All of us here at the United Nations of Horror wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday! It’s the time of year when you break out the egg nog (and perhaps a little something extra to add). Between murderous Black Friday shopping and our third holiday meal with the family, we sit down to discuss 1974’s BLACK CHRISTMAS. The film follows a group of sorority sisters who are receiving threatening phone calls during the holiday season by a deranged murderer hiding in the attic of their sorority house. Surely only good things can happen here, right? Anthony Rotolo stops by to discuss Bob Clark and gives us the gift of TV. Terror with 1972’s HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. Dia gives us the gift of a Very German Point of View featuring Mario Bava’s A Bay of Blood (Ecologia del delitto). So my friends, sit back with your favourite holiday dessert and join in the festivities. ‘Tis the season!

-SHOW NOTES-

-WHAT WE’VE BEEN WATCHING-

• Wait Until Dark (Mark)

• Rigor Mortis (Becky)

• Waxwork/Waxwork 2 (Mike)

• Two Evil Eyes (Mark)

• Playback (Becky)

• Dr. Who (Mark)

• Mine Games (Becky)

• Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (Mike)

The “3 Types of Slashers” as stated by Mikel J Koven:

Film, Folklore and Urban Legends – Mikel J Koven

Koven identifies three types of slasher film:

1.

* The first is the “Scooby-Doo” film, named after the children’s television series, in which a gang of teenagers investigate a seemingly supernatural mystery, which is ultimately revealed to be nonsupernatural in nature.

* Usually, the supernatural element has been conjured by a criminal to distract others from discovering their illegal doings. In the slasher film, this trope has been reworked so that the killer, who is revealed to be very human, is using some form of killer legend to distract others from their motives.

* This type of slasher is thus a gory murder mystery/horror hybrid in which the audience can participate in the “game’” of hypothesising who is the killer from a set group of people.

* The Italian giallo films are very much a precursor to this type of film, which in turn were inspired by crime literature. Giallo is the Italian word for yellow and the terms comes from the series of cheap paperback crime fiction novels with bright yellow covers that were released in post-fascist Italy. The crime fiction novel was slow to catch on in Italy and most of the giallo paperbacks were British and American stories translated into Italian. Amongst these novels was Agatha Christie’s AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (1939), which was adapted into a film in 1945, directed by René Clair. The film, in which ten people are invited to a luxury mountaintop mansion, only to find that an unseen person is killing them one by one, is largely considered to be one of the initial “Scooby-Doo” slasher

* More modern examples of this type of slasher include: PROM NIGHT (1980); TERROR TRAIN (1980); SCREAM 1, 2 and 3 (1996, 1997 and 2000); URBAN LEGEND (2000) and CHERRY FALLS (2000).

2.

* Koven’s second type of slasher is the film in which the killer is known – to the audience and the filmic characters – from the outset.

* These films do not have the mystery element as the killer’s identity is known. The films are unlikely to allow for emotional identification – particularly with the killer.

* Examples include: HALLOWEEN (1980); FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980); and THE BURNING (1981).

* Koven doesn’t associate the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET films with this type of slasher, as Freddy Kreuger possesses supernatural abilities. Like the “Scooby-Doo” film, despite their resilience, killers in this second category, such as Michael Myers and Pamela Voorhees, are human and the world they inhabit is natural.

This week on the United Nations of Horror, Mark from The Good, The Bad and the Odd joins us as we venture back to 1974 with a Hammer Horror and Shaw Brothers combination of the The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires. This unique film combines horror and kung fu martial arts and was filmed completely on location in Hong Kong. But before we ever get into the film we discuss what we’ve been watching. Anthony discusses TV. TERROR with a very vampiric episode of Kolchak the Night Stalker and Dia gives us a Very German Point of View discussing Kung Fu films in Germany. It’s an action-packed, hard-hitting, karate chopping, front stretch-kicking, kung fu fighting vampire episode in our very first entry into our very first Blood-Sucking Vampire series that you don’t want to miss.

