151 – Return to Oz

Tim and Jen start spooky season early with a shockingly dark release from Disney, Return to Oz.

Jen forgot to mention that the main reason the film does not resembles the MGM film from 1939 apart from the Ruby Slippers™ is because all of the trappings of the MGM version were and are copyrighted. In fact, Disney had to shell out to use that plot device in the film. Hence, while Walter Murch’s desire to make a movie closer in spirit to the L. Frank Baum material is admirable, it most likely played second fiddle to the demands of copyright law.

Additionally, the movie finally made a profit from a 1949 re-release, not “like twenty years later” or whatever Jen glibly claimed.

Animator Doug Aberle made a video where he talks about his process for animating the demise of the Nome King. Plus, he includes interviews with the late Will Vinton.

If you want more details about the drama between Sarah Polley and Terry Gilliam, you can read an excerpt from her memoir here.

136 – 50 States of Fright

Rachel Brosnahan in "The Golden Arm"
bury me with my out-of-context viral video clip

Tim holds forth on the mind sickness that led to short-lived streaming service Quibi before diving into a review of short-form horror anthology 50 States of Fright. Jen just tries to keep up!

This AV Club article is pretty emblematic of the unkind response to the first episode of the series, “The Golden Arm.”

Watch Tim’s video work over at YouTube! Hit Like and Subscribe!

Oh I almost forgot to post the funny dog fart video

For more anthology horror, check out our episode on Hammer House of Horror!

135 – It!

Deceptive promo art for It! (1967)
This monster isn’t actually in the film, I just thought the art was sick

Have You Seen…All Possible Worlds?! Tim and Jen team up with Josh and Brian of The Worst of All Possible Worlds podcast to discuss a wretchedly stupid British horror film starring Roddy McDowall called It! No, not that one. This one came out in 1967 and involves a golem that looks like a wet trash bag.

Subscribe to HYST on Patreon to hear the full episode and get two bonus episodes every month!

Listen to The Worst of All Possible Worlds wherever you listen to us, or at their website! 

Atlas Obscura has an article about the Metropolitan Museum forgeries evoked in the film. 

Dennis Bartok and Jeff Joseph’s A Thousand Cuts: The Bizarre Underground World of Collectors and Dealers Who Saved the Movies is a fascinating read about the days of analog movie bootlegging, a must for any film buff. Read an excerpt about the Roddy McDowall film piracy case over at ScreenAnarchy (you can also buy the book directly from University Press of Mississippi). And yes, to answer Josh’s question from the episode, the MPAA (now the MPA) was one of the driving forces behind the crackdown as a proxy for the major film studios.

The documentary Jen failed to remember the name of is Recorder, which is the story of an activist named Marion Stokes who obsessively taped the news 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and thus amassed a library of 70,000 cassettes.

For a discussion of a much, MUCH better ersatz Hammer film, try our episode about Horror Express!

134 – Ravenous

Guy Pearce in Ravenous (1999), directed by Antonia Bird

Jen and Tim take a bite out of cult cannibal Western flick Ravenous, with the help of Mike Rosen, aka Twitter’s lovable* bitterkarella!

Hear the whole episode over at our Patreon and get access to more than 50 other bonus episodes!

“The Windigo is sick because it’s cut off from its roots. It’s a ghost with a heart of ice. It eats everything in sight. Its hunger knows no bounds. When there is nothing left to eat, it starves to death. When it sees something, it wants to own it. No one else can have anything. This illness feeds on a spiritual void. Canada and US are presently in an advanced stage of the ‘Windigo Psychosis.’”

Mowhawk Nation News 

Sample a scholarly paper about Windigo psychosis thanks to the Internet Archive. 

You can buy Shawn Smallman’s Dangerous Spirits: The Windigo in Myth and History directly from the publisher online. 

As mentioned during the episode, John Coulthart’s Feuilleton blog is highly recommended!

If you missed out on the discussion of folk horror alluded to in the episode, go listen to our Eyes of Fire episode, also featuring Mike!

