George A. Romero – Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers

Maximum Overdrive, 1986

Welcome for another installation of the Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! We hitting another Halloween themed episode for the season, tackling a classic helmed by the iconic, Stephen King– the only film he’s taken a stab at directing- the cult favorite, Maximum Overdrive from 1986. Dion and J. Blake unpack the film’s history, the short story it’s based on and the challenges getting this project to the big screen. So, be extra nice to all that technology around you, just in case they one day become sentient, as the boys drive you down the interstate in another edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!

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October 25

Tales From The Darkside: The Movie, 1990

Welcome to week four of the 2019 Horror Movie Extravaganza on Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! Dion Baia and J. Blake decided to continue down the same route and do another anthology that has been related to the others they’ve profiled this past month, covering the cult classic Tales From The Darkside: The Movie, from 1990!

The boys unpack the iconic 1980’s series Tales From The Darkside, and set the stage for how the 1990 feature film came about. Blake discusses his interviews with composer and (this film’s) director John Harrison– about the backstory involving George A. Romero and Stephen King, and getting this film made, and how Creepshow and even Creepshow 2 were the catalyst. So make sure you don’t scare easily, because Dion and Blake are back to tell you some more spooky tales on this all new installment of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!

Extras!

David Nelson is the name of the musician that played with David Johansen that Dion couldn’t remember, who is now a financial adviser (no relation to Ozzie & Harriet Nelson), who was with the singer post New York Dolls, in his solo years prior to Buster Poindexter.

Check out the original theatrical trailer!

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Category: Classic, Horror, Television, Thriller | 1 Comment

October 18

Creepshow, 1982

Welcome back to week 3 of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers’ 2019 October Horror Movie Extravaganza! J. Blake and Dion Baia are back covering a classic that set the standard, the George A. Romero masterpiece, Creepshow, from 1982.

Working off the prior week’s episodes, which kind of relates to the topic, the boys also utilize the 1982 Cinefantastique article, as well as Tom Savini’s Grande Illusions: A Learn-By-Example Guide to the Art and Technique of Special Make-Up Effects from the Films of Tom Savini, for background. They also discuss Blake’s interview with director/composer John Harrison about his work on the film, which offers insight into George A. Romeo‘s vision. Dion and Blake also relay funny stories about meeting actor William Sadler, and filmmaker and friend of the show, Jeff Lieberman. It’s all going down this week on an all new creepy installment of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!

EXTRAS:

Check out Blake‘s interview on Scored to Death: The Podcast with John Harrison, composer of the Creepshow soundtrack!

Also discussed in the podcast, here’s our good friend Dave‘s YouTube George A. Romero interviews he taped off TV that got the attention of filmmaker Jeff Lieberman, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

Have a look at Dion with William Sadler, circa 2004.

And take a listen to the Suspense Radio Show‘s legendary 1941 episode called The Hitchhiker, starring Orson Welles!

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May 17

Assault on Precinct 13, 1976

Welcome back to another exciting edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! This week J. Blake and Dion Baia are back, and opening up the Spring/Summer season up with a classic, a debut [of sorts] from a director who went on to become sleepover royalty. The boys are tackling John Carpenter‘s thriller, Assault on Precinct 13, from 1976!

Dion and Blake discuss their history with this film and the horrifying and controversial aspects it presents, and unpack the various influences on John Carpenter that helped him pen and direct this terrifying genre film. They also talk about the groundbreaking soundtrack, and the various inspirations it drew from. Plus, the lads make their big summer announcement! It’s all going down in this episode, so keep an eye out when you visit your local ice cream trucks because anything can happen on an all new Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!

And we would like to thank this week’s sponsor, Keeps!

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Category: Action, Classic, Fantasy, Gangster, Horror, Police, Thriller, Western | 8 Comments

October 26

Suspiria, 1977

Welcome to week 4 of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers’ 2018 October Halloween Horror Movie Extravangza! Dion Baia and J. Blake are rounding out the month with some Italian cinema, featuring what has been called the quintessential film from the director some call the “Italian Hitchcock“… Dario Argento and his masterpiece, Suspiria, from 1977!

Susperia

Blake and Dion unpack this vast topic, discussing Dario Argento‘s relationship with Daria Nicolodi and their collaboration that gave us Suspiria. The boys discuss the historical elements that influenced the story, like English essayist Thomas De Quincey’s poem that outlined “our lady’s of sorrow“, and Austrian philosopher Rudolph Steiner‘s principles that molded what became Argento‘s Three Mothers Trilogy. And they cover Goblin‘s massive score for this film and their partnership with the acclaimed director. It’s an intense, Italian-themed installment to close our 2018‘s epic October Halloween Horror Month Extravaganza, on an all new edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! We’d also like to thank you sponsors this week, TiVo (use PROMO CODE SAT20 to save 20% off your order) and Hello Fresh (use PROMO CODE SAT60 to save $60 off your order)!

Extras!

Check out Blake‘s book, Scored to Death: Conversations with Some of Horror’s Biggest Composers to continue to learn about music in the horror genre.

Have a listen to the fabulous and legendary Goblin soundtrack for Suspiria.

