Podcast | JOHNNY HAS THE KEYS

It is said that Halloween is the night when the dead rise to walk among us and other unspeakable things roam free. The rituals of All Hallows Eve were devised to protect us from their evil mischief, and one small town is about to be taught a terrifying lesson that some traditions are best not forgotten. Nothing is what it seems when a suburban couple learns the dangers of blowing out a Jack-o’-lantern before midnight; four women cross paths with a costumed stalker at a local festival; a group of pranksters goes too far and discovers the horrifying truth buried in a local legend, and a cantankerous old hermit is visited by a strange trick-or-treater with a few bones to pick. Costumes and candy, ghouls and goblins, monsters and mayhem… the tricks and treats of Halloween turn deadly as strange creatures of every variety-human and other try to survive the scariest night of the year.

Happy Halloween! We surprised ourselves with Trick ‘r Treat (2007), a delightful anthology neither of us had ever seen and a movie that truly embraces the spirit of October 31st. Join us as we discuss its perfect witch’s brew, including a solid cast, chills and thrills, and its unique approach to anthology story-telling. Listen, as Johnny Has the Keys goes trick or treating in a neighborhood where annual customs mask more sinister things in the shadows.

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When the Event Horizon, a spacecraft that vanished years earlier, suddenly reappears near Neptune, a team is dispatched to investigate the ship. Accompanied by the Event Horizon’s creator, William Weir (Sam Neill), the crew of the Lewis and Clark, led by Capt. Miller (Laurence Fishburne), explores the abandoned vessel. However, it soon becomes clear that something sinister lives in its corridors, and that the horrors that befell the Event Horizon’s previous journey are still present.

It’s really hard to describe how badly we want to like this movie. It’s gorgeous, and the cast is solid, but the script and directing just do not hold up. Join us as we discuss the troubled history of the film and its cultish rise in popularity since tanking at the box office. Listen as Johnny Has the Keys travels to the outermost of our solar system, where a long-missing ship is now the gateway to something far colder than space.

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Four psychopaths, Hawkes (Jack Palance), a former prisoner of war, Sutcliff (Martin Landau), a pyromaniac evangelist, Elster (Erland van Lidth), an obese child molester and Skagg (Phillip Clark), a serial killer are permanent residents of a psychiatric hospital administered by Dr. Leo Bain (Donald Pleasence). When the security system fails and they escape the facility, their target is their new psychiatrist (Dwight Schultz), who, they believe, killed their previous doctor.

This forgotten gem is an early slasher movie from New Line Cinema. It has its flaws, but the incredible ensemble cast (Palance, Pleasence, and Landau, in particular) make it an entertaining film well worth a watch. Join us as we discuss the memorable cast and history of this early film from the House Freddy (Krueger) built. Listen as Johnny Has the Keys hides from not one but four psychopaths stalking us alone… in the dark.

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The Blob (1958)—In this drive-in favorite, teenagers Steve (Steve McQueen) and his best girl, Jane (Aneta Corsaut), try to protect their hometown from a gelatinous alien life form that engulfs everything it touches. But no one else has seen the goo, and police officer Dave (Earl Rowe) refuses to believe the kids without proof.

The Blob (1988)—In a tiny California town, high school students Brian (Kevin Dillon), Meg (Shawnee Smith), and Paul (Donovan Leitch) discover a strange, gelatinous substance that melts the flesh of any living creatures in its path. The deadly substance gets into the town’s sewer system, where it grows uncontrollably, occasionally emerging to feast on unsuspecting townspeople. A military clean-up crew tries to contain the menace but does more harm than good. Again, it’s up to the teenagers to save the day!

Welcome to our second double-feature this season. The Blob (1958) and its remake are both classics of the eras they’re from—the former of the 1950s teenage drive-in movie fare, and the latter an often wicked delivery of 1980s special effects. Join us as we discuss the pros and cons of both movies, including script, cast, effects, and, of course, nostalgia. Listen as Johnny Has the Keys drives down memory lane, dodging meteors that may contain icky life-forms that want nothing more than to devour us and our loved ones.

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The Innocents (1961)—Based on the Henry James story The Turn of the Screw, The Innocents (1961) is a psychological thriller about a woman who takes a governess job for two orphans in a Victorian home. Soon, she begins to see what she believes are ghosts and suspects the children’s bizarre behavior is the result of supernatural powers.

It’s October, and we felt it was the perfect time to cover this classic of paranormal persuasion. The pedigree for The Innocents (1961) is off-the-charts, including the source material (Henry James), directing (Jack Clayton), cinematography (Freddie Francis), screenplay (William Archibald and Truman Capote), and star (Deborah Kerr). Join us as we discuss what many have called one of the best ghost stories ever made, a story that continues to inspire to this very day. Listen as Johnny Has the Keys journeys to Bly Manor, where dead lovers still roam and the children aren’t exactly what they seem. 

