The Shuddering

Christopher Oliphant, Nick Rocco Scalia

Do you like scary movies? Then, come play with us! Each episode, we'll be reviewing one vintage and one modern horror film from our favorite streaming service, Shudder, serving up commentary, analysis, and a little bit of film history (but no spoilers!) along the way. From the guys who brought you Precinct 13: The Movies and Music of John Carpenter comes a podcast that seeks out movies to stream that'll make you scream!

  1. 2023/03/15

    Episode 16: Eyes of Fire (1983) & The Witch: Part 1 - The Subversion

    Well, the theme of this episode is "witches," but if you're expecting pointy hats, eyes of newt, or anyone getting burned at the stake, you're bound to be disappointed. Still, we've got a couple of fascinating flicks to talk about this week, both of which have at least some version of a witch in them... or, in one case, at least in the title? Anyway, first up is the 1983 folk horror oddity Eyes of Fire, an obscure film that we -- and, apparently, the folks at Shudder -- think ought to be more well-known to fans of 80s horror as well as the artsier side of genre cinema. This period piece, set in pre-Revolutionary America, finds a sleazy preacher and his flock running afoul of ancient terrors deep in the primeval forest, and it features some striking imagery and a fair amount of scares in its chronicle of adulterous colonists, rugged trappers, and vengeful forest spirits. And then, we've got our more modern pick, the South Korean film The Witch: Part 1 - The Subversion, which sure sounds like a horror movie but, it turns out, is much more of a bloody, R-rated sci-fi/superhero concoction... and, also, a touching story of a young girl attempting to save her family by winning an America's Got Talent-like TV game show. Yes, really. Chris and Nick are both HUGE fans of South Korean cinema in general, but does this (somewhat) action-packed film live up to that country's choicest genre-movie exports? Listen and find out! Plus, Nick can't stop gushing over Return of the Living Dead 3, Chris finally checks out M3gan, and we discuss a brand-new found-footage sensation that's left quite an impression on the one of us who's seen it thus far.

    1時間31分
  2. 2023/03/03

    Episode 15: The Sadness (2021) & Return of the Living Dead 3 (1993)

    This week, we're all about the zombies... sort of. That flesh-eating, world-ending, gore-splattering subgenre of horror -- currently enjoying its latest resurgence thanks to HBO's The Last of Us -- is the unifying theme for the two films we reviewed, but neither one is your standard zombie saga, exactly. First up is writer/director Rob Jabbaz's recent effort The Sadness, a film that unleashes some of the most disturbing, plentiful carnage and mayhem ever filmed on an unsuspecting Taipei. Does it live up to its billing as the "most depraved zombie movie ever made?" The answer, probably, is yeah. But, does that alone make the film worth seeing? Tune in and find out... And then, definitely stick around for our discussion of the third film in the Return of the Living Dead  franchise, a film that mixes comedy, action, and a surprisingly heartfelt love story into the usual zombie-movie stew. We're BIG fans of Dan O'Bannon's original Return film, but while this "three-quel" retains its basic premise and some of its lighter-hearted tone, it also stakes out some unusual new territory for the series -- and offers up a showcase for the directorial talents of genre legend Brian Yuzna. And, much like the living dead themselves, our "recommendations" segment returns again, with some more Skinamarink talk (don't worry, not that much) and a few other prime cuts from recent horror history. Enjoy, and... send more paramedics!

    1時間27分
  3. 2023/01/18

    Episode 13: The World of Kanako (2014) & Bloody Muscle Bodybuilder in Hell (1995)