*unless you’re a hater

132 – Eyes of Fire

Eyes of Fire, directed by Avery Crounse, 1983

Jen and Tim host Mike Rosen, who is a witch, to discuss a very witchy cult horror movie, Eyes of Fire! Also, if you were dying to know Jen’s thoughts on Midsommar, they’re in there.

Hear the whole episode over at our Patreon and get access to more than 50 other bonus episodes!

Mike’s graphic novel, Malleus Malleficarum, is indeed on itch.io and comes highly recommended by your hosts!

Jen misidentified the actor who plays Will Smythe as “Douglas Lipscomb.” She of course meant Dennis Lipscomb.

Severin Films included Eyes of Fire in their recently released All the Haunts Be Ours folk horror boxed set. If your interest in Eyes of Fire isn’t quite up to that $170 price tag, you can of course watch the film on Shudder’s excellent streaming service.

For more on the genre, Folk Horror Revival offers a generous repository of knowledge.

126 – The Keep

Gabriel Byrne confronts Michael Carter's Molasar in THE KEEP (1983)

Jen and Tim are joined by Darren “Sebebe” Herczeg to reassess Michael Mann’s profoundly flawed fantasy/horror film, The Keep! Hear the whole episode at our Patreon and get access to more than 50+ bonus episodes!

Kit Rae’s exhaustive fansite may be the definitive document on The Keep at this point, but there’s also a documentary more than ten years in the making on the same subject. You can follow the filmmakers for updates on Twitter! 

Read Michael Mann’s original screenplay for The Keep!

Watch the ending cut from the theatrical release and inexplicably appended to TV versions of the film.

And after you’ve done that, watch Mann’s wonderful telefilm The Jericho Mile so Jen will finally shut up about it.

When you’re sick of The Keep, join Sebebe for the online I Swing, You Swing game.

125 – House

Miki Jinbo as the newly-dead Kung Fu in House (1977)

Tim and Jen are overwhelmed by the raw charisma of Jacques from the Seeking Derangements podcast in a truly chaotic episode nominally about the chaotic 1977 film House!

Hear the whole episode at our Patreon and get access to more than 50+ bonus episodes!

Via Senses of Cinema, read a retrospective on Nobuhiko Obayashi’s career that also serves as a defense of his filmmaking style.

You can see a sampling of Obayashi’s commercial work on YouTube. Don’t miss the MANDOM spot starring Charles Bronson.

122 – Gothic

Natasha Richardson and Kiran Shah in Gothic (1986)
this is what happens when you buy from MyPillow

Jen welcomes Julie once again to talk about the historical background of a phantasmagoric Ken Russell favorite, Gothic!

Hear the whole episode at our Patreon and get access to more than 50+ bonus episodes!

The movie Jen fails to identify is, of course, Catherine Breillat’s 2004 Anatomy of Hell, starring Amira Casar and Rocco Siffredi.

Thomas Dolby enlisted vocalist Timothy Spall (!) for a song inspired by the film Gothic, “The Devil is an Englishman”

Hear Steve Hackett’s cover of “The Devil is an Englishman” from his 2003 album, To Watch the Storms.

Stephen Volk, the screenwriter of Gothic, has a page devoted to the film on his website. Lots of cool photos, videos, and other reminisces to be had there.

Speaking of, we also discussed another work by Stephen Volk, the controversial BBC special Ghostwatch. Give it a listen!

