Movie Meltdown - Episode 557 (For our Patreon "Horror Club") This episode we kick off our discussion of the new Fear Street trilogy of terror as we discuss Fear Street: Part One - 1994 directed by Leigh Janiak.  And as we slip into the tales of the mall, we also bring up… 90’s music, The Shining, Snake Eyes, chokers, a hankerin’ for some Sbarros, Maya Hawke, metal kids on the internet, using the bad words, Doctor Sleep, tie-in merchandise, R.L. Stine, Kiana Madeira, I’d use hawthorn, the bread slicer, one year-olds suck at putt-putt, Olivia Scott Welch, one more D than 3, ridiculous 80s kills, get your finger out of my fresh f-ing wound, The B-52’s, abusive relationships, Benjamin Flores Jr., Musicland, when the book fair would come and set-up in the library, JNCO and Duck Heads, The Mist, you don’t know the fistfights that were had over that figure in the aisle, wildings is like a gentle way to put it, Stranger Things, a bowl full of human teeth, Wes Craven, roque, it’s a sexy wound, goth kids, Mrs. Todd's Shortcut, pop-up stores, Julia Rehwald, Scatman Crothers and an update on our neighbor the serial killer.  Spoiler Alert: Full spoilers for “Fear Street: Part One - 1994” and also some basic spoilers for “Scream 4”. You have been warned.  “Where’s Fear Street? Where’s F-ing Fear Street?!” Thank you to all our supporters! If you would like to join the club, go to: https://www.patreon.com/moviemeltdown

Movie Meltdown

Looking for Fear Street in the 90s

Movie Meltdown - Episode 556 (For our Patreon "Horror Club") On this episode, we welcome back Dick Starr as we return to the outback to discuss Wolf Creek 2. The 2013 Australian horror film is still co-written and directed by Greg McLean, so how does it compare to the first film and how does it fit into the ongoing franchise.   And as we try to figure out, what's going on with Nicolas Cage, we also address... Fear Street, Willy's Wonderland, Goosebumps, creating a series versus a movie, a loophole movie, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, get to know the kids, YA horror, The Twilight Zone, competing crocodile movies, Ed Gein, Rambo: Last Blood, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, bone decor, using a grinder, John Jarratt, worried about vicious dogs, a supernatural level of murderer, Jack Black, the tractor-trailer scene, The Banana Splits Movie, a new level of gore, Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, promote the legend of Mick, Mom and Dad, true crime,  the boogeyman of the outback and his twisted murder ride haunted house catacombs of evil.  Spoiler Alert: Full spoilers for "Wolf Creek 2", so watch the movie before you listen.  "He works almost because he is just a lethal force of nature."  Thank you to all our supporters! If you would like to join the club, go to: https://www.patreon.com/moviemeltdown

Tie Me Serial Killer Down, Sport

Movie Meltdown - Episode 555 (For our Patreon "Horror Club") This episode the Horror Club reconvenes to discuss The Ghoul - the 1975 movie directed by Freddie Francis and starring Peter Cushing, John Hurt and Veronica Carlson.  And while we brush up on our fake violin playing, we also mention… A Quiet Place Part 2, From Beyond, an evil Maharaja, he’s quite dead, Top Secret, Greedo in heels, look at these… they’re so tall, The Great Gatsby, your weird like medieval Knight haircut looks kind of familiar, John Krasinsk, the secret Satan-worshipping room, practical effects, double quicksand, nobody changes clothes, Greg Nicotero, decoy ghoul, Ken Foree’s underwear, the entire Back to the Future trilogy, why don’t people dance like that anymore, bedroom slippers, laid his depravity, Colin Firth in the marsh and those nachos are gonna get us killed man!  Spoiler Alert: Full spoilers for “The Ghoul” (aka “Night of the Ghoul”), so go watch it before you listen.  “Dammit… you have opened a door, to a room - that I don’t wanna be in!” Thank you to all our supporters! If you would like to join the club, go to: https://www.patreon.com/moviemeltdown

