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Showing posts from 2021

D-Rock's Top 21 Albums of '21

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Photo by me at Shoreline Amphitheatre in California at a concert featuring Korn & Staind 2021 may not have been an especially good year in other ways but it was most certainly an amazing year for music. Not only did live music return (which I have complex but mostly joyful and grateful feelings about) but dozens upon dozens of fantastic albums were released this year. So I thought it only fitting to celebrate the year in music with this list of my top albums of 2021. Bearing in mind that rankings are always a little complex and these things are constantly shifting (my top three are honestly pretty much interchangeable based on my mood) blah blah blah all art is subjective, etc....enjoy my top 21 albums of 2021!

Check out Splatterhouse from 1988

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 In honor of Joe Bob Ruins Christmas tomorrow night on Shudder. Please enjoy some classic 80's retro video game action. The gory 8-bit classic SplatterHouse. Allow yourself to play as Rick Taylor possessed by the Red Terror mask to save your girlfriend Jeniffer from the monsters that have kidnapped her inside the splatter house. 

#VundaHalloweenAthon Day 31: "This Is Halloween"

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Welcome to Day 31 of our #VundaHalloweenAthon  The 31st theme of the month is  "This Is Halloween."  Today and tonight are dedicated to this magical day and night. Let's watch movies that feature Halloween itself--whether they're set on or around Halloween, or are about Halloween. And, of course, today is always a great day to watch any and all of your favorite entries in the Halloween franchise! Here are a few recommendations from the team, taken from our own watchlists for today... Group Pick: The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror  available on Disney Plus is must watch Halloween viewing for us. If you haven't been sneaking in your favorite episodes yet tonights your last chance to do it in spooky season.   D-Rock: - Halloween (1978) directed by John Carpenter - 1h 30m (2h 29m w/ Joe Bob Briggs Commentary) - Shudder - Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) directed by Dwight H. Little - 1h 28m (2h 30m w/ Joe Bob Briggs Commentary) - Shudder - Halloween (200

#VundaHalloweenAthon Day 30: "Freaky Favorites"

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Welcome to Day 30 of our #VundaHalloweenAthon  The 30th theme of the month is  "Freaky Favorites."  Today is all about you, and what you like. We've been watching movies for 29 days now and undoubtedly you have some favorites we have yet to fit into a theme so now's your chance. Spend all day enjoying the classics of your life! No group pick for today cause that would be against the theme. Here are our  recommendations for today... D-Rock: - The Cabin in the Woods (2011) directed by Drew Goddard - 1h 35 - Peacock (Free) - Midsommar (2019) directed by Ari Aster - 2h 51m - Amazon Prime - The Exorcist (1973) directed by William Friedkin - 2h 12m - Showtime - Snakes on a Plane (2006) directed by David R. Ellis - 1h 46m - HBO Max Dani: - The Ring (2002) directed by Gore Verbinski - 1h 55m  - Rosemary's Baby  (1968) directed by Roman (fuckface) Polanski - 2h 16m  - Three...Extremes (2004) directed by Fruit Chan, Park Chan-Wook, and Takashi Mike - 2h 5m - Tubi - Rep

#VundaHalloweenAthon Day 29: "I Know What You Did in the 90's"

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Welcome to Day 29 of our #VundaHalloweenAthon  The 29th theme of the month is  "I Know What You Did in the 90's."  Bust out the flannel because today we're watching a movie from the 1990's (or the 1890's I guess but that's probably not as fun). We enjoyed our 80's day today is equally as special because we were alive for this whole decade. Here are a few recommendations from our childhood, taken from our own watchlists for today... Group Pick: Blair Witch Project (1999) directed by Eduardo Sanches, and Daniel Myrick is a once in a century type of horror movie and it ended the 90's and kicked off the last 20 years of horror. This film has been emulated by many but still remains a one of a kind original. What better way to celebrate spooky season by getting lost in the woods with this classic film.  D-Rock: - I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) directed by Jim Gillespie - 1h 41m - Amazon Prime, Peacock - The People Under the Stairs (1991) direc

#VundaHalloweenAthon Day 28: "AHHH!-nthology"

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Welcome to Day 28 of our #VundaHalloweenAthon  The 28th theme of the month is  "AHHH!-nthology."  Today we turn our focus to the many short film collections in the horror genre. It might be an oldie you just never got around to seeing or something from a fresh young filmmakers, today is your day. The sky is the limit and bonus Pumpkin Points if you watch more than one movie a day on theme! Here are a few recommendation from the team... Group Pick: V/H/S/2 (2013) directed by Simon Barrett, Adam Winged, Eduardo Sanchez, Gregg Hale, Timo Tjhahjanto, Gareth Evans, and Jason Eisener. This sequel is one of the best in the franchise and a must watch especially for the short Safe Haven which is a personal favorite of Stephen and Dani.  D-Rock: - Black Sabbath (1963) directed by Mario Bava - 1h 32m - Shudder - Nightmare Cinema (2018) directed by Alejandro Brugués, Joe Dante, Mick Garris, RyÅ«hei Kitamura, and David Slade - 1h 59m - Shudder - Southbound (2015) directed by Radio Silen

#VundaHalloweenAthon Day 27: "Coolest Chills"

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Welcome to Day 27 of our #VundaHalloweenAthon  The 27th theme of the month is  "Coolest Chills."  This is essentially a day for movies that take place in the cold or have elements of cold, winter, etc. Of course, we once again leave what that means up to your interpretation. It might be an oldie you just never got around to seeing or something from a fresh young filmmaker who you haven't given a chance yet. The sky is the limit and bonus Pumpkin Points if you watch more than one movie a day on theme! Here are a few recommendations (well, not necessarily recommendations since we've never seen some of them) from the team, taken from our own watchlists for today... Group Pick: 1982's The Thing directed by John Carpenter is one of the greatest horror films ever made. Groundbreaking special effects and gore, a pitch perfect plot (based on John W. Campbell Jr.'s 1938 novella "Who Goes There?" available to read for free here ), Kurt Russell with one of the

#VundaHalloweenAthon Day 26: "Your Grandparents' Ghouls"

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Welcome to Day 26 of our #VundaHalloweenAthon  The 26th theme of the month is  "Your Grandparents' Ghouls."  Today we celebrate old horror. We're talking the kinda stuff you'd see on Turner Classic Movies with the likes of Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi--although, as always, we leave the interpretation up to you. It might be an oldie from Hollywood's Golden Age or a horror classic you haven't given a chance yet. The sky is the limit and bonus Pumpkin Points if you watch more than one movie a day on theme! Here are a few recommendations from the team, taken from our own watchlists for today... Group Pick:  Bride of Frankenstein  (1935) directed by James Whale is available on Criterion Channel and Peacock. Enjoy one of horror's greatest sequels. D-Rock: - Creature from the Black Lagoon  (1954) directed by Jack Arnold - 1h 19m - Criterion Channel, Peacock - White Zombie (1932) directed by Victor Halperin - 1h 7m - Shudder, Tubi - Wrestling Women vs. The A

#VundaHalloweenAthon Day 25: "Spooky & Spiritual"

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Welcome to Day 25 of our #VundaHalloweenAthon  The 25th theme of the month is  "Spooky & Spiritual."  There may be no genre of film that deals more in themes of religion, theology, and spirituality and often horror movies have some very unique and interesting takes. Today, watch a movie with religious, theological, and/or spiritual themes.   It might be an oldie you just never got around to seeing or something from a fresh young filmmaker who you haven't given a chance yet. The sky is the limit and bonus Pumpkin Points if you watch more than one movie a day on theme! Here are a few recommendations we have gathered from the other side.  Group Pick: La Llorona (2019) directed by Jayro Bustamante is a haunting and complex ghost story that mixes the horrors of the real world with that of the great beyond. D-Rock: - Things Heard and Seen (2021) directed by Shari Springer Berman - 1h 59m - Netflix - Pizza (2014) directed by Akshay Akkineni - 1h 47m - Netflix - The Serpent

#VundaHalloweenAthon Day 24: "Return of the 80's"

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Welcome to Day 24 of our #VundaHalloweenAthon  The 24th theme of the month is  "Return of the 80's."  The rules are simple: watch a horror movie from the 1980s.   Here are a few recommendations/suggestions from the team, taken from our own watchlists for today, we will have no group pick today because we are overflowing with radical 80's options. Today was a hard day to program especially since Freaky Favorites is still coming up so we want to save some movies for that, and we've used so many great 80's gems in our group picks through out the month. We love the 80's and today is special! D-Rock: - Hellbound: Hellraiser II  (1988) directed by Tony Randel - 1h 39m (2h 57m w/ Joe Bob Briggs Commentary) - Hulu, Shudder, Tubi - Child's Play (1988) directed by Tom Holland - 1h 27m - Peacock (Free) - Return of the Living Dead (1985) directed by Dan O'Bannon - 1h 31m - HBO Max - Pieces (1982) directed by Juan Piquer Simón - 1h 25m - Shudder, Tubi Stephe

#VundaHalloweenAthon Day 23: "Feminist Horror"

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Welcome to Day 23 of our #VundaHalloweenAthon  The 23rd theme of the month is  "Feminist Horror."  For many years the horror genre wasn't always particularly kind to women, often portraying them as helpless victims or objectifying them or worse. Today we celebrate films that subvert those norms by looking at horror through a feminist lens, empowering women as creators and performers as well as protagonists (and even antagonists). It might be an oldie you just never got around to seeing or something from a fresh young filmmaker who you haven't given a chance yet. The sky is the limit and bonus Pumpkin Points if you watch more than one movie a day on theme! Here are a few recommendations/suggestions from the team, taken from our own watchlists for today... Group Pick: May (2002) directed by Lucky McKee is available to stream on Tubi. Take in this tragic Gothic figure that is all too human and all too monstrous in this film compelling and genuinely scary film. Fun Fact:

#VundaHalloweenAthon Day 22: "Pumpkin Pride"

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Welcome to Day 22 of our #VundaHalloweenAthon  The 22nd theme of the month is  "Pumpkin Pride."  This one is pretty self-explanatory: watch a movie that features pumpkins.   Today is a great day to carve your pumpkins and watch a pumpkin filled film. Here are a few recommendations from our own pumpkin patches. Group Pick: Trick 'r Treat (2007) directed by Michael Dougherty is one of the funnest Halloween horror anthology films on the 21st century and it is available to stream on HBO Max. It is sure to deliver the spooky vibes you crave.   D-Rock: - Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) directed by Tommy Lee Wallace - 1h 38m - AMC, YouTubeTV - Hack-o-Lantern (1988) directed by Jag Mundhra - 1h 27m (2h 12m w/ Joe Bob Briggs Commentary) - Shudder, Tubi - Pumpkinhead (1988) directed by Stan Winston - 1h 26m - Amazon Prime, Shudder, Pluto TV Stephen & Dani: - The Halloween Tree (1993) directed by Mario Piluso- 1h 30m- Tubi - The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr Toad (