Chewing The Scenery Horror Movie Podcast

This is a special announcement to let our dear listeners know that the episode that would've dropped on Tuesday will instead drop on Friday. "Why?" you may ask. "Because we will not give less than 100%. It's Women in Horror Month, Dammit!" we may answer. So, join your kind hosts on Friday, February 17th as we discuss the 1979 classic, "Alien".

Episode 69 gets “Women in Horror Month” started right. You guessed it, “Messiah of Evil” (1973) was co-written, co-produced and co-directed by Gloria Katz and her husband, Willard Huyck. And, although they went on to assault you with "Howard the Duck", they were also kind enough to write screenplays for "American Graffiti” and “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”. So there. But, before getting into all of that, your hosts muse over why certain movies are shown on certain holidays. “The Ten Commandments” is not an Easter story any more than “African Queen” is a Thanksgiving tale. But what about "Teen Christ”? Wouldn’t that be interesting? Or “Teen Pope”? We just wonder how his basketball skills will work out. And, on that note- Jolyon has Vatican travel tips for you. Richard saw a cannibal movie. He also wants you to know that if an animal is smarter than you, don’t kill it! Speaking of cannibals, Will wonders what kind of hats they wore to the Donner Party? Your hosts get on track discussing thi

Episode 68 Is about a 2016 movie with a bossy title: “Don’t Breathe”. When this movie isn’t telling you what to do, it’s putting you on edge and stressing you out. Not that this is a bad thing! Your hosts all liked it so much that major spoilers are avoided! After a brief discussion of Unsolved Mysteries and the Oakville Blobs (not a basketball team) your hosts puzzle over why there aren’t found footage comedies. Or romance movies. Or Westerns. And Elvis Presley’s twin….did he really die at birth or was there something much stranger going on? You’ll hear about that time Jolyon walked out on Moby and you’ll get some advice as to when you should listen to those voices in your head. Most importantly, we’ll ask that age-old question, “Are we really just watching Home Alone?” So, walk softly into this episode, use a lot of gestures and don’t let your smelly shoes give you away! Find us on Instagram, where we are @chewingthescenery or easily find us on Facebook. Chewing the Scenery can be found on Soundclo

Episode 67 takes you to Summer Camp. In the woods. On a lake. Are you picturing a hockey-masked killer yet? Well, stop it already, we’re talking about the often overlooked 1981 slasher, “The Burning”! Your hosts watch this one live, so please cue up the movie and follow along…it just might be fun! There is an origin story for the Cropsey killer and it turns out he has good follow through. He should, with the help of FX maestro Tom Savini! There’s also writing talent provided by Bob and Harvey Weinstein. Along this journey, you’ll find out that faces in windows are almost never a good surprise, you’ll meet a hospital employee who only speaks in double negatives and a bunch of rowdy campers. A young Jason Alexander (George from Seinfeld, but with hair) is one of them! Rattner from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" is another. And there’s also Holly Hunter! “How have I never seen this?” you might ask. We don’t know. But what we do know is that these picturesque locations are most certainly all overpo

Episode 66 is a special “Live Watch” of the 80’s slasher “Pieces”. Join Will, Jolyon and Richard as they have a little fun with a lesser-known (and lesser-quality) slasher from Spain/United States. Yes, that’s a joint effort, using only the best of the best in international film making! You’ll see a time-traveling pushbutton phone. You’ll see a guy who has eyebrows just like the other guy’s mustache. You’ll find out what we mean by Donald Duckin’ and Porky Piggin’. Is a chainsaw an elegant weapon? You will find out! What grosses out Will worse than a Taco Bell commercial? Well, not this movie, but it does have a lot of gore! So, sit back, have some instant coffee, and don’t mind the paralysis that sets in! Find us on Instagram, where we are @chewingthescenery or easily find us on Facebook. Chewing the Scenery can be found on Soundcloud, iTunes and Stitcher. Please rate, review and subscribe- it really does help listeners find us! #horror #horrormovies #horrornerd #horroraddict #horrorjunkie #monste

Episode 65 checks in with your kind hosts after a snowy break. Jolyon kicked off the New Year with Bruce Lee, while Richard watched Citizen Kane, which is the Citizen Kane of movies. Will hung out with Turkish soap operas, as you might expect. He’s the same guy who wants to edit the shark out of Jaws 2. Then, the episode takes you across time and space, traveling to Monster Island in 1967. You know who else is traveling there? Godzilla, that’s who! He’s been telepathically summoned by his as-yet unhatched son(?) called Minya. Or Minilla. But not Godzooky. THAT was Godzilla’s nephew and was only in cartoons. You know, like Scrappy Doo! Anyhoo, Godzilla teaches that little smoke ring puffing lizard to breathe fire in the same way John Wayne teaches kids to swim. This is an important life lesson when you soon have giant insects to fight! The people in Godzilla movies may be less surprised to see Godzilla than Richard is to see a cardinal, but they usually have scientists around to explain things. Sti