Race you to the Ghoul

Movie Meltdown - Episode 554 For this special bonus Horror Club episode, we return to WonderFest to talk with Sam Irvin. Sam is a director, producer, screenwriter, author and the film historian who recently provided the audio commentary for Frankenstein: The True Story. This 1973 film was directed by Jack Smight and written by Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy and contains a very interesting subplot that was slyly snuck past the censors at the time. Featuring a stellar cast including James Mason, Leonard Whiting, David McCallum, Jane Seymour, Michael Sarrazin, Sir John Gielgud, Agnes Moorehead, Sir Ralph Richardson and Tom Baker - listen as we delve into this impressive and often overlooked horror classic.    And as we deal with our own monstrous issues of abandonment and rejection, we also cover… Growing Fangs, Boris Karloff, Universal Studios, Dr. Polidori, magnum opus, Ben-Hur, the Grandfather of every horror host, Peter Lorre, the great wisdom of the executives, Elsa Lanchester, Anne Rice, talking about decapitation at school the next day, 25 boxes of papers, Launchpad McQuack, Richard O'Brien, My Fair Lady, crucified on the mast, Mark Maddox, Hammer horror, Yvonne De Carlo, Frank Langella’s Dracula, Rick Baker, solar-powered, Young Frankenstein, Hunt Stromberg Jr., Interview with a Vampire, designing your hospital, the most expensive horror film, Gore Vidal, the White Cliffs of Dover, Lon Chaney Jr., The Vampyre, Maila Nurmi and a giant leap of dramatic license.  “We are doing a magnum opus of the James Whale movies, but… we don’t want to just do a remake. We want to make it different… how can we do this differently?!”  For more on WonderFest, go to: https://wonderfest.com/

Frankenstein Pride

Movie Meltdown - Episode 553 We finally venture back out into the world - and thankfully it’s for our coverage of WonderFest! There we sit down once again with Kirk Thatcher to hear his continuing amazing stories of working in the industry - in particular, his years working with The Muppets. Listen as Kirk tells us stories about meeting Jim Henson, working on Dinosaurs, being a Gremlin, sitting in the writer's room, directing humans on The Kids are Alright, putting together a live puppet show at the Hollywood Bowl and how he ended up in Spider-Man: Homecoming.  And while we’re currently writing a children’s book entitled, “My Sharkleberry Adventure”, we also bring up… A Quiet Place Part II, The Bad Batch, horseshoe crabs, Joe Dante, The Raft, whatever yogurt was in German, Matt Groening, the Marvel connection, Red 40, Waldo C. Graphic, had his arm eaten off, Michael Giacchino, working in a writer’s room, Baby Yodas to Justified, keeping weird celebrity mementos, they are always so murky, the democratization of creativity, it’s like doing a big dance, Wilkins and Wontkins, there are Muppet people and non-Muppet people, a rat fink, things from your childhood that they discontinued, like the Clone Wars but it would like Baby Yodas, walking around and looking at stuff, Greg Nicotero, you are a crazy science experiment, the food is revolting, The Simpsons, mom talking to Jim Henson, flying forks banging into red circles, Kevin Feige, Halloween 3, you’ll see how the sausage is made, Timothy Olyphant, sticking creepy bug shells on her, misanthropes, Gremlin helmets, the Koozebanian mating ritual, doing voice work, Jimmy Jim Jim Jim Jim, marketing, Bobby Moynihan, I want a 3D printer, Phoebe Cates belly button and blocking for puppets.   “...you could only pretty much get away with that with The Muppets and Monty Python. Which, I always thought The Muppets were… to me they were not… heartfelt little funny creatures that learned about friendship - they were nuts. They were Monty Python… they were absurdists.”  For more on WonderFest, go to: https://wonderfest.com/

