Happy Holidays!

From all of us here at the Uphill Both Ways corporate offices we want to wish you a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season, regardless of what you may celebrate.

Yippe-ki-yay!

COMING SOON! Kids vs Aliens (2022)

Extraterrestrial Might Against Teenage Angst

Hobo with a Shotgun director Jason Eisener’s latest mind-blower comes to theaters, On Demand and digital from January 20

Kids! Aliens! What’s not to like? Well, that all depends on the kids’ behavior. Mike and Joseph love a good alien invasion flick, and it looks like they are in store for just that with RLJE Films/Shudder’s Kids vs. Aliens!

All Gary wants is to make awesome home movies with his best buds. All his older sister Samantha wants is to hang with the cool kids. When their parents head out of town one Halloween weekend, an all-time rager of a teen house party turns to terror when aliens attack, forcing the siblings to band together to survive the night. 

Kids vs. Aliens

Directed by: Jason Eisener (Hobo with a Shotgun)

Starring: Dominic Mariche, Phoebe Rex, Calem MacDonald, Asher Grayson Percival, Ben Tector

Screenplay by: John Davies & Jason Eisener

Produced by: Yer Dead, Shut Up & Colour Pictures, Bloody Disgusting

Country of Origin: USA

Language: English

Genre: Horror, Science Fiction

Distributor: RLJE Films/Shudder

Run Time: 75 minutes

COMING SOON! Candy Land (2022)

Can a Religious Cult Exile Find a New Life with Highway Hookers?

Joseph and Mike have soft spots for grindhouse and classic slasher movies, and have had their antennas up for a wide release of this one since its world premiere last summer at London’s FrightFest. The time has finally arrived, and this is one Uphill Both Ways readers and listeners won’t want to miss!

Synopsis

Candy Land follows Remy (Olivia Luccardi, It Follows), a seemingly naïve and devout young woman, who finds herself cast out from her religious cult. With no place to turn, she immerses herself into the underground world of truck stop sex workers a.k.a. "lot lizards," courtesy of her hosts, Sadie (Sam Quartin, Body Brokers), Riley (Eden Brolin, Yellowstone), Liv (Virginia Rand) and Levi (Owen Campbell, X). Under the watchful eye of their matriarch Nora (Guinevere Turner, American Psycho) and enigmatic local lawman Sheriff Rex (William Baldwin, The Squid and the Whale), Remy navigates between her strained belief system and the lot lizard code to find her true calling in life.

About the Director

A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, John Swab's films are based upon prevalent themes from his life, including addiction, abuse, crime and redemption: Candy Land, a provocative horror/thriller set in the underground world of truck stop sex workers; Little Dixie, an action/thriller starring Frank Grillo set for release via Paramount; Ida Red, an action/thriller starring Josh Hartnett, Frank Grillo and Academy Award-winner Melissa Leo, which world premiered at the 2021 Locarno Film Festival; Body Brokers, an expose about the predatory drug addiction treatment business, starring Michael Kenneth Williams, Frank Grillo and Academy Award-winner Melissa Leo; Run with the Hunted, Woodstock Film Festival’s Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature Film Winner, an action/thriller starring Ron Perlman, Dree Hemingway, and Michael Carmen Pitt.

Director John Swab’s horror thriller hits theaters, On Demand and digital from January 6

Candy Land

Directed by: John Swab

Starring: Olivia Luccardi, William Baldwin, Sam Quartin, Owen Campbell, Virginia Rand, Guinevere Turner, Eden Brolin

Screenplay by: John Swab

Produced by: Jeremy M. Rosen, John Swab

Executive Producers: Robert Ogden Barnum, Michael Reiser

Country of Origin: USA

Language: English

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Distributor: Quiver Distribution

Run Time: 93 minutes

"Fly Like an Eagle"

Episode #131

Uphill Both what? Oh, the retro pop-culture nostalgia podcast hosted by those proud card-carrying members of AARP? We're back, baby! Mike is almost fully recovered from his surgery a couple of months ago so it's back to the grind! The guys spend this episode catching up on things from the past couple of months, including movies, TV, and books. There's no regular feature this episode, but there IS plenty of flying by the seat of their pants. enjoy the show!

