Half Price Horror
163 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 18 hours ago -A deep dive into the half-price horror rack of the local used bookstore, coming away with classics, cult treasures, and the strangest stories the genre has to offer.
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Episodes
Gremlins (1984)
July 14, 2024 14:36 - 1 hour - 38.3 MBGremlins had a cultural footprint far beyond its box office success--indeed, it's one of the films that indelibly defines the 1980s. But what does this movie have to say about Reagan's America and the cultural conception of small-town life? How do the grEMliNs inVAde the veRy naRRAtiVe stRUCTure of the fiLM itsELf to coNVeY a sENse of anARKie &&&&& Sorry about that. The Gremlins have been kicked out of this description. Please enjoy the episODDDDDDD
Black Christmas (1974)
July 07, 2024 11:20 - 53 minutes - 49.6 MBTime to begin 'Christmas in July', as we take a look at one of the earliest examples of holiday horror and a major influence on the slasher genre. There's a killer stalking campus over Winter Break, and nobody knows their identity... but they're getting troubling phone calls from someone referencing "Billy". And people are disappearing.
The Ring (2002)
June 30, 2024 12:32 - 1 hour - 55.6 MBEvery so often a movie comes along that traumatizes an entire generation. The 70s had 'The Exorcist' and 'Jaws', the 80s had pretty much the entire Indiana Jones trilogy, the 90s had the velociraptors from 'Jurassic Park'... and if you were the right age in 2002, you will always remember Samara Morgan and the seven days you spent in taut, tense fear after watching 'The Ring'. So let's unburden that collective trauma by going over the film together, shall we?
The Changeling (1980)
June 23, 2024 12:39 - 43 minutes - 40.1 MBBefore 'The Conjuring', before 'Insidious', before 'The Ring' and 'Poltergeist' and a host of films about the supernatural, George C Scott starred in a mournful, elegant film about a grieving father confronted by a vengeful ghost. And what vengeance does it want? Come along with Half Price Horror and find out!
Riding the Bullet (2004)
June 16, 2024 14:04 - 45 minutes - 42 MBMick Garris is well known as one of Stephen King's go-to directors for adaptations of his work. But some of those adaptations are more famous than others, and this is definitely one of the lesser-known King films. And why might that be? Well, let's take a look and find out!
The Dead Don't Die (2019)
June 09, 2024 12:34 - 53 minutes - 49.9 MBWhat do you get when you combine Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Carol Kane, Adam Driver, Iggy Pop, Tom Waits, Chloe Sevigny, the RZA, Danny Glover, Austin Butler, Selena Gomez, Steve Buscemi, Rosie Perez, Caleb Landry Jones, Larry Fessenden, Sturgill Simpson, and a whole horde of marauding, flesh-eating zombies? You get a dry, deadpan, uniquely Jarmuschian horror-comedy, 2019's 'The Dead Don't Die', and Half Price Horror has a LOT to say about it.
The Blob (1958)
June 02, 2024 13:22 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MBBack when I was six years old, my parents went to the new-fangled "video stores" that were just becoming popular in the early 80s and rented one of their favorite silly, cheesy sci-fi horror movies to play in their new "VCR" for their kids. I'd been scared by films before, but this was the first time I watched a horror movie and it changed me forever. So join me for my 150th episode, gentle listeners, as I discuss the impact of my first scary movie... 1958's 'The Blob'.
Big Driver (2014)
May 26, 2024 12:25 - 43 minutes - 40.4 MBLove it or hate it, the rape/revenge movie is a subgenre with a long and venerable history, and it's safe to say that Stephen King was bound to dip into it sooner or later. Likewise, the Lifetime network has its own long history of making movies about feminist empowerment through brutal violence against the men who do women wrong. So is this a match made in heaven, or a campy misfire? Take a listen and find out!
The Lighthouse (2019)
May 19, 2024 12:53 - 54 minutes - 50 MBWhen Robert Eggers released his debut feature, 'The VVitch', everyone wanted to know what he was going to do for his next movie. And when it turned out to be a surreal black-and-white two-hander with an opaque and deliberately confusing storyline, a double unreliable narrator, and plenty of homoerotic subtext? They couldn't stop talking about it! And now neither can I.
