September 20, 2024 • 54 mins
Prop Master Mark Richardson returns to Ready 2 Retro, but unlike the previous episodes, Mark isn't here to talk about Power Rangers. Instead, the conversation is all about Mark's passion, Horror Films! Listen to the latest episode of Ready 2 Retro as we dive into Mark's early career with Troma, his time working with Rob Zombie on the Halloween films (2007 & 2009) and some of his favorite horror films of all time!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come. Turn your devices
to the maximum volume, sit back, relax, and let's get
Ready to retra.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Hey everybody, welcome to episode one ninety six of the
Ready to Retro podcast. It is Spooky September and we
are with a special guest returning to Ready to Retro
is Mark Richardson. Mark, thank you so much for being
back on Ready to Retro.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Of course, spooooky time. I love spooky Time. Well.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
In the past you've been on to talk about Power
Rangers and your background being the prop master, but you
are a huge spooky guy first and foremost, so we
had to have you on for Spooky September.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Of course always all right, So.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
For those who don't know you, Mark, tell our listeners
a little bit about yourself and what brings you here today.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Well. As far as horror spooky, I'm all about it.
I do a lot of stuff for Mad Monster Party,
famous Monsters of film Land. I'm always there with them.
But I've also been Rob Zombies Boy on Halloween his Halloween.
I also did the weapons on Devil's Rejects. I've done
films like Parana three d out in Arizona, did a
(01:58):
ton of low budget horror film. Worked for Trauma. I
was associate producer, writer, director, actor for Trauma. Yeah. I've
done nothing, but you know, I've even done paranormal investigations.
Did one with Kane Hodter, who was Jason from seven
to ten in North Carolina. Was just him and I.
He was in an old hotel that was supposedly haunted.
(02:20):
He was on one side and I was on the other.
And we stayed there for a week. Not like the
Ghostbuster guys who go there for We're going to stay
here tonight and be locked up. We were there for
a week and I loved it. I loved it, loved it.
You know everything that's going on right now, Like I
just did Universal Hornites, I'm doing Queen Mary this weekend,
gonna do Knox Strey Farm. Love that stuff. This is
(02:43):
you know why this is my time of year because
I could walk into like Walgreens and buy a severed
head and duct tape and nobody looks at me weird.
I love it my time of year.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Well, that's a great intro. I gotta just ask you. So,
so let's let's go back to that one week investigation, prayer,
normal investigation because you're right. Most of the things that
we watch is like just a one day thing. What
was it like to do for a week? Like, I
can't even comprehend that, So yeah, tell us a little
(03:15):
bit about that. What were the living conditions and all
that stuff.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
It was nice. I mean, they had investigators show up,
like and we'd do it all night and then they'd
leave and went sleep during the day.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
I didn't have any type of like staying in my
room in the middle of nowhere, any type of weird
vibes or feelings or orbs or anything. But some odd
things happened. I think it's a documentary is called Balsam.
They wouldn't tell us, you know, what was evil about
the place, and we had to figure it out and
(03:47):
we did. What happened was and the place was made
for like clan meetings, you know, North Carolina, South No,
North Carolina, and you know it had an evil fill
to it. You know, definitely something went down. But the
main thing was the sheriff got shot because he had
was having a secret affair with this one gunman in
(04:08):
town and he got shot down the street. But they
dragged him up to this one room up there and
the woman got pregnant, she was raped and killed, and
then they took the baby and drowned it out in
the creek. What's so bizarre about we learned all that through,
you know, just our investigation. You know, you know they
(04:32):
have those boxes that you know that they have like
a million words in it and they just randomly say
stuff which I'm not hip about, like I'm not crazy
about it. But it kept saying stuff like river baby,
river baby. It's like maybe the baby got killed in
the river. And sure enough at the end they told
us what was going on. So that was really really creepy.
(04:56):
Another thing is there was this one room that they're like,
this is the most honted room, and they've had Kine
go in there by himself with a go pro and
he keeps hearing on the spirit box. He keeps hearing
this name, and at one point he felt pushed. And
Kane Hotter is the kind of guy you don't you
don't make, you don't try to be fake with him,
(05:16):
like if I would have said, oh there's the goals,
I'm scared, you know, like they do on all those
other ones. And that's another thing. You know, you're there
to be investigate and if you hear something or see something,
why would you get scared? You're there, what do you expect?
That's why you're there. And every time you watch those shows,
oh I'm your daughter here, you know, they all go
Scooby doot row. But uh afterwards, yeah, well anyway, Kane said, uh,
(05:41):
you know, don't make this up. If you make it up,
I'm gonna beat up. And you want to be beat
up by Kane Hadter although kind of cool, will beat
up by Jason. But this name kept coming up and
afterwards they you know, the camera crew comes in and
I'm talking with him and I what's that name mean?
And he goes, I had a roommate with that name,
(06:03):
but I don't think that's it, and he goes, there
is one thing when my father was a salesman and
he would travel around the United States and he didn't
want to pay the long distant phone calls to say
he's calling from Florida, So he would call my mother
and say is and I draw blanko when they is
(06:25):
Bob there? And she'd go, I'm sorry, Bob is not here,
and to hang on the phone. But she would know
by him saying is Bob there that he was Okay,
he made it on the other side. He made it
on the other side. I was like, you don't get that.
You don't get that. Maybe your father's saying, hey made
(06:46):
it on the other side, you know. And it's weird
because you can see it didn't even dawn on him
until that moment. And it was a really cool moment
for me. But you know, and we also one of
our the producer, the guy that really put the money
in it was he was African American and he was
afraid to go into the building and and he goes,
(07:06):
he goes it was a super cool guy. I can't
even get into how close this guy was. But he
I don't want to go in there, and I go,
do you know why? And then he goes no. I go, well, basically,
you're our boss and this place was ran by the Klan.
You don't think the planned spirit in there is going,
what the hell? You know? Black guy's rolling, you know
(07:27):
with the dough and supporting us. They hate you, bro,
You're everything that they stood against. Oh man, maybe that's it,
you know, but that I think that was it. There
was another moment and it was very unlike me. We
were in the ballroom and they're a couple of female
investigators that were psychic then were really cool. For no
(07:49):
apparent reason. I got up and I walked over to
her and I go, we have this dance with me.
And I don't know why did it. I was just
possessed to say it. But we danced, and you know,
they put music to it. But then they do these
weird you know. I don't know if you ever did
paranormal investigation where they had those weird they pick up this,
you know, if there's an entity in the room. It's
(08:11):
like stick people and there's these two stick people dance
and we're, you know, afterwards watching that's weird, you know.
And when we found when we were in this one
we went into the one room and they go, there
was a funeral held here. It was the funeral for
the sheriff that got killed. We didn't know, we just
knew a funeral. But we were looking at the footage
later and you could see like the thing crawling up
(08:32):
the wall like sticking. Oh that's great. Crawling up balls
is always creepy. I loved crazy nuts. I just never
really I mean, there was a couple of rain thunderstorms
which I loved but I was never creeped out by it.
But then again, you know, I like being creeped out,
so I might have been. I just didn't realize that
it was wild.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
That's crazy. Where can we watch that? Is that on YouTube?
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Or is that on Is that the Investigation of Balls?
I think it's called you know the guy you know
tays me to do that, and I don't even remember
what it's called, but I think it's them. It's cool. Yeah,
I'm sure you can get it. You can get it.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Awesome. Well, I'll definitely look that up. That's crazy. Yeah,
I've never used I used to watch stuff on YouTube
and things like that, but I've never done it myself.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
I love it. I go to you know, I used
to go to the Queen Mary with my ex wife
all the time, and she's like super psyche. Okay, she
was amazing. I was very exciting with her because you know,
things would happen all the time. You hear, you know,
just somebodied voices and stuff like that, because she's so
sensitive to it.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
So you're in your mind, there's no doubt that there's
a paranormal like other world, there's a spirit world, all
that stuff.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
I don't know if we have the name for it.
I don't think we will ever have the name for it.
But there's something out there. I'm not sure what it is.
You know, we've given it Spectrum and all this, We've
given it all kinds of names. I don't think we'll
ever know. But there's definitely a dimension that we don't
we can't figure out, and it's fun. It's fun to
explore it and play with it. I mean, if take
(10:10):
a digital take your phone and go to an isolated graveyard,
just walk around and talk in the graveyard, just say,
you know, how are you and give it a long beat.
You know, are you happy? Give it a long beat.
Don't talk their death, Just talk to them like what's
your favorite hobby? Give it a long beat. You'll get answers.
(10:32):
And that's creepy and shit, and it's like, you know,
are you lonely? Yes? Oh, you know a lot of
times you won't hear it right then and there. You
play it back and you listen with the headphones and
you get it. That stuff's real with those Ghostbusters things
when you play stuff back. And they didn't do that
on this investigation. We should have had miked because there's
(10:53):
a lot of things the human ear doesn't pick up.
And they didn't have Mike there. You know. I was
in one room and a cameraman followed me in and
and I'm standing there, and you know, it's a nice
you know, nobody's been in there in ten years or whatever.
And it was a thick smell of cigar smoke. And
I go and I went to the camera. He smell.
He goes, yeah, I goes cigar, Yeah, cigar smoke for
(11:15):
no apparent reason. It's not like d and the furniture
after those years. It was very distinct, like somebody had
just smoked him right then and there and left the room.
It was.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
It was cool, crazy, all right. Well, this is kind
of our conversation. I don't really have a huge outline
or anything. We just wanted to talk spooky stuff with you.
As someone who appreciates this time of year and appreciates
all spooky stuff, I want to ask you when you
look at you know, Halloween and things like that. I
(11:46):
know that as the years have gone by, it's gotten
bigger and bigger, but what are some of your earliest
memories of this season, the Halloween season, the spooky season.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
Well, I mean to this day, I love a horror host.
You know, Elvira made it, you know, really famous. But
growing up I had on Channel nine here in la
and we had see More the Master of the Macabre,
and he was campy. You know. He didn't wear makeup
(12:16):
a lot of the you know, like Stinglie that's around today,
whereas make right way. He wore Stutson hat or No.
It was that like a like this like the shadow
kind of thing and a cape red cape in a
nice suit. And but he would talk about the movies,
but he would make fun of the movies too. And
the most famous thing he did for his show fell
(12:38):
on April Fools and they did this whole publicity for
Planet of the Apes. You know, Channel nine is gonna
play Planet of the Apes and everybody tuned in and
he goes, really you think that this cheap channel would
play Planet of the Apes. You know, he would do
really cool things like that, and he would make appearances
like you know, supermarkets and stuff where he respected him.
(12:59):
But in nineteen seventy five they had a birthday party
for him at Knoxberry Farm and that what started. That
is what started around the United States right on in
theme parks it was, and I was there and he
came out and did a little performance, showed us something
on the screen, and he did for two years, but
(13:20):
he passed away right before the last one, or he
was really rapy for the last one. And then then
Elvira took well. Firstly it was like this San Diego
girl called Moon Perrilla, and then it was Elvira, and
then Elvira just exploded, you know. But Seymour was my guy,
and that was like my fondest memory for Halloween because
(13:42):
Knoxbury Farm, you know, they you know, fixed up the
place a little bit and you know, like it wasn't
it was always a non union. It wasn't a corporate
company like it is now and they do a great
job now, I love it, But so it was just
who if you had a store there, you know, they
fixed up there, you know, made their store creepy. But
the place looks creepy as it is. It's a ghost town,
(14:02):
you know. But that's like my fondest memory. I also
when Halloween, they used to have a thing called Campus Life,
which was this giant tent. It was a Christian organization,
but the giant tents and they had, and I think
they kind of thinking back, maybe they try to push
like alcohol makes you demons or something, but they really
(14:22):
you know, it was a money making venue, but they
were really good. I remember them. They were very, very
scary and you know now, you know with the technology
we have now through the roof, but back then it
was pretty impressive. But I remember those going to those
things that was kind of cool.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Have you gone to not like every year, like what's
what's kind of your rhythm?