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/whenitwascool/UBW131_Fly_Like_an_Eagle.mp3

Book Review: The Kinderhook Creature and Beyond: A Personal Reminiscence (2022)

"The Bigfoot of Hudson Valley"

by Joseph Perry

The town of Kinderhook, New York has been home to  President Martin Van Buren, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle” author Washington Irving, author of the book being reviewed here Bruce G. Hallenbeck, and, some say, a cryptozoological beast akin to the Pacific Northwest’s Sasquatch. In The Kinderhook Creature and Beyond: A Personal Reminiscence, Hallenbeck discusses the 1980s heyday of high strangeness and what has happened since in the town and its surrounding area, during which he, his family, and other locals including law enforcement officers have had many fascinating experiences.

Hermit's Desert Solitude Shattered By Savage Cultists

NIGHT OF THE BASTARD

A "Grimy, Brutal Take on the 70s Action Thriller" from Eric Boccio Coming to Select Theaters VOD and Digital Platforms January 13, 2023

Joseph and Mike have made it no secret that they have a soft spot in their hearts for the old drive-in theaters and the types of movies you'd see there.  Based on the synopsis, Night of the Bastard looks like it will be provide a good throwback to those days.

Disgruntled hermit Reed lives a solitary life in the desert. After chasing away a group of youths trying to party near his home, Reed’s peaceful life is violently upheaved when a group of savage cultists lay siege to his house. 

Forced to partner up with one of the party-goers, Reed and his newfound colleague must defend themselves into the night, all while long-buried and disturbing secrets are revealed to him as part of the cult’s evil plan. 

NIGHT OF THE BASTARD

Directed by: Erik Boccio (Funny or Die's Weirdfellas, Brutal Realty, Inc. Blood Bath)

Starring: London May (The Dark Knight Rises, Verotika), Mya Hudson (A Wall Away, upcoming F*ck, Kill Mary), Hannah Pierce (Flock of Dudes, The Hunted), Henry Mortensen (Crimson Tide)

Story by: Eric Boccio and London May

Screenplay by: Chuck Foster and Christian Ackerman

Produced by: Erik Boccio, London May, Christian Ackerman

Country of Origin: USA

Language: English

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Distributor: Dark Sky Films

Run Time: 82 minutes

Partial Theater Listing:

(additional to be added)

Film Noir Cinema/Brooklyn, NY

Guild Cinema/Albuquerque, NM

FilmScene/Iowa City, IA

Film Review: “The Mean One” (2022)

"As Cuddly as a Cactus, as Charming as an Eel"

by Joseph Perry

Been craving a horror parody of Seuss?

Look no further, because The Mean One is loose.

Krystle Martin plays a traumatized adult Cindy

Who, when young, saw a monster kill her mom on a night snowy and windy.

She returns home years later with her cheerful dad,

But naturally things turn out quite awful and bad.

Film Review: “I Am DB Cooper” (2022)

"Take the Money and Run"

by Joseph Perry

Yours truly, like so many others, has been fascinated with the mystery of DB Cooper — the epithet of the unidentified man behind the only unsolved case of air piracy in the history of commercial aviation — since hearing about it on the news as a youngster. The person behind the infamous hijacking and escape over the Pacific Northwest has never been found or identified, although director TJ Regan brings an intriguing possibility to the screen in the docudrama I Am DB Cooper.

The UBW Top 100 Horror Movies - #25-1

We here at Uphill Both Ways love our horror movies.  Both of us grew up with vampires, werewolves, swamp monsters, irradiated beasts and everything around and in-between, and never has our love of the genre wavered. And it's with that love in mind that we decided to create our ultimate top 100 list of horror movies.  The only catch is that the films couldn't be newer than 1989. Sixties, fifties, or earlier? That's fine, as long as it's something we watched during the 70s and 80s  - and that only makes sense since that's the time frame we like to reminisce about here and on our podcast.  So how did we decide on this spooktacular countdown? We scoured the Internet for dozens of "Top Horror" movie lists, collated everything, eliminated ineligible entries, added, divided, averaged, and then sorted it all and then added our own personal rankings to the mix.  Really, the process is something a mad scientist would love and make lesser men tremble. We'd like to think that this process has given us the definitive list of movies that could have been watched on fuzzy UHF channels or VHS tapes back in the day.  Enough talk - let's wrap this thing up and see what the top films are!

#25

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978)

Director: Philip Kaufman

Starring: Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Leonard Nimoy, Jeff Goldblum, Veronica Cartwright

There’s maybe a handful of remakes that surpass the original and this is one of them. While the original had the scare of communism at its heart, this one - coming at the tail end of the 70s - is more akin to the fear that the hippies of the 60s and early 70s had to becoming yuppies and losing their whole counterculture street cred. There’s also the specter of government surveillance hovering over everything (like a spy satellite!), all of which - in addition to that ending - makes for one scary world.

