Editorials
The Top 10 Rock ‘n Roll Horror Movies!
It’s something we intuitively feel anyway, but it’s very much worth pointing out that horror and rock music both have a lot in common. They seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly–at least over the course of the past 50 or so years that the music genre has been with us. They are both rebellious, potentially shocking, challenge the status quo, and are always testing the envelope. Perhaps this is partly why they are so linked, and seem to attract similar fan bases. Anyway, we thought it might be a good idea to rank the most effective/memorable of these “rock `n roll horror movies”. We hope you enjoy. Keep the music blasting, and the blood pouring!
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Not the best movie by any stretch of the imagination, but since this is a movie based completely upon the conceit of a vampire who starts his own successful rock band, it warranted inclusion here. Stuart “Original choice for Aragorn until he walked off the LOTR set like a baby” Townsend makes a convincing rock star, and is not bad as Lestat–but then again, anything beats Tom Cruise.

This film is in no way a great film, but for anyone who enjoys absolutely horrible “so bad its good” B-Movies, Hard Rock Zombies is a must see. Who knew that undead rockers look more like KISS than they do corpses? An awesome rock show, a cameo by Hitler, and the song “Cassie”, which will be stuck in your head for days, are just three of the billion reasons why Hard Rock Zombies rocks.

A very early entry in the subgenre of “rock n’ roll horror”, back when the new music craze was first sweeping the nation, and kids were sock-hoppin’ the night away. What’s so cool about this movie is that its somewhat similar to the rock n’ roll-themed teeny-bopper flicks that were common in the late 1950s–only with a giant tarantula added into the mix.

George A. Romero may have informed us that head-shots would rid us of zombies… but he totally forgot to tell us that high school garage bands covering Pat Benetar could slow the zombie rage! Dance of the Dead has hilarious one-liners, awesome music, buckets of blood, pretty dresses, a smart ass kid with long hair, a redneck high school gym teacher, revenge of the science dissection frogs, undead make-out scenes, and of course ZOMBIES!

Biohazard and The Smithereens are among the bands to grace the soundtrack of this Troma favorite about a bunch of high school students who become all messed up thanks to some irradiated drugs copped from a nuclear plant worker. Drugs, rock `n roll, and even some sex–how could you go wrong?

Not since Richard O’Brien have we been given a horror rock musical as cool and creative as Repo! The Genetic Opera. It’s really hard not to be awesome when you combine rock and roll with horror. Guitar solos from Joan Jett, the siren songs of Sarah Brightman, a nifty little ditty from Paris Hilton, and the borderline orgasmic sound from the Graverobber make this film a must see for every horror fan.

A great horror flick for the brat pack generation, with Keifer and the Coreys running around to some addictive synth-pop and `80s-style rock tunes. The memorable “Lost in the Shadows”, the mesmerizing “Cry Little Sister”, and of course, Echo & The Bunnymen’s cover of The Doors’ “People Are Strange”. One of the first horror movies made with a music video sensibility.

Rob Zombie’s throwback to exploitation films showcases the coolest horror family since the Addams or the Munsters. The Firefly family kill off people looking grungy, swearing like sailors, and with more creativity than the love child of MacGyver and Martha Stewart. I think it’s close to impossible to hear Lynrd Skynrd’s Freebird without having a flashback to the ending sequence.
…and this time, folks, we’ve got ourselves a TIE for the number-one spot…

The film that started a thousand trannies screaming “slut” and “asshole”. Richard O’Brien’s brilliant masterpiece combines horror, science-fiction, romance, sex, and Pennywise the Clown in drag, giving us one of the most impactful films of all time. RHPS is like the Beatles of rock n’ roll horror, it doesn’t matter what generation you’re born into… you just gotta love it.
And…

Yes, we’re copping out. This one has to be considered number one as well. Without doubt, the greatest rock soundtrack of any horror movie, ever. The Cramps, The Damned, 45 Grave and so many others joined together to create the epitome of a bad-ass punk horror soundtrack. It’s such an integral part of the movie itself (which makes it a shame that later DVD versions have tampered with it), and easily one of the most enjoyable soundtracks to listen to on its own merits.
For more news and opinions on the world of horror, including an attack on the After Dark HorrorFest, an interesting tidbit on Patrick Swayze and Zombieland, and review of the arthouse horror flick I Sell the Dead, check out Brian’s daily blog, The Vault of Horror, at thevaultofhorror.net
And for a unique look at the feminine side of fear, including a bold take on Jennifer’s Body and a look at great horror parodies, check Brittney-Jade’s blog, Day of the Woman, at dayofwoman.com
Editorials
‘The Real Ghostbusters’: 10 Must-Watch Episodes from the Classic Series Now Streaming
No conversation about cartoons based on live-action movies is ever complete without mentioning The Real Ghostbusters.
This animated continuation is, warts and all, a notable example of turning a hit movie into a hit series. And although the new target demographic skewed a little younger, even kids-at-heart could partake in the further adventures of Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore and Egon Spengler.
For a good part of its run, the show required fans to wait at least a week for more Ghostbustin’. That’s torture for a kiddo. Luckily, though, the entire series, or at least most of it, is now available for streaming.
So, as you revisit The Real Ghostbusters on Tubi—for now it’s just the first five seasons there—use this guide to help prioritize some must-see episodes.
The Boogieman Cometh

