SlashBack Cinema

Happy Halloween folks!! This week we watched Spookies 1986...

There’s bad.

There’s so-bad-it’s-good.

And then there’s Spookies.

We tried to review it normally. That lasted about ten minutes.

So instead, we activated Slashback Emergency Protocol and tried to answer one simple question:

What the hell did we just watch?

Two movies stitched together. A plot that barely exists. Random monsters everywhere. Farting muckmen.

And somehow, that’s not even the weirdest part.

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Giant snake gods. Four-inch fangs. Psychedelic religious hallucinations. A strategically deployed mongoose. Hugh Grant with a six-foot sword. And Peter Capaldi somehow producing both bagpipes AND a grenade when the situation demands it.

Welcome to Ken Russell’s Lair of the White Worm a movie that starts weird and just keeps going.

This week on SlashBack Cinema, Ryan and Shanny descend into one of the strangest corners of 1980s British horror. We talk folk horror, questionable vampire rules, wildly over-the-top practical effects, a monster partially built from a Volkswagen Beetle, and Amanda Donohoe’s gloriously unhinged Lady Sylvia Marsh who may single-handedly earn this movie an extra Stabby Score.

Is it horror? Camp? Folk horror? Looney Tunes with snake people?

Yes.

If you like movies that take a huge swing and then leave you staring at the screen wondering what the hell is happening, this one's for you.

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Nine years after Phantasm introduced us to the Tall Man, killer silver spheres and an army of hooded alien dwarves, Don Coscarelli came back with a bigger budget and apparently one guiding principle: more.

More guns. More explosions. More balls.

This week on SlashBack Cinema, we hit the road with Mike and Reggie as they chase the Tall Man through abandoned towns, suspiciously elaborate mausoleums and enough plot holes to swallow a ’71 Plymouth ’Cuda.

Along the way, we dig into the insane practical effects, a real house they bought just to blow up, the glorious double-double-barrel shotgun, a chainsaw measuring contest and the upgraded golden sphere that somehow makes the original murder ball look quaint.

Plus: ’80s hair, Beastmaster ferrets, and a very 1980s round of ice cream trivia.

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Ryan calls it the greatest horror comedy ever made. Shanny says it's basically a live-action Looney Tunes cartoon filmed with terrifying commitment. Somewhere between the possessed hand, Henrietta's basement hijinks, gallons of mulit color blood, and Bruce Campbell absorbing more physical punishment than any actor should, they try to answer the question.

Episode Highlights:

• Why horror fans are still split on Evil Dead 2
• The Warner Bros. cartoon theory
• Freddy Krueger's hidden glove
• Sam Raimi's mom's car
• Stabby Scores

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If you've ever been in a toxic relationship with a space vampire, this is the episode for you.

This week on SlashBack Cinema, Ryan and Shanny tackle Lifeforce (1985), Tobe Hooper's gloriously unhinged sci-fi horror epic that somehow combines space vampires, psychic powers, zombie outbreaks, alien bats, Patrick Stewart, and the end of the world into one movie.

What starts as a mysterious mission to Halley's Comet quickly spirals into apocalyptic chaos as an otherworldly energy vampire arrives on Earth and turns London into a nightmare. Along the way we discuss Canon Films' biggest gamble, why the original title The Space Vampires would've been infinitely better, Patrick Stewart's unforgettable performance, and whether this cult oddity is actually a misunderstood masterpiece.

Plus:
• Top scenes from the film
• Behind-the-scenes production lore
• The strangest genre mashup we've covered yet
• Stabby Scores: Ryan 4/4 | Shanny 3/4

#Lifeforce #TobeHooper #80sHorror #CultCinema #SciFiHorror #PatrickStewart #SlashBackCinema

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If you need to get away from it all… Summerisle is waiting.

This week on SlashBack Cinema, we head back to 1973 to break down The Wicker Man a folk horror classic that trades jump scares for slow-building dread… and delivers one of the most unforgettable endings in horror history.

What starts as a simple missing person case quickly turns into something far more unsettling, as a devout Christian police officer finds himself trapped in a world of pagan rituals, strange traditions, and a community that’s hiding something big.

Spoilers ahead and trust us, this is one you’ll want to hear.

Got thoughts on The Wicker Man?
Hit us up at slashbackcinema.com

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“We’re here to chew bubblegum and podcast… and we’re all out of bubblegum.”

This week on SlashBack Cinema, we finally put on the sunglasses and take a hard look at They Live the 1988 cult classic where a drifter, a shotgun, and a pair of cheap shades are all you need to expose an alien-controlled society.

Neither of us had fully seen this one going in… which might explain a lot.

We get into:
• The most famous line that completely outgrew the film
• That insane six-minute alley fight that just… keeps going
• The sunglasses reveal and why it’s still one of the coolest concepts in 80s sci-fi
• And whether this is actually a horror movie… or if we got completely bamboozled

Along the way, we hit John Carpenter’s legacy, Roddy Piper somehow pulling off a legit performance, and the not-so-subtle “OBEY / CONSUME” message that feels a little less like fiction now than it probably should.

Put on the glasses. Things are about to look different.

