We start 2026 with a new kind of episode – a look back at our favorite first views of 2025. Several requests for an annual wrap-up of this type came in, so I recruited John Hudson and Troy Guinn to provide a personal top five list for last year. The idea was to speak a bit about movies that we caught for the first time in the year regardless of when they were released. This allows us to talk about a number of mostly newer movies but some unexpected classics also show up as part of the discussion.

December brings our new Holiday Horror episode with John Hudson and Troy Guinn dropping in to hang the mistletoe. This year we examine the Christmas time tale WHOEVER SLEW AUNTIE ROO (1971) starring Shelly Winters and a host of British character actors. It turns out I am the only member of our trio who had watched this film before 2025 opening up a number of questions about why Troy chose it! Privileges may need to be rescinded. 

A major part of our discussion revolves around director Curtis Harrington’s memories of the movie and its cast. After years of holding my tongue, I finally air my complaints about his rather plodding directorial style and point to a scene that I feel needed a different sensibility behind the camera. Actors Micheal Gothard, Lionel Jefferies, Hugh Griffith and Ralph Richardson are dutifully admired with each adding unique flavors to this very odd holiday dinner. The stand out child actors are given their due with a prominent face from the 1970 version of SCROOGE making all of us fantasize about ending Tiny Tim’s life. We also marvel that unlike what is usually expected from the ‘hag horror’ genre Winters’ character isn’t a mean-spirited villain but instead a grief crippled mother too susceptible to conmen in her life. And then we debate the relative evil of the two main child characters with me leaning toward innocence more than malice. This is something best left to each viewer to decide on their own, methinks! 

If you have any comments about this year’s Holiday Horror or possible choices for the next [email protected] is the place to send them. We hope everyone has a great end of year celebration and we will be back soon with a short episode about our favorite films of 2025. 

A fairy tale? DOLLS (1987) was the third released feature film directed by Stuart Gordon but the second one shot. Does it measure up to his Lovecraft adaptations? Well, I am joined by John Hudson and Troy Guinn to compare notes on this deviation from the energetic gorefests we had come to expect from Mr. Gordon. We have much to say even though Troy is dialing in from an undisclosed location. What is his day job, anyway?

After avoiding podcasting about the Planet of the Apes franchise for years it is finally time to talk about one of the weakest parts of the classic run. The 1974 television series lasted only fourteen episodes and was one of the most expensive shows produced up to that time. Author Mark Clark joins me to discuss the entire run and we go on for far too long than is healthy. Bear with us for the full running time as we dig out the interesting elements and lament the missed opportunities of this nearly forgotten show. Is this truncated series of adventures with two time-displaced astronauts and an ape companion worth discovering or revisiting? We make our case.

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It’s Monster Rally time! Troy and I have been looking forward to discussing this Universal Horror film for a long time. Easily one of the most fun of the studio’s 1940’s horror films HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1944) has extraordinary highs and some bizarre lows. We dig into every single one we can think of including my obsession with werewolf footwear. I’ll admit that I may have been overprepared for this episode which explains how the show’s running time stretches to double the length of the film itself!

Think of this episode as an unofficial eleventh entry in the most recent season of Wild, Wild Podcast. When Adrian Smith and I discovered that ZORRO THE AVENGER (1962) had no real connection to Italy we dropped it and reviewed another Zorro movie instead. But we had already watched this one and wanted to talk about it as well. Since this is a Spanish production it has many connections to the films of Paul Naschy so we could have just as easily made this an episode of the Naschycast. And wait until you learn who wrote the script!

We ramble a bit but were trying to keep this show as brief as Adrian prefers the Wild, Wild Podcast episodes to be. We fail in the attempt, but there was a solid effort made, I promise! The history of cinematic Zorro adventures is touched on with favorite versions of the character listed. As I state in the show, most Zorro films seem to tell the same tale with a few variations so the joys here are noticing the choices made in casting and emphasis. American actor Frank Latimore plays our hero and the legendary Howard Vernon is the villainous Colonel Clarence. The cast of female actors includes Maria Silva years before she was a victim of the Blind Dead or clashed with a certain Spanish werewolf. We don’t spoil the film as it is easy to catch online but we do make a plea for a better-looking version to be made available. 

