Musical Monsters Extra – Heavy Metal (1981)

Heavy Metal
Release date: August 7, 1981

Featuring the voice talents of:
John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Harold Ramis & Percy Rodrigues

Featuring the music of:
Sammy Hagar, Devo, Blue Oyster Cult, Cheap Trick, Don Felder, Donald Fagen, Nazareth, Journey, Black Sabbath and Stevie Nicks

Based on the original art and stories of:
Richard Corben, Angus McKie, Dan O’Bannon, Thomas Warkentin & Bernie Wrightson

Plot:
An evil force known as Loc-Nar which describes itself as the sum of all evils weaves a tale of seven stories as it shows a young girl the evil it has spread across the galaxy.

Richard’s Thoughts:
This anthology has received a wide variety of mixed reviews over the years. Some will say the stories are weak or that the animation is limited. Others will say it’s far too misogynistic and degrading towards women. Having seen this numerous times over the years, I honestly can’t argue some of these points…except when it comes to the animation. I personally think the animation holds up quite well. It’s far more traditional than a lot of today’s animated styles. Perhaps that’s because many films today lean heavily towards the anime style which I personally don’t gravitate towards.

As for the stories, they are a mixed bag to be sure. Harry Canyon works quite well as a sci-fi homage to the film noir classics of the 40s. Captain Sternn is fun while B-17 offers a lot of great visuals but has very little substance. So Beautiful and So Dangerous is a fun spaced-out ride but falls rather flat at the end. The other stories are a little interchangeable to one degree or another. However, one of the high notes is the final tale of Taarna. It’s interesting and seems to be far more serious than some of the more lighthearted entries in this anthology.

However, nobody watches Heavy Metal for stellar storytelling as they’re admittedly a little one dimensional. Some will come for the animation that is full of violence and nudity. Others will come for the early 80s rock soundtrack. Honestly, I come for the complete package. If you come into this with lower expectations and just enjoy the ride, you’ll be entertained. However, if violence and nudity offend you, you definitely need to seek out a different movie.   

Trivia:
Based on the classic sci-fi magazine, Heavy Metal initially bombed in the theaters. However, it found new life through midnight movie screenings, where it quickly gained a cult movie status. 

Availability:
Heavy Metal is available on Blu-ray.

Classic Horrors Club – Musical Monsters

For a bit of a change of pace, in episode 95 of the Classic Horrors Club Podcast, Jeff and I discuss two films where there are as many songs as there are monsters: Phantom of the Paradise (1974) and The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). Both did their time on the Midnight Movie circuit before the advent of home video boosted one’s reputation and tarnished the other’s.

Be sure to check out the video companion on the Classic Horrors Club YouTube channel where we count down our Top 10… with a few exceptions due to copyright infringement.

Tell us what you think… about the movies, about the podcast, about classic horror! Call us at (616) 649-2582 (CLUB), email or send a recording to classichorrors.club@gmail.com or join our Facebook group page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/classichorrors.club/!

We’d also appreciate if you’d give us an honest rating on Apple Podcasts or SoundCloud. Thank you!

We now have an Instagram account! Look for us at classichorrorsclubpodcast. We look forward to adding more content and connecting with all of you there!

You can also find Jeff at:

Classic Horrors Club
Codex Omniversa

Next month on episode 96, it’s time to Go Ape as we’ll be taking a look at mankind’s future with the original Planet of the Apes (1968) and Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)!

Musical Monsters Extra – Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)

Repo! The Genetic Opera
Release date: November 7, 2008

Cast:
Alexa PenaVega as Shilo Wallace
Paul Sorvino as Rotti Largo
Anthony Head as Nathan/Repo Man
Sarah Brightman as Blind Mag
Paris Hilton as Amber Sweet
Bill Moseley as Luigi Largo
Orge as Pavi Largo
Terrance Zdunich as Graverobber

Written by Darren Smith & Terrance Zdunich
Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman

Plot:
It’s 2056 and after a pandemic left the world with organ failures, GenCo has risen to control the masses with organ replacements…at a very high price. If you fail to keep up the payments, the Repo Man will come to repossess the organ. And those who become addicted to surrey have also become addicted to a painkiller called Zydrate.

Richard’s Thoughts:
I haven’t seen this since about 2009, so a solid 15 years has passed. I honestly remembered very little about it other than the song “Zydrate Anatomy”, which I’ve heard numerous times over the years. Terrance Zdunich does a great job of slinking his way across the screen and making a drug pusher seem engaging. Paris Hilton’s performance in that song isn’t too bad but Alexa PenaVega is a glaring weak link. Unfortunately, her solo songs and acting performance in the film aren’t any better.

I do remember liking this film a lot more than I did upon this revisit. Paul Sorvino comes across as bored and the stylized artistic visuals haven’t really aged well. Sarah Brightman, who has an incredibly beautiful voice, is wasted here with sub-par music. I really wanted to enjoy this one more than I did but I found myself becoming impatient for the end. Looks like I’ll keep listening to the Zydrate song and skip the movie going forward.  

Trivia:
Despite the obvious similarities, Repo Men, released in 2010, was based on a novel by Eric Garcia that originated as an unpublished story dating back to 1997. 

Availability:
Repo! The Genetic Opera is available on Blu-ray.

Musical Monsters Extra – Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Little Shop of Horrors
Release date: December 19, 1986

Cast:
Rick Moranis as Seymour Krelborn
Ellen Greene as Audrey
Vincent Gardenia as Mushnik
Steve Martin as Orin Scrivello D.D.S.
Levi Stubbs as Voice of Audrey II

Based on the screenplay by Charles Griffith and film by Roger Corman
Based on the musical by Howard Ashman
Screenplay by Howard Ashman
Directed by Frank Oz

Plot:
When an odd looking plant materializes during a mysterious and unexpected solar eclipse, poor slob Seymour takes it home. However, he soon finds that the plant is hungry for fresh, human blood and that feeding it only makes it more hungry. Does Audrey II have more sinister plans in store for Seymour and the entire world?

Richard’s Thoughts:
It’s been decades since I’ve watched this musical version of Little Shop of Horrors, so other than memories of some of the songs, I really had no recollection of the film. What I noticed almost immediately is how it’s a much more traditional musical than Phantom of the Paradise and Rocky Horror Picture Show. Rick Moranis really does quite well while Ellen Greene was more than adequate, other than annoying me just a little with the soft and squeaky nature of her character’s voice. The musical trio of Tichina Arnold, Tisha Campbell and Michelle Weeks also help the movie move along musically.   

The numerous cameo appearances are quite fun with Jim Belushi as Patrick Martin, Christopher Guest as a customer in the flower shop, John Candy as Wink Wilkinson, a whacky radio DJ, and last, but certainly not least, Bill Murray as the pain-loving dental patient Arthur Denton. His scene with Steve Martin is a true highlight in the film.

Of course, the main highlight is the plant creature itself…Audrey II. Levi Stubbs, of The Four Tops, does a masterful job of voicing Audrey II. His big finale, including the song Mean Green Mother of Outer Space, is amplified by the amazing visual representation of Audrey II.

It was a lot of fun to revisit Little Shop of Horrors. From the top-notch cast to the music and great special effects, you can’t go wrong with this one. Highly recommended!     

Karla’s Thoughts:
This is my favorite version of the story, surpassing the original by far. I love all of the cameos and the music, especially the three singers, who provide continuity throughout the film. The music was definitely much more Broadway-esque. Steve Martin was truly hilarious but he was a little hard to watch when he was being so mean to Audrey. I love the happy ending and would gladly watch it again. 

Trivia:
The ending of the film was originally quite different but more faithful to the original stage play. At 23 minutes long, it featured Audrey and Seymour being eaten by Audrey II and the world being taken over by an army of Audrey IIs. The miniature special effects cost $5 million but, after two failed test screenings, the happy ending of the film was shot and it is what is now most commonly known as the true ending of the film.

Availability:
Little Shop of Horrors is available on Blu-ray with both the original theatrical version and the director’s cut.