“The Boogieman Cometh” (Season 1)
Season One’s “The Boogieman Cometh” is a classic episode featuring one of the show’s more iconic villains. It’s hard to forget the unique character design used for the Boogieman (whose creepy voice was provided by Ray and Slimer’s actor, Frank Welker). In this story, Egon is reunited with that bump-in-the-night entity who haunted his own childhood, all while trying to keep him away from his latest targets: the brother and sister claiming to have the Boogieman in their closet. Although the Ghostbusters do save the day here, the Boogieman eventually returns (“The Bogeyman Is Back“). That same episode also features the love-’em-or-hate-’em Junior Ghostbusters.
Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream

“Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream” (Season 1)
You could say the namesake of “Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream” had good intentions for putting mankind to sleep for the next few centuries—he wanted to end war and keep everyone dreaming. Sounds nice until you remember that whole free will business. But when it seems like the Ghostbusters have lost to their latest foe, the last one standing, Winston, gains a sudden ally. Janine’s dream of becoming a Ghostbuster is manifested, and she helps put this rogue spirit to bed.
When Halloween Was Forever

“When Halloween Was Forever” (Season 1)
Before the show’s execs capitalized on Slimer’s popularity by making him the focus of later episodes, early stories like “When Halloween Was Forever” better utilized that gooey ghost. Here, the spirit of Halloween itself, Samhain, hopes to make the holiday a permanent thing by stopping time. And who does the embodiment of All Hallows’ Eve use in his nefarious plot? Slimer, of course. Thankfully, the lil’ green bud knows where he really belongs, and Samhain is banished (at least until Season 3’s “Halloween II 1/2“).
Night Game

“Night Game” (Season 2)
Because Season Two was rather long, in comparison to other seasons, it accumulated quite a few solid episodes. One of the most beloved, though, is that ultimate good-versus-evil story, “Night Game“. Winston gets to shine here as he participates in a battle that was 500 years in the making. Except this time, the fighting is done on the baseball field. The other-dimensional settings in The Real Ghostbusters are always great, but the one here is particularly memorable.
Drool, the Dog-Faced Goblin

“Drool, the Dog-Faced Goblin” (Season 2)
Not all ghosts and whatnot were bad in The Real Ghostbusters. As “Drool, the Dog-Faced Goblin” showed, some were actually benevolent. Sadly, it took a lot of convincing, and one very heroic act, for Peter and the others to see past this goblin’s grotesque appearance. The heroes find more than one shapeshifter at a sideshow carnival in the Poconos; a sinister Class-4er called the Metamorph does a swell job of menacing the Ghostbusters before they finally realize Drool’s not their culprit. The good guys indeed win here, but that victory is a bittersweet one.
The Collect Call of Cathulhu

“The Collect Call of Cathulhu” (Season 2)
While “The Collect Call of Cathulhu” does misspell “Cthulhu” in the title (probably to avoid legal issues), it is clearly the Old One in this Lovecraft-inspired episode. The story kicks off with the Necronomicon being stolen by the deity’s modern-day cult, who then raise their ancient god at Coney Island. From there, the Ghostbusters’ typical methods don’t work on the big guy, so they seek advice from an old issue of Weird Tales (or “Wierd Tales”, as it’s spelled on screen). That build-up to the finale comes with a decent amount of dread before the Ghostbusters, as well as a scholar named Alice, face off with one of the show’s most powerful entities.
Knock, Knock

“Knock, Knock” (Season 2)
A number of Real Ghostbusters episodes could be reworked into big-screen features, but perhaps “Knock, Knock” is the most hopeful. It helps that this story feels in step with the first two movies. Here, some ignorant construction workers accidentally uncover and open an ancient door in the subway. What’s behind said door is none other than those unspeakable evils that only the Ghostbusters can quell. A good deal of the imagery here is prime for adaptation.
The Grundel

“The Grundel” (Season 3)
One of the darker episodes, which was written by the prominent J. Michael Straczynski, is “The Grundel“. Here, a boy is being influenced by the titular entity, a type of ghost who ultimately turns his targets into new Grundels. The episode does have something of an after-school special quality to it, but that doesn’t take away from the eerier moments. For more Grundel lore, be sure to check out the episode “Grundelesque” from the sequel series, Extreme Ghostbusters.
Standing Room Only

“Standing Room Only” (Season 4)
It’s no secret that The Real Ghostbusters experienced multiple changes after the second season. Out of all of them, though, retooling the show so that Slimer would get more of the spotlight is maybe the most egregious. Thankfully, Season Four (the first to be called Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters) didn’t completely obey that new directive; episodes like “Standing Room Only” felt more like the old days. The focus here was on the well-being of the city and its people, rather than on the series’ green mascot (or the Junior Ghostbusters). In the episode, Peter’s new ghost attractor isn’t to blame for the ensuing chaos; the ghost-eating Mee-Krah is what’s really imperiling everyone. And the Ghostbusters must dish out everything they have to avoid a doomsday situation.
The Halloween Door

“The Halloween Door” (Season 5)
While many fans will skip the later seasons in their rewatches, episodes like “The Halloween Door” are still worth checking out. This colorful helping of Halloween pandemonium premiered on primetime, so the animation is better than usual. And save for a random musical moment, it’s an enjoyable event. Here, a group of anti-Halloweeners tries to cancel the holiday, but they only end up making things worse by unleashing a baddie named Boogaloo.
The first five seasons of The Real Ghostbusters are available on Tubi, starting on July 15.



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