen, as Johnny Has the Keys hunts the dead by day and they, in turn, hunt us at night, questioning our existence in this strange and dangerous new world. 

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Scott Carey’s boat drifts through a strange mist that leaves a metallic residue covering his body. Within a few weeks, he begins to notice that he is losing weight. A visit to the doctor confirms that he is also getting shorter. As he gets smaller and smaller, he determines that his exposure to insecticides and what must have been a radioactive mist has caused a genetic mutation. Soon, he is so small that encounters with the household cat and a spider become potentially life-threatening. What will he do?

Jack Arnold and Richard Matheson met in bar… It sounds like a joke, but when you take a classic genre director like Arnold and pair him with a leading genre writer like Matheson, magic happens. The Incredible Shrinking Man (1975) is one of those all-time classic films that never loses its punch. Join us as we discuss the myriad reasons why this was such a successful collaboration, including the screenplay, special, effects, and cast. Listen, as Johnny Has the Keys goes where man is no longer top of the food chain, and where a vast and terrifying new world awaits us if we’re brave enough to face it.

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