–SHOW NOTES–

What We’ve Been Watching

* Jessica Jones 

* The Walking Dead 

* Sinister 2 

* The Fear 

* Death Watch 

* The Cottage

-Martial Arts and Horror-

It might seem like a strange combination but horror and martial arts are two of my favourite film genres.  If you like The Legend of 7 Golden Vampires, you might also enjoy:

* A Chinese Ghost Story

* Black Magic 2 (Revenge of the Zombies)

* Bewitched (蠱)

* Big Trouble in Little China

* Blade 1-2

* Bloody Parrot (血鸚鵡)

* Boxer’s Omen

* Brotherhood of the Wolf

* Encounters of a Spooky Kind

* Heaven and Hell (第三類打鬥 / Saai Chut Dei Yuk Moon / Shaolin Hell Gate)

* Human Lanterns

* Kung Fu Cult Master

* Kung Fu From Beyond the Grave

* Kung Fu Zombie

* Vampire 1-3:

* Nine Demons (The Demons, Jiu zi tian mo / Yao mo qi bing 九子天魔)

* Rigor Mortis

* Shaolin vs. Evil Dead

* Spiritual Kung Fu (Jackie Chan)

* The Bride With White Hair

* The Shadow Boxing (茅山僵尸拳 The Spiritual Boxer 2 / Shaolin Shadow Boxer / Mao Shan Jiang Shi Quan)

* Underworld films

* Vampire Hunters (The Era of Vampires)

* Versus

* Zu Warrior From The Magic Mountain

This week on the United Nations of Horror, Mark from The Good, The Bad and the Odd joins us as we venture back to 1974 with a Hammer Horror and Shaw Brothers combination of the The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires. This unique film combines horror and kung fu martial arts and was filmed completely on location in Hong Kong. But before we ever get into the film we discuss what we’ve been watching. Anthony discusses TV. TERROR with a very vampiric episode of Kolchak the Night Stalker and Dia gives us a Very German Point of View discussing Kung Fu films in Germany. It’s an action-packed, hard-hitting, karate chopping, front stretch-kicking, kung fu fighting vampire episode in our very first entry into our very first Blood-Sucking Vampire series that you don’t want to miss.

–SHOW NOTES–

What We’ve Been Watching

* Jessica Jones 

* The Walking Dead 

* Sinister 2 

* The Fear 

* Death Watch 

* The Cottage

-Martial Arts and Horror-

It might seem like a strange combination but horror and martial arts are two of my favourite film genres.  If you like The Legend of 7 Golden Vampires, you might also enjoy:

* A Chinese Ghost Story

* Black Magic 2 (Revenge of the Zombies)

* Bewitched (蠱)

* Big Trouble in Little China

* Blade 1-2

* Bloody Parrot (血鸚鵡)

* Boxer’s Omen

* Brotherhood of the Wolf

* Encounters of a Spooky Kind

* Heaven and Hell (第三類打鬥 / Saai Chut Dei Yuk Moon / Shaolin Hell Gate)

* Human Lanterns

* Kung Fu Cult Master

* Kung Fu From Beyond the Grave

* Kung Fu Zombie

* Vampire 1-3:

* Nine Demons (The Demons, Jiu zi tian mo / Yao mo qi bing 九子天魔)

* Rigor Mortis

* Shaolin vs. Evil Dead

* Spiritual Kung Fu (Jackie Chan)

* The Bride With White Hair

* The Shadow Boxing (茅山僵尸拳 The Spiritual Boxer 2 / Shaolin Shadow Boxer / Mao Shan Jiang Shi Quan)

* Underworld films

* Vampire Hunters (The Era of Vampires)

