Saturday Frights Podcast – Pop Culture Retrorama: Recent Episodes
Saturday Frights Podcast – Pop Culture Retrorama
Friends, we have a very special episode for all three of the podcasts, a bonus episode as it were, that is meant to act as not only my official announcement but explanation for why I am retiring. I hope you will understand that for the past 12 years that I have been fortunate enough to be considered a blogger, writer, and podcaster…I have realized recently that I am very tired. I need more however than just a break or vacation from writing daily articles and producing podcasts – I truly need to step away from the laptop and microphone – it is the appropriate time to look back at what I, as well as my fellow Pop Culture Retrorama colleagues have accomplished.
As I state on the podcast itself, I am very proud of what Allison Venezio-Preston, Ashley Thomas, Rockford Jay, Earl Green, Brett Weiss, IseeRobots, Javier Ojst, Rob O’Hara, and Gary Burton have accomplished with this site. And while I will soon shutter the Pop Culture Retrorama site and step away from writing in general, I am extremely happy to announce that Earl Green has generously offered to host not only the content on this site – but any future articles that the Pop Culture Retrorama colleagues might decide to write – on theLogBook.com. So, while I am slipping into the shadows, Pop Culture Retrorama will most assuredly live on.
I do hope that those of you who have been so kind as to visit this page, or even remember my work on the Retroist, understand that I did not come to the decision to retire lightly. Having said that, it feels like this is right path to take, thanks in no small part to my new career.
Many thanks to all of you. You have made something that I originally tackled as a hobby feel far more important, giving me a desire to write over 6000 articles and produce over 300 podcasts in the past 11 -12 years. I am grateful for your time and support, but more importantly your friendship.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
“Good morning, and in case I don’t see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!”
Feel free to keep in touch with me on Facebook or even Twitter. Or perhaps check out the Saturday Frights Facebook Page, and Diary of an Arcade Employee!
Subscribe to the Pop Culture Retrorama Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3)
Directly Download the Pop Culture Retrorama Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Friends, although it took much longer than anticipated to deliver the eighteen episodes that made up season three of the Saturday Frights podcast, we have finally reached the end of the line. What better way to celebrate the 100th episode of the show than tackling an important movie that we’ve attempted to cover three or four times in the past. While you might consider it something of a spoiler, I will tell you that the Projectionist and I actually do get to discuss 1984’s Gremlins on this go around. In addition I will give you a heads up that this podcast is far, far longer than the standard show. It just seemed that for the 100th episode of the podcast, a feat that has taken a little over six years to accomplish, that we should attempt to blow the doors off our previous episodes.
Obviously with a film like Gremlins, we are fortunate to have an abundance of information on the making of the movie. In fact there might actually be too much information to share, we ended up cherry picking the trivia we felt would interest you Fright Fans the most. Including a bit of information from the Gremlins reunion for Empire magazine, with Nick De Semlyen chatting with the likes of Joe Dante (The Howling), Zach Galligan (Waxwork), Dick Miller (Chopping Mall), Chris Walas (The Fly), as well as Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in London).
As I share in the podcast itself, Gremlins was a movie that I was extremly hyped about seeing, when it was originally released to theaters on June 8th of 1984. As is discussed on the show, the backlash from parent groups over both Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom as well as Gremlins, caused none other than Steven Spielberg to help create the PG-13 rating.
There is a lot to cover on this 100th episode of the Saturday Frights podcast, but before we get to show, I thought I should give a huge thank you to some special guests:
Ashley Thomas aka The Nerdy Blogger has her work frequently featured on Fangirlish as well as the Sci-Fi 5 podcast. The daily five minute podcast that provides the best in sci-fi, fantasy, and horror history – produced by Roddenberry Entertainment.
We also are lucky enough to have the esteemed Earl Green join us on this special episode of the podcast. Earl is no stranger to the Sci-Fi 5 podcast himself, as well as running The Log Book.com – one of the longest running sites on the internet focusing on everything pop culture.
Last but certainly not least is Rockford Jay, my co-host on the Saturday Frights Facebook page – who does his level best to help me keep a lid on the madness of the Vault. He manages to share his love of retro horror on a nearly daily basis, and I am sad to add is frequently the target of the Projectionist’s schemes and explosive temper.
Without further ado, please join the Projectionist and myself at the Haunted Drive-In, as we discuss 1984’s Gremlins. As always we want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to listen to the show, and hope that you have enjoyed season three of the podcast.
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode – or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Friends, it is the start of the work week for many of you, so why not get it off to a fright start? At least we hope you will choose to listen to the brand new episode of the Saturday Frights podcast, with the subject of this episode being a 1985 segment of the CBS The Twilight Zone revival series entitled “Examination Day”. A rather memorable offering from the first attempt at capturing the lightning in the bottle of Rod Serling’s original 1959 television series. One that as I mention in the podcast itself was able to leave me shaken, with the segment itself being talked about in class at school the following Monday.
The Twilight Zone segment “Examination Day” is based on an 1958 short story of the same name by Henry Slesar, who was a prolific author, selling his stories in numerous magazines in the mid-fifties. Although the Projectionist and I discuss it on the show, his writing actually attracted the attention of Alfred Hitchcock himself, which is how Slesar found himself writing for such television series as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, in addition to Serling’s The Twilight Zone to name just a few. Which was right in Slesar’s wheelhouse as he was quite fond of delivering ironic twist endings in his work.
“Examination Day” concerns a young boy by the name of Richard “Dickie” Jordan Jr, played by Over the Top‘s David Mendenhall, who is looking forward to taking his Government mandated exam.While the young boy shows no outward signs of being concerned or that anything is amiss, why do his parents Richard (Christopher Allport) and Ruth (Elizabeth Norment) seem so scared?
Without further ado, please join the Projectionist and myself at the Haunted Drive-In, as we discuss “Examination Day” on the Saturday Frights podcast. As always we want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to listen to the show, and hope that you are enjoying season three of the podcast so far.
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode – or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Friends, I am afraid that yet again we have managed to deliver a new episode of the Saturday Frights podcast a couple of days later than intended. In all honesty it has to do with the new job and the strain of attempting to find the necessary free time to devote to the show. Having said that though, we do have a very special episode of the podcast for you today, as the Projectionist and I are joined by three friends on this show. Fellow PCR authors who were kind enough to share their top 5 horror soundtrack picks with you, focusing on memorable music from all manner of film and television shows. I am willing to bet there are going to be a few on the lists provided today by our guests that you may not be familiar with!
