Eclectic Film Discussion
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Spanish Horror Icon Paul Naschy and Other Films from the Golden Age of Spanish Horror
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Join Adrian Smith and Rod Barnett as they explore a wide range of Italian genres, one filone at a time. Follow us on Twitter or Instagram for updates and more! You can listen to the podcast on Acast, Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music, Apple, YouTube, Google Podcasts, Tunein, Podtail, Pocket Casts, Podchaser, Goodpods and Podcast Addict. If you enjoy the podcast, why not buy us a coffee? Espresso, naturally. Grazie mille! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Skin trouble? Grey hair getting you down? Walking with a stoop? Why not take a drug that has not safely been tested on people yet, will probably make you violent, but will definitely make you young and hot? If that sounds good, you too could become Satanik, the anti-hero of our latest episode. This is one of the few films from this season to have a…
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Author John Kenneth Muir returns to the show to discuss another science fiction television show! BLAKE’S 7 aired in Britain from 1978 to 1981 and was a major hit but was not renewed for a fifth season. That the show remains beloved decades later points to the typical short sighted BBC decision making process in such matters. With the recent announc…
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Bonus Episode: Interview with comic writer Steven Ross
1:10:08
1:10:08
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In this bonus episode Adrian chats with comic writer Steven Ross, who was responsible for encouraging Luigi Cozzi to write a new story in the Starcrash universe, The Midas Star (which we reviewed in a previous episode). Steven is also working on a new translation of the original Yor - the Hunter From the Future comics, so there is plenty to discuss…
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Mister X (Avenger X, Piero Vivarelli, 1967)
53:28
53:28
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Bored of winning the golf championships all the time? Is life with your beautiful fiancé just not quite giving you the thrills you need? In that case, why not put on a black mask, stick a big X on your belt and then head out to fight international criminals? That's just what Mister X did, and he's never been happier, whether he's chucking henchmen …
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Today the pond – tomorrow the world! Author Mark Clark returns to the show to talk about the epic (?) animal attack film FROGS (1972). We discuss that genre as well as the ecological horror sub-genre that this movie falls into comfortably. The goal with this episode was to limit ourselves to a single movie as a way to control the conversation, but …
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Troy Guinn and I return to Universal Land for the sequel to CAPTIVE WILD WOMAN – JUNGLE WOMAN (1944)! Is this the worst film the studio produced in the 1940’s? We’ll let you decided as we give our opinions and posit ways the film could have been better. Much better! Attempting to imitate the successful Val Lewton productions at RKO, the producers o…
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Naschycast #75 - Don Cunningham Visits!
1:16:56
1:16:56
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Independent filmmaker Don Cunningham joins Troy and I to talk about Paul Naschy and how he has influenced Don’s work. We discuss favorite Naschy movies with our guest naming some surprising choices. I love getting different perspectives on the icon’s career and this conversation has a few curves I was not expecting. Of course, we could barely wait …
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Danger: Diabolik (Mario Bava, 1968)
1:21:52
1:21:52
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Dashing home after having stolen a country's entire gold reserve and blown up its tax offices, Rod and Adrian grab their microphones to talk about one of the greatest films to be covered on Wild, Wild Podcast - Danger: Diabolik. In this episode the latest Severin Films announcements are discussed, and Adrian potentially alienates everyone by saying…
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198 - HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD (1980)
2:08:31
2:08:31
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HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD (1980) is no normal Italian zombie film. Coming hard on the heels of both George Romero’s genre-defining DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978) and the now classic ZOMBIE (1979) from director Lucio Fulci this Bruno Mattei/Claudio Fragasso effort ‘borrows’ elements from both. In some cases, the things recycled are surprising, such as the ch…
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In this short bonus episode Adrian brings you some coverage of the amazing Il Cinema Ritrovato festival in Bologna, Italy. Please excuse the occasionally poor recording owing to wind or Adrian just not backing off the mic enough. It was hot. He was tired. We would love to hear from you if you have any good film festival experiences. You can contact…
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Writer Randy Fox returns to discuss a classic science fiction film from the 1970’s. A BOY AND HIS DOG (1975) was a box office flop initially but became a beloved cult movie pretty quickly. It is one of the very few adaptations of a Harlan Ellison story that got the author’s 95% approval and we dig into the reasons for that in our discussion. Hugely…
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Fenomenal and the Treasure of Tutankamen (Ruggero Deodato, 1968)
1:13:20
1:13:20