#Horror (2015)
May 12, 2024 13:34 - 44 minutes - 41.6 MB'#Horror' might have the world's worst SEO, but is it worth tracking down through the sea of movies, books, TV shows and radio plays also tagged as "#horror"? Well, before you go to the effort, why don't you listen for a spell to this episode and find out if you want to spend the time and energy on it. Because for better or worse, I already did.
Basket Case (1982)
May 05, 2024 13:03 - 37 minutes - 34.7 MBMaverick indie director Frank Henenlotter burst onto the scene in 1982 with a horror movie that felt like a punk rock anthem, a grimy love letter to the seedy underbelly of New York as seen through the lens of two dysfunctional brothers and their blood-soaked quest for revenge. And if that doesn't sound awesome to you yet, listen to this episode and you'll see what makes it great!
Maximum Overdrive (1986)
April 28, 2024 12:38 - 44 minutes - 41.2 MBStephen King directed exactly one movie in his life, and I'm genuinely not sure whether 1986's Maximum Overdrive proves that he should never direct another or that he should direct all of them. Join Half Price Horror for a discussion of exercise in 80s excess with the biggest, loudest, AC/DCiest flick of the decade, 'Maximum Overdrive'!
Pathogen (2006)
April 21, 2024 12:35 - 31 minutes - 28.8 MBHorror mainstay Emily Hagins has been making scary movies since middle school--and here's the proof! Join HPH for a deep dive into a zombie movie written, directed, and shot on video by a twelve year old girl, and all the interesting discussions that brings along with it!
Trucks (1997)
April 14, 2024 12:47 - 47 minutes - 44.3 MBThey say that if at first you don't succeed, try try again... so why not go back to Stephen King's short story "Trucks" a decade after it was adapted as a feature film and turn it into a made-for-TV movie starring Timothy Busfield? Well, it turns out there may be reasons, and we're going to get into each and every one of them!
It's Alive (2009)
April 07, 2024 12:33 - 35 minutes - 32.9 MBAs with most series, the 'It's Alive' trilogy inevitably got a reboot somewhere in the Oughts. Is this movie a quick and cheap attempt to cash in on a recognizable name, or does it have something interesting to offer despite being a remake from a remake-happy era? And do the screenwriters know what babies actually are and what they do? Well, there's only one way to find out!
From Beyond (1986)
March 31, 2024 12:52 - 47 minutes - 43.8 MBIt's an adaptation of HP Lovecraft, directed by the great Stuart Gordon and starring Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, and Ken Foree! All coming out just a year after Gordon's hit film 'Re-Animator', and yet somehow it doesn't even get half the love of that cult classic. Come listen to an episode on it and let's see if we can't change all that.
It's Alive III: Island of the Alive (1987)
March 24, 2024 12:50 - 30 minutes - 27.8 MBLarry Cohen returns to the 'It's Alive' franchise one final time with this over-the-top celebration of everything wonderful about his maverick, high-concept style. Do you want to hear about a courtroom scene with stop-motion mutant babies? Do you want to hear about this film's influences on 'The Lost World'? Well strap in, because we've got a wild ride for you!
Severance (2006)
March 17, 2024 13:12 - 47 minutes - 44.2 MBIf there's one thing that feels like it should guarantee comedy gold, it's taking the satirical series "The Office" and combining it with a gruesome and gory horror premise. So why did 'Severance', a movie that asks the question, "What if the cast of 'The Office' wandered into 'Wrong Turn'?", fall so flat? Well, listen to the episode and find out!
It Lives Again (1978)
March 10, 2024 12:25 - 28 minutes - 26.8 MBMore and more mutant babies are being born every day, and the government has decided to kill them in the delivery room rather than see them survive. Is it a metaphor for the generational clash that defined the 60s? Is it a commentary on the complicated fears surrounding parenting? Is it another Larry Cohen exploitation flick that we're about to do a deep dive into? The answer to all of it is "yes"!
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)
March 03, 2024 13:21 - 30 minutes - 28.6 MBEvery once in a while, a new voice in cinema comes along to remind us that there's no such thing as a stale trope. Sure, we've all seen vampire movies... but have you seen a black-and-white Iranian feminist vampire romance with notes of Sergio Leone? Come along with HPH and explore this fascinating twist on a traditional tale!
