Cinema Shock

SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT PARTS 1 & 2 (1984/1987) | Cinema Shock Christmas Special

"Garbage day!"
Merry Christmas from Cinema Shock! For this week's episode, we're doing something special and taking a break from our Roulette Extravaganza to give you a holiday-focused deep dive into not one but two of our favorite cult Christmas movies.
First up is one of the most controversial slashers of the 80s, one that was so immediatley infamous that its studio pulled it from theaters almost immediatley, despite it doing decent business at the box office. SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT has gone on to become one of the most popular and well-regarded entries in the highly specific Killer Santa subgenre.
Not wanting to let a good money-making controversy go to waste, the rights owners for SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT rushed a quickie, no-budget sequel into production just a few weeks after the first film hit home video and SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT PART 2 is as famous — if not more so — than its predecessor, but for... entirely different reasons.
In this episode, we take a detailed look at the productions of these two films, and grapple with their legacies as holiday cult movie staples.
SYNOPSIS: Little Billy witnesses his parents being brutally murdered by Santa. Years later, when he has to fill in for an absent in-store Santa Claus, his childhood trauma materializes once again.
After being traumatized by his brother Billy's murderous rampage years earlier, Ricky Caldwell has become a serial killer himself and is now living in a mental hospital. Relating his story to a psychiatrist, Ricky recounts the details of their murder sprees and vows to avenge his brother's death.
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, and Justin Bishop.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

EVENT HORIZON (1997) | Cinema Shock Roulette

As we continue our Cinema Shock Roulette Extravaganza, our next randomly-selected film is Paul W.S. Anderson's 1997 sci-fi horror flick EVENT HORIZON!
In this episode, we take a look at the best film of Anderson's career (it's a low bar, folks) and track its tumultuous journey to the big screen, from the earliest versions of its ALIEN-inspired script through the controversial release of an edit of the film that suffered due to a rushed post-production schedule. Did you ever want to know everything there is to know about EVENT HORIZON? Well, you've come to the right place!
In 2047, a group of astronauts are sent to investigate and salvage the starship Event Horizon which disappeared mysteriously 7 years before on its maiden voyage. However, it soon becomes evident that something sinister resides in its corridors, and that the horrors that befell the Event Horizon's previous journey are still present.
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, and Justin Bishop..
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net
 

HEATHERS Extras: ToddCasting

In this bonus episode, Mr. Todd A. Davis breaks down the cast of HEATHERS.

HEATHERS Extras: Further Viewing

If you liked HEATHERS and are wondering what other similar movies you should watch, well you're in luck! In this bonus episode, Justin and Gary discuss a few of their picks for Further Viewing after HEATHERS!
Let us know YOUR picks for movies to pair with HEATHERS by hitting us up on social media! Find us at @cinema_shock on Instagram, X, and Threads!

HEATHERS (1989) | Cinema Shock Roulette

Our Roulette Extravaganza continues on this week's episode with a look at Michael Lehmann's 1989 cult classic HEATHERS!
Synopsis: A girl who halfheartedly tries to be part of the "in crowd" of her school meets a rebel who teaches her a more devious way to play social politics: by killing the popular kids.
In this deep dive into the making of HEATHERS, we'll trace the story back to screenwriter Daniel Waters' days working in a video store where he began writing his script, all the way through production, release and the re-discovery of this cult teen film.
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.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

HOUSE [aka HAUSU] (1977) | Cinema Shock #100

For the 100th (!!) episode of Cinema Shock, we sat down to discuss one of the most insane cult films ever made, Nobuhiko Ôbayashi 1977 spook-a-blast haunted house flick HOUSE!
In this episode, we take a deep dive into the story behind the production of HOUSE, how it all came to be in an uncertain time during Japan's film history, and the career of director Nobuhiko Ôbayashi. 
Thank you to all of our loyal listeners for supporting us for 100 episodes! If you enjoyed this episode, send it to anyone you think may enjoy it, and be excellent to each other!
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.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

NOSFERATU (1922)

Welcome to the CINEMA SHOCK HALLOWEEN SPECIAL!
A few weeks ago, we were invited by our friends at GUTPUNCH asked us to co-host a live screening of NOSFERATU for the first ever Cinema Shock live event!
While we were able to discuss a lot of the film's backstory at that screening, the history of NOSFERATU is so rich that we felt it deserved a true, Cinema Shock-style deep dive.
So in this, our Halloween gift to you, we're going to discuss the full story behind the creation of one of the most influential horror films of all time, F.W. Murnau's NOSFERATU!
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.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

HAIRSPRAY (2007) | John Waters, Epilogue

While our look at the collaborations between John Waters and Divine may be over, we felt that the story of Waters' journey from the underground to the mainstream wasn't complete without a discussion of the Broadway show inspired by one of his films and subsequent musical that followed.
So instead of discussing a John Waters film proper, we're instead going to take a look at the story behind the 2007 musical remake of HAIRSPRAY and the Broadway sensation that inspired it in the final episode of our series John Waters: Divine Trash.
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.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

HAIRSPRAY (1988) | John Waters, Part 6

After unsuccessfully trying to get a PINK FLAMINGOS sequel off of the ground, John Waters revisited an idea that he'd been batting around since the late 1970s, about a teenage girl growing up in early 1960s Baltimore.
That film, HAIRSPRAY, would prove to be John Waters' unintentional ticket to mainstream recognition. By far his most popular and successful film to date, HAIRSPRAY would launch its director — and star, Divine — to whole new levels of fame, fame that, sadly, Divine would not live to see.
In this episode, we take one of our signature deep dives into the development, production and release of HAIRSPRAY and the lives of those who made it in the penultimate episodd in our series John Waters: Divine Filth. 

POLYESTER (1981) | John Waters, Part 5

On the heels of DESPERATE LIVING — and its disappointing box office — John Waters knew that he needed a hit, and that he needed his leading lady back.
Once again teaming with Divine, Waters set out to make a film that was a little more palatable to mass audiences, one that wouldn't rely on shock value to get its laughs. The resulting film was POLYESTER, released in 1981. Co-starring 50s silver screen heartthrob Tab Hunter, the film would also utilize the infamous "Odorama" scratch-n-sniff card gimmick during its initial release.
In this episode, we'll discuss just how Waters went from the subversive, abrasive DESPERATE LIVING to the Douglas Sirk-esque melodrama of POLYESTER, how he got Tab Hunter (and Debbie Harry!) involved, and how the film was received by audiences at the time. 
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.
For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net