Really Awful Movies: Ep 264 – Ice Cream Man

~ reallyawfulmovies

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:38 — 41.2MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

Some 90s horror for your listening pleasure this episode: Ice Cream Man. This Clint Howard starrer is an odd duck, and is about, not surprisingly, a killer ice cream man.

A neighborhood kid goes missing. Suddenly, all signs point to the local oddball eccentric, the man in the white uni who brings treats to all the kids.

Ice Cream Man also features Jan Michael Vincent as a cop, in as lazy a performance as you’ll ever see, as well as Olivia Hussey (Black Christmas, etc).

The cast of kids is what makes this film so joyous. There’s Tuna, the fat one, Johnny, Heather, and the bizarrely named, Small Paul.

The 90s was a rough time for the horror genre, but it’s nice to see a few quirky gems like this one.

Really Awful Movies: Ep 263 – An American Werewolf in London

~ reallyawfulmovies

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 41:43 — 48.2MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

Welcome to John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London, a very fine (and very timeless) piece of lycanthrope cinema.

Two American backpackers are sightseeing in some far-flung reaches of Yorkshire. Tired and hungry, they come upon a pub called The Slaughtered Lamb, whose denizens are not the most welcoming sort. In fact, our heroes David and Jack, feel like they really don’t belong, and it’s not just a cultural thing. The place is a bit sinister. One of the barflies tells the two young men to “stay off the Moors.” They pay for their drinks and bounce quickly, heading into the dark night.

Suddenly, a creature of the night tears at the them. Jack is mauled down to his flayed skin. David wakes up in a London hospital with quite the tale to tell, yet nobody at Scotland Yard is interested in hearing it.

He does, however, have a friendly ear in nurse Alex (Jenny Agutter). The two hit it off, but David is starting to exhibit strange feelings…especially come full moon.

An American Werewolf in London is one of those rare species of horror film, one with comedic elements that work exceedingly well to complement the bloodiness. David Naughton is exceptional as the wide-eyed American. Rick Baker’s effects are one-of-a-kind.

Join us every week on the Really Awful Movies Podcast, as we discuss our favorite genre classics, predominantly horror. Subscribe!

Really Awful Movies: Ep 262 – Raising Cain

~ reallyawfulmovies

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:19 — 37.4MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

This John Lithgow-starring, Brian De Palma-directed thriller is set around Valentine’s day. On this episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast, a take on this “demented, deranged, deceptive” De Palma flick, Raising Cain.

Lithgow portrays multiple characters/multiple personalities. He is a child psychologist, Dr. Carter Nix, who is kidnapping kids to use for nefarious purposes (not explained, adding to the air of mystery here).

Against this backdrop, a hell of a lot of family infidelity drama, worthy of a Woody Allen film.

Nix’s wife is an oncologist, Jenny (Lolita Davidovich). Jenny is two-timing Nix, having an affair with (of all people) the widower of a cancer patient she’s treating! It’s an insane premise, and if you are a fan of the equally cheesy Netflix series, You, you won’t be put off by the Lifetime Movie fromage on display at times here.

Raising Cain winds an interesting narrative, as Nix is painted into a corner and has to plot schemes to extricate himself, while the police try to get a handle on what’s going on with the missing kids, as well as missing moms.

While hardly peak De Palma (that would be The Phantom of the Paradise, Carrie and The Untouchables(On the podcast, we have yet to talk De Palma, although we did reference The Phantom of the Paradise on several occasions).

Lithgow really embraces the different roles, and shows off considerable acting chops, despite falling into the odd embarrassing / laughable scene.

Raising Cain definitely stands apart as a worthy, intriguing little misfire.

On this episode of the Really Awful Movies Podcast, we watched different versions of the film (there are two, both of which were released on Blu-ray. One was a fan re-cut, and the other was the more incoherent theatrical release).

Do yourself a favor and watch the re-cut. It’s far far superior.

And don’t forgot to subscribe to the podcast, uploaded for your listening pleasure every Friday.