Speaker 3 (14:45):
Yeah, I think I've gone every year. I don't think
I've missed.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
It really since the first one.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
Yeah, you know, And I don't know if I've ever
missed a Universal, missed a couple Queen Mary's. I missed
a lot of those fright fists because I'm a big
fan of six Flags.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Yeah, but they're getting better. I haven't gone this year,
but the advertisements look great. Not so scary. Farm you
know holds a very tender spot in my heart. And
it's not Halloween, you know, to me, that's Halloween, and
it's totally yeah, I love it. But like I said,
I just did Universal and it was okay. I wasn't thrilled.
There was a couple that I really liked, but I
was thrilled. I was thrilled just being there though.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
Yeah, I mean the environment's fun. And I've said this
on those podcasts before, but what I'm not liking what
Halloween Hornites is doing is they keep on packing out
the house so that people will upgrade to get the
front of the line passes. And I think it's great,
hate it.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
I won't go do anything without a frontal line. I
won't do I have to because I don't like waiting
in lines. I hate lines, and some of those lines,
you know, or three hours long for you know, eight
minute maze.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
It's crazy if that, if that eight minutes, if that? Yeah, no,
definitely did you go, Well, you said you went. But
how did you like last year? Not being the fiftieth anniversary.
I thought they knocked it out of the park.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Yeah, I loved it. I didn't really understand the lantern.
I bought one, but I didn't understand that. But you know,
they had a Seymour maze. They had a statue of
see More and they had like a little museum with Seymour.
So I was like it was cool, you know. So
I went there like three times.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Oh awesome. Yeah, I loved the one where it was
blanket on the name, but it was kind of an
homage to all fifty years and they had like tombstones
of One of my favorite ones was Trick or Treat,
which was just like the with the witch in it,
and it was just like a haunted you know house,
and it was great so to see elements from cause
(16:45):
I the earliest I went was probably it was like
two thousand and three when I was like thirteen, So
that was like the earliest one I've gone, and I've
gone sporadic, not sporadically. I'd probably go like every other
year or every year in college. Once I became an adult,
I went, like, you know, eight nine years straight.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
But was everything NOx Surry Farm should be. I mean
it was Awesomeactly, it was really good. You know they
they venture off like they do a little sci fi
may stay in your element, you know, you know. I
really liked it and it was done really well.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Yeah. Do you remember trick or treating as a kid?
Did you do that?
Speaker 3 (17:24):
I remember trigger very well, and my mom wouldn't let
me go too far, so I would hit all the places,
run back and change my mask and go out and
hit the same places again. I loved it. I loved it,
loved it, loved it.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
That's awesome. That's your prop master, like the origins coming
into Did you used to make your own stuff back then?
Speaker 3 (17:47):
Yeah? Yep, oh they'll green food coloring. My face would
be stained for weeks, you know, weird pellors and you know,
making weird space weapons and even back then, you know
doing that stuff.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
That's awesome.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
I loved it.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
That's awesome. Let's talk about the trauma stuff because that's amazing.
How did you even get involved with that because that
was some of your first stuff that you were doing, correct.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
Yeah, you know, I often wonder how that all came about.
Eric Lazelle was directing it, and I'm not sure because
I was doing low budget stuff how I got involved
with him. But I started doing you know, you know,
a bunch of stuff with him, and he trusted me,
(18:35):
and I did something that pissed him off. Three because
like in NUKEOM two, I'm like above the line credits,
you know, and then and Nukeomb three, you know, like
what's my name even the credits as a guy Martin Bridge,
I was like, what are you talking about? I directed, wrote,
and everything else. Production design. But I'm not sure what
(18:57):
you know, well, what I did. I always have those
Seinfeld moments where you know, people thought I did something,
and I remember I with my band, I was, I
had like this want to be Alice Cooper, Hippie Van
for a while, rock and roll ban and all my friends, Hey,
(19:18):
all my guys in my band hated me after, you know,
I moved away and started working in films. And what
it was is I had given, not sold, but given
a bunch of the songs from a studio tape that
we had did and I, you know, I paid for everything,
so it was I on the riots, but I had
given them away, you know, to really bad movies like Vice,
(19:38):
Academy one, two, three, four five. I shouldn't say bad movie.
They're fun movies, but a lot of stuff for pum entertainment.
And I only because I wanted to hear my music
on these movies. And for some reason, you know, because
I was working my ass on the film industry and
I had gotten a down payment I bought a small
home in Prosita. For some reason, my guy thought I
(19:59):
made thousands of dollar dollars and I gave the music away.
I didn't get any money. But they thought, you know,
I made all this money off of them, and they
all hated me, and like, you know, I find out this,
he's like years later, and I'm like, I didn't make sense.
What are you guys talking about? But don't do cokaine kids,
because I think that's the problem. I think they were
just Martin Coke went Man Markers is making millions off
(20:21):
our ideas. But I wasn't. I was just trying to
trying to get her stuff out there. But uh yeah
with Trouma, and I would just come up with really
horrible concepts and they would go, okay, go shoot it.
So you know, the worst that I did was I
still think it's the worst. That I loved it. You know,
they established in Nukomai one, which is far better than
(20:44):
Nukemi two and three. Nuko two and three are the
worst and the worst, and I have my name all over it,
but I still have a blasphem. But they established you
know that being at Newcome High, drinking the water and whatever,
you get like an alien chest burster, you know. And
if the girls get pregnant, it's going to be an alien.
And so I you know, one of my many characters
(21:07):
with wigs and a gas mask. Knocks up to the
girl and takes her to an abortion clinic, and the
people are outside with signs saying don't kill it, don't
kill it. And I'm like, yeah, I go honey, and
I give her a la and I go aloha. I
don't want to be seeing around those people. You know,
I have a reputation. And so she's got to go
through the gauntlet of protesters and she said, you don't understand,
(21:31):
you know what they're trying to get in their face.
Don't kill it, don't kill it, And all of a sudden,
she goes in the convulsions, goes on and falls on
her back, and the creature pops out and starts ripping
off the protesters, and they flip the signs and say
kill it. Kill it. Would allow anyone to do that,
but they just said, you know, go ahead and do it.
And it's in the movie.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
If you see the movie, you know, well with trauma,
I mean, it was a lot of young people at
the time, and they were just trying to come up
with the craziest concepts, like what was it like working
in that environment where basically the only limitation is your imagination.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
It was fantastic. If there was money involved, I would
still be doing it. But there was just you know,
you're making like one hundred bucks maybe a day if
you're lucky, you know, and you're creating constantly. I loved
it though, you know, and I was doing what I
do best. I love to art direct, I love making props,
and I love I love to be in front and
behind the camera, you know. I love writing, I like directing,
(22:29):
and I got to do all that with that stuff.
You know, if we could have just kept going with
that stuff to you know, get any more money, I
would have been a very happy guy, you know, totally.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
And I think that as I've gotten to know you
over the years, you're really in front of a camera
kind of guy rather than behind it. And it's funny
seeing you know, some of the clips that i've seen
it do, your trauma and even the things that you
do now when you're in front of the camera like you're
a ham dude that and I love it. I love
seeing that side of you.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Yeah, I know this new maze that I'm doing Institute
of Fear. I'm the reason why I'm growing this out
is because I'm going to be, you know, the one
of the teachers. I'm going to be the head of
the staff for the investigation in institute, and we're gonna
we're going to talk about, you know, how it came about,
and you know, it's just it's gonna be. I think
(23:25):
it's gonna have fun adventure kind of maze. Yeah, they
had like some YouTuber or something, I don't know, influencer
all that stuff. I don't know what the hell they're
talking about. But he was interviewing me, and he interviewed
me and kind of like in character. I'm in character, guy,
you know, I'm making ridiculous statements and I'm saying that, well,
(23:48):
one of the things, you know, we don't have zombies
or or killer flounds, but what we do have is
we have volunteers that's been given to us by an
insane aside them for the criminally insane to come and
be the killer. We actually have a guy that thinks
he's a zombie, so he's going to be perfect for
(24:10):
like a maze with them I don't know, witches and stuff.
And the guy goes, well, he should be in the
zombie maze. Yes, that's oh, that's brilliant. Of course, he
wants to be a zombie, so he should be in
the zombie maies. But you know, there are no zombies
after this, after this thing. He goes, you know, you
think it's kind of scary bringing criminally insane people to
(24:31):
work for you, And I go, yeah, but that's what
makes it scary, because I don't know if I want
to do it. He honestly thought I was going to
bring primly insane people to work with mad I was like,
what the hell is this kid on? Yeah? And I
never you know, I didn't break character and tell him
(24:52):
what's wrong with you? No, we're not going to have
criminally insane people scaring jumping out with rubber and knives
trying to scare people. But I love it. I love
the fact that you'd think that we would actually do that.
And you know, I'm talking kind of weird, like, and
I'm talking to him weird, and all of a sudden,
I start doing this and my hand goes down. I
did you see that? He goes, yeah, why, He goes, Okay,
(25:15):
I just want to make sure I was doing weird things,
and he just got that just me. Okay, that's good.
I bet you that guy's gonna go I wouldn't go
to this because they have crimpling insane people pushed up
like monsters. That's crazy. I love it, love it.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
Let's talk a little bit about that maze you're talking about. Uh,
I know you're you're working on it right now. Do
you want to plug it?
Speaker 3 (25:39):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (25:39):
What can we expect? Where is it? All that good stuff?
Speaker 3 (25:43):
It's it's by Magic Mountain. If so, you could do
a part fright fest thing, because come do our maize
it's uh, I don't have the address, but it's like
if you look up Dangling Carrot, it's there. We're going
to have you know, I'll have it out. I'll do
We'll have blub blis seen the next week all over
the place. But it's institute of fear. And what I
(26:05):
like about it, I mean it's it's all me. It's
like it's everything you know they like the last year.
They just come to me and they go, Okay, come
up with the concept, come with the idea, and I
do you know it's I would kill to do films
like this where they you know, it's like my old
days on Trouma when they go mark over there and
do something scary, No, do something funny. That's scary, okay,
(26:27):
you know, and I got to just make stuff up
this at least, you know, the walls are going up
right now. I'm starting to get all the said dressing.
But I love the fact that they're just trusting me
on this. You know. There's come up with the concept,
come up with the idea, you know, and I love it.
You know, but it is it's like making a really
low budget film, you know. But it's going to look great,
(26:49):
and I'm going to have a you know, like I said,
I have a lot to say in it, so it's
going to be scary. I told them that I don't
want it to be an admission, but I want it
to be a tuition. So people are paying to learn.
They're going to the instant to learn their fears and
at the end you're going to actually get a diploma.
And you know, for social media, you're going to be
(27:12):
able to you know, take a little picture with your
diploma and stuff. So you get to graduate from the
Gauntlet of Terror, you know, the thirteen Chambers of Horror.