The UBW Top 100 Horror Movies - #50-26

We here at Uphill Both Ways love our horror movies.  Both of us grew up with vampires, werewolves, swamp monsters, irradiated beasts and everything around and in-between, and never has our love of the genre wavered. And it's with that love in mind that we decided to create our ultimate top 100 list of horror movies.  The only catch is that the films couldn't be newer than 1989. Sixties, fifties, or earlier? That's fine, as long as it's something we watched during the 70s and 80s  - and that only makes sense since that's the time frame we like to reminisce about here and on our podcast.  So how did we decide on this spooktacular countdown? We scoured the Internet for dozens of "Top Horror" movie lists, collated everything, eliminated ineligible entries, added, divided, averaged, and then sorted it all and then added our own personal rankings to the mix.  Really, the process is something a mad scientist would love and make lesser men tremble. We'd like to think that this process has given us the definitive list of movies that could have been watched on fuzzy UHF channels or VHS tapes back in the day.  Enough talk - let's keep this going!

#50

House of Wax (1953)

Director: André De Toth

Starring: Vincent Price, Frank Lovejoy, Phyllis Kirk, Carolyn Jones

While House of Wax is itself a delightful thriller, its hook was that it was a 3D picture.  While there are a few scenes that really make use of the 3D gimmick, it’s not overdone and in fact somewhat takes a backseat to the story and performances themselves. Take away the stereoscopic images and there’s still an engaging and respectable thriller on screen.  

The UBW Top 100 Horror Movies - #75-51

We here at Uphill Both Ways love our horror movies.  Both of us grew up with vampires, werewolves, swamp monsters, irradiated beasts and everything around and in-between, and never has our love of the genre wavered. And it's with that love in mind that we decided to create our ultimate top 100 list of horror movies.  The only catch is that the films couldn't be newer than 1989. Sixties, fifties, or earlier? That's fine, as long as it's something we watched during the 70s and 80s  - and that only makes sense since that's the time frame we like to reminisce about here and on our podcast.  So how did we decide on this spooktacular countdown? We scoured the Internet for dozens of "Top Horror" movie lists, collated everything, eliminated ineligible entries, added, divided, averaged, and then sorted it all and then added our own personal rankings to the mix.  Really, the process is something a mad scientist would love and make lesser men tremble. We'd like to think that this process has given us the definitive list of movies that could have been watched on fuzzy UHF channels or VHS tapes back in the day.  Enough talk - let's keep this going!

#75

The Cat and the Canary (1927)

Director: Paul Leni

Starring: Laura La Plante, Forrest Stanley, Creighton Hale

With a plot that certainly seems to have influenced many ‘Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?’ episodes, this old, silent film includes some dark humor that serves to break up some of the most eerie segments. Following the death of the wealthy Cyrus West, his will leaves the inheritance to niece Annabelle solely due to her being the most distant relative named ‘West’.  Of course, she has to be declared sane by a doctor and as the rest of the family starts seeing dollar signs, the excitement begins. Filled with fun visual elements and some wonderful, gothic sets, this is not only a great haunted house movie, it looks good, too.

The Good, The Bad, And The Verdict: Croc! (2022)

 

by Joseph Perry and Mike Imboden

In our “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict” film reviews, both Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. For this installment, it’s Uncork’d Entertainment’s creature feature Croc!.

In British creature feature Croc!, Lisa King (Sian Altman) can’t wait to get married to Charlie (George Nettleton),  with her father Dylan (Mark Haldor) giving her away — after he scores with the wedding site’s hostess. On the eve of the big day, Charlie sneaks off to a shed with one of the bridesmaids for a little pre-wedding hanky panky, but the large, hungry-for-humans crocodile that viewers met earlier on puts a bloody end to that tryst. The wedding party becomes a buffet for the ravenous beast, but Dylan is a wildlife expert and some of his skills have rubbed off on Lisa. Who, if anyone, will survive?

