Cinema Shock

ALIENS (1986) | James Cameron, Part II

After the runaway — and somewhat unexpected — success of THE TERMINATOR, James Cameron had become the new golden boy in Hollywood, and he had his choice of projects for his follow-up.
Going against the advice of so-called Hollywood veterans, Cameron decided to direct ALIENS from a script he'd been working on during a break in the pre-production period on THE TERMINATOR.
Following up a film that, even after only seven years, was considered a bonafide classic was a big task, but Cameron as we know is never one to back down from a challenge...
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.
Find more at cinemashock.net.

THE TERMINATOR (1984) | James Cameron: Part I

In our new series, James Cameron: Man of Tomorrow, we'll explore the career of one of the most successful filmmakers of all time.
The films of James Cameron have grossed over $6 billion worldwide, winning countless accolades and awards over a nearly five decade career.
But his roots lie with low budget filmmaking. In this episode, we'll explore Cameron's career before he hit it big with THE TERMINATOR, during his years working under legendary B-movie producer Roger Corman. Then we'll take a deep dive into the development and creation of one of the most iconic sci-fi action films of all time, a film that put both Cameron and his star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, on the road the superstardom.
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.
Find more at cinemashock.net.

Cinema Shock Roundtable #5: Looking ahead to THE TERMINATOR and our James Cameron series

In this bonus episode, we preview our upcoming James Cameron series and the first entry in that series, THE TERMINATOR

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (1986) | Cinema Shock Roulette

It's time for another installment of Cinema Shock Roulette!
For this recurring feature, we randomly select a film from our Cinema Shock Roulette Letterboxd list.
For this round, we drew Frank Oz's 1986 creature feature musical, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS! Now considered a classic, the film was only a modest hit upon release, but found its audience on home video. In this episode, we'll track its evolution from 60s low budget Roger Corman B-movie to Off Broadway musical to film musical to cult classic.
Up Next: James Cameron - The Man of Tomorrow
THE TERMINATOR (1984)
ALIENS (1986)
THE ABYSS (1989)
TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1991)
TRUE LIES (1994)
TITANIC (1997)
AVATAR (2009)
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, & Todd Davis.
Visit our website for episode archives, merchandise, and more: http://cinemashock.net

Cinema Shock Roundtable #4: Announcing the next Cinema Shock Roulette entry

In this bonus episode, the guys discuss their thoughts going into the LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS Cinema Shock Roulette episode, as well as discuss things they've been reading and watching lately!

THE FLY (1986) | David Cronenberg: The New Flesh

In the final episode of our series on David Cronenberg, we're wrapping up his "body horror era" with what many consider the film that defines the genre, THE FLY.
In this episode, we'll track the film's evolution from a short story to its first filmed version in 1956, and how Cronenberg got involved, eventually producing a film that would become his calling card.
Up Next: Cinema Shock Roulette
Coming Soon: The films of James Cameron
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, & Todd Davis.
Visit our website for episode archives, merchandise, and more: http://cinemashock.net

THE DEAD ZONE (1983) |. David Cronenberg: The New Flesh

In this, the penultimate episode of our series exploring the body horror films of David Cronenberg, we take a look at a film that would be one of the biggest hits of his career, a film that cemented him as a commercial filmmaker. Released in 1983, THE DEAD ZONE was one of a slew of Stephen King adaptations to come out in the late 70s and early 80s (and one of three to come out in 1983 alone).
But its journey to the big screen was a long one, with the project bouncing between several filmmaking teams before Cronenberg came into the mix. In this episode, we'll trace its production, from novel to premiere, and its enduring legacy as part of Cronenberg's filmography.
Up Next: THE FLY (1986)

VIDEODROME (1983) | David Cronenberg: The New Flesh

After SCANNERS, David Cronenberg was poised to take the horror world by storm. For his next film, he had the backing of a major studio, he had well-known actors in the lead roles, and he had an Oscar winner working on the film's special makeup effects.
That film was VIDEODROME. And while it has gone on to become one of Cronenberg's most well-loved films, on its initial release, it was a box office bomb.
In this episode, we'll track the film from its origins — very early in the director's career, in the early 1970s — through its release and reception. We'll try not to make too many jokes at James Woods' expense, but no promises.
Up Next:
THE DEAD ZONE (1983)
THE FLY (1986)
Coming Soon: The films of James Cameron
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, & Todd Davis.
Visit our website for episode archives, merchandise, and more: http://cinemashock.net
 
 

SCANNERS (1981) | David Cronenberg: The New Flesh

By this time in his career, David Cronenberg was becoming well-known in his native Canada. He’d already made four commercial films – each more successful than the last, with the exception of the non-horror film FAST COMPANY – but most of that success came in Canada and Europe. Although all of his films had been released in the US, none of them had made a huge impact here.
That would all change with his next film, the one that would make him a mainstream director not only in the Canadian market but in the US as well. The film – infamously known as “the movie with the exploding head” – is, of course, 1981’s SCANNERS.
Coming Up:
VIDEODROME (1983)
THE DEAD ZONE (1983)
THE FLY (1986)
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, & Todd Davis.
Visit our website for episode archives, merchandise, and more: http://cinemashock.net
 

An Interview with Spencer Garrett

In this bonus episode, our own Mr. Todd A. Davis sits down with legendary character actor Spencer Garrett.
Throughout the interview, they discuss Garrett's entire career, working on everything from STAR TREK to STAR WARS, and with directors like Quentin Tarantino, Michael Bay and, most recently, Adam McKay on the new HBO series WINNING TIME: THE RISE OF THE LAKERS DYNASTY.
Enjoy this bonus episode and be sure to subscribe to Todd's STAR TREK podcast, Computer, Resume Podcast, available everywhere!