Neon Brainiacs (A Retro Horror Movie Podcast)

If you're dressed as Santa, you'd better watch out! This week we're tackling the British holiday slasher Don't Open Till Christmas from 1984. This one may have broken us, maniacs, because we derail a lot. Topics include using the phone way too much, peep show prices in 80s England, and we finally break out our Jerry Seinfeld impressions. This episode is sponsored by Hellraising Hot Sauce!

These elves are not your buddy, maniacs... This week we kick off three weeks of Christmas-themed horror flicks with the 1989 head-scratcher Elves! This one is one of the more bizarre movies we've covered to date. Topics include a brief Greek history lesson, comparing crappy horror movie puppets and GOOD GOD HOW IS THIS A PG-13 MOVIE? Also, this week's episode is sponsored by Hellraising Hot Sauce!

This week we delve into some sweet suffering with Pinhead and the gang in Hellbound: Hellraiser II! This is the first franchise we've done in sequential order so don't be shy about checking out our prior Hellraiser episode before this one. We chat about the magnificent return of strategic non-boob showing, Cannibal Corpse album covers and the Hellraiser/Charles Bronson crossover movie we so desper...

Let's bowl some turkeys for Thanksgiving, maniacs, because this week we're hitting the lanes with Sorority Babes In The Slimeball Bowl-A-Rama from 1988! While we analyze this bizarre low-budget flick, we discuss the defintion of "the whim-whams", 90's cereal mascots, Static-X and the bizarre novelty of a fully clothed Linnea Quigley.

It's a monster grab-bag this week, maniacs, as we discuss Spookies from 1986 with Zane Hershberger of 10/31 and The Barn. He's promoting the crowdfunding campaigns for a couple movies he's working on, The Barn 2 and Force To Fear, so go support those! In this episode we discuss kids' Halloween pageants, the lack of eloquence farting zombies bring to a movie and the unbelievably awful perils of mak...

Hope you're ready for a dose of insects and monkeys, maniacs, because this week we're discussing Dario Argento's 1985 wacky masterpiece Phenomena (aka Creepers)! This one's pretty weird, and stars Jennifer Connelly and Donald Pleasance to boot. Topics include bizarre public buses, Beatles versus Rolling Stones talk, and the insane superiority of this movie's soundtrack.

Grab your Shatner masks and your blue overalls, maniacs, because it is Halloween and we are talking about the night after he came home: Halloween II! We mourn Ben Tramer and discuss topics like fictitious sitcoms, mushroom pizza, differences between the theatrical and television cuts of this flick, and Lowkey Loomis versus Looney Loomis.

Play this episode LOUD, maniacs, because this week we've got another Halloween-centered flick with the heavy metal horror movie Trick Or Treat! We talk lots of music: metal! ska! pop-punk! hardcore! We also discuss getting your cremated ashes pressed into vinyl, expensive Bad Brains records and Ben's first online screen name.

Get ready to party, maniacs, because this week we continue our Halloween-themed episodes with 1988's Night Of The Demons! As we discuss the exploits of Angela and company, we also talk about late 80s insults, our experiences in Los Angeles, and Martin Mull for Michelob Ultra.

Let's get sassy for Satan, maniacs, because this week we're talking about the cult Halloween flick Hack-O-Lantern (aka Halloween Night & Death Mask) from 1988. While doing our best Hye Pyke impressions, we discuss the music of Wishbone, butt tattoos, closet candle fire hazards, and the symbolism of black wreaths.

With a rebel yell, we present the first episode of our entire month of Halloween-related films: 1985's made-for-TV movie The Midnight Hour! This one's got everything: zombies, vampires, wolfmen, The Smiths, and even LeVar Burton! We talk about a smattering of topics including Chicken Littles from KFC, analysis of World Series broadcast rights, our hard stance on ketchup brands, and we talk about p...

Work on your routines, maniacs, because this week we're unpacking the 1987 locally filmed slasher The Majorettes with returning guest, Ryan from BPO Films! He's got a ton of familial connections to this one, which was largely filmed right near Ben's house where we record our show! While we talk about all the insanity, we also discuss different photography classes we've taken, Rick Springfield post...