Fantastic Fest (2022) Reviews by Joseph Perry

“Solomon King” (1974), “ “Lynch/Oz” (2022), and “The Stairway to Stardom Mixtape” (2022) 

Solomon King

How baaaad is former CIA operative and Green Beret — and current nightclub owner — Solomon King? He’s so baaaad that after a woman he was protecting and recently made love to dies, his grieving process is short enough that he finds solace in the arms of another woman soon after. He’s so baaaad that, while suffering from a head wound, all he can think of is scoring with yet another young lady. And in between those times, he is involved in fisticuffs and gunplay aplenty. That’s how baaaad Solomon King is! Deaf Crocodile Films has done a terrific job with its 4K restoration of 1974 crime film Solomon King, which has a plot that reaches far beyond director/cowriter/star Sal Watt’s budget, but delivers mightily on entertainment and chutzpah. Solomon sets out to protect Princess Oneeba (Claudia Russo) when she and her father become the targets of a coup started by Prince Hassan (Richard Scarso) having to do with oil fields in the Middle East. Solomon’s brother Manny King (James Watts) helps her escape to Oakland, California, but after assassins kill her, Solomon makes things personal, including everything I wrote about at the beginning of this review and much, much, more, as the third act takes a turn from its urban-set action back to the Middle East. Though some of the performances are a bit flat and it is obvious that everything set in the Middle East was filmed locally, the sheer can-do spirit, the smile-inducing use of the pyrotechnics budget, and the tour of Oakland nightclubs — including some fun funk and soul numbers from the time — are just a few reasons that make Solomon King well worth seeking out.

The UBW Top 100 Horror Movies - #100-76

We here at Uphill Both Ways love our horror movies.  Both of us grew up with vampires, werewolves, swamp monsters, irradiated beasts and everything around and in-between, and never has our love of the genre wavered. And it's with that love in mind that we decided to create our ultimate top 100 list of horror movies.  The only catch is that the films couldn't be newer than 1989. Sixties, fifties, or earlier? That's fine, as long as it's something we watched during the 70s and 80s  - and that only makes sense since that's the time frame we like to reminisce about here and on our podcast.  So how did we decide on this spooktacular countdown? We scoured the Internet for dozens of "Top Horror" movie lists, collated everything, eliminated ineligible entries, added, divided, averaged, and then sorted it all and then added our own personal rankings to the mix.  Really, the process is something a mad scientist would love and make lesser men tremble. We'd like to think that this process has given us the definitive list of movies that could have been watched on fuzzy UHF channels or VHS tapes back in the day.  Enough talk - let's get this going!

#100

Wait Until Dark (1967)

Director: Terence Young

Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna, Efrem Zimbalist Jr.

Things are much scarier in the dark! A bit of a slow burn out of the gate, the pace eventually quickens as Hepburn, playing blind Susy Hendrix, is in-between a doll full of heroin and three men eager to recover the drugs. Hepburn was so good in the film that she was nominated for an Academy Award.

Happy October!

"Diamond Dogs"

Episode #130

Where's the paw-ty? Right here! Anything is paw-sible when Mike and Joseph get together to raise the woof! Things start off with the fellas on a short leash as they Gift, Keep, and Ditch famous dogs from movies and TV shows, and then its on to the main topic, a look at cartoon dogs through the years. This episode may be a diamond in the ruff, but you're barking up the wrong tree if you think that it isn't a paws-itively fetching episode. Dear Dog, there goes our dignity. Woof.

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/whenitwascool/UBW130_Diamond_Dogs.mp3

Long Lost Linnea Quigley feature HEARTLAND OF DARKNESS Coming this November

There are some movies that just have that certain feel to them that demands that they be watched. Both Mike and Joseph are in agreement that this looks like one of them. However, it's definitely not "family friendly" and although it's not rated, we're pretty sure it's on par with similar films that are rated 'R', so keep that in mind.  That said, if you're ready to dive in, read on.

Visual Vengeance, a Blu-ray label dedicated to vintage ‘Shot on Video’ and microbudget genre independents from the 1980s though 2000s, is thrilled to reveal the next Blu-ray collector’s edition release for November 8, 2022:

The 1989 never-before-seen Linnea Quigley “Satanic Panic” epic HEARTLAND OF DARKNESS (a/k/a Blood Church)

SYNOPSIS: In the small town of Copperton, Ohio, Paul Henson, a former big-city journalist, buys a small local newspaper. He quickly falls into a wide-reaching conspiracy of ritualistic murder and cult mind control when he discovers that the entire town may be under the spell of a Satanic reverend and his flock. As the clues and corpses pile up, Henson and his family are thrust into a life-or-death struggle to expose the truth and stop the demonic cabal’s reign of evil. 

Shot in 1989 by director Eric Swelstad on 16mm film and lost in obscurity and distribution false starts for over 30 years, Heartland of Darkness finally arrives on home video for the very first time and is packed with bonus features that spotlight the original creators and document the film’s long history and final completion.

