THEM! (1954) – Episode 194 – Decades of Horror: The Classic Era
Decades of Horror | Horror News Radio
Release Date: 01/11/2025
Decades of Horror | Horror News Radio
“Do you understand what this means? These things want flesh, any kind of flesh. And once they sense it, they’ll eat their way through anything that comes between them and their meat.” Okay, okay. Ich verstehe! Join this episode’s Grue-Crew – Bill Mulligan, Daphne Monary-Ernsdorff, Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, and Jeff Mohr – as they take in (1964), the low-budget cult classic from a one-time director and a screenplay written by a comic book legend. Decades of Horror: The Classic Era Episode 229 – The Flesh Eaters (1964) Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine...
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Doc returns to join the Decades of Horror Grue-Crew to review BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (1986) directed by John Carpenter. Is there a better hero than Jack Burton? Yeah, probably, but in this action comedy with hints of horror and supernatural, he is the best - cocky, over confident, and often ridiculous. It's all in the reflexes! Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, and Denis Dun lead a terrific cast with James Hong nearly stealing the entire movie as David Lo Pan. Brilliant! BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (1986) Episode 310 - Decades of Horror 1980s Quote: "Like I told my last wife, I says, 'Honey, I...
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The Grue-Crew delve into an early Lucio Fulci pre-Giallo mini-masterpiece with Don't Torture a Duckling (1972). In the film, you can see the beginning of Fulci's signature direction he would become known for with Zombi (1979) and his eighties gore-fest films. For this movie, the story is a murder mystery that contains hints of witchcraft and characters meeting a gruesome, bloody demise. It's pure early 70s Italian film making at its best. Check it out. Enjoy! DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING (1972) Episode 266 - Decades of Horror 1970s Quote: "That's why she tore off the head of the doll and the...
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Boris Karloff! Peter Lorre! The Boogie Man Will Get You (1942) is one of Karloff's Columbia pictures horror pictures from the 1940s. Each of these films, with the exception of The Black Room, has Boris in the role of a mad scientist; however, with Boogie Man, the film allows Karloff of Peter Lorre the opportunity to parody the genre and have a great time doing so. These two are so much fun to watch as is the remaining cast of eccentric characters. Tune in to Decades of Horror The Classic Era to find out what the Grue-Crew think of this often overlooked horror-comedy gem. Enjoy! THE BOOGIE MAN...
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Jeff Mohr returns as the Grue-Crew for THE PROWLER (1981), a film the helped defined the slasher era of the 1980s alongside Friday the 13th, The Burning, My Bloody Valentine and more. In this entry, a killer returns after a 35-year absence to take out some college kids at a graduation party. Sound familiar? The big draw is Tom Savini’s special makeup & FX work, but the film pulls in some old-timer star power with Farley Granger and Lawrence Tierney, as well as Vicky Dawson, Christopher Goutman, & Cindy Weintraub. This has everything a growing slasher films needs -- gore, boobs, and a...
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Jeff returns to join the Grue-Crew with a review of the Seventies cult film, THE WITCH WHO CAME FROM THE SEA (1976). This movie is weird, disturbing in its own way, and intensely sad. What do the Crew make of this indie film that is about as 70s as it gets? You'll have to listen to find out. Enjoy! The Witch Who Came in from the Sea (1982) Episode 265 - Decades of Horror 1970s Quote: "Why don't you act like a man and go hide in the closet, cowboy?" - Molly Synopsis: "A disturbed woman is haunted by memories of childhood abuse, which culminates in a murder spree." Director: Matt Cimber Writer:...
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Jeff returns to Decades of Horror The Classic Era picking the Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur classic THE LEOPARD MAN (1943) for review. The Grue-Crew have a blast exploring this often overlooked RKO Radio pictures gem with its sharp dialog, exquisite black and white cinematography, and inventive direction. The cast is fantastic as well: Dennis O’Keefe, Margo, Jean Brooks, James Bell, and more — oh, and Dynamite as The Leopard. Synopsis: A seemingly-tame leopard used for a publicity stunt escapes and kills a young girl, spreading panic throughout a sleepy New Mexico town. Producer: Val...
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The Grue-Crew unleash the New World Picture’s Alien rip-off, FORBIDDEN WORLD (1982) from Roger Corman. Directed by Allan Holzman, this trashy cult classic features effects from John Carl Buechler, Mark Shostrom, and more handling the Mutant gooey and gory designs and make-up. The cast includes Dan Oliver, Jesse Vint, June Chadwick, Linden Chiles, Scott Paulin, Dawn Dunlap, Fox Harris, Michael Bowen, and Ray Oliver. For those old enough, you likely watched this movie multiple times on cable movie channels, not because it was good but because it was bonkers. Enjoy! FORBIDDEN WORLD (1982)...
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The Grue-Crew head to New Jersey to visit THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (1979), directed by Stuart Rosenberg. The cast includes James Brolin, Margot Kidder, Rod Steiger, Don Stroud, Murray Hamilton, and Natasha Ryan. Based on a "true story" and the best-selling novel by Jay Anson, the movie cements the Amityville house with its eerily lit pair of attic windows into horror film history. When people think of haunted houses, they most likely think of this house - even to this day decades later. Despite it feeling somewhat tame today, The Amityville Horror frightened audiences world wide to the tune of...
