Retro Blood

Welcome back to Retro Blood as James Kline and J.H. Alison continue our Big Blockbuster 1980s Movie Month with a special Christmas episode dedicated to the ultimate action debate movie — John McTiernan’s Die Hard (1988). We deliver a full scene-by-scene breakdown, reliving every barefoot step John McClane takes through Nakatomi Plaza, from the Christmas party invasion to Hans Gruber’s legendary fa...

Join James Kline and J.H. Alison as Retro Blood continues Big Blockbuster 1980s Month with a deep dive into Rambo: First Blood (1982) — the gritty action-drama that launched one of the biggest franchises of the decade. This week, we break down how First Blood is far more than an action movie, examining its roots as a character-driven Vietnam War aftermath film and how it reflects the tension betwe...

Hosted by JK Kline & JH Alison 1980s Big Blockbuster Month Begins! Holy Retro Blood, Gotham! JK Kline and JH Alison return to swoop down into the neon-lit, gothic madness of Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) for Episode 217! This week we go full blockbuster mode, diving deep into the film that reshaped superhero cinema forever. We break down everything: 🦇 Full Movie Breakdown We walk you scene-by-sc...

James Kline and J.H. Alison close out 1980s Killer Families Month with one of horror’s strangest forgotten Thanksgiving slashers: Home Sweet Home (1981). A PCP-crazed bodybuilder, a dysfunctional family gathering, and pure early-’80s chaos—this one has it all. We kick things off with our first impressions, including the amazing trailer and how James randomly discovered this long-lost DVD. Then we...

James Kline & J.H. Alison keep 1980s Killer Family Month rolling with a Thanksgiving feast of mayhem as we dive into The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2—Tobe Hooper’s wild, comedic, gore-soaked sequel to his 1974 classic. We kick things off by revisiting the legacy of the original film and how its raw realism reshaped horror. Then we explore Hooper’s return to the franchise through his three-picture...

James Kline and J.H. Alison continue 1980s Killer Family Month with one of the nastiest low-budget backwoods shockers of the era: Mother’s Day (1980). We kick things off with our first impressions—why this grimy hillbilly horror flick doesn’t hit the same cultural impact as I Spit on Your Grave or Last House on the Left, yet still carves out its own bizarre identity. We talk why the film was made,...

James Kline and J.H. Alison kick off Killer Family Month this November with a massive Retro Blood double feature covering The Stepfather and Stepfather II—two of the most unsettling and underrated psychological slashers of the late 1980s. The boys dive into the real-life inspiration behind the story: the chilling case of mass murderer John List, whose crimes helped shape the blueprint for the Step...

It’s Halloween season on Lights Out, and James Kline & J.H. Alison are heading back to 1998 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the original Halloween with the first big reboot of the franchise — Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later! The boys dive deep into how this movie resurrected Michael Myers for a new generation and whether it still holds up today. They discuss the chaotic history behind H...

James Kline & J.H. Alison close out Howling October 2025 with the strangest (and slowest melting werewolves ever) — The Howling IV: The Original Nightmare! The boys break down how this one tries to return to the original book roots but ends up feeling more like a weird South African tax write-off. They talk behind-the-scenes chaos between director John Hough and writer Clive Turner, producer H...

Join James Kline & J.H. Alison as Retro Blood continues its Howling October 2025 celebration—reviewing every Howling movie from the 1980s! This week, the boys head Down Under for the strangest and most bizarre entry in the franchise—The Howling III: The Marsupials! We kick things off with Alison explaining his love for this weird, mutant marsupial masterpiece—while James shares stories from hi...

Join James Kline & J.H. Alison as Retro Blood continues its Howling October 2025 celebration—reviewing every ’80s Howling movie! Up next, the most outrageous and sleazy entry in the series: The Howling II: Your Sister Is a Werewolf! We kick things off with our thoughts on Christopher Lee’s surprisingly serious performance amidst werewolf orgies and synth-fueled chaos. Then, in our Weekly Histo...

James Kline and J.H. Alison kick off October 2025 and celebrate 4 years of Retro Blood by diving fang-first into The Howling (1981)—the movie that redefined werewolf horror and launched a wild franchise through the ’80s. The boys start with their thoughts on the film (and James’ legendary long intro), then hit the Weekly History Segment covering what was going on in Metal and Pro Wrestling around...

James Kline and J.H. Alison close out Ghost Month Part 2 with one of the wildest nautical horrors of the 1980s—Death Ship! This haunted German vessel isn’t just drifting at sea—it’s captained by one of the decade’s most underrated horror villains, the sinister Captain Ashland. We kick things off with first impressions before diving into our History Segment, exploring what was happening in Pro Wres...

