On this week's episode of the Bear Cave of Terror, I invite Rob Staeger back to talk about one of his favorite films, the supernatural noir horror, 1987's Angel Heart, directed by Alan Parker. In contrast to the director's previous films like Birdie, or Fame, this time he tackles his adaptation of the detective thriller Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg, where Mickey Rourke's Harry Angel hunts down a mysterious crooner for Robert DeNiro's Louis Cypher through the streets of New York City and New Orleans - including him encountering 80s sitcom darling, Lisa Bonet, in an impactful role - while the missing singer's associates wind up gruesomely murdered along the way. Marred by controversy that almost prevented its original wide release in US cinemas, it has since become a bit of an underground cult hit, and hopefully, dear listener, you may be intrigued to give it a watch after Rob and Steve chat about the stunning performances of the leads, staging of mid-1950s New York and New Orleans, bizarre symbolism, and more! (Beware there are major spoilers in the last 15 minutes of the episode...)

Additional Resources for this episode:

"Actress Lisa Bonet transcends the 'Angel Heart' controversy" by Victor Valle, Reading Eagle, 3/2/1987

"'Angel Heart'video to be uncut" by Entertainment News Source, Sun Sentinel, 6/26/87

Interview with Mickey Rourke on Angel Heart, KCRA-NBC 3, 1/27/87

Interview with Alan Parker & Mickey Rourke for Angel Heart (1987) by John C. Tibbets (re-release 11/5/21)

In Conversation with Director Alan Parker on Angel Heart/BEI - 4/26/18

YouTube channel highly recommended for deep dives into this movie:

Youtube.com/@CineG - Angel Heart analysis and reflections - playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKh25aJ1QU8J5I2hdRuDp4GOvyuBPSgIL

Bill Zanowitz of the Comic Book Bears is back in the Bear Cave this week with the follow-up to the 1975 summer blockbuster legend, Jaws 2! There's a new shark around Amity Island, and this time, he's not shy! The movie that originated the oft-copied and parodied tagline "Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water", it is understandably overshadowed by the original film, and doesn't often get the recognition it should as a fun, exciting sequel. It may not be breaking new ground (or making waves) by pitting a PTSD-afflicted Chief Brody up against another Great White adversary, but this film focuses more on the young people of the island, cruising around on their sailboats like they were hot rods, and of course, making themselves targets for an angry and hungry ocean predator. With weather challenges, director and writer shake-ups, and the usual mechanical failures, Jaws 2 was just as tough to film as the original, and the final product is worlds different from the commissioned novelization, but still a boatload of fun to watch, and the source of stories and memories for local crew and cast alike. Have a listen, and give Jaws 2 another chance!

Additional resources for this episode:

The Making of Jaws 2 (2001), directed and produced by Laurent Bouzereau

"Fade to Black: Alas Jaws 2 Comes to an End" by Betty Archer Allen, Gulf Breeze News 8/28/08

TheDailyJaws.com

"Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water", original tagline by Andrew J. Keuhn

Joining us for the first time in the Bear Cave of Terror, we have another host of the Comic Book Bears, Caleb Alexander-Mckinzie! A fan of horror-comedies, he brings with him the 2011 laughs-and-splatter cult hit, Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil! Directed by Eli Craig and starring Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine in the titular roles, this film has been consistently making audiences laugh AND cover their eyes by flipping upside-down the usual trope of co-eds vs psycho hillibillies in similar backwoods slashers, by making the "hillbillies" here just a couple of nice guys and the college kids' very bloody deaths all the result of accidents and misunderstandings. We look at the dynamic created by decades of stereotyping and prejudice, and how it plays out when the slasher roles are reversed, the cast and crew's attention to detail to keep this from descending into spoof, and of course how big, misunderstood Bubba Bear Dale finally gets the girl he deserves, a victory for bearish sidekicks everywhere! We also mention shock-and-gore moments in this film that still elicit reactions in people watching for the first time (check out the hundreds of reaction videos on YouTube for example!), and of course, those great one-liners.

Additional Resources for this episode:

""Tucker and Dale vs Evil: How to make a Hillbilly Howler" by Michael Gingold - Fangoria.com, orig. 11/25/11, updated 3/16/24

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil Excluse: Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk, interview by MovieWeb, 10/8/11 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw73bfyiWTA