It's Alive (1974)
February 25, 2024 13:47 - 35 minutes - 33.2 MB"There's only one thing wrong with the Davis baby... It's Alive." One of the best slogans of the 70s heralds the introduction to maverick guerrilla director Larry Cohen and his iconic creations, the mutant babies with a telepathic ability to sense hatred and a vicious anger at anyone who would try to harm them. Let's dig into the whole weird, wonderful, shlocky, social-commentary heavy thing!
Land of the Dead (2005)
February 18, 2024 13:29 - 38 minutes - 35.4 MBSome people call it the beginning of Romero's second zombie trilogy. Me, I think it's the perfect capper to the cycle of films he began all the way back in 1968 with 'Night of the Living Dead'. And maybe after you listen to this episode on the biggest-budget, most star-studded of all of the 'Dead' films, you'll agree!
Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994)
February 11, 2024 13:43 - 40 minutes - 37.3 MBWe've stepped outside of the continuity of the 'Elm Street' films, but that doesn't mean there's no Freddy. And it certainly doesn't mean there's no danger. That's right, it's time for a deep dive into the trippy world of metafiction as the cast of the original 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' is menaced by the dream demon they created... perhaps... in 1994's 'Wes Craven's New Nightmare'!
Silent Hill: Revelation (2012)
February 04, 2024 13:50 - 45 minutes - 42.5 MBSo what happens when your visionary star director dips, your Oscar-winning screenwriter goes to jail, and a bunch of angry nerds have notes on how to make your sequel more like a video game? You get 'Silent Hill: Revelation', that's what! Come on over and hear about the beleaguered production, its many expositional speeches and dodgy accents, and the five minutes in the middle that make it all worthwhile.
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
January 28, 2024 14:46 - 55 minutes - 50.9 MBWe come here today to remember a man who was always generous with his laughter, who gave unstintingly of his time and attention to the vulnerable youths not just of Springwood but to the neighboring towns and cities. A father, a craftsman, and a survivor. It's time at last to put Freddy into the ground... and if he won't stay down, this episode will talk about the reasons why.
Zeder (aka Revenge of the Dead) (1983)
January 21, 2024 13:40 - 34 minutes - 31.8 MBA patch of ground where the dead won't stay buried. A loving husband who gets sucked into a supernatural nightmare. Revenants who rise from their grave filled with a murderous hatred for the living. And yet, it's somehow not 'Pet Sematary'! It's not even an Italian knock-off - this is 'Zeder', an overlooked gem from 1983 that combines conspiracy thriller and zombie flick to create something strange and new and inventive. Join me for a deep dive into its mysteries!
A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child (1989)
January 14, 2024 13:50 - 40 minutes - 37.5 MBThe 80s are ending, the Satanic Panic is fading fast as we transition from Reagan to Bush... but you know what people are still freaking out about? Teen pregnancy! So naturally it's time for Freddy to menace a teen mom as we dig into the last of the "dream powers" trilogy of 'Nightmare' movies, 'A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child'. Come on and join in!
And Now the Screaming Starts! (1973)
January 07, 2024 14:51 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MBTime to take a detour into British Gothic horror, as we examine one of the few non-anthology films to come from Amicus and find out exactly what happens when the screaming starts!
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
December 31, 2023 15:06 - 40 minutes - 37.3 MBWith 'Dream Warriors' seemingly providing an infallible formula for the success of the franchise, New Line was quick to capitalize on their hit by rushing a new installment into theaters. But a shortened schedule and a writer's strike made this film into its own production nightmare--did they wake up to heaps of money and critical praise? Listen to this episode and find out!
The Gate (1987)
December 24, 2023 13:37 - 38 minutes - 35.3 MBTime to take a look at an 80s cult classic that's not to be confused with 'The Pit' or 'The Keep' - this one's about the kids who dig a hole all the way to Hell while looking for geodes in the backyard and unleash horrors beyond imagining. Join us for an exploration of childhood terrors, model rocketry, and stark body horror all wrapped up in a family-friendly package!
