In this week's episode of the Bear Cave of Terror, Ben "Little Dead Aliens" Raifsnider joins us again to talk about one of his favorites, the great 2009 cult horror-comedy, Jennifer's Body, directed by Karyn Kusama and written by Diablo Cody. Underappreciated and maligned at the time it was originally released, this witty, gory, and immensely-quotable flick found its fans over the past 15+ years since its release to become one of the great horror films of the 2000s. From a great pairing of Amanda Seyfried and Megan Fox on screen, to quippy, memorable dialogue, and some messy kills, the story of a cheerleader becoming possessed by a demon and her best friend trying to figure a way to stop her eating the boys at school is a wild ride with some great visuals and a creative team that clearly loves how to play with horror. Poorly marketed to the wrongs audiences by a clueless PR team with insulting test screenings, running afoul of early Twitter and misogynistic blog culture, and blowback against the successes of Megan Fox and Diablo Cody really hurt the film's chances at the box office, and it would have faded away if hadn't been discovered by the real intended audience that have championed it over the years. With snarky humor, gory kills, and a great pair of leads, hopefully this becomes one of your favorites, listener, if it isn't already!

(Robot voice warning: Steve's mic decided to go periodically "Dalek" during the recording)

Additional resources for the film:

"Fox Searchlight Lawyers Defend Jennifer's Body from Snarky Bloggers" by Kate, 2/11/08, Mediabistro.com

"Megan Fox, Diablo Cody Interview: Jennifer's Body" by Sheila Roberts, 9/5/09 moviesonline.ca

"How Jennifer's Body became a true cult classic" by BJ Colangelo 11/7/22 SlashFilm.com

"Jennifer's Body Reunion" - ET Live 9/19/19 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2JLRtWlq0o

In this episode we're joined by both hosts of the Screams From the Basement podcast, Sam Lenz and Casey Kellerman, to talk about one of their most favorite horror films of all time, the classic 1986 horror, Chopping Mall, directed by Jim Wynorski and produced by Roger and Julie Corman! Filmed in an active mall, this slasher set in a mall after-hours, where young people try to survive the night trapped with 3 killer security robots, originally released under the title Killbots, and contains some of the best quotable dialogue, fun characters, serious, high-stakes kills, and cameos from characters out of other movies, just for kicks! Starring Kelli Moroney and Barbara Crampton, and several other 80s horror staples, Steve, Sam and Casey chat about the imprtance of "The Mall" in 80s-90s teen culture, the fun performances, the great design of the killbots, and that great soundtrack. Lost for a few decades between the indie VHS days and the DVD/Blu-ray revolution in physical media, it's now available to stream or own again, so you too can experience a tight 77 minutes of head-exploding, elevator-sabotaging, and furniture store partying that we all need in our horror-loving lives.

Additional Resources for the film -

"8 80s Horror Movies that Accidentally became Comedy Cult Classics" by Adam Symchuk, 6/14/25, Movieweb.com

"The Fucking Black Sheep: Chopping Mall (1986)" by Jake Dee, 2019, Joblo.com

"Exclusive Interniew w/Cult Filmmaker Jim Wynorksi" y Christian Sellers, 4/19/09 - Retroslashers.us

"The Killbots of Chopping Mall" by Meagan Navarro, 8/20/19 bloodydisgusting.com

This week, the Bear Cave of Terror looks back over 80 years to discuss one of guest host Rob Staeger's noir horror favorites, Cat People, directed by Jacques Tourneur and released from RKO's horror unit headed by the legendary Val Lewton. We look at this subtle, but inspirational "frugally-budgeted" classic from an era dominated by Universal's Horror line that nevertheless hold its own with a tense atmosphere, clever writing, and some techniques that became horror film staples decades later. We touch on the symbolism, the money-saving tricks that still gave audiences the suspense and thrill of big-budget horror, and even how there could be a queer reading between the "cat person" Irena and the romantic rival, Alice! (Steve also mentions multiple times how much of a slimy jerk that Dr Judd is!) So get your fare ready for a ride on the Lewton Bus, hide any canaries, and have a listen to us talk about original Cat People!

Additional Resources for this episode:

"Cat People Movie Review" by Variety Staff, 12/31/1941, Variety

"The Prince of Poverty Row" by Barry Gifford, 4/6/2006, The Guardian

"How an Iconic Scene in Cat People Created the Cinematic Jump Scare" by Meagan Navarro, 11/18/20, Slashfilm.com

Cat People: Criterion Collection release, Audio Commentary by Gregory Mank, 2005

On this episode of the BCoT, we welcome back Executive Producer of the Comic Book Bears Podcasting Network, Bill Zanowitz! One of Bill's favorite type of horror is the surprisingly robust sub-genre of Jawsploitation, and so we'll be talking about one of the first of the films to join that list is 1976's Grizzly, directed by mockbuster pioneer William Girdler. Coming just one year after the original 1975 blockbuster, Jaws, Grizzly takes the same premise, but stages it on land at a national park, and instead of a giant shark, it throws a giant (and very hungry) grizzly bear at the campers, rangers, and inhabitants of the land reserve. Limbs fly, blood pools, and a trio of manly men pledge to stop the bear's rampage in this surprisingly well-made imitation of the previous year's breakout hit. A hit in its own right, despite poor critical reception and not the best script, it went on to become the highest-grossing independent film of the 70s before being dethroned by a little horror slasher called Halloween. A real bear, a broken mechanical prop, a young almost-genius filmmaker, a crooked distributor, this film has it all behind-the-scenes!

Additional resources for this episode:

"Grizzly" - American Film Institute - catalog.afi.com/catalog/moviedetails/55963

"Grizzly" by David Kalat, 5/5/11 TCM.com

"The Zebra Killer" by Steven Puchalski, 2000 - Shock Cinema Magazine

"William Girdler, King of the Knock-Offs" by Jim Knipfel, 7/5/16 DenOfGeek.com

In this squishy, slimy episode of BCoT, Steve is joined by filmmaker, writer, and actor Joshua R Pangborn in the cave to talk about one of his favorite horror films: 1989's Society, directed by Brian Yuzna. Infamous for the climactic "shunting" scene with creature effects by Screaming Mad George, the film is a late 80s study of how the rich and powerful elites of society figuratively...and literally...feed off the lesser classes. Even though it may have been unintentional, there's also a queer adolescent subtext with the main character seemingly having it all, yet feeling like a stranger in his own family and social circles. For several years, the film was hard to see after its initial festival premiere, and for a while only available on VHS until brought to DVD and streaming in the mid-2010s. It's worth the hunt for horror fans, or fans of ooey-gooey social commentary! Crazy characters, weird performances, and of course, that climax...even the creepy theme song that will haunt your nightmares makes this movie a must-see scare.

Additional Resources for the film:

"Society Bring Body Image Issues to Another Level" by Joshua Robbins, 6/11/19 Queen City News

"Society: Film Review" by Variety Staff, 12/31/88, Variety

"Brian Yuzna' Developing Society Sequel" by Owen Willians, 11/1/13, Empireonline.com

"Movie Review: Shocker Satire 'Society'..." by Michael Wilmington, 2/28/92 Los Angeles Times

"Society: How the Movie's Ending was Different..." by Maisy Flowers, 1/23/21 Screenrant.com

Darkside of Society (2023) directed by Larry Wade Carrell, produced by Darkside Doc SL

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