Info and Select Bonus Features:

- First time available in any format

- New director-supervised SD master from original tape and film elements

- Deeper Into the Darkness: New 40-minute BTS documentary

- Three commentary tracks

- Linnea Quigley Remembers: new interview

- Archival TV interviews, TV spots, BTS footage and trailers

- Complete original “Fallen Angels” 1990 workprint

- Blood Church – rare distributor promotional video

- Six-page liner notes by Tony Strauss of Weng’s Chop Magazine

- Limited Edition Heartland of Darkness “Prayer Cloth”

- Limited Edition slipcase - FIRST PRESSING ONLY

- Collectible Linnea Quigley folded mini-poster

- ‘Stick your own’ VHS sticker set

- And much more

For more details on the label and updates on new releases – as well as news on upcoming releases - follow Visual Vengeance on social media:

TWITTER: @VisualVenVideo

INSTAGRAM: Visualvenvideo

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/visualvenvideo

It's Almost Time!

In just a few short days we will be unleashing upon the world our definitive top 100 Horror Movies of the Uphill Both Ways era.  You have hopefully seen the bonus sneak peaks of #105-101 over the past few weeks and that that has piqued your curiosity.  

So make sure you check back on October 2nd and see what movies made the list at #100-76!

 

UBW Top 100 Horror Movies: A Taste of Things to Come (Part 5)

We're very excited to release our upcoming Top 100 Horror Movies list. So excited, in fact, that we've decided to offer a bonus to everyone in the form of number 101-105 each week until October when we'll release 25 films each week with the top ranked batch the week before Halloween.
Finally, here is number 101.

101

When A Stranger Calls (1979)

*69 would have come in handy back then

Director: Fred Walton

Starring: Carol Kane, Colleen Dewhurst, Tony Beckley, Charles Durning

Quite possibly the scariest opening act of any of the films on this list, it’s quite surprising that it only clocks in at #101.  While not the only - or even the first - film to utilize the urban legend of “the babysitter and the man upstairs”, it is arguably the best.

Coming next week:  Numbers 100-76!

Don't Be Jealous!

These have been a bit harder to find this year, especially in these larger sizes.  But I got lucky, thanks to my wonderful wife, who managed to snag these on a recent visit to the grocery store.

As we like to say around here at the UBW corporate offices, as soon as the Monster Cereals hit the shelves, it's time for Halloween!

Breakfast has never been this scary good!

UBW Top 100 Horror Movies: A Taste of Things to Come (Part 4)

We're very excited to release our upcoming Top 100 Horror Movies list. So excited, in fact, that we've decided to offer a bonus to everyone in the form of number 101-105 each week until October when we'll release 25 films each week with the top ranked batch the week before Halloween.
Now then, here is number 102.

#102
The Blob (1958)

This encounter isn't going to end well.

Directors: Irvin Yeaworth, Russell Doughten
Starring: Steve McQueen, Aneta Corsaut, Earl Rowe, Olin Howland
More of a B-movie sci-fi film - and mainly known as Steve McQueen’s first leading role - The Blob does manage to contain a few moments of horror as the titular monster engulfs and absorbs its victims. There’s also the “red terror” and cold war metaphor which were probably pretty scary things to think about back then (we’re old here at UBW, but not THAT old).

"That’s Why God Made the Movies"

Episode #129

This episode the fellas talk about some of the movies they watched from this year's Genre Blast Film Festival (including 'Manfish', 'Johnny Z' and 'The Brilliant Terror') - which were hits and which were misses? You've gotta listen to find out. Plus, September 15th (this episode's release day) is National Malcolm Day, so what better way to celebrate than to do a Gift, Keep, Ditch with famous Malcoms! This one's like a sequel to the previous episode. Or is it a reboot? A reimagining? Even we're confused!

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/whenitwascool/UBW129_Thats_Why_God_Made_the_Movies_.mp3

Genre Blast Film Festival Movie Review - "Johnny Z" (2022)

Half Human, Half Zombie, All Bad-Ass

- by Mike Imboden

Johnny Z, directed by Jonathan (Night of Something Strange) Straiton, written by Straiton and Ron Bonk, and starring Michael (Amityville Death House) Merchant, martial arts master Felix Cortes, and Jason Delgado, screened as part of this year’s Genre Blast Film Festival which was held this past September 1st through September 4th in Winchester, VA.  Festival organizer Nathan Ludwig was kind enough to provide a screener of the film for us to review, so let’s get right to it.