It's gonna be great. There's probably more chambers. I just
when they ask me how many rooms, I go thirteen
because my dog is want me to play with them,
(27:33):
and they go, why thirteen? I go because I think
they'll be like, no, I'll lie if you know. I
said there was six hundred and sixty six rooms, but
you know there are there are definitely more than thirteen.
I just all the advertiserent with thirteen Chambers because thirteen
is a cool number.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Yeah, thirteen is a great number. So that that fits
with the horror maze.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
I wanted to ask because I've never talked to someone
who has been on the Halloween project, the rob Zombies.
So it's no secret that that series in particular gets
a lot of a lot of hate on and people
don't really like it. I just want to like hear
from you as someone who's worked on it, like where
are people missing the series and especially those movies, because
(28:22):
as someone who's worked on it, you've seen the creative
process and all that stuff. Because it's a movie that
you either love it or you hate it, but it
seems like it's being forgotten in the mythos of the
Halloween movies. Just wanted to hear your thought on that.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
I think it's gained a lot of popularity, you know,
and you know the people that hate are usually the
people that you know, we're ERDs anyway, you know, like
you girln really like that long haired rock guy, So
I'm hel going to like Rob Zombie. Rob Zommy drinks
and sleeps forrr. He wants to make the best of
the best. I'm not a fan of Halloween too, not
(28:59):
you know, I'm a fan of the monster. A lot
of stuff he doesn't do well, but my god, Devil's rejects,
you know that, Bill Mosley said, Haig, bringing that those
characters and letting him lose are brilliant. If you love horror,
if you love text like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, this is
your audience, you know, these are your I'm you know,
(29:22):
I'm one of them people that will always not understand
why he did Halloween and not remake Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
That was obvious the choice. You know, there's there is
a lot of hate for it. Let's face it. Before that,
if you watch whatever the Halloween was, before Rob's Halloween, Buster,
(29:42):
Ryan was kicking Michael Myers ass, right, you know, it's
like we made he made Michael Myers threatening again. He
made him, he made him a killer again, and he
brought Michael Byer. All of a sudden, Michael Myers became
the ship again, and it's because of Rob Zombie. I
don't know what I like Rob. I'd love to work
with him. I haven't worked with him since Halloween. You know,
(30:04):
I have nothing but respect for him. I like his music,
you know, I like his lifestyle. You know, he's a
full on vegan. You know, I wish I could be that.
You know, he was animals. You know, he's he's loyal
obviously to his wife. He's a guy. He's a really
good guy. He's very creative. He's insanely creative. My biggest
complaint with the cat was like a PA would go,
(30:27):
you should make mich blah blah blah, and He'll sit
there for like fifteen minutes going should I. You know,
he was you know, he was that kind of guy.
He knew I was a big guy. There was a
scene actually cut because and I didn't say cut it.
I just said that Michael wouldn't do that, and so
he agreed with me, and so the scene was cut
and I was like, holy shit, you know, like Rob's
(30:50):
where's the scenes camera? When I'm telling Rob how to
do a horror film, but he respected me as a
horror kid. He knew I my stuff, and you know,
I'd love to work with him again. If anyone tells,
tell them, hey, you should hire Mark again. I love
Wayne Talk is the effects guy. I don't know if
you've ever been in a burbank and there's Halloween town
(31:12):
Wayne Talk. Wife owns that. Okay, well, the best Halloween store.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Yeah, it's awesome.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
Yeah, not to mention, you know, like my wife owns
a course line here in Valencia and it's a dance
where and a costume store, and so you know, I've
slowly leaked in horror, you know. So it's creepier than
what it was. But they did. I think last year
I did get my hands slapped for making it. Because
(31:40):
you go through the costume area and then you go
to the back for the dance. These little, you know,
six year old girls are walking by, you know, art
the clown you know, and moving and scaring the hell out.
Yeah by too too, Bob, it's too scary. So I
had to.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
Yeah, yeah, no, I I think you make a great point,
because you know, whether you like the new series that
came out by Blumhouse or not, I think you're right,
it was almost a bridge the Rob zombie films, because
you're right, I mean, really, all the slasher films by
the time we're in the early two thousands, late nineties,
(32:19):
they're kind of just whatever, you know, and they're they're
almost comedic. They're almost comedies at that point. So yeah, totally,
and and you had to see like revisions of it,
and everyone, all the all the big ones did it,
whether it had much success or not. So yeah, you're
(32:39):
making a great point.
Speaker 3 (32:40):
In the early fifties, all them monsters were where we
are with Jason, Freddie and Michael and so they're doing
team ups. So now we're doing the team ups like
you know, Frankenstein meets the wolf fan kind of thing.
We're doing, you know, Jason meets Freddy, you know, and
I think that's gonna that. I'm surprised that hasn't taken on.
I'd like to see Ash meets you know, Michael Myers.
(33:04):
I'd love to see that. I'd love I love to
see them teamed up, you know, as bad. And you know,
I can't even see how people could even say that
how Rob's Halloween is worse than the Last Halloween ends
where they have a Scarecrow as the killer. You know,
it was just it was just bad. You had made
(33:25):
no sense and you know it didn't say with the
cannon of the show. I didn't think at all. It
was in the sewer, like you know penny Wise the clown,
you know, and you know there's scenes where how did
you get Michael over to the you know these places
that could you can't help but think of I know,
(33:46):
Napoleon Dynamite riding his brother with the roller skates in
the back as Michael on his motorcycle. You know, it
was just it was odd to me. But I don't know,
I still support I still watch it.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
Yeah, totally, you watch it, But yeah, I felt the same.
I was like, I'm not seeing this to watch this kid.
I want to watch it to watch Michael Myers and
do Michael Myer things. Ye. So yeah, but to go
along with that, is there any horror movies that you
have enjoyed watching recently, whether there's this year, last year,
(34:21):
because there's been a lot of horror movies, especially in
twenty twenty four, is there any that in particular you
loved watching.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
I noticed I've watched horror films that I kind of
bad mouthed earlier on that I liked the second time around,
but I like to talk to me. That was like
a little bit. Yeah, I thought that was good. I
thought Late Night with the Devil was really Funana, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
Did you see long Legs yet?
Speaker 3 (34:49):
I saw long Legs? You know, Nicholas Cage has become
a parry to me, a parody himself, and he reminded
me of I don't know if you've ever seen Blood
Harvest with Tiny Tam. I kept waiting for Nicholas Cage
to do through the rooms. You know, It's like, you know,
I thought it was well done, but spoiler alert, everybody
(35:12):
holds your ears. If you haven't seen Long Legs, it
always cracks me up, like I haven't seen it yet.
Well then you know, if you haven't seen it yet,
you're not really that big of a fan. Ready. Remember
at the beginning of the movie, she goes there and
they go the you know, the serial killers in that house.
I know, and she used her psychic ability to know
the serial killer was in the high yet the killer
(35:33):
was her mother the whole time, so she she had
that psychic ability for that, but she didn't have the
psychic ability. They kind of like lose. She kind of
like somewhere along the lines, they just kind of went,
you know, psych ability doesn't really work anymore. Let's just
pretend like she never had it. Well, let's edit the beginning. No,
I really like that scene. You know, somebody needed to
(35:54):
bitch slap the director and go, you know, either it's
one way or the other, you know, but I don't.
I think he had so much clout that, you know,
I'm gonna make my movie. I don't care. People won't
care either, I did, you know, but a lot of
people liked it a lot. You know, they was going,
you know, it's Silence of the Lamb. It's a dollar
tree version of Silence of the Lamp, but dialogue that
(36:15):
went on forever where I was just like, what's going on?
But you know, it wasn't a horrible film. You know,
it was better than you know, most of the crap
that's out there right now. And I watch it all.
That doesn't matter. I watch it all.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
I think it was more of a psychological thriller.
Speaker 3 (36:33):
It wanted to be. Yeah, it was out there the
new omen I thought, beautifully, but like nothing to do
with you know, there was a bunch of that stuff, like,
you know, it's like nothing scared me in the whole thing.
And then they took a scene from The Nun right
out of the Nun and stuck it in there because
obviously they did some type of you know, investigation on
(36:54):
the film going. There's no scarce in this movie. You
need a cat to jump out or you know, because
all of a sudden looks at the clothes and all
of a sudden, it's the none that comes after none
doesn't happen all the way through the movie going. So
it's definitely they went and shot some scares here and there.
You know, it was shot well acted well, just boring.
I was just bored out of my tree with that one,
(37:15):
trying to think of what is out there that I
really liked? What was I watching? Everything I've watched so
far has not been that good.
Speaker 2 (37:23):
Okay, do you like we're horrors heading right now? As
someone who's loved it for so long, like I feel
like as an audience and it's almost being beaten over
the head to death now. Is just the theme of trauma,
right and overcoming trauma and overcoming like your past traumas.
(37:44):
I mean, that's what Long Legs was basically, But do
you do you like where Horrors going right now? Do
you like the direction? Do you think it needs? What
does it need?
Speaker 3 (37:54):
It needs a fresh look? We need to get rid
of of you know, we need to share. Let's find
you know, maybe what's this new one coming out, Speak
No Evil? See how that does? I think that's gonna
be decent? I I do. I think that might be good.
But Bloomhouse, oh my god. And just like everything they make,
(38:16):
it's just that that Exorcist film. What the hell? They
paid a billion dollars for the rights of the Exorcist
and just destroyed it. Did not make you know, it
was nothing. There's nothing scary about it.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
I didn't even watch it.
Speaker 3 (38:30):
I honestly believe. Uh, you know, we don't have the
balls to make a scary film anymore. I don't think.
I think we have to be politically correct. Everybody's afraid
just to go. You know, that's not that's not the point.
Let's just make a scary movie. There's a new film
coming out too. By I did Proud a three D
(38:50):
with the French director as Agia or whatever. He did
A hot tension he did, how yeah, high tension?
Speaker 2 (39:01):
Yeah? Oh my gosh, that's one of my favorites.
Speaker 3 (39:04):
It was good. He's got a movie coming out. I
think it's going to be good. I don't think he
liked me on proNT of three D. I think he
thought I screwed up a couple of things. I have
a reason for it. But you know, that's one thing
about people go oh you love you know, love it
work with row, you know, at the same time, you
know you got if you screw up, you got your
idol like upset with you Because I really think that
(39:29):
Aujo is a great, great director, and I think be scary,
and I think he's going to have balls to make
it frightening.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
Yeah, it's a never let go. That's the one taly
Berry kind to look it up.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
I think that's going to be really scary.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
Yeah, it should be.
Speaker 3 (39:44):
Yeah, we'll see, we'll see, we'll you know, come bring
me back and go Mark, what are you talking about?
You know? But uh, you know, do you.
Speaker 2 (39:54):
Believe in the mindset where a lot of people said
there's nothing scarier than true life right now? And as
far as like what's going on, whether it's politically, whether
it's just you know, feeling unsafe in America, like do
you do you believe in that? Do you or do
you believe that, like you're saying, just people feel handcuffed
(40:14):
from certain restrictions that they might have.
Speaker 3 (40:19):
I know, like my wife she watches, you know, all
the docu dramas, and you know when you watch those things,
they go, well, you know, the murderers are just horrendous.
I don't want that, though, I want to. I want
a taste of fantasy. I want yell to have some
weird supernatural you know. I don't want it to be
(40:39):
the neighbor kid that just snapped him, wants to kill everybody.