If you have any comments about Zorro or anything else we covered in this episode (we really did ramble) [email protected] is the place to send them. Thank you for listening and we’ll be back soon!

Mark Maddox returns to discuss a giant monster movie from Denmark! Yes – REPTILICUS (1961) is either the shame or pride of Danish cinema depending on who you ask. Much like THE GIANT CLAW (1957) it asks a lot of the audience whenever the titular creature is onscreen. For many fans of genre film, the willing suspension of disbelief is too heavy a lift even though the first act setup involves an intriguing premise. So what do Mark and I think of it? Hang on tight!

Chris Herzog returns to the show to discuss one of the best of Republic Pictures’ serials. NYOKA AND THE TIGERMEN (1942) is a fantastic example of the chapterplay form but gets forgotten when people talk about the best the studio produced. Revisiting this action-packed adventure proves that it deserves to be mentioned as one of the finest serials ever made. Where is the Blu-Ray?

We discuss the cast in some detail and relate a few behind the scenes anecdotes. Since this is one of only eight serials lead by a female character, we spend some time on how Nyoka both conforms to and breaks from the usual conventions of the format. It’s nice to have an action hero woman mixing it up in the fights and killing bad guys rather than finding new ways to be knocked unconscious! The lead villain is a woman as well giving us a driven Queen Vultura bent on destroying all who stand in her way. Dangerous females indeed! We also get the future Lone Ranger as one of the good guys ably assisted by the excellent stunt team that Republic always used. They will make you believe in leaping over tables and from great heights. And I can’t stop myself from pointing out how many members of the cast show up in various Poverty Row horror films with Bela Lugosi. Sorry about my fixations but you really should see the trainwreck that is BLACK DRAGONS (1942). And did we mention the gorilla named Satan? 

If you have any comments or suggestions about the show [email protected] is the place to send them. We love hearing from you and hope you enjoy the podcast. 

Universal’s output in 1944 was packed with horror tales and MURDER IN THE BLUE ROOM seems a likely addition to that list of chillers. At least until you realize that a firm 20% of the film’s scant running time is taken up by song & dance numbers! Yes, its another horror comedy with a script that started life as a Ritz Brothers feature, but don’t let that scare you off. The chills may be lacking but the entertainment value is surprisingly high. And there is a ghost enlivening the proceedings. Oh! And a murder as well. 

Troy Guinn and I take a run through this humorous creeper and find ourselves having more fun than expected. The credit for that goes to the talented cast so we spend a lot of time talking about the stars and a few of the amazing bit players as well. Where else other than in this movie are you going to hear actor Ian Wolfe say the word ‘Zut’? The film has several great songs and I include Troy’s favorite tune in the show because it is far too catchy to ignore. We discuss the plot shenanigans and the script’s careful skipping past a subject usually forbidden by the Hays Code. Mention is made of the award-winning career of one of the screenwriters and we point to areas in the dialog where his efforts might be heard. Also, we point the curious to the first English language version of this tale, THE SECRET OF THE BLUE ROOM (1933), as a better source of horror thrills if not toe-tapping fun. This 1944 version might serve as a good pairing with that minor classic but only if we can ever get a better-looking print. Come on, Universal.

If you have any song recommendations from a scary film [email protected] is where to send them. And let us know what you think of this film and the podcast in general too. Thank you for listening! 

In the Cult Italian Movie category THE VISITOR (1979) stands out for many reasons. It is made up of equal parts science fiction, thriller and religious high strangeness shot through with touches of CARRIE and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND. For years it was considered one of the least comprehensible movies ever made but with the restoration of the full running time in 2010 it is now only mildly incomprehensible. Indeed, with enough squinting and reading between the lines it is almost possible to find a narrative thread that only occasionally feels absurd. Ridiculous to the point of silliness THE VISITOR defies rational concepts and logical progression of story. Let some other movie have police investigations that go somewhere or examples of simple cause and effect in human reactions to inexplicable events. This film scoffs at such needless exercises. And don’t get me started on the exploding basketball that everyone ignores!