B-Movie Blitzkrieg

Grab your flashlight, avoid suspicious manhole covers, and whatever you do...don't go wandering around the New York sewer system alone, because this week on the B-Movie Blitzkrieg Podcast, Duncan & The Baz descend beneath the streets for C.H.U.D. (1984)...the gloriously grimy creature feature where toxic waste, government conspiracies and cannibalistic humanoid underground dwellers combine to make New York's already questionable infrastructure considerably worse.Because apparently traffic, muggings and dodgy hot dogs weren't enough.Now there's something living beneath your feet.They're hungry. They're mutated. They're extremely unfriendly. And judging by the amount of time they've spent underground...they've clearly never heard of Rightmove.C.H.U.D. is 80s creature-feature filmmaking at its most atmospheric. Gritty streets. Dark tunnels. Government cover-ups. Radioactive waste. Missing people. And monsters that look like someone melted a pumpkin, gave it glowing eyes and told it to start eating pedestrians.It's dirty. It's claustrophobic. It's wonderfully practical.And somehow...it makes you very nervous about opening a manhole cover.In This Episode:We head underground and tackle the questions no New York sanitation worker, government official or sewer-dweller would ever want answered:Why does nobody seem particularly concerned when people start disappearing around manholes?How exactly do the C.H.U.D.s organise themselves beneath the city?Why does the government always seem to have a secret toxic-waste project in these movies?And just how much radioactive waste can one sewer system realistically handle?Top 5 Rad / Sad & Bad Moments:The C.H.U.D. Design – rubbery, ugly, practical and absolutely perfect for a low-budget 1980s monster movie. They're not polished...and that's exactly the point.That Cop just ate his phone money – no words can convey the power move this scene is!The Government Conspiracy – because apparently mutant sewer monsters aren't enough. Add toxic waste, secret projects and corporate cover-ups and you've got yourself a proper B-movie conspiracy.What was in that shower drain – A tsunami of blood spews up…and we still don’t know why?Along the way we explore the film's blend of creature horror and urban paranoia, celebrate its wonderfully old-school practical effects, and ask the ultimate Blitzkrieg question:Is C.H.U.D. a genuinely atmospheric slice of 80s creature-feature horror...or simply what happens when you combine New York's sewer system with radioactive waste and absolutely no meaningful government oversight?Honestly? Probably both.So grab your flashlight, stay away from suspicious drains, and whatever you do...don't look down.Because you never know what's living underneath.Here at B-Movie Blitzkrieg, the bizarre meets the brilliant, one B-Movie at a time.Next Episode Drops Friday 9th October:We're leaving the sewers. We're leaving New York. And we're heading west. Into the desert. And we're bringing along a mysterious glowing car battery that absolutely, definitely DOES NOT contain an alien corpse. Probably.Next time Duncan & The Baz tackle Repo Man (1984)...a movie that asks the terrifyingly simple question:"What if punk rock, government conspiracies, teenage delinquency and extraterrestrial technology were all thrown into the back of a Chevrolet?"Expect punk. Expect paranoia. Expect glowing car boots. Expect Harry Dean Stanton. Expect Emilio Estevez. And expect us to discover that the worst thing you can possibly do in a B-Movie is open the boot of a mysterious car.Until then...Keep away from suspicious manholes...Don't trust anyone carrying radioactive waste...And if something starts crawling out of the sewer...RUN.TIMECODE:00:00:00 - THEME SONG00:00:45 - INTRO00:04:49 - PLOT00:07:45 - TOP 5 RAD/SAD/BAD MOMENTS00:15:27 - BEST/WORST LINES00:18:28 - PLOTHOLES00:24:25 - SCORE00:26:51 - CLOSE

Keep your basket firmly closed, avoid suspicious-looking luggage, and whatever you do...don't ask what's inside, because this week on the B-Movie Blitzkrieg Podcast, Duncan & The Baz check into one of the sleaziest, strangest and most gloriously low-budget hotels in cult cinema with Basket Case (1982).Frank Henenlotter's twisted tale of brotherly love, revenge and extremely questionable medical practices takes us deep into the grimy underbelly of early-80s New York...where dodgy doctors operate in secret, hotel guests come and go, and one very suspicious wicker basket contains something that really, really doesn't want to be disturbed.That something is Belial.A deformed, angry and surprisingly mobile little nightmare who has spent years living in a basket while his brother Duane attempts to navigate life, revenge and a rather complicated relationship with his own family history.It's weird. It's sleazy. It's occasionally disgusting. And somehow...it's become a cult classic.In This Episode:We check into the seediest hotel in Manhattan and tackle the questions no respectable hotel manager, surgeon or basket manufacturer would ever want answered:Why does nobody seem remotely concerned about the suspicious basket that growls, shakes and requires a heavy-duty padlock?Is Belial a genuine B-movie horror icon...or one of the strangest-looking creatures ever committed to stop-motion?How does Duane manage to maintain a normal life while carrying around his extremely abnormal brother?And why does this movie's version of New York feel like everyone is one bad decision away from becoming part of the plot?Top 5 Rad / Sad & Bad Moments:Belial – love him or hate him, there is absolutely no ignoring the little bastard. From his movements to his facial expressions, he's one of the most unforgettable creations in low-budget horror.The Hotel – a grimy, claustrophobic collection of bizarre characters that feels like the perfect home for a murderous mutant living inside a wicker basket.The Effects – stop-motion, puppetry, practical effects and plenty of rough edges. It's cheap, it's occasionally ropey, but it's also exactly the sort of handmade filmmaking that gives Basket Case its personality.The Kissing Scene – romance takes a spectacularly uncomfortable turn as Baz attempts to work out exactly what Duane is doing with his face.The Final Confrontation – revenge, brotherly rage and Belial unleashed in a climax that proves once again that sometimes the only way to solve a family dispute is with a deformed mutant and an extremely bad temper.Along the way we dig into Frank Henenlotter's DIY filmmaking, grimy New York atmosphere, Duane and Belial's relationship, and why the film became a cult favourite despite its tiny budget. Naturally, we ask the ultimate Blitzkrieg question: Is Basket Case inventive underground horror...or simply what happens when you put a mutant twin in a wicker basket and let him loose in Manhattan? We're still deciding. So check the locks, keep your luggage close, and whatever you do...don't open the basket. You never know what's inside.Here at B-Movie Blitzkrieg, the bizarre meets the brilliant, one B-Movie at a time.Next Episode Drops Friday 18th September:We're staying in the city...but this time we're going underground. Something is moving beneath the streets.Next time Duncan & The Baz tackle C.H.U.D. (1984)...a movie that asks: "What if the New York sewer system was full of cannibalistic humanoid underground dwellers?"Expect grimy tunnels, toxic waste, urban paranoia and rubbery creature effects as we descend beneath New York.Until then... Keep your basket closed... Keep away from suspicious surgeons... And remember: If your luggage starts growling...don't investigate.TIMECODE:00:00:00 - THEME SONG00:00:45 - INTRO00:05:36 - PLOT00:09:45 - TOP 5 RAD/SAD/BAD MOMENTS00:18:01 - BEST/WORST LINES00:20:26 - PLOTHOLES00:25:07 - SCORE00:27:05 - CLOSE

B-Movie Blitzkrieg Podcast – Season 2 Episode 5Kingdom of the Spiders (1977)Hide your shoes, check the corners of the room, and whatever you do...don't look under the bed, because Duncan & The Baz are marching into one of the creepiest, crawliest and most gloriously committed creature features of the 1970s.This week on The B-Movie Blitzkrieg Podcast, we're tackling Kingdom of the Spiders (1977)...the film where William Shatner, a small Arizona town and approximately one million eight-legged nightmares collide in a wonderfully hairy explosion of panic, polyester and arachnophobia.Imagine if Jaws replaced the shark with spiders, The Birds gave everyone eight legs, and William Shatner was allowed to dramatically react to absolutely everything. That's Kingdom of the Spiders. When livestock start dying under mysterious circumstances and venomous spiders begin appearing in alarming numbers, local veterinarian Robert "Rack" Hansen finds himself facing a threat considerably more difficult to put down than a sick cow.Unfortunately for Rack, these spiders aren't interested in staying politely outdoors.As the infestation spreads, the body count rises and the entire town finds itself trapped in a battle against an enemy that can crawl through windows, ceilings, cars and apparently every available gap in the Arizona landscape.Powered by William Shatner's maximum Shatner energy, a surprisingly effective sense of dread and an army of very real spiders, Kingdom of the Spiders turns a simple creature-feature premise into something far more unsettling.In This Episode:We tackle the burning questions no exterminator, veterinarian or arachnophobe ever dared to ask:How many spiders is too many spiders...and why is the answer apparently "never" for this production?Is Rack Hansen the greatest small-town vet in cinema history...or simply William Shatner wearing cowboy boots?At what point should a spider problem officially be upgraded to a military