When I was a kid if you wanted to talk to people about movies, you went to the local mom and pop video rental store… but if you wanted to hang out with other kids your age, you went to the mall. On this week’s episode of the Video Store Podcast, I’m recommending four movies that were filmed and heavily feature malls.

First up is Fast Times at Ridgemont High, a film that follows several teenagers as they navigate the halls and malls of southern California. With a star-studded cast, this film opens in a mall, which sets the tone for the entire film.

Next up is Dawn of the Dead, George Romero’s 1978 sequel to his original zombie film, Night of the Living Dead. In this film, four characters — two police officers and two news broadcasters — take cover in an abandoned mall… or is it? It’s not long before the mall is crawling with zombies and, eventually, pie-throwing bikers. Known as special effects wizard Tom Savini’s breakthrough film, this one features lots of bullets, brains, and blood.

Third is the lesser known Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge, released in 1989. This lesser-known 80s slasher features a mall-roaming “phantom” who used to live on the land the new mall was built on. It’s not a great movie, but it does feature a young and pre-MTV Pauly Shore which… well, doesn’t make it any better, but does make it interesting. This movie contains lots of interior mall shots and even more bad actors. What’s not to love?

Rounding up this episode is one of my favorite films of all time, Chopping Mall. In this 1986 horror classic, a group of teens plan a sleepover inside a furniture store inside their local mall. Unfortunately for them, that same night lightning strikes the building which short circuits the robots and turn them into killbots! If yo always wanted to know what would happen if Johnny 5 went bad — no, like, really bad — this will let you know.

Today’s malls are nothing like they were back in the 1980s. If you want to see what they were like in their heyday, check out one of these films. Malls were full of lights, food, shopping… and apparently, lots of murder.

This week on The Video Store Podcast I’m talking about a handful of horror movies from the late 1980s that sit in a strange corner of the genre. They’re not the big ones you always hear about, just the kind of titles you’d find tucked on a back shelf of the local video store with a wild cover and not much else to go on.

The first is The Kindred from 1987, directed by Jeffrey Obrow and Stephen Carpenter, the same team behind The Dorm That Dripped Blood. Joseph Stefano, who wrote the screenplay for Psycho, helped with the story. What really stands out are the effects, all done with elaborate practical work that’s wet, rubbery, and wonderfully overdone in that 80s way.

Then there’s Scared Stiff, also from 1987. Richard Friedman directed it before going on to make Phantom of the Mall. It was shot in Florida, mostly inside a mansion that becomes the centerpiece for all the strange things that happen. It starts off like a haunted house movie, but by the end it drifts into something dreamlike and weird.

The third pick is The Outing, sometimes called The Lamp. That double title confused people, but they’re the same film. Tom Daley directed it in Houston, and it’s remembered for its museum setting and a wish-granting genie that causes most of the trouble.

Finally there’s The Unnamable from 1988, based on an H. P. Lovecraft story. Jean Paul Ouellette directed it in Massachusetts, and it’s one of those films that helped keep Lovecraft’s name circulating in low-budget horror through the decade. It even got a sequel a few years later.

All four have their rough spots, but that’s part of what makes them interesting. They’re full of ambition, full of practical effects, and they capture that scrappy energy of 80s horror. The kind of movies you’d rent just because the box looked too cool or too strange to ignore.

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Welcome to the Video Store Podcast.

I’m the new guy, you can all me Pitfall Gary. Today is my first time running the store alone. I’ve spent the last couple weeks watching training videos and stuck on the automatic rewind machine.

With Halloween right around the corner I have a few movies from the master of Horror himself, John Carpenter. Not the normal Carpenter movies, these are a few of his underrated and often overlooked movies.

Carpenter directed and composed the music for all of these movies. He wrote The Fog and Prince of Darkness, the other two are adaptations. These are good movies to watch this Halloween season.

The Fog (1980)

As the small coastal town of Antonio Bay prepares to celebrate its centennial, a mysterious, glowing fog rolls in, carrying the vengeful ghosts of leprous mariners who were betrayed and killed by the town’s founders a century earlier. The ghosts want their retribution, six lives, one for each of the founders. Now the descendants of the conspirators must fight for survival against the supernatural threat. A great movie starring the fabulous Adrienne Barbeau

Christine (1983)

Arnie Cunningham, a nerdy high school senior buys a dilapidated 1958 Plymouth Fury and names her Christine. As Arnie restores the car he goes through a personality transformation and becomes obsessed with Christine, which turns out to be a sentient, evil car with a deadly jealous streak. Christine begins to seek vengeance on Arnie’s bullies and anyone else who threatens their bond. Red heads are evil…even when they’re cars!