Joining us to share her top 5 horror soundtracks is none other than Ashley Thomas aka The Nerdy Blogger, whose work is frequently featured on Fangirlish as well as the Sci-Fi 5 podcast. The daily five minute podcast that provides the best in sci-fi, fantasy, and horror history – produced by Roddenberry Entertainment.
We also are lucky enough to have the esteemed Earl Green join us on this special episode of the podcast. Earl is no stranger to the Sci-Fi 5 podcast himself, as well as running The Log Book.com – one of the longest running sites on the internet focusing on everything pop culture.
Last but certainly not least is Rockford Jay, my co-host on the Saturday Frights Facebook page – who does his level best to help me keep a lid on the madness of the Vault. He manages to share his love of retro horror on a nearly daily basis, and I am sad to add is frequently the target of the Projectionist’s schemes and explosive temper.
Without further ado, please join the Projectionist and myself at the Haunted Drive-In, as we discuss the top 5 horror soundtracks on the Saturday Frights podcast. As always we want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to listen to the show, and hope that you are enjoying season three of the podcast so far.
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode – or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Friends, we do apologize about the tardiness of this episode of the Saturday Frights podcast, I am afraid that the new work schedule has thrown a monkey wrench into the usual recording plans. This week though, the Projectionist and I tackle our first episode of The X-Files, that long-running series featuring the exploits of special agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. As brought up in the show itself, this episode was suggested by a listener, and after we presented a poll of the Top 5 scary episodes of The X-Files, the Vault staff as well as the Saturday Frights Facebook group picked the 1993 episode entitled “Squeeze”. In all honesty I really thought it was going to be “Home” that won the poll, especially considering that it caused so much controversy when it originally aired that it was banned from being broadcast again for quite some time.
As this is the first time we’ve talked about The X-Files on the podcast, we have a bit of interesting trivia to share about the creation of the series. In addition to some things you might not have know about “Squeeze”, including a little trouble behind the scenes during the production of the episode. Or how the screenwriters, James Wong and Glen Morgan, were inspired to write the episode featuring the mutant serial killer and fan favorite Eugene Victor Tooms (Doug Hutchinson). In addition to how their popular Final Destination film series was based off what originally had been intended to be an episode of The X-Files. In fact I provide a quote in this episode from an interview with Jeffrey Reddick at Den of Geek on how it would have played out if it had been made into an X-Files episode.
Without further ado, please join the Projectionist and myself at the Haunted Drive-In as we discuss 1993’s “Squeeze” on the Saturday Frights podcast. As always we want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to listen to the show, and hope that you are enjoying season three of the podcast so far.
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode – or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Friends, we have a brand new episode of the Saturday Frights podcast for you this morning, the subject of the show is a listener request. The Projectionist and I talk about the 1985 Amazing Stories episode entitled “Mummy Daddy”, one of the more comedic offerings from that particular TV anthology series. Although on this episode we might not have been unable to uncover quite as much information on “Mummy Daddy” as we did with The Birds, the Projectionist and I found out some surprising information on how long Universal was attempting to reboot 1932’s The Mummy. Including a rather surprising list of talented writers and directors that were approached before Stephen Sommers was tapped to bring 1999’s The Mummy to the big screen.
Although we have tackled Amazing Stories in past podcasts, both “Remote Control Man” and “Mirror, Mirror” as a matter of fact, we do provide a brief history on the television show itself – including its link to the long-running magazine of the same name.
In addition it might surprise you to learn that Amazing Stories wasn’t a huge hit when it was originally aired on NBC. Not even the legion of talented people in front of and behind the camera, attracted to the series thanks to Executive Producers Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, and Frank Marshall, were able to capture the necessary audience for Universal Television and NBC to support it beyond two seasons. Although having said that, and as we touch upon in the show itself, Amazing Stories did manage to earn quite a few Emmy nominations.
If you happen to be a huge fan of “Mummy Daddy” by the way, I think you will be interested to know that the teleplay written by Earl Pomerantz happens to be available to purchase on eBay at this very moment. Assuming of course that you have the spare change to afford such a unique collectible.
Without further ado, please join the Projectionist and myself at the Haunted Drive-In as we discuss 1985’s “Mummy Daddy” on the Saturday Frights podcast. As always we want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to listen to the show, and hope that you are enjoying season three of the podcast.
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode – or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Friends, we have a brand new episode of the Saturday Frights podcast for you today, and this time the Projectionist and I are tackling yet another classic picture. Most of you Fright Fans might recall that on the last show we discussed 1981’s The Howling… well… on this episode we are talking about 1963’s The Birds. While Alfred Hitchcock most definitely has legions of fans when it comes to his films and even his popular and long running television series, it kind of seems like a lot of people are rather dismissive of The Birds. That is something that the Projectionist and I bring up in this episode, in addition to possibly providing a little more background information than usual on the making of the film.
Although we do mention it in the episode itself, The Birds wasn’t exactly well regarded when it was originally released on March 29th of 1963. That might have had something to do with the box office success of Psycho in 1960, the popularity of which seems to have also caused Hitchcock to spend a couple of years attempting to find just the right movie to be his next project. And The Birds turned out to be a pretty daunting film to bring to the big screen, with a much bigger cast and lots of special effects.
I think it is safe to say that Alfred Hitchcock was up to the task though, although the film did have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the cast. From Tippi Hedren (Marnie) as the lead to the likes of Rod Taylor (The Time Machine), Jessica Tandy (Driving Miss Daisy), Veronica Cartwright (Alien), and Suzanne Pleshette (The Bob Newhart Show) to name just a few.
We thank you as always for taking the time out of your busy schedule to listen to the show, so without further ado, let us all take a trip to Bodega Bay… but beware of The Birds!
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode – or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Friends, you might not have realized it but yesterday marked the 40th anniversary of The Howling, the classic werewolf picture directed by the legendary Joe Dante (Gremlins, Small Soldiers). And while I do wish we could have released this latest episode of the Saturday Frights podcast on the actual anniversary, as you will be able to hear for yourself, things at the Haunted Drive-In have kept the Projectionist and I pretty busy. Although considering the running time for this particular episode of the podcast, I feel it is safe to say that we had quite a bit to say about the making of The Howling as well as the embarrassment of riches it possesses in regards to the cast, both newcomers and a staggering number of character actors and surprise cameos.