We're Just Puppets Thrown Back into the World

Movie Meltdown - Episode 552 (For our Patreon "Horror Club") This episode we discuss The Forest the 2016 horror film starring Natalie Dormer and, well... a bunch of trees. And while we try to talk over the drone of Cicadas outside, we also address… twinsense, Psycho, 11.22.63, Jason Zada, The Three Stooges, Storm of the Century, Aokigahara Forest, lining up a tennis shoe sponsorship, a temporary morgue, there should be a way to strap that down, Yahoo Serious, jump scares, power bars, Tomax and Xamot, dream sequences, she was always chasing a Japanese schoolgirl, Australia, I have to side with the trees on this one, Robert Rodriguez, moving dead bodies, The Corsican Brothers, Blazing Stewardesses, eating tacos in Tokyo, hallucinating things with the dude, the coolest, creepiest setting, looking like your twin, Stephen King, drug smugglers, CGI demon, closing credits, a moving river, demon red eyes and snack chips from other lands. Spoiler Alert: Full spoilers for “The Forest”, so go watch the movie before you listen. You have been warned. “That’s the coolest, creepiest setting… it’s real - they didn’t make that up. Like, that’s an actual place.”

Meandering Through The Forest

Movie Meltdown - Episode 551 I'm not sure if you're ready for this one. (I don't think we were.) This episode we discuss the 1986 classic(?) Never Too Young to Die starring John Stamos, Vanity and Gene Simmons. And before we ride off into the sunset in our post-apocalyptic dune buggy, we make a point to mention… The Road Warrior, Lynda Carter, a fake beard, aggressive apple-eating, Mitch Gaylord, Prince-adjacent, doing flips, a ton of music specials on TV, Pyramid, a little too high-def, Robert Englund, Stargrove, roll about over and over, the finger, a magic medallion, motorcycles with horse heads, flaming exploding balls of fire, back when punks were feared, Velvet Von Ragnar, gymnastics doesn’t translate to fighting in the real world, how computers work, now I do wanna join your cult… I didn’t know we got muffins, George Lazenby, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, McDonald's and the ‘84 Olympics, rock ‘n roll fantasy, firearm continuity, hot vinyl, slightly metallic and the rest of it was just cursing and nonsense.  “It’s just such a conglomeration of crap from the 80’s - it’s like, HERE… and it’s a movie??”

You’re Never Too Young to Die

Movie Meltdown - Episode 550 What we’ve come to realize in this crazy world is... hanging out with your friends and talking about movies and other random things - is quite possibly the best thing. And as we quickly try to scooch right past you, we also cover… Hands Across America, Tron, How It Ends, Big Wolf on Campus, The Crow: City of Angels, Love and Monsters, Dark Shadows, Dean Stockwell, a box of brake discs, a secret basement, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark or Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, social distancing, Rodimus Prime, Daybreak, that same clock from Quantum Leap, coal furnace, we were standing on a bridge, they help me avoid people, Dragon's Lair, The Oscars in memoriam segment, Canadian people to love, changing your elevations doesn’t do anything… you’re still in my way, Tron: Legacy, stop with your logic… it has no place in my cartoon shows, accumulating things, The 'Burbs, Merton, why are you looking at books if you can’t read the sign, breakin’ movies, a derelict apartment The Transformers: The Movie.  “Social Distance… still… forever!”

Hanging Out at the Bastion at the End of the World

Movie Meltdown - Episode 549 (For our Patreon "Horror Club") This episode we discuss Blood of Dracula's Castle, the 60's-era horror film directed by Al Adamson and starring John Carradine and… well, John Carradine.  And while we plan ahead and make ourselves a few suitcase sandwiches, we also bring up… Phantasm, Assault on Precinct 13, Promising Young Woman, character development, a girl making out with a seal, Don Coscarelli, Alexander D'Arcy, The Addams Family, when they lit her on fire, woods bathing in your bikini, daytime with the night filter, Paula Raymond, being both composer and director, we drive an axe into his back, dog actors, people worked so hard on this movie… and you can’t tell, your lease and tropical birds, it’s all waxing, John Carpenter, it’s really just about real estate, everybody was pretty chill about the sacrifice, Breaker! Breaker!, Robert Dix, secret murder planning, personal body grooming while being held captive, Vicki Volante, laid-back Dracula, in the middle of the woods in office clothing, Harold Lloyd, a full-body burn, a quick series of murders, orchestra cues, vampire pajamas, rock bands in movies, two pet rats, John Cardos, sea lions in Arizona, Raul Julia and is that a walrus?! Spoiler Alert: It’s arguable whether or not you can spoil this particular movie, but watching it does kind of intensify the fun of this episode. So watch it if you're up for it.  “So many things in this movie, look like what you would see somebody making a parody about… bad horror movies.”

