Half Price Horror

You could instead call it "Alien 3", or "Alien Cubed", or "Alien^3"... but I think what you could mainly call it is 'troubled', as everyone who took a crack at this script over the course of the late 1980s eventually did. That's right, we are tackling the Assembly Cut of a movie whose director disowns it, and why? Well, you'll find out when you listen and get the wild, bizarre story behind the production of the third movie in the 'Alien' franchise.

Gotta admit, this was one of those movies that looked like it would never wind up on the show. But Christmas came and brought a free copy right into my lap, and I'm not going to turn down the chance to find out what happened to Sarah and Juno after what seemed like their certain death at the end of Part One. So join me for another deep dive into caves and crawlers as HPH tackles 'The Descent: Part 2'!

The 80s were the decade of the sequel in many ways, but 1990 was just past the end of an era when it came to launching big sci-fi horror franchises. So when 'Predator 2' came along, offering its audiences no Schwarzenegger and no John McTiernan, a lot of people wrote it off sight unseen... but as a reflection of a very important transition in American culture, it's got a lot to offer for film scholars. And all you need to do to find out what is to press 'Play'!

2025 brought us a lot of horror, only some of which was cinematic, and one of the biggest hits of that year was Zach Cregger's follow-up to 'Barbarian'. But does 'Weapons' hold up to repeat viewings? What makes it so fascinating? Why don't we ever see a reporter in this town that's supposedly so full of media? It's a lot of questions, and lucky for you Half Price Horror has the answers!

Get to the choppah, everybody, because we don't have time to bleed--there's just too much to talk about in this episode! That's right, it's time to tackle one of the biggest triumphs for one of the biggest stars of the 80s, Arnold Schwarzenegger and his action-horror-science-fiction movie 'Predator'! So everybody give your buddy a big sweaty handclasp, because here we go!

It looks like a low-budget Predator ripoff. It sounds like a low-budget Predator ripoff. But 'Without Warning' came out a full seven years before 'Predator', and it's got Jack Palance and Martin Landau in the cast! Two Academy Award winners dealing with an alien big-game hunter played by Kevin Peter Hall years before his biggest role (and wearing a Rick Baker mask instead of a Stan Winston one) make this an experience you just have to hear about. And lucky you, HPH is ready to talk!

Time to finally dive back into the franchise I've been waiting to cover for almost five years now, as we take a look at the sequel to Ridley Scott and Dan O'Bannon's groundbreaking sci-fi horror film and all the ways it made James Cameron a legend. It's a movie that had a real cultural impact, one might say, and we're going to get into each and every detail of it!

Time to conclude the 'Exorcist' franchise... for now... with a look at the controversial, poorly-received legacy sequel helmed by David Gordon Green. Is this a misunderstood masterpiece, or another 'Halloween Ends'? For that matter, was 'Halloween Ends' a misunderstood masterpiece? It's hard to get a handle on Green--but that doesn't mean we're not going to try.

Look, we all knew it had to come to this eventually. A parody of 'The Exorcist' starring Linda Blair herself, opposite none other than Leslie Nielsen as the priest who exorcised her, with color commentary by pro wrestler and future Governor of Minnesota Jesse 'The Body' Ventura? How could anyone possibly resist? So yes, let's all see Linda Blair get 'Repossessed', as the Devil comes back for another round and tragedy becomes comedy becomes farce.

So after making a prequel to 'The Exorcist', hating the movie you got, and having it totally reshot only to see your revised and revamped version bomb at the box office, what else is there to do? Well, for the producers at Morgan Creek, there was always the option of releasing the first version of the prequel you made and seeing if people liked that any better. So let's look into Paul Schrader's initial version of the 'Exorcist' prequel, with the same Father Merrin but a whole host of changes, and see how this one turned out.

Oh look--we're back in Amityville again! But this time we've gone back in time a little, Walkmans and 80s cars and Blondie posters notwithstanding, to take a look at the horrifying crimes that caused the Lutzes so much trouble. So join me and Tommy Lee Wallace and a host of non-union crew members from Italy as we tackle a fictionalized version of the DeFeos and all the horrors they endured!

Just to clarify - this was the 'Exorcist' prequel that was made second but released first, not the 'Exorcist' prequel that was made first but released second. Who directed it? What was the antagonist? Did I Don't Know play third base? All these questions and more will be answered in the latest episode of Half Price Horror!

It's always the same with kids these days, isn't it. "Aww gee Dad, can't I have just one more exorcism before bed?" "Okay, but this is the Last Exorcism." And then they get up five minutes later and they're insisting they're still possessed. Sure, it's cute, but you can't wait until they grow out of it....none of that is related to the 2010 mockumentary 'The Last Exorcism', but don't worry--you've got a whole episode on that to listen to! So tell your kids to go back to bed and have their exorcism in the morning, and listen to Half Price Horror!

"I remember a rose... and falling down a long flight of steps." So begins William Peter Blatty's endeavor to sequelize his own novel, and it's safe to say it's an attempt that bears the distinctive stamp of its creator. So what does that mean? Well, listen to the episode and you'll find out!

Look, when it came to calling people in the 80s there were only two options--the Ghostbusters, and 976-EVIL. This is the movie about the folks who picked wrong, and if you want a fun campy silly 80s horror schlock spectacular then this is the film for you!

The deep dive into the 'Exorcist' franchise continues, with underloved and underseen sequel 'Exorcist II: The Heretic' getting its time to shine! Is it a misbegotten failure to replicate the grim intensity of the original, or is it actually a pretty typical 70s sci-fi thriller with the era's usual emphasis on ESP, paranormal powers, and the next step in human evolution? Time for you to take a listen and find out!

Naturally, this is a podcast that embraces all the various incarnations and aspects of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. So rather than get mired in 80s nostalgia forever, Half Price Horror is taking a look at the 2010s incarnation of the Movie Macabre and a 1971 movie Elvira covered for it, the infamous exploitation cheapie 'I Eat Your Skin'!

Time to cross off one of the big ones, as Half Price Horror finally tackles a film so big it started its own subgenre--1973's 'The Exorcist'! Let's dig into the awful on-set behavior of its director, the fears of feminism and women's bodies, and all the complex symbolism that resonated with the viewing public when this horror hit was released. It's a perfect time of year for it, as Halloween month continues!

Halloween season continues with a look at the big bug movie to begin all big bug movies, 1954's 'Them!' It's got giant ants, it's got James Arness, it's got Leonard Nimoy, it's got the guy who played Santa Clause in 'Miracle on 34th Street'! It's an influence on 'Aliens', it's the start of a whole atomic horror subgenre, so have a listen and enjoy this trip into the roots of horror. And all the ants crawling around down there.

I'm not saying Godzilla was a poser, but the Rhedosaurus was rampaging in cities a whole year before it became "cool". So come along and check out the adventures, of the OG, the stop-motion, the coolest prehistoric kaiju this side of Baffin Bay, as we kick off Halloween season right with a look at Ray Bradbury and Ray Harryhausen and the movie that created a genre!