Prince of Darkness (1987)

The Brotherhood of Sleep have been guarding pure evil, in the form green swirling liquid for centuries. When the last member of the order dies evil will be unleashed on the world. Professor Birack and his quantum physicist students must unravel the mystery before it possesses them all and is unleashed on the world. A creepy movie with a great role for Alice Cooper.

Vampires (1998)

In this neo-western, Jack Crow and his Vatican-sponsored team of vampire slayers vow to kill every last vampire. With the help of a vampire prostitute, Jack must find and kill the powerful vampire, Valek before he can complete his transformation and become immune to sunlight. This is a great action packed, gore-filled vampire hunting movie!

That’s the list of John Carpenter movies for this week. Each a unique take on the horror genre. I hope you decide to watch them. If you do, let me know what you think.

Thanks for stopping by The Video Store Podcast, stop by again for more great movies to add to your list.

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Welcome back to the Video Store Podcast and welcome to Spooky Month! We’re halfway to Halloween, and I’ve picked four underrated Halloween specials to help you celebrate the season.

Halloween is Grinch Night! (1977)

This lesser-known Grinch special adds a bit of spooky, Seussian fun to the Halloween season. Young Euchariah Who gets lost on a trip to the “euphemism” during a wind storm and has an encounter with the Grinch. You shouldn’t go out on a night like this—instead, stay in with Halloween is Grinch Night!

Doug Season 4 Episode 4 “Doug’s Halloween Adventure” (1993)

This Halloween special is one that I’ve tried to watch every year since the 90s. Doug and Skeeter are spending Halloween at Funky Town, hoping, though not without trepidation, to ride Bloodstone Manor, the new horror ride. However, by the time they make it to the front of the line, the park is closed. Not disuaded, school Roger pushes them to sneak on anyway. Can they escape? Watch “Doug’s Halloween Adventure” and find out.

Gargoyles Season 2 Episode 7 “Eye of the Beholder” (1995)

This Halloween episode of Gargoyles has been shown as a Halloween special in the years since its original airing. Elisa and Goliath are tracking a werewolf-type creature…or should we say werefox? Can they rescue Fox from the effects of The Eye of Odin necklace? You’ll have to watch and find out.

The Halloween Tree (1993)

This Emmy-winning Halloween special is adapted from Ray Bradbury’s novel of the same name. The Halloween Tree focuses on the adventures of 5 kids on Halloween night who must learn the value of friendship and the true spirit of the Halloween season. With Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Moundshroud and narration by Ray Bradbury himself, The Halloween Tree is NOT to be missed.

Thanks for joining us for another trip to the Video Store Podcast. Have a safe and happy Halloween season!

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Hello, friends! Welcome back to the Video Store Podcast. After a short break (you’ll find out why in this episode), the store has reopened just in time for Halloween! On this episode of the podcast I’m recommending four films in which characters accidentally open portals, unleash evil spirits into this world, and spend the majority of the film trying to send it back before… gulp… you know.

Evil Dead 2 (1987)

Ash Williams is one unlucky fellow as, once again, he finds himself in a remote cabin accidentally opening a portal to Hell after playing recorded passages read from the Necronomicon — aka “the Book of the Dead.” You don’t need to have seen the first film to watch this one. Grab a bucket of popcorn and your chainsaw and check this one out.

The Gate (1987)

Glen, his best friend Terry, and Glen’s older sister Al accidentally open a gate to Hell in their own backyard and must use what resources they have to put them back. For being PG13, The Gate has some pretty horrifying (and amazing) special effects. This is the film that turned me on to The Killer Dwarves and made me fear geodes.

Night of the Demons (1988)

A group of teens are invited to attend a Halloween party at an abandoned funeral parlor (rumored to be haunted) and perform a seance. What could possibly go wrong? If you said “nothing” you haven’t been paying attention! One by one most of the teens become possessed, killed, or killed and then possessed. These demons like to mix things up! A great horror flick with a great 80s vibe.

