THE BLUE JEAN MONSTER (1991) Blu-ray Review

THE BLUE JEAN MONSTER (1991) d. Kai-Ming Lai (Hong Kong)

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Welcome to Episode #5 of THE STACK!

Tonight, we'll take a look at a slice of action, horror, and comedy, all done up Hong Kong style, The Blue Jean Monster from 88 Films! A cop (Fui-On Shing, in a rare lead performance) and expectant father goes down in the line of duty, but is unexpectedly resurrected by lightning, he sets out to find the gang that killed him and keep his undead status hidden from his family and friends. Mayhem and hilarity ensues.

GREMLINS (1984) / GHOULIES (1985) DOUBLE DOUBLE FEATURE!!

GREMLINS (1984) d. Joe Dante (USA)
GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH (1990) d. Joe Dante (USA)
GHOULIES (1985) d. Luca Bercovici (USA)
GHOULIES 2 (1987) d. Albert Band (USA)

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The early 1980s were a magical time for fans of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy fare at the cinema, with genre fare being cranked out by the fistful and practical effects ruling the day, making viewers gasp, gag, gawk, and greedily gobble up all they could find. Tonight, we’ll take a look at two franchises birthed by two mighty masters of the art form, at different points on the budgetary spectrum.

WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT ARI ASTER (HEREDITARY, MIDSOMMAR, BEAU IS AFRAID)

HEREDITARY (2018) d. Ari Aster (USA)
MIDSOMMAR (2019) d. Ari Aster (USA)
BEAU IS AFRAID (2023) d. Ari Aster (USA)

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From his Sundance smash debut, Ari Aster has been a rising star in the "elevated horror" firmament, challenging audiences with features packed full of adult themes, metaphor-laden subject matter, superlative performances, and gorgeous attention to production design. Polarizing as his works might be, there's no denying that he is a filmmaker who deserves and demands our full attention and stamina. (Three-hour running times, amirite?)

TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD (1971) Blu-ray Review

TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD (1971) d. Amando de Ossorio (Spain)

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Welcome to Episode #4 of THE STACK!

Tonight's episode visits Synapse Films' new Blu-ray release of Tombs of the Blind Dead (1971), written and directed by Amando de Ossorio (The Loreley's Grasp), and starring Lone Fleming (Demon Witch Child) and Maria Elena Arpon (Hunchback of the Morgue). Essential viewing for all fans of Spanish horror cinema.

AUGUST UNDERGROUND TRILOGY (AU, MORDUM, PENANCE) Round Table Discussion

AUGUST UNDERGROUND (2001) d. Fred Vogel (USA)
AUGUST UNDERGROUND'S MORDUM (2003) d. Fred Vogel (USA)
AUGUST UNDERGROUND'S PENANCE (2007) d. Fred Vogel (USA)

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Inspired by the videotaped home invasion scene from Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer and the documentary aesthetic of both Man Bites Dog and The Blair Witch Project, makeup artist-turned-writer/director Fred Vogel elected to burrow below the surface of human depravity for his 2001 debut feature, August Underground. Playing the lead character Peter himself, Vogel takes the viewer, or perhaps kidnaps is a more appropriate word, on a journey alongside a thrill killing monster who seeks to match his damaged psyche blow for blow against an unsuspecting world.

HORRORS OF THE BLACK MUSEUM (1959) Blu-ray review

HORRORS OF THE BLACK MUSEUM (1959) d. Arthur Crabtree (UK)

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Welcome to Episode #3 of THE STACK!

Tonight's episode visits VCI Entertainment's new Blu-ray release of Horrors of the Black Museum, directed by Arthur Crabtree (Fiend Without a Face), written/produced by Herman Cohen (I Was a Teenage Werewolf, Trog), and starring Michael Gough (Horror of Dracula). Great release of a really fun film.

TENEBRAE (1982) UHD Blu-ray review

TENEBRAE (1982) d. Dario Argento (Italy)

**CLICK HERE TO WATCH FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE**

Welcome to Episode #2 of THE STACK!

One of the 39 official Video Nasties prosecuted by the BFCC, this stellar updating of the classic giallo formula for the slasher-soaked early 1980s sees Argento at the height of his technical and storytelling powers. Dwelling in the shadows of his earlier critical and commercial successes (The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Deep Red, Suspiria) and perhaps hindered by its unwieldy title (“Darkness” in Italian) and the subsequent retitled and re-edited U.S. release (the equally clunky Unsane, shorn of nearly 10 minutes), Tenebrae never seemed to find the audience it deserved and has labored for recognition ever since.

THE TERROR (1963) / TARGETS (1968) BORIS KARLOFF DOUBLE FEATURE!!!

THE TERROR (1963) d. Roger Corman (and others) (USA) 

TARGETS (1968) d. Peter Bogdanovich (USA)

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1963’s THE TERROR, celebrating its 60th anniversary, is a legendary curiosity item from producer/director Roger Corman, more famous for its origins than the finished product. According to legend, when Corman wrapped shooting on The Raven ahead of schedule, he took advantage of Boris Karloff’s two extra contracted days to slap together this tale of a reclusive baron with a dark secret.

Civilian 2023 Wrap-Up and Year-End Stats!

And we’re back!

Having addressed the horror genre in the previous entry (hey, this is HORROR 101 after all), it’s now time to give the Civilian flicks a moment in the sun.

This year, however, since I was toiling away at the H101 YouTube channel for much of the time, less attention was paid to the less scary fare. I dutifully viewed the prestige flicks in service of providing an informed vote for the SAG/AFTRA awards, and that was pretty much it outside of the random slices of comfort food cinema. Only 74 non-horror titles? What the heck?

In the meantime, let’s get on with the business at hand! As always, the non-horror titles listed below were encountered for the first time from January 1 to December 31, 2023 (i.e. no repeat viewings were eligible), and there is the usual (if diminished) collection of random trends that appeared organically or by design. Hope you enjoy the read.

Stay strong, stay safe, stay tuned!

Dr. AC's 2023 Horror Wrap-Up Extravaganza!

Hello, Grue Crew and Monster Masters!

2023 was quite a memorable year at the Doc’s office, both in regards to online events and out in the (ahem) Real World. With regards to the former, exploring the world of social media and the HORROR 101 with Dr. AC YouTube channel have been unlike anything else I’ve ever tried before. The end result was that I got to hang out with 80 other horror fans mixing and matching over the course of 80 episodes (31 Scare-a-Thon shows plus 11 months of Friday Night Frights) covering 135 films in all and I have to say, it’s been a BLAST.

THE ABOMINATION (1986) / REPLIGATOR (1998) Blu-ray review

THE ABOMINATION (1986) d. Bret McCormick (USA)
REPLIGATOR (1998) d. Bret McCormick (USA)

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On tonight's debut episode of THE STACK, AC cracks open a pair of low-budget gems from Texas indie filmmaker Bret McCormick: The Abomination (1986) and Repligator (1998). The former is a gore-soaked monster movie where a cancer growth transforms into a giant hungry mass of goo and teeth, the latter is a sci-fi comedy featuring Gunnar Hansen and a bunch of scantily clad females wearing lizard masks!