Episode 64 invites you along on it’s mysterious job that it no longer cares about keeping secret. That’s right, “Troll Hunter” (2010, Norway) is the featured movie to ring in the New Year! Considering how high of a body count 2016 had, this found footage “mockumentary” should feel very comforting. "Troll Hunter” isn’t dull, though. It reveals the mythology of trolls in stages, has good FX and the characters are all likable! There’s plenty of action, and some monsters, but it doesn’t have the authentic smells of a Viking museum. You’ll find out that Richard cannot stand filling out forms, which is something Will does just for fun. You’ll find out that trolls are stupid, even though they sometimes have several heads. Should the “mirror trope” be outlawed? We’ll tell you! What sea creatures can Aquaman NOT summon? We’ll tell you that too! Now, it’s time to slather on the troll stench, charge up the UV strobes and head out, ‘cause these ain’t no Russian bears we’re hunting! Oh, and welcome, Polytheists!

Episode 63 is a return to form. Jolyon is back with Will and Richard for a discussion of Guillermo del Toro’s “Crimson Peak” (2015). But first, there’s a lot of catching up to do. Jolyon has a great list of things he watched while ill. There are some gems here, so get out your pens and paper, dear listeners! Then Richard watched “The Ref” for some Christmas cheer followed by a whole list of movies that fall into the category of “what I expected”. Which doesn’t mean bad. Well, maybe sometimes. Will wants to know how many Benjis they went through in the making of several “Benji” movies. And why was “Lassie” often a lad? This only perpetuated the glass ceiling for female dogs in Hollywood for decades! Did you know you can tell Jeff Goldblum’s age by his ears? It’s true! So, on to Crimson Peak. Is this the one starring Sean Connery as a Russian submarine captain? No, we’re pretty sure that was another film entirely! This one is pretty, all seem to agree. Is there enough substance here or did del T

After an unexpected hiatus, Chewing the Scenery is back with a special Christmas release, talking about the Finnish film, “Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale” (2010). Will thinks this story idea is Finntastic. Normally, the episodes drop every Tuesday, but Santa has something a little different in store for you, dear listeners. Hosts Will and Richard are joined by Krampus expert Mike C, who holds a Masters in German Studies and teaches a college course in German Folklore. “But this movie is set in Finland” you say, “what can this professor possibly tell us about their dark Christmas stuff?” you say. Hold on to your reindeer! Mike has been to Finland, loves “Black Metal” and has possibly eaten some of Santa’s team. Your hosts and their guest briefly take the 2015 movie “Krampus” to task, but get distracted by the far more interesting source material. As we get older and discard Santa, the Krampus invites us to the dark side, where drinking and scaring small children is the true spirit of Christmas. After

Episode 61 is just what you needed and never knew you needed it. That’s right, Jason Voorhees in space! Sounds absurd, right? You could be on to something, but why stop at nine of these movies when you can make a tenth one? Look, the great director David Cronenberg shows up in this movie. He doesn’t direct it or anything...he just gets killed by Jason. His idea. Jolyon comes up with the idea of Jason in a Bible Camp. Will likes that idea way better than a spaceship full of twentysomethings 400 years in the future. But Richard likes Jason X just fine! Why not? The sets and effects look great! Now, get in your sleeping bags and get ready for an episode that’ll bash you against a tree in a Holodeck! Find us on Instagram, where we are @chewingthescenery or easily find us on Facebook. Chewing the Scenery can be found on Soundcloud, iTunes and Stitcher. Please rate, review and subscribe- it really does help listeners find us! #horror #horrormovies #horrornerd #horroraddict #horrorjunkie #monsterkid #bm