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
December 17, 2023 21:54 - 56 minutes - 52.2 MBTime for a bit of a hawt take, as we take a look at the single most popular installment of the 'Nightmare' franchise and suggest that maybe, just maybe, taking the single bleakest script Wes Craven ever wrote and crashing it straight into Chuck Russell's "spooky carnival ride" aesthetic - then adding a helping of sexual assault - might have produced something that's a little bit of a trainwreck. Agree? Disagree? Listen to the podcast and find out where we're getting it from!
American Mary (2012)
December 10, 2023 14:40 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MB"I'm changing specialties, Doctor Grant." It's a small sentence, but it's got a big impact as Mary Mason goes from rising-star medical student to illegal mob doctor, professional torturer, and "extreme body modifier" for a niche community of body mod enthusiasts in this extremely unconventional crime/horror movie. Are you ready to find out all the things people can do to themselves and each other? Then let's dive in!
A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)
December 03, 2023 23:42 - 52 minutes - 48.3 MBIt's 1985 - do you know what your children are dreaming about? Of course they're dreaming about Freddy, in a sequel that's decidedly different and very interesting to discuss! We get into the film's queer subtext, its very nearly queer text, and the bizarre decision to include a murder parakeet in what's ostensibly a horror movie.
A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1984)
December 03, 2023 23:42 - 52 minutes - 48.3 MBIt's 1985 - do you know what your children are dreaming about? Of course they're dreaming about Freddy, in a sequel that's decidedly different and very interesting to discuss! We get into the film's queer subtext, its very nearly queer text, and the bizarre decision to include a murder parakeet in what's ostensibly a horror movie.
Silent Hill (2006)
November 27, 2023 00:56 - 1 hour - 57 MBWho'd have thunk that a 90s video game would lead to one of the best Southern Gothics ever committed to film? Join us for every convoluted plot twist, every decaying building, every collision of past and present as we dig into 2006's 'Silent Hill'!
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
November 19, 2023 21:35 - 1 hour - 57.8 MBWe've dug deep into Jason, we've analyzed Michael to death, but there's one horror icon of the 80s we haven't even dreamed about tackling until now... Robert Englund's classic slasher, Fred Krueger. So let's take a look at the 1984 original and all the ways it tackles very 80s fears about neglectful parenting, recovered memories, and liberal judges in its skillful blending of dreams and reality.
Pontypool (2008)
November 12, 2023 20:04 - 39 minutes - 37 MBThey say silence kills, but what do you do when talking can be just as lethal? Take a risk and listen to me speak in English about the 2008 ferociously independent, utterly brilliant low-budget indie horror movie 'Pontypool'! It's a film words really can't suffice to describe, but I'll try. Try. Try. Try.
Night of the Living Dead (1990)
November 05, 2023 12:52 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MBSomewhere between 'Day of the Dead' and 'Land of the Dead' lies an odd, sometimes forgotten oddity - a remake of the original 'Night' authorized and produced by George A Romero, but directed by his friend and collaborator Tom Savini. What does it have to say? Honestly quite a lot, so let's dive into it together!
Elvira's Movie Macabre: Monstroid (1984)
October 29, 2023 21:33 - 33 minutes - 31.1 MBIt's Halloween weekend, and y'all know what that means: Elvira! This year, we join Elvira as she skewers the 1980... ish... creature feature 'Monstroid', aka 'Monster' aka 'It Came From the Lake' aka 'The Toxic Horror'. And with that many titles, you know you're dealing with a great movie!
Scream VI (2023)
October 22, 2023 16:19 - 45 minutes - 41.7 MBStart spreading the news, because just like Jason Voorhees, Ghostface is heading to the City That Never Sleeps! Join us for every gory detail... literally and figuratively... as the Scream franchise officially enters the Core Four installment with 'Scream VI'!
Rec (2007)
October 15, 2023 18:26 - 29 minutes - 27.7 MBSpooky Season just wouldn't be spooky without a little dip into found footage, and they don't come much better than 2007's Spanish classic, 'Rec'! So come ride along with our crew of first responders and our TV journalists as they stumble into a nightmare of claustrophobia, paranoia, and the most ferocious gaggle of zombies this side of '28 Days Later' as we take a deep dive into a modern classic!