As mentioned in the episode itself, when The Howling was released on April 10th of 1981, it marked one of four films to play in theaters that year that dealt with werewolves. And it might surprise you to learn that some of the effects for Joe Dante’s modern take on the creatures of lore and legend were begun by Rick Baker (King Kong, Ghost Story) who had to go work on An American Werewolf in London – handing over the job to Rob Bottin of John Carpenter’s The Thing fame.
From classic animated shorts by Ub Iwerks to the fact that many of the characters in The Howling are named after film directors who made their own werewolf films, there is a lot of ground to cover. So without further ado we hope you will grab your favorite snack and beverage and join us as we tackle 1981’s The Howling on the Saturday Frights podcast.
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode – or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Friends, it feels like it has only been just a few days since we uploaded a brand new episode of the Saturday Frights podcast. That is probably because it was actually only three days ago when the Projectionist and I covered the 2006 adaptation of Stephen King’s “Battleground” from the TNT Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King television mini-series. I made mention in the podcast post that we had intended to have a new episode of the podcast out for the just released Godzilla vs. Kong, so we just knuckled down and decided to get another show in the can.
With Godzilla vs. Kong having just been released on HBO Max as well as to theaters, it won’t shock you to learn that we steered from discussing anything that might be considered full spoilers. We did our level best to keep the episode focused on the beginning moments of the film that you can see in the official trailer – although I will have to admit we might have touched on elements that could be considered minor spoilers, such as talking about certain characters.
VIDEO PROVIDED BY Warner Bros. Pictures. In this episode you will hear about the special screening we had at the Haunted Drive-In for Godzilla vs. Kong… as well as how wrapped up I got in the confrontation between Kong and Godzilla. In addition I shared a very interesting connection with this movie and the previous Legendary Godzilla films, courtesy of an interview shared by Collider – although you should only check that link out AFTER you have seen the movie for yourself.
As always we truly appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to give the podcast a listen. So without further ado, prepare yourself for a trip to Skull Island and beyond as you get ready for the epic brawl that is Godzilla vs. Kong!
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode – or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Friends, to start off our first Saturday Frights podcast for the month of April, the Projectionist and I have chosen to discuss the 2006 adaptation of Stephen King’s short story entitled “Battleground”. Which as you might already know was one of eight episodes featured in the TNT television mini-series Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King. As we point out in the podcast itself, this 4 week event was a pretty big deal back in the day, a lot of that had to do with the caliber of actors they managed to nab for the episodes. Just a few include Tom Berenger (Platoon), Kim Delaney (NYPD Blue), William H. Macy (Fargo), and for “Battleground” there is the esteemed William Hurt (Altered States).
VIDEO PROVIDED BY Carlos Apolo Moran. The story for “Battleground” concerns a hired killer by the name of Jason Renshaw (Hurt) who finds himself under siege in his apartment by a most unlikely army, one made of plastic but bent on dispatching the assassin at all costs.
The teleplay for “Battleground” happens to have been written by Richard Christian Matheson (Masters of Horror) and was directed by Brian Henson (Labyrinth). The episode not only is nearly devoid of any spoken dialogue but features some rather incredible special effects, they were so impressive that they managed to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special. In fact you can see how much work into this episode thanks to this short behind the scenes video.
VIDEO PROVIED BY Soundtracks. As always we appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to listen to the Saturday Frights podcast. Especially with the vast number of quality podcasts being offered these days, so without further ado, prepare to enter the “Battleground”!
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode – or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Friends, instead of the usual retro horror films or TV anthologies, for this episode of the Saturday Frights podcast we are going to be tackling the recently released Horror/Thriller entitled Son. As pointed out in the episode itself, since this is a brand new movie, the Projectionist and I do not go into full spoilers – in fact hopefully we have given just enough of a breakdown of the synopsis to make you want to head out to the theater or rent Son for yourself. I am going to share with you the trailer for the picture, directed as well as written by Ivan Kavanagh (The Canal) but I personally think it might give just a little too much away, so consider it SPOILER territory.
VIDEO PROVIDED BY RLJE Films. Son stars the likes of Andi Matichak (Halloween), Luke David Blumm (The Walking Dead), and Emilie Hirsch (The Autopsy of Jane Doe) among other talented actors. It is a pretty dark and intense film, one sure to please all of you Fright Fans wanting something that is not only a little spooky but quite emotional too. And as mentioned on our podcast, we have to thank Leone D’Antonio, Trevor Shand, and Lauren Shand of The Boo Crew podcast for the heads up on Son!
As always we sincerely appreciate you taking time of your busy schedule to listen to the show, especially with the difficulties in the schedule of late. Without further ado, turn down the lights if you are able and join us as we discuss Son.
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode – or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Friends, it has been far too long since the Projectionist and I were able to get a new Saturday Frights podcast produced, but we hope this nearly hour long episode focusing on what we thought were the Top 5 Horror Movies of 2020 will make up for the wait. While I make mention of how trying last year was in the show itself, the truth of the matter is that it managed to be a banner year for quality horror films. In particular as our Top 5 Horror Movies list will bear out, an amazing number of those pictures were courtesy of the Shudder streaming service. If you frequent the Pop Culture Retrorama site on a regular basis you will most assuredly be able to deduce a few of the horror films that made it onto our list, hopefully however we have a few surprises for you.
Whittling down the horror movie releases of 2020 to just a top 5 list was quite a bit harder than you might think, which is why on the show we also present our top three runner-up films. I have a small feeling that as with any top 5 list, there will be one or two movies that you might strongly question with their ranking or perhaps the fact they were left off the main list. The Projectionist and I would love to hear your own selection in the comments section of this article.
“What?! You didn’t choose Freaky?!” For what it might be worth, on this Top 5 Horror Movies of 2020 episode, I believe we have provided some interesting trivia for each of the films as well as what impressed us the most about the movie in question. In addition we have attempted to give you a brief and non-spoiler synopsis for each of the 5 horror films – at least nothing more than you might see in the trailers for the movies.
As promised in the episode itself, here are the links to an opposing view of one of our Top 5 Horror Movie finalists, courtesy of the esteemed Megan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting. Also we provide a quote from an interview with Fred Topel of the Showbiz Cheat Sheet that is equally worthy of your time to check out. And last but not least – after you’ve listened to our Top 5 Horror Movies of 2020 – you might want to rock out with the Mondo Boys.
