On this week's episode of the Bear Cave of Terror, guest host Derek B Gayle of Skreeonk!, Gimmick, and other Glitterjaw network podcasts, joins Steve to talk about one of his all-time favorite scarymovies, and the movie that introduced him to horror, 1985's Fright Night, written and directed by Tom Holland. Made with the purpose to reinvigorate and refresh the vampire genre for a new generation hooked on slashers, Fright Night succeeds in turning what would have otherwise been a mid-budget horror into a top-shelf horror classic, supported by an incredible blockbuster creative team and a cast that understood their characters in ways that went beyond the page. Whether looking at these characters and their relationships as modern outcasts, or through a queer lens, with three of the main cast bringing their own LGBTQ perspectives to their roles consciously or subconsciously, they bring these characters to life in ways that still seems fresh. Roddy McDowell's dusty and diminished TV horror host, Stephen Geoffries awkward outsider, and Amanda Bearse's mature and awakening girlfriend, play memorably against the smarmy and sophisticated vampire portrayed Chris Sarandon and his partner/helper ("they were roommates!") played by Jonathan Stark, while William Ragsdale's Charlie attempts to destroy the monster and save his friends (unfortunately missing out on their sexual and personal awakenings!). Fantastic practical effects, beautiful cinematography, memorable lines mixed with humor and terror...Derek and Steve dig through the highlights that make this film one to put in any horror fan's list of favorites!

Additional Resources for this episode:

"Fright Night at 40" by Johnny Restall, 8/1/25 Fangoria.com

"Fright Night Retrospective" by Steve Barton, DreadCentral, 8/2011 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJOWNjDN8iU

"Fight Night" by Charlotte Wolter, Cinefantastique Vol 15, #4, Oct 1985, pg 7

"Fright Night: Behind the Scenes of the Vampire Epic" by Abbie Bernstein, Fangoria #47, Aug 1985 pp 32-35

You're So Cool Brewster: The Story of Fright Night, dir Chris Griffiths (2016), produced by Dead Mouse Productions

In this Part 2 episode of the Bear Cave of Terror, continuing the discussion of the Alien prequels by Ridley Scott, Vince Tinebra and Steve Mowry look at the follow-up to 2012's Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, released to theaters in 2017. Although the prequels were originally conceived as leading to up to the timeline established in the first Alien film from 1979, it's clear that after the criticism of Prometheus that Ridley Scott and his creative team changed course in a few different ways. Scott here decided to focus on a new direction for the plot - becoming less of a prequel to the Alien series, and more of a parallel story. In the center, the philosophy of creation and synthetics, faith vs science, and around that, an attempt to give audiences more of what they thought was lacking in Prometheus...more xenomorph carnage! Unfortunately, that opened up a new raft of criticism and left the potential for a 3rd film (or the 5-film arc that Scott envisioned) shelved indefinitely. Sure, there are a lot of issues, stemming from some of the crew actions and decisions, the unanswered questions around Planet 4 and and who really left all those eggs on LV-426, but for our guest, he hopes that the viewer can still find as much to enjoy about this bloody scifi horror film as he does. I think we can also all agree Michael Fassbinder's David as the true, irredeemably sadistic villain of the prequels, is pretty dang fantastic! So, try to look past the characters' illogical decisions and not wearing spacesuits on an unknown planet, ignore the Ripley timeline, and don't think too hard about why a med bay has such slippery floors, and enjoy our talk about Alien: Covenant!

Additional Resources for the episode:

"Alien Covenant and Prometheus, Making Sense of their Plots" by Ryan Lambie, 11/4/16 Denofgeek.com

"Prometheus 2: In Space No One Can Hear Ridley SCott..." by Brad Miske, 3/27/13 bloody-disgusting.com

"Alien:Covenant Crash Landing..." by Tom Breuggermann, 6/6/17 indiewire.com

"8 Years Later, Ridley Scott's $240Million Sci-Fi Epic..." by Adam Blevins, 8/4/25 collider.com

