Talk Show Terror

Horror legends hitting the talk show circuit of yesteryear.

Welcome to the first installment of Talk Show Terror, where the goal is to share some choice cuts from the annals of television history.

First up, a smokey roundtable discussion from the show Nightcap with Studs Terkel and Calvin Trillin and their guests George A. Romero, Stephen King, and Tom Savini. I don’t think this trio needs any introduction, so jump in like it’s 1982 and you’re itching to hit the theater to see Creepshow.

Another killer set of clips to burn an hour with is this supercut of all of Tom Savini’s appearances on Late Night with David Letterman spanning 1984 through 1987. Tom’s humor, charisma, and talent are on full display for the late-night crowd, and his rapport with Dave is genuine and very, very funny. Though as you’ll see, Dave wasn’t too keen on the squibs!

Reviews from the Crypt

A further addition to the Dream Lab Research newsletter, here be some capsule reviews both fresh and from the archives. A few have been published and posted elsewhere over the years, others written in notebooks and forgotten about, but all will hopefully shed a little light on some overlooked gems or help you steer clear from a steaming pile of dogshit.

The Sentinel (1977) dir. Michael Winner

“You get what you pay for” rings unfortunately true for New York fashion model Cristina Raines when, instead of moving in with her dapper darling Chris Sarandon, she opts for a beautiful but questionably cheap Brooklyn brownstone inhabited by a blind priest and an assortment of oddball neighbors in this Satanic, supernatural, shock show. With decent direction from Michael “Death Wish” Winner, a few good scares, and quite possibly the most stacked cast in 70’s horror cinema (everyone from Burgess Meredith to Ava Gardner to Christopher Walken), this an extremely watchable, weird, witchy flick that will quench your “Satan in the city” thirst. It’s no Rosemary’s Baby or The Omen, but what is?

Surprisingly streaming on Netflix.

*Shout out to Joe Dante and Corey Feldman for leading me to this one back in the day via this scene in The ‘Burbs.

Slugs (1988) dir. Juan Piquer Simon

A wild and splattery creature feature from the director of Pieces, so you know you’re in for a batshit, blood-soaked banger. Minimal plot, maximum muculence.

Now slithering on Tubi.

Axe (1974) dir. Frederick R. Friedel

Aka Lisa, Lisa. Aka California Axe Murders. Aka California Axe Massacre. Three despicable crooks seek refuge in the wrong house. At 68 minutes, this is an exploitation film in its most stripped-down form. Ugly, haunting, beautiful, and quite possibly the missing link between The Last House on the Left and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Pure minimalist outsider art.

Available on Blu-Ray from Severin Films.

Happy watching!