Imported Horror Barking Cat Studios

What's scarier: Creatures from the uncanny valley crawling up to do horrifying things that shouldn't be possible for stop motion animation, or generations of serial killers stalking and scalping their victims? If you answered stop motion, you're right - that's undeniably freakier - but both options are totally worth watching. This week, Grady and Melissa are thoroughly chilled by Stopmotion (United Kingdom, 2023) and Marcus popped some popcorn for thirty years of creepy Danish slashers with Nightwatch (1994) and Nightwatch: Demons are Forever (2023). Plus - inky body horror and a Tubi surprise are dropping this week, and technical difficulties reawaken the AI-generated "Funk Bot" in the last seven-ish minutes.
Articles mentioned in this episode:
"Stopmotion director says his brand of animation is necromancy," by Tasha Robinson for Polygon
"AMC Networks Promotes Emily Gotto to Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Production for Shudder," by AMC Networks. Note: My memory of this release was fuzzy and I got some important details wrong, but the head of international acquisitions is still getting a big promotion and we still Stan Shudder.

Dive deep into fear with us this week as we wander into open waters, haunting forests and chilling catacombs. Melissa goes camping with a grisly throwback slasher in Cub (Belgium & Netherlands, 2014), Grady swims with cocaine-addled sharks that are just barely so-bad-they're-good in Deep Fear (UK & France, 2023) and Marcus gets lost in the ruins under Paris in the other Deep Fear (Belgium & France, 2022). Also - sure you've seen insane apocalyptic car chases before, but should you see Furiosa anyway? And, will the shark flick swimming onto Netflix next week be better?

Just a quick update this week - zoomer humor slays in the trailer for Killer Body Count (Canada & South Africa, 2024), possibly the most Tubi movie to ever Tubi, and the original Nightwatch (Denmark, 1994) has all the offbeat Blockbuster Energy vibes and some himbo-y surprises. Plus, we're taking a week to get stoked for patriarchal nightmare fuel In Flames (2023, Pakistan & Canada) and animated chills in Stopmotion (United Kingdom, 2023).
Articles mentioned in this episode:
"‘In Flames’ – Exclusive Clip from Pakistani Psychological Thriller Has Visions of the Dead," by John Squires for Bloody Disgusting
"Killer Body Count | Official Trailer | A Tubi Original" on YouTube

Cops have challenging jobs. One day, you're dealing with ghost parties and a possessed dog, and the next you've stumbled through a portal to hell. This week, we patrol the not-so-mean New Zealand streets with Wellington Paranormal (2018-2022) and get pulled into Turkish nightmare fuel with Baskin (2015). We also get swarmed by skittering spiders and an uneven tones with Infested (France & USA, 2023. Plus, a thirty-year-old Danish crime horror and its new sequel hit Shuddre this week along with the most vicious elevator in all of Amsterdam.
 

Grab your JNCOs and bleach your hair - the 90s called to say hello this week. We chat about the  What Is Buried Must Remain (Lebanon, 2022), a found footage flick with all the turn-of-the-century vibes, and marvel at the gravitas of the legendary "Mystery Guest Star" in the so-bad-it's-good stab-fest Mute Witness (United Kingdom, Russia & Germany, 1995). Plus - Abigail is surprisingly affirming, the ending of Late Night with the Devil slaps and the next week is crawling with kaiju and spiders.
Articles mentioned on this episode:
"Exclusive Interview: Elias Matar (What Is Buried Must Remain)," by Peter "Witchfinder" Hopkins for Horror Asylum

Last week, we saw the moon blot out the afternoon sun. It made us spiral out of control into a binge of cringe, frustration and the worst sequel you've never heard of. Grady unpacks Spiral (Japan, 1998), which begins as an also-ran sequel to Ring and descends into weird softcore porn. Marcus struggles with math in Spiral (Canada, 2019), a queer horror with a clever ending but a frustrating and unlikeable protagonist. Melissa is baffled by the upcoming American remake of Speak No Evil (Denmark & The Netherlands, 2022). Can she look at James McAvoy the same way ever again? Plus - The First Omen is the more satisfying Coke to Immaculate's Pepsi, a spinoff of the manga Parasyte hits Netflix and Late Night with the Devil finally hits Shudder.
Articles mentioned in this episode:
"I'm Afraid of Other People and Myself: Christian Tafdrup on Speak No Evil," by Isaac Feldberg for RogerEbert.com