Allen Marston SF13 E8

Albert Fish, Gary Ridgway, and Ed Gein. All of these men are real life horror stories. On this week’s show, Wes and co-host Chad Harlan talk American serial killers with Allen Marston. Allen spoke at Scarefest XII on the topic and tonight he brings further insight into the terror behind these nonfictional boogie men along with several others that you may not be familiar with.

Allen explores the cultural phenomenon behind the fascination with serial killers, where his personal interest comes from, how publicity possibly affects serial killers, and why he would rather not revisit information about Albert Fish again if possible. It is a fascinating delve into factual horrors that truly can be more terrifying than fiction.

At the end of the program, our feature presentation is the film short THE THING, an adaptation of a short excerpt from the SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK book series. Afterwards, Wes and Chad chat briefly with the writer/director Miles Bellar about his movie influences, his vision as a filmmaker, and upcoming projects. To see more from Miles, check out his “138 PRODUCTIONS” Youtube page at www.youtube.com/channel/UCrKWE9CSCY6H3lqOOkK4ZNQ/featured

We also have new updates from the Week in Horror History, CC on the road, Billy Crank, Mutagen Nation, movie reviews from Fakeshemp and Bonehead Joe Lewis, and an extra special visit from Really Bad Santa. Yep, not sure if this Santa is the kind that would want milk and cookies. Maybe some tequila and a few Playboys??

Kid Cadet GalaxyCon Preview SF13 E7

Tonight we venture a bit outside the horror norm as Wes and co-host Brandon Griffith welcome Kid Cadet, here to talk about GalaxyCon Louisville, a festival of science fiction, pop culture and more, happening Nov 22-24. Kid Cadet is a veteran of Radio Disney and counts panel moderator, ring announcer, and recording artist among her many hats.

Kid Cadet shares her valuable insights into GalaxyCon, how she became involved in the Con, her professional approach as a moderator, and the celebrities that she fan girls over. But what secrets does she hold from Radio Disney?

We also get our first celebrity announcement for Scarefest the 13th! No spoilers but it is definitely a “SWEET TREAT” for Scarefest and horror fans!

We also have a healthy serving of new content segments with The Week in Horror History, movie reviews from FakeShemp and Bone Head, CC Ann on the road, and Mutagen Nation. Plus, a viewing of Scarefest XII’s film festival entry THE BRABOON, the story of a man’s transformation after an experimental heart surgery.

Malevolent

Film Review by Brian Stidham

Malevolent is an example of how a film can have a completely different flavor from its trailer. It is a British film by an Icelandic director that was picked up for US release by Netflix. I’ll let that sink in for a second.

The trailer wasn’t the typical trailer with screams peppered throughout fleeting images of potentially the best parts of the movie like many trailers today. It seemed a bit quirky with a dash of menace. It felt like a non-domestic offering, something I feel hints at potential, since those movie aren’t mainstream Hollywood. Sadly, the movie fell a little flat in comparison to the trailer.

The movie starts off with an intriguing premise. Siblings Angela and Jackson run a fraudulent paranormal investigation team in Scotland in 1986. The four member team, rounded out by cameraman Elliot and technician Beth, scam their clients by claiming Angela can cleanse their haunted homes with her psychic powers. Complicating matters is the fact that Angela’s talents as a medium may not be entirely fictitious, as she has started to see disturbing visions. Things take a sinister turn when the team is called to cleanse a country manor house with a very dark history.

Paranormal teams biting off more than they can chew is not exactly a new story yarn to spin. Some might even call it cliche at this point but the added facet that this team are con artists has at least made the story feel like it has a fresh coat of paint. In a time when TV is saturated with paranormal investigative programs, this element teases the viewer to hang around to see what happens.

Regrettably, the movie does not pay off the decent set up. The first hour of the movie builds a reasonable amount of tension about the gruesome nature of the murders in the old foster home and the spooks that still lurk about. Some eerie ambient music sets a nice gloomy tone. However, without spoiling the movie, there is as a reveal in the third act of the movie that severely changes the dynamic of the movie, taking it from a simple ghost story to a bloodier, uglier tale.

I liked the movie up this point but I personally thought this was where the movie sort of fell apart.