In this first of a two-parter of the Alien (1979) prequel discussion, we welcome back to the cave the Alien superfan, Vince Tinebra, to bring his insight and affection for the return of Ridley Scott to the Alien franchise he started with the 2012 blockbuster, Alien: Prometheus. Directed by Scott and co-written by Damon Lindelof of TV's Lost fame, this film broke fan expectations, and focused on a new path to understanding the universe according to Ridley Scott, focusing on the importance of creation itself and the origins of mankind over xenomorphs, as well as synthetics as humanity's creation, and possible undoing. Introducing the Engineers, and a new "black oil" substance that can mutate organic life, fans were probably expecting a more direct connection to the events in the 1979 original film. Along with the excellent performances from Charlize Theron, Noomi Rapace, Idris Elba, and Michael Fassbender as the creepy synthetic and Peter O'Toole admirer, David, we also look at the story of the film and where some people could be disappointed that certain questions weren't answered, but where other audiences might be equally intrigued by the new questions and possibilities posed! We look at what were the Engineers' intentions, how does Ridley Scott connect the plot with the Christian religion, and what happens in a med pod very messily does NOT stay in a med pod! This will lead right into next week's part two episode where we tackle the follow-up, Alien: Covenant that may have spelled the end to the intended parallel Alien universe storyline....or does it?

Additional Resources:

"Alien: Covenant & Prometheus - Making Sense of their Plots" by Ryan Lambie, 11/4/16 Denofgeek.com

"Ridley Scott Directing Prometheus..." by Nikki Finke and Mike Fleming, 1/14/11 - Deadline

"Prometheus Scribe Damon Lindelof Talks Robots..." by Eric Ditzian, 9/28/11 - MTV Movies Blog

"Return of the Alien Mind" by StephenGalloway, 5/16/12, Hollywood Reporter

"Is the Prometheus Sequel Stalled Out...?" by Charlie Jane Anders, 3/27/13, Gizmodo.com

"Prometheus 2: In Space, No One can Hear Ridley Scot and Fox Scream..." by Brad Miska, 3/27/13, Bloody-Disgusting.com

The Bear Cave of Terror welcomes back Mike Lovins to talk about one of his favorite - and funny enough, more family-friendly - horror movies from childhood, 1986's Critters, directed by Stephen Herek! This mash-up of sci-fi tropes, small-town monster invasion, and maybe a sprinkle of Spielberg is a dose of nostalgia for 80s kids everywhere! Starring a young Scott Grimes and perennial mother-in-alien/monster-peril Dee Wallace, and featuring Billy Zane with a rat tail, this movie featuring vicious, little, and furry monsters that eat everything in their path, who torture a family after landing on their farm, all while being hunted by incompetant shape-shifting intergalactic bounty hunters, is funny, lightly gory, and a hoot for all ages. Plus, who can forget the banger theme song, "Power of the Night" by Johnny Steele? Grab your sling-shots and M80s, as Mike and Steve talk about the Chiodo Brothers' scary and adorable creature designs, the similarities to several other 80s creature-and-scifi movies, and whether Dee Wallace was being typecast here!

Additional Resources for this episode:

"Shoemaker Report: Critters" - Dick Shoemaker, April 1986, Entertainment Tonight

"On the Farm with Critters" by Marc Shapiro, Fangoria 51, Jan 1986, pp 49-51,65.

"Critters: Blood Brothers" by Marc Shapiro, Fangoria 54, June 1986, pp 26-29

"Critters: Movie Revew and Summary" by Roger Ebert, 4/11/86 (He gave it 3 out of 4 stars)

1981 was a good year for genre films, and especially, it turns out, for werewolf movies! Joining Steve in the Bear Cave this week is frequent contributor Craig Lantz, talking about one of the most widely-recognized lycanthropic masterpieces, An American Werewolf in London, written and directed by John Landis. After being known mostly for raucous comedy films like Animal House, Kentucky Fried Movie, and the Blues Brothers, Landis set out to film a horror film in Britain, complete with classic British horror tropes skewed through an American lens, with a lot of humor, heart, and blood-pumping gore that earned the make-up team, led by Rick Baker, the first official Academy Award for Makeup. Stunning practical effects, including a brightly-lit transformation scene, snappy dialogue, and some fun gags, combined to make a modern horror classic that made use of not one, but three versions of Blue Moon! Still referenced and homaged today in all genres, this was an early 80s hit in theaters and on home video and cable that remains a great watch, and an even better scare.

