Horroretc Podcast

We made it. 100 episodes of the Horroretc Podcast. As there are far too many to thank for reaching out and lending us support along the way, we dedicate this weeks show to all of you the listeners. We hope you enjoy the collection of feedback clips and assorted commentary on a wide variety of horror topics in this epic length installment. We've covered a lot of ground so far and can promise there are many more topics to go. We hope you all continue to come along for the ride and thank you for making this such a rewarding experience. We raise a glass to you... We always welcome your comments: horroretc@gmail.com WWW.HORRORETC.COM

Welcome friends to a discussion about a very serious subject: Censorship. So the concept this week was to give an overview of how censorship has impacted the horror genre in the past and how it continues to loom over the film industry today. To frame our topic we conduct the podcast with the recently banned in the UK title Grotesque playing along in the background. The show swings between our personal stances on censorship to on point remarks about the film as it plays to demonstrate the issues at hand while attempting to validate an art form for it's potential merits and the perceived threat it may hold. It's not a simple issue but we think the format allowed for some good insights to get across. Whether you consider yourself a proponent of regulating content or stand in vehement opposition, on thing is certain - censorship remains a contentious and troublesome issue. Some upcoming event films are discussed being Avatar (2009) and The Wolfman (2010), and oh yes...the Aussie film pick of the week is the 1984 opus Razorback. Please send us your comments to: horroretc@gmail.com WWW.HORRORETC.COM

It all starts with small suspicious behaviours, a cold distant disoposition, and before you know it...garbage trucks are everywhere and the neighbours are carrying pods. This week it's a look back at the various incarnations of the classic tale of paranoia, mass conformity and smothering conspiracy. A hybrid sci-fi / horror story that may often get overlooked as a result of the sheer volume of imitations and rip offs it has spawned. The original 1956 film may carry a heavy handed message but the 1978 remake / sequel is a deserving icon of genre memorable for not only the surprising cast but for some quality shock moments (man-dog anyone?). We hope you enjoy this mini-retrospective and are motivated to check out one of the classic entries that may have been missed thus far. And as an added touch, we recorded the show at the public hanging square here in town. The Aussie film festival rages on with the psychological thriller Patrick from 1978. We spend Schlock Corner enjoying (!?) the cut-slide movie montage celebrating those moments of evisceration in film. Please send us your comments to: horroretc@gmail.com WWW.HORRORETC.COM

Welcome all to a bit of a different episode this week as we discuss the processes of independent short filmmaking. We welcome guest host Jay Cheel, director of the short horror/comedy film Colore Non Vedenti to discuss the challenges and motivations that lie behind producing indie shorts. From the equipment and software considerations through script development, casting, location scouting, shot composition, editing and of course budget - we try to cover off the elements of short films that the next Raimi of Scorsese listening to the podcast will need to consider as they hammer out those early projects. The difficulty in tackling indie shorts is the magnitude of catalogue available to discuss. As an exercise in scratching the surface, we cobbled together a brief film festival of recommendations including Raimi's original Evil Dead incarnation Within The Woods, the original James Wan short film Saw in which all the elements of the franchise can be found as well as some more obscure picks: The Life and Death of a Pumpkin , and Zombie Movie from New Zealand. The Aussie film festival rages on with this week's pick: Dead End Drive In (1986), and a new marathon of viewing may be getting started as Ted has begun to explore True Blood! We also drop a line to friend of the show Rodrigo Gudino, grand chief of Rue Morgue magazine and coordinator of the Festival of Fear horror convention to get a heads up on what to expect at the 2009 outing. Special thanks to our guests this week and please check out more of Jay Cheel's work via jaycheel.com and the great podcast filmjunk.com. Don't forget we have a contest underway: send in your feedback for episode 100 to enter. Please send us your comments to: horroretc@gmail.com WWW.HORRORETC.COM