I want there to be, you know, just a little
bit of a reason why, and to make it fantasy,
you know. I don't you know when you know, when
we have school shootings and everything like that, I don't
want stories about that, you know. I want to get
away from that. Reason Why I go to a horror film.
(41:01):
I want to get frightened and know in the background
everything's okay, you know everything, And I live for that.
I really do. People go, oh, you don't get scared
because you see so many scary films. I love that
rush of being frightened. I want to be frightened, you know,
but you got to frighten me, you know. And very
few of these films they make it so ridiculous that
(41:22):
they're not frightening or they're boring. You know. They have
a scary concept, but they don't pull it off, you know,
and I do. I live. I think that's the reason
I love Halloween so much, the whole concept of the
safeness of horrifying things, you know. But I you know,
at the same time, I don't want I don't want
to see a story about my kid being tortured and
(41:44):
you know, stuff like that just kills me. I don't
want I don't want to see a guy that likes
to kill cats. And I don't want to see petit
and tortured and guild. I want the big blonde, blue eyed,
big boobed girl to get her head cut off, because
you know, it's like, you know, that's all. I love it.
I love it, but yeah, I don't like I do
(42:04):
not love reality whatsoever as far.
Speaker 2 (42:06):
As yeah, no, I hear you. And you know, I
am a horror consumer. I like horror. I've grown up
with it, but I always draw myself to monster flicks
and the creature features like I just I love that
and you know, uh, Chucky is one of my favorite series.
I think it's probably is my favorite series and what
(42:29):
they're doing on the TV show, and I hope it
gets renewed for season four. But it's kind of that,
you know, it's it's pretty dark, but it's it's also light,
it's funny, it's comedic, and I think that's what kind
of horror or it's at its best, it's being able
to hold kind of sat tire but also grewsome things
(42:51):
at the same time.
Speaker 3 (42:53):
Yeah, I mean, I love The Exorcists. I thought that
was flawless, you know. Yeah, But at the same time,
I loved American Wearoff in London, you know, Oh yeah,
I thought that was fantastic. Sean of the Dead. You know,
these are comedy horror films. I love that, you know.
I remember something I didn't know if I should be
scared or laughed. Well, you know what a luxury you know,
you get to Yeah, and you know, and another film
(43:16):
that was just flawless in my book, with the New Godzilla,
I thought that.
Speaker 2 (43:20):
Was, oh yeah, it was the reason why I wanted.
Speaker 3 (43:22):
In a Godzilla movie. So good, and I hope they
keep making it, you know, those kind of films. But
then again, you know there's a film that you know,
I was always a guy in a rubber shoot and
you have a godzilladilling horror or and I still love that.
You know, there's something about Godzilla that you kind of
got away with murder. I'm really surprised there was never
a comedy Godzilla film.
Speaker 2 (43:42):
Yeah, no, it's true. One movie that comes to mind
that I think has done it well and I'm actually surprised.
I'm thinking when it came out, but came out in
two thousand and six, which is kind of an older
movie now, but Slither with James Gunn who directed it,
and that was that was awesome because that was like
a throwback to practual effects and the gruesomeness and it
(44:04):
had a place. And I would just love to see more.
And I know it's out there, but it's just not
you know, in the mainstream audiences and things. But a
lot of it more is like the psychological stuff or
you know a lot of exorcism stuff, which is fine,
but I would love to see more. Kind of yeah,
(44:24):
they under that realm, the Lither realm.
Speaker 3 (44:27):
They've never i mean Exorcist Exist three are the only
successful Exorcist films. You know, the rest it just didn't work.
You know, Exus Too is horrible, but one and three
are brilliant. Yeah. I mean, I'm very content though, every
night just watching a universal monster movie. I love Wolfman
(44:49):
Brakenstein directing. I love I mean, I love them. They're
part of me. They're you know, they're they're like family
to me. You know, I love them much. And I
could watch those like you know, I could watch those
every night. You I can watch them every night and
I always see something I never caught and I've watched
them so many times. But I love that type of
classic horror film too. I love that.
Speaker 2 (45:12):
Yeah. But there's just the black and white and the
aesthetics and the atmosphere. And I think that's what maybe
some of the movies now are missing, is that what
is that environment? What's that atmosphere, Because even going back
to the Exorcist, the atmosphere is creepy. There's this demon
that's possessing this girl and it's in the small room,
(45:34):
the small bedroom, Like the atmosphere is creepy, and I
think I don't know, I don't know if horror movies
are hitting the environment as much.
Speaker 3 (45:44):
Well. I think also, and I agree with you one
hundred percent, but I think also, and when you look
at horror films, we look at classics like The Shining
or Change Link, the Omen, the Exorcist, they had brilliant actors.
There's so many low budget people that thinks we'll just
get you know, we don't need actors, We just need
(46:04):
a killer. Yeah, you do, you know, because you know,
when you have the talent in those films, you get
sucked into it because they're so good. The acting is
so good you you blend into you go wow, you know,
and you know, like Silence of the Lamb, those are brilliant.
Everybody was brilliant in that film, and you believed it.
(46:24):
You got it. I mean, it's a thriller, Psycho, you
believe that story went Jaws. I mean, the acting is
so good, you know. And the reason why there's a
billion horror films and they're all horrible, it's because they're
not believable, you know. And there's a place for really
bad movies. But you know, don't try to make a
(46:44):
good movie with you know, unknown bad actors. You know,
it's not gonna happen because and if it is a
low budget film and successful. Every time there's somebody in
it that's brilliant, you know, and they just looked out
and got some. You know, Johnny Depp did the first
Nightmare on Elm Street. Brilliant actor coming out of that.
(47:05):
You know. Robert England's great though. Robert England, you know,
I would throw up there with you know, Boris Callar
Fellaws Legosi as a classic horror image. You know, I
felt out a way about said I feel that way
about Bill Mosley. You know, I think he's a brilliant actor.
You know, it's just a matter of getting another actor
I'd love to see more of. Was David Patrick Kelly,
(47:27):
you know, one years come out and play. I mean
he does small parts and every time he's really good.
I'd love to see him play, you know. I mean
he's a little short guy, but the intensity that guy
carries with him, you know. Yeah, right, look at Brad Dorf.
Brad Dorf is brilliant, you know.
Speaker 2 (47:43):
And a Thespian actor. I believe right, he's trained.
Speaker 3 (47:47):
Yeah, very much.
Speaker 2 (47:47):
So Speak No Evil has James McAvoy and he, what
I hear is is amazing in it. And I hope
that the rest of the movie can support his skill
and his acting. Chops, I'm probably gonna see that next week,
but I hope, I hope that's good. I mean, he's
fantastic when Split. When I saw Split, I was like, man,
(48:09):
m night Shamel and he's back, because but it was
a lot of the performance of James McVoy. If I
had a vote for the Academy, I would have nominated
him because of all the intricacies he was doing in
that role.
Speaker 3 (48:22):
No, he was brilliant, and you know, I really wish
a different director would have directed that, you know, it
would have been a stronger film. I do. You know,
I think him Night is just he's almost good, you know,
but yeah, you know he's just you go there going,
why am I even here? I hate this director, you know,
(48:42):
and and you know I think that he you know,
I think Split really suffered from that from Yeah, you know,
you know there's gonna be a twist. What's the You
sit there and figure out, well, you know, you know
he's got a twin. You sit there thinking that because
of the guys, I just shut it so much that
(49:04):
you're not just enjoying a really really good film.
Speaker 2 (49:09):
Yeah, No, it's true. Yeah, because I mean, and I
think he should just be a producer. He should just
like have an idea for a movie and have somebody
else write it has because I feel like his his
concepts are great, just the execution. So he's got all
(49:29):
the ingredients, puts in the oven, and then when it
comes out of the oven, it's like burnt, or like
this is a little undercooked, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (49:38):
I have a little story for you that kind of happened.
I had an Uber driver the other day and uh,
I don't uber. Had you ever uber rarely? Yeah, I
had never done it, but I'd gone to a like
effects party and the guy pulls up and the guy's
(49:58):
like super nervous as it is and like sketchy, and
he goes, excuse me, you know, he goes, you like
my third driver. I'm just not and it's late at night.
He goes, I'm not used to doing this. I you know,
this is the first time I've been an Uber driver.
And I go, I'm fine, and gave him the address
and everything. But it was late and we're driving and
(50:18):
I nodded off and I wake up and the guy's
flying past my turn or I told him, and I
go and I grab his shoulder and turn, you know,
and the guy freaks out, just screams bloodymer swords into
the oncoming traffic. We almost get you. I almost died.
I'm going to die. We pull over and the guy's crying.
(50:42):
The guy is crying in the front seat, and I go, sorry,
he goes. I go, I'm sorry, thinking, no, you don't understand.
Before it was an uber driver. I used to drive
a herse. Stuff. That's a jo, that's that job. End
it with that.
Speaker 2 (51:01):
That's good. All right, well, Mark, thank you so much
for your time. This was spooky September. I love just
talking freely about this, you know. I love just having
this open conversation about horror, where it's at, where it's been.
Definitely need to do it again. Is there anything you
want to plug for our listeners and to let them
know anything.
Speaker 3 (51:21):
October ninth, I Institute of Fear in Valencia, Come on down.
You know, if you guys can get a hold of
me and say you're a friend of mine, I'll give
you a discount.
Speaker 2 (51:29):
Hey, there you go.
Speaker 3 (51:31):
Also, you know, buy my old records. They re released
a bunch of my stuff. The Hypnotics, Indoor Fiends and
the Expendables album. They're very creepy, very offensive. They're old
punk rock. What else? Mad Monster Parties coming up soon
and famous most of the filmline conventions are coming up,
(51:54):
Come down, come see me? What am I missing? Blah
blah blah blah blah. I kind of think. Oh, and
watch The Old Man on Hulu. Jeff, that's right.
Speaker 2 (52:06):
I meant to ask you about that. Do you have
just a like a a quick thirty seconds to talk
about that real quick? I know you've been working on that.
Speaker 3 (52:15):
Jeff Bridges, John lescal are everything everyone says they are.
They're wonderful. It's a pleasure, you know, I haven't Hopefully
we start work with them again in November for the
third season. But love working with them, extremely professional. It's
one of those things where you know, it's a privilege
to be on set with these guys, to watch them
(52:36):
be brilliant. You know, these there's a reason why he's
Academy Award winning, there's a reason why he's, you know,
an Emmy winner. You know, they're brilliant to work with
and a pleasure to be with and so but yeah,
watch The Old Man on Hulu. It's really good.
Speaker 2 (52:50):
Awesome.
Speaker 3 (52:50):
Okay, that's it, awesome, awesome.
Speaker 2 (52:53):
I'm done with you all right, Thank you so much, Mark,
appreciate it. All right, Ready to watch your listeners, will
see you next week. Thanks for listening to episode one
ninety six of the Ready to Retro podcast and week
three of Spooky September. A big thank you and shout
out goes to Mark Richardson. Check out the link in
(53:15):
the description of this episode for more information about the
haunt Mark is involved with, called Institute of Fear, presented
by Grizzly Guarden. If you are new here too Ready
to Retro, you can listen to our whole library of
episodes that covers a variety of topics about the eighties
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(53:37):
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(54:23):
of Horror, Chelsea will be with us as well. We
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to Retro
Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come. Turn your devices
to the maximum volume, sit back, relax, and let's get
Ready to retra.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Hey everybody, welcome to episode one ninety six of the
Ready to Retro podcast. It is Spooky September and we
are with a special guest returning to Ready to Retro
is Mark Richardson. Mark, thank you so much for being
back on Ready to Retro.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Of course, spooooky time. I love spooky Time. Well.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
In the past you've been on to talk about Power
Rangers and your background being the prop master, but you
are a huge spooky guy first and foremost, so we
had to have you on for Spooky September.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Of course always all right, So.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
For those who don't know you, Mark, tell our listeners
a little bit about yourself and what brings you here today.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Well. As far as horror spooky, I'm all about it.
