Ep. 06-08: The Tingler (1959)

Dr. Warren Chapin (Vincent Price) has made a surprising discovery—the spine-chilling sensation that people get when scared is due to a parasite that he dubs the tingler. Chapin concludes that in extreme circumstances, prolonged fear can cause the creature to damage a person’s spine and even cause death if the victim can’t scream, a theory that Oliver Higgins (Philip Coolidge) uses to deadly effect on his wife (Judith Evelyn). Soon the tingler that killed the woman is on the loose.

Welcome to our first venture into the weird and wacky world of William Castle, the producer/director version of P.T. Barnum. Join us as we discuss the delightful gimmicks he used to promote such classics as The House on Haunted Hill (1959), 13 Ghosts (1960), and, of course, The Tingler (1959). Listen, as Johnny Has the Keys takes on a killer parasite that attaches to your spine and kills… however, the louder you scream, the better chance you have at surviving!

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Ep. 06-04: The Last Man on Earth (1964) & The Omega Man (1971)

THE LAST MAN ON EARTH (1964) It is three years since a plague either killed everyone on earth or turned them into vampires. Dr. Robert Morgan is the sole survivor and lives a perilous existence where at night the vampires attack his house and during the day he seeks out the undead and permanently kills them. The monotony and isolation of his existence are getting to him – is this all to life there will ever be?

THE OMEGA MAN (1971) Robert Neville has survived a war waged with biological weapons. The plague from war has killed everyone else except for a group of albino-like survivors, led by a former newscaster now calling himself Matthias. His group is sensitive to light and heat and is bent upon smashing all remnants of the prior civilization, especially Neville.

Welcome to our second of FOUR Richard Matheson stories—FIVE, considering this episode is a DOUBLE FEATURE! The Last Man on Earth (1964) and The Omega Man (1971) are the first two feature film adaptions of Matheson’s seminal novel I Am Legend (the third being I Am Legend, 2007). Unfortunately, none of these adaptions have lived up to the phenomenal source material (many consider Night of the Living Dead (1968) a better option). Join us as we take on these two films, discussing the pluses (few) and minuses (many) that give these films—flawed as they are—a special place in our genre-loving little hearts. Listen, as Johnny Has the Keys hunts the dead by day and they, in turn, hunt us at night, questioning our existence in this strange and dangerous new world.

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Ep. 05-04: The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) & Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972)

The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)—In a desperate attempt to reach his ill wife, organist Anton Phibes (Vincent Price) is horrifically disfigured in a car accident and presumed dead. Upon learning his wife has died, Phibes blames her surgeons and plots an act of elaborate revenge to punish them. With the help of his mute assistant, Vulnavia (Virginia North), Phibes murders the doctors one by one using bizarre methods inspired by the biblical plagues.

Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972)—The sinister Dr. Phibes (Vincent Price) has returned, determined to resurrect his deceased wife. Assisted by the beautiful Vulnavia (Valli Kemp), Phibes must retrieve a set of ancient scrolls to do so. The thief of the scrolls is Darius Biederbeck (Robert Quarry), an explorer and foe who also seeks immortality. Biederbeck travels to Egypt and Phibes follows, plotting the deaths of Biederbeck’s crew, making sure they are disposed of in unusual and gory ways.

05-04 THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES

In our first of five double-features this season, we cover these two chestnuts from the glory days of AIP (American International Pictures) and the deliciously campy Vincent Price. Join us as we reminisce about our initial encounters with these incredibly unique films and their overall place in the canon of horror classics. Listen as Johnny Has the Keys seeks retribution for those who have done us wrong, choreographing vengeance methods of biblical proportions alongside a dollop of fresh cheese.

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Ep. 02-13: House of Wax (1953)

Wax sculptor Henry (Vincent Price), discovers that his business partner, Matthew (Roy Roberts), plans to burn down their wax museum to collect on the insurance policy. Henry survives the fiery confrontation with Matthew and returns some years later with a museum of his own. But when the appearance of Henry’s new wax sculptures occurs simultaneously with corpses vanishing from the city morgue, art student Sue Allen (Phyllis Kirk) begins to suspect wrongdoing.

The year was 1953… Warner Brothers released this gem of a movie with 3D technology, the second major studio to do so following Columbia’s Man in the Dark.

And which do you think is more remembered?

Join us as we discuss the popularity of this classic—the first of many iconic horror roles for Vincent Price–from its enormous box office beginnings to its later being selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. Listen, as Johnny Has the Keys takes you to the early 1900s, where the foggy cobblestone streets are stalked by a disfigured madman who robs morgues to create the ultimate representation of mankind.