The movie is under 90 minutes, so it doesn’t have time to drag. It gets to the meat of the story quickly but about the time you have settled into the ghost story then the story switches gears. The ending gets intense in the last 20-25 minutes but, again, the tonal shift in the third act makes it feel like a different movie and, frankly, a bit muddled.

There are tidbits of sweet potential sprinkled in the mix in the earlier parts of the movie. A few obligatory jump scares, some that work but others don’t quite hit on all cylinders. There is some creepy mythology that goes into creating the story behind the haunting that could have been fleshed out to build more suspense. Based on the siblings’ family history, there is some doubts presented whether Angela is truly gifted or just mentally disturbed. Neat idea to introduce to keep viewers on their toes but it’s largely ignored.

Unfortunately, the end result just isn’t that scary. There were a few scenes that the shots meant to build up tension dragged on a little too long without much payoff. The ghost’s were little girls, and dead kids are always a bit disturbing, but these ghost girls weren’t all that frightening. I’ve seen scarier ghost in network TV shows like Supernatural or The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. There is some modest gore in the last act but it was more wince inducing than terrifying. The scares just never fully manifested.

The acting is good but can be spotty as the movie progresses. Florence Pugh, who plays Angela, has starred in a few critically praised films. She doesn’t get much of a chance to flex her talents though as Angela’s character is a written as detached and bit sullen. Ben Lloyd-Hughes does a commendable job of making Jackson unlikable but sometimes gets too hammy. Celia Imrie, a well accomplished British actress, plays Mrs. Green. She more or less steals the show and is the only one that gives a real solid performance.

Again, elements were there for a respectable movie but it feels like the director, Olaf de Fleur, may have let some juicy facets of the story go underdeveloped. The switch between supernatural horror and more mundane terror in the third act left the movie feeling a bit disjointed.

What came out was a lukewarm story that felt like a filler Supernatural episode without the Winchesters. Certainly not a terrible movie but just a mediocre ghost story with a tiny smidgen of torture porn thrown in.

Malevolent is currently playing on Netflix.

Helen Baldwin Kingkade SF13 E4

This week Wes and co-host Holly speak to Helen Baldwin Kingkade, the director, writer, producer, and a multitude of other hats on the short film SONGBIRD, winner of Best Short Film of 2019 at this year’s Scarefest. SONGBIRD is still currently working its way around the film circuit, netting many awards and accolades in almost every department including Best Actor and Best Cinematography.

A big fan of Alfred Hitchcock, Helen admits that this love may have helped influence the story’s creation. She also discusses SONGBIRD’s casting, the filming process and funding, and what inspires a person to put so much craftsmanship into a short film project. Given the success of this fantastic short film, we’re looking forward to her next project.

We also get some great expanded content this week with a movie review from Bonehead Joe Lewis, a delve into This Week in Horror History and an interview with an Egyptian demon by Dan Nation. An Egyptian demon? Wow, Dan is a brave soul. For more Dan Nation check out Mutagen Nation’s YouTube channel.

Hereditary

Film Review by Brian Stidham

Hereditary is a rare breed of horror movie, in that it is not only genuinely chilling but it also received an enormous amount of critical praise. It was nominated for multiple awards at several award events including the Chicago Film Critics Association Awards, the Gotham Awards, and The Los Angeles Film Critic Awards. It even managed to score several wins, among them Best Director and Best Screenplay, at the 2019 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards. What makes these wins more impressive is that Hereditary is writer/director Ari Aster’s first feature film. Continue reading “Hereditary”

CC Ann Our Newest Co host SF13 E3

Here it is true believers, not only is there a new co-host but the Scarefest sausage party is proud to welcome a brilliant young lady to the broadcast family, CC Ann. Tonight Wes introduces us to CC Ann, and like any good superhero, she has a great origin story from having a connection to a person in Wes’ past to Scarefest XII being her first horror con ever to becoming a new co-host.

CC Ann comes to us all the way from Baltimore and shares her opinions on the supernatural,, how she feels about remakes, and why TV series are not necessarily her cup of tea. We are looking forward to much more from CC and she will be giving us her first official show soon from the World Oddities Expo. Plus she has some unbelievable art on display during her interview.

Wes also reminds us that the Scarefest wines from this season will still be available through Christmas. And we wonder what wackiness would happen if Wes had been one of the researchers stuck in the Antarctic during John Carpenter’s THE THING.