emergency?And seriously...who convinced hundreds of tarantulas to participate in a movie?Top 5 Rad / Sad & Bad Moments:William Shatner as Rack Hansen – delivering heroics, one-liners and enough intensity to suggest every spider personally offended him.The Spider Invasion – nothing says escalating tension like discovering there are suddenly thousands of them.The Bravest Kid Actor Ever – aint nobody getting spiders on either of your 'very' brave hostsThe 'Shat of the Dance – think River Dance meets William ShatnerThe Final Nightmare – a genuinely memorable ending that takes the phrase "surrounded by spiders" to horrifying new levels.We celebrate a classic VHS creature feature, marvel at the sheer number of real spiders, and ask...is Kingdom of the Spiders 70s creature-feature brilliance, or just William Shatner shouting at tarantulas?The answer? Probably both.So grab a flamethrower ‘figuratively’, obviously, check your boots before putting them on, and remember...Here at B-Movie Blitzkrieg, the bizarre meets the brilliant one B-Movie at a time.Next Episode Drops Friday 11th September:We're leaving Arizona behind and heading for the sleazy streets of New York as Duncan & The Baz crack open one of the ultimate 80s cult classics...Basket Case (1982).Frank Henenlotter unleashes a tale of revenge, brotherly love, questionable motel etiquette and one very angry lump of flesh living inside a wicker basket. Because apparently family reunions weren't weird enough.Expect grimy New York streets, gloriously practical effects and enough mutant carnage to make you think twice before carrying hand luggage.Until then...check your shoes, avoid abandoned barns, and if you hear scratching from inside a wicker basket... Don't open it. Seriously.TIMECODE:00:00:00 - THEME SONG00:00:45 - INTRO00:05:18 - PLOT00:10:02 - TOP 5 RAD/SAD/BAD MOMENTS00:17:52 - BEST/WORST LINES00:20:55 - PLOTHOLES00:25:48 - SCORE00:27:19 - CLOSE

B-Movie Blitzkrieg Podcast – Season 2 Episode 4Space Truckers (1996)Buckle up, secure your cargo, and check your spaceship insurance because this week on the B-Movie Blitzkrieg Podcast, Duncan & The Baz leave the wasteland behind and head into deep space for Space Truckers (1996)...the only movie brave enough to combine Convoy, Star Wars, 90s sci-fi and Dennis Hopper into one gloriously deranged intergalactic road movie.We're in a future where gigantic cargo freighters cruise between planets, cyborg assassins roam the galaxy, space pirates are part of the logistics industry, and one trucker finds himself caught in a conspiracy involving stolen artificial organs, murderous robots and enough questionable Scottish accents to cause an international incident.Imagine if Mad Max, Escape from New York and an 80s sex comedy stumbled into the same nuclear bunker after one too many beers. That's Hell Comes to Frogtown.And behind it all? Dennis Hopper. Because apparently the universe wasn't chaotic enough already.Space Truckers is part space opera, part trucker movie and part fever dream cooked up in the back of a roadside diner. It's loud, colourful, ridiculous and packed with practical effects and miniature spacecraft that remind us why 90s science fiction could still feel like someone had actually built the damn thing.It's bonkers. It's beautiful. It's completely over the top. And somehow...it works.---In This Episode:We climb into the cab and tackle the questions no intergalactic freight company would ever allow us to put in writing:How does Dennis Hopper make an interstellar trucker seem like the most qualified man in the galaxy?Why does this movie apparently believe Scottish accents are optional?What happens when Norm from Cheers gets behind the controls of a spaceship?And just what the hell is going on with the villain's...special upgrade?---Top 5 Rad/Sad & Bad Moments:Dennis Hopper's Commitment, whether he understands the movie its maximum Hopper intensity, the result is glorious.The Villain's Special Upgrade, a cybernetic enhancement so gloriously ridiculous that once you've seen it, well..The Space Pirate Chase, practical effects, miniature spacecraft and laser blasts. Ridiculous, but bloody brilliant.Along the way we celebrate the film's old-school sci-fi spectacle, marvel at its bizarre blend of trucking culture and space opera, and ask the ultimate Blitzkrieg question:Is Space Truckers a forgotten 90s sci-fi gem...or what happens when someone puts Convoy in a blender with Star Wars and launches the resulting smoothie into orbit?Honestly? We're leaning towards both.---So strap yourself into the driver's seat, secure your cargo, don't trust anyone offering you a suspiciously large cybernetic upgrade, and remember...Here at B-Movie Blitzkrieg, the bizarre meets the brilliant, one B-Movie at a time.