James Kline & J.H. Alison continue Ghost Month Part 2 with one of the strangest Italian horror sequels that isn’t really a sequel—Witchery aka La Casa 4. Yes, this is the infamous David Hasselhoff Italian gore movie… and it’s everything you think it is. We kick things off with quick thoughts on the film, debating why the Hoff did this and why we secretly love it anyway. From a fun (and bizarre...

James Kline and J.H. Alison return for Ghost Month Part 2 with a hidden Italian horror gem—Umberto Lenzi’s Ghost House (aka La Casa 3). We kick things off with our thoughts on the film, the confusing La Casa title change, and whether this supposed Evil Dead “sequel” has any real connection to Sam Raimi’s classic. In our weekly history segment, we cover the darker side of 1988: the tragic death of...

James Kline & J.H. Alison kick off the Road to Halloween with 1980s Ghost Movies Round 2! First up is the chilling British made-for-TV classic, The Woman in Black (1989)—a haunting tale that brought gothic ghost stories back into the spotlight. We open with our first impressions of the film and dive into the tradition of telling ghost stories on Christmas Eve, a long-standing British custom th...

James Kline & J.H. Alison close out Lucio Fulci Month with his straight-to-video dark horror-comedy Touch of Death! We kick things off discussing Fulci’s late-‘80s decline, his struggles with producers, and the home video market that pushed many Italian horror films out of theaters. We also break down the film’s unique blend of gore and pitch-black comedy—at first trashing the humor, but slowl...

James Kline & J.H. Alison continue Lucio Fulci Month with one of his most bizarre and controversial films — The Devil’s Honey (1986), also known as Dangerous Obsession. This erotic thriller/drama is a far cry from Fulci’s gore-drenched horror classics, but still packed with his unflinching, boundary-pushing style. We kick things off with our thoughts on how different this movie is compared to...

James Kline & J.H. Alison continue Lucio Fulci Month with one of his strangest films—The Black Cat (1981). A moody mix of Edgar Allan Poe inspiration, European gothic vibes, and Fulci’s signature brutality, this movie asks the question: what happens when a psychic professor uses a cat to control minds and kill his enemies? We kick things off with thoughts on the film’s connection to Poe’s shor...

It’s our 200th episode, and we’re going big—swords, sorcery, metal, and wrestling legends! 🎉 Join James Kline and J.H. Alison as we dive into the trippy, surreal fantasy-horror world of Lucio Fulci’s Conquest (1983). Expect fried orc-snake LSD magic, a gold-masked witch straight out of your darkest nightmares, and a heavy dose of Fulci weirdness that somehow blends Conan-style adventure with Ital...

James Kline and J.H. Alison kick off a brand-new theme for August 2025—Lucio Fulci Month—by diving into the surreal supernatural horror of Aenigma (1988)! We start with first impressions of this Carrie-inspired revenge tale, where telekinesis, creepy snails, and Fulci’s signature dream logic collide. Then it’s time for our Weekly History Segment, looking at what was happening in Pro Wrestling and...

Join James Kline and J.H. Alison as Retro Blood wraps up our first-ever 1980s Shark Horror Month with the obscure Italian thriller Night of the Sharks—a film that tries to mix espionage, blackmail, and killer sharks, but ends up more James Bond than Jaws. We kick off with our thoughts on the film’s bizarre tone, beachside antihero David Zeiger, and why this movie feels like a mash-up of Italian cr...

Join James Kline and J.H. Alison as we dive deeper into 1980s Shark Horror Movie Month—this time with an Italian Jaws rip-off so wild it barely makes sense: Deep Blood (1989)! 🦈 We start with some quick thoughts on the film’s unique mix of ancient Native American sea curses, kids performing blood oaths, and a shark that shows up in stock footage and mechanical head closeups. 🗓 In our weekly Histo...

Join James Kline and J.H. Alison as Retro Blood continues its dive into 1980s Shark Horror with the final chapter in the Jaws franchise—Jaws: The Revenge (1987). Often slammed as one of the worst sequels of all time, Jaws: The Revenge gets a second look from the Retro Blood crew, who both kind of defend it! Is it perfect? No. Is it entertaining? Absolutely. 🦈 In this episode: Initial thoughts on...

James Kline and J.H. Alison kick off a brand-new theme for July 2025: 1980s Shark Horror—and what better way to start than with the wild ride that is Jaws 3D! This week, the boys take a deep dive into the third entry in the legendary Jaws franchise—a movie packed with floating fish heads, slow-motion shark attacks, awkward 3D effects, and the return of the Brody boys (this time in SeaWorld, of all...