* Versus

* Zu Warrior From The Magic Mountain

Found Footage. It’s a controversial subject for horror fans. Love it or hate it, there can be no doubt that it’s not going anywhere. Even if you aren’t a fan of current FF films, sometimes going back to the past can unearth hidden gems. In this episode, we’ll discuss the in-depth history and films of the Found Footage genre leading up to the mass hit, The Blair Witch Project (we’ll be covering BWP in a later show). We also discuss two important films that pre-date The Blair Witch that no doubt, unknown or not, had an influence on current genre. Those films are: 1992’s Ghostwatch and 1997’s The Last Broadcast. Anthony returns with TV. Terror! This week he discusses The Night that Panicked America, a movie that takes a look at the War of the Worlds (Orson Welles) radio drama. Mark calls in to discuss seeing Ghostwatch live and as it happened. Dia presents A German Point of View about the notorious Cannibal Holocaust and its extreme controversy. As always, you can find us on Facebook or e-mail us at [email protected]. Please also feel free to comment below and be sure to read our show noes.

Found Footage. It’s a controversial subject for horror fans. Love it or hate it, there can be no doubt that it’s not going anywhere. Even if you aren’t a fan of current FF films, sometimes going back to the past can unearth hidden gems. In this episode, we’ll discuss the in-depth history and films of the Found Footage genre leading up to the mass hit, The Blair Witch Project (we’ll be covering BWP in a later show). We also discuss two important films that pre-date The Blair Witch that no doubt, unknown or not, had an influence on current genre. Those films are: 1992’s Ghostwatch and 1997’s The Last Broadcast. Anthony returns with TV. Terror! This week he discusses The Night that Panicked America, a movie that takes a look at the War of the Worlds (Orson Welles) radio drama. Mark calls in to discuss seeing Ghostwatch live and as it happened. Dia presents A German Point of View about the notorious Cannibal Holocaust and its extreme controversy. As always, you can find us on Facebook or e-mail us at [email protected]. Please also feel free to comment below and be sure to read our show noes.

—SHOW NOTES—

DISCLAIMER: please be aware that the below links and discussion include graphic content.

The following two books were referenced considerably during the research for this episode: Found Footage Horror Films: Fear and the Appearance of Reality, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas http://www.amazon.co.uk/Found-Footage-Horror-Films-Appearance/dp/0786470771

 

Killing for Culture: An Illustrated History of Death Film from Mondo to Snuff (Creation Cinema), David Kerekes and David Slater http://www.amazon.co.uk/Killing-Culture-Illustrated-History-Creation/dp/1871592208

 

This episode is the first instalment in our special three-part series on found footage [FF] cinema. As this sub-genre is so expansive, we have segmented our discussion throughout the series around two milestone films that received critical and commercial success: THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT [TBWP] (1999) and PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (2009). Later episodes will discuss these films in detail and their impact on modern FF cinema. As TBWP is considered to be the first example of the contemporary FF film, this episode will focus on a variety of influences that contributed to the evolution of this very familiar type of filmmaking, and all of the examples discussed on this show pre-date TBWP.

FF is defined literally as:

  (film) Misplaced, forgotten, archived, or privately-owned motion picture recordings which document past events and which are subsequently rediscovered and made available for public viewing.

  (film) A motion picture, or a segment of one, photographed in the style of an amateurish or unedited documentary.

 

FF is the term used for a plot device within pseudo-, or fake- documentaries (also referred to as mockumentaries) in which all or part of a fictional film is presented as if it were discovered film or video recordings. Instead of a traditional, omniscient director, filming is completed by a character that exists within the film’s world. The FF film isn’t limited to horror, covering other genres such as comedy and science fiction. There is a distinction between FF and pseudo documentaries. Contemporary FF films tend to conflate the two, usually with the FF acting as a plot device within the fake documentary. But if we take the literal definition of FF, which states that all or, importantly, part of the film contains supposed FF, this allows us to include the differing uses of FF as a device in grouping films within this category. Ultimately, the FF horror film uses specific devices,

UNH returns this week to take a look at 2008’s British horror-comedy, “The Cottage”. Dae Dia brings us a new segment to talk about the Texas Chainsaw Massacre in the very first “German Point of View”. Anthony discusses a rare television gem, “The Longest Night”. Plus LOTS more!