Blood On or Around Dracula’s Castle

Attack of the Killer Soundtrack 62 Even in a year as strange as this past one, we didn’t want to miss the chance to play and discuss all the 2020 Oscar nominees for both Best Original Song and Best Original Score. Once again we are joined by composer Erich Stem to comment on the Academy Award nominations from this very unusual pandemic year.  And while we realize we each have our own little experiment going on, we also address… Love and Monsters, becoming anti-social, Woody Shaw, teaching, the traveling and folk life, John Williams, branding, The Amazon/Netflix Conspiracy, channels the musical language, putting it in a specific time period, Sam Cooke, Disney music, live orchestra, Hans Zimmer, Amy Winehouse, famous in Europe, a shiny quarter, cockroaches of the future, screaming Kindergarteners, brought out the Rhodes keyboard, a hymn-like structure, Wynton Marsalis, you need to have a talk with the songwriters, Brad Mehldau, they didn’t miss a beat, Freddie Hubbard, this is what a resilient family looks like, Randy Newman, standard pop radio, in another language, Henry Mancini, lookin’ at The Clooney again, we’ve landed on Mars, online conference calling, Keith Jarrett, cashing in on corporate money, Aaron Copland, having a dialogue and textured chops. “I don’t know… maybe a song is one of these shooting star type things in life, you know like - where just a good one is not going to come around a lot.”

Attack of the 2020 Oscar Nominees!

Movie Meltdown - Episode 548  (For our Patreon "Horror Club") This episode we discuss Mercy Black the 2019 film written and directed by Owen Egerton. And as we try to decide if we are ready to be out in the world, we also mention… Slice, Promising Young Woman, Rondo Hatton, Janeane Garofalo, childhood trauma, Chance the Rapper, pre-schizophrenic, clever filmmaking tricks, sacrifices and offerings, Creepypasta, Daniella Pineda, going to the library, mental health issues, why won’t you turn the lights on, the bathtub scenario, Austin Amelio, opening and closing doors, Carey Mulligan, that annoying brat, Texas Chain Saw Massacre, the shrug option, Slender Man, Elle LaMont, real-world horror stories, kids drawing disturbing pictures, Lee Eddy, just a house in a field, not grounded in reality, Miles Emmons and the internet back in the day.  Spoiler Alert: Full spoilers for “Mercy Black”, so go watch the movie before you listen. You have been warned.  “Yeah, let’s send this girl who’s kind of on the edge mentally to this old, creepy house.”

Have Mercy

Movie Meltdown - Episode 547 This episode we discuss the dystopian, near-future film... Prayer of the Rollerboys. Directed by Rick King and starring Corey Haim, Patricia Arquette and Christopher Collet - this science fiction story shows us a version of America that maybe a little closer to the world we live in than we are comfortable with. Oh yeah… and there’s lots and lots of rollerblading! And while we have mist-induced flashbacks of all of our childhood TV favorites, we also cover… The Clyde Frog Show, the entire fall of civilization, Solarbabies, Godzilla, we want our sexy bunny, 3D glasses, trying to explain V to someone, shelf expansion, getting beat with flip flops,  Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man, Batman, renting a VCR, you’re playing with their little corpses, zoot suit pants, Super Mario Bros., Mark Pellegrino, he was always getting hurt, without a cup holder, Fritz the Cat, The Transformers: The Movie, chain link-covered van, a skate-by shooting, The Bloodhound Gang, eating planets, I partially blame Hackers, who saw a blade-off happening, a black and white TV, Tiny Toons and Animaniacs, greed is good, Ultraman, Axl Rose on Scooby-Doo, Double Dragon, you better not be down there watching cartoons, Joel McCrea, with fringe, adjusting your rabbit ears, the rise of Serpentor, economic collapse, Kung Fu Theater, Space Jam and there’s a reason all the skaters made fun of rollerbladers.  Spoiler Alert: I guess you can spoil "Prayer of the Rollerboys"? If so, we probably do. You better watch it beforehand just to be sure.  “It’s such a weird mixture of like total post-apocalyptic craziness… and then regular run-of-the-mill stuff. It’s insanity.”