Evil Dead Rise (2023)
October 08, 2023 21:58 - 44 minutes - 41.3 MBIt's time to conclude our look at the 'Evil Dead' franchise and continue our trip through Spooky Season at the same time, as we dive into the high-profile and big-ticket sequel to Sam Raimi's classic helmed by writer/director Lee Cronin. But between the weird pro-life messaging, the antiquated worship of the nuclear family, and some problematic behavior from the lone trans character, let's just say that it's also time to give a little side-eye to the latest 'Evil Dead'. Join us!
Godzilla (1954)
October 01, 2023 19:00 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MBSpooky Season's starting, and the movies don't come much bigger than this - literally or figuratively. Almost seventy years ago, the atomic monster known as Godzilla first came to Japan's shores... and while he's visited some thirty times since then, there's nothing quite like the original. Let's dive in and talk nuclear paranoia, post-war pacifism, and everything else that makes up the 1954 classic 'Godzilla'!
Ash Vs Evil Dead Season Three, Episodes 6-10 (2018)
September 26, 2023 00:15 - 39 minutes - 36.8 MBThe time has come to test the mettle of man, as Ash Williams tries to fight evil without his chainsaw, his sidekicks, or even his trusty Delta 88 Classic in the series finale of 'Ash Vs Evil Dead'! JOIN US... as we break down the last five episodes and see how the last season of the cult series sticks the landing and goes out with a bang as the "Summer of Sam" concludes!
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
September 17, 2023 20:46 - 57 minutes - 52.9 MBThe long Summer of Sam is winding to a close... but we can't leave without looking at where the man is today, and that means examining Raimi's latest directorial effort for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But is it horror? Well, it's got people possessing corpses, mouths sealing up into blank flesh, and the souls of the damned, so that qualifies it in my unholy book! Let's dive into the Multiverse of Madness!
Ash Vs Evil Dead Season Three, Episodes 1-5 (2018)
September 10, 2023 22:29 - 42 minutes - 39.5 MBIt's time to enter the final season of Ashley Joanna Williams' adventures fighting the Evil Dead, and that means secret kids, magical kids, ancient knightly orders, and a ghostly return for everyone's favorite Six Million Dollar Dad! That's right, we are going in hot for the first half of Season Three of 'Ash Vs Evil Dead'... JOIN US!
Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)
September 03, 2023 20:00 - 35 minutes - 33 MBSometimes going outside the Hollywood system results in something as brilliant as it is unconventional, a touching meditation on aging and regret featuring two of our finest character actors. Sometimes it results in a goddamn weird movie about an aging Elvis and JFK taking on a killer mummy stalking their retirement home. And very rarely, it's both. So let's talk about Don Coscarelli, Bruce Campbell, and 2002's 'Bubba Ho-Tep'!
Ash Vs Evil Dead Season Two, Episodes 6-10 (2016)
August 27, 2023 20:00 - 44 minutes - 40.9 MBBaal is loose on the Earth, and the only man who can stop him is... Pablo?! Hey, that's where we are as the back half of 'Ash Vs Evil Dead' Season Two kicks off, but there are so many wild twists and turns in store it takes a whole podcast to get through them all! So let's dig in!
Ash Vs Evil Dead Season Two, Episodes 6-10
August 27, 2023 20:00 - 44 minutes - 40.9 MBBaal is loose on the Earth, and the only man who can stop him is... Pablo?! Hey, that's where we are as the back half of 'Ash Vs Evil Dead' Season Two kicks off, but there are so many wild twists and turns in store it takes a whole podcast to get through them all! So let's dig in!
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
August 20, 2023 20:39 - 54 minutes - 50.7 MBTime to steer our "Summer of Sam" into another little detour, as we examine the first major success of Raimi-influenced director Edgar Wright and his good friends Simon Pegg and Nicholas Frost, the 2004 horror comedy 'Shaun of the Dead'. Let's get a little red on us, kill the Queen, and stagger down to the Winchester for one of the most beloved movies in the zom-rom-com genre! How's that for a slice of fried gold?