Episode 66: Werewolf of London

londonJourney back in time with us to the 1930s amongst rumors of wolf people devastating the London area.  A full six years before Lawrence Talbot would put No Shave November to shame, Universal released Werewolf of London — the first major theatrical release involving a werewolf.   Join Ron, Morty and Guest Host Stu as they battle the foggy London nights in search of this Wolf Creature.  All the while they will be discussing things such as Duck Dynasty, horny drunken cockney ladies, reverse werewolves, May-December relationships, The Monkees, werewolf makeup and letting your woman hang out with her ex.

Horror News: Roku Channels, Kickstarter Campaigns, DVD release of The Bat

 

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Little Miss Horror Nerd’s Little Horror Blog 14

Satanic Sorority Girls and Why We Watch Horror

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Alpha Girls released September 1, 2013 was written and directed by Tony Trov and Johnny Zito. The film stars Nikki Bell as Veronica, the head sorority girl. The story revolves around Morgan (played by Falon Joslyn) and her fellow sorority pledges. After a promising opening scene where a topless sorority girl (Ed Note: If they have to go, they might as well go topless) is murdered we jump to present day where Morgan is a transfer student being introduced to Veronica.

Morgan is immediately dumped into a disgusting closet of a room that resembles the inside of a flop house to share with three other girls. As it turns out, one of them — Cassidy (played by Beverly Rivera) — is a witch. After Cassidy performs some ridiculous spell involving swallowing  live goldfish, the girls come into good fortune. However, there is a price to pay for this good fortune. That price is lives.

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Based on the opening scene of this movie, I was looking forward to lots of silly topless girls being murdered. Alas, it was not to be as that was the last pair of boobs we see (Ed Note: whatWhatWhAT?!!!). In my opinion, this movie lacked in bloody murders committed on camera. One death actually involved hanging by panties!

While this movie is a cheap, trashy slasher it is missing an abundance of key ingredients needed to make it a good one. It actually reminded me of Sorority House Massacre II (Ed Note: Orville?) which is part of the Slumber Party Massacre franchise. This isn’t necessarily a good thing. There was a least one decent murder by ax and some giggles to be had. . Alpha Girls is available on Comcast VOD and to stream on Amazon.

LITTLE MISS HORROR NERD’S RATING: 2/5

http://youtu.be/Q9NKrgVBgf8

 

 

In honor of the Halloween season, I decided to take a brief look at why we watch horror movies. This is a question I have asked myself many times especially after discussing movies with someone who does not like horror. What compels us to watch horror movies? Is it the desire to be frightened? Is it the need to confront our own mortality or understand death? Probably a combination of all of these.

The feeling of being scared is both powerful and addictive in the same way sexual arousal and satisfaction are. Your heart rate, blood pressure and adrenaline levels all increase  while watching horror movies just as they do during sex. It makes sense that horror filmmakers throw in all that nudity and sex as a way to keep us coming back for more. Some may regard horror fans as adrenaline junkies.  While that may not be far off but there is another more important reason I believe we watch horror. I believe watching horror is a way we we try to accept our our own mortality and understand death — a kind of cheap therapy,  if you will for those of us terrified of what lies beyond this world. I am one of those people. I can honestly say death is the only thing that I am afraid of. I guess it is fear of the unknown. Unfortunately, horror films are not being made by the dearly departed so there probably are no answers in them. They are an exceptionally fun way to pass the time though.

P.S. My favorite concept of the afterlife comes from the book The Lovely Bones. If it were reality I don’t believe I would be frightened anymore. If you haven’t read this novel pick it up. It definitely has horror elements to it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

lmhn

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Episode 65: Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman

frankIn one corner, you have a very tall green monster of a man (or men) and in the other, you have a really hairy dude with a black nose and long nails — something’s got to give!  Join Ron, Hammer and Morty as the Resurrection of Zombie 7 podcast goes back to it’s classic lineup for second step into the complex world of the Wolf Man.  Hear such tales as how Lon Chaney Jr shrunk since the Wolf Man; why Evelyn Ankers wasn’t in this film; hear the original plans for the movie and how Bela Lugosi got involved. Learn the Wolf Man’s finishing maneuver in this epic battle and why Frankenstein’s monsters walks around with his hands held out in front of him. Yes, all this and so much more in just one podcast!

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Little Miss Horror Nerd’s Little Horror Blog 13

The Bewitching Opening of American Horror Story:  Coven

 

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The first time I saw a commercial for Season One of this delightfully disturbing anthology series, I just knew I would love it. The first season, we had a house full of ghosts and secrets. Last year it was crazed killers, Nazi doctors, and a damaged nun. This year it is witches and the first episode started off with a bang!

As with past seasons, non-fiction has been mixed with fiction by interjecting historical figures as characters in the story. Over the past two seasons we have met historical figures like The Black Dahlia and Anne Frank.  Season Three give us Madame Delphine Lalaurie, and Marie Laveau. Season Three continues the tradition of jumping between past and present while it focuses on the story of a finishing school for modern day young witches juxtaposed with the story of some not-so-modern ladies from the early 1800s.

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Madame Lalaurie was a well to do, Creole socialite who was married three times. Her last marriage was to a French doctor (who was actually a dentist) but set up practice claiming he could cure hunchback deformities. Madame Delphine had many slaves whom she starved, tortured and murdered. (Ed Note:  She also used her slaves in experiments and to hear them scream for her pleasure) Marie Laveau was a Louisiana Creole Voodoo priestess living in New Orleans. She was born free. I won’t go into any additional detail so as not to spoil the episode for those who haven’t watched it yet, but I recommend Googling these ladies for more backstory.

The first season, Murder House, was very dark. Asylum was gruesome and disturbing, Coven promises some of the same but also some (always welcome) dark humor. Trippy, wacky and over the top all came to mind while I watched the first episode of Coven. In my opinion American Horror Story is probably the best show on television that falls under the horror umbrella. Some reasons for this including superior acting and excellent writing but my favorite reason that it is an anthology series. One of the biggest problem with a typical television series is that after a few seasons there is generally no where to go with the characters and the whole thing just becomes tired and boring. Anthologies do not have this problem because every year it is fresh. I cannot wait to see how the story plays out with this cast of beautiful and talented ladies!  Even if you have not watched previous seasons start with this one. I gaurantee you will be hooked!

LITTLE MISS HORROR NERD’S RATING:  5/5

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For more information on Madame Delphine LaLaurie click here.

For more information on Marie Laveau click here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

lmhn

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Episode 64: The Wolf Man

wolfmanIt’s finally here!  Through power outages, 16 hour road trips, lost power chords, hurricanes, electric demons, bouts of narcolepsy and a crowded coffee shop in Salem, the first episode of our newest franchise has finally hit the airwaves!  Join Ron and Little Miss Horror Nerd as they go through the classic Universal Film, The Wolf Man.  They will discuss many things such as the morality of Gwen, Larry Talbot as a creeper, Gwen as a size queen, how The Wolf Man ranks amongst his Universal Monster Brethren, the effectiveness of the transformation scene, what parts of the werewolf mythology were started with this film and what portions of this film were ignored as the mythology grew and evolved.  Take a walk with us through the fog fill woods next to Talbot castle where we will meet gravediggers, wolves, gypsies and years of European oral folklore.  It will be a howling good time!

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