Additional Resources for this Episode:

"An American Werewolf in London at 40: John LAndis' Creative Peak" by Guy Lodge, 8/21/21, The Guardian

"Max Landis' American Werewolf in London Remake Probably Isn't Happening" by Adrienne Tyler, 8/25/19 , screenrant.com

"The Story Behind AAWIL" by James White, 9/23/09, Gamesradar.com

"15 Facts About AAWIL" by Roger Cormier, 9/12/23, MentalFloss.com

"AAWIL: Can John Landis and Rick Baker Top The Howling?" by Jordan R. Fox, Cinefantastique Vol. 11, No. 3, Sept 1981, pp 4-5

In this episode, we welcome to the cave for the first time: Mr Chris Cummins! Chris is a fan of the more low-budget, cult, and exploitative sub-genre of horror, and he's brought with him Frank Henenlotter's first major film (and MoMA-celebrated), 1982's Basket Case! A snapshot of New York City in the late 70s/early 80s, at the height of its urban decay, featuring a Times Square with peep shows, XXX cinemas, drugs, and crime, it's also a deeply layered movie about acceptance, found family, trauma, and the search for love and connection...and bloody revenge! We look at the story of conjoined twins, dehumanized and separated by doctors, as they seek out the people who tore them apart, all the while exploring the wild and unique flophouses and cabarets of this singular time and place. Torsos ripped in half, faces torn apart, and a picnic lunch enjoyed at the Statue of Liberty, there's a lot to love in this tale of a boy and his malformed brother-in-a-basket. We talk about Henenlotter's inspirations, the reception from critics and audiences at the time and today, and more!

Additional Resources for the episode:

"The Museum of Modern Art is Preserving and Restoring Basket Case" by Josh Squires, 3/18/17, Bloody-Disgusting.com

"Interview: Keven van Hentenryck, Star of Basket Case" by Jon Towlson, 10/12/12, StarburstMagazine.com

"The Basket Case Returns? Interview with Frank Henenlotter" by Matthew Sorrento, 12/22/08, FilmThreat.com

"The Latest Midnight Horror" by John Stark, 7/2/82. pg 49, San Francisco Examiner

"Basket Case Review" by Variety Staff, 12/31/81, Variety

"It Came From the 80s: Belial is a Total Basket Case" by Megan Navarro, 2/11/18, Bloody-Disgusting.com

After a quick mid-season break, the Bear Cave of Terror is back with another episode that has two guest hosts, Comic Book Bears' Caleb Alexander-McKinzie and wig, makeup, and costuming expert, Jason Estrada (who also happens to be Steve's husband)! The three of us tackle one of our collective favorite horror films, Clive Barker's 1990 film, Nightbreed. The film, originally released in theaters with a studio-led cut that ignored Barker's direction, was eventually re-released in a few different director's cut versions, and the fan-forward Cabal Cut that presents it as closely to the original intention as possible. Different endings and viewpoints aside, this hybrid fantasy and horror film is known for the incredible practical makeup designs that defined the Nightbreed creatures and characters, as well as cleverly presenting Barker's political vision of a community of diverse deviants besieged by the real monsters, the people of "normal' society. With fellow director David Cronenberg also appearing as a psychiatrist with a vicious and bloody secret, the main plot of outsider Boone seeking out the haven of Midian, and his loyal girlfriend following to save and/or join him, only to see the bastion of safety destroyed by marauding townspeople, is one that speaks to a growing cult audience. But even more, the creativity and freedom that went into bringing the Nightbreed to life is a vision rarely realized, especially in the pre-CGI era.

Additional Resources for the episode:

Tribes of the Moon:Making Nightbreed (2014) produced by Shout! Factory

Men, Makeup, and Monsters: Hollywood's Masters of Illusion and FX by Anthony Timpone, 1996, St Martin's Griffin, New York, NY, pp 163-181

Clive Barker's Nightbreed, Vol 1 (1990-93) by Alan Grant, Jim Wagner, Jim Baikie, et al, published by Epic Comics.