Val Lewton: Master of the Shadows. Well you asked for it and now it's arrived, by popular demand we present our Val Lewton retrospective. Tasked with heading up a B-movie production unit for cash strapped RKO Pictures, he turned out a number of films that demonstrated not only how prolific and efficient his catalogue could be but more importantly were comprised of considered essays on psychological terror with sound editing and lit cinematography far ahead of its time. 11 films (9 of which are considered in the horror genre) between 1942 and 1946, with a multitude of examples of mastery over developing suspense and terror through the element of the unseen. Specific installments discussed in depth include Cat People, I Walked With A Zombie, The Leopard Man, The Seventh Victim, Curse of the Cat People, Ghost Ship and The Body Snatcher. Some random topics round out the proceedings including another Aussie Film Festival selection: Storm Warning (2007). Check out the fun indie horror/comedy short Colore Non Vedenti (HERE). Watch along with us in Schlock Corner as we indulge in some straight up homage to all things great in the horror genre (LINK). Please send us your comments to: horroretc@gmail.com WWW.HORRORETC.COM

Did you ever hear the one about... Welcome to a relaxed mix of topics this week as we deliver an unofficial From the Hip show. What started out as a discussion of horrific Urban Legends and the effect felt on screen of these time worn tales evolved into an eclectic array of subjects. It's summertime here at Horroretc and as such we welcome you to join us on the porch and enjoy the warm air and bright sunshine as we meander through subjects such as the aforementioned Urban Legend film from 1998, the failure of 90's horror, Zombie's H2 (thanks to JP for the audio contribution), The Long Weekend remake (Nature's Grave), Coraline, Hancock (again!?), The Big Lebowsky, Romero, Predator.......the list truly does go on. This weeks Aussie Film Festival pick is a doozy: The Road Warrior (1981). An absolute must see featuring the most epic multi-vehicle road chase ever captured in genre (I know there's debate but allow me this), clocking in at a stunning 20 minutes. Some miscellaneous links to share include: The 5 Creepiest Urban Legends (that turned out to be true) Shatner recites Palin's speech (plus the follow up performance) Slugcast (our old friend's new podcast) Please send us your comments to: horroretc@gmail.com WWW.HORRORETC.COM

Man...the most dangerous game. So here's the deal - what began as a need to talk about the cult favorite Japanese film Battle Royale from 2000 (and it's 2003 sequel), evolved into a discussion of the history of humans hunting humans for sport movies. Beginning with the original Most Dangerous Game (1932) and continuing through the years we cover several memorable (and not so memorable) hunted human films. The centrepiece however is Battle Royale which is an absolute must watch for the variety of characters, the perfect setting for the hunt, the variety and originality of weapons and attacks, the ice cold commentary on societal ills, and so much more. This film is a video game adaptation without the original video game. So after some extended banter to open the show and some reminiscing about hunting people down like animals we manage to kick around some more random topics (crazy Gary Busey link) until landing on this week's Aussie Film Festival pick: Mad Max (1979)! If there is a film out there that's overdue for a revisit, this is it. There is a reason that an entire generation of genre fans who were raised in the era of late 70's, early 80's remember Max as one of the all time great characters. The call is out. Please send in your feedback (audio or otherwise) as we race toward episode #100 where we hope to involve as much of the Horroretc community as possible. Please send us your comments to: horroretc@gmail.com WWW.HORRORETC.COM

God bless the Queen....or whomever needs to be credited for the long, rich history of genre films produced out of the UK. This week we celebrate British horror. In order to overcome the obvious challenge of attempting to condense the entire history of British horror fare into one discussion, we have each selected specific titles to offer a flavour of what makes this nation's output so interesting. Anthony offers up some classic picks such as Night of the Demon (1957), The Devil Rides Out (1968) and Wicker Man (1973), while Ted shares some recent entries Eden Lake, Donkey Punch and Mum and Dad all from 2008. Although we have devoted an episode previously to a selection of Hammer films, we reserve our comments on Amicus for another installment down the road. In order to try some non-North American content but still in the English language we recommend trying out some of the titles thrown out, and raise an Ale in salute to UK horror. Spoiler Warning: schlock corner features the shocking conclusion to the original Wicker Man (LINK). Haunting and gut-twisting, it was truly one of the most horrific moments of the genre. Things close out with a cameo appearance by Doug to give some impromptu thoughts on Drag Me To Hell, and this weeks installment of the Aussie Film Festival is Road Games (1981). Check out Slug's new podcast here. Special thanks to Chris for the generous contirbution. Please send us your comments to: horroretc@gmail.com WWW.HORRORETC.COM