I do a lot of stuff for Mad Monster Party,
famous Monsters of film Land. I'm always there with them.
But I've also been Rob Zombies Boy on Halloween his Halloween.
I also did the weapons on Devil's Rejects. I've done
films like Parana three d out in Arizona, did a
(01:58):
ton of low budget horror film. Worked for Trauma. I
was associate producer, writer, director, actor for Trauma. Yeah. I've
done nothing, but you know, I've even done paranormal investigations.
Did one with Kane Hodter, who was Jason from seven
to ten in North Carolina. Was just him and I.
He was in an old hotel that was supposedly haunted.
(02:20):
He was on one side and I was on the other.
And we stayed there for a week. Not like the
Ghostbuster guys who go there for We're going to stay
here tonight and be locked up. We were there for
a week and I loved it. I loved it, loved it.
You know everything that's going on right now, Like I
just did Universal Hornites, I'm doing Queen Mary this weekend,
gonna do Knox Strey Farm. Love that stuff. This is
(02:43):
you know why this is my time of year because
I could walk into like Walgreens and buy a severed
head and duct tape and nobody looks at me weird.
I love it my time of year.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Well, that's a great intro. I gotta just ask you. So,
so let's let's go back to that one week investigation, prayer,
normal investigation because you're right. Most of the things that
we watch is like just a one day thing. What
was it like to do for a week? Like, I
can't even comprehend that, So yeah, tell us a little
(03:15):
bit about that. What were the living conditions and all
that stuff.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
It was nice. I mean, they had investigators show up,
like and we'd do it all night and then they'd
leave and went sleep during the day.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
I didn't have any type of like staying in my
room in the middle of nowhere, any type of weird
vibes or feelings or orbs or anything. But some odd
things happened. I think it's a documentary is called Balsam.
They wouldn't tell us, you know, what was evil about
the place, and we had to figure it out and
(03:47):
we did. What happened was and the place was made
for like clan meetings, you know, North Carolina, South No,
North Carolina, and you know it had an evil fill
to it. You know, definitely something went down. But the
main thing was the sheriff got shot because he had
was having a secret affair with this one gunman in
(04:08):
town and he got shot down the street. But they
dragged him up to this one room up there and
the woman got pregnant, she was raped and killed, and
then they took the baby and drowned it out in
the creek. What's so bizarre about we learned all that through,
you know, just our investigation. You know, you know they
(04:32):
have those boxes that you know that they have like
a million words in it and they just randomly say
stuff which I'm not hip about, like I'm not crazy
about it. But it kept saying stuff like river baby,
river baby. It's like maybe the baby got killed in
the river. And sure enough at the end they told
us what was going on. So that was really really creepy.
(04:56):
Another thing is there was this one room that they're like,
this is the most honted room, and they've had Kine
go in there by himself with a go pro and
he keeps hearing on the spirit box. He keeps hearing
this name, and at one point he felt pushed. And
Kane Hotter is the kind of guy you don't you
don't make, you don't try to be fake with him,
(05:16):
like if I would have said, oh there's the goals,
I'm scared, you know, like they do on all those
other ones. And that's another thing. You know, you're there
to be investigate and if you hear something or see something,
why would you get scared? You're there, what do you expect?
That's why you're there. And every time you watch those shows,
oh I'm your daughter here, you know, they all go
Scooby doot row. But uh afterwards, yeah, well anyway, Kane said, uh,
(05:41):
you know, don't make this up. If you make it up,
I'm gonna beat up. And you want to be beat
up by Kane Hadter although kind of cool, will beat
up by Jason. But this name kept coming up and
afterwards they you know, the camera crew comes in and
I'm talking with him and I what's that name mean?
And he goes, I had a roommate with that name,
(06:03):
but I don't think that's it, and he goes, there
is one thing when my father was a salesman and
he would travel around the United States and he didn't
want to pay the long distant phone calls to say
he's calling from Florida, So he would call my mother
and say is and I draw blanko when they is
(06:25):
Bob there? And she'd go, I'm sorry, Bob is not here,
and to hang on the phone. But she would know
by him saying is Bob there that he was Okay,
he made it on the other side. He made it
on the other side. I was like, you don't get that.
You don't get that. Maybe your father's saying, hey made
(06:46):
it on the other side, you know. And it's weird
because you can see it didn't even dawn on him
until that moment. And it was a really cool moment
for me. But you know, and we also one of
our the producer, the guy that really put the money
in it was he was African American and he was
afraid to go into the building and and he goes,
(07:06):
he goes it was a super cool guy. I can't
even get into how close this guy was. But he
I don't want to go in there, and I go,
do you know why? And then he goes no. I go, well, basically,
you're our boss and this place was ran by the Klan.
You don't think the planned spirit in there is going,
what the hell? You know? Black guy's rolling, you know
(07:27):
with the dough and supporting us. They hate you, bro,
You're everything that they stood against. Oh man, maybe that's it,
you know, but that I think that was it. There
was another moment and it was very unlike me. We
were in the ballroom and they're a couple of female
investigators that were psychic then were really cool. For no
(07:49):
apparent reason. I got up and I walked over to
her and I go, we have this dance with me.
And I don't know why did it. I was just
possessed to say it. But we danced, and you know,
they put music to it. But then they do these
weird you know. I don't know if you ever did
paranormal investigation where they had those weird they pick up this,
you know, if there's an entity in the room. It's
(08:11):
like stick people and there's these two stick people dance
and we're, you know, afterwards watching that's weird, you know.
And when we found when we were in this one
we went into the one room and they go, there
was a funeral held here. It was the funeral for
the sheriff that got killed. We didn't know, we just
knew a funeral. But we were looking at the footage
later and you could see like the thing crawling up
(08:32):
the wall like sticking. Oh that's great. Crawling up balls
is always creepy. I loved crazy nuts. I just never
really I mean, there was a couple of rain thunderstorms
which I loved but I was never creeped out by it.
But then again, you know, I like being creeped out,
so I might have been. I just didn't realize that
it was wild.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
That's crazy. Where can we watch that? Is that on YouTube?
Speaker 3 (08:56):
Or is that on Is that the Investigation of Balls?
I think it's called you know the guy you know
tays me to do that, and I don't even remember
what it's called, but I think it's them. It's cool. Yeah,
I'm sure you can get it. You can get it.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Awesome. Well, I'll definitely look that up. That's crazy. Yeah,
I've never used I used to watch stuff on YouTube
and things like that, but I've never done it myself.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
I love it. I go to you know, I used
to go to the Queen Mary with my ex wife
all the time, and she's like super psyche. Okay, she
was amazing. I was very exciting with her because you know,
things would happen all the time. You hear, you know,
just somebodied voices and stuff like that, because she's so
sensitive to it.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
So you're in your mind, there's no doubt that there's
a paranormal like other world, there's a spirit world, all
that stuff.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
I don't know if we have the name for it.
I don't think we will ever have the name for it.
But there's something out there. I'm not sure what it is.
You know, we've given it Spectrum and all this, We've
given it all kinds of names. I don't think we'll
ever know. But there's definitely a dimension that we don't
we can't figure out, and it's fun. It's fun to
explore it and play with it. I mean, if take
(10:10):
a digital take your phone and go to an isolated graveyard,
just walk around and talk in the graveyard, just say,
you know, how are you and give it a long beat.
You know, are you happy? Give it a long beat.
Don't talk their death, Just talk to them like what's
your favorite hobby? Give it a long beat. You'll get answers.
(10:32):
And that's creepy and shit, and it's like, you know,
are you lonely? Yes? Oh, you know a lot of
times you won't hear it right then and there. You
play it back and you listen with the headphones and
you get it. That stuff's real with those Ghostbusters things
when you play stuff back. And they didn't do that
on this investigation. We should have had miked because there's
(10:53):
a lot of things the human ear doesn't pick up.
And they didn't have Mike there. You know. I was
in one room and a cameraman followed me in and
and I'm standing there, and you know, it's a nice
you know, nobody's been in there in ten years or whatever.
And it was a thick smell of cigar smoke. And
I go and I went to the camera. He smell.
He goes, yeah, I goes cigar, Yeah, cigar smoke for
(11:15):
no apparent reason. It's not like d and the furniture
after those years. It was very distinct, like somebody had
just smoked him right then and there and left the room.
It was.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
It was cool, crazy, all right. Well, this is kind
of our conversation. I don't really have a huge outline
or anything. We just wanted to talk spooky stuff with you.
As someone who appreciates this time of year and appreciates
all spooky stuff, I want to ask you when you
look at you know, Halloween and things like that. I
(11:46):
know that as the years have gone by, it's gotten
bigger and bigger, but what are some of your earliest
memories of this season, the Halloween season, the spooky season.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
Well, I mean to this day, I love a horror host.
You know, Elvira made it, you know, really famous. But
growing up I had on Channel nine here in la
and we had see More the Master of the Macabre,
and he was campy. You know. He didn't wear makeup
(12:16):
a lot of the you know, like Stinglie that's around today,
whereas make right way. He wore Stutson hat or No.
It was that like a like this like the shadow
kind of thing and a cape red cape in a
nice suit. And but he would talk about the movies,
but he would make fun of the movies too. And
the most famous thing he did for his show fell
(12:38):
on April Fools and they did this whole publicity for
Planet of the Apes. You know, Channel nine is gonna
play Planet of the Apes and everybody tuned in and
he goes, really you think that this cheap channel would
play Planet of the Apes. You know, he would do
really cool things like that, and he would make appearances
like you know, supermarkets and stuff where he respected him.
(12:59):
But in nineteen seventy five they had a birthday party
for him at Knoxberry Farm and that what started. That
is what started around the United States right on in
theme parks it was, and I was there and he
came out and did a little performance, showed us something
on the screen, and he did for two years, but
(13:20):
he passed away right before the last one, or he
was really rapy for the last one. And then then
Elvira took well. Firstly it was like this San Diego
girl called Moon Perrilla, and then it was Elvira, and
then Elvira just exploded, you know. But Seymour was my guy,
and that was like my fondest memory for Halloween because
(13:42):
Knoxbury Farm, you know, they you know, fixed up the
place a little bit and you know, like it wasn't
it was always a non union. It wasn't a corporate
company like it is now and they do a great
job now, I love it, But so it was just
who if you had a store there, you know, they
fixed up there, you know, made their store creepy. But
the place looks creepy as it is. It's a ghost town,
(14:02):
you know. But that's like my fondest memory. I also
when Halloween, they used to have a thing called Campus Life,
which was this giant tent. It was a Christian organization,
but the giant tents and they had, and I think
they kind of thinking back, maybe they try to push
like alcohol makes you demons or something, but they really
(14:22):
you know, it was a money making venue, but they
were really good. I remember them. They were very, very
scary and you know now, you know with the technology
we have now through the roof, but back then it
was pretty impressive. But I remember those going to those
things that was kind of cool.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Have you gone to not like every year, like what's
what's kind of your rhythm?