Nightbreed (2014-15) by Clive Barker and Mark Andreyko, art by Piotr Kowalski et al, published by Boom! Studios

On this packed episode of the Bear Cave of Terror, we have another tag-team of guest hosts - returning favorite Bill Zanowitz of the Comic Book Bears, and first-time guest host, Vince Tinebra - to tackle the seminal scifi-horror classic and first chapter in the 45-year franchise, Alien, directed by Ridley Scott and released in 1979! The bears discuss several aspects of what makes this film a favorite - such as the lived-in realism of the full-detailed world of the Nostromo's crew and the practical effects, Sigourney Weaver's groundbreaking and riveting character of Ripley that mixes the "final girl" trope with a badass action hero, the uncomfortable and stunning art/design of HR Giger (you could say it was very "Gigersexual"), and more! Plus, keep an eye out on the Comic Book Bears YouTube channel for another merch-centric Bear Cave of Terror mini-episode, looking at the tie-in toys and games released in '79 to sell this terrifying horror movie to...kids? (And adult collectors, of course!)

Additional sources for this episode:

"Interview with Bolaji Badejo, 1979" by Frederick S. Clarke and Alan Jones, Cinefantastique vol 9, no. 1, Autumn, 1979

The Beats Within: The Making of Alien (2003) directed by Charles de Lauzirika, produced by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Memory: The Origins of Alien (2019) directed by Alexandre O. Phillipe, produced by Exhibit A Pictures, et al

"The Hidden Language of ALIEN: Semiotics" by Creative Briefs and Alien Verses / @AlienVerses Sep 30, 2025 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzSLV2wrjrI

On this week's episode of the Bear Cave of Terror, Hauntcub himself, Mr Jay Yospa is back to talk to us about the scifi/cosmic horror classic, Event Horizon, from director Paul W.S. Anderson. Having just celebrated its 25 year anniversary a few years ago, the film has experienced a bit of a resurgence as a cult classic, garnering more fans after its poor showing in cinemas at the 1997 release. Coming at an awkward time for home video, right on the cusp before the DVD revolution, the film didn't get the same comprehensive behind-the-scenes treatment, including archives of cut and deleted scenes or special effects segments that other films got as a matter of course just a year or two after the initial release. Because of that, the fabled "director's cut" footage, or even the extended test screening version, sadly will never be seen. However, the good news is that this film remains a wonderful example of practical effects sequences, incredible set design, intelligently-portrayed characters, and a creeping, oppressive sense of cosmic dread that continues to delight and frighten new and old fans of the genre. So, polish up on your infernal Latin, avoid the eyeless ghost of your deceased wife, and definitely don't piss off the ship, and head on into the cave to hear about 1997's Event Horizon!

Additional sources for this episode:

"The Oral History of Event Horizon..." by Ralph Jones, inverse.com 8/15/22

"Paul WS Anderson puts an end to Resident Evil" by Scott Marks, San Diego Reader, 1/25/17

"Jason Isaacs says Event Horizon's deleted scenes would be 'definitely illegal' to film now" by Ray Simons, Yahoo Entertainment, 12/8/23

The Making of Event Horizon (2006), directed by Lancelot Narayan, produced by Lipsync Productions and Paramount Home Entertainment.

In this week's episode of the BCoT, Steve is joined by Stephen King superfan Ken Creamer to talk about the underrated 90s vampire-adjacent film, Sleepwalkers, directed by Mick Garris. Often overlooked when it comes to the King filmography, he wrote the script to this 1992 horror about incestuous mother and son feline shapeshifters who sustain themselves on the lifeforce of young virgin girls! The son sets his sights on a new victim, but neighborhood kitties, a curious sheriff's department, and super cop cat Clovis won't stand for it. This film was made by a horror fan, and it comes through with cameos from famous directors and King himself, with an eclectic cast, tongue-in-cheek dialogue, and what was then cutting-edge special effects, making it a moderate success on initial release. Terrible movie critic reviews and unfortunate timing close to another King-"inspired" flop, it's only now starting to build a cult fanbase who appreciate the quirky uniqueness of this little 90s horror time capsule.

Additional Resources for this episode:

In Search of Darkness 1990-94: A Journey into Iconic 90s Horror (2025), directed by David A. Weiner, produced by CreatorVC

Post-Morten with Mick Garris (podcast) ep 82 "Ask Mick Anything", 4/1/2020, distributed by the Dread Podcast Network

"Sleepwalkers" by Variety Staff, Variety 12/31/91

"Stephen King's Sleepwalkers" by Lawrence French, Cinefantastique April 1992, vol 22 no. 5, pp 20-22