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In this phenomenally good episode, Rod and Adrian get to grips with a film that makes very little sense whichever language you watch it in. Yes, it's that dastardly master of crime/ vigilante hero (delete as appropriate, we couldn't work it out) Fenomenal: Thrill as he kicks drug dealers into the sea! Gasp as he climbs walls very carefully! Worry i…
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John Hudson and Bobby Hazzard join me for a raucous discussion of this bizarre Australian oddity. Are we able to figure out the story? What do we think of the main character? Do we maintain our sanity before the invisible chimp rears his furry head to fling poop everywhere? Thank goodness for the laughing audience in the room to keep us on track an…
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Take one of Italy's most popular entertainers, stick him in a moth-eaten supervillain costume, then have him come face to face with a buffonish Terry-Thomas and you have Arrriva Dorellik, a star vehicle for singer, actor and all-round charisma machine Johnny Dorelli. But given this is an Italian comedy, will Rod and Adrian be able to agree on wheth…
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The Naschycast opens the podcast mailbag, dusts off the cobwebs and answers a few questions. Like, why have we waited so long to respond to emails! We could plead a combination of busyness and laziness but that is not an excuse worthy of our fine listeners so we simply apologize and get on with the show. We work our way through nearly a year of mes…
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195 - STAR TREK V THE FINAL FRONTIER (1989)
2:03:21
2:03:21
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Mark Maddox and I continue our journey through the first six Star Trek movies and now reach THE FINAL FRONTIER (1989). We have been both dreading and looking forward to revisiting this film. Thirty-five years later is it still as bad we remember? Are there hidden moments of quality buried in this bad idea given cinematic form? Join us as we pull th…
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The Three Fantastic Supermen (I fantastici 3 $upermen, Gianfranco Parolini, 1967)
1:11:49
1:11:49
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What's better than one Superman? That's right, it's three Supermen! Plus Rod and Adrian makes five. Strap on your suction cups, grab your mini-capes and join them in them in this super-exciting, very silly adventure film that combines elements of the Peplum and the Eurospy with Batman and The Green Hornet. The Three Fantastic Supermen is nothing if…
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Troy and I poke our heads into a Universal Studio haunted house, spot vaudeville act Olsen & Johnson and run away. Well – not really. But our first viewing of this nearly forgotten comedy horror film is not the fun we might have hoped. Did we enjoy it at all? Give the show a listen and we’ll point out the highs and lows. GHOST CATCHERS (1944) stars…
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Argoman the Fantastic Superman (Sergio Grieco, 1967)
1:20:17
1:20:17
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Argoman or Psychoman? That's the question posed in this episode as we take a look at the pop art-infused crazy world of Sir Reginald Hoover, noted criminologist, playboy and masked criminal. Other questions raised by this film include "Is ten minutes of pleasure worth losing your powers for six hours?" and "Can you really take over the world by bei…
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Luna Diamond by Luigi Cozzi - a mini review!
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7:45
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Just a quick episode to talk about the new screenplay published by Luigi Cozzi, set in the Starcarsh universe. And who doesn't want to go back there? You can get yourself a copy direct from the man himself at the Profundo Rosso Store, or pick it up on Amazon. The next episode in our Superhero season is coming soon! Please also remember to rate and …
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It has been far too long since Troy and I gathered around the male bag….uuuhh…MAIL bag to find out what folks listening to the podcast think! Or, at least if they want to make fun of me. I’ll take any attention, so - cool! We are months behind checking out the email account so some of these messages date back to 2023. I apologize about this but als…
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WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953) and INVADERS FROM MARS (1953) are two of the most beloved of the dozens of science fiction movies from that paranoid Cold War decade. Author Mark Clark joins me to compare and contrast them as we look at the massive differences in scale, budget and point of view that give each film its unique feel. Recent Blu-Ray releases a…
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191 - STAR TREK IV - THE VOYAGE HOME (1986)
1:37:10
1:37:10
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Mark Maddox returns to the show as we continue our journey through the first six Star Trek films. STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME (1986) is one of the most popular of the series and stood for decades as the most profitable entry. The humor and clever plotting of the story still works nearly forty years later with the original cast shining with few ex…
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Here's a shameless request for your votes, should you be so inclined. You can find out all the details on the Rondo Awards site. A new full episode will be coming your way soon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Naschycast 74 - WEREWOLF VS THE VAMPIRE WOMAN with Robert Kelly
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1:40:10
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Troy and I are joined by fellow podcaster Robert Kelly, host of Record All Monsters and author of Record All Monsters: the Book of the Essays from the Podcast. Don’t worry – he eventually explains the book’s title and his fascination with kaiju films. Robert came to his love of Naschy in a very different manner than either of your Naschycast hosts,…
