Skeleton Gelatin (and Further Tales from the Hood)

     This week- four tales of shivering fright to carry you through a chilly autumn night.

     Kayako Saeki, with her son Toshio and cat Mar, is murdered by her jealous husband. Her anger and sorrow turn them all as onryo and place an insatiable curse on the house. Soon Toshio's teacher Kobayashi, the Murakami family, and all others who venture in will find nothing but misery. The first feature length entry in a thirteen entry franchise with entries on both sides of the globe, Takashi Shimizu's Ju-on: The Curse.
     Three drug dealers try to buy some drugs found by an eccentric funeral director. As they walk to through the building, they are regaled with stories of terror and the supernatural. Rusty Cundieff's second feature is full of pointed social commentaries about police brutality, child abuse, racism, and gang violence. A 90s cult classic, backed by several fantastic performances, which would get a pair of sequels over twenty years later, Tales from the Hood.
     Mark is a wannabe cinematographer living in Los Angeles. He struggles to establish his career, only finding work filming short pornographic scenes for a man he despises, and unable to form connects with women, often ending with brutal violence. All of that may change when he meets Michelle, a young woman he meets at work in a committed relationship with a similar background and interests. A rediscovered psychotronic exploitation that might be among the best of the subgenre. The first and tragically only feature written and directed by Christina Hornisher, Hollywood 90028.
     Professor Hildern returns from an expedition in New Guinea with a remarkable discovery- a giant humanoid skeleton older than any previously recovered and twice as advanced. This is just the beginning of the puzzle as the Professor discovers exposure to water will cause rapid regeneration of tissue and cell which will change everything we know, a similar line of research that his psychiatrist brother is perusing. Directed by Hammer and Amicus regular Freddie Francis and starring the legends of British horror, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, The Creeping Flesh.
     All that and Dave games on, Kevin wallows in the cinema room, Tyler gets his warm fuzzies on, and Craig cackles at the sights he has to show us all. Join us, won't you?
   Episode 435: Skeleton Gelatin (and Further Tales from the Hood)

Womb with a View (And Other Assorted Tales)

     This week- three horror movies about identity and society.

     Corky is a magician and ventriloquist about to break into the mainstream. When the network backing his major debut asks for a standard medical examination for insurance reasons, he fears his deeply held secret will be revealed. Corky flees to his hometown in the Catskills. Will Corky be able to pull himself out of his spiraling mental health crisis? Will the beautiful resort owner, and former classmate, accept Corky as he is or will she choose her loveless home? How many cigars can an elderly man smoke in a day? A quartet of incredible performances in a tale of psychological torment come together as a kinda... Magic.
     Seven college friends reunite together at cabin in the woods to celebrate Juneteenth. Despite lengthy separation, as soon as the majority are together again old dynamics and resentments immediately come back. In the game room, they find a deeply racist board game that addresses them directly. Will they survive the night? What happened to the two who obviously arrived first and decorated? Who is behind this deadly game of trivia and identity? One of the sharpest horror comedies of the last decade, The Blackening.
     In a devastated world, Mariano spends his days making gas for others outside and slowly converting his cavernous space into an actual cave. When siblings Lucio and Fauna invade his space, Mariano presses them into helping him in exchange for food and shelter. Soon the demands become more horrific and extreme. Will the siblings escape the lascivious hermit's clutches? What is Mariano actually doing? What exactly is happening outside? A fiesta of gorgeous and grotesque images that drive to a fever pitch of flesh, We Are the Flesh.
     All that and Dave gets drawn back to the 80s, Tyler takes a tour through a gas station serial killer attraction, Kevin gets back into whittling, and Craig cleans up after us all emotionally. Join us, won't you?
   Episode 435- Womb with a View (And Other Assorted Tales)

Holy Frond and Wholly Desire

     This week- four films about people driven to extremes.
     When Harry Graham learns he had blown through his entire trust fund, he makes a desperate gamble to secure his future. Giving himself only 5 weeks to find, court, and wed a rich woman before he loses everything. Fortunately, he soon meets guileless botany professor Henrietta Lowell, whose only dream is to discover a new species of fern. Will Henrietta realize her dream? Will Harry get away with his nefarious plot? Why isn't there more James Coco? The directorial and screenwriting debut of often brilliant but mostly infamously overbudget Elaine May, A New Leaf.
     Norah, a nightclub DJ, is being harassed by obscene phone calls. The caller has detailed knowledge of her daily life and activities. Soon things escalate and a terrifying object is left in her apartment. Lt. Dave Madden, a cop with an interest in crime inspired by sexual motivations, takes a personal interest in the case. Will the caller escalate their actions before Madden can root them out? An often overlooked cult film that occupies that space between Psycho and gialli, between Peeping Tom and slashers- Who Killed Teddy Bear?
     Eve Stephens is a Los Angeles trial lawyer who has been shortlisted for a judge appointment. Despite her professional appearance, Eve struggles deeply with self-doubt and conforming to what society expects from her as a woman. Eve's carefully balanced world begins to unravel when her doctoral student sister, Maddie, is arrested for shoplifting. The debut feature from Susan Streitfeld, Female Perversions.
     Juvenal, a former monk now working as a live-in councilor at an addiction rehab facility, has the power to cure people with a touch. When former grifter Bill Hill learns of this gift, he enlists the help of a beautiful associate to get Juvenal on board his plans to cash in. Unfortunately, militant fundamentalist group leader August Murray also has plans. Based on the book by Elmore Leonard, Touch.
     All that and Dave gets toxic af, Kevin keeps it sophisticated af, and Tyler makes his smut collection everyone's problem. Join us, won't you?

   Episode 433- Holy Fronds and Wholly Desire