"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