They say there's no love like the kind you get from your parents — except for maybe in Mom and Dad (2017). For our second installment of NIC MAY-GE, we're leaving the coast behind and heading deep into the suburbs... and a world where mothers and fathers are mysteriously turning on their own children. With Nicolas Cage and Selma Blair teaming up for a black comedy that turns the ~natural order of things~ on its head, this flick is a wild romp that takes less than 90 minutes (allegedly) to get through. Tune in to our latest episode as we debate poor optics, iconic visuals, and how this whole thing might work.

References:

https://www.filminquiry.com/interview-brian-taylor-mom-and-dad/

https://rue-morgue.com/exclusive-interview-mom-dad-writer-director-brian-taylor-on-killing-kids-nicolas-cages-madness-and-more/

When one theme month ends, another begins — or at least that's the way it goes at Spooky Tuesday these days. Next up? NIC MAY-GE, a.k.a. four weeks of scary movies all dedicated to the works of Nicolas Cage. We're kicking things off with The Wicker Man (2006), an American reimagining of the 1973 folk horror, but what makes this flick most famous is a line that didn't actually make the theatrical cut. On our newest episode, we're playing compare and contrast between all the various versions as we dig into the conspiracy theory of it all, shout out some iconic quotes, and try to tell apart an island of beautiful blondes.

References:

Alternate Ending: https://youtu.be/rvMwSrh0aGs?si=usPemjSOs6lneKgw

https://collider.com/why-is-the-wicker-man-2006-so-bad-nicolas-cage/

https://www.nathanrabin.com/happy-place/2022/2/22/the-wicker-man-is-a-gloriously-unhinged-cult-classic-thats-one-of-the-best-bad-movies-ever-made

https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3576363/second-chances-wicker-man-remake-misunderstood-gem-just-plain-bad/

https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a39510660/nicolas-cage-defends-wicker-man-bees-scene/

https://screenrant.com/wicker-man-malus-bees-failed-ritual-theory/

https://beeculture.com/the-wicker-man-the-eye-of-the-beholder/

https://www.speakupaskanswer.com/blog/2014/07/22/the-wicker-man-2006

https://decentfilms.com/reviews/wickerman2006

https://www.facultyofhorror.com/2015/04/episode-26-mother-lover-matriarchy-in-the-wicker-man-1973-2006-and-paranormal-activity-3-2011/

https://ttkmeup.com/blog/2020/4/24/the-wicker-man-hilariously-hating-women-since-2006

You did it, Spookies! You survived PLANET OF THE APE-RIL! So to celebrate, we thought we'd spend our final installment exploring the new era of the franchise. In many ways, Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) is as much a prequel as it is a reboot, and it offers an interesting starting point for an updated look at this story. With our now extensive knowledge of the original movies, we're ready to talk not only about all of the CLEAR references sprinkled throughout, but also to analyze what might be coming down the pipeline for the future of the Planet of the Apes.

References:

https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/16wybuq/references_to_previous_planet_of_the_apes/?share_id=zK4W7bipDGZBgl59VSCjX&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&utm_source=share&utm_term=4

Alright, Spookies, we finally finished making our way through the OG flicks, which means it's time to start talking reboots. That's right, we've circled so far through PLANET OF THE APE-RIL that we're now right back at the beginning with Planet of the Apes (2001). For take two of the franchise, Tim Burton teamed up with Mark Wahlberg and Helena Bonham Carter to see if they had something new to add to the conversation, but studio meddling may have caused some major problems. Join us for a new Spooky Tuesday as we discuss how it stacks up to the originals, its fidelity to the Pierre Boulle novel, and the way Rick Baker finally got the tightline right.

References:

https://www.arkinspace.com/2014/08/the-mystery-of-orangutan-flange.html

https://ew.com/gallery/planet-of-the-apes-behind-the-makeup/

https://planetoftheapes.fandom.com/wiki/Planet_of_the_Apes_(2001)_Concept_Art_%26_Costume_Tests

https://collider.com/planet-of-the-apes-tim-burton-why-its-good/

We're halfway through PLANET OF THE APE-RIL, Spookies! And we've just about worked our way through all of the originals. This week on Spooky Tuesday, we're wrapping up that portion of our Planet of the Apes theme month as we cover Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) and Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973). Taking its new Earth-bound setting to the next level, the final two flicks in this franchise look to the not-so-distant future (which is still our present-day-past) as they tackle the '90s and beyond and start to lay the groundwork for some familiar settings.

References:

Original Conquest of the Planet of the Apes Ending

Behind the Planet of the Apes Documentary

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes Script

Battle for the Planet of the Apes Script

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watts_riots

Not sure how more Planet of the Apes could possibly play out after the end of that last movie? Don't worry, that's a recurring theme for this franchise, but new sequels kept getting sold nonetheless — and Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) is pretty much the king of the retcon. This flick manages to be both funny and philosophical while holding a mirror up to its audience, and on our latest installment of PLANET OF THE APE-RIL, we're going retro as we reexamine this snapshot of the ‘70s.

References:

https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/why-escape-from-the-planet-of-the-apes-was-ahead-of-its-time/

http://www.potamediaarchive.com/EPTR.htm

Spookies, this latest theme month has been nearly a year in the making, which is why we're so excited to finally welcome you to PLANET OF THE APE-RIL. Utilizing all five weeks of April, we're taking you on a journey through space, time, and one of last century's most famous (and political) scifi/horror franchises. Starting with the first two movies in the original iteration — Planet of the Apes (1968) and Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) — we're joined by special guest Ashley Reese as we travel to the far-off future and hold up a mirror to the not-so-distant past.

Follow Ashley Reese on Instagram and Twitter. You can check out her Substack newsletter, Bad Brain, here.

References:

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/05/religious-right-real-origins-107133/

https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/planet_apes.pdf

https://roxannebsaiso.medium.com/planet-of-the-apes-1968-92df49cf3f05

https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2017/07/163146/planet-of-the-apes-racism-skin-color-stereotypes

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tet-Offensive

https://www.cfr.org/timeline/us-russia-nuclear-arms-control

https://thegrio.com/2011/08/05/the-racial-politics-behind-planet-of-the-apes/

https://www.film89.co.uk/beneath-the-planet-of-the-apes-1970-an-end-times-allegory/

The Simpsons' Planet of the Apes Musical

Dave Chappelle on Planet of the Apes

It feels like just yesterday we started Retroactive Y2K month, but tragically it's already time to bring it to an end. That said, just like with the original Y2K, we're ready to party like there's no tomorrow, which is why we brought in Queen of the Damned (2002) to help us celebrate Monica's birthday. Part of the larger Interview with the Vampire world and a pseudo-sequel to the 1994 flick, this movie doesn't star Tom Cruise, but it's still an iconic entry into the Lestat Serving Cunt canon. Anne Rice may not approve, but Aaliyah's got the moves on a new Spooky Tuesday.

References:

Cher "Dressed to Kill" Music Video

Corpse Bride x Mitski Edit

I'm With You - Avril Lavigne Music Video

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vampire_Lestat

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Queen_of_the_Damned

https://screenrant.com/how-stuart-townsend-was-cast-in-queen-of-the-damned/

https://numetalagenda.com/feature/22-years-of-queen-of-the-damned/

https://www.dreadcentral.com/editorials/454069/its-time-for-a-queen-of-the-damned-renaissance/

https://www.vulture.com/2021/10/an-oral-history-of-queen-of-the-damned.html