* What We’ve Been Watching:

* The Old Dark House

* Texas Chainsaw Massacre 1 and 2

* Horseman

* Buffy the Vampire Slayer

* Stalking the Ripper

UNH returns this week to take a look at 2008’s British horror-comedy, “The Cottage”. Dae Dia brings us a new segment to talk about the Texas Chainsaw Massacre in the very first “German Point of View”. Anthony discusses a rare television gem, “The Longest Night”. Plus LOTS more!

* What We’ve Been Watching:

* The Old Dark House

* Texas Chainsaw Massacre 1 and 2

* Horseman

* Buffy the Vampire Slayer

* Stalking the Ripper

This week we step into The Old Dark House, a somewhat rare film that has birthed many horror children. Perhaps the most notorious of those dysfunctional children (films if you will) is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Anthony shares another amazing TV. Terror feature with “All The Kind Strangers” from 1974. Join us as we uncover old family secrets and marvel in the craziness that is Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.

This week we step into The Old Dark House, a somewhat rare film that has birthed many horror children. Perhaps the most notorious of those dysfunctional children (films if you will) is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Anthony shares another amazing TV. Terror feature with “All The Kind Strangers” from 1974. Join us as we uncover old family secrets and marvel in the crazyness that is Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.

–SHOW NOTES–

                              -WHAT WE’VE BEEN WATCHING-

 

* Lost Boys (Mark)

* Exeter (Rebecca)

* Last Shift (Rebecca)

* Fallout 4 (Lucard)

 

 

Why ‘The Children of the Old Dark House’

Talk about The Old Dark House, and its legacy.  Mark will define what he means by children of the old dark house (movies about a family unit of some kind, who are based in one place).

All the movies etc that seem to be influenced directly or indirectly

* Arsenic and Old Lace

* Laurel and Hardy Murder Case

* Holuse on Haunted Hill

* Munsters/Addams Family

* Spider Baby (next dysfuntional family series)

* Carry on Screaming

* Whatever Happened to Baby Jane

* Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny and Girly

* Texas Chainsaw Massacre + sequels

* The Hills Have Eyes + sequels

* House of 1000 corpses

Gunnar Hansen

Hansen died at his home in Maine from pancreatic cancer on November 7 2015, at the age of 68.

Hansen was born in Reykjavík (RAKE-YA-VICK), Iceland, and moved to the United States when he was five. He lived in Maine until age eleven, when his family moved to Texas.

In 1973, just after finishing graduate school, Hansen heard that THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE was being filmed in Austin and decided to try out; Hooper saw him walking across the street and he was offered the part before he stepped into the office. Hansen apparently visited and studied children with special needs to determine mannerisms for Leatherface.

After the success of the film, Hansen co-starred in DEMON LOVER, but after the experience he decided not to continue acting, instead pursuing a writing career. During this time he rejected a part he was offered in the cult horror film THE HILLS HAVE EYES.

Hansen returned to acting in 1988, appearing in the horror spoof HOLLYWOOD CHAINSAW HOOKERS. He considered his later acting as a side project and continued to write books and teach as a college adjunct instructor. He has also written film scripts, and wrote and directed documentary films.

TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 1975 (Tobe Hooper)

Plot

Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns) and her paraplegic brother, Franklin (Paul A. Partain), travel with three friends, Jerry (Allen Danziger), Kirk (William Vail), and Pam (Teri McMinn), to visit the grave of the Hardestys’ grandfather to investigate reports of vandalism and grave robbing. Afterwards they decide to visit the old Hardesty family homestead. Along the way they pick up a hitchhiker (Edwin Neal) who talks about his family who worked at the old slaughterhouse. He borrows Franklin’s pocket-knife and cuts himself, then takes a Polaroid picture of the others and demands money for it. When they refuse to pay, he burns the photo and slashes Franklin’s arm with a straight razor. The group forces him out of the van and drive on. They stop at a gas station to refuel, but the proprietor (Jim Siedow) tells them that the pumps are empty.