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode – or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to listen to the show and for hanging in there with us, we hope you will enjoy our Top 5 Horror Movies of 2020 episode.
Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Friends, I think it will speak volumes that for this brand new episode of the Saturday Frights podcast – the Projectionist and I have decided to discuss Shadow in the Cloud. The World War II action/horror film that was just released on VOD and in select theaters just five days ago – starring Chloë Grace Moretz. Although I make a point of mentioning it in the show itself – this particular podcast is kind of a throwback to the original episodes of the show, in that we do not go fully into spoiler territory. It seemed like the most logical choice as many of you will not have had the opportunity to catch Shadow in the Cloud yet. We stick to mostly a brief overview of the film, touching on only that which you could see in the trailer itself. Which means that this episode has a shorter running time that our standard show – we hope though that you will be entertained nonetheless.
In addition the Projectionist has managed to bring along a few audio treats for your listening pleasure – to say nothing of the fact that he fills us in on the history of gremlins. I manage to even share a story from my Grandfather who served during World War II as well as the Korean War – he had some run-ins with more than a few pilots who swore they saw a Gremlin on their plane.
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode – or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
We sincerely hope you are enjoying the new season of the show – if you have friends or family that are fans of horror – let them know about the podcast. HAPY NEW YEAR!
Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Friends, it has been a little over a month since we have been able to release a new episode of the Saturday Frights podcast – I address the reasons for that on the show itself – but in short I became ill back in October. I am feeling much better as is the Projectionist, who I might have passed my illness to if we are being totally transparent on the subject. Let us hope that we have the podcast back on schedule for the remainder of Season three – starting with this show – which is a look at the Top 5 Tales from the Darkside episodes as voted on by fans of the television series. In this episode we give a synopsis and thoughts on what we liked most about each of the Top 5 episodes – as well as a brief history on Tales from the Darkside itself.
Of the five episode of Tales from the Darkside that made the grade, you might recognize some of the names of those in front of and behind the camera. Like George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead), Stephen King (Pet Sematary), Jodie Foster (Silence of the Lambs), Robert Bloch (Psycho), and Michael McDowell (Beetlejuice) to name just a few.
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode – or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
We sincerely hope that you are enjoying the third season of the Saturday Frights podcast so far – will your favorite episode of Tales from the Darkside make cut?
Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Friends, on this episode of the Saturday Frights podcast, we are once again going to be discussing an episode of the hugely popular Tales from the Crypt television series that aired on HBO – beginning it’s seven season run on June 10th of 1989 and lasting until July 19th of 1996. On this show the Projectionist and I discuss the 1990 episode entitled Cutting Cards which happens to star the likes of Lance Henriksen (Aliens, Near Dark) as well as Kevin Tighe (Emergency!, Rose Red) – as two high-stakes gamblers who are willing to go to painful extremes to see the last of each other. While as always we have done out best to shine the spotlight on those in front of and behind the camera – on this particular show we have presented a pretty deep dive into the history behind EC Comics – the original comic publishers of Tales from the Crypt.
As I mention on the show itself, a lot of great information was found thanks to Digby Diehl’s Tales from the Crypt: The Official Archives. If you consider yourself a fan of the HBO produced series, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of this book – you can find an affordable used copy on Amazon.
You might be surprised to learn just how many people it took for the TV adaptation of Tales from the Crypt to make it to HBO in the first place. It was only the combined Hollywood power of Richard Donner (The Goonies, Lethal Weapon), Walter Hill (The Warriors, Streets of Fire), Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump), David Giler (Alien), and Joel Silver (Die Hard, The Matrix) that allowed the proposed series to get the greenlight.
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode – or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
We sincerely hope that you are enjoying the third season of the Saturday Frights podcast so far – before you deal yourself a new hand of cards though – we hope you will take the time to listen to our discussion of Cutting Cards.
Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Friends, as Halloween is nearly upon us, my fellow PCR contributors felt that it might not be such a bad idea to get together and produce our second Halloween Special for the Pop Culture Retrorama podcast. As the Projectionist and myself had no plans for such a special for the Saturday Frights podcast – this sounded like an excellent idea. Besides giving those of us on the site an opportunity to help you get into the spirit of the Season – this second Holiday Special when all is said and done focuses on a lot of spooky and Halloween themed television shows and specials. For example, Rockford Jay not only shares his memories of a time that his Family threw an impressive Halloween party – but catching Trick or Treat – the pilot episode for the Tales from the Darkside series.
In addition on this second Halloween Special we have Ashley Thomas aka The Nerdy Blogger of Fangirlish – who shares her love for the 1993 animated adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s The Halloween Tree. A Holiday treat that I have shared my love for many times in the past.
Allison Venezio-Preston joins us once again, this time to talk about an episode of Quantum Leap, one that surprisingly wasn’t released in time for Halloween back in the day. But after hearing her segment, I think you will agree that it is a perfect episode to watch during the Season.
Earl Green shares his thoughts on the recently released Doctor Who: Fury From the Deep – a formerly lost episode during the Patrick Troughton era of the television show. A story that involves the Doctor and his companions getting mixed up in an investigation of an odd sort of seaweed – one capable of both mind control and even poisoning it’s victims.
As for myself, I talk a little about Walt Disney’s The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh, the 1963 adaptation featuring Patrick McGoohan (The Prisoner) as the Reverend Dr. Christopher Syn aka the Scarecrow. The character who first appeared in the 1915 book entitled Dr. Syn: A Tale of Romney Marsh by Russell Thorndike.
While the official release of the second season of the Pop Culture Retrorama podcast is still a month or so away – we hope you are enjoying the new direction of the show so far. Without further ado, have a safe and Happy Halloween as you listen to our second Halloween Special.
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode – or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
Subscribe to the Pop Culture Retrorama Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3)
Directly Download the Pop Culture Retrorama Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Friends, although this latest episode of the Saturday Frights podcast was sadly delayed for three weeks – a brand new podcast has been uploaded for your listening pleasure – tackling a 1971 episode of Night Gallery, an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s Cool Air. Although we mention it on the show itself, this is actually the second episode of Night Gallery that featured an adaptation of Lovecraft’s work – however Cool Air greatly benefits from a teleplay by none other than Rod Serling. As always the Projectionist and myself do our level best to shine the spotlight on those in front of and behind the camera – although with this memorable 1971 Night Gallery segment – besides the adaptation by Serling – another reason it excelled is that it was directed by none other than Jeannot Szwarc (Jaws 2, Somewhere in Time). Which would prove fitting as unlike the original story by Lovecraft – this version of Cool Air is very much a tragic romance.