Scarefest 2019 Post Mortum SF13 E1

Scarefest XII has come and gone and was it ever exciting! Tonight, Wes hosts co-owner, and horror icon in his own special way, Brandon Griffith. After an exhausting, but spectacular year, Brandon fills us in on the triumphs and inevitable speed bumps of putting together one of the premiere horror cons in the U.S. How can Scarefest NOT rock out? People got to throw axes with horror legends!

We learn that this year was the best attended Scarefest in the last 3 years with one of the richest film festivals in Scarefest history. Brandon also lays down the dates for next years’s 13th anniversary Scarefest as October 23-25, tying in nicely with Lexington’s bountiful Halloween celebrations. We hear what went over big and what may have gone a little sideways. Prepare yourself for the sheer terror of AOL era internet horror stories and the madness of coffee shops that weren’t open early in the day .

Wes also announces a big change as Scarefest Radio transitions into a new stage of evolution, Scarefest Television! There will new content, new hosts, and new Coke (okay, we made that last part up). Plus we wonder if Brandon ever straightened out his “keyboard is an accordion” dilemma.

John Kassir SF12 E47

Good evening boils and ghouls, tonight Wes and co-host Chad Harlan interview the one and only John Kassir, the brilliant voice talent behind the Crypt Keeper on TALES FROM CRYPT. He brings his own special blend of fun, excitement, and ghoulish humor to our ears as a multi-talented comedian, thespian, voice actor, and lacrosse player. Yes, a lacrosse player. What can’t this guy do?

John walks us through his decades long career from being a theatrical performer to Star Search winner to his multitude of roles in film, television and even video games. And what a career he’s had. He beat Sinbad to win Star Search. He appeared in several seminal HBO series, namely 1ST and TEN and DREAM ON. He has voiced a host of characters, not just the Crypt Keeper, but many other favorites including Deadpool, who he portrayed in various video games years before the character ever appeared in movies. He also shares a little insight into his craft in regard to the difference in roles that are voice only versus appearing in the flesh.

Towards the end of the show we have a few announcements of pre-sale celebrity photo packages and other assorted events for Scarefest XII, just a few weeks away. We also learn that Wes may be able to get John double what Wes makes. So, double of zero is still zero, right?

Kane Hodder SF12 E46

Grab your hockey masks and machetes gang! This week, Wes hosts larger-than-life fan favorite Kane Hodder, via remote from Bubba Fest in Knoxville. For those that may not know, Hodder is famous for his portrayal of Jason Voorhees in several FRIDAY THE 13th movies as well as starring in a slew of other projects such as the HATCHET film series and DEATH HOUSE.

The two discuss several of Kane’s movies, both past (OLD 37) and upcoming (KNIFECORP), what’s it’s like to be most famous for a role with zero lines, and if Kane thinks the modern shift toward political correctness could harm the horror industry down the road. We also learn the answers to the big questions like what’s on Kane’s playlist and does he dance.

Sadly, Kane can’t stay the whole show so Wes fills the void in our hearts with some lively events happening at Scarefest XII like celebrity ghosts hunt news and photo op announcements. But we are still left wondering, how do Kane’s fans know that’s really him under that hockey mask?

G Tom Mac SF12 E45

Where else would you hear an interview that includes vampires and Broadway musicals? Look no further as this week Wes and co-host Chris Sutton speak to singer, songwriter, and composer G Tom Mac. Though he might be best known for his goth rock masterpiece “Cry Little Sister” from the classic vampire movie THE LOST BOYS, G Tom Mac has done a considerable amount of music for numerous TV and film projects, working with Hollywood names like Cameron Crowe, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Joel Schumacher.

G, as he’s called by Roger Daltrey, discusses his upcoming appearance at Scarefest XII and his new Broadway musical “A Lost Boy Story”, a project over 4 years in the making. Along the way he gives us insight into his passion for music and his creative process for writing the musical’s songs and story, which expands beyond the film. For additional information and updates on the musical check out the Facebook page facebook.com/ALostBoysStory/

We also get 5 new celebrity announcements. Not to spoil them all but there are some big names like Katherine Kamhi (SLEEPAWAY CAMP) and Thom Matthews (FRIDAY THE 13th VI, RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD). Wes also announces the featured movies for the Film Festival this year, chosen from 99 entries. Yep, 99 entries! It’s a big year for movies.