Episode 60 takes you on a trip through time. There’ll be dinosaurs, gorillas and pterodactyls! There’ll also be exploding heads and sword fighting skeletons. Yes, that’s right, your hosts will be talking about some favorite historic special effects! Before all of that history gets underway, there’s discussion of how your hosts used to find porn in nature. Who left all this porn lying around the forest? Why, the Porn Goblin, that’s who! As a kid, Richard could never get enough of giant gorillas or skeletons. Some things never change! Will never took a liking to all the Rankin/Bass features, but don’t tell Santa about that! Jolyon is new to the world of Gumby, so you should expect him to get lost in that world for a while. Meanwhile, your hosts will take you deep into the land of Ray Harryhausen, Willis O’Brien, Jack Pierce, Rick Baker, Stan Winston and Tom Savini. So, pour yourself a space bourbon and have a listen. And remember, kids- it’s okay to move the scorpion, but don’t touch the skeleton! F

Episode 59 is a special one. Richard recorded a Q&A after a screening of “Hatchet II” where director Adam Green and star Kane Hodder discussed the making of this horror film and the rest of the franchise. This vivid and rare 35mm print of the film looked just as Adam intended, but the MPAA wanted to hack this slasher classic to bits. Adam pushed back and you’ll find out all about it. You’ll hear plenty of other crazy and interesting stories, including the time Kane was told on a commercial shoot not to look into Madonna’s eyes. What did he do? You’ll find out in this episode! Although you won’t hear your usual fare this time, trust that it’s well worth it to hear this hour of horror history! Find us on Instagram, where we are @chewingthescenery or easily find us on Facebook. Chewing the Scenery can be found on Soundcloud, iTunes and Stitcher. Please rate, review and subscribe- it really does help listeners find us! #horror #horrormovies #horrornerd #horroraddict#horrorjunkie #monsterkid #bmovie #scary

Episode 58 finds your hosts celebrating an anniversary! Yes, “Manos: Hands of Fate” turns 50 the very day this episode drops! What happens when a fertilizer/insurance salesman makes a bet that he can make a feature-length movie? “Manos”, that’s what! On a $19,000 budget in 1966, an idea ended up on celluloid. Along with about 30 minutes of driving footage. Will considers that the best part! Would Jolyon call this movie “an entertaining turkey”? Or does it even earn that distinction? You’ll hear all about it! Since this movie has been restored, Will argues that a better version is somehow worse. Richard supposes that the set of “Manos" smelled of Aquanet and shame…and we find out that the gala premiere probably did as well! This movie has something for everyone: lots of driving, a tall dude in a cult robe with red hands on it, nightgown girls in a sandy catfight, a creepily overdubbed child, and Torgo. Will denies the possibility of having been conceived at a New Mexico drive-in showing of “Manos”.

Episode 57 brings the inevitable: your hosts discuss Dario Argento’s “Tenebrae” (1982). "Not so fast,” you say “what about your 31 Days of Halloween Horror Movie Challenge lists?”. Yes, dear listeners, that is covered. You know, just in case you’re a November denier, clutching desperately to October. Even if you suffer from Halloween Fatigue, you’ll still want to write some of these down. Will talks about “Equinox” and “Don’t Torture a Duckling” being some good offerings. Jolyon mostly likes the "‘Salem’s Lot” remake (2004), which goes to show that when Rob Lowe and Rutger Hauer team up, they can get the job done! Mic drop…well, the boom mic drops into view in one scene. So….”Tenebrae”. This film caught a lot of heat in it’s time and to this day is still regulated, even banned in one country. C’mon Germany, “The Walking Dead” has way more gore! But still, there’s no shortage of straight razors, axes, lethal-looking sculptures and dangerous red shoes! Don’t look for old Rome, though…it’s simply not

Episode 56 arrives a day early because HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Your hosts kick it off with some lists of Halloween favorites and “31 Days of Halloween Horror Movie Challenge” movies. We still haven’t seen “The Slashening”, but Will did see “The Machine that Killed Bad People”. And Richard saw “Gog”…with more killer robuts than “Chopping Mall”. Jolyon mentions movies to get you out of ever babysitting again. So, you may wonder why the movie your hosts chose to discuss is not specifically a Halloween movie. Well, it’s because “Under the Skin” (2013) is just that awesome. You’ve heard that Scarlett Johansson is in it. You’ve heard that her character seldom speaks. You’ve heard that sometimes her clothes are missing. But is she an extraterrestrial alien? An interdimensional being? A creature of this earth that has managed to stay hidden? Your guess is as good as ours! We only know for sure that she knows nothing of cake, sex or fog. Her self-discovery goes beyond all that, but the mysterious “motorcycle g