120 – Nothing But Trouble with Matt Christman

Nothing But Trouble (1991) glitch
p̵̨̨̡̧̛̛̜̻̞̲̞͖͔͇̩͕̗̳̤̪̞̞͔̩̩͎̮̤̗̖̙̼͇̺̤̣͖͚̘̦͚̲̜͇̹̩̠̝͇̭̦̱̼̳̜̻̜̦̫̤̤̲̫̝͕̤͎̪͈̜̯̰̼̖̙̮̣̗̘̯̝̞̠͍̬͖̯͇̱̞̙̪̜̬͓͈̪̟̠͉͓̯̙̠͎̈́͆͂̆́͑̅͊̿͋̽̒̽̄̀̀̇̍̌̀̓̈̓̾͋̓̒͗̂̈́͌͗̑͛͒̈́͆̔̂͋̈̋̔̆͌̈͑̚͘͜͜͜͝͝͠ͅͅư̸̡̧̨̡̡̡̧̢̡̡̢̧̧̨̢̧̧̧̢̛̛̠̣̜̬̳̣̤̲̠͓͇̣̬̦̺̱͉̻̖͍̙͙̘͍͚̙͓͓̪͈̳̻̗̱̩̭̟͈̯̜̰̻͕͈̜̟̜̦̮͕̳͓̞͍͚̤̲̗̮͉̣̮̬͖̮̳̻̖͍̟̟̲͉̣̹̹͕̙̖̺͙͉̥͇͈̼͈̼̠̙͕̫̫͍̝͔͓̺̫͚͙͈̯̲̹̳͉̞̹̖̙͉̠͎͚̤̺̟̝̹̫̪̳͈̟̫̠̝̠̝̩͓̤͍̥̼͎̦̩͔̤̯̣̭̪̜̱̰͓̖͍̥̯͉̼̘̘̣̹̹̑̂̈́͆̉͒͋̇͐͗̉̀̆̂͑͂͊̅̒͊͒͋͛̀̆̐͊̀̃̇̉̈́̂̃́̀̇̑̇̐̑̉̒̒͆̓̅̇͗̿͒̌̐̑̇͛̔͛̊̍̍̀̍̿̿̾̾͆̈̾̎̍͗̃̿͛̎̾̅̐̃̽̂͂̀͛͐̇͋̾͋̓́̾̏̉̆̎͛̾̑̓͂̍͘̚̚̚͘̕͘͘͘͘̚̚̕͜͜͜͜͠͝͠͝͠͝͝͝͝͝͠ͅͅͅͅͅd̶̨̨̡̧̨̡̛̛̛̛̛̛̛͍̱͍͈͕͖̰͚̟̮̗̞͖̠̰̹̲̝̥͙̘̩̫̥͚̙͚͇͓̻̩̠̞͚̬̙̮̘̱̗͍͈̝̗̱̳̮̻̩̲̻̗̺̹̫̥̪̝̮̺̥̻̩̩̾̀̎̽́̂͆͐̄̈́͐̀̈́̐͒̀͂̍̃̔̌̓̿̒̒́͐̄́̀͛̓̿̆̃͆̈́̽̓̆̊̂͐̌̿̍̋̀͛͑̀̇̀̇̅̆̎̆̌̅̾̌͋͋̿͂̔̽̐̍͑͑̑̈͐̌͌̒̇́̂̽̆͒̍͋̇̃̓̆̈͐͐̈͌͆̽̔̽̋̍̎̽̑̌́̋̌̎̄͑̄́̃̄̓̓̏͒͑̑͋̐̅́͊̇̒̆͒̑̽͐͂̀̌̌͛̑͂̒͐͑̎͗̌̓͌͗̍̍̇̇̿̄͛̀̀̎͑̊͛͆͛̐̋̒͑͒̊̕̚͘͘̚̚̕̚̚̕̕͜͜͜͝͠͝͝͝͝͝͠͝͝͝͠͝ͅͅ ̷̧̡̧̧̡̧̧͕͍̠̠̱͇̝͖̜͕͚̞͎̪͓̤̩̺͈̺͕̰͎͔̭̺̭̖̜̞̠͍̟̘̞͓̙̳̬͍̮͉̞̳͇̭̠̭̼̮̞̩̭̲̹̣̪̪̩͔̻̩͖̩̻̖̤̟̺̜͉͎͚̦̜̰͔̺̟͚͈̱̔̇̋̈́̀̆̈́̌͆̒́̒͜͜ͅͅc̴̡̢̛̛̛̛̛̝͉̰͕̪̻̺͙̹̭͔̠͓̫̪͚̜͚͎̗͊̐͌̄̿͌̏̃̏̀̓̒̌̈̇̾́̑̏̀̅͐̀̓̌͌͗̈́̈̿̈́͗́͊͊̉͋̊̔͛̓͒͐͂̏̅͋̌̽̈͒̑͑̆̑̈̑̑͗̔̔̇̔̔̃̇̂͛̊͛͗̇̏͛̊̋͆̆̒͂͛̑̂̌́̀̉͋̎͗̏̏̔̅̆̊́͆̃̂̒̾͛̽̈̾̍̈̾͐͑̔͂̓̒͊̊̑̐́̎̉͒͋́̑̂̽̾̐̃͒̊