Ep. 05-32: Black Sabbath (1963)

Boris Karloff hosts (and stars in) this trio of atmospheric horror tales. In The Telephone, a woman is terrorized in her apartment by phone calls from a man in her past. In The Wurdalak, a Russian count in the early stumbles upon a family in the countryside trying to destroy a vicious line of vampires. And finally, in A Drop of Water, a nurse makes a fateful decision while preparing the corpse of one of her patients – an elderly medium who died during a seance.

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Ep. 05-31 The Wandering Earth (2019)

The sun is dying out. People all around the world build giant planet thrusters to move Earth out of its orbit and sail Earth to a new star system. Yet the 2500-year journey comes with unexpected dangers, and in order to save humanity, a group of young people in this age of a wandering Earth fight hard for the survival of humankind.

Time for our second foreign-language pick of the season. The Wandering Earth (2019) is unique because not only is it from China, but it is also enormously popular. Join us as we discuss the pros and cons behind the action-packed film, including the cast, the rapid-paced narrative, and the mind-blowing CGI effects. Listen as Johnny Has the Keys attempts to protect Earth rather than abandon her, sailing her away to another solar system for future generations.

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Ep. 05-30: Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)

Reality and fantasy meet in unsettling ways in (Wes Craven’s) New Nightmare (1994), which finds director, Craven, and actors Heather Langenkamp and Robert Englund all portraying themselves. As Heather considers making another film with Craven, her son, Dylan (Miko Hughes), falls under the spell of the iconic disfigured villain Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund). Eventually, Langenkamp must confront Freddy’s demonic spirit to save Dylan’s soul.

Time for a third dip into Wes Craven’s oeuvre, but this one is technically our second film in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. With Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994), Craven was coming into his stride as a credible filmmaker which he went on to further prove in his follow-up Scream (1996). Join us as we discuss the good and bad of this very unique film, including the meta-ness of actors playing themselves in a fictional story, fewer one-liners and more horror, and the overall fun of seeing the original team together once again. Listen as Johnny Has the Keys goes to 1990s Los Angeles, where dreams may come true, but earthquakes and familiar nightmares still dwell.

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Ep. 05-29: First Men in the Moon (1964)

When a spaceship lands on the moon, it is hailed as a historic first, before it becomes clear that someone else has already been there. Flashback: 1899, Joseph Cavor (Lionel Jeffries), a brilliant British scientist, creates his own spacecraft and takes a trip to the moon, accompanied by explorers Arnold Bedford (Edward Judd) and Kate Callender (Martha Hyer). There they encounter an insect-like alien race that lives under the moon’s surface and must soon escape back to Earth.

We’re back in the wonderful world of writer H. G. Wells and auteur animator Ray Harry Hausen. Join us as we discuss the good and bad of the classic, British, fantastical sci-fi film First Men in the Moon (1964), including its original source material, the “modern” screenplay, and its cast. Listen as Johnny Has the Keys blasts off for the moon where fascinating and frightening creatures await!