Speaker 3 (14:45):
Yeah, I think I've gone every year. I don't think
I've missed.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
It really since the first one.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
Yeah, you know, And I don't know if I've ever
missed a Universal, missed a couple Queen Mary's. I missed
a lot of those fright fists because I'm a big
fan of six Flags.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Yeah, but they're getting better. I haven't gone this year,
but the advertisements look great. Not so scary. Farm you
know holds a very tender spot in my heart. And
it's not Halloween, you know, to me, that's Halloween, and
it's totally yeah, I love it. But like I said,
I just did Universal and it was okay. I wasn't thrilled.
There was a couple that I really liked, but I
was thrilled. I was thrilled just being there though.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
Yeah, I mean the environment's fun. And I've said this
on those podcasts before, but what I'm not liking what
Halloween Hornites is doing is they keep on packing out
the house so that people will upgrade to get the
front of the line passes. And I think it's great,
hate it.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
I won't go do anything without a frontal line. I
won't do I have to because I don't like waiting
in lines. I hate lines, and some of those lines,
you know, or three hours long for you know, eight
minute maze.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
It's crazy if that, if that eight minutes, if that? Yeah, no,
definitely did you go, Well, you said you went. But
how did you like last year? Not being the fiftieth anniversary.
I thought they knocked it out of the park.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Yeah, I loved it. I didn't really understand the lantern.
I bought one, but I didn't understand that. But you know,
they had a Seymour maze. They had a statue of
see More and they had like a little museum with Seymour.
So I was like it was cool, you know. So
I went there like three times.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Oh awesome. Yeah, I loved the one where it was
blanket on the name, but it was kind of an
homage to all fifty years and they had like tombstones
of One of my favorite ones was Trick or Treat,
which was just like the with the witch in it,
and it was just like a haunted you know house,
and it was great so to see elements from cause
(16:45):
I the earliest I went was probably it was like
two thousand and three when I was like thirteen, So
that was like the earliest one I've gone, and I've
gone sporadic, not sporadically. I'd probably go like every other
year or every year in college. Once I became an adult,
I went, like, you know, eight nine years straight.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
But was everything NOx Surry Farm should be. I mean
it was Awesomeactly, it was really good. You know they
they venture off like they do a little sci fi
may stay in your element, you know, you know. I
really liked it and it was done really well.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Yeah. Do you remember trick or treating as a kid?
Did you do that?
Speaker 3 (17:24):
I remember trigger very well, and my mom wouldn't let
me go too far, so I would hit all the places,
run back and change my mask and go out and
hit the same places again. I loved it. I loved it,
loved it, loved it.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
That's awesome. That's your prop master, like the origins coming
into Did you used to make your own stuff back then?
Speaker 3 (17:47):
Yeah? Yep, oh they'll green food coloring. My face would
be stained for weeks, you know, weird pellors and you know,
making weird space weapons and even back then, you know
doing that stuff.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
That's awesome.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
I loved it.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
That's awesome. Let's talk about the trauma stuff because that's amazing.
How did you even get involved with that because that
was some of your first stuff that you were doing, correct.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
Yeah, you know, I often wonder how that all came about.
Eric Lazelle was directing it, and I'm not sure because
I was doing low budget stuff how I got involved
with him. But I started doing you know, you know,
a bunch of stuff with him, and he trusted me,
(18:35):
and I did something that pissed him off. Three because
like in NUKEOM two, I'm like above the line credits,
you know, and then and Nukeomb three, you know, like
what's my name even the credits as a guy Martin Bridge,
I was like, what are you talking about? I directed, wrote,
and everything else. Production design. But I'm not sure what
(18:57):
you know, well, what I did. I always have those
Seinfeld moments where you know, people thought I did something,
and I remember I with my band, I was, I
had like this want to be Alice Cooper, Hippie Van
for a while, rock and roll ban and all my friends, Hey,
(19:18):
all my guys in my band hated me after, you know,
I moved away and started working in films. And what
it was is I had given, not sold, but given
a bunch of the songs from a studio tape that
we had did and I, you know, I paid for everything,
so it was I on the riots, but I had
given them away, you know, to really bad movies like Vice,
(19:38):
Academy one, two, three, four five. I shouldn't say bad movie.
They're fun movies, but a lot of stuff for pum entertainment.
And I only because I wanted to hear my music
on these movies. And for some reason, you know, because
I was working my ass on the film industry and
I had gotten a down payment I bought a small
home in Prosita. For some reason, my guy thought I
(19:59):
made thousands of dollar dollars and I gave the music away.
I didn't get any money. But they thought, you know,
I made all this money off of them, and they
all hated me, and like, you know, I find out this,
he's like years later, and I'm like, I didn't make sense.
What are you guys talking about? But don't do cokaine kids,
because I think that's the problem. I think they were
just Martin Coke went Man Markers is making millions off
(20:21):
our ideas. But I wasn't. I was just trying to
trying to get her stuff out there. But uh yeah
with Trouma, and I would just come up with really
horrible concepts and they would go, okay, go shoot it.
So you know, the worst that I did was I
still think it's the worst. That I loved it. You know,
they established in Nukomai one, which is far better than
(20:44):
Nukemi two and three. Nuko two and three are the
worst and the worst, and I have my name all over it,
but I still have a blasphem. But they established you
know that being at Newcome High, drinking the water and whatever,
you get like an alien chest burster, you know. And
if the girls get pregnant, it's going to be an alien.
And so I you know, one of my many characters
(21:07):
with wigs and a gas mask. Knocks up to the
girl and takes her to an abortion clinic, and the
people are outside with signs saying don't kill it, don't
kill it. And I'm like, yeah, I go honey, and
I give her a la and I go aloha. I
don't want to be seeing around those people. You know,
I have a reputation. And so she's got to go
through the gauntlet of protesters and she said, you don't understand,
(21:31):
you know what they're trying to get in their face.
Don't kill it, don't kill it, And all of a sudden,
she goes in the convulsions, goes on and falls on
her back, and the creature pops out and starts ripping
off the protesters, and they flip the signs and say
kill it. Kill it. Would allow anyone to do that,
but they just said, you know, go ahead and do it.
And it's in the movie.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
If you see the movie, you know, well with trauma,
I mean, it was a lot of young people at
the time, and they were just trying to come up
with the craziest concepts, like what was it like working
in that environment where basically the only limitation is your imagination.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
It was fantastic. If there was money involved, I would
still be doing it. But there was just you know,
you're making like one hundred bucks maybe a day if
you're lucky, you know, and you're creating constantly. I loved
it though, you know, and I was doing what I
do best. I love to art direct, I love making props,
and I love I love to be in front and
behind the camera, you know. I love writing, I like directing,
(22:29):
and I got to do all that with that stuff.
You know, if we could have just kept going with
that stuff to you know, get any more money, I
would have been a very happy guy, you know, totally.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
And I think that as I've gotten to know you
over the years, you're really in front of a camera
kind of guy rather than behind it. And it's funny
seeing you know, some of the clips that i've seen
it do, your trauma and even the things that you
do now when you're in front of the camera like you're
a ham dude that and I love it. I love
seeing that side of you.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
Yeah, I know this new maze that I'm doing Institute
of Fear. I'm the reason why I'm growing this out
is because I'm going to be, you know, the one
of the teachers. I'm going to be the head of
the staff for the investigation in institute, and we're gonna
we're going to talk about, you know, how it came about,
and you know, it's just it's gonna be. I think
(23:25):
it's gonna have fun adventure kind of maze. Yeah, they
had like some YouTuber or something, I don't know, influencer
all that stuff. I don't know what the hell they're
talking about. But he was interviewing me, and he interviewed
me and kind of like in character. I'm in character, guy,
you know, I'm making ridiculous statements and I'm saying that, well,
(23:48):
one of the things, you know, we don't have zombies
or or killer flounds, but what we do have is
we have volunteers that's been given to us by an
insane aside them for the criminally insane to come and
be the killer. We actually have a guy that thinks
he's a zombie, so he's going to be perfect for
(24:10):
like a maze with them I don't know, witches and stuff.
And the guy goes, well, he should be in the
zombie maze. Yes, that's oh, that's brilliant. Of course, he
wants to be a zombie, so he should be in
the zombie maies. But you know, there are no zombies
after this, after this thing. He goes, you know, you
think it's kind of scary bringing criminally insane people to
(24:31):
work for you, And I go, yeah, but that's what
makes it scary, because I don't know if I want
to do it. He honestly thought I was going to
bring primly insane people to work with mad I was like,
what the hell is this kid on? Yeah? And I
never you know, I didn't break character and tell him
(24:52):
what's wrong with you? No, we're not going to have
criminally insane people scaring jumping out with rubber and knives
trying to scare people. But I love it. I love
the fact that you'd think that we would actually do that.
And you know, I'm talking kind of weird, like, and
I'm talking to him weird, and all of a sudden,
I start doing this and my hand goes down. I
did you see that? He goes, yeah, why, He goes, Okay,
(25:15):
I just want to make sure I was doing weird things,
and he just got that just me. Okay, that's good.
I bet you that guy's gonna go I wouldn't go
to this because they have crimpling insane people pushed up
like monsters. That's crazy. I love it, love it.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
Let's talk a little bit about that maze you're talking about. Uh,
I know you're you're working on it right now. Do
you want to plug it?
Speaker 3 (25:39):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (25:39):
What can we expect? Where is it? All that good stuff?
Speaker 3 (25:43):
It's it's by Magic Mountain. If so, you could do
a part fright fest thing, because come do our maize
it's uh, I don't have the address, but it's like
if you look up Dangling Carrot, it's there. We're going
to have you know, I'll have it out. I'll do
We'll have blub blis seen the next week all over
the place. But it's institute of fear. And what I
(26:05):
like about it, I mean it's it's all me. It's
like it's everything you know they like the last year.
They just come to me and they go, Okay, come
up with the concept, come with the idea, and I
do you know it's I would kill to do films
like this where they you know, it's like my old
days on Trouma when they go mark over there and
do something scary, No, do something funny. That's scary, okay,
(26:27):
you know, and I got to just make stuff up
this at least, you know, the walls are going up
right now. I'm starting to get all the said dressing.
But I love the fact that they're just trusting me
on this. You know. There's come up with the concept,
come up with the idea, you know, and I love it.
You know, but it is it's like making a really
low budget film, you know. But it's going to look great,
(26:49):
and I'm going to have a you know, like I said,
I have a lot to say in it, so it's
going to be scary. I told them that I don't
want it to be an admission, but I want it
to be a tuition. So people are paying to learn.
They're going to the instant to learn their fears and
at the end you're going to actually get a diploma.
And you know, for social media, you're going to be
(27:12):
able to you know, take a little picture with your
diploma and stuff. So you get to graduate from the
Gauntlet of Terror, you know, the thirteen Chambers of Horror.
It's gonna be great. There's probably more chambers. I just
when they ask me how many rooms, I go thirteen
because my dog is want me to play with them,
(27:33):
and they go, why thirteen? I go because I think
they'll be like, no, I'll lie if you know. I
said there was six hundred and sixty six rooms, but
you know there are there are definitely more than thirteen.
I just all the advertiserent with thirteen Chambers because thirteen
is a cool number.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Yeah, thirteen is a great number. So that that fits
with the horror maze.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
I wanted to ask because I've never talked to someone
who has been on the Halloween project, the rob Zombies.
