Special Report: Messiah of Evil (1973)

Special Guest: Willard Huyck
Guest Co-Hosts: Maitland McDonagh, Bill Ackerman

Released under a number of titles (including The Second Coming), Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz's Messiah of Evil (1973) is a creepy, atmospheric horror film about a young woman (Marianna Hill) who goes in search of her father only to find something far-more-sinister than she could have ever imagined.

Bill Ackerman and Maitland McDonagh join Mike to discuss this atmospheric horror film.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Special Report: Messiah of Evil (1973)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Buy Messiah of Evil on DVD

Music:
"Hold on to Love" - Raun McKinnon
"Messiah of Evil" - Skitzo

Watch:

Episode 439: Dead Heat (1988)

Special Guests: Mark Goldblatt, Terry Black
Guest Co-Hosts: Heather Drain, Noel Thingvall

We’re wrapping up Shocktober 2019 with an episode on Mark Goldblatt’s 1988 film Dead Heat. The film stars Treat Williams as Roger Mortis who, along with his partner Doug Bigelow (Joe Piscopo) investigate a perplexing case that throws them into the world of the supernatural.

Heather Drain and Noel Thingvall join Mike to discuss this horror/comedy/cop drama. Writer Terry Black and director Mark Goldblatt discuss the making of this unusual film.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 439: Dead Heat (1988)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Buy Dead Heat on Blu-Ray
Buy Dead Heat on DVD

Music:
"Main Titles" - Ernest Troost
"The Shoot Out" - Ernest Troost
"No One Lives Forever" - Oingo Boingo

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Episode 438: Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Guest Co-Hosts: Suzen Tekla Kruglinska, Kat Ellinger

#Shocktober2019 continues with a look at Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby (1968). Based very faithfully on the book by Ira Levin, the film stars Mia Farrow as the titular Rosemary who, with her husband Guy (John Cassavetes) move to a new apartment in New York where some strange things play out.

Suzen Tekla Kruglinska and Kat Ellinger join Mike to talk about this seminal film as well as its made-for-TV sequel movie, unrelated sequel book, and TV remake.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 438: Rosemary's Baby (1968)" on Spreaker.

Rosemary's Baby Music Mix:

Links:
Buy Rosemary's Baby on Blu-Ray
Buy Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin
Buy Son of Rosemary by Ira Levin
Buy This Is No Dream: Making Rosemary's Baby by James Munn & Bob Willoughby
Listen to Rosemary's Baby 6:66

Music:
"Fucked by the Devil" - 45 Grave

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Episode 437: Wolfen (1981)

Special Guests: Whitley Strieber, Rupert Hitzig, John D. Hancock, Craig Safan
Guest Co-Hosts: Stephen Graham Jones, Jedidiah Ayres

#Shocktober2019 continues with a look at the 1981 movie from director Michael Wadliegh, Wolfen. Based loosely on the 1978 book by Whitley Strieber, the film stars Albert Finney as Dewey Wilson, a world weary New York City cop who is assigned the macabre murder of real estate mogul Peter Vanderveer. Initially thought to be a terrorist plot, Wilson is assigned a psychologist, Neff (Diane Venora), to aid in his pursuit. They soon learn that they’re facing something much more sinister... and much older...

Stephen Graham Jones and Jedidiah Ayres join Mike to talk about this film. Interviews include author Whitley Strieber, producer Rupert Hitzig, director John D. Hancock, and composer Craig Safan.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 437: Wolfen (1981)" on Spreaker.

Bonus Interview w/Stew Buck:

Listen to "Special Report: Stew Buck on Uncovering Wolfen" on Spreaker.

Links:
Buy Wolfen on Blu-Ray
Buy The Wolfen by Whitley Strieber
Buy Hancock on Hancock by Michael Doyle
Buy Wolfen (The Unusued Score by Craig Safan
Buy Wolfen by James Horner
Buy Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones
Read Sculptures of wolves mauling tourist appear in New York City parks

Music:
Scores by Craig Safan and James Horner
"Bark at the Moon" - Ozzy Osbourne
"The Killing Moon" - Echo & The Bunnymen
"Smuggler's Waltz / Bronx Lullaby" - Tom Waits
"South Bronx" - KRS-One

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Episode 436: Fade to Black (1980)

Special Guests: Dennis Christopher, Irwin Yablans, Craig Safan, Tim Thomerson
Guest Co-Hosts: Heather Drain, Bill Ackerman

Shocktober 2019 continues with a look at the 1980 film from director Vernon Zimmerman, Fade to Black. The film stars Dennis Christopher as Eric Binford, a youth who spends too much of his time watching and obsessing about movies. Unfortunately, Eric's a little mentally unstable thanks in part to his family which consists of his harridan Aunt Stella (Eve Brent).

Bill Ackerman and Heather Drain join Mike to discuss this fascinating look at fandom and mental illness. Interviews include stars Dennis Christopher and Tim Thomerson, producer Irwin Yablans, and composer Craig Safan.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 436: Fade to Black (1980)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Buy Fade to Black on DVD

Music:
"Europa" - Blondie
"Tomorrow Night" - Shoes
"American Masquerade" - The Boxboys
"Main Title" - Craig Safan
"At the Movies" - Bad Brains
"Heroes Die" - Craig Safan

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Episode 435: World War Z (2013)

Special Guest: Sarah Juliet Lauro
Guest Co-Hosts: Patrick Bromley, Dahlia Schweitzer

Dahlia Schweitzer and Patrick Bromley join Mike to kick off #Shocktober2019 with a look at Marc Foster's World War Z (2013). It's not necessarily based on Max Brooks's book of the same name though he gets a credit at the beginning. It’s a zombie apocalypse film starring Brad Pitt that takes Pitt around the world looking for the cause of and cure for a zombie plague.