Witchboard (1986)

If you’ve learned anything from this podcast so far I hope it’s to not go around trying to open portals to other worlds. In Witchboard, Linda begins dabbling with an Ouija Board and if you think that leads to good things, you have learned nothing. It’s up to Linda’s current boyfriend and ex-boyfriend to team up and drive the evil out of her. I won’t tell you if they are successful but I will tell you this film has at least two sequels.

Thanks for stopping by our video store. Enjoy the new hot dog roller and cocktail Ms. Pac-Man machine we added by the front door. Grab a few horror films while you’re here and don’t forget to rewind them before you return them. Thanks for coming in!

This is just a short little message. We are taking a break after over a year of putting out shows. Time to do some more watching and get our recommendations ready for more episodes.

We are also interested in bringing more people into the Video Store, so if you have some podcast experience and can follow along with our format, we would love to hear from you. Send us a message or comment below and we can get a discussion going.

On this week’s episode of The Video Store Podcast, I’m recommending four movies. They’re all from the 1980s and 1990s and all have some connection to my home state of New Jersey, even if it’s a loose one. These aren’t big studio classics. They’re weirder, smaller, and have built and kept loyal followings for decades.

The Toxic Avenger (1984)

Made by Troma Entertainment, this is probably their most well known film. It’s low budget, violent, and absurd. It was shot mostly in New Jersey, including many areas near where I grew up. The studio itself was co-founded by Lloyd Kaufman, who grew up in NYC but often filmed across the Hudson for budget reasons. The Toxic Avenger became Troma’s mascot and eventually got cartoon spin-offs, comics, and a stage musical.

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)

This one is hard to explain in a sentence. Peter Weller plays a neurosurgeon who’s also a rock star and physicist. It’s sci-fi with a cast that includes Jeff Goldblum, Ellen Barkin, and John Lithgow. The film didn’t do well when it came out but has built a steady fanbase over time. While it wasn’t filmed in New Jersey, it is rife with Garden State references.

Eddie and the Cruisers (1983)

This is a fictional band movie that takes itself seriously. It was shot in various New Jersey shore towns. The soundtrack, especially the song “On the Dark Side,” ended up doing better than the film. Led by Michael Paré plays Eddie, the film has a solid cast, but its the music that helped it build an audience. Most of that happened because it became available pretty quickly on HBO

Clerks (1994)

Kevin Smith’s first film. Shot in black and white for under $30,000. He filmed it at the Quick Stop convenience store in Leonardo, New Jersey, where he worked at the time. This movie launched his career and started what would be known as the View Askewniverse. It’s mostly just two guys talking about things that interest them in intense and funny ways, but it worked.

These films offer more than just entertainment. They provide a look back at different moments when movies could be made with local flavor and for these ones, a personal vision. That connection to place and the willingness to work within its constraints created films that continue to matter because they show how stories are shaped by where they come from just as much as who tells them.

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Welcome, all True Believers, to another episode of the Video Store Podcast. This week, I’ve got four films showcasing the superhero genre, long before the big superhero boom of the late 90s/early 00s that’s still going strong today. Put on your mask, your spandex, and join me on the couch for a movie marathon that’s, well, super!

Batman: The Movie (1966)

First up is Batman: The Movie from 1966. A spinoff of the popular TV show, this theatrical film is one for the ages. Still fun and funny, Batman: The Movie is a film that the whole family can sit down and enjoy, whether they’ve seen any of the Adam West/Burt Ward TV series. Make a bowl of popcorn and sit down with your partner in crime-fighting to enjoy Batman: The Movie.

Dick Tracy (1990)

One of the more underrated films of this era is 1990’s Dick Tracy, directed by and starring Warren Beatty. This is a noir detective story in yellow. Filmed like a living comic book with a score by Danny Elfman, songs by Stephen Sondheim and Madonna, Dick Tracy is a film not to be missed. Put on your yellow trenchcoat, and I’ll join you on the couch for a comic book classic that too few people have seen. I’m on my way!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

Order a pizza and settle in for a fun action comedy that’s sure to please everyone. 1990’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles brings the comic by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird to life with puppetry and costuming by Jim Henson’s creature shop, a great soundtrack, and fantastic stunt and action sequences. You’ll love every second of being a turtle with this film.

