Wake Up Heavy (Mark Begley)

Mia Farrow, though not necessarily labeled a genre actress, has been in some of my favorite horror films. In Episode Three of the #WomenInHorrorMonth series I discuss four (well five) of Ms. Farrow's horror films: Rosemary's Baby (1968), Secret Ceremony (1968), See No Evil (1971), The Haunting of Julia (1977), and (ever so briefly) The Omen (2006).

Please check out The Projection Booth's episode on The Haunting of Julia.

Stephen King is one of America's most prolific writers whose books have sold roughly 350 million copies worldwide. The Master of Horror, as he's been known for quite some time now, knows how to scare people and sell books, and naturally Hollywood has mined his voluminous output in the hopes of putting butts in the seats and dollars in the bank. From his earliest novel, Carrie, which was put to film two years after publication, hardly a year has gone by without a King adaptation being released in one form or another. There have been big-budget prestige films, low-budget passion projects, TV movies, mini-series, television series, all those "dollar babies" and, more recently, a number of long-form shows and movie options on streaming platforms.

For more visit the show notes: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2019/08/wuh-stephen-king.html

The last WDIRT in Volume 3 is on Jack Sholder's quirky slasher-home-invasion hybrid Alone in the Dark. It's got Martin Landau as a pyromaniac ex-preacher, Jack Palance as a paranoid POW, Erlind van Lidth as a hulking child-molester, and the mysterious hockey-mask-wearing killer known as The Bleeder. Donald Pleasence rounds out the cast as the equally nutty psychiatrist Dr. Leo Bain.

Full episode of my second appearance on https://www.projectionboothpodcast.com/ is now available through WUH.

"The Brood is the story of the Carveth family and how the sins of the past visit the children of the next generation. Frank (played by Art Hindle) and his wife Nola (played by Samantha Eggar) have separated. She’s under the care of Dr. Hal Raglan (played by Oliver Reed). He’s the head of the Somafree clinic and has mastered the art of psychoplasmics where negative thoughts and feelings are manifested physically. These come in the form of rashes or lesions or, in the case of Nola, a group of odd creatures who go on a murderous rampage when her ire is raised."

Come and celebrate the four year anniversary of Wake Up Heavy with this Very Special Episode on a film in my Top Ten of All Time. Chris Stachiw (The Kulturecast) and Mike White (The Projection Booth Podcast) join me to discuss Jonathan Demme's 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs. Written by Ted Tally and based on the novel by Thomas Harris, Silence stars Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling, an FBI trainee, Scott Glenn as Special Agent Jack Crawford, Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, and Ted Levine as Jame Gumb, aka Jamie Gumb, aka John Grant, aka Jack Gordon, aka Buffalo Bill.

The film follows Starling as she matches wits with Lecter in an attempt to track down a notorious serial killer before he can kill and skin his next victim. The film was a huge financial and critical success and went on to win “The Big Five” categories at the 1992 Academy Awards.

A not-so-quickie episode with more movie recs, a much longer discussion with Cleo in which we talk about some possible kindertrauma she may have suffered because of me, and some cool German synth pop tunes throughout. Check it out why don'tcha!

Yes, I watched a lot of movies on TV as a kid, but I also watched a lot of TV shows on TV. On this "very special episode" (get it?) I talk about my earliest TV scare, and some of the programs with a spooky edge that I really enjoyed. Beware the mysteries among the dark shadows of the night gallery. Muah ha ha ha!

After a stay in a mental institution, Jessica, along with her husband and their friend, moves from Manhattan to Connecticut in hopes that her fragile mental state will improve. They encounter a mysterious stranger squatting in their new home, strange, hostile men covered in bandages, and a mute girl, all of whom may be the victims of a century old vampire. Will Jessica escape alive and with her sanity in tact?
p.s. There's outtakes at the end of this one! :P

It's the 30th anniversary of my semester in London, and recently I've been thinking a lot about my time there. For a budding cinephile the repertory cinemas were a revelation to me, and I formed many of my fondest movie going memories during this time.
In this episode I run through the films I saw, and some I didn't, and those marvelous movie houses: the Scala, Electric, Phoenix, Riverside, and Everyman cinemas.
For more info: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2020/02/wuh-london-semester-1990.html

Back when I first tried my hand at a Patreon subscription the goal was to offer "exclusive content." It lasted for four episodes. Then I closed the account (which I eventually brought back in a different form). Here are the first two of those episodes.

--Barton Fink (1991)
Wherein I talk about MY favorite Coen Bros. movie in a roundabout way. More stream-of-conscious musing than film talk, this episode is heavy on recollections. Get it!?

--After Hours (1985)
Got Scorsese on the brain after the Taxi Driver episode and thought it might be fun to talk about one of his outlier films. Described as a "Yuppie Nightmare" After Hours brings out some of my social anxieties and elicits my distaste for comedies of error. Plus, Paul Hackett's a dick!

Why didn't I rent this? Apparently I'm a dingus. "It's The Evil Dead for kids!"--Mark Begley. 'Nuff said.

When is a WDIRT entry not really a WDIRT entry? When you realize half-way through the movie that you HAVE seen it before. That was the case when I finally tracked down Visiting Hours a few years back. Thinking I would remember having seen a horror movie with William Shatner in it I watched it in hopes of discovering a new old favorite. But then I started getting the strangest feeling of déjà vu, and finally realized I HAD watched this at some point back in the VHS days of my youth.

For more info: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2019/12/wdirt-v4e1-visiting-hours-1982.html

For this episode I am once again joined by Mike White from The Projection Booth Podcast [http://www.projectionboothpodcast.com/].

In 1983 Sam Raimi and Co. took the horror world by the neck and shook it until it begged for mercy. The Evil Dead caught the attention of Stephen King at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival and his pull-quote, "The most ferociously original horror film of 1982," placed it on every genre fan's must-watch list.

The Evil Dead may be short on story but it's long on dread, gore, and inventive film-making. Whether you're a die-hard fan of the original, like me, or a lover of the "better in every way" requel, like my guest, or even if you prefer Army of Darkness for some reason, you'll find something to like in this episode. Heck, I even like the 2013 reboot!

For more information please visit the show notes:
https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2020/04/s4e2-join-us-evil-dead-1981.html

Sharing is caring with another Wake Up Heavy slash The Kulturecast shared episode. Wish I could say I cared for this movie, but I did not. Give it a listen if you're into that sort of thing.

*SURPRISE DROP*

Okay, maybe this isn't THE shortest episode (the WDIRT on The Beast Within still holds that honor) but it's pretty dang short, AND was a nice bit of serendipity after the last episode. I don't want to spoil the surprise of this surprise drop, so just have a listen.

For more info: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2021/03/wuh-tv-and-projection-booth.html

Cleo's back to talk* about two more Monster Battle Movies. Since Kong is in both of these we're going with KING KONG VS... this time around.

First up is King Kong Escapes (1967). And then we get into the just-released Godzilla vs. Kong (2021).

*Doing these episodes reminds me that even when it’s about something they enjoy, getting a 13-yr. old to talk can be like pulling teeth. :)

For more info: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2021/03/wuh-godzilla-vs-monster-battle-series-w.html

Hot take on a current movie I really dug. Trying to dig up the article about watching movies alone, will post when/if I find it. CHEDDAR GOBLIN RULES!! And so do The Carpenters.

Sharing some episodes of www.projectionboothpodcast.com/ that I've been lucky enough to guest on. Moving on to my third appearance on the show. You can STILL hear/feel my nerves here.

"We're looking at Miguel Llanso's Crumbs (2015), the story of a post apocalyptic future where items from the past are given special significance as our hero, Candy (played by Daniel Tadesse), goes on a quest, first to see the witch and then to see Santa Claus.

Chris Stachiw and Mark Begley join Mike to talk about Crumbs as well as Llanso's Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway from 2019."

No mere Santa Slasher here, Christmas Evil is a psychological study of one lonely man's mental breakdown. Harry Stadling is obsessed with Christmas and Santa Claus and the lack of belief in his fellow man is weighing heavy on his mind. As hypocrisy, consumerism, and apathy meet him on every side Harry slides further into his delusions until he snaps.

For more info please visit: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2019/12/wuh-christmas-evil-1980.html

I was recently asked by Sam Panico to submit a Top Ten Slashers list for his site B & S About Movies, and it got me to thinking about a series I had considered awhile back called Why Do I Hate Slashers (I Don't Actually)? Some of the films from my top ten list have been discussed on the show (Black Christmas, Alice, Sweet Alice, etc.) so we'll skip those for this series. Everything else is fair game, starting with the gonzo Pieces (1982).

For more info please visit the show notes: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2019/10/why-do-i-hate-slashers.html

My Bloody Valentine is a Canadian entry into the slasher genre (you can really hear the accents in this one) and a prime example of Holiday Horror (still waiting for a Flag Day Slasher). We’ve got all the staples of an ‘80s slasher—a masked killer, decent amounts of gore (in the uncut version), misdirection, and humor—but instead of teenage babysitters or camp counselors we’ve got 20-something coal miners, and I like that divergence from the norm.

For more please visit the show notes: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2019/10/why-do-i-hate-slashers.html

The years 1980 through 1983 might possibly be the most over-saturated in terms of Stephen King output. During this time five novels were published and five movies were released, and if you didn't know who King was you must have been living under a (Castle) rock. Ha ha. And lest we forget we also got the collection Different Seasons, as well as two novels published as Richard Bachman: Roadwork and The Running Man. That's EIGHT books in three years people!!

To one extent or another all of the books published in those years have been adapted to screen: Firestarter (1984), Cujo (1983), The Dark Tower (2017), Christine (1983), and Pet Sematary (1989).

For more check out the show notes: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2019/09/wuh-stephen-king-1980-83.html

The Sender (1982) is a horror film directed by Roger Christian and starring Zeljko Ivanek as The Sender, Kathryn Harrold as Dr. Gail Farmer, and Shirley Knight as Jerolyn. Two years before Freddy terrorized the kids on Elm Street, John Doe 83 would project the power of his dreams onto the patients and staff of a mental hospital in the town of Corinth.

For more information: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2020/08/wdirt-v4e2-sender-1982.html

Michael Pilmer, aka Devo-Obsesso, stopped by to chat all things DEVO, his longtime love of the band, their music, and what they meant to him from a young age. Find out what took him from DEVOted fan and collector to meeting and working for the group.

For more info: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2021/02/wuh-interview-with-michael-pilmer.html

More Cleo! Lots of Hobbitses! A giant shark, a killer dress, dinosaurs, Calvinism vs. LA porn, and other odds and ends. Plus a surprise appearance from Leonard Nimoy. Is this the final NFH episode? When I'm in charge you never can tell.

Between 1977 and 1984 Stephen King published five novels under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Though many fans and critics surmised that Bachman was King, which he would deny, the truth wasn’t uncovered until Washington, DC bookstore clerk Steve Brown noticed similarities to King’s writing and did some investigating. He found copyright info for one of the Bachman books in King’s name at the Library of Congress. Brown went to King’s publishers to ask what he should do with the information and King himself told him he should write an article about it and gave an interview to Brown.

For more please visit the show notes: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2019/10/wuh-stephen-king-bachman-books.html

It's Women in Horror Month and I wanted to do my part to promote films directed by women and centered around women. This is the preview episode, and my plan is to put out a short episode every week in February, with the goal of compiling them all at the end.

It's been a year (give or take a day or two) since I put out the first couple of episodes of Wake Up Heavy. 40 or so episodes, a handful of guests, a lot of learning and dozens of movies later, here we are.

In this episode I once again get helped out by my daughter who asks me some questions about this first full year of WUH and my plans for the next.

Thank you to everyone who has listened to Wake Up Heavy, even if it was just one episode! Ultimately that's the point of all this, right? Otherwise I could just sit in front of the computer and talk to the screen about these movies. That would be weird though.

Show notes.

Really didn't think I'd be doing another one of these BUT WE'RE STILL DEALING WITH COVID-19 so here we are. I get on my soapbox for a bit, but mainly talk about my movie watching from the last month or so. Yeah, it's one of "those" episodes.

Take a listen to The Projection Booth Podcast's episode on FADE TO BLACK here: http://www.projectionboothpodcast.com/2019/10/episode-436-fade-to-black-1980.html

I love a good detective story (just think of all those Murder, She Wrote references on the show) and I love to hear behind the scenes tales about my favorite movies. When I discovered Simon Fitzjohn on Twitter I was immediately intrigued by the work he was doing to track down the rights for the film Full Circle (more commonly known in the States as The Haunting of Julia). After watching one particularly intriguing video on his YouTube channel (which mentioned Prince Charles of all people) I decided to ask Simon if he had done any podcasts so that I could have a listen and get more information on his quest. When he said he hadn't I immediately invited him to appear on Wake Up Heavy. After some months we finally got the chance to sit and have a talk and it was illuminating.

UPDATE: Parts 1 and 2 are now combined into this one, long episode.

If I ever start a band (which, to be honest, will never happen) I already have a name for it: The Regular Rentals. Back in the '80s my sister and I would watch the same movies again and again and rarely tire of them. If we liked something we really liked something. One of the movies that made it into heavy rotation was Dead & Buried, which remains a favorite of mine to this day. Atmospheric yet violent, confusing as all get-out, with an amazing cast including Grandpa Joe, Dale Arden, a future Horror Icon, and possibly more people that have appeared on Murder, She Wrote than any other movie. Listen and witness the moment my brain implodes with questions. Oh so many questions.

Before the OTHER bonus episode with Sam here's a super short extra-extra-bonus special episode of me reading my initial viewing notes on UTSL. This one's a little spoilery so be careful.

Stephen King shot out of the gate with the publication of Carrie in 1974. Though the hardcover didn't sell all that well the paperback rights were acquired for a whopping $400,000.00, of which King received half plus royalties. The paperback went on to sell one million copies in its first year.

Over the next five years King followed up with 'Salem's Lot, The Shining, The Stand, and The Dead Zone in quick succession. That's six novels in six years, plus the short story collection Night Shift in 1978 AND the books Rage and The Long Walk written under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Whew!

In 1976 Brian DePalma brought CARRIE to the big screen...
[For more see the show notes: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2019/09/wuh-stephen-king-1974-79.html]

A brief look back at Wake Up Heavy's first full calendar year on the ol' podcast trail. A hazy look forward, plus some of my favorite "first time watches" from the year.

I mentioned Peter Ivers in the episode, and instead of making you chase down the articles I read they are all linked in the show notes, as are all the Watch Lists mentioned:

https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2020/01/wuh-twenty-nineteen.html

WUH comes back from hiatus with a new WDIRT episode on Harry Bromley Davenport's nutso early-80s Alien rip-off that's actually so much more than that. Filled with too many WTF moments to count, and some of the most inspired and gloopy SFX from the era, XTRO would have damaged my brain as a kid. Now that I'm older I can soak in this odd-ball treasure with wild abandon.

Were there signs of King slowing down over the next four years? Heck no! Remember what I said about 1980-83 being over saturated? Well that may have been premature. Between 1984 and 1987 King published six novels, one novella, one collection of short stories, and the Bachman book Thinner. The previous four Bachman books were also re-released as an omnibus, which we will get to in time.

Eight movies were released during this time with many of them being adaptations of short stories, or novellas. I.e. Hollywood was really digging deep to provide movie goers with their King fix, but they were mining some of the lesser works.

For more info visit the show notes: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2019/09/wuh-stephen-king-1984-87.html

"It must have been the magpies."

Peter Strickland's Berberian Sound Studio is an eerie love letter to Italian horror films like Suspiria (see previous entry) and psychological thrillers like The Tenant. Toby Jones plays Gilderoy, a sound mixer who travels to Italy to work on "The Equestrian Vortex," a graphically violent movie involving witches at a horse-riding school. Nearly everyone at the recording studio is dismissive of, or openly rude to him. This, along with the violent nature of the film and his home-sickness, sends Gilderoy down a spiral of identity confusion.

Included in this episode is my little story about how Peter Strickland and I watched a movie together in London back in 1990. Maybe. ;)

Show notes: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2019/05/wuh-berberian-sound-studio-2012.html

On this episode I am joined by Sam Panico to discuss David Robert Mitchell's ambitious (yet messy) sunscorched-Neo-Noir-comedy-thriller Under the Silver Lake. Andrew Garfield plays Sam our hapless protagonist who is pulled into a labyrinthine mystery after a brief encounter with his neighbor Sarah (Riley Keough) and her sudden disappearance. Sam is bombarded by cryptic codes, conspiracy theories, secret societies, subliminal messages, underground zines, backward masking, LA hipsters, and an incoherent parrot as he searches for a truth that may be better left uncovered.

Much like the movie itself this episode dips and dives into many different points of reference which ends up being a whole lot of fun. Since Sam and I discussed a lot of other stuff at the beginning and end of the recording I will be putting that out as a separate bonus episode shortly.

Sam's Review Site: https://bandsaboutmovies.com/

Show Notes: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2019/07/wuh-under-silver-lake-2018.html

Welcome to the first official episode of Wake Up Heavy! This is Mark, your Horror Host, with one of my all-time favorite movies, Don Coscarelli's PHANTASM. Give a listen and find out what it is that makes this gem from 1979 so darn special and why it has stuck with me for over 35 years!

A lot of Slasher fans don’t like this one, but I dig it. Directed by J. Lee Thompson (best known, by me at least, for his sleazy flicks with Charles Bronson) and starring Glen Ford, Susan Acker, and Melissa Sue Anderson this one is kind of a mess. The ending was changed at the last minute and makes no sense, but for me that’s part of the charm. The set-piece kills are fun, there are red herrings galore, and it’s Canadian! Minus points for having a plethora of asshole characters, but I'll let it slide for this one.

It's a last minute pseudo-year-end wrap up. Keeping things confusing by offering this up before the season finale episode 'cuz that's how I roll. Plus, it's stuff I was going to include in that EP anyway, but thought it better to pull it out to knock down the run time and get this stuff out there before year's end.

Included herein are thank yous, podcast suggestions, ratings & reviews*, Patreon possibilities (and other $$$ talk), those damn stickers, the goal of WUH, a quick episode recap, and a preview of the season finale. Kind of.

*If you've left a review you'll get a shout out from moi. And if that ain't incentive enough to leave a review in the future then you're dead inside. Thanks to yinz who've left one, to anyone who's given a rating, and to every single person and bot who has pricked up their ears to listen to me gab about weird movies. You rock!

For the list of podcasts I mentioned please visit the WUH Blog.

The first episode of the Women in Horror Month special series is The Slumber Party Massacre. Written by Rita Mae Brown as a parody of the slasher genre but filmed straight by Amy Holden Jones, what emerged was a slightly off-kilter horror flick that might just make you question what it is you like about these films.

[EPISODE CORRECTION: Brinke Stevens was in TSPM not Michelle Bauer.]

Taking a break from horror to talk about this little movie from 1984 that I'd never heard of until a few months ago. I wanted to discuss this film as a lead-up to the season two premiere on Taxi Driver since both feature protagonists that seek vengeance to regain power under wholly different circumstances.

Karen Young plays Kathleen Sullivan, a teacher from Boston working at a high school in Texas. She meets Larry, a charming lawyer, man's-man, and gun nut, who aggressively pursues her affections. When the system fails her she seeks her own brand of justice.

Thanks to the guys at '80s All Over for talking about it on their January 1984 episode, and for letting me play a clip from said show.

Please be warned that the film portrays the rape of its protagonist, which is discussed within the episode, along with some offensive language.

WUH's first Special Guest is a fellow I've known for 25 years, give or take, and is the "movie buddy" I've referred to in a number of episodes. In this episode we talk about one of his Recollections of Horror: Joe Dante's 1981 self-referential werewolf flick The Howling.

The Howling is not a movie I watched a lot back in the Eighties but have grown to appreciate much more of late. Listen as we compare and contrast our first viewings of the film and kvetch like two old-timers about modern CGI. We try to figure out why 1981 was The Year of the Werewolf, and you get to hear me complain about watching the first three sequels (which is far as I'm willing to go in the franchise).

Visit the show notes for more.

Buy Ronnie's book.

In this introductory episode my daughter Cleo helps me tackle some questions about the podcast and offer some insight into why horror movies intrigued me when I was young and why I still love them now.

It's time for a new, full episode of Wake Up Heavy. This time I tackle David Schmoeller's 1979 classic freakfest Tourist Trap. Starring pre-The Beastmaster Tanya Roberts and post-The Rifleman Chuck Connors. Do mannequins creep you out? Then you're in for a bumpy ride with this one!

Like many people my age, Dario Argento's Suspiria was my introduction to Italian horror films. The imagery was phantasmagoric, the music was bombastic, and the violence was horrific. Unlike anything I'd seen before, SUSPIRIA opened up a whole new world of horror cinema, though one that was ultimately elusive and frustrating.

Ronald Dzerigian is back to join me in discussing this seminal film--arguably Argento's best--the other entries in the Three Mothers trilogy, and the 2018 remake by Luca Guadagnino. Along the way we discuss our views on spoilers, and kvetch a little more about CGI.

Show notes.

I like lists! In this mini-sode I list my favorite horror sub-genres, and I list examples of each. It's List-o-mania! (This is not a perfect or complete list, there will eventually be more listy-list eps to fill in the gaps!)

Philip Ridley's "prairie gothic" The Reflecting Skin was released in 1990 to much acclaim and derision, and then quietly disappeared.

Young Seth Dove traverses the nightmare of childhood among the wheat fields of 1950s Idaho, mostly left to his own devices by his chronically sad father and hysterical mother. He and his friends terrorize a widow they are convinced is a vampire, run afoul of delinquents that cruise the dirt roads in a big black Cadillac, and discover the wonders and horrors of the adult world.

Back when I first tried my hand at a Patreon subscription the goal was to offer "exclusive content." It lasted for four episodes. Then I closed the account (which I eventually brought back in a different form). Here are the first two of those episodes.

--Images (1972)
This was a new discovery for me last year, and I immediately fell in love with it. Robert Altman's entry into the "hysterical woman" sub-genre stars Susannah York as Cathryn who is haunted by a dead ex-lover and her own doppleganger.

--The Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film
The PEF is one of the most influential compendiums of weirdo films to ever be put to print. I read it religiously and made a LONG list of films I hoped to track down. Out of approximately 230 films from that list I have since seen a mere 42 of them, most within the last six years or so. This is me talking about those films!

Women in Horror Month 2019 concludes at WUH with an episode on Jocelin Donahue and Alex Essoe and their starring roles in two of my favorite modern horror movies: The House of the Devil (2009) and Starry Eyes (2014).

Here's another instance of my stupidity: I saw the very intriguing video box image for Eyes of Fire probably 50 million times back in my teens and never took a chance on renting it. Dumb, Mark, just plain dumb! This is one fascinating oddity that has never really gotten its chance to shine. The film didn't get very positive reviews when it came out, died at the box office, and wasn't given a VHS release until 1987. At that point it gained a cult following, but once again got buried in obscurity. If you like The Witch you should definitely check this one out!

Ah, Ed Gein, that perpetual paradigm of perversion spawned myriad torrid tales of terror, including, but not limited to, Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and Silence of the Lambs. His horrific happenings may have been presented in their truest and most disturbing form in this wicked number from 1974 helmed by Alan Ormsby, starring Roberts Blossom, and produced in part by Bob Clark. I think this one looked just a bit too on the nose for young Markie back in the '80s.

Please check out these later episodes of WUH as well: a second more in depth episode on Deranged, and one on Silence of the Lambs.

From the screenwriting power duo who brought you Howard the Duck, it's the 1973 (or is it 1971? or maybe 1974?? or...) oddball Messiah of Evil (or Second Coming? or Revenge of the Screaming Dead? or Return of the Living Dead?? or the sublime Dead People???). Any way you slice it this is one kooky flick. If little 13-year-old Mark had laid his eyeballs on this one he might have grown up to be a weirdo! Oh, wait...

Philipe Mora's films are quite varied, but they all share a certain bizarre quality. The Beast Within is no exception. I remember the box art for this one so distinctly but never took the plunge. I wish I had because it's a very unique horror film from one of the busiest years for the genre. Plus, those bladder effects!

New Ad for 2023 and beyond. Feel free to share!

Anthony King, host of The Cult Movies Podcast, pays a visit to WUH Headquarters and brings along a movie that traumatized him as a child, but has since become one of his favorites. On this Special Guest episode we talk about John Landis's 1982 classic horror/comedy film An American Werewolf in London, Anthony's show, Jenny Agutter, and why Grandma should always keep the bedroom door closed.

Anthony King on Twitter.
The Cult Movies Podcast.

Show notes.

This slightly sleazy, giallo-esque proto-slasher gained notoriety for starring Little Brooke Shields. But it was the anti-Catholic sentiment and shocking violence that got it condemned. Director Alfred Sole borrows from Hitchcock, throws in some Don't Look Now and tops it all off with a creepy masked killer. Enjoy!

[EPISODE CORRECTION: Jason Patric and Joshua John Miller are half-brothers, not step-brothers.]

A full year ago, on the WUH: Twenty Nineteen episode, I talked about wanting to do some shows in 2020 on the myriad obsessions I entertained back in my youth. That never really happened. But those old obsessions have begun to percolate again, so instead of a year-end wrap-up I'm going to touch on some of those, as well as some other interesting(?) things from my childhood.

Turkey Monkey picture and full show notes here: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2021/01/wuh-little-bit-me.html

In each episode of this series my daughter Cleo and I will be hopping around the Godzilla and King Kong Franchises (mostly Godzilla) and talking about two or three films. Naturally we started with their epic Match-Up in the 1962 Toho film King Kong vs. Godzilla. We'll be discussing that film in comparison with Mothra vs. Godzilla which came out two years later.

For more info: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2021/03/wuh-godzilla-vs-monster-battle-series-w.html

And finally here's the wrap up episode for the Stephen King series. It's a quickie (relatively speaking) where I rank some books, rank some movies, and throw in some recs for films I didn't hit on in the previous shows. Don't be a lunkhead, give 'er a listen!

Just a quickie episode to share some movie recs, have a little chat with my daughter about some of the films I've forced her to watch, hear my wife get the bejeezus scared out of her, and let people know what's going on at WUH headquarters during these strange (count how many times I say that in the episode!) times.

What's in the cellar, Rynn? Where is your father? What does Frank Hallett want? What's the big deal about those jelly jars? Have a listen and get answers to (some of) these questions!

Another quick episode to lead into the season two premiere on Taxi Driver, TLGWLDTL was one of five movies starring Jodie Foster that was made or released in 1976. I caught this one on TV as a young'n and it struck a chord and stuck with me for years. Martin Sheen's never been creepier and Foster once again plays a precocious teen knowledgeable beyond her years.

The second episode of the Women in Horror Month special series is on Karyn Kusama's tense horror/thriller The Invitation. This movie triggers my social anxieties, contains my favorite horror sub-genre, and has a killer cast.

In which Mark, your Horror Host, rattles off another list of movies that are good and that you should watch. If your mom will let you! This time though it's the newer stuff, and it's the shortest episode yet.

Sharing some episodes of https://www.projectionboothpodcast.com/ that I've been lucky enough to guest on. Starting with my first appearance on the show. You can hear/feel my nerves here.

"On this special episode of The Projection Booth we’re looking at the 2019 film from director Orçun Behram, The Antenna (2019). The film stars Ihsan Önal as Mehmet, a overseer of an apartment building in Turkey. We begin the film on the day when a new satellite dish is being installed that is part of a new era for the country where the government can now broadcast directly to its citizens’ televisions. Let’s just say that this isn’t the utopia that was promised.

Mark Begley and David Rodgers join Mike to talk about this film which plays in select theaters starting October 2, 2020 and digital platforms starting October 20, 2020."

Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatural (1974), directed by Richard Blackburn and starring Cheryl Smith and Leslie Gilb.

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970), directed by Jaromil Jires and starring Jaroslava Schallerová.

Quite by happenstance I watched both of these films recently and was struck by their similarities. Two young girls, Lila Lee in the American South and Valerie in Czechoslovakia, are each experiencing the perilous journey into womanhood. Both are pursued by lecherous clergyman, amorous lady friends, relatives, and vampires within dark fairy tale landscapes. Will one or both succumb to the temptations laid before them, or emerge with their purity in tact?

Visit the show notes for more information on both films.

The Blood on Satan's Claw was released in 1971 by Tigon Pictures, a short-lived competitor of Hammer and Amicus in the late 1960s and early '70s. It stars Peter Wymark (Repulsion) and Linda Hayden (Taste the Blood of Dracula) and was directed by Piers Haggard.

In a field in 17th century England a local farmhand plows up the rotting corpse of a strange creature. Although the older towns people fear something sinister might be at play the youth seem intrigued by the discovery. Angel Blake (Hayden) finds a claw in the field and starts to assert a strange power over her classmates...

For more please visit the show notes: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2019/10/wuh-blood-on-satans-claw-1971.html

Well here it is, the season finale of Wake Up Heavy. David Lynch's 1977 seminal masterpiece Eraserhead is not only my favorite horror film it is unequivocally my single favorite film of all time. Lynch has called it, "A dream of dark and troubling things," and there is no more apt description than that. A wholly personal film, Eraserhead is a confusing conundrum of confluences that proves impossible to dissect (pun intended) unless you are David Lynch. The story itself is based on very simple, very human fears, yet those who see it are compelled to analyze the bizarre images and perplexing scenarios in an attempt to alleviate the disquieting unease the film elicits.

--Special guest this episode is Mike White, host of the only podcast that matters: The Projection Booth.

This is a long one, so pace yourselves. Time stamps included for anyone who loses their place or wants to listen to certain sections only.

Part I: My history w/ Eraserhead & Lynch (00:01)
Part II: London & The Scala Cinema--Seeing Eraserhead on the big screen (19:03)
Part III: Synopsis & movie facts (28:24)
Part IV: Interview w/ Mike White (35:06)
Part V: ERASERHEAD 2000--the re-release on DVD (1:18:26)
Part VI: The "Weird" stuff (1:26:25)
Part VII: What influenced ERASERHEAD (1:32:56)
Part VIII: The missing scenes (1:39:23)
Part IX: Soundscape, motifs & favorite things (1:43:02)
Part X: Cast & crew, theories & wrap-up (2:00:24)

For more info check out the show notes.

It's that time of year! You know the time, when we watch Bob Clark's Holiday Classic for 24 hours. No, not THAT Holiday Classic, THIS classic! That's right, Clark's Black Christmas, the proto-slasher that, according to many, inspired John Carpenter's Halloween, and laid the bloody groundwork for one of the most popular horror sub-genres. I explore the similarities and differences between the two films, and offer up some potentially controversial theories.

[EPISODE CORRECTION: The murder that the urban legend of, "The Babysitter and the Man Upstairs," is supposedly based on actually took place in 1950 in Missouri.]

October is always a special time for Horror Enthusiasts and it is no different for this guy. I watch horror movies all year long, but once October hits the juices really start flowing. Something about the change in weather--the shorter, colder, drearier days--makes warming up to a good spooky flick all the more enjoyable. I had planned to talk about Dead & Buried for October, but left it up to listeners and Halloween III won out hands down. I had fun doing this one because heck, it's a fun movie and there's a lot to talk about. Listen to find out where I rank this among the Halloween franchise, what I think about Tom Atkins as a leading man, and some thoughts on filmmaker Tommy Lee Wallace. And if you count how many times I say "clunky" or one of its derivatives you can win some stickers! Post the number on any platform for your chance to win. Thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to Wake Up Heavy!

[EPISODE CORRECTION: I made an error when I called Jamie Lloyd Laurie Strode's niece, she's her daughter, and therefore Michael Myers' niece.--MB]

My fourth appearance on the film podcast of film podcasts, The Projection Booth:

"Spaghetti Western month continues with a look at the SABATA films -- it's something of a trilogy, but not really. And some might say that there are seven films in the series… but, really, there’re just two. The original film, SABATA (1969), was written and directed by Gianfranco Parolini and stars Lee Van Cleef as the titular gunfighter who’s no stranger to gadgets.

