Cinema Shock

POLTERGEIST: Hooper vs. Spielberg & The Directing Debate

This is the episode that gives our series its name.
In the early 1980s, Tobe Hooper was given the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to direct a big-budget horror film for Universal Pictures—written and produced by none other than Steven Spielberg, who was at the peak of his powers.
That film was POLTERGEIST, and it would become the most commercially successful movie of Hooper’s career. But it also became his most controversial. Ever since its release, questions have swirled about who actually directed the film—Hooper or Spielberg? The speculation has been so persistent that it’s often overshadowed the movie itself… and cast a long shadow over Hooper’s career going forward.
In this episode, we explore how POLTERGEIST came to be, the origins of the authorship controversy, and the impact it had on Hooper’s legacy. And yes—we weigh in on what we think really happened on set.
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Coming Up:
THE FUNHOUSE (1981)
POLTERGEIST (1982)
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.
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THE FUNHOUSE: Tobe Hooper, Carnivals & The Slasher Craze

After the success of SALEM’S LOT, Tobe Hooper finally had the Hollywood credibility he’d been chasing—but the road to his next project was still full of potholes.
That next project was THE FUNHOUSE (1981), a twisted little slasher made under Universal Pictures. Though it was Hooper’s first studio-backed film intended for theatrical release, the budget was modest and the expectations were clear: cash in on the booming slasher craze.
In this episode, we take a look at Hooper’s post-SALEM’S LOT career, the development of THE FUNHOUSE, and how the film fits into both the slasher wave of the early ’80s and Hooper’s evolving (and often unpredictable) directorial style.
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Coming Up:
POLTERGEIST (1982)
Up Next: Dan O'Bannon: Hollywood's Secret Weapon
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.
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SALEM’S LOT: Stephen King, Tobe Hooper & The TV Nightmare

After the disappointing reception of EATEN ALIVE, Tobe Hooper's career seemed to be floundering. But fate—and Stephen King—had other plans.
As Warner Bros. began developing a film adaptation of King’s bestselling vampire novel Salem’s Lot, a savvy producer screened THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE while searching for a director. The moment he saw it, he knew Hooper was the right man for the job.
In this episode, we trace the rocky road between EATEN ALIVE and SALEM’S LOT, and how the project shifted from theatrical feature to network television miniseries. We dive into the creative decisions that shaped the adaptation, the challenges of bringing graphic horror to CBS, and how Hooper helped deliver one of the scariest things to ever air on TV.
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Coming Up:
THE FUNHOUSE (1981)
POLTERGEIST (1982)
Up Next: Dan O'Bannon: Hollywood's Secret Weapon
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.
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EATEN ALIVE: Tobe Hooper, Killer Crocs & A Career Derailed

After the breakout success of THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, Tobe Hooper and co-writer Kim Henkel landed a major three-picture deal with Universal. But before they could cash in on that opportunity, Hooper had to fulfill a prior obligation—one that would derail his momentum almost immediately.
That obligation? A commitment to exploitation producer Mardi Rustam to direct a low-budget killer crocodile movie called EATEN ALIVE.
In this episode, we dig into the troubled production of Hooper’s grimy sophomore effort, from its artificial soundstage swamp to its over-the-top performances and chaotic behind-the-scenes energy. We explore how the film reflects Hooper’s obsessions while failing to recapture the impact of CHAIN SAW, and how this bizarre detour complicated his transition into mainstream Hollywood
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Coming Up:
SALEM'S LOT (1979)
THE FUNHOUSE (1981)
POLTERGEIST (1982)
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.
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THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE: Tobe Hooper, Leatherface & The Birth of the Slasher

In 1974, a little indie horror film from Texas shocked the world—and launched the career of Tobe Hooper.
With THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, Hooper introduced audiences to one of horror’s most iconic villains, Leatherface, and helped lay the groundwork for what would become the slasher genre. But while the film became a touchstone of American horror, Hooper’s career afterward was marked by frustration, interference, and missed opportunities.
In this first episode of our series The Tragedy of Tobe Hooper, we trace the chaotic, low-budget production of THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, the real-life influences that shaped its gritty realism, and how it went from regional curiosity to international sensation—and one of the most influential horror films of all time.
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Coming Up:
EATEN ALIVE (1976)
SALEM'S LOT (1979)
THE FUNHOUSE (1981)
POLTERGEIST (1982)
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.
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KILL BILL: Uma Thurman, Tarantino & The Whole Bloody Affair

This week, we arrive at the blood-soaked finale of our Six Degrees of Kill Bill series.
For the last six episodes, we’ve traced the cinematic lineage behind Quentin Tarantino’s KILL BILL—from spaghetti westerns and samurai classics to manga adaptations and grindhouse revenge tales. Now it’s time to take on the main event.
In this episode, we dive deep into the creation of KILL BILL itself—from its inception on the set of PULP FICTION, to the years-long development of the screenplay, to the ambitious and tumultuous shoot that took Tarantino around the world. We also explore the reasoning behind the decision to split the film into two volumes, the legacy of its bold stylistic choices, and how it became one of the most iconic cult films of the 21st century.
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Coming Up:
THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974)
EATEN ALIVE (1976)
SALEM'S LOT (1979)
THE FUNHOUSE (1981)
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.
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SHOGUN ASSASSIN: Lone Wolf & Cub & The Grindhouse Remix