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I am joined by the bane of my podcasting existence John Hudson and the much nicer Bobby Hazzard to heap praise upon EATING RAOUL (1982). This is the film I’ve always though of as ground zero for Paul Bartel appreciation and more than forty years later I think it still holds up as the perfect introduction to his comedic sensibilities. If you laugh y…
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Superargo vs Diabolicus (1966) & Superargo and the Faceless Giants (1968)
1:20:52
1:20:52
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In this episode Rod & Adrian grab their bulletproof spandex and head for the wrestling ring for a tag team bout with Superargo! Based on his previous form, it's not likely to end well for our two middle-aged podcasters. Yes, Superargo is here, in a double-bill featuring maniacal mad men, secret underground lairs, killer robots, deadly swamps, femme…
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I welcome writer Holger Haase to the show to discuss the 1960’s Dr. Mabuse films! Holger has written an essay published for Kindle called ‘The Many Masks of Dr. Mabuse: Mabuse in the 1960s’. Reading this prompted me to finally talk directly to Holger. The two of us have known each other for decades but it took our mutual love of these German crime …
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188 - THE INVISIBLE MAN'S REVENGE (1944)
1:42:15
1:42:15
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Troy and I return to the Universal Horrors of the 1940’s to check out the fifth and last of the Invisible Man series. THE INVISIBLE MAN’S REVENGE (1944) is sometimes seen as a strong final entry but both of us find far too many loose ends and discordant elements to fully enjoy the film. I must caution you that we spoil this one completely early on …
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Kriminal (Umberto Lenzi, 1966) & Il Marchio di Kriminal (Fernando Cerchio, 1968)
1:14:24
1:14:24
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The Wild, Wild Podcast emerges blinking into the night after the long dark Christmas break to bring you a new season dedicated to the heroes and villains (but mostly villains) of the films adapted from or inspired by the fumetti neri publishing phenomenon of the sixties (which is still going strong today in Italy). Our first episode sees us going t…
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187 - THE DEVIL’S WEDDING NIGHT (1973)
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2:00:06
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2024 begins with a 1970’s European horror gem! Bob Sargent joins Troy and I to discuss THE DEVIL’S WEDDING NIGHT (1973). It’s a fun gothic story with Mark Damon and Rosalba Neri (still using the Sara Bay stage name) about vampires, the ring of the Nibelungen and nudity. Lots of nudity! Warning – we completely spoil this one. Sorry but we had to dis…
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The Naschycast returns for a brief overview of the Paul Naschy Blu-Rays that are currently available in Region A. Troy and I decided to record this show to give our North American listeners an indication of the wealth of high-definition offerings still on retail shelves – as long as you search the right retailers! Consider this also a warning that …
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186 - A CHRISTMAS HORROR STORY (2015)
1:23:24
1:23:24
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December brings our annual Holiday Horror episode! John Hudson and Troy Guinn join me to discuss the anthology film A CHRISTMAS HORROR STORY (2015) – we like it. We keep the conversation almost completely spoiler free with only a few third act details being alluded to as we go along. We talk about the possibility that Shatner might have ad-libbed s…
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Tarzana The Wild Girl (Tarzana, sesso selvaggio, Guido Malatesta, 1969)
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For the final time, pack your mosquito spray and come with us into the fake jungles of Rome's film studios in search of a mythical white goddess who has the kind of sex appeal that even the animals can dig. Yes, it's Tarzana, the beautiful heiress whose parents died in the plane crash that left her alone in Kenya to survive and thrive, learning suc…
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Author Troy Howarth returns to the show to talk about the second feature film of Agatha Christie’s TEN LITTLE INDIANS (1965). We compare it to the superior 1945 version and a couple of later attempts to bring this sturdy tale to the big screen. Both of us try to not spoil the story for those who have yet to experience the fun, but a few of the surp…
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Author Randy Fox returns to the show so that we can continue our series on 1970’s Science Fiction films! This time we look at the fascinating directorial debut of graphic designer Saul Bass, PHASE IV (1974). The film was a financial failure at the time of release but its status as a cult film has grown slowly over the decades. We look at the many c…
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Samoa, the Jungle Girl (Samoa, regina della giungla, Guido Malatesta, 1968)
1:13:33
1:13:33
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Come with us up river with Edwige Fenech and Roger Browne as we look for diamonds amongst the stock footage and become on speaking terms with Samoa, the only jungle girl in history to not actually live in a jungle. Yes, it's our penultimate episode in this jungle-flavoured mini-season, and this one is a little different from what we've become accus…
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Since we will be covering four more Inner Sanctum films in 2024 it was suggested that I might want to acquaint podcast listeners with some of the old radio shows. I love these wonderful horror and suspense tales but most folks have never sought them out. They are quite entertaining as examples of ‘Theater of the Mind’ exercises and, as I explain in…