Special guest Dr. Sarah Juliet Lauro, author of The Transatlantic Zombie: Slavery, Rebellion, and Living Death, discusses zombies in a global context.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 435: World War Z (2013)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Buy Train to Busan on Blu-Ray
Read Brad Pitt, Not So Hidden Racism and Sexism, and “World War Z” (2013) by Dr. Andrew Johnson Pegoda
Read Here's How 'World War Z' Originally Ended Before the Reshoots by Peter Hall
Read World War Z Writer Shares His Original Idea for Canceled Sequel by Ryan Scott

Music:
“The Dead Don’t Die” - Sturgill Simpson

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Episode 388: Session 9 (2001)

Special Guests: Brad Anderson, Stephen Gevedon
Guest Co-Hosts: Axel Kohagen, Jedidiah Ayres

Directed by Brad Anderson and co-written by Anderson and Stephen Gevedon, Session 9 was released in 2001 and stars Peter Mullen as Gordon, the head of a team of asbestos abatement workers in a psychiatric institution. As the story unfolds we learn more about Gordon as well as one of the patients of the asylum whose story mirrors his.

Axel Kohagen (of the Super True Stories podcast) and Jedidiah Ayres (author of Peckerwood) join Mike to discuss the film, institutions, mullets, and much more.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 388: Session 9 (2001)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Buy Session 9 on DVD

Music:
"Noon, About Noon" - Climax Golden Twins
"I Saw You" - Climax Golden Twins
"Piece for a Tape Recorder" - Vladimir Ussachevsky

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Episode 387: The Mr. Vampire Series

Guest Co-Hosts: Samm Deighan, El Goro

Released in 1985, the original Mr. Vampire was directed by Ricky Lau and stars Lam Ching Ying as a Taoist priest who battles the forces of evil along with his two inept students. This became a blueprint for dozens of other films -- some of them under the Mr. Vampire moniker and others not. We discuss the “official” Mr. Vampire movies as well as the unofficial entries, some copycat films, and many other jiangshi movies along the way.

Samm Deighan (Daughters of Darkness) and El Goro (Talk Without Rhythm) join Mike to discuss all manner of hopping vampires, beautiful ghosts, bad subtitles, and Taoist magic. Get your sticky rice ready!

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 387: Mr. Vampire (1985)" on Spreaker.

Movies Discussed

Movie Title	Chinese Title	Year
Mr. Vampire	Geung si sin sang	1985
Mr. Vampire 2	Jiang shi jia zu: Jiang shi xian sheng xu ji	1986
Mr Vampire 3	Ling huan xian sheng	1987
Mr. Vampire Saga	Jiang shi shu shu	1988
Shy Spirit	Pa xiu gui	1988
Vampire vs. Vampire	Yi mei dao ren	1989
Magic Cop	Qu mo jing cha	1990
The Ultimate Vampire	Jiang shi zhi zun	1991
Crazy Safari	Fei zhou he shang	1991
Mad Mad Ghost	Huang jin dao shi	1992
Mr. Vampire 1992	Xin jiang shi xian sheng	1992
The Musical Vampire	Yin yue jiang shi	1992
Exorcist Master	Qu mo dao zhang	1993
Vampire Expert	Geung Si Dou Cheung	1995
Rigor Mortis	Geung si	2014

Links:
Get an amazing Mr. Vampire t-shirt from Shelf Life clothing
Read Hopping Vampires and the Unibrowed Priest Who Hates Them by Wes Black

Music:
"Mr. Vampire OST Guitar Cover" - TK Viper
"Mr. Vampire" - Glen Porter

Watch:

Episode 386: Begotten (1990)

Guest Co-Hosts: Heather Drain, Ben Buckingham

We are discussing E. Elias Merhige’s Begotten. Released in 1990, the film is an experimental narrative about creation, religion, and more.

Heather Drain and Ben Buckingham join Mike to discuss experimental films, music videos, and much more.

Music:
"Anti-Christ Superstar" - Marilyn Manson

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 385: Begotten (1990)" on Spreaker.

Watch:

Stateless: E. Elias Merhige from Packe on Vimeo.

Episode 384: Suspiria (1977)

Special Guests: Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Clare Nina Norelli
Guest Co-Hosts: Maitland McDonagh, Rob St Mary

We kick off #Shocktober2018 with a discussion of Dario Argento’s 1977 film Suspiria which stars Jessica Harper as Suzy Banyon, a young dancer who travels from New York to Germany to attend a prestigious dance academy to not do lot of dancing but, instead, to become embroiled in a mystery...

Maitland McDonagh (Broken Mirrors/Broken Minds: The Dark Dreams of Dario Argento) and Rob St. Mary join Mike to discuss this classic, atmospheric horror tale. Authors Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (Suspiria) and Clare Nina Norelli help unravel the mystery of Argento's most note-worthy film.


Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 384: Suspiria (1977)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Visit Riverdale Ave Books
Read Alexandra Heller Nicholas's interview with Barbara Magnolfi
Read Alexandra Heller Nicholas's Three Mothers Redux: Kathy Acker, Pina Bausch, Tilda Swinton and Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria
Read Clare Nina Norelli's Scores on Screen column
Read about Stan Douglas's Suspiria installation

Music:
"Markos" - Goblin
"Suspiriorum" - Stan Douglas
"Suspiria (Celesta and Bells)" - Goblin
"Witch" - Goblin

Watch: