Tag: horror genre

DANZA MACABRA Vol. 4: The Italian Gothic Collection

My idea of a good night: Curling up on the couch with four Italian Gothic horror films – TERROR -CREATURES FROM THE GRAVE (1965), NIGHT OF THE DAMNED (1971), THE DEVIL’s WEDDING NIGHT (1973) and BABA YAGA (1973) – with a bottle of Chianti, an open mind and a mutually inclined friend.

The fact that I provided the audio commentary for BABA YAGA with the incomparable Sally Christie is a bonus.

There’s so much on this Severin boxset, lovingly curated by Kat Ellinger, that I can’t do justice to the contents in this brief announcement. But I will post a quote from Nerdist below, and encourage you to seek out the other three volumes of the DANZA MACABRA collection. They don’t make ”em like these anymore.

“Sure, Gothic horror has castles, crypts and candelabras, but the genre – especially in Italy – includes lots of other delicious, devilish delicacies.These fascinating and varied films have seen a home media renaissance in the past few years, and Severin Films has been at the forefront.”
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That Interview Show: Episode 25

Cinemaniacs’ latest committee member, Julian Meyers, has a YouTube channel where he heroes physical media and interviews people doing filmy things. He’s been running through the Cinemaniacs’ cadre—including John Harrison, Caitlyn Koller, Natali Papak and Lee Gambin— now it’s my turn!

Over a couple of hours, Julian and I sit in the couch in my living room—a location you may recognise from Blu-ray extras on Umbrella releases Long Weekend, Razorback and Dark Age—and bang on about contributing to physical media releases, the local ‘critics’ scene and whatever else took our fancy.

This is not the longest interview I’ve recorded. That honour goes to Bill Ackerman on his Supporting Characters podcast. But it was very relaxed and a lot of fun.

Thanks for the opportunity, Julian ❤️

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SCANNERS Limited Edition

There’s no denying my immense love for David Cronenberg’s filmography—I even wrote a book about THE FLY (1986)—so I wanted to do his work and myself proud in writing a piece for this gorgeous Second Sight release of SCANNERS (1981).

I’m pretty proud of the essay angle I came up with. You’ll my find it, ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head: Scanners, Psychosis and Trepanation’ in the infinitely sniffable booklet that comes with this limited edition.

Hold onto your heads, folks…

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LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL Collector’s Edition

When contemplating inclusions for my 2023 Top Ten list, LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL (directed by Colin and Cameron Cairnes) was a shoo-in. So, it took little hesitation on my behalf to say ‘yes!’ to writing an essay for the booklet of this Limited Edition release from the most excellent people at Second Sight.

I provide an ‘orstralyan’ perspective on TV sensationalism in the 1970s, ‘WELCOME TO OUR LIVING ROOM: TV Sensationalism and the Scandals That Spawned a Horror Movie’, and I think/hope it came up a treat.


Special features for this release include a new audio commentary from the powerhouse duo of Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson, which is worth the purchase price alone.

You could do worse than adding this treat to your physical media collection.

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Did you catch ACMI’s Psychology of Fear?

It’s fine if you didn’t manage to front up as part of the live audience because the whole panel event – all 90 minutes of it, including clips and other media – are now available online.

Watch below or head to YouTube to see experts Rosie Jones (documentary maker), Professor Nick Haslam (psychologist) and Penelope Thomas (biometrics researcher) thrash out theories around why we might be so fascinated with scaring ourselves.

As the moderator/host, I provide a little introduction to set the context that includes meeting Peghead and the rest of my family…

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Melbourne, New Hampshire: Jamie Blanks and other urban legends

Some interviews are more satisfying than others, and I’m pleased to categorise this interview with filmmaker Jamie Blanks as one of them.

When you read the article, you might get a sense of why I say that. I hope you do, anyway. You’ll also hear my impassioned plea to the Australian industry to wake up and smell the roses. We have a legacy that needs to be acknowledged and protected.

Thanks a bunch to Via Vision for releasing the Urban Legend Trilogy and for offering me this opportunity, Diabolique Magazine for agreeing to run the interview on their beautiful horror platform, and Jamie Blanks for being such an ace human being.

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Five legendary B-brilliant horror movies

When asked by Frankie to create a listicle on Five Laugh-Inducing B-Grade Horror Movies to promote Triple R’s 2017 Radiothon, I don’t think they expected my utter admiration for films others may see in another light.

But I’m pleased that Frankie’s assistant editor Mia Timpano allowed me to put my particular bent on this list and write what I’m not-so secretly calling ‘Five Legendary B-Brilliant Horror Movies’. I have nothing but utter respect for these beautiful cinematic specimens, as you can read below…

(Maybe Houseboat Horror is just plain bad but anyhoo…)

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Don’t Fear the Creeper: An Interview with Gina Philips

In preparation for a longer form piece in the new Cinemaniacs Presents journal, I had the pleasure of talking to fellow horror movie fan, Gina Philips, who played the role of Trish in the original Jeepers Creepers (fans will be very pleased to know she is coming back for the third instalment in the franchise).

Gina was such a generous interviewee I decided to throw some words the way of Diabolique, and the fruits of my labour can now be read in the following article…

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RAW: Horror in the Eyes of Women

One of the gratifying outcomes of the RAW advanced screening and discussion panel with Barbara Creed, Philippa Hawker, Clem Bastow and Cerise Howard on 19th April has been the opportunity to write a wrap-up of the event for the incomparable Kat Ellinger and Diabolique online.

For those who were not able to attend, this is the closest you’ll get to hearing the panellists’ words, including sage observations from the likes of Cerise Howard:

“What is most monstrous in this film is heteronormativity… This whole hazing business… it’s rape culture writ large and is truly monstrous.”

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