If you can watch Somewhere in Time without bawling… you are stronger than I am! While this episode is a tad shorter than the previous podcasts so far for season three – we did benefit greatly from information found in Rod Serling’s Night Gallery: An After-Hours Tour by both Scott Skelton as well as Jim Benson. If you are a fan of the classic television series, you truly owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of their book – you can find it available on Amazon (Although you might want to skip that hardcover version).
The Projectionist has brought along a few audio treats for this show, and we are joined once again by Rockford Jay – who shares his own memories of seeing Cool Air. I feel that we provide a full synopsis for this episode, while not giving you the beat by beat rundown as we have been known to do in the past.
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode – or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
We hope you are enjoying this third season of the Saturday Frights podcast – so before you put in a call for 300 pounds of ice for your bathroom – we hope you will take a moment and listen to our discussion of Night Gallery’s Cool Air.
Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Friends, welcome to a new episode of the Saturday Frights podcast – with this third of eighteen episodes for season three of the show – we are sticking with the theme of science fiction/horror films. For this week’s podcast, the Projectionist and I, have decided to discuss the cult classic Night of the Comet which was released in 1984. One of those rare films that manages to pull off, thanks to the script by Thom Eberhardt who also directed Night of the Comet, to be equally fun as it is thrilling. As mentioned on the podcast itself, the cast which includes the likes of Catherine Mary Stewart (Weekend at Bernie’s), Kelli Maroney (Chopping Mall), and Robert Beltran (Star Trek: Voyager) elevate what could have been a campy movie and really make it something special.
As always we have done our level best to shine the spotlight on those in front of and behind the camera. I was able to find some very interesting anecdotes concerning Night of the Comet thanks to John Kenneth Muir’s Horror Films of the 1980s. While the Projectionist and I give a full synopsis for Night of the Comet without hopefully hitting you over the head with every minor plot point. This show still clocks in at nearly an hour in length – which means my co-host didn’t bring quite as many audio treats as he normally would.
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode -or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
We certainly hope you are enjoying season three of the Saturday Frights podcast so far – so before you head out to the local mall and tangle with some comet zombies – prepare yourself for Night of the Comet.
Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Friends, welcome to a new episode of the Saturday Frights podcast – with this second episode of season three – we are continuing with the theme of science fiction/horror films. That is why today the Projectionist and I have tackled 1997’s Event Horizon – which was directed by Paul W.S. Anderson (Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil) and features a stellar cast with the likes of Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix), Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, Peaky Blinders), and Jason Isaacs (Star Trek: Discovery) to name just a few. While I do mention it in the podcast itself – it is my firm belief that Event Horizon should have done far better at the box office when it was originally released on August 15th of 1997.
As always we have done our level best to shine the spotlight on those in front of and behind the camera. I was able to find some very interesting anecdotes concerning Event Horizon – with two articles in particular that I mention in the show itself – those come from /Film as well as The Ringer.
The Projectionist and I give a full synopsis for Event Horizon while hopefully not hitting you over the head with every minor plot point. Much as with the Alien episode of the podcast – this show is nearly an hour in length – which means that the Projectionist didn’t bring that many audio treats for your listening pleasure.
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode -or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
We certainly hope you are enjoying the third season of the Saturday Frights podcast so far – grab your favorite snack and beverage and prepare to confront the horrors of Event Horizon.
Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Friends, welcome to the first episode of the third season of the Saturday Frights podcast – to celebrate the occasion – the Projectionist and I have chosen to tackle 1979’s Alien. This is obviously a rather big film and even with a shortened synopsis of the film itself – this particular show clocks in at nearly an hour in length. Of course the truth of the matter is there is just so much information concerning those who helped bring Alien to the big screen. So we have done our level best to shine the spotlight on the likes of Dan O’Bannon, Ronald Shusett, Ridley Scott, H.R. Giger and the many other talented artists and filmmakers who had a hand in crafting such a masterpiece of science fiction/horror. This episode definitely would not have been half as interesting if it wasn’t for the exhaustive tome that is The Making of Alien by J.W. Rinzler.
In addition on this episode I was able to share some interesting information on the friendship between Dan O’Bannon (The Return of the Living Dead) and Moebius – which resulted in a two-part comic book story entitled The Long Tomorrow – that was published in the pages of Heavy Metal. In fact as you will learn there are some connections to the 1981 animated Heavy Metal film with 1979’s Alien.
With the length of this podcast, the Projectionist didn’t bring along as many vintage audio treats as he normally would – having said that though we were able to share a snippet from an astounding documentary entitled The Beast Within. When you have some time on your hands you might want to follow that link and check out the documentary for yourself.
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode -or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
The Projectionist and I truly hope you will enjoy this third season of the Saturday Frights podcast – so grab your favorite snack and beverage and strap in as we discuss Alien!
Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror#1 (MP3)
Friends, hopefully we have an unexpected treat for you today with this bonus episode of the Saturday Frights podcast – as the title itself points out – this is a prelude to Season three of the show. Starting next week, the Projectionist and I will be delivering new episodes of the Saturday Frights podcast – discussing the best in horror films and television shows. Although having said that, I feel it is safe to say that after listening to this prelude to Season three – you will agree that the time away hasn’t improved the Projectionist’s demeanor or temperament. Though I suppose his little freak out on this particular episode has the unexpected consequence of you getting a sneak peek at some of the movies and TV show we are going to tackle this Season.
In fact I would say that the first listener that can tell us the names of all the films and television clips we share on this bonus episode – has certainly more than earned themselves a prize from the Vault collection. Feel free to submit your answers in the comments section or by email or even on Facebook – although some are more obvious than others.
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode -or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
The Projectionist and I are really looking forward to finally bringing you Season three of the show, as always we thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to give it a listen. Without further ado – welcome back to the Haunted Drive-In and the Saturday Frights podcast!
Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Friends, we have a new Saturday Frights podcast for your listening pleasure – this episode focuses on The Finger – yet another one of the segments from Shudder’s fantastic Creepshow television series. We touch upon this in the episode but this will be the last show before we start doing Podcast Seasons – beginning with the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast, then Saturday Frights, and since the Pop Culture Retrorama podcast is going to be presented in an entirely different format – that one will be the last one that is produced. It felt appropriate though to get in one more Saturday Frights episode before the change up and to be fair The Finger is a good segment to be sure – it is a creature feature involving a rather charming… if bloodthirsty critter that is simply known as Bob.
Bob does love popcorn though! Showrunner and iconic make-up and special effects guru, Greg Nicotero, helms this particular segment of Creepshow – with David J. Schow (The Crow, DJSturbia) penning the teleplay. A darkly humorous tale featuring DJ Qualls (Supernatural, Z nation) as a down on his luck soul named Clark Wilson – who happens during a late night walk to come upon a strange elongated finger. Taking it home to study it or at least identify what bizarre animal it might belong to – Clark’s life is about to get a whole lot stranger when the digit begins to regrow it’s entire body.
I am joined by the Projectionist on this episode – after a rather costly run in with the Plague Rat known as Bobby Joe. As always, my co-host has managed to track down some vintage audio treats for your listening pleasure.
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode -or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
So with that we hope you will join us once again for the Saturday Frights podcast – take a trip with us we take in the Creepshow and The Finger!
Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Friends, with the end of March fast approaching I’ve found myself running out of time on producing the latest Pop Culture Retrorama podcast – which means in the end that it has been nearly two months since the last episode. Quite frankly with the way things have been going of late I haven’t quite felt I possessed the energy to do all of the research for the new show – that goes for both Diary of An Arcade Employee as well as the Saturday Frights podcast. So I thought I would sit down in front of the microphone and talk about the state of the shows and what has been weighing on my mind in regard to their direction and possible futures. Don’t worry, as I state in this bonus episode for all three podcasts (crosses fingers that it uploads to all three properly) – I’m not doing anything drastic like quitting writing or podcasting. This is just a situation where I can sit down and say “Hey, let’s talk about the podcasts”!
In addition I hope besides acting as an apology to all of you that have been loyal to the podcasts – you will understand the circumstances that have delayed the shows. As well perhaps as some new directions I might take – if you the listeners think that is prudent – with each podcast. As always with an episode I am honest with you – although in this case I hope in addition I been able to properly explain the situation I find myself in as a creator. Actually even though it is addressed in this bonus episode, if you possibly have thought about becoming a writer and might like to share your personal memories and experiences on pop culture or retro related subjects – throw me a line at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com!
All right then, I want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to listen to this Let’s talk about the podcasts episode – to say nothing of your support and understanding in the matter of tardiness of said shows.
You can also contact me on Facebook or even Twitter. Or perhaps check out the Saturday Frights Facebook Page, Diary of an Arcade Employee, and Pop Culture Retrorama Facebook page?
Subscribe to the Pop Culture Retrorama Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3)
Directly Download the Pop Culture Retrorama Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, welcome back to a new episode of the Saturday Frights podcast, since today is none other than Valentine’s Day it only felt appropriate for the Projectionist and myself to tackle 1981’s classic My Bloody Valentine. A slasher that while it might seem to have been under attack by the MPAA back in the day – thanks to the outcry against violent films at that time – is still in my mind a solid if too often overlooked film. As always on the podcast, the Projectionist and myself give you some information on how the movie came to be – shining a spotlight on those in front of and behind the camera that brought My Bloody Valentine to the big screen. In addition we provide a few of the more interesting facts about the hurdles in this case that Director George Mihalka and the producers had to overcome when given the green-light to make My Bloody Valentine.
On this episode we are joined by none other than Rockford Jay – my colleague from the Saturday Frights Facebook page, who is able to share his own recollections of My Bloody Valentine in his youth. As well as reveal a frightening new business plan that the Projectionist has put into effect at the Haunted Drive-In… involving Bobby Joe and the rest of his Plague Rat kin!
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode -or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
So with that we hope you will join us once again for the Saturday Frights podcast – take a trip to the Haunted Drive-In as we discuss 1981’s My Bloody Valentine! Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Friends, thanks for joining us once again for a new episode of the Saturday Frights podcast – this episode is one of our ‘Matinee’ shows – where we discuss something that is not quite so retro. In this case we are taking a good look at the first segment of the second episode of Shudder’s first season of Creepshow with a fun little offering entitled Bad Wolf Down. It is hard to go wrong with a Weird World War II story featuring the likes of Re-Animator‘s Jeffrey Combs as a Nazi… or the fact as you probably tell from the title also features Lycanthropes. As I mention in the episode itself – with Bad Wolf Down it is becoming more clear what showrunner Greg Nicotero is intending with the Creepshow series – in terms of tone. Which is an attempt to expand the type of story we are used to seeing in those first two films from the late and great George A. Romero as well as Stephen King.
As always on the Saturday Frights Podcast, I have done my best to throw in some trivia and facts that I find of interest. Although there is not as much behind the scenes information for Bad Wolf Down – I was able to locate an interview with the Writer and Director – Rob Schrab (Monster House, Rick and Morty). It was conducted by Jacob Hall as part of an on the set interview and as I point out in the show itself, the original setting for Bad Wolf Down might surprise you. After you have listened to the episode you should head over to SlashFilm.Com and check out the full interview with Schrab for more details.
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode -or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
So without further ado, join the Projectionist and myself down in the Vault beneath the Haunted Drive-In – as we tackle Creepshow‘s Bad Wolf Down!
Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, while the Projectionist and myself might have failed to bring you a new Saturday Frights podcast in the month of November – we have just finished recording a show that tackles 1976’s Burnt Offerings. As you will learn in the episode itself, this appears to be a film that has the ability to divide the viewing audience right down the middle – some appreciate the slow burner of a haunted house film… while others feel it is just boring. In fact, this movie which was directed by Dan Curtis was a film that I suggested to Sean and Nicole Johnson of the excellent Horrified Chicken podcast – as promised in the episode I have provided a link to their take on Burnt Offerings – please remember though they use adult language in their show. By the way, the late and great Dan Curtis’ name should ring a bell with you if you happen to be a fan of retro-related horror movies and television shows – he helped to co-create the likes of Kolchak: The Night Stalker in addition to directing the epic 16 hour Winds of War!