Take a look at this great documentary on Suspiria, called A Sigh From the Depths.

And to hear more about actor Pat Hingle‘s near fatal elevator shaft fall, read this article.

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October 19

Dawn of the Dead, 1978

Welcome back to the 3rd installment of 2018‘s October Halloween Horror Movie Extravagnza! This go-round Dion Baia and J. Blake are hitting another movie that has an anniversary! Turning 40 this year, it is the quintessential sequel that literally helped kick-start an entire subgenre, domestically and overseas in Italy, the George A. Romero cult classic, Dawn of the Dead from 1978.

The boys are on a timetable this week as they break down this massive topic, decimating the various cuts of the film, and the Dario Argento influence–like with the cult Italian band Goblin. Blake and Dion discuss the impact the Romero “dead films” had on the industry. They both reminisce about their personal histories with Dawn, as well as the other movies in Romero‘s catalog. So grab your batteries, extra ammo, gasoline and door keys, because we’re all taking a road trip to take shelter in the Monroeville Mall, in this all October Halloween Horror Edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! And a special thank you to our sponsors this week, TiVo and Simple Contacts!

Extras!

Please go check out J. Blake’s book, Scored to Death: Conversations with Some of Horror’s Greatest Composers and also its companion, Scored to Death: The Podcast, to further explore the interviews Blake did with many of the men involved with Dawn of the Dead, among many others.

Check out the official website of the (Night of the) Living Dead Museum!

Have a look at the Tom Savini book talked about in the podcast, titled Grande Illusions: A Learn-By-Example Guide to the Art and Technique of Special Make-Up Effects From the Films of Tom Savini.

Take a look at the classic 1985 documentary that breaks down the making of both Dawn of the Dead, called Document of the Dead, courtesy of YouTube!

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October 5

Halloween, 1978

Welcome to the first episode of the 2018 Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers Halloween Horror October Extravaganza! This week the boys are bringing their Chicago brethren, the Mighty Mighty Mike Vanderbilt back to sleep over and discuss a classic that turns 40 this year and a film franchise that has a new installment releasing into theaters this month. That’s right, J. Blake and Dion Baia are taking on the trend-setting cult horror classic by the master… John Carpenter‘s Halloween, from 1978!

Halloween 1978 Poster

The three caballeros get right into it, dissecting Carpenter‘s style and proposing many questions they hope to answer. Being as Vanderbilt and Blake both have interviewed the legendary auteur -among many others connected to the series- the fellas try to lend their expertise and lay out why this film became an absolute classic, as well as a trailblazer for the entire slasher film subgenre. So grab your buckets of pizza, your mega-jolt colas (or as in Dion‘s case, something with a little extra ‘kick’), cause the boys are pulling out all the stops on the first installment of the 2018 Saturday Night Movie Sleepover Halloween Horror October Extravaganza!

Extras!

Here’s the original trailer to the 1978 film!

Check out this actual 1979 audience reaction to the climatic scene of Halloween!

Take a look at these extra scenes shot during the production of Halloween II, to be specifically inserted into the television version of the original 1978 film.

Have a look at the new documentary For the Love of the Boogeyman, which features our very own, J. Blake!

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Category: Classic, Horror, Slasher Film, Thriller | 6 Comments

July 19

A Tribute to George A. Romero – SNMS Presents: The Side-Cast

George A. Romero

(February 4, 1940 – July 16, 2017)

On Sunday July 16^th, 2017 it was announced that filmmaker George A. Romero passed away. His debut film, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968), is arguably one of the most influential films of all time and his work, on the whole, means a great deal to us here at SATURDAY NIGHT MOVIE SLEEPOVERS. So out of respect to a master that gave us so much, today on this special impromptu SIDE-CAST, Dion & Blake pay tribute to an artist and filmmaker who had set out to make a cheap horror film and in the process changed the world forever…as well as the lives of two movie-loving podcasters, with a penchant for sleepovers.

EXTRAS:

CLICK HERE to listen the episode of the WRONG REEL podcast, on which Blake discusses the work of George A. Romero.

CLICK HERE to watch the George A. Romero section of Showtime‘s fantastic Bruce Campbell-hosted documentary titled MASTERS OF HORROR from 2002.

CLICK HERE to watch the George A. Romero/Tom Savini episode of the 1989 British television documentary series SON OF THE INCREDIBLY STRANGE FILM SHOW.

CLICK HERE to watch the original cut of the legendary behind-the-scenes documentary, DOCUMENT OF THE DEAD.

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June 17

Dario Argento’s Deep Red, 1975

Buon Giorno dear friends, and welcome back to another edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! This week J. Blake and Dion Baia are taking a trip to picturesque Italy to visit a filmmaker near and dear to both their hearts, the maestro Dario Argento. The boys tackle a film they feel is a classic and a quintessential representation of a genre that was reinvigorated within the mediterranean country, by Argento, in the 1970’s. The fellas are going back to film school with this one, covering arguably the director’s most commerically successful and popular film, Profondo Fondo or Deep Red, from 1975.