    At long last, we're back with our first episode of 2023 (sorry about the wait!). This week, Chris and Nick check out a pair of Japanese films that, it turns out, have very little in common aside from their country of origin. First up is Tetsuya Nakashima's The World of Kanako, a brutal mystery/crime film that strays a little bit from the conventions of horror but nevertheless remains one of the most disturbing (yet also wildly energetic and complex) films we've seen in a long time. And then, with Evil Dead Rise right around the corner, we thought we'd spend an hour and change with the "Japanese Evil Dead," which goes by the amazing title Bloody Muscle Bodybuilder in Hell. This 1995 film, not released until nearly two decades after it was made, is a madcap no-budget reimagining of Sam Raimi's iconic horror/comedy franchise from writer/director/star Shinichi Fukazawa. Clearly a great appreciator of Raimi's films, Fukazawa tries on the well-worn shoes of Evil Dead  star Bruce Campbell in a movie that is an obvious and reverent labor of love, made on a shoestring but never skimping on the splattery goodness that its inspiration brought so spectacularly. And, keeping with the Evil Dead theme, we discuss our thoughts on Rise and the 2013 Fede Alvarez reboot; we also get into the latest works of filmmaker Edgar Wright and Rodney Ascher, both of which are "horror-adjacent" movies that we think our listeners might want to look into.

    1時間27分
  4. 2022/12/07

    Episode 11: Dario Argento's Dark Glasses (2022) & Phenomena (1985)

    This week, we're looking at the work of a filmmaker who's been a major figure in the horror genre for more than a half century: Dario Argento. Chris and Nick are both big fans of the Argento films they've seen, but with a filmography as extensive as the Italian master's is, there's still a lot left for us to check out. First up on our all-Argento episode (the first on The Shuddering, but likely not our last!), we review his most recent film, 2022's Dark Glasses. A throwback to Argento's legendary giallo films, this Rome-set mystery thriller was a surprise premiere on Shudder, and it features Argento's daughter Asia in a pivotal supporting role -- as well as one of the best movie dogs in recent memory. And then, it's on to a bona fide Argento classic, which one of us has just experienced for the very first time. 1985's Phenomena, also released in a heavily edited version known as Creepers, stars Jennifer Connelly in one of her first major film roles, as a teenager who tangles with a brutal serial killer at a Swiss boarding school. Oh, and she has a powerful psychic connection to the insect world. Also, a chimpanzee is a major character, playing several scenes opposite the legendary Donald Pleasance. And all of that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of this movie's mind-blowing bizarreness. We had a LOT of fun discussing this one (BTW, let us know what you think of Nick's alternate title), and we hope you enjoy this especially super-sized episode of the show, on which we also get into Netflix's 1899, the recently released Bones and All, and more!

    1時間54分
  5. 2022/11/23

    Episode 10: Lake of the Dead (1958) & The Innocents (2021)

    We're back! And, with Halloween now (sadly) several weeks behind us, it's time to get back to business as usual -- well, to some extent. Our latest attempt to broaden our horror-movie horizons by way of the Shudder library brings us to Norway, from which we've picked both a highly respected genre classic and a recent film that's generated a lot of buzz in the horror community. First up is Lake of the Dead, a 1958 film that plays like a finely crafted Nordic twist on the old "cabin in the woods" setup and features what has been called the most famous shot in all of Norwegian film. Combining an old-fashioned murder mystery with some eerie supernatural and folkloric elements, this film might not be too well-known outside of its country of origin, but thanks to Shudder, it's a piece of horror history that's ripe for rediscovery. After that, we explore one of the most disturbing films your humble hosts have seen in some time, writer/director Eskil Vogt's The Innocents. This tale of preteen kids reckoning with superhuman abilities has a little bit of a Stephen King vibe, but it's far bleaker and more unsettling than pretty much anything he's ever created. It's also beautifully shot, exceptionally well directed, and features some of the most remarkable performances you'll ever see from child actors. Even by our standards, though, this was a tough watch -- you'll have to listen to the show to find out whether we thought it was worth it! Plus, our thoughts on the unlikely recent blockbuster Terrifier 2, the incredible career of genre legend Lance Henriksen, and -- in our continuing celebration of "Cenovember" -- the first few Hellraiser sequels, up through 2000's Inferno.

    1時間33分

番組について

Do you like scary movies? Then, come play with us! Each episode, we'll be reviewing one vintage and one modern horror film from our favorite streaming service, Shudder, serving up commentary, analysis, and a little bit of film history (but no spoilers!) along the way. From the guys who brought you Precinct 13: The Movies and Music of John Carpenter comes a podcast that seeks out movies to stream that'll make you scream!