Zombies are obviously nothing new, that much is no secret. In the past decade or so it’s been almost impossible to shake a stick without whacking one of the living dead across the back of their decaying skull.  The trick, therefore, is to put your own spin on the sub-genre - but with so much material already out there, how do you do that?  Straiton managed this once before by adding a STD to the mix along with over-the-top gore and dark humor in Night of Something Strange and he pulls it off again here by not only making one of the protagonists (the titular Johnny Z) a zombie, but a martial arts using zombie. 

Bigfoot Lives on Special Edition Blu-ray Later This Year!

We've made it no secret that we here at Uphill Both Ways love the legend(s) of Bigfoot - from episodes on "In Search Of" to movies like The Legend of Boggy Creek, and even his appearances on "The Six Million Dollar Man".  So imagine our glee when we heard Synapse Films was releasing a special edition of one of the more elusive films about ol' Sasquatch (which, of course, only seems apropos) later this year!

Like its legendary title monster, a newly remastered widescreen edition of THE CREATURE FROM BLACK LAKE would spend years avoiding capture, its existence a mystery that dared to be solved.  But now, this December 13, Synapse Films has finally done the impossible and captured this 70s cult favorite in a new restoration with special features for all to finally see - and believe!

 

There’s a hairy humanoid beast lurking in the Louisiana swamps, but only trapper Joe Canton (Jack Elam, ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST) has seen it and lived to tell the tale, and the other residents of Oil City, Louisiana don’t talk about it. But that’s not about to stop intrepid grad students Pahoo (Dennis Fimple, HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES) and Rives (John David Carson, EMPIRE OF THE ANTS), who are determined to track down the Bigfoot-like creature. Defying local sheriff Billy Carter (Bill Thurman, THE LAST PICTURE SHOW), the duo trek deep into the wilds of Black Lake, and a series of frightening encounters make it clear the monster is no mere legend.

Following in the (big) footsteps of THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK and similar docudramas, 1976’s CREATURE FROM BLACK LAKE is a fictional Sasquatch saga, albeit one inspired by real reports. With a colorful cast, also including Dub Taylor (THE WILD BUNCH), and plenty of rural atmosphere courtesy of cinematographer Dean Cundey (HALLOWEEN, JURASSIC PARK), scripter Jim McCullough Jr.—who also co-stars—and director Joy Houck Jr. bring touches of humor and humanity that complement the mystery of the monster, and the terror of its attacks. A longtime late-night TV favorite, CREATURE FROM BLACK LAKE now roars onto both Blu-ray and DVD formats with a new restoration and a boatload of special features!

 

MONSTROUS SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE

• Brand-new 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative
• Audio commentary with author/filmmaker Michael Gingold and film historian Chris Poggiali
• SWAMP STORIES – All-new featurette with Director of Photography Dean Cundey
• Original theatrical trailer and radio spot
• Newly translated optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

BLU-RAY SPECIFICATIONS

VIDEO:    High-Definition 1080p Widescreen (2.35:1) Presentation / AVC Codec

AUDIO: DTS-HD MA English 2.0 Original Mono

SUBTITLES: English for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

ALL REGION

RETAIL PRICE: $29.95

DVD SPECIFICATIONS

VIDEO: Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) Presentation / MPEG-2

AUDIO: Dolby Digital English 2.0 Original Mono

SUBTITLES: English for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

ALL REGION

RETAIL PRICE: $19.95

AVAILABLE DECEMBER 13, 2022  

RATED PG -  1976 - 95 MINS. -  COLOR

 

PLEASE NOTE: The Limited Edition version (with slipcover) is currently available exclusively on the Synapse Films website and at Diabolik DVD.  This newly announced mass-market edition (available December 13, 2022) will not have the website exclusive slipcover.

UBW Top 100 Horror Movies: A Taste of Things to Come (Part 3)

We're very excited to release our upcoming Top 100 Horror Movies list. So excited, in fact, that we've decided to offer a bonus to everyone in the form of number 101-105 each week until October when we'll release 25 films each week with the top ranked batch the week before Halloween.

Now then, here is number 103.

#103

Demons (1985)

These are demons. The glowing eyes are the telltale giveaway

Director: Lamberto Bava,

Starring: Urbano Barberini, Natasha Hovey

We’ve got to admit - we’re a little surprised this didn’t make it.  With Bava directing and Dario Argento producing, you would think a movie about demon-creatures bloodily running amok in a cinema would rank a bit higher. Throw in some gonzo action involving a motorcycle and a helicopter and it’s even more of a shock that this didn’t make the cut.