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The Grue-Crew return to the 1950s to battle the fear of the atom bomb with the better than you'd expect, often overlooked THE MAGNETIC MONSTER (1953), directed by Curt Siodmak and Herbert L. Strock (uncredited). The cast includes Richard Carlson, King Donovan, Jean Byron, Harry Ellerbe, Leo Britt, Leonard Mudie, and Byron Foulger. And Strother Martin appears briefly in one scene as an airliner co-pilot. The film also incorporates scenes from a 1934 German movie GOLD. While it doesn't feature a "Monster" in typical terms, the threat of the Magnetic Monster is no less formable. Check this one...
info_outline“Pfah! What kind of sense does that make? Is sugar a rare cargo? Is there a black market for it? Did you ever hear of a fence for hot sugar? If I was gonna make a deal with crooks to steal somethin’, it wouldn’t be for forty tons of sugar.” If you were a giant ant you would. Join this episode’s Grue-Crew – Daphne Monary-Ernsdorff, Chad Hunt, Doc Rotten, and Jeff Mohr, along with guest Gregory Crosby – as they take a deep crawl into THEM! (1954), one of the all-time great big-bug movies!
Decades of Horror: The Classic Era
Episode 194 – THEM! (1954)
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ANNOUNCEMENT
Decades of Horror The Classic Era is partnering with THE CLASSIC SCI-FI MOVIE CHANNEL, THE CLASSIC HORROR MOVIE CHANNEL, and WICKED HORROR TV CHANNEL
Which all now include video episodes of The Classic Era!
Available on Roku, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, AndroidTV, Online Website.
Across All OTT platforms, as well as mobile, tablet, and desktop.
https://classicscifichannel.com/; https://classichorrorchannel.com/; https://wickedhorrortv.com/
Synopsis: The earliest atomic tests in New Mexico cause common ants to mutate into giant man-eating monsters that threaten civilization.
- Director: Gordon Douglas
- Writing Credits: Ted Sherdeman (screenplay); Russell S. Hughes (adaptation) (as Russell Hughes); George Worthing Yates (story)
- Special Effects by: Ralph Ayres (special effects); Ardell Lytle (pyroeffects supervisor) (uncredited)
- Selected Cast:
- James Whitmore as Sgt. Ben Peterson
- Edmund Gwenn as Dr. Harold Medford
- Joan Weldon as Dr. Patricia Medford
- James Arness as Robert Graham
- Onslow Stevens as Brig. Gen. Robert O’Brien
- Sean McClory as Maj. Kibbee
- Christian Drake as Trooper Ed Blackburn (as Chris Drake)
- Sandy Descher as The Ellinson Girl
- Mary Alan Hokanson as Mrs. Lodge (as Mary Ann Hokanson)
- Don Shelton as Trooper Capt. Fred Edwards
- Fess Parker as Alan Crotty
- Olin Howland as Jensen (as Olin Howlin)
- Richard Bellis as Mike Lodge (uncredited)
- John Beradino as Patrolman Ryan (uncredited)
- Robert Berger as Patrolman Sutton (uncredited)
- Oscar Blank as Alcoholic Ward Patient (uncredited)
- Willis Bouchey as Official at D.C. Meeting (uncredited)
- Richard Deacon as Bald Reporter (uncredited)
- Ann Doran as Child Psychiatrist (uncredited)
- Leonard Nimoy as Army Sergeant in Information Center (uncredited)
- William Schallert as Ambulance Attendant (uncredited)
- Douglas Spencer as Bit Part (uncredited)
- Dub Taylor as Railroad Yard Watchman (uncredited)
- Dick York as Teenager in Police Station (uncredited)
THEM! is generally considered the first giant bug movie, and according to the Grue Crew, who are joined by Gregory Crosby, it’s the best of the lot! A top-notch script delivered by a great cast and helmed by an experienced, successful director makes for an excellent film. Combine some pretty-damn-fine giant ants with expert cinematography, just the right editing, and some very disturbing ant-chirping, and the ants are truly terrifying. Edmund Gwenn (who is not in The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms), Joan Weldon, James Whitmore, and James Arness lead the way with an incredibly long list of familiar character actors. Even Dick York (Samantha’s first husband on Bewitched, not her second) makes an uncredited appearance.
The Grue Crew again go for a record-length talkabout but there really is so much to discuss with THEM! and we had so much fun doing it! We hope you enjoy it as much as we did recording it.
At the time of this writing, THEM! (1954) is available to stream by subscription from IndieFlix and PPV from multiple sources. The film is available on physical media as a Blu-ray disc from Warner Home Video.
Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror: The Classic Era records a new episode every two weeks. Next in their very flexible schedule – this one chosen by Chad – is Caltiki, the Immortal Monster (1959). Was it directed by Riccardo Freda, Robert Hamton, Mario Bava, or all of the above? Bill Mulligan (known as “Bava Bill”) will be joining us to help us untangle the entanglement, and to help us find the source of that awful smell.
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To each of you from each of them, “Thank you so much for watching and listening!”