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Everyone's eating it. Nobody knows what it is. Nobody cares. This week on SlashBack Cinema, we're grabbing a spoon and digging into The Stuff (1985), the cult horror where a mysterious dessert turns America into willing victims. It's a movie about capitalist consumption, addiction, and how easy it is to sell people exactly what destroys them. We get into the wild premise, the practical effects, the 80s weirdness that makes it unforgettable, and why this one hits harder now than it ever did.
You ate it. It ate you back

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This week on SlashBack Cinema, we channel Poltergeist...the suburban nightmare that made every flickering TV feel like a portal to hell.

We dig into the behind-the-scenes madness (yes… those were real skeletons), the Steven Spielberg vs. Tobe Hooper debate, and why this movie still hits decades later, even if some of the effects are hanging on by a thread.

Plus: Gen X trauma unlocked, questionable parenting decisions, and our retro 80’s Trivia focused this week on TV shows from the 1980’s

They’re here… and so are we.

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This week on SlashBack Cinema, we head into the water with Joe Dante’s Piranha (1978) the scrappy Jaws-inspired cult classic where genetically engineered killer fish turn a quiet river into an all-you-can murder buffet. Ryan and Shanny break down the fishy action, the wild B-movie energy, and why this cult favorite still bites.

Special guest Jeff Wilson joins the conversation, and we wrap things up with another round of 80s retro trivia to test your VHS-era memory.

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This week on SlashBack Cinema, we head into the New York City sewers to revisit C.H.U.D. (1984)—aka Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers. We break down government cover-ups, toxic waste, 80s paranoia, and why this scrappy cult horror classic still has serious VHS-era bite. Is it a creature feature masterpiece…or radioactive nonsense? We give it the Stabby Score and find out.

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In this episode of SlashBack Cinema, we revisit My Bloody Valentine (1981)—the Canadian slasher that proved Valentine’s Day is a terrible time to throw a party. Set in the mining town of Valentine Bluffs, the film follows the bloody legend of Harry Warden, a pickaxe-wielding killer with a flair for the dramatic, heart-shaped candy boxes and extremely personal murder notes.

This one is Quentin Tarantino's favorite slasher, and we ask the real question: does My Bloody Valentine earn its cult status—or is it just coasting on vibes, gore, and too much Valentine's Day candy?

Plus, we throw it back with trivia from 1981 and give the film its official Stabby Score.

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The Greatest American Hero, a haunted house, Vietnam flashbacks, and some of the strangest creature effects of the 80s collide in House (1985). We revisit this horror-comedy cult classic to see why its chaos, charm, and VHS-era weirdness still hold up.

Be sure to check out YouTube for our new podcast video format:https://www.youtube.com/@SlashBackCinema

And please do consider becoming a supporter of our show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2419299/support

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This week on SlashBack Cinema, we flatline with Flatliners—the glossy 90s thriller where med students stop their own hearts to see what comes next… and don’t love what follows them back (including small children who beat the snot out of you). We discuss the killer cast, iconic scenes, and why this near-death cult classic is still remembered decades later.

Also in the episode, we've got a retro trivia segment! Play along and let us know how you did.

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This week on SlashBack Cinema, we ask the question: Ho ho ho? Or no no no? we unwrap Silent Night, Deadly Night, the controversial 1984 Christmas slasher that turned mall Santas into horror icons. From Billy’s childhood trauma and religious guilt to infamous kill scenes, protest-fueled marketing, and a body count that launched a franchise, we break down what still works, what absolutely doesn’t, and why this film refuses to stay buried under the tree.

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What happens when you really commit to being Santa?

This week on SlashBack Cinema, we unwrap Christmas Evil (1980) a grimy, slow-burn (or is it no-burn??) holiday horror film that exposes the dangers of embracing your inner Santa. Naughty, nice, or completely feral… this is one weird seasonal trip. We unpack its unsettling themes, peculiar character choices, and how this overlooked gem became a cult favorite plus what makes it uniquely creepy in the Christmas horror subgenre.

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Alien slugs, zombie frat boys, and Tom Atkins dropping scorched-earth one-liners. This week Shanny and Ryan pop in the cult classic Night of the Creeps. Don't forget to bring your flamethrower! Listen in as we explain the movie’s wild concept, its standout scenes, and why it refuses to die among ’80s horror fans.

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Get ready for Hack-O-Lantern (1988) A schlocky, satanic, headbanging mess packed with awkward family moments, cheap cult rituals, and enough bad acting to fill a pumpkin patch. It’s Halloween horror at its most wonderfully awful. Shanny and Ryan ask the question - How did this ever get made?

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Hey Slashers - you're officially invited to join SlashBack Cinema as we dig into 1987’s shlock-tastic horror oddity Uninvited!
Not to be confused with Uninvited (2024), The Uninvited (2025), The Uninvited (2009), or even The Uninvited (1944). Nope...this is Greydon Clark’s 1987 mutant cat classic where the horror is questionable, but the unintentional comedy is off the charts.

Bonus: we’ve got a special guest riding along for this one!

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Sharpen those skewers--it's time to celebrate with one of the most infamous slashers of the early '80s! In this episode, we slice into Happy Birthday to Me (1981), the Canadian cult classic known for its bizarre kills and wild plot twists.

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