MORE Popcorn, MORE Frights!

TERRIFIER 2, SMILE, AND NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE OF SCARE PACKAGE II HEADLINE POPCORN FRIGHTS’ WICKED WEEKEND

Just glancing back over the past few weeks you will see plenty of reasons why Joseph and Mike love the Popcorn Frights Film Festival - and here's one more.  The annual Wicked Weekend event, hosted in celebration of the spooky season, will feature nine film events over five days, including anniversary presentations of NEAR DARK, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER, as well as a special double-bill of HALLOWEEN 4 & 5!

MIAMI, FL – Just in time for the spooky season, Popcorn Frights is thrilled to announce its annual Wicked Weekend program celebrating all the eerie, weird, wild, and strange things that go bump in the night! The event, running September 28 through October 2, will feature nine film events plus a host of filmmakers, restorations, and special screenings.

UBW Top 100 Horror Movies: A Taste of Things to Come (Part 2)

We're very excited to release our upcoming Top 100 Horror Movies list. So excited, in fact, that we've decided to offer a bonus to everyone in the form of number 101-105 each week until October when we'll release 25 films each week with the top ranked batch the week before Halloween.

Now then, here is number 104.

#104

Phantom Of The Opera (1925)

It's just a jump to the left...

Director: Rupert Julian
Starring: Lon Chaney; Norman Kerry; Mary Philbin
A classic if there ever was a classic, of that there’s no argument. The first time you saw Christine pop the mask off of The Phantom’s face you probably shrieked just a little, but let’s be honest… What IS up for debate, at least as far as we’re concerned, is how much horror there really is beyond Lon Chaney’s grotesquely magnificent makeup. Maybe here, in the 21st century watching a movie that is almost 100 years old, we’re a bit jaded and maybe that’s why this Universal Monster didn’t crack the top 100.

"The Cinema Show"

Episode #128

Grab a bucket of popcorn and a large drink - the boys have a super-long bonus-sized episode this time around! Up first is Gift, Keep, and Ditch featuring breakfast cereals of yore and then it's on to the feature presentation as they discuss some of the movies from the recent 2022 edition of the Popcorn Frights Film Festival. Join them as they FOLLOW HER through this FINAL SUMMER in the lead-up to the THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER to the TINY CINEMA where we'll all be LIVING WITH CHUCKY.

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/whenitwascool/UBW128_The_Cinema_Show.mp3

"...and the Award Goes To --" - The Popcorn Frights 2022 Award Winners

Living with Chucky, dir. Kyra Gardner

August 29, 2022 // -- As its eighth edition comes to a close after eleven nights of in-person and virtual programming, Popcorn Frights Film Festival is proud to announce its juried and audience awards that were selected from its lineup of 113 films (36 features and 77 shorts films from 20 countries) in 10 categories. This year’s jury consisted of members of national media and local filmmakers, who chose to honor Florida filmmaker Sylvia Caminer’s FOLLOW HER with the Jury Prize for Best Feature Film. In announcing the Feature Film Prize for the film, the jury said the following: “A socially relevant horror movie for modern times, Sylvia Caminer’s Follow Her features a completely unpredictable screenplay bystar Dani Barker with a twist at the end that rivals The Sixth Sense. Caminer’s directing style is near perfection, and we can’t wait to ‘follow her’ into her next film.”

Follow Her, dir. Sylvia Caminer

UBW Top 100 Horror Movies: A Taste of Things to Come (No Pun Intended)

We're very excited to release our upcoming Top 100 Horror Movies list. So excited, in fact, that we've decided to offer a bonus to everyone in the form of number 101-105 over the course of the next few weeks. Then, in October, we'll release 25 films each week with the top ranked batch the week before Halloween.
So to kick things off, here is number 105.

105

Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

Probably the only photo from this movie we can share and remain "family friendly"

Director: Ruggero Deodato

Starring:  Robert Kerman, Carl Gabriel Yorke, Francesca Ciardi

Coming in at #105, Cannibal Holocaust is more “horrific” than “horror”. Cinematically it’s a mix of found footage and traditional narrative storytelling while visually it’s a gore-soaked descent into animal mutilation and slaughter, rape, and yes, cannibalism.  Banned by about a million countries until a handful lifted the restriction nearly twenty years after its release, this is certainly not for those with weak stomachs.

Coming Soon!

