THE DANMAN CAN

"He bugged me." Chris Walas ' The Fly II   (1989) was never going to be able to match the beauty of its predecessor [ review ], but it's a very solid sequel and a helluva monster movie, with good performances by Eric Stoltz and Daphne Zuniga , a strong score by Christopher Young , and exceptional/disturbing effects/creatures. "I had to give it up; it cost me an arm and a leg."

"Cheeseburger." Horror, humor, drama, science fiction, and tragedy all blend together to near perfection in  David Cronenberg 's The Fly  (1986), celebrating its 40th anniversary in just a few weeks. With its disgusting, gooey, and amazing practical effects (courtesy of Oscar winner Chris Walas ), plenty of quotable dialogue, affecting performances by Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis , a moving score by  Howard Shore , and more,  The Fly  is an all-time genre classic. "Spicy eggplant, champagne." If you'd like to hear to  Uncle Spooky , Lil Spooky , and myself talk about Cronenberg, take a listen to  Episode Twelve of the Weirdo Wednesday Podcast . David Cronenberg Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Directors The Danman Top 100 Films (2024 Edition) Top 10 Horror Films

If you've ever watched a movie and thought, "I wish this had more flesh mutating," then  David Cronenberg  has you covered! Plug in as  Uncle Spooky , Demented Danman , and Lil Spooky  explore the wonderfully bizarre career of the king of body horror—where flesh, technology, and existential dread collide! Listen to Weirdo Wednesday Podcast : Episode Twelve  here .     Let us know what topics/films you'd like to hear us talk about! Follow us on your favorite streaming platform and on Instagram . We love feedback and positive reviews too. Don't forget that Weirdo Wednesday takes place every Wednesday evening at Cinema Salem in Salem, MA at 7:30 PM (tickets here ). Dates for summer 2026 Freakout Fridays at The Owl Theatre in Lowell, MA are listed below (tickets here ). Come get Weird with us in both Salem and Lowell! WW Podcast Themes by Demented Danman WW Logo by Iris Miller FF Owl Poster by Lil Spooky

Siege (aka Self Defense ) (1983) is a taut and lean, mean and downbeat thriller. A simple and singular picture with a gritty realism and an eerie synth score, Siege is a cool little Canadian genre gem. Recommended for fans of Assault On Precinct 13 (1976) [ review ], Vigilante (1982) [ review ], and Green Room (2015) [ review ].

Here's the latest video I created to celebrate the continuing saga of Freakout Friday  (presented by  Weirdo Wednesday ) at The Owl Theatre , Middlesex Community College in Lowell, MA. Subscribe to the Weirdo Wednesday Podcast on your favorite streaming platform and follow us on Instagram for updates! Dates for our summer screenings are below! WW/FF Videos by Demented Danman WW Logo by Iris Miller FF Owl Poster by Lil Spooky

Cutting Class (1989) is a tame, goofy, incredibly random, and hilarious slasher. A lot of fun with a game audience. "I'm the custodian of your fucking destiny."

Freeway (1996), Matthew Bright ’s darkly hilarious take on Little Red Riding Hood , treads in similar ground to other scuzzy ‘90s crime films, but it does a commendable job of subverting expectations a number of times.  At only 19, Reese Witherspoon is as good here as she is in 1999's Election [ review ] and really leaves an impression. Kiefer Sutherland takes a bit of a backseat to Witherspoon, screen time-wise, but is perfectly sinister as a pedo predator. Brittany Murphy , in a smaller role, is as awkward, weird, and charming as she was in the following year’s Drive [ review ]. Danny Elfman 's score is a fun one, before he started churning out bland sonic wallpaper.  I love the genre-mashing happening in this trash odyssey—it dabbles in street drama, serial killer psychological horror, women’s prison picture, and road movie, all while maintaining a blackly comic sense of humor (featuring some amazingly inappropriate dialogue). The film takes a little bit of time to get...

Turbo Kid   (2015) is an endlessly fun and funny mashup of  Mad Max  (1979) [ review ],  Escape From New York   (1981) [ review ],  Indiana Jones , BMX movies, and more featuring an impossibly adorable co-lead ( Laurence Leboeuf  as Apple), wildly creative gore gags, and a pulsing, head-bobbing synth score by  Le Matos . Rather than subvert genre tropes,  Turbo Kid  fully embraces them and never stops being a blast because of it—what it lacks in deep characters, finesse, and budget it makes up for in retro diversion and heart. If you had to live in a post-apocalyptic future, wouldn't you want to live in one this colorful and playful, with a soundtrack as great as this? (And remember: eyes, throat, genitals! )

Greetings,  Weirdos ! In this month's installment, hear your favorite Weirdos ( Uncle Spooky ,  Demented Danman , and  Lil Spooky ) dive into the macabre world of Lucio Fulci . Whether you're a casual Fulci consumer or a seasoned gorehound, this episode goes right for the guts . And as a special treat, Uncle Spooky reveals the films to be shown (via Cauldron Films ) at Cinema Obscura Salem ( FB  |  IG ) at  Cinema Salem  on April 25th! Listen to  Weirdo Wednesday Podcast : Episode Eleven  here .     Let us know what topics/films you'd like to hear us talk about!  Follow us  on your favorite streaming platform and on  Instagram . We love feedback and positive reviews too. Don't forget that  Weirdo Wednesday  takes place every Wednesday evening at  Cinema Salem  in Salem, MA at 7:30 PM (tickets  here ). Dates for winter/spring 2026 Freakout Fridays at  The Owl ...

Cry-Baby   (1990) is one of my favorite  John Waters  films. While not as subversive as his early work, it's got more bite than its predecessor, 1988's  Hairspray .  That film was a big success, while  C-B  was a box office failure which has gone on to become a cult classic. This  Elvis  musical/ Grease  parody is a blast and easily Waters' most fun film—perfectly cast and wonderfully performed, eminently quotable and rewatchable, full of beautiful costumes and production design, and very funny to boot. This movie's got it. It's got it raw! John Waters Feature Films Ranked