Video Provided by Danf62465‘s YouTube Channel. As always on the Saturday Frights podcast, we do our best to attempt to give you not only interesting trivia about film itself – but we have brought along some vintage audio treats for your listening pleasure too. In addition I share my first experiences with Burnt Offerings and provide some reviews from when it was first released to theaters back in 1976.
The strength of Burnt Offerings which was based off the 1973 book of the same name comes from the actors that Curtis assembled for his picture. You have the likes of Karen Black, Oliver Reed, Burgess Meredith, Eileen Heckart, Lee Montgomery, and the iconic Bette Davis. Although I mention it in the podcast – this is a film that is not about cheap scares but instead manages to ratchet up the tension until the shocking climax.
So without further ado, please join the Projectionist and myself at the Haunted Drive-In – as we discuss 1976’s Burnt Offerings!
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode -or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find not just posts from Rockford Jay, and myself but Preston Griffith on a daily basis.
Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
On this episode of the Saturday Frights podcast we have our sixth annual Halloween Special – for this show the Projectionist and myself have invited a few of our friends to visit the new Vault Library. If you had a chance to listen to the last Saturday Frights Matinee episode – where I tackled the second segment of Shudder’s Creepshow series, you know that at the end it was revealed that while the Projectionist was missing… he had been extremely busy. With the help of his – well – bipedal Plague Rats he had crafted a brand new Vault – an even bigger version than before underneath the Haunted Drive-In. Which is why Halloween Special IV is set in the recently opened Vault Library – the guests that were able to attend have brought along memories of the books and even records they recall being spooked by. This show will hopefully help you get into the spirit of the Season!
I should take this moment to introduce our friends that were able to contribute to the Saturday Frights Halloween Special IV – although if you have listened to the podcast you will recognize many of them. First up we have none other than Earl Green, who is not only an Author here on the Pop Culture Retrorama site but runs one of the longest running websites dedicated to all things retro – the LogBook.Com Also checking out the new Vault Library is Allison Venezio-Preston who is also a fellow writer here on this site but on a nearly daily basis publishes posts on her own blog – Allison’s Written Words. Rockord Jay was able to join this show – somehow managing to do the Herculean tasks that the Projectionist constantly tasks him with, you can find Rockford writing every single day on the Saturday Frights Facebook page. Last but certainly not least, Ashley Thomas aka The Nerdy Blogger made the trip to the Vault Library – you can read more of her work at her own site in addition to being a regular contributor to Fangirlish (A fantastic site I will add)!
Not to dive too deep into spoiler territory but since this is near Halloween… you can be assured that some bizarre things occur during the taping of the show. Nothing to be frightened of… just the craziness that goes down in the Vault on a daily basis – especially when surrounded by the aforementioned bipedal Plague Rats… did I mention they have started to wear clothes?
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode -or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find not just posts from Rockford Jay, and myself but Preston Griffith on a daily basis.
Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, on this new Saturday Frights podcast matinee episode – I am sticking with discussing Shudder’s new Creepshow television series on their streaming service. For this show I am tackling The House of the Head the second segment from the first episode – which originally aired on September 26th. I was a little late getting this episode out – work as usual at this time of year is really intense and to be fair, the fact that the Projectionist has been missing for nearly a month hasn’t helped matters. Although I talk a bit about it in the beginning of this podcast – strange things are occurring in the Vault… to say the very least. In truth the opportunity to talk about The House of the Head is a welcome respite from the mounting stress of the Projectionist’s disappearance – the Greg Nicotero produced ode to the first two Creepshow films was just what I needed.
As I mention in the show itself, The House of the Head is based on the short story of the same name by The Bird Box‘s Josh Malerman – in fact he provided the teleplay for this segment too. It’s an odd sounding story on paper – a little girl’s doll house is being haunted by a severed doll head – but thanks to Malerman’s teleplay as well as Director John Harrison, it is actually quite intense and creepy. Having said that the lead of this segment, Cailey Fleming who plays Evie, cannot have enough praise heaped upon her performance. She really sells her character as just an average little girl… who finds herself thrust into a supernatural horror – The House of the Head wouldn’t be nearly as good without her talent.
Just like with Gray Matter, the previous segment of Creepshow I discussed a few weeks ago – this episode goes fully into spoilers so if you’ve not seen it yet – you might want to come back after catching it. For what it might be worth I have pointed out a few of the Easter Eggs that are hidden in the episode – the nods to the original two films. Being a matinee episode… as always… it is intended to have a shorter running time and yet again this show ended up running the same as a full length episode.
Yeah, this is actually Orland Jones from American Gods… I just dig him and he is looking at a watch. If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode -or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
As always I want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to listen to the show. So go make sure your favorite toy or figurine is okay and prepare for something creepy and nasty as we discuss The House of the Head!
Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, thank you for joining us for a new episode of the Saturday Frights Podcast – for this matinee offering I am tackling Gray Matter, the first segment of the recently released Creepshow series. Shudder’s new show as I explain in the podcast itself is a continuation of the film series that was started by the late and great George A. Romero as well as Stephen King – a cinematic ode to the E.C. horror comics they grew up reading. Creepshow and Gray Matter certainly has some horror pedigree – what with Greg Nicotero (Day of the Dead) helping to head up the show in addition to directing Gray Matter and even co-writing an episode. Plus in Gray Matter in particular you have the likes of Tobin Bell (Saw) and Adrienne Barbeau (The Fog) as two of the leads with the incredibly talented Giancarlo Esposito of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul fame. So what I am trying to get at is Gray Matter doesn’t suffer in the acting department. Of course this segment also benefits from the practical effects employed to bring some horrible monstrosities to the small screen… slimy, hungry and angry monsters… and worse that lurk in the pages of Creepshow.
A heads up on this matinee podcast episode, I act as your sole host for the show as the Projectionist has gone missing. I go into greater detail in the episode itself but my shadowy co-host headed back to the Haunted Drive-In a couple of weeks back… and we have had no communication from him since. I should also warn you that when I dive into the synopsis for Gray Matter it is most certainly a SPOILER filled discussion of the segment – although I let you know ahead of time before I start it. In addition I share a part of an interview with Greg Nicotero from the pages of Entertainment Weekly – who talks a little bit about why Creepshow was one of the hardest projects he has ever tackled.