No Prayer Can Save Us from the Rollerboys

Movie Meltdown - Episode 546 (For our Patreon "Horror Club") This session of The Meltdown Horror Club we discuss It Comes at Night the 2017 film written and directed by Trey Edward Shults. Plus we also address just how April Fool's Day fits into the arc of 80s slashers. And while we enjoy our common interests that are killing strangers together, we also bring up… incredible box art, Stanley, Night of the Living Dead, the fallen tree, The Sweet Hereafter, running out in the woods, Joel Edgerton, Amy Steel, A Quiet Place, friends… workin’ together, Christopher Abbott, metaphorical, why don’t mansions have nice basements, anxious brain thing, Carmen Ejogo, The Road, the evil twin, very bleak, Starfish, I’d name all the skeletons, Kelvin Harrison Jr., telepathic not telekinetic, Deborah Foreman, Bird Box, odd pandemic timing, the dream sequences, The Walking Dead, Thomas F. Wilson, would we survive, Waves, that’s why you don’t expand your quarantine bubble, Riley Keough, my cat’s a punk and a creepy hellscape Renaissance painting.  Spoiler Alert: Full spoilers for "It Comes at Night" and over-all plot spoilers for "April Fool's Day". You have been warned!  “What comes at night in the movie It Comes at Night?!”

What Comes at Night?

Movie Meltdown - Episode 545 This episode, we welcome back Dick Starr for another horror club "promo episode" - available to everyone! Join us as we discuss 2005's Wolf Creek as well as post-millennium horror movies and all the different things that are waiting to kill you in Australia. And while we realize the real horror is living in the world of video calls, we also address… Robert Englund, breakfast foods and Lucha masks, something unnatural is going on here, High Tension, Tom and Jerry, Greg McLean, watching new releases streaming, thunderstorms, buffets or salad bars, this is his playground, House of 1000 Corpses, John Jarratt, Wrong Turn, Hostel, to be done remotely, society has to be kept apart, you remember Outbreak from the ‘90s, it got away from me, Texas Chain Saw Massacre, making you feel stranded and helpless, Behind the Mask, Shaun of the Dead, Sonic the Hedgehog, in the not too distant future, being able to pivot, the one you just shoved off a cliff, U Turn, Eli Roth, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, then the world has to keep going, too comfortable doing what he’s doing, a giant cloud of spiders and being the final girl.  Spoiler Alert: Full spoilers for the original “Wolf Creek”, so go watch the movie before you listen.  “...they have no idea, the predator that they are dealing with.”

Wolf Creek and the Horrors of Australia

Movie Meltdown - Episode 544 This episode we create our own Fantasy Video Store filled with a staff made up of film characters. Inspired by a weird dream, this concept may be the greatest idea ever... or pure insanity. You be the judge. And while we try to convince people that laserdiscs really are the optimum way to watch a movie, we also mention… The Last Blockbuster, we are totally out of that, a beaded curtain, over there take a left fourteen down, and they can live broadcast it to the public access channels, I remember I was in Morocco, he’s why we had to put a limit on our free popcorn policy, the special room, Wet Wednesdays, the town drunk, Spanish Clint Howard, VHS, eat anyone who tried to break in, call the HR department, multiple old lady customers, your friend with the vest has to leave, both of them have to wear an overcoat, trying to explain to people how cool Jami Gertz is, Mom and Pop, a very loud curtain, very clean, there’s gum stuck to everything, he’s constantly sniffing the movies… and I don’t know why, don’t mess with him… just let him have his popcorn, breaking into the satellite feed, well nobody’s returning their tapes without rewinding them more than once, which movie stars are you ok going to the bathroom with, I didn’t even know I had this movie in stock, living lips and Sour Patch Kids.  “I feel like there’s going to be some wacky hi-jinks at your store.”

Fantasy Video Store

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