͒̌̊̍̿̋̈̊̐̍̒͂̚̕̚͘͘̚͘̕̚͘̕̕̕̚̕͘̚͜͝͝͠͝͝͝͝͝͝͠͝ơ̷̧̧̧̢̡̢̡̧̡̨̧̛̛̛̛̛͓̹̜͔͎̙͈͕͙̯͕͕͚͙̻͚̠͍̙̗̻͍̹̦͖̘̹͎̭̮̜̭͚͔͖̮̪̺̹̖̣͎͎̘̝̲̦̼̼̜͍̤̭̬͚͚̯̖͙͍̮̻͈̳͍̬͙͓̬̼̳̜̩̦̩̗͓̮̝̰̯̙̫̼̹͉̺̠̤̦̬̦̯̱̞̗̬̺̦̠̭̰̣̤̰̞̞̱̆̉͆͒̓̈́̑̒̎̃̔͑̾͐̈̑͑͆̌͐͒͌̑̉̓̌̒̀͆͆̀́̿̍͒̍͛̀̌̽͐̄̆̀͑̾̐͂́́͂̃̀̆̔̾̀̌̌̃̐̃́̎͛̔̾́̆̂̐̈̇̅̄͌͋̃̓͋̿͛̆̔̔̒̋͂̋̊͗͑̑̌̐͛͋̏́̂̔͋͛̂̐̊̀̊̾̌̃͒͐̋̆͒̔̉͐͆̾̊̍͋̎̂̿̌̔̋̊͆̊̆̅̍̋̕̕̕͘̕̕̕̚̚̕͘̕̚̕̚̕͘͜͜͜͜͜͝͠͝͝͝͝͝͝͝͝͝͝͝͝͠ͅͅͅͅl̷̢̡̧̧̧̢̡̡̧̨̢̡̨̧̡̡̢̨̧̛̛̛̛̖̪̘̳̮͖͈̜̰̼̱͚͚͚͇̩͎͚͓̟̬̲̦̤̞̖͈̝̼̺̠̩̘͓͓̫̱̪̳͓̠̯̫̤̭͈͖̺̲̪̟͎̭̰͚̰̠̺͇͈̜̟̩̠͚͔̱͍̣͓͖̮̲͍̙͈̺̠͓̮͍͚̥̤̹̠̙͚͉̬̪̩̘̲̣͎̖̣̠̳̙̞̜͎̘͙͓͚̫̙̬̥̱̝̗̪̙̱̱͈̮̻̝̤̬̟͕̣̻̫̭̘̭͎͙̙̯̬̬̭̞̪̺̩̠̩̓̇͛̈́̏̎͆͌̑̍̇̔͛̿͊̐̔͑̀̈́̈͆̉̋̇͆́̀̏̀̃̅̆̋̿͆̏̿́̉̀̏̎͆́̉͆̆͛͛̈́͒̇̋̎̇͌̌̄͆̿̏͌́͊́̓͋̌͑͂͂̂͛̋̿͋͆̍̇̏̄̇̋̉̆͗́̏̇͆͆̊́̾̂̾̐̏̌̾̀̿̊͗̅̀̽͗̾͑̍̑͌̌̊͋̏͌̉̆̇̿̋̐͒͛͒̐̽̕̚̕̕̚̚͘͜͜͝͝͠͝͝͠͝͝͝ͅͅͅl̴̨̢̢̨̨̢̧̨̧̨̨̧̧̧̢̨̨̡̡̢̢̡̢̡͎̰͎̗͕͉̼̳̯̜̰̪͙̭̮̞͙̦̟̹̲̥̦̠̗͚͎̪̦̞̭͈̹̺̪̻͕̞̩͎͈͇̠̬̳̗͇̝̫͇̺̜̳̫̰̥̘̞̪̞̪̟̫̠̙̞̺̯̭̲̦͙̪͉̪͓̥̖̫̟̗͎̜̠̦͓̰̤͈̹̙̭͇͎̺̦̣̭̦͉͕̖̼̣̟̲̗̥̰̞̙̯͚̲̩̮͔͍̥̥̜̱̼̫̜̬̗̖̮̻̗͉̬̠̤̼͓̮͇̪̜̭̠̳̗͉̼̻̗̩̯̩̩̭̜̼̠̝̩͈̳͚͇͙͚̭̠͚͈̣̼̩̱̥͍̫̝̙̻̝̥̹̦͌̑͌͐̃͐͌̆̀̀͂͜͜͜͜͜͜͜͜͜ͅͅͅͅͅạ̵̢̡̡̧̡̢̨̛̛̹̤̝̦͓̭̯̪̲̪̜̘͎͖͇̘̩̮̺̹̱̖͕͈̠̼̹͍̹̺̗̞̮̼̪͙̬͉̜͔̝̜̝̠̮͕͚̥͔̥͕̫̥̜̱̲̺͓̞̳̫̘̣̥̼̝̜͐̾͋̆͛͐̈́̀͑̂̽͊͑́̑́̅͌͂͆̇̎̔̊̃̾̇̓̓̌̎͆͛͌̒͗̀̌̊͆̒̾̏͛͂͋̔͆̊̔̌͒͌̃̆̉̃͌̾̿̅̏̉̎̇͆̿̇̔̾̂͌̅̒͛̎̄̄͛͌̈͆͆̏̂̐̎̉̏̇͗͗͆͒̎̂̽͐͗́̓͋͑̇̋͒͆̎̊͌͗̒͊̀͗̐̎̉͊̍̒̾̋̇̂̉̓̈̄́̕͘̚͘͘̕̚̚͘̕̕