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“Damn! Come back from the grave and ran out of ammunition.” Big Ben (Richard Moll) laments his inability to hunt down prey. Specifically, the curly locks of Roger Cobb (William Katt). A successful writer trying to get past his recent divorce, missing child and Vietnam PTSD. Where could he possibly seek refuge from his inner demons? Why, in the House where his aunt killed herself, of course! Nothing too ominous or spooky about that. The Decades of Horror Crew only has one question; is there a guest room they could record in?
Decades of Horror 1980s
Episode 105 — House (1986)
House, the 1986 horror comedy from Steve Miner (Friday the 13th 3-D, Lake Placid) is an odd beast. A goofy comedy with rather serious horrific trappings, House sought to balance the silly with the starkly darkest subjects. The goofy ghosts that cause mischief are followed up with disturbing flashbacks to Vietnam and lost children. It’s distinctly 80s, including a really out of place synth score and a break up song scored body disposing montage. Something that the kids are definitely not gonna get in their modern blockbusters. They also won’t get Norm from Cheers himself George Wendt as a lovable neighbor forever in search of a beer and movie night with his new neighbor. Ah, the things we miss from the 80s.
To reminisce about all of this, Christopher G. Moore and Thomas Mariani welcome back Doc Rotten from his hiatus! Plus, Adam Thomas is along for the ride! Three in a row! The four have varying opinions on House. Some love the tonal whiplash. Others find it jarring. It’s a lively discussion full of questions of tone and purpose. Doc is full of insights into the production. Christopher relates the VHS wear and tear he put into his copy. Adam is curious as to how the physics of any of this works. Thomas just wants to know how the hell House II: The Second Story fits into the continuity. Still, one thing all of these gentlemen can agree on: William Katt’s shirtless v-neck sweater is 80s fashion at its finest.
We want to hear from you — the coolest, most gruesome fans: leave us a message or leave a comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1980s podcast hosts at thomasmariani@decadesofhorror.com or docrotten@decadesofhorror.com. We also want to be sure to thank Neon Devils for their killer track “Bone Chillin’” which we use for the intro and outro of this show.