The Phantom (1996)

Charming pulpy goodness awaits you when you push play on The Phantom from 1996. Starring Billy Zane, Kristy Swanson, Treat Williams, and Patrick McGoohan, this is another underrated classic of comic book film lore not to be missed. Join the very first superhero to wear spandex and slam evil with The Phantom.

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We love our automobiles here in America. We love driving cars and fixing up cars… but not every experience on the open road is a good one. This week I’m recommending four road trip films that turn out to be bad trips.

Duel (1971)

David Mann is just trying to make his way through a lone desert highway when he begins being tormented by an 18-wheeler for no apparent reason. Despite Mann’s attempts to outrun, outmaneuver, and outsmart his pursuer, he is unable to get away. If Duel sounds a little like Jaws but with cars, that’s no coincidence as Duel was the directorial debut of Steven Spielberg. Non-stop tension from beginning to the exciting climax.

Motorama (1991)

Ten-year-old Gus hits the road after stealing his parents’ Mustang with hopes of winning Motorama. Collect all eight winning cards for a chance of winning $500 million dollars! Unfortunately for Gus, things aren’t easy in this hellish nightmare wasteland. By the time Gus makes it to the Motorama headquarters he’s lost an eye and his hair has turned gray… and things are about to get worse.

Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (1974)

Driver Larry and his mechanic Deke plan to fund their new racing team by robbing a local supermarket and laying low until the heat blows over — an escape plan that falls apart when Larry’s former one-night stand Mary is hiding in the getaway car. The film turns into a long police chase and getting there is half the fun! Starring Peter Fonda and Vic Morrow.

Palmer’s Pick-up (1999)

Palmer and Pearl, owners of a cargo shipping company, are hired to transport a large crate from California to Florida. The crate must be delivered to the Devil’s Triangle prior to the stroke of midnight on Y2K, else something bad will happen. What the two don’t know is if they do make it on time, something much worse may happen. Starring Robert Carradine, Morton Downey, Jr., a dozen unexpected cameos, and one of the highest death counts in any movie I’ve ever seen. What an ending!

This week, I’m pulling four titles off the shelf that all deal with prehistoric humans in some form. They’re all very different films. Some take the subject seriously, others just go for laughs. What they share is a central idea of how humans interact with one another. Whether it's science labs, high schools, or the open world, these movies all find something worthwhile to focus on.

Caveman (1981)

Directed by Carl Gottlieb (who co-wrote Jaws), this one’s a straight-up comedy. It stars Ringo Starr, Barbara Bach, Dennis Quaid, and Shelley Long, all speaking in a made-up language while running from stop-motion dinosaurs. It's a weird, physical, surprisingly consistent comedy that doesn't rely on much more than expression and timing. Jim Danforth handled the effects work, using the same animation style he brought to other fantasy films of the era.

Quest for Fire (1981)

Probably the most serious pick this week. Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, this is a film with no real spoken language. The cast learned a constructed language by Anthony Burgess and used movement techniques developed by Desmond Morris. Rae Dawn Chong, Ron Perlman, and Everett McGill all commit fully to their roles. It won an Oscar for Best Makeup and doesn’t try to explain much—it just shows a small group of early humans trying to survive. Worth seeing for the detail and the performances alone.

Iceman (1984)

This one takes place in a cold research facility where a frozen prehistoric man is brought back to life. John Lone plays the Iceman and gives a performance that’s more nuanced than you’d expect from this kind of premise. Timothy Hutton plays the anthropologist trying to connect with him. It’s more intimate and focused than a lot of 1980s sci-fi, with a steady pace and a good sense of space.

Encino Man (1992)

Directed by Les Mayfield and produced by Hollywood Pictures, this is the comedy version of a caveman showing up in a modern world. Brendan Fraser plays Link, and this was the role that helped launch his career. Pauly Shore plays Stoney who sets the tone for the whole movie. There's also Sean Astin, trying to use Link as a way to get popular. It’s loud, strange, and very early '90s, but it moves fast and gets a lot out of the water park, fast food, and high school scenes. The soundtrack includes Queen, Infectious Grooves, Right Said Fred and a bunch of other songs that place it squarely in 1992.

None of these films feel like they’re trying to say the same thing. What they do have in common is how they treat the idea of prehistoric people not as monsters or jokes, but as people. Even in the comedies, there's a sense of curiosity behind the setups. They're fun to watch, sometimes surprisingly thoughtful, and all a little out of step with what people usually mean when they talk about science fiction or historical drama.

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