͠͝͝͝͝͝͠͝͝͠͝͠͝͝͝r̴̡̡̨̡̢̡̨̨̢̛̛͈͓͚͎̩̬̹͓̰̠̭̙̟̜̹͖̯͔̬͚̖͍̪̤̥̰̫͍̭̹̖̹̻̺̼̬̺͓̣͙̞͎̬̮̭̘̻̘͉̫̹̬͚͐̐̇̐̊̓̾́̇̿͋̀͂̍̄̈́͌̍́̈́̒̔̈́̂̃̽̆̈̋͊́̿̾̊͊̓͑̂̒̈̏̎͌̄̃̇̈́͐̾͋̀͆́̂̃̐̾̐̊̈̈̽̎͋̿̽͑̉̐̕͘̕̕͜͠͝͠͠͝͠͠͠͝͝ͅͅ

Matt Christman makes a triumphant return to the show to hold forth on the finest American film ever made, Nothing But Trouble! Hear the whole fuckin’ thing at our Patreon!

Want that feature-packed blu-ray? Get it at Shout Factory.

You can also hear our earlier take on Nothing But Trouble with guest Mike Rosen aka @ bitterkarella on Twitter!

118 – Martin

John Amplas in the titular role of George Romero's Martin (1976)

Tim and Jen welcome show mascot Mike Rosen (@ bitterkarella on Twitter) to talk about George Romero’s melancholy 1976 vampire masterpiece, Martin.

Read a 2020 interview with lead actor John Amplas, in which he reminisces about Romero and working on Martin.

Some exciting news that broke the day we recorded this episode— the 3-hour black-and-white director’s cut of Martin has been found!

Info on Martin (1976) found director's cut

Check out Mike’s satirical horror microfiction account Midnight Pals on Twitter, as well!