Deep Red

As Argento the auteur is a huge favorite here at SNMS, especially for Blake, he and Dion waste no time getting into the topic of discussion, by setting the stage and first explaining the sub-genre known as ‘giallo‘ and what are the essential elements that classically make up a giallo film. They also lay out a crucial element: what it was like engaging in the Italian cinema experience of the time; how going to the movies back then and specifically that social aspect affected how Italian films of this elk were subsequently written, and even paced. The boys examine Argento’s career rise to a filmmaker and his Animal Trilogy of films, and review how Deep Red began his seque from ‘who-dun-it’-type stories, to eventually Supernatural and straight Horror vehicles. And how on a larger scale, he singlehandedly revitalized an entire genre within Italian cinema. Dion and Blake also cite American auteurs like John Carpenter and Brian De Palma, who vocally or even subconsciously have been influenced by the Italian maestro. They also discuss the legendary Italian progressive rock band Goblin in detail, as this was the first collaboration between band and filmmaker. So get ready as the boys take you on a trip filled with mystery, intrigue and horror, in another fabulous and informative installment of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!

*Dion misspoke when he referenced Michael Mann‘s Manhunter, when he was actually referring to the director’s 1981 film Thief.

EXTRAS!

Check out Blake’s exclusive interview with film critic and Argento lover Alan Jones.

Here is Deep Red, remastered, in all it’s original gorgeous uncut glory, courtesy of YouTube!

Now watch the shorter, exported version of Deep Red, again courtesy of YouTube!

Take a gander at one of the original posters for Deep Red, aka Profondo Rosso, which interestingly bares a very close resemblance to Alfred Hitchcock‘s 1958 classic, Vertigo poster.

Have a look at the original Italian theatrical trailer for Profondo Rosso, aka Deep Red.

And here’s a REAL treat, watch Goblin live on Italian television circa 1975 or 1976, perform the title track to Profondo Rosso!

And to preorder J. Blake’s new book Scored to Death, click here!

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Category: Books, Film, Horror, Thriller | 1 Comment

August 14

Zombie, 1979

This week around Dion Baia and J. Blake delve deep into the video store racks and bring out an absolute cult classic and a very personal favorite of theirs; a film which practically reinvigorated an entire genre in Italy, and lured in legions of soon-to-be horror and zombie fans… we of course are speaking of the Lucio Fulci classic, Zombie, from 1979.

zombie poster

This film is known by many names: Zombie Fresh Eaters, Island of the Living Dead, Zombie Island, Zombie 2: The Dead Walk Among Us, Woodoo, and was officially released in Italy as Zombi 2.

The boys breakdown the state of horror cinema in the 1970’s, giving a quick summary of the zombie genre leading up to 1979 and a history of Italian horror up to this point. Why (and how) was this Fulci masterpiece actually released as a sequel to George A Romero‘s Dawn of the Dead? They discuss their love for Fulci, Italian horror cinema in general, and the fabulous Fabio Frizzi soundtrack. Dion and Blake also explain their shared journey of discovering this movie while in Film School. We’re dropping some knowledge in this week’s episode so come on down, grab a seat and take a listen to another exciting edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! And remember, FULCI LIVES!

*And as an added bonus for our listeners this week, we’ve included our very first audio commentary for a film, so you can watch and follow right along with your friends, Blake and Dion. They may cover some of the same ground that they do in the podcast but this debut commentary lets the fellas stretch their legs, and go step by step and get into the nuts and bolts of the film, while having fun and spontaneously opining about their love of Fulci, horror films, and Italian babes- all in real-time with the movie. So let us know what you think and maybe we’ll do more down the road but remember, it’s our first attempt, so we’re still feeling it out. We hope you enjoy!

(*It is Val Lewton, not Hal.)

Here is the entire 1979 film, courtesy of YouTube!

Take a peek at an alternate poster, which actually is a deleted/or lost scene from the film.

This is the 2010 Windows 7 television commercial that featured the shark/zombie scene.

Blue Underground explains its 2K restoration process to get this film remastered and ready to be available on Blu Ray and DVD.

Check out Bill Lustig‘s thoughts on Fulci’s Zombie!

Here’s a peek at the 12″ Zombie Maquette Statue, courtesy of ArtofToys.

The book about Quentin Tarantino that J. Blake refers to in the podcast was the first edition of “King Pulp: The Wild World of Quentin Tarantino” by Paul A. Woods.

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October 8

5 Rentals for $5 – October Horror Film Recommendations

Maniac 1980 — Courtesy of Mondo, poster by Ken Taylor

October is upon us and along with Autumn arriving, ’tis the season for scary movies! As a companion-piece to J. Blake & Dion‘s latest Side Cast in which they recommend 10 horror movies that they feel have either fallen through the cracks or have plain been forgotten, the lads have also put together another list of 10 films they wholeheartedly recommend, along with the podcast picks which can be found at The Podwits mother site.

But before we get to the 10 films the boys urge you to seek out, here is a round-up of the 10 recommended in the Side Cast Podcast: Continue reading

Category: 5 Rentals for $5 Movie Lists, Horror, Lists, News | LEAVE A COMMENT