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Luana, the Girl Tarzan (Luana la figlia delle foresta vergine, Roberto Infascelli, 1968)
1:12:47
1:12:47
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Stop us if you've heard this one before: a plane crashes in the jungle, killing both parents and leaving a solitary three-year-old girl to fend for herself. Communing with the animals, she grows into a beautiful young woman who the local tribes worship and fear as a goddess. Yes, if you asked AI to write you a jungle girl movie, it wouldn't be all …
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Beth Morris and Troy Guinn visit the show again to discuss another Sherlock Holmes film. This time out we fan away the fog to examine one of the gothic horrors of the series, THE SCARLET CLAW (1944)! Good timing, huh? After all, our detective duo start the tale by being hired by a dead woman! That is creepy. We talk about the production of the film…
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181 - STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK
1:59:21
1:59:21
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Mark Maddox returns for a discussion of the third Star Trek film – THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK! The odd number films are generally derided but both of us feel the positives outweigh the negatives in this one. Of course, we pick at every nit we can spot but we do also praise the film for the elements that stand tall and resurrect the dead! We dig into the …
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Gungala la pantera nuda (Ruggero Deodato, 1968)
1:14:29
1:14:29
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Grab your pith helmet, machete and mosquito net and come with us into the deepest, darkest, fakest-looking jungle in search of the lost heiress Gungala. Yes, we're back with a brand new mini-season, taking a look at the brief burst of Jungle Films to come out of Italy in 1968-1969. Gungala la pantera nuda is significant for a number of reasons; the…
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I am joined by Troy Guinn and Jeff Nelson to talk about a Lucio Fulci movie once again! This time we swipe away the fog and try to get a clear look at CONQUEST (1983). This was the director’s one entry in the brief 80’s resurgence of the sword & sorcery genre inspired by the success of CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1982) and THE BEASTMASTER (1982) and it ha…
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We've reached the end of the road, so join us one last time in the apocalypse, as we rank the ten films viewed in this season. Also, as a bonus, we discuss the Italian-adjacent post-apocalypse masterpiece that is Warrior of the Lost World (David Worth, 1983). We would love to hear from you if you have any favourite post-apocalypse films, or if you …
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179 - CALLING DR. DEATH (1943) and WEIRD WOMAN (1944)
1:55:05
1:55:05
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Troy and I dive into the Universal Inner Sanctum films with a conversation about the first two of the series. There is much discussion of Lon Chaney’s pencil-thin mustache and some speculation about the role that Gale Sondergaard might have had in each movie if her casting had worked out. CALLING DR. DEATH (1943) presents Chaney as a successful psy…
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The Final Executioner (L'ultimo guerriero, Romolo Guerrieri, 1984)
1:06:42
1:06:42
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It's time for our epic journey across the irradiated wastelands to come to an end, so what better film to bring things to a satisfying conclusion than The Final Executioner? Join Rod and Adrian as they struggle to find anything positive to say about this late entry in the pastapocalypse cycle whilst still remaining upbeat. This is a film that even …
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**Word of warning – the first fifty minutes of the show has less than great audio. For some reason a buzzing was on the track and the only way I could eliminate it was to crush some of the less loud portions of the sound out. Sadly, this dropped most of the laughter from the amused ladies in the room and causes the softer ends of some words to be l…
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A Man Called Rage (Fuoco incrociato, Tonino Ricci, 1984)
1:17:23
1:17:23
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This film is about a man called Rage. His name is on the poster and everything. But is he actually full of rage? Or is he just a bit annoyed at being mildly inconvenienced by the post-apocalypse? There may have been nuclear war, but it hasn't stopped him being able to get a really good haircut or from going to the gym. It's hard to see what's got h…
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This episode we are joined by Jon Kitley to talk about his love of and history with Paul Naschy! Readers of Horror Hound magazine are aware of his regular column ‘They Came from the Krypt’ but he has also published the book ‘Discover The Horror’ which is part genre exploration and part autobiography. Both Troy and I recommend it. As you might expec…
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177 - STAR TREK II THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982)
1:52:17
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Mark Maddox and I return to the Star Trek feature films! This time we tackle the big one – the one that kept the franchise alive – STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982). It’s an important film for Trek fans and also an important part of the astonishing list of genre releases from that year. We briefly discuss the other films from 1982 to demonstra…
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