Episode 55 finds your hosts welcoming back author Stephen Graham Jones to discuss sequels Halloween II (1981) Rob Zombie directed Halloween II (2009). Stephen is fresh off of re-watching the “Scream” movies, just in time for the holiday. Meanwhile, Jolyon somehow survived all the movies of “Halloween” franchise…and “Werewolf in Bangkok”, which he describes as “more of a tubby rat-man”. Your hosts discuss a few more bad movies before digging into the Halloween II movies. Yes, both of them! Stephen explains the yellowed appearance of the Michael Myers mask in the 1981 film. Richard is pleased to be talking about the triumphant appearance and flaming exit of Ben Tramer. Then a black widow spider suddenly shows up in the studio! No, really, check our Instagram! How does Michael Myers move that giant tombstone, anyway? And then how did the art department in "Halloween H20” get the age of Judith Myers wrong when it’s literally carved in stone? Is Michael a tire slasher as well as a slasher? We can only

Episode 54 gives you something “Phantasm” movies 1 through 4 could not- ”Phantasm: Ravager”. Yes, part 5 of the series is available to rent just before Halloween. As the great philosopher Meatloaf once said: “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad”. Well, that’s true unless those two dislike your movie more than a little bit. The other host likes about two thirds of “Phantasm: Ravager” but can’t seem to do the math to get it to a C+ . Richard still likes it enough to recommend it to horror fans, while Will calls it “almost total nonsense”. Do listeners feel that this is just the tradition of the Phantasm movies? We shall see! In the march toward Halloween, your hosts also discuss other movies that they stuffed into their eyeholes. Will saw “Babadook” and “The Orphanage”, one of which he liked. In addition to the 4k restoration of the original “Phantasm”, Richard saw several movies, and called only one of them “A dumpster fire”. Jolyon saw “Unfriended” and managed to see where Hitchcock may have followed a simi

There are three things your hosts will cover in episode 54, one from 1951, one from 1982 and one from 2011. What's something Kurt Russell couldn't do in Antarctica? Kill a mosquito. But Richard can… live in the studio! Your host talk a little about 1979's "the Warriors" and the themed gangs. Were the New York Mimes dangerous? Well, let's just say you won't hear them coming! After some talk about Westworld, we get to discuss the unsettled feeling 1982's "John Carpenter's the Thing" gives to Will. It's intangible, but the monsters isn't… it gets in your face a lot. But Jolyon points out that it's got a lot to do in an hour and 48 minutes. 1951 "the Thing from Another World" sure blew some minds in its day and even years later. Just look at that flying saucer under the ice! Speaking of which, 2011's "The Thing" goes even crazier with saucers under the ice. Does it deserve the hate it has gotten? We think not! Will fracking horror become a new sub-genre? Just you wait! Now, strap on your flamethrower, che

Episode 52 marks ONE YEAR of weekly podcasts from your kind hosts! To celebrate, we are talking about Lucio Fulci’s 1979 “Zombie”. Or “Zombie 2”. Or “Zombi”. Maybe ”Zombie Flesh Eaters”…aww, just pick one! Fulci wanted to make a sequel to Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead”, so he just did. Pretty much. For years, this was Will’s favorite Zombie movie. For years, Richard thought he had seen this but hadn't. For all of those years, Jolyon was madly researching and mentally filing away facts about the classic. So, for our dear listeners, this means a typical episode! But it’s not all about the living dead. You’ll hear about that time Will was eating lunch and was suddenly surrounded by clowns! Since Jolyon decapitates clowns as a matter of safety, they lucked out that he wasn’t there! You’ll hear about ways to work the system of a “31 Days of Halloween” movie challenge. You’ll find out whether “Crime Wolf” is really a movie, or just made up, like “Rob Zombie’s Air Bud 7; the Quickening”. Can New York cops be

Episode 51 is large in stature due to our celebrity guest. We’ve been holding on to this audio since April, but now it’s time to share. “Big Daddy” from George A. Romero’s “Land of the Dead” joins Richard for an interview at Walker Stalker Con Denver. Yes, Eugene A Clark steps forth from the crowd of zombies to talk about his great Halloween mask, that time he was on Kung Fu but really wasn’t, a situation with an aggressive crazy person who really wasn’t, and those times people howl at him like a zombie in airports! Eugene lets you know a little about what the great legacy of George A Romero Zombie films means and how zombies can evolve! The outro music is Big Daddy’s theme from the “Land of the Dead” soundtrack, so see if you can find the beat and dance your way toward October! Find us on Instagram, where we are @chewingthescenery or easily find us on Facebook. Chewing the Scenery can be found on Soundcloud, iTunes and Stitcher. Please rate, review and subscribe- it really does help us!