Really Awful Movies: Ep 462 – The Ruins

From Jack the Ripper to boy bands? Well, here we are... A slight diversion on the Really Awful Movies podcast, exploring the compelling new Netflix doc, Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam. This one tells the story of sleazy Svengali Lou Pearlman, who masterminded the creation of both Backstreet Boys and NSYNC. Tune in, and expect the unexpected (well, not really - there will likely be a return to horror and 80s/90s action shortly). Tell your friends, and don't forget to sub to the show. You can also support it through purchasing either of the two fab nonfiction books associated with this site, Mine's Bigger Than Yours! The 100 Wackiest Action Movies and Death By Umbrella: The 100 Weirdest Horror Movie Weapons.

On this episode of the podcast, with the recent passing of Donald Sutherland, now seemed like the right time to revisit the Bob Clark thriller, Murder by Decree. This is a late 70s feature, imagining Sherlock Holmes and Watson on the hunt for the infamous Whitechapel butcher. And the cast is absolutely top-drawer, with Christopher Plummer, James Mason, John Gielgud, and Dead Ringers' Geneviève Bujold. Sutherland makes an appearance as a psychic, and he's pretty great, though nothing like the real-life character on which his character is based. The last time we tackled similar subject matter, was a podcast recorded in London the night after we did the Jack the Ripper tour. For those who are interested, here is a link to Hands of the Ripper, which Jeff and I recorded after a few beers from our South Kensington hotel accommodations.

Who knew Werner Herzog's Nosferatu had an unofficial sequel? Well, the production-plagued Klaus Kinski starrer, Vampire in Venice, aka Nosferatu in Venice, is a weird one - and while not as good as its predecessor, is nonetheless an oddly compelling, lovely film. I mean, it can't help but be - lensed in the gorgeous city of Venice. Tune in, as we tap the immortal undead. And don't forget, subscribe to the Really Awful Movies Podcast.

Mission of Justice, aka, Martial Law. How does a movie so titled, NOT star Steven Seagal? Anyway, for all concerned it is a good thing it doesn't: after all, Jeff Wincott is pretty awesome. The Canadian a**-kicking sensation, displays some great martial arts chops, and plays a disgruntled cop out to solve the murder of his buddy. Meanwhile, Brigitte Nielsen plays a mysterious politico who has her own fascist militia ironically called, The Peacemakers. Tune in, and don't forget to sub to the Really Awful Movies Podcast!

Oh no, a fight-to-the-death TV show, which entertains the masses in a far off, dystopian future! The Running Man can certainly count its place among...these kinds of movies. It's certainly not the worst of its type, and it's far from the best. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays an LA cop, who disobeyed a command which would've killed a bunch of innocents. For his recalcitrance, he's sent up shit's creek in the form of being an involuntary participant in a wildly popular game show. There are a bunch of movies like this, The Condemned, Rollerball, The Hunger Games, Battle Royale, No Exit - it's a pretty lengthy list beyond that too. And for the most part, they are pretty similar. But no less fun. Tune in!

This week, a look back at the Wes Craven classic from 1977, The Hills Have Eyes. The Carter family takes a detour to check out a silver mine in the remote, Nevada desert. Soon, they find themselves at the mercy of...well...a nuclear family. Tune into the show, and don't forget: new episodes are uploaded every Friday.

This week on the show, some Euro horror in the form of Yummy. Medical tourists venture to some sketchy hospital in Eastern Europe for some cosmetic procedures only to find out...the surgeries are far from routine. What lurks inside the institution is...well...tune in and find out. If you're into body horror, laced with zany comedy, this Belgian production is for you.

This week, we turn our attention to Bela Lugosi and the 1930s hit, White Zombie. Set in Haiti, this one was the first zombie film ever committed to celluloid, featuring the incredible Hungarian actor, Lugosi, in an iconic role.

This week on the podcast, an atypical 80s slasher: Fatal Games. In advance of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, we turn our attention to sports-related horror on the show. This shoestring effort dials back the gore, and dials up the eye candy. It's a spirited effort that benefits from strong performances and notable character actors like Sally Kirkland (The Sting) in lead roles. So, subscribe, check out the discussion of Fata Games and watch this not exactly podium-worthy entry into the 80s horror milieu.

This week on the podcast, we venture into the 2000s for a film which has no right to be as good as it is, The Ruins. With a tepid description on Netflix, this is a film that resembles a typical stalk-and-slash tourism-related horror with central casting interchangeable college kids. But DO NOT sleep on this one. Tune into the show for a wide ranging discussion of tourism-related horror, the Italian cannibal genre, and tone setting in modern horror.