The Video Verdict

#9 The Devil on Trial

In 1980, during the exorcism of an allegedly possessed boy, Arne Cheyanne Johnson challenged the demon to enter his body. Months later, Johnson stabbed a man to death, claiming that at the time of the murder, he was possessed. Amidst the mayhem, paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren assisted, advised—and profited—from the boy’s family and from Johnson’s case; a case so intriguing it led to a book, two films, and a new, revealing Netflix documentary. This episode examines the Warrens’ most notorious investigations—The Demon Murder Case—as well as the movie adaptations it conjured. (36m.)

#8 Dark Shadows

The face of daytime TV was forever transformed in 1966, when creator Dan Curtis launched the Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows. Far from the world of middle class suburbia, the wealthy Collins family dealt with revenge plots, murder, and the occasional ghost. But with the introduction of 175-year-old vampire Barnabas Collins, the show became an American phenomenon. Barnabas’s popularity ushered in tales of witches, werewolves, and even time travel. The show’s success led to two feature films in the early ‘70s and a multi-million-dollar blockbuster in 2012, directed by Tim Burton. (44m.)

#7 V/H/S/85

The popular found footage anthology series, V/H/S—which started way back in 2012—offers a brand new entry in the form of ‘80s aesthetic-chic V/H/S/85. The movie follows the tried and true formula of the previous entries by delivering several unrelated tales of horror, with a couple of surprises. Frank and Matt discuss their favorite moments in the series, as well as its newest edition. 

#6 A Tale of Two Things

A pair of very different sci-fi classics spawned from the same source material: John W. Campbell Jr.’s novella “Who Goes There?” In the first of our Remake Roundup series, we discuss 1951’s understated thriller The Thing from Another World and 1982’s effects-feast, John Carpenter’s The Thing. Two movies, two monsters—and two generations of terror. (30m.)

#5 Terror at the Mall

The rise of the indoor shopping mall in the ‘70s created a unique setting for George Romero’s classic, Dawn of the Dead. By the splatter movie boom of the ‘80s, the mall returned in Chopping Mall and Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge. Frank and Matt discuss which of these three flicks make the most of their consumer environments. (38m.) 

#4 The Burning and Madman

The success of 1980’s Friday the 13th spawned a wave of imitations, including two shining examples of the Summer Camp Slasher: The Burning and Madman. Originally seen as just cheap knock-offs, these two films have since garnered a cult following, and for good reason. (29m.)

#3 The Amityville Horror

With the recent release of the MGM+ docuseries, Amityville: An Origin Story, Video Verdict hosts Frank and Matt discuss the story behind Jay Anson’s book, The Amityville Horror, its popular 1979 film adaptation starring Margot Kidder, and the (somewhat) undervalued Amityville II: The Possession. (43m.)  

#2 The Jungle-Cannibal Movie

What happened to the jungle cannibal movie? Despite its prolific play from the early seventies into the mid-eighties, the subgenre died out with the Reagan Administration and has become virtually extinct. Frank and Matt dig deep into the guts of Cannibal Holocaust, Cannibal Ferox, and other gory delights of the time. (33m.)

#1 Cruising

William Friedkin’s infamous psychological thriller wasn’t looked at kindly when it was originally released, but is that because viewers didn’t see the underlying supernatural aspect at hand? Video Verdict hosts Matt and Frank take a stab (no pun intended) at the 1980 cult classic by offering a new theory on the film’s mystifying plot. (32m.)