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A Boy and His Dog (1975)—Vic (Don Johnson) is a libidinous “boy” traversing the post-apocalyptic desert of 2024, accompanied by his telepathic dog, Blood. When they encounter an underground community, the leader’s daughter, Quilla Holmes (Susanne Benton), seduces Vic into their fold, separating him from Blood, who’s left to survive on his own. But once Vic discovers he’s been lured there solely for the purpose of mechanized procreation, he elects to escape and rejoin Blood on the surface.

Welcome to our first contribution from acclaimed, and often combative, sci-fi writer Harlan Ellison. A Boy and His Dog (1975) is not a perfect film by any means and, at times, resembles a movie a bunch of drunken friends made together on weekends. Join us, as we discuss the pros and cons that make this film an endearing cult classic–the source material, the cast, and the influence it had on future post-apocalyptic films (including one very popular director/franchise). Listen as Johnny Has the Keys scavenges the wastelands for food and carnal sustenance, only to discover that dog is, in fact, man’s best friend.

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Dead of Night (1945)—Architect, Walter Craig (Mervyn Johns), goes to Pilgrim’s Farm to see a potential client. Once there, he meets a group of people who seem oddly familiar. Craig tells them he has dreamt about each one of them and recounts events that occurred in his dream. His revelations ignite a conversation amongst the group, where each admits to having experienced strange events, in stories which they, in turn, tell.

Welcome to the first of three anthology films we’re covering this season. Dead of Night (1945) is the perfect place to start, considering that it is the first mainstream horror anthology film out there and set the bar for any that follows. Join us, as we discuss the various writers and directors that created the film, its cast, and the weighty influence it has on films even today. Listen as Johnny Has the Keys encounters a pursuant hearse, a haunted mirror, and an evil ventriloquist dummy, knowing the outcomes but helplessly trapped to live them over and over again. 

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2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984)—Brave explorers travel the far reaches of the solar system, continuing the story of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). The destination is Jupiter, where a joint effort of Russian and American astronauts journey. Drs. Heywood Floyd (Roy Scheider), Walter Curnow (John Lithgow), R. Chandra (Bob Balaban), and Russian commander Tanya Kirbuk (Helen Mirren) aim to uncover what happened to Dave (Keir Dullea) and seek answers for both past and present mysteries.   

Space… where no successful sci-fi movie can resist returning for a sequel. In the case of 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984), however, it is a welcome return. Join us as we discuss the film’s stellar cast, Hyams vs. Kubrick’s directing, the script, special effects, and more. Listen as Johnny Has the Keys returns to Jupiter, seeking answers for Hal’s murderous motives and what happened to Dave while encountering present dangers in the ever-evolving mystery of the monolith.

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The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)—In a desperate attempt to reach his ill wife, organist Anton Phibes (Vincent Price) is horrifically disfigured in a car accident and presumed dead. Upon learning his wife has died, Phibes blames her surgeons and plots an act of elaborate revenge to punish them. With the help of his mute assistant, Vulnavia (Virginia North), Phibes murders the doctors one by one using bizarre methods inspired by the biblical plagues.

Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972)—The sinister Dr. Phibes (Vincent Price) has returned, determined to resurrect his deceased wife. Assisted by the beautiful Vulnavia (Valli Kemp), Phibes must retrieve a set of ancient scrolls to do so. The thief of the scrolls is Darius Biederbeck (Robert Quarry), an explorer and foe who also seeks immortality. Biederbeck travels to Egypt and Phibes follows, plotting the deaths of Biederbeck’s crew, making sure they are disposed of in unusual and gory ways.

In our first of five double-features this season, we cover these two chestnuts from the glory days of AIP (American International Pictures) and the deliciously campy Vincent Price. Join us as we reminisce about our initial encounters with these incredibly unique films and their overall place in the canon of horror classics. Listen as Johnny Has the Keys seeks retribution for those who have done us wrong, choreographing vengeance methods of biblical proportions alongside a dollop of fresh cheese.

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20 Million Miles to Earth (1957)—A returning US space mission crash lands in the Mediterranean, losing its most precious cargo–eggs from an alien, reptilian-like creature from Venus. One such egg comes into the possession of an Italian zoologist (Frank Puglia), who hatches it hatch into a rapidly growing monster. His American granddaughter, Marisa (Joan Taylor), and the surviving astronaut Calder (William Hopper) must battle alongside the American and Italian military to corral the creature before it destroys everything in its path.

Welcome to our first venture into the spectacular world of Ray Harryhausen. 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957) is the perfect example of the cherished animator’s immense talent–the rip-roaring adventure of a giant lizard monster terrorizing the streets of Rome. Join us as we talk about our first impressions, the European setting, the cast, and what an absolute blast it was revisiting this B movie classic. Listen as Johnny Has the Keys chases an alien monster through Rome, weighing its preservation versus our annihilation, all the way to an ultimate encounter at the Colosseum.

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