Mark Begley and Heather Drain join Mike to discuss the three official SABATA films and four of the knock-offs which have little to nothing to do with the titular gunfighter."

As in Extra Special! Along with my own ramblings on a handful of films that didn't get the full treatment on previous episodes (Creepshow, Children of the Corn, Maximum Overdrive, Stand By Me, etc.) there is an interview with horror film journalist and filmmaker Jerry Smith regarding his Dollar Baby Deal.

For more visit the show notes: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2019/09/wuh-stephen-king-extras.html

One of a BAJILLION campground Slashers from the early ‘80s The Burning is probably most famous for ONE scene that features some stellar Savini wet works. What stands out for me is the great cast: Jason Alexander (with HAIR), Fisher Stevens, Brian Backer, and a blink-and-you’ll-miss-her Holly Hunter. It’s also one of the few Summer Camp films that shows the counselors and kids actually doing Summer Camp stuff!

For more info on this and the other episodes in this series please check out: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2019/10/why-do-i-hate-slashers.html

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter is MY Friday the 13th. As well as being my favorite of that franchise, it is one of my favorite slashers (I placed it at No. 3 on my Slasher Top Ten list) AND one of my favorite horror films in general. The film's similarities to Halloween, something I hadn't really thought much about prior to doing this episode, may play a big part in that. What could have been a quick cash-grab ended up being one of the more humorous, human, and effective entries in the series. There's no hate here, this is a slasher I love.

It's been awhile... Since I did a listy-list episode that is. So here ya go, more modern horror flicks I like which proves I'm not just a nostalgia baby stuck in horror's heyday. Heck, right now might just be horror's heyday so jump on the bandwagon and check out these frightening films! What's on the list, you so impertinently ask? Listen to the dang episode says me. And then listen to this one too: https://soundcloud.com/wakeupheavy/minisode-2-favorite-modern-horror

Thanks to Kim and Ket for letting me use a clip from their show. Check it out here, along with their other episodes.

[EPISODE CORRECTION: Realized that I didn't give the title for the movie that I thought was a remake of Rituals. It's called The Ritual. Makes sense now, yeah?]

And here's the first part (second released) of the Wake Up Heavy/Kulturecast Crossover!

"In this bonus crossover episode, we take a look at the most recent entry into The Conjuring Universe and possibly the final film in the mainline franchise: The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. Starring the always fantastic pair of Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, the film follows the two as they attempt to clear the name of a man who murdered while possibly possessed. Wake Up Heavy's Mark Begley joins Chris to talk about the film, the universe as a whole, and if there will be another movie."

Show notes: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2021/06/guest-spot-kcxwuh-conjuring-devil-made.html

[To avoid Orphan: First Skill spoilers at 11:51 jump to 12:31 and you should be good.]

It's the (very) unofficial end of summer (115 degrees feels like summer to me!) and Cleo is back in school. I was able to squeeze one more episode out of her, though, so enjoy our August watches. For those keeping score I watched nine new movies out of 32 total during the month of August.

It's been a long time coming (two and a half years, if anyone's counting) but the Mickey Rourke Love-Fest is finally here. 1987 was a big year for Rourke with three films hitting the big screen between April and October. Two of which happen to be HUGE favorites of mine, including this one.
On this episode I am joined by Mike White and Cullen Gallagher to discuss Alan Parker's adaptation of the 1978 novel Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg. A combination of horror and noir Angel Heart follows Harry Angel (Rourke) as he tries to track down the one-time famous crooner Johnny Favorite. Angel's client Louis Cyphre (Robert DeNiro) means to make good on the "contract" he made with Johnny before he was drafted and ended up wounded and shell-shocked. The film also stars Lisa Bonet as Epiphany Proudfoot, Charlotte Rampling as Margaret Krusemark, Dann Florek as Herman Winesap, Michael Higgins as Dr, Fowler, and Pruitt Taylor Vince as Det. Deimos.

Show info: https://www.wakeupheavy.com/2022/10/s6e3-i-got-thing-about-chickens-angel.html

Chris has kindly shared our recent discussion on the films of Jordan Peele: Get Out (2017), Us (2019), and Nope (2022). Starring everyone from Daniel Kaluuya to Bradley Whitford, Keke Palmer to Lupita Nyong'o, along with Tim Heidecker, Keith David, and Allison Williams, the three films tackle race, aliens, and identity politics through the mind of one of horror's hottest directors.

LISTEN AD FREE HERE: https://www.patreon.com/wakeupheavy

Cleo's back talkin' 'bout movies! Get an earful of our watches as a family, and my solo watches, including my most anticipated movie of the year.

Chris and I, inspired by our Jordan Peele discussion, tackle M. Night Shyamalan's first three twisty turny films: THE SIXTH SENSE (1999), UNBREAKABLE (2000), and SIGNS (2002).

The Mickey Rourke love continues with this episode on Barbet Schroeder's 1987 film Barfly. Scripted by author Charles Bukowski Barfly follows drunk poet Henry Chinaski (Rourke) as he traverses the bars, alleys, and roominghouses of L.A.'s Skid Row. Along the way he meets kindred spirit Wanda (Faye Dunaway) and they love and fight their way through life's ups and downs. Barfly is a surprisingly warm and humorous tale about those living on the outskirts of society.

Heather Drain and Anthony King join me to discuss the film, Bukowski's writing, problematic artists, and the beauty of art.

You know how this goes already. My watches + Cleo's and my watches! Only Halloweekend saved this from being a low-watch movie month.