This week on The Six Degrees of Kill Bill, we return to Japan to explore a film with deep roots in manga, samurai cinema, and grindhouse remix culture: SHOGUN ASSASSIN.
The film traces its origins back to Kazuo Koike—writer of LADY SNOWBLOOD and creator of his true magnum opus, Lone Wolf & Cub, a sprawling, violent manga epic that ran for six years and nearly 9,000 pages. That manga inspired a series of six Japanese films in the early 1970s, but it wasn’t until 1980 that American audiences truly caught on.
That year, a pair of producers took footage from the first two LONE WOLF & CUB films, dubbed it into English, added a moody synth soundtrack, and released it to U.S. grindhouses as SHOGUN ASSASSIN. The result was a cult hit—and a direct influence on Quentin Tarantino, who featured the film prominently in KILL BILL VOL. 2.
In this episode, we trace the full story: from Koike’s manga, to the original Japanese productions, to the recut cult phenomenon that became SHOGUN ASSASSIN.
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Coming Up:
KILL BILL VOL. 1 & VOL. 2 (2003/4)
Up Next: The Tragedy of Tobe Hooper
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.
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THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN: Gordon Liu, Shaw Bros & Wu-Tang

When KILL BILL begins, the first image we see—after the Miramax logo, of course—is the iconic Shaw Brothers shield. It’s more than just a stylish nod; it’s a direct homage to the Kung Fu cinema that helped shape Quentin Tarantino’s sensibilities as a filmmaker.
In this episode, we dive into the history of the legendary Shaw Brothers Studio, whose influence on martial arts cinema can’t be overstated. Their golden age in the 1960s and ’70s introduced global audiences to the Kung Fu genre and left an indelible mark on KILL BILL, particularly during the House of Blue Leaves sequence in VOL. 1 and the Pei Mei chapter in VOL. 2.
Our film of focus is THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN (1978), directed by Lau Kar-leung and starring Gordon Liu—who, fittingly, plays two different roles in Tarantino’s revenge saga. We also can’t talk about this movie without talking about Wu-Tang, so yeah… we go there.
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Coming Up:
SHOGUN ASSASSIN (1980)
KILL BILL VOL. 1 & VOL. 2 (2003/4)
Up Next: The Tragedy of Tobe Hooper
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, blogs and more: http://cinemashock.net
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GAME OF DEATH: Bruce Lee’s Unfinished Epic

That iconic yellow jumpsuit The Bride wears in KILL BILL VOL. 1? Bruce Lee wore it first.
Originally intended as Lee’s fifth film, GAME OF DEATH was meant to be his magnum opus—a culmination of his martial arts philosophy, Jeet Kune Do, and a bold new vision for what martial arts cinema could be. But after Lee’s untimely death in 1973, the project was left incomplete, with only a fraction of the original footage shot.
That didn’t stop the producers. In 1978, they cobbled together a finished film using doubles, trick photography, and just 11 minutes of Lee’s original footage—all in an effort to cash in on his global fame.
In this episode, we explore Bruce Lee’s life and career leading up to GAME OF DEATH, the bizarre rise of the Brucesploitation genre in the years after his death, and how the mishandling of his unfinished masterpiece ironically led to one of his most enduring visual legacies.
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Coming Up:
36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN (1978)
SHOGUN ASSASSIN (1980)
KILL BILL VOL. 1 & VOL. 2 (2004/5)
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.
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THRILLER: A CRUEL PICTURE: Christina Lindberg & The Origin of Elle Driver

For week three of our Six Degrees of Kill Bill series, we’re heading to Sweden to discuss what Quentin Tarantino once called “the roughest revenge film ever made!”
Released in the U.S. as THEY CALL HER ONE EYE, Bo Arne Vibenius’s 1973 exploitation classic THRILLER: A CRUEL PICTURE provided clear visual and character inspiration for Daryl Hannah’s Elle Driver in KILL BILL—right down to the eyepatch.
In this episode, we’re joined by our good friend (and Christina Lindberg superfan) DJ Wilson to trace the evolution of Swedish exploitation cinema. From its roots in the earliest days of filmmaking to its collision with the arthouse stylings of Ingmar Bergman and into the grindhouse boom of the 1970s, we explore how Sweden became an unlikely hotspot for some of the most infamous films in genre history.
Special thanks to Daniel Ekeroth and his book Swedish Sensationsfilms, which helped guide this journey into the strange and sensational.
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Coming Up:
GAME OF DEATH (1978)
36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN (1978)
SHOGUN ASSASSIN (1980)
KILL BILL VOL. 1 (2003) & VOL. 2 (2004)
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, merch and more: http://cinemashock.net
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