We're just a little over a month away from our most monumental unveiling since our Retro Pop Culture Battle Royale a few years ago (and honestly, we think this is bigger).

Prepare yourselves for:

"Hot Rod Lincoln"

Episode #127

Join us as Mike and Joseph take a leisurely Sunday drive back in time to talk about some of their favorite cars from TV shows like the Batmobile (of course!), the Monkee Mobile (really?), and Fred Sanford's beat-up pick-up truck (why not?!). Before that, it's time for "Gift, Keep, Ditch" which sees the guys offer up their choices for spaceships! From dog-boned shaped satellites to tricked out school busses, this episode is a high-octane burst of nostalgia!

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/whenitwascool/UBW127_Hot_Rod_Lincoln.mp3

Popcorn Frights Film Festival Movie Review: "Living with Chucky” (2022)

"We're Friends Till The End, Remember?"

by Joseph Perry

Living with Chucky director/cowriter Kyra Elise Gardner did just that, as her father is special effects wizard Tony Gardner, who designed the Chucky and Tiffany dolls for some of the Child’s Play film franchise features. Gardner’s enlightening documentary did two things for me: it made me appreciate the franchise more, as someone who is just a casual fan and skipped the middle two entries, and it gave me an appreciation of the family-like bonding behind the films and TV series, the latter of which really is the main aim of this film.

FRIGHTFEST & FAB PRESS LAUNCH THE FRIGHTFEST GUIDE TO VAMPIRE MOVIES

Vampires in all their forms and undead glory are favorites around these parts. From the original Dracula to Fright Night, both Joseph and Mike are fans of the bloodsuckers.  That said, this book looks to be a can't miss even for those outside of the UK (where it's being published) that might have to pay a bit for shipping and handling.  

The FrightFest Guide to Vampire Movies
By Nathaniel Thompson
Foreword by Kim Newman

FrightFest and FAB Press once again join forces to launch THE FRIGHTFEST GUIDE TO VAMPIRE MOVIES, which goes exclusively on sale during Arrow Video FrightFest 2022, Aug 25 – Aug 29. Both the author Nathaniel Thompson and author/critic Kim Newman, who wrote the foreword, will be present to sign copies at the Cineworld, Leicester Square. Dates and times to be confirmed.

This is the sixth edition of the FrightFest Guides, the latest in a series of successful, wide appeal books for both the curious spectator and the cult connoisseur. Previous genres covered include Exploitation Movies, Monster Movies, Ghost Movies, Werewolf Movies and Grindhouse Movies.

For centuries, mankind has been chilled by tales of vampires. A fixture of literature, art, and folk tales, the vampire was a natural early choice for a movie monster at the dawn of cinema and has remained popular ever since as the screen’s most enduring and sexually charged nightmare figure.

Within these bloodstained pages, you’ll discover all the vampire icons, from Bela Lugosi and Max Schreck’s pioneering fiends to the heyday of Hammer Films, but that’s just a sanguinary taste of what’s to come as you explore macabre offerings from Hong Kong, India, Italy, France, Germany, Japan and many more countries across the globe.

It’s all served up on a blood-spattered silver platter by author and film historian Nathaniel Thompson, who also delivers a globetrotting introduction to the history and evolution of vampire cinema, from the silent era to the modern age of undead heartthrobs and vampire assassins.

Sweetening the bloody deal is a foreword by legendary writer and monster expert Kim Newman, who dragged vampire literature into the daylight of the modern age with his Anno Dracula series..

The FrightFest exclusive hardcover will be on sale for just £25, and people not attending in person won’t miss out as they have the option to pre-order the book from www.fabpress.com -- pre-ordered books will ship the first week of September.

The Paperback publication date is 18 October 2022.

FAB Press

Since launching with its seminal publication Flesh And Blood (the source of the FAB acronym) in 1993, FAB Press, publishers of books for cult connoisseurs, has gained respect among its loyal customers and knowledgeable members of the book publishing industry alike. FAB Press has been working with FrightFest since 2016. This is the sixth volume in the FrightFest Guide series of books.

FrightFest

FrightFest is the most prestigious horror fantasy movie event in the United Kingdom since 2000. Created by Paul McEvoy, film exhibitor Ian Rattray, film critic, international journalist, author and broadcaster Alan Jones, and veteran PR man Greg Day, the main FrightFest event takes place annually over the August Bank Holiday in London. They also have their an annual three-day event at the Glasgow Film Festival and own distribution label, FrightFest Presents, in partnership with Signature Entertainment.