Sadly, no Cleo for this watch list rundown, but hopefully she'll be back soon! Along with my movie viewing activity there's some big news about my new shows in this one, so give it a listen!

A podcast by two weird guys about the weird things they like. Featuring Ronald Dzerigian (Skele Vader) and Mark Begley (Wake Up Heavy).

We're knee deep in spoof territory over here at Weirding Way Media so why not keep the trend going? Mike White and Chris Stachiw join me to talk about an old favorite of mine, Murder by Death (1976). Written by Neil Simon and directed by Robert Moore, Murder by Death is a send-up of whodunits with some of our more well-known detectives getting the parody treatment. The film stars James Coco, Peter Falk, Elsa Lanchester, David Niven, Peter Sellers, and Maggie Smith as some suspiciously familiar faces. Eileen Brennan, Truman Capote, Alec Guinness, Richard Narita, Nancy Walker, and Estelle Winwood round out the cast in this murderous farce. Of course we discuss the problematic portrayal of an Asian character by Peter Sellers, so be warned!

The Begley household is all in (well, except for Lady in the Water) when it comes to Mr. M. Knight Shyamalan, so we were excited to watch his latest film, Knock at the Cabin (2023). Friend of the show, Chris Stachiw, who wasn't as excited, joins me to chat about this pre-Apocalyptic film. Based on the book The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay, the film stars Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Dave Bautista, Kristen Cui, and Rupert Grint. What happens when four strangers take a family hostage and task them with making an unthinkable sacrifice to save the world? Listen and find out. SPOILER WARNING: Both the film and the book it is based on are spoiled in the episode.

Wherein I talk about what's been going on since November 2022 and why I've been taking it easy on episodes and movie watching. Plus some movie recs from 2022 and so far in 2023, some interesting movie watching stats, and a few programming alerts. p.s. Megan and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish are both streaming on Peacock, and Flux Gourmet is on Shudder and Hulu (not Tubi). ;)

Check out From the Files of Police Squad.

And the Top Secret episode over on the Projection Booth.

Give some love to Cambridge & Wishon.

And listen to this episode from a year ago for more Poison for the Fairies love.

Cleo is finally back and we've got a hefty round of movie watches and recs. From an undersung Stephen King adaptation to a modern comedy classic to a sun-drenched folk tale we dive into a few faves of the last few months.

Cleo is headed back to school, but we were able to squeeze in one last episode before then. Since last we spoke we've watched a bunch of my modern horror faves, some raunchy comedies, a Coen Bros. classic, Black Mirror, and other bits and bobs. Enjoy and thanks for listening!

The wonderful Green Room poster was designed by Oliver Barrett.

Yes, I have done an episode on Black Christmas (1974) before, but when you get a chance to be on The Projection Booth you take it. This was part of a crossover event from back in 2021 when Mike White co-hosted several episodes of WUH on the horror films of Bob Clark and Alan Ormsby. This culminated with TPB's episode on Black Christmas that ended up being just shy of FOUR HOURS LONG. I hadn't been able to import the episode until now, so here it finally is. There are a TON (29!!) of ads in this episode, so head over to my Patreon to listen ad-free if'n you want.

Been making some changes, and updating some old episodes. Find out about that and how many times I've watched The Beatles: Get Back over the last week. :)

I'd almost forgotten about the only interview I've done, but since I'm cleaning up old episodes this popped back into my head. This was for Pick Up a Podcast which seems to have stopped producing new episodes back in 2020. This dates back to early 2019 so it might be kind of fun to see how things have or have not changed since then.

Chris has kindly shared a couple of Kulturecast episodes I guested on in 2022 that relate to a new episode we just recorded. First up is our discussion about the "Cloverfield Trilogy" such as it is.

Chris has kindly shared a couple of Kulturecast episodes I guested on in 2022 that relate to a new episode we just recorded. Next up is our discussion about two Stephen King adapations based on stories from his Night Shift collection (Children of the Corn and Maximum Overdrive).

SPOILER ALERT: Both of these films are spoiled in this discussion.

Mr. Kulturecast, Chris Stachiw, is back and we're talking about not one but TWO recent horror movies! First up is Samuel Bodin's Cobweb, starring Lizzy Caplan and Woody Norman. And then we talk about the not dissimilar The Boogeyman by Rob Savage. The Boogeyman is based on an early Stephen King short story and features Chris Messina and Sophie Thatcher. Check out our discussion on two other Night Shift adaptations here.

Back to the MM/YY episodes with movie watching/recs plus news and notes.

"It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent's fritters."

And you really don't want to know what kind of critters they are! This is a strange film for me to be doing a WDIRT episode on, but hey, I like strange things. Plus, it just kept popping into my head over the last few months and I felt like I needed to watch it and exorcize it out of my brain. That lead me to think it would make a slightly odd episode of the show since I don't particularly care for the film. So grab some smoked meats and give it a listen!

Fellow Weirding Way Media podcasters Chris Stachiw and Mike White are back on the show to discuss Foul Play (1978). Written and directed by Colin Higgins (Harold and Maude, 9 to 5) the film stars Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase in their first box office smash! Hawn plays Gloria Mundy who becomes embroiled in a Hitchcokian conspiracy plot to assassinate the Pope. Chase stars as Lt. Tony Carlson who is tasked with trying to protect her and track down the band of assassins: Whitey Jackson, Scarface, The Turk, and Rupert Stiltskin aka The Dwarf. The film also stars Dudley Moore, Burgess Meredith, and Brian Dennehy.