Really Awful Movies: Ep 59 – Freeway Killer

Freeway Killer is a take on the life and times of notorious serial killer William Bonin, who plied his trade in the late 70s in Southern California. Michael Rooker (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer) plays a cop on the hunt for the mad man.

We are fans of realism in horror but can it ever go too far? Should you do horror biopics? Texas Chainsaw was a composite of various killers, Ed Gein and several others not solely based on one person. It’s pretty bad for the families of the victims. Can we be too close to the material? How much distance is required to shoot a film like this?

We talk about the influence of people like Charles Manson and his continued presence in pop culture.

Really Awful Movies: Ep 57 – Sleepaway Camp

Sleepaway Camp is an infamous 1983 exploitation slasher.

“Dear mom and dad, I’ve been at sleepaway camp for almost three weeks…and I’m getting very scared!”

We reflect on our own summer camp experiences and discuss the movie.

Like most 80s slashers, Sleepaway Camp has a prologue in which the girl’s father is run over by a boat and then a “flash forward so many years…”

This one is about that young girl and her cousin (Jonathan Tiersten, whom we’ve met at London’s Shock Stock) sent to a summer camp, where a group of killings begins shortly after their arrival.

It’s known for a shocking ending that remains shocking to this day, making it a cut above your usual 80s slasher fare.

Really Awful Movies: Ep 51 – Nudity in Horror

When it comes to horror, people like blood, gore and for better or for worse, gratuitous nudity.

Can it ever be too much? Does it have to serve a purpose? Why is the genre known for the prevalence of nudity?

More permissive cultural attitudes in the 60s, were quickly reflected in horror.

We discuss pioneers of the genre, Corman, H.G. Lewis et al, 80s slashers like Friday the 13th and Hospital Massacre and what teens wanted to see at the drive-in.