---Episode 2 of Season 5 Coming 28th August:We're coming back down to Earth... Unfortunately, Earth has a problem. A problem with eight legs.A problem determined to wrap an entire town in webbing and turn rural America into an all-you-can-eat buffet.Next time Duncan & The Baz tackle Kingdom of the Spiders (1977)...a movie that asks the terrifyingly simple question:"What if Jaws...but spiders?"Expect creeping dread. Expect hairy-legged horror. Expect William Shatner going full Shatner against nature's most misunderstood nightmare. And expect at least one moment where you'll be checking your walls, ceiling, shoes and possibly reconsidering every countryside holiday you've ever taken.Until then...keep your cargo secured, keep your scanners active, keep an eye on the rear-view mirror, and remember:If the truck behind you is bigger than a planet and driven by Dennis Hopper...let it pass.TIMECODE:00:00:00 - THEME SONG00:00:45 - INTRO00:07:07 - PLOT00:08:48 - TOP 5 RAD/SAD/BAD MOMENTS00:16:16 - BEST/WORST LINES00:20:50 - PLOTHOLES00:25:55 - SCORE00:27:32 - CLOSE

B-Movie Blitzkrieg Podcast – Season 2 Episode 3Hell Comes to Frogtown (1988)Dust off your Geiger counters, lock up your valuables, and maybe avoid kissing anyone wearing green latex this week, because Duncan & The Baz are marching into one of the most gloriously ridiculous post-apocalyptic movies ever made.This week on The B-Movie Blitzkrieg Podcast, we're tackling Hell Comes to Frogtown (1988)...the only film where a professional wrestler, mutant frog-men, radioactive wastelands, an explosive chastity belt and humanity's future collide in ninety minutes of committed insanity.Imagine if Mad Max, Escape from New York and an 80s sex comedy stumbled into the same nuclear bunker after one too many beers. That's Hell Comes to Frogtown.Imagine if Mad Max, Escape from New York and an 80s sex comedy stumbled into the same nuclear bunker after one too many beers. That's Hell Comes to Frogtown.With civilisation reduced to dust and human fertility on the brink of extinction, mankind places its hopes on one man...Sam Hell.A drifter so absurdly fertile the government straps an explosive device around his most prized possession and sends him on a rescue mission. Naturally.Powered by Roddy Piper's charisma, inventive practical effects and outrageous ideas, Hell Comes to Frogtown never questions its own madness...and that's exactly why we love it.---In This Episode:We tackle the burning questions no scientist, government official or mutant amphibian ever dared ask:Is Sam Hell humanity's greatest hope...or simply the luckiest man in the apocalypse?Why does the government think an explosive codpiece is sensible military hardware?Are the frog-men really the villains...or just running a surprisingly organised civilisation?And seriously...who looked at this script and thought, "Needs more frog costumes."?---Top 5 Rad/Sad & Bad Moments:Roddy Piper as Sam Hell – proving absolute commitment makes any ridiculous premise believable.The Chastity Belt of Doom – the least desirable piece of post-apocalyptic technology ever conceived.The First Visit to Frogtown – where mutant amphibians somehow become convincing after thirty seconds.The Dance of Seduction – bizarre, hilarious and gloriously uncomfortable.The Final Assault – explosions, crossbows, mutant frogs and Roddy Piper punching everything that moves.Along the way we celebrate one of the VHS era's most charmingly bonkers action movies, discuss why practical effects overcome almost any budget, and ask the ultimate Blitzkrieg question...Is Hell Comes to Frogtown a hidden masterpiece beneath layers of latex...or ninety glorious minutes of complete nonsense?The answer? Probably both.---So grab your survival gear, keep your distance from suspicious amphibians, and remember...Here at B-Movie Blitzkrieg, the bizarre meets the brilliant one B-Movie at a time.---Episode 2 of Season 4 Coming 14th August:We're trading radioactive deserts for deep space as Duncan & The Baz tackle one of cinema's strangest sci-fi adventures...Space Truckers (1996).Dennis Hopper captains an interstellar freight run. Stephen Dorff is dragged into a galaxy-spanning conspiracy. Charles Dance unleashes murderous cyborgs. Scottish truck stops become space stations, artificial organs become hot property, and nobody seems prepared for the movie they're starring in.Expect cosmic chaos, bargain-bin blockbuster ambition, questionable accents, outrageous production design and enough wonderfully weird moments to make you wonder whether somebody accidentally launched Smokey and the Bandit into orbit.UUntil then...Watch out for mutant frogs...Never trust government-issued underwear...And if someone introduces themselves as Sam Hell......don't ask where they got the name.Just run. Or ribbit. We'll let you decide.TIMECODE:00:00:00 - THEME SONG00:00:45 - INTRO00:04:39 - PLOT00:08:20 - TOP 5 RAD/SAD/BAD MOMENTS00:17:21 - BEST/WORST LINES00:20:50 - PLOTHOLES00:25:13 - SCORE00:27:23 - CLOSE