So it's no secret that that series in particular gets
a lot of a lot of hate on and people
don't really like it. I just want to like hear
from you as someone who's worked on it, like where
are people missing the series and especially those movies, because
(28:22):
as someone who's worked on it, you've seen the creative
process and all that stuff. Because it's a movie that
you either love it or you hate it, but it
seems like it's being forgotten in the mythos of the
Halloween movies. Just wanted to hear your thought on that.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
I think it's gained a lot of popularity, you know,
and you know the people that hate are usually the
people that you know, we're ERDs anyway, you know, like
you girln really like that long haired rock guy, So
I'm hel going to like Rob Zombie. Rob Zommy drinks
and sleeps forrr. He wants to make the best of
the best. I'm not a fan of Halloween too, not
(28:59):
you know, I'm a fan of the monster. A lot
of stuff he doesn't do well, but my god, Devil's rejects,
you know that, Bill Mosley said, Haig, bringing that those
characters and letting him lose are brilliant. If you love horror,
if you love text like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, this is
your audience, you know, these are your I'm you know,
(29:22):
I'm one of them people that will always not understand
why he did Halloween and not remake Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
That was obvious the choice. You know, there's there is
a lot of hate for it. Let's face it. Before that,
if you watch whatever the Halloween was, before Rob's Halloween, Buster,
(29:42):
Ryan was kicking Michael Myers ass, right, you know, it's
like we made he made Michael Myers threatening again. He
made him, he made him a killer again, and he
brought Michael Byer. All of a sudden, Michael Myers became
the ship again, and it's because of Rob Zombie. I
don't know what I like Rob. I'd love to work
with him. I haven't worked with him since Halloween. You know,
(30:04):
I have nothing but respect for him. I like his music,
you know, I like his lifestyle. You know, he's a
full on vegan. You know, I wish I could be that.
You know, he was animals. You know, he's he's loyal
obviously to his wife. He's a guy. He's a really
good guy. He's very creative. He's insanely creative. My biggest
complaint with the cat was like a PA would go,
(30:27):
you should make mich blah blah blah, and He'll sit
there for like fifteen minutes going should I. You know,
he was you know, he was that kind of guy.
He knew I was a big guy. There was a
scene actually cut because and I didn't say cut it.
I just said that Michael wouldn't do that, and so
he agreed with me, and so the scene was cut
and I was like, holy shit, you know, like Rob's
(30:50):
where's the scenes camera? When I'm telling Rob how to
do a horror film, but he respected me as a
horror kid. He knew I my stuff, and you know,
I'd love to work with him again. If anyone tells,
tell them, hey, you should hire Mark again. I love
Wayne Talk is the effects guy. I don't know if
you've ever been in a burbank and there's Halloween town
(31:12):
Wayne Talk. Wife owns that. Okay, well, the best Halloween store.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Yeah, it's awesome.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
Yeah, not to mention, you know, like my wife owns
a course line here in Valencia and it's a dance
where and a costume store, and so you know, I've
slowly leaked in horror, you know. So it's creepier than
what it was. But they did. I think last year
I did get my hands slapped for making it. Because
(31:40):
you go through the costume area and then you go
to the back for the dance. These little, you know,
six year old girls are walking by, you know, art
the clown you know, and moving and scaring the hell out.
Yeah by too too, Bob, it's too scary. So I
had to.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
Yeah, yeah, no, I I think you make a great point,
because you know, whether you like the new series that
came out by Blumhouse or not, I think you're right,
it was almost a bridge the Rob zombie films, because
you're right, I mean, really, all the slasher films by
the time we're in the early two thousands, late nineties,
(32:19):
they're kind of just whatever, you know, and they're they're
almost comedic. They're almost comedies at that point. So yeah, totally,
and and you had to see like revisions of it,
and everyone, all the all the big ones did it,
whether it had much success or not. So yeah, you're
(32:39):
making a great point.
Speaker 3 (32:40):
In the early fifties, all them monsters were where we
are with Jason, Freddie and Michael and so they're doing
team ups. So now we're doing the team ups like
you know, Frankenstein meets the wolf fan kind of thing.
We're doing, you know, Jason meets Freddy, you know, and
I think that's gonna that. I'm surprised that hasn't taken on.
I'd like to see Ash meets you know, Michael Myers.
(33:04):
I'd love to see that. I'd love I love to
see them teamed up, you know, as bad. And you know,
I can't even see how people could even say that
how Rob's Halloween is worse than the Last Halloween ends
where they have a Scarecrow as the killer. You know,
it was just it was just bad. You had made
(33:25):
no sense and you know it didn't say with the
cannon of the show. I didn't think at all. It
was in the sewer, like you know penny Wise the clown,
you know, and you know there's scenes where how did
you get Michael over to the you know these places
that could you can't help but think of I know,
(33:46):
Napoleon Dynamite riding his brother with the roller skates in
the back as Michael on his motorcycle. You know, it
was just it was odd to me. But I don't know,
I still support I still watch it.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
Yeah, totally, you watch it, But yeah, I felt the same.
I was like, I'm not seeing this to watch this kid.
I want to watch it to watch Michael Myers and
do Michael Myer things. Ye. So yeah, but to go
along with that, is there any horror movies that you
have enjoyed watching recently, whether there's this year, last year,
(34:21):
because there's been a lot of horror movies, especially in
twenty twenty four, is there any that in particular you
loved watching.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
I noticed I've watched horror films that I kind of
bad mouthed earlier on that I liked the second time around,
but I like to talk to me. That was like
a little bit. Yeah, I thought that was good. I
thought Late Night with the Devil was really Funana, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
Did you see long Legs yet?
Speaker 3 (34:49):
I saw long Legs? You know, Nicholas Cage has become
a parry to me, a parody himself, and he reminded
me of I don't know if you've ever seen Blood
Harvest with Tiny Tam. I kept waiting for Nicholas Cage
to do through the rooms. You know, It's like, you know,
I thought it was well done, but spoiler alert, everybody
(35:12):
holds your ears. If you haven't seen Long Legs, it
always cracks me up, like I haven't seen it yet.
Well then you know, if you haven't seen it yet,
you're not really that big of a fan. Ready. Remember
at the beginning of the movie, she goes there and
they go the you know, the serial killers in that house.
I know, and she used her psychic ability to know
the serial killer was in the high yet the killer
(35:33):
was her mother the whole time, so she she had
that psychic ability for that, but she didn't have the
psychic ability. They kind of like lose. She kind of
like somewhere along the lines, they just kind of went,
you know, psych ability doesn't really work anymore. Let's just
pretend like she never had it. Well, let's edit the beginning. No,
I really like that scene. You know, somebody needed to
(35:54):
bitch slap the director and go, you know, either it's
one way or the other, you know, but I don't.
I think he had so much clout that, you know,
I'm gonna make my movie. I don't care. People won't
care either, I did, you know, but a lot of
people liked it a lot. You know, they was going,
you know, it's Silence of the Lamb. It's a dollar
tree version of Silence of the Lamp, but dialogue that
(36:15):
went on forever where I was just like, what's going on?
But you know, it wasn't a horrible film. You know,
it was better than you know, most of the crap
that's out there right now. And I watch it all.
That doesn't matter. I watch it all.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
I think it was more of a psychological thriller.
Speaker 3 (36:33):
It wanted to be. Yeah, it was out there the
new omen I thought, beautifully, but like nothing to do
with you know, there was a bunch of that stuff, like,
you know, it's like nothing scared me in the whole thing.
And then they took a scene from The Nun right
out of the Nun and stuck it in there because
obviously they did some type of you know, investigation on
(36:54):
the film going. There's no scarce in this movie. You
need a cat to jump out or you know, because
all of a sudden looks at the clothes and all
of a sudden, it's the none that comes after none
doesn't happen all the way through the movie going. So
it's definitely they went and shot some scares here and there.
You know, it was shot well acted well, just boring.
I was just bored out of my tree with that one,
(37:15):
trying to think of what is out there that I
really liked? What was I watching? Everything I've watched so
far has not been that good.
Speaker 2 (37:23):
Okay, do you like we're horrors heading right now? As
someone who's loved it for so long, like I feel
like as an audience and it's almost being beaten over
the head to death now. Is just the theme of trauma,
right and overcoming trauma and overcoming like your past traumas.
(37:44):
I mean, that's what Long Legs was basically, But do
you do you like where Horrors going right now? Do
you like the direction? Do you think it needs? What
does it need?
Speaker 3 (37:54):
It needs a fresh look? We need to get rid
of of you know, we need to share. Let's find
you know, maybe what's this new one coming out, Speak
No Evil? See how that does? I think that's gonna
be decent? I I do. I think that might be good.
But Bloomhouse, oh my god. And just like everything they make,
(38:16):
it's just that that Exorcist film. What the hell? They
paid a billion dollars for the rights of the Exorcist
and just destroyed it. Did not make you know, it
was nothing. There's nothing scary about it.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
I didn't even watch it.
Speaker 3 (38:30):
I honestly believe. Uh, you know, we don't have the
balls to make a scary film anymore. I don't think.
I think we have to be politically correct. Everybody's afraid
just to go. You know, that's not that's not the point.
Let's just make a scary movie. There's a new film
coming out too. By I did Proud a three D
(38:50):
with the French director as Agia or whatever. He did
A hot tension he did, how yeah, high tension?
Speaker 2 (39:01):
Yeah? Oh my gosh, that's one of my favorites.
Speaker 3 (39:04):
It was good. He's got a movie coming out. I
think it's going to be good. I don't think he
liked me on proNT of three D. I think he
thought I screwed up a couple of things. I have
a reason for it. But you know, that's one thing
about people go oh you love you know, love it
work with row, you know, at the same time, you
know you got if you screw up, you got your
idol like upset with you Because I really think that
(39:29):
Aujo is a great, great director, and I think be scary,
and I think he's going to have balls to make
it frightening.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
Yeah, it's a never let go. That's the one taly
Berry kind to look it up.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
I think that's going to be really scary.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
Yeah, it should be.
Speaker 3 (39:44):
Yeah, we'll see, we'll see, we'll you know, come bring
me back and go Mark, what are you talking about?
You know? But uh, you know, do you.
Speaker 2 (39:54):
Believe in the mindset where a lot of people said
there's nothing scarier than true life right now? And as
far as like what's going on, whether it's politically, whether
it's just you know, feeling unsafe in America, like do
you do you believe in that? Do you or do
you believe that, like you're saying, just people feel handcuffed
(40:14):
from certain restrictions that they might have.
Speaker 3 (40:19):
I know, like my wife she watches, you know, all
the docu dramas, and you know when you watch those things,
they go, well, you know, the murderers are just horrendous.
I don't want that, though, I want to. I want
a taste of fantasy. I want yell to have some
weird supernatural you know. I don't want it to be
(40:39):
the neighbor kid that just snapped him, wants to kill everybody.
I want there to be, you know, just a little
bit of a reason why, and to make it fantasy,
you know. I don't you know when you know, when
we have school shootings and everything like that, I don't
want stories about that, you know. I want to get
away from that. Reason Why I go to a horror film.
(41:01):
I want to get frightened and know in the background
everything's okay, you know everything, And I live for that.