Vincent Price - Master of the Macabre Manic with homicidal rage one moment, then sporting a devilish grin the next, many of Price's characters were tortured souls haunted by a lost love or ghastly beings from experiments gone awry. Audiences were convinced to offer empathy through his performances all while suspecting he may be a madman bent on bringing hell to Earth. A horror mainstay for decades and a recognized iconic pillar of the genre, this week we offer a retrospective of the man and his career. With a filmography in excess of 8 movies in addition to such a wide variety of additional pusuits we can only offer our memories, thoughts and recommendations to pay tribute to one of the absolute greats. A high recommendation of ours to appreciate some vintage Price (and doing a bit of cross over to last weeks subject), can be found at this link: House on Haunted Hill (1959) in it's entirety and absolutely free for viewing. Rounding out the episode we revisit some schlocky product ads that Vincet Price was always happy to do, Ted squeezes a bit more blood out of Stir of Echoes 2, some trailer talk and a discussion about our stance on Blu-Ray DVD's. Please send us your comments to: horroretc@gmail.com WWW.HORRORETC.COM

Ahhhh, the Public Domain. Final resting place for the unwanted, unwatchable films of yesteryear to gather and be forgotten. Not so. This week we spend some time defining the public domain and giving a brief recap of the process through which a property can fall into public ownership, before exploring some of the catalogue that exists and are worth your time. The beauty of this category of film is that with unrestricted access, most are easily obtainable to view for free and many are worthy of attention. The list goes far beyond Night of the Living Dead although admittedly the gems are exceedingly rare. We offer up our thoughts on why public domain is an important and worthwhile resource particularly for those with an interest in the classics. Check out this site for a free guide to public domain legalities. With Anthony back in the fray, we must revisit a favorite subject of ours - Michael Jackson. This time we remember back to the MJ and Lisa Marie Presley appearance at the 1994 MTV music awards (LINK). Special thanks to Michael McCormack for the fantastic original theme music, check out more of his work at www.michaelmccormackmusic.com. Please send us your comments to: horroretc@gmail.com WWW.HORRORETC.COM

Thanks for joining us for another informal episode where Ted has recruited special guest host Doug to deliver this week's show. Due to severe scheduling conflicts we were faced with missing our first week but as a test of the theory that something is better than nothing we cover: 1. Not Quite Hollywood: The true untold story of Hollywood - a truly fantastic documentary exploring the Aussie film industry and specifically the excellent genre films that spawned from the land down under. 2. Turkey Shoot (1882) - the first installment in an ongoing series dubbed the 'Aussie Film Festival'. Each week, expect a discussion of one particular film the documentary gave exposure to (the list is long). 3. A debate over the value of filmmaker audio commentaries provided via iTunes download for films currently in theatre. Fan gesture vs. smart business practice. Maybe this time it can be both. 4. More industry suggestions - concurrent PG and R rated cuts of films. 5. Michael Jackson. 6. Shutter Island trailer - a compelling Scorsese 'horror' themed film? 7. Ted's to-do list of movies in the queue and the problems they present. ...and many more topics such as Timecrimes (2007), Reign of Fire (2002), My Name is Bruce (2008), etc. Before enjoying a Schlock Corner trailer for Megashark vs. Giant Octopus (LINK), we deliver our thoughts on Stir of Echoes 2: The Homecoming. Hope you enjoy this impromptu edition of the show, tune in next week for a focused horror theme. Thanks to Eric for contributing to the show. Please send us your comments to: horroretc@gmail.com WWW.HORRORETC.COM

