Episode 268: 'Under the Skin' (2013)/'Glorious'(2022)

Explicit content warning

04/05/24 • 61 min

We have franchises on our minds this week. We did not think The Pope's Exorcist was a big hit. It underperformed at the box office and any time we heard about the Russel Crowe movie, it was just about how awful it was. Apparently, it has gathered a cult following. How big of a fanbase? Would you believe a trilogy? We also talk about the new Matrix movie and the importance of knowing when to quit.

Scarlett Johansson is one of the biggest movie stars in the world. Big as in second box office grossing actor in the history of movies. She has acted in a number of different genres and is known the world over. But even she has starred in some films that did not set the box office on fire.

Released in 2013, Under the Skin is one of those that did not do as well. As in, it failed to recoup its $13 million (!) budget. We talk about the guerilla filmmaking, Johansson's amazing performance, and why audiences will have trouble getting into it. Is this the best work on an impressive resume?

It seems like we are seeing a Lovecraft renaissance. The horror author has been a big influence for many, but his views have left him person non grata for a long time. But every week seems to bring us a new work inspired by him. (To be fair, Lovecraftian themes and ideas have never gone away.)

What is especially fun about this latest way of Lovecraftian horror is its willingness to try new themes. Take 2022's Glorious. The Shudder original takes many familiar themes and puts them in a road stop restroom and makes a glory hole central to the plot. Does it work? And what about that wild twist?

Adventures in Movies! is a part of the Morbidly Beautiful Podcast Network. Morbidly Beautiful is your one stop shop for all your horror needs. From the latest news and reviews to interviews and old favorites, it can be found at Morbidly Beautiful.

Adventures in Movies! is hosted by Nathaniel and Blake. You can find Nathaniel on Instagram at nathaninpoortaste. Blake can be found on Twitter @foureyedhorror and on Instagram at foureyedhorror. You can reach us personally or on Twitter @AdventuresinMo1.

Music in the background from https://www.FesliyanStudios.com

Music in the background from https://www.FesliyanStudios.com

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Episode 267: Easter Horror 'Easter Bunny Massacre: The Bloody Trail' (2022)/'Easter Bloody Easter' (2023)

It is not often that we cover box office blockbusters. There is the occasional special edition, but most of the films we cover tend to fly under the mainstream radar. Late Night with the Devil does not change that, but it has done some interesting business. But as is par for the course nowadays, it comes with a bit of controversy.

We love hearing about movies that have taken things too far. The First Omen had already hooked up thanks to its awesome trailer. It was recently revealed that it was almost rated NC-17 - and not for the reasons you might think. This certainly sounds exciting at first, but are there ulterior motives behind this revelation?

There are some names that are common throughout horror. There are plenty of movies called “The Curse” or have “Revelations” in their title. And while you wouldn’t think there would be two movies called Easter Bunny Massacre, it should not be that shocking. The fact that they are both about friends who share a dark secret having a reunion before being picked off by a killer dressed in an Easter bunny outfit is certainly strange.

Obviously, it takes elements from I Know What You Did Last Summer, so it should come as no surprise that it borrows liberally from Scream. But when do you cross the line between homage and rip-off? (Here’s a hint; taking scenes word for word and shot for shot is a little much.) Easter Bunny Massacre: The Bloody Trail sounded like dumb fun, but just ended up being dumb.

There was no way that Easter Bloody Easter was not going to provide some sort of entertainment. Its story involving a killer jackalope and an army of killer bunny rabbits was just too silly. And the climax provided the kind of bonkers excitement that we knew we were going to get.

Regrettably, that was the only part of the film that lived up to its promise. How do you get the tone wrong in a ridiculous comedy horror? Include a toxic relationship and alcoholism for starters. And that is just the start of many problems in Easter Bloody Easter? Were the genuinely funny moments enough to overcome its many flaws? And will we ever do another Easter episode again?

Music in the background from https://www.FesliyanStudios.com

Next Episode

Episode 269: Bruceploitation Month: 'Sting' (2024)/'Enter the Clones of Bruce' (2024)

Decades ago, Anne Rice showed us that placing vampires in the southern United States usually leads to great storytelling. While it is all rumors, there may be a new horror movie using the same formula. With names like Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan attached it sounds interesting.

Killer clowns have been a thing for a very long time. You would figure that two guys who love horror movies would dig. At the very least, they would have seen the Terrifier movies. As it turns out, one of us has not seen either of them (unless you count the anthology shown on The Last Drive-In). The other saw the first one and did not really like it.

Believe it or not, neither of us are excited about the next installment. Does the Christmas theme at least have us intrigued? What is Art the Clown? Is it a bad thing when the only way to describe a horror movie is by its kills? We may not care for the franchise, but we have some things to say about it.

There was a time when sci-fi horror movies would pack drive-throughs around the country. Sting sounds like a throwback to that time. The story is about a young girl that finds a tiny space spider. As it grows in size, its appetite grows with it. What’s a pre-teen girl to do?

Is it possible for one character to ruin an otherwise fun little horror movie? What if everyone else is quirky and fun? There is a lot of good to say about Sting, but the stuff that is bad really stands out. Still, there is excellent production and some great scare shots.

It is impossible to overstate the impact of Bruce Lee. We have fond memories of him from when we were kids. Playing with nunchucks, watching Game of Death over and over, and even as stated in this week’s feature presentation Enter the Clones of Bruce, not believing he was a real person.

The documentary about Bruceploitation is a fantastic one that focuses on one of the strangest sub-genres of film that exists. In between stories of stand-ins from around the world and directors willing to sink to unbelievable lows is a story about a man that was admired by the entire world. Enter the Clones is a fantastic look at guerilla filmmaking that also remembers an absolute legend.

Music in the background from https://www.FesliyanStudios.com