They continue towards the homestead, intending to return to the gas station once it has received a fuel delivery. When they arrive, Franklin tells Kirk and Pam about a local swimming-hole and the couple head off to find it. They find the swimming-hole dried up but hear a generator running in the distance. They stumble upon a nearby house. Kirk calls out, asking for gas, while Pam waits on a swing in the yard.

Halloween is a film franchise that is as big as it gets. Even non-horror movie fans know the name of Michael Myers, the 6-year old child from Haddonfield who murdered his older sister Judith on Halloween night in 1963 with a kitchen knife and how fifteen years later in 1978, he escaped Warren County Smith’s Grove Sanitarium and came home to kill again. The original franchise, written and directed by legendary John Carpenter, is beloved. So, what happens when rocker turned horror film director Rob Zombie is allowed to take the reigns and completely remake the Halloween franchise? Well, that’s up for debate.

In this episode we discuss both the original Carpenter film and the updated Zombie remake. We also discuss Bone Tomahawk, Ash vs. Evil Dead and TV. TERROR with Anthony Rotolo featuring Someone’s Watching Me. Plus much more!

–SHOW NOTES–

* Dark was the Night

* Army of Darkness

* Ash vs. Evil Dead

* Bone Tomahawk

* Tales of Halloween

* Howl

* The Last Witch Hunter

* Cockneys vs Zombies

* Stephen King’s IT

* Bitten (mentioned)

* Late Phases (mentioned)

* Faculty of Horror Podcast (mentioned)

* Becky’s suggests reading Steven K. Peacock

HALLOWEEN (John Carpenter, 1978) Plot Haddonfield, Illinois: it is October 31, 1963.  6-year-old Michael Myers (Will Sandin) murders his older sister Judith (Sandy Johnson) by stabbing her with a kitchen knife. Fifteen years later, on October 30, 1978, Michael escapes Warren County Smith’s Grove Sanitarium, where he had been committed since the murder. He steals the car that was to take him to a court hearing, the intention of which was for him to never be released.

The following day, Halloween, 21-year-old Michael (Nick Castle), now dressed in a blue jumpsuit and a white mask, returns to his hometown of Haddonfield, and begins stalking high school student Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). Laurie informs Annie Brackett (Nancy Loomis) and Lynda van der Klok (P. J. Soles), that she believes someone is following her, but they dismiss her concerns. Later at her house, Laurie is startled when she sees Michael outside in the yard staring into her room. Michael’s psychiatrist, Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence), having anticipated Michael’s return home, goes to the local cemetery only to discover that Judith Myers’ headstone is missing. Loomis meets with Sheriff Leigh Brackett (Charles Cyphers), and the two begin to search for Michael.

That night, Laurie babysits Tommy Doyle (Brian Andrews), while Annie babysits Lindsay Wallace (Kyle Richards) across the street from the Doyle house. When Annie gets a call from her boyfriend Paul asking her to pick him up, she drops Lindsay off at the Doyle house. Annie gets in her car to pick up Paul but Michael, who was hiding in the backseat of her car, strangles her before he slits her throat, killing her. At the Doyle house, while he plays hide-and-seek with Lindsay, Tommy spots Michael carrying Annie’s corpse and tries to tell Laurie, who doesn’t believe in any “boogeyman” that Tommy says he saw. Later that evening, Lynda and her boyfriend Bob enter the Wallace house and have sex in the upstairs bedroom. While downstairs to get a beer for Lynda, Bob is attacked by Michael, who kills him by pinning him to the wall with his knife. Michael then appears in the bedroom doorway, pretending to be Bob in a ghost costume. Gaining no response from him, Lynda becomes annoyed and calls Laurie, just as Michael kills her by strangling her with the telephone...