Welcome all to another From The Hip episode of Horroretc. This weeks subjects are quite varied but we think some good discussion was had. The show opens with a few emails of interest (Ted gets back up on his Escape From LA soapbox) before bringing in a surprise guest by phone. Some recent watches are discussed including a 'partial' Drag Me To Hell talk - finger pointed in Anthony's direction. Bottom line....see it! Then meat and potatoes of this weeks show surrounds some good banter generated by a couple of recent articles: 6 Reasons Why Horror Fans Make The Best Film Fans 7 Reasons Why The Horror Genre Is Dying The first was a fun salute to the horror fan while the second required some rebuttal. The crew breaks down the points raised and provide some defences to the accusations levied. We may not agree with what we read but the content made for some good discussion. Finally, an overdue tribute to the late David Carradine: Superman Dialogue Please send us your comments to: horroretc@gmail.com WWW.HORRORETC.COM

After a lengthy delay Dexter Season 3 has arrived. We promised (warned) you we would devote an episode to the third season of this fantastic show and the time has arrived. Okay, so here's the disclaimer: maybe not everyone has watched Dexter, let alone season 3 which is due to hit DVD very soon, but our suggestions are as follows: 1.) listen to our synopsis of season 3 and maybe catch our enthusiasm for the series; 2.) get caught up and listen when the time is right or; 3.) forgive us this week and tune in again same time same place next week. In season 3 we meet Miguel Prado who will come to draw out and expose a side of Dexter we never thought we would see. Each season seems to have it's central storyline and that is the strength of season 3. In the interests of maintaining a spoiler-free synopsis we will leave it at this - the writers have been brilliant at maintaining our interest and addiction to this show despite what may appear on the surface to be cliche television pitfalls. This weeks episode is entirely self-contained for those who have no interest in the subject or who are catching up on the show but we wish to give a huge thanks to Stephen at JAFMP for sending in his synopsis and comparison between the books and the 3 seasons of Dexter thus far to cap things off. Please send us your comments to: horroretc@gmail.com WWW.HORRORETC.COM

Welcome to our second Horroretc Feature Commentary. As a wrap up to our recent series of episodes revisiting the film career of John Carpenter we sat down to record an audio commentary to his seminal work: 1982's The Thing. This episode was something of an impromptu decision so rather than focus on the myriad of facts and trivia surrounding the film we approached it more as a casual viewing experience that listeners could join in on. So whether you take the show on the road with you and listen to our banter or sit down with the DVD and sync up to listen along with us we hope you enjoy one more week of Carpenter talk. Please consider this subject our thanks to all of you who wrote in during the retrospective episodes and shared your comments and memories, we really had a lot of fun with the subject. All hail J.C. Please send us your comments to: horroretc@gmail.com WWW.HORRORETC.COM

The Man and His Movies: Part 3 of our John Carpenter retrospective. In this chapter we discuss the recent ouput from the genre maestro and debate the merits of the 'second phase' theory of Carpenter's career. Certainly the past decade or so has not really produced the timeless classics of the past like The Thing or Halloween but there are strong entries to be found just the same. This week we cover the Lovecraft-ian In the Mouth of Madness (1994), another attempt to remake a classic film Village of the Damned (1995), the divisive remake/sequel Escape From L.A. (1997), a true western-horror Vampires (1998) and of course the last theatrical output to date Ghosts of Mars (2001). Our work would not be complete before addressing the two Masters of Horror installments Cigarette Burns (2005) and Pro-Life (2006). The merits of Carpenter's later filmography is often debated amongst fans but stay tuned for the first Horroretc argument to bring things to a close. It's only fitting that opinions would be strong on a film centered around an abortion clinic. It was fun to stroll through the decades revisiting so many iconic films produced by a man who we all hold in very high regard. We close out sharing a short article about the '78-'88 era (arguably unsurpassed by any other genre director), and have skill testing questions. Please send us your comments to: horroretc@gmail.com WWW.HORRORETC.COM