I really do. People go, oh, you don't get scared
because you see so many scary films. I love that
rush of being frightened. I want to be frightened, you know,
but you got to frighten me, you know. And very
few of these films they make it so ridiculous that
(41:22):
they're not frightening or they're boring. You know. They have
a scary concept, but they don't pull it off, you know,
and I do. I live. I think that's the reason
I love Halloween so much, the whole concept of the
safeness of horrifying things, you know. But I you know,
at the same time, I don't want I don't want
to see a story about my kid being tortured and
(41:44):
you know, stuff like that just kills me. I don't
want I don't want to see a guy that likes
to kill cats. And I don't want to see petit
and tortured and guild. I want the big blonde, blue eyed,
big boobed girl to get her head cut off, because
you know, it's like, you know, that's all. I love it.
I love it, but yeah, I don't like I do
(42:04):
not love reality whatsoever as far.
Speaker 2 (42:06):
As yeah, no, I hear you. And you know, I
am a horror consumer. I like horror. I've grown up
with it, but I always draw myself to monster flicks
and the creature features like I just I love that
and you know, uh, Chucky is one of my favorite series.
I think it's probably is my favorite series and what
(42:29):
they're doing on the TV show, and I hope it
gets renewed for season four. But it's kind of that,
you know, it's it's pretty dark, but it's it's also light,
it's funny, it's comedic, and I think that's what kind
of horror or it's at its best, it's being able
to hold kind of sat tire but also grewsome things
(42:51):
at the same time.
Speaker 3 (42:53):
Yeah, I mean, I love The Exorcists. I thought that
was flawless, you know. Yeah, But at the same time,
I loved American Wearoff in London, you know, Oh yeah,
I thought that was fantastic. Sean of the Dead. You know,
these are comedy horror films. I love that, you know.
I remember something I didn't know if I should be
scared or laughed. Well, you know what a luxury you know,
you get to Yeah, and you know, and another film
(43:16):
that was just flawless in my book, with the New Godzilla,
I thought that.
Speaker 2 (43:20):
Was, oh yeah, it was the reason why I wanted.
Speaker 3 (43:22):
In a Godzilla movie. So good, and I hope they
keep making it, you know, those kind of films. But
then again, you know there's a film that you know,
I was always a guy in a rubber shoot and
you have a godzilladilling horror or and I still love that.
You know, there's something about Godzilla that you kind of
got away with murder. I'm really surprised there was never
a comedy Godzilla film.
Speaker 2 (43:42):
Yeah, no, it's true. One movie that comes to mind
that I think has done it well and I'm actually surprised.
I'm thinking when it came out, but came out in
two thousand and six, which is kind of an older
movie now, but Slither with James Gunn who directed it,
and that was that was awesome because that was like
a throwback to practual effects and the gruesomeness and it
(44:04):
had a place. And I would just love to see more.
And I know it's out there, but it's just not
you know, in the mainstream audiences and things. But a
lot of it more is like the psychological stuff or
you know a lot of exorcism stuff, which is fine,
but I would love to see more. Kind of yeah,
(44:24):
they under that realm, the Lither realm.
Speaker 3 (44:27):
They've never i mean Exorcist Exist three are the only
successful Exorcist films. You know, the rest it just didn't work.
You know, Exus Too is horrible, but one and three
are brilliant. Yeah. I mean, I'm very content though, every
night just watching a universal monster movie. I love Wolfman
(44:49):
Brakenstein directing. I love I mean, I love them. They're
part of me. They're you know, they're they're like family
to me. You know, I love them much. And I
could watch those like you know, I could watch those
every night. You I can watch them every night and
I always see something I never caught and I've watched
them so many times. But I love that type of
classic horror film too. I love that.
Speaker 2 (45:12):
Yeah. But there's just the black and white and the
aesthetics and the atmosphere. And I think that's what maybe
some of the movies now are missing, is that what
is that environment? What's that atmosphere, Because even going back
to the Exorcist, the atmosphere is creepy. There's this demon
that's possessing this girl and it's in the small room,
(45:34):
the small bedroom, Like the atmosphere is creepy, and I
think I don't know, I don't know if horror movies
are hitting the environment as much.
Speaker 3 (45:44):
Well. I think also, and I agree with you one
hundred percent, but I think also, and when you look
at horror films, we look at classics like The Shining
or Change Link, the Omen, the Exorcist, they had brilliant actors.
There's so many low budget people that thinks we'll just
get you know, we don't need actors, We just need
(46:04):
a killer. Yeah, you do, you know, because you know,
when you have the talent in those films, you get
sucked into it because they're so good. The acting is
so good you you blend into you go wow, you know,
and you know, like Silence of the Lamb, those are brilliant.
Everybody was brilliant in that film, and you believed it.
(46:24):
You got it. I mean, it's a thriller, Psycho, you
believe that story went Jaws. I mean, the acting is
so good, you know. And the reason why there's a
billion horror films and they're all horrible, it's because they're
not believable, you know. And there's a place for really
bad movies. But you know, don't try to make a
(46:44):
good movie with you know, unknown bad actors. You know,
it's not gonna happen because and if it is a
low budget film and successful. Every time there's somebody in
it that's brilliant, you know, and they just looked out
and got some. You know, Johnny Depp did the first
Nightmare on Elm Street. Brilliant actor coming out of that.
(47:05):
You know. Robert England's great though. Robert England, you know,
I would throw up there with you know, Boris Callar
Fellaws Legosi as a classic horror image. You know, I
felt out a way about said I feel that way
about Bill Mosley. You know, I think he's a brilliant actor.
You know, it's just a matter of getting another actor
I'd love to see more of. Was David Patrick Kelly,
(47:27):
you know, one years come out and play. I mean
he does small parts and every time he's really good.
I'd love to see him play, you know. I mean
he's a little short guy, but the intensity that guy
carries with him, you know. Yeah, right, look at Brad Dorf.
Brad Dorf is brilliant, you know.
Speaker 2 (47:43):
And a Thespian actor. I believe right, he's trained.
Speaker 3 (47:47):
Yeah, very much.
Speaker 2 (47:47):
So Speak No Evil has James McAvoy and he, what
I hear is is amazing in it. And I hope
that the rest of the movie can support his skill
and his acting. Chops, I'm probably gonna see that next week,
but I hope, I hope that's good. I mean, he's
fantastic when Split. When I saw Split, I was like, man,
(48:09):
m night Shamel and he's back, because but it was
a lot of the performance of James McVoy. If I
had a vote for the Academy, I would have nominated
him because of all the intricacies he was doing in
that role.
Speaker 3 (48:22):
No, he was brilliant, and you know, I really wish
a different director would have directed that, you know, it
would have been a stronger film. I do. You know,
I think him Night is just he's almost good, you know,
but yeah, you know he's just you go there going,
why am I even here? I hate this director, you know,
(48:42):
and and you know I think that he you know,
I think Split really suffered from that from Yeah, you know,
you know there's gonna be a twist. What's the You
sit there and figure out, well, you know, you know
he's got a twin. You sit there thinking that because
of the guys, I just shut it so much that
(49:04):
you're not just enjoying a really really good film.
Speaker 2 (49:09):
Yeah, No, it's true. Yeah, because I mean, and I
think he should just be a producer. He should just
like have an idea for a movie and have somebody
else write it has because I feel like his his
concepts are great, just the execution. So he's got all
(49:29):
the ingredients, puts in the oven, and then when it
comes out of the oven, it's like burnt, or like
this is a little undercooked, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (49:38):
I have a little story for you that kind of happened.
I had an Uber driver the other day and uh,
I don't uber. Had you ever uber rarely? Yeah, I
had never done it, but I'd gone to a like
effects party and the guy pulls up and the guy's
(49:58):
like super nervous as it is and like sketchy, and
he goes, excuse me, you know, he goes, you like
my third driver. I'm just not and it's late at night.
He goes, I'm not used to doing this. I you know,
this is the first time I've been an Uber driver.
And I go, I'm fine, and gave him the address
and everything. But it was late and we're driving and
(50:18):
I nodded off and I wake up and the guy's
flying past my turn or I told him, and I
go and I grab his shoulder and turn, you know,
and the guy freaks out, just screams bloodymer swords into
the oncoming traffic. We almost get you. I almost died.
I'm going to die. We pull over and the guy's crying.
(50:42):
The guy is crying in the front seat, and I go, sorry,
he goes. I go, I'm sorry, thinking, no, you don't understand.
Before it was an uber driver. I used to drive
a herse. Stuff. That's a jo, that's that job. End
it with that.
Speaker 2 (51:01):
That's good. All right, well, Mark, thank you so much
for your time. This was spooky September. I love just
talking freely about this, you know. I love just having
this open conversation about horror, where it's at, where it's been.
Definitely need to do it again. Is there anything you
want to plug for our listeners and to let them
know anything.
Speaker 3 (51:21):
October ninth, I Institute of Fear in Valencia, Come on down.
You know, if you guys can get a hold of
me and say you're a friend of mine, I'll give
you a discount.
Speaker 2 (51:29):
Hey, there you go.
Speaker 3 (51:31):
Also, you know, buy my old records. They re released
a bunch of my stuff. The Hypnotics, Indoor Fiends and
the Expendables album. They're very creepy, very offensive. They're old
punk rock. What else? Mad Monster Parties coming up soon
and famous most of the filmline conventions are coming up,
(51:54):
Come down, come see me? What am I missing? Blah
blah blah blah blah. I kind of think. Oh, and
watch The Old Man on Hulu. Jeff, that's right.
Speaker 2 (52:06):
I meant to ask you about that. Do you have
just a like a a quick thirty seconds to talk
about that real quick? I know you've been working on that.
Speaker 3 (52:15):
Jeff Bridges, John lescal are everything everyone says they are.
They're wonderful. It's a pleasure, you know, I haven't Hopefully
we start work with them again in November for the
third season. But love working with them, extremely professional. It's
one of those things where you know, it's a privilege
to be on set with these guys, to watch them
(52:36):
be brilliant. You know, these there's a reason why he's
Academy Award winning, there's a reason why he's, you know,
an Emmy winner. You know, they're brilliant to work with
and a pleasure to be with and so but yeah,
watch The Old Man on Hulu. It's really good.
Speaker 2 (52:50):
Awesome.
Speaker 3 (52:50):
Okay, that's it, awesome, awesome.
Speaker 2 (52:53):
I'm done with you all right, Thank you so much, Mark,
appreciate it. All right, Ready to watch your listeners, will
see you next week. Thanks for listening to episode one
ninety six of the Ready to Retro podcast and week
three of Spooky September. A big thank you and shout
out goes to Mark Richardson. Check out the link in
(53:15):
the description of this episode for more information about the
haunt Mark is involved with, called Institute of Fear, presented
by Grizzly Guarden. If you are new here too Ready
to Retro, you can listen to our whole library of
episodes that covers a variety of topics about the eighties
and nineties. Follow us on Instagram or TikTok at Ready
(53:37):
to Retro, and if you liked this episode, let us
know and give us a review on Apple Podcasts or
wherever you are listening to this. Also, don't forget to
subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel. The link to
that is in the description of this video as well.
Ready to Retro as an official speaker podcast. Our Spooky
Intro was created by Aaron Carino and this booky outro
(54:00):
that you're listening to right now was specifically made for
this podcast by mk Kahn. Be sure to check out
all of MK Cohn's amazing retro theme music wherever you stream.
We'll see you next week as Nick Collen from Surf
Ninja's returns to Ready to Retro to help us review
the long awaited Beetlejuice sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Also, the Duchess
(54:23):
of Horror, Chelsea will be with us as well. We
can't wait for next week. See you then, We're Ready
to Retro
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