In this show I briefly discuss my first encounter with 1973’s Gray Matter and while this is a matinee episode… as usual it ends up running as long as a standard show. I also touch upon the elements of Gray Matter that I liked and some thoughts at the end of… what didn’t 100% work for me. I definitely think that Creepshow is off to a good start and shows a lot of promise of a variety of different horror stories – a perfect treat from Shudder and AMC for this October!
Video Provided by Shudder‘s YouTube Channel If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode -or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
As always I want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to listen to the show. So pop a can of Harrow’s Supreme Lager and prepare for something creepy and nasty as we discuss Gray Matter! Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Welcome to a new episode of the Saturday Frights Podcast – for this matinee episode – those shows that should be shorter in running time – the Projectionist and myself tackle the recently released Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. We give a basic overview of the film while remaining safely in the non-spoiler territory side of reviews. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a film that I have most certainly been looking forward to since I heard that it had gone into production – as I share in the podcast episode itself, the book series by Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell are one of the more pleasent memories of my early school years. If you are running short on time and are not able to listen to the new show I’ll tell you this – Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a wonderfully creepy adaptation that is big on atmosphere, legitimate jump scares, and at times will make you wonder how it got away with a PG-13 rating.
I can’t really think of a better team to tackle the adaptation of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark than those responsible for the film, none other than Guillermo del Toro and Director André Øvredal. The latter is responsible for Trollhunter, a stellar found footage offering from 2010 as well as the TRULY terrifying The Autopsy of Jane Doe from back in 2016. I am an absolute devotee to the films of Guillermo del Toro – have been since I was lucky enough to catch 1993’s Cronos – it remains a dream of mine to somehow be able to visit his Bleak House.
Video courtesy of Criterion Collection. On this podcast episode as we always attempt to do – the Projectionist and myself share what I hope are some of the more interesting facts and trivia. Since the subject is Schwartz and Gammell’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, we talk a bit about the controversy that surrounded the book series. In fact if you would like to go into even greater detail on why the books were being demanded to be removed from school libraries by certain parent groups – there is an excellent documentary entitled Scary Stories that you should check out.
Video Courtesy of Scary Stories. If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode -or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
As always, thank you for taking the time join the Projectionist and myself for the Saturday Frights Podcast – we hope you will enjoy our discussion on Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark! Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, for this latest Saturday Frights Podcast the focus is on Jack Pierce, the iconic make-up effects artist responsible for many of the pantheon of Universal Monsters. Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, as well as The Wolf Man are only a few of the films he worked on during his lifetime. In total, Jack Pierce would amass 172 makeup department credits but his true legacy naturally would be those iconic monsters he had a hand in bringing to the silver screen. As the Projectionist and myself touch upon in the show itself however this is something that perhaps Pierce wasn’t able to fully appreciate as he was given a rather bad hand from the studio in his later years. In fact his last credited job listed on the Internet Movie Database is for the popular Mister Ed television series!
“Hold the phone closer, Mister Pierce. I’m getting… hoarse… from having to raise my voice!” can assure you that this episode focusing on Jack Pierce is not all doom and gloom… no matter how my co-host, the Projectionist tries to spin it. The truth of the matter is that Pierce was well respected if not always credited with the work he and his teams of artists provided. And while it most certainly appears as if he and Lon Chaney Jr. didn’t exactly see eye to eye – there can be no denying that a lifelong friendship was forged between Boris Karloff and Pierce after working together on 1931’s Frankenstein. As is pretty evident thanks to this clip from This Is Your Life which originally aired on November 20th of 1957!
Video courtesy of Scott Essman. On this episode, the Projectionist and myself have done our level best to give an overview of the career and life of Jack Pierce. This episode runs a little longer than the standard episode – actually since the intent was to focus as much as possible on Pierce and his work, my co-host did not bring along any advertisements to share this go around. I hope that the information we have been able to find for this show will make up for the joy of listening to the typical vintage audio treats.
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode – or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
As always, we want to thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to listen to the Projectionist and myself on the Saturday Frights Podcast – and hope you will enjoy learning about the iconic Jack Pierce! Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
For this Matinee Episode of the Saturday Frights Podcast we tackle Nightmare Cinema – the brand new horror anthology from Mick Garris, Joe Dante, David Slade, Ryuhei Kitamura, and Alejandro Brugues. This is a film that many of us that work down in the Vault have been anxiously awaiting to be released since it was announced back in 2017 – not just because it is a new horror movie anthology but for all of the talent involved behind and in front of the camera. And even though my co-host, the Projectionist, was upset to hear the news – the truth is this show is a non-spoiler episode. Although as we touch on the segments in Nightmare Cinema, those elements that made each story stand out – we give you a brief overview of the segment itself. Enough I feel that by the end of the episode you will most certainly realize what this movie will offer to you – which in a nutshell is five stories from masters of horror that hail from around the World!
I have to say that horror anthologies are some of my favorite subgenres of horror films. There have most certainly been some great ones over the years – Twice-Told Tales, Black Sabbath, Dead of Night, Asylum, Tales from the Crypt, The Monster Club, Creepshow, and Trick ‘r Treat to name a few. Having said all of that though, compared to other horror film genres – the anthology is not seen as regularly, which is quite the shame. Thankfully with Nightmare Cinema we can add another worthy horror anthology to the list.
With the group of Directors listed in that GIF up above it is easy to see why I was so blown away by Nightmare Cinema. Two of those Directors – Joe Dante and Mick Garris, have had a hand in crafting some of my favorite horror film and TV shows of all time. In this show we provide a little background info into how Mick Garris was able to bring together the four other Directors to the film as well as the 12 year journey it took to bring Nightmare Cinema‘s to the big screen. Although you can learn even more from Garris himself if you follow THIS link to his special discussion of the film on Trailers from Hell’s YouTube page – bear in mind there is a brief moment of salty language.
Take a moment and check out Mick Garris’ awesome Avco Embassy shirt! If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for us to cover in a future episode -or possibly you have comments on the current show itself, email them to me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com You can also contact me on Twitter and on Facebook. In addition I certainly hope you will take the time to visit the Saturday Frights Facebook Page. There you can find posts from Rockford Jay, Preston Griffith and myself on a daily basis.
We do appreciate you taking the time to join the Projectionist and myself as we discuss Nightmare Cinema – here on the Saturday Frights podcast! Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Saturday Frights Podcast (MP3)
Directly download the Saturday Frights Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 [MP3]
Episode Mirror #2 [OGG]