Episode 336 – Summer Of Stephen: THE STAND (Part One)

We continue to stretch out our summer by breaking up our discussion of THE STAND into two episodes. Enjoy our discussion of the novel here in part one.

Episode 336: https://traffic.libsyn.com/podcastmacabre/PM_Episode_336_Final_File.mp3

Episode 335 – Desert Island Picks: Blank Of The Blank

This round of Desert Island picks theme is “Blank Of The Blank.” We each picked 5 films with “_ of the _” titles that we wouldn’t mind being stranded with.

Letterboxd List: https://boxd.it/p22OC

Episode 335: https://traffic.libsyn.com/podcastmacabre/PM_episode_335_Final_File.mp3

I Survived Camp Crystal Lake

by Jenny Westgate

As anyone who has any modicum of knowledge about me knows, I am a MASSIVE Friday the 13th fan. So, as you can imagine, I was absolutely thrilled when my partner gifted me with tickets for a Crystal Lake Tour for Christmas!

The tour was in Hardwick New Jersey, at the No-Be-Bo-Sco camp, which lives forever in our hearts as Camp Crystal Lake from the original Friday the 13th. The camp has been open since 1927, making it New Jersey’s oldest continuously operating Scout camp.

We, of course, hit the merch booth hard, and I was so impressed with the level of detail that went into everything-from a replica of Mrs. Voorhees’ Jeep (complete with some pretty amazing cast and crew autographs!) to a replica of Ralph’s bicycle, it’s very clear that the tour team went out of their way to put smiles in the dark little hearts of fans.

Two of my favorite things-Camp Crystal Lake and Jeeps!

You may recognize some of these autographs!

Yes, the original sign!

Once we had finished with the starting area goodies and the well-stocked merch area, it was on to the tour!

We got to see so many pivotal shooting locations, from the “power house” to the “shower room,” and, my personal favorite, the actual lake! You can even get souvenir bottles of the lake water, which made my day. The spookiness of the lake was only enhanced by the fact that we took the night time tour, which I highly recommend.

Did I mention the attention to detail?

No tourists stripped for this Monopoly game!

One of your parting gifts from the tour is a map of the area, and a list of other filming locations, so of course we had to go on our own tour the next day! We started with the Blairstown Diner, which not only had a lot of fun Friday the 13th eye candy, but also had delicious food, and then wandered around, finding other spots from the film. It was absolutely surreal to spend time in so many spots that feature so prominently in one of my favorite films!

Blairstown Diner

I absolutely recommend Crystal Lake Tours to any Friday the 13th fan who can finagle a trip to Jersey! You can find upcoming events (including a sleepover event!!!!) here. Be there, or you’re DOOMED!

Episode 331 – Drive-In Double Feature: THE BARN (2016) and THE BARN PART II (2022)

It’s time for a horror film hootenanny as this trip to the drive-in features THE BARN (2016) and THE BARN PART II (2022).

THE BARN
Non-Spoilers – 4:32
Spoilers – 17:04
THE BARN PART II
Non-Spoilers – 31:57
Spoilers – 47:09

Episode 331: https://traffic.libsyn.com/podcastmacabre/PM_Episode_331_Final_File.mp3

What The Hell Is Chris Watching Now? – ZIBAHKHANA (Hell’s Ground) (2007)

Several years ago, I did a few blog posts titled “Global Terror Alerts”, and they focused on horror gems from all over the world. Out of all the international frights I’ve viewed, this may be the first Pakistani production for me.

Omar Ali Khan’s Zibahkhana (Hell’s Ground) is a low budget darling that you can tell was made by a fan of genre. Full of tried-and-true tropes, that aren’t too many surprises in how the story plays out. But this one still held my attention and interest through its 77-minute runtime because of the love for horror you can clearly feel while watching.

In Zibahkhana (which translates to “slaughterhouse”), a group of five teenage friends secretly take a road trip to go to a rock concert. This quintet is composed of Vicky (the hunk and driver of the van), Roxy (the spoiled party girl), OJ (the horror fan pothead), Simon (the poor kid on a scholarship), and the prim and shy Ash. Before we even meet the core cast, the film opens with a man on a remote road wrecking his car after swerving to miss someone standing in the road. Well, in the effort to quickly establish there is a crazed killer in the surrounding woods, the poor driver doesn’t even make it past the 4-minute mark!

Once the teens get on the road, some of the transition scenes are reminiscent of Creepshow and the EC Comics of old as they use illustrated frames with captions. And you can’t have a horror film road trip without a harbinger, right? The “speaker of doom” in this is the owner of a roadside chai stand. In a bit of meta, the actor Rehan did essentially play Dracula in the 1967 film The Living Corpse (Zinda Laash) that OJ recognizes him from.

As this hodgepodge of homages and influences blends even further, we have a plot line of environmental horror as pollution in the water is turning some villagers into flesh eating monsters. But we also have your old fashion “cannibal family” plot in this mix as burka-wearing killer comes off as a mix of Leatherface and Friday The 13th Part II’s “baghead” Jason. The burka flowing like a ghost sheet at times gives its own creep factor as well.

Yet again, this is a film I would never have even known of if not for Rue Morgue’s 200 Alternative Horror Films You Need To See list. With about 25 films left on there for me to watch, who knows what will show up in this blog series next? Until then, have some fun, grab some friends, and check out this one. Embrace it for what it is, and I doubt you will be disappointed.

(Hell’s Ground is available for VOD on Amazon Prime.)