Put on your detective hats, maniacs, because this week we're digging into the 1982 American giallo The Killing Hour! We follow a clairvoyant sketch artist as she assists the police in tracking down a handcuff-obsessed serial killer. We'll discuss our art class memories, cool diners, and the dating tips contained in this movie.

What's in the basket, maniacs? This week we're digging into our first Frank Henenlotter movie with 1982's Basket Case, and we're joined by both Allen and Katie from Werewolf Ambulance! They're promoting not only their podcast but their upcoming live show in Pittsburgh on October 5th. While discussing this MOMA-recognized flick, we talk about weird dates, nonsensical physics, Belial's dedication to...

Thrill me, maniacs! This week we celebrate our one year anniversary!! And what better way to do so than to talk about the 1986 Fred Dekker classic Night Of The Creeps? It's got everything: horror, sci-fi, comedy and Tom Atkins! Some burning questions we discuss: who created the "Dream Weaver" moment? How is Gregg tangentially connected to Tom Atkins? Did American Horror Story rip off this movie?

Get ready to tiptoe through the tulips with us, maniacs, because this week we get weird with 1987's Blood Harvest starring Tiny Tim! We talk about weird 80's fashion, real life IP in this movie and teach a little impromptu class on copyright law.

Grab your red riding hoods, maniacs, because this week we're delving into some fairy tale mythos with 1984's The Company Of Wolves! We're joined by Amanda and Sarah from the Ghoul On Ghoul podcast to help us unpack all the underlying messages of feminism and sex in this one. We talk about Pinterest-worthy weddings in the woods, Wes Anderson's bonerless aesthetic, and we figure out each of our Simp...

There's a killer on the loose, maniacs! This week we're wrapping up our three week rock block with 1984's Rocktober Blood. This one follows the band Headmistress after original singer and serial killer Billy Eye is executed and returns from the grave to pick off the group one by one. We talk about bad puns, bad acting, and badass metal jams.

Are you ready for some killer tunes, maniacs!? Week two of our rock block has us discussing the 1980 slasher Terror On Tour! There's not much terror nor much touring despite what the title would suggest. We forgot to share some of our own terror-filled tour moments so those stories will have to wait for another day. In the meantime we discuss Gregg's hatred of KISS, the idea of cocaine as an aphro...

Get those lighters out and bang your heads, maniacs, because this week we're kicking off our Rock Trilogy with 1987's Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare starring Jon Mikl Thor! We'll talk about the Satanic Panic, the first song Ben ever learned on guitar, and we take a deep dive into pop-punk history.

Grab some candles and some protection, maniacs, because this week we're talking about the 1982 star-studded New Line classic Alone In The Dark! This wild ride features heavy hitters Donald Pleasance, Jack Palance, and Martin Landau in some wacky roles. Topics we'll discuss include punk rock, hockey masks and the Kermit/Batman fanfic no one asked for.

Where's the corkscrew, maniacs!? This week we're discussing the insanity that is Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter! We talk at length about how much we love Corey Feldman and Crispin Glover. As usual, we unpack lots of lore from the franchise and also discuss crappy parties, short shorts, and solve the mystery of the Jarvis sandwich.

For our first ever bonus episode, we discuss our watching of The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs on Shudder. We live tweeted most of the event so we talk about that as well as the communal aspect of social media during an event like this. We had a blast with it!

Hope you're ready for Armageddon, maniacs, because this week we're talking about the 1988 religious apocalypse flick The Seventh Sign! This Demi Moore/Michael Biehn movie is kind of lame but we managed to have some fun with it. We talk about reusable shopping bags, early adoptions of YOLO, and our hotel breakfast strategies.

Grow a mustache and grab your Members Only jackets, maniacs, because this week we're ending our Three Weeks Of Chuck by finally delving into the work of Charles Bronson with 1983's Ten To Midnight! Trust us, there are plenty of Bronson impressions contained within. We also talk about egg shelves in old refrigerators, Larry David staring contests, and the lo-fi bedroom dreampop of 1983.